Here came Hui Sai Cheong again, the chubby, smiley man who was naturally amusing to look at.
His character made it almost impossible to be linked with the mysterious Cloud Palace. Instead, his juniors Wat Suen and Wong Kei, who bore powerful auras, fit the stereotype of Cloud Palace: lowkey, composed, yet greatly mysterious. Everything that the teens had learnt about them was just the tip of the iceberg.447Please respect copyright.PENANAGp2ZFd5rXf
The scariest thing in the world was the unknown.
But Hui Sai Cheong…447Please respect copyright.PENANAQisAEDzZvZ
“Ah ha! It's finally my turn.” He tried his best to bend down to express his courtesy but failed due to his round tummy, which was greatly amusing to watch. “I am sure you have heard my previous introduction, but let me do it again.
“I'm Hui Sai Cheong, the third teacher of Cloud Palace and your examiner for stage three!” Hui Sai Cheong stood in front of the “three” straw hut with a smile while counting to himself.
“Ah, we're just in time,” Hui Sai Cheong suddenly said and went into the straw hut in a hurry.447Please respect copyright.PENANAJOG9ZNzWFv
When he returned to the eyes of the participants, he was holding a huge pot; even larger than him, with dark green smoke escaping through the lid, which left the teenagers in goosebumps.447Please respect copyright.PENANAe371L5lVSi
What on earth is that!?447Please respect copyright.PENANABl9fRK2p35
Hui Sai Cheong laughed. Removing the lid, the green smoke gushed up into the air and spread across the area. A nauseating stench filled the place and even overpowered the refreshing scent of grass. Some even heard the sound of grass decaying!447Please respect copyright.PENANAnxwWUQDGpA
The female cultivators like Mung Si, Ping Ching, and Kong Yau all frowned. Even though, as cultivators that had proven to have a strong heart by making it to this stage, they were subconsciously feeling great disgust towards such a stench.447Please respect copyright.PENANA9ZJjoNTHqq
Hui Sai Cheong took a deep breath and nodded in satisfaction as if he did not notice how revolting the smell was. “Mhmm, very good.”
The next second, a long table appeared out of nowhere followed by bowls! There were thirty of them in total.447Please respect copyright.PENANAW84Qo08C2J
And the teenagers watched the happy Hui Sai Cheong fill the bowls with a gooey, dark green substance using a ladle…The third teacher is an expert in culinary arts… don't… tell me that we have to eat that…447Please respect copyright.PENANASTfR8FBOUB
As they were deep in thought, Hui Sai Cheong proved them correct with an announcement. “Everybody! You will each take a bowl and consume it. This will be the test for this stage. To pass, you have to eat it; those who vomit will be disqualified immediately!”447Please respect copyright.PENANAwrxg5IMtwH
Indeed! The crowd thought to themselves. However, this was a blessing in disguise to them. Being cultivators, they at least had enough courage to drink this weird looking slop.447Please respect copyright.PENANALR3Ciqg6MV
Very soon, all participants had picked up a bowl as they kept reminding themselves to never spit it out no matter the taste.447Please respect copyright.PENANAYmTgauwbXS
Gluggle…The teens downed the green content quickly. This proved that appearances couldn't scare them.447Please respect copyright.PENANA19C54KdZDQ
If they were cowards, they would have been disqualified back at the Go stage and wouldn’t be drinking a bowl of green slop right now to begin with.447Please respect copyright.PENANA8arTiLBYfN
However, they soon realized that this stage wasn't as simple as they thought.447Please respect copyright.PENANAfnYOyGzMtQ
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The first person to experience side effects was Woo Hung. His expulsion from the outer sect wasn’t a reflection of his true capability; he was still a talented teen that surpassed many of his peers, and this could be seen by how he was offered the crown prince badge by Lam Zaa.
People who earned a crown prince badge would become part of Lam Zaa's future team to build the South with him when Lam Zaa became the emperor. By then, Woo Hung would be an important figure in the South too.447Please respect copyright.PENANANxmEyn83UQ
Therefore, his desires and fears did not stop him as he stood up from his setback and stood behind Lam Zaa now.447Please respect copyright.PENANAyIpXuInmFL
Yet changes took place to his body after consuming the dark green substance.447Please respect copyright.PENANAQA9FsuzpVO
Frankly, the dark green substance wasn't as bad as its revolting stench suggested, and it even made one feel refreshed after consumption. However, his body emitted green smoke within no time and started to burn.447Please respect copyright.PENANAjIqqnykddM
Woo Hung was drenched in sweat within no time.447Please respect copyright.PENANAeDXMzxDxVD
“What's… going on!?” Very soon, many other participants experienced what Woo Hung did. It was a great discomfort. Woo Hung felt a surge of hot substance gushing to his throat, and On Kuet who stood next to Lam Zaa was also amongst those feeling sick.447Please respect copyright.PENANArM2FX3BxF0
“Ah…” Countless sounds of vomiting rang out, and puddles of vomit were seen on the ground.447Please respect copyright.PENANAa5re1ixrPu
Hui Sai Cheong covered his small eyes and blinked. “I'm sorry, but you guys are disqualified.” He waved his hands, and the sick participants disappeared along with their puddle of vomit as if they were erased!447Please respect copyright.PENANAWUPsc8IB70
Those that had yet to figure out what was going on looked around in confusion. They didn’t even understand how their peers were eliminated!
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Being the lively person that Hui Sai Cheong was, different from the cold Wat Suen or the mysterious Wong Kei that fit the Cloud Palace stereotype better, he explained.447Please respect copyright.PENANAZ6WlWL3JcX
“You guys are lucky; that's Cleanse, as well as the test of this stage.447Please respect copyright.PENANAa0kVXdjrSB
“Those that vomited will soon realize the advantage of it. Everyone cultivates differently, some cultivate slowly with hard work while the more fortunate ones might have taken many boosters, like elixirs and pills, to help them due to their background,” Hui Sai Cheong explained seriously.447Please respect copyright.PENANAUgPrIr23vp
“The saying that all medicine is thirty percent poisonous is true. Consuming elixirs or pills is indeed useful but can be harmful if you eat too many.447Please respect copyright.PENANAcEgzuDywKD
“Cleanse is a g-food that can help force this poison out of their body.447Please respect copyright.PENANAxnlN5O8rmf
“Those that vomited obviously consumed pills and elixirs at a high frequency, thus the energliph soup caused them to vomit all the poison out. This also proved that they relied on medicine rather than themselves for cultivation.
“Even though they were disqualified this time, it will be beneficial to them in the future,” Hui Sai Cheong said.
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However, which of the eliminated disciples would know the purpose of this stage? They were busy fuming in anger at the field of the outer sect, assuming that Hui Sai Cheong cheated them and poisoned their bowls!447Please respect copyright.PENANAyu2SuWujSK
Their assumption made their anger boil and they asked for justice.
These disciples cultivated through a gigantic amount of elixirs and pills after all, and that proved their rich background; these items were obviously purchased with great wealth. Seeing their disciples being disqualified, the clan leaders or institution principals who heard about the story could hold their anger no more.
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