Stop it, Taoist, Your Fight almost Ruins the DAO!

The sky was faintly bright, and the vast expanse above was cloudless.

By the bank of the Wujang River.

Screech!

A sharp cry of an eagle pierced the air.

An old eagle, distinguished by a small tuft of white feathers on its head, plummeted from the sky, soaring over high walls and towers before perching atop a towering tree by the bank of the Wujang River.

As it preened its feathers, it surveyed the scene below with a keen gaze.

By now, the riverbank near Wujang was teeming with people, all of them craning their necks toward the river expectantly, some even from the town's peacekeeping forces.

The mad monk was among the crowd as well.

Today was the day Dao Baibi of the Dragon and Tiger Ranking would duel the wandering sword immortal from the Zhi Killing Sword Hut.

Many onlookers, lured by the promise of such an event, had arrived early in anticipation.

Yi Chen was no exception.

Ranked lower on the Dragon and Tiger Ranking, Yi Chen had already eliminated two opponents with ease, barely finding them to be a challenge.

Today's high-tier duel was the perfect opportunity to observe the techniques of the top-ranked masters, providing a better understanding of his own strength.

However, unlike the solemn reverence of the crowd, Yi Chen carried a different demeanor.

He had come with a fishing rod in hand.

Sitting beside him was the guide, Thin Dog.

The two of them fished at a spot downstream, away from the crowd.

This location was at a bend in the expanse of the Wujang River.

After boasting to Thin Dog about his extraordinary fishing skills, Yi Chen started to bait and nest his fishing spot.

An hour later, under Thin Dog's incredulous stare, a frustrated Taoist threw Little Miao into the river.

Soon, Little Miao's claws were surrounded by arcs of electricity, and many fish began to twitch and float to the surface.

The considerate Little Miao even dove into the water to attach a fish to Yi Chen's line, turning his annoyance into delight.

There's no fishing without nesting, and Little Miao proved worthy as his top cat. Thin Dog gave a thumbs-up in approval.

In the game of chess, sometimes victory lies beyond the board.

At that moment, a sudden exclamation burst from the crowd upstream.

"He's here, he's here!"

Yi Chen looked up and saw a figure in black, a swordsman riding the waves from afar. This man, his face cold as ice, radiated a rainbow-like presence and wielded a gleaming long sword as bright as snow. His face bore a prideful expression, as though everyone owed him a great debt.

This was the overbearing Dao Baibi who had emerged as a standout among the Loose Cultivators, having awakened the spirit of gold and, by a stroke of luck, acquired the cultivation technique "Overwhelming Blade." This had immensely empowered him, and now he was on the verge of the True Person Realm.Nôv(el)B\\jnn

Rumor had it that Dao Baibi was reckless and had a volatile temper with extreme tendencies.

He had once slaughtered all the guests at a banquet simply because a newcomer didn't finish his drink when toasting to him, which Dao Baibi took as an insult.

Another time, he beheaded a friend who had joked about an embarrassing moment from his past during a meal, taking it as a personal slight to his honor.

From then on, Dao Baibi was a loner, and others either kept their distance or treated him with extreme respect.

Dao Baibi took no shame in this and was rather proud, declaring that it was better to be feared than pitied.

Regarding this lunatic, Yi Chen had casually gathered some information that morning and swiftly made an assessment—Saint Elizabeth's Mental Hospital, chair number one.

However, the fact that such a cultivator had survived this long and even obtained the sixteenth rank on the Dragon and Tiger Ranking meant that his martial prowess should not be underestimated; Yi Chen was rather looking forward to that.

As for the sword immortal from the Zhi Killing Sword Hut, a talent blessed by the heavens with unparalleled beauty and a natural understanding of the sword, commanded countless followers in the cultivation world. With a sword in hand, she kept all the young disciples of the Zhi Killing Sword Hut from daring to look up.

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This clash of sword and blade indeed promised to be quite the spectacle.

In the midst of Skinny Pup's astonished gaze, Yi Chen conjured up, as if by magic, three small stools, a few dishes of melon seeds and peanuts, and a jar of fine wine, and began to enjoy the show.

One stool for Skinny Pup, one for Little Miao, and one for the Taoist priest—just perfect.

"Advance with a slash, retreat with a slash, I wield but one slash, who dares block my blade?"

"Be it demon or ghost, all shall be cleaved, nothing shall not be cleaved."

"My name is Dao Baibi, Sword Spirit, I trust you've been well."

Above the Wujang River, Dao Baibi's arrogant voice spread in all directions, shaking the fish in the river into chaos, causing those without mana to painfully cover their ears.

"A man's reputation, a tree's shadow—Dao Baibi indeed has extraordinary presence."

"Rumor has it Dao Baibi once withstood a blow from a master newly entered into the True Person Realm; I wonder if the rumors are true?"

"Heh, even if the rumors are somewhat exaggerated, Dao Baibi is certain to firmly enter the realm of True Persons in the future. It seems he seeks to refine himself in this challenge against the Sword Spirit, aiming for a breakthrough into the True Person Realm."

"How come I heard that Dao Baibi has long been smitten with the Sword Spirit, and he doesn't want to put in the effort anymore?"

Many onlookers by the riverbank began to gossip eagerly.

Yi Chen smacked his lips and cracked some melon seeds.

Not very interesting.

Come on, just fight already~

This Dao Baibi seemed more like he was showing off his feathers, could it be that he really was swayed by that flower-wearing old brother's words, and doesn't want to make an effort anymore?

Although far away, with Yi Chen's current cultivation, the discussions of the surrounding people naturally could not escape his ears.

"Come, Miao Zi, take one." Yi Chen clinked his cup with Miao Zi's.

"What a magnificent spirit, Brother Baibi," a serene female voice suddenly appeared from the sky.

The voice was pure and unaffected, not harsh like Dao Baibi's tone—like a spring's ding-dong, it soothed the soul and made one want to lay down their sword.

"The Stop-Killing Sword Abode," Yi Chen commented, seeming interested, "Winning without fighting by bending the will of others—a sword cultivator combined with an auditory attack technique?"

"What a pity, though—the Sword Spirit truly lives up to the name 'plain Jane', so wealthy she carries an 'airport' with her." Yi Chen clinked glasses with Skinny Pup again, making a sharp remark.

Amidst the raging waves, a woman in white clothes appeared, crossing the void, her movements as ethereal as those of an immortal; but she wore a face covering, obscuring her features, and behind her were three long swords, one green, one purple, and one cyan.

"Immortal lady, since we parted last time, I've been haunted by dreams of you. If I win this battle, why don't you become my cultivation partner?"

"Immortal lady, I fancy you~"

As the Sword Spirit appeared, a look of admiration shone in Dao Baibi's eyes, and he laughed boisterously while slashing with a beam of cyan blade energy.

The air itself seemed to be split apart, and the strong wind pressure caused by different airflow speeds on the sides of the blade energy made the onlookers' clothes flutter violently.

"Amazing! Dao Baibi is indeed formidable."

"Dao Baibi has mastered three flavors of the blade, not inferior to those famous experts who have become well-known over many years; truly fierce and full of power, impressive!"

A brawny man with a blade among the crowd showed a look of great admiration.

Hearing Dao Baibi's greasy declaration of love, the Sword Spirit's eyebrows furrowed slightly, signaling perhaps displeasure; she formed a sword gesture with her hand, and a strange green sword emerged from the scabbards on her back.

This sword appeared to be crafted of some bizarre and marvelous metal.

Blue as the heavens, deep as the waters.

The long sword in her hand moved effortlessly, and with a single slash, a green sword wave suddenly materialized, neither too much nor too little, perfectly neutralizing Dao Baibi's blade energy.

Dao Baibi was not discouraged, lifting his blade to strike again—blade light like a prison, with overwhelming momentum. However, within ten meters of the white-clothed girl, it was like an iron wall; no matter how hard Dao Baibi tried, he just couldn't break through.

Yet, to the ordinary spectators on the riverbank, it appeared that Dao Baibi was pressuring the Sword Spirit, and soon, countless accolades resounded along the banks.

"Deserving of the name, Dao Baibi."

However, at this moment, Dao Baibi himself was feeling extremely frustrated and aggrieved within.