Chapter 1453 — The Trials of the Ice Palace, Part Two
The Blossom Guardian · Page 2 of 2
All the other factions had almost to a one received the Ice Palace's invitation to the trial; only the nine great families went without. It was not that the Ice Palace had deliberately excluded them. Rather, none of the juniors in those families were Profound Tier masters, and only the Yu family had a young generation cultivator at that level. But if the Hidden Yu family wished the secular Yu family to take part, no invitation would have been necessary at all, and so the Ice Palace had simply overlooked those families.
"Qiqi, for this Ice Palace trial you will have to rely on yourself. You cannot go on carrying out missions forever under my protection." An old man spoke with earnest gravity to the girl standing before him. "The Ice Palace's trial does not permit outsiders to act as escorts; otherwise it would defeat the entire purpose of the trial!"
"Don't worry, Grandpa Mubei. I'll be careful, and I will definitely win the right to exchange for heaven-and-earth treasures!" Yang Qiqi clenched her fist and nodded with solemn gravity.
"You may be an early-stage Profound Tier external-style master, but your experience is still far too thin. External-style masters lack real combat experience, and that is a fatal weakness! Besides, yours is a lightness skill as your main study, so your striking power is a weak point as well. I confess I am not entirely at ease..." Mubei sighed, yet there was nothing to be done about it. This Ice Palace trial was an opportunity that came along once in a thousand years; if she did not take part, there was no telling when she might face such a trial again.
"It's all right. My lightness skill is superb — if I can't beat them, can't I run?" Yang Qiqi soothed him with a smile. "Once I've scored enough points, I'll just find somewhere safe to hide."
"That may be the only way..." Mubei nodded. "Remember: when facing an enemy, if your ambush fails, escape at once and never linger in the fight! Never mind an opponent at the Profound Tier — even a common Yellow Tier master, if you face him head-on, you may well be no match for him."
"I understand!" Yang Qiqi said so, yet some defiance still rankled within her. Why should she, an early-stage Profound Tier external-style master, be unable to defeat even a Yellow Tier? Surely she was not that worthless.
A similar scene was unfolding in the Hidden Zhao family.
Zhao Guangyin, the young family head, was pacing back and forth in急 agitation before the door behind which his father was in secluded cultivation, until even Elder Bi was made dizzy watching him.
"Young Family Head, the old family head will not emerge from his seclusion in an hour or two. Why not let you make this decision yourself? Though the Ice Palace trial is important, it still falls somewhat short of the old family head's attempt to break through to Heaven Tier." Looking at Zhao Guangyin's unrelieved frown, Elder Bi too spoke with a measure of helplessness.
"Elder Bi, then what would you advise?" Zhao Guangyin could not quite make up his mind, so he put the question to Elder Bi.
Elder Bi was not wrong. The Ice Palace trial was important, yes, but it did not matter so much as his father's seclusion and his attempt to break through to Heaven Tier. Yet Zhao Guangyin could not decide the matter on his own; the only person he could consult was Elder Bi, the senior elder of the clan.
"Young Family Head, we must certainly take part in this Ice Palace trial. Every other family will surely send representatives, and our Zhao family will be no exception," Elder Bi nodded and said. "This is a matter you can decide without troubling the old family head."