Death... and me

Cassia then told the cultivators in the Dream City, 'There's no actual risk of dying. However, if you die in the Dream City, you will be disqualified straight away. Your consciousness will be pulled back into your bodies, and you will be sent home. The test will last two weeks. Good luck.'

Rean couldn't help but look at Roan with a smile, to which Roan understood why. It was extremely obvious how confident they were with these limitations in place. "Physical strength is exactly the same! Holy shit, I've never thought all that basic training you gave me would come into play like that."

"Hmph!" Roan snorted in response. "If you die, I die. Obviously, I had to prepare you for any possible situation. I did it for me, not for you. I couldn't care less if you died."

Rean didn't mind Roan's words at all. "Hahaha! I also love you, brother. Well, not really. In any case, I'm grateful for the skills you taught me."

Roan nodded. "That's enough. Now, it isn't guaranteed we will fall into a fight anyway. Let's try to find those ten Existence Pearls we need."

Rean nodded in response before he moved to a corner of the street. There, he found an old man who seemed to be having trouble carrying some heavy sacks. "Hello, senior. Let me help you carry it."

The old man looked at Rean and couldn't help but faintly smile in response. "Thank you, young one. My house is ahead."

Roan didn't stop Rean and simply took another one of the sacks before helping the man to carry them back to his house. The man's old wife then offered the twins some food to show her gratitude, which they gladly accepted. Eventually, they left the man's house...or so they tried. "Well, senior. Take care of your body."

"Wait a moment!" The old man suddenly called their attention. After that, he went into his room and came back with a small box. "Take this with you."

Rean opened the box, to which he immediately saw the red pearl inside it. Neither Rean nor Roan had to think twice to know that it was the Existence Pearl. Surprisingly, Rean didn't accept it straight away. "Senior, this is too valuable. All we did was to help you carry a couple of sacks. Please take it back."

The old man was taken aback as Rean stuffed the box back into his hand. Before he could say anything, Rean continued, "Your wife already gave us an excellent meal. That's more than enough gratitude for us. May we meet each other again."

The twins then left the house, not giving a chance for the old man to insist on it.

Roan understood why Rean first helped the old man. After all, Cassia said that they would have to find how to get the pearls by themselves. However, he didn't understand why Rean refused the pearl after he got the old man to give it to him. "Are you sure you want to leave the pearl behind?"

Rean smiled in response, telling Roan, "Cause and effect. Did you notice that a few people were looking at us?" Obviously, Roan nodded. It's just that he didn't care. With the number of participants in this city, they would obviously bump into many of them. He then waited for Rean to continue. "We have our original appearances, so people find it very easy to recognize us, especially after our performance in the last test."

Rean then pointed at the old man's house. "Some followed our steps. Quite a few of them should have noticed when the old man offered his Existence Pearl to us. Do you think they'll stay still after that?"

Roan nodded in understanding. "That's exactly why I asked why you didn't take it. Considering your personality, you definitely wouldn't let the old man continue carrying such a dangerous thing. If it's in our hands, we don't need to be afraid, but the old man is different."

Rean agreed with Roan. "That's true...if things were that simple." Rean and Roan then entered a store and went to the second floor before stopping by a window. The window just so happened to be close enough to watch the old man's house in the distance.

Sure enough, it didn't take long for some of the cultivators who were watching them invade the old man's house, demanding the guy to give the pearl away. They were proud cultivators with important backgrounds. Why should they care about the old man's well-being? Besides, this was all an illusion. It's not like they would really kill anyone.

"Help!!! Guards, help!!!"

The old man and his wife then began to scream, asking for help. At first, the cultivators couldn't care less about their shouts. Well, unfortunately for them, they should have paid more attention.

"What's happening here?!" a strong voice yelled out. In just a few seconds, several city guards dressed in armor entered the house, just in time to see the cultivators trying to steal the old man's pearl.

"Help me! They invaded my house and are trying to steal my things!"

The cultivators looked at the guards and snorted after hearing that. "Get the fuck out before we kill you."

The guards became enraged and immediately attacked the cultivators. The cultivators, on the other hand, used their fighting abilities to retaliate... or so they tried.

*Bang! Pah! Pow...*

Even faster than the guards arrived was how the cultivators had been beaten down. The cultivators thought that although they couldn't use Divine Energy, they still had the fighting abilities that they got after so much training. Surely some city guards wouldn't be their match, right?

Unfortunately for them, it was all useless. Their bodies simply didn't answer as they wished. Their movements, which were perfect with Divine Energy, looked nothing more than children's play without it. Some might even think that they were some clowns. Simply put, any action derived from Divine Energy abilities was just as terrible as it could be.

Twelve cultivators invaded the old man's house, while seven disappeared into specks of light. As for the rest...

"Send them to the prison. I don't want to see their faces on the streets during the next few years," the guard leader ordered.