Chapter 241: Facing Battle, Fusing the Dao

The crucial third round determined who would enter the Sage Sanctuary, leaving everyone's nerves taut.

It felt as if one step forward led to azure seas and clear skies, while one step back meant all effort was wasted.

For without entering the Sage Sanctuary, all their efforts here would turn to dust.

In the early morning, sunlight spilled across the Lingxi Arena.

Though the wind still carried traces of summer heat, its dryness had faded to imperceptibility, replaced by a cool autumn chill that suited the clear, sunny day perfectly.

The Seven Immortal Sects and millennia-old clans had all gathered here, with twenty-four Cultivation Base practitioners seated upright; atop the stage, sword qi surged wildly and flashes of heavenly light flickered constantly.

Zheng Lei was indeed a soft target; by actual strength, his entry into the third round was barely scraping through.

In other words, his fortune played a major role.

His challenger was Ba Yang, a last-minute breakthrough cultivator whose blade swing swallowed mountains and rivers.

Wei Bo, the second contender, was somewhat stronger than Zheng Lei; his innate power was not weak, but he was challenged because his family's inherited technique emphasized defense over offense.

In such battles, if the opponent didn't go all out, the chances of victory increased greatly.

After all, defense alone cannot win.

Those who had watched Wei Bo knew that, from the group stage to the third round, whenever he faced a strong opponent, his strategy was always to use his family's Heavenly Light Guidance to slowly drain the opponent's spiritual energy.

His challenger was Li Yunlang, who had drawn significant attention beforehand.

But unlike Zheng Lei's straightforward match, this one finally showed change—Wei Bo had switched techniques, and the intense offensive aura startled everyone.

This man had been holding back.

Yet Li Yunlang's aura surged sharply, his breath turning abruptly rigid, exerting even greater pressure on Wei Bo.

Seeing this, some expressions grew grim—especially those of the Tian Shu Academy's overseers, as well as Cao Jingsong, Wen Zhengxin, Ban Yangshu, Pei Ruyi, Kuangcheng, and Wei Rui.

They weren't concerned about Wei Bo or Li Yunlang; rather, the fact that both had been holding back stirred their unease.

Wei Bo and Li Yunlang's match ended before noon, with Li Yunlang ultimately victorious.

After half an hour of rest and preparation, all eyes turned toward the north and south, for even before the first two matches, gazes had constantly shifted between these two directions—everyone knew this next battle was why they had come here today.

Soon, the nobleman in brocade robes from the south, draped in a black gauze cloak and carrying a heavy sword, stepped onto the stage, while a white-robed, sword-wielding figure glided in from the north and halted in the waiting zone.

At this sight, all fell silent.

Ji You had fought Chen Ruiyang yesterday, outright clashing head-on and slicing Chen Ruiyang until he was counter-recoiled by his own Ten-Section Slash, sparking widespread discussion.

A rural self-cultivator with no lineage, rising step by step to this point, had made many aristocratic heirs—raised in luxury with ancestral legacies—feel humiliated.

The Tian Dao Hui's influence was immense; many noble families with daughters came not just to watch, but also to consider potential sons-in-law.

Yet since yesterday, boasts about noble backgrounds had noticeably dwindled.

For after Ji You defeated Chen Ruiyang, the more one boasted of one's lineage, the more one appeared worthless.

But even now, no one understood why he had chosen Yan Hao—it made no sense.

Others had been present when Ji You visited the Si Xian Jian yesterday; they all knew Ji You arrived extremely early, before Wei Bo had even been selected.

If they had faced each other, many believed Ji You's odds of victory were extremely high, and entry into the Sage Sanctuary would have been certain—yet he made this choice.

"Once the match begins, you must be careful—Yan Hao may be holding back."

"You saw Wei Bo and Li Yunlang just now; they were like different people from their earlier fights. Yan Hao is no different."

"I just observed his aura—it was hazy and indistinct. He's definitely hiding something."

The three overseers of the Tian Shu Academy arrived together at the waiting zone and gave him repeated warnings.

Ji You nodded: "I'll be cautious."

"You'd have been better off choosing Wei Bo—you just saw how low the risk was."

"I've already chosen. Now thinking about it is pointless."

The three overseers knew the logic was sound; falling silent, they glanced toward the southwest.

There stood a group of elderly men, all with white hair and beards, clad in Tian Shu Academy immortal robes, their faces dark with suppressed anger—they were the elders who had come to the Tian Dao Hui for the Dao debate.

When news of Ji You's challenge to Yan Hao spread yesterday, these elders—who had previously paid little attention to student duels—suddenly went to Ji You and demanded he withdraw.

It wasn't that they wanted Ji You to lose; they just didn't want their Dao debate to fail.

For centuries, the Tian Dao Hui had always operated this way: student duels directly influenced the Dao debates.

After all, if you're passionately expounding the Dao, arguing with your opponent, spittle flying, yet your disciples either lose or win by cheating, no matter how brilliant your teachings, they'll collapse under scrutiny.

In recent days, Wang Gaocen and Gu Ze Tao lost first, Xiao Hanyan barely won by secretly using a magical artifact—this had already begun affecting their Dao debates.

They had been anxious, then slightly relieved when they heard Ji You had shattered Chen Ruiyang with eight swords—but now Ji You had chosen the riskiest opponent in the tournament.

They couldn't tolerate this risk, so they had to intervene.

But Ji You ignored them entirely, only chuckled twice.

The elder council flew into a rage—and then raged further.

For they suddenly realized they had nothing to threaten Ji You with—no elixirs, no spirit stones, no techniques.

Ji You now stepped onto the stage, sword in hand, standing firm on the circular platform, while Yan Hao, draped in gauze, also ascended and glanced at him.

"You could've made the top ten, but your choice was poor. I'm curious—why did the Tian Shu Academy allow you to pick me? Or did you even inform them?"

"Otherwise, I doubt anyone would willingly face me in this round."

"Victory sometimes clouds the mind. That's why cultivation emphasizes a clear Dao heart. Your cultivation base is still lacking."

For someone to choose him on the first day of the challenge round was unexpected—Yan Hao had assumed someone had lost their mind.

Later, others told him about Ji You's sword strike that shattered Chen Ruiyang, making him realize this Tian Shu disciple was no ordinary cultivator—he also wielded heavy swords, but to Yan Hao, that meant nothing.

As Yan Hao spoke, he reached out, slowly unwinding the gauze cloak from his shoulders; as it fell to the ground, his aura began to leak out.

In the next instant, the crowd erupted—many rose involuntarily from their seats, eyes locked on Yan Hao, sensing something unnatural from his aura.

"He… he fused the Dao?"

"Yan Hao fused the Dao!"

"No wonder—no wonder in previous matches, we always felt he was hiding something. He was concealing the aura of his breakthrough!"

Yan Hao now looked at Ji You, a flicker of arrogance in his eyes.

His goal had never been merely the top ten—he aimed for first place, to enter the deepest reaches of the Sage Sanctuary and seek the ancient sages' legacy, a matter of great importance to his Tian Jian Peak.

Thus, before arriving, he had already prepared for a last-minute breakthrough.

In his view, the third round didn't require a breakthrough—yet three of the thirty qualifiers had broken through early, giving him slight unease.

But this was better—he had hidden so long, and now he felt a profound sense of liberation; his aura surged continuously, gradually filling the sealed arena.

Seeing this, the Tian Shu Academy members turned pale.

They knew Yan Hao had hidden reserves, but never imagined he'd hidden something this massive.

Even Cao Jingsong, who had always blindly trusted his unruly disciple, now furrowed his brow.

The most intense reaction came from the overseer elders—they had already been cursing Ji You for defying orders, and now that they saw Yan Hao had reached the Fusion Dao realm, their anger was tinged with grim satisfaction.

"Such stubbornness, such arrogance—our Tian Shu Academy may lose again."

As Elder Xiao finished speaking, he was suddenly engulfed by a chilling aura, his scalp tightening—he widened his eyes and turned toward a nearby pavilion.

At the source of that chill, Yan Shuyi was smiling gently at an elderly man beside him: "Uncle Seven, how is your health lately?"

"Thank you for your concern, Your Majesty. This old man is still in good health."

"Uncle Seven knows I've never entered the Sage Sanctuary, so I'm always curious—what else does it hold besides accelerating cultivation? Could you enlighten your niece?"

"The Sage Sanctuary holds infinite mysteries. Besides allowing one to directly hear the Dao and rapidly advance cultivation, it is said to contain legacies tied to the Sacred Artifacts, connected directly to the Dao itself—though no one has ever found them in all these years."

"Tied to the Sacred Artifacts… so that's it…"

Yan Shuyi gazed at Yan Hao on the field, her eyes growing cold.

Ding Yao and Zhuo Wanqiu's gazes had been fixed on Ji You, their faces filled with worry—after all, they were the ones who had influenced Ji You to choose Yan Hao. But upon hearing this exchange, their mouths parted slightly, and they turned to look at Yan Hao.

Though not forbidden by rules, last-minute breakthroughs were widely disdained; given Yan Hao's personality and strength, breaking through so early in the third round wasn't strictly necessary.

Moreover, his breakthrough had been concealed so thoroughly that even those close to him barely knew—his aura had only leaked accidentally yesterday.

That meant his path had been even more cautious than his demeanor suggested, indicating his ambitions—or those of Tian Jian Peak—extended far beyond this tournament.

Their hearts sank as they turned to their own Imperial Mirror Master.

For over a decade, Tian Jian Peak had been desperately seeking ways to make the Imperial Mirror choose a new master…

Realizing this, they were suddenly freed from their earlier worry, plunged into deeper dread—lips turning gray.

Only Ji You, upon seeing Yan Hao's aura, glanced down at the gauze cloak, his eyes fixed on the orange-gold inlays that glimmered within.

Another thing a poor man had never seen before…

"Is that made of gold?"

"?"

At that moment, the bronze gong on the field rang out.

A sharp aura surged from the platform, a deep sword hum echoing through the entire arena; even though the killing intent was blocked by the sealed barrier, its pressure radiated outward, sending waves of dread through all present.

Ba Yang, with no family lineage or deep background, had reached this point solely by crossing one realm.

Then the combat power of Yan Hao—born of noble blood, steeped in heritage, now having crossed the Fusion Dao threshold—was unimaginably terrifying.

BOOM!

The sword's roar pierced like thunder, vibrating the audience's eardrums painfully.

Amid the thunderous resonance, Yan Hao gripped his heavy black iron sword, his gaze icy as he slashed downward—the blade trailing a dark aura, as if a mountain had collapsed.

Seeing this, everyone held their breath.

Many had watched Ji You's previous fight, seeing Chen Ruiyang's Ten-Section Slash cleave through even his own summoned aura—yet Yan Hao, with even more brutal force, crushed all surrounding energy with sheer sword qi alone, his overwhelming sword intent causing the entire barrier to tremble.

Sword intent arises from the sword's resonance with heaven and earth; it is said that before an unstoppable sword intent, some cannot even draw their blades.

They involuntarily placed themselves in Ji You's position, feeling the crushing pain of a mountain falling upon their spine, sending an icy shiver racing up their bones.

Especially Bayang, his entire face began to turn pale green.

Though he too had broken through just before the match and entered the same realm, he now felt a strikingly obvious gap.

This fight should end quickly—this sword strike is nearly impossible to block!

Amid the storm, Yan Hao's eyes were icy as he charged forward, sword in hand, striking with ten thousand jin of force.

Clang!

As the crowd judged whether Ji You could block this opening strike, a shrill metallic screech tore through the stagnant air like ripping silk, making everyone's temples throb.

But to everyone's shock, the crushing heavy sword did not slash straight through without resistance—as expected—but was instead halted mid-air, sparks flying everywhere.

It wasn't about whether he could block it or not.

At that moment, Ji You crossed his sword amid the storm; the three-foot black iron blade in his hand vibrated violently, yet could not advance an inch, leaving the crowd stunned.

Ji You's build was slender, like a scholar's, with a certain refined air—but once he moved, his entire aura shifted terrifyingly: his former elegance vanished, replaced by the chilling pressure of a caged beast ready to devour its prey.

At this moment, a scorching heat erupted from his entire body, surging and roaring like inverted furnace flames, spreading violently outward.

On the western platform, Chen Ruiyang, his arms bound in bandages, frowned deeply, his spiritual sense trembling.

Yesterday, Ji You's strength had already surpassed his imagination; today's power he displayed was even more alien than the day before.

At this moment, Yan Hao's pupils contracted sharply; beneath the wave of heat, his heart lurched.

For sword cultivators, the sword is part of the body; though not bare-handed combat, contact between blades still transmits sensation.

And the feedback from his previous strike made him feel as if he had struck something immovable…

At that instant, Ji You released his grip and flipped his wrist; the Dao sword he had just clashed with leapt into the air, and as he swept his hand, another sword appeared in his right hand, raised with his arm.

Veins bulged like ancient vines beneath his skin; as his arm coiled with power, muscles tightened like drawn bowstrings, and the aura swirling around him grew even hotter—then the Dao sword slashed down with a roar.

Hum!

The fierce sword qi seemed to cut through the air, stinging skin, and ripples continuously formed along the blade's path.

Yan Hao's scalp tightened—he knew those ripples too well, for his own strongest strike could also freeze the air for an instant.

With a clang, the three-foot blade came crashing down, and a heavy force surged into his arms.

The crushing force drove the blade forward, hurling Yan Hao back three zhang, his heavy sword vibrating so hard it made his palms ache.

Indeed, the descendants of immortal sects differ greatly from others after crossing the Fusion Dao threshold.

After landing his strike, Ji You muttered softly, his battle intent rising ever higher.

From the start, his goal was to make Yan Hao lose in the most humiliating way possible—he had held nothing back from the first strike, unleashing all his physical strength; the only thing he hadn't used was Lingjian Mountain's sword art.

After all, defeating Yan Hao with Lingjian Mountain's sword art would only prove Ji You was strong—it wouldn't make Yan Hao look weak.

But even so, this was not something easily blocked.

Because according to his theory, his pure physical strength after body refinement had reached the Fusion Dao level.

As he pondered, a thunderous roar erupted—Yan Hao unleashed all his force, spiritual energy gushing forth as he raised his sword, slashing through wind and waves with the Four Profound Mountains Sword Art.

Boom!

The black iron sword was flung back again, and Yan Hao drew a slender blade from within the heavy sword's hilt.

As sword qi surged skyward, a sharp, piercing sword cry exploded like frosty blades, striking Ji You's face at blinding speed.

Ji You sidestepped and retreated, drawing his sword down and slashing horizontally.

Amid flashing blades and shadows, the audience sat in silence, watching only the powerful iron swords clash repeatedly, their minds fixed on one thought.

Who was truly the Penetration Dao cultivator, and who the Fusion Dao cultivator?

They didn't know why they couldn't understand, why they couldn't judge…

Cao Jingsong also watched the figures on the arena with a pounding heart; after several deep breaths, he muttered inwardly: My damn disciple.

He knew Ji You, as a body cultivator, might have a chance against a Fusion Dao cultivator—but only if Ji You used Lingjian Mountain's sword art, not raw force alone.

Only now did he realize this damn disciple had never once used his full strength before.

What kind of monster had I dragged out because of a moment of pity in Yuyang County?

As sword shadows flashed endlessly, a different sword cry rang out—clear as a silver bell, swift and piercing.

Seeing this, Lingjian Mountain's disciples stirred with sudden recognition.

Dao Sword: White Rainbow Illumination.

Indeed, everyone assumed Yan Hao's heavy sword was his deadly strike, and his slender blade merely compensated for speed, meant only for emergencies.

But no one knew his slender blade could be stronger, faster, sharper.

Clang! The clashing weapons suddenly paused for an instant.

The crowd focused their spiritual senses and saw Ji You stepping back through the storm, his white robe slashed open by a long, narrow cut—his inner robe torn as well, revealing a chest as smooth as jade.

"No wonder it's White Rainbow Illumination—but too bad Ji You dodged too fast! This strike didn't land, only cut his clothes!"

"No matter. As long as there's an opening, it'll land eventually."

"Look at Ji You's sword habits—he always takes three strikes, then steps back—like he forces himself to stand at the center of the platform to feel comfortable!"

"Why would he do that?"

"Personality. I need to align my clothes' lapels before I feel at ease—but I'm not talking about lapels. I'm talking about Yan Hao's opportunity. That backstep is Yan Hao's opening!"

In truth, Lingjian Mountain's disciples still held great affection for Ji You, especially after the masked storyteller's promotion—many believed he was a disciple raised outside the sect.

But at the Heavenly Dao Assembly, the two represented two immortal sects; naturally, they favored Yan Hao and hoped for a breakthrough.

In their eyes, Yan Hao's sword cultivation was superior; they could see this opening, so he surely could too.

At that moment, Ji You unleashed three ferocious strikes, shattering Yan Hao's earlier arrogance—his face now twisted in fury—and just as Lingjian Mountain's disciples predicted, his gaze locked onto Ji You's backstep.

But for some reason, in that fleeting instant, he did not draw his slender blade again.

Hum!

Ji You's spiritual energy erupted wildly; he leapt into the sky, bringing down his sword with ten thousand jin of force. With a thud, Yan Hao was struck, his blood surging, his breath chaotic.

(End of Chapter)