The author of this article

Chapter 277 A Single Thought Startles a Mountain

Bright moon, fairy academy, ancient maple.

In the still of the night sky, wispy clouds floated on the horizon, and a gentle breeze blew.

A crow came from the distant sky, its black feathers fluttering in the night wind, passing along Mount Ni, through the forest and courtyard.

But as it passed a courtyard, the crow suddenly trembled and then plummeted to the ground.

Blood oozed from its dark pupils, trickling down its smooth feathers, as if its life had been shattered in an instant by something.
In the small courtyard where it fell, a bamboo recliner was placed under the eaves near the entrance hall.

On the recliner was a young man with sword-like eyebrows that slanted upwards into his temples like the sharp edge of an ink blade, a high and straight nose, thin and dark lips, a sharp jawline, a long neck, and a prominent Adam's apple.

A dark robe was loosely wrapped around his body, the collar slightly open, revealing the shadow of his collarbone. He looked like a famous sword sheathed.

He looked very peaceful, as if he were asleep, with his hands resting on a white blanket for warmth.

To the right of the recliner is a tea table, also made of inlaid bamboo tubes, which looks exquisite and small.

There is a small stove on the tea table, with a kettle of water sitting on it.

When the crow that had soared high in the sky fell to its death, everything in the courtyard seemed to stand still, except for the teacup beside it, which was constantly splashing water outwards.

Before long, two golden starlight beams collided fiercely between the man's eyebrows and shot out, rapidly enlarging.

In the blink of an eye, like two enormous suns, a fierce wind swept through the entire courtyard.

One of them was noticeably dimmer, as if it were about to burn out, and it swayed and trembled continuously during a powerful collision.

But before they could linger for long, another fierce clash occurred, with countless beams of light splashing wildly like molten iron in a furnace.

As the dim impact came, the surrounding area was filled with the roars of tigers and the howls of dragons, while the blazing golden light pressed down like a mountain, its fighting spirit soaring to the heavens.

"boom!"

"boom!"

"boom!"

Three loud bangs rang out, and within the light, two figures seemed to gradually take shape, both radiating golden light, their outlines defined by flowing liquid gold.

The golden light that was knocked away transformed into an old man, whose ferocious face showed even more intense astonishment since the first collision between his brows.

The divine consciousness resides deep within the space between a person's eyebrows, now known as the sea of ​​consciousness, but in ancient times it was called the upper dantian.

Killing someone with divine thought is not about killing them from a distance, but about entering their sea of ​​consciousness and using divine thought to kill their divine thought.

However, if one's divine sense is not strong enough, they are very likely to be blasted out.

However, this situation is very rare, and it has only happened a handful of times throughout history.

Because those in the Divine Realm will not use their divine sense to kill opponents of the same level, as that would be extremely risky, since injuries to the soul are much harder to heal than injuries to the body.

However, when dealing with those of lower rank, even those at the Boundless Realm can be killed in one blow.

Unless, of course, someone actually spends a lot of effort training their divine will.

However, for cultivators below the Divine Travel Realm, divine sense is merely a tool for communicating with the heavens and man, and it doesn't need to be particularly powerful.

It is simply impossible for someone at a lower level to train their divine sense every day, just so that one day they can withstand the attack of a powerful cultivator at the Divine Ascension Realm.

The unexpected event caused the white-haired old man to let out a wild roar to the sky, and countless rays of divine light burst forth.

"Die, youngster!"

The murderous intent emanating from his venomous eyes was almost tangible.

In response to its shriek was a young man bathed in golden light, his iron fist flying towards it. He leaped into the air, his fists raining down, and they clashed fiercely, the sounds of explosions echoing through the void.

In their interactions, the physical contact between their divine senses was just as powerful as a pure physical confrontation.

The old man's fists were like a fierce tiger, and his palms were like a dragon. With a loud bang, the void trembled as his fists collided with the young man's fist intent, and their palm winds clashed.

Previously, they clashed with their divine senses, and the outcome depended entirely on the difference in the strength of their divine senses. However, the old man found himself at a complete disadvantage, and was even killed and injured when he was not vigilant enough. That's why he decided to transform into human form to kill.

But as the young man's powerful and sweeping movements seemed to swallow the world whole, the scorching iron fist made his heart tremble violently.

With a loud bang, the iron fist crashed down, and several golden lights burst forth from the fierce fist force. The old man, who was intent on quickly killing, was punched through the shoulder, and his broken arm immediately shattered like gold molten metal, splashing everywhere.

The old man, who had lost an arm, stared in disbelief, finding it hard to believe what method could allow someone to condense their divine sense to such an extent.

Add water if there's too much flour, add flour if there's too much water...

The young man muttered something to himself, then leaped up like a tiger bursting from the forest.

A clear, crisp sword cry emanated from between his hands, as brilliant as golden light, as scorching as the bursting dawn.

In fact, divine thought and spirit are the same, although the ultimate path to immortality is for the soul to break free from the body and forge an immortal body.

However, before attaining immortality, the decay of the physical body will also weaken the spirit.

Just like the midday sun, it surpasses anything seen in the morning or at dusk...

With a bang, the sword slashed down, and the old man in his divine consciousness state was cleaved into a shower of golden light. He immediately streaked across the night sky like a meteor, and with a sharp cry, he was about to disappear into the void.

But the young man who suddenly appeared was even faster, carrying a surge of vibrant golden flames, and pressed down on it, stomping it down with a resounding crash.

He was drinking tea in the courtyard when he suddenly felt a murderous divine thought flooding his mind. He immediately focused his mind and counterattacked. After several clashes, he confirmed that the opponent was a powerful expert in the Divine Travel Realm.

However, the opponent's spiritual strength was actually weaker than he had imagined.

The old man also sensed the young man's murderous intent.

He was the one who came to kill, and he thought he could shatter the other party's soul with a single thought, but now he found that the other party was going to kill him!

Just as a Dao sword, condensed from the sword heart and divine thought, was rising into the sky, a small golden sword suddenly flew out from the old man's arms.

Although it was just a small sword, like a woman's hairpin, it instantly caused the void to tremble and emitted a deadly aura.

The young man was sent flying by the sword, his fists clasped together, and golden light splattered all over his body.

Sensing the terrifying killing intent, the young man clenched his fists, trying to obliterate it.

At that moment, amidst his frantic screams, the old man once again transformed into golden light and vanished into thin air.

With a soft "poof," in no time at all, the small sword was ground into a pool of molten gold.

As the golden light pierced the night sky, the young man leaped into the air, unwilling to let it go, and instead wanted to kill it in mid-air.

But as he leaped up, the celestial light that had gathered to form his golden body suddenly dimmed.

Then an inexplicable constraint descended from the sky, and the golden figure was quickly compressed into the same golden light as before, and pulled back to the space between the eyebrows.

Once a cultivator reaches the perfection of the lower three realms, they can use their divine sense to explore or perceive, regardless of their current realm.

But only those who have reached the Divine Travel Realm can truly travel beyond the heavens; those who have reached the Profound Realm cannot...

At this moment, Ji You, sitting on the bamboo chair, slowly opened her eyes, her forehead already covered in fine sweat.

Then he got up from the bamboo chair, walked around the yard, and found that it was quiet all around.

The force of the punches during the clash of their divine senses was so strong that it almost blew off the roof, but now he realized that even the paper covering the windows was unharmed, and it all seemed like a dream.

Only the crow bleeding from its seven orifices at his feet, and the shattered teapot and teacups on the tea table, proved that what had just happened was not an illusion.

His gaze shifted from the crow to the several peaks atop Mount Ni.

Although the battle just now was as silent as a dream, with only the death of a crow and the shattering of a teapot and a teacup, he still sensed that some people had been awakened.

However, since they didn't stop him when he almost killed that old guy, Ji You didn't have much hostility towards him.

In fact, there were indeed dozens of figures deep within the clouds.

Some came from the Immortal Palace, and some from the Elders' Pavilion; they were looking at him with complicated expressions through the clouds surrounding the mountains.

Meanwhile, on the second floor of the Elders' Pavilion, in a deep and dark hall.

Elder Fang, Patriarch Peng, Peng Yu, and Fang Jincheng stood there, their faces pale, staring at Elder Lü, whose chest was covered in blood, their minds buzzing.

When Elder Lü finally managed to open his eyes, the jade pendant in his arms, carved with a small sword, shattered with a crisp cracking sound.

The secret technique of forcibly prolonging life will bring the body close to death, and the extra essence and soul will need to be stored in spiritual energy for nourishment.

At that moment, his most cherished possession shattered on the ground.

Seeing this, Elder Fang rushed over and helped up Elder Lü's swaying body. He saw that Elder Lü's eyes were filled with the terror of surviving a disaster.

Ascending the immortal path to the heavens, the young phoenix's cry is clearer than the old phoenix's...

After regaining her senses, Ji You did not stay in her courtyard. Instead, under the watchful eyes of those people on the mountaintop, she stepped out into the night and walked along the deserted, cold mountain path, heading east.

The Inner Court Immortal Abode is very large because it houses all the Inner Court disciples.

Ji You wandered through the streets and alleys, crossed a stone bridge, and then arrived at a house that was similar in size to her own.

Under the dark night sky, the tightly closed wooden door was knocked away by a punch, and then Ji You stepped over the threshold and went inside, a dazzling golden light surging in his eyes.

Ji You didn't recognize the old man who wanted to kill him; he only knew that the old man was a powerful expert in the Divine Travel Realm.

However, upon closer examination, it becomes clear that this person must be from the Elders' Pavilion.

Because apart from the Elders' Pavilion, there were no other beings of this level in the Heavenly Academy, and even if there were, there would be no need to assassinate him at night. In fact, he was somewhat relieved, relieved that the Divine Travel Realm cultivator had only attacked with his divine sense; if it had been the real body attacking, he would have had a hard time dealing with it with his current combat strength.

Although the rules of Qingyun Tianxia are terrible, there are still people who follow them. Otherwise, the old man wouldn't have chosen to secretly kill him by using the method of "wandering in the heavens".

However, Ji You also felt some regret.

Because no matter how strong his physical body is, his level of enlightenment is only at the level of profound mystery, and he cannot travel the world in spirit.

If he could also kill with his divine sense, the people in the Elders' Hall would certainly never have a good night's sleep again.

However, just as the head of the council commented on him, he was never the type to settle things peacefully, so it was impossible for him to remain silent and think that everything was fine as long as he was alive.

We're in a life-threatening situation, who cares about manners?
So if someone can hire the old ghost to kill him, he can naturally kill the little ghost too.

Ji You hasn't offended many people recently. One is Elder Fang, and the other is Peng Yu, who lost his spot because Xiang Fu entered the inner courtyard.

Ji You carried the gleaming Qingfeng sword into the house and waved his hand to light the candles inside.

The flames flickered and leaped, emitting a dim light. He could see a calligraphy scroll hanging on the table, which read, "With a single thought, one can see beyond the blue sky and realize that my fate is not determined by heaven."

This is Fang Jincheng's courtyard, but he is not here.

Ji You watched for a long time before leaving. He leaped into the air in the night wind, his swaying figure traversing the vast forest, and in the blink of an eye, he arrived at the outer courtyard.

Looking down from the air, the bright moonlight shines on the lake surface, which is ruffled by the autumn wind, creating a shimmering effect.

The outer courtyard seemed brighter than the inner courtyard. The reason for this might be that the vegetation in the outer courtyard was not as dense as that in the inner courtyard.

As he landed, four figures approached him.

These four are the disciples in charge of patrolling the outer courtyard. There are two at the Ascension Jade Platform and two at the Enlightenment Field.

In the still of the night, when everyone in the courtyard was either sleeping or meditating, the sudden appearance of a figure was still quite noticeable.

Then they recognized Ji You and couldn't help but bow to him.

"Hello, Senior Brother Ji."

"Thanks for your hard work."

Ji You nodded slightly to them, and then headed towards the Biyue Lake Courtyard.

Upon seeing this, the four exchanged glances, wondering why Ji You would appear in the outer courtyard so late at night.

But they didn't dare ask, because Ji You had been covered in sword energy just now, as if he wanted to kill someone.

At this moment, Ji You had arrived at the elegant courtyard of Biyue Lake. His surging divine sense swept over the area and he walked towards a courtyard. Then, he punched open the gate, lifted his robe, and stepped inside.

This is Peng Yu's courtyard, but Peng Yu is not in the courtyard either.

Under the cover of night, countless eyes watched him move between the inner and outer courtyards, breaking down doors and entering houses, his sword intent soaring to the heavens. They naturally knew what he wanted to do.

But no one came out to stop them from beginning to end. They just watched with serious eyes until they were sure that no sword energy was hurtling down, and then they relaxed a little.

However, to their surprise, Ji You did not return to her own courtyard after leaving, but instead wandered back to Fang Jincheng's courtyard.

He then sat on the threshold of his chambers, holding his iron sword in his hand, and remained motionless.

"Is he really going to kill someone right under our noses tonight before he'll stop?"

"The Elders' Council made the first move, so killing one of them is just reciprocity..."

"Are you really just going to watch like this?"

"Even if Fang Jincheng and Peng Yu are fools, the Elders' Council isn't. These two probably won't show their faces again..."

The sun rises and sets quickly, and the east soon turns white.

The thin mist of late autumn drifted through the mountains and forests, making the rising sun appear like a salted egg yolk, blurry and thick.

As the rooster crowed at dawn, the inner disciples gradually began to go out, preparing to cultivate and seek enlightenment. However, before they even arrived at the Purple Bamboo Zen Forest, they could see several hurried figures appearing in the thin mist.

Look closely, those are the three heads of the Management Office, heading towards the back mountain of the Elders' Pavilion.

Accompanying them was a middle-aged man dressed in the robes of a Dan Sect immortal.

Ever since the Dan Sect and the Heavenly Academy became friends, Dan Sect disciples have been residing in the outer courtyard.

The reason they were in such a hurry to go up the mountain was because they received a report from the Elders' Pavilion that Elder Lü's soul had been severely damaged and he needed medical treatment.

As it turned out, the Elders' Council's report was not an exaggeration; Elder Lü was indeed seriously injured.

When the three stewards arrived with the alchemists, Elder Lü was lying in bed.

His left side was out of control, like a real dead tree, and his aura was completely chaotic.

Qin Rong was watching from the side at this time. After observing for a long time, he exchanged glances with Ji Jingyao and Lang Hetong.

The Heavenly Academy has a protective formation, so it is unlikely to be an external enemy.

That morning, they received a report from several disciples patrolling the outer courtyard that Ji You had been moving back and forth between the inner and outer courtyards with murderous intent late last night...

The Elders' Council made a move, and Ji You also made a move.

In the stillness of an ordinary, dark night, when no one is paying attention.

The alchemist quickly withdrew his hand, and the seven-colored light from his palm gradually dissipated: "Why was there such a direct and severe injury to the soul?"

"In the realm of spiritual travel, one's divine thoughts can leave the body."

"No wonder……"

Qin Rong looked at him: "Is there a treatment?"

The alchemist shook his head: "I can only stabilize his current state, keeping him alive in his withered form, but it's impossible for him to return to his original state."

Why is it so serious?

"His soul was shattered, the bridge between it and his body broke, and the broken soul could no longer control his complete body."

Upon hearing these words, several powerful elders in the Elders' Hall couldn't help but turn and look down the mountain.

Elder Peng had also rushed over early in the morning upon hearing the news. Upon seeing Elder Lü's appearance, he immediately felt a chill run down his spine.

He didn't see anything last night, but he knew that his nephew, who was the head of the family, went to see Elder Fang yesterday.

Not long after, his nephew led the entire Peng family away from Shengjing under the cover of night, without leaving a single word. He even took Peng Yu with him when he left.

Logically speaking, even if Peng Yu didn't enter the inner courtyard, he could still cultivate in the outer courtyard for five years, trying his best to sense the Heavenly Book and so on.

But he was taken away just like that. It seems that his nephew, who was the head of the family, was really afraid that his grandson would die.

In addition, Elder Fang's grandson has also disappeared without a trace.

Elder Peng wasn't the only one paying attention to the Fang family's grandson; some young men from the capital and disciples from the outer academy were also interested.

In recent days, a new batch of courtesans arrived at the brothels in the capital, so they made an appointment yesterday to go drinking with Fang Jincheng there.

However, Fang Jincheng declined, saying he would be there later and that he had some important things to do, so he told them to drink first and come back later, which aroused everyone's curiosity.

Fang Jincheng was someone who couldn't keep secrets, so he told them that he planned to use the Peng family to deal with Ji You, and that Peng Yu was a spineless person who could be easily manipulated.

However, some young men from the capital, after seeing Dou Yuankong's current appearance, were somewhat traumatized by Ji You and advised Fang Jincheng to think twice.

Dou Yuankong had initially intended to use the demon race to deal with Ji You, which led to his current predicament.

However, Fang Jincheng didn't care, because he felt that Dou Yuankong was no match for him at all.

That guy was just the son of a high-ranking official in the Mortal Dynasty.

He also said that he wouldn't be the one to take the initiative this time, and he definitely wouldn't want to get into trouble.

Even if he fails, he has his great-grandfather in the Heavenly Academy and he has nothing to fear. He even promised that if he ruins Ji You, he will pay for all the drinks for the entire winter.

Fang Jincheng is arrogant and conceited, relying on his great-grandfather's background. He also has quite a temper, but he is good at being punctual.

In their view, regardless of whether the matter succeeded or not, this guy should have shown up by now, but for some reason, they had not seen him since they had been indulging in debauchery all night.

It's not a big deal if no one comes, but we spent a lot of money on drinks yesterday, so we need to figure out how to pay for them.

Just then, a man who looked like a scholar ran over.

After the Emperor of Great Xia personally led the expedition, some young officials were promoted very quickly, and this scholar was one of the beneficiaries.

After arriving in Shengjing, he made connections everywhere and became very familiar with the scions of the prominent families in the capital.

"Young masters, please don't wait any longer. I just went to inquire and heard that Fang Jincheng is in seclusion."

"Seclusion? How could that be? If he intended to go into seclusion, why would he invite us to visit a brothel?"

"He certainly didn't choose to go into seclusion voluntarily..."

"That's a funny thing to say. Is seclusion something that can be forced?"

"That's right. His seclusion this time was forced upon him by Elder Fang. I asked the brother who came with Brother Fang yesterday, and he said that Fang Jincheng might never come out of this seclusion again..."

(End of this chapter)