Ryu checked through Ariad's techniques first. The latter had what Ryu deemed to be a close combat type Dao so he believed that Ariad would have some interesting techniques to go along with it.
What Ryu noticed between Ariad and Leolar was that their Daos were actually quite bare bones and simple. This made sense considering their low grades, but what was more interesting was how that correlated.
As Ryu had said, Leolar's Dao had been formulated by observing a Roc. Truthfully, Ryu didn't believe that Leolar had observed a real Roc, it was more likely that he had observed some sort of simulation of it, or he had based his deductions on a technique that claimed to represent one.
Because he was curious, Ryu had cross referenced with Sarriel's notes and he had learned that Ancestral Beasts were just as rare in the true Martial World as they were on Sacrum, and their standing was just as high.
For one, this meant that the blood running through Ryu's veins was actually quite valuable and he had to be careful on that front. But, on the other hand, it meant that low level individuals like Ariad and Leolar hadn't recognized his Bloodlines much like the weaker individuals of the Mortal and Pedestal Plane hadn't.
This meant that there was simply no way for Leolar to have truly based his Dao on a Roc, and it made the value of unlocking his Ancestor's memories all the more apparent to Ryu. This sort of knowledge, even in the true Martial World, was invaluable and simply impossible to put a price tag on.
Due to this, Leolar's Dao essentially boiled down to an advanced form of movement that gave him great speed. But, at the same time, it made him predictable. His Dao lacked variation and power behind it, it was just a cheap imitation brought about by a false understanding. As a movement technique alone, it actually wasn't bad and was actually better than anything Ryu had ever seen. But as a Dao…? It was pathetic.
By the same token, Ariad's Dao was also greatly lacking. From what Ryu understood at a glance, his Dao was rooted in concepts of imposing momentum. He built it off the back of blasting through all obstacles and never being stopped.
This Dao was slightly better than Leolar's, it was just unfortunate that the person backing it didn't have the personality to properly match it. Ariad was constantly differing to Leolar as his senior brother and he was quiet spoken to begin with. However, that was only the start of his problems.
Someone with such a Dao would never fight someone two on one, and yet Ariad hadn't hesitated to do so. On top of this, he was actually part of the Hidden Blade Sect and used poison in his battle. How could you be indomitable if this was the path you chose for your life? His Dao was more of a joke than anything else at this point.
Dao wasn't just about comprehension. You could technically comprehend anything. But, without belief as a foundation, it was all meaningless. Choosing a Dao didn't just mean grasping at something you easily understood, but it also required it being compatible with the deepest fibers of your being.
One would think that this was a soul cultivation technique, or at least anything other than being related to close combat. But, this wasn't the case at all. In fact, this was a fist technique split into three parts and built on the back of a special cultivation method.
'A martial technique requiring a specific cultivation technique to practice… Well, it isn't a requirement, but the true strength will be less than half of what your true potential could be… I've never heard of something .'
From Ryu's understanding, martial techniques could require special types of qi to be used effectively, but one requiring a specific cultivation technique wasn't something he had ever stumbled upon. In fact, if this was backtracked to its logical conclusion, it meant that there was a cultivation technique created with a matching set of martial techniques, and that was fascinating to Ryu.
'Steady feet. Steady Mind. Calm Heart. Interesting…'
The technique deviated in another way from Ryu's usual understanding of things as well. Usually, techniques leaned on Meridian Nodes first. You had to meet a minimum requirement of Meridian Nodes so that the circulation pattern could be completed.
Then, comprehension would be based on how well you could maintain this circulation method. When Ryu had spoken of comprehending techniques in the past, it was all about the subtle nuances of how the flow of qi worked.
Two techniques might have the same circulation pattern, but they could have different ebbs and flows, different pauses and starts, different speeds and forcefulness. It was this subtle control that gave each technique its flair.
However, this was ultimately surface level. Ryu was almost too good at comprehending the nuances of a technique, feeling its hidden depth, and using his supreme qi control to rein it all in. When he used , it was even easier.
But this… This felt entirely different.
There was still a qi circulation method needed for this technique, yes. But, firstly, unlike the techniques Ryu had become used to, it was overly simple. It was simple to the point of almost being an insult to his intelligence.
However, what was more fascinating was that comprehending this technique also felt a lot more like comprehending an Inheritance. You weren't learning how to circulate your qi, or rather this was just a small portion of it. More importantly, you had to grasp the essence of the technique, much the same way you had to comprehend an Element or a Natural Endowment.
Ryu read through the technique over three times, the profound words laced within gripping at his soul.
"… A calm heart belays the storm."
Ryu slowly punched out, a subtle wave of qi rippling around his fist.