For the next few days as Li Yu physically traversed the rugged terrain leading into the heart of the Cloud-Mist Peaks, his 2nd mind was elsewhere.

  He walked the River of Souls.

  He returned to the exact spot, or at least his best guess at the exact spot, where the mist had thinned. Where he had seen the white-armored old man. He paced back and forth around there as he was retracing his steps a hundred times.

  "Hello?" Li Yu projected as his mental voice echoed into the void. "Old man? Mountain of muscles? You there?"

  Silence.

  Only the grey currents flowing endlessly beneath his feet answered him. Li Yu even tried to access the River of Time. It was a volatile dangerous stream, shimmering with shards of past, present, and future.

  Protected by his Koi Soul, he skirted its banks. He was peering into the rushing waters, hoping to catch a glimpse of white armor man here.

  Nothing. Just the endless chaotic march of moments.

  "It was a fluke," Li Yu sighed after several attempts. He was currently sitting on the "bank" of the River of Souls. His Fisherman Soul hummed around him, a silent guardian keeping the crushing pressure at bay. "Or maybe... maybe he was just a ghost. A remnant of some ancient war that was lost along the banks of this river?"

  But the warmth he had felt. That heavy protective blanket that had settled over his soul—told him otherwise. That man was real. And the look in his eyes... it hadn't been the look of a stranger.

  "I'll find you again," Li Yu promised the empty river. "Eventually."

  He withdrew his consciousness, returning to the mortal world. It was morning. The sun was hitting the peaks of his new territory.

  ‘Wake up, Tekton,’ Li Yu said, standing up and dusting off his robes. ‘We're here.’

  The Cloud-Mist Peaks were living up to their name. As Li Yu crested the final ridge, the morning mist parted, revealing the heart of the territory.

  It was a natural basin surrounded by five jagged peaks that looked like the fingers of a hand reaching for the heavens. The valley floor which was once wild and overgrown had been transformed.

  In the span of a month, a city had begun to rise.

  It wasn't a sprawling metropolis yet but the foundations were laid with the efficiency that only cultivators could provide. Walls of white stone circled the perimeter. Towers rose from the mist, acting as anchor points for defensive arrays. Wide, paved roads radiated outward like spokes on a wheel.

  Thousands of people were moving below while cultivators were flying on swords and other treasures. It was a hive of activity. People were buzzing with a hopeful, frantic energy.

  This was the headquarters of the Alliance of the Jagged Peaks. A seed that was beginning to sprout in this wilderness. Where the beasts had once destroyed and devoured everything that was here during the war, humans were now reclaiming it back.

  "Not bad," Li Yu murmured while being impressed. "Shen Tu gave us good land and Zhou and the others didn't waste time."

  He descended the mountain path. He pulled his hood up slightly; he wanted to see the city as a traveler first. Like how anyone would see it. Not as the 'Commander.'

  He walked through the main gate. The guards, wearing new uniforms with a mountain-peak insignia, nodded to him and didn't stop him. They were too busy directing a convoy of grain wagons. They took time to acknowledge that he was there but continued with their work.

  Li Yu wandered the streets. He saw shops opening up. Blacksmiths, alchemists, tea houses and food stalls. He saw disciples from different small sects—the Iron Blood, the Violet Silk, the Mist-River—working together to pave a road. A month ago, these sects would have been fighting over resources. Now, they were working together for a common goal.

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  "Unity," Li Yu thought. "It's fragile, budding but it's here."

  He reached the central plaza. It was a massive circular open space paved with polished granite. And in the center of the plaza, dominating the view, stood a statue.

  Li Yu froze.

  The statue was thirty meters tall. It was carved from a single block of white marble. It depicted a man standing on the head of a dragon. He was holding a sword in one hand and pointing toward the horizon with a look of stoic wisdom.

  The face... was undeniably his. But it was a version of him that wasn’t real. He had never ridden on a dragon and his weapon was a staff. Why did they have him holding a sword? The sculptor had also generously added about ten pounds of muscle to his chest and chiseled his jawline until it could cut glass.

  "Oh no," Li Yu whispered.

  'Magnificent,' Tekton mocked in his mind. 'They captured your heroic glare.'

  "I don't glare!" Li Yu hissed. "And why am I standing on a dragon? That's false advertising!"

  'Perhaps it is metaphorical. You are standing on the neck of your enemies.'

  "It looks ridiculous. I look like I'm about to lecture the sky."

  A group of disciples walked past the statue.

  "That's the Commander," one whispered reverently. "They say he meditates on the peaks for months without eating or drinking."

  "I heard he defeated the Shadow-Vipers with a single glance," another added. "His eyes contain the Sword Dao."

  Li Yu pulled his hood down further. "I need to talk to Zhou."

  He made his way to the Hall of the Summit, the large administrative building at the back of the plaza. He walked past the guards, flashing his token. Their eyes went wide as they saw and they snapped to attention but Li Yu put a finger to his lips.

  "Shh. Is Sect Master Zhou in?"

  "Yes, Commander! He's in the main hall with the other Sect Masters and elders!"

  Li Yu pushed the heavy oak doors open. Inside was chaotic.

  Sect Master Zhou of the Iron Blood Sect, now acting as the Grand Steward of the Alliance, was buried behind a mountain of scrolls. He looked exhausted but focused. His calculating eyes were scanning a logistics report.

  To his left sat Matriarch Su of the Violet Silk Pavilion. She was fanning herself with a steel-bladed fan, her features pinched in annoyance as she directed a group of cultivators carrying banners.

  At the map table stood Commander Lei of the Thunderclap Mercenaries. The giant, shirtless man was leaning on his massive warhammer even here. He was arguing with a supplier.

  And near the door were the other two core leaders: Patriarch Han of the Han Clan and Sect Leader Yan of the Mist-River Sect. She was inspecting a crate of spirit-fruits.

  "We need more types of wine!" Commander Lei boomed as his voice shook the rafters. "The Five Mountain Alliance is coming! We cannot serve them common grain wine! It’s an insult!"

  "We have ordered the wine!" Zhou shouted back, rubbing his square temples. "But the delivery is delayed at the Twin-River crossing! The Golden Fire Dragon restaurant has monopolized the transport boats!"

  "Then send the Mist-River disciples to carry it!" Patriarch Han grunted. "My boys are busy building the guest quarters!"

  "My disciples are not pack mules, Han!" Sect Leader Yan snapped, her hand drifting to her swords.

  Li Yu cleared his throat. The room went silent. Every head turned. Zhou dropped his brush. He squinted to make sure he was seeing correctly and then his face lit up with sheer relief.

  "Commander!" Zhou cried, practically vaulting over his desk. "You're back! You're actually back!"

  The five leaders bowed. "Commander Li!"

  "Please," Li Yu said as he was walking into the room. "I see you've been busy. The city looks... impressive."

  "We tried our best!" Zhou beamed. It looked like a weight had been lifted off his square shoulders. "We wanted it to be ready for the Founding Banquet. Did you see the plaza? Did you see the... centerpiece?"

  "The statue?" Li Yu raised an eyebrow. "It's... big."

  "It was the people's demand!" Matriarch Su added smoothly. "They wanted to honor the man who punched the mountain. We thought a dragon added a nice aesthetic touch."

  "I never punched a mountain. Why a sword as well."

  "Swords are more common. More people can look up to you. Propaganda and legends require embellishment," Su winked.

  "Commander," Lei stepped forward "You are just in time. The guests... they are arriving today."

  Li Yu nodded. "I know. Are we ready?"

  Zhou took a deep breath. He looked tired but proud.

  "We are ready. The Iron Blood, the Violet Silk, the Thunderclap, the Han Clan and the Mist-River Sect... we stand as one. There are many others that are coming under the banner as well. We are working out a system to govern everyone. The Alliance of the Jagged Peaks stands prepared to welcome the world."

  An hour later the warning bells on the outer walls rang. A deep resonant sound that signaled the arrival of honored guests.