Myriad Rivers to the Sea

Chapter 874: That Sword is a Bit Strange

The fire crackled softly in the center of the spacious stone cave and the dancing flames cast long shadows against the walls that were covered in thousands of deep slash marks. Li Yu sat on a flat stone and took a slow sip of his sweet wine. Zhan sat a few paces away and the Heaven Severing Mantis tore into a large slab of beast meat with his sharp mandibles.The two newly bound companions ate in a comfortable silence for a while. Li Yu used the time to process the events of the day. He had secured a guide and learned a great deal about the brutal logic of this land. However, he still lacked a grander picture of where he was. The salamander tribe had been too weak and isolated to know much. Zhan was in the Law Seed realm and possessed a sharp intellect. He would undoubtedly know more.

"Zhan." Li Yu said while setting his wine cup down. "What is the name of this realm?"

Zhan paused his meal and looked up. His multifaceted eyes reflected the firelight.

"This is the Ferine Realm." Zhan answered directly. "It is a vast place. The land is harsh but the Qi is dense. It is exactly what you have seen so far. Territory is blood and blood is life."

Li Yu nodded slowly. "The elder of a salamander tribe told me that beasts join with their own species. Is the entire realm divided like that?"

"Yes." Zhan said while taking another bite of meat. "Beasts do not trust others. We group together with our own kind because the natural world is hostile. A tiger will not share a den with a wolf. There are rulers who command large territories and thousands of subordinates. They are usually beasts with deep bloodlines. The land is divided among them. They are the controllers of this world."

"Do they live in peace with their own kind?" Li Yu asked.

"No." Zhan clicked his mandibles in a sound that resembled a dry chuckle. "Back stabbing still happens between those of the same race. A younger dragon will always try to kill an older dragon for a better place. But people just feel better about being with their own kind. It is safer to sleep near someone who smells like you."

Li Yu understood the logic. It was a crude reflection of the human cultivation world. Sects and clans fought internally all the time but they would always unite against a foreign invader.

"Is there a ruler close to where we are right now?" Li Yu asked. He wanted to know if he needed to prepare for a confrontation with a top power.

"No." Zhan replied plainly. "We are currently in a lawless area. There is no real ruler that commands this specific expanse of the forest and the wetlands."

Li Yu raised an eyebrow. "Why? The Qi here is dense and the land is rich. The bamboo forest alone provides excellent cover. Why would the strong beasts ignore it?"

"No one is really sure." Zhan shrugged his scythe-like arms. "This area has always been like this. The great rulers seem to be afraid of something in these lands. Or perhaps they are afraid of someone who slumbers here. I do not know. I do not care to investigate their fears either."

"You live here because it is empty?" Li Yu observed.

"I live here because it is quiet." Zhan corrected him. "The rulers stay away and the large packs avoid the deep borders. That leaves me in peace, exactly what I want. I am here simply so I can focus on reaching new heights with my sword. Fighting random weaklings for territory is a waste of time. Polishing my sword intent is the only truth."

Li Yu looked at the insectoid beast with a newfound respect. Zhan was indeed sword fanatic, reminding him of Jian Xuan with his obsession with the sword but Zhan was much more simple minded towards the goal. His dedication was even more intense than Li Yu had initially thought. Zhan had abandoned the instinctual drive to conquer territory just to swing his arms in an empty cave.

It was this single minded focus that allowed Zhan to fight against Li Yu to a standstill earlier. Zhan was a full realm lower in cultivation. Yet, his sword intent and naturally evolved body bridged the gap. He had matched Li Yu's physical force blow for blow until Li Yu resorted to using soul attacks.

Li Yu did not know the first thing about the true way of the sword so he could not really discuss such things with Zhan. He could sense when someone's sword technique or intent was strong, just as he felt Zhan's sharp aura. But that was about as far as his understanding went.

He did not grasp the intricacies of sword paths, the flow of intent or the profound connection between a swordsman and their blade. Zhan finished his meal and stood up almost instantly afterwards. He walked toward the center of the cave and drew Starfall Edge from its blue wooden scabbard.

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"I must practice." Zhan stated. "A blade rusts if the intent is lazy."

Li Yu watched from his stone seat as the sword darted across the cave. It moved with terrifying speed and precision. Zhan directed the blade through a series of complex thrusts, sweeping arcs and sharp parries. The air whistled as the sword sliced through the empty space. Every movement looked incredibly precise and there was no wasted energy and even less hesitation.

Watching the fluid and deadly display, Li Yu felt a sudden spark of inspiration. The atmosphere of the cave and the sharp aura filling the air put him in the mood to practice as well. He didn’t know any sword techniques but swinging around Gilded Calamity always brought him peace of mind and focus.

With a flash of light, Gilded Calamity appeared in his hand. Zhan stopped his practice immediately with the appearance of Gilded Calamity. Starfall Edge halted in mid air. The mantis turned his triangular head and his multifaceted eyes locked onto the weapon in Li Yu's hand.

Zhan took a slow and cautious step forward. The sharp aura radiating from the mantis spiked with sudden intensity.

"Master." Zhan said. His metallic voice carried a trace of genuine shock. "Is that your personal sword?"

“Please just call me Li Yu.” Li Yu said first. He then looked down at Gilded Calamity. "I use it sometimes to practice my forms. But it is not a true combat weapon."

Zhan took another step closer. His gaze was fixed on the scabbard floating in the air and then towards the sword itself. "It is incredible. I have never felt a presence like that before."

"It was a gift from a hero of my race." Li Yu explained. He remembered the quiet courtyard and the stern face of Li Canghai. "His name is Li Canghai. He gave it to me as a token of thanks for my efforts. He told me it is a decorative and ceremonial sword."

Zhan flinched. The mantis looked at Li Yu as if the boy had just spoken a terrible blasphemy.

"A decorative sword?" Zhan repeated. His mandibles clicked rapidly in disbelief. "Are the sword forging techniques of your people that powerful? A weapon that is not even meant for battle carries such a heavy aura?"

Li Yu waved around the blade a bit. The steel was pristine and bright, catching the light of the fire. It looked magnificent but it lacked the hungry and bloodthirsty edge of a seasoned weapon.

"I am only repeating his words." Li Yu said while resting the flat of the blade against his shoulder. "Li Canghai explicitly told me it was decorative. He said it was a ceremonial piece and not meant for actual combat. I have used it to practice basic swings but nothing more than that. As he told me, it could be easily damaged and I don’t want to do that."

Zhan shook his head slowly. The mantis did not break eye contact with the shining blade.

"Your hero lied to you." Zhan stated bluntly. "Or he was testing you. I sense a powerful sword intent radiating from that steel. It is dormant but it is vast. It feels like an ocean waiting for a storm."

Li Yu frowned at his words. Several others have commented on the sword before but only commented on its appearance and nothing more. Now Zhan is saying the sword was incredibly powerful.

He swept his spiritual sense over Gilded Calamity. He felt the cold steel, the high quality materials and the faint hum of spiritual energy common in well crafted artifacts. But he did not feel an ocean of intent. He did not feel anything resembling the sharp and aggressive aura that Zhan naturally emitted.

"I cannot sense it." Li Yu admitted honestly. "It just feels like a very well made sword to me. Are you sure you are not mistaking the quality of the metal for intent?"

"I am not mistaken." Zhan said with deep conviction. The mantis puffed his chest out slightly. "I am much more sensitive to such things than others. I told you about my origins. For centuries, my only nourishment was the lingering intent of a dead era."

Li Yu sheathed Gilded Calamity. "What exactly was that burial ground? Was it a battlefield?"

"I do not know." Zhan explained. "There were no bones and no broken weapons. The land was just scarred with slashes. Perhaps it was an area where a great expert spent his last days. Perhaps a supreme swordsman sat in that valley to prepare for a final breakthrough and left his comprehension etched into the stones. Or perhaps it was something else."

Zhan gestured to his scythe-like arms.

"But I grew up there." Zhan continued. "My biology was forged by that intent. My sensitivity to the sword is an instinct woven into my very soul. I can smell a sharp edge from miles away, okay that is not true but I can feel it. And I am telling you, Li Yu."

Zhan pointed a serrated claw directly at the sword in Li Yu's hand.

"That sword is not simple." Zhan declared. "It is not decorative. There is a terrifying will sleeping inside that metal. If you cannot feel it, it is only because the sword refuses to open its eyes for you."

Li Yu looked down at Gilded Calamity again. The intricate silver clouds and golden rivers seemed to mock him. Li Canghai was a serious man, a leader and hero to countless people. He did not seem like the type to play elaborate pranks with weapons. Yet, Zhan was a creature born of sword intent. The mantis had no reason to lie and possessed senses Li Yu simply did not have.

'Li Canghai said it was a trinket.' Li Yu thought while running his thumb over the silk wrapped hilt. 'But Zhan senses a sleeping ocean. I know nothing of the sword path. Perhaps the hero gave me a puzzle and I was too ignorant to see it?'

Li Yu gripped the scabbard tighter. He trusted his own strength but he knew better than to ignore the warnings of a local expert. The lawless zone was quiet tonight but the mysteries of his own arsenal were suddenly growing louder.