Myriad Rivers to the Sea

The Eclipse Court had narrowly retained their supreme title but the atmosphere in the floating arena was anything but celebratory. The millions of spectators were completely drained having witnessed a series of brutal and highly lethal matches that fundamentally changed how they viewed the tournament.

Down on the shattered platform, the announcer was nervously trying to wrap up the day's events.

"The team tournament is officially concluded." The fly demon announcer declared but his voice lacked its usual vibrant energy. "We will resume tomorrow with the singles bracket."

Before the announcer could finish his closing remarks a heavy and suffocating silence fell over the central stage. The Hollow Dominion delegation had not left the platform. The pale blind termites stood in perfect unison while the group of Xylarri standing among them stepped forward. One of the Xylarri, the creature that had casually slaughtered the fly demon earlier, raised its jagged scythe claw and pointed it directly upward.

It completely bypassed the announcer, the judges and the reigning Moth Queen. It pointed directly at the luxury viewing box belonging to the Hive Empire. It pointed exactly at Li Yu.

The leader of the termite delegation stepped forward to act as the voice for his alien allies.

"The grand tournament is a place to settle grievances and show strength." The Termite King announced as his voice echoed across the silent stadium. "The Swarm challenges that human to a battle of life and death. They will absolutely not take no for an answer. He will step down onto this platform or the Swarm will tear this entire arena apart to reach him."

The sheer audacity of the demand sent a shockwave through the millions of spectators. A subordinate faction was actively threatening to destroy the host city if a VIP guest of the second ranked empire did not come down to fight.

Up in the viewing box, Emperor Xerxis absolutely exploded.

He was already burning with a visceral rage from his empire's humiliating early exit in the semi finals. He wanted an excuse to vent his fury and these pale freaks had just handed him the perfect opportunity.

Xerxis stood up and his imposing Domain King aura erupted from his body like a dark but localized sun. The sheer pressure cracked the crystalline platforms holding the arena together.

"Do not get carried away you pathetic bugs!" Xerxis roared his voice, vibrating the very air until it felt like physical blows against the crowd. "You might have beaten the younger generation using your suicidal parlor tricks today but that does not mean your empire is the strongest! If you dare to threaten my esteemed guest I will happily wage a war against your entire dominion right here and right now!"

The sky above the arena darkened as Xerxis summoned his supreme power and was ready to slaughter the entire termite delegation just to blow off some steam.

Across the stadium, the other supreme rulers watched the interaction with intense curiosity. The Moth Queen, the King of Flies and the Ant Queen all narrowed their eyes. They saw exactly how fiercely Xerxis was defending this unknown human boy.

The Hive Emperor was known for his ruthless pragmatism. He would never risk a massive empire war over a simple guest unless that guest was someone of importance. They also did not like how the Hollow Dominion was acting here today.

Despite the suffocating pressure of a Domain King bearing down on them, the termite delegation did not back down a single inch.

The Xylarri simply stared upward, their chaotic clusters of black eyes completely unblinking. The Termite King stood his ground and was displaying a truly surprising amount of confidence while facing off against Xerxis's very real threat of annihilation.

Their total lack of fear angered Xerxis even further. He raised his hand and was ready to start the war right away. He had been losing too much lately. He needed to get some victories to make himself feel good.

"Wait, Emperor." Li Yu said calmly as he placed a hand gently on Xerxis's armored arm.

Xerxis stopped and looked at Li Yu. He pulled his dark aura back slightly but kept his fierce glare locked on the stage. He wasn’t sure what Li Yu wanted to do but he would at least allow Li Yu to do it. He could always start the war later.

Li Yu stepped forward and looked down over the bone carved railing. He thought to himself that it was truly inevitable. They were enemies and their paths were always going to cross eventually.

"Why exactly do you want to kill me so much?" Li Yu asked, his voice carrying clearly across the arena.

The Termite King spoke for the unblinking creatures. "The Swarm states that you killed someone of supreme importance to their lineage during a war in a distant land. The blood feud is absolute and eternal. Come face your fate."

Li Yu nodded slowly. He knew exactly who they were referring to. It was the Xylarri leader who had ambushed him with a group and nearly killed him. So it was indeed entirely because of that specific incident. Just like what the other Xylarri at the end of the war had communicated.

"I accept your challenge for a life and death battle." Li Yu announced but his voice devoid of fear. "But it will be a fair battle if you want to challenge me like this. We fight in the same cultivation realm."

This was the main reason Li Yu was completely confident. Having fought and beaten Muten, a supreme prodigy while matched within the same realm, he knew his foundation was absolutely monstrous. This fight was going to come sooner or later so he might as well kill another one of their prodigies now and thin their numbers.

The Xylarri on the platform bobbed its smooth ovoid head in agreement.

Li Yu floated down from the viewing box and landed softly on the platform. He did not summon his Star Crusher staff. He simply stood there wearing his simple robes and looked completely unassuming against the terrifying alien creature.

"Begin." The announcer yelled hastily while retreating to the absolute edge of the arena.

The Xylarri did not hesitate. It unleashed its thick purple aura, allowing the corrupting energy to tear at the ambient Qi of the arena. It vanished using its unnatural silent glide and appeared directly in front of Li Yu to bring its jagged scythe claw down in a lethal arc.

Li Yu did not dodge the blow. He did not raise his arms to block. From watching the battles, he was expecting such a move. They wanted to kill quickly and fast. Li Yu was prepared and unleashed his soul domain.

An overwhelming ocean of opalescent spiritual energy erupted outward and swallowed the center of the arena. The projection of his Ocean of Qi overlaid the physical world. The Xylarri was instantly trapped within the heavy opalescent waters.

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The creature shrieked and flared its purple aura, trying to actively devour the soul energy just like it had devoured the wind and toxic attacks earlier today. The golden ocean did not dissolve though.

Instead the massive phantom image of Li Yu’s majestic Koi materialized from the depths of the domain. The Koi opened its mouth and actively began to drink the corrupting purple energy. The malevolent Qi that rotted organic matter and erased physical laws was pure nourishment for Li Yu's foundation.

The Xylarri panicked, its chaotic eyes darting around as it felt its greatest biological advantage being casually slurped away.

Li Yu channeled his Void, Lightning, Destruction and Water laws into his hands. With a quick move, he appeared directly in front of the Xylarri and slammed his two palms into the creature’s chest. The immense crushing force and the shredding forces hit the Xylarri simultaneously.

There was a sickening crunch followed by a sharp tearing sound. The Xylarri was utterly and completely obliterated. It did not even have time to scream before its pale armor and insectoid limbs were ground down into a fine purple mist.

Li Yu stood in the center of the mist and took a deep breath.

His Myriad Rivers Returning to the Sea Art activated and drew the floating purple mist directly into his meridians. The Koi Soul feasted, converting the destructive energy into refined Qi that actively nourished his ocean of power.

He dismissed his golden soul domain and the arena returned to normal. The millions of spectators were stunned. Many of them were surprised by the one sided beating. Against this human boy, it had been effortlessly turned to mist and completely absorbed.

Down in the termite delegation, a second Xylarri stepped forward. This one was vastly larger and radiating an oppressive Law Seed aura that darkened the sky. It intended to use its superior cultivation to crush Li Yu.

Before the creature could even step fully onto the platform Emperor Xerxis acted.

"The young master said the duels would be in the exact same realm!" Xerxis roared from his balcony.

The Domain King slammed his hand down against the railing. A massive pillar of dark and demonic Qi shot down from the sky. It crashed directly onto the second Xylarri. The creature screeched as Xerxis forcefully and brutally suppressed its cultivation entirely, locking its power down until it perfectly matched Li Yu's current realm.

"There will be no cheating in my presence." Xerxis sneered while looking down at the struggling creature.

The second Xylarri glared upward but it accepted the suppression. It dragged its scythe claws forward, its purple aura burning with a furious and intense hatred.

"Begin." The announcer whispered.

The second Xylarri charged. It learned from the previous fight and decided not to use its aura. Instead, it relied entirely on its physical strength and its jagged scythes.

Li Yu stood perfectly still once again. He did not summon his soul domain this time. He simply narrowed his eyes and focused his immense spiritual power into a single pinpoint attack. He utilized a technique he had refined during his long isolated travels.

Leviathan's Strike.

It was an entirely invisible soul attack. It was not flashy. It did not create massive explosions of light or shaking shockwaves. His Koi Soul within him made a tail striking motion instantly.

The invisible strike crossed the arena and slammed directly into the charging Xylarri's smooth ovoid head.

The creature's physical body did not take any damage at all but its chaotic black eyes instantly rolled back into its head. The massive soul pressure completely and utterly crushed the creature's mind, erasing its consciousness and shattering its soul in a fraction of a second.

The Xylarri's momentum carried it forward a few more steps before it simply collapsed lifelessly onto the floor. It was completely dead before it even hit the ground. The arena remained in silence. Li Yu casually walked over to the corpse, placed his hand on its pale armor and activated his Koi. He drained the remaining purple energy from the lifeless husk leaving it as a dry brittle shell.

"Next!" Li Yu said out loud but was perfectly calm. Most were still trying to figure out what had happened. Only those that had much higher cultivation could see and understand that a soul attack had taken place.

A third Xylarri stepped out from the termite group. It was furious, its mandibles clicking rapidly in a chaotic rhythm. Xerxis did not hesitate to act. He immediately dropped another pillar of demonic Qi and forcefully suppressed the third creature down to Li Yu's cultivation realm.

The third Xylarri tried to launch a preemptive soul attack of its own, firing a concentrated wave of purple energy. Li Yu completely ignored the incoming attack. His Koi Soul casually ate the purple energy as it washed over him. He narrowed his eyes again and unleashed another Leviathan's Strike.

The exact same thing happened. The invisible force slammed into the Xylarri's mind. The creature dropped instantly dead, its consciousness entirely erased. Li Yu walked over and absorbed its energy just as easily as the first two.

Up in his viewing box Emperor Xerxis, let out a booming laugh. He thought these termite allies were absolute complete fools. Challenging Li Yu was the single stupidest thing they could possibly do. The boy was protected by entities that couldn’t even comprehend. The Swarm bringing their grudge here would only ever bring unadulterated misfortune to their own lineage. He didn’t know what happened between Li Yu and this race but he knew it was their misfortune to be entangled with him.

Across the stadium in the viewing box belonging to the Aegis Legion, the Ant Queen leaned forward.

She was an imposing figure covered in thick and naturally grown crimson armor. She possessed a regal and beautiful face for her kind but her compound eyes were sharp and highly analytical. She looked down at Li Yu with a very odd expression on her face. It was a mixture of intense calculation and something else entirely.

Down on the platform, the termite delegation was completely agitated. The Xylarri realized that sending single fighters was entirely useless against a predator that actively fed on their specific energy.

Five more Xylarri stepped out from the group simultaneously. They spread out forming a wide semicircle aimed directly at Li Yu.

Li Yu looked at the five creatures and scoffed softly.

"Fine, just come at me all at once." Li Yu said. "Within the same realm I am completely unbothered by numbers."

Xerxis laughed loudly from his balcony and slammed his hand down five separate times. Five massive pillars of demonic Qi crashed onto the stage and forcefully suppressed every single one of the new challengers down.

The five Xylarri screeched in unison and charged from five completely different angles. They coordinated their movements perfectly and were aiming to overwhelm him with simultaneous lethal strikes.

Li Yu took a deep steadying breath. He drew a massive amount of Qi from his ocean of power and channeled it directly into his Koi once more. The Koi opened its mouth and roared. Death's Roar.

It was a completely devastating area attack. An invisible shockwave exploded outward from Li Yu and was vibrating the very fabric of space. The roar shattered the spiritual foundations of anything caught within its radius. Li Yu took care not to have it reach the stands, his control over such things having greatly improved since the last time he used the technique.

The wave hit the five charging Xylarri like a solid wall of iron.

Their pale organic armor instantly cracked and shattered. The chaotic clusters of black eyes burst under the immense pressure. The wave invaded their broken bodies and completely shredded their souls.

All five creatures crumbled to the floor simultaneously and were reduced to completely broken and bleeding heaps. They were instantly dead.

Li Yu raised both of his hands and created a massive suction vortex of pure Qi. He drew the purple corrupting energy out of all five corpses at once. A thick swirling river of purple mist flowed directly into his chest.

The Koi Soul feasted on the energy. He looked over at the remaining members of the Hollow Dominion delegation.

"I am ready any time you want to fight within the same realm." Li Yu announced while wiping a small speck of dust from his robes. "If you want to feed me more of your kind you can send them out any time."

The termite delegation remained silent. No one knew what plan they had but it was clear that their plans had to change now. Li Yu openly challenged them, understanding that trying to be peaceful would lead nowhere. If they wanted him dead, then the only thing that could happen to them was death.

Li Yu turned his back on the carnage and calmly floated back up to the luxury viewing box to enjoy the rest of his glowing nectar tea, ending the conflict, at least for today, entirely on his own terms.