Chapter 123: First Break of the Sword Forest! (Third update, asking for monthly tickets)
Actually, Yan Ye, Yan Qingchi, and Yan Shujing had only just met Ji You and didn't know him well.
Only Gongshu Chou knew Ji You intimately.
Physically, that is.
From the moment he accidentally encountered him in the Second Chong Forest yesterday and, out of curiosity, watched him practice swordsmanship for a long time, a question arose in his mind.
Ji You's strongest technique was clearly 【Seven Swords Returning to the Origin】, so why did he insist on challenging the Sword Forest with a single sword?
One must know that with his sword manipulation technique and powerful Divine Thought, challenging the Sword Forest did not require such physical exertion.
It wasn't until Yan Shujing returned to re-challenge the forest that he understood why Ji You only used a single sword: it was to comprehend the Dao within the Sword Qi in the most intense and direct way.
And while the method of manipulating swords might allow him to cut down the divided sword forms in the forest, it also obscured his clear Sword Heart.
Now he had comprehended the swords in the forest with a single sword, but only he knew that he still had six swords.
Then, a whoosh sound was heard, and the clear, ringing hums of seven sharp swords continuously resounded.
In the Third Chong Forest, 【Gui Qu Lai】 rose again.
At this moment, Ji You's Sword Intent boiled, and he manipulated his swords with an arrogant demeanor. Amidst the whistling sword light, seven swords were like Dragons, directly striking 【Gui Qu Lai】 with fury, and Sword Qi surged forward, splashing.
"It's Xiao Chong Shan, this is Xiao Chong Shan."
"No, it's Seven Chong Mountain—"
Hearing Yan Ye speak, Gongshu Chou couldn't help but frown and correct him.
Amidst this wild dance of Sword Qi, the powerful 【Gui Qu Lai】 was fiercely suppressed by the Seven Chong Mountain. The extremely fast Sword Intent rapidly disintegrated amidst violent tremors, and the surging winds flew through the forest.
And that figure in white robes disappeared into the sword light, vanishing into the Third Chong Forest.
He had previously observed carefully to comprehend the Dao; now, forcing his way through the Sword Forest was for the sake of face.
Seeing this, Yan Ye and Yan Chiqing immediately stepped forward to catch up, directly entering the Fourth Chong Forest, while Yan Shujing was already a step ahead of them, having pursued him.
Gongshu Chou naturally did not want to miss this sword observation and immediately wanted to step forward to pursue, but found that a streak of Sword Qi suddenly rose into the air before him, blocking his path.
Suddenly, Gongshu Chou reacted.
He had been here for five days and had not yet received this 【Gui Qu Lai】.
And at this very moment, the Fourth Chong Sword Forest was surging with wild winds.
The two Elders and Yan Shujing, who had followed in, now stood still, seeing that Ji You no longer activated and shattered Sword Intent in a step-by-step manner as before, but instead charged forward fiercely with seven swords circling his body.
At this moment, all the Sword Qi in the forest was triggered, fiercely slashing at him without restraint.
But Ji You was completely fearless, his eyes shining with golden light. Seven swords circled him like Dragons, stirring like a whirlwind, slicing apart the incoming Sword Qi inch by inch.
The green bamboo trembled violently, bamboo leaves flew chaotically, and the surging Qi waves almost penetrated into the Third Chong Forest.
Then, a buzzing sound was heard, and a straight streak of Sword Qi slashed towards him.
Amidst the chaos, some swords were unavoidable. At this moment, one landed heavily on his chest, but it did not cut through, being blocked by his protective spiritual light.
However, it was precisely the Qi force carried by this sword that directly tore half of his white robe, revealing his muscular chest, which made the three people present widen their eyes.
This was not because of Ji You's muscular physique, or rather, not solely because of it.
It was because they saw that as Ji You's Sword Intent continuously surged, unusual patterns seemed to emerge on his skin, and beneath his skin, Qi force continuously darted about, fiercely supporting his Meridians.
"His Physical Body—?"
"How can there be such a powerful Physical Body in the world?"
"Indeed, it's unbelievably strong. Even without taking Medicinal Pills, the divided sword forms probably can't even injure his vital points."
In an instant, they knew exactly why Ji You was confident in forcibly breaking through the Sword Forest.
And in that same instant, they discovered something they had overlooked before, being drawn in by his swordsmanship.
That was, although he was only at the Tong Xuan Realm cultivation level, he arrived at the Third Chong Forest from the First Chong Forest completely unharmed, yet his robes had traces of being cut.
That was because even if the divided sword forms in the forest cut his clothes, they could hardly cut his skin.
The swords in the Fourth Chong Forest were even more powerful, but Ji You, who had consumed a large number of protective Medicinal Pills, could still withstand them.
Just then, a clear sword rose from high in the sky. Its Sword Qi was vibrant and transparent; this was the guardian sword of the Fourth Chong Forest.
This was Qi Elder's straightest sword, and also his cleanest sword.
Because it was straight and clean, it was also the strongest sword in the entire Sword Forest.
And at this moment, Ji You's Sword Heart was clear, his Sword Intent even more vast, as he swung his sword towards 【Si Wu Xie】.
His entire body's muscles were filled with explosive tension, writhing like a Dragon, his Qi and blood continuously surging.
With a boom, heavenly light descended, and two streaks of Sword Qi rose opposing each other. As their auras continuously climbed, the bamboo forest trembled.
In stark contrast, the area outside the First Chong Forest was quiet and silent.
Only the gentle afternoon breeze would stir up a rustling sound, but it was not noisy; instead, it added a sense of tranquility.
Ding Yao and Huang Hui both looked puzzled at this moment, staring at the motionless bamboo forest, unsure what to do.
Elder Yan Ye had originally become interested upon hearing that Ji You was going to meet 【Gui Qu Lai】, planning to take a look during the intermission of the first round of the Dao Inquiry Battle, and then return.
However, the second round had already started for half an hour, and the sword hums from the mountain bottom rose and fell, and the sounds of Dao methods roared around the mountain, but Elder Yan Ye had not yet come out.
"Senior Brother, should we go and see what's happening in the forest?"
"I—I still can't receive 【Willow Color New】."
Ding Yao frowned upon hearing this, but her disdain was not outwardly shown, though her face showed a hint of anxiety.
The first round of the competition had decided a winner in just over an hour; this second round, in her opinion, would also surely conclude within an hour.
In just one hour, the direct Disciple of Tianshu Academy would be defeated on the stage.
At that time, Elder Yan Ye would eventually have to go to the stage to give a summary and declare Tianshu Academy's Dao inquiry a failure.
But the second round had already been going on for half an hour, and there wasn't much time to waste. Elder Yan Ye still hadn't come out; could he be sleeping in the forest?
And Wen Zhengxin and Pei Ruyi also looked anxious at this moment, unable to help but tightly clasp each other's hands.
They had just thought of breaking through the Second Chong Sword Forest to call their Junior Brother back, but after hearing that their Junior Brother had entered the Third Chong, they changed their minds.
It also took time for them to challenge the Sword Forest, and it was said that the Third Chong Sword Forest was even more powerful. So after discussing for a while, they thought their Junior Brother should come out quickly after stirring things up in there.
But until now, the sun had begun its descent, yet there was still no sign of him.
Wang Yue had also come by earlier, sternly scolding Junior Brother to get down the mountain, but after waiting and waiting without success, he returned to the mountain bottom.
After all, compared to Ji You, he was more concerned about the battle between You Buyu and Zhuang You.
Just as the four were lost in thought, a sound of tearing through the air came from the mountain, followed by two more Elders flying over, their faces grim, and they entered the Sword Forest.
"Why are there more Elders coming? This—what exactly is going on?"
"I don't know—"
Ding Yao was considering whether to go down the mountain, but unexpectedly, the sound of tearing through the air did not disappear as the two Elders landed. This was because immediately following them, a surge of immortal light appeared, and a woman of unparalleled beauty flew through the air, bringing a hint of fragrance to the entire mountain breeze.
The four looked up and saw the woman wearing the Master Jian's immortal robe of crimson color and a glazed immortal crown on her head, directly entering the Fourth Chong Forest.
Huang Hui was instantly stunned, unable to understand why the young Master Jian would personally come to the Sword Forest at this moment, while Wen Zhengxin and Pei Ruyi only realized who she was much later, feeling even more shocked.
Only Ding Yao was relatively calm, just a little surprised and uncertain.
One of the people who entered the Sword Forest was a man favored by Master Jian, so it wasn't strange for Master Jian to come personally, but the strange thing was why.
What exactly happened in the Sword Forest to attract so many people?
But to their surprise, the young Master Jian of Lingjian Mountain was not the last person to arrive here.
Because in just a moment, Ban Yangshu and Bai Rulong also ascended the mountain, their faces grim and serious, and found Wen Zhengxin and Pei Ruyi.
"Where is Junior Brother Ji?"
"Still in the forest."
Pei Ruyi replied, suddenly having a bad premonition, "What's wrong?"
Ban Yangshu and Bai Rulong exchanged glances: "The battle situation is not good; I have a feeling You Buyu will lose."
"How could it be so fast?"
"That Zhuang You's swordsmanship is unreasonably strong; I don't know what it is."
As the words fell, everyone heard a loud sword hum from the valley, accompanied by a roaring wind like a tiger's roar, encircling all the mountains.
At this moment on the Wangjian Platform, Zhuang You, holding an iron sword, had a fierce expression and overwhelming killing intent.
And You Buyu, with various Dao methods accompanying him, was now covered in blood. Seeing this, he retreated rapidly, only to see the sword light directly traverse the entire Wangjian Platform, making it impossible to dodge.
You Buyu's eyes widened in terror, having long lost the will to fight, but he was forced to use wind and thunder techniques to forcibly receive this sword. His wrist nearly broke, and an even greater fear arose in his heart.
Seeing this scene, the Disciples of Tianshu Academy completely lost their light in their eyes.
And the Disciples of Asked the Dao Sect, Mountain and Sea Pavilion, and Lingjian Mountain burst into unrestrained laughter, instantly looking at the Tianshu Academy Disciples who were already defeated.
"Hey, why are there so many fewer people on Tianshu Academy's side?"
"Perhaps they knew they were going to lose and left in a hurry, hahahaha."
"Not necessarily. I just saw two of them seemed to be heading towards the Sword Forest of Tianjian Peak."
"I remember now, there seems to be a Tianshu Academy Disciple challenging the Sword Forest on the mountain—?"
"That's right. They probably knew they were going to lose and wanted to call their Disciple down, so they could sneak away directly after leaving the venue later."
"Heh, came here to inquire about the Dao with such arrogance, and now they want to leave after losing? How could there be such a good thing!"
As soon as the words fell, everyone saw an even stronger surge of Sword Qi rise. Zhuang You was now enveloped in his own sword light, his eyes faintly red, and his Sword Intent boiling to the extreme.
You Buyu instantly clenched his fists, seeing a faint black Qi continuously surging on the opponent's sword-wielding arm.
Then, a golden light flashed in his eyes, and his entire body's Mystic Light became even more magnificent. After various Dao methods condensed, his aura surged.
As a direct Disciple of Zizai Hall, he certainly had some skills inherited from his aunt!
With a boom, Zhuang You's swordsmanship fiercely descended, like a clap of thunder.
The Wangjian Platform was a blinding white light at this moment, causing countless people to lose their vision for a short time.
Then a 'puff' sound was heard, and the proud You Buyu flew horizontally from the Wangxian Platform, blood scattering in the air as he fell heavily outside the arena, blood flowing cleanly from his back.
"Senior Brother Zhuang won—"
"Senior Brother You lost—"
Two completely opposite emotions, as You Buyu landed, instantly dispersed into the hearts of the Tianshu Academy Disciples and Lingjian Mountain Disciples.
The next moment, countless people stood up.
All the Tianshu Academy Disciples ran towards You Buyu, while the Lingjian Mountain Disciples were overjoyed, and the long-Brewing cheers were about to burst forth at this moment.
Tianshu Academy's direct Disciples inquired about the Dao at Lingjian Mountain, and both were defeated. But at this moment, a strong roar also came from the heights of Tianjian Peak, instantly interrupting the cheers of the Lingjian Mountain Disciples.
Only a magnificent and clear Sword Qi was seen blooming across the mountain under the distant sky, then it soared straight into the heavens, stirring up howling winds that swept down the mountain.
The several Elders on the high platform instantly stood up, and even the Son of the Demon Emperor turned his head to look at this moment, a hint of surprise flashing in his demonic blue eyes.
The Sword Forest could block sounds and Sword Qi; each Chong Sword Forest could be mutually undisturbed.
But at this moment, the fact that the Sword Qi could bloom across the mountain meant that the last Chong had been broken, because only when the Sword Forest was broken could Sword Qi pass through the forest.
The fact that the young Master Jian of Lingjian Mountain had previously gone to break swords out of boredom was not known to others.
So, in the eyes of everyone at this moment, this was the first time Qi Elder's Sword Forest had been broken, and thus, when they looked up at that streak of Sword Qi, their hearts were filled with shock.
"Is it Junior Sister Yan?"
"It must be Junior Sister Yan. She's been in the Fourth Chong for several days; it's about time she broke through!"
'Double happiness! Great victory in Dao inquiry, and the first break of the Sword Forest! What a double happiness!"
An even more joyful atmosphere surged around the Wangjian Platform, and what responded to them from the mountain was a shirtless figure rising into the air.
The person flew extremely unstably, swaying from side to side, and a bloody scent continuously lingered around him in the wind, but at this moment, he suddenly let out a high-pitched sound.
"I stand in the biting wind, wishing I could dispel all the lingering heartache!"
"Looking at the vast sky, clouds move in all directions. With sword in hand, I ask the world, who is the hero!"
The voice, half-singing, half-speaking, was incredibly sharp, seemingly still carrying un-faded Sword Intent, spreading across the mountains and rendering the Wangxian Platform silent.
The Son of the Demon Emperor stood on the high platform with his hands behind his back at this moment, and upon hearing these two lines, he was suddenly stunned.
And in the mountain wind, the figure in the crimson immortal robe also hovered, her delicate eyebrows slightly raised, and an expression of surprise slowly appeared in her eyes.
(Full three chapters, apologize for the shameless cliffhanger yesterday, also asking for monthly tickets—or2, please pour in your monthly tickets!)
