Myriad Rivers to the Sea

A full week passed in Kyokai City. The artificial suns rose and fell in their steady and unchanging rhythm. Li Yu spent the days in his courtyard. He tended to his own cultivation and meditated under the trees. He had fully expected the Eidolon Court to refuse his terms. He had made his demands intentionally ridiculous because he did not really want to do it in the first place.

It was his way out. If they refused, he could walk away with a clear conscience. If they accepted, he would have gained quite a bit of security, power and leverage.

On the morning of the eighth day the wooden gates of his pavilion slid open. Old Du walked into the courtyard. The ferryman did not look relaxed. He carried a heavy and serious expression.

"They accepted," Old Du announced. His voice was quiet but it carried across the grass. "I was informed about an hour ago. The ruling council of the Eidolon Court debated for a week. They have agreed to all of your terms. The entire council will travel to The Veil to be bound per your conditions."

Li Yu stopped his morning routine. He stood up straight and let out a slow breath. He was genuinely surprised. The Eidolon Court was an empire that seemed to be built on supreme pride. To hand over the authority of their highest council to a human youth was unthinkable. It showed exactly how desperate they truly were.

"I did not expect that," Li Yu admitted while he walked over to the wooden table.

"They chose survival. I can understand that." Old Du replied. "They will arrive in three days. Astramentis and I have already spoken with the leadership of our own people. We explained your conditions for securing the Realm Essence. They also agreed."

The gears of the cosmos were turning. The next three days passed in a blur of quiet preparation. Li Yu fortified his inner world. He ensured his five Nascent Souls were rested and ready for what was about to happen next. He did not know what to expect from the ancient Ancestor but he wanted his foundation to be an impenetrable fortress.

On the third day, Old Du returned to the courtyard. He guided Li Yu back to the Pagoda of the First Echo. They walked through the hidden formation and entered the private space of Astramentis.

The vast circular chamber was different this time. The floating marble platforms were shrouded in a thick and pale mist. Li Yu could not see the faces of the people gathered in the room. He could only sense their terrifying auras. There were twenty five distinct presences hidden within the fog. These were the peaks of The Veil. They were the leaders and elders who had survived the Great Devastation and were leading these people.

Astramentis hovered in the center of the room. The massive golden rings spun with a solemn and rhythmic clicking.

"Welcome Li Yu," the layered voice of the astrolabe echoed in his mind. "The leadership council of The Veil stands before you. We are ready to fulfill our end of the agreement. If you secure the Realm Essence for our home, we will answer your call three times during your life."

Li Yu stepped forward onto the central platform. He looked into the thick mist. "I am ready."

The process began immediately. The twenty five hidden figures did not speak. They channeled their foundational Dao and offered their vows to the cosmos. As their oaths were finalized, twenty five fragments of glowing light flew out of the mist. They drifted through the air and hovered directly in front of Li Yu.

These were fragments of their own souls. They were being offered as part of the soul oath. It was a show of trust from both parties.

Li Yu reached out and accepted the glowing fragments. He guided them into his ethereal space. He placed them under the strict conditions of the soul oath. If they broke their word to come to his aid, their foundations would be shattered. The process was quick and easy. Both sides were completely happy with the exchange.

"You are giving us a bargain," Astramentis noted. The golden light of the artifact pulsed warmly. "You demanded the subjugation of the Eidolon Court but you only asked us for three favors."

"I like to repay kindness with kindness," Li Yu answered simply. He looked up at the spinning astrolabe. "When the Eidolon delegation attempted to kidnap me, you were fully prepared to fight for me. You were willing to throw away the Realm Essence just to defend a guest. That earned favorable terms."

Astramentis hummed. The sound was a deep and resonant chord of appreciation.

"Before anything else happens, we have a formal matter to attend to," Astramentis communicated. "We must elevate your status within our realm as discussed. You are undertaking a massive burden to save our home. We are going to bestow a grand title upon you. It is a title fitting a savior and honored one of our race. From this day forward you shall be known as the Warden of the Veil."

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The twenty five auras hidden in the mist pulsed in unison. They acknowledged the title and the authority it carried. The designation placed Li Yu technically above thousands of native cultivators and candidates. He sat only below the twenty five leaders who had just sworn the soul oath to him. It was a massive political elevation.

"I accept the honor," Li Yu said. He offered a respectful bow to the artifact and the hidden elders.

"We also have gifts for you," Astramentis continued. The golden rings shifted and parted. A single object drifted down from the center of the astrolabe.

It was an ethereal looking gourd. Mists of silver and grey energy flowed constantly within the smooth surface of the vessel.

"This is a powerful weapon forged by our people," Astramentis explained as the item floated into Li Yu’s hands. "It can suck people inside and trap them. They will face countless deadly illusions while trapped inside there. It can also collect and store weakened souls for a time. The length of time depends on how weak or powerful the captured soul actually is. It is a personal thank you gift from me for what you are doing for our realm."

Li Yu thanked the sacred artifact and accepted it. He stored the ethereal gourd safely away inside his Koi Sanctuary.

"There is one final gift," Astramentis said. "You demanded a life and death bond over the Eidolon council. I will teach you the technique to bind a soul so you have control over their life and death. I am giving you the strongest such technique that I know as another thank you gift. It should prevent any hidden tricks or schemes from being used."

A beam of concentrated golden light shot from the astrolabe and struck Li Yu directly in the forehead.

Li Yu gasped. A massive influx of knowledge flooded his mind. Ancient runes and complex ethereal pathways burned themselves into his memory. The technique was incredibly complex. It bypassed the conscious mind of the victim and rooted itself directly into the core of their existence. With a single thought Li Yu could detonate the bound soul fragments and instantly kill the subjects.

He stood completely still for a moment as his brain processed the information. When he finally opened his eyes he was ready.

A heavy and oppressive silence settled over the private space. The day of the council's arrival was finally here.

The twenty five leaders of The Veil did not leave the chamber. They remained hidden within the pale mist surrounding the central platform. They were there as a show of force. They wanted the Eidolon Court to walk into a room filled with powerful figures. It was a stark reminder that Li Yu was protected by an entire realm.

The marble wall near the entrance rippled like water. Old Du stepped through the barrier. The ferryman was followed by a massive procession of figures.

The entire ruling council of the Eidolon Court walked into the chamber. There were thirty five people in total from the council. Combined with the twenty five leadership members of The Veil, the room was packed with supreme experts.

Li Yu stood in the center of the golden bridges and watched them approach. To his surprise, they were not all uniform in their strength. Some radiated an oppressive weight while others felt significantly weaker. They were all supreme experts but there were clear differences in their cultivation levels. This power disparity confirmed that the two leaders who originally came here held significantly more weight than the rest.

Haelan and Jhyra walked out front. They stopped at the edge of the central platform while the remaining thirty three council members fanned out behind them.

Haelan looked at Li Yu. The regal arrogance was entirely gone.

"We are here," Haelan stated plainly. His voice was flat and weary. "We have brought the entire council."

Jhyra stepped up beside him. "Your terms are steep Li Yu. You have backed us into a corner we cannot escape. We respect you a bit more because of it but you must know that we truly do not like you."

Li Yu met her cold gaze. He did not care about their affection. He was not looking for friends here. He was looking for security.

"I can live with that," Li Yu replied calmly. "Let us begin."

Haelan let out a heavy breath. He turned to address the council members standing behind him. The thirty five Eidolon leaders closed their eyes. They began the complex process required to sever a piece of their own soul. It was a much larger part of their soul than what was required for the soul oath.

A moment later, thirty five soul fragments emerged from their foreheads. The chamber was bathed in an eerie and spectral glow.

The thirty five soul fragments flew toward Li Yu like a swarm of glowing insects. This was not like the soul oath he had shared with The Veil. These thirty five souls were being handed over for the life and death bond.

Li Yu did not hesitate. He channeled the supreme technique Astramentis had just burned into his mind. He cast a net of ethereal energy that caught the thirty five fragments and dragged them effortlessly into his inner soul world. He bound them with the heavy and unbreakable chains of the new technique.

Li Yu felt the massive influx of tethers anchor themselves in his soul space. He could feel the pulse of thirty five lives resting in his grasp. He could kill every single one of them now with a single thought.

He inspected the incoming fragments carefully. There were no tricks being played. They could not afford anything to go wrong. That is how desperate they were. Their Ancestor was dying and they had surrendered completely.

Li Yu opened his eyes. He looked at the thirty five members of the Eidolon council. He was now their master if he truly wanted to be. Everything rested within his own hands.

"It is complete," Li Yu announced as he lowered his hands. "Prepare the way. We will head to your realm immediately."