Chapter 587 Sacrifice
Despite the shocking realization, Ryu's visage was the picture of indifference. By now, he had already figured out some things and the confirmation only made him eerily calm.
He looked down toward Yaana. She was cuddled up like a little kitten. As expected, she was completely unaffected by the commotion in the surroundings. In fact, she was lightly snoring as though nothing was happening at all.
In her current state, she looked quite adorable. Ryu's indifference couldn't help but give way to a smile. Wasn't this what he had always wanted? Why should she have to bear the same burden as he did? It was better if she was oblivious to it all.
Ryu looked back up, his expression once more reverting back. This time, it was pervaded by a deep fog of cold.
"First Brother, let me fight him. This bastard is the reason I couldn't get a seeded position!"
This person was their so-called Sixth Brother. It wasn't a surprise that he was the one who was enraged because it was Ryu's refusal to hand over the Tri Key that caused him to lag behind the others. He wasn't able to immediately progress to the third floor from the second floor, skipping over the hardest trials like everyone else. As a result, his rankings were near the bottom. How could he not be infuriated?
Ryu completely ignored the group before him. Communicating with his master's Visualization, he modified his robes to add straps to them. Then, he tied Yaana to his back.
Though he could have brought Yaana into his Incubator, he had a bad feeling about it. When it came to enemies at this level, it didn't particularly matter that he had a liability with him anyway. They were in the Path Extinction Realm… Who cared?
Ryu's figure vanished. When he reappeared, he had already grasped the throat of Sixth Brother. The words the latter had been planning on speaking were instantly caught in his throat.
Ryu's physical body alone had gained the prowess needed to fight Path Extinction Realm experts. In fact, thanks to his Bloodlines, after stepping into the Blood Tempering Realm, he was far beyond most body cultivators at this level. Even without using qi, it would be difficult even for a normal mid-level Path Extinction Realm expert to last a few exchanges with him.
The horror hidden beneath Sixth Brother's cloak was suddenly all too clear to Ryu.
Sixth Brother's forehead trembled, a hidden slit trying to open itself up. It was clear that this was where those of the Sect hid their third eye.
"AAAAGGGGGHHHHHH!"
Ryu's finger pierced through his forehead, shattering his third eye into dripping pieces of flesh and blood. The sequence happened so quickly that none of them seemed capable of reacting. The cloaked figures stood frozen, unable to know how they should react.
They knew quite well that if Ryu pressed forward just a hint more, he would pierce into Sixth Brother's brain, ending his life for good. It could effectively be said that he was already dead despite the fact he was still breathing. How could they accept such a thing?
They had entered this world with such a massive advantage to begin with, everything should have been easy. So, how is it that things had ended up like this?
"You know…" Ryu began to speak coldly. "…I don't particularly care how you all managed to get into this place, nor do I care what your goals are. But, what I will say is that this is the last chance I will give you. Trust me, you should take it. I rarely give second chances, and I most definitely don't give third chances.
"You have until the count of three. If you don't scram in that time, don't blame me for what happens."
No matter what had happened, the Three Pupil Eclipse Sect was once tied to the Fate of his Ice Phoenix Clan. Even now, less than a billion years wasn't nearly enough to wash it away completely. If Ryu killed those that were here, effectively erasing an entire generation worth of their geniuses, he would effectively be destroying what remained of their well of Faith.
Though Ryu was the Scion of the Tatsuya Clan, he still felt some responsibility toward the other three Clans his Bloodline represented. If he could help it, he would rather them to stay as intact as possible for when he rebuilt them up once again. But… It seemed that these youths couldn't quite understand kindness when they saw it.
Sixth Brother suddenly imploded in Ryu's hands. If it wasn't for a barrier of qi that instinctually appeared around the latter in that instant, he would have been covered in blood and gore. Yet, even then, Ryu immediately noticed that this blood began to corrode his qi barrier.
'A curse…?' Ryu's expression darkened.
This technique that dabbled in Necromancy, the Mental Realm and absolute Yin was among the most grotesque and also one of the main reasons Ryu's family had banned Mental Realm cultivation in their territories. To see that the Three Pupil Eclipse Sect had such an inheritance to pass down not even a billion years later filled Ryu with rage.
But, this was just the start of it. One after another, much to their apparent horror, one cloaked figure after another began to implode. Ryu could sense that they even tried to target Yaana, but she was very quickly protected by him. However, this only made his fury simmer all the more.
In the blink of an eye, there were just three left. First Brother. Second Brother. Third Sister.
The concentration of Yin in the air reached unprecedented levels and was still rising. Large quantities of malice and resentment formed, fusing with the resentment that was already originally in the air to become something even more tangible.
Ryu's gaze narrowed. '… So it's like that…'
The tempest of yin qi began to grow. Cyclones of energies whipped about, tearing blades into the snow and kicking it up into the air as though to bury them all within a blizzard. It was at that exact moment that it began to descend.
The ground was ripped in two, three pairs of large hands began to tear their way out, space itself trembling beneath their might.
Their skin sizzled and popped, the crimson hue of their hides steaming as they stepped into the cold world one after another. This alone made it difficult to see exactly what was happening, but there was almost nothing in this world that Ryu's pupils couldn't see through.
Crimson skin, blood that flowed like magma, twisting horns of obsidian, teeth stained of blood and half eaten flesh… Ryu knew what it was he was seeing immediately.
At that moment, Ryu had flashbacks to the words Isemeine had spoken just a few weeks prior, that day when he met her for the very first time…
'… Agree to subordinate yourself under my family! In this case, you will gain a complete Summoning Necromancer Legacy and you will be granted control of a Demon Baron and a Commoner Demon Clan.'
Ryu almost shook his head and sighed.
The Demon Baron Magma Devil Clan.
The three Magma Devil's rose out of the ground to their full height, each of them standing at over four meters tall. Even if one didn't have Ryu's pupils, it was possible to see the molten earth rushing through their veins and watch as their twin, rock coated hearts pumped in turns.
Their skin was both crimson and cracked in certain places. They had four horns that seemed curved of obsidian, spiralling in outward from one another like some sick, demonic plant. Each breath they took wafted a grotesque sulfur into the air, melting the snow around them into streaming rivers.
Just their aura alone made the world whine and cry. Space bent and twisted, a suppression of bloodlines pressing down on their surroundings.
These were creatures of noble Demon Blood. Even in comparison to beasts, fighting above their cultivation level was as easy as breathing to them. A normal Path Extinction Realm expert wouldn't even stand a chance against a Peak Immortal Ring Demon Baron. And yet, here were three Peak Path Extinction Realm Magma Devils, all of which saw Ryu and thought of murder.
The central Magma Devil took a deep breath, its eyes opening for the first time. Each looked like coal heated to a tipping point, radiating out an undying heat.
When it locked eyes with Ryu, a savage grin spread across its face.
"Boy, you smell good. Your flesh must be exquisite. What kind of Bloodlines are you hiding in your bones? I want a taste."
The auras of the three Magma Devils suddenly blazed to life, their cultivation levels rising again and again until it shattered through a ceiling.
The resentment in the surroundings continued to flow into their bodies, making their muscles bulge and their magma blood rush faster and faster.
It was then they broke through the final barrier.
In one sweep, all three Magma Devils stepped into the Dao Pedestal Realm.
[Just one chapter today]