Chapter 2081 — The Contest Begins (Part One)

Though the Small Qi Condensation Pill was not as brutally potent as the Qi Condensation Pill itself, Wei Zhao had been through the same ordeal when he broke from the peak of the Mystic Rank into the Earth Rank, and that suffering was agony for any cultivator. Han Xiaopo, naturally, was faring no better now.

Still, Wei Zhao believed this little hardship should be nothing for Han Xiaopo. If he could not endure even this much pain, he was not destined for anything great.

By the time the heaven-and-earth spiritual energy around Han Xiaopo thinned and dispersed, Wei Zhao knew the breakthrough was complete. Han Xiaopo had officially become a capable fighter at the early Earth Rank—he had joined the ranks of true cultivators.

Sure enough, Han Xiaopo opened his eyes, astonishment and delight mingled on his face. He held out both hands as if unable to believe it. "Boss, I'm really an early Earth Rank expert now?"

"Early Earth Rank, naturally," Wei Zhao said with an unruffled nod.

"This... this is simply incredible..." Han Xiaopo still felt as though he were dreaming. "Boss, is this the legendary power transfer?"

"You can think of it that way," Wei Zhao said. "But remember—do not mention this to anyone."

"I understand the stakes!" Han Xiaopo nodded hastily. "Even if Grandfather asks, I won't run my mouth..."

In truth, when Han Xiaopo broke through, he had drawn a vast amount of heaven-and-earth spiritual energy to gather around him. That was the difference between breaking past one's own limits and receiving a transfer from Wei Zhao. When Wei Zhao transferred power, unless he used that compressed true qi method to force a breakthrough, he did not stir the heaven-and-earth spiritual energy; only in that other, ordinary method of elevating someone did he refrain from drawing it in.

The spiritual energy Han Xiaopo had stirred up naturally drew the attention of every cultivator in the Hidden Han Family, especially Old Master Han Tianba. But Han Tianba, with level-headed restraint, instructed the family to stay away—no questions, no disturbances.

Whether it was Wei Zhao or Han Xiaopo who had broken through, it benefited the Hidden Han Family either way. Why go asking questions and make themselves a nuisance?

"As long as you keep your mouth shut, there will be benefits for you later! The peak of the late Earth Rank—even the Heaven Rank—is not impossible!" Wei Zhao said coolly. "That is what you get for being my subordinate!"

"Yes, Boss!" Han Xiaopo's eyes burned with fervent light. The peak of the late Earth Rank? Even the Heaven Rank? These were realms he had once only dared dream of—and now they were no longer so far out of reach!

"Above the Earth Rank, the only pill that can be taken is the Qi Condensation Pill, and I cannot refine it yet—let alone your family," Wei Zhao said evenly. "And your aptitude is not especially good. Cultivating on your own further is meaningless; you likely won't make progress. So while you have the time, devote it to studying martial techniques! As for your strength—when I reach a higher realm, I will raise it for you again."

Wei Zhao did not explain outright that those whose power he had raised could no longer absorb heaven-and-earth spiritual energy through their own cultivation. But from the fact that the Small Qi Condensation Pill still worked on Han Xiaopo, it was clear that the energy of pills remained highly effective for cultivators whom Wei Zhao had elevated.

Wei Zhao himself was proof of that.

"Yes!" Whatever Wei Zhao said, Han Xiaopo believed. If Wei Zhao said his aptitude was poor, he did not doubt it for an instant—if it were good, would he still be stuck at the mid Yellow Rank? So Wei Zhao's words were pure gold: told to study martial techniques, he would study martial techniques. As for cultivating to raise his strength—that he would leave to Wei Zhao.

Only, Han Xiaopo was somewhat puzzled. Even if Wei Zhao could transfer power, where did his true qi come from? Why did Wei Zhao look utterly unaffected—still sharp and vigorous, without the slightest trace of the lethargy that came from losing true qi?

"Tomorrow, study your martial techniques. When the two-on-two arena match comes, you'll take the stage with me!" Wei Zhao said. "You just keep yourself alive—leave the fighting to me!"

"Understood, Boss! I won't let you down!" Han Xiaopo, startled and overjoyed, answered at once.

If the Hidden Han Family won another match, it would strike even more fear into those hidden clans scheming against them—and make them choke on their own schemes.

"For that two-on-two arena match, which hidden clan do you reckon is the strongest?" Wei Zhao asked.

"I'd say this match was designed for the Hidden Zhuang Family!" Han Xiaopo said. "I hear those two Zhuang brothers, after returning from the Ice Palace trials, shut themselves away in bitter training and took some spirit medicines. Their strength has already risen to the mid Earth Rank and the peak of the mid Earth Rank, and the martial techniques they practice complement and reinforce each other. So their odds of winning should be very high!"

"Oh? Zhuang Niaodao and Zhuang Niaopao?" Wei Zhao knew the Hidden Zhuang Family well enough. At the Ice Palace trials, those two had fawned over Zhang Naiyu with everything they had—yet when Wei Zhao beat Zhang Naiyu half to death, they fell to their knees begging for mercy and calling him Lord Ling. Those two pieces of trash had left an impression.

"Exactly!" Han Xiaopo nodded. "Boss has heard of them too?"

"Heard of them—I just never imagined their strength could advance by leaps and bounds like that," Wei Zhao said with a sigh.

"They couldn't have on their own, but I hear the Hidden Zhuang Family bought two Small Qi Condensation Pills from the Hidden Tang Family at a high price, and on top of that the brothers took a great deal of heaven-and-earth spirit medicine. That's how their strength shot up so fast!" Han Xiaopo explained.

"The Hidden Tang Family?" Wei Zhao frowned. The name felt familiar, as though he had heard it somewhere—yet it seemed he had never crossed paths with them.

"Right, another hidden clan. I hear their ancestors were disciples of the old Tang Sect line among the martial world's sects—skilled in hidden weapons and poisoning..." Han Xiaopo explained. "For this hidden-weapon evasion contest, I'm afraid it will be the Hidden Tang Family's juniors who come out on top!"

"I wonder what the Hidden Zhuang Family did to deserve the Hidden Tang Family selling them two Small Qi Condensation Pills?" Wei Zhao was somewhat surprised. These Small Qi Condensation Pills should be extremely precious.

"I hear the Hidden You Family and the Hidden Tang Family are very close—the two are joined by marriage. If the Hidden Zhuang Family could buy Small Qi Condensation Pills this time, I'm afraid other hidden clans got a share of the benefits too. My analysis is that one of those two families comes from pill-refining stock and the other from poison-making stock, so the poison-identification contest is likely swept by one of them as well!" Han Xiaopo said. "Perhaps one works in the open and one in the shadows, and together they take it all! And the price they paid was precisely spirit medicines like the Small Qi Condensation Pill!"

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