The author of this article

Chapter 211 Drawing the Sword
The night was deep, the stars were shining, and a vast spiritual energy swirled in the sky, forming a blue stream of light that continued to sink downwards until midnight.

As night fell, insects chirped incessantly until the next morning when the east turned white and the sun shone brightly.

At Chen Shi (7-9 AM), a gentle breeze blew into the east wing of the ancestral room, whose window was not closed, causing the sword purchase order, which had been casually placed on the table when he returned the night before, to rustle loudly.

Ji You woke up from her deep sleep and stared blankly for a long time before her eyes regained their vitality. Looking down, she found that the sweat on her body had dried completely, and the clothes she wore were wrinkled from sleeping in bed all night.

After washing up and changing clothes, I cleared my mind in the breezy courtyard.

Fully conscious, Ji You clenched his fist and released his energy. A powerful wave of energy surged outwards, causing the room to buzz. Air currents continued to rush wildly through the gaps in the doors and windows, gradually subsiding after half an hour.

The soreness was still unusually intense last night, but he subconsciously suppressed a soft groan of pain.

Previously, when he was staying in Senior Sister Wen's courtyard, the blame could be placed on her. Now that he's back, if he doesn't restrain himself, the people in the inner courtyard will say he can have a great time by himself in the courtyard...

At this moment, the voice of Wen Siyuan, the disciple in charge of the affairs department, rang out from outside the courtyard. He then pushed open the door and handed a letter from Shengjing to Ji You.

The letter was from Kuang Cheng, who said it had been a long time since they last met and wondered if Brother Ji was well.

Upon seeing the words "long time no see," Ji You's lips twitched. He then took out paper and pen from his room to reply.

The most righteous are often the lowly butchers, while the most ruthless are the scholars.

Wen Siyuan couldn't help but ask, "Junior Brother Ji, aren't you going to the Jade Terrace of Ascension today?"

What's so interesting about Baiyutai?

“A senior brother in the Fusion Realm from our academy went to my office today to submit a challenge to Shi Junhao, the defender of the arena.”

Ji You looked up at the sound, a hint of surprise in his eyes: "So the first one to start a battle is actually at the Fusion Realm?"

Wen Siyuan chuckled inwardly, wondering why, after crossing the Tongxuan Realm, the Rongdao Realm was the first to start the battle. Did his junior brother not know this? It was all because he suppressed this realm. But he still smiled and said, "The preliminary selection is like this: the challenger who comes first will fight."

"I thought the disciples in the academy were all quite cautious."

"Four spots for the Fusion Dao Realm have already been secured by Senior Sister He, Senior Sister Xiao, Junior Brother Chai, and Senior Brother Shi, so for the Fusion Dao Realm, there is not much difference in who comes first."

"Lock it in? How do I lock in a spot?"

Wen Siyuan pursed his lips: "The four of them agreed to take turns on stage and not meet each other. After Senior Brother Shi wins five times, Chai Hu will step up to defend the title, then Senior Sister Xiao, and finally Senior Sister He. So, no matter when the other senior brothers and sisters in the Fusion Realm go on stage, they will encounter powerful opponents, so there is no distinction in order."

Ji You chuckled after hearing this: "It sounds like everything's going smoothly, but it's still a monopolistic move. Besides, He Lingxiu seems to still be in seclusion, right?"

"We're just one step away. The competition for the top three spots will take a month, so there's still time."

"Let's go down the mountain and take a look."

Ji You finished reading the letter and put it in her sleeve. Then she got up and walked out of the courtyard, thinking to herself, "Let me see what's going on."

At this time, a large number of people had gathered in the outer courtyard. From the mountain path, the view was filled with a sea of ​​people, a scene that was no less impressive than the autumn battle last year.

As Ji You descended the mountain, the eyes that had been wandering around suddenly turned toward him, and even Shi Junhao, who was guarding the arena, couldn't help but turn his head to lock onto his figure.

Since the list of those who have reached the Profound Realm was announced, no one has yet challenged Ji You.

Shi Junhao never expected that he would be the first one to be challenged.

Logically speaking, the gap between those at the Fusion Realm should be much greater than that between those at the Profound Realm. For example, even if all three of the Fusion Realm cultivators in Fengzhou were combined, they might not be able to match the Fusion Realm cultivators of the Immortal Sect.

This gap exists because within the realm of Dao Integration, many factors influence cultivation; even a slight deviation can cause one to fall behind.

The other disciples looked at Ji You and thought to themselves, "So this is the kind of person he is, who has intimidated an entire realm of disciples."

Some of the newly admitted disciples were in the same cohort as Xiang Fu, the daughter of the governor of Danshui County. They saw Ji You quite often and couldn't help but take a second look at her.

In addition, nobles from the capital also participated, resulting in a massive influx of people.

"Junior brother, over here!"

From the crowd, Ban Yangshu waved to him.

Beside you, there were Cao Jingsong and others, as well as the Lu sisters, all looking over.

Ji You stepped forward: "Who wants to challenge Shi Junhao?"

"Yang Zijin, a Dao Fusion Realm cultivator who has been stuck in the Dao Fusion Realm for nearly fifteen years, will have his last chance at the Heavenly Dao Meeting."

"A bunch of old guys again, but why isn't Senior Sister Wen here?"

Ban Yangshu lowered his voice: "She has reached the threshold of the Upper Realm, and will probably emerge from seclusion with He Lingxiu. Everyone in the courtyard should have noticed that she is going to challenge He Lingxiu again."

Ji You opened her mouth: "Actually, Senior Sister Wen can also practice swordsmanship with me. Although it may not have a decisive impact on the Fusion Dao Realm, it will still make her stronger as much as she can."

Cao Jingsong couldn't help but speak up from the side: "Breaking into the Upper Realm before the Heavenly Dao Assembly is still a bit of a tight schedule. Your Senior Sister Wen can only focus all her energy on breaking through to the next realm."

Ji You nodded, and then saw a figure walk onto the arena.

Yang Zijin, in the inner courtyard, entered the realm of Dao.

It is said that he is nearly fifty years old, which is not considered old in the cultivation world. He is still in his prime and needs to go out and make a name for himself.

Ji You pondered for a while, then suddenly felt several gazes looking towards the southeast. He turned his head and saw several elders from the Elders' Pavilion.

Fang, Ge, Yang, Shi, Xiao.

These elders are already infinitely close to the Great Dao, deeply attracted by the Heavenly Dao, and their realm is profound. Moreover, their lifespan is almost exhausted, and they are eager to break through to a higher realm. Therefore, they spend more time sitting in seclusion in the deep mountains than their disciples and rarely appear in the public eye.

Even Qiu Dou from the outer courtyard couldn't attract their attention.

However, the Heavenly Dao Assembly is a major event, especially since the participating disciples are related to the powerful families behind them, so it's normal for them to come out and take a look.

At this moment, Elder Fang's gaze was like a knife as he looked at Ji You, his expression indifferent. After a long while, he let out a cold snort.

Ji You met his gaze, then raised a middle finger.

"Junior brother, what are you doing?"

"Move your fingers around."

"Oh."

At this moment, as the gong of the Executive Yuan sounded, a whistling storm instantly swept through the arena.

The disciples surrounding the arena were mostly from the outer courtyard and their cultivation levels were not high to begin with. At this moment, feeling the pressure from the upper realm of the Fusion Dao, they all involuntarily held their breath.

At this moment, Lu Hanyan and Lu Qingqiu couldn't help but summon their spiritual energy to resist the oppressive force, and then they both turned their heads to look to the right.

Cao Jingsong was already at the upper realm of Dao Fusion, so this pressure was just a gentle breeze to him.

Although Ban Yangshu's cultivation level was slightly lower, he had already touched the threshold of the middle stage of the Dao Fusion Realm, so he was not suppressed too obviously by this pressure.

However, Ji You's state was quite surprising. He seemed more composed than Cao Jingsong beside him, as if the overwhelming pressure did not exist, and he was extremely focused on the arena.

It's like there are two completely different kinds of weather under the same sky. Some people feel that there is a strong wind blowing in front of them, with a heavy force like a mountain, while others feel that the sky is clear and there are no clouds.

However, few people present noticed this, because Shi Junhao on the arena had already moved.

With a sharp whistling sound, the gleaming sword in his hand, accompanied by rolling thunder, slashed out like lightning.

The sword was imbued with powerful magic, and with overwhelming force, it pressed down fiercely on the opponent in front of it.

Yang Zijin reacted extremely quickly, instantly swinging his sword to meet the attack. The blade emitted a dazzling purple light, like a shooting star in the dark night, heading straight for Shi Junhao.

The surrounding disciples stared wide-eyed at the arena, where countless mysterious lights buzzed in the air, weaving into a dazzling light curtain. Two figures, caught in the wind and waves, clashed fiercely.

A muffled "boom" made everyone's eardrums ache.

Yang Zijin took three steps back, gasped for breath, muttered incantations, and gently stroked the blade.

In an instant, a dazzling light condensed on the blade and slashed out fiercely once again.

In contrast, Shi Junhao was already surrounded by intense mystic light and surging energy waves, like a war god. With a whoosh, he slashed out with his sword, and the powerful force directly shook the white jade platform, causing Yang Zijin to be forced back once again by this enormous force.

In the eyes of the disciples, this was even more exciting than the autumn competition last year.

In the eyes of the disciples, this battle was far more exciting than the autumn competition last year.

Because all that could be seen was the fierce clash of spells, with dazzling light.

Especially for some disciples of lower realms, who were in the lower three realms, this was the first time they had seen a clash between high realms, apart from the spectacular magic they saw on Chu He during the autumn battle last year.

And so, longing and anticipation rose from the depths of their eyes, as if they could see their own future.

According to Cao Jingsong, Shi Junhao follows the path of "all laws accompany the body," integrating all the power of the Heavenly Dao he comprehends into himself, which is quite similar to the Hun Tian technique of the Chu family.

Yang Zijin, on the other hand, practiced several techniques independently, but did not integrate them into his own style; instead, he used them individually.

Just now, he imbued the iron sword with the Thunderclap Qi from the Four Symbols Method, which is based on spiritual energy and emphasizes instantaneous burst, releasing all its power in a flash.

As Ji You listened to Cao Jingsong's explanation, he looked at the stage, his eyes reflecting countless rays of light and sparks.

Then came another clanging of metal. Yang Zijin's attack was fierce and swift, and it was not hard to see that he was filled with a strong desire for the Heavenly Dao Society.

He is already this old and has been trapped in the Fusion Realm for many years. If he cannot enter Yingtian, he will have to stay in this realm for the rest of his life. This is the tragedy of cultivators.

When you embark on this path, you think it's a wide and boundless road to heaven, which is why you feel utterly hopeless when you see the end.

The place where the sages proved their enlightenment was the only opportunity in his heart, so he poured all his strength into every move he made.

However, Shi Junhao seemed to be in a much more relaxed position, and the mysterious light emanating from his several straight swords forced Yang Zijin's iron blade to have difficulty getting close.

With a clang, Yang Zijin's iron sword suddenly froze in mid-air, as if gripped tightly by an invisible hand, and the hard blade bent down at a visible angle.

They were two stagnant forces.

One force rose upwards, the other pressed down; these two opposing forces fiercely restrained the opponent's blade.

At this moment, Shi Junhao stomped the ground like thunder, and the iron sword, enhanced by the magic, roared as it slashed fiercely.

Just as everyone was anticipating that Yang Zijin would be unable to withstand the sword, he suddenly released the hilt of his sword, struck out with his palms, and unleashed a barrier of energy from both palms to fiercely meet the attacking sword.

The Four Symbols Method uses Qi as a barrier, instantly blocking the opponent's attack.

Shi Junhao returned his sword, and then magic re-condensed on the blade, gathering a violent aura, and slashed down again.

Under the howling spells, the two sides fought back and forth.

Faced with Shi Junhao's sword strikes, Yang Zijin repeatedly used his qi barrier to block them. Then, he suddenly threw a punch, and an instantaneous burst of lightning struck down from above, dazzling the onlookers.

This is the true fusion of the Dao, the fusion of the Dao of the Immortal Sect.

He then used his inner energy to teleport, trying several times to retrieve the iron knife, but each time he was blocked by the iron sword that came cleaving through the air, and he could not get his wish.

But the whistling sword failed to strike him, still blocked by the air barrier.

Just when everyone thought Shi Junhao would withdraw his sword and launch a renewed attack as he had done last time, the iron sword in his hand suddenly trembled, emitting a loud clanging sound as it slashed fiercely into the enemy's body.

Another invisible surge of energy poured directly into the iron sword.

Just like a hammer striking a nail, suddenly, the applied force gave the iron sword the momentum to move forward again.

Yang Zijin should have withdrawn his strength, then dodged the sword with a sideways push, and then used the Thunderclap Sword to strike his back...

Shi Junhao's sword was purely a tool for casting spells; relying on his magical powers, he disregarded his own safety and focused only on what was in front of him...

However, Yang Zijin did not withdraw his strength. Instead, he opened his eyes wide and tried to gather his energy again.

But the next instant, there were two loud popping sounds, and a huge wave shot into the sky. Shi Junhao roared and fiercely cut through the air barrier, causing the wave to roar.

boom!
Yang Zijin flew backwards, and the dust settled.

"Junhao's performance was even better than on the snowy plains."

Elder Ge couldn't help but stroke his beard gently and look at the other elders around him.

Yang Zijin's uncle, Yang Zhiping, was also an elder of the Yingtian Realm. A hint of disappointment flashed in his eyes, but he did not show it. Instead, like everyone else, he nodded in approval of Shi Junhao's performance.

At this moment, Elder Fang couldn't help but frown, looking at the figure opposite him with golden eyes, wondering what he had seen.

"How did you feel about witnessing the Dao Fusion battle between the Immortal Sects?"

"Very strong."

Ji You snapped out of her daze, the golden light in her eyes dimming: "If Yang Zijin were a little smarter, he might have been able to hold on a little longer, but... it wouldn't make much of a difference."

Cao Jingsong nodded: "There is a clear difference in their levels of understanding. No matter what happens in the process, the outcome is obvious."

"Actually, the timing was just right."

"You mean Shi Junhao's subsequent sword strike?"

"I mean, it's time to eat."

"?"

The first arena match of the Fusion Dao Realm was a grand affair, attracting countless eyes. Even after the dust settled, some people were still immersed in the shock and could not extricate themselves, and were unable to leave the scene for a long time.

The Heavenly Academy does not allow its disciples to fight privately, and the inner disciples are used to sitting in seclusion in the deep mountains to cultivate, appearing and disappearing like dragons.

Therefore, battles fought with magical techniques like this are indeed rare.

At this moment, Shi Junhao had already sheathed his sword and left the scene, but many onlookers were still gazing at the empty space and sighing.

Even Yang Zijin, who was defeated, possessed the Four Symbols Technique, which was enough to amaze people. Not to mention Shi Junhao's unpredictable and strange power techniques, which left people in awe.

Most importantly, this is only the first round of the Heavenly Dao Tournament preliminary rounds. Apart from the unannounced elder battles, the remaining battles are enough to keep the entire Shengjing in a frenzy for two months.

Those who were preparing to participate in the arena battle were also thoughtful after witnessing this fight.

Not long after, someone went to the Office of the Head of State alone.

Ji You was at the Immortal Cuisine Restaurant, with several bowls piled up in front of him. Behind the bowls sat Cao Jingsong, who exuded a murderous aura.

Body training involves a relatively large intake of nutrients.

Despite his large appetite, Ji You ate with great elegance, without any of the ravenous mannerisms one might expect.

However, just as he was enjoying his meal, a disciple from the academy suddenly rushed in from outside.

The visitor was not Wen Siyuan, because Wen Siyuan was responsible for transmitting messages to the inner court, while the disciple who came this time was specifically in charge of the Heavenly Dao Assembly preliminaries.

He had been looking around the Immortal Cuisine Restaurant for a long time, and then spotted Ji You, who had the best appetite, in the crowd, and handed her a letter. Upon seeing this, the Immortal Cuisine Restaurant, which had been discussing the battle just now, instantly fell silent, and everyone gathered there couldn't help but turn to look.

"Junior Brother Ji, you will be going up on stage to defend your title tomorrow."

"it is good."

Ji You glanced at the invitation after receiving it and asked, "Want to grab something to eat together?"

Cao Jingsong: "?"

The disciple in charge of the academy politely cupped his hands and said, "Thank you, junior brother, but I have already eaten."

"Is that so? Then I won't stand on ceremony."

"Please enjoy your meal, junior brother. I'll take my leave now."

Ji You nodded, and then noticed that Cao Jingsong had taken the post and was examining it.

The disciples nearby were also raising their eyes, seemingly trying to see the names clearly.

While waiting, Ji You quietly went and ordered two more bowls of noodles. By the time Cao Jingsong realized what was happening, it was too late to stop her...

Lu Hanyan was standing nearby at that moment: "Senior brother, who will challenge you tomorrow?"

Ji You put down his chopsticks, his gaze dark as he gave a cold laugh: "No name, all we know is that he comes from Wu Town, making him seem quite mysterious."

Cao Jingsong then looked up and said, "That person's name is Wu Zhen."

"?"

Wu Zhen, an outer disciple, had not made a breakthrough in the Tongxuan Realm for five years, and he was the one who had been praised by those around him for his profound cultivation.

Among the Transcendent Realm cultivators in the outer courtyard, Wu Zhen possesses the highest combat strength.

It is said that two years ago, after realizing that he could not make any progress on the path to enlightenment, he began to explore other paths and seek out many methods.

Ji You listened to Cao Jingsong's introduction and nodded slightly.

I don't know them very well, and there's no need for me to remember them.

He ate until he was half full, then put away the challenge and returned to the inner courtyard.

The news that Wu Zhen was going to challenge Ji You spread quickly through various channels and was discussed until the morning of the next day.

As the sun rose higher, countless inner court disciples headed down the mountain, including Shi Junhao and Xiao Hanyan.

They were at the Fusion Realm and shouldn't have cared so much about the battle between those at the Profound Realm, but since the matter involved Ji You, they still couldn't stay calm.

Because they had all witnessed that sword strike in the desolate wilderness, they were eager to know how Ji You would fare without using the sword techniques of Spirit Sword Mountain.

Meanwhile, scions of prominent families in the capital flocked to the Heavenly Academy, sharing similar ideas with those in the inner courtyard.

Before long, the enlightenment site became overcrowded.

Wu Zhen arrived here early and was familiarizing himself with the site of the Ascension Jade Platform, seemingly formulating an attack plan.

When he saw the list of challengers for the Tongxuan Realm, he originally did not want to participate in the first five rounds because he was not very confident in facing Ji You.

However, the one who entered the inner courtyard by chance two years ago, Tongxuan, was the target he chose.

But when he learned that Ji You would not be using swordsmanship to defend the title this time, he suddenly felt a restless urge to try.

So he made extensive preparations, purchasing countless spirit stones, magical artifacts, and protective pills, hoping to earn himself a chance to see the light at the end of the tunnel.

At this moment, he walked around Baiyutai and found that several elders of the Elders' Pavilion were looking at him with a hint of approval in their eyes, which made him feel even more victorious.

Subsequently, the Lu sisters also rushed from their own courtyard to the Ascension Jade Terrace.

Lu Qingqiu was being dragged along the whole way, watching her younger sister's hurried expression.

As she stumbled, she couldn't help but look at her sister's buttocks.

It's stuck again...

However, as they walked, a figure made them frown instantly.

The man was wearing a brocade robe and his hair was neatly combed; it was Fang Jincheng himself.

After Fang Jincheng was defeated in the Sword Forest, he was taken into the inner courtyard by Elder Fang under the pretext of healing his wounds, but it is said that he was personally trained by Elder Fang.

At this moment, he was standing on the left side of the Ascension Jade Platform, looking at Lu Hanyan with a cold smile.

"Miss Lu, how have you been?"

"So it's Young Master Fang. What brings you here?"

"Your Senior Brother Ji can't use the Spirit Sword Mountain sword style to defend the arena today, and he might become a toothless tiger. Do you know that all of this is thanks to you? In the world of Qingyun, personal strength is not the most important thing. The most important thing is strength and background. Today, I will make you realize this fact."

Lu Hanyan instantly pursed her red lips, a hint of anger flashing in her beautiful eyes.

These words were overheard by those on either side, sparking another round of discussion.

At this moment, Lu Qingqiu grabbed his sister's arm and led her to his right: "Junior Brother Fang, do you really think that Young Master Ji will lose?"

"As you and I both know, his greatest reliance is nothing more than the swordsmanship he stole from my Spirit Sword Mountain."

A voice suddenly rang out behind Fang Jincheng, drawing everyone's attention.

Zhao Yunyue walked gracefully towards Lu Qingqiu, her gaze cold and arrogant.

Lu Qingqiu glanced at her: "Your Spirit Sword Mountain?"

"Although I did not cultivate on Lingjian Mountain, I am a disciple of Lingjian Mountain. It is not an exaggeration to say that Ji You stole the swordsmanship of Lingjian Mountain. You and I both know that if he really does not use the swordsmanship of Lingjian Mountain as promised, he will definitely be in a tough battle."

As Zhao Yunyue spoke, her gaze swept across the space between Lu Qingqiu and Lu Hanyan's legs, seemingly unintentionally: "A country hermit, served by the Lu family's daughter every night, could certainly be considered a beautiful story."

Lu Hanyan frowned: "Senior brother comes from a noble family, so Princess, please don't call him a country bumpkin cultivator anymore."

"None of that matters. The only question is whether Miss Lu thinks he might regret impulsively teaching you swordsmanship if he loses?"

“Loss? If Wu Zhen really had such ability, he should have entered the inner academy in the first place.”

"But don't forget, it's not just Wu Zhen's."

Fang Jincheng continued, "He's just the first one. There are four more to come, and each one will be stronger than the last."

Cao Jingsong, Ban Yangshu, and Bai Rulong also arrived at this moment, and frowned slightly upon hearing the noisy noise.

But arguing at this point is pointless and only adds to the frustration.

The three of them turned around and saw Ji You carrying a Dao sword and walking towards the Ascension Jade Platform.

Today he was wearing the Celestial Robe of the Heavenly Academy, his hair was neatly combed, and he was carrying an iron sword.

Meanwhile, the three stewards of the Steward's Office and the five elders of the Elders' Hall couldn't help but look at him.

Among them were many Transcendent Realm cultivators on the challenger list, all watching the two on the arena with bated breath.

Everything in this world is hardest at the beginning.

Before taking action, some people hesitate, wait, feel uneasy, shy away from the unknown, and choose to observe how others do things first.

But once this matter was started, things naturally fell into place, and Wu Zhen was the starting point.

Through his battle, the other Transcendent Realm cultivators waiting to be challenged will realize that Ji You, who has lost the sword path of Spirit Sword Mountain, is actually very weak and far less frightening than his reputation suggests.

Even without using the sword techniques of Lingjian Mountain, Ji You could still win, but he wouldn't have many tricks up his sleeve.

After this match, everyone has a pretty good idea of ​​how to deal with Ji You and how to counter his moves. When the time comes, what can a toothless tiger do?

At this moment, Wu Zhen looked up at Ji You, and then a faint spiritual light flickered around him. The protective pills in his body began to take effect, causing the spiritual energy around him to condense into a hazy layer of light.

He then took out a flat, square box. The box was hollowed out, with a polished spirit stone in the center, which he embedded in his belt.

"what is that?"

"A magical artifact is equivalent to another source of spiritual energy, but it doesn't have any auxiliary effects; it can only help cultivators replenish it quickly."

Lu Qingqiu spoke up and gave an explanation to Cao Jingsong, who had asked the question.

It was something the poor had never seen before. Cao Jingsong frowned slightly: "This is too unfair..."

Ban Yangshu pursed her lips: "That's just how the rules are, there's nothing we can do about it."

The Lu sisters frowned, thinking to themselves that such magical artifacts were not cheap and were not easy to buy.

Otherwise, each of the disciples who were sent to Qiling could have had one to resist the suppression of spiritual energy by the evil energy.

They didn't know much about Wu Zhen, but they knew a lot about the Wu family of Yunzhou. It was a family that couldn't even join the Spirit Stone Merchant Guild, so their wealth was considerable.

Wu Zhen will not receive such support. Even if the Heavenly Dao Society might allow him to break through his current bottleneck, it would only be a preliminary selection.

Anyone with eyes can see that even if he manages to defend the five rounds of the arena and enter the Heavenly Dao Society, his chances of making it into the top ten are extremely slim. Family investments always aim for immediate results, so the origin of this magical artifact must be strange.

At this moment, Lu Hanyan couldn't help but glance at Fang Jincheng beside her, and saw that he had a look of resentment mixed with excitement on his face.

Before the second young lady of the Lu family could show any annoyance, a gong suddenly sounded, and the arena competition officially began!
In an instant, a fierce surge of spiritual energy began to rise around Wu Zhen. Although his aura was not as strong as Shi Junhao's and Yang Zijin's, it still made the surrounding outer court disciples feel a faint pressure.

But most people's attention was actually focused on Ji You.

At this moment, Ji You drew his sword from its sheath, his arm muscles bulging slightly, and a scorching aura began to emanate from his body.

However, his aura was not strong, and even seemed dull. His momentum was not even comparable to that of Wu Zhen opposite him. It seemed to be just a simple sword draw.

This is completely different from the Ji You who fought Chu He with overwhelming momentum back then.

The next instant, Wu Zhen stomped forward and charged forward, his iron sword suddenly slashing horizontally forward.

The surging spiritual energy instantly gathered on the sword sheath, roaring and churning like a raging tide, heading straight for Ji You.

At this moment, Ji You slowly raised his sword. The muscles from his arm to his shoulder tensed up like a string in an instant, and powerful force quickly gathered in his arm. Then he raised his sword, just like a normal sword raising.

But the instant he raised his hand, a scorching wave of air suddenly surged forth with a "buzz".

Everyone's eyes were actually following Wu Zhen, who had made the first move, but at this moment they suddenly turned their heads, their eyes widened instantly, and they felt a heart-pounding sense of crisis.

But this is not a form of oppression, because oppression comes from the outside, it is generated when heaven and man interact, and it comes from the power of the heavenly way.

This feeling, however, seemed to originate from within, stemming from humanity's instinctive alertness to the outside world. It instantly caused tingling sensations on the scalp, and even some individuals with lower cultivation levels couldn't help but tremble all over.

At this moment, Ji You swung his iron sword down, and the bones of his entire arm vibrated with the sound of a fully drawn bowstring.

The air, which had been still, was instantly pushed to both sides, and the rolling air waves were filled with muffled sounds of being sliced ​​and exploded, while the sword blade was already red when it cut down.

Bang!

A sharp clang rang out as the iron sword slashed down cleanly.

Wu Zhen, who had already rushed forward with his sword, suddenly stopped and froze on the stage.

He charged forward with the force of a sword strike, filled with intense fighting spirit, as if victory was inevitable and could not be stopped by gods or Buddhas.

But suddenly he switched to a horizontal sword during the process, adopting a defensive stance. When Ji You's sword fell, it struck his horizontal sword directly, and that's when the clanging sound came.

Those who were closer, such as Lu Qingqiu and Lu Hanyan who had arrived earlier, felt their feet go numb when the "clang" sounded, and their plump toes couldn't help but curl up together.

Looking at Wu Zhen again, he was still holding his sword horizontally above his head, but he didn't move for a long time, as if he was frozen on the stage.

Upon witnessing this scene, the members of the Elders' Council suddenly felt a sense of foreboding, but they did not understand the source of this premonition.

Then a cracking sound came from the stage, and the magic artifact embedded in Wu Zhen's belt suddenly cracked and shattered on the ground. The spiritual light formed by the protective pill energy dissipated instantly, like thin ice encountering a branding iron.

Then, with a loud "bang," Wu Zhen fell backward to the ground, blood gushing from his mouth and nose.

The audience was stunned.

Even if he doesn't use the Spirit Sword Mountain sword style, I only have a 60% chance of winning.

Without the swordsmanship of Lingjian Mountain, Ji You is just a toothless tiger.

[Miss Lu, don't forget, there are five more to come.]

Even if Ji You manages to win the first match with difficulty, he won't have many tricks up his sleeve, and will have to rely on countering each move as it comes...

The beginning is the hardest, but once you start, no one will be afraid of him who can't use swordsmanship.

After a few breaths of silence, the entire Ascension Jade Platform erupted in a series of loud exclamations.

Fang Jincheng's expression changed drastically in shock, while Zhao Yunyue's beautiful eyes trembled violently. Even the usually calm and collected elder of the inner courtyard suddenly widened his eyes, revealing a hint of disbelief.

There is no hard-fought battle, and there is no victory by chance.

There is no need to counter every move, and there is no feeling of helplessness when you can no longer use kendo.

Some only swing their swords once, raising them and lowering them, cleanly like a child waving a wooden stick.

From Lu Hanyan's perspective, that sword strike was not even as swift as Senior Brother Ji's slap on the buttocks, yet it directly crippled a Transcendent Realm expert.

Nobody cared whether Wu Zhen was dead or not.

Even the disciples in charge of affairs forgot to strike the gong, focusing intently on the figure on the stage.

Ji You gripped his sword hilt tightly, savoring the feeling of cutting through everything when he drew his sword just now.

It was power, pure and simple power, originating from himself, which he then unleashed without reservation in that instant.

For this reason, he had neither the oppressive aura that came with the interaction between heaven and man, nor the surging waves of energy formed by the frantic accumulation of spiritual energy, and even when he was operating his cultivation realm, there was no such magnificent and powerful aura spreading around him.

Yes, it was merely a powerful force that suddenly erupted from his Dao-level physical body.

This force, coordinating with his bones and muscles, made his sword strike resemble a towering mountain crashing down, carrying an irresistible power.

This power burst forth from the depths of his bone marrow, causing every inch of his bones to tremble and resonate, and every muscle to bulge and tighten, making his sword strike as heavy as a thousand pounds, yet without a trace of power leaking out.

It was enjoyable, but not entirely so.

Because his opponent was too weak, his sword was primarily used for penetrating force, and he did not actually strike with the momentum.

(8,000 words, please vote for me tomorrow...)
(End of this chapter)