1253 Trial by Fire
It clicked for Ryu right then.
If he was a member of the Taboo Powers and he knew that his legacy was on the verge of being destroyed, but he wanted to leave something, anything behind, how would he hide it?
The answer was quite obvious to him if he thought about it for just a moment. He would probably leave behind one, maybe even a few Ruins. These Ruins would then have two layers to them, one being a façade, and the other being my real legacy.
The façade would leave behind a real enough legacy so that no one else would consider the possibility that it was a façade in the first place. But the second layer, where he chose his true inheritor, would be hidden quite deep and likely only to be found by those who both knew what they were looking for, and, as an extra added precaution, had affinity and a willingness to carry on his legacy.
Ryu couldn't help but think of the Nine Pillar Flame Sky God again.
Could it be that he was a victim of this? Did he stumble into a Ruin like this one, but not knowing of the power that lay hidden beneath, a Taboo Power, he left carrying with him the relatively more normal inheritance instead?
From what Ryu understood about the Nine Pillar Flame Sky God's past, he didn't have any Sect nor Clan as backing, he had made it that far all on his own. And given his fiery temper and casual disregard for authority, this was even more impressive.
It might seem that Ryu didn't understand how insane most of his actions were, but action without understanding wasn't bravery, it was ignorance, and Ryu didn't fancy himself ignorant. He knew quite well how difficult it was to maneuver around the cultivation world with his demeanor, and that was why he found the Nine Pillar Flame Sky God to be such a kindred spirit.
'If this is true... How powerful is the real inheritance?'
If his speculation was correct, as he felt it had a good chance of being, the real inheritance would likely be as groundbreaking as the Unbalance Mantra, Unbalance Art and the Unbalance Formations. It also happened to be right in line with Ryu's affinities, so he felt that he had to see this through properly.
Ryu's gaze flickered with determination as he stepped forward, entering the path furthest to the left. The three youths who had gone ahead of him probably thought that they would leave him in their dust, not realizing at all that they were only scratching the surface of what was here.
'This also means, then, that whoever came here likely doesn't know that it's the Ruin of a Taboo Power.'
Ryu had already deduced that these people were from the Seventh Heaven just judging by the formation left outside. Logically speaking, powers of the Seventh Heaven would likely not dare to mess around with Taboo Powers that the Ninth Heaven powers had banned. It didn't make much sense for them to come around to look for such things in specific.
There was a small possibility that they were looking for Taboo Power Ruins and just didn't know what to look for. After all, even Ryu had almost fallen for it. But he felt that it was very small.
It was more likely that they were like Starlight, or even in cahoots with Starlight, just doing their best to gather up as many Ruins for themselves as they could.
Almost the moment Ryu stepped onto the path, a wall of heat hit him. A heat wave should have been intangible, but it truly felt as though he had rammed into a steel wall. The Matrix in his palm fluctuated wildly and a layer of his skin was charred off, even his hair caught fire.
Ryu grit his teeth. He wanted to take a breath, but he knew such a thing would only incinerate his inner organs. At this point, his best option was to not breath at all, relying on circulating his qi instead.
'My eyes seem to be just fine...'
Ryu finally noticed just how powerful his eyes seemed to become. Even though his clothing and skin had been incinerated, his eyes were completely intact. They were actually sturdier than the rest of his body.
'These flames... Why is it like this?"
When Ryu noticed that even his Matrix threatened to collapse, he understood just how shocking these flames were.
Matrices were incredibly sturdy objects, they were designed to survive the worst of conditions within Ruins so this went without saying. The secret, though, was that they were entirely created from qi, an incredibly stable qi that was unmoved by outside interference. For a wave of heat alone to almost collapse it, especially since it was a Matrix from the Seventh Heaven, was far too shocking.
However, this same wave of heat had only charred a layer of his skin and left him scabbing and broken, but it somehow wasn't enough to turn him entirely to ash? Once again, something wasn't adding up.
'I see, so this is truly a trial by fire...'
Ryu slowly put his Matrix away, it wasn't necessary anymore. This was no longer a Ruin, it was a Legacy World.
This place wanted to baptize him in flames. Its goal wasn't to kill him, its goal was to break his spirit. How would it break his spirit if it killed him immediately?
There were many people in the world who wanted to be leaders, but not everyone could be leaders. There were many people who wanted success, but weren't willing to do what was needed to come by it. There were many people who claimed to fight against the Heavens, but bowed their heads at the slightest pushback.
Just like Ryu had speculated before, even if one found the true inheritance, the Taboo Power behind it wouldn't want just anyone to get their hands on it.
Ryu's lips curled into a fiendish grin. He looked particularly demonic now with his skin charred and his eyes and teeth seemingly being the only parts of him that were intact.
He really wanted to see how a fallen power like this one still had the balls to test his resolve.
