Myriad Rivers to the Sea

Chapter 897: The Heaven Severing Ancestor

Zhan faded from the tranquil courtyard and stepped through the spatial folds of the cosmos. He traveled across vast stellar distances in a matter of seconds before he emerged under the heavy and blood red sky of the Crimson Howl Realm. This was a harsh and untamed realm defined by towering jagged mountains and sprawling forests filled with colossal beasts. The gravity here was immense and the ambient Qi was thick with feral energy but it served as the ideal training ground for a legion forged in brutality.

Talia stood atop a massive cliff while observing her troops in the valley below. She wore elegant dark armor that shimmered with a faint violet light and her amethyst eyes tracked the rapid movements of her soldiers. She was currently commanding the Nether Fang Legion.

The troops were composed of fierce warriors who utilized primal and animalistic tactics they had refined over the eras. They moved like hunting wolves through the dense jungle and struck from the shadows with lethal precision. They tore through herds of massive iron hide rhinos to polish their coordinated slaughter formations.

Talia sensed the familiar shift in space and turned to see Zhan arriving. Her husband did not try to mask his presence. The space around Zhan naturally warped because his sword intent was so dense, it sliced the very laws around him. He walked toward her and the feral beasts in the valley below instinctively paused their roaring as they felt the arrival of an apex predator.

She smiled warmly and stepped forward to greet him. They had survived the brutal passage of time together and found solace in each other over time.

"You felt it too." Talia said while her voice carried a melodic and comforting hiss.

"I did." Zhan nodded as he stood beside her and looked out over the sprawling jungle. "The lingering fragment of our ancient soul contract stirred for the first time in eras. He has finally returned from meeting us."

Talia crossed her arms and frowned slightly in thought. "It is strange. We have lived through countless ages since our time in the Ferine Realm. We reached this level of cultivation and we scoured the realms but we never sensed a single trace of him until today."

Zhan clicked his mandibles in a soft rhythm while he considered the question. He had spent centuries pondering the exact same mystery until a specific weapon provided the missing context.

"It all connects back to the Li Clan." Zhan explained as he turned to face his wife. "When we finally grew strong enough to wander the cosmos freely, I remembered the vow I made to the sword spirit. He told me to find the Li Family and offer my strength so I tracked them down."

Talia remembered the journey well. They had traveled to the central domains and Zhan had challenged the outer sect elders of the Li Clan simply to secure a meeting. His sword intent was so strong and overwhelming that the clan leaders bypassed the traditional recruitment protocols. They invited him to join them as a guest elder almost immediately.

Zhan spent the following eras dedicating his life to the blade and defending the clan from numerous cosmic threats. His power grew to terrifying heights until he was eventually granted him an honorary Ancestor title for his contributions. He gave himself the title of Heaven Severing Ancestor.

It was the highest title within the clan that someone without a direct bloodline could achieve and it cemented his legacy as a core pillar of their military might. His entire existence was devoted to the sword and the clan respected that singular focus.

"I spent a long time exploring their armories and their ancient texts." Zhan continued while his metallic eyes gleamed with amusement.

"Eventually I was present when their master smiths forged a new powerful weapon. They named the blade Gilded Calamity and placed it among their ten great swords. When I saw it, I recognized the golden scabbard and the heavy blade immediately but there was one massive difference. The sword did not have its spirit yet."

"We have talked about this before. The spirit you spoke to in the Ferine Realm did not exist yet when the sword was created?" Talia commented. It was something that has been discussed many times through the years.

"Exactly." Zhan laughed softly. "As you know, we pieced things together over the long years. As absurd as it sounds, Li Yu must have traveled back in time when he was pulled into that purple rift. The master we followed for a brief time in the ancient oceans was actually a junior from our current era. That is why we only sense him now. He just returned."

Talia shook her head in disbelief but over the years it was the only thing that made sense. Sensing Li Yu today out of the blue nearly confirmed what they had been thinking.

"But there is a missing link." Zhan stated while his tone shifted to a more serious note. "The sword Gilded Calamity passed through several hands over the eras before it was most recently awarded to Canghai for his martial achievements. I took on several disciples over the long years and eventually also became the master of Canghai. Canghai had several masters to guide his vast potential but I was his main instructor."

"Li Yu had Gilded Calamity when he met us, so if we sense him now, it must mean he already has Gilded Calamity right now. If Li Yu has Gilded Calamity now, it means someone gave it to him." Talia realized instantly as she looked at the metallic green warrior.

"And that someone should be my favorite disciple since he was the person that had that sword last." Zhan nodded while summoning a spatial tear with a casual wave of his hand. His sword intent sliced open the fabric of reality with effortless grace. "Canghai should still be in possession of that blade according to the official clan registry. We need to go pay him a visit and see exactly how he is connected to our ancient master."

Talia dispersed her troops with a swift telepathic command and stepped into the spatial rift alongside Zhan.

They traveled across the void and arrived at a highly secure military compound. It was a sprawling estate designed for high ranking commanders to rest and recuperate away from the endless bloodshed.

Zhan and Talia bypassed the outer security checkpoints with ease because their status granted them unrestricted access to almost any clan facility. The guards simply bowed deeply as the Heaven Severing Ancestor walked past them.

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They were guided by the estate servants through lush gardens and winding stone paths until they reached a private dining pavilion overlooking a serene spiritual lake. Li Canghai and his wife Zhan Tielan were enjoying a quiet dinner together.

They were out of their combat armor and wore simple elegant robes that made them look like a normal mortal couple taking a brief respite from the weight of the universe. When Zhan and Talia entered the pavilion, Li Canghai immediately stood up and offered a deep respectful bow to his master.

Tielan stood up as well and greeted Talia with a warm embrace. They had fought alongside each other on numerous occasions over the years and had developed a deep friendship forged in the fires of war.

"Master Zhan, Madam Talia.." Canghai said while gesturing toward the empty seats at the table. "This is a pleasant surprise. Please join us. We were just discussing the recent logistical movements and the ongoing fortifications."

Zhan took a seat and accepted a cup of spiritual wine from Tielan. He drank it slowly while the four of them chatted about mundane clan politics and the shifting tides of the ongoing border skirmishes.

Canghai spoke with the confidence of a seasoned warlord but he always maintained a deferential tone whenever addressing Zhan. He revered the Heaven Severing Ancestor who had guided his blade through the most difficult bottlenecks of his cultivation journey.

The pavilion was filled with the soft sounds of the spiritual lake and the gentle clinking of porcelain cups. The atmosphere was incredibly peaceful and it stood in stark contrast to the brutal wars raging across the outer realms.

After a few minutes of casual conversation, Zhan set his cup down and decided to reveal his true purpose for the visit. He leaned forward and allowed a tiny fraction of his supreme sword intent to bleed into the air.

"Canghai." Zhan said while his metallic eyes locked onto his disciple. "I have recently developed a new theory regarding the second step of the slaughter techniques I taught you. I need to borrow Gilded Calamity for a few days to test the resonance of the blade against my intent. Where are you keeping it?"

Li Canghai froze with his chopsticks hovering halfway to his bowl. He slowly lowered his hand and placed the utensils on the table. He glanced nervously at his wife. Tielan kept her expression neutral but her posture stiffened slightly and her grip on her own cup tightened.

"Master." Canghai started while clearing his throat to hide his sudden anxiety. "I am afraid I cannot lend you the sword right now."

Zhan raised a metallic eyebrow and feigned a look of stern displeasure. "You cannot lend it to me? It is not merely a tool, Canghai. Do not tell me you left such a valuable weapon behind in a vault on the front lines."

Canghai sighed heavily and ran a hand through his dark hair. He knew he could not lie to his primary master so he decided to confess his transgression. He was actually quite surprised that Zhan knew the sword was gone because he had deliberately avoided reporting the transfer to the family registry. He assumed it would take decades for anyone to notice the missing artifact.

"I no longer have Gilded Calamity." Canghai admitted while keeping his eyes lowered in a posture of submission. "I gave it away."

Zhan slapped his hand against the wooden table and caused the dishes to rattle violently. He channeled more of his terrifying sword intent into the room to create an atmosphere of heavy and suffocating pressure. The fish in the nearby lake darted away in panic as the very air seemed to grow sharp edges.

"You gave it away?" Zhan demanded while acting deeply upset. "You gave away one of the ten great swords of the Li Family without consulting the elders or seeking my permission? To whom did you gift such a priceless artifact?"

Canghai hesitated. The pressure in the room was immense and he knew he had broken several strict clan protocols by transferring the sword to an outsider. He looked at Tielan again and she offered him an encouraging nod. They could not keep the truth hidden from the Heaven Severing Ancestor forever and Zhan was one of the few people they could trust with their lives.

"I gave it to a junior." Canghai explained while his voice dropped to a quiet whisper. He waved his hand and cast a thick sound isolation barrier around the pavilion to ensure no servants or hidden sentries could overhear them. "Master Zhan, there is something I must tell you. Tielan and I have a son."

Zhan and Talia were genuinely stunned by the revelation. They widened their eyes and leaned back in their chairs as the news physically struck them. They had tracked Gilded Calamity to Canghai but they had expected a story about a hidden disciple or a favored junior, not a secret bloodline.

"A son?" Talia echoed while placing a hand over her mouth in pure shock. "You two have a child and you never told us?"

Canghai bowed his head in a gesture of apology. "I am deeply sorry for hiding this from you Master. It was a heavily guarded secret for my son’s protection. Only the current clan head knows of his existence within the clan.

We wanted him to grow up in a peaceful realm far away from the wars and the burdens of our bloodlines. We hid him to ensure he would not become a target for our enemies or a political pawn within the alliances."

Zhan rubbed his chin while his mind raced. The final missing piece of the puzzle snapped into place with staggering clarity. He looked at his proud disciple and felt a massive surge of comedic irony bubbling up in his chest as he realized exactly who this secret son was.

"You gave your sword to your secret son." Zhan summarized as his metallic eyes widened slightly. He leaned forward and stared directly into Canghai's eyes. "Let me ask you something, Canghai. Is your son named Li Yu?"

Li Canghai and Tielan both flinched as if they had been struck by lightning. Their faces drained of color and they stared at the Heaven Severing Ancestor in shock. They had gone to extreme lengths to conceal the boy's identity and location.

"How..." Canghai stammered while his voice cracked. "How could you possibly know his name?"

Zhan did not answer the question with words. He reached across the table and smacked Canghai hard on the back of the head.

"You bastard!" Zhan scolded him while dropping the stern facade entirely. "You keep a secret like that from your own master for years and then you act surprised when the cosmos reveals it?"

Before Canghai could recover from the physical blow, Zhan leaned back in his chair and laughed out loud. The booming sound of his laughter echoed against the sound isolation barrier and shook the pavilion pillars. Talia joined in with a soft chuckle as she watched the sheer confusion spread across the faces of the two protective parents.

"Fate is such a strange and ridiculous thing." Zhan said while shaking his head in deep amusement. He looked at Talia and shared a knowing glance. Fate had intertwined their destinies in the most absurd way possible.

Canghai rubbed the back of his head and looked at his master with deep bewilderment. He had expected rage or severe punishment for giving away a clan treasure but Zhan was acting like he had just heard a fantastic joke.

Zhan picked up his cup of spiritual wine and took another slow sip. His mind wandered away from the immediate conversation and began to analyze the bizarre hierarchy that now existed between them.

'Li Yu is technically my master from the ancient era.' Zhan thought to himself while hiding a massive grin behind his porcelain cup. 'I met him when I was still at Law Seed. But Canghai is my direct disciple in the present era and Canghai is Li Yu's father.'

Zhan paused as he tried to map out the respect dynamics. If his ancient master was the son of his current disciple, did that put his own disciple ahead of him in terms of generational seniority? Should he be bowing to Canghai now? The logical loops were enough to give even a supreme cultivator a severe headache.

Zhan quickly brushed the thought away and decided to ignore the entire thing completely. He was the Heaven Severing Ancestor and his blade bowed to no confusing family trees.

'Canghai is just a little brat.' Zhan concluded in his mind while looking at the feared warlord sitting across from him. 'I would never give him such an honor. He still has much to learn about the blade before I ever call him anything else.'