[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-myriad-rivers-to-the-sea":3,"chapter-myriad-rivers-to-the-sea-myriad-rivers-to-the-sea-chapter-958":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"english","Myriad Rivers to the Sea",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},1824861,2427,"Chapter 960: The Ashes of the Valley","myriad-rivers-to-the-sea-chapter-958",958,"\u003Cp>The night sky over the Vajra Peaks was clear and filled with bright stars that seemed like they were closer than normal. The cool mountain wind blew through the open courtyards of the Zhan Clan pavilion as Li Yu sat on a stone bench in his private quarters and circulated his Qi slowly. The first day of the tournament had been highly educational and he was looking forward to the next day of matches.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, the peaceful atmosphere of the night was suddenly shattered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A terrifying wail echoed across the mountain range but it was not the roar of a beast. It was a human voice filled with despair. Li Yu opened his eyes and stood up to check out what had happened. He walked out of his courtyard and headed toward the main gathering area of the pavilion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhan Chen was already standing there and Zhan Ling stood beside him with a grave expression. The five Zhan Clan elders were speaking in hushed tones while Haelan and Jhyra stood silently in the shadows.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What happened?\" Li Yu asked as he approached the group.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"A distress signal had reached the communication arrays of the mountain.\" Zhan Chen said with a heavy voice. \"It came from the Blood Forge Valley. Their headquarters has been completely wiped out by an unknown force.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Yu felt a chill run down his spine. The Blood Forge Valley was considered a minor faction in comparison to some of the forces here but they were still incredibly powerful. They possessed numerous elders and were well fortified. Wiping out a headquarters was not a simple task. It required an overwhelming force, meticulous planning or both.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The bronze bell of the Vajra Peaks began to toll rapidly. It was not the rhythmic sound used to start a tournament match. It was the chaotic ringing of an emergency summons. Cultivators from every faction poured out of their pavilions and gathered in the central plaza.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The mood in the arena was entirely different from the morning. The excitement was gone and it was replaced with paranoia. Elder Kuang stood in the center of the stone floor and his serene expression had vanished.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The tournament is officially paused.\" Elder Kuang announced loudly. \"We have received terrible news. The ancestral home of the Blood Forge Valley has been destroyed. An elder who was returning to their valley discovered the ruin and he sent a distress signal to all allied factions.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A collective gasp rippled through the massive crowd by those that had not heard yet. The members of the Blood Forge Valley stood near the front of the plaza and they looked completely devastated.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xue Tu was trembling violently while his red eyes stared blankly at the stone floor. The junior disciples realized their masters, friends and everything they had known for such a long time had been slaughtered while they were away. Most of their experts were stationed at the headquarters and were now dead.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"We are factions of the body path.\" Elder Kuang continued. \"We may have our differences but we do not ignore a slaughter of this magnitude. The Vajra Peaks will deploy our forces to the valley to investigate. We invite all factions to join us in a show of goodwill. We must find out who did this before they target another home.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The response was immediate and shift. The people here were on relatively good terms politically. Even the bitter rivalries were put on hold in the face of an existential threat. Zhan Chen stepped forward and pledged the Zhan Clan delegation to the investigation. The Piercing Heavens Pavilion followed suit immediately. Even the Chimera Sect agreed to send their elders to help search the ruins.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The night sky quickly filled with the glow of spiritual ships. Warships from the different factions ascended into the clouds and flew toward the territory of the Blood Forge Valley. Li Yu stood on the deck of the Zhan Clan ship next to Zhan Chen and Zhan Ling. The flight was completely silent as everyone was in deep thought. No one was in the mood to talk because they all understood the gravity of the situation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"If their headquarters was destroyed, then most of their experts are dead.\" Zhan Chen said quietly as he looked out over the wooden railing. \"They might have a few elders scattered across the realms on specific missions but the core of their power is gone. The Blood Forge Valley is effectively erased. It would take at least hundreds if not thousands of years to restore their strength to what it once was.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Do we know who did it?\" Li Yu asked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"No.\" Zhan Chen shook his head. \"The distress signal only said that it was a ruin. There was no mention of enemy banners or recognized techniques. We are flying blind into this so prepare for anything.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It could be a rival empire or a newly formed coalition.\" Zhan Ling added as she crossed her arms. \"The timing is too perfect. It feels like a trap so we need to be careful.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everyone had similar thoughts. The timing of this attack made it feel like a trap but the forces coming were not weak either and they had a duty to investigate. The fleet of warships arrived at the location before dawn. The Blood Forge Valley was supposed to be a lush canyon filled with crimson rivers and towering stone pagodas.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Instead, the ships hovered over a massive pit of grey ash.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The entire canyon had been leveled and the stone pagodas were reduced to jagged rubble. The crimson rivers were boiled completely dry and the ground was scorched black. Thick smoke drifted lazily through the air and carried the heavy stench of burned flesh.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The warships landed on the edges of the crater and the cultivators disembarked. They walked down into the ruins in large groups and the scale of the destruction was breathtaking. It was clear that a massive battle had taken place but was quickly over as well. Otherwise they would have been able to send some kind of message out before being destroyed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on NovelBin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A small group of cultivators stood near a collapsed archway in the center of the valley. They were covered in soot and they looked completely exhausted. This was the returning group that had discovered the massacre. An older man with a torn red robe stepped forward to meet Elder Kuang and the other faction leaders.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Elder Xue.\" Elder Kuang greeted the man softly. \"We came as quickly as we could. What happened here?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I do not know.\" Elder Xue replied while his voice cracked with grief. \"We were returning from a resource exchange in the northern sector. We arrived and found this. There was no warning and we haven’t found any clues. The defensive arrays were shattered and the inner halls collapsed.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xue Tu pushed his way through the crowd of elders as he ran up to Elder Xue and grabbed the old man by the shoulders.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Where is the Patriarch!\" Xue Tu demanded loudly. \"Where are the inner disciples! Did anyone get out!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Elder Xue looked at the young berserker with hollow eyes. \"They are gone, Tu. Everyone who was inside the valley is gone.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xue Tu let out a ragged scream and fell to his knees in the ash. The other junior disciples from the tournament broke down in tears as well. Their home was completely gone. The tournament that was supposed to be their proving ground had inadvertently saved their lives by keeping them away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The faction leaders quickly ordered their members to fan out and search the rubble. They needed to find clues or any lingering survivors who might be buried under the collapsed structures.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Yu walked through the destroyed canyon as the two Core Wardens followed closely behind him. They moved large slabs of stone and swept the area with their soul sense. The deeper they went into the valley, the more bodies they found. The defenders had been slaughtered without mercy and many of them were reduced to charred bones.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whoever had done this used fire based techniques or at least that was the killing move.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Yu lifted a heavy stone pillar with his bare hands and tossed it aside. He hoped to find someone hiding in a basement or a secret vault. He spent over an hour walking through the deepest parts of the rumble trying to see if there could be hidden survivors but there were none. There was absolutely nothing left alive in the valley.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He stopped walking and looked around at the desolation. He analyzed the massive craters and the shattered defensive formations etched into the ground. The Blood Forge Valley experts had fought bitterly but without victory. This was the cruel reality of the cultivation world.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tragedy like this could hit at any time and for any reason. The Blood Forge Valley was a strong faction with a proud history and ruthless warriors. Yet, they were completely erased in a single night.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Yu remembered the conversation he had with his mother just a few weeks ago in his courtyard. He had cried in her arms and begged her to stop fighting on the borders. He had been terrified of losing his family after finally reuniting with them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She had told him that there was no choice. She had said that the cosmos was vast and filled with ancient horrors. If they did not stand on the borders and fight, those horrors would eventually come and destroy their home.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Standing in the ruins of the valley, Li Yu further understood the truth of her words. The Li Clan and the Zhan Clan were powerful but they were not invincible. If they showed weakness or dropped their guard, they could easily suffer the exact same fate as the Blood Forge Valley.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The enemy did not care about honor or mercy. They only cared about destruction and their own gain. This was true with all organizations in the cultivation world, including his own family clans.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His desire to grow stronger burned fiercely in his chest once again. He could not rely on the current peace to protect his parents. He needed to reach a level of power where no force in the Myriad Realms would ever dare to approach his family. He just didn’t have the time to do so. Cultivation takes years and even though his speed was insane, it still felt too slow for Li Yu.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"There is nothing here.\" Jhyra said quietly as she stepped up beside him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Let us return to the others.\" Li Yu replied with a heavy sigh.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Yu and the wardens walked back toward the collapsed archway. The other search parties were returning from different sections of the valley and their expressions were all grim. No one had found any survivors and they had not found any obvious clues left behind by the attackers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The faction leaders gathered together to discuss their next steps. Elder Kuang, the elders of the Piercing Heavens Pavilion and Zhan Chen stood in a wide circle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"We have searched the entire perimeter.\" Zhan Chen reported calmly. \"The destruction is thorough and there are no residual Qi that match any known empire or sect that we are used to fighting against. The attackers erased their tracks well.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Now it is just waiting.\" Elder Kuang said solemnly. \"We must wait for the other powerful people from this place and allied forces to return here. Once the surviving elders of the Blood Forge Valley arrive, they will have to decide what they want to do moving forward. We will offer them sanctuary at the Vajra Peaks until they can rebuild.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The surrounding factions murmured in agreement. The show of goodwill was genuine and showed that alliances do exist. They were all cultivators who understood the deep pain of losing a foundation. Tie Shan and the members of the Titan Body Sect stood silently out of respect for their fallen rivals.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Yu stood near the Zhan Clan elders and waited. The wind howled through the ruined canyon and the grey ash swirled around their boots. Suddenly, the wind stopped completely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The heavy scent of burned flesh vanished and it was replaced by the metallic smell of fresh blood. The air pressure in the valley spiked drastically. Haelan and Jhyra instantly stepped in front of Li Yu as their auras flared to life as they sensed the massive shift in the environment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A terrifying hum echoed across the dark sky as the space above the valley rippled violently and massive dark arrays activated. The arrays interlocked and formed a solid dome of isolation over the entire crater. The spiritual communication lines were instantly severed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The cultivators in the valley drew their weapons and looked up in alarm. The show of goodwill had just turned into a nightmare.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Figures began to step out of the shadows along the high ridges of the canyon. They wore dark armor and their cultivation bases were high. There were thousands of them and they completely surrounded the gathered factions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A single man stepped forward on the highest ridge as he looked down at the cultivators trapped in the crater. His face was hidden behind a smooth metal mask but his voice echoed with cold amusement.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Fools! We let them send that distress signal for a reason.\" The man said smoothly. \"We destroyed this pathetic valley to set the stage. We knew other factions would come running to investigate.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The man raised his hand and the dark warriors along the ridges drew their weapons. The sound of thousands of weapons leaving their sheaths or being taken out echoed loudly across the canyon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"More flies have come to our fire.\" The man laughed softly. \"This destruction was a trap to lure more of you here. And you walked right into it.\"\u003C\u002Fp>",2330,"2026-06-09T05:55:38.001Z",1,"novelbin.me","8c213bda9ea97d8e419f7753e981c24dcae04368edc0bcba051a98821aa551e3","myriad-rivers-to-the-sea-chapter-654","myriad-rivers-to-the-sea-chapter-957",972,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fmyriad-rivers-to-the-sea-cover.jpg"]