An Enormous Gap

Sarriel coldly matched Ryu's gaze. 

There was no doubt that asking about someone else's cultivation technique was rude and could be considered a taboo within the martial world. Ryu was aware of this, and, obviously, so was Sarriel. However, neither of them would get anywhere without compromises. 

In truth, Ryu wanted to see the cultivation technique itself, but there was no way that Sarriel would allow that, so he could be considered to have taken a step back, albeit a small one. At the same time, considering what was at stake, Sarriel was forced to think about it. 

While she was willing to waste another thousand years for nothing other than her pride, she also wasn't stupid. The ask wasn't large. The only problem was that Ryu had also said that this would be the beginning. What other things would he ask of her after she agreed to this? And, most importantly, she hated seeing that smug look on his face.