[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-watching-the-immortals-fall":3,"chapter-watching-the-immortals-fall-watching-the-immortals-fall-chapter-19":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},2259892,4410,"Chapter 19: The Heavenly Book Came to Me First","watching-the-immortals-fall-chapter-19",19,"\u003Cp>In cultivation, one loses track of autumn’s depth; leaves fall across the mountains, swift as a white steed passing a crevice, gone in an instant.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The nine-day, six-night imperial examination ended, but drew little attention.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, scion families seek the Immortal Dao; only humble-born youths take the examination, and even if they rise to officialdom, they merely become servants to immortals.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ji You did not disturb Kuangcheng, for the fellow had endured so long and needed a deep sleep.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In Ji You’s words, the nine-day, six-night exam was more cultivation than cultivation itself—those who passed weren’t necessarily the most talented, but surely the strongest in body.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As for him, he followed his routine daily: first martial training, then Dao contemplation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After mastering the sword art, he learned spear techniques, blade methods, and fist forms.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>During this time, many had abandoned sensing the Heavenly Book, focusing entirely on Chu He and Lu Qingqiu.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though they still hadn’t sensed the Heavenly Book, Chu He had now gathered a second mysterious light, and Lu Qingqiu was also faintly showing signs of a second one.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only Ji You had nothing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These days, everyone knew his endurance grew longer each day, yet so did his suffering.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His effort was admirable, but his complete lack of progress had caused many in the academy to lose interest in him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As a self-taught cultivator, his fading into obscurity was only natural.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I won’t sleep tonight.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hss…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Another expert?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chu He suddenly opened his eyes in the contemplation grounds and ordered his page to bring more spirit herbs before him: “I just saw a streak of light.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing this, everyone froze, then erupted in shock—even Ban Yangshu, who had come to check on him, couldn’t help but widen his eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For all present knew: the sign before sensing the Heavenly Book was seeing a streak of light.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chu He had declared his abandonment days ago, yet now fate had turned full circle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And if he truly sensed the Heavenly Book, his cultivation speed would far surpass Lu Qingqiu—this year’s inner academy slot would surely be his alone!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It’s said the Chu family possesses extraordinary cultivation talent: Chu Xian reached fullness at fourteen, entered the Upper Five Realms at fifteen, and was immediately taken as a direct disciple by the Grand Master of Xuan Yuan—proof enough.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now, though Chu He lags behind his elder brother by several years, his prowess remains terrifying.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If you saw the streak of light, did you pursue it?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing it was Ban Yangshu asking, Chu He shook his head: “I was utterly drained at the time—no strength left.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ban Yangshu patted his shoulder: “Don’t be too hard on yourself. You saw it in nine days—that’s already extraordinary talent.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“How many days did you take, Senior Brother?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Over five months.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chu He blinked in surprise: “How could that be?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ban Yangshu smiled faintly and shook his head: “I mean the true awakening to the Heavenly Book took me five months. But given you saw the light in two days, two months will suffice. The Chu family’s talent is truly terrifying.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing this, Chu He felt deeply satisfied and immediately took a pill, continuing through the night.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He believed no one in the outer academy could surpass him—even Ban Yangshu, who had patiently guided him, held no weight in his eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ban Yangshu had entered the inner academy six years ago, yet remained only at the peak of the Spirit-Linking Realm, never even reaching the second stage of the Upper Five Realms, the Fusion Path.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The world says entering the Upper Five Realms proves exceptional talent—but that’s the world’s view.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And he? His surname is Chu!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Since the Chu family rose, every generation has entered the Upper Five Realms—and faster than the last!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His brother is already a direct disciple of the Xuan Yuan Immortal Mansion; the position he saw for himself was naturally that of a direct disciple of the Heavenly Book Academy!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Qingqiu grew subtly anxious and increased his spirit stone intake.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But one person was even more anxious than Lu Qingqiu: Cao Jingsong.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the hour of Autumn Dew approached, a rainstorm swept in, striking the academy’s protective spiritual barrier and rippling across it—but not a drop touched the ground.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ji You had just returned from martial training when Instructor Cao caught him: “Ji You, Ji You, you wastrel—what exactly are you doing?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What’s wrong, Instructor Cao?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What time is it? You still spend four hours daily on martial arts, then go to contemplation—I see your effort, but I’ve told you before: martial arts are trivial!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ji You sized him up: “When I cried of hunger a few days ago, you ignored me—why are you suddenly so concerned today?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cao Jingsong choked, stammering for a long while: “It’s my duty as a teacher!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I don’t believe you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Fine, I admit it—I bet a hundred spirit stones with Instructor Ding and Instructor Ma that my student would be the first to enter the inner academy. But now Chu He has two mysterious lights—how can you still be so careless?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ji You’s brows tightened—he hadn’t known Old Cao was a gambler: “Where did you get the courage for this?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cao Jingsong straightened his back, gazing at the boundless night sky: “Naturally, from a prodigy who ascends two realms in one day, completes fullness in one night, descends like Mount Menghuxia, swallowing the world, peerless under heaven!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ji You, hearing this, grew solemn and mirrored his gaze toward the night sky: “Split the spirit stones with me, half.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Are you a bandit?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“A fierce one.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cao Jingsong was about to haggle, but before he could speak, he froze, then widened his eyes after a moment’s thought: “You want me to split the stakes with you—have you already seen that faint light in the gloom?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ji You sat on the courtyard’s stone bench, silent for a moment, then spoke: “Something like that…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing “something like that,” Instructor Cao felt joy—but then his brow furrowed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For some reason, he saw fear and hesitation in Ji You’s expression.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Remember that day in Yuyang County, when Ji You dared to complete fullness the moment he broke through—fearless, reckless—he never imagined seeing fear on Ji You’s face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet he trusted Ji You: though a rogue, he never lied. Just as he’d claimed he’d complete fullness in one night—and he did.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everyone in the academy called Ji You a filler, and Chu He even forbade anyone to compare him to Ji You—as if insulted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But only Instructor Cao blindly believed in him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His talent was beyond Chu He’s reach.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At dusk, urged by Instructor Cao, Ji You arrived earlier than usual at the contemplation grounds.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Those who hadn’t cared before looked up at the sky and blinked in surprise.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“He came early today?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Probably heard Chu He saw the light and finally got nervous.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Nervous won’t help—Chu He’s already far ahead of him.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whispers spread as people speculated why Ji You, whose contemplation hours were unshakable, had advanced by two quarters.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But most didn’t even lift their eyelids—their hopes now rested entirely on the Chu family’s second son.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that moment, Ji You walked into the grounds, sat cross-legged on the ground, smoothed his robes, closed his eyes, and sent his spiritual sense soaring upward—his brow furrowed, then relaxed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He saw it…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But it wasn’t the faint light Instructor Cao described.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now, Ji You’s spiritual sense reached the heavens and saw countless brilliant meteors streaking through the dark void—hundreds linked to hundreds, stretching endlessly across the sky, unceasing, shimmering trails.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Instructor Cao had asked if he saw a faint light—he’d said “something like that.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Indeed, something like that—just a few hundred short.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In truth, he’d seen this sight on the sixth day.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But in that instant, he’d hesitated—dared not pursue the light.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Instructor Cao had sensed his fear and hesitation—and that fear, that hesitation, stemmed from this—or rather, from a question he’d never been able to answer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That question had halted his desire to chase the light, leaving his spine cold.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ji You suddenly withdrew his spiritual sense, opened his eyes, and stared unaided at the crimson scar across the heavens.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Have you heard of Tian Sang?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I always thought it meant heaven died.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But if heaven died, then what exactly is this Heavenly Book?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>BOOM—!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Ji You silently finished his final thought, a powerful surge of energy erupted from his body before all eyes, knocking over those nearby.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Simultaneously, the sky above the contemplation grounds blazed with spiritual light, shifting endlessly like churning seas, then plunging straight into his crown.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A wondrous spectrum descended, enveloping his entire body, surging and gleaming.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This time, the Heavenly Book did not wait for him to sense it—it came to sense him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",1463,"2026-06-19T15:28:39.995Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","a5b7a8f1f0570781773d2a5ae352e0237030aad66ee39592ed46e7dbd9f0eba6","watching-the-immortals-fall-chapter-20","watching-the-immortals-fall-chapter-18",430,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fwatching-the-immortals-fall-cover.jpg"]