Grand Ancestral Bloodlines
chapter-1821

1821 Cold

Ryu had an idea on how to proceed from here, but it would take some doing.

Time, space, Fate, and his Cosmos Fog should be enough to succeed… so long as he had the foundation of [Fate Reversal] to rely upon as well.

Using the Origin Flame, he was able to retrace the steps of his cultivation, and it was precisely because of this that he could see through all the flaws so clearly.

His Rebirth had given him a chance to mend it, but the trouble was that too much of its Essence had been taken by his eyes. Though, he couldn't complain. If not for the mutation in his Rebirth talent, he might very well still be blind to this day.

'It's possible… However…'

Ryu chose to abandon the idea for now. Trying to leap on a new wave was precisely his problem in the first place. The moment he had a new idea, he wanted to fiendishly pursue it. But though it was enticing, what was the difference between doing this now and not changing at all?

His idea was quite simple. He felt that using the foundation of his Inner World, the Origin Flame, Time and [Fate Reversal], he could force his cultivation to return to a state in the past and recultivate it.

Just the idea alone was maddening because it didn't seem to have any limits as far as Ryu was aware. There was nothing stopping him from doing it again every time he took a step forward in cultivation or had a breakthrough in comprehension.

Eventually, he would reach a day where his foundation was so perfect that no one would be his match across Time and Space.

Of course, the problem was that this idea was only a theory, and theory and application were two very separate things.

In addition, Ryu felt that he would be running once again.

So, he decisively left these thoughts behind for now, knowing that he could pursue them in the future once his Temperament was far more refined.

Right now, he would force himself to do precisely what he didn't want to do… meditate on these elements that were causing him so much trouble. At the same time… he knew somewhere deep inside, he also knew that he didn't have nearly enough skill to pull off something like that just yet. At least not without years of meditation and contemplation.

Ryu lost himself in thought, trying to eek out the mysteries within him. It could be said that this was the first time he had ever put so much effort into comprehending anything.

The moment he realized that he had been far too complacent, he also came to understand that as hard as he thought he had worked…

He was far too lazy.

In fact, he began to wonder if he had made the right decision abandoning his great swordstaffs. The irony was that right now, he had more of a right to create a new path of weaponry than ever before.

As he thought about these things, his mind sunk deeper and deeper and he forgot about everything happening around him…

Until he was suddenly interrupted.

Ryu's eyes flashed open with a dangerous light. His figure vanished in the next instant.

BOOM!

The mountain he had been in suddenly collapsed.

When he appeared again, his expression flickered as he saw an army standing in the skies.

These existences were very clearly on another level entirely. Even though this was a True Grade Holy World, not everyone could fly. It still took a certain level of skill.

Not only were there easily a thousand cultivators flying before him, but they each wore the same exact armor, and high above the skies, a blue moon hung above their heads…

A formation.

Ryu's eyes narrowed. This was probably the greatest danger of going at it alone in a world like this one. Individually, he feared no one. However, if they formed up like this…

Even a Transcended would have to tread carefully, let alone the fact that Ryu couldn't become a Transcended any longer even though his eyes had finally recovered. This world's laws wouldn't allow Heaven's Gate to work.

At the forefront of the army, a pair of siblings that Ryu had never seen before, and yet could recognize nonetheless, stood.

They were none other than Vespa and Vespera.

Standing there, he could understand why the others had so much Faith in them.

Alone, they were nothing special and Ryu felt that he could crush them with ease.

But together… an odd resonance was formed between them and their strength shone forth. They were most definitely on the level of true geniuses when paired like this.

Even so, from start to end, Ryu's expression remained the picture of indifference. There probably should have been a smoldering fury within him, anyone would be after having been interrupted like he was. But he didn't feel it.

He seemed to have mellowed out considerably… or so it seemed.

His eyes were slowly regaining their focus. For every shade brighter they became, it was as though a slumbering beast was slowly awakening once again.

By the time they opened fully once more, the clouded skies above their head suddenly rumbled.

The expressions of Vespa and Vespera became unprecedentedly serious. They looked toward Ryu as though they were looking at their world's greatest enemy.

But then the atmosphere changed once again.

Ryu flipped his palms and a pair of great swordstaffs appeared within them.

They were a familiar pair, having a cut out where their spines should have been, and having a blade edge that shone with a resplendent silver.

In his hands, they both somehow seemed to be familiar and unfamiliar at the same time.

Ryu seemed to forget there was an army before him, looking down at the great swordstaffs.

He casually flicked a wrist, sweeping out one to the side.

A mountain in the not-too-far-off distance was sliced in two. But before it could crumble, it froze, the fissure healing in a connection of ice as though it had never been cut at all.

Then, it fractured and fell apart like shattered glass.

An eerie coldness exuded from Ryu's body.