Eager to outdo Bing Wushuang, he was now straining every nerve to achieve something, and had it not been for his dread of inviting trouble, he might well have recruited a whole string of subordinates by now.

"No rush. To be safe, you must never let greed for merit lead you into reckless advances," the Spectacled Doctor warned him gravely. Then, after a moment's thought, he said abruptly, "By the way, how much do you know about Wei Zhao?"

"Wei Zhao?" Xue Jianming started at the question, then scratched his head. "This subordinate doesn't know much, honestly. Only that he's the chairman of the Secular World Cultivators' Association, and also a martial-uncle of the Cangwu Sect on North Island. Beyond that, nothing."

"Is that so..." The Spectacled Doctor sank into brooding silence. All of that was merely what lay on the surface, the sort of thing anyone could dig up with a little effort. With only those two identities, Wei Zhao might bluff an ordinary cultivator, but to claim that the entire Center stood in dread of him was sheer nonsense.

"Could it be that you mean to move against Wei Zhao, sir?" Xue Jianming asked, studying his superior's expression, while his heart leapt with delight. His hatred for Wei Zhao ran to the bone; had the higher-ups not held him back, he would have struck long ago.

"No, no, no. Don't go reading too much into it. I'm purely curious about Wei Zhao's identity and background, that's all. The higher-ups have repeatedly and emphatically forbidden anyone to provoke Wei Zhao—don't go stirring up trouble on my account," the Spectacled Doctor said, shaking his head again and again.

"Then... shall this subordinate think of a way to probe into it?" Xue Jianming, desperate to prove himself, immediately volunteered.

"You? And what way could you possibly think of?" The Spectacled Doctor could not help but be skeptical. Wei Zhao was a man of the secular world—what could Xue Jianming, a creature spawned from the Ancient Alliance, possibly ferret out about him?

"There's always a way if a man puts his mind to it. A few more attempts, and we're bound to reap something. Wouldn't you agree, sir?" Xue Jianming said with a fawning smile.

"But Wei Zhao is not to be provoked," the Spectacled Doctor said, still uneasy.

"True, we won't provoke Wei Zhao—but surely no one ever said that every single person around him is untouchable as well?" Xue Jianming suggested, his eyes rolling craftily. If they themselves knew nothing of Wei Zhao's affairs, then Qiu Lingshan and the others at his side must at least know a few details. Find a way to seize them and pry their mouths open, and results would surely follow.

"You mean to strike at the people around him?" The Spectacled Doctor's interest was instantly roused. But he shook his head the next moment. "That's hardly practical either. Those people are all cultivating on the Cangwu Sect's territory on North Island now. Wei Zhao and Lin Dongfang never leave each other's side, and Xin Yi'an is there to look after them as well. Finding a breach in them won't be easy. What's more, any move against them would inevitably have to get past Wei Zhao—in the end it would still come to a head-on clash with him. It's no use."

"That's not necessarily so," Xue Jianming said with a cold smile, stroking his chin.

"How so?" The Spectacled Doctor frowned at him, unable to guess what trick he had hidden up his sleeve.

"Under normal circumstances, we'd indeed have a hard time finding an opening. But the Trial Tournament is coming up before long, and if handled properly, there may well be an opportunity to exploit," Xue Jianming said, feigning profundity.

"The Trial Tournament?" The Spectacled Doctor blinked.

"Precisely. It's a tradition of the Ancient Alliance—before every Ancient Trial, a Trial Tournament is held as a matter of course, and only disciples whose strength passes muster may take part in the Ancient Trial. Otherwise they'd only be going to their deaths. This Ancient Trial is rather special, but barring any mishap, this tradition certainly won't be abandoned," Xue Jianming explained.

"And what of it? Even if there is a Trial Tournament, that's the Ancient Alliance's business alone. What does it have to do with Wei Zhao and his people?" The Spectacled Doctor was still baffled.

"That's the easy part. Since they're all squatting here in the Transit Isles, it won't be difficult to maneuver them into entering the Trial Tournament," Xue Jianming said with the confidence of one who held all the cards. It would be just like last time, when they had maneuvered Wei Zhao and his companions into having to join the undersea mining. The same trick would serve again for this Trial Tournament. What was more, any disciple who wished to take part in the Ancient Trial had to first pass the test of the Trial Tournament—so if Wei Zhao and the others harbored any hopes regarding the Ancient Trial, they would have even less means of avoiding it.

"But even if they do enter the Trial Tournament, what does that have to do with what we were just discussing?" the Spectacled Doctor asked, puzzled.

"Everything. Think about it, sir. The reason we're at a loss right now is that Wei Zhao and those around him are holed up on the Cangwu Sect's territory on North Island and won't budge. But if we apply a little extra force in the Trial Tournament and kill one or two of them, Wei Zhao is bound to come after me in a fury. And then, whether I lure him out or he takes some other countermeasure, we're bound to find an opening. Wouldn't you say?" Xue Jianming said, looking exceedingly pleased with himself.

The Spectacled Doctor pondered this for a moment, then finally nodded. "That is indeed a method. As long as we can provoke him, flaws will naturally surface, and whatever follow-up measures we take afterward will be far more convenient."

"Exactly. And doing it this way won't violate the orders from above—first, we're not moving directly against Wei Zhao; second, this is the Ancient Alliance's Trial Tournament, and even if someone is accidentally killed by a misjudged blow, that's only reasonable. No one can blame anyone else," Xue Jianming said with a chuckle.

"Good. Then it's settled. I'll leave this matter entirely in your hands. Once it's done, I imagine your key-cultivation quota will have come through as well. Don't disappoint me," the Spectacled Doctor said, granting his approval on the spot.

"Yes, sir. Then I ask you to wait and see," Xue Jianming said, overjoyed. He could not move against Wei Zhao directly for now, but dealing with Qiu Lingshan and the others around him would at least vent some of the hatred in his heart—and it would also please the Spectacled Doctor and hasten his bid for key cultivation. Two birds with one stone.

Half a month slipped by in a flash, and for Wei Zhao and his companions it was a half month of one pleasant surprise after another. Beginning with Qiu Lingshan, they had erupted almost like a geyser, breaking through to the Foundation Establishment stage one after another in quick succession. Even Ying Ziyu and the others, who had started with the weakest foundations and the least accumulated depth, had all become capable Foundation Establishment cultivators without a single one left behind. It was, when you came to tell of it, nothing short of an unbelievable miracle.

Watching the others gather excitedly around a bonfire party, Lin Dongfang smiled with a knowing, playful air. "You really don't plan to tell them?"

"Why tell them? Things are fine as they are. Their confidence is up now, and their future cultivation will yield twice the result with half the effort," Wei Zhao said with quiet satisfaction. (To be continued.)