Chapter 429 A Wicked Habit, Long Time No See
What is that?
"It's sword energy... such powerful sword energy."
At the forefront of the Dongling Mountain, on a crumbling half-wall of the city wall, more than a dozen cultivators responsible for guarding and warning were all crammed into a small arrow tower.
The arrival of the remnants was so sudden that the city was breached in an instant, and the army poured in, leaving them no time to escape. They could only hide here.
Every time a soldier from the remnant clan passed by their watchtower, it felt as if they were stepping on the heart of the enemy.
They saw no hope, their eyes filled only with the fear of death, yet they still clung to the hope that a powerful being from the human race would come against the tide and rescue them.
To their surprise, although no powerful figures came from outside the city, a powerful sword aura suddenly roared across the sky from behind the army of the remnant race.
They instantly felt a glimmer of hope, so they peered out from between the bricks.
Just as they peered out, a powerful, sharp energy blast rushed towards them.
boom!!!!!
The next instant, a sword aura suddenly rose up, like a ferocious beast that had been dormant for thousands of years suddenly awakening, roaring from the bottom of the abyss.
The sword energy was broad and domineering, like a mountain, carrying a savage heaviness and violence, slashing down from behind the remnant army.
Amidst a tremendous roar, a straight blank space was forcibly cleaved through the massive army of the remnant race, which surged like a tidal wave.
Wherever the sword energy passed, a huge and deep ravine was torn open from the ground. Countless soldiers of the remnant race did not even have time to scream before they exploded into a cloud of blood mist under that destructive power, and their remaining limbs were crushed into the scorched soil.
Inside the arrow tower, the cultivators hiding there watched this terrifying scene with astonishment on their faces.
Then a heavy gust of air rolled and crashed onto the city wall, making it impossible for them to open their eyes. They could only vaguely see a figure in white rushing towards them.
Wherever it passed, the powerful sword energy blasted away the blood mist, clearing it away completely.
With a muffled thud, they suddenly held their breath, feeling the sand falling from above, knowing that the newcomer had landed on the city wall above them.
At this moment, someone shakily climbed up the city wall and looked up at the dilapidated top of the wall.
There stood a swordsman, a very young swordsman.
He was dressed in white, holding a sword in one hand, his eyes seemed to be surging with gold, and his body was surrounded by endless mysterious light, his aura so powerful that the surrounding wind roared.
The lingering sword energy alone made the cultivators guarding the city feel a powerful sense of oppression. They felt that although the other party looked like a scholar, he was as tall as a mountain.
This wasn't the first time they had felt this oppressive feeling; the last time they felt it was from Qi Zhengyang, the head of the Lingjian Mountain Sword Sect, who appeared and drew his sword during the city defense battle.
"We're still a little late."
On the city wall, Ji You couldn't help but mutter to himself.
When he was struggling to break through in Qingzhou, he was pursued by the remnant generals and ministers. In the fierce battle, he was almost crushed by the mud body. After a long period of repair, he immediately rushed here.
He was the first to know that the remnant race had been reborn as immortals, and he had long anticipated the decline of the human race, knowing that they would inevitably not be able to withstand another attack.
But he didn't expect the remnant race to enter the city so quickly, so he could only fight his way through the remnant race's army.
Just then, Ji You turned to look at the human cultivators peeking out from the arrow tower: "What are you doing hiding here?"
The group exchanged glances: "Well, we can't escape."
"Leave quickly, head west."
"May I ask, young master..."
The cultivator who was the first to regain his senses immediately cupped his hands, wanting to inquire about the identity of the newcomer, but before he could finish speaking, he discovered that the swordsman in front of him had already shattered the stone wall of the crenellation with one foot.
Amidst the flying debris, the figure, accompanied by a shockwave that tore through the sky, hurtled towards the battlefield within the city like a falling meteor.
As he soared through the air, the longswords that had been abandoned by their masters in the shattered city all trembled violently.
"Clang—Clang—"
In a few breaths, the hundreds of longswords scattered on the ground rose up as if drawn by an invisible divine will, transforming into a mighty torrent of swordsmanship, following that figure and soaring into the sky!
Upon seeing this, everyone stared in astonishment. Many people in Qingyun Tianxia used swords, but it seemed that only one person could control a sword like this.
At this moment, in the middle of Taogu County.
The retreating crowds, like a flood bursting its banks, poured into every street and every square, a vast, dark expanse stretching as far as the eye could see, like a boundless ocean of despair.
However, the so-called front line collapsed the moment the Dongling Mountains crumbled.
Whether they were disciples of Lingjian Mountain, disciples of Tianshu Academy, or members of aristocratic families, none of them knew where to retreat; they were simply making a final, chaotic struggle based on instinct.
Of course, there were also those who were utterly despondent and completely unable to muster any thought of resistance...
In the southern part of Taogu County, the remaining battle lines, like a dike repeatedly eroded by the tide, were on the verge of collapse.
At the forefront of the battle line, which resembled colliding waves, the heads of various families from the Central Continents and the elders of the Immortal Sects, who were protecting their descendants, were covered in blood, but their spiritual energy was still frantically consuming and releasing spiritual energy, refusing to give up.
Just then, in the sky above the fierce battlefield, a figure far taller than ordinary remnants of the race, clad in ancient and tattered armor, suddenly appeared, tearing through the densely woven net of magic.
As he soared through the air, the extremely dense, destructive black light in his palm frantically gathered and compressed, eventually transforming into a black mountain seal entwined with an ominous aura.
As soon as the mountain seal took shape, its weight seemed to be able to suppress mountains and rivers, like a roaring black dragon crashing down on the already fragile human defenses below!
The patriarchs and elders who were fighting fiercely below felt a sudden heaviness around them, as if they were being pressed down by an invisible mountain, making it extremely difficult to even raise their arms.
With a deafening roar, several sword energies from the Thousand Paths of Spirit Sword Mountain were crushed, and all the clan elders and senior members at the forefront of the tidal wave were blasted away.
"father!!"
He Lingxiu's face turned deathly pale, and she let out a shrill scream as she watched helplessly as her father, He Ye, crashed heavily to the ground like a kite with a broken string, right in front of her.
Almost simultaneously, the towering mountain seal was raised once more, and the shadow of death descended like a tidal wave.
At the same time, a scream came from within the lines.
Among the fleeing crowd, Fang Jincheng, dressed in fine clothes, let out a terrified scream.
He had completely forgotten his boastful words from a few hours ago that he would go out and kill a few people to try. Seeing the shadow of death looming over him, he subconsciously reached out and slapped out a palm.
In his pupils, distorted by fear, was reflected the astonished and desperate face of Lu Hanyan, whom he had personally pushed to the front lines to shield her from calamity.
He doesn't want to die, so someone has to take his place. It's a very simple principle...
"Smoke!"
Upon catching a glimpse of Lu Hanyan's figure flying out of the battle line, Lu Xiong and Lu Qingqiu's minds went blank for a moment, and they immediately pounced over.
Wen Zhengxin suddenly turned around, and with an incredulous expression, drew his sword at Fang Jincheng.
However, at that moment, Fang Xiang, the head of the Fang family, suddenly appeared, looking at Wen Zhengxin with a powerful aura, his eyes filled with threat and killing intent.
Fang Jincheng was his grandson, so naturally he wouldn't let anyone hurt him. But at that moment, he didn't realize that a sword aura was slashing down from the void.
*Pfft!*
Fang Jincheng was still in shock when he felt a sharp pain. In his peripheral vision, he saw a patch of bright red blood, and the arm that had pushed him had been severed cleanly from his shoulder and fell to the ground with a thud.
It was an incredibly sharp sword aura, but it wasn't just meant to sever his arm.
With a deafening boom, a violent aura exploded outwards, and the mountain seal formed by the black light was fiercely blocked by the whistling sword energy.
Everything happened in the blink of an eye, before anyone around could even react.
All they saw was Lu Hanyan suddenly rushing to the front of the formation, and then they saw the unrestrained sword energy.
At this moment, under everyone's gaze, a man stood proudly in front of the formation, holding a sword in one hand. The soaring sword intent erupted from his body, forcefully holding back the earth-shattering seal of the remnant general.
Amidst the clash between the sword energy and the magic seal, some ordinary soldiers of the remnant race at the front of the battle line were unable to withstand the impact and exploded into a cloud of blood mist.
A hazy, yellow sandstorm; an eerie blood mist.
Above the chaotic void, Ji You and the remnant general stood facing each other, their auras clashing constantly, like the roar of a tiger and the cry of a dragon.
At this moment, Lu Hanyan, who was in shock, slowly came to her senses and realized that the killing intent had not landed on her. Instead, she was being held in the arms of a man.
Then she felt a slap on her buttocks, and then the hand that was holding her waist suddenly let go.
Immediately afterwards, the man pressed forward with his sword in one hand, and the second sword whistled forth.
No one saw where the sword came from, nor did they see him swing it. When they looked up, they saw the magnificent sword energy rushing out from the battle line like a long river, straight up to the sky!
With a deafening roar, the great seal was shattered, and the remnant generals and ministers retreated in panic.
"It's that human who attained enlightenment in the Great Wilderness Forest!"
"It's him, it really is him."
Seeing that their killing intent had been thwarted, the people in front of the battle line began to retreat frantically, distancing themselves from the enemy's lines.
During this process, Gong Buyi, who had been rescued from Qingzhou, instantly recognized the man's face and let out a cry of surprise.
The surrounding cultivators all looked up, panting, with expressions of surprise and uncertainty: "Is there really such a person?"
"Yes, that's him!"
"I can also vouch for it; it's that person."
Amidst the crowd, Qiu Hanyue, her face pale, opened her bright eyes wide and gazed at the figure with longing, saying, "Back in the mountains of Qingzhou, it was he who saved me..."
In fact, many people realized they didn't recognize the swordsman when he drew his sword. It was only when they heard Gong Buyi's exclamation that they suddenly realized that this was the seemingly ordinary human from the legends.
Just then, from the direction of the city, a series of explosions rang out, and endless dust and sand swirled wildly in the sky.
The crowd could see the sword-wielding figure traversing the sky, his unrestrained swordplay like a torrent of silver from the heavens.
When a powerful being is on the front lines, the attack usually begins with the powerful being clearing the way, and the soldiers behind him then charge in along the lines he has torn open.
This approach would both reduce casualties and accelerate the advance.
But beneath that white-clad figure, the torrent of the remnant army was actually held back at the center.
At that moment, Gong Buyi's expression suddenly changed: "No, that's not right..."
He Lingxiu frowned upon hearing this: "What's wrong?"
“We’ve only been here for a month since we came from Qingzhou. That person… that person should only be at the Yingtian Realm. How did he suddenly become so strong?”
"?"
Upon hearing this, everyone paused slightly, recalling the seemingly disjointed rumors from before.
At first, several aristocratic families in Qingzhou were saved. Someone said there was a cultivator in the Yingtian Realm in the Great Wilderness Forest, who was later identified as a demon. It was said that the person could fight Jiang Chen.
Then came several young men from noble families who had escaped from Youzhou, saying that the man had slaughtered an entire city occupied by the remnants of the clan.
The people described in their stories share the same characteristics, but the only discrepancy lies in their cultivation level, which is why many people find it impossible.
But only now did they realize that someone had actually advanced to this level in just a few months.
Who exactly is this person? Humanity has never had such a prodigy.
Boom boom boom!!!
Amidst the chaotic explosions, everyone involuntarily looked up and saw that as a fierce sword aura slashed straight to the north, the white-clad swordsman's figure suddenly retreated in front of them, panting heavily as he tried to inhale and exhale spiritual energy.
“Young Master…” Qiu Hanyue couldn’t help but step forward, looking at him with moist eyes, “We meet again after our parting in Qingzhou.”
Ji You took a long breath, then looked up at her and frowned in confusion.
He certainly knew who Qiu Hanyue was, but in his memory, they had never met in Qingzhou.
"You cut off my arm! You cut off my arm!"
Just then, a wail rang out, and Fang Jincheng looked at Ji You with a pained expression.
Fang Xiang, who was standing behind him, immediately stepped forward and covered his grandson's mouth as he cried out.
He knew that his grandson's Dao heart had been shattered by immense fear, and the loss of an arm had left him irrational. However, he was very clear that this person's cultivation level was beyond his ability to handle.
But as the head of the Fang family, Fang Xiang still spoke up for his grandson: "Young master's sword energy could have bypassed the woman from the academy that day, why did you have to cut off my grandson's arm!"
Upon hearing this, Lu Qingqiu angrily retorted, "He pushed my sister out; she deserved to lose an arm!"
Upon hearing this, Fang Xiang was instantly enraged: "You little brat, spouting nonsense in front of so many people, do you have a death wish?!"
“Patriarch Fang, let’s just let this matter go.” He Ye, who was covering his wound, suddenly spoke up. “Our lives were saved by this young master. It’s just an arm. I think it was just an accidental injury.”
Fang Xiang's eyes suddenly narrowed: "I didn't intend to hold this young master accountable, I just wanted to get to the bottom of things, but who would have thought someone would jump out and spout nonsense? Shouldn't they be killed?!"
As soon as he finished speaking, everyone suddenly noticed that the swordsman, whose breathing had gradually become even, suddenly raised his hand.
Before anyone could react, Fang Jincheng exploded into a cloud of blood mist with a bang, and Fang Xiang's right arm, which was supporting him, was also severed by a sword.
In an instant, a shrill scream rang out from Fang Xiang's mouth. His eyes instantly turned to terror as he looked at the swordsman in front of him, trembling all over.
But before he could even speak, he felt as if his chest had been pierced by a thunderous crash, and he lay stiffly on the ground. With his eyes glazed over, the head of the Fang family couldn't understand why he would be killed for simply asking a question.
This sudden change startled everyone. In the blink of an eye, everyone drew their weapons, and even Lu Qingqiu immediately assumed a defensive stance.
Only Lu Hanyan touched her slapped buttocks, her eyes glazed over.
Just then, Ji You turned to look at Cao Jingsong.
Cao Jingsong drew his Dao sword to meet him, slowly shielding Wen Zhengxin, Ban Yangshu, and the Lu sisters behind him, his body surging with spiritual energy.
Just then, he heard the other person's voice slowly ring out in front of them.
It was a phrase he knew very well, but one he thought he would never hear again; it was spoken softly, yet it was deafeningly loud.
"You wicked habit, it's been a long time."
As soon as he finished speaking, Cao Jingsong's eyes widened suddenly, his gaze trembling.
At the same time, Wen Zhengxin, Ban Yangshu, and the Lu sisters also showed the same expression as him, revealing an incredulous look.
Because only one person has ever used this name to refer to Cao Jingsong.
"What...what did you call me?" Cao Jingsong's voice trembled slightly.
"Are you hard of hearing? It's been over a year. The instructor's monthly salary should have been quite high by now?"
"You...you are Ji You!?"
Ji You smiled faintly at him: "It's me, Teacher. I'm back."
As soon as the words were spoken, everyone in the room held their breath, their minds going blank for a moment.
Whether they were disciples of the Heavenly Academy or disciples of the Spirit Sword Mountain, everyone froze in place.
Because they never expected that the person who suddenly appeared in the rumors and suddenly held up the entire army line like a god of death would be Ji You.
Amidst the shock and silence, everyone subconsciously looked at the mangled limbs of Fang Jincheng and Fang Xiang, as if they suddenly understood why they had been killed.
In Shengjing Zuixianlou, who hasn't heard the story of "The White-Clad Swordsman Teases Two Beauties"?
The only one caught in this predicament was Qiu Hanyue, who had just stepped up to greet Ji You. At this moment, the young lady of the Qiu family stared at him blankly, her pupils constricted.
Back then, she didn't understand what it meant to be able to storm into the inner courtyard with a sword despite the obstruction of the Immortal Sect and the ancient families. It wasn't until later, when Qingyun was plagued by misfortunes, that she realized what it meant and always wanted to find a powerful man.
Later, during her escape from Qingzhou, she fell in love with him.
But only now did she realize that the only one who could wield a sword and turn the tide was the man she had resolutely rejected after listening to her sisters' analysis of the remote and impoverished areas.
Zhao Yunyue shares a similar mindset with her.
Seeing Fang Jincheng everywhere, she couldn't help but glance at the Lu sisters, her face pale.
At this moment, Cao Jingsong's trembling voice rang out again.
"How did you survive? How did you end up like this?"
"This is a long story, but now is not the time to explain. My sword formation can't hold them off for long. You retreat to the east or west. I checked when I came, and the lines on both sides haven't been broken."
Just then, a man dressed in a Lingjian Mountain sword robe pushed through the crowd: "Young Master Ji, my master is in danger, we need to go south!"
The one speaking was Elder Yan Chuan of Lingjian Mountain, who had personally witnessed three supreme auras attacking his own appraiser.
"With your cultivation level, there's no point in going. Just do as I say."
"But……"
“I will go,” Ji You interrupted him. “I won’t let her face everything alone.”
Upon hearing this, all the disciples of Lingjian Mountain were stunned.
They had never quite understood their appraiser's choice, but when they heard the words "I won't let her face everything alone," they suddenly seemed to understand their appraiser's reasons.
Then, a memory they had deliberately forgotten began to slowly resurface.
That was a memory from two years ago. Back then, when they were conquering the ancient clans, someone witnessed Ji You shouting, "What am I going to do about my arrogant little devil?" before breaking into the Heavenly Dao Sacrifice.
"Enough talk, let's go." Ji You gripped his longsword and soared into the air towards the front lines.
Faced with life and death, no one had time to think too much. They could only obey Ji You's arrangements and turn to retreat south without hesitation.
How did it survive?
This wicked disciple, how could he suddenly come back to life when he was perfectly fine after dying?
As Cao Jingsong retreated south, his heart pounded like a drum, refusing to stop. Wen Zhengxin, Ban Yangshu, and the Lu sisters also kept murmuring, as if their hearts were filled with immense joy, and their vision gradually blurred with tears.
As for the others, although their mindsets differed, they were all equally bewildered.
It wasn't until they were about to pass through the south gate of Taogu County that they couldn't help but turn around and look back.
Beneath the chaotic sky, Ji You stood suspended in the void, his robes fluttering. Behind him, thousands of sharp swords roared across the sky, transforming into a chilling torrent of metal, their sword energy tearing through the heavens.
As he suddenly pressed his hand down, a rain of swords poured down like a galaxy, carrying the resolute determination to sever all things, and crashed into the towering dust.
The once mighty and surging army of the remnants was suddenly halted, and the warriors and blades at the forefront shattered inch by inch amidst the ear-piercing clang.
Upon witnessing this scene, the silent crowd hurriedly left the city with dazed expressions, but the sight of the rain of swords was deeply imprinted in their hearts.
In the second year of the Taichang era, Fan Jiazi Jiyou from Yuyang County secretly cultivated and reached the perfection of the lower three realms, and happened to enter the Heavenly Academy.
Later, he was disliked by the Immortal Sect and obstructed by the aristocratic families. He went through many hardships before finally entering the inner courtyard, but was ultimately not accepted by the Immortal Palace.
Some argue that those who practice private cultivation have no roots, no connections, and no one to protect them; their fame is fleeting.
As he had predicted, Ji You eventually died on the road.
In the seventh year of Taiwu, the sorrow returned. At that time, the army of the remnant clan pressed on the border like a flood. He drew his sword, and the sword light split the sky, cutting through the flood.
"Who...is that person?"
"have no idea."
"Is that a formation or swordsmanship?!"
"It's like a formation, but... it's more like swordsmanship."
On the west side of Taogu County, a cultivator who had broken away from the main force looked ahead and saw the massive army of the remnant race, which surged like a great river, being blocked by countless sword energies that seemed to fly through the air.
Behind that magnificent torrent of swordsmanship, there was only one person, standing proudly in mid-air, with a huge halo unfolding behind him.
For a moment, everyone was captivated by this domineering scene, even forgetting about retreat. They watched intently as the massive army of the remnants, like a tsunami, clashed repeatedly with the magnificent sword formation, their hearts trembling with each passing moment.
boom!!!!
After a long time, the Dao sword behind Ji You kept shifting.
As sword rings continued to combine, the intense sword light made his figure appear as if the red sun were shining in the sky.
【The Immortal Sword Formation】
With a soft whisper, a magnificent killing intent instantly surged forth. The intense light seemed to pierce the heavens directly, and with an aura of world destruction, it crashed down, directly slicing through the black waves in front of it.
After delivering that sword strike, Ji You turned around without hesitation and sped towards the southernmost shore of the Xuanhai Sea.
He wasn't trying to resist the army of the remnants; he was just giving Instructor Cao and the others enough time to escape. What was more urgent was that he needed to go to Spirit Sword Mountain.
(End of this chapter)
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