Chapter 4190 — The Inner Sect Tournament

The moment the words fell, an uproar swept through the crowd of newcomers. This year, those who had yet to establish a foundation like Zha Wu were only a tiny handful, but Hu Yunfeng's remarks bore directly on the vital interests of the great majority present.

Looking across the Sandie Pavilion, each of its pavilions had at least a dozen or more newcomers who had successfully established their foundations, yet the quota for official outer-sect disciples was only five. One could well imagine how fierce the coming competition would be.

Those among them with real strength might congratulate themselves on contending for the top five, but what if they fell short? Surely they could not all follow the likes of Zha Wu and those good-for-nothings off to mine spirit jade at the Lingyu Hall—that would be too rotten a fate by half!

Fortunately, Hu Yunfeng was quick to resolve their doubts. "Newcomers who fail to secure a top-five place may remain at the Welcome Pavilion and take up certain posts, waiting for a chance to advance to the inner sect in the future."

The posts at the Welcome Pavilion Hu Yunfeng spoke of referred to positions like steward-senior. If one could become a steward-senior, though it was not the same as vaulting straight into official outer-sect disciple status, it still counted as a decent prospect.

But steward positions depended on opportunity and were not always vacant. Most who stayed on were generally given some ordinary deacon post, much like Kang Jingming's current newcomer-deacon role—or even less than Kang Jingming, fit only to run errands for Hu Yunfeng and the rest, with scarcely any authority worth speaking of.

Hearing this, the newcomers breathed a sigh of relief. So long as they were not exiled to the mining district, it was still bearable; at least they would not end up too wretched.

"Very well. What needed to be said has been said. Now to the main business—the newcomers' tournament begins at once!" Hu Yunfeng announced. "The rules of this newcomers' tournament are simple: there are no rules. The elders of the Sandie Pavilion shall serve as judges, and every newcomer disciple shall draw lots to fight directly, until the final top five are decided!"

As the words fell, Hu Yunfeng gestured to the steward-seniors of each pavilion to arrange for all the disciples to begin drawing lots.

With their futures at stake, the newcomers were all in high spirits, each going up to their own steward-senior to draw a lot. But when it came Wei Zhao's turn, Hu Yunfeng suddenly spoke from the platform.

"Wei Zhao, you are now a cultivator of the early Golden Core stage. By our rules, you may skip over official outer-sect disciple status and become an inner-sect core disciple of the Sandie Pavilion directly. Therefore, you need not take part in this newcomers' tournament," Hu Yunfeng said mildly.

Everyone was struck dumb at these words, but on reflection it was only reasonable. With a freak like Wei Zhao, the other newcomers did not even have the courage to face him, let alone raise a hand against him—what meaning would there be in his joining the newcomers' tournament?

Still, to skip over official outer-sect disciple status and become an inner-sect core disciple directly—such treatment filled everyone with envy.

Throughout the Sandie Pavilion, more than ninety percent of official outer-sect disciples could only sigh and stop at that rank for the rest of their lives, the inner sect forever beyond their reach.

There was no help for it. To become an inner-sect core disciple, the minimum requirement was successful core formation—and that alone was enough to bar the vast majority at the door.

"May I ask Pavilion Master Hu, does this mean the newcomers' tournament has nothing to do with me?" Wei Zhao asked.

"Correct. However, inner-sect core disciples of the Sandie Pavilion also undergo a year-end assessment, and it is to begin within the next couple of days. You need not join the newcomers' tournament, but you will take part in the inner-sect disciples' year-end grand tournament. This is a special exception the elders' council made for you at the highest level," Hu Yunfeng said mildly, a trace of something unreadable playing at the corner of his face.

This arrangement was in fact the work of Xu Lingchong stirring the pot from behind the scenes. His grandfather Xu Yuanzheng had personally proposed it and pushed it through the elders' council—all to put Wei Zhao in an awkward spot.

Those who became inner-sect core disciples of the Sandie Pavilion were each the elite of the elite. Wei Zhao might cut a dashing figure outside, but he was, after all, only a newly advanced early Golden Core cultivator; compared with these veteran Golden Core experts, there was bound to be no small gap.

This year-end grand tournament of the inner-sect disciples was the perfect, aboveboard opportunity to take him down a peg!

Wei Zhao was somewhat taken aback at this and had already caught a whiff of conspiracy. But since it was an official arrangement, he could hardly object; he nodded his assent and stood to one side as a spectator.

The news soon reached Shangguan Lan'er's ears. This little senior sister might be innocent and naive, but she was not the least bit foolish; she went straight to Shangguan Tianxia to ask him to intervene.

"Grandfather, this is simply absurd! Little junior brother has actually been made to take part in the inner-sect disciples' year-end grand tournament—that is not fair at all! And you still have the mood to practice your calligraphy here without lifting a finger to stop it!" Shangguan Lan'er pouted angrily as she shook Shangguan Tianxia's arm.

"Heh heh, what is unfair about it? Wei Zhao is already at the early Golden Core stage, and in that challenge duel last time he killed Su Zhaohe in a single move—even some inner-sect core disciples could not manage such a feat. If he is not to join the inner-sect tournament, would you have him join the newcomers' tournament instead? Little Lan'er, do you think that would be fair to the other newcomers?" Shangguan Tianxia laughed unconcernedly.

Shangguan Lan'er was left speechless, and after being stumped for a good while she said unwillingly, "But little junior brother is still a newcomer after all. You cannot single him out for special targeting just because he is strong, can you?"

"Little Lan'er, Wei Zhao may be specially targeted, but at the same time he has gained the title of inner-sect core disciple—that is no loss to him, is it? Besides, in my view, a worthy opponent is hard to come by. Rather than waste time idly at the Welcome Pavilion, he would do better to cross swords with these inner-sect core disciples. Given the chance, he himself would probably be eager for it!" Shangguan Tianxia laughed as he went on writing.

"But... but even without joining this inner-sect tournament, little junior brother could still have become an inner-sect core disciple anyway. That cannot count as a reward..." Shangguan Lan'er persisted in protesting on Wei Zhao's behalf.

"Heh heh, since you put it that way, Little Lan'er, it seems we cannot do without giving Wei Zhao some real, tangible sweetener." Shangguan Tianxia shook his head helplessly, then laughed. "Then let it be this: if Wei Zhao can shine brilliantly in this inner-sect tournament and place among the ranks, I will guarantee him the post of third pavilion master of the Welcome Pavilion. Will that do?" (Happy Valentine's Day to everyone—may you all find your own "campus belle" or "master hand," and don't forget to come join the Valentine's Day events at the "Campus Belle's Close-Range Guard Tribe"! Details in the public WeChat yuren22.) (To be continued..) R527