Chapter 3319 — Beyond the Bounds of Reason

Could it be that Wei Zhao had been holding something back while he was overseas? Ancestor Xuanchen knitted his brows. It seemed he had made a disastrous move. Perhaps those who had gone to stir up trouble for the Blood-Robe Yellow Springs Sect had learned something—some inside story?

Otherwise, no wonder these people had gone so long without troubling Wei Zhao. They simply did not dare! Only he himself, fool that he was, had sent men to the Dark Night Palace—and a fine result it had brought: the dead were dead, the crippled were crippled, and he had no way even to avenge his own disciple...

"So by your account, Wei Zhao genuinely does possess the strength to annihilate high-tier cultivators in an instant?" Ancestor Xuanchen asked, frowning.

"Yes, Master..." Little Four looked somewhat downcast. "The injuries Little Five and I sustained..."

"Go and rest for now, and focus on healing. I will think of something!" Ancestor Xuanchen gestured for Little Four and Little Five to set their minds at ease. In truth, he was only saying this for form's sake—if he had truly had a solution, Tagan Long would have been cured long ago, and he would never have fallen out with Wei Zhao over the matter of healing Tagan Long. As it was, not only had Little Eleven been left battered and bruised by Wei Zhao, but Little One's prized divine weapon had been taken by Wei Zhao and never returned.

"Yes, Master!" Though they knew full well that the hope of recovery was slim—Ancestor Xuantian's injuries had been just the same, and he had never recovered, to say nothing of the two of them—they still clung to hope, hoping Ancestor Xuanchen could devise some remedy.

After Little Four and Little Five had departed, Ancestor Xuanchen sighed. "Zhaoming, what do you make of this business?"

"Father-in-law, it seems the Overseas Cultivators' Association means to make a fool of us! Is this not a false report of military intelligence? We have suffered grievous losses—we cannot let this slide!" Kang Zhaoming knew there was no way to deal with Wei Zhao now, so he aimed his spearhead straight at the Overseas Cultivators' Association. One had to have a scapegoat, did one not?

"Zhaoming, you do not know the bond between He Dantou and me. He would not deceive me." Once he had calmed down, Ancestor Xuanchen felt that He Dantou had no reason to lie to him. The two of them were sworn brothers, after all, and there was no great grievance between them.

"Ah?" Kang Zhaoming was startled. He Dantou's surname was He, and Ancestor Xuanchen's surname was also He—this Kang Zhaoming knew. Though he did not know Ancestor Xuanchen's true name, he did know Little Eleven's real name: He Meiqi. So he wondered whether Ancestor Xuanchen and that He Dantou, president of the Overseas Cultivators' Association, might be relatives of some kind.

"Others all call me Ancestor Xuanchen. In truth, my real name is He Qianting," Ancestor Xuanchen said with a smile. "It is a rather peculiar name, so I generally do not tell it to others."

"Er..." Hearing Ancestor Xuanchen's name, Kang Zhaoming did not know what to say. Nuclear submarine, nuclear warhead—could the two of them be brothers? It seemed quite likely!

"He Dantou is my younger brother—my own blood brother. So he would not deceive me. Somewhere along the way, something must have gone wrong." Ancestor Xuanchen waved his hand. "Perhaps, while overseas, Wei Zhao could not adapt to the climate and environment, and so could not bring his full strength to bear?"

"That must be it! But as for this matter of Wei Zhao... I am not so sure. What you say is possible, though." Kang Zhaoming thought for a moment. "I seem to recall hearing, vaguely, that when Wei Zhao annihilates high-tier experts in an instant, he must pay a certain price as well. I fear that while he was overseas, he must have lacked some essential condition."

"What you say makes sense." Ancestor Xuanchen nodded. "I will call He Dantou first and ask him."

Without so much as a thought for discretion in front of Kang Zhaoming, Ancestor Xuanchen dialed He Dantou's number directly.

"Dantou, how are your injuries?" Ancestor Xuanchen asked once the call connected.

"Elder Brother, my injuries are not so bad. When the Red Conch people and I fought to a mutual crippling, our wounds were in fact not especially severe—they can heal," He Dantou said. "Elder Brother, you are calling me—is there news about Wei Zhao?"

"Dantou, there is news of Wei Zhao. That one move of mine forced him out into the open, but... the outcome was entirely different." Ancestor Xuanchen sighed and recounted everything that had happened to He Dantou.

"What?! Wei Zhao is that formidable? He can truly annihilate experts at the peak of the late Heaven Tier in an instant?" He Dantou was vastly alarmed. "But then, while he was overseas, why did he still flee? Why?"

"That I do not know either. I called you precisely to ask: was there something wrong with Wei Zhao while he was overseas? Was he carrying injuries, or was there some other reason?" Ancestor Xuanchen said. "Dantou, think carefully—was there anything peculiar..."

"I believe..." Cold sweat burst suddenly across He Dantou's forehead, and wave after wave of lingering dread surged up within him! If there had been nothing wrong with Wei Zhao back then, He Tianzu would already have been annihilated in an instant! Even when he, He Dantou, and the general manager of Red Conch had fought to a mutual crippling, Wei Zhao could easily have stepped in and finished them both off!

Yet Wei Zhao had not done so—which meant that at the time, some particular reason had kept him from doing it... What could it have been?

Suddenly, something occurred to He Dantou, and he said hurriedly, "Elder Brother, I remember now! Back when Wei Zhao was overseas, he was not at mid Heaven Tier strength—he was at the peak of early Heaven Tier. And you just said that Wei Zhao is now at mid Heaven Tier. He must have broken through and advanced during this time. So I have a conjecture..."

"What conjecture?" Ancestor Xuanchen asked at once.

"Could it be that back when Wei Zhao was overseas, he was already on the verge of a breakthrough, and so did not dare overdraft his own stamina to unleash those great techniques, for fear of disrupting his advancement? So when we hunted him, he fled and went into secluded cultivation somewhere to break through. And now Wei Zhao has successfully broken through, so after returning, he dares to unleash his great techniques! As for this talk of yours about him not adapting to the overseas climate—I think that is unlikely. It is a bit too far-fetched, after all..." He Dantou reasoned.

"Hm... what you say seems to make a great deal of sense!" Ancestor Xuanchen nodded in agreement after hearing it out. Generally speaking, before advancing to a new tier, most cultivators would choose secluded cultivation to make the breakthrough, not daring to expend their true qi to unleash great techniques. And Wei Zhao clearly belonged to this category.

"Ah, Elder Brother, thank goodness I did not press the pursuit relentlessly back then. Otherwise, if we had cornered Wei Zhao, Tianzu would very likely have been done for!" He Dantou said, still shaken with fear.

"Indeed. Wei Zhao is a man who cannot be measured by common reason. Very well, I understand. Focus on healing your injuries. Do not concern yourself with this business of Wei Zhao—I will find a way!" Ancestor Xuanchen said.

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