58: Chapter 58 Formation Upgrade! Who gave you permission to touch it recklessly? Punishment time!

"Extra ingredients? Boss, what kind of powerful ingredients are you adding?"

Zhou Mingyue leaned in curiously, her large eyes blinking.

"Naturally... some good stuff that can make one feel like they're in heaven or dying."

Su Yang gave a mysterious smile. With a flip of his hand, several crimson command flags and a bottle of liquid emitting a faint blue light appeared out of thin air in his palm.

"System, exchange for [Nine Palaces Soul-Bewildering Formation (Advanced Version)]!"

"Exchange for one bottle of [Thunderfire Liquid]!"

"Ding! 800 points consumed! Exchange successful!"

As the System's notification sound faded...

The command flags in Su Yang's hand suddenly fluttered on their own, snapping loudly despite the lack of wind.

The Mountain-Guarding Grand Formation, which was originally as warm and gentle as jade, actually rippled with visible waves the moment these command flags appeared.

"The previous Spirit Gathering Formation was only meant to nurture people and ghosts. While it had defensive power, its aggressiveness was insufficient."

Su Yang took the command flags and walked to the southeast corner of the courtyard.

"Since someone wants to play dirty, I'll prepare a 'surprise' for them."

"This Nine Palaces Soul-Bewildering Formation can not only cause hallucinations and trap people in an endless cycle of fear, but more importantly..."

Su Yang unscrewed that bottle of [Thunderfire Liquid].

He carefully dripped a single drop onto a command flag.

Sizzle—!

A cluster of blue-violet electric sparks instantly exploded, and a scorched scent filled the air.

"Combined with this Thunderfire Liquid, as long as someone dares to force their way in, they will be incinerated into ash by thunder and fire in an instant. Not even their Soul will escape!"

"This is a killing move specifically designed for cultivators."

Hearing the words 'incinerated into ash,' Mary, who had been peeking from the side, couldn't help but shrink her neck.

Although she was a Vampire Prince, this kind of Eastern Formation made her feel uncomfortable just by looking at it, as if a fire were roasting her Soul.

"That... Master..."

Mary spoke up cautiously, pointing at a command flag stuck in the ground.

"This flag is crooked. My OCD makes it painful to look at. Can I straighten it?"

Su Yang had tossed it casually earlier, and the flag was indeed stuck in the soil at an angle, looking a bit awkward.

Being of noble birth...

Mary's ingrained, elegant OCD was acting up again.

"Don't touch it!"

Su Yang didn't have time to stop her.

Mary's hand had already reached out.

"Oh, I'm just straightening it. I wanted to help Master with the work..."

However...

The moment her fingertips touched the command flag...

Buzz—!

The command flag, which had looked ordinary, suddenly erupted with a blinding red light!

Immediately after...

Boom!

An incredibly scorching flame rose out of thin air, instantly transforming into a fire snake that coiled up Mary's arm!

"Ahhh—!!!"

Mary let out a shrill scream.

That wasn't ordinary fire; it was True Fire of the Formation, containing the power of Extreme Yang!

For a creature of darkness like a Vampire...

This was a hundred times more painful than being splashed with sulfuric acid!

"It hurts! It hurts so much! Master, save me!!"

Mary shook her hand desperately, but the fire snake was like a maggot on a bone, impossible to shake off. It was even spreading toward her body, seemingly about to burn her precious maid outfit.

"Look what your meddling hands did!"

Su Yang scolded her irritably. With a flash of his body, he appeared in front of Mary instantly.

"Golden Light Curse! Suppress!"

He formed a hand seal and tapped a finger on Mary's forehead.

Buzz!

A golden light instantly enveloped Mary's entire body, forcefully repelling the fire snake until it finally vanished into the air as a wisp of blue smoke.

"Whew... whew..."

Mary slumped on the ground, gasping for breath.

That exquisite little face was as pale as paper, and her forehead was covered in cold sweat.

On her fair arm, there was now a red, swollen burn mark that was still steaming.

"Wuwu... Master... it hurts so much..."

With tears in her eyes, Mary piteously held up her injured arm for Su Yang to see, looking as pathetic as could be.

"You deserve it."

Even though Su Yang said that...

He still knelt down and grasped her wrist.

A stream of cool Spiritual Qi passed through his palm, quickly relieving Mary's burning sensation.

"Didn't I tell you just now? This is a killing Formation that can even slay ghosts and gods. You, a Vampire, dared to touch it recklessly?"

"I... I thought I was on your side..."

Mary sobbed, "And it really was crooked..."

"It was crooked to follow the terrain. This is called 'Slanting the Willow.' Don't mess around if you don't understand."

Su Yang sighed helplessly. Seeing her tearful appearance, his mischievous streak surfaced again.

"Since you did something wrong, shouldn't you be punished?"

"Pun... punished?"

Mary's body stiffened, and she subconsciously covered her bottom, her eyes filled with terror.

"Master... we're in the courtyard... Sister Mingyue is still here..."

Su Yang turned to look at Zhou Mingyue.

The girl's eyes were wide open, watching the scene with a gossiping expression, her phone already in hand.

"What are you looking at? Put the phone away."

Su Yang glared at her.

"Oh... okay..."

Zhou Mingyue stuck out her tongue and obediently put her phone away.

But her eyes still couldn't help but peek over, clearly not wanting to miss the show.

"What are you thinking?"

Su Yang gave Mary's head a sharp knock, pulling her thoughts back.

"Since your hands are injured, I'll punish you by..."

Su Yang pointed at the remaining command flags that hadn't been planted yet.

"Holding them in your mouth and planting them one by one in the positions I tell you."

"If you dare to mess around again, I'll throw you into the Formation eye to be used as fuel!"

"Huh? In... in my mouth?"

Mary was stunned. Looking at the thick flagpoles, her face instantly turned red down to her neck.

This... how scandalous!

She was a noble Prince!

"What? You're unwilling?" Su Yang's gaze turned cold.

"Willing... I'm willing! This servant is willing!"

Mary didn't dare say no. She hurriedly knelt on the ground, opened her rosy little mouth, and carefully picked up a command flag.

The way she knelt on all fours, holding the flag in her mouth with a lost expression, combined with that maid outfit, was simply...

Lethally provocative!

"Mm, that's more like it."

Su Yang nodded with satisfaction and sat back leisurely in his chair to give directions.

"A bit to the left... right..."

...

While Su Yang was having a grand time disciplining his maid and upgrading the Formation...

Hong Kong, Hong Kong Sanatorium & Hospital.

This was the top private hospital in all of Hong Kong.

At this moment, the floor where the intensive care unit was located was completely surrounded by bodyguards in black suits.

The corridor was packed with Hong Kong media reporters who had rushed over, their cameras and microphones trying to break through the defensive line.

"May I ask if Mr. Li Half-City has regained consciousness?"

"I heard the Li family received a threatening letter. Is it related to the previous land acquisition dispute?"

"The Li Group's stock price has plummeted by 20%. Does the eldest Young Master Li have any response?"

Inside the top-floor VIP ward...

Li Half-City lay on a large hospital bed, covered in tubes. His face was ash-gray, looking as if he had aged ten years overnight.

Outside the window was the view of Happy Valley, but he was in no mood to appreciate it.

Standing by his bed were several richly dressed middle-aged men and women, all looking panicked; they were the core members of the Li family.

"Dad! You must hold on!"

"Who exactly is that Su Yang? To think he dared to provoke you like this! I'll send someone to Jiangzhou to kill him right now!"

The eldest son of the Li family, Li Tzar-kuoi, spoke through gritted teeth, his fists clenched tightly.

"Shut up! *Cough, cough, cough*..."

Li Half-City suddenly opened his eyes and ripped off his oxygen mask, his voice raspy yet fierce.

"Kill him? Even Great Master Naimi was tossed onto Victoria Peak like trash by him! Are you going there to die?!"

Recalling the tragic state inside that box, Li Half-City couldn't help but tremble all over.

Too ruthless!

That simply wasn't something a human would do!

On his own turf, he had never suffered such a humiliating disgrace.

"Then... then what should we do? Are we just going to swallow this insult?" Li Tzar-kuoi asked unwillingly. "Right now, all of Hong Kong is laughing at our Li family!"

"Swallow it?"

A trace of venomous light flashed in Li Half-City's eyes.

"I, Li Half-City, have navigated the business world for a lifetime. When have I ever suffered such a loss?"

"Since metaphysical means can't beat him, then we'll use worldly means!"

He struggled to sit up. Though his body was weak, that Aura of a tycoon still made people shudder.

"That land in Jiangzhou, I'm taking it for sure!"

"Contact Mayor Zhao of Jiangzhou City immediately. Tell him I want to invest ten billion in Jiangzhou! To build the largest logistics center in Asia!"

"The only condition is the requisition of the old city area in Locust Tree Alley!"

"I don't believe that no matter how powerful he is, he can fight against the state machine? Can he stop hundreds of bulldozers?!"

"Ten billion?!"

The members of the Li family were all stunned.

For one Su Yang, he was actually going to throw down ten billion?!

"Go do it! Now!"

Li Half-City roared, his eyes crazed.

"As long as I can extend my life, never mind ten billion, I'd even give a hundred billion!"

"Su Yang... let's see how you handle this move!"