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Chapter 212 What a handsome robe

The Profound Realm is a transitional realm between the Lower Three Realms and the Upper Five Realms, and it is also a watershed moment for the Immortal Sect.

When someone in their prime breaks through the lower three realms to the Profound Realm, they can enter the Inner Court after the Autumn Battle. Naturally, some people will be left behind in the Outer Court.

These students who did not enter the inner academy can continue their cultivation and later enter the Tongxuan realm, where they are regarded as the strongest combat force in the outer academy.

Pei Ruyi was like that back then. Although he did not enter the inner courtyard, he touched the threshold of the Fusion Realm and was once hailed as the chief disciple of the outer courtyard.

Pei Ruyi's five-year term had long been completed. Because she had no powerful family to rely on, she chose to join the Steward's Pavilion and stay in the Steward's Court.

After she left, the position of chief fell to Wu Zhen.

Even so, there is still a considerable gap between the Tongxuan Realm of the Outer Courtyard and the Tongxuan Realm of the Inner Courtyard, just as the Dao Fusion Realm of the Immortal Manor is not as good as that of the Dao Fusion Realm of the Aristocratic Families.

Therefore, Wu Zhen, a Transcendent Realm cultivator from the Outer Courtyard, was nothing in the eyes of the Transcendent Realm cultivators who came from the Inner Courtyard to watch. His defeat was not unexpected in everyone's mind.

Because the number of places is limited, the chances of outer court disciples obtaining a ticket to the Heavenly Dao Assembly through the preliminary selection are very slim.

Even so, in the hearts of the inner court disciples, Wu Zhen was still a genuine Transcendent Realm expert.

He deserved to lose, but his loss was unbelievable.

With a single swing of the sword, a blow to the head, he fell to the ground.

Is Wu Zhen too weak? All the praise he's received over the years is just empty fame?

The problem was that the whole battle went by too fast; what was supposed to be the beginning turned out to be the end.

No one knows how Ji You did it, including the source of that scorching heat and that chilling pressure.

Even without using swordsmanship, Ji You still surpassed their expectations...

At this moment, the inner courtyard cultivators, who had all been full of fighting spirit, all turned pale.

Fifty years old, the age when you should be falling asleep as soon as your head hits the pillow...

Ji You glanced at Wu Zhen, then stepped down from the Ascension Jade Platform, drawing everyone's attention.

There was no discussion, no questioning, because everyone was too stunned to react.

Even Cao Jingsong, Ban Yangshu, and others were momentarily dazed as they stared at Ji You as he stepped off the stage, as if they didn't recognize him anymore.

The following day, no challenge was issued.

There was none on the third day either.

Ji You sat in her small courtyard and waited for three days, but there was still no movement.

He was the kind of person who didn't like to procrastinate, and the fact that he disappeared after only the first of the five battles made him frown.

This was his first time using his bare hands to wield a sword, and he wasn't very skilled at controlling his strength; he was indeed a bit reckless.

But he knew that the Elders' Council wanted someone to defeat him, since he couldn't use the Spirit Sword Mountain swordsmanship. Now that no one was challenging him, the Elders' Council should push for someone to be chosen.

But they still haven't been able to select anyone, which is incredibly ineffective.

The temperature was rising every day, and visible waves of heat rose from the white marble platform. The cicadas were chirping, their voices hoarse and incessant.

After the battle at the Tongxuan Realm ended, the situation instantly became deadlocked, while Shi Junhao fought four consecutive battles.

There are indeed differences in combat strength among those at the Fusion Realm within the Inner Court, but the differences are not significant.

Shi Junhao was clearly a cautious player. The techniques he hadn't shown in the first match were revealed one after another in the following four matches, constantly exposing the magical foundation behind him, and slowly delivering the crushing victory that everyone had been expecting.

Thus, the clash of spells took place every day on the Jade Platform of Ascension, dazzling the audience.

The number of onlookers increased dramatically every day, including some prominent families from the surrounding area.

Because their family members also participate in the Heavenly Dao Assembly, understanding the strength of their opponents in advance is a way for these aristocratic families to increase their chances of winning.

Taking advantage of this bustling atmosphere, the restaurants in Shengjing City were making a fortune, with one group leaving and another arriving every day.

The kitchen was bustling with activity, and the head chef nearly broke the wok.

Meanwhile, the aroma of wine in Shengjing City grew stronger, because the jade liquor brewed by the spirit seedling could linger all day long.

With a loud bang!
A beam of mysterious light descended from the white jade platform of Ascension. In his fifth match, Shi Junhao switched from sword to saber and decisively defeated his junior brother Dong Yunfei from the inner court.

With his power unleashed, he left his opponent with absolutely no chance to retaliate.

However, the crowd's enthusiasm was no longer as high as it had been during Shi Junhao's battle against Yang Zijin, nor were they filled with awe at the dazzling barrage of spells.

Because whenever people watch the battle, they can't help but recall a mundane sword swing, and their brows furrow when they lose focus.

Some outside aristocratic families came to watch the battle. After watching, they praised Shi Junhao repeatedly, saying that his profound skills were truly unparalleled. However, they often turned their heads and saw that the students of the Heavenly Academy around them were in a daze and were very puzzled.

"After Shi Junhao, it's Xiao Hanyan's turn to defend the title. Post the notice first, and then wait for the others to arrive."

"Ah."

Upon hearing Qin Rong's words, Ji Jingyao, the head of the Imperial Household Department, picked up a writing brush from his desk and began to copy the proclamation announcing Xiao Hanyan's defense of the arena.

The pavilion fell silent instantly, with only the incessant chirping of cicadas remaining.

Lang Hetong sat at the tea table, holding two iron balls in his hands. After a long silence, he spoke: "Is the preliminary selection for the Tongxuan Realm stuck here?"

Qin Rong picked up his teacup: "I still don't understand that sword strike, let alone anyone else. Who would dare to go on stage again? Ji You's sword strike was too strange..."

"It's really too strange. I didn't even feel any fluctuations in spiritual energy, and Wu Zhen just fell straight down like that."

"You feel it too?"

"I naturally felt it, which is why I found it incredible."

The three recalled the earlier sword strike, their expressions complex and difficult to decipher.

It ended too quickly; all they remembered was that simple sword strike, and it seemed they saw nothing else.

The only thing that can be confirmed is that Ji You really did not use the swordsmanship of Lingjian Mountain.

But this is the most fucking scary thing.

Everyone says that Ji You, without the swordsmanship of Lingjian Mountain, is a toothless tiger, but who has ever seen such a tiger?

The Elders' Council's original intention was to deprive Ji You of his strongest support, then have him defend the arena first, and then lose, thus missing out on a spot in the Heavenly Dao Society.

Now, he alone has suppressed all the Transcendent Realm cultivators in the entire academy.

"The competition must continue. Our Heavenly Academy cannot send only one Tongxuan to fight."

"This matter was originally the idea of ​​the Elders' Council, so let the Elders' Council have a headache about it."

Qin Rong raised his eyes: "They thought that restricting Ji You's use of the Spirit Sword Mountain sword technique was a stroke of genius. Now look what's happened, he has become an insurmountable obstacle for all the Tongxuan Realm disciples of the Heavenly Academy. That's quite interesting."

Just then, footsteps sounded outside the office.

A figure stepped across the threshold, blocking the morning light and dust, and stood slowly on the floor tiles.

Qin Rong assumed the visitor was a disciple responsible for communicating between the inner and outer courtyards, so he didn't look up. He simply tapped the table with his finger, indicating that the visitor should put down the results of the elders' battle that was taking place in the inner courtyard.

Young people have a spirit of courage and fighting, but old-fashioned people weigh the pros and cons.

The Heavenly Dao Society is held every five years, which is just a blink of an eye for these old guys' lifespans. This time you go, next time he goes, and the outcome of winning or losing won't attract much attention.

To Qin Rong's surprise, the visitor did not leave.

He looked up and saw that the visitor was an inner court disciple.

"Disciple Liu Qichen has come to participate in the Tongxuan Battle and challenge Ji You."

"?"

The three managers exchanged a glance: "Are you sure?"

Liu Qichen nodded: "No one can understand that sword strike, but someone has to challenge him, otherwise this matter cannot proceed. Therefore, I am willing to share the burden for the Council of Affairs and the Elders' Pavilion."

Lang Hetong and Ji Jingyao couldn't help but turn their heads to look at him as he pressed his handprint on the challenge letter, their expressions becoming thoughtful.

"It seems they did offer some benefits."

"The Liu family has indeed declined somewhat in Zhongzhou."

At this moment, Liu Qichen walked out of the gate of the Hall of State Affairs, followed by several old friends from the Heavenly Academy and junior brothers with whom he had previously had a good personal relationship.

These people were indeed somewhat puzzled when they saw Liu Qichen sign the challenge.

Senior Brother Liu entered the inner courtyard in the early years of Taiwu, but his cultivation was stuck at the upper realm of Tongxuan and he was unable to merge with the Dao. However, his strength far surpassed that of Wu Zhen.

If he avoids Ji You, he can almost always win against any opponent.

Liu Qichen glanced at them, then chuckled softly, offering no further explanation.

By avoiding Ji You, he still has a chance to get a spot in the Heavenly Dao Society. However, he is not sure whether he can enter the top ten after participating in the Heavenly Dao Society. In the end, it may all be a mirage.

However, the benefits promised to the Liu family by the Elders' Council were real and tangible.

In their Liu family, the talent for cultivation has gradually diminished, and by this generation, he is the only one who has been able to enter the inner courtyard of the Immortal Sect.

The elders in the Elders' Pavilion all possess considerable power in the four northern states and are willing to lend a helping hand to the Liu family, allowing them to stand for another hundred years. In Liu Qichen's view, that is enough.

This was a choice: between the individual and the family, Liu Qichen chose the family.

Moreover, he did not believe that he would necessarily have no chance against Ji You, who could not use swordsmanship.

They're both at the Profound Realm, so there can't be a world of difference between them...

Liu Qichen walked up the mountain and returned to his small courtyard, where he saw many things laid out on the stone table.

There were magical artifacts, spirit stones, and even pills of a higher grade than the protective pills Wu Zhen had taken, as well as a black robe.

Meanwhile, the disciples of the head of the academy, carrying visiting cards, walked up the mountain along the vast, newly green forest and then delivered a card to Ji You's courtyard.

In fact, when Liu Qichen returned, news of his challenge to Ji You had already spread throughout the outer courtyard. Now, seeing the Heavenly Academy disciple who came to deliver the invitation, he knew that there would be another battle today.

"Junior Brother Ji."

"A challenge has been issued?"

"Liu Qichen from the Inner Court."

During the few days without any challenges, Ji You occasionally went out to instruct Lu Hanyan in swordsmanship and to beg for food from Cao Jingsong.

During this time, he also went to Shengjing City to visit Kuang Cheng.

They were said to have held hands, and in short, he looked like he was living a shameful life. No wonder he seemed to have lost his mind when he went shopping with Wei Rui that day, and even forgot who his best friend was. Ji You kept muttering that long-distance relationships are not even worth talking about.

More than two-thirds of the transportation routes in Fengzhou have been repaired, and the Sixianjian (Imperial Sacrifices Bureau) is currently reviewing them.

Kuang Cheng would return to Fengzhou from time to time because he didn't trust anyone else with this matter.

During this time, Lao Qiu also wrote a letter, mentioning the situation at home and saying that Kuang Cheng had returned to Yuyang County and painted many pictures while going from street to street. Among them was a painting of Ji You taking in seventy-two adopted sons and daughters, which was painted very well.

The letter said that the painting was probably a gift for the young master, since his birthday was approaching.

But Ji You didn't receive it. When she asked him, he said, "What painting did you say?" She replied, "I don't know."

In addition, he actually watched three of Shi Junhao's fights.

He watched Yang Zijin's performance, as well as the third and final performances.

As he walked back and forth, he was constantly being stared at, and countless people were talking about him, but no one dared to point or whisper.

At this moment, Ji You finally received the next challenge letter. He then raised his hand to take it, opened it, and glanced at it quickly.

He knew Liu Qichen.

Liu, a member of the Liu family who entered the academy in the early years of Taiwu, was one of the few who entered the inner courtyard without ever sensing the Heavenly Book. He was rarely seen in the courtyard, and the number of times he did so was less than the number of times he spanked Miss Lu's buttocks.

Ji You was quite puzzled. What exactly did these cultivators, who couldn't break through to the next realm yet were always elusive, do on a daily basis?

They neither practice physical training nor engage in farming, nor do they have a main occupation like I do. They spend their days hiding in the mountains receiving offerings from the masses, unaware of the meaning of life.

People like this should be sent to Fengzhou to farm...

In their village's joint farming team, Gao Di was someone who could be a team leader.

Before long, the Jade Platform for Ascending Immortality in the outer courtyard was surrounded by people, all of whom were standing in their usual spots.

To the east are the Executive Council and the Elders' Pavilion, while the nobles of the capital are on the south side. Among them, Fang Jincheng and Zhao Yunyue arrived again, their eyes fixed on the direction of the arena.

Six days have passed since the battle between Wu Zhen and Ji You, but even now, they still cannot believe what they just witnessed.

For them, the sword strike was too fast; they couldn't see anything at all.

They preferred to believe that the sword strike was one that drained Ji You's resources and spiritual energy; there was no other explanation.

At this time, Ji You had already descended the mountain from the inner courtyard and was heading to the Immortal Ascension Jade Terrace with Cao Jingsong and others.

The Lu sisters reserved seats for Cao Jingsong and the others, while Ji You walked up to the white jade platform with her sword in hand.

"Don't panic, and don't be afraid before the battle."

"Draw your strongest sword and slash forward without hesitation."

"Don't be like Wu Zhen, who suddenly switched to blocking when he rushed in front of you. He thought he was playing it safe, but he didn't realize that his Dao heart had already weakened by more than half. How could he not lose?"

On the east side of Baiyutai, Liu Qichen had already arrived with his sword. As he walked to the west side of Baiyutai, he was stopped by several elders who gave him careful instructions.

Wu Zhen fainted after losing the challenge six days ago, and no one except himself knew why he chose to switch to a defensive stance at the last moment of his final strike.

Many people believe that if he had been ruthless enough to strike first instead of intending to take Ji You's sword first, he might not have suffered such a crushing defeat.

Upon hearing this, Liu Qichen nodded, his eyes fixed on the expressionless Ji You, his mind replaying Elder Fang's words.

Do not be afraid before the battle begins; charge forward without hesitation.

Lu Qingqiu looked eastward and carefully examined the black brocade robe Liu Qichen was wearing: "It's a magic artifact, a defensive magic artifact, and a very high-quality one at that."

Ban Yangshu looked at it for a while: "Is it expensive?"

"Extremely expensive. It is said to be able to withstand an attack from a cultivator at the upper level of the Fusion Realm. However, this type of defensive magic weapon has never sold as fast as cultivation-aid magic weapons. As far as I know, Qionghua Pavilion should not have any in stock."

"It's probably the Elders' Council's doing again. They really went to great lengths for my junior brother's mere Tongxuan realm cultivation."

At this moment, Liu Qichen stepped onto the stage.

The robe instantly emitted a mysterious light, and then Liu Qichen opened his mouth and swallowed the protective elixir. A hazy mysterious light emanated from his body, surging continuously. This mysterious light was much stronger than the vague aura that Wu Zhen had previously formed, clearly indicating a higher quality elixir, making Liu Qichen appear even more mysterious.

Furthermore, this mysterious light could even blur his figure to some extent.

These pills made the Lu sisters frown, thinking that they were already considered to be of collector's value, and could almost be regarded as the sect's most prized possession in the Immortal Manor.

Just then, the sound of a gong suddenly rang out.

At the very moment the gong sounded loudly, Liu Qichen suddenly took a step forward, his sword surging with spiritual energy and spreading its sharpness as he slashed angrily at Ji You in front of him.

No need for words, no need to hold back, just forge ahead!

Ji You's brows furrowed instantly, and golden light shone brightly in his eyes. He then suddenly drew his sword, and it made a clanging sound as if water was washing the blade!
His response was the same as the previous one: his waist was taut, and he still raised his sword decisively with his right hand. A powerful force burst forth from his body, and at the same time, a scorching aura roared out, sending a chill down one's spine.

Then, with a thud!
The perfectly sealed white stone slab was shattered underfoot. Ji You swung his sword and rose up, the heavy force causing the platform to tremble. At the same time, the sword slashed down, cutting out a suffocating vacuum.

Do not be afraid before the battle begins; charge forward without hesitation.

Liu Qichen gritted his teeth, let out an angry shout, and charged forward with his long sword.

Seeing this, everyone around widened their eyes, suppressing the urge to tremble, trying to see every detail clearly, especially the moment the blades clashed.

But at this critical moment, Liu Qichen suddenly changed his sword style, from slashing to parrying, and in an instant, he poured all his spiritual energy into his head, causing the elders of the Elders' Hall to frown instantly!

how so!?
Why did he change his sword style?!

I had just told him not to follow Wu Zhen's example, but to just charge forward and leave the rest to fate. Liu Qichen had repeated this to himself many times, but I never expected that he would switch from offense to defense at this critical juncture.

Amidst the intense gazes, Liu Qichen, who had raised his sword, already had eyes blazing with fury.

It wasn't that he didn't want to kill him with a single sword strike; it was that the moment Ji You raised his sword, he felt as if he were facing an invincible monster.

The tremor emanating from within wasn't from the pressure of a higher realm; it was a primal biological instinct, like a physical suppression.

In that split second, he could only follow the decision in his heart: to defend!
There's no such thing as charging forward relentlessly, only defense!
At this moment, Liu Qichen watched as Ji You swung his sword down. The arm holding the sword was like a taut bowstring. Before the sword even arrived, the scorching wind and waves pressed down on him like a tsunami, and all he could hear was a buzzing sound.

Bang!

With a loud crash, the stone bricks beneath Liu Qichen's feet shattered, and his hand was covered in cracks.

He felt a twisting, drilling force directly penetrate the sword and vibrate up his arm. The soreness almost made him want to scream, but before he could open his mouth, he heard Ji You shout angrily.

"What a handsome cassock!"

"?"

Ji You sighed in admiration, then immediately sheathed his sword and withdrew. The next instant, he stretched out his right arm again and swung his sword fiercely once more.

With a deafening roar, the iron sword fell upon me again, like a heavenly sword pressing down on me!
The protective aura surrounding Liu Qichen was formed by the solidification of spiritual energy, and it was directly crushed by the sword. The resulting airflow sent him flying.

Seeing this, Liu Qichen used the momentum to his advantage, pushing off with both feet and soaring into the sky like an arrow, intending to use his speed to attack from above.

But before he could leap very high, he saw a dark shadow dart by, and Ji You, who had just been returning his sword, was already above him.

Upon seeing a section of floor tile that had just been trampled and broken, the disciple in charge of the affairs office turned deathly pale.

In the past two years, Baiyutai has only been repaired once, and the last time was when Ji Youjian cut down Chuhe, which was shattered by Xiaochongshan.

Boom.

The crowd felt the heat suddenly shift from top to bottom, so they looked up and saw a sharp sword cry as an iron sword suddenly fell.

Liu Qichen accelerated and crashed to the ground, creating a deep crater on the white jade platform with a loud bang, filling the air with dust.

Elder Fang remained silent for a long time: "There is no spiritual energy."

Cao Jingsong couldn't help but narrow his eyes and whispered, "How could there be no spiritual energy?"

Ji You's leap into the air just now wasn't due to harnessing spiritual energy; he jumped up directly using his legs...

Since he wasn't allowed to use the sword techniques of Lingjian Mountain, he simply stopped using spiritual energy altogether.

Fang Jincheng's face had already turned deathly pale. In fact, his face had turned pale as soon as Ji You's first sword strike shook the high platform.

Amidst the billowing smoke and dust, the ruthless bandit landed on the ground. Liu Qichen, clutching his chest, stood up and said, "I lost. I'm not fighting anymore..."

Ji You returned the sword: "You flatter me."

"You are not at the Profound Realm."

"How could I not be at the Profound Realm?"

Liu Qichen gritted his teeth as he sensed the fluctuations in his spiritual energy: "How could there possibly be someone like you at the Profound Realm?"

Ji You raised the corners of her mouth: "What a handsome robe."

"It is indeed a fine robe, capable of withstanding an attack from a Dao Fusion Realm expert. If it weren't for it, I wouldn't be able to stand here and talk to you right now. But is this robe the only thing on my body that you can admire?"

"Well then, make a graceful landing."

"?"

Ji You sheathed his sword, then turned and stepped off the platform.

Fang Jincheng glanced at Ji You and couldn't help but take a step back: "Senior Brother Ji... what are you going to do?"

“I remember you said before that even if Wu Zhen lost, there would still be four more.”

Ji You raised the corners of her mouth: "Go tell Elder Fang that there are still three left, and let them continue to choose."

Fang Jincheng swallowed hard: "Senior Brother Ji's divine might is awe-inspiring. He doesn't need five matches at all; he should have secured the spot in just two."

"No, I won't agree. I'm not from a prestigious family, so you don't need to treat me too well. I want to play all five matches. You'd better find someone to help you, or continue to change the rules."

"Senior Brother Ji is joking."

"Who's joking with you? Do you see me laughing?"

Ji You stared at him, then turned and walked toward Cao Jingsong and his group. The group left the ordinary white jade platform while talking.

Seeing her departing figure, Zhao Yunyue, who had been standing silently by the side, stared blankly for a moment, and was still unable to come back to her senses even after she disappeared by the shore of Biyue Lake.

Meanwhile, many more onlookers quietly left and headed towards the Qionghua Pavilion in the city.

The shopkeeper watched as the cultivators flocked to the shop, then sent a servant out in a hurry.

Ji You and his group had already returned to the courtyard and were sitting on the stone benches. Everyone looked at Ji You with complicated and indescribable expressions.

Many things have happened during this period, and many questions remain unanswered.

For example, why Ji You never went to the Purple Bamboo Zen Forest to seek enlightenment again is something he has never said to this day.

But without a doubt, he had become even stronger, so strong that even Cao Jingsong, who had been in the upper realm of Dao Fusion for many years, couldn't help but feel a chill.

Lu Hanyan and Lu Qingqiu were even more shocked. The two sisters were almost in a daze as they looked at Ji You.

Lu Hanyan was admitted to the hospital in the first year of the Taichu era, and was a contemporary of Xiang Fu, Cong Yi, and others.

I've heard that Ji You defeated Chu He, that he established a powerful family after the Battle of Yecheng Mountain, that he blocked a punch from a barbarian king, and that he killed a demon general in the snowy night of the Snow Demon City who could inflict knife wounds all over a person's body with his bare hands.

But it's just hearsay, after all.

Hearing about something can evoke feelings of disbelief and a desire to question, but it doesn't necessarily bring much real shock.

Especially after Ji You started instructing her in swordsmanship and truly began to interact with her.

To the second young lady of the Lu family, Senior Brother Ji was definitely not gentle; on the contrary, he was quite strict, but not in a scary way. She thought he was more like a polite and courteous scholar.

Although he can be a bit frivolous at times, that's about it.

But only today did they realize just how powerful Ji You truly was.

With four sword strikes, he defeated two opponents of the same realm. This was even after the Elders' Council imposed targeted restrictions on him, preventing him from using the Spirit Sword Mountain sword technique.

Lu Qingqiu had seen him like this once during Qiu Dou, while Lu Hanyan was seeing Ji You's face for the first time.

He was neither a strict teacher nor a mischievous senior disciple who loved to trick his teachers, but a prodigy so powerful that no one even dared to think of defeating him.

Especially the flesh that was vaguely revealed under the young master's robe, which made Miss Lu feel at first glance that she was about to be smashed to pieces.

Before being admitted to the hospital, Lu Hanyan had already heard about her older sister and Ji You's relationship.

That was the first time my elder sister came home to visit her family. At that time, the Ling Shi Chamber of Commerce held a banquet, and I heard her talking about Chu He and Ji You.

Upon his second return, it was said that Ji You had been defeated by Chu He and entered the inner court. After careful consideration and weighing the pros and cons, the elder sister discussed the matter with her father several times and decided to find a husband for Ji You.

The men of the Lu family were not particularly talented in cultivation; neither their eldest brother nor their youngest brother had made any achievements on this path.

In the eyes of her elder sister and father, if Ji You could really be recruited into the family, it might improve the cultivation talent of the family's bloodline and also give the family an additional good combat force.

But no one expected that the older sister would be rejected.

Lu Hanyan had been close to her older sister since childhood, and before being admitted to the hospital, she didn't have a good impression of Ji You, who had rejected her older sister.

The phrase "private repair in the countryside" in particular gave her, a young lady from a wealthy family, a condescending attitude, making her feel that the other party was ungrateful.

Later, I changed my mind, probably because during my time at the hospital, every time I heard my seniors talk about Ji You, there was a sense of lament and helplessness in their voices.

But only now did Lu Hanyan seem to understand why Ji You dared to refuse a rich young lady like her older sister.

It was only when she actually saw Senior Brother Ji on the stage that she realized he seemed to be from a different world and had a completely different style from them.

Just then, the two sisters heard Cao Jingsong's voice, which immediately brought them back to their senses.

"You wicked disciple, pay back the money."

"What money are you going to pay back?"

Cao Jingsong's beard trembled with anger: "I thought you had lost the swordsmanship of Lingjian Mountain and would have to fight with your sword, so I gave you money to buy a sword. Who knew you would have no use for it at all!"

Ji You couldn't help but glance at him: "Teacher, you'd better not talk. What if my professional instincts kick in?"

"?"

Just then, there was a knock on the door.

Bai Rulong, who was closest to the door, got up and opened it. He saw a young man who looked like a servant, with the Qionghua Pavilion logo embroidered on his clothes. The young man handed him an envelope and then hurriedly left.

Upon seeing this, everyone couldn't help but look over curiously, and saw Ji You take out a large silver note.

Why would Qionghua Pavilion give you money?

Ji You raised her eyes and smiled slightly: "On the day I went to buy the sword, I suggested to the shopkeeper that he prepare more defensive magic weapons, mark them at twice the price, and ask for a 50% premium."

【What a handsome robe】

Cao Jingsong had a sudden thought, while the others' expressions changed, especially Lu Qingqiu's.

She had previously stated that in front of a celestial sect like the Heavenly Academy, where private duels were not permitted, defensive and offensive magical artifacts were not as easy to sell as cultivation artifacts, so they generally did not stock up on them.

They assumed that the elders had obtained those magical artifacts through connections, but they never expected that this was done by Ji You.

Lu Qingqiu stared at him in astonishment, not because he made money, but because he was so confident. She knew that with that magic robe that could block a Dao Fusion Realm cultivator, Liu Qichen had a chance to turn the tide.

At this moment, in the Elders' Pavilion behind Mount Ni, a group of elders sat down, with several other Transcendent Realm cultivators who planned to participate in the Heavenly Dao Assembly standing beside them, listening to Liu Qichen describe what had happened earlier.

The room was very dark, with only a hundred or so oil lamps for lighting, illuminating the incense hall with the painting of the sun ascending to heaven and the red wooden pillars.

It is said that the key to having nothing outside the mind is to have nothing in front of you, so in this dim light, Liu Qichen's voice was very clear.

Throughout his repeated pronouncements, he implied that defeat was inevitable, with no room for complacency.

Elder Fang's expression was extremely unpleasant. After remaining silent for a long time, he looked at the robe he was wearing.

This robe is truly a fine item; it was worth the price he paid for it. Since he was able to block Ji You's sword, it means there's still a chance.

In fact, a nobody like Ji You doesn't need an elder to keep pursuing him like this.

But Elder Fang had been humiliated several times and couldn't swallow his anger.

"Qichen, you've worked hard. Take off your robe and give it to your senior brother Lu. He'll be the one to fight tomorrow. He's an extremely promising talent for combat."

"Elder..."

Elder Fang raised his eyes slightly, holding his teacup: "Is there anything else?"

Liu Qichen pursed his lips: "Although it's not my place to say anything about this, I still want to suggest to the elder that you simply find two people to go on stage and admit defeat to Ji You."

Fang Jincheng glared at him angrily: "Nonsense, doesn't this mean my great-grandfather has admitted defeat?"

"Junior Brother Fang, that's not what I meant at all."

After Liu Qichen finished speaking, he sighed softly, knowing that too much talk would lead to mistakes. So he took off his robe and handed it to Senior Brother Lu who was standing to the side.

Elder Fang then waved to him, and Liu Qichen bowed and walked out.

However, after taking only a few steps, Senior Brother Lu suddenly frowned: "Wait, why is there no spiritual energy fluctuation in this robe?"

"what?"

"Reporting to the elder, this robe cannot be activated!"

Liu Qichen stopped and turned around at this moment: "After Ji You's last sword fell, this robe was actually destroyed. I didn't notice at the time. In fact, I don't know why he didn't cut the robe on the spot. After thinking about it, I think he should have left us all some face."

Go tell Elder Fang that there are still three people left to choose from, and let them continue selecting.

[I want to play all five matches. You'd better find someone to do that, or continue to change the rules.]

Fang Jincheng's expression changed drastically, and he stared at the robe that had become like an ordinary garment for a long time, unable to recover.

The other elders exchanged glances behind Elder Fang, their feelings quite complicated.

In fact, Ji You was the most talented and strongest student in the Heavenly Academy in recent years. He should have become a disciple of the First Hall. However, after the incident in Fengzhou, the Elders' Council disapproved of him and said that his actions were self-destructive.

For the sake of some nameless mortals, he clashed with powerful families. At the time, many people wondered if it was worth it.

Sure enough, he didn't even get the qualification to enter the hall, and people started asking him if he would regret it.

But only today did these elders realize that no one could stop his future before his iron sword.

(Please vote with my monthly tickets at the beginning of the month! They're very important, and you can even enter a prize draw! Come on!)

(End of this chapter)