Li Yu stood on the balcony of the guest quarters provided by Central Command. He held his slate-grey Command Token in his hand and was talking to Krell. He was letting him know of his plans to head to the Battered Coast for merit points.

  "Fifth Stage?" Li Yu asked.

  "It is imminent," Krell’s voice rumbled from the token. The connection was clear but the background noise sounded like wind howling through a stone canyon. "The demonic cores we have gotten here have finally taken my cultivation to the next level. I feel the barrier to the 5th Stage cracking."

  "That is good," Li Yu noted. "Dangerous?"

  "All breakthroughs are dangerous. A calculated risk," Krell replied. "But I need focus. I cannot guard your back while my soul is being tempered in the forge of advancement. I need to enter secluded cultivation. Immediately."

  Li Yu nodded even though Krell couldn't see him. "Do it. The stronger you are the better. Where are you?"

  "I returned to the Frost Iron Sect," Krell said. "I will need... perhaps a month. It will take some time before I get to the breakpoint of making the breakthrough."

  "Take all the time you need." Li Yu said. "I'm heading to the Battered Coast. It’s a messy place, Krell. If you're breaking through, you can't be distracted."

  Li Yu looked at his wrist. If the Battered Coast was as dangerous as Vorgnir said. Potentially warped minds, hungry people and constant demonic pressure. Then bringing Tekton might be risky. Tekton was a beast. Beasts were susceptible to frenzy in high-density demonic environments.

  Furthermore, if Krell was breaking through to the 5th Stage, he would be vulnerable. The Frost Iron Sect was safe but having a guardian was better.

  "Actually," Li Yu began. "I'm sending Tekton to you."

  The bracelet on his wrist tightened instantly. Tekton’s voice resonated in Li Yu’s mind, clear and articulate as any human.

  'You cannot be serious, Li Yu. Sending me away leaves you entirely exposed. If this coast is as rotten as the old giant claims, you will need eyes in the back of your head.'

  ‘Krell is immobile during his breakthrough,’ Li Yu replied while tapping the carapace. ‘If a rift opens near the sect or if an enemy decides to probe our defenses while I'm gone… He’s a sitting duck. You need to be the shield.’

  Tekton hesitated for a bit and then loosened his grip. The centipede uncoiled.

  'Fine. I will ensure the big rock remains in one piece. But do not get yourself killed. I have grown fond of the food and adventures you provide.'

  ‘I'll be fine,’ Li Yu smiled. ‘Go.’

  'Try not to do anything stupid,' Tekton chittered one last time and then blurred away. He flew up into the sky and towards the Frost Iron Sect.

  Li Yu watched him go. He was truly solo once again.

  "Tekton is on his way. Focus on your cultivation. When I see you next, I expect you to be able to punch a hole in the sky." Li Yu told Krell through the communication token.

  "Ha!" Krell grunted. "Be careful out there."

  The connection cut.

  Before leaving Sol Vang, Li Yu stopped by the Magma Hearth one last time.

  Magnar was there waiting for him but he wasn't drinking. The Thunder King was surrounded by scrolls, maps and supply ledgers. The rebuilding of the Thunder Echo Sect was a monumental task. One that required more administration than lightning.

  Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

  "Leaving?" Magnar asked as he looked up with weary eyes.

  "The Coast calls.”

  Magnar sighed and dropped his quill. He looked at his new arm and flexed his fingers. "I should go with you. My blood itches for a fight still. Paperwork is the true enemy of the cultivator."

  "You have a sect to build, Sparky," Li Yu teased gently. "Those disciples need a roof more than they need a dead demon."

  Magnar chuckled ruefully. "You sound like Vorgnir. But you're right. If I leave now, the sect dissolves into chaos. We are so little now and need to rebuild. We have resources coming in but managing it... it's a nightmare."

  He stood up and offered his hand.

  "Be careful, Li Yu. The Battered Coast is where the war is ugliest right now. It’s not heroic there. It’s just... wet. And dark."

  "I'll bring an umbrella," Li Yu said while shaking his hand. "Good luck with the paperwork."

  His last stop before leaving was the Central Citadel.

  Grand Marshall Thyra was in her office. A room that was exactly as Vorgnir had described: pristine. The white marble floors shone like mirrors. There wasn't a single paper out of place. The air smelled of sterile frost.

  "You are going to the Coast," Thyra stated the moment he walked in. She didn't look up from her report.

  "News travels fast," Li Yu noted.

  "I am the Grand Marshall," Thyra said, finally looking up. Her blue eyes were sharp. "I know when a fly sneezes in my city. And you are a very large fly."

  She opened a drawer and pulled out a heavy object. She tossed it across the desk.

  Li Yu caught it. It was a token made of a pure white metal. It was carved in the shape of a coiled dragon. It was cold to the touch and pulsed with a specific Qi signature.

  "My personal authority token," Thyra explained. "The Battered Coast is under martial law. It is a sealed zone. No one enters or leaves without clearance. If you show up looking like a wandering fool, the perimeter guards will kill you on sight."

  "Kill first, ask questions later?"

  "They don't ask questions," Thyra said grimly. "The corruption there... it uses faces. It uses voices. The guards are trained to kill anything that isn't authorized. Show them the token immediately. Do not hesitate."

  Li Yu pocketed the dragon. "Understood."

  "And Li Yu," Thyra stood up and walked to the window that overlooked the steaming city. "Signe... Grand Marshall Signe... she is strong. But she has been holding that line for a year without rotation. The demonic Qi there is insidious. It doesn't break you; it erodes you."

  She turned back to him.

  "Trust your instincts. If something feels wrong, it is. There have been many incidents there over the year. With troops being corrupted or have fallen. Brave souls giving their lives up for our protection."

  As Li Yu traveled north-west, the landscape changed. The pristine white snow of the interior gave way to grey and slushy ice. The sky, usually a crisp azure or a stormy grey, turned a bruised shade of violet.

  The air grew heavy. It wasn't just the pressure of gravity; it was the spiritual weight of another realm leaking into the world.

  When the coast finally came into view, Li Yu stopped in mid-air.

  "Ugly," he whispered as he admired the sight.

  The Battered Coast lived up to its name. The land looked like it had been chewed on. The coastline was a jagged mess of black rock and purple mud. The ocean wasn't water; it was a swirling soup of dark energy and freezing sludge.

  And in the center of it all, hovering above a massive bay, was the Rift.

  It was a massive tear in the sky. Unlike the unstable, jagged rifts Li Yu was used to, this one was smooth, circular and disturbingly stable. It pulsed with a rhythmic and sickly light. It almost seemed like a beating heart. It was a window into a realm of red skies and choking ash. A Demonic Realm.

  Below the rift, a fortress of black iron had been constructed. It was a massive and sprawling complex of walls, towers, and suppression arrays. They hummed with a low headache-inducing thrum.

  Li Yu descended towards it. Before he could get within a mile of the gate, three streaks of light shot up from the fortress.

  WHOOSH. WHOOSH. WHOOSH.

  Three interceptors arrived. Cultivators on flying swords surrounded him instantly. They wore full-face helms made of black iron. Their armor was sealed tight against the environment.

  "HALT!" The leader barked. Even though he was close he chose to amplify his voice with Qi.

  "Restricted zone. State your intentions or die."

  They didn't wait for an answer. Their swords began to glow and charge lethal arts. Li Yu didn't speak as it wouldn’t be helpful. He reached into his robe and pulled out the white dragon token.

  He held it up. The leader froze. The glowing swords dimmed instantly.

  "The Dragon Token," the guard gasped.

  The three interceptors slammed their fists to their chests in mid-air, bowing low.

  "Apologies, Lord!" The leader shouted. "We did not know!"

  "You did your job," Li Yu said calmly. "Take me to Grand Marshall Signe."