The Yin Water crashed against the ice. But, ironically enough, after years of tempering under its presence, the ice was as sturdy as a steel wall. In addition, without a master or a vessel to contain it, the treasure had weakened considerably over time.
And this was precisely what would give Ryu a chance.
Slowly, but surely, Ryu began to pull the treasured water through the small cracks in the ice.
When the first drop finally reached him, his Yin Water Seed vibrated to life, swallowing it whole.
Though his eyes were closed, Ryu's lip curled into a smirk.
This was the perfect situation. The three below likely sensed the changes by now, but there was nothing they could do, they couldn't even turn their attention away from their own bodies for fear that the cold would reach a location they couldn't turn back from.
After just absorbing the first drop, Ryu felt that his Yin Water Seed had already roared to life. From an endless cold, a simultaneously endless vitality roared out.
This was the greatest strength of the Ice Phoenix Yin Water Seed. In fact, it might even be more accurate to call it a Yin Life Seed. It was able to take treasures of extreme cold and conjure up an equivalent amount of life and vitality in return.
What did this mean? It meant that the life characteristics of Ryu's Yin Water Seed would always be just as powerful as the ice and water characteristics. The more powerful water treasures he swallowed, the stronger his life and healing methods would become.
Just from a single drop, Ryu could feel that his Healing Factor, which had slowed considerably after stepping foot into the True Martial World, was beginning to rapidly recover back to its previous levels. In fact, if it wasn't for the fact Ryu's Bloodlines were shackled to the Lower Black Grade currently and he couldn't bring out the full power of his Yin Water Seed Talent, then this would have never been a problem to begin with!
However, there was good news as well. Because this Yin Water was actually so powerful, even with only the conversion speed of a Black Grade Ice Phoenix Bloodline, Ryu's vitality still leapt forward by leaps and bounds.
Just by virtue of having this Yin Water Seed, Ryu could feel his lifespan increasing by thousands of years with every drop he absorbed, he didn't even seem to have any difficulty in doing so at all. It was as though his Yin Water Seed was the apex predator to all Yin Water treasures, even one as powerful as this couldn't escape even if it wanted to. Only if its previous owner rose from the ashes and came back to life would it have even a chance at doing so.
The best part was that Ryu could tell that there was a large amount of strength still sealed away in his Yin Water Seed, waiting for his Bloodline to unshackle to reveal itself.
There was no doubt that this Yin Water was the treasured familiar of a Sky God. After absorbing so many drops, Ryu could tell that the female Sky God in question was probably within the Perfect Sky God Realm.
This Ruin was likely left to her inheritor, but the three below were far too weak to capitalize. Ryu wouldn't be surprised if this was the final test, but he had stumbled into snatching it away like this.
It really was quite unfair. To the people of the True Martial World, Ice Phoenixes were behemoths of the Eighth and Ninth Heaven, even a Perfect Sky God like this woman would never expect that her inheritor would have such a noble Bloodline.
But this was for the best as well.
Considering the probable level of this Ruin, Ryu definitely wasn't powerful enough to clear it yet. Using his Bloodlines to cheat this great reward away was about the best he could do.
It seemed, as well, that he had still underestimated these three cultivators below. They were probably in the Half-Step Sky God Realm or very close, that judgment made far more sense.
'I see, so that's your name.'
After absorbing so much, Ryu was finally certain of the Yin Water's name. Its first master had called it Flowing Frost. Short and elegant, not to mention accurate. This flowing water with floating gold runes was harsher than any ice Ryu had ever run across.
It was designed specifically for combat and its first owner liked to brandish it like a whip.
Of course, Ryu didn't plan on using it like this and only needed it for his alchemic path. However, as rare as Yin Water wielders were, a Yi Water wielder who wasn't also an alchemist was even rarer.
Something told Ryu that deeper within this Ruin, there was definitely a record of this woman's alchemic exploits, but that would have to wait. Ryu wasn't foolish enough to dive head first into such a thing.
When there were only small tidbits of the Flowing Frost left, the most able bodied of the three cultivators snapped her eyes open, a piercing gaze looking up toward the ceiling. There, in a small hole in the discolored ice, there was Ryu who looked back at her calmly despite being blind.
Ryu was using his Spiritual Sense and the control over his body to focus his eyes properly. He couldn't allow these people to know he was blind or else that would be one more connection to have back to his true self.
At the same time, he had no intention of showing any fear either despite how powerful he might be.
The young woman's face flickered with fury.
She had been doing the best of the three and also had the highest chance to subdue the Flowing Frost water. Now that Ryu had taken action, she had obviously lost such a chance.
Ryu could only inwardly shake his head.
Such beauty and yet such shit for brains. It might as well be the slogan of the martial world.
Every one of these powerful people had gotten used to being on top for too long. However, Ryu didn't mind teaching her a lesson.
The young woman had yet to recover and her mind was entirely drained. She had already spent years here in meditation, a glare was about all she could muster the strength for.
At that moment, Ryu's Void Spiritual Sense completely enveloped her, no longer hiding its presence.
He latched onto her mind and began to rip at her consciousness.
The young woman's eyes colored in shock before she shrieked, grabbing onto her head.
By the time her shivering body looked up once again, Ryu was gone.
Her lips quivered.
"P…P…Perfect… B… Blackbody… Soul…"