Myriad Rivers to the Sea

The jagged spatial rift sealed shut behind them as the turbulent currents of the void faded away. Li Yu stepped onto the coarse dirt of the Quiet Zephyr Realm while pulling his dark robes tight against the howling wind. Daiki and Sora emerged a moment later with their weapons already drawn and their minds ready for the coming conflict if they were ever needed. Fenric and Oram flanked them silently to form a protective shield around the trio.

Up ahead stood the Crimson Crag Stronghold. It was an imposing fortress carved directly into the side of a towering red mountain. Thick walls of dark iron and reinforced stone encircled the compound while layers of shimmering defensive arrays pulsed with a hostile crimson light. The Blood Eclipse Sect had spared no expense in securing their regional headquarters of this realm and the ambient Qi surrounding the mountain reeked of dark arts and harvested bloodlines.

Gongsun Lian stood at the edge of the ridge with her crimson cloak snapping violently in the wind. She looked majestic standing there, Li Yu couldn’t help but stare at her for a long while. Her ten generals fanned out behind her in a loose formation as they stared down at the distant fortress.

The strategy had been decided before they even stepped through the portal. They were not here to negotiate or offer honorable duels. The Veiled Lotus operated as an instrument of eradication and their orders were brutally simple. They would smash through the front gates with overwhelming force and kill anyone who dared to raise a weapon. They would offer no mercy to anyone, while capturing only those who willingly surrendered to be dealt with later.

"Wait here," Lian instructed Li Yu without turning around. Her voice was calm but carried a chilling undertone of lethal intent. "We will clear the path and secure the perimeter. Once the heavy resistance is broken, we will send for you. This isn’t your fight and it isn’t suitable for experience building or tempering."

Li Yu nodded and understood that he would only get in the way here. "Be careful."

Lian offered a faint smile before raising her armored hand. She gave a single sharp gesture and the ten generals vanished from the ridge.

The assault began before the guards on the stronghold walls could even register the incoming threat. General Mei materialized high in the sky above the fortress and drew the string of her dark wood longbow taut as she channeled a concentrated surge of Qi into a single arrow and released it. The projectile tore through the clouds and struck the central node of the defensive array with flawless precision.

The crimson dome shattered into countless glowing fragments like fragile glass breaking under a hammer. A deafening alarm horn blared across the stronghold but the warning came far too late. General Lei crashed in like a falling star. Violet lightning erupted from his armored gauntlets as he slammed his fists into the ground. A shockwave of thunderous destruction swept through the plaza and instantly incinerated the sect's guards before they could even draw their weapons.

General Po did not bother jumping over the high iron walls. He simply charged straight through them. The towering warrior utilized his raw power to bash the reinforced gates off their hinges and crush the stone archway into fine powder. He waded into the surging crowds of cultivators and swung his fists with blunt force, turning seasoned warriors into broken heaps with every casual strike.

The slaughter was swift and unapologetically efficient. General Jian drifted through the chaos like a silent ghost as his pitch black longsword severed limbs and weapons with equal ease. General Xue walked calmly across the blood soaked dirt while projecting an aura of eternal winter.

The sect disciples who rushed her simply froze mid-stride as their blood turned to ice within their veins. General Yin danced through the shadows to slit throats and disorient the commanders while General Lan anchored the center of the battlefield to deflect any desperate counterattacks with her heavy shield.

Li Yu watched the coordinated devastation from the distant ridge and felt a sense of awe once again. Seeing this level of combat always made him feel so small. The Veiled Lotus displayed a level of power and tactical harmony that only centuries of shared bloodshed could forge. Daiki and Sora stood frozen beside him as well. They had braced themselves for perhaps a grueling siege or a prolonged battle but were stunned to witness the stronghold falling apart in a matter of minutes.

Deep within the fortress, the heavy doors of the central keep burst open. The leader of the Crimson Crag Stronghold stormed out onto the balcony while radiating the suffocating pressure of a Supreme Exalt. He wore robes woven from blood-red silk and held a jagged scythe dripping with corrosive Qi.

"Who dares attack the Blood Eclipse Sect?!" The leader roared as his voice echoed over the screams of his dying disciples. He raised his scythe and prepared to unleash a devastating blood art to stem the attack.

He never got the chance to finish his incantation.

Gongsun Lian drifted down from the sky and landed lightly on the balcony railing. The gap in their cultivation was a vast and unbridgeable chasm. The sect leader widened his eyes in terror as the suffocating weight of her presence crashed down upon his shoulders and pinned him to the stone floor. He tried to swing his weapon but the space around his arms solidified into an unbreakable vice.

"Die," Lian whispered coldly.

She raised a pale hand and performed a casual twisting motion. The spatial laws surrounding the sect leader violently contracted and severed his head from his shoulders with a sickening crunch. His lifeless body slumped to the floor as Lian stepped past the corpse to secure the inner halls.

Silence fell over the Crimson Crag Stronghold mere moments later. The brutal assault was over almost as quickly as it had begun.

The shadows near the rocky ridge shifted as General Mo materialized just a few paces away from Li Yu. The master of infiltration lowered his dark visor to reveal his pale eyes and offered a polite bow.

"The perimeter is secure and the heavy resistance has been put down," General Mo reported in a hushed tone. "You may proceed to the main compound."

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Li Yu nodded and signaled for Daiki and Sora to follow. Fenric and Oram flanked them closely as they traversed the rugged terrain and entered the ruined fortress.

The interior of the stronghold was a grim testament to the Veiled Lotus's efficiency. The courtyards were painted in deep crimson while the shattered remains of weapons and armor littered the ground.

General Lan and General Po were currently standing guard over a small group of surviving captives huddled in the corner of the plaza. These were mostly low-level servants, terrified quartermasters or hired mercenaries who had dropped their weapons and surrendered the moment the lightning began to fall.

Sora barely glanced at the carnage as she did not care about these people at all and her hatred for them was placed into the back of her mind, her only thoughts were of her friend. Her silver eyes darted frantically across the compound as she searched for the entrance to the dungeons. General Hua met them near the central keep and guided the group down a flight of winding stone stairs into the subterranean holding cells.

The air grew damp and heavy with the scent of rust. The Veiled Lotus had already shattered the iron bars of the cells to free the haggard prisoners trapped within. Dozens of emaciated cultivators stumbled out into the hallway while weeping tears of relief and clutching each other for support.

Sora rushed through the crowd with a desperate panic setting into her features. She checked every face and scanned every Qi signature but her adopted sister was nowhere to be found.

"Lunitum!" Sora called out as her voice echoed down the dreary corridor. She grabbed the shoulder of a trembling prisoner and asked him a frantic question. "Where is the person that looks similar to me? A Lunar Wolf girl with silver hair! Was she held down here?"

The freed prisoner flinched and shook his head slowly. "There was a girl like that. She was kept in the deeper cells because her bloodline was strong. But the elders took her away a long time ago. It has been at least five years since anyone saw her."

Sora felt her heart drop into her stomach. "Where did they take her? Did they say who they were selling her to?"

The prisoner opened his mouth to answer but a sudden surge of dark energy flared across his chest. A restrictive soul seal implanted by the sect activated instantly and sent a jolt of agonizing pain through his body. He collapsed to his knees while gasping for breath as the ward prevented him from spilling any specific secrets or rumors he had overheard.

Gongsun Lian walked down the stone steps and observed the struggling captives. She recognized the nature of the seals, they would not be able to get information out of these people without forcefully doing so. Doing such a thing would most likely cause them to die and might not even reveal the information they need..

"General Hua," Lian commanded smoothly. "Apply new protective seals to the freed prisoners to ensure they cannot reveal our identities or the details of this raid. Once they are secured, escort them out of the stronghold and offer them a choice. They can serve the Veiled Lotus in various logistical positions or they can return to their families if they have any."

"It will be done," Hua nodded as she stepped forward to guide the captives away from the dungeons.

Li Yu turned to Lian with a serious expression. "The prisoners cannot speak due to their seals and Lunitum is gone. We need to find out who bought her if we are ever going to find her."

"The foot soldiers do not know the details of high level transactions," Lian replied as she turned back toward the stairs. "But the surviving officers will. Follow me."

They returned to the main courtyard where a handful of high-ranking sect administrators knelt in the dirt. These cowards had surrendered the moment their leader was executed and were currently bound with seals.

Lian approached a trembling elder wearing embroidered robes and stared down at him with cold disdain. She did not bother asking him questions or offering lenient terms. She raised her hand and plunged her fingers directly into the space above his head. She utilized a forceful and highly invasive soul searching technique to bypass his mental defenses and rip the information straight from his memories.

The elder screamed as his eyes rolled back into his skull but Lian held the technique for several long seconds before pulling her hand away with a disgusted sigh. The administrator collapsed into the dirt as a mindless husk.

"I found the transaction within his memories," Lian announced while turning toward Sora. "Your sister was sold five years ago to a faction known as the Celestial Crucible Clan. They paid a heavy sum for her. It was found that she has a unique body constitution that would be even more advantageous for their cultivation arts."

Sora staggered backward as if she had been struck. The color drained from her face and her hands began to shake violently. Daiki reached out to steady her but she leaned against his arm while staring blankly at the ground.

"The Celestial Crucible Clan," Sora whispered as a terror laced her words. "I lived in this realm for a long time before we were attacked. I know of them. They are a powerful sect renowned for practicing vile cultivation arts."

Li Yu stepped closer with a deep frown creasing his brow. "What kind of arts?"

"They use men and women as human cauldrons," Sora explained as her voice trembled. "They specifically target virgins with potent bloodlines. The clan hoards them and feeds them resources to strengthen their cultivation and vessels over time. Once the captive reaches a specific physical and spiritual peak, the clan elders use a parasitic technique while taking their virginity to harvest the accumulated cultivation. It grants them a return multiple times greater than the resources they initially invested."

A heavy and uncomfortable silence fell over the group. The implications of the demonic practice were horrifying and the thought of her sister enduring such a fate threatened to break Sora's spirit entirely. She looked at Daiki with tear filled eyes while expecting the worst possible outcome.

Lian stepped forward and placed a steady hand on Sora's shoulder. The Supreme General offered a look of empathy to the distressed beastkin.

"Do not give up hope yet," Lian said softly. "I have encountered factions that utilize cauldron techniques in the past. If they truly value her constitution and bloodline, they do not harvest it quickly. Proper strengthening requires years of careful refinement to ensure the vessel can handle the extraction without shattering. If they need her alive and in pristine condition to maximize their return, there is a chance she is still undergoing the strengthening process. She might still be okay."

Sora wiped her eyes and nodded slowly while clinging desperately to the sliver of hope Lian provided. Daiki wrapped a comforting arm around her shoulders and offered a silent vow to tear the Crucible Clan apart with his bare hands if necessary. If they couldn’t do it now, once he was strong enough he would return to do so.

Li Yu looked at Lian and felt a surge of gratitude for her comforting words. He knew the situation was dire but having a clear target gave them a tangible path forward.

"We know where to go next," Li Yu stated firmly as he turned his gaze toward the horizon. "Do what is needed here and then we march on the Celestial Crucible Clan."

"Agreed," Lian nodded before gesturing to her generals. "General Mo, secure the stronghold's vaults and gather any useful resources. General Po, bind the remaining survivors with soul seals. They chose to surrender and they will spend the rest of their miserable lives performing hard labor or fighting for us now."

The generals moved with practiced efficiency as they stripped the Crimson Crag Stronghold of its wealth and shackled the defeated cultivators. Some others went to find out the location of this sect. The brutal assault had yielded the intelligence they needed and the strike force prepared to shift their overwhelming might toward a new and far more despicable enemy.