Ye Yu quickly arrived at Huashan. Through investigation, he discovered that Linghu Chong had indeed been punished with confinement at Siguo Cliff. It seemed this was only because Linghu Chong had spoken out of turn when Old Yue was talking about himself earlier, asking if there had been any misunderstanding regarding the events of the past. As a result, Yue Buqun had scolded him on the spot and had him confined to Siguo Cliff.
Looking at the mountain peaks that soared into the clouds, Ye Yu quickly utilized his Qinggong to soar upwards.
Suddenly, Ye Yu sensed a powerful aura flying toward him as well. Sensing it briefly, he realized the opponent’s strength was only a notch weaker than Dongfang’s, and he immediately knew that the newcomer was Fēng Qīngyáng.
Ye Yu stopped in mid-air. Soon after, an old man with white hair and beard stood before him.
"Who are you? Why have you come to Huashan?"
Originally, Fēng Qīngyáng had been planning to soak up the sun on Siguo Cliff, but the moment he stepped out, he saw Ye Yu using Qinggong to fly toward the cliff. Having witnessed Ye Yu’s Lightness Skill, he knew this person possessed immense power and must have some ulterior motive for coming to Huashan.
Looking at Fēng Qīngyáng, Ye Yu whispered, "I have come to Huashan to find someone. Someone wishes to see Linghu Chong, so I am here to personally invite him to join me for a trip."
Upon hearing this, Fēng Qīngyáng was taken aback. He was not deaf; he understood clearly that Ye Yu’s 'invitation' was effectively an abduction. He truly had not expected that Huashan had fallen to such a state that someone would dare to come and snatch its head disciple. His distaste for Yue Buqun deepened even further.
"You should leave, sir! Huashan is not a place for just anyone to visit. Be careful not to throw away your life."
Facing Fēng Qīngyáng's threat, Ye Yu remained unbothered. "That won't do. Someone has given me a mission, and I fear she will not be pleased if I do not bring Linghu Chong back. I ask that you, Senior, make things convenient. Let me go up and bring him away. Rest assured, I am here solely for Linghu Chong and will not harm a single blade of grass on Huashan."
At these words, Fēng Qīngyáng suddenly laughed. "Good, good, good! It has been a long time since I have seen such a headstrong junior. If you want to come to Huashan to take someone, you will first have to get past me. Should you pass my test, you may come and go as you please on Huashan." As he spoke, Fēng Qīngyáng shaped his fingers into a sword and thrust them out. Instantly, an invisible Sword Technique wave surged toward Ye Yu.
Seeing this, Ye Yu gave a wave of his hand. "Boom!" Immediately, the sound of explosions rang out continuously. Rocks and trees in the surrounding area shattered one after another.
Fēng Qīngyáng looked at Ye Yu with a face as dark as water. From the exchange of that single move, he knew that Ye Yu’s strength was extremely high, likely not inferior to his own.
"To be so young yet have such extraordinary martial arts—what scheme do you have for coming to Huashan?"
"I have already said it; I came to Huashan to invite Linghu Chong to meet someone. If you do not believe me, Senior, there is nothing I can do."
"Hmph! Since you refuse to speak, don't blame me for being discourteous."
Fēng Qīngyáng drew the sword from his waist. It looked incredibly flexible; it was, in fact, a soft sword. This was something Ye Yu had not anticipated. After all, regardless of the version, Fēng Qīngyáng never seemed to carry a sword. Ye Yu had assumed he was not carrying one because those he met previously were not worth drawing a blade for.
Seeing this, Ye Yu took his own sword from the Storage Ring. Fēng Qīngyáng was quite surprised to see a long sword suddenly appear in Ye Yu’s hand. In the blink of an eye, the two were locked in combat, and the surrounding peaks began to collapse.
Finally.
"Splat!" A small cut was opened on Ye Yu’s hand by the soft sword in Fēng Qīngyáng’s grip. If Ye Yu had not withdrawn in time, the blade would surely have pierced his palm.
Ye Yu looked at the man before him with shock in his heart. After all, he had not been injured even when sparring with Dongfang. However, Ye Yu still felt that Fēng Qīngyáng’s strength was not quite at Dongfang’s level. After all, his bouts with Dongfang were merely practice, and Dongfang likely hadn't used her full power. Furthermore, Ye Yu was truly unfamiliar with the soft sword. Every time he thought he had blocked a strike, the blade would inevitably emerge from an unimaginable angle.
Looking at Fēng Qīngyáng, Ye Yu slowly said, "Senior Fēng Qīngyáng, your strength is indeed formidable. The Nine Swords of Dugu is truly worthy of being the world's number one Sword Technique. It seems that in terms of swordplay, I am no match for you."
Fēng Qīngyáng was not having an easy time either; he had just utilized everything he had learned in his life. Yet, even so, it had taken this long just to inflict this tiny wound on Ye Yu.
"Since that is the case, why do you not leave? Otherwise, the sword in my hand will not be so easy to parry the next time."
Upon hearing this, Ye Yu stowed his long sword and slowly said, "I originally wanted to spar with you on sword arts, but it seems I am indeed inferior in that regard. If so, then I shall use my full strength!" As he finished speaking, Ye Yu fully channeled his Nine Yang Divine Skill. Instantly, a majestic momentum erupted from Ye Yu.
Feeling this presence, Fēng Qīngyáng knew that this fellow had not been lying earlier—he truly had not used his full strength. Thinking of this, a bitter smile could not help but appear on Fēng Qīngyáng’s face. Are young people today all this powerful?
With his Internal Energy fully active, Ye Yu stomped hard against the ground. The boulder under his feet shattered into pieces. Only a blur was seen as Ye Yu charged toward Fēng Qīngyáng with incredible speed. Seeing this, Fēng Qīngyáng hurriedly utilized the Nine Swords of Dugu, as shadows of swords flashed into existence.
"Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!"
Explosive sounds echoed constantly in the air. Fēng Qīngyáng now felt the terror of an unrestrained Ye Yu. Even though he had pushed the Nine Swords of Dugu to its limit and parried most of Ye Yu’s attacks, two punches still landed on his body. Moreover, these two punches were incredibly heavy, nearly causing him to lose his breath and faint. Furthermore, Ye Yu seemed to possess another profound martial art capable of deflecting and even rebounding his own damage.
"Boom!" Another clash occurred. Fēng Qīngyáng felt his blood and qi surging, and his body was sent flying back more than ten feet. Just as he stabilized his stance, a trace of blood spilled from the corner of his mouth. Looking at Ye Yu, he appeared completely unscathed.
Watching the trickle of blood, Ye Yu slowly said, "Senior Fēng Qīngyáng, let us call it a day. If we keep fighting, I fear your body will not be able to handle it!" After all, Fēng Qīngyáng held the legacy of Dúgū Qiúbài, meaning he could be considered a fellow practitioner with Dongfang Bai; it would not be ideal to kill him like this.
"Hmph! I simply ate something too nourishing yesterday, which caused my blood and qi to surge. Now that I have spat out a little blood, I feel much lighter."
Hearing this, the corners of Ye Yu’s mouth twitched slightly. He thought, "Could you have come up with a lousier excuse?" However, since Fēng Qīngyáng refused to yield and remained stubborn, Ye Yu would show him what he could really do.
Thinking of this, Ye Yu stomped again and charged at Fēng Qīngyáng like a cannonball. Seeing this, Fēng Qīngyáng hurriedly waved his sword to block.
"Boom!" A giant boulder, already in ruins, shattered instantly.
Seeing this, Ye Yu shouted, "Flying Dragon in the Sky!" In an instant, a golden dragon shadow accompanied by a dragon's roar charged at Fēng Qīngyáng. Seeing this, Fēng Qīngyáng quickly used the Nine Swords of Dugu to forcefully withstand the attack. But before he could breathe a sigh of relief, he saw a fist growing larger and larger in his eyes.