Two years passed in a flash of quiet, diligent work. Li Yu, now a young man of seventeen, stood on the highest balcony of the central pagoda, his simple robes fluttering in the gentle, mist-laden breeze. The frantic energy of construction was gone, replaced by the calm, steady rhythm of a thriving enterprise.
Below him, the twenty terraced lakes shimmered under the morning sun, each one a jewel of crystal-clear water. The floating islands he had helped designed were now lush, green gardens, overflowing with rare, high-grade spiritual herbs, tended to by disciples of the Herb Hall who continue to paid a handsome fee for the privilege of working in such a fertile environment.
Uncle Wei, his back now ramrod straight, his face filled with a deep, quiet pride, managed the day-to-day operations of the breeding ponds with a staff of fifty dedicated caretakers he had personally trained. The Deepwater Menagerie had become a pillar of the sect's economy.
While the ancient and powerful Alchemy Hall was still the most profitable division, the menagerie was a close and rapidly growing second. The profits from all their creatures, especially their Azure-Jade Carp and Moon-Fin Trout, now in high demand throughout the entire region, grew with each passing year as their stock multiplied. It was common knowledge that if things continued at this rate, Li Yu's new division would eventually overtake the alchemists in the next 10 years or so.
Li Yu's three friends had also grown into their roles. Brother Kai, now a respected Fifth Stage Qi Condensation expert, was the unflappable steward of the entire valley, his calm, experienced hand guiding its administration. Hu Jian and Lin Tao, both having reached the Fourth Stage, were the formidable marshals, their patrol teams ensuring the valley's absolute security.
This peace had allowed Li Yu to focus on his own, silent growth. Publicly, his cultivation had advanced to the Third Stage of the Foundation Establishment Realm, a speed that was impressive. But his true power was a secret known only to him.
Two years of devouring the immense, pure energy of his own thriving sanctuary, supercharged by his sessions at the Abyssal Water Pavilion, had pushed him to the very peak of the Sixth Stage of the Foundation Establishment Realm. He was able to advance roughly a stage per year. He was now as powerful as the sect's most senior elders, a fact that he kept hidden beneath his calm unassuming demeanor.
His control over his unique foundation had become exquisite. He could now seamlessly weave his life and void energies together. He would often spend his afternoons walking the shores of the lakes, a gentle, healing stream of life energy flowing from one hand to nurture a school of young fish, while his other hand practiced forming a small, silent and terrifyingly corrosive sphere of void energy, a secret weapon that could turn an enemy to dust.
His training with Khaos had become a brutal, but essential routine. The lessons in despair had forged his will into something as hard and unyielding as a diamond. He could now withstand the pressure of what Khaos called a "mid-stage Foundation Establishment expert" for several minutes.
It was a terrifying ordeal, considering Li Yu himself was already past that stage in his own cultivation, yet Khaos's suppressed pressure still felt like a collapsing mountain. The standards of a Khaos were clearly on a different plane of existence.
"Your progress is… adequate," Khaos said on one such session. "You have learned to endure. But you still do not understand the true nature of the void. You wield it like a hammer. It is a scalpel, a key that can unlock the very laws of existence."
"Then teach me," Li Yu projected back, his spiritual avatar standing firm against the crushing pressure.
"Patience, little host," Khaos replied, a hint of ancient amusement in its tone. "Your vessel is still too fragile for such profound truths. First, you must break through to the next realm. Then, your true education will begin."
The Koi's Sanctuary had also undergone a transformation. It was now a vast inland sea, the crimson-gold mist so dense it was almost a liquid. His private army had thrived in this perfect environment. Crimson had reached the peak of Rank 4, its draconic bloodline fully awakened. Lirael, the Naga, was now at the peak of Rank 5, her control over water pressure and psychic abilities becoming chillingly profound.
The Coral-Fortress Crabs and Mind-Weaver Squids had also reached the peak of Rank 5, becoming true masters of defense and illusion. The two Stygian Maw-Lurkers were now fully mature Rank 6 Hegemon Beasts, their auras a terrifying silent promise of absolute destruction. And it was during a quiet afternoon of meditation that he felt a new, powerful consciousness awaken within the sanctuary.
The two Three-Tailed Spirit Eel eggs had finally hatched. Floating in the misty depths were two new companions. They were beautiful, eel-like serpents, their bodies a shimmering electric blue, their three tails crackling with a faint, golden lightning. They were born as Rank 5 Tyrant Beasts, their minds a sharp, intelligent buzz of pure, untamed elemental energy. He named the male Volt and the female Jolt. They were a welcome addition to his growing arsenal, a new form of swift, lightning-aspected offense.
They were also an important breeding pair for him and he looked forward to their population increasing in his Koi Sanctuary.
But the most significant development came not from his powerful combat beasts but from the small, unassuming rainbow fish he had received from the young fisherman. The Seven-Treasures Fish, which he had named 'Lucky', had spent two years exploring every inch of the great river that flowed through his valley. One evening, as Li Yu was enjoying a quiet meal with his friends, he felt a series of excited, urgent pulses from the small fish.
He excused himself and made his way to the riverbank. Lucky was waiting for him, its rainbow scales shimmering in the moonlight. It nudged his hand and then darted into the deep, leading him on a silent, underwater journey. It led him to a deep, forgotten side-channel of the river, to a place that had been hidden by a natural illusion formation of flowing water.
Behind the illusion was the entrance to a vast, underwater cave system. And at the heart of the cave, Lucky showed him its discovery: a massive, previously unknown vein of Deep-Sea Spirit Iron, a high-grade ore that was perfect for forging spiritual weapons and armor.
Li Yu knew this discovery was too significant to keep to himself. A treasure of this magnitude could alter the sect's strength. He immediately reported his findings to his master and the Sect Master. The sect was thrown into a state of joyous uproar. As per the sect's ancient rules, as the discoverer, Li Yu was granted a thirty percent share of the entire vein's output. It was a fortune, a hidden source of wealth that would fund his growth, all of it perfectly legitimate and above-board.
He was content. He could have spent the next fifty years in this quiet, peaceful valley, slowly growing into a powerhouse that could shake the heavens. But the world, it seemed, had other plans.
A week later, an urgent, sect-wide summons arrived. It came from a high-frequency communication talisman that resonated with every elder and core disciple. A message from the Sect Master himself. Li Yu and his three friends gathered in the main hall as the message was received.
"A state of emergency," Brother Kai said, his face grim as he read the glowing runes in the air. "A massive, unprecedented Beast Tide is forming in the Untamed Western Wilderness, a vast distance from our sect's borders. The Beast Taming Guild has issued a Grade One warning to all surrounding sects. They estimate the tide will reach our territory in the coming weeks."
"A Beast Tide…" Hu Jian whispered, his hand going to his saber. A dark, painful memory surfaced. "My parents… they died in a Beast Tide."
Li Yu's own heart went cold. A beast tide that had orphaned him was not just a distant memory; it was a scar on his soul. He had spent his entire life seeking the strength to never be helpless again.
"The Sect Master has issued a full mobilization order," Lin Tao continued, reading the message. "All disciples in the Qi Condensation Realm and above are to report to the main plaza in three days. We are to join a coalition of the surrounding sects to form a defensive line at the Crimson Ridge Pass. We are to meet the tide head-on."
The years of peace were over. The storm that had been a distant, political squabble was nothing compared to this. This was a true existential threat, a force of nature that could wipe their entire sect and the surrounding region from the face of the earth.
Li Yu looked at the grim, determined faces of his friends. He looked out at the beautiful, peaceful valley he had built, at the thriving life he had nurtured. He had spent his entire life hiding, avoiding conflict, building his strength in the shadows.
But this was not a choice. The mobilization was mandatory. Now, with a power in his hands he'd never had before, he felt a duty to use it. There were some things a person could not run from. There were some things a king had to protect.
He took a deep, steadying breath. His voice was not a call to volunteer, but a statement of grim, unavoidable fact. "Let us prepare," he said simply.