Cultivating in the mountains, day after day, seven days passed in the blink of an eye.
The Gongyuan had already begun its examination, and Ji You started his daily routine of practicing Martial Skills first, then comprehending the Dao. After mastering the basics of swordsmanship in a few days, he learned spear techniques today.
Instructor Wang asked him if he knew the eight spear thrusts, and he said he did.
One thrust to the brow, two to the heart; three thrusts to the brow, four to the heart; five thrusts to the brow, six to the heart; seven thrusts to the brow, eight to the heart!
And every time he went to comprehend the Dao after practicing Martial Skills, countless eyes would be fixed on him.
Chu River had already condensed his second Mystic Light, and Lu Qingqiu also had faint traces, but Ji You had nothing.
Over these seven days, everyone knew that the time he could persist was longer day by day, but it was also more painful day by day. His efforts to this extent, yet without making any progress, made many in the courtyard lose interest in him.
Thus, some said that this year's Inner Courtyard competition might only be between Chu River and Lu Qingqiu.
“I’m not sleeping tonight.”
“?”
“Hiss…”
“Are there still masters?”
Chu River sat in the center of the Wudao Field, asking his page boy to bring more Spirit Medicine and place it before him: “Just now, I saw a trace of light.”
Upon hearing this, everyone was first stunned, then burst into an uproar. Even Ban Yangshu, who had come again, couldn't help but widen his eyes.
Because everyone present knew that the precursor to sensing the Tianshu Academy was to see a streak of light.
If Chu River sensed the Tianshu Academy, his cultivation speed would far surpass Lu Qingqiu’s, and this year’s Inner Courtyard spot would undoubtedly be his!
Everyone said that the Chu family’s cultivation talent was extraordinary. Chu Xian achieved Perfection at fourteen and entered the Upper Five Realms at fifteen, immediately being accepted as a direct disciple by the Xuan Yuan Immortal Mansion’s sect master, which proved this point.
Although Chu River was a few years behind his Senior Brother, he was still terrifyingly formidable.
“Since you saw a trace of light, can you pursue the light?”
Chu River saw that it was Ban Yangshu asking, then shook his head: “At that time, I was already exhausted, with no strength left…”
Ban Yangshu patted his shoulder: “Don’t be too hard on yourself. You only used nine days; that is already extraordinary talent.”
“How many days did Senior Brother use back then?”
“More than five months.”
Chu River was slightly startled: “How could that be?”
Ban Yangshu smiled lightly and shook his head: “I was talking about truly sensing the Tianshu Academy, which took five months. However, based on you seeing light in two days, two months will be enough. The Chu family’s talent is truly terrifying.”
Hearing this, Chu River felt deeply satisfied, then chose to take a pill and continue, staying up all night.
He didn’t believe anyone in the Outer Courtyard could surpass him; in fact, he didn’t even pay attention to Ban Yangshu, who patiently guided him.
Ban Yangshu had been in the Inner Courtyard for six years, but had only cultivated to the Tongxuan Upper Realm, not even reaching the Rongdao Realm, the second realm of the Upper Five Realms.
The world said that being able to enter the Upper Five Realms was already exceptional talent, but that was for the common people.
And he, his surname was Chu!
Since the rise of the Chu family, all had been able to enter the Upper Five Realms, and each generation was faster than the last!
His Senior Brother was already a direct disciple of the Xuan Yuan Immortal Mansion; what he could see, of course, was the position of a direct disciple of the Tianshu Academy!
Lu Qingqiu was getting a little anxious and increased the amount of Spirit Stones.
But there was another person even more anxious than Lu Qingqiu, and that was Cao Jinsong.
Approaching the Hour of Shen on the day of Hanlu, an autumn rain arrived, falling on the Tianshu Academy’s protective Mystic Light, stirring up ripples but unable to land.
Ji You was caught by Instructor Cao before he even left the house: “Ji You, oh Ji You, you prodigal son, what exactly are you doing?”
“What’s wrong, Instructor Cao?”
“What time is it? You still spend four hours every day practicing Martial Skills, and then go to comprehend the Dao. I see your diligence, but I told you before, Martial Skills are ultimately a minor Dao!”
Ji You looked him up and down: “Why are you especially concerned about me today?”
Cao Jinsong choked for a moment, stammering for a long while: “This is the Dao of a teacher!”
“I don’t believe it.”
“Alright, I admit it, Instructor Ding and Instructor Ma and I bet a hundred Spirit Stones, wagering that the student I took in would be the first to enter the Inner Courtyard. But Chu River already has two Mystic Lights, why are you still so lax?”
Ji You’s eyebrows furrowed. He hadn’t expected Old Cao to be a gambling addict: “Who gave you this courage?”
Cao Jinsong straightened his back, looking out at the vast, boundless night sky: “Naturally, it’s a peerless genius who achieved two realms in one day, Perfection in one night, like a fierce tiger descending the mountain, swallowing the world with his Qi, unmatched in the world!”
Ji You also became serious upon hearing this, mimicking him as he looked at the night sky: “Share half of the Spirit Stones with me.”
“Are you a bandit?”
“A fierce bandit.”
Cao Jinsong was about to haggle with him, but before he could open his mouth, he paused slightly, then after a moment of thought, his eyes widened: “You want me to share half with you? Could it be that you’ve already seen that faint light in the obscurity?”
Ji You sat on the stone stool in the courtyard, silent for a moment before speaking: “Something like that…”
Hearing this “something like that,” Instructor Cao was somewhat pleased, but after the pleasure, he frowned tightly again.
For some reason, he saw a hint of fear and hesitation in Ji You’s expression.
One must know, that day in Yuyang County, he dared to risk his life to achieve Perfection as soon as he broke through, utterly fearless. He never thought he would see fear on Ji You’s face.
However, he believed that although Ji You was a bit of a bandit, he never boasted, just like how he said he would achieve Perfection overnight that day, and he truly did.
Everyone in the courtyard said that Ji You was just making up the numbers. Chu River even forbade anyone from comparing him to Ji You, seemingly feeling insulted.
But only Instructor Cao blindly believed him.
His talent was definitely not something Chu River could catch up to.
At dusk, urged by Instructor Cao, Ji You arrived at the Wudao Field earlier.
The initially unconcerned crowd looked up at the sky and couldn't help but be slightly startled.
“He seems to have come earlier today?”
“Perhaps he heard that Chu River saw a trace of light and finally started to get nervous.”
“What good is nervousness? Chu River is already more than a step ahead of him.”
Someone whispered, constantly speculating why Ji You’s unmovable Dao comprehension time had suddenly moved up by two quarters of an hour.
However, most people didn't even lift their eyelids, as their expectations were now entirely focused on the Chu family’s second Young Master.
It was at this moment that Ji You walked into the field, first sitting cross-legged, then tidying his robes, after which he closed his eyes tightly and began to send his Divine Thought soaring, his brow furrowing and relaxing.
He saw it…
However, it was different from the faint light Instructor Cao had mentioned.
At this moment, Ji You’s Divine Thought reached the heavens, seeing countless brilliant meteors streaking through the obscure darkness, hundreds upon hundreds, continuous across the sky, constantly, their trails flickering.
Instructor Cao had asked him if he saw a wisp of faint light, and he said “something like that.”
It was indeed “something like that,” just off by a few hundred.
In fact, he had seen this scene on the sixth day.
But at that instant, he suddenly felt a moment of trance and didn't dare to pursue the light.
Instructor Cao had seen fear and hesitation in his heart, and this fear and hesitation stemmed from this, or rather, from something he had never been able to figure out.
That matter made his desire to pursue the light come to an abrupt halt, even making his back feel a little cold.
Ji You suddenly withdrew his Divine Thought at this moment, opened his eyes, and couldn't help but look with his bare eyes at the blood-red scar in the sky.
“Have you heard of ‘Heaven’s Demise’?”
“I always thought that phrase meant the sky died.”
“But if the sky died, then what exactly is this Tianshu Academy of yours…?”
Boom—!
Just as Ji You finished silently reciting the last sentence in his heart, under everyone’s gaze, a powerful wave of Qi suddenly erupted from around him, knocking over several people nearby.
At the same time, the Mystic Light above the Wudao Field flared brilliantly, constantly changing, like overturning rivers and seas, finally rushing directly into his Heavenly Spirit.
A mysterious spectrum of light descended from above, enveloping his entire body, constantly surging and shining brightly.
This time, the Tianshu Academy did not wait for him to come and sense it; instead, it actively sensed him.