Ryu's gaze flashed as he leapt into the air. The reason he had maintained a ground position during the battles thus far was because he was well aware that his own speed advantage would drastically fall in the air.
Currently, Ryu's main movement technique was still [Gliding Cloud Steps] and his secondary movement technique was [Lined Assault]. The former was a Common Grade technique while like the later was a Black Grade technique that emphasized efficient use of one's muscles as a bow. Obviously, a Common Grade technique wouldn't be useful for flight considering it was created for Awakening and Pulse Opening Realm experts. And, for similar reasons, [Lined Assault] wasn't useful in aerial movement either.
Simply put, Ryu's advantage of speed would disappear in an instant the moment he stepped into the skies. If he wanted to maintain it, he had no choice but to enlist the help of the infant Lightning Hawk. With the mountain beneath him crumbling, the air would become the new battleground.
"You dare?! Let me g --!"
A ferocious slap cut off the words of the female Zu elder. The cold light in Ryu's gaze sent shivers down her spine. A fear she couldn't control gripped her even as Ryu's hold over her neck tightened.
"Do you know why you're still alive?" Ryu's voice seemed to rise from an abyssal hell. Colder than the whipping winds around them as Little Rock toyed when the Connecting Heaven Realm experts around them. Colder than the vicious qi wafting from his body. Colder than even the look in his eye.
"Making an enemy out of me, forcing me to end the life of my own grandfather… From this day forth, the Zu Clan and I won't be able to exist beneath the same Heavens. And you… You in particular will spend the rest of your days as my corpse puppet."
As though the world around him wasn't collapsing, Ryu calmly and coldly ripped the robes from the female elder's body. He didn't seem to care that her soft skin was being exposed one layer after another, nor that her most private areas had begun to ripple under the air pressure around them.
Taking the ripped cloth, he bound her hands and her feet. Then, he placed his hand on her forehead, circulating [Divine Chaotic Annihilation].
The female elder, who had already been frozen by Ryu's words, and then further embarrassed by her exposed breasts and legs, suddenly shook in fear and began to scream.
"No! No! What are you doing to me!"
The Connecting Heaven Realm experts began to rain down attacks toward Ryu when they realized they really had no ability to catch up with Little Rock's speed. Unfortunately, it was then that a magnificent Immortal Sakura with bark of crystalline ice appeared in the skies.
The sight would have been gorgeous beyond compare if it wasn't for the fact the subsequent attacks that bombarded it filled the air with shattered and tumultuous qi.
On the ground below, Tae watched listlessly as Ryu toyed with experts she had looked up to her whole life. She had no ability to gather her complex emotions, she could silently watch on.
Ryu's words rang in her ears again and again.
'Our ties are severed from this day forth…'
He seemed to have been speaking with Matheus and her grandfather. But why was it so obvious to her that he had been speaking to her?
[Divine Chaotic Annihilation] ripped the female elder's qi from her. The chaotic energies tore her meridians apart, leaving her with injuries that would take countless decades to recover from.
It was obvious that the elder would retaliate, doing her best to strike toward Ryu mind. But her attempts resulted in her Spiritual Qi being grinded way, torn and sheered apart to rack her body with pain beyond her wildest imaginations.
The female Zu Clan elder collapsed. Her meridians were completely barren of qi and only a wisp of her Spiritual Sea remained.
"Cousin, snap out of it!" Matheus swept down, lifting Tae up and over his shoulder.
'This stupid little girl. Can't she see that the world is collapsing around her? If she stayed there, wouldn't she be asking to die?!'
Matheus was greatly frustrated. He too seemed to have complex emotions he couldn't deal with.
By all rights, he should be enraged with Ryu for the way he treated his grand uncle. In fact, maybe he should be going all out to kill him as well. But, for some reason, he couldn't bring himself to do so. In fact, a small part of him felt that he was at fault even though he could think of nothing he did wrong.
'Little Ryu, something will happen very soon.'
Ryu, who had just finished tying up the female Zu elder, frowned. He had been planning on leaving immediately, but Ailsa, who had just come back from the Mortal Qi Small Realm to find her normal spot on his shoulder, caused him to pause.
'What's wrong?' He communicated.
'The instant I left the Mortal Qi Small Realm and severed the last connection it had with you, it immediately began to collapse. I thought that would be the end of it, but the reaction was… more violent than it should have been. If my speculations are correct, this is definitely related to the real secret of the Inner Ring.'
Ryu's eyes narrowed. This was a problem. He had just enraged the whole of the Inner Ring. It was very likely that the true strength of the Zu Clan was making its way here as they spoke, not to mention the Basteel Clan and the others. Plus, those Ember Clan members had yet to make a real move.
Could he afford to stay now?
Ryu didn't spend more than even a moment thinking. Not every opportunity would fall in his lap thanks to [Intuition]. The rest would have to be fought for.
The seals within Ryu's Mysteries of Heaven and Earth Pupils began to shatter one after another under the influence of his Chaotic Qi. With enemies surging in from all sides, Mortal Qi Mountain began to glow.