Myriad Rivers to the Sea

Chapter 1098: Hidden Support

The cataclysmic pillar of multi-colored lightning slammed into the ancient plaza, spilled out way past it and swallowed Li Yu in a blinding flash of chaotic energy. The deafening roar of the heavenly strike echoed across the surrounding mountains while shockwaves of displaced air threw the nearest spectators off their feet. The sky fractured into a sprawling web of bright jagged lines that illuminated the dark clouds with a terrifying brilliance.Many disciples and elders standing on the distant viewing ridges immediately sat cross legged on the ground. They closed their eyes and extended their divine senses toward the raging storm. Witnessing a tribulation was a rare enough event but something like this was probably a once in several life times opportunity. These cultivators hoped to glean some insight from the heavenly laws descending upon the plaza and they believed the raw cosmic energy might help them break through their own stagnant bottlenecks.

Their hopes were quickly shattered in an instant. The moment their spiritual senses brushed against the outer edge of the lightning dome, several elders violently coughed up mouthfuls of dark blood.

The people who specialized in the laws of Destruction or the laws of death fared even worse. They tried to peer deep into the swirling colors to comprehend the lethal intent of the universe but the scale of the hostility overwhelmed their minds.

A senior elder studying the path of decay screamed in agony and collapsed onto the grass as his spiritual sea fractured under the pressure. The energy raining down on the sacred grounds offered no gentle enlightenment or structured lessons.

"Pull your senses back right now!" Patriarch Yue commanded in a booming voice that carried over the thunder. "Do not try to read the storm. There is no insight to be gained here because this is not a test. I am sad to say this is a sentence to death by the very heavens themselves."

The realization quickly spread through the gathering crowd and a chilling silence fell over the spectators. They pulled their divine senses back and now simply watched the terrifying spectacle with their physical eyes. The event transformed from a grand learning opportunity into a grim vigil for one of their own. The question hanging in the air was no longer what they could learn but rather if Li Yu would survive, becoming a legend or crumble into dust and be eventually forgotten.

The crowd understood the ancient warning passed down through countless generations of cultivators. The heavenly dao favored balance and a star shining too brightly often invited its own swift destruction. The universe deemed the young man too special to exist and the people could only watch to see if he possessed the strength to defy his own execution.

Inside the blinding storm, Li Yu braced his body against the stone tiles as the lightning tore into his flesh. The initial strike felt like a thousand burning blades slicing through his body at once. His skin blackened and cracked under the intense heat but he did not scream. He gritted his teeth and circulated his Qi to protect himself while his unique biology reacted to the threat.

His Devouring Abyssal Leviathan Physique roared into life without needing a conscious command. The latent power hidden within his bones surged outward to meet the heavenly judgment. The blood rushing through his veins grew thick and heavy as the primal physical traits of his adapted to the hostile environment of what he was undergoing. His pores opened up and actually began to devour the ambient destructive energy clinging to his skin.

The blows were incredibly painful but they were surprisingly okay to bear compared to how devastating the clouds looked from the outside. Li Yu remembered the texts he had read in the library and the stories his parents had shared about the cultivation path. A heavenly tribulation always ramped up its lethality over time. It started off with the weakest form of lightning to establish a rhythm before escalating into a true nightmare.

This universal rule held true even for a storm of this unprecedented scale. The barrage looked spectacular and overwhelming because so much lightning was coming down at once but the individual bolts were currently hovering at a manageable threshold. The cosmos was warming up the execution block and Li Yu used this brief window to stabilize his foundation.

He endured the relentless rain of energy for a while and focused on healing the minor fractures forming along his arms. The colored lightning crackled across his shoulders and tried to invade his spiritual sea but he held his ground. Li Yu knew his physical body could not absorb the entire burden alone once the second wave initiated so he called upon his internal reserves.

His Koi martial spirit surged out and manifested as a grand projection hovering directly over his head. The spirit took the shape of a magnificent serpentine dragon with elegant aquatic features and glowing scales. It looked up at the descending storm and let out a defiant roar that vibrated through the chaotic air. The grand spirit opened its large mouth and created a swirling vortex of suction that drew in a good thirty percent of the falling lightning.

Li Yu felt a significant portion of the pressure lift from his shoulders but the storm was already beginning to thicken. He needed more of the burden shared across so his body could have a better chance to adapt so he reached deeper into his soul space.

His Koi soul appeared in a flash of light and swam through the electrified air around him. The ethereal fish darted between the jagged bolts and drew in a good ten percent of the heavenly wrath.

A deep rumbling hum echoed across the plaza as his Whale soul materialized next. The vast spectral creature floated above the stone tiles like a sturdy shield and absorbed another ten percent of the destructive energy.

Muddy emerged a moment later and took on a dense earthen form. The loyal water buffalo planted its feet firmly on the ground beside Li Yu and shouldered ten percent of the lightning with silent determination as well.

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Finally his human soul stepped out of his chest. The glowing ethereal copy of himself stood back to back with his physical body and diverted another ten percent of the storm into its own spiritual structure.

A total of seventy percent of the tribulation was now diverted away from his physical flesh and onto other targets. The distribution allowed Li Yu to breathe and focus on repairing his damaged tissue but the relief came with a heavy cost. The souls were directly tied to himself and now there was a heavier burden placed on his soul power. The ethereal figures trembled under the weight of the multi-colored bolts but they held their positions and refused to yield a single inch. At the moment everything was in a bearable state and Li Yu’s hopes of passing this test were high.

No one on the outside could see or peer inside the raging storm to witness this incredible display of resilience. The swirling dome of energy acted as an impenetrable barrier that kept the world blind to his struggles.

His parents stood on the elevated balcony and watched the blinding flashes with growing anxiety. Zhan Tielan held her breath every time a particularly loud crack of thunder shook the viewing platform while Li Canghai kept his hand resting on the hilt of his sword. Prepare to act in one way or another even though he knew it was completely useless to try. They were just worried parents hoping their son would make it through the nightmare alive.

Zhan Tian and Patriarch Yue shared the same heavy concern. Li Yu was not just a promising genius but he was one of their own blood. The entire Zhan Clan mobilized their forces to ensure the young man had a secure environment to fight his battle as a vast number of Zhan warriors spread out across the realm and guarded the surrounding areas to make sure nothing slipped through their defensive nets.

While the Zhan Clan secured the visible borders and void, a much larger operation was taking place even further beyond the realm.

Several days ago Commander Shan stood on a distant ridge and watched the multi-colored storm raging in the west. He reached into his robes and pulled out a specialized communication token forged from dark gold. He activated the token in his hand and sent a silent signal rippling across the cosmic pathways and called upon the ancient forces bound to his lord and ordered them to mobilize in secret.

The Golden Shell Phalanx quickly answered the call a day later. The fabric of space tore open a legion of towering warriors stepped into the shadows. They wore heavy golden armor that resembled ancient turtle shells and they carried grand shields capable of blocking star shattering attacks. The Phalanx moved with silent discipline and formed an unbreakable blockade in the dark void. They were ready to take immediate action and protect Li Yu if any rival empires dared to interfere with his trial. If Li Yu was to fall during this, it would not be due to interference or some sort of sneak attack.

Within the very center of their armored ranks floated a grand and golden carriage pulled by spectral beasts. The carriage was adorned with intricate runes and draped in fine silk curtains. Inside the opulent transport sat a very old man holding a polished golden cane. His face was heavily wrinkled and his posture was slightly hunched but his aura carried the weight of countless eras.

This was none other than Kui. He was the esteemed ancestor of the Golden Horizon guild and the loyal retainer who had accidentally traveled back in time during a chaotic spatial rift. He was incredibly old now and his physical body bore the scars of surviving through the endless epochs but he was still alive. His resilient turtle bloodline and the vast hoard of life extending treasures he had collected over the eras kept him alive till now.

Kui looked through the silk curtains toward the distant glowing storm and his ancient eyes filled with a mix of reverence and worry.

'Please make it through this trial, Wise Host!' Kui thought to himself while tapping his cane against the floorboards. 'We have endured the long passage of time just to see you rise. Do not let the heavens cut your journey short or we will be lost.'

A few moments later another ripple in the void signaled the arrival of the Leviathan Smashing Vanguard. Sleek jagged ships designed for pure relentless offense glided out of the darkness and hovered silently alongside the golden warriors. The ships radiated a cold mechanical lethality and their weapon arrays were already primed to fire upon any approaching threats.

The unknown general of the Vanguard stood on the deck of the lead ship and crossed his arms over his chest. He possessed the terrifying ability to physically transform into a reality bending Abyssal Leviathan capable of swallowing entire enemy divisions whole but he was but a worried man today. He kept his chaotic aura tightly suppressed but his eyes remained locked on the tribulation storm with unwavering focus.

The Veil Lotus forces materialized in a neighboring sector of the void shortly after. These were Lian's personal troops and they too had moved due to concern. They knew the man fighting for his life inside that storm was deeply important to their leader, their purpose and they were fully prepared to slaughter anyone who took a step toward his territory.

A heavy red mist began to bleed into the starless sky as the Nether Fang Legion answered the summons. Talia led her primal warriors through a localized spatial tear and they spread out across a wide area. The troops wore dark armor and they crouched in space like hunting wolves tracking a scent. They utilized primal animalistic tactics and they were eager to unleash their coordinated slaughter formations upon any foolish intruders. Zhan, the Heaven Severing Ancestor, appeared behind her and was equally concerned.

Finally the Phantom Scythes arrived to complete the hidden perimeter. Draven and Nyssa stepped out of the shadows with their troops following closely behind. Draven stared at the distant realm with bottomless black eyes while Nyssa radiated an illusionary aura that warped the light around her slender figure. They were ancient monsters who existed alongside the Eidolon Court but from the dark and they revered the young man in the storm as a father figure. They had kept their blades sharp for this exact era and they would not let anything harm him.

Five secret legions now surrounded the region in absolute silence. They formed an overlapping net of supreme power that defied conventional logic and they all shared a single unified purpose. They were protecting Li Yu from anyone who dared to interfere with his defining moment.

However, this unprecedented gathering of military might was also a gathering of very tense soldiers due to the situation at hand. The sheer density of killing intent and suppressed auras radiating from the five legions sent a terrifying chill across the neighboring territories. The rival factions and enemy scouts lurking in the distance felt the invisible pressure pressing against their throats and they were left paralyzed by fear.

The people who sensed the hidden armies were now more terrified of what would happen if Li Yu failed than they were of the storm itself. The combined wrath of those five legions could easily wipe the surrounding realms if they lost their primary reason for existing. The cosmic stage was set and the hidden vanguards held their breath as the lightning continued to rain down on the ancient plaza.