Chương 372: Whispers from Another Realm

The immediate crisis had been averted, replaced by a tense continent-wide state of containment. Li Yu and Jian Xuan stood near the largest containment zone closest to Aethelgard, observing the hastily constructed perimeter. To simplify guarding efforts, the allied leadership had decided to consolidate the demons emerging from several nearby rifts into this single, large enclosure. Inside, thousands of displaced demons milled about with a mixture of fear, confusion and simmering resentment.

A Soul Formation Grand Elder from the Skyfire Academy oversaw this particular zone, maintaining order with a heavy aura.

"So," Jian Xuan mused, "demons just... fall out of the sky now? First the Ruins, now this. Is the continent trying to become more interesting? Seems like ever since we came to this continent one thing is happening right after the other."

"Things do continue to get complicated as we stay here," Li Yu stated, his gaze fixed on the swirling unstable energy of the nearest rift just outside the containment zone.

"I wonder what could have caused this."

"Could it be the Cultists?" Jian Xuan wondered aloud.

"Some grand ritual gone wrong? Or maybe gone right? They were clearly up to something as we arrived here and they have been very quiet since the Ruins." Li Yu considered it.

"Possible, but unlikely timing. They've been utterly silent since the Ruins like you said. Triggering this," he gestured to the contained demons, "doesn't seem to serve any immediate strategic purpose for them. It introduces chaos, yes, but chaos that affects them as much as us. For them to summon these demons randomly and then not act on it seems odd." Ruling out the Cultists entirely was premature but the evidence pointed towards something else.

Perhaps a natural phenomenon possibly linked to the Ruins' recent activity. Li Yu's focus, however, kept returning to one particular detail that he couldn't shake off.

"They speak the same language as us, don't you find that strange?" Jian Xuan blinked.

"Now that you mention it... yes! The Primal Beasts, too! How?"

"That is what I intend to find out." Li Yu replied to him. The mystery of a shared language across potentially different realms hinted at a deeper connection, a shared history perhaps, far more intriguing than the immediate political or military situation. He needed information.

"You're going in there?" Jian Xuan asked, pointing towards the containment zone bustling with demons.

"I am simply going there for a friendly conversation," Li Yu corrected.

"We need to understand who they are and where they come from. Especially if more are likely to arrive." Jian Xuan's initial caution was immediately replaced by enthusiasm.

"Excellent! Reconnaissance! We can spread the tales of the Crab God to them as well!" Li Yu ignored the last part. He glanced at Khaos to see what his thoughts were. Khaos simply gave a nod before his form dissolved, returning to the Koi Sanctuary. Such mundane matters clearly held no interest for him. Li Yu and Jian Xuan flew down towards the main gate of the containment zone. The Skyfire Academy Grand Elder was overseeing the perimeter. A stern-faced man named Grand Elder Corvus.

He immediately intercepted them as they approached, his aura flaring defensively.

"Commanders? This area is restricted unless given permission. What is your purpose?"

"Grand Elder Corvus," Li Yu said, offering a respectful little bow.

"We wish to speak with the demons within this enclosure. I have some questions for them. We also wish to understand their origins and their realm. Information could be crucial for the future." Grand Elder Corvus frowned, stroking his beard in deep thought. Letting cultivators interact directly with the contained demons was risky. But these were not just any cultivators. He recognized the white robes, the notorious commanders of the Abyssal Crab Cult.

He has been kept informed of everything that they had done and more importantly the rampant rumors behind them. Their power was undeniable and he was told to treat them as though they were meeting with Theron himself. This was the respect afforded the strong, mainly through the power Khaos has shown.

"Very well," the Grand Elder conceded after a moment.

"But be cautious. Do not cause trouble. Everyone is on edge. If anything happens in there, the blame will fall on you two."

"Understood," Jian Xuan replied but then quickly added.

"You worry too much, what could go wrong when we have the Crab God's guidance!" Grand Elder Corvus ignored his last comment and signaled to his guards. A small opening shimmered into existence in the array surrounding the camp. Li Yu and Jian Xuan stepped through before it closed behind them. The moment they entered the atmosphere seemed to change. The ambient spiritual Qi felt thinner here, replaced by a faint lingering trace of the chaotic demonic energy they'd felt in the Ruins.

Hundreds of demonic eyes fixed on them as they entered. The low-level demons scurried back, fear and hostility mixing in their gazes. Several Core Formation demons stepped forward, forming a wall of flesh around a larger structure made of black rock. It was clear that that was their temporary command post and was hastily constructed. The four-armed Core Formation demon, Gor'ath, emerged first with an expression of wariness.

"Humans. Why do you return?"

"We wish to speak with your leader," Li Yu stated calmly and respectfully. Gor'ath hesitated for a bit but then seemed to receive a mental command. He stepped aside, gesturing towards the entrance.

"Lord Zaltar and the others will see you." This book's true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience. They entered the structure. It was quite dark inside, lit only by pulsing crystals emitting a dull red glow. Seated on a throne carved from basalt was a demon far more imposing than any they had encountered in the tournament, save perhaps Arch-Fiend Gorgoth himself.

He looked vaguely humanoid but was easily nine feet tall with skin like cracked clay, two massive horns curling back from his brow and four powerful arms. His eyes burned with a malevolent and ancient intelligence. This was Zaltar, the 4th-Level Soul Formation Demon Lord unexpectedly stranded here. Several other Core Formation demons stood guard around him. It would seem they knew each other and had all been pulled into the rifts back in their world.

Zaltar regarded them silently for a long moment, his Soul Formation aura pressing down subtly. Jian Xuan instinctively flared his own aura even more in response, a silent declaration of strength. He was not afraid of someone in the same realm as him. Even though he had never faced a demon before, he had never been beaten in the same realm before, at least before he met the little freak beside him.

"Humans," Zaltar finally spoke, his voice deep but perfectly intelligible.

"One Soul Formation and one strange… Core Formation. You approach the heart of our camp during a time like this. Very bold. Or foolish. State your purpose for coming here."

"We are curious about several things," Li Yu replied, meeting the Demon Lord's gaze without flinching.

"We wish to understand your realm, your people. From what I can see, we are not all that different. I wish to learn more and broaden my knowledge." Zaltar let out a short harsh laugh.

"Curiosity? An unusual motivation. Most humans we encounter offer only steel and scripture." He leaned forward slightly.

"And what do you offer in return for such knowledge?"

"Answers to your own questions about this realm," Li Yu offered.

"A potential channel for communication with the human leadership, should you seek more than simple confinement." Zaltar considered this offer. He was stranded here and vastly outnumbered. The forces of the demons were weak and disorganized. Open hostility was suicide at this point. Information and perhaps a line to the powers outside this cage might be valuable he thought.

"Very well. Ask."

"Your language," Li Yu began.

"It is the same as ours. How?" Zaltar looked genuinely baffled.

"Same? This is simply... the language. All civilized races speak it. The Ash-Dwellers, the Magma-kin, the Void Walkers... who taught you?"

"It is simply the language of our continent," Li Yu stated, realizing the mystery deepened. It wasn't just his continent; the language seemed universal across the realms he had encountered.

"Your realm," Jian Xuan interjected.

"What do you call it?" Zaltar leaned back, a flicker of something unreadable in his burning eyes.

"We call it Xul'Thar. The Ashen Depths. It is... a crucible. A land forged in primordial fire, cooled by eternal shadow. Plains of stone and magma stretch between mountains of iron that weep rivers of fire. The sky is a perpetual twilight, choked with ash." He gestured dismissively.

"Not like this... soft, green, overly bright place."

"Resources?" Li Yu asked.

"Scarce in some things and abundant in others. However, all is highly fought for," Zaltar stated.

"Life-giving energies are weak. Herbs in general are rare. Herbs and beasts that nourish the soul are rarer, guarded jealously by powerful clans in hidden oases. We rely on what Xul'Thar offers in abundance: ores and demon cores harvested from our fallen, soul crystals torn from the fabric of reality near the Void Storms and potent mineral essences bled from the heart of volcanoes. Our alchemy and forging reflect this. Strength is forged, not grown."

"Gor'ath mentioned Void Storms brought you here," Li Yu prompted. Zaltar's expression darkened.

"The Storms... they are the chaos that churns the void between realms. Usually, they are localized and predictable. They also don't generally move you from one place to another, simply destroy. But recently... something changed."

"A Great Storm erupted, larger and more violent than any recorded in millennia. It consumed my entire domain and countless others. We were torn from our reality, tossed through the screaming emptiness and spat out... here."

"So these rifts are the storm's exit points?" Jian Xuan mused.

"It would seem so," Zaltar admitted grimly.

"Unstable. Tested to be one-way as well. We are trapped."

"Your people," Jian Xuan asked, "Are you always at war? Or do you have... culture? Traditions?" Zaltar actually scoffed.

"Do you think we are mindless beasts? We have empires, foolish human. Laws. Traditions. Disputes between Lords are often settled by the Kak'tharr – ritual combat between champions – lest open war consumes precious resources. We have artisans who carve sculptures from solidified gems and stones. Poets who chronicle epics in burning runes. We even have... celebrations."

"Celebrations?" Jian Xuan asked, intrigued.

"The Night of Shattered Stars," Zaltar said, his voice softening almost imperceptibly.

"When the veil thins and the echoes of creation rain down celestial fragments upon the Ashen Plains. Clans gather. Truces are called. Power is shared... briefly." The conversation continued for nearly an hour. Li Yu learned more about the rigid hierarchy of the Demon Lords. The constant struggle for survival and the different breeds of demons shaped by their harsh environment.

They learned of their deep-seated respect for strength tempered by a pragmatic understanding of resource scarcity, leading to systems like the K'tharr. They seemed simultaneously alien and deeply familiar – driven by the same core desires for power, resources and survival like humans. The only real difference was they simply adapted to a darker, more violent world called Xul'Thar. Finally, Li Yu stood.

"Your insights have been valuable, Lord Zaltar."

"And yours regarding this realm have been... adequate, human. Now tell me. What is the intent of your leaders? Will they seek to exterminate us while we are weakened? Or will this... confinement... suffice?"

"My understanding," Li Yu said carefully, "is that refuge will be granted as long as your people remain within the designated zones and cause no trouble. Your arrival here has been a complete surprise for both parties involved. We, like you, do not wish to fight a war simply just because. If at all possible, that is the last thing we want." Zaltar grunted.

"A cage is still a cage. But preferable to annihilation. We will abide. For now." He leaned back on his throne.

"Leave us." Li Yu and Jian Xuan exited the structure and the containment zone. Grand Elder Corvus met them and asked several questions.

"The leader is Soul Formation, 4th-Level," Li Yu reported.

"Zaltar. Intelligent and pragmatic. They seem content to remain confined for now, believing themselves exiles from a Void Storm. Their realm is called Xul'Thar as you probably already know." He quickly told Grand Elder Corvus all that he learned, many of the things the Grand Elder already knew. From years of fighting against the demons and their followers in the southern continent. Li Yu and Jian went to a temporary tent to settle down and decide on what to do next.

Their plans of traveling this continent to explore would have to be put on hold. Things are just too strange right now to do so. This allowed for some time for Li Yu to think about the mysterious revealing themselves to him. Demons, Primal Beasts, Cultists, Humans... all speaking the same tongue. Void Storms punching holes between realms. The Ruins acting as a temporary nexus. The southern continent seemed to be at the heart of a growing multi-planar instability.

The relative quiet of the past month felt like a fragile illusion that had already shattered.