Zhong Ming hated trouble, but he wanted to increase his strength even more.
The two desires conflicted. After weighing his options, Zhong Ming found the latter to be far more appealing.
'With enough strength, I can cut down any trouble that comes my way with a single slash.'
A happy smile blossomed on Xue Yao's face when Zhong Ming agreed.
She then turned to look at Mo Shuying.
She said nothing, but her pure, clear gaze made her feelings obvious.
'Senior Sister, I've found my teammate!'
Mo Shuying could only feel exasperated at such a joyful display.
The truth was, Mo Shuying was not at all pleased with Xue Yao choosing Zhong Ming as her partner.
She had told Xue Yao to recruit some companions not only so she would have backup on future missions. She also hoped Xue Yao would use her Talent to attract disciples from prominent families, who could then support her with their resources.
Although Longxi Peak would allocate a portion of its resources to Xue Yao for being rated A Class, one could never have too many resources.
Xue Yao's outstanding Talent meant she could provide martial protection in the future, while disciples from powerful families had the resources to support her before she fully matured. It was a mutually beneficial arrangement.
As for Zhong Ming, he lacked resources for his own cultivation, let alone enough to support Xue Yao.
Still, she had no intention of splitting them up.
Mo Shuying patted Xue Yao's head fondly and sighed.
"If you think Zhong Ming is strong, then let him join. But, Xue Yao, a team needs more than just two people."
The team she envisioned for Xue Yao would have at least five members, maybe even seven.
Under these circumstances, adding Zhong Ming to the mix wouldn't change much.
"We still have to recruit more people?"
As she said this, Xue Yao frowned, looking a bit vexed.
But an idea quickly struck her, and she turned her gaze directly to Zhong Ming.
She didn't say a word, but the meaning in her eyes was perfectly clear.
'You're the captain. You should be the one to worry about who to choose as companions.'
"..."
"..."
The exchange left both Zhong Ming and Mo Shuying speechless.
This time, however, Mo Shuying sized Zhong Ming up and down.
'To have Xue Yao so convinced... Could I have been wrong? Is Zhong Ming's strength actually that great?'
Unlike Yi Yunya, Mo Shuying didn't need to use Magical Power to see Zhong Ming's condition.
And she found that Zhong Ming had indeed not opened his Qi Sea Acupoint. In that case, he would have almost no Magical Power.
Mo Shuying couldn't fathom why Xue Yao would call someone like him the strongest.
...
In the end, Xue Yao's attempt to recruit more companions went nowhere.
She truly treated Zhong Ming as the captain, willing to listen to his decision on who to recruit.
And Zhong Ming had no intention of looking for teammates.
If not for the fact that Xue Yao's Ice Heart Spell was useful to him, Zhong Ming wouldn't have joined her team in the first place.
Since neither of the two involved had any intention of recruiting, there was naturally nothing Mo Shuying could do.
'Sigh... Forget it. There's still plenty of time. No need to rush.'
Since things hadn't developed as she'd expected, Mo Shuying shook her head and left.
She was gone, but the incident drew even more attention to Zhong Ming.
The title of "the strongest" was eye-catching no matter where you went.
This was especially true since the claim didn't come from some ordinary person but from Xue Yao, Longxi Peak's most talented disciple. This gave the title a certain weight.
Among the many people now watching Zhong Ming, Zhuang Yi was itching for a fight.
'For Xue Yao to call you that, you must be special. I'd love to cross swords with you.'
He stared at Zhong Ming with a burning gaze for a moment, but then he thought about Zhong Ming's current strength and shook his head.
'Never mind. Fighting you now would be like an adult bullying a child. I'll wait until you have a breakthrough... I just hope you don't take too long.'
While Zhuang Yi wanted to test his skills against Zhong Ming, Jiang Yue was in complete despair.
After becoming Zhong Ming's teammate, Xue Yao didn't leave.
The aloof, stunningly beautiful girl stayed by Zhong Ming's side, her gaze occasionally drifting to the longsword in his hand.
Her presence and icy aura instantly cleared a wide circle around Zhong Ming.
Jiang Yue could sense that Xue Yao held Zhong Ming in high regard.
And though he thought his own sister was a good catch, he knew she couldn't possibly compare to Xue Yao.
What made him feel even worse was:
'The strongest... Even if Xue Yao's claim isn't entirely true, to be acknowledged by her like that, Zhong Ming must have something special about him that I don't know.'
'If I had allied with him, I could have secured my position as an Inner Sect Disciple on Longxi Peak.'
'Sigh... what a pity. I really missed my chance!'
He was filled with regret. Meanwhile, seeing Zhong Ming and Xue Yao standing together, a flicker of regret also rose in Jiang Xiaoyu's heart for the first time.
'Could I... have really made a mistake?'
...
While the Jiang siblings were grappling with their complicated feelings, Yi Yunya and her servant, Orchid, were also sizing up Zhong Ming.
After a moment of observation, Orchid asked dutifully, "Miss, shouldn't we make a move? If we act now, we still have a chance to win Zhong Ming over to our side."
"..."
Yi Yunya fell silent for a moment at her words.
It was true that Xue Yao teaming up with Zhong Ming made Yi Yunya feel a bit displeased... like the vexation of having one's toy snatched away by someone else.
However, after watching Zhong Ming and Xue Yao with a profound look, she ultimately shook her head and did nothing. "There's no need. Xue Yao and I are from the same sect, after all. I should show her some courtesy. Since she wants Zhong Ming, I'll let her have him."
Clearly, in Yi Yunya's eyes, a mere Zhong Ming was not worth fighting over.
Having given up, Yi Yunya then tried to console herself with a smile. "Speaking of which, Xue Yao's choice wasn't very wise... Whatever special qualities Zhong Ming might have, his third-class Spiritual Root is his greatest flaw."
"With a mediocre Spiritual Root, his cultivation speed will be slow. For a Cultivator, Magical Power is fundamental. Someone like him isn't qualified to stand on our level."
"To choose Zhong Ming over disciples from other prominent families... Xue Yao was far too impulsive this time."
Yi Yunya was intelligent and, above all, rational. After careful consideration, she concluded that giving up on Zhong Ming was the logical and correct choice.
And yet, as she watched Xue Yao and Zhong Ming together and recalled her claim about him being the strongest, a faint sense of unease lingered in her heart for some reason.
'Sigh... I shouldn't overthink it. No matter what, Zhong Ming can't possibly be the strongest on Longxi Peak.'
'He denied it himself, after all.'
...
"Did you see my Longxi Sword Drawing Technique three or four days ago?"
Others didn't understand or believe why Xue Yao had declared him the strongest.
Zhong Ming himself had been baffled at first, but he quickly realized something.
'A few days ago, I triggered the Dragon Flood Dragon Dao Rhyme and unleashed a strike with Sword Momentum Like a Dragon. Among the current disciples of Longxi Peak, that one attack could indeed be called the strongest.'
After recalling this, Zhong Ming quietly asked Xue Yao about it.
And she nodded in response.
"Mhm."
After nodding, she looked Zhong Ming straight in the eye with a pure, sincere gaze. Then, she gave him a deep bow and said earnestly, "That sword strike was incredible. I want to learn it."
Zhong Ming didn't mind her straightforward nature.
At the same time, Zhong Ming decided to teach her what he had comprehended.
His decision wasn't because he was giving her special treatment for her stunning looks—though her cool beauty and the air of a Sword Dao Fairy did match his tastes.
But that didn't influence Zhong Ming. He simply didn't want to be indebted to her.
The Ice Heart Spell was very useful to him, and with his strong sense of fairness, Zhong Ming couldn't just let her do all the work.
"I can teach you, but even I can't replicate that strike right now. However, I can tell you some of its secrets. The mystery behind that strike is the Dragon Flood Dragon. The key to the Longxi Breathing Method we practice also lies in the word 'dragon'..."
Zhong Ming explained a great deal to Xue Yao, and his pointers made her eyes light up.
"Dragon... Sword Momentum Like a Dragon. So that's it... You really are strong."
Having come to a realization, she first bowed earnestly to Zhong Ming again. Then, filled with her newfound insight, she walked off to the side to practice her Swordsmanship.
However, before she could get away, Zhong Ming grabbed her arm.
"Cast an Ice Heart Spell on me first."
Even a Sword Dao Fairy who perfectly matched his aesthetic ideals would get no special treatment from him. On this point, Zhong Ming was a man of his word.
"..."