The Martial Unity

Rui heaved a sigh of relief at her words. He hadn't expected to be so close to witnessing a battle between Martial Sages upon his meeting with Silas Clan.

Partly because the Silas Clan was not supposed to have any Martial Sages, according to Sage Sayfeel. Matriarch Nephi was only supposed to be a high-grade Martial Master according to Sage Sayfeel in his last meeting with her.

However, more than thirty years had passed since then. It appeared that Matriarch Nephi had managed to break through to the Sage Realm in the decades since their last meeting.

It threw Rui off his game a bit.

It meant that the consequences of failure could potentially be a lot more dire than he had partially established, forming a much more powerful constraint on his projections as to what degree he could tolerate a break in communications.

If their relationship grew hostile, then he was as good as dead. He highly doubted Sage Sayfeel could fight a Martial Sage while also protecting him from hoards of Martial Artists. Matriarch Nephi was strong enough to keep him preoccupied even if she had little chance of victory.

Of course, it would take incredible incompetence on Rui's part to allow their relationship to degenerate to that degree. He had no intention of allowing that to happen. However, the revelation of Matriarch Nephi becoming a Martial Sage meant that compelling them was not as easy as before.

Still, their first interaction after their meeting gave him hope that he would be able to secure their help for what he sought to achieve.

He followed them deep into the dense and enormous forest, and they arrived at a small river flowing through the forest. On the banks of the river was a humble settlement with more than a thousand people.

They each wore garb and attire similarly fashioned out of animal pelts. The settlement was littered with small tents fashioned with branches, twigs, and leaves. Several Martial Artists stood guard at the edge of the settlements, highly alert and cognizant of their surroundings.

The arrival of the Silas Martial Artists welcomed a sigh of relief from the many clan members of the Silas Clan. Each Martial Artist was priceless to the Silas Clan, and the loss of even a single one of them was a terrible price to pay.

Yet they grew wary and cautious of the two outsiders that followed suit, following their Martial Artists.

children of the Silas Clan gathered, staring at the two outsiders

at the children, talking to them in their ethnic dialect. "There is no cause to be

placed a hand on Rui's back. "My

the Silas Clan as they beheld Rui with renewed curiosity

see us," she declared. "And see him

to offer, and what he seeks. The clan council shall

of murmurs spread through the

understand a word

you have to say, young Rui," her elderly voice assured him. "And the clan will judge you. If we approve, you

furrowed his eyebrows.

may come to gain the technique of the Eye of Prophecy. You may bear our blood, but blood alone is not enough to bear our name. Should you fail to gain our approval, you will never be able

Rui furrowed his eyebrows.

faster than he had expected. He had completely lost control over the flow of conversation. His primary purpose here was to gain information

if he said he wasn't interested in

them. It wasn't long before something akin to a shed was constructed, featuring many rock stools that accommodated many important members of the Silas Clan, such as their

forefront

"Sit." She instructed him.

Sayfeel stood behind him impassively,

then, young Rui," she remarked.

head. "Tell

her aged voice. "Tell us why you seek the

deep breath. "…I require the power of the Eye of

to empower my