Chapter 231: Watching the Battle
For Ji You, Young Miss Qiu's visit in the early morning was just a small interlude, as it was something that would not yield any results, so there was no need to dwell on it.
Ji You had already left Rusheng Garden at this time, walking towards the southwest.
Xianxian Garden not only has eight gardens, but also nine Dojos: Qiyun, Tianji, Yuyu, Xingchi, Lingxi, Cangwu, Zhencheng, Jingyang, and Jiyuan, which surround the eight gardens.
Because it was the first day of the Heavenly Dao Conference duels, the circular road of the nine Dojos was filled with cultivators.
Worldly Family members, relatives, and spectators.
All of these people were intently watching the battles they cared about. From a distance, the crowd was like a sea, and the discussions were endless.
The more people a Dojo had, the higher the prestige of the person fighting there.
Ji You walked along the road and soon reached Qiyun Dojo. Looking around, the interior was a circular platform more than ten zhang in diameter, surrounded by eight stone walls as a barrier, and below the stone walls were stands built of white marble.
Yan Hao, as expected of the grandson of Tianjian Peak's master, attracted countless spectators for his first battle.
Among these spectators, the most prominent were naturally the Lingjian Mountain Disciples who came to cheer him on.
Besides them, Princess Changle Zhao Yunyue, who was an outer Disciple, and pro-immortal officials from the Chong Wang faction also came along.
They had attended the private banquet of Lingjian Mountain's Young Master Jian last night and were now excitedly chatting about it with others.
And seeing Ji You appear at Qiyun Dojo, dressed in white and alone, he gracefully walked around the arena with steady steps, his gaze fixed on the high platform. The people who were already sitting upright looked at him with strange expressions.
“Is that Ji You?”
“Why is he here?”
“Perhaps… to watch the battle?”
“Even if he's watching a battle, shouldn't he be watching Tianshu Academy's first battle? Why is he here?”
The person dueling with Yan Hao was from the Lu Family of Liang Province, named Lu Qifeng. Lu Qifeng was nearly thirty years old, eight years older than Yan Hao.
But cultivation is like this; sometimes it's not about age, but about Comprehension Ability and talent.
Just like those Immortal Villa masters in Feng Province who had one foot in the grave, they struggled their entire lives, and even after a hundred years, they could only barely reach the Rongdao Realm.
What made everyone feel strange was that Ji You and Yan Hao had no friendship, and it couldn't be said that he was unfamiliar with the Lu Family of Liang Province; rather, he didn't know them at all. His presence to watch their duel made people feel somewhat unexpected.
However, this strangeness was only momentary and did not cause widespread discussion, as Ji You's reason for being there held no significance for them.
At this moment, Ji You found an empty spot with no one around and sat down, looking towards the center of Qiyun Dojo.
He should have arrived earlier than now, but he was delayed by half an hour due to the matter of Young Miss Qiu, and the duel was about to begin.
As a Lingjian Mountain Disciple, Yan Hao naturally used a sword, but his sword was different from ordinary swords; it was very wide and thick, and entirely dark, appearing incredibly heavy.
Ding Yao had told him last night that Yan Hao's main cultivation was heavy sword Dao, somewhat similar to Elder Qi's Xiao Chong Shan sword Dao, which abandoned the sharpness of the blade and focused on overwhelming opponents with strength.
On the other side, Lu Qifeng used a three-foot Qingfeng sword, just like Ji You's usual long sword.
At this moment, a current of Qi suddenly surged around Qiyun Dojo.
Ji You initially thought it was wind blowing in due to bad weather, but then he saw two blue-silver Mystic Lights flash from around the Qiyun Dojo, converging in a semicircle towards the center, forming a seemingly ethereal barrier that enveloped the middle.
Then, a gong sound, from an unknown source, instantly rang out, and the two individuals in Qiyun Dojo moved instantly, rushing towards the very center of the circular platform, a strong Qi force instantly roaring in all directions.
Whoosh!
Lu Qifeng, nearly thirty years old, took advantage of his three-foot Qingfeng sword to launch the first attack. The long sword, imbued with Spiritual Qi, was like a silver snake emerging from its hole.
Suddenly, a dazzling display of Mystic Light unfolded, like a peacock spreading its tail.
Those who could enter the Heavenly Dao Conference, even if they came from a Worldly Family, were by no means ordinary. A sharp aura instantly arrived with the wind.
Yan Hao, who was carrying his sword, had also met the attack, stepping with powerful strides and raising his sword with both hands.
Immediately after, a sword hum soared into the sky, but it was not clear and crisp; instead, it was as deep as a drum, rumbling forth.
It's 【Heavy Sword - Si Xuan Mountain】!
At this moment, a Lingjian Mountain Disciple shouted.
Besides the three main peaks of Lingjian Mountain, there are countless small mountains around, each with its own name.
Xiao Chong Shan, Si Xuan Mountain, Master Mountain, Wushan—because the Dao of the heavy sword is like a collapsing mountain, the heavy swords of Lingjian Mountain are generally named after the surrounding mountains. However, not everyone is qualified to name their sword Dao after a mountain.
And Yan Tai, the master of Tianjian Peak, naturally had this qualification.
However, this 【Heavy Sword - Si Xuan Mountain】 still relied on a heavy iron sword. Compared to Qi Zhengyang's purely heavy sword 【Dao Sword - Xiao Chong Shan】, it was still slightly inferior. It's no wonder that when Qi Zhengyang lost his son in his old age, everyone from Tianjian Peak wanted their children and grandchildren to go and learn swordsmanship under the pretense of providing for him.
With a loud clang, the two swords clashed fiercely in a flash of lightning and fire. The sharp Dao sword soared straight into the sky, while the heavy Sword Qi pressed down forcefully. The two streaks of green light collided violently, and Lu Qifeng instantly sank. A discussion arose on the high platform, watching as the three-foot Qingfeng sword was instantly bent under the wave-like Sword Qi.
Bang!
Lu Qifeng's expression changed slightly, and the Spiritual Qi around him suddenly roared. A wave of Qi surged out, and the rapidly flowing Qi instantly propelled his three-foot Qingfeng sword to resist the heavy sword.
As one of the Upper Five Realms, the Tong Xuan Realm naturally allowed for the comprehension of magical techniques.
Just like Chu River, who fought against Ji You on the stage earlier, he also inherited his Family's techniques.
However, the magical techniques used by Lu Qifeng were not systematic; it was evident that he was still in the process of comprehending them, and they did not exhibit overly profound effects.
However, what was eye-catching was the footwork Lu Qifeng subsequently displayed.
As the Qi wave surged, Lu Qifeng paused his steps. Amidst the flashing Mystic Light, a faint wind dance subtly moved from beneath his feet, and his figure, which was under the heavy sword, instantly flashed to his right-rear side.
It seems that what Lu Qifeng mainly cultivates is a speed-assisting technique, allowing him to Move like a ghost.
At the same time, Yan Hao's heavy sword landed with a crash, cutting out a shower of sparks on the stone platform, even causing the people in the spectator stands to feel a tremor, their expressions involuntarily changing, which showed the immense power and unstoppable force at play.
At this moment, Lu Qifeng, who had deftly dodged the sword, landed his right foot, and another burst of Mystic Light erupted. A sudden explosion of air came from beneath his feet,
His figure instantly reversed and sped towards Yan Hao. Lightning instantly surged across the iron sword, surrounded by purple electricity.
It is lightning Law, one of the easiest to master and most powerful Heavenly Dao Laws.
Cultivators in the Rongdao Realm can gather lightning in their palms or unleash lightning from their hands, while those in the Tong Xuan Realm still need to use a Dao sword as a medium.
At this moment, excited shouts from the Lu Family had already erupted from the opposite side of the circular platform, believing that this lightning sword would surely heavily injure the opponent.
Only Ji You, with his golden eyes, gazed intently at the platform, feeling that it shouldn't be like this.
A heavy sword, like a mountain, is a great aid to attack, especially since Yan Hao's main cultivation is this heavy sword technique, which is infinitely powerful.
But heaviness, for a cultivator, inevitably has both advantages and disadvantages, because it increases Qi force but decreases speed.
This weakness was too obvious; Ji You didn't believe Yan Hao didn't know, and Lingjian Mountain also had many sword techniques that could compensate for it.
As expected, as Lu Qifeng rushed forward with his thunderous sword, Yan Hao's expression remained unchanged. He twisted his right hand, which held the heavy sword, and as he retreated, a slender black sword suddenly appeared in his hand, gripped tightly.
Mother-and-son swords—having paid attention beforehand, Ji You clearly saw that Yan Hao's slender sword was drawn from the body of the heavy sword.
Because Ling Province is backed by Lingjian Mountain, its refining and forging techniques are unmatched in Qingyun. When Tianshu Academy previously went to seek Dao, Ji You even specifically saved up silver to buy a sword.
To forge a sword that suits one's own strengths and weaknesses is naturally not a problem for Yan Hao.
Amidst the whistling sound, Yan Hao, holding the slender sword, knitted his brows and charged forward, stomping on the ground.
Although his footwork speed was not as fast as Lu Qifeng's, in a head-on sword clash, speed was not actually the key factor in determining victory.
Lu Qifeng seemed to have not anticipated this; his pupils suddenly constricted, and he saw a brilliant and sharp Sword Qi slash towards him. He immediately drew his sword to meet it.
Yan Hao's slash with the slender sword was naturally not as terrifying as the heavy sword earlier, so Lu Qifeng had no need to worry.
As the two swords crossed, sparks continuously erupted, and purple lightning danced wildly.
The next instant, a torrent of Qi surged around Lu Qifeng's feet, immediately creating distance between them, and he once again gathered lightning Law, roaring as he charged forward.
This scene was just like the first sword clash earlier, another head-on collision.
Clang!
Yan Hao sprinted forward, a white light flashing on his slender sword, and he slashed with an expressionless face.
And behind Lu Qifeng, where he couldn't see, Yan Hao's right hand curled into a claw, and the heavy sword that had been standing on the ground began to tremble violently.
Clang!
The slender sword slashed fiercely against the Qingfeng sword, and the heavy great sword also fell with a thud into Yan Hao's left hand as he flew forward to strike.
Within sight, Yan Hao's left arm suddenly swelled into a rounded curve, veins immediately bulging at his wrist, and the vertical bone of his wrist directly protruded.
He unleashed his power in shock, a Circular Heaven Slash!
Lu Qifeng's scalp instantly prickled, and he abruptly widened his eyes, feeling as if a mountain was rising from behind his opponent, towering into the sky, its immense Qi directly impacting his twin swords.
Boom!
The heavy sword pressed down fiercely, directly striking Lu Qifeng, who couldn't retrieve his sword in time, sending him flying.
In fact, some cultivators here had already begun to use their Divine Thought and heard a crisp sound of bones breaking. Lu Qifeng was sent flying horizontally, crashing heavily into the blue-silver barrier, then falling to the ground. His dislocated right shoulder jutted out at a strange angle, and blood flowed freely.
At this moment, the arena was silent.
Actually, the two hadn't fought for long. Yan Hao started with a heavy sword, and under its pressure, Lu Qifeng quickly found a weakness and countered with speed.
After a few exchanges, it was the sudden “Heavy Sword: Si Xuan Mountain” that directly decided the outcome.
Not long after, the Disciples of Lingjian Mountain immediately cheered, their cheers like a tsunami, even attracting spectators from other Dojos to come and watch.
“Who won?”
“Naturally, it was Yan Hao. His Heavy Sword was truly terrifying. I hope I don't encounter him too soon.”
“A direct Disciple of an Immortal Sect is naturally extraordinary.”
“Looking at Yan Hao's effortless demeanor, it seems he hasn't even used his full strength.”
“This is only the first match; how could he use his full strength?”
Amidst the discussions, the Lu Family of Liang Province had already rushed onto the stage, carrying Lu Qifeng down for an examination. Their expressions were very ugly.
They hadn't expected Yan Hao to be so ruthless.
The Heavenly Dao Conference had always been about stopping before causing serious harm. Although injuries were inevitable during the process, directly harming someone's life was truly unacceptable.
In fact, Yan Hao was in an extremely bad mood right now, and his expression was somewhat gloomy.
This Lu Qifeng wasn't strong; he couldn't be considered a master in the Tong Xuan Realm, and naturally couldn't be compared to him, the grandson of Lingjian Mountain's peak master.
But this Lu Family Disciple, relying on speed to gain an advantage, irritated him, so he didn't hold back on his last sword strike.
At this moment, the sub-sword returned to the mother-sword. Yan Hao sheathed his sword and stood proudly, his eyes cold, the immense Sword Qi around him not yet fully dissipated.
Seeing this scene, Zhao Yunyue narrowed her eyes for a long time, then unconsciously looked towards Ji You, her eyes slightly cold.
That Lu Qifeng was not weak; at least, he was much stronger than Liu Qichen.
In her opinion, Ji You, at Tianshu Academy, had been lording over those Disciples who didn't even deserve a spot. Now that he saw a true master, he would probably have a three-point headache.
As expected, Zhao Yunyue saw with a glance that Ji You's expression was somewhat serious.
The officials of the Pro-Immortal Faction, including Chong Wang, also turned their eyes and found Ji You in the audience, sitting upright and watching Yan Hao intently.
“It's not Sword Control Art.”
“It's truly magical—”
Ji You couldn't help but sigh softly, his mind filled with the scene of Yan Hao summoning the heavy sword to his hand.
This wasn't actually something worth paying attention to, nor did many people care. The reason Ji You cared was purely out of curiosity, as he had always liked such sneak attack Moves.
That wasn't simple Sword Control, which had no threshold; it should be Lingjian Mountain's secret Life Spirit Sword Art, which was not to be passed on to outsiders.
The sword heart and the human heart were connected, summoned at will, like moving an arm with a finger.
Ji You rose at this moment and walked down from the audience, heading towards the gate of Qiyun Dojo.
Although the duel was best of three, Lu Qifeng was likely unable to fight again, so there should be no further developments.
And with the combat power Yan Hao displayed, reaching the final battle should not be a problem.
Regardless of how the groups would be divided after the first round, he would eventually meet him.
Ji You's first match would begin tomorrow. Six into one would probably take three days, entering the second round.
He looked up at the overcast sky, feeling the coldness in the wind intensify, and then felt a slight chill.
However, under this gloomy sky, it was not quiet. Instead, Spiritual Qi surged like a rushing river, and the clashing of weapons was incessant, filled with chilling killing intent, accompanied by whistling Mystic Light occasionally shooting into the sky.
The nine Dojos each served their purpose. Zhencheng, Jingyang, Jiyuan, and Cangwu were specifically for duels between Rongdao Realm experts. Therefore, the movements from these four Dojos were the most immense.
At this time, on the white marble Dao, Disciples from outside the Sect and officials from the Immortal Supervisory Department would occasionally appear, transmitting news of victories and defeats back and forth.
In this first round of duels, there were both Worldly Family Disciples and Immortal Sect Disciples, but the disparity in their combat power was somewhat large, just like Yan Hao and Lu Qifeng. Even if there was suspense, it wouldn't be too surprising.
Moreover, the best-of-three format, which was originally stipulated, basically ended in one match in this first round.
It wasn't until the second round that the strength gap among the remaining people gradually narrowed, and only at the very end would there be long, drawn-out battles that remained undecided.
Ji You then went to a few gardens and found that, as he had thought, there were many situations of crushing victories due to strength disparities, so he lost interest and turned back to Rusheng Garden.
He Lingxiu, Xiao Hanyan, and others had not yet returned, leaving the courtyard quiet.
Ji You glanced at the small building opposite and thought to himself, this would be a good time to sneak into the house. He could go explore the small building later.
He reached out and pushed open the door to his residence. As he took a step inside, his gaze suddenly froze.
At this moment, the Young Master Jian of Lingjian Mountain was sitting at the tea ceremony table in his room, with a pair of snow-white jade feet, ten jade-bead-like toes neatly pressed together, the soles of his feet tinged with a delicate peach-pink, small and exquisite.
She had brought Lingjian Mountain Disciples to participate in the Heavenly Dao Conference and had nothing much to do herself, so she was naturally bored staying in the courtyard.
So she wandered around, and seeing that the Tianshu Academy people were not in the courtyard, she “accidentally” slipped into a strange man's room,
And sat there idly for a while.
Someone thought the same as him. Ji You couldn't help but chuckle, his gaze casually sweeping across the room, only to find that Yan Shuyi's shoes and socks were not beside the tea table, but in front of the bed.
This girl had played on his bed barefoot and then bounced from the bed to the mat—
However, Ji You couldn't see such a lively Yan Shuyi, because the Young Master Jian was now looking at him with a serious expression, her eyes full of coldness.
“Kneel and greet.”
“?”
Ji You narrowed his eyes and looked up at Yan Shuyi.
The Young Master Jian watched his raised hand, her face darkened, and she couldn't help but clench her fists slightly.
A moment later, Ji You took off his boots and got onto the tea mat, pouring Yan Shuyi a cup of tea: “Master Jian, please have some tea.”
Yan Shuyi felt a burning sensation on her firm and rounded buttocks. After a long silence, she spoke coldly: “You, young man, are quite polite. There's no need to kneel and greet, after all, I, this Master Jian, came uninvited today.”
“Is Master Jian bored?”
“Perhaps a little. The duels between the Rongdao and Tong Xuan Realms are a bit boring for me, not worth watching. The Elders' battles are just sitting and discussing the Dao, which is even more tedious and dull.”
Ji You pondered for a moment: “How about, ‘beating the tiger, chicken eating the worm’?”
Yan Shuyi gently raised her eyes and nodded coolly.
Ji You then got up and searched through a drawer, found paper and a pen, and then leaned over the desk, drawing for a while.
He still remembered Yan Shuyi's “special request” not to draw tails on tigers. Last time he drew, he didn't know why, but this time he already knew that this jealous spirit had been thinking about the Yaozu Gongzhu showing him her tail.
After a few quick strokes, Ji You shuffled the cards and handed them to her, then naturally rubbed the fragrant feet under the table.
The Young Master Jian was already used to it. With a normal expression, she threw out a tiger without a tail, and then saw Ji You throw out a stick card.
Seeing this scene, Yan Shuyi stared at her cards for a long time, her cold face gradually turning red, remembering the underwear she had secretly washed last night. Ji You looked at Yan Shuyi's flushed cheeks and couldn't help but feel that it overlapped with the figure kicking her feet in his dream last night.
At this moment, the wind outside the window rose and fell, and the bamboo grove rustled.
Rain fell on the pond, creating circles and ripples on the water where the koi swam.
Yan Shuyi remained silent for a long time, watching Ji You suddenly lean forward. Her gaze flickered, and she involuntarily moved her small mouth towards the center of the tea table.
Her feet were still in Ji You's hands, so Ji You could clearly feel her toes curling.
However, at this moment, the Young Master Jian's gaze suddenly turned cold. She looked out the window, then glanced at Ji You. A flash of Spiritual Light enveloped her, and she instantly disappeared from the room, leaving only the fragrant breeze from when she had picked up her feet.
Ji You was silent for a moment, immediately understanding. He then got up and walked towards the door, reaching out and pulling it open.
Cao Jinsong, Ban Yangshu, Wen Zhengxin, and Pei Ruyi were standing outside the door at this moment, but they had their backs to him.
The four of them made the exact same movement: they tilted their heads to look at the small building opposite.
There was a stunningly beautiful Fairy in a red dress, her gaze cold and clear, her proud posture as if she was far removed from the world.
