Myriad Rivers to the Sea

The dark expanse of the void grew eerily quiet as the severed rear portion of the squid drifted away into the cold space. Dark green blood pooled in the empty area like a floating river and hissed as it reacted with the ambient energies of the environment. The towering creature slowed its frantic thrashing and its terrifying aura plummeted to a fraction of its former glory.

The army could feel true victory within their grasp as Zhan Tian prepared to launch another devastating attack to finish the job. The eight generals tightened their grips on their respective weapons and spread out to continue the attacks as well. They were not going to let it get a moment of peace until it truly rested forever.

However the ancient terror possessed an intellect and fury forged in the darkest depths of the unknown abyss. It realized that escape was no longer possible and that its physical vessel was nearing a true death at the hands of these insects. The creature refused to let these cultivators walk away with a clean victory and leave here unharmed. A sudden and terrifying fluctuation pulsed from the remaining bulbous eye of the beast. The dark green blood spilling from its severed neck ignited with a sickly purple flame that radiated an immediate sense of doom.

"Fall back and bolster your defenses right now!" Zhan Tian roared while lowering his glaive and projecting his own supreme aura outward. "It is burning its own soul to take us with it!"

The colossal squid let out a final silent shriek that bypassed all physical senses and struck directly at the minds of every cultivator present on the battlefield. In a last ditch effort of spite, the ancient beast initiated a soul implosion meant to wipe the entire army from existence. To fuel this devastating attack, the creature utilized the large part of its body that Zhan Tian had just severed as a direct catalyst. The severed flesh and bone rapidly broke down and converted into Qi and dense blood essence for it to use. This sacrificial fuel rushed back toward the main body still wedged in the portal and caused the purple soul flames to flare with a terrifying intensity.

The impending blast threatened to erase the souls of the soldiers there. A soul implosion of this magnitude would bypass physical barriers and shatter their minds instantly. Elder Huo Zheng shouted commands to the nearby officers while raising his broadsword to channel his own soul power in order to defend with everyone else. Soul attacks while being much more lethal than physical ones were commonly used techniques and the army of course had counter plans in place.

"Disband the offensive formations immediately!" The central Legion Commander bellowed across the void with a voice amplified by his robust Qi. "All forces merge into the center and reinforce the barrier!"

The elite soldiers of the Worldkeeper responded with flawless discipline despite the overwhelming terror bearing down on their minds. The Azure Wyrm dispersed into a shower of blue sparks that rained across the dark space. The Vermillion Phoenix dissolved into fading embers that quickly lost their heat. The White Tiger shattered into harmless gusts of wind that blew past the armored troops. The cultivators who made up those grand avatars swiftly redirected their unified Qi and soul power toward the center of the battlefield.

They funneled together and all of their remaining energy into the Black Turtle Aegis Formation. The giant turtle entity actually shrunk in size as the fresh power flooded its ethereal shell. It was now just big enough to house the entire army and every ounce of power was used to strengthen the defenses. The construct darkened to an obsidian hue and radiated a heavy defensive pressure.

The ethereal serpent resting upon the turtle shell hissed and wrapped its coils tightly around the main body to provide additional reinforcement to the structure. The combined soul power of the entire army formed a towering defensive dome that shielded the soldiers from the impending blast. The soldiers gritted their teeth and linked their soul strength together to share the heavy burden of the incoming attack.

Li Yu watched inside the barrier as the purple flames reached a critical point and felt a deep sense of dread grip his heart. He could sense the staggering density of the soul implosion and knew that even the reinforced Black Turtle might crack under the concentrated pressure of an ancient horror. If the barrier failed, then thousands of soldiers would die in an instant and their souls would be scattered to the void. His own soul space reacted to the danger before he even formulated a conscious plan. The internal realm went into an unprecedented overdrive to protect its host and show that Li Yu’s soul was an anomaly among anomalies.

Deep within his mind, the projection of his Human Soul stepped forward. The glowing figure radiated a pure light and held the rapidly spinning Yin Yang vortex in its hands like a god holding a galaxy. The vortex churned with the laws of Yin and Yang, Life and Death as well as Soul. It seemed that his Human Soul was prepared to face the foreign energy rushing toward them on its own with this new weapon.

But the other entities residing within his soul space manifested in the physical world to surround the central Human Soul projection and offer their support. To the west the ethereal Whale Soul breached the surface of his internal ocean and projected a vast phantom silhouette that sang a deep resonant song.

To the east the Koi Soul swam through the void and trailed ribbons of a purifying light that illuminated the dark space. To the south Muddy the water buffalo emerged with a stable aura and defensive nature that hummed with an earthy power. Finally to the north the Fisherman stood upon a phantom skiff and raised his glowing rod to cast a net of spiritual energy over the area.

'I will not kill us today!' Li Yu thought while pushing his hands forward and forcefully used everything he had in him.

The four soul entities formed a cardinal array around the Human Soul and projected a brilliant soul shield that expanded outward in a flash of opalescent light. This barrier draped over the obsidian dome of the Black Turtle and merged seamlessly with the army formation instead of trying to face it on its own.

The soldiers looked up in awe as the majestic projections reinforced their defensive lines and eased the pressure on their own minds. Li Yu was just one person but his soul strength was so profound that his individual contribution formed a noticeable layer of protection over the entire legion and all five of his Nascent Soul blew the minds of the many troops.

They had never seen two Nascent Soul from one person before let alone five at once. Their lord, Zhan Tian, only had a single Nascent Soul and that was already a rare thing within the Cosmos. It wasn’t something that could be worked for, it was something acquired by chance, talent and opportunities that one could not control or go after. It was a staggering display of foundation that left even the nearby generals wide eyed and speechless.

They didn’t have much time to be in awe though as the colossal squid finally detonated. The void flashed with a blinding purple light as the soul implosion released its devastating payload in all directions. A silent shockwave of pure destructive energy slammed into the opalescent and obsidian shields and washed over the entire area. The impact felt like a physical blow to the chest for every cultivator present and the surrounding spatial currents were thrown into total chaos in the surrounding area. Even a few realms that were far away shook slightly as the impact washed over the realm barrier but those barriers did not break.

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

The Black Turtle Formation groaned under the immense pressure and cracks began to form along its shell. Some of the soldiers coughed up blood as the backlash traveled through the formation and assaulted their connected minds. The Whale Soul sang a mournful tune as it pushed its great bulk against the blast while Muddy anchored the southern point with unyielding stubbornness to keep the shield stable. The Fisherman cast his net to catch the stray soul fragments threatening to pierce the barrier and the Koi swam rapidly to purify the toxic intent bleeding through the glowing shields.

Li Yu felt like his skull was being split open with a heated blade. The pain was excruciating but he refused to take a step back or drop his hands even though he wasn’t even sure if holding his hands there even did anything but it felt like it did. The Yin Yang vortex held by his Human Soul spun at a blinding speed and actively began to consume the raw power of the blast.

The vortex acted like a bottomless pit and dragged the destructive energy directly into its core to relieve the pressure on the external barriers. Over the duration of the violent explosion the vortex managed to swallow a full quarter of the implosion’s raw power. The great volume of energy caused the Yin Yang construct to swell and double in its original size while integrating the soul power into Li Yu and his own foundation.

The combined efforts of the entire army and the young lord held the line against the ancient terror and its suicide attack. The purple flames washed over the barriers like a tidal wave crashing against a sturdy cliff and ultimately the cliff had won out. The destructive energy burned the surrounding void and scarred the fabric of space itself but it could not break through the united front.

The blinding light eventually faded and the silent roar of the implosion subsided into nothingness. The dark space between realms settled back into an eerie calm as the lingering purple flames burned themselves out. Some of the soldiers dropped to their knees and panted heavily while clutching their heads but they were all alive. The Black Turtle dissolved into sparks of light as the Legion Commander released the formation to conserve their remaining strength and allow the troops to rest.

Li Yu lowered his shaking hands and let his soul projections retreat back into his mind now that it was over. The Fisherman Soul lingered longer as it looked towards the squid but it seemed to be looking beyond the creature and at the place it came from. After a short moment, it too went back inside.

Li Yu looked toward the spatial rift and saw the true results of the final attack. The colossal squid was lifeless now or looked that way. Its remaining physical body hung limply in the sparking portal without a single trace of activity. The jagged tentacles drifted aimlessly and the bulbous eyes were dull and gray as death finally claimed the beast.

Before anyone could move forward to secure the corpse and close that rift, a strange pulling force erupted from Li Yu. His Koi Sanctuary activated entirely on its own without him issuing a single command or intent. A spatial pathway tore open above his head and generated an overwhelming suction force that locked onto the giant squid. The dead beast was yanked out of the rift and dragged through the void with startling speed. The generals watched in stunned silence as the towering horror shrunk in size and was sucked directly into the young lord and vanished into his inner world.

'Free food,' Li Yu thought with a weak mental chuckle as he realized what his greedy Koi martial spirit had just done.

The sheer strain of managing the soul defense and refining a quarter of the implosion finally caught up to him. The pain in his head spiked and his vision swam with dark spots that clouded his sight. His aura flickered and died out as his consciousness slipped away into darkness as Li Yu fell forward and tumbled toward the empty void as everything gave out.

A blur of dark and white armor intercepted his fall before he could drop more than a few feet. Zhan Tian caught his grandson mid air and supported his limp body with a gentle arm and a bright smile on his face. The Worldkeeper checked the young man and let out a long breath of relief when he felt that he was okay. The boy was merely unconscious from exhaustion after pushing his limits to help protect the army.

Zhan Tian looked up at his eight generals and the soldiers catching their breath all around him. The cold calculating warlord who had just orchestrated the slaughter of an alien swarm suddenly disappeared. A wide proud grin broke across his scarred face and his eyes shone with genuine delight. A loud roar erupted from him as the tension of the battle melted away and the joys of victory quickly arrived.

"Did you all see that?" Zhan Tian bellowed with a booming laugh that echoed across the quiet void and reached the ears of every soldier present. "That is my grandson! He just helped us stand our ground against that ugly terror and shielded everyone against that incoming attack. Is there any other young man in the Myriad Realms who can match such a feat? There is not! He is simply the best! My grandson!"

Elder Huo Zheng smiled warmly at the sight. The elder sheathed his broadsword and shook his head in amusement as this was exactly how Zhan Tian always led. One moment they could be on death’s door and the very next they are victorious and joking. Zhan Tian was now acting more like a bragging grandfather showing off his prized family member than a supreme commander standing on a ruined battlefield. It was a sight that warmed the hearts of those who knew the Worldkeeper well.

"He truly is exceptional, Lord Tian," General Yue agreed while floating closer to look at the young man again. "His soul strength defies everything let alone for his cultivation level. He saved many lives today with that barrier and his courage is unquestionable."

"Of course he did," Zhan Tian boasted loudly while lifting Li Yu into a more comfortable position over his broad shoulder. "He carries my blood and the will of a true tyrant. You all saw how that beast was pulled into him just now. Even in unconsciousness, he secures the spoils of war for himself! The future of my family is in very good hands with him leading the next generation."

"The people will sing songs of this day." General Goliath added with a hearty chuckle while cracking his stiff neck. "A young man stepping up to help hold the final attack against a nightmare from the unknown abyss is the kind of legend soldiers love to tell around the campfires. He has earned their respect today."

"He has earned more than respect," Zhan Tian said while looking at the quiet spatial rift that was slowly closing in the distance. "He has proven that he is beginning to be ready to face the darkness that lurks beyond. Let the people tend to the wounded and begin gathering our forces for the return trip. We have carved out the root of this plague and our work here is done. But our job is not finished yet, we must clean everything up and as equally as important, loot everything in sight so none of the troops leave empty handed."

The Legion Commanders relayed the orders and the army began the process of reorganizing their ranks. The soldiers cast admiring glances toward the Worldkeeper and took a few more glances at his sleeping grandson as they went about their duties. The battle had been swiftly and mostly one sided but had been brutal at the end. The final moments had tested their very resolve and souls but they had emerged victorious none the less. The threat of the Hollow Husk branch had been eradicated and the lives of countless people had been protected in turn.

Zhan Tian stood tall with Li Yu resting on his shoulder and watched his army move with disciplined precision. He felt a sense of pride swelling in his chest as he thought about the incredible display of power his grandson had just shown. He has seen and known that the boy had an incredibly unique and powerful soul but the extent of the soul strength was impossibly strong. The boy was growing into a formidable force of nature and Zhan Tian knew that the Myriad Realms would soon realize just how high the young monster on his shoulder could soar and how lucky they were to have him.