Ryu's thoughts drifted as he tried to find the right path forward. There were too many things to do, and he quickly began to realize why he had always chosen to do things a different way in the past. Taking the path of least resistance and progressing as fast as possible was far easier than what he was trying to do now, and it showed.
However, since he had already made a decision, he would stick to it. In fact, it was almost a shame that he had only noticed this matter so late. This was clearly a product of Ryu never truly having any guidance on the path of cultivation and likewise always being obsessed with revenge and fast improvement.