Chapter 3510 — Tang Zhi, Wei Zhao

To say nothing of how useful Zhang Naipao was, Kang Jingming had also learned from Ancestor Xuanchen's inside information that Zhong Yongliang was possessed by the Mad Dragon Patriarch, which was why he addressed him as "Brother Liang"—a form of address that carried a fair measure of respect.

Seeing that Kang Jingming's attitude was passable enough, Zhong Yongliang stalked over with a haughty air and said, "All right, Brother Kang, let's hear it!"

Kang Jingming glanced at the distance and saw that Wei Zhao had not come over but had gone toward the inheritors. Delighted, he lowered his voice and said, "Brother Liang, I know you and Wei Zhao are sworn enemies, and I have a way to do away with him. It will need everyone's cooperation!"

The other trial participants' expressions shifted slightly at hearing Kang Jingming speak so bluntly of doing away with Wei Zhao, but they soon relaxed. Since Kang Jingming had said it in front of all of them, he was treating them as one of his own. So long as they stood firmly on Kang Jingming's side and did not go cozying up to Wei Zhao, this trial would most likely be smooth sailing.

At the very least, Kang Jingming would not make trouble for them. Having reasoned this out, everyone was quite pleased.

"Oh? Go on, then!" In truth, Zhong Yongliang had been afraid that the Five Luminaries Sect would interfere with him and Zhang Naipao moving against Wei Zhao during the trial. After all, this trial was unlike those of the past; its chief purpose was to protect the inheritors, not to play the lone hero.

But now, since Kang Jingming also wanted to deal with Wei Zhao, his own burden was much lighter—he no longer had to worry about certain things at all...

"When we set out for the trial, we need only do thus and so... and then, Brother Liang and Paozi, you two step in whenever needed..." Kang Jingming explained in this fashion...

"A brilliant scheme!" Everyone voiced their approval after hearing it. This was simply a grand boon that harmed others and profited themselves—there was no reason at all not to approve!

As for Wei Zhao, he made no move to ingratiate himself with Kang Jingming. That was plainly a thankless business, and Wei Zhao could not be bothered to go courting a cold shoulder. With Han Jingyi and Wang Xinyan in tow, he headed over toward the inheritors.

Tianchan was explaining to the inheritors the precautions for reinforcing the inheritance inside the mountain cave and resisting the oppressive pressure to break through and advance. Sensing someone come up behind her, she turned her head and saw it was Wei Zhao; she gave him a faint smile.

In that instant, her smile overlapped with the girl in yellow from Wei Zhao's memory. Wei Zhao drew a deep breath, and the echo of Tianchan's old catchphrase—"I'll kick you!"—seemed to ring in his ears. What he had never expected was that Tianchan was actually the young sect mistress of the Xuandan Sect.

In that moment, Wei Zhao suddenly understood why the Xuandan Sect had always treated him so ambiguously. Kang Jingming opposed him, yet the young sect mistress of the Xuandan Sect seemed to help him time and again. If the young sect mistress was Tianchan, then everything made sense.

"Tianchan, it's been a long time," Wei Zhao said as he walked over to her.

"Mm..." Tianchan answered faintly, as though she were not especially familiar with Wei Zhao. Perhaps she had long known of the relationship between Wei Zhao and the inheritors, and so did not wish to appear too close to him in front of them.

Or perhaps, just as she had said back then, after they parted in the Five Wretched Wilderness, she was she and he was he.

Wei Zhao drew a deep breath and said, "The inheritors' safety is in your hands."

The inheritors were all watching Wei Zhao with some astonishment now, not knowing how he came to know Tianchan. From the look of it, this was not their first meeting—they seemed quite well acquainted.

Wei Zhao nodded and looked over the assembled inheritors. Apart from those he already knew, his gaze finally came to rest on Tang Zhi. For some reason, Tang Zhi seemed to exert a peculiar pull on Wei Zhao.

It felt as though he had seen her in a past life—utterly mysterious.

Tang Zhi, too, felt Wei Zhao's gaze, and her breathing grew slightly hurried. This was the man she had longed for day and night, the man she loved deeply—and yet she could not reveal herself to him!

That Wei Zhao had grown to his present strength and could stand among the candidates of the Heaven Tier trial filled Tang Zhi with gladness. But seeing all those beautiful women flocking around him, it would be a lie to say she felt no jealousy.

Fortunately, most of them were women she had known and built deep friendships with while she was still there—the eldest young miss Gu Mengyao, Shen Yushu, Feng Xiaoxiao, Guan Xin. Only Yu Ning and Xiao Jiu were newcomers, but she had already spoken with Gu Mengyao and learned that both had known Wei Zhao before she herself met him, so she let it go.

Besides, because of the cultivation method and oral formula she practiced, Tang Zhi could not know love, so none of this had much to do with her anymore.

She was now an expert at the peak of the late Heaven Tier, not yet ascended to Great Perfection. The Heartless Formula had stalled, and this made Tang Zhi anxious—Xueli was even more worried. So when she saw Wei Zhao look her way now, Xueli coughed twice without thinking, signaling Tang Zhi that she must not let the old flame with Wei Zhao reignite. Otherwise, if she failed to break through to Heaven Tier Great Perfection, everything would have been for nothing.

Tang Zhi heard Xueli's cough and knew she was reminding her, so she never once raised her head.

Wei Zhao saw that Tang Zhi did not look at him at all, and could only sigh softly and turn to leave.

Tianchan was expounding on matters concerning the inheritors, and Wei Zhao could hardly eavesdrop. What would it even look like if he did?

As Wei Zhao walked back, Kang Jingming called out to stop him.

"Well, if it isn't Wei Zhao, the most formidable lone cultivator, the number one man under the Heavenly Dao!" Kang Jingming had scarcely opened his mouth before loading Wei Zhao down with all those titles, which at once made Wei Zhao suspect something was off. This fellow was surely scheming some villainy.

Sure enough, after Wei Zhao walked over and glanced at him, Kang Jingming went on: "We've all discussed it among ourselves. Since you're the strongest of us all, the task of luring the Five Wretched Dragon out of its cave—the vanguard charge—falls to you! After all, whoever's strongest does the heavy lifting! Do you have any objection to my arrangement and deployment?"

So this was where the trap had been waiting! Wei Zhao laughed inwardly at how well Kang Jingming had calculated. Luring the Five Wretched Dragon out of its cave was the most dangerous part of the whole affair; one could lose one's life at any moment.

And this task Kang Jingming had actually assigned to Wei Zhao, capping it off by calling it his arrangement and deployment and asking whether Wei Zhao had any objection—nothing short of naked coercion, telling Wei Zhao that if he did not obey his deployment, he had the power at any time to revoke Wei Zhao's trial qualification!

At any other time, Wei Zhao might have struggled against him. But now, Wei Zhao did not want any major conflict with the Five Luminaries Sect before Cloud-Tier Island opened. Besides, the Five Wretched Dragon might frighten others—but not necessarily Wei Zhao! RS