This humble Taoist priest, Qianhe, begins his quest for immortality by slaying demons and monsters.

Time flies like an arrow; three months have passed since Zhong Bai and Zhao Ling'er became Daoist partners.

Shushan.

The Sword Immortal's injuries have been completely healed, and at the same time, his resentment towards Zhong Bai has reached its peak.

In his cave, Li Xiaoyao was somewhat absent-minded. Even though his cultivation had progressed rapidly since he arrived at Mount Shu two months ago, he still couldn't truly calm down.

The Sword Immortal saw it all, but he couldn't resolve his disciple's inner conflict.

"Master, are your injuries healed?"

At this moment, Li Xiaoyao held a long sword in his hand. As he swung it, he saw his master arrive on his sword. A few days ago, he had heard his sect leader uncle say that his master could not use his true energy until his injuries had healed.

After taking a gulp of strong liquor from the gourd at his waist, the Drunken Sword Immortal said with a gloomy look in his eyes, "You've recovered, disciple. Didn't you want to see that woman again?"

Li Xiaoyao, who was holding the long sword, suddenly lost his balance and his body trembled slightly.

"Will we ever meet again, Master?"

"Yes, when Zhong Bai of Maoshan was fighting with me, I caught a wisp of his aura. Your sect leader has been using the sect's most precious treasure to track him these past few days. As long as he doesn't leave the Shu Mountain area, we can pinpoint his exact location!"

As he spoke, the Sword Immortal couldn't help but feel a surge of anger rising within him.

At the same time, a streak of light flashed by, and it was the Sword Saint.

"Greetings, Master Brother!"

"Xiaoyao greets his senior master!"

Sword Saint nodded, his expression indifferent. After glancing at Sword Immortal, he said, "The location of Zhong Bai of Maoshan has been locked. He is only a thousand miles away from Shushan. He is really audacious. In any case, Shushan will get our revenge!"
"Junior brother, let's go!"

Upon hearing this, the Drunken Sword Immortal was overjoyed; his chance for revenge had arrived!

"Understood, Senior Brother. Let's go on the journey. I'll take you with me so you can see that woman again!"

After saying that, the Drunken Sword Immortal picked up Li Xiaoyao and transformed into a streak of light to quickly follow the Sword Saint.

......................................................

In the small courtyard outside Suzhou, Zhong Bai and Mo Ling had been relatively relaxed for the past three months. Zhong Bai spent his days cultivating and refining essence blood to strengthen his physical body. After spending tens of millions of demon-slaying points, Zhong Bai was only a little bit away from the peak of the Nascent Soul stage and could break through at any time.

The most special thing is that Zhao Ling'er is pregnant.

Zhong Bai and Mo Ling both found this somewhat amazing, since it is very difficult for cultivators to conceive offspring. You can see that Mo Ling and Zhong Bai have tried more times than Zhao Ling'er, but they haven't had any results.

"Husband, after Ling'er gives birth to her child, should we send Ling'er and the child to the Feathered Immortal Palace for my elder brother to take care of?"

Through Zhong Bai's narration, Mo Ling has learned some of the stories behind Zhao Ling'er, as well as the entanglements of the Moon Worship Cult and Mount Shu.

The best way to avoid these things is to stay away from them and avoid all the trouble.

Zhong Bai did not refuse. He also felt that it was right for Zhao Ling'er to leave first, as it would be dangerous for her to continue to bring the child with him.

"Well, let's talk about it after Ling'er is born."

As soon as he finished speaking, Zhong Bai's expression changed abruptly, and upon seeing this, Mo Ling instinctively reached out to draw her Demon-Slaying Sword to summon her elder brother's wisp of soul.

"No rush, Mo'er. Let's find out the purpose of Shushan's arrival before troubling your elder brother."

After hearing Zhong Bai's comforting words, Mo Ling's emotions calmed down a bit.

Whoosh whoosh!
Two streaks of light descended from the sky and hovered in the horizon. They were the Sword Saint and the Drunken Sword Immortal, who had arrived on their swords. As for Li Xiaoyao, he was being carried by the Drunken Sword Immortal.

"Who do you think I am? It turns out to be the Sword Immortal of Mount Shu. This must be the Sword Saint, the leader of Mount Shu. May I ask what brings you two from so far away?"
Will you attack me indiscriminately again, just like last time?

Zhong Bai faced the Sword Saint in the void without the slightest fear. His eyes were deep, as if he was truly not worried about his safety at all.

The Sword Saint was also sizing up Zhong Bai.

"At less than a hundred years old, you are in the late stage of the Nascent Soul realm. With such powerful blood and energy, it's no wonder that my junior brother is no match for you."

I heard you're a disciple of Maoshan?

The Sword Saint spoke calmly, seemingly without a trace of anger, but Zhong Bai did not let his guard down. This kind of talent was the most dangerous; like a mentally ill person, who knew if he would suddenly strike?

"So what if they are disciples of Maoshan? Sword Saint, the sect leader, can just state the purpose of this trip directly, instead of being secretive and making it seem like all the people of Shushan are petty thieves."

"Quick-witted and sharp-tongued..."

However, injuring a disciple of my Shu Mountain sect is not something that can be easily resolved, even if you are a disciple of Mao Mountain!

As soon as the Sword Saint finished speaking, Zhao Ling'er rushed out of the courtyard with a flustered expression and stood in front of Zhong Bai, looking up at the void.

"You're not allowed to hurt Brother Zhong Bai!"

Mo Ling wanted to tell Zhao Ling'er that they would be alright, but seeing Zhao Ling'er's resolute expression, Mo Ling decided not to remind her. Perhaps this was a testament to true friendship in times of trouble...

After they finally saw Zhao Ling'er clearly in the void, all three of them were shocked.

First up is the Sword Saint.

"The bloodline of Nuwa! The bloodline of Nuwa!"

The Sword Saint muttered to himself. He hadn't used his divine sense to probe the situation inside the house earlier, so he genuinely hadn't noticed Zhao Ling'er. But now, the Sword Saint knew very well what the Nuwa bloodline meant. The Zhao Ling'er in front of him was most likely his... biological daughter!
The Sword Immortal naturally sensed the bloodline of Nuwa, or rather, the moment he saw Zhao Ling'er, the image of that person from the past appeared in his mind.

Li Xiaoyao, on the other hand, simply felt a heart-wrenching sensation upon seeing Zhao Ling'er protecting Zhong Bai.

In an instant, the atmosphere at the scene became eerie.

Mo Ling was hesitating whether to call her elder brother to come and save the day when she heard Zhong Bai look calmly into the void and say, "Sword Saint Sect Leader, I know about your relationship with Ling'er, but I still have to remind you, Sword Saint Sect Leader, if you really want to deal with me, even if it's your Shu Mountain, you should think it through!"

Sensing the confidence in her husband's words, Mo Ling did not draw her Demon Slayer Sword.

Zhao Ling'er, on the other hand, went from being worried to feeling confused.

She looked up at Zhong Bai, whom she was protecting, with tears streaming down her face, and asked softly, "Brother Zhong Bai, what do you mean by that?"
What is the relationship between Ling'er and that person?
Ling'er has never seen that person before!

Zhao Ling'er's few words completely broke the Sword Saint's composure in the void.

I wanted to speak up, but found that I had no reason to.

"She's pregnant?"

Taking a deep breath, the Sword Saint asked in a slightly trembling voice.

Zhong Bai did not pretend not to hear.

Looking directly into the Sword Saint's eyes, he said, "Ling'er is already a month pregnant, with my child."

boom!
One sentence, and three hearts are broken.

The Sword Saint was heartbroken because the moment he saw his daughter, she was already in this situation. The Drunken Sword Immortal, on the other hand, had the daughter of his former lover before him, only to find her now another man's wife.

Li Xiaoyao... truly heartbroken.

"Zhong Bai!"

The Sword Saint was furious. His daughter had been kidnapped, even though he himself was not a good father.

"Mo'er, take Ling'er to the courtyard to wait. If these people dare to come in, call your elder brother over. As for me... don't worry, at worst we can just awaken the ancestor!"

Zhong Bai was equally angry. He didn't intend to provoke others, but they were taking advantage of him. Even if this person was Zhao Ling'er's father, it wouldn't work. Did they really think he, Zhong Bai, had no temper?

Mo Ling nodded, knowing that Zhong Bai had his own trump card, and then pulled Zhao Ling'er into the courtyard. Only then did Zhong Bai truly concentrate on looking at the three people in the void.

"I'd like to see what the leader of the Shu Mountain Sect can do!"

As soon as he finished speaking, bolts of lightning shot out from Zhong Bai's palm. Even someone like the Drunken Sword Immortal could only avoid its edge, let alone with Li Xiaoyao by his side.
Only the Sword Saint stood motionless in the void.

"That's just a petty trick. I'm going to teach you a lesson today!"

If the Sword Saint's initial intention upon meeting Zhong Bai was to severely injure him and restore the reputation of Mount Shu, then now the Sword Saint intends to subdue Zhong Bai.

As for why this change occurred, it is inextricably linked to Zhao Ling'er. At the same time, there is another point: Zhong Bai's identity is most likely that he is indeed a disciple of Maoshan.

"Void Sword, Annihilate!"

With a slight tremor of the sword saint's fingertips, countless sword energies in the void instantly annihilated the lightning.

Zhong Bai knew that he couldn't possibly defeat the Sword Saint, given the vast difference in their cultivation levels. But if he didn't even have the courage to face a Nascent Soul cultivator, how could he possibly continue on his journey?

Besides, with the ten ancestral tablets inside his body, Zhong Bai felt that his safety was guaranteed.

Therefore, the Sword Saint actually became a good experimental subject.

"Hahaha, the head of the Shu Mountain sect is indeed quite capable. Let's see my Samadhi True Fire!"

A cluster of flames spread out, and the sky was filled with three-colored flames. Even the Sword Saint, who was at the peak of the Nascent Soul stage, had to marvel at the terror of this divine power. If it were an ordinary Nascent Soul Dao Lord, he would most likely be reduced to ashes in an instant.

Even a half-step Nascent Soul cultivator would get injured.

With a wave of his hand, countless sword energies appeared out of thin air and extinguished clusters of tri-colored flames. Zhong Bai used these methods to deal with evil spirits and demons below the Nascent Soul stage, and they were extremely effective. However, they were completely useless against the Sword Saint.

"Is this the Nascent Soul realm?"
The power of heaven and earth is at your fingertips…

As Zhong Bai gained his insights, he simply took out his ultimate weapon, the Kui Niu Drum.

"Does the Sword Saint dare to come to the void?!"

After Zhong Bai finished speaking, he drew his spirit sword and leaped into the void dozens of miles away.

The Sword Saint shifted his feet and appeared instantly.

Zhong Bai seized the opportunity and struck the Kui Niu Drum in an instant, causing thunder to reverberate for dozens of miles. Even a being like the Sword Saint frowned slightly.

"A Nascent Soul level spiritual treasure, and such a powerful Kui Niu drum at that. It does have some treasures for self-defense, but you know nothing about the power of a Nascent Soul level expert."

town!"

As the Sword Saint's words fell, streams of spiritual energy from heaven and earth, carrying the great power of heaven and earth, transformed into mountains that instantly appeared above Zhong Bai's head.

boom!
The mountain fell, and Zhong Bai's entire body was smashed to the ground, unable to even strike the Kui Niu Drum in his hand.

Zhong Bai felt an immense pressure surge over him, and the suffocating oppression made his veins bulge. If it weren't for his terrifying physical body, he might have been suppressed on the spot.

The ground beneath his feet was cracking inch by inch. Zhong Bai took a deep breath, suddenly shook his body and threw off the burden several meters away. Then he threw a punch, and with a loud bang, the mountains formed by the power of heaven and earth turned into nothingness.

In the void, the Sword Saint, witnessing this scene, was increasingly alarmed. The methods Zhong Bai displayed made him feel that he was not dealing with a Nascent Soul Dao Lord at all, but with a Divine Transformation expert.

It is not only difficult to deal with, but also capable in all aspects, making it powerful in every way.

"No wonder my junior brother is no match for you. With such combat skills, you could even put up a fight against an ordinary early-stage Nascent Soul cultivator."

However, I am determined to suppress you; you cannot escape!

As soon as he finished speaking, the Sword Saint pointed into the void, and streams of sword energy condensed from the spiritual energy of heaven and earth transformed into long dragons that shot towards Zhong Bai.

Zhong Bai slammed the Kui Niu Drum down, and the thunder and sword energy collided. In an instant, streaks of sword energy pierced through the thunder and landed around Zhong Bai, forming a cage that trapped him.

"The Nascent Soul realm is indeed terrifying..."

Zhong Bai had a general understanding of his situation. He might be able to fight against an ordinary early-stage Nascent Soul cultivator, but against someone like the Sword Saint, it was more reliable to run away or call for reinforcements.

Without worry or impatience, Zhong Bai originally thought that the Ten Ancestors in his Qiankun Ring would come to his rescue, but before the Ten Ancestors even appeared, the sword energies around him shattered rapidly at a visible speed.

As golden talismans appeared, Zhong Bai finally realized that it was these talismans that had extinguished the sword energy.

"Tsk, the leader of Shushan Sect is really quite powerful, able to imprison someone from Maoshan like this..."

As a clear, ethereal voice echoed through the void, a Taoist priest, also appearing to be middle-aged, landed in front of Zhong Bai, holding a whisk.

As she looked Zhong Bai up and down, she was somewhat surprised to see that Zhong Bai showed no fear or worry.

Yes, in terms of temperament, she's quite good!

"Elder of Maoshan, Su Li!"

Sword Saint gritted his teeth. He was about to trap Zhong Bai and give him a good beating when a Maoshan elder suddenly appeared out of nowhere.

And the person who came was someone he knew...

“Fellow Daoist Sword Saint seems somewhat angry, but do you know that the Zhong Bai before you… no, Daoist Zhong is an important member of our Maoshan sect? If you were to truly harm Daoist Zhong, not only would you, as the head of the Shushan sect, have to give a proper explanation to our Maoshan sect!”

Su Li found it difficult to address Zhong Bai properly. There was a high possibility that Zhong Bai was the leader of the Maoshan sect from another world. Even if they weren't from the same world, he was certified by the Three Maoshan Ancestors. It wouldn't be appropriate for an elder to call him "young friend," and it would be even more inappropriate to call him "senior." As for calling him "leader," what about his senior brother, the leader?
Fortunately, the name Zhong Daojun sounded reassuring.

The Sword Saint's expression was somewhat uncertain. He knew that Zhong Bai was very likely a disciple of Maoshan, but the tone in Su Li's words indicated that Zhong Bai was not an ordinary disciple!

That's true. Even if an ordinary Maoshan disciple reaches the Nascent Soul stage before the age of a hundred, they couldn't possibly be as terrifying as Zhong Bai. And then there's the Kui Niu Drum. The Kui Niu has been extinct in this world for ten thousand years. He's never heard of any sect keeping such a Nascent Soul treasure.

"Su Li, are you determined to save him?"

The Sword Saint refused to give up.

"I have come here on the orders of the sect leader, and you should understand the meaning behind them!"

In an instant, the Sword Saint fell silent. Not to mention that Su Li was at the peak of the Nascent Soul stage just like him, the Sword Saint did not have the courage to continue resisting the decree of the Maoshan Sect Leader.

(End of this chapter)