The eyes of the surrounding Sky Gods constricted. All at once, they looked into the skies to find a middle aged man carrying the head of a giant that must have been at least 200 meters from shin to forehead. They recognized this sort of creature instantly, and it was the kind of realization that sent a shiver down their spines.
The Fire Giants.
If there was anyone who could stand toe to toe with the Nine Powers of the Ninth Heaven, it was most definitely the Nine Demon King Clans of the Nether World. Seeing one dead, and not only dead but being paraded around without the slightest care in the world, they felt more suffocated by this sort of realization than even the aura that was being exuded from Primus.
Of course, Primus hadn't been too far away. He had been just outside this encampment. There wasn't anywhere to leisurely lay the Fire Giant corpse like there had been on the city walls back in the Nether World here since there were nothing but tents, so he had just chosen to do that instead.
But, as maybe he should have expected, this great grandson of his was a magnet for trouble. Primus faintly felt that Ryu was doing this on purpose, but it didn't matter to him one way or another. He was well aware of what it meant to protect someone with connection to a Taboo Power as well, but once again... he simply didn't care.
Primus was many things, but a coward was not one. He never feared the Martial Gods, he simply couldn't be bothered to raise a hand against such weak beings. It was a waste of his time and a stain on his prestige.
But now, his own personal feelings on the matter didn't matter at all. All that really mattered was his word. He had uttered that no one could touch Ryu for ten years, so he would make certain that no one touched him for ten years, not a second more and not a second less. As for what troubles came with it, he didn't really consider them at all. Wasn't this how Karma worked?
Ryu was wrong about one thing. Primus wasn't going out of his way to sever Karma with his family because he feared it, he saw it as nothing more than a natural progression of cultivation, that was all. He was obsessed with increasing his strength, and he did whatever was necessary to do so. Dealing with Karma was just one of his many measures.
Countless eyes landed on Primus, confusion laced in their features. Asce and Aika especially had fierce reactions, being able to see through just the type of power that was in Primus' hands. And this man had acted to save Ryu? What was going on?
Aika looked toward Ryu, confusion written all over her face. Hadn't Ryu uttered he was from a small world? Why did he have a Dao Sovereign protecting him? Could it be that he had gained the favor of a master when he went out with the Dream Asuras?
Ryu smiled toward Aika. "Don't mind him, he's just a worthless Ancestor of mine. He'll be out of the way."
Aika's lip twitched and the faces of many paled. Even if this was your Ancestor, what type of senior would take such a thing lying down from their junior? Aika even wanted to stop Ryu from talking, but it was already too late. the words had been said.
What surprised them, though, was that Primus didn't even seem to react. He was completely focused on the head in his hands, it was unknown where the rest of the Fire Giant's body had gone, but trying to get that sort of answer from Primus would be like trying to find a needle in Infinity Mist.
"... Senior, isn't this a bit inappropriate? We are only working on the orders of the Nine Powers..."
A Sky God of the Stalwart Sun Sect could only try to speak up, hoping that maybe this man hadn't been paying attention to the situation and didn't know what was going on. Maybe this would be an easy fix, but what he hadn't expected was for Primus to ignore him completely, not even bothering to say a word.
The Sky God blushed with shame, but he should have known. Anyone who could become a Dao Sovereign was most definitely not a fool, and they were always careful with how their actions could impact the state of affairs. Many thought strength gave you freedom, but sometimes it was actually the exact opposite.
If he acted, he definitely knew what he had done. What was the point of saying so much and expecting something that had already been set in place?
Ryu smiled. "Nothing else? A shame, a shame. Alright, goodbye everyone."
Just as Ryu was about to go, Jojo stopped him, her gaze still filled with a malicious light. It seemed that she was still very much upset, but Ryu was more surprised by something else: her backbone.
No one here knew the true relationship between himself and Primus. For all they knew, he was just an overprotective great grandfather and he wouldn't tolerate anyone disrespecting Ryu, and yet Jojo still stepped up.
Ryu couldn't help but commend her a bit inwardly. He found a lot more light in things recently, and he was less annoyed than even he expected himself to be.
"No one will be able to protect you inside the Heavenly Path. I'll make you pay for that foul mouth of yours." Jojo snarled.
The members of the Raging Inferno Sect almost jumped out of their skin. Even if everyone was thinking it, how could you say it out loud?! What if he really died and his Ancestor came after the Sect for revenge? Even if it wasn't Jojo that ended up killing him, she couldn't escape culpability.
"Oh? Is that so?" Ryu smiled, looking from Jojo's beautiful face to the armor that obstructed everyone's sight from what he sure would be a worthwhile look. "I look forward to seeing what's beneath that armor, then. I wonder how many strikes it can withstand."
