Grand Ancestral Bloodlines

The Middle Skeleton Warrior hardly looked different. However, Ryu's pupils saw it differently. 

All Skeleton Warriors were formed of pristine white bones that radiated a slight blue hue. They looked almost like polished gems. 

At the same time, all Skeleton Warriors had a deep, dark black fog hanging around them. This was the manifestation of the death qi used to produce them. The stronger this death qi, the stronger the strength they would display. At the same time, the quality of death qi would decide how many of them could be produced. 

Ryu's death qi was particularly potent. He knew that the reason he could summon so many Skeleton Warriors was beyond just because of his improved cultivation and Mental Realm talent. It was definitely heavily carried by his Primordial Chaos Death Qi. 

So, he would take advantage. 

The Middle Skeleton Warrior accepted the reward for the first trial and respectfully handed the scroll over to Ryu. 

Ryu accepted it and casually opened it with a hand. His eyes quickly scanned it, realizing immediately that it was a technique. He imprinted it onto his mind with a thought. But, he was keenly aware that this time, he had relied far more on his Heavenly Pupils and his cultivation as opposed to his Origin Flame. 

The further he progressed, the less useful the Origin Flame Embryo seemed to become. It had been very good at memorizing and remembering matters at a Mortal level. But, as Ryu entered the Immortal Realms, it was having trouble keeping up. It was also a large part of the reason Ryu's flame Talents hadn't improved in a long while. 

The white flame whose name Ryu couldn't pronounce seemed to have a positive effect on the Origin Flame, something that was surprising, especially considering the true strength of the Origin Flame. However, it was very slow. 

At this rate, it would take millions of years before there was tangible improvement in the Origin Flame and it would take billions before it could naturally evolve into its complete form. 

Of course, if others knew this, they would be shocked. A few billion years to produce an Origin Flame? That was a steal! 

But, Ryu didn't have that kind of time. If he couldn't accomplish his goals long before then, then he felt that he would have failed. That was the simple truth. 

In the back of Ryu's mind though, he remembered something quite well. That day on his thousandth birthday when Mistress Holy Wing accused him of stealing the resources of his Tatsuya Clan… Back then, everyone thought the Origin Flame Ryu was going to receive was the complete one that belonged to the Clan, only to find out that Ryu had found a second Origin Flame, though this one was an Embryo. 

If Ryu really wanted a complete Origin Flame, he already knew where to find one… As long as his Tatsuya Clan managed to keep it protected, that is. 

According to what he knew, his mother sealed most of the Plane. There was a good chance, then, that the flame was still intact. 

Ryu wasn't sure if there was anything he could do about the seal. But, he had a feeling that his mother would never leave anything behind with the capability of harming him. She was just that kind of woman and he had absolute trust in her. 

If there was anyone who believed in him wholeheartedly and without reserve or hesitation, it was his mother. He was certain that she knew he would be back. 

Ryu's gaze steeled. 

[Corpse Explosion]. It was the simplest, most wildly spread and most common Necromancy technique there was. However, the power was completely dependent on the corpse it was targeted toward. 

There were countless variations of [Corpse Explosion]. Some with poisons, some with projectiles, but once again, this was all reliant on the target corpse. 

For a Summoning Necromancer, [Corpse Explosion] was an especially compelling ability. The sacrifice of a single Lower Skeleton Warrior could net Ryu the equivalent of a pinnacle strike from a Middle Skeleton Warrior. That was an exchange of a Lower Path Extinction Realm expert for a Middle one. It was a decent exchange. 

In addition, this was only if Ryu didn't take into account the potency of his Primordial Chaos Death Qi. He had a feeling that if he was ever forced to use the [Corpse Explosion] technique in this scroll, someone very powerful would be suffering a great deal. 

'Not bad.' Ryu nodded and put the scroll away. Then, he proceeded. 

Ryu crossed the barrier of the first trial and flashed forward, continuing until he was stopped by yet another barrier. However, his Middle Skeleton Warrior had hardly begun to battle when his pupils suddenly constricted. 

Ryu's reaction was quick and his control wasn't slow. But, even so, the explosion rocked his corpse puppet and hit him with a wall of corrosive energy. 

'… I see…'

When the billowing black fog cleared, Ryu's Middle Skeleton Warrior's body was filled with cracks from head to toe. They began to quickly heal at a visible pace and were soon nowhere to be seen. But, had Ryu not reacted so quickly, he had a feeling that his Skeleton Warrior wouldn't be here anymore. 

It seemed that the techniques that were being handed out weren't just for show. The instant the spirit decided it would lose, it self-detonated using [Corpse Explosion]. 

When the Middle Skeleton Warrior handed Ryu the next reward, he felt that things were only getting more interesting. If this pattern continued and the next trial made use of this technique and all the subsequent ones, things would very quickly become troublesome. 

Ryu had a feeling that his performance decided how good and complete the technique he received was. But, likewise, the better he did, the better the techniques his subsequent enemies would have, thus making it even more difficult for himself. 

This was a bit different from the Nether Palace he knew and it even seemed to have adapted to the fact he was practically participating on his own. It was a fascinating change… Almost like the Nether Palace was a living, breathing entity. 

Ryu wondered if the Dream Wraith had a hand in all of this. 

A smile curled his lips as he looked around, but he could neither sense nor see anything else. 

Ryu looked down at the technique in his hand once more. 

[Warped Corpse Explosion].