Grand Ancestral Bloodlines

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Ryu didn't say a word as he observed the two in the skies. Just the fact they were here could only mean one of two things, either they weren't aware of just how strong Aika was, or they were aware and simply didn't care. If it was the latter, it would mean that the man beside Starlight right this moment was no joke.

Whether it was the expression of Aika, or Samson and the others, they all turned malevolent in an instant. It looked as though they had just seen an enemy of a lifetime.

The man up above had eyes that were an impossible radiant blue, but his skin tone was just the same as Starlight's, dark as night and without a hint of the slightest imperfection. The contrast made the both of them look otherworldly, and almost suffocatingly handsome. It felt like one was gazing upon a work of art as opposed to two humans instead.

But it was maybe exactly as a result of this that gazing upon their smiles was so infuriating. It felt as though they were looking down on them with condescension, fully aware of just how amazing they looked, and seeing the rest of the world as far beneath them.

Ryu had already deduced that these instances of extremely dark skin and eyes as bright as a supernova must be markers of the Fading Bloodline, the other half of the formerly Dual Radiance Bloodline that only Aika had been born with in the last several generations.

"Asce... You have a lot of nerve appearing before me."

Aika's gaze became akin to two blazing torches. However, in Ryu's opinion, there was something very much off about her reaction. The Aika he knew wouldn't have uttered something like that. She would have hurled insults, fully prepared to crush her enemy. More than likely, she would have already been prepared to act or in the process of doing so.

While saying something like "you have a lot of nerve" seemed to be taking a strong stance, but very clearly by the fact Aika seemed to have no intention of attacking, there was a problem here. And if even Aika wasn't eager to attack, then what about everyone else?

"Don't speak to me like that, Aika. It'll break my heart. If I didn't appear before you now, wouldn't your supposed allies be throwing you into the fiery pits of hell? How could they ask an esteemed beauty like yourself to marry the dregs of society, is that supposed to be a joke? The moment I heard about such a thing, I rushed over at my greatest speed."

Although Asce's words sounded insincere, Ryu didn't miss the flicker of rage in the depths of his eyes. It wasn't the kind of rage one had when a family member or a loved one had been wronged, rather it was the kind of rage a child would have when their favorite toy was snatched by another. It was so superficial and shallow that it was too difficult for even someone with such a thick face to hide.

Aika stared into the skies, her gaze smoldering. One might say that it was unimaginable for a mere gaze to kill another, but the space between Aika and Asce who was above truly began to distort beneath her fury, the space around both Starlight and Asce beginning to shake and quake uncontrollably.

"Aiya, is there a need to be like this? I've truly come with good intentions. The Heavens would shed real tears if I allowed this to happen. Luckily, though, it seemed that you have one decent disciple who knows and understands his place, or else I might have had to start a massacre."

Asce spoke with a light smile on his face, one that looked every bit the part of warm and inviting, and yet his words were stone cold, enough to make the blood curdle and the spine tingle. Many felt suffocated to the point of being unable to even think straight. Asce's words alone seemed to double the gravity in the surroundings, making their hearts have to work harder just to properly pump.

Ryu's gaze flickered as he gazed in the surroundings. He could tell something immediately, and he even grasped Asce's Dao. But it was unlike anything he had ever seen before. he had actually caused so many changes with just a few words just a slight shift in his mood. This was truly a shocking affair.

Aika's Dao had always fascinated him, but this was already the second Dao affiliated with this Dual Radiance Sect that had intrigued him. He wasn't sure, though, if this was because this was how all the Daos at the standard of geniuses of the Seventh and above Heavens were, or if it was just associated to the specialness of this Sect in particular.

Ryu's gaze regained his focus as he registered Asce's insult, but his expression didn't change very much. It was hard to tell if he had heard anything at all, his heart surprisingly calm. He wasn't known for having the best temper, and even that was an understatement. But right now he found it quite easy to maintain his composure.

Ryu felt that this might very well be associated to the fusion of his Bloodlines. With his Fire Dragon Bloodline able to rampage about on its own, its ability to push and pull at his mood was greatly mellowed out by the more docile and stoic Phoenix Bloodlines.

Even with this being the case, though, Ryu took note of Asce's face and aura. He wasn't someone who let things go.

The things he did were for himself, they weren't for others to comment on in an attempt to twist them into a humiliating matter.

Aika's expression only became colder when she heard these words from Asce, but before she could continue, Asce spoke again.

"This is a nice transition into the main topic of today, though. I've come to give the "Radiant" Star Sect one more chance. Obediently marry me, Aika, and we can bring the Sect back to its former glory. We will rebuild the Dual Radiance Sect of our Ancestors and stand tall on the Eighth Heaven once more!

"Of course, you can choose to reject. But not only will I ensure that every last one of your disciples is slaughtered to the last, you can forget about stepping foot onto the Seventh Heaven."

Asce's smile was just the same, without the slightest fluctuation to his charm.