Chapter 208 - 123: A Stunning Glance, Shaking Qinghe Again

"Countering a Cultivation Technique comes down to power. And many Cultivation Techniques naturally counter one another."

"It’s like water and fire. Normally, water puts out fire, but if you have a raging inferno, the situation reverses—the endless flames will boil the water away."

"Pupil Techniques and Fog Techniques also counter each other. Black Snake’s Fog Technique was strong, but Zhong Ming is stronger. That’s why, in this case, it was Zhong Ming’s Pupil Technique that countered Black Snake’s Fog Technique."

These words made many people sigh:

"So, just using a simple mist for concealment is completely useless?"

"It’s more than that. Don’t forget about Wu Chuan. He created a duplicate of himself and hid at the bottom of the water... yet Young Master Zhong Ming saw through him with a single glance. His Pupil Technique isn’t just incredibly powerful; it also has abilities like Illusion-Breaking and Insight."

"..."

Realizing they couldn’t rely on tricks, many of them sighed inwardly.

Just as they were feeling disappointed, someone slowly realized that something was wrong with Black Snake.

"Wait, something’s wrong with Black Snake. The fluctuations of his Divine Soul have vanished!"

"Hm?"

"What does that mean...?"

"No fluctuations from his Divine Soul... Don’t tell me Black Snake is dead!"

"HISS..."

Realizing someone had died, everyone felt their hearts skip a beat. Their gazes toward Zhong Ming were filled with utter terror.

No, that wasn’t quite right. After realizing Black Snake was dead, they had subconsciously glanced in Zhong Ming’s direction. The very next moment, however, as if recalling something, they all bowed their heads in abject fear.

Ji Qingyue also looked at Zhong Ming in disbelief. But she quickly recalled their past encounters and asked him with a hopeful expression, "Young Master Zhong Ming, there must have been another reason you killed him, right?"

Zhong Ming shrugged at her words. "I thought you were going to say that he provoked me, and that’s why I killed him."

Ji Qingyue seemed to glean something from his words, and her expression relaxed a little.

"I trust in your character, Young Master. You wouldn’t intentionally kill someone over a simple duel."

"..." Her faith left Zhong Ming speechless for a moment. He then nodded and said, "There was another reason. That man was an Evil Cultivator. My Magic Technique is particularly effective against demonic entities, which is why I didn’t hold back."

"Have your people check his storage pouch or inspect his Magical Power. They should still be able to find some traces."

Hearing this, Ji Qingyue immediately sent one of her female attendants over.

A moment later, Mrs. Qin returned, holding a storage pouch that emanated a wicked aura. She announced loudly, "Commandery Princess, what Young Master Zhong Ming said is true! This man’s body contains a large amount of residual resentment from living souls. He is without a doubt an Evil Cultivator!"

After learning the truth, all the Cultivators at the Crescent Lake Shore breathed a sigh of relief.

"So he was an Evil Cultivator. He got what he deserved."

"I knew it. Even though Young Master Zhong Ming can be... well, even though he’s a bit flashy and overconfident, he’s definitely not a bad person."

...

The common Cultivators, along with the kind-hearted Ji Qingyue, were focused on the fact that Zhong Ming didn’t kill innocent people wantonly.

As for the True Inheritance disciples from the Major Sects, along with Ji Qinghui and Ji Qingkang, they couldn’t care less that Black Snake was dead.

In this day and age, it was common for Cultivators to be gravely injured, or even killed, in duels. Since the man had dared to issue a challenge, he should have been prepared to die in the attempt.

What made their expressions turn grave was this:

"Not only is its power astonishing, but it also comes with the abilities of Illusion-Breaking, Insight, and even Breaking Evil—Zhong Ming’s Pupil Technique won’t be easy to overcome."

When Miaoyun of the Celestial Sound Sect spoke, a hint of caution had crept into her tone.

Clearly, she now perceived Zhong Ming as a threat.

Another True Inheritance disciple, however, also looked grave for a moment before suddenly breaking into a smile.

"But isn’t this a good thing? The stronger Zhong Ming is, the better he can force the Void Moon Sect to reveal its trump cards."

For him to say such a thing, it was clear that even now, they still believed Zhong Ming was no match for the Void Moon Sect.

These people still saw him as nothing more than a pawn, a blade to be used.

This wasn’t just baseless arrogance on their part, however.

"If I’m not mistaken, to play it safe, Zhu Junfeng has definitely requested a top-grade Magical Artifact from his sect that defends the Divine Soul, or perhaps some other unique treasure."

"Even with just a cursory Refinement, a Magical Artifact of that caliber can still negate the majority of Zhong Ming’s Pupil Technique attacks."

"We have to pit Lin Kong and Zhu Junfeng of the Void Moon Sect against Zhong Ming before that Magical Artifact arrives."

Miaoyun said, "I’ve already given the order. Our people will continue to spread rumors to force their hand."

Knowing the true depth of the other Major Sects, they all viewed one another as rivals. Now, with this opportunity, they were going all out to crush the Void Moon Sect.

Zhu Junfeng had noticed this as well, and it made his expression turn incredibly foul.

At this moment, neither he nor Lin Kong had any confidence they could defeat Zhong Ming.

Yet, pressured by the other five Major Sects, they couldn’t back down.

’How can I stall for time...’

Just as he was frowning in thought, something suddenly happened that made his face light up.

Someone else had challenged Zhong Ming. And this time, it wasn’t some unaffiliated cultivator, nor was it someone from the Void Moon Sect. It was a subordinate of the eldest young master—Ji Chengping.

...

That these men had made a move was, of course, related to the schemes of Ji Qinghui and Ji Qingkang.

Because they weren’t direct competitors for the same position, the conflicts between the six Major Sects and the three young masters of the Ji Family, while present, were not irreconcilable.

However, the internal conflicts *amongst* the Major Sects were far greater. Each of the six wished the others would simply drop dead. And right now, they were doing everything they could to back the Void Moon Sect into a corner, hoping to push them into a dead end.