Ryu glided up the side of the obsidian mountain. After becoming a Wind Heir, he actually found that it was possible for him to fly. In fact, he was nimbler and faster than Spiritual Severing Realm experts in this regard.
Though Spiritual Severing Realm experts could fly, they usually only did so for short distances. The stress it placed on one's qi reserves was too great. But Ryu wasn't limited in this way. Though his qi had yet to match those experts in thickness, the effort he needed to fly was far less than theirs.
Unfortunately, what should have been a smooth journey thanks to his Northern Wind was constantly impeded by beasts. Though Ryu managed to dodge the Fifth and Sixth Order powerhouses that might be hiding within Flash Mountain, his attempts forced him into the territory of lesser beasts who also wanted to avoid angering these Kings.
For such a harsh environment, Ryu was surprised by the sheer number of beasts. He was only a third of the way up the mountain, but he had already had half a dozen encounters.
'It only makes sense. For lower level beasts, their only instinct is to grow strong, it doesn't matter what they have to suffer through to reach those ends. This mountain is a holy land for lightning-based cultivation. Make sure to collect their Spiritual Roots well. It's a bit too much to expect you to absorb Fourth Order Spiritual Roots with your current body strength, but I believe the stress will be a good experience for you. Plus, your Ancestral Grade Lightning Qilin blood should be able to handle it.'
Ryu passively listened to Ailsa as he collected his seventh beast Spiritual Root. By his calculations, this should enough to force his Lightning Qilin blood toward its peak potential within the Pulse Tempering Realm. With a bit more effort, he could prepare to enter the Vessel Tempering Realm.
Ryu was quite excited by this prospect. The Vessel Tempering Realm was linked with the Divine Vessel Realm. If Ryu entered it, he would gain a massive boost in strength. Of course, reaching the peak potential of the Pulse Tempering Realm and actually opening the Vessels of the Vessel Tempering Realm were two massively different feats. Ryu would need many more resources to open his Body Vessels.
Still, this wasn't something to get down about. Thanks to the advantage his speed and Heavenly Pupils gave him, Ryu had much higher battle prowess than even he had expected. As long as the beast he met was below the Higher Fourth Order, he was confident in winning easily. This allowed him to accumulate resources far easier than someone else of his cultivation realm would.
Once Ryu reached the upper limit of the Pulse Tempering Realm, he believed he would be unmatched below the Divine Vessel Realm. By then, it would become even easier to collect the resources he needed.
Ailsa, who had been silently sitting on Ryu's shoulder, suddenly perked up, her head turning toward a particular direction.
'What is it?' Ryu asked as he collected the final valuable portions of a Fourth Order bird beast.
'I just sensed something that might be worth taking a look at.' A pensive expression spread across Ailsa's lovely features.
'Worth looking at?'
'Cultus Sprites are very sensitive to existences with potential. It's like a pull that pushes us toward those worthy of being nurtured. The reason why I was able to point out that Ember Clan father-son pair was because I sensed that they were worth nurturing – especially the son and his blacksmithing talent.'
Ryu's brow shot up. 'You sensed a beast worth nurturing?'
'It should be a Thunder Roc.' Ailsa said after a moment.
'What did you just say?' Ryu froze.
The Roc. It was an Ancient Beast on the same level as Ryu's four Ancestral Grade bloodlines. In fact, it was one of the few Ancient Beasts that managed to protect its bloodline from being taken by human Clans.
However, this wasn't the most pressing part. If there really was a Thunder Roc in this Flash Mountain, Ryu's only path was death. Ancient Beasts were incredibly sensitive to other Ancestral Grade bloodlines that came from beasts of their level. A true Thunder Roc would have sensed Ryu the moment he entered this mountain range.
'Don't worry, a true Thunder Roc wouldn't be here. This lightning qi isn't anywhere near dense enough. Also, even the weakest Thunder Roc would be of at least the Seventh or Eighth Order. You'd already be dead if one was here. I simply sensed a beast with a small strand of Thunder Roc in its blood.'
Ryu sighed a breath of relief. 'So if we invest enough into this beast, there may be a day where it could become a true Thunder Roc?'
'You could say so, though nothing is certain. Still, since you've yet to pick the path you want and would like to focus on raising the potential of your Mental Realm, there's no reason to ignore this beast's potential. Though… You should note that even a small strand of such blood is no joke.'
Ryu's eyes turned cold. 'Which way?'
Facing a beast with a small strand of an Ancestral bloodline was no easy task. When Ryu measured his combat prowess, he always measured himself up to normal beasts and cultivators. However, if Ryu could jump several levels to fight those beyond him in strength, why couldn't others do so?
Ailsa silently pointed toward a particular direction. It was no surprise that it was into the dark depths of Flash Mountain.
The rumbling of an eerie thunder boomed over head, causing the already slippery surface Ryu stood on to tremble. As if these matters weren't an ominous sign enough, the pitter patter of rain soon followed.
Still, there was no hesitation in Ryu's steps. Nine cycles of one hundred million years was enough. His family had waited long enough. His body became a blur, completely ignoring the beasts that tried to engage with him. None of them dared to follow his path after a certain point either way.
It wasn't long before Ryu laid eyes on the beast, mostly because it stood proudly on a mountain peak, not trying to hide its presence in the slightest.
The Roc could only be described as beautiful. It had the long proud neck of a peacock and the sharp gaze of an eagle. Its three tails fluttered about like silver laced silk, but its feathers were what truly made one's heart palpitate. Like plates of platinum, they shone a reflective rainbow even under the dark sky…