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Chapter 210 Forbidden Sword
"Did you see that? A notice was just posted. Ji You will be the first to defend the Tongxuan Realm."

"How can he be so confident?"

"If he lacks confidence, then who can?"

“But Ji You shouldn’t be such an outspoken person. When a senior brother at the Tongxuan Realm who was about to leave the academy challenged him, he declined several times before finally making a move.”

The entire afternoon after the notice was posted was filled with discussion about it.

In Cao Jingsong's courtyard, the person being discussed was sitting on a stone bench to the east, with Ban Yangshu, Wen Zhengxin, and Bai Rulong sitting around him.

In addition, there were two women standing behind Ji You, both of whom were tall and had exquisite figures.

The one on the left has a bewitching air about her and appears somewhat composed, while the other is a bit young, but also adorned with jewels and jade pendants, exuding an air of wealth and nobility. They are the sisters Lu Hanyan and Lu Qingqiu.

Perhaps because she was learning swordsmanship at the Sword Forest, Lu Hanyan became a bit clingy. Even if she wasn't at the Sword Forest, she would follow him whenever she saw him in the outer courtyard.

In Ji You's words, it was ultimately damaged.

Perhaps the more proud and arrogant a woman is, the more she desires to be conquered. Ji You's wooden sword struck her buttocks, but it also seemed to have struck her heart.

Of course, this is also related to Ji You's soft heart; she gives in to whatever she asks for.

Experience has shown that such strict teachers do not produce outstanding students; on the contrary, they are more likely to produce rebellious and disobedient students.

At this moment, as the sun was setting, the osmanthus trees in the courtyard had many buds, but they were all still unopened, so the fragrance was not yet apparent; only the aroma of tea filled the air.

Lu Hanyan was pouring water for Ji You from a teapot. She was so well-behaved that she didn't look like a rich young lady at all, but rather like a little maid. As she poured the water, she blinked her eyes and listened to the voices of Cao Jingsong and Senior Brother Ji echoing in the courtyard.

"Did you volunteer to defend your title?"

"I haven't made a move since I came back from the snowy region. Lately, I've been wanting to test my combat strength. I've heard that those who make the first move are all confident in themselves, which is perfect for me."

Ji You opened her mouth slightly: "It's not too difficult to get a spot after five rounds."

Cao Jingsong held his teacup, his gaze sharp as he looked at him: "You make it sound so easy. It's true, five matches are not many, and it's a piece of cake for you. But I've heard that the Elders' Pavilion forbids you from using the swordsmanship of Lingjian Mountain in the arena?"

"Huh, the news spread so fast?"

"Is that really true?"

After a moment of silence, Ji You nodded: "The Elders' Council originally intended to disqualify me from the competition, but it was the Inner Court's Hall Master You and Hall Master Zuoqiu who intervened, and they backed down and allowed me to compete for a spot, but I was not allowed to be a flag bearer for Spirit Sword Mountain."

Cao Jingsong's face immediately turned red: "Why?!"

"The Elders' Council means that the Heavenly Dao Assembly should have been attended by disciples who are better able to represent the Heavenly Academy. I am not an example. I can participate now, but at the very least, the prestige of the Spirit Sword Mountain should not be displayed."

"You agreed?"

Ji You nodded: "It's just for the preliminary selection now. I thought about it and agreed. It's just that I won't use the Spirit Sword Mountain Dao Sword. Once I get the spot, how can they control me?"

He really thought so.

First, secure a spot in the Heavenly Dao Assembly. Once you're there, no matter how arrogant the Elders' Pavilion of the Heavenly Academy is, they won't be able to do anything about it.

He will definitely use the swordsmanship of Lingjian Mountain then, otherwise... Yan Shuyi will probably have objections if she finds out.

Why not use the Spirit Sword Mountain Sword Path?

Do you think my Spirit Sword Mountain is bad?
If that's the case, then forget about getting her to give me endless life. I'll probably have to coax her for a while, telling her it was the old man from the Elders' Hall who did it, and that I shouldn't use my wife's family's sword or something.

Then she'll feign a cold expression and blush, and then she'll be kissed so passionately she'll be panting heavily.

Hearing that Ji You had compromised in order to secure a spot, Cao Jingsong was still furious: "The Elders' Council is going too far. Everyone knows that swordsmanship is what you rely on most, yet they've restricted that too. Why didn't the Inner Academy teach you magic techniques in the first place? It's shameless."

Ban Yangshu couldn't help but nod after hearing this: "For more than two hundred years, the sect leader has been governing by doing nothing, which has led to the proliferation of factions within the sect. The Elders' Council has been doing things this way for many years, but such blatant targeting is really going too far. Do you think I'm right, Senior Sister?"

After listening, Wen Zhengxin took a sip of tea and then turned to look at Lu Hanyan: "While there is certainly a reason related to her behavior, ultimately, the real reason lies with Miss Lu the Second."

Lu Hanyan had been listening silently, but when she heard the voice, she couldn't help but raise her eyes: "Me?"

"Although there are countless elders in the Elders' Hall, only a few have the most say. One of them is Fang Yan, who is Fang Jincheng's great-grandfather. Your junior brother taught you the way of the sword, but you took matters into your own hands and defeated Fang Jincheng before the Autumn Battle even arrived. Did you ever think that Elder Fang would definitely target your junior brother and obstruct him at the Heavenly Dao Assembly?"

The Fairy of Righteous Heart has always been clear about her likes and dislikes, and she doesn't hold back when she speaks.

Just like before, when she disliked Ji You's humming as too dirty and kicked him out of the yard, she was just being straightforward.

Upon hearing Wen Zhengxin reveal this matter, everyone hesitated to speak, their expressions varying.

This targeting is too obvious, and Fang Yan is the one who stood up for him, so it's not hard to guess what his motives are.

They had already thought of this, but they just didn't say it.

Upon hearing this, Lu Hanyan was slightly taken aback.

Although she was a daughter of a prominent family, she was not an inner court disciple, and her family had not established a foothold in the Heavenly Academy. Otherwise, the Lu family would not have gone to such lengths over the years to send both sisters here, hoping to get them into the inner court.

They were well-informed about the spirit stone industry, but they had no way of knowing about the inner court's affairs and factional conflicts.

When Elder Fang arrived at Sword Forest, he looked at Fang Jincheng lying on the ground and only said that both of them were first-time offenders and that this would not happen again. Lu Hanyan thought that the matter would pass peacefully.

But it wasn't until Wen Zhengxin finished speaking that Lu Hanyan realized that the rule that so severely restricted Ji You actually came from herself.

She also felt that Ji You's greatest reliance was the swordsmanship he learned from Lingjian Mountain. If his strongest methods were restricted, the Heavenly Dao Gathering would be in jeopardy. So she immediately looked at Ji You.

"So it turns out this was all because of me..."

Lu Hanyan stared blankly at Ji You: "Please punish me, Senior Brother."

Ji You turned to look at her: "Should I be punished for learning swordsmanship from me?"

Lu Hanyan lowered her head and whispered, "When Fang Jincheng insulted me in the Sword Forest, I shouldn't have acted rashly. Instead, I should have waited until the Autumn Battle to settle things with him. If that were the case, the Fang family wouldn't have interfered with the Heavenly Dao Society's preliminary selection."

"That's nonsense, what kind of logic is that?"

Ji You picked up his teacup: "The way of the sword is straightforward, following the path of a clear and enlightened sword mind. If you can't even fight back when insulted, then what's the point of learning the sword? You might as well go home and farm."

Upon hearing this, Lu Hanyan was slightly taken aback.

Ji You looked at her directly: "This matter has little to do with you, because I am an anomaly in the inner courtyard. Even without Fang Jincheng's incident, they would not have let me get a spot so easily. From the time I entered the courtyard until now, everything I have obtained has been earned by my own hands. What wrong have you done?"

Although his tone was rather heavy and low, Lu Hanyan was stunned for a long time after hearing it, and her eyes became even more moist than before.

When Senior Sister Caiwen spoke to her, everyone glanced at her out of the corner of their eye. She thought she would be blamed, but unexpectedly she was comforted instead.

Lu Qingqiu was also looking at Ji You at this moment, her red lips pursed slightly.

Sometimes, the observer sees things more clearly than the participant.

Lu Hanyan, who was exchanging sword blows with Fang Jincheng, was an active participant, while Lu Qingqiu, who was watching the battle, was an observer.

She was in the Sword Forest that day and knew that Ji You had always been there.

He must have known at the time that this matter would anger the Elders' Council and be detrimental to his participation in the Heavenly Dao Assembly. If he really cared, given his combat strength, his sister and Fang Jincheng would have been defeated before they could even finish fighting, and there would have been no winner or loser.

But he just stood by and watched, and didn't say a word until Fang Jincheng fell to the ground with a sword pressed against her throat. He even praised her for her skill with the sword.

In other words, he doesn't care.

Yes, Ji You has never cared about these things.

Otherwise, he would not have been able to establish his family in Fengzhou, nor would he have been able to collect the taxes from all the people in the entire prefecture.

Just as he said, from the time he was admitted to the hospital until now, he has never received charity from those people, but has earned it with each and every sword strike...

Cao Jingsong had drunk nearly half of the tea in the academy, but his brow was still furrowed.

"Since things have come to this, you should prepare yourself. If you can't use a sword, you must be even more cautious and not be overconfident."

Ji You raised her eyes: "I never intended to use a sword in the first place. Don't ask me why I'm so confident. They don't even know who my instructor is."

That's true.

Cao Jingsong muttered something under his breath, appearing nonchalant, but his chest suddenly swelled up as if inflated, making the stone table clang loudly.

Ji Youxie straightened his chest and said, "Then... please, instructor, bestow upon me the sword."

Cao Jingsong's chest deflated instantly, and a look of bewilderment appeared in his eyes: "What, bestow a sword? Do you want to duel with me again?"

"No, I meant to give money to buy a sword, or in short, to give a sword."

"?"

“My sword shattered on the snowy plateau, leaving only forty-odd hilts. I can’t possibly defend the arena unarmed.”

"The villain!"

Cao Jingsong gritted his teeth and pulled out his money bag.

Bai Rulong held his breath instantly, silently put down his teacup, his smile unchanged, but his feet had already begun to subtly move to the left.

His position was very close to the door; he could easily step out by simply leaning out. Then, he raised a cloud of dust and disappeared into the outer courtyard.

But just as he lifted his buttocks off the stone bench and his left hand was about to touch the handle of the courtyard gate, a hand patted his shoulder firmly, sending a chill down his spine.

Seeing the three of them counting silver, Wen Zhengxin and Ban Yangshu exchanged a glance, their brows furrowed in worry. Junior Brother Ji was strong, that much was certain, but now that his strongest abilities were restricted, no one could say for sure what level of combat power he could still achieve.

Most importantly, although the Elders' Council was clearly targeting Ji You, what they said was truly impeccable.

Because the Heavenly Dao Assembly is indeed open to the public, although there is no such thing as a competition between immortal sects, people always use it to make rankings at each Heavenly Dao Assembly.

Therefore, it is reasonable to prohibit disciples of the Heavenly Academy from winning using the swordsmanship of the Spirit Sword Mountain.

But the more it's like this, the more it's a move that strikes at the heart.

The two looked up and saw Lu Qingqiu taking out silver from his pocket, muttering that it all started because of him and that he wanted to buy a sword for Ji You.

Lu Hanyan also took out money from her storage gourd, taking out large chunks of gold, no less than her sister, and in the blink of an eye, it piled up into a small mountain at Ji You's place.

Ban Yangshu watched this scene and said, "Junior brother has so many romantic troubles."

Wen Zhengxin pursed his lips: "Junior brother is qualified."

"?"

As dusk approached, the crowd dispersed in the quiet courtyard.

The two sisters then went to the Enlightenment Hall, only to find that there were still many disciples gathered in front of the notice board, chanting incantations to Ji You's name.

The fact that Ji You cannot use swordsmanship while defending the arena would not be so openly stated in a notice.

So none of these people knew yet. They just looked at the Profound Realm section on the bulletin board and couldn't help but feel a chill run down their spines, thinking to themselves, "Who the hell can win?"

However, the Lu sisters were well aware that the Elders' Council of the Inner Court would soon fan the flames and spread this unspoken rule that only applied to Ji You, making it a well-known secret.

Only in this way will their actions make sense.

Sure enough, it wasn't long before the news spread throughout the inner courtyard that Ji You had agreed to defend the arena without using the Spirit Sword Mountain swordsmanship.

"The Elders' Council's move to restrict him is really ruthless. They've actually prevented him from using the swords of Spirit Sword Mountain. It's clearly a targeted move, yet it makes sense. It's truly a brilliant plan."

"Senior Brother Shi, what do you think Ji You's chances of winning would be if he lost his swordsmanship?"

In the inner courtyard of the Purple Bamboo Zen Forest, Shi Junhao, Xiao Hanyan, and Chai Hu sat together in the pavilion, surrounded by the aroma of tea.

They were all at the upper realm of the Dao Fusion stage, and during this time they had been busy improving their combat power on the basis of their realm. They had come into contact with the Dao of Sword and refined their spells, and were waiting for the start of the arena defense competition.

They all had a good relationship and were the strongest Dao Fusion Realm cultivators in the inner courtyard, making them all potential candidates for this Heavenly Dao Tournament.

With He Lingxiu currently in seclusion, the four of them have agreed to each defend five matches and secure their spots, ensuring they won't run into each other before the Heavenly Dao Assembly.

So now that they had plenty of free time, they couldn't help but talk about the fact that Ji You was not allowed to use a sword when defending the arena.

Just like everyone else in the courtyard, they also felt that swordsmanship was Ji You's greatest reliance. If he lost even that, wouldn't his Tongxuan level be just an ordinary Tongxuan level?

As for body tempering, Ji You's physique is strong enough to defeat a barbarian soldier at the upper level, but in their eyes, it cannot make up for the loss of not being able to use the sword.

A single stone can stir up a thousand ripples.

The news spread swiftly to the capital as dusk fell, and even scions of noble families like Princess Chang Le couldn't help but feel a surge of curiosity and a desire to watch the spectacle unfold.

Zhao Yunyue had been in a bad mood for the past few days, mainly because of Ji You's instruction of Lu Hanyan in swordsmanship.

When Ji You entered the inner courtyard after slaying Chu He with her sword, she and Lu Qingqiu sent each other personal items, hoping to become Daoist partners with him.

Later, both of them were rejected. Although Zhao Yunyue harbored resentment, she felt a little better knowing that Lu Qingqiu had also failed to get what he wanted.

However, Ji You went down the mountain for half a month in a row to personally instruct Lu Hanyan in swordsmanship, which made Lu Hanyan feel that Lu Qingqiu must have been taken in by Ji You.

Perhaps this matter is also related to the Snowfield Demon Stone.

Ji You is currently in charge of Fengzhou, and the Sixianjian has already changed the transportation route of the Snowfield Demon Stones to Fengzhou. If the two families are united by marriage, the Spirit Stone Merchant Guild can still control most of the spirit stones.

The position of principal wife will undoubtedly be reserved for the daughter of the Dan Sect, but it is not impossible that the Lu family might marry Lu Qingqiu to him as a concubine in order to control the spirit stones of Qingyun Tianxia.

But in that case, the only one who won't be selected will be yourself.

She didn't necessarily need Ji You, but she utterly loathed the feeling of being picked over like merchandise, and found it hard to believe that she was the one left over.

The thought of Lu Qingqiu, completely naked and covered in sweat, panting beneath Ji You, watching his magnificent chest appear and disappear, filled her with resentment.

So when she heard the news that Ji You couldn't use a sword, her joy was more than just a little.

The Elders' Council was extremely satisfied with the speed at which this unspoken rule spread, so they specially dispatched disciples to the Affairs Office multiple times to inquire about the news, wanting to see how many people were eager to make a move after learning that Ji You could not use the Spirit Sword Mountain sword path.

A day later, Shengjing was once again bathed in clear skies.

The disciples of the Elders' Pavilion came for the fifth time, but the news they brought was not what they had expected.

Everyone knew that Ji You couldn't use a sword when defending the arena, which was indeed true. However, the Tongxuan Realm cultivators from both the inner and outer courtyards didn't start attacking the arena with great excitement like everyone else; instead, they remained completely silent.

It felt as if Ji You was standing alone on the arena, unarmed and seemingly shackled, yet the tense crowd below dared not be the first to step forward.

"Brother Wu, you have been immersed in the Profound Realm for many years, and your skills are already extremely profound. Now that the opportunity of the Heavenly Dao Gathering is right in front of you, why don't you give it a try?"

"Wait a minute."

Why wait?

"Although Ji You can't use the swordsmanship of Lingjian Mountain, he still has the skill of controlling a sword. Against that one person with seven swords, I only have a slight chance of winning. It's not very safe. I'll wait for someone to try first. Some arrogant people pursue the first victory, but it's meaningless to me."

Seeing the disciples' reaction, the elders in the Elder Hall couldn't help but look rather grim.

Because they hadn't expected that Ji You's name would exert such a powerful influence.

"He doesn't even use swordsmanship anymore, and yet people are still afraid of him?"

Fang Yan's face was gloomy, and his powerful voice made the teacups in the Elders' Pavilion rattle.

He has been in the Boundless Realm for many years. Considering his years of experience and combat strength, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that he is at the half-step Divine Realm.

Ji You, with his mere Tongxuan level of cultivation, was nothing more than an ant in his eyes. However, due to the rules of the academy, he could not attack Ji You and could only restrict his use of the sword. Unexpectedly, even this did not go as he wished.

Elder Ge, who had been to the Snow Region with Ji You, spoke up upon hearing this: "Even if Ji You doesn't use the swordsmanship of Spirit Sword Mountain, his combat strength is still far beyond that of an ordinary Transcendent Realm cultivator. It's not surprising that the disciples in the academy are being cautious."

"Useless! A bunch of useless trash! With such cowardly hearts, how can they possibly turn towards the Great Dao?"

"Let's wait a little longer, Elder Fang. Someone will eventually get impatient."

The three stewards of the steward's office had been waiting in the office for a day, but no one had come to register to challenge them. Their expressions were complicated and hard to describe.

Ji You is famous, both in the Tian Shu Academy and in Shengjing, and even in Daxia. He is renowned.

Especially in the desolate wilderness, he blocked a punch from the barbarian king of soldiers with forty-nine swords, which was even more remarkable.

But to their surprise, even after he promised not to use a sword, no one dared to challenge him.

This is no longer just fame; it should be considered a reputation.

The mere presence of the name "Ji You" on the notice board was enough to intimidate all the Transcendent Realm cultivators in the entire arena, preventing them from making any rash moves.

"Brother Qin, when do you think this battle at the Profound Realm can begin?"

"not sure."

Qin Rong held his teacup, looked at the sunlight streaming in through the window, stared at the dust particles constantly drifting in the light, and reached out to steady the corner of the sandalwood table: "Everything is difficult at the beginning. Ji You's combat strength has always been unfathomable, so it's normal for the disciples to be cautious."

Lang Hetong raised his eyes: "It's not good to keep dragging this on, what do you think, Brother Ji?"

Ji Jingyao twirled two iron balls in his left hand and shook his head upon hearing this.

I don't know, or rather, it's unpredictable...

No one has challenged the title yet.

Ji You had ordered a sword from Qionghua Pavilion a few days ago, and now that he had come to pick it up, he couldn't help but let out a sigh of mourning.

If he had traveled day and night for the past two days, he could have taken a trip to Spirit Sword Mountain, visited Yuan Chen at the Pill Sect, and also seen his sister.

He put the Dao Sword into his storage gourd, and then looked at the defensive magic artifacts on the shelf.

Just then, two figures walked into the Qionghua Pavilion.

Ji You felt a sense of familiarity, so she turned her head to look outside.

One looked like a scholar, dressed in a Confucian robe, while the other wore a purple cloud-patterned silk skirt, looking like a young lady from a wealthy family, walking with graceful steps.

The man chatted and laughed with the woman as they walked, but his gaze was very open. The woman, on the other hand, had a demure expression, chuckled softly, and occasionally turned to glance at the scholar beside her.

Sensing Ji You's gaze, the two of them turned to look at him, their faces filled with confusion.

Completely baffled, the two exchanged a glance, shook their heads, and then walked away into the distance with a sense of shame.

Ji You: "..."

(Ask for monthly ticket)

(End of this chapter)