Six months dissolved into the placid waters of the Azure Serpent Lake. For Li Yu, this period was one of transformation, a secret metamorphosis conducted in the silent depths and moonless nights. His mastery over his new arsenal grew with each passing day.
The «Rippling Shadow Step» was now second nature; he could move across the water's surface without creating so much as a whisper of a ripple, his form a fleeting, ghostly shadow. The «Tidal Aegis Art» was a constant, subconscious defense, the spiraling currents of Qi a permanent feature beneath his skin, ready to disperse any unexpected force.
The «Deep-River Seal» was his hidden fang, a technique of such devastating power that he rarely practiced the final 'Abyssal Tide' seal, fearing the very lakebed would not withstand its force.
His public persona was that of a diligent, if slightly reclusive, prodigy. Under the watchful eyes of Brother Kai, his "official" cultivation, fueled by the «Azure Water Scripture», had progressed steadily. He had allowed himself to break through to the Fifth, and then the Sixth Stage of Body Tempering.
Each breakthrough was celebrated by the small staff of the Azure Serpent Lake as a reason to get together for some drinks and food. They would drink alcohol and only give tea to Li Yu, saying he was too young, he might become an addict. They would joke and laugh at how young he was.
They had no idea that for Li Yu, these minor advancements were like a giant feigning the effort of lifting a pebble. His true cultivation remained firmly at the Great Perfection of the Tenth Stage, a coiled dragon waiting for the right moment to ascend.
His body, tempered by the Third Level of the «Abyssal Leviathan Physique», 'Kraken's Heart,' was a fortress of vitality. His internal organs were so resilient and his life force so potent that he could go for days without sleep, subsisting only on the ambient spiritual energy and the potent Qi he drew from the lake's inhabitants. In this location he was a perfect, self-sustaining engine of cultivation, his power growing deeper and more consolidated with each passing day.
This period of tranquil growth was shattered on a bright, sunny afternoon by the arrival of an uninvited guest. A disciple descended from the upper peaks, not on foot, but riding a magnificent, snow-white crane. The crane was a Rank 3 Spirit Beast, and the ability to command such a creature as a mount was a clear indicator of immense status.
The disciple was a young man, perhaps seventeen or eighteen, with sharp, handsome features, and robes of the finest azure silk embroidered with silver clouds. This was the uniform of a core disciple, a true elite of the inner sect.
He landed in the main courtyard with an arrogant flair, the crane letting out a piercing cry that echoed across the lake. Brother Kai and the two guards rushed out, their faces tight with annoyance and bowed. It was a bow of status, not of fear.
"Greetings, Senior Brother Jian," Brother Kai said, his voice carefully neutral, though Li Yu could detect a deep-seated apprehension in his tone. It was the first time that Li Yu met this disciple but it was clear from Brother Kai's greeting and action that this disciple had been here before.
Li Yu, who had been "practicing" his scripture in the courtyard, stood up and observed the newcomer. The disciple, Jian Feng, was at the First Stage of the Qi Condensation Realm. His aura was sharp and aggressive, like an unsheathed sword. It was a powerful presence, but Li Yu knew that Brother Kai, at the Second Stage of the same realm, was stronger. The tension in the air was not about cultivation; it was about politics and sect hierarchy.
Jian Feng dismounted, completely ignoring the bowing people. His cold, arrogant gaze swept over the pagoda and the lake before finally landing on Li Yu. A flicker of disdain crossed his face. "You must be the famous fish-feeder. The lucky brat who stumbled his way into becoming Elder Ning's personal disciple."
Li Yu's heart slightly sank, looks like today will not be easy. This was not a friendly visit. He bowed his head respectfully, playing the part of a junior. "This disciple, Li Yu, greets Senior Brother Jian."
"Spare me the pleasantries," Jian Feng sneered. "My master, Elder Jin, requires a Spirit-Vein Sturgeon for his alchemy. I am here to procure it."
Brother Kai stepped forward, his expression troubled but firm. "Senior Brother Jian, with all due respect, you know the rules. The Spirit-Vein Sturgeons are the most prized assets of the lake. They are still young, not yet mature. To harvest one now would be a great waste, and it is against Elder Ning's standing orders."
Jian Feng shot him a glare. "Are you, a mere steward, questioning an order from Elder Jin? It doesn't matter if those are Elder Ning's standing orders, they must have worked something out already between them. My master's needs are more important than some fish's 'maturity.' Besides, I am not asking. I am telling you. Prepare the sturgeon for transport."
This was a clear power play. Elder Jin was a rival of Elder Ning's in the sect's hierarchy and Jian Feng was using his master's name and his own status as a core disciple to throw his weight around. brother Kai was stronger,but Jian Feng's backing was more powerful.
This was the tyranny of status. Brother Kai simply worked here, he wasn't a personal disciple of Elder Ning. He was just an inner disciple that had taken on this task at the sect. Jian Feng had already said the two Elders must have come to some kind of agreement, a response vague enough that he wouldn't get in trouble later but giving enough reason for him to be able to take the fish, so brother Kai had no reason to refuse to. He was probably lying but he was in no position to question this.
Li Yu knew he could not let Brother Kai take the blame for this. However, to acquiesce would be to show weakness and fail the first real test of his stewardship. He did not get any message from his master that it was okay to take the sturgeons so it was probably a lie.
"Senior Brother Jian," he said, his voice calm and even, "My master, Elder Ning, has given me sole authority over the beasts of this lake. Her orders were explicit: the sturgeons are not to be disturbed until they reach full maturity in another year. To do so would damage their spirit veins and reduce their alchemical value by more than half. I cannot, in good conscience, fulfill your request."
A dangerous silence descended. Jian Feng slowly turned his head, his eyes narrowing into slits. "A Sixth Stage Body Tempering brat is refusing me? Do you know who I am? I am a core disciple. Now I am here under the direct orders of an Elder and yet you refuse? Now, for the last time, get me my sturgeon."
Li Yu stood his ground, his small frame an unmoving rock against the tide of Jian Feng's arrogance. "My duty is to my master and to the well-being of the beasts under my care. I must refuse."
"You have a death wish!" Jian Feng roared, his patience finally snapping. He was told by Elder Jin to get these fish and he could do as he pleased in order to do so. Jian Feng didn't quite understand what his master was doing but he had no reason to hold back with directions like that.
He released the full pressure of his Qi Condensation aura. It was a crushing force, like a mountain descending in the area. The two guards stumbled back from the force that was stronger than their own but Brother Kai simply stood there, his expression one of deep annoyance as he effortlessly resisted the pressure.
Li Yu, however, also remained standing. To him, the pressure was noticeable, but his Tenth Stage foundation and his 'Kraken's Heart' physique made it feel like little more than a strong wind. He simply stood there, his robes fluttering slightly, his expression unchanged.
Jian Feng's eyes widened slightly in shock. That a mere Body Tempering disciple was completely unaffected by his spiritual pressure was a profound insult to him. "Insolent worm! Since you refuse to learn your place, I will teach you!"
He didn't move to kill, that would be too much for this situation, but to humiliate. He flicked his wrist, and a blade of compressed Qi, sharp and fast, shot towards Li Yu's shoulder, aimed to hurt his arm and send him crashing to the ground in agony.
Li Yu saw the attack coming. It was fast, but to his heightened senses, it seemed to move through water. This was the first test of his new arsenal.
Brother Kai was going to react and block the attack but saw that Li Yu was not being affected by the cultivation pressure and he wasn't running or scrambling away. He was standing there, ready to take on the attack. "Does he have some sort of plan? Did his master send him here expecting something like this and gave him some treasures to defend himself? What if my interference affects the plan? I should just stand back and watch right now and see what happens." Brother Kai thought.
He didn't try to dodge as he saw that Jian Feng was aiming towards his shoulder, not to kill. He simply stood there and took the hit. The moment the Qi blade struck his shoulder, the «Tidal Aegis Art» activated. The spiraling currents of Qi beneath his skin caught the sharp, invasive energy.
To the onlookers, it looked as if the attack had struck home. Li Yu's body was thrown back several steps, and he stumbled, his face pale. But that was all. There was no wound, no blood, no scream of pain. The force had been completely dispersed into the depths of his body, leaving him utterly unharmed. It was a good test of his Tidal Aegis Art.
Jian Feng was flabbergasted. "What? How are you still standing?" he spoke silently to himself. His attack, which should have shattered the boy's shoulder, had done nothing.
"A lucky… a lucky piece of armor my master gave me," Li Yu stammered, playing the part of the terrified but fortunate junior.
"Luck won't save you twice!" Jian Feng snarled. He lunged forward, his hand forming a claw, aiming to grab Li Yu by the throat. "I'll tear that armor off you myself!"
His speed was impressive for a Qi Condensation cultivator, but it was predictable. Since he wasn't trying to kill, all the attacks came in a predictable mannor, Jian Feng was simply trying to hurt him slightly.
As the claw descended, Li Yu activated the «Rippling Shadow Step». He didn't execute a lightning-fast dodge. Instead, his body seemed to sway, to flow like water. He took a clumsy-looking "stumble" to the side, his foot "slipping" on a loose stone. Jian Feng's claw missed by a hair's breadth, grabbing nothing but air.
"Stand still, you little rat!" Jian Feng roared in frustration, attacking again and again.
What followed was a bizarre spectacle. The mighty inner sect disciple of the Qi Condensation Realm, launched a furious assault. And the small, "Sixth Stage" Junior Steward simply… stumbled. He tripped, he slipped, he swayed, and he flailed.
Each movement was awkward, clumsy, and looked like a desperate, panicked attempt to escape. Yet, miraculously, every single one of Jian Feng's powerful, precise attacks missed. He was like a man trying to catch a fish with his bare hands, his every lunge meeting only empty water.
Brother Kai and the guards stared, their minds unable to reconcile what they were seeing. The guards were not strong enough to help and since they saw that Brother Kai who did have the strength not interfering they stayed still as well.
"There must be some hidden plan here from Elder Ning, I should stay out of it in case I get in the way. Only if he is truly in danger will I step in. From the way Jian Feng is attacking, it also doesn't look like he is aiming to kill, only to hurt" Brother Kai was thinking to himself while watching the scene.
Jian Feng was on the verge of madness. He was being made a fool of. "Enough of this!" he bellowed, gathering his power for a final, decisive blow. A shimmering, azure light enveloped his palm. This was a true technique, a martial art of the inner sect.
Li Yu knew he could not simply dodge this time. The attack looked like it had a wide area of effect. He had to meet it. As Jian Feng thrust his palm forward, Li Yu, with a "desperate cry," pushed his own small palm out to block.
He activated the «Deep-River Seal».
He did not use the full power of his Tenth Stage foundation. He channeled only a fraction, just enough, and cloaked it in the aura of the «Azure Water Scripture». To Jian Feng, it looked like the weak, desperate shove of a cornered animal.
But when their palms met, Jian Feng's arrogant expression turned to one of utter shock and horror.
He had expected to smash through the boy's defense like a hammer through glass. Instead, he felt as if his hand had struck the bottom of the ocean. An impossibly heavy, dense, and deep power met his own. It did not explode. It simply… absorbed. The 'Crushing Current' seal sent a silent, concussive wave of force up his arm, bypassing his own Qi defenses and striking his meridians directly.
Jian Feng let out a choked gasp and was sent staggering back five steps, his entire arm numb and tingling, the Qi in his body thrown into chaos. He stared at his hand, then at Li Yu, his face a mask of disbelief and a dawning, chilling fear.
"How? How could a Body Tempering disciple possess Qi so heavy, so dense? It was impossible. It defied all logic. Did he use some kind of talisman to boost his strength? That's probably what it was." Jian Feng thought.
Li Yu stood there, panting heavily, his face pale, looking for all the world like a boy who had just expended every last ounce of his energy in a single, miraculous, life-or-death gamble.
Jian Feng looked at the strange, calm boy. He thought of the boy's master, Elder Ning. The fear of the unknown, and the fear of the consequences of failing so spectacularly, overwhelmed his pride.
"You… you will regret this," he hissed, his voice lacking its earlier conviction. He stumbled back to his crane, mounted it clumsily, and fled the Azure Serpent Lake in a state of humiliation and confusion, leaving behind a profound silence.