Grand Ancestral Bloodlines

Ryu laughed, dodging out of the way of a sudden strike.

"Hey, didn't I win? I didn't expect the little princess to be such a sore loser."

Jojo glared at Ryu. In battle, it wasn't that she learned how to temper her rage, but rather that she could channel it. She had really wanted to tear this bastard to pieces, but she had actually lost. Even though it was because she had been taken off guard, if it was a real battle, she would still be dead. She would have to go and complain to the kings of the underworld.

Even so, how could she know that Ryu actually had a Spirit Body. Was he aware of how rare such a thing was? Especially on a human. Usually, only the Fey and Faeries would have such abilities, and not even all of them at that.

Ryu looked down below and noticed something that he had spotted earlier but had pretty much ignored due to the circumstances.

Selheira and Eska stood together, both looking like a pair of regal white-haired goddesses. Well, you had to mostly fill in the blanks for Selheira considering her veil still covered more than half of her face. Ryu could look through it easily if he wanted to, but something told him that she would definitely sense it if he did and he had teased this woman enough.

With a flash of his step, Ryu landed and smiled brightly at the two women. Then he ignored Selheira and looked Eska up and down. Usually, she would be unmoved by this. But for some reason, ever since Ryu's change, she found herself feeling a hint flustered around this man.

Ryu didn't blame her. Everyone had their own preferences. He quite liked Eska's temperament and she was the woman he liked most in general. As for Eska, it just seemed that she preferred the current Ryu by far.

Of course, preferences were one thing and love was another. People could easily set aside their preferences for such things.

Among his wives, only Mae was somewhat close to Eska in terms of temperament, but he had a place in his heart for them all. In truth, Mae was only lacking in maturity. He bet that the next time he saw her, she would be able to give Eska a run for her money.

In the past, people had been left quite speechless about this relationship between Eska and Ryu. Their main assumption was that it had something to do with the influence of Ryu's great grandfather. The gap between a World Sea Realm expert and a Transcendent Sky God was far too wide.

"You've gotten more beautiful, Eska. I've missed you."

Eska's pupils trembled and she hurriedly looked away. She wished that she could have turned into Isemeine right that moment; it would have made things far easier to handle. But in the end, her better judgment won, and she could only look at the ground. She found it to be quite interesting. The Radiant Star Sect might be in a stress-filled situation of continuous war, but their grounds were actually so well maintained. How beautiful-

Eska felt a finger lift up her chin, causing her entire body to tremble along with her pupils. Looking up at Ryu, she suddenly forgot that she was several Realms superior to this young man. She just felt small... and even quite shielded beneath his shadow.

She felt her knees go somewhat weak, but she managed to take a breath and stabilize herself.

"Gross. Can you two go somewhere else with all of that?" Jojo snarled, still unhappy about her loss. Then, recalling something amusing, she gazed toward Selheira with a grin. "What's this, Miss Selheira is just going to let her man be snatched up right in front of her?"

Selheira serenely met Jojo's sneer with a smile.

"My man? I could have sworn that I heard some news about a bride being snatched and flaunting her new love all through Azure Lightning Sect territory. Do you mind refreshing my memory?"

Jojo's lip twitched, but Selheira didn't seem to be done.

"Her real name is Josephine, by the way. Feel free to call her that."

Jojo understood that she had really pissed Selheira off this time. She knew Selheira's patterns well. Usually, she would only use one insult at a time and wait to swing with a haymaker after Jojo was out of ammo. But this time, she didn't bother to wait.

It seemed that she still wasn't done even after Jojo was about to lose her temper. She knew well that Jojo absolutely hated that name, and yet she had actually told everyone it. But there was something Jojo hated even more.

"I guess we all also know why you're more fond of a man's name now," Selheira finished, taking a subtle glance at Jojo's chest.

Jojo saw red. "You-!"

Selheira lightly hummed and then spun to walk away. Her steps appeared slow, but they were actually quite quick. In a flash, she had almost disappeared over the horizon and deep into the Sect.

"You wait right there!" Jojo roared.

Soon, they had both disappeared and the sound of another battle erupting echoed.

Ryu shook his head and laughed. Eska appeared like she wanted to say something, but ultimately held back.

"You don't have to be so reserved, just say what's on your mind."

"... You are... quite cruel to Selheira."

"Am I?" Ryu asked with a smile. "You're so eager to have another woman thrown into the arms of your husband?"

Eska tumbled into silence and didn't immediately reply. She understood that though Ryu had changed somewhat, the kernel of truth that made him him had not changed at all.

He was still endlessly prideful, still stubborn, and still of his own mind regardless of the thoughts of others.

Selheira had clearly rubbed him the wrong way and even after all these years, he hadn't forgiven it. It was like he wanted to see her pride whittled down to nothing before he would be content.

"I'm not being cruel, I'm just making the same assumption she did. I can do as I please and go about my life naturally, and in the end she'll fall into my palms anyway. Isn't that right?"