Myriad Rivers to the Sea

The white stone platform was silent. The fourteen remaining candidates in the Domain King bracket rested and caught their breath. Daiki sat near the edge of the smooth jade. He focused his mind and stabilized his breathing. The third test had drained his physical reserves significantly but he was ready for whatever came next.

The Organizer stepped forward onto his high floating podium. He raised his hands to quiet the massive stadium. The wind howled around the structure.

"The fourth test will now begin." The Organizer announced loudly. "This trial is a recreation of the Karma Severing tribulation. It is a deeply personal test of your soul and your Dao Heart. Because of the intimate nature of this trial, the spectators will not be allowed to view the illusions."

A murmur of disappointment washed through the massive crowd. The Organizer raised his hand again to silence them.

"This is done to protect the secrets of each candidate." The Organizer explained firmly. "However, to prevent any form of cheating or complaints of unfairness, the leading elders from each academy are permitted to watch their own people. This will also provide a great benefit for the elders to discuss the trials with their students later when they attempt that tribulation later in their life."

The array beneath the platform flared to life. It glowed with a deep and pulsing purple light.

"We know there is nothing for the spectators to watch." The Organizer continued with a smile. "Therefore, we have arranged a special exhibition. Students from the various academies were chosen ahead of time to perform their techniques for you. It will be a form of learning and a way to pass the time while the candidates face their demons."

The purple light consumed the fourteen candidates. Daiki felt his consciousness slip away instantly. He vanished from the platform.

Back in the stands, Li Yu relaxed in his seat. He knew he would not be able to watch Daiki through the crystal orb this time. Only Elder Tsuna had the authority and the array access to view the personal tribulations. Li Yu turned his attention to the center of the stadium.

A group of students from Lunar Crest Academy walked onto the main floor. They wore flowing blue robes. They began to perform a complex sequence of martial arts. They summoned massive currents of water out of thin air. They wove the water into the shape of a massive roaring dragon. The dragon flew around the arena and showcased their incredible control over form and fluidity.

A group from Primal Fang Academy stepped out next. They were massive and muscular cultivators. They slammed their fists into the stone floor and caused pillars of solid rock to erupt into the air. They shattered the pillars with their bare hands to demonstrate their raw physical power. It was an impressive show that flowed together well and kept the people entertained. The crowd cheered loudly and analyzed the different cultivation methods. It was a perfect way to pass the time and learn about the diverse paths of the Astral Gale Realm. It was also a form of open poaching from one academy to another.

While the crowd enjoyed the exhibition, Daiki opened his eyes in a completely different world.

He was not in the endless gray void. He was standing on a familiar dusty road. The sky above him was thick with dark ash and glowing embers. The air tasted of iron and sulfur. He was back in the Kurogane Realm.

Daiki looked down at his hands. They were massive and crimson. He was wearing his old heavy armor from long ago. He looked around and recognized the specific crossroads. This was the exact spot where he had decided to run away from the Blood Iron Clan.

He remembered this night perfectly. He had fled his home to escape the forced engagement with the Hydra clan. In the real world, he had taken the left path and afterwards met one of the ferrymen of The Veil looking for him. That was where he met Sora and Li Yu.

The illusion shifted reality. Daiki looked to the left. The path was completely blocked by a landslide of volcanic rock. That path did not exist in this timeline. He could not go that way.

He took the right path instead. He went in a completely different direction and it was a direction that changed the course of his life as he knew it. The ferryman did not come looking for him as it did originally.

He traveled for weeks through the harsh volcanic wastes. He eventually found a smuggling group with a secret array that took him away from the Kurogane Realm entirely. He arrived in a distant border world. It was a chaotic place filled with mercenaries and rogue cultivators.

Daiki needed to survive here now. He hid his identity as the heir of the Blood Iron Clan. He took up work as a nameless caravan guard.

The simulation accelerated the passage of time. Years began to blur together. Daiki fought off bandits and slaughtered wild beasts for resources. He grew physically stronger as he further matured. His muscles became denser and his combat instincts grew incredibly sharp. He eventually formed his own mercenary company. He conquered a small territory and built a fortress of crude iron.

He had money and he had power. He had completely escaped his father. Yet he felt entirely empty.

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Daiki sat on a heavy iron throne in the main hall of his fortress. The simulated years had aged him slightly. He looked around at the mercenaries drinking and celebrating in his hall. He felt no connection to any of them. He had lived a life where everything was the same regarding his escape but he never got to meet Sora.

He realized he was just existing. He was not truly living.

He spent his days fighting battles that did not matter to him. He collected wealth that he did not care about. He had spent his entire life running away from Tarkan. His entire existence was simply a reaction to his father's demands. He had never actually chosen a path for himself. He had simply chosen the opposite of what his father wanted.

The illusion pressed heavily against his Dao Heart. It whispered insidious truths into his mind. It told him he was hollow. It told him his strength was meaningless because it lacked a foundation of true purpose.

Daiki left his iron throne. He walked out of the fortress and stood on a high cliff overlooking a barren wasteland. The wind howled around him. He felt the crushing weight of the Karma Severing tribulation.

To sever karma is to cut away the illusions and attachments that hold a cultivator back. Daiki realized his greatest attachment was his resentment toward his father. He had let that resentment dictate his entire life in this simulation.

He thought about the real world. He thought about Sora.

In reality, Sora had given him a purpose. She had given him a reason to fight and a reason to grow stronger. He loved her and he wanted to save her. But the illusion forced him to confront a deeper truth.

What if Sora was not there? What if he failed to save her? Would his will simply crumble and vanish? Would he return to being what he once was?

Daiki closed his eyes and searched his own soul. He realized the fatal flaw in his foundation. It was good and noble to firm up his will for someone he cared about. It was a powerful motivator. But relying entirely on another person to act as the pillar of his will and Dao Heart was dangerous. If that person fell, his entire world would collapse.

He needed to be strong for himself first!

He needed to decide what kind of person he wanted to be. He did not want to be a runaway heir anymore. He did not want to be a mindless mercenary, he wanted to be a protector. He wanted to be a warrior who chose his own battles and wanted to take responsibility for his own strength.

He opened his eyes. The simulated wasteland seemed to freeze around him.

"I fight for Sora because I choose to." Daiki spoke to the empty wind. "I love her and I will save her. But my will belongs to me! I am strong because I demand it of myself. I will no longer run from my responsibilities. I will face my father and I will face the cosmos on my own terms. I am the master of my own fate. Only when I am whole can I truly protect the ones I love!"

His Dao Heart solidified completely. The lingering resentment toward Tarkan severed cleanly. The hollow feeling in his chest vanished and was replaced by a blazing pillar of resolve.

The simulated world shattered like fragile glass. The dark ash and the iron fortress dissolved into nothingness. The purple light returned and then faded away.

Daiki opened his eyes. He was back on the white stone platform in the Eye of the Storm. He took a deep breath of the crisp Astral Gale Realm air. His mind felt incredibly clear and his spiritual aura was entirely calm. The fatigue and drain of Qi seemed to be completely gone. As if he had been reborn. He had faced his demons and he had conquered them. He had found his true purpose within himself.

He looked around the platform. The other candidates were waking up from their own illusions. Some of them looked peaceful. Many of them looked absolutely terrified.

A loud gong echoed through the stadium. The exhibition matches on the arena floor came to an immediate halt. The students bowed and cleared the area. The spectators turned their attention back to the high podium.

The Organizer stepped forward. He waved his hand and the massive screen of light flared to life above the stadium.

"The fourth test is concluded." The Organizer announced. His voice carried a tone of deep respect. "The Karma Severing simulation is a brutal mirror. It shows you the flaws in your soul. Those who could not resolve their inner turmoil have failed."

The bottom half of the list flashed a brilliant red. Seven names were crossed out instantly.

Daiki looked at the board. He searched for Zephyra. Her name was in the red section. The elemental spirit had failed the test. She lacked the firm will required to pass the tribulation. She was eliminated but what she learned from it was priceless.

Galeheart Academy had lost another fighter. Daiki was now the only one left from his academy in the Domain King bracket. Daiki scanned the rest of the board to see who had survived the purge. The fourteen candidates had been reduced to the final seven.

The survivors were an elite group. Daiki saw his own name near the top. Goro from Primal Fang Academy had also survived. The massive Behemoth had apparently found a way to reconcile his brutal nature with his inner purpose.

A swordsman named Ren from Lunar Crest Academy remained on the list. A fierce fire cultivator named Kael from Solar Flare Academy had passed. A stealthy assassin named Vex from Shadow Step Academy had managed to face his demons. Another brawler from Primal Fang Academy named Tor had also survived the simulation. The final spot was taken by a resilient fighter from Consuming Tide Academy named Lira.

These were the top seven fighters. They were the best Domain Kings from the seven great academies.

The crowd erupted into massive cheers as the final names were revealed for each bracket. The supporters from the respective academies chanted the names of their surviving champions. Li Yu smiled from the stands. Daiki had made it to the very end. The giant demon had proven his worth time and time again.

The Organizer waited for the cheering to die down. He looked at the seven remaining fighters on each platform for all the different brackets.

"Congratulations." The Organizer said warmly. "You have survived the pagodas, the void, the race and your own souls. You are the final seven in your respective brackets. You have earned the right to face the fifth and final test."

The candidates stood tall and prepared themselves. They expected a massive battle royal or a grand duel to determine the ultimate winner. They circulated their Qi and readied their weapons. The Organizer simply smiled. He did not summon any monsters or activate any new combat arrays. He gestured toward a grand viewing box situated high above the stadium.

The final test was about to begin and it was nothing like what they expected.