Grand Ancestral Bloodlines

Ryu's body carried a suffocating aura, one so imposing that it was difficult to even look at him directly. It felt like several God Auras had condensed, returning to a simpler time where they were nothing more than an amorphous, chaotic blob of ideas.

And it was for that reason that they were so lethal.

Kicks that could split the Heavens, fists that flatten mountains, fingers that could poke a hole through the veil of reality. Each one carried the shadow of a weapon that could be recognized, and yet they were also just out of reach. The body had become the true vessel, the true weapon of lethality that it was meant to be.

For the second time in his life, Ryu could sense that the Heavens were attempting to bestow upon him yet another Bone Structure.

He didn't stop, but he also didn't allow the Heavens to succeed either. His current Bone Structure was the best suited for him and he didn't want to change it, but he wouldn't give up the insights from this incoming Bone Structure either.

He unleashed the full potential of his eyes and the world around him became one of greys, blacks, and whites.

LinesofFateLinesofFate.

He watched as the Heavenly energies converged around him, and then dug deep.

His Childe of Order constitution took center stage. He engrossed himself in the environment around him, fusing with the runes of the Heavens and incorporating them into his comprehension.

He gained years of progression with every fist and palm, his aura becoming more and more suffocating.

The Heavens didn't give up in their attempt, and neither did Ryu. They flowed in and out of love with one another, Ryu raising the level of fusion for just long enough to get a deeper look, and then pulling back to make it his own.

Soon, it didn't seem like Ryu was shadow sparring at all. It instead looked like he was dancing, his fluid movements leaving a trace in the hearts of anyone who could have seen it.

His God Aura became something entirely different and the shadows of other weapons vanished entirely. There were no longer any lingering illusions, no longer any subtle hints toward what styles he was truly using, all that remained was his body and the presence of it.

Combat God.

These were the only words that could be used to describe it, a kind of combat style unfettered and unbothered by the world. It simply didn't matter what form was being used, whether it was a conventional fist or an unconventional elbow, whether it was a lethal kick or a subtle knee.

Everything flowed smoothly from one aspect to another, and yet Ryu didn't seem to have any intentions of stopping.

He dug deeper.

The Mysteries of Celestial and Earth Pupils had capabilities that could shake the Heavens themselves. Just the fact that Ryu could slip into a State of Meditation whenever he so pleased was an ability that even Dao Gods would kill for.

However, this potential had a hidden function that was being tapped into right this moment.

The difference between the State of Meditations brought about by the Mysteries of Heaven and Earth Pupils and ones triggered naturally was the matter of scope.

When a State of Meditation was triggered by the Heavens, it was for a very specific purpose, tied to a very specific kind of insight. When it was triggered by the Mysteries of Celestial and Earth Pupils, it was broad and wide-ranging, able to be applied to anything.

However, if one was casually using the latter, then it was likely that you didn't know exactly what you were looking for. In that case, much of the enlightened state might end up being wasted.

That said, when you had a natural enlightenment, the Mysteries of Heaven and Earth Pupils could latch onto that focus and deepen it.

Ryu's initial enlightenment was merely at the Breath of World stage, one that would shock others, but was rudimentary for him.

But when his Heavenly Pupils got their paws on it, he immediately entered One with Self, and then One with Earth, and then One with Heaven.

At that moment, his movements began to simplify. Less and less of the gorgeous dance appeared and the elegance was stripped away, replaced by a straightforward stance filled with power and brimming with a hidden lethal intent.

The runes continued to spin around him, but they were slowly gaining structure, becoming a dome of complex patterns that seemed easily decipherable not by the eye, but by observing Ryu himself.

Ryu's momentum continued to climb until suddenly there was nothing. The flap of his clothing, the whistling of air beneath his fists, even his steps themselves became deathly quiet.

He seemed to have slipped into the void, his strikes so precise and quick that even the folds of reality could no longer hold him back, almost like he could bypass any defenses and strike at the core of a target with a single thought.

Then he suddenly reached the end.

The Heavens had nothing more to give and Heavenly Blessings dissipated.

The Domain around Ryu shook and then solidified. It spanned just ten meters, and yet Ryu felt that he could kill anyone who stepped within it, even if that person was a Dao God.

Of course, that feeling was ridiculous. He couldn't even scratch a Dao Deity currently, let alone kill one.

Even so, that thought, filled with a healthy sort of madness, painted a more important picture. It was as though his very Dao Heart was fused into his combat style now.

When his fists finally stopped, he wasn't sure how much time had passed. It wasn't until he paid attention to his surroundings somewhat that he understood that it had actually been an entire three months.

He looked down at paws and he felt more in tune with his body than he ever had. But he knew there was still one more step to take.

He forgot about everything else once again and started from step one.

This Combat Deity Aura was perfectly fused with Order...

But it was lacking Chaos.