Myriad Rivers to the Sea

Far removed from the burning territories of the insectoid realm a silent meeting took place.

The space here was empty and cold. The man in the unassuming gray robes floated in the dark void. His straight sword was sheathed at his side. He was waiting patiently with the simple brown gourd resting in his palm.

A subtle ripple distorted the empty space in front of him.

Khaos materialized from the void. The figure wore his usual dark garments and his eyes carried the weight of countless eras. The two men looked at each other and exchanged a brief and respectful nod. They were both entities that countless others could only look up to but they currently shared a common and exhausting burden.

"She is really starting to lose her patience." Khaos commented. His deep voice finally breaking the heavy silence of the void.

The general nodded in agreement. He let out a long weary sigh. He did not dare to say his complaints out loud. Even in this isolated sector of space, complaining about Li Yu's mother was a dangerous gamble. Especially as of late. She possessed a terrifying temper and was surprisingly petty.

"Things are getting more complicated across the board." The general said softly. "Her mood is understandable. The Swarm is just a tiny, almost insignificant piece of the board and they are already acting out of turn."

The general raised his hand and tossed the brown gourd forward. Khaos caught it smoothly. He could feel the weight of the billions of Xylarri souls and the compressed purple Qi swirling inside the small container. He put the gourd away with another firm nod.

"Is the father aware of all this?" Khaos asked as his eyes narrowed slightly. The general shook his head rubbing the back of his neck.

"No, he is not." The general replied. "He has been held off in that zone for quite some time now. There has been zero communication from his side. We cannot reach him and he has not sent any word back. It is a major part of the reason she is getting so agitated lately. She hates being left in the dark."

Khaos let out a slow breath. He understood the situation. If the father was tied up in that specific zone then it meant the larger war was demanding all of his attention. Everyone had their parts to play and everyone was doing their best to shoulder the burden.

"I understand." Khaos said.

There was no need for further words. The general turned his back and stepped into the fabric of space before vanishing without a trace. Khaos lingered for a mere fraction of a second before he too melted into the dark void.

Back in the Hive Empire a full week had passed since the brutal extermination of the Hollow Dominion and all of its kind.

The brief and violent war was officially over. The termite territory had been systematically purged and divided. The four surviving supreme rulers had moved swiftly to carve up the conquered lands.

The Moth Queen, the Ant Queen, the King of Flies and Emperor Xerxis took all the prime locations. They seized the massive subterranean crystal mines, the breeding grounds and the vast foundries.

The leftover scraps such as the ruined surface cities and the depleted resource nodes were simply abandoned. The supreme rulers left those barren areas for the smaller sects and rogue organizations to fight over. It created a bloody free for all among the lesser factions but the Domain Kings did not care.

Li Yu remained in the grand capital of the Hive Empire. He spent the week resting and compiling his gains in his quarters. Not only was he digesting the massive amount of combat data he had witnessed during the tournament, he was actively cultivating as well.

Emperor Xerxis however, did not rest since returning here.

The Domain King was furious about his empire's poor performance in the tournament and he took his anger out directly on his royal offspring. Xerxis initiated a new and even more extreme training regime for his sons and daughters.

Li Yu walked through the upper levels of the central spire and looked down into one of the training courtyards.

Princess Xera and the others were currently fighting for their lives. Xerxis had ordered hundreds of elite royal guards to attack them simultaneously with lethal intent. The royal siblings were covered in deep wounds, their golden blood staining the stone floor. They were forced to push their laws and demonic Qi to the absolute limit just to survive the relentless assault.

Xerxis stood on a balcony overlooking the courtyard as his compound eyes were cold and unforgiving. He barked harsh orders and punished them every single time they showed a moment of weakness.

Li Yu watched the brutal display and decided it was time for him to leave. Not because of the brutal display, this kind of treatment was actually quite commonplace in the cultivation world. Li Yu wanted to see what else was out there and to get more experiences.

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He had seen enough of the Hive Empire. He wanted to go explore this vast world and test his own cultivation against the diverse landscapes. He walked away from the railing and approached the Emperor on the balcony.

Xerxis turned his head as Li Yu approached. The Domain King instantly dropped his harsh demeanor and offered a polite nod.

"Young master." Xerxis greeted him. "Are you finding your accommodations satisfactory?"

"The hospitality has been wonderful, Emperor." Li Yu replied. "But I have decided it is time for me to move on. I want to go explore the rest of this world on my own."

Xerxis frowned slightly. "The realm is still chaotic from the recent war. There are rogue factions fighting over the termite ruins and wandering beasts roaming the borders. Allow me to provide a royal force to guard you during your travels. I can assign a full battalion of my finest commanders to ensure your safety."

Li Yu shook his head gently.

"I appreciate the offer but I must reject it." Li Yu said in a polite but firm tone. "I prefer to travel lightly and without drawing too much attention. Though, with how I look that might be hard around here. Still, a royal guard would defeat the purpose of my journey."

Xerxis did not push the issue. He knew Li Yu possessed hidden protectors who were vastly more capable than any royal guard he could provide. The Emperor let out a heavy breath and dismissed the guards standing nearby. He wanted to speak with Li Yu privately.

"I have not said it until now." Xerxis began as his deep voice rumbled with genuine sincerity. "But I must formally thank you for taking action during the tournament. When that thing appeared in the sky, we were all completely outmatched. We would have died without your help."

Li Yu remained silent. He knew the mountain had done all the work but he accepted the gratitude anyway.

"I am only bringing this up now because the four rulers held a private council while we were securing the termite lands." Xerxis continued. "We all recognized the monumental debt we owe you. We decided to split the spoils of the Hollow Dominion with you. We are giving you a twenty percent share."

Li Yu raised his eyebrows in surprise.

The Hollow Dominion was a massive empire that had hoarded wealth for countless generations. A twenty percent share of their entire accumulated treasury was a staggering amount of wealth. The four Domain Kings were effectively treating Li Yu as an equal. They were treating him like a fifth supreme ruler.

Xerxis reached into his dark armor and pulled out an ornate storage ring carved from a single piece of deep sea crystal. He held it out to Li Yu.

"This ring contains your share." Xerxis stated. Li Yu looked at the ring. He truly had no choice but to accept it. Refusing such a gift from the combined rulers of the realm would be seen as a severe insult. Li Yu reached out and took the cold crystal ring and put it away.

"I accept this generous gift." Li Yu said. "Please relay my thanks to the Moth Queen, the Ant Queen and the King of Flies."

"I will." Xerxis nodded. "Do you know which empire you will visit first on your travels?"

Li Yu looked out over the sprawling Hive capital. He had no specific destination in mind. He did not know the geography of the other territories and he had no specific goals other than seeing this realm some more, improving his cultivation and further refining his skills.

"I am not sure yet." Li Yu smiled faintly. "I think I will just head out and see where the wind blows."

Xerxis clicked his mandibles in amusement. "A true wanderer. May the winds favor your path young master."

With his departure officially announced, Li Yu left the training courtyard to go find his bodyguard. He needed to let Garrick know they were moving out.

Li Yu navigated the luxurious corridors. He pushed the heavy doors open and was immediately hit by the thick scent of sweet wine and expensive incense.

Garrick was sprawling across a velvet couch. The Great Sage looked like a literal king holding court. He was surrounded by a dozen beautiful women. Li Yu crossed his arms and cleared his throat.

Garrick looked over and grinned. "Hey kid! Come join us! The wine here is truly exceptional. It has a nice kick to it."

"I am leaving the capital today." Li Yu started while ignoring the invitation to drink. "I am going to explore the rest of the realm. Get your things together."

Garrick chewed on a glowing grape and swallowed it lazily. He did not make a single move to get up from the soft velvet couch.

"You know kid." Garrick started as he was waving his massive hand dismissively. "I think I am going to stay right here and take in the hospitality for a while longer. Xerxis is treating me very well and these ladies are excellent company. Traveling through the dirt and fighting random beasts sounds like a lot of unnecessary work."

Li Yu stared at the towering man. Garrick was bound to him by a soul contract but the beast still acted like a completely spoiled noble who refused to do his job. Garrick saw the unimpressed look on Li Yu's face and chuckled. He reached into his robes and tapped the area over his chest where the golden seal was hidden.

"Do not worry about me." Garrick said while offering a reassuring grin. "You still have that bone token I gave you right? Just crush that little thing if you run into an enemy you cannot handle and I will show up instantly. Consider me your ultimate hidden trump card."

Li Yu could only shake his head.

The Great Sage was lazy beyond belief. But Li Yu honestly did not mind. He had never intended to take Garrick in from the start. By circumstances they were joined together. Li Yu also felt that Garrick didn’t add anything extra to his travels like Malos had done.

"Fine." Li Yu agreed. "Stay here and enjoy the wine. But if I crush that token you better not show up naked again."

Garrick flinched as his dark metallic skin flushed a deep shade of red at the humiliating reminder of his recent panic. The beetle women giggled softly behind their hands.

"That was a unique situation!" Garrick grumbled slightly. "I was caught off guard! It will not happen again!"

Li Yu smirked and turned around walking out of the room.

He made his way down the spiraling ramps of the central spire. He simply walked out of the grand gates of the Hive capital and blended in with the regular flow of merchants and travelers.

The vast alien world stretched out before him. The winds carried the scent of strange pollen and distant rain. Li Yu felt a sense of freedom that he didn’t know he missed.

He picked a random path heading who knows where and began his journey. He was ready to face whatever new challenges the cosmos decided to throw his way.