Chapter 1471 — Yu Bing's Invitation

"That remarkable?" Wei Zhao said, somewhat taken aback by Yu Bing's words. Still, for an ancient sect, possessing such a wondrous jade was nothing out of the ordinary.

"Precisely!" Yu Bing nodded. "So if you truly want the Fire Spirit Holy Fruit, there are only two paths: either prevail in the trial and earn the right to trade heavenly materials and earthly treasures, or slip away during the trial. But neither path is absolute. With the first, even if you win the trading rights, the Ice Palace might not have the Fire Spirit Holy Fruit at all - or they might have it but refuse to trade with you, and there would be nothing you could do. The second path is simpler in principle, but the worry is that you might not find it, or find it and be unable to carry it away. Even if we joined forces, we would be no match for those people of the Ice Palace!"

Yu Bing had, quite naturally, come to see himself as one of Wei Zhao's own, analyzing the problem from Wei Zhao's perspective. This moved Wei Zhao deeply.

Their acquaintance, too, had come about because of Yu Ning. Yu Bing had wanted to test whether the man who had won his sister's heart truly had any ability, and so the two of them had fought their way to mutual respect. Back then, both had been Yellow Rank experts; now, they were both Profound Rank experts!

"The second path is a sound one," Wei Zhao said with a smile. "And you needn't worry about being unable to carry it away - during the trial, I'll have my friend consume it on the spot. Once it's gone, the people of the Ice Palace will have no proof and won't discover a thing. The only concern is finding it..."

"Eat it directly?" Yu Bing's eyes flew wide in astonishment. Everyone knew that heavenly materials and earthly treasures were precious things, but even precious things could not simply be eaten raw. They had to be prepared by the family's alchemists and boiled into decoctions or pills before taking. Consumed directly, some would not only fail to serve their purpose, but might send one's true qi surging and plunge one into qi deviation!

He had never heard of anyone daring to consume a heavenly material or earthly treasure raw. Even when taken, they were eaten a sliver at a time - otherwise, one risked having one's body blown apart.

"My friend's case is different from an ordinary person's," Wei Zhao said. "This isn't being taken as a cultivation resource - it's to save a life." He spoke with confidence, because Zhang Liju had once mentioned that the Fire Spirit Holy Fruit was meant to be taken directly. True, the aftereffects were numerous - a frail constitution, frequent illness, a shortened lifespan, inability to cultivate, and so on. But the present reality was that Feng Xiaoxiao's life was nearly gone. Being alive at all would be miracle enough; how could anyone worry about frailty or a short lifespan?

"And... where is your friend?" Yu Bing asked, with some curiosity.

"In the car downstairs, frozen in an ice coffin. When the trial begins, I'll bring her along," Wei Zhao said. "The only question is whether I'm qualified to participate. You all have an invitation - but I don't..."

"An invitation is merely a form of notice - it isn't strictly required." Yu Bing shook his head. "As long as one is qualified, independent cultivators who hear of the matter can register for the trial as well; I've heard of no special requirements. The Ice Palace's trial serves two main purposes: first, to amass wealth; second, to replenish its outer sect disciples."

"Amass wealth?" Wei Zhao asked.

"To enter the Ice Palace's trial, one must post a deposit of one hundred million yuan - and it's non-refundable. Think about it: with dozens or even a hundred people entering the trial, how much does the Ice Palace rake in at once?" Yu Bing laughed. "An ancient sect like the Ice Palace has no interest in running businesses or industries, but a household that vast cannot be sustained without silver. So they make money this way. And becoming an outer sect disciple - to people like us, it seems like an enormous benefit, but in truth it just means doing odd jobs around the Ice Palace. The core disciples need to focus on cultivation and have no time for chores, so all the work - boiling water, cooking, sweeping, and so on - falls to the outer sect disciples. We are, in effect, free labor. All they have to do is offer periodic guidance and hand out a few cultivation pills."

"Heh... when you put it that way, the Ice Palace has really thought this through," Wei Zhao said, nodding.

"But there's nothing to be done about it - one is willing to strike, the other willing to endure. The Ice Palace doesn't force anyone to enter; on the contrary, people flock to it." Yu Bing said. "If you want to enter, you'll also need to post a deposit of one hundred million yuan. Is that a problem? If so, I'll think of a way to help."

"That won't be a problem," Wei Zhao said, shaking his head. Gu Pengzhan had already pulled through his difficulties, so borrowing a hundred million from him was hardly a hardship. And if all else failed, there were the Liu family and the Wu family - those households who kept close ties with him.

"Good. One more thing - I expect my cousin Yu Shan will team up with those two from the Zhao family during this trial, to face outsiders together. Shall we two form a team as well?" Yu Bing extended the invitation.

"No problem!" Wei Zhao nodded. "But the two of us are a shade weaker than their side. Your brother Yu Shan is an expert at the mid Profound Rank, nearing the peak, isn't he?"

"How did you know?" Yu Bing was somewhat taken aback. He had not expected Wei Zhao to know Yu Shan's strength - or to have even discerned that Yu Shan was approaching the peak of the mid Profound Rank. After all, Yu Shan was only at the mid Profound Rank and had not yet reached its peak, though he was only a short step away.

"I could tell," Wei Zhao said with a smile. "You're at the peak of the mid Profound Rank, and so am I. Although I've shown faint signs of a breakthrough these past few days, I haven't broken through yet. Besides, of the two Zhao family members, one is at the peak of the mid Profound Rank and the other at the late Profound Rank. If we face them during the trial, we'll be at a disadvantage."

"You've already investigated the opposing side's strength - and with such precision?" Yu Bing felt a surge of pleasant surprise. He naturally knew Zhao Qitan's strength, but as for Zhao Qijiu, who accompanied him, Yu Bing had no idea. He had been just about to ask around when Wei Zhao beat him to it.

For the fastest updates, please read without pop-ups.