Chapter 192: Chapter 118: The Origin of the Demon Star Tai Sui, Infinite Growth
Autumn Cicada noticed his surprised expression and explained with a light chuckle:
"Zhong Ming defeated Zhu Hao with a single glance, then took down Zhuo Feng with another. This may seem unstoppable, but it really only proves one thing—his Divine Soul is incredibly strong. And contests of the Divine Soul are inherently dangerous, with victory and defeat often decided in a split second."
"If the power gap is wide enough, a defeat with a single glance is to be expected."
"It’s just that a Cultivator’s foundation is never built on the Divine Soul alone. There is also the tempering of the physical body, the accumulation of Magical Power..."
At this, Autumn Cicada’s tone shifted. "I’m sure you’ve heard that Zhong Ming only began formally training his physical body yesterday. His Magical Power is even more pitiful—I hear Princess Ji Qingyue is currently searching for a Qi Cultivation Technique for him."
"Among the three elements of Essence, Qi, and Spirit, Zhong Ming lacks physical strength and his Magical Power is subpar. By that measure, it’s not just that he’s missing two legs—he’s missing the most vital parts: his heart and his trunk..."
"..." This well-reasoned speech convinced Ji Qingkang and made him sigh in relief. ’So, the only thing Zhong Ming has going for him is that one glance?... That makes sense. Coming from a minor sect, he lacks Cultivation Techniques and resources. Even with his immense Talent, there’s no way he could be well-rounded.’
"If that weren’t the case, he wouldn’t have allied himself with our Prince Qinghe’s Mansion."
With his confidence restored, Ji Qingkang regained his usual composure. Afterward, when Autumn Cicada urged him to authorize a battle, he simply waved his hand in refusal.
"No need. When it comes to Zhong Ming and Qingyue, some people are more anxious than we are."
...
Just as Ji Qingkang had predicted, some were indeed far more anxious about the current situation.
In the residence of the third Commandery Prince, Ji Qinghui, the atmosphere was so thick you could cut it with a knife.
"One glance, and you were all defeated?!"
"Heh... a truly fine piece of work, wasn’t it!"
Lin Kong sneered, his voice chilling to the bone.
This sharp, dangerous killing intent made Zhuang Mingzhu, who had brought Zhu Hao back, tremble uncontrollably. Fortunately, before she had found her sect’s two True Inheritance disciples, she’d overheard what happened next, giving her something to say in her defense.
"Senior Brother, it’s not our fault. Zhuo Feng from the Star-Picking Sect also had his Divine Soul severely wounded by Zhong Ming’s glance."
"..." The knowledge that his sect wasn’t the only one to be humiliated did cause Lin Kong’s expression to soften slightly. But when he thought of the damage to the Void Moon Sect’s reputation, his face turned grim once more.
The next moment, with a SWOOSH, the fierce-tempered man shot to his feet, ready to go find Zhong Ming.
It had to be said, while he was arrogant, he was also straightforward and unafraid of a life-or-death battle with a powerful foe.
"Senior Brother Lin, please calm down."
However, just as he stood up, he was stopped.
The speaker was Ji Qinghui. In contrast to the gloomy expressions of the Void Moon Sect members, his own face was also somewhat dark, but he was far more composed. In fact, deep within his eyes, one could see a flicker of secret delight.
His allies had been defeated, yet a hint of joy appeared in his eyes. This might seem strange, but it was actually quite understandable.
The old saying, "one mountain cannot accommodate two tigers," holds true everywhere.
As a Commandery Prince who saw himself as the future Prince, Ji Qinghui had his own pride. He had been tolerating the *arrogant* and *domineering* Void Moon Sect for a long, long time.
But in the past, the Void Moon Sect was truly powerful, and he needed their support, which forced him to swallow his pride and bide his time.
But now, things were different. He finally had an opportunity to rein in the Void Moon Sect.
And Ji Qinglian had played no small part in this.
Before meeting up with the people from the Void Moon Sect, Ji Qinglian had found her brother first and offered him a strategy: "Brother, the Void Moon Sect was defeated and lost a great deal of face. This is our chance. If we recruit Zhong Ming, we can use them to counterbalance each other."
"That way, they won’t be so arrogant and domineering, and they won’t be able to treat you as if you’re nothing."
Her words resonated deeply with Ji Qinghui. Of course, he couldn’t say any of this so bluntly in front of Lin Kong and Zhu Junfeng.
Gazing at the furious Lin Kong as he prepared to go fight Zhong Ming, he just said calmly, "Senior Brother Lin, are you certain you can win?"
As he finished, he spread his hands, his tone sincere.
"I’m not trying to undermine our own side and boost his ego, but the outcome of this battle is simply too important. The ones who lost to Zhong Ming before were only Inner Sect Disciples. A loss for them is just a loss; no one would actually think Zhong Ming is stronger than our Void Moon Sect because of it."
"But you are a True Inheritance disciple. You represent the face of the Void Moon Sect’s new generation. If you lose as well..."
Ji Qinghui left the rest unsaid, but Lin Kong understood the gravity of the situation, and his fist tightened.
Still, he had a fair amount of confidence in his own strength.
Besides, if Autumn Cicada could perceive Zhong Ming’s *flaws*, so could he.
"I am confident I can win... Zhong Ming only has those extraordinary eyes. His physical body and Magical Power are both weaknesses. As long as I can block his Pupil Technique, victory will surely be mine."
"But what if you can’t block it?" Ji Qinghui looked directly at Lin Kong, his expression grave. "Senior Brother, you just said you were ’confident,’ not that victory was ’certain.’"
"But this matter concerns the honor of our Void Moon Sect; we absolutely cannot take it lightly. Zhong Ming comes from a minor sect. Even if he loses at your hands, he has nothing to lose."
"But we can’t afford to lose."
"So, in my opinion, we should take our time and plan this carefully. For example, we could first request a few powerful treasures from the sect that can defend the Divine Soul. It won’t be too late to settle the score with him once we’re fully prepared."
With a sincere and earnest tone, Ji Qinghui did everything in his power to block Lin Kong’s attempts at revenge, all while appearing to be acting solely for the good of the sect.
