Myriad Rivers to the Sea

Chapter 898: Tracking and the Diplomatic Detour

The serene atmosphere of the private dining pavilion was shattered by Zhan's booming laughter. The Heaven Severing Ancestor leaned back in his chair and thoroughly enjoyed the joke the universe had played on them. Li Canghai and Zhan Tielan remained frozen in their seats while their minds struggled to comprehend how their most heavily guarded secret had been exposed so casually. They were also confused by Zhan’s reaction to the news

"Master Zhan." Canghai asked again while his voice carried a tight edge of protective anxiety. "How did you find out about him?"

Zhan waved his hand dismissively and allowed his laughter to subside into a wide grin. "It was a lucky guess. I have lived for a very long time Canghai, so my intuition is exceptionally sharp."

Canghai did not buy the excuse for a single second. His dark eyes narrowed slightly. "A lucky guess? Out of all the names in the cosmos you just happened to randomly guess the exact name of my hidden son? That is statistically impossible."

Zhan ignored the skepticism and leaned forward while resting his arms on the table. "I want to go see him. Take me to Li Yu."

Canghai shook his head firmly and his parental instincts flared up to override his usual deference to his master. "I cannot do that, Master Zhan. I do not even know exactly where he went after our last brief encounter. Tielan and I deliberately distanced ourselves so he could forge his own path."

Tielan placed a gentle hand on her husband's arm and nodded in agreement. She looked at Zhan and Talia with a fierce maternal resolve.

Zhan listened and his metallic eyes softened slightly. He looked at the two seasoned warlords who commanded millions of troops and saw nothing but a pair of parents trying to shield their child from the brutality of the cultivation world. He leaned back in his chair and nodded his head in understanding.

'Of course.' Zhan thought to himself as the final pieces of his mental puzzle locked perfectly into place. 'That explains everything. That is why Li Yu did not know a single thing about Gilded Calamity or the Li Family when we traveled together in the Ferine Realm. He was completely blind to his own supreme legacy because his parents went out of their way to hide it from him.'

Zhan looked at his disciple and a knowing smirk crossed his face. He reached out and smacked Canghai on the back of the head a second time. It was a light and comical blow but it made the feared general flinch in surprise.

"You cannot fool me you little brat." Zhan scolded him in amusement. "You might play the role of the distant and hands off father but you are still a highly paranoid commander. You gave away one of the ten great swords of our clan to your son. There is absolutely no way you let that supreme artifact walk away without putting a tracking formation on it."

Canghai rubbed the back of his head and offered a sheepish grimace. Tielan sighed heavily and looked away toward the spiritual lake because she knew her husband was thoroughly caught in his own lie.

"I admit it." Canghai confessed while lowering his voice to a quiet murmur. "I placed a highly complex and nearly undetectable tracking array deep within the scabbard. I wanted to ensure I could find him if a true disaster ever struck and he needed immediate extraction. But why are you so insistent on finding him right now?"

Zhan smoothly pivoted his argument and kept his true motives hidden. He was not going to reveal their history or explain that their son was actually his ancient master.

"I want to see Gilded Calamity again." Zhan lied with absolute conviction. "I told you earlier that I have a new theory regarding the second step of the slaughter techniques I taught you. I need that specific sword to test. I do not care about disrupting your parenting plans but I need that weapon for my martial arts and I need it right now."

Canghai looked highly reluctant. He did not want to intrude on his son's life so soon after their farewell at Hope Fortress. However Zhan was his primary master and the Heaven Severing Ancestor. Refusing a direct request regarding martial advancement was a massive breach of respect within the cultivation world.

"Very well." Canghai agreed with a heavy and resigned sigh. "I will take you to the sword."

They departed from the serene estate a few hours later after making the necessary logistical arrangements for their respective armies. The ambient Qi around their heads warped and shifted until their facial features became entirely blurred and indistinct.

"We cannot risk him recognizing us and unraveling the secret we have worked so hard to maintain." Tielan explained to Talia as she carefully adjusted the light barrier to ensure her voice remained muffled.

Talia nodded in understanding and admired their dedication. The four titans stepped into the void and left the military compound behind.

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They traveled across the stellar distances with terrifying speed. Zhan used his sword intent to slice through the chaotic spatial currents while Canghai navigated using the faint pulse of the tracking array embedded in Gilded Calamity. The journey took them far away from the blood soaked battlefields of the cosmic borders and deep into the more stable and populated sectors of the universe.

They eventually emerged from the void and crossed the realm barrier into the Omen Realm. The darkness of the cosmic void was immediately stripped away and replaced by a perpetual twilight. It was a vast expanse of swirling greys and deep purples illuminated by shadowless ethereal auroras.

Jagged mountains carved from translucent dark stone pierced the misty valleys below them. Massive sluggish rivers of glowing pale blue fluid carved their way across the continents instead of standard oceans.

"We need to head to the main base of this realm." Canghai instructed as he looked down at the sprawling gothic architecture. "With beings of our caliber crossing their borders we must let the local leadership know we are here to avoid a diplomatic incident."

Zhan grunted in mild annoyance but he did not argue. He understood the political realities even if he despised them.

They descended through the clouds and flew toward the capital city of the Omen Realm. Countless defensive arrays hummed in the air to protect the entrance to the deep core.

The sudden arrival of four powerhouses triggered the massive defensive wards across the entire fortress. Elite Eidolon soldiers stationed along the walls and within the floating garrisons scrambled into formation as the city went into a state of severe panic.

They bypassed the outer defensive rings as the terrified arrays failed to lock onto their overwhelming cultivation bases. They descended into the very heart of the central keep and landed smoothly on a vast platform of polished black stone. This docking area sat just outside the labyrinth of inverted gravity shafts and illusions that protected the deeper core.

A few moments later, the two highest ranking leaders of the Omen Realm hurried out onto the black stone platform. Haelan and Jhyra arrived with pale faces and rigid posture. Haelan looked like a fragile old man carrying the weight of the universe on his shoulders while Jhyra kept her amethyst eyes lowered.

The two leaders were sweating profusely and a cold dread settled in their stomachs. The Eidolon Court had just survived a massive internal crisis involving the poisoning of their Ancestor Elysia and the devastating sacrifice of a vassal realm to appease The Veil.

They had barely managed to secure their survival by binding their hopes to a young human named Li Yu and granting him the title of Grand Envoy. Haelan and Jhyra immediately assumed the news of their severe vulnerability had leaked and that these titans were here to capitalize on the chaos.

"Honored guests." Haelan stammered. "We did not anticipate your arrival. How may the Omen Realm serve you today?"

Canghai stepped forward and his blurred face projected an aura of calm and measured authority. He executed the role of a diplomatic warlord and pulled his suffocating pressure back into his core to ease their terror.

"Be at ease." Canghai requested. "We are not here for conflict or political maneuvering. We are simply passing through your realm to visit someone who resides here. Given our cultivation levels, we felt it was only proper to stop and pay our respects to the ruling leadership before we continued our journey. We have no intention of causing any disturbances."

Haelan and Jhyra stared at Canghai in utter disbelief. They had fully expected a list of aggressive territorial demands or an outright declaration of war given their current weakened state. Hearing that these terrifying entities had stopped purely out of courtesy sent a wave of dizzying relief crashing through their bodies.

"We are deeply honored by your consideration." Jhyra said while wiping a bead of sweat from her brow. "It is more than nice of you to even ask. You are free to travel anywhere within the Omen Realm. Please let us know if you require any logistical support for your visit."

"Your hospitality is appreciated but entirely unnecessary." Canghai politely declined as he offered a small bow. "We will be on our way now."

The four of them turned away from the labyrinth entrance and prepared to launch back into the sky. Zhan shook his head and let out a soft snort of amusement as they left the polished black platform.

"You worry about the small things far too much, Canghai." Zhan criticized his disciple as his metallic eyes scanned the terrified soldiers still holding their positions around the perimeter walls. "We could have easily masked our auras and slipped past their detection without triggering a single alarm. Wasting time exchanging pleasantries with weaklings is highly inefficient."

Canghai looked at his master and countered the critique without a shred of hesitation.

"And you do not worry enough, Master Zhan." Canghai replied firmly. "Ignoring protocol and sneaking across sovereign borders is exactly how massive wars start over simple misunderstandings. That is exactly why the clan elders never send you on any political missions."

Zhan laughed out loud at the blunt and undeniable truth. His entire existence was dedicated to severing obstacles with his blade so diplomacy was entirely foreign to his aggressive nature. He much preferred to let his sword do the talking whenever a disagreement arose.

"Fair point little brat." Zhan conceded while brushing the comment off with a wave of his hand.

He summoned his sword intent to tear a precise path through the sky and launched himself upward. Talia followed closely behind him while Canghai and Tielan took up the rear. They shot across the twilight horizon like four brilliant meteors and followed the subtle tracking pulse of Gilded Calamity.

The sluggish pale blue soul rivers and jagged translucent mountains of the Omen Realm blurred past them as they traveled across. The tracking array grew stronger and more distinct with every passing second.

They eventually slowed their descent and hovered high above a sprawling and opulent metropolis. The thick artificial mist rolled through the crowded streets below them and masked the relentless cycle of gambling taking place within the walls.

Zhan crossed his arms and looked down at the vibrant cityscape. They had finally arrived before Gilded Fate City and the reunion was only moments away.