The Martial Unity

Rui understood what Headmaster Aronian was trying to say.

Most Martial Artists trained their bodies to their conventional limits, achieving the desired weight and muscle-mass-to-body-mass ratio before focusing on developing active techniques.

Active techniques were techniques that required the mind for cognition, usually to achieve necessary activation, commencement, coordination, timing, accuracy, or precision. Techniques like Outer Convergence, Flux Earther, Fire Breathing, and Reverberating Lance were such techniques.

Passive techniques were those that did not require the mind for anything. These were techniques that would be in effect even if the user was knocked unconscious. Most passive techniques were training techniques, often conditioning techniques that would permanently alter the body.

The greatest disadvantage of such techniques was that they required a long time to materialize the same level of power that active techniques did. Rui had mastered Outer Convergence in half a year originally. However, if he wanted to train his muscles to naturally and innately output the same attacks as they did with Outer Convergence, then he would probably need to train them in extreme training and conditioning techniques for at least a few years.

This disadvantage made many Martial Artists unwilling to pursue them too much. It simply took too long.

However, what if there was a Martial Artist who did pursue them?

What if there was a Martial Artist who pursued them for a long time?

What if there was a Martial Artist who pursued them for more than five hundred years?

"I can't imagine how strong he is."

Rui's words expressed concern.

Yet neither his quivering voice, the smile cracking at the edge of his mouth, nor the twinkle in his eyes could hide his excitement and amazement.

"It isn't just that he has overcome the disadvantages, my child," Master Vericita chided him. "He has fully manifested the advantages to their absolute maximum."

Rui narrowed.

There were three main advantages of passive and training techniques.

The first was that they didn't burden the mind during combat. Because they didn't require cognition mid-combat, they didn't require any attention; thus, they didn't slow down reaction time or reflexes.

The second was that there wasn't a strict limit to the number that could be in effect simultaneously. With active techniques, because each one of them required a certain amount of cognition, there was always a limit to the number of active techniques that could be used at any time because there was only so much cognition the mind had to distribute. The same was not true for training and passive techniques; one could benefit from the power given by a hundred, potentially a thousand, passive and training techniques at once.

The third was that their power being permanent meant there were few openings to be exploited. Mistakes weren't as costly as they were with active techniques because the power was, in a sense, permanently switched on.

"The Gatekeeper has weathered the passage of time to achieve these advantages, having overcome the price to pay: the enormous time it takes to cultivate these techniques," Master Zentra remarked with a tone of respect. "He has dedicated himself to the elevation and mastery of his body and, in doing so, has come up with many Martial schools of thought on the evolution of the Martial Body that have gone on to become their own fields of Martial Art, including my own Martial Path, physiological control. He is the progenitor of many such fields."

Master Zentra turned to Rui. "You are the first Martial Senior to have been inducted into the Martial fiscal committee, but you are not the first to be invited. While no individual contribution the Gatekeeper has made is equal to your revolutionary Hungry Pain technique, the sheer sum of all the contributions he has made may exceed it."

Master Ceeran heaved a sigh. "Many of the elder Martial Masters and regard him with deep respect. He was at the forefront of the Kandrian Empire during the Kandrian Empire's days of conquest more than three hundred years ago. They refuse to address him by the honorific of 'Senior,' instead using 'Sir' to convey their respects for a man they deem as an equal despite his lower Realm."

Rui heaved a deep breath, considering everything he had heard.

It was a lot to process.

He hadn't expected that the person Raijun would manage to get his hands on would be someone this distinguished and impressive. He did look forward to fighting the strongest Martial Seniors of the nation, but this was far beyond just that.

"I hope you understand now, Your Highness," Master Zentra calmly remarked.

His tone contained a sense of finality.

"I'm sure the legal team can find some loophole in the contract to terminate it."

Master Ceeran nodded. "If I remember correctly, inadequate health should technically be a valid reason and justification."

"I'm sure you can find another way to bring that contract from the Martial Prince's grasp, my child," Master Vericita smiled, consoling him as she patted his head.

Headmaster Aronian nodded sagely. "Knowing when to retreat is the marker of a great king."

"I will not be retreating for this."

Rui's steely voice firmly cut through the air.

His determined eyes met each and every single one of theirs. "I will fight."

The air grew tumultuous.

A smirk emerged on his face. "Physicality Evolution…I wonder if my Adaptive Evolution is powerful enough to overcome it. Aren't you excited to find out?"

Tension tingled in the air.

"Your Highness," Master Zentra narrowed his eyes. "You will lose."

"You're selling me short, isn't that right, Ceeran?" Rui turned to the Master.

Yet the man was unable to muster up a pro-Rui statement, wincing silently.

Rui shook his head. "…I don't blame any of you, but my choice won't change."

"…Rui," Headmaster Aronian hesitated.

He got up, walking away. "Send me all the information you have gathered on the Gatekeeper."

Even as he returned to his meditation chamber to calm down, he was unable to contain jitters of excitement. Any considerations for the contract and the final high-ranking government official he needed were already gone.

A single desire had captured his heart.

He just wanted to fight this man.