Grand Ancestral Bloodlines

"What have you done, Wan?!" Samson's voice came from a distance.

One of Old Wan's incarnations had suddenly split off and attacked Ryu, but the words had hardly come out when there was a sudden BOOMING shockwave that enveloped the entire battlefield.

Large amounts of Spatial Qi and solid pieces of debris flew out in all directions, moving with such speed and carrying such lethality that even Perfect Sky Gods found themselves losing their heads while others were riddled with hoes in the midst of the carnage.

Any battle there had been had suddenly ceased to be and everyone could only work on protecting themselves lest they become like the Perfect Sky Gods down below.

The harsh climate blew whatever Ethereal Qi there might have been in all directions, scattering it into the wind in quantities so thin and minuscule that even one with a Childe of Order constitution would have an almost impossible time picking them out.

...

BANG!Samson drove a forearm into Old Wan's collarbone and throat, his eyes completely red as the entire mountain shook as though it might collapse at any point.

"Explain yourself!" He said through gritted teeth. Looking at Old Wan's calm expression, he felt like he was losing his mind. However, this sort of scene was about what one would expect... it wasn't just Old Wan's calm response to the current situation, but also the fact Samson might have been billowing a head full of rage, but there wasn't an ounce of killing intent in him.

And why would there be? He would rather listen to the explanation of the man he had known for thousands of years than attack to kill him for a boy he had known for less than half a decade.

Ryu didn't need to be here to see the scene to know what would happen. In fact, he knew Aika's personality well enough by now that even if she had witnessed it, her reaction would have been much the same as Samson's.

She was a woman with a fiery temper, but she was also soft. For her to be manipulated by the likes of Old Xu, Jiao and Xiao into marriage with a junior, one could imagine that while she had the largest fist in the Sect, she had never used it without propriety.

On the one hand, her kindness was the reason Ryu had been able to gain so much help from her despite the differences in their station. And on the other hand, her kindness was also the reason why there was little chance Ryu would gain justice from her hands even if she were to know of Old Wan's actions.

Obviously, all of these things were well within Old Wan's expectations.

He looked into Samson's eyes and then down at the elbow driving into his throat before projecting a voice into Samson's mind.

'Are you going to release me? How am I going to speak with your forearm on my throat.'

The usually cheery Samson nearly exploded at these words, but he slowly took deep breaths, heaving out as he loosened his push and let Old Wan go.

Old Wan rubbed his throat and shook his head.

"If you want to question me, then just do so. Was there a need for all this violence?"

"You just killed a boy and that's all you have to say?!"

"And obviously you trust me enough to have a good reason, or else we wouldn't be having this conversation, now would we?"

"Wan, I'm not one of your little checkered boards or pieces. Speak frankly. Now."

Old Wan held up his hands in surrender.

"It had to be done. The boy's Faith was overwhelming the Sect and at this pace, nothing but bad could happen. This time, Black Worm almost became a Dao God. What about next time? Do you think these things come without a price to pay?"

"Did it not work out?!"

"And what about next time? And the time after that? What about the time after that? Not only is the Faith swimming around him excessive to the point of overwhelming our own before we can even establish ourselves again, he doesn't even see himself as part of the Sect."

"That's your explanation?" Samson asked, seething. "He was clearly favored by the founders-"

"Do you think the founders even care about us?"

"What the hell are you talking about?!"

"The records of the Sect are things you've never bothered to read, and though Aika has her recalling of history painted in rose. There is no mysterious founder coming to swoop down and save us all, Samson. We are on our own. If we want the Radiant Star Sect to rise again like it should, then we have to take matters into our own hands."

"And what are you going to do if one of those founders comes back and they did indeed take a liking to him?"

"If they were going to come back, they would have done so a long time ago. They've always treated this Sect as nothing more than an experiment."

"What are you-"

"And even if they do come back, so what? Are they going to destroy the whole Sect they created because of one me? At worst, they'll just put my head on a pike. Better that than the Sect drowning.

"I already didn't like Aika's actions back then, you know that. I wanted to take the slow and methodical approach to our return to the Seventh Heaven, but right now we only have a fraction of the foundation I wanted us to have.

"There are consequences to every action, and this is the consequence of ours."

"How high and mighty of you. Go tell Aika that."

"You know I could, and you know exactly how she'd react. She would agree with all of my words and then blame herself. Her Dao Heart would be harmed and she'd never advance again."

Samson grit his teeth, wanting to agree and yet not at the same time.

"And what are you going to do when the boy's grandfather finds out?"

Old Wan sneered.