Chapter 1521 — Sweeping the Top Five
The Blossom Guardian · Page 2 of 2
Though the top three were to receive a special reward from the Ice Palace, Zhao Qilei did not dare entertain such thoughts. He knew that his own ties with Wei Zhao were not as close as Yu Bing's or Yang Qiqi's, and so he voluntarily yielded his place in the top three, going straight to a tie for fourth with Zhao Qiwu.
Those participants who had not placed were rather dejected, sighing and groaning one after another. One in particular, who had missed tenth place by a mere five points, beat his chest and stamped his feet, cursing his bad luck.
"Very good! The participants of this round are all of no small strength, and five of them have achieved outstanding results!" Xiao Qing nodded, gaze sweeping past Wei Zhao and the others—though it lingered a while longer on Wei Zhao's face—before saying, "The list of the top ten participants is now settled. Those who have won, please line up in order of rank and state the trial reward you would like; Xiao Li will register it for you!"
Under Xiao Qing's sharp gaze, Wei Zhao felt as though his innermost thoughts had been seen through. The invisible pressure left a person somewhat short of breath—the aura of a Heaven Rank expert was truly extraordinary! Yet Wei Zhao could tell that in Xiao Qing's eyes there was mostly curiosity, and no ill intent.
"Yes!" The ten winning participants went off, all of them delighted, to register with the innkeeper.
"Let those participants who did not advance not be discouraged either. Should any of the top ten give up becoming an outer disciple of the Ice Palace and choose instead the right to exchange for heavenly treasures, the vacated place may be passed down the list in order!" Xiao Qing said to those who had not won.
At once, a flicker of hope darted through the eyes of several among those who had not won. Those few, of course, all ranked below tenth and above fifteenth; the eleventh-place participant was the most excited of all. As he saw it, if even one participant chose the exchange right, his turn would come.
"Rogue cultivator Ling Yi, may I ask whether you wish to become an outer disciple of the Ice Palace, or to have the right to exchange for a heavenly treasure?" the innkeeper asked Wei Zhao.
Of all of them, Wei Zhao's victory was the least surprising to the innkeeper. Wei Zhao's situation had made him deeply curious from the start; he could not sense Wei Zhao's strength, and the speed at which Wei Zhao recovered from his injuries startled him as well.
"The exchange right," Wei Zhao said without the slightest hesitation.
"Very well." The innkeeper was not surprised. A man like Wei Zhao had no need to temper himself among the Ice Palace's outer disciples; he had his own way of cultivating. Most rogue cultivators who came here for the trial chose the exchange right.
Hearing Wei Zhao's words, the eleventh-place participant's face flushed red with delight. He had not expected that the very first man would give up becoming an outer disciple of the Ice Palace. At this rate, was it not certain that he himself would become a disciple of the Ice Palace?
"Rogue cultivator Yang Qiqi, may I ask whether you wish to become an outer disciple of the Ice Palace, or to have the right to exchange for a heavenly treasure?" The innkeeper put to Yang Qiqi the same question he had put to Wei Zhao.
"The exchange right," Yang Qiqi said, as unhesitatingly as Wei Zhao.
The innkeeper nodded and noted it down all the same.