For Ryu, mastering the circulation patterns of the three Dao Charm techniques in his possession was easy, so easy, in fact, that Ryu felt that he was trying to learn Common Grade techniques all over again. But, the reality was that even Common Grade techniques he was familiar with had more complex circulation pathways than this.
Still, there was a sort of elegance in its simplicity. Ryu had already accepted that more complex didn't mean better. In fact, maybe some of the most powerful things in all of Existence were Fundamental Runes, the foundation of all that was.
Even without his eyes, Ryu still had the Origin Flame. Something like memorizing a circulation pattern was as easy as looking at it, it was the actual circulation that might take some practice. But, due to the simplicity of it all, even that came with a ridiculous amount of ease.
Ryu casually tested out the circulation patterns so that he could get a reference for how much more powerful it would grow into the future.
<Thirteen Soaring Azures> was a Dao Charm technique that used a beast firebird beast known as the Azure for inspiration. They were an inferior firebird compared to Phoenixes, of course, but they had a certain charm to themselves and they were especially known for their unique blue flames and their beauty.
The Azure Bird came in thirteen stages of maturity, alternating between cold and hot. Upon birth, an Azure bird would be wreathed in heat, only to evolve and become cold. After six cycles of this, they would reach the thirteenth form, a perfect fusion of hot and cold that would feel warm to the touch.
This thirteenth stage seemed to be the most docile and non-lethal, but it was exactly the opposite. It was this perfect control over hot and cold that made the Azure Bird so fearsome.
On the first circulation, Ryu felt a scorching heat in his meridians. But, upon immediately following it up, he felt a bone biting cold.
He paused, not continuing to the third.
Lifting up his robes, his eyes narrowed when he actually saw a thin layer of ice coat his skin. Even with the robustness of his body, this technique actually left such injuries on him? If it wasn't for the fact he had a Fire Spirit Body, the heat would have actually also left burn marks on him.
Ryu's expression flickered. He had thought that his body was already far beyond the realms of the Immortal Ring Realm, so how was it that an Heaven Grade technique could actually harm him like this? It felt impossible.
Ryu lowered his robes and eventually decided to shrug them off. The butterfly obediently took Ryu's robes and fluttered off to the side, its small body shivering as well. It had felt that the chilling cold Ryu had released just now, and even given its inclination toward the Yin, it felt like it would lose its life.
Ryu's robust body rippled and the ice eventually slowly melted, also releasing its clutches on his internal organs.
After a few moments of sweeping his Spiritual Sense through his body, Ryu understood a few things.
His meridians were completely unaffected by the hot and cold. This only made sense, after all, it was the third strongest material in all of existence. Ryu was fairly certain that this truth continued to be true even in the True Martial World as it seemed that rarity didn't really change between worlds.
For example, the two disciples of the Hidden Blade Sect had still wanted his meridians. And, when they found out his had Heavenly Pupils afterward, their shock was just the same. In fact, the most damning evidence was that they hadn't immediately recognized his Bloodlines, likely meaning that his Ancestral Grade Bloodlines weren't easy to find in their world either.
The unfortunate part, though, was the organs and skin that surrounded his meridians. Just a casual circulation of the first and second forms, without even using the full brunt of qi he could have, had actually caused so much damage.
If Ryu had gone all out, he realized that he would probably harm himself.
Ryu wanted to see just how deep this matter went, so he turned his thoughts to <Roaring Sky Serpent>.
The Sky Serpent was also a powerful beast much like the Azure Bird. While the latter was a much weaker form of the Phoenix, the former was a much weaker form of the Winged Serpent which was actually a beast of legend as well.
<Roaring Sky Serpent> had fewer forms than <Thirteen Soaring Azures> with just three instead of the enormous sum of thirteen.
The forms were separated into echoes. The first produced one resonance, the second form three resonances, and the final formed nine, fully manifesting the form of the Roaring Sky Serpent.
To Ryu, <Thirteen Soaring Azures> could be used more continuously and lay a foundation for his archery. <Roaring Sky Serpent>, however, was more like a single strike kill technique. If he released it, it should be sure to claim a life.
Learning his lesson the first time, Ryu circulated with even less qi. If before he used 10%, now he didn't even use a single percent of what he could have.
BOOM!
Ryu's stomach expanded violently, his body suddenly being sent flying backward as a resounding roar echoed in his mind. The sound was so devastating that Ryu's ears began to bleed, the backlash making him cough up a mouthful of blood.
Ryu wiped the blood from his lips, his gaze cold.
As though he was a masochist, unwilling to stop until he had forced his body to collapse, he circulated the movement technique, <Whispering Petals>, next.
CRACK!
Ryu's face paled, his body falling.
He laid on his back, breathing harshly as beads of sweat fell down his body.
He swept his Spiritual Sense forward, focusing on his leg and shaking his head.
He had broken his leg taking just a single step and now he had an extra joint he shouldn't have had.