Chapter 29 - 28: Cultivating Longxi Swordsmanship, The First Stage, Sword Unification Stream

’Jie Mai? ... Is that what I think it is? If so, this Magic Technique will be of great use.’

After muttering to himself, Zhong Ming took this Cultivation Technique as well.

He also took out some Cultivation Insights left by his predecessors.

After returning to the Cultivation Dojo with these books, Zhong Ming began to study them meticulously.

But his cold, detached attitude—ignoring everything to focus solely on his cultivation—didn’t actually displease anyone.

Even the people he had just driven away were speaking up for him.

"He was rated A Class, and he still isn’t slacking off one bit. Zhong Ming totally earned his success."

"Exactly. Now that’s the proper attitude for Cultivation..."

As long as you’re strong enough, someone will always be there to defend you.

Having been rated A Class, Zhong Ming was now receiving this kind of treatment on Longxi Peak.

Unfortunately, no matter what they said, Zhong Ming had no interest in paying them any mind. As for followers, he had so far only accepted Dong Sea.

Right now, he was more focused on practicing the Longxi Swordsmanship.

"Inhale... Exhale..."

After taking a deep breath to calm his mind, Zhong Ming spread the manual for the Longxi Swordsmanship open on his lap. He then activated his Mind Reading ability to read the book and comprehend its secrets.

But what Zhong Ming—completely engrossed in his reading—didn’t know was that as he read, one... no, two people were watching him constantly.

Those two were, of course, Yi Yunya and Orchid.

Seeing her mistress staring at Zhong Ming in a daze, Orchid felt extremely frustrated.

She understood why her mistress was paying so much attention to Zhong Ming... It was because she couldn’t accept what had happened.

They had been so close. Zhong Ming could have become their ally, allowing them to completely turn the situation around.

But because they had just missed their chance, Zhong Ming was lost to them, leaving the two of them feeling especially vexed and full of regret.

However, Orchid knew all too well that such a mindset was detrimental to one’s Cultivation.

So, after a moment’s hesitation, she advised Yi Yunya, "My Lady, I know you can’t accept that we lost our chance with Zhong Ming. But since it’s already happened, we need to look forward. We can’t dwell on the past."

"Besides, Zhong Ming only advanced on the seventh day. Even though he was rated A Class, his Talent..."

Before Orchid could finish, Yi Yunya looked over. "You think his Talent is poor."

"Uh..." Her mistress’s serious gaze confused Orchid. After a moment of thought, she said, "To be rated A Class, Zhong Ming’s Talent is obviously very strong. He ranks among the top disciples on Longxi Peak."

"But among all the A Class prodigies in the Seven Profound Sect, his Talent must be at the very bottom, right? After all, he’s ranked thirty-ninth..."

Orchid’s voice grew quieter and her words more hesitant as she spoke. This was because as Yi Yunya listened, her eyes filled with deep disappointment.

That look made Orchid unable to stop herself from asking, "My Lady, am I wrong?"

"Of course you are. You’ve forgotten something. Xue Yao called Zhong Ming ’the strongest’."

"Huh?" Stunned, Orchid blurted out, "But that was just a joke, wasn’t it...?"

Orchid fell silent before the words were even out of her mouth.

This was a clear example of the effect Zhong Ming’s promotion to A Class had on the people of Longxi Peak.

Previously, when Zhong Ming had yet to open his Qi Sea Acupoint, no one had believed Xue Yao when she’d said it.

The gap between a Mortal and a Qi Cultivation disciple was so vast that everyone preferred to believe Xue Yao was just seeing him through rose-colored glasses. They didn’t think his Talent was exceptional, let alone that he was the strongest on Longxi Peak.

But now that Zhong Ming had unbelievably opened his Qi Sea Acupoint within seven days and been rated A Class—all with a mere third-class Spiritual Root—even Orchid had to seriously reconsider Xue Yao’s words. She had to entertain the possibility that what Xue Yao said was true: Zhong Ming really could be the strongest on Longxi Peak.

But Yi Yunya, being far more calculating, was thinking much deeper.

’Xue Yao might be cold, but she’s not one to lie. If she called Zhong Ming the strongest, then there’s a very high probability that he really is.’

’More importantly, Zhong Ming was just a Mortal back then... If he was the strongest even then, how powerful is he now that he’s opened his Qi Sea Acupoint?’

As her thoughts reached this point, Yi Yunya’s pupils suddenly constricted. A rare idea began to form in her mind.

Then, hesitant and conflicted, she spoke to Orchid.

"Orchid, what do you think? Should I join his team as a partner and form an alliance with him?"

"Uh..."

Her mistress’s question left Orchid speechless once again.

If Yi Yunya wanted an alliance, she should have been approaching Zhong Ming as a fellow leader.

An alliance is founded on equal standing.

Joining a team led by Zhong Ming wasn’t an alliance; it was... subordination.

This made Orchid’s voice turn hoarse. "My Lady, do we really need to go that far?"

...

While the mistress and servant pair were pondering Zhong Ming, Mo Shuying, who had left earlier, was also thinking of him, a trace of guilt in her heart.

’I’m sorry, but this is for the good of Longxi Peak.’

As Mo Shuying thought this, it wasn’t because she had embezzled Zhong Ming’s resources.

She had given him all the resources and benefits provided by the sect, not holding back a single thing.

What made Mo Shuying feel indebted was the fact that, as a power that had existed for hundreds of years, Longxi Peak had its own private reserves.

And at a time when Longxi Peak’s very survival was at stake, these reserves could, of course, be used.