Grand Ancestral Bloodlines

1832 Darkness

Ryu stood slowly, his white robes billowing in the wind.

He sensed the change before it came, the atmosphere of the world shifting and tending toward chaos.

He understood what was happening even without having to be there. It was clear to him that this was a case of morphing the world toward a state of Chaos.

This particular Holy World was in the Real Plane and was, as such, an advantageous battlefield for the Fey and other races of this side.

However, this didn't have to be permanent. The moment Ryu saw this situation, he cto understand how it might be possible.

'Interesting. It seems that my opponents aren't arrogant and are taking the necessary steps. The question is... should I see how far I can push this commotion? Or should I try to end it all right here and now?'

Ryu was obviously not afraid of the Chaos Plane. It might affect others, but it would make no tangible difference to his combat style one way or another.

Even if he didn't use his Chaotic Silk Meridians, his Inner World could isolate him from the effects of the outside world with great ease. He could separate himself from the impact of the world around him with great ease.

The issue wasn't him. It was how much of a boost this individual was going to get.

'They're using Faith. It's also possible that if they're willing to go all out, they can even use it to directly strengthen themselves. But this also might not be a bad thing. Using Faith like this is funneling it back into the world. That way, when I conquer it, there won't be nearly as much of a loss...'

According to his understanding, the Faith in this world was finite.

If your side won, then you'd get to benefit from what remained in the world plus what you had personally accumulated. But the opposing side could cut their losses by taking what they had received and cutting bait.

Overall, this was a relatively small loss. But since he was going big, there was no need to stall in this way.

After sthought, Ryu decided to take the slower approach. The more he thought about his path, the more impatient he realized he was. Sometimes it was fine, like when he didn't bother to listen to the words of annoying characters and just directly killed them.

But at other times, like with his cultivation, or when it cto seeking out revenge or finding opportunity in danger, he was too careless.

However, it was difficult for him to make this decision.

He didn't want to lose what was fundamentally him, and he certainly didn't want to lose his own edge.

If he just becoverly cautious in everything he did, then he would be moving backward, not forward.

And honestly, Ryu wasn't sure where that line was.

'It'll have to be a risk assessment. It's not worth it to go now because the moment I start this final battle, I'll be on a ticking clock.

The problem isn't the individual enemies I'd face. I don't care who it is, or how much better their foundation is than mine. I'm not losing to someone in the scultivation realm.

The issue is how many of them there are, and what support they might have brought in.

If this one dies, it won't be long before they send even more in, and by that point, the Luminara Clan might react as well.

This will be the easiest tI have in taking over one of these worlds in the short term, so I have to make it worthwhile.'

After Ryu had these thoughts, his mind settled down and he cto understand something.

Being cautious just for the sake of being cautious was foolish. But if he had a reason and a logical assessment of the situation, it was different.

Why wasn't he in a rush to improve his cultivation? It was because he knew his foundation wasn't perfect.

Why wasn't he rushing to fight this final battle? So that he could control future variables better.

When it was no longer worth it to be cautious, he would take action.

Ryu vanished and appeared in yet another hidden cave.

But this time, he took much more effort in hiding himself.

He activated Rob the World of its color and disconnected himself from the surrounding world.

Now, even if there were others that could sense the pull of Karma and Fate, they still wouldn't be able to find him.

Then, he began to meditate on the darkness.

Unlike ice, there was no place for darkness in Ryu's eight trigram diagram. Well... at least not on the surface, that is.

Wind. Water. Mountain. Earth. Thunder. Fire. Life. Heaven.

These were the eight pieces, and they encompassed far more than it seemed.

When it was formed into a cycle, Darkness was most definitely a hidden part of it. Or more accurately, it was a part of his second eight trigram diagram.

It had to be remembered that Ryu's Dao had two halves, each one of which had two more dividing portions.

As such, he had one golden eight trigram diagram and another dark gold one that embodied its mirror.

He never truly thought much about this second eight trigram diagram because when he comprehended it, it flowed smoothly from the first.

But feeling it now, he could sense the changes it was undergoing.

As he continued to meditate, the Darkness becclearer to him and Ryu subtly began to understand why it was Death and Darkness never truly called out to him the sway his other abilities did.

First, he received his Dark Phoenix Bloodline late. He gained it only after going to the Death Shrine and retrieving his soul. It didn't cfrom his parents like his other Bloodlines did.

That much was obvious enough... but what he had never found the answer to is why that Bloodline had been there... and why his soul had been as well.