Ryu found using the bow without his eyes to be a fascinating sort of experience.
His grandfather had always said that the most important thing to an archer was their eyes. Suddenly finding himself without a pair, Ryu felt a subtle difference that he hadn't been able to grasp before. Even after several months, that feeling was still subtle, but bit by bit, he seemed to be getting closer and closer to exactly what that enigmatic feeling was.
Ryu didn't chase after this elusive feeling, though. Instead, he focused on other things, realizing that this wasn't something you chased after. The more effort he put into trying to understand it, the further out of his grasp it would grow.
So, he turned his attention to the subtleties of pulling on the Daos of the True Martial World.
With his annoyance at the weakness of his arrows put to the side, he was able to see through some of the issues he was facing in his use of the Glove of Order. Thanks to his own Dao, he was far more sensitive to these things, building a subtle sort of understanding.
If Ryu was correct, there was a clear connection between Inheritances and Daos.
This much should have been obvious from the very beginning. Both were a type of comprehension, it just seemed that the latter was far more profound than the former. However, exactly what those differences were wasn't something that Ryu ever really thought about.
If he were to put his initial assumptions into words, he would say that a Dao was a culmination of Inheritances. A Dao was an Inheritance that dug deeper and built higher.
But, the more Ryu thought about it, he felt that it was more involved than just this.
For one, there was the name Inheritance in the first place. One could hand it down through generations, allowing many people to grasp it at once and through the years. This was something that was widely accepted and known.
However, with a Dao, this wasn't the case at all. You couldn't pass down a Dao, and even an attempt to do so could crush a person. Not everyone could reform their Dao without worry as Ryu could. Many would end up being permanently crippled taking such an approach.
A Dao had to be comprehended by a person themselves. Outside influence in the process would often become a detriment.
The more Ryu thought, though, he realized that even this was a superficial explanation and could still be considered to be surface level. When he thought of what he felt was the true reason, his heart couldn't help but beat out of his chest.
What was the ultimate difference?
Inheritances connected with the Heavens in a mutual sort of respect. The Heavens curated, saved and praised Inheritances. It bestowed Birthed Phenomena, it bound them with ties of Fate allowing them to be passed down through generations, and you were even rewarded with Essence when you grasped them.
But, were Daos the same? Absolutely not.
Daos were the foundation of Godhoods, the root of breaking free from the Heavens and forming your own path. Not only were they not rewarded, but when Ryu comprehended the second half of his Dao, he was even struck by lightning.
Of course, it wasn't a perfect boundary. Ryu still had a Birthed Phenomenon he had yet to use, and when he was cobbling together the bits and pieces of his Dao in the Armament Guild, he was blessed with Essence several times.
Clearly, there was a sort of lingering connection between the two, and after stepping past a certain barrier, there was a qualitative evolution resulting in the formation of the Dao.
Why was this so important to Ryu now? It was because he realized now that his Inheritances were weak and needed supplementation. But, he wanted to understand what approach he should take.
There were two paths as Ryu saw it.
The first was continuing along his current path. As his Bloodlines broke free of their shackles, his Inheritances would naturally strengthen as well. After all, many of Ryu's Inheritances came right from his Bloodlines with very rare exceptions.
His Fire Inheritance was built off the back of his Rage Flame and Rebirth Flame. His Ice Inheritance was built off the back of his Ice Flame. His Lightning Inheritance found its roots in his Lightning Qilin Bloodline.
This was simply the way things worked for him.
Unfortunately, Ryu's Bloodlines had left him disappointed far too many times. They cowered in the face of the Heavens and they cowered when he fought the Valkyries of the Deity Race. He was thoroughly pissed off with them.
Even after the first time, he was already finished with them. But, the second time was a stride too far. He wouldn't wait for a strike three.
Ultimately, Ryu's Bloodlines were still one of his strongest trump cards. As their shackles were undone, he would be able to blaze through the Heavens and display his might. Maybe even those of the Fifth and Sixth Heaven would still pale in comparison to his talent.
But what of the Seventh? The Eighth? The Ninth?
In truth, Ryu wasn't entirely sure. When it came to talent, he was fairly unmatched. He had never even heard of another person with Great Ancestral Circle Realm talent, and he was a person well versed in history.
Then, you had to consider the fact that Ryu's talent was actually beyond that. He had his Heavenly Pupils, his Bone Structure had evolved, his Meridians seemed to have always been beyond the Ancestral Grade, and now his Phoenix Bloodlines had fused into one.
By now, calling Ryu a Great Ancestral Circle talent was actually doing him a disservice. He was far beyond that.
However, even if it was the case that Ryu's talent could match up to the greatest geniuses of the highest Heavens, he didn't care. When he made decisions, he didn't do so for the sake of others unless he loved them. He was dissatisfied with the performance of his Bloodlines and didn't believe that he should rely on them in the future.
In that case, there was a second path… And that was to evolve his Inheritances until they formed the puzzle pieces of his Dao.
As Ryu drew his bow and released, skewering another beast to death, the thrumming of his heart only grew.
Maybe he had been too naïve to believe that he had formed the perfect Dao in the past. What if the existence of Inheritances was a clue?
A crack of thunder rocked Ryu's mind.
What was his Dao? It was a cycle of yin and yang, a balance between the Heavens and its Cultivators.
He Divided Tribulation, comprehending the Heavens to pass judgment. He Divided Karma, comprehending the cultivators to pass judgment.
However, he only looked at it through the lens of a Dao, wasn't' this too foolish? The Dao was inherently fueled by the defiance of the Heavens. So, where was the sincerity of his comprehension?
What Ryu needed was a fusion of Dao and Inheritance, a balance that could be elevated above all others.
He would form the Inheritance of a world by himself. Then, he would form the Heavens that lorded over it.
Forming the Tenth Heaven!
What did it entail to form an Inheritance that would replace Dividing Tribulation? Ryu didn't even need to think.
What were the Foundational Elements of the Heavens? What formed all things?
Wind. Water. Mountain. Earth. Thunder. Fire. Life. Heaven.
Heaven formed the skies. Earth formed the ground. Mountain formed the foundation.
Wind, Water, Thunder and Fire connected Heaven and Earth, giving Mountain purpose.
And then they breathed and formed Life.
These were ancient words Ryu had read long ago, words he had never cared to think about, let alone recall. They were about the basics of formation theory and toddlers with even a small bit of talent would learn this Earth Pronged Formation.
It sounded profound, but it was endlessly simple. Without any practice, Ryu could form such a formation right this moment, he had more than enough talent.
However, what was beautiful about this supposedly simple formation was that it was the only Origin Grade Formation Ryu knew of. It could be used by anyone, but it could also become infinitely more powerful depending on the comprehension and effort of the person.
The trouble was that who could possibly spend the time to learn in eight different directions? And, even if you wanted to, who dared to say that they could do so?
Wind, Water, Thunder and Fire were still alright, but just how profound was Mountain? What about Heaven? And then there was Earth with Mountain rested upon and Heavens covered? And none of that even touched upon Life!
However, Ryu didn't care. Once again, he had already made his decision.
The Glove of Order trembled on his palms, the arrow he had formed flickering and vanishing.
Wind? He had the Heavenly Wind. Water? He was a majestic Ice Phoenix. Thunder? He was a mighty Qilin. Fire? He was an almighty Dragon.
Life? He had fused Life, Death and Rebirth. Mountain? He had the Natural Enlightenment of Shrine Mountain.
Earth? He tread upon it as he pleased. Heavens? He would form his own!
A veil cracked, Ryu's Dao shifted and charged through the barrier of Dominion Daos and entered the Realms of Hegemonic Daos.
He felt freer than he ever had before, his power rising to the point the air stilled around him and a light smile pulled at his handsome features.
But, just as soon as this happened, a crack of lightning descended from the skies.
BANG!
At that moment, the veil of the Seventh Heaven trembled, striking down upon Ryu's Dao and shattering it.
Ryu didn't have the strength to fight back against such a thing.
His chest was struck through, a bloody hole appearing where his heart should have been and his body became charred black to the point that a single push could turn him to ash.
Ryu collapsed, the rumbling of the Seventh Heaven forcing the other lower Heavens to cower before it finally calmed and withdrew.
Ryu's Dao crumbled, falling out of the realms of Hegemonic Dao.