Chapter 64: Ten Days of Talk (Part II)

"After the young master of the immortal sect descended the mountain, the disciples of the seven great immortal sects were all left guessing: why did such a heaven-gifted young master descend the mountain?"

"Could it be that the demon race brought with them vast immortal opportunities?! Enough to allow one to ascend to immortality!"

"But what they didn't know was that this was merely a coincidence; the immortal light filling the sky was simply because the immortal sect young master had reached the moment of his own ascension."

"After one night, dawn gradually broke."

"The commoners looked up in the sunlight and discovered that the demon race had retreated, but a figure still stood upon the city wall."

"For some reason, the immortal sect young master did not ascend, but instead died in battle on the city wall, covered in wounds, his body still stubbornly standing upright."

"The commoners of the city watched this scene in silence for a long time, and finally, like a rising tide, they knelt, bowing their heads repeatedly to the figure that had died in battle without falling."

"The seven great immortal sects sent people to investigate and recorded the matter in their annals, calling it an unsolved mystery, because they could not understand why the immortal opportunity had clearly been surging on all sides that day, yet the immortal sect young master had not ascended, but instead died in that place."

As the words fell, in the dark night of the dense forest, countless immortal sect disciples were left in a trance.

This story did not conform to the logic of the Azure Cloud World at all, challenging their nerves to the extreme.

Countless cultivators in the world sought only supreme immortal Dao and immortality; how could someone so astonishingly talented abandon the chance to ascend and die in battle for the sake of commoners?

But it had to be said, when Ji You described that immortal sect young master standing alone against ten thousand, roaring "Human territory ahead, demon race forbidden," they truly felt something being ignited.

Wen Zhengxin curled up her legs at this moment and looked at Ji You: "When he swung his sword and left, what did he carve on the wall?"

Ji You narrowed his eyes with a look of deep affection: "He carved the Dao he had found on the wall."

"What Dao?"

"The greatest of immortals exists for the sake of the living and the people."

Hearing these words, the disciples present were stunned, inexplicably feeling a breath of air rush up their spines, as if they had attained enlightenment. Not knowing what they had just sensed, they subconsciously looked up at the sky, their hearts filled with confusion.

Wen Zhengxin bit her thin lip: "Did you make this up yourself?"

Ji You knew he had been caught and tossed the book aside casually: "It's a story, naturally it's more exciting if it has its ups and downs. Winning all the time, like my own life, is just too boring."

"But there would be no such immortal in this world."

"I understand, so it's just a story, not reality. Listen to it for fun, don't take it seriously."

"The greatest of the immortals act for the sake of life and the people."

He hadn't expected himself to have such talent; he could make a living writing books if he left.

"This is a good story..."

Wen Zhengxin thought of the eight characters "The greatest of immortals exists for the sake of the living and the people," and muttered them silently.

They had actually been treated as abandoned pawns coming here, sent to die for the immortal sect.

But thinking about it now, rather than dying like this, it would be better to die as magnificently as in the story, making it all meaningful.

The other immortal sect disciples who had heard the story were also lost in thought, finally letting out a long sigh without making a sound.

They felt as if something was growing in their hearts, yet they couldn't quite say what it was.

Wen Zhengxin suddenly looked up: "Just now, you seemed to be reflecting current events?"

"What events?"

"The immortal opportunity sought by the seven great immortal sects is, in your story, actually just self-righteous ignorance."

Ji You lowered his voice after hearing this: "Ding Shijie, lead them out of the mountain tomorrow. This place is not an immortal opportunity at all."

Wen Zhengxin was slightly startled, looking toward the central holy mountain deep in the ruins, wondering how there could be no immortal opportunity when the immortal light there was so surging.

Ji You knew she didn't believe him, so he sat cross-legged: "I will prove it to you."

"How will you prove it?"

Ji You didn't answer, but slowly closed his eyes.

Seeing this, the surrounding disciples couldn't help but gather around, not knowing what he was about to do.

However, the next moment, countless disciples with bewildered faces began to exclaim, and even Wen Zhengxin's expression changed, forcing her to retreat three steps.

At this moment, Ji You began to radiate a profound aura; at first, it was only a wisp, but as time passed, it gradually became surging and magnificent, with waves of energy rolling.

"Ding Shijie, this is... the aura of the Upper Five Realms?"

"He is about to break through to the Realm of Profound Understanding!"

Ban Yangshu walked over at this moment and said in a deep voice, his eyes filled with shock.

The ruins were filled with baleful Qi, blocking the connection between heaven and man, making it impossible to attain enlightenment, let alone break through—this was something all cultivators had verified.

They couldn't understand why Ji You had the aura of the Realm of Profound Understanding at this moment.

However, amidst the noisy crowd, that profound aura came to an abrupt halt, and the waves of energy instantly dissipated.

Ji You slowly opened his eyes, the gold in them flashing and fading, replaced by a scarlet color full of baleful intent.

"Have you eaten a Zhu Guo?"

"No."

Wen Zhengxin was incredulous: "Then just now...?"

Ji You took a deep breath: "To control my swords, I have been tempering my spiritual sense all along. Although my realm hasn't improved, I just happened to break through the restrictions of the baleful Qi after a battle."

Wen Zhengxin and Ban Yangshu looked at each other, opening their mouths but not knowing what to say.

They knew that the baleful Qi in the ruins would restrict spiritual essence, spiritual sense, and the connection between heaven and man, but they had never imagined that someone would use such a method to hard-train their spiritual sense strength, actually reaching the point of shaking off the baleful Qi.

The Outer Court had always been talking about how heaven-gifted Chu He was, even surpassing Ji You, who had sensed the Little Little Tian Shu.

But at this very moment, they felt from the bottom of their hearts that this Outer Court disciple at the Lower Three Realms Completion had never been surpassed.

Ji You took a deep breath, the scarlet in his eyes receding: "Actually, you have all misunderstood one thing."

"Misunderstood?"

"It is true that baleful Qi can restrict spiritual essence and spiritual sense, but it does not restrict the connection between heaven and man."

Ban Yangshu frowned upon hearing this: "Impossible. Everyone here is unable to connect with heaven and man; if it's not a restriction, then what is it?"

Ji You looked up at him: "A few days ago, there was a rumor that a disciple of the Mountain Sea Pavilion took a Zhu Guo and broke through two realms in one day. Why was he not restricted? Could it be just because he ate a fruit?"

"This..."

"You are unable to connect with heaven and man not because the baleful Qi restricts your spiritual sense, but because there is no Heavenly Dao here at all."

From entering Beisha Town until now, nine days had passed, and Ji You had been breaking through the limits of his spiritual sense like this every day.

Although the mysterious baleful Qi could even obscure the Heavenly Dao, by breaking through a little every day, one could always fly higher and higher.

And as he continuously broke through, he suddenly sensed something tonight, which shocked him greatly.

So he gave up the method of continuously refining his spiritual sense and flew high away.

Reaching the most void place, he discovered that the deepest part of the void was a chaotic emptiness; the entire firmament was filled with evil intent, as if a distorted figure was constantly swaying within it.

The term "connection between heaven and man" refers to a person using their own understanding to observe the operation of the Dao.

Therefore, at this moment, the cultivator's spiritual sense and the aura of the Heavenly Dao are interconnected.

When Ji You sensed the Little Little Tian Shu at the Heavenly Academy, he had once seen the Heavenly Dao at close range.

Although the Heavenly Dao at that time was silent and filled with death, the evolving laws of the Great Dao within it were upright and peaceful, completely different from this distorted and struggling black Qi.

Those who ate the Zhu Guo and broke through were not sensing the Heavenly Dao at all, but something else... something unknown...

(End of Chapter)

The term 'responding to heaven' refers to a cultivator using their own understanding to gain insight into the operation of the Dao.

Therefore, at this moment, the cultivator's spiritual sense and the aura of the Heavenly Dao are interconnected.

When Ji You sensed the Little Little Tian Shu at the Heavenly Academy, he had once seen the Heavenly Dao at close range.

Although the Heavenly Dao at that time was silent and filled with deathly aura, the Great Dao laws constantly evolving within it were upright and peaceful, completely different from these twisted and struggling black mists.

Those who ate the Zhu Guo and broke through their realms were not sensing the Heavenly Dao at all, but something else—something unknown...

(End of chapter)