The Shining Pearl is a magical item that appears in the The Legend of Luo Xiaohei webseries.
Abilities[]
The Shining Pearl is a magical item that it’s highly valuable in Elfin society. It cures one particular disease. However, the reason it is so desired its because its second ability: if an ordinary elfin possesses it, that elfin is able to evolve into a “Deity”. [1]
History[]
Trapped inside Laojun's pavilion[]
Four hundred years before the present day, an elfin named Laojun placed the Shining Pearl in the top of a pavilion inside his Spiritual Palace and made an oath, saying that anyone who managed to take the pearl outside of his palace would get to keep it, or they could return it to Laojun in exchange for one favor. [2] Getting the Pearl was the hardest task in Laojun’s Book of Vows, as it was fortified with multiple force fields. Few ever tried to go after it. There were really strong elfin that wanted the pearl, but they would’ve been ashamed to partake on Laojun’s games, on Laojun’s home. [3]
Captured by Xiaohei[]
Eventually, a small elfin with spatial abilities named Luo Xiaohei managed to obtain the Pearl and leave Laojun’s spiritual palace with it. [4] Hundreds of years had passed without anyone being able to get the Pearl. Only Xiaohei was able to do it, thanks to his spatial ability and the fact that he was a powerful elfin. [1] For Xiaohei, force fields basically didn't exist, as long as they were inside his reach. He had a great ability for stealing stuff. [3]
Because he’d forgotten about his own vow, Laojun asked his friend Diting to follow Xiaohei. Eventually, the misunderstanding was explained, and Xiaohei was brought to talk with Laojun. Laojun said that Xiaohei must have been very powerful, since had managed to be the first person to escape with the Pearl. Xiaohei, however, said that it was Laojun’s negligence that allowed him to get the pearl, not his own abilities. [2] The Shining Pearl was really special to both Diting and Laojun, and that because of that, Diting was angry at Xiaohei. [1]
Xiaohei didn’t want to keep the pearl, and instead wanted to exchange it for one favor: Hei wanted for Laojun to go outside of his home again. Laojun refused, saying that it’d go against one of his vows. Laojun then asked if Wuxian (Xiaohei’s master) had asked him to go there, and Xiaohei got nervous, confirming his theory. Laojun told Xiaohei to say thanks to Wuxian for him. [5] Xiaohei said that he was incapable of using the Pearl, in any case, so it had little use for him. [3]
Targeted by other elfins[]
Once Xiaohei left, Laojun posted the news about the Shining Pearl in the Elfin Forums. An elfin named A-Gen, who was a friend of Xiaohei’s, saw the news of the Shining Pearl posted, and saw many forum threads asking about information regarding the person who completed the Shining Pearl challenge. He read them aloud for Xiaohei, who couldn’t read. The official announcement was made by Laojun, as he was forced to do so, because of a rule. A-Gen warned Xiaohei that many elfins paid attention to the news, and people could come looking for Xiaohei, since fighting Xiaohei would be easier than trying to enter Laojun’s space. [6]
Once Laojun made the announcement that someone had grabbed the Shining Pearl, two groups of Elfins decided to attack A-Gen and Xiaohei to obtain it. Attacking them was okay, because stealing the rewards of the twelfth volume of Laojun’s vows was allowed. One group, formed by three elfins named Moss, A-Xian and Tanjiu, wanted it in order to further their cultivation, since magic material was very scarce in their days, and developing yourself became much harder. However, they were too weak, and couldn’t obtain it. [7]
The other group was formed by five elfins named Mr. Fu, Qingqiu, Jiuxian, Polao and Qianzhen. Eventually, Xiaohei and A-Gen faced them, and asked them what they wanted the pearl for. Qingqiu and his friends didn’t actually like the “rules”, and they were acting against their will. They needed the Shining Pearl so bad, they were willing to exchange everything they had for it. He asked Xiaohei to give it to them, as a favor. Finally, Qingqiu addmited that they needed it to save a friend’s life. Diting, who was also there, confirmed they were not lying, since he had Laojun’s Mind-Mirror, which could tell the truth. Upon hearing this, Xiaohei decided to give them the Pearl, much to Fu’s surprise. Everyone wassurprised. Xiaohei tells them that it would have been simpler if they had explained everything in the first place. Qingqiu felt ashamed, and told Hei that they accepted it, gratefully and shamefully. [1]