Balaur looked toward Ryu's flame blankly for a moment, not knowing what to say.
It had to be remembered that when Ryu first came here, the Ancestors had already seen through much of his talent. However, having Ancient Beast Blood and actually awakening their Talents were two completely different concepts entirely.
Balaur couldn't help but feel his lip twitch. How much was this brat hiding from them exactly? If he didn't for some reason choose him as a master, how many things would he be completely unaware of?
Balaur took a deep breath.
"I'm sure that as of right now, using the Rage Flame is difficult for you, right? Though it's very powerful, the best you can do is probably use it to coat your weapons? Have you tried to fire breathe?"
Ryu nodded. He had indeed begun to fire breathe and that was probably his strongest application of his Rage Flames. But, even in the dream world Osiris, it caused his body temperature to skyrocket. If he didn't also have his Ice Flame, his body would have collapsed due to overheating.
"I have." Ryu nodded. "My body began to overheat. I have to use my Ice Flames to compensate."
Balaur sighed and shook his head. The casual reveal of yet another Elemental energy on the same level as Rage Flames left him at a loss for whether to laugh or cry. This little disciple of his was truly too much.
"This makes sense." Balaur nodded. "Though you have Fire Dragon Blood, you still have the meridians and body of a human. What they can take isn't necessarily something that you can. Even when your body reaches a pinnacle level, you will still fall short of them. Do you know why?"
Ryu nodded again. "It's like the difference between soaking in water and drinking it. I am able to survive a long swim, maybe even for an extended period of time if need be. But, I'll never be comparable to an Ancient Beast who could swallow the entire lake should they choose to do so."
"Mm… It's a matter of affinity. No matter how much an Ancient Beast uses their Talent, it won't harm them in the slightest and there won't be any limit other than their stamina. But, to you, even if you make your body several times more powerful, you will still be resisting rather than integrating. They are one with their Flames, but you can only use their Flames somewhat better than someone else could.
"However, if you use the Vein Stage, especially if it's combined with the next Wheel Stage, you can create the perfect vessel for your talent, thus relieving your body of the burden it needs to carry.
"In fact, with every Talent you awaken, you can then add it to your Vein Stage and make it far easier for you to use."
Ryu took a deep breath. This was all excellent.
The difference between him passively using his Rage Flames and breathing it was like night and day.
That day in the Mountain Barbarian City, the concentrated beam was so powerful that it could have collapsed the entire mountain had Ryu chosen to do so. The difference in strength between using his Flames in that way versus just as a coat to his weapons was more than a hundred times.
Yet, breathing fire, at least at the level Ryu used it, was only the cheapest, simplest and weakest method of flame control the Fire Dragons had.
And this was just the Fire Dragon. What about the Phoenix? What about the Lightning Qilin? There were too many things Ryu had yet to properly tap into.
Balaur grinned. "Worry not, Little Ryu. In order to perfect the Vein Stage, your Master spent a lot of time traveling the world and beating up any suitable beasts I could find. All the ones I defeated have long since been thoroughly dissected by me and properly recorded. I also entered the record of a fair number of other species as well, even some humanoid. Here."
Balaur waved a hand and secret compartment of books Ryu would have never found opened. With a surge, a thick tome landed in Ryu's hands.
Ryu's eyes widened. Even without opening the cover, he felt like a heavy weight had surrounded him. The roars of countless beasts shocked his ears, each of which wanted nothing more than to shatter his soul completely.
"The Ancient Beast I have the most knowledge on is the White Tiger. It's them I received my Crystal Inheritance from. But, this is not suitable for you, your talents are already too great to deviate from the path before you.
"Flame, Ice, Lightning and Wind. These four Elements will become the core of your Elemental strength. They are very balanced in their uses, it's rare to have so many high affinities so once you begin to practice, I believe your strength will touch upon a completely new level.
"The Fire Dragon is excellent in explosive, quick burst offensives, especially in close quarters. The Fire Phoenix is undefeatable in recovery. The Ice Phoenix is exceptional in defense and area control. The Lightning Qilin is a King of long ranged combat. And your Northern Heavenly Wind will make you undefeatable in movement."
Balaur diligently guided Ryu without a care in the world. He practically forgot that there were three other Ancestors beside him, but as he watched Ryu soak up his knowledge so quickly, he really didn't have time to care for them. He was too busy feeling gratified.
"… We won't mess around with your flame, ice or lightning Elements. Just focus on the beasts you share a bloodline with. There are some gaps in the knowledge I've left behind on those four beasts, but it's nothing that you, with their inherited memories, can't fill in.
"However, for your wind…. You have a few potential choices even if we focus on speed. There's the Spectral Mink, the Wind Elemental Faerie, and finally, the Ancient Beast, Wind Dragon."