Grand Ancestral Bloodlines

Ryu exhaled a deep breath. In the next instant, his chest expanded to double its usual size. The air in the surroundings, cold and all, shot toward him like a tornado, replenishing his body with an undeniable ease. 

The instant he finished circulating his Ice Phoenix Martial Form, his body entered its peak state once again. His indifferent gaze watched as Sarriel's momentum continued to climb and his skin and hair began to frost over. 

It was rare that Ryu would ever be affected by the cold. However, if there was any race of people that could match those with Ice Phoenix blood in this regard, it was the Moon Fey. In fact, the Moon Fey were more fundamentally sound in this regard than Ice Phoenixes were. 

The Moon Fey's affinities were rooted in Yin. However, the Ice Phoenix's affinities were rooted in Life. To them, their ice affinity was actually a secondary ability while to the Moon Fey, it was primary. 

To make matters worse, Ryu was still in the Ruler Realm while Sarriel was a step beyond that. Even if she wanted to freeze him to death, though Ryu could resist a small bit, stopping her would be a tall task, and it was obvious that Sarriel herself knew this. 

If there was anyone who was fully aware of just how ridiculous Ryu's talent was, it was her. She was fully aware of Ryu's Ice Phoenix Bloodline… She just didn't care. 

Before her, all such things were meaningless. 

Sarriel's veil and cloak shattered, revealing a tight flexible armor of white and beauty that was beyond words. The white leather wrapped around her powerful thighs and the slender length of her leg. It clung tightly to her torso and waist, accentuating the curve of her tall breasts. The only portion of her body that was untouched by this armor was the elegance of her neck and the gorgeous lines of her face. 

Her hair danced about in the wind, the sound of sharpening swords growing fiercer and more active with every passing moment. 

Sarriel's Immortal Ring manifestation suddenly found itself freezing over inch by inch before the image itself entirely shattered, leaving behind swords carved of the most immaculate, translucent ice. 

Ryu knew without a doubt that he stood no chance in the aspect of yin. He was certain that Sarriel had corpse puppets she disdained to use against him and he could tell that his own Summonings were very quickly losing to Sarriel's clones even as he strategically used [Death Swap] and [Grave Digger] to cut them down one after another. 

Sarriel was the type of opponent Ryu wished he could use [Heaven's Gate] on. But, unfortunately, without breaking through a significant amount of seals or waiting ten more years, he was unable to do exactly that. 

Despite not having suffered any terrible injuries just yet, Ryu still felt an undying pressure weighing down around him, only growing stronger with each passing moment. 

This wasn't the first time Ryu was facing an opponent that felt impossible to defeat. But, it was the first time one of his peers was giving him such a feeling. The feeling was somehow completely different as a result of this. It was subtle, but it made a world of difference on his psyche as though something was breathing down his back, telling him to give in and allow her blade to be drawn across his neck. 

Ryu suddenly closed his eyes, the world filled with the sounds of whipping winds and shattering glass. He could almost feel Sarriel's cold pervading the air, causing it to freeze over and crack into sparkling snow. 

To make him feel inferior, if for nothing but just a few moments, Ryu had to admit that this Sarriel was truly an existence worthy of shaking the martial world. However… 

Violet lightning flames began to dance across Ryu's body. His robes seemed to gain a light of their own, hidden veins within their fabric lighting beneath Ryu's qi. 

In that moment, thunder boomed in the skies as an arc of black lightning tore through the battlefield, shattering the ground between the two in an instant. 

By the time everything cleared and Sarriel could see Ryu again, he was covered in magenta scales so dark that they almost appeared to be black. He had a pair of horns that twisted into the skies, making him seem even more demonic than the Magma Devils had been. His pair of pupils slit vertically, a devilish violet hanging around them. 

The largest change, though, was to Ryu's robes. They were no longer upon his body, revealing a toned figure covered from top to bottom in scales. Instead, they had become a twin pair of wings extending outward more than ten meters to each side. 

They pulsed with lightning and fire, arcs of purple and black causing even space itself to tremble. 

Steamed tumbled out from Ryu's lips, his canines becoming so prominent that they could even crush precious metals to pieces. 

Sarriel's gaze narrowed, her sword being brandished before her. Every step she took forward caused another lotus of ice to bloom, her flexible, white leather armor beginning to radiate with complex sky blue runes. 

Ryu's wings suddenly spread out wide as though to curtain the world in darkness. The steam billowing from his mouth gained crackling arcs of black lightning, his surroundings themselves being marred by a chaotic energy. 

Ancient memories danced about in Ryu's mind, his blood rushing like crashing waterfalls. 

It was right then when the world was most silent that Ryu's wings suddenly slammed closed. 

Scythes of purple-black lightning flames tore through the air. Space collapsed, large tears in the voids hanging about as Ryu lighting flame blades shot a path toward Sarriel. Each was so concentrated and deadly that they were no less potent that any one of Sarriel's strands of sword qi. 

Ryu had already decided. Only a beast would be able to defeat someone as powerful as Sarriel. She was too talented, too clever, too strong… 

In that case… 

He would just become a beast.