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Chapter 373 Why Use a Sword to Kill You
"Sister Chang Le..."

"Rui'er, you're back?"

On a drizzly morning, a new day of Daoist debates began in the Shengjing Immortal Garden.

As dusk settled in the early morning, members of various prominent families entered the garden one after another. Princess Chang Le and other young men from the capital, including Liu Junchi, also arrived, only to find Wei Rui, whom they had not seen for a long time.

She knew that Wei Rui had left the capital with Kuang Cheng and had not spent the New Year in the capital, so she was somewhat surprised to see her again after so long.

However, when she thought of Ji You's return, she immediately realized that the three of them had probably returned together.

What puzzled her was that she knew Wei Rui had never been interested in cultivation, and she didn't understand why she would come to join the discussion.

"Does Sister Chang Le know where the Minister of Rites is?"

"Minister Chang, what business do you have with him?"

"Young Master Kuang from the Imperial Academy has not returned home all day. I asked someone to inquire at the Imperial Academy, and they said that Young Master Kuang was invited by the Minister of Rites to his residence as a guest. But how can a guest stay overnight?"

"?"

Zhao Yunyue frowned slightly.

Chang Huai, the Minister of Rites, was a member of the Immortal Cultivation faction under his father's command. They had always been at odds with the Directorate of Immortals, so why would he invite a Director of the Directorate of Immortals to his residence as a guest?

She gently shook her head, indicating that she did not know where the Minister of Rites was. Upon seeing this, Wei Rui pursed her red lips and hurriedly left the garden.

Just then, Liu Junchi's voice suddenly rang in his ear.

"Junior sister, look."

"What are you looking at?"

Princess Chang Le turned her head to look, and her gaze suddenly froze as she paused for a moment.

The direction Liu Junchi pointed was the bulletin board of Shengjing Xianyuan, where the topics to be discussed that day and the names of the participants were usually posted.

Visitors can choose the magical combat techniques that interest them and go to watch the discussions at a suitable time.

Generally speaking, the six dojos will have ten to twenty competition events a day, which will be copied onto two notices.

But today there was only a notice, and what was even more surprising was that it contained Ji You's name.

At Chen Shi (7-9 AM), he was to discuss the Dao with Huo Ku, a Grand Master of the Boundless Initial Realm from the Mountain and Sea Pavilion.

"Ji You and Huo Ku, who is the challenger?"

"Look at the signature at the bottom of the notice, it's Huo Ku."

"Can Ji You come?"

"The Immortal Sect wants what he has obtained, but he is unwilling to give it up. The best way is for him to stay hidden in the Heavenly Book Academy. He will definitely not come."

"Then why set up this place?"

"Of course, the Mountain and Sea Pavilion, the Dao Seeking Sect, and the Chen Clan are unwilling to actually attack the Heavenly Book Academy. They probably want to lure it out of the academy, but their methods are too naive."

The notice also attracted the attention of other prominent families, who couldn't help but start discussing it after seeing it.

Ji You had just returned to the Heavenly Academy when each of the three major immortal sects sent an elder to the academy, clearly wanting what he possessed. Under these circumstances, not coming out was the wisest choice.

Zhao Yunyue thought so too, believing that Ji You's only option in the face of the pressure from the three major immortal sects was to cower like a turtle.

The stalemate continues until the three major immortal sects make a move, or the Heavenly Academy is forced to hand it over.

However, just as he was thinking this, a group of people who were closer to the entrance of the Immortal Garden turned around and then let out a series of low, surprised sounds.

Hearing the commotion, Zhao Yunyue couldn't help but turn her head to look.

At this moment, Ji You arrived dressed in the sword robe of the Heavenly Academy, his face cold, and stepped into the garden with sword energy emanating from him.

As they brushed past each other, the scorching heat emanating from him caused everyone to involuntarily take three steps back, watching him slowly walk into the courtyard, their expressions becoming even more astonished.

Accompanying him were Cao Jingsong, Ban Yangshu, Wen Zhengxin, and the Lu sisters.

Zhao Yunyue was stunned for a long time, then suddenly remembered Wei Rui's hurried figure. His eyes widened slightly, and his mouth opened slightly as he suddenly understood something.

"It seems yesterday's news was true."

In the tea pavilion on the west side of the Immortal Garden, Fang Xiang, the head of the Fang family, spoke softly.

Guo Fengxing looked up at the sound: "News?"

“Last night I had drinks with some familiar friends from Yuzhou. They had just paid their respects to the Vice Sect Leader of the Dao Asking Sect. They said that the Dao Asking Sect had invited an official from the Immortal Supervisor to be their guest.”

"Second Immortal Supervisor..."

Upon hearing this, everyone in the teahouse suddenly realized what Fang Xiang meant.

In the second year of the Taichang era, not just one Fengzhou youth emerged from Yuyang County, but two.

It is said that the two of them couldn't even afford to eat at the time, and could only support each other in Shengjing.

Although Kuang Cheng was just an ordinary person, he was involved in both the cutting off of spirit stones and the subsequent land lease.

Thinking of this, Fang Xiang and the others got up from the tea pavilion and followed the crowd toward the inner courtyard, thinking that there was probably going to be a good show to watch today.

"You unfilial disciple, do you really intend to discuss the Dao with that Huo Ku?"

"I can't just leave Kuang Cheng alone."

As Ji You spoke, she walked towards the inner garden, her murderous intent undiminished.

He did intend to stay in the Heavenly Academy and not come out, but he did not expect to receive an invitation to discuss the Dao from the Dao Seeking Sect that very night.

What caught his attention, however, was not the letter of discussion, but the jade pendant that came with it and had always been hanging on Kuang Cheng's waist.

He had always known that the Immortal Sect had very low standards, but he never expected their standards to be this low. Even with all the powerful families gathered together, they could still resort to such tricks, which infuriated him.

As they spoke, Ji You had already arrived in the inner courtyard. Looking around, the vast debating arena was open and boundless, with nine stone pillars carved with the image of the sun ascending to heaven, making it look exceptionally solemn.

The three-tiered stands surrounding the building were already full, and there were also people craning their necks to wait on the rooftops. Looking around, it was truly a sea of ​​people.

These were cultivators who had arrived earlier, all in order to secure better spectator positions.

When they were admitted to the hospital, they saw the notice and were surprised that Elder Huo Ku of the Mountain and Sea Pavilion would choose Ji You to come and discuss the Dao. They were even more surprised that Ji You actually appeared.

Amidst whispers, He Ye, Zuo Qiuyang, Zhao Wuji, the Qiu family head, and others, who were sitting in front of the family members, all looked towards the Guandao Tower in the east, west, south, and north.

That was set up for the four immortal sects that came to discuss the Dao. The open-air viewing corridor only had a few elders from the four immortal sects, and there were no high-ranking figures such as personal disciples or deputy sect leaders.

However, they knew that those people were probably in the hall behind the corridor, watching Ji You intently.

In recent days, as the three sects sent elders to the Heavenly Academy to pay homage, many aristocratic families who came to participate in the Daoist discussion guessed that what Ji You had taken from the sacred site of the sages was something more important and rarer than the spiritual treasure.

But only when they have actually seen and touched it can they understand how tempting it is.

"It is said that the Dao Seeking Sect, under the guise of officials from the Great Xia Dynasty, took away Ji You's close friend. But if that's true, they could have simply exchanged him. Why bother with a Dao discussion?"

The Qiu family patriarch looked puzzled and muttered to himself as he glanced at He Ye and Zuo Qiuyang.

Hearing this, He Ye withdrew his gaze: "Naturally, it's a matter of face."

"face?"

"According to the Heavenly Academy, Ji You's refusal was extremely arrogant. He even said that he would leave that immortal spirit behind so that they would have the ability to break in. It's not surprising that the Immortal Sect wants to teach him a lesson and make fun of him. Besides, how can the matter of threatening someone's life really be used as a pretext?"

In sight, Ji You had already stepped onto the west side of the discussion hall.

At this moment, two disciples of the Dao Asking Sect came carrying a movable wooden plaque and handed him a brush filled with cinnabar.

Ji You reached out and took the brush, made a checkmark on it to signify his acceptance of the debate, and then stopped in front of the stage.

The content on this sign is the same as the notice board at the entrance, informing about the time and method of the discussion.

However, what is even more detailed than the notice at the entrance is that it also contains their doctrines.

"Finger technique? It's actually the finger technique for discussing Taoism?!"

"This guy surnamed Ji is on the path of body cultivation, what kind of finger techniques does he know?"

"Everyone knows he doesn't practice Taoist arts, yet he still agreed. Isn't this just asking to be beaten?"

When the millions of cultivators in the Dao discussion hall saw the words "finger technique" on the sign, they immediately burst into exclamations.

To be honest, they had always thought the two were going to have a sword duel, but they never expected it to be a completely unrelated finger technique.

It should be noted that although Ji You's combat strength is different, his Enlightenment Realm has always been the Profound Realm. No one has ever seen him use any techniques. This kind of competition is practically suicide.

He Ye and the others also saw the sign and thought to themselves, "Just as I expected."

His clamor to have the three major immortal sects storm the Heavenly Academy had precisely ignited the anger of the immortal sects, since no one had ever dared to challenge their power in this way in the past thousand years.

Now they not only want to obtain the immortal spirit, but also want to humiliate him beforehand.

Such a situation, where one not only fails at the last hurdle but also suffers a lesson for arrogance, is the most destructive to one's moral character.

"Hahaha, it's finger technique! It's finger technique! Interesting, truly interesting!"

Fang Jincheng followed the Fang family to the Guandao Tower, and as he sat down, a sinister smile appeared on his face.

Zhao Yunyue also came and sat down, and couldn't help but chuckle when she heard the voice: "Young Master Fang is also a disciple of the Heavenly Academy, isn't your joy a little too obvious?"

“Your Highness is right. I should be more careful, but my lips just won’t listen to me. Please don’t take offense.”

"I can only say that Young Master Fang is a man of true character."

The disciples of the Heavenly Academy's inner court and the scions of aristocratic families affiliated with the Heavenly Academy couldn't help but turn to look at Fang Jincheng and Zhao Yunyue.

Most of these people were indifferent to this, since they didn't have much of a relationship with Ji You.

Others, like Zhao Yunyue, had considered marrying Ji You, but upon hearing this, they merely pursed their lips slightly, either thinking how fortunate they hadn't gotten themselves into trouble because of him, or feeling that his sharp edges really needed to be tempered.

The spring breeze was slightly cool, blowing the fine, hair-like rain at an angle.

Time passed slowly amidst the conversations and noise, and as Chenshi (7-9 AM) arrived, a figure descended from the Guandao Tower where the Daodao Sect was located.

At that moment, Huo Ku, a great cultivator at the initial stage of the Boundless Realm with white hair and beard, stood with his hands behind his back and looked up at Ji You in the center of the discussion hall.

Seeing this, Ji You did not hesitate. Following the rules, he removed his longsword and entered the arena, approaching Huo Ku step by step.

"Yesterday you said that you were going to stay in the Heavenly Academy and not come out, and that you told us to fight our way in. I thought you would really hide like a turtle and never show your face again."

When Huo Ku saw him arrive, he stroked his long beard, his eyes filled with coldness.

"Where is Kuang Cheng?" Ji You did not respond to his mockery, but instead looked up at him and stared.

"It's just an invitation for a cup of tea, you don't need to worry too much. However, this debate is about finger techniques, and if you don't follow the rules, then things might get complicated." "Looks like I'm destined to be subjected to your finger techniques today?"

Huo Ku sneered: "The Immortal Sect has always been tolerant, and this matter could have been resolved amicably. However, you have no respect for the Immortal Sect and no reverence for the centuries-old tradition. I volunteered for this battle to teach you how to behave in this world."

After hearing this, Ji You gently opened his mouth and said, "I can offer up what I obtained in the sacred land of the sages, but I want you to release Kuang Cheng and return the fish scale register of the land I rented."

"So your insistence on being so forceful was still for the sake of the Fish Scale Book?"

"I expended a lot of effort to snatch the items from the barbarian and demon races. I can't just give them away whenever they ask for them. Isn't it normal to want to take something back?"

A hint of mockery flashed in Huo Ku's eyes: "It seems you are indeed ignorant. You still don't understand that the Immortal Sect never negotiates with others. Today you will suffer humiliation and offer up the treasures of the Holy Land of the Sages. As for your friend, we'll see how you show remorse."

As soon as he finished speaking, several elders from the surrounding Taoist temples approached the railings, their cold eyes gleaming with golden light.

Their condescending attitude has always been the same, as if they want to witness firsthand how miserable Ji You will be when he can only passively take the beating.

Especially Shang Yue and Chen Buyu, who had accompanied Huo Ku to the Heavenly Academy, had sneers that were almost identical to Huo Ku's, which carried a hint of cruelty.

Behind them, in the hall separated by a screen, Shang Xiyao, a direct disciple of the Daoist Clan, Huo Xingzhong, a direct disciple of the Mountain and Sea Pavilion, the twin siblings direct disciples of the Chen Clan Immortal Clan, and powerful figures from various sects were all watching this scene.

That gaze and expression truly made him look down upon ants from the clouds, as if he were a celestial being looking down on them with disdain.

"Xiyao, you need to look carefully."

"Yes, uncle."

Shang Xiyao looked at his uncle and then nodded slightly.

Within the Heavenly Dao Altar, Ji You's killing of Chu Xian amidst the baleful aura left Chu Xian with a flaw in his Dao heart. Although he later received a word of encouragement from Shang Xingkong to mend his heart and thus achieved some success, his mastery of the sacred artifact became increasingly smooth.

However, whenever he heard someone mention Ji You, or when news of Ji You came, his Dao heart remained unsettled.

Therefore, Shang Xiyao knew that today's meaningless battle was specially prepared by his uncle, so that he could see clearly that no matter how strong this person was, he was just a country bumpkin cultivator with no background who could only be bullied.

This is a method for breaking through obstacles in one's spiritual path.

Once you've seen someone at their weakest and most pathetic state, you'll never look at them again.

Just then, the gong on the sidelines was struck precisely on time.

From the moment they saw the Dao Discussion Board until now, all the spectators around them, who had been waiting for so long, held their breath for a moment, and then focused their divine senses on the scene.

Huo Ku smiled, while Ji You's expression became extremely solemn.

hum-

Huo Ku suddenly waved his hand, and a surge of spiritual energy that had been accumulated beforehand instantly poured into his right hand. Then, a golden finger beam shot out.

The powerful aura instantly caused a buzzing sound throughout the arena, and it shot straight towards Ji You.

The Instant Divine Finger of the Daoist Sect!
Upon seeing this, all the young men around them gaped in astonishment.

Because they had witnessed Huo Zhuoqun, a disciple of the Mountain and Sea Pavilion, demonstrate his finger technique in martial arts a few days ago, they had gained some understanding of the power of the Instant Finger. However, knowing that this finger technique was used by the Boundless Realm, they were able to truly appreciate the difference between heaven and earth!
In an instant, Ji You suddenly stepped off the ground and flew away. His white robe was billowed into a ball by the wind as he moved, and he dodged the killing finger strike.

The intense killing force caused ripples to spread across the surrounding barrier, and the murderous aura instantly seeped outwards.

But just as Ji You dodged the finger strike with speed, Huo Ku's next finger strike came flying through the air, the intense light of the finger so bright that even the sky seemed to dim a bit.

The finger aimed straight for Ji You's lower abdomen, but Ji You dodged it suddenly. However, this time the dodge was not complete, and his white robe was torn in half.

But just as he stomped his foot, another beam of light struck down fiercely.

With a muffled "bang," the sharp fingertip beams exploded in front of Ji You, the powerful killing force blasting him back three steps, his crossed wrists instantly turning black.

Upon seeing this, Cao Jingsong, Wen Zhengxin, Ban Yangshu, and the Lu sisters immediately frowned and gripped the railing in front of them tightly.

They knew from the beginning that this martial arts debate was a trap set by the Immortal Sect for them, and they expected this scene to unfold, but their anger still could not be quelled.

"This Instant Finger technique is indeed very fast; it truly lives up to its name."

"Ji You is in big trouble."

"Before he went on stage, I thought he might only be able to dodge, but I didn't expect that the Instant Finger would be so fast in the hands of Wujiangjing."

Amidst the cacophony of noise, Huo Ku's killing fingers continued to rain down upon the sky.

The powerful technique slashed Ji You away again, who could only dodge and weave. The fire-infused finger marks left his left shoulder and chest charred black.

The elder of the Dao Seeking Sect exclaimed with delight, his spiritual energy suddenly bursting forth, and he once again condensed a powerful finger that crashed down.

Ji You fixed her gaze, stepped forward, and swiftly dodged the killing intent of that finger.

Just when everyone thought Huo Ku would follow suit and keep up with the second and third fingers, Ji You did not stop after landing.

As Ji You gathered all his strength and stomped on the ground, a muffled sound rang out, and the stone bricks beneath his feet shattered with a crack, as his powerful body surged forward fiercely.

Huo Ku never expected that he couldn't dodge even at the furthest distance, yet he still took the initiative to close the distance. With a ferocious expression, he slashed out with a finger, directly hitting Ji You's right shoulder and sending him tumbling.

The people in the stands were also puzzled, not understanding his intention to suddenly close the distance.

Because in a situation where only dodging is an option, closing the distance would obviously be more disadvantageous for oneself.
But at that moment, someone saw his left hand and their eyes widened in surprise.

"Look at his left hand!"

"?"

"Ah this..."

Before everyone's eyes, Ji You's right hand, which had been hanging by his side, clenched two fingers together as he fled and dodged.

Upon hearing this, the Qiu family patriarch's eyes widened instantly: "Could it be that he really knows finger techniques, and was hiding his abilities all along?"

"He does indeed have a secret manual on finger techniques."

"?"

While everyone was still in surprise, they suddenly heard a voice behind them and turned around to look.

The head of the Wang family in Zhongzhou, resting his hand on his knee, spoke: "On the eve of the new year, he snatched a finger technique from the Li family. Could it be that he mastered it?"

He Ye pondered for a long time after hearing this, and then shook his head.

Only a few months have passed since the eve of the new year. Even with the fastest training speed, it is not enough to fully master a finger technique.

However, after shaking his head, he fixed his gaze on Ji You's talent, thinking that it was always strange and could not be judged by common sense. To say that it was completely impossible would be too absolute.

However, as Huo Ku unleashed three more finger strikes, everyone noticed that Ji You was still desperately trying to dodge, and his right hand hadn't moved at all. In fact, he was even directly hit in the back by the finger strikes.

Upon seeing this, the spectators on the viewing platform couldn't help but twitch their lips.

Was it just a bluffing move to put pressure on the opponent?

Huo Ku had also noticed Ji You's two fingers held together on his right hand. He was initially wary, but quickly realized that Ji You was just bluffing.

Because the discussion of Daoist principles is time-limited, in order to avoid fighting and getting angry, thus losing the meaning of the discussion itself, he felt that Ji You was using clumsy means to delay the time.

In an instant, a beam of light shot directly at Ji You's crown chakra.

"Palace Master, they are simply humiliating Ji You."

Standing in the west observation tower, Qin Rong couldn't help but speak in a low voice, his fists clenching involuntarily.

Upon hearing this, Zuo Qiuyang put down his teacup: "He's not so easily bullied."

With a loud bang, Ji You suddenly leaped up, took the blow with his shoulder, and then stomped down again with a roar.

In the blink of an eye, its thick and scorching aura spread wildly, like a ferocious beast on the scene.

At this moment, he faced the next beam of light head-on, no longer bothering to dodge. His muscles were taut, and he smashed the incoming killing intent with a loud bang.

Upon seeing this, Gu Zetao and Wang Gaocen, who were sitting in front of Fang Jincheng and Zhao Yunyue and alongside Yu Shiliu, He Lingxiu, Shi Junhao, and Chai Ze, couldn't help but stand up.

"What is he going to do?"

"He doesn't know any finger techniques and can't use any offensive techniques under the rules, so why is he keeping such a close distance?"

Huo Ku's Dao heart trembled violently as he saw Ji You approaching so close. He immediately shouted, "Ji You, do you remember the rules? This is a discussion of Dao techniques!"

Although he had been the one flexing his muscles throughout the debate, he still knew that if he really went all out, even three of him might not be able to defeat Ji You.

This feeling was even more pronounced when he approached with his powerful aura.

So he had to remind him, remind him to remember the rules, remind him that Kuang Cheng was still in their hands.

He was certain that this shout would bring Ji You to her senses, make her aware of his current situation, and convince her that she wouldn't dare to break the rules.

However, out of fear of being killed, several laws suddenly burst out from behind him, surrounding him and forming a defensive technique similar to the Hun Tian Technique of the Chu family.

In fact, what he did violated the rules, but the Immortal Sect did not step in to stop him.

According to the supplementary regulations, if someone breaks the rules, the participants are free to choose their own defensive measures.

Just then, Ji You finally raised his two fingers, which he had kept together since the start of the match.

Those were just two clean fingers, without any spiritual energy or magic surrounding them, just two fingers.

These two fingers are like the gesture of handing over banknotes when doing business in the East and West markets, simply put together.

Then, Ji You's arms suddenly swelled up, and a fierce, scorching heat emanated from his arms, as if he had been drawn a heavy bow of black iron and fell down hard.

Puff!
The accompanying magic surrounding Huo Ku was pierced through, creating a large hole, and the pure power squeezed those laws into a chaotic torrent.

Huo Ku was stunned for a moment, and before he could react, he saw the two fingers slash down again. In an instant, he felt a sharp pain erupt in his chest.

Peng!!!!
Ji You's fingers pierced through his chest, and with a burst of energy, the blood flowed from the top of his chest to his back, instantly pouring onto the scene.

Huo Ku landed heavily with a muffled thud, his eyes dimming, his face filled with incredulous terror.

At that moment, the rules of the discourse flashed through his mind.

Finger technique, it is to kill with fingers.

Through his blurry vision, he saw that Ji You was still holding those two fingers together.

There were no spells, no spiritual energy, nothing at all. The only difference was that, compared to before, those two fingers and the entire wrist were now stained red with blood.

The towering, scorching heat slowly subsided, and Ji You turned to look at Huo Ku, whose eyes were gradually becoming cloudy.

"What you want is fingering."

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(End of this chapter)