Chapter 130: The Training Begins!
(This novel is translated and hosted on Bcatranslation)
Ji You had indeed remained in seclusion for a long time, primarily using Minor Illumination to further temper his body.
During his journey back, he had realized that when he endured the final strike of Thought Without Evil, he seemed to have broken through the overwhelming pressure he experienced during the tenth tempering.
His first attempt upon returning to the courtyard confirmed this.
However, the subsequent refinements were significantly more challenging than before. After several days and nights, he had only managed to complete one more refinement.
Unseen and unspoken, he had begun to perceive a boundary.
It seemed that all beings were born with such a boundary, limiting their physical strength.
His earlier Minor Illumination sessions had been smooth likely because he had yet to approach this threshold. By the tenth refinement, he had truly neared this limit.
When he wielded Seven Heavy Mountains to cut through the Sword Forest, he had used the force of that sword intent to break through his bottleneck.
Yet now, each subsequent refinement was like pushing against this boundary with sheer force, making every step forward an arduous endeavor.
Standing by the serene Azure Lake, Ji You stretched his body before standing still. Facing the willow trees swaying along the shore, his golden eyes flickered with a radiant glow. Though there was no spirit sword in his grasp, sword qi surged around him, causing the willow leaves to dance wildly in the air.
“According to the report from the Ling Prefecture patrol, what did the people of Spirit Sword Mountain say about him?”
“They claimed he possessed the Sword Heart Clarity Body, innately attuned to the Way of the Sword…”
“But didn’t Cao Jin Song previously state that he was naturally attuned to spiritual energy?”
“Could he be attuned to everything?”
“To everything? Just what kind of physique is this…?”
The three Stewards of the Office of Affairs stood side by side on the mountain path, contemplating the sharp and pristine sword intent emanating from the lake. Their hearts were filled with mixed emotions.
Especially Steward Qin, who was closely allied with the Chu Clan—seeing the sword intent by the lake immediately reminded him of Chu He.
The Chu Clan’s second son had left the academy for months, receiving instruction from his elders, all in preparation to challenge Ji You with his sword, enter the Inner Court, and ultimately become the Hall Master’s Direct Disciple.
If this succeeded, the Chu Clan, which lacked an established Daoist lineage, would be permanently bound to two of the Great Immortal Sects, elevating their status far above the noble clans of the Nine Provinces. It would not be an exaggeration to call them the Eighth Great Immortal Sect.
However, Ji You’s sword was not so easily overcome…
Moreover, their stance on Ji You was now filled with contradictions.
Initially, they had sent him to the perilous Ruins of Qiling, intending for him to risk his life simply because he was a wandering rogue cultivator—a man without noble lineage, yet possessing exceptional talent that obstructed the Chu Clan’s young master.
To them, no matter how gifted a rogue cultivator was, he could never compare to the esteemed Chu He.
Yet, it was Ji You who had used his sword to cut through the Sword Forest of Spirit Sword Mountain, preserving the last vestiges of Heavenly Script Academy’s honor.
And the Office of Affairs had always upheld the academy’s prestige as their foremost duty. Who could have predicted that the one to truly fulfill this doctrine would be Ji You?
“From now on, we should refrain from interfering in matters of Inner Court selection.”
“That would be wise.”
“But I still want to know—what exactly is his physique? Could it really surpass the Seven Apertures Exquisite Physique of the Chu Clan?”
“Why do you concern yourself with this, Brother Qin?”
“You don’t understand? Qin’s daughter remains unmarried.”
“…?”
By this time, Ji You had already withdrawn his sword qi, exhaling slowly before making his way toward the Field of Enlightenment. Sitting cross-legged, he gazed up as heavenly radiance descended.
Ever since returning from Spirit Sword Mountain, he had been solely focused on tempering his body, never venturing to Mount Void.
Thus, today, he had decided to exit seclusion and immerse himself in pure cultivation upon the mountain—nothing else, no distractions!
In a rush of wind, Ji You’s spiritual consciousness passed through the layers of Mount Void, appearing before a towering black mountain beneath the vast, ancient heavens. Silence reigned all around.
Atop the mountain, a long-legged, slender-waisted celestial beauty sat in deep contemplation. As she sensed his arrival, her beautiful eyes narrowed slightly.
Since Ji You’s departure, Yan Shu Yi had been contemplating many things, her thoughts a tangled web.
This was only their third meeting, yet this unfamiliar man had not only bitten her toes, but also embraced her. Now that she had calmed down, she was beginning to feel an urge to skewer him with her sword a few times.
Women were naturally fickle.
In the moment, everything had felt exhilarating. But upon reflection, she found such delicacy utterly uncharacteristic of herself.
“Have you eaten?”
“I’m about to enter meditation. Don’t bother me.”
Ji You was momentarily taken aback. [Why is this girl brooding again?]
Stealthily, he approached her.
Yan Shu Yi did not wish to speak further. She closed her eyes, pretending to meditate, but subtly lifted her arms, leaving just enough space between them and her slender waist—just wide enough for a pair of arms to wrap around her. A faint pink mist seemed to swirl around her.
[I’m meditating. If I get hugged, I won’t even know.]
Ji You observed her flimsy pretense, deliberating for a moment before deciding to feign ignorance. Like a proper gentleman, he kept his gaze fixed ahead.
He wanted to draw out Yan Shu Yi’s softer side, to have her nestle into his embrace and call him ‘Big Brother’—not to be the one getting trained by her.
If he was too obedient now, his future lordly aspirations might suffer.
However, as time passed, the expression of the lightly-raised-armed Yan Shu Yi grew colder and colder.
Ji You possessed excellent situational awareness. Resigned, he extended his hands, wrapping them around her delicate waist and gently pulling her into his embrace.
Though still pretending to be in deep meditation, Yan Shu Yi clearly relaxed considerably upon being held.
Being held while meditating—now, this was comfort…
?Watching the Fairy Fall?
At this moment, Ji You was no match for her and could only seethe inwardly. What he didn’t know was that Yan Shu Yi had never been embraced by anyone before, for she was the Little Mirror Master of Spirit Sword Mountain.
That Spirit Mirror had granted her an identity set apart from the world, one that commanded reverence from afar. Even her parents had maintained a certain distance, leaving her unfamiliar with such intimacy.
Having never experienced it, she never considered whether she liked it or not.
Yan Shu Yi had always believed that as someone of her stature, presiding over countless disciples, she should not be accustomed to something as mundane as being held. More importantly, such an act would tarnish her pride.
So when Ji You first touched her waist, she was indeed offended.
Yet later, she found herself enjoying it…
Now, the Little Mirror Master sat with a sense of triumph, her fair jade-like feet dangling over the edge of the Black Stone Cliff, swinging lightly in delight.
The so-called state of meditation now seemed laughably false.
“Your feet are still moving. Are you faking your meditation?” Ji You suddenly spoke.
He immediately felt the girl in his arms stiffen, her small feet instantly falling still.
Ji You lifted her arm from behind and mused to himself, “I’ve heard that when one enters deep meditation, their entire body remains taut. If someone lifts their arm, it shouldn’t drop back down on its own.”
The Little Mirror Master held her arm up obediently, her breath slow and steady. Her delicate, curled lashes quivered slightly.
Ji You studied her and chuckled inwardly. [So, she’s not always as clever as she seems. When she’s being foolish, she’s easy to fool.]
A true cultivator in meditation would be abruptly roused by any external interference. There was no way she would simply hold her arm up like that.
Well then…
Time to teach a lesson!
Ji You gently lowered her arm, then leaned in close to her ear, murmuring, “I also heard that if someone in deep meditation is called by name, they will instinctively respond. If they don’t… well, then they’re just pretending.”
Yan Shu Yi: “?”
Ji You, having set the stage, softly called out, “Shu Yi, call me ‘Brother’.”
The moment his words landed, the Little Mirror Master suddenly opened her beautiful eyes, revealing a gaze as cold as ice.
She turned her head from his embrace, Sword Intent surging.
The pink aura drifting around her dissipated and was swiftly replaced by an icy-white radiance.
In the next instant, Ji You’s Spiritual Consciousness was forcefully expelled, flung back into the Field of Enlightenment, leaving him speechless.
[So much for cultivating the Dao… seems I won’t be making any progress today.]
Ji You had intended to send his Spiritual Consciousness out once more, but before he could close his eyes, an imposing chest came into view.
Cao Jin Song had been waiting at the White Jade Terrace, watching over him while he sought enlightenment. Now, seeing him return to his senses, he couldn’t help but ask, “How did your seclusion go?”
Ji You stretched his back lazily and replied, “Not bad. I feel stronger than before.”
“Excellent! Then we only need to wait for the Autumn Duel. Once you cut down Chu He, you’ll enter the Inner Court!”
Ji You smirked but quickly shifted topics. “Instructor, I haven’t been keeping up with the news these past few days. Do you know how You Bu Yu is doing?”
Between him and You Bu Yu, there was a personal grudge. He wasn’t asking out of concern but rather out of curiosity regarding certain matters.
Because on that night when they left Spirit Sword Mountain, during their carriage journey from Ling Prefecture to Liang Prefecture, he had been meditating with eyes shut when a sudden “bang” rang out from behind.
The carriage came to an abrupt stop, and everyone disembarked, only to see You Bu Yu—who had been riding separately due to his injuries—collapsed on the ground. He writhed in agony, repeatedly clutching his abdomen and letting out pained howls.
Before anyone could react, he had already lost consciousness, his complexion turning a ghastly yellow before their very eyes.
In truth, when they departed from Spirit Sword Mountain, the Direct Disciple of the Hall of Tranquility had already mostly recovered. Though still pale, his Spiritual Qi had stabilized, and his grievous wounds had ceased bleeding.
He himself had seemed in good spirits, even scoffing at the idea of the Heavenly Script Academy sending someone to escort him back, declaring that since he had already lost in the Asking the Dao, further humiliation by being unable to return on his own would only make him the laughingstock of a lifetime.
Yet no one had anticipated his condition would suddenly deteriorate so drastically. Since then, he had not awakened once.
Later, several elders of the Hall of Tranquility personally came to retrieve him, and after that, Ji You never saw him again.
Now, Cao Jin Song turned away, hands clasped behind his back, and muttered, “His condition isn’t looking good. The moment he returned to the mountain, his cultivation base began to crumble. His Spiritual Qi is now wildly rampaging through his body, beyond his control.”
The Heavenly Script Academy’s All Methods Accompany the Self was potent, but forcibly breaking through it would indeed cause backlash—though rarely to such an extreme degree.
Ji You pondered for a while before asking, “The Hall Master You has reached the pinnacle of the Upper Five Realms, and the Sect Master is at the Approaching Immortal Realm. Even they have no solution?”
“If there was a solution, they wouldn’t have let it drag on this long. The specifics are unknown, but it doesn’t seem easy to resolve. Just two days ago, I heard that Hall Master You has already sent people to the Pill Sect to seek the aid of an alchemist.”
Ji You nodded at this revelation, then suddenly smirked. “Instructor Cao, how much was your monthly stipend this month?”
At these words, Cao Jin Song’s expression slowly stiffened.