[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-watching-the-immortals-fall":3,"chapter-watching-the-immortals-fall-watching-the-immortals-fall-chapter-174":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},2260047,4410,"Chapter 174: Ji You","watching-the-immortals-fall-chapter-174",174,"\u003Cp>The barbarians are a race composed of mixed alien tribes, with little shared culture or spiritual foundation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To outsiders who have never seen human tribes, even humans themselves are rife with factions and clear divisions; how could such a mixed race as the barbarians possibly unite and grow strong? It’s pure fantasy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet in reality, the barbarian high command used only one goal—【Reclaim the Nine Provinces, See the Blue Sky Again】—to rapidly accelerate the fusion and unification of their people.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A single realm’s separation is no more than a hundred li.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Southward lies boundless fertile land; beneath their own feet, not a blade of grass grows, and poison thrives.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The barbarian tribes of the Ten Thousand Mountains truly long to return and see the blue sky again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thus, counterattacks never ceased; Han Tie Pass suffered repeated raids, and the stalemate lasted a thousand years.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Many fail to understand why the barbarians keep fighting despite their inability to break through—but in truth, they use constant warfare to bind their people into an unbreakable iron block, impervious to needle or water.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thus, from top to bottom, the barbarians steadily coalesced under the constraints of their military system.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This development, steeped in blood and tears, war and fire, stands in stark contrast to the human path.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To humans, accurate top-down communication is as difficult as ascending to immortality.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Like annual tax collection, the amount finally reaching the Xia Empire’s treasury is always far less than what each province and commandery reports, due to layers of embezzlement.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thus, initially, the Imperial Spirit Supervision had not anticipated such efficient communication among the barbarians.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The disappearance of even a single soldier would trigger high-level alerts; humans could not comprehend this, yet the barbarians achieved it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This is no longer the timid, war-fearing race of ancient times, fleeing only to save its own skin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Clearly, extreme poverty can indeed transform a person’s life—whether in character or conduct.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the bumpy carriage, Ji You lifted the curtain, gazing constantly into the night as the carriage raced forward, and suddenly found a shared trait between himself and the barbarians.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He too had eaten wild vegetables for three years in Yuyang County, witnessed countless corpses littering the land and living graves covering the mountains, and within his heart had grown an impulse to kill everything flat, feeling death no longer mattered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Saving Qiu Ru was like this; going to Qiling was like this; drawing his sword to strike toward Fengzhou Prefecture was like this.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ji You narrowed his eyes, sensing countless energies drawing near, followed by the relentless thunder of hooves approaching from afar.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Soon, countless barbarian horsemen appeared on the left, right, and rear of the convoy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the howling cold wind, coarse hairs fluttered wildly, and their emerald-green eyes blazed with murderous intent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Draw bow, nock arrow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zzzz!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A piercing shriek tore through the silent night, like a stone cast into a still lake—suddenly, the tranquil darkness boiled over.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A sky-covering rain of arrows surged from all directions, like a black tide; each arrow, loosed from the string, carried an unstoppable momentum, their sharp tips glinting with chilling cold in the night.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Barbarians are born with divine strength, and their bows are specially crafted to match their power.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In an instant, the carriage’s artifacts roared with violent spiritual energy, rising abruptly to meet the incoming arrows.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Clang! Clang! The violent impacts rang out continuously.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Amidst blinding spiritual light, arrows were deflected—but the heavy impact still shook the carriage violently, rocking left and right like a solitary boat in a storm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dozens of envoys wore grim expressions, gripping the carriage walls, trembling with unease.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Indeed, the Deputy Director of the Imperial Spirit Supervision had been right—they had been exposed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In just half a night, the barbarians had begun tracing the convoy’s location based on missing soldiers; the cavalry patrols on all four sides, sensing vague directions, converged unconsciously upon this spot—and met!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The moment arrows were deflected, a new whistling sound pierced the air.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that moment, Jiang Yan and Yan Qiu Bai, who had gone ahead to scout, returned gracefully, landing atop the lead carriage amid a blaze of spiritual energy, their gauzy skirts swaying in the wind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Only nearby cavalry patrols are chasing us—they’ve been circling the area for some time. When we departed, they were already converging here. It seems the leak came from the missing soldiers; our earlier judgment was correct.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“We surveyed the route ahead. The strongest among them should be no higher than Upper Soldier Realm—about twenty or so. The rest are Middle and Lower Soldier Realm.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The southwest has the most, while the direct west is near the barbarian main camp—extremely high risk.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tracing the envoy group’s position based on missing soldiers, as previously noted, is inaccurate and too slow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thus, before their exact location is exposed, the barbarians’ stronger forces cannot arrive in time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The forces we’ve encountered so far are all Soldier Realm; thus, we still have a chance—if we can shake off these pursuers, we might regain concealment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Peng Dongyang exchanged glances with several Elders, then said: “Head east first, try to shake off the pursuers, then loop northwest and continue toward the snowlands.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The other Elders now released their spiritual senses, gazing back at the speeding carriage: “To shake them off, we must eliminate the pursuers first—don’t let them gather, or we’ll be surrounded.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Reasonable.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Then—kill them all.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Boom!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A thunderous crash, accompanied by shattering sounds, erupted like a lightning strike.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From the carriages on both flanks, several figures shot out, spiritual energy surging like tidal waves toward them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gong Shu Chou rose first, his Dao sword blazing with light; atop a horse, a barbarian clad in heavy iron armor leapt into the air, his long spear like a dragon surging from the sea, lashing forward with a howling wind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Shu!” The spear and sword clashed violently; a furious shockwave roared outward like a tidal surge.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the same time, Jiang Chenfeng, Huo Hong, Chu Butian, Tu Xu, Jiang Yuerou, Xiao Hanyan, Shi Junhao, and others shimmered with spiritual light, like celestial immortals descending, turning to face the charging, ferocious barbarian horsemen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Under the cover of night, iron clashed, sparking brilliant flashes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gong Shu Chou swung his sword fiercely, using a sharp blade surge to deflect the spear upward—his sword qi, raised in an instant, was poised to crash down.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But at that critical moment, a dull hum suddenly sounded from his right, causing his pupils to contract—he instantly retracted his sword and leapt back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dozens of arrows, thick with spiritual force, surged forward, hidden by the night.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Middle Soldier Realm barbarians behind the Upper Soldier Realm each held bows, channeling their innate strength into the arrows—their spiritual pressure was terrifying.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Humans cultivate the Dao, their techniques refined, their aura ethereal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But when strength reaches its extreme, it can still shatter magic.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Among them even lurked a barbarian with a pair of extra arms growing from his back—two hands gripping a black bow, the other two pulling the string taut as a full moon, so vicious one wanted to curse!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>More crucially, years of war have forged flawless coordination among these barbarians—their combined combat ability is terrifying.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gong Shu Chou’s sword waves rose in succession, using overwhelming force to shatter the incoming arrows—but before he could catch his breath, the iron spear surged forward again, like a ghost, stabbing straight at him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But at that instant, an arrow thick with spiritual energy shot from three inches above Ji You’s left shoulder, unstoppable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Boom! The barbarian gripping the spear was jolted, his grip numbed, teeth bared in pain, his thrusting rhythm shattered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ji You now stood atop the carriage roof, gripping a powerful bow, drawing the string taut as a full moon, the bulging muscles in his arm radiating power capable of tearing through all things.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The next moment, another arrow shot from his hand, piercing straight through the barbarian’s warhorse’s skull.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not even a cry— the galloping horse crashed to the ground, swallowed by the retreating night.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His storage gourd had always held one bow—the most expensive one from Qionghua Pavilion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This bow was given to him by Yan Shuyi when he left for Qiling, for self-defense.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He once used it to slay many demonic breeds, but since then, he’d never faced a large-scale battle, so he never drew it again—until now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He didn’t know why Gong Shu Chou had always shown him kindness, but using a Lingjian Mountain bow to aid Lingjian Mountain’s people was perfectly reasonable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this moment, Ji You drew another arrow, his eyes blazing with golden light, yet within them lingered a trace of reluctance and sorrow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The arrow shot while riding—there’d be no retrieving it…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No wonder you nearly killed me!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Good shot!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gong Shu Chou roared in excitement, then charged forward, cleaving the spear-wielding barbarian into the air, then crashing down upon him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His shout instantly drew the attention of other Rongdao Realm fighters.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Like Gong Shu Chou, they too faced the same problem: even though the opposing Upper Soldier Realm barbarians were only at Tongxuan Upper Realm, their hardened bodies were extremely difficult to breach in short order.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thus, every exchange brought a storm of terrifyingly powerful arrows slicing through the wind, forcing them to lose focus.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Gong Shu Chou’s cry of “Good shot!” echoed, others glanced sideways—and saw Ji You, bow drawn atop the carriage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Swoosh!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The arrow flew, the bowstring trembling violently.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The opposing warhorse collapsed instantly; the Middle Soldier Realm barbarian, still drawing his bow, was thrown to the ground and vanished into the retreating night.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thanks to Ji You’s arrows, even this barbarian with his hardened body was now drenched in blood, his spear never raised again before being cleaved away by a single sword strike.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this moment, Ji You nocked another arrow and fired again, piercing the warhorse beneath another pursuer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The fallen barbarian, covered in dust, roared to the sky, glaring at the fleeing carriage and his charging comrades, fangs bared in a snarl.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He gripped the arrow embedded in his horse’s head and yanked hard, planning to chase after them and impale the humans with it—but his face turned pale.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The arrow hadn’t just pierced his horse—it had pinned the horse’s skull to the ground.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Meanwhile, Jiang Chenfeng, Huo Hong, Jiang Yuerou, Xiao Hanyan, Shi Junhao, and others watched his relentless arrows aid Gong Shu Chou in repelling the barbarians, their expressions varied.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I thought after our exposure, this Tongxuan Realm would be useless—but he still has a bow…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Good bow…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Looks like he prepared thoroughly before coming—sword, bow, all sorts of tools. He’s somewhat compensated for his low realm—if he avoids close combat, he might survive the journey.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Amidst clashing iron, Shi Junhao repelled an Upper Soldier barbarian—then dozens of powerful arrows slammed toward his face; he had no choice but to abandon his chance to break the barbarian’s flesh and levitated to dodge.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As he dodged, he stared at Ji You, bow drawn taut as a full moon, and felt a surge of irritation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In their eyes, as fellow disciples of Tian Shu Academy, Ji You with his powerful bow should have supported them—not aided Lingjian Mountain’s disciples.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xiao Hanyan felt the same; she shouted Ji You’s name several times, but he gave no response—her brow darkened with anger.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Amidst the chaos, Ji You’s face remained calm, his mind empty of distraction; the spiritual energy gathered in his hand trembled on the bowstring, his drawing rhythm growing faster, the twang of the bow unceasing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was only one man—no matter how fast, if he scattered his efforts, it would be useless.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now, his first priority was to shake off these pursuing barbarians, depriving them of direction, preventing the main force from converging here.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So he did not aim to kill the barbarians—he prioritized killing the easier targets: the warhorses.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The barbarians could block arrows—but killing horses was far more efficient.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ji You frowned, drew his bow again, and fired an arrow that tore through the wind before him and pierced straight through.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But at that moment, beneath the silent night, two grotesque figures suddenly leapt into the air, lunging at him from either side.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They had changed direction on the fly, but the barbarian pursuers were not all coming from behind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Some barbarian cavalry had been searching the flanks all along; they spotted a figure atop the carriage continuously drawing his bow, arrows striking down men and horses, and surged with murderous intent, leaping from their mounts into the air.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the first to see this was not Ji You.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was bent over his bow, firing arrow after arrow, killing horses while supporting Gongshu Chou’s relentless sword swings.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So the first to see it were Jiang Chenfeng, Jiang Yuerou, Huo Hong, and the Tian Shu Academy’s Xiao Hanyan and Shi Junhao.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As long as he wasn’t closed in, a Tongxuan cultivator might survive the journey—that was everyone’s judgment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, every time Ji You returned from killing enemies, he always looked exhausted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This proved he could defeat a Shangbing cultivator, but barely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet now, two Shangbing cultivators were leaping toward him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Jiang Chenfeng and the others made no move to help; they continued smashing through the barbarian soldiers before them—even Xiao Hanyan and Shi Junhao from the Tian Shu Academy did the same.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Breaking free from the barbarian pursuit is the priority.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I don’t understand why a Tongxuan cultivator would get involved in this.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“We’ve seen his forced endurance. The journey ahead will only grow more dangerous. We can’t keep rescuing him every time. Such a burden is better off gone.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Standing atop the carriage is simply too conspicuous…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The night was deep, and the chaotic thoughts around him swirled like thick ink.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The prodigies glanced sideways, as if they already saw blood spraying into the air as he fell.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But unexpectedly, as the two barbarians reached the air above him, a sharp, piercing sword qi surged skyward, instantly tearing through the endless night and crashing down upon the two barbarians who had seized the moment to strike—powerful sword qi howled through the heavens.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Dao Sword: Xiao Chong Shan]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With a dull thud, the two barbarians wielding knives were crushed downward, their hovering forms sinking three inches, their iron blades trembling.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In an instant, the stunned crowd saw the figure who had stood firm atop the carriage suddenly erupt with sword intent, rising into the air in a flash, his Dao sword striking like stacked waves of fury.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The weight of his aura made the nearby carriage groan under strain, creaking as if it would shatter at any moment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Clang!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The two barbarian soldiers strained to hold their blades, their eyes flashing with shock.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After exchanging a glance, they abruptly pulled back their knives and dove left and right—the unimpeded sword qi carved a wide, deep trench into the ground, spraying dirt.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Meanwhile, the two barbarians had already stamped deep pits into the wasteland, using the recoil to leap once more toward the carriage roof.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ji You seized this moment to draw his bow again; with a surge of arm strength, the string snapped taut with a creaking sound, then his fingers released—arrow flying.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The arrow, wrapped in overwhelming force, shot like a black lightning bolt and slammed into one barbarian’s iron blade.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>More precisely, he had aimed for the man’s heart.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The barbarians’ hearts were their weakest point; their arms and skulls were hardest—verified by direct blows.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though he aimed for the heart, he couldn’t stop the man from raising his blade, so the arrow struck the blade itself, sparks flying.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What startled the barbarian was the crushing force of the arrow—it halted his leap and hurled him backward violently.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that moment, spiritual energy surged beneath Ji You’s feet as he floated backward, creating distance from the remaining barbarian. Seven iron swords hovered in the air and slashed down fiercely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A shattering sound rang out—the iron blade snapped, and the Shangbing barbarian was struck directly in the chest, flying sideways with blood gushing from nose and mouth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was [Willow’s New Hue], the sharpest of the four swords of the Lingjian Mountain Sword Sect’s chief.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then Ji You plucked a spiritual sword and placed it on his bowstring, tautened the string, infused the furious sword qi into the arrow, and released it toward the barbarian he had just shot away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From the two swords surging upward to the two barbarians drenched in blood midair, everything happened too suddenly, beyond comprehension.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this moment, Jiang Chenfeng was stunned; Jiang Yuerou’s eyes flickered with disbelief; countless shocked gazes converged upon him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No one expected two Shangbing barbarians to be defeated so cleanly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Wasn’t he barely scraping by against one Shangbing cultivator? Now two—how could he…?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Because using a sword is always stronger than bare hands.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Yan and Yan Qiubai whispered in the night, their voices lost in the howling wind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>An inch longer, an inch stronger—especially since human physiques were far weaker than barbarians’, the importance of weapons was self-evident.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But no one understood why such an unexpected answer had surfaced; before they could ponder, they heard another whisper in the wind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“One day, we examined the corpses you brought back… The one killed by Ji You was strange—he had no sword wounds. His chest was completely caved in, with only a perfect fist imprint inside…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The finger bone impressions in that dent were unusually clear—it must have crushed his heart, causing blood to backflow and overflow from his eyes, ears, nose, and mouth.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So his earlier exhaustion wasn’t because he was barely winning—he never drew his sword. He killed them with his fists. Now, he’s drawing his sword.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The whispered words faded into the wind; Jiang Chenfeng and the others’ expressions shifted slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just flesh.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What had seemed like a narrow victory before was merely flesh.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now, he was drawing his sword.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Yan and Yan Qiubai still stared at that figure, stunned despite having prepared themselves.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There are many reasons why flesh can be strong…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Certain elixirs, certain artifacts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Without witnessing the scene firsthand, merely seeing the fist imprints on corpses, no one could make a firm judgment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After first noticing the corpses Ji You brought back, Jiang Yan and Yan Qiubai had discussed it at length, analyzing why Ji You kept fighting barbarians barehanded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The most plausible explanation was unknown: perhaps Ji You’s sword was weaker than his fists, and during battle, his longsword had accidentally been knocked away, forcing him into hand-to-hand combat…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This theory had flaws—how could he keep losing his sword? But overall, it was still the most reasonable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only when they saw the sword qi rising to the heavens did they realize Ji You’s sword was stronger—even stronger than his flesh.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cultivators had extraordinary senses; Ji You heard the wind’s whisper and turned his head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These people didn’t need to rummage through coin pouches like him—he truly hadn’t expected anyone would inspect the corpses of barbarians he’d killed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As he pondered, two more figures surged through the air toward him; Ji You turned and summoned another sword—sword qi shot skyward, illuminating all ten directions before crashing down.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That’s Elder Qi’s sword from Lingjian Mountain. Master Gongshu said that when I was in seclusion, Ji You broke into the Sword Forest of Tianjian Peak and learned the sword technique.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But I didn’t know it would be this strong…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Elder Qi is the type who sits deep in the mountains and never leaves. Like us who seclude ourselves for years—he’s rarely been seen unleashing his full power since his youth. And the sword qi in the Sword Forest was weakened… yet it’s truly powerful.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Under the night, Yan Qiubai murmured softly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ahead, atop the carriage, Ge Changlao of the Tian Shu Academy also raised his head, staring at that figure for a long time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though he wasn’t one to meddle in affairs, he’d heard many rumors about Ji You.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He knew the academy had countless disciples and many elders, yet few liked him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before departure, both the Changsheng Palace and Buchen Palace had sent gifts, urging him to watch over Shi Junhao and Xiao Hanyan’s safety.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only Ji You had never been cared for.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In fact, Ge Changlao had received covert messages from several major clans tied to him, secretly hoping he’d die overseas.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Killing, beheading, ignoring rules.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The incident in Fengzhou—he went too far.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But setting that aside, such a person, wherever placed in any immortal sect, would be a remarkable disciple—if born into a millennia-old clan, powerful figures would have already bet on his future.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Excellent sword!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Truly worthy of you!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ji You stood firm atop the carriage’s front, countless voices echoing: “Truly worthy of you!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One must admit, Gongshu Chou had a talent for delivering emotional value…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had repelled the barbarians attacking the carriage roof, now drew his bow again—but before he could fully pull the string, a sharp sense of danger surged; his spiritual sense instantly expanded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The terrifying part: he couldn’t sense what it was.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In that instant, a sharp “puff” rang out—Tu Xu, who had just slain the Shangbing barbarian, suddenly froze as a lightning-fast arrow pierced his left shoulder, hurling him sideways.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The first to react was the Wenda Clan Elder; he leapt up in horror, plunged into the night, seized the wounded Tu Xu in the howling wind, and turned toward the southeast.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the distance, eight figures advanced on foot—each a massive, burly warrior, their aura blazing and flickering.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The one in the center drew his bow again, expressionless, pulled the string fully, raised his hand, and fired straight at the figure atop the carriage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was an arrow too fast for a Rongdao cultivator’s spiritual sense to catch—only the six elders could see it: a merciless killing intent hurtling toward Ji You with unstoppable force.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Silent. Blindingly fast.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ge Changlao’s eyes widened in shock, yet made no move to save him—instead, he unleashed his full aura, preparing to meet the enemy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As he had said earlier, Ji You’s greatest difference from other prodigies wasn’t his lower realm—he had no protection at all on this journey.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But in that instant, a violent wind erupted atop the carriage, and a far stronger sword qi surged skyward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In a flash, sword intent trembled—Lingjian Mountain Elder Yan Chuan appeared atop the carriage, snatching the arrow from midair with bare hands, faster than lightning.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yan Chuan was tall, his hair silver but his spirit radiant, posture straight, not a hint of stoop.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet strangely, as he stood beside Ji You holding the arrow, he seemed slightly bowed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Around them, all fell silent in shock.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(Requesting monthly votes)\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",3787,"2026-06-19T15:28:39.995Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","a7ac2cd3a1185e1991d50867c4364a300d5b1685422efd0577ba038eb90fb1d8","watching-the-immortals-fall-chapter-175","watching-the-immortals-fall-chapter-173",430,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fwatching-the-immortals-fall-cover.jpg"]