RUMBLE...

The immense force, like a raging flood, combined with the shearing power of the rapidly spinning currents, made the Vortex Dragon incredibly potent.

Like a runaway train, it destroyed any tree and shattered any stone in its path.

Finally, the speeding Vortex Dragon slammed into Xie Yuzhu, brutally carrying her for over a hundred meters before it finally exhausted all its power.

BANG!

And at the very end, it even triggered a massive explosion.

As a result, even with the protection of her precious treasure, Xie Yuzhu was unable to get back up for some time after being struck by such a ferocious force.

"..."

"..."

"..."

This terrifying strike, and a result that surpassed everyone’s expectations, plunged the scene into silence.

After a long moment, Granny Lan finally came to her senses and rushed toward Xie Yuzhu.

"Young Miss."

As she cried out in alarm, Qi Hong, Yang Chen, and the others hurried over to Zhong Ming’s side.

"Zhong Ming, are you okay?"

Xie Yuzhu had been knocked senseless, and Zhong Ming wasn’t in much better shape.

That last strike was indeed terrifying, but it had also completely drained Zhong Ming of his stamina, Magical Power, and Heart Power.

His longsword had shattered, and his face was deathly pale. He was leaning against a large tree, barely able to remain on his feet.

This sight naturally made Qi Hong and the others anxious—they saw Zhong Ming as the hope for Longxi Peak’s rise, as well as the key to healing their own injuries.

Of course, they weren’t the only ones. Orchid was also deeply worried about Zhong Ming. Seeing him swaying on his feet, she immediately rushed to his side and helped support him, casting aside any concern for the propriety required between men and women.

Then, she took out a white jade porcelain vial and said to Zhong Ming:

"Zhong Ming, this is Moonlight Spiritual Water. It can restore your Magical Power. Drink it, quickly."

Zhong Ming had heard of Moonlight Spiritual Water. It was extracted from Moon Spiritual Power and was incredibly precious.

So he waved it away, saying:

"COUGH, COUGH. No, thank you. It’s too precious. I’ve only exhausted my Magical Power. I’ll be fine after a little rest."

His words brought a hint of vexation to Orchid’s face. "Sir, no matter how precious the Moonlight Spiritual Water is, it’s not as important as your well-being."

As she spoke, Orchid offered the Moonlight Spiritual Water again.

Seeing her insistence, Zhong Ming had no choice but to take a sip.

"Haaa..."

The water was indeed potent. As soon as he took a sip, Zhong Ming felt a portion of his depleted Magical Power return. Even his mind felt nourished by a cool, refreshing sensation.

"Thank you."

Having recovered some of his strength, Zhong Ming reassured Qi Hong, Orchid, and the others, then began to reflect on the battle.

’In the beginning, I did well enough. But Xie Yuzhu... her raw power is just too far beyond mine...’

To use a gaming analogy, in the last duel, Zhong Ming had decent skill, but Xie Yuzhu had the level advantage—an extremely high one, at about ten levels above him.

On top of that, she had several completed items, making it impossible for an unequipped Zhong Ming to win, no matter how skilled he was.

It was a total domination by raw power.

This duel made Zhong Ming understand why all Cultivators emphasize that one’s cultivation base is everything.

It was an absolute truth. If not for the resonance of the Dragon Flood Dragon Dao Rhyme, Zhong Ming would have been guaranteed to lose.

And even with the resonance of the Dragon Flood Dragon Dao Rhyme, his meager Magical Power meant that Zhong Ming only had enough strength for that one attack.

’A performance like this won’t be enough to get a good score on the end-of-month exam.’

’This won’t do. I have to find a way to increase my Magical Power.’

...

While Zhong Ming was analyzing the battle, Xie Yuzhu had already gotten back to her feet.

Her injuries weren’t serious; in fact, she was virtually unharmed. The Protective Treasure the Xie Family had given her was of outstanding quality—which was precisely why Zhong Ming had put everything he had into his attack, knowing she had such a defense.

"I lost..."

She was physically unharmed, but as she stood up, she knew she had lost.

This left her looking dazed, her expression filled with disbelief.

Clearly, in neither the first duel nor the second had she ever anticipated defeat.

Losing twice in a row was a significant blow.

But she quickly recovered her composure and, the moment she did, ran right up to Zhong Ming.

...

"You still refuse to accept your defeat?"

Her approach made Qi Hong and Yang Chen, who were gathered around Zhong Ming, frown.

Thinking she was a sore loser, Qi Hong and the others were even prepared to stand up for Zhong Ming and teach her a lesson, regardless of whether it offended the Xie Family.

However, in the next moment, something happened that took Shi Yun and the others by surprise.

Faced with their scolding, Xie Yuzhu didn’t argue. Instead, she just shook her head and said, "That’s not it. I accept my defeat."

As she finished speaking, the girl—petite, but with a delicate and lovely figure—turned her gaze to Zhong Ming.

As she looked up at Zhong Ming, her beautiful eyes were filled with admiration and awe.

"Senior Brother Zhong Ming, you’re incredible! That sword strike just now was so cool! Can I learn Swordsmanship from you?"

"Uh..."

This response caught Zhong Ming off guard, leaving him momentarily at a loss for words.

Seeing his hesitation, Xie Yuzhu thought she hadn’t been sincere enough. She immediately bowed deeply to Zhong Ming and said, her voice full of respect and apology, "Senior Brother, I know my earlier challenges upset you, and I apologize. If you’re unwilling to forgive me, you can punish me however you see fit."

Then, she added with a yearning tone, "I truly love the sword, and I believe it must be treated with the utmost respect. That’s why I wanted to find a worthy master for the sword I forged..."

"And, Senior Brother, if you let me study under you, I’ll pour my heart and soul into forging your flying sword..."

Seeing that she had misunderstood, Zhong Ming quickly held up his hands. "Stop, stop. It’s not that I’m unwilling to teach you. It’s that dividing your focus to practice Swordsmanship wouldn’t be good for you."

"Both Artifact Refining and Swordsmanship are vast and profound disciplines, enough to take a Cultivator a lifetime to study. If you try to pursue both, you’ll likely end up mediocre in each."

Cultivation also values focus. For Xie Yuzhu to want to learn the sword now was like a weapons researcher from his past life suddenly deciding to become a pilot. Such a drastic career change could easily impact her future.

Under these circumstances, Zhong Ming didn’t dare make the decision for her, especially given her significant background. It made him even more reluctant to get involved.

Xie Yuzhu said, "I don’t think it will be a problem. As a Swordsmith, I should have some understanding of the Sword Dao anyway. Besides, many High Cultivators balance multiple disciplines..."

’You know those are High Cultivators. They have more than enough time.’

Ultimately, Cultivation was different from other professions, because nearly all Cultivators pursued longevity and immortality.

This meant that as a Cultivator’s cultivation base rose, so did their lifespan.

With a longer lifespan, successful Cultivators like Zhong Ming would naturally have the time and energy to research other subjects.

Of course, Cultivators usually only pursued other disciplines when they hit a bottleneck with their Basic Technique and couldn’t break through, hoping to gain new insights from a different field.

If they could still make progress with their Basic Technique, most Cultivators would focus solely on that.

’Your priority right now is forging Spiritual Artifacts. You should focus on reaching Foundation Establishment first...’

Naturally, Zhong Ming didn’t voice these thoughts.

He didn’t refute Xie Yuzhu’s words, either.

He simply said calmly, "You have a point. But this is too important—it concerns your entire future, and I can’t be the one to decide for you. I suggest you go home and ask your parents. If they agree to you pursuing Sword Cultivation, I have no objection to teaching you everything I’ve come to understand."

"...I understand."

The thought of having to tell her parents made Xie Yuzhu’s delicate face fall.

Obviously, her parents didn’t support her decision to learn the sword.

But soon, she thought of something, and her eyes lit up.

’Maybe I’ll have a chance this time.’

With that thought, she happily waved to Zhong Ming.

"Senior Brother Zhong Ming, wait for me! I’ll get my parents to agree."

She left, but her Guardian, Granny Lan, didn’t follow immediately. After giving Zhong Ming an extremely complicated look, she bowed to him and Qi Hong’s group. Then, filled with apology, she sent a spiritual message to Qi Hong and the others:

"To have comprehended Dao Rhyme at such a young age... No wonder you said the Xie Family was unworthy of taking Master Zhong Ming as a Guardian."

"My apologies. I was presumptuous earlier."

"The Xie Family is indeed not worthy."

"This was my idea, and therefore my mistake. I will report to the Matriarch and ask for punishment. As for the insult toward Master Zhong Ming, our Xie Family will also make proper amends."

"I ask that you all please refrain from telling Master Zhong Ming about this for now."

"My apologies."

After apologizing once more, Granny Lan finally departed.

However, as she departed, she failed to notice the peculiar expressions that appeared on the faces of Qi Hong and the others as they heard her apology.