Myriad Rivers to the Sea

Chapter 944: The Rigid Path

Four peaceful days passed within the tranquil walls of the Li Clan estate. Li Yu spent his time consolidating his cultivation and familiarizing himself with his newly subdued weapon spirit. He also made two trips back to the Peak of the Forge. Master Zhan Tie kept his promise and put Li Yu to work. The master smith handed him a heavy hammer and forced him to strike raw iron until his muscles ached. Li Yu learned more about the physical limits of spiritual metals in those two days than he had in his entire life.

He was resting in his courtyard on the evening of the fourth day when the air rippled.

Li Canghai stepped out of the void. The steel plates of his armor were scarred and smelled faintly of burnt ozone and dried blood. He looked exhausted but a warm smile broke across his face when he saw his son.

"Father," Li Yu stood up and offered a deep bow. "You returned quickly. Has the front line stabilized?"

"Temporarily," Canghai sighed. He removed his armor and set them on the stone table. "The outer skirmishes have quieted down for the moment. I only have a brief window to check on the clan before I must return to the border once more. How are you settling in?"

"I am finding my footing," Li Yu answered honestly. "I have been exploring the library and learning the basics of the forge from Master Tie."

Canghai laughed. "Old Tie is a good man. He will work you to the bone but he knows his craft better than most. I am glad you are keeping busy. However, I actually came to give you an opportunity to leave the estate for a short while."

Li Yu poured his father a cup of hot spiritual tea. "An opportunity?"

"The Heavenly Sword Sect is hosting a gathering." Canghai explained while taking a slow sip of the tea. "They sent a delegation to our banquet recently as I am sure you are aware. They are now holding a reciprocal event at their home domain. It is a showcase of techniques and a venue for light sparring between the younger generations."

"You want me to go and fight?" Li Yu asked.

"No," Canghai shook his head firmly. "I do not want you to partake in any of the sparring. To be honest I think you would cause problems if you do. I simply want you to be a part of the group. It would be a very good chance for you to see the wider world and observe how other lineages walk the path of the sword. Even if you do not walk it yourself, there are always things to be learned from others. You can learn a lot just by watching."

Li Yu nodded in agreement. He was interested in what other places looked like as well. He wanted to broaden his horizons and understand the true scale of the Myriad Realms.

"I will go," Li Yu said. "Who is leading the group?"

"The Heir will lead the delegation as the primary representative," Canghai told him. "Li Mei is highly capable and knows how to navigate their strict protocols. Several high ranking elders will accompany her. We are even sending an Ancestor with the group as a show of respect and force."

Canghai stood up and his brief window of rest was already over. What time he had away was spend preparing things for Li Yu’s trip.

"The delegation leaves in three days." Canghai said as he placed a heavy hand on Li Yu's shoulder and squeezed it affectionately. "Keep a low profile. Watch their techniques and learn from their rigid orthodoxy. I must return to my troops now. Stay safe."

"You too, Father." Li Yu replied.

Canghai stepped backward and dissolved into the void as the courtyard grew quiet once again. Li Yu spent the next three days meditating and restocking on a few essential supplies into his Koi Sanctuary. He made sure to stock up on high quality spirit wine and roasted meats from the markets.

The morning of the departure arrived.

Li Yu walked toward the grand central plaza located near the Peak of the Forge. The gathering area was already bustling with activity. Fifty three disciples of the Li Clan stood in perfectly organized ranks.

They wore immaculate white and silver robes and their cultivations varied wildly but cultivation was not important for such an event. Only how technically skilled someone was with the technique they were going to showcase.

Five stern looking elders stood at the front of the formation. They carried swords by their side and exuded auras of authority.

Standing slightly apart from the main group was the heir, Li Mei. She wore white silk robes embroidered with silver lotus patterns. A beautiful sword with a pale blue hilt rested at her hip. She surveyed the gathered disciples with calm, it was clear that she had led groups before.

Li Yu quietly joined the back of the disciple formation as he didn't know anyone here. A few of the disciples glanced back at him with curiosity but no one broke rank to speak. A sudden shift in the ambient Qi caused everyone in the plaza to hold their breath.

An old man in faded grey robes walked casually out of the administrative pavilion. He had his hands tucked into his sleeves and was humming a quiet tune. It was Ancestor Li Cangyuan. He did not project a terrifying aura but the harmony he shared with the natural laws made him the undeniable center of the plaza.

The elders bowed their heads as the disciples followed suit and bowed their heads in reverence. Li Yu also bowed deeply at the man but was still a bit confused on his actual standing within the clan.

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Cangyuan waved a wrinkled hand dismissively. "Stand up. Save the rigid formalities for our hosts."

The group stood back up and Cangyuan did not walk toward the front of the formation to stand with the heir or the elders. Instead he ambled directly down the side of the ranks and he walked straight to the very back of the group while stopping in front of Li Yu.

"Boy," Cangyuan smiled warmly. "How are you doing today? Have you managed to find any more powerful swords to stuff into your pockets since we last spoke?"

Li Yu smiled politely and chuckled a bit at the joke. He finally understood what the senior was going on about, he had completely misunderstood the nature of swords back then. "I am doing well, Senior. And no. I have not acquired any new swords. My pockets are quite full at the moment, waiting for the opportunity to spend to acquire one."

"Good," Cangyuan chuckled back with a raspy sound. "My old heart can only take so much shock."

A silence fell over the plaza.

The other fifty three disciples stared straight ahead but their eyes were confused. The five elders exchanged bewildered glances. Ancestors were usually legendary figures and it was difficult to interact with one.

They spent decades or centuries in isolated seclusion. They rarely spoke to the Patriarch, let alone a junior disciple. Yet Ancestor Cangyuan had just walked up to Li Yu and casually joked with him as if they were close peers or friends.

At the front of the formation Li Mei narrowed her eyes but she maintained her neutral expression. She did not say a word and she did not move a single muscle.

Internally her mind was racing with her calculating intelligence dissecting the interaction between the two. She watched the Ancestor laugh with the hidden son of Canghai. The cold blade of suspicion in her mind grew sharper. She viewed Li Yu as a massive political anomaly and this public display of favoritism only solidified her wariness.

She had also heard rumors that the Heaven Severing Ancestor also had interactions with Li Yu. While that one was a bit easier to understand since he was Canghai’s master, the fact that now two Ancestors were already interacting with Li Yu did not sit well with her.

"The transport is ready." One of the elders finally announced as he broke the silence and gestured toward the edge of the plaza.

Resting at the docking platform was a massive flying ship. It was an awe inspiring vessel forged entirely from some form of dark metal, deep brown wood and embellished with jade. The entire ship was constructed in the shape of a colossal broadsword. The hull formed the blade while the towering command pavilions at the rear acted as the hilt and crossguard.

The delegation boarded the vessel and Li Yu found a quiet spot near the railing of the main deck. The sword ship hummed with power as the defensive arrays flared to life and encased the deck in a shimmering barrier of Qi. The ship lifted off the plaza and shot cleanly into the sky as it pierced the clouds and tore into the vast expanse of the Myriad Realms.

The journey took several hours because they were not in a rush. Li Yu watched the shifting colors and the distant realms pass by. The Li Clan disciples sat in small groups to meditate or quietly discuss sword theories. Ancestor Cangyuan vanished into a private cabin and never came out. Li Mei stood near the bow of the ship and stared out into the horizon with focus.

The landscape came into view as they eventually arrived closer to their destination. The Li Clan was a lush and vibrant territory but the place they were heading to was a stark and imposing environment.

The mountains below did not look natural, they were impossibly steep and jagged. They pierced the heavens like millions of actual swords stabbed violently into the earth. The sky above was cast in a heavy and overcast grey. The air grew incredibly dense and smelled strongly of burning sandalwood and ancient incense.

"We are entering the holy domain." An elder announced to the disciples on the deck. "Prepare yourselves."

Li Yu leaned over the railing and he saw a massive temple complex carved directly into the face of the largest mountain. This was the Heavenly Sword Sect headquarters.

The differences between the two lineages were immediately apparent in just their architecture. The Li Clan favored elegant white jade, sweeping arches and harmony with nature. The Heavenly Sword Sect was a monument to brutal and unyielding rigidity.

Their temples were massive and monolithic blocks carved from cold iron grey granite. The roofs and pillars were clad in razor sharp black stone. There were no gentle curves or flowing rivers here. Every building ended in a severe and sky piercing spike. The structures looked like dark and heavy weapons waiting to be drawn from the earth.

The ship slowly descended toward a massive plaza paved entirely in polished black stone. Thousands of disciples were gathered below to receive them and the other invitees. Li Yu observed the host sect with keen interest as they seemed quite interesting from the banquet.

The stark black floor of the plaza made their attire pop with blinding contrast to their surroundings. Their elders and disciples all wore plain white robes and carried unadorned straight swords. No one spoke and no one fidgeted around. They looked like an army of statues carved from ice, waiting to go into battle.

A deep and rhythmic chant echoed from the dark granite halls. It was not a song but was a holy scripture dedicated to the perfection of the single edge.

Li Yu could feel their collective sword intent washing over the plaza. It was incredibly powerful but it felt entirely dogmatic. It lacked the wild creativity of his father's twin swords or the aggressive freedom of the Heaven Severing Ancestor. Their intent felt like a cage built of sharpened steel. They did not wield the sword as a tool, they worshipped it as a god.

They were deeply proud of their rigid orthodoxy and believed it was the true path to the Dao. The Li Clan's sword ship gently touched down on the black stone and the heavy ramps lowered to the ground.

Li Mei stepped forward to lead the group as she projected an aura of aristocratic grace. The five elders flanked her with Ancestor Cangyuan walking slowly behind them with his hands tucked lazily into his sleeves. The remaining disciples followed down after them.

A group of high ranking priests from the Heavenly Sword Sect stepped forward to greet them. They carried heavy iron staves and wore tall crowns shaped like sword hilts.

"The Heavenly Sword Sect welcomes the Li Clan." The lead priest intoned. His voice was completely devoid of emotion and echoed across the silent plaza like a ringing bell. "May the holy edge guide our communion."

"The Li Clan accepts your hospitality." Li Mei replied with her voice that was perfectly measured. "May our paths cross in harmony."

Li Yu walked quietly behind the elders as he looked up at the massive monolithic statues of ancient sword saints towering over the dark courtyards. The atmosphere was stifling and entirely devoid of warmth but there was a strange feeling within Li Yu that he couldn’t quite explain.

However, he remembered his father's advice to simply watch and learn. He kept his Qi completely hidden and his expression neutral. He was ready to observe how this religious sect wielded their sword and how it was different from what he had seen in the Li Clan.