Chapter 2067 — How to Prove It

So what if there are hidden families backing him? The common-world Yu family was wiped out all the same, and the common-world Xiao family and Kang family are hardly faring well either. And all of it is thanks to Wei Zhao—who told them to make an enemy of him?

But Han Xiaopo was not the young heir of the hidden Han family, and some matters were still beyond his authority to decide. For the moment, then, he found himself in a bind. In his own view, if the hidden Han family stood at Wei Zhao's side, the advantages would outweigh the drawbacks—but that was only his own opinion, and how his grandfather saw it, he could not yet be sure.

Yet the opportunity was a singular one. If he turned it down now, then in all likelihood Wei Zhao would not be of much help to the hidden Han family in the future; and once this Hidden World Summit ended, the ties between them would fade as well.

"Elder Lin, the hidden Han family does have no shortage of cultivation records and rare natural treasures, but when it comes to cultivation itself, what we lack is a renowned master to guide us!" In the space of a single instant Han Xiaopo made up his mind. Since he could not decide the hidden Han family's stance, his own stance he certainly could decide, and so he said at once, "If Elder Lin does not find me unworthy, then take me as your disciple. On the path of cultivation, I beg you to guide me well!"

Han Xiaopo's reaction took Wei Zhao by surprise. What Wei Zhao had not expected was that Han Xiaopo would, right from the first, ask to be taken as a disciple—which truly left Wei Zhao at a loss for what to say.

Seeing Wei Zhao say nothing, Han Xiaopo assumed his declaration had left Wei Zhao less than satisfied, but he could only explain with a bitter smile, "Elder Lin, though this disciple is a direct descendant of the hidden Han family, he cannot decide the great affairs of the hidden Han family either, and for the time being cannot make the whole hidden Han family answer to Elder Lin's command! But this disciple swears that one day, should he sit in the position of head of the hidden Han family, he will follow none but Elder Lin!"

Wei Zhao nodded noncommittally and said, "You want to take me as your master?"

"Yes. The hidden Han family I belong to, though sustained by ancient relics, has no renowned master to guide it on the path of cultivation—we are groping in the dark!" Han Xiaopo made no attempt to conceal it. "This disciple's strength is only the mid Huang rank. I know that such strength could never catch Elder Lin's eye, but even this strength was forced up only after this disciple took Spirit-Gathering Pills..."

"Spirit-Gathering Pills?" Wei Zhao had heard of that kind of elixir. Most of the hidden families' young were fed such elixirs to raise their strength—Yu Bing was the same! Wei Zhao could not help but sigh. Even the scions of the weakest hidden family, the hidden Han family, had such fine things to take, while he, Wei Zhao, had back then clawed his way up breakthrough by breakthrough, bit by bit!

Compare man to man, and truly there is no comparing them! Though he was now a skilled hand of the Di rank, when he thought back to his Huang-rank days, how difficult it had been to break through to the Xuan rank? And yet a Xuan-rank hand was commonplace among the hidden families' scions!

"Indeed. In the ancient relics we found a number of Spirit-Gathering Pills and Spirit-Gathering Elixirs. The elixirs were all taken by our elders, which is why they possess Xuan-rank strength, while we of the third generation were allotted only Spirit-Gathering Pills. This disciple's aptitude is considered rather good—it took only three Spirit-Gathering Pills to raise me to mid Huang rank..." Han Xiaopo gave a bitter smile. "But the Spirit-Gathering Pills and Elixirs are nearly exhausted, and the hidden You family will not sell to us, so... for the path of cultivation ahead, I am deeply worried..."

"A disciple I will not take—at my age I have no intention of taking disciples. But if you are willing, I can take you on as a follower!" Wei Zhao said. "Your loyalty, however, remains to be tested!"

"Thank you, Elder Lin!" At Wei Zhao's words Han Xiaopo rose quickly to his feet, cupped his fist and said, "Leader above, please accept this follower's bow!"

With that, Han Xiaopo bent at the waist and bowed to Wei Zhao with the utmost respect.

"You are quick to react, climbing the pole the moment it is offered—I had barely finished speaking and you were already on your feet!" Wei Zhao smiled faintly and waved a hand. "But fine words are cheap; what matters is how you perform from here on. When I take on followers, what I value is not your personal strength but your loyalty!"

"Elder Lin... no, Leader Lin, my loyalty is absolute, I swear I will obey the Leader's command from now on!" Han Xiaopo said hurriedly.

"Since you have loyalty, then I can give you strength," Wei Zhao said. "You asked to be my disciple because you wanted to raise your own strength, did you not? Well, my followers enjoy the same treatment! I trust the hidden Han family has already looked into my affairs, and knows how the few followers at my side stand—their strength before and their strength now is plain for you to see..."

"So that is it..." Han Xiaopo had indeed investigated the circumstances of those around Wei Zhao, and the whole hidden Han family had been puzzled—how was it that Wei Zhao's followers, and even the women close to him, had all seen their strength surge at once? Most had begun as early Huang-rank hands, and now they had become peak late Xuan rank outright—the speed of their advancement was simply a little unbelievable!

Of course, puzzled as they were, they could not see through to the secret behind it, and only now, when Wei Zhao spoke of it, did Han Xiaopo suddenly understand—so it was Wei Zhao's doing! At the thought that he too might raise his strength, a surge of wild joy rose in Han Xiaopo's heart!

Was this not precisely what he had been striving after all this time? If he could raise his strength—even if only to the peak of late Huang rank—then the family would bestow upon him twenty Spirit-Gathering Pills to help him break through from Huang rank into Xuan rank!

And then Han Xiaopo's strength would stand far ahead of the other third-generation juniors of the hidden Han family, and the position of third-generation young heir would belong to none but him!

"Leader, Xiaopo swears to heaven: for this life he will obey the Leader alone, and should I break this oath, let all my strength be stripped from me, let me never cultivate again, and let me become a useless cripple!" Han Xiaopo swore to heaven at once.

Oaths, Wei Zhao did not put much faith in—before absolute strength, an oath is sometimes no more than a joke.

And yet Han Xiaopo's was a vicious oath indeed: to lose all strength and never cultivate again would be a nightmare for any cultivator, and as a rule a cultivator of even a little integrity would not swear by such a thing. Han Xiaopo spoke it to show Wei Zhao his heart.

"How can you prove your loyalty?" Wei Zhao looked at Han Xiaopo and asked mildly.

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