[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-watching-the-immortals-fall":3,"chapter-watching-the-immortals-fall-watching-the-immortals-fall-chapter-94":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},2259967,4410,"Chapter 94: Spend Money to Hire You to Draw Your Sword","watching-the-immortals-fall-chapter-94",94,"\u003Cp>Sun Bin said he was in his thirties, but in truth he was nearly forty, one of the oldest students in the Outer Court.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was one of those who lacked talent but forced his way into the upper five realms through longevity and elixirs; now he had no hope of breaking through, and leaving the Heavenly Book Academy was inevitable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For him, causing this commotion before leaving seemed ridiculous, but it was a very profitable deal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His cultivation base could not improve, but his family’s honor still needed to be upheld; by doing this, he would satisfy not only the You family, where You Buyu belonged, but also the Chu family.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was why private cultivators from the countryside struggled to survive among the scions of noble families.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sun Bin pondered as he studied him, then stroked his beard and smiled lightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though the Outer Court had been buzzing for half a year about how formidable he was, seeing his delicate, pretty face still made him chuckle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The duel was meant to be point-containment, so he wasn’t worried; this sneering smile was meant to provoke his anger, since many others were waiting their turn to draw their swords.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Where shall we fight?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Naturally, the White Jade Terrace.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ji You looked around: “Who put up the silver reward? Pay first—I won’t fight if you don’t pay.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Yue had been watching everything from the start; now he stepped forward from the crowd, holding a stack of silver notes, and tossed them into Ji You’s arms.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ji You looked at the silver notes and thought, this is hilarious—so much money could make me surrender, yet they still want me to fight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then, surrounded by the crowd, he headed toward the White Jade Terrace.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>During this time, Ban Yangshu and others followed as well, but they knew they couldn’t stop it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Money’s allure for his junior brother was astonishingly strong—a fact proven by countless real cases.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was said that back in Ningcheng County, a disciple of the Wenda Sect tried to kill him, so they lured him to a remote place by throwing silver coins all along the way…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the hour of You, the sun set, yet the sky remained clear, windless for miles.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>All the Outer Court students of Ji You’s cohort had heard the news and gathered at the Ascension White Jade Terrace.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ji You walked through the hostile gazes with calm indifference.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Qingqiu arrived upon hearing the news and stood at the foot of the terrace steps; seeing him approach, she couldn’t help speaking: “Young Master Ji, there are eleven opponents facing you—you’ll be drained even if you’re strong. This isn’t wise.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I know, but they’re paying.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You really love money. I truly wonder if one day your enemy wants to kill you, all they’d need to do is throw silver at you to lure you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ji You stared at Lu Qingqiu, thinking, how do you know that?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His eyes were always tender even when looking at dogs; under this gaze, Miss Lu of Yunzhou suddenly blushed faintly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fang Ruoyao stood nearby, watching the softness in Lu Qingqiu’s eyes, her expression complex.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She had heard the rumors from the Outer Court—that Ji You was feuding with an Inner Court senior over a woman, which led to this scene.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whether it was the women who came seeking Ji You before, the matter of the Dan Sect’s eldest daughter, or Lu Qingqiu’s flushed cheeks now, all made her situation painfully awkward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ever since entering the Academy, she had personally placed upon herself the title of “Ji You’s fiancée,” a label she once scorned like trash.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even though many now no longer believed that title, whenever Ji You tangled with another woman, those strange glances always fell upon her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And the biggest problem was that Ji You was growing ever more brilliant, and the women entangled with him were each more formidable than the last.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Qingqiu’s status as Yunzhou’s heiress was already beyond her reach; the Dan Sect’s daughter made her even more intimidated.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lost…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fang Ruoyao bit her thin lips and murmured silently.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She knew Ji You’s combat power was astonishing, but ten more challengers remained—he would surely lose.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If he lost, Ji You’s brilliance would naturally dim, no longer shining so brightly as now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Isn’t it true that I’m your fiancée?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her father had written this month, saying Ji You’s awakening to the Heavenly Book had reached Yuyang County, urging her to get along well with Ji You and try to reforge their Dao partnership, to bear him children.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Fang Ruoyao felt he was too brilliant now; after much hesitation, she dared not approach him, so she could only hope his brilliance would fade…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Thank you, Miss Lu, for your warning—I have my own judgment. Also, your new dress looks nice.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ji You tossed these words to Lu Qingqiu and stepped onto the platform.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>New dress…?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Qingqiu looked at her fine sand-and-smoke silk robe and thought, this was an old dress—I’ve worn it before—how could it be new?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then suddenly her cheeks flushed even redder as she clutched her chest tightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The only new thing she wore today was the undergarment she changed into at noon…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The thin silk fabric had gaps; if one’s spiritual sense was strong enough, a gaze from top to bottom could observe every detail…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Qingqiu suddenly recalled how, during past cultivation sessions in the Enlightenment Ground, Ji You always stared at her with glittering eyes during breaks.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sun Bin had already climbed onto the White Jade Terrace, watching Ji You ascend.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though middle-aged, his realm was extremely stable; his longsword hummed, spiritual energy howling around him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet what puzzled him was that Ji You, famed as a dual cultivator of martial and sword arts, now came empty-handed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No weapon? Or do you know you’ll lose and just give up?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ji You stood firm on the platform, glanced at him, then turned to the crowd below: “My sword was broken during the relic expedition—I haven’t had time to recast it. Does any brother have a spare I can borrow?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At his words, Lu Qingqiu immediately offered her own sword, just as she had that night.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Along with her, Lou Siyi, Sun Qiaozhi, Ban Yangshu, Wen Zhengxin, Pei Ruyi, and others also stepped forward, offering their swords.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Other cultivators too extended their blades—some out of goodwill, others hoping to make the spectacle even grander.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing this, Sun Bin suddenly grew serious.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He knew the rumors about Ji You controlling multiple swords in battle—in fact, many in the Outer Court had learned this method.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But before coming, he had already prepared a strategy; now he pulled a vial of pills from his sleeve and swallowed them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Immediately, his spiritual energy surged outward, forming a protective aura around his body.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ordinary spiritual energy was invisible to the naked eye, but now Sun Bin’s spiritual energy slowly coalesced into a milky, solid form.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ji You’s controlled swords have extremely strong interference, but weak offensive power—they only surprise when used in ambush. Sun Bin took pills and formed a protective aura—will Ji You’s method still work?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“There’s such a claim?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes, look—Sun Bin is already prepared. This battle will be hard.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ji You is too famous now—everyone who knows him is on guard against his sword control. That’s truly his weakness.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Amid the murmurs, Ji You did not immediately summon his swords; instead, he slowly closed his eyes and began drawing in spiritual energy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cultivators store spiritual energy within them, normally replenished by spontaneous breathing, always overflowing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But for this fight, his spontaneous intake was insufficient.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Beside the Ascension White Jade Terrace lay the Enlightenment Ground and the Azure Lake; Old Cao said the Azure Lake held mysterious properties, gathering spiritual energy here for the students of the Enlightenment Ground to cultivate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After his spiritual core shattered, his spiritual energy could disperse into every limb and organ, giving him a capacity far exceeding normal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But he had never fully drained himself before—always just enough to get by—because he could never determine whether this was good or bad.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was the first time he opened all his qi orifices, intending to flood his entire body with spiritual energy and see what would happen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As he breathed, the spiritual energy surrounding the area began to flow slowly, converging toward the White Jade Terrace.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hum—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Qingqiu’s sword suddenly sheathed itself, hovering in midair.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then Ban Yangshu’s sword, Pei Ruyi’s sword, Wen Zhengxin’s sword…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One, two, three…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gradually, Ban Yangshu and the others’ expressions shifted from expected to incredulous; after half a cup of tea, more than twenty flying swords, brimming with spiritual energy, hovered above.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Didn’t Young Master Ji’s limit used to be seven swords?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Who said that?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ban Yangshu turned to see the speaker—the Sword Trial Grove’s instructor, Wang Jiaoxi: “That… he told me himself.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Instructor Wang smiled: “That was when each sword used a different technique—his limit was seven.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Different techniques…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes, because too many techniques drain spiritual sense beyond endurance. Human spiritual sense has a hard limit. Ji You trains his spiritual sense day and night, his pupils turning golden, trying to break that limit.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wen Zhengxin opened his mouth slightly: “Did he succeed?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Instructor Wang shook his head: “Human spiritual sense is bound by the physical body. Without shedding the shell, you cannot break through. Ji You hit the limit—he came to me the day he returned to the mountain asking how to become stronger. But I had no answer.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Then why is he controlling so many swords now?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Because he only faces one opponent—so all swords can use the same technique, bypassing spiritual sense entirely, relying only on spiritual energy.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ban Yangshu and the others finally realized: Ji You had always fought group battles.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whether street ambushes or encirclements in relics, Ji You always had to manage the entire battlefield—no one had ever seen him face a single opponent alone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Instructor Wang frowned, watching the growing number of swords with solemnity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ever since Ji You first told him about controlling multiple swords, he had studied it—but concluded it was impractical.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The spiritual core is the foundation of cultivation, yet it also limits the speed and volume of spiritual energy intake.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Ji You’s current spiritual energy volume defied his realm’s norms.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He didn’t know Ji You’s spiritual core had exploded—that Ji You was now using his body itself as a spiritual core.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He only felt Ji You’s breathing and usage methods were utterly unlike any known technique—more like ancient Qi Refining methods.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that moment, Instructor Wang snapped back to awareness, turned sharply to Ban Yangshu and the others, his voice hoarse and heavy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Watch closely—his swords are coming. My work just got harder.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But this… I truly can’t teach it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Instructor Wang murmured, and the Ascension White Jade Terrace erupted in a deafening chorus of sword cries, echoing across all directions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ji You suddenly opened his eyes, his pupils blazing gold, as a torrent of spiritual energy surged skyward, swirling around him and whipping up endless winds that sent robes fluttering across the arena.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Why is his spiritual energy so outrageous?!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the words fell, fifty-three flying swords trembled violently, driven by the vast spiritual energy, shooting forth in a single sweep, cutting through wind and waves, straight toward Sun Bin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>All swords were straight swords!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No tricks, only fierce sword intent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A single straight sword could easily be broken, but a sky full of them was another matter entirely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As sword qi crisscrossed the air, the fifty-three sword lights merged into one, resembling a solar disc—until the white jade platform shimmered with countless cold flashes, and the sword dragon lunged forward with crushing force.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Qingqiu and Fang Ruoyao had widened their eyes, watching the swords as if they reflected a sky full of stars.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that moment, Ji You walked among the flying swords, his fierce gaze radiating golden light, then reached out, plucked one sword from the swarm, and thrust it forward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Clang!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The clash of metal rang sharp and clear—but only once.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sun Bin’s sword had been shattered from his grip; now he stood pale-faced, facing the hovering blades.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had not struck back, for though the Heavenly Book Academy’s rules demanded restraint, such a massive swarm of swords would inevitably cause collateral damage…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When those fifty-three swords hung in the sky, he had assumed it was mere illusion, believing the seven truly dangerous blades were hidden among them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But as countless spirit swords roared toward him, he realized his mistake.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that moment, no one else could feel the killing intent of each sword as clearly as he did.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>True, the protective aura formed by his pill-enhanced cultivation could withstand damage—it could certainly block the seven swords and fight Ji You for hundreds of rounds, wearing down his momentum.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But fifty-three… he knew he would be breached.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And as the sword swarm surged forward, Ji You stood behind them, long sword in hand, spiritual energy already roaring—clearly waiting to strike the moment his defense shattered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He couldn’t understand why his opponent’s spiritual energy was so vast, how he could achieve such a feat…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What? One move?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Brother, he controlled fifty-three swords—I don’t know if that counts as one move…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What about the others?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ji You said he couldn’t keep using other people’s swords, so he asked if the remaining ten could defeat Sun Bin in one move. He said if they could, they should try—and after trying, come back. Sun Bin claimed severe abdominal pain and left on the spot.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You Buyu remained silent for a long time in the Purple Bamboo Meditation Grove, fire burning in his eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He set up this stage to humiliate him, not to let him put on a show.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fifty-three swords—what kind of Qi Refining technique is this?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You Buyu recalled the rumors: this boy had already shown an extraordinary amount of spiritual energy in the ruins, even suppressing the Fusion Dao realm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But even so, fifty-three swords made no sense—unless he was ruthlessly squeezing himself, ignoring the damage of spiritual depletion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Treating himself as a spiritual energy conduit didn’t seem wrong… Ji You descended from the Ascension White Jade Platform and found the surroundings utterly silent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The sky-full of sword light had indeed shone like countless stars, leaving everyone stunned and unable to recover.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When they finally came to their senses, they saw him sweep his sleeve—and the fifty-three swords flew back into the air.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But since it was hard to tell blades from scabbards, some had been misplaced.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ji You, apologetic, bowed respectfully to Lu Qingqiu and the others: “Sorry, I misplaced them.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet he only apologized to the female cultivators—for to men, he could never say such things.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that moment, among the onlookers, Chu He’s eyes darkened, then he turned and stormed off with a flick of his sleeve.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Did you hear? Chu He left the Heavenly Book Academy.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Left? When?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Right after Sun Bin’s match with Ji You—Chu He left with his family.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Is he quitting the Academy?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No, reportedly he’s just returning home for family matters—he’ll be back before the Autumn Contest. Advancement to the Law Realm depends entirely on contemplation, comprehension, alignment, and application of the Dao. The Chu family has profound roots in this—I suspect he’s going to receive ancestral teachings.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Go home for ancestral teachings, then come back for the contest?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I heard these challengers were instigated by Inner Court’s You Buyu, meant to shatter Ji You’s Dao heart—but how… did it shatter Chu He’s instead?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That thing—anyone who watches it shatters.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But today I heard many whispers: after the fifty-three swords, Ji You’s spiritual energy was drained—he can only use that move once, and it causes massive damage to his spiritual core.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Why did he do that?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Maybe he saw ten more challengers coming, so he decided to end it all at once.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(8,000 words—please vote for monthly tickets, family, help me climb the rankings… or2)\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",2672,"2026-06-19T15:28:39.995Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","d646cdaac135e55cf4d95711e0b6d099bd723cfdb851bdee79a9bdd76a29f6cd","watching-the-immortals-fall-chapter-95","watching-the-immortals-fall-chapter-93",430,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fwatching-the-immortals-fall-cover.jpg"]