Chapter 140: Huantian Technique
In mid-June, on the fifth day after the beginning of autumn, which was also the fifth day of the Autumn Tournament, the Outer Courtyard of Tianshu Academy suddenly became crowded.
Among them were scions of Worldly Sect from the capital, representatives of various sects active in Shengjing, and family members of Outer Courtyard Disciples.
Such an invitation for outsiders to watch the Autumn Tournament had no precedent in the history of Tianshu Academy. It was said that this was done at the behest of the Master's Courtyard.
Tianshu Academy had just suffered a double defeat in the Dao Inquiry with Lingjian Mountain. Although they weren't kicked while they were down, the rumors had already spread widely in secret.
The notion that the Great Xia Holy Sect was merely a facade was often heard from the mouths of other sect representatives in Shengjing.
Therefore, for the Master's Courtyard, nothing could better vindicate the academy than inviting everyone to watch the Autumn Tournament.
However, when making this decision, the three Masters-in-charge felt very strange.
Because it was Ji You who had protected the last shred of Tianshu Academy's dignity when the Dao Inquiry failed.
And now, to regain that dignity, they still had to rely on the Autumn Tournament in which he participated.
Before long, the area around the Baiyu Platform was packed with people.
Many Outer Courtyard Disciples stood on the periphery, unable to resist looking inward, their gaze first falling to the west.
“Look, it's Senior Sister He, a direct Disciple of Zizai Hall in the Inner Courtyard.”
“I've been at Tianshu Academy for three years and have never seen a direct Disciple of the Inner Courtyard pay attention to an Outer Courtyard competition.”
“That's not unusual. In previous years, there weren't three Tong Xuan Realm cultivators vying for Inner Courtyard spots at the same time either.”
In their line of sight, He Lingxiu, a direct Disciple of Zizai Hall in the Inner Courtyard, stood gracefully, followed by a large group of Inner Courtyard Disciples, most of whom had participated in the Lingjian Mountain Dao Inquiry.
After descending from Lingjian Mountain and learning that Ji You had broken through the Sword Forest, she had always wanted to witness Ji You's Sword Dao.
So, she couldn't miss this duel.
Besides them, the watching Disciples also spotted Prince Chong's Mansion and Princess Changle, as well as Wei Li and his group, and some imperial relatives, all seated on either side of the high platform.
Behind them were the representatives of other sects permanently stationed in Shengjing.
Among these other sect representatives, the most eye-catching were the Lingjian Mountain Disciples dressed in sword robes.
This attention was not only due to the Dao Inquiry incident but also because one of the Disciples was holding paper and a brush, seemingly intending to quickly record something on the spot, an unknown operation.
Looking towards the center, there were the two family heads from the Bai family of Liang Province and the Du family of Yun Province.
Du Zhu had entered the Tong Xuan Realm and was eligible to participate in the Autumn Tournament, but his chances were clearly slim; at most, he was a side dish.
Bai Ru Long, on the other hand, had not even entered the Tong Xuan Realm and could not participate in the Autumn Tournament.
Therefore, the personal presence of these two family heads inevitably made many Disciples feel confused.
However, even more attention was drawn to the guests from the You Prefecture Chu Family, who were seated on the east side of the Baiyu Platform. At the very front was the Chu Family Head, Chu Xiong.
He wore a black brocade robe with cloud patterns, holding a delicate porcelain teacup. He exuded an awe-inspiring presence without anger, and his surrounding Aura was unfathomable. Behind him followed an old servant serving tea, who had also reached the Yingtian Realm cultivation.
“I've heard before that the Chu Family Head has reached the Divine Thought Realm, just one step away from Perfection in the Upper Five Realms. Looking at his Aura now, it's indeed true.”
“Those who have achieved Perfection in the Upper Five Realms are few and far between even within the Seven Great Immortal Sects. This Chu Family truly lives up to its reputation as the 'Eighth Great Immortal Sect' without a Dao lineage.”
“The Seven Apertures Exquisite Body is naturally close to the Dao. Perhaps this is the reason for their enduring prosperity.”
Amidst the clamor, the Baiyu Platform gradually filled up, a sea of people stretching as far as the eye could see.
Ban Yangshu, Wen Zhengxin, and Pei Ruyi arrived shortly after. Ru Long Immortal Emperor had already reserved seats for them: “This year's rules seem to involve a Ring Match .”
Ban Yangshu looked up after sitting down: “An arena defense match?”
“That's right. In previous years, at most two people in the Outer Courtyard could enter the Tong Xuan Realm, so they could fight however they pleased. But this year, there are three, so the Master's Courtyard plans to use an arena defense match to determine the final victor.”
Pei Ruyi frowned upon hearing this, a bad premonition rising in her heart: “Who will be defending the arena? It won't be Junior Brother Ji, will it? First, let Du Zhu fully exhaust him, and then let Chu River launch continuous attacks?”
Bai Ru Long opened his mouth upon hearing this: “It's not that despicable, is it?”
“The Master's Courtyard never does anything decent—
“I think that under everyone's gaze now, if it were truly so unfair, it would be slapping their own face. Moreover, compared to Chu River entering the Inner Courtyard or anything else, the academy values its own face the most.”
Wen Zhengxin glanced at him: “What face does Tianshu Academy have left to value?”
Bai Ru Long:
In the brilliant sunlight, everyone craned their necks in anticipation, waiting for the arena defender to ascend, discussing incessantly among themselves.
They also felt that Ji You had a very high chance of defending the arena.
After all, he had no Worldly Family background, making him the easiest to be “arranged.” And the Master's Courtyard had always favored its own interests, so if it were indeed Ji You defending the arena, then Du Zhu would inevitably be the first to challenge, followed by Chu River's appearance.
However, unexpectedly, the person who ascended the stage, meeting everyone's expectations, was not Ji You.
That person was dressed in luxurious brocade robes, his jade crown carved from extremely precious purple crystal, and his clothes were woven with gold thread depicting scenes of Ascension. At this moment, his gaze was steady and profound, standing proudly in the sunlight.
“It's actually Chu River defending the arena?”
Ban Yangshu showed a surprised expression.
Wen Zhengxin frowned: “Did the Master's Courtyard actually do something decent this time?”
Pei Ruyi, however, furrowed her brow slightly: “Then who will challenge? Junior Brother Ji or Du Zhu?”
Amidst the questions, another person stepped onto the stage, walking up to Chu River with a solemn expression.
He was this round's challenger, holding a long saber, entirely black, which also didn't look like an ordinary item.
“It's Du Zhu? So Junior Brother Ji is last?”
Ban Yangshu's eyes widened: “Did Junior Brother Ji bribe them?”
Bai Ru Long shook his head upon hearing this: “Impossible. Brother Ji even uses my money to buy things. I've never seen him willing to pay for others.”
At this moment, on the high platform, the old servant of the Chu Family's expression darkened, and he couldn't help but look in the direction of the Master's Courtyard.
He also seemed not to understand how this arrangement came to be, why the first match would have Chu River defending the arena and Du Zhu challenging.
Over these past two months, he had personally witnessed the young master's progress, and naturally, he had full confidence in him.
The Family Head and the eldest young master had also told him that with the second young master's current state, even a cultivator in the early Integration Realm Realm would find it difficult to defeat him easily.
But confidence did not conflict with wanting an easier time, so he had privately made some arrangements, yet he didn't know why these arrangements were useless.
The three Masters-in-charge of Tianshu Academy were present at the scene, seeing many puzzled looks, and their expressions were also somewhat strange.
Ji You's performance on Lingjian Mountain truly made it difficult for them to engage in any more biased actions. They had already resolved not to trip him up, but the Chu Family had given too much—
Anyway, everyone in the academy was saying that Ji You was very strong, so adjusting the battle order was actually harmless.
Thus, during the drawing process, they took a box that could block Divine Thought, placed three slips of paper all marked for 'defending the arena' inside, and had Ji You draw first.
In their view, if Ji You drew 'defending the arena' first, all would be well.
But they didn't expect Ji You to swallow the drawn slip of paper, and then personally watch Chu River draw the second 'defending the arena' slip...
Ji You then smiled at them, asking if they still needed to draw a third slip to see who would be challenging.
He also said that cultivation was originally a game for wealthy Worldly Sect, and as a lone private cultivator from the countryside, he always had to be cautious.
So, the final battle order became the current arrangement.
The Dao of Tianshu Academy had always emphasized compliance, and since Chu River had not shown any dissatisfaction, they tacitly approved.
As the three Masters-in-charge were recalling, they suddenly felt a surge of murderous Aura rushing towards them. Then, the Aura on the Baiyu Platform suddenly surged wildly, and a vast and violent Spiritual Qi flowed in all directions, startling them.
With a hum, Chu River drew his sword.
He had studied Sword Dao with Wang Instructor for a few days, but his current sword strike showed no trace of sword techniques.
It was the most direct straight sword, carrying a powerful Qi force that roared forward.
The sword body, cutting head-on, was attached and entwined with a reddish-purple Qi like its Origin. Thunder and wind howled within its Sword Qi, incredibly fast and powerful.
Clang!
As the sword fell, the iron saber, imbued with vast Spiritual Qi, met it head-on, and strong winds swirled between the collisions.
Even with this simple clash of iron, Du Zhu directly retreated three steps, feeling a chill permeate his body as if it had seeped deep into his bones.
The next instant, Chu River on the Baiyu Platform soared into the air, reddish-purple Qi swirling around him, and Spiritual Qi raging. His sharp sword immediately surged forward.
Within the sword light, Chu River's eyes were cold, and his surrounding Aura was filled with killing intent.
“?!”
The Outer Courtyard Disciples only felt a penetrating chill, while most Inner Courtyard Disciples involuntarily rose to their feet because of his sword strike.
Because for those with lower Realms, it was normal for Chu River to exert a suppressive influence on them.
But the Inner Courtyard Disciples' cultivation was above Chu River's, yet they also felt a tingling sensation on their scalps.
Looking at Chu River again, his entire body was entwined with deep red, like a hurricane accompanying him, and his surrounding Aura surged dramatically, far exceeding everyone's imagination.
With a clang, a scorching sword light descended directly with the spirit sword, making everyone's eyes widen even further.
“It's the Chu Family's Huantian Technique!”
“So powerful—”
“This Chu River is only in the Tong Xuan Realm, and can only observe the technique but not integrate it. Even if it's a family inheritance,
How can it possess such power?”
Under the sword light, the wind howled.
Du Zhu furiously gathered all his Spiritual Qi onto the blade of his saber, desperately parrying, his immortal robe directly torn by the howling Qi force.
He hadn't expected Chu River to be so ruthless, because in his opinion, Ji You should have been his target.
Then came a series of violent tremors from the iron weapons, and wild Qi waves continuously dispersed from the Baiyu Platform as their center, instantly covering the entire arena.
The reddish-purple, lightning-like Qi roared into the sky, and as the iron sword facing him struck down again, the sword shrieked wildly.
At this moment, even He Lingxiu couldn't help but slightly change color, feeling a shock from that reddish-purple technique's Aura.
(It's my birthday today, please give me monthly votes)