Three years passed in a state of profound, undisturbed peace. For the Green Mountain Sect it was a period of normal incremental growth. Disciples broke through, elders went into seclusion and the great machine of the sect churned on. But in the hidden valley of the Azure Serpent Lake, three years was an entire era.
Li Yu was now fourteen years old. The scrawny underfed boy was gone, replaced by a lean and slightly more composed young man. He was not tall or overtly muscular but he moved with a quiet grace. His actions were economical and precise. His "official" cultivation had progressed at a speed that was considered genius-level, but not monstrous.
He had publicly broken through to the Fourth Stage of the Qi Condensation Realm, a feat that placed him firmly in the upper echelons of the core disciples for his age. His reputation was no longer that of a lucky upstart. It was now a reclusive prodigy of the Beast Taming Hall. A genius who cared more for the beasts under his care than for fame or glory.
His days were a carefully constructed persona. He rarely left his valley but the sect's disciples now came to him. His ability to solve problems with demonic beasts had become legendary over the years. His knowledge of beasts that weren't of an aquatic bloodline grew stronger. His abilities to solve their problems were now much more refined.
One afternoon, during the last of the 3 years, a powerful core disciple, a young woman named Yao Ling from the Alchemist's Hall arrived with a troubled expression. Her companion beast, a Rank 5 Seven-Tailed Spirit Fox, was suffering from a strange malady. Its beautiful silver fur was thinning and it had lost its appetite.
"Junior Brother Li," she said, her voice laced with a worried tone. "The sect's alchemists are stumped. They say its life force is inexplicably draining away."
Li Yu spent a full day observing the fox. It was not an aquatic beast so he could not feel its thoughts directly. But experience had honed his senses and knowledge to an incredible degree. He watched its breathing, the flow of Qi in its body and its subtle interactions with the environment. In this particular instant he then detected that it had a recessive and thin aquatic bloodline.
"Senior Sister Yao," he said on the second day, his voice thoughtful. "The problem is not the fox. I believe it is its food." He pointed to the high-grade fire-attribute spirit herbs she was feeding it. "Your spirit fox has a rare recessive ice-attribute bloodline. You are feeding it fire to nourish its dominant attribute but that very fire is slowly extinguishing the dormant ice nature within it, causing a fundamental conflict that is draining its life force."
He offered a simple solution: a balanced diet incorporating both fire and ice-attribute herbs of a lower grade. Within a week, the fox's fur began to regrow, its appetite returned and its aura stabilized. In return for his help, she insisted he take a reward. He asked for a rare five hundred-year-old ice-attribute herb from her personal collection, a treasure he quietly stored away.
He became the sect's unofficial beast physician when normal means were exhausted. He helped an elder whose ancient armored battle-turtle had developed cracks in its shell by diagnosing a simple mineral deficiency. He aided a disciple whose flying sword-fish were unable to control their flight by understanding that a change in the mountain's magnetic field was disrupting their innate navigational senses.
Under his care the Azure Serpent Lake had transformed. It was now the most productive and valuable beast-rearing ground in the entire sect for aquatic beasts. He had used his unique understanding to crossbreed several species. He created new and more powerful variants.
His most successful creation was the Azure-Jade Carp, a hybrid of the common Green-Scaled Carp and a rare Jade-Gilled Perch. It was a beautiful, delicious and incredibly nourishing fish that was now the most sought-after delicacy in the inner sect's dining halls. It became a constant and large source of income for his master's faction.
His three friends had also been reborn. Brother Kai with his old injuries healed and his path clear had reached the Fourth Stage of Qi Condensation becoming a true expert in his own right. Though he still preferred not to fight, an increase in strength was always welcomed.
Hu Jian and Lin Tao, with their new techniques and a steady supply of resources had both reached the Third Stage, very quickly progressing themselves. They were no longer just mere guards; they were the formidable pillars of Li Yu's small kingdom.
But all of this was just the surface. His true growth happened in the dead of night in the silent hidden world of his own cultivation.
Three years of absorbing the refined Khaos-filtered essence of the Azure Serpent Lake's beasts, combined with his regular intensive sessions in the Abyssal Water Pavilion had pushed his cultivation to a terrifying new height. His true realm was the Ninth Stage of the Qi Condensation Realm, a single step away from the Foundation Establishment Realm. His Qi Core was a flawless spinning crystal of immense power and his control over his True Qi was exquisite.
His body, tempered by the «Abyssal Leviathan Physique» had also reached a new level. He had long ago perfected the Third Level, 'Kraken's Heart,' making his internal organs incredibly resilient. Now, he was on the verge of breaking through to the Fourth Level: 'Tidal Blood.' It was a level that promised to transform his very lifeblood into a medium of immense power and vitality.
His nights were often spent in a silent, deadly dance with his companion. Crimson, now a fully mature Rank 4 Fierce Beast, was a terrifying opponent. Its draconic bloodline had fully awakened and it could now spew a torrent of corrosive Qi-infused venom and move with a speed that defied its size.
They would spar for hours in the hidden grotto, their movements a blur of shadow and jade-green scales. Their synergy was improving. Li Yu could be in the middle of executing a «Deep-River Seal» and with a single thought Crimson would appear from the Koi's Sanctuary to lock down his opponent, guaranteeing the blow would land. They were a coordinated killing machine.
The one thing that they were lacking was actual real combat experience. Sparring helped to perfect technique and refine skills but real combat against a skilled opponent with their own thoughts was something completely different. After all these years he had still not had a single real fight. His reclusive nature kept him usually away from harm or fights.
It was during his quiet moments of cultivation that he would commune with the other residents of his spirit. The Koi's Sanctuary had evolved. It was no longer just a misty courtyard. It was now a pocket dimension the size of a small tranquil lake surrounded by a misty featureless void. Li Yu, in his authority as Steward of the Azure Serpent Lake, had carefully selected and transferred prime specimens of lower-ranked beasts into this private dimension.
A small thriving population of Rank 1 Silver-Gilled Minnows swam in the clear spiritual water. What started as a dozen of his own Rank 2 Azure-Jade Carp had now become a sustainable food source. They were often exploring around the misty depths. A breeding pair of Rank 3 Shadow-Fin Eels, known for their potent life essence, lurked in a small rocky cave he had formed for them at the bottom.
This private ecosystem served multiple purposes. It was a constant high-quality food source for his companions and more importantly it was a perfect and private wellspring of Qi he could draw from at any time without affecting the sect's resources or arousing suspicion.
He also found that he didn't need to feed them fish like he did on the outside. It would seem like the energy that his martial spirit absorbed on its own was more than enough to sustain the life inside. He still wasn't sure what it was his koi was absorbing but it felt like it was from some kind of higher plane, a source he couldn't detect or conceive yet.
At the same time he felt that increasing the diversity of life in this place was a benefit to his martial spirit. When he added the first few fish in here he felt his martial spirits urge him to keep doing so. When he added more of the same type, he didn't get the same response. It was only when he added a new species did he receive that feedback.
He didn't feel any changes as he was doing so but since it seemed like his martial spirit wanted him to, he would keep doing it.
'You have turned my sanctuary into a noisy fishpond', Khaos's ancient, arrogant voice echoed in his mind. His shrunken form, the miniature crab, was resting on a small obsidian ledge that Khaos had created for itself. He was observing the new inhabitants with a detached regal air.
They are a resource Li Yu projected back. Their life force nourishes this space and aids your growth.
'Their essence is crude but their vitality is pure', Khaos conceded. 'It is an acceptable addition. My growth continues'. Khaos's current state was one of natural steady growth, like a seed slowly sprouting into a world-ending tree.
'The egg you have placed here is also interesting', Khaos noted, its attention shifting. 'It has absorbed a great deal of the sanctuary's vitality. Its life force has reached its peak. It will hatch soon.'
Li Yu's focus shifted to the Deep-Sea Naga egg. It had been resting in the sanctuary for three years. It was constantly bathed in the pure life-giving energy of his Koi spirit. The faint swirling patterns on its dark blue shell were now glowing with a soft steady light. He could feel the strong healthy heartbeat of the life within.
The hatching of the Naga would not be a grand world-shaking event that would alert the sect; it would be a quiet internal affair, a secret known only to him. It would be a new powerful asset.
He looked out from his pagoda, his gaze sweeping over the peaceful misty valley that was his domain. He was content to stay here and to continue his quiet low-key life of raising his beasts and growing stronger. But he knew that the world outside was not so peaceful. His enemies had been silent but they had not vanished.