Was It Really Just Luck?

Situ Xing sat upright in the seat of honor, his head bowed and brows lowered as he sank into deep thought.

Yan Linglong's words had struck the deepest part of his heart.

Ever since Ning Zhuo had acted so flamboyantly, obtained the Stone Token, and risen to fame through Evil Punishing Hall's three Heart-Questioning Trials, Situ Xing had felt like a thorn in his back and a fishbone in his throat.

He was a privileged descendant of the Situ Family. After his talent had been detected, he had received the Lineage's full support from childhood, cultivated with the expectation that he would become an heir.

Thus, he possessed not only combat strength and cultivation, but also considerable political acumen.

Ning Zhuo's high-profile conduct had immediately made Situ Xing feel that his power and status were under immense threat.

Neither Shen Xi nor Lin Jinglong possessed talent, and he had known both of them from long ago. They knew each other inside out. To Situ Xing, choosing to join forces with those two had been relatively safe.

Ning Zhuo was different.

He was a complete stranger. Even now, Situ Xing and Ning Zhuo had never had a truly in-depth exchange.

Situ Xing recalled how he had come to "know" Ning Zhuo. At the very beginning, he had heard of him from Shen Xi.

"This man initially hid his light and bided his time. He was clearly enduring in silence."

"For someone to endure so much, his ambitions must be enormous!"

"Once he had observed everything clearly and spotted an opportunity, he seized it viciously, stunning everyone with a single feat and revealing his edge."

"Such a wildly ambitious man must never be underestimated or treated lightly!"

"Perhaps when he joined our little group, he had merely been testing the waters. But