Ailsa felt her heart clench when she saw Ryu. Though they seemed to have been taking things lightly, there was no doubt in either of their minds how important this matter was. If Ryu lost, not only would he lose Ailsa, but he might very well lose his life.
He didn't know the process or what it was entail to separate Ailsa's Fate from his own, but as the wielder of the Mysteries of Heaven and Earth Pupils, Ryu had a comprehension of Fate most didn't have.
If the Cultus Clan wanted to save Ailsa, it would require one of them to sacrifice. And, the choice for who was obvious.
The best case scenario after such a separation would be Ryu losing his talent and ability to cultivate. The worst case scenario would be him losing his life entirely.
To Ryu, though, both of these scenarios were a death sentence to him.
So, as much as he smiled, as much as he called them little nephew, as much as he wouldn't harm them for the sake of Ailsa… Ryu was fighting for his life. He was fighting for the right to keep his woman by his side, to be able to keep control of his own life, to claim the right to battle for his family's safety in the future.
So Ryu didn't hold back.
He didn't hesitate to begin churning out Primordial Chaos Lightning Qi. He didn't care about the damage it caused to his body, nor did he care about the potential harm it would cause to his soul.
Ryu knew how crazy he was being. He was well aware that he looked no different from a madman.
How could he not be? His body was in such a bad state that he had to use the stone of the Mountain Barbarians just to stop his soul from dissipating.
But, this wouldn't be where he took a step back. He most definitely wouldn't fall here.
Ryu roared, wild bolts of black lightning overwhelming the blue. They fused into one, slicing apart the air and turning the ground beneath Ryu's feet to dust.
'[Immortal Sakura].'
An ancient cherry blossom tree appeared above Ryu. Its canopy stretched far, its trunk being short but wide and sturdy.
It began to flicker, its white petals, gently falling from above like snow flakes, slowly solidifying.
The third stage of the [Immortal Sakura]. The Cherry Petal Stage.
BANG!
The white petals shattered, forming back to create a gentle pink hue.
The aura of the Immortal Sakura tree grew to a new level. It felt as though the ancient tree had finally been rebirthed, its presence suffocating even the skies above.
BANG!
The ceiling of the mountain range shattered into a rain of rock and rubble. The setting sun that hung over the horizon reflected the lights of the pretty pink petals.
It was the kind of dazzling view one might only see in their dreams, a gorgeous sight that clung to the hearts of all those who saw it.
Yet, the man who stood in the middle of it all seemed to be completely out of place. He roared into the skies, his body surrounded by an endless torrent of arching black-blue lightning.
A vicious cold wind spread, wrapping the bark and branches of the Immortal Sakura in a thick layer of ice. Each gorgeous pink petal that fell seemed encased in a delicate box of crystal, fluttering to the ground around Ryu.
BANG!
Ryu shot forward, his body turning into a massive arc of black lightning as he tore through space, appearing before the two little nephews in the blink of an eye.
Rollaith and Sanreth's pupils constricted. Was this really the strength of a Connecting Heaven Realm expert? Who was this monster?
Ryu's blades swung down without the slightest hint of mercy, his once sapphire gaze filled with an inky blackness.
In one breath, the Primordial Chaos Lightning Qi destroyed his body thoroughly. But, in the next, his Spirit Body would absorb it, strengthening and healing itself. The vicious cycle was enough to make anyone collapse.
Ryu wasn't roaring into the skies to assert his dominance. Rather, he was just in far too much pain.
BANG!
Ryu blades collided with their fists. But, this time, rather than just being coated in Rage Flames and Ice Flames, they had gained an additional flurry of black lightning that seemed intent on watching the world be burnt to ash.
This time, Ryu didn't slide backward. Despite the fact the two had used their full strength this time, their clash ended in a stalemate, their clash making space itself warp and collapse.
The ground beneath their feet shattered, the rest of the mountain range crumbling to dust.
A spherical rampage of whipping winds spread out from their collision, the sound of crackling lightning and surging energy filling the skies.
Ryu's knees sunk down, his back and arms flexing as he pulled back and unleashed a tirade of strikes. His blows were swift and his cadence was relentless. He exchanged blades and fists with the two young men, the light in his eye growing more and more furious.
Every time his heart beat, he could feel the scraping of the rock logged in his chest against its tender flesh. It seemed intent on keeping him awake, pumping his body with both blood and a level of pain he had never experienced before.
'[White Serpent's Dance: Lurking Shadow].'
Ryu's strikes became more elegant. He layered [Heavenly Flow] and [White Serpent's Dance] into one, his attacks carrying the enigma of Yin and Yang while also gaining the subtle nature of [Lurking Shadow].
Rolliath and Sanreth hadn't had the time to take things easy. The moment Ryu attacked, they instantly began to use their Martial Arts.
Martial Arts weren't supposed to be used in battle, at least not directly. Yet, these two didn't seem to have gotten the memo. They instantly sunk into their horse stances, their fists carrying the weight of worlds as they descended.
Rolliath was relentless and untiring. Sanreth's counter seemed laced with the genius of the heavens. Together they formed a perfect combination of approach and retreat, of attack and defense… Maybe even they themselves hadn't realized how well they worked together until just this moment.
Ryu's right blade snaked forward, countering Sanreth's passiveness with a stronger offensive. His left blade grew steadier and heavier, blocking Rallaith's endless barrage like the steady stream of a waterfall.
The density of cherry blossom in the region grew heavier and heavier. Swept up in a storm of cold wind, they flew about like a torrent of little shields, flooding the space around the three men.
Rolliath's fist smashed against one of these flower petals, expecting to crush it with ease. However, the instant he made contact, his pupils constricted.
Rolliath roared, his Immortal Ring being released in an instant. His golden hair fluttered, his crimson eyes growing to another depth of brightness.
He smashed the flower petal to pieces, but he was already late in countering Ryu who had reacted immediately.
Rolliath crossed his arms, a surge of Essence flickering around him.
'Earth Inheritance.' Ryu immediately saw through the truth.
Ralliath's arms were coated in scales that looked no less resplendent than Ryu's own Spirit Body in the blink of an eye.
BANG!
His body was sent flying backward by Ryu's blade. He flipped in the air, landing on his feet several hundred meters away, the barren land of gravel beneath his feet crumbling and blasting apart.
'[Earth God: Draconic Skin].'
The robes on Rollaith's body shattered, revealing a toned torso layered with sparkling silver scales.
Ryu took advantage of the change, bearing down with pressure onto Sanreth.
Beads of sweat fell from Sanreth's brow, the muscles in his arms aching every time he met Ryu's blade. Every collision made the air tremble, the ground beneath their feet crumbling as though a meteor had crashed into it.
Their bodies flickered through the land, leaving crater after crater.
Ryu's expression flickered. '[Warp].'
Ryu stepped to the side, his singular step crossing over a kilometer in the blink of an eye.
In the space he had just been in, Rollaith's fist appeared. The air pressure of his punch alone sent the air whistling about, numerous bangs sounding as his bones popped and the air shattered.
Sanreth's Immortal Ring exploded forth in the next instant. His looked just as 'normal' as Rollaith's if you ignored the fact they were both 20 meter large golden behemoths.
The both shook the skies, seemingly 'breathing'. Each inhalation the Immortal Rings took seemed to cause all the energy within several kilometers to rush toward the pair of nephews, fueling their bodies with an obscene amount of strength.
'[Buddha's Wheel: Infinite Counter].'
Sanreth smashed his fists together, causing more golden rings to appear along his wrists and up his forearms. Each of his movements seemed to carry the energy of the world, basking in a holy light that demanded worship.
The fiendish grin on Ryu's face deepened. His handsome features gained a devilish character that was hard to ignore. The crimson veins snaking from his eye, the blackened lightning flickering throughout his slit pupils, the demonic horns that stretched out from his forehead… He looked no different from a Demon Prince risen from a hidden hellish depth.
At that moment, the world began to tremble. A small black dot rose out from Ryu's forehead. It was only barely an inch across, yet the hearts of the two little nephews couldn't help but tremble.
'[Divine Chaotic Annihilation].'
Space warped and trembled as the small black sphere began to spin.