Chương 146: An Honored Guest

The two weeks that followed the first treatment were a strange and unprecedented time for the Asura Demon Clan. The imminent threat of their Guardian's death, a cloud of despair that had hung over them for months, was lifted, replaced by a fragile but persistent sense of hope. The aggressive, posturing energy of the clan, born from fear and uncertainty, began to recede, giving way to a focused, disciplined calm. Li Yu became the most revered and enigmatic figure in their entire volcanic city.

He was given the clan's most luxurious guest tower, a spire of polished obsidian that offered a panoramic view of the entire caldera, with a private courtyard that overlooked the fiery river of magma below. Clan Lord Mo Jian had issued a single, absolute decree: Guest Elder Li Yu was to be afforded the same respect as the Clan Lord himself. His privacy was sacred, his requests were to be fulfilled without question, and anyone who disturbed or disrespected him would be executed on the spot.

Every three days, Li Yu would descend into the Earth-Heart Grotto for another treatment session. The process was always the same. He would spend hours in silent communion with the great wyrm, patiently drawing out the corrupted, chaotic energies, a silent crucible purifying the ancient beast's soul. After each session, he would re-emerge, his face pale with exertion, but his eyes bright with a profound, inner light. The Guardian's improvement was slow, but undeniable. Its breathing grew deeper and more powerful.

The dull, brittle quality of its stone-like hide began to recede, replaced by a faint, healthy luster. After the third treatment, it stirred in its slumber for the first time, its massive tail giving a slow, powerful thump against the sand, a sign of its returning strength. The sight brought tears to the eyes of the elder council members who had been permitted to witness the event from a distance. But the treatments, as draining as they were, only occupied a fraction of Li Yu's time.

For the remainder of his stay, he had been granted unrestricted access to all but the most sacred, private areas of the clan's territory. And so, he began to explore. His presence was a constant source of fascination and awe for the disciples of the Asura Demon Clan. They would watch from a respectful distance as he walked the obsidian streets, a calm, unassuming figure in the simple robes of a righteous sect, a stark contrast to their own aggressive, demonic auras.

His first point of interest was the clan's beast pens. He saw great, hulking Magma Tortoises with shells of cooling lava, flocks of Razor-Winged Fumarole Bats, and packs of Obsidian-Clawed Hounds. The disciples and elders in charge of the pens watched nervously as he approached, but he showed only genuine, academic curiosity. He would often stop by the enclosure of a particularly troublesome beast, like a young, hot-tempered Flame-Gullet Wyvern.

As the handler rushed off to prepare a new, surprisingly simple mixture Li Yu had prescribed for its diet, Li Yu watched him go with a quiet, internal smile. It was true that his Koi spirit gave him an almost divine connection to any creature with an aquatic bloodline. That was his greatest cheat. But what the Asura Demon Clan was witnessing had little to do with that specific ability. His years as a humble fish farmer had not just been a cover for his cultivation; they had been his true apprenticeship.

While the world saw a low-level disciple, he had become a master beast doctor through silent, diligent study. Communicating with aquatic life was a gift; understanding all life was a skill he had earned. Word of this, and other similar incidents, spread like wildfire. Soon, disciples and even elders began to cautiously approach Li Yu, bringing him their own sick or disobedient companion beasts. He never turned anyone away, and his diagnoses were always swift, simple, and uncannily accurate.

His reputation as a divine beast healer became an unshakeable legend within the clan. It was in the clan's grand library that he met her. Her name was Mo Ling, and she was the Clan Lord's only daughter. A genius of the demonic path, she watched Li Yu with a mixture of suspicion, curiosity, and a grudging respect. She found him one afternoon, poring over an ancient map of the subterranean river systems.

"You are the righteous sect healer," she said, her voice sharp and challenging. It was a statement, not a question. Li Yu looked up from his scroll, his expression calm.

"And you are Mo Ling, the Asura Clan's brightest star." His knowledge of her, and his lack of any reaction to her aggressive tone, seemed to throw her off balance.

"My father speaks of you as if you are a god descended to the mortal realm. Yet you look like any other pampered, righteous sect disciple." If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

"Appearances can be deceiving," Li Yu replied with a faint smile.

"Indeed," she said, her eyes narrowing.

"They say you can soothe any beast. My companion, a Shadow-Stalker Panther, has been sullen and withdrawn since its last battle. Its spirit was wounded. Our clan's elders say only time can heal it. What does the great healer have to say?" It was a test, a direct challenge to his legendary status. Li Yu simply smiled, his gaze returning to the ancient map before him.

"A beast's spirit is often a reflection of its master's heart. When the master is troubled, the beast feels it. Perhaps you should look there for your answer first." He offered no other advice, returning his full attention to his reading, effectively dismissing the clan's foremost prodigy. Mo Ling stood there, stunned into silence by his response. She had come expecting a display of skill, an argument, or even a refusal. She had not expected a quiet, insightful remark that turned the problem back on her.

Her face flushed with a mixture of anger and humiliation. With a sharp 'hmph', she spun on her heel and stormed out of the library. For three more days, Li Yu continued his routine. He performed the fourth treatment on the Guardian Wyrm, explored the city, and spent his afternoons in the library. He saw Mo Ling several times, watching him from a distance, her expression a storm of pride, frustration, and conflicted thought. On the fourth day, as he was walking through a quiet courtyard, she approached him again.

This time, there was no challenge in her eyes, no aggressive posture. She stood before him, and for the first time, he saw the genuine worry beneath her fiery pride. She performed a formal, if slightly stiff, bow.

"Guest Elder Li," she said, her voice quiet, the words clearly difficult for her.

"I… I was rude before. I apologize. My companion… it is not getting better. I have tried everything. The elders are right, time is not healing it. I… I was hoping you would consent to look at it. Please." Li Yu looked at her, at the genuine plea in her eyes. She had swallowed her pride and asked for help. That was all he required.

"Of course," he said, his smile gentle and without a trace of mockery.

"Lead the way." She led him to her private courtyard, where a large, panther-like beast with fur the color of shifting shadows lay listlessly in a corner. Its eyes, usually burning with a predatory fire, were dull and lifeless.

"Its spirit was shocked in a battle with a lightning-aspected beast," she explained, her voice tight with concern.

"It has been like this for a month." Li Yu nodded, understanding. It was a form of spiritual trauma.

"It has forgotten its own nature. It does not need medicine. It needs a reminder of what it is." He did not approach the beast. He simply stood at the edge of the courtyard, closed his eyes, and focused his will inward, into the abyss-black ocean of his spiritual core. He called upon his nascent soul. From the star-dusted depths, the miniature, ethereal leviathan of crimson-gold light responded. It swam to the surface of his inner sea and let out a silent, spiritual roar.

In the courtyard, an aura of unimaginable, primordial power descended. It was not a violent or aggressive pressure, but it was absolute. It was the ancient, profound presence of a true sovereign of life, a being that stood at the apex of existence. It was an aura that spoke not of killing, but of an authority so complete that the world itself would bend to its will. The Shadow-Stalker Panther, which had not moved in days, suddenly shot to its feet as if struck by lightning.

Every muscle in its body went taut, its shadow-like fur bristling. Its dull eyes snapped into sharp, terrified focus. It was not reacting to a threat, but to an ancient, instinctual command from the very soul of the world. It was the presence of a true primordial, and its own dormant, predatory spirit was being forcibly awakened by that absolute pressure. It let out a low, guttural growl, not of aggression, but of a subordinate acknowledging an absolute monarch.

The cloud in its spirit had been shattered by the dawn of a nascent god. Mo Ling stared, her jaw slack, her own spirit trembling before the sheer, overwhelming majesty of the aura Li Yu was emitting. It was not the power of a Foundation Establishment disciple. It was not even the power of a Core Formation expert. It was something else, something ancient and divine that her demonic cultivation could barely comprehend.

"You… what did you do?" she whispered, her voice full of a new, profound awe.

"I simply reminded it that it is a predator," Li Yu said, retracting the aura, the courtyard instantly returning to normal.

"Now it is up to you, its master, to help it remember how to hunt." He turned and walked away, leaving a stunned, silent, and completely humbled demonic princess in his wake. He wasn't worried about issues caused by the aura he had revealed, it wasn't an aura that came from cultivation strength, it was something else entirely. And so the days passed. Li Yu's legend grew, not as a warrior, but as a being of profound, gentle wisdom, a mysterious healer whose understanding of the natural world was as deep as the sea.

He made no grand speeches, performed no flashy miracles. He simply observed, listened, and offered simple, perfect solutions. He was an honored guest, a welcoming friend, and a complete, unsolvable enigma, and the entire Asura Demon Clan, from the lowest disciple to the Clan Lord himself, found themselves utterly and completely fascinated by him.