Grand Ancestral Bloodlines

Ryu blinked at this reaction as though he was shocked and confused by it. If Ailsa and Yaana didn't know better, they'd really think that he was just an innocent bystander asking questions that were just as innocent. However, it was simply too clear to them that Ryu was only here to stir trouble and his question was anything but that.

Not only did Ryu expose the scars of Ramir's branch of the Hastam family, he essentially slapped Ramir's face. If his question was rephrased in the crudest fashion possible, it would read: 'You aren't powerful enough to win anyway, so why are you wasting everyone's time?'

Maybe in another type of society, Ramir's guts would be praised. After all, wasn't there something to be said for 'trying'?

Unfortunately, this was the martial world. One didn't get extra credit for their grit and determination. People would be quicker to sneer at someone for overestimating themselves than they ever would be to praise someone for trying hard. In a world of hierarchies, its parameters would be strictly enforced especially by those of the lowest rung.

To these people of the 'lowest rung', they felt that since they weren't good enough to rise up, who were you to even try to do better for yourself?

This was the disgusting truth of the world. But, Ryu wasn't the type of person who got hung up on morality or the thoughts of other people. Since this vice of society was beneficial to him now, he would use it, just like he didn't blink and eye when those young teens died as a direct result of his actions just days ago.

Seeing that Ramir didn't have an immediate answer for Ryu, his partners in crime had no choice but to take action themselves.

"It seems that there's been a small misunderstanding." The youth of the Temporal Buddha Sect stepped forward with a light smile. Just by his demeanor alone, it felt almost impossible for one to hate him. But, before he could speak, Ryu had already cut him off.

"Hm? You're speaking up for him? That's kind of odd… Now that I think about it, in the history of the Armament Guild, has there ever been three simultaneous challenges like this? I think this is the first time I've ever heard of such a thing happening."

Ryu's words seemed to alert the crowd to the oddity as well. This was indeed not normal.

Just a normal challenge was shocking enough. After all, one had to defeat a certain number of Dojo Masters before even gaining the right to levy such a challenge. If just anyone could challenge the Armament Wielder, there would definitely be a great problem. It wasn't a surprise for several million years to pass between challenges.

Of course, challenges were more frequent for lower level Armaments. But, this was clearly a different league entirely.

Tael, the Temporal Buddha Sect youth, realized at that moment that maybe he had been too rash in speaking. However, he was very much used to people giving him leeway because of his strength and his status. Plus, with the doctrines of the Temporal Buddha Sect, such petty arguments were considered sinful. It simply wasn't a skill he had ever had to hone.

Now faced with Ryu who clearly didn't have a care in the world about who he was or wasn't offending, they were all at a loss on how to respond.

"So the Necromancy Guild is intent of involving themselves in the Armament Guild's matters?" Ramir asked coldly.

"Involving?" Ryu was shocked. "Yaana, am I speaking a foreign language."

Yaana, who hadn't expected to get brought up in this matter, was immediately flustered. She had been trying to hold back her laughter before, but with Ryu's sudden involvement of her, she couldn't hold it back anymore and her bell-like giggles warmed the atmosphere.

However, Ramir reacted very differently to this.

"Yaana? The Void Fairy Yaana?"

Ramir's expression turned ugly. If before he had thought that Ryu might have potentially been using the Necromancy Guild as a shield while in truth having no affiliation with them, he was now convinced that Ryu had to be a among their hidden geniuses.

Ramir wasn't a fool. For Ryu to so blatantly imply that he was a member of the Necromancy Guild made him think that there was something fishy going on. Ryu simply didn't match anyone in the Necromancy Guild he could think of. There were only a handful of Necromancers with Quibus Faeries to begin with and they were all famous across the martial world. By all rights, they should be easily recognizable.

However, Yaana was a different matter entirely. She was, most definitely, recognizable. Ramir had been so pissed off by Ryu that he hadn't even noticed Yaana who was sharing a horse with him.

Yaana had only been with the Necromancy Guild for a short time relative to how most cultivators conceived it, she was especially weak in the grand scheme of things, but none of this changed just how famous she was.

"Oh? It seems like you're famous, Yaana." Ryu laughed lightly. In return, he received and embarrassed pinch and Yaana trying to find a hole to bury herself in.

Still, Ryu was a bit surprised by this as well. A Cosmic Seed Realm expert knowing about an Immortal Ring Realm expert, and even calling her by such a title… it was quite rare indeed. To most Cosmic Seed Realm experts, Immortal Ring cultivators were like toddlers. It was baffling that Yaana would be so famous.

Though, if Ryu knew who Yaana's master was, something she had neglected to mention, it would have been a different matter entirely. That was only proved more so by just how ugly Ramir's expression was getting, because while Ryu was unaware, he was most definitely aware.

"Miss Yaana, might I ask who this person is?"

Ramir thought that since Yaana's identity had been exposed, it could at least become a point of small weakness for him to latch onto. After all, even though he personally feared Yaana's backing, that didn't mean the Armament Guild was scared of this person.

Ryu had a cheeky response prepared, but he didn't expect the shy Yaana to suddenly respond at the top of her lungs first.

"My boyfriend!"