The isolation barrier surrounding the Star Blossom Pavilion cast a thick and suffocating dome over the glowing white trees. The ambient Qi within the sealed space grew heavy and stagnant as the hostile forces closed the perimeter while the moonlight struggled to pierce the dark energy radiating from the grand array. The cool evening breeze died away into a chilling stillness as tension from both sides were at their peak.

"You talk very boldly for a junior standing on the edge of the grave," the Chen family patriarch sneered with a cold and calculating gaze. "Your courage is commendable but it is ultimately foolish. The Verdant Sky Academy instructors cannot see through this isolation barrier and they cannot hear your screams. We will take our time breaking your bones to teach you and more importantly your clan proper respect."

The veteran butler trembled so violently his straight sword rattled against his own leg. He had lived a long life serving the Bai Clan but he possessed zero experience facing true predators in a life or death struggle. Rogan planted his feet wide and raised his twin axes while offering a feral grin to the advancing enemy elites.

Lin Xiao narrowed her eyes and leveled her rapier toward the golden robed patriarch while calculating the optimal angle for a desperate thrust. Vane stood at the front of the defensive diamond and pushed his own Law Integration cultivation to its absolute limit to sustain a glowing white barrier over his allies. This would most likely be their biggest test so far but if they made it through tonight, they would most likely have succeeded.

"Kill the hired guards first," the Iron Gale leader commanded with a dismissive wave of his empty hand. "Leave the boy and the girl alive so they can witness the consequences of their actions. Do not leave a single piece of those mercenaries intact."

The two Law Integration experts decided to initiate the slaughter themselves to ensure a swift victory and break the morale of their targets. They were also worried about Vane who was the only one that could stop them here. They didn’t even look at Li Yu because he seemed way too weak to be of any help and was there to make up the numbers. They channeled their vast reserves of Qi and prepared to unleash their most devastating opening techniques.

The Iron Gale leader raised his jagged sword high above his head. He summoned the volatile wind Qi of his lineage and formed a towering serpent, his martial spirit, made of compressed air and slicing razor currents. The ethereal beast hissed with a deafening screech as it coiled around the green robed expert and lunged forward with enough force to level a mountain peak.

At the exact same moment, the Chen family patriarch reached into his spatial ring and tossed a heavy golden seal into the air. The intricate artifact expanded rapidly as it absorbed his fiery Qi in a rapid manner. It transformed into a towering golden pagoda radiating a crushing pressure meant to flatten the entire escort team into bloody paste.

The two ultimate attacks descended upon the small group with overwhelming lethality and all but Vane could only look at them in despair. Vane gritted his teeth and spat a mouthful of blood as his glowing white barrier began to fracture under the weight of the approaching pagoda.

While Vane was strong and could likely defeat either of the clan leaders in a one on one, facing two while needing to defend others put him at too great of a disadvantage. Rogan braced his muscular legs and prepared to throw his axes in a final act of defiance while Lin Xiao closed her eyes and accepted her impending death.

Li Yu watched the spectacular display of martial arts from the rear of the formation and he admired the coordination of the two enemy leaders but he found their power rather lacking for people within their realm. It became clear to him that these two had gotten to their level most likely using pills and other means.

While it was still very impressive to reach such a level, compared to the monsters he usually fought against, they were completely lacking in power. This was not even mentioning the fact that Li Yu was a full three realms higher than them currently.

Not wanting to see his fellow mercenaries get hurt unnecessarily, Li Yu stepped forward with a calm and measured stride while casually resting his right hand on the long shaft of his glaive. He did not shout a heroic battle cry or release his Karma Severing aura. Li Yu simply stepped in front of Vane in an instant and swung his weapon in a smooth upward arc, taking action for the very first time that could be seen during this entire trip.

Li Yu channeled a fraction of his Qi into the dense metal of the blade and the physical force of his body combined with the energy to create a quiet but unstoppable wave of destruction that fanned out. The glaive cleaved directly through the center of the howling wind serpent and the towering beast of razor currents shattered into a harmless breeze that gently rustled the glowing leaves of the surrounding trees. The destruction of the beast caused a backlash to the Iron Gale leader.

The blade of Qi continued its upward trajectory without slowing down and struck the descending golden pagoda with a dull thud. The intricate artifact absorbed the impact for a fraction of a second before spiderweb cracks spread across its shining surface. The golden pagoda then exploded into a cloud of fine metallic dust that drifted away into the shadows. Just like that, the combined assault that looked completely unstoppable had melted away as if they were never there.

The entire pavilion fell into a state of stunned silence.

The elite disciples of the Iron Gale faction froze with their weapons raised in the air. The burly guards of the Chen family stared at the drifting golden dust with wide and terrified eyes. The two Law Integration leaders recoiled as if they had been physically struck, they had just burned their strongest opening attack and sacrificed a precious family artifact only to watch a random guard brush them aside with a single casual swing of a polearm. The most terrifying part of it all was they still couldn’t sense anything from this young man.

"Hold your positions and conserve your energy," Li Yu instructed his own hired guards with a smooth and easy tone while he rested the glaive back on his shoulder as he had seen his grandfather do countless times. "They must have exhausted their best moves or at least some of them. Our primary duty is simply to hold on while the academy finds this trap, no one goes and tries to be a hero."

Vane wiped the blood from his chin and stared at Li Yu with shock while Rogan let out a breathless laugh of disbelief. They had known that he was the strongest among them but when someone is several realms above you, it was nearly impossible to tell just how much stronger they were. As Li Yu had stared at the giants shouldering the sky during his rescue mission, these guards were now staring at him with the very same eyes.

Bai Yun realized the sudden shift in momentum and stepped past the protective barrier. He held his straight sword tightly and glared at the two stunned leaders with a fierce light burning in his eyes.

He knew he could not ask Li Yu to fight his personal battles because a true cultivator needed to conquer their own demons to advance their Dao. He was also instructed by the old soul to take advantage of the situation, only through life and dead battles could he grow quickly enough for his own goals.

"Your fight is with me," Bai Yun declared loudly as he pointed his blade toward the Chen family patriarch. "You claim I am just a lucky boy hiding behind hired mercenaries? I will show you both the true depth of my power and destiny right now."

The Iron Gale leader recovered slightly from his initial backlash and then shock while he let out a harsh mocking laugh. "You are just a Soul Transformation junior! Do you truly believe you can bridge the gap to the Law Integration realm? Your guard might possess the strength to deflect our attacks but you are but an ant trying to lift the world. We will crush you."

Inside the intricate silver bracelet the spiritual Grandpa spoke with a frantic but determined voice.

"Listen to me carefully, boy," the ancient soul whispered into the mind of his host. "That monster just saved our lives by taking away their strongest techniques. The enemy leaders are currently vulnerable and their Qi is unsettled. I will burn a portion of my soul essence to lend you my ancient strength. You must end this battle quickly because my ethereal form cannot be sustained by your physical vessel for very long. However, It will let you bridge the gap of four realms for a short amount of time. Use it to build the path of your Dao using their bones"

"I understand, Master," Bai Yun replied internally while steadying his breathing. "Lend me your power and I will sever their heads myself. I will show Su Yin just what kind of person I really am. That I am deserving of all of her help till now."

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A terrifying and ancient spiritual pressure suddenly erupted from the silver jewelry resting on the wrist of the young noble. The dense energy flooded into Bai Yun and surged through his expanded meridians and throughout his body. His external aura spiked violently and artificially ascended past the Half King stage to directly match the heavy presence of the Law Integration realm, stunning everyone around.

The glowing lotus petals swirling around his boots ignited with a fierce blue light while the Chen family patriarch took a hesitant step backward as he felt the ancient soul pressure radiating from the boy.

"What foul trickery is this?" The golden armored leader shouted in genuine panic. "What kind of technique is this? We must kill him today and steal this technique for ourselves!"

Bai Yun did not waste time trading insults with them. With everyone else frozen and too scared to move due to Li Yu’s presence, the battle had turned into a two vs one. He reached into his spatial ring and pulled out the rusted iron spoke he had purchased from the shabby vendor at the trading pavilion. He channeled the borrowed ancient Qi into the dull metal and a blinding silver light peeled away the layers of rust.

The worthless scrap revealed its true form as a shattered fragment of a divine sword radiating a sharp and lethal intent. The very same sword that his master had once used before he had been reduced to such a state inside that bracelet. As if welcoming back its master, the fragment glowed with a bright light that seemed capable of swallowing the very heavens.

Bai Yun charged across the stone courtyard with explosive speed as he utilized the secret footwork technique he found in the scripture pavilion to move like a phantom through the cold fog. While it seemed that he was carefree, he had been ruthlessly training in all of his free time.

The Chen family patriarch roared and swung his heavy broadsword to intercept the incoming threat. Bai Yun dodged the clumsy strike and thrust the glowing sword fragment directly toward the chest of his enemy. The patriarch sneered and pushed his Qi into his opulent gold armor to form an impenetrable shield of light.

Bai Yun anticipated the defensive maneuver and flicked his left wrist to toss a small paper talisman he had purchased weeks ago, the vendor told him it was found in a ruin but his master recognized its true worth. The explosive lotus talisman stuck to the golden armor and detonated with a blinding flash of volatile fire as the concussive blast shattered the defensive light and cracked the thick metal plates covering the chest of the patriarch.

The divine sword fragment followed right behind the explosion and pierced cleanly through the broken armor. Bai Yun drove the sharp metal directly into the heart of the Chen family leader. The patriarch gasped for air as his eyes rolled back and his heavy body collapsed onto the cobblestones in a pool of dark blood as his sword was instantly destroyed by the fragment.

The Iron Gale leader witnessed his powerful ally fall in a matter of seconds and lost all his remaining courage despite their massive gap in cultivation. He realized that Bai Yun possessed far too many hidden tricks and lethal artifacts to defeat in a fair duel now. He turned on his heel and attempted to flee into the dense fog surrounding the pavilion.

"You are not leaving this place alive!" Bai Yun shouted as he raised his left hand toward the fleeing enemy.

He executed a soul lock technique provided by the ancient Grandpa as ethereal chains forged from blue spiritual energy shot out from his palm and wrapped tightly around the ankles of the Iron Gale leader. The Law Integration expert was bound by the heavy chains and crashed hard into the dirt while scrambling desperately to break free.

Bai Yun crossed the distance in three swift strides and raised his sword high above his head. He brought the blade down with a vicious chop and cleanly severed the head of the Iron Gale leader from his shoulders.

The elite guards and the senior disciples of the hostile factions dropped their weapons in terror as they watched their invincible leaders die in brutal succession. They all quickly fell to their knees and pressed their foreheads against the cold stone while begging the Bai Yun for mercy.

Li Yu stood quietly and observed the entire sequence with a sense of clarity. He did not focus on the martial techniques or the pools of blood staining the beautiful pavilion. He focused entirely on the invisible strings of fate, destiny or whatever one would call it weaving around Bai Yun.

Li Yu realized that fate was helping to dictate a very specific path for Bai Yunt. The universe constantly placed extreme danger in his path but it also provided tools required to overcome those specific obstacles. In other words, there was almost always a path forward for him.

The rusted iron from the market became a divine sword shard. The dusty manual from the library provided the perfect footwork to dodge the heavy strikes. The explosive talisman purchased on a whim perfectly countered the golden armor. The ancient soul residing in the bracelet provided the raw power to bridge the cultivation gap.

Every single random encounter and lucky purchase was a deliberate piece of a grand cosmic puzzle designed to ensure the survival and ascension of the favored child.

‘Was it simply luck given by the cosmos? Was it a combination of Bai Yun’s own skill, hard work, genius and more? Was it a combination of all of those things together and more? Everything pointed him towards a direction but he still had to make the right choices and moves to continue. It helped him along the way but it also didn’t make him invincible.’ Li Yu’s mind was beginning to spin.

Li Yu felt a deep vibration echo through his own inner world. His second consciousness observed the execution of destiny and underwent a form of enlightenment on the intricate rhythm of the universe. The heavy bottleneck restricting his progress shattered like fragile glass and disappeared as if it was never there. He took a firm step past the five thousandth mark and deepened his understanding of the esoteric Laws of Fate and Destiny.

As he broke through the five thousandth’s mark he felt his souls resonating that bit more in unison. Li Yu smiled softly and allowed the warm feeling of enlightenment to wash over his second mind, allowing it all the time it needed to continue as far as it could on that river. He had gained an unexpected prize from his mere curiosity about his missed opportunity to attend an academy.

‘Could this also be the pull of fate? Was it his fate that brought me to him or was it my fate that brought me to him so I could grow?’ Li Yu pondered to himself but then he realized that it didn’t matter. Those fates were one and the same and that there were countless strings of fate tugging and pulling everyone in every single direction.

A deafening tearing sound suddenly echoed through the night sky above the Verdant Sky Academy. The massive isolation barrier surrounding the Star Blossom Pavilion shattered into thousands of glowing fragments as an overwhelming external force crushed the array from the outside.

A grand jade ship descended from the dark clouds and hovered directly over the glowing white trees. The vessel radiated a pristine and holy light that banished the lingering fog and illuminated the blood stained courtyard. A senior elder wearing flowing starry robes stepped out onto the deck of the ship and looked down at the chaotic scene.

The elder possessed a cultivation base at the Origin Awakening realm and his mere presence forced everyone in the pavilion to hold their breath.

"I sensed a fierce battle occurring on the edge of the campus," the sect envoy declared with a voice that echoed like rolling thunder. "Who dares to attack the newly recruited disciples of my sect?"

The elder scanned the courtyard and his eyes fell upon Bai Yun standing victorious over the bodies of the two local leaders. The ancient soul pressure had already faded back into the silver bracelet, leaving the young noble breathing heavily and barely able to stand. His body was completely ruined but he had won. The envoy noted the fierce determination in the eyes of the boy and nodded with deep approval.

"You possess the correct kind of heart and the strength to protect your own destiny," the elder praised while gesturing toward the ship. "You have passed the final trial of this mundane academy. Bring your chosen companion and board the vessel, stronger realms await your arrival."

The elder scanned through the crowd and his eyes landed on Li Yu and then more importantly on the emblem on his robe. He was stunned to see a member of the Zhan Clan here but Li Yu wasn’t an enemy so it didn’t truly matter.

Bai Yun wiped the blood from his cheek and turned to look at Su Yin. The beautiful girl rushed forward and threw her arms around his neck while crying tears of relief. She quickly helped him stand up straight as they held each other tightly before walking together toward the glowing ramp descending from the flying ship.

Before stepping onto the deck, Bai Yun stopped and turned back to face the escort team. He offered a deep and respectful bow to Rogan, Lin Xiao, Vane and the trembling butler. He then turned his gaze toward Li Yu standing next to Vane. He did not say a word to Li Yu but his eyes conveyed a deep sense of gratitude. Up until now, he still did not understand what Li Yu was doing here and his spiritual soul couldn’t figure it out either.

Bai Yun tossed a spatial pouch toward the veteran butler containing the second half of the payment required to fulfill the mercenary contract. He turned around and walked up the ramp with Su Yin holding his hand tightly. The two of them had survived the storm that threatened to wash them away and their new future awaited. The ship hummed with immense power before shooting upward into the starry sky and vanishing from the Verdant Sky Realm.

The remaining hostile disciples scrambled into the forest and fled into the night while leaving their dead leaders behind. Li Yu and the other guards allowed them to leave as it was no longer their duty to kill them all. They had finished their task and done so flawlessly.

The butler let out a long sigh and tossed the bags of spirit stones to the hired guards. Rogan caught his payment and grinned widely while Lin Xiao secured her pouch with a nod. Vane offered a polite bow to his colleagues as they prepared to part ways and return to their respective lives, perhaps never seeing one another again. The Myriad Realms were massive and it would be stranger for them to meet again than not.

Li Yu caught his share of the payment and stored the spirit stones in his ring. He walked out of the Star Blossom Pavilion and breathed in the fresh autumn air. He had witnessed the path of a favored child and secured a crucial breakthrough in his own understanding of the cosmos. Li Yu felt energized and ready to return to the Five Star Lakes to continue on his own path, hoping that he too was favored.