Grand Ancestral Bloodlines

Ryu didn't know what to say when he heard these requirements. The Realm of Natural Breath was the very limit of the Natural Enlightenment Realm. In the Sacred Realm, it was paired with the Sky God Realm, but in the True Martial World, the standard that he truly wanted to reach, it was on an entirely different level. Even Dao Gods might not reach such a standard.

In the past, Ryu had wondered why Natural Enlightenment Realms were so much more difficult to progress than Mortal Endowments. But now he knew that it was likely related to the fact those individual realms represented something entirely different.

For example, the Mortal Endowment comprehensions were divided into Heir, Impose, Ruler, Small Realm, Dominion, Divinity, and Deity. However, the last stage, the Deity Realm, also known as the God Realm, was further divided into nine pieces in the True Martial World.

However, the Natural Enlightenment Comprehensions were not divided like this at all.

There was the State of Listening, the State of Feeling, the State of Immersion, the State of Control, the State of Heart, the State of Soul, and the State of Natural Breath. There were no further divisions within these realms other than Lower, Middle, and Higher.

Knowing this, it was no wonder Natural Enlightenments were seen as so much more powerful than Mortal Endowments. It was because each individual step you took in one was simply worth far more than a step you took in the Mortal Endowments.

But none of that understanding made Ryu's task easy. How was he supposed to do any of this?

The worst part was that even if he succeeded, he wouldn't even be able to use that comprehension to strengthen himself; he would have to sacrifice it to his Spiritual Foundation. Of course, in the future, he would be able to benefit from it. But in the short term, it would be like he was giving up a large portion of himself.

That said, it wasn't as though he could use a State of Natural Breath Natural Enlightenment right now anyway. Any attempt to do so would drain his Focus Qi in an instant.

But that only made the task of the Heavenly Warrior all the more ridiculous. Ryu wouldn't be surprised if he was near the topmost of all of Existence in terms of comprehension. It would be nigh impossible to find someone who could match him. And yet, even he felt that this task was impossible.

Was he supposed to wait until he finally became a Dao God to unshackle his talents? That was unacceptable.

Ryu took a breath and closed his eyes, exhaling. He was chasing perfection; that was why he was here. He knew that it was a long shot, but he had come here regardless.

However, sometimes, you couldn't afford to chase perfection.

His Chaotic Silk Meridians technically already weren't perfect. They had a good vessel, but not the absolute best. Should he sit around moping about that as well?

His talents were pawns in his success, not the King. That would be him and it would always be him.

He had already decided within the Heavenly Path. Rather than dragging his feet, trying to push his talents to the top, he would scratch and claw for every advantage that he could pull out of them.

If he succeeded in pushing them to the top, great. Even if he didn't, so what? He would still reach the pinnacle of that mountain. Nothing could stop him, not even his own talent.

Ryu's Divine Heart fluttered, and he took a step and vanished.

The Heavenly Warrior watched him leave, his expression still hidden beneath the knight's helm. In the end, he didn't say anything either and simply vanished as well.

Ryu had a bright smile on his face when he saw his mother again. She was in a deep state of meditation and under the protection of several formations, so he couldn't get close, but it all still brought a smile to his face.

There was something about seeing family that made his heart lighten.

"Hm?"

Himari opened her eyes, her head tilting. She, of course, recognized her son. But she felt that something was off, something was different.

Subconsciously, she raised a fair hand to her cheeks, wiping it across. She looked down at her hand with some astonishment. Why was she crying?

After some hesitation, Himari waved a hand and the formation vanished.

Without the filter, she looked quite pale and even a little bit sickly. She had planned to meditate for centuries, millennia, even. This was the way of Sky Gods of Sacrum. Time passed almost fleetingly to them.

But it had only been a handful of years, and Ryu had already come back, far more powerful than he had been in the past.

"Mother," Ryu swept his mom into a big hug, enjoying her warmth.

Himari was stunned again, and her tears fell faster.

It was an odd scene, her expression was just the same, and yet her tears fell on their own as though controlled by their own mind instead of her own.

Himari looked up, still wondering if this was truly her son.

No, this had always been her son, her real son. Not the one scarred by a single lingering incident that left an indelible mark on his life, but rather the son she had birthed, the young man filled with curiosity and hope toward the world, with eagerness to face anything that would come so long as he had a sliver of a chance.

Ryu found his head buried into his mother's bosom, not out of choice, but rather because his mother was much stronger than himself and had taken his head to be some sort of soft plushy.

Himari cried harder, and Ryu could only smile bitterly and allow his mother to hold him as she pleased. The smile on his face was as bright as it could be.

"Mother, mother, I brought something to heal you. Stop crying already; I'll drown."

"Don't tell your mother what to do, Little Dragon. Stay here a while longer."

Ryu could only acquiesce.