[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-watching-the-immortals-fall":3,"chapter-watching-the-immortals-fall-watching-the-immortals-fall-chapter-173":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},2260046,4410,"Chapter 173: Killed by Fists","watching-the-immortals-fall-chapter-173",173,"\u003Cp>The far north of Qingyun Tian was always cold, especially after passing a massive mountain range, where the temperature dropped even more sharply.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The members of the envoy had already changed into cotton garments and continued advancing toward the snowlands while remaining hidden, crossing wastelands and swamps until their carts and horses collapsed, then resting in secluded, poorly visible locations.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yesterday’s swamp forest, today’s Yellow Earth Ridge—both were excellent choices.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At their current location, even a cultivator with a powerful spiritual sense, using keen eyesight to pierce the mist, could not discern the outline of the Snowland Demon Court, yet could faintly see countless black peaks towering into the clouds, stretching endlessly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ji You once again slipped into the mist under cover of night, gazing alone toward the northwest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His brilliant eyes blazed with golden light, like Ming lamps.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He now understood one thing: the barbarians’ berserk state stemmed from their bloodline and bodily structure, not any technique, so it could not be intercepted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He felt somewhat ashamed—he had previously wrongly accused those barbarians of being stubborn, refusing to share in the spoils even after being beaten.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now he saw: only the wronged truly know how wronged they are.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He hadn’t achieved his goal of recruiting clients, but he had accomplished another: assessing his physical strength.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The human race, to minimize restrictions on their spiritual sense, did not cultivate the body, so there was no classification of physical resilience.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This made it hard for Ji You, whose body was as hard as iron, to clearly gauge just how resilient his flesh truly was; he had hoped reaching this place would let him test a standard against the barbarians.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But even today, he had not been breached.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So he needed to test further, to avoid overestimating his body’s defense and facing a fatal risk in the future.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Beneath the hazy moonlight, Ji You’s spiritual sense expanded outward continuously, and after a long while, he finally detected a barbarian scout.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Perfect—you’ll earn merit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ji You couldn’t help feeling glad for him, then stepped forward, advancing toward the barbarian, his longsword instantly humming with sword qi.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As expected, the barbarian soldier’s eyes ignited with fervor and excitement the moment he saw Ji You, lunging forward like a monstrous beast.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Clang!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ji You swung his sword, unleashing layers of swordlight like surging waves, striking the iron blade in a flash too swift to react to.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sparks flew, and the blade’s edge reflected a look of disbelief, then shifted into even greater excitement.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thus, beneath Yellow Earth Ridge’s valley, fierce clashes of sword and blade erupted, until a resonant sword intent rang out, sending the barbarian’s iron blade flying from his grip and embedding diagonally into the yellow earth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Having achieved his goal, Ji You tossed his longsword aside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Berserk.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Damn human…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a heavy, gasping growl, Ji You saw the familiar scene from the past few days.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The barbarian soldier, of the Shangbing Realm, suddenly leaned forward, baring his teeth, as his shoulder blades abruptly swelled outward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ji You’s spiritual sense surged outward, sensing the barbarian’s body temperature spike sharply.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then came a rumbling sound from within the barbarian’s body, and moments later, he was fully swollen, instantly growing an entire size larger; his already savage, massive frame now loomed even larger.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These barbarian soldiers’ armor seemed custom-made to fit their berserk forms.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Areas once loose now burst open under the swelling flesh, tightly constraining the surging muscle, yet still unable to conceal the immense power within.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Boom!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With a thunderous crash, the yellow earth beneath the berserk barbarian collapsed, revealing a deep pit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The hirsute figure shot upward like an arrow loosed from a bow, charging forth with thunderous force, a fist the size of a mortar Guoxie ing a howling wind, slamming straight toward the face of the detestable human.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ji You raised his fist in counterattack, this punch brimming with boundless power and fury, its force fierce as if squeezing the surrounding air to its limit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hitting Mountain Fist.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was the basic fist technique Master Wang taught him, the most neglected form in the martial arts cultivation that humans never valued.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, humans who didn’t cultivate the body never imagined fighting hand-to-hand, yet Ji You had swung it thousands upon thousands of times.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because after each micro-illumination, residual savage energy lingered in his limbs and bones, so he used this fist to dissipate it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But now, this ordinary technique, wielded by the bandit’s powerful body, exploded with astonishing power.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Each punch carried a whistling wind, striking with ferocious force, fists crossing like a storm, as if ready to shatter everything before him, making the berserk barbarian’s expression grow even more grotesque, as if sensing unprecedented pressure.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Two heavy downward chops crashed down; the barbarian raised his fists to block the crushing qi, his feet already sinking deep into the yellow earth…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But then, two more fists slammed into his shoulders, the heavy qi directly hurling Ji You flying, causing his eyes to snap shut tightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this moment, the barbarian had four arms raised toward the sky.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The two extra arms had grown from his back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What a beautiful innate talent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Among barbarians, mixed bloodlines and intermarriage produced countless strange talents, and this four-armed barbarian was one Ji You had never seen before.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But fortunately, this was exactly what he had hoped to encounter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ji You clenched his fists, and a scorching aura began radiating from his body, then he stomped forward, crushing a deep pit into the earth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Around him, spiritual light wove and danced like lightning, while his fists drawn to his chest roared like rolling thunder, carrying ten thousand juns of force, smashing toward the four arms raised skyward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bang! Bang! Bang!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Muffled impacts echoed continuously, like a dense war drum reverberating across the yellow earth slope.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fierce fist winds condensed and shattered in constant collision, churning the surrounding air into chaos.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bad news: four fists were indeed superior to two. Good news: he was truly as hard as iron.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ji You absorbed one punch with his broad chest, then without pause, clenched his right fist and smashed the barbarian flying, his feet spewing spiritual energy as he leapt into the air and brought down another downward chop.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Long after, the battle on the yellow earth ceased.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The barbarian’s berserk form faded, his arms retracting into his body, his temperature gradually cooling.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ji You’s current state was even more disheveled than yesterday—his lips slightly swollen, his chest tight, especially his shoulders, where the sudden blow had left a pronounced ache.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Truly… wild punches kill the master.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He recalled his spiritual sword, sheathing it, and began analyzing and judging.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The berserk Shangbing barbarian’s raw strength far exceeded Chu He’s, even after Chu He used the [Huntian Technique]; after all, when he fought Chu He, he had just completed his twelfth micro-illumination, but now he was on his fifteenth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That meant, had he not, through some odd idea, continued body cultivation via micro-illumination, that sudden double-arm punch would have shattered both his shoulders.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Damn, barbarians are brutal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ji You stared at the soldier whose chest was sunken into a deep pit, cursing his brutality.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But next time he encounters a Shangbing barbarian, he won’t need to test with hand-to-hand combat—the Shangbing barbarians truly cannot fully breach his physical defense.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The golden light in his eyes slowly faded, the Ming lamps that had illuminated the barbarian’s path dimmed, then he began searching the barbarian’s body…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Well, as poor as himself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ji You picked up the corpse and headed toward the encampment; after a few quick steps, he frowned slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Disposing of the corpse could conceal their trail for a while, but the problem was—even without a body, a soldier’s sudden disappearance was still a message, and might not go unnoticed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because when the barbarians realized all missing soldiers came from the same region, their location would inevitably be exposed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As he thought, he descended the yellow earth slope and arrived at the encampment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Yan and Yan Qiubai were already at the camp; seeing him approach, they stepped forward to meet him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Did you find any stragglers?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What happened to your lip?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The barbarians are just too brutal.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Were today’s barbarians… strong?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Their physical strength was similar to yesterday’s, but their innate talent was two extra arms growing from their back—they struck straight for my head while I wasn’t paying attention. They’re naturally immensely strong; I barely avoided disaster. Looking back, it was truly dangerous.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Yan and Yan Qiubai looked at him, exchanging a glance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Barbarian innate talents varied wildly; multi-limbed ones were rare.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Since this journey began, only Huo Hong had encountered something similar, and according to him, it was essentially being attacked by two barbarians together.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The two snapped back to reality, told him to rest well, then dragged the barbarian corpse to the pre-dug pit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But they didn’t rush to shove it in; instead, they drew their swords, stripped off the barbarian’s iron armor and clothing, then fell silent, their expressions deeply complex.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These past few days, many had said Ji You returned later and later, his condition growing more disheveled, teetering on the edge of life and death.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Perhaps this time, perhaps next time, he’d be slain here.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But no one had ever wondered how the barbarians he dragged back actually died—they were hastily disposed of.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Some sunk into swamps, others buried on the spot.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only last night, when Yan Qiubai happened to check, did some suspicions arise—but they seemed unbelievable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Maybe an accident, maybe some elixir, maybe a magical artifact.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Until tonight, when they examined Ji You’s latest corpse again, they found it identical to yesterday’s.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not just in appearance, but in death: no sword wounds, only light or heavy fist marks scattered across arms and shoulders, as if beaten to death.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And the most fatal wound: the sunken fist crater in the chest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Disheveled?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Indeed disheveled—he returned with torn clothes and swollen lips, as if barely winning.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But only now did they confirm: that dishevelment was because Ji You hadn’t drawn his sword once, and had fought hand-to-hand with barbarians whose bodies were naturally formidable…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From start to finish, pure fist-to-fist combat, using the weakest human physique in the three races, and literally pounding the barbarian to death.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Barbarians are too brutal.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Physical strength improved.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Almost got caught off guard.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[It was truly dangerous.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yan Qiubai couldn’t help recalling Ji You’s evaluation of the barbarians, and fell silent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They had previously heard Gongshu Chou say he had slain eighteen Tongxuan and one Rongdao, and had thought it unbelievable—but now, the two figures before them seemed to merge.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The two rose dazedly and turned to look in the direction where Ji You sat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that moment, footsteps echoed through the dense forest, and Peng Dongyang, deputy supervisor of the Immortal Mission, along with six Elders from the Immortal Sects, walked over.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Pack up. We’re changing routes and departing tonight.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Peng Dongyang gazed into the night: “Based on the barbarians’ recent behavior, we’ve likely been exposed. We can’t continue along this path.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Yan snapped out of her daze and asked in confusion: “How could we be exposed? Not a single barbarian has escaped these past days.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“We assumed burying the bodies would hide our trail, but you’ve surely noticed: the barbarians we’ve encountered lately only patrol small areas, never sweeping widely. And their activity zones are dangerously close to ours—meaning they’ve already narrowed down our route.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Peng Dongyang sighed: “After much thought, I believe we’ve underestimated the barbarian army’s strict command structure.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“They haven’t found the bodies, but they know their men are missing. They’re likely using the last known locations of the missing to guess where we might pass. It’s imprecise—but we still have time to move.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ge Lao, elder of the Heavenly Book Academy, nodded: “We’ve already decided to abandon several carts to reduce our target and confuse the barbarians.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yan Qiubai spoke up: “But the surrounding area hasn’t been cleared. If we encounter barbarians on the new route, we might be exposed in haste.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“We’re concerned about that too. That’s why you two must go ahead to scout. Avoid the barbarians, and meet us at the low hill ahead in half an hour.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“There’s no other choice.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Yan and Yan Qiubai exchanged glances, then picked up their dao swords and walked toward the edge of the earth slope.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before leaving, they couldn’t help glancing at Ji You, still seated quietly beneath the tree, recovering—and they stared especially at his fists.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Sister Yan, he…?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I don’t know…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The two vanished into the night, while those left behind hurried to prepare.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Meanwhile, Huo Hong, Jiang Chenfeng, Chu Butian, and others who had gone to slaughter barbarians received messages and returned one by one.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They dumped the barbarian corpses they carried onto the ground, frowning slightly as they watched the silent, frantic figures bustling around.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“We’re still over a hundred li from the Snowlands. I thought we’d keep sailing through smoothly—never expected things to tighten up again.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Chenfeng sneered: “If reaching the Snowlands were truly this easy, the barbarians wouldn’t be worth fearing.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that moment, a faint cough from the corner of the earth slope drew everyone’s attention.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They turned toward the sound and saw Ji You, disheveled and seated cross-legged, arms and shoulders slumped, his lips swollen and red.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the barbarian wastes, there were no banquets or music, no beautiful scenery.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Along this journey, aside from counting the number of barbarians they’d killed, most people paid close attention to Ji You’s condition.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, he was the lowest in realm, the most likely to die, and every time he returned, his appearance was different.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing this, Jiang Chenfeng couldn’t help glancing westward, fixing his gaze on the disheveled man in the quiet grove: “Our group is about to suffer its first casualty.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You mean that Tongxuan?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Who else? You and me, Rongdao?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Yuerou turned away: “At first, he returned unscathed. But these past two days, he’s been battered and broken. Now our trail’s at risk of exposure—he simply can’t keep up.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Chenfeng’s expression remained cold: “I can’t fathom what use he is here. I only hope he doesn’t drag us down.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing this, everyone turned to look at Xiao Hanyan and Shi Junhao, fellow inner-disciples of the Heavenly Book Academy, wondering if they’d intervene if Ji You truly fell into danger.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The two noticed the stares and frowned slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Human nature is strange: though they and Ji You were both inner-disciples of the Heavenly Book Academy, they preferred associating with Jiang Chenfeng, Huo Hong, and others—belonging to the “various sects’ prodigies” clique, feeling only such people were true kindred spirits.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So even here, in this foreign land, they felt no closeness to Ji You.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Especially since before arriving, they’d heard how Ji You had acted recklessly in Fengzhou—outright defying rules—so many hoped he’d never return. They had no desire to get entangled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But seeing the others’ glances, they felt if they truly stood by while Ji You was in peril, it would make the Heavenly Book Academy seem heartless—and this thought filled them with irritation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It felt like a burden had been strapped to them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They didn’t want to care—but they couldn’t ignore it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Half an hour passed, and everyone was ready.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ji You had just returned to awareness, still dazed, when Gongshu Chou helped him up from the ground: “We’re leaving. Move!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Where to?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“We’re exposed. We must depart tonight—can’t stay here.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ji You glanced at him, then smirked: “No silver to lure me? I won’t walk into your clumsy trap.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gongshu Chou blinked: “What are you talking about—lure you?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ji You was about to speak, but noticed the surrounding rustling sounds. He turned and saw many carts already rolling toward the edge of the yellow earth slope.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He’d previously worried that when barbarian soldiers began disappearing, even without bodies, their absence might raise suspicion—now it had come true.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Still, he didn’t understand why Gongshu Chou had come over specifically to tell him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Did I really punch your head?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No, your chest.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So your head’s on your chest now?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gongshu Chou thought: What nonsense—head on the chest? That’d make him a turtle. But he still hauled Ji You up, thinking: I absolutely won’t let you die here—otherwise my credibility’s gone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The convoy then rolled out of the Yellow Earth Ridge, moving through the night along the new route, magical devices humming, steeds galloping like wind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Under the elders’ direction, three detachments each abandoned over ten carts in different directions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The barbarians’ bodies were naturally strong, but their flaw was their inability to project spiritual sense like humans—they relied solely on sight. Reducing our target was thus a wise choice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Horses galloped without pause, vanishing into the night, the howling wind filling their ears.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Beneath the night, flickering firelight had begun approaching the yellow earth slope.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(Tendonitis flared up—fewer words today. Please support with monthly votes.)\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",2835,"2026-06-19T15:28:39.995Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","6c7245a5462f152a35e47a3d6e7edcca840e208d07c62eb3b397fef4a7e33544","watching-the-immortals-fall-chapter-174","watching-the-immortals-fall-chapter-172",430,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fwatching-the-immortals-fall-cover.jpg"]