Grand Ancestral Bloodlines

Ryu ended up not entering the Fading Star Sect. The risk-to-reward ratio wasn't worth it, and he felt a great sense of danger just standing in its outskirts, but his excursion to the Stalwart Sun Sect went just as well as the previous two.

By the time he was ready to return, over a month had passed, and the news had well and truly spread across the Seventh Heaven.

...

Litaor sat with a dark expression on his face. His mood had been particularly volatile in the last several weeks. Everyone knew why, so no one dared to ask.

Flashes of lightning sparked in his azure hair and eyes. He crushed the glass in his hands, sweat beading down his body.

At the moment, he was more than half-naked, having just ended a training session that lasted an entire three days. His body was only a few more rounds from giving out completely, so he had tried to take a seat and relax. But the moment his body came down from the brink, he was infuriated again.

"Again," he growled.

If he was already a Dao Lord, who the hell would dare to touch his woman?

Who didn't know that he had been in love with Jojo since they were children? Even though they were the scions of two different Sects, it wasn't like the Raging Inferno and Azure Lightning Sects were in disharmony. They hadn't warred in generations, and there was still a good chance that he could take her as a wife. It might even be a good thing, bringing the two Sects closer together.

He didn't realize until now that those elders that always smiled to his face were likely laughing behind his back at his childish naiveté.

Those same elders that had encouraged him to pursue her were also the same elders who didn't even accept his meetings now.

They all understood what he would ask, and they didn't even want to entertain it. Who would antagonize another Sect now for no reason?

In fact, although it wasn't as blatant as with Jojo, he was under house arrest as well.

Unlike Jojo, he had broken into the Fragmented Sky God Realm, and his fame had soared. He was already a large part of the face of the Azure Lightning Sect before, but now he was completely on another level.

The humiliation he suffered at Ryu's hands had been a huge driving force for him, and he managed to advance with his Dao only falling a small Realm. As a Sky God with a Middle Hegemonic Dao, his importance was too great.

They knew how he felt, and all his attempts to inquire for an audience only further proved that. Even though he couldn't see it, he knew he was being monitored, and it only infuriated him more.

"Fuck!" He roared.

He returned to the sea of lightning, throwing the shards of broken glass in his hands so hard that they exploded before the rock surface and dug out a huge trench in them.

He began to throw fists and punches.

"I swear on my life! True God Ragash! One day I'll show you the fury of the Heavens!"

His fists became faster and faster. His body cracked beneath the pressure of the lightning, but he didn't seem to have noticed at all.

Fury, rage, determination, it fueled his lightning like an inferno.

BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG!

...

Ryu grinned to himself, rotating a bulb in his palm.

Most of Litaor's anger was his own, but that only made it easier for Ryu to push some buttons.

'He seems on the verge of a breakthrough, though,' Ryu chuckled. 'I guess he's not too bad.'

Though Ryu could ruin the breakthrough, he didn't bother to. In fact, the more powerful Litaor was, even though he would still be no match for Ragash, it would still make things easier on him.

Ryu had helped Aika advance in her Dao back on the First Heaven; he had also caused the Dao of others to collapse several times before, including Adlael's brother.

Litaor should be thankful, even though Ryu was going to make him even more furious very soon.

As for the orb in Ryu's hands, it had recorded Litaor's words of fury. It had taken Ryu three days before he finally got something decent, but the wait was worth it.

Ryu turned and left with swift steps.

When he was just a moment away from leaving the Azure Lightning Sect completely, he sensed it.

He looked back and grinned. Litaor had actually accomplished something quite rare. His Dao had improved after entering the Sky God Realm.

That sort of commotion would definitely be experienced by the Sky Gods of the Sect, and the importance they placed on Litaor would rise again. Who knew, maybe they might entertain his requests now.

Ryu didn't absolutely need it, but if they did, it would make him laugh like a madman.

...

Ryu covertly passed the recording off to an information network. There were very few who would dare to take this sort of hot potato on, but he picked well. How could he have not done his research?

Soon, information about Litaor's fury spread, and yet instead of reprimanding their disciple, the Patriarch of the Azure Lightning Sect only chuckled and voiced it was just the fire of youth.

Even if Litaor hadn't broken through, this would have likely been the response. But after he had, forming a Peak Hegemonic Dao, something only the current Patriarch and Supreme Elder of the Azure Lightning Sect had, he was even more important. The Sect wouldn't allow anyone to tarnish him. In fact, they started to promote Litaor's breakthrough. While in the middle of a Battle of Faith, this would be an enormous boon for them!

It was when this commotion was reaching a true fever pitch that Ryu snuck back into the Raging Inferno Sect, slipping into Jojo's abode once again.

After sifting through her things, he found several examples of her handwriting. With swift movements of his wrist, he copied every stroke perfectly, even mimicking her Sword God Aura.

Then, he slipped this to a random Working Disciple and appeared before Jojo.

"[Earth Gate], open."