Myriad Rivers to the Sea

Li Yu walked for days along the dirt roads of Continent One while taking in the sights of this new world. The air felt incredibly dry against his skin and the ambient Qi was so thin it barely registered. The landscape consisted of rolling hills of gray dust and scattered patches of tough yellow grass that clung to the harsh soil. He visited two small settlements during his early travels and took the time to observe the unique culture of this barren land.

The architecture of the region was primitive but highly practical for the environment. People built their homes using sun baked clay and reinforced the structures with thick bones harvested from wild beasts. Tall wind catchers rested on the rooftops to funnel the rare cool breezes down into the living spaces. The locals wandering the dusty streets were a mix of lineages. Humans worked alongside individuals bearing distinct animal traits but everyone seemed to coexist without much prejudice.

Li Yu saw blacksmiths with the thick scaled arms of crocodiles hammering hot iron on stone anvils. Those with dragon blood, regardless of how thin it was, walked with a noticeable swagger since their lineage held high prestige in this world. This was true even on the poorest continent and they treated others as below them even if they were weaker in terms of cultivation.

Everyone was a bit wary of messing with them since the dragons were the defacto rulers of this world. You never knew if they were really distant relatives of some powerful faction in the central continent so it was best to just leave them be unless they really offended them. Li Yu kept his aura suppressed down to the Foundation Establishment stage as before so he blended in as a relatively stronger cultivator.

He also used these early stops to establish his finances for the journey ahead. Spirit stones were relatively rare here so he visited a local trading post and offered low grade stone to the proprietor to trade. The merchant eagerly handed over a heavy leather pouch filled with square metal coins. These coins were stamped with the crude image of a dragon claw and served as the primary currency for the common folk. Li Yu spent a few coins on local meals of roasted desert tubers and tough wild meat while soaking in the atmosphere of the taverns as he liked to do.

He spoke with traveling traders and passing guards to verify the information the first tavern keeper had given him. The stories all aligned perfectly across the board and was common knowledge in this realm. The Dragon Core held all the wealth in the center of the world and the human continents especially were left to scrape by in the dust.

The ruler of Continent One was indeed a Soul Formation expert residing in the capital city far to the north. Li Yu found a strange peace in this harsh environment as he realized he carried no heavy burdens or expectations here besides finding a way home. He was just a wandering cultivator exploring a new realm on his own.

By the time he reached the third town a week later, the landscape had shifted slightly. A wide and murky river cut through the dry plains to provide a vital lifeline to the surrounding area. The town built along its banks was larger than the previous settlements and featured a sprawling outdoor market dedicated exclusively to river goods.

Li Yu wandered through the crowded market stalls while listening to the shouts of vendors haggling over prices. The air smelled strongly of wet algae and fresh fish blood. Fishermen displayed their daily catches on beds of wet reeds under the shade of canvas tents. There were armored catfish with iron hard scales and large river crabs possessing pincers that could snap a wooden spear in half. He enjoyed looking at the diverse aquatic life and wanted to find some that he didn’t have to add to his Koi Sanctuary.

He approached a large stall near the muddy edge of the riverbank and the merchant was an older man with thin gills flaring softly along his neck as he breathed. The stall was lined with dozens of dirty crystal tanks filled with murky green water and various aquatic creatures. Li Yu scanned the tanks to see if anything caught his eye for his collection. Most of the beasts were ordinary water snakes or common frogs possessing weak Qi signatures that were barely worth noticing.

His gaze eventually settled on a small tank sitting in the darkest corner of the stall. The water inside was cloudy but Li Yu could clearly see the creature resting at the bottom of the glass. It was a sleek aquatic serpent about twice the length of his arm. Its scales were pitch black and possessed a jagged aesthetic that seemed to absorb the ambient light rather than reflecting it. The creature gave off a weak energy signature hovering right at the Qi Condensing realm.

It should have been an unremarkable beast but something about it drew his attention. The serpent was not resting or hiding in the mud like the other creatures in the stall. It had its head raised and its unblinking dark eyes were locked directly onto Li Yu. The creature was studying him with an intensity that betrayed a terrifying and unnatural intelligence for a beast of that level.

Li Yu felt a sudden stir within his inner sea as his Koi martial spirit resonated with the aquatic serpent and formed a subtle bridge between their minds for communication. A wave of vague but potent thoughts washed over his consciousness.

'You are strong.' Rough thoughts echoed in his mind like a raspy whisper in the dark. 'Take me with you.'

Li Yu raised an eyebrow in surprise and stepped closer to the dirty crystal tank. He focused his mind and sent his own thoughts back across the martial connection while keeping his face perfectly neutral.

'You are just a Qi Condensing creature,' Li Yu replied through their mental link. 'Why should I take you with me? What can you offer me?'

The black serpent flicked its forked tongue and uncoiled its sleek body from the glass floor. The response that came back was not a string of complex words but a heavy wave of raw ambition. Li Yu felt a hunger radiating from the small creature. It did not just want to survive in this barren place or eat the scraps thrown into its tank. It wanted to consume and conquer everything in its path. To break free from its current position and devour all that stood in its way.

'I will grow,' the serpent conveyed with fierce determination pulsing through the mental link. 'I will become a being that can swallow the very heavens themselves! Take me and we will devour the world.'

Li Yu felt a deep chord strike within his own heart upon hearing those words. Swallowing the heavens themselves was an arrogant and impossible goal for a weak creature trapped in a dirty tank. Yet the sheer audacity of the claim resonated deeply with him. He had just survived his own heavenly tribulation and he understood what it meant to stand against the crushing weight of the cosmos. He had faced the judgment of the heavens and refused to yield his life to the lightning just as this creature was refusing to yield to its current circumstances. This tiny serpent possessed that same will or ambition and it brought a genuine smile to his face.

He turned his attention to the older merchant who was busy sorting a net full of river clams nearby.

This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

"How much for the black serpent in the corner tank?" Li Yu asked while pointing toward the shadows under the canvas tent.

The merchant looked up and squinted at the designated tank before waving his hand with a dismissive gesture.

"That useless thing?" The merchant scoffed and wiped his hands on a dirty rag. "I pulled it from the river over a month ago. It refuses to eat the fish scraps I give it and it just stares at people all day. It has no good meat on its bones and is too weak to even have a core to harvest. Give me ten metal coins and you can even take the tank with you. I don’t want it taking up space here anymore."

Li Yu reached into his pouch and pulled out a stack of square metal coins. He placed the coins on the wooden table and offered a polite nod to the surprised vendor.

"Keep the tank," Li Yu said. "I only want the serpent."

The merchant snatched the coins eagerly and nodded his head as if he had just robbed a foolish traveler. Li Yu walked over to the corner and reached his hand into the murky water of the crystal box. The black serpent did not flinch or try to bite his fingers. It glided smoothly into his open palm and coiled around his wrist. The jagged black scales felt cool to the touch and carried a strange smooth texture like polished stone.

Li Yu pulled the creature from the tank and walked away from the bustling market to find some privacy. He located a quiet spot under a weeping willow tree near the edge of town and held his arm up to inspect his new purchase in the sunlight.

"You need a name if you are going to travel with me," Li Yu said aloud while letting his Koi spirit translate the intent to the creature. "Your scales are like the dark void and your ambitions are just as deep. I will call you Heiyuan."

The serpent flicked its tongue and the name seemed to please it greatly. Heiyuan uncoiled from his wrist and slithered up his arm with surprising speed. The creature worked its way down and wrapped itself snugly around Li Yu's waist like a living belt. The tail rested near his left hip while the long sleek body circled his torso. The serpent raised its head until it rested comfortably right near Li Yu's shoulder and let out a soft hiss of approval.

"I have a safe place for you to stay," Li Yu offered while tapping his finger against his own chest. "I possess a specialized place I call the Koi Sanctuary within me. It has pristine water and dense spiritual energy where aquatic beasts thrive. You can stay there to cultivate and grow without facing any danger."

He expected the weak creature to jump at the chance for safety and rich Qi since this continent was so barren. Heiyuan surprised him once again by sending a firm wave of refusal across their mental link.

'I do not want to hide in a safe pond,' Heiyuan projected a feeling of fierce independence. 'I want to stay outside. I want to see the world, learn and devour our enemies!”

Li Yu chuckled out loud at the dark and aggressive response. The creature certainly had grand plans and a vicious streak to match its ambition. He did not mind the company and having a companion to talk to would make the long dusty roads of Continent One much more enjoyable. He was happy to have found such a unique beast in this desolate place as it would make his travels a bit more fun. Li Yu created a companion soul pack with Heiyuan as was standard procedure when taking in a tamed beast and Heiyuan accepted with no issues..

"If you are going to stay on the outside you need to get stronger," Li Yu stated firmly as he began walking back toward the main road. "The beasts in this world will snap you in half if you stay in the Qi Condensing realm. Ambition is a great thing to have but talent and bloodline dictate how far you can actually go. Let us see what you are capable of digesting."

Li Yu walked out of the river town and followed the winding dirt road toward the northern plains. When the sun began to dip below the horizon he found a sheltered cluster of rocks to set up his camp for the night. He sat on a flat stone and retrieved a glowing jade bottle from his spatial ring while Heiyuan watched closely from his waist.

The bottle contained high tier Spirit Nourishing Pills that can be taken by those in the Qi Condensing realm. A single pill contained enough energy for a cultivator for several days of refining. Li Yu wanted to test the limits of his new companion so he uncorked the bottle and pulled out a glowing green pill. He had mountains of resources stored in his ring for a creature so weak so he was not going to let Heiyuan lack the energy needed to grow.

"Eat this slowly," Li Yu warned while holding the pill near his shoulder. "If the energy feels too heavy you need to stop or it will tear your meridians apart."

Heiyuan did not hesitate or show any fear. The black serpent opened its jaws wide and swallowed the pill in a single smooth motion. Li Yu watched closely and prepared to use his Qi to stabilize the creature if things went wrong but nothing went wrong at all.

The small serpent simply digested the high tier pill as if it were a drop of spring water. The jagged scales shimmered with a faint green light for a fraction of a second before returning to their pitch black state. Heiyuan flicked its tongue and sent a wave of deep satisfaction across their mental link followed closely by a distinct feeling of hunger for more energy.

Li Yu raised an eyebrow in surprise at the display and wanting for more. He poured three more pills into his palm and offered them to the serpent. Heiyuan swallowed all three in rapid succession without any signs of discomfort. The creature did not swell in size and its weak energy signature only ticked upward slightly. It was as if the pills had vanished into a bottomless abyss inside the small snake.

"You have a very strange stomach, Heiyuan," Li Yu noted with a wide smile. "It seems you were not joking about wanting to devour things. Let us see how far we can push your cultivation over the next few weeks."

The days turned into weeks as Li Yu continued his trek across the barren landscape of Continent One. The human settlements grew further apart and the wild stretches of land became more dangerous as they traveled north towards the capital. Roaming packs of desert wolves and territorial rock bears frequently crossed their path searching for an easy meal. Li Yu easily dispatched the threats using only a tiny fraction of his physical strength to avoid drawing unwanted attention to himself.

He spent his evenings sitting by the campfire and sharing his thoughts with his new companion even if it was mostly a one way conversation. Li Yu told Heiyuan stories about his home in the Five Star Lakes and detailed the fierce battles he had fought across his journey. He spoke about his grandfather holding the sky and he shared his fond memories of Lian waiting for him back home.

Heiyuan would rest coiled around his waist and listen quietly to the tales without sharing its own real thoughts on the matter. However, through the Koi martial spirit connection Li Yu would receive vague feelings of interest or amusement in return. When Li Yu spoke about powerful enemies, Heiyuan would project a sharp wave of predatory anticipation as if it couldn’t wait to one day stand on the same level. When Li Yu spoke about his near death experiences during the tribulation the serpent offered a steady feeling of cold determination, not fully understanding what it was but understanding the dangers it brought..

The bond between them grew stronger with every passing mile they walked together. Li Yu found great comfort in having someone to share his thoughts with on the lonely roads. He fed Heiyuan a steady diet of cultivation pills that would be impossible for Heiyuan to easily get in this realm every single night and watched the small serpent slowly refine the dense energy in its own unique way. The creature still looked like a simple black snake but its aura was gradually hardening into something sharp and dangerous.

They visited dozens of small towns and outposts as they made their way north toward the capital city. Li Yu verified the geography of the realm with every new merchant he encountered and mapped out the routes leading to the other human continents. He enjoyed learning the subtle nuances of the local culture and observing how the mixed blooded mortals survived in such a harsh environment.

The dry winds of Continent One swept across the plains but Li Yu walked forward with a steady pace and a light heart. He had arrived in this barren world by accident but he was determined to make the most of the journey ahead as he has always done. Li Yu had his physical strength to master and a very ambitious serpent to raise. The world of dragons and beasts waited somewhere beyond the horizon and Li Yu was ready to see what they had to offer.