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Chapter 241 Fusion of Dao in the Face of Battle
The crucial third round determined the spots for those entering the sacred site of the ancients, putting everyone on edge.

This feeling is as if taking one step forward leads to a vast blue sky and sea, while taking one step back means all your efforts have been in vain.

Without entering the sacred sites of the ancients, all efforts here will be in vain.

Early morning, the Lingxi Dojo is bathed in the morning light.

Although the summer heat lingered in the wind, which carried a faint hint of desolation, the dryness had become so slight as to be imperceptible, instead giving off an autumnal coolness that perfectly complemented the sunny weather.

The seven great immortal sects and ancient families all gathered here, including twenty-four people at the Tongxuan Realm. They sat upright, and on the platform, sword energy crisscrossed and the sky light flashed frequently.

Zheng Lei is indeed an easy opponent; judging by his ability, making it to the third round was a close call.

In other words, his luck played a large part.

His challenger was Bayan, a contestant who had broken through to a higher level, whose sword strikes were powerful and overwhelming.

Wei Bo was better than Zheng Lei in the second match. He was not weak in his own right. The reason he was challenged was because of his family's inherited techniques, which emphasized defense but were weak in attack.

In such a battle, if the opponent doesn't use ruthless tactics, then there will be many more opportunities.

After all, defense alone cannot guarantee victory.

Anyone who has watched Wei Bo play knows that from the group stage to the third round, whenever he encountered a strong opponent, Wei Bo's strategy was to use his family's inherited Heavenly Light Technique to slowly wear down the opponent's spiritual energy.

His opponent was Li Yunlang, who had already garnered much attention.

However, unlike Zheng Lei's straightforward battle, this one was different because Wei Bo changed his magic, and his intense killing aura was refreshing.

This person held back earlier.

However, Li Yunlang's energy suddenly surged, and his aura hardened abruptly, giving Wei Bo an even stronger suppression.

Upon seeing this scene, some people's expressions became much more serious, such as the people in charge of the Heavenly Academy, as well as Cao Jingsong, Wen Zhengxin, Ban Yangshu and Pei Ruyi, and Kuang Cheng and Wei Rui.

They weren't concerned about Wei Bo or Li Yunlang; it was just that the fact that both of them were holding back had stirred up their anxiety.

The match between Wei Bo and Li Yunlang ended before noon, with Li Yunlang ultimately emerging victorious.

After half an hour of rest and recuperation, everyone's attention began to focus on the north and south. In fact, even before the first two battles, eyes had been constantly moving back and forth between these two directions, because everyone knew that the upcoming battle was the purpose of their visit today.

Before long, the young man in brocade robes from the south, wearing a black gauze robe and carrying a heavy sword, walked to the front of the stage, while a figure in white robes and carrying a sword from the north floated over and stopped in the waiting area.

Upon seeing this, everyone's gaze froze.

Ji You fought Chen Ruiyang yesterday, and by engaging in a head-on confrontation, he managed to defeat Chen Ruiyang, who was then backfired by his own Ten-Stage Slash, sparking a great deal of discussion throughout the garden.

The fact that a rural private cultivator with no background has managed to get to where he is today makes those well-off, privileged scions of wealthy families feel as if they've lost face.

The influence of the Heavenly Way Society is immense. Many prominent families with daughters not only watch the battles but also intend to use the opportunity to find husbands for their daughters.

However, since yesterday, there has been a noticeable decrease in people boasting about their family background.

Because after Ji You defeated Chen Ruiyang, the more he boasted about his family background, the more useless he seemed.

Even now, no one can understand why he chose Yan Hao; it makes no sense.

There were other people present when Ji You went to the Sixianjian yesterday. They all knew that Ji You arrived very early, and at that time Wei Bo had not yet been selected.

If the two of them were to face off, many people would think that Ji You had a very high chance of winning and that entering the sacred land of the ancient sages would be a sure thing. Who would have thought that he would make this decision?

"Once the duel begins, you must be careful that Yan Hao doesn't hold back."

"You saw Wei Bo and Li Yunlang just now. They were completely different from their previous battles. Yan Hao is naturally the same."

“I just observed the aura, and all I saw was a hazy mist. He must be hiding something.”

The three heads of the Imperial Household Department came to the waiting area together and gave him some instructions.

Ji You nodded: "I will keep that in mind."

"Actually, you might as well choose Wei Bo. As you just saw, the risk of facing him is almost negligible."

"The choice has already been made, so there's no point in thinking about it now."

The three stewards knew this was the truth, and as they remained silent, they couldn't help but look towards the southwest.

There stood a group of elderly men with white hair and beards, wearing the immortal robes of the Heavenly Academy. Their faces were gloomy, with a hint of anger in them. They were the elders who had come to the Heavenly Dao Assembly to discuss the Dao.

Yesterday, after news of Ji You's challenge to Yan Hao spread, these elders, who were not usually concerned about the disciples' duels, suddenly went to Ji You and asked him to withdraw from the fight.

It wasn't that they didn't want Ji You to lose, but rather that they didn't want to fail in their debate.

This has been the case in the Heavenly Dao Assembly for thousands of years; the disciple battles have a direct impact on the Dao debates.

After all, if you're lecturing and debating the principles of Heaven with your opponents, passionate and eloquent, with spittle flying everywhere, and your disciples either lose or cheat to win, then even if your teachings are brilliant, they simply won't stand up to scrutiny.

In the past few days, Wang Gaocen and Gu Zetao have suffered initial defeats, while Xiao Hanyan has secretly used magical artifacts to achieve a pyrrhic victory, which has begun to affect their discussions on the Dao.

They were already anxious, and only relaxed a little after hearing that Ji You had crippled Chen Ruiyang with eight sword strikes. Who knew that Ji You would choose the riskiest opponent in the arena.

They didn't want to see this risk, so naturally they wanted to get involved.

Ji You completely ignored them, only chuckling twice.

The elders were instantly enraged, and then, in a fit of anger, they lashed out.

Because they suddenly realized that they had nothing to blackmail Ji You with, whether it was elixirs, spirit stones, or spells.

Ji You then entered the arena with his sword, standing on the circular platform. Yan Hao, dressed in a gauze robe, also stepped onto the platform and glanced at him.

“You could have made it into the top ten, but you made a really bad choice. I’m curious why the people from the Heavenly Academy were willing to let you choose me, or rather, why you chose me without informing them.”

"Otherwise, I don't think anyone would want to face me in this round."

"Victory can sometimes go to one's head, which is why cultivation emphasizes a clear and bright mind. Your cultivation is still lacking."

Yan Hao was genuinely surprised that someone dared to choose him on the very first day of the challenge, thinking that someone had gone mad.

Later, someone told him about this man's sword killing Chen Ruiyang, which made him realize that this disciple of the Heavenly Academy was no ordinary person. He seemed to be following the path of heavy sword, but this was of no use to him.

As Yan Hao spoke, he reached out and slowly untied the gauze robe draped over his shoulders. As the robe fell to the ground, his aura began to emanate from him.

The next moment, the scene erupted in an uproar, and many people involuntarily stood up from their seats, staring intently at Yan Hao, sensing something unusual in his aura.

"He...he merged with the Dao?"

"Yan Haorong has spoken!"

"No wonder, no wonder I always felt he was holding back in the previous battles. In fact, he was hiding the aura of breaking through to the next level!"

Yan Hao looked at Ji You, a hint of arrogance flashing in his eyes.

His goal from the beginning was not simply to be in the top ten; he wanted to take first place. He wanted to enter the deepest part of the sacred land of the sages to seek their legacy. This was very important to their Heavenly Sword Peak.

Therefore, he had already made preparations for breaking through the barriers before coming here.

In fact, he didn't think it was necessary to break through to the next level in the third round. However, the fact that three of the thirty people who advanced broke through first made him slightly worried.

However, this is also good. After hiding for so long, Yan Hao suddenly felt a sense of complete liberation. His energy burst forth and gradually filled the closing barrier.

Upon seeing this, the expressions of everyone from the Heavenly Academy changed drastically.

They knew Yan Hao had a backup plan, but they didn't know he had such a huge one.

Even Cao Jingsong, who always blindly trusted his wayward disciple, couldn't help but frown at this moment.

The most intense reaction came from the elders of the Hall of State Affairs. They were already cursing Ji You for disobeying the law, and now that they saw Yan Hao had already reached the initial stage of Dao Fusion, they felt a sense of relief in addition to their indignation.

"With such stubbornness and arrogance, I fear that my Heavenly Academy is about to suffer another defeat."

After Elder Xiao finished speaking, he couldn't help but want to curse a few more times, but suddenly he was enveloped by a chill, his scalp tightened, and he immediately opened his eyes wide and turned to look at the small building not far away.

Where the chill was coming from, Yan Shuyi was looking at an old man beside her with a faint smile: "How has Seventh Uncle been lately?"

"Thank you for your concern, Master. I am in good health."

"As Seventh Uncle knows, I have never been to the sacred land of the ancient sages, so I am always curious about what else exists in this sacred land besides accelerating cultivation? Could Seventh Uncle enlighten me?"

"This sacred land is full of mysteries. In addition to being able to hear the Dao of Heaven and thus make rapid progress in cultivation, it is said that there is also a lineage of the same origin as the sacred artifact, which is connected to the Dao of Heaven itself. However, no one has found it in all these years."

"Sacred artifacts share a common origin, so that's how it is..."

Yan Shuyi glanced at Yan Hao in the room, her gaze slightly cold.

Ding Yao and Zhuo Wanqiu's gazes were originally on Ji You, their faces filled with worry. After all, it was they who had influenced Ji You, leading her to choose Yan Hao. But it wasn't until they heard this conversation that their mouths opened slightly, and they turned to look at Yan Hao.

While breaking through to a higher realm just before the competition isn't prohibited by the rules, it's generally frowned upon. Given Yan Hao's personality and strength, breaking through so early in the third round wasn't entirely necessary. Moreover, he concealed his breakthrough very well; even those around him weren't entirely aware of it until yesterday when his aura inadvertently leaked out.

In other words, he has been more composed than his personality suggests, indicating that what he is after is not just these things, or that Tianjian Peak is after more than these things.

The two men felt a chill in their hearts and looked at their appraiser.

For the past ten years or so, Tianjian Peak has been trying every possible method to find a way to make the Spirit Mirror choose a new master...

Thinking of this, the two suddenly snapped out of their previous worries and fell into even greater anxiety, their lips even turning ashen.

Only Ji You, after seeing the aura Yan Hao exuded, looked down at the gauze dress, the orange-yellow hue embedded in it so dazzling that she couldn't look away.

Another piece of good stuff that this poor guy has never seen before...

"Is it made of gold?"

"?"

Just then, the gong in the arena suddenly rang out.

A chilling aura suddenly swept out from the round platform, and a deep sword cry resounded throughout the arena. Even though the killing intent was blocked by the closed barrier, its oppressive power was transmitted in all directions, instantly causing people to feel a sense of unease.

Without family lineage or a strong background, Bayan was able to sweep through to this point simply by crossing an extra realm.

So, one can imagine how terrifying the combat power of someone like Yan Hao, who comes from the noblest lineage, possesses a wealth of heritage, and has now crossed the threshold of Dao Fusion, is.

boom!
The sword's cry was like thunder, the sound waves making everyone's eardrums ache.

Amidst the deep, resonant clang, Yan Hao gripped the heavy black iron sword, his gaze icy as he slashed down into the air, the blade trailing a trail of dark energy, as if a mountain had collapsed.

Upon seeing this, everyone held their breath.

Many people had seen Ji You's previous battle, where Chen Ruiyang, who started with the Ten-Section Blade, directly cleaved through all the energy he had generated. Now, Yan Hao used an even more domineering method, crushing all the surrounding energy with his powerful sword energy alone. His soaring sword intent caused the entire barrier to tremble continuously.

Sword intent is formed by the interaction between the sword itself and the heavens and earth. It is said that some people cannot even draw their swords in the face of overwhelming sword intent.

They were passively projected into Ji You's position under the black sword, and seemed to feel the intense pain of a giant mountain crushing their spine, causing a chill to instantly rise up their spines.

Bayan, in particular, couldn't help but turn pale.

Although they both broke through to the same realm before the competition, he felt a very obvious gap at this moment.

This battle should end quickly, because it's very difficult to block that sword strike!

Amidst the storm, Yan Hao's eyes were filled with cold indifference as he slashed with his sword, the force of which was immense.

Sonorous!

Just as everyone was judging whether Ji You could withstand the initial sword strike, a piercing metallic clang tore through the stagnant air like tearing silk, making everyone's temples throb.

Surprisingly, the overwhelming heavy sword did not strike the ground without any resistance as expected, but was instead pressed down into the air amidst a shower of sparks.

It's not about whether you can catch it or not.

At that moment, Ji You stood amidst the wind and waves, his three-foot-long Qingzhen Xuan Tie heavy sword trembling incessantly, yet he could not advance an inch, leaving everyone stunned for a moment.

Ji You was slender and scholarly, with a somewhat delicate appearance. However, once he made his move, his aura suddenly changed drastically. His original elegance vanished, replaced by the chilling pressure of a lurking beast about to devour its prey.

At this moment, a scorching heat burst forth from his entire body, surging and surging like the flames of a furnace rolling back, spreading wildly in all directions.

On the west side of the platform, Chen Ruiyang, whose arms were tightly bound with bandages, frowned and his divine sense trembled.

Ji You's strength in yesterday's battle far exceeded his expectations, and the strength he displayed today was even more unfamiliar than the day before.

At this moment, Yan Hao's pupils constricted, and his heart trembled violently as the heat wave hit his face.

For sword cultivators, the sword is an extension of their body. Although it is not a fight with bare hands, there is still a tactile sensation when the two swords meet.

The sensation he felt from that sword strike made him feel as if he had struck something immovable...

Just then, Ji Yousong flipped his wrist, and the Dao sword that had clashed with him earlier suddenly rose into the air. As he waved his hand, another sword appeared in his right hand, which he raised with his arm.

Veins bulged beneath his skin like ancient vines, and as he gathered strength in his arm, his muscles tightened like a fully drawn bowstring, while the aura surrounding him became even hotter. Then, the Dao sword before him crashed down with a deafening roar.

Buzz!
The intense sword energy seemed to cut through the air, stinging the skin, while ripples constantly spread through the air wherever the sword passed.

Yan Hao felt a chill run down his spine. He was all too familiar with the ripples left by the sword's edge, because even his strongest sword strike could freeze the air for a moment.

With a loud clang, the three-foot-long sword fell down before him, and a heavy force instantly filled his arms.

The overwhelming force swept in, sending Yan Hao flying back three zhang (approximately 10 meters), his hand throbbing with pain from the impact of the heavy sword.

Indeed, once the descendants of the Immortal Sect crossed the threshold of Dao Integration, they were quite different from others.

After Ji You drew his sword, he couldn't help but mutter to himself, his fighting spirit rising ever higher.

His goal from the beginning was to make Yan Hao lose badly. He held nothing back from the start, unleashing all his physical power. The only thing that was useless was the swordsmanship of Lingjian Mountain.

After all, using the sword techniques of Lingjian Mountain to defeat Yan Hao would only show that he himself is very strong, and would not make people think that Yan Hao is weak.

Even so, this is not something that can be easily resisted.

According to his theory, the pure physical strength he gained after body refinement reached the level of Dao Fusion.

As he pondered, a loud shout suddenly rang out. Yan Hao unleashed his full power, his spiritual energy surging forth as he raised his sword, unleashing the Four Profound Sword Techniques that cleaved through the wind and waves.

There was a bang.

The heavy iron sword was slashed back again, while Yan Hao directly drew a thin sword from the blade.

As the sword energy soared into the sky, a sharp sword cry exploded like a cold light, swiftly slashing towards Ji You.

Ji You then stepped back to the side, simultaneously drawing his sword and slashing horizontally.

Amidst the flashing swords, the audience was completely silent, with only the powerful clash of iron swords visible. Only one thought occupied their minds.

So who exactly is in the Profound Realm and who is in the Dao Fusion Realm?
They didn't know why they couldn't understand, why they couldn't make a judgment...

Cao Jingsong was also terrified as he looked at the figure on the arena. After taking a few deep breaths, he couldn't help but mutter to himself, "What a wicked disciple!"

He knew that Ji You, who was practicing body refinement, might have the power to fight against someone in the Fusion Dao Realm, but that was based on Ji You using the Spirit Sword Mountain Sword Dao, not on pure Qi slashing.

Only now did he realize that this wicked disciple had never used his full strength before.

What kind of monster did I bring out in Yuyang County because of a moment of compassion?

Just as the sword shadows were flashing, a sword cry unlike any other suddenly rang out, like the clear sound of a silver bell, swift and rapid.

Upon seeing this, the disciples of Lingjian Mountain couldn't help but feel a stirring in their hearts.

Dao Sword - White Rainbow Illumination.

Indeed, everyone thought that Junior Brother Yan's (elder brother's) heavy sword was deadly, while they thought that his rapier was only to make up for his lack of speed and to be used to get out of danger.

But no one knew that his rapier could be stronger, faster, and sharper.

With a clang, the clash of weapons in the arena suddenly paused for a moment.

Everyone focused their divine senses and saw Ji You step back amidst the wind and waves. His white robe was ripped with a long, narrow sword mark, and his inner shirt seemed to be torn as well, revealing his smooth, jade-like chest.

"As expected of Bai Hongzhao, it's just a pity that Ji You dodged too quickly. This sword missed its mark and only struck his clothes!"

"It's alright, as long as there's an opportunity, we can strike sooner or later."

"Look at Ji You's swordsmanship. After three sword strikes, he seems to take a step back, as if he's forcing himself to stand in the very center of the platform to feel comfortable!"

"Why is this happening?"

"It's just my personality; I only feel at ease when I fold clothes with the collars aligned. But I'm not talking about the collars; I'm talking about Junior Brother Yan's opportunity. This step is Junior Brother Yan's opportunity!"

In fact, the people of Lingjian Mountain had a good impression of Ji You, especially after the masked storyteller's propaganda, many people thought he was a disciple of Lingjian Mountain who was raised outside the mountain.

However, at the Heavenly Dao Assembly, the two individuals represented two different immortal sects, and they naturally supported Yan Hao more, hoping to see an opportunity to break the deadlock.

In their eyes, Yan Hao's swordsmanship was superior; if they could see this opportunity, he would naturally see it too.

Just then, Ji You unleashed three fierce sword strikes, causing Yan Hao to lose his former arrogance and instead display a ferocious expression. Just as the Lingjian Mountain disciples had predicted, he turned to look at Ji You's retreating steps.

But for some reason, he did not draw the rapier again in the fleeting moment.

hum!
Ji You unleashed a torrent of spiritual energy, rising into the sky and slashing down with a sword imbued with immense power. With a thud, Yan Hao's blood and qi surged violently, and his aura became chaotic.

(End of this chapter)