Chapter 4192 — An Unexpected Host

Every last core disciple of the Triple Pavilion's inner sect had turned out in full. What mildly surprised Wei Zhao, however, was that the nearly hundred Golden Core experts present were not all dressed as inner-sect disciples; a number wore the garb of outer-sect disciples, yet their strength had already reached the Golden Core stage.

Listening to the chatter around him, Wei Zhao finally understood. The Triple Pavilion's inner-sect tournament was not restricted to core inner-sect disciples alone—even outer-sect disciples could step onto the arena, so long as their strength was sufficient.

And if one's strength was outstanding and one's performance dazzling, one might well catch the eye of some great figure and be taken on as a nominal disciple, rising to glory from that day forth. Such precedents were hardly few.

For the many inner-sect disciples present, the tournament was no less vital. It was the Triple Pavilion's fixed assessment of them—how well or poorly they performed bore directly on the allocation of cultivation resources for the coming year. It was not something to be taken lightly in the slightest.

At last the year's inner-sect tournament formally began. By the custom of previous years, the one who presided over it was always a high-ranking member of the Council of Elders. This year, remarkably enough, the one who came forward was Xu Lingchong's grandfather—Xu Yuanzheng.

"The rules of this year's inner-sect tournament are very simple: arena combat, much the same as in past years. This year's arena matches are divided into two events—one-on-one, and two-on-two!" Xu Yuanzheng swept his gaze over the assembled Golden Core disciples and announced in a ringing voice. "This, I imagine, you can all understand. After all, once you enter the inner sect, what is tested is no longer mere individual strength, but also your capacity for teamwork!"

At these words the crowd in the stands broke into animated discussion, and many nodded again and again. Once they entered the inner sect and became core disciples, they were often sent out on high-level missions, missions of extreme difficulty and danger that could usually be completed only through teamwork.

However formidable a man might be, if he could not work with others, in the end he would not make the grade.

"Whether one-on-one or two-on-two, only the top fifty earn corresponding combat points. First place gets fifty points, second forty-nine, and so on down the line. The scores from the two events added together will be your final result in this inner-sect tournament! If your final result falls outside the top fifty, then even if you are not eliminated from the inner sect outright, you will receive no preferential treatment in next year's cultivation resources." Xu Yuanzheng looked over the crowd and spoke coolly.

Hearing this, the inner-sect disciples in the stands could not help but turn grave. At a cultivation stage like the Golden Core, progress was far harder to come by than during Foundation Establishment. Without ample cultivation resources to assist them, no matter how diligently they applied themselves, decades of secluded cultivation would likely yield scarcely an inch of advance.

To truly fall outside the top fifty would mean receiving only the most basic cultivation resources—enough to keep from regressing would already be good fortune. As for climbing higher, they could forget it entirely.

"Very well, those are the rules. You may all go back and make your preparations. I give you five days to choose your teammates; five days from now, the tournament proper begins." With that, Xu Yuanzheng let his gaze rest meaningfully for a moment in Wei Zhao's direction, then turned with a look of relish on his face and stepped down from the platform.

Of the nearly hundred Golden Core core disciples of the inner sect present—including the outer-sect disciples who had come to challenge—nearly all had friends or acquaintances, and sat about in twos and threes. Wei Zhao alone sat isolated, with no one around him for empty space.

At this, Wei Zhao himself recognized where the problem lay, and at last understood that being summoned to take part in the inner-sect tournament out of the blue was most likely Xu Lingchong's doing behind the scenes. His grandfather was the man in charge of this year's tournament; pulling a few strings from within would be simplicity itself. A malicious scheme indeed!

With Wei Zhao's strength and confidence, even though he had only recently advanced to the early Golden Core stage, he would never fear a one-on-one fight against these core inner-sect disciples. But the trouble was the two-on-two—what was he supposed to do about that?

Of the nearly hundred people present, apart from Xu Lingchong, Meng Zhou, and sworn enemies like Nan Tianxiong, Wei Zhao did not know a single soul, let alone any close acquaintances. Who was he supposed to find for a team?

Even bearing the halo of Rookie King, and having recently drawn no small attention by slaying Su Zhaohe in an instant, he was still, after all, only a newcomer. By any accounting his strength ranked at the very bottom of everyone present, and as for the crowd here—he was barely acquainted with any of them, to say nothing of coordination and rapport.

Even if someone took a liking to him, the problem remained: to rashly team up with a newcomer who knew nothing at all, and what if they ended up as cannon fodder? This was no joking matter—the risk was simply too great!

Yet if he could find no teammates, in theory he could still enter the team event—and then Wei Zhao would be forced into a one-against-two situation. Unless some inner-sect disciple had taken a bribe and secretly threw the match, he would have no chance of victory whatsoever.

Wei Zhao might be the strongest Golden Core expert to have achieved a perfect breakthrough, but he had only just stepped into the Golden Core stage. Had he been at the mid Golden Core stage, a one-against-two might still have been possible; but at the early Golden Core stage, a one-against-two was plainly a losing proposition!

Watching Wei Zhao from afar, frowning and speechless, Xu Lingchong and Meng Zhou exchanged a knowing smile. This time they had truly landed Wei Zhao in it.

"Heh heh, Chongchong, you've really set him a hard problem this time. I've known this fellow for a year now, and I've never once seen him look so troubled. Today has been an education." Meng Zhou laughed with gleeful schadenfreude.

"Brother Meng, this is only a little punishment, an appetizer. There will be plenty more chances later—I mean to torment him until he's in ecstasy and in agony by turns!" Xu Lingchong curled his lip with a venomous look.

"Best of all if the draw pits him against us this time—then we can settle our scores!" Meng Zhou nodded coldly.

Ever since his nature had changed so drastically, Meng Zhou had not, to be sure, shown Wei Zhao any gnashing of teeth—but that did not mean his hatred had been worn away. On the contrary, every time he felt the pain of his shattered heart, his bone-deep loathing for Wei Zhao grew one layer deeper!

He had not shown it before only because he knew he lacked the strength for it. But now that he had thrown in his lot with Xu Lingchong, the situation was altogether different.

He too was now an expert of the early Golden Core stage. Though in a one-on-one against Wei Zhao he might not have a hundred percent chance of victory, add a mid Golden Core Xu Lingchong to the mix, and snuffing out Wei Zhao would be as easy as turning one's palm. He was already hungry and impatient for it!