The rush of thunder and lightning seemed to go beyond what most normal oaths could possibly account for, and very soon it became clear why.
A searing charge that superheated the air rushed through the darkening clouds above. In that moment, that searing feeling seemed to transfer itself to Ryu's forehead, having locked onto him the instant he stepped out from the void.
While everyone had their attention on Ryu, Ryu himself looked up into the skies, his piercing silver gaze seemingly shredding everything in its path.
Right then, a of as thick as a grown man's thigh shot down from It crackled and popped, its numerous and blinding light making it seemed as though the world itself had cracked line fragile glass.
Those who this felt their hearts grow cold, and the Sky Gods among that this bolt of lightning suddenly had a frightening light flash within their irises. There was no doubt in their minds that this was suppression coming down not from the Sixth Heaven like before, but rather the Seventh Heaven. This boy had actually formed an Ancient Dao!
The more they learned about this Ryu, the less they believed that he could possibly be someone from a lower world, it simply didn't make any sense to them. They, maybe rightfully, looked down upon all those that came from lesser worlds although many of their origins could be traced back to such humble beginnings. The idea that a first generation small world ascender could display such strength was beyond their understanding.
Regardless, it no longer mattered. The strength of such a bolt was more than devastating enough to turn him into a pile of ash. On top of that, since Mae was in his arms, she would die as well, thus saving them the trouble of having to explain her injuries. It was akin to killing two birds with one stone.
Even the geniuses who had a chance to form Ancient Daos, coming from Sixth Heaven powerhouses, didn't dare to do so, knowing the consequences. But this arrogant boy actually dared to.
Elizaren, who had been the target of Ryu's threat, had been above to blow his top. A mere Dao Pedestal Realm brat had actually dared to threaten him, how could he not be infuriated? But seeing the scene before him, he only snorted inwardly. Saying such words right before dying could count as the worst kind humiliation.
However, what no one expected was for Ryu to sneer at that moment.
In the reward center of the Heavenly Path, he could have very well chosen a God Treasure similar to the headband he had worn up until this point, hiding himself from the sensory perception of the higher Heavens and saving himself the trouble.
However, he hadn't done so. That wasn't because he was a fool, it was rather because he knew for his Dao Heart to shine the most brilliantly, hiding and cowering was no longer something that could do.
Ryu's gaze suddenly flashed as the bolt of lightning appeared right above his forehead.
"Divide" He said coldly.
BANG!
At that moment, as though the lightning had met a forcefield, it dispersed an entire meter around him, sparking out in different directions.
Just as the bolt shattered, Ryu opened his mouth and inhaled. His Tribulation Lightning Seed, gifted to him by his grandfather, reacted greedily, sucking up all of the and dispersed lightning.
Under the astonished gazes of those watching, Ryu swallowed the lightning that should have killed him in just a single gulp. Let alone putting her in danger, not even a single hair on Mae's head was frayed, much less harmed.
The skies above rumbled with a fiercer momentum, a formation that seemed to span the entire Fourth Heaven slowly manifesting as though it had been provoked. However, Ryu only looked toward this formation indifferent, his expression unmoved.
It big and scary at a glance, but he could tell that this formation was actually a great distance away, this was nothing more than its shadow. After passing the heavy barrier between the Seventh and Sixth Heavens, it hardly had a fraction of its strength remaining.
"If you want to scare me with just this, you upper Heaven Clans and Sects are more foolish than I thought."
Even though he said this, Ryu did absolutely nothing to stop the enormous formation. The bolts of lightning continued to accumulate and he only smiled a malevolent grin, his white hair fluttering in the air.
At that moment, his heroic disposition seemed untouchable. No one dared to approach him for good reason. If they got involved, the tribulation would think that they were trying to help Ryu and increase its power. Due to this, they ended up in a situation where a junior had slapped the face of a Sky God, and yet stood perfectly at ease as though nothing at all had happened.
Aantha smiled, tugging at her big sister's sleeve.
"See, see? I did good this time, right?" Aantha laughed, looking for praise. She seemed to be the first to recover before everyone else.
In though, she received a knock to the forehead.
Aantha grabbed her head with two palms, trying to avoid another blow. She was clearly very much aggrieved, however when she looked toward her elder sister for an explanation, the latter was still looking forward with a stunned look in her eye.
"... Big sis, you can't try to steal big sis Mae's man, what would you do if people started calling you a cradle robber?" Aantha mumbled.
Thera snapped out of it and looked toward her little sister with a glare and a slight blush. Didn't this little girl know how to mince her words?!
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
Ryu was enveloped by a rain of lightning. The barrage continued endlessly, and it was ironically because of this that they all knew that he had to still be alive...
By the time the tribulation passed and the formation began to run out of energy, Ryu stood in place with nothing more than a slight sheen of sweat on his forehead.
He stood tall and mighty...
And then the ground began to rumble once more.
