Myriad Rivers to the Sea

Chapter 900: The Army Token and the Rivalry of Titans

The afternoon sun filtered through the artificial mist of Gilded Fate City and cast a soft glow over the quiet courtyard. Li Yu sat at the stone table across from the two blurred figures. He poured them fresh tea and they engaged in a long conversation about the state of the cosmos and the struggles of cultivation.Li Yu listened intently as Canghai and Tielan shared vague stories of their past journeys. They spoke of the loneliness that often accompanied great power and the heavy burdens placed upon those who led others. Li Yu felt a deep sense of admiration for the two senior commanders. He respected their wisdom and their grounded perspective on the brutal reality of their universe.

As the conversation flowed, Li Yu felt his courage slowly building. He looked at the two seasoned warriors and realized this might be his only chance to secure guidance from individuals who truly stood at or near the apex of martial strength. He took a deep breath and placed his teacup down on the table.

"Seniors." Li Yu started while his voice carried an earnest and hopeful tone. He bowed his head slightly. "I know we have only met briefly but I deeply respect both of you. I am currently walking my path alone and I lack proper guidance and I would like to ask a great favor of you. Please take me as your disciple so I can learn from both of you."

A heavy silence descended over the stone courtyard.

Beneath the table Canghai and Tielan reached out and gripped each other's hands with white knuckled force. The emotional weight of the request struck them more than any physical blow could to the chest. Their own son was sitting across from them and earnestly begging for their guidance.

He was asking for the very thing they had spent years agonizing over denying him. A single tear escaped from Canghai's eye and traced a silent path down his cheek while Tielan bit the inside of her lip so hard she drew blood. The tears remained hidden behind the blurred light barrier masking their faces but the internal pain was immense.

However much it hurt, they had to reject him. Taking him as a disciple meant bringing him into the heart of the Li or Zhan Clan and exposing him to the endless slaughter of the cosmic front lines. It would destroy the quiet life they had sacrificed everything to secure for him.

Canghai cleared his throat to steady his voice. He released his wife's hand and looked across the table.

"I cannot do that, Li Yu." Canghai said with a heavy tone. "My entire foundation and my path to the peak relies strictly on Qi control and the sword. You wield a staff and your fighting style is vastly different from my own. I have no wisdom to offer a staff wielder and taking you as a disciple would only hinder your natural progress."

Li Yu felt a sting of rejection but he understood the logic. He turned his hopeful gaze toward Tielan.

Tielan shook her head slowly. "My techniques are also unsuited for you. The martial arts I practice value an incredibly strong body and a brutal physical foundation. It requires a level of physical refinement that most cultivators simply do not possess."

Li Yu saw an opening and quickly countered. "I do have a strong body, Senior. I have spent a great deal of time refining my physical vessel and I can endure heavy burdens. I do not need to learn your supreme arts but perhaps I could just learn a bit from your foundational techniques?"

Tielan scolded her own foolishness. She had forgotten that her boy, even though he grew up away from the clan, was truly monstrous in both Qi and physical strength. She hesitated. Hearing the desperate hope in her son's voice was tearing her maternal instincts to shreds. She wanted to say, yes, and bring him home but she forced herself to remain firm.

"It is not just a matter of physical strength." Tielan rejected him again while keeping her voice as steady as she could manage. "I do not have the time required to guide a disciple properly with the ongoing wars. Furthermore, I cannot share the core martial techniques of my clan with an outsider. It violates our highest laws."

The bright spark in Li Yu's eyes faded away. He lowered his head and a wave of disappointment washed over his features that he couldn’t control. He felt like he had hit an insurmountable wall. He had finally found seniors he truly respected and they were unwilling to teach him. He felt the isolating loneliness of his journey press down on his shoulders once more.

Tielan watched his face fall and her heart broke. The sight of her son looking so defeated because of her own doing was too much for her to bear. She felt Canghai shifting beside her and knew her husband was about to break his own resolve and offer Li Yu a place within their ranks. She had to intervene before they compromised his safety entirely.

"However." Tielan spoke up quickly and her words made Li Yu raise his head. "While I cannot take you as my personal disciple or share my clan secrets, I can offer you an alternative. The legion I command has a chief instructor who specializes in physical refinement. He is a brutal teacher but he is the best at what he does. If you truly wish to temper your body and push your limits, I can send you to him."

Li Yu felt his mood brighten instantly. The heavy disappointment evaporated and was replaced by a surge of renewed excitement. He did not care if he had to learn from a subordinate instructor as long as he was receiving proper guidance from their elite forces.

"I would be incredibly grateful for that opportunity, Senior." Li Yu said with a wide smile.

Tielan reached into her robes and produced a heavy dark token. She placed it on the stone table and slid it across to him. The token bore the fierce insignia of a roaring beast.

"Take this." Tielan instructed him. "Settle any remaining matters you have. In exactly two weeks someone from my legion will locate you via the token, come for you and bring you to our training grounds. Be prepared because the instructor does not show mercy to anyone."

Li Yu accepted the token and gripped it tightly. "I will be ready. Thank you, Senior!"

Seeing the genuine joy return to Li Yu's face brought an immense sense of relief to both Canghai and Tielan. The heavy tension of the rejection faded away and they spent the rest of the day sitting in the courtyard and chatting happily about lighter topics. They cherished the rare opportunity to simply exist in the same space as their son without the looming threat of the cosmic wars.

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Hours passed and the artificial sky of Gilded Fate City eventually shifted into a starry night.

A sudden ripple in the spatial fabric interrupted their peaceful evening. A jagged tear opened in the center of the courtyard and Zhan stepped out from the void with Talia following closely behind him.

As soon as Talia stepped onto the stone tiles, she waved her hand and a shroud of dark shadows deposited seven figures onto the grass near the courtyard wall. Fenric and Oram stumbled forward while the five elite shadow protectors quickly regained their footing.

The Eidolon experts were stunned. They checked their bodies and realized they were completely unharmed. They had been forcefully abducted by an overwhelming entity but they had not been tortured or interrogated.

Looking at the four titans sitting casually around the stone table, the realization hit the wardens like a physical blow. The void viper had simply removed them from the area to ensure the people at the table could talk in private.

Fenric and Oram exchanged a deeply fearful glance. They looked at Li Yu sipping his tea and a terrifying question echoed in their minds.

'Who is this kid really?' Fenric thought while feeling a chill run down his spine. The Grand Envoy was supposed to be a talented junior but he was casually hosting entities that could erase the Eidolon Court with a wave of their hands. It was a scary revelation that made the wardens realize just how little they actually knew about the young man they were assigned to protect.

With Zhan's return, the fabricated reason for their visit was complete. Zhan walked over to the stone table as he placed the sword back onto the table and slid it toward Li Yu.

"My experiment was a success." Zhan stated while his voice carried a faint trace of genuine amusement. "I appreciate you letting me borrow it."

"I am glad it helped, Senior." Li Yu replied as he stored the sword back.

"You helped me just now." Zhan continued while reaching into his own spatial area. "So it is only right that I return the favor with a gift of my own."

Li Yu blinked in slight confusion. He had only lent the senior Gilded Calamity for a few hours today so he was not expecting any kind of reward. Zhan pulled a magnificent weapon from his ring and placed it on the table.

It was a long and heavy sword sheathed in a dark green scabbard that was carved with intricate metallic mantis motifs. The hilt was wrapped in dark leather and the pommel was forged from a rare metal that pulsed with a faint but undeniable slaughter intent.

Canghai stared at the weapon and his eyes widened in shock beneath his light barrier. He recognized the blade instantly. It was Firmament's End. It was another one of the Ten Great Swords of the Li Clan and it was the specific blade the clan elders had gifted to Zhan when he was officially granted the title of Heaven Severing Ancestor. It was a supreme treasure of unparalleled value, it was even stronger than Gilded Calamity.

Zhan caught his disciple staring and offered a subtle but sharp gesture with his hand to demand absolute silence. Canghai snapped his mouth shut and swallowed his protests as Li Yu having two of the ten swords was too much.

"Take it." Zhan said to Li Yu while gesturing toward the magnificent green blade. "Do not worry about the value. This sword is also just a ceremony sword used for gifts within our ranks. It will serve you well if you ever decide to practice the blade. Unlike the sword you let me borrow, it is strong enough to be used in battle and you don’t have to be afraid of it breaking."

Li Yu reached out and touched the dark green scabbard. He could feel the heavy weight and the exquisite craftsmanship of the weapon. Even though he preferred his staff, he knew a supreme artifact when he saw one.

"Thank you, Senior." Li Yu bowed his head in sincere gratitude.

Zhan nodded and stepped back. He looked at Talia and the two of them faded into the spatial void without another word. They had delivered their gifts and it was time to leave for now.

Zhan and Talia reappeared high above the Omen Realm in the cold expanse of the starry sky. They looked down at the sprawling continent surrounded by the swirling grey nebulas. Zhan smiled and offered a deep and respectful bow toward the realm where his ancient master was currently resting. Talia mirrored his actions and bowed her head.

"It was good to see you once again." Zhan murmured into the quiet void. "We will give you a grand surprise once you are stronger and ready to step onto the true stage."

Before they could turn away, a sudden distortion warped the space directly in front of them. The ambient laws of the universe were forcefully evicted from the sector as a wall of absolute nothingness manifested.

Khaos stepped out of the void. He wore his unassuming dark robes and his starry eyes locked onto the two titans.

"What is your relationship with Li Yu?" Khaos asked. His voice was quiet but carried a heavy and demanding weight. Zhan straightened his posture and a wide smirk crossed his face. He recognized who it was instantly.

"Voidclaw." Zhan chuckled while crossing his arms over his chest. "You are still wandering around the cosmos like a lost little crab?"

Khaos did not flinch at the insult. A faint glint of amusement flashed in his starry eyes. "And you are still a loud and arrogant bug. I asked you a question, Zhan."

The two ancient powerhouses spoke like old rivals who shared a deep and violent history but they also carried a distinct tone of mutual respect. They had clashed and collaborated over the long eras and knew each other well.

As they talked, Zhan pieced the situation together. He realized that the ancient void entity also shared a relationship with Li Yu through the events of the distant past like himself. It was the only reason he could think of that someone like VoidClaw would be around Li Yu, much like himself.

"Do not worry, little crab." Zhan said while waving his hand dismissively. "I would never do anything to harm him. I could not betray him even if I wanted to. He is technically my master."

Khaos raised an eyebrow in genuine surprise. He then processed the revelation and pieced it together himself as well. He was ejected from the rift that Li Yu had entered days ago so it must have been another trip to the past, clearly involving the bug in front of him for him to just suddenly show up. Khaos then threw his head back and let out a boomingly loud laugh that echoed across the dead space.

"Your master?" Khaos laughed while pointing a finger at the Heaven Severing Ancestor. "That is fantastic. Since Li Yu is your master and he is a good friend of mine, that means my seniority is placed far above yours now. You should be bowing to me, bug."

Zhan scoffed loudly and his metallic eyes flashed with competitive fire.

"Do not even think about it." Zhan retorted while dropping his hand to the hilt of his sword. "Seniority is dictated by strength. We can settle this hierarchy with a fight right now if you are feeling brave."

Khaos chuckled and shook his head. "I do not have time to swat bugs today. We have tied many times in the past even though you are older than I am. That makes me much better than you but I have other things to do today."

The two titans shared a brief laugh that showcased their good relationship despite the endless rivalries of the cosmic factions. They offered each other a subtle nod of respect before fading away into their respective spatial tears.

Back in the quiet courtyard of the Cloud Ascendant Inn, the evening was coming to an end.

Canghai and Tielan stood up from the stone table and prepared to leave. They had lingered as long as they dared but they needed to return to their armies before their absence caused issues. Li Yu stood up to see them off.

"Thank you for the tea and the conversation." Canghai said while offering a polite nod.

Tielan looked at Li Yu and her maternal instincts warred with her rigid discipline one last time. She reached out and patted his shoulder firmly.

"Rest well while you can, Li Yu." Tielan reminded him as her blurred face turned toward the sky. "Settle your affairs here quickly and be ready to undergo the toughest training you have ever faced in two weeks."