An Ancient Survivor Who Had Clung to Life for Tens of Thousands of Years: Negotiation and Threats

Around noon, Ma Gu stopped the carriage in a grove of trees.

Lu Qing found a huge rock nearby, jumped on it, and sat down cross-legged.

His mind quickly immersed itself in the Universe Qi Bag.

The Old Doctor stood by and Protector him.

At this moment, the Plague Gourd Universe Qi Bag was emitting bursts of powerful energy, trying to break free from its restraints and escape.

However, the Universe Qi Bag, as Spirit Artifact that leans towards space and wind attributes, has one of its most powerful abilities: suppression and restraint.

Not to mention that the Plague Gourd itself was damaged and unclaimed, with no one controlling or activating it.

Even if it is intact and its power is fully intact, it will be difficult to break free from it for a while without anyone activating it.

However, Lu Qing also stored quite a few things in the Universe Qi Bag.

Although he was pleased with himself when he put the Plague Gourd inside, he suppressed it in a separate location.

However, if it recklessly causes trouble inside, it could still damage the contents.

"Old man, don't waste your energy. You can't turn the world upside down with my magic weapon."

As soon as Lu Qing's mind was immersed in the moment, the suppressing and binding power within the Universe Qi Bag suddenly increased dramatically.

The Plague Gourd, which had been struggling and trembling slightly, was immediately suppressed and could not move at all.

Seeing that there was no hope of escaping, the Plague Gourd simply stopped struggling and returned to calm.

However, it made no further moves, simply remaining there quietly, like a dead object.

Lu Qing emitted a wave of spiritual energy. "Old man, you were struggling in there just to get my attention, so why are you pretending to be dead now?"

The Plague Gourd remained silent, seemingly oblivious to Lu Qing's words.

Seeing this, Lu Qing decided not to indulge it.

"Since you're faking your death, then you can wait to be locked up here for ten or eight years."

Having said that, he tried to withdraw his mind.

At this moment, the entity inside the Plague Gourd could no longer remain still.

If Lu Qing really intends to confine him here for ten or eight years, without the nourishment of spiritual energy, his True Spirit will probably be extinguished.

Having endured tens of thousands of years, he was finally ready for the day when spiritual energy would revive, and he was absolutely unwilling to let all his efforts go to waste.

"Wait a minute, young friend. We can discuss things slowly. Why be so impatient?"

"Old man, finally you've spoken?" Lu Qing smiled slightly, but his tone was not friendly. "I thought you were so tough that you would keep pretending to be dead."

"Young friend, why be so aggressive? I have no grudge against you, yet you repeatedly speak ill of me. Is this the demeanor of a cultivator?"

"No enmity?" Lu Qing sneered. "Old man, have you been stuck in this broken gourd for too long? Is your brain starting to malfunction? Weren't you just hostile to us and almost hurt my master?"

"That was truly out of necessity. I did not wish to be your enemy, but as a Artifact Spirit, I am not in control of my own destiny, and my life and death are entirely in the hands of my master."

"Since Qi Changfeng wants to be your enemy, how can I, a mere Artifact Spirit refined into a weapon, disobey my master's orders?"

The being inside the gourd sighed.

"Is that so?" Lu Qing sneered even more. "You're quite the innocent one, but Plague Old Ghost, do you really think no one can see through your true nature?"

You abandoned your physical body, seized the Artifact Spirit of your own magical artifact, and lingered on for tens of thousands of years before the spiritual energy was revived.

Would he really be so willing to be refined by a mere Innate Realm cultivator? In my opinion, Qi Changfeng is nothing more than a puppet bewitched by you.

You pretend to be refined by it, and then take the opportunity to bewitch their Qi Family, causing a plague in Feng Province.

"Is it right or wrong to cultivate the Plague Qi in this way to restore oneself?"

How did you know?!

These words immediately caused the Plague Gourd to tremble.

The existence inside was utterly astonishing.

Not only did Lu Qing reveal his entire plan without missing a single detail, but Lu Qing also knew his true identity.

You should know that when he possessed his own Spirit Artifact, no one saw it.

Such a secret was suddenly revealed by someone in a single sentence.

How could he not be utterly horrified?

Who exactly are you?

The being inside the gourd could no longer remain calm and anxiously pressed for answers.

"Who I am doesn't matter. What matters is that, Plague Old Ghost, I know everything about you. No matter how you try to play tricks, it won't work on me," Lu Qing said in a mysterious tone.

But unknowingly, it put immense pressure on the entity inside the gourd.

He originally thought that with his mysterious identity and tens of thousands of years of experience, manipulating and bewitching a young boy would be a piece of cake.

Now he suddenly realized that his true nature had been completely exposed.

However, he knew nothing about the other party's background.

A sense of panic suddenly arose in my heart.

However, it is an ancient being that has lived for tens of thousands of years.

The presence inside the gourd caused a brief moment of mental turmoil, after which he quickly regained his composure.

He thought for a moment and said frankly, "I didn't expect that you would know my background. That's right, I am the Plague Old Man."

"I wonder which old friend is with you? Could you please let them come out and catch up with their old friend?"

Indeed, the Plague Old Man immediately realized that there must be someone similar to himself around Lu Qing.

There are old guys from tens of thousands of years ago who, like me, survived the terrible Five Signs of Decay and have survived to this day.

Otherwise, he would find it hard to believe that Lu Qing, a mere youth, could see through his background.

And he knew so clearly about his own identity and origins.

Is it the Artifact Spirit of this Universe Qi Bag, or some other Primordial Spirit monster with a primordial spirit like him?

"Trying to trick me into revealing anything, Plague Old Ghost, don't even dream about it!"

Seeing that the Plague Old Man seemed to have misunderstood something, Lu Qing didn't argue but instead mocked him.

"You're not qualified to make him show himself!"

"Boy, don't be so arrogant!"

Seeing Lu Qing calling him an "old ghost" repeatedly, the Plague Old Man finally couldn't hold back any longer.

"Since you know my identity, how dare you be so insolent! Didn't the person beside you tell you about my reputation back then?!"

"What, you still dare to have a temper?" Lu Qing chuckled. "Plague Old Ghost, I think you're just unable to see reality and recognize your own situation."

Do you think you still have the leverage to threaten me?

The Plague Old Man fell silent.

He sensed the suppressive force emanating from the gourd and knew that Lu Qing was right.

Given the current situation, he certainly has no right to threaten the other party.

However, he certainly wouldn't show weakness like that.

After a moment of silence, he finally spoke, "Kid, what exactly do you want?"

"It's very simple. Release your True Spirit and let my Divine Soul Power imprint it," Lu Qing said directly.

"Impossible!"

However, the Plague Old Man refused without hesitation.

What a joke! Unleash your True Spirit and leave your mark.

If that were the case, he would be completely refined, and his life and death would be in Lu Qing's hands.

As an ancient being who has lived for tens of thousands of years, how could the Plague Old Man possibly accept such an outcome?

"Young friend, it's impossible for me to release my True Spirit. How about this?"

Since you know my background, you must have heard of my former fame in the Cultivation World.

I know countless cultivation secrets and Divine Ability techniques. Any one of them would be enough for many geniuses in the Cultivation World to fight tooth and nail for.

"I'll make a deal with you. If you send me away, I'll pass on all these divine skills and secret techniques to you. What do you say?"

"Nothing much, Plague Old Ghost. Even now, you still want to spread your heretical rumors. Do you think I'm a fool like the Old Four of the Qi Family, practicing your Heretical Skill and being bewitched and controlled by you? If you want to leave here, there's only one way: release your True Spirit and let me refine you."

Otherwise, you'll be trapped and die inside my Universe Qi Bag!

You old ghost, you've endured tens of thousands of years of torment; your True Spirit must have long since decayed.

Without the nourishment of spiritual energy, let's see how long you can last!

Lu Qing, however, was not tempted at all and instead threatened him directly.

"I'm afraid this will disappoint you. A while ago, I was nourished by the Plague Qi condensed from the life force of tens of thousands of people. My True Spirit has already recovered, and living for another thousand years or so is no big deal."

Maybe you'll die while I'm still alive and well.

Kid, you're still too green to threaten me!

Seeing that Lu Qing was unmoved by reason, the Plague Old Man finally realized that the cunning of this young man was far beyond that of the hothead Qi Changfeng.

He simply dropped the pretense of civility, disappeared into the depths of the gourd, and remained silent.

Seeing that he remained silent for a long time, Lu Qing had a thought and entered the space inside the Universe Qi Bag.

Suddenly, countless gusts of wind appeared around the Plague Gourd, impacting it.

The Plague Old Man inside the gourd, sensing this scene, couldn't help but let out a cold laugh:

"Boy, don't waste your energy. Although the Universe Qi Bag is powerful, its gale is no match for my Plague Gourd."

If you are truly interested, please give my suggestion a good consideration.

I always keep my word. If you are willing to let me out, I will definitely teach you unparalleled divine skills.

In the future, even condensing the Golden Core and achieving the Primordial Spirit will be a piece of cake!

"Is that so, old ghost? You really think I can't do anything to you? Well then, just you wait."

Seeing that the gale was indeed no match for the Plague Gourd, Lu Qing decided not to waste his efforts.

After all, activating the power of the Universe Qi Bag also greatly depleted his mental energy.

However, seeing that the Plague Old Man seemed to have him cornered, he also became angry.

After dissipating the gale, he withdrew his mind from the Universe Qi Bag, no longer intending to waste words with it.

After Lu Qing withdrew his mind, the space inside the Universe Qi Bag returned to calm.

The Plague Old Man waited for a long time, and when he saw that Lu Qing had stopped speaking, he knew that Lu Qing had left.

He quietly sensed the situation outside and found that the suppressive power on the Plague Gourd was still there, making it difficult for him to move.

He knew that Lu Qing had not let his guard down.

Although he felt aggrieved, the Plague Old Man was helpless.

Although he successfully possessed the Artifact Spirit and escaped the Five Signs of Decay, greatly extended his lifespan, maintained his True Spirit, and survived the tens of thousands of years of spiritual energy depletion.

But he did not come without paying a price.

On the contrary, the price he paid was extremely heavy.

First, after possessing the Artifact Spirit, he himself became the Artifact Spirit of the Plague Gourd, and his once earth-shattering cultivation vanished into nothingness.

Apart from a trace of True Spirit that had not been extinguished, no power remained.

Secondly, after becoming Artifact Spirit, although he could control the power of the Plague Gourd, he lost the ability to cultivate independently.

To improve one's rank, one needs someone's help.

This is why he chose Qi Changfeng to perform the initial refining of the Plague Gourd.

Because relying solely on his own words, it would be far too slow for him to recover his condition.

This is also a flaw of Spirit Artifact.

As a magical artifact containing the power of laws and possessing a trace of Spirit Artifact immortality, its lifespan far exceeds that of any cultivator below the Ascension Realm.

However, immortal spirituality also became a constraint on the Spirit Artifact.

They want to break free from their own constraints and improve their rank, but it is almost impossible for them to do so on their own.

It is only possible with the help of external forces.

But it's absolutely impossible for the Plague Old Man to accept being refined.

In that case, your life and death would be entirely in someone else's hands, so you might as well just die.

Therefore, no matter how much Lu Qing threatens, the Plague Old Man will not release his True Spirit.

For now, all we can do is wait. Only when Lu Qing realizes that he really can't do anything to us will the real negotiations begin.

The Plague Old Man was still very confident about this.

Although he had never personally fought against the Universe Qi Bag, he had witnessed its power.

To be fair, at its peak, this magic weapon was no less powerful than his Plague Gourd.

However, it is a Spirit Artifact containing the Spatial Laws and wind, and it is indeed powerful in killing enemies and suppressing them.

However, it is still impossible to forcibly break through the protection of the Plague Gourd and refine oneself.

Therefore, the Plague Old Man had enough patience to wait until Lu Qing was willing to negotiate with him.

The only thing that might be making him a little anxious is that he had previously instigated Qi Changfeng to start a plague in Feng Province.

The life force of over 100,000 people, combined with the Plague Qi, nourished themselves and prevented the collapse of their True Spirit.

But that did not completely restore his True Spirit.

If he does not receive nourishment from external spiritual energy within three years, his True Spirit will once again fall into defeat.

The only hope now is that Lu Qing doesn't have the patience to wait that long.

"I just don't believe that a mere kid like him would have the patience to actually besiege me for three years!"

The Plague Old Man hardened his heart and forcibly suppressed his murderous intent.

He vowed that if he ever escaped this predicament, he would do everything in his power to take revenge on the boy who had humiliated him so many times.

Even if he breaks free from his shackles and attains the body of that magical treasure in the future, regaining his freedom, his thoughts will likely remain unfulfilled until this hatred dissipates.

"A Qing, how is it?"

On the Da Shi, the Old Doctor saw Lu Qing wake up and quickly asked what was wrong.

"The matter is temporarily resolved," Lu Qing said.

However, there was a hint of Baleful Qi in his eyes.

"Master, let's hurry back to Nine Li Village! There's an old man I want to kill as soon as possible!"