Chương 342: The Call and the Condition

The weight of Khaos's agreement settled in the room, a promise of immense power delivered with the casual air of a man deciding on his evening meal. Lysander's relief was palpable, a visible easing of the tension in his shoulders. For him, the matter was settled. For Li Yu, a vortex of doubt and responsibility had just begun to churn. He looked at Lysander, then at Khaos, a deep-seated hesitation taking root. To leave this continent now, to rush headlong into a warzone on another felt reckless.

It was a world he did not know, a war that was not his at least not yet. He could now understand why some of the Sect Leaders made the decision they did. Once the choice was presented in front of him, he too wanted to just protect his own self interests. His nature was to hide but Khaos was throwing him into the storm and he must have his reasons for doing so.

"Master," Li Yu said, keeping up the appearance that they were master and disciple.

"Perhaps this is not our fight. My place is here and everything I know." Khaos turned his head slowly, a single eyebrow raised in amusement, as if he had been waiting for this predictable objection.

"Little one, you hide and call it safety. But a storm is coming and the flimsy formations you've built will be washed away like sand if the foundation beneath them is weak." He took a step closer, his presence seeming to suck the very air from the room, his gaze boring into Li Yu.

"And what is that foundation? As I have always said, it is you. Your strength. The chaos on that continent is a symptom of a greater illness as you should know, one that will eventually spread here. Would you rather face it now, on your own terms, learning its nature and growing stronger from the conflict?" Then he said the words that really resonated with Li Yu.

"Or would you prefer to wait until it arrives on your doorstep, ignorant, unprepared and unable to protect those you claim to care about? Would it not be better to go fight them away from those that you care about?" Khaos's words were like sharp daggers, piercing through Li Yu's sense of caution and responsibility. He was right. Hiding was not a strategy that could be used all the time; it was merely a delay of the inevitable.

A disciple who cowered on his home peak while the world burned could not protect anyone, not in the long run. Li Yu was also shocked that these words came from Khaos, the one that seemed to never care about what was happening around him. Khaos was in fact paying close attention to what Li Yu was doing and those around him.

"Think of the opportunities," Kui then stepped in now.

"A continent at war is a continent in flux. Old treasures are unearthed, ancient inheritances are revealed. You could fill our coffers for even greater expansion. Think of the wealth, think of the treasures Wise Host!" Khaos stepped back in, talking more than he usually did. It seemed something in him changed after witnessing Li Yu cry his heart out that day, he was slightly more talkative but there was something else there as well.

"Techniques are forged in the crucible of desperation. For weak cultivators like yourself, a battlefield of this scale is the ultimate training ground. Do you wish to be the sturdy roof of a small hut or the unshakable pillar that can calm the abyss?" The temptation was a powerful lure. The promise of experience, of finding rare treasures, of truly testing his limits in a way this relatively peaceful continent never could… it was an irresistible call that countered his nature.

The conflict in his mind was fierce but the logic was undeniable. Li Yu's expression hardened with resolve. He looked at Lysander, his decision made but not without a crucial caveat.

"I will go," he said, his voice ringing with newfound certainty.

"I will go, and I will bring my companions. But I have one non-negotiable condition." Lysander, who had been listening intently straightened up.

"Name it." He knew that Li Yu didn't want to go, this Grand Elder would most likely not go as well, he could just feel it.

"My sect. The Green Mountain Sect," Li Yu stated, his tone leaving no room for argument.

"It is my home. While I am away fighting your war, I need an absolute guarantee of its safety. I need the Gate Keepers themselves to formally extend their protection over the entire Green Mountain Sect. I want your word, Lysander, that you will convince them to ensure it remains untouched while I am gone." It was an audacious request, asking the mysterious and powerful Gate Keepers to act as personal guardians for a single remote sect. Lysander didn't even hesitate. He broke into a relieved, genuine smile.

"The Green Mountain Sect. Of course. The assistance of your Master, yourself and your companions is of incalculable value to the Keepers' greater mission. Protecting your sect in your absence is a small price to pay. I will speak to them personally. You have my word. The Green Mountain Sect will be shielded." Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. With the final piece in place, the plan rapidly took shape. Li Yu immediately began making his own arrangements.

Officially, he told Lysander, he would be bringing his Master, Khaos, and the Golden Shell Guild's Second Grand Elder, Jian. The rest of his team, he implied, would remain behind. It was a half-truth. He had no intention of asking the Forest of the Radiant Dawn to expend the enormous resources required to transport his entire team. But he also had no intention of leaving everyone behind. He would leave most of them here to protect the guild and his interests but he wanted additional help.

His message to Jian was simple: "There is a war on another continent. We are going. Are you in?" The reply came back almost instantly, a single, crackling word imbued with manic glee: " WHEN?!" He was told to take Kael who was with him along. Kael could be brought along in his Koi Sanctuary. Then, he sent out more discreet messages. To Fengliu: "We are heading to the Southern Jade Continent. A place embroiled in chaos where old secrets may be uncovered.

There might be clues about your sister in the groups that are causing trouble. I will bring you with me secretly." Fengliu's response was just as swift, a single, cold word that carried the weight of his entire quest: "Coming." He explained to Fat Pig, Cyra, Kui and the others that their role was just as critical: to manage the Guild's operations, to keep an eye on the Green Mountain Sect and to continue operations over here. They understood, their faces a mixture of disappointment and acceptance.

Li Yu informed Lysander that the Second Grand Elder Jian was en route. Lysander couldn't have been happier. The inclusion of another monstrously powerful cultivator was an unexpected boon. It took less than a day for Jian to arrive, thundering out of the northern sky, his aura bristling with anticipation. While the Forest of the Radiant Dawn made their final preparations, Li Yu slipped away. He flew to the rendezvous point, where Fengliu and Kael were waiting like shadows in the forest.

Without a word, he opened a shimmering portal to the Koi Sanctuary and the two of them stepped through, vanishing from this world. By the time he returned, the disciples of the Forest of the Radiant Dawn were gathered, their expressions somber, their gear packed. The time for departure was at hand. Lysander led the group to an array in a hidden area of the sect. They took the array to get to the location of the Gate Keepers on this continent.

Li Yu had asked Lysander if it was okay that he was going to the Keepers base without the seal and he said the urgency of their mission had swept away the need for such secrecy. They would keep him from any secret information. They stepped into the Gate Keepers' base. It was a place of serene ancient power, carved into the heart of a hollowed-out mountain. It felt more like a tranquil monastery than a hidden fortress.

A colossal, thousand-year-old tree grew in the center of the main cavern, its luminescent leaves providing a soft, gentle light. The air smelled of old stone, damp earth, and ozone. The walls were covered in intricate, dormant formations that seemed to breathe with a slow, rhythmic energy. Robed figures moved with a silent, measured grace, their faces calm, their eyes holding a depth that spoke of immense knowledge. They tended to glowing maps and observed pools of scrying water that showed distant, hazy images.

It was a place of quiet vigilance, a sanctuary of waiting. Several Keepers Li Yu had never seen before greeted their group. There were no grand welcomes. The mood was somber, professional and incredibly urgent. Even so, many took several looks at Khaos, the aura he radiated was just profound. A tall, ageless woman with silver hair simply nodded at Lysander.

"The Array is prepared." She led them through the serene cavern to the base's core. Here, in a perfectly circular chamber, was the teleportation array. It was unlike any formation Li Yu had ever seen. It wasn't just inscribed on the floor but was a three-dimensional construct. A massive ring of polished obsidian floated a meter above the floor, with smaller, interlocking rings spinning slowly within it. The air inside the rings hummed, crackling with a power that made the hairs on Li Yu's arms stand up.

A large amount of array disks floated around, each moving in its own direction and path around the entire room. He couldn't begin to make heads or tails of it.

"All of you, step inside the ring," the Keeper instructed.

"The transit will be instantaneous but disorienting. Brace yourselves." Li Yu, Khaos, Jian and the entire contingent from the Forest of the Radiant Dawn stepped onto the platform. The Keeper made a series of complex hand seals, the obsidian rings spun into a solid band of black and a column of white light erupted from the floor, engulfing them all. For a single, blinding moment, there was nothing. Then, reality slammed back into them. They were standing on a different platform, in a different chamber.

The serene atmosphere was gone, replaced by a stark oppressive tension. This Gate Keeper base was a fortress. The walls were of a black, metallic alloy, scored and dented in places. The air was cold and smelled of burnt energy. Glowing red runes pulsed along the walls, part of an active, powerful defensive array. Keepers rushed past them, not in calm robes but in functional, armored combat gear, their faces grim and streaked with grime. They were ready for war at any time.

A Keeper met them as they stepped off the platform.

"They're waiting for you," he said, his voice rough.

"The ship is prepped. The city is under constant siege, we need to move." He led them out of the subterranean base and onto a windswept landing platform carved into the side of a black, volcanic mountain. Moored to the platform was a massive airship, its metallic hull glowing with the light of a dozen overlapping defensive shields. It was built not for comfort, but for war. The group quickly boarded.

As the ramp sealed behind them, the airship hummed to life, detaching from the mountain and ascending rapidly into a sky filled with dark clouds and the distant, ominous flashes of battle. They were heading straight for the heart of the storm.