A Lecture at Vermilion Clouds Palace

"I still have to go to Vermilion Clouds Palace?"

"Go!"

As students Hongku had expelled, no one among the mages dared take over Zhang Xuezhou and Wu Chao's training, while the venerables had no need to take on apprentices.

Just as Wu Chao had predicted months ago, the struggle had left both him and Zhang Xuezhou as cast-off disciples.

But this was already the best outcome the two of them could have hoped for.

In that contest, far too many factors had been beyond their control.

As the side plotting against Hongku, they had nearly all met their end before the real battle even began.

Zhang Xuezhou was satisfied with how things had turned out, and Wu Chao was immensely relieved as well. Neither sought anything more.

"You need to understand that your Technique Within the Clouds came from Venerable Lei. If you want to make the most of its strengths, you have to go to Vermilion Clouds Palace," Hongku said. "And you need to seize this opportunity I've recommended to you. Venerable Lei values talent, but he won't devote himself to a cast-off disciple of Yedie River Holy Land. You won't have many chances to truly master the Technique Within the Clouds."

Zhang Xuezhou wavered. He did not want to be drawn into the vortex of conflict between Hongku and the venerables again.

Among the venerables, Hongku, a latecomer, was on poor terms with the others. There was hardly any possibility of him spending time with another venerable, much less using something imbued with a venerable's presence to cast a Technique.

Zhang Xuezhou knew very well that if he went to Vermilion Clouds Palace, Hongku would have to cast a Technique on him, and he would have to do things for Hongku as well.

But the Technique Within the