Grand Ancestral Bloodlines

Selheira's eyes widened, as did Jojo's.

A Throne? No way. Absolutely no way.

Becoming a Throne meant exceeding the potential of every other disciple to ever be born within a Sect. However, even that wasn't enough. It had to be by a large margin on top of that.

It had to be remembered that a Throne was a disciple so excellent that a Sect or Clan didn't dare to take them under their banner. It was thus easier for such a Sect or Clan to provide resources to this genius in exchange for being bound to the Faith and the Faith they could gather.

However, the problem with this was simple. Who was this petite woman standing before them now? She might look fragile and delicate, but her aura was as clear and resounding as it got...

A Dao Sovereign!

Thrones were practically unheard of because they didn't receive the same level of protection they did in Sacrum to begin with, but Thrones this high up in the Heavens were even more ridiculous.

"No! It's too dangerous!" Selheira spoke too quickly to stop herself, her eyes filled with a clear unwillingness.

She knew more about this than even Jojo did because she was intimately familiar with the history of the Radiant Star Sect.

In the past, the Radiant Star Sect and the Fading Star Sect had been one entity. It wasn't so easy to just sever Karma and become two separate existences, even after so long had passed. In fact, one of the reasons the Radiant Star Sect had managed to survive by the skin of their teeth wasn't just because of Aika's use of that sacrificial technique that left her old and decrepit, but also because of the Fading Star Sect's caution.

The Fading Star Sect didn't want to just destroy the Radiant Star Sect; they wanted to absorb their Faith Well and reclaim their techniques, returning to the glory of the former Dual Radiance Sect.

Because they had to be cautious and not just focus on completely wiping out the Radiant Star Sect, the latter had managed to survive.

But that meant something else.

If Ryu wanted to become a Throne, he wouldn't be facing the Radiant Star Sect; he would also be facing the Fading Star Sect... No...

He would be facing the former Dual Radiance Sect, a Sect that was not only of the Eighth Heaven but stood at the very pinnacle of it all.

That wasn't the worst part of it either, even after all of this had been said.

Aika sighed. "I understand your feelings. It's one of the reasons I've never brought it up. But there's another problem as well... I can sense that he's already become a Throne once before."

The gaze of Selheira and especially Jojo widened.

"Then no, absolutely not. We can't do this."

Jojo frowned at Selheira's reaction. In that moment, the latter's voice carried a hint of agitation, but most importantly... majesty. It was almost like she wasn't advising Aika, but rather commanding her.

What was going on? Was she stuck in a clown world? First Ryu called Aika his fiancee, and now Selheira was being so rude to a Dao Sovereign as well?!

Aika smiled bitterly. "It probably won't be up to us. I have a feeling that he has been planning to do this for a long while now, and today might just have pushed him further toward that path."

The women fell into silence.

The trial of a Throne wasn't something any Clan, Sect, or even Guild could reject. It was akin to the mandate of the Heavens. Even if Aika wanted to say no, if Ryu had the intention to do so, then nothing else would matter.

That was the harsh reality.

"Regardless, for the next while, I will personally guide the two of you." Aika looked toward Selheira, who stood more than a head taller than her. "Selheira, I know you desire to convince him otherwise, but I'm sure you understand his character by now, right?"

Selheira's radiant blue eyes dimmed. For a moment, her pupils seemed to tremble into slits before returning to their original shape.

It was said that when a Crystal Dragon fell in love, it was a matter sanctified by the Heavens and engraved into their very Dao Heart. It was simply not a matter that could be changed after the fact so casually.

It was an irony of all ironies to Selheira, though.

She had left her Clan to escape the Fate of constantly being beneath the claws of the Fire Dragons. She felt that her Clan was too subservient, lacking in edge and drive.

It really wasn't their fault. They were beasts, at the termination of the day. Their talent was likewise mandated by the Heavens, and they were bound to follow a particular path.

Crystal Dragons were unlike other Dragons in that they were calm and tranquil, but they were no less emotional creatures than the Fire Dragons that rooted their power in the Flames of Rage.

The dilemma was that because they were so gentle, they also tended to be more sensitive, and every decision they made, especially when it came to matters of interpersonal relationships, shone bright and fierce.

In the end, she had somehow ended up falling for a Fire Dragon. It felt like her whole existence was surrounded by a cage, and she couldn't escape no matter how hard she tried.

It was why she had tried to regain control of the relationship, tried to dictate how her and Ryu would come together, tried to claim ownership of him rather than the other way around.

The shame of it was that even after he lashed out as a result, and she wanted to completely cut ties with him in response, she could do so.

And now she was stuck in the same loop as all her answers, sensation pain for a man she dearly wanted to forget the existence of.

It made it impossible to focus on anything else.