Ryu's eyes fluttered open, only to find that he wasn't in the room he had thought he would be in.
It took a moment, but he soon realized that this was the Death Worm. But, this realization only confused him. When had he left Osiris? And if he had left Osiris, why was it that his meditation hadn't been broken? After all, Ryu was relying on the formation to block out the Heavens, or, rather, simulate this feeling. So, logically, if he was out of Osiris, he wouldn't have been able to grasp this feeling.
Unless… Unless this awakening had actually been him snapping out of meditation in the first place?
But why didn't he feel like that? Ryu subconsciously felt as though he had been out of Osiris for a very long time already, but he couldn't pinpoint exactly why he had this feeling or why this intuition seemed to grip him so firmly.
Just as Ryu was planning on thinking a bit more, a furry ball of white suddenly jumped out and into his arms.
A light smile coated Ryu's usually cold expression, his hands stroking Little Gem's body as the little one purred almost as though she had forgotten that she was a legendary griffin in exchange for playing the role of a kitten.
"You're much more energetic now, look at you." Ryu's smile deepened, raising Little Gem into the air. "Ailsa must have worked hard."
The curse Little Gem had been inflicted with left her weak and frail. When the little one first hatched, let alone jumping into Ryu's arms like that, any single nap of hers might have resulted in her never waking up again.
The difference between then and now was definitely evident. The only possible explanation was that Ailsa had been working very hard. Maybe there was really hope that the little one could get rid of her curse.
If that was possible, Little Gem would most definitely become one of Ryu's strongest assets. Though there were no records of this heavenly curse having ever been broken, the one thing everyone agreed on was that if it was, the monster that resulted might even outshine Ryu himself in talent.
Of course, for now, Little Gem was just an adorable little cub, licking away at Ryu's face. Clearly, she was excited to see him awake for the first time in a long time.
"At least you know."
The sudden voice entered Ryu's ears, but he didn't need to look to know that it was his lovely Life Partner.
Ailsa exited the Incubator to appear before Ryu, a barely hidden expression of pride evident on her features. Her beauty seemed to shine ever so radiantly at that moment.
For the first time in a long time, Ryu felt his lower belly heat up from just the sight of a woman. The reaction left him so astonished that he practically froze.
He had always been so excellent at controlling himself, even when it came to his innate desires. But, at that moment, it felt like if it wasn't for the fact Little Gem was in his arms, he would have pounced on Ailsa and ravaged her for days on end.
Scenes of Ailsa's naked body down to even the small birthmark on her left hip suddenly replayed in his mind. He could see every movement of her long limbs, even down to the trembling of her slender fingers, each perfectly reflected in his memories thanks to his Origin Flame.
"Hohoho, I didn't know my Little Ryu was such a pervert."
Ailsa covered her cherry lips and laughed. But, the movement only served to further entice Ryu.
The way her curves clung to her white dress, the way her ample bosom rippled with her every breath and chortle… It was almost too much for a man to handle.
Unfortunately, this reaction only made Ailsa laugh even harder.
"If you want me so badly, Little Ryu, I can let you eat Big Sis up. Come, I'm right here, what are you waiting for?"
Ailsa blinked innocently, a slight shy expression coloring her usually confident features.
This act, whether it was real or not, almost made Ryu spill over.
In the end, he bit down on his own tongue furiously, holding Little Gem in one arm and his forehead in the other. A drizzle of blood fell from his lips down his chin. But, the little one licked it up much to his surprise.
Just as Ryu was about to pursue why Little Gem had just lapped up his blood, Ailsa stopped playing around and giggled lightly.
"You know the reason why Ancient Beasts are so promiscuous? It's not only because their Bloodlines are so powerful that if they aren't hopping around in each other's beds so often, they'd never conceive… It's also because the strongest cultivation methods of beasts are all Dual Cultivation methods. Even the ones that can be used without intercourse would be made more powerful if Dual Cultivation was added on top.
"At the same time, you just had yet another massive upgrade to your Bloodlines. If you weren't reacting like this, I'd have to assume that there was something wrong with you."
Ryu sighed.
No wonder he had been able to so easily control himself in the past. It wasn't only because his self control was great, but it was also because he was just a mortal, his Bloodlines could have been considered to be dormant.
But now, Ryu's Bloodlines had already crossed the Immortal levels and were even on the verge of breaking the mold of the Vessel Tempering Realm entirely. It was no wonder they would act as though beasts about to be let loose from a chain.
"Is there no way to handle this?" Ryu asked.
Ryu had accepted Ailsa as his woman. Logically speaking, there shouldn't be a problem. There was no better partner to Dual Cultivate with. In fact, even if Elena was here, just due to the string of Fate that connected Ailsa and Ryu, Ailsa would still be the better option.
However, even if it was necessary, Ryu didn't feel right using Ailsa like this.