Heavenly Dao Child

It had been a few weeks since Ryuu's return and even after all the ordeal he had suffered he was grateful that his teacher's family were there for him, he was grateful that they are helping him heal, as he looked up towards the sky he let out a sad sigh.

'Even after all this I still loved her, even now I wish everything was just a nightmare that I desperately wish to wake up from.', As his mind wandered off to the time he spent with Frost Flames his vision became blurry.

Unknown to him, Ryuu was very much not alone, as he was under the careful watch of his teachers, who were keeping an eye on him, no matter how much he tried to hide behind the façade of laughter and smile they could detect the hint of extreme sorrow and confusion underneath his carefully crafted mask.

Celestia snarled as she balled her fist in anger as she spoke, "I have half a mind to go and track down the wench's soul and torture it for eternity."

Veena gritted her teeth as she spoke, "I would too sister, but it would be futile endeavour trying to track that wretched soul down when we do not even know where it is, instead it would be fruitful if we focus on Ryuu for now."

Celestia sighed as she spoke, "I know, I know but I cannot help it, then our daughters had the bright idea to involve him, to prevent Antariskh from performing a Samadhi."

Veena sighed as she pinched the bridge of her nose as she spoke, "One thing after another, can the children not catch a break."

Nuwa frowned as she spoke, "We think that Sylvana involving Ryuu was an excellent idea, it could keep his mind occupied."

Maheswara upon hearing his wife's word sighed as he spoke, "That may be so dear, but at best it is a temporary measure to keep his mind occupied and out of those depressing thoughts, but what about when he is not busy those thoughts would spring up with greater force then."

Celestia leaned back on to the tree under which they all stood as she spoke with a sigh, "So what should we do."

Maheswara frowned as he spoke, "Both of them need immediate attention but Antariksh needs more, a single mistake would make us lose her forever, how about we let the two problems clash headlong."

Nuwa frowned as she spoke, "How are you going to accomplish that?"

Maheswara gave her a sly smirk as he spoke, "Simple I might have dropped hints around Antariskh and she would soon be confronting Ryuu.", seeing the disapproving look on his wives faces he quickly raised his hand as he spoke, "I know I know it is not the ideal solution but it would be a good way to buy us some much needed time at the very least."

Veena sighed before she spoke, "I know Shamiran is helping out Antariskh but where is Sylvana? I haven't seen her since morning."

Maheswara frowned as he replied to his wife's question, "She left in an absolute hurry, it seems something has happened with the army and she was needed immediately."

Hearing his words his wives all gained an identical frown on their faces as he spoke with a sigh, "I do not know what has happened but I agree with Veena on this, it seems our children do not seem to catch a break.", his eyes then widen as he spoke with a smile, "Oh seems like our eldest is here."

"Ah Ryuu, there you are."

A familiar voice brought him out of his musing as Ryuu hastily rubbed his eyes clean, he then turned towards the speaker as he spoke with a smile, "Big Sis, what are you doing here? Please take a seat."

Antariksh pouted as she spoke while taking a seat by Ryuu's side, "Why can't I come here to meet with you."

Ryuu narrowed his eyes as he spoke, "Well you can but at this time of the day you are mostly buried under mountain load of paperwork."

Antariskh visibly shuddered as she spoke, "Please do not remind me, and the reason I was able to be here was because of Shamiran, who had chased me out while stating something on the lines of my oncoming tribulation."

Ryuu tilted his head as he spoke, "You all never told me what level you all are, seeing you all are so excited means that you are about to go into a never level surpassing everyone else am I right?"

Antariskh simply smiled at him as she spoke, "Sorry brother I might not be able to tell you what level I am in but I am simply going to advance in rank nothing more."

Ryuu's eyes furrowed as he spoke with disbelief, "You are advancing in a rank but you are also having a tribulation."

Antariksh nodded as she spoke, "Yes brother after a certain level even advancing a single rank would trigger a tribulation."

Ryuu gulped at that as he spoke, "That is a scary thought, I almost died last time and now you are telling me that after a certain level I will have to suffer tribulation while advancing each rank."

As Antariksh nodded with a smile Ryuu threw up his hand as he spoke, "I give up, this is too troublesome."

At his reaction, Antariskh openly laughed before she spoke in a serious tone, "This is one of the reasons why after a certain level most cultivators rarely cultivate, not only advancing takes lots of time and resource, but it also becomes extremely dangerous as well."

"I see, big sister, so how are your preparations."

Antariskh simply made a so-so motion with her hand as she spoke, "There are few things where no matter how much you try it is not enough, and preparing for tribulation for someone of my calibre is one of them, no matter how hard I try it would never be enough as anything can happen."

Ryuu gained a worried look on his face as he spoke, "Please, sister I believe in you as such there is no need to say something so ominous and I know you will succeed."

Antariskh simply smiled at him as Ryuu continued to speak, "I am so excited to see your tribulation."

Hearing his words Antariskh visibly winced at that as she spoke with an apologetic smile on her face, "I am so sorry brother, but my Tribulation will be very violent and someone of your level would die if you try to witness it up close."

Ryuu frowned as he spoke, "But, I will not be so close to your place."

With a shake of her head, Antariskh spoke, "Even if you stay in the same planetary system it would be fatal for you as such I am sorry to say but you will be staying back home."

Ryuu slouched forward as he spoke with a dejected sigh, "That is so not cool."

Antariskh smiled at him as she spoke, "Tell you what bother, after my tribulation is over we will go out and have some fun, just like old times."

Ryuu's sadness evaporated as he spoke with an excited look on his face, "That would be great after all it has been so long since we left on a trip."

Antariskh simply grinned at his excitement but before she could speak Sylvana had arrived back from her business with the army and from the scowl on her face she did not look too happy.

Seeing the scowl on her face Antariskh's face gained one as well as she spoke, "Sister, where have you been and you look too tensed and angry, is everything alright."

Sylvana simply sighed as she spoke, "No something has happened and it requires a full family meeting immediately."

Sensing the urgency in her voice Antariskh jumped into action as she hurriedly spoke, "Take Ryuu with you while I notify Shamiran."

Sylvana with a nod placed her hand over Ryuu's shoulder as she disappeared an action that was soon followed by her parents who were watching over the interactions between Antariksh and Ryuu from shadows.

It did not take long for Antariksh to bring Shamiran along with her and they soon found themselves occupying sofas and chairs waiting for Sylvana to begin.

Ryuu squirmed as he could practically feel the tension in the air, it was thick enough to be cut with a knife and as the entire family gathered Maheswara spoke with a sigh, "What is it, daughter? Is there something wrong?"

Sylvana bit her lips thinking of ways to proceed before she spoke with a sigh while handing a stack of papers towards Ryuu, "Ryuu please sign this forms."

Ryuu took the stack as he spoke with a frown, "What kind of form is this, big sister?"

With a heavy sigh, Sylvana answered back to him, "Your retirement form from the army."

A stunned silence descended as Ryuu looked dumbstruck for a moment before he spoke with a small chuckle, "That was a good joke sister."

"I am not joking Ryuu, this is the voluntary retirement form from the army and you are needed to sign them."

Ryuu jumped up from his seat as he spoke while throwing the stack as far away from him as possible, "What nonsense is this? Why should I retire from the army, I confess that I had been away from it because of the Eden fiasco but according to the laws it was completely legal, not to mention my period of service was nothing if not good."

Sylvana scowled as she spoke, "I know about your term of service and I know it was nothing less than extraordinary one, and as such you are being discharged with honour, not to mention it is not a complete one either, in case they need you they will contact you but till then you will be in a semi-retired."

"I refuse"

Sylvana was about to argue with him but was stopped by Veena who spoke with a frown of her own, "Child instead of arguing can you please explain why you suddenly want him to sign those forms and more importantly why after all you were a great advocate for him to join the army."

Sylvana sighed as she spoke, "I was and I would have been if it were not for the latest development, do you know his current bounty."

Ryuu frowned as he spoke, "I have been out of the loop so it must be sixty Deva Crystal at least since it has been some time."

Sylvana's scowl returned as she spoke, "Try five thousand Deva Crystal for your Dead body, and Ten Thousand in case you are caught Alive."

Her words caused a sharp intake of breath in the room only to be followed by a whoop of joy courtesy of Maheswara and Ryuu.

"Congratulations brat, now if the only sister was here to see she would have been so proud."

A blushing Ryuu accepted the compliment from Maheswara who gave a proud smile as he patted Ryuu's back, while he kept on speaking, "Never have I been so proud of you my child, that amount of a bounty on a Mystic Immortal Emperor level cultivator is unheard of."

Ryuu simply cupped his hand as he spoke, "It was all because I had extremely wonderful teachers."

As Maheswara continued to praise him and Ryuu continued to soak in the praise a silence descended amongst the others who looked at the duo with unblinking stares before Celestia could not take any more as she shouted out, "What is wrong with you two?"

Both Maheswara and Ryuu looked at her in confusion as Maheswara spoke, "What is it love, why do you look so enraged?"

Celestia snarled as she spoke, "Mahes, do you have any idea what it would entail?"

Maheswara frowned briefly before he spoke with an enlightened look on his face, "Ah, you are right, what is wrong with me, it is time to celebrate and I am here wasting time to congratulate Ryuu, when I should be busy preparing, hmm, I see we should go and visit that place, now come on a child there is a nice place and I am sure you would love it, now follow me."

With that Maheswara took the lead with Ryuu after him with a smile on his face, they took a step only to wince with pain as their ears were grabbed by Veena and Nuwa respectively, who then twisted it viciously.

Veena snarled as she spoke, "I should have never let Ryuu spend too much time with this idiot, as his stupidity has seemed to have infected Ryuu."

Nuwa nodded with anger filled look on her face as she spoke, "Too right sister, you are absolutely correct.", she then forced Ryuu to look directly into her eyes as she spoke, "Your mother would have been mortified upon hearing the news as it is not joyous but rather a grim one."

Shamiran scowled as she spoke, "You are right mother, and to think these idiots were about to go out to celebrate."

As they scolded the dynamic duo, who was wincing from pain, Maheswara pleaded to his wife, "Love please dear let go of my ear, it is going to tear off."

Veena snarled as she spoke, "So what, I can attach it, but if you continue with this foolishness then I say it is better to tear off the ear to serve you as a reminder."

A couple of minutes later they released their ears letting them collapse on the ground while rubbing their ears, while Antariskh rounded up her sister as she spoke, "Sister how did he get such a huge bounty."

Sylvana simply looked in Ryuu's direction as she spoke with a sigh, "Apparently his adventures in Eden had garnered him Preta realm's undivided attention."

Hearing her words Shamiran began to pace with a frown on her face, "This is bad the reward is so huge that his own colleagues might betray him, not to mention the powerful cultivators that would now hunt him actively, this is very bad.", she then stopped her pacing as she asked the question running inside the mind of the other, "So what should we do now."