Chapter 2763 — Departing for Snow Valley, Adjusting His Condition, Wei Zhao Began to Circulate the Mental Art Formula of the Ninth Form of the Blazing Fire Fist; Once the Formula Had Completed Its Circuit, Wei Zhao Switched the Activation Method to That of the Five Elements Eight Trigrams Palm

Unfortunately, the martial technique failed at the final moment—Wei Zhao did not manage to activate it.

He could feel it plainly: the mental art of the ninth form of the Blazing Fire Fist had circulated smoothly enough, but at the final activation, because he had changed the method of release, it was as though the physical true qi in his body simply could not sustain that immense instantaneous discharge. And so it failed.

It seemed his physical true qi could no longer keep up with the activation of the ninth form of the Blazing Fire Eight Trigrams Palm.

Such an outcome left Wei Zhao somewhat regretful, yet not surprised. With his late Earth-rank strength, to try to activate a move equivalent to the fifteenth form of a Heaven-rank martial technique was a little too outrageous.

After all, the fifteenth form of a Heaven-rank martial technique generally required at least mid Heaven-rank strength to be brought forth.

For the time being, the ninth form of the Blazing Fire Eight Trigrams Palm was already sufficient. Having reasoned this through, Wei Zhao settled down and continued steadily in his cultivation...

Kang Jingming had entrusted Kang Jinglong to pass a letter to Wei Zhao. In it, he spoke of his intention to leave, and merely asked Wei Zhao, through the letter, not to oppose the Kang family any further. For the sake of face, if not for mercy—he, Kang Jingming, was at least an elder of the Xuandan Sect, and Wei Zhao should not go too far.

Of course, to Wei Zhao's eyes, the letter was in truth a show of Kang Jingming softening and pleading for leniency, only that, constrained by his own status, he had not written it so plainly.

Yet even had Kang Jingming not said so, Wei Zhao had no intention of targeting the Kang family. The Kang family's pharmaceutical company had been shut down entirely and posed no conflict of interest with Wei Zhao whatsoever. So long as Kang Jinglong kept to his place and honored the agreement, and no longer styled himself Wang Xinyan's fiance to go make a scene with Wang Xinyan's family, Wei Zhao would naturally leave him alone.

Though Wei Zhao had Feng Xiaoxiao's backing, he knew his own affairs best: his relationship with the Ice Palace was in fact quite delicate. Bing Tang did not truly think much of Wei Zhao. Borrowing the Ice Palace's name was one thing, but hoping Bing Tang would genuinely come to his aid was rather unrealistic.

Thus, in his current confrontation with the Xuandan Sect, Wei Zhao held no advantage at all, and naturally he would not do something so thankless and futile.

Learning that Kang Jingming had left, Wei Zhao gave Wu Chengtian and Zhuang Niaodao their instructions, putting them in charge of protecting Gu Mengyao and the others, then went to ask Bai Ling for leave, preparing to set out for Snow Valley.

Gu Mengyao, Shen Yushu, and Wang Xinyan were helpless. They had not expected Wang Xinyan's delaying tactic to buy only a single day—Wei Zhao was ultimately still going to Snow Valley.

That evening after school, Wei Zhao, Gu Mengyao, Shen Yushu, Wang Xinyan, Han Jingyi, and the others returned to the villa, and Wei Zhao began packing his luggage for the journey to Snow Valley. Kang Xiaofeng had only just returned from Snow Valley not long ago, and now Wei Zhao was preparing to head there again—one after the other, it was quite theatrical.

"Bracelet Guy, once you get there and have the Orchid Mustard Jade Lingzhi in hand, come back quick, okay? Little Shu misses you!" Shen Yushu stood at the doorway and spoke to Wei Zhao with reluctance to part. She had been sent by Gu Mengyao and Wang Xinyan together to say it—such words the others were too embarrassed to utter, and only Little Shu could get them out.

"Mm, once I have the Orchid Mustard Jade Lingzhi, I'll rush back at the first moment!" Wei Zhao nodded with a smile. "Never mind that Xinyan is still at home waiting for me to treat her—even if I wanted to stay a few extra days, the people of Snow Valley likely wouldn't agree. They don't even know me."

"Mm-hmm, even if the Snow Valley people let you stay a few more days, Bracelet Guy still has to come back! Otherwise Little Shu will pine so much she'll get thin, and then she won't be big-breasted anymore, and she won't look good!" Shen Yushu said.

Gu Mengyao rolled her eyes and gave Shen Yushu a kick. "That chest of yours—I really do wish it were a little thinner!"

"Yao Yao-jie is just jealous and bitter," Shen Yushu said dismissively.

"Want me to come liposuction you in the middle of the night?" Gu Mengyao's face went livid with anger.

"Haha, Wei Zhao, looks like you really do have to come back early—otherwise Yao Yao and Little Shu are going to start fighting over you!" Wang Xinyan laughed.

Wei Zhao found it a little strange that this time all three women were doing their utmost to hold him back and urging him to return soon—something that had never happened before. Whether he went to the ancient tomb or to Songshan City on business, they had only ever reminded him to be careful.

But Wei Zhao did not think much of it. He truly had no reason to be suspicious, and could only assume that Gu Mengyao, Shen Yushu, and Wang Xinyan felt the journey was long and did not want him delayed outside for too long.

"All right, then I'm off. You all go back and rest." Wei Zhao waved to them, got into the car, and drove away along the coordinates for Snow Valley that Elder Wei had provided...

It was only a full day after Wei Zhao's departure that the call from Snow Valley finally came—belatedly. But the caller was not Tang Zhi; it was Tang Zhi's mother.

"Hello? Yao Yao, this is Auntie Wang." Wang Yujie did not know that Wei Zhao had already set out for Snow Valley and assumed he was still at home, so when she got through to Gu Mengyao, she lowered her voice.

"Auntie Wang?" Gu Mengyao was taken aback, unable to quite recall who this Auntie Wang was. Though the other party had immediately called her by name, the voice was quite unfamiliar.

"I'm Yun Yun's mother..." Wang Yujie seemed to realize this too and hastily explained, then quickly asked, "Wei Zhao isn't beside you, is he?"

"Ah, it's you, Auntie!" Gu Mengyao was both surprised and delighted, and said hurriedly, "I was just looking for you! Where's Tang Zhi? Is she there? Why is it you calling?"

"Kang Xiaofeng came by before and asked me to tell Yun Yun that you were looking for her, but Yun Yun has no chance to contact the outside world right now. The Supreme Elder is pressing her hard and won't let her communicate with anyone outside..." Tang Zhi's mother was helpless too. Though she ran roughshod in Snow Valley, that was in truth built upon not touching the Supreme Elder's bottom line. So long as Tang Zhi obediently did as told, all was well; otherwise, the Supreme Elder would never have been so tolerant and indulgent of Tang Zhi's mother's behavior.

"So that's how it is. I was wondering why Yun Yun hadn't called in so long." Gu Mengyao said in sudden understanding. "Auntie Wang, since you've called at just the right time—I have something important to tell you. What do you think we should do?"