Marquis Nanlong and Lu Weiying stared at the table and their gazes unconsciously met. They both watched each other with vigilance. Although the two had been friends for years, in the face of such precious treasures their friendship evaporated in an instant.
Silence filled the hall, only to be interrupted by Lu Weiying’s chuckle. He said, “Brother Nanlong, we both are well aware of what the other is thinking. Although my cultivation was lower than yours in the past, you had suffered quite a bit of damage to your cultivation during your excursion in the Moulan Plains and now our strengths can be said to be equal. With so many spiritual medicines, we don’t need to fight over them. It would be best to split them evenly rather than to have this end in mutual destruction.”
Marquis Nanlong glanced at the most eye-catching treasure on the table and said, “I also agree with what Brother Lu is saying. Although we will divide the spiritual medicines evenly, I only want the alms bowl. You can have the other treasures. How about it?”
Lu Weiying’s expression stirred, but after a moment of thought, he said, “The alms bowl? That’s fine. Let’s divide it like that then. As of current, I only wish to increase my lifespan and cultivation. I don’t particularly value treasures.”
Marquis Nanlong rejoiced. He originally thought he would have to sacrifice more to persuade Lu Weiying, but he had easily agreed to his conditions. Regardless, he erred on the side of caution and took a careful glance at Lu Weiying. Even after seeing that his expression was entirely calm, Marquis Nanlong still hesitated.
Upon seeing this, Lu Weiying smiled and said, “What? Did Brother Nanlong change his mind? Will I be taking the alms bowl instead?”
Marquis Nanlong’s gaze flickered and he remained silent for a spell.
Eventually, Marquis Nanlong chuckled with a calm smile and replied, “Brother Lu must be joking. Since you’ve agreed, I will take you up on your offer. Let us take them at the same time. You take the three treasures and the jade talismans while I take the alms bowl. Then we will distribute the spirit medicines. Will that do?”
“Yes. Let’s do as you say!” Lu Weiying agreed without any hesitation.
Satisfied, Marquis Nanlong nodded and the two took action at the same time.
Lu Weiying swept his sleeve towards the table and shot out a white mist to sweep up the three magic tools and the many jade talismans. Simultaneously, Marquis Nanlong carefully opened his mouth to sweep up the alms bowl in a ball of golden light.
This all happened smoothly without a problem. The treasures were swept up by the lights without any resistance and flew back to their respective owners.
When Marquis Nanlong took the alms bowl into his hand, he couldn’t help but reveal an expression of joy. As for Lu Weiying, he didn’t express the slight emotion upon acquiring his treasures.
As Marquis Nanlong looked at the flawless alms bowl in his hand, his smile faded away. With a quick flip of his hand, he slapped the alms bowl in a blur, placing a yellow talisman on top of it.
Lu Weiying’s expression vastly changed at the sight of this. In his alarm, he asked, “Marquis Nanlong, what are you doing?”
“What am I doing? You think I didn’t see that the treasures and jade talismans were being used to suppress this alms bowl? Although I don’t know what it is, I know that it is a supreme ancient treasure. Whatever it is that lies within should also be quite fearsome. However, if you think that I’ll be opening this alms bowl in front of you, I fear you will be disappointed. Unless I am completely certain of suppressing it, I will not be opening it.” As Marquis Nanlong spoke, his hand continued to slap down on the alms bowl, placing five various-colored talismans down in a single breath.
Lu Weiying soon regained his composure and said, “Hehe! I didn’t think that you’d misunderstand my concession to your terms. I don’t know why, but I feel we should immediately depart as soon as the medicines are divided. I don’t want to stay here any longer than necessary.”
Marquis Nanlong snorted in derision and said, “Then let’s do as you says. We’ll evenly split the medicines which will extend our lifespans. As for the remaining medicines, we’ll pick them one by one.” With one hand holding the alms bowl, he reached out towards the table with his other. In that instant, a foot-large hand of golden light appeared on the table and grabbed at the Heaven Essence Fruit.
Lu Weiying’s expression turned sullen. Without giving a reply, a hand of white light appeared above the table and grabbed at the purple Heavenmend Mushroom on the side.
With a muffled sound, both the Heaven Essence Fruits and the Heavenmend Mushroom disappeared from the table and the two hands of light grabbed nothing. Then the table brilliantly shined with light and all the spirit medicines bubbled away without a trace.
Interrupted by this, Marquis Nanlong and Lu Weiying were dumbstruck.
At that moment, the alms bowl that Marquis Nanlong held in his hand began to wildly flash with light and the talismans sealing it began to combust. The talismans were instantly turned to ashes by pitch-black demonic flames.
The flames spread across the spirit medicines like wildfire. In Marquis Nanlong’s furious alarm, he looked down at the alms bowl in his hand and his face turned deathly pale. Without another thought, golden light shined from his hand and a worn golden talisman appeared on his finger as he fiercely slapped it onto the alms bowl.
But it was clear to see that it was too late. The lid of the alms bowl shot up into the air with an explosive bang and an indistinct black light was quickly released from it, shooting towards the holder of the alms bowl — Marquis Nanlong.
At such a close distance, he wasn’t able to avoid it. With his other hand still several inches away from placing the golden talisman on the alms bowl, the black light sunk into his face and disappeared without a trace.
“AH!” A miserable and pained scream left Marquis Nanlong’s mouth and he fiercely smashed the alms bowl into the wall beside him before kneeling onto the floor with his hands covering his head. As for the golden talisman, it had already dropped to the floor. Soon, his face began to warp.
‘Possession?’ When Lu Weiying saw this, his face turned pale from fright. Without another thought, he pointed to Marquis Nanlong and two blue halberds shot out from his body to fiercely strike at Marquis Nanlong without mercy.
But in the following moment, Marquis Nanlong roared and raised his head to reveal a face covered in a dense layer of black Qi. His eyes had become silver-white and they glared at the incoming blue halberds without emotion.
Just as the blue halberds arrived before him, Marquis Nanlong suddenly raised his arm. Clang. Clang. The two halberds were quickly blocked by his arm, the sound of metal striking metal resonating from the impact. The blow had scattered the robes to reveal his bare skin underneath.
When Lu Weiying saw this, his eyes were wide with shock.
The arm was glowing with black light and covered in purple-red tendons and his hand became entirely hard and was tangled with black Qi. This grotesque, monstrous arm was currently blocking the two blue halberds without the slightest injury.
‘Inconceivable.’ Lu Weiying’s heart dropped. Despite Marquis Nanlong’s mid Nascent Soul-stage spiritual sense, he had been possessed in an instant, causing his body to undergo a complete transformation. ‘That black light was no ordinary evil soul.’
With that thought, Lu Weiying suddenly flung his sleeve and summoned a white spell flag into his hand and a fire-red scarf into the other. He tossed out the scarf as soon as it appeared, forming a red barrier of light in front of him, alleviating some of the panic that filled his mind.
To the best of his understanding, his Vast Yang Scarf should be enough to block any devilish or demonic attacks, given that he was facing an evil soul.
Marquis Nanlong’s body stood up with a stagger but didn’t immediately attack Lu Weiying. Instead, it held out its arms in front of it and carefully examined its body once through. Then with its head facing the sky, it monstrously howled in laughter, “Haha! Keke… After so many years, I’ve finally been freed. Let’s see who will block the rise of this Sacred Ancestor now? This world now belongs to our Holy Realm.”
‘Sacred Ancestor? Holy Realm?’ Despite not know what this meant, Lu Weiying felt a chill overwhelm his heart when he heard it. He silently turned to look at the hall’s entrance and recalled the spell formation he had placed outside the hall.
Suddenly, his body brilliantly shined with white light and shot towards the hall’s entrance. In that short time, he arrived at the hall’s entrance. But as soon as he rejoiced, a silhouette blurred in front of him, a huge bang appearing in its wake.
Lu Weiying felt a blow of huge strength resonate through his Vast Yang Scarf and blow him back deep into the hall. Like a rag, he crashed flat against the wall and sank a meter deep into it.
Although a barrier of light protected him, he felt a thunderous tremble shake through his back and his body became completely numb. For the time being, he had lost control of his body.
At that moment, Lu Weiying clearly saw Marquis Nanlong’s body standing at the hall’s entrance. It coldly lowered its fist and smirked at him, causing his complexion to blanch.
