[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-watching-the-immortals-fall":3,"chapter-watching-the-immortals-fall-watching-the-immortals-fall-chapter-208":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},2260081,4410,"Chapter 208: Fitness","watching-the-immortals-fall-chapter-208",208,"\u003Cp>“Did Lu Hanyan defeat Fang Jincheng in the Sword Grove?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Mm.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This… how is that possible? At the banquet, Tian Shu Academy disciples were all saying Fang family had deep roots in the academy, and Fang Jincheng’s cultivation base was exceptionally solid—he was guaranteed entry into the Inner Court!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I didn’t believe it at first either, but later I learned that the Lu family’s second young lady’s sword art is entirely shaped like Ji You’s.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Brother, I hope what you mean is truly sword art—and not something else.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Princess Zhao Yunyue of Changle sat atop a teahouse, sipping tea with a few close female friends, discussing their upcoming summer retreat to a countryside villa; several princesses left behind by former emperors’ consorts were also at the table.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Women gathered together mostly spoke of poetry, songs, marriage prospects, and handsome suitors; Zhao Yunyue found little interest in such topics.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that moment, she gazed beyond the pavilion and suddenly spotted a group of Tian Shu Academy disciples descending the mountain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They came down the central avenue, some faces familiar, but most unfamiliar—lesser-known disciples—who walked together into the restaurant across the street, Shi Wei Xian.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing this, Zhao Yunyue frowned slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Chong Prince hosted a banquet yesterday, inviting many Tian Shu Academy disciples, including the Lu sisters, Fang Jincheng, and Fang Zhiheng.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One purpose was to build useful connections before the Autumn Duel; the other was the Yunzhou spirit stone matter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Yunzhou spirit stone guild had shares owned by the Chong Prince, but since the snowland demon stone transport route shifted to Fengzhou, Yunzhou stone prices had dropped again—the Chong Prince intended to use the Lu sisters to probe the guild’s next moves.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In their view, Yunzhou, built on spirit stones, couldn’t possibly watch passively as Fengzhou’s transport route proceeded so smoothly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet when the feast was ready, music and dance prepared, Princess Zhao Yunyue and the Chong Prince waited two full hours—only to find neither the Lu sisters nor Fang Jincheng had arrived.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Later, the Tian Shu disciples present told them: Lu Hanyan and Fang Jincheng had fought in the outer court’s Sword Grove.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fang Jincheng, who had delayed his entry by a year to avoid Chu He’s shadow, and who after entry had been assigned countless disciples to guard his path by Inner Court Elders, was utterly defeated, nearly having his throat slit by Lu Hanyan’s sword.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Soon after, Elder Fang of Tian Shu hurriedly sent disciples to extract them from the Sword Grove.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As for Fang Zhiheng, who had claimed upon arriving in the capital to be a sword prodigy, he reportedly left Shengjing that very morning.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Since then, whispers throughout the outer court had become unanimous: Lu Hanyan would enter the Inner Court.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When Zhao Yunyue first heard this news, she couldn’t believe it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She had met all three of this year’s outer court’s perfected lower-tier cultivators: Fang Jincheng, Lu Hanyan, and Puyang Xing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Hanyan was ranked last—she couldn’t match Fang Jincheng, whose foundation was the most solid, nor even Puyang Xing; how could such an unbelievable rumor spread?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhao Yunyue later inquired and learned that Ji You himself had descended from the Inner Court, teaching Lu Hanyan sword art morning and night.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This revelation left her silent for a long time; only today did she feel like going out for tea.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But what exactly troubled her, she couldn’t articulate—she simply despised this whole affair.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Princess Zhao Yunyue’s mood turned suddenly sour; she bid farewell to the princesses and returned to the Chong Prince’s mansion in her carriage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though the Chong Prince was a representative of the Immortal Faction and secretly meddled in spirit stones, spirit seedlings, taxes, and elixirs, he always presented himself as a leisurely prince, spending his days admiring flowers and composing poetry in his mansion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing his daughter return from outside, the Chong Prince’s right hand, poised to scatter fish food, froze mid-air.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That day, he received a confidential report from Fengzhou’s Ministry of Agriculture, revealing the projected harvest yield for this year—a staggering number that left him silent for a long while.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And all of it revolved around the name Ji You.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the second year of Taiwu, during the Tian Shu Academy’s entrance ceremony, there were three perfected lower-tier cultivators: two from immortal sect aristocratic families, and one a rural self-cultivator granted special admission.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The one he had rejected had steadily risen to this point—and now could even influence the selection of next year’s Inner Court disciples.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Chong Prince had made many investments in his life: some profitable, some losses.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The only one he could not accept as a loss was that banquet years ago—a mere drop in the ocean, even less than what he spent feeding his fish—yet he had failed to invite Ji You.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Beyond the Chong Prince and Princess Zhao Yunyue, Tian Shu Academy outer court disciples also buzzed with gossip over the duel in the bamboo grove, ensuring this year’s outer court Autumn Duel finally garnered sufficient attention.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, unexpected events are the easiest to spark discussion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet in truth, though everyone spoke of Lu Hanyan and Fang Jincheng, most of the talk was actually about Ji You.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Inner Court disciples discussed him too—but their conversation differed slightly from the outer court’s.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They had all heard of the battle, since it concerned the Autumn Duel’s entry.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And in that turmoil, Lu Hanyan had not learned the Sword Mountain’s sword art from Ji You—she had learned only his own sword art; to the Inner Court disciples, this was the most thought-provoking aspect…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After the bright spring, the seasons hastened; one night’s warm wind brought summer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Soon, shadows stretched silently; the sky shed spring’s pastel hues, leaving only a clear, deep blue, with occasional drifting clouds breaking through stagnant clouds, casting dappled, dancing patches of light across the ground.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Meanwhile, Fengzhou’s first transport route had been fully repaired; Danxia County, as the first stop, became the largest transit hub for snowland demon stones.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Large quantities of high-quality spirit stones were then sent into the Central Plains, causing Yunzhou and Zhongzhou stone prices to drop again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And Fengzhou this year had wind when needed, rain when desired.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everywhere one looked, lush new green flourished.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On another front, the barbarians had long been accustomed to attacking the northern border at this time—but this year, they had not arrived.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Xia court buzzed with speculation: some remained wary, others believed the barbarians, after a thousand years of failed assaults, had lost their will.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This view wasn’t baseless: according to human political logic, the barbarians’ alliance with the demon race last year likely stemmed from internal demoralization after prolonged failure, prompting them to seek external aid.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the demon race had refused the barbarians’ overture, leaving their last shred of will utterly gone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To humans, this seemed beneficial.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet a group centered on the Office of Immortal Surveillance, holding vigilance, believed the barbarians’ thousand-year obsession could not vanish so quickly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Still, peace had indeed become extremely stable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this moment, Lu Hanyan had gathered her sixth mysterious light; compared to Fang Jincheng, who had made no progress, her odds of entry had increased further, and she had never slackened in her sword training, remaining fiercely diligent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the outer court’s Sword Grove, Lu Hanyan wielded her Dao sword, causing the bamboo leaves to rustle softly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After that battle, Fang Jincheng felt humiliated and had not returned to the Sword Grove since; the place had grown quieter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ji You now stood at the entrance of the Sword Grove, gazing intently as Lu Hanyan practiced.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Inner Court private duel had no further consequences: neither Lu Hanyan nor Fang Jincheng received substantive punishment, yet more and more disciples now sought him to learn sword art—each time, he refused.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had originally agreed to teach Lu Hanyan sword art to resist the influence of the Deep Inquiry Dao Heart; he continued now because if you do something, you might as well see it through.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Besides, Lu Hanyan’s figure—full bust, rounded hips, slender waist, long legs—was quite pleasing to watch as she danced with her sword.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No man dislikes female beauty; even a proper man like him, free of lewd desires, still felt appreciation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ji You believed the kind of man who could stare at a woman without glancing sideways existed only in gutter literature.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Prince Ji, how likely do you think my sister is to enter the Inner Court?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If someone like Fang Jincheng—with his hollow strength—can’t enter, then my sword art must be terrible.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ji You yawned, speaking as if he hadn’t slept in days: “Relax. Effort truly invested never lies.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing this, Lu Qingqiu couldn’t help but relax slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For some reason, though many in the academy said her sister would enter the Inner Court, she still felt uncertain—until Ji You confirmed it, she could finally believe.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that moment, Lu Hanyan’s sword form suddenly paused.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She turned to Ji You, called him “Senior Brother” in a high-pitched voice, picked up the wooden sword beside her, solemnly handed it to him, then resumed her sword dance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing this, Lu Qingqiu couldn’t help but blush and spit lightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her sister’s hips had shrunk considerably lately—nowhere near as plump and firm as when they had sparred before.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing the wooden sword just handed over, she was certain those plump hips had been beaten into shape by Prince Ji…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Qingqiu had never seen Lu Hanyan beaten—but she had brains; naturally, her mind conjured the image of her sister lifting her hips, waiting to be struck…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this moment, she recalled how her sister always looked unsatisfied after sword practice, her eyes sparkling with delight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The sisters had grown up together, knowing each other intimately; as the youngest daughter, Lu Hanyan had been doted on by their parents, making her even more aloof than Lu Qingqiu.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At home, even their parents dared not speak harshly to her, let alone anyone dare strike her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet now, learning sword art from Ji You, she seemed to eagerly await being struck on the hips—making her older sister’s composure nearly crack.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because earlier, when she had sent her undergarment—if Ji You had accepted it, her sister would have had to call him “brother-in-law,” and that would have thrown everything into chaos…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this moment, Ji You was also studying the wooden sword in his hand, weighing it, wondering if Yan Shuyi might like it…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Next time—assuming he still had a life to live.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Hanyan’s sword training lasted until afternoon; Ji You left first, stopping by Cao Jingsong’s courtyard on the way.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Old Cao knew Ji You’s state had lifted; now, not even silver, let alone good tea leaves, dared show themselves.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The last time Ji You came, he refused to believe Cao drank only broken tea leaves, and ended up rummaging through the cabinet to find a packet of spirit tea.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cao Jingsong thought: if this is how it is, you’d be better off with your Dao Heart corrupted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Others who go astray fall into demonic paths; you go astray and seem to enter the righteous path.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The Sword Grove incident still has deep repercussions; Elder Fang reportedly said yesterday in the Inner Court that Tian Shu Academy has always followed pure Dao cultivation, should uphold tradition, and should not let sword art determine the Autumn Duel’s outcome—otherwise, we’d be no different from Sword Mountain.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But Elder Fang’s proposal received little support.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Though the Yunzhou Lu family has low cultivation talent, they rose from spirit stones, with deep roots and powerful connections; many aristocratic factions in the academy have been friendly with the Lu family for centuries.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If this were you, the Autumn Duel rules would surely be changed—hence why people always say talent matters less than background.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Still, did Elder Fang give you trouble in the Inner Court?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ji You lifted his teacup to his lips: “I don’t rely on Inner Court pills, accept no immortal sect taxes, never go to the Purple Bamboo Meditation Grove—what can he do to me? Steal bricks from my wall?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cao Jingsong was pruning the osmanthus tree in his courtyard; upon hearing this, he couldn’t help but turn and glance at him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From the day he repaid the debt until now, with summer heat arriving, Ji You had truly not returned to meditation for nearly a month and a half.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had thought Ji You had moved past it—but now, it seemed he faced an even greater problem.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet previous subtle probes had all been deflected with evasive answers; Cao Jingsong no longer wished to force him to speak.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ji You naturally knew what Cao was thinking; his earlier odd behavior had been glaringly obvious—Cao must have many questions, yet had held his tongue.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was grateful for Old Cao’s concern; in this world, few treated him this way, and in overflowing gratitude, he took the tea leaves.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Worthless disciple!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Drinking too much tea is bad.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>???\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ji You carried the tea leaves as he walked over the mountains, returned to the inner courtyard, and headed straight for Master Zhengxin’s garden.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He Lingxiu announced a few days ago that she was entering seclusion to fully strive for the upper realm of Fusion Dao.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thus, Wen Zhengxin also entered seclusion, and for seven days now, she had not returned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everyone in the inner courtyard knew they were competing, and everyone knew that back when vying for the title of direct disciple, Wen Zhengxin had been resentful.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before entering seclusion, Wen Zhengxin told Ji You not to return home yet, to watch over her garden properly, so Ji You had not gone back to his own small courtyard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He brewed tea, sat idly drinking it until the sun sank, and night surged like a tide, rolling endlessly over the rolling ridges, revealing scattered stars.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ji You set down his teacup, blew gently at the evening breeze, then entered the meditation chamber, picked up the cushion, and tossed it onto the bed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He then undid his outer robe, sat cross-legged within the chamber, and clasped his hands in his lap.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In an instant, the mountain’s spiritual energy found its home, rushing toward him in a frenzy, converging from all directions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Spiritual energy of heaven and earth had no form or substance, yet when dense enough, it transformed into a deep indigo hue.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this moment, countless indigo currents swirled around Ji You, like living serpents, surging into his body with each breath, then overflowing from his shattered spiritual core.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At first like a gentle stream, fine yet persistent, they gradually gathered into a roaring river, surging toward every limb and bone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When his body was utterly filled with spiritual energy, Ji You stirred his spiritual sense, using the energy as blazing fuel—instantly, a fierce fire erupted within him, flames lashing uncontrollably outward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was the twenty-first time the Light of Dao had flickered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His deepest, most entrenched obsession, deep-rooted like an unyielding stone, could neither be untangled nor easily forgotten.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thus, he could not establish his Dao, nor dare to question his heart—his path of Dao cultivation had reached its end.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For a cultivator, reaching this point was a dead end.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But if his earlier judgment was correct—that body refinement also had distinct realms—then Ji You still had one path left to try.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So in recent days, he had been refining his body: the nineteenth time, the twentieth time…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unable to question his heart, unable to fuse his Dao—this was his only way out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that moment, a piercing ache surged through every limb and bone, as if countless steel needles pierced him at once.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The agony instantly coated Ji You’s forehead in beads of sweat, turned his lips pale as paper, made his shoulders tremble uncontrollably, and forced out muffled cries of pain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The constriction he had once broken free from during his breakthrough to Tongxuan had returned like a haunting ghost.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet Ji You, having endured this before, felt no fear—only a quiet thrill.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For feeling this suffocating sensation again proved his earlier judgment correct.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The path of body refinement was no different from Dao cultivation—it must have its own distinct realms.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was nearly at the threshold of the next realm, which was why the constriction felt so intense, as if an invisible force pushed back against him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ji You gritted his teeth against the agony, held his breath, and strained with all his might to break free.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His muscles tensed instinctively, like a bow drawn to its limit, while a spiraling force began swirling violently around his body.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Through his held breath and exertion, the blazing spiritual fire within him surged even fiercer, burning from within outward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A stronger pain arose, as if his bones were being shattered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was no illusion—when the flesh grows strong enough, it must be reinforced with harder bones.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ji You now suffered from tinnitus, but the sound was not merely a hum—it carried the grinding of bones, and the agony forced his jaw to clench tightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In mere breaths, Ji You was drenched in sweat, his inner robe soaked through instantly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The spiritual fire surging within him continued to flicker, as if intent on refining him to ash.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Younger brother?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wen Zhengxin returned home through the night, saw the garden empty, and called out—but received no reply.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She stepped lightly inside and immediately heard faint cries of pain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What is my younger brother doing in my house…?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wen Zhengxin moved closer, silently peering through the doorway, then froze.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The room held only Ji You—no sign of Lu’s second daughter as she had imagined.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a long while, the howling ceased. Ji You leaned against the doorframe, weakly emerging from the room.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His entire body was soaked, clearly exhausted, his lips pale and bloodless.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He breathed heavily for a moment, then looked up and saw Wen Zhengxin stepping out of the room, holding several dresses.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Sister, why have you returned?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Change your clothes. You… what are you doing?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ji You picked up the chilled tea he had prepared earlier and drank it down in one gulp: “Cultivating.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wen Zhengxin had never seen him refine his body before; she stared at him for a long while: “You’re refining your body?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Mm.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Master Cao told you before—you shouldn’t refine your body anymore. You barely broke through to Tongxuan Upper Realm; now you’re about to cross a major realm.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wen Zhengxin knew he hadn’t returned to the Purple Bamboo Meditation Grove, yet she couldn’t understand why he had abandoned seeking his Dao and suddenly rushed into body refinement—she was utterly baffled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Master Zhengxin didn’t stay long. She took the dresses and left the small courtyard, warning him with a worried expression to be cautious.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ji You agreed, watched her leave, rested for a long while, and sat until his sweat dried before returning to the room, entering meditation, and sending his spiritual sense soaring.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As his body refinement accelerated, his flesh increasingly restrained his spiritual sense.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If he didn’t adjust quickly—add water when the dough was too dry, add flour when too wet—his spiritual sense might never leave his body.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though Ji You would no longer seek Dao through spiritual sense, his sword control still relied on it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now, his golden spiritual sense struggled, then painfully rose from his third eye, ascending endlessly into the void—feeling immense pressure, like mountains crushing him, slowing his ascent to a crawl.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Half an hour later, Ji You collapsed completely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Earlier, body refinement had only drained his physical strength; now his spirit was pushed to its limit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ji You felt utterly drained. Before he could exit meditation, he sank into deep sleep.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the following days, the temperature in Shengjing rose; summer’s heat began to linger, cooling only slightly by evening.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Every night, Master Zhengxin’s garden was surrounded by surging spiritual energy, rolling through the air for seven straight days.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Each surge was fiercer and lasted longer than the last.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Once, rain fell—and the falling drops were scattered wildly by the energy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the seventh evening, as the last sliver of sunset vanished, night crept in silently.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In recent days, humidity had hung in the air, so the night sky was hazy, the stars blurred and indistinct.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Master Zhengxin arrived through the night, reaching her garden gate just as the final glow of sunset faded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Every seven days, she returned to change clothes, sometimes to catch a nap.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As she paused at the gate, her hand raised to push open the door, she saw birds on the tree suddenly flapping their wings and fleeing into the night, startled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wen Zhengxin froze, then felt a torrent of heat surge from the garden—far hotter than even midsummer’s blaze.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ji You sat in the center of the courtyard, sweat glistening on his forehead, a dark aura rippling across his skin, golden light flickering in his eyes, his chest rising and falling with heavy breaths.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The twenty-third Micro Illumination—he had shattered the previous barrier. The constriction vanished.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He clenched his fists, feeling energy bursting from every cell, compelling him to strike out, to crush the evening breeze in his palms.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>More clearly still, he felt his spiritual sense trembling with his heated flesh—as if fused to it—and a sensation of heaven and earth opening echoed endlessly in his mind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",3550,"2026-06-19T15:28:41.422Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","660eb52599dc3f87f24ef92529fc3cfc7e842ee393cc16875f1b98ccbfac9568","watching-the-immortals-fall-chapter-209","watching-the-immortals-fall-chapter-207",430,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fwatching-the-immortals-fall-cover.jpg"]