Ryu didn't know these individuals personally, but with his memory, and the small number of disciples that the Radiant Star Sect had sent in the first place, how could he not recognize what he was seeing?
Toward this, Ryu didn't seem to have a violent reaction. He just continued to coldly glance at it for a long while, not saying anything.
"This region inheritance is claimed by the Demonic Flame Sect, I suggest you scram if you don't want to die!"
The disciples spoke coldy. It was clear they still foolishly believed that this was the stage for their Sect. If there was anyone who had a chance to stop them, it was the geniuses of the Sentient Sword Sect, other than them, they didn't put anyone else in their eyes.
Everything about Ryu was obscured, even down the weapons floating on his back, so it was difficult to tell where he might have come from. But as far as they were concerned, if this person had to hide their identity, they didn't have any real backing to speak of. Only the weak would feel worried about others finding out about their identities.
Ryu didn't say a word to this clear provocation. Instead, he took a step forward, his robes fluttering once before he vanished.
When he appeared again, his Small Realm had descended, a shadowy greenery enveloping the entire region. In that moment, it seemed as though Ryu was everywhere and nowhere all at once, his speed reaching demonic levels even without the use of his spatial qi.
"Kill!"
The geniuses around the fire inheritance reacted instantly. The moment Ryu took a step forward, they had been prepared to retaliate, but they were entirely unprepared for the level of strength they were facing.
The Demonic Flame Sect disciple who spoke suddenly found his throat being grasped. When he looked forward, his heart couldn't help but shiver as his legs dangled in the air.
Ryu truly looked no different than a demon. Half of his head was nothing more than wisps of dark green wind qi, his body seemingly part fog and another part corporeal. Just one of his eyes was visible, but that singular eye seemed to peer into the souls of all those who saw it.
"You can't kill me, I'm—!"
Ryu's hand suddenly turned into a cyclone of vicious wind, shredding the neck of the disciple to pieces.
Flesh and blood fell, but the neck fo the disciple wasn't entirely severed. However, all that remained was a spinal cord dripping with crimson. In that instant, Ryu had skinned and felled the flesh of the disciple in the most gruesome way imaginable, and yet, because his spine was intact, and due to the vitality of cultivators, he felt every second of it.
Horror painted the faces of the others, but Ryu didn't give them a single chance. Screams of pain and fear echoed, but that did nothing to stop the massacre.
Blood splattered and dispersed into the wind, the strong scent of death permeating the atmosphere.
Ryu slowly appeared from, fluttering wind reforming his body from the ashes. All around him, blood flowed.
He bent down, picking up the heads of the fallen disciples of the Radiant Star Sect, his gaze cold. After a moment, he exhaled a breath and burned them to ash. This was the only faint sort of peace he could give them.
Since the Demonic Flame Sect wanted to take this route, every one he ran into would be another one that died.
Ryu reached forward and crushed the fire inheritance. The inheritance avatar tried to form, but it collapsed beneath Ryu's pressure even before it could, wilting beneath his presence and causing a surge of information to enter Ryu's mind.
Without much thought, Ryu shot forward, heading toward the next.
The first wind inheritance was movement technique intensive and it taught a method of using one's Wind Inheritance as a movement domain. It essentially allowed Ryu to separate himself form the world he was in and make perfect use of the Northern Heavenly Wind even without considering the pressure of the world around him. So long as his Inheritance Comprehensionw as deep enough, he could maximize its use within his domain.
This fire inheritance was less interesting. It was essentially nothing more than a method of using fire qi explosively. It taught concentration and combustion. It wasn't useless, it just wasn't as useful to Ryu, especially since if he could help it, he would try to focus on using his wind qi and lightning qi solely in his current masked form.
If it came down to it, he would go all out and put all his cards on the table. However for now, that would be his battle style.
If others thought he was an easy target just because of how far back he was, or how limited his battle style was… they would be in for a rude awakening.
Ryu blazed a trail forward.
Most of the inheritances near the back seemed to be extremely simple, mostly focusing on the elements. There had yet to be anything more complex and Ryu simply completed string after string of elemental inheritances. As he moved forward, he seemed to only move faster and faster.
However, among them, this was the very first lightning inheritance Ryu had found. In fact, it was also the largest glass orb he had come across as well, being about twice the size of his body.
Ryu pushed forward, shattering it to pieces and allowing it to envelop his body.
By the time the blinding light dimmed, Ryu's irises were flashing with arcs of radiant golden lightning that slowly, but surely, became a gorgeous royal blue.
He reached out with two hands at once and a chain whip of coursing lightning formed in both of his palms. The air sizzled and popped, the sheer concentration of lightning making the air superheat.
BOOM!
Ryu flicked his wrists and the sound barrier seemed to shatter ten time over, the destructive power nearly causing a tear in the void.
"Good."
Now he had a powerful movement technique and a powerful attacking technique.