The old man dressed in grey robes felt his eyes sharpen when Ryu appeared.
After reaching the Peak Qi Refinement Realm, Ryu was no longer stuck at the second trial of the Spiritual Severing Realm. According to what the old man first told him, the fourth floor was separated by each of the cultivation realms, starting at the Spiritual Severing Realm. Each had nine trials where he faced a battle spirit, and a tenth where he battled himself.
Technically, the fourth floor shouldn't be much help in comprehending Earth Grade techniques until one entered the Divine Vessel trials, but thanks to Ryu's Origin Flame and innate comprehension abilities, he estimated that reaching the fifth Spiritual Severing trial would be enough to finally gain a real grasp of the Earth Grade techniques he had chosen.
Right now, Ryu was already on the seventh trial. He had already died here countless times, even with his Peak Qi Refinement Realm cultivation. However, there was something boiling in him right now.
Though Ryu was exceptionally hard on himself, the old man felt shocked whenever he returned. The trials were organized such that the first and second corresponded to Lower Spiritual Severing Realm cultivation, the third and fourth to Middle, the fifth and sixth to Higher, the seventh and eighth to Peak, and the ninth to Half-Step Divine Vessel Realm cultivation before one finally battled themselves at the tenth.
Ryu was crossing a large barrier of cultivation and three small ones! It was so ridiculous the old man felt like fainting.
The worst part of it all was the experts of the Zu Clan were completely unlike normal day to day experts. These battle spirits represented what the best of the best had to offer. It was no wonder why despite his Half-Step Divine Vessel Realm cultivation, Tharon was beaten like a dog by Ryu.
The old grey robed man sighed. "What have you come to train in today?"
Without a single word, Ryu took out a single spear, his momentum growing.
"Just one spear?" The old man blinked in confusion. He had never seen Ryu not dual wield, so why was he suddenly using only one spear? In the end, he smiled. "This is good. I've tried to tell you that dual wielding such weapons was too ridiculous of an endeavor to underta -."
He wanted to speak more, but his pupils suddenly constricted into pinholes.
A shimmering Birthed Phenomena appeared to Ryu's back, a magnificent God Emperor, exuding the aura of the ruler of a nation.
"… Our Zu Clan doesn't have such a deep spear legacy… Just who… are you…?"
He suddenly realized that Ryu had never once shown him his true strength. Ryu cared little for how many times he died, nor was he intent on showing off. His arrogance had nothing to do with caring for the opinions of others, and everything to do with his value for himself.
If it wasn't because he felt his bottleneck loosen, this grey robed old man would never find out his true strength.
"I apologize, but the seventh trial isn't enough to help me breakthrough. I need the tenth. I will be back to repeat the seventh once my goal is accomplished…" Ryu said without much emotion.
"… [White Serpent's Dance: Lurking Shadow]."
A strike with beauty beyond words pierced toward the old man. At its forefront, a gorgeous snake with light ruby eyes and beautiful white scales manifested, but its true danger was the intent hidden beneath it… A shadow of shrouded killing intent… Potent, fierce, undefeatable.
Strictly speaking, Ryu's ability wasn't to copy techniques. This was why instead of naming the ability he used to copy the Awoken Moon Sect's legacy technique [Copy], he named it [Lines of Fate].
When Ryu 'copied' [White Serpent's Dance], what he was actually doing was comprehending the Karmic Strings that formed this technique down to its absolute base. Essentially, in an instant, Ryu had perfectly comprehended this Mystical Grade Technique to the Circle of Perfection. In fact, it was a small bit beyond that because he comprehended the essence of what its creator tried to portray.
However, these matters weren't so simple. In order to 'copy' something he saw, Ryu had to have enough Lines of Fate connecting him and the technique. The reason he could instantly comprehend [White Serpent's Dance] was precisely because the Awoken Moon Sect was his Tatsuya Clan's subordinate Sect. Their Fate couldn't have been more tied to his own.
If Ryu came across a random cultivator and attempted to use [Lines of Fate] to copy one of their techniques, he would at most comprehend a small percentage of it. Though, if he fought this person for a long time, this small percentage would slowly increase. If their battle became famous, their Fate ties would grow stronger, and Ryu would thereby be able to comprehend even more.
The only unfortunate part was that Ryu obviously couldn't display the true strength of a Mystical Grade technique that could only be used be Dao Pedestal and Cosmic Seed Realm experts. Therefore, of its strikes, he could only display the first – [Lurking Shadow].
But… This alone was enough. It alone was comparable to a Lower Earth Grade technique. Using it at its full strength without the restrictions Ryu placed on it so that he could use it, it wouldn't lose to a Middle Heaven Grade technique.
In just a single strike, the old grey robed man fell. Though he last longer in the eighth trial, he fell just the same. In the ninth, Ryu directly took out his halberd, letting his pent-up Rage Flames burn. Releasing his anger all at once, the old man didn't even survive the build up of his attack, let alone its actual strike.
Finally, Ryu stood face to face with himself.
In truth, though this trial might be difficult for others, it was easy for Ryu. Reason being that this trial had no way of replicating his Northern Heavenly Wind, his Origin Flame, or his Heavenly Pupils. Still, Ryu hadn't come here to just win, he cared little for such things. He came here to break his bottleneck.
He had been stuck as a Tatsuya Saintly Weapon Heir for too long… It was time he entered the Impose Realm and became a Lord. If he succeeded, he would make even Divine Vessel Realm experts bow to him!
Two pairs of cold silver eyes met. Neither spoke superfluous words…
Taking out his spear, Ryu did away with thought of using his Heavenly Pupils. He would battle to his heart's content!
To his back, the God Emperor slowly grew more corporeal…