Chapter 9

In the reception area of the Dao Lun Society, a man propped his chin in his hand, yawning widely, his eyes almost closed.

Recently, there have been fewer people advancing to the rank of baron in Dao Lun City. For nearly half a month, no new members have joined the society, and Luo Yong has been extremely bored.

"Old Luo, has anyone come to join the society today?" A man with a head of straight red hair burst in, banging on the table and shouting loudly.

"No, no, Chen Xifeng, how many times have you asked in the past few days? I'm getting annoyed just from your constant questions," Luo Yong said impatiently.

Chen Xifeng said with a pained expression, "I don't have any other options. The day after tomorrow is the coming-of-age ceremony for Miss Xiangfei, the beloved daughter of Baron Dao Lun. Last year, on Miss Xiangfei's birthday, Baron Dao Lun announced that during her coming-of-age ceremony this year, he would hold a baron-level martial arts tournament. The team that wins first place will receive personal instruction in five baron-level martial arts techniques and one baron-level longevity technique from him."

"But for some reason, Baron Dao Lun has stipulated that this tournament must be participated in by teams of five. We had already gathered five people, but Baron Dao Dun unexpectedly died on the suddenly appearing Undead Altar. Now, with only a day or two left until Miss Xiangfei's coming-of-age ceremony, the other barons have already formed their teams. I can only come here to try my luck."

"Excuse me, is this the Dao Lun Society's membership office?" As Chen Xifeng was complaining, a young man with a clear face walked in.

"Are you here to join the society?" Before Luo Yong could speak, Chen Xifeng eagerly ran over.

"Yes," Bai Cangdong replied, looking at Chen Xifeng with some caution.

"So you're a baron?" Chen Xifeng asked eagerly.

"Yes."

"Are you kidding me? If he weren't a baron, would he come here to join the society?" Luo Yong couldn't stand it anymore and pulled Chen Xifeng aside, saying to Bai Cangdong, "Show your mark and state your title."

The Light Stairs recognized titles, not individuals, so Luo Yong only asked for Bai Cangdong's title.

"Baron Fist!" Bai Cangdong revealed the baron mark on his forehead and stated his title.

Luo Yong checked the martial arts ranking and found Baron Fist's name. He nodded and said, "The information is correct. Being ranked within ten million is quite good. Fill out this form, and you'll be a member of the Dao Lun Society. The society has dedicated rooms for members, so if you like, you can stay here. Of course, you can also stay at your own home."

After Bai Cangdong filled out the form, Luo Yong gave him a badge representing Dao Lun Society membership. "Don't lose it. This is your identity proof in the Dao Lun Society. You'll need it in many places."

Bai Cangdong examined the badge in his palm. It was made of an unknown metal, shaped like a shield with a crossed knife and sword on the front.

"I want to learn martial arts techniques. What do I need to do?" Bai Cangdong asked, putting away the badge.

"Most martial arts techniques require contribution points to exchange. Completing tasks assigned by the society will earn you contribution points. Some techniques can be purchased directly with life span points. For baron-level techniques, each one requires more than a year of life span points," Luo Yong explained patiently.

"Thank you." Bai Cangdong had no contribution points, and his remaining life span points were not enough to spend more than a year on a technique.

"Please wait a moment, friend." Seeing that Bai Cangdong was about to leave, Chen Xifeng quickly approached.

"Is there something you need?" Bai Cangdong frowned.

"Brother, have you heard about the martial arts tournament? I invite you to join our team and participate in the tournament."

"What tournament?" Bai Cangdong was slightly taken aback.

"Are you serious? You don't know? Never mind, let me tell you." Chen Xifeng explained the tournament organized by Baron Dao Lun.

"Thank you for the invitation, but I'm very sorry. I don't plan to participate in the tournament for now." Bai Cangdong thought, "Even if I were to participate, I wouldn't join a team that randomly recruits members. It's impossible to win."

As if reading Bai Cangdong's thoughts, Chen Xifeng said, "Friend, you must have heard of Baron Dao Dun, who died on the Undead Altar. He was one of our original team members. Because of his death, we had to find a new member. Now, most other barons already have their teams, and we can't find anyone. If you want to participate in the tournament, it will be very difficult to find another team besides us."

"Chen Xifeng is right. If you really want to participate in the tournament, it will be very hard to find another team. Their team is a good choice," Luo Yong added.

"Yes, join us. While we can't guarantee first place, making it into the top ten is definitely possible," Chen Xifeng invited again.

This time, Bai Cangdong didn't refuse outright. Participating in the tournament would be beneficial for him. He could observe other barons' techniques and improve himself. If he won first place, he would receive personal instruction in techniques and longevity techniques from Baron Dao Lun, which would be a great opportunity.

"Alright, I agree to join your team."

"Great! Let's go now. We're all living together, and we can discuss strategies and tactics together." Chen Xifeng eagerly pulled Bai Cangdong to go inside the Dao Lun Society.

"I have some things to take care of. Tell me where you're staying, and I'll come to you early tomorrow morning," Bai Cangdong stopped and said.

"Then, tell me where you live, and I'll come to pick you up early tomorrow morning," Chen Xifeng said eagerly.

Bai Cangdong had no choice but to tell Chen Xifeng his address.

Before leaving, Chen Xifeng repeatedly reminded Bai Cangdong to pack everything tonight, as he would come to pick him up early in the morning.

After leaving, Bai Cangdong didn't return home. Instead, he walked to the street and entered a store that sold weapons.

The Lingluo Sword could not be used in Dao Lun City. It was the sword of Baron Dao Lun's beloved daughter, Xiangfei. If Baron Dao Lun found out about what Bai Cangdong had done to Li Xiangfei, he would surely have him executed. Therefore, the Lingluo Sword must not be shown in public.

As for the pure white knight's greatsword, now that he was a baron, like the former Baron Malong, even if others discovered that the greatsword once belonged to Baron Malong, they couldn't do anything to him. He could now use it openly.

However, a greatsword was not a knife, and it conflicted with the characteristics of the Painful Blade Technique. It was also not suitable for prolonged battles. Therefore, Bai Cangdong decided to buy a real knife, regardless of its rank, as long as it could be used to perform the Painful Blade Technique in public.

The weapon store, named "Knight," was not large, with a somewhat retro knight-themed decor. Inside, many handmade knight shields, armors, and lances were displayed as decorations. These were just ordinary items, not real weapons, and had little practical use beyond decoration.

When Bai Cangdong entered the store, he was slightly surprised to see the shop owner.

It was a woman, a mature woman. In the world of Light and Dark Martial Arts, humans' bodies and appearances do not change after the age of twenty, so it was impossible to tell a woman's age by her appearance. However, this woman exuded a mature woman's charm.

She wore a black lace court dress, through which the intricate patterns revealed glimpses of her snow-white, smooth skin. She even wore black stockings. Although her body was not overly exposed, it still evoked a strong urge in men to pounce and tear her clothes off.

"An astonishing figure, she's a woman of disaster level." The court dress was very voluminous, making it difficult to see a woman's true figure, but even under such clothing, Bai Cangdong could see her well-defined curves, not just the emphasized chest and waist.

So far, Bai Cangdong had not seen the woman's face, as her hat and the black veil obscured it.

"What would the customer like to buy?" The woman's voice was not sweet, nor was it hoarse or magnetic, but it made one feel itchy inside, as if trying to scratch an itch that couldn't be reached.

"I want to buy a knife," Bai Cangdong said. He was a normal man, and although the woman's body exuded a strong allure, he still retained some restraint without seeing her face, so he did not feel much interest in her.

"Ordinary weapons or baron-level weapons?" the woman asked.

"What are the prices for ordinary weapons and baron-level weapons?" Bai Cangdong countered.

"Ordinary knives range from one thousand to ten thousand life span points, while baron-level knives range from one to ten years of life span points," the woman answered straightforwardly, clearly experienced in her business.

Bai Cangdong had known that weapons were expensive, but he was still shocked by the price of baron-level weapons.

Thinking about it, when he was in the Undead Altar, he killed many变异劈头鬼 (mutated head-splitting ghosts) equivalent to baron-level strength, but did not obtain a single head-splitting axe. In the end, it was only the skull-splitting ghost that dropped the skull-splitting axe, showing how rare and scarce weapons were.

"If that skull-splitting axe hadn't been swallowed by the sword box, I wonder how many life span points it would have sold for!" Bai Cangdong wished he could immediately dismantle the sword box and dig out the skull-splitting axe to sell it.