Chapter 182: Whoever Touches My Things Will Die
Everyone present was far too familiar with this light.
Because the emergence of this light meant a soul pearl had appeared.
This was nothing special; after all, soul pearls, right? Everyone here was no ordinary person, so they had all seen soul pearls before.
But at this moment, everyone was left with their jaws hanging in shock.
Because the place where the soul pearl appeared was right in front of Qin Bei…
Qin Bei!
This was the Prince Bei who hadn’t obtained a single soul pearl in the past five days and still had to ask his wife for help to get one.
And now, here was a soul pearl appearing right before him.
Of course, what shocked everyone the most wasn’t just that.
What left everyone flabbergasted was that only a few seconds had passed since Qin Bei closed his eyes and started to perceive the appearance of the soul pearl.
“This… Who said Prince Bei wouldn’t amount to anything? Get out here!”
“Tsk, what a coincidence. Is it just one soul pearl? What’s the big deal? It just means that the martial arts practiced by Prince Bei and those of this ancestor are somewhat related. Why are we making such a fuss about it?”
“Exactly, it’s just a matter of better luck.”
…
Inside the imperial palace.
With this one motion, Qin Bei managed to acquire a soul pearl and attracted everyone’s attention.
At this moment, Emperor Xia gazed at Qin Bei with noticeably softer eyes.
But just as Emperor Xia was in a good mood, there was always that one person who wanted to stir up trouble.
And that person was naturally the Beast Lion, who had been neglected by his sect because of Qin Bei.
“Haha, Prince Bei is indeed lucky; his first time out and he runs into the martial arts he practices. He has saved quite a bit of face.”
The Beast Lion’s words were, surprisingly, acknowledged by everyone present.
“Indeed rare, but does Prince Bei even practice this level of martial arts?”
“Of course! Which genius in each sect doesn’t start from low-tier martial arts? None can leap straight to divine level, let alone immortal.”
…
Everyone buzzed with discussion while Emperor Xia simply watched.
One by one, they were all sour grapes. What’s wrong with having good luck?
But the chatter instantaneously came to a halt the next second.
Because another ray of light appeared right in front of Qin Bei.
Not surprisingly, yet another soul pearl had emerged.
And then…
Another one.
One after another.
Even during daylight, the dazzling light of a whole bunch of soul pearls was still blinding.
Gulp~
Gulp~
The once noisy attic fell silent, and the sound of people swallowing was loud and clear.
“What’s… going on? Why are so many soul pearls appearing at the same time?”
“Could it be that everyone here is getting soul pearls together?”
“How is that even possible? Didn’t you see that Prince Bei is the only one still comprehending the soul pearls? The rest are just spectators.”
“Then how do you explain this situation? Don’t tell me all these soul pearls were acquired by Prince Bei in such a short span? Do you think that’s feasible?”
“Impossible! To obtain so many soul pearls at once, especially by one person, is absolutely out of the question.”
Not just the Beast Lion, but everyone sitting there started to buzz with excitement.
Suddenly, they lost all pretense of being the dignified grand elders of their sects.
They resembled a group of children witnessing a new world they couldn’t believe existed.
Emperor Xia was slightly better off.
However, he couldn’t quite believe that Qin Bei was the one obtaining all these soul pearls. After all, it was unheard of for one person to gather so many at once.
But no matter how much everyone in attendance resisted the thought, when all those glowing soul pearls flew toward Qin Bei, they were eventually forced to accept the fact.
“How many is that? Ten or twenty?”
“Looks like it’s even more. There must be around fifty at least!”
“Are all these really acquired by Prince Bei alone?”
“At least as it appears, the direction those soul pearls are heading is toward Prince Bei.”
“Is it even possible for someone to simultaneously obtain more than two soul pearls? The Imperial Mausoleum Trial has been running for years, and this is the first time for such a phenomenon.”
“Could it be that Prince Bei has some secret weapon? Maybe an insider revelation?”
The Beast Lion’s comment grabbed everyone’s attention instantly.
If those soul pearls were indeed rapidly snatched by Qin Bei’s own talent, everyone present was no child; they would never believe that such a thing could occur.
So eyes turned to Emperor Xia, seated prominently at the front.
If there’s something fishy about the Imperial Mausoleum Trial, it had to be related to Emperor Xia.
Feeling the gazes of those around him, Emperor Xia coldly eyed the crowd, offering no explanation.
But the lack of an explanation was often the best explanation.
If the royal family truly had such a cheat, how could no royal family member use it in the trials all these years?
Clearly, this was more of a concern for Qin Bei than the royal family.
Nevertheless, Emperor Xia wouldn’t react.
Because this was the Imperial Mausoleum!
Even if the royal family has its hidden gems, so what?
Allowing the talents from all the sects present to enter the Imperial Mausoleum Trials was already quite something.
But at that moment, Emperor Xia shared the same sentiment as everyone else in the room.
None of them understood how Qin Bei pulled this off.
The geniuses within the mausoleum were just as astonished.
They too looked dazed at the soul pearls appearing before them.
At this point, everyone was speechless.
Those who had secretly mocked Qin Bei just moments ago now found their minds blank.
They were completely flustered, unable to believe that this person was indeed the one they had just ridiculed in their thoughts.
Reflecting on it, they couldn’t help but feel embarrassed.
If such a person was still subject to ridicule, then what were they even considered?
Ultimately, the fool was themselves.
On the side, Mu Zhaoxue and Ji Zhuyue had their mouths hanging in an O shape.
They stared blankly at Qin Bei, who stood unmoving in the distance.
“How did he do that? Did Prince Bei study so many martial arts since childhood for the Imperial Mausoleum Trial?”
“How could that be? While the Imperial Mausoleum Trial is immensely helpful to cultivators, the real treasures are in the inner circle and core areas. The outskirts are just a little bait. Who would be silly enough to waste their cultivation time on that?”
“So how do we explain this situation?”
“There’s only one possibility: Prince Bei comprehended these martial arts in such a brief time.”
Once this was mentioned, all the geniuses present fell silent.
They had all tried to grasp these martial arts, but it took loads of time, at least ten days just to begin, and that was merely scratching the surface.
To master them, few could complete that in ten days.
Otherwise, ten third-level soul pearls wouldn’t be the benchmark for entering the inner circle, not to mention how challenging it would seem.
So everyone there found it hard to believe there could be such a genius.
But they all understood that whether they believed it or not, this was the only reasonable explanation.
Even though they were turning green with envy and unwilling to accept it, they had no choice but to face the truth.
Just then, someone’s voice interrupted their ruminations.
“Look, these soul pearls seem to be just first-level soul pearls, not anything high-tier.”
This instantly drew the focus of everybody.
They all fixed their gazes on the soul pearls surrounding Qin Bei.
Since Qin Bei showed no sign of concealing anything, it was clear for everyone to see the lines on those pearls.
That meant all these soul pearls were indeed first-level.
“Phew~ So that’s it. I can accept that. I thought they were all third-level soul pearls and was scared out of my wits!”
“But even if they’re just first-level soul pearls, that’s still quite terrifying.”
“Indeed! This shows the talent of Prince Bei’s wife isn’t just a rumor; she truly has the strength!”
“Still, having so many first-level soul pearls doesn’t amount to much. The entry benchmark for the inner circle is third-level soul pearls. Even if you have plenty of first-level ones, they’re of no use.”
“What a joke! With such comprehension ability, do you think Prince Bei would lack third-level soul pearls? It’s merely a timing issue and whether he desires them.”
“Right, right! You folks should really mind your own business. It’s as if this is your personal domain here with all your criticism.”
…
Hearing that some people began to speak up for Qin Bei, Mu Zhaoxue and Ji Zhuyue shared knowing glances, fighting back laughter in their hearts.
These folks were truly something else.
Initially, they were all clamoring, boasting one louder than the next. Now that they saw Qin Bei displaying capability, they began to sing his praises. Talk about being fair-weather friends. The funny part was that Qin Bei didn’t even bother to acknowledge them, yet they still carried on enthusiastically.
It was as if they wanted Qin Bei to hear them and toss them some favors.
After all, considering the number of soul pearls involved, everyone thought it’d be pointless for Qin Bei to keep them all to himself. If they buttered him up a bit, they might snag a charm or two.
But the two girls were absolutely delighted with the turn of events.
Qin Bei’s performance had genuinely blown them away.
Of course, the most important factor was that the current state meant they wouldn’t have to stress about just two out of three getting into the inner circle anymore.
With Qin Bei around, all three of them could enter the inner circle.
In this moment, Qin Bei provided both of them with a profound sense of security.
Meanwhile, as everyone continued their chatter, Qin Bei remained steadfast, standing with his eyes closed.
Even with fifty first-level soul pearls laying before him, dropping one by one around him, Qin Bei made no move whatsoever.
He seemed utterly disinterested in these first-level soul pearls.
Noticing this, a boy closest to Qin Bei’s side shifted his eyes, eyeing a first-level soul pearl not far from him.
He took a hesitant step forward, and seeing Qin Bei remain still, the boy became much bolder.
He dashed forward to snatch the closest soul pearl.
This unexpected turn left everyone around dumbfounded. You can pick up soul pearls this way?
But before they could process that, the boy leaned in closer, snagging another soul pearl while still unsatisfied, eager for more.
And the figure of Qin Bei in front of him remained with eyes closed, as if tacitly consenting to this act.
However, the crowd knew full well that Qin Bei was still in deep comprehension.
To achieve that level of understanding wasn’t easy, and he certainly wouldn’t pull out lightly—he was undoubtedly working to obtain even more soul pearls to exit this state.
Seeing this unfold, others couldn’t sit still.
These were soul pearls! Why not grab them if you could?
The pinnacle geniuses from top factions might look down on these low-tier martial arts, but for weaker sects like them, this was treasure!
In an instant, everyone shifted into action.
It was as if the soul pearls lying about were unclaimed and ripe for the taking, as long as Qin Bei hadn’t collected them.
Watching as those scattered pearls were about to be seized, Mu Zhaoxue and Ji Zhuyue could no longer hold themselves back.
What’s the difference between these people and thieves?
Both wielded the powers of the Nascent Soul Realm, and Ji Zhuyue was at the peak of the Nascent Soul Realm.
In a mere moment, they both appeared right in front of Qin Bei.
With cold looks, they glared at the horde of wannabe thieves.
“Put everything down!”
Ji Zhuyue’s frosty voice rang out.
In an instant, the group of upper-class young cultivators snapped out of their frenzy.
One after another, over a dozen individuals placed the soul pearls they had picked back on the ground, visibly cowed by Mu Zhaoxue and Ji Zhuyue’s presence.
However, not everyone was so wise.
There were always one or two hotheads who felt overly capable.
“Princess, it won’t matter if he takes these soul pearls alone. They’re useless for him, so why not give them to me? Don’t worry; my cousin is Prince Xiu. We’re all family, and when we get out, I’m sure my cousin will properly thank Prince Bei.”
Ling Wan, who was just at the early stages of the Nascent Soul Realm, said to Ji Zhuyue with a wicked grin.
Upon seeing Ji Zhuyue still frowning, Ling Wan dismissed it all.
He casually stashed the few first-level soul pearls he just acquired into his Cosmos Bag.
Not only that, but he wasn’t satisfied either; he now intended to snag the pearls that others had put down.
“Princess, don’t fume like that! Speaking of which, Prince Bei and I are also cousins! He has to call me cousin as well.”
Ling Wan said with a grin.
He might be aware that his strength at the second stage of the Nascent Soul Realm couldn’t compete with the duo before him.
But then again, so what?
He might not be a primary royal member but he was still a branch member, and he believed that Mu Zhaoxue and Ji Zhuyue, newcomers to Daya, wouldn’t dare touch him.
They would surely give him a modicum of respect.
And sure enough, that turned out to be the case.
Mu Zhaoxue and Ji Zhuyue exchanged glances, hesitating.
If this guy were from another sect, they wouldn’t think twice before launching into action.
Yet he was also a royal family member; their foundation was still shaky, so to strike down a royal member… the outcome would be unpredictable.
“Hahaha, fantastic! Thanks for the gift, cousin. I promise to remember you kindly once we get out.”
Seeing the two hesitate to act, Ling Wan’s pride puffed up as he bowed and prepared to depart.
Watching him saunter away, the people surrounding them looked on with envy.
Having royal blood really had its perks.
But just as they pondered whether they too might take a few soul pearls thanks to their family background, a sudden whoosh caught everyone’s attention.
“Whoever touches my things will die!”
That icy voice came slicing through the air, mingling with the sound of falling heads, leaving the crowd utterly silent.
…….
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