Chapter 239: Killing Yu Yufeng

Li Tongya stood concealed outside the formation, listening to Yu Yufeng’s terrified screams from within. He simply lowered his head, scanning the surroundings for any approaching figures.

Xiao Chuchou and his companions—one at Peak Foundation Establishment and two at Mid Foundation Establishment—were more than capable of handling Yu Yufeng, who was only at Late Foundation Establishment. They instructed Li Tongya to remain outside and keep watch.

“Take this!”

Inside the formation, Old Man Nanshan had already conjured a pristine white jade seal. It hurtled towards Yu Yufeng, emanating a burst of white light. Yu Yufeng’s face darkened as he reached out to intercept it. The two collided in mid-air, producing a violent roar and a palpable standoff.

“Old Man Nanshan! It’s you! It’s the Xiao family… this is bad!”

Two streams of magical light clashed in the air, scattering brilliant sparks that dripped down Yu Yufeng’s palms as he struggled to hold the jade seal. Old Man Nanshan, eyes tightly shut, chanted his incantation, forcing Yu Yufeng to repeatedly retreat, his arms strained.

As Yu Yufeng desperately fended off the Peak Foundation Establishment Old Man Nanshan, he felt a chilling breeze at the back of his head. Dozens of blade lights surged towards him like waves, emitting crashing sounds. Yu Yufeng twisted his head to see a middle-aged swordsman approaching, his gray robes flapping in the wind. Yu Yufeng had no choice but to activate his Immortal Foundation, holding Old Man Nanshan’s jade seal with one hand, freeing the other to parry, striking the blade light with an open palm.

Chen Taojing, who also cultivated the "River and Qi Art," possessed profound spiritual power. Dozens of blade lights, bright and wide, poured forth as if requiring no energy, their momentum immense.

However, Yu Yufeng’s counter-palm halted the blade lights, then he clenched his hand, causing a burst of clear water droplets to explode in the air and rain down, instantly dissolving the blade light.

“As expected of Yu Yufeng, the ‘White Jade Hand.’ His strength is truly not to be underestimated.”

Li Tongya, now a Foundation Establishment cultivator with years of experience, could discern their strengths. Yu Yufeng, despite being only Late Foundation Establishment, could simultaneously parry attacks from the Peak Foundation Establishment Old Man Nanshan and the Mid Foundation Establishment Chen Taojing. Although neither opponent was using their full power, it was still a feat not easily resisted by ordinary cultivators, proving Yu Yufeng’s formidable strength.

Below, Xiao Chuchou, who had spent years adventuring, had no time for pleasantries with Yu Yufeng. His intricately patterned bronze staff whistled through the air, directly aimed at Yu Yufeng’s head, radiating surging spiritual power and intense killing intent.

A wave of despair washed over Yu Yufeng. He gathered his spiritual power, pushed away the jade seal, and lunged back to counter Xiao Chuchou’s strike, using the force to push himself away. He thought to himself:

“The combined strength of these three is too much for even my Immortal Foundation to probe. So be it, I’ll just have to fight with everything I have!”

He clapped his palms together, and six streams of white magical light erupted from his body. His skin revealed faint reddish patterns that extended from his elbows and earlobes, spreading through the air like hanging tassels, emitting a faint aura of blood.

Yu Yufeng closed and opened his eyes; both pupils now possessed a translucent, jade-like quality. His tattered clothes revealed smooth, sculpture-like muscles. He exhaled a stream of blood-red energy, his two terrifying eyes fixed on Chen Taojing.

“What kind of Immortal Foundation is that?!”

Everything happened in a single breath. Chen Taojing glanced at him and asked in a low voice.

In a normal fight, if Yu Yufeng revealed his Immortal Foundation, Xiao Chuchou would have treated him as a formidable enemy, casting incantations or summoning artifacts to prepare for battle. But now, with Yu Yufeng like a bird in a cage or a fish in a net, Xiao Chuchou felt no fear and even had the leisure to chat.

“Jade Court General,” Xiao Chuchou replied with a smile. “It was an Immortal Foundation forged by the White Jade Court, a subordinate of the Moonlit Essence Palace from back then. The technique for ‘Courtly Red Dust’ was long lost, so it’s rare to see it still in use today.”

“Indeed,” Old Man Nanshan nodded slightly, pushing his palms forward as he answered. “When he challenged cultivators in Lixia Commandery years ago, he gained immense renown with this Jade Court General. Many years have passed, yet it’s still astonishing to witness.”

While the two old men chatted happily, Chen Taojing was suffering immensely. Yu Yufeng had pinpointed him as the youngest and weakest, closing the distance in two steps. His palms struck Chen Taojing’s long saber like crushing mountains, producing clangorous metallic sounds and showering bright red sparks.

Chen Taojing no longer dared to hold back. His "Vast Ocean" technique was already fully activated. Clear, powerful river water surged around him like two coiling dragons, constantly dissolving the oppressive spiritual energy that assaulted him. He continued to strike with his saber. Fortunately, his cultivated Immortal Foundation was incredibly resilient, and his saber techniques were quite refined. Ignoring the depletion of his spiritual power, he managed to withstand Yu Yufeng’s assault.

“Seniors! This old scoundrel has gone mad! Come quickly!” Chen Taojing gritted his teeth and cried out.

Yu Yufeng, however, was filled with regret. The "River and Qi Art" of the ancient Lingyu Sect was quite famous, and the "Vast Ocean" manifestation occasionally appeared around Moonlit Lake. He finally recognized it and thought to himself:

“I didn’t expect this person to be a practitioner of Vast Ocean! How utterly unlucky! Now I’ve lost the initiative again, and I probably can’t even take down one of them.”

Xiao Chuchou laughed heartily and declared, “Brother’s Immortal Foundation is the most robust! You could hold out for another quarter-hour without trouble, you’re too modest!”

With that, wisps of cloud and mist appeared around him, accompanied by faint frost and lightning. Dark runes coalesced on his long staff, and his already pale temples became as white as if covered in frost. He took a step forward, bringing his staff down on Yu Yufeng.

Old Man Nanshan also clapped his hands together, patted the brocade pouch at his waist, and pulled out a pine wood staff. The three converged, surrounding Yu Yufeng.

Yu Yufeng found it impossible to fight four hands with two. After parrying the saber, he struggled against the staff. Old Man Nanshan’s jade seal and staff landed alternately, striking him solidly. No blood spurted, only fragments of jade broke off, falling to the ground and turning into bloodstains.

“Hmm?”

After exchanging several blows with Yu Yufeng, Xiao Chuchou vaguely sensed something amiss. He felt that the man’s spiritual power was strange, possessing a somewhat corrosive and defiling quality. No wonder Chen Taojing’s Vast Ocean, renowned for its abundant spiritual power and defensive capabilities, had called for aid within mere seconds. He then observed the blood-red aura emanating from Yu Yufeng’s Immortal Foundation and said in a low voice:

“You rascal, Yu Yufeng, your Immortal Foundation must have consumed sacrifices, no? No wonder you’ve been stuck at Late Foundation Establishment for so many years. Consuming them so carelessly, it’s no surprise you haven’t made any progress in years.”

Yu Yufeng remained silent. After half an hour of fighting the trio, his condition deteriorated significantly. He was at the end of his rope, on the verge of being consumed by the backlash from his Immortal Foundation. He threw out dozens of talismans, which transformed into flames, green wood, and lightning in the sky, heading towards the cultivators. Seizing the opening, he swiftly ascended on the wind and fled west.

The talismans only briefly hindered them. Xiao Chuchou and the others immediately pursued him on the wind. Yu Yufeng only managed to strike the formation twice, causing a ripple, before the others closed in. He was forced to turn back and fight. More and more jade fragments fell from his body; Chen Taojing even sliced off half of a jade finger. Yu Yufeng opened his mouth but couldn’t utter a word. Xiao Chuchou nodded slightly and continued:

“Your cultivation technique is quite impressive, probably higher than third-grade, wouldn’t you say? If you had achieved the Violet Palace realm, where your life’s supernatural power becomes your body’s supernatural power, your combat strength would be formidable.”

Yu Yufeng could no longer speak, his tongue stiff in his mouth. The elixirs he had swallowed gurgled and rolled out from the corners of his lips, and his eyes could no longer move, staring blankly in one direction. Seizing an opportunity, Xiao Chuchou struck his head with his staff, shattering it and sending jade dust flying everywhere. The torso swayed and then toppled to the ground, breaking into four pieces with a thud, scattering fragments everywhere.