Chương 57: The Flowing Mountain Staff

The aftermath of Khaos's evolution was a period of internal adjustment for Li Yu. For a full week, he remained in his cultivation chamber. He was not just recovering from the backlash; he was coming to terms with the new terrifying power that now resided in his blood and Qi. The trace of void energy was a double-edged sword. It made his foundation incredibly dense and powerful but it also made his aura subtly different, colder, a quality he had to learn to suppress with even greater care.

His new ultimate defense, the Stygian Shell, was a silent comforting presence. It was a passive ability, born of his bond with Khaos, an armor that would manifest on its own to intercept any attack that truly threatened his life. He did not need to think to activate it; it was simply a part of him now. It was his greatest life-saving trump card. But Li Yu's cautious nature, honed by a lifetime of hiding, would not allow him to rely on a single secret defense.

The shell was for a crisis, for an assassination attempt from a Foundation Establishment expert. His gaze fell upon the simple, elegant Abyssal Ironwood staff resting in the corner of his room. He had the weapon but he lacked the techniques. He had been focusing on other things that he neglected his staff skills. It was time to change that. He made his way to the Myriad Tomes Pavilion, his silver token granting him easy access. The wizened, sleepy elder at the entrance opened a single, cloudy eye as he approached.

"Ah, the little fish," the elder mumbled, his voice a dry rustle of old paper.

"Back so soon? You have already chosen an Earth-grade technique. The sect's rules are clear. One per major contribution."

"I am not here to choose an Earth-grade art, Elder," Li Yu said with a polite bow.

"I am here to spend my contribution points on some common, Mortal-grade techniques." The elder's other eye slowly creaked open, a flicker of genuine surprise in his ancient gaze. A personal disciple was spending his time on common techniques?

"The first floor is open to you. Do not cause a disturbance." Li Yu ascended to the first floor, the bustling, energetic atmosphere a familiar sight. He bypassed the crowded sections on swordplay and fist arts, his gaze fixed on the small, often-neglected section dedicated to polearm and staff techniques. He spent the next few hours meticulously browsing the scrolls. He was not looking for flashy, offensive arts that promised to shatter the heavens.

He was looking for techniques that fit his own style: defense, control and unassuming power. After a long search, he selected two jade slips. The first was a defensive art called «Flowing Water, Enduring Mountain». It was an unadulterated defensive style. It taught the user to wield the staff not as a weapon but as a mobile shield. It was a technique of subtle shifts, of redirecting force, of using the staff's length and flexibility to create an impenetrable, flowing defense that could weather a storm of attacks.

It was a good complement to his «Tidal Aegis Art», a physical manifestation of its principles. The second was a control-type art named «The Serpent's Coil». It was a strange esoteric technique that focused on using the staff to ensnare and immobilize opponents. It contained a series of complex circular movements designed to trap an opponent's weapon, unbalance their stance and lock their joints. It was not a killing art; it was an art of capture. He took the two unassuming Mortal-grade techniques to the counter.

The disciple on duty, a bored-looking inner sect member, barely glanced at them as he deducted the few hundred contribution points from Li Yu's token. This book's true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.

"A defensive art and a binding art?" the disciple commented with a dismissive sneer.

"Are you planning to become a training partner, Junior Brother?"

"One must learn to walk before they can run," Li Yu replied calmly, ignoring the jibe. He returned to the Azure Serpent Lake, his new techniques in hand. His life settled into a new, even more rigorous rhythm. His nights were for his brutal, soul-tempering lessons with Khaos. His mornings were for his public cultivation, where he allowed his official aura to slowly but surely advance to the Seventh Stage of Qi Condensation. And his afternoons were now dedicated to the staff.

He would stand in the courtyard for hours, the heavy Abyssal Ironwood staff a blur in his hands. He practiced the forms of «Flowing Water, Enduring Mountain» a thousand times, his movements becoming more fluid, more natural. He would have Hu Jian with his aggressive style attack him relentlessly. At first, Li Yu was clumsy, the staff an awkward stick in his hands. But slowly, he began to grasp the essence of the technique.

He learned to feel the flow of Hu Jian's attacks, to meet his fiery punches not with force but with a gentle redirecting touch of the staff, sending the powerful blows harmlessly into the empty air. He would then practice «The Serpent's Coil» with Lin Tao. Their spars were a silent and deadly chess match. Lin Tao would try to ensnare him with his water whips and Li Yu would use the complex coiling movements of his staff to intercept and trap the whips, turning his opponent's own attack against him.

His progress was rapid, the main reason he chose low level techniques was so he could learn them quickly and not waste too much of his time on the staff. His profound control over his own body and Qi, honed by his advanced cultivation and physique allowed him to master these simple, Mortal-grade arts at a speed that was nothing short of monstrous. One afternoon as he was practicing alone, moving through his forms in a silent flowing dance, he was interrupted by the arrival of his master.

Elder Ning stood at the edge of the courtyard watching him, her expression unreadable. Li Yu immediately stopped and bowed.

"Master."

"Your choice of weapon is… interesting," she commented, her gaze falling upon the simple, black staff.

"It is a tool mainly for defense right now," Li Yu replied.

"A wise choice for one who wishes to live a long life I suppose," she said with a nod of approval. She looked at him, her expression turning serious.

"The peace you have enjoyed for the past year is coming to an end. There is a task that needs to be done." Li Yu's heart went still.

"The Blackwood Syndicate has become more active on our sect's borders," she explained, her voice cold.

"They have been ambushing our merchant caravans, killing our outer sect disciples. The other elders believe it is their work but my own intelligence suggests something more. The attacks are too coordinated, too precise. They are testing our defenses, probing for weaknesses." She looked at Li Yu, her intent clear.

"The elders' council has decided to send a punitive expedition to eradicate the syndicate's main stronghold in the Blackwood Forest. It will be a joint operation, led by several inner sect elders." She paused, her gaze intense.

"I have volunteered you to be a part of it."

"Master?" Li Yu was genuinely surprised.

"You need more experience in real fights. You yourself have probably felt it too. From what you have told me over the last few years, this will be a good opportunity for you. The expedition is led by several inner sect elders so they will provide you with protection if things get dire. You can get your real combat experience by fighting."

"This mission will be dangerous," she warned.

"The Blackwood Syndicate is not a group of common bandits." She tossed him a small silver token.

"This is an emergency communication token linked directly to me. If you find yourself in a situation you cannot handle, crush it. I will come as fast as possible." Li Yu accepted the token, the weight of his new mission settling upon him. He had known the peace would not last. The storm he had been preparing for was finally here.

"You will take your three companions with you," she commanded.

"This will be a good opportunity for them as well to grow. See that they survive."

"Yes, Master," Li Yu said, his voice a calm, steady anchor in the face of the coming storm. He stood in his courtyard long after his master had departed, the black staff held loosely in his hand. He had spent the last year forging his army, honing his skills and building his defenses, all for this moment. The time for practice was over.