[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-watching-the-immortals-fall":3,"chapter-watching-the-immortals-fall-watching-the-immortals-fall-chapter-149":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},2260022,4410,"Chapter 149: Straight to the Heavenly Book Hall","watching-the-immortals-fall-chapter-149",149,"\u003Cp>“That Ji You—has he decided which Immortal Hall to join?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Not yet. He’s still considering. Several Elders went to persuade him, but he hasn’t given a definite answer.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I recall rumors from the outer courtyard saying his physique is as extraordinary as the Chu family’s?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This has never been verified, but judging from his talent and breakthrough speed, it certainly seems so…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the inner courtyard of the Heavenly Book Academy, beneath countless verdant ancient cypresses, the disciples of various halls gathered here were discussing animatedly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Among them were over a dozen potential direct disciples from the Longevity, Non-Desire, and Dustless Halls.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When Chu He returned to the Heavenly Book Academy, rumors had spread between the inner and outer courtyards that some Hall Masters wished to take him as a direct disciple.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now that Chu He has been defeated by Ji You and cannot enter the inner courtyard, it is certain that at least one of the Three Hall Masters has already entertained the idea of taking a direct disciple.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thus, the competition for the spot is likely not far off.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“From the recent Autumn Duels, Ji You’s talent is exceptional, but he’s still only at the Tongxuan Realm—he doesn’t warrant our excessive attention.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The upper five realms differ from the lower three; each requires comprehension of the Dao to even touch its threshold. The transition from Tongxuan to Rongdao is the most difficult.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Although Hall Masters never set explicit realm requirements when choosing direct disciples, no direct disciple of a Heavenly Book Academy Hall Master has ever been below the Rongdao Realm.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Most importantly, when the five Hall Masters select direct disciples, they also consider family background.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As these disciples said, Ji You indeed had not rushed to choose a Hall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even Wen Zhengxin and Ban Yangshu had told him that choosing a Hall need not be hurried.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The path of cultivation is long and fraught with obstacles; one must never act in haste, no matter the task.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thus, after entering the academy at noon, Ji You took the inner courtyard map drawn by Ban Yangshu and wandered through the mountains.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Following the mountain path forward, clouds rolled above the forest sea; autumn sunlight poured down, piercing through layers of mist.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ji You climbed Zizai Mountain, saw Zizai Hall; then went to Jixiang Mountain, saw Jixiang Hall; afterward, he visited Changsheng Hall, Buchen Hall, and Wuyu Hall in turn, his gaze finally turning toward the center.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From Wangxian Terrace at the convergence of the six peaks, one could see the Heavenly Book Academy’s sacred site: the Heavenly Book Hall—the residence of the Academy’s Supreme Master.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was a structure entirely white, carved with the complete Seven Sages’ Path-to-Enlightenment mural, glowing brilliantly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I should go check on the Supreme Master’s health.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ji You murmured suddenly, then ascended the mountain path, his filial concern directed straight at the Supreme Master.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet he was not the only one with such filial intent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Since the Heavenly Book Academy’s Supreme Master entered the Linxian Realm two hundred years ago, countless eyes across the Qingyun Continent had awaited his ascension.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet two centuries passed in the blink of an eye, and he still sat upon Nishan, with no word of ascension.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thus, none of the Five Hall Masters had yet chosen a successor as Supreme Master.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As a result, Hall Master direct disciples remained merely direct disciples, rarely becoming Hall Masters themselves.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In short, this Supreme Master, single-handedly, had nearly stalled two generations of succession within the Heavenly Book Academy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The former Supreme Master of the Xuan Yuan Immortal Mansion, who had already ascended, was his peer; now, the current Supreme Master was in seclusion preparing for ascension. From this contrast, one could grasp the stagnation of the Heavenly Book Academy over these two centuries.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Meanwhile, at the shores of the Xuan Sea, Lingjian Mountain—counting the long-missing former Supreme Master—was nearly on its third generation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thus, the rumors across Qingyun that the human Dao had faltered were not solely due to the Qiling Ruins; part of the reason was also the Supreme Master’s persistent failure to ascend.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this moment, Ji You had stepped onto the Heavenly Book Academy’s sacred path.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As he walked, he noticed this peak was far steeper than the other five; the nearly vertical path rivaled Lingjian Mountain’s Tianjian Peak.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet for Ji You, the clearest difference came from the breeze blowing against his face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This breeze held some mysterious quality; upon touching his skin, it instantly made him feel weightless, his spirit invigorated.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a cup of tea, Ji You reached a gentle slope atop Tianshu Peak, where a patch of emerald grass lay, and at its center grew a thick, towering maple tree.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Beneath the tree stood a stone table and stone benches, upon which rested an unfinished game of weiqi, just begun.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ji You stepped forward, his expression solemn, observing silently for a long while.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Suddenly, he seemed to grasp its secret; his noble brow furrowed slightly as he slowly pinched up a white stone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After reexamining the entire board, he carefully placed the stone, making the white stones form a line of five first; then he exhaled deeply, feeling thoroughly satisfied.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hm?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Why is this board carved from spirit cores?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Isn’t this worth a million?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Left out here in the open like this—shouldn’t it be abandoned?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ji You muttered to himself, staring at the spirit-core chessboard, then glanced around, wondering if Heavenly Book Academy disciples were all so virtuous that doors went unlocked and nothing was stolen from the road.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After scanning for a long while, Bandit Ji You withdrew his hand from the board and continued up the path.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The board was a fine item; the pieces, though unidentifiable in material, were clearly no ordinary things if paired with such a board.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But he was a bandit, not a thief—he must remember his professional ethics.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet he was genuinely perplexed: could this really be left on the road without being stolen?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was a severe test of human nature…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Next time he passed, if he saw an old man sitting before the board, he’d take it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this moment, Ji You looked up and saw the grand white sacred hall just ahead, its surrounding aura of spiritual light radiating in multicolored waves.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The sun had just begun its descent; from his angle, it appeared suspended above the hall’s roof, merging with the spiritual light.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Around him, all was silent; few figures could be seen, only drifting mists wandering aimlessly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ji You gazed upward for a long while, then lifted his robe and ascended the summit of Nishan, where the solemn, majestic Heavenly Book Hall now stood fully revealed before him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unlike the other five halls with their upturned eaves, this hall had a round roof; its gate stood two zhang tall, half-open.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Supreme Master, greetings. My name is Ji You.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Uh, I’ve come to check on your health.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ji You murmured as he entered the Heavenly Book Hall, finding the vast palace filled with rows of ever-burning lamps, then bookshelves reaching shoulder-high, stretching up to the second floor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Looking upward, the beams and rafters were intricately carved.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The reliefs on the beams and pillars depicted the long, fleeting history of humanity after its rise over a thousand years.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The most striking scene showed crashing waves, with houses tilted and collapsing as if all would be drowned; yet to the right, a great ship pressed forward against the towering tide.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was the cataclysmic flood humanity endured during the extinction of the Descendants.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ji You gazed upon it, then stepped into the hall, searching—but found no one.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Supreme Master of the Heavenly Book Academy would not sit idly in the hall waiting for visitors; his absence was normal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bandit Ji You felt a pang of regret, glanced again at the carvings on the beams, then turned toward the exit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet at that moment, a low hum sounded behind him—familiar, yet startlingly clear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The hum came from the highest point at the hall’s center; then a beam of heavenly light poured through the dome, surging toward him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Not today.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Someone is in seclusion inside. He doesn’t want me to disturb him.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the words faded, the heavenly light receded; Ji You waved his hand and stepped out of the hall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was the Supreme Master’s main peak; when he arrived, he had guessed the Heavenly Book was nearby, perhaps even within the hall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Indeed, the heavenly light just now had been the Heavenly Book calling him to sense it—actively, not passively.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But today was one of Yan Shuyi’s irritable middle days; Ji You decided it was wiser to avoid provoking her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Didn’t meet the Supreme Master, didn’t get him to voluntarily pass the throne to me—what a pity…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ji You murmured softly, then left the Heavenly Book Hall and descended the peak.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had another place he wished to visit: a purple bamboo grove at the convergence of the six peaks.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ban Yangshu had specifically marked its location on the map, writing “Inner Courtyard Zen Grove,” with additional annotations beside it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was said the first Academy Head had used great power to transform this place into an exchange point for celestial spiritual energy, gathering the myriad laws near Nishan here for their initial evolution, to aid inner courtyard disciples in comprehending the Dao.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Moreover, this was the only place besides the Heavenly Book Hall where one could directly sense the Heavenly Book.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The enlightenment ground in the outer courtyard was merely a simplified version of this purple bamboo grove.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ji You stepped into the grove and saw disciples seated cross-legged everywhere, their spiritual auras faintly resonating with the heavenly light here.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before he could observe closely, he heard footsteps rustling toward him; he turned and saw a woman of boundless ambition, dressed in a plain white silk robe—it was He Lingxiu, direct disciple of Zizai Hall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Younger brother, congratulations on entering the inner courtyard.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I went to your assigned courtyard to find you, but you weren’t there, so I thought you’d come here—and indeed, you did.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The two stood face to face, yet their gazes did not meet.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because Ji You was captivated by her bosom, and He Lingxiu was staring at his broad chest; the air between them was silent, serene, harmonious.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After the Autumn Duels, He Lingxiu had received a copied painting from Zhuo Wanqiu; now the painting and the person before her merged.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ji You was the first to regain his composure, noticing her gaze fixed on his chest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What a shameless world!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even the outer courtyard wanted to sleep with me—but now the inner courtyard too? If this keeps up, I’ll become a must-play item for every female disciple here.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Uh, Senior Sister, what do you want with me?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He Lingxiu snapped back to reality and spoke in a soft, melodious voice: “Younger brother, are you interested in joining my Zizai Hall?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ji You understood her intent: “But Zizai Hall already has you as its direct disciple.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So you’re aiming for one of the other three halls—to become a Hall Master’s direct disciple?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It was Senior Sister Wen and Senior Brother Ban who advised me to do so.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He Lingxiu studied him for a long while: “Perhaps you don’t know—You Buyu is the nephew of the Jixiang Hall Master, and I am the niece of the Zizai Hall Master.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ji You blinked: “So you mean Hall Masters ultimately choose direct disciples based on family ties, not someone like me—a self-taught peasant?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Younger brother, you’re being overly modest—but the principle is essentially correct.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He Lingxiu spoke: “My uncle, to still his Immortal Heart and leave nothing outside himself, left no descendants—so I became the Hall Master’s direct disciple. But if my junior brother joins my Free Will Hall, I guarantee the Dao arts you can access and the resources you receive will be no less than mine.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ji You held his breath: “Is there money?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Of course.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That’s tempting.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He Lingxiu smiled brightly: “Then I’ll wait eagerly for your answer, junior brother.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ji You turned his head toward the Scripture Peak he had just visited: “I just went to Scripture Peak, but…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Disappointed?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ji You paused: “Not exactly, but it was indeed a pity.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He Lingxiu chuckled softly: “That’s normal. New students in the Inner Court always feel drawn to go there—you’re not the first.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After hearing this, Ji You nodded, thinking: So the Sect Master isn’t just occasionally absent—he’s often away. I’m not the first who didn’t see him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He then bowed to He Lingxiu and took his leave, descending the mountain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the Purple Bamboo Zen Grove, Wang Yue and Fang Linchao arrived: “Sister He, are you trying to invite Ji You to join the Free Will Hall?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He Lingxiu turned to look at them: “How is Brother You?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Sent back to the You family.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Did you come here for Ji You too?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Though Fengzhou is remote, it’s vast. Ji You could become its only family patriarch. Of course, our Auspicious Hall hopes he joins us.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That’s unfortunate—just now, my junior brother told me he’s very interested in my Free Will Hall.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Yue and Fang Linchao exchanged glances: “But Ji You’s expression a moment ago didn’t seem satisfied at all?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He Lingxiu smiled at the remark: “That’s because Junior Brother Ji just went to Scripture Peak—and couldn’t ascend. He’s new to the Inner Court and doesn’t know the Sacred Path of Scripture Peak is reserved only for the Hall Master and his direct disciples.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing this, the two suddenly understood—no wonder.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Sacred Path of Scripture Peak, like the Inner Court’s Lin Hai, conceals profound methods; only the Hall Master and his direct disciples may tread it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When they first entered the Inner Court, they too had wanted to pay respects at Scripture Peak—but even now, they could only gaze from the mountain’s base at that holy hall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",2321,"2026-06-19T15:28:39.995Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","e641d8aecd92a8cae31571b05d3b534d43b8efe780794f3f89bd9c4efaa40c16","watching-the-immortals-fall-chapter-150","watching-the-immortals-fall-chapter-148",430,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fwatching-the-immortals-fall-cover.jpg"]