Chapter 94: Paying You to Draw Your Sword
Sun Bin said he was in his thirties, but he was actually nearing forty, making him one of the oldest students in the Outer Courtyard.
He was the kind of person whose talent was insufficient, but who stubbornly relied on Lifespan and Medicinal Pills to reach the Upper Five Realms. Now, with no hope of Breakthrough, leaving Tianshu Academy was inevitable.
For him, making such a seemingly ridiculous scene before leaving the academy was actually a very profitable business.
His Realm improvement was hopeless, but his Family's honor still needed to be continued. By doing this, he would not only satisfy the You Family, to which You Buyu belonged, but also please the Chu Family.
This was why private cultivators from the countryside found it difficult to gain a foothold among the Worldly Family Disciples.
Sun Bin thought as he sized him up, then stroked his beard and chuckled.
Although rumors had been circulating in the Outer Courtyard for the past six months about how powerful he was, seeing him look like such a pretty boy still made him laugh.
Battles were meant to stop at the appropriate point, so he wasn't worried. This contemptuous smile was also meant to provoke his anger, as many others were waiting to draw their swords after him.
"Where shall we fight?"
"Naturally, at the Baiyu Platform."
Ji You looked around and said, "Who is offering the silver? Pay first, no money, no fight."
Wang Yue had already arrived and was observing everything. He now walked out from the crowd, holding a stack of silver notes, and tossed them into his arms.
Ji You looked at the silver notes and thought, 'This is hilarious. So much money could make me admit defeat, but they insist on a fight.'
Subsequently, he proceeded to the Baiyu Platform surrounded by the crowd.
During this time, Ban Yangshu and others also followed, but they knew they couldn't stop him.
The temptation of money for his Junior Brother was astonishingly great; this was something that countless practical cases had already proven.
It was said that on that day in Ningcheng County, a Asked the Dao Sect Disciple wanted to kill him, so he decided to lure him to a deserted place by throwing silver notes along the way.
At the hour of You, the sun was setting, but the sky was still clear and windless for miles.
All the Outer Courtyard Disciples who were in the same cohort as Ji You heard the news and gathered at the Ascension White Jade Platform.
Ji You walked amidst the ill-intentioned gazes, calm and unruffled.
Lu Qingqiu heard the news and came. She now stood at the steps of the Baiyu Platform and, seeing him approach, couldn't help but say, "Young Master Ji, there are eleven people on the other side. Even if you are strong, you will be exhausted. This is not wise."
"I know, but they are paying."
"You really love money. I truly suspect that if one day your enemy wanted to kill you, they would only need to throw silver at you to lure you away."
"?"
Ji You stared at Lu Qingqiu, thinking, 'How do you know?'
His eyes had always been so affectionate, even when looking at dogs. Under this gaze, Young Miss Lu of Yunzhou suddenly blushed slightly.
Fang Ruoyao was not far from Lu Qingqiu at this moment, looking at the tenderness in Lu Qingqiu's eyes with a complicated expression.
She had also heard the rumors from the Outer Courtyard and knew that the current situation arose because Ji You was vying for affection with a Senior Brother from the Inner Courtyard.
And whether it was the women who came to find Ji You before, or the matter of the Eldest Daughter of Dan Zong, or now Lu Qingqiu's slight blush, all made her situation very awkward.
Because ever since entering the academy, she had personally put on the title of "Ji You's Fiancee," a title she had once discarded like an old shoe.
Even after so many things, many people no longer believed this title, but whenever Ji You was entangled with other women, those strange looks would always fall upon her.
And the biggest problem was that Ji You was becoming increasingly dazzling, and the women entangled with him were more prominent than the last.
Lu Qingqiu's identity as the Young Miss of Yunzhou was already beyond her reach, and the Daughter of Dan Sect made her even more daunted.
Lose, please.
Fang Ruoyao bit her thin lip and silently wished.
She knew Ji You's combat power was astonishing, but there were still ten challengers after him; he was bound to lose.
If he lost, Ji You's brilliance would naturally diminish a bit, no longer as dazzling as it was now.
I am your fiancee, aren't I?
Her father had written this month, saying that Ji You's sensing of the Heavenly Book had spread back to Yuyang County, telling him to get along well with Ji You and strive to re-establish a Dao Companion relationship with him, to help him start a Family.
But Fang Ruoyao felt he was too dazzling now. After much deliberation, she didn't dare approach, so she could only hope his brilliance would diminish a little.
"Thank you for the reminder, Miss Lu. I have my own sense of proportion. Also, your new clothes are nice."
Ji You left a remark for Lu Qingqiu and stepped onto the platform.
New clothes...?
Lu Qingqiu looked at the fine sand soft smoke gauze on her body and thought, 'This is an old dress that I've worn before, so how can it be new clothes?'
Finally, her cheeks suddenly flushed even more, and she tightly clutched her chest.
She only had one new item on her, which was the bellyband she changed into at noon today.
The sheer dress fabric had holes, and if one's Divine Thought was strong, one could observe everything from top to bottom.
Lu Qingqiu suddenly recalled several times cultivating in the Wudao Field, how Ji You would always look at her with brilliant eyes during breaks.
At this moment, Sun Bin had already ascended the Baiyu Platform first and watched Ji You walk up.
Although he was middle-aged, his Realm was extremely stable, his long sword hummed, and Spirit Origin roared.
What puzzled him was that Ji You, who was known for his Sword Intent in Dual Cultivation, came empty-handed.
"No weapons? Or do you know you're bound to lose, so you're just giving up?"
Ji You stood firm on the platform, glanced at him, then addressed the audience below: "My sword was damaged when I went to the ruins and I haven't had time to reforge it. Does any Fellow Daoist have one I can borrow?"
As his words fell, Lu Qingqiu had already handed over her treasured sword, just like that night.
Following her, Lou Siyi, Sun Qiaozhi, Ban Yangshu, Wen Zhengxin, Pei Ruyi, and others also extended their swords.
In addition, some fellow cultivators also offered their swords, some out of goodwill, others hoping for a bigger spectacle.
Seeing this, Sun Bin suddenly became serious.
He knew the rumors about Ji You controlling multiple swords against enemies; in fact, many in the Outer Courtyard had now learned this method.
However, he had already thought of a solution before coming. He now pulled out a bottle of Medicinal Pills from his Pregnant and poured them into his mouth.
Then, the Spirit Origin within his body roared out, protecting his entire body.
Ordinary Spirit Origin was imperceptible to the naked eye, but at this moment, the Spirit Origin around Sun Bin gradually solidified into a milky shape.
"The swords controlled by Ji You have extremely strong interference capabilities, but their attack power is not actually strong, and they can only produce unexpected effects when used in a surprise attack. Sun Bin has taken a Medicinal Pill and formed a protective Spirit Light. I wonder if it will still work."
"Is there such a saying?"
"Indeed. Look, Sun Bin is already prepared. This battle will likely be difficult."
"Ji You is too famous now. Everyone who knows him will guard against his sword control. This truly is his weakness."
Amidst the discussions, Ji You did not immediately control his sword. Instead, he slowly closed his eyes and began to absorb Spirit Origin.
Cultivators have Spirit Origin stored within their bodies. Normally, it's maintained by the self-circulation of Spirit Origin, usually in an overflowing state.
But for this occasion, the self-circulated Spirit Origin was not enough.
Next to the Ascension White Jade Platform were the Wudao Field and Bi Shui Lake. Old Cao said that Bi Shui Lake had a mystery that could gather Spirit Origin here for the Wudao Field Disciples to Cultivate.
After his Spirit Origin shattered, the Spirit Origin could disperse into his limbs and bones, and its capacity had always far exceeded that of ordinary people.
But he had never fully exerted himself to absorb it, always just enough for his needs, because he could never quite figure out if it was good or bad.
This was his first time fully opening all the Qi orifices around his body, intending to fill his entire body with Spirit Origin to see what would happen.
And at this moment, as he circulated his Qi, the Spirit Origin surrounding this area began to flow slowly, gathering towards the Baiyu Platform.
Buzz—Lu Qingqiu's sharp sword suddenly unsheathed, suspended in the air. Then came Ban Yangshu's sword, Pei Ruyi's sword, Wen Zhengxin's sword...
One, two, three...
Gradually, Ban Yangshu and the others' expressions shifted from anticipation to disbelief. Within half a *zhan cha*, the Spirit Origin-infused Flying Swords had exceeded twenty.
"Doesn't Junior Brother Ji only use a maximum of seven swords?"
"Who said that?"
Ban Yangshu turned his head at the sound and found the speaker was Wang Instructor from the Trial Sword Forest. "This—Brother Ji said it himself."
Wang Instructor raised the corner of his mouth: "That's when each sword is used with a different Move; his limit is seven."
"Different Moves—"
"Indeed, because too many Moves consume an immense amount of Divine Thought, and a person's Divine Thought ultimately has limits. Ji You trains his Divine Thought day and night, to the point where his pupils turn golden, precisely to break through this limit."
Wen Zhengxin's mouth slightly agape after hearing this: "He succeeded?"
Wang Instructor shook his head: "A person's Divine Thought limitations come from the physical body. Without shedding the shell, a Breakthrough is impossible. Ji You encountered this limitation and came to ask me how to become stronger on the day he returned to the mountain, but I also had no solution."
"Then why does Junior Brother control so many swords?"
"Because he only needs to face one person now, all the swords can use the same Move, which has nothing to do with Divine Thought, only with Spirit Origin."
Only then did Ban Yangshu and the others realize that, in fact, Ji You had always participated in group battles.
Whether it was the street attacks or the siege in the ruins, Ji You needed to consider the entire battlefield. No one had ever seen him truly deal with a single opponent.
Wang Instructor now frowned slightly, looking gravely at the continuously increasing number of sharp swords.
In fact, ever since Ji You told him about controlling multiple swords, he had also researched the matter, but concluded that it was not very feasible.
Spirit Origin is the foundation of Cultivation, but it also limits the speed and volume of circulation.
However, Ji You's current Spirit Origin volume simply did not match what his Realm should possess.
He didn't know that Ji You's Spirit Origin had exploded and that he was already trying to operate his own body as Spirit Origin.
He only felt that Ji You's method of circulation and application was very different, more like an ancient Qi Refining technique.
Just then, Wang Instructor suddenly snapped back to his senses and immediately looked at Ban Yangshu and the others beside him, his voice becoming hoarse and muffled.
"Watch closely, his swords are coming. My work is about to increase again."
"But this, I really can't teach."
As Wang Instructor muttered, a sky-shattering sword cry suddenly erupted from the Ascension White Jade Platform, echoing in all directions.
Ji You suddenly opened his eyes, his pupils shining like gold, while a vast Spirit Origin surged skyward, encircling his body,
Stirring up endless gusts of wind, causing robes to flutter across the field.
"Why is his Spirit Origin so exaggerated?!"
As the words fell, fifty-three Flying Swords vibrated violently, driven by the vast Spirit Origin, and whistled away with a wave of his hand, cutting through wind and waves, directly piercing Sun Bin.
Straight sword, all swords are straight swords!
No tricks, just a fierce Sword Intent.
Actually, a single straight sword is easy to parry, but a sky full of straight swords is another matter.
As the Sword Qi streaked across the sky, fifty-three beams of sword light converged, like a sun wheel, causing cold glints to flash across the Baiyu Platform as a Sword Dragon fiercely surged forward.
Lu Qingqiu and Fang Ruoyao's eyes widened, looking at the swords as if they reflected countless stars. Ji You, at this moment, was striding amidst the myriad Flying Swords, his fierce eyes radiating golden light. He then reached into the sword cluster, plucked a sword, and charged forward with a straight sword attack.
Clang!
The sound of clashing metal was incredibly crisp, but there was only one such sound.
The sword in Sun Bin's hand had been sent flying. He now stood pale-faced, facing the sharp sword suspended in mid-air.
He did not make a Move, because although Tianshu Academy rules stipulated that battles should stop at the appropriate point, such a massive group of swords would inevitably lead to accidental injuries...
When those fifty-three swords were suspended in the sky just now, he thought the opponent was merely playing a trick, assuming that the truly offensive seven swords were hidden among them.
But it wasn't until countless Spirit Swords roared towards him that he realized his mistake.
At that moment, no one could feel the killing intent of each sword as clearly as he could.
Indeed, the protective Spirit Light formed by his Medicinal Pills could withstand damage and certainly defend against seven Flying Swords, allowing him to fight Ji You for hundreds of rounds and exhaust his sharpness.
But fifty-three... he knew he would be breached.
Moreover, when the sword cluster flew towards him, Ji You was right behind it, holding a long sword, his Spirit Origin already roaring, clearly waiting to stab after he was breached.
He couldn't understand why the opponent's Spirit Origin was so profound, capable of achieving such a feat.
"What? One Move?"
"Senior Brother, he controlled fifty-three swords. I don't know if that counts as one Move—"
"What about the remaining people?"
"Ji You said he couldn't keep using other people's swords, so he asked if the remaining ten could defeat Sun Bin in one Move.
He said if they could, they should try it, and then come back. Sun Bin claimed severe abdominal pain and left on the spot."
You Buyu remained silent for a long time in the Purple Bamboo Zen Forest, anger blazing in his eyes.
He set up this stage to humiliate him, not for him to put on a good show.
Fifty-three swords, what kind of Qi Refining technique was this?
You Buyu recalled previous rumors that this kid had displayed an extraordinary amount of Spirit Origin in the ruins, even capable of suppressing the Rongdao Realm.
But even so, fifty-three swords made no sense, unless he was desperately pushing himself, regardless of the damage from Spirit Origin depletion.
The idea of operating oneself as Spirit Origin seemed to have no problem. Ji You walked down from the Ascension White Jade Platform and found the surroundings silent.
The sky full of sword light just now was indeed as brilliant as stars, causing everyone to be in a daze and unable to recover.
When they came to their senses, they saw him suddenly wave his sleeve, and fifty-three swords flew back into the air.
However, because it was difficult to distinguish between the blade and the scabbard, some were inserted incorrectly.
Ji You was somewhat apologetic and bowed to Lu Qingqiu and the others like a true gentleman: "Sorry, I inserted them incorrectly."
However, he only apologized to female cultivators, because he couldn't bring himself to say such words to men.
At this moment, among the onlookers, Chu River revealed a sinister gaze, then gnashed his teeth and flung his sleeve, departing.
"Did you hear? Chu River left Tianshu Academy."
"Left? When?"
"Right after Sun Bin's battle with Ji You, Chu River left with his Family."
"He's withdrawing from Tianshu Academy?"
"No, it's said he's just going home to visit relatives and will be back before the autumn battle. The improvement of the Dharma Realm actually relies entirely on one's thoughts, comprehension, compliance, and application of the Heavenly Dao. The Chu Family has extremely deep foundations in this regard. I guess he's going back to his Family to pass on the Dao."
"Going back to the Family to pass on the Dao and then returning for the battle?"
"Yes."
"It's said that these people challenging Ji You were instigated by You Buyu from the Inner Courtyard, wanting to shatter Ji You's Dao Heart. But how—did it end up shattering Chu River's Dao Heart instead?"
"That thing, whoever sees it, it shatters—"
"But today I heard a lot of discussions. It's said that after those fifty-three swords, Ji You's Spirit Origin was depleted, and he could only use one Move, and it caused great damage to his Spirit Origin."
"Why did he do that?"
"Perhaps he saw that there were ten more people, so he hardened his heart and decided to solve it once and for all."
(Eight thousand words, please give me monthly votes, Sect, help me climb the ranks—or2)