Myriad Rivers to the Sea

Chapter 869: Laws of the Sky and Earth

Li Yu traveled through the rugged terrain with renewed focus. The brief encounter with the salamander tribe had given him a sobering look at the hierarchy of this realm. There seemed to be no neutral zones and no safe havens. A traveler was just a trespasser who had not yet been caught in someone else’s territory.He spent the next few days navigating a sprawling network of deep canyons while he kept his aura heavily suppressed. Li Yu relied on his physical agility to scale the jagged rock walls. The dense Qi in the air remained thick, serving as a constant reminder that he was walking through a world ruled by nature.

On the afternoon of the fourth day since leaving the mountain, the sky began to change.

Li Yu was walking through a dry riverbed when the ambient Qi suddenly spiked with violent intensity. The air grew heavy and dark storm clouds gathered overhead with unnatural speed, blocking out the dual suns and plunging the canyons into a premature dusk.

A deafening roar echoed across the horizon. It was a sound so loud it caused the loose stones along the riverbed to vibrate and slide. Li Yu leaped up the side of the canyon wall, finding a secure foothold on a high ridge. He looked toward the source of the sound.

Miles above the jagged peaks, the sky was tearing itself apart.

Two colossal beasts were locked in a death struggle among the dark clouds. One was a massive dragon. Its body was long and sinuous, covered in deep crimson scales that glowed with internal heat. It possessed four muscular limbs ending in razor sharp claws and a pair of vast leathery wings that beat against the wind.

Fighting against the dragon was a towering thunderbird. The avian beast was a tempest of blue lightning and silver feathers. Its wingspan rivaled the length of the dragon and every flap of its wings sent branching arcs of electricity shooting across the sky.

The two predators clashed with world shaking force. The dragon opened its massive jaws and unleashed a torrent of fire. The flames burned so hot they turned the falling rain into instant steam. The thunderbird shrieked, a sound that cracked like a hundred thunderbolts and countered with a concentrated pillar of blue lightning.

Fire and lightning collided in the sky. The resulting explosion painted the dark clouds in blinding shades of orange and blue while the shockwave swept across the rugged landscape below. The force flattened tall trees and sent clouds of dust billowing into the air.

Li Yu watched the spectacle with narrowed eyes and was processing . These were beasts at the peak of the Half King level. They were not using elegant martial arts or refined arrays. They were using their bloodline abilities and their physical strength to bludgeon each other to death.

The battle in the sky reached a brutal climax. The dragon managed to weave through the lightning storm and sank its fangs deep into the thunderbird's shoulder. Silver feathers and blue blood rained down from the heavens with the successful assault. The thunderbird retaliated by driving its curved beak into the dragon's neck and discharging a massive surge of electricity directly into its flesh.

Locked in a mutual grip of agony, the two massive beasts lost their altitude and they quickly plummeted from the sky like a falling meteor of fire and lightning. They crashed into a wide valley several miles away from Li Yu's position. The impact triggered a localized earthquake and a massive plume of dirt, shattered stone and smoke rose into the twilight air.

Li Yu wanted to observe the aftermath. In this harsh world, witnessing how top tier fighters interacted was vital information. He activated his stealth technique and dashed along the high ridges, moving swiftly toward the crash site.

When he reached the edge of the valley, he crouched behind a cluster of dark boulders. He looked down into the depression and realized the fight was far from over. The crash had decimated the valley, turning it into a crater of scorched earth. But the two beasts were not alone here. The sky battle had merely been the center of a much larger tribal war.

Scattered across the ruined landscape, two forces were engaged in a merciless melee.

Flocks of smaller thunderbirds were diving from the sky like living spears. They were roughly the size of large carriages and their silver feathers sparking with residual electricity. On the ground, dozens of smaller dragons fought back. These lesser dragons lacked wings but possessed thick armor and were able to unleash cones of searing fire from their mouth.

The fighting was brutal and chaotic. There was no mercy shown and no quarter asked or given.

Li Yu watched from his hidden vantage point as a wingless dragon lunged forward, catching a diving thunderbird in its jaws. The dragon clamped down, crushing the bird's hollow bones with a sickening crunch. The dying bird released a final desperate burst of lightning that fried the dragon's eyes, leaving the reptile roaring in blind agony.

Nearby, a group of three thunderbirds coordinated their assault on a heavily scarred dragon. Two of the birds distracted the beast with grazing strikes while the third descended from above, driving its sharp talons directly through the dragon's thick spinal ridge.

It was a war of attrition and raw savagery. Limbs were severed, scales were shattered and the valley floor quickly turned into a river of mixed crimson and blue blood. In the center of the carnage, the two colossal alphas continued their duel that was left unfinished in the sky.

Both beasts were heavily wounded from the fall. The large dragon dragged one of its broken wings in the dirt, its crimson scales cracked and bleeding. The large thunderbird was missing a massive patch of silver feathers on its chest, exposing charred and lacerated flesh.

Despite their grievous injuries, their killing intent had only grown stronger.

The dragon lunged forward, trying to pin the avian beast to the ground. The thunderbird hopped backward, using its remaining strength to channel its own Qi. A vortex of blue lightning gathered around the bird's massive beak.

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The dragon opened its maw to release another torrent of fire but it was a fraction of a second too slow. The thunderbird thrust its head forward and a concentrated lance of lightning shot from its beak. The attack bypassed the dragon's thick armor, shooting straight down the reptile's open throat.

The dragon's body stiffened violently with that devastating attack. The blinding light shone through its neck scales for a brief moment before the immense internal pressure caused the beast's chest to erupt.

The large dragon collapsed onto the scorched earth nearly instantly. It let out a final, gurgling breath and lay still. Seeing their leader fall, the remaining lesser dragons broke their formation and ran.

Panic set in and the surviving reptiles turned and scattered, fleeing into the surrounding canyons as fast as their legs could carry them. The smaller thunderbirds shrieked in victory, though they were too exhausted to give chase.

The tribal war had ended and the avian beasts had won.

Li Yu remained hidden behind the boulders and was still watching. He observed the surviving thunderbirds as they gathered around their leader. Only about ten of the smaller birds remained standing from the initial group. They were all battered, missing feathers and bleeding from deep bite wounds.

The large thunderbird let out a low and weary trill. It folded its wings and rested its head on the dirt, trying to stabilize its chaotic breathing and heal its torn flesh. They had earned their victory but the cost had been staggering.

Just as the flock began to settle down, the air pressure in the valley shifted.

It was a subtle change at first. The lingering smoke from the dragon fire began to swirl in strange, unnatural patterns. The sharp smell of ozone was quickly replaced by the scent of dry grass and impending violence.

A low growl echoed from the far end of the valley. It was a sound that seemed to originate from the wind itself. Li Yu focused his gaze and through the settling dust, a new beast emerged.

It was a massive feline predator, roughly the size of a small hill. Its fur was a striking blend of pale gold and deep emerald stripes. The beast exuded a terrifying aura of wind elemental Qi. Swirling blades of compressed air naturally orbited its muscular body, cutting deep grooves into the stone wherever it walked.

It was a Tempest Tiger.

The feline predator strode into the valley with the confident swagger of a king walking into its own throne room. It stopped a short distance away from the exhausted flock of thunderbirds. Its glowing green eyes swept over the blood soaked battlefield, resting finally on the corpse of the giant crimson dragon.

The large thunderbird forced itself to stand. It stood on shaky legs, spreading its wings to shield its surviving flock and it let out a warning screech, demanding the interloper stay back.

The Tempest Tiger did not flinch at all. It sat back on its haunches and tilted its massive head.

"You bleed on my land." The tiger spoke. Its voice was a deep, rumbling purr that carried clearly across the quiet valley. The leader of the thunderbirds glared at the feline. The avian beast knew it was in no condition to fight another predator of this level.

"We did not mean to trespass." The thunderbird replied, its voice raspy and strained. "A fight in the clouds dragged us down to this valley. We are recovering our strength. Once we have rested, we will take our dead and leave your territory."

The tiger let out a sound that was half growl, half amusement. The swirling blades of wind around its body began to spin faster, kicking up a storm of dust and loose rocks.

"You may leave." The Tempest Tiger said slowly. "But you will leave the corpses behind. All of them. They fell on my land. They belong to me now."

The large thunderbird bristled. The blue lightning around its feathers sparked with sudden fury. The dragon was a hard earned kill, a prize that cost the lives of dozens of its kin. The blood and cores of the fallen beasts were essential resources for the tribe's survival. To abandon them to a scavenger who simply walked in after the battle was a massive insult.

"We fought and bled for this meat." The thunderbird hissed angrily. "We will not leave our hard earned kill behind for a thief."

The tiger's eyes narrowed into emerald slits. The predator did not care about honor or the effort the birds had expended. In this realm, the strong took whatever they wanted and the weak suffered what they must.

"Then you will join the pile." The tiger snarled.

The Tempest Tiger did not hesitate or offer another warning. It launched itself forward with explosive speed and began its assault. Killing would only mean more meat. It moved faster than the eye could follow, riding the wind currents it generated.

The feline closed the distance in a single bound and it swiped its massive front paw, unleashing a crescent shaped blade of compressed wind.

The large thunderbird tried to dodge but its injuries slowed its reaction. The wind blade sheared through the bird's already damaged wing, severing feathers and cutting deep into the bone. The bird shrieked in agony and collapsed back into the dirt.

The tiger landed gracefully and prepared for a killing bite to the thunderbird's neck.

Before the feline could close its jaws, the surviving flock intervened. The ten smaller thunderbirds shrieked in unison and swarmed the tiger. They threw themselves at the tiger with reckless abandon, channeling every last ounce of their lightning Qi into their talons and beaks.

They struck the tiger's flanks, biting into the thick gold and emerald fur. Electricity coursed through the tiger's body and caused the massive feline to roar in annoyance and pain. But the difference in power was insurmountable.

The Tempest Tiger flared its aura. A violent tornado erupted from its body and the swirling winds acted like a meat grinder. The smaller thunderbirds were caught in the vortex with their feathers ripped away and their bodies were slashed by hundreds of invisible wind blades.

Blood sprayed in every direction as the loyal subordinates were butchered without mercy.

The large thunderbird watched its flock being slaughtered. It knew the sacrifice was the only chance it had left. With a heart wrenching cry, the bird gathered the very last dregs of its Qi. It ignored the agonizing pain of its severed wing and channeled all its energy into a desperate burst of speed.

The thunderbird launched itself into the air, flying awkwardly and erratically as it fled the valley. It abandoned the dragon corpse, it abandoned its fallen kin and it fled for its life. It was the worst possible result for all the effort it had given.

The Tempest Tiger shook off the battered remains of the smaller birds and watched the large thunderbird disappear over the canyon ridge. The feline did not bother to give chase as it wasn’t worth the effort. It had already secured the valley, the massive dragon corpse and a dozens of the smaller dragon and birds to feast upon.

The tiger let out a triumphant roar that shook the very foundations of the area, claiming its stolen victory. Li Yu remained silent behind the boulders as he watched the events unfold.

The brutality of the exchange reinforced the cruel logic of this realm. There was no right or wrong here. The thunderbirds had fought a grueling war but they had lost their prize and their lives simply because a stronger beast decided to enforce a territorial claim. It wasn’t much different from a sect defending its own lands against a foreign force.

Li Yu carefully backed away from the ridge as he still didn’t want to engage in any conflict. It was still time to learn and watch. He did not want to draw the attention of the wind tiger while it was high on the thrill of a fresh kill.

Li Yu slipped away into the shadows of the canyon and left the valley of death behind. He needed to find a safe place to camp, far away from the aggressive predators that ruled these lands.