Chapter 187: Chapter 117: A Sword Rises from the Sea of the Heart, Slashing Foe and Self

"He won? He actually won? And in such a way?!"

The onlookers weren’t the only ones shaken to their core. Even Ji Qingyue, the one Zhong Ming had pledged himself to, was utterly stunned by his performance.

It was clear that even she had never imagined Zhong Ming could win so effortlessly.

And after he’d instantly defeated Zhu Hao with a single glance, a thought sparked in Ji Qingyue’s mind—one so incredible it was hard to believe, yet it filled her with ecstatic joy.

’Could it be that all of Zhong Ming’s outrageous claims weren’t just empty boasts, but truths he could actually deliver on?!’

"I’m a peerless prodigy."

"Cultivation Techniques? That’s a cakewalk."

"No need to recruit anyone else. I alone can push you to the top."

Recalling Zhong Ming’s past words and deeds, Ji Qingyue realized that while his words might have been arrogant, he had delivered on every single one, never once falling short.

’No, if he can back it up, then he isn’t arrogant. That’s the soaring, dashing confidence unique to a peerless prodigy.’

At that moment, a light was Flowing in Ji Qingyue’s eyes, and a heroic passion bloomed in her heart. ’This is how a young prodigy should be.’

’I’ve actually drawn a trump card!’

At first, she’d thought he was an unpredictable wild card, but after a little probing, she discovered he was a trump card capable of turning the tables completely.

An opportunity like this brought an unconcealable smile to Ji Qingyue’s face. Her joy was plain to see, radiating from her very expression.

But where there is joy, there is also sorrow.

And Ji Qinglian was the one filled with sorrow... or rather, jealousy.

Naturally, the object of her jealousy was her own sister.

Seeing the undisguised joy on Ji Qingyue’s face, an extreme envy and jealousy nearly burned her reason to cinders. She ground her teeth so hard they audibly clicked.

’Why do you get all the good things?’ At that moment, Ji Qinglian’s Heart Spirit was churning with resentment. ’If Zhong Ming were supporting me, could I escape my brother’s control...? No, it would be more than just escaping. If that wasn’t a trick and Zhong Ming truly possesses that kind of strength, with his full support, not only could I act on my own volition, I could also obtain a huge amount of resources from the Commandery Prince’s Mansion.’

In this world, strength was what ultimately mattered.

And Zhong Ming, compared to the truly powerful, was nothing right now.

But by instantly defeating an Inner Sect Disciple of a Major Sect with a single glance, he had put his Talent on full display.

With such potential, no one would dare to underestimate his future.

Once she understood this, Ji Qinglian’s gaze grew incredibly fervent.

’So what if he sided with my sister first? The one who laughs last is the real winner.’

...

The crowd’s shock and the turmoil in their minds were complex, but it all happened simultaneously, taking no more than a few seconds in real time.

Just then, Zhu Hao could no longer hold himself up. He collapsed to the ground with a THUD, his breathing faint.

"Senior Brother!"

His collapse snapped Zhuang Mingzhu back to her senses, and she cried out as she rushed to his side.

She had only acted now not because she didn’t care, but because Zhong Ming had been no different from an ant in her eyes. She had never imagined that her senior brother would lose to him, let alone so miserably.

The utterly bizarre outcome had left her mind blank. She was only just now snapping out of it.

After checking Zhu Hao’s injuries and seeing his Divine Soul was severely wounded and his breathing was faint, Zhuang Mingzhu immediately spun around and snarled at Zhong Ming, "Bastard! What kind of vile trick did you use?"

Her words made Zhong Ming, who had been walking away lazily, turn his head back. A careless smile played on his lips.

"Why do you assume I used some kind of trick? Has it ever occurred to you that you’re just too pathetic?"

Before she could respond, he shrugged. His expression was casual, but every word was a needle. "You’ve said it yourselves before, that I consider the younger generation of the Void Moon Sect to be trash. Do you really think I need to use tricks to deal with a bunch of trash? That would be effortless."

SNAP!

The single word, "trash," made Zhuang Mingzhu clench her jaw, her face burning with shame and humiliation.

It was just as they say: lies don’t hurt, but the truth is a swift blade.

Before this, they had never considered Zhong Ming a threat. So when they slandered him, they said the word casually, without feeling any shame. 𝑓𝑟𝑒𝘦𝓌𝑒𝑏𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝘭.𝒸𝘰𝑚

It was like an adult paying no mind to a child’s threats.

But now that Zhong Ming had defeated them with a single glance and called them trash, the situation was completely different.

The brutal reality was like a sharp knife plunged viciously into her chest.

The peculiar looks from the surrounding crowd made Zhuang Mingzhu feel utterly humiliated.

No one said a word, but Zhuang Mingzhu felt as if she could read the thoughts behind their eyes.

’So this is a disciple from a Major Sect? They’re not that strong.’

’Getting beaten with a single glance by a disciple from a minor sect they looked down on... How pathetic!’

’Heh, and they were the ones who started it...’

These imagined thoughts made Zhuang Mingzhu burn with fury, and the look she shot at Zhong Ming was utterly vicious.

But as Zhong Ming’s indifferent gaze swept over her, she instinctively flinched and hastily turned her head away, not daring to meet his eyes.

"This isn’t over!" she said, putting on a brave front and tossing a threat over her shoulder at Zhong Ming.

"Heh..." Her words made Zhong Ming laugh. "That should be my line. You provoked me for no reason. This matter definitely won’t end so easily."

Then, he shook his head, his voice laced with disappointment. "And another thing. I thought you were actually going to do something. But in the end, it’s just empty threats... You really are trash."

Though Zhong Ming didn’t say that last word very loudly, it made Zhuang Mingzhu’s face go pale and her body tremble.