Even with his Dao and his grasp of the [Unbalance Mantra], Ryu found his gaze blurring when he looked toward the calligraphy jade. However, he knew that this was actually a good sign, not a bad one. That was because the first time he looked toward it, he didn't feel this. This meant that something had shifted.
The pressure on Ryu's soul increased and he even felt some of his sense of self slipping.
The frown on Ryu's face deepened and he pulled back somewhat. Did this mean that he just couldn't see through the secrets of the calligraphy jade, then?
This wasn't too shocking. In reality, even when it came to the [Unbalance Mantra], if the elders of the Unbalance Art Sect knew that he had grasped it, their shock would be difficult to put into just a few words. While these were the core techniques of the Sect, for a Sect to be this powerful, it wasn't rare for such core techniques to not be applicable until even the Sky God Realm.
To them, Ryu would barely be considered a junior with everyone below the Path Extinction Realm being a pup that had yet to grow. For him to be able to use their most important techniques at all would be a great shocker, so this wasn't surprising at all.
Even so, Ryu couldn't help but frown. He was too curious about exactly what the secret of this calligraphy was, they didn't look special at all. They weren't written in some unknowable language, nor did they radiate some mysterious power… Not until, that is, he gazed toward them using his [Unbalance Mantra] and his Dividing Chaos.
The trouble with that, though, was that it didn't make sense.
The art of calligraphy gained its strength from what it could make others feel. Resonating with the Heavens and causing change was the core ability of it. But if he couldn't see through it normally, that meant that normal people would be entirely unaffected by the calligraphy. In which case… didn't that defeat the purpose?
Take a Sect banner, for example. Many powerful Sects would have their founder leave behind some words or a mark. This could come in the form of a rule steele, a sword or weapon scar, and there were some calligraphy masters that would choose to write out the name of their Sect to be shown to all those who entered.
Even if one didn't grasp the full intention of the calligraphy or all of its mysteries, everyone from the strongest character to the absolute weakness would be able to feel its aura, because that was the point to begin with. How could one feel awe for a Sect if their banner was lackluster? That would be more embarrassing than anything else.
Back when Ryu first formed Dividing Karma, the very first portion of his Dao, it was through the use of calligraphy that he was able to resonate with the Heavens and punish the False Sky God of the Armament Guild. It was because his calligraphy carried a special air to it that the Heavens were able to sense it and thus exact judgment. It wasn't his own strength that had accomplished such a thing. At the time, he didn't stand a chance against a False Sky God of Sacrum.
Even as a mortal Ryu could make the powerful experts around him feel awe through his calligraphy, borrowing the strength of the Heavens.
Let alone calligraphy, this was how all four Great Arts worked. Back in Sacrum, there were even stories of mortals becoming Sky Gods in one leap after their artistry reached a certain level. Whether it was Domain, Calligraphy, Painting or Feng Shui, they all followed the exact same pattern.
However, this calligraphy…
Ryu's gaze flashed. 'A calligraphy that only I can sense the specialness of… That's it…'
In that instant, Ryu flipped his thoughts on its head. The Unbalance Art Sect was one that didn't follow convention. Everything from the puzzles he had had to clear to make it to this place, all the way up to the jades in his hands, were far from conventional.
In that case, what if instead of crafting calligraphy designed to elicit a reaction of the Heavens and evoke a change in the people, this calligraphy was only designed to affect change within the body of the user him or herself?
If Ryu took this even a step further, he could consider the fairly regular nature of calligraphy. When one was writing personal notes for themselves, or scribbling down something to remember, would they care about the aesthetics of the piece? Some might, but it would ultimately be a waste of time and core importance of the action itself would be missed.
'For myself… for myself… I understand…'
Ryu's eyes glowed as his lips separated. He held the jade in one hand and pointed out a finger in the other.
"Strength."
Ryu quickly etched the calligraphy into the air, a dark gold light following the path of his finger almost unbeknownst to himself.
The moment the character formed, it solidified and the air rippled.
Ryu struck with a palm, the character following the arc of his swing and colliding against a nearby wall.
BANG!
Ryu shuddered and his arm almost popped out from its socket. But even so, the room quaked and a small splinter formed beneath his palm.
The results were far greater than Ryu had expected. He had struck with all of his might just now, but his strength was 20% greater than he had expected it to be. In fact, because of that difference between his expectation and the result, he didn't properly brace himself and almost ended up suffering some backlash.
A 20% increase in strength… It was unbelievable. For many, that was the difference between a small realm. Raising your power output by an entire fifth, depending on your cultivation level, could take millennia for some, and for others, after reaching a certain point, such an increase was simply impossible without a life changing opportunity.
Usually, only the Secret Skills that Ryu had learned about just a few years ago could accomplish such a thing, but even then that would require some large sacrifice on your part…
However, this 20% increase in strength almost came at no cost at all outside of some Focus Qi and Spiritual Qi.
It was astonishing.
