Ryu had always believed that he would never need a master. He learned things far too easily and was often wholly unimpressed by whatever was put in front of him. Even when it came to impossibly great Visualizations like the [Immortal Sakura] or the [Divine Chaotic Annihilation], he could see through their depths with a just a single glance. He had never really been impressed by any of them.
This wasn’t to say that Ryu felt as though Balaur’s Visualization was so far beyond him. In fact, it was very much the same. Ryu believed that after a while, he would be able to see through it all just as easily. However, where the difference lay was in the significance of this technique to Ryu and, maybe just as importantly, the significance of this technique to Balaur.
Balaur was a simple man. He had the same devilishly handsome looks one would expect from a Zu and a Sky God, but he had a personality that made him almost seem like a brute. He had a thick face of facial hair that was such a blinding white it almost made him look like an incarnation of Zeus and a bright smile and laugh that was almost childish in nature.
It was because Balaur cared so much even to the point of shedding tears that Ryu was so moved.
On the one side, there was Ryu who saw this technique as the best method he had of healing his one true weakness. The filling in of this gap would make him a talent the likes of which the world had never seen before, and even more importantly, it would give him even more certainty in saving his family and seeking revenge for them.
On the other, there was Balaur. He was a man who had already reached the end of his lifespan and only carried the singular hope of helping his Zu Clan through this coming calamity. However, on a deeper level, he was the Elemental War Sky God, a man who at his deepest core wanted to see the technique he gave his whole life to reach its greatest potential.
All of this sentiment sounded great, but ultimately, anyone observing this would still raise an eyebrow.
Considering how eager Balaur was, and how the five were currently in the middle of a negotiation, Ryu would have been able to learn this technique with ease even without going so far. In addition, considering the usual Ryu, something like sentiments and pity weren’t things that he would ever make decisions on… usually.
Ryu had spent a lot of his life soaking in his own pride and arrogance. To him, the two words practically meant the same thing.
However, for some reason at this moment, maybe because of his worry for Ailsa, maybe due to his complicated feelings for Elena, or maybe as a result of a combination of both… Ryu simply didn’t feel right ignoring the tears of this Sky God.
It was probably yet another form of arrogance that Ryu believed that simply allowing this man to take him in as a disciple would fix everything. But, even now, there were certain bits of his pride that Ryu wouldn’t ever let go of.
Ultimately, maybe even Ryu couldn’t quite put into words why he had chosen to do this. If there was any of the four Zu Ancestors he would have chosen as a master from an initial look, it probably wouldn’t have been Balaur. But… Fate worked in mysterious ways.
And maybe… A part of Ryu wanted to lay a burden down for once… Even if that burden was simply his own arrogance.
Ryu’s demeanor seemed to change when his forehead touched the ground. His aura became deeper and fuller, his breath becoming more stable and unhurried. As though something had clicked, he felt a rush against a barrier he had sensed long ago…
Though this rush receded like a tide just as quickly as it came, only for it to be missed by Ryu once again, the pupils of the Zu Ancestors still constricted into pinholes.
The first time was within he Loom Clan dungeon. The second time was when his soul reconnected to Elena. And the third time was at this very moment…
The Ancestors looked toward one another, but Balaur’s laughter only became more boisterous.
”Come, come. Stand, stand. You don’t need to be so formal with me.”
Ryu felt a sweep of energy he couldn’t even resist bring him up from his knees. The difference in strength between him and even these remnant spirits was so great that any fighting back he would have wanted to do wouldn’t have been anything short of laughable. But, he still didn’t regret his decision to come here.
Balaur looked Ryu up and down, grinning wider and wider. Though he knew that they weren’t of the same family, just the fact that Ryu shared their Zu Clan’s white hair and silver eyes made him especially pleasing to Balaur. It almost felt like one of his descendants had finally come back home like a prodigal son.
”Ah!” Balaur smacked his forehead. “What a blunder. Master is just a spirit and doesn’t have any treasures to give you.”
Balaur blushed with an adorable kind of embarrassment that made Ryu smile beside himself.
Seeing such a scene, Flora, Eska and Morvar looked on in shock. This boy knew how to smile too? What was going on here exactly?
”Ah, how about I betroth you to Eska? This is the best Master can do for you. Of course, if you want Flora too, Master can give you her as well.”
”Balaur!” Flora snapped.
”What? Did I say something wrong? Look at how handsome and talented my disciple is, you should be giddy with joy!”
The petite Flora shot up from her position, chaotic energy sweeping all around her.
Ryu’s pupils constricted. However, the energy never made it to him as Balaur blocked it.
”What do you think you’re doing, little lass?! I would spank your bottom to teach you a lesson, but I’ll leave that task to my disciple in the future.”
”You!”
Balaur erupted into another fit of laughter, hardly able to hold himself back. He looked as if he would take any chance he could get to call Ryu his disciple.
”Alright, you all shut up, I’ve yet to finish guiding my precious disciple. I won’t forgive anyone who interrupts me!”
Flora could only sit like a little bundle of rage. Who knew how such a small body could possibly hold so much energy in it?
”Hold on, Balaur. What about me? Who knows, if I explain my Visualization, maybe Little Ryu will change his mind and take me as a Master instead?”
”Are you trying to fight me, Morvar?! I have a club with your name on it if you say another word!”
”Ah, you’re finally calling that Elemental Staff by its appropriate name. You’re a shame to all Mental Realm Masters, actually using your Visualization like a blunt weapon.”
”Don’t listen to him, Little Ryu.” Balaur directly ignored Morvar. “His Visualization is called [Infinite Formation Eye], his naming sense is even worse than mine. Its only use is in deploying formations quickly by forming many ‘Formation Eyes’ at once. He’s basically a glorified formation flag creator, he’s useless. He doesn’t even have any stages, you just spawn more and more Formation Eyes. Don’t call him Morvar, just call him factory. It’s all he’s good for.”
Morvar’s lip twitched. His Visualization was the dream of Formation Masters all over the world, but somehow it had been emasculated to a production factory in Balaur’s words. Wasn’t this a bit too much?
To be able to almost instantly deploy even large scale formations in the middle of any battle could turn the tides of even a war, let alone against just a single enemy. How could Morvar not feel some resentment after hearing this?
But, Balaur had continued right after ignoring him without a care in the world.
”Beyond the skeleton stage is the vein stage, Little Ryu.” Balaur spoke with almost too much care and affection. “The vein stage is something I created near the end of my life. Originally, the wheel stage came before it until I added this later on. Most of my descendants have skipped over it and those that have tried to use it have only stumbled. But, I think you can do it.
”The vein stage is a product of my research into the various Elemental Races. It fuses with the outline stage and allows a wielder of my [Elemental War God] Visualization to etch the meridian pathways of these special races of people and beasts into it.
”As you probably already know, the meridian pathways are simply the most ancient form of formations the Heavens bestowed to the world. This is why techniques require you to circulate qi along certain pathways and through certain nodes in specific patterns. This action elicits the manifestation of a technique.
”The Vein Stage allows you to snatch the meridian patterns of races more talented in the Elements than we are and use them to boost the strength of your Elements.
”For example, if you take the Fire Dragon, one of the most powerful Elemental Creatures in all of existence. If you mapped out its meridian pathways perfectly, it would be possible to reproduce the Fire Dragon’s legendary Rage Flame, thus making the Visualization infinitely more powerful!”
Ryu’s brows raised. It seemed he had yet to give this master of is enough surprises today.