HUMMM...
After the spell was cast, Xue Yao focused on her cultivation. Zhong Ming, too, devoted his full attention to experiencing the state of 'Clear' and comprehending its mysteries.
'Clear... it seems to have the effect of purifying Magical Power. No, that can't be all there is to it...'
'The hardest thing to see through is oneself. If I comprehend 'Clear,' can I use streams and lakes as a mirror to reflect my own flaws, and... my soul?'
[You have gained a new understanding of the Longxi Breathing Technique. Cultivation Technique progress +39]
The constantly increasing Cultivation Technique Skill Level proved that the Ice Heart Spell was truly useful for Zhong Ming's cultivation.
At the same time, Zhong Ming also understood why Xue Yao's cultivation speed was so fast.
In the Ice Heart state, Zhong Ming's control over the Spiritual Qi in his body was extremely strong, and he could seemingly see the twists and turns of his meridians.
This allowed Zhong Ming to manipulate his Spiritual Qi and guide it along the winding paths of his meridians, even without the Flow of Water.
'An A-Class Spiritual Root is naturally attuned to Spiritual Qi. Add the Ice Heart to that, and it's no wonder she opened her Qi Sea Acupoint in just one day.'
After this moment of reflection, joy welled up in Zhong Ming's heart.
'Now, I've obtained this Talent, too.'
With the combination of Ice Heart and the Flow of Water, Zhong Ming could once again extend his cultivation sessions.
That day, he cultivated in one go until about nine o'clock at night, interspersed with Reading, practicing his sword, and consuming Earth Marrow Spirit Liquid.
Due to the long cultivation session and the boost from the Ice Heart Spell, the progress of Zhong Ming's Longxi Breathing Technique increased by nearly 300 points in one go.
This made Zhong Ming gasp. "That's a lot. A normal Cultivator would probably need at least a month to increase their Cultivation Technique progress by 300 points."
The significant increase in his Cultivation Technique progress left Zhong Ming in high spirits.
The day after, Zhong Ming maintained his current cultivation speed and practiced with single-minded focus for the entire day.
As these two days passed, the time came to the seventh day since Zhong Ming and the others had arrived at Longxi Peak. This was also the final day to achieve an A-level Rating!
...
HUFF...
'Time really flies.'
On the seventh day since entering the Seven Profound Sect, when Zhong Ming arrived at the Longxi Peak Cultivation Dojo, he found the atmosphere inside was even more tense than usual.
This was especially true for the disciples from prominent families who occupied the spring eyes; the mood around them was heavy.
The ordinary disciples were also watching everything in silent observation.
Although both an A-level Rating and a B-level Rating would allow their followers to be exempt from the Demon Suppression Bureau's conscription...
...as long as they weren't fools, everyone knew that becoming a follower of an A-Class Disciple promised a much brighter future and greater security.
Right now, they were all searching for those who had a chance of receiving an A-level Rating.
Among them, some disciples from prominent families who were confident in achieving a B-level Rating were also watching intently.
Unlike the ordinary disciples, these family disciples had inside information. Because of this, they knew that getting a B-level Rating wouldn't keep them safe forever.
In other words, there was no absolutely safe place in the entire Frost Moon Immortal Dynasty.
When the nest falls, no egg remains intact.
The ordinary disciples would have to enter the Demon Suppression Bureau to fight Demonic Fiends to the death, and so would they—it was just a matter of time.
Unwilling to be treated as cannon fodder, these disciples with B-level Ratings also wanted to find some A-Class geniuses to align themselves with.
...
The seventh day. This day was indeed very important.
Even First Senior Sister Mo Shuying didn't leave after finishing her instructions.
However, her presence seemed to make everyone even more nervous.
After noticing this, she did not conceal her aura.
'For an A-level Rating, you must become true disciples of Longxi Peak, its very core. If you get this nervous just from seeing me, what great use could you possibly be?'
With this thought in mind, not only did she not conceal her aura, she actually released a sharp, imposing pressure.
But when Zhong Ming arrived, Mo Shuying, who was exuding this pressure, faltered for a moment.
The others also had complicated expressions on their faces when they saw Zhong Ming arrive.
At this age, full of vigor and vitality, a beautiful woman was indeed a source of trouble.
This was especially true when Xue Yao was not only beautiful but also exceptionally talented, attracting countless suitors.
Because of this, Zhong Ming, the one she had chosen as her teammate, was the object of much envy and jealousy on Longxi Peak.
However, Zhong Ming hadn't run into much trouble over the past two days.
The first reason was that the Seven Profound Sect was one of the Renowned and Righteous Sects, and Longxi Peak had its own rules.
Openly fighting and killing, or backstabbing fellow disciples—such vile acts were difficult to carry out on Longxi Peak.
Furthermore, the existence of the hundred-day assessment made everyone focus all their energy on cultivation, leaving little time to think about other things.
The second reason was that the few who did grow jealous and tried to provoke him... were driven off by Xue Yao.
Xue Yao had truly learned a few things from Zhong Ming.
It wasn't just the Dragon Flood Dragon's True Intent; after meals, Zhong Ming had also sparred with Xue Yao a few times using the Flow of Water he had comprehended.
This was for Zhong Ming's own benefit as well. The sword is a weapon of slaughter, and sparring with others could increase his Swordsmanship progress.
With his special Flowing Sword, Xue Yao, who wasn't using any Magical Power, was no match for Zhong Ming at all.
And this, in turn, made Xue Yao greatly admire Zhong Ming.
When she discovered people insulting the person she respected, the simple-natured Xue Yao naturally couldn't stand for it. Thus, Zhong Ming didn't even have to lift a finger against the provocations from the Longxi Peak disciples.
At the early stage of Qi Cultivation and with her excellent Swordsmanship, she decisively defeated all challengers.
She even issued a declaration, stating that anyone who wanted to challenge Zhong Ming had to get through her first.
"..."
This scene left everyone speechless.
However, after this incident, everyone started seeing Zhong Ming as a pretty boy who leeched off a woman, and their jealousy toward him grew even stronger.
"Zhong Ming, what's so great about him? Why is Xue Yao so taken with him?"
Some didn't understand, but others spoke up for Zhong Ming.
It was just that Zhong Ming would rather not have heard what they said.
"Actually, Zhong Ming does have a certain charm. The way he reads, drinks, and practices his sword all at once... it's quite captivating..."
The Scholarly Aura, combined with wine and a sword, did give Zhong Ming a sense of unrestrained freedom.
The young woman who defended Zhong Ming left many speechless, and even made some slap themselves hard across the face.
"Xue Yao said Zhong Ming was the strongest person on Longxi Peak. I thought he was actually skilled, but I guess beauty is in the eye of the beholder..."
"SMACK! So you analyzed him, huh? So you tried to imitate him? They're just lovers praising each other. What's there to analyze?!"
In short, Xue Yao's constant defense of Zhong Ming made his reputation plummet, fast-tracking him to the status of a pretty boy.
And this was also why Mo Shuying was so speechless when she looked at Zhong Ming.
On the other side, Yi Yunya's gaze toward Zhong Ming and Xue Yao was also strange, tinged with a bit of lingering fear.
'It's a good thing I didn't make a move that day. Otherwise, I'd be in real trouble now.'
...
Zhong Ming felt the crowd's complicated gazes, but in response, he... felt not a single ripple in his heart.
Compared to fighting with others or maintaining a good reputation, Zhong Ming much preferred cultivating, practicing his sword, and reading books.
It was precisely because of this 'ignore everything and focus solely on cultivation' mentality that Zhong Ming's reputation had fallen so quickly.
'But all this commotion will come to an end today.'
With that thought, Zhong Ming opened his status panel and looked at his stats.
[Zhong Ming]
[Cultivation Realm: Mortal]
[Reading: Fourth Realm, Minor Achievement (387/13,600), Traits: ① Scholarly Aura, ② Calm Heart, ③ Mind Reading]
[Longxi Breathing Technique: Second Realm, Insight (963/8,100), Traits: ① Flow of Water... Dragon Flood Dragon Dao Rhyme (Fragmented) (4.1%)]
[Longxi Sword Drawing Technique: Third Realm, Refinement (639/13,600), Traits: ① Quick Eyes and Swift Hands, ② Flow of Water]
The above were Zhong Ming's stats. Although he had cultivated diligently and read many Cultivation Insights these past few days, because of the short amount of time, none of his skills had fundamentally broken through.
However, while his Cultivation Method Realms hadn't seen a major breakthrough, his Qi Sea Acupoint had been polished to its absolute limit through these days of nurturing.
'It's time... to break through.'