Sovereign
It was well known that beasts were always stronger than their human counterparts. It simply couldn't be helped. Even with the losses to strength they suffered due to their often exaggerated sizes, it simply wasn't enough to mitigate their overall advantages.
But, it had to be said that this was mostly the case for average humans. For those of astounding talent like Ryu, this was no more than a joke...
If, that is, one was speaking of regular beasts.
It was no issue for Ryu to deal with Common, Black or even Earth Grade beasts at his level. In fact, after unlocking the secret of his Chaotic Silk Meridians, even Heaven Grade beasts at his level could be treated lightly.
However, Sovereign Grade beasts were a different monster entirely. These were the creatures approaching the level of the deity beasts that once ruled the Shrine Plane. In fact, in this era, they were the strongest beasts one could come across.