Above Mount Huazhong, the skies were turbulent, with tensions running high. Yet, on the island in the lake, everything remained calm.
A gray-robed cultivator with his sword at his waist, flew across the sky, his expression thoughtful. As his robe fluttered in the wind, he squinted at the scene over Mount Huazhong and recalled, If you see the dharma lights flowing and water serpent dragons rising, act immediately. If Mount Huazhong remains calm, report to Fei Wangbai, stir up the eastern shore families and provoke Yu Xiaogui...
Looking ahead, he indeed saw intense dharma lights clashing, and two azure water serpent dragons soaring into the sky, their whiskers and fangs lifelike. Chen Donghe knew that Li Tongya had engaged Yu Xiaogui in battle and hastened his pace northward.
After flying north for the time it took to burn a stick of incense, he saw a steep cliff towering above him. Eagles and sparrows circled, and waterfalls crashed loudly.
A man stood quietly on the cliff, dressed in fine robes, elegant and suave. Chen Donghe landed on the cliff and respectfully cupped his fists, saying politely, "Chen Donghe of the Li Family in Lijing greets the senior."
Fei Wangbai nodded slightly, showing some respect before asking, "How is it going?"
Chen Donghe bowed deeply and replied urgently, "Yu Yufeng is being stalled right now and cannot return. We falsely claimed Yu Yufeng's death to attack Mount Huazhong. Yu Xiaogui came to stop us but was held off by our master in the south. The Yu Family can no longer resist. Please proceed as planned, Senior!"
"Very well!" Fei Wangbai was overjoyed and waved his hand dismissively, not speaking further to Chen Donghe before flying east in a hurry.
Chen Donghe straightened up only after Fei Wangbai had gone far. He carefully considered his words to ensure there were no flaws and thought to himself, The ancestor said: To secure the full support of the Fei Family and to avoid their double-dealing, we must claim that Yu Yufeng is not dead. By presenting it this way, even if Fei Wangbai hears something, it can be explained...
Chen Donghe shook his head. With Yu Yufeng gone, the Yu Family had lost their main support. Their widespread influence would now crumble, and they would be unable to manage their affairs.
Stamping his foot, he took to the air again, flying southward toward Mount Huazhong, his heart filled with hopeful anticipation. The shimmering golden reflections on the lake’s surface made Chen Donghe smile.
Looking up, he said, "Once this matter is settled, the Li Family will be one of the most prestigious families on the lake! With a Sword Immortal's protection, when Qingxiao comes of age, she can marry a distinguished young man and live a life of grandeur, supported by her family, without having to endure any hardships."
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Above Mount Huazhong, Li Tongya stood with his hand on his sword, speaking harshly.
Yu Xiaogui responded with a cold smile. Having been at the early stage of Foundation Establishment Realm for over twenty or thirty years, he harbored great resentment seeing Li Tongya eager to make a name for himself by challenging him.
Viciously, he thought to himself, My Yu Family has already lost face and standing. Even if you didn't provoke me, I would still make a move to teach you a hard lesson. There's no way I'll let you take Mount Huazhong so easily... Once I take down Li Tongya and reclaim both Mount Huazhong and Mount Yuting, our prestige and status will be restored! The only trouble is Li Chejing... But now that our families have fallen out, seeking reconciliation is impossible. We must fight to the bitter end!
Yu Xiaogui exhaled sharply and roared, "Since you want to provoke me so recklessly, do not blame me if you end up injured and with your foundation damaged!"
Yu Xiaogui's hands turned white as jade, and white jade-like patterns appeared on his body. He pushed his palms forward, releasing a powerful surge of mana, creating a howling wind that was aimed directly at Li Tongya.
Wu Shaoyun hesitated, unsure whether to intervene or leave. After a moment of indecisiveness, he retreated to support Yu Xiaogui from a distance.
Li Tongya, remaining calm and composed, saw Yu Xiaogui indeed coming for a full-on battle. He nodded slightly, having already prepared his sword. He drew it out, producing a sword aura as large as a ship's sail, pure and white, aiming it at Yu Xiaogui's palms.
Yu Xiaogui had long heard of Li Tongya's fierce sword techniques. Over the years, he had gathered information and learned much about Li Chejing's reputation. Initially mistaking the sword qi for Li Chejing's strike, he now saw Li Tongya's attack firsthand and realized the sword style was likely taught by Li Chejing.
Not daring to take it head-on, Yu Xiaogui stepped back, pressed his palms together, and summoned a small jade mountain.
The jade mountain, initially the size of a fist, was intricately carved with cranes and ancient trees. As it caught the wind, however, it grew—surrounded by clouds and mist, with the cranes and trees appearing lifelike. It crashed into the sword qi with a grating sound, pressing it down steadily. Taking advantage of the moment, Yu Xiaogui advanced, closing in on Li Tongya.
"Foundation Establishment Realm dharma artifact, Jade Smoke Mountain!"
The Yu Family, being an old and established clan, had accumulated considerable resources through their dominance over Moongaze Lake for many years. This extravagant display of power left Wu Shaoyun somewhat shocked. Yu Xiaogui, however, remained silent, focusing entirely on Li Tongya.
Jade Smoke Mountain had originally belonged to Yu Yufeng. Recently, Yu Xiaogui had gone to attend a ceremony at the Xiao Family, and Yu Yufeng, worried, had given him the dharma artifact for protection. Unexpectedly, Xiao Chuting's divine ability had unsettled Yu Yufeng, and when he faced the Xiao Family's siege, he couldn't even bring out a decent artifact.
Seeing his well-prepared sword strike suppressed so easily, Li Tongya still remained calm. Having received the Deep Ocean Long Whale Talisman, his mana reserve was extremely formidable. His immortal foundation, Boundless Ocean, was strong enough to withstand Yu Xiaogui.
Fei Wangbai was currently attacking the Yu Family's marketplace, and their Qi Cultivators were struggling to protect themselves, leaving them unable to spare any help.
Li Tongya skillfully wielded his sword, conjuring two azure water serpent dragons that coiled around him, flicking their tongues threateningly at Yu Xiaogui. With a sweep of his sword, they transformed into dozens of water swords, soaring toward Yu Xiaogui.
Boom...
Yu Xiaogui's mana swirled around him as he pushed forward with his palms, meeting the water technique head-on. The relentless sword qi forced him to halt, but instead of anger, he felt a twisted delight within him, thinking to himself, Li Tongya indeed lacks combat experience! Even with the formidable Boundless Ocean, he should not waste his mana like this.
As expected, Li Tongya's water techniques that were mingled with sword aura, gradually weakened. Seizing the opportunity, Yu Xiaogui activated his immortal foundation, and the Jade Smoke Mountain crushed the remaining sword aura steadily, trembling slightly as it approached.
Clang!
As the Jade Smoke Mountain drew nearer, Yu Xiaogui saw a sudden flash as dozens of sword auras surged forward. This was Li Tongya's usual tactic of overwhelming his opponent. Yu Xiaogui sneered, using his Jade Smoke Mountain to swallow the sword auras while advancing forward with his jade-like palms.
Just as Yu Xiaogui's palms were about to strike, Li Tongya smiled softly. The sword aura in his hand flowed like water, splitting into three pure white streams of light. These beams were sharp and agile, moving with a life of their own, unlike the previous ethereal sword qi. They were solid, substantial, and moved with an inherent intelligence, trailing light as they darted through the air.
"Threefold Moonlight!"
Li Tongya's years of studying the Law of Celestial Moon had not been in vain. Although his talent was not on par with Li Chejing's, he had mastered a technique called Threefold Moonlight. This technique was treacherously elusive, and difficult to defend against due to its unpredictable movements.
Clang...
Yu Xiaogui did not understand what he was facing. With Jade Smoke Mountain still dealing with the earlier sword qi, he had no choice but to intercept with his hands. The streams of light sparked brilliantly as they struck his palms. Caught off guard, Yu Xiaogui managed to grasp one of the streams, but the remaining two darted straight toward his neck.