Grand Ancestral Bloodlines

Ryu looked at the man, seemingly trying to recall him, when he realized that with his memory, if he didn't recognize someone, it simply meant that he had never seen them before.

"What an idiot," Ryu looked at the man who seemingly had a head of flaming hair, unable to understand him. For a moment, Ryu even thought that he was mistaking him for someone else, until he realized that that was ridiculous too.

Lirion was even more infuriated when he saw Ryu's weird expression, but instead of snapping again and allowing Ryu a chance to humiliate him, he looked toward the side.

"Elder Vermo, this man is an outsider. May I have the right to deal with him?"

The so-called Elder Vermo was an older man that Ryu had noticed a long while ago. This open ground, inverted technique pavilion of sorts was quite forgiving. Disciples seemed to travel in and out of it with great ease, and that was because everything was automated. The only reason the old Omniscient Sky God was there at all was as a failsafe and a reminder to keep in line with certain rules.

At the moment, the old man was reclining lazily beneath the shade of a leaf that was at least two meters from tip to tip. He couldn't even be bothered to keep his eyes open, and if not for Lirion calling out to him, he wouldn't have even noticed what was going on.

He opened a single eye and frowned before waving a hand.

"Stay away from the pavilion. Fights within the perimeter are not acceptable."

Although the formations that protected everything would likewise keep the books safe, it was still best to not allow such a precedent. If the pavilion was burned down due to a battle, who would take up the responsibility for such a thing?

The Martial Gods, compared to other powers, were extremely lax. They allowed outsiders like Ryu or the Beast Mimicry Sect Inheritance Disciple to walk in and out of their territory freely, they didn't force marriages on their youth and allowed them to freely form relationships whether that was inside or outside the Clan, and obviously, they allowed fighting and even promoted it pretty much anywhere. No one had even come to bother Ryu about Janus' death.

However, lax rules didn't mean that they had no rules. They were in the constant pursuit of knowledge, and one of the few places where the rules were quite strict about fighting were around the technique pavilions like this one.

"I understand, Elder. However, this man is not a Martial God and seems to have the intention of partaking in our techniques. He is taking advantage of our hospitality. It is beneath your status to deal with a man like this, however, if you could use your power to expel him, I will personally deal with him once we are outside the range of non-combat."

Elder Vermo turned his one open eye to Ryu. "Is this true?"

Ryu stood there, not saying anything. What sort of clown show was this?

With the protections on this place, even if he did go down, was it relevant? Why was this old man asking such a stupid question?

He had always hated explaining himself to others, and that was only doubly so in situations like this one where-

Elena's aura suddenly flared up and the full weight of a Peak Transcendent Sky God fell on Lirion. Before the man could even react, he was smashed down to his knees, the bones within shattering to pieces.

Lirion screamed out in horror and pain, his eyes turning bloodshot and his inner organs practically collapsing.

Not everyone was like Ryu. It still stood true that the gap between Sky God Realms were entirely insurmountable, let alone a gap between a Lower Perfect Sky God and a Peak Transcendent Sky God.

Lirion had been so focused on Ryu that he hadn't considered anything else. Plus, even for Martial God women who tended to be a bit... looser with their preferences and sexual urges, pairing up with a Sky God many Realms below you was something that basically never happened.

If you were a Martial God woman, looking to get your rocks off. Why would you choose someone who couldn't keep up with your stamina or urges? Even if Ryu looked good, that wasn't enough.

Lirion never expected that Ryu would have such an expert by his side, but when he struggled to look up and get a good look at Elena, he was even more surprised.

The Elena everyone knew did like to wear dresses, but they were almost always dirtied and battered in some way as though she was in a constant warring state. He didn't even recognize her...

Wait, the Elena he knew was also a True Sky God... when had she become a Transcendent?!

Elder Vermo opened his other eye and sat up a bit, a dangerous look flashing in his gaze. This technically didn't break the rules of the pavilion, but it was truly skirting that line.

"First of all, according to the statutes of the Martial Gods, my husband is allowed to partake in our teachings, he is only limited in certain aspects, aspects that don't include whether or not he can walk into the Pavilion.

"Second, what is the greatest humiliation of a Martial God?"

Elena let the question hang in the air.

Lirion grit his teeth, but he couldn't answer immediately. The humiliation was too much and he was trying his best to suppress his fury before he could.

Unfortunately, Elena wasn't nearly so patient.

BANG!

The pressure doubled and Lirion's face was driven into the ground, a small crater forming around him.

"I asked a question. What is the greatest humiliation of a Martial God?!"

Lirion clenched his jaw so tightly that his teeth cracked, but even so, he pushed out the words.

"... To ... be... weak..."

"Do you know why that mantra is passed along? It's not only a reminder to keep pressing forward and improving, but it's also a reminder that there's a hierarchy of strength you need to abide by. What did you think you were doing by targeting my husband? Even if I killed you right here and now, no one would blink an eye."

Elena left these words and then pulled Ryu along. When her pressure dissipated, Lirion lay sprawled out on the ground, realizing the only reason he was alive was because of the rules of the Clan.

The Martial Gods were a true survival of the fittest. Because of the way their Bloodlines worked, you might not even be born into your own parents' branches or branch, forced to forge out on your own in an unfamiliar land.

Family ties were often sparse except in special or unique instances, and it was often an every man for themselves sort of culture.

In this sort of world, for Lirion to offend a Sky God on the verge of entering the Omniscient Realm was nothing short of courting death.

All his thoughts of testing Ryu and making him answer for his master's arrogance flew out the window.

Elder Vermo's eyes narrowed, but in the end, he sat back into his recliner, closing his eyes and allowing his irritation to drift into the wind.

...

Ryu gave Elena a glance. Even now, she seemed to still be a bit irritated, but Ryu could tell that it wasn't just because of Lirion.

Those words, it was likely that someone else had spoken them to her. Maybe multiple people. In fact, it was almost certainly multiple people. Maybe the only reason she was alive was because her father was one of these "unique" situations.

For Elena, who just wanted to live a carefree life, there was nothing worse to her than realizing she was entirely unable to do so without actual strength. And today, these matters just seemed to confirm that all the more.

She just wanted a nice day out with her husband, and she couldn't even have that without having to flex her muscles.

On the other hand, she was irritated because she felt that she had to step in the way she did to make sure the situation didn't get worse. She knew her husband like the back of her hand, she already knew that the moment Elder Vermo started questioning him, he could very well snap at any moment.

And that thought only made things worse, because even when she got to press Lirion into the ground, it was in exchange for hopefully avoiding Elder Vermo doing the same to them.

She still wasn't strong enough. She had improved so much and it still somehow wasn't enough.

Would it ever be enough?

Just as she was about to jump into the enormous hole in the ground, stepping onto the marble, rune etched ring around it, Ryu pulled back on her grip.

Elena looked back a bit confused, but she saw that Ryu's eyes were actually red as though he might either snap or shed real tears.

"Hubby!" She spoke in a panic, wanting to understand what was wrong.

It was his fault. He had left her for too long, and now his cheery, carefree wife had turned into a woman constantly looking over her shoulder, constantly trying to weigh the pros and cons of a situation, constantly trying to make sure she stayed out of trouble so that she didn't offend the wrong people.

Ryu looked back toward Lirion who was stuck in a pit.

"Just die."

The skies rumbled and an arc of lightning descended like the roar of a dragon.

Before anyone could react, Lirion was burnt to ash, unable to even utter a final cry.

A hushed silence fell as Elder Vermo's eyes opened once more.