Grand Ancestral Bloodlines

Aika scrambled, her qi flaring and shrouding everything. The surrounding Dao Lords were filled with such fear that they rushed away, not even having time to understand what was happening. In truth, Aika had already layered enough protections that nothing would get through. But in her panic, she still layered in more. She wasn't taking any chances in the slightest.

She had felt that ancient aura just now; she knew exactly what it was, and it shook her to her core. There was simply no way that she could allow anyone to know the truth, not a single soul.

Ryu confronted off against the doll-like woman.

"They say that when experts face each other, they should exchange their names," Ryu said with a smile.

The girl looked him up and down. "You don't look like an expert."

"Don't I?" Ryu didn't seem bothered. "Aren't I here, though?"

The girl looked toward the Throne hovering to his back and finally seemed to register where she was.

"I see. I am the 24th Matriarch of the Dual Radiance Sect. You may call me Sovereign Silver Dance."

The world rumbled.

"A pleasure to meet you. I am Ryu Tatsuya."

"You won't share your title? Quite arrogant."

Though she said this, she didn't seem to mind one way or another. It was just another casual fact. If there was anything, it was only a slight irritation that Ryu had made her share her own.

Ryu laughed. "I said to exchange names, I never said something about titles."

"Ah. Will you wait for the appearance of the Title Stele?"

"We've only just met, but you know me so well."

Silver Dance turned absentminded for a moment.

"No," she eventually spoke. "You just remind me of someone else. Your Dao is very good, let's see if it will help you."

Silver Dance's wrist shifted only the slightest bit, and yet her whip was led right to Ryu's chest.

Ryu met it with a punch, the intention of the world following him. To his back, his Birthed Phenomena gathered up the intention of the world, and Heavens rumbled and roared.

The appearance of Ryu's Heavenly Pupils had shocked Aika so much that she didn't even have time to register the existence of the Birthed Phenomena. In fact, so many people were so swept up by her reaction that they didn't notice it until this moment as well.

But it was precisely because of that that it was possible to hide.

A youth of Ryu's age with enough control to carve out a Birthed Phenomena in his own likeness? Just how arrogant was this boy?

And why were the eyes of his Birthed Phenomena closed?

Ryu could feel that rush of blood in him. His arms exploded with the strength of the True Sky God Realm. Within his, his bloodlines roared, and his Chaos Qi urged his body along.

PA! PA! PA!

It looked like a battle between a vicious silver dragon and a man who stood with the weight of the world on his shoulders. But no matter how impressive it was, Ryu didn't seem to be able to get close at all... until the situation changed.

Ryu's fists became palms, and in a single instant, his arms moved so quickly that dozens of them stacked into one, forming a wall that all but shattered Silver Dance's whip.

His Birthed Phenomena trembled, and they both pulled in three fingers and a thumb. The effort seemed to be great as a single forefinger was left standing, the void of space itself trembling beneath its might before it descended.

Distance didn't seem to mean a single thing to it. It appeared before Silver Dance's forehead, piercing down with the authority of the world.

It was a finger that carried not just Ryu's Child of Order and Chaos, but also the authority of Shrine Mountain, a Natural Enlightenment that solidified it all and gave the world itself structure.

The feeling of danger made Silver Dance's heart skip a beat. She had a hard time imagining that a Higher Fragmented Sky God could even battle with a True Sky God like herself. But to actually put her in danger...

It seemed it was time she got serious.

The orbs that were her sights pulsed, and starlight descended.

On the one hand, a dark-silver radiance winded around her arms like snakes. Quite soon, that was what they truly became, gorgeous creatures with ruby sights formed of starlight.

On the other, a manifestation constellation appeared to her back. It was of a goddess with three heads and six arms. This goddess' hands held nothing in the beginning, but as though the whip Silver Dance held gained a power of its own, it split and divided, landing right before her.

At that moment, one of the snakes wrapped around Silver Dance raised its head and snapped at Ryu's finger attack, destroying it.

Then, what felt like dozens of whips appeared in the air, moving with such fluidity that Ryu could hardly keep up.

Fists, elbows, knees, and kicks, he used everything he had to keep them at bay. His skill was on full display, but his speed was just lacking. Wounds began to appear across his body one after another, the oppressive feeling suffocating him.

Until a roar came from his mouth.

Red scales erupted across his body, his hair turning a blazing red and his toned torso looking like carefully carved rubies stacked atop one another.

His Birthed Phenomena trembled, and the appearance of a second took shape. A mighty Fire Dragon split the skies with its roar, and yet a human stood on its back, subduing it and bringing it into submission.

Ryu's array of attacks gained more claws than fists; even his wings became like scythes in the air.

He blasted the illusory whips apart, his chest expanding. His scales expanded along with him, their edges gaining a golden glow as a ball of fire accumulated in his throat.

Take Form and Burn the Heavens.