Myriad Rivers to the Sea

Chapter 876: The In Between Paths

Li Yu stood near the entrance and stretched his limbs, welcoming in the morning sunlight. He turned back to look at the interior of the cave and the crude map Zhan had scratched into the stone floor was still visible. It was a simple guide to a dangerous land.Zhan was already awake and standing near the far wall. The Heaven Severing Mantis was using his Qi control to run a wet stone along the edge of his scythe-like arms. Starfall Edge rested securely in its blue wooden scabbard and was strapped tightly to his emerald carapace.

"We are heading east to find Elder Mu." Li Yu said while walking back toward the center of the cave. "Are you sure you do not need to pack anything? Do you have any resources or herbs hidden away that you wish to bring?"

Zhan paused his cleaning and looked at the human and his multifaceted eyes blinked slowly.

"I have no attachments to this stone." Zhan replied in his direct and almost robotic voice. "I only carved this cave so I would have a dry place to rest and a solid wall to practice against. I hunted for meat when I was hungry and I fought the beasts that wandered too close to sharpen my intent. I do not hoard shiny rocks or rare grass like the others. My blades are my only true possessions."

Li Yu nodded in understanding and wasn’t surprised by his response. Zhan’s single minded focus on the martial path made him very easy to understand. There was no baggage to sort through and no lingering grudges to settle.

"Then we will leave immediately." Li Yu said. "But first, tell me more about this Elder Mu. You mentioned he was stronger than you but do you know his actual cultivation realm? Is he at the Half King level or perhaps even a King?"

Zhan shook his triangular head. "I do not know the exact depths of his foundation. The great rulers of this realm do not display their full power unless they are challenged by a rival of equal standing. Those who are weaker and attempt to challenge them usually die before they can force the ruler to reveal their true strength. I have also never met him, only from what I have heard. All I know is that his domain has stood for thousands of years and he is an ancient sentient tree."

"And you said he was known for his kindness?" Li Yu prompted. He wanted to understand the political landscape before stepping into an ancient being's territory.

"Kindness in the Ferine Realm is a relative term." Zhan clarified as he walked toward the cave entrance. "Most rulers will slaughter you the moment you cross their border. Elder Mu is different from the rest, at least from what is generally known. He allows travelers and minor beasts to seek shelter under his vast canopy, provided they do not damage the forest or hunt his direct subordinates. He does not demand a blood toll from those who show respect. That is what passes for benevolence here."

It was a pragmatic form of kindness but it was far better than the blind aggression Li Yu had faced so far. They left the stone cave behind and set out through the dense bamboo forest. Zhan took the lead as he was the guide. The mantis moved with a smooth and gliding stride, his emerald carapace blending naturally into the vibrant green surroundings.

Li Yu followed closely behind him. He watched how Zhan navigated the terrain and the mantis did not walk in a straight line. He often paused, turning his head slightly as if listening to a sound Li Yu could not hear. Then, Zhan would adjust their course, veering left around a cluster of rocks or circling wide around a seemingly empty patch of grass.

"You are sensing the borders?" Li Yu observed after watching Zhan make a sharp detour around a shallow stream.

"Yes." Zhan answered without looking back. "We are walking the in between paths. It is the safest way to travel if you do not wish to fight every single land owner."

"The in between paths?" Li Yu asked.

"Imagine two massive beasts puffing out their chests." Zhan explained using a metaphor. "Their auras push against each other. The border is where those two auras meet and grind together. But sometimes, there is a gap. A narrow strip of land where neither beast wants to extend their reach because it is too far from their den or the resources are poor. That strip is unclaimed territory. It is a neutral corridor that runs between the marked domains."

Li Yu understood. It was like walking on the top of a narrow wall separating two hostile courtyards. As long as you stayed on the wall, neither side would attack you for trespassing.

"It is a fragile balance." Zhan continued. "The borders shift when a beast grows stronger or weaker. But for now, this path is clear."

The going was remarkably smooth. With Zhan leading the way, Li Yu did not have to worry about accidentally stumbling into the hunting grounds of another. The invisible minefield of the Ferine Realm was finally decipherable.

However, they were not the only ones utilizing the neutral corridors. The in between paths were the designated highways for wanderers, scavengers and minor tribes moving across the land.

Throughout the day, they encountered several other beasts. Li Yu saw a herd of six legged deer grazing near the edge of the path. They raised their heads and watched the human and the mantis pass with cautious eyes but they did not initiate hostilities. Later, a massive shadow panther rested on a high tree branch overlooking the corridor. It bared its fangs in a silent warning, defending its immediate personal space but it did not leave the branch to attack them.

Most of the time the beasts passed by one another with no issues. The neutral paths operated on a tense but functional code of mutual avoidance. But peace was never a guarantee in the wild.

As the suns began to lower toward the horizon, the path narrowed. They were walking through a rocky gorge that funneled travelers into a tight bottleneck. A sudden snarl echoed from the rocks above.

Three massive figures leaped down from the high ledges and landed heavily on the dirt path blocking the way forward. They were armored rhinos, each standing as tall as a house. Their thick grey hides were covered in overlapping plates of bone and their snouts featured long, jagged horns that pulsed with a dull and yellow earth Qi.

They did not care about the neutral status of the path. They were aggressive predators looking to devour the flesh and cores of weaker travelers on these paths. The largest rhino scraped its heavy hoof against the dirt and lowered its head for a devastating charge.

Li Yu stopped walking and was ready to summon Star Crusher to deal with the obstacle. Confrontations like these were to be expected and it was more of a surprise for him that this was their first fight today.

"Allow me." Zhan said while stepping forward. The mantis was practically vibrating with excitement. He had been itching for a chance to test his newly acquired martial knowledge in a real combat situation. He wanted to prove his worth to the weapon spirit, to impress the terrifying master resting inside that sword even if it wasn’t currently out.

Zhan did not draw Starfall Edge to use the technique. He wanted to test the technique using his own biological weapons first. The lead rhino let out a deafening bellow and charged at him. The ground shook beneath its massive weight and the kinetic energy of the beast was enough to shatter a small fortress.

Zhan closed his multifaceted eyes and visualized the flow of intent. He compressed his sharp sword Qi into the very tip of his right scythe arm, focusing all of his power into a single, microscopic point of destruction.

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‘First Step.’

He vanished from his spot in an instant. He did not dodge to the side or leap over the charging beast. Zhan moved straight forward and was meeting the massive rhino head on. The Three Step Slayer technique was direct and straightforward. There was no dodging or retreating, there was only offense.

A sharp and ear splitting crack echoed through the rocky gorge. Zhan reappeared standing behind the massive rhino and his right scythe arm was extended as it was humming with a fading white light.

The armored rhino took two more stumbling steps forward before its legs gave out. It crashed into the dirt, sliding a few yards before coming to a halt. A flawless hole had been pierced directly through the center of its thick bone horn and straight into its brain. The highly compressed sword intent had bypassed the beast's natural defenses as if they were made of wet paper.

The other two rhinos froze as their leader was instantly taken out. Their simple minds could not process how their leader, boasting a defense that withstood countless battles had been slain in a single fraction of a second.

Zhan did not give them time to think though. He pivoted on his heel and launched himself at the remaining two predators. It was a short and brutal execution as he utilized the First Step again. He was a blur of emerald speed as two more sharp cracks echoed in the gorge and the remaining rhinos collapsed with identical fatal wounds piercing their thick skulls.

Li Yu walked forward and looked at the fallen beasts. He was highly impressed by the technique that Zhan was using.

"The efficiency of that strike is terrifying." Li Yu commented. "You bypassed their earth Qi defenses without wasting any excess energy. Your comprehension of the sword path is truly amazing."

Zhan clicked his mandibles in a humble gesture. Internally, he was marveling at the complexity and raw power of the Three Step Slayer. He praised the cold and brash spirit of Gilded Calamity for gifting him such a powerful technique in return for not revealing some sort of secret that was being kept from his new companion.

To be able to slay beasts with such thick hides using only a fraction of his usual Qi output was a revelation. It gave him inspiration to refine and polish some of his earlier techniques, to make them stronger and faster.

"The intent guides the blade." Zhan replied, offering a vague piece of swordsman philosophy to hide the true source of his technique. "I will harvest their cores and other useful bits. They will be useful for trading or cultivation."

With a few swift strokes of his scythes, Zhan extracted the glowing cores from the rhinos and portioned the meat to store away. He handed the cores to Li Yu while keeping the other materials for himself.

They continued their journey through the in between paths for several more days. The routine quickly became familiar. Zhan navigated the unseen borders and whenever an aggressive beast decided to test their luck, the mantis made short work of them. Zhan used every encounter to polish his mastery of the First Step, his strikes becoming faster and more precise with each battle.

One night, the terrain shifted from rocky gorges to a dense and ancient woodland. The air was thick with the scent of pine and damp earth. They had entered the outer fringes of Elder Mu's vast domain, though they were still walking a neutral corridor.

They set up a small camp in a clearing surrounded by towering trees. Li Yu decided to take charge of the meal on this particular night. He gathered dry wood and started a bright fire. From the Koi Sanctuary, he retrieved a large cut of premium beast meat he had saved from a previous kill in the morning, along with several jars of spices he had collected during his travels.

He roasted the meat slowly over the open flames and was turning it carefully until the outside was seared and the fat began to sizzle. He sprinkled a generous amount of herbs and seasonings over the cuts, filling the clearing with a mouth watering aroma.

Zhan sat near the fire and watched the process with keen interest. As a beast, he was used to consuming his meals raw. Eating was a way to obtain Qi and power. The concept of using fire and herbs to enhance the energy and flavor of the meat was a luxury he had rarely experienced or even knew he needed.

Li Yu sliced a large portion of the cooked meat and tossed it to the mantis. Zhan caught it with his scythe and took a tentative bite. He had grown accustomed to the rich, savory flavor and the warm energy of the spices flooded his senses.

"I am really starting to get used to this level of eating. This is excellent." Zhan said while tearing into the rest of the portion. "The heat of the spices stimulates the Qi flow and the taste is fantastic."

"A good meal restores the mind as well as the body." Li Yu smiled while taking a bite of his own food.

Over the past few days of travel, the two of them had grown closer. They were bound by a mutual contract but a genuine respect had formed between them. Li Yu valued Zhan's straightforward nature and his martial dedication.

Zhan respected Li Yu's immense strength, his generous nature and found him easy to get along with. Li Yu never ordered him to do any small things that Li Yu couldn’t do himself and there was plenty of time to train and fight. They were an odd pair, a human cultivator and an insectoid swordsman but they operated as a highly effective team.

As they sat by the fire enjoying the quiet night, the ambient Qi in the forest suddenly shifted.

It was not a subtle change, it was a violent wave of chaotic energy washed over the clearing. The rustling of the heavy branches caused the campfire to flicker wildly. A deep and rumbling sound echoed from the woods to the north, followed by a series of sharp crashes that sounded like massive trees being splintered into toothpicks.

Li Yu stopped eating and his senses flared. A fight of significant scale had just broken out a few miles away. The auras clashing in the distance were powerful, carrying the distinct pressure of high tier beasts engaged in a life or death struggle.

Curiosity tugged at Li Yu's mind. In his usual travels, observing a battle between strong local factions was a prime opportunity to gather intelligence, assess the martial standards of the region or perhaps acquire rare loot from the fallen.

He placed his food down and stood up, looking toward the dark tree line.

"We should go see what is happening." Li Yu suggested. He had become someone of a nosy person when it came to what others were doing. Zhan did not stand up though. The mantis remained seated by the fire and was taking another slow bite of his roasted meat.

"I advise against it." Zhan cautioned as his metallic voice remained flat and serious.

Li Yu looked down at his guide. "Why? We can mask our auras and observe from a high vantage point. It would be useful to see what kind of predators roam this close to Elder Mu's territory."

"The rules of the Ferine Realm do not allow for observers." Zhan explained patiently to him. "If you go to look, you step into the domain of their conflict. To witness a battle is to become a part of it. If the beasts fighting notice you, they will immediately view you as a scavenger waiting to steal their hard earned kill, or worse, an unseen enemy planning an ambush. If they sense you, they will stop fighting each other and turn their combined fury on you."

Zhan pointed a scythe toward the north.

"If you go to look, be prepared to fight everyone there and kill everyone there." Zhan stated with absolute finality. "There are no spectators in the wild. You are either the hunter, the prey or the victor standing over the corpses. It's fine if we go but we need to be prepared for such a thing."

Li Yu listened to the brutal logic of the realm. The culture here was different from some of his other travels but it wasn’t by much. It was just slightly more aggressive and blunt than what he was used to. There was no such thing as a neutral bystander or a hidden scout. Presence equated to participation.

He weighed his curiosity against the prospect of fighting a chaotic, multi sided battle against unknown high tier beasts. After weighing it through his mind, the risk far outweighed the potential reward of mere observation.

"You make a fair point." Li Yu conceded as he sat back down on his log and picked up his roasted meat. His curiosity died down and was replaced by a cold pragmatism. "We will stay by the fire and let them resolve their own territorial dispute."

Zhan nodded in approval and went back to his meal. He didn’t want his meal to be interrupted. In some ways his life had gotten much better ever since he met Li Yu. The food was always better and while he didn’t like to talk too much, having someone to talk to was something he found enjoyable.

They ate in silence but were listening to the distant sounds of destruction echoing through the night. The clashes grew louder and more frantic. At times it was shaking the ground beneath their feet. The ambient Qi in the air became sharp and unstable, static electricity dancing across the dry leaves in some of the trees.

Then, a blinding flash of light painted the northern sky in stark white. A massive explosion tore through the forest and the force of the blast generated a shockwave that swept through the trees, snapping thick branches and threatening to extinguish their campfire before Li Yu placed a barrier of his Qi around it.

A deafening roar of agony followed the explosion but it was quickly cut short by a heavy and suffocating silence. Li Yu and Zhan exchanged a sharp look. The fight was over but the scale of that final blast indicated that something truly devastating had just occurred not far from their camp.