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Chapter 237 The Gap Between People in the Same Realm
"Chen Ruiyang...an inner member of the Chen Clan of Immortals?"

"That's right, they are not just Chen family members who changed their surname, but genuine members of the Chen family. They won all three of their group stage matches."

"I see."

Officials from the Imperial Observatory escorted the lists to various immortal gardens, instantly turning the originally quiet dusk into a lively scene.

Wen Siyuan also arrived at Ji You's room at this time, handed him the list of opponents, and talked with him about the Chen family member he would be facing next.

“In these three battles, Chen Ruiyang used the immortal techniques of the Chen Clan, which are different from the opponents you have encountered before.”

"Passed-down Taoist techniques?"

"Yes, to be precise, it is the transmission of Taoist arts."

The Daoist arts passed down through generations in Qingyun Tianxia are extremely rare, because there is a gap between heaven and man, and many things can only be understood intuitively and cannot be explained in words.

Ordinary scions of noble families can only comprehend and refine techniques by reaching the Fusion Realm.

Immortal sects or families with profound heritage can indeed pass on their teachings to future generations after accumulating knowledge and skills over thousands of years.

According to Wen Siyuan's observation, Chen Ruiyang's combat strength was among the top tier of the sixty people in the second round, making him a formidable opponent.

"Oh, right, there's one more thing to note. This Chen Ruiyang is just like you, Junior Brother Ji."

"Where is the same?"

"He was also one of the Chen family members who had sat and observed the Daoist stele."

Wen Siyuan didn't actually know how strong Ji You's combat power was, let alone how strong the people who entered the second round were. He could only tell him everything he knew and leave it to Ji You to judge for himself.

So far, not many of the disciples of immortal sects and people from ancient families have revealed their true strength. Some duels require adaptability.

Ji You understood immediately. He knew that the sacred artifact possessed by the Chen Clan was the Dao Stele, just like the Heavenly Book of the Heavenly Academy and the Spirit Mirror of the Spirit Sword Mountain.

Those who can see their own sacred artifacts are all the best among them, and even mentioning this would make their opponents take it more seriously.

Ji You had also gone through this stage, so he naturally understood.

The list of opponents for the second round has just been released, and discussions are naturally in full swing. Many people are secretly concerned about the next opponent that their favorite person will face, and are assessing the gap in combat strength and the probability of winning or losing based on their past understanding.

Meanwhile, Ding Yao and Zhuo Wanqiu were upstairs across the street, looking at the list of duels. They already knew that Ji You was going to encounter a disciple of a celestial sect, and then reported the news to their master.

The young master of Lingjian Mountain had just "taught a lesson to a man who didn't use the Lingjian Mountain swordsmanship," leaving his lips red from the punishment. Now, his eyes were lowered and fell on the list.

Around the same time, the Lou family was also looking at Ji You's name on the list.

Their own prodigy didn't compete in the final round. Although they didn't say exactly why, they must have been concerned about the opponent he was supposed to face.

Like them, others were also curious about the name and were now looking thoughtfully at the match list.

The following morning, a soft ray of sunlight fell upon the Pantheon Garden.

Crowds began to gather in the nine dojos. Although some dojos had fewer people and others had more, the participants' status had risen significantly, so there were no longer only a few scattered onlookers like in the Cangwu dojo.

Ji You had just finished washing up and was having breakfast in his room when Cao Jingsong, Wen Zhengxin, Pei Ruyi, and Ban Yangshu came to find him.

They lived in Zhongxing County and were not well-informed. They only knew that the list for the second round had been released, but they did not know who was up against whom. It was only when they met that they learned from him that his next opponent was a member of the Chen Immortal Clan.

Moreover, this person did not later change his surname and return to the original clan; he was a genuine descendant of the Chen family.

However, after learning about this, Cao Jingsong and the others did not say anything or offer any advice.

Because Cao Jingsong felt he could no longer offer Ji You any advice...

Wen Zhengxin and others, who had been watching the game for the past few days, shared the same sentiment.

However, Ji You's thoughts differed from theirs.

"This member of the Chen family is said to be very strong. I didn't sleep a wink last night after I got the list. I was very uneasy and felt that I might not be able to beat him."

While eating her rice porridge, Ji You couldn't help but say, "I think if we want to increase our chances of winning, we should buy a few sets of magical artifacts just in case."

After listening, Cao Jingsong glanced at him, his beard bristling with anger, thinking to himself, "You're talking complete nonsense."

Such a solemn event as the Heavenly Way Society, yet your mind is filled with nothing but mundane thoughts.

Evil!

After breakfast, the five of them joined the crowded group and headed toward one of the temples in the Sage Garden.

There were nine matches in the morning, three matches in the Fusion Realm, and six matches in the Profound Realm. Among the six matches in the Profound Realm, the most anticipated was the duel between Qiao Mo, a disciple of the Mountain and Sea Pavilion.

However, the focus of attention was not on him, but on his opponent, named Bayan.

The Ba family is located in the northwest of Qingzhou. It is a small, unknown family, only slightly larger than the Qiu family, which is affiliated with the He and Zuoqiu families. Logically speaking, Ba Yang and the contestants of the Cangwu Dojo, who are only followed by their own family members, should be ignored by everyone.

But in reality, this Bayan is the most popular contestant among the Transcendent Realm participants in this Heavenly Dao Tournament.

Even during the group stage, some people compared him to the disciples of those immortal sects.

So far, there have been three people who have broken through to the next level in the Tongxuan realm, and Ba Yang is one of them. This means that Qiao Mo is not facing a competitor of the same level, but a competitor who has reached the initial level of the Fusion Dao realm.

Buzz!
Amidst the tremors in the void, a blue barrier suddenly rose from the edge of the circular platform, sealing off the battlefield like an inverted crystal dome.

Qiao Mo, a disciple of the Mountain and Sea Pavilion, lightly touched the edge of the platform with his toes. The blade reflected a chilling light, and its sharp aura swept across the platform in an instant. The bright, cold light ignited the entire circular platform.

"It's the Peerless Edge of the Mountain and Sea Pavilion. The killing intent is already so strong right from the start."

"In the end, he truly lives up to his reputation as a disciple of the Immortal Sect."

As everyone held their breath and watched intently, they saw the long sword rush away like a mad wolf.

Coincidentally, Bayan, who was at the initial stage of the Dao Integration Realm, also used a long sword. As his towering body leaned forward, the black sword at his waist transformed into a black cloud sweeping across the ground, slashing horizontally.

With a clang, the iron knife clashed violently.

Sparks flew back and forth as the flickering figures tangled together.

Qiao Mo lived up to his reputation as a disciple of the Immortal Sect. Even when facing a powerful expert who had crossed the threshold of two realms, he remained calm. His hands were bloodshot as he gripped the hilt of his sword tightly. When he swung his sword, he concealed a sharp aura. His energy condensed on the blade and surged forth amidst the tremors.

Even through the barrier, the sharp scent still sent a chill down one's spine.

Bayan, on the other hand, moved with unrestrained, sweeping strokes, his stances incredibly powerful, his entire body surging with fury, each slash accompanied by a howling wind, as if a thousand horses were galloping.

It was clear that neither of them was holding back; their spiritual energy was already churning into a massive vortex within the barrier.

The swords they wielded were so similar that, in the midst of this fierce battle, some cultivators with weak spiritual senses could no longer distinguish who was wielding the sword, only hearing the continuous clanging of weapons.

After several back-and-forth exchanges, the wind from the blades was fierce.

One of the first matches of this second round displayed a level of intensity never seen in the previous group stage.

Qiao Mo's Peerless Edge is one of the techniques passed down by the Mountain and Sea Pavilion. It is exceptionally sharp and possesses an unstoppable cutting force, trembling like a meteor when it is drawn.

However, as the sword light continued to flash, the expressions of the Mountain and Sea Pavilion disciples who came to watch the battle on the south side of the viewing platform changed slightly.

With a loud bang, the iron blade fell.

Beneath the powerful blade that could split mountains and shatter rocks, Qiao Mo stumbled out from the tangled energy field, his iron sword trembling slightly. He then retreated, his brow furrowing slightly as he panted, his aura becoming somewhat chaotic.

At this moment, Bayan spun around to dissipate the force, and the iron blade, still trembling, swung out again in a simple and unadorned manner...

Upon witnessing this scene, aside from the disciples of the Mountain and Sea Pavilion who were nervous about their fellow disciples, the other disciples of the Immortal Sect also subtly changed their expressions.

Among the four Transcendent Realm experts sent by the Mountain and Sea Pavilion, Qiao Mo may not be the strongest, but the fact that he can represent the Immortal Sect in battle shows that he is by no means a person with an undeserved reputation.

Some people had been following him since the group stage and knew that his Peerless Edge was truly exceptionally sharp, even capable of slicing through an opponent's protective spiritual energy.

In contrast, Nabayan possessed no sophisticated techniques and relied almost entirely on brute force, employing wide-ranging, sweeping attacks with his sword. Even so, despite the difference in their cultivation levels, Qiao Mo was unable to overcome the gap in their spiritual energy absorption speed and the intensity of their qi, and was gradually suppressed by his opponent's aura.

boom!
Amid the murmurs, a sudden explosion of air rang out.

The two iron blades on the high platform clashed fiercely once again. Blood was spilling from the corner of Qiao Mo's mouth, and his breathing was gradually becoming unstable. On the other hand, Nabayan's attacks became increasingly intense...

"The gap in cultivation level is truly difficult to bridge. These contestants who broke through the Heavenly Dao Assembly by taking advantage of loopholes may become a big problem in the future."

"Indeed, I think some people have already begun to be wary."

"Oh?"

"I just heard someone say that it was too terrifying, that they couldn't beat it at all, and that they were begging the instructor for money to buy magical artifacts. They seemed to be quite frightened."

The duel between Bayan and Qiao Mo can be considered the prelude to the battle of the Tongxuan Realm in the Heavenly Dao Society, with Bayan demonstrating the powerful combat strength that Tongxuan Realm should have with his fierce sword energy.

In the second round of the Heavenly Dao Society's duels, there are also two matches that are well worth everyone's attention.

One duel takes place at the Qiyun Dojo: Wei Bo, a member of the Wei family, a thousand-year-old aristocratic family in Yongzhou, and Chen Shuo, a member of the Chen Immortal Clan. The other duel takes place at the Tianji Dojo: Li Yunlang, a member of the Li family, an old royal family in Zhongzhou, and Shang Shan, a female disciple of the Daoist Sect.

Wei Bo and Li Yunlang are both popular contenders in this Heavenly Dao Tournament, and they have been attracting attention for some time.

Chen Shuo and Shang Shan, representing their respective immortal sects in the battle, naturally possess formidable combat strength. The attraction of a thousand-year-old family challenging an immortal sect is extraordinary.

Even the elders, with their white hair and beards and an air of otherworldly wisdom, couldn't resist coming to support the event or watch the competition, and they stood in a row.

Following Wen Siyuan's advice, after watching the first match, Ji You should go to the Qiyun Dojo to watch the next match.

The reason is simple: both Chen Shuo and Chen Ruiyang are members of the Chen Clan of Immortals. Since they are from the same lineage, Wen Siyuan felt that Chen Shuo's methods and Chen Ruiyang's methods should have similarities, which could serve as a reference for Ji You.

However, if Ji You were to choose for himself, barring any other factors, he felt that since it was all just watching, a duel featuring a woman might be even more pleasing to the eye…

It is said that Shang Shan is extremely beautiful, the kind that the Immortal Emperor Ru Long would like but could never have.

Ji You felt that as a friend, she should go and see the beauty of the world for him.

However, considering that there was still a jealous person who could appear and disappear mysteriously living in the garden, Ji You still walked towards Qiyun Dojo with a righteous spirit and sat down in the audience with the crowd.

This member of the Chen clan used a slightly shorter iron knife, only a little longer than a kitchen knife.

It is said that the Chen clan of immortals all use this kind of short and wide weapon, just like the Lingjian Mountain prefers to use slender three-foot-long swords.

The Wei family member standing opposite him was carrying a long sword.

Swords and knives are universally recognized by all cultivators in the Qingyun world as the easiest weapons to use for conveying the Dao, so they appear frequently, unless one is practicing special techniques or Daoist arts and needs other weapons to complement them.

Just like in the previous match, the two of them were filled with murderous intent from the very first move.

There was no secrets, and no holding back.

Both of them knew that this battle was different from the group stage where the strength of the teams varied greatly, and that a slight mistake could lead to total defeat.

Chen Shuo let out a low shout, his arm muscles bulging like iron, and his heavy sword, carrying the force of wind and thunder, met the attack, instantly cutting out a thunderous sound.

Wei Bo clearly had some knowledge of swordsmanship, his steps were steady as an abyss, and his moves were sharp and powerful. When he swung his sword, a rushing, chilling light would suddenly flash down with each strike.

This is the Wei family's inherited Taoist technique, a foundational skill possessed by this thousand-year-old family, called Heavenly Light Guidance.

The specific Daoist techniques it incorporates are unknown to outsiders, but a powerful aura can be felt from the Daoist sword that is shrouded in myriad rays of light.

Sonorous!

As they collided, the waves they created instantly clashed together.

Chen Shuo's swordsmanship was very strong, which was also related to the techniques of the Chen Clan. The force generated by the blade was actually more terrifying than that of Ba Yang.

However, just as the iron blade was about to strike, Wei Bo, whose sleeves were billowing in the wind and waves, suddenly flipped his wrist, and his sword suddenly changed its move. The rosy light wrapped around the blade like a living thing, carrying a tremendous force to deflect the blade away.

Chen Shuo immediately felt a violent drag, and immediately lowered his waist and fell off his horse, channeling all his strength into the blade. He swung the blade back and slashed, the light from the cut scattering in all directions, bright and dazzling.

With a clang, the scorching hot iron knife spun back.

Chen Shuo breathed in spiritual energy, first using the force to widen the distance between himself and the other party, then his spiritual energy surged throughout his body as he turned around and slashed again. The heavy footsteps he took as he stepped off the ground caused the high platform to rumble loudly.

With a loud crash, an even larger wave roared in.

Wei Bo gritted his teeth and slashed diagonally downwards to meet the attack, causing the magic that drew upon the heavenly light to burst forth with thousands of auspicious rays on the sword.

With a clang, Chen Shuo's iron blade once again pierced into the rosy light.

Then came the third strike, an even more powerful downward slash that cut into the rosy light, but the blade did not reach Wei Bo.

Upon seeing this, a hint of ferocity flashed across Chen Shuo's face. He then saw Wei Bo swing his sword, his swordplay gradually increasing in speed, and radiant light began to flow continuously across the arena...

Upon seeing this scene, Ji You's gaze lingered on Chen Shuo for a moment, his eyes flashing with golden light as he carefully observed Chen Shuo's sword strikes several times.

Because of the practice of adding flour when there's too much water and adding water when there's too much flour, Ji You's divine sense at this moment can not only capture the blade's trajectory, but also see the bursts of different energies.

The swordsmanship of the Chen Clan... is indeed as described, each strike is heavier than the last.

However, Chen Shuo did not bring it to its full potential.

It wasn't because he was holding back, but because his opponent, Wei Bo, seemed to have anticipated this and didn't give Chen Shuo any chance.

"That's really impressive. I knew I needed to save up some money to prepare some magical artifacts. I can't let my guard down."

"?"

Cao Jingsong snapped out of his daze, glanced at Ji You, and couldn't help but mutter to himself again, "What a wicked disciple!"

Although it was clear that Ji You was using an excuse to rob money, Instructor Cao was still somewhat shocked, as were Wen Zhengxin and Ban Yangshu beside him.

Those who are known as disciples of the Immortal Sect outside the sect are basically those who started from the inner courtyard.

Those who can participate in the Heavenly Dao Assembly are certainly not ordinary inner court disciples.

Similarly, while the phrase "scions of noble families" encompasses everyone, in reality, a family that has existed for a hundred years is not on the same level as a family that has existed for a thousand years.

They had seen countless Transcendent Realm cultivators in their daily lives, but only now could they understand that these top Transcendent Realm cultivators, who had been taught techniques and possessed the family's resources, actually had combat power far exceeding their expectations.

This feeling was just like that day in the Night City Mountains, when they, the immortal sect cultivators, were vastly different from those immortal manors who had painstakingly cultivated their Dao over the years.

Ji You also felt this way and began to understand why everyone said that the second round was when the Heavenly Dao Society truly began.

Because the two types of battles are actually completely different.

His first opponent in the group was Tang Jingming. During the pre-match trash talk, Tang Jingming said that he had gone to watch battles everywhere and felt that he might not be worse than those disciples of the immortal sects if he did his best.

But now it seems that this may not be the case.

In the first round of the group stage, those disciples of the immortal sects did not actually show their full strength, but were hiding their true intentions.

Tang Jingming believed he could defeat them with all his might, but they were simply holding back...

The surging spiritual energy, magnificent celestial light, and rushing swordplay filled the sky in an instant, dazzling and breathtaking, leaving one overwhelmed with wonder.

Many cultivators who had lost in the group stage and were still somewhat unwilling to accept defeat suddenly felt relieved after seeing the second round of matches, and suddenly felt that the previous wins and losses were meaningless.

Because they suddenly realized that even though they had only encountered inferior players in the group stage and had only made it to the second round by luck, they probably had reached the end of their journey.

The scions of noble families all consider themselves geniuses, but there are ultimately differences between geniuses.

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(End of this chapter)