Myriad Rivers to the Sea

The journey through the unnatural grey mist was unlike any spatial crossing Li Yu had ever experienced.

When Khaos or Lian tore through the void, the transition was violent and instantaneous. It was a brutal assertion of power over the fabric of reality. But the small and weathered wooden boat steered by Old Du did not tear reality; it slipped through the cosmic cracks like a ghost.

There was no sensation of movement and no terrifying pressure of the void. There was only the gentle and rhythmic sound of the wooden paddle dipping into the dark water. The pale yellow glow of the iron lantern was pushing back the suffocating fog.

Li Yu stood near the bow of the skiff with his hands clasped behind his back. He could not sense the passage of time. It could have been an hour or it could have been a month. The mist swallowed all perception.

Slowly, the oppressive fog began to thin. The pitch black water beneath the boat transitioned into a swirling sea of pale and luminescent clouds.

"We are crossing the boundary," Old Du’s raspy voice broke the silence and was echoing softly from the stern. Li Yu looked up as the mist finally parted. It revealed the sky of the new realm.

It was a breathtaking and horrifying sight. The heavens were not a continuous expanse of blue or a tapestry of stars. The sky was literally fractured. Massive, jagged fault lines ran across the firmament. They were glowing with a sickly and bleeding purple light.

It looked as though a supreme deity had taken a hammer to a mirror. From those cracks, massive and ethereal spiritual veins hung down like severed glowing roots, slowly bleeding their ambient energy into the dark abyss beyond. It was the living scar of the Great Devastation.

"Welcome to our home, Li Yu," Old Du said as he was steering the boat toward a massive floating continent that hovered beneath the shattered sky. "We simply call our home, The Veil."

As they drew closer to the continent, Li Yu closed his eyes and took a deep breath. The ambient Qi here was entirely different from the realms he had been to. There was very little elemental energy. Almost no fire, water or earth Qi to speak of.

Instead, the air was saturated with a thin and incredibly turbulent Soul Qi. It was clear that this realm helped to shape Old Du’s people towards their path of the Soul.

“It was even better before the Great Devastation. The Qi is now chaotic and thin. It was a paradise for soul cultivators back in the day. Today, it is only a shadow of itself.” Old Du said to Li Yu as though he could read minds.

The wooden boat drifted down and passed through a shimmering and translucent barrier that protected a massive section of the floating continent from the decaying skies above. Once inside the barrier, the bleeding fault lines were obscured. They were replaced by an artificial and pristine sky.

Old Du steered the skiff toward a long pier made of polished white stone. As the boat gently bumped against the dock, the ferryman lowered his paddle and extinguished the yellow flame in his lantern.

"We have arrived at the Trial Grounds," Old Du announced to Li Yu while stepping off the boat. He then gestured for Li Yu to follow. Li Yu vaulted over the side, his boots touching down on the smooth white stone. He looked ahead and was taking in the staggering scale of the complex before him.

The Trial Grounds were not a single building but a sprawling expanse of distinct and wildly varied architectural wonders. Huge, manicured courtyards of dark stones connected dozens of towering structures. There were wide, open plazas paved with inscribed silver tiles and massive stone archways that led into isolated testing zones.

"This entire complex was constructed specifically to recruit and test the candidates the guiding artifact selects," Old Du explained as he was walking beside Li Yu. They moved off the pier and onto a wide and winding path lined with pale glowing stones.

"It is a crucible, yes, but it is also a sanctuary. We poured what little remained of our resources into this place to ensure that those who come here have the optimal environment to grow."

Old Du pointed to the east and away from the immediate testing structures.

"And that," the ferryman said with a note of pride in his voice, "is Kyokai City."

Li Yu turned his head and felt a spark of awe. Built immediately adjacent to the sprawling Trial Grounds was a vibrant and sprawling metropolis that stood in stark contrast to the shattered sky outside the barrier. Kyokai City was a masterpiece of architectural fusion.

Winding, crystal clear canals wove through the city like ribbons of silver. They were reflecting the warm and ambient light of thousands of glowing red paper lanterns strung between the buildings. The estates and pavilions featured sweeping, dark-tiled eaves that curved gracefully toward the sky. Elegant, arched wooden bridges painted in vibrant vermillion crossed the waterways and connected districts of bustling activity.

Interspersed among the traditional wooden estates were towering, golden spires reflecting the ambient light with blinding purity. Elaborate hanging gardens spilled over the edges of high stone terraces and their vines glowing with soft bioluminescence.

But the most striking feature of Kyokai City was the flora. Entire groves of spiritual cherry blossom trees were planted throughout the city and along the edges of the canals. The trees were in perpetual, glorious bloom. Their pale pink and white petals drifted softly through the air and carried by a gentle but artificial breeze that smelled of sweet incense and clean rain.

"It is beautiful," Li Yu admitted quietly. It was a stark contrast to the sterile and utilitarian fortresses of the warfront and far more refined than the towns like Silkwood.

"It was designed to be," Old Du replied. "Kyokai City is entirely open to the candidates. When you are not undergoing a trial, you are free to visit the city, partake in its resources, trade, relax and socialize. We want you to feel at home here. If we had it our way, each and every candidate would form deep bonds with one another and with our people, eventually joining our side to help us restore this world."

Old Du reached into his tattered robes and pulled out a small rectangular object. He handed it to Li Yu. It was a badge crafted from a flawless piece of dark purple soul-jade. It was smooth to the touch and the moment Li Yu’s fingers brushed against it, it hummed, instantly binding to his unique soul signature.

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"This badge is your guide, your key and your identity within the Trial Grounds," Old Du instructed. His tone shifted back to the serious and raspy cadence of a ferryman. "There are no human proctors here telling you where to go. The schedule, the pacing and the specific structures you must enter are all controlled directly by the sacred artifact itself. Your badge will glow and display information. It will tell you where to go and when."

Li Yu looked down at the dark jade badge. Currently, its surface was completely blank, resembling a simple piece of polished stone.

"There is one absolute and unbreakable rule you must understand before I leave you to settle in," Old Du said. He stopped in the middle of the path and turned to face Li Yu squarely. The ferryman’s dark eyes were intense. "There is zero tolerance for fighting within the Trial Grounds or Kyokai City. None."

Li Yu raised an eyebrow. "In a gathering of geniuses and apex talents, you expect absolute peace?"

"We enforce it," Old Du corrected sharply. "This is not a place for candidates to settle vendettas or test their martial arts against one another. You are here to test your abilities, your understanding, your martial might and soul against the artifact's trials. Not your fists against your peers."

Old Du gestured subtly toward the shadows of the towering pagodas and the high archways surrounding them. Li Yu shifted his senses and pushed his awareness past the immediate physical layer of the complex. The moment he did, a cold shiver ran down his spine.

Hidden within the architecture and woven into the very arrays that powered the floating continent were presences of suffocating density. They were not human. They felt like ancient, condensed manifestations of pure soul-force. They were resting in a state of hyper vigilant hibernation.

"There are powerful Guardians watching this place at all times," Old Du whispered and was surprised that Li Yu could see through it when he saw the realization dawn on Li Yu’s face.

"They are tied directly to the sacred artifact. If any candidate initiates combat, the Guardians will suppress them instantly. If the offense is severe enough, the candidate is expelled into the void regardless of their potential. Do not test the Guardians, Li Yu."

"I have no interest in fighting others," Li Yu replied smoothly and slipped the jade badge into his robes. "I came here to build my foundation, not to brawl."

"Good," Old Du nodded and was for some reason visibly relieved. "Come. I will show you to your quarters."

The ferryman led him away from the main thoroughfare of the Trial Grounds. He was guiding him toward a secluded and elevated terrace that overlooked one of Kyokai City’s winding canals.

They arrived at a beautiful two-story pavilion constructed of dark wood and pristine white sliding doors. A small and private courtyard paved with smooth river stones along with an ancient cherry blossom tree sat out front.

Old Du slid the door open and revealed the interior.

It was incredibly luxurious, a far cry from the rough hewn log tower Li Yu had built in Silkwood. The floors were lined with woven spiritual grass that passively massaged the meridians of anyone walking upon them. Delicate silk screens depicting mountains of the ethereal realm partitioned the rooms.

A gentle stream of high grade spiritual incense burned in a bronze censer in the corner and helped to purify the mind. In the center of the main bedroom sat a wide, circular meditation bed carved entirely from a single piece of warm green soul-jade.

"These are your personal quarters for the duration of your stay," Old Du said. "Food, wine and basic cultivation resources will be delivered daily by the pavilion attendants. You are two years late, Li Yu, so the artifact may take some time to calculate your proper placement and schedule."

"I understand," Li Yu said. "Thank you, Old Du."

"Rest well." The ferryman offered a polite and formal bow. It was a long time since he had personally shown someone around like this. Usually someone else takes over once Old Du brings them here. "My duties require me back at the borders. May your soul find the strength it seeks here."

With a final nod, Old Du turned and walked away. His tattered grey robes quickly disappeared around the bend of the white stone path.

Li Yu stepped into his new pavilion and closed the sliding door behind him. He walked over to the jade meditation bed and sat down. He pulled the dark purple badge from his robes and inspected it again. It remained completely dormant. A dark and silent stone in his palm.

He had no schedule. He had no immediate trial to face. Li Yu smiled faintly. His curiosity was thoroughly piqued.

He stood up, tucked the badge back into his robes and walked out of the pavilion. If he had free time before the sacred artifact summoned him and he was going to use it to map out the crucible he had just walked into.

Li Yu spent the rest of the day and well into the artificial evening roaming the sprawling expanse of the Trial Grounds.

Without Old Du guiding him straight to his quarters, Li Yu could finally appreciate the staggering variety of the structures. It was a labyrinth of cosmic tests.

He walked past a nine-tiered pagoda constructed entirely of obsidian glass. The glass was not transparent but as Li Yu walked by, he noticed that his reflection did not mirror his physical body. Instead, the obsidian surface reflected a faint and blurry outline of his five Nascent Souls. They were layered over one another in a chaotic and swirling mass. The air around the black pagoda felt heavy, as if gravity itself was trying to pull the soul out through the soles of his boots.

Further down the main plaza, he found a structure that wasn't a building at all but a free-standing archway of white marble. Between the pillars of the archway, a glowing portal swirled with liquid astral energy. It looked like a vertical waterfall of liquid starlight. A small group of candidates, men and women dressed in the varied and vibrant robes of a hundred different cosmic factions were lined up before it.

Li Yu watched from a distance as a young man stepped up to the portal. The moment the candidate touched the liquid starlight, his physical body collapsed to the ground. He was caught instantly by a waiting attendant while a glowing, ethereal projection of the young man’s soul was violently sucked into the portal. It was a trial of astral projection.

He continued his walk and was moving through courtyards filled with statues that seemed to watch him with invisible eyes and gardens where the leaves of the trees chimed like crystal bells. Each chime was designed to test the focus and resilience of the mind against auditory illusions.

There were crimson pavilions surrounded by rings of floating bladed mirrors. There were deep and sunken amphitheaters filled with a strange heavy mist that smelled of ancient blood and burnt ozone. Every single structure was a unique and highly specialized instrument of torture and refinement for the soul.

As he walked, he noticed the other candidates. There were hundreds of them scattered throughout the grounds. Some walked with the arrogant swagger of untouchable prodigies while others sat in the lotus position in the public plazas, meditating with sweat drenched faces. They were clearly recovering from whatever nightmare they had just endured inside the pagodas.

They all bore the same dark purple jade badges on their belts or robes.

Despite the sheer concentration of apex talent, Old Du’s words held true. There was an eerie and absolute peace across the grounds. Rivals from warring empires walked past each other on the stone paths, exchanging glares of pure murder but neither dared to lift a finger or flare their Qi. The oppressive and hidden presence of the Guardians kept the explosive tension perfectly bottled.

Li Yu leaned against the railing of a wooden bridge that connected the Trial Grounds to the outskirts of Kyokai City. He watched the glowing red paper lanterns reflect in the water below and the cherry blossom petals drift past his face.

As he looked out over the endless pagodas, the swirling portals and the hundreds of talents walking the paths, Li Yu felt a sense of anticipation settle into his bones.