Grand Ancestral Bloodlines

Of course, back then, Meralda hadn't believed that Ryu was a true blood member of the Tatsuya Clan. Even now, she still didn't. Rather, she thought him to be a lucky young man who ran into one of the Tatsuya Clan's legacies. 

For a powerful Clan like the Tatsuya's, it was impossible that they wouldn't have counter measures left behind to let their name be remembered and maybe even allow them to recover some time in the future. The best way to do this was to choose talented youths who could take up the Tatsuya name in their absence. Meralda believed that Ryu was one of them. 

After so many years, Meralda still had no idea why she had protected Ryu all those years ago. Maybe she felt bad for him. Maybe it was because he was a little handsome. Or, maybe it was because he was so talented in the field she loved the most: Herbology. 

Whatever the reason was, Meralda, despite her standing as the Heiress of the Dugo Clan, had taken a lot of heat for her decision back then. Even centuries later, she was still paying for it and Clans were still suppressing her Dugo family using her folly as an excuse. 

Of course, they still couldn't prove anything. But, with the shamelessness of these old fogies, they only needed a small reason to gang up together and cause problems for her. If it wasn't because her grandmother was used to being just as unreasonable, who knew how many more troubles she would have had in this time? 

As luck would have it, Meralda was tasked with handling much of the miscellaneous matters' of this coming Legacy World entry, something that was definitely far beneath her status as an Heiress. But, without a choice, she could only accept. The other seven Clans were all too eager to take small bites out of her Dugo Clan's prestige in this fashion. 

…

The location was a grand city at the center of the Blossom Plane. Whether by Fate, luck or coincidence, the Ice Devil Legacy World was also precisely located at the center of it all. 

Of course, when it came to matters of the center of a Plane in the Shrine world, with the exception of the Mortal Planes, the only true center was Shrine Mountain. The city was thus built as the base of a towering mountain which was both impossibly wide and tall to the point of piercing through the veil of the skies, reaching to the Plane that called the space far above them home. 

The densest energy of the Plane radiated out from the mountain, cascading down upon the city of gold with a splendor surpassing even it. 

Unsurprisingly the city was indeed named Gold Leaf City. It had tall tan walls decorated with golden leaves and five inner walls that were easily viewable even from the base of the outer wall. 

The city itself was constructed like a tower or a looming mountain. Each one of its subsequent inner walls was placed at a higher elevation than the last, giving the illusion of a continuous, monstrous wall that rose into the skies, only overshadowed by Shrine Mountain itself. 

The gates of Gold Leaf City were a thick, heavy rose gold. It was etched with scenes of a mythical heavenly realm, frequented by faeries, angels and halos of holy light. 

The roads that led to them were wide, and carved of beautiful polished white stone. Every one was set with purpose and care in mind, giving the air a light, delicate feel to it that made one feel as though they could get lost in the ambiance of it all. This city and everything around it was truly of unmatched beauty and majesty, touching upon realms most never would. 

Of course, if Ryu had been there right that moment, he would know why. This city was modeled after and even seemed to use the base of a subordinate Sect of the Holy Wing Clan. If there was anything those shameless old women cared about, it was beauty and appearances. Oh… And their undying hatred of men. 

It was quite ironic, almost as though Ryu and Meralda were connected by Fate. 

The very reason Ryu chose to take his own life and managed to trigger [Intuition] in his first life was due to this very city birthing far too many Holy Saintesses. And yet, the person who had saved him all those years ago, at no knowledge to himself, was one of these very Saintesses. 

…

At that moment, the rose gold gates were opened wide, revealing the grandeur of the city. Meralda stood at the entrance, her demeanor calm and unhurried. She didn't seem to realize that this was a knock to her status at all. In fact, there was a light smile playing her features. 

Even now, Meralda wore the same pair of glasses and had her hair up in a messy bun. She didn't seem to pay too much attention to her appearance, yet she radiated a holy aura that felt unmatched. Without even trying, her beauty stood out even amidst a crowd of expert cultivators, her demeanor causing the heart to flutter. 

Her hair was a translucent violet color that would remind Ryu of Elena's diamond pink hair. They radiated a similar shimmering light, looking like gems strung out into long, delicate strings.

Her eyes shared the same color. Even hidden behind her glasses, they caught the attention of all those who passed by, sparkling with kindness and an adorable innocence. 

There was just a single group of people she had left to welcome to the city, but they certainly taking their sweet time. They had been meant to be here hours ago, but time seemed to be a loose construct to them. 

Of course, a few hours weren't much to cultivators, so Meralda could only wait quietly, smiling and nodding to the passersby. 

'Ah, they're finally here…'

At that moment, a platform formed in the distance. One after another, the people upon it slowly turned from illusory to corporeal. 

Ryu had no idea at this moment that a person he would never expect to see was among this group of people.