The Martial Unity

Many Martial Masters had deigned to spectate the first three rounds of the Martial Contest. Most that did only did so because they had patroned a Martial Squire. Very few Martial Masters were genuinely interested in the Squire-level contest. If they did choose to spectate the Martial Contest, it would be the Senior-level contest. It was usually a lot more interesting to them, given that it was only one Realm below them.

Yet those who did choose the Senior-level conflict would later regret the choice once their fellow peers informed them of what happened.

Every Martial Master heard a heartbeat.

There was plenty of noise, the attacks from the contestants, the crowds going wild. Yet none of them missed it.

Master Deivon widened his eyes with an expression of shock as he watched Rui.

('This…') He could hardly believe what he was seeing. ('…The Heart omen, he has arrived at the precipice of the Senior Realm? At the age of twenty-four?!')

Contrary to what many believed, the fulfillment of the Martial Body condition was not a sign that one was ready to enter the Senior Realm.

No.

The Martial Body condition was the absolute bare minimum. Most grade-ten Martial Squires had fulfilled the Martial Body condition, yet most grade-ten Martial Squires never became Martial Seniors. Only a minority did.

There had been Martial Squires who had fulfilled the Martial Body condition decades ago and had still not advanced. It was not a sign of anything, much to the dismay of Martial Squires.

There was a more distinct sign that one was truly at the precipice of the Senior Realm. It was one that Martial Masters did not reveal to Martial Artists of the Senior Realm.

Even as Master Deivon beheld Rui, he could sense that Rui was different from normal. He didn't know why, but he could clearly see it.

Mind and body had overlapped, coordinating in a symphony of melody and rhythm.

only Martial Masters

BADUMP

in their ears. It could not be impeded by mere noise, it almost rang

eyes shifted away from that of their peers and towards the source.

behold something that was

BADUMP

but divert his attention away from others as a hint of

Uma opened her eyes for the first time from her meditation in her VIP seat. Her eyes slowly turned towards Rui as she

paid even more attention

BADUMP!

of a battle that may very well allow them to witness a spectacle

Rui, however, didn't know.

he did, he would

seemed like an eternity, it

true battle

WHOOSH!

spike had emerged from

it appeared that it

WHOOSH WHOOSH WHOOSH!

He did not want to let them pierce his flesh, he was rather wary of any potential venomous attacks. If the creature could adapt its entire body on a fundamental level to handle any environment, then poison

can't take any damage, it's too dangerous to

have hands, and fought by generating spikes from its body, at least for now. But that made it harder to predict while making it easier for him to get hit at that range. The only way to dodge a barrage of spikes was to move back, there was no space in between

had already decided to avoid the spikes, making close-range attacks impossible. Grappling was absolutely out of the question, he would die if he tried