My Swordsmanship Has No Upper Limit

Arranging an official position for him at the Sword Testing Platform was a way to award him sect Merit Points.

Asking Xie Yuzhu to forge a flying sword for him was a way of helping him build his network.

His Senior Sister, Mo Shuying, was genuinely good to him. She was truly training him as her own junior brother.

Zhong Ming was more than willing to accept such kindness.

So, Zhong Ming clasped his hands in a fist-and-palm salute and said with immense gratitude, "Thank you, Senior Sister."

"I am willing to accept Miss Yuzhu’s trial. And for the Seven Peaks Competition at the end of the month, I will give it my all to achieve a great result for Longxi Peak."

Zhong Ming’s words of gratitude made Mo Shuying a little awkward.

She felt guilty for giving Longxi Peak’s remaining resources to Xue Yao instead of him.

Everything she was doing now was a form of compensation for him.

Feeling awkward, she quickly changed the subject. "You don’t need to thank me. This is what you’ve earned..."

Before she could finish, something occurred to her, and her expression turned serious. "My niece is very interested in the Sword Dao. If she asks you to undergo a trial, it will most likely be a sword duel. She is very powerful; you may not be her match."

"Don’t try to force it if you’re outmatched. If things don’t work out with her, I’ll select a flying sword for you from the Longxi Peak Treasure Vault."

At this, a hint of sadness touched Mo Shuying’s expression.

She greatly admired Xie Yuzhu’s proud disposition. The path of the Sword Dao required a certain unbridled spirit.

Furthermore, the Xie Family had always been on good terms with Longxi Peak, and Xie Yuzhu herself possessed immense Talent for the Sword Dao. Under normal circumstances, she should have joined their Longxi Peak.

Alas, the Xie Family valued her safety more than her potential power.

’What a pity...’

This sense of regret dampened Mo Shuying’s mood for conversation. After offering a few more words of encouragement, she departed.

After she was gone, Zhong Ming had planned to head to the Sword Testing Platform to claim his leadership position.

However, before he could leave, the master-servant pair of Yi Yunya and Orchid approached him.

Their arrival prompted a guess from Zhong Ming:

’Is this about the matter of becoming a Guest for the Golden Jade Tower?’

As he wondered, Zhong Ming greeted the two women with cupped hands.

"Senior Sister Yi, Orchid, did you need something from me?"

Yi Yunya replied, "I do, in fact. Our Longxi Peak has few members and is at a disadvantage for the Seven Peaks Competition. We should join forces. I would like to join your team and form an alliance with you, Young Master Zhong Ming."

"Huh?"

Zhong Ming hadn’t expected that answer from Yi Yunya.

He wasn’t a fool; he understood exactly what she meant.

Joining his team meant she intended to follow his lead, or at least acknowledge him as its head.

But that was precisely what confused Zhong Ming.

He couldn’t understand why Yi Yunya—who had advanced before him, possessed a better Spiritual Root, and hailed from a prominent family—would want to align herself with him.

—By all outward appearances, Yi Yunya should have been the stronger of the two.

He was confident in his own future, but without activating his Dragon Flood Dragon Dao Rhyme, Zhong Ming felt his odds against Yi Yunya were merely better, not guaranteed.

’When the power gap is so small, shouldn’t she be striving to surpass me... Could she have seen my sword strike when I activated the Dragon Flood Dragon Dao Rhyme?’

’But that doesn’t add up. If she had seen it back then, why would she only approach me today?’

Zhong Ming didn’t want to waste time overthinking it. Since he couldn’t figure it out, he decided to ask her directly. "Miss Yi, why do you wish to join my team? The team you formed with Orchid and the others is surely not weak."

Zhong Ming asked this casually, not noticing that at his words, Yi Yunya’s slender hands clenched tightly.

’He said ’your team’... He’s with Xue Yao, but he refers to his group as ’my team.’ He really is the captain. Xue Yao must also genuinely believe he’s the strongest.’

’And he doesn’t consider himself weaker than Xue Yao either.’

Zhong Ming’s single sentence sent a thousand thoughts racing through Yi Yunya’s mind, but her expression remained largely unchanged.

The next moment, she answered his question. "Because I believe in your potential, Young Master Zhong Ming."

With that, she took a step closer and lowered her voice. "And I believe you are the strongest, Young Master Zhong Ming."

’Er... did she really see my Flood Dragon intent? Or did she find out about it somewhere?’

Though he wasn’t certain, Yi Yunya joining their team was a good thing for him and Xue Yao. He naturally had no reason to refuse.

"Miss Yi, I look forward to working with you."

With that, Zhong Ming added with a smile, "I thought you came over because of the Golden Jade Tower’s Earth-level Guest matter."

Yi Yunya replied, "You can just call me Yun Ya. And I did come here about that... Young Master Zhong Ming, even though you’ve become an A-Class Disciple of Longxi Peak, one can never have too many resources. You should also vie for the position of Earth-level Guest at the Golden Jade Tower."

"However, I don’t recommend you go right now."

"Earth-level Guests are divided into high, mid, and low ranks. You have only just advanced. If you go now, you’ll at best be assessed as low-rank, which doesn’t do your Talent justice."

"I suggest you cultivate for a few more days to improve your overall abilities. If you go then, you’ll have a chance to be assessed as mid- or high-rank."

"Of course, I know that time is also a resource. The sooner you start receiving benefits from the Golden Jade Tower, the better it is for you. Therefore, I can cover your expenses and make up for any lost resources during this period."

Yi Yunya was offering to sponsor Zhong Ming’s cultivation, and she certainly had her reasons.

If Zhong Ming went to the Golden Jade Tower now, even if he was assessed as an Earth-level Guest, it would be based on his own merit and have little to do with her.

The resources he would receive would come from the Golden Jade Tower, not from her. Under those circumstances, if she wanted him to help her vie for status within the Golden Jade Tower, he wouldn’t necessarily agree.

—No matter who came out on top, Zhong Ming’s benefits as an Earth-level Guest would remain the same. He would have no incentive to help her.

Thus, Yi Yunya wanted to put Zhong Ming in her debt. She wanted to invest her Spirit Stones in him—the more, the better.

The more he owed her, the harder it would be for him to refuse when she asked for his help in the future.

Zhong Ming had an inkling of what Yi Yunya was planning.

Still, the thought of spending her Spirit Stones made him a little uncomfortable.

Zhong Ming coughed. "Ahem, I couldn’t possibly accept."

Yi Yunya smiled. "It’s no problem. Besides, a higher assessment for you benefits me as well. So please, feel free to use these resources."

Since she put it that way, Zhong Ming no longer stood on ceremony.

"In that case, I’ll accept these resources... If you need my help with anything in the future, you can come find me."

In the end, Zhong Ming agreed to the alliance and decided to help her with her ambitions in the Golden Jade Tower.

Over the past few days, Zhong Ming had learned a bit about the Golden Jade Tower. It was a massive power spanning several territories, its comprehensive strength surpassing even the Seven Profound Sect. It was home to many Exotic Treasures and precious resources.

For example, a method to upgrade his Spiritual Root, something he desperately wanted, could be found there.

They even had things like Flood Dragon Essence Blood.

Many of their resources made Zhong Ming’s mouth water.

While he had neither the desire nor the ability to take over the Golden Jade Tower himself, as a prospective Guest, he didn’t mind helping a fellow sect member he was on good terms with rise to a high position within the organization.

This way, it would be much easier for him to exchange for resources from the Golden Jade Tower.

...

Yi Yunya was a decisive person. Having decided to align with Zhong Ming and use his strength to establish her Roots in the Golden Jade Tower, she was willing to invest heavily.

The moment Zhong Ming agreed, she took out resources worth at least two hundred Spirit Stones from her Storage Ring.

"These are Primordial Spirit Pills, this is Earth Marrow Spirit Liquid, and this is Clear Heart Incense, which can help restore your mental energy..."

In addition to these common resources, Yi Yunya gave Zhong Ming a huge surprise.

"You’ve heard of True Intent Maps, haven’t you, Young Master? Like the scroll our Senior Sister showed us on our first day of Initiation at Longxi Peak."

"Our Golden Jade Tower has many such scrolls that contain a Mental Realm."

"Longxi Swordsmanship is of the water attribute. I can take you to witness the Nu River Waves Painting once."

"Hm?!"

The moment Yi Yunya spoke, a brilliant gleam flashed in Zhong Ming’s eyes.

Her reminder made Zhong Ming realize there was a way to rapidly increase his strength.

’True Intent Maps, how did I not think of that! On the very first day of my Initiation, I used Mind Reading to comprehend a trace of the Dragon Flood Dragon Dao Rhyme.’

’That time I was just lucky, but with Mind Reading, my gains from viewing a True Intent Map will be far greater than an ordinary person’s—perhaps even ten times greater!’

’Even with bad luck, a single viewing should increase my Cultivation Technique experience by several hundred points.’

’And if I’m lucky, I might even complete the Dragon Flood Dragon Dao Rhyme, which is currently beyond my grasp, or comprehend a completely new Dao Rhyme.’