A single mountain proudly stood tall amidst the swirling snow. The monolith of ancient rock shimmered under the moonlight like a glittering gem-studded into the earth. Down the mountain's side gently flowed a pristine river. Blue and white Koi fish swam serenely through the crystalline waters underneath the shade of brightly coloured cherry blossom trees that poked out of the snow.

To the left of the mountain stood a massive palace, elegant white marble pillars holding up a domed roof ornately carved with images of the moon. Around the palace, tall towers and spires rose, built of resplendent red crystal. Thick walls of solid gold connected each spire, inlaid with beautifully carved patterns. It was within these buildings that the many disciples of the Moon Crying Swan Palace lived and cultivated.

A thousand leagues from the mountain knelt a priest garbed in a simple white robe, his eyes closed. Facing the palace, Haishen Yu slowly parted his eyelids, revealing two brightly glowing golden runes in the space his eyes had once been. Golden light erupted forth from the runes, so hot and bright that the snow and ice around the man, which had gradually piled up over hundreds of millions of years instantly erupted into steam. Two immense rivers of boiling light gushed out of his eyes, racing across the sky towards the Moon Crying Swan Palace.

The moment Haishen Yu's attack was unleashed, a massive barrier sprung into place around the Palace, a shell of glittering blue light formed from millions of floating blue symbols.

It was only natural that any sect of decent size would have sturdy automated defences in place and the Moon Crying Swan Palace was no exception. The Ten Thousand Feathers Formation had protected the Palace for one hundred generations unfailingly, beating back countless armies and legendary enemies. It was among the mightiest of barriers ever created in the history of the Bird Talon Continent.

Not mighty enough to stop Haishen Yu.

Two lances of burning light crashed furiously into the barrier. For a moment there was a world rending screech as the blistering heat of the beams collided with the absolute cold of the barrier. Then, like ice placed under a stream of hot water, the barrier melted away. The rays of light shot forward unimpeded towards their exposed target.

Only millimetres from the palace, a massive mirror of ice suddenly appeared. Haishen Yu's attack slammed into the mirror, suddenly reflecting backwards towards him.

With a snort, the priest's body faded away, moments later reappearing in the sky above the mountain. He craned his neck, gazing over at the huge, charred-black crater that marked the land where Haishen Yu had been just moments prior. Black smoke billowed out of the crater, rising into the sky in thick, swirling clouds.

Haishen Yu turned back to gaze at the Moon Crying Swan Palace, clasping his arms behind his back. As he watched, a single figure appeared in the sky, facing him. She appeared to be nothing more than a twelve-year-old girl, wearing a simple blue dress, yet the swirling cloud of Icy Qi trembling around her body clearly marked her as an incredibly powerful cultivator.

'The Moon Crying Swan Palace has only one Peak Great Sage, meaning this is the previous Palace Master, Yueling He,' Haishen Yu thought.

"Outsider, you have some gall to attack my Moon Crying Swan Palace," Yueliang He declared frostily. "You have ten seconds to leave our sect before you die."

As Yueliang He spoke, dozens of figures appeared behind her, gathering in a line to face Haishen Yu. They were all women, appearances ranging from that of little girls not yet in their teens to elderly women with white hair and wrinkled skin. These were the elite cultivators of the Moon Crying Swan Palace.

"Hmm... Is that so?" Haishen Yu asked mildly.

With a single thought, a boundless aura exploded forth from the Priest's body. The spiritual weight of his cultivation crushed down upon the gathered women. It was like a thousand mountains falling from the sky. Immediately, the weaker ones began to cough up blood, unable to stand the sheer pressure exuding from him.

"What the hell is someone like you doing in the Bird Talon Continent?" Yueliang He asked in shock.

"I've come to exterminate your sect," Haishen Yu replied with a pleasant smile, his tone what one might use when talking about the weather.

"You.. what?" Yueliang He asked, a trace of fear appearing in her eyes. "Don't get ahead of yourself! The Moon Crying Swan Palace is subsidiary to the Twelve Headed Avian Sect! If you dare attack us, they'll destroy you! Regardless of your cultivation, you can't possibly survive their wrath!"

"The Twelve Headed Avian Sect?" Haishen Yu chuckled, raising an eyebrow. "Allow me to clear up misconceptions. You and every member of your sect will die today, and there is absolutely nothing anyone or any sect can do to stop me. However, I am not a man without mercy. If you submit now I will ensure your deaths are painless."

"...Are you serious? You don't actually think you can get away with attacking the Twelve Headed Avian Sect, do you? If so, you're insane," Yueliang He replied, eyes wide.

This time, Haishen Yu did not respond verbally. He simply raised a single finger, pointing it to the sky. At the tip of his finger, a small star of golden light appeared. Instantly, hundreds of attacks shot towards him, rivers of metallic water, spears of glowing ice, bolts of shadowy matter and clouds of ghostly faces. The attacks battered Haishen Yu, only to splash harmlessly off of his skin.

Then, Haishen Yu swiped his finger down.

For a moment, nothing seemed to happen. Then, with a sky-splitting thunderclap, a bolt of lightning descended from the heavens.

The only one fast enough to react to his attack, Yueliang He swung her hand frantically, and a wall of ice surged out of the ground, rising to block the thunderbolt. Yet the lightning seemed to completely ignore the wall of ice, passing through it as if it were not there. Moments later, the thunderbolt made contact with the earth. The world turned white, a second sky-splitting thunderclap exploding outwards.

When the light faded, there was no longer a Moon Crying Swan Palace. A black pit extended a hundred miles into the earth where the building had once been. Countless layers of dirt and rock had been vaporized, rising into the sky as gas. Yueliang He slowly turned her head to stare at Haishen Yu, face white.

"You... You... " she stuttered, eyes wide. "...I'll kill you!"

The little girl shot towards him, face twisted with rage. Haishen Yu leisurely raised a palm, chopping through the air. A red line spread across Yueliang He's forehead, as her body was cut in half. Blood, bile and torn pieces of internal organs splashed out of her falling corpse. A white, spectral fog seeped out of her body, as Yueliang He's soul retreated, only for a thin bolt of thunder to shoot from Haishen Yu's fingertip, shattering her soul.

When it came to cultivators above the Nascent Soul realm, destroying their bodies would not necessarily be the end for them. To truly kill one, it was necessary to destroy their soul.

Having finished off Yueling He, Haishen Yu turned to the other fighters, who had yet to even react, raising a finger to his lip. He exhaled and a great gout of fire erupted from his lips. The flames washed over the women, burning through their flesh and bone. Something reminiscent of the sweet smell of cooked pork filled the air as the women burned away. Haishen Yu waved his hand, dozens of tiny thunderbolts flying out and destroying the souls left behind.

A grin slowly spread across the man's face. He had finally completed his task. Haishen Yu's shoulders shook slightly as he broke into laughter. Suddenly he stopped laughing, looking downwards. The earth at the bottom of the pit that had once been the Moon Crying Swan Palace began to tremble. Cracks spread out across the charred black soil, dirt rising into the air.

What appeared to be a massive white ball rose from the earth, floating high into the sky. The white ball began to slowly swell outwards, before cracks spread out across it. The ball exploded, revealing the majestic form of a massive swan.

The bird had six wings covered in glossy silver feathers. Its beak was pitch black, filled with huge jagged teeth. The bird's pupils were images of the moon, glowing bright silver.

"Oh...? To think there would still be a Moon Crying Swan alive today?" Haishen Yu remarked, surprised. "I had thought that bloodline was extinct."

The silver-feathered swan looked down at Haishen Yu and opened its beak wide. Silver light began to gather in its mouth, forming a massive orb.

Haishen Yu shook his head, before swiftly reaching out with his hand. A shell of light formed around the bird, suddenly shrinking down. As the shell of light shrunk, so did the bird. Soon the mountain-sized demonic creature has been forced into the size of a watermelon. Haishen Yu waved his hand again, and the shell of light flew towards him, landing in his palm. Haishen Yu looked down at the swan, which was desperately struggling against its prison.

"You'll make a fine mount..." Haishen Yu smiled. "Once properly trained."