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Chapter 394 Facing Death, Struggling Against Fate

The powerful force of the punch created a barrier of air that stretched for miles, piercing through layers of clouds amidst the howling winds. The shattered cloud wisps exploded in the air, forming a wide ring that scattered in all directions.

Just as he was about to shout "Oh no!" at the young appraiser who was about to cast a spell, he instinctively swung his arm to block. Suddenly, he felt a huge mountain crashing down on him, and his figure was smashed out of the smoke.

The emaciated Shenyou, his eyes wide open, appeared in the darkness for the first time, his face instantly contorted in a ferocious expression.

He had been keeping a close eye on the young master of Lingjian Mountain, feeling that only the other party could be considered a threat to him.

Unexpectedly, in the blink of an eye, he was exposed by a punch from the one who had broken through to the next realm.

But he was clearly cursed twice.

Ku Ye was very experienced in combat. In just a moment of surprise, a mysterious light burst forth around him, forming the image of all laws accompanying his body as he swayed.

Amidst the scorching roar of lightning, wind and rain coalesced, instantly forming a hard protective barrier that collided fiercely with Ji You's thunderous straight punch, unleashing a massive shockwave that crashed down.

Amidst the raging wind, the crowd swept away the sand and dust with their sleeves, gazing in utter astonishment at the figure that stood proudly in the void, burning like fire.

That punch came too suddenly and too quickly, and it was completely unexpected by everyone.

In their minds, even if Ji You wasn't on the verge of death, he must have been seriously injured and collapsed.

But they never expected that he would suddenly burst out with a powerful punch, full of energy and strength, and directly destroy the opponent's hiding place.

However, soon everyone saw Ji You's true state.

He was still wearing the white robe he wore when he entered the cave to break through the barrier, but large patches of blood had bloomed on the front of the robe, soaking through the entire garment.

Between his tightly closed lips, glistening blood continued to glisten, a clear sign of injury.

However, having been forcibly interrupted during his breakthrough process by two curses, Ji You should have suffered even more severe backlash than he is now, but his current state does not reflect this.

Ji You's physical body is incredibly strong, practically invincible in defense, but the curse attack targets the soul, and the backlash from breaking through to the next realm is from the inside out, having nothing to do with his physical body.

They also did not believe the claim that there would be no backlash even if the Physical Realm failed to break through, because if there really was no backlash, Ji You would not rely on the leakage of spiritual energy from the Holy Land of the Sages while also using so many spirit stones as a guarantee.

The only possibility...

Upon realizing this, the heads of the various aristocratic families seemed to have thought of something, and their eyes suddenly froze, their expressions becoming even more complicated than before.

"I see, it seems the second attempt didn't work at all..."

Qiu Hanyue was instantly bewildered upon hearing this: "What? You didn't succeed the second time?"

Tang Minghao, Sheng Xiyu, Liu Qichen, and other scions of prominent families in Zhongzhou were also confused, and they all turned to look at their elders.

"The second curse that person cast did not actually hit Ji You, but was instead used as an opportunity to cover it up."

"?"

Hearing this, everyone was even more confused, because the second curse had been seen falling towards Dongshan, and Ji Youchong's aura of cultivation had stopped abruptly at that moment.

All signs indicate that Ji You was struck by that second curse, thus failing to advance to the next realm. Why would his elders come to such a conclusion?

These young men were completely baffled when the Qiu family patriarch spoke softly with a solemn expression.

"Ji You must have calculated the timing and made preparations in advance. He interrupted his breakthrough at the last moment before the second curse attack landed. The second curse attack did not hit him, but was blocked by him. He also took the opportunity to quickly conceal his aura, appearing as if he were on the verge of death."

Why would he do that...?

"Perhaps from the moment the young appraiser was in danger, he had already given up on breaking through to the next level, and waited until now, finally finding the other party's location with that third killing intent."

As soon as he finished speaking, everyone stared in astonishment at the man covered in blood.

Why was Ji You still able to make a move even after being cursed twice and suffering a backlash from breaking through his cultivation realm?

That's because he voluntarily gave up his pursuit of the realm, and he only suffered one attack from the curse.

But why did he decide to give up on breaking through to the next realm and calculate every opportunity in advance, even before he knew whether the young appraiser would have a backup plan to resolve the crisis?

It was because the Divine Realm cultivator not only killed him, but also first directed his killing intent towards Yuan Caiwei, then towards Cao Jingsong, and finally towards the Little Master of Appraisal.

Even if he doesn't break through to the next level, he will still kill this person.

After thinking it through, they suddenly understood why the young master of Lingjian Mountain was no longer in a hurry when the curse attack came earlier, and even turned his killing intent towards the mastermind behind him, as if he was no longer worried about what was behind him.

That's because she understood her Daoist partner. Even though she didn't know what Ji You was going to do at the time, she believed that he wouldn't really put himself in a dangerous situation, and she also believed that he wouldn't sit idly in the mountains waiting to die.

They are true spiritual partners.

Although the events at the Daoist Conference have proven that they are Daoist partners, many people still do not believe it because of the obvious difference in their social status. Some conspiracy theorists have even linked the matter to the conflict between the Northern and Southern Immortal Sects.

But only now did they truly confirm that the two were indeed a Daoist couple.

Because the concept of mutual understanding has never been a lie since ancient times.

"His body was tense and his breath was forced outward; Ji You was struggling to hold on when he threw that punch just now."

"Turning one's own breakthrough into a higher realm is tantamount to suicide, and the subsequent effects of the backlash from voluntarily giving up the breakthrough may be even more severe. From this perspective, although this person's divine travel was exposed, he has accomplished his mission quite well."

On the hillside, Huo Xingzhong and Chen Luo murmured to each other.

Throughout the millennia of human history, there have been countless examples of those who failed to advance to a higher realm and suffered the consequences, but there has never been a case of someone who failed to advance to a higher realm and then succeeded a second time.

Because the backlash from a cultivation level always originates from within and affects the most fundamental foundation of a cultivator, just as an enlightened cultivator loses their connection with the heavens and man after suffering a backlash, Ji You's physical body is so hard and unbreakable that the consequences might be even more severe.

If he's unlucky, he'll become a cripple after exhausting his energy. If he's lucky, he might still be able to maintain his boundless combat power, but that's already manageable for the Immortal Sect.

Thinking of this, the two of them breathed a sigh of relief almost simultaneously.

Because from now on, Ji You will no longer be a demon in their hearts, and will no longer make them have the obsession that they are not as good as him.

With a loud bang, Ji You, covered in blood, fell onto the collapsed cliff after his fight with Ku Ye, blood continuously spilling from his mouth.

The backlash he suffered was indeed severe. The chaotic spiritual fire within his body burned his meridians, and the counterattack caused his internal organs to bleed continuously.

Although there were no visible wounds on the surface, his insides could be described as "riddled with holes".

"Son."

"Uncle..."

Ding Yao and Zhuo Wanqiu were supporting Yuan Caiwei and Cao Jingsong, respectively. When they saw Ji You's miserable state, the four of them couldn't help but let out a soft cry.

Ji You turned and waved to them, indicating that she wouldn't die for the time being, and then turned to look at the young appraiser of Lingjian Mountain.

After a slight pause, Ji You tilted her head in confusion: "Why have you gained weight?"

Yan Shuyi: "..."

Ji You immediately realized what she meant and quickly corrected herself: "Being a little chubby is cute too."

Upon hearing this, Yan Shuyi's eyes flashed with a fierce sword aura. He thought to himself, "Calling you a dog thief is too kind. You're just a stupid pig, a mere disciple of the Little Heavenly Academy."

They're already so badly injured, how can they still talk about love?

Hearing their conversation, the crowd was somewhat surprised by Ji You's nonchalant attitude.

What surprised them even more was that the little appraiser, who was praised for being cute, was still like an ice queen, but there was only a hint of anger hidden in her eyes, and no aversion at all. On the contrary, her cheeks gradually became flushed.

This sense of shame and indignation, like that of an ordinary woman, was something she never showed to the world.

At the Heavenly Dao Assembly, everyone said that the relationship between the two would definitely be one of female superiority and male inferiority, but they only realized they were wrong after seeing this scene.

A woman who likes someone is no different from an ordinary woman who likes someone; she is also a woman with a delicate heart. Although she appears cold on the surface, her eyes are filled with the image of that person.

Just then, a loud explosion suddenly came from the sky.

Ku Ye, whose face was contorted in rage as he shattered the cliff with a single punch exchanged with Ji You, suddenly rose into the sky like a shooting star, about to head straight for the heavens.

He wasn't afraid of Ji You; after all, he was a powerful cultivator in the Divine Realm, so what was there to fear in facing a warrior of boundless strength?

The one he was truly afraid of was the young master of Lingjian Mountain, because once he was completely exposed from his hidden state, he had no ability to directly confront the power of the sacred artifact.

Moreover, regardless of whether the target's breakthrough was interrupted by the user or was interrupted voluntarily, the task is considered complete, so there is no need to linger any longer.

Yan Shuyi's eyes did indeed freeze for a moment, wanting to instantly kill him and turn him into a rain of blood, but at that moment, he suddenly noticed that his scoundrel husband was shaking his head.

"Don't make a move."

"for……"

Before Yan Shuyi could finish speaking, Ji You shattered the broken cliff with his footsteps in the space, and then soared into the air and charged out.

The sacred site of the sages was riddled with cracks, and anything that got close to the cracks would be annihilated by nothingness. Ku Ye was not familiar with the terrain, so his escape speed was slowed down considerably.

At the edge of the crack, fragments of space fall into the absolute nothingness below, like peeling plaster.

He focused all his attention on avoiding the spatial rift that had opened beneath his feet, but then felt a scorching and violent fist wind suddenly attack, instantly enveloping his entire upper body.

The fist brought not wind, but a solid, high-pressure wall of air. The air was compressed to the extreme, turning into a thick, milky-white fog that exploded before his eyes.

With a deafening roar, the surrounding dharmas were like boiling water, their mysterious light scattering everywhere. Ku Ye's body suddenly went out of control, like a stone thrown by a catapult, smashing through the thin clouds along the way, and was thrown back to Dongshan once again.

As smoke and dust rose, stones flew, and endless winds howled in his ears, Ku Ye's energy was brought to its peak, and he was ready to face the sacred artifact head-on.

But unexpectedly, even though the Master of Lingjian Mountain was right at the foot of Dongshan Mountain, he just watched him coldly and didn't make a move... Was he feeling unwell? Or was using the sacred artifact too taxing on him?
Amidst the surprise and uncertainty, that scorching heat swept in once more.

Ku Ye was no longer able to think things through carefully. With his magic activated, he charged forward amidst a dazzling array of mystical light, his figure falling like a shooting star tearing through the night sky.

Like many other spiritual cultivators in the world, this arduous journey has reached the stage of physical decay, but his strength should not be underestimated. Since the beginning of his cultivation, he has been proving his Dao through killing, and he has never been on the same path as those who sit alone in the deep mountains for solitary cultivation.

With a flick of his wrists, lightning and fire intertwined in his palms, and under the control of the force field technique, he suddenly pressed down, directly slashing Ji You away.

The moment he landed, Ku Ye flew upside down in the air, a blood-red slit suddenly appeared between his brows, and he swung a black light-condensed illusory blade downwards, cleaving half a mountain ridge in two.

Ji You landed on the mountain ridge and fiercely blocked the black blade, but under the powerful killing intent, the entire mountain suddenly collapsed, causing him to be cleaved into the rubble.

With internal and external injuries combined, Ji You coughed up blood, scattering a blinding crimson stain among the rubble.

At this moment, Kuye stood atop the collapsed mountain peak, his figure appearing and disappearing amidst the swirling dust, like a demon god.

He looked down at Ji You, who was deeply embedded in the rock below. The black light between his brows did not diminish but instead became even more intense.

One knife, two knives, three knives...

The black light between his brows was condensed to its extreme, and the illusory blade became almost solid, as black as ink, with a cold glint at its tip, as if it could devour all light.

Ji You was like a small boat tossed about in a tsunami, with the deadly black blade closing in inch by inch.

When one's spiritual realm transcends the boundless, the difference in their cultivation levels becomes crystal clear in terms of combat power.

"Old thief, come again."

"court death……"

Ku Ye's eyes suddenly shrank into two black dots, and he vanished from his spot in an instant. In the blink of an eye, he appeared above Ji You, his killing blade arriving in a flash.

Ji You suddenly gathered a powerful burst of energy in his arm, and as he smashed it, it clashed fiercely with the illusory blade.

There was a brief stalemate, followed by a massive surge of air generated by the expansion that swept down dust from all directions.

But the stalemate lasted only a moment before Ji You's fist suddenly burst open with a bloody gash.

The next instant, a gust of wind swept in, sending him flying with a deafening roar.

Ku Ye cultivated countless techniques for the sake of killing. Besides his mind-blade, his withered palms were used for force field techniques, which could weigh tens of thousands of pounds with a flip of his hand.

Ji You felt a tearing pain in her chest, and her entire shoulder blade began to spasm.

At that moment, he could clearly feel that one of his right collarbones had been broken by the shock.

Along his journey, he had clashed with the Divine Realm many times.

The first time was with Elder Lü from the Heavenly Academy, but because the elder was already nearing his death, and because I always made sure to keep my divine sense in balance with my physical body, I was able to escape that calamity by chance.

The second time was on the way to punish the thousand-year-old family that had joined forces to cause trouble, when the Divine Realm, whose members had been killed, was replenishing the defensive line.

In both encounters, Ji You had the upper hand due to various factors, but only in a real head-on confrontation could he truly feel the powerlessness of being suppressed.

Upon seeing this scene, countless cultivators watching from the mountain valley couldn't help but look at the young appraiser.

Because they didn't understand why, even though the person had been found, the young appraiser didn't use his sacred artifact to kill him directly, but instead watched Ji You engage in a battle of unequal strength like a moth drawn to a flame.

In fact, Yan Shuyi was also puzzled by Ji You shaking his head and telling him not to take action.

However, out of trust in Ji You, and because she was pregnant and it was truly not advisable to take any risks, she chose to obey.

A series of deafening explosions rang out as countless black blades flew out from between the withered arms of the Bitter Cultivator, slashing fiercely down at Ji You. At the same time, a beam of lightning was tightly gripped in his palm, and it struck down like a killing sword in an instant.

As a divine wanderer who has dedicated himself to the path of killing for thousands of years, his methods are not limited to assassination. If it weren't for the sacred artifact here, he could have ensured that no one in this mountain would survive.

Lightning struck down, sending Ji You flying backward. He crashed through the billowing dust, creating a deep chasm, while the black blade that had cleaved down from the sky slammed down at the same time.

Ji You swung his arms to meet the attack head-on, and was then violently cleaved away amidst a huge roar, bleeding profusely once again.

The white fabric on his clothes had disappeared, and his eyes seemed to be shrouded in a black mist, making him look like he was about to collapse.

But he did not dodge. Instead, after smashing through the foothills, he rose up again and slammed his hammer down on Ku Ye, whose eyes were filled with murderous intent.

At this moment, before the question of why the young appraiser did not take action was answered, another question arose in everyone's minds: why did Ji You no longer use swordsmanship?

It should be noted that Ji You once possessed a sword technique, the origin of which is unknown, but which successfully repelled a Divine Travel Realm expert.

They wondered and observed, but didn't immediately notice that the mountain winds were getting hotter and hotter, to the point that beads of sweat were forming on their foreheads.

It wasn't until three more slashes struck that Ji You was sent flying. Only those with profound cultivation and powerful divine senses gradually sensed a strange current.

They subconsciously looked up and noticed that the spiritual energy in the mountains was beginning to surge again, gradually emerging in the dark night with a blue hue.

boom! !

The two clashed fiercely once again! Ku Ye, holding the illusory blade that had condensed between his brows, clashed head-on with Ji You's iron fist, unleashing a massive shockwave.

The violent impact rolled back along the blade, and Ku Ye felt a sharp, squeezing pain in his wrist. A look of unusual seriousness flashed across his eyes.

During their first encounter, his opponent's physical body caused him considerable pain, but this time the pain was even greater.

"You thief, what are you doing?"

"Since you've come to kill me, you must allow me to also want to kill you."

Seeing the blood seeping from the other person's teeth, Ku Ye's withered eyelids began to twitch uncontrollably.

He was indeed astonished by Ji You's physical strength, because if it were an ordinary Wujiang, he probably wouldn't have survived three of his strikes before being decapitated.

Even so, Ku Ye had some expectations in his heart.

In his view, even if this person's physical body was incomparably strong, seemingly giving him an innate advantage against assassination, he would still only need eight strikes to kill him given the difference in combat power.

In the blink of an eye, more than a dozen slashes had been delivered, yet the opponent was still not fatally wounded.

If changes in defense cannot be directly referenced, then the increasing pain from the opponent truly serves as a wake-up call, indicating that the opponent is becoming stronger.

With a hum, the air vibrated.

Ji You's next punch came crashing down. As the spiritual fire blazed, the fierce energy that had been pressing down on him roared out and filled his fist. At the same time, a scorching and soaring wave of energy filled the mountains.

Upon seeing this, the young appraiser, who had been keeping a close eye on the scoundrel husband, raised an eyebrow, a hint of surprise flashing in her beautiful phoenix eyes.

She originally thought that even if she caught the curse killer, the damage Ji You had suffered would be irreparable, and her killing intent remained unabated.

Until this moment, she saw another possibility within Ji You's fist technique.

Amidst a humming and trembling sound, a chilling wind swept in, and the killing intent of the karmic creditors instantly surged to its peak. With a slash of the blade, the two figures collided violently once more.

His body sank slightly, subtly containing a coiling force; with a casual flick of the wrist, he unleashed a powerful punch.

Then he stepped forward, his fist rising from his waist, like a dragon emerging from the abyss, striking with the force of wind and thunder.

Stepping onto the ground, he swings one arm horizontally, like a battle axe cleaving through the air with a fierce and powerful wind.

In a short span of time, his figure flashed, his fists alternating like shooting stars, his fists encompassing the universe.

The black mind-blade in Ku Ye's hand trembled violently, and he felt fists raining down in front of him, each one heavier than the last. Finally, his shoulder collapsed suddenly, and his arm shattered with a crack.

At the same time, a scorching and terrifying energy surged out with his fist, and the spiritual fire that had been suppressed by that energy seemed to be released, suddenly bursting outwards, and Ji You's aura surged again.

"He's making a comeback!"

"From the very first punch, he has been constantly pushing his limits!"

He Ye exclaimed in surprise, almost losing his composure after confirming the other party's intentions.

Actually, he had a guess when he sensed the surge of spiritual energy, but he was only able to confirm it when Ji You's aura broke through continuously.

But the problem is that doing this could easily turn into another suicide if you're not careful!

The reason why so many people must go into seclusion when they want to break through a realm is because they are afraid of being disturbed by others. Even a slight mistake during the breakthrough process can lead to failure, and it is almost a matter of life and death!
Amid exclamations of surprise, Ji You sidestepped and threw a punch, his entire body exploding with explosive force, the punch slamming directly into Ku Ye's mind.

A mouthful of blood spurted from the mouth of this cultivator at the Divine Realm, but before it could fall, it was scalded into a cloud of blood mist by the scorching energy that was released again.

At the same time, the terrifying energy accumulated in Ji You's body was mobilized, and with the swing of his fist, it fiercely supported the suffocating feeling of being bound.

From the very beginning of his breakthrough, he noticed that the feeling of being bound by his physical body came earlier than before, to the point that the terrifying energy generated by the burning spiritual fire could not be released from his body at all.

Therefore, he wanted to use this old thief who came to assassinate him to hone his skills, use his fist power to deplete his strength, and kill Shenyou to prove his Dao!

He was well aware of the risks involved, but this was his last chance.

The backlash he suffered after breaking through the realm shattered all his internal organs and damaged the very foundation of his physical body.

Only by seizing every last chance and overcoming that hurdle in adversity can he use the process of reshaping his physical body during the spiritual fire tempering to repair his severe injuries.

He has always faced death and fought against fate, having come from Yuyang County six years ago.

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(End of this chapter)