Myriad Rivers to the Sea

Chapter 1015: The Return

The red dunes of the southern expanse were crowded with returning cultivators as the spatial rift sealing the trial ground hummed with fading energy. Groups quickly regathered their members and prepared to head home after the grueling exploration. Many loose cultivators became extremely cautious now as they expected to see widespread looting and stealing taking place right outside the gates. The loose cultivators were carrying rare treasures harvested from the hidden caves and looked to be easy pickings. The temptation of easy wealth often brought out the darkest instincts of the cultivation world.

However, the number of orthodox factions gathered in one place created a strange and tense peace. The righteous sects watched each other closely and there was a heavy fear of being counter hunted or branded a villain in front of so many powerful witnesses.

No one wanted to spark a battle that could quickly spiral out of control so there was no open looting happening here on the glowing sands. Many greedy eyes tracked the weaker cultivators and plenty of them would surely be trailed in the shadows once they left the immediate region but the staging ground remained safe for the time being.

Li Yu regrouped with Zhan Chen and Zhan Ling near the eastern ridge. They organized their members and the elders took them to return and leave the brewing conflicts behind them. Returning to the quiet sanctuary of the Five Star Lakes felt refreshing after the stifling heat of the volcano.

Li Yu wasted no time and resumed his daily training routine. He sat by the shimmering water and practiced circulating his Qi to better understand the nuances of his new Karma Severing realm foundation.

He also spent hours familiarizing himself with his newly birthed natal fire. The small orange flame danced above his palm and responded to his will with eager intensity. It was a living piece of his own life force and he needed to learn how to wield it properly.

He decided to test the limits of the flame by incorporating it into his new combat style. Li Yu stood in the grassy clearing and summoned his custom forged arsenal. He pulled out the small scale versions of his weapons to conserve energy for this test.

Ten quarter meter spiked balls, ten quarter meter four sided discs and ten short javelins materialized on the grass. Li Yu used his Qi to lift the thirty dense iron weapons into the air and set them into a rapid orbit around his body. The blunt edges of the discs tore through the air with a rhythmic thrumming sound while the iron spheres whistled a deadly tune.

He pushed his intent outward and coated the spinning weapons in his orange natal fire. The flying metal quickly transformed into a hurricane of trailing flames. The sight was incredibly intimidating and the added heat made the air warp around him in wavy lines. The fiery orbit looked beautiful and dangerous as it scorched the grass beneath his feet.

It would certainly make the weapons a bit more lethal against unarmored targets but Li Yu quickly realized the truth of the situation. The fire was still too young and the heat was too weak to melt through premium defensive artifacts or make a definitive difference as it was now. The blunt force of the heavy iron remained the true danger of the technique while the fire was just a superficial addition for now.

‘At least it looks amazing, that has got to count for something.’ Li Yu thought to himself.

Knowing he needed to nurture the flame to make it viable for high level combat, he gathered the rare herbs he had collected from the trial ground. He left his private valley and went towards the primary alchemy pavilion of the Zhan Clan. The air inside the large stone building smelled of crushed roots, dried beast blood and potent spiritual energy.

He approached a senior alchemist tending to a bubbling brass cauldron.

"Greetings Elder," Li Yu said respectfully while placing a wooden box on the long table. "I acquired several stalks of Fire Lotus and some other herbs during my recent travels. I would like to commission a batch of body refining pills and pills that could add in fire techniques."

The alchemist opened the box and inspected the glowing red petals with a critical eye. A look of approval crossed his weathered face. "These are excellent specimens, Li Yu. They contain a very pure heat and the spiritual density is rich. I can craft a refined batch of tempering pills for you but it will require a careful balance of secondary ingredients so the heat does not scorch your internal organs. It takes time to extract the essence properly. Return here in three days to pick them up."

"Thank you Elder," Li Yu agreed with a polite nod. "I will return with the payment then."

Three days passed quickly while Li Yu continued his orbital weapon drills and refined his control over the flying iron. He returned to the pavilion and paid the alchemist as he received three small jade bottles filled with deep red pills that radiated a comforting warmth against his palm.

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He began taking one pill daily as part of his morning routine. The medicine dissolved in his stomach and released a wave of rich heat that settled deep into his bones. It helped him make steady progress in his body refining while simultaneously feeding his natal fire. The orange ring of his flame grew visibly thicker and the center burned with a brighter intensity with each passing week.

A month passed in this quiet and productive rhythm. His parents Li Canghai and Zhan Tielan were still away from the estate to handle their ongoing military duties across the cosmos. Zhan Tian also left on a sudden excursion to deal with a dispute, leaving Li Yu alone during this time.

Desiring a change of pace and a way to earn more resources, Li Yu visited the grand mission board located near the administrative halls. The towering board was covered in bounties for demonic beasts, requests for rare ore retrieval and escort missions. He scanned the glowing parchment slips until a very specific request caught his eye.

The slip detailed a plea for a skilled beast healer. Someone was looking to cure their family guardian beast of a mysterious illness that was slowly draining its life force. The reward listed at the bottom of the parchment was a crazy high price of premium spirit stones and rare forging materials.

Li Yu read the details carefully and smiled. A reward that high clearly showed the family had not been successful through other means and had already exhausted the other experts. They were desperate and willing to pay a fortune for a miracle.

He reached out and pulled the parchment from the board to accept the mission. He wanted to use his doctor skills again since he had not truly practiced them in a very long time. Healing creatures was a puzzle he always enjoyed solving and it felt like the perfect opportunity to bring back the nickname he had earned in the lower realms.

‘The return of the Silent Physician was long overdue.’ Li Yu thought to himself.

He walked over to the registry desk to log his departure. A tired clerk stamped his parchment and looked at the destination listed on the bounty.

"The Ye family?" The clerk asked with a raised eyebrow. "You are heading out to treat their guardian? You know they have turned away a dozen renowned doctors this month alone right? Whatever sickness that beast has, it is baffling the experts."

"I like a good challenge," Li Yu replied while storing the stamped parchment in his robes. "I have a unique approach to healing."

The clerk shrugged and handed him a travel token. "Good luck then. You will need it."

The parchment stated the clients resided within the Frostmire realm. Instead of bothering his assigned warden to arrange an official escort or gather a unit of guards, Li Yu decided to travel light and fast. He walked to the clan transit hub and paid the fee to use a commercial travel array bound for that specific realm.

The spatial transfer was swift and seamless as Li Yu stepped off the receiving platform and shivered as the local climate hit him. The Frostmire realm was a bizarre and harsh environment that tested the endurance of any visitor. It was a jarring mix of deep swampiness and biting cold ice. Thick gray fog hung over murky waters while the sprawling cypress trees were coated in a permanent layer of white frost.

His natal fire flared to life within his chest to naturally ward off the creeping chill as he took in the strange scenery. The damp cold tried to seep into his bones but his Karma Severing foundation kept him warm and agile.

He was standing inside the local Zhan Clan military base stationed to oversee the region and protect their local interests. The fortress was built from dark stone and bristled with heavy defensive arrays to keep the swamp beasts at bay. Li Yu walked through the bustling courtyard and approached a guard standing near the main gate.

"Excuse me," Li Yu asked politely. "Could you point me in the direction of the Ye family estate?"

The guard looked at him and pointed a thick finger toward the eastern horizon where the gray fog seemed a bit thinner. "Follow the frozen river straight east. You cannot miss it. They own the entire basin out there. Just watch your step on the ice patches."

"Thank you," Li Yu nodded and set off into the freezing swamp.

He flew over the area and the journey didn't take long as the sprawling lands of the Ye family soon came into view through the shifting mist.

Even though Li Yu knew from the mission bounty that they were wealthy he was still surprised by just how wealthy they truly were. The estate was huge and seemingly endless. The property footprint was even bigger than the Zhan Clan military base he had just left. Of course the base was heavily fortified with tall walls and arrays while this was just a sprawling residential estate but the scale of the architecture was still breathtaking.

Elegant pavilions carved from white stone sat atop frozen lakes while sweeping wooden bridges connected dozens of luxurious manors. High stone walls formed a wide perimeter around the inner grounds to keep the wild beasts out of the gardens. Large braziers burned with bright blue flames to provide warmth and light against the gloomy backdrop of the swamp.

There were guards stationed all over the property, walking in organized patrols and keeping a watchful eye on the surrounding tree line. They wore fine armor trimmed with thick white fur and carried expensive looking spears forged from cold steel. They looked more like a private army than a simple household security force.

Li Yu walked up the wide paved road leading to the grand main entrance. He adjusted his robes and took a deep breath of the freezing air to center his mind. He prepared himself to meet his new clients and analyze the mysterious patient.

The Silent Physician had arrived in the Frostmire realm and he was ready to see what kind of strange illness commanded such a high price from a family with deep pockets.