Chapter 178: Father, Are You Angry?
Qin Bei was absolutely confident that he could master this kind of martial arts technique in a short time.
With just a flick of his hand, he felt he could acquire ten soul beads right now.
After all, he was someone with a cheat code.
He hadn’t even used his two hundred thousand Krypton points yet.
With a hundred points per enlightenment, he could use that many times over.
But Qin Bei simply didn’t want to get the ten soul beads right now.
In fact, he was thinking of snagging them at the last minute, playing and teasing his wife right up until the inner circle opened.
There was no other reason; Qin Bei just wanted to annoy Emperor Xia a little.
He imagined Emperor Xia’s worry, giving him a “surprise” at the last moment, which would surely make Emperor Xia very “happy.”
While Qin Bei pondered these thoughts, a voice of surprise wafted in from afar.
This time, it was a girl. She excitedly held a soul bead that was even larger than the one the previous person had, uncontrollably shouting in excitement, which caught the attention of those around.
“A third-level soul bead! This should be the first third-level soul bead that appeared in the imperial tomb, right?”
“How lucky! I just got here and found an elder who specializes in the same martial arts as I do. Awesome!”
“With this, I can at least elevate my practiced martial arts to perfection. How fantastic!”
“Stop envying! Focus on your own path. Since we didn’t meet a martial technique we’ve learned, let’s find another place. I refuse to believe we can’t find something similar!”
…
Ordinary martial techniques were different from the immortal-level martial arts that Qin Bei practiced.
Ordinary martial techniques had only one move, just divided into many stages.
The power exhibited at each stage was different.
From initiation to proficiency, then to perfection, great perfection, mastery, and unity.
They were tied to systems like sword intent and spear intent.
Often, a cultivator could only master one martial technique to the level of unity in their lifetime.
Of course, this required that the martial technique’s level be high enough to allow the cultivator to delve into it throughout their life.
The advantage of such cultivators was their capability to excel with one move and conquer all.
The downside? If one move is seen through, they lose all combat effectiveness.
Within the imperial tomb, anyone who perfected a martial art could obtain a third-level soul bead—provided their techniques wereof the same kind practiced by the ancestors.
Only then could they sense it.
Soon, the first batch of people began leaving.
They had sensed hundreds of tombstones and found no ancestors practicing the same martial techniques.
Since they couldn’t enter the inner circle, they didn’t waste time lingering for insights.
For them, coming in was about taking their practiced techniques a step further.
If there was extra time, they wouldn’t mind snagging a few more soul beads because soul beads were also helpful for cultivators.
But evidently, now wasn’t the time to stop and comprehend.
At least they would think about that once their martial techniques received a comprehensive upgrade.
This was the unified mindset of those who couldn’t enter the inner circle.
Those who could enter the inner circle were already keeping an eye out for martial techniques they could quickly learn.
Because they must gather ten third-level soul beads.
Even the geniuses among them only knew a handful of techniques, and entering the inner circle required picking up new techniques within a month and leveling them up to perfection.
Qin Bei and Mu Zhaoxue were naturally among them.
The three of them had a distinctive advantage over other cultivators.
The martial arts Qin Bei practiced were all top-tier—completely absent in the outer circle.
So, if Qin Bei wanted to gather ten third-level soul beads in the outer circle, he’d need to start from scratch with ten martial arts and master them all.
The difficulty of that was self-evident.
That was why most royal members, despite qualifying for the core area, were still hanging around the outer circle just before the tomb closed.
No need to mention Mu Zhaoxue and Ji Zhuyue—they were both from the Wu Nation, so their martial arts were entirely local.
The difference from Great Xia was enormous; finding someone who practiced techniques similar to theirs inside this tomb was harder than climbing to the heavens.
Thus, they could only practice diligently in the tomb, hoping to enter the inner circle as quickly as possible.
For ordinary talented cultivators, this task was, naturally, a hellish difficulty.
Fortunately, Ji Zhuyue was not just any genius; she was a talented individual who had re-cultivated.
With her experience, practicing these martial techniques was just about time.
Mu Zhaoxue might face a bit more difficulty, but Ji Zhuyue believed it was possible for her to collect a few more third-level soul beads in no time.
Their main concern, though, was Qin Bei.
After all, with just one month left, and given Qin Bei’s current state, it was really hard to say if he could gather enough third-level soul beads and enter the inner circle quickly.
Ji Zhuyue immediately felt the pressure.
“It doesn’t look like much trouble. You seem pretty relaxed. Let me just take a rest before the next round. I spent the whole night in the secret room last night; it was terrible sleep. Next time, I need to remember to bring a bed; it’d be much more comfortable.”
Qin Bei watched as group after group collected soul beads.
Even though only a single third-level soul bead had appeared, he didn’t find it difficult at all.
Thus, his playful spirit kicked in.
After all, the outer circle wouldn’t open for ten more days.
Qin Bei wasn’t in the least bit worried.
Another ten days of fun was perfectly fine.
Mu Zhaoxue and Ji Zhuyue exchanged glances at Qin Bei, feeling somewhat helpless.
They had no idea that Qin Bei was simply being carefree and unconcerned.
Instead, they thought he was slacking off.
Most likely, this was all just a show for Emperor Xia.
So, they didn’t quite know what to say.
The two of them decided to take action first and see how difficult it was to acquire soul beads.
“Let’s try our luck to see if there are any good ones to practice, or something close to what we have.”
Ji Zhuyue said to Mu Zhaoxue.
Qin Bei could fool around, but Ji Zhuyue couldn’t afford not to be serious.
The mission this time had to get done.
“Alright.”
Mu Zhaoxue nodded.
Both of them walked up to the tombstones and began sensing the first one.
One…
Ten…
Twenty…
In no time, they checked dozens of tombstones, their brows tightening the more they sensed.
Because the martial arts from Great Xia and the Wu Nation were indeed quite different.
The fundamental issue was that the martial arts from the Wu Nation held a unique status in the entire cultivation world.
Finally, just when they were about to give up, they found one person whose practiced martial technique bore some resemblance to that of the Wu Nation.
This way, even if they started from scratch, it wouldn’t take them too long to reach perfection.
After all, any martial art that could be practiced here wouldn’t be at a too high level.
For someone like Ji Zhuyue or Mu Zhaoxue, learning it wouldn’t be prohibitively difficult.
The comprehension of these two beauties drew attention from those nearby.
But the majority of gazes shifted toward Qin Bei.
Everyone wondered why this rumored genius hadn’t started to showcase his skills yet?
Was he just standing there, staring at his wife?
Was she really that beautiful?
Although she indeed seemed quite stunning.
But could he not do this? Just staring like a lovesick fool?
It felt like he was afraid she would run away, refusing to blink.
…
Inside the palace.
“I’ve consistently heard that Prince Bei is a cultivation genius, and it seems that’s true. This carefree attitude is a perfect demonstration of utter arrogance.”
The Beast Lion couldn’t help but chuckle as he watched Qin Bei having fun.
All geniuses craved to save every moment.
Qin Bei, on the other hand, seemed hellbent on wasting every second.
“Ten third-level soul beads must be a piece of cake for Prince Bei, so the youthful spirit is definitely showing now. Entering the inner circle in ten days should be no problem.”
“After all, he’s someone who can comprehend the Extreme Cold Gaze all on his own. How can he not be a little arrogant while navigating this world?”
Emperor Xia listened to everyone’s chatter without uttering a word.
He had no desire to interfere.
Anyway, if Qin Bei truly delayed entering the inner circle because of his antics and flirting, when Qin Bei emerged, Emperor Xia planned to let him experience what true thunderous fury felt like.
…
Inside the imperial tomb.
Qin Bei was truly living by his motto.
Playtime!
He wasn’t worried at all about acquiring those soul beads.
The existence of his cheat code gave him confidence that he could grab ten soul beads in an incredibly short time.
And they’d definitely be above the third level.
After all, the inner circle didn’t open until ten days later.
It wouldn’t be too late to act then.
Thus, Qin Bei simply observed as Mu Zhaoxue and Ji Zhuyue sat cross-legged in deep comprehension.
The sight of their holy, snow-white skin ignited an urge in Qin Bei to caress them after just one glance.
Under normal circumstances, he would have had no chance.
Because Mu Zhaoxue and Ji Zhuyue would avoid him.
But not now.
The onlookers noticed when Qin Bei reached out his hand towards Mu Zhaoxue.
His palm landed on her face.
“Beast!”
“This… this… is simply shameless!”
“How could you treat the fairy sister like this?”
“Although we all know you’re Prince Bei, the husband of the saintess, you don’t have to remind us quite so eagerly, do you?”
Regardless of gender, everyone shared a similar reaction to Qin Bei’s antics.
Condemnation was the order of the day.
Of course, this wasn’t the most outrageous thing he did.
The worst was that he ignored them completely.
The next moment, he made a silly face on Mu Zhaoxue’s gorgeous visage…
A twist here, a transformation there.
“Tsk~ As expected, being good-looking is just grand. Even a silly face looks so adorable!”
Qin Bei couldn’t help but comment while gazing at Mu Zhaoxue’s face.
At that moment, while Mu Zhaoxue sensed Qin Bei’s frivolous actions, she was far too engrossed in perfecting her martial technique to stop halfway.
Thus, she didn’t open her eyes.
Of course, she was completely unaware of Qin Bei’s “excessive” behavior.
Naturally, Mu Zhaoxue wasn’t the only target; Ji Zhuyue also couldn’t escape unscathed.
To capture this sweet moment, Qin Bei took out a jade slip to document it.
Mumbling to himself, he said, “These records are going to be beautiful to look at later.”
“I’m essentially a sweet, warm man! A love engraver!”
“If I don’t become a prince, I can open up a course on love to teach these cultivation dummies!”
Qin Bei’s murmured comments were soft, but everyone around, being cultivators, heard every word clearly.
They all looked at Qin Bei like he was a fool.
How could he destroy the most beautiful image of his wife and still dare to talk sweetly?
And open a course, no less?
Were they going to learn love tips or breakup nuclear strikes from him?
However, while many felt sympathy for Mu Zhaoxue and Ji Zhuyue, no one dared to act.
After all, he was Prince Bei, a notorious figure; who would want to provoke him for no reason?
And just like that, time ticked on.
Qin Bei managed to document plenty of footage.
All actions that Mu Zhaoxue and Ji Zhuyue would definitely punish Qin Bei for as soon as they came to their senses.
Three hours slipped away.
The two remained as still as statues.
Understanding martial arts was distinctly different from practicing them.
Practicing required hands-on execution of the martial art.
But understanding didn’t necessitate such actions.
As long as one attained the right mindset, they were set.
Of course, if combat practice was needed, they could definitely engage in that, and they could all comply.
It’s just that, in the imperial tomb, doing so wasn’t necessary.
So they all opted for the time-saving approach.
As Qin Bei noticed the darkening sky, night had already settled in.
The time inside the tomb mirrored that of the outside world.
“Ah~”
Qin Bei yawned.
“Time for bed.”
After saying that, he plopped down comfortably onto Mu Zhaoxue’s lap, much to everyone’s surprise.
To ensure quality sleep, Qin Bei kept adjusting until he found the prime resting position.
He ultimately chose the most intimate posture, savoring the faint fragrance wafting from Mu Zhaoxue’s body.
Qin Bei had a premonition that he’d sleep well tonight and perhaps even dream sweetly!
And thus, he drifted into slumber, nestled against the beauty that countless could only admire from afar… slipping away…
“Huh? He really fell asleep?”
“No way, is this truly Prince Bei? He certainly doesn’t fit the rumors I’ve heard about him.”
“Seriously! The Prince Bei I’ve heard of, while arrogant and domineering, is a real grindstone in his training. I heard he once went straight to the Monster Mountain Range to challenge monsters far superior to himself to unleash his potential, got his cultivation wrecked, and only then did he bring forth his potential. Is this guy really the same one who feasts and frolics during the day, only to crash into sleep at night?”
“It appears that rumors are notoriously unreliable. This doesn’t seem like someone dedicated to diligent training, and he doesn’t give off an air of arrogance either. He seems rather approachable.”
“Exactly! It looks like there’s a kernel of truth and a heap of falsehood in those rumors.”
“Nonetheless, one rumor holds true, and that’s Prince Bei is indeed skilled at enjoying life.”
“Tsk tsk, I genuinely envy such a genius. Even if we can’t see him training hard, he’s dominating the battle rankings. If he weren’t royalty, he’d be surrounded and taken down by young talents like us!”
“Psh, it’s merely temporary. Just wait; regardless of how talented he is, if he doesn’t start putting in effort, within two years, everyone present will overshadow him!”
“Right! He doesn’t hustle, but we do! We’ll crush him!”
…
Ps: This is just practice writing. I’m about to set myself free! Be gentle with your critiques!
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