Myriad Rivers to the Sea

Chapter 921: The Zhan Clan and the Decrees

The heavy silence of the courtyard lingered as the glowing blue cosmic map faded into nothingness. Li Yu stared at the empty space above the stone table for a long time. The realization that his childhood home was completely gone left a cold void in his chest. But as he looked up and saw the deep concern etched across the faces of his parents and his grandfather, the coldness began to recede slightly."We will find out what happened, do not despair yet. It could be that everything is still okay.." Canghai stated. He dismissed the residual spatial Qi from his fingertips. "But for now, we need to decide our next steps. The cosmos is already shifting. News of the crusade returning from the zone is spreading like wildfire across the realms."

"Indeed." Zhan Tian agreed with a heavy nod. "Experts are making their way back to their respective empires and sects. The balance of power is going to violently realign over the next few months. We need to solidify our own position and announce our family properly."

Tielan looked at her father. "Since you are here and your return is the focal point of the current turbulence, we should head to the Zhan Clan first. We will establish Li Yu there and let the vassal clans know exactly who he is."

"That is a sound strategy." Canghai agreed. He looked toward the dark horizon of the desolate military camp. "I will not be able to travel with you immediately. I need to return to my own territories and settle things with my forces. I must keep their momentum going and secure the fronts before I can take some additional time to join you."

Tielan stepped forward and embraced her husband. "Be careful out there. The enemies will be panicked by the returning forces. Panicked beasts are the most unpredictable."

"I will handle them." Canghai promised while returning the embrace.

Canghai stepped back and turned his attention to his son. He looked at Li Yu with a mixture of immense pride and lingering guilt. He wanted to say a thousand different things to make up for the lost years but the words caught in his throat.

"Good luck and come back safely, father." Li Yu said softly.

Canghai froze. The supreme expert who commanded vast armies and stood firm against the apocalyptic pressure was entirely disarmed by those words.

He stared at Li Yu and tears instantly welled up in his eyes as they streamed freely down his cheeks. He did not bother to wipe them away. The title of 'father' felt like the heaviest and most beautiful reward he had ever received.

"I will." Canghai choked out with a smile. "I will see you very soon, my son."

Canghai raised his hand and tore a localized spatial rift. He stepped into the swirling blue energy and vanished from the courtyard. He carried a renewed and terrifying vigor back to his battlefields.

Zhan Tian watched his son in law leave and then turned to Li Yu and Tielan. Li Yu went to gather his 8 retainers so they could be brought with him. The Worldkeeper cracked his massive knuckles.

"Alright." Zhan Tian announced. "It is time to go home. Stay close to me."

The Worldkeeper simply coated Li Yu and Tielan in his own Qi. The thick energy wrapped around them like an impenetrable suit of armor. Zhan Tian grabbed the fabric of space and ripped a massive tear in reality.

They stepped into the violent currents of the cosmic void. Li Yu watched the lights blur past them at an incomprehensible speed. The journey was smooth and completely silent within the protective bubble of his grandfather's aura.

Within a matter of minutes, the void parted. They emerged into the sky above a colossal landmass. Li Yu looked down and his breath caught in his throat.

Massive fortresses of dark metal pierced the cloudy sky like the jagged teeth of a beast. The training grounds spanned for hundreds of miles across the harsh landscape. There was rarely any aesthetic softness to be found as it was a sanctuary designed for physical dominance.

"The gravity here is incredibly heavy." Li Yu noted aloud as they began to descend. Even through Zhan Tian's protective Qi, he could feel the ambient pressure pulling at his bones.

"The entire continent is layered in arrays." Tielan explained while looking down at her home. "The ambient pressure in the main courtyards is heavy enough to crush a pathetic cultivator into paste instantly. The disciples of our clan use this environment to temper their bodies every single second of their lives once they embark on the path of cultivation. Those not on the path yet live elsewhere."

Li Yu observed the sprawling grounds as they flew closer. He could see thousands of young talents moving through the lower courtyards. In a higher courtyard, Li Yu watched two elderly figures sparring. They did not use a single drop of Qi, they looked like they were just brawling with one another but the power was incredible.

It was an empire of hammers.

Zhan Tian bypassed the outer defensive rings. The arrays recognized his signature and whined in submission as he passed through. They landed smoothly in the center of Zhan Tian's private courtyard deep within the central area.

The space was stark and clean. Iron weapon racks lined the stone walls and the ground was paved with slabs of reinforced stone.

"We will settle in here for now." Zhan Tian said as he dissipated his protective Qi. "I need to send a few transmissions to the generals to ensure the armada has been completely taken care of."

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The 8 were given a guest quarter to stay in for now until they were registered and Li Yu had a need for them.

The family had barely been in the courtyard after that for five minutes when the doors at the entrance groaned loudly. The doors swung open and a towering man strode inside. He possessed an aura that perfectly matched this realm. He wore dark clan robes and a thick black beard covered his strong jawline. His eyes were sharp and calculated.

This was Zhan Yue. He was the current Patriarch of the Zhan Clan and one of the few that already knew who Li Yu was. He governed trillions and commanded the terrifying legions of the Zhan Clan.

Zhan Yue stopped a few paces away from the group. He offered a respectful but brief bow to Zhan Tian before turning his sharp gaze entirely onto Li Yu.

"So." Zhan Yue spoke. "The missing son returns. We have met before but you wouldn’t have known it. Back when we were saving your father."

Li Yu stood his ground under the immense pressure of the Patriarch's gaze. He could feel the physical density radiating from Zhan Yue. The man was an absolute monster in his own right. Li Yu gave him a bow of respect since he was the clan leader.

"I want to check his physical foundation." Zhan Yue stated plainly to everyone. He took a step forward and raised his large, calloused hand toward Li Yu's shoulder.

Smack.

Zhan Tian stepped in between them with blinding speed and slapped Zhan Yue's hand away forcefully. The impact cracked the air in the courtyard.

"Scram." Zhan Tian growled as he glared at the Patriarch. "Keep your hands to yourself. What could you possibly evaluate in his body that I have not already evaluated?"

Zhan Yue rubbed the back of his hand. The Patriarch of the entire clan let out a slight and embarrassed laugh.

"You are giving me a terrible look in front of the junior, Worldkeeper." Zhan Yue complained with a sigh. "I am the Clan Head. It is my duty to inspect the foundation of all clan members with potential to measure their worth."

"I told you to scram anyways, brat." Zhan Tian barked dismissively. "That is not just any junior standing behind me. That is my grandson. His worth is absolute and his foundation is none of your business."

Zhan Yue shook his head but he did not argue. He knew better than to push the Worldkeeper when it came to his direct family.

"You did not come here just to poke my grandson or should I say you better not have come to just poke my grandson." Zhan Tian continued while crossing his massive arms over his chest. "No matter, now that you are here, you can make yourself useful. I have orders for you."

Zhan Yue straightened his posture immediately. He shifted from a curious relative back into the clan head. "Speak."

"You will spread the word to the rest of the clan and to all of our vassal clans immediately." Zhan Tian commanded. His voice carried the weight of law. Even though Zhan Yue was the clan head, it did not mean he had the highest authority. "You will announce his existence to the clan in a hurry. Let everyone know that I have a grandson."

Zhan Yue nodded slowly. "That will cause a massive stir, especially with the direct family of the current family heir. The side branches will be restless as well."

"I don’t care for the title of clan heir. It is meaningless in my eyes. I can provide more resources to my grandson than the clan can anyways. Inform them that he will never hold the title of heir in this clan, my word should still mean something here. Let the branch be restless, that doesn’t concern me either." Zhan Tian sneered.

"And make sure you add a specific warning to that announcement. No one had better even think about bullying my grandson. No one tries to test him. No one tries to scheme against him. When they interact with him, they had better be presenting him with gifts and they had better have a smiling face while doing it. Either that or just leave him alone."

Li Yu watched the exchange with quiet surprise. His grandfather was incredibly fierce and domineering. He looked so cool in Li Yu’s eyes at this moment.

"If I hear so much as a whisper of disrespect," Zhan Tian continued with lethal seriousness, "I will personally crush any side branch, vassal clan or individual who dares to cross him. I do not care what rank they hold. My family has had to suffer for far too long. The suffering ends today."

Zhan Yue frowned slightly. The Patriarch managed the intricate politics and the delicate balance of power within the sprawling clan.

"That is not quite fair to the other promising juniors of the clan." Zhan Yue pointed out calmly. "Shielding him so heavily prevents the natural competition that forges our best warriors. It breeds resentment."

"I do not care about fairness." Zhan Tian stated bluntly. He stepped closer to the Patriarch and poked him hard in the chest plate. "The cosmos is not fair. If any of the elders or the side branches feel strongly enough about it, tell them they are completely free to come to this courtyard and challenge me personally."

Zhan Yue let out another dry chuckle. No one in the clan was stupid enough to walk into a courtyard and challenge the Worldkeeper to a duel.

"Understood." Zhan Yue conceded but felt a massive headache coming. He was now wishing that Li Yu didn’t return because he could see that the work on his plate was going to sky rocket. "I will issue the decree immediately. Is there anything else?"

"Yes." Zhan Tian said. The protective grandfather vanished entirely and the ruthless warlord returned. "Send a formal message to the Gongsun Clan. Tell them they had better wash their necks and wait for me. How dare they break the oaths when my father was already so generous to them."

Tielan closed her eyes and let out a quiet sigh. She knew this was coming. Li Yu looked at his mother in confusion. He had never heard of the Gongsun Clan before.

"The Gongsun Clan?" Zhan Yue asked. His thick eyebrows raised in surprise. "Are you certain? Intelligence reports indicate they are currently collapsing on all fronts. They are being besieged by several powerful factions and are practically on death’s door already."

"I do not care if they are bleeding to death in the mud." Zhan Tian growled. "They dared to break the ancient vows of the past. Vows that involved Li Yu, my family! They disrespected my daughter and they insulted my bloodline while I was away."

Zhan Tian clenched his fists. The pressure in the courtyard spiked violently as his killing intent flared.

"I am going to finish the job." Zhan Tian declared coldly. "They thought they could sever their ties with the dragon to survive the storm. I am going to show them exactly what a storm looks like. Inform them that I am coming."

Zhan Yue could only chuckle because it was a small matter to the clan but it was clearly something Tian wanted to do regardless. He bowed his head respectfully.

He knew exactly how Zhan Tian operated. The ancient Worldkeeper had actually been one of Zhan Yue's primary martial teachers long ago when the Patriarch was just a young disciple. Zhan Yue knew his old teacher's personality all too well. Zhan Tian was fiercely protective, endlessly stubborn and completely unforgiving to those who slighted him.

"I will deliver the message." Zhan Yue promised. "I will handle the internal decrees and ensure your courtyard is supplied with whatever you need. Welcome back once again, Worldkeeper."

Zhan Yue offered one final nod to Li Yu before turning around. The doors groaned open and the Patriarch of the Zhan Clan strode back out into the harsh landscape to unleash the wrath of the returning warlord upon the cosmos.