Li Yu's first week as a personal disciple was a whirlwind of quiet, diligent study. He did not leave his new residence on Azure Cloud Peak. Instead, he immersed himself in the two techniques his master had bestowed upon him. The «Spirit-Link Contract» was a profound and intricate art, detailing the delicate process of weaving one's spiritual energy with a beast's soul, forming a bond of mutual trust and shared power. It was a far cry from the simple, instinctual connection he currently possessed.
The «Azure Water Scripture» was his shield, his alibi. He studied its first level meticulously, memorizing the Qi circulation pathways and the esoteric principles. It was a genuinely powerful technique, and he could feel that practicing it would indeed build a solid foundation. However, compared to the domineering, all-consuming nature of his «Myriad Rivers Returning to the Sea Art», it was like a gentle stream next to a boundless ocean. He practiced the scripture during the day, allowing a minuscule, detectable amount of Qi to circulate within his body. To any observer, he would appear as a complete novice, painstakingly taking his first steps on the path of cultivation.
His nights were a different story. The spiritual energy on Azure Cloud Peak was rich, but it was untethered, ambient. Without a sea of aquatic life to draw from, his true cultivation stalled. He felt like a great whale stranded in a shallow pond. The twenty spirit stones and the Qi Gathering Pill he received were precious, but he knew they were finite resources. His true path to power lay in the place his master had promised him.
After a week, Sister Feng arrived at his courtyard. "Master has finalized your appointment," she said, her tone unchanged. "The Azure Serpent Lake is ready for you. Gather your things. I will escort you."
The journey took them not down the mountain, but deeper into the sect's core. They passed through a heavily guarded valley, where the air shimmered with the power of restrictive formations. This was the inner sect, a place where only those of significant status were permitted. The disciples here were fewer, but each one radiated a powerful aura. Most were in the Qi Condensation Realm, a level of existence where they no longer just tempered their bodies but commanded the spiritual energy of the heavens and the earth.
Finally, they arrived at a vast, mist-shrouded lake nestled in a secluded, verdant basin. The Azure Serpent Lake. It was ten times the size of all the outer sect's Aquatic Pens combined. A single, large pagoda-style building stood on the shore, serving as the steward's office and residence. The air was thick with a damp, ancient scent, and the spiritual energy radiating from the water was so potent it felt like a physical pressure. Li Yu could feel dozens of powerful, dormant consciousnesses in the deep, dark water—creatures whose auras made the Iron-Skinned Piranhas seem like harmless minnows.
Two inner disciples stood guard at the entrance to the main pagoda. They were both at the peak of the Body Tempering Realm, their expressions stern and their bodies honed like fine weapons. When they saw Sister Feng, they bowed respectfully. When they saw Li Yu, a flicker of confusion and disdain crossed their faces.
"This is Junior Brother Li Yu," Sister Feng announced. "By order of Elder Ning, he is the new Junior Steward of the Azure Serpent Lake. He will have full authority over the care and management of the beasts herein. You will afford him the respect due to his station."
The two disciples exchanged a look of disbelief, but they dared not question an order that came directly from an elder. They gave Li Yu a stiff, perfunctory bow. "Greetings, Junior Steward Li."
Inside the pagoda, they met the Senior Steward, a grizzled, middle-aged man named Brother Kai. He was a cultivator at the Second Stage of the Qi Condensation Realm, and his aura was as deep and steady as a mountain. He had a weary, cynical look in his eyes, the look of a man who had seen too many arrogant young geniuses in his time.
"So, you're the prodigy," Brother Kai said, his voice a low rumble. He looked Li Yu up and down, making no effort to hide his skepticism. "The boy who tamed a drake with a pet fish. I've heard the stories."
"This disciple greets Senior Steward Kai," Li Yu said, bowing respectfully. He knew this man's attitude would set the tone for his entire life here.
"Master's orders are clear," Sister Feng interjected coolly. "Junior Brother Li is to be given full authority. Your role is to assist him and ensure the smooth operation of the facility."
Brother Kai let out a short, humorless laugh. "Of course. The elder's will is absolute." He turned his cynical gaze back to Li Yu. "Welcome to the Azure Serpent Lake, Junior Steward. Your first task is to solve the problem of the Black-Vein River Wyrm. It has refused to eat for a month. All of our beast tamers have tried and failed. Since you're the miracle worker, I'm sure you'll have it eating by nightfall."
It was a clear, undisguised challenge, a test designed to make him fail and lose face on his very first day.
Sister Feng frowned, but this was a matter of the Lake's internal management. She could not interfere. "I have delivered him. My task is complete," she said, before turning and leaving Li Yu alone with his new, hostile subordinate.
"The wyrm is in the deep-water enclosure at the northern end of the lake," Brother Kai said with a dismissive wave. "Try not to get eaten. It's a Rank 4 Fierce Beast."
Li Yu's heart pounded. A Rank 4 beast! Its power was equivalent to the Qi Condensation Realm, a match for Brother Kai himself. This was the deep end, and he had been thrown into it without a moment's hesitation.
"Thank you for the guidance, Senior Steward," Li Yu said, his voice calm. He turned and walked towards the northern shore, his mind a whirlwind of calculation.
The Black-Vein River Wyrm's enclosure was a massive, deep section of the lake, separated by a powerful underwater formation barrier. Li Yu stood on the stone platform overlooking the enclosure, his silver status token granting him access. He peered into the dark, murky water. He couldn't see the beast, but he could feel it. It was a vast, ancient, and deeply angry consciousness, a dormant volcano of fury.
He didn't need to get close. His absorption range was now sixty feet, and the wyrm was resting at the bottom, well within his reach. He sat down, crossed his legs, and closed his eyes. He extended his spiritual sense, not to tame, but to listen.
The wyrm's anger was a roaring inferno, but Li Yu had spent his life sifting through the emotions of beasts. He looked past the anger and found the source: pain. A sharp, persistent, grinding pain located in its lower jaw. He focused his senses, creating a detailed mental image. He could "see" one of its massive, saber-like teeth. It was cracked, and a shard of what felt like an iron-rich meteorite—likely from a previous battle—was lodged deep within the root. The wound was infected, causing the beast immense, constant agony. It wasn't refusing to eat out of pride; it was refusing to eat because the act of chewing would be excruciating.
The solution was simple, but the execution was incredibly dangerous. The shard had to be removed.
He walked back to the main pagoda, his expression placid. Brother Kai looked up from a scroll, a smirk on his face. "Given up so soon, Junior Steward? I'm not surprised."
"Senior Steward," Li Yu said calmly. "The wyrm is not sick. It has an infected tooth. A piece of an iron meteorite is lodged in its lower right jaw. That is the source of its pain and its refusal to eat."
Brother Kai's smirk vanished, replaced by a look of stunned disbelief. "What? How could you possibly know that? Our best diagnosticians found nothing!"
"My affinity allows me to feel their discomfort," Li Yu lied smoothly. "I require a set of refined steel tongs, at least ten feet long. I also need a basin of high-grade anesthetic powder, the kind used for surgical procedures on demonic beasts. And finally, I need you to prepare the wyrm's favorite food—a live, Rank 3 Armored-Shell Turtle."
The Senior Steward stared at him, his mind reeling. The boy's diagnosis was impossibly specific. If he was right, it was a display of diagnostic ability that was unheard of. If he was wrong, he was about to get himself killed. The risk was all on the boy. The potential reward, however, belonged to the entire facility.
"...Fine," Brother Kai grunted, a new, calculating light in his eyes. "I will grant your request."
An hour later, Li Yu stood on the platform again. The long steel tongs felt heavy in his hands. A large basin of anesthetic powder was placed nearby. Brother Kai and the two inner disciple guards watched from a safe distance, their faces a mixture of morbid curiosity and skepticism.
Li Yu took a deep breath. He focused his will on the wyrm, sending a simple, clear message through his spiritual sense. I know your pain. I can help you. But you must be calm. You must trust me.
He then took the live Armored-Shell Turtle and, using all his strength, tossed it into the enclosure. The turtle was a delicacy the wyrm hadn't tasted in months. Its powerful, alluring scent filled the water.
The wyrm's massive head, larger than a carriage, broke the surface of the water. Its eyes, like molten gold, fixed on the turtle. But it hesitated, the desire for food warring with the fear of pain.
This was the moment. Li Yu took a large scoop of the anesthetic powder and tossed it into the water directly in front of the wyrm's snout. The potent sedative was instantly absorbed through its gills. The wyrm's movements became sluggish, its eyelids drooping.
Now, Li Yu sent another command, this time imbued with the full, authoritative pressure of his Koi spirit's bloodline. Open your mouth.
The command resonated with the wyrm's own ancient, aquatic ancestry. Dazed by the sedative and awed by the higher-order bloodline, the great beast obeyed. Its massive jaws, lined with hundreds of dagger-like teeth, slowly opened.
Li Yu didn't hesitate. He leaned over the platform, plunging the long steel tongs into the wyrm's mouth. His spiritual sense guided him with perfect precision, past rows of deadly teeth, to the one that was cracked and infected. He located the shard of metal and, with a firm grip, clamped the tongs around it.
He pulled. The shard was lodged deep. He channeled the full power of his «Abyssal Leviathan Physique» into his arms, his muscles bulging under his robes. With a sickening crunch, the shard came free, trailing a cloud of black, venomous pus.
Li Yu yanked the tongs back just as the wyrm, roaring in a mixture of pain and relief, snapped its jaws shut with a sound like a thunderclap. The anesthetic was already wearing off. The great beast, now free from the source of its agony, immediately devoured the waiting turtle in a single, satisfying gulp.
Li Yu stood on the platform, panting slightly, his heart hammering. He had done it.
He turned to face the three onlookers. Their faces were frozen in masks of pure, unadulterated shock. They had just witnessed an eleven-year-old boy perform dental surgery on a Rank 4 Fierce Beast as if he were pulling a splinter from a child's finger.
Brother Kai walked forward, his cynicism completely gone, replaced by a deep, profound respect. He looked at the calm, powerful boy before him and bowed deeply at the waist. "This subordinate was blind. I greet the Junior Steward. Your methods are truly divine."
Li Yu nodded, accepting his submission. He had not only solved an problem but had also cemented his authority beyond all question.
That night, in the quiet of his new residence overlooking the lake, he did not study. He sat in his cultivation chamber and reached out with his senses. He could feel the immense, pure Qi of the now-contented Black-Vein River Wyrm. He activated the «Myriad Rivers Returning to the Sea Art» and began to draw upon its power.
A stream of Qi, so pure and potent it was almost liquid, flowed into him. It was on a completely different level from the Rank 2 piranhas. It was like comparing a river to the ocean itself. The energy flooded his meridians, nourishing his body and soul.
He looked out at the moonlit surface of the Azure Serpent Lake, his new domain, his new cultivation paradise. He had faced the challenges, he had proven his worth, and he had secured his foundation. The path to power was now wide open.