Chapter 4318 — Between a Rock and a Hard Place
The Blossom Guardian · Page 2 of 2
"That it would not. In that case, it would merely count as failing the selection and being eliminated—it wouldn't come to such an end. Of course, such a person would still be knowingly breaking the rules, and would ultimately be blacklisted by the academy, never to be admitted." Ge Wei shook his head, then curled his lip. "That's just what I mean by incurably stupid. Even if he gritted his teeth and finished the selection, the worst he'd get is a blacklist entry—so how would he end up beaten into a cripple like that? Tsk, tsk!"
"Oh—then what if someone is selected? Can they decline to join the academy?" Wei Zhao asked instead.
"Absolutely not! If you had no intention of going to Morning Star Academy, why take a test token at all? To take part in the selection under everyone's watchful eyes and then, having been chosen, refuse to go—what would that be? A public provocation of Morning Star Academy?" Ge Wei said, speechless.
"It wouldn't necessarily be a provocation of the academy, would it? Maybe they just changed their mind partway through..." Wei Zhao said, twisting his lips somewhat awkwardly.
"That won't do either. Whatever the original intent, once such a thing happens, it deals a blow to Morning Star Academy's reputation and gives outsiders something to gossip about. Strictly speaking, it's far worse in nature than what that fool just did. If such a person were merely stripped of their cultivation, that would already be lenient—under a harsher hand, they'd likely be executed on the spot." Ge Wei spoke with utter certainty.
Hearing this, Wei Zhao was left even more speechless, cold sweat already soaking his back. From what Ge Wei said, it seemed he had today pushed himself into a pit of fire, with no time left to turn back?
"I say, brother—asking me all this, you're not thinking of backing out halfway too, are you? Don't tell me you're like that creature, lacking in strength and scared stiff?" Ge Wei suddenly caught on and eyed Wei Zhao up and down with suspicion.
"Ah? No, no—I was just asking idly, that's all. I'm a genuine expert at the Golden Core stage..." Wei Zhao hastily waved his hands.
"Mm, I'd say you are. So long as nothing's wrong, that's fine—otherwise, if you really ran into such bad luck, no one could save you." Ge Wei offered the reminder, laden with unspoken meaning.
"Mm, I know." Wei Zhao nodded as though nothing were the matter, yet in his heart he had already sunk into an abyss.
Ever since arriving at the Southern Island, apart from that first run-in with the buffoon Cheng Qitian, everything had gone smoothly. Never mind that he had obtained the infant ginseng, the Ten-Thousand-Passage Golden Core Fruit, and the Star-Ink Milk, each and every one—he had even unexpectedly reunited with the Great Fire Lion and the Great Spider, and now had laid eyes on Wang Xinyan, the one he had pined for day and night.
Everything looked beautiful—yet now, because of a single accidental oversight, he had been driven into such an awkward corner, and it was maddening.
All because he had failed to promptly return the test token tossed into his hand, he now could not leave. Wei Zhao had never imagined he would land himself in such a rotten fix!
He turned to look around. The whole of Zhenduan Plaza was under Morning Star Academy's control, with experts at the Nascent Soul stage at every post. Slipping out from under their noses was simply impossible. Only one kind of person could leave Zhenduan Plaza—those eliminated and unselected. Apart from them, no one was permitted in or out.
Now Wei Zhao's originally fine mood had turned utterly overcast. Advancing or retreating—both were impossible. The situation before him was truly thorny!