Chương 55: The King's Menagerie

The aftermath of the Grand Competition settled over the Green Mountain Sect like a fine dust, the initial excitement giving way to a new established order. Xiao Feng was the undisputed champion, a blazing sun in the eyes of the younger generation. Su Ling was the untouchable ice queen, her power and control absolute. And Li Yu… Li Yu was a great mystery. He was the disciple who had lost yet had somehow emerged with his reputation not just intact, but enhanced.

He was the quiet, unassuming beast tamer who commanded monsters. He was also the quiet physician who would help others. He returned to the Azure Serpent Lake and to the life he preferred: one of quiet methodical growth. The lessons of the competition had been burned into his soul. His new path was clear and he began to walk it with a silent unshakeable determination. His first step was to address a personal, glaring weakness. He was not a warrior, but even a king needed to know how to defend his own person.

He traveled to the sect's Treasure Pavilion, a grand hall filled with spiritual artifacts and weapons and used a portion of his hard-won contribution points. It was finally time he got a weapon. He did not choose a flashy sword or a domineering spear. He chose a simple and elegant bo staff. It was six feet long, crafted from a single piece of thousand-year-old Abyssal Ironwood, a material that was incredibly dense and resonated with water-attribute Qi.

It was heavy, durable and perfectly suited for a style that was both offensive and defensive, a weapon designed to keep enemies at a distance. Back in his valley, he began a new training regimen. His nights were still dedicated to his grueling lessons with Khaos, tempering his spirit and refining his Qi. But his days were now spent in the courtyard, the black staff a blur in his hands. He practiced basic forms, his movements fluid and precise, the staff an extension of his own body.

He was not trying to become a master martial artist. He was simply building a foundation, a basic layer of self-defense so that he would not be utterly helpless if an enemy ever managed to get past his true weapons: his beasts. He also started asking for friendly spars with disciples that he had helped before, trying to get more combat experience from a more varied pool of people. He learned a lot from his spars and it now became a staple in his training.

After a month of this quiet consolidation, he knew it was time to take the next step. He sat in his study and took out the golden sea lion token given to him by Elder Quan. He infused it with his True Qi.

"Junior Brother Li," the elder's low, rumbling voice echoed from the token, as clear as if he were in the room.

"It has been some time. I trust your business in the sect has been fruitful?"

"It has, Elder Quan," Li Yu replied respectfully.

"And I find myself in need of the Guild's assistance once more. I am beginning a new phase of my beast taming research. I wish to study the synergistic effects of commanding multiple beasts of different types in formation. For this, I am traveling to Sunken Treasure City to procure some suitable specimens. I was hoping I might be able to browse the Guild's private collection." There was a thoughtful pause on the other end, followed by a booming laugh.

"You wish to browse our private menagerie? Your value to our Guild is proven. Very well. Come to the city. I will grant you access myself." The journey to Sunken Treasure City was a solitary one. He left his three friends to guard the valley and traveled alone, riding the swift Silver-Winged Flying Swordfish he had used on his previous trip. It was a fast and elegant beast, allowing him to travel without drawing the attention a larger sect delegation would.

Upon his arrival, he found the same modest inn he had stayed in before, a place of quiet anonymity in the city's outer districts. He spent the first day reacquainting himself with the city, wandering the Fisherman's Wharf and the Alchemist's Canal, a silent, unseen figure gathering the whispers and currents of the great metropolis. The next day, a steward from the Golden Sea Guild, having been notified of his arrival, found him and escorted him to the Azure Pavilion district.

Elder Quan personally led Li Yu to the Guild's private beast pens. It was a vast sprawling complex behind their main pavilion, a series of massive interconnected pools and enclosures, each one sealed with powerful formations.

"Most of our beasts are kept in a dormant state in spirit-sealing pouches to save space," Elder Quan explained as they walked.

"But our newest, most powerful or most problematic acquisitions are kept here where they can be observed. This is the heart of our Guild's business in this city." If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it. He led Li Yu to a massive, deep-water enclosure.

"You said you needed defensive beasts. Here, we have a pair of Rank 4 Iron-Shell Guardian Turtles. They were captured in the Black Rock Archipelago. Their defensive power is said to be absolute." Li Yu looked into the deep clear water. The two massive turtles rested at the bottom, their black iron shells absorbing the light. He extended his spiritual sense and was met with a feeling of ancient stoicism. They were great shields.

"They are magnificent," Li Yu said with genuine admiration.

"And for offense?" Elder Quan led him to another enclosure filled with jagged rocks.

"A pair of Rank 4 Azure-Clawed Hydras, captured in the Serpent's Jaw Trench. They are fierce, difficult to control." Li Yu looked at the two terrifyingly beautiful creatures, their minds a storm of predatory instinct. He gestured for Li Yu to follow.

"But a true army needs more than just swords and shields. You mentioned control and detection." He brought Li Yu to a specially designed tank that seemed to shimmer and warp the light around it. Inside was a single Rank 4 Phantasmal Reef Octopus. Its body was a constantly shifting kaleidoscope of colors and patterns, its movements creating vivid, disorienting illusions in the water.

"Its psychic illusions can confound even a Fifth Stage expert," Elder Quan noted. Li Yu could feel the creature's mischievous, clever, and highly intelligent consciousness. It was a born trickster. Finally, they stopped before a smaller, covered pool.

"And for detection," the elder said, removing the cover. Inside, a school of five small, fish-like creatures, each about a foot long with wings like dragonfly wings, hovered silently.

"Rank 3 Echo-Wing Prowlers. Individually weak but as a group their psychic sonar can map a three-mile radius with perfect accuracy even through solid stone." Li Yu felt their simple unified hive-mind, a living detection array.

"I will take them all," Li Yu said, his voice calm but firm.

"The two turtles, the two hydras, the octopus, and this school of five prowlers." Elder Quan let out a low whistle.

"That is a small army, boy. These ten creatures together… is not a small sum" He stroked his beard, a cunning glint in his eye.

"However, for a friend of my Guild, a man whose services are invaluable, I can offer you a private, 'friendship' price." It was a staggering discount but still a vast sum of wealth. Li Yu bowed deeply.

"Elder Quan is too generous." He did not hesitate. He had money that he had saved up and the wealth from the storage rings he acquired recently from those that ambushed him. The storage ring from the foundation expert that Khaos defeated had held a sizable amount of spirit stones but not much else. He calmly transferred the full amount to a spirit stone card provided by the elder.

"Li Yu accepts this kindness." Elder Quan let out a booming laugh, he had grown quite fond of this boy through their interactions. He was however, still a professional and didn't let his own personal thoughts get in the way of business. Calculating gains and losses was something that was front and center in everything he did. Li Yu returned to his inn with ten new powerful companions sealed in high-grade beast pouches. That night, he introduced them to the Koi's Sanctuary.

The tranquil, lake-sized dimension was now a bustling menagerie. He named the turtles Aegis and Bastion. He named the hydras Fury and Rage. The Phantasmal Octopus, with its clever, tricky nature, he named Mirage. And the school of five Echo-Wing Prowlers, he simply named the Swarm.

'More noisy tenants,' Khaos's dry, arrogant voice echoed in his mind.

'This place is becoming crowded.'

'They are the foundation of my army,' Li Yu projected back.

'They are children playing with wooden swords,' Khaos retorted.

'But I suppose even a king must start with pawns.' Why Khaos talked like an old man even though he himself was a juvenile still wasn't clear to him. Perhaps a 'juvenile' to Khaos was actually still someone very old. He didn't know the true age of Khaos and Khaos wouldn't be one to answer him if he asked. Li Yu ignored the jibe. He now had the pieces on his board. He had Crimson, his elite brawler. He had Lirael, his silent assassin. He had Aegis and Bastion, his unbreachable shields.

He had Fury and Rage, his ferocious vanguard. He had Mirage, his master of illusion and control. And he had the Swarm, his all-seeing eyes. His own training now entered a new phase. He would spend his nights in the sanctuary, learning to command his new menagerie. It was a chaotic, frustrating process. His initial orders were clumsy, his attempts to coordinate the powerful beasts a tangled mess. But he was a patient, meticulous learner. He started small.

He would practice simple maneuvers, teaching Aegis and Bastion to form a perfect, overlapping shield wall while Mirage cast illusions of a third turtle to confuse the enemy. He would train Crimson to coordinate its charges with the venomous assaults of Fury and Rage, while the Swarm provided a perfect, real-time map of the battlefield in his mind. It took awhile for him to get used to processing the information the Swarm sent him but it was a useful tool. It trained his mind to process more, think faster.

He taught Lirael to use the illusions created by Mirage as cover for her silent, deadly strikes. Slowly, painstakingly, he began to learn the art of war. He was thrilled to find that the demonic beasts already had an instinct and skill for most of it. The turtles naturally wanted to defend first before fighting. He was learning to wield his companions but they only needed a small push, which was great for him. The months turned into a year.

The quiet, hidden valley of the Azure Serpent Lake remained a sanctuary of peace. But within its misty borders and within the secret world of Li Yu's own spirit, a power was being forged.