Chapter 246: Five Battles to the Top
The atmosphere at Tianshu Academy has been quite low recently, especially as the finals drew closer, because the final arena challenge still stopped most people.
He Lingxiu lost. The time of her breakthrough was already very close to the Heavenly Dao Conference, so it was not too shameful for her to reach this point.
Among those in the Rongdao Realm, only Chai Ze qualified.
As for the Tong Xuan Realm, after Gu Zetao and Wang Gaocen successively lost, Yu Shiliu also retreated from the arena.
There are ten spots in total for the Disciple battles in the Rongdao and Tong Xuan Realms. According to previous qualification lists, among the Seven Great Immortal Sects, excluding the Dan Sect, each Immortal Sect could generally secure one to two spots in these two Realms.
Tianshu Academy achieving such results was actually quite satisfactory, but it truly failed to live up to its name as a Holy Sect.
After all, Lingjian Mountain, which resides in the same courtyard as them, had two enter the Rongdao Realm and originally two could have entered the Tong Xuan Realm, but ultimately only one entered, yet it was still far ahead.
Tianshu Academy has declined. In the two hundred years since the Immortal Master neglected teaching affairs, its deep Legacy seemed to be struggling to bear the burden.
Some even said that Chai Ze's qualification was a fluke and he probably wouldn't achieve a good ranking.
However, while the Tianshu Academy's combatants received mixed reviews due to their overall performance, one person was unaffected by this: a rustic private cultivator who had just returned from harvesting wheat, covered in mud.
“Among the Tong Xuan Realm, Zhuang Zixin and Zhu Yao are the strongest and should rank second and third respectively. The others are a bit weaker and should be after the top three.”
“What about the last one? Who do you think will be last?”
“It should be Huo Hui from Mountain and Sea Pavilion. Although he is also strong, he is clearly still lacking in these finals and will likely be at the bottom.”
“Then who will be first?”
“?”
“Gentlemen, please don’t mind. I just arrived after breaking through a barrier. I’ve been listening to you for a long time, but I don’t know why I haven’t heard who might be first. You also said that Zhuang Zixin and Zhu Yao are the strongest, so why can they only be second and third?”
“First—just watch, you’ll see. You won’t make a sound.”
All ten spots in Xianxian Holy Land have been filled, but to outsiders, that has nothing to do with them. The true focus of their attention is how strong or weak these arrogant Prodigies truly are.
Thus, as the day of the finals approached, cultivators from all over Kyushu began to flock to the Human Race Dao Field on the north side of Zhongxing County.
And the great figures of the Immortal Sects, who had always lived in rumors, also arrived by carriage on this crisp autumn day, dispelling thick layers of clouds and streaking across the sky to land in the Human Race Dao Field, bringing with them a vast expanse of misty clouds, and taking their seats in the spectator pavilion within the venue.
In the battle where ten people competed for rankings, each person had to fight five matches, with rankings determined by the wins and losses of those five matches.
Ji You's first opponent was the highly renowned Li Yunlang, a direct descendant of the old imperial family of Central Province.
Li Yunlang was enveloped in golden light, with spells adorning his body, as if a sun had descended.
Having reached this stage, everyone knew his combat power was not weak.
As the bright Sword Qi flashed within the vast Human Race Dao Field, and the scorching aura, along with the Dao of the sword, rose, that Sun God Art was still continuously shattered amidst the surging sword waves.
Yan Hao's injuries had healed considerably. His failure to enter the Heavenly Dao Conference finals had infuriated him for days, causing him to smash many things. Afterward, he kept replaying the battle in his mind, thinking how he might have had a chance if he had done this, or how he might have secured victory if he had done that.
But when he saw the clear Sword Qi, enveloped by the scorching heat of the Physical Body, roaring across the entire arena, he finally fell silent.
Similar to him were Tang Jingming, Xiang Hui, and Chen Ruiyang, their eyes as dim as if covered in dust.
In contrast to them was Lou Wanpeng, who wore a smile.
When he faced Ji You, he chose to withdraw from the competition. After the news spread, everyone in Xianxian Garden, whether they knew him or not, called him reckless and willful. Now, that evaluation has changed to being down-to-earth and acting within his capabilities.
Additionally, there was another point that everyone was quite concerned about.
That is, after entering the finals, Ji You's sword momentum became stronger, but this strength was not due to an increase in combat power, but because he was no longer as cautious as in the previous matches.
Previously, he was very careful with his sword strikes, but this time, his sword was as swift as the wind, free and unrestrained in its grand movements.
In the second battle, Ji You's opponent was Yan Rui, a Tong Xuan Realm Disciple from Xuanjian Peak of Lingjian Mountain, who was the only Lingjian Mountain Disciple to reach the finals.
His strength was in the middle among the ten, slightly weaker than Li Yunlang.
However, this time Ji You fought three rounds, even getting a bit breathless towards the end, and although Yan Rui lost, he withstood more sword strikes than anyone else, which made the spectators look at him with a hint of admiration and surprise in their eyes.
Only Cao Jinsong, Wen Zhengxin, Ban Yangshu, and Pei Ruyi exchanged glances and couldn't help but take a breath.
They had heard that Lingjian Mountain had a disagreement between Tianjian Peak and Xuanjian Peak due to the disappearance of the previous Master Jian and the re-selection of the spirit mirror.
If they didn't understand why Ji You did this before, after he hooked up with the Young Master Jian of Lingjian Mountain, even a fool would understand some things. He was clearly trying to elevate Xuanjian Peak by stepping on Tianjian Peak.
And Ding Yao and Zhuo Wanqiu understood this even better, thinking to themselves that such favoritism would truly lead to their Master Jian becoming pregnant. Of course, there were also some smart people who felt that Ji You's combat power seemed unstable, sometimes strong and sometimes weak, so the remaining people might still have a chance.
This thought continued until the third match, when Ji You's opponent changed to Zhu Shun of Asked the Dao Sect. Weiyingmeng, the daughter of the Mountain and Sea Pavilion's branch Master, was originally a Prodigy everyone expected to enter the top ten, but she unexpectedly lost on stage in the second round, and the person who defeated her was Zhu Shun.
And when that muscular chest constantly tensed, and those thick arms were like drawn steel bows, swinging the sword down with the force of a collapsing mountain, causing Qi currents to scatter and the barrier to tremble and roar, the discussion about Ji You's fluctuating strength vanished without a trace.
Zhu Shun had no idea what kind of sin he had committed; the only thing he knew was that he couldn't withstand the opponent's sword.
Although that powerful force was blocked by his iron saber, the roaring Qi still made him tremble all over, and his bones ached intensely.
Bang!
With a loud bang, a powerful Qi explosion erupted within the barrier.
Zhu Shun's iron saber clanged to the ground, and he himself flew backward, blood spilling from his nose and mouth, his tiger's mouth torn open, and he fell unconscious.
At this moment, everyone looked at the somewhat bewildered Xuanjian Peak Disciple, their expressions filled with thoughtfulness.
“The battle with Yan Hao earlier seemed similar, but Yan Hao, after all, had entered the Integration Dao Realm, so how could this be…?”
“With the same Dao of the sword, do you think the Legacy of Xuanjian Peak is stronger?”
“This is not impossible, considering that the Young Master Jian comes from Xuanjian Peak.”
The days during the finals were quite mechanical, basically just drawing the sword, resting, and Body Refining, with nothing else happening.
During this period, Yan Shuyi and Yuan Caiwei often came to find him.
Every time Yuan Caiwei saw him, her eyes were filled with admiration, because she attended every match, and each time she would hear people around her discussing Ji You. Whether it was what she saw or heard, Ji You fulfilled all her fantasies about cultivators.
Yan Shuyi still maintained that cold and arrogant expression, but her eyes couldn't help but reveal a hint of radiant pride and allure.
She liked how strong this unfamiliar man was, and she also liked how this unfamiliar man even thought about making Xuanjian Peak appear more formidable during battles.
Just as Ding Yao and Zhuo Wanqiu said, even a powerful woman like Young Master Jian is still a woman, and she cannot resist this kind of thing.
However, the two of them always came together, so there was no opportunity for Ji You to be continuously fertile.
In fact, this was not a coincidence, but rather because they had been together these past few days.
Yuan Caiwei found that Yan Shuyi was no longer as fiercely protective of her as before. Sometimes, when she mentioned their past sworn sisterhood, where they promised to be sisters for life, Yan Shuyi wouldn't glare at her with Sword Qi overflowing.
This was different from when they spent the winter together last year, which made her a bit confused.
Ding Yao and Zhuo Wanqiu felt they could understand, because after watching Ji You's matches, they both knew that their Young Master's strength was not something ordinary people could withstand. Every time they imagined themselves in his place, they felt like they would be shattered in a few blows.
When facing a sword, they could still block with weapons, but when they imagined themselves, there was nothing to block with, and they had to endure it. No wonder Master Jian would slightly relax her resistance.
However, their understanding was not actually specific, because they didn't know that their Master Jian had already seen the weapon, and had a realistic size in her mind, which was why she was so scared.
However, Yan Shuyi still had a jealous streak, so she watched Yuan Caiwei very closely, feeling like she didn't dare to act herself, but also feared that her sister would get to enjoy the good stuff first.
"Pair of threes."
"Pair of sevens."
"Pair of Ks."
"Pass."
At dusk, as the sunset painted the sky with fiery clouds, the "family of three" sat quietly at the tea table, playing cards.
The cards were drawn by Ji You, and the rules, which were simply for Landlord, were also taught by him.
During the game, as they successively played their cards, a continuous rubbing sound began to emanate from under the tea table, prompting Ji You to look down.
The tea table in the house was very narrow, basically the width of a pair of fair, beautiful legs when stretched out.
Ji You was sitting cross-legged, and at this moment, he saw two pairs of fair, tender jade-like feet swaying under the table, pressing against his robe.
When they swayed gently, they would rub against his front lapel, producing soft rustling sounds.
The Master Jian's feet were even smaller and whiter, soft and delicate, while Yuan Caiwei's were more symmetrical, but both were fair with a rosy tint, plump and smooth like pearls.
After watching for a while, Ji You suddenly reached under the table and with two light taps, flicked the adorable, pink, and round, pearl-like toes of the two women. The two women, who were carefully studying their card hands, instantly gasped, then instinctively pulled their restless feet back.
The Dan Sect's daughter was not good at concealing her emotions, and a blush crept onto her cheeks.
Meanwhile, the Lingjian Mountain's little jealous one's face turned red despite her cold demeanor, her beautiful eyes slightly narrowed, and a hint of jealousy in her proud gaze.
With a whoosh, a beautiful jade-like foot kicked out from under the table, bringing with it a fragrant breeze.
Yan Shuyi wanted to kick his calf, but her soft sole suddenly encountered something lumpy, and then her eyes widened slightly before she immediately pulled her foot back under her skirt.
Ji You's expression became a bit strange, thinking to himself that he was getting a reward even before winning.
As autumn deepened, leaves began to fall.
The fourth battle began, and Ji You's ranking had already entered the forefront of the competition.
Others had also been battling each other during this period, trying to complete five matches, but most had wins and losses. Only he had advanced unimpeded, cutting down all opponents.
In the early morning, he rode the gentle breeze into the Human Race Dao Field of the Primordial Era, facing his opponent for this round, Zhu Yao, Zhu Shun's elder brother.
To be honest, although the Zhu family brothers had entered Asked the Dao Sect and were now fighting as representatives of Asked the Dao Sect, their origin was, after all, from the Zhu Family. For a family to have two Prodigies simultaneously enter the top ten like this was usually only seen among Immortal Sect Bloodlines, and it was truly astonishing.
However, Ji You's Sword Intent was too difficult to block.
Although Zhu Yao was much stronger than his younger brother Zhu Shun, he was ultimately suppressed tightly. Then, with a clang, his Qi was thrown into disarray by the slash, and his decline became apparent.
Before the Heavenly Dao Conference began, no one had imagined it would be like this.
The character they envisioned for this role should have been Yan Hao of Tianjian Peak, or Zhuang Zixin, or even Zhu Yao, who was now quietly lying on the ground.
But what they actually saw was a man who looked like a frail scholar, now standing in the arena like a god or demon, his aura vast and scorching, overpowering the entire Tong Xuan Realm Human Race Dao Field. Not just anyone could enter; those residing in Xianxian Garden, being of noble status, could naturally enter to watch, but those staying in inns in Zhongxing County would find it very difficult to enter without connections and influence.
For such a grand event shared by all under heaven, being unable to watch was truly regrettable.
However, this Heavenly Dao Conference was different from usual, because as the finals began, a masked storyteller suddenly appeared on the streets of Zhongxing County.
This storyteller truly had something special; when he recounted the battles, they were full of vivid details and intense rhythm, making listeners feel as if they were there, sending shivers down their spines. For a time, he attracted countless people.
Such as some lower-tier Worldly Families, and some Immortal Villa Masters.
Among them, the most eye-catching was a well-dressed Young Master. He was very young, and he would listen from beginning to end every time. When he got excited, he would clap frantically, muttering about his brother-in-law and such.
Additionally, a thin scholar also came daily. Each time the storyteller finished a volume, he would take the completed volume to copy it, then rush to the post station.
The private cultivator who was admitted to Tianshu Academy by special exception defeated Li Yunlang, the Bloodline of the Li Clan, a thousand-year-old Worldly Family of Central Province and former imperial family.
The private cultivator who was admitted to Tianshu Academy by special exception defeated Zhu Shun, the Prodigy of Asked the Dao Sect.
The private cultivator who was admitted to Tianshu Academy by special exception defeated Zhu Yao, the Prodigy of Asked the Dao Sect.
For several consecutive days, more and more people came to listen to the stories, and as the crowd grew, the storytelling scene grew quieter.
Because they knew that the story's protagonist, who exposed his cultivation by saving a little girl, was brought out from the remote Feng Province,
Admitted to Tianshu Academy by special exception, he defeated the second son of the Chu family amidst countless challenges, and opened the Inner Courtyard gate with his sword. This rural private cultivator was about to reach the pinnacle of the Heavenly Dao Conference.
In the fifth and final match, Ji You faced Zhuang Zixin, the second son of the Zhuang family.
As the two stepped onto the stage, the arena instantly fell silent.
Both were swordsmen, and their physiques were similar. Standing on the stage, Sword Intent already began to brew between them.
Then, with a sudden whoosh, a powerful Sword Qi shot into the sky. Zhuang Zixin, gripping his longsword, slashed horizontally with sharp eyes.
At this moment, Ji You also drew his sword, and his entire aura suddenly surged, then he swung his sword out.
Amidst the wild dance of Qi, the clashing of weapons roared across the sky, and sparks continuously flew.
Zhuang Zixin's sword was incredibly swift, yet it did not lack power in its speed, taking a completely opposite path to Yan Hao, with an even more ferocious offensive than before.
And his swiftness did not come from swordsmanship, but from movement techniques, which was also a type of magical art, so his movements were greatly amplified, making him as fast as lightning.
This was actually a very correct choice.
Because those who can reach the final round are either fast enough or have stronger attack power.
But what was despairing was that Ji You's speed was even faster, and his power even stronger. Each sword swing was like a thunderbolt striking down. In just a few exchanges, he had already suppressed Zhuang Zixin's Sword Intent, making his eyes almost split.
He had no movement technique; his speed at this moment came entirely from the explosive power of his Physical Body. With each step, the stone bricks under his feet began to crack, and then sword roars filled the sky, directly shattering Zhuang Zixin's sword into disarray.
Then, another brilliant Dao Sword rose, and descended with a crash.
Zhuang Zixin, horrified, parried with his sword, his entire aura swirling wildly. He fiercely resisted under the deafening sword slash, making the entire scene seem to freeze in that instant.
But everyone knew that the Zhuang family's second son was using all his Qi to resist the direct sword pressure, and at this moment, his arms quickly began to redden, and veins continuously bulged.
Boom!
Just as everyone held their breath, Ji You expressionlessly grabbed his second sword with a backhand, and the powerful Qi directly cut through the heavy waves of Qi in front of him.
With a resounding clang, like an arm pulled taut on a heavy profound iron bow, the sword struck down again. Zhuang Zixin was sent flying horizontally, the compressed Qi waves directly propelling him several feet.
At this moment, in the viewing pavilion on the east side, a loosely dressed old man's eyes brightened: "What a Body Refining!"
The Five Hall Masters of Tianshu Academy turned their heads at the sound, looking at their Master.
The battles in the Human Race Dao Field were not limited to this one; there were also Rongdao Realm duels, which looked even more spectacular, but the Master had been dozing off every time, only now suddenly becoming somewhat spirited.
The sunlight at this moment was exceptionally brilliant, and Ji You landed gracefully, his white robe settling amidst the gradually calming winds.
Seeing this scene, Changle Princess Zhao Yunyue's gaze couldn't help but become vacant, while Qiu Family's young lady Qiu Hanyue bit her lip tightly.
And those with similar expressions included Yu Shiliu, Wang Gaocen, and Gu Zetao, who had already awakened from his coma.
Before coming here, they had never fought against Ji You. They always felt that everyone was in the same Tong Xuan Realm, and even if there was a difference, it wouldn't be significant. Moreover, compared to Ji You, their backgrounds were even more prominent.
But during this Heavenly Dao Conference trip, they not only discovered that their skill level was actually still unable to approach that of other Immortal Sect Disciples, but they also realized that the strongest one had always been by their side.
He won.
Ji You won all five battles, decisively claiming the top spot in the Heavenly Dao Conference's Tong Xuan Realm with overwhelming force.