Grand Ancestral Bloodlines

In truth, Ryu understood Ianjor's perspective. He wasn't a person of weak character, and Ryu knew that he could be ruthless when he had to be, or else he would have never made it to the Omniscient Sky God Realm. The main issue was in the difference of their upbringing.

In the beginning, Ianjor's Sect was a subordinate of Ryu's. They were treated extremely well under the rule of his father and grandfather, Titus and Saint Tatsuya. However, after the Tatsuya Clan was destroyed, and Ianjor's Sect followed soon afterward, it was ironically another Tatsuya that made his life a living hell.

Ianjor had experienced two sides of the system Ryu hated so much; he had seen one life where those above you were kind and treated you like humans with real lives and real aspirations, and he had seen the other side where you were treated like nothing more than cattle. Just the fact that Ianjor could make it out from Primus' torture with such a bright outlook on life went to show the level of conviction he had. Ianjor was probably the only one who could still almost be considered a "junior" that had a Dao Heart anywhere near as firm as Ryu's own. He had gone through far more than Ryu in life, and he had come out the other side a man with beliefs that wouldn't be swayed so easily.

On the other hand, there was Ryu. He had been that person at the top of the world, and before he failed his Awakening Ceremony, his father had ingrained into him the way a ruler should treat their subordinates. It was because of this that he met Ianjor in the first place.

Ryu's only viewpoint was as a person who stood at the top of the world. And yet, it was his own so-called great grandfather that had led to the downfall of his Tatsuya Clan. Ryu didn't divide things into "action" and "inaction." As far as he was concerned, inaction was a form of action. Even what Ianjor saw as "action" could likewise be considered a form of inaction.

Every time his father handled Ianjor's Sect with respect, it could be considered a lack of disrespect. Every time his father allowed Ianjor's Sect to grow and prosper, allowing them to keep much of their own resources, it was a form of not acting to steal, a form of not taking advantage. The so-called line between activity and inaction could be easily twisted with a few swaps of words and language. For Ryu, who had millions of possible translations of these worlds in his mind, these words didn't hold any water to him.

What held weight, what held importance, was what always had... The intention. He didn't care how much of a bleeding heart these people had. In fact, if they had such a thing and still did nothing, they might even be worse than their crueler counterparts. As he had said... he wouldn't lose sleep over it.

"What do you think, mother?" Ryu asked.

Himari appeared by Ryu's side, looking at her son's side profile with an inquisitive gaze. She could tell that Ryu wouldn't change his mind even if she uttered something. This little boy had always been stubborn like that.

"Are you sure you want to hear mother's opinion?"

"Yes."

"Let me change my words. Are you sure you care to hear mother's opinion?"

Ryu laughed. "I admit it, it won't change much. But I'm still curious."

Himari smiled, pinching Ryu's cheek before wrapping her arm around her son's.

"Mother's opinion is a bit unconventional."

"Is mine not?" Ryu asked.

"No. I would say that your opinion is how most people would react. If there's an unconventional opinion, it would probably be more like Ianjor's. In this cultivation world, very few can turn the other cheek."

Ryu thought for a moment and then nodded. Indeed, although most wouldn't have it as thought out as he did, their beliefs would likely be closer to his own than Ianjor's. But that was why it was so important how you came to a conclusion, rather than just the objective conclusion itself. Or else everyone would have a Dao Heart as solid as Ryu's.

"As for my opinion, I just believe there's no real point in talking about any of this."

Ryu's brows raised.

"There's no objective morality, and anyone who claims to have an idea is speaking nonsense. If you go down to the Mortal Planes and observe them, you'll find that many of them follow Gods that give them what morals they should follow. However, what Gods could they be following when we exist? No Sky God cares to gather Faith from mere mortals; it's not worth anything.

"Instead, it's their fellow mortals who created Gods for them to follow, leading them by the nose and making money to live lavish lives off of their backs. On the one hand, a major group of people gained conviction. They believe in an afterlife, they believe in Karma, they are diligent with their actions, disciplined and kind where they can be.

"However, at the top, there's usually a handful of villains. Those people are truly vile-or are they? Yes, they're breaking the rules of morality, but didn't they set the rules to begin with? So who's to say? There'll always be some in the handful who have more belief and naivety than others, so they'll continue to follow the rules and bring in a new flock. They'll be aware of some of the "horrible" things their counterparts do, but they'll hide them or ignore them because they believe it's for the greater good of their Faith if their image remains pristine.

"So tell me, who is morally correct?"

Ryu didn't answer. In that mess, who could decide?

On the one hand, a major mass of people gained a reason to live and a belief in something higher than themselves. Their lives were objectively better.

But on the other, it was all built on a facade with one group that sneered at it and another group that tried their best to uphold it.

One would hope that an objective answer could come from the Heavens, but the Heavens were just a bundle of laws of reality, what lessons could it give on morality?

Ryu suddenly laughed.

"What is it?" Himari asked.

"I didn't know mother was such a nihilist."

"Are you teasing your mother?"

A dangerous light flashed in Himari's eyes, but the opportunity was too good to pass up. So, Ryu cleared his throat and raised a finger, putting on a serious expression.

"Maybe I am. Maybe I'm not. Does it matter?"

After saying this, Ryu disappeared into the void, running away at his fastest speed.