Chapter 121: Ascending the Mountain to Observe the Sword! Gui Qu Lai
The group's ascent of the mountain did not attract the attention of the spectators on the Wangjian Platform, because in that crowded place, everyone was waiting for the final outcome of win or loss.
What the first battle showed was enough to make them certain that Tianshu Academy's visit to Asked the Dao Sect would undoubtedly end in defeat.
Therefore, the Disciples of Asked the Dao Sect, Mountain and Sea Pavilion, and especially Lingjian Mountain, no one wanted to miss this scene.
At the same time, Ding Yao had already walked halfway up the mountain, and saw a profound silence in the Sword Forest, verdant and lush.
Sunlight filtered through the gaps in the bamboo leaves, casting dappled light all over the ground, which, combined with the silence of the place, made one feel very at ease.
The Disciples in the mountain had all gone to watch the battle, so this quietness did not surprise her.
She knew that the only ones left in the forest were a few Disciples who were usually taciturn, focused only on cultivating the Dao and disliked excitement.
Besides them, there was only Ji You.
Ding Yao pondered as she arrived at the edge of the forest, and saw another Elder named Yan Qingchi from Tianjian Peak flying over, meeting Yan Ye who had rushed here from the Wangjian Platform.
“Aren't they Asking the Dao down the mountain?”
“Gongshu Chou sent someone to inform me, it shouldn't be a false statement, so I came to take a look before the first match ended.”
“The first match is over?”
“That Tianshu Academy's direct Disciple was cut down outside the arena—”
“This one in the forest—”
“There’s no need to pay too much attention, but it’s always good to take a look.”
Yan Ye and Yan Qingchi conversed in low voices for a moment, then nodded to each other, and walked out of the second layer of the forest with their swords.
And the Disciple, Huang Hui, who had been following Yan Ye, now stood outside the forest, watching the two Elders enter the second layer of the forest. He was about to follow, but before he could take a step, a voice as pleasant as a silver bell rang in his ear.
“Senior Brother, long time no see.”
Huang Hui turned his head and saw Ding Yao walking gracefully, a slight smile suddenly appearing at the corner of his mouth: “So it’s Junior Sister Ding, it really has been a long time. But why did Junior Sister come here? Could it be to challenge the Sword Forest?”
Ding Yao replied with a shallow smile: “I did think about challenging it before, but I’ve been too busy these past few days, so it was delayed. I’ll try again after the Tianshu Academy Disciples leave the mountain.”
“Junior Sister is now in the Tong Xuan Realm, so challenging the second layer of the forest shouldn’t be a problem. That Yu Lin, who just entered the Tong Xuan Realm, also passed 【Xiao Chong Shan】 with eight swords.”
“That might not be the case, Senior Brother. Isn't there also a Ji You from Tianshu Academy who used sixteen swords to pass Xiao Chong Shan? My Sword Dao talent is the same as his, also very ordinary.”
When Huang Hui heard Ji You mentioned, his brows suddenly furrowed, and he seemed to be momentarily lost in thought.
Ding Yao didn't notice this, but was more curious as to why Yan Ye had come up the mountain this time, and asked again: “There is something I don’t understand, I wonder if Senior Brother can enlighten me?”
Huang Hui snapped back to attention: “Junior Sister, please speak freely.”
“Today is the last battle of Asking the Dao, and it’s your Tianjian Peak’s direct Disciple who is fighting. Why did Elder Yan Ye, as an Elder of Tianjian Peak, suddenly leave at this time and come to the Sword Forest with you without a word?”
Huang Hui’s smile suddenly faded. After a moment of thought, he looked up: “Junior Sister knows that Ji You from Tianshu Academy, right?”
Ding Yao was startled, then nodded: “Of course I know him, I also went to the Qiling Relic.”
“How did I forget about that?”
Huang Hui looked at Ding Yao: “It’s not false, is it, that he, with his Junior Third Realm Completion cultivation, united with the Tianshu Academy Disciples to repel Asked the Dao Sect and our Lingjian Mountain, and even nearly killed Gongshu Chou?”
Ding Yao blinked, then nodded.
She was present at that battle, and the words “repelled” and “nearly killed” were indeed true.
But the people of Lingjian Mountain should know that it was because the Evil Qi in the Relic restricted Spirit Origin, so she didn't know why Huang Hui brought it up again today.
“What does the two Elders coming up the mountain have to do with Ji You?”
Huang Hui came back to his senses, and spoke with a somewhat complex expression: “The Ji You whom Junior Sister said has ordinary Sword Dao talent, at some point took on the second stage of 【Willow Color New】, and has now entered the third layer of the forest. I went down the mountain just now to report this to Elder Yan.”
Ding Yao was slightly stunned, and her eyes gradually widened.
Ji You took on 【Willow Color New】 and entered the third layer of the forest? How is that possible?
She and Zhuo Wanqiu had clearly followed Ji You to the Sword Forest the day before yesterday, and knew that he had spent sixteen swords just on 【Xiao Chong Shan】.
It had only been one day, how could Ji You have already reached the third layer of the forest?
Hadn't Elder Yan Ye said at the time that the second layer of the forest was the limit for Tong Xuan Realm Disciples, and that with Ji You’s performance in the first layer, he might not even see 【Willow Color New】?
And the killing intent in the second layer of the forest was indeed several times stronger than in the first layer. The Tong Xuan Realm Disciples of Lingjian Mountain had been trapped there for half a month at most.
The only Tong Xuan Realm Disciple who had taken on 【Willow Color New】 was a direct Disciple under another Elder of Tianjian Peak,
a Senior Brother named Su Tong, and he was already in the Profound Connection Realm.
But even in the Profound Connection Realm, it took him seven days to pass the entire second layer of the forest.
She remembered that when they asked him how many swords he used to pass 【Xiao Chong Shan】 the day before yesterday, Senior Brother Su Tong also talked about his experience of passing the second layer of the forest, and also answered without being asked about being cut out after entering the third layer.
This was outwardly Su Tong’s self-effacement and self-mockery, but in reality, it was a form of showing off.
Because it was already a very proud thing for a Tong Xuan Realm cultivator to enter the third layer of the forest.
And that Ji You was one minor Realm lower than Senior Brother Su, yet he had now entered the third layer of the forest.
Ding Yao was stunned for a long time before she came back to her senses, thinking that although Ji You, who was in the Tongxuan Middle Stage, had expended more effort, he actually had similar talent to Senior Brother Su Tong, who was in the Profound Connection Realm.
It seemed he was indeed not as bad as she thought, and was comparable to a direct Disciple of an Elder, which was already a very remarkable thing—·.
“But even so, it’s not worth Elder Yan Ye coming in person, is it? No matter what, they are still Asking the Dao down the mountain.”
Huang Hui nodded: “Yes, when I went down the mountain to report to Elder Yan Ye for the first time, Elder Yan said the same thing. She said that Ji You, after all, has a reputation, so it’s not strange for him to have some talent.”
Ding Yao blinked: “Then why did Elder Yan Ye come up the mountain with you the second time? And why did Elder Yan Qingchi also come?”
“Because when I came back, I saw Senior Brother Gongshu coming out of the third layer of the forest, frowning and telling me to report to Elder Yan Ye, saying—saying that in a little while, Ji You might see the third stage’s 【Gui Qu Lai】.”
“?”
At this moment, Yan Ye and Yan Qingchi had already entered the deeper and greener third layer of the forest.
What greeted them was whistling Sword Qi, as fast as lightning, constantly dancing, with an overwhelming Aura.
A white figure continuously moved through it, leaning forward to stab with the sword. The surging Sword Waves sometimes sank, sometimes paused, sometimes vast and clear, clashing with the chaotic Sword Dao, producing a harsh metallic clang.
And there were already two figures here, one with a slender figure and a stern expression, who was Yan Shujing, who had just wounded He Lingxiu yesterday.
Just as it was discussed in the forest that day, Yan Shujing truly did not take the matter of Asking the Dao to heart.
After the Tianshu Academy Disciples came up the mountain, she still sharpened her sword in the Sword Forest, and after defeating He Lingxiu, she came to the Sword Forest again the next day.
There was no joy of victory, as if her heart only held the Sword Dao, only becoming stronger, and everything else held no interest for her,
until she went to the fourth layer of the forest, passing through the third layer at this moment, she couldn't help but stop.
The other person was Gongshu Chou, who was also standing at the edge of the third layer of the forest at this moment, looking at the white figure amidst the surging Sword Qi, his brows tightly furrowed.
Before going down the mountain yesterday, he had seen Ji You challenging the second layer of the forest. He watched for a long time, and finally lost interest when he saw him constantly being cut down.
When he came to the second Sword Forest this morning, he even specifically looked around.
Finding no trace of Ji You, he thought that perhaps it was because Tianshu Academy lost the first battle, which made him lose his mood, or perhaps he knew there wasn't enough time, so he stopped bothering.
But what he didn't expect was that when he walked to the third layer of the forest, he found Ji You there.
“As expected of him who wounded me.”
Gongshu Chou wasn't surprised for long, and accepted the fact that Ji You had entered the third layer of the forest with that previous reason.
After all, he was the one who wounded me, so why couldn't he enter the third layer of the forest that Profound Connection Realm cultivators could enter?
But as time slowly passed, his brows were now tightly furrowed, and his gaze became very stern.
The phrase “As expected of him who wounded me” seemed to no longer be able to calm his heart.
Three buzzing sword hums sounded, and the three split sword forms of 【Gui Qu Lai】 in the third Sword Forest fiercely slashed from the ground, the swift Aura like a tide crashing against the shore, stirring up a rolling cloud of dust.
Endless killing intent seemed to overflow, striking fiercely at the white-robed youth.
Then, the three-foot iron sword rose to the sky, and amidst surging waves, it firmly parried the three swords, and the Aura in the Sword Forest danced chaotically.
With a whoosh, the scorching sword body was like water being drawn out at this moment. The three Sword Qi were cut off, and as the Qi waves dissipated, the white robe fluttered incredibly wildly.
Seeing this scene, all four people in the forest held their breath and focused their minds.
The white-robed youth, after shattering the three swords, did not stop, and went straight into the depths of the forest.
Then a rising Sword Intent made everyone in the forest feel a chill.
This was the guardian sword of the third layer of the forest, Gui Qu Lai.
At this moment, Yan Ye's brows instantly furrowed, and she looked at the young man holding the sword, her eyes slightly narrowed.
Huang Hui had gone down the mountain twice just now. The first time was to report that Ji You had entered the third Sword Forest. She was indeed very surprised after hearing it.
This had nothing to do with taking on 【Xiao Chong Shan】 with sixteen swords, but because even Su Tong, who took on 【Xiao Chong Shan】 with three swords, took seven days to get out of the second layer of the forest.
She really couldn't imagine why Ji You, who was initially judged to have extremely low Sword Dao talent, could reach the third layer of the forest in one day.
But seeing Ji You swiftly slash through the third Sword Forest at this moment, she suddenly seemed to feel something.
In every one of his swords, the Sword Intent was changing, and the change in Sword Intent also caused his sword forms, sword moves, and Sword Qi to undergo drastic changes.
But Yan Ye couldn't understand how a person could have a different Sword Intent every time he struck with his sword.
At this moment, a fierce Sword Intent rose from the bamboo forest, like a strong wind, making them all tremble.
At this moment, the white-robed youth looked up into the distance, and waved his sword towards 【Gui Qu Lai】.
What the four people felt at this moment was a constantly boiling, strong Sword Intent.
This Sword Intent was extremely complex, flowing chaotically, almost without a clear direction for the sword, only caring about forging ahead.
Compared to the previous sword, his Sword Qi was more powerful at this moment, but its actual power seemed weaker.
Sword Heart Purity emphasized cleanliness, but this young man's sword seemed to be going against that.
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