GRAND ANCESTRAL BLOODLINES

Chapter 2187  Taint

Sarriel looked down at her chest, her eyes narrowing. There was something odd about her reaction, as though she was more surprised than in pain.

Just now, there was a definite unnatural shift in the world that she couldn’t quite explain. However, whether she could explain it or not…

A mouthful of blood came from her cherry lips, her body shuddering as it began to shut down.

She didn’t think that she would experience death so soon. But maybe she never really considered it at all.

In her mind, no matter how many times she danced on the edge of life and death, she would inevitably come out on time.

Ironically enough, she was a lot like her husband in that respect. As much as she talked about the danger of the world, and as cautious as she was with her every step, she was still endlessly arrogant.

Maybe she thought Ryu was stupid for acting like he did, but the irony of it all was that deep inside, she felt that even if she acted exactly like Ryu did, she would make it all the way to that mountain peak too.

In a lot of ways, she was practically the perfect mirror to this husband of hers. It was just a shame that she wouldn’t be able to stay by his side any longer.

Sarriel felt her life slipping away.

In death, she was quite calm. In fact, her hand still raised in a steady motion, her blade perfectly level and not carrying the slightest hint of a tremble as she readied herself to swing down with whatever she had left.

PUCHI! PUCHI! PUCHI!

Sarriel felt her body pierced through by countless silk ribbons in the briefest instant of time. She knew then that she wouldn’t be able to complete her swing, but that was only natural.

With an opponent as skilled as Aurelia, there was really only one way this could end if she was ever on the losing end. They had been so close, a fault like this would definitely be exploited.

In the end, there was nothing she could do.

She felt her body about to be shredded to pieces and she relaxed. Facing that calm moment in the end, she knew that she had given it everything she had. It was just a shame that she wouldn’t be able to revive her Clan like she wanted.

But… that was when she sensed a streaking light.

‘… You… idiot…’ she thought silently.

She had really been trying not to think about it. There was an elephant in the room that she had completely disregarded because she was hoping that he would make the smart choice for once.

The Title Stele wasn’t some playground no matter how casual Ryu seemed to be about everything he had done. Every time he flouted the rules of the Title Stele, there was a price to pay. Maybe he could easily take it, or maybe it was small enough for him to disregard in most cases, but there was no doubt that there was a price.

Most often, Ryu was bending the rules a little. Whenever he came out to fight for another Title, he wasn’t technically breaking the rules because he had already given up on the Title he claimed before, obscuring it from the eyes of the Title Stele so that it registered him as someone without a Title already.

But this time was different. Very different.

The warriors fighting for the Emperor Sword Title had already been chosen. You couldn’t just wait on the sidelines and then act when everyone was already heavily injured. At that point, it’d be a battle of who could hold out the longest instead of a true battle for the best swordsman in Existence.

But obviously…

Ryu didn’t care.

He had already moved and slammed against the barrier.

There was an indifferent sort of darkness in Ryu’s eyes as he slammed through. What should have been an impenetrable barrier shook under his might, and then caved.

The Title Stele trembled in response, a rain of fire and hell coming down from the skies. It didn’t matter how strong Ryu’s Rebirth Flames were, it was like the Heavens were reminding him that there was always a sky beyond the sky, a Heaven beyond the Heaven.

A furious rain fell on Ryu’s body, and in an instant, it didn’t seem like he was human any longer, but rather a seething ball of hellish flames.

Hearts shook and souls trembled. Even from a distance, the geniuses of the world felt as though their Dao Hearts might collapse just looking at the flames.

Looking at the colorless, odorless, auraless manifestation, they felt more fear now than they ever had in their lives.

These weren’t normal flames. They were Karmic Flames. Ryu’s very destiny was being burned away right before their eyes, in real time, as though his existence itself was being expunged.

There was a flash in Ryu’s eyes and his Embryonic Qi churned.

He burned through it all in an instant.

BANG!

The barrier shattered and Ryu crossed through the skies, his body a burning mass. He moved so fast that he looked no different from a streaking meteor across the stars.

There was a shuddering feeling of danger that took hold of Aurelia’s heart. She was just one split moment from taking Sarriel’s life, and logically speaking, Ryu wouldn’t make it in time.

And yet, she felt like her entire life was flashing before her eyes, as though if she took Sarriel’s life now, she would experience the regret of a lifetime mere moments later.

There was only a brief moment of hesitation before Aurelia’s heart steeled, her gaze flashing. She was Aurelia, a Martial Goddess, she was meant to stand atop the world, commanding it from the clouds. No one could tell her what she should or shouldn’t do.

And yet, that brief instant of time was all Ryu needed.

A hand descended from the skies, grasping Aurelia’s blade in a flaming palm of colorless flames.

Ryu’s arm trembled, the pain wrecking his very soul piercing through his being. The rage of the Title Stele made many shrink back, but the hold Ryu had on the sword only tightened with every passing moment.

In his flaming form, maybe the only part of Ryu’s body that could be recognized at all was his pair of floating silvery eyes. They stood out even amidst the colorless flame, blazing with their own aura.

He squeezed down as punishment continued to rain. The deathly stillness of his pupils told their own story. Even in the face of the Heavens themselves, if he wanted to save someone, he would do it.

He squeezed down harder.

CRACK.

Aurelia’s eyes opened wide and fear overwhelmed her again. It wasn’t just from the crack in her blade now, but the flames that were eating away at Ryu’s very being. She didn’t want to touch them, she didn’t even want to get close to them.

Her body was shaking before she explosively retreated, her chest heaving. She had already been heavily injured in her battle against Sarriel, she didn’t have much more to give to begin with.

Ryu directly ignored her, catching Sarriel before she fell. Without the blade and ribbon supporting her, it was impossible for her to remain in the skies, not given her injuries.

“… I… hate… you…” she said softly.

The words were barely audible, so long in fact they sounded more like a whispered gurgle than anything else.

“I was bored.” Ryu replied.

He should have been in heart-shattering pain, and yet there was a steadiness in his voice that turned many serious.

It was easy to be calm when you had the world in the palm of your hand, when you felt that no one could defeat you. It was another thing entirely when everything was crumbling down around you.

Many here knew that Ryu was dangerous, even the most arrogant of them all. Whether it was Young Master Bright or the Dragon Prince, they all understood that Ryu was an opponent they had to take seriously.

But right now, they felt like those thoughts were kicked up several notches. Somehow, Ryu felt more dangerous now while half crippled than ever before.

Their intuitions were sending them blaring warning signals.

“What… is that… supposed… to mean…” Sarriel coughed out.

“If I don’t give them a handicap, what chance do they stand?” Ryu replied just as calmly.

“You… idiot…”

Sarriel didn’t believe Ryu for one instant. Even at full strength, he was facing too many enemies. Now, he had gone and gotten an injury that he couldn’t possibly heal himself from.

This wasn’t a joke. Ryu could have only been so casual until now because he had yet to battle the true geniuses of Existence, let alone face off against the enemies in the shadows that were very much still targeting him.

Why couldn’t he see that?

Ryu reached out and the Emperor Sword Title trembled.

The flames that coated his body began to tremble, growing stronger and more feverish.

“STOP!” Aurelia roared.

“I think we both know… that you don’t deserve this Title. You Martial Gods… are truly the bottom of the barrel… The most disgusting, vile example of human in this world. Every moment you remain breathing in this world is another chance for you to taint it.

“I’m going to enjoy wiping out every single last one of you.”

Ryu’s hand didn’t drop down, but his head shifted to Aurelia, his cool silver eyes displaying his rage for the first time.

The world seemed to solidify.

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