Myriad Rivers to the Sea

Chapter 881: The Weight of Roots

"The pressure is gone and for that, I cannot thank you enough, Li Yu." Elder Mu said as his voice carried a renewed and steady resonance. "The mortal danger has passed and I have hoarded ancient herbs and deep earth minerals for thousands of years in preparation for such an event. Now that my meridians are open, I can absorb them to mend myself."The ancient ruler shifted his weight and looked toward the tunnel entrance, where a towering wooden figure stood waiting in respectful silence.

This ent was different from the massive guards that patrolled the borders. His body was composed of a dark and dense wood that looked as solid as forged iron. He carried an air of refined authority and his glowing green eyes were sharp and intelligent.

"This is Thornwood." Elder Mu introduced the towering figure. "He is my second in command. He oversees the daily matters of the sanctuary. I must enter a deep state of meditation to absorb my herbs and heal. Thornwood will see to your needs while I rest. I will see you if you are still around after I am healed."

Thornwood stepped forward and placed a heavy wooden hand over his chest, bowing deeply to Li Yu.

"The Ancient One's friends are honored guests of the forest." Thornwood rumbled. His voice was smooth and lacked the grinding quality of the lesser guards. "We will provide you with anything you require."

Li Yu nodded in return. "Thank you. We only seek a safe place to recover our own strength and perhaps gather some knowledge before we resume our journey."

Elder Mu offered a slow nod as his smooth bark face radiated a deep and benevolent warmth. "Rest as long as you need. The domain is open to you."

The ancient tree closed his eyes as thick, glowing vines descended from the cavern ceiling. They quickly wrapped gently around his wounded form to deliver the hoarded medicinal energies. Seeing that the ruler had entered his meditative trance, Thornwood gestured for Li Yu and Zhan to follow him.

They walked through a series of branching tunnels, moving away from the central chamber. Thornwood led them to a large and airy cavern near an underground stream. The air here was fresh and cool, carrying the sweet scent of blooming cave flowers.

"This chamber is yours." Thornwood said. "The water from the stream is pure and rich with natural Qi. If you require food, my gatherers will bring you the finest fruits and beast meat the forest has to offer."

"This is more than enough." Li Yu said while finding a flat stone to sit on. "Before you return to your duties, Thornwood, I was hoping you could answer a few questions about the Ferine Realm for me."

The tall ent paused at the entrance of the chamber. "The Ancient One commanded me to assist you. Ask what you will."

"Zhan told me there are many rulers in this realm." Li Yu began and gestured to the mantis standing quietly near the stream. "But he does not know the grand politics. How many entities hold the title of ruler here?"

"Before the suns rose today, there were seventeen." Thornwood answered with his glowing eyes dimming slightly at the mention of the war. "They are the supreme predators, the Tribulation realm beings who have carved this world into distinct domains. With the defeat of Gorr the Mountain Ape, there are now sixteen."

"Gorr is dead?" Zhan asked as his voice was showing a hint of surprise. "He fled the valley and he was fast."

"His wounds were fatal." Thornwood stated with grim certainty. "Even if Gorr survived the flight back to his mountains, the surrounding rulers will smell his weakness. A Tribulation realm beast bleeding vital essence is a feast no rival can ignore. If the earth does not claim him, another ruler will. Soon, a new sovereign will rise to take his place and the number will return to seventeen."

Li Yu processed the reality of the power vacuum. A single loss in battle meant the eradication of an entire clan and the inevitable consumption of the loser.

"I have a specific interest." Li Yu continued. "I am looking for aquatic beasts. Are there any rulers who fit that?"

Thornwood pointed a thick wooden finger toward the south east.

"If you seek the deep waters, you must travel to the south east." The ent commander explained. "The land drops away, giving birth to a massive ocean with sprawling archipelagos. That region is dominated by three distinct aquatic rulers."

Li Yu leaned forward with this new information, he needed to add to his Koi Sanctuary and knowing the names of the local powers was vital.

"The first is Thalassa, the Abyssal Siren." Thornwood said as his voice dropped an octave. "She rules the deep trenches. She is a humanoid aquatic beast. Her voice can shatter the souls of weaker foes. Her domain is a place of illusions and crushing pressure."

"A siren." Li Yu murmured.

"The second is Gart, the Tide Shark." Thornwood continued. "He claims the coastal shallows and the rushing reefs. He is a massive beast of pure muscle and endless hunger. He is not a schemer like Thalassa; he is a force of nature. When he swims, the oceans rise and swallow the beaches. His physical strength rivals that of Gorr."

"And the third?"

"Mire, the Deep Eel." The ent commander finished. "He commands the murky swamps and the underwater cavern systems. He is a serpentine predator who strikes from the shadows. His territory is a labyrinth of poison and traps. The three of them wage an endless war for the coastal borders, flooding the land and dragging terrestrial beasts into the depths."

Li Yu nodded slowly and was processing the information. The south east sounded like a highly dangerous warzone but it was exactly the kind of environment where he could find displaced aquatic species to bring into his collection.

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"I appreciate the information, Thornwood." Li Yu said.

"It is a small trade for the life of my sovereign." Thornwood replied. He looked around the comfortable chamber. "You should stay here and rest for a week. The surface is still unstable as our forces are burning the remains of the mountain apes and securing the border. During this time, I will have my scribes prepare a detailed map of the Ferine Realm for you, marking the domains of the sixteen remaining rulers."

Li Yu smiled and thanked him. A more detailed map was a treasure in this wild world.

"Furthermore," Thornwood added, "Elder Mu requested that you wait for his recovery. He wishes to present you with a parting gift at the end of the week. It is his way of expressing his gratitude before you resume your travels."

Li Yu looked at Zhan who offered a subtle nod of agreement. There was no reason to refuse such a generous offer. Rushing back out into the chaotic wild when they had a safe, Qi rich environment to cultivate in would be foolish.

"We accept your kind offer." Li Yu said. "We will stay for the week."

Thornwood bowed once more and left the chamber, leaving the two companions to their rest.

The next seven days were a period of unparalleled peace in the otherwise violent Ferine Realm. Li Yu and Zhan were treated as honored guests of the highest order. Every morning, lesser servants brought baskets woven from fresh vines, filled with energy dense spirit fruits, roasted beast meat and clear spring water.

Zhan did not waste a single moment of the downtime. The Heaven Severing Mantis was obsessed with his sword path. Whenever he was not eating or sleeping, he was standing by the underground stream, practicing his sword control and refining the brutal and direct offensive momentum he had witnessed during the clash of the Tribulation rulers.

Li Yu also focused on his own advancement. He found a quiet corner of the cavern where the ambient wood Qi pooled in heavy concentrations. He sat in deep meditation and was diving his consciousness into the infinite river of laws. He spent his days comprehending the subtle nuances of life and the raw kinetic force he had seen Gorr utilize, preparing himself for the inevitable dangers of the south east oceans.

When they were not training, Thornwood assigned several different ent guides to show them around the sprawling underground sanctuary.

It was a beautiful and harmonious place. The guides took them through large bioluminescent caves where glowing blue mushrooms hung from the ceiling like stars. They walked along the banks of rushing underground rivers that teemed with some sort of fish, which Li Yu obtained a few dozen for his Koi Sanctuary.

Most impressively, Li Yu saw hundreds of minor beasts living in peace. There were dens carved into the earthen walls where shadow panthers raised their cubs alongside grazing deer. The brutal hierarchy of the surface world did not exist down here. It was a true utopia, a fragile bubble of peace maintained solely by the overwhelming power of Elder Mu.

As Li Yu observed the sanctuary, his respect for the ancient tree deepened. To carve out a haven of mercy in a realm governed by ruthless consumption was a monumental achievement. His guard, usually kept high and vigilant, slowly lowered as he absorbed the tranquility of the environment.

At the end of the seventh day, Thornwood arrived at their chamber.

"The Ancient One is awake." The ent commander announced. "He invites you back to the central hollow."

Li Yu and Zhan followed Thornwood through the winding tunnels, returning to the massive cavern where the pools of golden sap glowed warmly in the dark.

Elder Mu was sitting on his throne of woven roots. His appearance had improved significantly over the week. The braided white wood forming his humanoid body looked much healthier and the gaping wound on his chest had closed considerably, covered by a layer of fresh and green bark.

"Li Yu. Zhan." Elder Mu smiled as his voice echoed with strength. "I trust your stay has been restful."

"It has been wonderful, Senior." Li Yu said while bowing in respect. "Your sanctuary is a marvel. It is a rare place in such a world."

Elder Mu let out a soft and nostalgic chuckle. He gestured for Li Yu to sit on a raised root near the throne. Zhan remained standing near the back with his scythes resting naturally at his sides.

"It was not always like this." Elder Mu said. His glowing green eyes stared into the distance as if looking back through the centuries. "When I was but a young sapling, this realm was even more chaotic. The beasts of flesh and blood viewed the trees and the plants as nothing more than resources. They stripped our bark for armor, they drained our sap for Qi and they burned our forests to flush out their prey."

Li Yu listened intently as Elder Mu spoke. The history of a Tribulation realm entity was a rare and valuable story.

"I saw my kin slaughtered for the sake of petty territorial disputes." Elder Mu continued with his voice carrying a heavy weight of sorrow. "I realized that the Dao of the wild offered no protection for the peaceful. If I wanted to survive, if I wanted to protect the quiet life of the forest, I had to become stronger than the beasts."

The ancient tree raised his remaining wooden arm and flexed the braided fingers.

"I spent millennia building my power." Elder Mu explained. "I absorbed the ambient Qi, I comprehended the laws of life, wood and earth as I gathered the lesser spirits of the woods to form my ent army. I fought the ancient predators and drove them back, claiming this valley as my own."

Elder Mu lowered his arm and let out a long and heavy sigh.

"I wanted a place where others could be at peace." The ancient ruler said softly. "A place where a wounded fox or a hunted deer could sleep without keeping one eye open. And I succeeded. But victory always demands a price."

Li Yu tilted his head and couldn’t help himself from asking. "What price did you pay, Senior?"

"Mobility." Elder Mu answered with a bitter laugh. "In order to grow strong enough to fight the other predators, I could not remain as I was. I had to draw upon the deep veins of the earth. I had to root myself into the soil of this territory long ago. By binding my body to this specific valley, my cultivation skyrocketed, allowing me to reach the Tribulation realm faster."

Elder Mu touched the fresh bark growing over his chest wound.

"But now, I am trapped." He confessed, his voice tinged with deep regret. "I cannot pull my roots from this soil without shattering my own foundation. I cannot move out of my territory and I cannot expand my borders to protect more innocents. I am a prisoner of my own sanctuary."

Li Yu felt a sense of empathy for the ancient ruler. To achieve such massive power only to be chained to a single location was a tragic fate. It was a sacrifice made for the greater good of the forest and his own dreams.

"It was a decision made in haste," Elder Mu murmured as his glowing eyes dimmed with a well practiced melancholy. "Sometimes, in the quiet hours of the night, I regret the choice. I wish I could walk the cosmos as you do, young Li Yu. I wish I could see the oceans of the south east or the stars of other realms."

Elder Mu looked up with a warm smile returning to his wooden face.

"But then I hear the sound of the young cubs playing in the caverns and I see the deer drinking from the streams." Elder Mu said as his tone shifted back to benevolent pride. "I was able to establish this place of peace. So, in the end, I do not regret it too much."

Li Yu nodded and was thoroughly moved by the tale of sacrifice. He saw Elder Mu as a tragic hero, a being of immense power who had given up his own freedom to shelter the weak.

He had no idea that the ancient tree sitting before him was smiling not out of benevolence.