BANG!
The enormous gates of the Three Pupil Eclipse Sect palace shattered into shards of flying wood. Such wood could be considered to be maybe among the most valuable capable of being found on the Moon World, but beneath Ryu's aura, it became nothing more than fragile paper.
The shards fell around him as he took unhurried steps before him. His aura was cold and his expression gave nothing away. However, his actions alone spoke for themselves.
The destruction of a Sect's nameplate and gate were both among the most humiliating things you could force them to endure, and this was especially so for the Three Pupil Eclipse Sect that had gotten very much used to being a Hegemon. Even back when the Ice Phoenix Clan controlled this Moon World in its entirety, they had never been humiliated to this extent.
Not to mention the fact that Ryu's Ice Phoenix Clan treated their subordinates with dignity, even when there was an iron fist approach needed, it would be done behind closed doors and definitely not in the face of so many spectators.
If Ryu wanted to be a good ruler, maybe he would take this approach as well. However, since long ago, he had already realized that he wasn't cut out for leading large groups of people. If people wanted to follow him, they would do so at their own detriment. The best he could do for them was hand share resources. As for actually leading, he simply wasn't cut out for it.
His temper was too fiery. His patience was too thin. And his acceptance of incompetence was whatever was less than rock bottom.
At that moment, the protective formations of the Three Pupil Eclipse Sect roared to life. A mighty triangular formation of Pupils appeared in the skies, each with irises rotating about with complex Runes.
Ryu smiled a cold smile.
The wood that made the gate of the Three Pupil Eclipse Sect was known as Fire Breach Wood. It was a Heaven Grade treasure and was definitely a grand display of fortune for a Sect in a world with a cap at the Dao Pedestal Realm. This was definitely within the means of what the Three Pupil Eclipse Sect that Ryu knew could accomplish and he wasn't too surprised by it at all.
However, this formation… Not only was it a unique formation Ryu had never studied before, it was deep into the Ancestral Grade.
An Ancestral Grade Formation found in a Sect where the highest ranked expert should be within the Dao Pedestal Realm? It felt like nothing more than a comical joke. If you told such a thing to anyone who knew anything about the martial world, they'd probably roll their eyes and say that you had a great imagination.
Ancestral Grade Formations were used to protect Sects and Clans of the Eleventh Order. Maybe if you were among the stronger Tenth Order Sects, you might be able to cobble together several generations of accumulation to invite an expert to lay a weaker Ancestral Grade Formation.
However, not only was this large-scale formation solidly within the Middle Ancestral Grade, it was found in a mere Ninth Order Sect!
One had to also take into consideration that a Ninth Order Sect here wasn't worth the same as it would be elsewhere. The Three Pupil Eclipse Sect had always been under the jurisdiction of the Awoken Moon Sect, yet another Ninth Order Sect. For one Ninth Order Sect to oversee another, it was clear and obvious that there was still a large power divide between them, whether that be in quality of warrior or quantity. And, in fact… the deficiencies were in both!
Seeing a Middle Ancestral Grade Formation here, Ryu couldn't help but chuckle. It was obvious that whoever had laid this formation had helped the Three Pupil Eclipse Sect to forget their roots and betray his Ice Phoenix Clan. There was nothing in this world that Ryu abhorred more than backstabbers and spineless betrayers.
As far as Ryu was concerned, as a subordinate who had gained all the benefits that came with such a thing when the Ice Phoenix Clan was still alive, it was the duty of the Three Pupil Eclipse Sect to fight to their last man when their rulers had fallen. But, obviously, they hadn't chosen to do such a thing. In fact, it may even be quite likely that the Three Pupil Eclipse Sect had betrayed them long ago.
And now, in the face of the scion of their rulers, there was actually such a formation deployed.
A Middle Ancestral Grade Formation. It was a monstrosity capable of slaughtering and protecting against even Pinnacle World Sea Realm experts. Up against someone who had just stepped into the Path Extinction Realm like Ryu, it shouldn't have been enough to slaughter him dozens of times over. In fact, that explanation couldn't even begin to do the truth justice.
Faced with such a large scale formation, it would take at least 50 to 100 Peak World Sea Realm experts, each with above average strength, to break. Not only could it withstand the bombardment at such a level, it would likely kill at least half the number that came. And now, Ryu was standing right in the middle of it.
Unfortunately for the Three Pupil Eclipse Sect, though, they were now within the territory Ryu controlled. The formation that now enveloped this entire world was not only on a far larger scale than this formation, giving it far more power to draw on, but its level was, at Ryu's best estimations, at the Quasi Origin Grade. Let alone slaughtering Peak World Sea Realm experts, it could slaughter Sky Gods.
However, even though destroying this formation was a thought away for Ryu, the actual approach he too was very different. Sure, he could shatter this formation with a wave of the hand, but would that send the message that he wanted to send? Would it instill the sort of fear he wanted them to feel? The sort of horror he wanted to be etched deep within their bones?
A cold, vicious grin spread across Ryu's face.
He took a step forward, his figure seeming to flicker. Right that moment, a strong beam of light descended from the skies, landing right where he had just been.
BANG!
Ryu appeared again, his gait just the same and pace unhurried. He clasped his hands behind his back, the coldness in his gaze receding to dance with a playful, arrogant sort of light.
He stepped forward again, his figure vanishing as yet another beam descended.
Ryu whipped a hand forward from his back, flicking his finger. A beam of ice tore through the skies, appearing before the three floating pupils in the blink of an eye. However, just before it could collide, a second pupil glowed, resulting in a wide barrier forming.
Ryu's attack fizzled out. Still, he only nodded in response, taking another step forward and vanishing before a beam of light could hit him.
Ryu continued to do this. His steps were leisurely and unhurried, and every so often, he would release a piercing attack. Despite how these attacks all fizzled out without much fanfare, each one was of the exact same strength… The exact power you would need to blast a Dao Pedestal Realm expert's head to pieces.
Ryu's every strike was like a drop in the middle of an ocean, but it was a drop capable of threatening the heart and forcing it to beat out of rhythm.
By this point, those of the Black Winds Kingdom, Nightingale Mansion and Moonlight Blossom Sect all found themselves watching, their hearts palpitating. Each one of Ryu's strikes was like a piercing spear through their hearts. The more he did it, neither using any less or any more power, it was as though they were being reminded more and more of the kind of monster this young man was.
Zulfiqar of the Moonlight Blossom Sect stood completely drenched in cold sweat. He had already tried to run but there was simply nowhere to go in this world. Even leaving felt impossible.
He still hadn't realized the fact that the could man he had pierced through the heart all those years ago was actually Ryu, all he remembered was trying to kill Ryu in front of the Moonlight Blossom Sect. If he knew he had actually attempted such a thing twice instead of once, who knew how bad his situation would be now?
Ryu somehow had the ability to place an oppressive pressure on everyone around him even though all he looked like he was doing was running for his life. His every movement was filled with an unhurried grace and his every action seemed to carry the weight of the world. It almost felt like it wasn't the formation chasing him, but rather…
Him chasing the formation.
"So that's how it is." He spoke leisurely, taking another step forward and vanishing.
This time, he appeared amidst the three floating eyes, his palm stretched out.
"Break for me."
A formless pressure descended from the skies, concentrated to a very fine point. And then…
BANG!