Grand Ancestral Bloodlines

As Ryu moved, his mind flashed with several thoughts. He knew that Primus likely already knew where he was, and he also knew that even though he had yet to show himself, he was likely only a thought away. He didn't believe that the barrier between the Sixth and Seventh Heavens would be something that would stall Primus. He had to lose him.

The reason for this was simple. As amazing as it sounded to drag a Half Step Dao God on adventures and have a perfect sheen of protection, there were several issues with this.

For one, these areas weren't places that even Dao Gods could ignore. Even a Dao God would have to be cautious against something like Infinity Mist, especially if it appeared in large quantities, let alone a Half Step Dao God.

That said, if Ryu was to say that he was caring for Primus' safety, who would even believe him? Of course, this was ridiculous and he never had any intentions of minding such a thing. The real issues were what came next.

He had already seen what happened when Primus thought that he was entering a place with even minor danger that he, himself, didn't want to or, rather, couldn't enter. Who was to say that Primus wouldn't attempt to stop him again? And this time, he might even go as far as to string him up and throw him into a living spatial ring.

Of course, that was an exaggeration. The bounds of Primus' oath were tighter than they seemed. If he just captured Ryu and turned him into a jail mate, how would that be repaying Karma? He had to at least give Ryu something in return or else the Karma would remain the same, or even become worse in some cases.

However, that didn't mean that Primus had to let Ryu do whatever he wanted to do. He could easily keep things within a certain bound of reason, and following Ryu around to chase Origin Treasures was very clearly beyond that bound.

There was the other problem as well. Even if he followed Ryu and allowed Ryu to do as he pleased, who was to say that Primus might not take a treasure that he found to be tempting enough?

No matter what Ryu thought of Primus, he didn't believe him to be shameless. At the very least, the man was stubbornly stoic and stuck in his ways. But he was also the type of person who, if choosing to be shameless, wouldn't even blink an eye. Shame wouldn't move him the very same way the death of his own family members didn't move him.

In addition, it wouldn't break karma to do so either. Just imagine. If Ryu had such a treasure right before him, and Primus theoretically followed along, then all along the way Primus would have had to protect Ryu from Dao God level threats. In such a situation, even if Primus stole the treasure at the end of the rainbow, he had already done his job and there would be nothing for Ryu to do other than cry in his own pool of tears.

Knowing all of this, Ryu couldn't allow this to happen. He had to shed the pursuit of Primus... again.

Of course, this matter wasn't as simple as it seemed. A trick that worked once most definitely wouldn't work twice, and if Primus noticed a pattern of what was happening, he just might seal Ryu up in the end or preemptively stop Ryu from doing much of anything in retaliation.

Luckily... Ryu wasn't completely helpless in this regard because the Heavens had granted him a chance.

The details he had been given were so precise that it was somewhat fear-inducing. Each treasure not only had several mentions of them on the list, but there were also several stated methods on how to enter... Some of which included Ruins much like the Nine Pillar Flame Sect Ruin Ryu had entered just months ago!

High in the skies, Primus looked down toward Ryu with a raised brow. He could see a person with a purpose when he saw one. He wasn't too enraged, or even angry at all, with Ryu's successful escape from his clutches. In fact, he felt that he had been a little bit too petty in trying to stop Ryu from entering in the first place.

Of course, this wasn't because he had suddenly grown a heart, but it was rather that someone with Ryu's level of Dao wouldn't fall in such a place. However, when Ryu appeared, he couldn't help but frown.

This was an extremely rare expression for a person of his caliber, and his focus was entirely on the chains that restrained Ryu. The others hadn't observed because the golden runes were so dense and the chains had become so faint, but he could see it clearly.

'Divine Chains? From that Clan? Why is this boy plagued with such a thing?'

If Ryu had heard these words, he would have been shocked. The reason was quite simple. Didn't Primus already know what happened to him?

Ryu had spoken to Primus about what happened in Sacrum, at least in part, and mostly in accusations. Back then, Primus had essentially said that he wouldn't take action because the Martial Gods that invaded Sacrum were beneath his notice, and by extension, that obviously extended to Ryu's False Spiritual Foundation and everything of the like.

It was partially for this reason that Ryu felt Primus was full of shit. What was weak about the Divine Chains that bound his Spiritual Foundation? And what about the ones that bound his Fate Star, they were even stronger?

If he still couldn't step in for such a thing, wasn't he blowing hot air?

But Primus seemed genuinely confused. The fact was that Primus never knew about these chains. He believed that Ryu being born with a False Spiritual Foundation was just a means of the Heavens balancing out a talent that should have never been born. He had believed that it was natural.