by KSY
“Grandpa, thank you,” Ryan said as he gave a deep bow. He didn’t mind Sheldon laughing at him as he was one of his well-wishers.
“Make sure you use a good sacrifice to create your Evil Fire Spirit,” Sheldon said, and a rare smile appeared on his face as he patted Ryan’s head. Ryan already had two powerful Evil flames which meant that as long as his sacrifice was good, then his Evil Fire Spirit would be extremely strong. Ryan nodded his head on hearing Sheldon’s words.
Sheldon had high expectations from Ryan, as he’d finally found someone from their Family Clan to impart this amazing Martial Skill to.
Ryan and Sheldon talked for some time before Ryan headed for his own Cultivation chamber.
Ch.5
Oscar was feeling a little uneasy as Ryan was to depart for the Heaven Sundering Family Clan the next day. He already knew that Julia was staying at Alexis and Blasius’s Estate. He didn’t know what Ryan would think of him after he came to know about his past, so he decided to have a last-minute talk with him, but Ryan was missing from his Cultivation chamber when Oscar went to meet him. Oscar didn’t return to his own Cultivation chamber but decided to wait for Ryan there in his Cultivation chamber until he returned. He didn’t have to wait for long, though, as Ryan returned after only a short time.
A smile appeared on Ryan’s face the moment he saw his grandfather, and quickly informed him that he had received a Martial Skill from Sheldon. Oscar was momentarily stunned but soon a smile appeared on his face. He couldn’t help but be envious of Ryan’s luck as he was certain that the Martial Skill given by Sheldon was definitely not normal, otherwise Ryan wouldn’t have been that excited.
Ryan didn’t divulge any details regarding the Evil Fire Spirit Martial Skill to Oscar as Sheldon had told him to not tell anyone about it. Neither did Oscar want to know any details, so that made things easy for Ryan.
“Ryan, I need to tell you a few things before you head for the Heaven Sundering Family Clan,” Oscar said, as the smile on his face vanished and a grave expression appeared in its place. On seeing this Ryan was little alarmed, as he could tell that his grandfather wanted to tell him something extremely important.
“When you go there, do not get agitated if someone says something bad about me. In the past, I was falsely accused of committing a very heinous crime, for which I was given a Death sentence by the members of the Upper echelon of the Eternity Family Clan,” Oscar said with a painful expression. Ryan looked at his grandfather with a stunned expression before large quantities of Baleful aura erupted out of his body.
Smack!!
Ryan got a slap the moment the Baleful aura erupted out of his body. Ryan didn’t complain as he knew the reason. It was considered a crime to be disrespectful towards the Ancestors irrespective of the reason.
“The members of the Upper echelon of the Eternity Family Clan at that time had no choice, as the people who accused me of that heinous crime had solid proof against me. The day I was supposed to be executed a few grandpas and grandmas stood up for me and helped me escape from the prison. They too were banished from the Clan soon after for helping me,” Oscar explained in a calm manner, but Ryan could tell that he was still angry about his earlier outburst.
“Are they still looking for you in order to execute you?” Ryan asked in a low voice, and anyone could tell that he was still shaken up.
“No. The person who actually committed the crime struck again, but this time he was caught red-handed by the Law Enforcement Officials of the Eternity Family Clan,” Oscar said as Murderous aura erupted out of his body. Ryan was no different: Baleful aura erupted out of his body, but this time he didn’t get slapped by Oscar.
“Grandfather, what happened to him?” Ryan asked as more Baleful aura erupted out of his body.
“He escaped from the clutches of the Law Enforcement Officials and is still on the run,” Oscar said in a low voice. The Murderous aura became thicker with each passing second, and had already alerted all the inhabitants of the Estate, who quickly sent him a large number of angry Mental-message transmissions.
Oscar immediately retracted his Murderous aura and his face flushed a little from embarrassment. He was already an Ancestor Level Martial Artist and yet he’d let his emotions take control of him. That was a disgrace, and he was reprimanded for it by the other inhabitants of the Estate.
Ryan, on the other hand, had a twisted facial expression and the output of his Baleful aura reached extreme levels though it was still confined to his Cultivation chamber. Oscar gently patted Ryan’s shoulder as he said, “Ryan calm down.”
Ryan nodded his head as he looked at Oscar with eyes full of tears. He couldn’t help but feel sorry for his grandfather as he could tell that the past few years must have been no less than hell for Oscar. He cried for all those years of Oscar’s, and couldn’t stop no matter how hard he tried. His emotions were not under his control.
The upheaval in Ryan’s heart was felt even by Thorn and Isa due to the Soul links between Ryan and them. They quickly asked Ryan about it, and were told that he would tell them everything after some time. Isa and Thorn didn’t bother Ryan further and patiently waited for him to tell them everything. Caius, on the other hand, already knew everything and had emerged out of Ryan’s hair and was trying to cheer him up. Ryan stopped crying after some time, and, for some reason, felt a little light-hearted. That was the first time he’d felt like that.
“Grandfather, what is his name?” Ryan asked as he wiped his tears.
It was unknown what he was thinking.
“I will tell you when you become an Immortal Realm Martial Artist. Until that time, wait patiently. Haste is not good in such matters,” Oscar said in a stern manner, as even he didn’t dare confront that guy alone: he was so terrifying.
“OK,” Ryan said in a calm manner, but Oscar knew his grandson well. He could tell what was going on his mind, but he was not worried as he was certain that Ryan wouldn’t be able to get any information about the traitor. The Heaven Sundering Family Clan and the Eternity Family Clan had made sure they’d erased all information about him, and people were forbidden to talk about him. If someone was found talking about him, then he or she was severely punished.
“I was acquitted of all the charges after the main culprit was identified a few years ago, and the Family Clan tried to make up for all the inconvenience they caused me over the previous two decades.”
Oscar’s face saddened. “The ones who suffered the most were Julia and the rest of the family. They continued to live in Eternity Family Clan even after I was declared a criminal and was handed down the Death sentence. Everyone cut all ties with them. Your uncles had a very hard time finding themselves wives,” Oscar said with a sigh. Ryan felt a sharp pain in his chest on hearing this. He couldn’t even fathom all the problems his grandmother and rest of his family had faced.
“If you have been acquitted of all the charges, then why have you not returned to the Clan?” Ryan asked.
“I will return once I feel like returning. I enjoy being here more than in the Family Clan. There are too many rules and regulation over there. It is peaceful here,” Oscar said as a serene smile appeared on his face. Ryan didn’t ask any further, as grandfather’s smile spoke a million words.
“Do you want me to do anything special while I am there?” Ryan asked.
“Just behave like a good kid while you are there. The rules and regulations of both the Heaven Sundering Family Clan and the Eternity Family Clan are quite stringent. Don’t create trouble for your mother while you are there,” Oscar said as he turned into a blur and disappeared from Ryan’s Cultivation chamber.
Once his grandfather left, Ryan started studying the Evil Fire Spirit Martial Skill. He still had a few hours left before his departure to the Heaven Sundering Family Clan.
It was finally time for Ryan to leave for the Heaven Sundering Family Clan.
All the inhabitants of the Estate had come to bid him farewell at the Estate’s entrance, including She
ldon and the other four members of the Main branch. Cris and Blake had sullen expressions as they didn’t want their brother to leave. Both of them were still covered in dark auras which had become thin with the passage of time. The Three-eyed Shadow panther had also come and was standing beside Blake. It was a male and had been named Shadow by Blake. Shadow’s bloodline purity had increased to high-grade which had, in turn, increased his strength manyfold.
Ryan tried to cheer up his brothers, but didn’t succeed. They continued to have sullen expressions, and only smiled when Ryan promised he’d return to the Estate after the Divine Trials and spend some time with them before returning to the Divine Martial Sect.
Oscar and the rest of the inhabitants just asked Ryan to take care of himself and not to create any sort of trouble in the Family Clan.
Ryan’s Cultivation Level was too low for him to open a Teleportation portal that could teleport him to the Heaven Sundering Family Clan on Shimmering Sky Continent, so Solon helped him out. Only Immortal Realm Martial Artists can open Teleportation portals can teleport Martial Artists from one continent to another, and this is one of the most preferred ways for traveling between continents. All Grandura’s seas have a myriad of creatures that are far more dangerous and difficult to deal with than the ones on the land, which thus makes travel by sea extremely dangerous. The Teleportation scroll in Solon’s hands soon turned into a Teleportation portal.
“Ryan, you can head for the Shimmering Sky Continent now. Make sure you leave a mark during the Divine Trials. It will be beneficial for you in the future,” Solon said with a smile. He had become quite attached to Ryan during the past few months. Ryan also gave him a bright smile as he nodded his head. That was certainly one of his aims. If he performed well, then he could gain access to the best Cultivation resources and Heavenly Treasures of both Family Clans. His performance would also affect his mother’s standing in the Heaven Sundering Family Clan. If he performed well, then her standing in the Family Clan would increase, which would significantly reduce the risk of her being in dangerous situations.
Ryan bid everyone goodbye before jumping into the Teleportation portal, and the Teleportation portal closed soon after. Blake and Cris looked at the spot where it had been before it disappeared for some time with sullen expressions before they returned to their Cultivation chamber.
Oscar had mixed feelings after seeing Ryan leave, but hid these feelings deep down, as he had no intention of putting any sort of burden on Ryan.
With the preparations for the Divine Trials being in their final stages, Heaven Sundering Family Clan was extremely lively. The Teleportation terminal containing the Teleportation circles of Heavenly City was quite crowded as many Martial Artists from the Eternity Family Clan had come to Heavenly City for the Divine Trials too. It was quite similar to the immigration area of an international airport in Ryan’s previous life.
Heavenly City was entirely covered in a special barrier which intercepted all Teleportation portals that opened anywhere in Heavenly City and connected them to the Teleportation circles of the Teleportation terminal. This was to make sure that all the people coming from outside the city arrived at the Teleportation terminal, and it was done for security purposes and to regulate the number of visitors coming to Heavenly city. The Teleportation terminal had numerous restrictions in place to deal with anyone possessing bad intentions.
Ryan was no different. He too had arrived at the Teleportation terminal after entering the Teleportation portal. He was currently standing in a queue to get his identity verified so that he could enter Heavenly City. There were about ten people before Ryan, so it didn’t take long for him to get it verified and enter. He had easy access to Heavenly City with the help of the medallion that had been given to him by his mother previously.
When Ryan came out of the Teleportation terminal, he was stunned by the beauty of the city. It wouldn’t be wrong to say that it was similar to the Abode of Gods, and Divine Martial city didn’t even come close to Heavenly City. Ryan decided to explore the city later on, as reaching the Estate of his maternal grandparents was his priority. He had not informed his mother or his maternal grandparents or his maternal uncles about his arrival as he wished to give them a surprise.
Ryan asked around to find his way to the territory of the Fifth branch of the Heaven Sundering Family Clan in Heavenly City. The city was divided amongst the branches according to the power wielded by each of them. The Fifth branch ranked ninth in terms of Combat prowess, (measured on the basis of the number of Immortal Realm Martial Artists in the branch), so the size of its territory within Heavenly City was the ninth largest. The Fourth branch of Heaven Sundering Family Clan was currently the strongest branch as it had the greatest number of Immortals. The current Head of the Grandura branch of the Heaven Sundering Family Clan was also from the Fourth branch, though that had nothing to do with the Combat prowess of the Fourth branch: it was all due to his personal capability.
On his way, Ryan was stunned numerous times by the wonders of the city. He used the Business District to navigate his way to the territory of the Fifth branch as entering the territory of other branches could result in complications. The Business District was a neutral area as no branch had control over that area; it was under the Law Enforcement Department of the Heaven Sundering Family Clan.
The smile on Ryan’s face became bigger and bigger as he got nearer to his destination. He could already imagine the surprised expressions of his mother and maternal family members due to his sudden appearance.
At one point on his way, he saw a big commotion erupting outside one of the shops in the Business District, and he could hear some teenagers fighting over some creature’s egg. A large crowd had gathered outside the shop. Ryan’s interest was piqued as he knew that no normal stuff attracted the attention of so many people in Heavenly City, so he went to take a closer look.
He quickly mixed into the crowd and squeezed his way to the front. Ryan’s expression turned grim when he saw two of his paternal cousin-brothers surrounded by some teenagers. They were sons of Oscar’s fourth oldest son, identical twins, named Yun and William and their looks were very similar except for their hair color: Yun had white hair, and William had black. They were thirteen years old just like Cris and both had Cultivation Levels of Early Mortal Elite Realm.
Ryan didn’t immediately intervene as he wanted to see how Yun and William reacted to the entire situation.
“I will pay you three times what you paid for that egg,” the teenager who looked like the leader of the group said. His gaze was locked on a fist size egg in Yun’s right hand. The teenager had a Cultivation Level of Late Mortal Elite Realm, while the Cultivation Level of his lackeys ranged from Early Mortal Elite Realm to Late Mortal Elite Realm. His name was Gabriel and he was a member of the Third branch of the Eternity Family Clan.
“Gabriel, do you think we are also fools like that shopkeeper? This egg that we bought for just ten low-grade lower-attribute Elemental stones can easily sell for two to three million high-grade lower-attribute Elemental stones in any auction house,” Yun sneered.
Gabriel frowned on hearing this, while the shopkeeper and other people in the crowd were stunned. They were unable to tell what was so special about this ugly-looking black egg, especially the shopkeeper, who was looking at the egg with a regretful expression. He had no idea about the special nature of the egg, as he had recently procured it from someone else for five low-grade lower-attribute Elemental stones, and had assumed that he was already making a profit by selling it for twice the price he’d bought it for.
Gabriel cursed his luck. He hadn’t expected that Yun and William would know so much about the egg, so he knew that it would quite difficult for him to get it, unless he quoted a good price to entice them into selling it to him.
“I will pay two million high-grade lower-attribute Elemental stones for that egg,” Gabriel said as he gritted his teeth. He wanted to hit his head on the floor for letting such a golden opportunity mis
s his hands. If he’d been a little quicker then he could have purchased the egg before Yun and William. Now he would have to depend on his mother and father in order to get the egg as he lacked such wealth. If he got the egg, then his Innate talent would increase by leaps and bounds and his Martial Spirit might also undergo an evolution.
The shopkeeper’s face twisted as if his mother had died. Two million high-grade lower-attribute Elemental stones was a lot: it would be enough for him and his small family of four to cultivate for one thousand years.
“We have no intention of selling this egg. It is a gift for our elder brother who will be arriving for the Divine Trials,” William said. It was clear from his tone that they had no intention of selling the egg.
“How about three million high-grade lower-attribute Elemental stones? That is my final offer,” Gabriel said as he gritted his teeth. He himself knew that it would be difficult to get such a big amount, but he could manage it somehow if he begged his entire family. The shopkeeper almost fainted on hearing Gabriel’s offer, and many people sympathized with him.
“No,” Yun said as he and William turned around to leave, but they were stopped by Gabriel’s lackeys.
“Don’t make me take it forcefully. It will serve my purpose better, unlike your disgraceful brother’s, whose actions have maligned the images of both the Heaven Sundering Family Clan and the Eternity Family Clan,” Gabriel said in a threatening tone.
“I dare you to take it forcefully. The Law Enforcement Officials won’t let you guys off the hook. Don’t you know the punishment for robbing someone in Heavenly City?” William said as he smirked.
“From the very outset I have not been thinking of robbing you two. I was thinking of issuing a challenge in order to gain the ownership of the egg,” Gabriel said as an evil smile appeared on his face. Yun’s and William’s facial expressions changed.
