Chapter 416: Inheritance

Chapter 416: Inheritance

Li Wu was curious about the leader of the Zero Organization, whose true identity remained a mystery in the third memory fragment of the Sakura Tree.

He only witnessed a silhouette of Ryuichiro Ryukawa's daughter, backlit by a radiant light, and the devastating scene of the sanctuary Ryukawa had spent a decade creating, destroyed in an instant by a wave of the figure's hand.

The memory ended there, and Li Wu returned to the Sakura Realm.

As he prepared to touch the Sakura Tree again, countless cherry blossoms flew towards him.

Amidst the dancing petals, Li Wu entered Ryuichiro Ryukawa's memory for the fourth time, and this experience was longer than the previous three combined.

For the first time, the memory continued seamlessly without interruption.

After the arrival of that powerful being, Ryukawa's daughter was taken away, his sanctuary destroyed, and his beloved perished in the incident. Ryukawa himself lost an arm and a leg.

Ryukawa found himself back ten years in the past, but in a more dire situation than before.

Not only did he lose his daughter, but he was also left crippled.

Worse still, the strength displayed by his opponent was so overwhelming that it left him utterly hopeless.

He knew that, unless a miracle happened, he would never have the chance to avenge his daughter in this lifetime.

Just as he was about to succumb to despair, he heard a legend about the Gateway.

This ethereal legend gave him infinite hope.

Ryukawa began to pick himself up, setting his sights on finding the Gateway and using its power to rescue his daughter. With this goal in mind, he embarked on a ten-year adventure, dragging his broken body along.

Li Wu, in a third-person perspective, fast-forwarded through this decade-long journey, either observing or participating in Ryukawa's adventures.

This ten-year adventure showed Li Wu the life of an adventurer—a life far from glamorous, and often harsh.

Countless dungeons were explored, countless summon beasts were defeated, and numerous tests of character were endured. There were countless near-death experiences, but what was truly despairing was that after ten years, Ryukawa's strength had not improved at all.

Despite his relentless training and dedication to swordsmanship, it was as if an invisible barrier blocked his progress, preventing him from advancing even a single step.

It was a crushing experience that nearly drove him to the brink of despair.

Fortunately, fate eventually smiled upon the old man.

In the tenth year since losing his daughter, he finally found a fragment of the Gateway in the outskirts of a dungeon.

As he grasped the fragment, he was immediately transported out of the dungeon.

From that moment, Ryukawa's dormant power awakened.

On the same day, his severed arm and leg regenerated.

His stagnant strength showed signs of breaking through, and with a little effort, Ryukawa's power surged to the King Rank.

His once ordinary divine weapon transformed into an Epic Rank artifact.

Moreover, Ryukawa gained the ability to borrow the power of the fragment.

This newfound power gave Ryukawa hope for rescuing his daughter, and he began to investigate the Zero Organization.

At this point, Li Wu knew the old man was doomed.

But he was powerless to stop it, as these were memories that had already occurred.

So, Li Wu could only watch as the old man stubbornly sought out the Zero Organization. Before he even encountered the leader, he was beaten by one of the Five Messengers. If not for the power of the fragment, he would have died at their hands.

Over the next decade, the old man continued his feud with the Messenger.

Ryukawa grew stronger and repeatedly challenged the Messenger.

With the help of the fragment, Ryukawa's strength increased rapidly.

In just a short decade, he reached the Epic 1 Rank.

(Yes, this was considered fast in the context of ordinary people.)



Upon achieving this breakthrough, Ryukawa immediately challenged the opponent who had been his nemesis for over a decade.

The battle was incredibly difficult for Ryukawa.

His opponent was powerful, and during the most intense part of the fight, Ryukawa discovered that his opponent also possessed a fragment of the Gateway.

This discovery nearly crushed Ryukawa's spirit.

He had hoped to save his daughter, but he couldn't even defeat one of their subordinates.

Moreover, the very thing he relied on, the fragment, was also in the hands of his enemy. Could he still have hope for revenge and saving his daughter?

In a moment of desperation, Ryuichiro Ryukawa revealed a fatal flaw.

His opponent could have easily ended him with a single strike, but they hesitated, sensing something amiss.

Ryukawa, however, remained oblivious to this.

When he snapped back to reality, he saw an opportunity.

Without hesitation, he seized the moment, raising his sword and piercing his opponent, who had entangled him for over a decade.

To ensure a killing blow, he even summoned the power of the fragments.

His opponent reacted and used the fragments' power as well, but it was too late.

As his sword shattered the opponent's mask and pierced their skull, Ryukawa felt an indescribable sense of relief.

After over a decade, he had finally vanquished this persistent foe.

He was one step closer to his revenge.

But his joy and relief quickly turned to disbelief and despair as he realized, for the first time, the identity of his long-standing rival.

Under the mask was a mature, stunning face, filled with shock, as if about to cry out.

The beauty was not the focus; it was the fact that this face belonged to his daughter.

Despite not seeing her for over twenty years, he instantly recognized her.

This person, whom he had desperately wanted to save, was right in front of him.

At that moment, all the unnoticed details from their encounters came flooding back.

From their first clash to their many battles, it became clear that his daughter had been secretly helping him all along.

If not for her repeated mercy, he would not have survived this long.

Moreover, there were hints and signs during their battles that he should have noticed.

His daughter had been subtly urging him to let go of his hatred.

But blinded by vengeance, he had never paid attention until now, until the moment he pierced her skull with his sword.

It was too late.

As Ryukawa descended into utter despair, a calm voice rang out.

"Well done!

Thank you for your efforts over the years!"

A figure emerged from the shadows, and with their appearance, the Gateway fragments that had been in Ryukawa and his daughter's possession flew into the hands of Li Wu.

This person's presence deeply affected Ryukawa.

His despair and hopelessness transformed into a singular focus of hatred towards this man.

Everything was this man's fault; he was the cause of all his life's tragedies.

Ryukawa vowed to kill him, to avenge himself and his daughter.

But he couldn't move, for their power was far beyond his own.

Facing this man, Ryukawa had no chance of revenge, not even the ability to lift a finger.

The man, after taking the fragments, didn't even glance at Ryukawa.

Instead, he turned his attention to Ryukawa's daughter's body.

"I once promised her that if you could recognize her under certain conditions, I would set her free.

She was so happy, so confident that you would succeed.

Unfortunately, after all these years, she couldn't make it happen.

But I will keep my word; I promised her I wouldn't kill you, so you live."

With that, the figure vanished from Li Wu's sight.

Ryukawa, under Li Wu's watchful eye, fell into an abyss of despair.

For the next few decades, he lived with guilt and regret.

It was only twenty years later that he mustered the courage to confront that man again.

By then, Ryukawa no longer had the fragments, but with decades of experience and the aid of an epic-rank divine artifact, his power had reached the epic 2-star level.

He was among the top tier in the entire alliance, his strength rivaling that of the elders.

Additionally, he had mastered an incredibly powerful sword technique.

With all his cards on the table and a do-or-die determination, he set out.

As an observer, Li Wu should have known the outcome.

But having heard from the Zero Organization that the man had disappeared for twenty years, Li Wu couldn't help but feel a glimmer of hope.

Hope for a miracle.

Perhaps it was because Ryuichiro Ryukawa had been severely wounded or even killed by that person that he hadn't shown himself for decades.

Reality soon slapped Li Wu in the face.

It also slapped Ryuichiro Ryukawa.

Ryuichiro found the existence in a small city in the south of Zone 1.

"You finally came."

The other party was not surprised to see Ryuichiro's arrival.

"I should have come long ago!"

As Ryuichiro drew his longsword, the other party kindly offered a reminder.

"If you make a move, I will counterattack. I won't intentionally kill you, but if you die, I won't be breaking my promise."

Ryuichiro paid no heed; when he arrived, he was already determined to die.

Without hesitation, he drew his divine sword and thrust it towards the existence.

This sword was identical to the one that had assassinated his daughter decades ago.

Over the past decades, this sword had haunted Ryuichiro like a nightmare.

Ryuichiro dared not forget; he had infused this sword into his bones and spiritual power.

Over the decades, he had channeled all his regrets into it.

Decades of regret erupted in that moment, elevating the sword to an incredible level.

From Li Wu's perspective, when Ryuichiro thrust the sword, the other party seemed to reveal a look of terror.

Although Li Wu couldn't see the other party's face clearly, he did sense that hint of horror.

Then, the sword fully unleashed its power.

After that, Li Wu witnessed that the once vigorous and youthful Ryuichiro, after being struck by the sword, had turned into an old man.

Meanwhile, the person across from him had a sword piercing his chest.

The sword directly penetrated his chest, and blood gushed out profusely.

This caused Ryuichiro and Li Wu to reveal eager expressions.

Did it succeed? Has this guy finally died?

Amidst Li Wu's anticipation, the other party lifted his head and smiled.

"Not bad, a very flavorful sword. I can't bear to dodge it."

As he spoke, he casually pulled the sword out of his chest.

When the longsword was pulled out, the blood that had flowed out returned, and the wound healed instantly.

Then, he was about to say something, but his face suddenly changed as he turned to look at the small city beneath him.

Li Wu followed his gaze and saw the same change in expression.

Because, in the city below, he spotted a figure both familiar and unfamiliar.

Before Li Wu could take a closer look, a powerful force knocked Ryuichiro Ryukawa away. Simultaneously, Li Wu entered Ryuichiro's memory world, returning to the world where cherry blossoms bloomed.

However, at that moment, the once beautiful, cherry blossom-filled world transformed.

The once vibrant cherry blossom trees had withered.

The cherry petals that once fluttered in the air turned into mud.

Beneath the cherry trees, another person appeared.

An old man, so aged he seemed on the verge of death.

As Li Wu looked at him, the man reached out and handed over the sword in his hand, using his last strength to say,

"You must, you must defeat him!"

With those words, Ryuichiro Ryukawa passed away.

Everything in the cherry blossom world where Li Wu found himself began to collapse, leaving only Li Wu and the sword Ryuichiro had passed to him.

Instinctively, Li Wu reached out and grasped the sword.

As Li Wu held the sword, it stirred, and a vast amount of energy and information surged into his body.

At that moment, within the Ice Hell, the Celestial Cloud Sword that had appeared at the start of Li Wu's journey soared into the sky and landed before Li Wu.

With a roar, it absorbed the sword in Li Wu's hand.

As Ryuichiro's sword was absorbed by the Celestial Cloud Sword, it immediately advanced to Epic Rank 1.

Simultaneously, in the Necromancer's Secret Realm, a small skeleton holding a giant scythe broke free from its cocoon.

In the Dragon Confinement Realm, a small dragon, having absorbed the golden blood and awakened mysterious powers, roared and broke free from its confines.

Additionally, by Li Wu's side, the recently awakened Hahah had reached Epic Rank 1.

Four streams of power surged into Li Wu's body, propelling him from Rank 3 Warlord to the Epic level in an instant.

In that moment, the sheer energy and might emanating from Li Wu's body caused Pismis and his companions to struggle to stand, requiring all their strength to remain upright...

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end