Myriad Rivers to the Sea

Li Yu and Zhan Tielan spent another two days traversing the dense jungles and sprawling marshlands of the Primal Howl Realm. Once their designated hunting period drew to a close, they returned to the Zhan Clan. Tielan divided their harvested spoils with practiced efficiency once they arrived back at the central logistics hub of the Zhan Clan.

She turned in all the rigid materials like bone plating and tough hide. She also handed over the stringy meat that held little culinary value while splitting the gathered beast cores down the middle as well.

Li Yu smiled with all the premium cuts of meat into his spatial ring alongside the other half of the cores. He now possessed enough high grade ingredients to cook feasts or just enjoy himself on journeys for a long time to come. He bid his mother farewell as she returned to her command post and he traveled back to the quiet sanctuary of the Five Star Lakes.

Upon returning to his tranquil shores, the young cultivator resumed his rigorous daily training routine. He was still attempting to pull the staff from the dirt where Zhan Tian had last left it. He channeled his Karma Severing Qi and strained his soul strength but the weapon remained firmly planted in the ground. He was still not strong enough to wield it properly.

Despite that failure, he noticed a distinct improvement in his internal foundation. His five Nascent Souls resonated together with more surprising ease. The Koi swam through the ethereal ocean while the Water Buffalo grazed near the riverbanks. The Blue Whale dove deep down in the currents as the Human and the Fisherman sat quietly near the surface. All five entities hummed in a unified and peaceful rhythm.

Li Yu began to suspect that this harmony stemmed from his current emotional state. The relaxed hunting trip and the peaceful environment of his valley filled him with a quiet joy. He deduced that the happier and more content he felt, the easier it became for his disparate souls to act as one cohesive unit. Tension and stress seemed to fracture their resonance while joy brought them into alignment. At least that’s what it seemed like to him. He wasn’t entirely correct but he wasn’t entirely wrong either.

Li Yu also took a moment to check on his newest resident. He projected his voice into the deep ocean of the Koi Sanctuary and called out to the towering beast resting in the dark trench.

"Krag," Li Yu said. "The physical lakes outside are very serene today. The sun is warm and the water is fresh. Do you wish to come out and reside in the real world for a time?"

The nine headed beast rejected the offer immediately.

"I require no sun," Krag rumbled with a voice like grinding stones. "The ambient life force within this sanctuary provides far better nourishment than any external waters ever could. The energy here is undisturbed. I prefer the quiet depths of your Sanctuary over the outside. If you do not need me for battle as our agreement, leave me to my rest."

Li Yu chuckled and withdrew his consciousness from the inner world. He respected the wishes of the beast and allowed Krag to continue absorbing in peace.

Another week of solitary practice passed without yielding any tangible breakthroughs. Li Yu felt his progress stagnate across his various techniques, laws, Qi and his physical body refining. He recognized the familiar sensation of a bottleneck and understood that training would not provide the catalyst he needed to advance. He decided to seek out real life experience through external encounters to broaden his perspective, understanding and seek inspiration.

He visited the central mission hall of the Zhan Clan and browsed the available mercenary requests posted by external factions. One particular listing caught his attention. It was an escort and protection contract posted by the Bai Clan from the Verdant Sky Realm.

They required experienced guards to protect a young noble for three weeks at a prestigious cultivator academy. The noble faced numerous threats from rival factions and only needed to survive until he officially transferred to a top tier sect at the end of the short term. It would seem that the family was staking everything into his success there.

The provided payment in spirit stones and rare resources was quite good but it was nowhere near enough to truly entice a Karma Severing expert and for that duration of time as well. However, Li Yu chose to accept the contract anyway even though it could have gone to someone much weaker than himself.

He had never experienced the structured and highly political life of a formal academy before and he wanted to see what it was like. He would not be attending himself but he could at least watch and maybe learn a few things while doing it. Li Yu quickly made his choice and went to get assigned to the mission before it was taken by someone else.

He activated the grand teleportation array and traveled to the Verdant Sky Realm. The spatial distortion faded to reveal a vibrant world filled with lush green mountains and sweeping valleys. As before, there was a Zhan Clan military base here or else there would not have been any missions on the board for this realm. Li Yu followed the provided coordinates and soon arrived at the grand estate of the Bai Clan.

‘I hope this goes better than the last mission.’ Li Yu thought to himself as he arrived.

The leader of the Bai Clan stood in the main reception hall and sweated profusely upon meeting Li Yu. The Clan Head was only at the Domain King level of cultivation and he stared at the young man wearing the grey robe with wide eyes. He felt a heavy pressure radiating from the youth despite the young man actively suppressing his aura. A Karma Severing expert bearing the fierce emblem of the Zhan Clan was an existence that commanded respect and caution.

The Clan Head would have normally politely rejected or found a way to refuse the services of such an overqualified and suspicious applicant because the situation felt incredibly odd. A warrior of that caliber had no business taking an escort mission like this for the pay set for the job.

It seemed like a trap of a scheme no matter how you looked at it. However, he was far too terrified to deny the request and risk offending the Zhan Clan. The clan leader reasoned that a member of the Zhan lineage was at least trustworthy in matters of contractual obligation. He wouldn’t bring dishonor to his clan for the task of ambushing their shining star.

"Senior," the Clan Head greeted with a deep and respectful bow. "The Bai Clan is honored by your presence. We did not expect a cultivator of your standing to answer our humble posting."

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"I am simply here for the life experience," Li Yu replied with a calm smile. He decided that being honest made the most sense, trying to sound like someone who was doing it out of the goodness of his heart would only bring more suspicion. "Treat me as you would any other hired guard. I will fulfill the terms of the contract."

The Bai Clan had liquidated a vast portion of their treasury to hire four external guards to protect their most prized junior. They agreed to pay half the sum upfront and the remaining half upon the successful completion of the three week term. The Clan Head handed over a spatial pouch filled with spirit stones and Li Yu stored it away.

The noble in question stepped into the hall a few moments later. His name was Bai Yun and he radiated the energetic aura of the Soul Transformation realm. The young man possessed sharp features and carried himself with a brash confidence that bordered on arrogance but was restrained. He wore an intricate silver bracelet on his right wrist that hummed with a very faint and hidden spiritual fluctuation that Li Yu noticed immediately.

Li Yu stood near the back of the grand hall and observed the rest of the gathered escort team. The Bai Clan had assembled a diverse group of cultivators from the job posting to ensure the survival of their heir.

The first was a loose mercenary named Rogan who carried twin curved axes strapped to his back. He possessed a rugged and heavily scarred face along with the imposing aura of a Half King. The second was a stern woman named Lin Xiao who hailed from an allied family of the Bai Clan. She stood at the King realm and kept her hand resting near the hilt of a thin rapier sheathed at her waist. The third was an orthodox sect member named Vane who wore pristine white robes and emanated the refined and sharp Qi of the Law Integration realm.

Many of the gathered servants and the six family guards cast questioning glances toward the grey robed youth. Li Yu was the strongest person in the room by a wide margin yet he volunteered to act as a simple bodyguard for a young junior for the clan.

Since he was much stronger than everyone here, they couldn’t tell that Li Yu was actually the youngest one here as well. Li Yu ignored their whispers and focused on the impending journey and held excitement for what he was going to witness. He was formally assigned to act as the second in command under the veteran family butler who held the unwavering trust of the Clan Head.

The escort team departed the Bai Clan estate the following morning as the sun crested the green mountains. They traveled along a wide paved road that wound through a picturesque valley leading toward the academy. Bai Yun rode inside a luxurious spiritual carriage pulled by two horned horses while the six Half King family guards marched in a tight defensive formation around the wooden cabin.

Rogan, Lin Xiao and Vane rode alongside the carriage on sturdy scaled mounts and kept their eyes scanning the tree line for ambushes. Li Yu chose to walk at a steady and relaxed pace near the rear of the procession and was casting his senses out far and wide. He rested his dark glaive over his shoulder, wanting to be like his grandfather while he was going to use the glaive and enjoyed the fresh air of the Verdant Sky Realm.

The journey proceeded smoothly until the afternoon sun reached its highest peak. Bai Yun decided he needed to stretch his legs and ordered the carriage to halt. He stepped out onto the paved stone and wandered toward a cluster of large rocks near the edge of the road.

He suddenly gasped in delight and dropped to his knees.

"Look at this!" Bai Yun cheered as he carefully plucked a glowing purple flower from the dirt. "A Starfire Orchid! These are incredibly rare and highly sought after by alchemists. To find one just growing on the side of a public road is amazing. My luck is truly exceptional today." 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝚠𝚎𝚋𝗻𝗼𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝚘𝐦

Before the young noble could properly store the glowing herb into his spatial ring, a group of lavishly dressed cultivators crested the nearby hill and spotted him holding the prize. The leader of the hostile group was a young man wearing silk robes embroidered with golden falcons. His face twisted into an ugly scowl as he pointed a folded paper fan toward Bai Yun.

"You dare steal the spirit herb my trackers have been hunting for three days?" The falcon robed youth demanded with a harsh and haughty sneer. "Hand over the orchid and break your own arms as an apology or my guards will leave you breathing your last breath in the dirt right now."

Li Yu watched the rapid escalation from the back of the formation and raised an eyebrow in amusement. The situation unfolded with ridiculous speed and mirrored the dramatic stories he had heard in bustling taverns. Bai Yun had stumbled upon a valuable treasure by chance and instantly offended a hostile group without even trying.

Rogan and Lin Xiao immediately stepped forward and drew their weapons to protect their client. The veteran Butler raised his hands and tried to negotiate a peaceful resolution and avoid shedding blood before they even reached the academy gates. Bai Yun scoffed at the threat and crossed his arms over his chest while tightly gripping the purple flower.

"I found it on an open road," Bai Yun declared loudly. "It belongs to me by right of discovery. If you want it, you will have to pay for it or to come take it from my cold hands."

While the two young masters traded escalating insults, the silver bracelet resting on Bai Yun's wrist grew remarkably warm. A frantic and ancient voice echoed directly into the mind of the Soul Transformation youth.

"You fool," the spiritual Grandpa hissed with genuine panic vibrating through his ethereal projection. "Stop seeking out conflict today! Do you see the young man in the grey robe standing near the back of your group? The one casually holding the dark glaive?"

Bai Yun shifted his gaze slightly and briefly looked at his new guard. He replied to the voice in his mind with a dismissive tone. "You mean the new guard my father hired? He seems quiet enough. My father said he is incredibly strong, doesn’t that mean I can be even more bold? Why should I care about him right now when this arrogant peacock is threatening me?"

"Because he is a true monster walking in human skin," the ancient soul warned as his spiritual form trembled inside the silver jewelry. "My senses are renowned across the heavens but when I try to probe his internal foundation, I only see a bottomless abyss staring back at me. My soul strength is worthless against him. You must never annoy that man. If you cannot make him your friend, then you must ensure he never becomes your enemy. Treat him with the utmost respect and do not drag him into petty squabbles."

Bai Yun swallowed hard and felt a cold sweat break out on the back of his neck. He trusted the ancient master residing in his bracelet more than anyone else in the world. The old man had saved his life countless times and guided his rapid cultivation that has led him here today. If the ancient soul was terrified of the quiet guard then the youth knew he needed to tread very carefully. He nodded subtly and refocused his attention on the hostile group blocking the road.

Vane stepped forward and released a heavy pulse of his Law Integration aura. The oppressive pressure washed over the road and forced the falcon robed youth and his retainers to take several steps back. Realizing they were severely outmatched in terms of power, the hostile group threw a few more hollow threats and retreated down the road while promising future retribution.

The escort team resumed their march without shedding any blood. Li Yu found the brief encounter a bit unusual but didn’t think too much of it. He watched Bai Yun strut back to his carriage with the rare orchid secured safely in his ring and chuckled quietly to himself. The young man seemed to attract trouble and fortune like a magnet. Li Yu wasn’t sure if lady luck was smiling or frowning at Bai Yun.

They traveled for a few more hours as the sun began to dip below the horizon and cast long shadows over the paved road. The thick green trees eventually cleared to reveal a sprawling valley filled with towering white stone towers and sweeping courtyards. Thousands of young cultivators milled about the ornate front gates wearing various colorful sect uniforms.

They had finally arrived at the grand entrance of the Verdant Sky Academy. Li Yu rested his glaive on his shoulder and smiled as he prepared to observe the chaotic and structured life of an academy student for the next three weeks.