Chapter 1489 — Rules of the Trial, Part Two
The Blossom Guardian · Page 2 of 2
"I told you there was no need — so what technique are you circulating?" The innkeeper gave the man before him a cold look, then glanced over the particulars he had registered. "Wo Jindao, disciple of the Qianshan Sect. Passing himself off as an internal artist at the peak of the late Profound Rank; investigation confirms him to be an early-stage Earth Rank internal artist. His qualification to take part in the trial is hereby revoked, and the Qianshan Sect is entered on the blacklist — for ten years it may not enter the Ice Palace's trials again!"
"Ah..." At the innkeeper's words the Qianshan disciple called Wo Jindao slumped, the very picture of dejection. He had thought his hidden strength would go undetected; instead it had been ferreted out at the very moment of registration — and his own sect had been barred from the trial for ten years besides.
Naturally he dared not argue with anyone from the Ice Palace, and said nothing more. He fled rather sheepishly toward the parking lot, ready to set off back to his sect.
The scene surprised everyone present — Wei Zhao no less than the rest. The innkeeper was plainly a remarkable man: he had concealed his own strength before, and now, with nothing more than a handshake, he could sense another's true power.
Wei Zhao possessed such an ability himself, true — but Wei Zhao cultivated the Xuanyuan Dragon-Taming Art, an art that came with a golden finger. This innkeeper, however, was little more than a servant of the Ice Palace, and he too had such a gift?
"Anyone else hiding your strength? Leave of your own accord now, and I will hold neither your clan nor your sect responsible. Wait until I have tested it out of you, and your clan and your sect will likewise be barred from the Ice Palace's trials for ten years!" The innkeeper's gaze swept the assembled company as he demanded.
This time several more trialists rose from among the young masters, shaking their heads with bitter smiles as they walked toward the parking lot. Clearly they had all been concealing their strength. Wei Zhao swept his eyes over them and was secretly astonished: among their number was an expert at the mid-stage Earth Rank.
Wei Zhao could hardly have probed every last one of them individually beforehand, so the sight gave him quite a start now.
"No one else? Then we will continue. But if I find one more mixed in among you, do not blame me for not holding back!" The innkeeper finished speaking, then pointed at the trialist nearest in front of him. "You are next."
"Yes!" This was none other than Zhuang Niaopao, the lackey who hung about Zhang Naipao. He approached the innkeeper respectfully, registered his information, and then proffered his hand of his own accord.
"Mm. Peak of the mid-stage Profound Rank." The innkeeper nodded, glanced at his particulars, and said, "Zhuang Niaopao of the Zhuang family — you may go to Elder Qing to swipe your card."
"Yes!" Zhuang Niaopao nodded hastily, took out a bank card, and went to swipe it...
One after another, the trialists behind came forward to register and swipe their cards.
Wei Zhao did notice one thing: among them were "rogue cultivators" — cultivators bound to no family and no sect whatsoever. The innkeeper, however, seemed to have no objection to such people; so long as their strength qualified, he waved them through to swipe their cards.
That at least took one worry off Wei Zhao's mind; otherwise he truly had no idea how he would account for his own background when registering.