The Qi Family’s sudden shift in attitude made Ji Hao’s eyes narrow. Deep confusion clouded his features as his gaze swept back and forth over the Qi Family members, trying to understand their behavior.

The other two great families of Immortal Martial City were equally baffled. As gazes met across the field, everyone shared the same thought—what in the world had gotten into the Qi Family to make them act so out of character?

Meanwhile, Shen Wanshang’s gaze was locked firmly on Zhong Ming. Her delicate brows knitted as she sized him up and down, her mind racing. ’You... what secret are you hiding?’

The Patriarch of the Qi Family could feel the probing and doubtful gazes from all directions, but he paid them no mind. Right now, all his attention was focused on Ji Qingyue, awaiting her instructions.

As for Ji Qingyue, after a moment of thought, she finally gave a slow nod, signaling to the Qi Family Patriarch that he could reveal Zhong Ming’s abilities to the crowd.

It wasn’t that Ji Qingyue wanted to reveal this, but rather... ’Lord Zhong Ming’s Talent is like a Great Sun blazing across the sky; it was never possible to hide it. For the sake of Prince Qinghe’s Mansion, he will have to give his all, making concealment even more difficult.’

’Rather than letting others make wild guesses based on rumor and speculation, it would be better to reveal a portion of his abilities. As long as his true trump card isn’t exposed, that will be enough.’

Having received Ji Qingyue’s signal, the Qi Family Patriarch finally sighed in relief. The next moment, he turned to the curious and skeptical crowd in the square and began to speak.

"I want everyone to know that after repeated inspections, the Qi Family has confirmed that there are absolutely no flaws in the Purgatory Array. The Sword Qi and Sword Auras avoiding Lord Zhong Ming was not the result of our manipulation, nor has he cheated in any way!"

At this, he took a deep breath to suppress the shock in his heart. His expression grew even more solemn as he said, enunciating each word:

"The thousands of streams of Sword Qi and blade intent retreated for one reason alone: Lord Zhong Ming’s own Sword Intent is so powerful that our remnant Sword Qi dared not challenge his might."

"Huh?!"

The Qi Family Patriarch’s explanation, far from satisfying the crowd’s curiosity, only intensified it.

"What are you saying? Lord Zhong Ming made the thousands of strands of your remnant Sword Intent retreat just by the force of his own? Is that possible? Your remnant Sword Intent isn’t weak!"

The Path of Purgatory, which the Qi Family had poured immense effort into creating, was certainly not weak, and that Sword Intent was extraordinary. Otherwise, the Qi Family wouldn’t have used it to guard the fourth level of Purgatory.

Although the Qi Family hadn’t activated the array beyond its normal parameters for this trial, the Sword Qi here was typically strong enough to threaten even Foundation Establishment Stage Cultivators.

Even Cultivators at the Cultivating Evil Stage would find it somewhat troublesome.

That was why no one could understand. Just how overwhelmingly powerful did Zhong Ming’s Sword Intent have to be to make thousands of streams of Sword Qi bow down and retreat?

What shocked everyone even more was:

"Didn’t Zhong Ming just reach Foundation Establishment? How could such an impossibly strong Sword Intent belong to a brand-new Foundation Establishment Cultivator!"

This sharp question brought a bitter look to the Qi Family Patriarch’s face.

He had been wondering the same thing.

’How could a Cultivator who just reached Foundation Establishment possess such a heaven-defying Sword Intent?’

’It completely defies the common logic of the Cultivation Realm!’

As his heart filled with a mixture of shock and awe, the Qi Family Patriarch finally understood. He now saw why the noble-born Ji Qingyue and Ji Qinglian, the exceptionally talented Xiyue, and even the Array Master Luo Zhiwei all treated Zhong Ming with such high regard and were so devoted to him.

Clearly, it wasn’t because of his handsome face that he had won the favor of so many women, as they had originally assumed.

It was his Talent, which surpassed all his peers, that had made these women so willingly pledge their loyalty to him.

Even he didn’t dare to offend Zhong Ming now. If he had the chance to form a connection with him, he wouldn’t just offer up one daughter—he’d willingly give three, even five.

It couldn’t be helped. To possess such ability right after reaching Foundation Establishment meant Zhong Ming’s future was destined to be a spectacle beyond his wildest imagination.

What made him both eager and wary was that Zhong Ming was also a Sword Cultivator.

It was well known that becoming a true Sword Cultivator was incredibly difficult, as it required one to comprehend Sword Intent and awaken their Sword Heart. Once they succeeded, however, their combat prowess was unrivaled.

The fact that the axiom "One Sword Breaks Ten Thousand Techniques" had been passed down through the ages in the Cultivation Realm was no empty boast.

Furthermore, Sword Cultivators were notoriously difficult to kill. Their ability to command flying swords granted them incredible speed. Even if they couldn’t defeat an enemy, escaping was a simple matter.

In short, in the Cultivation Realm, the term Sword Cultivator was synonymous with power. And Zhong Ming wasn’t just any Sword Cultivator—he could make thousands of streams of Sword Qi retreat with his Sword Intent alone.

’He’s just too powerful!’

Just as the Qi Family Patriarch was sighing with endless admiration, a hesitant, questioning voice suddenly piped up from the crowd below.

"Wait a minute, Lord Zhong Ming... are we sure he’s a Sword Cultivator and not a Body Cultivator?!"

These words left the crowd stunned for a moment.

But as their gazes shifted back to the Path of Purgatory, they quickly understood the reason for the question.

After absorbing the endless toxic mist and forcing thousands of streams of Sword Qi into submission, Zhong Ming had reached the fifth trial: the Ice Cold Purgatory.

Here, heavy snow filled the sky, with large flakes drifting down endlessly. The snowflakes carried not only a bone-piercing chill but also a bone-eroding aura of silent annihilation.

Within this purgatory, even refined iron and black steel would be frozen brittle enough to shatter.

For a Cultivator, entering was an experience of unspeakable misery. Their Magical Power would freeze and stagnate. The vitality and life force in their flesh and blood would be extinguished, bit by bit. Once their body completely lost its vitality, the icy chill would invade, turning them into a cloud of ice crystals that scattered across the ground.

The agony of it—skin peeling, flesh cracking, and a cold that pierced straight to the Divine Soul—was enough to shatter the courage of any who faced it.