Although my power originated from him, over time I've truly mastered that half of it. He knew many techniques similar to dark magic, but I used a 200-pound explosive charge to blast his dark magic to smithereens.
Everyone: "......"
------------
Chapter 209 Dracula's Collection
"I gained the other half of the power. After that, all the previous limitations basically disappeared. I no longer fear silver or garlic. Sunlight can still weaken me, but it can no longer kill me. I inherited a portion of that thing's dark magic from my other half's blood. But unfortunately, I have no memory of it. I still don't know what it is. But it doesn't matter, now I am it."
"Clap clap clap..." That was Lu Xuan's applause.
It must be said that Dracula truly embodies the perfect longevity archetype. He understands the importance of learning and self-improvement, exploring the unknown, and reflecting on the past. Although his intelligence may have been exceptionally high at the beginning, through continuous growth over a long period, he has become an unimaginably powerful being.
It's not just about physical strength. It also includes his extensive experience and wisdom.
Lu Xuan is essentially a long-lived being as well. However, limited by the constraints of his previous two worlds, his pursuit of power has only just begun. But like Dracula, he is also proficient in various miscellaneous fields. The two chatted happily at the banquet. Soon, no one around them could get a word in edgewise, because their conversation had shifted to the most popular applied technologies of the present day.
Dracula was somewhat incredulous. He was a top student, holding degrees from multiple universities and professorships. Although he had previously complimented Lu Xuan on his extensive knowledge, it was mostly politeness. He knew Easterners liked to hear such praise. But he hadn't expected the other to be so genuinely erudite, capable of debating with him on almost anything. It was as if the person before him was also an immortal being who had lived for countless years.
"Times will progress. Just like these appliances in my castle. Many of them are still luxuries now. But without a doubt, at some point in the future, these things will appear in the home of a farmer on the outskirts of town. In all my years, I have witnessed the rise and fall of countless things."
From small things like eating habits to major shifts in faith, and even the rise and fall of nations, everything in this world is constantly changing. This is why I'm constantly absorbing new knowledge and adapting myself. Honestly, it feels fantastic. I'll never lose my interest in beautiful things because of the longness of life, because there are always new things waiting for us.
I can say with certainty now that we are at a special juncture. This is the beginning of a completely new era. I have a premonition that some unimaginable transformation is about to occur. The entire world order will be changed because of this.
"I completely agree with your prediction. I can even say with more certainty that this transformation will take place in an unprecedented war. Europe and Asia are already on the brink of war. The Germans will not tolerate the Treaty of Falsé forever, the Japanese have coveted the Central Plains for thousands of years, and there are also the ambitious Americans who want to dominate the world, and the domineering and warlike Soviets. All of this combined makes war inevitable."
Dracula's expression darkened slightly.
"I really hate war. But I have to admit, you're right. I feel it too. The European continent is like a powder keg. And the source of all this, the Germans, are already preparing to ignite this powder keg. A few years ago, I went to Germany and met a peculiar person."
Of course, he looked perfectly ordinary at the time. It was just that I could use some mystical methods to sense his difference. I cast a prophetic spell on him. You wouldn't believe what I saw!
"Let me guess, a war that will engulf all of Europe?"
"It wasn't just that; it was a death and slaughter that swept across the entire world. That person was just an art student buying paintings in the square. For a moment, I even thought about killing him to stop all of that. But in the end, I gave up."
I discovered a weakness of prophetic magic long ago. Even if you see certain parts of the future, if you try to change them, you will be punished by time, resulting in even worse consequences.
Even people like us can only change trivial matters. When it comes to national issues, there's nothing I can change.
"It's not impossible, especially for you. You can change more, you just need a different way of doing things."
“I understand what you mean. But I have no interest in being king. Although I have created some secret organizations, I quickly lost interest. Time will make the choice, or the world will evolve naturally.”
"Time will make the choice..."
This statement became the closing remark of the debate.
.............
After dinner, Lu Xuan and the others visited Dracula's collection.
"I once tried to search for things related to magic and the supernatural. But there were so few of them. So few that even we immortals could hardly form a large collection. By the way, that's when I developed my hobby of collecting. I didn't find many magical items, but I did manage to exchange quite a few things from the British Museum."
Without him saying anything, Lu Xuan saw it too. In a vast underground warehouse, it was filled with various Chinese porcelain, jade artifacts, and other collectibles.
“You seem to really like Chinese artifacts,” Lu Xuan said, examining the items.
"Of course. I was once madly obsessed with ceramics. It's one of the few crafts I can't truly master. Even though I'm immortal, the history of Chinese porcelain is much older than mine. Many techniques have been lost. That's why these things are so precious."
Look at them, they're so beautiful. Look at the patterns, the colors. Thousands of years, and not a single change. And it's foreseeable that they'll remain so perfect for the next few thousand years. They're so much like us long-lived beings. European art once flourished, but it was all too short-lived. Aside from oil paintings, there's really nothing that interests me. But as far as I know, the most famous oil paintings should be in your hands now, right?"
"More or less, I burned most of them. But I still had a few that I liked. I don't know much about oil paintings. I just thought they looked nice. If you like, I can give you a few."
"That's wonderful. But I know that's not what you're after. Come over here and take a look; these are all the magical items, or rather, supernatural items, I've collected."
------------
Chapter 210 The Spiritual Energy Revival Plan (Please Subscribe)
European history is rich in mythology and legends. While most are family dramas, many are also adventure stories. There are numerous tales of protagonists acquiring divine weapons, slaying monsters, and saving humanity. Later, monotheistic invasions changed these legends once again. Many of the magical tales of the past disappeared from history, with only a very few remaining.
"Look at this, this is the weapon I used to kill the enemy," Dracula said, brandishing an arrow.
"When I found it, the information I received was that this arrow was the one that killed Achilles. Of course, I remained skeptical. I thought it was just an enchanted magic arrow, and a one-time use one at that, because it had lost its extraordinary killing power."
I initially sought the Spear of Longinus, because it's so famous. And I found three of them. But without exception, they were all fake. I even felt that it didn't exist at all, or that it had no effect whatsoever. In fact, I've never found any magical artifacts that are overly Christian in nature.
Lu Xuan carefully sensed the arrow. It still retained some power, though it was very weak. That energy, attached to the arrow, flowed slowly according to a complex rhythm. It was likely some kind of programmed elemental energy. Simply put, there should be an array on it. Without a doubt, this was a genuine magical weapon.
"A very powerful weapon."
"Of course, this is the collection that changed my destiny. It's just a pity that I've never found a way to replenish its energy."
Looking at these things again, it's regrettable that I can't find the true origin of most of them. The magic of this world is gradually fading. These things are being hidden deeper and deeper. As time goes by, I feel they may disappear completely.
“I feel the same way. So, I’ve done some research in this area. I have an idea, but we can talk about that later. Now, let’s take a look at your collection. I think I see something interesting.”
The interesting thing Lu Xuan mentioned was a compass. And it was an Eastern compass, densely covered with symbols from Eastern esotericism such as the Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches, the I Ching, and the Eight Trigrams. Judging from the material, it appeared to be made of bronze and gold.
"You mean this? This is an Eastern compass. I can confirm that it is definitely a supernatural object that can react to my dark magic. I once tried to use it as a magical tool to detect supernatural power. But the markings on it are just too complicated. And the various changes are chaotic and disordered."
Or rather, there's a pattern to it, but I don't understand it. I don't know much about the Eastern I Ching, the Eight Trigrams, or the Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches. After all, I've only spent a little over twenty years in the field. I've also sought out some Chinese people in Europe to learn about this, but unfortunately, most of them only have a superficial understanding. It's completely insufficient for me to understand how to use this compass. Oh, are you a magician or a Taoist priest from the East? Can you use it?"
“I can give it a try. To be honest, I’m not really that good at this. But if it’s a compass with a spirit, then I should be able to manipulate it using Taoist energy.”