Grand Ancestral Bloodlines

Ryu hadn\'t even closed the gap between them. The length of his glaive\'s polearm was almost two meters, and the blade alone was an additional foot and a half. The fact Ryu had caught the tip of the blade met that there were at least two large strides between them, not enough for a single arm to cross, especially not when Ryu hadn\'t taken a step forward.

So... why did it feel like his heart....

Five bloody holes burst from his chest and blood flowed in five rivers. It dripped to the ground as he crashed backward, his expression growing dull as Ryu\'s five fingers appeared once more. However, not a single one of them was bloodied, as though Ryu didn\'t want to stain himself with the blood of someone so insignificant.

Ryu strolled past the eldest, before he even hit the ground.

Vie and his remaining partner were shaken. They still couldn\'t sense Ryu with their Spiritual Sense, but they could definitely sense the fall of their comrade. Their immediate choice was to retreat, moving back from the roaring bear spirit with their fastest speed.

Ryu watched this scene without much of a chance in expression. He was far more interested in the Bronze Protector Spirit. His goal, in the first place, was to see if they were really so powerful. As for Vie, he was an insignificant character he had already defeated once. He also felt it was more intriguing if Vie was alive for the day his senior died. How would he feel knowing that he was the trigger for everything?

Vie felt a bitterness rise up his throat when he realized that Ryu had directly ignored him, not even sparing him a glance. But it also reinforced a sensation of inferiority that had been kept deep within his soul.

At that moment, his gaze went red and he unleashed a roar, his toes slamming into the seemingly soft soil and leaving a small pit as he rushed forward, his glaive swinging upward.

His Dao Charm technique bloomed and he seemed to become a towering mass of qi. He rose from not even two meters tall to over three, his glaive increasing in size to match him. His aura soared past the eldest and continued rising in an instant. It was clear that while his cultivation was the weakest among the three, his talent and even his combat power was the highest.

"VIE! STOP!"

\'Hm?\' Ryu looked over. He was already within 20 or so meters of the bear spirit while the two had retreated to over a hundred or so meters away. It wouldn\'t have been so easy for them to do so, if not for the danger the Protector Spirit felt coming from Ryu. It was clear that this beast had some intelligence.

Ryu couldn\'t help but chortle somewhat inwardly. First Starlight, nor Vie. What was it about him that made cowards grow spines? Did he just enrage them that much? That must be a talent of some sort.

The bear spirit, noticing that Ryu was distracted, swiped down with full force. The wind whipped against Ryu\'s scalp so sharply that it almost made him feel as though he didn\'t have any hair whatsoever. The raw power of this Protector Spirit was off the charts, but by the same token, it didn\'t seem to have any other modes of attack.

At the same time, Vie closed in from the distance, his glaive\'s blade screeching across the air. His Dao hummed into existence at the last moment, the aura of an immature Sovereign Dao forming and increasing the strength of his strike all the more.

"Troublesome, Ryu thought faintly.

The strength of the bear spirit was actually only a small fraction weaker than his own. While he was stronger, he couldn\'t just blow it away with physical strength alone.

Of course, his thoughts were mostly about the bear, or more accurately, what it meant for this bear to be so powerful. If a Bronze Protector Spirit was already so strong, what about the other ones? Would he really have to work with others? That idea was truly annoying.

\'Unless... Ryu\'s thoughts flickered with an idea.

Suddenly he moved.

Vie\'s glaive descended, its blade so close to the tip of his nose that he could almost feel the coolness of its metal against his skin.

Ryu\'s gaze sharpened and the aura of a Fist God erupted. He punched out a single time and the world\'s wind seemed to come to a stop.

BANG!

The head of the bear spirit shattered into motes of light. A single punch, an instant death.

Ryu didn\'t even look toward the bear again after sending out that fist. His steps were faster than Vie could react to. He appeared by his side.

Vie froze, his large body dripping with cold sweat. He could only look at the fallen bear spirit, not understanding. Their trio could have vanquished the spirit, that much he was confident in. Not much time had passed yet, which was why they hadn\'t, and they were also reserving their might knowing that they would have to battle far more battles.

But even if they went all out, could they defeat it in a single strike? No, that was impossible. Just by function of the fact they were fighting in threes while Ryu was alone was a slap to the face of that possibility. He was simply...

On a level all to his own.

BANG!

Vie\' body folded as Ryu\'s fist slammed into his hip. A raging torrent of energy threatened to shred him to pieces, his body flying out like a broken kite caught in a roaring storm.

At that moment, the final motes of light from the Protector Spirit latched onto Ryu and a barely perceptible symbol formed at the center of his forehead.

\'Hm? Interesting\'

Ryu waved out a hand and he felt that his might had increased, but the thing was that he hadn\'t used the Protector Spirit\'s power. Instead, he had used its insights.

It seemed that the Protector Spirits had more to give than just their temporary power.

Realizing this, Ryu was more determined than ever to kill as many as he could on his own.