After the vibrations subsided, four blood-red banners suddenly stood upright at four positions centered around Wang Zhangmin.

Sparks and lightning intertwined, making it clear that these banners were not easy to handle. The banners formed a frame that trapped Wang Zhangmin inside, leaving him with no route to escape.

"You think this can trap me? You’re underestimating me," Wang Zhangmin stubbornly said, with the defiance of someone in denial.

Lin Beichen couldn’t help but chuckle, shaking his head as he said, "I also think your Black Witchcraft is disappointing; both are useless."

Infuriated, Wang Zhangmin tried to repeat his old trick, taking out a small bottle intending to knock Lin Beichen out again. This time, he increased the dosage significantly.

But how could Lin Beichen give him another chance? His fingers quickly formed seals, and with a loud shout, the banners swayed in the wind, causing Wang Zhangmin to become unsteady, while outside, it remained calm and quiet.

In the center, Wang Zhangmin could feel the changes most keenly. A cold, damp sensation penetrated his skin and bones, reaching his internal organs.

He wanted to escape, but since the danger had not yet descended, he dared not act rashly.

At this moment, the banners moved. They shifted positions, and behind each banner, a faint skull appeared.

Wang Zhangmin swallowed nervously; the skulls perfectly blocked every exit, leaving no gaps.

"Want to give it a try?" Lin Beichen said softly. He gestured slightly, and the skulls became solid, flying towards Wang Zhangmin.

The skulls were large and alarmingly fast. Wang Zhangmin had no time to hide and could only watch as they flew towards him.

However, the skulls didn’t strike his vital spots but headed directly for Wang Zhangmin’s forehead. The moment they made contact, the skulls dissipated into the air.

Wang Zhangmin looked as if he was hit by a massive force; his eyes rolled back, and he lost consciousness.

Lin Beichen, on the other side, also closed his eyes tightly, his breathing became heavy. After a while, he slowly opened them again.

He had just used the skulls to extract Wang Zhangmin’s memories and learned information about Lan Zihua.

There was no time to waste; he quickly tidied the scene and headed to the basement to rescue people.

"So uncomfortable," Lin Beichen coughed twice. Although the aftereffects of this method were temporary, they still made him quite uncomfortable.

Nevertheless, his actions did not stop, and he quickly dashed towards the basement.

Using the memory, Lin Beichen located the basement. He did not rush in but observed the surroundings for a moment at the entrance.

The basement entrance was quiet and pitch black, making it impossible to see inside. 𝚏𝕣𝕖𝚎𝚠𝚎𝚋𝚗𝐨𝐯𝕖𝕝.𝕔𝐨𝕞

He carefully walked down, trying not to make any noise.

The basement was quite spacious. Thankfully, he had Wang Zhangmin’s memories to guide him; otherwise, had he come on his own, he would likely have gotten lost.

He arrived at a massive empty room, and nothing unexpected happened along the way, which actually made Lin Beichen even more wary.

If he passed through this room, he could rescue Lan Zihua, but how would Wang Zhangmin carelessly fail to station guards here? Thus, the closer he got, the greater the potential danger.

As expected, just as Lin Beichen took a step forward, the lights above suddenly lit up, illuminating the entire space like daylight.

Lin Beichen’s eyes were abruptly irritated by the strong light, forcing him to close them tightly. After a while, he gradually adapted and slowly reopened them.

In front of him stood two people, both with familiar faces. Lin Beichen recognized them immediately; they were Barney and Thor.

"Oh, what a coincidence, didn’t expect to run into you guys here," Lin Beichen greeted them with an unaffected tone, as if meeting old friends after many years, all easygoing.

However, the two were far from relaxed. They were on full alert, acutely aware of the danger Lin Beichen posed in this mission.

"Old friends meet, and you don’t say a word? That’s too cold," Lin Beichen continued, slowly approaching them. But Barney and Thor kept retreating, stepping back until they couldn’t anymore, and then they stopped him.

"We know why you’re here, and as long as we’re here, don’t even think about taking anyone away!" Barney spoke first, his tone firm. While Thor, already in a battle stance, kept a keen eye on Lin Beichen, wary of any sudden moves.

Lin Beichen shrugged helplessly, spreading his hands, "So, you’re saying you want to fight me?"

"I’d advise you to let me take them without resistance, or I’ll knock you down, and the outcome would still be the same," Lin Beichen’s words carried a hint of a threat.

However, no sooner had he finished speaking than Thor suddenly lunged an attack. Lin Beichen sidestepped nimbly, dodging effortlessly, and along the way, kicked Thor in the back, sending him crashing into the wall.

Lin Beichen’s smile vanished instantly, replaced by a cold demeanor: "I warned you, didn’t I, don’t be ungrateful."

But the two remained stubbornly defiant, with Thor getting back up and rejoining the fight while Barney quickly entered the fray.

Despite being outnumbered two to one, Lin Beichen showed no signs of weakness. He deftly maneuvered between them, easily dodging their attacks and retaliating skillfully.

As the fight continued, Lin Beichen’s expression turned serious. He was well aware of their strength; even after all this fighting, they were breathing steadily, clearly holding back and not using their full strength.

"Still holding back, are we? That’s not good, what if I end up killing you all..." Lin Beichen’s words carried a playful tone, but his eyes were intensely cold.

Before he could finish, Barney suddenly withdrew from the fight, heading to a corner, closing his eyes, and beginning to chant, while Thor continued to entangle with Lin Beichen, giving him no chance to grab a talisman.

Lin Beichen cursed inwardly at their tactic: hold him off while the other can wholeheartedly chant a Western Curse. Such a shameless strategy almost made Lin Beichen laugh in frustration.

Nevertheless, he quickly calmed down and focused on the current battle. He wasn’t afraid, just irritated by the feeling of being manipulated.

Seizing an opportunity, he pushed back Thor several steps, then quickly moved to stand at the diagonal from Barney. He bit down hard on his tongue, and the taste of blood rushed through him.

The tongue is where the vital blood resides; Lin Beichen didn’t want to drag this on and decided to use his life force directly. He pulled out a talisman from his pocket and spat his blood onto it.

This place was too small, so he couldn’t use the same Great Magic he used against Wang Zhangmin. But Lin Beichen had plenty of skills, and he wasn’t short of a spell or two.

The talisman, drenched in blood, indeed gained power.

Lin Beichen forcefully tossed the talisman into the air, where a massive cloud instantly gathered on the basement’s ceiling. This cloud cleverly avoided Lin Beichen’s position, while above Barney and Thor, it appeared especially conspicuous and dense.

Barney and Thor had never seen such a spectacle and were stunned, frozen with bewilderment.

"Get acquainted; maybe next time you encounter this, you’ll find it familiar," Lin Beichen said with a meaningful tone.

He wanted to let them taste the Celestial Thunder, ensuring they would remember today’s lesson each time they crossed paths.

With a mere thought, several Celestial Thunders struck down, exploding within the room. Barney and Thor couldn’t escape no matter where they tried; the only safe spot remained near Lin Beichen, but they couldn’t get close.

After the barrage of lightning, the cloud vanished completely. The room floor only held Barney and Thor’s collapsed bodies. They lay charred and blackened, almost unrecognizable, occasionally twitching to show they were still alive.

Lin Beichen examined them briefly, discovering they were under the "Blessing" protection—a Western Curse that could ensure survival once. It seemed this was what shielded them from the Celestial Thunder.

"I told you not to block my way. This outcome, you brought upon yourselves."