Grand Ancestral Bloodlines

Ailsa and Yaana both looked up at the ceiling, but neither could see exactly what Ryu was looking at. However, it didn't take Ryu long from stopping his laughter to walk to a shelf. In an inconspicuous corner, tucked away behind the numerous vials, Ryu easily picked out one and took it out. 

"This… Dragon's Essence Blood?"

Ailsa was the first to understand. She came to a shocking realization that her own Bloodline was trembling. Clearly, whatever this blood was existed on a plane leagues beyond herself. However, didn't this make sense? The Heavens chose the Ancestral Beasts as their arbiters. By definition, they were the highest existence that there was in these lands. 

"Whenever an expert of my Tatsuya Clan passes away, they leave behind their Essence Blood. That Essence Blood is then purified through the use of several techniques and precious treasures to be further concentrated. 

"However, that isn't the end of it. As of right now, my great grandfather is still alive. As his cultivation progresses, his Bloodline retroactively strengthens that of all of his descendants. So, not only is this Blood Essence further concentrated and purified, as his cultivation increases, its foundation becomes stronger and sturdier. The blood in here has already surpassed even my grandfather and father, let alone myself. It's so potent that it's already manifested its own spirit."

Ryu looked above again, but the Dragon had already turned back to ignoring him. It didn't even seem to care that Ryu was technically holding it up, it wasn't worried in the slightest. The confidence that it exuded was palpable. Even Ryu was nothing more than an ant to it. 

In truth, this Blood Essence plan began right at the inception of the Tatsuya Clan. The greatest weakness of Clans that relied on their Bloodlines was the inevitability of decline. There would come a day where great talents ceased to be born and this Blood Essence would become the final line of defense. 

In a twist of Fate, though, Ryu's Tatsuya Clan fell in its prime. In fact, it could even be said that they were still ascending. 

If given enough time, Ryu was certain that his grandfather would have become the second Sky God of their Clan, and his father would have become the third. A Clan with three Sky Gods was practically unheard of. If Ryu was also added to the mix, becoming the fourth, even the Guilds wouldn't dare to take the Tatsuya's casually. 

There were probably only a few dozen Sky Gods in the martial world as a whole in all of current existence. The idea of four being to a single family would be insane. 

This didn't even touch upon the talent of Ryu's other grandparents. 

If Ryu had to be objective, his grandmothers weren't as talented as his grandfathers were. Due to the ban on Mental Realm cultivation, they couldn't make use of their true potential and their foundations were too shaky as a result. 

However, if Ryu's Grandpa Kunan could overcome his mental hurdle and finally claim the Tribulation Shrine, there was a good chance that he too would become a Sky God. By then, that would be as good as the Tatsuya having five Sky Gods. 

Then, there was, of course, Ryu's mother, Himari. She could have very well made six. 

Putting all of this into perspective, it was no wonder their family was the target of the Martial Gods. Such a close knit group of Sky Gods who couldn't easily be turned against one another was a recipe for disaster in their books. 

"I never thought I'd see the day where it had to be used… Not long ago I was writing herbal recipes to help purify it, and now it's quite literally the only hope of ever reviving my Tatsuya Clan…"

Ryu sighed lightly. It was something he rarely did but the weight of the blood in his hands now was too great. And truthfully, he didn't even want to use it. 

Who could he ever possibly trust enough to give this blood to? Just a drop would turn one into a talent among talents, and a true Tatsuya. But, something about gifting this to another person didn't sit quite right with Ryu. He rarely, if ever, trusted others. If one thought about it, with the exception of Ailsa and maybe his Master, all those he trusted currently were from his last life. 

Unfortunately, Ryu didn't just have such a decision to make for the Tatsuya. He had a similar choice to make for the Ice Phoenixes. And, once he spent his final moments with his Grandpa Kunan and his Grandma Tatsuya, they would present him with such a choice as well. 

Ryu clutched the vial. 'No, this isn't my choice, this is the choice of mother and father. I'll leave it to them.'

Ryu chose to believe that his parents were still alive, and even if their lives were in danger, he would make sure that no harm came to them. He had lost enough and refused to lose any more. 

"So this Blood formed its own Dragon Soul? Fascinating…"

Ailsa looked up toward the ceiling and though she couldn't see what Ryu did, she could catch a glimpse through his eyes just like he had once used her gaze to practice the Visualizations of the Zu Ancestors. 

Ryu nodded. "It's given me some ideas about my own Dragon Soul…"

Dragon Soul was a talent of the Fire Dragon. If it was compared to the Qilin, it was quite similar to the Lightning Qilin's Storm Talent in that it was a large, area of effect skill. It could be likened to an Impose Barrier, or on a higher own, a Domain or Dominion. But, it was unique to the Dragon Race. 

As for why it was called Dragon Soul, it was because the core of its strength lied in the ideology of the Dragon. If one didn't have the backbone and fortitude, even if by some miracle you awakened your Dragon Soul, it would be pitifully weak. 

Ryu had learned about many Bloodline Talents of his from his grandfather, but the one his old man remained vague on was the Dragon Soul. 

However, weren't his grandfather's final words as much of a clue as Ryu could ever need?