Myriad Rivers to the Sea

The light of the spatial tear faded and deposited Li Yu and Emperor Xerxis directly into the heart of the Eclipse Court.

Li Yu stepped onto the smooth floor and observed his surroundings. The royal capital of the Moth Empire was vastly different from the amber spires of the Hive. The architecture here was designed to swallow light. Tall sweeping arches constructed from petrified shadow wood and draped in dark iridescent silks created an atmosphere of elegant lethality.

But the elegance was currently in ruins.

The signs of Venrik’s siege were everywhere. Massive structural pillars lay shattered across the grand corridors. The defensive arrays flickered weakly and sparkled with unstable energy. The air was thick with the scent of dried blood and the faint lingering smell of toxic dust.

Xerxis led the way through the devastated palace. The Emperor navigated the winding dark halls with a strange familiarity, moving past collapsed statues and ruined courtyards until they reached the deepest section of the royal sanctum.

The area was heavily sealed off. A massive barrier of swirling shadow Qi blocked the main corridor.

Standing in front of the barrier were the surviving generals and elite commanders of the Eclipse Court. They were terrifying figures draped in tattered dark cloaks. Their armor was cracked and stained with the blood of the usurper’s rogue army. They wielded serrated blades and long toxic spears. Their pale masks were still concealing their expressions.

The moment Xerxis stepped into view, a wave of intense hostile killing intent washed over the corridor. Weapons were instantly drawn. The elite moth assassins dropped into combat stances with their transparent wings buzzing with lethal aggression.

They had watched Emperor Xerxis slaughter Venrik and spare their capital just days ago. But generations of deeply ingrained hatred could not be erased in a single afternoon. To these loyal commanders, the Hive Emperor was the ancient mortal enemy of their people. Seeing him casually walking into their supreme inner sanctum was an unforgivable intrusion.

"Halt." The lead general commanded. His voice was a harsh and raspy whisper that echoed through the dark hall. He leveled a dripping toxic spear directly at Xerxis’s chest. "You have no authority here, Emperor. We will die fighting you before letting you in."

Xerxis did not summon his weapons or project his Domain King aura. He simply stood there, his dark eyes locked onto the swirling shadow barrier behind the guards.

"I am not here to conquer." Xerxis stated firmly. "I brought a physician. Step aside and let us heal your Queen."

The generals did not move a single inch. They exchanged tense and confused glances. The idea that their bitterest rival had not finished them off earlier and was now returning to offer medical aid, defied all logic. The confusion regarding his true relationship with their ruler hung heavy in the tense air.

Before the standoff could escalate into violence, a subtle shift occurred in the ambient Qi. A weak but undeniably supreme mental command echoed directly into the minds of the moth commanders. The shadow barrier blocking the heavy stone doors flickered and dissolved into nothingness.

The lead general hesitated. He lowered his spear slightly but his grip tight with reluctance. He stepped aside, gesturing for the rest of the elite guard to part ways.

"The Queen grants you entry." The general said softly but his tone was full of bitter suspicion. "But know this, Emperor. If she dies while you are in that room, none of us will care about the consequences. We will drag you into death with us."

Xerxis ignored the threat entirely. He walked past the elite guards and pushed the heavy stone doors open while gesturing for Li Yu to follow him inside. He was definitely not afraid of them.

Li Yu stepped into the royal recovery chamber.

The room was vast and circular. It was illuminated only by a few glowing pearls. In the center of the chamber rested a wide dais carved from dark polished jade. Sitting upon the dais was Queen Calyptra.

She looked like she did before at the tournament but it was clear she was injured. Resting on the floor beside her was the Nine Paths Moth.

The supreme guardian beast was an awe inspiring entity. It possessed a soft body covered in fine iridescent fur. Its wings spanned the width of the large chamber and were shimmering with complex and mesmerizing patterns.

But the majestic beast was in a horrific state of decay.

The iridescent fur was falling out in thick clumps. The mesmerizing wing patterns were dull and fractured. The ancient beast was actively pressing its head against Queen Calyptra’s side, channeling a continuous stream of silver energy directly into her body.

Li Yu observed the dynamic and instantly understood the grim reality of the situation from what Xerxis had told him before and what he was seeing now.

The Queen was afflicted by a terrifying poison. The Nine Paths Moth was using its own innate abilities to delay the poison attacking her body and soul. It was acting to help her. But by helping her, the guardian beast was accelerating its own demise. Its soul was falling apart even faster under the strain.

The beast was sacrificing its own existence to buy its master more time. Li Yu did not know if their bond was one of master and servant, ancient friends or equal partners but the unyielding loyalty the moth displayed was undeniable.

Xerxis stepped forward, his eyes locked entirely on the dark regal figure sitting on the dais. The ancient pain in his gaze was palpable.

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"I brought someone." Xerxis said quietly, his voice lacking any of its usual booming nature. "He can help."

Queen Calyptra did not speak. She turned her masked face toward Li Yu and her dark aura pulsed with a mix of faint curiosity and agonizing pain. Li Yu did not waste time with formal royal greetings. He walked directly toward the dais, bypassing the Queen entirely and approaching the massive guardian beast.

He was vastly more experienced with the biology and spiritual nature of beasts than humanoid cultivators. He knelt beside the Nine Paths Moth and placed his hand gently against its deteriorating fur. He sent a fine thread of his own Qi and soul sense into the massive creature.

The internal damage was catastrophic.

He could clearly see the distinct attack left behind by Venrik’s artifact. It was not a physical wound. It was a dark jagged cluster of corrosive energy embedded deep within the core of the moth’s soul. The artifact attack was actively eating away at the spiritual foundation of the beast. It was tearing its essence into shredded ribbons.

Li Yu probed the dark energy cluster carefully. He noticed a specific unique trait about the attack. It was hungry. It writhed and pulsed in response to his soul sense, attempting to reach out and latch onto his intrusive Qi.

It was like a parasite drawn to soul density. The stronger and denser the soul, the more the artifact attack was attracted to it.

Li Yu pulled his hand back and stood up. He did not know the first thing about mending a fractured soul using traditional medical techniques. But when it came to dealing with direct soul attacks, he possessed an unparalleled advantage.

"The artifact attack is acting like a spiritual parasite." Li Yu explained, turning to face Xerxis. "It is embedded deep within the beast, eating its foundation. I cannot heal the damage. But we should be able to remove the parasite so further damage cannot be caused. It would then need to rely on itself and other natural treasures to heal over time."

"Can you destroy it?" Xerxis asked while stepping closer to the dais.

"If I attack it directly, the resulting clash of energy will shatter the guardian beast's remaining soul." Li Yu replied calmly. "We have to draw it out. The attack seems to be naturally drawn to powerful souls. I need to use a soul as bait to lure the parasite out of the beast."

Li Yu looked directly into the dark compound eyes of the Hive Emperor.

"I need your soul." Li Yu stated.

The request hung heavy in the quiet chamber. Queen Calyptra shifted slightly. Her featureless mask turned toward Xerxis.

Xerxis hesitated for a brief second. Allowing another cultivator direct access to his unprotected soul was the ultimate vulnerability. A single malicious strike could cripple his foundation permanently or kill him outright.

But Xerxis looked at the young human standing before him. He remembered the terrifying power that took his arm and the unfathomable unseen experts lurking in the void. He firmly believed Li Yu had absolutely no reason to backstab him. The "Young Master" did not want his territory, his wealth or his life.

"Let’s do it." Xerxis agreed, his voice firm and resolute. He stepped forward and knelt on the floor opposite Li Yu. He placed his hands flat on the moth.

"Channel your soul strength." Li Yu instructed, his tone shifting into one of clinical focus. "Project your soul essence toward the beast. Make it bright. Make it an irresistible target."

Xerxis closed his eyes and gritted his teeth. A wave of terrifying pressure filled the room as the Domain King projected his raw soul force outward. The air shimmered with a golden hue.

Inside the Nine Paths Moth, the dark parasitic cluster stopped feeding on the frayed ribbons of the beast's foundation. It sensed the overwhelming density of the Domain King soul hovering not far away.

Driven by its nature, the dark energy surged upward. It ripped itself out of the guardian beast and launched directly into Emperor Xerxis.

Xerxis let out a guttural roaring gasp. His muscular frame convulsed violently as the dark parasite slammed into his projected soul and immediately sank its jagged teeth into his soul essence. The sheer agony of the spiritual invasion was blinding. Dark veins bulged across his temples and his breath came in ragged ragged heaves. It showed just how much the moth had endured up till now.

"Pull it out!" Li Yu commanded as he was keeping his eyes locked on the twisting dark energy.

Xerxis roared again while sweat was pouring down his face. He exerted his supreme will, grabbing the portion of his own projected soul that was latched and violently ripping it away from his core foundation.

The act of severing a piece of one's own soul was akin to cutting off a limb with a rusted blade but the pain was entirely spiritual. Xerxis severed the connection, isolating the dark parasite within a small fragmented piece of his own golden essence. Just as suddenly, the dark parasite reacted to being cut off from the main source. It quickly abandoned the piece it had latched onto and dove towards Xerxis once again with blinding speed.

Li Yu was quicker though. He placed his hand directly over the severed fragment in the air as soon as Xerxis served off the small piece. He activated his internal pathways and opened a direct channel to his own soul.

He funneled the dark parasite and the severed piece of the Domain King soul directly into his own body.

Xerxis collapsed forward but quickly caught his weight on his hands. He was panting heavily with his face pale and his aura unstable. The loss of a soul fragment would heal over time but the immediate shock was devastating.

Despite the blinding pain, Xerxis looked up and his eyes widened in horror.

He watched the young human absorb the soul attack that had nearly crippled an ancient guardian beast and brought a Domain King to his knees. Xerxis waited for the boy to scream, to collapse or to explode into a mist of blood and ruined Qi.

Li Yu did not even blink. He stood perfectly still. His breathing was calm and steady. His expression was entirely neutral.

‘The depth of the Young Master's foundation was truly beyond all rational comprehension. To take a lethal soul curse directly into his own body without showing a single sign of discomfort was the mark of a monster.’ Xerxis thought.

Deep within Li Yu's internal sanctuary, the reality was vastly simpler. The dark parasitic cluster shot through and raced toward his soul. It was hungry, vicious and ready to devour his soul.

The Koi Soul breached the surface of the spiritual water within the Ocean of Qi. Its scales radiated a blinding light. It looked at the incoming dark parasite with a sense of casual and detached indifference.

The Koi Soul opened its massive mouth.

It did not fight the parasite. It simply sucked the dark energy inward and swallowed the artifact attack whole. The dark cluster vanished down its gullet, digested instantly by the overwhelming density of the ancient beast soul.

The Koi Soul didn’t have much of a reaction and sank back beneath the surface of the ocean. Li Yu lowered his hand and let out a quiet and controlled breath.

He looked down at the Nine Paths Moth. The guardian beast let out a low rattling sigh. Its breathing stabilized. The active degradation of its spiritual foundation had completely stopped. It was still incredibly weak and its soul was severely damaged but the lethal threat was gone.

Li Yu turned his attention back to the queen.

The first hurdle was cleared. The Guardian Beast was stabilized. But the true challenge still remained. Li Yu looked past the featureless pale mask and focused on the dark flowing silks of Queen Calyptra.

It was time to deal with the physical poison ravaging the supreme ruler of the Eclipse Court.