Lin Qingqing’s icy glare had no effect on Zhong Ming. He stepped forward, his expression as calm as if he were stating a simple fact. "Who else but you? A piece of trash like you staying by the Princess’s side will only tarnish her reputation."

This was so blunt it bordered on arrogant. Of course, Zhong Ming wasn’t acting this way just because Lin Qingqing’s earlier words had insulted him.

More than that, it was about the struggle for supremacy. It had always been this way.

Ever since he learned that the second Demonic Fiend assault was coming, Zhong Ming had repeatedly weighed two paths: either to lie low and bide his time, or to reveal his extraordinary talent and seize the position of Child of the Morning Star.

’The advantage of lying low is that I won’t attract attention, which would let me develop for a while longer at the Seven Profound Sect.’

’But the downside is just as obvious—not enough resources. Jade Lake City has neither high-grade Cultivation Techniques nor rare Cultivation Resources. If I want to achieve a perfect breakthrough, I’ll need to cultivate for a very, very long time to succeed in Foundation Establishment.’

’On the other hand, if I seize the position of Child of the Morning Star and use the resources from Prince Qinghe’s Mansion to cultivate, I can achieve my breakthrough in an extremely short amount of time.’

’The only problem is that, by doing so, I would also expose my status as a peerless prodigy, making myself a target for everyone else.’

Neither strategy was inherently superior; it all came down to the choice.

If these were peaceful times, Zhong Ming wouldn’t mind keeping a low profile.

After all, with Heaven Rewards Diligence, he could still grow powerful even with insufficient resources, as long as he had enough time.

Unfortunately, these were not peaceful times, and he had no time to develop slowly.

’Although I don’t know how powerful the second onslaught of Demons and Evil Spirits will be, the fact that it forced the Imperial Court to let in the Six Extremes Demon Sect and made Prince Qinghe willing to open his Treasure Vault means its intensity will be anything but low.’

’This is a battle that endangers the entire Frost Moon Immortal Dynasty.’

’The entire dynasty is on high alert. The Seven Profound Sect might not even survive this assault. Besides, I can’t be sure if the Seven Profound Sect’s luck will be good enough... If a powerful, strange Evil Spirit were to descend directly upon Jade Lake City, or even just pass through, my meager cultivation level would leave me with no way to even resist.’

In Zhong Ming’s view, hiding away to develop was akin to leaving things to fate.

And that was absolutely not his style.

’Whether I live or die, I will seize control of my own destiny and hold it firmly in my hands.’

With this philosophy in mind, he prepared to do everything in his power to acquire resources and grow stronger as quickly as possible.

Under these circumstances, a clash with the prodigies of the Major Sects was inevitable.

There were only thirteen positions for the Children of the Morning Star. Zhong Ming wanted one, and so did the Major Sects.

Moreover, the prodigy disciples from the Major Sects had always been arrogant, looking down on cultivators like Zhong Ming from minor sects with a sense of superiority.

They were also incredibly greedy. Rather than cooperate, their arrogance led them to prefer driving out Zhong Ming and the others, or perhaps subjugating them like dogs, so they could monopolize all the resources for themselves.

This wasn’t just Zhong Ming’s speculation; this sort of thing was already happening right before his eyes.

It was possible that Lin Qingqing was genuinely that imperious. Perhaps, being so spoiled, she truly didn’t know how to watch her words.

But Zhong Ming refused to believe that everyone in a Major Sect as large as Qianqiu Valley was like that.

’If Qianqiu Valley truly intended to cooperate, they could have sent a gentle and courteous disciple to attend to the Commandery Princess and, in the process, win over the other sects.’

’But they didn’t. Instead, they let the imperious Lin Qingqing run rampant. This proves their goal is to force everyone else away, leaving Princess Qingyue isolated and with no one to rely on but them.’

Having figured this out, Zhong Ming instantly understood that, as someone aspiring to become a Child of the Morning Star, he no longer had the option of holding back.

Either he would force out Qianqiu Valley, or Qianqiu Valley would force him out. Of course, there was also a slim possibility of cooperation between them.

But the prerequisite for making Qianqiu Valley bow its head and cooperate was for them to acknowledge Zhong Ming’s strength and decide that the price of making him an enemy was too high.

’In the end, it still comes down to a fight. Without one, they will never back down.’

At this thought, Zhong Ming was already prepared to draw his sword.

On the other side, so was Lin Qingqing. 𝓯𝙧𝙚𝒆𝙬𝙚𝒃𝙣𝙤𝒗𝓮𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

Humiliated and mocked by Zhong Ming, a man from a minor sect, her face twisted into a ferocious snarl.

"How dare you speak to me like that! Zhong Ming, I’ll make you pay. I’ll make you regret this..."

"Stop!"

Lin Qingqing was about to strike, and Zhong Ming was about to draw his sword.

But just as tensions reached a breaking point and a fight was about to erupt, Ji Qingyue stepped forward, positioning herself between the two.

What made Zhong Ming raise an eyebrow was that she seemed to be siding with him.

Her back was to him as she reprimanded Lin Qingqing.

This scene completely ignited Lin Qingqing’s fury.

"Qingyue, are you really going to sever ties with Qianqiu Valley and make an enemy of us for some bumpkin cultivator who crawled out of the woodwork?!"

In her extreme anger and arrogance, she even dropped the title "Commandery Princess."

This, in turn, prompted Ji Qingyue’s attendant, Mrs. Qin, to take a step forward and snort coldly. "Lin Qingqing, know your place!"

Mrs. Qin’s imposing aura made Lin Qingqing’s expression soften slightly, but she kept her eyes fixed on Ji Qingyue, awaiting her answer.

In response, Ji Qingyue sighed but answered without a moment’s hesitation. "You’ve misunderstood one thing. From the very beginning, I never reached any cooperative agreement with your Qianqiu Valley."

"Sir Zhong Ming, and the other cultivators, are my true companions on this journey."

"As for you, you have repeatedly provoked and insulted my companion..."

At this, Ji Qingyue took another step forward, her tone turning icy. "That last question is one I should be asking you: Does your Qianqiu Valley truly insist on making an enemy of me?!"