The Martial Unity

Shortly after he got the rest he needed to mentally rejuvenate his Martial Mind, he began stocking up for his departure from Gen Temple, stocking on food pills, potions, and other consumable products.

Soon enough, it was time to go.

The Gen Temple had been a truly eye-opening visit, and, of all the Sage-level powerhouses that he had visited, it was the first that he was truly sorry to have left. He had learned much.

He had learned that even with all the power that he had accumulated, there were still people within his Realm who were not only strong enough to fight him but even potentially defeat him. That was a relieving discovery.

It meant that there was still plenty of room for growth by exposure to powerful opponents who could help him grow stronger. Additionally, he has gained exposure to different Martial philosophies that were extremely different from the conventional philosophy that the Panamic Martial Federation propagated around the world. It enriched his perspective and understanding of what was possible. Even if it didn’t directly aid him in his Martial Path by empowering his Adaptive Evolution in some way, it still helped him because he needed to understand it if he wanted to be able to Adaptive Evolve.

That alone was worth the trip.

Soon enough, he had completed all his preparations, and it was time to resume his journey across human civilization.

“Once again,” Bodhisattva Maitreyi began. “Thank you for everything you have done for the Gen Temple. We will be forever indebted to you.”

“I appreciate your gratitude,” Rui nodded friendlily. “Thank you for the hospitality. And…”

He swept his gaze around, his eyes anxiously searching for a person.

For her. And yet, at the gates of the Gen Temple were only three individuals aside from him, three Bodhisattvas of the Gen Temple.

There was nobody else.

He turned towards Bodhisattva Maitreyi with a pointed gaze, who merely shrugged with an amused smile. “Disappointed, Dawnbringer?”

He stiffened. “Not at all, why would I be? Anyway, goodbye.”

He departed from the Gen Temple alone after exchanging final biddings with the Abbot.

His expression fell as his eyes darkened with a hint of dismay.

And yet, he needed to continue his journey through human civilization.

People awaited him.

Nations awaited him.

The rest of human civilization awaited him. It was unpleasant, and yet, he bit back the tingling emotions as he set out, climbing down the enormous mountain of Jinrae and descending the steps carved alongside the mountain at a rapid pace.

And yet, even as he descended down the mountain, he couldn’t help but recall the time he had spent with her. A day of manual labor was not exactly what most people would reminisce about.

And yet, Rui found himself absorbed in it.

He recalled how she absorbed she was in every movement she made. She was entirely focused and immersed in every action she took.

She ingrained all of it in the depths of her memory.

They became her power.

Life was her power.

The very essence of what it meant to live life was her path to power.

The joy, warmth, and ecstasy she derived from the simplest of tasks. They became the foundation of her Martial Art.

It was the most beautiful thing Rui had ever seen in his entire life. It stirred his heart.

It stirred desires.

He wanted to preserve her happiness forever.

He wanted to protect the warmth within her forever.

He wanted to cherish her light forever.

“Tsk,” he tutted. “Focus. I am above such immature infatuations.”

He, in fact, was not.

The more he tried to focus on what nations to visit en route to the next Sage-level powerhouse, the more his mind returned to her ephemeral beauty and her perfect imperfections. The more he tried not to think about her, the more he found his thoughts weaving back to the splendor that he saw within her.

Part of it was that the effort of not thinking about her naturally led to him thinking about her. Part of it was the freshness of the disappointment that he would not be accompanied by the one person with whom he shared a profound bond. The one person who could understand the existential crisis that ate away at him within him. The one person he could understand and the one person who could understand him. Words couldn’t describe how horrifying it was to have absolute uncertainty of what manner of an abomination he was. Even though some people knew people like Kane, they could never understand.

They could never understand the dread and horror he had felt when the Divine Doctor had told him the truth.

How could they? There was a limit to human imagination.

That was also why he didn’t tell anyone, not even his father.

They just wouldn’t get it. It was only when he came across someone who truly did understand what he felt that he realized how long he had yearned for someone just like her his entire life and certainly after he had become a Master.

Every time he closed his eyes, he could see her warm and bright figure as she turned towards him. He could even hear her calling for him. “Don’t tell me I’m hallucinating her,” he cursed. “Rui…!”

He froze as he heard again.

It was then it struck him. It was not a hallucination.

He turned around with lit eyes.

And there she was.

There she was in the Sun.

Her smile lit up the world as her radiant eyes filled with life were fixed on none other than Rui himself.

She descended slowly before him, panting lightly as she wiped the sweat off of her forehead. “…I almost missed you!”

Rui laughed at how quickly she came down to earth, literally and figuratively.

She gazed at him with nervous anxiety, wearing her emotions on her sleeve, mustering the courage to issue her request to him. And yet, he beat her to it. “Amare.” His voice grew profoundly gentle while his gaze softened. “Would you like to join me on my journey and voyage across human civilization?”

Her eyes lit up with warm ecstasy as a bright smile emerged on her face.

“I would love to!”

And thus, the two of them set out on a voyage that would change their lives forever

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