Chapter 343: One Strike

Chapter 343: One Strike

Yu Xiaogui squinted into the distance. The dark green lake water mirrored the cloudless sky while flashes of lightning and rumbling thunder from the island in the lake occasionally illuminated large swathes of the water. A white dot appeared in the distance, floating gently into view.

As the figure drew nearer, Yu Xiaogui could briefly make out a white-robed man who was holding a sword, and seemed to be walking on air. The water beneath his feet churned violently, transforming into serpent dragons and sea beasts of various forms, all surrounding him as he approached slowly and steadily.

"Father! Father!" Yu Mugao called out several times but saw that Yu Xiaogui remained still, staring at the horizon with a grim expression. His fists were clenched tightly together, and his lips were pressed together in solemn silence.

Yu Mugao felt a wave of intense foreboding wash over him instantly. He quickly followed his father's gaze but saw nothing.

"Father!"

Yu Xiaogui's aura surged, his sleeve flapping wildly in the wind, emitting a faint glow of mana. He gritted his teeth.

"Li Tongya..." he mumbled, his voice laced with a trace of fear.

"Li Tongya?! He's here?!"

Yu Mugao looked as though he had been struck by lightning, his face turning deathly pale. His eyes widened and he froze in midair. He opened his mouth but no words escaped his lips, and he was left mumbling to himself.

"How is this possible? How?! Absolutely impossible! Impossible... Something has happened to Li Tongya, it couldn't be him!"

The sky gradually darkened as the scattered clouds from the north gathered. Fine drizzle began to fall, and Yu Mugao, still wide-eyed, finally caught sight of the white-robed figure approaching from across the lake.

The man walked on air, accompanied by serpent dragons and sea beasts. The waters of Moongaze Lake surged upward, and deep green serpent dragons with vivid expressions obediently crawled at his feet. He wore a simple white robe, with long eyebrows, a thin face, broad shoulders, and an imposing presence. He held a sword in his arms, its blade hidden within its scabbard.

"It is raining... It should not be raining at this time... It never rains on the northern shore..."

The Yu Family cultivators all looked up at the sky. The cold rain struck their faces and the somber, oppressive atmosphere left them stunned, causing them to cease their actions and look toward the shore.

"Celestial Moon Sword Li Tongya!"

"Ancestor of the Li Family... Foundation Establishment Realm Sword Cultivator Li Tongya!"

All eyes from both families locked onto the man clad in white. They whispered among themselves, full of fear. Thirty-six Qi Cultivators and over a hundred Embryonic Breathing Realm cultivators were instantly cowed by his aura, finding themselves unable to move.

"It is raining..."

The voice was hysterical, cold, and impatient, erupting in the dead silence above Glacial Cloud Peak, jolting everyone. Yu Mugao's bloodshot eyes widened in fury, his voice cracking with intensity as he screamed, "Li Tongya! It is impossible! Stop pretending!"

Li Tongya remained indifferent, quietly staring at him. Yu Xiaogui, jolted by his son's outburst, also began to break free from the overwhelming pressure and trance. Greed surged in his eyes, along with a dangerous glint of hope. He gritted his teeth and sneered, "Glacial Cloud Peak is ours for the taking... Forgive me, fellow Daoist!"

With that, he flicked his sleeve, and the fist-sized Jade Smoke Mountain floated out lightly. In the wind, it expanded into a small mountain and came crashing down with all its might.

Whoosh!

Li Tongya's white robe fluttered in the wind. Facing the looming Jade Smoke Mountain, his face broke into a gentle smile, and the Qingche Sword in his arms unsheathed by one chi.

Clang!

A white-green light burst from the peak of Glacial Cloud Peak. The world grew dim and dark, and fine drizzle continued falling. The light was so intense that it was almost blinding.

A bright white-green moon appeared over the northern shore.

Boom——!

The heavy Jade Smoke Mountain, meant to suppress spells, paused for just a moment before the rush of sword energy sent it spinning. It crashed heavily into the Cloud Gathering Southern Heaven Formation, shaking the entire Glacial Cloud Peak.

"What?!"

The Jade Smoke Mountain, now reduced to the size of a fist, spun in the air like a deflated ball. Yu Xiaogui was struck by immense misfortune. Even before the sword qi arrived, the backlash from the artifact had him spewing blood from his mouth. He cried out, "Mercy, fellow Daoist!!"

Yu Xiaogui quickly slapped his storage pouch, releasing three Foundation Establishment Realm talismans he had accumulated over the years. They transformed into three shields of gold and white as sword qi slashed through all three effortlessly before lightly landing on his waist, splitting him in two with frightful ease.

"FATHER!"

Chaos immediately erupted among the Yu Family members present. Yu Mugao was struck with horror, his vision filled with white-green sword light. It was not until Yu Xiaogui's agonized screams brought him back to reality that he quickly caught his father's two halves, using mana to stop the bleeding and rejoin them frantically.

"Spare me, fellow Daoist! Spare me!"

Yu Xiaogui's vision was also filled with white-green light. He repeatedly begged for mercy, as if he had lost his soul. Li Tongya simply watched silently as the Yu Family members attempted to rescue him.

He lifted the sword in his hand gently, sending chills down the spines of everyone on Glacial Cloud Peak and making the backs of their necks feel cold.