Chapter 126: Where the Sword Points

Ji You shattered the Sword Forest, preserving a shred of dignity for the Heaven Book Academy; naturally, they had no need to flee in panic or fear further mockery.

Thus, He Lingxiu decided to stay one more day—first for You Buyu’s injuries, second to wait for Ji You to descend the mountain.

Throughout this time, all remained silent.

Only the Immortal Emperor Ruilong waved his sword back and forth, embellishing tales of the Sword Forest with hearsay for the crowd.

“Brother Ji’s sword fell from all eight directions, then he slashed through it, crying out: ‘A mere little Sword Forest dares block me!’”

“Behind him stood the Profound Sword Peak’s direct disciple, eyes wide as if ready to claim the white-robed youth as her betrothed, watching him raise his sword!”

“No, a mere Tongxuan cultivator could never break our Spirit Sword Mountain’s formation! That Spirit Sword Mountain elder still clung to his lies.”

“At that moment, a cold laugh rang out—Ji You extended his arm, and seven swords surged upward!”

“Do you truly believe this is my full strength?!”

“No sooner had the words left his lips than Yan Ye’s plump buttocks trembled—and the seven swords, like dragons, shattered the Sword Forest!”

Ban Yangshu, Wen Zhengxin, and others watched this scene, their lips twitching, toes digging out a Cloud-Piercing Heavenly Palace in their minds, thinking: What in the world is this nonsense? It’s as if you were there yourself.

If you have this talent, why bother cultivating? Why not become a storyteller instead?

And Yan Ye is nearly fifty—did you really stare at that kind of buttocks?

Though his tale was absurd, it plunged more into silence, as if visions floated before their eyes.

You Buyu lay silent on his bed, listening to Bai Rulong’s clamor, his gaze distant, his thoughts not on Ji You, but on the direct disciple of the Heavenly Sword Peak who had slashed at him.

That single sword strike haunted him, leaving his heart unsettled.

He knew—his Dao heart had been severed by that blow.

Zhuang You…

Yes, it was him. You Buyu now remembered—he had seen this man at the Immortal Tour six years ago.

That was why, when he first faced Zhuang You on the arena, he had felt a strange familiarity.

Back then, Zhuang You was merely an ordinary outer-disciple of the Spirit Sword Mountain, attending the gathering with his sect, engaging in a restrained sparring match with an outer-disciple of the Xuan Yuan Immortal Mansion.

Neither his cultivation nor his sword art stood out in the slightest.

Meanwhile, You Buyu had already touched the threshold of the Rongdao realm and had been formally chosen as a direct disciple of the Jixiang Hall.

Though he had watched the match, his memory of Zhuang You was faint.

How could a hall master’s direct disciple care about an unremarkable disciple from another immortal sect?

Yet who could have foreseen that in just six years, he had grown so powerful—especially that final, furious slash, which had plunged You Buyu into utter despair.

Could such talent truly exist? Or was the Sword Art of the Spirit Sword Mountain truly this formidable?

This made him think of Ji You…

Entered the academy at the peak of the lower three realms, a rustic self-taught cultivator, reached Tongxuan mid-stage in half a year, and now, after defeating both him and He Lingxiu, shattered their Sword Forest.

You Buyu had previously investigated Ji You but found no record of how long it took him to reach the peak of the lower three realms.

Even so, reaching Tongxuan mid-stage in half a year alone marked him as a prodigy beyond measure.

Besides him, the outer academy had another, Chu He—he was slightly weaker than Ji You, yet still reached Tongxuan early-stage in under half a year.

In past years, the Heaven Book Academy rarely admitted new disciples who broke into Tongxuan until just before the Autumn Duel.

In some years, no one broke into Tongxuan even by the time the Autumn Duel began, forcing them to promote last year’s Tongxuan students into the inner academy.

Otherwise, the Heaven Book Academy could never have limited admissions to just one per year.

But what has become of this world? Ji You, Chu He, and especially Zhuang You…

He had used his aunt’s personally transmitted Dao technique to boost his combat power to near the peak of Rongdao—yet still, he was shattered by a single sword strike. He could not believe it.

Had the era of human blossoming truly arrived, and was he merely the most mediocre among them?

You Buyu involuntarily clutched his chest, feeling an inner force relentlessly colliding, his whole body growing hot, beyond his control…

Behind the Heavenly Sword Peak’s Sword Forest, in the courtyard outside Qi Zhengyang’s residence, rising sword intent surged fiercely, barring the Heavenly Sword Peak elders from entering.

They could not pass through the sword intent, so they halted there, murmuring among themselves.

“So he was truly practicing sword art…?”

“He endured it with his body alone…”

“All seven swords were Xiao Zhongshan?”

Yan Shuyi stood nearby, poised and elegant, her icy gaze fixed on the deep, shadowed residence.

She had come fearing for Ji You’s safety; the moment the [Si Wu Xie] arose, she had already cultivated sword qi, ready to intervene if he faltered.

She was afraid—afraid this man, whom she had seen only thrice, might die.

Yet Ji You’s true power had genuinely surprised her.

She had never imagined the circling swords, like dragons, would cleave straight through the [Si Wu Xie], grinding it to dust, piercing the Sword Forest, and echoing sword intent across the mountains.

Now, hearing others’ stunned exclamations, her eyes subtly narrowed, betraying a faint, almost imperceptible pride.

Yet inwardly, she still worried—what would Qi Zhengyang do to him?

Yan Shuyi was Yingtian realm; with her Spirit Mirror, she could unleash the power of the upper five realms—she could dismantle Qi Zhengyang’s swords without trouble.

But now, under everyone’s watchful eyes, all believed she had come because the Sword Forest had been shattered by an outsider—so she could not act lightly.

This was mostly due to that final sword qi tearing Ji You’s robe—she had been stunned for so long she missed the chance to stop him before Elder Qi took him away.

Yet another oddity remained.

When the sword current surged, Ji You, hovering in midair, made no struggle—otherwise, he would not have been swept away so easily.

Yan Shuyi’s mind replayed again the full, explosive physique—her gaze went blank, her thoughts stalled, and she unconsciously pressed her pink lips together.

That stranger’s body had been seen by every soul on the mountain…

Others now arrived one by one, bowed respectfully beside her, and received her nod in return.

“Has the Mirror Master’s mood improved today?”

“Probably because the Heaven Book Academy lost both matches against the Spirit Sword Mountain.”

“But Ji You breaking Elder Qi’s Sword Forest isn’t a good thing…”

“I wonder if Elder Qi will choose him as his sword heir…”

“Impossible—he’s a Heaven Book Academy disciple. Elder Qi has his limits.”

“But true Sword Heart Clarity—I fear Elder Qi, upon seeing him, will be moved. His only son died in the ruins, refined by the Zheng family’s patriarch. He set up this Sword Forest again precisely to find a disciple of exceptional talent, lest his sword lineage perish?”

“This…”

Meanwhile, within the vast residence, separated from the sword qi.

A slender man sat cross-legged on a mat, polishing his sword with a deer hide, movements precise and solemn.

The sword he polished gleamed bright and sharp, radiating chilling light, its killing intent surging like a tidal wave through the residence.

Yet the man’s face showed neither sorrow nor joy—only a numb, brewing battle will.

He was Qi Zhengyang, Elder of the Heavenly Sword Peak, chief of the Spirit Sword Mountain’s sword arts, a sword cultivator at the peak of the upper five realms, who had spent most of his life meditating in deep mountains, refining pure sword art.

As an outsider to the sect, to reach such status in the Qingyun Realm, only two possibilities existed.

Either he was born lucky—or he was truly strong.

Half a month ago, Qi Zhengyang’s only son died in the ruins.

Since then, the Sword Forest had been erected, brimming with lethal intent; countless Spirit Sword Mountain disciples seeking to inherit his art had been grievously wounded, still unrecovered.

The Qingyun Realm abounded in coincidences—as if someone wished to learn sword art, and thus a Sword Forest appeared.

Yet some coincidences were, in truth, bound by hidden cause and effect.

All of it still traced back to the ruins.

Within his residence, the dressed-as-woman, muscular man, swept in by the sword qi, stood waiting.

The bleeding from his right shoulder had ceased; his overwhelming aura had receded. He exhaled lightly in the hall, showing neither fear nor confusion.

Qi Zhengyang’s sword-polishing slowed, then he turned to stare at the dressed-as-woman man for a long while.

He felt something strange.

Because when the sword current swept him in, the man offered no resistance—indeed, seemed to welcome it—leaving Qi Zhengyang puzzled.

And now, the ill-fitting sword robe clung tightly to his full chest, his numb expression betraying a peculiar oddity.

“You’re not a Spirit Sword Mountain disciple?”

“Disciple Ji You of the Heaven Book Academy, pays respects to Elder Qi.”

Qi Zhengyang spoke coolly: “I never imagined someone with such Sword Heart Clarity could exist—and yet not be from my Spirit Sword Mountain.”

Ji You tugged at his ill-fitting robe: “I merely took a shortcut—I’m no Sword Heart Clarity. At best, I’m a bit clever.”

“‘Shortcut’ is not untrue—but your body—how did this happen?”

“Born this way—tough as iron. I don’t know why.”

Qi Zhengyang turned his gaze away, murmuring at the sword intent mural hanging on the wall: “Everyone has secrets. That’s why none can learn the purest sword.”

Ji You’s eyelids trembled slightly—he thought: That’s true enough.

For instance—he didn’t come from this world. For instance—his explosive spiritual energy.

For instance—he had bitten the Mirror Master’s tiny foot, and had been seen naked by Yuan Caiwei. These were secrets he could never reveal.

As he thought this, Qi Zhengyang resumed polishing the sword, the scraping sound rising and falling beside his ears.

Ji You glanced at him: “Elder, you keep polishing your sword—do you plan to kill someone?”

Qi Zhengyang raised the blade toward heaven, studying its surface: “You stole my Spirit Sword Mountain’s sword art without permission—why don’t you think this sword was made to kill you?”

“To kill a Tongxuan cultivator, you don’t need such a powerful sword.”

“You shattered my [Si Wu Xie]—you’re no ordinary Tongxuan. Perhaps you truly do require a swift blade to end you.”

“Yet your sword intent isn’t aimed at me—it’s directed toward the Heavenly Sword Peak.”

(End of chapter)