...

Granny Lan’s words left Xie Lingmin silent. She knew that ten trial tickets to the Fierce Battle Platform were too few to seize the opportunity that was Zhong Ming.

But she had no choice.

The Xie Family had vast resources, but that didn’t mean she personally did.

Ten tickets to the Fierce Battle Platform were the absolute limit of what she could provide without alerting the family.

Any more, and the family would surely take notice and start asking questions.

At that point, the fact that Zhong Ming had comprehended a Dao Rhyme Fragment in less than a month would inevitably become known to the family.

Having lived in the family for many years, Xie Lingmin knew without a second thought that once the family elders and the Patriarch discovered and confirmed Zhong Ming’s talent, they wouldn’t hesitate to deepen their ties with him.

And merely gifting resources wouldn’t satisfy the family elders; they would certainly find a way to forge a more intimate connection with Zhong Ming.

A marriage alliance, or a honey trap. You could call the strategy cliché, but the fact that it has been passed down from ancient times to this day without dying out proved its effectiveness.

In order to get closer to Zhong Ming, the family would absolutely support Xie Yuzhu in learning the sword and try to bring the two of them together.

As for the risks involved... Xie Lingmin cherished her daughter, viewing her as her most precious treasure, and didn’t want her to be exposed to even the slightest danger.

But the Xie Family’s Patriarch and elders wouldn’t see it that way.

For the sake of the family’s advancement, they were perfectly willing to sacrifice the happiness of individual members.

Of course, Xie Lingmin also knew that if she did everything in her power to stop it, she could get the family... to choose someone else.

The Xie Family had many members and no shortage of daughters from the direct line. Nearly ninety percent of the girls had no say in their own marriages.

Therefore, if she were to stubbornly refuse, the Xie Family elders wouldn’t press the issue; they could easily find a replacement.

In fact, upon learning of Zhong Ming’s situation, the other branches of the Xie Family might even start fighting amongst themselves for the chance to befriend him.

A candidate for Sect Leader—and a candidate from their very own peak, no less. The temptation was simply too great.

’...I’m such a hypocrite.’

As this thought crossed her mind, Xie Lingmin shook her head in self-mockery.

She was unwilling to bind her own daughter to Zhong Ming, yet she couldn’t bear the thought of someone else snatching away the treasure she had discovered.

’Sigh, why did you have to be a Sword Cultivator? With your talent, you certainly have a chance to grow strong and support Longxi Peak.’

’But it won’t be easy. Those Demonic Fiends, Evil Spirits, and other monstrosities won’t just stand by and watch a prodigious Sword Cultivator rise through the ranks.’

’The path you walk is far too risky...’

Xie Lingmin was utterly conflicted and hesitant.

In this day and age, walking the path of a Sword Cultivator was simply too dangerous.

She didn’t want her daughter to die alongside him or end up a widow, so she was reluctant to let Xie Yuzhu get too close to Zhong Ming.

But she was also unwilling to let go of Zhong Ming’s extraordinary talent.

Unable to make a decision, she ultimately decided to... wait and see.

"These resources are temporary. They are also a test for Zhong Ming. I need to know if he truly comprehended a Dao Rhyme Fragment, and whether his comprehension was due to good luck or outstanding talent... The Fierce Battle Platform can temper a person’s Divine Soul, and more importantly, it can test its strength. When he goes to the Fierce Battle Platform, you go with him, observe, and record his results."

"If he gets far enough... we’ll discuss it then."

Granny Lan replied, "Yes, My Lady."

...

Because she was conflicted, Xie Lingmin decided to wait and see. But while she was hesitating, someone else was already preparing to bet everything she had.

The moment Zhong Ming had recovered and begun his cultivation, Orchid wasted no time and ran off in the direction of her young miss.

She finally found Yi Yunya in the Golden Jade Tower.

At that moment, Yi Yunya was standing with several lavishly dressed young men and women, embroiled in an argument.

At the head of the group sat a graceful and opulent noblewoman, watching the dispute between Yi Yunya and the others with great interest.

"Yi Yunyan, don’t be ridiculous. I applied for the Evil Flood Dragon Walking Water Map first."

"But you applied to use it half a month from now. Until then, it’s not yours."

Her words seemed to have a point, but Yi Yunya knew perfectly well that activating a True Intent Map for someone to view consumed its power.

If Yi Yunyan were to take it now and give it to someone else to use, it was very likely the True Intent Map would be unusable in half a month when Zhong Ming needed it.

For that reason, she staunchly refused.

Seeing this, the girl named Yi Yunyan didn’t get angry. Instead, she smiled at the noblewoman at the head of the room and said, "Aunt, I’m borrowing the True Intent Map for Young Master Ye, Ye Cheng of the Golden Armor Sect."

"Ye Cheng is the grandson of the Golden Armor Sect’s third elder and is highly valued by him. Befriending him will help us expand our influence within the Golden Armor Sect."

"As for my dear seventh sister, hehe..."

Looking at Yi Yunya, Yi Yunyan laughed, a mocking taunt on her face. "Seventh Sister, I’ve looked into the person you’re trying to curry favor with. Although he’s one of the Class A Disciples of the Seven Profound Sect’s Longxi Peak, he went through the Initiation on the very last day and has a third-grade Spiritual Root."

"However, it’s said the man has quite the presence. Even during his cultivation, he drinks, engages in Reading, and practices his swordplay, neglecting none of them. Very free-spirited and unrestrained."

At this, the mockery on Yi Yunyan’s face grew even more pronounced. "Seventh Sister, for you to invest so many resources in such a mediocre person... could it be that your heart is fluttering? Have you developed feelings for him...?"

As soon as she said this, the other young men and women in the room began to look at Yi Yunya strangely.

Even the noblewoman seated at the head of the room raised an eyebrow.

This reaction made Yi Yunyan smile to herself.

’I’ve already won,’ she thought. ’What does a pretty boy with a mediocre Spiritual Root have to compete with Young Master Ye?’

Yi Yunya naturally felt everyone’s strange looks and understood her fourth sister’s motive for saying such a thing.

A common Inner Sect disciple with ’mediocre’ talent versus the grandson of an elder from the Golden Armor Sect, a power on par with the Seven Profound Sect. It was almost beyond question who was more important and who should be courted first.

Yi Yunya was also well aware of why Yi Yunyan was opposing her.

Interests.

The Golden Jade Tower was large, but it was also small. The number of mid-to-high-level positions was limited.

Now, a Steward position had opened up, and all the members of the Yi Family were qualified to compete for it.

Under these circumstances, it was only natural for Yi Yunya and her relatives to use all sorts of methods to undermine one another.

Fortunately, facing Yi Yunyan’s attack, Yi Yunya remained calm and confident—she had never considered Zhong Ming to be ordinary.

"To place so much importance on the Spiritual Root... Fourth Sister, your shortsightedness has reached a point where this little sister of yours doesn’t even know what to say."

"Don’t you know that Cultivation isn’t just about the Spiritual Root? Temperament, comprehension, willpower... so many things can influence a Cultivator’s future."

"Senior Brother Zhong Ming’s Spiritual Root talent is indeed not the best. But as a Lower-class Youth with a third-grade Spiritual Root, he surpassed a large group of disciples from prominent families, even those with second-grade Spiritual Roots, to become an A-Class Disciple of Longxi Peak. Doesn’t that prove that Senior Brother Zhong Ming’s comprehension and talent are outstanding?"

"For the truly strong, comprehension is far more important than one’s Spiritual Root..."

Yi Yunya’s forceful rebuttal made Yi Yunyan’s grip on her fan tighten. But she quickly recovered and said with a smile, "Seventh Sister, you are the short-sighted one. Anyone considered a prodigy is invariably powerful. To be rated A Class, I’ll admit that Zhong Ming has some talent. But his Spiritual Root is poor, he has no backing, and he has few resources. A man like that can only rely on you."

"I find it hard to believe that you, by yourself, can cultivate him into a powerhouse..."

For the sake of the Evil Flood Dragon Walking Water Map, and even more so for the Steward position, Yi Yunya and Yi Yunyan competed fiercely, neither willing to back down an inch.

And the result of their argument was... quite unfavorable for Yi Yunya.

Although she did her best to argue that Zhong Ming’s talent was exceptional, his third-grade Spiritual Root and his background as a Lower-class Youth were both significant flaws.

Investing in him was not as safe a bet as investing in Ye Cheng.

In particular, Yi Yunyan added with a smile, "It’s not just me who doesn’t think much of Zhong Ming, you know. Your Longxi Peak’s Eldest Senior Sister isn’t too optimistic about him either. She came to our Golden Jade Tower some time ago and even bought a top-grade Magical Artifact."

"And at the time, the person accompanying her was a cool and detached young woman, not the ’Big Brother Zhong Ming’ you so admire and look up to."

"Or are you saying you think your judgment is better than your Eldest Senior Sister’s?"

"..." Yi Yunya retorted, "The Xue Yao you’re talking about also believes that Senior Brother Zhong Ming is the strongest person on Longxi Peak. It was because of her influence that I decided to invest everything in him."

"Heh, Yun Ya, stop trying to twist the facts. Do you even believe your own words...?"

Just as everyone was beginning to side with Yi Yunyan, Orchid, who had been rushing the whole way, arrived at the Golden Jade Tower.