Sword Aura to the Heavens
Chapter 111 - 107 Warning

Chapter 111: Chapter 107 Warning

"Prince Puyang of Da Li personally came to Chuzhou City. It seems he truly values my Li Mountain disciples," Mo Yang said as he stepped forward. Like a blazing sun, the terrifying heat radiating from his body transformed the entire Prefecture into a solar furnace.

In the Battle of Li Mountain, Mo Yang became one with the blazing sun, sealing off the mountain.

Among the fighters atop Li Mountain, Mo Yang’s battle prowess ranked within the top three.

Prince Puyang’s expression grew solemn as a similarly overwhelming aura emanated from him. Mo Yang stepped forward once more, ascending the steps.

"Boom..." The Prefecture’s stairway instantly liquefied under the searing heat, which rippled out and engulfed the entire estate. Everyone in the building was struck by terror.

At first, they thought the arrival of His Royal Highness the Prince would be an honor to behold.

However, a Great Practitioner of Li Mountain decided to stride into the Prefecture, exuding sheer dominance.

*Was this a move to capture His Highness, the Seventh Prince?*

Prince Puyang also stepped forward. Known for his illustrious exploits and with the uncommon honor of being granted his title by merit, his formidable strength was unquestionable. Yet before the Li Mountain Sword Master, he dared not act arrogantly, his royal robes flapping in the turbulent air.

One descended, the other ascended.

The Prefecture trembled repeatedly as the observers at the back found their minds shaken to the core.

The pair reached the midpoint of the stairway, simultaneously raising their palms, seeming to engage in an unremarkable collision.

But the moment their palms touched, an oppressive force blanketed the Prefecture, leaving all present feeling suffocated to the extreme.

Mo Yang’s figure appeared like a solar furnace, his steps melting the staircase below into molten streams of crimson liquid. Opposite him, Prince Puyang’s figure was reflected in red, as if on the verge of combustion.

A scorching torrent swept toward Prince Puyang, obliterating the Prefecture buildings in its wake. In mere moments, they turned to ashes, disintegrating amidst the fiery storm.

Those inside were utterly aghast and hastily conjured mana barriers to shield themselves.

Even Cui Lengzhou, with his cultivation at the Five Realms, felt an unbearable pressure weighing down upon him. Thankfully, the force spared them, for if it hadn’t, this single clash between the two would have been enough to annihilate the majority of those within the Prefecture. The suffocating heat alone could have melted them.

*How bad must it feel for Prince Puyang to endure that force alone?*

His gaze swept toward the battlefield. Amidst the scorching torrent, an abrupt, sharp presence emerged—it was Sword Intent. The robe draped over Prince Puyang ignited into flames, transforming into a cloak of fire, yet it endured and did not scatter.

The two figures appeared locked in a standoff. Mo Yang remained composed, but Prince Puyang showed visible strain, his face flushed with red.

At this moment, Wen Ruyu stepped forward, leaping into the air and standing in the skies above the Prefecture, his Killing Sword Intent rampaging through the now nearly razed estate.

His gaze swept briefly toward Ye Yunke.

"How impudent!" Meng Yong shouted coldly, leaping skyward to confront Ruyu. Despite knowing the unfavorable circumstances, as the Prefect of Chuzhou, Meng Yong had no other choice.

*If anything were to happen to Ye Yunke within the Prefecture, he wouldn’t have enough lives to compensate.*

Figures rose into the air from different directions in the Prefecture, their mana flaring—many from the Demon Slayer Bureau.

"Some of you must have visited Li Mountain before, correct?" Wen Ruyu’s voice rang out as countless Killing Swords descended from the skies.

Various practitioners either summoned magical treasures or unleashed Dharma Forms to defend, but the Sword Aura filled the heavens as sword light continuously descended. Wen Ruyu’s killing intent this time was far fiercer than the last, back in Lin’an County.

Back then, they had yet to launch a true assault on Li Mountain.

Blood bloomed one after the other in the skies as practitioners were slain by the swords.

"If the Court is so adamant about confronting my Li Mountain, then it must pay the price," Wen Ruyu’s Sword of Slaughter aimed directly at Meng Yong.

At the same time, Li Fan began advancing.

With the stairs melted into fiery streams, he strode forward upon Sword Aura, step by step toward Ye Yunke.

Ye Yunke lowered his gaze at Li Fan’s movements and praised, "Now that’s the bearing of a Great Sword Cultivator."

*Though the entirety of Chuzhou City had turned into a battlefield and the situation was far from advantageous for Ye Yunke, he still maintained his composure. His eyes carried not a shred of panic.*

As Li Fan approached, his Sword Intent grew increasingly fierce. A wave of oppressive Sword Intent surged toward Ye Yunke, who smiled faintly, his aura blooming in response.

His cultivation: Late Stage Soul Emergence.

As Li Fan drew closer, his aura surged continuously, blending seamlessly with the surrounding Sword Intent and ascending into the Unity of Heaven and Man.

"Buzz..."

Li Fan’s figure lunged forward, moving like a sword as he unsheathed his blade. A dazzlingly radiant sword light flashed, slashing toward Ye Yunke.

The sword stopped, resting at Ye Yunke’s throat rather than cutting through.

Ye Yunke stood unmoving, neither resisting nor blinking, merely watching Li Fan calmly.

"I came to Chuzhou City intending to become ’friends’ with you," Ye Yunke said calmly to Li Fan. "But now it seems I was mistaken. Since so many Great Practitioners from Li Mountain have descended for your sake, it’s clear you won’t accept me as a friend."

"You didn’t truly want to be ’friends’ with me; you only intended to tempt me into betraying Li Mountain and pledging loyalty to you," Li Fan corrected.

*Those royal offspring and their words—so deceitful.*

"If you put it that way, there’s nothing wrong with it," Ye Yunke replied. "At least, I didn’t come here to kill you. As for those who have come to kill you, I don’t know who sent them. So, you don’t need to hold your sword to me."

"You appear indifferent, but deep down, you’re still afraid of dying here," Li Fan said, staring at Ye Yunke.

"Who isn’t afraid of death?" Ye Yunke replied with a faint smile. "Even the princes of Da Li. However, this outcome is my own doing. Underestimating you, I’ve continued to misjudge Li Mountain’s loyalty to you."

*He didn’t resist because resistance was meaningless.*

*Not because of Li Fan himself, but because the overall tide in Chuzhou City was against them.*

Li Mountain had already gained total control over Chuzhou City. Prince Puyang stood no chance against Mo Yang.

Chuzhou Prefect Meng Yong stood no chance against Wen Ruyu.

Elsewhere on the battlefield, there was no hint of advantage.

*He wasn’t even sure anymore how many members of Li Mountain were present.*

*It wasn’t just him who had underestimated Li Mountain’s stance; those killers who came evidently underestimated it too.*

*This young man carried the weight of the entire Li Mountain.*

*Then again, it made sense. Few among Li Mountain’s younger disciples showed such promise. When encountering such potential, why wouldn’t the sect expend every ounce of effort?*

After the battle in Chuzhou City, surely every faction within Da Li would raise their attention toward Li Fan by another degree.

"I didn’t attack Li Mountain, so why kill me?" Meng Yong’s enraged voice echoed through the air, yet Wen Ruyu didn’t answer. The sword descended, slaying Meng Yong.

Ye Yunke looked up and saw Meng Yong’s body tumbling downward. It wasn’t just Meng Yong—the Prefecture of Chuzhou was now littered with corpses.

*That killing intent emanating from Wen Ruyu—it truly was staggering.*

"Is the Court so arrogant to move against Li Mountain, believing the sect wouldn’t retaliate?" Wen Ruyu asked coldly, glancing at Meng Yong’s corpse. Not to mention, Chuzhou City’s demon invasion—Meng Yong’s Prefecture was hardly blameless.

*If they wouldn’t take responsibility, then who would?*

The demon invasion of Chuzhou City came and went, yet Meng Yong remained nowhere to be seen.

Meanwhile, below, Mo Yang and Prince Puyang stepped apart. Prince Puyang was forced back a few steps, turning his gaze toward Ye Yunke and Li Fan.

"You’ve gone too far," he growled, glaring at Li Fan, whose sword was directed at Ye Yunke.

"Having grown accustomed to standing high above, perhaps you’ve lost sight of the reality," Wen Ruyu mocked with a piercing tone. Prince Puyang shot him a withering stare, his oppressive aura spreading outward.

Li Fan glanced at Prince Puyang but ultimately withdrew his sword, sparing Ye Yunke.

It wasn’t yet the time.

*Besides, Senior Sister was still in the Imperial Palace.*

This time, Li Mountain came as a warning to the Da Li Court—to leave Li Mountain’s people untouched.

"If the Court dares target Li Mountain disciples again, Li Mountain will erase every Prefecture under Da Li’s reign," Mo Yang declared, staring at Prince Puyang.

This annihilation of the Chuzhou Prefecture was a warning from Li Mountain.

Li Mountain had now deployed its disciples across the land. Its Great Practitioners atop the mountain would no longer risk their lives fighting. If the Court pursued aggression, they would retreat.

Unless the Court was confident it could destroy Li Mountain in one fell swoop, it would never find peace thereafter.

For Li Mountain, though weaker now, outright war with the Court would be unwise. They could afford to wait for Li Fan to rise.

Even in their current disadvantage, they could not allow the Da Li Court to act unrestrained.

Thus, Chuzhou City’s mission was born.

"Let’s leave," Mo Yang said finally. Li Fan added, "The Cui Family and I are merely acquainted. Should the Court move against them, Li Mountain will retaliate without hesitation."

He then turned toward Cui Lengzhou. "Senior, shall we head back now?"

"Certainly." Cui Lengzhou replied readily, joining Li Fan.

*After this, he doubted the Court would dare provoke the Cui Family.*

*Besides, the Cui Family wasn’t of critical importance in the Court’s eyes anyway.*

Ye Yunke watched them as they walked away, leaving behind destruction and death scattered across the land.

"So this is Li Mountain’s revenge," Ye Yunke murmured under his breath, then chuckled softly.

*At first, he’d threatened Li Fan, claiming Li Mountain was incapable of contending with the Court. But if Li Mountain’s practitioners abandoned their peak and roamed across Da Li...*

*Then, no matter how strong the Court was, even they would face a staggering problem.*

*Even for this prince, life wouldn’t be anything less than treacherous.*

Ye Qinghuang watched from the Imperial Palace as Li Mountain moved outside its borders.

In this light, attempting to kill Li Fan was indeed no easy task.

The battle in Chuzhou City had now concluded. Those Great Practitioners who had come to kill Li Fan sensed the tide shifting and avoided engagement. Among those who surfaced, Zhou Ding perished along with another practitioner battling Xing Feng of Martial Intent Peak.

The latter failed to escape swiftly and was permanently left behind in Chuzhou City.

The individual’s identity turned out to be a notorious demon figure within Da Li.

Mo Yang, Li Fan, and their cohort strode through Chuzhou City’s skies, regrouping with others.

Countless eyes across Chuzhou City tilted upward toward them.

And the one attracting the most attention was none other than the youth.

*It was his appearance that triggered this storm.*

Who was this Sword Cultivator from Li Mountain, who had shaken its peak enough to draw half the mountain to his side?

Li Fan.

The people of Chuzhou City would remember this name.