Losing Touch...
The Martial Gods were spread out amongst four figure heads, one for each of their four Branches and each one with the prowess of the Cosmic Seed Realm as their foundation. They could be considered geniuses who had all once placed within the Dao Pedestal rankings when they had still been considered members of the younger generation. But, without a doubt, each one of the four of them was completely caught off guard by what was happening now.
They had already been embroiled in their own battles, fighting the heads of the beasts that had come to claim this land for themselves. They didn't even truly have time to register that Ryu was an enemy before all hell broke loose.
In one moment, Ryu had been bashing heads with a Dark Phoenix and setting his beast companion on it. And in the next, he had aimed a bow and arrow toward the defensive line of the Martial Gods and released it.
BOOM!