Li Yu didn't move immediately. He had new fuel and had a lot of integration to do. The gift from the Azure Dragon was potent and was settling into his body alongside the gifts of the Qilin, Phoenix, and Fox. It was much more than what the others had given.

They had only given some of their Qi, something that would come back naturally. Sylus had given him some of his very own blood essence as well, which from such a beast would take a much longer time or special treasures to restore. That was how valuable his gift and bet that he was placing on Li Yu was.

For the next week Li Yu didn’t do much besides integrate everything the dragon had given him. His body became stronger. His connection to wind, wood and storm became more clear. Within storm, his affinity with lightning increased exponentially.

He continued his training, but now the insights were coming faster. The gift from Sylus acted as a catalyst, specifically for the Wind and Lightning Laws. It added a dynamic quality to them and he was able to understand them much better. Since all things lead to the same source, his growing understanding of them increased his understanding of other laws as well.

The Dragon's essence had supercharged his Abyssal Leviathan Physique. His body wasn't just tough anymore; it was vibrant and had a new sharpness to it. His body was faster, his natural reactions came quicker and it carried a new destructive edge.

Li Yu continued to practice the Law of Life.

He felt the Life Law integrating with his muscles and bones. It wasn't just about healing; it was about adaptation. His body was becoming even more of a self-sustaining engine. The Life Law worked in tandem with his physique, making his flesh denser and his blood richer. This was a great boon for him as his techniques all seemed to require massive amounts of Qi to use.

Since it required massive amounts of Qi, it also put a huge strain on his body. He had once tried to move back to using techniques that needed less but recently with laws and his revised sentry techniques his needs only increased exponentially.

‘I need to find ways to make the usage more efficient. Regardless of how much my body can absorb from the environment and other sources, there is a limit. I won’t be fighting against mass hordes of enemies I can absorb from most of the time. I need to be careful with my usage or I will find myself in trouble. Or if I get injured I won’t be able to use these straining techniques very well.’ Li Yu pondered but solutions were not easy to come by.

‘It does feel that the more I can comprehend and understand a law, the less Qi is needed to utilize it. That seems like one path but I need more solutions. More ways to allow me to unleash everything I can without tiring. I want to be able to fight nonstop for days if need be without holding back! Is that even possible? I don’t know but that will be my goal!’ He concluded.

After a few more days of trying to either lower his consumption or increase his absorption without success he decided to move to other things. He was now going to revisit the Law of Void.

The increased vitality allowed his body to withstand the harsh shearing forces of space better. But the Storm Qi from the Dragon added speed, two things that he could use for his Void techniques.

He practiced stepping through the ripples of the void. Slip. He moved faster and further now with each step and action. The Void Law made him more attuned to the space around him.

Li Yu wasn't just moving through air; he was sliding along the different space layers of the world. He could begin to feel the distance he could go not as a measurement but as a suggestion. His abilities were not there yet but that was the feeling it was giving him.

During one of his training sessions, Li Yu had made a new discovery, there were multiple layers of space.

‘There is definitely more than one layer of space in any given place… With my current abilities I can slip into the first layer of space that isn’t the ‘real’ world. A sub space so to speak. Each sub space is harder to move through than the next. How many are there? It also seems like if I am in the 1st layer of sub space, anyone in the zero layer, the real world cannot detect me. Does this mean if I move to the 2nd layer of sub space, those in the zero and 1st layer cannot detect me?’ A terrifying thought came to Li Yu’s mind.

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‘Then those that have real mastery over the Void, over space, if they are in the 4th, 5th or more… Who knows how many layers are there. If they are there, I wouldn’t know it either. They could easily ambush or attack me from there and I wouldn’t even know. Wait… that means I can do the same to others that don’t have that mastery… How utterly terrifying!’ Li Yu felt a cold chill run down his spine.

He had stumbled upon a scary secret and usage for the Void. It also made him wonder what other aspects of other laws could be used in these unique ways. Could someone who is advanced in water law bend in completely with water and strike from the water? The usages seem endless. Just as there are endless techniques.

‘How wonderful and how terrifying the world is.’ He concluded but could only shake off these thoughts. He would need to improve and be more inventive with his techniques and abilities moving forward.

Li Yu also explored more into the Law of Destruction during this time.

The destruction aspect was the most dangerous as any mistakes, no not just mistakes, anything he did here caused him a lot of physical and mental pain. His Fisherman was always here to help him along but even with its help, every step was incredibly painful for his soul and his body. It felt like he was destroying himself to learn and every lesson was one of agony.

He quickly realized that Destruction was the flip side of Life. As though the two were interwoven like how Karma and Fate were. To understand one was to understand the other. By learning both at the same time he was improving at twice the rate with only half the effort.

He casually tapped a nearby boulder.

Crumble.

The rock disintegrated into dust. It was a terrifying power and one that tainted his attacks with a heavy, oppressive finality. He was figuring ways to incorporate it into his attacks. Just his staff imbued with the Laws of Destruction that he understood would leave a massive impact on his enemies.

Even if they weren’t instantly killed by his assault the remnants from the Laws of Destruction would still be attached to them. Without understanding the law themselves, they could only wait for their deaths. They might be able to keep it at bay with Qi and other treasures for a time but eventually it would destroy them or at least keep eating away at them.

Finally, Li Yu decided it was time to visit the Law of Soul. The soul was one of his strongest aspects but it was also the most mysterious for him. He still didn’t quite understand what was going on with his souls and any mistakes here could be dangerous so he had been putting it off.

Li Yu sat in the lotus position in his courtyard. He centered himself and the ambient noises of the jungle faded away as he pushed his consciousness out, seeking the river that governed the essence of self.

It didn’t happen right away but took a full two days before he was able to find what he was looking for. The world finally dissolved away. The familiar headache came and went but it was fainter this time. His soul was strong.

When he opened his eyes, he was standing on the River of Souls.

It was unlike the jagged magma of Destruction or the crushing depths of Water. It was a flowing river of pale, translucent mist. It shimmered with a soft bioluminescent white light. There was no sound here, yet Li Yu felt a million whispers brushing against his mind. Memories, emotions, the raw forms of existence flowing toward the ocean of the afterlife.

The Fisherman appeared to his left, looking solid and imposing in his straw hat and robes. The Koi martial spirit appeared to his right, its scales shimmering as it began swimming through the mist around him as if it were water.

Ahead of them Li Yu could see the Spirit of the Soul Law.

It was a strangely humanoid shaped and completely blank, faceless and featureless, yet radiating a special kind of pressure. It glowed in various different colors and never stuck to one for too long. It was the arbiter of consciousness.

As Li Yu stepped forward, the Spirit turned its blank visage toward him. It paused. It didn't just look at Li Yu; it looked at the entourage flanking him.

It saw the Koi. Then as its eyes moved to the Fisherman… The Spirit of the Soul Law jolted.

The mist around it rippled violently, betraying a shock that shouldn't have been possible for it. It took several steps back and its aura was trembling. It began to lower its head. It bent its knee, looking as if it were about to prostrate itself in submission before the Fisherman.

Li Yu was looking down at the river, studying the flow of the mist and completely unaware of the entity's reaction.

But the Fisherman saw it. The Fisherman raised his head slightly. Under the brim of his hat, his eyes flashed.

The right eye was a void of absolute Black. The left eye was a blinding sun of White. It was a warning. A command. ‘Do not.’

The Spirit of the Soul Law froze mid-bow. It stiffened, terror radiating from its form. It immediately straightened up, composing itself with a jittery speed. It now stood perfectly still, acting as if nothing had happened and simply watching Li Yu with the passive observation of a proper Law Spirit.