Grand Ancestral Bloodlines

2019  Greenhouse Genius

Ryu's battle intent blazed through the skies, his great swordstaff swinging again and again. Every one of his strikes seemed to carry a myriad of changing forms, and yet each one was just as simple and direct. It was hard for Falling Snow to pick up on whether he was fighting a swordsman or a spearman, a saberman or a halberd smith. And unlike the past, it was like these constantly changing forms were all casually and smoothly flowing into one another, beautifully incorporated in an array of magical Fate and tides of qi that mesmerized the eyes. In the beginning, Falling Snow managed to regain some of his footing and even seemed capable of countering Ryu to some extent. But after just three exchanges, it was like Ryu had imprinted his battle style into his mind and knew what was coming before it came. Ryu's great swordstaff suddenly became heavy. Falling Snow braced himself, facing off against the clashes with rattling wrists. But Ryu's great swordstaff suddenly became light and fluid, sharp and incisive. The change was just as abrupt as all the others and didn't seem to be lacking in ease at all. Ryu chose his styles almost like a child casually choosing what meal they wanted to have that day. And what attacked Falling Snow's psyche the most time and time again was Ryu's casualness about it all. Ryu seemed to glance at the surroundings from time to time, taking in the scenery and preparing for the arrival of more enemies all at once… He wasn't even fully focused on him at all! The more things were like this, the stronger the feeling of oppression on Falling Snow's heart became, and the more suffocating the battle was for him. The oppression made his strikes duller and his flare in battle take a dip. … In another corner of the battlefield, Hope stood in silence, her robes fluttering around her. Before her, there were Dao God Shy and Dao God Darkness Rising. Much like Ryu, the attention of Darkness Rising was elsewhere. It was the first time he had seen his little brother in such a situation, but despite the fact he was giving a great deal of attention to it all, he was relatively calm. The confidence he had in his little brother was not small at all. Falling Snow was a genius who had made it through life without facing much opposition and oppression at all. Because of the plans of their Fey Clans, he wasn't allowed to go out and get any experience, so all he could do was fight against the same opponents. When this was put into perspective, it could even be said that the fact Falling Snow had grown so powerful was a miracle and real proof of his great talent. There was no genius in the world that could grow in a greenhouse, and though Falling Snow's upbringing wasn't that exaggeratedly easy, it was close enough that Darkness Rising knew that he hadn't reached even a portion of his true skill just yet. Young Master Moon? Darkness Rising didn't take him seriously at all. That young man had grown up in the middle of a war, and yet the best he could do was match up to his little brother. As far as Darkness Rising was concerned, the moment Falling Snow stepped out into the world, he was already destined to become far greater than he was now. The three Dao Gods stood in a triangle around one another, but neither seemed eager to attack. Shy and Darkness Rising were more than okay with letting the geniuses deal with Ryu. Killing a baby in their cradle would be a hit to their Fate they wouldn't take unnecessarily. So if it wasn't necessary, they might as well let things continue as is. As for Hope, as much confidence in Falling Snow that Darkness Rising had… it would have to be doubled or even tripled if one were to speak of her confidence in Ryu. She had also watched Ryu grow up. And what these people didn't know was that he wasn't an existence that could be described in terms of mere common sense. As for Dao God Shy, his expression was unreadable other than the slight bashfulness that was on it. It almost looked like he was shying away in the face of a beauty like Hope, but he still looked over to the other battlefield from time to time. As for what his thoughts were… no one but he knew. At that moment, Darkness Rising's gaze blazed with a sudden light. 'Yes. Show them who you really are. Whether you fall from the skies in a rain of ash or come to be reborn from them will be decided now. A single failure doesn't dictate a cultivation path; neither does a single success.' …

Falling Snow was beaten back again and again. Every strike of Ryu's curved through the skies, blending into the wind, caressing the snow, slipping through the shadows, and gliding upon the rays of light. His elements began to seamlessly blend into his combat style as he poured on the pressure. He seemed to have had enough with playing around with Falling Snow and was almost a bit disappointed that this was all he had. Falling Snow's rebuttals only became duller until suddenly. Ryu's blade accelerated, and a slash cut across Falling Snow's shoulder. Blood spurted into the air, a deep shade of crimson catching all of their attention. The blood seemed to arc in slow motion as the snow falling around the young man slowed to a crawl as well. It was as though the shedding of Falling Snow's blood was a blasphemy that could overturn the Heavens. Ryu found that even his blade slowed somewhat. Although he was able to pull back, and the feeling was extremely subtle, with his level of control over his body and the sharpness of his own senses, he knew what he was feeling more clearly than anyone else. 'Interesting…' Falling Snow stood there, looking at the spurt of blood along with everyone else as though he too couldn't believe what he was seeing. It was as though this was the most shocking moment of his life, something that he couldn't accept no matter what. But that shock didn't show on his face. There was just the very same dullness. His tail slowly swung through the air. If one looked closely, it was possible to see deep ripples echoing around it as though it was swaying through water rather than open air. "My blood…" he said softly. Ryu didn't rush to attack, placing his great swordstaff on his shoulder as though he was watching an amusing scene. Was this supposed to be scary? Was he supposed to be impressed that Falling Snow had never seen his blood before? BOOM! A violent, bestial aura rocketed out from Falling Snow's body. His tail seemed to double in size, his shoulders becoming broader as even his canines grew in length. The points of his ears sharpened and his hair became more jagged. The savageness of his aura powered through everything else as he tore to another level. The muscles on his shoulder squirmed and fussed about until they overlapped, forcefully closing the wound… And then he stomped on the air and shot for Ryu. Ryu's eyes narrowed. 'Fast, indeed…' For him to have such an evaluation of someone, it could be imagined just what level they had reached. His eyes were at the point where they could track the movements of even Dao Gods. He could do so before their mutation, let alone now. However, his body wasn't at that level, not even close. Even so, for him to call someone fast, it was definitely more than just about their speed outstripping his own. For him to call someone fast, not just their speed had to be greater than his, but his ability to react to it and maneuver around it had to be compromised as well. He was someone with a Spacetime Soul Nature, and his ability to read and react to opponents was unmatched. And yet, Ryu stood there, his great swordstaff still on his shoulder as Falling Snow's saber appeared at his throat. It seemed as though he was much too slow to react, that his head would go flying into the air. Yet the reality was much different from expectation. BANG! A fluttering line of blossoms appeared along the length of Falling Snow's saber, blocking in place. The harsh winds echoed across Ryu's face, threatening to send his head flying with just the pressure from it alone. But the real threat was the second saber. Ryu's great swordstaff finally moved. He slashed downward, but he missed Falling Snow completely. Instead, his polearm was inverted, and Falling Snow's second saber slashed right across it. BOOM! This second saber carried even more power than the first, and Ryu felt a power that almost ripped his arm from its socket. Tap. Ryu was forced a step back.