On Liefu Peak, within a courtyard, Xia Donghua was leisurely brewing tea, appearing completely at ease, as though everything was unfolding exactly as he had planned.
At this mont, Xia Donghua was waiting for a piece of news.
In his mind, those few individuals couldn’t possibly defeat Xu Ming. Their cultivation was rely at the Sea Observation Realm.
anwhile, in the Baiwa Secret Realm, Xu Ming killed Sea Observation Realm cultivators as effortlessly as slaughtering chickens.
But Xia Donghua didn’t need Xu Ming to be completely defeated. He only needed a spark—just a single fuse.
Most of the disciples of the Tianxuan Sect held the impression of Xu Ming as being despicable, colluding with demonic sects, opportunistic, and a petty man.
These impressions stemd from the rumors spread about Xu Ming by other cultivators outside the sect, as well as from Xia Donghua’s covert manipulations to fan the flas.
However, impressions are just that—impressions.
What people think of you stays in their hearts; they won’t confront you openly.
This is why soone needs to lay all these cards on the table.
They need to expose the “despicable, demon-colluding, and opportunistic” Xu Ming. They need to confront him and say, He’s here! I’m going to face him head-on!
Once soone openly challenges Xu Ming, others won’t be so willing to pretend to be amicable with him on the surface.
As for whether those rumors are true or not—does it really matter?
It doesn’t.
And whether Xu Ming explains himself or not—does that matter?
It doesn’t.
Unless he has irrefutable evidence to prove his innocence, even if there’s no proof that he’s truly a “sinister scher, an opportunity-stealing demon collaborator,” he also doesn’t have evidence proving he isn’t one.
When you can’t prove your innocence, I’ll just assu you are that kind of person!
People are inherently prone to subjective assumptions.
They only believe what they want to believe.
No one cares about what you truly are; they care only about what they think you are. And that becos your reality in their eyes.
Just as Xia Donghua was reclining in his chair, leisurely waiting for news, a voice echoed from the sky.
“Disciples of the Tianxuan Sect, I am Xu Ming, from the Wu Kingdom.
In the Baiwa Secret Realm, I was able to join a few friends in facing thousands of human and demon cultivators.
Today, dealing with you all shouldn’t be much of a problem either.
Any cultivator below the Nascent Soul Realm is welco to challenge . At worst, I’ll just knock you all down again.
I hope the disciples of the Tianxuan Sect won’t be so fragile.”
Hearing Xu Ming’s voice, Xia Donghua imdiately sat up straight. His brows furrowed as he clenched the teacup tightly, his mind racing.
“What is this Xu Ming trying to do? How does he dare?”
The more Xia Donghua thought about it, the more he couldn’t figure it out.
Under normal circumstances, when soone is suspected or targeted by rumors, they should be doing everything they can to clear their na and extend goodwill.
But Xu Ming outright challenged the entire Tianxuan Sect? Did he really not understand where he was?
How dare he?!
At the sa ti, the stewards and elders of various peaks and halls all raised their heads, listening to the challenge from the young man from the Wu Kingdom.
Unlike the disciples of the Tianxuan Sect, who were influenced by rumors, these stewards and elders paid no heed to such gossip about Xu Ming.
They knew full well how much one must endure to gain recognition from a secret realm.
Did people really think just intercepting soone’s chance could win over a secret realm? Dream on.
And even if, hypothetically, Xu Ming did use so underhanded thods to snatch a chance—so what?
This is cultivation. It’s a battlefield, not so child’s ga.
In the face of great opportunities, people would betray even their wives and children, let alone worry about sothing as trivial as “stealing” a chance.
“This Xu Ming has quite the nerve,” remarked the Peak Lord of Yunhai Peak as he sat atop the mountain. Beside him sat a young man, a massive talisman sword resting across his lap. The man lazily chewed on a blade of grass, his eyes idly following the ebb and flow of the clouds in the sky.
“Chen Yun, what do you think?” the Peak Lord asked his disciple.
“No matter what, I like his personality,” Chen Yun said, spitting out the grass. “I’d love to spar with him.”
The Peak Lord shook his head. “You’re in the Nascent Soul Realm. Bullying soone weaker is disgraceful, even if you win.”
Chen Yun grinned. “Then I’ll suppress my cultivation to match his. Problem solved.”
The Peak Lord rapped his disciple on the head. “It’s obvious soone is using Xu Ming to target Qin Qingwan. If you go now, you’ll just be playing into their hands.”
Chen Yun stood up, slinging his enormous talisman sword over his shoulder. He began stepping down from the peak, each step steady in the air. “No one can use . I live according to my own will. Otherwise, what’s the point?”
—
In Wanhua Valley, Wang Xuan looked up at the voice resonating from the sky and shook her head.
Glancing briefly at a small house within the sea of flowers, she said nothing more before turning and heading toward Xu Ming’s direction.
She was curious. She wanted to see what kind of opportunity that once-helpless boy, unable to cultivate, had encountered to grow into his current self.
—
“How arrogant! What does Xu Ming an by this? Does he think our Tianxuan Sect is empty of people?”
“When has the Tianxuan Sect ever been mocked like this?”
“Xu Ming, the so-called Wen Wu Qing of the Wu Kingdom? Does he think we fear the Wu Kingdom?”
“Does he think his backer is that powerful?”
“Let’s go! Let’s see what this Xu Ming is made of!”
“Let’s go!”
“Count in!”
“I’m coming too!”
Throughout the Tianxuan Sect, countless cultivators were fuming with rage, preparing to confront Xu Ming. They were determined to see for themselves just who this Xu Ming was.
—
On one of the mountains of the Tianxuan Sect, Xu Ming strolled leisurely, occasionally pausing to admire the scenery as though on a sightseeing tour.
Behind him, Yue Lou followed closely, her expression filled with tension.
Yue Lou had originally devised a careful plan, but to her frustration, none of it had proven useful. Instead, Xu Ming was barreling straight down the path to becoming the “public enemy of the Tianxuan Sect.”
“Miss Yue, why don’t you go attend to sothing else?” Xu Ming suggested, noticing how tense she looked.
“I don’t have anything else to do,” Yue Lou replied, shaking her head. Her tone carried a hint of exasperation. “If you end up getting beaten half to death, at least I’ll be there to try and stop it.”
Xu Ming chuckled. “I’ll do my best not to get beaten half to death.”
With his hands clasped behind his back, Xu Ming continued walking.
“Xu Gongzi (Young Master),” Yue Lou called out.
“Hmm?” Xu Ming responded.
“Have you always been this bold?” Yue Lou asked, glancing at him.
Xu Ming seriously considered her question for a mont. “Not really. I’d say I’m usually quite cautious.”
Reviews
All reviews (0)