The first sensation that returned to Li Yu was the feeling of the simple, stone floor beneath him. He opened his eyes, and the world seemed both the same and fundamentally different. The faint, spiritual light that trickled into his cultivation chamber from the formations outside was no longer just light; he could see the individual, shimmering motes of Qi that composed it, each one a tiny, vibrant world of its own.
He had been in seclusion for six months. He was now a young man of eighteen. His features are just a bit sharper, his frame leaner and imbued with a quiet, coiled power. He slowly stood up, his movements silent and effortless. He felt… whole.
He looked down at his own hand. He willed it and a sphere of abyss-black water shot through with veins of brilliant emerald-green light formed in his palm. It was a harmonious fusion of the two opposing forces that defined his dao. He could feel the terrifying corrosive power of the void and the boundless generative power of life. The two were held in a perfect, delicate balance.
But the transformation was not limited to his dantian. The final, explosive infusion of energy from his breakthrough had been the ultimate catalyst for his physique. The intricate, abyss-black network within his bones, the final stage of 'Leviathan's Unity,' had fully integrated with his entire body. Now, nourished by the higher-grade energy of his new realm, his physique had naturally begun its advance to the next stage. The Seventh Level: 'Void-Wrought Flesh.'
It was a terrifying, paradoxical process. He could feel the trace of void energy from his foundation beginning to break down his very flesh on a cellular level, a process of silent, absolute unmaking. But at the same instant, the vibrant emerald-green life energy would surge forward, not just healing the damage but rebuilding his cells into a stronger, purer and more resilient form. The two opposing forces were locked in an eternal, microscopic war within his body, a cycle of destruction and rebirth.
The only thing that kept them from annihilating each other was the deep, neutral and all-encompassing water-attribute harmony of his «Abyssal Leviathan Physique» itself, which acted as the perfect medium, the balancing agent for these two absolute concepts. He wondered how things would be for someone who didn't have void and life qi in their body, perhaps the effects would lessen but the overall process would be the same. He didn't know and he would never know.
His body was becoming less a vessel of simple flesh and blood and more a living, breathing spiritual artifact, forged in a crucible of life and void. His defensive capabilities, already monstrous, had reached a level that was simply absurd for a human cultivator.
With a thought, he sank his consciousness into his Koi's Sanctuary. The first thing he saw sent a wave of shock through his soul. The Koi martial spirit had undergone a cataclysmic transformation.
It was no longer a fish. It was a colossal, majestic being at least sixty feet in length, its form a breathtaking fusion of a primordial whale, a divine dragon and an ancient leviathan.
Its body was broad and powerful like a whale, a testament to its boundless, ocean-spanning might. It was covered in the familiar, shimmering, crimson-gold scales of his Koi but they now carried the intricate, profound patterns of a divine dragon.
Its head was no longer that of a simple fish but had become draconic, with two long, flowing whiskers of pure light and two small, nascent horns of crimson jade budding from its brow. It swam through the misty, inland sea of the sanctuary, its every movement a display of the silent and regal authority of a true leviathan.
It still overall looked like a fish, albeit one with different features throughout its body. Like someone had tried to cross breed those three creatures together but it was still quite adorable.
He felt the change in his own soul. The sanctuary, nourished by his breakthrough, was more vibrant than ever. He bypassed his teeming schools of lesser beasts and his formidable combat army and made his way to the deepest part of the lake.
Two colossal figures were currently there: Kui, the thirty-foot Behemoth Turtle-Snake and Xylia, the equally massive Glacial Matriarch. They were no longer in a state of deep slumber. Their eyes were open and the moment his spiritual avatar appeared they turned their gaze upon him.
Kui's ancient, golden eyes went wide. It was followed by a booming wave of enthusiastic, almost frantic flattery. "Wise Host! Your presence is like a thousand suns dawning in a dark world! This old turtle is blinded by your magnificent, heaven-defying aura! To have successfully forged such a profound Core… you are not just a genius! You are a divine being, a true master of your own profound destiny!"
Xylia's reaction was quieter. "Your… your body," her mental voice was a whisper of disbelief. "The physical power contained within your vessel… it is… it is greater than my own. How can a human possess a body more resilient than a queen of the frozen peaks?"
"The Empress is correct!" Kui added, its voice booming with excitement. "This old turtle's shell has been tempered for three thousand years and yet I feel as if the Wise Host could shatter it with a single, casual blow! It is an impossible, logic-defying truth!" That probably wasn't true but Kui liked to flatter.
Li Yu listened to their shocked pronouncements, a quiet understanding settling in his heart. His path of dual cultivation had yielded a result that was truly monstrous. He was a Core Formation expert with the body of a monstrous beast.
"Rest," he projected to them, his voice a calm, reassuring presence. "Consolidate your own foundations. Your strength will be needed soon."
He left the two kings to their recovery and approached the obsidian ledge. Khaos was, as always, a silent, unmoving presence.
"Your Core is… acceptable," Khaos's mental voice echoed, the highest form of praise the arrogant creature was capable of giving. "The fusion of the two opposing energies is flawed but it is a stable flaw. It will serve its purpose."
"And my physique?" Li Yu asked.
"Your vessel is no longer as fragile as a dry leaf," Khaos replied. "It is now, perhaps, as resilient as a wet one. There is still much work to be done. Do not become complacent."
Li Yu withdrew his consciousness, a small, confident smile on his face. He finally unsealed the door to his chamber and stepped out into the bright, warm sunlight. The world felt new, vibrant.
He had been in seclusion for six months.
He was soon greeted by the sight of his three friends, who had clearly been waiting for him to come out. They weren't waiting in front of his place but they kept an eye out for him. They could not see his cultivation level but they could feel the change. He was the same young man but he carried a new weight, the presence of a true powerhouse.
"Li Yu," Brother Kai said, his voice filled with a respectful reverence. "You have emerged."
"I have, it's been a long time," Li Yu said with a smile. "What has happened in the world while I was away?"
The next few hours were a blur of reports. The Deepwater Menagerie was not just thriving; it was exploding. The first harvest of the Clearwater Jade Carp Clan's Moon-Fin Trout had been an unprecedented success, their quality so high that they were continuously being sold out. The floating herb islands were producing at a rate that had the Herb Hall's elders weeping with joy and the income from the "spirit fertilizer" they were making, was alone enough to fund the entire outer sect.
His own people had also grown. Brother Kai had successfully broken through to the Sixth Stage of Qi Condensation. Hu Jian and Lin Tao, with the aid of the resources Li Yu had provided, had both reached the Fifth Stage. They were no longer just his friends; they were a true powerful faction in their own right.
After hearing their reports, Li Yu began his own tour of his domain. He walked the shores of the twenty great lakes, his spiritual sense a gentle probing current. He could feel the vibrant healthy life force of the millions of beasts under his care.
He visited Uncle Wei, who was now the respected, if slightly overwhelmed, Head Caretaker. The division now employed over two hundred disciples and even more laborers. The old man's face was filled with a deep quiet joy, the look of a man who had found his true purpose in the twilight of his life.
Li Yu spent the afternoon walking, observing and using his unique life energy to subtly nurture the breeding grounds, a quiet, unseen person tending to his garden.
That evening, as the four of them shared a meal on the highest balcony of the pagoda, looking out at the magnificent, thriving valley that they had built together, a sense of peace settled over Li Yu.
"We have done well," he said, his voice a quiet, satisfied murmur.
"Indeed we have," Brother Kai said, raising his cup of wine. "You gave us the vision, the resources, and the protection to make this all possible."
Hu Jian and Lin Tao raised their cups in agreement, their faces filled with joy.
Li Yu looked at the faces of his friends, at the beautiful and peaceful valley that was his home. He had decent power. He had enough wealth. He had loyal allies. He felt a true sense of happiness and peace.
But as he looked out at the distant setting sun the whisper from Khaos echoed in his mind.
"The vessel is no longer as fragile as a dry leaf. It is now, perhaps, as resilient as a wet one. There is still much work to be done. Do not become complacent."
He knew that this was just the beginning. The world was a vast, dangerous place and his journey had only just begun.