222: Chapter 222 Scammed?

"Fellow Daoist Lin."

Shi Lei spoke first, greeting Lin Ming.

"Fellow Daoist Shi."

Lin Ming nodded slightly in response.

"Fellow Daoist Lin, I hope to see your true strength."

Shi Lei said in a low voice.

During this period, he hadn't missed a single one of Lin Ming's battles; he had watched them all.

Although he hadn't personally seen Lin Ming's actions at the Yongzhen Sect, some senior and Junior Brothers in the Sect had recorded some of Lin Ming's exchange scenes.

Shi Lei had also seen these recordings and could sense that Lin Ming's strength was extraordinary.

Yet Lin Ming's exchanges during this period were worlds apart from the sparring at the Yongzhen Sect.

Now that he was facing Lin Ming, he didn't want Lin Ming to keep feigning weakness like this; he wanted Lin Ming to use his true strength to fight him.

Shi Lei's words caused the surrounding audience to erupt in an uproar.

"Does this Shi Lei mean that Lin Ming has been feigning weakness until now?"

"It seems that way."

"Is he really feigning weakness? Looking at his exchanges these past few days, what is he hiding? Hiding his own life?"

"I think so too. What's there to hide? This is Lin Ming's true strength."

"That's hard to say. People from the Yongzhen Sect might know something to speak like that."

"It's possible."

"For this year's Inner Sect Competition at Yuanxu Mountain, many Sects were invited, and the Yongzhen Sect is among them."

"Lin Ming wouldn't really be hiding his strength, would he?"

For a moment, everyone gradually began to wonder if Lin Ming really was hiding his strength, if he was feigning weakness.

This made them start looking forward to the upcoming exchange.

But they still hoped Lin Ming's strength was just as it seemed, with no such thing as hidden strength.

Most of them had, more or less, bet on Lin Ming being eliminated.

After all, most of them had placed some bets based on Lin Ming's previous performance; if Lin Ming had hidden his strength, the ones losing out might be them.

This was something they did not want to see.

"Shi Lei of the Yongzhen Sect. Please advise me, Fellow Daoist."

As his voice fell.

Shi Lei's foot slammed onto the ground.

Instantly, the high platform shook, and the earth around Lin Ming surged up, quickly forming an Earthen Prison that locked Lin Ming inside.

A streak of Sword Qi instantly split the Earthen Prison in two.

Lin Ming was seen holding a longsword, walking toward Shi Lei step by step.

"Stinky Senior Brother is finally starting to get serious."

Yu Yaoqin nodded as she watched this scene.

Her Stinky Senior Brother was finally going to get serious.

Upon hearing this, Xu Chuan also began to look forward to it.

Was this Junior Brother really as the rumors said?

"Rock Armor."

Shi Lei pressed a hand to the ground, and the soil on the surface quickly surged onto his body, covering it and forming a layer of rocky earth armor.

After completing this, Shi Lei took the initiative to charge at Lin Ming, his fist covered in rock and soil smashing directly toward him.

With a side-step, Lin Ming dodged all of his attacks.

Seeing his attack miss, Shi Lei did not hesitate to throw another punch at Lin Ming.

Lin Ming, however, dodged all of Shi Lei's attacks as if he were taking a leisurely stroll.

Shi Lei couldn't even touch the corner of Lin Ming's clothes.

"Junior Brother Lin, he has completely seen through the opponent's attacks."

Xu Chuan said with a face full of surprise.

The situation on the field was exactly like that; Junior Brother Lin's combat talent was so high, or perhaps his combat experience was so rich, that he could reach such a level.

Even when facing an opponent with a higher Realm, he could still achieve this.

It seemed Gong Hui and Yu Yaoqin were right; Lin Ming had been feigning weakness all along.

But why did he do that?

"I knew it."

Gong Hui smiled.

He knew Lin Ming had been hiding his strength.

Even what he was showing now might not be Lin Ming's true strength.

"Holy crap, has this guy been acting for us this whole time?"

"We've been tricked."

"It's over. I bet ten Low Grade Essence Stones that he would be eliminated."

"What's ten? I bet a hundred Low Grade Essence Stones."

"Damn, I bet two hundred and fifty."

"What do you have to worry about? There's still Nie Wen, Fu Xici, and Song Shu. Do you think Lin Ming can beat the three of them?"

"Right, those three are at the Lingtai Ninth Heaven Realm, but don't forget they have the strength to defeat opponents at the Lingzang Initial Stage."

The reason why Nie Wen, Fu Xici, and Song Shu were considered the top three was that as Prodigy Disciples of the three major Sects, they had experience defeating opponents at the Lingzang Initial Stage.

As for Lin Ming, at most, he had defeated cultivators at the Lingtai Ninth Heaven.

Defeating a Lingtai Ninth Heaven cultivator with Middle Stage Spirit Platform strength was already the mark of a Prodigy, an existence far beyond their reach.

But they didn't believe Lin Ming had the strength of the Spirit Treasury Realm; that would be a bit too much of a Prodigy.

He

is no match for those three.

*Boom...*

The Rock Armor shattered.

Lin Ming left a finger on the Rock Armor.

Accompanied by a series of cracking sounds, the Rock Armor on his body completely shattered and fell off.

Shi Lei's pupils constricted, and his figure quickly retreated, creating distance between himself and Lin Ming.

Lin Ming had found the weakness of this technique of his.

Before he could think further, Lin Ming's figure charged rapidly toward him.

Seeing this, Shi Lei stomped on the ground, and a Rock Wall rose from the earth, blocking the path between them and separating the two.

But this Rock Wall was like paper, being sliced right through.

This sword strike slashed down toward Shi Lei.

Sword Intent.

There was no mistake.

Shi Lei sensed the Sword Intent in this strike.

He couldn't dodge it.

It was too late.

Shi Lei's gaze became determined.

Since he couldn't dodge, he wouldn't.

An exceptionally thick aura emanated from his body.

Rock · Break.

This thick aura then condensed within Shi Lei's hands.

He met it with a punch.

*Bang...*

Shi Lei was sent flying directly.

He was knocked back by Lin Ming's sword strike and fell heavily to the ground.

A mouthful of blood sprayed out uncontrollably.

"Senior Brother."

Several Disciples of the Yongzhen Sect immediately appeared by Shi Lei's side, and one of them quickly took out a Medicinal Pill and placed it in Shi Lei's mouth.

"Junior Brother Lin, thank you for showing mercy."

Fu Xici appeared before them, looked up at Lin Ming, and said expressionlessly.

"It was just a spar."

Lin Ming only said those four words before turning to leave.

"Sword Intent, it's definitely Sword Intent?!"

"That's right, Second-Layer Sword Intent."

"So that rumor is true; Lin Ming has comprehended Triple Sword Intent?!"

"It really is possible."

"I'm starting to panic, my Essence Stones."

"No kidding, I'm panicking too."

Xu Chuan's expression gradually became strange.

He seemed to understand why Lin Ming had been so disheveled before.