Myriad Rivers to the Sea

The second day of the grand tournament brought an even heavier atmosphere to the floating crystalline arena. The violent winds of the Aether Swarm territory howled against the spiritual chains but the millions of spectators were completely unbothered. They buzzed with frantic anticipation.

Today was the semi finals for the team competition. The second ranked Hive Empire was set to face the rising power of the fifth ranked Hollow Dominion.

Li Yu sat in the luxury viewing box next to Emperor Xerxis. The Domain King was completely silent. His armored arms were crossed tightly over his chest and his compound eyes were locked onto the platform below. He was expecting a flawless victory from his delegation.

Across the massive stadium situated in a viewing box of equal luxury sat the supreme ruler of the Eclipse Court.

The Moth Queen was a vision of dark and regal. She was draped in heavy flowing silks that seemed to absorb the ambient light and create a localized field of shadows around her throne. She wore a featureless pale mask but her oppressive Domain King aura washed over the arena like a suffocating blanket of toxic dust. She was watching the Hive Empire closely, eager to see her ancient mortal enemies reveal their hidden cards.

Down on the platform, the fly demon announcer raised his arms.

"The semi finals will now begin!" The announcer roared. "The Hive Empire against the Hollow Dominion!"

The first duel featured the Divine Transformation realm fighters as before.

The Hive Empire sent out a swift wasp assassin wielding dual poisoned daggers. The Hollow Dominion sent out a pale and blind termite warrior. As soon as the match began, the wasp vanished and was relying on aerial speed. He appeared behind the termite and drove both daggers deep into the creature's pale back, injecting a massive dose of lethal neurotoxin.

But the termite did not freeze.

Driven by the hivemind, the termite ignored the biological damage. Its pale flesh bubbled violently, rapidly regenerating and actually pushing the daggers out of its back. The termite spun around with calculated precision grabbed the wasp assassin by the throat. With a single and brutal twist, the termite snapped the wasp's neck.

"First victory goes to the Hollow Dominion!" The announcer shouted over the stunned crowd at how quickly it ended.

Emperor Xerxis gripped the polished bone railing of his viewing box. The bone cracked slightly under his immense pressure. The second duel took place at the Soul Transformation realm.

The Hive Empire sent out a massive hornet brawler hoping to crush the termite before it could regenerate. The hornet charged forward and was throwing devastating punches that carried the weight of Ground laws.

The second termite did not try to block either. It stepped directly into the strikes and allowed its left shoulder to be completely shattered. But as the hornet committed to the punch, the termite used its remaining arm to drive a bone blade directly up through the hornet's jaw and into its brain. The termite sacrificed its own body to secure an instant lethal counterattack.

"The Hollow Dominion takes a commanding two to zero lead!" The announcer yelled.

The crowd was completely losing their minds. The fifth ranked empire was actively slaughtering the second ranked powerhouse. It was clear the strategy the Hollow Dominion was deploying now. They did not care if they died at all. They were willing to sacrifice their lives in order to kill their opponents. The mindset made them extremely dangerous.

The third duel featured the Half King realm fighters.

The Hive Empire sent out their colossal bumblebee tank. He was absolutely furious about the death of his comrades but was smart enough to realize the tactics being used as well. It was no longer a normal fight but one that required killing moves right at the start.

He roared and swung his massive spiked club with every ounce of his Qi. He did not give the third termite a single chance to calculate or regenerate. He smashed the termite into the floor and continued to bludgeon it until it was nothing more than a stain of pale paste on the platform.

"The Hive Empire secures a victory! The score is two to one!"

Xerxis let out a heavy breath. The sweep had been avoided but the situation was still incredibly dire. He looked down at his royal son who was stepping onto the platform for the King realm duel.

"Do not embarrass my bloodline." Xerxis muttered with his voice cold and unforgiving.

The son of Xerxis stepped forward, his dark gold irises completely focused. He knew that losing here meant failing his father which was a fate vastly worse than death. His opponent was not a termite. It was the first of the terrifying Xylarri.

The pale humanoid creature with the smooth ovoid head dotted with chaotic black eyes dragged its jagged scythe claws across the platform. The thick malevolent purple energy passively tore at the ambient Qi around its body.

"Begin!"

The son of Xerxis did not hold back for a fraction of a second. He raised both of his bare hands and activated his direct royal demonic bloodline. A massive localized storm of highly corrosive golden energy erupted from his palms, completely engulfing the center of the arena. It was a supreme attack designed to melt organic armor and incinerate internal organs instantly.

The golden storm swallowed the Xylarri completely.

The Hive supporters roared in triumph, believing the creature had been melted into nothingness. But as the golden light began to fade, a collective gasp echoed through the massive stadium.

The Xylarri was still standing perfectly still.

Its terrifying purple aura flared outward. The corrupting energy actively devoured the corrosive storm and broke down the Qi. It had turned it into harmless and floating sparks. The Xylarri tilted its head, its chaotic black eyes locking onto the young prince.

Before the son of Xerxis could launch another attack, the Xylarri vanished. It did not use speed, it simply moved with an eerie and unnatural silent glide. It appeared directly in front of the prince and drove its massive scythe claw forward.

The jagged blade pierced directly through the prince's right shoulder, entirely bypassing his natural defensive Qi. The purple energy instantly flooded into the wound and was rapidly devouring his life force.

The prince screamed in absolute agony while falling to his knees. The Xylarri raised its other scythe claw and was preparing to decapitate its enemy.

"We surrender this match!" A Hive Empire general screamed from the sidelines throwing a white talisman onto the stage.

The arena array instantly activated and generated a solid shield of light between the Xylarri and the bleeding prince. The creature stopped its execution and calmly pulled its scythe free. It then turned its back on its defeated enemy.

"The Hollow Dominion wins the series three to one!" The announcer declared but was shocked by the massive upset. No one thought such a scene would have happened before this grand event started.

The arena fell into a heavy silence. The second ranked Hive Empire had been thoroughly and brutally defeated in the semi finals. Their royal bloodline had been casually swatted aside by a purple creature that many didn’t know the origins of. They were aware of the Xylarri but where these specific ones came from they did not know.

Suddenly a sound cut through the silence.

It was a melodic and mocking laughter that was echoing across the entire stadium. It came directly from the viewing box of the Eclipse Court. The Moth Queen was standing at the edge of her balcony and was laughing loudly at the humiliation of the Hive Emperor.

Xerxis stood up so fast that his luxury bone chair shattered into pieces. His compound eyes burned with a furious rage. His mandibles clicked wildly as he stared across the void at his ancient and mortal enemy.

But despite her mocking laughter the Moth Queen's unseen eyes were incredibly narrow behind her pale mask. She was laughing to humiliate Xerxis but she was also incredibly surprised. She kept a very watchful cautious eye on the termite delegation below. She recognized the devouring nature of that purple aura. She knew her forces would have to face them in the grand finals tomorrow and she was not going to underestimate them.

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The day officially ended to allow the victorious termite delegation time to recover before the championship match.

Li Yu walked out of the viewing box and his mind racing with combat data. There wasn’t too much to learn from today’s battles though. The fights were quick and swift. The Termite side went with an all out attack and willingly gave up their lives for the attack to succeed. Such a thing wouldn’t be too useful in battle unless in a desperate situation.

He did manage to see how they managed and used their Qi throughout the short encounter though. As he made his way down the grand spiraling ramps of the arena, he felt a heavy oppressive weight pressing against his back. He stopped and turned around.

Down on the ground level the termite delegation was walking toward their exit. The two Xylarri fighters had completely stopped moving. They stood perfectly still amidst the flowing crowds, their smooth ovoid heads tilted upward. Dozens of chaotic black unblinking eyes were locked directly onto Li Yu.

They did not make a sound. They did not gesture. They simply stared.

Li Yu felt slightly uncomfortable under the weight of their alien and unblinking gaze. It was eerie being stared down by creatures that existed solely to consume and destroy. But he quickly pushed the discomfort away. He honestly did not mind it.

The Qilin had been very clear back on the battlefield. They had a blood feud with him and that was something they decided on their own. There was absolutely nowhere to run from it and there was no negotiating a peace treaty. It was a fundamental law to them.

Li Yu straightened his posture and stared right back at them, his expression shifting into a cold calm mask. If they came for him, he would kill them. If there were too many of them, he would retreat and survive. It was truly as simple as that. He had the advantage of being able to absorb their Qi during a fight and he was vastly more experienced than he was during their first encounter. He was not going to let a couple of staring bugs ruin his evening. If they came, he would feast.

He turned his back on them completely and walked back to the sky warship to get some rest.

The next morning dawned with a heavy and tense anticipation. The grand finals were finally here. The millions of spectators packed the crystalline stands eager to see if the rising Hollow Dominion could actually dethrone the supreme ruler of the realm.

The Eclipse Court and the Hollow Dominion delegations stood on opposite sides of the platform.

The Moth Queen sat in her viewing box. She was silent and entirely focused. She had spent the entire night altering her team's combat strategy. They were not going to fight the termites in direct physical combat. They were going to rely entirely on their insidious and terrifying biological advantages.

"The Grand Finals begin now!" The announcer roared the excitement vibrating his transparent wings.

The first duel was the Divine Transformation realm.

The Eclipse Court sent out a slender moth warrior draped in a heavy dark cloak. The Hollow Dominion sent a blind pale termite as before.

The match began and the termite instantly charged forward and was looking to secure a lethal grapple. The moth warrior did not move. He simply flared his dark cloak. A massive cloud of thick and shimmering dark dust exploded outward covering the entire center of the platform.

The termite ran directly into the dust cloud. The toxic powder settled onto its pale skin and the effects were completely horrifying. The dust did not just poison the termite, it actively rotted the flesh at a molecular level. The termite desperately tried to trigger its rapid regeneration but the toxic rot was simply too fast and too virulent. The pale flesh melted away faster than it could heal, quickly reducing the termite to a puddle of dark sludge in mere seconds.

"First victory to the Eclipse Court!"

The crowd cheered wildly at the terrifying display of supreme poison. The second duel took place at the Soul Transformation realm.

A second moth warrior stepped forward facing another blind termite. This time, the termite instantly adapted to the toxic threat. As soon as the match began, the termite forcefully sealed every single pore on its body and completely stopped breathing.

The moth warrior unleashed another massive cloud of toxic dust but it simply bounced off the termite's sealed pale skin. The termite lunged through the dark cloud and was completely unaffected by the airborne rot. It grabbed the slender moth warrior by the waist and crushed him with physical strength and instantly broke his spine.

"The Hollow Dominion ties the score one to one!"

The third duel featured the Half King realm fighters.

The Eclipse Court sent out a highly experienced moth assassin expecting to face the final termite. Instead the Hollow Dominion sent out a Xylarri that had never been seen in this tournament so far.

The pale creature dragged its scythe claws across the platform with its purple aura flaring hungrily.

The moth assassin knew the danger and immediately unleashed his most potent and concentrated toxic dust. It was aiming to rot the creature from a distance. A thick wave of shimmering death rolled across the diamondite floor.

The Xylarri walked directly into the toxic wave.

Its thick purple energy passively tore at the ambient air. The corrupting aura did not just break down, it actively devoured the biological toxins. The shimmering dark dust was instantly eaten away and dissolved into harmless floating sparks.

The Xylarri emerged from the dust cloud completely unharmed. It darted forward with its unnatural silent glide and tried to drive its scythe claw through the moth chest. The assassin was quick and dodged the attack even though he was surprised that the Xylarri had made it through.

The two of them blurred across the platform and were trading blows with one another. It was the longest fight the Hollow Dominion had been in since the start of this tournament. Slowly but surely, the moth was getting slower and weaker. The small cuts and wounds on it were growing faster and faster. After some time the Xylarri drove its claws through the assassin's chest and quickly devoured his life force in an instant.

"The Hollow Dominion takes a two to one lead!" The announcer yelled. The supreme rulers of the realm were officially on the brink of complete defeat.

The King realm duel began.

The Eclipse Court sent out a master illusionist, a moth warrior blessed directly by the Guardian Beast the Nine Paths Moth. He faced the second Xylarri. As the match started the Xylarri lunged forward looking for another quick and lethal execution. But the moth warrior did not rely on physical toxins. He relied on hallucinogenic manipulation. He crushed a small glowing pearl in his hand and released a wave of invisible and odorless energy.

The Xylarri suddenly stopped its charge. Its chaotic clusters of black eyes darted around frantically. The illusion fractured its connection to the surrounding space, making it see a hundred different enemies surrounding it from all sides. The creature slashed wildly at the empty air and was confused by the blessing of the Nine Paths Moth.

Seeing an opening, the moth warrior materialized directly behind the distracted creature. He drove a highly concentrated needle of condensed venom directly into the base of the Xylarri's neck.

The creature shrieked in absolute fury. Its purple aura flared violently and was trying to devour the venom but the concentration was simply too dense and too powerful. The Xylarri turned and fired a point blank wave of soul energy, slamming into the moth warrior and throwing him across the arena.

Both fighters collapsed simultaneously. The moth warrior was completely unconscious from the soul attack and the Xylarri was entirely paralyzed by the supreme venom.

"A double knockout!" The announcer screamed. "The match is a draw! The score remains two to one in favor of the Hollow Dominion!"

The entire tournament came down to the final and crucial Law Seed duel.

The Hollow Dominion sent out their supreme champion that was never before seen. It was a heavily armored termite king, one of their true elites. It would seem that they wanted to win using their own people.

The Eclipse Court sent out their strongest warrior within that realm, a terrifying moth general whose wings burned with dark and toxic flames. It was strange for someone from the moth lineage to be able to use fire, it was one of their weaknesses but this one had turned it into his strength.

It was a brutal bloodbath from the start.

The termite king utilized his terrifying regeneration and his massive physical strength to continuously pressure the moth general. He ignored the toxic flames and was taking massive damage simply to attack his enemy.

The moth general fought with desperate but lethal precision. He knew that he had to win this fight regardless of the costs. He danced through the air and was avoiding the crushing blows and delivering deep slicing wounds with his bladed wings and weapons. The entire arena shook as their domains clashed violently against each other. Red regenerative light smashed against dark toxic shadows.

The termite King finally managed to grab the moth general's left arm and completely crushed the bone into dust. But it was a fatal trap.

The moth general willingly sacrificed his arm to get the termite king within point blank range. Using the strategy that the termites had used against the Hive Empire. With his remaining hand, the moth general drove a jagged dagger directly into the termite king's primary heart. The moth general then channeled its toxic flames directly into the body of the termite king.

The specialized flames exploded outward and over powered the creature's regenerative abilities. The termite King froze as his pale armor turned completely black before he died.

"The Eclipse Court wins the final match! The score is tied two to two!" The announcer roared the crowd with going insane.

Because the score was tied and the final duel was completed, the judges rapidly conferred with the rulers. By the ancient rules of the tournament, since the reigning champions had won the final duel and forced a stalemate, the tiebreaker advantage went to the defenders.

"The Eclipse Court retains their title!" The announcer declared with his voice echoing across the roaring winds. The Moth Queen sat in her viewing box and let out a long and slow breath. She was completely relieved by the narrow brutal victory. Since this tournament was a matter of face, it was good to win but the Hollow Dominion showing such results was worrying.

In his own box, Emperor Xerxis was brooding silently with his fists clenched in frustration at his own empire's early exit. Li Yu sat quietly and was analyzing every detail of the final matches. He had learned valuable intelligence today.

The grand tournament was an incredible display of martial power but for Li Yu it was the ultimate scouting mission. The tournament had shifted this time though, all of the fighting was a fight to the death when the Hollow Dominion was involved. Li Yu and the others were wondering what they were truly up to. This wasn’t how this tournament normally went.