The journey back to the Green Mountain Sect was a quiet and contemplative one. Elder Feng He, having personally escorted them to the sect's borders, gave a final deep bow to Li Yu before departing, his gratitude and respect a palpable, living thing. The alliance between the small ancient clan and himself was now set in stone.
When Li Yu and Brother Kai finally returned to the Southern River Valley. Hu Jian and Lin Tao met them at the entrance, their auras stable and powerful, their expressions filled with the pride of men who were building a kingdom.
"Brother Li, Brother Kai, welcome back!" Hu Jian boomed, his voice echoing in the valley. "The patrol routes are secure and the valley has been cleared of any significant threats," Lin Tao added, his report as concise and precise as ever.
Li Yu nodded, a deep sense of satisfaction warming him. He had chosen his team well and they in turn have done an amazing job like he knew they could. He looked at Brother Kai, his expression turning serious but he waited until Uncle Wei showed up before speaking.
"Brother Kai," he began, his voice low and firm. "From this day forward, the Deepwater Menagerie will have a new, absolute rule. This valley is to be a pristine, controlled environment. We cannot risk a repeat of the curse that afflicted the Clearwater Jade Carp Clan. No one is to bring any external storage rings, beast pouches or unidentified materials into this valley. All such items will be left in a secured locker at the main gate."
He looked at the four men who were his most trusted allies. "Only the five of us—myself, you, Hu Jian, Lin Tao, and Uncle Wei—are exempt. We alone will be responsible for bringing in new beasts and materials. This is the only way to guarantee the absolute biosecurity of our menagerie."
His four friends looked at each other, a flicker of surprise in their eyes, That was followed by a slow deep understanding. It was a strict, almost tyrannical rule but it was born of a profound caution that they had come to respect. It was the decision of a true master beast tamer who was paranoid about protecting the beast under his care. "We understand," Brother Kai said with a solemn nod.
With the new rule established, Li Yu turned his attention to the acquisitions from his trip. He handed the water-filled crates containing the two pairs of Rank 3 Moon-Fin Trout to a beaming Uncle Wei. "Uncle Wei, these are for our new production farms. Find a good spot for them. I want a healthy, breeding population established within the year. They will be a fine addition to our market goods."
Then, he held up the separate beast pouch containing the two Three-Tailed Spirit Eel eggs. "These are a personal acquisition," he stated simply. "I will be responsible for their incubation." He did not elaborate and his friends did not ask. They understood that their young friend had his own secrets, his own trump cards that were not meant for the sect's public ledger.
He looked at his friends. "My journey was… enlightening. I have gained some new insights and a valuable resource. I will be entering a short period of seclusion to consolidate my learnings. The valley is in your hands."
His friends, now accustomed to his mysterious ways, simply nodded in understanding and support. They knew that every time their young leader went into seclusion, he emerged even more unfathomable than before.
In the quiet, privacy of his new heavily-fortified cultivation chamber at the peak of the main pagoda, Li Yu finally allowed himself a moment of true introspection. He sat on his meditation cushion, not to cultivate his Qi but to take stock of his own physical foundation. His lessons with Khaos had taught him that while his Qi was his primary weapon, his body was the vessel that contained it. A flawed vessel, no matter how much water it held, would eventually crack.
He took out the ornate, jade bottle he had won from the alchemist, Wang Chen. He uncorked it, and the rich, earthy aroma of the Stone-Marrow Tempering Pill filled the room, a scent so potent it seemed to make the very air feel heavier.
"My physique has been stagnant for too long," he murmured to himself. He had perfected the Fifth Level, 'Abyssal Vortex,' months ago, the passive, self-sustaining spiritual vortex within his very flesh constantly refining his energy.
But the path to the next stage had remained elusive. He knew, instinctively, that it required a massive, pure infusion of physical energy, something his own cultivation could not provide for in a short amount of time. This pill was the key to his shortcut. Without hesitation, he swallowed it.
The pill did not dissolve into a gentle, warm current. It was a bomb of pure unadulterated earthen power. A wave of energy as thick and heavy as molten stone exploded in his stomach. It did not target his dantian or his meridians. It flooded his entire circulatory system, a torrent of power that was aimed at a single, fundamental target: his very bones.
His 'Abyssal Vortex' physique roared to life. The pure earthen energy of the pill was a divine nectar to his already monstrously resilient body. The vortex in his circulatory system began to spin at a furious rate, drawing in the pill's power and using it as a catalyst to begin a new, profound transformation.
The pain was immense, a deep, grinding ache that started in the very core of his skeleton and radiated outwards. He felt as if his bones were being simultaneously pulverized and reforged, ground into dust and then compressed into something new, something harder, something more profound.
He could feel a new, intricate network of almost invisible, abyss-black lines beginning to form within his bones, connecting his marrow to his muscles, his organs, his skin, and his very blood. It was a new, deeper circulatory system, not for blood but for pure physical power.
The process lasted for a full week. When it was over, the pain receded, replaced by a feeling of incredible, unprecedented wholeness. He opened his eyes and stood up. He felt… different. Lighter, yet more solid. He took a single simple step and the stone floor of his chamber cracked under the effortless, unconscious release of his physical weight.
He had broken through. He had reached the Sixth Level of the «Abyssal Leviathan Physique». The name that appeared in his mind was simple, yet carried a profound weight: 'Leviathan's Unity.'
It was a level of perfect harmonious integration. His Scaled Skin, his Leviathan Bones, his Kraken's Heart, his Tidal Blood and his Abyssal Vortex were no longer separate, tempered parts. They were now a single, unified whole, connected by the new invisible network within his skeleton. His body had become a flawless, self-contained weapon. He could now channel the full, explosive power of his physique without relying on his True Qi, his every movement carrying a deep weight.
He did not know how this new level of physical power compared to the established cultivation realms. Was he as strong as a mid-stage Foundation Establishment expert? Or perhaps even stronger? He had no way to gauge it. But he knew that his own survivability, his own personal strength had just taken another monstrous unquantifiable leap forward. And any increase in strength, especially one so hidden and unassuming, was always welcomed.
"I am kind of becoming more and more like a beast, a defense monster in my own right due to this body refinement technique." Li Yu said softly to himself. A stronger defense is always better so he had no complaints and it was proceeding smoothly.
With his body's foundation solidified, he turned his attention to his spiritual one. He sank his consciousness into the Koi's Sanctuary. He took the two precious Rank 5 Three-Tailed Spirit Eel eggs and placed them in a small warm current he had created at the bottom of the misty lake. The pure, life-giving energy of the sanctuary immediately began to nourish them, accelerating their incubation period.
He then communed with his companions, sharing his new sense of strength and stability with them. Lirael, Crimson, and his other beasts all felt the change in their master.
Finally, he approached the obsidian ledge where his most powerful and most arrogant ally rested.
"The pill was of a decent quality," Khaos's voice echoed, a rare note of what might have been approval in its ancient arrogant tone. "Your vessel is becoming marginally less fragile. It is an acceptable development."
"It is a step," Li Yu projected back. "One of many still to come."
"Indeed," Khaos replied. "Your journey is long, little host. Do not become complacent simply because you have learned to stand."
Li Yu withdrew his consciousness, a small, confident smile on his face. Complacency was a luxury he would never be able to afford. But for now he did feel a decent sense of security. His body was a fortress. His army was growing stronger with each passing day.