Ancestor Redcloud's Elemental Convergence Spear could manifest as any element needed for combat. Their duel showcased technique refinement as the spear became lightning for speed, earth for defense, fire for offense, and water for adaptability - all within single exchanges. But Ryven's Elemental Chaos Integration absorbed each elemental attack and mixed them with chaos energy to create hybrid effects that had no natural counters.
Ancestor Silverwind's Wind God Rapier moved faster than thought itself, its blade techniques creating atmospheric pressure that could collapse stars. The Gale Storm Thrust came from seventeen directions simultaneously, each thrust carrying enough concentrated wind pressure to carve through planetary cores.
Ryven met this with Nine Heavens - Third Form: Omnipresent Strike, a technique that allowed his sword to exist in every location at once. Instead of dodging or blocking Silverwind's seventeen-direction attack, he simply attacked from eighteen directions, overwhelming the wind master through superior positioning.
Ancestor Goldleaf's Mountain Cleaver Greatsword was forged from compressed planetary cores and weighed as much as a small moon. His Tectonic Devastation Swing moved slowly but with force that could literally crack dimensions. When it connected with Ryven's Featherweight Chaos Parry, the collision created gravitational waves that rippled through multiple dimensional planes.
Ancestor Moonwhite's Frost Eternity Blade could freeze time itself around its targets. Her Temporal Ice Prison technique trapped Ryven in a moment that lasted for subjective hours while only microseconds passed in real time. But his Time Chaos Reversal technique didn't break the time prison - it convinced the frozen time that it was actually flowing in reverse, creating a paradox that shattered the temporal effect entirely.
After defeating all seven individually through superior sword techniques and chaos energy integration, Ryven floated in the center of the battlefield showing little fatigue.
"This isn't really testing my limits," he observed, his sword still humming with contained power. "Could you all attack me together? I want to see how my techniques handle coordinated assault from multiple master swordsmen."
The group battle that followed was a symphony of blade work on an impossible scale. Seven legendary weapons attacking in perfect coordination - Morrison's stellar saber, Zhang's dimensional twins, Blackstone's void glaive, Redcloud's elemental spear, Silverwind's wind rapier, Goldleaf's mountain greatsword, and Moonwhite's time blade.
Their combined Seven Heavens Annihilation Formation created a sword technique matrix that attacked from every conceivable angle across multiple dimensions and time streams simultaneously. The formation was designed to overwhelm opponents through sheer impossibility - no single fighter should have been able to defend against attacks coming from past, present, future, multiple dimensions, and conceptual directions that didn't technically exist.
But Ryven's response was Nine Heavens Complete - Chaos Infinity Sword Domain. Instead of trying to block or counter each individual attack, he created a sword technique field that existed in a state of infinite possibility. Every attack that entered his domain was met by the optimal counter, generated spontaneously by chaos energy that could adapt to any threat.
His domain didn't just defend - it learned. Each blocked attack made his counters more sophisticated, until he was simultaneously executing dozens of different Divine rank sword techniques while improvising completely new ones in real-time.
The battle climaxed when Ryven launched Origin Genesis - First Sword, a technique that represented the very first sword stroke ever made in the history of existence. The attack carried the conceptual weight of every sword technique that had ever been or ever could be developed.
The explosion when it connected with the seven-expert formation created effects visible across dimensional boundaries. Entire regions of the higher dimension were temporarily rewritten as the conceptual collision between "all possible swords" and "seven legendary weapons" played out on a scale that strained even reinforced space-time.
When the energy finally settled, all seven Law Realm experts were utterly exhausted while Ryven remained ready to continue, his sword still glowing with unused power.
"Your swordsmanship doesn't just surpass ours," Ancestor Silverwind gasped. "You're wielding concepts that make our techniques look like children playing with sticks."
"Incredible," Ancestor Silverwind gasped, his ancient cultivation base strained from the intense combat. "Your abilities don't just exceed ours in power - they operate on completely different principles."
"Your chaos energy rewrites the rules of engagement," added Elder Morrison. "We're fighting with techniques based on universal laws, but you're using power that predates those laws entirely."
As they returned through the dimensional rift to Victoria's apartment, the Law Realm experts had a new understanding of exactly what kind of being they were protecting. Ryven wasn't just another cultivation genius - he was something that transcended normal categories entirely.
After all the experts had departed and the crowds of cultivators had dispersed, only Ryven, his parents, and Victoria remained in the apartment. The quiet felt strange after a week of cosmic-level events and universal-scale combat.
David and Elena Strathor sat across from their son and Victoria, their expressions showing suspicion mixed with parental concern.
"Now that we have privacy," Elena said, her motherly instincts clearly activated, "I have some questions that need answers."
"Such as?" Ryven asked, though he suspected where this conversation was heading.
"Such as why you were here in Victoria's apartment during your enlightenment session," David said directly. "And why you immediately insisted on bringing her with you to the Azure Heaven Sect."
Elena leaned forward, her sharp eyes moving between Ryven and Victoria. "I can sense something has changed between you two. The way you look at each other, the way you interact... it's different from before."
Ryven and Victoria exchanged glances, both realizing their secret was impossible to hide from parents who knew them so well.
"We might as well tell them," Victoria said softly. "It's not like we can keep it hidden forever."
"Tell us what?" Elena asked, though her tone suggested she already suspected the answer.
"Victoria and I... we're together now," Ryven said simply. "Romantically. The enlightenment session brought us closer, and we decided to stop fighting our feelings."
David was quiet for a moment, then nodded slowly. "I can't say I'm completely surprised. You two have been drawn to each other since childhood. Even when you were young, there were moments when I wondered if something might develop between you as you got older."
"Plus," Elena added with a slight smile, "cultivation society doesn't frown on relationships between family members the way mundane society does. Strong bloodlines are encouraged to stay within the family to preserve their power."
"So you're not... upset?" Victoria asked hesitantly.
"Upset? No," David replied. "Concerned about the complications? Maybe a little. But if you care for each other and your cultivation advancement benefits from the partnership, then we support your choice."
"Besides," Elena said with maternal practicality, "given Ryven's new status in the cultivation world, he's going to need partners who can understand and support his journey. Victoria knows our family, shares our values, and has proven she can advance alongside him."
The conversation continued for a while longer, covering practical matters like their plans for the Azure Heaven Sect and how they would handle their relationship in a cultivation environment. But the core acceptance was immediate and genuine.
As his parents prepared to return to the family estate, David pulled Ryven aside for a private word.
"Your grandfather would be proud," he said quietly. "Whatever power you've gained, whatever destiny awaits you, remember that family is what grounds us. Don't lose sight of that as you grow stronger."
"I won't, Dad," Ryven promised. "Everything I'm doing is ultimately to protect the people I care about."
As the apartment finally returned to peace, Ryven and Victoria found themselves alone together with their relationship finally acknowledged by their family. The week of enlightenment had changed them both, but this conversation had clarified something equally important - they weren't facing the future alone.
"So," Victoria said, settling beside him on the sofa, "ready for your first sect examination?"
"After fighting seven Law Realm experts at once?" Ryven replied with a grin. "I think I can handle whatever the Azure Heaven Sect throws at me."
Outside, the city continued its return to normal, unaware that they had just witnessed the emergence of someone who would reshape the entire galactic balance of power. The real adventure was about to begin.