"I have something that could help us," Ryker told Mashia, "but I need to go into the Hidden Ancient Mansion first,"
Mashia nodded, watching as Ryker entered the spatial artifact with ease. She wondered how he could exit and enter without a portal later. For now, she needed to watch and hope nothing could change the current situation.
-x-
Ina had stayed in the living room, watching the children playing with some toys they had bought during their previous stay.
So, she was caught off guard as Ryker entered the mansion.
"You surprised me," the brunette exclaimed, her hand on her chest as she tried to calm herself.
"I need to grab something, then I am going outside again," he told her before entering the basement. It was not even 10 minutes before he returned, in his hand a small piece of crystal.
She was not sure what it was but she could tell it possessed great might, one that even surpassed Tashirn.
She wanted to ask but Ryker shook his head, "In the future, I will tell all of you my secrets," he promised, one Ina intended to make him remember and fulfill.
-x-
As Ryker exited the Hidden Ancient Mansion, he asked about the current situation.
"Nobody, both monsters and human cultivators, make a move at the moment. But from the look of things, they will make a move soon," Mashia reported her hand on top of Tashirn, trying to calm down the peak Tier 9 Genesis Beast.
"Well, we don't have to worry because I have something that will help us kill the beast and scare off the others. But I need some time to use it. So, make sure nothing disturbs me at the moment," Mashia and Tashirn nodded, the Giant Tiger used its body to cover his as Ryker entered a meditative state.
-x-
As Ryker held the crystal and seemed to be doing something to it, Mashia kept a watch on the others. She did not think she could be much help except for scouting.
Thankfully, her sense of smell, something she had from being a dragon, could tell the type of beasts in the area, plus the presence of cultivators.
Soon, she could smell some beings making a move. As she peered from her cover, she spotted a group of human experts jumping at the Spirit Giant Tiger before surrounding the dying Spirit Beast.
They threw something onto the ground, clasping their hands as they chant something. It did not take long from there before a barrier appeared, surrounding the Spirit Beast.
Mashia was about to scream, as the hope for getting the beast would not come when the Spirit Giant Tiger roared, its mere roar shattering the barrier and sending the human experts flying away, some dead while the others badly injured, blood coming out of their mouth.
She let out a sigh of relief, after all if the humans succeeded, they would not be able to get anything. Yet, at that moment, some of the beasts began to advance, clearly sensing the beast in front of them already used much of its energy during the roar.
She curses. Never before had been so weak frustrated her so much. She wanted to scream but held herself, not wanting the beasts and humans to change their target to her instead. After all, she is a full-fledged dragon.
As Mashia watched the beasts getting closer and closer, she felt a powerful aura from behind her. She did not know why but she believed even a single breath could destroy her, something that only a Spirit Grand realm expert could do given her current strength.
She turned, to see Ryker giving out bright light at the moment. Around him, a figure emerged, looking exactly like him. As the illusionary figure opened its eyes, Mashia had to amend herself.
It is not something a Spirit Grand realm expert could create, but instead, something only a Source Grand Realm expert, a remnant power of a Source Grand Realm expert.
She is not sure of what level it is but she reckoned it far stronger than the old ancestor of her clan, a true Earth Source Realm expert at the peak of Greater Earth Realm.
"Is this, something that a Heavenly Source Realm expert creates?" Mashia asked herself. After all, for a mere remnant power to eclipse even the old ancestor when he is at full strength, only Heavenly Source or above could do such a thing.
She could not even imagine that Ryker possessed the remnant power of a World Source expert, as such existence stood at the top of the world and could crush her clan with a swipe of their palm.
What shook her even more was the fact Ryker could mobilize the power of the remnant power, after all, even a peak Saint Realm expert could not hope to do such a thing, less someone at the Genesis Spring.
She did not know nor could imagine the remnant power is something he created, something Ryker formed after he became a World Source expert.
If even Ryker told her, she would likely not believe a word he said, as the discrepancies between a Genesis Spring to a World Source expert are just too large.
As the remnant power is something that belonged to him, Ryker could mobilize it without any issue, except his current strength it too weak to mobilize the strength with ease.
It would take quite some time before he could use it, time he had. Now, able to mobilize the remnant power, Ryker makes his move.
The silhouette pointed at the Spirit Beast before a thin beam of light struck the beast's forehead. The Spirit Giant Tiger wailed painfully before falling to its side, its vitality gone.
Seeing the beast killed, the others, from beasts to humans tried to claim the body. The silhouette has a different idea. It rushed towards the body, able to cover the distance in mere seconds.
The presence of the silhouette prevented the others from moving, unsure of its strength. The silhouette soon let out a powerful aura, one that surpassed even the Spirit Giant Tiger, sending shivers down the observer's spine.
"We are sorry senior, we will leave this place," one of the human cultivators bowed as he said it before running away from the powerful aura.
The rest did the same, trying to flee from the being that likely killed them all, singlehandedly. As both Mashia and Tashirn watched the others fleeing, their mouth wide open with disbelief.
They then turned their gaze towards the silhouette, which took a meditative form as it closed its eyes, its aura fluctuating and scaring any beings away.