Yefutidaolu

Chapter 252 How much are you worth?

Taiwei Enclosure, Wenchang Palace, the main gate of the Imperial Academy, beneath the eternal black ice.

The scene was silent.

The hundred or so people, including some onlookers from the distant Taiwei Enclosure, all fell silent at this moment.

Helensabao was able to pass the imperial examination without cheating at all.

He got there through his own hard work and skill.

The Taotie pattern on the Taotie section can unleash the power of Taotie, capable of devouring everything. Its power is quite astonishing, and it can also control the power that was devoured before.

He can expel the exact same fire energy after consuming a fire-based spell.

Therefore, in terms of the strength of the Taotie tribe, it can be said to be ever-changing, capable of both offense and defense, and can even devour your magic and then spit it back at you, which is quite formidable.

In this respect, few people in the Five Realms would say they could defeat Helunsabao.

But... none of what I just mentioned was used.

To outsiders, Gao Jian simply made an ordinary slash and killed Helensabao.

There was not a single decent act of resistance.

Is it because Helensabao is too weak?

Absolutely not. The young master of the Taotie tribe has countless people backing him, and his battle record is verifiable.

Then... the only possibility is that no one saw through Gao Jian's methods?
is it possible?

The possibility is very small.

But... after eliminating all the impossible options, only one option remains.

The answer is that no one saw through the mystery behind Gao Jian's strike.

As for Gao Jian...

"Demonic energy... is it that useful?" He looked at his sword.

This is a sword technique he comprehended from the various demonic energies of the Desire Realm, combined with Ye Qingmu's illusions...?
I don't know if Gao Jian can be considered a swordsmanship. He can use this even with his bare hands, but if he uses a sword, the effect becomes exceptionally powerful, which seems to be because he is more skilled with swords.

The principle behind this technique is actually quite simple: when he unleashes this strike, he will use the properties of demonic energy to pull the person into a dream.

Or to put it another way.

It pulls people into the 'realm of desire'.

Once you arrive in the Desire Realm, the very nature of the Desire Realm will be revealed.

That darkness will envelop you, and then reveal your true desires, your true fears, what you hope for, what you fear...

There is no way to avoid it; one can only use one's Dao heart to resist it.

Helunsabao's Dao heart isn't quite there.

But, he killed someone.

Oh, it wasn't murder. Although the other party was killed, their remnant soul remained. With the level of the Divine Dynasty, it's not irreparable.

But the cost will definitely be high.

Hmm... So, we need to make a big fuss to cover this up.

Then, Gao Jian raised his sword and looked around: "Is this all there is to the Imperial Academy? Or am I not qualified to challenge you all to a duel?"

Just a minute before, others would have thought Gao Jian was a nobody, and that it wouldn't matter if they didn't accept his challenge, or that leaving him waiting at the door wouldn't cause any problems.

But after that minute, someone who is 'interested' will definitely make a move.

Gao Jian acted too quickly, and his methods were quite ingenious. There will definitely be people who will join the battle out of 'interest'.

Once a second person makes a move, as long as Gao Jian remains undefeated, challengers will come in droves.

One after another, one after another, once a trend of "joining in the fun" is formed, it will prompt the true experts of the Imperial Academy to take action.

In this way, as long as Gao Jian remains undefeated and keeps winning, he will become famous throughout the Imperial Academy today! He will trample everyone else underfoot.
Moreover, it won't even invite retaliation or jealousy.

Because Gao Jian said "within the fifth realm," even if a stronger expert from a higher realm came, according to the established rules, they would suppress their cultivation within the fifth realm. They would not use the power above the five acupoints or barriers, otherwise, it would not be honorable for them to defeat Gao Jian.

Therefore, they won't lose too much face; at worst, they can laugh it off and tell everyone that they didn't use their full strength.

All of this was clearly part of Gao Jian's plan.

When Gao Jian raised his knife again—

But then, Shui Cangcang stepped out from the doorway.

"Invincible? Let me try." Shui Cangcang stood up and expressed her doubt.

Gao Jian was stunned for a moment, then looked at Shui Cangcang.

Then he smiled.

Brothers.

Shui Cangcang was probably worried that no one else would be willing to go up, and that Gao Jian might be too harsh and scare away a second person, so she came to stir up trouble herself.

If the expert's insights don't fundamentally harm Shui Cangcang and indicate that it's merely a friendly exchange, then a third person should arrive.

Since that's the case, then—

Gao Jian didn't hesitate, pointing the tip of his knife at Shui Cangcang: "Then, come on."

However, Shui Cangcang's reaction was somewhat unexpected.

He nodded and said, "Good, insightful... take it seriously."

Shui Cangcang's tone was very serious.

Gao Jian originally thought that Shui Cangcang was there to act as a shill, to spread rumors, and to pave the way for Gao Jian's future actions.

But Gao Jian saw something different in Shui Cangcang's tone and eyes.

Ok……

It seems that they genuinely want to help Gao Jian gain recognition, and they also genuinely want to see Gao Jian's current level of expertise.

Then let's take it seriously.

Gao Jian then drew his knife.

The blade flashed and disappeared in an instant!
The sky was dark and the ground was shrouded in darkness, the blade flashed and the water was white. In an instant, Gao Jian's body suddenly surged and rushed directly to Shui Cangcang's side.

But Shui Cangcang did not react at all.

All the onlookers frowned.

Helensabao did not react, nor did Shui Cangcang.
This swordsmanship looks ordinary, but there must be something fishy about it.

Many onlookers became curious.

If you don't see it clearly the first time, that's one thing, but if you still don't see it clearly the second time, that's quite intriguing.

however--

Just as Gao Jian made his move, the blade was about to touch Shui Cangcang.

Crack! A crisp sound was heard.

Shui Cangcang's protective jade pendant was severed without hesitation by Gao Jian's blade, producing a crisp sound.

Shui Cangcang opened her eyes.

The crisp sound of a jade pendant breaking startled Shui Cangcang. In that instant, Shui Cangcang reached out, her hand enveloped in yin and yang energies, and caught the blade.

The rusty knife's blade was almost indestructible, but it couldn't cut through 'qi' itself, so Shui Cangcang blocked the attack.

He used the momentum to retreat, his body suddenly pulling back.

but……

His watery eyes were terrifyingly red.

"You're awake. What did you see?" Gao Jian didn't pursue them, but looked at Shui Cangcang with some curiosity.

He actually woke up?
Could it be that my method isn't as powerful as I thought? How could Shui Cangcang actually wake up?
"I saw it, it was terrifying. Brilliant! Your method is truly amazing." Shui Cangcang covered her eyes, her whole body drenched in cold sweat.

He really saw something terrifying.

The thing he feared most in his life had just appeared before him, and he almost lost consciousness.

He couldn't even describe that thing to others... it was a fear that only he could understand.

fine……

His teacher was Fei Xiang.

“When the spirit is calm, the mind is at peace; when the mind is at peace, the body is whole. When the spirit is agitated, the mind is restless; when the mind is restless, the body is harmed. To preserve the body, one must first regulate the spirit. Therefore, one should cultivate tranquility and harmony to keep the spirit at peace within, and purify the mind to prevent it from being tempted by external influences. Although this illusion is powerful, I have Buddhist techniques and the spirit-cultivating methods of Qi cultivators, so it cannot harm me,” Shui Cangcang said, panting heavily.

"That's true, but you're breathing heavily. Can you take a second cut?" Gao Jian stopped and asked.

Shui Cangcang did not answer, because he had already cast a spell.

In spring, heaven and earth are both vibrant, a time of flourishing yang. Heaven and earth provide the foundation for all things, giving birth to them without killing or taking away. The physical form is the gathering of qi; when qi is deficient, the physical form weakens. The spirit is the formation of essence; when essence is deficient, the spirit withers, while when qi is abundant, both the physical form and spirit flourish!
That is, it is the eve of the Lunar New Year's Eve festival, a time when spring is just around the corner.

As a Qi cultivator, he was able to refine the Qi of heaven and earth for his own use.

At this moment, he infused the vitality of spring into himself, and with this abundance of energy, his spirit and vitality surged!
But then one could see that all the blood and energy in the skin, muscles, bones, essence, blood vessels, limbs, nine orifices, hair, teeth, lips and tongue were gushing out and flowing into the meridians!
Shui Cangcang's momentum rose steadily, and with this power, he immediately launched a counterattack against Gao Jian!

He tucked the fan into his waistband, and the energy around him circulated continuously. With his control, the snow on the entire Imperial Academy was simultaneously stirred up!

It wasn't the wind blowing; it was thousands of streams of energy from heaven and earth pulling at the surrounding natural phenomena, all rushing towards Gao Jian at once!

All of them, from the extreme of yang to the birth of yin, are cold. The cold air suddenly arises, and the earth turns white. The accumulated snow turns into white mist, rising and falling, winding and surging. The white mist in each area corresponds precisely to a certain direction, forming a complete array!
The white vapors spewing out from all directions condensed into an unyielding array at a height of a hundred feet, using the water as the eye of a needle, pressing down on Gao Jian!

This is Shui Cangcang's all-out effort!

Faced with such overwhelming pressure, Gao Jian did not hesitate and charged straight at them.

A wise person keeps their true energy secret and does not leak it. The hexagram is Tai, and the vital energy is in Zi (子), flowing from the liver through the shoulders and back. One must generate vital energy to nourish the liver and then guide it into the lower body.

The vital energy resides in the Zi month because in the Zi month, the fire energy lies dormant and hidden, nourishing its inherent nature and becoming the foundation for growth and movement in the coming spring. If this energy is damaged at this time, when spring arrives, there will be no foundation below, and the yang energy will become light and unstable, inevitably causing the warmth to waver.

This is how Qi cultivators control the Qi of heaven and earth, using 'nature' itself to oppress their opponents.

So, let's start from this direction...

As Gao Jian sprinted forward, he shifted his feet and slightly adjusted his position.

In this way, the formation in front of us can be broken.

Shui Cangcang exerted all her strength, using the energy of heaven and earth to suppress Gao Jian, but Gao Jian found a weakness in the formation and struck again.

Originally, given Shui Cangcang's skill level, he could have immediately responded by adjusting the formation's structure, causing Gao Jian's charge to fail and forcing him to retreat.

Qi cultivators use the Qi of heaven and earth as their own power. When it comes to powerful strength, there are few in this world who can match their lineage.

but……

As Gao Jian drew his sword, Shui Cangcang's vision blurred once again.

It was as if he had a cold dream.

He floated in the air, out of reach of the vast water. The young master of the Shui family cried out like a child, covered in mud and weak.

Feeling lost and helpless, anxiety pierced his heart like a sharp blade. He tried his best to clear his mind, resisting it by resisting physical pain, and forcing his mind to calm down.

Sit upright and silent, free from evil thoughts, forget worldly affairs, concentrate your mind and spirit, do not look at anything, do not listen to any sound, calm your mind and guard your inner peace, regulate your breath gently and smoothly, breathe freely and naturally, as if you are not breathing at all.

then……

Pure Land, unfold.

The pristine land, with its clear waters, suddenly burst forth, and a powerful elastic force began to spread from his body!

The wind howled and suddenly the sound of countless bamboo breaking was heard. The surrounding white mist turned into snow and wind again. The palace was white with snow, the wind swirled and the frost danced. Horses neighed in the cold, jade fell from the ice branches, and crystal pieces piled up. The sound flowed through the sky, like a shooting star. Waves of snow mixed with the winter air crashed and broke apart, flying like jade dust!
A chilling aura swirled around, and this time, with the help of Buddhist methods, Shui Cangcang was able to break free from the illusion even faster!
However, there was something on my neck that was colder than the biting winter snow.

The glint of swords arrives before the spring light.

Shui Cangcang opened his eyes and saw that the knife hanging by the side of the person opposite him was dripping blood—it was not an illusion, there were indeed winding red lines seeping from the rusty blade, crawling along the mottled patterns, like a venomous snake spitting its tongue.

He reached up and touched his neck.

It didn't hurt, but my hands were covered in blood.

"I lost." Shui Cangcang said with relief, bowing her head.

He came to the Imperial Academy, played two matches, and lost both.

It's true, there are always people more capable than you.

Your insight is profound.

Shui Cangcang stepped forward: "Brother Gao, I can't beat you."

"Your cultivation... is so fast. You were only in the third realm before, and now you've already entered the fifth realm." Gao Jian was somewhat surprised by Shui Cangcang's cultivation level.

“As long as one’s temperament and tempering are sufficient, it’s not surprising that one can improve their cultivation level with pills. I waited for more than ten years in the second realm for this breakthrough, but I can’t compare to you.” Shui Cangcang shook her head.

Then, he cupped his hands and said loudly, "I have lost! Are there any other students who want to try? This person's swordsmanship is indeed quite amazing! I'm afraid you students will find it difficult to find a way to counter it in a short time."

Shui Cangcang uttered these words.

Gao Jian gave him a grateful look.

Sure enough, as soon as Shui Cangcang's voice fell, a person immediately stepped forward from the crowd of Taixue students watching outside: "After two battles, if I go up again, you won't say we're in a war of attrition, will you?"

Gao Jian laughed and said, "I cultivate every day, swinging my sword thousands of times a day. You saw me fight twice, how many times did I swing my sword?"

"Three cuts," the man said.

"So, I haven't even broken a sweat yet," Takami said with a smile.

Without any hesitation, the man leaped up and said, "Let me give it a try!"

Gao Jian was equally decisive and struck again.

A moment later, it still took two more strikes. The man, like Shui Cangcang, only managed two strikes.

And so, a fourth person came into being.

The fourth person, Yidao.

The fifth person, Three Knives.

The crowd was in an uproar, and a major news story was completely ignited at the gate of the Imperial Academy, with many students spreading the word!

Now, the spectators were not just students, but also some officials and elders from the Great Immortal Sect within the Taiwei Enclosure.

Shu Jian stood on the head of Dan Sha, speechless, his heart filled with shock, unable to utter a single word.

Dan Sha's eyes were filled with smugness.