Myriad Rivers to the Sea

Li Yu walked along the dirt path as the grand capital of Continent One finally came into view. The journey had taken another ten days of leisurely but steady travel across the dry plains. Heiyuan remained coiled snugly around his waist like a dark leather belt.

The capital city stood before them as a sprawling monument to the harsh environment of this realm. The outer walls were built from thick layers of sun baked clay and reinforced with the bleached ribs of giant desert beasts. Do not let that fool you into thinking that the walls were not strong though, they were lined with formations and arrays to resist attacks.

It was more of a stylistic choice than one made out of limited resources, even though that was true as well. The scale of the architecture was far grander than anything he had seen in the smaller settlements up to this point. Tall watchtowers lined the perimeter and heavily armed guards patrolled the parapets with sharp spears in hand.

Two colossal statues flanked the main gateway for all to see as they approached. They were carved from gray rock and depicted wingless dragons roaring toward the sky. The craftsmanship was crude but the statues effectively conveyed the raw physical power that people in this realm looked up to.

Yes, they lived how they lived because the dragons took and hoarded everything of value in this realm but that also made people look up to them. To one day perhaps be like them and rule with a fist full of power. Of course it also made people hate them as well for their selfishness but few would ever stand against them.

Li Yu continued to suppress his aura down to the Foundation Establishment stage and joined the long line of merchants waiting to enter the city. The guards stationed at the gate bore distinct reptilian features like patches of rough green scales on their cheeks or slit yellow pupils. They processed the travelers with an air of bored indifference.

When it was his turn to approach the gate, a guard holding a thick ledger stepped forward and pointed the blunt end of his spear toward Li Yu.

"State your business in the capital," the guard demanded with a raspy voice. "The entry fee is three metal coins for those wanting to enter."

"I am just passing through to seek passage on a trading ship," Li Yu replied smoothly while reaching into his leather pouch. He pulled out three crude metal coins stamped with a dragon claw and dropped them into the guard's open palm.

The guard bit one of the coins to test the metal and offered a dismissive nod. "Move along traveler. Keep your weapons to yourself while you are inside the walls or the city watch will throw you in the underground fighting pits."

Li Yu offered a polite nod and stepped through the grand archway. The interior of the capital buzzed with frantic energy and loud voices. The streets were packed with stalls selling dried meats, rough woven fabrics and low grade medicinal herbs. The architecture mirrored the smaller towns he had visited but scaled upward in density. Tall wind catchers dominated the rooftops to pull the rare breezes down into the sweltering streets.

The social hierarchy was blatantly obvious as he walked deeper into the central districts. The buildings here were constructed from polished stone rather than clay. Individuals possessing thicker dragon blood commanded deep respect from the common folk and were clearly considered the upper class.

Li Yu watched a young man with prominent draconic horns walking down the center of the avenue. The crowds parted like water to let the noble pass and shopkeepers bowed their heads in deference. It did not matter that the horned youth was only at the Qi Condensing stage. His bloodline granted him privileges that normal humans or mixed beast kin could never hope to attain in this society.

Each continent was still controlled by the dragons even if they left weaker dragonic beings here to somewhat rule over the land. There was no need to fear rebellion because they were so much stronger than anyone else within this realm. Keeping a small presence on each continent was enough as history had proven disastrous for any group that had tried to flip the natural order of the realm.

Li Yu ignored the nobles and spent the next two days visiting local taverns and information brokers. He wanted to verify the grand layout of the world before leaving Continent One. He found a quiet tea house near the western district and paid a silver haired broker for a detailed explanation of the realm to confirm everything he’s learned so far.

The old broker unrolled a crude parchment map across the wooden table and pointed a weathered finger at the center of the drawing.

"The Dragon Core is right here," the broker explained in a hushed tone while looking over his shoulder. "It is the paradise where the ambient Qi flows like rivers of gold and precious herbs grow like weeds. We are situated on Continent One down here on the extreme southern edge. The other human lands are Continents Two, Three, and Four."

"And the ruler of this land resides in the inner palace?" Li Yu asked while sipping his bitter green tea.

"That is correct," the broker nodded heavily. "Our great king is a Soul Formation expert. He has ruled for three hundred years and no one dares to challenge his authority. He controls the few spirit stone mines we have left on this barren rock."

Li Yu thanked the man and paid him a few extra metal coins for his time. The stories aligned perfectly with what the first tavern keeper had told him weeks ago and with everything else he had learned since coming to this realm. It was common knowledge among the people and there were no hidden secrets like what Li Yu thought it might be. The human continents were weak and starved of resources while the dragons hoarded everything of value in the center of the world.

'It seems there is nothing left to learn in this dust bowl,' Li Yu thought to himself as he walked out of the quiet tea house. 'The Qi is too thin and the local experts are far too weak for me to learn of a way to return back home. Perhaps there is something on that central continent that is blocking my communications. It is time to cross the water and see what the next land has to offer.'

Heiyuan shifted around his waist and sent a wave of eager agreement across their mental link. The black serpent was always hungry for new experiences and more dense energy.

Li Yu navigated the crowded streets until he reached the grand docks located on the northern edge of the capital. A wide and murky river flowed past the city walls and emptied into the vast ocean that separated the continents. The docks were a chaotic forest of wooden masts, thick rigging ropes and shouting sailors loading heavy crates onto large trading ships.

He approached a sturdy vessel boasting three tall sails woven from giant spider silk. The captain was a burly woman with blue tinted skin and thin gills flaring along her neck. Li Yu negotiated passage to Continent Two by offering a single low grade spirit stone. The captain eagerly accepted the glowing gem and assigned him a small private cabin near the rear of the ship. Just extra money for him with little to no extra work.

The ship unmoored later that afternoon and sailed out onto the open waters of the ocean between continents. The journey would take a full week to complete depending on the coastal winds and the strength of the sailors but Li Yu was in no rush as he was still adjusting to his body. Li Yu spent most of his time standing on the wooden deck while enjoying the salty breeze and the endless expanse of dark blue water.

Heiyuan uncoiled from his waist and slithered up to rest on the wooden railing. The sleek serpent stared down into the churning waves and flicked its tongue. Li Yu could feel the predatory hunger radiating from the small creature as it watched the shadows moving beneath the surface.

This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

"You cannot eat the ocean," Li Yu joked while leaning against the railing beside his companion. "You are still too small to hunt those deep sea beasts."

'I will grow,' Heiyuan projected a fierce and raspy thought across their martial connection. 'There is much meat hidden in the deep dark that is so vast compared to the river I came from. I want to taste it and swallow it whole.'

"You will get your chance soon enough," Li Yu promised while pulling another pill from his storage ring that he tossed into the air and Heiyuan caught it effortlessly. The serpent swallowed the dense energy and let out a satisfied hiss as the pill vanished into its seemingly bottomless stomach.

During the voyage, Li Yu kept his divine sense active beneath the waves to observe the local aquatic life. The wasters hosted a variety of strange creatures he had never collected before. He spotted a school of armored fish possessing scales that resembled polished bronze. They swam in tight formations and used their hardened heads to ram through underwater coral reefs.

Li Yu subtly extended his Qi and captured a dozen of the bronze fish using a gentle spatial pull. He transferred them directly into his Koi Sanctuary to add to his growing collection. Heiyuan watched the process and sent a feeling of mild annoyance through the mental link.

'Why do you save them?' Heiyuan asked with a sharp tone. 'They are weak. They should be eaten.'

"They add diversity to my sanctuary," Li Yu explained patiently while tapping the serpent on the head. "A proper ecosystem requires balance. Not everything exists just to fill your stomach, Heiyuan. Some things are meant to be observed and cultivated for the future."

Heiyuan did not agree with that philosophy but the serpent offered no further arguments. Li Yu had often been surprised by the intelligence of the creature, it seemed much more intelligent than what a Qi Condensing beast should be. It seemed to have more wisdom and knowledge than what it should know from its small river. Li Yu had grown a bit suspicious about the creature but since they had made the soul pact, there were no concerns with it harming him or his interests. He would find out in time if there was something truly unique about Heiyuan anyways.

A few days later, Li Yu captured a beautiful jellyfish that glowed with a soft purple light and a unique breed of water crab possessing six serrated claws. Unfortunately for him, he did not get breeding pairs and had to settle for the one offs. He populated his inner aquatic sanctuary with these new additions and felt a sense of satisfaction watching them adapt to the rich Qi environment inside. The sanctuary was distinct from his main inner world and served as a perfect habitat for his rare finds of life.

The jagged coastline of Continent Two appeared on the horizon after seven days of smooth sailing. At the end of the journey, Li Yu realized there were no real dangers crossing the oceans and it could be done relatively easily with a ship that didn’t need any special preparations. The trading ship docked at a bustling port city built from dark gray stone. Li Yu disembarked and immediately noticed the difference in the atmosphere.

Continent One was poor and barren but the people generally coexisted in a quiet struggle for survival. Continent Two on the other hand felt volatile and highly aggressive. The air was thick with tension and the smell of cheap drinks mixed with dried blood. Heavily armed mercenaries patrolled the docks and open brawls broke out in the streets over minor disputes.

Li Yu walked past a rugged tavern and watched two Foundation Establishment cultivators cross swords over a gambling debt. The local guards did not intervene to stop the violence either. They simply stood back and placed bets on who would win the bloody duel with everyone else instead. The ambient Qi here was slightly thicker than on Continent One but it was still incredibly weak compared to the environments Li Yu had grown accustomed to in recent time.

He spent the next few weeks traveling between the coastal towns and the inland trade hubs of this new land to find additional information and come up with a plan to return home. If this were in the past, he would enjoy himself more and enjoy the experience of traveling the roads and exploring a new realm. Li Yu wouldn’t be in such a rush to return home but now he was.

The Qi here was too weak for him to naturally continue his cultivation, he was taking pills each day to keep pushing forward on his path. Times have gotten more chaotic and he needed to advance in order to help his family with the constant wars. This realm was a terrible place to be for him right now but he had no real answer on how to return home.

‘The best place to go to is the central continent since it is the strongest but I might encounter dangers there. No one seems to know what the top level of power is there, it’s all legends and no realm is ever described, only devastation and destruction for those that oppose them.’ Li Yu had thought about it several times before. Going directly towards the center seemed too risky right now with the lack of knowledge.

He continued to keep a low profile and used his metal coins to buy information from local merchants and traveling scholars. He needed to map out the power structures of the remaining human territories and other continents as well.

The intelligence he gathered painted a bleak picture. Continent Two was ruled by a loose coalition of warlords rather than a single king. The strongest warlord holding the central territory was a Divine Transformation expert who ruled through fear and brutal executions. The overall spread of strength was indeed higher here. Foundation Establishment and Core Formation cultivators were more relatively common sights in the major cities but they still posed no real threat to the grand scheme of the realm.

Li Yu sat in a quiet inn one evening and reviewed the notes he had compiled. The scholars confirmed that Continent Three also boasted a peak strength at the Divine Transformation realm. Continent Four was widely regarded as the strongest of the human lands because their reigning monarch had reached the Soul Transformation stage.

"None of this helps us," Li Yu whispered to himself while staring at the crude map resting on his wooden table. "Even the strongest human on Continent Four is just a Soul Transformation cultivator. That is still so far away from where I am and I am helpless when it comes to coming and leaving realms. The spread of strength here is slightly higher but nothing noticeable that would make a real difference."

Heiyuan rested on the table and coiled around a warm cup of tea. The serpent projected a feeling of deep boredom. The human lands were too weak to offer the ambitious beast who wanted to see a bigger world.

A full month had now passed since Li Yu was pulled through the chaotic rift and dropped into this ancient realm. He packed his map away and walked out of the inn to begin his journey deeper into the chaotic lands of Continent Two. The dusty roads were littered with the remnants of old battles and the charred ruins of abandoned villages.

As he walked, he took the time to reflect on his own progress. The month of quiet travel had done wonders for his internal stability. He had spent his days constantly refining his control over his physical strength and his vast Qi reserves. The days of accidentally shattering stone counters and melting iron woks were far behind him now.

He could walk across fragile wooden bridges without causing them to groan. He could hold a delicate porcelain teacup without turning it into dust. His control over his Creation Lord strength was nearly flawless during peaceful tasks. He had learned how to perfectly lock his aura down so that not a single trace of his terrifying pressure leaked into the surrounding environment.

However, a lingering doubt gnawed at the back of his mind. He possessed great control while drinking tea or walking down the street but he had not fought a single battle since arriving in this world. He had no real experience with how his new strength would react in an actual combat situation as he has never had the chance to spar or train with anyone once he was able to control his strength.

If he threw a simple punch in the heat of battle would he accidentally vaporize a mountain? Could he calibrate his attacks fast enough to fight without destroying the continent itself? He needed practical combat experience to test his limits but finding a suitable opponent on these weak human continents was proving to be a difficult task.

"I need a fight," Li Yu murmured while stepping over a broken cart wheel half buried in the dirt road. "Just to see how my body reacts when my blood starts pumping and the chaos of battle takes over."

Heiyuan slithered up his back and rested its head on his shoulder. The black serpent had grown stronger since Li Yu had gotten it. The steady diet of pills was slowly unlocking its latent potential. The jagged scales possessed a sharper edge and its dark eyes burned with a more pronounced predatory light. It was still in the Qi Condensing realm which surprised Li Yu since it had eaten so many pills but it could be due to its own unique constitution.

‘Either there is something more special about Heiyuan or his bloodline is limiting his body’s potential. Only time will tell and in the worse case, at least I still have somewhat of a traveling companion.’ Li Yu had thought about the issue.

'We will find enemies,' Heiyuan projected a sharp and eager thought across their bond. 'There is much blood in the air here. I can smell it. We will fight and we will eat.'

Li Yu smiled at the aggressive enthusiasm of his companion. The dark serpent was an excellent sounding board for his own martial desires. They were both strangers in a strange land and they both shared a deep hunger for growth that was uncontrollable. They would travel the violent roads of Continent Two and see exactly what kind of trouble they could find.