Chapter 3565 — Wei Zhao's Challenge!

Wei Zhao was an outsider, and one brought in by the Miserable Senior Brother besides—so it would have been strange indeed if Meng Jueming had given him a pleasant look.

Then, before Wei Zhao could speak, Meng Jueming went on with the roll: "Xiao Che, Cave Fourteen!"

"Here!" Xiao Che answered and stepped up beside Wei Zhao. After a moment's thought, he turned and said softly to Wei Zhao: "Brother Lin, how about you come cultivate in my Cave Thirteen from now on? It's not much better than Cave Fourteen, but it should still be of some help."

Back in the mundane world, Xiao Che had been looked after by Wei Zhao; now that they had come to Cloud Terrace Island and he saw Wei Zhao allotted Cave Fourteen while he himself had done better, he naturally had to repay the kindness. To his mind, a drop of kindness should be answered with a gushing spring—otherwise Xiao Chen would be failing his own conscience!

"Heh... cultivate together? Miserable Junior Brother, haven't you taught them the rules?" Meng Jueming's cultivation was formidable, and his hearing was sharp to match; at Xiao Che's words he burst out laughing in mockery.

"Uh..." The Miserable Senior Brother's face was all embarrassment, and he could only step forward to explain to the two of them: "Brothers, the spiritual qi a cave dwelling produces each day is a fixed amount. If two people cultivate in it together, the effect is split between them—even if two people went into Cave One, the result would at best be about the same as Caves Seven or Eight. And over time the cave's spiritual qi would be overdrawn and the effect would gradually worsen. That is why the Pavilion Master has decreed that each cave dwelling may be used by one person only."

"So that's how it is." Only now did Wei Zhao understand. He patted Xiao Che on the shoulder and said: "I appreciate the kindness, but the cultivation method I practice is rather unusual—it doesn't demand much of the spiritual qi's density. Cave Fourteen is already enough for me. Besides, didn't Senior Brother Meng say there's still a chance to change things?"

An unusual cultivation method? At those words Meng Jueming laughed coldly to himself. He had been on the northern island of the Heaven Rank for many years and had never heard of a cultivator who did not need the spiritual qi of heaven and earth—unless it was an external-school cultivator! But Wei Zhao was plainly an expert of the internal school. Was this not mere boasting? In Meng Jueming's eyes, though, Wei Zhao was slapping his own face to look plump—unwilling to let others look down on him.

As for that last remark of his, about there still being a chance to change things, Meng Jueming dismissed it all the more. Wei Zhao might have come to the island at the peak great-perfection of the late Heaven Rank, but a great-perfection from the mundane world was perhaps no match for an ordinary late Heaven Rank of the northern island.

As for Wei Zhao now, he likely had yet to grasp the situation, and supposed that because he had stood at the very summit of the cultivation world in the mundane realm, it would be the same after coming to Cloud Terrace Island. What sheer nonsense!

Why was Cloud Terrace Island called Cloud Terrace Island? Did it not mean that on this island, Heaven Rank cultivators were as common as dogs? Here the Heaven Rank was merely the most ordinary sort of disciple—and he thought himself an expert?

"Brother Lin, are you planning to..." Xiao Che was startled. Seeing Wei Zhao give a calm nod, he could not help but feel a trace of admiration rise in his heart.

Though he, like Wei Zhao, was deeply dissatisfied with Meng Jueming and his lot, if it came to stepping forward and challenging Meng Zhou—a native at the peak great-perfection of the late Heaven Rank—he simply did not have the nerve. After all, no one knew just how wide the gap was between the same realm on Cloud Terrace Island and in the mundane world, and the risk involved was far from small.

While they were talking, Meng Jueming had finished making the assignments. Among the new arrivals there was joy and there was sorrow: those who had drawn good caves were naturally overjoyed, while those who had drawn poor ones all wore bitter faces, as mournful as if at a funeral. The only comfort left them, perhaps, was that the three worst caves had already been claimed ahead of time by Wei Zhao and the other two unfortunates.

"I'll say it one last time—anyone dissatisfied, step forward and challenge Meng Zhou. If I hear any more muttering behind my back after today, then don't blame me for being unkind to you."

Meng Jueming swept his cold gaze over the assembled newcomers. He had made up his mind today to establish Meng Zhou's authority for him. Meng Zhou was, after all, naturally his own man; seizing this occasion to build up his prestige would let him better manage this bunch of newcomers in the days to come.

"Anyone else who isn't convinced, step up now!" Meng Zhou declared, swaggering and preening at his side. This was a fine chance to show off that Meng Jueming had specially arranged for him, and he would not let it slip lightly—best of all if some witless fool would step forward and let these people see his true strength!

Unfortunately, though Meng Zhou's hopes were high, the newcomers present all lacked the nerve to step forward rashly and challenge his fearsome authority. Even those whose caves were less than ideal did no more than curse a few words inwardly. To challenge Meng Zhou—a peak great-perfection of the late Heaven Rank—on an occasion like this? Would that not be asking for humiliation?

"Tsk, a pack of gutless cowards!" Meng Zhou cursed contemptuously. Then, as his gaze swept past Wei Zhao, his eyes suddenly lit up: "You there, the bumpkin from the mundane world—didn't you say earlier you wanted to challenge me? What's this, turned into a turtle with its head pulled in, afraid to move?"

"Heh... I kept silent only because I wanted to leave this chance to shine for the others first. But since everyone is so modest, I suppose I must reluctantly accept—it would be rude to decline." Wei Zhao gave a light laugh and stepped out of the crowd: "Maybe everyone thinks you're too easy to beat, and can't be bothered to hit you!"

"A chance to shine? Too easy to beat?" Meng Zhou looked as though he had heard the greatest joke in the world, and burst into wild laughter: "You bumpkin from the mundane world actually think this is a chance to shine? Truly, ignorance breeds fearlessness! Today I'll teach you just what the gap between Cloud Terrace Island and the mundane world is!"

Wei Zhao smiled indifferently and turned to look at Meng Jueming: "Senior Brother Meng, since it was you who told us to challenge, I trust this won't violate the rules of the Welcome Pavilion. I only want to know—if someone is beaten to death or crippled, how is that to be settled?"

"Fists and feet have no eyes. So long as it is a formal duel agreed to by both sides, then no matter who dies or is injured, no blame will be pursued afterward." Meng Jueming curled his lip as he spoke, his face full of mockery.

In his view, even if Wei Zhao was at the peak great-perfection of the late Heaven Rank, he was no more than a counterfeit goods from the mundane world. Never mind a native expert like Meng Zhou, who was likewise at great-perfection—even any ordinary peak of the late Heaven Rank could likely take him down with ease. And here he was, shamelessly asking what would happen if someone were beaten to death or crippled. People from the mundane world really did know how to put on airs! RS