Li Yu was now dressed in formal robes of deep azure with silver embroidery. Matriarch Su had insisted he change out of his travel clothes. He stood on the receiving platform outside the city gates. Behind him stood Zhou, Su, Lei, Han, and Yan. They were the starting pillars of this new alliance.

  The sky to the west darkened. It was not with storm clouds but with a massive fleet of flying ships.

  These weren't the sleek, fast ships of the Divine Wind Sect. These were flying fortresses. They were carved from heavy and dark metal. They were reinforced with gold looking metal. They moved slowly, radiating an aura of immovable weight.

  The banners of the Five Mountain Alliance snapped in the wind.

  "They brought the heavy fleet," Zhou whispered and was awestruck. A person like him wouldn’t normally get to entertain guests of such stature. "That's the Earth-Shaker class. It’s a show of supreme power."

  The flagship descended, landing with a heavy thud that shook the ground. The ramp lowered. Shen Tu, the Leader of the Five Mountain Alliance, stepped out and he wasn't alone.

  Walking beside him was a woman of grace and wisdom. She was wearing a robe of soft amber silk. And behind them walked three younger cultivators. Two men and a woman. They looked at the world with sharp and intelligent eyes.

  "Is that his family?" Matriarch Su gasped softly. "Shen Tu brought his wife and children. That... that is a supreme honor for us. He is treating this not as just a political meeting but as a family gathering."

  Behind the family walked three other powerful figures. The leaders of the Iron Peak, Verdant Hill and Obsidian Ridge sects. Three of the five pillars of the Five Mountain Alliance. The other two were missing, likely recovering from the war but the presence of three, plus Shen Tu, was a staggering show of force and support to the world.

  Li Yu stepped forward at the guests and was bowing with clasped hands.

  "Alliance Leader Shen Tu," Li Yu greeted warmly. "Welcome to the Cloud-Mist Peaks."

  Shen Tu laughed at the greeting. He stepped forward and grasped Li Yu’s arms, ignoring the formality.

  "Brother Li!" Shen Tu boomed. "You have done well! Look at this place! A month ago it was broken wilderness. Now it is a stronghold!"

  "We had good land to work with," Li Yu replied modestly. “It was these people behind me that did all the work.”

  Shen Tu turned to the woman beside him.

  "This is my wife, Lady Yun. And my sons, Shen Bo and Shen Lang. My daughter, Shen Yan."

  Lady Yun bowed respectfully with a smile. "Commander Li. My husband speaks of you often lately. He says you have a fist that can crack the sky."

  "He exaggerates," Li Yu smiled. "I just hit things until they give in."

  The Shen children stared at Li Yu. Shen Yan, the youngest of the trio, whispered to her brother, "He doesn't look like the stories and rumors. He looks... normal."

  "Shh," Shen Bo hissed. "That's how the true monsters look. They hide their claws. Don’t embarrass us. Remember what father said, he is to be respected."

  "And these," Shen Tu gestured to the three leaders behind him. "My brothers in arms. Sect Masters Tie, Mu, and Shi. They insisted on coming to see the man who helped turn the tide of the war."

  The three leaders cupped their hands and their eyes assessing Li Yu with respect. They sensed the depth of his power, or rather, the terrifying lack of a bottom to it.

  "We are honored to have you all today," Li Yu said. "Please, enter. The city is yours."

  Before the Five Mountain delegation could even fully enter the gates, the wind changed. The heavy, earthy scent of the Five Mountain arrival was suddenly cut by a crisp fresh breeze. The clouds above swirled and was forming a spiral.

  A different kind of fleet approached. They cut through the air like knives. They were moving with breathtaking speed and silence.

  Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

  The Divine Wind Sect had come.

  "They're here," Li Yu smiled.

  The flagship, the Storm-Bringer, glided down and landed softly next to the heavy obsidian ships of the Five Mountain Alliance. The contrast was striking—earth and sky, weight and speed.

  The ramp extended. Matriarch Feng Meilin walked down.

  She was stunning as usual. She wore formal robes of sky-blue and silver, with a headdress of white feathers that accentuated her regal bearing. But her eyes were warm locked onto Li Yu.

  Walking beside her were her children, Feng Wei and Feng Xi, both looking slightly more mature and confident than when Li Yu had last seen them.

  And behind them...

  Si Luo and Bai Ruo.

  Si Luo was dressed in new robes of deep violet, tailored in the Divine Wind style but retaining her style. Bai Ruo was scanning around the crowd.

  "Li Yu!" Si Luo called out. She waved enthusiastically.

  Li Yu laughed. "Welcome back!"

  Meilin approached him and exchanged a polite nod with Shen Tu. The two leaders stood eye to eye.

  "Alliance Leader Shen Tu," Meilin greeted. "It is good to see the mountains have moved for this occasion."

  "Matriarch Feng," Shen Tu replied with a smile. "It is good to see the wind has stopped blowing long enough to land. Your arrival is swift as always."

  "We wouldn't miss it," Meilin said. She turned to Li Yu. "Well, Commander? You promised us a banquet. I hope the wine is ready."

  "The food and drinks are ready. Wasn’t there supposed to be a grand entrance? I guess you decided to go lower key.” Li Yu joked.

  “We couldn’t think of anything grand to do so decided against it.” Meilin laughed.

  Just as the atmosphere settled into a celebratory reunion, the temperature seemed to have plummeted.

  It wasn't the wind and it wasn't the clouds. It was a creeping, biting chill that seeped from the ground up, frosting the stone pavement in seconds. A single ship appeared.

  It was unlike the others. It wasn't majestic like the Earth-Shakers or elegant like the Storm-Bringer. It was a flying nightmare. The hull was constructed from massive, bleached ribs of some leviathan beast and reinforced with grey Frost-Iron. The sails were made of tanned dragon-hide.

  There were no banners. Only the trophies. Skulls of beasts, massive claws and tufts of fur hanging from the railings.

  Sect Master Zhou stiffened. "That ship... who is that?"

  The ship landed with a crunch and ice spreading from its landing gear. A man leaped from the deck. He didn't use a ramp. He landed on the pavement with a heavy thud that cracked the stone.

  It was Sect Master Torben of the Frost Iron Sect. One of the premier beast hunters of the Northern Continent.

  Shen Tu and Meilin both turned, surprise registering on their faces. Torben strode forward, ignoring the guards, ignoring the pageantry. He walked straight up to Li Yu.

  He stopped, towering over Li Yu. He sniffed the air.

  "You smell like dead assassins and crushed centipedes," Torben rumbled. His voice sounded like an avalanche.

  Li Yu didn't flinch. "And you smell like a wet dog and frozen iron."

  Torben stared at him for a second. Then, he threw his head back and laughed. A harsh, barking sound.

  "Good!" Torben roared as he slapped Li Yu on the shoulder with enough force to shatter a boulder. Li Yu didn't budge. "I like you."

  "Sect Master Torben," Li Yu greeted while rubbing his shoulder. "I didn't expect you to stay on this continent so long after the war ended."

  "I heard stories of your battles after dealing with the Crimson Fang," Torben grinned. He revealed teeth that looked a bit too sharp. He gestured to his ship.

  "I brought meat for the feast. I didn’t want to leave without talking to you and enjoying a meal together. High-grade beast meat from our continent and some that we had slain from the war. For the banquet."

  "Meat is good," Li Yu agreed. "We have drinks to match it."

  Torben nodded to Shen Tu and Meilin but didn’t say anything to them. He wasn’t from around here and he didn’t need additional allies. He was here only for Li Yu because he liked how the young man acted.

  "Torben," Shen Tu nodded respectfully. Li Yu stepped back and was looking at the scene. To his left, the immovable earth of the Five Mountain Alliance. To his right, the swift winds of the Divine Wind Sect. And in front of him, the brutal ice of the Frost Iron Sect. There were plenty of big shots here.

  "Please," Li Yu said while gesturing to the gates. "Welcome to the Founding Banquet for our little alliance."

  As the guests streamed into the city, Li Yu caught Si Luo’s eye. She winked.

  'Nice statue,' she mouthed. 'Very... stoic.'

  Li Yu groaned internally. He was never going to live that down.

  'Tekton,' he projected. 'If I give you permission, can you eat the statue later?'

  'I quite like it.' Tekton responded to Li Yu’s dread.

  With a final glance at the bustling plaza, Li Yu turned and followed his guests into the city. The celebration was about to begin.

  More sects and clans were coming but they were lower priority and Li Yu didn’t have to greet them himself. These people had come directly because of Li Yu so he made sure to welcome them.

  He would let his commanders and sect masters welcome the other leaders.