[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-watching-the-immortals-fall":3,"chapter-watching-the-immortals-fall-watching-the-immortals-fall-chapter-122":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","Watching the Immortals Fall",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2259995,4410,"Chapter 122: Want the Sword, But Also Your Face","watching-the-immortals-fall-chapter-122",122,"\u003Cp>「Need to be more complex…」\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>「Need to think wildly…」\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The formidable [Return and Departure] came crashing down; Ji You’s extraordinarily complex sword intent gave rise to an equally complex sword qi, charging forward fiercely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Beneath that fierce slash, the iron sword shattered into sparks, and the wielder was violently flung away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But barely had he landed when Ji You picked up his sword again and charged toward the next [Return and Departure].\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>「Not complex enough—need it even more complex.」\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>「Stubborn mind, think harder.」\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As he murmured, the second [Return and Departure] grew sharper and faster, the howling sword like lightning splitting the sky, leaving no time for reaction.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was the nature of the Third Sword of the Forest Guard: astonishing speed—the ultimate swift sword in Elder Qi’s sword art.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ji You had already taken to the air, wielding his most complex sword, slashing down hard upon the [Return and Departure]; within his sword heart, it felt as if a hundred herbs grew wild—ferocious and chaotic.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As expected, he was once again slammed down by the [Return and Departure], crashing into the forest with a thud, then rising again with sword in hand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>「Complex enough…」\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>「Now simplify—let your heart be clear, understand what must be discarded and what must remain.」\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>「See clearly—see only what must be seen.」\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>「If I used only one sword, it would be this most direct one…」\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With a crash, sword waves surged; sword qi tore through the forest, wild gusts spewing forth until the woods roared like oceans and mountains.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yan Ye and Yan Qingchi had turned pale; watching the figure whose sword momentum had weakened yet whose technique grew fiercer, their hearts trembled, while Gongshu Qiu could not help stepping backward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only Yan Shujing, who had already passed the Third Sword Forest, remained at the front, watching with intense focus.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her sword, famed in Lingzhou, had lain calm within its scabbard—but now, stirred by this sword strike, it trembled faintly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With a hum, sword light burst open, waves upon waves; the sword intent before them suddenly grew simpler.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As if stripped of many things, it now became transparent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yan Ye’s brow furrowed: 「It’s [Little Heavy Mountain]…」\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yan Qingchi couldn’t help shaking his head slightly: 「Not [Little Heavy Mountain], but… somewhat similar—about a quarter alike.」\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>「A quarter of [Little Heavy Mountain]?」\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>「Yes. I won’t mistake Elder Qi’s sword.」\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yan Ye opened his mouth, then closed it; his gaze at Ji You shifted rapidly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sword Dao, like Immortal Dao, is vast and profound; Lingjian Mountain had studied sword art for a hundred years and barely touched the tip of the iceberg.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet those who could perceive the essence of sword Dao through observing a sword strike—even on Lingjian Mountain—were as rare as phoenix feathers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thus, even a quarter of [Little Heavy Mountain], with less than half mastered, was enough to shock Yan Ye and Yan Qingchi.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The saying among mountain disciples—「sword heart clear and bright」—had for millennia been used as mere praise, but as Elders, they knew it was not just flattery: there truly existed those born with a naturally clear sword heart.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Their Lord was one such person, and Yan Shujing standing here was another.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yan Ye suddenly understood why Ji You had taken sixteen strikes to pass [Little Heavy Mountain].\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Others had merely endured [Little Heavy Mountain]; he had used sixteen strikes to learn a quarter of it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This… what kind of sword heart clarity? Such talent nearly matched Yan Shujing herself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that moment, Gongshu Qiu turned his head, glancing at Yan Ye and Yan Qingchi behind him, his expression filled with confusion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As a Rongdao cultivator, he understood what they meant by 「a quarter of [Little Heavy Mountain]」—yet something felt off, for he had seen no [Little Heavy Mountain].\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>「It’s not [Little Heavy Mountain].」\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>「?」\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>「It’s not [Little Heavy Mountain] at all.」\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yan Shujing suddenly stepped back, then frowned and walked out of the forest; as she passed Yan Ye and Yan Qingchi, she murmured softly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The two elders froze, still not grasping the words of this Lingjian Mountain’s direct disciple—another wave of confusion rose in their hearts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They knew Yan Shujing was a sword fanatic, here to hone her blade, yet they did not understand why she had not entered the Fourth Forest, but instead retreated from the woods.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yan Shujing gave them no explanation; expressionless, she walked into the Second Forest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet she did not linger in the Second Forest; she returned to the First Forest and stopped there, then stirred her spiritual sense, reactivating the [Little Heavy Mountain].\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ding Yao and Huang Hui waited outside the First Forest, beside Wen Zhengxin and Pei Ruyi.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wen Zhengxin and Pei Ruyi had come to find Ji You; to avoid attention, they had circled through the Langqiao bridge and arrived much later than Ding Yao.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They were still hesitating whether to enter the First Sword Forest to find their junior brother when they saw Yan Shujing now facing the [Little Heavy Mountain].\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that moment, all four were utterly bewildered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They did not understand why this Lingjian Mountain direct disciple had suddenly turned back to face a [Little Heavy Mountain] she had already passed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>「It’s not [Little Heavy Mountain].」\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>「Nor is it [Willow Color New].」\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Earlier, not only Yan Ye and Yan Qingchi had spoken—the words of Gongshu Qiu had also slipped out in a murmur.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The two Elders had said [Little Heavy Mountain]; Gongshu Qiu had said [Willow Color New].\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Different sword hearts perceive different sword Dao.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yan Shujing had heard that some people’s eyes were different: facing the same colors, they felt them differently.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When fragmented color patches were jumbled together, different eyes saw different patterns.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yan Ye and Gongshu Qiu saw different swords—but in that moment, watching the strike, Yan Shujing suddenly understood.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was not [Little Heavy Mountain], nor [Willow Color New], nor [Return and Departure], nor [Thoughts Without Evil].\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was willow color new atop Little Heavy Mountain; thoughts without evil within return and departure.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The man was indeed constantly learning sword Dao—but even as he learned, he discarded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He cut away a [Willow Color New], gaining half a [Return and Departure]; he shed a [Little Heavy Mountain], gaining half a [Willow Color New].\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As he fought his way through, the sword techniques he used in the Third Sword Forest were no longer purely Elder Qi’s—they now blended his own sword Dao.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thus, those with different sword hearts saw different swords in his strikes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yan Shujing had passed the first three trials through her cultivation and naturally superior sword art—but had been trapped in the Fourth for sixteen full days, once nearly losing an arm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now she realized why: Elder Qi had weakened the first three swords.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Many disciples, with sufficient cultivation, could brute-force their way through—but the fourth sword could not be overcome by force alone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If she continued to clash head-on, she would be slain by the final strike.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So Yan Shujing had done this: she re-entered the First Sword Forest, fought her way back through to the Third.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this moment, Ji You raised his sword for the seventeenth [Return and Departure], his entire sword intent boiling.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Old Cao often muttered a phrase at the Tian Shu Academy: 「Ten thousand paths of Dao—only to be understood inwardly.」\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Meaning: Dao is formless; each person’s perception differs, and true transmission between them is nearly impossible.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But he could see it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From Yuyang County to the Tian Shu Academy, then to Lingjian Mountain—he had always seen it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Elder Qi’s sword art had always been crystal clear in his eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Meanwhile, Yan Ye, Yan Qingchi, and Gongshu Qiu stood frozen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They watched the complex sword Dao grow simpler, cleaner, yet profoundly mysterious—and fell into deep thought.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From complexity to simplicity, then from simplicity back to complexity, finally returning to purity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Recalling Yan Shujing’s earlier words, they now grasped their true meaning.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That had once been Elder Qi’s sword—but now it was his.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>「A natural Lingjian Mountain disciple…」\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>「Why was he born in Fengzhou, taken in by the Tian Shu Academy?」\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yan Ye murmured, then heard a fierce sword cry surge to the heavens—Ji You was violently flung away by the [Return and Departure], crashing heavily to the ground.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After this seventeenth strike, the boy did not raise his sword again; he sat on the ground, his blood qi churning, sweat steaming off his body.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing this, Yan Ye and Yan Qingchi both exhaled in relief, their expressions easing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Yan Shujing had said: even without a clear sword heart, Lingjian Mountain disciples could brute-force their way through by cultivation—yet they could never pass the final trial.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Conversely, without sufficient cultivation and power, even the greatest talent could not go far.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ji You was monstrous enough: with Tongxuan realm, he had endured the [Return and Departure] that even Rongdao cultivators found unbearable—this alone proved everything.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But he could go no further.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was not his fault—he was simply born at the wrong time, in the wrong place.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If he had been born a few years earlier, in Lingzhou, and entered Dao sooner…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yan Ye murmured silently, unaware that someone at the Tian Shu Academy had said the same thing: Master Wang, when betting on Chu He’s entry into the Inner Court, had sighed the same words—Ji You had been born in the wrong era.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>「Pity—he has no time left.」\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>「We can only see this far…」\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ji You murmured, then frowned, noticing four people standing around him, staring blankly: 「Elder Yan, long time no see.」\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yan Ye looked at him, his expression complex: 「Leave.」\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>「?」\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>「You can only go this far, can’t you? And your direct senior brother is about to lose. Your Tian Shu Academy has flaunted its name as the Great Xia Holy Sect for years—time to take a lesson.」\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ji You lifted his gaze: 「I understand Lingjian Mountain doesn’t want to apologize—but the logic doesn’t hold.」\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yan Ye sneered: 「What logic doesn’t hold? Entering the relic is for immortal fortune—you fight, you compete, do you hold back?」\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But my sister wasn't after immortal fortune; you and Wenda Zong didn't attack them for immortal fortune—you attacked for the spirit stones she was carrying.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This is no longer important—your Tian Shu Academy has lost all face.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ji You sat cross-legged, then closed his eyes: “Not yet…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yan Ye let out a cold laugh: “Do you really think You Buyu has any chance of winning?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No, I knew from the start that You Buyu would lose, so last night I calculated the exact moment. I’ve observed the sword forms only up to this point—but I’ve never tried forcing my way through. The remaining few swords might still salvage a shred of dignity.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The people around froze at the sound, still unsure what it meant, when suddenly they felt spiritual energy surging fiercely toward this spot.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Vast spiritual energy flooded into Ji You’s body, mingling with the shattered spiritual essence as it spread through his limbs and organs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In an instant, a deep hum rose from all sides of the bamboo grove.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ji You’s internal spiritual energy ignited. Those standing around instantly felt a powerful aura erupt from him, accompanied by a steady, rhythmic thudding.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ji You opened his eyes. His physical form had reached peak condition; searing heat radiated from his body, almost explosive.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He then took out a stack of vials from the Xuan Jade Gourd, opened each one in turn, and swallowed their contents.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As soon as the elixirs entered his mouth, the spiritual energy swirling around him instantly coalesced into a milky layer, thickening rapidly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These pills had originally been bought as a last resort—but now they served a far greater purpose.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That’s right—the Sword Grove isn’t only for attaining insight through observation; it can also be forced through by brute strength.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this moment, the four people standing around stood frozen. Even Yan Shujing’s pink lips parted slightly as she stared, wide-eyed, at his suddenly overwhelming aura.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hum—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Amid a swirl of dark light, Ji You rose. His powerful arms slowly drew apart before him, and seven sharp swords emerged, whistling as they hovered before him, radiating surging spiritual radiance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing this, Gongshu Chou muttered: “Of course!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(Stopping here would be an even greater sin—so there’s another chapter today! Please vote for monthly tickets!)\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",2051,"2026-06-19T15:28:39.995Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","3581bccbb64372a5e80f762ab30d1edae653633857437c28a9a7c816a8723c8c","watching-the-immortals-fall-chapter-123","watching-the-immortals-fall-chapter-121",430,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fwatching-the-immortals-fall-cover.jpg"]