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Chapter 209 Heavenly Dao Assembly Preliminary Selection

The physical body merged with the Dao.

Then, his strength increased greatly; this was the first thought that appeared in Ji You's drained mental state.

If Tongxuan's earlier statement, "I hate that the sky has no handle, and the earth has no ring," was an exaggeration, then this time it's pretty much true.

He felt that if he were standing on the convoy's carriage today, the king of soldiers' punch wouldn't have nearly killed him.

In addition, when Ji You clenched his fist just now, he noticed that his bones seemed to be as hard as iron, and his joints had a strong tension feedback when they moved. Even without using spiritual energy, he believed that he could pierce through everything with a single finger.

Besides these, there is also his soul.

Previously, when refining the body, only the physical body trembled as the spiritual fire burned it, but now even the soul was affected.

The feeling of enlightenment did not enhance his five senses, but it made his soul feel a warm current flowing through it, seemingly perfectly integrated with his physical body.

As a result, he was able to clearly control the operation of each acupoint and clearly know the flow of blood in his body.

It turns out that the gods and souls of the human race are not inherently compatible.

Ji You couldn't help but murmur, suddenly remembering someone saying that people actually have far less than one-tenth of the control they have over their own bodies.

Whether it's internal organs, blood, or bones, humans cannot control or adjust them on their own, but Ji You's soul has already formed some connection with them.

It is the body that is automatically integrating in a more compact direction, allowing his body to break through towards a stronger form.

Another point is the previous soreness.

The previous twenty-second micro-illumination was far less intense and difficult than today's twenty-third micro-illumination.

However, the soreness left by the twenty-second micro-light therapy took almost eight hours to disappear.

After this more intense micro-phototherapy session, he could clearly feel the soreness receding like the tide.

This indicates that the increase in physical strength also brings about faster recovery and increased resistance.

Ji You was panting heavily, beads of sweat constantly dripping from his forehead, making a sizzling sound on the ground.

Most cultivators in Qingyun Tianxia are pure Daoist cultivators. Even though Lingjian Mountain mainly cultivates the Dao of Sword and does not attempt to control the Four Symbols, the Sky, or the Power Technique, it can still be regarded as a branch of Daoist cultivation. They will not exert themselves as much as he does in body refinement.

And I must have been influenced by this trend without realizing it, always focusing on Taoist cultivation and using body refinement as a secondary practice.

Now they've switched to focusing on body refinement, abandoning Daoist cultivation and only cultivating divine sense. I don't know where they'll end up.

But since we've already made the decision, let's not worry about so much. As long as there's a path, let's go for it.

Just like when he first arrived at Qingyun Tianxia, ​​he walked several dozen steps and suddenly the view opened up.

Oh, Senior Sister Wen is here, she's right at the door.

After Ji You's senses became clearer, she could even catch a glimpse of Senior Sister Wen standing outside.

but……

I can't stand up.

As her breathing gradually calmed down, Ji You felt a wave of fatigue surge through her body, and she fell into a deep sleep.

When he opened his eyes again, it was already late afternoon. The afternoon sun was shining brightly, and beams of light streamed into the room through the window lattice. One corner of the light shone on Ji You's face, illuminating his sword-like eyebrows and bright eyes, which woke him up.

This time, my sleep was much longer than the previous times, which is not surprising.

Although he did not continue to fly through the sky with his divine sense yesterday, the trembling of his soul had exhausted him considerably.

Ji You sat up in bed and was stunned for a long time before realizing that she was covered with a blanket, and that her clothes, which were soaked with sweat yesterday, were gone.

By the way, I noticed that Senior Sister Wen came over yesterday.

He got out of bed and went to the main room, where he saw Wen Zhengxin eating porridge. Besides her, there were also Ban Yangshu and Cao Jingsong.

Although Cao Jingsong is an instructor in the outer academy, he is also eligible to enter the inner academy, but he generally doesn't like to come.

Upon seeing Ji You emerge, the three of them looked up simultaneously.

"Why are you all here?"

Cao Jingsong's beard twitched: "Your senior sister Wen sent a message saying that you had fainted in the room with a burning fever, which scared us so much that we rushed over."

Ji You sat down in the chair: "I'm just practicing body tempering."

Wen Zhengxin looked at him: "Finished practicing?"

"Finished training? Did Senior Sister come back last night?"

Wen Zhengxin nodded, and his gaze suddenly became more complicated.

After she came back, she changed Ji You's clothes, but it wasn't a big deal that they were so big.

The key issue is that Cao Jingsong and Ban Yangshu only came after receiving my message this morning. Only I felt the overwhelming sense of oppression that came over me last night, as if Mount Tai were collapsing in front of me.

However, his junior brother was still at the Profound Realm. At this moment, his aura was restrained, and there was no sign of anything unusual about him. He was not much different from other Profound Realm cultivators.

Ji You opened her mouth: "I was too tired last night. I actually noticed that my senior sister was back, but I couldn't open my eyes."

Wen Zhengxin glanced at him: "Who exactly did you learn this body-refining technique from?"

I figured it out myself.

Upon hearing this, the three exchanged a glance.

After such a long period of understanding, they have realized the extraordinary nature of Ji You's body-refining technique.

Such robust growth is absolutely beyond what ordinary body-refining techniques in Qingyun Tianxia could achieve.

Because those body-refining techniques are far from reaching Ji You's current level of strength.

Cao Jingsong had already displayed such terrifying power in the Tongxuan Realm, and he had no idea how strong Cao Jingsong would be once he entered the Fusion Realm.

Ji You stretched lazily in the sunlight outside the door, feeling refreshed.

Wen Zhengxin coughed at this moment: "You... can only practice at night?"

Ji You turned around upon hearing this: "There's no distinction between night and day, it's just that I always feel exhausted, and my spiritual energy is also depleted to the extreme. If I practice at night, I just go to sleep after I finish, and I can go about my business the next day. Why is Senior Sister asking this?"

"It's nothing, I just suddenly felt that you should go back."

"?"

Wen Zhengxin blushed: "It's one thing to eat and drink for free all day long, but at night you also make all sorts of messes. On my way back this time, I was met with strange looks everywhere. I don't want to offend the daughter of the Dan Sect."

Ji You immediately retorted, "Senior sister, that's not right. I even washed your clothes. How could it be that I was eating and drinking for free?"

Wen Zhengxin said, "Get out of here! I won't say whether you're washing clothes or indulging your hobby."

I don't know why you're in this state of mind, but you seem to be almost better now. You can forget about staying here any longer.

In my courtyard, where I am a solitary woman, I hear your soft cries of pain every day. How can I face people if word gets out?

On the way there, some people praised her, saying she was really amazing and that she could really endure things. At first, she didn't understand what they were saying, but later she realized what they were praising her for.

In addition, Ji You falls asleep every day after practice, covered in sweat. As her senior sister, will you change her clothes or not? If you do, will you watch or not?

Cao Jingsong and Ban Yangshu exchanged a glance, wondering what kind of nonsense was going on.

Wen Zhengxin didn't explain to them and simply kicked the three of them out of the courtyard.

Cao Jingsong stood in front of the door looking at Ji You: "What kind of noise is your Senior Sister Wen talking about?"

Ji You imitated it a couple of times: "When you are practicing body tempering, you will feel a tearing pain in your body, and you can't help but make a sound."

"I can understand why your senior sister Wen wanted to send you away..."

"You made such a commotion, and she still kept you here for so long. Fairy Zhengxin is truly more than kind and benevolent."

After hearing this, Ji You touched her stomach and said, "Teacher, I'm a little hungry."

Cao Jingsong narrowed his eyes: "I don't have the money to take you to a restaurant."

"No need for a restaurant, Xian Shan Fang will suffice."

"really?"

"Ah."

Cao Jingsong thought for a moment and realized that he could afford to invite people to the Tian Shu Academy's canteen, such as Xian Shan Fang.

But to his surprise, Ji You's appetite at this moment completely shattered his expectations.

"One more."

"This is the fifth one already!"

Ji You looked at the five empty plates in front of her: "I'm still not full."

Cao Jingsong glanced at him, his lips twitching: "You unfilial disciple, tell me the truth, you're cultivating the Five Internal Organs Temple, aren't you?"

"This is how body tempering works."

Ji You went and asked for another serving, then lowered her head and ate her rice.

His body currently requires a great deal of heat, which is why his body temperature keeps rising. However, the body's heat does not come from nothing; the best way to obtain it is through food intake.

Cao Jingsong looked at him and couldn't help but say, "There's been news from the academy these past few days; the date for the Heavenly Dao Gathering should be set soon."

Ji You raised her head: "No wonder Senior Sister Wen has been in seclusion for so long these past few days."

"Your senior sister Wen has her own plans. As for you, you should also consider it. In the next few days, you should quickly seek the Dao within your heart. After winning the Heavenly Dao Assembly, go to the place where the sages comprehended the Dao to break through your realm. With your aptitude, you should reach the threshold of the Yingtian Realm when you come out."

Cao Jingsong said with a kind expression, "My Fengzhou is going to have a powerful expert at the Yingtian Realm. This is something I have never dared to imagine in the past fifty years."

Ji You paused with her chopsticks for a moment, remaining silent for a long time.

Then Cao Jingsong ran away, faster than a rabbit, his bulky body displaying unparalleled lightness in that instant.

It wasn't because there was anything urgent; it was just because Ji You told him that he was only half full.

Seeing that Old Cao had transformed into a free-spirited old boy, Ji You clicked his tongue, handed the plate to the window, and then turned and went to the Sword Forest, intending to try his hand at boxing.

Having passed the next hurdle in body refinement, some benefits are clearly perceptible.

However, his actual combat strength remains unknown.

Ji You stepped down the mountain and arrived at the Sword Forest, where he saw Lu Hanyan wielding her sword.

The second young lady of the Lu family has already mastered the basic sword techniques. Ji You had arranged for her to practice continuous sword moves a few days ago.

Just like he did back then, he mastered the techniques of pointing, chopping, stabbing, flicking, picking, breaking, intercepting, slashing, wiping, cutting, clouding, and hanging, and combined them with spiritual energy to form sword moves.

Seeing Ji You approach, Lu Hanyan stopped wielding her sword and then secretly glanced at the wooden sword standing beside her.

Yesterday, her older sister asked her how it felt to be spanked by Ji You. She replied that only strict teachers can produce outstanding students, and that it was right for her senior brother Ji to discipline her when she did something wrong. She wasn't angry. Her older sister's eyes clearly showed disbelief, so Lu Hanyan immediately retorted, "Sister, you don't think I like it, do you?"

In fact, Lu Hanyan genuinely believed that she liked this strict teaching method and felt that Senior Brother Ji was teaching her very seriously. She couldn't possibly be angry with Senior Brother Ji for that, and there was nothing else to it.

But after a few more times, she found herself seemingly liking it.

Ji You saw her gaze, and the words "forbidden teacher-student relationship" couldn't help but pop into her mind.

"Your sword heart is a bit agitated, and your sword intent is unstable. Is it because you just defeated Fang Jincheng?"

"Hanyan knows she was wrong and asks her senior brother for punishment."

"I've come here today to test my skills."

"Testing our fists?"

"Yes, let's test your skills. Practice hard, and we'll see you later."

Lu Hanyan watched Ji You walk into the depths of the forest, feeling somewhat confused, but upon hearing the words "later," she obediently picked up her sword and began to repeat the previous sword moves.

However, just as she raised her iron sword, a huge wave of wind suddenly surged from the depths of the bamboo forest, wave after wave, the powerful aura directly pressing down on her iron sword, making it difficult for this Miss Lu to lift it, causing her eyes to gradually widen.

Other disciples practicing swordsmanship in the Sword Forest also looked on in astonishment.

The punch was very powerful.

The surge of internal energy gave the Mountain-Shaking Fist a truly mountain-shaking force, moving like a thunderous formation, and even possessing a destructive power.

Just punching empty air isn't really that satisfying.

Ji You adopted a fist stance and unleashed a powerful punch. Without using any spiritual energy, the mere force of his punch caused the entire grove of green bamboo in front of him to bend over repeatedly. His aura was like the roar of a tiger and the cry of a dragon, and it only gradually subsided after the force of his punch dissipated.

I need to continue training my body.

Enlightenment requires a specific opportunity, but physical cultivation only requires effort and perseverance...

On the twenty-fifth and twenty-sixth time, he wanted to see when the next stage of body tempering would appear.

Ji You withdrew his fist and walked outside. He watched Lu Hanyan practice her swordplay for a long time, then reached out and grabbed the wooden sword, slapping it on her buttocks. This caused the Second Miss Lu's delicate body to tremble. She had been able to hold back the previous times, but this time she couldn't help but let out a soft moan.

Good job, here's a reward.

Just after Grain Rain, the tea smoke rises in the air.

As summer begins, the heat intensifies and temperatures gradually rise, with the midday sun often so intense that it's impossible to look up.

The controversy surrounding Lu Hanyan's unexpected defeat of Fang Jincheng under Ji You's guidance has subsided. No one is bringing it up for discussion anymore, and with many people in seclusion, it's even quieter than usual.

However, on a cloudless early summer day, a golden light suddenly shot into the sky, instantly scattering the long clouds and attracting countless disciples to look up. They saw golden inscriptions falling in all directions, accompanied by a constant buzzing sound.

As it flew away, golden rays of light still lingered in the sky, scattering in the wind.

Seeing this, the entire inner courtyard was abuzz with discussion, and the news spread from dawn till noon.

"What happened?"

"An edict from the Heavenly Academy?"

"No, it's an imperial edict issued jointly by the seven major immortal sects."

"What happened?"

"The date for the Heavenly Way Meeting has been set."

The date of the Heavenly Dao Assembly was jointly decided by the seven major immortal sects based on the state of the places where their ancestors proved their Dao. The cultivators of Qingyun Tianxia had been looking forward to this for a long time, and now they finally saw the result.

Three months later, the Heavenly Dao Assembly was officially held, and the edict contained roughly these dozen or so words, which were carried by the wind to the world.

Although this matter has little to do with the School of Foreign Languages, it still attracted a great deal of attention.

Of course, the disciples of the inner court were the most concerned about this matter, and they had the most detailed information.

For example, in this Heavenly Dao Assembly, each immortal sect has fifteen slots, while families with more than a hundred years of history have five slots. In addition, each of the major immortal estates on the preliminary list also has one slot.

In fact, this is a common tactic used by the Heavenly Dao Society over the years. If there were no limit on the number of participants, so many cultivators would have to be fought one by one, and even if they fought until the end of the year, it would probably not be possible to finish them all.

However, after the number of participants in the Heavenly Dao Assembly was limited, the question arose as to who should be selected from among the immortal sects and aristocratic families to participate.

So after the imperial edict was issued, the Hall of Affairs and the Elders' Hall of the Heavenly Academy began to ponder the matter.

Some suggested that the number of participants should be determined by election, that is, by a vote among these high-ranking officials to decide on the fifteen people.

Fang Yan, the chief elder of the Buchen Hall, was one of the representatives. He proposed that we should not only look at combat strength, but also select the disciple who best represents the way of the Heavenly Academy.

"Elder Fang is absolutely right, but I wonder which kind of disciple would best embody the principles of the Heavenly Academy?"

"Naturally, it's the pure Daoist cultivators who use magic to enhance their bodies. Sending out those who forcibly increase their combat power through body tempering, which goes against the Dao of Immortality, would be a disgrace to our Heavenly Academy."

Upon hearing this, the stewards of the academy sitting on the right couldn't help but exchange a glance, thinking to themselves that only pure Daoist cultivators could participate in the competition, so Elder Fang should just name Ji You and say that he was not allowed to participate.

He wasn't a pure Daoist cultivator; he cultivated both his body and his sword. Wasn't this specifically targeting him?

At this moment, the three of them couldn't help but think of the time when Ji You taught Lu Hanyan swordsmanship and beat Fang Jincheng to a pulp.

At the time, the elder did not say anything, but simply said that private fights were not allowed in the courtyard, and that since both of them were first-time offenders, this would not be allowed to happen again.

At the time, some people in the courtyard said that Elder Fang was magnanimous, generous, and clear about the distinction between public and private matters. Only now do they realize that he was waiting here.

What's most heartbreaking is that Elder Fang wasn't waiting for Lu Hanyan, but for Ji You, who was standing behind Lu Hanyan.

However, most of the elders agreed with Elder Fang's suggestion.

Because the spots for participating in the Heavenly Way Assembly are extremely valuable, each one represents an opportunity to enter the place where the sages proved their Way and to attain enlightenment.

If someone is unable to participate, creating a vacancy, that's something everyone would like to see.

If it had been Chu He who entered the inner courtyard instead of Ji You, they naturally wouldn't have done this. After all, Chu He was backed by a thousand-year-old family, known as the eighth great immortal sect, whose foundation and status were self-evident.

But Ji You had no one to back him up, and his behavior was so eccentric that it was naturally best for everyone not to let him participate in the competition.

What reason would a clandestine cultivator have to occupy a spot in a celestial sect?

Moreover, this recommendation method also has direct benefits for them, as it provides an additional spot for the Tongxuan (通玄) competition, giving their disciples and nephews the opportunity to participate.

The problem is that the Way of Heaven is outward-facing, not inward-facing.

At this moment, Manager Qin couldn't help but speak up: "The Heavenly Dao Tournament is a struggle between the seven great immortal sects and the aristocratic families of the world. What the participants need most is a high winning rate. This matter concerns the prestige of our Heavenly Academy. It may not be appropriate to recommend anyone, and there may be some mistakes."

Fang Yan couldn't help but glance at him: "I disagree with what Steward Qin said. Even if we don't choose those who practice body tempering or swordsmanship, there are countless geniuses among the disciples of my Heavenly Academy. Do you think we would lose to disciples from other sects or aristocratic families?"

"No, that's not it. I just think that since the goal is to win at the Heavenly Dao Assembly, why not set up a fighting arena in the courtyard first? The winner can then participate in the Heavenly Dao Assembly. Wouldn't that be better?"

"This method is certainly good, but what if some people achieve victory by relying on other unorthodox methods?"

Upon hearing this, Steward Qin looked up and said, "The seven sages from thousands of years ago were like brothers, so how can you say they are heretics?"

Fang Yan's face turned cold: "Then let's not even bother competing. Since we're all in the same family, let's just give the spot to someone else. It'll save us some effort, won't it?"

Lang Hetong and Ji Jingyao couldn't help but glance at him: "Brother Qin, why are you speaking so highly of Ji You today?"

"This is for Zongwei, not for anyone else."

After Qin Rong finished speaking, he turned to look at them and said, "Twenty-five years, five Heavenly Dao Assemblies, all of which I have handled. Do you know that my Heavenly Academy is a holy sect, but its winning rate has always been ranked third? Do we really want the world to think that the name of this holy sect is a joke?"

Lang Hetong glanced at him: "We are just executors, how can you possibly go against Elder Fang?"

"I don't care who can participate, but the disciples we send must be the strongest, otherwise we'll just become a laughing stock."

“In the past, we never sent the so-called strongest people; they were just the closest ones. My office is under the Elders’ Council, so the final decision is still made by them.”

Qin Rong naturally knew this, and couldn't help but sigh.

However, just as Elder Fang was about to make a decision, footsteps suddenly sounded outside the council chamber...

The edict concerning the Heavenly Dao Society flashed for an entire day, and news about the preliminary selection rules for the Heavenly Academy was posted on two bulletin boards: one on the west side of the Enlightenment Ground and the other on the south side of the Purple Bamboo Zen Forest in the Inner Court.

So, early in the morning, countless students from the academy gathered around.

The preliminary selection for this Heavenly Dao Assembly will be conducted in the form of a challenge tournament. Disciples in the academy have three days to register, and the number of participants will be counted after the registration deadline.

The realms of Tongxuan, Rongdao, Yingtian, and Wujiang each have their own arenas where contests are held in turn.

Tongxuan and Rongdao are a battle between disciples, while Yingtian and Wujiang are a battle between elders.

The disciple battles are open to the public and are held at the Ascension Jade Platform, while the elder battles are held in the inner courtyard and are not open to the public.

Those who register for the competition can choose whether or not they want to become the champion. Anyone who persists through five rounds can obtain a spot in the Heavenly Dao Society.

"A tournament? I thought the spots were selected by the elders of the inner courtyard."

"I heard that it was because Lord Zuoqiu specifically inquired about it that the nomination system was chosen."

“In previous Heavenly Dao Gatherings, the Heavenly Academy mostly selected participants through nominations, but the results were consistently low, so it’s not surprising that they set up a challenge tournament.”

“I’ve heard that the same is true for several other prominent families.”

The preliminary selection for the Heavenly Dao Society in Shengjing City was the subject of much discussion. Many prominent families in the capital hoped that their chosen people would win, and they talked about it all day long.

The Prince Chong's Mansion even held a banquet at his home, inviting all the disciples he had worshipped and befriended to the mansion.

So when the registration day arrived, countless people squeezed into the Secretariat to register for the competition.

However, most students weren't very enthusiastic about who would become the champion in the first round.

Because those who dare to strike first must possess exceptional combat skills and unparalleled self-confidence.

Therefore, most people are thinking of first observing the strength of others, or waiting for those who are obviously very strong to get the spots before applying.

Meanwhile, Ji You left the inner courtyard and went to the management office. His purpose was naturally to register for the competition and become the defender of the first round.

After practicing body tempering, he had been practicing with bare hands, and he really needed an actual fight, which suited him perfectly.

However, Ji You had always known that many people in the academy did not like him, and the spot in the Heavenly Dao Assembly was so precious that it might not be easy to get. Perhaps someone would try to block him during the preliminary rounds. But unexpectedly, the academy leader agreed.

"Registration is certainly possible; Tian Shu Academy has always upheld fairness and impartiality."

Upon hearing this, Ji You glanced outside and realized that the sun had not risen in the west. He thought to himself, "This guy's boasting is deafening."

Manager Qin didn't pay attention to his little actions, but looked at the case file and said softly, "You can choose to participate in the competition or defend the title, but... the Elders' Council has a condition that you need to agree to."

"I knew it wouldn't be that simple. So, what are your conditions?"

“The disciples who participate in the Heavenly Dao Assembly actually represent the prestige of the Heavenly Academy, so they must show the style of the students of our Heavenly Academy and not promote the prestige of other sects.”

"?"

(End of this chapter)