The onlookers, whether they supported Ji Qinglian or Ji Qingyue, were all utterly dumbfounded.
The way they looked at Zhong Ming was incredibly complex.
āHow can you be so arrogant and self-righteous about it?ā
They were marveling at him, but some also wanted to mock him out loud.
"Still talking tough when youāre about to die!"
"Heh..." Standing before Zhong Ming, Ji Qinglian was so angered she let out a cold laugh.
But just as she opened her mouth to say something, a HUM echoed as a pinprick of light, like a candle flame, blossomed from Zhong Mingās left eye.
BOOM!
The next moment, this light flared and spread across Zhong Mingās entire body.
As the Flame spread like ripples on water, a bright point of light, like a star, appeared on the surface of Zhong Mingās body.
"Uh..."
This sight made the words Ji Qinglian had been about to say die in her throat.
Having a thorough understanding of the Star HeavenĀ·Divine Monarch, she knew this was one of the thirty-six acupoints on the bodyās surface.
For a point of light to appear in this location meant only one thing: Zhong Ming... had successfully begun cultivating.
However, this scene also shattered her composure.
"Impossible!"
She couldnāt believe it. The hearts of the people behind her also skipped a beat, their breath catching in their throats.
It took them a long moment to react, and they cried out with faces full of shock, "This makes no sense!"
"How could an arrogant bastard like you possibly comprehend the Star HeavenĀ·Divine Monarch!"
"Isnāt this Cultivation Technique only supposed to be practiced at night?"
"I donāt believe it..."
As they exclaimed in unison, Zhong Ming simply spread his hands, a look of helplessness on his face.
"See? This is what I donāt get. Why do you all find this so difficult? Achieving Initiation for a Cultivation Technique is something anyone with hands can do."
As he spoke, the fiery light from his left eye continued to spread across his body.
HUM!
And soon, another acupoint on his body lit up.
Zhong Ming merely gave it a nonchalant glance before saying with a sincere expression:
"See? Isnāt it easy?"
"You just burn it with fire, and the acupoint opens up."
As he spoke, Zhong Ming spread his arms wide and took a step forward. "Difficult? What part of it is difficult?"
"Why donāt I feel it at all?"
HUM! HUM! HUM!
Before he had even finished speaking, three more bright points lit up in succession on his body.
The five flickering points of light, combined with the rippling Flame, made it seem as though Zhong Ming was wearing a robe adorned with starlight.
"I..."
"This..."
"Cough, cough... PFFT..."
Zhong Mingās words, coupled with the successive acupoints lighting up on his body, caused the expressions of Ji Qinglian and her followers to twist in frustration.
With their mouths agape, they stared at the illogical yet very real scene before them, completely at a loss for words.
Someone became so agitated that they couldnāt catch their breath and directly spat out a mouthful of blood.
Well... this happened not just because of Zhong Mingās taunts, but because their Dao Heart had shattered.
They despised Zhong Ming for being arrogant, conceited, disrespectful, and crude. Those who followed Ji Qinglian had looked down on him.
But now, the very person they despised, Zhong Ming, had achieved Initiation in the Star HeavenĀ·Divine Monarch in an incredibly short time. In contrast, they had studied the Cultivation Technique for nearly half a month and achieved nothing.
They simply couldnāt accept this disparity.
Because of this, someone collapsed to the ground, their eyes staring blankly. "Why? Why are the heavens so unfair? To grant such Talent to such a stuā a divine person!"
While they were spitting blood and having breakdowns, the changes on Zhong Mingās body were not yet over.
HUM!
Soon, two more acupoints lit up on Zhong Mingās body. At this point, the number of lit acupoints on him had reached a total of seven.
The Flame, wreathed in starlight, made Zhong Ming look like a celestial being.
Maintaining this posture, Zhong Ming advised Ji Qinglian in a sincere tone, "Princess, what I told you before was truly for your own good. These failures who canāt even achieve Initiation in a Cultivation Technique... thereās simply no need to recruit them."
"You are a Commandery Princess. You canāt be so desperate that youāll take just anyone."
"Parading around with such losers is just pathetic."
CRACK!
Zhong Mingās belittling of Ji Qinglianās followers was too much for them. They could no longer bear it. One of them stood up and roared at Zhong Ming, "You..."
His voice had just rung out when, with a HUM, another āstarā lit up on Zhong Mingās body.
"..."
This sight made the man who had stood up choke on his words, leaving him speechless.
Zhong Ming raised an eyebrow. "What about me?"
"Where do you think I was wrong!"
HUM! The ninth star lit up on Zhong Mingās body.
Faced with Zhong Mingās questioning, and seeing the stars light up on his body one after another, the man didnāt know what to say, much less how to argue... His eyes rolled back, and he āfaintedā on the spot.
"..."
This scene left even Zhong Ming a little speechless.
āHeās quite a character, this one.ā
Not wanting to make things difficult for the man, Zhong Ming turned his gaze to Ji Qinglian and said earnestly, "Princess, really, you should eat better... cough, cough, I mean, you should recruit some real geniuses. At this rate, people will think thereās no one of worth in Prince Qingheās Mansion..."
Halfway through his sentence, Zhong Ming seemed to remember something, and the look he gave Ji Qinglian changed. "Wait, you were the one who started this bet... Donāt tell me you also think cultivating the Star HeavenĀ·Divine Monarch is difficult, do you?"