Myriad Rivers to the Sea

The evening sky above Crimson Hearth City darkened into a deep blanket of twilight while the festival energy only seemed to grow stronger. A sudden whistling sound pierced the calm air and a bright streak of light shot high into the sky. The glowing trail exploded into a vibrant flower of green and gold sparks that cascaded down over the rooftops.

More rockets followed in quick succession and painted the night with vivid bursts of crimson and silver. The booming sounds of the fireworks echoed through the park and drowned out the distant music of the street performers. Lian tilted her head back to watch the colorful display and the shifting lights reflected beautifully in her dark eyes. Li Yu could not look away from her and paid little attention to the fireworks themselves.

They stayed in the park for a long time and watched the grand finale of the fireworks shower the city in a breathtaking array of lights. The booming sounds eventually faded away and the festival goers began to disperse toward their homes or local inns. Lian turned her attention back to him and offered a soft smile that carried a hint of reluctance.

"The night is getting late and I should return to my troops," Lian said with a quiet voice. "I cannot abandon my post for too long during this chaotic time."

"I understand," Li Yu replied while standing up and offering his hand to help her rise from the bench. His parents had told him a similar thing, times are getting even more chaotic and he was still being sheltered from it all. "I am just glad we were able to spend this day together. It helped clear my mind more than any meditation session ever could."

Lian stepped close to him and wrapped her arms around his neck. She pulled him in for one last lingering kiss under the fading glow of the paper lanterns. Li Yu held her tight and savored the moment before they finally parted.

"I really like you being so bold," Lian whispered near his ear with a playful tone. "Do not lose that courage before we meet again. I expect even more boldness next time."

She stepped back and summoned a rippling tear in the spatial fabric. Lian offered him a final brilliant smile before turning around and stepping through the void to return to her hidden sanctuary. Li Yu watched the spatial tear close and let out a content sigh before making his way back to the Fiery Lotus Pavilion to get some rest.

The morning sun brought a renewed sense of purpose as Li Yu gathered his belongings and walked down to the main dining hall. The kitchen staff was busy cleaning up the remnants of their grand victory celebration from the night prior. Ding Tung and Elder Pan hurried over to greet him the moment he stepped into the room.

"Senior." Ding Tung said while offering a bow of respect. "We cannot thank you enough for your invaluable assistance. You helped to secure our legacy in this city for at least a few years."

"You showed me great patience while I was destroying your kitchen," Li Yu replied with a warm smile. "Helping you win the festival was the least I could do to repay some your hospitality. I must return to my own clan now but I wish your pavilion continued prosperity."

Li Yu paid them what was owed for all of his failures. They tried to refuse him but he insisted since he didn’t want to be any more of a burden than he already was on them. He also gave them a jade slip containing the i of the Culinary Sovereign as he grand thank you to them. He knew this clan would surely appreciate the teachings and they had put up with him so much already.

Li Yu did not make a grand gesture or stated how important the jade slip was, merely handing it over along with his payment. Li Yu bid farewell to the chefs and walked out into the bustling morning streets.

It would only be later that night when Ding Tung would scan through the jade slip and understand what Li Yu had given him. He dropped to his knees and bowed to the four general directions in thanks to Li Yu for gifting them such teachings.

This was a turning point in the history of the Ding Clan and they would go on to create a culinary empire but that was a story for another time. However, Ding Tung did have one misunderstanding in all of this. Since it wasn’t the original copy, Ding Tung thought the teachings were from Li Yu himself, eventually cementing Li Yu’s status as the Culinary God in time.

Li Yu took to the sky and flew toward the regional Zhan Clan base. He landed in the central courtyard and requested a meeting with the elder in charge of local relations in this realm. Elder Huo was a stern looking man but he hurried out to the courtyard and greeted Li Yu warmly.

"How may I help you, Li Yu?" Elder Huo asked while clasping his hands together.

"I have spent the last few weeks residing with the Ding Clan at the Fiery Lotus Pavilion," Li Yu explained to the man. "They treated me kindly and if possible, I want you to take extra care of the Ding Clan on my behalf. Ensure they are protected and offer them more favorable terms on any clan business."

"Ahh, I understand. That is a small matter and wouldn’t impact us much. Since you are speaking up for them, we will do as instructed." Elder Huo agreed without a moment of hesitation. "I will personally oversee their safety and ensure no one causes them too much trouble in this realm. We will secretly extend the protection of the Zhan Clan over their properties starting today."

Li Yu thanked the elder for his prompt cooperation and turned to leave the fortress. He intended to use the long distance teleportation array to return directly to the Five Star Lakes but a strange sensation washed over his senses right before he reached the building. It was a subtle fluctuation in the ambient Qi that felt chaotic and wild. He stopped walking and turned his head toward the distant mountain range.

Li Yu decided to investigate the disturbance since he was already in the area as something was tugging him in that direction. Li Yu channeled his energy and shot into the sky like a meteor. He crossed the vast distance in a matter of moments and hovered above a dense forest situated between two tall rocky peaks.

His divine sense pierced through the thick tree canopy and revealed a fierce battle taking place in a wide clearing. A giant serpent with scales resembling jagged obsidian was clashing against a winged tiger engulfed in green flames. The two beasts were locked in a life and death struggle as they tore the surrounding forest apart with their brutal attacks. Trees were uprooted and boulders shattered into dust every time the beasts collided.

Li Yu watched the fight for a brief moment and decided it was just a natural territorial dispute and wasn’t sure why he was drawn this way. The two beast fighting were strong but not enough to alert him or draw his attention. He had no reason to interfere with the cycle of nature and prepared to turn around to head back to the clan base.

A loud tearing sound suddenly ripped through the sky and a chaotic rift tore open right above the battling creatures. It pulsed with violent shades of purple and red while emitting a terrifying suction force. The obsidian serpent and the winged tiger let out panicked roars as the rift swallowed them whole and snapped shut in the blink of an eye.

Li Yu narrowed his eyes and wondered what kind of phenomenon could generate such a volatile spatial anomaly. His thoughts shifted to the rifts that he had been sucked through in the past and the different realm it took him to. He decided it was much better to not head down there to check it out as it could be dangerous. The unpredictable nature of the event made his instincts flare with caution and he turned his body to fly away and leave this area at once.

Unfortunately for him, a second tearing sound echoed right next to his ear.

Another chaotic rift tore open just an arm length away from his shoulder before he could even react. Li Yu tried to summon his power to resist the suction but the spatial force was overwhelmingly swift. The rift grabbed his robes and pulled him into the swirling vortex before he could even move. As he tumbled into the darkness, he saw the entire mountain range below fill with dozens of different colored rifts as if the fabric of the realm itself was unraveling in this area.

This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

The interior of the spatial tunnel was a nightmare of violent currents and crushing pressure. Li Yu felt the force tearing at his robust physical vessel and he quickly circulated his Qi to protect his body. His inner sea churned and his Koi soul responded to the threat of the rift naturally as it had done before.

The soul projected out from his body and took the majestic appearance of his evolved Martial Spirit. The grand ethereal Koi Whale covered Li Yu completely and emitted a soothing blue light that repelled the crushing spatial currents. Li Yu did not know it yet but the chaotic rifts were not just moving him through space but also time.

The unique power of his Koi soul resonated with the anomaly and protected him from the devastating forces that would kill most from being pulled through the river of time itself. Li Yu braced himself to be sucked into a different realm as this had happened to him before, still not understanding that all those times were actually travel through time as well.

He fell through the swirling void for what felt like an eternity until a bright light pierced the darkness. The rift spat him out and he crashed heavily into a dry and dusty road.

“Damn it! This again, why am I so unlucky to get sucked into these random rifts.” Li Yu shouted out loud as he landed on the ground.

Li Yu groaned and pushed himself up from the dirt while brushing the dust off his plain gray robes. The ethereal whale projection faded back into his inner sea and left him standing alone in a barren landscape. He took a deep breath and immediately noticed a glaring problem with his new environment.

The ambient Qi in the air was incredibly thin. It felt like trying to drink water from a stone. The spiritual energy was so scarce that his Creation Lord foundation felt a mild ache of starvation just by standing there. It wasn’t a true ache but more of a phantom like ache, like moving from your house and being dropped into an incredibly dry desert.

He looked around and saw a small settlement built from hardened clay and rough timber sitting far away down the road. He needed information and he needed to figure out where the spatial rift had sent him. Li Yu carefully suppressed his overwhelming aura to that of a mortal for now as to not alert anyone.

He maintained a slow and measured pace as he walked into the settlement. As he was traveling, he began to encounter other beings. The locals wandering the dirt streets at the small settlement were a mix of different races. He saw humans walking alongside people possessing distinct beast traits like furry ears or scaled patches on their arms. He even spotted a few individuals with faint draconic horns protruding from their foreheads.

The people here were incredibly weak, reminding him of the start to his own cultivation journey. The strongest signature he could feel was someone at the Foundation Establishment stage and there was only a single person. Most likely the person in charge of the settlement. With that in mind, Li Yu adjusted his aura to that of a Foundation Establishment expert so he would not be bothered by others.

Li Yu found a rustic tavern sitting near the center of the town and pushed the wooden doors open. The interior was dim and smelled of cheap fermented grain. Patrons sat at scarred wooden tables and spoke in hushed tones while nursing their drinks. He walked over to the wooden bar and took a seat on a wobbly stool.

The tavern keeper was a burly man with thick arms and a patch of gray scales resting on his left cheek. He wiped a dirty rag across the counter and looked at the newcomer with a critical eye.

"What can I get you traveler?" The keeper asked with a gruff voice. "We only have bitter ale and roasted cave rats today."

"Just the ale will be fine," Li Yu replied while placing a low grade spirit stone on the counter. "And I would like to purchase some information if you have the time to talk. I have traveled from very far away and I am unfamiliar with the layout of this area."

The keeper eyed the glowing spirit stone and a greedy gleam flashed across his eyes. He quickly snatched the stone and tucked it into his apron before pouring a wooden cup full of dark ale. He slid the drink across the bar and leaned against the counter.

"You must be from very far away indeed if you are handing out spirit stones like metal coins," the keeper muttered while looking around to ensure no one else saw the transaction. "Ask your questions, traveler. My memory is very good when the pay is right."

"I noticed the spiritual energy in this area is incredibly barren," Li Yu started while taking a small sip of the bitter drink. "Is the entire realm this devoid of Qi or is it just this specific region?"

"You really are not from around here or are you some country bumpkin? Anyways, since you paid me so well, I will explain as much as I can. You are on Continent One." The keeper explained with a dry laugh. "Of course the energy is barren here. We are the weakest and most pathetic stretch of dirt in the world. As you know, the world is built with ten continents in total. Nine outer continents surround the center and the structure of the realm funnels the vast majority of the ambient Qi inward. All the rich energy and natural resources gather on the central landmass."

"What is the central continent called?" Li Yu asked while committing the strange geography to his memory.

"It is known as The Dragon Core, a pompous name by those that rule it." The keeper said but his voice dropped into a reverent whisper. "It is a paradise of endless wealth and overflowing power. The true dragons and the highborn dragon kin rule that land. They are overwhelmingly stronger than anyone else and they hoard all the good resources for themselves. They do not bother with us out here on the edges because they already possess everything worth taking."

"So the outer nine continents are left to fight over the scraps," Li Yu concluded while tracing the rim of his wooden cup.

"Exactly," the keeper nodded heavily. "There are four continents primarily populated by humans and mixed bloods, continents like ours. We are named Continent One through Continent Four because the dragons could not be bothered to give us proper titles. You are currently sitting on One which is the poorest of them all. The strongest known expert on this entire continent is the great ruler who resides in the capital city. He is a mighty warrior at the Soul Formation realm."

Li Yu kept his face perfectly neutral but he felt a strange sense of disbelief echoing in his mind. A Soul Formation cultivator was considered the absolute peak of existence here on this continent. That was thirteen major realms below his current Creation Lord stage. If he sneezed too hard he might accidentally wipe the ruler of this continent off the map. It explained why the Qi was so thin since no one could gather enough energy to break through to the higher stages of cultivation without external resources.

"If there are four human continents," Li Yu pressed further for information. "What occupies the other five outer landmasses?"

The keeper leaned in closer to share the knowledge.

"Those are the beast territories," the keeper warned with a serious expression. "They are savage lands ruled by ancient and powerful beast factions. They possess better Qi than we do but traveling there is a death sentence for a human trying to earn glory. Each of the five continents is dominated by a specific species."

The burly man tapped a thick finger against the wooden bar to list them off.

"To the north lies The Iron Expanse," the keeper recited. "It is a wasteland of jagged metal and deep canyons ruled by the Titan Bone Centipedes. They are armored monsters that cause devastating earthquakes when they hunt. To the east is The Cinder Wastes. That land is nothing but active volcanoes and lakes of fire controlled by the Sun Swallowing Salamanders."

Li Yu listened intently and found the unique beasts highly fascinating.

"To the west sits The Whispering Canopies," the keeper continued his lecture. "A dense jungle where the Thousand Eyed Tapirs rule. They say those beasts can trap your soul in endless illusions just by looking at you. Down south you will find The Sunken Mires. It is an endless dark swamp dominated by the Soul Reaping Axolotls. Do not ever go near the water there or they will drag your spirit into the mud."

"And the final continent?" Li Yu asked when the keeper paused to take a breath.

"The Shattered Sky," the keeper answered while pointing a thumb toward the ceiling. "A high altitude plateau battered by eternal thunderstorms. The Storm Astral Moths live there and they feed on the lightning itself. Those five factions keep the other beasts in line and they occasionally raid the human continents when their own food supplies run low."

Li Yu thanked the tavern keeper for the valuable information and took another slow sip of the bitter ale. He sat quietly at the wooden bar and digested the scale of the realm he was in. He was stranded in a barren land ruled by an incredibly weak king while beasts lived in another, better off but it doesn’t sound like much. Lastly, dragons hoarded all the vital resources and controlled the best continent in the middle.

‘I wonder how strong the dragon race is here and that of the other beasts. The good news is the continent I am currently in poses no real danger to me, at least not in the open. I also don’t feel a rejection force from this realm as I have from a few others that I randomly traveled to. That means I have to find my own way home but at least I have time to do so.’ Li Yu thought through what he learned.

Li Yu then took out his different communication tokens to contact his parents, grandfather, Lian and his two wardens and each time the token did not even activate.

‘It’s like there is no one on the receiving end but that is impossible for something to happen to every single person I tried to contact. It’s more likely there is something odd about this realm that is blocking my communication with them. I will have to rely on myself for this.’ Li Yu thought it through and then concluded.

He flexed his fingers under the table and focused his mind on keeping his physical strength in check. He needed to figure out a way to return to his own time and to his own people but his first priority was simply understanding this world. He would have to tread very carefully to avoid breaking the fragile balance of this weak continent while he searched for a path back home.