Chapter 322 - 5: Promotion to Foundation Establishment, Prelude
Chapter 322: Chapter 5: Promotion to Foundation Establishment, Prelude
There, an exquisitely beautiful young woman stood silently. Unlike an ordinary human, a few scales glimmered with a cold, blue light, fanning out from the corners of her eyes.
The scales lent her an otherworldly, mysterious air. Beyond her stunning features, her aura was as frigid and distant as the depths of an arctic sea, making her seem utterly at odds with her surroundings.
Shen Wanshang was long accustomed to this. In a calm voice, she gave her command, "Xiyue, I have a task for you. Zhong Ming proclaims himself a Child of Heaven’s Will. I want you to defeat him—using your full strength!"
At these words, Xiyue immediately rose to her feet and glanced up at Shen Wanshang.
Her eyes were as cold as winter stars. Then, she gave a slight nod, her voice perfectly placid.
"I understand."
But while her expression remained placid, everyone around her was stunned.
One even couldn’t help but ask, "Princess, for a mere Zhong Ming, surely there’s no need for Miss Xiyue to get involved?"
"Exactly. I hear he hasn’t even reached Foundation Establishment. Having Miss Xiyue make a move is a waste of her talent—it’s complete overkill."
The reason for their comments was that Xiyue was no ordinary person. In some respects, she too could be considered a Child of Heaven’s Will.
Of course, because the Merfolk population was so small, even by gathering the fortune of her entire race, her Talent still couldn’t compare to Lu Yuan’s.
But even so, she was still exceptionally powerful and possessed some unique gifts.
In the eyes of Shen Wanshang’s followers, dealing with a mere fake ’Child of Heaven’s Will’ wasn’t worth going to such great lengths. They felt that any one of their Foundation Establishment Cultivators could easily defeat Zhong Ming.
Shen Wanshang inwardly shook her head at the sight.
’I don’t want a simple victory. I want an undeniable, crushing defeat—a display of absolute power sufficient to awe anyone who is wavering!’
’Besides, for Prince Qinghe to value Zhong Ming so highly, his Talent must be exceptional. There’s a real chance he truly is a Child of Heaven’s Will.’
This train of thought reminded her of the luck that came with being a Child of Heaven’s Will.
’If I send any of you, you might fail.’
’Then, Zhong Ming and Prince Qinghe’s prestige would soar... and that is not what I want.’
Afraid that any delay would only breed more trouble, Shen Wanshang had no intention of probing. She decided to dispatch her top champion to utterly crush Zhong Ming.
She would then use this great victory to make a statement, ensuring no one would dare have second thoughts about their allegiance.
Her mind made up, Shen Wanshang ignored the protests. Her voice, as cold as frost, cut through the clamor of the hall. "My decision is final."
The voice wasn’t loud, yet it rang as clear as striking jade, carrying an authority that could not be questioned. The agitated crowd fell silent at once, none daring to speak another word.
Seeing that Shen Wanshang had made her decision, Chu Yan immediately stood, bowed, and said, "Princess, I will take Miss Xiyue to find Zhong Ming right away."
However, Shen Wanshang rejected his offer.
"That won’t be necessary. Have Chu Hanzhen take Xiyue instead. I trust the Chu Family is willing to grant me that much, aren’t they?"
"Huh?"
Shen Wanshang’s suggestion initially confused Chu Yan, but he quickly understood her reasoning—she was expressing her displeasure with the Chu Family and preparing to make a show of force.
’So you want to hedge your bets? Fine. I’ll make you watch with your own eyes as the "rising star" you value so much proves to be no match for one of my own!’
Understanding her intentions, Chu Yan, who was already loyal to the Celestial Sea King’s faction, dared not object. He bowed hastily and replied, "Of course. I’ll go and fetch my Cousin Hanzhen at once."
Watching Chu Yan’s hurried departure and Xiyue’s frigid, jade-like form, a triumphant smile touched the corners of Shen Wanshang’s lips.
’Zhong Ming, whether you are truly a Child of Heaven’s Will or not, this time, you must be defeated.’
’Don’t blame me. You’ve done nothing wrong, but you stand in our way. The struggle for the Great Dao has always been like this!’
...
Zhong Ming, of course, was unaware of Shen Wanshang’s thoughts. Even if he had known, he wouldn’t have been resentful.
By revealing his strength, he had already intended to sway the various powers and win people to his side.
Just as he could covet the resources and talent under others’ command, it was well within his expectations that Shen Wanshang would move to suppress him in order to consolidate her own position.
Just as Shen Wanshang had thought, the struggle for the Great Dao had always been this way.
The only thing he hadn’t anticipated was that Shen Wanshang was far too cautious, and far too shrewd.
She hadn’t been the least bit careless. Instead of heeding her followers’ advice and sending an ordinary Foundation Establishment Cultivator to fight Zhong Ming, she had played her trump card from the very beginning.
Xiyue, whose Cultivation Realm had reached Gang Condensation, was undoubtedly a formidable opponent for Zhong Ming.
Fortunately, having revealed his own Talent, Zhong Ming knew that trouble was inevitable and was not completely unprepared.
After a day of acclimation and refinement, his Magical Power finally reached the state of Breaking the Norms.
At this point, Zhong Ming’s four core foundations—body, Divine Soul, Magical Power, and intent—had all broken through the shackles of the Qi Cultivation realm, reaching the absolute pinnacle of perfection possible within that stage.
This was the very ceiling of the Qi Cultivation realm, a state of perfection that countless Cultivators could not hope to reach in their entire lifetimes.
Such a foundation was more than enough to support his breakthrough to Foundation Establishment. Even better, this flawlessly refined foundation meant he needed no supplementary Spirit Materials. As long as he stopped suppressing his realm, the breakthrough would be a matter of course.
Seeing this, Zhong Ming no longer hesitated. Without a moment’s delay, he took a deep breath and, right there in Luo Zhiwei’s courtyard at the Immortal Martial Daoist School, began his breakthrough!
HUMMMMM—!