The morning mist clung stubbornly to the surface of the Five Star Lakes while Li Yu sat cross-legged on his woven mat and he was attempting to push his mastery of the Yin-Yang Origin Mantra just a fraction further today.
He brought his human soul forward to act as the central anchor and gently coaxed the enigmatic Fisherman Soul to connect with it. He tried to maintain the delicate resonance and expand its output while drawing upon the latent energy of his foundation.
The ntal toll was imdiate and staggering as sweat beaded on his forehead and a sharp ache blood behind his eyes. His soul strength drained away like water pouring through a cracked vase as he held the connection for as long as he could endure before the resonance finally wavered and collapsed.
Li Yu opened his eyes and let out a heavy breath as he wiped the sweat from his brow. The progress was incredibly slow going. He could only manage a few short attempts each day before his ntal reserves were tapped dry and he was forced to stop to recover. The soul was a tricky instrunt that could not be rushed or else you would suffer catastrophic injuries. He accepted that mastering the ancient legacy would beco a slow and daily routine rather than one he could forcefully accelerate. The only hope was to be able to take true advantage of it one day in the future.
Two days had passed since the tranquil evening with Lian and the unexpected marble ga with his grandfather. A fond smile touched his lips as he recalled her warm laugh and the playful tease she left him with. He felt a quiet sense of contentnt settling over his estate but his peaceful morning was soon interrupted by the sound of displaced air.
A streak of light descended from the sky and landed smoothly on the grassy bank near the central pagoda. Zhan Chen straightened his robes and walked toward the wooden porch with a relaxed stride. The Sovereign level heir of the Zhan Clan carried a fearso reputation on the battlefield but he always wore an easy and welcoming smile when visiting his family.
Li Yu stood up to greet him as the two young n exchanged a firm clasp of arms. They had grown quite comfortable around one another over the past few tis that they had gone out and Li Yu had begun to look toward Zhan Chen like an older brother. The heir possessed a rare balance of lethal combat skills and excellent interpersonal tact while constantly looking out for the well being of the clan.
"You look like you have been wrestling with a mountain," Zhan Chen noted while observing the lingering exhaustion in Li Yu's eyes.
"Just practicing a new technique," Li Yu replied as he guided his cousin toward the stone table in the courtyard. "It demands a heavy price from the mind but I am making steady progress. What brings you out here today?"
Zhan Chen took a seat and poured himself a cup of the hot tea resting on the table. He took a slow sip before offering a bright grin. "The elders are organizing another group outing to a secured territory. I wanted to see if you were ready to join us. The last one went fine right?"
Li Yu paused with his own teacup halfway to his mouth before a laugh escaped his lips. The mory of the first two outings that ended up in a fight for their lives ca back to him but the last ti they went out, nothing eventful as that happened.
"It was a peaceful stroll through the woods," Li Yu joked while shaking his head.
Zhan Chen chuckled along with him but his expression soon sobered as he leaned forward. He lowered his voice slightly to ensure the conversation remained private.
"Regarding the second outing." Zhan Chen said while his tone shifted from friendly banter to the serious deanor of a clan heir. "The elders stayed behind to scour the area after we evacuated the juniors. They found traces of soone deliberately setting up arrays and spatial formations deep in the corrupted forest. That was the real reason the rift appeared in the sky and dropped that swarm on our heads."
Li Yu narrowed his eyes as a cold chill ran down his spine. The sudden appearance of the Blight Maw Kraken had felt unnaturally coordinated but hearing that it was an act of intentional sabotage changed the entire context of the battle.
"Soone tried to wipe out our junior generation or tried to destroy one of the realms that the Zhan Clan owned" Li Yu stated grimly.
"Yes," Zhan Chen agreed as he swirled the tea in his cup. "It was a targeted strike against us. The Patriarch and the internal discipline elders are keeping the discovery strictly confidential to avoid causing a panic among the branch families. I am only telling you because you were there to experience the ambush firsthand and you bled on that dirt with us."
Li Yu appreciated the trust his cousin placed in him. Sharing classified clan intelligence showed that Zhan Chen truly viewed him as a friend, family mber and possibly a vital part of their lineage.
"Do they have any leads on who planted the arrays?" Li Yu asked.
"The clan is still trying to figure out who is behind it," Zhan Chen explained. "But no one attacks the Zhan Clan and walks away without leaving a trail. They will find the culprits eventually and when they do, the retaliation will be swift. You do not need to worry about it for now since the elders are handling the investigation."
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Li Yu nodded and let the heavy political matters slide from his imdiate concerns. He had his own path to forge and he trusted the seasoned warlords of his family to protect their borders and interests. The clan did not beco as powerful as it was without a reason.
"However," Zhan Chen continued as he steered the conversation toward a lighter topic. "There is another event happening soon. A large martial tournant is being held in a neighboring realm and several of our affiliated disciples are taking part. I am heading over to oversee our delegation and I wanted to see if you wanted to co along."
Li Yu thought about his current financial situation and the empty space in his storage rings where his spirit stones used to sit. He needed to secure resources to feed his growing aquatic beasts and maintain his own cultivation montum.
"I have to turn you down this ti." Li Yu said with an apologetic smile. "I need to head over to the mission board and take on so work for the clan. I am practically broke right now and I cannot afford to take a vacation to watch a tournant."
He paused for a mont and let a wry grin touch his features. "They do not call the Poor Spinning Calamity of Madness for no reason after all."
Zhan Chen let out a booming laugh that echoed across the tranquil water. The ridiculous nickna born from the chaos of the Primal Howl Realm and had been growing in length had spread through the clan ranks and hearing Li Yu accept the moniker made it even funnier.
"That is a sha then," Zhan Chen said while recovering his breath. "You could win a hefty pile of resources at this tournant if you fought but the participants were already registered months ago. There is no way to add a late entry to the main roster at this point."
"No problem at all," Li Yu replied while standing up from the table. "I prefer the straightforward rewards of a completed mission anyway. I wish you and our disciples good luck at the tournant."
"And I wish you good luck on your tasks," Zhan Chen smiled as he stood up and offered a respectful bow. "Do not work yourself to the bone. I will co visit again when the tournant concludes or when I have so ti."
Zhan Chen took to the sky and vanished into the clouds while Li Yu turned his attention toward the day ahead. He gathered his belongings and flew directly toward the main headquarters of the Zhan Clan.
The sprawling iron fortress was bustling with activity as armored soldiers and swift couriers moved purposefully through the wide stone corridors. Li Yu navigated the familiar paths until he reached the grand mission hall situated near the eastern wing. The cavernous room was filled with the low hum of hundreds of cultivators discussing tactics and forming temporary squads.
A massive slab of polished dark stone dominated the far wall. The stone was etched with countless lines of glowing text that constantly shifted as new tasks were added and completed ones were wiped away.
Li Yu walked up to the board and scanned the available requests. The clan offered a wide variety of official missions ranging from hunting specific rogue beasts to secure their valuable cores, to mapping unstable rifts near the borders. There were also nurous bounties posted for gathering rare ores hidden deep within volcanic regions to supply the grand forges.
As he read further down the glowing slab, it quickly beca apparent that the clan leadership was not the only group utilizing the board. Individual elders and wealthy disciples posted their own personal requests for materials they desperately needed for their cultivation arts and they paid accordingly.
Li Yu analyzed the individual bounties and searched for sothing that matched his current abilities without requiring a prolonged campaign. His eyes locked onto a specific listing glowing with a bright golden hue near the center of the board. An anonymous person from an allied sect was looking for high purity soul related crystals and specific herbs ant for soul enhancent. The requester was offering an exorbitant amount of spirit stones to anyone who could deliver the rare materials in decent quantity.
Li Yu rubbed his chin as he considered the bounty. Soul resources were notoriously difficult to find in standard environnts since they required specific conditions to form naturally. Searching the known mountain ranges or deep forests for such items would take months of tedious scouting with no guarantee of success.
However, he knew of a place where soul energy was the very foundation of the world. The Veil was a realm saturated with the laws of the spirit and Kyokai City was built upon trade networks specializing in those exact materials.
With that lucrative goal in mind, Li Yu turned away from the mission board and walked out of the crowded hall. He found a secluded alcove near the edge of the fortress walls and took out a token to let Fenric and Oram know his intentions. He needed their help to travel there.
The ambient space in the alcove rippled smoothly as Fenric and Oram stepped out of the void after a while. They bowed their heads in unison as they waited for their orders.
"We are returning to The Veil," Li Yu instructed them while pulling his dark robes tight against the wind. "I need to procure so specific resources and it is the best place to find them."
"Of course, that is no problem.," Fenric rumbled from behind his mask.
The scarred warden raised his armored hand and channeled a focused surge of soul Qi. He grabbed the fabric of reality and tore it open to reveal a swirling portal of silver and grey light. Li Yu stepped confidently through the rift with his guards following right behind him.
The chaotic currents of the void washed over them for a brief mont before the portal deposited them onto the smooth cobblestones of Kyokai City.
Li Yu breathed in the familiar air of the Trial Grounds and imdiately noticed a distinct change in the atmosphere. The heavy and oppressive sorrow that usually hung over the realm felt lighter today. He looked up at the sky and saw that the jagged cracks bleeding purple light had shrunk considerably. The heavens retained a healthier silver hue while the spiritual veins drifting through the air felt thicker and much more vibrant.
The Realm Essence provided by the Eidolon Court was clearly doing its job. The elders of The Veil had successfully integrated the core energy and the dying world was finally showing genuine signs of recovery.
He smiled as he walked toward the bustling rchant districts lining the canals. He was ready to gather the soul crystals he needed to secure his bounty and check in on his friends while he visited the nding realm.
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