Myriad Rivers to the Sea

Chapter 883: A Foolish Invasion

The central hollow was plunged into a terrifying stillness. The physical shell of Elder Mu had withered away into a husk of grey and brittle timber but it did not simply turn to dust. Driven by the last lingering commands of the ancient ruler, the dying wood rapidly expanded and overgrew. Dead looking roots and thick thorny vines erupted from the throne and wove together at blinding speed.Within seconds, a dense wooden dome formed around the flat root where Li Yu sat and the cavern wall where Zhan was pinned. It created an impenetrable barrier that sealed the human and the mantis off from the rest of the hollow. On the other side of the barrier, Thornwood and the ent guards stood in silent vigil, waiting for their ruler to emerge in his new and vibrant vessel.

Inside the wooden dome, Zhan struggled furiously against his bindings. The thick timber wrapped around his emerald carapace was infused with Tribulation level power. The Heaven Severing Mantis could not even twitch his scythe-like arms. He was forced to watch helplessly as the dark green orb of Elder Mu's soul phased straight through Li Yu's forehead.

Inside Li Yu's physical body, a chaotic war was already raging.

The staggering amount of Life and Wood Qi released by the Heartwood Fruit was surging through his meridians like a raging river. The energy was incredibly dense. A large majority of Elder Mu’s remaining vital essence had been packed into that single fruit. It was an ancient technique of his species, a fruit transfer ritual normally used to pass down a lifetime of cultivation to a chosen disciple or a direct descendant.

Elder Mu had corrupted that sacred ritual into a hijacking tool. He still had control of his essence and was using it to lock down Li Yu’s body. The soul parasite hidden within the energy had spread its toxic black veins throughout Li Yu's body. It was actively fighting against Li Yu's physical autonomy and was acting as a heavy lock that paralyzed his muscles and prevented him from expelling the foreign energy.

With the body secured by the explosion of energy and the parasite, Elder Mu's true soul bypassed the physical defenses and crashed directly into Li Yu’s inner soul space.

The ancient ruler expected to find a modest soul space that was more powerful for someone of this cultivation level. A Law Integration cultivator, even a genius, usually possessed a mental landscape of only so much. Elder Mu planned to sweep in with his overwhelming Tribulation level soul, crush the boy's fragile soul projection and take the throne of his mind.

Instead, the dark green orb materialized high in the sky above Li Yu’s Ocean of Qi. Elder Mu hovered in the mental sky and his soul form rippled with confusion. Below him stretched a vast and boundless ocean that shimmered with different color lights. Two islands floated in the sky, rich with dense spiritual vegetation.

Before Elder Mu could process what he was feeling and seeing, a figure materialized in the air across from him. It was Li Yu's primary projection, the shape and form he takes when he visits his soul space. He did not look terrified. He looked furious.

"You used my compassion against me." Li Yu stated. His voice echoed like thunder across his own mental ocean. "You painted yourself as a tragic hero who sacrificed everything for the weak but you were instead an evil being. You played on my sympathy just to steal my body."

Elder Mu shifted his dark green soul orb into the shape of his bark covered face. He let out a harsh and grating laugh.

"Compassion is a weakness of the young and of fools." Elder Mu mocked as his voice dripped with malice. "You walked into my domain and offered your neck to the blade. I only took what was freely given to me, I would be foolish not to. My roots were rotting in that valley but your vessel is strong. I will put this body to much better use than you ever could."

"You will not take anything from me." Li Yu declared as his intent sharpening into a blade of willpower.

"I am a Tribulation ruler!" Elder Mu roared aloud as he had long abandoned his deception. He unleashed the full and suffocating weight of his soul pressure. "You are a mere Law Integration insect! Submit and fade into the dark!"

The dark green soul expanded, forming a massive, grasping hand of spiritual energy that reached out to crush Li Yu. Li Yu did not flinch at all because if there was one thing he was confident in, it was his soul power. However, he had never confronted a Tribulation Soul before so there were still many questions.

He reacted immediately by pushing his own soul power forward. The two spiritual forces collided in mid air, generating a shockwave that churned the azure ocean below. Elder Mu gasped in shock from the very first encounter as the massive green hand halted its advance.

The ancient tree had expected the boy's soul to shatter on impact like fragile glass. Instead, he felt as if he had just slammed his intent into a fortress wall forged from the strongest iron. Li Yu’s soul was incredibly fortified.

The two were now locked in a fierce soul battle. In the physical world, Li Yu's body was fighting back against the toxic parasite, his Devouring Abyssal Leviathan Physique resisting the paralysis. In the mental world, Li Yu was holding a Tribulation realm entity at bay through stubborn willpower and the strength of his soul. What should have taken seconds was now at a stand still.

"How is this possible?!" Elder Mu hissed as his soul was wavering. "You are only a Law Integration brat! Your soul should not possess this kind of power!"

"You are not the only one who has suffered to gain power." Li Yu replied coldly as thoughts of the Temporary Dao Stone came to his mind. Elder Mu gritted his teeth and realized the boy was an anomaly but a stalemate was unacceptable. He prepared to burn his own soul essence to force a breakthrough and deal with the backlash later.

But before the ancient tree could unleash his desperate attack, the atmosphere of the space shifted. A new pressure descended upon the mental sky. It was not the chaotic and heavy weight of a Tribulation realm beast. It was a pressure so high, so strong and absolute that it made Elder Mu feel like a tiny bug climbing a massive tree.

Elysia, the ancient ancestor, looked down at the dark green soul of Elder Mu with an expression of supreme boredom.

"What is this noisy weed doing in our home?" Elysia asked with her voice echoing with undeniable authority.

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Elder Mu froze from her very first appearance. The Tribulation realm ruler felt a primal and instinctual terror grip his soul. He looked at the woman and realized he was staring at an entity whose power eclipsed his own by an unimaginable margin.

"Who... what are you?" Elder Mu stammered, his spiritual form shrinking back.

Elysia let out a soft and mocking laugh.

"You are a very foolish piece of timber." Elysia sneered. "To willingly dive into the soul space of this boy is akin to a rotting twig throwing itself into a blazing sun. You thought you were a scheming predator invading a quiet den. You did not realize you just walked into a dragon's lair. Taking over this body is suicide, for anyone."

Elder Mu was stunned as panic flooded his intent. He tried to turn around and desperately to sever the connection here, to flee back to his dying physical husk. The grand plan to conquer this body and then this very realm was forgotten. He only wanted to escape now.

A deep and rumbling voice echoed from below.

Elder Mu looked down and standing on the surface of the ocean was a water buffalo. Muddy, looked up at the fleeing green soul with dull and unimpressed eyes. The buffalo did not use a grand technique or a flashy display of laws. Muddy simply snorted, lowered his heavy head and stamped his hoof against the surface of the water.

A conceptual wave of force shot upward and it bypassed the distance of the mental sky in an instant while slamming into Elder Mu.

The Tribulation realm soul did not even have time to scream. The dark green orb shattered into thousands of jagged fragments, crushed instantly by the overwhelming power of the ancient buffalo. The malice, the centuries of playing his part, of scheming and the tyrannical intent of Elder Mu were erased in a single heartbeat.

As the soul fragments rained down toward the water, the surface of the ocean broke. The Koi fish breached the waves and it opened its wide mouth to swallow the shattered remnants of Elder Mu’s soul in one gulp. The Koi splashed back down into the depths and was digesting the dense Tribulation energy to nourish the soul.

Li Yu let out a long breath as the hostile presence vanished from his mind. He turned to Elysia and offered a grateful bow.

"Thank you, Ancestor." Li Yu said.

"Focus on your physical body, Li Yu." Elysia waved a dismissive hand. "The weed is dead but the fertilizer he left behind is running wild. Do not waste the opportunity."

Li Yu nodded and pulled his consciousness back to the physical realm.

Inside his body, the situation had drastically changed. With Elder Mu’s true soul destroyed, the malicious intent controlling the energy and the parasite dissolved into nothingness. The toxic black veins running through the energy turned back into radiant gold.

The massive reservoir of Tribulation level Life and Wood Qi was now masterless and it no longer fought to paralyze him; it simply raged like a wild and untamed storm of vitality. Li Yu took command. He activated his Devouring Abyssal Leviathan Physique to its maximum limit.

The physical cells of his body acted like starving beasts. They greedily devoured the pure essence, tearing the energy apart and weaving it into his flesh, bone and blood. The process was agonizing as the energy was much greater than what Li Yu should be taking in at a single time but incredibly rewarding.

Li Yu felt his skeletal structure crack and reform, the bone marrow turning denser and stronger. His muscles tore and rebuilt themselves stronger with every passing second, infused with the boundless vitality of an ancient tree, greatly boosting his body’s natural healing abilities. The Life Qi scoured his meridians, expanding them further.

He was experiencing a violent physical ascension but his cultivation level remained firmly at the Law Integration realm. However, his physical strength was breaking through multiple thresholds.

He pushed past the physical limits of the Domain King realm. His flesh gained the density and regenerative properties necessary to rival a Paragon realm expert. The amount of Tribulation essence was a heaven defying fortune, a lifetime of accumulation freely gifted by a failed usurper.

The excess energy that his body could not absorb was safely diverted into his inner world. The pure Wood and Life Qi rained down, nourishing that world. This brutal process of absorption and powering up did not happen instantly. Three days passed in the quiet cavern.

Zhan remained pinned to the wall by the dead timber. The mantis had stopped struggling on the first day, realizing the wood was too strong. He spent the time watching Li Yu and wasn’t sure what to expect. The human sat frozen on the flat root, his skin glowing with a blinding emerald light. Zhan did not know who had won the soul battle. He could only wait, hoping his new master and growing friend had survived the trap.

On the morning of the fourth day, the emerald light surrounding Li Yu slowly faded. Li Yu took a deep breath and the sound of his inhaling filled the silent dome like a rushing wind. He opened his eyes as they flashed with a brief, terrifying light before returning to their normal dark hue.

He flexed his hands. The physical power resting in his muscles was even more staggering. He felt as though he could punch a hole through the cavern ceiling and walk straight out of here. Li Yu was now on par with a Paragon realm entity in raw physical force alone.

He stood up from the root and looked at the wall. Zhan was still trapped in the thick vines. Li Yu walked over to the mantis and he simply reached out with his bare hands, grabbed the vines and pulled.

The wood groaned and snapped like dry twigs under his new strength. He tore the bindings away in a few effortless motions. Zhan fell to the cavern floor and was able to land gracefully on his feet. The mantis shook his scythe arms, restoring the blood flow to his limbs. He looked at Li Yu and could instantly tell who had won.

"You survived." Zhan said with relief. "Your aura is different. The weight of your physical presence is even more terrifying."

"Elder Mu is dead." Li Yu stated plainly while he dusted off his robes and looked at the thick wooden barrier separating them from the rest of the hollow.

"What happened?" Zhan asked. "He clearly planned all of this to trap us."

"It was indeed a trap." Li Yu explained. "The fruit was a vessel for his soul. He rooted himself here to gain power but his body was already dying before the fight with Gorr even happened. He used the facade of a benevolent ruler to lure travelers in to find a suitable host. He treated us well so I would drop my guard and swallow his essence willingly. He tried to take over my body to free himself from this valley."

Zhan processed the information and the mantis let out a dry clicking sound.

"A parasite." Zhan murmured. "To sacrifice your own shell to steal another. That is a coward's path."

"He was a tyrant wearing the mask of a saint." Li Yu said while shaking his head. He felt a lingering disgust for the ancient tree's methods. "He had his followers weeping for his safety, all while he plotted to murder his guests. He was actually one of the most scheming and evil beings we have encountered. He just knew how to hide his fangs."

"But he failed." Zhan noted while looking at Li Yu's hands. "And you consumed his strength."

"My soul space is well defended." Li Yu replied vaguely, not wishing to reveal the true nature of Elysia and the others. "I destroyed his soul and absorbed the masterless energy. My physical body has broken through to the Paragon level."

Zhan clicked his mandibles in genuine respect. "Then the trap became a stepping stone. That is the true Dao of the wild. Taking things from others and growing stronger yourself."

Li Yu looked at the thick wooden dome surrounding them and knew that the danger was not over.

"Elder Mu’s soul is gone but Thornwood and the ent army are waiting right outside this barrier." Li Yu warned. "They were most likely a part of the scheme. They are expecting their ruler to walk out in my body. We need to figure out how to handle them because I do not want to fight an entire army right now. Thornwood is already stronger than us."