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Chapter 246 Five Battles to the Top
The atmosphere at Tian Shu Academy has been quite low lately, especially as the finals approach, because the final challenge match ultimately stopped most of the participants.

He Lingxiu lost. Her breakthrough time was already very close to the Heavenly Dao Assembly, so it's not too shameful that she made it this far.

Of those at the Fusion Realm, only Chai Ze remained to advance.

As for the Profound Realm, following Gu Zetao and Wang Gaocen's defeats, Yu Shiliu also withdrew from the arena.

There are ten spots in the Rongdao and Tongxuan disciple battles. Based on the previous finisher lists, each of the seven major immortal sects, except for the Dan Sect, can probably occupy one or two spots in these two realms.

The achievements of Tian Shu Academy are actually quite respectable, but they have truly failed to live up to the name of the Holy Sect.

After all, Lingjian Mountain, which lived in the same courtyard as them, had two people enter the Fusion Realm and two people enter the Profound Realm, but in the end only one entered, yet they were still far ahead.

The Heavenly Academy has declined. In the two hundred years since the headmaster neglected the affairs of the academy, its profound foundation seems to be unable to withstand the pressure.

Some even said that Chai Ze only qualified by luck and probably won't get a good ranking.

However, while the participants from the Heavenly Academy received mixed reviews due to their overall performance, there was one person who was not affected by this: a rural private cultivator who had just returned from harvesting wheat and was covered in mud.

"Among those in the Tongxuan Realm, Zhuang Zixin and Zhu Yao are the strongest, and should be ranked second and third respectively. The others are slightly weaker and should be ranked after the top three."

"And who do you think will be the last one?"

"It should be Huo Hui from Shan Hai Ge. Although he is very strong, he is obviously lacking in this final. He will probably be at the bottom."

"So who will be number one?"

"?"

"Please don't be offended, gentlemen. I just broke through my seclusion and rushed here. I've been listening to you all talking for a long time, but for some reason I didn't hear who might be number one. You all said that Zhuang Zixin and Zhu Yao are the strongest, so why can they only be number two or three?"

"First... just you wait and see, they'll all remain silent."

All ten spots in the sacred land of sages have already been claimed, but to outsiders, that has nothing to do with them. What they care about is who among these peerless geniuses is stronger or weaker.

As the final day approached, cultivators from all over the Nine Provinces began to flock to the human cultivation grounds north of Zhongxing County.

Meanwhile, the legendary immortals, who had always lived in the shadows, arrived on a phoenix-drawn carriage on a clear autumn day. They parted the thick clouds, streaked across the sky, and landed in the human race's arena, leaving behind a vast expanse of smoke and clouds before taking their seats in the viewing pavilion.

The battle for ranking among ten people requires each person to fight five matches, and the ranking is determined by the wins and losses of the five matches.

Ji You's first opponent was the highly respected Li Yunlang, the direct descendant of the former royal family of Zhongzhou.

Li Yunlang was imbued with magic, his entire body surrounded by golden light, as if the sun were bowing down upon him.

Having reached this point, everyone knows his combat strength is considerable.

As the gleaming sword energy flashed across the vast human arena, and the scorching aura carrying the sword path rose up, the Sun God Technique continued to shatter amidst the surging sword waves.

Yan Hao's injuries had improved considerably. Failing to make it to the finals of the Heavenly Dao Tournament had left him furious for days, causing him to smash many things. Afterward, he kept reviewing in his mind what he should have done that day to have a chance, and what he should have done to secure the victory.

But when he saw the clear, cold sword energy, carrying the scorching heat of the body, whistling across the entire arena, he ultimately fell silent.

Like him, Tang Jingming, Xiang Hui, and Chen Ruiyang also had dull, gray eyes, as if covered in dust.

In contrast to them was Lou Wanpeng, who wore a smile.

When he chose to withdraw from the competition when facing Ji You, after the news spread, everyone in Xianxian Garden, whether they knew him or not, said he was willful and reckless. Now, that evaluation has changed to him being down-to-earth and acting within his capabilities.

Another point that everyone is quite concerned about is...

That is, after entering the finals, Ji You's swordplay became stronger, but this strength was not due to an increase in combat power, but because he was no longer as cautious as in the previous matches.

Previously, he was very cautious about his sword strikes, but this time, his sword was as swift as the wind, unrestrained and elegant in its sweeping and powerful movements.

In the second battle, Ji You's opponent came from Xuanjian Peak of Lingjian Mountain, namely Yan Rui, the only Lingjian Mountain Tongxuan Realm disciple who made it to the finals.

His strength is in the middle among the ten, somewhat weaker than Li Yunlang.

This time, Ji You fought three matches, and by the end he was even panting. Although Yan Rui lost, he withstood more sword strikes than anyone else, which made the spectators look at him with newfound respect and their eyes were filled with surprise.

Only Cao Jingsong, Wen Zhengxin, Ban Yangshu, and Pei Ruyi exchanged a glance and couldn't help but spit.

They had heard about the discord between Tianjian Peak and Xuanjian Peak caused by the disappearance of the previous master of Lingjian Mountain and the subsequent selection of a new master for the Lingjian.

If one didn't understand why Ji You did this before, after he hooked up with the young appraiser of Lingjian Mountain, even a fool would understand. He was blatantly trying to put down Tianjian Peak on behalf of Xuanjian Peak.

Ding Yao and Zhuo Wanqiu understood this even better, thinking to themselves that this kind of favoritism was really going to coax their master into getting pregnant...

Of course, there were also some smart people who felt that Ji You's combat strength seemed unstable, sometimes strong and sometimes weak, and that the others might still have a chance.

This idea persisted until the third match, when Ji You's opponent changed to Zhu Shun from the Daoist Sect...

Wei Yingmeng, the daughter of the branch master of Shan Hai Ge, was originally considered a top ten prodigy by everyone, but she was unexpectedly defeated on stage in the second round by Zhu Shun.

As that majestic chest tightened and his thick arms, like a fully drawn black iron bow, swung down with the force of a collapsing mountain, the air currents rippled outwards, and the barrier began to clang. At that moment, the discussion about Ji You's fluctuating strength vanished.

Zhu Shun had no idea what sins he had committed; all he knew was that he couldn't withstand the opponent's sword.

Although the powerful force was blocked by his iron sword, the howling energy still made him tremble all over and his bones ache.

boom!
A loud bang, a powerful explosion of air, reverberated within the barrier.

Zhu Shun's iron sword clattered to the ground, and he was sent flying backward, blood gushing from his mouth and nose, his tiger's mouth split open, and he lost consciousness.

At this moment, everyone looked at the somewhat bewildered Xuanjian Peak disciple, their expressions filled with thoughtfulness.

"The battle with Yan Hao earlier seemed to be the same, but Yan Hao had after all entered the Fusion Dao, so how could it be like this...?"

"Given the same swordsmanship, do you think the Xuanjian Peak's lineage is stronger?"

"That's not impossible, after all, the young appraiser comes from Xuanjian Peak..."

The days during the finals were quite mechanical, basically consisting of drawing swords, resting, and training the body, with nothing else happening.

During this period, Yan Shuyi and Yuan Caiwei often came to visit him.

Every time Yuan Caiwei saw him, her eyes were filled with admiration, because she went to watch every match and would hear people around her talking about Ji You. Whether it was what she saw or heard, Ji You fulfilled all her fantasies about cultivators.

Yan Shuyi still wore that aloof expression, but her eyes couldn't help but reveal a hint of pride and shyness.

She liked how strong the stranger was, and she also liked that even during their battle, he wanted to make Xuanjian Peak appear more powerful.

Just as Ding Yao and Zhuo Wanqiu said, even a woman as powerful as Xiao Jianzhu is still a woman after all, and she cannot resist such things.

However, since the two had always been together, there was no chance for Ji You to live on forever.

This was not a coincidence; they had been together for the past few days.

Yuan Caiwei noticed that Yan Shuyi's hostility towards her had lessened considerably compared to before, which was different from when they hibernated together last year, making her somewhat puzzled.

Ding Yao and Zhuo Wanqiu felt they could understand, because after watching Ji You's duel, they knew that the son-in-law's strength was not something ordinary people could withstand. Every time they put themselves in his shoes, they felt like they would be smashed apart in a few blows.

When facing each other with swords, one can use weapons to block, but when they are in the situation, there is nothing they can block, and they have to endure it. No wonder the judge relaxed his resistance a little.

However, their understanding is not actually specific, because they don't know that their master has already seen the weapon and has the actual size in his mind, which is why he is so embarrassed.

However, Yan Shuyi was still jealous, so she kept a close eye on Yuan Caiwei, as if she didn't dare to, but was also afraid that her sister would get to eat the good stuff first.

"To three."

"Pair of seven." "Pair of k."

"Pass."

As the sun sets, fiery clouds paint the sky, and a family of three sits quietly playing cards at a tea table.

The cards were drawn by Ji You, and he also taught the rules; it's just a simple version of Dou Dizhu (a popular Chinese card game).

During this time, as they played their cards one by one, a constant rustling sound began to come from under the tea table, prompting Ji You to look down.

The tea table in the house was very narrow, basically only wide enough for a pair of snow-white, beautiful legs to stretch out.

Ji You was sitting cross-legged. At this moment, he saw two pairs of fair and delicate feet swinging back and forth under the table, touching the hem of his robe. When they swayed gently, they would rub against the front of his robe and make a soft sound.

The young appraiser's feet were smaller and whiter, soft and delicate, while Yuan Caiwei's were more symmetrical, but both were fair with a rosy tint, and round and smooth.

After watching for a while, Ji You suddenly reached under the table and flicked the two girls' cute, pink and round toes twice. The two girls, who were carefully studying the cards, immediately cried out and then subconsciously pulled their restless feet back.

The daughter of the Dan Sect was not good at hiding her feelings, and a blush rose to her cheeks.

Meanwhile, the jealous little devil from Lingjian Mountain blushed, her beautiful eyes narrowed slightly, and her arrogant gaze was filled with jealousy.

With a whoosh, a beautiful jade foot kicked out from under the table, bringing with it a fragrant breeze.

Yan Shuyi wanted to kick his shin, but her soft sole suddenly bumped into something rough and fibrous. She opened her eyes slightly, then immediately pulled her foot back under her skirt.

Ji You's eyes turned somewhat strange, thinking to himself, "I've already got a reward before I've even won..."

As autumn deepens, the leaves begin to fall.

As the fourth battle began, Ji You's ranking had risen to the very top of the competition.

The others were also fighting each other during this period, trying to accumulate five battles, but they all had both wins and losses. Only he fought his way through, unstoppable.

At dawn, he rode the gentle breeze into the ancient human race's training ground, where he faced his opponent in this round: Zhu Shun's elder brother, Zhu Yao.

To be honest, although the Zhu brothers have entered the Dao Seeking Sect and are now competing under the Dao Seeking Sect's name, their origins are still those of the Zhu family. Such a situation, where two outstanding members of one family simultaneously enter the top ten, usually only occurs within the bloodlines of immortal sects, is truly astonishing.

However, Ji You's sword strikes were too difficult to block.

Although Zhu Yao was much stronger than his younger brother Zhu Shun, he was still completely suppressed. Then, with a loud clang, he was slashed, his aura became chaotic, and his defeat became obvious.

Before the Heavenly Way Society began, no one expected it to be like this.

The character they envisioned was either Yan Hao of Tianjian Peak, or Zhuang Zixin, or perhaps Zhu Yao, who was now lying quietly on the ground.

But what they actually saw was a man who looked like a frail scholar, but now stood like a god or demon blocking the way, his aura powerful and intense, overwhelming the entire Tongxuan Realm...

The human race's arena is not open to just anyone. Those who live in the Sage Garden are of noble status and can naturally enter to watch the battle, but those who live in the county town's inns will find it difficult to enter without connections or influence.

It is very regrettable not to be able to watch such a grand event that is shared by the world.

However, this Heavenly Dao Tournament was different from usual, because as the finals began, a masked storyteller suddenly appeared on the streets of Zhongxing County.

This storyteller was truly skilled; his account of the battle was full of detail and pacing, making the audience feel as if they were there, giving them goosebumps, and attracting countless viewers in no time.

Such as some downstream aristocratic families, and some lords of immortal estates.

The most eye-catching among them was a well-dressed young nobleman. He was very young and would listen to the entire performance from beginning to end. When he got excited, he would clap wildly and mutter things like "brother-in-law".

Another slender scholar also came every day. Each time, after the scholar finished lecturing on a book, the scholar would take the book and make a copy of it before hurrying off to the post station.

Li Yunlang, a private cultivator who was admitted to the Heavenly Academy through an exceptional means, defeated Li Yunlang, a descendant of the Li family, a thousand-year-old aristocratic family and the former imperial family of Zhongzhou.

A private cultivator who was admitted to the Heavenly Academy through an exceptional procedure defeated Zhu Shun, the prodigy of the Dao Seeking Sect.

A private cultivator who was admitted to the Heavenly Academy through an exceptional procedure defeated Zhu Yao, the prodigy of the Dao Seeking Sect.

For several days in a row, more and more people came to listen to the storytelling, and as the number of people increased, the storytelling venue became more and more silent.

Because they knew that the story of the country cultivator who exposed his cultivation level while saving a little girl, was brought out from the remote and impoverished Fengzhou, was exceptionally admitted to the Heavenly Academy, defeated the second son of the Chu family under all kinds of targeting, and opened the inner courtyard gate with his sword, was about to reach the top of the Heavenly Dao Society...

In the fifth and final match, Ji You encountered Zhuang Zixin, the second son of the Zhuang family.

The two stepped onto the stage, instantly silencing the audience.

Both men wielded swords and were of similar build. As they stood on the stage, their sword intent was already beginning to build.

Then, with a whoosh, a powerful sword aura suddenly shot into the sky. Zhuangzi casually gripped his longsword and slashed horizontally with a sharp gaze.

At this moment, Ji You also drew his sword and stood up. His aura suddenly surged, and then he swung his sword out.

Amidst the frenzied dance of breaths and the resounding clash of weapons, sparks flew everywhere.

Zhuang Zixin's sword was extremely fast, but it was also powerful, following a path completely opposite to Yan Hao's, and its offensive was even more fierce than before.

His speed did not come from swordsmanship, but from movement techniques, which are also a type of magic. As a result, his movements were greatly amplified, making him as fast as lightning.

This is actually the right choice.

Because those who make it to the final round are either fast enough or have stronger attack power.

But to everyone's dismay, Ji You was even faster and more powerful. Each swing of his sword was like a thunderbolt. In just a few exchanges, he had already made Zhuang Zixin's sword intent unstable and his eyes wide open in despair.

He had no movement techniques; his speed came entirely from the explosive power of his physical body. With each step, he burst forth, causing the stone bricks beneath his feet to crack. Then, the sound of swords filled the sky, directly shattering Zhuang Zixin's sword.

Then another gleaming sword rose up and fell with a thunderous crash.

Zhuang Zixin was horrified and drew his sword, his aura surging wildly. He withstood the deafening sword strike fiercely, making the whole scene seem to freeze for a moment.

But everyone knew that the second son of the Zhuang family was using all his strength to resist the direct pressure of the sword, and at this moment, his arms quickly began to turn red, and the veins bulged.

With a loud bang!
Just as everyone held their breath, Ji You expressionlessly grabbed a second sword with his backhand, the powerful force of which directly cleaved through the heavy air wave in front of him.

With a loud clang, the arm, like a fully drawn heavy iron bow, slashed down again, sending Zhuang Zixin flying horizontally. The shockwave from the impact sent him flying several meters away.

Meanwhile, in the viewing pavilion on the east side, an old man dressed in loose clothing had bright eyes: "Good health..."

The five hall masters of the Heavenly Academy turned their heads upon hearing this and looked at their master.

This wasn't the only battle in the human race's training grounds; there was also a duel between cultivators at the Fusion Realm, which looked even more exciting. However, Master always dozed off, except for this moment when he suddenly became quite energetic.

The sunlight was exceptionally bright at that moment. Ji You landed gracefully, her white robes falling amidst the gradually calming wind and waves.

Upon seeing this, Princess Chang Le, Zhao Yunyue, couldn't help but become vacant, while Qiu Hanyue, the daughter of the Qiu family, bit her lip tightly.

Those with similar expressions to them included Yu Shiliu, Wang Gaocen, and Gu Zetao, who had already awakened from his coma.

Before coming here, they had never fought against Ji You. They always thought that everyone was at the same level of the Profound Realm, and even if they were different, they were about the same level. Moreover, compared with Ji You, their backgrounds were even more illustrious.

However, during their trip to the Heavenly Dao Society, they not only discovered that they were not yet able to approach the level of other immortal sect disciples, but also found that the strongest one had always been right beside them.

Won.

Ji You won all five of his battles, decisively taking the top spot in the Heavenly Dao Society's Profound Realm with overwhelming force.

(End of this chapter)