Grand Ancestral Bloodlines
chapter-1898

Ryu didn't bother to count how much time had passed since he had been in the Rebirthing Cultus Sect. He left when he was good and ready. His mind was relaxed, his heart was settled, and he felt like there was a lightness to his heart as he stepped out of his Immortal Abode. What he didn't know, but probably expected, was that the moment he made any sort of movement, countless figures, senses, and minds focused on him all at once. All the Core Disciples of the Sect were exceptional not only in talent but also in cultivation. It was unheard of for a True Sky God to be among their ranks. In a way, it would have even somewhat made more sense if Ryu had become an Inheritor Disciple instead. Inheritor Disciples were a designated rank that did exactly as its Title described. They were existences nurtured to become the next Sect leaders, and as such, their raw talent was far more important than their current cultivation. Funny enough, people only tended to complain as though the grass was always greener on the other side. All things considered, if Ryu had actually been directly promoted to Inheritor Disciple, the reactions would have been even fiercer than they were now. There was simply no escaping the angst of people. Ryu didn't mind the senses that were sweeping over him. To them, it probably felt like they were falling into an endless abyss. If Ryu was so easy to scan, then he would have been dug out for his secrets long ago. With his improved Inner World, these fools weren't even capable of seeing through his eyes if he didn't want them to. Even if he hadn't had his Inner World, a simple use of his Cosmos Fog, while it might not be as effective, would still be enough for these characters. "He finally came out."

"How long has it been?"

"Three months. The world is on fire and he's just leisurely sleeping."

Ryu was amused by the conversations happening in whispers that they thought he likely couldn't hear. It was interesting, though. These disciples sure had a great deal of respect for his wife. If not, they would be even more aggressive, and rather than having these conversations behind closed doors, they would be having them to his face. It was clear that although his wife wasn't physically present, her prestige loomed tall. Not only that, but the people she put in place in power didn't take advantage of her absence to try to consolidate their own success… which was extremely rare in a cultivation realm like this. Remembering that Star River woman, he couldn't help but chuckle to himself. If there were so many naive and cute Dao Gods around, the world would certainly be a better place. Unfortunately, those that could reach that level most often had to go through a great deal of things, and their one-track minds, focused on the pursuit of power and gains, couldn't easily be shifted and changed. He was glad that, at the very least, his wife should have a peaceful time with her own powers. If she was dealing with the machinations of the Ruin Master Guild, and had to worry about her own internal strife at the same time… maybe she wouldn't have lasted this long. There was a flash of an almost careless coldness in Ryu's eyes. It was unearthed not out of anger, but through his demeanor and reflected out from his Dao Heart. It was an emotion that was far purer, and allowed him to keep a clear head at the same time. Now, he felt that nothing could stop him… not even his own emotions. Well, at least not when they manifested in such a controlled way. Soon, Ryu had made it through a wave of senses and toward the very same location he had been in before. He looked up at his wife's statue with a smile on his face. That indifferent sort of arrogance radiated down just as effortlessly as Ryu's coldness just before had. She had reached an unfathomable level, so much so that it was reflected even in a statue that could only encompass a small piece of her majesty. Truly beautiful. Just as Ryu was about to begin his challenge, there was someone who appeared before him. If Ryu had bothered to care earlier, he would have realized that this young man's name was Saagar. He, too, was a Core Disciple, and among Core Disciples, he was actually quite fledgling, being only at the Omniscient God Realm. This was rare even among this flock of geniuses. In fact, he was the only one. The other Core Disciples were Dao Lords at worst, while many more were Sovereigns. Of course, these Lords and Sovereigns weren't the usual kind. The vast majority of the Lords and Sovereigns of this Sect could only take up posts as Elders and Deacons instead. For these Lords and Sovereigns to be Core Disciples, it meant that their talent also matched up to their Cultivation Realm and that they had reached this level quite quickly, relatively speaking. Saagar was about to speak when Ryu completely ignored him. Looking up at the statue, he spoke.

"I would like to challenge the Rebirth Cultus Sect's Throne."

Ailsa's statue trembled as though it had sensed someone challenging her. Saagar's expression changed, not having expected Ryu to do this. He didn't even wait until everyone had gathered. Many thought that he might try to milk this situation, but other than being stuck in his own Immortal Abode for months, he hadn't even checked out any of their other resources. Then, just when everyone had gone about to do their own things, he suddenly came here and challenged. What they didn't understand was that Ryu wasn't here for them at all…

And when Ryu's body trembled as two Thrones appeared to his back, the entire Sect fell into silence before exploding into an uproar.