Li Yu’s gaze fell on Krell. The demon still stood where he had been this entire time. In a strange way he was a silent mountain of relief for Li Yu, a presence that was there from the start and never left. Li Yu took a deep breath once more and walked toward him with heavy steps.

"Senior Krell," Li Yu said to him. "Thank you. For... watching over me."

Krell was a being of forge and fire and not of soft words. He was visibly awkward from the nature of the conversation. His massive form shifted and he began to talk.

"Life and death... are simply a part of nature," he managed to say, his voice a deep rumble. "It doesn't truly get any easier. But... when you've seen as much as I have... when you have lived for as long as I have… it helps. Ever so slightly."

Li Yu nodded at his words, accepting the gruff demonic comfort for what it was. Krell had already shown what kind of person he was by staying there the entire time. That was all Li Yu needed of him and he was immensely grateful for it. Li Yu then turned his gaze to the divine beasts.

The sky was clearer now. The six other guardians were gone. The Dragon, the Tiger, the Crab, and the others had vanished. They must have departed while he was lost in his sorrow. He didn’t even realize that they had left until now. Their duty was to guard their own nodes and they had already left for far too long.

Only four remained. The Black Tortoise stood its silent immovable watch. The two healers, the Phoenix and the Fox,were still pouring a torrent of energy into the wounded form of the Qilin, Viridius.

Li Yu walked over to them. His steps were a bit shaky but filled with determination. The fire of his grief was now banking. It was hardening from a wild inferno into a cold hard coal of pure focused rage.

"Seniors," he began “Thank you for allowing me to show that side of me and allowing me the time to do so.” Li Yu said as he gave them a small bow. Then he addressed the Qilin. "Senior, are you... able to tell me what exactly happened?"

The great beast's eyes focused on him. It was now nearly recovered from its injuries. It would take a very long time before it would be fully restored but the threat of the injury was gone.

A wave of sorrow and anger pulsed from it. "Young one," Viridius whispered, its voice reedy. "I... I am sorry. I was the guardian of this node. I was... too weak. I could not save the lives of those you cared about. The lives of all of those that were lost today.."

Li Yu's jaw tightened. "It was not your fault, senior. It is the fault of the ones who did this. Please tell me who did this and who they are."

"It was... an ambush, as the Turtle had already told you. I will retell the tale for you to hear." the Qilin breathed. The effort clearly gave it slight pain. "After I came back here, I made some arrangements since I hadn’t been awake in so long. Then, just as I was about to return to my slumber. They... the Seven Fears... they had treasures. New... foul... treasures. They weakened the natural protections from afar. They weakened me. They struck at once."

"The Seven Fears." Li Yu repeated the name. The words were like poison on his tongue. "The Tortoise... it mentioned them. What are they?"

"Abominations," the Qilin said, a note of ancient hatred in its own voice. "They are not like the Xylarri who you just fought. They are not from another realm. They are of this world... or they were. They are mutated, corrupted elemental spirits that have then merged with something else. Something alien and bestial. They are chaos given form."

Viridius took a pained breath as the Phoenix's fire pulsed on. "There is The Rot-Heart, a corrupted life-spirit. It is a sentient and moving forest of decay. The Howling Scorn, a wind-spirit of chitin and blades. The Obsidian Pyre, a beast of cold black fire. The Crushing Doubt, a living mountain of metallic sand. The Abyssal Freeze, a serpent of black ice that devours the soul. The Craven Bolt, a multi-jointed thing of chaotic and broken lightning. And... The Void-Shadow, a creature of pure light-devouring darkness."

"They have been trying to destroy this world for ages," Viridius continued. "We, our ancestors and others... we sealed them away. But... it would seem those seals have failed. This... this must be one of the great calamities the Anti-Duplex spoke of."

The Qilin looked at Li Yu, perhaps trying to offer some small comfort. "The others... the Dragon, the Tiger... they arrived very quickly. They were able to wound the Seven. Greatly. They have fled to lick their wounds. They most likely cannot act again soon given their wounds. But the damage... the damage is done."

Did you know this story is from NovelBin? Read the official version for free and support the author.

Hearing their names and the confirmation was the final trigger.

Li Yu's hands were squeezing tight. His nails dug into his palms. Fresh blood welled up and dripped onto the dead earth.

"Seven Fears…. Seven Fears!! Seven Fears… Those... damn... Seven Fears!!!" His voice was no longer a whisper. It was a low, cold and utterly inhuman growl.

A new aura exploded from his body. It was not his usual Koi Qi that exploded outward. It was a roiling and chaotic energy that was never present before.

Krell's red eyes shot wide once he detected and saw the aura. He took a few steps forward as though going to investigate but stopped himself. "That's... demonic qi! And it's... it's so thick! How’s that possible?!"

But it was joined an instant later by another even more terrifying pressure. It was cold and red. A vast aura of pure slaughter that exploded from him and painted the entire landscape into a painting of death itself. This was the killing intent Li Yu had accumulated unknowingly over his entire life.

The beast tides he had annihilated. The cultist he had fought. The countless of Xylarri he had helped purge. From within his Ocean of Qi his Human Soul and Koi Soul were currently next to one another. The Human Soul had its hands on the head of the Koi Soul, petting it like Li Yu had done before.

The Koi Soul’s eyes were a bright red while the Human Soul eyes were black on his right eye and white on his left. Both their auras then exploded as well and radiated outward, further increasing both auras to another level. It was an ocean of bloodlust he had never realized he possessed or had ever used. It now surged forth uncontrolled, wrapping the entire area in a suffocating blanket of malice with Li Yu at its center.

Krell was stunned. "That... that killing intent... it's...! On that boy? At that age? He is... truly... a strange one."

The three divine beasts all reacted as well. The Phoenix and the Fox stopped their healing. Their eyes with disbelief at the small human. The very same small human who was crying his soul out at the death of his home just moments later.

The Qilin's mind was reeling. 'This aura is... demonic? And this... this killing intent... it's vaster than the Fears themselves. How is that even possible coming from someone like him? But... I can still feel his core. The life-qi I gave him. The... the goodness in his heart. The kindness. He is... a walking contradiction.'

"Boy!" Viridius's voice barked. It cut through the red haze. "Calm yourself!"

The Qilin's command was a blast of pure life energy but even it couldn’t fully cut through the thick and almost solidified form of Li Yu’s killing intent. However, its voice was able to snap Li Yu out of his mental state. The two terrifying auras receded and were pulled back into his body but not completely disappearing. Li Yu was breathing heavily, with his chest heaving.

But his resolve was set. His eyes were no longer lifeless but now were burning with a terrifying light. For those watching him, they noticed that his right eye was a swirl of black and white while his left eye was a bright and deep red.

"Senior," he said, his voice flat and firm. "Please tell me all you can about these Seven Fears."

His aura surged back. The demonic qi and killing intent mingled in a vortex of cold rage. "I swear to the very heavens that I will eventually kill them all!!" His aura exploded once more and within his Ocean of Qi both his souls stared upwards at the very heavens themselves.

"Calm yourself, boy!" the Qilin scolded again. Its own divine pressure pushed back against Li Yu's. "You speak of things you cannot comprehend!"

"They are well beyond your level," Viridius said, its voice loud and harsh like never before. "Get stronger. Infinitely stronger. Then we can talk about revenge."

"How much stronger do I need to get?" Li Yu shot back, his voice challenging.

The Qilin stared at him. "Get to the realm... after... what you humans call Divine Transformation. Then you can come to me and we can talk. Until then you are but an ant trying to shake the heavens."

Li Yu's burning rage faltered. It was replaced by momentary confusion. He had just learned of Divine Transformation recently when he met Zephyr. He had no idea what realm was after that. "What realm... is after Divine Transformation?" he asked, genuinely not knowing.

"Exactly!" The Qilin boomed. Its voice was harsh as stone as it intentionally tried to deter him. "Boy! You are too lacking to even be having this conversation! You do not even understand the path forward yet you speak of this glorious revenge!"

A new voice interrupted. It was the Twelve-Tailed Fox, her prismatic fur shimmering. "Viridius, you are being too harsh. The... boy... is sad, mad and who knows what else. He is looking for a chance, a hope, a focus to vent his pain."

"Exactly why I must be harsh," the Qilin responded without hesitation. "This 'hope' will be his death. He is far too weak."

"Sister, Viridius isn't wrong," the Vermilion Phoenix added. Its voice was a pragmatic, fiery song. "Even if he knew now, it would make no difference at all. It's probably best if he lived without knowing and continued his life as normal. He might never step upon that realm. How many... how many... have ever reached it?"

The three divine beasts looked at each other. Their gazes ancient and weary all fell on the small blood-soaked boy. It was a shared look of pity. The chances of someone stepping onto such a realm was rare indeed.

They all knew the cold and hard truth. He was just a boy that had barely grown. He would almost certainly never reach such a realm. It was a nearly impossible and unattainable hope.