Myriad Rivers to the Sea

The wind of the Astral Gale Realm swept continuously through the secluded courtyard.Daiki stood in the center of the smooth stone training area. He wanted to be in top shape for his upcoming fights. He moved through a series of heavy martial forms. His massive crimson fists punched through the air with terrifying force and speed.

Li Yu sat in the wooden pavilion and watched him. He had finished his own morning routine hours ago.

"You are relying too much on the weight of your blows," Li Yu called out over the rushing wind. He stepped down from the wooden pavilion and walked onto the stone tiles.

"The cultivators here most likely use the wind to their advantage. I am guessing many if not all are quick. They are not going to stand still and let you hit them. They will simply step aside and let your momentum carry you forward. You need to focus on precision. You might be rushing just a little bit too much."

Daiki stopped his forms and let out a heavy breath. He knew his friend was probably right. His physical tempering was incredible but he had always lacked refinement.

"Spar with me," Daiki requested quietly. He settled into a grounded defensive stance. "I need to learn how to track moving targets better."

Li Yu agreed with a smile. He stepped opposite the giant demon and stretched his legs. The spar began without any grand announcements. Daiki lunged forward with a sweeping right hook. The blow carried just physical force, aimed to overwhelm his opponent.

Li Yu was not there when the fist arrived. He utilized his refined footwork to glide effortlessly beneath the massive arm. He tapped Daiki lightly on the ribs before backing away. Daiki grunted and adjusted his stance. He threw a rapid series of punches while trying to overwhelm Li Yu with volume.

Li Yu wove through the strikes with fluid grace. He activated his domain to slightly accelerate himself whenever a blow came too close, slowing down Daiki at random times and completely messing up his timing. Daiki had experienced this domain many times before but he had never been able to adjust to the chaotic switching of time within it. Daiki was always left frustrated and disorientated.

Li Yu did not counterattack with any force. He merely tapped Daiki on exposed joints and vital points to highlight his openings where he saw them. Tapping on those places did not mean that Li Yu could easily land a blow to those areas. Afterall, tapping was much easier than actually landing than actual blow.

"Do not chase the target," Li Yu advised as he stepped away from another heavy kick. "You are reacting to where I am right now. You need to anticipate where I will be next. Watch carefully and try to read my next step."

Daiki slowed his attacks down. He stopped throwing wild punches and began to focus. He watched Li Yu's movements with intense concentration. The giant demon was incredibly intelligent despite his brutal appearance. He slowly began to adapt to the fluid style that Li Yu was showing.

He threw a wide punch and intentionally left his left side open. Li Yu stepped into the opening to deliver a customary tap. Daiki immediately shifted his weight. He brought his knee up with terrifying speed toward the exact spot Li Yu was moving into. Li Yu had to exert himself to twist out of the way. The heavy knee passed just inches from his chest.

"Better," Li Yu smiled and offered an approving nod. "You are setting up traps since you cannot match my speed. You are using your brute force as a distraction to create precision. That is a good idea."

They sparred for hours in the wind swept courtyard. Daiki learned to take advantage of his opponent’s speed or to use physical strength to fight back. He stopped overcommitting to his strikes and maintained a solid center of gravity. He was sweating profusely by the time they finally called an end to the session but his eyes were sharp and focused.

Night eventually fell over the floating islands of Galeheart Academy. The sky turned a deep and vibrant purple.

The two friends sat down in the pavilion for a meal. The academy had provided a generous spread for their guests. There were platters of roasted avian meat and bowls of fragrant steamed rice. Several types of crisp vegetables were arranged neatly alongside small cups of clear spiritual wine. Daiki ate with a fierce appetite. He was highly motivated and his mood was surprisingly light.

"I feel prepared," Daiki stated while taking a long sip of the clear wine. "This realm is very different from Kurogane. The air is thin but it makes movement feel much easier. I do not feel weighed down."

"You have grown significantly since we met Daiki. I truly mean that. In more ways than one as well." Li Yu noted warmly. He took a bite of the roasted meat. "You are really impressive. You are fighting with a clear purpose. That seems to make a profound difference in a cultivator's aura."

Daiki looked down at his massive hands. A fond smile touched his lips. "Sora helped to give me that purpose. I used to think my father's expectations were a prison that I had to get away from. I thought the clan was just a burden holding me down from what I want to be and do. Now I realize that responsibility is only a prison depending on how you look at it. I will secure my spot tomorrow. I will win the medicine, I will save her and then I will bring her back home to see my father. I realize now that I also have a duty to my clan and there are many looking to me for leadership in the future."

Li Yu raised his cup in a silent toast. "I will be right there watching you win in this tournament."

It was a nice and quiet meal between friends. They did not worry about cosmic doom or forced political marriages for a few hours. They simply enjoyed the good food and the peaceful wind. The next day arrived with a bright and cloudless blue sky.

A young academy guide dressed in flowing white and cyan robes arrived at their courtyard shortly after sunrise. The guide bowed respectfully and asked them to follow. They navigated a series of wide stone bridges and open air corridors. The wind carried the sound of distant training drills from the other floating peaks.

They eventually arrived at one of the academy arenas.

The structure was an amphitheater carved directly into the center of a floating mountain. The stone seating rose high into the sky on all sides. The central fighting floor was paved with reinforced white stone. The arena was mostly empty today. There were no cheering crowds or grand announcements. This was a private evaluation.

Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.

Master Harrow sat in a raised viewing box along with four other senior academy elders. The elders looked down at Daiki with passive and critical eyes. They were here to judge the newest prospect and ensure he was worthy of representing Galeheart Academy.

Harrow stood up and projected his voice across the empty arena.

"Daiki of the Blood Iron Clan," Harrow announced formally. "You have been put forth as a candidate for the Domain King bracket. To secure your position, you must prove your martial understanding in two consecutive matches. We will judge your abilities and your core foundation. Are you ready?"

Daiki walked to the very center of the white floor. He crossed his massive arms over his chest and nodded. "I am ready."

"Bring out the first opponent," Harrow commanded.

A heavy wooden gate on the far side of the arena opened. A young woman stepped out into the light. She possessed a striking and exotic appearance. She had vibrant blue feathers running along her forearms and a crest of azure plumage in her hair. Her legs ended in sharp and terrifying avian talons. She was a bird kin cultivator and she radiated the sharp aura of a Domain King.

The proctor standing near the edge of the arena signaled the start of the match.

The bird girl did not waste a single second. She immediately leaped into the air. She used the winds to hover high above the arena floor. She was incredibly graceful in her movements, it nearly looked like a dance. She flapped her feathered arms and sent a rapid barrage of condensed wind blades raining down toward Daiki.

The blades hissed through the air with lethal speed.

Daiki did not panic. He remembered the sparring session from the day before and all of the brutal training he had to endure from his father. He did not try to jump after her and he did not waste his energy chasing a flying target. He simply stood his ground and raised his thick arms to protect his face.

The wind blades struck his physical body with a series of sharp cracks. The attacks cut into his tough crimson skin but the damage was entirely superficial. The Blood Iron Clan was famous for their physical tempering. Minor small attacks could not break his foundation.

The bird girl frowned. She realized ranged attacks were ineffective. She folded her arms and dove straight down like a hunting falcon. The wind screamed around her as she aimed her razor sharp talons directly at Daiki's shoulders.

Daiki waited for the perfect moment. He tracked her descent with total focus. He did not prepare a physical punch. He circulated his Qi and focused entirely on his soul. He unleashed a concentrated soul tremor the moment she entered his striking range.

An invisible wave of spiritual pressure erupted from Daiki's body. It did not create a physical shockwave. It bypassed the girl's wind barriers completely and struck her directly in the mind. The sudden disruption of her soul was catastrophic. Her eyes rolled back in her head as her Qi circulation shattered.

She lost control of the wind instantly. Her dive turned into a chaotic fall. Daiki reached out with surprising gentleness. He caught the unconscious girl before she could crash headfirst into the hard jade floor. He lowered her safely to the ground and stepped back.

"First match goes to Daiki," the proctor announced loudly.

The senior elders in the viewing box nodded in collective approval. They were highly impressed by Daiki's restraint and his use of a soul attack that was strong enough to knock out his opponent in an instant. Master Harrow let out a visible sigh of relief. His prospect was performing perfectly.

A group of medics rushed onto the floor and carried the unconscious bird girl away.

"Prepare for the second match," Harrow called down a few moments later.

The heavy wooden gates opened once again. The next opponent walked out and the atmosphere in the arena changed immediately. This cultivator was large. He was a terrifying hybrid of a human and a tiger. He had thick orange fur covered in black stripes. A pair of massive sabertooth fangs extended from his upper jaw. His hands and feet were heavy paws tipped with retractable iron claws. He was slightly shorter than Daiki but he was significantly wider.

He was a physical power specialist and he looked eager for a fight. The proctor dropped his hand to signal the start.

The tiger man did not use the wind and he did not bother with ranged attacks. He let out a deafening roar and charged forward with aggression. The stone floor cracked beneath his heavy paws. Daiki met his charge head on, not being one to back down from a physical confrontation. He stepped forward and threw a massive right hook. The tiger man countered with a sweeping claw strike.

The two giants clashed in the center of the arena. The impact created kinetic shockwaves that rattled the empty seating rows.

The fight quickly devolved into a brutal and drawn out physical slugfest. They traded heavy blows that would have instantly pulverized lesser cultivators. The tiger man was incredibly resilient. His dense muscles absorbed Daiki's punches and his sharp claws tore deep gashes into Daiki's forearms. Daiki fought back with fierce determination. He landed several devastating blows to the tiger's ribs but the beast simply roared and attacked with renewed fury.

The physical exchange was nearly entirely even. They were essentially two immovable objects smashing against one another.

Daiki felt his stamina beginning to drain. The Kurogane physical tempering was strong but the tiger man possessed an innate biological advantage in a pure brawling scenario. A physical brawl was a complete waste of energy against a specialized physical tank. He needed to be smarter.

Daiki parried a heavy claw strike and deliberately stepped backward. He created a few yards of distance between them. The tiger man roared in triumph as he had come out on top of the physical brawl. Something he prided himself on. He thought Daiki was retreating. The massive beast coiled his powerful legs and lunged forward for a final and devastating bite.

Daiki stopped moving. He planted his feet firmly on the floor. He closed his eyes for a fraction of a second and shifted his entire cultivation focus inward. He bypassed his physical strength entirely and drew upon the unique skills he had refined during his brutal trials in The Veil.

He unleashed his most advanced soul technique: The Soul Binding Shackle.

Daiki thrust his hand forward. He did not aim for the tiger's chest or his fangs. He aimed directly for the creature's will. A massive and concentrated surge of soul pressure shot across the arena.

The attack struck the tiger man while he was completely airborne. The soul technique completely bypassed the tiger's thick fur and dense bones. It slammed into his spiritual core like a falling mountain.

The tiger had been ready for a soul attack since he saw Daiki use one in his first match. All of his soul defenses were up and ready but it was of no use. The difference in their soul strength was glaring. The overwhelming pressure paralyzed the beast's soul and instantly severed his connection to his own physical strength.

The tiger man froze in mid air. The primal roar died in his throat. He lost all momentum and crashed heavily onto the floor. He slid several feet before coming to a complete halt. He was not physically injured but he was spiritually overwhelmed and his soul was shackled. He laid on the ground and gasped for air.

Daiki stood over him while breathing heavily. Blood dripped from his arms but his posture was firm and victorious.

"The second match goes to Daiki," the proctor announced while raising his hand.

The senior elders in the viewing box stood up and clapped politely. They had seen everything they needed to see. The giant demon possessed overwhelming physical strength but he also possessed the powerful soul manipulation when brute force failed. He was a great candidate for them.

Master Harrow was beaming with pride as he had brought him here and that his judgement was not wrong. He had found a true champion for Galeheart Academy in this bracket. Daiki turned around and looked toward the edge of the arena. Li Yu was sitting on the low stone wall with a wide smile on his face. Li Yu offered a slow clap of approval as well.

Daiki had officially earned his place in the grand tournament. He was one step closer to securing the supreme medicine. He offered Li Yu a confident grin and walked off the arena floor.