Chapter 97 - 75: Supreme Sword Intent! Against a Myriad of Arts, I Need But One Sword

Zhong Ming understood which was more important: his own life, or his Sword Heart.

"..." Mulling this over, Zhong Ming gave a bitter smile. "If I don’t treat the Sword Dao as my top priority, if I don’t have the resolve to ’hear the Dao in the morning and die content in the evening,’ then strictly speaking, I suppose I’m a fraud."

"A Sword Heart is about cultivating the mind. It’s about forging ahead, fearing nothing."

"But for me, my own life comes first. My Sword Heart and Sword Intent are secondary."

"Without being one with the sword and myself alone, it would normally be very difficult for me to nurture Sword Intent."

"Fortunately, I’m not normal."

As he thought this, Zhong Ming glanced down at his Heaven Rewards Diligence panel. A light rekindled in his eyes.

"With its help, even with a flawed Mental Realm, I can still cultivate the Supreme Sword Intent!"

...

While Zhong Ming contemplated his situation, Yi Yunya, having understood his reasoning, no longer had any doubts about his decision.

"Senior Brother, you made the right choice. Your path and the paths of our other brothers and sisters are what’s most important."

"Whether or not Longxi Peak rises depends on all of you in the end."

"If all of you can comprehend the Sword Heart during this trial, then even if we fail the assessment, it will still be a victory for us..."

Before she could finish, Zhong Ming waved his hand dismissively. "We won’t fail."

Zhong Ming couldn’t bring himself to sacrifice everything for the sword.

But he had managed to cultivate the mindset of being invincible among his peers.

This was also why Zhong Ming said his Mental Realm was merely flawed.

’I just can’t achieve that state of being one with the sword and myself alone, but I have no problem with absolute pride and confidence.’

"...You’re right, Senior Brother. I misspoke. Even without anyone else’s help, with you leading us, we can still take first place."

"Sword Heart..." Zhuang Yi declared, "Zhong Ming, let’s compete later and see who comprehends the Sword Heart first."

Zhong Ming’s words had made Zhuang Yi feel fired up again, and he wanted to challenge Zhong Ming once more.

"...Whatever makes you happy."

In response, Zhong Ming just shook his head without saying anything.

As they spoke, the group began to walk outside.

Then, at a corner of the plaza, he found the B-Class Disciples of Longxi Peak and spotted his follower—Xie Yushuang.

She also had a B-level Rating, so she could only wait outside the Profound Secret Hall.

What made Zhong Ming’s brow furrow, however, was that Xie Yushuang was currently surrounded by a crowd, the air filled with the ceaseless sounds of accusations and curses.

"Traitor!"

"You’ve completely disgraced Cuixiang Mountain..."

"You could have pledged your loyalty to anyone, so why did you have to choose Longxi Peak..."

Su Lingya had said she didn’t mind Xie Yushuang’s choice, but from the attitudes Lin Yuxuan and Ning Yunlu had just shown, it was clear that she was the only one on all of Cuixiang Mountain who felt that way.

When the others learned of Xie Yushuang’s decision, they all felt as if they had been personally betrayed.

And a traitor is always more hated than an enemy.

Therefore, upon seeing Xie Yushuang again, the disciples of Cuixiang Mountain were extremely hostile. Many of them had even sought her out to confront her.

Fortunately, Xie Yushuang was not completely alone.

After the Longxi Peak disciples learned that she had pledged herself to Zhong Ming, they were surprised but also pleased.

’Senior Brother Zhong Ming is truly amazing, to be able to attract someone from another peak to join him willingly.’

Thinking this, a group led by Jiang Yue saw that Xie Yushuang was being bullied and immediately stepped forward, forming a protective circle around her.

However, Cuixiang Mountain was undeniably more powerful than Longxi Peak, and the outcome of this confrontation was not looking good for them.

It was into this very situation that Zhong Ming walked out of the Profound Secret Hall and saw what was happening.

His expression turned icy as he strode step by step into the center of the standoff.

"..."

His appearance, along with the chilling aura radiating from him, caused the clamoring crowd to fall silent for a moment.

The title of A-Class Disciple held a certain deterrent power, even among disciples from other peaks.

However, most of the Cuixiang Mountain disciples felt their peak was superior to Longxi Peak, which gave them a sense of superiority when looking down on its members.

And though Zhong Ming was strong, they believed there was strength in their numbers and that they had no reason to fear him.

’So what if he’s a good fighter? We outnumber them several times over. If we all attack together, he’s no match for us!’

Holding such a belief, they had taken a step back when Zhong Ming arrived, but someone quickly stepped forward again to issue a harsh threat:

"So you’re Zhong Ming. Hmph. Acting like that, are you trying to make a complete enemy of our Cuixiang Mountain?!"

The one who spoke was a male cultivator from Cuixiang Mountain named Yuan Wei. He was also the one who had instigated this incident.

The reason for it was quite simple.

He had once pursued Xie Yushuang, but she had rejected him without a second thought. He considered this a humiliation.

Originally, he hadn’t dared to retaliate, wary of the Xie Family’s power.

But Xie Yushuang’s act of attaching herself to Zhong Ming made him feel that she had Fallen and was now beneath him.

Driven by jealousy and a desire for revenge, he had been constantly spreading the word on Cuixiang Mountain that Xie Yushuang was a traitor. Just now, he was the one who had gathered a group to insult and taunt her.

Now, facing the intervening Zhong Ming, he did feel a flicker of fear.

But he quickly remembered that his own Cuixiang Mountain was stronger than Longxi Peak, and this emboldened him:

"I suggest you mind your own business. This is an internal matter for Cuixiang Mountain. Hand over Xie Yushuang, and we won’t pursue this any further with you."

"Otherwise, you will have made a terrifying enemy in the upcoming Seven Peaks Grand Competition!"

He was threatening Zhong Ming. Hearing this, Zhong Ming didn’t show a trace of fear. Instead, he laughed. "It really takes all sorts to make a world, doesn’t it?"

"I guess I was expecting too much, thinking everyone would be intelligent."

After this lament, Zhong Ming looked at the Cuixiang Mountain cultivators before him, his expression as still as an ancient well. "As you wish."

At these words, Yuan Wei’s face lit up with ecstasy, mixed with a hint of contempt for Zhong Ming. He thought Zhong Ming was abandoning Xie Yushuang.

This made him look at Xie Yushuang with an expression full of mockery and scorn.

It was as if to say—*the person you pledged yourself to is nothing but a coward.*

However, before the joy on his face could fully bloom, Zhong Ming’s voice rang out again. And his next words made Yuan Wei realize with dawning horror that he had just made a huge mistake.

"As you wish. In the Seven Peaks Grand Competition, we will be enemies."

"But you’ve gotten one thing wrong. The one who has provoked a terrifying enemy isn’t Longxi Peak. It’s Cuixiang Mountain."

As he said this, Zhong Ming’s tone wasn’t angry at all. In fact, it was calm—so calm it was almost indifferent.

But that indifferent tone also carried an unshakeable resolve.

PLINK!

The moment Zhong Ming’s voice fell, the sound of a spring drop landing on stone echoed out of thin air in everyone’s ears.

Following the sound of the dripping water was a wave of pressure.

A terrifying, horrifying, and overwhelming might that made the disciples of Cuixiang Mountain feel as if the very heavens had darkened and were crashing down upon them!

OMMM!