Headmaster Leopold immediately sensed that the seal was slowly weakening once more, causing the frown on his wrinkled face to deepen. How formidable could this enemy be that they were capable of such a thing? Leopold might just be a member of a small remnant branch of the Zu Clan, but he was well aware of just how powerful that seal was himself. If the enemy was so powerful, he suddenly didn't have the confidence that he could win even with his current cultivation.
Still, he could only redouble his efforts. He had wasted so many years of his life on this pitiful Mortal Plane, valuable cultivation time was wasted. Even if he had to put his life on the line, what did it matter? If you weren't willing to risk everything, could you even call yourself a cultivator?!
At this very moment, the ferocious expression on Ryu's features hadn't faded. If anything, it was growing fiercer by the minute. Anyone else would have likely given way by now. No normal Pulse Opening Realm expert's body could withstand having their heart cut open for so long. However, Ryu wasn't normal.
For one, with four Ancestral Beast bloodlines, Ryu's vitality was easily ten times more than anyone else of his cultivation realm. Simply put, he could survive in a near death for much longer than another individual of his prowess..
Still, the second aspect was likely even more important than the first. There were no two bloodlines better at preservation than Ryu's Ice and Fire Phoenix bloodlines. One was tied to the Life Shrine, while the other was tied to the Reincarnation Shrine. How could they be simple by any stretch of the imagination?
None of this even mentioned Ryu's Ice Jade Crystal Bone Structure which was beloved by the Heavens. If he gave up so easily when his life was on the line, Ryu would be too pathetic!
60%... 56%... 49%...
The weaker the seal became, the more fleeting Ryu's life seemed to become. His frame shrunk. Under the constant prodding of his deepest reserves, much of the strength he had accumulated in his limbs went directly toward preserving his life. But, he continued to fight.
Headmaster Leopold could sense the connection he had weakening. Before, he felt that as long as he got to within a thousand kilometers of Ryu, he would be able to pin down an exact location. But now, he could only sense the general area with Ryu had the highest possibility of being.
The Planes, even the Mortal Planes, were simply too large. What remained of Tor Kingdom was located in one corner of the Plane while Headmaster Leopold's Three Kingdom Institute was located at the very center. One had to remember that it took Ryu, with the help of the Northern Heavenly Wind, months to travel from Tor Kingdom to Opes Kingdom. Back then, his speed had already been comparable to a normal Qi Refinement expert. Even with Leopold's cultivation, it would still take him almost three hours to make it to Ryu's location!
41%... 35%... 27%...
"Dammit!" Headmaster Leopold roared. Let alone a general location, as of now, he could only sense Ryu's general direction and had a vague understanding of how much further he had to go.
Two hours had already past, but Leopold was still several hundred kilometers from Ryu. Even still, Leopold had no idea that not only was the "expert" he was chasing after someone he could kill with a single thought, but that this "expert's" life was already hanging on by a mere small thread.
Ryu's face was completely drained of blood. His once well-defined frame had shrunk to the point of his skin tugging tightly against his rib cage. Even his heart, stabbed as it was, only managed to beat once every few seconds. If one could see this scene, they'd be baffled by the fact Ryu was even still standing at this point.
However, Ryu knew he couldn't fall. He mustn't fall. It might seem like everything would be over the moment the seal was gone, but Ryu was no fool. Whoever was likely coming after him now was a member of the Zu Clan. If this was true, that meant they were a Mental Realm expert. And, a Mental Realm expert with far greater cultivation than Ryu, at that.
What did this mean? Would a Mental Realm expert have a Spiritual Sense range as pitiful as Ryu's mere thirty meters and three centimeters? Of course not! For whoever it was to be assigned the task of retrieving the last hope of the Zu Clan, they had to be one of the most powerful experts the Clan had remaining. In that case, having a Spiritual Sense range of several dozen kilometers was likely the minimum!
23%... 18%... 11%...
This person likely already knew Ryu's general location. As long as he was within a hundred kilometers of Ryu, there was no escaping him!
One had to remember that Ryu was in the completely abandoned Tor Kingdom. Aside from a few stragglers and small human tribes, no one was left in this region. Soon, the Three Kingdoms would likely split this territory among them, but this was a matter for the future after they finished licking their wounds. This meant that it was very much possible for Ryu to be the only soul within miles of himself!
He couldn't rest no matter what. Even after this seal was gone, he had to run. He had to run for his life.
9%... 6%... 4%...
Ryu roared, pushing out the last of what remained within him in the final stretch.
"I've got you!" Headmaster Leopold was still too far away for his Spiritual Sense to pick up on Ryu, especially since Ryu was underground. However, at that moment, he utilized one of the few techniques of the Zu Clan that had survived to this day, [Resonating Sense].
By melding your Spiritual Sense with the natural vibration of the air and nature, this technique's user would be able to multiply the range of their senses for a moment. In fact, this resonance made this technique especially good for seeing through barriers one might otherwise be unable to!
2%... 1%... 0%!
Shockingly, Leopold realized that he still couldn't sense the person he was looking for. Just when he was about to despair, believing the Zu Clan's last hope had slipped from his hands, he realized something curious. There was a small segment spanning about thirty by thirty meters that his Spiritual Sense couldn't penetrate no matter how hard he tried. In that instant, he understood. Whoever it was must be there!
Beneath Tor Kingdom, Ryu pulled the dagger from his chest, revealing a ghastly wound. Staggering weakly from loss of blood, his vision swam. He knew he had to move, but why weren't his legs cooperating with him?...