Myriad Rivers to the Sea

Chapter 161: The King and the Koi

Overseeing the beast was the ancient form of Spine. He stood unmoving at the back of the hall, a frail old man who no one paid any mind. Yet, whenever one of Li Yu’s beasts was about to be struck by a particularly vicious or coordinated attack, Spine would simply lift a finger. A subtle, invisible ripple of power would wash over the battlefield, causing the bandit’s attack to inexplicably miss, their footing to slip, or their spiritual energy to falter for a crucial, fatal second. He was a silent, invisible conductor, ensuring his master’s assets were not unduly harmed in their training exercise.But the true heart of the storm was the duel in the center of the hall.

The Bandit King, his portly human form a blur of surprising speed, charged at Li Yu, his nine-pronged demonic rake held high. “Nine Streams of Plunder!” he shrieked, his voice a high-pitched sound of pure fury. The nine prongs of the rake glowed with a sickly, brown light, and with a single, powerful swing, he unleashed nine distinct waves of heavy, muddy-looking energy that sought to tear and pull at Li Yu from all directions, a technique designed to overwhelm and dismember.

Li Yu’s expression was one of calm, joyful excitement. His week of intense, skill-focused training was about to be put to the ultimate test. He spun his heavy staff of Condensed Sea Iron Ore, its black form a stark contrast to the chaotic energies of the hall. He did not retreat. He met the attack head-on.

His style, once just an application of overwhelming force, was now tempered with a bit of newfound grace. He moved forward, his feet tracing a fluid, river-like path. His staff became a whirlwind of motion, not just blocking, but redirecting. With a series of precise, perfectly timed taps and parries, he struck each of the nine muddy energy waves, not with brute force, but at their weakest points, causing them to dissipate harmlessly.

He flowed through the remnants of the technique and appeared before the shocked Bandit King, his staff a black blur as it aimed for the King’s shoulder.

The Bandit King was, however, a true Core Formation expert who had earned his throne through countless bloody battles. His body was incredibly tough, and his instincts were sharp. He let out a grunt, twisting his portly frame with an agility that defied his size, the staff grazing his robes as he brought his rake up in a defensive block.

The clash of heavy sea iron ore on demonic metal sent a deafening clang and a shower of sparks through the hall. The force of the blow sent both men staggering back a few steps.

The Bandit King stared, his small, shrewd eyes wide with disbelief. He was renowned for his immense physical strength, the very reason the Iron Heart Sect’s leader had been so easily crushed. Yet this boy… this slender, unassuming youth had just met his full-powered block and had not budged an inch more than he had.

“Impressive strength, little one,” the Bandit King growled, his confidence shaken but not yet broken. “Let’s see you handle this! Mountain-Crushing Charge!”

He stomped his foot, and the stone floor cracked. His entire body was enveloped in a thick, earthy-yellow aura, and he charged forward, not as a man, but as a living cannonball, his rake held before him like a battering ram’s tusk. It was a simple, direct, and overwhelmingly powerful attack.

Li Yu’s smile widened. He did not sidestep. He did not retreat. He met power with power. He took a single, firm step forward, planting his feet, and brought his staff around in a powerful, horizontal swing, pouring a fraction more of the condensed power from his body into the blow.heir invincible King, their Core Formation powerhouse, had been beaten like a disobedient dog and was now kneeling before a cheerful, portly old man who had appeared from nowhere.

Their last shred of fighting spirit vanished. They dropped their weapons and fell to their knees, their heads bowed to the floor, surrendering completely to their new, terrifyingly powerful masters.