At the foot of Mount Hua, there was Jiangyin Prefecture. Jiangyin County within Jiangyin Prefecture. This Jiangyin County was a major county nearby; the magistrates here held the rank of the sixth grade. Although a low-ranking official, the magistrate of this county held a higher status than those in ordinary counties. However, few people actually enjoyed serving as the magistrate of Jiangyin. In other places, the county magistrate was the "parent official" of the region, but what was the magistrate of Jiangyin County? That's right—on the surface, you were the parent official, but Jiangyin County was situated far too close to Mount Hua. Many people in Jiangyin County had relatives or friends on the mountain, and some had even managed to become disciples. This was not something a Jiangyin magistrate could afford to offend. Therefore, the position of Jiangyin Magistrate was a first-rate, undesirable post, usually reserved for those who had lost power struggles within the Great Jin court, backed the wrong faction, or had offended influential figures.

Despite being a miserable assignment, Jiangyin County was quite prosperous. The entire county seat was two or three times the size of those in other counties. Along the streets, the calls of vendors selling rice, cloth, wine, and goods occasionally broke the air—truly bustling. While the proximity to the Immortal Sect made life difficult for the magistrates, it was excellent for the common folk. The Five Great Immortal Sects maintained strict rules, and their disciples rarely caused trouble for the populace. Moreover, no demons dared venture here, making it a good place for people to settle down and thrive. In the southeast corner of the county seat stood a tavern called "Letian Tavern." This tavern primarily sold wine, focusing mainly on mid-to-lower quality brews intended for the common people. Letian Tavern was most famous for its Letian Yellow Wine, which was mellow and flavorful upon the first sip. Most importantly, it was inexpensive. One jin of wine cost only fifty wen. Could you find a better value for money anywhere else?

“Good sir, thirty jin of Letian Yellow Wine, thirty jin of Qu-Liang Qingjiu, and thirty jin of Shaodaozi,” said a youth standing at the wine counter to the fair-faced wine steward. The young man ordered ninety jin of wine right off the bat, causing a stir among the other waiting customers. To order ninety jin in one go—this youth must truly be a heavy drinker. The fair-faced wine steward already recognized the youth as a disciple of Mount Hua. Since he rarely descended the mountain, it was understandable that he would stock up heavily: “Certainly!” He took the three massive wineskins the youth handed over and began filling them. Lu Yuan waited there patiently. That’s right; he was down the mountain specifically to buy wine. Although cultivators were not forbidden from eating and drinking, they had to be mindful of their reputation. Thus, no taverns were established on the mountain; those who wished to drink had to come down to procure their supply honestly. Descending the mountain was a long and arduous journey, so one usually bought about a hundred jin or more at a time to take back. Standing idly, he took in the sights, entirely different from those on the mountain. Of course, his eyes also lingered on the fair-faced stewardess—not with any lustful thoughts, but purely with an appreciative gaze, much like one observes a painting, a plum blossom tree, or a strangely shaped rock—the way one looks upon the beautiful scenery of heaven and earth.

Just then, three burly men strode down the street ahead. These three men were uniformly robust, heavily muscled, and walked bare-chested down the street, each carrying a massive broadsword slung across his back, projecting an air of imposing strength. As these three men carrying giant swords passed, the surrounding area erupted in chaos—chickens scattered, horses shied, and people quickly moved aside—clearly, these three had earned some notoriety within Jiangyin County. “Those are the Three Great Swordsmen of Xizhou.” “Indeed. I heard they are rogue cultivators from Xizhou Prefecture, each possessing astonishing power.” “Not long ago, I heard the eldest of the Three Great Swordsmen, Jiang Boran, fought a duel with Yun Yi, the second disciple of Mount Hua’s North Peak, and only suffered a slight disadvantage.” In Jiangyin County, many cultivators came and went, so the locals were accustomed to such sights and didn't react with the awe one might expect upon seeing an immortal being elsewhere.

Lu Yuan also glanced at the three burly men but paid them no mind. Why bother with others’ affairs while buying his own wine? His nature was inherently lazy; he disliked meddling in anything. Lu Yuan continued waiting by the entrance of Letian Tavern for the stewardess to finish filling his wine. At that moment, a huge gust of wind suddenly slammed toward him. Lu Yuan’s eyes swept over and saw that Jiang Boran, the leader of the Three Great Swordsmen of Xizhou, had already drawn his massive sword and was slashing directly at him. Lu Yuan instantly sidestepped, asking no questions. Since the opponent intended to attack, they must have had some prior motive. If that were the case, why waste words? If he were to talk, he would do so after defeating his opponent.

With a flick of his hand, his Yangwu Sword was drawn. Upon the slightest contact with Jiang Boran’s greatsword, Lu Yuan immediately felt an immense force surge through him. However, his own magic power was not weak; he had already reached the seventh level of Qi Condensation. Estimating carefully, his opponent was likely only at the eighth level of Qi Condensation—his magical power was only one level stronger than Lu Yuan’s. Jiang Boran was momentarily stunned, not expecting a junior disciple to withstand his full strike. Jiang Boran immediately shifted his technique, unleashing his formidable Earth-Splitting Sword Art. His style was overwhelmingly powerful, broad and forceful; every slash felt like the earth itself splitting open, carrying astonishing momentum. Many opponents facing Jiang Boran were often intimidated by his aura and couldn't counter him effectively. Jiang Chuan activated the Yangwu Sword in his hand. If his opponent’s sword techniques were fierce, he would meet them with pliancy, slowly eroding the enemy’s strength and drawing him into his own swordplay.

“Continuous Clouds.” “Entangling Cloud Disturbance.” “Gentle Breeze Brushing the Face.” “Wind and Cloud Instability.” “Romantic Wind Dissipation.” These were all seemingly soft and yielding moves. Normally, Jiang Boran would dismiss such techniques entirely, believing that a true man should use broad, decisive sword strikes. But as Lu Yuan executed these soft moves, they gradually wore down the force in Jiang Boran’s sword. Gradually, Jiang Boran realized that his swordplay could no longer swing out with its usual unrestrained power; it was as if he were trapped in a mass of yielding clouds, unable to execute his moves as desired. At this point, Jiang Boran was greatly alarmed. He had been entrusted by someone to deal with Lu Yuan, assuming that handling a mere youth not yet twenty—even if that youth was a true disciple of Mount Hua’s North Peak—would be simple, easily crushed. Who knew that this junior's swordsmanship was so astonishing? Unintentionally, he had already fallen into Lu Yuan’s sword intent, unable to freely unleash his techniques, feeling almost constrained by Lu Yuan’s long sword, his movements no longer his own.

Having no choice, Jiang Boran suddenly unleashed sword energy. Earth-yellow sword energy spewed forth from his longsword. He was in the eighth level of Qi Condensation; realizing his swordsmanship was failing against Lu Yuan, he resorted to using sword energy. After all, the person who hired him to deal with Lu Yuan had reported that this junior disciple was only at the sixth level of Qi Condensation and had not yet mastered sword energy. Sword energy had a massive impact on a duel. Once sword energy was mastered, the longsword behaved as if it could lengthen or shorten at will, adding many unpredictable variations. He was certain he had the advantage now that he had displayed sword energy. The result, however, made Jiang Boran feel like weeping in frustration. Because at that moment, Lu Yuan had also unleashed sword energy! White sword energy erupted from the Yangwu Sword. He countered sword energy with sword energy, matching technique for technique. Since both possessed sword energy and understood its variations, the contest reverted to swordsmanship, and in that comparison, Lu Yuan was the absolute victor over Jiang Boran. (Such a late first chapter release, truly the emperor of tragedy.)