Chapter 318: Retreat

Han Yun Peak was so quiet that only the faint friction of falling snowflakes mingled with the patter of raindrops. A pale blue light flowed through, filling everyone's pupils.

Yu Mugao's face was as pale as a sheet of white paper, and he remained silent.

The impact of the scene before them was immense. The Yu family's treasured heirloom, the Foundation Establishment artifact Jade Smog Mountain, floated in mid-air, listless and reverted to its original form, spinning silently. Yu Xiaogui had stopped his moaning, his eyes tightly shut, his face ashen.

A radiant light of magical power emanated from Yu Mugao's palms, which he channeled into the gruesome wound on his father's waist. The wound left by the sword energy was smooth and clean. Yu Mugao maintained his father's life force, his lips trembling, not daring to look up.

Li Tongya stood in the air, holding his sword, his gaze as sharp as a blade, utterly silent. The Yu family members below were also speechless. It was only after several breaths that a clear, pleasant clang was heard.

It turned out that the Prenatal Breath cultivators on the ground had finally broken free from the sword light. In a panic, they threw away their artifacts. The mortals were even worse, dropping their weapons and kneeling to the ground, bowing their heads in reverence. Suddenly, a great clamor arose, and chaos reigned.

Li Tongya's gaze remained calm. He silently swallowed the blood that surged into his throat, still not moving. This sword strike had not been easy for him either; he just stood still, silently processing it, daring not to show any signs of fatigue.

The suppressing power of Jade Smog Mountain surged through his wrist, and his Qi Sea acupoint churned ceaselessly. His cultivation leaked away as if from a bottomless pit, causing his limbs to stiffen, rendering him unable to move.

The magical power infused into his Qi Sea from the Huashang Fruit constantly clashed with his true essence, stirring up turbulent waves within his vast Qi Sea. Blood surged into his mouth several times, Li Tongya's vision blurred faintly, and his chest felt so constricted he could not speak.

Just then, several beams of light emerged from the bottom of his Qi Sea. A white pellet leaped out, glowing brightly and emitting a dazzling radiance, illuminating the entire Qi Sea acupoint.

He recognized it as the Profound Pearl Talisman Seed.

The talisman seed glowed brilliantly, suppressing all the turbulent waves within his Qi Sea. It was a long moment before Li Tongya finally relaxed slightly, a strange glint flashing in his eyes, as he inverted his Qingfeng sword and returned it to its scabbard.

Clang!

With the Qingchi Sword returned to its scabbard, the cultivators finally relaxed, looking as if they had survived a great calamity. They looked at each other, only then realizing they were all drenched in sweat and utterly terrified.

Li Tongya's black hair cascaded down, and his face was handsome. As if the recent sword strike was merely a casual act, he still held his Qingfeng sword in his arms, speaking politely and gently:

"Out of consideration for Yuanwu Peak and Yu Muxian, I will overlook your clan's transgressions."

His eyes were bright and clear, without a hint of harshness. Yet, no one from the Yu family dared to meet his gaze. Li Tongya said softly:

"I ask that your clan withdraw its forces."

Yu Mugao carefully picked up his father, who had fainted with closed eyes. His gaze swept over Li Tongya's white robe, which fluttered in the wind, as the pale blue sword light flashed through his mind. He rose on the wind and stopped before Li Tongya.

"Thank you, senior, for your mercy."

Yu Mugao seemed to have completely processed the shock of what had just transpired. Tear stains still marked his face. He gave Li Tongya a deep look, then said in a low voice:

"Go!"

The Yu family members felt as if they had received a great amnesty. They dared not raise their heads, shamefacedly trailing behind him as they headed south. On Han Yun Peak, cheers erupted, and men and women embraced, weeping.

Yu Mugao only looked at his pale-faced father, Yu Xiaogui, in his arms. Not until they had left the Fei family's territory did Yu Xiaogui open his eyes and say hoarsely:

"That was a brilliant idea you had."

Yu Mugao looked at the listless, dying Yu Xiaogui. He knew that whether his father would survive was uncertain, but at the very least, his cultivation path was severed, and his days were numbered. He immediately lowered his head, remaining silent.

Yu Xiaogui struggled to stand, shaking off his eldest son's hand. Yu Mugao gave a bitter smile and sighed deeply:

"Li Tongya probably only had one strike left in him, but I dared not gamble on it!"

His figure appeared desolate and solitary, like a gambler who had lost everything at the table. The Yu family members beside him felt a chill silently run down their spines upon hearing this. They exchanged glances, remaining silent.

"What a pity."

Inside Li Tongya's body, everything was already in disarray; he was barely maintaining balance. Fortunately, the Profound Pearl Talisman Seed shone brilliantly, forcibly helping him maintain his current state.

Li Tongya, still holding his sword, slowly descended. He watched the retreating figures of the Yu family and murmured:

"Yu Mugao is a major threat to my clan. It's a pity I no longer have the strength to act, otherwise, I would surely kill this man... even if it gave Yuanwu Peak and Yu Muxian reason to criticize."

He was now at the end of his tether, barely clinging to life in his cave dwelling. Li Yuanjiao had reported the news, but Li Tongya understood that he had no choice but to act.

"If we ignored the Fei family, the Li family would certainly be next. Once Yu Mugao was unconstrained, given his sinister, cunning, and unpredictable methods, he would likely cause even greater harm."

Li Tongya had emerged from his cave dwelling, deliberately building up his formidable presence as he rode the dragon-snake sea beast. His intention was to intimidate the Yu family members and avoid having to strike if possible.

Originally, all conditions were favorable. The celestial phenomena he had summoned with his cultivation had already intimidated everyone present; even Yu Xiaogui was frightened by the reputation of his "Sword of Slaying Mara" and considered retreating.

But then Yu Mugao let out a loud shout, forcibly rousing everyone and urging Yu Xiaogui to test him. Li Tongya's cultivation, once roused, poured out like a raging river, decaying dozens of times over.

Li Tongya watched the Yu family disappear into the horizon. Only then did he withdraw his gaze, turning it towards the Cloud-Gathering Southern Sky Array before him, silently admiring its intricate patterns.

The Yu family fled in disarray. The Fei family members finally breathed a sigh of relief, but little did they expect the menacing figure in the sky to turn his gaze towards them. They instantly became anxious again, exchanging uneasy glances.

Fei Tongxiao was terrified, staring intently at the young man in the sky with his flowing black hair and pale blue longsword. The Cloud-Gathering Southern Sky Array separated inside from outside, and although he had vaguely heard some words, he still couldn't believe it.

"The Yu family said... this is Li Tongya?"

The young man's eyes were bright, his face handsome, and his figure tall and straight. The sword energy in his hand made Fei Tongxiao's eyes sting. He said with a complex mix of emotions:

"Who is that? Li Yuanyun? No... Li Yuanyun has no spiritual apertures... This really is Li Tongya!"

Fei Tongyu had once seen Li Tongya from a distance at the Li family's residence. However, Li Tongya had already appeared middle-aged when he first gained renown, so he couldn't immediately recognize him and could only speculate:

"Perhaps Li Tongya gained some unknown benefits from his 'Sword of Slaying Mara'? His cultivation might have greatly increased, and he might have reverted to a younger state... there are precedents for this in Jiangnan."

As the two brothers stood at a loss, Li Tongya had already stirred his magical power and said gently:

"Tongya has come to pay his respects; please open the array!"

Both brothers were stunned. They exchanged glances for a few breaths, each seeing the apprehension in the other's eyes. The same question arose in both their minds, and they said in unison:

"Open it? Or not?"