Grand Ancestral Bloodlines

This Ice Devil Legacy World again… 

This was what Ryu thought when Isemeine mentioned it. It seemed like everywhere he had gone, he had heard about it. So, it was finally opening up tomorrow? But wait, wasn't that supposed to still be along ways away? 

Ryu's eyes narrowed, his pupils dilating as he looked into the skies. Someone else would only see an expanse of white clouds fluttering with dense packets of falling snow. But, Ryu saw the depth of space with a single glance. 

After observing the changed position of the stars, Ryu frowned. 

'I see… So time moved forward so much faster in the outside world while I was in that replica Nether World. Or… Is it that I was directly transported into the future instead? No, it's likely the first or else Isemeine wouldn't have complained like that. Or, maybe a combination of the two.'

With how many youths came from different Eras that had participated, who was Ryu to say that he wasn't one of them? He just happened to be lucky in the fact that he wasn't displaced trillions of years like they were. 

One had to remember that the cap for the Ice Devil Legacy World was the Immortal Ring Realm. Back then, the Apostles had started tournaments on the Pedestal Plane to find talents. The winners of those tournaments would then be trained over several hundred years so that they would be primed and ready to help the geniuses of the Blossom and Shrine Plane to enter the Legacy World. 

Now that Ryu really thought about it, this was a lot of investment into a Legacy World that would only be making an appearance on the mere Blossom Plane. In fact, it was a lot of investment even if the Legacy World appeared on the Shrine Plane. 

Why…? Because this Ice Devil was a completely unknown existence. Ryu couldn't understand why the Martial Gods had invested centuries of planning, effort and resources into an unknown expert.

"Do you know who this Ice Devil is?" Ryu asked. 

Isemeine looked up toward him before shaking her head. 

"I have no idea. I'm not even sure my parents know either. I always thought that it was because no one knew that we invested so much into it. Who wouldn't want to unearth such a mystery? In fact, had I known that I would have been stuck in the replica Nether World for so long, I would have suppressed my cultivation at the Immortal Ring Realm to enter too."

When she finished her words, Isemeine looked up and glared at Ryu. 

That was right. She had only been meant to step in for a moment to explain things before leaving. But, she ended up spending weeks getting fucked both mentally and literally by Ryu. It was more annoying the more she thought about it. 

Ryu pretended not to notice her glare at all. He was still thinking about whether it was worth it or not. 

Was this what he should spend his time on? 

On the one hand, for a Legacy World the Martial Gods had put so much effort into now to be finally opening, this was likely the best chance to gain merits. They were especially invested, so the rewards would be great for anyone who could learn of its secrets. This much was true. 

However… Entering that Legacy World was as good as broadcasting that he was in the Immortal Ring Realm. 

It was one thing for a Path Extinction Realm expert to jump a single cultivation level… But two?! That was completely unheard of. If the Martial God higher ups heard about such a thing, who knew what would happen? 

Being talented was a good thing. Being too talented was a sin. This was the way of the world. 

As reckless as Ryu always was, he was no fool. He only took calculated risks he had a chance to grow and improve from. He wouldn't throw himself into certain death situations just for the heck of it. 

However, it was at that exact moment that something Ryu would have never expected to happen, occurred. 

Ryu's heart trembled violently. It felt as though his mind became as light as air for an instant, like he might pass out at any moment. His vision blurred, his eyes flashed, and even a clap of thunder rang through the skies as the white clouds greyed and eventually blackened. 

It didn't take long for Ryu to regain his calm, his breathing steadying and fists clenching. 

[Intuition]. It had activated for the second time in this lifetime. It was telling him to go. 

**

On the Blossom Plane, the upswell was only growing livelier. An event that these geniuses had been preparing for centuries was finally about to begin. 

Not many knew why the Martial Gods were so invested in a Legacy World only those at and below the Immortal Ring Realm could enter. But, quite frankly, it didn't matter to many of the youths who had come from the Pedestal Plane and many who had been born on the Blossom Plane. 

To them, this was an opportunity to change their lives. They had been given a chance and this was finally where they would reap the benefits. 

In one particular location, though, a young lady that wasn't familiar to Ryu even though she should be, was among those who were the busiest. She was Meralda, a woman Ryu should be endlessly grateful toward. 

This beautiful young lady had been the overseer of Ryu's Herbology Exam all those years ago. Thanks to her help, Ryu was able to hide the fact he had contracted Ailsa from the eyes of the Martial Gods for the most part. 

Though he had to deal with Fidroha afterward, it was because of Meralda that he had the benefit of the doubt and wasn't pursued with more fervor. If not for her, Ryu might have already been turned into a puppet for the Martial Gods to make use of Ailsa. 

Of course… The Martial Gods also had no idea that the Faerie they wanted to take control of was actually Galkos' fiancée, or else their approach would have been much different, indeed. 

But… This was only the tip of the iceberg… That day, Meralda had heard Ryu say his name… She knew that he was the successor to the Tatsuya Clan.