Chapter 212 - 124: A Crowded Gate, Ji Qingyue Gets Carried

Unfortunately, despite her sincere invitations back then, very few prodigies were willing to join her.

Remembering the cold shoulder she had received and now seeing a crowd swarm to her uninvited, Ji Qingyue felt a complex mix of emotions.

But she quickly composed her Heart Spirit and focused her gaze on Zhong Ming.

She knew better than anyone that all these changes were because of the young man before her.

A tide of gratitude washed over her, and as she looked at Zhong Ming, she murmured softly:

"Zhong Ming, you once said you could elevate me to a high position all on your own... And you actually did it."

...

"Zhong Ming, isn’t this exhausting? If you feel tired, we can take a break for a while."

Ji Qingyue was kind-hearted, but she was no fool. She knew who mattered most. Seeing that Zhong Ming had already tested twenty or thirty people, she immediately went to his side to check on him.

To this, Zhong Ming simply shrugged, his tone casual. "Don’t worry. These people are no threat to me."

This wasn’t an empty boast.

Song Qingyan and the others were weak to begin with. More importantly, they were already filled with dread for Zhong Ming before even taking the stage, leaving huge openings in their mental defenses.

To deal with them, Zhong Ming didn’t even need to unleash his Sun God Sword. He just had to maintain his [Morning Star · Candlelight Dragon] at peak condition and intimidate them with his Long Wei and Sword Intent. That alone was enough to crush their mental defenses and secure an easy victory.

Although this form of intimidation strained Zhong Ming’s Divine Soul, the drain on him wasn’t too significant.

And so, in less time than it takes to drink a cup of tea, he had ’overwhelmed’ more than thirty people.

The way his casual glance could make over thirty Cultivators tremble and become scared witless only deepened the crowd’s reverence for him.

"He’s too strong!"

"To instantly defeat over thirty people without a hint of fatigue... I doubt even a Foundation Establishment cultivator could do more!"

"What are you waiting for, disciple? Go sign a contract with the Princess! With Zhong Ming on her side, Princess Qingyue is very likely to take first place in the Star Moon Treasure Vault this time!"

As the crowd began to process what was happening, more and more Cultivators started crowding onto Princess Qingyue’s ship.

The influx of so many prodigies signaled the growth of her faction. Her ambition was drawing ever closer, and Ji Qingyue found it difficult to conceal the smile on her face.

But joy is a conserved quantity; if some were happy, others were bound to look grim.

Right now, the expressions on Ji Qinglian, Ji Qinghui, and Ji Qingkang’s faces were all incredibly dark.

In Ji Qinglian’s case, it was pure jealousy.

’I’m no worse than Ji Qingyue!’

’If I had been the one who met Zhong Ming back then, all this glory would be mine!’

In Ji Qinglian’s eyes, Ji Qingyue had done nothing. She had just been lucky enough to gain Zhong Ming’s loyalty and was now reaping endless benefits without lifting a finger.

She hadn’t won through strength, but through pure luck, getting ’carried’ the entire time. This gave Ji Qinglian a strong feeling of ’I could do that too.’

After running through it in her head again and again, she became certain that if it were her up there, she wouldn’t just succeed—she’d do even better.

This feeling made jealousy wrap around her heart like a poisonous vine:

’I have to find a way to win Zhong Ming over! As long as he supports me, everything Ji Qingyue has now will be mine.’

While she was lost in thought, Ji Qinghui’s and Ji Qingkang’s expressions were just as grim.

The two of them had never imagined that for all their efforts to suppress Ji Chengping, Ji Qingyue would be the one to reap the rewards.

Moreover, if things continued on this path, Ji Qingyue could truly become a player on their level.

’This can’t be allowed to happen! We have to stop it!’

At this thought, the two exchanged a look and simultaneously sent orders to the Major Sects they were connected with, commanding them to put a stop to Zhong Ming’s winning streak at all costs.

However, after sending the order, they looked at Zhong Ming on Crescent Lake. He still hadn’t even stood up, and his expression was casual and relaxed. For the first time, a sliver of worry appeared in their hearts, along with a flicker of doubt about the analyses provided by the True Disciples of the Major Sects.

’Zhong Ming... can he really be stopped?!’

As the two Commandery Princes grew uneasy, the True Disciples of the Six Major Sects also sensed that something was amiss.

"Something’s not right with this Zhong Ming!"

"Undodgeable, unblockable, and unavoidable. The only way to counter it is to meet it head-on with your own Divine Soul... Are you sure this is a Pupil Technique and not Swordsmanship?!"