Chapter 114: The Dao Heart Has Become Crystal Clear

The Yingtian realm crushes the Rongdao realm, let alone the Tongxuan realm.

Under such a chasm-like realm gap, victory or defeat leaves no room for surprise.

So as the clattering noises kept coming from the room, Zhuo Wanqiu and Ding Yao both assumed Ji You was certainly the one being bullied inside.

Even after the noise abruptly stopped, they still murmured whether Young Master Ji had been played to death.

Inside the room, Yan Shuyi sat cross-legged on a cushion, her face flushed, her fair bare feet spread wide, one bearing a clear tooth mark.

“Rogue.”

“I can’t beat you, so I had no choice but to resort to this.”

Ji You carried himself like a virtuous gentleman, utterly unashamed.

Yan Shuyi’s accusation of “rogue” referred not just to his biting her foot, but also to how he had seized the chance during their brawl to hug her several times.

He pinched her face, touched her feet, and now he hugged her.

They’d only met three times—why was he always so bold with her?

She rarely interacted with men and didn’t know that when a man’s Dao heart became crystal clear, even the Heavenly Emperor himself couldn’t stop him.

Her magnificent figure, carrying the faint fragrance of orchids, pressed forcefully against him—how could even a virtuous gentleman withstand it?

Yan Shuyi turned her gaze away: “The Sword Grove has four layers, each stronger than the last. After you pass the fourth, you’ll face Elder Qi’s lifetime sword strike. If you can withstand it, you’ve succeeded.”

Ji You grew somewhat serious: “You know this so clearly—did you try it yourself?”

“I was bored on the mountain, so I broke the array.”

“Was it easy?”

“You’re in the Tongxuan realm now—you might reach the third layer, but don’t even think about the fourth. Even brute force won’t get you through.”

Ji You considered: the fourth layer was already borderline; the final sword must be even more dangerous.

But it was enough. He never intended to clear the entire Sword Grove and claim the Sword Dao inheritance, as Yan Shuyi had said earlier.

He was a disciple of the Heavenly Book Academy; even if he reached the end, the Heavenly Sword Peak would never allow Elder Qi to pass on his sword art to him.

But merely seeing the spiritual swords of Spirit Sword Mountain would surely grant him insight.

When he came back to himself, he picked up a pumpkin seed and bent to peel it, catching sight of Yan Shuyi’s flawless profile and her long, curled eyelashes trembling slightly as she looked down.

The first time he’d seen them during his enlightenment, he’d been drawn to those long lashes and blurted out “peerless beauty.”

Now seeing them in reality, he couldn’t help but admire them for a long while.

Dammit, I’m starting to feel like tempting death…

Little Master Yan had already extended her hand, waiting for his pumpkin seed. Seeing he didn’t give it, she turned her head—and met his dazed gaze. She instinctively pressed her lips together.

They’d been seated farther apart earlier, but after their playful scuffle, they sat very close—and neither felt uncomfortable.

Back in Ningcheng County, Yuan Caiwei had once said there was no such thing as a “comfortable distance” between them; they were simply used to being close.

Yan Shuyi lowered her head, uneasy, then suddenly noticed Ji You’s hands seemed about to wrap around her waist.

Instantly, sword intent surged with her cold, haughty expression.

The Little Master of Spirit Sword Mountain’s sword heart was always crystal clear; her sword intent moved with her will.

At this moment, even Zhuo Wanqiu and Ding Yao’s swords in their scabbards trembled violently, becoming wildly agitated.

“What’s happening?”

“It’s the Little Master…”

“Is the Little Master about to draw her sword?”

Zhuo Wanqiu startled, tense, glancing toward the nearby door.

Earlier, the clattering had released no magic or sword intent, so they hadn’t worried—but now this razor-sharp aura clearly signaled that the Little Master meant to kill.

Even though lately, since his arrival, the Little Master’s voice had grown softer.

But Zhuo Wanqiu and Ding Yao knew that someone holding this position must have a ruthless side—and that side was truly steeped in killing intent.

What had Young Master Ji done to truly anger the Little Master?

Zhuo Wanqiu swallowed hard, hesitating whether to enter the room.

What if… what if this was just some new game?

She stamped her foot, still undecided, when suddenly the aura dissipated—gone as quickly as it came, as if it had never existed.

Inside the room, Yan Shuyi was held in the arms of the man she’d met only three times, unsure what to say.

So she picked up a pumpkin seed from the table, gently cracked it between her lips, and cast her deep eyes around aimlessly.

Ji You truly had no impure thoughts—he simply found her quiet and obedient, and couldn’t suppress the urge to hold her.

Though he was usually unserious and rumored to have fiancées everywhere, his movements were awkward—he nearly knocked off her waist sash as he reached around.

Perhaps because of that clumsiness, the sword didn’t strike.

Even more, he felt Yan Shuyi lift her arm slightly to make room for him.

After a long while, Yan Shuyi finished cracking her pumpkin seed, unsure what to do next, and unconsciously shifted slightly in his arms.

Seeing Ji You didn’t react, she settled quietly, gently rubbing the foot he’d bitten.

The noon sunlight shifted quickly; the Little Master watched the beam of light slowly move from the table’s edge down to its base.

“Are you still going to the Sword Grove?”

“I’m going now.”

“Then why aren’t you going faster?”

Yan Shuyi had been exceptionally docile in his arms, but her tone now carried a hint of prideful petulance.

Ji You tightened his hold slightly, then released her, leaving her slightly weak—she raised her eyes: “Do you really think I won’t kill you?”

Ji You bit his lip: “If I feared death, I wouldn’t have come to Spirit Sword Mountain. The Dao of the Sword is direct—I truly couldn’t resist my heart.”

“I will kill you…”

“That has no menace at all.”

Yan Shuyi unusually didn’t retort—she too felt her voice sounded too soft.

She realized it was like back in Shengjing when he pinched her face: the first time she didn’t draw her sword, the next time she probably wouldn’t either.

Ji You hugged her again, holding her for a long while, until Zhuo Wanqiu, hearing no more noise from inside, grew increasingly anxious and knocked on the door.

Hearing the knock, Yan Shuyi rose from his arms, her bare feet stepping on his hand, adjusted her clothes, then opened the door, letting the daylight flood back in.

Zhuo Wanqiu and Ding Yao stood at the threshold, their expressions strange but forced into calm.

Yan Shuyi gazed coldly at Zhuo Wanqiu and Ding Yao: “You two, take this audacious disciple of the Heavenly Book Academy to Elder Qi’s Sword Grove.”

“Yes, Little Master.”

Yan Shuyi fell silent for a moment, then added: “The mat on the floor is too hard and cold—replace it with a blanket. Don’t let it be said Spirit Sword Mountain is inhospitable.”

Zhuo Wanqiu took a deep breath and nodded immediately, then watched as the Little Master suddenly shot upward, sword aura surging into the sky.

Yingtian realm cultivators didn’t need to unleash such force to fly—but the Little Master seemed to be revealing every ounce of her aura.

She instinctively turned to Ji You and saw he had held his breath.

His boldness today was truly excessive—this young man truly couldn’t be stopped, even by the Heavenly Emperor himself.

It was dangerous, yes—but he’d do it again.

He came to Spirit Sword Mountain intending to steal both person and sword; he’d already stolen a little of the person…

“Young Master Ji, the Little Master has ordered us to take you to the Sword Grove.”

Ji You snapped back to himself, nodded to Zhuo Wanqiu, then followed the two toward Heavenly Sword Peak.

Steal the person, now steal the sword…

The three descended from Xuansword Peak, soaring through the air on spiritual energy to Heavenly Sword Peak, traversing long treacherous paths and circling several peaks until they finally reached a deep, emerald-green forest.

The Sword Grove was called so not because its swords resembled bamboo groves, but because Spirit Sword Mountain was riddled with perilous peaks, leaving almost no open ground.

So Elder Qi had hidden all his sword intent within the forest, divided into four layers.

To avoid suspicion, Ji You ordered Ding Yao and Zhuo Wanqiu to step back and walked alone to the entrance of the Sword Grove.

Many disciples were here—disciples of the Questioning Dao Sect and the Mountain Sea Pavilion were everywhere; most were the same ones he’d seen at the mountain gate upon arrival, clearly hoping to test Spirit Sword Mountain’s sword art.

Seeing Ji You, clad in the Heavenly Book Academy’s immortal robe, approach, all the cultivators present frowned.

“Ji You? He’s coming to break the Sword Grove too?”

“Do disciples of the Heavenly Book Academy want to learn Spirit Sword Mountain’s sword art?”

“Impossible—probably just here to watch the spectacle…”

“They say outside that if Ji You hadn’t been born in Fengzhou, he’d have been a Spirit Sword Mountain disciple.”

Yan Ye, the managing elder who had greeted them below the mountain, also stood nearby, frowning: “What is a disciple of the Heavenly Book Academy doing here? Did living on the mountain make you forget you’re just a guest?”

Ji You bowed with his sword: “Respected Elder Yan, this disciple comes to bring shame to the Heavenly Book Academy.”

“?”

“I’m just an ordinary Tongxuan realm cultivator—I won’t pass this Sword Grove. If I die inside, I’ll become a joke. Even if the Heavenly Book Academy wins this Questioning Dao contest, it won’t be able to hold its head up.”

Yan Ye studied him for a long moment: “You’re a smooth-talking brat…”

Ji You raised his eyes: “I’ll never pass anyway, Elder Yan—just let me make a fool of myself.”

“I’ve heard others say that if you hadn’t been born in the wrong place, you’d have been born a Spirit Sword Mountain disciple?”

“This disciple dares not claim such a thing.”

Yan Ye, disarmed by his humility, could only sneer: “Elder Qi never said Heavenly Book Academy disciples are barred from entering. If I stopped you, the world might think Spirit Sword Mountain fears you’ll break the array.”

Ji You gazed at the deep forest: “Thank you, Elder Yan.”

Yan Ye said nothing more, stepping one pace to the right, clearing the path into the forest.

Ji You drew his sword; sword intent surged with his will, and a clear, ringing chime echoed as spiritual waves roared around him.

The two characters "sword path" speak not of flashy techniques nor of foundational skill; the most important thing is the sword heart. All people say that Lingjian Mountain cultivates the sword by seeking straightness—the straighter the sword, the stronger it becomes.

He held his breath and stepped forward, crunching through rustling bamboo leaves as he entered a sea of emerald green, immediately sensing a vast sword intent rising continuously through the forest, its winds lifting his hair ribbon.

Looking around from within the grove, the emerald green grew deeper and the light dimmer, with only the clamor of sword intent echoing endlessly.

The cultivators who had gathered at the entrance now followed inside, gazing at Ji You’s back.

They had wanted to test the sword intent within this grove; now they were even more curious how far Ji You would go.

Zhum—

With a sword chant howling through the air, a fierce sword intent surged like a tide—a heavy sword aura rapidly closed in, instantly stirring the tranquil first layer of the grove.

Ji You gripped his iron sword, spiritual energy flowing through his meridians; he raised his blade, and a cascade of sword waves surged forward, charging toward the heavy sword aura.

(End of Chapter)