Chương 1002: Chapter 1000: Narrow Roads and Growing Shadows

Li Yu returned to the quiet interior of his main pavilion while the morning light scattered across the polished wooden floorboards. He took a seat at the central table and retrieved the spatial ring the Crown Prince had delivered the previous day. Pushing a thread of hisParagon Qi into the band, he withdrew the ransom payment and laid the contents out before him.

A glittering mound of high grade spirit stones and rare elemental ores piled up on the sturdy wood as the rich spiritual energy immediately thickened the air inside the room. He summoned Alden to the pavilion. The man arrived promptly and offered a respectful bow while keeping his eyes averted from the glowing fortune resting on the ground.

"Take half of this," Li Yu instructed as he divided the spirit stones into two even piles.

"Use it to manage the daily expenses of the estate, pay everyone their wage and ensure the aquatic spirit beasts in the lakes are fed. Keep the grounds well maintained while I focus on my training." Alden quickly swept the designated wealth into a storage ring and thanked Li Yu before hurrying out to execute his duties. Li Yu gathered the remaining half and secured it within his own storage ring for his future cultivation needs.

With his finances somewhat stabilized, his thoughts drifted back to the lucrative bounty he had accepted from the mission board prior to the raids. He retrieved the pristine jade boxes filled with the high purity soul crystals and spiritual herbs he had procured from Kyokai City. He needed to return to the Zhan Clan headquarters to turn the items in and claim his reward, further increasing his funds. Once he got to the mission hall, he realized the anonymous requester was actually from the Li Clan.

The discovery made him pause. He had spent nearly all his recent time residing at the Five Star Lakes or operating out of the Zhan Clan territories. He did not want his father to feel neglected or sad that his son was ignoring his paternal lineage. Instead of utilizing the Zhan Clan mission hall to process the transaction, Li Yu decided to visit the Li Clan directly to deliver the goods. The space in the courtyard rippled and Fenric materialized from the void.

The scarred Core Warden wore his dark armor and offered a standard salute.

"I need to visit the Li Clan headquarters," Li Yu said while gesturing to the spatial ring holding the soul resources.

"Can you open a path for me?" Fenric raised his armored hand to channel his energy but a low chuckle echoed from behind his faceless visor.

"I am beginning to feel more like a flying ship ferrying a young master between realms than a protector these days." Li Yu laughed along with him and clapped the warden lightly on the shoulder.

"It is a good thing that my requests are so mundane. It means I have been safe lately and I haven't needed you to drag me out of any life or death battles."

"A fair point," Fenric agreed as the amusement lingered in his deep voice.

"Boredom is always preferable to a desperate retreat." The warden grabbed the fabric of reality and tore open a jagged rift. Li Yu stepped through the swirling corridor of silver light and crossed the vast distance separating the two great lineages in a matter of moments with the warden in tow. They emerged near the outer perimeter of the Li Clan headquarters. The air carried a sharp, refined sword intent that resonated with the blood flowing through Li Yu's veins.

Fenric faded into the shadows to maintain his silent vigil while Li Yu navigated the bustling courtyards toward the grand mission hall. He stepped up to the reception desk and presented the bounty marker to the attendant. The clerk verified the seal and smiled politely.

"You accepted this task from the Zhan Clan boards," The attendant noted while preparing the transfer scrolls. Li Yu found out that the two mission halls share a synchronized network to ensure there are always enough hands and eyes available to fulfill important requests. It showcases the deep trust and good relationship between our two clans.

"It is a highly efficient system," Li Yu agreed as he placed the requested items on the counter.

"I came to deliver the materials in person. Can you tell me who the original poster was?" Seeing that Li Yu was a clan member and an important one at that, the attendant scanned the runes and looked up with a hint of reverence.

"The request was filed by Li Mei, the clan heir. You can deliver the resources directly to her personal residence." Li Yu was mildly surprised to find out his cousin was the one seeking the rare soul enhancement items. He thanked the clerk, gathered his boxes and took to the sky. He followed the winding stone paths leading up to the high and exclusive elevations of the clan estate until he reached Li Mei's luxurious pavilion. Find this and other great novels on the author's preferred platform.

Support original creators! The courtyard was decorated with rare frost lilies and intricate water features. Li Yu walked up to the ornate front doors and called out his presence. A few moments later, a senior maid opened the doors and looked at him with confusion.

"Young Master, Li Yu," the maid greeted him with a hesitant bow.

"What brings you here today?"

"I am here to turn in a completed mission," Li Yu explained while holding up the sealed jade boxes.

"She posted a bounty for soul resources and I gathered exactly what she requested." The maid blinked in surprise but quickly stepped aside to let him in. She guided him through a series of elegant corridors until they reached the main reception hall. Li Mei sat behind a carved jade table while reviewing several jade slips. She wore pristine white robes bordered with silver thread and projected an incredibly sharp aura.

When she looked up and saw Li Yu standing in her hall, a jolt of genuine shock ran through her system. She quickly masked her expression but her heart hammered uncomfortably against her ribs.

"Enemies truly always meet on a narrow road," Li Mei thought to herself as a bitter taste coated her tongue. The lingering trauma from her experience in the Temple of Purity still haunted her quiet moments. She could still vividly remember the terrifying projection of Li Yu standing five times her size while wielding Gilded Calamity and Firmament's End to crush her ambitions into dust.

She viewed him as the ultimate threat to her position and her future, yet here he was, casually walking into her home out of the blue.

"I brought the items you requested on the mission board," Li Yu said with a friendly smile. He stepped forward and placed the jade boxes onto her table.

"The purity should exceed the requirements you had." Li Mei opened the containers and inspected the shimmering soul crystals and the preserved spiritual herbs. The quality was indeed exceptional and far superior to anything she could normally source from the local merchant guilds. She suppressed her inner turmoil and retrieved a pouch of spirit stones to hand over the promised payment.

"The materials are satisfactory," Li Mei stated in a flat and professional tone.

"Here is your bounty." Li Yu accepted the pouch and stored it away.

"Thank you. I was quite broke until just recently, so taking on this task has really helped me out." He meant it as a lighthearted comment regarding his empty pockets prior to receiving the royal ransom but the words struck a deeply insecure nerve within the clan heir. Li Mei's eyes narrowed by a fraction of an inch as she evaluated his statement. To her ears, the claim sounded like a blatant and insulting lie. She knew he was the son of Canghai and Tielan.

There was no conceivable way a cultivator of his standing could ever be truly broke. Her twisted pride interpreted his words as a veiled mockery. She believed he was implying that the exorbitant bounty she had posted was a paltry sum—mere pocket change that he only bothered to collect out of pity or to highlight her own lack of wealth compared to his resources. His "Until just recently" turned into him noting that he was broke until he was introduced back to both clans.

She gripped the edge of her jade table with her knuckles turning white as she forced her breathing to remain steady. She managed to control her rising irritation and allowed her curiosity to take the lead.

"These resources are incredibly rare and notoriously difficult to find," Li Mei noted while maintaining her cold facade.

"If I may ask, how did you manage to procure so many of them in such a short amount of time?"

"I got them from The Veil," Li Yu answered honestly as he leaned casually against the wall.

"I was chosen by that place to take their trials a while back and the city there has a vast market dedicated specifically to soul enhancing materials. A lot of things happened between that and now that there isn't enough time to explain but I have a great relationship with them now. I just traveled back there to pick these up for you." Li Mei felt the air leave her lungs as if she had been physically struck. She was an heir who was well versed in the cosmic lore of the surrounding territories.

She knew exactly what The Veil was. It was a highly selective testing ground renowned for plucking only candidates who possessed terrifyingly powerful souls. For him to casually mention that he was chosen by such an ancient people was another devastating blow to her. Once again, her insecurities warped his straightforward answer into a targeted attack. She felt he was deliberately flaunting his superior soul foundation, reminding her of the vast, unbridgeable gap between their talents.

He was rubbing his elite status in her face while she sat behind a desk struggling to enhance her own spirit. Seeing that she did not offer a response and assumed she was simply eager to begin her training, Li Yu offered a polite nod and turned toward the door.

"I will leave you to it then," Li Yu said over his shoulder.

"Good luck in your cultivation with those resources." He walked out of the reception hall and the heavy wooden doors slid shut behind him, leaving Li Yu blissfully unaware of the psychological damage he had just inflicted to the clan heir. Li Mei sat alone in the quiet room while staring at the closed doors. Her hands trembled as the dark seed of her heart demon pulsed and swelled within her chest.

She replayed his parting words in her mind over and over again, stripping away the polite tone until only venom remained. All she could hear was a mocking dismissal. She was convinced he was telling her that her soul was so fundamentally weak that even with these premium herbs and crystals, she would never catch up to him. He was wishing her luck because he believed she desperately needed it just to survive in his shadow.

The toxic thoughts took root deep within her Dao heart as her resentment for Li Yu grew into a suffocating obsession.