The silence in the deep, stone chamber was a heavy, living thing. Li Yu stood before the two ancient figures, his aura carefully suppressed, yet the very quality of his existence was a profound shock to the two Grand Elders who had sat in seclusion for centuries. Their ancient, sleepy gazes were now as sharp as divine blades, dissecting him, analyzing him, trying to comprehend the impossible truth before them.
"Sect Master," Grand Elder Mei, the old woman with hair as white as snow, spoke, her voice a dry, raspy sound like autumn leaves skittering across stone. "You have brought us a miracle. Or a calamity."
"Both, perhaps," the Sect Master replied, his voice filled with a deep, reverent respect. "This is Li Yu. The boy from the recent reports. The one who turned the tide at the Crimson Ridge Pass."
Grand Elder Chen slowly rose to his feet. He was shorter than the Sect Master, his body gnarled and bent with age but the moment he stood, he seemed to become the very center of the chamber, the weight of his presence immense. He took a slow, ponderous step towards Li Yu.
"Let me see," he said, his voice a low, rumbling baritone. He did not ask for permission. He simply reached out a wrinkled, trembling hand and placed it gently on Li Yu's shoulder.
Li Yu did not resist. He stood perfectly still as the Grand Elder's profound, Third Stage Core Formation spiritual sense, a power as vast and deep as the earth itself, washed over him. He felt it probe his meridians, his physique and finally, gently touch the edge of the boundless silent ocean that was his Core.
Grand Elder Chen's hand trembled and his eyes, which had been cloudy with age, now blazed with a brilliant golden light. He did not try to probe the depths of the core; he knew, with the instinct of a master who had walked this path for a thousand years, that to do so would be like a moth flying into a black sun. He could only feel its quality, its perfection.
He withdrew his hand as if burned, his face a mask of unadulterated shock. "It is… perfect," he whispered, the words a breath of disbelief. "A flawless foundation. No impurities. No weaknesses. I have never, in my twelve hundred years of life, felt a dao seed of such profound quality."
He looked at the Sect Master, then back at Li Yu. "The rumors did not do him justice. He is not a genius. He is a monster of destiny."
"That is why I have brought him here," the Sect Master said, his expression grim. "A monster of his caliber cannot be allowed to walk the normal path. To do so would be to invite the covetous gaze of the entire world upon us. He must be hidden. He must be protected. He must become our sect's greatest secret and after he grows he can be our ultimate trump card."
He looked at Li Yu, his voice softening. "Li Yu. For centuries, they have been our final line of defense, their very existence a secret known only to the acting Sect Master. Their duty is not to govern but to protect. To ensure that, even in our darkest hour, the Green Mountain Sect will endure. They have pretty much traded their freedom in order to guard the sect. Their great sacrifice to be honored for the ages."
Li Yu listened, the weight of the Sect Master's words settling upon him. This was not a reward; it was a burden, a sacred duty. It was the ultimate expression of the sect's trust in him. He bowed his head deeply. "This disciple… understands."
"Good," the Sect Master said. "Your public identity will remain. You are Li Yu, the monstrously talented Seventh Stage Foundation Establishment genius, the master of the Deepwater Menagerie. You will continue your work, you will continue to grow your division and you will continue to be a shining star of our younger generation."
"But your true power, your Core Formation cultivation, is a secret that will be shared only by the people in this room. You are a sword to be kept in its sheath until the day the heavens themselves threaten to fall."
Grand Elder Mei, who had been watching him with her sharp piercing gaze, finally spoke again. "A fine sword must be properly nourished. The resources of a disciple, even a favored one, are insufficient for a foundation of this quality. What he requires is not quantity, but quality."
She looked at the Sect Master, her expression serious. "Sect Master, even our sect's full support may not be enough. Our heritage is decent but it is not enough. A foundation like this... it is a divine beast that will hunger for the heavens. We cannot feed it with common spiritual springs."
The Sect Master nodded in agreement, his expression grim. "The Grand Elder is correct, Li Yu. The sect will increase your resource stipend tenfold. You will have priority access to all our cultivation grounds. But we are not an ancient super sect. Our resources are finite. Eventually, to continue your growth, you will need to find your own opportunities, your own fortune."
Li Yu listened to their concerns. This was a truth he had long ago accepted. "I understand, Sect Master, Grand Elders," he said, his voice respectful. "This disciple has already considered this. The Deepwater Menagerie is not just my duty to the sect; it is the foundation of my own cultivation path. It is a garden I will cultivate, a wellspring from which I can draw my own power. I will not be a burden on the sect. I will become a new pillar that supports it."
His words, filled with a quiet confidence and a profound foresight, stunned the two ancient elders into a momentary silence. They looked at each other, a new, warmer light of approval in their ancient eyes. This boy was not just a monster of talent; he possessed a maturity and a sense of responsibility that was even rarer.
"Good," Grand Elder Chen said, a slow, appreciative smile creasing his wrinkled face. "A very good answer." He produced a simple, unadorned and ancient-looking jade slip from his robes. It was a deep, oceanic blue, the color of Li Yu's own foundation.
"The founder's comprehension is a profound treasure. Your dao is… different. The sect does not possess a single, perfect technique for you. A true leviathan cannot be taught to swim by river fish. You must chart your own course through the great ocean."
He held out the slip. "Therefore, we will not give you a single path. We will give you all of them. This token will grant you unrestricted access to every level of the Myriad Tomes Pavilion, including the ninth floor, where the founder's original handwritten manuscripts are kept. Study the wisdom of our ancestors. Take what is useful, discard what is not. Forge your own, unique arsenal from their legacy."
Li Yu took the jade slip, its surface cool and smooth, yet it seemed to pulse with a deep, ancient and familiar power. He had found the key to the next stage of his growth.
He spent the next hour in the silent chamber, listening as the two ancient Grand Elders shared their wisdom. Their insights into the Core Formation Realm were a priceless treasure, worth more than any technique. They spoke of the forging of a dao seed and of the profound, terrifying chasm that was the path to the higher realms.
Their initial, shocking appraisal of him slowly softened, replaced by the gentle guiding tone of elders seeing a beloved, impossibly talented junior. A new, unspoken bond was slowly being formed in the secret heart of the mountain.
When he finally departed, walking back up the long, spiraling passage with the Sect Master, he felt like a different person. He was no longer just a disciple with a secret. He was a guardian, a pillar, an inheritor of his sect's most profound legacy.
They emerged back into the bright sunlight of the Sect Master's courtyard to find Elder Ning waiting patiently, her face a mask of controlled anxiety. They had decided that she would be informed of the sect's secrets since she was his master, it would be difficult to keep it a secret.
The Sect Master looked at her, a warm, knowing smile on his face. "You have raised a fine disciple, Ning. A fine monster. He is no longer just your responsibility. He is the responsibility of us all."
He explained the decision, the creation of the secret Grand Elder status, the sharing of the sect's profoundest secrets. Elder Ning listened, her eyes widening, a wave of tearful pride and relief washing over her. Her boy was not just safe; he was now standing at the very peak of the sect's power structure, protected by its most ancient and powerful figures.
Li Yu returned to his valley that evening, his mind a quiet, echoing hall of world-altering truths. He stood on the balcony of his pagoda, the oceanic blue jade slip in his hand and looked out at the thriving, peaceful kingdom he had built. More than anything he looked at his friends, his master place off in the distance and at all the things his hard work has built.
He didn't want to just get stronger, he wanted to enjoy his time while getting there.