178: Chapter 177 Xia Jin Gets Robbed

Just as Venerable Miaodi and Jian Wuhen set off to find Xia Jin, Xia Jin himself had just slain another lightning beast, but his brow furrowed inadvertently at this moment.

“Is this Lightning Pool targeting this prince? These lightning beasts are never-ending!?”

He muttered to himself, looking at the silver bead in his palm.

“The fourteenth one.”

He looked up, glancing at the thick mist still churning around him, a trace of helplessness flashing in his eyes.

From the moment he stepped into this area, it was as if he had poked a lightning beast's nest.

A lightning beast would charge out every now and then; every time he killed one, the next would arrive within moments, drawn by the scent. It was as if the lightning beasts of the entire Lightning Pool had targeted him alone.

“Could it be that there is something on this prince that attracts them?”

Xia Jin's face showed some suspicion, but after a careful inspection, he still found nothing. He couldn't help but shake his head, too lazy to think about it further, and continued walking forward.

However, he had barely walked ten steps when his pace suddenly faltered, and his eyes narrowed slightly.

Dozens of light spots instantly lit up on the ground beneath his feet.

“Hmm? Someone else wants to plot against this prince?”

Xia Jin looked down, but showed no panic; instead, he raised an eyebrow with interest.

Sure enough, dozens of vines suddenly burst from underground, frantically coiling around Xia Jin's body.

Xia Jin remained motionless.

He simply stood there, allowing the vines to wrap him up tightly.

In the blink of an eye, Xia Jin had become a green 'zongzi,' with only his head exposed.

“Interesting.”

Xia Jin looked down at the dense vines on his body, a flash of surprise in his eyes.

“To think someone has actually cultivated this kind of Cultivation Technique?”

A somewhat chubby figure slowly walked out from the thick mist.

It was a young man who looked to be in his early twenties, with a rounded build and a harmless smile on his face.

The man walked up to Xia Jin, looked him up and down wrapped like a zongzi, and the smile on his face grew even brighter.

“Brother, my apologies for the offense.”

He cupped his hands and said with a smile, “Rest assured, I, Mu Qing, have no grudge against you. I only seek wealth, not your life.”

Xia Jin looked at the fat man before him, a playful glint in his eyes.

“Seeking wealth?”

“Yes, seeking wealth.” Mu Qing nodded, extending a chubby finger. “Brother, as long as you hand over one thunder bead, I will release you immediately and won't make things difficult.”

“thunder bead?”

Xia Jin was slightly taken aback, then realized the other party was likely referring to those silver beads obtained after killing the lightning beasts.

Seeing Xia Jin dazed, Mu Qing thought he didn't understand and explained patiently, “Brother, newcomers like you are probably entering this Lightning Pool Trial for the first time, right? These thunder beads are good things; everyone must have one to pass the assessment. I see you've come this far, you should have killed a few lightning beasts, right? Just give one up, and we'll call it even today.”

Xia Jin looked at him and suddenly laughed.

“How about this, if this prince doesn't give it, what can you do?”

The smile on Mu Qing's face stiffened slightly.

He stared at Xia Jin for a few moments, and after confirming the other party wasn't joking, his smile gradually vanished.

“Brother, I'll tell you the truth.”

“The temple's Lightning Pool assessment requires everyone to obtain one thunder bead to pass. I don't want to be kicked out of the temple because I failed the assessment.”

“So, if you don't give it up, I'll have to take it by force.”

Xia Jin looked at him, a trace of surprise flashing in his eyes.

“It has always been this prince snatching from others; no one has ever been able to snatch anything from this prince's hands.”

Xia Jin shook his head, and a surge of white flames suddenly erupted from his body.

As soon as the flames appeared, the vines wrapped around him withered and charred at a visible speed within a few breaths, as if they had met their natural enemy.

“You... you actually turned my vines into...” The smile on Mu Qing's face froze completely, and he even unconsciously took a few steps back.

Flee!

Encountering someone who could easily destroy his vines, he could only flee! Only this one thought remained in Mu Qing's mind.

Without thinking twice, he turned and ran.

However, he had barely run three steps before he slammed to a halt.

Because around him, hundreds of white fireballs had appeared at some unknown time.

Those fireballs floated in mid-air, surrounding him completely and sealing off all paths of escape.

Cold sweat instantly poured down Mu Qing's forehead.

He stiffly turned his head to look back at Xia Jin, who was still standing in the same spot with his hands behind his back. The expression on Mu Qing's face was more unsightly than a crying face.

“That... well...”

Mu Qing rubbed his hands and said sheepishly, “This brother, I was just joking with you just now, please don't mind it.”

Xia Jin looked at him expressionlessly.

Mu Qing's heart skipped a beat, and he hurriedly added, “Brother, if you mind, I'll apologize to you immediately!”

After saying that, he bent down directly and gave Xia Jin a ninety-degree bow.

Xia Jin looked at the fat man who knew when to yield, a trace of amusement in his eyes.

This fat man was quite interesting.

Just a moment ago he had the posture of 'if you don't give it I'll steal it,' and now seeing things go south, he immediately caved and apologized without the slightest hesitation.

“If apologies were useful,” Xia Jin spoke slowly, “what would we need those Law Enforcers for?”

Mu Qing's body stiffened.

He looked up and met Xia Jin's eyes, which were filled with a faint smile, and an ominous premonition suddenly welled up in his heart.

“Bro... brother, what do you mean by that?”

Xia Jin didn't speak, but simply raised a hand slowly, his fingers slightly curved, reaching toward Mu Qing's head.

The movement was very slow, slow enough that Mu Qing could clearly see every single motion.

But Mu Qing found that he couldn't move at all.

Although those white fireballs didn't approach, that terrifying aura had already locked onto him tightly.

Watching that hand get closer and closer, until it was only an inch away from his head.

“Don't! Don't kill me!”

Mu Qing finally broke down, closing his eyes and shouting in despair.

Xia Jin's hand stopped an inch away from his forehead.

Mu Qing waited with his eyes closed for a long time, but no sharp pain came. He cautiously opened one eye and found the hand suspended right in front of him, while the young man was looking at him with a half-smile.

Xia Jin withdrew his hand and waved it casually.

The hundreds of white fireballs around them instantly dissipated.

Mu Qing was stunned.

“Rest assured, this prince did not intend to kill you today; consider yourself lucky.”

Mu Qing stood blankly on the spot, and it took a long while before he realized he had just escaped with his life.

He gasped for breath heavily; in that moment just now, he had truly felt the breath of death.

“Thank... thank you, brother, for your mercy.”

Mu Qing regained his composure and quickly bowed to Xia Jin again.

Xia Jin nodded. “You should be glad that this prince has just entered the temple and needs to ask an old-timer like you some questions.”

Mu Qing was stunned again, then immediately patted his chest and said, “Ask whatever you want, brother! I, Mu Qing, promise to tell you everything I know without reservation!”

Xia Jin glanced at him, reached into his robes, pulled out a silver bead, and tossed it over casually.

Mu Qing caught it instinctively, looked down, and was stunned.

“This... a thunder bead? Brother, you're actually giving this to me?”

“Take it.”

Xia Jin chuckled and said indifferently, “Didn't you say that everyone must have a thunder bead to pass the assessment?”

Mu Qing clutched the thunder bead, for a moment not knowing what to say.

He had just wanted to rob the man of his thunder bead, and in the end, the man not only didn't kill him but even gave him one?

This...

Mu Qing took a deep breath and gave Xia Jin a very solemn, deep bow.

“Brother, I, Mu Qing, will remember this favor.”