Myriad Rivers to the Sea

The afternoon sun baked the packed dirt of the central plaza and the five hundred recruits gathered back into their tight formations. The mood was entirely different from the morning. The short break and the open market had revitalized their spirits. They stood with their backs straight and their eyes focused on the raised stone platform since they knew they weren’t going to get beaten today.

Lei Gang walked up the stone steps and took his position at the front. He crossed his massive arms over his chest and his heavy gaze swept over the crowd. It eventually landed on Li Yu near the back.

The chief instructor kept his expression neutral but his mind was spinning with questions. Lei Gang knew the boy was the son of Commander Tielan. But the reports Lei Gang had just received regarding the morning market made absolutely no sense.

The guards had sent him a detailed transmission about the Golden Horizon pavilion. They reported that Guild Master Jin had practically begged Li Yu to accept premium treasures. The ruthless merchant had handed over an incredible sword, rare pills, a mysterious seed and a premium flying ship completely for free. Jin had even threatened to ruin clan heirs just for questioning the transaction.

Lei Gang rubbed his scarred chin in thought. He knew Commander Tielan was a terrifying figure in the cosmos due to her fierce nature and even worse temper. She commanded immense respect and fear. But even she did not possess that kind of sway over Golden Horizon. That merchant organization operated on profit and strict ledgers. They bowed to no military commander when it came to their bottom line.

'Just what kind of hidden background does this kid actually have?' Lei Gang thought to himself. 'Or is it some kind of bizarre charm? Whatever it is, it is above my pay grade. I just need to teach him how to punch.'

Lei Gang pushed those thoughts that would never be answered to the back of his mind and he cleared his throat. The low rumble instantly silenced the plaza.

"Listen up." Lei Gang announced as his voice easily reached the furthest ranks. "Today we cover the fundamental principles of using your physical vessel as a primary weapon."

The recruits leaned forward slightly.

"Most cultivators in the myriad realms view the physical body as a fragile cup." Lei Gang began as he paced slowly across the stone platform. "They believe it is merely a container meant to hold the ocean of their Qi. They study the laws of the heavens to manipulate the world outside of themselves. They summon fire and control wind. But they completely ignore the universe hidden within their own flesh. That is a fatal flaw."

He stopped pacing and slammed his heavy boot into the stone platform. The ambient space around his leg actually rippled from the physical density.

"In this army, we do not study the heavens." Lei Gang stated loudly. "We become our own heaven. Your bones are not just support structures. They are the pillars of an internal array. Your meridians are the leylines. When your Qi reserves run completely dry and the ambient laws of the cosmos are sealed against you, you still have yourself, the ultimate weapon."

Li Yu nodded slowly in the back row. He completely agreed with this philosophy. His physique was one of the cores of his strength. He relied heavily on his physical power but he knew his technique was raw.

"To turn the vessel into a weapon you must first understand structural density." Lei Gang continued. "You do not just swing an arm and hope it connects. You must compress your physical mass until it generates its own gravity. You lock the joints and align your bones perfectly so that no kinetic force leaks out during the strike."

Lei Gang sank into a slow martial stance to demonstrate. He did not summon a single drop of Qi.

"When you strike, you do not just hit the enemy." Lei Gang explained. "You crush the physical space the enemy occupies. You force the density of your tempered flesh against the fragile laws of the environment until the environment breaks first."

He pulled his fist back. "Your internal foundation must be completely unified. If your bones are aligned perfectly, the impact will travel through the target and shatter their internal organs regardless of their external Qi shields. We call this the Absolute Impact."

Lei Gang snapped his fist forward into the empty air.

There was no flash of light and no elemental explosion. There was only a terrifying cracking sound that erupted. The space directly in front of his knuckles fractured like thin glass and a vacuum of physical force shot outward as it blew a massive crater into the dirt hundreds of yards away.

The recruits stared at it and were impressed.

"Everyone spread out." Lei Gang ordered. "Anchor yourselves. Align your bones into a unified structure. Try to punch the space in front of you. Do not use a single drop of Qi. Use only the terrifying density of your tempered vessel."

The five hundred recruits quickly shifted into martial stances as he had done. The plaza filled with the sounds of boots grinding into the dirt.

Li Yu widened his stance. He pressed his boots firmly into the ground and he focused his mind entirely on his internal structure. He possessed the foundation of a supreme beast but he had never tried what the instructor had said, at least not mindfully doing so.

He pushed down with his right foot and locked his knee. He tightened his core and aligned his spine perfectly with his shoulder. He pulled his fist back and felt the immense weight of his own physical mass condensing into a single point.

Li Yu threw a punch into the empty air.

The air popped loudly and it was much stronger than his normal unassisted strikes but it did not shatter the space like Lei Gang had done. The energy felt disjointed and he realized his raw strength was leaking out throughout his body because his alignment was slightly off. 𝗳𝗿𝐞𝕖𝘄𝗲𝕓𝗻𝚘𝚟𝕖𝐥.𝚌𝕠𝕞

Li Yu frowned and reset his stance. He slowed his movements down completely as he treated his skeletal structure like a complex set of array formations, another thing he didn’t understand very well. He locked every single joint into place before letting the momentum carry forward. He struck again.

This time a sharp crack echoed through the air. A visible ripple of kinetic force tore a small trench in the dirt a few yards away. The flow of force felt vastly more efficient. It was a revelation for him. He was finally learning how to utilize his body more.

Lei Gang walked through the ranks and he was correcting postures as well as delivering harsh critiques. He eventually made his way back to the platform.

"Keep practicing that alignment on your own time." Lei Gang instructed. "Because perfect structure is only the first step. The second step is the fuel. We will now cover the activation of internal blood vitality."

The recruits stopped their punching drills and focused back on the chief instructor.

"Qi is the ambient energy of the cosmos." Lei Gang said while his expression turned incredibly serious. "Blood vitality is the energy of your own existence. It is the heavy furnace burning inside your heart and your bone marrow. When you face an expert who can sever your connection to the heavens you must ignite your blood."

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Lei Gang held up his massive hand. A deep crimson aura began to radiate directly from his skin. The air around him instantly grew heavy and hot. The physical pressure emanating from his body made it difficult for the recruits in the front rows to breathe.

"Blood vitality is the Qi of the flesh." Lei Gang explained while the crimson aura pulsed. "It is not meant to be projected outward like a Qi technique. It is meant to be flooded directly into your own muscles. When you pull the vitality from your marrow and force it into your muscle, it acts as an amplifier."

He closed his hand into a fist. The crimson aura compressed tightly around his skin and turned his arm as hard as divine iron.

"Igniting your blood vitality makes your flesh virtually indestructible for short bursts." Lei Gang continued. "It vastly increases your lifting capacity and your striking speed. It allows your physical mass to overpower supreme techniques. But it comes with a massive risk."

Lei Gang extinguished the crimson aura. He took a deep breath to steady himself.

"You are burning your own life force." Lei Gang warned them. "If you burn too much blood vitality you will exhaust your bone marrow. You will age rapidly and your foundation will collapse. You must learn to ignite the blood in short and precise bursts exactly upon the moment of impact. You do not leave the furnace burning for too long. Small burns can easily be recovered and healed. Extended durations and output can never be restored unless you can obtain supreme treasures but those are rare."

He spent the rest of the afternoon session breaking down the exact breathing rhythms and mental focuses required to pull vitality from the marrow. It was an incredibly dangerous practice and there were various forms of such techniques widely spread throughout the cultivation world.

However, the technique he was sharing with them today was one of the best, more output for less consumption and side effects. Several recruits coughed up blood as they accidentally damaged their internal organs trying to force the heavy energy through their veins using this new technique.

Li Yu sat cross legged in the dirt as he focused his mind on his physique. His blood was already uniquely thick and powerful. He followed Lei Gang's breathing rhythm and technique. He visualized the deep marrow inside his heavy bones.

He pulled gently. A surge of hot and heavy energy instantly flooded his chest. It felt completely different from his normal Qi. It felt raw and violently alive. The blood vitality rushed into his arms and his muscles immediately swelled slightly with the sudden power.

Li Yu quickly released the focus and let the vitality settle back into his marrow. He did not want to burn his reserves needlessly but it would be a requirement for training. He smiled to himself. He had gained a piece of martial knowledge today. He finally understood how to actively tap into the deepest reserves of his physical strength.

The lecture continued until the sun began to set over the high stone walls. Lei Gang dismissed the formation and ordered them to rest for the evening. Li Yu walked back to his premium courtyard and he felt a deep sense of satisfaction.

He bypassed the main house and walked directly to the smooth stone training floor in the center of the courtyard. He wanted to solidify the lessons immediately.

Li Yu sank into a meditative stance on the stone. He closed his eyes and he began to cycle his breathing to practice the delicate art of pulling blood vitality from his marrow without damaging his internal pathways. He focused entirely on the physical mechanics of his vessel.

He did not want to waste time though. While his primary consciousness focused completely on his physical body he activated his second mind to do something else.

With a silent command, a flash of light illuminated the twilight courtyard. Firmament's End and Whispering Frost materialized in the air in front of him.

The two swords hovered silently. Firmament's End remained in its dark green scabbard while Whispering Frost rested in its pale white sheath. Li Yu did not grab them with his hands. He extended his divine sense and wrapped his second mind around both weapons simultaneously.

The dark leather hilt of the green blade and the snowflake guard of the white blade responded instantly.

The two swords shot across the courtyard. They flew in complex and overlapping trajectories. Firmament's End moved with a silent and terrifying speed. It darted through the air like a deadly comet. Whispering Frost moved with a smooth and elegant grace. It left a faint trail of chilling mist in its wake.

Li Yu used his second mind to pilot the weapons through a series of combat maneuvers. He commanded them to strike imaginary targets at opposite ends of the courtyard. He forced them to cross paths within fractions of an inch without colliding.

It was an incredibly taxing exercise.

His primary mind was actively managing the volatile and dangerous flow of blood vitality through his physical veins. A single mistake there could rupture his heart. His second mind was calculating the coordinates and angles for two distinct flying artifacts at the exact same time.

Sweat beaded on his forehead. The mental strain was immense. Managing the physical body and piloting multiple external weapons simultaneously required a level of focus that pushed his soul strength. He maintained the dual practice for nearly an hour before he finally felt a sharp ache blooming in his temples.

He commanded the two swords to return to his Koi Sanctuary and he slowly released his grip on his blood vitality to let his physical body relax.

He opened his eyes and let out a long breath. It was difficult but it was highly effective. He was building a combat system that would allow him to fight as a devastating physical brawler while launching swords and other Qi techniques from a distance.

"Grand Envoy." Fenric called out respectfully from across the courtyard. "The evening meal is prepared."

Li Yu stood up and wiped the sweat from his face. He walked over to the large stone table near the spatial pavilion.

The eight Eidolon retainers were already gathered around the table. The spread tonight was vastly different from the tasteless fasting pills and raw meat of their first few days. Solstice had used some of the resources they have gathered and exchanged for high quality ingredients from the Golden Horizon market earlier in the day.

There were large platters of roasted spirit fowl glazed in honey and rare spices. There were bowls of steaming rice infused with gentle water Qi. A large pot of rich vegetable stew bubbled over the smokeless flame in the center of the table. The aroma was incredible.

"Sit down." Li Yu said as he took his own seat. "This looks excellent."

The group removed their masks and began to eat. The atmosphere was relaxed and comfortable. They had fallen into a steady routine over the past week and had gotten to know one another more.

"The merchants from Golden Horizon are truly exceptional." Solstice noted while taking a bite of the spiced fowl. "The quality of these ingredients is top tier."

"They were indeed a great group, very generous and kind as well." Li Yu agreed with a warm smile. "I received some excellent items from their Guild Master."

Gart tore into a large piece of meat with his usual aggressive enthusiasm. "That sword you were flying around just now looked incredibly sharp. Did you get that from the market?"

"I did." Li Yu nodded. "It is called Whispering Frost. The Guild Master gifted it to me."

The retainers exchanged surprised glances. They had also heard of the reputation of Golden Horizon. The Guild Master giving away a supreme weapon for free was completely unheard of. But they did not question it further. They had already accepted that Li Yu possessed a bizarre and undeniable gravity that drew powerful things toward him.

"We have also found a way to improve our own progression while we are stationed here." Fenric rumbled. The scarred Core Warden set his bowl down.

"Oh?" Li Yu asked. "What kind of progression?"

"We started sparring with the regular veteran soldiers of the army." Autumn explained softly. "The ones who are not actively running the training drills for the recruits."

"The veterans here are incredibly durable." Summer grunted in agreement. "They do not use stealth or illusions. They just absorb impact and hit back with massive force. It provides excellent moving target practice for the shadow division. It forces us to refine our evasion against kinetic strikes."

"And it provides excellent blunt force conditioning for Oram and myself." Fenric added. "We cross our arms and allow them to strike. It helps us test the structural limits of our defensive arrays against physical power. It is a mutually beneficial arrangement. The soldiers seem to enjoy fighting opponents who do not break immediately."

Li Yu smiled broadly. He was happy to hear that.

"That is excellent." Li Yu said. "You should all continue to push your own limits. This camp is a rare opportunity to train in an environment dedicated entirely to absolute strength. Use the resources and use the soldiers. We will all leave this place much stronger than when we arrived."

The retainers nodded in agreement. The rest of the dinner was spent discussing the finer points of their sparring matches and the various techniques they had observed from the vanguard soldiers.

The night deepened over the desolate realm. He had a clear path forward for his physical tempering and a new avenue for his sword control. The pain of the camp was finally yielding true power.