Chapter 2102 — The Inner Core of the Spirit Beast Again

"Very well." Wei Zhao handed the Myriad Phenomena Deathless Fruit to Sect Master Wo without the slightest hesitation.

This Myriad Phenomena Deathless Fruit was no natural treasure meant for humans, nor could it be used to refine pills; it was meant for spirit beasts to eat. Once a spirit beast consumed it, it could gain a small boost in strength. So for Wei Zhao its use was hardly great—that little bit of energy was nowhere near enough to push General Mighty and the Thunder Pig through to the Earth Rank. Eating it would be a waste, and when Wei Zhao could already help them break through, such a trifling bit of energy hardly mattered.

"Many thanks!" A flicker of something complicated passed through Sect Master Wo's eyes, but in the next instant he made up his mind! **Such was the way of the world—the strong preyed on the weak, and biting the hand that fed you was far from rare; whoever had the ability made the rules. Since the Zhao Family, the You Family, and the Golden Bell Sect had already decided to give him three treasures, he would still kill Wei Zhao!

In his eyes, what lay between him and Wei Zhao was nothing but a transaction, one thing for another; he owed Wei Zhao nothing.

In truth, Wei Zhao had also set his sights on what Sect Master Wo held in his hand; whatever he traded for it made no difference, and he had never meant it as any act of charity.

The wager was collected and the exchange concluded. The various family elders and sect masters all returned with their own ** to rest. Today's contests were at an end, and the remaining matches would resume tomorrow morning.

"Head, when Sect Master Wo was trading for your essence inner core, his eyes were a little shifty—seemed like there might be something off about him?" Han Xiaopo's powers of observation were sharp, and he had picked up on something amiss.

"I saw it too." Wei Zhao said, "But what of it? I didn't lose out—that Myriad Phenomena Deathless Fruit is of no use to me!"

"The head doesn't want to raise spirit beasts?" Han Xiaopo was rather surprised. The Myriad Phenomena Deathless Fruit was a fine thing; any family with spirit beasts would need it, yet Wei Zhao had traded for a spirit beast's essence inner core instead, which was rather puzzling.

"Raise spirit beasts." Wei Zhao nodded and said, "I have two spirit beasts at home."

"Then you don't need the Myriad Phenomena Deathless Fruit to boost their strength?" Han Xiaopo asked, puzzled.

"Heh, what do you think?" Wei Zhao gave Han Xiaopo a look that was neither quite a smile nor quite not.

"Ah!" Han Xiaopo suddenly thought of how he himself had soared from mid Yellow Rank to the peak of late Earth Rank, and understanding dawned at once. "So that's how it is—I get it now!"

Han Tianba did not follow the riddle between Wei Zhao and Han Xiaopo, but he was old and shrewd; whatever Wei Zhao was unwilling to explain, he did not ask. He was happy enough as it was—a flying start, two victories in a row on the very first day of the contest. These hidden families and sects still thought to scheme against his Hidden Han Family? Heh heh, weren't they the ones who would end up losing their rice while trying to steal the chicken?

"By the way, do you know what this essence inner core is used for?" Wei Zhao asked.

"Huh? Head, you don't know?" Han Xiaopo was taken aback. When he saw Wei Zhao trade for the essence inner core, he had assumed Wei Zhao knew what the thing was for.

"I don't know—just curious." Wei Zhao did not mention that he already had another essence inner core, one that looked even larger than this one. "Tell me, what can this thing do?"

"Ugh, actually I don't know either!" Han Xiaopo smiled wryly. "But I've heard that when refining certain high-grade pills, adding a spirit beast's inner core can raise the success rate—or maybe it's a required ingredient? Seems artifact smiths can use them too... I'm not clear on the specifics, and I don't have any material on it myself!"

"Is that so!" Wei Zhao nodded. He planned, once he got back, to leaf through Zhang Liju's notes on the insights of an alchemist when he had the time; there were many pill formulas in there. Wei Zhao had not even learned to refine pills before, so naturally he had had no interest in studying those formulas, but with time he could take a look—whether a spirit beast's essence inner core was really used in pill refinement.

Wei Zhao, Han Tianba, and Han Xiaopo went back to rest, but the other hidden families' ancestors and sect masters, after returning, turned right around and came back; at that moment they were all seated in the council hall of the Hidden Zhao Family!

"Let's hear it, everyone—are we just going to let today's business go?" The most unwilling of all was the Zhao Family's Old Master; as the host, he had reaped no benefit at all, and had even been fleeced by Wei Zhao over a five-hundred-year peppermint flower.

"And what else can we do? Send a thief to steal the things back?" Old Master Tang was equally glum. He too had been a loser today, though not as miserably as the Zhao Family.

"Sooner or later Wei Zhao is going to die—it's only a matter of these next few days!" Old Master You said mildly. "Isn't that right, Sect Master Wo?"

"Quite right!" The Qianshan Sect's Sect Master Wo nodded. "There's no friendship between me and that Wei Zhao; today was nothing but a fair trade. Rest assured, the three of you—I will do exactly as I said!"

Sect Master Wo's promise made Old Master Zhao and Old Master Tang feel much better. If Wei Zhao died, that would at least vent their anger!

"What's past is past—let it be. What worries me now is the remaining matches!" It was Old Master Pi who spoke. Wei Zhao's two straight victories had left him rather unable to sit still.

"The remaining matches—Wei Zhao may not necessarily win, surely?" Old Master Zhuang was full of confidence. "Take this two-person arena match, for instance. Wei Zhao may be formidable, but one man alone won't do; someone has to partner with him and go up together!"

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