Chapter 78: Evil Cultivator’s Soul Seizure
Chapter 78: Evil Cultivator’s Soul Seizure
The Two Realms Mountain Marketplace was located in an ordinary small town at the foot of Two Realms Mountain. However, the townspeople had all been evacuated by the Cloud Mountain Sect hundreds of years ago. Now, all the buildings were repaired, renovated, and expanded to accommodate millions of people.
High walls were erected around the marketplace. The city walls were thick and strong, covered with magical formations. It was built like a heavily fortified military town. From the outside, it looked neither like a human city nor a cultivator marketplace. It was very strange. But including Lu Hangzhi, anyone approaching the city walls for the first time felt deeply shocked by a powerful and righteous cultivator aura.
Arriving at the city walls, they saw two lines of text directly above the city gate indicating the location:
Two Realms Mountain!
Southern City Marketplace!
It truly was a place where cultivators gathered, unlike the mortal world, free and unrestrained.
Lu Hangzhi felt a thought stir in his heart:
“Venerable One! This is Southern City, does it belong to that Venerable One’s jurisdiction?”
“That” naturally referred to Inspector Envoy Chang Baimei whom they had met in the war zone.
“Correct.”
Revered Qin nodded and replied, “There are four marketplaces in Two Realms Mountain, located in the four directions. The marketplaces are the four branches of the Reinforcement Department. Once any problem arises on the defense line, Inspector Envoy would dispatch personnel from the branches to provide support. Lord Chang Baimei is the Southern District Inspector Envoy, so he naturally oversees the daily affairs of Southern City.”
After pausing briefly, Revered Qin continued:
“Among the four Inspector Envoys in Two Realms Mountain, Lord Chang Baimei is famous for being meticulous and thorough. The order in Southern City Marketplace is better than in other areas. Even Evil Cultivators would restrain themselves when they come here. You don’t need to worry too much about being harassed or attacked.”
Everyone nodded repeatedly, showing they understood.
“I wonder if Patriarch will also come to Southern City a week later.”
Lu Hangzhi thought of Mo Li and Nangong Jun, as well as all his Senior Brothers and sisters.
Revered Qin reassured him:
“Don’t worry, I made an arrangement with Revered Mo. Barring any unforeseen circumstances, he will come to Southern City to meet us in a week.”
“That’s great.”
Lu Hangzhi felt relieved in his heart.
At that moment, the True Disciples from Penglai Island seemed to have encountered an acquaintance. They left the group in a crowd and rushed toward another team outside the city gate.
“Elder Park!”
“It really is Elder Park!”
“This is wonderful!”
Revered Qin and the group immediately stopped, their gazes falling on the leader of the other team.
Lu Hangzhi frowned slightly, feeling somewhat strange.
Logically speaking.
As a Spirit Condensation Stage expert, the other party should have noticed his disciples earlier. How could it be that the True Disciples discovered him first?
Revered Qin also sensed something amiss.
Surrounded by a group of Penglai Island True Disciples, Elder Park, who appeared about thirty years old, briefly showed a flicker of panic and fierceness in his eyes before quickly hiding it.
“You have mistaken me for someone else.”
After saying this, Elder Park left the group of Penglai Island disciples behind and directly entered the city with his small team. He left the young men and women bewildered and looking at each other in confusion.
“How can there be someone who looks exactly the same?”
“It’s clearly Elder Park.”
“Liu Yunshan, he’s your Master, you tell us.” The Penglai Island disciples discussed among themselves, and finally, their focus settled on a pale-faced youth in the crowd.
The latter’s gaze was unfocused, bewildered and at a loss.
“I… I don’t know either.”
“Master, the way he looked at me was so cold, just like looking at a stranger…”
“What?”
“Could there really be someone who looks exactly the same in this world?”
“Did we mistake him?”
The group returned to Revered Qin’s side feeling disappointed and dejected.
“Sorry, Revered Qin, we were rude just now.”
“Understandable.”
Revered Qin looked in the direction where “Elder Park” had left and replied indifferently, but he subtly exchanged a meaningful look with Lu Hangzhi.
Lu Hangzhi inconspicuously moved to the back and approached the city gate.
At the city gate, there was a cultivator specifically responsible for recording the information of returning teams. He was at the Epiphany Stage cultivation level.
“Brother Daoist, hello. I just came down from Sector 112. It’s my first time at the Two Realms Mountain Marketplace, and I would like to ask you about something.”
“Haha, go ahead.”
The cultivator in charge of recording was over thirty years old, at the Seventh Grade of the Epiphany Stage. He was clearly steady and proper in handling matters. Seeing that although Lu Hangzhi’s clothes were tattered, he was young and spoke politely, and it was his first time at the Two Realms Mountain Marketplace, he immediately understood the other’s situation and nodded readily.
“So, many in my team are from Penglai Island. They said they could find their sect Elders in Southern City, who could offer guidance and help…”
“Penglai Island? Wasn’t the one who just passed by Elder Park from Penglai Island?” The expression of the cultivator at the registration office changed, and he looked at Lu Hangzhi with some suspicion.
Lu Hangzhi rubbed his forehead:
Sure enough, there is a problem.
That Elder Park…
Under the strange gaze of the registration office cultivator, Lu Hangzhi returned to the group and went back to Revered Qin’s side.
The latter had already heard the conversation at the city gate, and his expression was equally grave:
“Elder Park from Penglai Island might have undergone Soul Seizure.”
“Soul Seizure?”
“An evil method of soul possession. Most likely, Elder Park from Penglai Island is already dead, and another soul now resides in his body.”
Revered Qin glanced pityingly at the sixty-two Penglai Island disciples behind him and then stopped speaking, showing no intention to continue the discussion.
“Venerable One, when a cultivator is seized by a soul, doesn’t Two Realms Mountain do anything about it?”
“This matter is not under our jurisdiction, and we can’t interfere. In Two Realms Mountain, there are many Evil Cultivators who use Soul Seizure for possession. Even Inspector Envoy can do nothing about it.”
Revered Qin explained:
“On the battlefield, when the Matrix Tower activates the Reverse Two Forms Annihilation Array, sufficiently powerful cultivators can send their souls out of the war zone. At such times, Soul Seizure is very common, whether targeting the dead or the living…”
“Two Realms Mountain turns a blind eye to this?”
” Sacrificing one Epiphany Stage disciple to preserve the combat power of one Spirit Condensation Stage Elder—what would you do if you were in that position?”
Lu Hangzhi was speechless!
He just felt a sudden chill in his heart; the Two Realms Mountain Marketplace might not be such a safe place after all.
“Of course.”
Revered Qin said seriously to comfort him:
“Very few Spirit Coalescence Elders can survive the Reverse Two Forms Annihilation Array and successfully perform Soul Seizure. Unless their cultivation reaches the Late Concentration Stage or even the peak, or they possess some special means, ordinary Spirit Coalescence Elders cannot do it, including me.”
“That joke is very cold.”
Lu Hangzhi couldn’t help but roll his eyes.
The group entered the city.
They put aside their doubts about Elder Park’s true identity.
The disciples of Penglai Island also stepped out from the shadows and were amazed by everything in the city. They frequently exclaimed and discussed:
“Magical Artifacts!”
“Is that a Magical Artifact?”
“So incredible! Magical Artifacts are even sold on the streets.”
“Is that a True Essence Pill?”
“So many Flying Swords.”
“I really want to buy one.”
If it weren’t for the rule that Cultivators entering the Marketplace for the first time had to register and report to the Reinforcement Department, Lu Hangzhi would have taken a break to explore the city properly.
Just as the group reluctantly followed the team to report at the Reinforcement Department branch, in a remote alley beyond even Revered Qin’s reach, the earlier “Elder Park” kept an eye on everyone in the group. Only after ensuring that no one showed any unusual behavior did he quietly blend back into the street crowd and disappear.
Reinforcement Department branch.
Many teams had come to report.
There were twelve groups of Cultivators handling the registration.
After Revered Qin led the team inside, they quickly completed the registration. Each received a special jade Identity Plaque engraved with their name, sect, and defense duty information.
Lu Hangzhi’s Identity Plaque clearly stated:
Lu Hangzhi, disciple of Xuanxin Sect, defended once.
Moving aside, Lei Qun, Tong Zhan, and others immediately gathered around.
“Got it?”
“Yeah.”
Lu Hangzhi smiled and raised his Identity Plaque. Then he collected everyone’s plaques and handed them all to Revered Qin.
Revered Qin took out a slightly larger jade talisman, infused a trace of Magic Power into it, and returned them to the group.
Lu Hangzhi looked at his plaque and immediately noticed an additional aura of Revered Qin and an extra line of information:
Qin Huai’s unit!
“In the future, when defense duty comes, the Reinforcement Department will automatically assign you to my team and won’t send you to other Venerable Ones.”
“Thank you, Venerable One.”
“For now, you can make your own arrangements. If anything comes up, contact me through Hangzhi. Also, I’m temporarily entrusting Hangzhi to you. Please help him get familiar with things.”
“Yes, Venerable One!”
Everyone agreed and accepted the task gladly.
The True Disciples of Penglai Island didn’t feel strongly about this. They had many members, and Penglai Island was a medium-sized sect with several Elders stationed at Two Realms Mountain. They promptly bid farewell to Qin Huai, left the group, and went to find other Penglai Island Elders.
Qin Huai had been stationed at Two Realms Mountain for thirty years and had his own courtyard in Southern City.
After providing the address, Revered Qin said he would see them in a month and then left directly.
“Let’s go!”
“Time for drinks!”
As soon as the Venerable One left, Lei Qun revealed his true nature, craving alcohol and clamoring to go to a tavern. Lu Hangzhi didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.
“Hangzhi, all the taverns at Two Realms Mountain are run by the Seven Great Sects. They offer all kinds of Spirit Wine, Qiong Brew, and Immortal Liquid with different flavors. Coming to Two Realms Mountain without tasting the fine drinks here would be a waste.”
“That’s right! That’s right!”
Not only did Tong Zhan agree, but others chimed in too, not giving Lu Hangzhi a chance to argue. They hustled him toward the busiest street in Southern City.
Without Revered Qin around, everyone clearly loosened up, stopping and going as they pleased, chatting freely.
“Hangzhi, see that Evil Cultivator over there? He specializes in tricking newbies with damaged Spiritual Artifacts… And that one over there, selling Spirit Beasts—those are raised with Demon Beast Inner Cores. Their cultivation might be high, but they’re practically useless.”
“This Flying Sword looks good, definitely high quality.”
The group kept recommending and sharing various tips with Lu Hangzhi.
“Later, we’ll take you to see the largest treasure house at Two Realms Mountain. It’s full of all kinds of Magical Artifacts crafted by the Artifact Refining masters of Yuding Sect. They even have Imitation Magical Treasures.”
Hearing the term “Imitation Magical Treasure,” Lu Hangzhi’s heart raced, and he made a mental note.
On his first day of defense duty, Hu Bugui had used an Imitation Magical Treasure. With Seventh Grade peak cultivation, he activated the Imitation Magical Treasure and unleashed power equivalent to the Early Spirit Concentration Stage, instantly suppressing and killing dozens of High Insight Stage Monster Beasts.
Though using an Imitation Magical Treasure placed a heavy strain on a Cultivator’s Magic Power, such powerful items still had some deterrence against Spirit Condensation Stage Monster Beasts.
Moreover!
Combined with Spirit Honey, it could be a good ace up his sleeve.
As he pondered, an indescribably rich aroma of alcohol wafted over with the breeze.
They had arrived!
Drunken Immortal Pavilion