[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-watching-the-immortals-fall":3,"chapter-watching-the-immortals-fall-watching-the-immortals-fall-chapter-277":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},2260150,4410,"Chapter 277: A Thought Startles the Mountain","watching-the-immortals-fall-chapter-277",277,"\u003Cp>Moon, Immortal Academy, ancient maple.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the silent night sky, scattered clouds drifted across the horizon, and a gentle breeze stirred.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A cold raven came from far above, its black feathers flickering constantly in the night wind, flying over Nishan, passing through forest and courtyard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But as it passed over one courtyard, the raven suddenly shuddered all over, then plummeted straight down, crashing into the ground.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Its pitch-black pupils overflowed with blood, streaming down its smooth feathers, as if its life had been shattered in an instant.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the small courtyard where it fell, beneath the eaves near the entrance hall, sat a bamboo reclining chair.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the chair lay a young man, his sword-like eyebrows slanting sharply into his temples, like inked blades; his nose high and straight, lips thin and dark, jawline sharp as a blade, neck long, Adam’s apple distinct.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A black robe hung loosely on his body, collar slightly open, revealing the shadowed hollow of his collarbones; he looked like a famed sword sheathed in its scabbard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His expression was serene, as if asleep, both hands resting on a white fur blanket for warmth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To the right of the reclining chair stood a small tea table, also made of interlocked bamboo tubes, delicate and refined.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the table was a small stove, upon which sat a teapot.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When the raven plummeted and died above, everything in the courtyard seemed frozen—except the teacup beside it, which continuously sprayed droplets of water.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Soon, two golden starlight streaks slammed into each other between the man’s brows and shot out, rapidly expanding.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In an instant, they became two vast suns, stirring a furious wind throughout the courtyard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One of them was noticeably dimmer, as if about to burn out, trembling violently amid fierce collisions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before it could linger, another mutual, violent collision occurred; countless mysterious lights exploded like molten iron from a furnace.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the dimmer one surged forward, the surroundings roared with tiger’s howls and dragon’s cries, while the blazing golden light descended like a mountain, its battle intent piercing the heavens.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Boom!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Boom!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Boom!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Three explosive crashes—within the light, two figures gradually took shape, both glowing golden, their outlines outlined by flowing liquid gold.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The figure formed from the struck golden light was an old man, his grotesque face now filled with intensifying shock, first sparked at the initial collision between their brows.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The spiritual sense resides deep within a person’s brow, known today as the sea of consciousness; in ancient times, it was called the upper dantian.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Spiritual sense killing does not occur from afar—it requires entering the opponent’s sea of consciousness and destroying their spiritual sense.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But if one’s spiritual sense is not strong enough, one risks being violently expelled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet such cases are exceedingly rare; in all of history, there have been few such instances.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because those of the Spirit Travel realm never use spiritual sense to kill opponents of equal rank—such risk is too great, as soul damage is far harder to heal than bodily injury.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But against lower-tier cultivators, even those of the Boundless realm can be obliterated with a single strike.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unless someone truly devotes immense effort to refining their spiritual sense.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But for cultivators below the Spirit Travel realm, spiritual sense is merely a tool for attuning with heaven and earth; it need not be formidable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It is impossible for low-level cultivators to train their spiritual sense daily just to one day resist a Spirit Travel master’s lethal strike.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The unexpected event caused the white-bearded old man to let out a deafening, skyward roar, unleashing countless immortal lights.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You brat, die!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In his venomous gaze, murderous intent solidified into tangible force.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In response to his shriek, a young man bathed in golden light lunged forward with a solid iron fist, arm swinging upward, fists falling like rain, clashing violently with the old man; explosive sounds erupted endlessly in the void.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In their exchange, the spiritual sense’s blows landed with the same visceral impact as pure physical combat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The old man’s fists struck like tigers, his palms swept like dragons; with a thunderous boom, the void trembled as his palm strikes collided with the young man’s fist intent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Earlier, when their spiritual senses clashed, victory hinged solely on the difference in strength—and the old man realized he was utterly outmatched, even nearly killed when he failed to guard properly; only then did he decide to manifest physically to kill.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But as the young man unleashed his blows with a might that seemed to swallow the world, the searing iron fists shook him to his core.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With a thunderous crash, his iron fist struck down, releasing several beams of golden light; the old man, who had intended to swiftly assassinate him, was punched straight through the shoulder—his shattered arm splattered like molten gold across the air.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The old man, now armless, stared with bloodshot eyes, unable to believe any method could refine spiritual sense to such an extreme.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Add water when there’s too much flour, add flour when there’s too much water…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The young man murmured silently, leaping up like a tiger bursting from Zhongshan forest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A clear, icy sword cry sliced from between his hands, glowing brilliantly golden, like a blazing sunrise erupting.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In truth, spiritual sense and spirit are one and the same; though the ultimate path to immortality involves the soul shedding the body to forge an immortal form,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>before achieving the Immortal Dao, the decay of the physical body weakens the soul.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Like the midday sun, which cannot be compared to dawn or dusk…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With a crash, beneath the sword’s strike, the old man in spiritual form was cleaved into a pool of golden light, instantly streaking across the night sky like a meteor, shrieking as he sought to flee.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the young man, leaping up with explosive vigor, overtook him, pressing down with roaring golden flames, crushing him beneath his foot with a thunderous impact.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had been drinking tea in the courtyard when suddenly a murderous spiritual sense slammed into his mind—he immediately focused and counterattacked; after several clashes, he confirmed the opponent was a Spirit Travel master.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet the old man’s spiritual strength was weaker than he’d imagined.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The old man also sensed the young man’s murderous intent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was the one who came to kill—he had assumed a single thought could shatter the young man’s soul, yet now he realized the young man meant to crush him!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just as a Dao sword, formed by the fusion of sword heart and spiritual sense, rose into the air, a tiny golden sword shot out from the old man’s bosom.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though no larger than a woman’s golden hairpin, it instantly shook the void and emitted a lethal aura.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The young man crossed his fists to block—but the sword pierced through, hurling him backward, golden light splattering across his entire body.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Feeling the terrifying murderous intent, the young man clenched his fists tightly, attempting to grind it into nothing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that moment, the old man, screaming in madness, transformed once more into golden light and fled into the sky.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Puff—a moment later, the tiny sword was ground into a pool of molten gold on the ground.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing the golden light streak across the night sky, the young man leapt upward instantly, unwilling to let him escape, determined to obliterate him mid-air.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But as he rose, the immortal light forming his golden body suddenly dimmed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then, an inexplicable restraint descended from above, compressing the golden figure back into its original size, pulling it into his brow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After reaching the peak of the lower three realms, cultivators of any stage may use spiritual sense—for sensing or probing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But only those who reach the Spirit Travel realm can truly journey beyond the heavens; those of the Penetrating Mystery realm cannot…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this moment, Ji You slowly opened his eyes, beads of sweat already forming on his forehead.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He rose from the bamboo chair, walked a circle around the courtyard, and found everything utterly silent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The fist-winds from their spiritual clash had been fierce enough to nearly tear off the roof—but now he saw even the paper on the windows remained intact, as if it had all been a dream.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only the raven at his feet, bleeding from seven orifices, and the shattered teapot and teacup on the table proved it had not been an illusion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His gaze shifted from the raven, then turned toward several peaks atop Nishan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though the battle had been as silent as a dream—only a raven dead, a teapot and teacup shattered—he still sensed some had been awakened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet when he nearly killed the old man, none intervened—so Ji You felt no strong hostility toward them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Indeed, dozens of figures lurked deep within the mist.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Some from the Immortal Hall, others from the Elder Pavilion, gazing at him with complex expressions across the mist-shrouded mountains.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Meanwhile, in the second floor of the Elder Pavilion, within a deep, dark hall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Elder Fang, Master Peng, Peng Yu, and Fang Jincheng stood pale-faced, staring at Elder Lu, whose chest was drenched in blood, their minds buzzing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When Elder Lu finally struggled to open his eyes, the jade tablet carved with a tiny sword in his bosom cracked with a crisp snap.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The forbidden longevity-extending technique pushes the body to the brink of death, forcing surplus essence, qi, and soul to be nurtured within spiritual energy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now, his life-essence artifact lay shattered on the ground.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Elder Fang rushed forward, steadying the trembling old man, seeing only terror in Elder Lu’s eyes—survival after near-death.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A thousand miles of green clouds lead to immortality; the young phoenix’s call is clearer than the old one’s…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Recovered, Ji You did not remain in his courtyard; beneath the gaze of those on the mountain peak, he stepped out into the night, walking alone along the cold, empty mountain path toward the east.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The inner courtyard’s residences were vast, for they housed all inner-disciples.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ji You passed through streets and alleys, crossed a stone bridge, then arrived at a dwelling similar to his own.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Beneath the dark night, the wooden door, tightly shut, was blasted open by a single punch; Ji You stepped across the threshold, his eyes swirling with brilliant golden light.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The old man who tried to kill him—he did not know him, only that he was a Spirit Travel master.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But upon reflection, he could deduce the man must have come from the Elder Pavilion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For outside the Elder Pavilion, the Heavenly Book Academy held no such cultivators—and even if any existed, there would be no reason to assassinate him at night.\u003C\u002Fp>",1767,"2026-06-19T15:28:41.422Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","8f5959f938780511be12731811cfa343c03c0b6c0f4ceccbe30301b575481718","watching-the-immortals-fall-chapter-278","watching-the-immortals-fall-chapter-276",430,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fwatching-the-immortals-fall-cover.jpg"]