Seeing that both Bing Wushuang and Jing Taiyang had already recruited people one after another while he himself had made no progress at all, it would be an outright lie to say Xue Jianming felt no urgency in his heart. In terms of ambition, he was far more far-reaching than the likes of Jing Taiyang, so naturally he was eager to establish his own merit and name.

"You're still hesitating at a time like this?" Xue Jianming could not help growing anxious at the look on Qin Yuanming's face, and reining in his patience he urged, "Now that your uncle has run into trouble, you've got no backing left at all in the North Island Cangwu Sect. How many cultivation resources it takes to make a push for the Golden Core—surely I don't need to spell that out for you? Given your position in the North Island Cangwu Sect, Brother Qin Yuanming, do you really think you have a chance?"

"No." Qin Yuanming shook his head decisively. At his level, the thing he cared about most was making the push for the Golden Core realm, but without sufficient cultivation resources—and especially without a Golden Core—that was nothing but a fool's dream.

"Which is exactly what I'm saying. A tree dies when it's moved, but a man comes alive when he moves. Since you know there's no future in carrying on like this, why insist on hanging yourself from the same tree until you're dead?" Xue Jianming said earnestly.

"That much is true, but this is betraying the sect, isn't it?" Qin Yuanming still found it hard to make up his mind. Deep as his resentment toward the North Island Cangwu Sect ran, the education he had received since childhood was deeply ingrained, and in the orthodox view betraying one's sect was all but an affront to heaven itself. The vast majority of people had not the nerve for it, and Qin Yuanming was naturally no exception.

"It's not nearly as serious as you make it out to be. For now it's only a secret pledge of allegiance—there's no need for you to do anything that betrays the sect, and no one will ever know." Xue Jianming hastily dispelled his misgivings and dangled the bait. "Think about it. As long as you work with me, I guarantee you'll make your push for the Golden Core realm in short order—and at the very worst you'll reach the consummation of Foundation Establishment in an extremely short time. That's worth decades of bitter cultivation!"

"Really? How short is 'extremely short'?" Qin Yuanming's eyes lit up.

"One day." Xue Jianming rejoiced inwardly. The last time he had said this, Qin Yuanming had shown no such excited reaction. That meant success was not far off.

"What? One day?" Qin Yuanming was so startled he nearly sank, and it took a violent choke of water before he recovered.

"Brother Qin Yuanming, do you know what realm I'm in now?" Xue Jianming suddenly asked, putting on a lofty air.

"Isn't it the consummation of Foundation Establishment?" Qin Yuanming was taken aback. He knew only that Bing Wushuang and Xue Jianming had suddenly taken pills and recovered; like everyone else, he had no idea of the two men's true strength.

Xue Jianming gave a smug哼—snort. Taking advantage of the fact that no one was around, he released his full aura without reservation for a single instant, and Qin Yuanming was instantly stunned speechless. Stammering, he said, "G-Golden Core?!"

"That's right, the Golden Core realm. Now you understand what it means to work with me." Xue Jianming laughed smugly.

"All right, I'll follow you!" Qin Yuanming nodded heavily at once, without the slightest hesitation remaining. He had already been persuaded, and now that he had seen living proof in Xue Jianming himself, what was there left to hesitate about?

"Excellent. But not yet—slipping away without permission would only invite suspicion. We'll wait until the rotation comes around." Xue Jianming was overjoyed.

Three days later, Xue Jianming indeed brought Qin Yuanming to see Dr. Glasses. After taking the improved version of the pills produced by the Center, his strength surged, and he soon became an expert at the consummation of Foundation Establishment—though he failed to break through smoothly to the Golden Core realm. After all, even Xue Jianming had only broken through from the consummation of Foundation Establishment to the early Golden Core stage; Qin Yuanming's aptitude was simply no match for his, so a failed attempt at the Golden Core was only to be expected.

Of course, even without a successful push for the Golden Core, so long as he had taken the Center's improved pills, Qin Yuanming had already climbed aboard the Center's pirate ship, just like Bing Wushuang and the rest—no longer master of his own fate, and with no possibility of getting off the ship now.

Once aboard the pirate ship, Qin Yuanming was less than willing, but he still had no choice but to go back and find ways to draw other fellow disciples into secretly joining the Center. Otherwise, if Dr. Glasses did not give him the antidote, his life would be in grave danger.

"This is getting a bit much..." Wei Zhao had seen all of this. In the spirit of letting sleeping dogs lie, he could turn a blind eye to Dr. Glasses and his people quietly recruiting disciples of other Taigu sects. But now that even the North Island Cangwu Sect had been targeted, he could no longer sit by and do nothing—after all, his ties with the North Island Cangwu Sect ran deep, and they could be counted as half his own people.

If it were only Qin Yuanming betraying them in secret all by himself, that would be one thing, but the key was that he would keep recruiting other fellow disciples. Let things go on like that, and in the end a whole crowd might be dragged down with him—then the joke would truly be on them.

Wei Zhao was minded to get rid of this Qin Yuanming, but he feared that causing a death would only alert the enemy and stir up trouble. After thinking it over for a long while, he finally decided to simply arrest him first.

That day Qin Yuanming was surveying the ranks of his fellow disciples for candidates and had picked out a junior brother he normally got along with fairly well. Just as he was about to strike up a conversation and feel him out, Wei Zhao suddenly called him over.

"Grand-uncle Master, may I ask what you wanted to see me about?" Qin Yuanming was somewhat flustered inside. After all, there was no real connection between him and Wei Zhao whatsoever, and for the man to call on him so abruptly gave him an inexplicable sense of foreboding.

"Oh, there's a small matter I need your help with. Would you come with me for a moment?" Wei Zhao said mildly.

"Help? Shall I go and fetch Uncle Master Xin?" Qin Yuanming said guardedly.

"No need. He's busy overseeing the undersea mining right now—it's not worth troubling him over such a trifle. You alone will do." With that, Wei Zhao turned and walked off, giving the other man no chance to refuse.

"This..." Qin Yuanming hesitated for a moment, but in the end he steeled himself and followed. As a traitor, the thing he feared most was being seen as different from the rest. Faced with a request from Wei Zhao—a grand-uncle master whom even Xin Yi'an had to wait on with care—a rash refusal would absolutely invite suspicion. For now, he could only take things one step at a time.

Fortunately, he was now an expert at the consummation of Foundation Establishment, and he reckoned that even if he could not beat Wei Zhao, who was likewise at the consummation of Foundation Establishment, he would at least have the strength to protect himself. Nothing should go wrong.

The two of them came one after the other to a secluded spot on the island, and only then did Wei Zhao finally stop. Turning back, he looked Qin Yuanming up and down and said, "So how does the Center's improved pill sit with you?" To be continued.