Chapter 27: How Boiling the Sword Intent Is

Everything happened too suddenly, and the scene was far too chaotic.

Lu Qingqiu, Lou Siyi, and Sun Zhi had no time to discern what was unfolding, but they immediately drew their swords and slashed at the demonic seed, hoping to rescue their two companions first.

But the three had not anticipated that another person lurked within the night.

At the very moment they drew their blades, a swordsman struck sideways with a thunderous sweep—his icy blade lunged straight for Lu Qingqiu’s throat.

This sudden swordsman was no higher in realm than Lu Qingqiu, but his advantage lay in the sheer unexpectedness of his attack.

In that instant, the young lady of Yunzhou truly felt death drawing near.

Just as life and death hung in the balance, Lu Qingqiu’s shoulder was seized with searing pain and yanked backward; her wide eyes saw Ji You dart forward, taking her place.

Immediately after, a thunderous punch slammed into the swordsman’s chest, carrying the force of an iron fist.

The swordsman instantly reversed his blade to counter, but found his opponent had anticipated it—he shifted angle instantly, unleashing his full fist power, slicing downward and shattering the swordsman’s wrist.

“Feint… a feint?”

“How did he know how I’d parry?”

Before the swordsman could recover, the Mountain-Shaking Fist discharged its full force across his chest, hurling him backward, blood spurting from his mouth.

Ji You pulled Lou Siyi and Sun Zhi back to their original position, his blood and qi surging violently within him.

He had previously discussed with Instructor Wang how to handle multiple opponents.

The best solution was a surprise strike—eliminate one or two of the enemy’s strongest fighters first to tip the balance.

Though this swordsman’s realm was low, he had clearly killed countless times and understood this tactic intimately.

After leaping out, his sword did not target all three, but singled out one—aiming to kill first.

Ji You thus used Lu Qingqiu’s position as cover, mirroring his surprise attack; the swordsman was forced to retreat his blade in defense.

As for how he knew the parry angle—and precisely shattered the wrist with a punch—it was thanks to countless sparring sessions with Instructor Wang.

Otherwise, Instructor Wang wouldn’t have been worn out like an old dog, refusing even a single silver tael.

This was a fist worth a silver tael!

At this moment, Lu Qingqiu, Lou Siyi, and Sun Zhi sat on the ground, staring in stunned disbelief at the man before them—radiating spiritual light, his fist intent like a rainbow.

For just moments ago, they had been dismissing martial arts as trivial, yet now they felt as if they’d witnessed a celestial deity.

On the city wall and in the empty streets, numerous cultivators from outside sects had gathered toward this spot.

They had been drawn by the earlier thunderstorm, but now widened their eyes at that single punch that shattered the enemy.

“How could his reaction be so fast? And how did he predict the parry?”

“He’s a dual cultivator of martial and spiritual arts…”

The outsider from Lingjian Mountain was a woman named Bai Xi, herself a swordsman.

Hearing an uncomprehending question from a Chen Shixian clan youth beside her, she answered solemnly.

Yet most of the outsiders gathered here were cultivators of the lower three realms, for those of the upper five realms were deeply absorbed in their Dao and did not stroll the streets daily.

Seeing a Rongdao realm expert, even those with good intentions dared not intervene.

Ji You ignored the rest, raising his eyes to assess the situation.

The Rongdao realm expert struck with brutal ferocity, his fists and kicks moving like dragons and tigers—but that was not the most lethal part.

Ban Yangshu and Ji Qirui had both entered the upper five realms, could perceive the wind’s dance, and moved swiftly to evade—but the deadly threat was the lightning arts mixed unpredictably into every strike, both speed and damage overwhelming.

Had the opponent not deliberately concealed the spells that would reveal his identity, relying solely on lightning arts, the two might not have held out this long.

Even so, after several clashes, both were covered in wounds.

On the other side, the thing called the “demonic seed” had not fled; its blood-red eyes fixed on Ji You, brimming with murderous intent.

In an instant, Ji You recalled—judging from the grip of its strike, its first target had not been Lu Qingqiu, but himself, standing beside her.

“Gentlemen, lend me your swords.”

“Use mine!”

The three girls, just freed from battle, immediately rose and extended their swords.

Because their angles aligned, the sword hilts collided, causing their cheeks to flush.

But they never expected Ji You to make no choice—he swept his hand, and all three swords rang out simultaneously, drawing from their scabbards.

Lu Qingqiu’s high-grade spirit sword landed in his hand; the other two were lifted by spiritual energy, hovering three feet above his head, trembling with clear, piercing sword hums like phoenix cries.

At this sight, murmurs of bewildered astonishment rippled through the street—even Bai Xi of Lingjian Mountain wore a look of confusion.

Even as a swordsman herself, she had never seen such sword usage.

The next instant, the white-robed bandit wielding the sword surged forward like a phantom, his feet exploding with spiritual energy, shattering the stone tiles beneath him as he raced toward the demonic seed.

Bai Ru and Qian Yunxiao had their throats crushed, faces pale with terror, certain they were about to die—when they were suddenly shoved to the ground.

When they looked up again, they saw swordlight swirling like overlapping waves.

CLANG!

Ji You flooded his sword with spiritual energy, slashing, thrusting, parrying, and erasing; the demonic seed crossed its claws, sparking metallic clangs as golden sparks flew.

Then, as dark aura surged wildly, a black hand pierced through the wind—Ji You blocked it with his sword, then spun his body with a roar of spiritual energy, forming a circle of blades.

He did not know what the demonic seed was, but he felt its strength—greater even than his own, honed daily through martial training.

With immense strength and speed, the two fought more wildly with each clash.

Ji You poured ten thousand jin of spiritual energy into his blade, sweeping horizontally—gradually breaking free from the rigid sword forms etched in his mind; his sword moved with his heart, the motions of thrust, smash, intercept, slash, and parry flowing naturally.

“His sword intent is rising!”

“Such a boiling sword intent…”

“How can this man be a disciple of Tian Shu Academy? He belongs in Lingjian Mountain! When my five-year term ends, I’ll petition the sect to invite him in!”

“Um… he’s Ji You.”

“Ji You?”

“The one who crossed Chuhe and observed the Heavenly Book a while back—yes, it must be him. The only dual cultivator is him…”

As murmurs continued under the night sky, a grating, screeching sound suddenly pierced the battlefield—all eyes turned, shocked to the core.

The demonic seed extended its long nails, locking them onto Ji You’s sword as it surged like overlapping waves.

Damned!

With the blade locked, he could only rely on physical strength—but against this demonic seed’s body, Ji You held no advantage.

"Indestructible?"

“Is it only the arms?”

Ji You suddenly reached up and plucked the second sword from three feet above his head, guiding it with spiritual energy, driving it horizontally across the demonic seed’s shoulder!

The demonic seed shrieked, its eyes wide with terror, leaping backward to escape—while the sword it had locked shot upward straight for its skull!

At that moment, the white-robed bandit radiating spiritual light drifted forward, his iron fist driving straight into the heart.

Bai Xi, standing on the street, suddenly widened her eyes, glancing around to find everyone else equally stunned.

So that’s how the swords above the head were used—suddenly activated in the blink of an eye, a lethal ambush!

But where was the third sword?

(Writing this is exhausting—no wonder it’s called Jingye Cuo. Please vote for monthly tickets, please follow… or2)

(End of Chapter)