Yi Yunya's Unease

Zhong Ming feared trouble, but he wanted to grow stronger even more.

The two desires clashed. After weighing them, Zhong Ming found the latter more appealing.

With strength, if trouble comes knocking, I can cut it down with a single sword.

Zhong Ming's agreement brought a delighted smile to Xue Yao's face.

She then turned to look at Mo Shuying.

Though she said nothing, her clear, pure eyes had already made her stance known.

"Senior Sister, I've found a teammate."

Her joyful attitude left Mo Shuying quite helpless.

Xue Yao choosing Zhong Ming as a companion had not actually pleased Mo Shuying.

Beyond giving Xue Yao someone to watch her back during future missions, Mo Shuying had wanted her to use her talent to draw in disciples from prominent families, then have those family disciples provide for Xue Yao.

Having been rated Class A, Xue Yao would receive a share of Dragon Stream Peak's resources, but one could never have too many resources.

Xue Yao's talent was exceptional, and she could provide martial protection in the future. The family disciples had resources and could help her while she had yet to mature. It was a mutually beneficial arrangement.

As for Zhong Ming, he lacked even the resources for his own cultivation, much less enough to support Xue Yao.

Still, Mo Shuying had no intention of separating them.

She fondly rubbed Xue Yao's head and sighed.

"Since you think Zhong Ming is strong, let him join. But, Xue Yao, a team has more than just two people."

The team she intended Xue Yao to form needed at least five people. Seven would be fine too.

Under such circumstances, adding one more Zhong Ming made no difference.

"We still need to recruit people?"

As she said this, Xue Yao first furrowed her brow, seeming somewhat troubled.

But she quickly thought of something and fixed her gaze directly on Zhong Ming.

She said nothing, but the meaning in her eyes was crystal clear.

"You're the captain. You should be the one worrying about whom to choose as companions."

"..."

"..."

This scene left both Zhong Ming and Mo Shuying speechless.

This time, Mo Shuying gave Zhong Ming several careful once-overs.

"To make Xue Yao submit to him so completely... Did I misjudge him? Is Zhong Ming actually very strong?"

Unlike Yi Yunya, Mo Shuying did not need spiritual power to see Zhong Ming's condition.

Then she discovered that Zhong Ming truly had not opened his Qi Sea Acupoint. Under such circumstances, he possessed practically no spiritual power.

Mo Shuying could not understand why Xue Yao would call someone like Zhong Ming the strongest.

Xue Yao's attempt to recruit more companions ultimately came to nothing.

She truly regarded Zhong Ming as the captain. Whomever they recruited, Xue Yao would listen to Zhong Ming.

And Zhong Ming had no intention of seeking teammates.

If Xue Yao's Ice Heart Curse had not been useful to him, Zhong Ming would not even have joined her team.

Neither of the people involved wanted to recruit anyone, so naturally Mo Shuying had no solution either.

"Whew... Forget it. There's plenty of time. No need to rush."

Things had not developed as she expected, and Mo Shuying shook her head before leaving.

She left, but after this incident, Zhong Ming received even more attention.

The title of strongest drew attention wherever it was spoken.

Especially since Zhong Ming's title had not come from ordinary people, but from Xue Yao—the most talented person on Dragon Stream Peak. That gave his claim to being the strongest a certain intimidating weight.

Among the many watching Zhong Ming, Zhuang Yi was eager to try his hand and fight him.

"To be called that by Xue Yao, you must have something special. I truly hope to exchange blows with you."

He stared at Zhong Ming with blazing eyes for a while, then considered Zhong Ming's current strength and shook his head.

"Forget it. Fighting now would be bullying the weak. We'll talk once you break through... I only hope you don't break through too slowly."

Zhuang Yi wanted to spar with Zhong Ming, while Jiang Yue had fallen into utter despair.

After becoming Zhong Ming's teammate, Xue Yao did not leave.

Cold and peerlessly beautiful, she remained at Zhong Ming's side, occasionally looking at the long sword in his hand.

Her presence and icy aura instantly cleared an empty circle around Zhong Ming.

Jiang Yue could tell that Xue Yao thought highly of Zhong Ming.

Though he felt his younger sister's qualifications were not bad, no matter what, he did not believe she could compare with Xue Yao.

What pained him even more was this:

The strongest... Even if Xue Yao's judgment isn't entirely right, for her to acknowledge him like this, Zhong Ming must possess something special that I don't know about.

If I had formed an alliance with him, I would surely have secured my position as an Inner Sect Disciple on Dragon Stream Peak.

Alas, I missed my chance in the end!

He felt deep regret. On the other side, as Jiang Xiaoyu watched Zhong Ming and Xue Yao standing together, a thread of regret arose in her heart for the first time.

Could it be that I really was wrong?

While the Jiang siblings were tangled in complicated emotions, Yi Yunya and her servant were also sizing Zhong Ming up.

After observing him for a while, Youlan dutifully asked, "Miss, aren't we going to make a move? If we act now, we still have a chance to win Zhong Ming over."

"..."

Yi Yunya fell silent for a moment at those words.

Xue Yao inviting Zhong Ming onto her team did indeed make Yi Yunya feel somewhat uncomfortable... like the displeasure of having someone else snatch away her toy.

But after gazing deeply at Zhong Ming and Xue Yao, she ultimately shook her head and did nothing. "No need. Xue Yao and I are fellow disciples, after all. We should show some consideration. Since she wants Zhong Ming, we'll let her have him."

Clearly, in Yi Yunya's eyes, a mere Zhong Ming was not worth personally fighting over.

Having given up, Yi Yunya even smiled to make herself feel better. "Come to think of it, Xue Yao's choice isn't very wise... No matter what is special about Zhong Ming, his Third-grade Spiritual Root is his greatest flaw."

"With such an ordinary Spiritual Root, his cultivation speed will be slow. For cultivators, spiritual power is the foundation. Someone like him isn't qualified to stand alongside us."

"For Zhong Ming's sake, she gave up on other family disciples. Xue Yao acted far too impulsively this time."

Yi Yunya was intelligent and rational. After a careful line of thought, she felt that giving up on Zhong Ming was the reasonable and correct choice.

Yet, as she watched Xue Yao and Zhong Ming together and recalled Xue Yao's words about him being the strongest, Yi Yunya could not explain why a thread of unease always lingered in her heart.

Whew... Stop imagining things. No matter what, Zhong Ming cannot be the strongest on Dragon Stream Peak.

He denied it himself.

"Three or four days ago, did you see my Dragon Stream - Sword Drawing Technique?"

Xue Yao was convinced he was the strongest. Others did not understand or believe it.

Zhong Ming had initially been baffled as well, but he soon thought of something.

A few days ago, I triggered the Dragon Flood Dragon Dao Rhyme and struck out with a sword whose force surged like a dragon. Among Dragon Stream Peak's current disciples, that strike truly could be called the strongest.

After recalling this, Zhong Ming quietly asked Xue Yao.

She nodded.

"Mm."

After nodding, her pure, sincere eyes looked directly at Zhong Ming. The next moment, she bowed deeply to him and said with utter seriousness, "That sword strike was very strong. I want to learn it."

Zhong Ming did not dislike such straightforwardness.

At the same time, he intended to teach her what he had comprehended.

It was not because her peerlessly beautiful face earned special treatment from him. Though her cool expression was indeed beautiful, and her air of a sword-wielding fairy perfectly matched his tastes.

But that could not sway Zhong Ming. He simply did not want to owe her.

The Ice Heart Curse was very useful to him. With his strong moral compass, Zhong Ming could not possibly allow the other party to be the only one making an effort.

"I can teach you, but even I can't use that strike right now. Still, I can tell you some of its mysteries. The essence of that strike lies in the dragon and flood dragon. The key to the Dragon Creek Breathing Technique we cultivate also lies in the word 'dragon'..."

Zhong Ming told Xue Yao many things. His guidance made her eyes light up.

"Dragon... sword force like a dragon. So that's how it is... You really are strong."

Having grasped something, she first bowed earnestly to Zhong Ming. Then, with fresh insight in hand, she walked off to the side, intending to practice her swordsmanship.

But before she could run away, Zhong Ming grabbed her.

"Cast an Ice Heart Curse on me first."

Even a sword-wielding fairy who matched his tastes would receive no special treatment from him. On this point, Zhong Ming practiced what he preached.

"..."