Headmaster Leopold's speed couldn't be said to be anymore than two times faster than Ryu now. One had to know that Ryu's calculations of his equivalent speed now took into account the absolute upper limit of an agility type genius of said cultivation level. This meant that if Ryu confidently said his speed could match a Lower Divine Vessel Realm expert now, he meant the fastest!
Even Ryu himself didn't realize just how far he was going. He was comparing himself to Shrine Plane geniuses, but could Headmaster Leopold be considered to be of that ilk? He was so old yet he hadn't broken into the Immortal Ring Realm yet. On the Higher Mortal Plane, he was an absolute genius. But, on the Shrine Plane, calling him trash would be giving him a compliment.
On top of this, Headmaster Leopold was a Mental Realm expert. How could he be as fast as a Connecting Heaven Realm cultivator who specialized in speed? This was why despite having an entire cultivation layer difference between them, Headmaster Leopold could barely boast having twice Ryu's speed!
Leopold's relaxed expression tightened. But soon, he calmed once more. How could a mere Pulse Opening Realm cultivator possibly keep up this speed? Whatever technique or treasure Ryu was using definitely couldn't last long. And, even if it did, he would pay a devastating price for it.
He couldn't have been more correct. With every blossom petal that shattered, a severe, reverberating backlash whipped across Ryu's Mental Realm. Considering the state of despair his mind had already been in after stabbing his own heart and pouring destructive energies into it for several hours, Ryu was clinging onto a last bit of rope with the barest tips of his fingers.
Ryu no longer felt he was breathing in air. It was as though the skies had ripped open to pour pools of lava directly down his throat. Every heaving attempt to replenish his oxygen scorched his lungs and chest. It was so painful that Ryu could almost ignore the gaping, throbbing wound above and within his heart.
The branches of the forest around him vicious snapped against his body. Even the faintest dust particles became heated blade edges, piercing through his body with impunity. A Pulse Opening Realm youth simply wasn't meant to experience such speeds…
Headmaster Leopold continuously covered double the land Ryu did, slowly closing the gap between them. Somehow, his instincts were forcing him into an anxious state once more. For all his power, no matter how he racked his mind, he couldn't figure out just what was making him so uncomfortable.
"Fourth Prince, is there a need to continue this farce?" Headmaster Leopold called out.
Ryu's eyes contracted into pinholes when this voice entered his ears. All this time, Leopold might have been aware of who he was chasing, but it wasn't until now that Ryu knew who his opponent was. Once he processed this information, Ryu's eyes flashed with a keen light.
'You just made a massive mistake giving me this piece of information.' Ryu sneered.
He didn't know why Leopold had blown his calm cover. Maybe he was just losing his patience and getting annoyed. Or, maybe he was getting worried about what Ryu was planning. But, either way, it didn't matter. When dealing with intelligent people, the less information you give them, the better chance you had for success. Since Leopold didn't understand this fundamental rule, Ryu didn't mind teaching him.
'Is this Leopold the same Leopold?' Ryu's mind quickly thought. He found these distracting thoughts couldn't have come at a better time. 'It doesn't matter. Since he called me Fourth Prince, this means that, at the very least, he was the same Leopold that moderated the Coronation Games. That truth is all I need for this to work.'
Suddenly, the roar of a beast caught Ryu completely off guard. At this moment, how could he spare stamina toward [Third Perspective]? He was completely relying on eyesight alone. Up to now, he hadn't seen anything out of place.
Ryu's eyes narrowed. He silently began to communicate with his Bone Structure. However, he could only panic when he realized he couldn't find the link he was looking for. Ryu laughed bitterly, with the state he was in, how could he expect his body to react exactly like he wanted it to?
Ryu's Ancestral Grade Ice Jade Crystal Bone Structure was beloved by nature. Its perfect symmetry was blessed by the Heavens, and as such, it had a calming effect on beasts. This was the ability Ryu relied upon to tame his Obscured Sky Falcon. Ryu wanted to use this ability to hopefully get whatever beast was coming to ignore him, or at least let him run out of its territory, but his tank was running on empty.
The roar shook the forest. Soon, the sound of crashing trees was replaced by the actual visual of them falling one after another. A looming beast appeared in the distance, bounding toward Ryu.
'Dammit!' Ryu roared in his mind. If it was up to him, he'd scream it at the top of his lungs. But even in his anger, he couldn't spare the energy to do such a thing. Ryu was well aware that the moment his legs paused for even a moment, his body would collapse.
The beast was a massive blue furred ape. It stood at over five meters tall and its trunk-like arms dwarfed even the ancient trees of this forest. The worst part was that Ryu's sharp sight immediately trained on two budding lumps of flesh a small relative distance beneath its arm pits. This ape was actually only a step away from evolving and becoming four armed!
Ryu didn't know a lot about beasts on the Mortal Plane, but he did know that this evolution was something only possible within the Divine Vessel Realm because this was the stage in which cultivators could begin to unlock the true and hidden abilities of their bloodlines. This was at least a Fifth Order Beast!
No matter how much Ryu wanted to find a path to victory, what could he do? As a Fifth Order Beast, its speed was near a match for Ryu. This also didn't account for the fact that Ryu might have speed, but he definitely didn't have any agility. If he attempted to change directions quickly at this speed, his bones would shatter and his tendons would tear. If that happened, he would be finished…
The several hundred-meter distance between Ryu and the ape seemed to close in an instant.
Ryu was prepared to calmly accept his death. His only regret was that he couldn't fulfill his promise to Elena. At the very least, he wouldn't feel shame. He had truly given it his everything. An eerie calm overtook him as he faced the enraged roar of the ape. It seemed as though he'd be swallowed whole in another instant.
It was in that moment that a hidden cool qi wafted from his eyes once more. That eerie calm became steadier than a serene lake. Ryu's eyes flashed as he looked down at an inconspicuous black glove over his right hand. Suddenly, he understood something.
Essence suddenly rushed out from the Glove of Order and his unresponsive Bone Structure began to shimmer like a precious gem.