Myriad Rivers to the Sea

The memorial at the Canyon of Sleeping Echoes entered its final day under a canopy of pale morning clouds. The air held a crisp chill alongside the lingering scent of burning incense and old pine. The disciples of the Heavenly Sword Sect sat in neat rows across the cracked stone plateau while they focused their breathing and paid their final respects to the ancient hero's swords and spirit that were buried into the ground.

Li Yu sat near the edge of the oldest sword graves and kept his legs crossed in a meditative posture. He did not walk the path of the sword but the environment offered a unique opportunity for refinement that was rare within the Zhan Clan. The canyon was saturated with centuries of residual martial intent left behind by generations of fallen experts. That intent was sharp and unyielding while it drifted through the morning mist.

He allowed his Creation Lord Qi to circulate slowly through his meridians. The opalescent energy formed a gentle barrier around his skin and interacted with the ambient sword intent. Every time a stray current of sharp energy brushed against his aura, it acted like a whetstone against an already finely tuned weapon. Li Yu used the pressure to polish his own foundation and temper the edges of his chaotic domain. He did not try to absorb the sword Dao into his own path because he knew his foundation was already vast and varied. He simply used the environment to refine what he already possessed to another level.

As the time he spent here passed, his aura underwent a subtle transformation. The heavy and oppressive weight he usually projected grew noticeably sharper and much more focused. It no longer felt like a blunt mountain pressing down on the area. It felt like the polished tip of a spear ready to pierce through any obstacle.

Feng Tianyi walked over from the main gathering and stopped a few paces away. The sword genius of the younger generation observed Li Yu with a look of appreciation.

"Your energy has been changing recently but it feels especially different today," Feng Tianyi said while offering a polite bow. "It carries a piercing quality that was not there during the duels or at least I don’t think it was there. You are treating the ambient intent of our ancestors as a grinding stone better than most of us can."

Li Yu opened his eyes and let out a long breath. The opalescent light faded back into his body and left him looking like a scholar once more. He stood up and brushed the dust from his dark robes.

"The environment here is excellent for tempering the spirit. It is to the credit of all of your ancestors." Li Yu replied with a warm smile. "I do not study sword arts but I can appreciate the mastery required to maintain such sharp intent long after death. It helps me organize my own chaotic self and brings a bit of clarity to my mind."

"It is a rare talent to draw lessons from a path you do not walk," Feng Tianyi noted. "Most cultivators would find the conflicting intent irritating or even damaging to their own Dao. You seem to adapt to whatever pressure is placed in front of you and somehow make it a strength."

Before Li Yu could respond to the compliment, a sharp humming sound pierced the quiet atmosphere of the canyon. The sound did not come from the swords embedded in the graves but came from the pavilion where Sect Master Ling Wuji was overseeing the final rites. Li Yu and Feng Tianyi turned their heads toward the source of the disturbance.

Ling Wuji held a glowing blue communication talisman in his right hand. The jade slip vibrated violently while emitting a frantic and high pitched tone. The Sect Master sent his Qi into the talisman to receive the message and his expression instantly darkened. The serene calm he had maintained throughout the entire memorial vanished and was replaced by a grim mask of absolute seriousness.

"Elders!" Ling Wuji’s voice boomed across the canyon and shattered the peaceful silence. "Gather at the pavilion immediately. Halt the meditation rites and tell the disciples to stand ready."

The sudden command sent a ripple of tension through the gathered ranks. Disciples like Lin Xue and Zhou Ming quickly stood up and exchanged worried glances. The elders did not hesitate either and everyone knew their duty in such a situation. Elder Huo Zheng and several others flew up to the pavilion in a blur of motion.

Li Yu sensed the gravity of the situation and followed close behind. He ascended the stone steps and arrived at the pavilion just as the elders formed a tight circle around the Sect Master.

"What has happened?" Elder Huo Zheng asked while resting his hand on the hilt of his broadsword. "Is it the Sundered Peak Sect? Did Kuang Shan attempt to retaliate after his humiliating defeat?"

"It is not them." Ling Wuji answered with a tight jaw. He looked at the blue talisman in his palm and was clearly still processing the news. "That was an emergency transmission from one of our outposts. The Frostmoon Empire has gone entirely silent."

The elders were stunned and a heavy sense of dread filled the pavilion. The Frostmoon Empire was a powerful faction and one of the allies of the Heavenly Sword Sect. Not only were they allies, they were quite close to one another. They shared trade routes and mutual defense pacts.

"Silent?" Elder Cai asked as he stepped forward with a deep frown on his wrinkled face. "That is impossible. The Frostmoon capital is heavily fortified and they possess communication arrays that can pierce through the thickest interference. A transmission should always get through even during a fierce storm."

"I am only telling you what I know." Ling Wuji explained and his voice grew colder with every word. "The scouts report that they cannot detect any spiritual fluctuations coming from the royal palace or the surrounding defensive rings. The capital has been destroyed or nearly so. There are no signs of life and no distress signals coming out of the territory."

"Who could accomplish such a feat?" Huo Zheng growled while pacing like a caged tiger. "The imperial family are not weaklings for them to not be able to at least send out a distress call. They possess defensive arts that can stall the most aggressive sieges for months. For their capital to fall so quickly and quietly implies a terrifying enemy."

Li Yu listened to the grim report and felt a chill settle in his chest. He remembered the information he had learned about the various factions. The Frostmoon Empire was known for their ice aspected techniques and their incredibly resilient defensive skills. They were experts at staying on the defensive and stalling enemy advances. For a faction built on defense to be wiped out without a single warning signal meant the attackers were overwhelmingly powerful, struck with lethal precision, had done some kind of sneak attack or a combination of such..

"We do not know who attacked them or why," Ling Wuji stated firmly to bring the elders back to focus. "The lack of information is our greatest threat right now. If an enemy is strong enough to silently eradicate the Frostmoon capital then no faction is truly safe."

The Sect Master looked out over the canyon where the junior disciples were waiting anxiously.

"We are cutting the memorial short," Ling Wuji declared with unquestionable authority. "We cannot afford to stay out in the open while an unknown threat roams the borders. I am taking the majority of the sect back to our home immediately. We will raise the defensive arrays and recall all wandering disciples. We must prepare for the possibility that this is not a singular event but the beginning of a wider campaign against our allies."

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"What about the Frostmoon survivors?" Elder Cai asked. "If their capital fell, there might still be refugees or scattered units fighting in the outer provinces. We cannot simply abandon our allies to the wolves."

"We will not abandon them," Ling Wuji promised. He turned his sharp gaze toward the scarred veteran elder. "Huo Zheng. I need you to lead an expeditionary force into the Frostmoon territory. You are to investigate the ruins, locate the enemy and extract any survivors you can find. Do not engage in a large battle. Your mission is reconnaissance and rescue."

"Understood," Huo Zheng nodded sharply. "I will need a capable team. A small force can move quickly and avoid drawing unwanted attention."

"Take ten elders of your choosing," Ling Wuji commanded. "And select twenty five of our senior disciples. This will serve as a harsh trial for them but we need our best in the field. Ren Shu will go with you to help manage the juniors."

Huo Zheng began pointing at various elders in the circle and assigned them to his team. Elder Cai was among the first chosen due to his extensive knowledge of tracking and spiritual signatures. The veteran elder quickly descended from the pavilion to begin selecting the twenty five senior disciples from the ranks below.

Li Yu watched the rapid mobilization and weighed his options. He could easily follow the Sect Master back to the Heavenly Sword Sect and wait behind their defensive arrays until the danger passed. He could also head back and then head back home where it was most likely the safest. It was the safest thing to do considering what had happened.

However, he thought about the fallen empire and the silence surrounding their destruction. He thought about the young Crown Princess that he had met at the sword conference and the helpless citizens trapped in an unspeakable nightmare. Li Yu ultimately made his decisions, stepped forward and broke into the center of the elder circle.

"I will join the expedition," Li Yu stated with a calm but firm voice.

Ling Wuji and Huo Zheng turned to look at him. They were both surprised by the sudden offer.

"Holy Son," Ling Wuji started while raising a hand. "This is not a sanctioned duel or a friendly exchange of pointers. We are sending a scouting party into a hostile territory that just swallowed an entire empire. The danger is incredibly high and we do not even know what you will be facing. As our esteemed guest, it is our duty to keep you safe."

"I appreciate your concern, Sect Master," Li Yu replied respectfully. "But I have faced unknown dangers before and I am not a fragile cultivator needing protection. My abilities could be very useful in uncovering what happened to your allies."

Elder Huo Zheng looked at Li Yu and remembered the terrifying ocean of killing intent the young man had unleashed during the crucible. The scarred elder knew that Li Yu was a walking natural disaster and while his safety was important to him, he also knew Li Yu was no greenhouse flower either. Having someone with strange abilities was a massive advantage they could not easily dismiss.

"He is right, Ling Wuji," Huo Zheng spoke up in defense of the idea. "The Holy Son proved his strength against the Sundered Peak Sect and he showed incredible skill when dealing with his opponents. He has a level head and a heavy hand. I would gladly welcome him on this expedition and keep an eye on him."

Ling Wuji studied Li Yu for a long moment. He saw the unwavering determination in the young man's eyes and knew he could not force him to stay behind. The Sect Master gave a slow nod of approval.

"Very well," Ling Wuji agreed. "You may accompany Elder Huo Zheng. But please remember this is a scouting mission. Do not take unnecessary risks and prioritize the safety of the group and yourself. I don’t need an angry Worldkeeper on my doorstep."

"I understand," Li Yu said with a polite bow and smile.

The next ten minutes was a flurry of organized chaos. The junior disciples packed up the camp and secured everything they had won and brought with them. Sect Master Ling Wuji activated a spatial transport array near the edge of the canyon. A swirling vortex of silver light opened wide enough to accommodate hundreds of people at once.

Li Yu stood near the entrance of the canyon with Elder Huo Zheng and the selected expeditionary team. He saw senior disciple Ren Shu organizing the twenty five chosen youths. Ren Shu was a tall and serious swordsman who carried two slender blades strapped to his back instead of in a storage ring or to his side. He was barking orders and ensuring everyone had their healing pills and emergency talismans secured.

"We are ready Elder," Ren Shu reported as he marched over to Huo Zheng after inspecting the final disciple. "The disciples understand the gravity of the mission. We will not slow you down."

"Good," Huo Zheng grunted. He looked over the small but elite force. "Keep your eyes open and your weapons drawn the moment we cross the border. The Frostmoon territory is cold on a good day but it will be a frozen grave today. Do not let the environment distract you and remember to be respectful of what is happening."

Ling Wuji walked over to the group before they departed. He handed Huo Zheng a small golden compass that hummed with a faint spatial vibration.

"You should already understand what this is. It is quite hard to make and takes a lot of valuable materials so don’t use it recklessly but also don’t be a hero." Ling Wuji explained quietly. "If you find yourselves overwhelmed or trapped, crush this compass. It will instantly tear a spatial tunnel directly back to our home mountain. It only has enough energy for one jump so use it wisely."

Huo Zheng took the compass and secured it inside his spatial ring. "We will find out what happened to our allies, Sect Master."

Ling Wuji offered a final nod of farewell and turned to lead the main body of the Heavenly Sword Sect through the silver vortex. Thousands of disciples marched into the portal and left the Canyon of Sleeping Echoes behind. As the last elder stepped through, the vortex collapsed inward and vanished with a sharp crack of displaced air.

The canyon was suddenly very quiet and felt empty. The expeditionary force was left standing alone near the ancient sword graves.

"Elder Cai," Huo Zheng called out while stepping forward. “We will tear a rift directly from here to save time."

Elder Cai nodded and pulled a complex spatial astrolabe from his robes. He adjusted the dials and calculated the required trajectory to bridge the gap between their current dimension and the frozen realm of their allies. Elder Huo Zheng had not been there in a long time so he needed to understand where to go. The elder channeled his Qi into the device and a beam of light shot into the empty air before them.

Huo Zheng drew his heavy broadsword and channeled his own vast reserves of energy. He stepped up to the beam of starlight and swung his blade and the edge of his sword caught the fabric of reality and tore a jagged black rift into the air.

The spatial tear hummed with chaotic energy as the void threatened to bleed into the canyon. Elder Cai quickly stabilized the edges of the portal using his astrolabe and ensured the passage would hold long enough for the expeditionary force to cross.

"Everyone form up and step through," Huo Zheng commanded. "Do not linger in the void."

The ten elders took the lead and stepped into the black rift. Ren Shu gestured for the twenty five senior disciples to follow and they marched into the portal with their hands resting nervously on their sword hilts. Li Yu walked alongside Huo Zheng at the rear of the formation.

Stepping through the spatial rift was always a disorienting experience. The world dissolved into a swirling tunnel of chaotic colors and violent winds with seemingly no clear direction. Li Yu expanded his Qi slightly to shield himself from the turbulent currents of the void while they traveled between the realms.

The journey only took a few moments but it always felt much longer for some reason. The chaotic colors suddenly gave way to a blinding white light as they exited the rift on the other side. Li Yu stepped out onto solid ground and immediately felt the temperature plummet. The air in the Frostveil Realm was incredibly thin and bitingly cold. He exhaled and his breath formed a thick cloud of white mist in front of his face.

He looked around to survey their surroundings and they were standing on a high snow covered ridge overlooking a vast valley. The sky above was a pale and stormy grey that offered very little warmth.

"We have arrived," Elder Cai announced while putting his astrolabe away. "The Frostmoon capital should be sitting right in the center of the valley below us."

Huo Zheng stepped up to the edge of the ridge and looked down. The scarred veteran gripped his broadsword tightly and his jaw clenched in anger. Li Yu walked up beside the elder and followed his gaze. The stories of the beautiful pale blue ice architecture and the towering palaces were fresh in his mind. He expected to see a grand city standing proud against the harsh winter landscape.

Instead, the valley below was a sprawling field of scattered rubble and shattered ice. The once great capital of the Frostmoon Empire was reduced to ruins and a heavy silence hung over the now frozen graveyard. The expeditionary force had arrived but the tragedy had already claimed the land.