Izril barely blocked, his gaze crossing their connected blades to give Ryu a serious look. He found it hard to believe that someone within the Connecting Heaven Realm could bring forward such strength.
It wasn't just the power behind his attack, but also the placement and timing. It seemed that he could always strike just before he reached the peak of gathering his strength, stopping him from displaying his full might. To make matters worse, it somehow also felt that his defenses were impenetrable at the same time.
If Ryu knew that Izril had come to such a conclusion from two strikes, he'd be quite surprised. Not to the point of being overly shocked, but more so just a simple eyebrow raise.
Izril didn't look very special. Other than having the handsome air one would expect from a Path Extinction Realm expert, he was normal in every other way. He used neutral qi, he was a normal human, and even used the most common weapon amongst cultivators, the sword.
It was almost as though he was trying his best not to stand out. Yet, it was this same man who also stepped into the air to demand Ryu hand over his things.
The dichotomy was quite interesting.
If this man was really the leader of Deep Valley, how was it that he allowed them to continuously target Violet Olive? A man with such a disposition didn't seem like one who would go out of his way to lower the standing of those around him. It was more likely that he would simply focus on improving himself.
It took Ryu only a look to see through all this. It almost felt as though his Pupils allowed him the ability to see through the core of people now, or maybe… He was simply more sensitive to such things after opening the Earth Gate.
At that moment, a battle erupted on the city floor. Or, rather what remained of it. The members of the Violet Olive Team were almost instantly overwhelmed despite the fact it seemed that the second 3rd Path Extinction Realm expert still hadn't displayed his true strength.
Curiously enough though… Giveon was also still holding back.
Ryu could feel that something was wrong. His intuition told him that Giveon was on his side, but there must be some underlying secret here. In fact, whatever this secret was might very well be related to Izril as well.
'Well, in that case…'
Ryu's aura continued to blaze, his arm flexing as he continued to press down toward Izril.
Izril found his back pressed flush against the ground. Ryu stood over him, his strength continuously becoming stronger. It seemed that he wouldn't be satisfied until he ran the Deep Valley Team leader through completely.
It felt as though the whole would had come to a grinding halt.
Was this what should happen when a man who had stayed hidden for so long finally made his appearance?
But what exactly was normal about a man suddenly gaining a year of training while barely raising a finger?
A year to an Immortal was nothing more than the blink of an eye. A year to Ryu might as well have been an entire lifetime.
His left hand held the ultimate defense. His right held the ultimate offense.
"… You're quite powerful…" Izril said, Ryu's blade still bearing down on him from above. "… Seems I've underestimated you."
Izril's strength bloomed. He might have been struggling to the point of being unable to move, but wasn't this perfect? It made it much easier for him to summon his Immortal Rings.
"Blossom Forth." Izril said softly.
Ryu's pupils constricted.
It seems he had finally found one. A person who stepped on the path of the true Immortal Ring Realm.
Energy bloomed around Izril, a strong, pulsing Immortal Ring appearing to his block. But as opposed to what Ryu was used to, this Immortal Ring began to morph, becoming a blooming flower that slowly opened its petals to the world.
Izril slowly pushed back against Ryu, his strength blooming to new levels.
Without even waiting for the war of strength to conclude, Ryu agilely leapt backward, his steps light and unhurried as his Northern Heavenly Wind wrapped around him, boosting his speed further.
He had focused his Earth Gate on his sword technique, not his strength. Him overpowering Izril was only a product of him forcing the latter to lose his leverage. But, with this boost, it was no longer useful. It would be easier for Ryu to take a step back.
The true Immortal Ring Realm… The reality was that the Immortal Ring Realm was the Realm with the most deviations. It was analogous to the Awakening Realm of the Mortal Realm, but to the Immortal Realms. As such, it laid the foundation for one's path going forward in said Immortal Realms.
The most common path of the Immortal Ring Realm was the formation of a single ring. This Ring would grow along with every step you took.
However, this was just one of the many. Those that chose a different path, often unique to their cultivation methods, often called this path the 'true' path, despite the fact this path was just one among a countless number of others.
Izril was clearly one of these individuals. His Immortal Ring took a complex form, blooming into a lotus.
Rather than carrying the normal plain white color of most Immortal Rings, this lotus carried gorgeous patterns of blue.
Ryu wasn't incorrect when he said that Izril had formed Heaven Grade Rings… The issue with his assessment, though, was that this unique Immortal Ring actually made his so-called Heaven Grade Ring comparable to some weaker Sovereign Grade ones. This meant that Ryu's estimation of his strength wasn't off by just a small factor.
Ryu gripped his Great Swordstaffs, his heart pumping with excitement. This was it. Finally a worthy opponent after so long.
Ryu shot forward, his Great Swordstaff meeting with Izril's sword in a flurry of clashes. In the blink of an eye, they exchanged hundreds of moves, Izril's movements swift and crafty, Ryu's being balanced and steadfast.
Izril narrowed his eyes.. "[Lotus Style: Sweeping Petal Stance]."