Chapter 248: Sacred Ground of the Ancients

"Fang Brother has now entered the Inner Court; from now on, you're no longer like us…"

"Need I say more? Fang Brother will surely become a prodigy of the realm—just hope you don't forget us old friends."

Outside the Heavenly Book Academy, outer court, autumn morning light faintly glimmered.

Fang Jincheng had been cultivating in the Inner Court for many days; today, with nothing to do, he stepped out for a stroll and found himself wandering into the Outer Court.

Hearing the whispers about him, he couldn't help but stand with hands behind his back, assuming an air of profound mystery.

The status difference between Inner Court and Outer Court disciples was vast; in Fang Jincheng's eyes, he and these once-familiar Outer Court peers were no longer on the same level—some distance was only proper.

Yet soon, voices he did not wish to hear began to rise among the murmurs, causing him to frown slightly.

"This year, the Heavenly Book Academy broke tradition by admitting both Fang Brother and the Lu family's second daughter into the Inner Court—rumor says it's tied to Senior Brother Ji You? Is there truth to this?"

Fang Jincheng's brow tightened, a flash of malice in his eyes: "How could something as crucial as an Inner Court slot be tied to him? Where did you hear such nonsense?"

The speaker was Liu Jian'an, son of the Inspector of Fengzhou—the very man often lavished with gifts and affectionately called "favorite disciple" by Cao Jingsong.

Hearing Fang Jincheng's sharp tone, Liu Jian'an shrank back slightly: "There are whispers circulating outside…"

"Lu Hanyan was admitted because my great-grandfather valued talent. Ji You is nothing but a rural self-cultivator—how could he wield such influence? Don't speak such words again, or you'll invite ridicule."

"So that's how it is."

Among those gathered around Fang Jincheng, glances were exchanged.

For a thousand years, the Heavenly Book Academy's Inner Court had admitted only one disciple per year—never an exception—yet this year, two were admitted. This anomaly had long been the subject of Outer Court gossip, with rumors swirling.

The most widespread rumor was the one linking it to Ji You.

The rumor claimed that though the Autumn Duel ended in mutual injury, and Fang Jincheng secretly used a magical artifact—making Lu Hanyan appear to have the upper hand—the true victor was still Fang Jincheng, thanks to the Fang family's deep roots in the Academy.

But the final decision to admit both was made because Lu Hanyan was protected by Ji You.

Yet while this tale spread widely, few truly believed it.

Ji You was merely an Inner Court disciple, still not even admitted to the Immortal Hall—how could he possibly protect Lu Hanyan before the Academy's elders, let alone sway the outcome of the Autumn Duel?

Moreover, he was now in Zhongzhou, participating in the Dao Assembly; even if Lu Hanyan were his concubine, and even if he wished to stir trouble, he was too far away to influence the Academy's affairs.

To many, Ji You had spent years stirring up chaos, and whenever something strange happened at the Heavenly Book Academy, people automatically suspected him—perhaps that was why this rumor took hold.

But as for Fang Jincheng's explanation, even fewer believed it.

For the Dao Assembly preliminaries, the Elder Council had nearly reserved all slots for their own descendants—valuing talent? Nonexistent.

The only talent they valued was that born of their own bloodline.

Just as the crowd buzzed with speculation, a steward disciple suddenly ran over, breathless and beaming—his energy instantly drew everyone's gaze.

"Ji You won!"

"What won?"

"The Dao Assembly—he's already departed for the Sacred Ground of the Ancients!"

As his words fell, silence hung for a moment—then erupted into uproar.

The Dao Assembly gathered the finest from all of Qingyun's realm; only the top ten earned entry to the Sacred Ground of the Ancients—meaning, within the Qi Refining realm, Ji You's combat strength had risen to the top ten.

Realizing this, Fang Jincheng's face darkened instantly.

The steward disciple took another breath, then spoke the words that truly left the crowd stunned, scalp tightening:

"Our Heavenly Book Academy has not had a top-ranked disciple in many years—this year, at last, we shine. What fortune."

"What did you say?"

"Top-ranked! Senior Brother Ji You has claimed the jade tablet from the deepest chamber of the Sacred Ground. The news is already spreading—some say his talent is so great, when he emerges from the Sacred Ground, he may already be at the Response to Heaven realm—he might become the youngest Elder in the Academy's history. Others say, at this pace, he could become Chief Elder before thirty."

"?"

As his words ended, those surrounding Fang Jincheng fell into daze.

Seven Immortal Sect bloodlines present, countless noble scions gathered—the Dao Assembly battle, Ji You, top-ranked in Qi Refining, unmatched in combat across the realm.

As they absorbed the steward disciple's news, all eyes turned to Fang Jincheng.

They suddenly understood why some believed Lu Hanyan had entered the Inner Court under Ji You's protection…

After the Autumn Duel came Family Visit Day—the Academy's tradition.

Xiang Fu, daughter of the Governor of Danshui County, and her friend from Guiyun County had departed yesterday and had already returned to Fengzhou.

After a year of cultivation at the Heavenly Book Academy, the two girls had gradually come to feel the cruelty of this world.

Especially after witnessing Fang Jincheng secretly use a magical artifact to knock Lu Hanyan off the stage, yet still gain admission to the Inner Court—they now felt it was nearly impossible for those of humble origins to change their fate through effort alone.

At this moment, they sat in their carriage, nearing Danshui County, where golden wheat fields stretched endlessly before them.

Suddenly, their eyes widened—they activated their spiritual sense to look closer.

In those ten thousand acres of wheat, countless cultivators wielded sickles, reaping tirelessly, cutting one harvest after another with meticulous precision.

This was not unusual—last year had been the same—but this year, the number of cultivators joining the harvest was unusually high.

Among them was an elderly man with white hair and beard, whom Xiang Fu recognized as the lord of Huishi Immortal Manor.

Huishi Immortal Manor had long been closely tied to Luoxia Immortal Manor, where she had once been fostered; as a child, she had met him several times—he had always been stern, never smiling.

Yet now, this lord of Huishi Immortal Manor stood in the wheat field, sickle in hand, sweat pouring, expression focused and earnest, without a single complaint.

"Lord, this old man is over a hundred—he's truly exhausted."

"Nonsense. Keep working. Our Team Three must win first place this year."

"?"

Xiang Fu and Cong Yi exchanged glances, sensing something strange.

These outsider manors in Fengzhou had never willingly joined the joint harvest before; even among those who did, no lord or elder had ever appeared in the fields.

This year's autumn harvest— the more senior the lord or elder, the harder they worked in the fields.

Xiang Fu's confusion lasted the entire journey, until she finally received the answer from her father, the Governor of Danshui County.

"Your Senior Brother Ji You took first place in the Dao Assembly."

"Over three hundred and sixty heirs of the Seven Immortal Sects and ancient clans—all failed to stop his sword."

"He's already entered the Sacred Ground of the Ancients. No one knows how strong he'll be when he emerges. You think these lords are harvesting wheat to pay taxes? They're merely buying your senior brother's favor."

In Yunzhou's Spirit Stone Guild, dozens of noble families now gathered in the grand hall, holding a meeting on spirit stone mining, deciding to reduce next year's extraction quotas.

Since the Snowland Demon Stones entered the Nine Provinces, their spirit stone sales had steadily declined; current stockpiles were excessive. Continuing to mine at previous quotas would cause severe inventory congestion.

Spirit stones, once mined and removed from their cores, naturally began losing their essence. Stockpiling them was unacceptable.

They knew the cause of this situation lay in Fengzhou.

There, a newly built imperial road carried carts full of demon stones, racing past daily; if they could destroy that road, the current crisis might ease.

Days ago, someone had proposed secretly cutting the Fengzhou road and killing a few as a warning—to show the Spirit Stone Guild was not to be trifled with.

But as this meeting neared its end, no one raised the proposal again; instead, many advocated reducing extraction quotas.

The proposal to reduce extraction was swiftly passed unanimously; countless spirit stone families departed, preparing to cut their own shares.

Ding Mao, Vice Chairman of the Spirit Stone Guild, saw the guests off, then stood silent, gazing into the distance.

Back then, when they had gone to the Celestial Supervision Office to negotiate, they had met that rural self-cultivator and dismissed him as a reckless youth, ignorant of heaven's height and earth's depth.

Now, that man had become top-ranked in Qi Refining, undefeated in his realm, about to enter the Sacred Ground of the Ancients.

Under these circumstances, even the Elder Council of the Heavenly Book Academy dared not provoke him—how much less the Spirit Stone Guild?

Ding Mao turned and returned to his residence, where he found his son, Ding Shaojie, sitting alone at the garden teahouse, lost in silence—he had been watching for a long while without speaking.

His son had grown up with Lu Qingqiu, deeply in love, convinced since childhood that he would marry her; thus, upon hearing Lu Qingqiu wished to form a Dao partnership with Ji You, he had come to loathe the very name "Ji You," cursing daily.

But since news of the Dao Assembly arrived, his son had fallen into prolonged silence.

Even Ding Mao felt dazed—a rural self-cultivator, born in Fengzhou, defeating countless Immortal Sect heirs, swaying even the Heavenly Book Academy's Elder Council.

Lu family's second daughter had merely trained under him for a few days—and yet, because of his name, she had been protected into an Immortal Sect's Inner Court…

"Both clan chieftains, you've suffered."

"Your Highness speaks too kindly—we merely eat wind and drink snow; for the demon race, we feel no hardship."

Before the Cold Prison gate atop the Twin Peaks of Snowland, Prince Ye Han bowed respectfully to the two gaunt, emaciated clan chieftains of the Lin and Ya tribes, who had been imprisoned for a year.

Originally, the Lin and Ya tribes had launched a night raid on the human realm to test alliances, hoping to force the demon race into a pact with the barbarians; after the plot was exposed, they were imprisoned here.

But that incident had merely been staged for the human envoy's benefit—the Demon Emperor never intended to keep them imprisoned long.

Moreover, the demon race's desire to re-enter the Nine Provinces remained unchanged; they merely waited for the right moment—and when that moment came, these two elders would be indispensable generals.

The Lin clan chieftain, now freed from his shackles, spoke up: "Princess Fengyang—what do you think of our release?"

Ye Han shook his head: "Fengyang dislikes war, but her heart is soft. Your release was thanks to her pleading with the Emperor."

"Your Highness is benevolent."

"Fengyang has always been this way. But Ye Han still urges you both to act with greater caution going forward."

The Ya clan chieftain frowned slightly: "Our plan last time was meticulously crafted—we never imagined it would be ruined by some insignificant human. That young man, they say, is a rural self-cultivator, exiled from a human Immortal Sect—how could such a trivial figure destroy such a grand scheme? It's infuriating."

Ye Han fell silent for a long while, then spoke softly: "The human Dao Assembly has ended. The man you speak of defeated countless human prodigies—he is top-ranked in Qi Refining, the strongest combatant in his realm across the land."

The Lin and Ya clan chieftains, imprisoned by the Demon Emperor, had left their tribes leaderless—so their disciples had investigated thoroughly.

Through inquiry, they learned the night raid had been exposed entirely because a human named Ji You had foreseen and sabotaged it.

They also discovered that this Ji You was no noble heir in the human realm—he was, in fact, a rural peasant forbidden to cultivate.

The demon race, too, had rigid hierarchies—otherwise, the Demon Emperor's city would not be divided into inner and outer wards—so they understood human social stratification.

Learning Ji You was a lowly rural self-cultivator, the two chieftains found it nearly impossible to accept.

It was like a proud, fully armed cavalry charge halted by a single ant.

If such a grand scheme had been ruined by an Immortal Sect heir, they could have accepted it—but ruined by a negligible nobody? It made them look foolish.

Only upon hearing Prince Ye Han's words did the Lin and Ya clan chieftains freeze.

Shock and disbelief flickered in their eyes for a long while—then, from deep within, a solemn gravity rose.

Ye Han didn't notice the gravity in their gazes; at that moment, he pressed his hands on his knees, thinking it was fortunate Feng Yang didn't know about this matter.

After the night raid was exposed, Father Emperor entrusted Feng Yang with control over trade, and then he heard his sister had collected many picture albums from the human realm.

In truth, Ye Han felt relieved knowing this.

His sister had been anti-war, always opposing the demon race's return to Jiuzhou; now that she finally showed interest in Jiuzhou, she would gradually realize how harsh the Snow Region was.

But then he discovered all the picture albums she collected came from just one state within Jiuzhou—the poorest one.

This left Ye Han baffled; after investigating, he finally learned that Ji You was from Fengzhou.

As an older brother, he felt as if his own precious jade cabbage had willingly invited a mud-pig to root it, and he couldn't stop it.

So when news of the Tian Dao Hui arrived a few days ago, he immediately ordered the information sealed, not letting his sister hear even a whisper.

At that moment, the carriage passed through the central avenue of the Demon Emperor City's inner city; Ye Han couldn't help lifting the curtain to gaze at a small building with a white roof.

That was his sister Feng Yang's clinic; as his gaze followed upward, he saw her intently studying something, and he finally relaxed.

【Tian Dao Hui, Volume Three—Sword Slays Yan Hao (Part 2)】

Wild sword qi howled across the sky; the searing body heat made spirits tremble…

Yes, I'm a self-taught cultivator from the countryside—but that's not my dark secret; it's the path I came from!

Clang!

Blood flowed endlessly… countless eyes widened in shock…

How could this happen?!

He's just a self-taught cultivator from the countryside—how could he have wielded his sword all the way, unstoppable, defeating so many human prodigies?

After slaying Yan Hao, Ji You suddenly vanished from the Sages' Garden; no one knew where he went…

Such a grand event—how could he be running around like this…

Where did Ji You go? Does anyone know where Ji You went?

He returned to Fengzhou. He said the wheat in the fields had ripened, and he had to rush back to harvest it.

Yes, he was like someone who'd been waiting all along to go home and harvest wheat, just happening to join the Tian Dao Hui along the way…

On the white building, Princess Feng Yang's eyes scanned the words; the hem of her skirt at the back slowly lifted into a fold.

The Tian Dao Hui had always drawn global attention, so its spread was swift and its impact profound.

Within a day, rumors that a self-taught cultivator from the countryside had taken first place and was heading to the Sages' Sacred Ground were already spreading like wildfire.

At that moment, in a remote mountain range on the northern edge of Zhongzhou, bordering Fengzhou.

Countless palanquins flew through the sky, swords pierced the void, and spirit-vehicle carriages sped toward the dense forests.

From afar, thick vegetation concealed every inch of ground; mist swirled, making it appear uninhabited—but arriving cultivators could already sense potent spiritual energy hidden deep within the mountains.

"Why is the Sages' Sacred Ground so remote?"

"You don't know that?"

"Is there some hidden secret?"

"It's not exactly a secret—long ago, after our people rose against the Descendants and were ambushed by them, our clans fled with the Sages to this wilderness for refuge. Then the Heavenly Dao Sacred Artifact descended, altering the laws of this land and turning it into a treasure."

"I see…"

At that moment, Ji You was traveling with Cao Jingsong and others, along with the Yuan siblings; the group rode a flying sword controlled by the Office of Affairs, soaring over the mountains.

These past days, discussions around them were abundant; most people wondered how far Ji You would go inside the Sages' Sacred Ground, but no one knew he was stuck at the threshold of the Fusion Dao realm.

Yet cultivation base and aura were merely for show.

He didn't seek ascension; he had no great thirst for enlightenment realms—his only desire was combat power.

As long as his combat power kept growing, the immortal estates in Fengzhou would fall quiet, the future would improve, and he could marry whomever he wanted and have as many children as he pleased.

Yan Shuyi rode in a palanquin, following behind the Tian Shu Academy's flying sword; seated in kneeling posture, her beautiful hips lightly pressed against her jade feet, her ten plump toes like blooming lotus buds.

All cultivators who came with her assumed she was seeing off her own clan's youth—but no one knew the man she most wanted to send off was the stranger she'd kissed last night.

Ding Yao and Zhuo Wanqiu served nearby, stealing glances at the Mirror Master, then exchanging glances.

For some reason, since returning from the Young Master's room last night, the Mirror Master had been tense; she woke up with a scowl, looking fierce.

They knew her mood was tied to the Young Master, but didn't know the details.

Thinking of this, they couldn't help turning to look at the flying sword darting through the forest ahead.

It was the Tian Shu Academy's flying sword, where the Young Master, his busty instructor, and the Yu Danzong siblings sat cross-legged.

In their line of sight, the Young Master was distracted; beside him, the busty instructor handed him a watermelon.

Perhaps too lazy to draw his sword, they saw the Young Master raise his fist and use qi to 【Break the Melon】.

With a crack, the fresh melon split open, revealing its crimson flesh.

Perhaps due to excessive force, crystal-clear juice splattered everywhere, soaking the ground.

At that moment, Ding Yao and Zhuo Wanqiu suddenly heard a clatter behind them; turning back, they saw the Mirror Master's teacup had slipped to the ground, while she herself looked tense, sword qi surging around her, eyes sharp and predatory.

Cui Er hurried over to clean up, righting the cup and wiping the tea with an embroidered silk handkerchief.

Her gaze lingered for a moment on the Mirror Master's two rounded curves; an image involuntarily flashed in her mind—two large hands kneading them—and she bit her thin lips.

That morning, she'd been observing the Mirror Master's words and movements, trying to quietly uncover who dared do such a thing—but found nothing.

The Mirror Master was stern and cold; a single glance could freeze a man's bones—who would dare knead them like that?

Though she found no lover, she did discover the Mirror Master's hated man: this year's Tong Xuan realm champion, Ji You of the Tian Shu Academy.

Because every time someone mentioned him, the Mirror Master grew furious.

Cui Er could understand this reaction—Ling Jian Mountain could have sent two Tong Xuan cultivators to the Sages' Sacred Ground, but because of this man, Yan Hao lost his chance; the Mirror Master's dislike was natural.

As if sensing the sword qi, Ji You turned his head toward the palanquin and met Yan Shuyi's piercing gaze.

I scared her last night—didn't expect the girl actually held a grudge…

The flying sword and palanquin slowly descended, finally halting in a desolate forest littered with fallen leaves.

Looking up, between two low peaks, golden spiritual light coalesced into a circular archway; vast energy rippled outward in waves.

This was the entrance to the Sages' Sacred Ground.

For a thousand years, countless cultivators passed through here, forging countless prodigies.

The five Grand Masters of the Tian Shu Academy, the chief Elders of every sect—all had entered this place.

After descending from the flying sword, Ji You bid farewell to the Yuan siblings, then turned to look at the young Mirror Master; Yan Shuyi still wore a wary expression.

After last night's discussion on "Infinite Life," the young Mirror Master had grown afraid of him leaving.

"My beloved disciple, once inside, remember to cultivate diligently."

"I'll do my best."

After speaking, Ji You saw others rushing in eagerly.

First came the two direct disciples of the Chen Shixian Clan, then Chai Ze, followed by Li Yunlang, Zhuang You, and Zhuang Zixin.

Watching these people pass before him, Ji You suddenly reached into his robe and pulled out a letter.

After kissing Yuan Caimei last night, a girl had come through the night and handed him a letter; he'd assumed it was another marriage proposal and ignored it.

Back at the residence, he'd kissed the young Mirror Master again, squeezed her roundness, and had no time to pay attention—he'd tossed the letter onto the tea table.

He only truly noticed it this morning.

It wasn't a letter at all, but a thick folded notice for a missing person, bearing twelve portraits—all young nobles or sect disciples who had vanished one after another over the past year.

Several came from the Li, Zhuang, and Zhu families.

When Ji You first saw these portraits, Cao Jingsong was present; after viewing them, Cao looked at him curiously and asked, "How did you get involved too?"

At the time, Ji You was puzzled, then Cao told him about events in the county seat.

The girl who delivered the letter was a concubine kept outside the Li family's second branch—a commoner with no cultivation—who had searched for her lover for half a year, and came here hoping to find traces among the cultivators of the Tian Dao Hui.

Along the way, she met others searching for loved ones, so they banded together—but found no results.

Ji You thought cultivators were cold-hearted; even when family vanished, they showed no reaction. Yet he also found it strange—were those people truly missing, or something else? Like Bai Ru's lost brother—it troubled him.

After long thought, Ji You snapped back to reality, waved farewell behind him, and stepped into the glowing portal.

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(End of Chapter)