Chapter 392 – Ultimately, Strength Is What Matters

Su Ming knew that with his true strength exposed and even his Divine Artifact revealed, he had inevitably become a target in many people’s minds.

He had long been mentally prepared for this.

Originally, Su Ming thought he would encounter many troubles, but Old Ling’s appearance had turned the situation around.

With Old Ling acting as his guardian, Su Ming was certain that even if someone truly had designs on him, they would need to carefully consider their actions in light of that human supreme powerhouse—Tianfeng City’s Guardian Deity.

Setting aside status and position, just in terms of strength alone—with Seven-Star Professionals having reached a standstill in progress—as a Dual Professional capable of cross-level challenges, Old Ling was absolutely an existence capable of dimensional suppression.

In Su Ming’s view, even if Old Ling’s strength didn’t match the legendary most terrifying species, he could still compete with Nightmare Species Mutants like the Hell Beast.

And it must be remembered that Nightmare Species Mutants like the Hell Beast were existences that surpassed Seven-Star Professionals.

During the recent events in the Midnight Labyrinth, if the Hell Beast hadn’t been severely injured and could only exert less than seventy percent of its power, it would never have been unilaterally crushed by the young girl Qing Qing wielding a Divine Artifact.

Being able to rival such an existence showed just how formidable Old Ling’s strength was.

This made Su Ming feel that even if he couldn’t rest completely easy, at least he wouldn’t face the worst-case scenario he had previously considered.

Who would have thought that right after leaving Old Ling’s place, he would hear some rumors.

The Wang Family—this Super Family ranked among the top of the eight great families, reportedly having more than one Seven-Star Professional within their clan—seemed to have some designs on him.

Although he didn’t know what the Wang Family planned to do, since their upper echelons had summoned Xu Xiayan, Bai Xuefei, Bai Ruxiang, Bai Xiaoyan, and even Wang Yihan—all of whom had contact with him—specifically to inquire about him, they were eighty percent likely not planning to ignore his existence.

“Is the Wang Family planning to make a move against me?”

Su Ming narrowed his eyes and spoke these words in a tentative tone.

Unexpectedly, Xu Xiayan didn’t deny it.

“If it were just a simple move against you, that would be manageable,” Xu Xiayan said bluntly. “What I fear is them deliberately making things difficult for you. I heard from Wang Yihan that the Demon Emperor Sword was originally seized from 『Sin』 by her father. Logically speaking, the Demon Emperor Sword should be her possession, but because of Ming Wang’s appearance and your emergence, the ownership of the Demon Emperor Sword was transferred.”

“Great families are most adept at exploiting such topics. If the Wang Family plans to make an issue of this, someone like you with no background might be forcibly dragged into a legal confrontation.”

“If you try to resort to force, you’ll only end up violating laws and regulations, leading to expulsion and exile from Tianfeng City—that would be a true loss outweighing any gain.”

These were the words Xu Xiayan spoke.

“From what you’re saying, it seems you think the Wang Family is quite likely to make a move against me,” Su Ming said with some surprise. “I thought you would speak in the Wang Family’s defense.”

After all, Xu Xiayan was an externally hired executive of the Wang Family, standing from the Wang Family’s position.Su Ming had thought that Xu Xiayan would at most just warn him to be careful and leave it at that, but it seemed Xu Xiayan didn’t look like she wanted to take the Wang Family’s side at all.

“What? Did you think the Wang Family is some kind of righteous and flawless entity in my eyes?” Xu Xiayan curled her lips and actually said, “Then you’re purely overthinking. Even though I’m now part of the Wang Family, I know all too well what these great Families are like. How could I take sides and show favoritism just because of my affiliation?”

If Xu Xiayan were that kind of person, she wouldn’t have embarrassed her own father back then and belittled the Xu Family as utterly worthless.

“You have to remember, little brother Su Ming, so-called great Families are extremely complex miniature societies. They aren’t simply black-and-white entities but collectives where various interests intertwine.” Xu Xiayan spoke with profound sincerity, “Take me, for example. Although I belong to the Wang Family, I’m not simply working for the entire Wang Family as a whole.”

“Back then, it was just one among the many high-ranking members of the Wang Family who recognized my talent and decided to invest in me. The others merely knew of my existence, didn’t object, or even if some opposed, they didn’t succeed.”

“So, within the Wang Family, I also have my own faction, my own clique, and naturally, my own rivals and enemies. Do you understand?”

Xu Xiayan’s words made Su Ming feel as if a veil had been lifted from his eyes.

“That makes sense,” Su Ming murmured. “A Super Family definitely doesn’t have just one voice internally. The Wang Family doesn’t even have just one person at the top, so having factions is only natural.”

Within any organization, the leadership is rarely composed of just one person.

These individuals gather together, each with their own subordinates and followers, forming various groups.

Their interests differ, and the reason they come together is often not due to relationships or connections, but because they form a community of shared interests.

When disagreements arise over an issue, discussions tend to increasingly focus on the interests themselves, ensuring the outcome best serves the collective or the majority’s benefit.

This is why the larger an organization, a faction, or a Family grows, the more complex its internal dynamics become, and the more emphasis is placed on interests.

Unless, like Yun Langyue, someone uses their own capabilities to consolidate their subordinate forces into a single voice, then it might be possible to move beyond pure interests and become more humane.

Given this, Xu Xiayan wouldn’t speak unilaterally for the Wang Family as a whole but only for the faction she supports and the high-ranking members she backs.

In Su Ming’s case, even if one high-ranking member clearly opposes taking action against him, it would be futile.

Because the other high-ranking members wouldn’t think the same way and would only consider the Wang Family’s vested interests.

Thus, Xu Xiayan naturally wouldn’t speak for the Wang Family, assuring Su Ming that they wouldn’t move against him. Instead, she believed the probability of the Wang Family taking action against him was quite high.

However…

“Even if the Wang Family wants to do something to you, they probably won’t be too blatant about it.” Xu Xiayan smiled and said, “After all, you’re not some small fry that can be easily pushed around anymore.”

That’s right.Su Ming was no longer a minor character to be easily manipulated, but a Dual Professional capable of overpowering even those at the Six-Star Peak level.

With such strength, he likely wouldn’t fall short even when compared to a true Seven-Star Professional.

Thus, even on the most fervently discussed official forums, the general consensus was that Su Ming had already established himself—a remarkably young powerhouse, a true Prodigy rather than a still-developing Genius.

In the public’s view, even with the most conservative estimates, Su Ming should possess strength rivaling that of a Nightmare Species.

That is to say, even if Su Ming couldn’t match a Seven-Star Professional, he existed in the realm between Six-Star and Seven-Star.

With such power, even if a genuine Seven-Star Professional were to take action, subduing him would be no easy task.

Not to mention, Su Ming also possessed a Divine Artifact. If pushed to the brink and forced to reveal it, even a Seven-Star Professional’s intervention would prove futile.

With such capabilities at his disposal, unless a faction had absolute certainty, none would be foolish enough to offend Su Ming.

Especially considering Su Ming’s youth and extraordinary talent—if thoroughly provoked, once he fully matured, he would undoubtedly become a formidable threat.

“You’re only eighteen now, yet you’ve already elevated both professions to such heights. It’s highly probable you’ll become a Seven-Star Dual Professional in the future.”

Mentioning this, Xu Xiayan couldn’t help but express amazement.

“A Seven-Star Dual Professional—that’s an achievement even that one failed to accomplish. If you succeed, you’d become a nightmare for any faction that has crossed you.”

The “one” Xu Xiayan referred to was undoubtedly Old Ling.

As a Dual Professional, Old Ling had only reached Seven-Star in the Hunter aspect; his Sorcerer side remained at Six-Star, never achieving Seven-Star in both professions.

Yet even so, Old Ling had become the strongest Professional, an unrivaled existence capable of challenging those above his level and delivering overwhelming blows to other Seven-Star Professionals.

Under such circumstances, once Su Ming achieved the dual Seven-Star accomplishment that even Old Ling hadn’t attained, his power at that point would be unimaginable.

If Xu Xiayan could grasp this, then all factions, including the Wang Family, would naturally realize it as well.

Consequently, they would inevitably exercise caution, refraining from rashly acting against Su Ming.

Moreover, Su Ming wasn’t without backing.

Considering all these factors, Su Ming began to feel that the Wang Family likely wouldn’t be so reckless as to provoke him without preparation.

If they did move against him, it would either be with confidence to crush him decisively or with a plausible pretext to prevent him from openly retaliating.

That was why they had summoned Xu Xiayan, Bai Xuefei, Bai Ruxiang, Bai Xiaoyan, and Wang Yihan.

Xu Xiayan might have been right—the Wang Family probably didn’t intend to confront Su Ming directly but rather to exploit the situation, using Wang Yihan’s matter as leverage.

Of course, success would depend on whether Wang Yihan cooperated and whether the one backing Su Ming would stand idly by.

“So it seems the likelihood of the Wang Family taking action against me isn’t very high.”

Su Ming fell into thoughtful contemplation.”In short, just be careful yourself.” Xu Xiayan’s tone turned serious as she said, “It’s easy to dodge an open spear thrust, but hard to guard against an arrow in the dark. When open methods fail, there are plenty of underhanded tricks they can employ. What you need to watch out for are those petty tactics.”

“I know.” Su Ming nodded deeply in agreement.

He had never believed this world was simply black and white.

As long as there were sufficient interests at stake, plenty of people and factions would resort to underhanded methods against him.

What Su Ming was most wary of were precisely these covert schemes—he wasn’t afraid of direct confrontations.

Previously, when he operated in the shadows while others were in the open, he didn’t need to worry too much about such things. But from now on, he would be in the open while others lurked in the shadows, so he needed to be more vigilant and properly guard against them.

“Ultimately, it still comes down to insufficient strength,” Su Ming thought to himself. “If I had power like Old Ling’s, capable of being unmatched in the world, why would I need to be so defensive?”

Thinking this, Su Ming glanced at his Golden Finger backpack.

Inside, there was still an extremely precious pool of Purple Snow Essence, along with various treasure resources obtained from the Midnight Labyrinth.

Among them were the main Materials for the Amber Potion that could enhance a Sorcerer’s strength—the Amber Fruit—as well as items like Seven-Colored Eye Fluid.

If he refined all these into potions and consumed them, his strength would undoubtedly advance to the next level.

The remaining resources could also be thrown into the marketplace, exchanged for crystal chips, and used to continue opening packs.

He already had quite a few potential enemies, including one like 『Sin』 that had nearly reached the point of no return. If his strength couldn’t keep up, there would inevitably come a day when he faced utter ruin.

Once again, Su Ming felt a craving for power and a faint sense of urgency.

“I must advance my strength again and raise my Rank as soon as possible.”

With the Amber Potion, he now had hope of advancing to a Six-Star Sorcerer.

By then, with dual Professions at Six-Star, even facing a Seven-Star Professional head-on, he wouldn’t be intimidated.

If his Hunter Profession’s Rank could also be boosted, directly advancing to Seven-Star, his strength would undergo a transformative improvement.

At that point, even compared to a supreme powerhouse like Old Ling, he wouldn’t be far behind.

Don’t forget, Su Ming also possessed a rule-breaking power like the 【Silver Arm】—a right hand that had mutated to an absurd degree.

If his Hunter strength reached Seven-Star, the power of his right hand would inevitably grow stronger as well.

Thus, even if his Sorcerer Profession remained at Five-Star, he could still hold his own against Old Ling.

Who would dare to make a move against him then?

“Strength—what matters most is still strength.”

Su Ming had understood this from the very beginning.

That was why he wanted to lay low until he became invincible before making waves.

The current situation only reinforced his belief that his initial idea had been correct.

Otherwise, if he had been exposed when his strength was insufficient, he wouldn’t be in a position where others hesitated, showing some restraint and not daring to act openly against him.

Everything was based on strength.

“I need to make plans quickly.”

Su Ming came to this decision.

However, before that, there was still something he needed to do.

“Xiayan-jie,” Su Ming suddenly said, “Do you know how to contact the Tianfeng Royal Clan?”

As soon as these words were spoken, on the other end of the Terminal, Xu Xiayan immediately froze.”The Tianfeng Royal Clan?” Xu Xiayan furrowed her brow and said, “Why are you contacting them?”

Mentioning the Tianfeng Royal Clan, Xu Xiayan’s tone couldn’t help but become serious and low.

Clearly, this entity held immense weight in her heart.

This was only natural.

Although the Tianfeng Royal Clan had declined, with even their Bloodline withering and no longer producing any Professionals, based on the covenant, they still held supreme status in Tianfeng City and were the city’s nominal administrators.

The upper echelons of Tianfeng City’s officialdom were almost entirely composed of people from the Royal Family, forcing even the Eight Great Families to show them deference.

When Su Ming brought them up, Xu Xiayan had no choice but to treat the matter seriously.

But how could Xu Xiayan know that Su Ming was equally helpless?

“I must make them return the person to me.”

Su Ming said this.

“Who?”

Xu Xiayan was taken aback.

“My childhood friend.” Su Ming said calmly. “Right now, she’s in the hands of the Tianfeng Royal Clan.”

(End of Chapter)