Chapter 3524 — Convening a Meeting to Study the Matter

"No, Young Hero Lin, hear me out!" Zhong Yongliang said. "From what I understand, when the Cloud-Rank Island is opened, besides the crushing pressure of the five elements and seven attributes, there is also the five baleful demonic qi. Zhang Naipao's mission is to guard the inheritors and help them absorb the excess five baleful demonic qi. The work is dangerous, and accidents can happen! Right now, Ancestor Xuanchen's idea is to have Wang Xinyan help absorb it in Zhang Naipao's place. But do you truly want someone with no experience at all doing this? I have learned something of Wang Xinyan's situation—it was you who raised her strength, was it not, Young Hero Lin?"

"Oh?" Hearing Zhong Yongliang's words, Wei Zhao was somewhat swayed. Zhong Yongliang had a point: if Wang Xinyan really were to take over, Wei Zhao would not feel at ease. Those inheritors, after all, had gone through proper sect training and all had some experience.

Wang Xinyan, however, was different. Her strength had been forced up by Wei Zhao himself, and she had not one shred of combat experience. If something went wrong when the time came, that would be bad.

Still, having Wei Zhao use the Xuanyuan Dragon-Taming Art to raise Zhang Naipao's strength was out of the question. First, Wei Zhao would not dare focus wholeheartedly on strengthening an enemy; second, he did not want Zhang Naipao to learn the secrets of his cultivation method.

So Wei Zhao nodded slowly. "What you say sounds reasonable, but it also does not quite sound reasonable. What benefit do I get?"

"That... this is a fair trade. If Young Hero Lin does not agree, then there is nothing I can do," Zhong Yongliang said. "This is our opportunity, and also an opportunity for you."

"Very well, I admit your proposal has convinced me." In the end, Wei Zhao still did not want Wang Xinyan to take the risk. He turned, reached into his luggage, and fifty energy stones leaped into his hand. Then he set the energy stones on the tea table in the room and said, "Take these energy stones back for Zhang Naipao to cultivate with. With their help, at his cultivation speed he should easily reach the Mystic-Rank. Once at Mystic-Rank, he can use the Bee-Devouring Divine Art to rapidly absorb the energy of the stones. Heaven-Rank Great Perfection will be no problem either!"

Wei Zhao pulling out so many energy stones stunned Zhong Yongliang and Zhang Naipao outright! Wei Zhao carried energy stones on his person—and so many of them? But no matter why Wei Zhao had them, the main problem was now solved!

With these energy stones, for Zhang Naipao to advance again to Heaven-Rank Great Perfection would be no difficult matter! And even if these stones were not enough, once Zhang Naipao reached the Heaven-Rank, he could absorb the physical strength and true qi of others at will—he need only find a disciple of the Mingri Fumingri Sect and drain a little.

At this thought, Zhong Yongliang and Zhang Naipao exchanged a glance, and both were set at ease.

"Then... I shall not decline..." Zhong Yongliang hesitated a moment, then accepted the energy stones.

"Don't be a fool and go fooling around with a halfwit like Kang Jingming for no reason. Have you not figured out how Little Eleven died?" Wei Zhao glanced at Zhong Yongliang. "Before the Cloud-Rank Island opens, don't go causing any trouble, or don't blame me for not warning you."

"Rest assured, Young Hero Lin, I know what to do." Zhong Yongliang drew a deep breath. "Great kindness needs no thanks."

"When the stones are used up, send them back to me." Wei Zhao added a reminder.

"Oh... all right." Zhong Yongliang had no idea what Wei Zhao wanted with used-up energy stones, but he still nodded in agreement.

Having achieved their aim, Zhong Yongliang and Zhang Naipao naturally turned to leave. They knew Wei Zhao did not much care for them, so they had no intention of lingering.

Only after Zhong Yongliang had gone did Wei Zhao knit his brows slightly. Helping Zhong Yongliang was not only for Wang Xinyan's sake; having the Mingri Fumingri Sect involved was a good thing in any case. Ancestor Xuanchen now held all power in his grasp, and with Zhong Yongliang, who owed him a favor, taking part, if Xuanchen tried any tricks when they landed on Cloud-Rank Island, Zhong Yongliang could lend a hand at the crucial moment.

Not long after Zhong Yongliang left, a knock came again at Wei Zhao's door. Wei Zhao opened it and, sure enough, it was Xueli. It seemed she too had found no good way to help Tang Zhi break through after returning, and could only come seek out Wei Zhao.

"Young Hero Lin, I thought it over after I went back, and what you said makes a great deal of sense. So I intend to invite you to the meeting room so we can all discuss the matter of Elder Tang Zhi together. The inheritors will be there, and so will Young Sect Master Tianchan—we will pool our wisdom and all think of a solution for Elder Tang Zhi!" Xueli said.

"Fine. When?" Wei Zhao asked.

"Now," Xueli said.

"Good, then I will go with you." Wei Zhao nodded, and bringing Wang Xinyan and Han Jingyi, he left the room and followed Xueli to the inn's meeting room.

Xueli had rented the meeting room from the inn; saying it was to study the problem of Tang Zhi, the inn naturally had no reason to refuse.

When Wei Zhao and Xueli arrived at the meeting room, he found the other inheritors and Tianchan already there, Tang Zhi among them. Wei Zhao was the last to arrive. Clearly Xueli had summoned the others earlier but had not called him, and only after they had likely reached no conclusion had she come to find Wei Zhao.

Wei Zhao did not call her out on it, though. He understood Xueli's worry well enough: Tang Zhi was the Snow Valley's hope, and she feared that old feelings might be rekindled between Wei Zhao and Tang Zhi.

"Yaoyao, Xiaoshu, Xiaoning, Xiaoxiao, Xinxin, Xiaojiu... and Yunyun and Tianchan. It has been a long time." Wei Zhao drew a breath and sat down in the head seat of the meeting room, while Wang Xinyan and Han Jingyi smiled and greeted everyone, then found places to sit.

"Hey, that is my seat..." Xueli pointed at the head seat and said to Wei Zhao. She was the one who had convened the meeting, so naturally she should sit in the head seat—but now Wei Zhao had seized it.

Wei Zhao, for his part, paid her no heed. It would be impossible to say he had no complaints about Xueli, and so at this moment he did not mind giving her the cold shoulder.

"Everyone is worried about Yunyun's problem. But Yunyun did not advance and break through under the oppressive force in the five baleful dragons' cave. I think that next, either she takes Qi-Gathering Pills to break through to Great Perfection, or she breaks through in the midst of battle. If neither works, then I am afraid we will have to look for the cause in her cultivation method itself. Is it that her Heartless Art simply cannot be cultivated to Great Perfection? Or perhaps she should cultivate something like the Passionate Art instead?" Wei Zhao spoke.

"The Heartless Art's mnemonic has its constraints—one cannot use pills to advance and break through. Your suggestion will not work!" Since Wei Zhao had not given up the seat, Xueli was in no mood to be gracious either, and she said so bluntly.RS