Chapter 96: Chapter 75: Supreme Sword Intent: Let a Myriad Arts Come, I Shall Slay Them With a Single Strike

"He actually left."

Everyone was forming alliances, but Zhong Ming went against the grain, walking his own path. This posture was naturally noticed by the prodigies in the Profound Secret Hall, sparking endless discussion.

Of course, there wasn’t much praise among their words.

Arrogant, unruly, and oblivious to his own strength—this was their assessment of Zhong Ming.

Even the ever-domineering Yan Chen felt that the actions of Longxi Peak’s members were far too contemptuous of others.

"I thought I was full of myself, but I never expected to find someone even more audacious than me."

This made Lian Zhixia, who was always by his side, chuckle. "Senior Brother, to be so dismissive of everything without the strength to back it up—that’s just blind arrogance. You’re different. You have immense power and aim for the top. That’s confidence."

"Haha..."

Yan Chen shook his head and chuckled at his junior brother’s flattering words. What surprised him was that as he laughed, Lin Yuxuan also nodded and said:

"I agree with what Senior Brother Lian said."

Lin Yuxuan had always viewed Lian Zhixia, Yan Chen, and Molten Fire Peak as rivals and was consistently hostile toward them.

But after witnessing the "arrogant and rude" Zhong Ming, she found that Lian Zhixia and Yan Chen weren’t so detestable after all.

"..."

This time, Su Lingya also shook her head wordlessly.

Zhong Ming’s conceitedness made her very pessimistic about the future of Longxi Peak.

However, given her temperament, she wouldn’t badmouth anyone behind their back.

...

Zhong Ming didn’t care about the discussions in the Profound Secret Hall. But after stepping outside, he looked at Yi Yunya and the others and said with a smile, "You all probably think I handled that improperly, don’t you?"

"Ah..." This stunned Yi Yunya for a moment, but she quickly smiled and said, "I will always believe in you, Senior Brother."

After her, Xue Yao also nodded. "You are very strong. I believe in you."

Zhuang Yi and Xie Yuzhu, who came next, were quite similar. Still in their rebellious phase, they felt no fear about Longxi Peak fighting the other Six Peaks alone. Instead, they were filled with anticipation and longing, thinking that this act of spurning others to become a lone hero was incredibly cool.

This unconditional trust from everyone made Zhong Ming shake his head wordlessly.

Then, he took the initiative to admit his "mistake." "Actually, if we were just seeking victory, cooperating with the other peaks would be the safest bet."

"Even if we wanted to restore the glory of Longxi Peak and make the sect value Sword Cultivators again, uniting with others to survive past the second day of the assessment would be the optimal choice."

"That would demonstrate our unity and mutual support... Completing an impossible task would also showcase our strength... But alas, we are Sword Cultivators."

We are Sword Cultivators! Zhong Ming’s last sentence was like a sharp sword, instantly dispelling every last doubt in Yi Yunya’s heart.

At that moment, she was forcefully reminded of the true essence of a Sword Cultivator.

Ultimate, aloof, pure, with only the sword and the self... Only those who can achieve this can be called Sword Cultivators.

The rest can only be called cultivators who wield swords.

The difference between the two is like that between heaven and earth.

As Yi Yunya was contemplating the nature of a Sword Cultivator, Zhong Ming looked up at the sky and spoke softly, "The highest realm of the Sword Dao is One Sword Breaks Ten Thousand Techniques. To reach this realm, a Sword Cultivator needs absolute confidence and ultimate aloofness."

SWISH!

Releasing his flying sword, Jing Lei, he let it spin on his fingertip while murmuring as if in a trance:

"Only by firmly believing the Sword Dao to be the ’Supreme Law,’ by recognizing our own Sword Dao as the ultimate power that surpasses all else, can we nurture that aloof Sword Intent which declares: ’Let ten thousand techniques assail me, I will shatter them all with a single sword!’"

Speaking to this point, Zhong Ming sighed.

Such a Mental Realm was undoubtedly difficult to cultivate, which was why becoming a true Sword Cultivator was so hard.

What was even more troubling was that it was difficult for Sword Cultivators to never admit defeat. If their will was not tenacious, a single loss could shatter their Sword Heart, turning them into a complete cripple.

Of course, it would be wonderful if your obsession was forged into steel, unmovable by circumstances.

This kind of Mental Realm caused one’s Sword Heart to solidify even more the deeper one fell into desperate situations or faced doubt.

Unfortunately, this kind of belief—unbending in adversity, unquenchable in despair—was exceedingly rare. Even Zhong Ming found it difficult to achieve.

At the same time, Zhong Ming... had yet to condense his Sword Intent.

Although he had comprehended Dao Rhyme, whether it was Dao Rhyme - Flow of Water, Dao Rhyme Dragon Flood, or the combined Dao Rhyme: Vortex Dragon, they were all considered Dao Skill Rhymes, not Sword Intent.

His other Sword Seeds and his Swordsmanship which had reached the Fourth Realm were merely techniques. The Sword Heart, however, was the Dao!

At this point, the reason why Zhong Ming refused to team up with outsiders and insisted on Longxi Peak going it alone became clear.

He wanted to use this perilous situation as a whetstone to temper his own Mental Realm, seeking to comprehend the Sword Heart and grasp Sword Intent.

"There is only one Sword Intent I wish to nurture—One Sword Breaks Ten Thousand Techniques."

"This requires me to have the aloofness and confidence of ’Let ten thousand techniques assail me, I will shatter them with a single sword’... Of course, to others, this looks like arrogance and contempt."

"But the strongest Sword Cultivators must possess an aloofness that looks down on everything, and a resolute Dao Heart that can even sunder the heavens."

...

With only the sword and the self, ultimate and aloof. True Sword Cultivators possess the foundation to disregard everything, firmly believing they can destroy all with only the sword in their hand.

Zhong Ming, who had not yet established his Sword Heart, wanted to comprehend its mysteries through study and imitation.

Therefore, he took the initiative to refuse everyone, forcing himself to rely on the sword in his hand to face all hardships.

Of course, the reason Zhong Ming dared to do this was that the Seven Peaks Grand Competition was merely an assessment, not a true life-or-death battle. Otherwise, he would have united all possible forces to face the danger, rather than fixating on comprehending some Sword Heart or Sword Intent.