Grand Ancestral Bloodlines

The feeling was vague, almost as though just the barest outline had begun to form in Ryu's mind. However, the leap in strength was so astronomical that it almost knocked Ryu out of his concentrated state. If it had been anyone else, this truly would have been what happened. But with Ryu, his <Focus> ability was so potent that even this influx of qi couldn't shake him off.

It had been a very long time since Ryu had sensed a Birthed Phenomena. Ever since he cut his Tatsuya Saintly Weapon Inheritance away from himself, he had chased after the ever elusive Birthed Phenomena but he never seemed able to grasp it.

Of all the things that could have happened, though, Ryu could have never expected that the first Birthed Phenomena he created himself would actually come from the bow. Then again… maybe this was simply inevitable.

The tug of war going on in Ryu's mind when it came to his great grandfather and his self-created technique and path made things far too difficult to rectify.

On one side, he hated his great grandfather and wanted nothing to do with him. On the other side, though, his Great Swordstaff comprehension was built upon it as a foundation. And, on yet another side, Ryu didn't want to let down his father and grandfather. He was a Tatsuya. The meaning of that name had gone beyond Primus long ago.

Even though Ryu had accepted Ailsa's reasoning, it still felt like he had to fight against a piece of himself… And then there was the largest elephant in the room: His Pupils.

As powerful as Ryu's Mysteries of Heaven and Earth Pupils were, having them form Birthed Phenomena in the previous state might have been too early with all the compounding factors Ryu was dealing with. But right now…

It was as though the whole world had opened up to him.

Rather than becoming faster, Ryu's arrows seemed to slow to a crawl. His movements were easily observable even by mortals. And yet, with every one he released, another life would be reaped, the Birthed Phenomena in the skies becoming more and more prominent.

It felt to those observing that Ryu was testing just how slow he could make his arrows and still kill his target. It was like they had become guinea pigs walled in within thick fences, hoping and praying that they wouldn't be the next target.

The enigmatic air around Ryu's arrows only became more and more profound. Subconsciously, Ryu's Dividing Karma Dao.

Right at that moment, a halo of blinding golden light pulsed outward, thrumming with a pressure that forced a weak down to their knees.

Ryu didn't even spare these individuals a single glance. How would they help him to hone his bow if they didn't even dare to stand and fight back.

His targets began to be among the more and more powerful. And yet, without doubt or hesitation, it only took a single one every time.

The Glove of Order pulsed like it had a mind of its own. Its deep black color began to crack, giving way to a hidden crystalline layer that made it almost impossible to see with the naked eye, at least in its glove form.

However, when it began to snake up Ryu's arm and coat his body, it wrapped about its owner's figure and formed the image of a deity.

An almost illusory armor that looked like a painting of the depths of a starry sky covered Ryu from head to toe. The arrows he formed took up even less energy and were somehow all the more powerful. The Unique Grade title of the Glove of Order shining forth in a way that maybe those of the Natural Order Sect could have never expected.

Ryu's arrows became even slower. But this time he began to shoot two at a time. Each flew as though they had minds of their own, carving a path through the air and finding their mark upon someone's forehead, shattering their brains and souls in one sweep.

Roars began to follow Ryu's Dragon Bow. As though it had been awoken from its slumber, a towering mounted, fusing with an already impossibly great suppression.

It felt like even with his eyes, Ryu could see the Karmic Strings that tied all of his enemies before him. It was a surreal experience that left him only more in awe. He hadn't activated <Lines of Fate>. In fact, other than <Focus>, he had turned all of his other abilities off. And yet, it was all so clear.

That was when a realization hit Ryu like a ton of bricks.

There were dozens of Sky Gods alive right now, and yet not a single one of them had Heavenly Pupils. In fact, among the Heavenly Pupils, the only one that could be said with any confidence to practically guarantee one's spot as a Sky God was the Mysteries of Heaven and Earth Pupils to begin with…

In the past, Ryu had dismissed this thought because of rarity. Maybe Heavenly Pupils simply didn't appear often enough for them to gain adequate representation… But… But what if it was something else entirely?

What if Heavenly Pupils weren't as powerful as they seemed to be in the first place. What if they were just a crutch that hindered your ultimate progress like even Ryu's own had impeded his comprehension of the bow and his path toward becoming a True Archer?

The combat prowess one with Heavenly Pupils would have would be obscene. Even if you were at the Peak World Sea Realm, if you have a pair, you just might be able to fight weaker Sky Gods…

However, none of that would guarantee you taking that final step.

If you spent your whole life relying on Heavenly Pupils, how could you forge your own Dao?

When Ryu's mind wandered to this point, he suddenly felt a jolt go through him.

He had gotten rid of his Spear, Halberd and Glaive comprehensions because the Fate that tied it down to all the masters that had used it in the past was hindering his forward progress far too much. But, what he had never considered was…

What about the Fate of all those that had wielded his own Heavenly Pupils in the past?