Chapter 839: Magic Movement

Even if they had some prior acquaintance, any past friendship had naturally long since vanished before such a valuable treasure within reach.

After a moment of silence, the old man chuckled and spoke first:

"Fellow Daoist Nanlong, we both know exactly what's on each other's mind. Though my cultivation was previously slightly inferior to yours, Brother Nanlong, you suffered a severe drain on your vital energy once in the Mulan Grasslands. So now our cultivation levels are about equal. With so many spiritual medicines available, it's best we don't entertain other ideas and simply split them equally. This way, we avoid a mutually destructive outcome."

"Brother Lu, what you said is absolutely right. I, too, was thinking the same thing. But for the spiritual medicines, we'll split them equally. As for the treasures, I only want that round alms bowl; everything else goes to you, Brother Lu. What do you think, Fellow Daoist?" Marquis Nanlong glanced at the extremely conspicuous round alms bowl on the offering table, then replied.

"The alms bowl? Alright, let's divide them like that! I only wish to advance further in my cultivation and gain more lifespan now. These external possessions are not something I value highly." The old man, surnamed Lu, slightly changed his expression, but after a brief consideration, he agreed immediately.

Marquis Nanlong was startled at first, but then rejoiced inwardly. He had originally thought it would take a great deal of effort to persuade the other party to give up this treasure, but he hadn't expected the old man to relinquish it so easily. However, out of caution, he scrutinized the old man several times. Yet, Lu Weiying's expression remained calm, showing no hint of abnormality. At this point, seemingly sensing Marquis Nanlong's hesitation, he suddenly smiled and said:

"Why, Brother Nanlong? Have you perhaps changed your mind and intend to let this treasure go to me?"

Marquis Nanlong fell silent. His eyes flickered several times, and for a moment, he did not answer the question.

After a while, Marquis Nanlong, having found nothing amiss, finally let out a small laugh and replied with a hint of a smile:

"Brother Lu, you jest. Since you've put it that way, then I won't stand on ceremony. We'll act together: you retrieve the three treasures and the jade talisman on the alms bowl, and I'll retrieve the bowl itself. Then we'll split the spiritual medicines equally, how about that?"

"Just as Brother Nanlong says!" The old man, surnamed Lu, agreed without the slightest hesitation.

Marquis Nanlong nodded with satisfaction. Immediately, both of them acted almost simultaneously.

Everything proceeded very smoothly. With a sweep of the old man's white mist, the treasures and jade talisman were swept off the bowl without any resistance. Immediately after, a golden light enveloped the round alms bowl and flew, wrapped within it, towards Marquis Nanlong.

When the round alms bowl lightly floated into Marquis Nanlong's hand, he couldn't help but reveal a look of joy. Meanwhile, the old man opposite him lowered his head, looked at the three treasures in his hand, and remained expressionless...

Gazing at the perfectly sealed alms bowl in his hand, the smile suddenly vanished from Marquis Nanlong's face. He flipped his palm and slapped the lid of the alms bowl with lightning speed. Instantly, a yellow talisman affixed itself to it.

"Brother Nanlong, what is the meaning of this?" Seeing this, the old man surnamed Lu's expression instantly changed drastically, and he asked with both shock and anger.

"What meaning? Brother Lu, do you really think I couldn't tell that those three treasures and the jade talisman were magical artifacts used by ancient cultivators to suppress this alms bowl? Although I don't know what exactly is inside this bowl, this alms bowl is definitely a top-tier ancient treasure, and whatever is sealed within it must be extraordinary. However, if you're hoping I'd rashly open this bowl, I'm afraid you'll be greatly disappointed. Without absolute certainty, I would never do such a thing." At this moment, Marquis Nanlong spoke with a strange expression. At the same time, he continuously slapped his palm against it, affixing five or six more talismans of various colors to the alms bowl in one go.

"Heh heh! It seems my brief moment of yielding has led to Brother Nanlong's misunderstanding. However, I don't wish to explain anything. Let's just divide the spiritual medicines. Or better yet, let's leave this place now. Though I don't know why, I truly don't wish to stay here much longer." The old man, surnamed Lu,'s expression returned to normal in an instant, and he spoke calmly.

"Hmph! So be it, Brother Lu. We'll split the Lifespan-Extending Heavenly Origin Fruits equally, and for the remaining spiritual medicines, each of us picks one." Marquis Nanlong said with a cold sneer. Then, with one hand holding the alms bowl, he impolitely reached out with the other towards the Heavenly Origin Fruits on the offering table.

Instantly, a golden hand, about a foot long, appeared above the offering table and reached down to grab.

Lu Weiying's face sank, and he didn't bother to reply. With a wave of his hand, a white light-hand also materialized above the offering table, reaching for the purple ganoderma next to the Heavenly Origin Fruits.

Two muffled "thump" sounds were heard. The Heavenly Origin Fruits and purple ganoderma on the offering table flashed with green light, then suddenly dissolved and blurred. The two light-hands grabbed nothing but air. Following that, the offering table radiated a brilliant glow, and all the spiritual medicines and fruits vanished in the light, dispersing like bubbles.

Seeing this scene, Marquis Nanlong and the old man were instantly stunned into silence.

Just then, the round alms bowl held by Marquis Nanlong underwent a strange transformation.

The talismans affixed to the alms bowl suddenly flashed wildly several times, and then spontaneously combusted.

The few talismans, under the ink-black demonic flames, turned to ashes in an instant.

Marquis Nanlong, who was utterly furious and shocked by the disappearance of the spiritual medicines, sensed something amiss and slightly turned his head. He saw the state of the alms bowl in his hand, and his face instantly turned deathly pale. Without thinking, his other hand flashed with golden light, a slightly tattered golden talisman appeared between his fingers, and he slammed it fiercely onto the alms bowl.

However, it was clearly too late. The alms bowl, originally tightly sealed, exploded with a loud bang, and its lid shot straight up into the sky in an instant. Then, a black light, impossible to discern clearly, shot out from the bowl.

At such close range, Marquis Nanlong had no time to dodge at all. While the golden talisman in his other hand was still several inches away from the alms bowl, the black light instantly struck Marquis Nanlong's face and vanished into him in a flash.

"Ah!" A bloodcurdling scream erupted from Marquis Nanlong's mouth.

He slammed the alms bowl in his hand fiercely against a nearby wall. The golden talisman also inexplicably fell from between his fingers. Then, clutching his head with both hands, he half-knelt on the ground, his entire face beginning to twist and contort.

"Soul possession?" The old man, standing not far away, immediately recognized the situation with his vast experience and exclaimed with a pale face.

Immediately, without thinking, he pointed a finger at Marquis Nanlong. Two blue halberds shot out from him, savagely striking at Marquis Nanlong, who seemed unable to move. He showed absolutely no mercy.

But at this instant, Marquis Nanlong suddenly let out a low growl and lifted his head. A thick layer of black energy enveloped his face, and his eyes had turned completely silvery-white, staring straight at the incoming blue light with no expression whatsoever.

Just as the blue halberds were about to flash past him, Marquis Nanlong suddenly made a single swing. A "clang" of metal striking was heard as the two blue halberds were blocked by one of his arms with lightning speed and sent flying away.

But the sleeve of that arm, under the halberds' impact, shattered into countless pieces that fluttered down, leaving the arm completely exposed.

Upon seeing the appearance of this arm, the old man surnamed Lu couldn't help but twitch at the corner of his eye.

He saw that the arm had, at some unknown point, turned dark and glistening, covered in long, purplish-red veins. The palm had become incredibly rough, enshrouded in black energy, resembling a ghostly claw. Yet, this grotesque arm had managed to block two blue halberds without sustaining any damage itself.

The old man's heart sank. For Marquis Nanlong, a Mid-Nascent Soul stage cultivator, to be successfully possessed and have his body mutate in such a short time was truly unbelievable. What exactly was that black light? It was certainly no ordinary evil spirit.

Thinking of this, the old man, horrified, suddenly flicked his sleeve. A white Dharma flag appeared in one hand, and a stack of fiery-red gauze materialized in his other hand.

The gauze was instantly thrown out by the old man, and a hazy red light barrier instantly appeared in front of him.

Only then did Lu Weiying's heart calm slightly.

From what he knew, as long as the opponent was a malevolent spirit or fierce ghost, then this "Haoyang Gauze" was sufficient to withstand any sinister attack from demonic or ghostly arts.

"Marquis Nanlong" had already shakily stood up. He did not immediately launch an attack on the old man surnamed Lu. Instead, he extended a pair of hands, held them before his eyes, and examined them. Then he carefully surveyed his own body. Suddenly, he threw his head back and laughed eerily. "Heh heh! Heh heh... So many years. This venerable one is finally out. This time, let's see who can stop the arrival of the Saint Ancestor. This realm, it seems, is destined to belong to our Saint Realm."

"Saint Ancestor? Saint Realm?" Upon hearing these unfamiliar terms he had never heard before, the old man, surnamed Lu, though he didn't understand what was happening, felt an even greater chill in his heart.

His gaze shifted as the old man subtly glanced towards the hall's entrance, remembering the several formations he had set up at the bottom of the pool. His desire to escape surged.

Suddenly, without any warning, a brilliant white light erupted from his body, and he instantly transformed into a white rainbow, shooting towards the entrance.

Using an escape technique at such a short distance, he naturally reached the entrance in an instant. He was about to fly into the passage in one go. Just as the old man was secretly delighted, a figure suddenly flickered before him, something flashed before his eyes, and a massive explosion suddenly erupted.

The old man only felt a tremendous force coming from the Primordial Yang Gauze protecting him. His fleeing form was instantly sent flying backward by this irresistible force. He was thrown like a rag doll violently against the stone wall opposite him, sinking several feet deep into the wall.

Although he had protective spiritual light, the old man, surnamed Lu, still felt his back jolt, becoming numb and senseless, as if his entire body had momentarily lost control.