The tunnel ended abruptly, opening onto a scene so different from the mountain's interior that Liu Yun momentarily froze in disbelief. Before him stretched a vast wetland shrouded in mist, cypress trees rising like sentinels from dark water. The air hung heavy with moisture, carrying the rich scent of decaying vegetation and new growth intermingled.
Liu Yun stepped cautiously onto soggy ground, his boots sinking slightly into the moss-covered earth. The Southern Marshlands—domain of the Water Weaver bloodline and, hopefully, where Lin Fei and Jiang Tao had safely arrived.
The Earth Shattering Sword felt different here, its connection to the mountains diminished but not gone entirely. Like Liu Yun himself, it seemed to be adapting to this new elemental domain.
He reached into his pocket for the jade token that matched the one he had given Lin Fei, hoping it might provide some directional guidance. The token pulsed faintly, warming in his palm and tugging his hand toward the southeast.
"At least that's working," he murmured, setting off in the indicated direction.
Moving through the marshlands proved challenging. What appeared to be solid ground often gave way to hidden pools, while seemingly impassable water sections sometimes concealed walkable paths just beneath the surface. Liu Yun quickly learned to test each step, using the transformed sword to probe the ground ahead.
As the day progressed, Liu Yun became aware of subtle changes in his surroundings. Ripples appeared in still water with no apparent cause. Mist gathered and dispersed in patterns too deliberate to be natural. The sensation of being watched prickled at the back of his neck.
"I come seeking the Water Weaver bloodline," he announced to the seemingly empty marsh. "I carry the Earth Shattering Sword and follow the covenant's call."
For several heartbeats, nothing changed. Then the mist before him coalesced, forming a vaguely humanoid shape that hovered above the water's surface.
"Earth Vein walks where few mountains reach," came a voice like water flowing over stones. "What brings you so far from solid ground, sword-bearer?"
Liu Yun held up the Earth Shattering Sword, revealing the seven characters now etched along its blade. "The covenant gathers. I've come from the Western Mountains with Jiang Tao and Lin Fei of the Imperial Line."
The mist figure drifted closer, examining the sword with apparent interest. "The Earth Vein emissary and the Imperial heir arrived through the underwater passage hours ago. You were expected to be with them."
"We were separated," Liu Yun explained. "Protocol Administrators tracked us using a sigil on this sword. I led them away while the others continued the mission."
"A noble sacrifice," the mist acknowledged. "Yet here you stand, while six Administrators search the mountain slopes in growing frustration."
Liu Yun couldn't suppress a smile at the thought. "The mountains have their secrets. As do these marshlands, I suspect."
The mist figure seemed to consider him for a moment before responding. "Indeed. Follow, sword-bearer. But mind your step—not all waters welcome strangers, even those who come in covenant."
The mist began to move, gliding over the water's surface. Liu Yun followed, stepping carefully on the path indicated by subtle ripples that appeared before him. As they traveled deeper into the marshlands, the environment grew increasingly surreal. Bioluminescent plants cast eerie blue light across the water. Strange amphibious creatures with too many limbs watched their passage with intelligent eyes.
"The Protocol's reach is weak here," Liu Yun observed as they walked. "The Water Weavers have maintained more of their techniques than most bloodlines."
"Water finds paths around barriers," the mist guide replied. "What seems solid to others offers no true resistance to those who understand flow. Even the Protocol has its... seepages."
They traveled for nearly an hour before reaching what appeared to be the center of the Water Weaver territory—a circular lake surrounded by ancient cypresses whose branches intertwined overhead, creating a natural dome. At the lake's center floated a collection of structures that appeared to be made primarily of preserved reeds, twisted roots, and living plants, all intertwined in complex patterns that suggested both aesthetic design and functional purpose.
The mist guide led Liu Yun across the water itself—the surface tension increasing beneath his feet to support his weight, another Water Weaver technique performed so subtly he might have missed it if not for the faint ripples spreading from each step.
As they approached the floating village, Liu Yun spotted familiar figures waiting on the central platform—Lin Fei and Jiang Tao, accompanied by a slender woman whose blue-tinted skin and gill-like structures along her neck marked her as a high-ranking member of the Water Weaver bloodline.
Lin Fei's face lit with surprise and relief when she saw him. "Liu Yun! We feared you might have been captured."
"The mountain showed me another path," he replied as he stepped onto the platform, grateful to feel something solid beneath his feet again.
Jiang Tao studied him with keen interest. "You've changed since we parted. And so has the sword."
Before Liu Yun could explain, the blue-skinned woman stepped forward, her movements fluid as the element she commanded. "I am Mei Song, Elder Guardian of the Southern Marshlands. Your arrival completes a triangle of power not seen in generations—Earth, Water, and Imperial bloodlines standing together."
"The covenant grows stronger," the Imperial Jade Seal confirmed, floating up from where it had rested near Lin Fei. "Three of seven bloodlines represented. Protocol restriction matrix weakening."
Liu Yun felt the need to share what he had discovered. "There's more to the covenant—and the Protocol—than we realized. In the mountains, I found an ancient academy where all seven bloodlines once trained together."
Interest sharpened Mei Song's gaze. "You saw the Before Place? Few records of pre-Protocol training grounds survived the Purge Years."
Liu Yun nodded. "The Earth Shattering Sword showed me visions of the calamity that led to the Protocol's creation. The founding bloodlines never intended permanent separation. The Protocol was meant to heal, to allow recovery—not to imprison cultivation forever."
"Yet that is what it became," Mei Song said, her voice carrying centuries of accumulated bitterness. "A prison built by our ancestors that the Administrators have turned into their palace."
"Which makes our mission all the more important," Lin Fei interjected. "We must find the remaining bloodlines quickly. The Administrators' reaction to our gathering suggests they fear the covenant's completion more than we realized."
Mei Song smiled, revealing slightly pointed teeth. "Fear not, Imperial heir. The Water Weavers have maintained connections that survived Protocol purges. We know the location of the Northern Desert bloodline—the Sand Shapers."
"Four of seven," Jiang Tao said thoughtfully. "If we secure their participation..."
"The covenant reaches critical mass," the Seal confirmed. "Sufficient power to begin unraveling the Protocol's core restrictions."
Liu Yun felt hope rising, but tempered it with caution learned through hard experience. "The Administrators won't stop hunting us. And now they know exactly what we're attempting."
"Let them come," Mei Song said with the quiet confidence of one who had never lost a battle on her home territory. "Water always wins against those who cannot flow. First, you must rest and recover. Tomorrow, we plan our journey to the Northern Desert."
As night fell over the marshlands, the floating village transformed. Bioluminescent algae illuminated the waters below, while hundreds of tiny lights—some magical, some seemingly living creatures—drifted among the structures. Despite the beauty, Liu Yun remained watchful, the transformed Earth Shattering Sword close at hand.
The covenant was building momentum, but so too were the forces aligned against it. And somewhere beyond the marshlands' protective mists, six Protocol Administrators were undoubtedly regrouping, preparing for their next attempt to stop what had been set in motion generations ago.