Chapter 94: The Plot Comes to Light (Tenth Update, Please Subscribe)

Before long, the others from Wei Cheng’s team had all gathered. Clearly, they were very interested.

Especially Liu Sui and Xu Shan. The enhancement values on their Thunder Rings had both dropped to +1, so they were in urgent need.

As for Cheng An, Yu Liang, and Mei Renli, all three had already advanced to the Seven-Cycle Mountain-Shifting stage, their strength surging dramatically, and they too wanted in on the action.

Even if they did not have magical implements yet, that did not mean they would never have them.

Besides, City S was only about one hundred and fifty kilometers from City P. If they left and returned the same day, it would probably not affect anything.

“Old Wei, what do you think?”

“If you ask me, I wouldn’t recommend going.”

Wei Cheng gave his opinion without beating around the bush. City S was a small city, only a fourth-tier one. With a permanent population of just over a million, then, using City P’s ratio of trialists as a reference, its seasoned trialists might number only twenty to thirty thousand.

And now, at a time like this, news had broken of infiltrating fiends showing themselves there. Wei Cheng could not help feeling uneasy.

Because he had personally experienced an infiltrating fiend incident before.

He was very certain that these infiltrators possessed terrifying concealment abilities. They were like spies sent by an enemy nation—how could they possibly be so easy to expose?

Either this was a trap.

Or the infiltrating fiend had already grown to a truly formidable level.

Or, with only a very slim chance, the infiltrating fiend had simply been unlucky and discovered by accident.

Wei Cheng had always believed that the struggle against fiends was a long war, and before one had grown strong enough oneself, going after an infiltrating fiend that had already made preparations was not a rewarding move.

There was no point talking about how lives were at stake. His own life was a life too; it would not get a second chance.

The others fell silent. After a long while, Xu Shan finally said, “Wei Cheng, do you still think this operation might end in disaster?”

“No. On the contrary, I think this operation should go very smoothly. Smooth encirclement, smooth breakthrough, smooth elimination of the fiend’s servants—including that fiend itself. Some people may die in the process, but others are bound to gain enormously, even to shine brilliantly.”

“This is a large-scale retaliatory purge against fiends led by the authorities. It won’t go wrong, so I even think several cities around City S will dispatch reinforcements of trialists. That’s certain.”

“So think about it: with so many people, how many irregular crystals do you expect to get? You don’t really think you’re the main character, do you? That you’ll just happen to be the ones blocking the fiend’s true body, right?”

“The reality is far more likely to be a wasted trip. If you have that time, wouldn’t it be better to deepen your understanding of your own techniques? Or find a way to obtain the second layer of the Spirit Swallow Manual. Wouldn’t the second layer of the Purple Dawn Manual be even better?”

Wei Cheng tried a different angle to persuade them.

But unexpectedly, Liu Sui hesitated, then lowered his voice and said, “Old Wei, as far as I know, the authorities have already mastered the second layer of three martial techniques, including various external arts. They’re using supercomputers to simulate them all now. It’s still unclear whether they can derive a third layer, but for widespread distribution and teaching the second layer, there’s no problem at all.”

“So this mission posted on the trialists’ official site is actually also a screening test. Only those willing to cooperate with the authorities, respond actively to the summons, and perform well in the mission will have a chance to receive a technique reward before the Seventh Gate opens.”

“Of course, that would definitely require the person to join the authorities or an official body led by the authorities, and from then on obey deployment and so on. It’s basically becoming semi-official personnel. But even so, it’s worth it.”

So that was it!

Wei Cheng suddenly understood. It was simply a matter of perspective as someone at the bottom of society—something he had never even considered.

Since everyone was starting from the same line, how could the authorities possibly lose to private forces?

“Fine, then you can go, but look out for one another. With your strength, self-preservation shouldn’t be a problem.” Wei Cheng finally nodded.

“Boss, you’re not going?” Yu Liang asked in surprise.

“What would I go for? I already have the second layer of the Mountain-Shifting Manual. Besides, I need to prepare for breaking through to the Nine-Cycle Mountain-Shifting stage. Sigh—only today, after logging onto the official site, did I realize there are always people better than you and skies beyond the sky. I’m still far too insignificant.”

Wei Cheng let out a long sigh, his expression utterly sincere. He was just a harmless good soul, the famed fool Wei. What ill intentions could he possibly have?

For a moment, the others really believed him. Mainly because when they had seen their own rankings on the official site earlier, they too had been deeply shaken. Liu Sui’s Six-Cycle Purple Dawn technique could only rank a little over two thousand, while Xu Shan’s Seven-Cycle Spirit Swallow technique was only ranked 5,381st.

That might not necessarily reflect true combat strength, but the difference probably would not be too large.

And Wei Cheng, who had always claimed to be the strongest Mountain-Shifter in their district, could only rank in the five hundreds. So such disappointment was understandable.

Thus, it was perfectly normal that Wei Cheng did not want to waste time going to City S.

How could those vague rewards compare with an imminent breakthrough to the Nine-Cycle stage?

Exactly. They all agreed that Wei Cheng was already at the threshold of breaking through.

“Then, Old Wei, we’ll make preparations and see whether we can find anyone else to form a team.”

“Good. I’ll be at home waiting for your good news.”

Wei Cheng smiled happily, turned, and went into the guest room. He drew the curtains and continued his secluded cultivation.

But in truth, his brow was furrowed in the dim light.

How could fiends that had once driven the cultivation world into panic and chaos possibly be so easy to deal with?

Was this time a trap?

Not necessarily.

But it could also be a testing stone, one that would expose the elite trialists in City P and the surrounding cities.

At present, the greatest flaw these trialists had was that upon entering a trial gate, they would fall into a sleep-like state for roughly ten minutes to an hour. At such times, they were practically meat on a chopping block.

The authorities might not fail to see this point, but with so many people and so little time, how could they attend to everyone?

Besides, the infiltrating fiend in City P had already been killed by him. So the last time he entered a trial gate, everything was normal—but that did not mean this time would be normal too.

City P was crisscrossed with routes in every direction; it would be easy to get in.

The trialists were the main force of Earth’s humanity’s resistance against the fiend invasion three hundred years from now. Now that these main forces were still seedlings, cutting them off in advance was the correct strategic move.

Thinking of this, Wei Cheng made his decision. He would also make a trip to City S—but not to take part in the encirclement.

He was going to watch.

If he could not find the infiltrating fiend hiding in the shadows, he could at least see clearly who would shine in this purge. Then he could carry out a mantis stalking the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind.

Of course, Wei Cheng also prepared himself for the possibility of returning empty-handed.

Those infiltrating fiends were not easy to handle.

He was in no hurry. He planned to wait until after dark, and not take a car. He would switch to the Spirit Swallow Manual and walk in a straight line. It would not consume much internal energy, and he estimated he could reach City S in just over ten minutes.

However, about half an hour later, Wei Cheng suddenly felt something stir within him. After waiting a moment, there came a knock at the door.

When he opened it, three officers in official uniforms stood outside.

But that was not the point. The point was that all three were trialists: one was a Nine-Cycle Mountain-Shifter, his aura vast as the sea and his spirit formidable, clearly someone who had already cultivated the second layer of the Mountain-Shifting Manual.

Another was a Seven-Cycle Purple Dawn cultivator, equally so.

The last was an Eight-Cycle Spirit Swallow cultivator.

With all three occupations represented, Wei Cheng had no confidence that he would gain any advantage.

“Excuse me, are you Mr. Wei Cheng?”

“Yes, that’s me.”

“Twenty days ago, did you go to East Peace Residential District?”