The Martial Unity

Chapter 2364: Soulful Observations

Had Rui foreseen this particular outcome unfolding ahead of time, he wouldnʼt have done it in the first place.

Yet he didnʼt.

His expression grew grave even as wonder and awe sparkled in his eyes as he beheld a live breakthrough to the Sage Realm. The manʼs presence grew extraordinarily heavy as his mental activity ceased to register in Ruiʼs Martial Mind.

Time slowed down to a crawl in his eyes as his deep curiosity for all matters related to Martial Art overtook his sense of self-preservation.

Rui studied the breakthrough carefully in multiple activities.

He studied the manʼs body with his senses, but he also studied him through his systems of thought.

The VOID algorithm didnʼt read any difference.

Neither did the Tree of Life.

Yet, that alone told him much.

The antithetical adaptively evolved environment for the species his Martial Body was hadnʼt changed.

From that, Rui could deduce that the breakthrough to the Sage Realm neither impeded his evaluation of lifeforms on the Tree of Life nor did it fundamentally alter the Body on a genetic or phenotypical level.

Of course, that was something that he had suspected from the very get-go, given the... philosophical nature of the breakthrough to the Sage Realm appeared to be. Still, it was good to get confirmation of what happened and didnʼt happen during the breakthrough to the Sage Realm.

The fact that the VOID algorithm didnʼt detect any changes revealed some interesting insights into how far the breakthrough to the Sage Realm changed the mind of a person.

It told him that Martial Sages most likely didnʼt shed the muscle memory or patterns that were essentially a manifestation of who they were. He didnʼt know if the concept of the subconscious mind even existed separately from the conscious mind for Martial Sages, but it certainly meant that Martial Sages retained and even employed everything that the subconscious minds used to do.

What he was most interested in was the SOUL System.

Yet, unlike the other two systems of thought, the SOUL System was not particularly useful here as Rui couldnʼt sense their mind through his Martial Mind.

This was not new, as he had long discovered that he couldnʼt sense the minds of Sages when he broke through to the Master Realm.

RUMBLE...

The newly ascended Martial Sage opened his eyes.

Rui felt a tremendous amount of pressure pushing down on him as the powerful gaze of the Martial Sage threatened to crush him where he stood.

Yet, much to Ruiʼs surprise, aside from the surplus of power that threatened to erupt from the root of his being, the man seemed the same as he was shortly before the breaking through. His subconscious body language and demeanor seemed almost entirely unaltered.

Yet, Rui could feel profound self-enlightenment lingering deep in the depths of his eyes upon which the rest of his existence as a being.

A deep sense of self-understanding was entrenched in the root of his gaze.

One thing about Martial Sages that confused him was that they never acted any different from other Martial Artists. In other words, Rui was unable to detect any commonality in their behavioral traits that could point to the so-called Martial Soul.

Yet, now that he had a proper before and after of the Convergence, he could feel that the man truly had remained exactly the same yet was completely different.

He wasnʼt able to make sense of his own intuitions.

”You didnʼt even try to run away.” The Sageʼs voice was calm.

Rui shrugged. ”There was no point in running away.”

The Martial Sage smiled at Rui. ”I suppose thatʼs true.”

The two stared at each other for a moment.

”You have my gratitude.” The Sageʼs voice was sincere. ”I must admit, I had almost lost all hope of reaching the Sage Realm. But thanks to you, I have finally achieved enlightenment of self.”

Rui shook his head. ”I didnʼt break you through. Please donʼt go around insisting that I did. Not even my status as Martial Master will be able to keep me safe from that kind of storm.”

”You may not have broken me through, but youʼre the one who created circumstances that allowed me to break through to the Sage Realm,” Sage Stephen remarked. ”As for your fear... Iʼm afraid it wonʼt matter what I tell people because youʼll be too dead for the consequences to matter. Your prestige will skyrocket.”

The Martial Sage plainly confirmed that he intended to kill Rui.

Yet, that wasnʼt what struck Rui the most.

”Prestige...?” Ruiʼs eyes narrowed. ”You still care about that crap?”

The Martial Sage Smiled. ”I do... and I donʼt.”

Rui frowned. ”What?”

”Martial Sages are not devoid of desires,” he continued. ”Our emotions. Our desires. Our thought. They are part of us. They are part of who we are. They are a culmination of our lives and our relationship with the infinite universe. I now understand where they come. I now understand exactly who I am in the grand equation of reality. I understand my role in the flow of causality. And I shall fulfill my role. Which is why prestige...”

His eyes softened. ”It matters not. Yet, it means the world to me.”

Rui stared at him with a dubious expression.

He didnʼt understand.

Yet, he wasnʼt surprised.

His grandmother had long told him that the Sage Realm was an ephemeral qualia. An experience beyond what words could convey.

How would one convey to a blind man what the experience of the color red was?

It was impossible.

Sage Stephen found it similarly impossible to tell Rui his state of mind either.

”I just threatened your life, and youʼre still more interested in the details of the Sage Realm,” the Martial Sage chuckled. ”I suppose thatʼs just who you are. I would truly love to spare you. However, Iʼm honor-bound to my home nation to eliminate you. Forgive me for repaying your deeds with death. I shall make it as painless as possible.”