Ryu saw Melody out after receiving the details of what would occur in the coming days.
The selections would be held in a Small Realm owned by a Blossom Plane Clan known as the Budi Clan. It hardly needed to be said that they were quite powerful, controlling a territory of their own within this higher plane's Core Region.
However, as one might expect, such an esteemed Ninth Order Clan wouldn't simply allow just anyone to enter their Small Realm. This left the Pedestal Plane with no choice but to hold selections of their own.
According to reports, the Martial Gods had sent delegates to the Pedestal Plane to oversee this selection under the guise of preventing any nepotism that might occur. This truth filled many of the youths located on this lowest Immortal Plane with excitement. Who didn't know the heralds of the Martial Gods? The mighty Apostles!
If one wanted to be known as a foolish dreamer, there was no quicker way than admitting a hope of one day too becoming an Apostle. Their statuses were so lofty that even the geniuses of the Blossom Plane would get laughed out of any gathering should they dare to admit to having such a dream, let alone those of the Pedestal Plane.
Of course, Ryu hardly cared about such things. He looked upon the Martial Gods with disdain for their shameless actions, and rage for their audacity in laying a hand on his family, why would he care about their mere messengers?
Still, Ryu found all of these events much too odd. The so-called Martial Gods were putting in so much effort to ingratiate geniuses of lower planes, could this all really just be to act as canon fodder? Was this Ice Devil Legacy World really worth so much?
The series of events seemed jumbled and fragmented, even Ryu couldn't connect them in any coherent sense. And also, just who were the Martial Gods? Ryu was very familiar with the topmost Realms throughout the cosmos. But, he had never heard the title Martial God before.
Ryu shook his head. Wasting thoughts on matters he didn't have enough information to deduce wasn't his style. He immediately turned his attention back to his cultivation, tightly spinning the vortexes of [Abyssal Vortex Qi], expanding the miniature dantians of [Six Realm Opening] and compressing his qi further with [Revolutions Amplifier].
His skin glowed, breathing along with his expanding lungs, allowing his meridians to greedily expand.
While others could only complete thirteen total Revolutions before entering the Half-Step Spiritual Severing Realm, Ryu could complete twenty. He had to complete two Great Circle Revolutions, which left eighteen others within the Qi Refinement Realm. He had already completed four, three in order to satiate his first Pulse, and one more to officially enter the Qi Refinement Realm.
Before Ryu had even completed his first Revolution, he had the qi density of someone who had completed two. After completing four, he was mistaken for a Higher Qi Refinement expert by those of lesser experience. But now, charging toward the Middle Qi Refinement Realm and completing his fifth, sixth, and seventh Revolutions, it would be difficult to not mistake him for a Half-Step Spiritual Severing expert.
With each successive Revolution, the task of purifying and compressing one's qi grew more difficult, this was especially so for Ryu who was completing three Revolutions per individual Pulse. Yet, from the looks of it, it truly didn't seem as though he was struggling at all. If the Ice Jade Crystal Body and Chaotic Silk Meridians ran into a roadblock so early in cultivation, they wouldn't deserve the title of Ancestral Grade.
In just three days, Ryu entered the Middle Qi Refinement Realm. He opened his third miniature dantian within his third Pulse, completed 37 more vortexes, and concluded three Revolutions, all at once.
He felt his meridians thrum, a delicate wave of energy filling his body with vitality. It wasn't as exaggerated as the rebirth experienced when crossing a large Realm barrier, but it wasn't a meaningless division either. Ryu felt some of the pain toward his back alleviate further.
'I have about 60% of my strength… Not as bad as it could be.' Just saying these words to himself, Ryu felt the hidden rage he had pressed down creep back upward, but he forcibly pressed it down once more.
The next coming events would be a great hassle, a long string of scheduled tournaments standing in its wake. Luckily, as a Throne, Ryu had no need to participate in Valor City's tournament and could directly enter the Major Cities Tournament. Following this, he would be allowed to challenge the Inner Ring geniuses before finally challenging the Core Region's geniuses.
Still, Ryu felt like this was all beneath him. Instead of taking so many tedious steps, he would directly leap over them all. In addition, with his mind so focused on the Moon World which he would have an opportunity to enter in just two years, he didn't even know if he would be back in time to enter this Ice Devil Legacy World.
Ryu shook his head. 'I should track down the first Necromancy Ruin. Place your anger down… If I make it back in time, then I do. If I don't make it back, then I won't...'
Ryu decided that these tournaments were a waste of his time. With killing being prohibited, they wouldn't even be able to sharpen his skills. Instead, he would carve his own path. Once he was finished, he would head to the Core Region and participate in their tournament as a Wildcard Candidate. That way, he wouldn't have to suffer through such nonsense.
Ryu suddenly thought of Melody and frowned, hesitating. He felt that he shouldn't allow her to enter the Budi Clan's Small Realm alone. He owed Granny Miriam too much to allow her sister to take such a risk.
It was then Ryu did something he rarely ever did, he changed his mind. Although Melody tried her hardest to stop him from going, Ryu could tell that, ironically, nothing would stop her from doing the same.
In a sense, Ryu understood. Melody felt that her pursuit of the highest standard of cultivation had cost her elder sister her life. At the very least, in honor of Granny Miriam, she couldn't give up on her path now. She had to see it to the end. She had to know if it was all worth it.
Ryu closed his eyes. 'Is Little Rock ready?'
Ryu's sudden voice awoke the worrying Ailsa who had been trying to find a way of comforting her Life Partner.
'Mhm. He heals up quite quickly because of his bloodline, plus you didn't deal him any fatal blows. In fact, he seemed to be about to break into the Fourth Order.'
Ryu nodded. This coming journey would be far easier with Little Rock by his side. Without much more consideration, he set off, promising to come back.