313: Nascent Soul Ninth Level

Feng Ming heard this and suddenly chuckled softly.

"A better choice?" he repeated softly, his tone tinged with self-deprecation. "Do you know what state the Feng Family was in back then? And what the status of the Jiang Family was?"

"I did have some talent, but a Genius who hasn't grown up yet is ultimately just a target for others to manipulate; they can't be considered a powerhouse."

"Do you think the Feng Family, precarious and swaying in the wind at that time, had the right to break off the engagement with the Jiang Family?"

"But I heard," Jiang Ling gritted her teeth and retorted, "the engagement that was originally set wasn't with you. You could have completely refused to marry!"

"Refuse to marry?" Feng Ming laughed in spite of himself, the warmth in his eyes fading slightly. "You truly have stood atop the clouds for too long; you have no understanding of the hardships faced by those at the bottom."

"I could have refused, but what would the consequences have been? If the Feng Family broke the engagement with the Jiang Family, the news would spread throughout Liang Province, the Jiang Family would lose all Face, and the generations-old friendship between the two families would be completely severed."

"And then? With the Jiang Family's power at the time, would they not have simply wiped out the Feng Family in their fury?"

His voice wasn't loud, but every word was clear, leaving Jiang Ling speechless.

"In the eyes of people like you, who look down from above, have you ever considered how difficult our situation was back then?" Feng Ming's gaze swept past her, carrying a hint of melancholy.

"When the Feng Family was in decline, the Jiang Family didn't kick us while we were down and was still willing to fulfill the engagement. Even though Shuwan was only a concubines daughter, her marrying down gave the Feng Family its last shred of dignity."

"My elder brother was unable to return back then due to delays in his journey. I was raised by the Feng Family for sixteen years; if I didn't shoulder this responsibility, who would?"

"Fortunately, Shuwan and I later fell in love. Having her as my wife in this life is something I have never regretted."

He looked at Jiang Ling and asked calmly, "Are there any other questions?"

Jiang Ling shook her head blankly, her lips quivering, but she couldn't say a single word.

Feng Ming said no more, gave a look to Zhao Peng, who was still enjoying the drama, and then his figure flashed as he entered the storage ring.

Zhao Peng chuckled and called out to everyone, "Let's go, let's go! Traveling is the priority!"

The group departed in a grand fashion, leaving Jiang Ling standing there alone, watching the direction they went for a long time without moving, her eyes swirling with complex and indecipherable emotions.

On the other side, inside the storage ring, there was a scene of laughter and joy.

"That Jiang Ling is truly hilarious!" Feng Mian doubled over with laughter, clutching his stomach. "She actually dared to compete with Old Second in swordplay. Doesn't she know that Old Second's primary cultivation is actually the Dao of the sword?"

Qin Hu and Guan Rong exchanged a look, both Faces filled with shock. "Brother Feng's primary path is the Dao of the sword? We always thought he specialized in the Way of Thunder!"

"Yeah! Back at the Sect, seeing him perform the Wind Thunder Palm with such staggering power, we thought the Way of Thunder was his natal Dao!"

Jiang Shuwan heard this and couldn't help but smile. "My husband does indeed specialize in the Dao of the sword. The Wind Thunder Palm is just an Opportunity he gained from the Thunder Stele; he uses it more often simply because it's convenient."

Outside the storage ring, as Zhao Peng traveled, he couldn't help but lean in toward Feng Ming, his Face full of curiosity. "Boss, your strength in the Way of Thunder is clearly more stunning, so why did you insist on agreeing to a sword duel with Jiang Ling? If you had lost, wouldn't you have lost a lot of Face?"

Feng Ming glanced at him sideways. "Do I look like someone who would lose?"

"No, no!" Zhao Peng waved his hands hurriedly. "I was just afraid of any 'what ifs'!"

"There are no 'what ifs'." Feng Ming's tone was firm. "If I couldn't even beat her with my primary Dao of the sword, then switching to the Way of Thunder would only result in an even worse defeat."

"Why is that?" Zhao Peng scratched his head, looking completely puzzled.

"Because, to me, the Dao of the sword is my Foundation, my very basis." Feng Ming stood with his hands behind his back, looking at the long journey ahead. "No matter how strong the Way of Thunder is, it is only a branch. If the Foundation is unstable, what use is it even if the branches are lush?"

"You... you really specialize in the Dao of the sword?" Zhao Peng's eyes nearly popped out in shock.

Feng Ming frowned. "Is it that strange?"

"Extremely strange!" Zhao Peng clicked his tongue repeatedly. "With your Wind Thunder Palm, who would have thought your natal Dao was actually the Dao of the sword!"

Feng Ming sighed helplessly, his tone a mix of laughter and tears. "Speaking of which, I find it frustrating too. I'm focused on cultivating the sword, yet my cultivation in the Way of Thunder just keeps rising along with it; I can't even shake it off."

Zhao Peng's lips twitched as he listened, unable to stop himself from complaining, "Boss, you're being way too pretentious! It's infuriating; I almost want to give you a beating!"

"Is it?" Feng Ming looked serious and actually pulled out a mirror to look at himself, rubbing his chin and clicking his tongue. "I think, besides being handsome, there's nothing wrong with me."

"You!" Zhao Peng was left speechless, with only one thought in his mind: his boss wasn't just Heaven-Defying in strength, but also a complete narcissist!

As they were talking, Zhao Peng suddenly seemed to remember something and rubbed his chin, muttering to himself, "Speaking of which, why did Jiang Ling suddenly ask about the past between you and the Madam? No matter how you think about it, there's something fishy going on."

Hearing this, Feng Ming's footsteps paused slightly, his gaze deepening, but he didn't answer. He simply looked toward the distant horizon.

In his heart, he had actually already vaguely guessed the reason.

Back then, the engagement between the Feng Family and the Jiang Family was originally set by the two grandfathers for their grandchildren.

If the Feng Family hadn't declined and everything had developed according to plan, this marriage would never have fallen to him and Jiang Shuwan.

On the Feng Family's side, it would have definitely been the eldest son of the Eldest Uncle, which is his elder brother, Feng Mian.

And on the Jiang Family's side, the corresponding candidate would naturally have been Jiang Yan's legitimate daughter, Jiang Ling.

It should have been Jiang Ling marrying into the Feng Family and forming a union with Feng Mian. Unfortunately, the world is unpredictable; once the Feng Family fell, although the Jiang Family remembered their old ties, they quietly changed the candidate.

The legitimate daughter, Jiang Ling, was replaced by the concubines daughter, Jiang Shuwan.

And as it happened, Feng Mian was delayed on his journey. Through a series of coincidences, it was ultimately Feng Ming who took his elder brother's place and married Jiang Shuwan.

Jiang Ling's questioning just now was likely due to an obsession in her heart; she surely felt that if the Feng Family hadn't declined, the one marrying into the Feng Family should have been her, and the one standing beside Feng Ming should also have been her.

But she had forgotten that even if the Feng Family were safe and sound, the person she was engaged to was never Feng Ming. Once the gears of fate turn, they can never return to their original state.

Feng Ming looked at the drifting clouds on the horizon and sighed softly; the concept of fate has always been predestined in the dark.

Those destined to meet will eventually come together, even after going in circles and experiencing countless hardships.

And those not destined to meet, even if they Face each other day and night, are nothing more than a reflection of the moon in the water—an empty dream.

The road ahead was long, and the sound of carriages rumbled.

Three days after the battle between Feng Ming and Jiang Ling, it was also the twenty-first day since he had set out.

A powerful aura erupted from within him, Spiritual Qi surging incessantly around his body. The barrier to the ninth level of the Nascent Soul Realm shattered upon impact.

At this point, the top three on the Liang Province power ranking had all stepped into the ninth level of the Nascent Soul Realm.