Grand Ancestral Bloodlines

Man's first weapon had always been the fist. However, over time, it had become overshadowed by other more complex existences. Not long later, it became difficult to find a cultivator who didn't choose a weapon to cultivate, causing the infancy of martial arts, the fist, to fall by the wayside.

That said, if there was any art that embodied what it meant to be human, it wasn't the so-called King of Weapons—the sword—nor was it the spear, nor the rod, nor any other weapon form… It was precisely the fist that rested at the core of humanity.

There was elegance in its simplicity and power in its humility. It reflected what was in a person's heart to the utmost degree and it was the only Mortal Endowment not weighed down by the conventions of countless epochs of Fate.

The fist was what someone wanted it to be. It was deeply personal and endlessly flexible.

And it just so happened to be exactly what Ryu needed to truly loosen the shackles that bound him.

BANG!

Two fists, one dwarfing the other, met in the skies. The crackle of space resounded before it shattered like glass, the sturdy nature of the Shrine Plane suddenly becoming absolutely useless.

BANG!

Ryu sent another fist forward, a happy smile gracing his face. It was the kind of look one didn't expect from someone who currently had such a demonic appearance. The scales that covered Ryu's body and neck and the horns that curved upon his forehead made him look sinister to an extreme. And yet, he had the smile of a child on his face. The dichotomy was baffling.

Within Ryu's Incubator, Ailsa was at a loss. Previously, she had been busy laughing to her heart's content as Ryu stumbled over himself trying to please Elena. But now, she was completely speechless.

'Is this a Mortal Endowment? Or was this a Natural Enlightenment? I'm a Cultus Faerie Princess! Why can't I tell the difference between something so fundamental?!'

If Cultus Faeries had a 101 class to attend, this was something that would likely be taught on the first day within the first minute of the first lesson. If others knew that Ailsa was stumbling in trying to understand something so simple, she really wouldn't know where to put her face.

One had to remember that the Natural Order was among the most fundamental pillars of cultivation. It could be said that it was the fourth pillar outside of Qi, Body and Mental Realm cultivation. It could even be said to be the thickest of the four pillars.

Natural Orders came in Mortal Endowments and Natural Enlightenments, the former of which was further split into Elements and Birthed Phenomena. Elements were self explanatory, Birth Phenomena referred to human created Inheritances like that of the sword, while finally, Natural Enlightenments were the most enigmatic.

Natural Enlightenments touched upon the Artistic Conceptions of nature… The gentleness of spring's water… The softness of a cloud… The momentum of a mountain… The possibilities were endless.

But, it was exactly because of these clear definitions that Ailsa was baffled that she actually couldn't tell.

To make matters worse, this was her own Life Partner! She could practically feel what Ryu was feeling as he was feeling it! This was really too embarrassing.

Ailsa shook her head. 'Good thing he's focused on the battle right now or else I really wouldn't know where to put my face. Ridiculous. Too ridiculous.'

Ailsa had no idea that her father who was watching the events unfold had a similarly ugly expression on his face. As the saying went, like father, like daughter. They were truly too much alike.

On the complete opposite side of the battlefield, though, the Armament Guild had its own reaction, one that was far more complex than that of others.

They could all feel their weapons vibrating wildly at their sides or within their spatial rings as though they felt threatened by something. But, what was truly baffling was that this normally only occurred when there was a higher level weapon of the same kind in the vicinity… But there was clearly no such thing around!

No, this wasn't true. What was important was that there was a higher level weapon in the hands of an expert that existed on a higher level plane. In fact, the higher level weapon wasn't even strictly necessary. There were legends of swordsman who could use the world itself as their sword… Such existences…

Godefride shook his head. That was impossible. How could someone who hadn't even touched upon Cosmic Qi and understood the truth of Order possibly reach such a realm? It didn't make sense.

This wasn't something he had ever seen before, nor was he able to properly explain it.

They could all only watch in shock as a battle which had Ryu on his backfoot suddenly became even, only to quickly become one Ryu held the upper hand in. It was as though he was improving vastly with every strike he levied, his momentum growing to the point where it towered and shrouded over the pocket of space.

"Good… Much sooner than expected… Much sooner, indeed…"

BANG!

The head of the Heaven's Warrior imploded the moment it said these words, Ryu's fist rocketing through his forehead.

A large tempest of dark gold flame rose up as the vortex void above began to waver and fade. The expressions of the youths below changed. They suddenly realized that if they really didn't move now, then Ryu would have actually monopolized everything for himself.

However, before they could even take action, Ryu's hand had already moved and the entire large pillar of dark gold shot toward Elena. If things went as they had gone up until this point, she would swallow it all.

This time, though, Elena reached out a palm and stopped it.

Having descended from the skies to land before her, Ryu looked toward Elena with a hint of confusion. He couldn't quite see her face behind the pillar but he could barely catch glimpses through the flickering flames.

"I already have enough." Elena said just as indifferently. "I suggest you distribute some of it to avoid trouble."

The pillar was sent back to Ryu who looked at it for a moment.

"I'll keep half."

Before Elena could react, or likely because her body was just too slow in comparison to Ryu's given their current state, a large piece of the dark gold flame fused into her body. As for the rest, Ryu took it.

"I told you I had enough." Elena said.

Ryu laughed. "I just didn't believe you. If you're really so mad, feel free to bite me."

Cleo was so enraged by these words that she nearly fainted. She clenched her fists before her expression changed.

Her gaze shot up into the skies. 'The seal on my cultivation is gradually weakening? Why is it only gradual, it's usually instantaneous.'

Seemingly thinking of something, she looked toward Ryu. The look in her eyes clearly said she felt that he should be taught a lesson.

It seemed that Cleo didn't realize there was a line of people waiting to do the same thing. The moment she noticed the oddity, so too did the others, and they all shared the same thought.