Chapter 240: Three-into-One Arena Challenge
In truth, some things cannot be fully understood by merely observing them, as cultivation is inherently mysterious.
For instance, no one outside of the Chen Clan truly comprehended the Dao Law integrated into their Blade Manipulation Art, let alone Ji You’s sword strikes.
After the conclusion of the Cangwu Dojo’s duel, everyone, except for the Lou Family Head, remained.
They were all curious as to how Ji You managed to execute the Ten-Strike Slash.
It was well-known that such secret arts, much like Lingjian Mountain’s sword Dao, were never taught to outsiders.
“It’s not the Ten-Strike Slash.”
“It’s not—?”
“It’s not.”
Among the spectators were many cultivators of profound Realm, who could, to some extent, perceive the aura of the art.
This was because the art itself originated from the Heavenly Dao Law, requiring the Heavenly Dao’s resonance for its execution.
However, in their observation, when the private cultivator from Tianshu Academy swung his sword, there was no unique art aura surrounding him.
Yet, Ji You’s sword strikes undeniably grew stronger with each successive blow; this was clear to everyone.
If it wasn’t the Ten-Strike Slash, then the only explanation was evident.
From the start, Ji You had not used his full power, but instead imitated the Ten-Strike Slash, continuously increasing his strength.
Theoretically, the Ten-Strike Slash could indeed borrow the power of heaven to cleave the sky with a blade, but the wielder’s capacity to wield such power had its limits.
In other words, the power Chen Ruiyang borrowed for his final strike was beyond his own control, and not only that, it directly backfired on him.
It was like a bucket that couldn’t overflow, constantly being filled; it was only a matter of time before it burst.
So, there was no swift sword breaking the situation, only continuously applied sword slashes.
Having understood this, everyone, like the Lou Family Head, suddenly grasped why Lou Wanpeng had chosen to withdraw from the group stage in the final round, just as he was about to cross the finish line, and they once again fell silent.
Ji You sheathed his sword and departed from the high platform.
He had no art Legacy, but he had always been very interested in them.
To him, arts were like chemistry and physics in his previous life, concealing the principles that revealed the essence of this world. He always hoped to observe them more closely.
Sometimes, when he couldn’t see clearly because of the speed, he would want to watch again and again. After leaving the arena, Ji You and Wen Siyuan met below the stage. After waiting for a long time and not seeing Cao Jinsong and his group return,
He figured they must have been too intimidated by the arrogant ghost to get up first, so he decided to leave first.
At this moment, Cao Jinsong sat before the Lingjian Mountain Young Master Jian, feeling touched but not daring to move, his chest swelling with emotion.
Meanwhile, Pei Ruyi and Wen Zhengxin quietly observed Yan Shuyi’s profile, their eyes filled with even greater confusion. Their position was to Yan Shuyi’s right and behind her, so while they weren’t looking directly, they could still see her expression.
From the moment they ascended the stairs, the Lingjian Mountain Young Master Jian, though appearing approachable, maintained a cold, icy demeanor, just as they had witnessed at Rusheng Garden that day.
However, while watching the battle earlier, they noticed that the Young Master Jian’s expression suddenly became lively, her eyes sparkling, as if she had transformed into a different person.
Especially when his Junior Brother Ji defeated Chen Ruiyang with his final sword strike, from their perspective, the Young Master Jian’s expression was almost identical to Cao Jinsong’s, both filled with shared pride.
The Lingjian Mountain Young Master Jian seemed to greatly admire his Junior Brother Ji.
Indeed, when Tianshu Academy visited Lingjian Mountain to seek Dao, many Elders of Lingjian Mountain had wanted to take his Junior Brother Ji as their direct Disciple, even claiming he was a born Sword Seed—
However, this admiration seemed a bit too intense.
Meanwhile, the people of Cangwu Dojo silently began to leave, and they hadn't fully recovered from the recent battle even as they reached the vicinity of the Lake Heart Island.
But in their minds, the memory of that final sword strike remained deeply ingrained and unforgettable.
At this time, in Rusheng Garden, He Lingxiu, Wang Gaocen, and Xiao Hanyan were sitting together.
Xiao Hanyan had won yesterday, but her victory wasn't clean due to her secret use of a Magical Artifact, so she hadn't left today.
Her mood was also somewhat low, prompting the two to comfort her repeatedly.
The Xianxian Holy Land was a place every cultivator yearned to enter; even those who broke through their Realm during the competition appeared. What was wrong with using a Magical Artifact?
They even said those people were just sour grapes.
In fact, Xiao Hanyan herself believed this.
By the third round, the opposing sides were generally evenly matched, and there was no crushing an opponent with absolute strength. Victory or defeat often lay in the details.
As for her reputation, she would win it back in the next match.
During this time, people continuously passed through Rusheng Garden, whispering as they observed.
At first, the three didn't pay much attention to these discussions, but as more and more people passed by, they couldn't help but start to care.
This was because many mentions of Ji You’s name resounded in those discussions, one after another.
The higher one’s Realm, the less they concerned themselves with worldly affairs and the Mortal World. Therefore, although Ji You had risen to prominence due to some worldly matters,
He hadn't drawn too much specific attention from significant figures.
In other words, although Ji You had caused quite a stir in the past two years, he was actually somewhat transparent at a world-renowned event like the Tiandao Conference.
This could be seen from the Juxian Banquet that night; many people didn't know him well, or even if they did, they couldn't match his appearance, which led to him idly wandering aimlessly throughout the banquet.
The only time he gained some renown was due to Lou Wanpeng’s withdrawal from the competition.
Withdrawing from a competition at the last minute was almost unheard of in the history of the Tiandao Conference, naturally sparking widespread discussion. And since the next match for that Lou Family Disciple was against Junior Brother Ji, he also drew attention.
But the current discussions suddenly made the three realize that Ji You seemed to have begun to make a name for himself in Xianxian Garden.
Not long after, a group of Disciples from Lingjian Mountain also returned to Rusheng Garden. As they reached the fork in the road, before the bluestone inscribed with “Sun Rising in the East,” they couldn't help but turn their heads to look at Ji You’s residence.
The three exchanged glances, somewhat puzzled.
Just then, Qin Rong, dressed in a Tianshu Academy Immortal robe, and a Master's Courtyard Disciple, also in a Tianshu Academy Immortal robe, returned together, walking like the wind, heads held high. The sight caused the three to subtly frown.
Yesterday, Tianshu Academy was caught in the eye of the storm, causing everyone to tacitly remove their Immortal robes.
Even He Lingxiu and Wang Gaocen, who were comforting Xiao Hanyan, wore ordinary clothes, having placed their Immortal robes in their storage gourds.
The Master's Courtyard had also changed into ordinary clothes when they left the academy to watch the competition today, but now they returned looking as if they were bathed in glory—
Chai Ze returned with the Master's Courtyard group.
He had won his third round yesterday, and having nothing else to do, he had gone out to watch several matches today.
He now approached the trio’s tea table, righted an inverted cup, and looked up at them: “Have you ever seen the Chen Clan’s Ten-Strike Slash?”
He Lingxiu frowned slightly: “I saw it at the Immortal Gathering before.”
“What do you think of it?”
“To be hailed as the strongest offensive technique alongside Lingjian Mountain’s sword Dao, it naturally has its reasons. This kind of blade manipulation art can only be avoided and skillfully countered; if one were to clash head-on, I fear no one could match it.”
“Ji You clashed head-on with Chen Ruiyang today, who used the Ten-Strike Slash, and crippled him with eight sword strikes.”
“?”
“Many people were wondering why Lou Wanpeng withdrew from the competition at the last minute, unwilling to even try. Now, everyone knows the answer.”
He Lingxiu was stunned for a long time, her red lips slightly parted, somewhat dazed.
When they were drinking tea earlier, Ji You had already returned. They had asked him about the battle, and he had simply said “I won.”
He Lingxiu had heard of Chen Ruiyang and knew that this Chen Clan Disciple possessed immense combat power, so she assumed Ji You must have expended a lot of energy, and even advised him to rest well.
But what they hadn’t expected was that Ji You had won in such a manner.
Similarly disoriented were the pro-Immortal officials of the Great Xia Dynasty, who also fell silent upon their return.
In fact, before the Tiandao Conference, they always had a notion that while Ji You was strong, given his rural origins, he wasn't particularly impressive among all cultivators in Kyushu.
For example, terms like ‘Elder’s direct Disciple,’ ‘Hall Master’s direct Disciple,’ or ‘son of so-and-so’ sounded noble.
This was a matter of hierarchy; in the solidified thinking of the Qingyun World, two individuals with vastly different statuses would simply not be placed together for a simultaneous competition.
Yet, they never imagined that even at the Tiandao Conference, where Immortal Sects gathered, Worldly Sect assembled, and Prodigies were abundant, Ji You could still achieve widespread fame.
Chong Wang’s expression was extremely complex, while Zhao Yunyue, sitting beside him, was even more silent.
Liu Junchi lost today, seriously injured and carried away, failing to enter the third round. Although the two were not of the same Realm, the comparison still left a huge sense of disappointment.
Ji You had barely returned to his residence and settled down when he received a visitor.
The visitor was Gongshu Chou, the famous masked storyteller from Lingjian Mountain.
Ji You was currently seated at the tea table, looking at the excited Gongshu Chou with a somewhat speechless expression.
Gongshu Chou was also a participant in the Tiandao Conference, having been defeated by a Disciple from the Mountain and Sea Pavilion today. However, he didn't seem remorseful; instead, he wanted Ji You to recount the details of his victory over Chen Ruiyang earlier, holding paper and pen, his creative urge overflowing.
According to him, he had already stayed up late in the past few days to complete his work, “Forcing the Elder Council to Bow, My Fate Is Mine, Not Heaven’s,” but he simply couldn’t stop.
Ji You thought to himself, 'Serves you right for losing, who in their right mind stays up all night writing books!'
But Gongshu Chou was now completely engrossed in his own theory: 'Why tire myself out when my opponent, who fought me to the death, is strong enough!'
Ji You urged him to show some ambition and not disgrace Lingjian Mountain, acting as if Lingjian Mountain belonged to his family, which left Gongshu Chou utterly bewildered.
Soon after, Wen Siyuan’s arrival interrupted their gaze.
The Immortal Supervisor had just sent over the invitations, which contained the list for the third round of the Tiandao Conference. After studying it for a while, he delivered it.
“The third round is crucial for the Tiandao Conference. The format is three-into-one, meaning that ten out of these thirty people will emerge victorious.
And as for why it’s crucial, I’m sure Junior Brother Ji understands.”
Ji You looked at Wen Siyuan upon hearing this: “Ten cultivators from each Realm can enter the Xianxian Holy Land, and this third round will select those ten?”
Wen Siyuan nodded: “Precisely. This means that if you win the third round, you will have secured a spot to enter the Xianxian Holy Land. Junior Brother, you are just one step away. Winning the next match will not be in vain.”
“But there are still thirty Tong Xuan Realm cultivators remaining. Since the third round is selecting ten, the format should change?”
Wen Siyuan raised his eyes: “Three-into-one, arena challenge.”
After the second round of duels, thirty Tong Xuan Realm cultivators remained, and selecting ten from them made the arena challenge the best format.
Therefore, the third round would feature ten arenas, with ten individuals each defending an arena.
The remaining twenty individuals would be responsible for challenging the arenas. If a challenge was successful, they could replace the arena master. This format was identical to Tianshu Academy’s preliminary selection.
According to the Tiandao Conference’s past custom, the arena masters for the ten arenas would be chosen by the overseers, as they had observed the participants for so long and naturally understood their strengths.
And at this moment, the list they held contained ten names circled in red.
Ba Yang, Li Yunlang, Wei Bo, Yan Hao, Murong Yu, Zhuang Zixin... Ji You was not among them.
No one knew the criteria the overseers used to select the arena masters; there were strong and weak ones, Disciples from Immortal Sects and Worldly Sect, seemingly without any pattern.
Ji You looked up at Wen Siyuan: “Can we choose freely?”
Wen Siyuan nodded: “Precisely. You can choose any arena freely.”
“Then if I pick a weaker opponent, won’t my chances of winning be much higher?”
“Of course, but it’s hard to guarantee that no one is secretly hiding their strength. It was like this in previous Heavenly Dao Conferences; most people would hold back until the third round. However, it’s true that some have chosen weaker opponents, which can only be attributed to good Luck. But sometimes, Luck is also part of effort.”
Wen Siyuan finished speaking and pointed to two names on the list.
The first person was Wei Bo, whom they had observed earlier, and the other was from the millennia-old Zheng family, named Zheng Lei.
Although Wei Bo was not weak, he wasn't skilled in offensive combat, making him the easiest target for Ji You. Additionally, Zheng Lei was the weakest overall among the ten arena masters.
The selection for the arena challenge was like this: the core idea was to pick out the easiest targets among the generals.
Wen Siyuan pointed to these two names and said, “I suggest you choose these two, Junior Brother. Of course, Zheng Lei is the best option, with the highest certainty. I know Junior Brother Ji might have a clear Sword Heart and perhaps disdain such calculations, but frankly, it’s always better to take it easy, especially since there are still finals afterward.”
Ji You looked at the list without nodding or shaking his head, but instead looked up at him: “How do I challenge an arena? Do I fill out a form?”
During the Tiandao Conference preliminaries, challengers needed to go to the Master's Courtyard to register, which was why he asked.
Wen Siyuan nodded, "Junior Brother only needs to write down that person's name and I will send it to Taiping Garden. After verification and announcement, the battle can begin. However, I suggest you hurry, Junior Brother Ji, because as you just said, there will be many candidates for relatively weaker opponents."
Ji You rose from the tea mat at this moment. "Forget it, I'll go myself. You've been busy with competitions and gathering information on opponents for me these past few days, you must be tired. Go rest first. Besides, I have friends at the Master's Courtyard, so I can use the back door."
"There's such a thing? That's excellent—"
"I'm leaving."
Gongshu Chou looked up at this moment. "Hey, don't forget about the book."
Ji You turned to look at him. "We'll talk about it when I get back."
Stepping out of the residence, Ji You walked towards the outside of Rusheng Garden and happened to meet Qin Zhangshi, who had come looking for him.
It was not surprising that the various Immortal Sect Worldly Sect paid special attention to Disciples who could reach the third round, which was why he made a special trip.
Qin Zhangshi had just watched his duel with Chen Ruiyang, and his eyes still held a complex expression. His intention for coming was similar to Wen Siyuan's; he also felt that Wei Bo and Zheng Lei were the most suitable, and wanted him to go and sign early.
Ji You nodded, then left the garden and walked to Taiping Garden along the way.
The Master's Courtyard was in the East Courtyard of Taiping Garden, with a dedicated great hall responsible for handling Tiandao Conference affairs. Lou Wanpeng had come here when he withdrew from the competition.
Ji You stepped into the hall, explained his purpose, and was handed two documents.
One was for the Champion , and the other was a receipt for him to keep, requiring him to choose his target for the challenge.
In principle, each arena only had two opportunities to be challenged, and before Ji You arrived, someone had already come here first. So, the official who received him added a note, telling him that Zheng Lei could no longer be chosen.
"What a pitiful fellow," Ji You muttered, then listened to the Master's Courtyard official analyze for a long time.
He said that he could first watch the first round, perhaps the person who defeated Zheng Lei was not strong, and after the first round, a relatively weaker person might come on stage. He also said that he could secretly reserve a spot for him.
Although the Master's Courtyard has the words 'Master's Courtyard' in its name, most of the officials serving there come from impoverished backgrounds and have an inherent dislike for cultivators, yet they feel an indescribable closeness to Ji You.
This was the difference in perception between Immortals and Mortals.
However, after thanking him, Ji You still followed his own thoughts and filled in the name of the arena master he had chosen.
Seeing the name Ji You had written, the Master's Courtyard official's eyes widened, then he looked up and solemnly cupped his hands.
"Has Kuang Cheng returned?"
"Not yet, but he should have gone to watch Young Master's duel. Didn't Young Master see him?"
"I did, but we didn't come back together. Never mind, I don't have anything important to find him for, we'll talk about it next time." Ji You left one of the challenge letters, then turned and left Taiping Garden, returning to Rusheng Garden.
As soon as he entered the house, he found his residence full.
Among them were Wen Siyuan, who had been waiting for his return, Gongshu Chou, who was waiting for him to return and tell stories, and also Cao Jinsong and three others, plus Kuang Cheng and Wei Rui.
Aside from Wen Siyuan, Gongshu Chou, Kuang Cheng, and Wei Rui, the other four looked very excited, with expressions that seemed to say, "You definitely don't know, I met the Lingjian Mountain Junior Master Jian today and watched the duel with her."
Especially Ban Yangshu, who looked at Ji You at this moment with some regret, feeling it was a pity that his Junior Brother had not seen it.
Kuang Cheng sat beside them, watching their expressions, thinking, "You weren't like this upstairs just now. When you were in front of Fairy Yan, you clearly didn't even dare to breathe heavily."
Especially Cao Instructor, who was as still as if he were being tortured by Dai Jia.
What Wei Rui was thinking was, "Is that all?"
"You just watched a duel of Young Master Ji's together. When a little Fairy sister is born later, you'll all be dumbfounded."
Wen Siyuan naturally didn't know why they were so excited, and Cao Jinsong naturally couldn't tell him. After all, Wen Siyuan was an outsider, and if he were to reveal what happened today, he might very well be considered a traitor.
At this moment, the biggest traitor sat down at the table and was met with Wen Siyuan's inquiring gaze: "Junior Brother, have you submitted the list of challengers?"
"Yes, I have."
"It's not too late—"
In Wen Siyuan's view, the cultivators gathered here were not fools; they would definitely see that Zheng Lei was the easiest to challenge among the ten arenas, and should be the most popular choice.
Perhaps by the time Ji You arrived, the spots would already be gone, but he hadn't expected his wish to actually come true.
Wen Siyuan raised his hand and took the receipt from Ji You's hand, thinking that Junior Brother Ji's Luck was almost catching up to his talent.
However, as the receipt in his hand was opened, Wen Siyuan's eyes instantly narrowed, and then he raised his hand to rub his eyes, thinking he had seen wrongly.
But cultivators generally do not suffer from eye diseases or hallucinations; even if he rubbed his eyelids raw, it would not change the writing on it.
Cao Jinsong and the others also noticed his abnormality at this moment, and couldn't help but take the receipt from his hand, open it and take a look. After seeing the words "Yan Hao," they couldn't help but exchange glances, then raised their eyebrows to look at Ji You.
It's a bit inappropriate, Lingjian Mountain is actually quite good.
Cao Jinsong looked at the two characters on the receipt with a solemn expression, thinking, "I was originally thinking about re-employment after leaving Tianshu Academy, but this is a disaster."
Wen Siyuan looked up at Ji You with a puzzled expression. "Junior Brother, what is the meaning of this choice?"
"To give Lingjian Mountain a taste of their own medicine."
"I didn't expect Junior Brother to be the one who cares most about the Sect's prestige of my Tianshu Academy. It's just that Yan Hao seems to have held back in every battle, which isn't very reliable."
Cao Jinsong's beard twisted when he heard that, thinking, "Does he still care about the Sect's prestige? He's wanted to go back to being a fierce bandit countless times."
However, precisely because he knew that his wicked Disciple's bandit heart was clear, such a choice made it even more puzzling.
Gongshu Chou also took the challenge letter and glanced at it, his expression growing a bit more solemn. "This Yan Hao is no simple character. There are some things I can't tell you, but I advise you to go to Taiping Garden and withdraw this challenge letter."
Wen Siyuan frowned even more after hearing this, and after a long deliberation, he spoke, "The third round of thirty into ten is still too risky. If Junior Brother Ji wants to give them a taste of their own medicine, he should defeat him after passing this round."
Ji You shook his head. "Many people don't care about the process, only the result."
"?"
The third round of arena battles, because opponents are chosen by oneself, is not as strict in terms of timeliness as the previous group stage.
Basically, the rule is that if someone challenges the arena, the match will begin.
At this moment, people from the Master's Courtyard came from Taiping Garden and began posting challenge announcements on the bulletin board on the lake island.
Zheng Lei's announcement had already been posted and was being surrounded by onlookers, who were sighing softly one after another.
The Tiandao Conference was like this; if one's strength was insufficient, one would inevitably be treated as a soft persimmon to be squeezed. This Zheng Lei was the obvious soft persimmon in the third round.
And next to Zheng Lei's challenge announcement, Wei Bo's match was also posted.
Perhaps he was not good at offense, which many saw as an opportunity, and this was similar to what Wen Siyuan thought.
However, after the Master's Courtyard official posted Zheng Lei's announcement, he still had another one in his hand, which attracted everyone's attention even before it was posted.
Because in their opinion, the combat power of the other few people was extraordinary, and they should be more cautious, especially Yan Hao of Lingjian Mountain, whose true strength no one had been able to ascertain so far.
The next moment, when that challenge announcement was posted on the bulletin board, everyone present couldn't help but freeze their gaze.
Because in this match-up table, the arena master was Yan Hao.
Upon seeing this scene, some of those present were stunned, then their eyes shifted downwards, and they saw the name of the challenger.
【Tianshu Academy, Ji You】
Many people in the Eight Great Immortal Gardens were still discussing the battle between Ji You and Chen Ruiyang, and even some Immortal Sect Elders who had previously paid no attention to him became much more interested in his name.
A young man from the countryside, who achieved Perfection in private cultivation before reaching adulthood, entered Tianshu Academy, opened the door to the Inner Courtyard, and stepped onto the Tiandao Conference step by step—such a thing was even more astonishing than a participant withdrawing from the Tiandao Conference.
Especially since he had directly confronted and defeated a Chen Clan Disciple who had mastered the Ten-Stage Slash.
Just as they were discussing this animatedly, the news of Ji You challenging Yan Hao began to spread like wildfire, causing an uproar.
"He chose Yan Hao?"
"Indeed, the announcement has already been posted."
"To actually pick the one no one has the most confidence in, is he overconfident from winning today or what?"
"Those who can reach this stage are not weak. Choosing Yan Hao is better than choosing those who broke through their Realm just before the competition, right?"
"Heh, I don't think so—."
The news quickly reached Rusheng Garden, causing the previously quiet courtyard to become noisy once again.
The three Master-in-charges of the Master's Courtyard had just felt joy because of Ji You's victory, but upon hearing this news, their brows instantly furrowed.
The most intense reaction came from the Lingjian Mountain Disciples in the West Courtyard, who now looked eastward and discussed animatedly.
Ding Yao and Zhuo Wanqiu also heard the news, their expressions somewhat surprised. They stood on the second floor, gazing for a long time.
They naturally knew that Ji You had chosen Yan Hao to challenge him in order to help suppress the reputation of Tianjian Peak.
Tianjian Peak had a profound Legacy, so even though their Master Jian mastered the spirit mirror, many highly talented Disciples still chose Tianjian Peak each year.
And the number of Disciples was related to the allocation of Spirit Medicine and tax offerings, as well as the stability of the Foundation. Therefore, the Master Jian had always hoped to weaken the prestige of Tianjian Peak, but Young Master chose the wrong time.
Now was the crucial period of thirty into ten, and the risk was the highest.
If the son-in-Law were wiser, he should first pass the third round, secure a spot in the top ten, and then consider this matter.
This was not a matter of who was strong or weak, but rather that this choice was the most appropriate.
At this moment, Ding Yao suddenly looked into the courtyard. "Gongshu Chou seems to have gone to Young Master's place again and is on his way back. I'll call him up."
After Gongshu Chou was called up, he immediately raised both hands to prove his innocence: "Reporting to Master Jian, I did not leak any secrets—"
"No leaks, then what did you talk about?"
"We talked about the duel. I disgraced the Sect's glory and lost the duel. Ji You was a bit angry, it seemed he thought I embarrassed Lingjian Mountain, as if Lingjian Mountain was his family's."
Ding Yao paused slightly, then turned to look behind her, seeing her Master Jian's eyelashes trembling slightly.
Zhuo Wanqiu spoke up at this moment, "Do you know why this Ji You chose Yan Hao, my Junior Brother from Lingjian Mountain?"
"He did say a few words, but I didn't quite understand."
"What did he say?"
"He said that many people don't focus on the process, only the result, and that if he couldn't even enter the top ten, it would be more significant."
Upon hearing this, Yan Shuyi gently raised her eyes, her feet moving slightly.
News of the Tiandao Conference would surely spread back, to Kyushu, to Lingjian Mountain, and into the ears of the Disciples in the mountains.
For those Disciples in the mountains, they indeed did not care about the process, only the result. Therefore, Yan Hao losing in the top ten battles was far less embarrassing than Yan Hao not even making it into the top ten.
This was the Tiandao Conference; this would completely shake Tianjian Peak's prestige among the Disciples.
Yan Shuyi sat gracefully in her chair, her eyelashes tinged with gold by the candlelight.
Actually, she didn't necessarily want Ji You to defeat him; at the end of the day, it was just her extreme selfishness, wanting him to win.
To her, even if Ji You didn't defeat Yan Zhong, it didn't matter and wouldn't affect the overall situation. But she hadn't expected him to be so serious about this matter.
Yan Shuyi looked up at Gongshu Chou. "Did you tell him that Yan Hao is currently breaking through his Realm and his strength is no longer within the Tong Xuan Realm?"
Gongshu Chou immediately shook his head. "Reporting to Master Jian, I did not mention a single word about this—"
"Then he's dead."
"Master Jian is absolutely right—"
"You have a very good relationship with Ji You. Do you know if he has any hidden cards or other secret techniques, so you can tell Yan Hao to be careful during the battle?"
Gongshu Chou shook his head. "I know nothing about this either."
Yan Shuyi looked at him indifferently. "Go inquire about it and report back to me."
"Master Jian, our Lingjian Mountain's sword heart is straightforward, we don't take shortcuts. Besides, I cannot betray a friend."
Ding Yao looked at Master Jian, who seemed about to promote him to deputy Sect master, and immediately interjected, "Forget it, Senior Brother Gongshu has also worked hard all day, go back and rest first."
Gongshu Chou, unaware that his words had just paved a path to greatness for himself, bowed and turned to leave.
However, he felt a slight doubt in his heart, wondering if Master Jian's voice just now was affected by a cold?
