The Girl Who Rode the White Tiger

Li Shiyin had become famous in the Dao Sword Sect ever since her sword struck down Song Ze from his lofty position as one of the ten greatest arrogances. On one hand, she was the only disciple who was both one of the ten greatest arrogances and one of the five greatest beauties. On the other hand, she had defeated the Golden Core cultivator Song Ze in a cross-boundary challenge with her Foundation Establishment cultivation. With these two feats, her reputation in the Dao Sword Sect was unmatched.

However, along with the praise for Li Shiyin, other thoughts began to emerge among her fellow sect members. Those Foundation Establishment cultivators who had never made it onto the arrogance rankings thought: I'm certainly no fool like Song Ze to be defeated by a Foundation Establishment cultivator, and in such a humiliating way too. If it were me instead, Li Shiyin wouldn't have lasted half a move. Why don't I go contend for a spot as an arrogance and have some fun?

Some veteran Foundation Establishment cultivators thought: Song Ze was a Golden Core cultivator, so I don't dare challenge his status, but you, Li Shiyin, are only at Foundation Establishment. I ought to test your abilities. Battling Foundation Establishment against Foundation Establishment, what do I have to fear from you? Who knows, I might even seize a chance to become an arrogance!

Thus, from that night on, there were actually many people who came to Dan Peak every day wanting to challenge Li Shiyin...they were just all blocked by the mountain-protecting grand formation.

In fact, aside from Qin Ran, the other Dan Peak disciples didn't even know that there were many people standing guard outside the mountain-protecting formation each day.

So when Li Shiyin took a leisurely ride around Dan Peak on Chasing the Wind and returned home through the small forest path in front of the original mountain gate, she suddenly saw a group of dozens gathered in front of the mist created by the mountain-protecting formation.

The previous forest had already been swallowed up by the white willow fluff, and the current forest was replanted by wood-element cultivators using their mystical arts.

From afar, she could hear the clamor coming from the group.

"That Li Shiyin is too cowardly. She only dares to cower at home instead of coming out to do battle. I've never seen such a gutless arrogance," someone said.

"Seeing her strike down Song Ze with one sword, I thought she was an exceptional talent. I didn't expect her to be this sort of craven fellow. Disgraceful!"

Someone else said, "That night, she only made a single sword stroke before hurriedly taking her leave. Now I reasonably suspect that her sword strike was abnormal. Either she borrowed the sword qi of another cultivator, or used some high-level treasure. It definitely wasn't her own strength!"

"I think she doesn't dare face our normal challenges. Her true strength is far from ours. She only dares to hide at home."

Someone else was pondering how to break the formation. "I remember Dan Peak used to be very poor before, just a bare mountain. When did this formation appear?"

"I don't know. I didn't pay much attention. Dan Peak has always been obscure. If not for this Li Shiyin, I would have nearly forgotten that our Dao Sword Sect still had an alchemy branch."

Someone with some knowledge of formations said, "This formation just seems like a combination of basic formations stacked together. It's not that ingenious. Just let me go in and try it out."

Someone hurriedly stopped him, "Don't. Something's fishy about this formation. Those who spoke like you before still haven't come out until now."

In the time after that night, Li Shiyin had actually gained a large group of fans, although she was completely unaware of it herself.

Someone spoke up in her defense. "Shiyin defeated a Golden Core cultivator at Foundation Establishment. The sword techniques she used must have been extraordinary. A genius is not something the likes of you vulgar fellows can understand. I feel she must be in secluded cultivation right now, and has no time to bother with you bunch of jumping clowns."

"My darling Shiyin is unrivaled in the world. She doesn't care for your challenges!"

"If she has to welcome every challenger, wouldn't Sword Immortal Li be exhausted to death?"

While this group of people were chatting and yelling, someone suddenly pointed behind them and shouted, "Li Shiyin is here!"

Everyone was shocked and hurriedly looked in the direction he pointed. There, emerging from the small forest path, was a beautiful young woman riding a white tiger. Taking a closer look at that exquisite appearance, who else could it be but Li Shiyin, the one who was "dearly missed" by them?

Being blocked on the road right in front of her own home, this was absolutely unacceptable humiliation in the eyes of Li Shiyin, the tyrant of Danyang!

Yet her expression was tranquil as water, emitting an aura of piercing cold. The air seemed to be suffused with sword qi, and the clamor from the crowd gradually died down.

With just one person, Li Shiyin had suppressed dozens of them.

The tiger race placed great importance on territorial awareness. For someone to come make trouble in their own turf was outrageous!

It could be seen that Chasing the Wind also had a fierce and ominous air, the baleful aura of a Primordial Darkness Spirit Tiger visible to the naked eye. Right now he just wanted to tear them all into shreds and deliver them to Father to use as fertilizer for planting trees.

Rider and tiger arrived before the crowd. Li Shiyin asked in an expressionless voice, "You are all here for me?"

She realized that this group wasn't just coincidentally here today, or happened to be caught by her right at this moment. Rather, every day, every moment, this group had been standing guard here.

It was just that they had all been stopped by Master, so she didn't know about it. Master had never told her.

Not everyone here had come to challenge her. Some were here to watch the excitement, some were here to challenge.

Among those who wanted to challenge, a bold and vigorous Golden Core cultivator with an imposing aura separated himself from the crowd. In a rough, loud voice he declared, "Zhu Jian of Qi Peak comes to challenge fellow daoist Li Shiyin."

For a Golden Core to challenge a Foundation Establishment, he really had thick skin, though there was no hint of embarrassment on his face.

Qi Peak?!

Li Shiyin's eyes grew colder by three parts.

The deepest reason she insisted on challenging Song Ze was not because Song Ze was the weakest of the ten greatest arrogances, nor because she placed much importance on the honor of being an arrogance. The deepest reason was that Song Ze was He Daoguang's personal disciple!

She would never forget that time when her Master was surrounded by a group of Golden Core cultivators, driven into a hopeless situation. Her Master had pleaded for help from his fellow sect member, the Golden Core elder He Daoguang, hoping he would say something to defuse the situation. But He Daoguang was willing to currying favor with outsiders at the expense of his own sect. He did not display the slightest intention to help resolve the crisis.

She didn't dare imagine just how desperate her Master must have been at that time...

A disciple of Qi Peak?

While sitting on Chasing the Wind's back, Li Shiyin extended her right hand to Zhu Jian. Her slender, fair and delicate jade-like hand softly grasped, and a dreamy sword that was like the starry sky appeared in her palm.

Having left home in a hurry today, she didn't have her universe pouch or Veiled Star Sword, so she could only use Twilight Sword as an inadequate replacement.

"A...a lifebound sword!" someone behind Zhu Jian stammered.

When Li Shiyin challenged Song Ze, she had used an ordinary treasure sword, so everyone assumed she was just a minor Foundation Establishment cultivator without a lifebound sword yet. Who knew that not only did she have a lifebound sword, but it was exceptionally extraordinary!

Bringing out her lifebound sword right from the start?

Oblivious to the danger, Zhu Jian looked at the sword, assessed its quality, and became afraid that it had reached the grade of a spiritual artifact. Now he "understood" the "truth".

He laughed and said, "So it turns out you were relying on an exceptionally unusual lifebound sword to make that cross-boundary challenge!"

The villain behind Zhu Jian, whether wanting him to test Li Shiyin's strength or simply watching for entertainment, did not remind him at all.

Li Shiyin's gaze, tranquil as the starry sky, looked at Zhu Jian once. Her eyes were full of heartlessness. She did not reply, only began circulating her cultivation technique...

Starlight descended. Radiant spiritual power flashed. Her aura instantly soared.

Invisible sword qi swept out oppressively, blowing out a frenzied wind. The new branches of the forest swayed chaotically while the people's hair and clothes in front were sent flying wildly.

Clearly, after defeating Song Ze in a cross-boundary battle, Li Shiyin's sword dao cultivation had become even stronger.

Zhu Jian was actually daunted by Li Shiyin's aura, involuntarily taking a step back.

This one step back he took exposed an opportunity to Li Shiyin...

Li Shiyin had recently intensely studied medicine and gained an understanding of the fundamentals of spiritual power circulation. Now when she looked at Zhu Jian, it was as if she was watching a machine powered by spiritual power. And when this machine retreated that one step, its inner spiritual power stalled for an instant!

The current Li Shiyin no longer needed to rely on intuition. She could see the enemy's weakness clear as day!

The sword light arose...

Whoosh!

A sheathed sword dropped down from the sky, directly inserting itself into the open ground between Li Shiyin and Zhu Jian.

Recognizing it as her Veiled Star Sword, Li Shiyin swiftly reacted. Her aura instantly weakened and the sword light extinguished.

Qin Ran's voice rang out in the air:

"You may challenge Li Shiyin, but you cannot cross boundaries!"

Obediently following orders, Li Shiyin dismissed Twilight Sword. Chasing the Wind intelligently shifted his steps, lightly walking over for Li Shiyin to dismount and pick up Veiled Star Sword.

She didn't even glance at Zhu Jian, instead looking towards the crowd behind him. Her clear, pleasing voice asked, "Anyone else?"