Chapter 139: Unscathed?!
(This novel is translated and hosted on Bcatranslation)
With a resonating hum, the iron sword surged forward, carrying an unstoppable force.
Ji You had little time to react before Chu He closed the distance, his airborne assault pressing down with overwhelming might.
The cold gleam of the iron sword reflected the violent storm of Huntian Energy, mirroring the unrestrained killing intent in Chu He’s frenzied eyes.
Exhilarating!
Liberating!
The Heavenly Tome had never responded to him.
After finally breaking through, he was immediately suppressed once again.
In the heart of the Sword Forest, under the watchful gaze of all, his worn sword had been stolen, yet he dared not voice his anger.
A flood of humiliation coursed through Chu He’s mind, his murderous intent reaching its peak, surging like a raging torrent!
The White Jade Terrace cracked beneath their feet, stone fragments scattering. The force of their clash sent shockwaves howling across the battlefield, wind roaring as metal clashed, sending sparks flying.
Retracting his sword, Chu He once again slashed horizontally, his blade imbued with the wild force of Huntian Spell.
“What’s so impressive about swordplay? Nothing but fancy tricks!”
“Ji You, today you will be crushed to death by my Huntian Energy!”
With a thunderous roar, the second son of the Chu family pressed his sword down upon Ji You, his fist infused with spellbound force, smashing down hard toward Ji You’s left shoulder.
The fundamental difference between Pure Dao Cultivation and Sword Cultivation was that the sword was merely a medium for channeling spells—though it was not the only means of unleashing the Huntian Spell.
Fists and feet, too, could carry boundless power.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Fist after fist collided amid the crisscrossing sword light.
Ji You dodged where he could, and when he couldn’t, he used his sword to probe the range and direction of the spell’s force. His face remained unreadable, yet inwardly he cursed.
As fist and sword clashed, the expressions of the spectators varied—some in awe, some in concern.
“How many punches has he taken?”
“Four and a half. One of them, Ji You managed to deflect with his movement technique, dissipating the force from his shoulder.”
“Four and a half punches…”
One of the students glanced back at the ancient tree where Du Zhu’s treasured blade had once been embedded, his face filled with disbelief.
That spell-infused punch was strong enough to shatter Du Zhu’s treasured blade outright.
Yet Ji You had endured four and a half of them?
“Ji You is really tough…”
“Tough or not, if he can’t counterattack, he’ll still lose. This Huntian Spell is too powerful—it seems infused with the laws of thunder. Each strike releases thunderous bursts.”
“Why doesn’t Ji You unleash all seven swords at once? Does he really prefer taking punches just to hide his strength? What’s his plan?!”
Ji You was famous for wielding multiple swords at once. Whether in the bustling streets of Shengjing or deep within ancient ruins, his swordplay had always astounded others. Many of the disciples watching could not understand why he was refraining from using his full strength.
However, those at the Mystic Enlightenment Stage and above—Ban Yang Shu, Wen Zheng Xin, Pei Ru Yi, He Ling Xiu, and others—fell into silence upon hearing these words.
It wasn’t about hiding his strength.
It was meaningless.
Through careful observation of their exchanges, they had realized the effect of Huntian Spell on sword techniques.
Even wielding a sword directly, Ji You struggled to make it move as he wished. Attempting to control multiple swords—a far less stable method of attack—would be even more futile.
If Ji You could not break through this technique, all of his skills would be utterly suppressed.
Clearly, Chu He had not simply been growing stronger by some unknown means upon returning to his family. He had also sought ways to counter Ji You’s greatest strengths.
The Huntian Spell was a natural counter to Sword Cultivation.
This was the power of an aristocratic lineage.
The Great Dao was vast and intangible. A complete system of spells required generations of exploration and refinement to reach maturity.
For most cultivators, acquiring even a single refined spell was an exceedingly difficult feat. Yet a clan like the Chu Family had access to an entire spell system tailored to suppress Sword Cultivators.
“Ji You, open your eyes.”
“Look carefully at this sword, forged solely to kill you!”
Amidst the murmurs of the crowd, Chu He’s energy surged violently. With a sudden burst of speed, he charged forward, sword bearing down once more.
As the turbulent spell energy roared around him, a golden light suddenly flickered within Ji You’s eyes.
Then, in an instant, he lowered his stance, sword in hand, and plunged into the raging storm of force. With a sudden pivot, his sword’s trajectory shifted midair, borrowing the upward momentum for a Circular Sky Slash.
A tearing sound rang out.
Chu He’s brocaded robe was sliced through, a long diagonal cut extending from his waist to his chest.
As the sword sang, the blazing Sword Intent erupted into a powerful surge of Sword Qi. Chu He’s pupils shrank, his body instinctively bursting forth with protective energy as he hastily withdrew.
Ji You flicked his sword as he turned, tilting his head slightly. For the first time, he could faintly perceive the flow of energy through his gaze.
Below the platform, many disciples gaped, a flicker of astonishment flashing in their eyes.
Since the beginning of this duel, Ji You’s swordplay had been sluggish and seemingly obstructed at every turn. But now, for the first time, they had caught a glimpse of the legendary swordsmanship they had long heard of.
“Ji You is borrowing force…”
“Borrowing force?”
He Ling Xiu, standing with hands behind her back, nodded lightly.
Back on Spirit Sword Mountain, she had once fought Yan Shu Jing using the All Methods Accompany the Self technique. That battle had bore many similarities to today’s duel.
However, Huntian Spell was even more oppressive against Sword Cultivators, restricting Ji You’s swordplay to the point of severe hindrance.
But just now, in a single fleeting moment, Ji You had redirected his technique, shifting from a downward slash to a Circular Sky Slash, catching Chu He completely off guard.
“He can see the spell’s flow?”
Atop Mount Ni, within the Hall of Longevity, Chai Hu’s eyes gleamed with a hint of surprise.
All techniques are formless, hidden within the laws of heaven and earth, imperceptible to the naked eye, and only discernible through one’s spiritual consciousness.
Yet, to everyone’s astonishment, Ji You managed to find a flaw—a point from which he could borrow the momentum.
“It must be because of his Sword Heart Clarity.”
Zuo Qiu Yang couldn’t help but speak, “Back when he broke through the Sword Testing Forest of Spirit Sword Mountain, there were already rumors that he possessed the Sword Heart Clarity Body. He might not be able to fully see through Chu He’s techniques, but he can use his sword heart to seize the perfect moment to strike.”
Lu Feng Chuan chuckled lightly. “It seems those wandering disciples weren’t wrong—he truly is a natural-born disciple of Spirit Sword Mountain.”
“However, what a pity…”
The words “what a pity” were never a good omen in a battle of equals. More often than not, they foreshadowed an impending defeat.
For despite possessing Sword Heart Clarity, Ji You had already taken several of Chu He’s punches, while the latter merely suffered some damage to his robes.
This was a bad sign.
Judging by the strength that had shattered Du Zhu’s mystic black iron blade, Ji You had likely sustained severe internal injuries. If he took a few more blows, he might not be able to continue.
From the spectator stands, the Clan Chief of the Chu Family, the Clan Chief of the Bai Family, and the Clan Chief of the Du Family remained impassive. It seemed they had long anticipated that Chu He would dominate this fight, suppressing all outer court disciples to claim his place in the inner court.
Just then, a gasp rang out from the Field of Enlightenment.
In the next instant, Chu He, whose robes were in tatters, soared into the air, a purple-red aura coiling around him like a divine force, sending the laws of the world into a howling frenzy as they followed the call of his spirit sword.
From the start, he had intended to humiliate and crush Ji You.
The fists he landed on Ji You’s shoulder, back, and waist were all meant to see his opponent’s disgrace, to watch his disbelief, and even to witness fear slowly creeping into his eyes.
Yet, despite taking the full brunt of Chu He’s mighty Huntian Spell, Ji You remained expressionless.
This unwavering composure, this tranquility in the face of injury—this was what infuriated Chu He the most!
And that unexpected sword strike from Ji You had pushed his frustration to the brink.
Since he couldn’t see the fear he desired, Chu He no longer intended to hold back. He would end this with a scene of Ji You’s shattered body lying lifeless on the ground.
With a deafening roar, his Huntian Spell descended, the purple-red energy surging skyward like a tidal wave, causing all onlookers to widen their eyes in shock.
The next instant, the violent force crashed down.
Standing atop the White Jade Terrace, Ji You raised his sword and blocked!
Clang!
His sword erupted in boundless spiritual light, deflecting nearly eighty percent of the Huntian Energy’s devastating force. Yet, the remnants of that terrifying energy still tore through the air.
With a sharp rip, Ji You’s immortal robe was shredded on the spot.
The spectators—noble guests, wandering cultivators, imperial kin, and inner court disciples—stared at Ji You in stunned silence, their earlier gasps frozen in their throats. What followed was an eerie stillness.
Ji You stood there, sword in hand, the tattered remains of his robe draped loosely at his waist. His brow furrowed slightly, yet his expression remained serene.
More astonishingly, his left shoulder, back, chest, and waist—all the places where he had taken Chu He’s powerful blows—bore not a single wound. His body was as flawless as polished jade, radiating a hidden brilliance, an intense heat surging outward like a burning sun.
Only when someone scrutinized him with spiritual senses did they notice faint red marks where he had been struck.
“This…”
“How can this be?”
“I clearly saw him take several punches—why… why is he completely unscathed?!”
The silence of the Field of Enlightenment was first broken by the frantic scribbling of the imperial scribes, desperate to record the spectacle before them. Some Spirit Sword Mountain disciples even looked as though they wanted to pierce their scrolls with their quills.
Then, the entire arena erupted into confused commotion.
They had all witnessed Chu He shatter Du Zhu’s iron blade with less than half of his strength, sending shards flying dangerously through the air.
Yet, against Ji You, Chu He had unleashed a Huntian Energy twice as powerful—enough to leave anyone riddled with wounds. The logical outcome was clear: Ji You should have been battered, bruised, possibly even unable to stand.
But when that physique, like celestial jade, was revealed to them, the truth came crashing down.
Even the previously indifferent Clan Chiefs of the Bai and Du Families widened their eyes, leaning forward from their high seats, unable to believe what they were witnessing.
To them, this wandering rogue cultivator was a mere side note in history, a minor ripple in the vast sea of the Azure Cloud Continent.
No matter how famous he became, he was still just a Mystic Enlightenment Stage cultivator.
Like pebbles in the path of a galloping carriage—one simply rode over them without a second thought.
But none of them had imagined that this insignificant stone would be sharper, harder, and far larger than they had ever expected.
“So it’s true…”
He Ling Xiu widened her eyes, her gaze lingering on his bare torso, recalling the searing heat that had radiated from him in their past encounters.
During the journey to Spirit Sword Mountain, she had observed Ji You closely, suspecting that he was tempering his physical body.
And now, the Autumn Duel of the inner court had confirmed her suspicions.
Even so, despite being mentally prepared, she still found it difficult to believe that such a body existed in this world.
And she was not the only one.
Chu He had fallen into his first moment of silence since stepping onto the stage.
And the very expression of “disbelief” that he had sought in Ji You’s eyes was now surfacing in his own.