Chapter 708 Path Extinction
The design twinkled in the air as though in an attempt to consume the pregnant silence. Whether it was Aberardus or Okie, if it hadn't been for the fact that they had personally witnessed Ryu in action, they would have never believed that this design was constructed by him.
The main issue wasn't even where the design came from. It was easy for Okie to dismiss it and simply believe that it was the work of someone else. But, it was a different matter entirely after seeing Ryu draw it personally.
It couldn't be said that what Ryu had done was just as hard as forging the weapon itself, but it was only a few steps down. To layer the complexities in this way required an in depth understanding of the entire process from start to finish to begin with. It wasn't something that could just be memorized. Or, at the very least, memorizing it without understanding wouldn't have allowed the process to go as smoothly as it had.
To put this matter into perspective, it was like Ryu had just drawn out the plans for a complex watch mechanism or a multi-layered engine of a vehicle. Each piece was interconnected and reliant on the last, not to mention reliant on an error that was minimal at worst. Even an error of a fraction of a millimeter or more would result in the entire work falling apart.
However, with how sharp Okie's eyes were, how could he not see just how magnificent it all was? Not only was the design intricate and layered, but it all flowed smoothly. In fact, it was to the point where Okie felt prompted to ask just who Ryu was. Such skill couldn't pop out of nowhere. Just Ryu's qi control alone was enough to rank him amongst the best Blacksmiths Okie had ever known. If it wasn't for the fact he was so weak, Oki would have thought that he was a Supreme Blacksmith come to pull some sort of practical joke.
Ryu, though, didn't care to answer Okie's question. It wasn't because he was afraid of revealing himself, but rather because it was a rude question to ask, especially after Aberardus had already made his status clear. To still ask this question after what Aberardus had said, it showed signs of one trying to use their prowess and seniority to get what they wanted.
Maybe Okie didn't even notice this. As a Sky God, he was used to asking what he wanted, when he wanted. Unfortunately for him, Ryu wasn't the kind of person who took such disrespect so casually.
"This design, it will work, correct?"
Ryu spoke these words instead of answering Okie's question, his meaning quite clear.
The actual design of the Great Swordstaff was something that was pieced together by Ryu taking into consideration a few factors.
The first was that he wanted the weapon to not limit him. He had great materials to use, but he also didn't want to waste them on low level weapons. In fact, trying to do so would be more counter productive than anything else.
So, instead, he decided that his weapon should come with several seals instead. These seals would work to limit the burden the weapon placed on him due to his lack of cultivation and he could then proceed to unlock them one by one. Undoing these seals would unleash more of the weapons potential and increase the strength it could display, thus making things easier on Ryu.
The second thing Ryu took into consideration were the actual treasures he had on hand. He had many rare treasures, but he would be foolish to believe that he had all the rare treasures the martial world had to offer. This meant that the design had to, obviously, revolve around what he had. He didn't have time to go running around looking for materials. And, even though he had money, at a certain point, trading for such rare materials became more dangerous than it was worth.
Those who would have such materials in hand, and simultaneously be confident enough to let others know so that they could set up a trade, were all individuals who could crush Ryu with a single finger.
The materials he had were good enough, there was no need to strive for absolute perfection, especially when perfection was relative. If Ryu created a perfect design for the raw materials he had now, it would be just as good as if he had a perfect design for any other set of materials.
Of course, the final thing Ryu had to consider were his affinities, and, most importantly, what his Dao moving forward would be.
Very soon, Ryu would be entering the Path Extinction Realm. He could already feel his cultivation moving along at a blazing speed and since his battle with the Heavens, he had already stepped into the 7th stage of the Immortal Ring Realm. Of course, him entering the Monarch Realm twice since then was greatly helpful as well.
After clearing the Immortal Ring Realm, it could be said that the days of purely accumulating qi to progress were over. The Path Extinction Realm held its name for a reason. It was here that the true test and climb to Immortality began.
Upon stepping into the Path Extinction Realm, one must shatter their comprehensions and build them back up on step at a time. Once the Path Extinction Realm is complete, one's Dao would be affirmed and it would them be possible to enter the Dao Pedestal Realm, wherein the prowess of one's Spiritual Foundation can finally begin to shine through.
The trouble was that even Ryu himself wasn't quite sure of what his Dao was. And, to make things even more troublesome, he, who had once been looking forward to clearing the Immortal Ring Realm and entering the Realm of comprehension so many dreaded, wasn't even sure of himself anymore.
With what was happening with Ryu's Inheritances and how they always seemed to shatter and collapse outside his notice, he wasn't sure what would happen to him once he entered the Path Extinction Realm.
If his comprehensions had already experienced so many collapses and rebuilds, how would he do it again for the Path Extinction Realm? In that case, wouldn't it be almost impossible for him to climb through it?
Ryu sighed to himself. He had always looked forward to entering the Path Extinction Realm and beyond because it was at this point the cultivation of so many slowed down. But, for him, as the wielder of the Mysteries of Heaven and Earth Pupils, his cultivation speed would be near blinding. What it could take others millions of years to do, it would take him only thousands, if that.
In fact, due to the fact Ryu's Pupils had entered the Cosmic Realms, completing Immortal level comprehensions would be as easy as breathing. Because of that, it would likely only take him a handful of years to shoot all the way up to the gates of the Cosmic Seed Realm.
But, all of this put a wrench in his plans and a certain future suddenly became anything about that.
This aside, Ryu still managed to take this into consideration. Along with the seals, he used a mixture of path specific and neutral raw materials that could grow under his influence. With the right nurturing and the right timing in undoing seals, the weapon would mold itself into Ryu's image as time went along. As for the problems with his cultivation, that would have to be a road he crossed when he got there.
It was precisely this part of the design that had impressed Okie so much. He had never seen such a thing before. It seemed to combine modern concepts with theories he had only seen scattered throughout ancient texts. Yet, they had all come together so seamlessly…
He simply didn't want to believe that it was designed by Ryu, it had to be designed by someone else, a master, maybe. But, if Ryu had such a master, why would he need the help of others to forge his weapons? It simply made no sense.
Okie was so baffled that he didn't even have time to get mad at Ryu's blatant ignoring of his question. He just kept staring at the hovering blueprint, his mind in chaos and his mouth practically salivating.
Of course, he had no idea that this was indeed designed by Ryu.
Ryu had a comprehension of formations that few could match. Though he never, or, more accurately, rarely drew them for himself, he had been cracking and undoing them all his life. In a lot of ways, doing this required far more skill than just drawing them as it involved comprehending a wide spectrum of knowledge.
With the evolution of Ryu's eyes and his now natural feel for the flow of the world, cobbling together his insights into a form that was both cohesive and made sense was even easier than he had made forming a Monarch Realm saber Inheritance seem.
Plus, Ryu had access to the Zu Ancestor's libraries, opening him to a vast store of information even the Tatsuya never had as it was lost to history and the many calamities...
Okie simply never stood a chance.