Chapter 195 - 119: One Man Suppressing a City

"But the time you accept challenges must be arranged by me. It has to be during the day, and more importantly, it has to be done in front of me..."

By saying this, Ji Qingyue wanted to minimize the danger Zhong Ming faced.

With her watching from the side, even if Zhong Ming lost, he would only be injured, not killed.

And as long as a person was alive, there was always hope of turning things around.

’I’ll go to the Treasure Vault later and request a high-grade healing Elixir Pill to have on hand.’

She genuinely had his best interests at heart, and her presence would provide him an extra layer of security during the duels. Because of this, Zhong Ming naturally wouldn’t object.

Not only did he not object, but he also offered a few suggestions.

"Oh, right. If someone wants to challenge me, remember to charge them a fee. Or, have them sign a contract with you stating that if they lose to me, they must join your side and work for you."

"Huh?"

Zhong Ming’s reply was completely unexpected, and she looked at him with a strange expression.

Zhong Ming, on the other hand, looked perfectly calm.

He wasn’t a real fool. He knew very well that this was a plot to "kill him with praise," a trap set for him by others.

Although he was prepared to walk into it because of the resources Prince Qinghe had given him, that didn’t mean he was going to suffer losses for nothing.

Of course, to maintain his ’arrogant’ persona, Zhong Ming had his own justification for charging a fee.

"As number one in the Qinghe Commandery Mansion, the time of a genius like me is very precious. I can’t just be challenged by any Tom, Dick, or Harry."

"Besides, giving them the chance to challenge a genius like me is already an immense honor. Isn’t it only reasonable that they pay a price for it!"

Although she found Zhong Ming’s words incredibly arrogant, charging a fee could deter others from challenging him. So, not only did Ji Qingyue plan to implement it, but she also intended to charge a hefty price in resources.

"Alright, I’ll go make the arrangements... *Sigh*, I hope this will keep you a little safer, Zhong Ming."

With that, Ji Qingyue prepared to leave, and Zhong Ming also prepared to cultivate.

However, before they could part ways, Yi Yunya led someone else in.

"Qinglian, what are you doing here?"

Her arrival filled Ji Qingyue with surprise and a hint of wariness.

Ji Qinglian, however, had a very casual expression on her face.

"I came to tell Zhong Ming his current situation is very dangerous, and to extend an invitation from my brother."

At this, Ji Qinglian saw the helpless look on her second sister’s face and noticed that Zhong Ming showed no trace of worry—only soaring confidence and eager anticipation.

This made her shrug. "Looks like I’ll be leaving empty-handed, then?"

"Indeed." Ji Qingyue gave a bitter smile, her face full of helplessness. "Zhong Ming doesn’t see this turmoil as a crisis. He believes he’s worthy of the title ’number one in the Prefecture City’."

"..." This outcome left Ji Qinglian speechless for a moment. In the end, she could only nod blankly. "I admit, that sounds incredibly arrogant and condescending, but coming from Zhong Ming, it somehow makes sense."

There was something else Ji Qinglian didn’t say: ’For one person to dominate an entire city and see everyone else as a challenger’—as outrageous and arrogant as that sounded, she actually felt there was a slight chance Zhong Ming could succeed.

’I must be going crazy.’

With this thought, she didn’t leave. Instead, she continued talking with Ji Qingyue.

The idea of forming an alliance with Ji Qingyue had occurred to her.

...

Zhong Ming paid no mind to the two women’s conversation.

He had already picked up the jade vial again. Uncorking it, a wisp of dark, yet strangely vital, aura of origin slowly drifted into his palm.

To ensure his safety during the fusion, Zhong Ming activated several Secret Techniques: [Mind Reading] to probe the will deep within the origin, [Bright Mirror Stilled Water - Ripples] and [As Clear as Daylight] to analyze the energy’s essence. The [Purifying Flame] of the Morning Star Candlelight Dragon was also gathering power in his sea of consciousness, ready to incinerate any Evil Spirits at a moment’s notice.

BUZZ!

The simultaneous operation of numerous Secret Techniques, combined with his detailed observation, caused Zhong Ming to trigger [Immersion].

The moment it triggered, Zhong Ming’s will traveled an infinite distance through this wisp of the Demon Star Tai Sui’s origin, resonating with its true body!

BOOM!

The instant he saw its true body, Zhong Ming’s pupils shrank, and his mind and body froze.

To Zhong Ming’s horror, the Demon Star Tai Sui was a behemoth thousands upon thousands of meters tall, like a Demon Star floating in the void, its entire body suffused with a dark, demonic light.

Furthermore, the Demon Star Tai Sui possessed a unique demonic nature. Corrupted by its Demonic Qi, the surrounding rocks, soil, and even the Mountain Copper Pillars and the gold and silver chains laced with starlight that bound and sealed this Forbidden Demon Object were all slowly transforming from mineral to flesh, as if being assimilated and devoured by it!

Even more terrifying, a rhyme of intent—one that sought to devour all things and grow in a wildly distorted manner—burst forth from the Demon Star Tai Sui and traveled toward Zhong Ming’s body.

BOOM!

Seeing this, Zhong Ming hurriedly activated his Candlelight Heart Eye, transforming it into a scorching Great Sun that hovered within his mind. He used the Solar Flame and Purifying Flame to continuously burn away that violent, demonic rhyme of intent.

At the same time, Zhong Ming stopped his Mind Reading and severed the mental resonance with it.

"Hooo..."

After a series of perilous maneuvers, Zhong Ming finally managed to expel most of that demonic nature.

But even with his decisive actions, a wisp of demonic nature still seeped into his physical body along with the aura of origin. The wisp of refined Demon Star Tai Sui origin, triggered by the resonance, abruptly fused into his body!

"Hungry... Hungry!!"

The moment of fusion, Zhong Ming felt his body erupt. Every cell screamed with a maddening hunger that washed over him like a tidal wave.

His Magical Power, qi and blood, and all the energy he had previously stored were devoured frenziedly by his cells, more than half of it consumed in an instant.

What was even more terrifying was that this hungry will tried to control his body, to make him lunge for the ground and devour the soil, the rocks, and everything else around him!

Fortunately, Zhong Ming was no pushover.

ROAR!

At the critical moment, the Morning Star Candlelight Dragon abruptly transformed into a Great Sun and unleashed an endless golden radiance. The demonic intent was immediately driven back by this sword-like golden light, expelling most of it.

[Breaking Evil Golden Light]

This was a Secret Technique Zhong Ming had comprehended from the Great Sun, and it was the ultimate counter to Demons and Evil Creatures.

However, after suppressing most of the all-consuming demonic nature, Zhong Ming did not use the Purifying Flame to expel it further.

’This demonic Dao Rhyme is indeed dangerous, but just as Prince Qinghe said, even a Demon can be a treasure if used correctly!’

’The Demon Star Tai Sui Power has unshackled my physical body.’

Thinking this, Zhong Ming immediately took out a large handful of Red Flame Golden Pattern Pills and stuffed them into his mouth.

BOOM!

Once the Elixir Pills entered his stomach, they transformed into a raging inferno, which was then devoured by his Candlelight Heart Eye.

Immediately after, the radiance of the Candlelight Heart Eye surged, transforming into countless streams of golden light.

Compared to the Breaking Evil Golden Light, this radiance was gentler, and it permeated every single cell in Zhong Ming’s body in the form of waves.

[Dao Rhyme - Flow of Water]

This was the method of Zhong Ming’s cultivation of "Star Heaven·Divine Monarch".

Because he had enough Red Flame Golden Pattern Pills and the solar light released by his Candlelight Heart Eye was sufficiently powerful, Zhong Ming’s problem in the past had never been a lack of energy, but the limited absorption capacity of his physical body.

But today, everything was different. With his physical shackles unlocked by the Demon Star Tai Sui Power, Zhong Ming’s cells had become like ravenous taotie, crazily devouring the light energy. And amidst this consumption, the strength of his cells soared at a speed visible to the naked eye.

Such a terrifying rate of improvement made Zhong Ming raise an eyebrow.

’This wisp of Demon Star Tai Sui origin... is it going to let me complete the first layer of "Star Heaven·Divine Monarch" in one go?’

A thread of anticipation grew in Zhong Ming, and he couldn’t help but marvel at the importance of resources.

At the same time, the thought of the sealed true body of the Demon Star Tai Sui came to mind, filling him with a sense of dread and prompting him to make a decision.

’From now on, I can never use Immersion to casually probe and resonate again... In a world teeming with strange Evil Gods, having too much Spirituality isn’t necessarily a good thing.’

’I was lucky this time. The Demon Star Tai Sui I resonated with was heavily sealed, so it didn’t affect me too much.’

’But next time, I might not be so lucky.’