Chapter 159: Heaven-reaching means! Little sister, it has been a long time

Nightly lamps hasten decay; killing intent arises in the fragrant meat shop.

This hand seizes creation; this hand hastens life and death.

This hand is as light as a cloud; this hand is earth-shattering.

"Spirit-Restraining!?"

Zhang Fan's eyes widened, staring fixedly at the woman before him who called herself Li Linglang.

Raising a hand to seize life and death, restraining and locking the Nascent Soul.

These are the means of the Wu Wei Gate, yet Zhang Fan had never seen anyone wield them so casually. One must know that the two brothers, Liu Xingyu and Liu Xingchui, were no weaklings, yet before this woman, they didn't even have time to react before their Nascent Souls were restrained.

Such means were simply unimaginably tyrannical and vicious.

Rumble...

The fire in the barbecue stove grew even larger, and the meat on the iron plate sizzled as it dripped oil...

The two Nascent Souls in Li Linglang's palm struggled frantically, yet they could never escape the cage.

In this woman's eyes, these two Nascent Souls seemed no different from the barbecue on the iron plate; they were merely side dishes for her wine.

"Drinking on an empty stomach is bad for the gut. Haven't you tried it?"

Li Linglang looked at Zhang Fan with a kindly, amiable expression, as if she were concerned for a junior, her words filled with care and encouragement.

However, watching the Nascent Souls being toyed with in her palm, Zhang Fan only felt his scalp tingle, and a chill rushed up his spine.

"Tsk tsk, that look in your eyes is enough to kill." Li Linglang didn't even lift her head, yet she sensed Zhang Fan's change and couldn't help but chuckle.

"You child, you were never a peaceful one since you were small. I said you had a rebellious bone, but your mother wouldn't believe me."

Hum...

As she spoke, Li Linglang swirled the wine glass in her hand, a ripple emerged, and the scent of wine was intoxicating, while the Nascent Soul in her other hand began to twist and deform between her slender fingers...

Waves of painful roars came incessantly.

Rumble...

At this moment, Zhang Fan's breathing stopped abruptly. His chest heaved violently, expanding like a balloon, and then both hands formed seals; the True Yang within his body boiled.

"Fire Dragon Dan Sword!"

Hum...

A terrifying sound soared into the sky, echoing through the cold meat-shabu shop, resembling a dragon's roar and a sword's hum.

Zhang Fan opened his mouth wide, and a breath of air erupted, transforming into True Fire, suddenly taking the shape of a dragon; three feet became waves, ten steps became a sword, slashing straight at the woman before him.

Rumble...

At this moment, Zhang Fan did not hold back. This woman showed no signs of her cultivation, not even a shred of aura, but her behavior was like a demon, bringing Zhang Fan an unprecedented sense of oppression.

The power of the Fire Dragon Dan Sword was pushed to the limit. In a trance, the entire shop seemed filled with red light; the scorching True Fire disturbed the heavens, and the terrifying fluctuations spread throughout the entire street.

"You obtained the true transmission of the Pure Yang Ancestor? This isn't the innate technique of your Zhang family."

Li Linglang sat there, not moving at all. She swirled her wine glass, and ripples appeared in the wine...

Suddenly, the rolling True Fire roared over, and all of it poured into the wine in the glass.

Hum...

At almost the same moment, a layer of firelight appeared on the surface of the wine. Li Linglang raised the glass and, along with the scorching firelight, drank it all in one gulp.

This scene made Zhang Fan's hair stand on end.

Since mastering the 【Fire Dragon Dan Sword】, he could be considered an expert in Yujing City, and among his peers, he was outstanding.

After all, this was not an ordinary Daoist fire technique, but one that had seized the Pure Yang True Intent; the Dan fire transformed into a sword, possessing infinite mystery.

Yet, this woman before him actually used the fire to heat the wine in her glass and drank it in one gulp!? What kind of cultivation was this!?

"It lives up to being the fire technique left behind by the Pure Yang Ancestor; it's quite spicy."

Li Linglang's lips curled slightly, and she raised her right hand, ready to enjoy the most delicious side dish for wine in the human world.

"Little Linglang, now that you are no longer what you used to be, with heaven-reaching means, why are you still bullying a child?"

Just then, an aged voice sounded faintly. Old Man Jiu stood before the counter, his gaze steady, staring coldly at Li Linglang.

The woman paused slightly upon hearing this, then laughed.

"Old Man Jiu, you are right. Today, for your sake, I will eat two less bites."

As she spoke, Li Linglang raised a hand, and the two Nascent Souls in her palm, as if granted amnesty, immediately returned to their bodies.

The two brothers, Liu Xingchui and Liu Xingyu, recovered, jumped to their feet, and instinctively retreated, staring fixedly at the woman before them, their eyes filled with shock and fear.

Just a moment ago, they hadn't even had time to react; they were trapped in a life-or-death dilemma, held entirely in the palm of her hand.

Such terrifying methods and such unprecedented pressure made their nerves jump wildly.

"Who exactly are you?" Zhang Fan asked through gritted teeth, unable to fathom the woman's background or intentions for the moment.

"You were quite clever when you were little. How did your brain get so dull as you grew up?"

"Have you practiced the 【Divine Demon Saint Embryo】 until you've become an idiot?"

As she spoke, Li Linglang looked at Zhang Fan with a half-smile, her index finger tapping rhythmically on the table.

Once these words were spoken, the expressions of the Liu brothers changed drastically; they had heard a nearly bizarre fact.

"Divine Demon Saint Embryo!? She said Divine Demon Saint Embryo!?" A voice seemed to echo in Liu Xingchui's heart.

"Your mother's name is Li Linglong, and my name is Li Linglang. Who do you think I am?"

"A relative!?" Zhang Fan raised an eyebrow, a strange look appearing on his face.

In his impression, his family didn't seem to have any relatives, whether on his mother's side or his father's side...

He had even once suspected that his parents had walked out of an orphanage.

"Little Linglang..."

"Old Nine, you'd best not speak of our family's affairs, or you won't meet a good end."

Li Linglang interrupted the words that had just left the man's mouth without hesitation, her cold gaze fixed on Old Nine in front of the counter; the latter's brows stood up, but he said no more.

"So you're an elder. What should I call you? Little Aunt?" Zhang Fan whispered, signaling the Liu brothers with his eyes to slip away quickly.

"No need to try and get close..."

Li Linglong set down the wine glass in her hand and said indifferently, "Where is your father?"

"I'm looking for him too." Zhang Fan shrugged, showing a helpless expression.

"Little Aunt, you might not know, but my father is quite indifferent toward his children. I even suspect I was picked up by him." Zhang Fan said with a bitter face, as if he had suffered a great injustice.

He could see that this relative who had suddenly popped up in his family was not normal.

"Is that so?" Li Linglang said noncommittally. "What a heartless man. Tell me, if you died, would he come back to hold your funeral!?"

"Run!"

As soon as the words fell, Zhang Fan's figure flashed suddenly, the True Yang within his body erupted, and he transformed into a black shadow, darting toward the door.

"Naughty!"

Just at this moment, Li Linglang's voice rang out in Zhang Fan's ear. He looked up abruptly, but her slender, fair palm had already landed on his neck.

Goosebumps erupted all over Zhang Fan's body. The entire street seemed to have frozen in place; even the two Liu brothers felt their legs go weak, collapsing to the ground, staring in terror at the woman before them.

At this moment, within the range where Li Linglang stood, it seemed no living thing could escape her control.

"Little Fan, retreat!"

Suddenly, a sharp, explosive shout rang out from the deep night, and Zhang Fan instinctively retreated five steps.

Almost at the same time, a bolt of lightning like a giant python slithered out, darting from the end of the dark street with fierce momentum, rushing toward Li Linglang. "Living Python Thunder Talisman!?"

Li Linglong stood motionless, the fierce wind whipping her hem. She raised her right hand slightly, and without any other movement, the terrifying bolt of lightning rushed toward her palm, only to be clamped by an invisible force, twisting wildly before finally dissipating into the vast black night.

"Holy crap... is this even human!?"

In the distance, Liu Xingyu watched, dumbstruck. Such a thunder technique was terrifying and divine; if it were them, even touching a trace of it would likely result in the destruction of both body and soul.

Yet this woman before them had actually blocked it with one hand!?

Is she even human!? Whoosh...

The night wind whistled, and black clouds crossed the sky.

The streetlights flickered with a buzzing sound. A chubby figure walked slowly from the end of the street. He was wearing a security guard uniform and a hat, slowly taking off the glove on his right hand to reveal missing fingers.

"Uncle Liu!"

Zhang Fan exclaimed upon seeing the person.

"Nine-Fingered Talisman Demon!?" Li Linglang's mouth curled slightly, revealing a faint smile.

"Nine-Fingered Talisman Demon!?"

Hearing this name, the corner of Liu Xingchui's eye twitched unnaturally. He was no rookie fresh out of the gate; he had studied his craft at Zhenwu Mountain in his early years and had practiced in the world for many years, making him extremely familiar with the many legends of the Daoist sects.

The Nine-Fingered Talisman Demon was a great expert who had run rampant over twenty years ago.

It was said that this person's talisman Dao was divine, and despite his missing fingers, he had managed to rank among the top tier of the talisman Dao, known as one of the five great experts of the talisman lineage of that generation.

However, ten years ago, this person had vanished without a trace, never revealing a sign again.

"This fat security guard is the Nine-Fingered Talisman Demon!?" Liu Xingchui's gaze trembled as he looked at the figure in the night, feeling as if it were all a dream.

Tonight was truly too bizarre for the two brothers.

"You cannot touch him."

Liu Fusheng did not respond, merely glancing at Zhang Fan, his solemn gaze locked firmly onto Li Linglang.

"What? That man only left a cripple like you to watch over his cub?" Li Linglang laughed.

"Speaking of which, you are an elder, how can you lay a hand on a junior?" Liu Fusheng frowned and said in a deep voice.

"Are your hands crippled, and your brain crippled too?"

"At our level, naturally, there are no taboos."

Rumble...

As soon as the words fell, Li Linglang moved as fast as thunder, darting toward where Zhang Fan was.

"Withering and Flourishing!"

Just at this moment, Liu Fusheng pointed a finger, drawing a talisman in the void. Streams of light intertwined in the air, combining into a mystical and complex talisman, the fluctuations of life and death covering a radius of a hundred meters.

"A hundred-character talisman, formed in an instant... My god, what kind of cultivation is this?" Liu Xingchui watched, dumbstruck.

Drawing talismans in the void was already a highly profound method in the talisman Dao; that a powerhouse like the Nine-Fingered Talisman Demon could perform it was naturally expected.

A single-character talisman was the most basic; the more talisman scripts stacked, the greater the difficulty, and the stronger the power.

But a hundred-character talisman...

The Liu brothers widened their eyes. They had never seen anyone condense a hundred-character talisman in an instant without talisman paper or any carrier, merely by drawing in the void.

This was not a simple technique, nor was it an ordinary art; it was nearly Dao.

Rumble...

Once the Withering and Flourishing was born, within a hundred-meter radius, it was as if spring had turned to autumn; everything was decaying, even the paved stone ground was collapsing, turning into gravel and soil...

Li Linglang was in the midst of it. Under the invisible force, she seemed to have fallen into a quagmire; the flow of blood in her body became incredibly slow, her skin became shriveled, and her hair turned yellow and split...

Her aura and her power were weakening rapidly.

"This is also a talisman!?" Zhang Fan held his breath, seeing such a marvelous talisman for the first time.

Jiang Hu's talismans were simply toddler scribbles compared to Liu Fusheng's.

Rumble...

Suddenly, a deafening roar erupted from within Li Linglang's body, causing everyone's hearts to tremble violently, as if gripped by a giant hand.

Following that, her body shook slightly, and an invisible aura of decay actually peeled off from the surface of her body. Her aura recovered instantly, radiant and eye-catching.

Bang...

Li Linglang raised her right hand slightly, and an invisible force, like a whirlpool, pinched the talisman drawn in the void. With her five fingers crossed and closed, the terrifying violence crushed the hundred-character talisman directly.

"This woman is incredible." Zhang Fan's gaze trembled, his heart jumping.

It is no exaggeration to say that the woman before him was absolutely the most terrifying Daoist expert he had ever seen.

Rumble...

Li Linglang arrived like the vast night, her long, fair palm already landing on Liu Fusheng's chest.

"Heart Talisman Flowing Sand!"

Suddenly, a talisman appeared and flickered on Liu Fusheng's chest, and then, the blood flowing in his body made a rustling sound...

Crack...

Following that, Li Linglang's palm seemed to have fallen into a quagmire of quicksand, snapping and deforming suddenly.

"Don't say I'm bullying a disabled person."

Li Linglang's expression remained as usual. Her twisted palm let out a crack, and under the astonished gazes of many, it recovered as before, as if it had been forcibly snapped back by an invisible, strange force.

Following that, she pointed a finger, shattering the talisman on Liu Fusheng's chest into powder.

Hum...

Suddenly, Li Linglang's body paused. She turned around, her beautiful eyes narrowing slightly, feeling as if the scene before her was spinning continuously.

Zhang Fan, Liu Fusheng... and even the Old Nine Shabu-Shabu shop, the entire street seemed to have become an illusion, disappearing before her eyes.

Everything that had just happened was like a great dream, nothing but a false delusion, not reality.

"Hibernation Dream Entry!?" Li Linglang's mouth curled slightly.

"Si She, you've come too."

Rumble...

Just at this moment, she took a step, and bolts of black lightning surged from within her body. The terrifying power radiated to the entire street...

That void-like change vanished instantly.

The street was still that same street.

The buzzing streetlights illuminated the figures of Zhang Fan and the others. Not far away, a woman staggered, retreating a step, a trace of blood already at the corner of her mouth. It was none other than the one who had disappeared after the Mystical View...

Si She Bai Yujing.

Even her power was no match for the woman before them.

At this moment, Zhang Fan was cursing internally; he truly didn't know why this relative who had suddenly appeared in his family wanted his life at the slightest disagreement.

"Stupid. Your Hibernation Dream Entry might work on others, but in front of me, it's just a trick to fool children."

Li Linglang laughed lightly, terrifying black lightning coiling around her body. Her invincible aura made everyone feel despair.

"The person I want to kill, no one can stop me."

As she spoke, Li Linglang's cold gaze fell upon Zhang Fan, and she stepped toward him.

"Little Sister, long time no see."

Just at this moment, a slow, languid voice rang out in the cold night, causing Li Linglang to be struck as if by lightning. The smile on her face gradually solidified, and she actually stopped her steps! (End of chapter)