Chapter 67: Arrogance requires capital for arrogance!

  The Emperor looked at Zhuge Mingyue and smiled bitterly: "I knew you'd ask this, but I'll tell you, even I don't know, do you believe me?"

  Zhuge Mingyue looked at the emperor's bitter smile and nodded in agreement.

  His Majesty let out a soft sigh: "Actually, I don't know either. I also wonder what kind of man would be worthy of your mother, that extraordinary woman."

  Zhuge Mingyue listened quietly, and her heart was also shocked beyond measure.

  "Alright, are you hungry?" The emperor finally came out of his reverie, smiling at Zhuge Mingyue, "From now on, if there's anything that needs my help, just let me know."

  "Thank you, Your Majesty." Zhuge Mingyue felt a sense of melancholy and disappointment in her heart, still unaware of her own origins.

  The emperor also noticed Zhuge Mingyue's unhappiness and changed the subject. As they chatted, Zhuge Mingyue was surprised to find that the emperor had a deep understanding of astronomy and geography, as well as the customs and habits of the people. The emperor's insights on many things also amazed Zhuge Mingyue. With her knowledge from past lives, she could be considered erudite and talented. For a while, the two chatted harmoniously. However, the emperor was even more impressed with Zhuge Mingyue. She truly lived up to being her daughter - so intelligent, able to infer and deduce, not only learning summoning techniques but also reading so many books.

  In the evening, the Emperor insisted on having Zhuge Mingyue stay for dinner. When Yuan Wenyi arrived upon hearing the news, she was originally very worried in her heart. She had heard that the Emperor had summoned Zhuge Mingyue to the Imperial Garden in the afternoon and had dismissed everyone else. At first, she was worried that the Emperor had taken a liking to Zhuge Mingyue, after all, Zhuge Mingyue's bright face was enough to move men's hearts. But when she arrived and saw the Emperor being so kind to Zhuge Mingyue, serving her dishes with a benevolent smile, she realized she had been overthinking things. The Emperor was showing such concern for this younger generation, but she didn't know why. However, she didn't mind showing kindness to someone the Emperor liked either.

  So, when Zhuge Mingyue left the palace for the last time, her belly was round and full, and she also received a pile of gifts from Concubine Yuan Yuanyu. They were all valuable and good things!

  ……

  Zhuge Mingyue suddenly broke through to the Sky Level Summoner, which was a very sudden thing and also a very speechless thing.

  Why did she say that? It's because she was originally sleeping, but felt like she couldn't breathe, her stomach was very heavy, and it seemed to be wet. Then she panicked, struggled desperately, and felt like a small boat in the ocean, drifting and almost capsizing. After great effort, she barely managed to hold on. Suddenly opening her eyes, she found herself breaking through. She had become a Sky-level Summoner! Looking down at her stomach again, that was Ye Wei, who was originally sleeping on top of her stomach. At some point, she revealed her true form, and even though she was light and agile, she must have weighed around 80-90 kilograms? So she pressed down on Zhuge Mingyue, making it hard for her to breathe. The wet feeling in her stomach was because Ye Wei was drooling. As she drooled, she smacked her lips: "I want to eat more, hmm, chestnut cake is delicious..."

  Zhuge Mingyue smiled helplessly, and Ye Mei's usual cold and elegant appearance had completely changed. Zhuge Mingyue didn't wake her up, but instead slipped out from under Ye Mei, letting out a long sigh. He broke through, and this time it was surprisingly easy to break through. However, Zhuge Mingyue tried again, but still couldn't summon the demonic pet. It seemed that something was blocking the spiritual contract.

  Can't think it through, so I won't think about it for the time being. At this point, promotion is a good thing. The Chenlong tournament is approaching, and naturally, the stronger the better.

  Cang Wuya knew that Zhuge Mingyue had been promoted to Sky Summoner, and Desa was spinning around in the house. Xing Linzhou was blowing his beard and staring at Zhuge Mingyue with wide eyes every day, making Zhuge Mingyue feel uneasy. Cang Wuya explained to Zhuge Mingyue why he couldn't summon demonic pets, probably because they were too powerful now. Ye Mei was already a cross-level summon, so it was temporarily impossible to make another cross-level summon. The only way was to improve himself. Zhuge Mingyue didn't mind this point. The storm was very strong now, and Ye Mei was also extremely strong.

  "Old thing, I'm telling you, don't bother Qingtou's apprentice recently, the Chenlong Grand Prix is about to start, do you want Mingyue to take a bunch of medicine to participate in the competition?" Cang Wuyue lectured Xing Lanzhou with great relish.

  "Who says it's not allowed?" Xing Linzhou shouted loudly, although such a large-scale competition naturally did not allow the use of medicinal elixirs. He still wanted to be stubborn for a moment. In fact, seeing Zhuge Mingyue's progress, he was also delighted. He had seen Zhuge Mingyue and Ling Feiyang fight before, and compared to the last time with Changsun Ninghui, she had made significant progress again. This made Xing Linzhou overjoyed. In his heart, there was a small private intention. Apart from being Danling Country's number one alchemist, he also had an identity as the emperor's uncle. For someone like Zhuge Mingyue with such talent, he actually wanted...

  "Alright, this period of time Mingyue will learn alchemy again. She's about to participate in the Chenlong Competition, so take this opportunity to practice your summoning skills well." Cang Wuyue waved his hand, looking at Xing Lanzhou's displeased expression, and added, "After she returns from participating in the Chenlong Competition, you can teach her alchemy again. I'll give you a month's time."

  "Really?" Xing Linzhou looked at Cang Wuyue with some excitement.

  "It's fake." Cang Wu Ya said decisively.

  "You're going down!" Xing Linzhou took action directly.

  "How dare you poke my nose! Ah, it's bleeding... I'm going to kill you!"

  "You son of a bitch, I just poked one of your nostrils and you actually poked both of mine."

  As soon as Zhuge Mingyue pushed open the door, she saw two old men rolling around on the ground, with each of their fingers inserted into the other's nostrils, exerting force.

  "Master?" Zhuge Mingyue was shocked, her eyebrows jumping up and down. These two people who were so lacking in presence, were they really the president of the Summoner's Association and the first alchemist that everyone admired? Really? She felt like she had poked her own eyes out.

  At this time, the two old men who were rolling on the ground also reacted, quickly separated, stood up, patted off the dust on their bodies, narrowed their eyes, raised their heads and chests, and once again looked like superior beings, except for the fact that both of them had long trails of blood flowing from their noses.

  "Good disciple, you must be very tired from practicing recently. Tomorrow, Master will take you out for a stroll." Xing Lianzhou said with a smile, "Last time your sparring match with Chang Sun Ninghao's produced some impressive skills, Qing Sheng is very curious about it. We'll go visit him and maybe he can give you some pointers."

  "Alright." Zhuge Mingyue agreed in one breath. A master like Qingyun State is a good thing to have guidance from, many people can't even get an audience with him.

  Cang Wuyue didn't object this time. Zhuge Mingyue was indeed a summoner, but Changsun Ninghao was both a dual cultivator and a swordsman. Although his own disciple's cultivation was unknown, he hadn't fallen behind Changsun Ninghao. He hoped that Qingyun Prefecture could really guide his precious disciple, as the fact that his disciple was also a dual cultivator was something to be proud of.

  The next day, after breakfast, someone came to pick up Zhuge Mingyue. It was the chauffeur of Xing Linzhou, and the chauffeur said that Xing Linzhou had already gone ahead.

  "What's the hurry, can't we just go together?" Zhuge Mingyue yawned and climbed onto the carriage with her eyes closed. Outside, the sound of horseshoes was deafening, but inside the luxurious carriage adorned with gold and jade, lined with golden velvet, it was stable and comfortable, without a hint of bumpiness. "This spendthrift uncle is quite good at enjoying himself," Zhuge Mingyue muttered to herself before unknowingly falling asleep again.

  When the horse carriage stopped, Zhuge Mingyue woke up. After getting off the horse carriage, she saw the familiar gate of the mansion. It was at this gate that she had a fight with Changsun Ninghao last time. I wonder what this numb face is doing now. Probably also actively preparing for the Chen Long tournament.

  As soon as they arrived at the gate, someone led Zhuge Mingyue in. The guards at the gate knew Zhuge Mingyue. Last time she and Changsun Ninghui had a fierce argument at the gate, but actually many people were secretly watching from the shadows.

  Entering the mansion, passing through the hall, and arriving at the rear garden. Zhuge Mingyue breathed in the fresh air filled with floral scents, feeling a sense of comfort in her heart. In the distance, on a pavilion by the water, two elderly men were sipping tea and chatting, one of whom had a long white beard and wore a luxurious changshan. Unfortunately, even wearing dragon robes couldn't make this slovenly old man look like a prince; apart from Xing Linzhou, who else could it be? And the person facing him, although dressed in a simple yet spotless changshan, exuded an air of elegance and refinement, which was none other than Mr. Qing, whom Zhuge Mingyue had met once before.

  Looking at the surroundings that seemed like a paradise on earth, Zhuge Mingyue thought that such an environment was indeed suitable for a superior person. Looking at the residences of her two masters, one was extremely traditional and the other was in disarray.

  "Baby, you're finally here! I've been waiting for a long time. Come and meet Mr. Qing." Zhuge Mingyue walked towards the pavilion, and Xing Lanzhou beckoned her to hurry over.

  Zhuge Mingyue stepped forward and respectfully bowed to Qing Jun, saying: "Greetings, Mr. Qing!"

  "No need to be polite, please sit down." Qing Mr. and Ai's smile, except for that one body of transcendent and detached air, was as calm and peaceful as an ordinary old man, without any airs of the Sword Saint. Qing Mr. looked at Zhuge Mingyue, his eyes full of satisfaction and praise. This young girl, so young and yet not arrogant or impatient, whether in temperament or talent, was extremely satisfactory to him. If she weren't the disciple of those two old troublemakers, he would really have considered competing with her.

  Xing Linzhou looked at Zhuge Mingyue's attitude towards himself, then looked at his attitude towards Qing Mr., and couldn't help but feel a pang of sadness: Is this really my apprentice, or is it his? Why does he always have a look of disdain for me, but has such a good attitude towards that old freak Qing Yunzhou? No way, I'll definitely get some clean clothes ready, shave my beard neatly, and dress up like a high-ranking official. Xing Linzhou stroked his stubbly face and made a secret decision.

  "Did you hear that, Qing? You've already been promoted to Sky Summoner?" Mr. Qing looked at Zhuge Mingyue and asked. He was both surprised and delighted after hearing the news. It was truly unexpected, this young girl's growth rate was so fast. Her talent was even better than Long Sun Ninghao's.

  "Hmm." Zhuge Mingyue nodded, her face calm. Although she had grown very quickly, she was well aware that it was far from enough! She wasn't strong enough yet!

  "It's not bad that you have such strength among the younger generation!" Mr. Qing nodded in approval, and then said with a hint of profundity, "Advancing to Soul Level One should also be no problem for you, but breaking through to Saint Level is not that easy."

  Zhuge Mingyue slightly trembled, and she now understood the difference between the Soul and Sacred levels. It was like the difference between a drop of dew and the vast ocean. Advancing from Sky to Soul level wasn't difficult; with three parts talent and seven parts effort, many people could achieve it, just like Wu Kaiyuan from Cangfeng City. However, advancing from Soul to Sacred level was extremely challenging, a million times more difficult than ascending to heaven. To advance to the Sacred level, one had to undergo heavenly tribulation, an unimaginable pain for ordinary people. Those who advanced to the Sacred level rarely shared their experiences with others. This experience was too precious to be taught to just anyone; it would likely only be passed down to close family members or younger generations within a clan.

  "Hurry up and thank Master Qing!" Xing Linzhou urged anxiously, not waiting for Zhuge Mingyue to speak, he hastily opened his mouth on her behalf. He had ulterior motives, when he saw that Zhuge Mingyue had a talent for alchemy, he was indeed very happy and wanted Zhuge Mingyue to learn alchemy. However, as they spent more time together, Xing Linzhou discovered that Zhuge Mingyue was like a dusty pearl, shining brighter and brighter. He could predict that Zhuge Mingyue would only become stronger. So, his private wish as the imperial uncle was to let Zhuge Mingyue interact with Qing Yunzhou more often, until one day, she could also protect Danling Country.

  "Please instruct me, Mr. Qing." Zhuge Mingyue also reacted and knew that Qing Yunzhou was going to guide her.

  "Ha ha!" Mr. Qing smiled slightly, stood up, and leaned against the lake, casually throwing a pebble into the water. The stone splashed up a cluster of water flowers and quickly sank to the bottom. Then, Mr. Qing threw a fallen leaf into the water, and after the ripples passed, the surface was calm again, but the leaf still floated lightly on the water.

  "Although the stone is heavy, it cannot break this weak water, and although the fallen leaves are light, they can float on the surface of the water. The path of cultivation is also like this. If one is too attached, perhaps he will sink to the bottom of the water. But if one is calm and tranquil, he can rise above the surface of the water." Mr. Qing said calmly.

  Zhuge Mingyue gazed at the calm lake surface, seemingly lost in thought. When he looked back at Mr. Qing, he suddenly had an illusion that Mr. Qing, who seemed to be standing there casually and simply, made everything in the world appear insignificant under his shadow.

  A sudden flash of insight in her mind, and Zhuge Mingyue suddenly understood that what Qing Sheng said was the key to advancing to the Holy level. Only by letting go of attachments and following nature can one become a Holy-level master. Many Soul-level masters are too attached and sink like that stone into the water.

  "Thank you, sir, for your guidance." Zhuge Mingyue said with great joy and solemnity. Although she still has a long way to go before reaching the Soul level, Mr. Qing's words will undoubtedly be of great help to her, allowing her to avoid many detours.

  "What I said was just my own little realization, don't take it to heart." Mr. Qing looked at the joyful expression in Zhuge Mingyue's eyes and knew she understood, nodding his head in satisfaction.

  "Hmm." Zhuge Mingyue responded with a sentence, and in her heart, she had a few more points of respect for this kind old man.

  "Hey, old pervert, you're not thinking of stealing my disciple, are you?" Xing Linzhou listened to Qing's words with a mixture of understanding and confusion, then looked at Zhu Ge Mingyue's attitude and couldn't help but feel some worry, vigilantly staring at Qing.

  "I'm not as bored as you two old monsters." Mr. Qing snorted disdainfully. But in his heart, he thought to himself that he actually did have such an idea. However, thinking of the two treasures often hugging and fighting each other, he felt it was better for him not to intervene.

  "That's good, you dare to compete with me for apprentices, be careful I'll blow up this stinky water pool." Xing Linzhou glared and threatened.

  Mr. Qing let out a low hum and looked at Xing Linzhou with disdain, ignoring him.

  "Sir, there is a young man named Yuet Jing-chuan who wishes to see you. He says that if he can't see you, he will sit at the door and not leave." After a while, one of the guards came forward to report.

  "Oh?" Mr. Qing just faintly acknowledged with an "oh", in fact, there were many people who came to ask him to take them on as apprentices, and also those who lingered at the door and wouldn't leave.

  "Yue Jing River, sounds a bit familiar." Zhuge Mingyue suddenly felt that this name was somewhat familiar. It seemed to have been heard somewhere before. Ah, right, remembered it now. During the rest in Dongsheng country, the people chatting idly at the inn had mentioned it.

  "Does Bright Moon know this person?" Mr. Qing asked, seeing the look of confusion and sudden realization on Zhuge Bright Moon's face.

  "I don't know him, but I heard people talking about him when I was in a small town on the border of Dongsheng Country. This person seems to be a rare genius in Dongsheng Country who is only seen once in a hundred years, and at just 19 years old, he has already become a Soul Sword Master, it's very possible that he will become the youngest Sword Saint in Dongsheng Country's history."

  "Oh? So fierce?" Xing Linzhou became interested and urged Qing Yunzhou, "Then what did he come to our place for? Old monster, hurry up and call him in, let's see what he wants to do."

  "Let him in." Mr. Qing was somewhat helpless, Xing Linzhou this old naughty boy, sometimes really made people headache.

  Soon, a young man with a long sword on his back walked over under the leadership of the guard. His appearance was very ordinary, but his eyes shone brightly, and his not-so-tall body seemed to be bursting with great energy at all times.

  "Junior, Jingchuan has seen Mr. Qing!" Jingchuan bowed and paid his respects, but on his face was a hint of arrogance. He didn't even glance at Xing Lanzhou and Zhuge Mingyue standing beside Mr. Qing, as if they were beneath him.

  "You're welcome." Mr. Qing waved his hand lightly, and a majestic aura naturally rose from his body, the momentum of the Sword Saint bursting forth.

  "This junior has traveled to various countries and heard that there is a martial arts enthusiast under your tutelage, so I've come to ask for guidance." Yue Jingchuan said. Xing Lingzhou observed Yue Jingchuan from the side, hmm, his talent isn't bad, he has reason to be proud. However, Xing Lingzhou turned his head to look at Zhuge Mingyue beside him and nodded slightly, but still, his own disciple's talent is even better! His own disciple is simply a genius among geniuses!

  "You're looking for him, unfortunately, he's in seclusion practicing." Mr. Qing looked at the young man in front of him, a hint of praise flashing in his eyes. The talent is good, but the aura on his body is too sharp. This won't do, it needs to be tempered.

  "Seclusion..." Yue Jingchuan's face showed disappointment, saying, "This time I traveled to various countries and didn't find a decent opponent among the younger generation. I thought Danling Country wouldn't disappoint me, but it seems I came in vain, sigh!"

  Zhao Jing's words of frustration and helplessness were particularly grating to the ears of Zhuge Mingyue and a few others. This person was indeed a bit too arrogant, but considering his age and abilities, he did have the capital to be arrogant.

  Well, Zhuge Mingyue narrowed his eyes and looked at Yue Jingchuan. This guy was really too arrogant. It seemed that he had been too smooth all the way, without encountering any setbacks, which led to an extreme inflation of his confidence. Could it be that those so-called masters in the countries he challenged were not actually true masters? He hadn't actually fought against a real master before. (Alright, Mingyue, you've seen through him.)

  Zhuge Mingyue felt that this guy was getting on his nerves, and as a result, he immediately did something outrageous.

  "Sir, forgive me for being rude, I beg of you to enlighten me!" After a moment of silence, Yue Jingchuan spoke out a shocking sentence.

  He actually dares to challenge Mr. Qing? Xing Linzhou was shocked and angry, his eyes wide with surprise, even Mr. Qing himself felt astonished. For so many years, whether in Danling country or other countries, there have been very few people who dare to challenge the Guardian Sword Saint, no matter how talented he is, no matter how strong his soul is, what qualifications does he have to challenge the Guardian Sword Saint?

  "Are you challenging the Guardian Sword Saint of Danling Country?" Xing Lingzhou's face sank.

  "Who made the talents of Danling country wither? I, a junior, also came to ask for your advice out of helplessness. I hope you will be magnanimous." Facing Xing Linzhou's angry gaze, Yue Jingchuan remained unchanged, still with an arrogant expression.

  This is more than just a challenge, it's an outright provocation!

  Xing Linzhou was so angry that his eyes were about to spout fire. In recent years, the Eastern Sheng Kingdom had been growing stronger and stronger, and the Guardian Sword Saint in the country was said to be no weaker than Mr. Qing. Moreover, a new generation of talented young people emerged one after another, among whom this man, Yue Jingchuan, was one of the best. Relying on its national power and military strength, the Eastern Sheng Kingdom had already shown signs of surpassing the Danling Kingdom, frequently provoking it.

  Unexpectedly, a young junior who hasn't even grown a single hair yet dares to challenge the Guardian Sword Saint of Danling Country. This is simply an insult. As a member of the imperial family, Xing Linzhou may be detached from worldly affairs, but he has a sense of self-respect and national pride that others do not. Yue Jingchuan's words are like a slap in the face, how can he not be angry?

  "You think you have what it takes to challenge the Guardian Sword Saint of Danling Country? Let me show you what a real genius looks like! A frog at the bottom of a well, how dare you!" Xing Linzhou was so angry that his whole body was shaking, and he slammed his palm on the stone table. The result was that his hand hurt so much that his eyes widened in pain, but he endured it, still keeping a straight face, while tears flowed in his heart, oh, it hurts, it must be all red. Zhuge Mingyue noticed these details and smiled secretly in her heart. She really didn't like Zuo Jingchuan's attitude now, the other party was extremely arrogant, and had even made their own master slap their hand in pain. In fact, being a bit arrogant isn't a big deal. But you have to have the capital to be arrogant."

  "Me?" Mingyue blinked, "I hit?" She seemed to be a Sky Summoner, while the opponent was a Soul-level Swordsman. Hadn't she just advanced to Sky level?

  "Come on and hit me!" Xing Linzhou looked at Yue Jingchuan's nose-up appearance, feeling infuriated. He was so angry that he almost rushed up to take matters into his own hands and beat him up!

  "Alright, you can try next month then." Mr. Qing nodded and said that with his status, fighting a junior would be meaningless whether he won or lost, it would just make Danling Country lose face. He had already seen Zhuge Mingyue's strength and wasn't too worried, even if she couldn't win, nothing bad would happen with him around.

  "Good!" Originally still a bit hesitant, Zhuge Mingyue heard Mr. Qing say so and stood up without hesitation. Xing Linzhou saw the situation and couldn't help but feel disappointed and resentful again. After all, who is the master? How could his own words not be as effective as Qingyun Prefecture's one sentence?!

  "I, Zhuge Mingyue, accept your challenge on behalf of Mr. Qing. Do you dare?" Zhuge Mingyue stepped forward a few steps and asked coldly in front of Yue Jingchuan.

  "Her?" A look of disdain appeared on Yuezhi River's face. This girl actually dared to come out and fight? But what kind of profession was this girl? There was no sword on her back, so she wasn't a swordsman. No bow, not an archer either. Then she must be a summoner? How do you fight that? Do you wait for her to summon a magical creature? No! This isn't some casual game! Yuezhi River made up his mind to defeat her before she could summon anything. And then challenge Qing again! Although it wasn't very fair, but if you're facing an enemy, should you also wait for them to summon their creature? With this thought, Yuezhi River felt justified and confident.

  "If you lose, apologize to Mr. Qing and get out of Danling Country." Zhuge Mingyue said with a loud voice.

  Seeing the confidence in Zhuge Mingyue's eyes, Yue Jingchuan slightly withdrew his disdain and said seriously: "If I lose, I will never set foot in Danling Country again. But if I win, please instruct me, Mr. Qing." Yue Jingchuan looked at Mr. Qing after finishing speaking.

  Mr. Qing remained silent, nodding his head slowly. For some reason, at this moment, Mr. Qing had an inexplicable trust in Zhuge Mingyue. He felt that Zhuge Mingyue would not lose! Even if the opponent's strength was stronger than hers!

  Yu Jing River slowly drew out his long sword and walked forward, each step was so solid, so heavy, the power inside his body was frantically gathering, even the long sword in his hand was full of vigor and emitted dazzling rays of light.

  However, Zhuge Mingyue, who was standing not far in front of him, didn't move at all and showed no reaction whatsoever. If it weren't for the sparkle and clarity in her eyes, Yue Jingchuan would have almost suspected that she had been intimidated into stupidity by his aura.

  Yu Jingchuan let out a loud shout, his sword flashing out, and in the midst of the wind, clouds, thunder, and lightning, a cold light screen appeared before his eyes. This one sword truly had the power to split heaven and earth apart. He would not give Zhuge Mingyue the chance to recite her incantation.

  Golden light, dazzling golden light suddenly flashed, piercing to the point where people could hardly open their eyes. Like a golden sharp arrow, it pierced through that piece of cold and clear light screen.

  In the midst of a clear, ringing sound, half of a long sword fell to the ground, colliding and producing sparks. Yue Jingchuan's hand grasped the remaining half of the sword, staring at the smooth break in the blade, as if it had been cut by a hot knife through tofu. He could hardly believe his eyes - this was a treasured sword forged from stardust and gold by a renowned master craftsman, imbued with all his strength. How could it have been so easily cleaved in two? What kind of divine weapon had the opponent used? But she didn't even have a long sword... only an exquisite dagger at her waist. And that dagger hadn't even been drawn.

  Zhuge Mingyue stood calmly on the spot, without even moving a bit, with only a hint of disdainful smile at the corner of her mouth. What was going on? Yue Jingchuan's heart was filled with confusion.

  It wasn't until the hurricane-like, elegantly mysterious figure and its dazzling golden claws appeared before him that Vie Jingchuan realized it was Zhuge Mingyue's magical pet attacking him. But why hadn't he heard any incantations? And this was a Wind Leopard, right? When did Wind Leopards become so terrifyingly fast? What was the deal with those dazzling golden claws too?

  Yue Jing's face twisted in a terrifying scowl. Having traveled to many countries and never once been defeated, who would have thought that he would lose to a young girl like this in Danling Country? What was even more infuriating was that he had lost so thoroughly and inexplicably. If the wind leopard's sharp claws earlier had not targeted his sword but instead attacked him directly, he would already be dead by now.

  Didn't hear Zhuge Mingyue recite an incantation, could it be that she's the legendary Silent Launch? I was too careless, too careless!

  Jing River's heart was filled with regret, his strength had not been fully utilized, and he hadn't even used a tenth of it. If he had known earlier that Zhuge Mingyue would make a move in secret, if the sword in his hand was a bit better, he thought he wouldn't have lost at all. He was a genius from Dongsheng Country who appeared only once in a hundred years, and an undefeated genius who had traveled to various countries, even if he lost, it was absolutely impossible for him to lose to Zhuge Mingyue's hands.

  "I lost, I didn't expect you to be so quiet, and even more unexpected was how powerful your demonic pet is." Yue Jingchuan lowered his head in frustration.

  "So you're saying that if I didn't use the summoning technique, you wouldn't have lost?" Zhuge Mingyue heard the implication in his words and sneered.

  "That's natural." Yuezhi River raised his head and stared straight into Zhuge Mingyue's eyes, still unable to conceal a proud aura.

  "I'm a summoner, I don't summon pets, and I'll fight you, a swordsman, with my bare hands. If you win, would you think it's just natural? Would you feel very proud?" Zhuge Mingyue's words were like sharp knives.

  Yue Jing's face turned red, and he suddenly realized that he had said something stupid. Summoners rely on their contracted beasts to fight in the first place. Letting a summoner fight empty-handed against a swordsman was simply bullying!

  "I see you're not convinced, so I won't summon my magic pet to fight with you. How about that?" Zhuge Mingyue sneered coldly, her face full of mockery, which made Yue Jingquan's expression change from shame to anger. This was a blatant humiliation!

  "How is it? Will you fight or not?" asked Zhuge Mingyue slowly and deliberately.

  "You, don't be too arrogant!" Jingchuan's anger almost made him jump up.

  "You're allowed to be arrogant, but others aren't?" Zhuge Mingyue still spoke in a slow tone, "Less nonsense. Come and fight, but what if you lose again?"

  "If that's the case, I'm not even your opponent. It just goes to show that I'm really a frog in a well. From now on, I'll let you order me around as you please." Jingchuan's voice was shaking with rage as he spoke. If he couldn't even win against a summoner who didn't summon any magical creatures, what face would he have left?

  "Good!" Zhuge Mingyue had been waiting for this word.

  "Xingyue!" Upon hearing Zhuge Xingyue's words, not only did Xing Lingzhou become anxious, but even Qing Jun couldn't help but feel worried. He had seen Zhuge Xingyue's abilities before, and from that one sword earlier, he also saw the extent of Yue Jingchuan's power. Without using summoning techniques, how could Zhuge Xingyue possibly be his match? If he accidentally got hurt, how would he explain it to those two old monsters? Although Zhuge Xingyue was skilled with her hands, Qing Jun didn't think that she wouldn't be Yue Jingchuan's match even without summoning a magical creature.

  Zhuge Mingyue turned back and gave Mr. Qing a reassuring look, but Mr. Qing couldn't help feeling worried in his heart and made secret preparations to take action.

  Yue Jingchuan threw away his long sword, clenched his fists tightly, and slowly walked towards Zhuge Mingyue step by step. His footsteps seemed to have a special rhythm, which looked ordinary but gave people a pleasant feeling. As he took each step, a strange aura emerged, enveloping everything in front of him. It seemed that no matter how one moved, they would be tightly wrapped in this aura and could not escape his attack.

  Mr. Qing furrowed his brow, and he also sensed the hidden aura in Yue Jingchuan's mysterious footsteps. Zhuge Mingyue's movements were known for their speed and cunning, but under the influence of this aura, her strengths couldn't be brought into play, and she could only resort to brute force. But the opponent was a swordmaster at the soul level - what could Zhuge Mingyue use to fight back with?

  However, on Zhuge Mingyue's face, not a hint of fear could be seen, but instead was filled with confidence. Faintly, her body seemed to emanate a seven-colored glow.

  A hidden power deep within her body was quietly emerging, circulating ceaselessly within Zhuge Mingyue's body before surging towards her fist like a bursting dam, continuously condensing until even the fair and smooth surface of her fist seemed to flow with a faint, shimmering light.

  It's been a while since I've grasped this power, and Zhuge Mingyue still doesn't know just how strong it is. She also doesn't dare to lightly test it on Ling Feiyang or Wan Qichen, but today there happens to be a suitable opponent to try it out on.

  When this force gathered to the critical point, Zhuge Mingyue's chest surged again with that strong impulse to contend with the heavens and earth. In an instant, he took a step forward and struck out a fist at the approaching Yue Jingchuan. Amidst the fist wind, there was actually a rumbling thunderous sound, and the intangible light flowing on the surface of his fist burst forth.

  "This is so strong!" Yue Jingchuan initially thought that Zhuge Mingyue's summoning power was very strong, but he never expected her martial arts to be this strong as well. Originally, he had only used 50% of his strength, but now he instinctively felt a sense of crisis and pressure, not daring to be careless, and poured all his energy into a punch that struck straight at her face.

  "Bang!" Two fists collided, producing a deafening crash like thunder, sending dust and debris swirling into the air like a sandstorm, obscuring the two figures.

  In less than a second, Yue Jingchuan's body flew out of the sandstorm like a kite with a broken string, and fell into the lake like a heavy stone, splashing up a huge wave.

  Dust fell to the ground, and at the place where Yue Jingchuan had just stood, a small pit was suddenly blown out by the air current.

  Zhuge Mingyue stared at his own fist, stunned. He knew that the power was strong, but he didn't expect it to be this strong. That was a Soul-level swordsman, and yet he was directly blown away by this one punch. If that power were fully released, how strong would it be?

  Mr. Qing and Xing Linzhou were also completely stunned, Mr. Qing's gaze at Zhuge Mingyue became somewhat complicated.

  "That guy, won't he be beaten to death?" After a long time, Zhuge Mingyue finally withdrew his fist and saw the astonished gaze of Qing Gongzi and Xing Lanzhou, saying with embarrassment.

  "Cough, cough!" Behind him, Ye Jingchuan crawled up the shore like a cooked chicken, his face devoid of any blood color, clutching his chest and gasping for air with difficulty. After all, he was a high-level master of the soul level, and it wasn't easy to kill him with one punch.

  "I lost." Jingchuan said with no resentment in his eyes, then walked to Mr. Qing's front, bowed deeply and said, "Mr. Qing, please forgive me for my ignorance, I was rude to you just now."

  Mr. Qing nodded, but didn't say anything. In his heart, however, he thought that this time, Yue Jingchuan had actually benefited. After this setback, the young man's temperament had undergone a huge change, which would be extremely beneficial to his future growth.

  "Miss Zhuge, from now on, I, Yue Jingchuan, will follow your orders without any hesitation." Then he asked more seriously, "Where is Miss Zhuge's home? I'll be following you from now on."

  "What?" Zhuge Mingyue's mouth was agape in shock. In fact, she was just joking and had no intention of sending him away.

  "Please take Miss Zhuge in." Yukawa's face was resolute.

  "It's okay, don't bother." Zhuge Mingyue thought for a moment and shook her head. "How about this? You just go back. If I need to find you in the future, just don't refuse. Staying by my side may not be helpful for your growth."

  Yue Jingchuan looked at Zhuge Mingyue with an unbelievable expression, his eyes filled with incredulity. Was he really letting him go just like that?

  "Of course, I have another requirement. As long as you live, you must not do anything that harms the Danling country." Zhuge Mingyue thought for a moment and added another condition.

  "Yes!" answered Kawaue with a crisp tone.

  "Alright then, you can go back." Zhuge Mingyue waved her hand.

  Yue Jing River still had some hesitation.

  "Go. Today's matter, I hope it will be helpful to you." Mr. Qing said. Mr. Qing and Xing Linzhou were also surprised in their hearts, but they did not expect that after many years, Yue Jingchuan would become so powerful, and Dongsheng State and Danling State would conflict, because of his promise to Zhuge Mingyue, he had never done anything detrimental to Danling State.

  This time, Yue Jingchuan no longer hesitated and deeply bowed to Qing Gong and Zhuge Mingyue before turning around and leaving. Then, of course, he didn't even glance at Xing Lanzhou beside him. Old man Xing naturally couldn't help but grit his teeth again.

  "Old pervert, you said your foolish disciple and this kid are compared, who is a bit stronger?" After a while, Xing Linzhou asked with some curiosity.

  "If it were in the past, it would be a close match, but now, after Yu Jingchuan's crushing defeat, he should have gained some insight and might be slightly stronger. However, no matter how strong he becomes, I'm afraid he still won't be able to surpass this precious disciple of yours!" Qing Gong said with a tinge of emotion.

  "You old pervert, what do you mean by this? Let me tell you, don't even think about poaching my disciple!" Xing Linzhou saw Qing Mr.'s expression and suddenly became vigilant again.

  "Look at that petty attitude." Mr. Qing glanced at Xing Linzhou with disdain, then smiled and said to Zhuge Mingyue, "I really didn't expect your martial skills to improve so quickly, even I, an old man, underestimated you."

  Zhuge Mingyue smiled humbly and said, "I'm still not strong enough, I need to improve."

  "Hehe, in the future if you have any questions about martial arts, feel free to ask me anytime." Mr. Qing said with a satisfied nod and a smile.

  "Thank you, Mr. Qing!" Zhuge Mingyue hastily thanked him. To be able to get the guidance of the Huoguo Sword Saint at any time was something that many people dreamed of.

  "Feel free to come in directly next time, no need to report. I'm always available to answer your questions." Mr. Qing said with a smile.

  Xing Linzhou rolled his eyes wildly on one side, this old pervert, in decades, it was the first time he saw him being so polite to someone.

  Mr. Qing ignored Xing Linzhou's cold stare and continued chatting with Zhuge Mingyue.

  Xing Linzhou always has a feeling that although Qing Yunzhou said he wouldn't snatch his disciple, it's even more intense than snatching.

  Coming out of the mansion in Qingyun State, Zhuge Mingyue did not ride a horse carriage again, but instead summoned a gust of wind and said something to Xing Linzhou before riding the wind into the city. After dinner in the city, night fell, and the capital was lit up with lanterns, but today's cool breeze was gentle, looking up at the sky, it was densely covered with dark clouds, and the moon only showed half its face behind the dark clouds.

  Isn't it going to rain? Zhuge Mingyue looked at the shy moon, thought for a moment, and stopped on the side of the street to buy an umbrella. Then he went to buy various pastries and snacks, packed them up, and headed back. Just after buying the pastries, riding his bike against the wind, as he passed by an alley, he saw a familiar figure in the alley.

  Soar?

  Just as Zhuge Mingyue was about to wave at Ling Feiyang, she saw that his face was solemn and he was confronting a middle-aged man in luxurious clothing. The middle-aged man was facing the alley entrance, and Zhuge Mingyue could see his face clearly. His appearance was somewhat similar to Ling Feiyang's. In an instant, Zhuge Mingyue guessed that it was Ling Feiyang's father, Ling Zhaotian!

  Zhuge Mingyue recalled the hurricane and slightly retreated, waiting for Ling Feiyang. The Ling and Zhuge families had never gotten along, so it was best if she didn't appear in front of the master of the Ling family.

  Just as Zhuge Mingyue was waiting at the entrance of the alley, a furious roar came from inside: "You ungrateful son! Can't you think for me?"

  "Your mother thinks a lot for you. What did she get in the end?" Ling Feiyang's tone was full of sarcasm and irony, with even a hint of resentment!

  Bang!

  Zhuge Mingyue's heart skipped a beat, and she suddenly turned around to look into the alley. Sure enough, she saw Ling Chao Tian's right hand still raised. Ling Chao Tian also seemed to be startled by his own actions, he hadn't intended to make a move, his eyebrows flashed with regret and guilt, and he slightly opened his lips, wanting to say something.

  Ling Feiyang coldly laughed and said, "Master of the house, are you feeling relieved now? If there's nothing else, I'll take my leave first. I'm very busy. In the future, don't disturb me without a reason." However, Zhuge Mingyue detected a hint of disappointment, sadness, and detachment in Ling Feiyang's tone that was not easily noticeable.

  After finishing speaking, Ling Feiyang directly passed by from beside Ling Zhaotian. Ling Zhaotian blankly put down his own hand, turned around and looked at the back of Ling Feiyang, wanted to chase up but Ling Feiyang had already run out of sight.

  Ling Chao Tian furrowed his brow and clenched his fists tightly.

  Zhuge Mingyue gave Ling Chao Tian a cold glance, turned around, and went around to the other side to chase after Ling Feiyang.