“After Young Master descended the mountain, the people of the Seven Great Immortal Sects were all speculating, ‘Why did that Prodigy-like Young Master descend the mountain?’”
“Could it be that the Demon Race brought immense Immortal Fate?!”
“But only the local residents of Beisha Town, who were there, saw him carry Xiuxiu down and carve a line of characters on the city wall, then pick up the longsword from Ji Bochang’s corpse.”
“From that moment on, not a single Demon Race member was able to cross the border.”
“That battle was earth-shattering, countless Demon Race members fell at the city wall, and the Immortal Sect Young Master’s flowing white robes were stained with blood, yet he did not retreat a single step.”
“At this moment, the heavens suddenly roared, and the boundless Immortal Dao began to intertwine, illuminating the ten directions.”
“The Immortals observing from afar on the Immortal Mountain with great magical power were greatly excited, for they knew this was the scene before Ascension.”
“Indeed, the Demon Race brought immeasurable Immortal Opportunity! Enough Immortal Opportunity to achieve Immortal Ascension!”
“But what they didn't know was that this was actually just a coincidence; the boundless Immortal Light was merely because the Immortal Sect Young Master had coincidentally reached the time for Ascension.”
“After one night, dawn gradually broke.”
“The common people looked up in the sunlight and found that the Demon Race had retreated, but a figure still stood on the city wall.”
“For some unknown reason, that Immortal Sect Young Master did not Ascend, but instead fought to the death on the city wall, covered in wounds, his corpse still stubbornly standing upright.”
“The entire city’s populace watched this scene, silent for a long time, then knelt down like a tide, continuously kowtowing to the figure who fought to the death without falling.”
“The Seven Great Immortal Sects sent people to investigate and recorded this matter, calling it an unsolved mystery, because they couldn't understand why the Immortal Sect Young Master hadn't Ascended but died here, when the Immortal Opportunity was clearly surging in all directions that day.”
As his voice fell, countless Immortal Sect Disciples in the dense forest at night looked dazed.
This story completely defied the logic of Qingyun World, greatly challenging their nerves.
There are countless cultivators in the world, seeking the supreme Immortal Dao and eternal life. How could someone so exceptionally talented abandon Immortal Ascension and die for Mortals?
But it must be said, when Ji You described the Immortal Sect Young Master holding the pass alone, impenetrable to all, angrily shouting that the Human Race territory was forbidden to the Demon Race, they truly felt something ignite within them.
Wen Zhengxin now curled his legs and looked at Ji You: “What did he carve on the wall when he finally swung his sword?”
Ji You narrowed his eyes with a gaze that would be loving even for a dog: “He carved the Dao he found on the wall.”
“What Dao?”
“The greatest of Immortals, for life, for the people.”
Upon hearing this, the Disciples present were slightly stunned, inexplicably feeling a Qi rush up their spines, as if they had comprehended the Dao. Unsure of what they had just felt, they subconsciously looked up at the sky, their hearts filled with confusion.
Wen Zhengxin bit his thin lip: “Did you make this up yourself?”
Ji You knew he had been found out, and casually tossed the book aside: “It’s a story, so naturally, it’s more exciting with twists and turns. Always winning, like my life, is too boring.”
“But there won't be such Immortals in this world.”
“I understand, so it’s just a story, not reality. Just listen to it, it doesn’t count.”
Ji You hadn't intended to awaken the sense of belonging to the Human Race in everyone through a story; he simply disliked the original story in the book, then made up a bunch of nonsense, feeling refreshed.
He hadn't expected to have such a talent; he could even make a living by writing books outside.
“This is a good story…”
Wen Zhengxin silently murmured the eight characters, “The greatest of Immortals, for life, for the people.”
They were actually treated as pawns here, to die for the Immortal Sect.
But thinking about it now, while it was still death, it wasn't as grand and meaningful as dying in the story.
The other Immortal Sect Disciples also showed thoughtful expressions after listening, finally letting out a long sigh and remaining silent.
They felt as if something was growing in their hearts, yet they couldn't quite put their finger on what it was.
Wen Zhengxin suddenly looked up: “You just now, seemed to be alluding to current events?”
“What events?”
“The Immortal Fate sought by the Seven Great Immortal Sects, in your story, was actually just self-righteous ignorance.”
Ji You lowered his voice after hearing this: “Senior Sister, take them out of the mountain tomorrow. There’s no Immortal Fate in the mountain at all.”
Wen Zhengxin was slightly startled, looking towards the central sacred mountain deep within the ruins. She thought, how could there be no Immortal Fate when the Immortal Light there was so turbulent.
Ji You knew she didn't believe him, so he sat down cross-legged: “I’ll prove it to you.”
“How will you prove it?”
Ji You did not speak, but slowly closed his eyes.
Seeing this, the surrounding Disciples couldn't help but gather around, wondering what he was going to do.
However, the next moment, countless Disciples with bewildered expressions suddenly began to exclaim, and even Wen Zhengxin’s face changed, causing her to instinctively retreat three steps.
At this moment, a profound Qi began to resonate around Ji You. At first, it was just a wisp, but as time passed, it gradually became vast and surging, with waves of Qi rolling.
“Senior Sister, this is… the Qi of the Upper Five Realms?”
“He’s about to Breakthrough into the Tong Xuan Realm!”
Ban Yangshu stepped forward at this moment, saying in a deep voice, his eyes filled with shock.
Evil Qi permeated the ruins, obstructing the human-heavenly connection, making it impossible to comprehend the Dao, let alone Breakthrough. This was something all cultivators had verified.
They couldn't understand why Ji You now possessed the Qi of the Tong Xuan Realm.
However, amidst the clamor, that profound Qi came to an abrupt halt, and the Qi waves instantly dispersed.
Ji You slowly opened his eyes, the golden light in them flashing away, transforming into a fiercely crimson hue full of malevolence.
“Did you eat a Vermillion Fruit?”
“No.”
Wen Zhengxin was incredulous: “Then you just now…?”
Ji You took a deep breath: “To control my sword, I’ve been training my Divine Thought all along. Although my Realm hasn’t increased, after a battle, I happened to Breakthrough the Evil Qi’s restriction.”
Wen Zhengxin and Ban Yangshu exchanged glances, opening their mouths but not knowing what to say.
They knew that the Evil Qi in the ruins would restrict Spirit Origin, Divine Thought, and the human-heavenly connection, but they hadn't imagined that someone would actually use such a method to forcefully train their Divine Thought strength, reaching the point of breaking free from the Evil Qi.
In the Outer Courtyard, everyone always spoke of how extraordinarily talented Chu River was, even surpassing Ji You, who had sensed the Heavenly Book.
But at this moment, they felt in their hearts that this Outer Courtyard Disciple, who was at Junior Third Realm Completion, had never been surpassed.
Ji You took a deep breath, the crimson in his eyes receding: “Actually, you’ve all misunderstood something.”
“Misunderstanding?”
“It’s true that Evil Qi can restrict Spirit Origin and Divine Thought, but it doesn’t restrict the human-heavenly connection.”
Ban Yangshu frowned upon hearing this: “Impossible. Everyone here is unable to perform the human-heavenly connection. What else could it be if not a restriction?”
Ji You looked up at him: “A few days ago, there was a rumor that a Mountain and Sea Pavilion Disciple took a Vermillion Fruit and broke through two Realms in one day. Why wasn’t he restricted? Was it just because he ate a fruit?”
“This…”
“You are unable to perform the human-heavenly connection not because Evil Qi can restrict Divine Thought, but because there is no Heavenly Dao here.”
From entering Beisha Town until now, nine days have passed, and Ji You has been pushing the limits of his Divine Thought every day, just like this.
Although the incredibly mysterious Evil Qi could even obscure the Heavenly Dao, by breaking through a little each day, he could always fly higher and higher.
And as he continuously broke through, tonight he suddenly seemed to sense something that greatly astonished him.
So he abandoned the method of continuously refining his Divine Thought and flew high into the air.
At the most ethereal place, he found that the deepest part of the Void Realm was a chaotic expanse of nothingness, the entire firmament filled with an evil aura, as if a twisted figure was constantly swaying within it.
The term 'human-heavenly connection' refers to a person using their own understanding to perceive the operation of the Dao.
Therefore, at this moment, the Divine Thought of a cultivator and the Qi of the Heavenly Dao are interconnected.
When Ji You sensed the Heavenly Book at Tianshu Academy, he had seen the Heavenly Dao up close.
Although the Heavenly Dao at that time was silent and filled with Death Qi, the great Dao Laws constantly evolving within it were upright and peaceful, completely different from this twisted and struggling black Qi.
Those who broke through after eating the Vermillion Fruit didn't sense the Heavenly Dao at all, but something else, something unknown…