“Huh?”
Ye Qiu was somewhat surprised, clearly sensing that the two water dragons seemed to fear him.
“Why are they afraid of me?”
Ye Qiu closely observed the dragons and soon noticed something.
He saw that the dragons occasionally glanced at the Qiankun Cauldron above his head, their eyes filled with unease.
“I get it, they’re not afraid of me, but of the Qiankun Cauldron.”
Seeing the dragons no longer attacking, Ye Qiu called out, “Old man, how are you holding up?”
Immortal Long Eyebrows replied, “I’m tough as nails, not dead yet.”
“Still got strength?”
“Plenty!”
“Stop dawdling, seize the chance and grab the treasure,” Ye Qiu urged.
“Thanks,” Immortal Long Eyebrows said, swiftly darting towards the white light.
Almost simultaneously, the two water dragons moved, blocking his path from both sides.
“I’m warning you one last time, get out of the way, or don’t blame me for being ruthless,” Ye Qiu declared, summoning another Qiankun Cauldron.
Instantly, the dragons retreated dozens of meters, their eyes showing fear.
Yet, they still guarded the white light, clearly unwilling to let Immortal Long Eyebrows take the treasure.
“What, you want to resist to the end?” Ye Qiu summoned a third Qiankun Cauldron.
The three cauldrons hovered in the air, exuding a terrifying imperial aura that surged towards the dragons.
The next moment, the dragons lowered their heads to the water’s surface, as if kneeling in worship.
“Little brat, those cauldrons of yours are impressive,” Immortal Long Eyebrows remarked.
“Stop talking nonsense and grab the treasure,” Ye Qiu pressed.
Though the dragons feared the Qiankun Cauldrons, Ye Qiu worried that if they fought recklessly, he and Immortal Long Eyebrows would face serious trouble.
After all, with his cultivation still unrecovered, he was no match for the dragons.
“Little brat, thanks for having my back. Once this is over, I’ll treat you to a drink,” Immortal Long Eyebrows said, swiftly lunging for the white light.
The dragons didn’t intervene this time.
Immortal Long Eyebrows was thrilled, almost tearful with emotion.
“Ancestors of Dragon Tiger Mountain, do you see this? The treasure you couldn’t find is now in your disciple’s hands.”
Just as he was about to seize the white light, a sudden change occurred.
“Boom!”
The white light erupted with even more dazzling brilliance, and a tremendous force, like a raging storm, sent Immortal Long Eyebrows flying into the river.
“Old man!” Ye Qiu shouted.
Immortal Long Eyebrows soon emerged from the water, soaked, blood trickling from his mouth, looking like a drowned rat, utterly disheveled.
“Damn it, this treasure isn’t so easy to take,” he cursed.
The white light now resembled a miniature sun, too radiant to look at directly.
“Old man, do you know what this treasure is?” Ye Qiu asked.
“Of course I do, or why would I come to Dragon Gate?” Immortal Long Eyebrows said, rushing towards the light again.
This time, he was cautious.
He pulled a dozen talismans from his robe’s sleeve, tossing them out. Instantly, they hovered in the air, emitting a faint blue glow, surrounding the white light.
Then, pointing his fingers like a sword, he gestured at the light while chanting incantations.
Soon, Ye Qiu noticed beads of sweat forming on Immortal Long Eyebrows’ forehead, his face pale, his body swaying as if about to collapse.
“Old man, what are you doing?” Ye Qiu couldn’t help but ask.
“Don’t disturb me, the treasure is about to reveal its true form,” Immortal Long Eyebrows said, continuing his chants.
Three minutes later, a black talisman appeared, enveloping the white light. Suddenly, the light faded, revealing a crystal-clear pearl.
The pearl, the size of a baby’s fist, was pure white, radiating a deep green glow.
“A luminous pearl!” Ye Qiu asked in surprise, “Old man, the treasure sought by generations of Dragon Tiger Mountain masters is this luminous pearl?”
“Ignorant,” Immortal Long Eyebrows sneered, “This is indeed a luminous pearl, but not an ordinary one. It has a grand name—Suihou Pearl!”
Suihou Pearl?
Ye Qiu’s heart raced.
The Suihou Pearl, a treasure of the Sui state from the Spring and Autumn period, was as renowned as the Heshi Jade, known as the “Two Treasures of Spring and Autumn.”
According to *Records of the Supernatural*, the lord of Sui once saw an injured snake by the roadside during a trip.
Moved by compassion, he had the snake treated and released.
Soon after, the healed snake brought a luminous pearl to the lord’s residence, speaking human words, “I am the son of the Dragon King, here to repay your life-saving grace.”
Thus, the Suihou Pearl was also called the “Spiritual Snake Pearl.”
Ye Qiu suddenly understood why its appearance caused such extraordinary phenomena.
This pearl was a priceless treasure, beyond measure.
“Rumors say the Suihou Pearl is in Qin Shi Huang’s tomb, yet it’s here,” Ye Qiu remarked, now regretting his promise not to compete for it.
“Such a fine treasure, if I took it back for Sister Lin, she’d be thrilled. Too bad it’s in the old man’s hands,” Ye Qiu sighed inwardly.
“Little brat, let me tell you a secret,” Immortal Long Eyebrows said, “The Suihou Pearl isn’t just a luminous pearl, it’s immensely valuable to cultivators.”
“Otherwise, why would Dragon Tiger Mountain’s ancestors obsess over finding it?”
With that, he reached out and grasped the Suihou Pearl.
“I’ve finally got it. With this, I can…” Before he finished, he screamed in pain, “Argh!”
Ye Qiu looked and saw Immortal Long Eyebrows’ face contorted in agony, his hand holding the pearl glowing red, as if scorched by fire.
“Old man, what’s wrong?” Ye Qiu asked urgently.
Immortal Long Eyebrows quickly withdrew his hand, saying, “This pearl is strange, it’s burning hot.”
“Oh?” Ye Qiu was intrigued.
Immortal Long Eyebrows tried several times, using various techniques, but not only failed to hold the pearl, his right hand was covered in blisters, a ghastly sight.
With no other choice, he turned to Ye Qiu, “Little brat, I remember your body is exceptional, try it.”
Ye Qiu approached cautiously and grasped the Suihou Pearl.
Instantly, a cool sensation spread through his body.
“It doesn’t feel hot at all…” Before he finished, the Suihou Pearl shattered in his palm.
