Chapter 214: Making Way

The impact caused by a slip of the tongue from a disciple of the Administrative Court after drinking was immense; by the shores of Emerald Lake, in the corridors, and in both the male and female dormitories, everyone was discussing it fervently.

In truth, everyone had long been aware of the unfair distribution of resources within the Immortal Sect; it was hardly new information.

The main topic of discussion was just how terrifying Ji You's combat prowess truly was, with the matter of the Elder Pavilion paving the way for their worthy grandson merely mentioned in passing.

Yet, as the number of people discussing it grew, the noise still made one feel embarrassed.

This was equivalent to the Elder Pavilion lifting a rock only to drop it on their own feet; not only had they failed to stop Ji You, but they had also lost face.

It is said that Elder Fang was so broken by the events that night that he smashed quite a few porcelain cups, his face as gloomy as water.

At this moment, a handsome lad from the Administrative Court, having not slept all night, lay flat on his bed in the shape of a "big" character, clutching his quilt with both hands, his eyes wide as copper bells, his heart pounding, filled with regret.

Alcohol, truly, is not a good thing.

He had long known of his habit of speaking the truth after drinking; he should have been more careful from the start.

After a night of worry, he received his dismissal notice from the Administrative Court the very next day, and his hanging heart finally died.

This was not due to pressure from the Elder Pavilion, but primarily because the Administrative Court was responsible for many affairs, some of which required strict confidentiality.

For someone who couldn't keep their mouth shut like this, the Administrative Court dared not use them again.

Because the Administrative Court, as the sect's administrative body, was the least willing to see anyone stir up trouble.

Subsequently, the matter spread toward Shengjing City; many people chatted about it in taverns and teahouses, and even within the Immortal Supervision Bureau, the topic was being discussed.

"The top of the Profound Understanding Realm rankings—the Heavenly Tian Shuyuan might actually have a chance to take one this year."

"That Ji You, come to think of it, is truly too terrifying."

Because the spirit stone route had been changed to the Fengzhou route, the Immortal Supervision Bureau was quite familiar with Ji You and held him in high regard.

As the tool used by the Seven Great Immortal Sects to govern the masses, the officials in the imperial court had seen many cultivators over the years.

But this was the first time they had seen one who could force an Immortal Sect Elder to bow their head.

Ji You learned of it later than others, only understanding the full scope of the matter by noon the next day.

"Brother Zhishen..."

"What a pity."

He was not familiar with Lu Da; upon hearing this name, his mind was filled with the image of the Flowery Monk uprooting a weeping willow.

However, according to others, this person had been a page boy by Elder Fang's side since childhood, serving tea and water for over a decade—one could not say he wasn't obedient.

But even with such obedience, one still had to make way for the descendants of those Elders.

This was the rule of the Azure Cloud World: it didn't look at talent, it didn't look at effort; the divide between the inside and the outside was clear as day.

A grandson is always closer than an outsider; this is a principle even the peddlers and porters understand.

Therefore, in this world, one must never take what a stranger offers.

Because the moment you reach out, you become controlled by others.

Back when Ji You went to Fengzhou Prefecture to establish a noble family, before he had even drawn his sword, those outsider Immortal Manors generously offered twenty percent, which Ji You refused—his reason being exactly this.

Taking is meaningless; snatching is satisfying.

Because the karma of things snatched is always smaller than the karma of things gifted.

Later, the Inner Court Elders once refused to let him enter the Five Great Halls because his actions were too resolute; to others, this was a severe suppression, almost cutting off his future.

Yet, it was precisely because of this that he avoided that karma and was able to draw his sword decisively during the Heavenly Dao Assembly pre-selections.

Otherwise, he would likely have had to make way for those grandsons as well.

If he didn't, he would have become an ungrateful wretch, asked if he had ever thought about who gave him everything he had today, and he wouldn't have the freedom to draw his sword whenever he pleased as he did now.

For thousands of years, Immortal Sects and noble families have been accustomed to this style of conduct.

So, when an accident like himself appears, they fly into a rage.

"No wonder the money sent by the Qionghua Pavilion today is significantly less..."

"A Dharma robe that can be slashed open by someone in the Profound Understanding Realm is likely considered unworthy of its name, but that doesn't mean the Dharma robe is too weak..."

Ji You counted the silver notes in the envelope, muttering to himself under the morning light, thinking that this time, his delivery business wasn't particularly successful.

He had controlled his strength when he slashed that Dharma robe, aiming to give the Elder Pavilion a headache; he had originally thought that with the Elder Pavilion's style, they certainly wouldn't spread the news themselves.

He hadn't expected that there would be great scholars to debate the scriptures for him...

At this moment, the scorching sun was like fire.

Without Ji You there to suppress them, the battles of the Profound Understanding Realm were able to continue.

The result was naturally as expected: the first spot was immediately pocketed by the Elder Pavilion's worthy grandson, Wang Gaocen.

Having secured his spot, Ji You no longer paid excessive attention to the subsequent battles, but instead, like an idle person, went to the Sword Forest to watch the Second Miss Lu, who was being used as a cushion, practice her sword.

Lu Hanyan had already gathered her eighth ray of Profound Light, only one step away from the Profound Understanding Realm, and the mystical aura around her body was gradually emerging.

She already possessed a graceful and slender figure, and when combined with the aura of the Fifth Realm, she appeared even more charming.

Since entering the academy, many male students had wanted to ask the Second Miss Lu out, and in recent days, there were even more; some men from the Inner Court often tried to strike up conversations with her, but she ignored them all.

In contrast, when Ji You watched her learn the sword, the Second Miss Lu's eyes clearly held a hint of "assaulting the master"...

At this time, the Merging with the Dao Realm had reached its third battle.

Chai Ze took the stage and won three consecutive victories.

Ji You had originally wanted to go see this third battle, but just after washing up, he received a message from Wen Siyuan: Cao Jiaoxi said that Zhengxin Xianzi Zhengxin had broken through her realm and come out of seclusion, inviting him to the small courtyard for a chat.

Ji You wiped his face dry, tied his hair crown, and stepped down the mountain.

However, on the way down the mountain, he encountered a "duang-duang" figure.

He Lingxiu had also broken through her realm and come out of seclusion; the aura of the Upper Realm of Merging with the Dao was incomparably mystical.

At that time, she was coming down from the Zizai Hall and met Ji You at the intersection in front of the Purple Bamboo Zen Forest.

"Long time no see, Ding Shijie He."

"Long time no see. I truly didn't expect that the first person I'd meet after coming out of seclusion would be Ji Shidi Ji. What a coincidence."

He Lingxiu smiled and asked, "By the way, did you get a spot for the Dao Assembly?"

She had been in seclusion charging her realm for a long time, having spent the entire summer there, and was unaware of the news from the outside world.

However, in her view, with Ji You's strength, getting a spot in the academy was not a difficult task; after all, in her heart, Ji You was considered the strongest among all those in the Profound Understanding Realm at the Heavenly Tian Shuyuan.

Upon hearing her question, Ji You nodded: "It was a close call, but I managed to get one."

"As expected. With Ji Shidi's talent, getting a spot for the Heavenly Dao Assembly is no surprise to me. However, this is just the beginning; the pre-selections are only an appetizer for the Heavenly Dao Assembly. Ji Shidi's goal should be the top spot this year."

"I'll do my best. I wouldn't dare speak recklessly about things that haven't started yet; it would be embarrassing if I lost."

"Having such a mindset is good. However, in my opinion, Ji Shidi entering the top ten will absolutely not be a problem."

"Then many thanks for your auspicious words, Ding Shijie."

He Lingxiu chatted with Ji You for a while, then bid him farewell and went to the tea pavilion in the Purple Bamboo Zen Forest.

Shi Junhao and Xiao Hanyan had long heard the news; seeing He Lingxiu step forward, they immediately stood up to offer their congratulations.

There were also several worthy grandsons from the Elder Pavilion, Wang Gaocen who had already secured a spot, Yu Shiliu who was currently defending the ring, and additionally, Pan Bin and Gu Zetao.

He Lingxiu returned their greetings and then asked, "How far has the battle for the Merging with the Dao Realm spots progressed?"

"Ji Shidi Chai Ze is currently defending the ring and has already fought three matches; two more and he will secure his spot. After that, it will be your turn, Yan Shimei."

He Lingxiu nodded upon hearing this; she had calculated the time before going into seclusion and could just make it upon coming out. Now it seemed she was even a bit early.

He Lingxiu picked up her teacup, pondered for a long time, and then asked, "What about the Profound Understanding Realm? How is the progress?"

Xiao Hanyan looked at the junior brothers and sisters of the Profound Understanding Realm beside her and said, "Ji You and Ji Shidi Wang have already secured their spots. Currently, Yan Shimei Yu is defending the ring. There shouldn't be too much of a problem; perhaps it will be us who go out to fight this year."

"I just ran into Ji Shidi Ji on the way out of the hall. The result is indeed as I expected; truly, no one can stop him. I even told him he should take the top spot for the Heavenly Tian Shuyuan, but he was quite cautious, saying it was hard to say."

Xiao Hanyan was silent for a moment after hearing this: "This might be a bit different from what you expected, Yan Shimei."

He Lingxiu raised her eyes, a hint of doubt appearing in her gaze: "How is it different? Didn't Ji You get a spot?"

"Ji You was the first to defend the ring, and the Elder Pavilion demanded he not use the Spirit Sword Mountain sword arts, saying that disciples participating in the Heavenly Dao Assembly represent the Heavenly Tian Shuyuan and cannot boost the morale of other sects."

He Lingxiu opened her mouth: "He agreed?"

Xiao Hanyan nodded: "He agreed, and then everyone in the academy said he was a toothless tiger."

He Lingxiu pondered for a long time before saying, "And yet he still won five matches, right? He really can surprise people."

Xiao Hanyan's gaze suddenly became much more complex: "He didn't fight five matches; he only fought two. The last three opponents conceded as soon as they took the stage."

"?"

"I don't know how to put it. In short, Yan Shimei He, you understand—his combat prowess has always been higher than his current realm. It was like that back in the Wilderness, but no one expected him to be so strong even without using Spirit Sword Mountain sword arts. There is a type of Dharma robe from the Qionghua Pavilion, do you know it, Yan Shimei? It can block a strike from the Merging with the Dao Realm. Ji You's opponent wore one, and it was slashed open."

He Lingxiu listened carefully at first and couldn't help but nod, but as she listened, she couldn't help but open her mouth, unable to make a sound for a long time, only remembering Ji You's humble expression.

And beside He Lingxiu, those worthy grandsons of the Elders fell into silence, as if they didn't like hearing this person's name or his affairs.

At this moment, Ji You had already stepped down the mountain, and halfway there, he heard a constant roar of spells from the Ascending Immortal White Jade Platform.

Wen Zhengxin had broken through her seclusion early this morning and had already heard from Cao Jiaoxi about the events of the past few days. Seeing Ji You walk in from the door, she couldn't help but look at him as if he were a monster.

She had returned to her small courtyard after breaking through her realm early in the morning and then saw a letter from home.

The letter was from her family, asking about her relationship with Ji You and subtly mentioning whether the rumors about his constitution being able to pass on were true, the language carrying a hint of impropriety.

She hadn't understood at the time, thinking to herself that her parents were truly good at making random matches; that was her junior brother.

Besides, with the daughter of the Pill Sect around, anyone else would have to be a secondary wife, and she had been determined since childhood never to be a secondary wife.

So she didn't take it to heart, and seeing Cao Jiaoxi's message that Pei Ruyi had arrived and invited her to meet by Emerald Lake, she hurried over. Only after arriving did she learn from Cao Jingsong about Ji You securing a spot.

No Spirit Sword Mountain sword arts, defeating two opponents of the same realm with four sword strikes, forcing the Elder Pavilion into a dead end where they could only send three useless disciples to concede.

This news, heard but not seen, was actually very hard to believe.

This made Wen Zhengxin feel that when she had changed Ji Shidi Ji's clothes back then, she should have taken advantage of his lack of preparation to leave something in his belly; after all, the cultivation talent of their Wen family was getting worse with each generation.

Ji You, unaware of Zhengxin Xianzi Zhengxin's inner desire to become a "juicer," looked at Wen Zhengxin and said, "I ran into Ding Shijie He on the way here. Is Ding Shijie Wen planning to attack the ring?"

"I want to try; otherwise, I won't be satisfied. However, the winning percentage is likely not high; I am clear about that myself."

"Why is Ding Shijie timid before the battle?"

"After He Lingxiu became a direct disciple, the resources we two could access became different. After so long, I fear the gap in strength has widened."

Although Zhengxin Xianzi Zhengxin came from a small noble family in the Central Province, her talent had always been very good; otherwise, she wouldn't have been qualified to compete with He Lingxiu for the position of direct disciple of the Hall Master.

And what she encountered back then was actually similar to Lu Da withdrawing from the competition.

Therefore, Zhengxin Xianzi Zhengxin had always wanted to have a real fight with He Lingxiu, regardless of winning or losing, just to resolve the knot in her heart from back then.

Upon hearing this, Ji You began to carefully size up Zhengxin Xianzi Zhengxin, feeling her aura and comparing it to the aura he had felt on He Lingxiu when they met by chance earlier.

Although he didn't want to admit it, he knew what his senior sister said was correct.

The two indeed had a not-insignificant gap, unrelated to talent, unrelated to diligence; some things were restricted from the moment of birth.

"It's a pity there isn't enough time; otherwise, I could have learned some sword arts from Ji Shidi to improve my winning percentage."

Ji You pursed his lips: "Ding Shijie is joking. Even if you dared to learn, I wouldn't dare to teach..."

Wen Zhengxin frowned upon hearing this: "Why wouldn't you dare to teach? Second Miss Lu was taught quite well by you; just treat me as her."

"My teaching method, I fear, would make Ding Shijie fight me for my life..."

"?"

Ji You waved his hand: "Ding Shijie, prepare well. Perhaps there will be a winning percentage."

Wen Zhengxin looked at Ji You: "Not everyone in this world is like you, a monster. I truly want to see the expression on your face when the Immortal Sects gather, the noble families surge in, and you draw your sword. I imagine it will be very interesting."

"Ding Shijie is too kind with her praise."

"If I lose, will you treat me to a meal?"

Ji You looked at Cao Jingsong: "But Cao Jiaoxi has no money these days."

Cao Jingsong glanced at him, his beard trembling: "Enough of that. Why would you use my money to treat someone to a meal?"

"What about Brother Ban?"

"Ji Shidi, pay with your own money. You clearly sold Dharma robes for so much money before."

(End of Chapter) ===== CHAPTER 215 =====