This person, though elderly, had a jade-like white glow on his face, exuding a slight aura of a mystic, resembling an ethereal Taoist.
However, at this moment, the old man's eyes were slightly closed as a bright moonlight shone on him, as if something was undergoing a transformation.
And behind this elder stood another figure, short in stature, yet with muscles as rugged as steel.
These two were none other than Lu Zhenghun and Bone Spirit Tiger, who had just rushed over from the Eastern Forest Kingdom.
"Master Lu Zhenghun, apologies for having you follow the cargo plane here. The current situation is tense, and I hope you can forgive us."
Long Xianling sat in his wheelchair, his face full of reverence.
He was a famed tycoon on Xiang Island, and among a group of elders in their seventies and eighties, he was relatively young, being only sixty-one this year.
Thanks to years of a privileged lifestyle and daily maintenance, he only looked less than fifty.
While other families on Xiang Island were gradually transforming, he persisted in advancing, refusing to restructure, and planned to continue in the financial sector without yielding a penny.
Many large families resided on Xiang Island, but none were as obsessed with wealth as the Long family.
With the death of Zhou Kuangtian, Long Xianling immediately saw an opportunity.
Xiang Island needed a master to hold the fort, not only to fend off outsiders but also to protect the interests of the families.
Zhou Kuangtian was too powerful, and his orthodox background made him immune to their control.
But Lu Zhenghun was different.
Although Lu Zhenghun also came from the Southern Feng Shui School, his teachings stemmed from those who defected abroad.
While their strength was debatable, in terms of heritage, it was less orthodox and required the support of the major families.
One side saw an opportunity, while the other wanted control, leading to a mutually beneficial collaboration.
Once Long Xianling saw the opportunity, he immediately dispatched family members to personally welcome this legendary Curse Master of the Cultivation Realm.
After exchanging a few words, Long Xianling suddenly discovered that this person and he shared the same origin, both having mainland ancestry.
The bloodline of Dragon Country was formidable; tracing it back, most were rooted in the mainland.
They deliberately created a facade on Xiang Island of looking down on mainlanders, but among the elite, having mainland blood was very important.
Many wealthy celebrities hoped for a foreign ancestor before their rise but spent heavily to align themselves with a mainland lineage afterward.
This change occurred because they had contact with the real upper echelon.
To enter this circle, one must return to their roots and prove they have the blood of Dragon Country.
Long Xianling showed ample enthusiasm, yet Lu Zhenghun remained very indifferent.
Long Xianling used his experience to welcome Lu Zhenghun.
From his perspective, taking the initiative to host Lu Zhenghun was an act of humbling, and Lu Zhenghun should feel honored.
But in Lu Zhenghun's eyes, this was not the case.
Lu Zhenghun looked at Long Xianling, feeling as if he were observing a piece of rotten meat.
The more enthusiastic Long Xianling became, the colder Lu Zhenghun's response was.
As a Curse Master, the more Life Energy one had, the more it was seen as a sign of nobility, but Long Xianling was lacking remarkably in both Life Force and cultivation talent.
The only notable aspect of this person was his still gleaming eyes.
Elders of his age often had dulled eyes, difficult to notice any brightness, yet in this person, there was an intense glow.
"Old sir, let me read your fortune."
Lu Zhenghun said languidly, slowly extending a hand.
Long Xianling was slightly taken aback, seemingly a bit displeased, but out of courtesy, he nodded and said with a smile:
"Venerable Qu, it's my honor to have my fortune read by you. I'm just not sure what fate remains for these old bones?"
Lu Zhenghun smiled mysteriously without elaborating, instead, he took the old man's hand.
Long Xianling's hand was unlike that of ordinary people.
Common hands, past 30, generally bore signs of toil and lacked care due to hard manual labor.
But this person was different.
Long Xianling's hands were exceptionally delicate, like those of a woman, entirely white as jade, as if soaked in milk every day.
Long Xianling apparently valued his hands greatly and seeing Lu Zhenghun's silence, frowned slightly and prompted him a few times.
"Master, how is the reading going?"
Upon hearing this, Lu Zhenghun slowly raised his head, re-evaluating Long Xianling, and surprisingly, a trace of astonishment flashed in his eyes.
"Old sir, your destiny pattern is extraordinary. If you had met my master back then, perhaps the title of Legendary Curse Master would be yours."
Lu Zhenghun spoke with genuine sincerity, arousing curiosity among those present.
Everyone inquired about the reason, and upon hearing this, Lu Zhenghun gently clapped Long Xianling's hand, causing him to suddenly furrow his brows as a pricking pain surged, almost making him cry out.
What was this old guy up to?
He is neither his apprentice nor a puppet; how dare he be so disrespectful?
Long Xianling forced down his anger, his gaze now carrying a hint of coldness, while Bone Spirit Tiger's lips curled into a slight sneer as he observed.
What was this old fool trying to do, assault his master?
Did he forget their identities?
Bone Spirit Tiger's muscles subtly trembled, as if ominous energy was brewing beneath the skin.
Long Xianling did not notice this.
But Lu Zhenghun was aware of Long Xianling's odd behavior, yet he paid it no heed.
"It doesn't matter if you don't understand, I will explain. In our Curse Technique theory, the human body bears three energies, namely Yang Qi, Soul Qi, and Spiritual Qi."
"These three energies intertwine to form the soul core, also known as Three Flowers Gathering at the Top. They allow us to invoke ancestral spirits for curses."
At this point, Lu Zhenghun gazed deeply at Long Xianling. This hint of a smile sent shivers through Long Xianling's heart.
What exactly did Lu Zhenghun intend to do?
"Old sir, we don't understand any of this, just give us the conclusion."
Members of the Long family urged him on.
They were merely here for form's sake and had no interest in learning any theoretical nonsense.
Given the Long family's estate, even a hundred years of idling would not deplete their wealth.
So why exert any effort?
"The principle is simple: if I were naturally gifted with the Spiritual Qi like the old sir, I could spare eating a few people."
With these words, Lu Zhenghun's eyes suddenly emitted a dangerous light.
Upon hearing this, the uninterested audience perked up, as if they had heard something thrilling.
Practicing this Curse Technique requires consuming the Spiritual Qi of others?
This Cultivation Technique is thrilling indeed; if they could learn it, wouldn't they get to savor the taste of humans too?
As they pondered this, they suddenly noticed something was amiss with Long Xianling.
Wasn't the clan leader's complexion turning a bit pale?
The originally milk-white skin seemed to show some bizarre patterns.
Could this old guy actually intend to consume their clan leader?
This thought prompted everyone to react in shock, instantaneously rushing forward to try and stop Lu Zhenghun.
But just then, there was a sudden commotion outside the door.
As a chilling wind blew, Lu Zhenghun quickly released Long Xianling's hand, staring intently at the doorway.
In front of the door, a thick, indistinct mist seemed to appear.
The fog slowly permeated the courtyard, transforming it from a brightly lit place into a dark, eerie mansion.
An extremely eerie aura spread throughout.
Lu Zhenghun's eyes widened, and the skin on his forehead split open, revealing five extremely strange eyes.
Five red-glowing eyes released red light beams, gradually dispersing the surrounding fog, revealing a face within the mist.
This person's appearance was remarkably youthful and ordinary, yet the skin was exceptionally smooth.