Grand Ancestral Bloodlines

"Is that so…"

Ryu fell into his own thoughts, still consuming food in large amounts yet speaking so clearly one would have thought he wasn't eating at all. 

Ryu never worried much about the Three Pupil Clan or the Three Pupil Eclipse Sect during his first life for obvious reasons. He was the scion of the Tatsuya Clan, what did such existences matter to him? But, that didn't mean he didn't understand their ability. 

The third eye of the Clan and the eye techniques cultivated by the Sect worked similar to Ryu's [Ephemeral Tapestry], but only for a single kind of qi, and only for Yin Qi in specific. This gave those with these pupils more sensitivity toward yin and greater control over it, giving them great futures as Necromancers. 

This ability also helped the Clan to gather many yin treasures in their day, something that was likely a large reason for their improvement to this point in such a 'short' time. 

Ryu could see how this ability, if evolved, could be quite enticing. In specific and key situations, it might even become as useful as Heavenly Pupils. It was even possible that the Silver Touch branch had predicted the birth of a new pair of Heavenly Pupils if Ryu wanted to make a guess at the worst possible circumstance. 

Could a pair of Heavenly Pupils be birthed from a Clan from a small world? It was possible, but not probable. 

It was more likely that the Silver Touch branch wanted to sap away the Three Pupil Clan's talent and forge one of their own. And, it was even possible that they had gathered so many varying bloodlines with Spiritual Qi related talents of their own to help facilitate this. 

Of course, this was all Ryu's own speculation. Not every Clan could be like Little Gem's and foster their own pair of Heavenly Pupils to be passed down through the generations. 

Thinking of Little Gem, Ryu's eyes flashed and the little bundle of white joy appeared. 

Ryu smiled lightly as the little one hopped around him. He had been worried that after losing a year, he would find that Little Gem was harmed, but it seemed that the likelihood that he had lost a year in memory but not action was more likely the case because Little Gem was only looking healthier and healthier everyday. 

When the little one was first born, she couldn't even walk around on her own. But now, she was hopping and skipping, even greedily fighting Ryu for his food like a little rascal. It really brought a smile to his face. 

Ryu had always wanted a little sister, a feeling birthed by the affection he had for his elder adopted sister, Nuri. It was why he doted on Guiot's little sister so much and why Little Gem brought such a smile to his face. 

At the moment, he was at peace despite the words Eska was speaking. 

"… It could be said that what the Silver Touch branch is most interested in, then, is the Nether Realm. Namely, they want to take control of the Demon King Clans and see if the Demon Emperors truly exist or not. At least, that is what Isemeine's guess is. Even when it comes to her branch, what she knows is very little because her cultivation is still too shallow. She is just a junior. 

"However, what I can say is that it isn't by accident that there are so many people of different dialects here…"

Ryu patted Little Gem's head, speaking absentmindedly. 

"Their hold on the Nether Realm is definitely not shallow if they could pull that off." 

Ryu didn't seem perturbed by his words, but the weight of them was far different to someone who understood what he meant. 

"You understand this already?"

"The only way to gather so many people whose bloodlines should have long since been extinct is through the Nether Realm. The concept of time in the Nether Realm is skewed, especially the deeper through the floors you travel. According to a theory written by a Ruin Master from the Sky God Era, there comes a point where time become absolutely meaningless once you reach a deep enough level. 

"Theoretically, if one was dead set on producing a new Heavenly Pupil that could help with your control over Spiritual Qi, and one had decided that the best way to do this was through your talent absorption bloodline, then such a person who was already invested in the Nether Realm to begin with might take advantage of this to transport all of these talents from across Eras into just one, easily accessible, convenient place."

Eska gave Ryu a deep look. She had a feeling that Ryu had figured this out a long time ago and the abilities of the Silver Touch branch was just the final piece to his puzzle. 

"Then you know that…"

Ryu nodded. "I know."

"And…?"

"I'll see how it plays out." Ryu replied calmly. 

Eska gave Ryu another look but said no more. 

"The fourth and final branch of the Martial Gods is known as the Nourishing Soul branch. Their Vital Qi functions similarly to a Soul Nature, but is far more potent.

"Someone with a Spear Soul Nature would gain a great boost in comprehending the Spear, they would find comprehended Mortal Endowments in this lane to be extraordinarily easy, almost as easy as breathing. 

"Someone with the Nourish Soul branch Bloodline, though, would experience this on a much deeper level. It wasn't just pervading their soul, but rather that their body itself had a natural instinct toward the weapon. Even without comprehension or relying on the Heavens, they would have a natural inclination toward a weapon and be capable of using it with far more fluidity than even someone who had practiced for millions of years. 

"They were practically born as infants with the skill of a person in the Ruler Realm, and as their bodies strengthened, this only became more exaggerated."

Ryu stopped playing with Little Gem for a moment, his finger tapping lightly on the table. 

A branch with high vitality? And a branch with something exceptionally similar to a Soul Nature? Was it just a coincidence, or was he overthinking it…? 

He suddenly thought back to a thought he had of Guiot's mother and his little sister. 

It was almost like… They weren't human.