Myriad Rivers to the Sea

Li Yu packed up his simple camp as the golden sun began to rise over the rolling green hills. He extinguished the small fire with a wave of his hand and continued following the clear river deeper into the central continent. The air remained thick with sweet spiritual energy and the fragrant scent of blooming flowers followed him along the dirt path. He kept his divine sense pulled close to his body as before to avoid triggering any hidden alarms while he navigated the vibrant landscape as a just in case.

A few hours into his morning journey, he detected the faint scent of wood smoke drifting through the gentle breeze. He stopped walking and narrowed his eyes toward a gentle valley located just ahead of him. Plumes of gray smoke rose steadily into the blue sky and indicated the presence of domestic activity.

He immediately engaged his void and life laws to cloak his presence. He then also stepped seamlessly into the first layer of the void and melted out of the physical world. He became an invisible observer walking through the spatial folds and he moved silently toward the source of the smoke.

He reached the edge of the valley and looked down at a quaint settlement nestled between two lush hills. The village consisted of several dozen relatively simple wooden homes with thatched roofs made from broad spiritual leaves. Small gardens filled with glowing vegetables grew behind the houses and a wide cobblestone well sat in the center of a bustling town square.

Li Yu observed the residents walking through the streets and confirmed they were indeed dragon kin. They possessed the distinct physical traits of the central rulers. Many of the villagers had patches of crimson or emerald scales covering their shoulders and forearms. Short curved horns grew from their brows and thick reptilian tails swayed lazily behind them as they worked. However, they lacked the terrifying and oppressive aura that Vaxx had projected back in the ruined courtyard.

He focused his divine sense and carefully scanned the cultivation bases of the villagers below. The results left him deeply confused and he had to run his perception over the valley a second time just to be sure he was not missing something.

The vast majority of the dragon kin walking around the village were only at the Qi Condensation and Foundation Establishment realms. A few of the older guards carrying spears hovered at the Core Formation stage. The strongest presence in the entire settlement belonged to an elderly person sitting near the central well and his aura peaked at the Soul Formation realm.

While the Soul Formation realm was not inherently weak, it was a shocking revelation given the reality of their environment. The atmospheric Qi in the Dragon Core was so dense and pure that an ordinary pig could likely reach the Core Formation stage just by being able to cultivate while breathing the air for its lifetime. These people lived surrounded by spirit herbs and drank water rich with natural essence yet their progression was pitifully slow. They were sitting on a mountain of wealth but they somehow cultivated like impoverished peasants scraping for resources on the outer continents.

Li Yu debated if he should reveal himself to ask for directions or if he should just bypass the settlement entirely. He decided to remain hidden in the first layer of the void and watch them for a while to ensure this was not an elaborate trap. The dragons were known for their cunning schemes and he refused to walk blindly into a village of disguised experts just in case.

He spent an entire day and night watching the settlement from his hidden vantage point. Li Yu observed their daily routines with meticulous care and looked for any signs of hidden malice. The villagers woke up early and tended to their crops with simple iron tools as if they enjoyed the work.

They did not use their cultivation much throughout the day besides their strength in getting the job done. Even watering was done via a container and carrying it from a nearby river instead of using some sort of water technique. They carried baskets of fresh fruit to the central square and traded goods with cheerful smiles while joking and laughing with one another.

It would be how one might expect people living in a paradise would behave but did not fit the story of these creatures from how they were described by the outside world. Dragon kin children chased each other through the tall grass and laughed while playing games with wooden toys.

There were no brutal sparring matches against one another or cruel rituals. The guards did not extort the farmers for resources and the elderly Soul Formation cultivator spent his afternoon telling stories to the youth instead of hoarding energy or resources within a secluded cave. The village operated with a genuine sense of peace and community that sharply contrasted with the bloody reputation of the central continent. Li Yu saw nothing wrong with them and the absence of any hidden threats finally convinced him to act.

As the sun began to rise on the second day, Li Yu adjusted his internal energy. He suppressed his overwhelming strength and projected a stable Soul Formation aura to match the elderly leader. He did not want to terrify the peaceful farmers by arriving as an untouchable god but did not want to appear overly weak either. He stepped out of the first layer of the void a short distance away from the valley entrance and walked casually down the main path leading into the village.

A group of farmers working near the edge of the settlement noticed him approaching. They dropped their woven baskets and stared at him with wide eyes in surprise. They did not draw weapons or run away in panic though. They simply stood in the fields and pointed at his smooth skin and lack of physical animal traits.

Li Yu maintained a friendly smile and kept his hands relaxed at his sides as he entered the town square. A crowd quickly gathered around him and they whispered among themselves while keeping a respectful distance from the stranger.

The elderly man with the Soul Formation aura stood up from his wooden chair near the well and walked forward towards Li Yu. He possessed faded green scales along his jawline and leaned heavily on a polished wooden cane. He stopped a few paces away from Li Yu and offered a polite nod at the quest.

"Greetings, traveler," the old man said with a warm and raspy voice. "I am Elder Krawl and I watch over this humble village you see before you. We have never seen someone without scales or horns walk these paths to meet us. However, you look like the humans described in our old texts and stories."

"Greetings, Elder Krawl," Li Yu returned the bow and adopted the persona of a wandering traveler. "Your texts are correct. My name is Li Yu and I am a human cultivator traveling through these lands in search of a way to return to my true home. I hope my sudden arrival does not cause any trouble for your people. I have a few questions I wish to get the answer to if you are able."

"Nonsense, my friend," Krawl chuckled and waved his hand dismissively. "We do not get many visitors in this quiet valley so a new face is a cause for celebration for us. We generally do not see other races out here at all. Please come and sit with us. You must be tired from walking the long roads alone."

The villagers parted ways to let Krawl lead Li Yu toward a large wooden table set up near the central well. They treated him like an honored guest rather than a potential threat which once again surprised Li Yu greatly. A few women hurried into their homes and quickly returned with plates piled high with meats and fresh fruits. Young children peeked out from behind their parents and stared in pure fascination at Li Yu.

Li Yu took a seat at the table and accepted a cup of cool spring water from a blushing dragon kin girl. He took a sip and found the water incredibly refreshing. The people here had added fresh fruits from around the local area to the water, making it taste even better. He looked around at the curious faces surrounding him and realized they truly did not know what to make of him.

"You project a strong aura, Li Yu," Krawl noted while taking a seat across from him. "You are at the Soul Formation stage just like me which is rare for us to see as well. It takes many decades of hard work to reach such a level and to have the talent for such a thing is no simple matter. Where did you journey from?"

Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

"I traveled from very far away and am currently trying to find a way back." Li Yu answered vaguely while picking up a bright yellow fruit from the plate. He also got to what he really wanted to know. "I have spent most of my life wandering and cultivating in isolation. I decided to explore this region to broaden my horizons after running out of options. I must admit I am quite surprised by your hospitality. I heard many stories stating that outsiders were not welcome in these lands."

Krawl frowned slightly and scratched the faded scales on his chin. "Not welcome here? That is a strange thing to say because as we understand it, it is the reverse of what you say. The lands beyond our continent are said to be incredibly dangerous and filled with chaotic storms and endless wars. We are told the outer races fight endlessly over everything so we tend to stay near our homes where it is safe. We welcome peaceful travelers but we rarely ever see them and when we do, they are the same species as us."

Li Yu took a bite of the yellow fruit and let the sweet juice wash over his tongue. The flavor was rich and the subtle energy within the flesh nourished his body gently.

"The outer lands are indeed chaotic, Elder Krawl," Li Yu nodded in agreement. "Before I arrived here I met a dragon kin named Vaxx in the outer regions. He possessed crimson scales and commanded others. He was very ruthless and spoke of ruling the world. Do you know of him or his family?"

Krawl looked genuinely puzzled and shook his head slowly. "Vaxx? No, I do not recognize that name. Crimson scales usually denote a high and nobler lineage though. The great lords and the powerful warriors live very far away in the capital of this continent. We are just simple common folk farming the land, enjoying the sun and lives. The nobles rarely concern themselves with small villages like ours unless they require something but that is quite rare as well."

A young boy with tiny blue horns pushed his way to the front of the crowd and tugged on the sleeve of Li Yu's robe.

"Mister, human," the boy asked with bright curious eyes. "Do you really not have a tail hiding under those robes? How do you keep your balance when you run?"

Li Yu smiled at the innocent question and patted the boy on the head. "I really do not have a tail, little one. My people learn to balance using only our legs and our core strength. It takes some practice but we manage just fine."

The surrounding villagers laughed warmly at the interaction and the tension in the air dissolved slightly. That simple question opened the doors to a barrage of questions that were on their minds though.

They began asking him about his life, his travels and the lands beyond their continent. They wanted to know what kind of food humans ate and if the sky looked the same in the lands where he was born. They asked about the harsh storms mentioned in their lore and wondered if the outer races truly lived in endless mud, war and schemes like the stories claimed.

Li Yu answered their questions patiently and engaged in a lengthy conversation with the villagers. He described the rain and the mountains of his homeland while carefully avoiding any mention of his true strength or his battles. He told them tales of large human cities and grand markets filled with flying ships and other grand things. The dragon kin listened with rapt attention and treated his words like a story teller from afar.

As the hours passed and the conversation flowed freely, a deep mystery began to form in Li Yu's mind. He sat at the wooden table and questioned his own reality.

‘Was this somehow a different realm altogether?’ Li Yu to himself.

The disconnect between what he heard from the other continents and what he was currently experiencing was staggering. The legends told by Skarn and the other outer races stated that everyone who came to the Dragon Core died a horrible death.

The dragons were painted as invincible and cruel tyrants who hoarded wealth and slaughtered anyone who dared to look at their shores. Vaxx had perfectly embodied that arrogant and lethal stereotype when he demanded the submission of the Moth people. Everything that Li Yu experienced and saw on the other continent painted the same picture.

Yet the reality of this village contradicted everything he had seen and heard. These people were kind, hospitable and painfully weak compared to the environment they lived in. The technology that they had was relatively simple too but that seemed to be more of a preference than a limitation. They could easily construct what humans would consider better houses but chose to live closer to nature. They did not train for war and they did not harbor a deep hatred for outsiders that they would kill them on sight. They were just simple farmers living a quiet life in a paradise they barely utilized.

The way they lived reminded him of his own little farm that he once had. The simple life that he quite enjoyed raising crops and not having to worry too much about the grander cosmos. He didn’t look down on their lifestyle and choices at all, in fact he envied them quite a bit because Li Yu himself could no longer go back to such a lifestyle. He knew too much about the coming dangers and the sacrifices that his own family along with countless others were making now. There was no rushing it to reach their level but there was also no going back to living that kind of simple life right now either.

His thoughts then shifted back to the present. ‘If the central continent was a merciless death trap for intruders why did these villagers know nothing about it? They did not speak of border guards hunting down trespassers and they did not mention any grand defensive arrays protecting the shores. They truly believed they were just isolated from a dangerous outside world.’

'Why are things so different from what Vaxx projected?' Li Yu thought to himself as he accepted another cup of water from Krawl. 'If the dragons are so powerful and paranoid, why do they leave their borders completely unguarded and their citizens so weak? There is a missing piece to this puzzle and it must be tied to the capital where the stronger dragons are supposed to be.'

He looked at Krawl and steered the conversation back to the local geography. "You mentioned the capital earlier, Elder. How far away is the city from this valley? I am a traveler seeking new sights and a city of nobles sounds like a wondrous place to visit. It also might have more information about the things I am looking for."

"The capital is located in the very center of the continent," Krawl explained while pointing a weathered finger toward the eastern mountains. "It is a journey of many weeks if you follow the main roads. It is a place of grand spires and immense power. However I must warn you, Li Yu. The nobles are not as welcoming as we are, those in power rarely are. They are proud and demand strict adherence to their laws and process. A human walking into their city might cause them to raise their guard."

"I appreciate the warning, Elder Krawl," Li Yu smiled and bowed his head slightly. "I know how to keep my head down and avoid causing trouble. I just wish to see the architecture and perhaps browse a few of their markets before I continue my wandering."

The villagers murmured among themselves and a few of the older guards nodded in agreement with Krawl's warning. They clearly held a deep reverence and a healthy amount of fear for their rulers in the capital. It seemed the hierarchical divide between the common dragon kin and the noble class was wide or at least seemed as much.

Li Yu spent the rest of the afternoon relaxing with the villagers and not thinking much about it though. He ate their simple food and shared more harmless stories about his travels. He let the children inspect his smooth hands and he even showed them a few basic Qi manipulation tricks to entertain them.

Li Yu even takes out his natal flame since all dragons had their own dragonic fire and was playing with it. His control over his natal flame was excellent now and could even be used to amuse the children. The joyous laughter echoing through the town square felt surreal given the ominous reputation of this land.

When evening approached, Krawl offered him a spare room in one of the larger wooden homes. Li Yu graciously accepted the hospitality and thanked the village for their kindness to him. He retreated to the quiet room and sat on the woven grass bed while the sounds of the village slowly faded into the night.

He closed his eyes and cycled his energy while pondering the immense disconnect he had discovered since coming here. He had expected a brutal battle through these lands to get the information he needed but instead found a peaceful farming community instead. He had expected elite death squads and found relatively weak cultivators who barely understood the outside world.

The mystery of the Dragon Core deepened with every passing hour. He knew Vaxx was real and he knew the legends holding the outer continents hostage were based on actual events. People really did die when they came here, it would be too hard to cover that up throughout the entire realm all this time. Something or someone was actively eliminating intruders before they could ever reach these peaceful inner villages and they were doing it without alerting the people here.

Li Yu resolved to leave the village in the morning and head directly toward the capital. The answers he sought regarding his way home and the truth behind this bizarre paradise were waiting for him there, it just had to. He would maintain his Soul Formation disguise and walk the main roads to see what other strange anomalies this continent held. The silent paradise was hiding a secret and he was determined to unravel it layer by layer.