Chapter 1489 — Rules of the Trial, Part Two

Those of high strength had nothing to worry about, of course, but a great many early-stage Profound Rank trialists were here as well, and they had been none too easy in their minds. This rule put them instantly at ease.

Still, many eyes turned back to Wei Zhao, suspicion stirring within them: how was it that this rule seemed tailor-made for him? Stripped of his strength — weaker, even, than an ordinary man — he could enter the trial and no one would truly dare lay a hand on him. The slightest excess of force in a scuffle could beat him to death; the man was simply untouchable.

Should one slip up, one would not only forfeit one's place in the trial but would also have violated the Ice Palace's rules and brought trouble down on one's own head. So one and all arrived at the same thought: if Wei Zhao meant to take part, keep well clear of him, and on no account let him latch onto you.

"Furthermore, the entire course of the trial will be recorded on the electronic cards I hand out to you in a moment — your points included; they will show up on the card as well," the innkeeper said. "Should the herbs in your possession be robbed from you during the trial, the points will transfer accordingly. But mind one thing: under no circumstances may you damage the herbs while fighting over them. That will earn you no points, and the party at fault will be docked instead!"

"A card? Not a piece of jade?" A young master of one of the clans below had clearly heard beforehand that the recording device used in the trial was a jade tablet rather than an electronic card, and so asked the question before he could stop himself.

"Jade was what the old trials used," the innkeeper explained. "Technology advances; naturally our Ice Palace's recording devices have moved on to modern equipment. Jade capable of storing information costs far too much." He paused. "Very well — is there anyone who still does not understand? No objections? Then I shall begin registering you all and collecting the deposits!"

"None..." Heads shook all around. What a joke — everyone had come here for the trial; who would abandon it over a small change in the rules? Would that not make the whole journey worthless?

"Good. We will start with this row here. Come up one at a time to register and swipe your card for the deposit," the innkeeper told the trialists nearest to him.

"Yes!" The trialist at the front rose and walked over. He filled in his particulars in the registration book the innkeeper offered, and was just about to swipe his card and pay the deposit when the innkeeper waved him off.

"Hold out your hand. I want to test your strength," the innkeeper said blandly.

"Couldn't I simply circulate my cultivation technique? Do I really need to hold out my hand?" The trialist started, then asked.

At that moment Wei Zhao narrowed his eyes as well. He had never seen this trialist before — clearly one of those who, upon arriving, had shut himself in his room and never come out again, emerging only now that the innkeeper had called everyone together.

But that was not what drew Wei Zhao's attention. What did was the fact that this man was actually an early-stage Earth Rank inner-school expert — beyond the eligibility conditions for the trial altogether. No wonder he had been so nervous when the innkeeper spoke of testing their strength.

"No need. Hold out your hand," the innkeeper repeated mildly.

"This..." The trialist hesitated for a moment, then held out his hand all the same. Secretly, however, he ran his internal cultivation method and pressed his strength down to the peak of the late Profound Rank, never revealing his early-stage Earth Rank power.

"I told you there was no need — so what technique are you circulating?" The innkeeper gave the man before him a cold look, then glanced over the particulars he had registered. "Wo Jindao, disciple of the Qianshan Sect. Passing himself off as an internal artist at the peak of the late Profound Rank; investigation confirms him to be an early-stage Earth Rank internal artist. His qualification to take part in the trial is hereby revoked, and the Qianshan Sect is entered on the blacklist — for ten years it may not enter the Ice Palace's trials again!"

"Ah..." At the innkeeper's words the Qianshan disciple called Wo Jindao slumped, the very picture of dejection. He had thought his hidden strength would go undetected; instead it had been ferreted out at the very moment of registration — and his own sect had been barred from the trial for ten years besides.

Naturally he dared not argue with anyone from the Ice Palace, and said nothing more. He fled rather sheepishly toward the parking lot, ready to set off back to his sect.

The scene surprised everyone present — Wei Zhao no less than the rest. The innkeeper was plainly a remarkable man: he had concealed his own strength before, and now, with nothing more than a handshake, he could sense another's true power.

Wei Zhao possessed such an ability himself, true — but Wei Zhao cultivated the Xuanyuan Dragon-Taming Art, an art that came with a golden finger. This innkeeper, however, was little more than a servant of the Ice Palace, and he too had such a gift?

"Anyone else hiding your strength? Leave of your own accord now, and I will hold neither your clan nor your sect responsible. Wait until I have tested it out of you, and your clan and your sect will likewise be barred from the Ice Palace's trials for ten years!" The innkeeper's gaze swept the assembled company as he demanded.

This time several more trialists rose from among the young masters, shaking their heads with bitter smiles as they walked toward the parking lot. Clearly they had all been concealing their strength. Wei Zhao swept his eyes over them and was secretly astonished: among their number was an expert at the mid-stage Earth Rank.

Wei Zhao could hardly have probed every last one of them individually beforehand, so the sight gave him quite a start now.

"No one else? Then we will continue. But if I find one more mixed in among you, do not blame me for not holding back!" The innkeeper finished speaking, then pointed at the trialist nearest in front of him. "You are next."

"Yes!" This was none other than Zhuang Niaopao, the lackey who hung about Zhang Naipao. He approached the innkeeper respectfully, registered his information, and then proffered his hand of his own accord.

"Mm. Peak of the mid-stage Profound Rank." The innkeeper nodded, glanced at his particulars, and said, "Zhuang Niaopao of the Zhuang family — you may go to Elder Qing to swipe your card."

"Yes!" Zhuang Niaopao nodded hastily, took out a bank card, and went to swipe it...

One after another, the trialists behind came forward to register and swipe their cards.

Wei Zhao did notice one thing: among them were "rogue cultivators" — cultivators bound to no family and no sect whatsoever. The innkeeper, however, seemed to have no objection to such people; so long as their strength qualified, he waved them through to swipe their cards.

That at least took one worry off Wei Zhao's mind; otherwise he truly had no idea how he would account for his own background when registering.

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