Myriad Rivers to the Sea

Li Yu had no appointments and he had no looming deadlines. He once again had the opportunity to explore Kyokai City without the pressure of an impending trial hanging over his head.

He walked away from the silent pagodas and crossed a large vermillion bridge that connected the Trial Grounds to the bustling residential districts. The transition between the two zones was stark. The Trial Grounds were a place of hushed tension where ancient geniuses glared at one another. Kyokai City was a vibrant and living metropolis filled with the native people of The Veil.

Li Yu strolled down a wide avenue paved with pale cobblestones. He observed the locals with keen interest. The native inhabitants possessed faint but distinct ethereal traits. They were the descendants of the beings that had pushed the path of the soul far. An elderly merchant arranging baskets of glowing blue spiritual roots had eyes that lacked pupils. A group of women carrying silk bolts floated an inch above the ground rather than walking. They were a shattered people but they were still incredibly resilient.

He stopped near a small public square. A cluster of native youths were gathered around a raised stone platform. They were not playing games or wasting their morning. They were practicing foundational soul arts under the watchful eye of an older instructor.

Li Yu leaned against the trunk of a massive cherry blossom tree and watched them. A young boy with slightly translucent skin was struggling to form a basic ethereal shield. His soul force kept flickering and dispersing into the air. The boy looked incredibly frustrated while the older instructor sighed heavily.

"Don’t give up, keep trying your best." Li Yu spoke up gently. He stepped away from the tree and walked toward the edge of the stone platform.

The young boy blinked in surprise. He looked at the strange human in the dark robes. The older instructor immediately tensed. He recognized the dark purple badge hanging from Li Yu's belt. The natives knew exactly what those badges meant. They knew the candidates were ancient and sometimes temperamental monsters from the myriad realms.

"Try it again," Li Yu encouraged and offered a warm smile. He did not flare his aura or present himself as an untouchable expert. He simply spoke as a fellow cultivator offering a polite pointer to a youth. Little did Li Yu know that this young looking boy was much older than him.

The boy hesitated for a moment before nodding. He relaxed his chest and breathed normally. He focused his intent exactly as the instructor had instructed. A moment later, a faint but stable blue shield shimmered into existence in front of his hands.

The boy’s face lit up with pure joy. The surrounding youths clapped and cheered for their peer. They were all pushing towards the same goals.

"Thank you, Senior!" The boy bowed toward Li Yu.

"You did the work," Li Yu replied easily. He looked at the older instructor and offered a respectful nod. "I apologize for interrupting your lesson. I was simply passing through and wanted to encourage."

The instructor returned the nod with a look of relief. "There is no need to apologize, honored candidate. We welcome any kind words. My name is Master Nornick and this is my grandson, Elian. We are honored by your kindness."

"I am Li Yu," he introduced himself. "I see many of the youths practicing with such intensity. Is it always like this?"

"It must be," Master Nornick answered with a heavy sigh. He gestured toward the distant and towering structures of the Trial Grounds. "The pagodas are not just for outsiders to take part. The outer rings of the Trial Grounds act as our own training facilities. Our people must pass the lesser trials to gain the strength required to heal our shattered spiritual veins. Every child here knows the burden they carry. We train because our world is dying."

Li Yu looked at the determined faces of the ethereal youths. Old Du’s mission was not just abstract cosmic politics. It was a desperate fight for survival for the people standing right in front of him. He felt a deep sense of respect for the natives of The Veil. They were not just waiting around for a savior to do all the work. They were fighting for their home every single day.

He bid farewell to Master Nornick and the youths. He promised to visit the square again if time permitted. He continued his exploration of Kyokai City and felt a much deeper connection to the realm.

Around midday, Li Yu followed the scent of roasted meat and savory broth to a large and open-air restaurant situated along a silver canal. The establishment was busy with both native merchants and a few wandering candidates. He stepped inside and scanned the wooden tables.

He immediately spotted a massive and familiar figure trying very hard to hide in a corner booth.

Daiki, the giant crimson demon from the Blood Iron Clan, was hunched over a massive bowl of spicy noodles. He wore a wide brimmed straw hat pulled low over his obsidian horns. He looked miserable.

Li Yu chuckled to himself and walked over. He slid into the wooden booth directly across from the demon. Daiki flinched and nearly dropped his chopsticks. He looked up and let out a long breath when he recognized Li Yu.

"Do not sneak up on people like that," Daiki grumbled as he pushed his straw hat back. "I thought you were one of Jin Wu's recruiters. That four armed brute has been hunting me down all morning."

"Why is he hunting you?" Li Yu asked while waving a server over to order his own bowl of noodles.

"Because I am a giant demon with thick muscles," Daiki complained bitterly. "He thinks I am the perfect vanguard for his grand clan alliance. He found me by the koi ponds and spent an hour yelling about glory, blood and crushing obstacles. It was exhausting. He sounds exactly like my father."

"And you ran away?" Li Yu asked with an amused smile.

"I tactically relocated," Daiki corrected him quickly. "I came to this realm to avoid warlords and aggressive politics. I am not going to join a suicide squad just because some brute wants to impress the artifact. I just want to survive the trials and collect the soul nurturing treasures for myself and to send back to my clan. That is the only way my father will forgive me for fleeing the hydra."

"That is a very pragmatic approach." A cool voice sounded from the aisle.

Li Yu and Daiki turned their heads. Sora, the Lunar Wolf beast-kin, was standing next to their table. She wore her simple grey robes and her curved wooden sword rested securely on her hip. Her silver furred ears twitched slightly as she surveyed the crowded restaurant.

"There are no empty tables left," Sora stated flatly. She looked at Li Yu. "You are the heavy footed wanderer from the garden. May I sit here?"

"Of course," Li Yu gestured to the empty space next to him without consulting Daiki.

Sora sat down with practiced grace. She ordered a simple plate of steamed fish and poured herself a cup of water. Daiki stared at her for a moment before returning to his spicy noodles.

"This is Sora," Li Yu said to Daiki before turning back to her. "Did you finish your morning practice?"

"I did," Sora replied while taking a slow sip of her water. "I also just finished my forty-second trial at the Pagoda of the Chanting Blade. It was adequate. The illusions on the higher floors were sharp but their sword intent lacked true conviction."

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Daiki paused with a mouthful of noodles. He stared at the wolf woman. "You cleared the Chanting Blade? I heard Princess Linnea's top guard nearly had his soul shattered in there last week."

"He probably relied too heavily on his physical armor," Sora noted dismissively. She turned her piercing silver eyes toward Li Yu. "Word travels quickly among the people. They say a new candidate finally entered the Trial Grounds this morning. That must be you. We have all been here for two years grinding through these pagodas. How was your first trial?"

"It was at the Pagoda of the Unbroken Step," Li Yu explained as his own food arrived. The hot broth smelled incredible. "It was a test of the Dao Heart rather than martial strength."

Sora nodded slowly. "A test of the heart is often more lethal than a test of the blade. Many ancient experts fall because their Dao Heart is not firm enough. What path did you choose to walk?"

"I chose my own," Li Yu answered simply before taking a bite of his noodles. "I rejected the illusions of the Emperor, the Savior and the Immortal. Or at least that’s what I thought the paths represented. I decided I am perfectly fine being myself. I do not need a grand cosmic destiny to justify my existence."

Daiki burst into a booming and deep-chested laugh. The sound rattled the empty teacups on the table. A few nearby patrons turned to look at them in alarm but quickly looked away when they saw the size of the demon.

"Your own path?" Daiki roared with genuine amusement. "You stood before a sacred artifact and told it you just want to do whatever you want? That sure is something. My father would have a stroke if I told him that."

"It is an honest path," Sora defended Li Yu softly. She did not laugh as she understood the weight of his choice. "Walking your own path is much better than joining an alliance built on empty pride or hidden agendas."

"Exactly!" Daiki agreed enthusiastically and pointed his chopsticks at Sora. "This is why I like you two. You do not care about the politics. You do not care about building an empire within the Trial Grounds. Princess Linnea tried to corner me last week to discuss strategic resource allocation. I pretended I did not speak her language."

Li Yu smiled as he listened to the giant demon complain. It was incredibly refreshing meeting someone like these two. Despite Daiki and Sora being thousands of years old and having a two year head start on the trials, the three of them shared a fundamental similarity. They were the unaligned or wanted to be unaligned. They were pragmatists who sought personal growth and peace over dominance and glory.

They spent the next hour eating and talking. Daiki shared horrific and hilarious stories about the brutal trials he had barely survived over the last two years. He described the six-headed hydra in terrifying detail and explained how she once melted an entire mountain range because her favorite silk dress got stained. Sora spoke sparingly but she offered valuable insight into how Astramentis escalated the difficulty of the pagodas over time.

Li Yu was surprised to learn that the trail lengths varied. Some were completed within a day while others could take years. It wasn’t even a length to each trail, two people walking into the same trail could come out extremely far apart. It all depended on the person and what they chose within the trail.

Li Yu listened intently and soaked up their veteran knowledge. He shared stories of his own and talked about some of his journey up till now but decided to leave out the information about the rescue mission and his time trapped within the Temporal Dao Stone. He also deliberately left out the existence of Khaos and Xyphyra but he spoke fondly of his adventures.

By the time they finished their meal, a genuine bond had begun to form between the three. They were a strange trio. A latecomer human, a runaway demon and a solitary wolf swordswoman. But in the high stakes and politically charged environment of the Trial Grounds, they found comfort in their shared lack of overall ambition. At least when it came to dominating or ruling over some organization.

"Since none of us have immediate trials assigned for the afternoon," Daiki said as he paid for their meal with a handful of high grade spirit stones. "What should we do? I refuse to go back to the central plaza while Jin Wu is prowling."

"We could visit the outer rings," Li Yu suggested as he stood up. "I met a native instructor earlier today. He told me the people of The Veil use the lesser pagodas to train. It might be interesting to see how the locals handle the artifact's challenges."

Sora nodded in agreement. "Observing the foundation of others can sometimes reveal flaws in our own. It is a productive use of time." Sora was constantly looking for ways to better herself. When it came to self improvement, she reminded Li Yu of Muten and his constant drive to get stronger.

The trio left the restaurant and walked together through Kyokai City. They drew quite a few stares from the native inhabitants. It was somewhat rare to see a human, a demon and a beast-kin walking side by side.

They eventually reached the outer perimeter of the Trial Grounds. This area lacked the terrifying and silent Guardians of the main plazas. It was a sprawling series of open air arenas and smaller wooden pagodas. Hundreds of native youths and adults were engaged in various exercises.

Li Yu immediately recognized the young boy from earlier in the morning.

Elian, the boy with the translucent skin, was standing before a glowing blue portal that led into a minor wooden pagoda. Master Nornick was standing beside him and offering final words of encouragement.

"That is the boy," Li Yu pointed him out to Daiki and Sora.

They walked closer and stood at the edge of the training arena. Elian took a deep breath and stepped into the blue portal. He vanished from sight.

Less than thirty seconds later, the blue portal flashed violently. Elian was forcefully ejected from the trial. He flew through the air and hit the hard dirt of the arena with a painful thud. He rolled several times before coming to a stop near Li Yu’s boots. The boy looked battered and exhausted. His faint ethereal shield was completely shattered.

Master Nornick rushed forward with a look of deep concern.

Before the instructor could reach him, Daiki stepped forward. The giant crimson demon crouched down with surprising gentleness. He reached into his dark silk robes and pulled out a small and glowing green pill. He had amassed a considerable amount of resources from his two years of clearing trials.

"Eat this, little warrior," Daiki grumbled softly and offered the pill to the boy. "It is a basic blood mending pill. It will soothe your meridians."

Elian looked up at the terrifying demon with wide eyes. He hesitated for a second before taking the pill and swallowing it. The natives knew that the candidates wouldn’t openly harm them like this. This was their home after all and people weren’t that stupid. Almost instantly, the bruises on his arms began to fade and his breathing steadied.

"Thank you, Senior Demon," Elian whispered as he slowly sat up.

Sora stepped forward and looked down at the boy and offered him some words of encouragement as well as advice. While she didn’t see what happened, her level was high and she could understand and see through some of the flaws in his cultivation.

Elian looked at the wolf woman. He absorbed the martial advice immediately. "I understand. I was too eager to push forward."

Master Nornick arrived and bowed deeply to the trio. He was shocked by how generous they were in their actions and words. While the whole reason the candidates were here was to eventually help save their home and integrate with them. They rarely did so with such lowly members of their people. "Honored candidates... I do not know what to say. Your kindness to my grandson is boundless."

"He has spirit," Daiki said while standing back up to his full towering height. "I respect spirit. Better to fail a trial and learn from it than to run away and hide from a hydra."

Li Yu smiled upon hearing his contradictory words and patted Daiki on the arm. The locals gathered around the arena watched the interaction with a mix of surprise and newfound warmth. Some saw the candidates as arrogant overlords who viewed The Veil merely as a resource pool and that was true for some. But here was a terrifying demon offering medicine to a child and a swordswoman offering martial guidance.

The three unaligned candidates spent the rest of the afternoon at the outer rings. They did not show off their immense power or try to dominate the training grounds. They simply observed the natives and offered practical pointers to those who struggled. Daiki helped a group of youths with physical conditioning. Sora corrected sword postures. Li Yu offered advice on mental focus and breathing.

As the artificial suns began to dim into twilight, Li Yu looked around the bustling training grounds. He heard laughter and the sounds of earnest effort. He saw Daiki engaged in a friendly arm wrestling match with a native brute and he saw Sora quietly discussing the nature of the wind with an ethereal elder.

This did not feel like a deadly cosmic competition at all. At least not here and not right now. It felt like a community.

Li Yu realized that Old Du’s ultimate goal was already succeeding here. The trials were designed to test their souls but Kyokai City was designed to capture their hearts. By spending time with the people of The Veil, the candidates were slowly forming the karmic bonds necessary to care about the survival of the realm.

The dark purple jade badge inside Li Yu's robes suddenly pulsed with a warm light. He pulled it out. The surface glowed and a new set of text formed in the jade. His rest period was already over. He was scheduled to report to the Pagoda of the Heavy Crown the following morning.

Li Yu looked at Daiki and Sora. He figured that the trials ahead would only grow more difficult and dangerous. But as he watched his new friends interact with the natives, he felt a sense of readiness.