Myriad Rivers to the Sea

Chapter 955: A New Honor

The overwhelming pressure inside the isolated void vanished as quickly as it had appeared. The dark spatial arrays of the Temple of Purity disengaged in perfect unison and the thousands of cultivators were expelled back onto the snowy plateau. The transition was so abrupt that many of the disciples collapsed onto their hands and knees while gasping violently for air.The freezing mountain wind howled across the peak and bit into their skin, yet it was a welcome sensation after the suffocating judgment of the temple. Li Yu found himself sitting cross legged on the thick layer of frost, in the exact same position he had assumed when he first entered the dark void.

He opened his eyes slowly and let out a long and heavy breath. The terrifying illusions of his friends leaving, Lian turning away and his family dying were still burned into his mind but they no longer brought him despair. Instead, an unbreakable resolve had settled deep within his bones.

Li Yu glanced around the plateau as the crowd began to recover. He saw Li Mei standing a few dozen paces away and her aristocratic mask was completely gone. She was trembling slightly while her eyes darted around in a state of deep insecurity, proving that whatever she had faced inside had fundamentally shaken her Dao heart.

Even the rugged members of the Freeblade Alliance looked incredibly pale. Boran was rubbing his thick beard nervously and Lead Envoy Ren was staring at his hands as if checking to see if they were still attached. Li Yu pushed himself up from the snow but as he moved, he felt a small object resting in his right palm.

He frowned deeply and opened his hand. Resting against his skin was a small token forged from a strange metal. It was shaped perfectly like a miniature sword and it was entirely covered in ancient and swirling runic patterns.

Li Yu looked at the small token and wondered exactly when he had gotten it. He had been completely isolated in the mental projection and he couldn't feel anything on the outside of his physical body while he was inside the temple. It made no sense for a physical object to manifest in his hand after a spiritual trial.

Before he could inspect the strange metal any further, the sword token suddenly shook.

It trembled violently in his palm as an ancient Qi awakened within the metal. The token floated up out of his grasp and hovered exactly at eye level. It hummed with a terrifying resonance and then it shot a blinding pillar of pure white light directly up into the sky.

The light pierced through the heavy clouds and expanded outward until it took the form of a massive and ethereal sword that spanned thousands of feet across the heavens. The giant blade of light was pointed straight down, as if it were stabbed into the ground and its glowing tip hovered just inches above Li Yu's head, marking his exact position on the snowy plateau for the entire world to see.

The moment the giant sword formed, the entire Heavenly Sword Sect began to tremble.

The massive black stone structure of the Temple of Purity groaned loudly and the jagged mountain peaks around them shook as if a massive earthquake had struck the foundation of the sect. The thousands of cultivators on the plateau cried out in alarm and scrambled backward, creating an empty circle around Li Yu and the glowing token.

The air above the plateau rippled violently as the elders and the highest leadership from the sect appeared in the sky all around the giant sword.

They tore through the spatial fabric directly from their secluded cultivation chambers. Over two dozen experts materialized, and at the very front of the formation stood the Sect Master himself, Ling Wuji.

The Sect Master wore pristine white robes embroidered with silver clouds and his eyes were wide with a mixture of shock and reverence as he stared down at the small token floating in front of Li Yu.

The noisy crowd fell into a silence with the combined pressure of the Heavenly Sword Sect leadership was enough to flatten a city.

"The trial is concluded," Sect Master Ling Wuji announced and his voice echoed with a heavy Qi that rolled over the mountains like thunder. "It is time for all guests to leave the holy peak and return to your pavilions. All of you... except for Li Yu."

The Sect Master descended slowly from the sky and landed on the frost covered stone, while his intense gaze remained locked entirely on the young man from the Li Clan. "We need to talk to him."

Ancestor Cangyuan immediately stepped out from the retreating crowd and his aura flared slightly as he positioned himself between Li Yu and the Sect Master. Cangyuan was usually a man of calm calculation but the sudden manifestation of the sect's entire high command was highly alarming.

"Sect Master Ling," Ancestor Cangyuan said smoothly, though his tone carried a subtle edge of warning. "This isn't some kind of trick to trap one of our people, is it? The Li Clan does not take kindly to sudden detentions of our descendants."

Sect Master Ling Wuji shook his head quickly and his expression softened. "It is not a trap. I give you my word upon my Dao. He is not in any danger. You may stay if you wish, as someone from the Li Clan should certainly be here to witness this."

Cangyuan narrowed his eyes slightly but he accepted the explanation as he nodded his head.

The elders immediately moved forward and began ushering the confused cultivators down the ancient stone steps. The Freeblade Alliance mercenaries cast worried glances back at Li Yu, while the Li Clan delegation looked completely baffled by the unfolding events. Within a matter of minutes, everyone was kicked off the snowy plateau, leaving only Li Yu, Ancestor Cangyuan, and the leadership of the sect that happened to be in the sect at the time.

Not many knew what had just happened and Li Yu was just as confused as the rest of them. He reached out and grabbed the floating token, causing the massive sword of light in the sky to instantly shatter into countless glowing motes that drifted down like snow.

"Please, follow me," Sect Master Ling Wuji said politely as he gestured toward the side of the mountain.

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They bypassed the Temple of Purity entirely and walked toward a hidden rock face. Ling Wuji waved his hand and an illusion array rippled, revealing a dark tunnel carved directly into the heart of the peak.

They brought Li Yu and Cangyuan into a secret chamber hidden deep within the mountain, where several more ancient ancestors of the Heavenly Sword Sect sat meditating on floating stone lotus flowers. The chamber smelled of old incense and the walls were lined with thousands of swords that hummed with a dormant and terrifying power.

Ling Wuji turned to Li Yu once the heavy stone doors sealed behind them.

"Young friend, may I see that token?" the Sect Master asked and his voice actually trembled slightly with anticipation.

Li Yu saw no reason to hide it so he held out his hand and passed the metal sword to the Sect Master. Ling Wuji held it as if it were made of fragile glass. He channeled a sliver of sword Qi into the runes and the token pulsed with a warm and confirming light. The Sect Master closed his eyes and a long sigh escaped his lips.

"So the ancient teachings are true after all," Ling Wuji whispered and he turned to show the glowing token to the ancient ancestors meditating on the lotus flowers. "It has been so many years and it has never happened in my lifetime. I truly believed the decree was merely a legend."

Ling Wuji turned back to face Li Yu and Ancestor Cangyuan. He stood perfectly straight and his expression became incredibly formal.

"By the decrees of the founders of our sect," Ling Wuji declared loudly, ensuring his voice carried to every corner of the chamber. "Li Yu is now the Holy Son of the Heavenly Sword Sect."

Silence filled the room for several long seconds. Ancestor Cangyuan's eyes widened drastically, and his usual calm composure shattered entirely. Li Yu seemed to have a habit of doing that for Ancestor Cangyuan. He stared at Ling Wuji as if the man had just spoken in a forgotten language.

"Holy Son?" Li Yu asked while breaking the heavy silence. He looked between his own ancestor and the Sect Master with deep confusion. "What is that and what exactly is happening here?"

Ling Wuji smiled warmly and stepped forward to hand the token back to Li Yu.

"The founders of our sect were absolute zealots in their pursuit of the Dao," Ling Wuji explained patiently as he folded his hands into his sleeves. "They firmly believed in the absolute purity of a path. They also happened to believe that the sword path was the correct path and they argued that it was the purest form of combat and enlightenment in the Myriad Realms."

The Sect Master paused and gestured toward the swords lining the walls. "However, they also understood the Dao. They respected those who could achieve purity on their own chosen paths, regardless of what that path was. They believed that anyone who possessed a Dao heart so pure and unbreakable, was worthy to walk alongside them as an equal. They knew there were things they could learn from such individuals."

Ling Wuji pointed at the token in Li Yu's hand. "That token is the physical manifestation of the Temple of Purity's ultimate acknowledgment. When the temple's spirit finds someone with a flawless purity on their path, it gifts them that blade token. It is an event that has only happened a handful of times throughout our entire history and I thought it was just a legend to this day."

Ancestor Cangyuan took a deep breath as he finally recovered his wits. "So anyone who gets that acknowledgment from the temple automatically becomes a Holy Son of your sect?"

"Exactly," Ling Wuji nodded respectfully. "It is a position of honor but one that comes with no real authority I must say. As the Holy Son, you cannot control the sect or issue military orders but you are respected above nearly everyone else. Your rank is technically higher than an elder and you sit just below myself and the ancient ancestors though in terms of honor."

The Sect Master looked at Li Yu and began listing the benefits to sweeten the sudden revelation. "You will have access to all of our trial grounds, our libraries and everything else an elder would enjoy. Furthermore, you will receive a monthly stipend of resources from our treasuries. We only ask that you come here often and discuss your thoughts and Dao with us so we can walk on our paths even better."

Li Yu looked down at the small token in his hand and his mind raced as he tried to process the absurdity of the situation. He wondered why he had gotten this token in the first place. While he knew his resolve was firm and he had vowed to destroy anything that threatened his peace, he did not feel like he had the transcendent "purity of path" they were talking about. What could he discuss with them that wouldn’t reveal himself being a fraud?

He felt his path was if anything, it was messy, perhaps brutal. It didn’t seem like it had the kind of purity being discussed. He had absolutely no idea that the token was given to the Fisherman soul.

Regardless of the misunderstanding, Li Yu was not a fool. He didn’t think it was correct to turn down free resources, status and the backing of one of a strong sect in the Myriad Realms. It would be stupid to try to fight this.

"I see no reason to reject such a generous offer," Li Yu said calmly as he stored the token into his spatial ring. He looked up at Ling Wuji but he made sure to add a crucial condition. "However, I must say that my parents would need to agree to it first. I am a son of the Li Clan and Zhan clan, I belong to them before I belong to any other faction."

Ancestor Cangyuan nodded approvingly at the politically astute answer.

"That is absolutely no problem," Ling Wuji laughed warmly and was completely unbothered by the hesitation. "It is a highly respected honorary position and the chosen person does not need to accept it immediately. We understand your filial piety and we are more than happy to wait for Li Canghai and your mother to give their blessing."

The elders of the Heavenly Sword Sect smiled and offered Li Yu respectful nods, treating a Paragon realm youth with the deference usually reserved for masters. They walked Li Yu and Cangyuan back through the hidden tunnel and escorted them out onto the snowy plateau, assuring them that they could take their time before making a final decision.

Li Yu and Cangyuan began their descent down the mountain, intending to return to their pavilion and pack their belongings for the journey home. However, they had barely reached the halfway point of the icy stairs when the entire mountain range vibrated with the amplified voice of Sect Master Ling Wuji.

"Hear my words, cultivators of the Myriad Realms!" Ling Wuji's voice boomed through the massive spatial arrays, echoing across every courtyard, pavilion and guest ship in the sect. It seemed like it was reaching elsewhere as well but Li Yu didn’t know just how many places this statement was going to. "The Temple of Purity has spoken! By ancestral decree, Li Yu of the Li Clan is hereby recognized as the Holy Son of the Heavenly Sword Sect!"

Li Yu stopped walking and stared up at the sky in disbelief.

"Furthermore." The Sect Master's voice continued, carrying a heavy and undeniable threat to anyone listening. "From this day forward, the Holy Son is protected by the full might of the Heavenly Sword Sect. Any strike against him is a strike against our foundation and we will answer it with war, unless he has committed heinous acts against the natural order!"

Cangyuan let out a rare burst of laughter as he looked at the stunned expression on Li Yu's face. The Heavenly Sword Sect had said they would wait for his parents to agree but they immediately made a massive public announcement anyway. They had forced his hand politically, tying him to their sect in the eyes of everyone. However, it seemed like it was only to his benefit, at least from what he could see.

What Li Yu and the others underestimated was that the sect was extremely rigid in their beliefs and teachings. The ancestral teachings called for this to happen so it had to be done no matter what the outcome would be.

Li Yu shook his head and let out a long sigh as the echoes of the announcement slowly faded into the mountain wind. While he didn’t think it was that big of a deal, it was another title that he now carried. He just didn’t know if it was for the better or worse.