Grand Ancestral Bloodlines

Lu'card's roar didn't carry the depth or strength that Ru'cil's had, but what it did have was an unbridled arrogance that shone through without regard. 

The thick, steel plated scales that covered his neck flickered with dark qi as he rose his head, the dichotomy of bright silver and night creating a beautiful scene in the starry sky. 

The momentum of this junior Dragon was so fearsome that even many Cosmic Sea Realm experts felt their knees grow weak, their gazes looking up into the skies as though they were observing the descent of Gods. 

It felt like the whole of the martial world was gracing their reappearance. The qi sung and the stars twinkled, the Heavens themselves opening up to radiate light downward. 

The combination of Dragon's Might and innate fear seemed to pull at the strings of one's soul. If these Dragons alone were so powerful, what about the mighty Twelfth Order beasts that ruled them? Was the disparity truly so big that they didn't have to bother to appear? 

Wynhorn's frown only deepened from her position, even Jan's smiling features had long since faded. This situation, it wasn't one they were completely caught off guard by, but it was one they didn't want to deal with nonetheless. 

These Dragons wanted to assert their dominance, but the problem was did they even have members of the younger generation capable of fighting them to begin with? 

"You're not bad." Ryu reached up to his mask, pulling it down to reveal a face of devilish handsomeness. His fiendish grin and sharp teeth were bared to the world, clattering like sword blades and sending sparks of flames out the corner of his lips. 

He tossed the mask up, his irises pulsing as a wormhole of spatial qi appeared to swallow it up. 

Lu'card's gaze sharpened before a heated breath of excitement left his lips. 

"How about you become my mount?" 

"… I'm going to enjoy killing you."

BANG!

In a blink, Lu'card had become a silver streak even as Ryu became a violet one. When they reappeared, it was as though they had become mirror images of one another. 

One stood with tall white horns and a humanoid body adorned in silver scales and rippling with muscles. However, he had the face of a dragon, his snout was long, his eyes were slit and his teeth seem formed of endless rows. 

The other had the face of a human and a body covered in violet scales. His irises were slit with a murderous light, his limbs vibrating with power and his lips steaming with flames. 

Their fists clashed in the air, violent ripples of space shooting out in every direction and forcing many of the other junior Dragons to retreat. 

"You look down on me?" Ryu asked. 

His voice didn't carry much of a hint of emotion. In fact, it was quite placid and unmoved despite the wild amount of pain coursing through his body. 

Entering a human form would take reaching the Twelfth Order. And for many beasts, even after reaching that level, they preferred remaining in the form they were most comfortable in, their true form. This pseudo humanoid form that Lu'card had taken with the face and head of a dragon was clearly just a technique. In this sort of form, he at most had access to maybe 20-30% of his true strength. 

"Are you looking down on me?"

Lu'card responded with a question. 

He was a talent in body cultivation the likes of which was rarely scene. With a single glance, he could tell the proportions of a person's body, how much strength their muscle fibers could output, and what kind of power they should have behind their strikes. 

However, Ryu too, was only using 20-30% of his true strength. 

There were only two possible explanations. Either he was holding back on purpose, or he was injured. Considering the strain when he attacked, it was more likely the latter or some odd body training method, maybe even both. Regardless of which it was, Lu'card was not happy. 

"To dare challenge me in such a state. I, Lu'card, have never been disrespected like this in my lifetime. I will make sure you regret it."

Confusion colored the features of most who were watching on. To have even Sky Gods spectating your battle was the kind of honor most juniors would never receive. However, whether it was Ryu or Lu'card, not only did they not seem to care in the slightest, they both disdained to explain themselves. 

BANG!

The two were forced to separate. However, neither immediately attacked. 

Lu'card clasped his hands behind his back, beginning to walk in a slow circle around Ryu. Streaks of darkness followed his wake as space rippled like water currents. He bent and twisted them both to his whims, his steps becoming enigmatic and his gaze becoming especially difficult to follow. 

Ryu stood at the center of it all, unmoving. It seemed that Lu'card had already realized he had a pair of Heavenly Pupils, a given considering how obvious he had made it, but he had no idea that the pair of eyes he was facing were the number one ranked. Because if he was aware… He would know that such movement techniques… 

Were completely useless against Ryu. 

Ryu reached out a hand, allowing a saber to appear. It was about a meter and a half long and at its widest, two palm widths could easily be placed side to side on its body. 

Almost as soon as it appeared, it erupted into a blazing fire, the heat in the surrounding skyrocketing to the point just gazing upon the flame seemed to make your irises burn regardless of how far away you were. 

"Take form and conquer the world."

The skies seemed to dim, the world becoming the stage of two young men. 

Thirteen rings of dark gold manifested, the energies of the world that had quelled under the might of the Dragons suddenly singing once more. 

Then, the two vanished.