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Chapter 231 Watching the Battle
For Ji You, Miss Qiu's visit in the early morning was just a minor incident, since it was something that would not have any outcome anyway, so there was no need to take it to heart.

Ji You had already left Rusheng Garden and was heading southwest.

The Sage Garden not only has eight gardens, but also nine temples, namely Qiyun, Tianji, Yuyu, Xingchi, Lingxi, Cangwu, Zhencheng, Jingyang, and Jiyuan, which surround the eight gardens.

Because it was the first day of the Heavenly Dao Tournament, the ring road of the nine major arenas was filled with cultivators.

Families, relatives, and onlookers.

All of these people were intently focused on the battles they were watching. From a distance, the crowd looked like a sea, and the sounds of discussion were incessant.

The more people in a dojo, the higher the prestige of the people who will participate in the duel.

Ji You walked along the road and soon arrived at the Qiyun Dojo. Looking around, he saw a circular platform with a diameter of more than ten zhang, surrounded by eight stone walls as a barrier, and below the stone walls was a grandstand made of white marble.

Yan Hao, as expected of the grandson of the Heavenly Sword Peak Master, attracted countless onlookers in his very first battle.

Among these onlookers, the most prominent were naturally the disciples of Lingjian Mountain who came to cheer him on.

Besides them, Princess Zhao Yunyue, a disciple from outside the mountain, and officials from the Chongwang faction also accompanied them.

They attended a private banquet hosted by the young master of Lingjian Mountain last night and are currently discussing it with others.

As Ji You appeared at the Qiyun Dojo, dressed in white and alone, he gracefully circled the arena with steady steps. Looking up at the high platform, the crowd, who were already sitting upright, all looked at him with strange expressions.

"Is it Ji You?"

"Why is he here?"

"Perhaps...it's for watching the game?"

"Even if he was just watching, shouldn't he have gone to watch the first match of the Heavenly Academy? Why did he come here?"

The person who fought Yan Hao was from the Lü family of Liangzhou. His name was Lü Qifeng. Lü Qifeng was nearly thirty years old and eight years older than Yan Hao.

But that's how cultivation is; sometimes it's not about age, but about comprehension and talent.

Just like those immortal estate owners in Fengzhou who are half-buried in the yellow earth, they have endured a lifetime and a hundred years of hardship, only to barely merge with the Dao.

What puzzled everyone was that Ji You and Yan Hao had no connection whatsoever, and while they weren't exactly unfamiliar with the Lü family of Liangzhou, they were complete strangers. Their presence to watch their duel was quite unexpected.

However, this strangeness was only momentary and did not cause too much discussion, since the reason why Ji You came here was of no significance to them.

At this moment, Ji You found an empty space where no one was around and sat down, looking towards the center of Qiyun Dojo.

He should have arrived earlier, but was delayed by half an hour because of Miss Qiu's matter, and now the duel is about to begin.

As a disciple of Lingjian Mountain, Yan Hao naturally used a sword, but his sword was different from ordinary swords. It was very wide and thick, and its entire body was black, making it look extremely heavy.

Ding Yao had already told him last night that Yan Hao's main sword style was heavy sword, somewhat similar to Elder Qi's sword style, Lesser Heavy Mountain, which abandoned the sharpness of the sword and emphasized overwhelming people with force.

On the other hand, Lü Qifeng was wielding a three-foot-long sword, just like the ordinary longsword that Ji You usually used.

Just then, a surge of air suddenly appeared around the Qiyun Dojo.

Ji You initially thought it was just a gust of wind blowing in due to bad weather, but then she saw two streaks of blue and silver light flashing around the Qiyun Dojo, converging in a semi-circle towards the center, creating a faint barrier that enveloped the area in the middle.

Then, a gong sounded from an unknown source, and the two people in the Qiyun Dojo moved instantly, rushing towards the center of the circular platform, a strong burst of energy instantly whistling in all directions.

hum!
Approaching thirty, Lü Qifeng launched the first attack with the advantage of his three-foot-long sword. The sword, imbued with spiritual energy, emerged like a silver snake from its hole, displaying a dazzling light, like a southern guest spreading its tail feathers.

Those who can enter the Heavenly Dao Society, even if they come from a prestigious family, are by no means ordinary people; a sharp aura instantly arrived with the wind.

Yan Hao, who was carrying a sword, had already come to meet the sword, stepping with a powerful stride and raising the sword with both hands.

Immediately following was a sword cry that soared into the sky, but it was not clear and crisp; instead, it was deep and resonant like the sound of a drum, rumbling in.

It's the [Heavy Sword - Four Mysterious Mountains]!
At this moment, disciples of Lingjian Mountain shouted.

Besides the three main peaks, Lingjian Mountain is surrounded by countless smaller mountains, each with its own name.

Xiaochongshan, Sixuanshan, Dashishan, Wushan...

Because the way of the heavy sword is like a collapsing mountain, the heavy swords of Lingjian Mountain are basically named after the surrounding mountains. However, not everyone is qualified to name their sword path after a mountain.

Yan Tai, the peak master of Tianjian Peak, naturally has the qualifications.

However, this [Heavy Sword - Four Mysterious Mountains] still relies on a heavy iron sword, and it is still somewhat inferior to Qi Zhengyang's [Dao Sword - Lesser Heavy Mountains], which is a pure heavy sword. It is no wonder that when Qi Zhengyang lost his son in his old age, the people of Tianjian Peak wanted their children and grandchildren to learn swordsmanship under the guise of taking care of their parents.

With a loud clang, the two swords clashed fiercely in a flash. The sharp sword soared into the sky, while the heavy sword energy pressed down relentlessly.

Two beams of azure light collided violently, and Lü Qifeng's entire body instantly sank. A discussion arose on the high platform as people watched the three-foot-long azure peak bend under the crashing sword energy.

boom!
Lu Qifeng's expression changed slightly, and his spiritual energy suddenly roared, pushing out a wave of energy. The raging airflow was instantly activated, helping his three-foot-long sword to block the attack.

As one of the five upper realms, the Tongxuan Realm naturally allows one to comprehend magical techniques.

Just like Chu He, who fought against Ji You on stage, he also inherited the family tradition.

However, the techniques used by Lü Qifeng were not systematic; it was clear that they were only superficial applications based on his understanding, and there was no particularly profound or mysterious aspect to them.

However, what really caught people's attention was the way Lü Qifeng walked afterward.

As the air surged, Lü Qifeng paused, and amidst the flashes of spiritual light, a faint wind danced beneath his feet, instantly causing the figure beneath the heavy sword to flash to his right rear.

It seems that what Lü Qifeng mainly cultivates is a technique that can enhance speed, allowing him to move as swiftly as a ghost...

At the same time, Yan Hao's heavy sword crashed to the ground, slashing across the stone platform and sending sparks flying. Even those on the viewing platform felt the tremor, their expressions changing involuntarily, demonstrating the immense and unstoppable force of the attack.

At this moment, Lu Qifeng, who had nimbly dodged the sword, landed on his right foot. Another burst of mysterious light appeared, and a sound of air explosion came from beneath his feet. His figure instantly reversed direction and flew towards Yan Hao. Lightning flashed and purple lightning swirled around the iron sword.

It is lightning magic, one of the easiest laws of nature to master and possesses extremely strong offensive power.

Cultivators at the Fusion Realm can gather lightning in their palms and unleash it, while those at the Profound Realm still need to use a Dao Sword as their vessel.

At this moment, excited exclamations rang out from the opposite side of the round platform from the Lü family, who felt that the falling thunder sword would surely inflict a heavy blow on their opponent.

Only Ji You, with her eyes gleaming gold, stared intently at the table, feeling that this was not right.

A heavy sword, as solid as a mountain, is a great aid in attack, especially since Yan Hao specializes in this heavy sword technique, making it incredibly powerful.

However, for cultivators, heaviness is bound to have both advantages and disadvantages, as it increases their internal energy but reduces their speed.

This weakness is too obvious. Ji You doesn't believe Yan Hao is unaware of it, and Lingjian Mountain also has many sword techniques that can compensate for it.

As expected, when Lü Qifeng rushed over with the Thunder Sword, Yan Hao's expression did not change at all. He twisted his right hand, which was tightly gripping the heavy sword, and as he pulled away, a slender black sword suddenly appeared in his hand.

Mother and child swords...

Because he had been paying attention beforehand, Ji You clearly saw that Yan Hao's rapier was drawn from the blade of the heavy sword.

Because Lingzhou is backed by Lingjian Mountain, its smelting and forging techniques are unparalleled in Qingyun. When the Heavenly Academy went to ask questions before, Ji You even saved up some silver to buy a sword.

For Yan Hao, forging a sword that suits his strengths and weaknesses is naturally not a problem.

Amidst the whooshing sound, Yan Hao, wielding a slender sword, raised a cold brow and charged forward.

Although his footwork speed was not as fast as Lü Qifeng's, in a head-on sword fight, speed was not actually the key factor in determining the outcome.

Lu Qifeng seemed to have not expected this. His pupils suddenly contracted as he saw a beam of bright and sharp sword energy slashing towards him. He immediately drew his sword to meet it.

Yan Hao's slash with a thin sword was naturally not as terrifying as the heavy sword strike from before, so there was no need for Lü Qifeng to worry.

As the two swords clashed, sparks flew continuously, and purple lightning danced wildly.

The next instant, the air beneath Lü Qifeng's feet swirled wildly, instantly creating distance between them, and he once again gathered lightning magic and roared towards them.

This scene was just like the first sword clash before, another head-on collision.

With a clang!
Yan Hao rushed forward, a white light flashing on his slender sword, and swung it without expression.

Behind Lu Qifeng's back, Yan Hao's right hand curled into a claw, and the heavy sword that had been standing on the ground began to tremble violently.

Bang!

The slender sword slashed fiercely at the green blade, while the heavy greatsword landed with a thud in Yan Hao's left hand as he leaped forward to strike.

Within sight, Yan Hao's left arm suddenly swelled into a rounded curve, veins bulged on his wrist, and the vertical bones of his wrist arched up as he unleashed a terrifying power, unleashing a Sky-Round Circular Slash!

Lu Qifeng's scalp tingled instantly, and his eyes widened in shock. He felt as if a mountain was rising from behind him, its immense energy directly impacting the two swords.

boom!
The heavy sword pressed down hard, slashing Lu Qifeng, who was unable to return the sword in time, away.

In fact, some cultivators had already begun to use their divine senses. A series of crisp cracking sounds of bones breaking were heard, and Lü Qingfeng was sent flying, crashing heavily into the blue-silver barrier before falling face-first to the ground. His dislocated right shoulder slanted at an eerie angle, blood flowing freely. A hush fell over the area.

In fact, the two did not fight for long. Yan Hao started with a heavy sword, but under the pressure of the sword, Lü Qifeng quickly found an opening and countered with speed.

After a few exchanges of swords, the sudden attack of the [Heavy Sword - Four Mysterious Mountains] decided the outcome.

Before long, the disciples of Lingjian Mountain cheered loudly, the sound waves like a tsunami, and even attracted onlookers from other dojos to come here.

"Who's winning?"

"Naturally it's Yan Hao. His heavy sword... is truly terrifying. I hope I won't encounter him too soon."

“A direct disciple of the Immortal Sect is naturally extraordinary.”

"Judging from Yan Hao's relaxed demeanor, it seems he hasn't gone all out yet."

"This is only the first match, how could I possibly go all out?"

Amidst the murmurs, the Lü family of Liangzhou rushed onto the stage, carried Lü Qifeng offstage, and after examining him, their faces turned extremely grim.

They never expected Yan Hao to be so ruthless.

The Heavenly Way Society has always been about stopping short of causing serious injury. Although injuries are inevitable in the process, directly taking someone's life is truly unacceptable.

In fact, Yan Hao was in a very bad mood, and his face was somewhat gloomy.

Because Lü Qifeng wasn't strong, and after reaching the Tongxuan Realm, he wasn't considered a master, so he naturally couldn't be compared to him, the grandson of the Spirit Sword Mountain Peak Master.

However, the Lu family disciples relied on speed to their advantage, which annoyed him, so he didn't hold back with his final sword strike.

Meanwhile, the child sword returned to the mother sword, and Yan Hao sheathed his sword and stood proudly, his eyes cold and clear, the powerful sword energy around him not yet completely dissipated.

Seeing this, Zhao Yunyue stared intently for a long time, and finally glanced at Ji You unconsciously, her eyes slightly cold.

Lü Qifeng is not weak; he is at least much stronger than Liu Qichen.

In her opinion, Ji You, who had been bullying those disciples who were not qualified to get a spot in the Heavenly Academy, would probably have a headache if he met a real expert.

As expected, Zhao Yunyue noticed at a glance that Ji You's expression was somewhat serious.

The officials of the pro-immortal faction, including Prince Chong, all turned to look and found Ji You sitting upright in the audience, staring intently at Yan Hao.

"It's not sword control."

"That's really amazing..."

Ji You couldn't help but think to himself, his mind filled with the image of Yan Hao summoning the heavy sword.

This isn't really a point worth paying attention to, and not many people care. Ji You only cares because he's curious, since he's always liked this kind of sneak attack.

That wasn't a simple sword control technique with no barriers to entry; it must have been the closely guarded secret of Spirit Sword Mountain—the natal spirit sword technique.

The sword's heart is connected to the human heart; it comes at a moment's notice, as easily as an arm or finger.

Ji You then stood up, stepped down from the audience seats, and walked towards the gate of the Qiyun Dojo.

Although the match was best of three, Lü Qifeng was probably too exhausted to continue, and there likely wouldn't be any further developments.

Given Yan Hao's demonstrated combat prowess, reaching the final battle shouldn't be a problem.

No matter how the groups are divided after the first round, he will always meet with me.

Ji You's first match will begin tomorrow, and the round of six to one will take about three days to advance to the second round.

He looked up at the overcast sky and felt the chill in the wind intensify, followed by a slight, icy sensation.

However, the gloomy sky was not quiet. Instead, the spiritual energy surged like a rushing river, and the sounds of clashing weapons were continuous. The killing intent was chilling, and the mysterious light that roared up into the sky from time to time was also present.

Each of the nine training grounds has its own purpose. Zhencheng, Jingyang, Jiyuan, and Cangwu are specifically for duels between experts at the Fusion Realm. As such, the commotion emanating from these four training grounds is the greatest.

At this time, disciples from outside the sect and officials from the Imperial Observatory would frequently appear on the white marble path, relaying news of the victory or defeat.

This first round of duels included both scions of aristocratic families and disciples of immortal sects, but the disparity in combat strength between them was quite large, just like the match between Yan Hao and Lü Qifeng. Even though there was suspense, it wouldn't be too unexpected.

Moreover, the original best-of-three format was basically completed in just one game in this first round.

It wasn't until the second round that the gap in strength among the remaining participants gradually narrowed, until finally, a long and drawn-out battle ensued.

Ji You then visited several gardens and found that, just as he had thought, there were many instances of overwhelming superiority due to the difference in strength. He lost interest and turned back to Rusheng Garden.

He Lingxiu, Xiao Hanyan, and the others had not yet returned, so the courtyard was quiet.

Ji You glanced at the small building across the street and thought to herself that this was a good time to raid it. She could go and explore the building later...

He reached out and pushed open the door to his house, but as soon as he stepped inside, his gaze suddenly froze.

At this moment, the young master of Lingjian Mountain was sitting on the tea table in his room, with his bare, snow-white jade feet, ten jade-bead-like toes neatly clustered together, and the soles of his feet tinged with peach pink, making him look very petite.

She brought disciples from Lingjian Mountain to participate in the Heavenly Dao Assembly, and since she had nothing to do, she naturally got bored staying in the courtyard.

So she wandered around and saw that none of the people from the Heavenly Academy were in the courtyard. "Accidentally," she wandered into the room of a strange man and sat there idly for a while.

Someone else thinks the same way I do...

Ji You couldn't help but chuckle, casually glancing around the room, only to find that Yan Shuyi's shoes and socks weren't next to the tea table, but rather in front of the bed.

The girl went barefoot onto his bed to play, and then jumped from the bed onto the mat...

However, Ji You couldn't see the lively Yan Shuyi, because the little appraiser was now looking at him with a serious expression, his eyes full of coldness.

"I kneel to greet you."

"?"

Ji You narrowed her eyes and looked up at Yan Shuyi.

The young appraiser looked at his raised hand, his face darkened, and he couldn't help but clench his fist slightly.

A moment later, Ji You took off his boots and stepped onto the tea table, pouring Yan Shuyi a cup of tea: "Master, please have some tea."

Yan Shuyi felt a burning sensation on her firm, round buttocks. After a long silence, she spoke coldly: "You are quite polite, man. Kneeling is fine, after all, I, the appraiser, have come uninvited today."

"Is the appraiser bored?"

"There is a bit of that. The battles between the Fusion Dao and Profound Realm are a bit boring to me, and there's no need to watch them. The elders' duels are just sitting and discussing the Dao, which is even more tedious and boring."

Ji You thought for a moment: "How about we beat the tiger with a stick and let the chicken eat the worm?"

Yan Shuyi gently raised her eyes and nodded aloofly.

Ji You then got up and searched through the drawer, found paper and pen, and then sat down on the desk to draw for a while.

He still remembered Yan Shuyi's "special request" not to let him draw the tiger's tail. He didn't know why when he drew it last time, but this time he knew that this jealous person had been thinking about the demon princess showing him her tail.

After quickly finishing the drawing, Ji You shuffled the cards and handed them to her, then casually rubbed her fragrant feet under the table.

The young appraiser was already used to it, and with a calm expression, he threw out a tiger without a tail, and then saw Ji You throw out a stick.

Seeing this, Yan Shuyi stared at her cards for a long time, her cold face gradually turning red as she remembered the underwear she had secretly washed last night…

Looking at Yan Shuyi's flushed cheeks, Ji You couldn't help but feel that she resembled the figure kicking her feet in her dream last night.

At this moment, the wind blew outside the window, and the green bamboo forest rustled.

Rainwater fell into the pond, creating swirling circles on the surface where koi swam.

Yan Shuyi remained silent for a long time, watching Ji You suddenly move closer. Her eyes darted around, and she involuntarily brought her small mouth towards the center of the tea table.

Her feet were still in Ji You's hands, so Ji You could clearly feel her toes curling.

However, at this moment, the young appraiser suddenly turned cold, looked out the window, glanced at Ji You, and then disappeared from the room in an instant, leaving only the fragrance of his footsteps.

Ji You glanced at it silently for a moment, then immediately understood. She got up and walked towards the door, reaching out to open it.

Cao Jingsong, Ban Yangshu, Wen Zhengxin, and Pei Ruyi were standing outside the door, but with their backs to him.

The four of them acted in perfect unison, looking up at the small building across the street.

There was a stunningly beautiful fairy in a red dress, her eyes revealing coldness, her haughty demeanor suggesting she was far removed from the world.

(End of this chapter)