251: Chapter 251 Unexpected Turn of Events, A Deadly Feast

The sound of these gunshots instantly awakened the others who had been immersed and mesmerized within it.

Everyone felt as if they were just waking from a great dream; they first froze slightly, and then their gazes uniformly focused on the stone platform.

That cluster of brilliant and dazzling golden light instantly ignited the flame named "greed" in their hearts.

Without Fang Cheng needing to remind them, everyone understood one principle.

As long as they took down the last troublesome person in black robes, they could snatch the golden bumpa bottle they had been dreaming of!

Immediately afterward, almost everyone started running at the exact same time, rushing toward the stone platform in the center of the secret room at the fastest speed.

It was as if even a moment of delay would cause the treasure to slip through their fingers.

The entire scene was just like starving wolves pouncing on food, permeated with an aura of madness.

Looking at the swarming treasure seekers, Lu Shihua suddenly clenched his fists with his fingers pointing upward and shouted in a low voice:

"Decree!"

Those tadpole-shaped incantations were still twisting and flowing in the air, pouring into the golden sphere of light as if returning home.

Meanwhile, the three figures in black robes who had originally been shot and fallen to the ground suddenly jumped straight up.

Their eyes were wide open, their expressions dull, the bullet holes on their foreheads clearly visible, with faint black blood seeping out.

After suffering such fatal injuries, these people actually did not die; instead, they lunged vigorously toward the treasure seekers.

Moreover, their movements were extremely agile and their bodies were quite resilient to beating, instantly disrupting everyone's formation and provoking a chorus of curses and shouts.

Taking advantage of the obstruction to everyone's offensive, Lu Shihua retreated in quick steps, rendezvousing with Lu Tao who had long hidden near the back door.

The two exchanged a glance, unlocked the door behind them, and quickly vanished into the dark passageway.

It seemed they felt the situation was irreversible and prepared to give up the golden bumpa bottle, prioritizing saving their own lives.

At this moment, chaos reigned within the Underground Vault, with shouts and sounds of fighting intertwining.

Everyone was busy fighting over the treasure and simply had no time to pay attention to the movements of the Lu family.

Fang Cheng caught sight of the hurried retreating figures of Lu Tao and the figures in black robes, and the sense of unease in his heart grew even stronger.

So he immediately looked at the people around him and said in a low voice:

"You guys quickly withdraw from here and temporarily abandon the original plan!"

Lord Bao had originally been rubbing his fists and wiping his palms, preparing to throw himself into the fierce treasure-hunting battle.

Hearing these words abruptly, his face instantly filled with astonishment, his eyes widened, and he said in disbelief:

"What? Not planning to contend for the golden bumpa bottle anymore? How can that be? We went through so much trouble to find this chance! Could it be that you plan to make a move alone?"

Amidst his words, his figure couldn't help but freeze on the spot, his full fighting spirit feeling as though it had been doused overhead by a basin of cold water.

Black Wolf also wore a suspicious look, but out of trust in Fang Cheng, he still suppressed the doubt in his heart and asked a sentence:

"White Ghost, did you discover the Lu family playing some tricks in secret?"

Fang Cheng looked at the chaotic battle scene before him, his expression slightly solemn:

"I can't put it into words, but ever since stepping into this manor, I've always had a bad premonition, as if countless pairs of eyes are hidden around, constantly staring at us."

Lord Bao and A-San looked at each other in dismay, obviously unable to comprehend this inexplicable premonition.

But Black Wolf and Xiao Bei nodded slightly as if sharing a tacit understanding.

Because they also vaguely had this rather uncomfortable feeling.

This had nothing to do with rational analysis and judgment, but was purely an instinctive warning close to a beast's nature.

"Lord Bao, you take Xiao Bei and A-San, withdraw from the Underground Vault first, and guard outside."

Black Wolf made a prompt decision, persuading the others, and then turned his head to look at Fang Cheng:

"White Ghost and I will play it by ear here. If support is needed, everyone will contact via walkie-talkies."

Although he didn't know what danger was hidden, out of responsibility and duty, he still decided to stay behind and face it together with Fang Cheng.

Fang Cheng gently shook his head instead, emphasizing again:

"All of you hurry and leave together; I will catch up very soon."

Black Wolf opened his mouth, stopping himself from speaking further.

Remembering Fang Cheng's skill and speed in easily dodging bullets, he therefore didn't ask any more questions.

Following the temporarily changed plan, several people quickly evacuated the Underground Vault where a fierce battle was already underway.

Lord Bao was filled with unwillingness, looking back three times with every step at the dazzlingly glowing golden bumpa bottle, thoughts constantly spinning in his head.

If he guarded outside, after the people inside killed each other until both sides suffered, and he seized the right moment to make a sudden counterattack, perhaps there was still a chance.

Thinking this way, his heart felt much more relieved, and his dragging steps also quickened by a fraction.

Seeing Black Wolf and the others leave this place along the passageway, Fang Cheng immediately looked around.

He found that there were still a few people like him who chose to stand in the distance, maintaining a cautious and observant posture.

Among them were that odd-looking Nailhead, the gloomy-minded Baming, and that mysterious person of suspicious origins.

"Do the two of you have any plans?"

Fang Cheng proactively stepped forward, speaking to that mysterious person, his gaze naturally glancing toward the middle-aged man standing behind him.

The Professor obviously hadn't expected Fang Cheng to proactively initiate a conversation with him, and the expression on his face instantly paused slightly.

But he reacted extremely quickly, immediately returning to his normal state and asking in return:

"What about you? Why aren't you contending for the treasure with them?"

Fang Cheng shook his head and spoke with frankness:

"I feel that the Lu family's leak of information this time is a bit peculiar; it attracted so many people swarming in, yet they weren't equipped with sufficient defense forces. When things are abnormal, there must be an ulterior motive."

"Therefore, before figuring out the truth, this treasure is a hot potato. Rushing to contend for it will likely make one the target of public criticism."

The Professor nodded slightly without immediately responding, appearing to ponder his words.

Seeing this, Fang Cheng continued:

"I don't know what plans you guys actually have, but the wisest choice right now is to evacuate this manor first, because I have a bad premonition that this place might soon become even more dangerous."

Hearing this, the Professor glanced at him somewhat surprised and couldn't help asking:

"Can you understand those incantations?"

Fang Cheng's heart stirred, and he began to examine the Professor even more carefully.

First his pupils slightly contracted, and then his brows relaxed a bit, looking thoughtful.

At the same moment, Li Dingjian, standing behind the Professor, stared straight at that hideous and terrifying ghost mask, his mind completely not on the two people's conversation.

Hearing the voice of the person before him, an inexplicably familiar feeling welled up deep in his heart.

It was as if it came from someone very important deep within his memories, yet for a moment it was hard to be certain of his own suspicion.

After all, this person was obviously a bald guy.

Before he could calm down and think carefully, Lin Chuqiao's somewhat anxious voice came through the mental connection:

"Professor, the fog outside the manor has grown thicker. I can't see the scene inside clearly. How is the situation on your side?"

The Professor's expression remained unchanged, and he calmly responded in his mind:

"The contention for the treasure has already begun in the vault. Crow and I are waiting for the opportunity; act entirely according to instructions."

At this time, the situation on the field underwent a new change.

Relying on their extremely bizarre immortal bodies, the three figures in black robes desperately guarded around the stone platform, fiercely protecting the golden bumpa bottle.

But facing the numerous treasure seekers as crazy as starving wolves, wave after wave of fierce impacts quickly overwhelmed them.

The black robes on their bodies were torn to shreds, revealing withered and emaciated bodies covered in mysterious incantations.

Despite this, their hollow and lifeless eyes still closely stared at the enemies in front of them, striking a posture of defending to the death.

As the treasure seekers pressed closer step by step, they retreated step by step until their backs pressed against the stone platform.

Just at this moment, the golden bumpa bottle suspended above the stone platform suddenly experienced even greater activity.

The originally radiant golden sphere of light instantly flared up, transforming into streams of substantial, agilely wandering light that shuttled wantonly around the bottle's body.

Afterward, the light twisted bizarrely, extending tentacle-like bands of light that wound and stretched, as if possessing life, sweeping toward the three figures in black robes.

As soon as those "tentacles" touched the figures in black robes, like pythons wrapping around prey, they tightly choked their limbs and torsos.

Yet the figures in black robes seemed not to notice, nor did they struggle or resist, allowing the luminous tentacles to wrap tighter and tighter.

Even on their faces, there faintly appeared a sense of relief as if gaining liberation.

It was as if the pain and imprisonment endured for a long time were finally going to dissipate at this moment.

During this process, their bodies trembled violently, their eye sockets rapidly sunken, and their skin and flesh quickly became shriveled until clinging to the bones.

Just like, the vitality within their bodies was continuously being extracted away.

In the blink of an eye, the three figures in black robes turned into three terrifying skeletons, just like sacrificed offerings.

And after absorbing their flesh and blood, the golden bumpa bottle shone with a brilliance even more dazzling and eye-catching, making people unable to look directly at it.

"This is..."

Everyone was struck dumb with astonishment by this sudden change before their eyes.

Those who originally wanted to take advantage of the momentum to rush over and take this rare treasure from the stone platform could only temporarily stop for now and investigate the situation first.

A few fellows harboring lingering hopes observed for a moment, then cautiously approached, attempting to find a trace of an opportunity.

But before they could react, that bizarre sphere of light, like a hungry ferocious beast discovering prey, instantly enveloped and devoured them.

Following closely, these few people also met the same misfortune as the figures in black robes; their body's vitality was rapidly extracted, and they quickly shriveled down.

Eventually turning into a pile of scattered withered bones, they collapsed despondently with a clatter, becoming another batch of victims.

And that golden bumpa bottle still suspended quietly, its entire body shining with a soul-captivating golden light.

As soon as everyone glanced at it even slightly, the flame of desire shot straight up, burning scorching hot and difficult to contain.

Even knowing clearly that there was fatal danger ahead, there were still those with weak minds whose feet moved disobediently, approaching the treasure step by step, attempting to make it their own.

"Hehe, is this trick the hidden backup plan of the Lu family?"

In this suffocating and bizarre atmosphere, someone suddenly sneered.

The one who spoke was Baming; he was seen with a mocking smirk curling at the corner of his mouth, and then unhurriedly taking a metal box from his accomplice's hands.

Judging by this stance, he was obviously well-prepared beforehand.

Next, he strode forward with confident steps, walking straight toward the golden bumpa bottle, a light of absolute determination flashing in his eyes.

"Idiots, how could things be so simple!"

Standing at the very back and all along holding a mindset of watching the fun, Nailhead suddenly spoke up as well.

Hearing this, Baming's advancing steps abruptly paused, and the smugness on his face instantly froze.

He turned his head and stared closely at Nailhead:

"What did you say?"

Nailhead ignored his questioning and chuckled softly to himself:

"Hehe, I didn't expect that the Lu family would actually play so big this time..."

That tone was both like an exclamation at the means of an aristocratic family and as if anticipating something interesting to happen.

The Professor's complexion, which had been fairly calm originally, also grew solemn at this moment.

With a deep gaze, he swept across the chaotic scene around him and said through consciousness:

"The situation is somewhat beyond expectations. Crow, don't stare at the golden bumpa bottle, stand by my side, and get ready for a retreat."

Hearing this, Li Dingjian's heart tightened, and he immediately stepped forward a few paces, getting closer to the Professor, shrinking his neck like a quail and lowering his head.

Fang Cheng nonchalantly kept an eye on several experts with bizarre behaviors in the arena.

His gaze seemingly swept past casually, but in reality, he took in every single move of theirs.

You must know that these fellows were all no pushovers; each one of them was an old fox who had roamed Jianghu, experienced countless storms, and respectively harbored unknown trump cards and means.

Fang Cheng wanted to see what unique means they actually had to break this tricky situation before them.

At the same time, in his mind he was also calculating how far Black Wolf and the others had traveled.

Just as he raised his eyes, he saw a few more people taking risks to approach the golden sphere of light.

Even reaching out their hands, attempting to grab the golden bumpa bottle hidden within the sphere of light.

Fang Cheng instantly frowned and immediately spoke out to remind them:

"Hurry up and wake all those people up; don't let them go throw their lives away!"

Among the treasure seekers who had just participated in the contention, there were a few whose wills were slightly stronger and still retained their sanity.

Hearing this, all of their hearts shook, instantly waking up to reality.

Under the current circumstances, using the word "throwing lives away" to describe it was indeed most apt.

At this moment, the golden bumpa bottle was like a demon possessing self-awareness, continuously emitting a bewitching magic that attracted people close, creating a fatal feast.

Someone hurriedly shouted to the bewitched people, attempting to awaken their sanity.

But those people seemed completely blinded by greed, still proactively walking toward the golden sphere of light that created the killing intent.

Someone couldn't help rushing toward an accomplice in their team, reaching out to grasp their shoulder, wanting to forcibly pull them back.

Yet the moment their fingers touched the accomplice, that person's own face under the illumination of the golden light also began to grow dull, their eyes flashing with a dazed radiance.

It was as if seeing an peerless beauty he desperately desired, their legs uncontrollably following behind the team, pacing step by step toward the golden sphere of light.

At this time, the golden bumpa bottle seemed to realize that quite a few people were still resisting the seductive power it emitted.

Thus, a faint, ethereal sound of Sanskrit chanting began to drift softly.

When first heard, that Sanskrit sound was ethereal and melodious, resembling immortal music from the distant horizon.

In a flash, the pitch suddenly rose, becoming rapid and sharp, like dense drumbeats striking heavily one after another, shaking people's minds and souls.

Those already bewitched people were even more like being possessed by demons, their bodies trembling uncontrollably, growing increasingly frantic as they approached the golden bumpa bottle.

Their mouths were still chanting words, seemingly echoing from afar with that Sanskrit sound.

"There's no saving them!"

Witnessing this terrifying scene, everyone else simultaneously flashed this thought in their hearts.

Then they retreated one after another, only wanting to stay far away from this terrifying sphere of light, while trying their utmost to resist the bewitchment of the Sanskrit sound in order to protect themselves.

However, even with such vigilance, there were still people successively falling victim, falling into infatuation.

The Professor, Nailhead, and several other experts all wore solemn expressions, staring at the constantly changing golden bumpa bottle and the gradually-crazed crowd, fine beads of sweat seeping from their foreheads.

Fang Cheng didn't feel much of anything, even feeling that this Sanskrit sound was somewhat noisy.

He frowned, a trace of impatience flashing in his eyes.

Then he unhesitatingly pulled out his handgun, raised the muzzle, and squarely aimed at the golden bumpa bottle.