Ash Riya

Biodata

Feature	Information
Name	Ash Riya (阿莎蕊雅)
Alias(es)	Asha Riya
Gender	Female
Affiliation	Parthenon Temple; Saintess Hall
Occupation/Role	Parthenon First Saintess; later Goddess
First Appearance	2

Power Progression

Stage / Realm / Level	Chapter	Notes
High-level Rank Two Shadow Element Mage	40	Her Shadow Element cultivation is acknowledged by Mu Ningwei upon her arrival in Hangcheng.
Forbidden Realm wielder	236	Her Forbidden Realm releases holy light that dispels darkness throughout the room.
Half-step Sovereign	331	With Ye Xin Xia's help, she reaches this level to bear the cost of altering the past.
Dark King	331	She fuses with an origin source in the Dark Plane, becoming the Dark King before activating the Time-Space Divine Eye.

Background

Ash Riya and Mu Ningwei were childhood sweethearts in Athens. During their youth, she sheltered him during an assassination attempt, while he later used Athena's blessings and the Holy Light Unicorn to help them escape a hostile encirclement. Their family also made homemade “Little Pudding” ice cream together after Ningwei became homesick. 41

Her relationship with Ningwei fractured during the Golden Knight selection. Ash Riya supported another candidate through her faction, believing Ningwei would continue supporting her despite the humiliation; he instead withdrew from the competition, resigned, and left the Parthenon. 2 5 The loss also deprived her of the person who had helped her secure Hailong's support and contend with Temple Mother Pamirs. 16

After Ningwei's departure, Ash Riya isolated herself in the Saintess Hall for three days. She kept his Silver Moon Captain position vacant and planned to preserve an eleven-person Golden Knight roster rather than replace him. 16 Though overwhelmed by criticism from the Knight Hall, she resumed leading her faction and resolved to defeat Pamirs before attempting to bring Ningwei back. 28

Appearance

Ash Riya is a graceful, aristocratic-looking Saintess whose dark presentation reflects her Shadow Element and Dark Angel powers. She is often described as dignified and beautiful, though prolonged stress leaves her pale, exhausted, and disheveled. 16 41

• Long black hair and black gemstone-like eyes. 41 198
• Pale complexion, refined features, and a noble bearing associated with the Parthenon Saintess. 41
• Frequently wears black clothing or a black veil; at the Goddess Festival, she appears in a fitted black suit and veil. 245
• Her Fallen Angel form manifests four pitch-black wings, dark facial patterns, and a black battle skirt. 235
• Can wield a pitch-black Fallen Angel Sword. 235

Personality

Ash Riya is intensely emotional, proud, and deeply attached to Mu Ningwei. Her failure to recognize the consequences of the Golden Knight selection becomes a defining regret; she repeatedly tries to prove that she can stand on her own, yet still measures much of her success by whether she can protect or reunite with him. 16 28 302

She is politically capable and resilient under pressure. Even after losing support to Yi Zhi Sha, she pursues a Dark Judgment rather than surrendering her candidacy, and she repeatedly mobilizes the Parthenon's resources to pursue her goals. 238 240 241

Ash Riya is also fiercely protective of those she considers family. Her reunion with Ye Xin Xia immediately drives her to promise support for Xin Xia's advancement, believing that Pamirs may have been responsible for her sister's suffering. 67 68 Her desire for the Goddess position ultimately stems from childhood trauma and a belief that sufficient power would prevent her loved ones from being harmed again. 302

Abilities & Skills

Shadow Element Magic

Ash Riya is a high-level Shadow Element mage with strong concealment, movement, summoning, and battlefield-control capabilities. 40 78

• Travels through shadows without attracting attention and can locate Mu Ningwei by sensing his aura. 40
• Summons Dark Knights through black rifts to attack opponents. 78
• Uses darkness to reduce her and Ningwei's public visibility while walking through Hangcheng. 41
• Her Dark Knights could not penetrate a wind mage's six Wings of Wind, forcing her to consider stronger methods. 78

Shadow Beast Command

Ash Riya maintains and commands powerful shadow creatures connected to the Saintess Hall. 16

• Keeps more than ten Commander-level shadow creatures around the Saintess Hall. 16
• Subdued a Shadowkin Elder before the Golden Knight selection, originally intending it as a gift and compensation for Ningwei. 40
• Ordered the Shadowkin Elder to eliminate Black Pepper Court Executioners pursuing Mu Nujiao. 40

Dark Angel / Fallen Angel Power

Ash Riya possesses a Dark Angel Soul Embryo and can assume a Fallen Angel form for greater combat power. 98 235

• Manifests four dark wings and a Fallen Angel Sword. 235
• Tore through one of Mu Ningwei's darkness seals with a Darkness Whirlwind Slash. 235
• Could not break an Emperor-grade darkness barrier reinforced by You Kai's power. 235
• Released a Forbidden Realm that flooded a room with holy light and dispelled darkness. 236

Dark Origin Sacrifice

During the Ancient Capital crisis, Ash Riya merged her Dark Angel Soul Embryo and origin power into Mu Ningwei's own Dark Angel Soul Embryo to restore and strengthen his Shadow Element. 98

• Her sacrifice was voluntary and intended to let her protect Ningwei when his magic power was depleted. 98
• The merger would leave her able to recover only a small portion of her origin power if they later separated. 98
• Her Shadow Element was expected to regress to Stardust level after the sacrifice. 98

Temporal Travel

In the future extra arc, Ash Riya obtains and activates the Time-Space Divine Eye to return to the past and change her regret over Ningwei. 331

• Learns that repeated use can consume the user's lifespan or cause irreversible consequences. 331
• Becomes a half-step Sovereign and Dark King to pay the temporal cost with greater reserves of time. 331
• Returns to her Saintess-era past and confronts her younger self's choices. 331

Equipment / Items

• Pious Dew — A rare Blessing Element resource Ash Riya purchases from Pamirs and personally delivers to Mu Ningwei. 38
• Fallen Angel Soul Embryo — The source of her Dark Angel power; she merges it with Ningwei's embryo during the Ancient Capital crisis. 98
• Time-Space Divine Eye — A dangerous Divine Eye that she uses to travel to the past. 331
• Divine Soul — As Goddess, she separates and transfers the Divine Soul representing the position to Heidi before departing to seek the Time-Space Divine Eye. 331

Relationships

• Mu Ningwei — Childhood sweetheart and former political ally. Their relationship collapses after the Golden Knight selection, but Ash Riya continues seeking forgiveness and hopes to reunite with him. 2 41 302
• Ye Xin Xia — Long-lost younger sister. Ash Riya recognizes Xin Xia after ten years apart and pledges to support her career within the Goddess Palace. 67 68
• Hailong — Senior supporter and adviser within the Parthenon. He urges Ash Riya to recover from Ningwei's departure and confront Pamirs. 16 28
• Pamirs — Temple Mother and political rival. Pamirs pressures Ash Riya over the Pious Dew and competes with her for influence in the Parthenon. 38 214
• Yi Zhi Sha — Rival Saintess and competing Goddess candidate. Ash Riya seeks to arrest her, then orchestrates a Dark Judgment against her. 238 241
• Heidi — A knight and competitor whom Ash Riya recruits and heavily funds for the Venice competition. Heidi later provides Ash Riya shelter after her defeat in the Goddess selection. 198 207 247
• Mu Nujiao — Ningwei's sister and romantic partner, whom Ash Riya views as a rival for Ningwei's affection. 40 234

Story Role / Major Arcs

Golden Knight Selection Fallout

Ash Riya's decision to back another Golden Knight candidate drives Mu Ningwei from the Parthenon. She attempts to preserve his place in the Knight Hall, but cannot bring herself to pursue him directly. 2 16

Saintess Faction Conflict

With Ningwei gone, Ash Riya struggles to maintain authority against Pamirs. She gathers political support, deals with Knight Hall dissent, and aims to become Goddess before inviting Ningwei back under better conditions. 28 38

Reunion with Mu Ningwei

Ash Riya personally delivers the Pious Dew to Ningwei in Hangcheng. She protects him from Black Pepper Court attackers, reminisces about their childhood, and confesses her love, but Ningwei rejects her because he has moved on. 40 41

Ancient Capital Crisis

She fights alongside Ningwei's group and sacrifices her Dark Angel origin power to strengthen him when he is exhausted during the undead catastrophe. 78 98

Venice Competition Bet

Ash Riya backs the Hellas Team, recruits alliances against the Divine Land Team, and wagers that Ningwei will return to the Parthenon if her side wins. Despite investing heavily in Heidi's advancement, the Hellas Team loses the final and Ash Riya loses the bet. 198 207 224

Goddess Selection

Ash Riya attempts to stop Yi Zhi Sha's rise, only to discover that many Parthenon officials support her rival. With Ningwei and Xin Xia's covert assistance, she initiates the Dark Judgment that destroys Yi Zhi Sha's position. 239 240 241

Loss and Return of the Goddess Position

Ye Xin Xia becomes Goddess, leaving Ash Riya heartbroken and without her Saintess position. 247 Years later, Xin Xia selects Ash Riya as her successor; Ash Riya ultimately transfers the Goddess position to Heidi so she can pursue the Time-Space Divine Eye. 300 301 331

Time-Space Divine Eye

After learning the price of temporal alteration, Ash Riya strengthens herself, becomes the Dark King, and travels to the past to repair the mistake that separated her from Ningwei. Future Mu Ningwei chooses to help her change the past, marking the renewal of their relationship. 331

Notable Quotes

“This time, it's my turn to protect you.” 98

“I will prove that even without you, I am still the Saintess, still Ash Riya!” 16

“What's important isn't the Goddess, nor power, but Ningwei.” 302