Li Yu fell into a new routine over the next three days as they waited for the team to assemble. By day he was the monastery's guardian. He would streak out from the peak, a white comet against the sky and clear the surrounding lands.

One mind handled the scouting and high-speed flight . His spiritual sense sweeping the desolate lands and scanning for Xylarri swarms in the area. His other mind was free to work on furthering his own techniques.

Deep in his mental world, it was already redesigning his Abyssal Sentry. The old ball shape was "stupid," as he'd come to think. His other mind was methodically, piece by piece, working on a new framework. A humanoid form where his other brain could pilot and fight using just techniques since it had no real form.

It was infinitely more complex. It required new energy pathways for stabilization and energy use. It didn’t ‘need’ a humanoid form but he found that to be the best shape as it could distract and confuse others as well. It was the first step toward his new and ambitious goal. A second fully sentient body. An avatar he could pilot in battle.

He was nowhere near such a thing but the theoretical work was well underway as he simultaneously annihilated a pack of lower level Xylarri. By night, he would return to his sealed meditation room. This was time for his other cultivation.

First, he would visit his Koi Sanctuary. He would appear before the massive, crimson-gold, serpentine head of his martial spirit and he would talk to it.

"It's just... so much," he'd vent, his spiritual form pacing on the spirit's giant snout. "This new team... Corvus is stressed, Zaltar seems to be looking forward to having additional demonic leaders with him and Jian Xuan is... well, you know. I'm going to be on a team with demons and cultists… but it somehow doesn’t feel that wrong"

He'd talk about his home, his parents while growing up, his progress on the Sentry, his fears of the future and his confusion about his own souls.

The great spirit would just listen, its massive eye filled with simple affection and its head pressing against his spiritual form. And as it did, Li Yu would feel the bond with his Koi Soul grow that bit more warm, more personal and intimate. It was slow but it was working. It also brought him a sense of comfort to have someone to vent to..

He would then pull his consciousness back to his Ocean of Qi, to the little white-purple island. He'd sit across from the fisherman.

He'd tried yelling. He'd tried commanding. He'd been ignored. So now, he just... talked. The very same topics that he’d talk to with his martial spirit. In addition to day to day and normal topics he would also talk about his developing techniques.

He'd rant about the difficulties of finding the correct balance in his Sentry technique, the idiocy of the war, the strangeness of Zaltar's "Anti-Duplex" myth and his frustration that his own soul just fished all day.

He got no brilliant solutions. The fisherman just fished and seemed to be listening. It nodded its head every now and again at the right points. Similarly to talking to his Koi, the act of venting to this other part of himself, of getting his thoughts and feelings out, was... nice. It was an outlet. And as he did, he could feel that bond growing less cold. It wasn't a partnership yet but the icy silence was thawing. At least that’s what he felt.

In the quietest moments, he would reach out with his Sanctuary's new power, his mind crossing the void. "Kui? Everyone... okay?"

"Wise Host!" Kui's voice was a joyous boom. "All is well! The company is advancing as planned and the harvests are plentiful!"

Cyra’s calm voice cut in. "Young Master, all is normal on the continent. The construction of your hometown is underway. We have hired the finest Array Masters and builders. It is becoming a fortress. A place, as you said, 'to rest and be safe.' It will be ready for you when you are back."

A place to rest. That was all he wanted. "Good, thank you for your work" he projected. There was a genuine warmth spreading through him as he heard familiar voices. He realized at this moment that he missed home. "Keep everyone safe. I'll be back as soon as I can."

Before he had left that space a voice sounded out. “The hunting by the sea has been going well. We have collected a few new specimens for you and some smaller treasures.” Xylia said. Then she continued but in a much more nervous tone.

“Also, I have gathered my three previous generals from when we first met. They still cannot transform into human form so I have set them as the three guardian beasts of the company. I hope that is okay.”

Li Yu felt horrible when he heard what she had said. He had forgotten about the followers of his followers previously. He quickly recovered and smiled and then responded. “Of course that is okay, we should have done that sooner. I apologize for not doing so even sooner. It makes sense to do so now.”

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“Kui, I will return Ying and Zhao back to you when I get back. They can be the guardian beasts of the Golden Shell Guild until they are able to transform. I should have done this sooner as well. I apologize as well for not thinking about these things. I hope you both can forgive me…”

“Wise Host! Think nothing of it, things were different back then… besides I’ve always checked in on them when I visited and they like to be lazy in the Sanctuary. It might be hard to get them back to work!” Kui said while chuckling.

“Thank you to you both for understanding.” Li Yu finally said before ending the conversations.

Three days passed following that routine. On the morning of the fourth people finally arrived.

The first to arrive were the reinforcements. They were a large team of over a hundred, mostly Core Formation, led by a 1st-level Soul Formation expert. A stout and serious man named Elder Mathis who specialized in arrays.

"Grand Elder Corvus," Mathis bowed. "My team is ready to take over the defenses. We have been fortifying the rear lines. We are ready to hold the front."

Corvus nodded, a rare look of relief on his face in recent days. "Good. You're competent. We need this place to be a fortress that can withstand a siege without us. Thank you for coming."

"As the alliance commands," Mathis replied, unfazed and immediately began directing his people. The monastery began buzzing with a new energy.

Moments later two more groups arrived, their combined auras a clashing chaotic storm. They landed in the central courtyard and the entire monastery went silent. The new tense peace of humans and demons stopped.

The new arrivals were oil, fire and ice.

The first group was the Cultists led by two well known figures. One was High Priest Vrak the other was the Red-Eyed Mistress, Malara. The main group landed and as one moved to a dark shadowed corner of the courtyard. They remained silent, radiating suspicion and observing everyone. They were technically in enemy territory and had the weakest forces now. They spoke to no one.

The second group was the "Demonic Strike Team." Three Soul Formation experts and Li Yu felt some of his own power thrum in response. One was a demoness wreathed in a visible, chilling frost, her blue-white skin like porcelain, her eyes an empty glacial blue. Lady Vyltra, Zaltar had called her, a 5th-Level Soul Formation expert.

Another was a brute, massive and broad, his skin a patchwork of black rock and cooling, glowing-red magma. Forgemaster Krell, 4th-Level. The last was a slender robed demon, wreathed in shadows that seemed to cling to him. His eyes are unnervingly large and unblinking. Vizier Morn, 3rd-Level.

The courtyard was a standoff. Nine Soul Formation experts.

Lady Vyltra's cold gaze swept over the monastery's new fortifications, her expression one of surprise by how far they have come. Forgemaster Krell stomped forward, his heavy footfalls shaking the ground and jabbed a massive rocky finger at Zaltar.

"Zaltar!" he boomed, his voice like grinding stones. "They said you were babysitting humans. I see they even gave you a child to take care of." He gave a gruff nod toward Li Yu, not as a direct insult but as a simple observation.

Zaltar's four arms crossed. "This child has proven himself, Krell. He has earned his place. Mind your tongue."

Vizier Morn glided past them, his movements silent. He didn't approach Li Yu but instead stopped in front of Corvus. "Grand Elder," he hissed, his voice like rustling paper. "Your team has done a good job taking this location and from what I sense, most of your forces are still intact." His large unblinking eyes moved around observing everything.

The tense silence was shattered, as it always was, by Jian Xuan.

"HAH! WELCOME, ALLIES!" he boomed, striding to the center of the courtyard. "The Great Crab God has seen fit to gather us! What a mighty, mismatched and glorious assembly! Demons, humans and cultists! Surely, this is a sign of our coming victory!"

Forgemaster Krell just looked confused. "Crab... God? What is this Crab God you always speak of?"

Malara visibly sneered from the shadows.

Lady Vyltra finally spoke and her voice was like cracking ice. She was addressing Corvus and Zaltar but her glacial gaze was fixed on Jian Xuan. "This... is the team?" Her eyes finally landed on Li Yu. "You are indeed quite strange though. I sense that you are like us… but that should be impossible… yet I can feel it. Almost like you are our kin. What a strange little boy…."

Before Li Yu even had to respond, Corvus's own voice cracked like a whip, "ENOUGH!"

His face was a mask of thunderous authority. "You can all loathe and question each other on your own time. You can question, you can posture, you… can worship your crabs," he shot a glare at Jian Xuan, "I do not care. But in this command hall, you are a team. This is on Commander Theron's orders. We have a new mission."

He turned and strode into the command hall, not looking back.

One by one, all the leaders followed him. Li Yu and Jian Xuan fell in behind Zaltar. The Cultists took the darkest corner. Lady Vyltra and the two others took the far side, a clear line drawn between them and everyone else.

Corvus activated the tactical map. "Our previous mission was to secure this territory. The arrival of Elder Mathis's team has succeeded. This is no longer our concern at the moment."

His hand swept across the map. Far to the east a new point glowed.

"Our new mission is to continue to advance and set up posts like here. We need to get to those rifts and see what we are dealing with. To see if we can find a way to close them."

He highlighted a rugged mountainous region. "This is the Sentinel Pass. It can be made into fortified mountain stronghold like here. It is the next point that we need to take a step further.”

He looked at the assembled, grim-faced and incompatible team.

"We move out in one hour."