Ryu took deep breaths, his aura reserved. He hadn't had any rest in the last several months, even for him, this was greatly taxing. So, he took this opportunity to allow his body to return to its peak condition. With his recovery abilities, he only needed a single day.
He could sense that things were shifting in the Heavenly Path and that the second phase was about to begin, and he was well aware that although the second phase wouldn't be as bloody as the third, it would definitely be where heads truly began to butt.
In addition to this, according to what Ryu understood, the fact that it had taken so long for the first phase to conclude was actually a sign of the chaos that was about to come.
The Heavenly Path varied in the length of time it spent open, but it was generally accepted that the longer it was open, the more opportunities there would be and the more worthy the Heavens felt that the batch of geniuses who had entered were.
Given these parameters, the fact the mere first stage had lasted months was enough to tell Ryu all he needed to know. The next coming phases would not be easy.
Ryu's gaze flashed opened and a sharp light radiated out in all directions. He looked down casually to find that Mae was sleeping on his thigh, so he didn't disturb her. As for Aantha, she was still pouting. Thoguh Ryu could have just let them into the golden moon world, doing so would have left his ring on the outside and he didn't trust the environment of the Heavenly Path enough.
In a state where everyone was looking for treasures, leaving on just lying around casually was just asking for trouble.
Ryu looked up into the skies. It seemed that it was about time.
The golden skies above trembled and arcs of white lightning flashed. One after another, spatial riffs began to appear and glass orbs of various sizes slowly descended.
These glass orbs, some the size of a palm, and others the size of a city, were all Inheritances, each one exuding its own unique aura. Depending on one's own affinities, it was either more or less possible to sense these orbs as they descended form the skies like small raindrops.
Ryu exhaled lightly.
This phase would be far more complicated. The Inheritances would be decided by first come first serve, and no matter how much he wanted to, he wouldn't be able to force Inheritances that he wasn't compatible with to accept him.
However, all things considered, Ryu was in a better position than most in this regard. He had strong affinities in fire, water, wind and lightning, and even in rarer affinities he had space and time. Beyond that, he was also an excellent choice for Body, Qi and Mental Realm cultivators alike.
The trouble was that while Ryu felt he had no glaring weaknesses, this was from the standpoint of Sacrum. There was no telling how these former powerhouses of the True Martial World would feel about him, especially when he wouldn't be able to reveal his true talent.
Just as Ryu was thinking of a way forward and if he should just mask himself and go all out, the situation suddenly changed in a way that caught not just him off guard, but even the geniuses of the higher Heavens who had been waiting for precisely this moment off guard as well.
Ryu's head suddenly snapped in a certain direction even as Mae's eyes opened as well. It wasn't just them, but every existence within the Heavenly Path all turned toward this exact same location.
At that moment, a whirlpool appeared in the white-gold miasma. Lightning arcs of white, gold, bronze and silver flashed as a glass orb that seemed to blot out the skies began to slowly descend.
If before the largest glass orbs were on the scale of a city, this glass orb made them all look like specks of dust, its body stretching thousands of kilometers across.
However, just when the observers were getting over this shock, the glass orbs suddenly trembled and then cracked.
WHOOSH!
The white-gold miasma separated to reveal a glass orb even a hundred times larger than that descending from above it. It dwarfed the already enormous glass orb, suffocating it beneath its presence as it bathed in the lightning.
At that moment, diamond-like sparkling crystal lightning strikes appeared.
BOOM!
The glass orb stretching thousands of kilometers across shattered, its pieces becoming like planetary rings around the glass orb that stretched hundreds of thousands of kilometers across. The entirety of the Heavenly Path looked as though it was about to be crushed in just a few moments, until… the glass orb came to a stop.
A pulse of power spread out in all directions and the glass orbs that were falling to the ground were suddenly tethered by some odd energy.
One after another, the much smaller glass orbs began to rise into the air again before they came to a stop about a hundred meters above ground. Then, the odd energy that tethered them all together pulsed, forming a far more solid connection that manifested like star roads glistening in the skies. ραпdα `n?ν?| сom
For Ryu, who couldn't see clearly what was happening with his poor vision and could only barely make things out with his general senses, it felt like he was looking at a star chart filled to the brim with countless constellations.
He could see scenes of mighty men drawing bows and wielding spears. He could see roaring beasts and soaring dragons. He would see crying women and playing children. It felt as though the vicissitudes of life were being painted across the skies, held together by this singular glass orb.
Ryu stood to his feet, his pupils constricted. He didn't understand what was happening as even Aika's information didn't have anything about this, but his heart was still beating wildly. He felt his blood surging and his battle intent soaring.
Ryu suddenly turned his attention to Mae and Aantha, his lips separating as though he was about to say something. But he didn't get the chance to at all before a strong aura enveloped him entirely, expelling him from his location and sending him to the very edges of the Heavenly Path.
It wasn't just Ryu this happened to, every single genius of the Heavenly Path was suddenly expelled to its outer edges, and it didn't take much to understand why this was. With the roads suddenly formed in the skies, each one represented a unique path possible to be taken, but each one left to the enormous orb waiting to descend in the distance.
pαndα`noν?1~сoМ However, what was clear was that depending on one's talent, one would either be sent further away or much closer.
When Ryu looked around, he found that while he hadn't been expelled to the furthest reaches of the Heavenly Path, he wasn't exactly close to the enormous glass orb either. In fact, just with a sweep of his Spiritual Sense, he could see quite a number who were placed closer to him.
Ryu's gaze flashed with a hint of coldness, but his expression didn't change.
The vast majority of geniuses who had entered were far behind Ryu, but he hadn't expected for there to be such a number placed ahead of him. It was clear that the individuals who came from higher Heavens were far more numerous than he had expected initially.
At that moment, the skies trembled once more and the planetary rings around the ginormous glass orb began to shift, forming characters in the skies that formed out into words. Soon afterward, a booming voice echoed in all of their ears.
It only spoke out two words.
"Dao Lord."
Just these words alone sent a whisper through time. It felt as though they had been spoken at the beginning of Existence itself, echoing through the folds of reality only to finally reach their ears on this day.
Those that were too weak, upon hearing these words, directly fainted, unable to muster up the courage to clear their minds. Even those that managed to maintain their bearings lowered their ehads while the weaker among them prostrated themselves completely.
There was only one group of individuals who deserved such a title.
Dao Lords. Dao Sovereigns. Dao Gods.
These were the three highest titles in all of existence, individuals who ruled over the lands and looked down upon all living beings, the three highest stages of cultivation in all of existence.
A Sky God of Order.
A Sky God of Order had descended, leaving their Inheritance behind in the Heavenly Path. A Sky God of Order had appeared, wanting them to fight for their acknowledgement.
The blood of those who could keep their heads upright boiled, their hearts screaming with fighting intent.
The one who came out on top in this phase would rise to become an existence that surpassed his peers and crushed them all beneath his feet.
This opportunity was theirs.
These were the thoughts each and every one of them shared without fail.
Ryu stood in silence. His existence of conspicuous. Without thousands of kilometers, he was the only one with his head raised, gazing at the glass orb in the distance, his expression cold as ice.
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