The silence in the Koi's Sanctuary was a heavy, living thing. Li Yu stared at his three companions, his mind, which had just weathered a breakthrough to the Core Formation Realm and the revelation of his own two-fold dao, was once again thrown into a state of profound, dumbfounded shock.
He looked at the proud, stoic barbarian queen who was Xylia, the cheerful, cunning old merchant who was Kui, and the sad, noble princess who was Lirael. These were not illusions. These were not temporary transformations. He could feel it in his soul-bound connection to them. They had truly, fundamentally, taken on human form at will, an innate ability of beasts who reached a certain level of power and comprehension.
"Wise Host!" Kui's cheerful, baritone voice broke the silence, his tone filled with an eager, fawning enthusiasm. "This form is far more convenient for enjoying the mortal realm's delicacies, is it not?"
"It is a practical choice," Xylia stated, her voice a low, resonant alto. She flexed her powerful, human-looking hands. "It is fragile, but it allows for a greater degree of subtlety. It is a useful tool."
Lirael did not speak, but her melodic, sorrowful voice echoed in Li Yu's mind. "This form… it is a memory of my people in times of peace. It is good to remember."
Li Yu was silent, his mind racing to process the sheer, staggering implications of this development. He had been thinking of them as his generals, his hidden weapons. But now… now they could be something more. They could be his hands, his eyes, his very voice in the outside world. He had spent his entire life cultivating in the shadows, his greatest desire to be undiscovered as he grew stronger. But the world, with its demands and its politics, kept intruding. This… this was a solution.
He withdrew his consciousness from the sanctuary. He sat for a long time, the weight of the new possibilities settling upon him. Then, he stood up and walked out into the bright, warm sunlight of his valley.
He gathered his three friends in the main hall of the pagoda. "The Deepwater Menagerie is a success," he began, his voice calm and even. "But we are still an isolated entity. Our connections to the outside world are limited. This is a weakness, and it requires me to travel far too often."
He looked at them, a thoughtful, calculating light in his eyes. "My bond with my most powerful companions has reached a new level. They have awakened an innate ability of their ancient bloodlines—the ability to manifest a human form."
Brother Kai, Hu Jian, and Lin Tao stared at him, their faces a mask of pure, unadulterated shock. They have also read about it in text but have never seen it personally.
"I have a task that requires a delicate touch," Li Yu continued. "Our new alliance with the Clearwater Jade Carp Clan is valuable. But I have heard rumors that a rival sect, the Iron River Sect, has been pressuring them. To send one of our own elders would be an act of open provocation. To send a disciple would be seen as a sign of weakness."
He paused, a slow, practical smile on his face. "But to send a friendly, cheerful 'wandering trader' to Jade Moon Vale, to discuss a new, more profitable business venture with the Carp Clan… that is just good business, is it not? It allows me to handle our affairs without ever having to leave the peace of this valley."
Brother Kai's eyes widened, a look of profound, dawning understanding on his face. He wasn't looking at a master of political games. He was looking at his young friend, who had just found an ingenious way to avoid traveling and continue his quiet, reclusive life of cultivation. It was a solution born not of ambition, but of a profound desire to grow unknown.
Before he could send his new emissary, however, there was one more crucial step. A step of respect and necessity.
He made his way to the Sect Master's peak and was granted access to the hidden passage once more. He walked the long, spiraling path down into the heart of the mountain.
He entered the silent, stone chamber to find the Sect Master waiting with Grand Elder Chen and Grand Elder Mei. They opened their eyes as he entered, a warm, grandfatherly smile on Grand Elder Chen's face.
"Little Yu," the old man said, his voice a kindly rumble. "It is good to see you. Has your study of the ancient texts borne fruit?"
"It has, Grand Elder," Li Yu said with a deep, respectful bow. "And I have come today with a matter of great importance to report. It concerns… new companions who have recently sworn their allegiance to me."
The three Core Formation experts exchanged a curious glance.
"As you know, I was involved in the recent Beast Tide," Li Yu began, his voice calm and measured. "During the chaos that followed, I had a… fortunate encounter. I encountered two ancient beast sovereigns.
After a mutually beneficial exchange, they have agreed to follow me and have sworn their allegiance to the Green Mountain Sect. Recently, they have awakened the ability to take human form. I wished to introduce them to you, the true pillars of our sect, so there would be no misunderstandings."
Grand Elder Chen and Grand Elder Mei stared, their calm, ancient faces now etched with a look of profound disbelief. The Sect leader looked at him with profound eyes, he was piecing together that most likely these were the beast kings that had "left" on their own.
"Beast sovereigns?" Grand Elder Mei's voice was a sharp, incredulous whisper. "You mean beasts of the Core Formation Realm? Swearing allegiance to a boy? Li Yu, do you know what you are saying?"
"I do, Grand Elder," Li Yu replied, his expression calm. "They are powerful, but their auras are… unique. I ask that you withhold judgment until you have met them. Allow me to introduce them."
The three leaders looked at each other and gave a slow, solemn nod. Li Yu focused his will, and a shimmering, crimson-gold portal opened behind him.
From the portal, two figures stepped out. The first was a portly, cheerful old man in the robes of a wealthy merchant, a constant, fawning smile on his face. The second was a tall, powerfully built woman in simple, white beast-hide armor, her snow-white hair a wild mane, her sapphire eyes as cold and still as a frozen sea.
The moment they appeared, the calm, peaceful atmosphere of the chamber vanished. The three Core Formation experts shot to their feet, their own auras flaring with an intensity that shook the very mountain. Their gazes were fixed on the two newcomers, their ancient eyes filled with a look of pure, soul-shaking shock.
They were looking at two ancient, terrifyingly powerful demonic beasts, their true auras—both at the mid-stages of the Core Formation Realm—barely concealed beneath their human forms. Their power was a vast, deep ocean, roughly equal to their own.
"Grand Elders, Sect Master, please, be at ease," Li Yu said, his voice a calm, steadying presence. "Allow me to introduce my retainers. This is Kui," he gestured to the portly old man, "and this is Xylia," he indicated the tall, powerful woman.
Kui immediately fell to one knee, his bow so deep his forehead nearly touched the floor. "This humble one greets the esteemed leaders of the Green Mountain Sect! Your auras are as vast as the heavens, your wisdom as deep as the seas! To be in your presence is the greatest honor of this old one's long, insignificant life!"
Xylia simply gave a short, curt, and respectful bow, her cold, sapphire eyes meeting the gaze of the three leaders without a hint of fear.
Grand Elder Chen, Grand Elder Mei, and the Sect Master stared, their minds reeling. Two beast sovereigns. Two beings whose power was equal to their own. And they had sworn allegiance to this seventeen-year-old boy. The sheer, staggering impossibility of it was a truth their centuries of experience could not comprehend.
"They… they are loyal?" Grand Elder Chen finally managed to ask, his voice a hoarse whisper.
"Absolutely," Li Yu replied with a calm smile.
The three leaders looked at each other, a silent, profound understanding passing between them.
"Very well," Grand Elder Mei said, her voice filled with a new, profound awe. "It seems our sect's hidden pillars have just grown stronger."
That evening, a portly, cheerful old man in the robes of a wealthy merchant, now officially sanctioned by the sect's highest authorities, departed from the Green Mountain Sect.
"This old one is ready to serve, Wise Host!" Kui boomed, his voice filled with an eager, fawning enthusiasm as Li Yu saw him off.
Li Yu handed him a high-grade storage ring. "Inside are mid-grade spirit stones and a formal business proposal for Clan Head Feng. You are to act as an official emissary of our Deepwater Menagerie. You are to be my voice, my hands, and my eyes in the outside world. Do not fail me."
"Fail you?" Kui's voice was a gasp of pure, horrified offense. "Wise Host, this old turtle will conduct this business with a skill and a cunning that will make the gods themselves weep with envy! The ventures of the Deepwater Menagerie will be a legend! A legend of profit and glory, all in the name of the great Li Yu!"
He gave a deep, respectful bow and then, with a cheerful, waddling gait, he made his way down the mountain, a new, powerful, and utterly loyal piece on Li Yu's grand, invisible chessboard.
Li Yu watched him go, a quiet, profound sense of satisfaction settling over him. He had spent his entire life building a sanctuary to hide from the world. Now, he had finally found a way to send his own, hidden pieces out into that world, to shape it, to influence it, all so that he himself could remain in the peace and quiet of his own valley.