Myriad Rivers to the Sea

The morning air in the private courtyard was cool and heavy with the scent of fallen cherry blossoms. Li Yu stood in the center of the smooth river stones while the artificial twilight of Kyokai City slowly brightened around him. He moved through a series of slow and deliberate martial forms. He did not hold his heavy staff, Star Crusher. Instead, he gripped the hilt of Gilded Calamity.

He was continuing the daily routine he had developed at Silkwood. He brought the sword out every morning to practice. He still believed it was merely a beautiful and fragile ceremonial piece gifted to him by Li Canghai. It lacked the crushing physical density of Zhan Tielan’s war hammer or the power of his staff. However, swinging the elegant sword brought him a sense of comfort that he greatly enjoyed.

The blade caught the pale morning light and reflected a brilliant mixture of gold and crimson. The rhythmic and sweeping motions helped settle his mind after the intense week he had spent surviving the historical nightmares of the Sundered Sky. It grounded him while he worried about Sora's slow recovery in the medical ward.

The wooden gate of his courtyard slid open with a soft clatter.

Li Yu paused mid swing and lowered the sword. He turned to see Old Du standing in the entryway. The ferryman wore his usual tattered grey robes and held his wooden paddle loosely in one hand.

"Good morning, Old Du," Li Yu greeted him warmly. "Have you returned from more recruitment?"

Old Du did not answer immediately. The ancient ferryman was staring at the sword in Li Yu’s hand. His dark and weathered eyes were wide. His raspy breathing had completely stopped. He stood perfectly frozen in the doorway as if he had just stepped onto a live spatial mine.

Li Yu frowned slightly and looked down at Gilded Calamity. "Is something wrong?"

Old Du blinked rapidly and forced himself to take a breath. He stepped into the courtyard and closed the wooden gate behind him. He kept his eyes fixed on the blade.

"That is a very unique weapon," Old Du said. His voice was noticeably tighter than usual. "The craftsmanship is... extraordinary. Where did you acquire such a nice sword, Li Yu?"

Li Yu did not see any reason to hide the truth. He smiled and held the blade up so the light could catch the intricate engravings along the fuller.

"It was a gift," Li Yu answered honestly with a smile. "Li Canghai gave it to me. He told me it is a bit too decorative for heavy combat but it brings me peace when I practice my morning forms. Just swinging it around for fun."

Old Du visibly flinched when the name left Li Yu’s lips. The ferryman’s knees actually buckled a fraction of an inch before he caught himself.

The revelation stunned the ancient survivor even more than the initial sight of the weapon. Old Du was incredibly old and he possessed a vast and terrifying knowledge of the cosmos but you didn’t need a vast knowledge of the cosmos to know of Li Canghai.

He knew exactly who Li Canghai was. More importantly, he knew what that sword was and exactly what Gilded Calamity represented. It was not a fragile ceremonial piece meant for morning stretches. It was a sealed weapon of apocalyptic destruction in the right hands.

Old Du looked at Li Yu and felt a deep, chilling sense of awe mixed with terror.

When Old Du first met Li Yu, he knew the young man was backed by Khaos. That fact alone made Li Yu an untouchable person already to him. But now, seeing Gilded Calamity resting casually in Li Yu's hand, Old Du realized the situation was infinitely more complex. To hold the favor of Khaos was already extremely rare. To carry the apocalyptic blade of the Li Clan and to actually be gifted such a weapon by Li Canghai himself was another.

Li Yu was not just a talented anomaly. He was the focal point of supreme beings whose true motives were far beyond the comprehension of himself. He only had a singular goal and focus, the restoration of his world.

"A gift," Old Du repeated softly. He swallowed hard and quickly averted his eyes from the sword. "That is... a very generous gift."

"It is," Li Yu agreed while returning the sword to his inner world. The physical blade dissolved into ethereal light and materialized safely within the radiant aura of the Koi Soul. "Did you need something, Old Du? I was planning to visit the Ward of Tranquility later today."

Old Du remained silent for a long moment. He clearly wanted to say more about the sword or at least ask some questions. But the ferryman's survival instincts violently overrode his curiosity. If Khaos and Li Canghai were quietly maneuvering this young man across the cosmos, Old Du knew that speaking out of turn could result in his soul being erased from existence. Clearly, something massive was happening in the background and Old Du wanted absolutely no part in disrupting it.

The ferryman cleared his throat and forced his posture to relax. He shifted his focus back to the primary reason for his visit.

"There is a ceremony being held in Kyokai City today," Old Du explained. His raspy voice carried a heavy and mournful weight. "The central plazas are closed to the candidates. The natives are gathering to light lanterns and burn incense. Today is the yearly anniversary of the Great Devastation."

Li Yu nodded respectfully. He had noticed the somber atmosphere settling over the native merchants the previous evening. "It is a day of remembrance for your people. I will make sure Daiki and I stay out of the way and respect the silence."

"I appreciate that," Old Du said. He gripped his wooden paddle tightly. "But I am actually here to ask a favor of you. I need to borrow my sister."

Li Yu raised an eyebrow in genuine surprise. He crossed his arms and looked at the ferryman carefully.

"Are you sure that is a good idea?" Li Yu asked. "Xyphyra is the Great Sinner. She is the reason your people are holding a ceremony of mourning today. Astramentis told me it still hates her for killing its siblings. If I bring her out while your entire race is grieving the apocalypse she caused… The Guardians might intervene."

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"I have no intention of parading her through the city streets," Old Du assured him quickly. "I have my reasons for asking this, Li Yu. They are purely family reasons. It is a private matter that has nothing to do with the elders or the sacred artifacts."

Li Yu studied the old man’s face. Beneath the layers of dirt and the weathered wrinkles of an old man, Old Du looked incredibly sad. He did not look like a ferryman manipulating candidates. He just looked like a tired brother.

"I do not want to drag you into our family tragedy," Old Du continued with a sigh. "If there was any other way, I would do this alone. But Xyphyra is bound to you. I cannot bring her anywhere unless you come with us."

Li Yu understood the mechanics of his own foundation. Xyphyra was tethered to the Fisherman Soul by unbreakable ethereal lines. She could not exist in the outside world independently of Li Yu's domain. If Old Du wanted to see his sister on this specific day, Li Yu had to be the anchor.

"Family matters are important," Li Yu said softly. "I will come with you. Where are we going?"

"Outside," Old Du replied simply.

The ferryman turned and led the way out of the courtyard. They did not walk toward the bustling center of Kyokai City or the quiet medical wards. Old Du guided Li Yu toward the very edge of the protected metropolis.

They reached the massive and shimmering barrier that separated the pristine city from the true reality of The Veil. A few native guards stood watch near the perimeter but they respectfully bowed and stepped aside when they recognized Old Du. The ferryman was a revered figure among his people.

They passed through the translucent barrier. The transition was immediate and harsh.

The sweet scent of cherry blossoms was instantly replaced by the smell of dry ash and stagnant air. The artificial twilight vanished. The true sky of The Veil loomed above them. Massive, jagged fault lines bled sickly purple light into the darkness. The ground here was not paved with pale cobblestones. It was a wasteland of shattered grey rock and petrified spiritual wood.

This was the desolate reality that the candidates in the teahouse had spoken of. This was the graveyard of the Great Devastation. They traveled on Old Du’s boat for a while before stopping to get off. It looks like for one reason or another, Old Du was going to walk the rest of the way.

Old Du navigated the treacherous terrain with the ease of a man who had walked this path a thousand times before. Li Yu followed closely and kept his senses expanded. He could feel the chaotic and turbulent Qi of the broken realm scraping against his skin.

After an hour of walking through the desolate landscape, they arrived at a large cluster of ruins.

It was a broken down building that had once been a magnificent estate. Half of the structure had completely caved in and the polished stone pillars were heavily scarred by ancient scorch marks. The surrounding courtyard was overgrown with twisted and leafless vines that fed on the ambient decay. It was a lonely place, far removed from the safety and warmth of Kyokai City.

Old Du stopped near the front steps of the ruined estate. He leaned on his paddle and looked back at Li Yu.

"We are far enough away," Old Du said quietly. "You can bring her out now. Please keep her aura suppressed within your domain."

Li Yu nodded. He closed his eyes and reached into his inner world. A pulse of chaotic energy washed over the ruined courtyard.

Xyphyra materialized a few feet away from Li Yu. The moment she materialized, she instantly lunged had a few words for Li Yu who pulling her whenever he wanted.

"You insolent, arrogant little—" Xyphyra snarled.

"Save your breath, sister," Old Du interrupted her. His raspy voice cut through her venomous tirade.

Xyphyra froze. She turned her head slowly and looked at the ancient ferryman. She looked past her brother and finally took in her surroundings. She saw the scarred stone pillars, the caved in roof and the dead vines clinging to the stone. The realization of where she was hit her like a physical blow. Her rigid and aggressive posture collapsed slightly.

"You brought me home," she said. Her voice was barely audible over the howling wind of the wasteland.

"I brought you to the ruins you left behind," Old Du corrected her coldly. There was no warmth in his greeting. "Come with me. We have an appointment to keep."

The ferryman turned and walked around the side of the collapsed estate.

Xyphyra hesitated. She looked at Li Yu and her eyes flashed with a complex mixture of anger and confusion. Li Yu simply gestured for her to follow her brother. He maintained his chaotic domain in a tight radius around them, masking their presence from the rest of the broken realm.

They walked through the overgrown weeds and shattered tiles to the back of the estate.

The rear courtyard was relatively untouched by the violent destruction that had claimed the main house. It was a small and quiet clearing overlooking a jagged canyon. In the center of the clearing sat two simple and weathered stone graves.

They were not grand mausoleums or towering monuments. They were just two mounds of earth marked by smooth, unmarked grey stones. A few stubborn pale spiritual flowers grew near the base of the stones, fighting desperately to survive in the chaotic Qi of the wasteland.

Li Yu stopped at the edge of the clearing. He looked at the two graves and then at the ferryman and the Great Sinner. He instantly guessed the truth. These were their parents. They had died during the apocalyptic war that shattered this realm long ago.

This was the real reason Old Du had asked to borrow his sister. The ferryman wanted to bring the architect of the Great Devastation back to the graves of their parents on the exact anniversary of their death. It was a brutal and heartbreaking form of familial confrontation.

Old Du walked up to the two stones and slowly lowered himself to his knees. He placed his wooden paddle on the ground and bowed his head.

"It has been another year," Old Du whispered to the stones. His voice cracked with immense grief. "The realm is still broken but we are trying. We are gathering the strength to fix the sky you loved so much."

Li Yu watched from a respectful distance. He expected Xyphyra to mock the display. She was a monster who had murdered sentient artifacts and slaughtered her own people. She was the embodiment of chaotic destruction.

But Xyphyra did not mock him.

The Great Sinner stood completely still. She stared at the two weathered stones with an unreadable expression. The venomous crimson light in her eyes flickered and dimmed. It was replaced by a dark and haunting shadow. She looked at the stubborn pale flowers growing in the dirt and her hands which had been clenched into fists just moments before, slowly fell open at her sides.

Li Yu maintained his silent vigil. The wind howled through the jagged canyon below, carrying the scent of ash and decay. It was a devastatingly lonely place. A quiet graveyard hidden in the shadow of a broken world.

Old Du remained on his knees, his shoulders shaking slightly as he wept for the parents he had lost long ago. Xyphyra stood behind him, a prisoner of her own making. She was forced to look upon the tragic cost of her cosmic betrayal.

Li Yu realized then that the Trial Grounds were not the only crucible in The Veil. Some burdens were far heavier than the Pagoda of the Heavy Crown and some wounds could not be healed by simply gathering soul drops. He stood quietly in the ruined courtyard, giving the broken family the space they needed to mourn the world they had lost.