novelraw Chapter 268 246 Questioning
Chapter 268 246 Questioning
Li Xuanfeng provocatively taunted, while vigilantly preparing for defense, manifested five talismans in his hand, drew his bow to gather qi, exhaled and shouted. The dazzling golden light flew towards Yu Xiaogui's palm. Meanwhile, he activated the River Rapids Step, swiftly increasing the distance between them.
The gap between Foundation Establishment and Qi Cultivation was indeed too vast. Yu Xiaogui crushed the golden light with a single palm strike. Although Li Xuanfeng, at the Seventh Layer of Qi Cultivation, was fully prepared and boosted by a Third Grade movement technique, he barely dodged the attack. The fierce palm wind swept over him, turning his face a shade of green and white. That was already with the enhancement of Talisman Qi. Had an ordinary Qi Cultivator taken the blow, they would undoubtedly be vomiting blood and sent flying.
Li Xuanfeng succeeded in avoiding the strike and took a moment to regulate his breath, feeling slightly regretful. He had hoped to test this person's Immortal Foundation on behalf of Li Tongya, but he hadn't expected Yu Xiaogui to be so cautious, still holding back in his rage.
Yu Xiaogui lost significant face on this occasion, having an attack dodged by a Qi Cultivator. Observing that Li Xuanfeng was only in his thirties and yet at the Seventh Layer of Qi Cultivation, Yu Xiaogui's intention to kill flared up. With another flip of his hand, he launched a palm strike, white Dharma Light rising, as he exclaimed,
"Let me properly teach you this junior on behalf of Li Tongya!"
Yu Xiaogui's palms, like white jade, materialized out of thin air, yet Li Xuanfeng stood unafraid, tending to himself. Yu Xiaogui, neither shocked nor angry but more cautious, soon noticed a faint Sword Qi ascending lightly below, bright and white, large as a sail, heading straight for his palm.
"Li Chijin is indeed here!"
At this moment, Yu Xiaogui's heart raced with alarm, his hair standing on end, filled with dread. He quickly retracted his palm for defense and produced two talismans with his hands, conjuring two layers of solid white shields. Mana flowed around his body, his aura imposing, revealing various mysterious patterns, clearly indicating he had tapped into his Immortal Foundation. Yet, he still shouted,
"Li Chijin! You better think this through!"
The Sword Qi surged forward fiercely, clashing against the shields with a resonant boom. It merely caused the outermost shield to flicker and nearly vanish before turning into a shower of clean water falling through the trees. Yu Xiaogui, eyes red with fright, hastily touched his neck to ensure it was intact before he finally breathed a sigh of relief, his heart still pounding.
For a brief moment, there was silence between heaven and earth. Below, everyone was trembling with fear. Only then did a figure in grey appear in the air, broad-shouldered and with hollow cheeks, his eyes calmly fixed on Yu Xiaogui. He waved his sleeve lightly, his left hand resting on his sword, and smiled,
"This child's father passed away early, and I have raised him ever since. He's a bit unruly, but..."
With a light lift of his left hand, the Dharma Sword at his waist unsheathed an inch, gleaming white and bright with circulating Dharma Light. Li Tongya spoke softly,
"It's not your place to discipline him!"
Yu Xiaogui stood in a daze for a few moments, then spoke in disbelief,
"Not Li Chijin... How is this possible! Li Tongya... you've reached Foundation Establishment!"
Li Tongya's aura erupted, and the warriors and cultivators below cheered. They had their suspicions when Li Tongya broke through earlier, and now their guesses were confirmed. They were astounded and murmured their admiration.
"It's just luck,"
Li Tongya responded coldly, and Yu Xiaogui, with a grim face, shouted vehemently,
"Less than three years... What Spirit Pill or Precious Medicine did Li Chijin give you... or was it some marvelous Divine Skills!"
Now that both families had shown their true colors, there was no room for pleasantries. Both men were at each other's throats. Li Tongya replied with a light smile, while Yu Xiaogui held back, and the two remained deadlocked in the air, the atmosphere growing ever more tense. Suddenly, a hearty laugh rang out.
"Hahahaha..."
A thin man with a pale complexion ascended on the wind from below, his clothes fluttering, holding a fan in his hand, as he greeted Yu Xiaogui and Li Tongya with a bow,
"I am Wu Shaoyun from the southern region of the Wu Family, a pleasure to meet both of you!"
Wu Shaoyun, also at the Foundation Establishment Early Stage, greeted them with a bow. Li Tongya and Yu Xiaogui relaxed their expressions and nodded in return, only to see Wu Shaoyun grandly say,
"I apologize for the intrusion today, but there is a matter I must inquire about with Brother Tongya."
Upon hearing this, Li Tongya knew the visitor had ill intentions, yet his expression remained unchanged as he replied:
"Brother Shaoyun, please speak!"
Wu Shaoyun gave a cold smile and answered:
"An older ancestor of mine had a great-great-granddaughter, who is my own flesh and blood. She used to frequent Wangyue Lake but disappeared over a decade ago without a trace. At that time, I was but a Qi Cultivator, anxious and distraught, and I searched the lake time and again to no avail."
He paused briefly, his expression sharp, and continued:
"Later, after I had my breakthrough and established my foundation, I became perceptive. Repeatedly retracing the past, I learned she died within the Li Family's domain. Brother Tongya, are you aware of this?"
Li Tongya only needed to recall for a moment, remembering that this person was the same female cultivator who had killed for treasure in the market and was intercepted by Li Tongya. He had tried to persuade her with kind words, but she had stubbornly resisted. Although Li Tongya was stronger than her, he didn't feel it right to suppress her by force, and had to kill her in the end.
Although Li Tongya realized it was her, his eyes narrowed as he spoke in a low voice:
"I am not aware of it, Brother Shaoyun. Do you know the precise date?"
Wu Shaoyun, with the effects of his special Immortal Foundation and the use of a custom Talisman, knew that the person who killed the Wu Family female cultivator was probably at the fourth or fifth layer of Qi Cultivation and had the surname Wan. It couldn't have been possible for him to reach Foundation Establishment in just over a decade. Already convinced it wasn't Li Tongya, he secretly pondered:
"I have already promised to assist Xiaogui, but I can't give up too easily. Yet the Li Family has a Sword Immortal in residence. Although I am friends with Xiaogui, I cannot afford to get involved in the struggle between the Li and Yu families, lest I harm my own."
Wu Shaoyun was feeling extremely conflicted and distressed, left with no choice but to answer:
"It was during the time of the Wangyue Lake market's destruction."
Li Tongya shook his head upon hearing this and replied:
"If Taoist Fellow is aware it was during the time of the Wangyue Lake market's destruction, then I must say that on that day, chaotic fighting erupted everywhere on Lake Zhongzhou, and blood was spilled all over. It's normal to perish amidst such turmoil. Perhaps, some young noble was greedy for treasure and refused to let go, thus losing his life!"
Wu Shaoyun suddenly became agitated and exclaimed:
"Impossible! My daughter was gentle and adorable. She would not even step on an ant in ordinary days. How could she get involved in such murky waters and kill for treasure!"
Li Tongya was at a loss for words. While others may have been deceived, he had obtained the female cultivator's storage bag, which contained many blood-stained magic artifacts. The vestment robe taken from someone's body was still dripping with blood, and the pill furnace was drenched in it—how could she be of good character?
Besides, the female cultivator's moves were expertly executed, each one lethal. She had clearly killed many before and could not possibly be as Wu Shaoyun described.
Just as he was about to respond, Yu Xiaogui unexpectedly interjected from the side:
"Brother Tongya speaks with such conviction, as if you witnessed it yourself. Could it be that you were the one responsible?"
Before Wu Shaoyun could speak, Li Tongya had already turned his head to look at Yu Xiaogui, a slight chill in his demeanor as he said in a heavy tone:
"Taoist Fellow, our families have had many entanglements over the years, and we are well aware of what happens in the open and behind the scenes. Now that the timing is right, I suggest we settle this once and for all!"