Myriad Rivers to the Sea

Daiki stood in the center of the dark courtyard and looked at the gnarled spiritual tree. He was leaving the Kurogane Realm once again but the circumstances were entirely different this time. He was not running away like a coward. He was walking out the front gates with a clear purpose. He had made a choice to save Sora and he was determined to see it through.

Li Yu waited patiently near the heavy iron bench. He watched his friend process the heavy burden of his clan. The giant demon had grown significantly in a very short amount of time.

Master Harrow arrived a short while later. The recruiter did not want to waste any time. The grand tournament was approaching rapidly and he needed to secure his new Domain King fighter. Harrow allowed Daiki and Li Yu a few moments to gather their belongings. They did not have much to pack though and were ready quickly. Afterwards, they followed the recruiter out of the courtyard.

They bypassed the main throne room and walked through a series of dimly lit corridors beneath the volcanic palace. Daiki remained silent during the walk. He was focusing his mind on the battles ahead. Li Yu walked alongside him while observing the architecture of the subterranean tunnels.

Harrow eventually stopped before a massive set of reinforced steel doors. He placed his hand against the metal and channeled his Qi. The doors ground open to reveal a massive hidden cavern.

"I cannot travel between realms on my own power." Harrow explained as they stepped into the dark cavern. "You need to have much more power to possess the ability to navigate the chaotic void freely. I rely on a teleportation array hidden within your clan's territory. It maintains a direct and secure link to my academy."

The center of the cavern was dominated by a massive circular formation. Intricate silver runes were carved deeply into the dark volcanic rock and the array hummed with dormant energy. Harrow walked to the edge of the formation and produced several handfuls of a spirit stone that Li Yu had never seen before. He slotted them into specific nodes around the perimeter and the runes flared to life with a blinding silver light.

Li Yu and Daiki stepped into the center of the array. The oppressive heat of the Kurogane Realm felt heavy on their skin one last time. Harrow joined them, activated the core node and the silver light consumed them instantly.

The sensation was entirely different from riding Old Du's skiff. There was no gentle gliding across the dark waters of space. This was a violent and instantaneous folding of reality. Li Yu felt a massive pressure squeeze his physical vessel as the space warped around them. The transition lasted only a fraction of a second but it felt much longer.

The silver light shattered and the oppressive heat vanished completely. A sharp and biting chill washed over Li Yu.

He opened his eyes and took a deep breath. The air tasted entirely different. It was crisp and pure. It carried the scent of pine needles and fresh rain. He looked around and realized they were standing on a polished white marble platform. Above them stretched a vast and endless blue sky. There were no thick ash clouds or roaring forge fires in sight.

"Welcome to the Astral Gale Realm." Master Harrow announced with pride. He stepped off the marble platform as his midnight blue robes fluttered wildly in the breeze.

Daiki let out a long breath and looked around in awe. The contrast to his brutal home realm was stark. They were standing on the peak of a towering mountain. The landscape below was a breathtaking sea of vibrant green forests and winding silver rivers. Strong and constant winds swept across the mountain ranges. It was a realm defined by motion and open space.

Harrow summoned a sleek wooden skiff adorned with glowing cyan runes. The three of them boarded the vessel and Harrow steered it into the open sky. They flew toward a massive floating landmass in the distance.

This was Galeheart Academy. The scale of the institution was staggering. It was ranked third among the great academies of the realm and it showed. It was built upon dozens of interconnected floating islands. Tall and slender spires of white stone pierced the clouds.

Wide arching bridges connected the various peaks. There were no heavy iron walls or restrictive gates like in the Blood Iron Clan. Everything was open and flowing instead. The buildings were designed with curved roofs and wide corridors to let the gales pass through freely.

Li Yu watched groups of young cultivators flying between the islands on flying swords or riding tamed avian beasts. The atmosphere felt vibrant and energetic. It was a place of learning and fierce competition.

Daiki watched the students practicing in the open courtyards as they flew past.

"They move with incredible agility." Daiki noted quietly. "The wind here seems to naturally enhance their footwork. It is a very different style of combat than the heavy strikes of my clan. I will have to be careful."

"You will have to adapt quickly." Li Yu advised him. "Brute force works well in a tight arena but these cultivators will most likely try to outmaneuver you. You need to rely on your strengths such as your soul to ground them."

Daiki nodded in agreement. He was already analyzing the environment and preparing his strategies.

Harrow landed the skiff near the outer edge of the central campus. He quickly dismissed the vessel and gestured for them to follow him. The recruiter did not bother to introduce them around. He walked with a hurried pace while ignoring the curious stares of passing instructors and students. Harrow wanted to get Daiki settled and registered as quickly as possible.

They walked through a series of open air pavilions and arrived at a massive central plaza. The plaza was paved with smooth white stones.

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Li Yu stopped walking the moment he entered the square. Daiki took a few more steps before noticing his friend had halted. The giant demon turned around in confusion. Li Yu was staring straight ahead and his eyes were wide with genuine surprise.

In the exact center of the plaza stood a colossal statue carved from flawless white jade. It depicted a man standing in a heroic and commanding pose. He looked down at the academy with sharp and unyielding eyes. His robes were carved to look as if they were billowing in a fierce storm. In his right hand, the man held a magnificent and ornate sword pointed toward the sky.

The statue was incredibly detailed. Every fold of his robes was carved with painstaking precision. The only thing that was not shown in detail was the face. It was faceless but clearly they had modeled it after someone. The base of the statue was surrounded by offerings. There were fresh flowers, burning incense and polished spirit stones placed there by grateful students and others. The scale of the devotion was staggering.

Li Yu knew who that was when he saw it. He had seen that figure before. It was Li Canghai. He also recognized the sword the statue was holding instantly. It was the exact same weapon resting quietly inside the Koi Soul.

Master Harrow stopped and looked back at Li Yu. The recruiter followed the young man's gaze up to the towering jade figure. A look of reverence washed over Harrow's refined features.

"I suppose I should explain." Harrow finally came clean while his voice was filled with deep respect. "That is Lord Li Canghai. He is a hero of this realm. Many centuries ago, our world was besieged by a massive invading force. We were on the brink of total annihilation and just when all hope was lost. Lord Li Canghai and his forces descended from the heavens and saved us. He personally shattered the enemy vanguard with a single strike of that very blade. This academy was built around the spot where he stood that day when he arrived."

Li Yu listened to the story. He looked at the massive statue and then back to Harrow. He rubbed his chin thoughtfully. It was an impressive tale but it only confirmed his previous assumptions. Li Yu felt a strange sense of dissonance. The man he knew was casually handing out a sword as a gift and sharing tea. The man depicted here was an untouchable deity of war.

"That is quite the story." Li Yu commented while gesturing toward the weapon. "The sword he is holding in the statue looks exactly like the same one he gifted to me. He probably held that decorative sword in a pose so your workers could capture an image of him. He told me it was a nice decorative piece from his clan. Perhaps they use it in times such as this since it looks so nice."

Li Yu nodded to himself as the logic settled perfectly in his mind. A massive and wealthy clan would certainly have mass produced decorative swords. They would use them as special gifts or for grand showcases. That perfectly explained why the weapon looked so incredibly ornate and lacked any practical wear and tear. There were probably dozens of identical swords sitting in a vault somewhere back in Li Canghai's home realm.

Master Harrow did not say anything. He stood perfectly still on the white stones and his mind was racing with panic.

Harrow knew the truth because he was there that day. He had witnessed Li Canghai descend from the heavens with that sword in hand. There was only one such sword in existence. It was a singular and catastrophic artifact that brought so many of their enemies to death’s door.

It had cleaved ships in half and erased entire armies. It was absolutely not a mass produced gift. Harrow began to realize that this young man had no idea what he was actually carrying. Li Canghai had clearly lied to the boy or intentionally withheld the truth behind the terrifying weapon. The weapon also didn’t radiate the pressure that he had felt that day either.

‘Could it be that the weapon was sealed and handed to this boy for one reason or another? I better not get involved in this. If I do something that goes against what my hero intended, I will be a sinner of our realm.’ Harrow thought to himself.

Harrow felt his heart hammering against his ribs. The sheer ignorance of the boy was terrifying though. That sword has been stained in the blood of the most hated enemies of this realm. To hear it described as a simple decorative piece made Harrow want to scream at Li Yu.

"Let me check." Li Yu said casually. He reached inward to summon the blade. He wanted to compare the design to the statue just to be sure. A flash of gold and crimson light began to form in Li Yu's outstretched hand.

"Stop!" Harrow hissed loudly. He lunged forward with terrifying speed and grabbed Li Yu's wrist. He forced the light to dissipate before the sword could fully materialize.

Li Yu looked at the recruiter in surprise. Harrow was sweating profusely. The older man's eyes darted around the plaza in a panic to make sure no one was around or looking. If Li Yu drew the blade the students would instantly recognize the weapon and chaos would erupt. Harrow had to protect the academy and more importantly not cause trouble for the wielder of that sword.

"Put it away." Harrow urged him quietly while keeping a tight grip on Li Yu's arm. A few students nearby were looking in their direction now with Harrow’s outburst but the sword was already put back.

"You must understand something. Lord Li Canghai is a revered savior here. Because of his legendary status, even a replica of his weapon would be seen as a sacred treasure by the people of this realm. You said Li Canghai himself gave that to you, it’s value even as a replica is priceless. If you wave that around, fanatics might try to steal it. You will undoubtedly introduce massive trouble to yourself if others see it. So put it away and don’t take it out while you are here."

Li Yu blinked and processed the urgent warning. He had not considered the fanatical devotion of the locals. It made sense though. He vaguely remembered the heroic deeds of Li Canghai in the other lives that he had lived.

If people worshipped the man as a god, they would covet anything related to him. Even a replica would fetch a massive price or attract crazy zealots if it came from the man himself. He certainly did not want to deal with endless theft attempts over a shiny decorative piece.

"I understand." Li Yu agreed easily. "Thank you for the warning, I was not thinking it through. I will keep it stored away while we are here. I do not want to deal with that kind of trouble."

Harrow let out a massive sigh of relief. He let go of Li Yu's wrist and took a cautious step back. He wiped a bead of sweat from his forehead. He had narrowly avoided a massive disaster. Harrow quickly changed the subject to regain his composure. He turned his attention back to Daiki.

"We need to get you settled." Harrow told the giant demon. "I will go arrange your official paperwork and finalize your admission to the academy. We do not have much time before the qualifiers begin."

Harrow led them away from the central plaza. They walked along a winding stone path lined with swaying bamboo and eventually arrived at a secluded courtyard built on the edge of a floating peak. The wind here was steady and calming. The courtyard featured a small wooden pavilion and a smooth stone training area.

"This will be your quarters during your stay." Harrow instructed as he opened the wooden gates. "Rest well tonight and get your mind focused. You must get ready for the contest tomorrow. You have to earn your spot in the coming tournament through combat. I will send someone to fetch you in the morning, rest well until then."

Harrow did not wait for a reply or offer any further pleasantries. He nodded slightly and quickly walked away down the bamboo path. He was incredibly eager to put as much distance between himself and the clueless boy carrying a weapon of such legacy as possible. Li Yu and Daiki walked into the courtyard as the wooden gates closed behind them.