Chapter 229: Entering the Demon Lord’s Palace
Inside the Imperial Mausoleum.
“Let’s go. I can’t wait to see what kind of monster this Demon Lord is!”
Qin Bei took the lead and stepped into the formation’s entrance.
In the blink of an eye, Qin Bei found himself in a completely different world, far removed from the inner Demon Realm.
Here, dense forests thrived, and the air was filled with the sweet sounds of chirping birds and blooming flowers.
Occasionally, little animals scurried about, adding life to the scenery.
At a glance, a magnificent palace loomed ahead.
How magnificent, you ask?
It resembled a considerably smaller, yet more exquisite version of the Great Xia Palace.
The word ‘luxurious’ barely scratched the surface.
“This is what I call a real Demon Lord’s Palace. What a fantastic place!” Qin Bei exclaimed, gazing at the distant palace in awe.
“Let’s hurry up. The sooner we get the soul pearls, the sooner we can check out the other three domains,” Ji Zhuyue chimed in from the side.
“Yeah,” Qin Bei nodded and walked toward the looming palace.
As they approached, everyone noticed that there were guards stationed at the palace entrance.
The guards looked a bit peculiar.
They resembled humans, but their skin was blue, and their ears were pointed.
In Qin Bei’s view, they somewhat resembled Smurfs.
However, the figures before him were clearly not Smurfs.
“Hey~ You two look quite distinctive. If I didn’t know better, I might think you were the demon cultivators used as nutrients!” Qin Bei joked, addressing the two ‘Smurfs’ directly.
In response, the two guards ignored him entirely.
It was as if they hadn’t heard him, standing staunchly in place.
“So, they’re just two soul powers without independent consciousness,” Qin Bei deduced upon realizing their lack of reaction.
However, Qin Bei wasn’t particularly interested in whether or not the two Smurfs had souls at this moment.
He just wanted to meet the so-called Demon Lord as soon as possible and snag enough soul pearls to visit the human domain.
Curiosity about the other three domains lingered in Qin Bei’s mind, making him eager for any opportunity to explore them.
Stepping through the palace gate, the two Smurfs exhibited no unusual behavior, remaining statuesque.
Seeing this, Mu Zhaoxue and Ji Zhuyue prepared to follow him into the palace.
However, just as they were about to set foot inside, the two blue elves sprang into action.
Their weapons crossed, barring the path of Mu Zhaoxue and the others.
“No entry for non-royal members,” they stated firmly.
Huh?
Qin Bei turned, puzzled. He hadn’t anticipated such a turn of events.
“Hey! You two simpletons, this is my wife! She’s a royal member now, so why can’t she go in?” Qin Bei shot back without hesitation.
But the two blue elves remained unfazed, as if they hadn’t heard his outburst.
“Hey! You want to play tough?”
Seeing that they were effectively two unyielding statues, Qin Bei’s irritation began to bubble over.
If he didn’t throw a punch, he wouldn’t be living up to his reputation as a playboy.
As he readied himself to act, a voice rang out from within the palace.
“If you start a fight here, you’ll be expelled from this world. Have you considered that?”
With the voice, a figure emerged beside Qin Bei.
This time, it was indeed a person.
No longer a demon cultivator, the figure looked to be middle-aged.
Yet Qin Bei realized this wasn’t an ordinary person but a powerful soul entity with its own consciousness.
Feeling the strength emanating from the entity, Qin Bei understood that even with the blessing of the Undying Phoenix Body, he wouldn’t stand a chance against this presence.
“Alright, if you want the soul pearls, follow me. The monarch will allow them in once they’re informed of the situation,” the soul entity said coldly to Qin Bei.
It then turned to Mu Zhaoxue and Ji Zhuyue, adding, “You’ll just have to wait here. It won’t take long.”
The soul entity was no stranger to this three-year cycle of events.
So while it had its own consciousness, it felt like it was following a fixed routine.
“Then, my husband, you go in. We’ll wait for you out here,” Mu Zhaoxue suggested, noticing the strength of the soul entity and wanting to avoid any confrontation.
Otherwise, if they were expelled, this trial at the Imperial Mausoleum would be over before it had even begun.
“Okay,” Qin Bei nodded, disregarding the issue.
After all, this was the Imperial Mausoleum.
It was only natural for royal family members to exhibit some hostility toward outsiders.
He was simply curious about what role the so-called Demon Lord played in the royal family.
“Follow me,” the soul entity instructed and walked ahead, leading the way.
Qin Bei trailed behind, enchanted by the breathtaking sights around him.
As they advanced, he occasionally caught sight of graceful palace maids bustling about, engaged in various tasks.
This scene felt nearly indistinguishable from the real world.
The soul entity within the palace made the remnants of souls appear as they did when they were alive.
This was no ordinary soul entity’s feat.
Thinking about it, the one residing here was the ruler of the Demon Realm.
Moreover, they were a member of the royal family, making such abilities entirely reasonable.
“Before meeting the monarch, I need to remind you of a few things,” the soul entity announced suddenly as they walked.
“Sure, go ahead,” Qin Bei replied.
“Given the richness of your bloodline, you should be a direct descendant of the royal family. If I’m not mistaken, you’re a prince, right?”
The soul entity asked rather than outright stating it.
“Yeah, does it matter?”
“Not really, except that it’s easier for a prince to obtain the soul pearls. As long as you maintain a respectful and humble demeanor when you meet the monarch, obtaining a soul pearl will be a piece of cake.”
“Is it really that simple?”
Qin Bei was somewhat skeptical; getting soul pearls from this Demon Lord seemed like it should involve more than just a polite bow.
“It’s that simple. Previous royal family members who came here walked away with soul pearls from the monarch in no time. If you stay humble, I believe it won’t be long before you get the pearls you want,” the soul entity affirmed.
“Hmm, well, that’s great!”
Qin Bei nodded appreciatively.
Not having to undergo any tests to get a soul pearl—that really was a stroke of luck.
“What’s the identity of the monarch you keep mentioning? Why does only one name—Qin Zhengmo—appear outside? I haven’t even heard of this name,” Qin Bei asked, curiosity gnawing at him.
A person who could become the master of the Demon Realm surely wouldn’t be a nobody.
Yet, he had never come across this name before.
“There’s no need for you to know that. Just remember that the monarch belongs to the Great Xia royal family.”
The soul entity didn’t provide Qin Bei with a clear answer.
Upon hearing this, Qin Bei frowned.
He sensed that there was something off about Qin Zhengmo’s identity.
It seemed both the Demon Lord and this soul entity were overly secretive about their identities.
When Qin Bei had previously asked that green-faced man, he also refused to divulge anything.
Now, this soul entity was doing the same.
This could only pique Qin Bei’s curiosity regarding the identity of the Demon Lord.
What kind of royal member conceals their identity?
In that regard, Qin Bei never imagined that this person could be the former emperor of Great Xia.
Because all deceased emperors resided in the core area.
While the inner circle was better than the outer circle, it paled in comparison to the core area.
Thus, as a former emperor of Great Xia, he would be allowed entry into the core area of the mausoleum upon death.
Even if some emperors had lost their souls, their bodies remained in the core area.
All the soul forces in the core zone awaited the day they could revive.
Meanwhile, the many souls in the inner circle might vanish at any moment.
…
Support me by donating at least $10, and you'll have the right to request any novel from Novelpia (excluding 19+ content) using a newly developed tool.
