Chapter Eighty-Five: Awakening [Requesting Your Reading]

As soon as he answered, the entire room was in an uproar. Everyone looked at him as if they were staring at a madman.

“Damn it, man! If you want to get yourself killed, don’t drag us down with you!” Yang Xuan was on the verge of tears; he never imagined Li Yang could be this reckless.

He was truly terrified now. If their earlier conflict was just a minor issue, Li Yang’s words now were a direct slap in the face to Zhou Xiong. How could this underworld boss of Kun City possibly tolerate it?

The people nearby couldn’t help but tremble, their legs shaking uncontrollably. None could imagine how terrifying Zhou Xiong’s rage would be in the next moment.

“Hahaha!” Zhou Xiong, furious, let out a laugh. “Someone I can’t afford to offend? There are people in Kun City I, Zhou Xiong, dare not cross, but you, boy, are not among them!”

“Just for what you said today, I’ll make sure you don’t leave the Chamber of Commerce headquarters alive.” He laughed as he pointed at Li Yang, enunciating each word with chilling clarity. “Biao, kill him for me!”

As Zhou Xiong’s order echoed out, the burly man who’d been blocked by Li Yang let out a nasty grin. “Kid, you brought this on yourself.”

Clad in a black mandarin jacket, muscles bulging, his brutish face enough to strike terror into anyone’s heart, the burly man made Yang Xuan and the others nearly weep with fright just by looking at him.

“You talk too much!”

Bang! Thud, thud!

As the iron fist hurtled toward his temple, Li Yang’s expression remained unchanged, cold and indifferent, a chilling glint flickering in his eyes. He threw a punch straight ahead.

At once, the burly man’s skull burst like a ripe watermelon, red and white matter splattering all over the hall in a gruesome scene.

Screams and retching broke out.

Yang Xuan and the others had never witnessed such carnage. They immediately began to vomit; the girls shrieked in terror, some collapsing to the floor, their pants soaked in fear.

“You… get him! All of you!” Zhou Xiong’s composure finally cracked as he watched his top enforcer’s head smashed in by a single punch. Even with his hardened heart, a wave of dread surged within him.

Staring at Li Yang’s icy expression, Zhou Xiong’s eyes flickered with fear, but he still barked at his men.

Crack, crack… Boom!

Facing the onrushing thugs, Li Yang clenched his fists, the joints cracking audibly. He struck out, and the force of his blows sent the crowd of men flying, as if a storm had swept through.

“Who… what the hell are you?” Zhou Xiong, seeing his men strewn across the room, was utterly shaken. His earlier calm was gone, his voice trembling with panic.

It wasn’t that he was inexperienced—Li Yang’s existence was simply beyond human. He had never encountered anyone so godlike, so demonic. It shattered everything he knew about the world.

Sun Yuran and the others stared in shock, some even rubbing their eyes to see if they were dreaming, forgetting even to vomit. For a moment, the entire hall fell eerily silent, broken only by the occasional groans of the fallen men.

“Who am I? Didn’t I already say? I’m the man you can’t afford to provoke.”

He strolled up to Zhou Xiong, looking down at him from above. “I came today for money, not trouble. If you know what’s good for you, do as I say. Otherwise, I guarantee that before dawn tomorrow, there will be no more Blue Lotus Society in Kun City.”

With that, Li Yang pulled a pill from his pocket and handed it to Zhou Xiong, watching him with an amused expression.

“My friend, if it’s just money you want, there’s no need for all this. Name your price—if I, Zhou Xiong, can pay it, you’ll have no argument from me.”

Hearing Li Yang only wanted money, Zhou Xiong actually breathed a sigh of relief. His greatest fear was that Li Yang had been sent by his enemies to kill him. If that were the case, today would have been his last day.

For someone in his line of work, enemies weren’t just everywhere—they were countless. Those who wanted him dead were beyond number.

“Take it. I won’t repeat myself.”

“Yes, yes—I’ll take it right now!” Seeing Li Yang’s frown, Zhou Xiong’s heart skipped a beat. He dared not hesitate, hurriedly swallowing the pill Li Yang handed him.

“Very good. You know how to adapt—I appreciate that.”

“These are the materials I need. Gather them for me in Kun City. With your influence, you’ll soon know where I’m staying. I dislike trouble—remember that. Make sure not to cause me any unnecessary problems, or else…”

Li Yang handed him a prepared list of herbs. Suddenly, his whole body radiated golden light; he transformed into a golden giant, over ten feet tall, his voice booming like thunder.

“You do not want to know what happens when I’m angry!”

“Yes, yes… Rest assured, Immortal. I wouldn’t dare!” Zhou Xiong stared in shock at the golden giant before him, waves of terror surging through his heart.

…

Satisfied with Zhou Xiong’s reaction, Li Yang nodded, his form returning to normal. He walked over to Sun Yuran, who was still frozen in shock, and without a word, wrapped an arm around her and walked out of the hall.

“Who… who are you, really?” It took a while before Sun Yuran finally snapped back to reality. She looked at Li Yang’s profile and asked.

“I’m just Li Yang. Who else could I be?” Li Yang smiled at her question, offering no further explanation.

“Oh no! Zhou Xin and the others are still with Zhou Xiong!” Only now did she fully come to her senses. She struggled out of Li Yang’s grasp and turned, about to run back toward the hall.

“It’s fine. You were with me—Zhou Xiong won’t dare lay a finger on them. You’re a good girl. There’s no need for you to keep mixing with those people.”

He caught her hand as she tried to leave, feeling the soft, delicate skin in his palm. Li Yang couldn’t help but give it a gentle squeeze.

“Xin Xin… She’s actually a good person, just a bit eccentric.” Sun Yuran’s face flushed red at his touch, all her earlier aloofness gone as she spoke in a small voice to defend her friend.

Embarrassed, Li Yang noticed the change in her expression and quickly let go of her hand.

At the same time, a sense of caution crept into his heart. Lately, he didn’t know why, but he was finding it harder and harder to control his emotions. As a cultivator with years of training, his self-discipline shouldn’t be this weak.

And yet, whenever he saw a beautiful girl, his mind would always wander, and sometimes an inexplicable desire would well up inside him.

“Hmph! So you’re just realizing it now? This is the effect of your so-called ancestral technique—your energy, essence, and spirit are out of balance. These are still only minor problems. If you can’t quickly refine the power of that ancient beast, the Six-Winged Golden Centipede, its nature will eventually start to change your heart, turning you into a half-human, half-beast!”

As if sensing Li Yang’s caution, the old Daoist in his mind let out a cold snort and spoke up.