The Martial Unity

To say that they were shocked was an understatement.

They were beyond bewildered at what he had just accomplished. Not even Queen Lianiala, who was the least shaken, could have expected such a dominant performance against the very finest of Martial Masters of her Solaris Kingdom.

She had even predicted the possibility that he would lose his battle, at which point she would need to resort to other means. Yet, not only did he win, he did so in a domineering and overwhelming fashion that she didn’t think was possible. She had figured that even if he did win, it would be a narrow and pyrrhic victory.

By winning the way he did, he completely stunned all of them silent, leaving them unable to even process what they had just seen.

And yet, with each passing second, they understood not only the sheer magnitude of what they had witnessed but also the immense potential that they had come across. If they could get their hands on even a portion of the techniques and principles that he had demonstrated in the battle, then there was no telling how far their Masters would rise.

And yet, while Queen Lianiala was enthusiastic about this opportunity, the leader of the opposition, Sage Dawlish, gritted his teeth as he was torn between his ideology and, well, everything else.

One on hand, he knew in his heart that the sol was the superior race. They were descendants of the Sun God Solaris and had the blood of a god running through their veins.

On the other hand, an outsider, one with black hair and black eyes at that, had just demolished their proud Masters in none other than a contest of light-bending. He had exhibited a mastery over light that, if Sage Dawlish was being entirely honest, exceeded even his own in many ways.

Light-bending was the most important power in the Solaris Kingdom. It was the power of godhood, and the sol were naturally gifted for it due to their heritage and the blood of the Sun God Solaris running through veins.

In other words, he, who had the strongest light-bending, had the highest say. It was why Queen Lianiala was queen; her light-bending was the greatest.

And thus, no matter how much he squirmed or thrashed, he could no longer impede Rui as much. With his magical mastery of light, he had gained tremendous political power, so much so that he couldn’t be impeded.

The man closed his eyes, breathing a deep breath of resignation.

It didn’t matter what he did at this point.

Word of what had happened would spread, and everybody would learn of the incredible light-bending power that the Void Prince possessed. His hair and eyes no longer mattered, as countless Martial Artists would do anything to get their hands on greater light-bending power.

He had gained the credibility he needed to impart his services as he had originally come to do. “This is a good thing, Dawlish,” Queen Lianiala rose, glancing at him. “If you think light-bending is the most important power of the Solaris Kingdom, then this is a very good thing.”

She left him in the spectator stands, descending towards Rui in a single smooth step.

“Prince Rui of the Kandrian Empire,” she began, “you have won the Royal Solaris Contest. And thus, as promised to the winner. You are entitled to a drop of the Blood of Solaris.”

She drew a small vial from her inner robes.

One that contained a single drop of a blood-red liquid before handing it over to him.

“Thanks…” Rui muttered as he accepted the vial, studying the liquid. “So this is the Blood of Solaris, hm? Interesting.”

It didn’t look particularly remarkable.

“It is to be administered like a potion,” she explained. “Be sure to consume it privately. For now, let us speak privately about important matters.”

Rui shrugged. “Sure.”

He already had a pretty good understanding of what she wanted from him. “We would like for you to impart your high principles of light with us,” she informed him straightforwardly later in her private office. “Your light-bending mastery far exceeded anything I had ever imagined. I truly could not have expected that you would dominate our peak Master as easily as you did in our field specialty. You were correct when you informed me that your power was unfathomable.”

Rui smiled. “You flatter me. As for your request, I am not inclined to make unnecessary contributions to make a nation that has treated me less than well.”

She directed a knowing gaze at him.

She knew he didn’t give a damn about how the nation treated him. It was just a good excuse to demand something in return.

“Then, we will be indebted to you,” she remarked. “If you aid us in this matter, then we will be willing to go to war for you or impart any other favor you may have of us.”

Rui smirked. “That’s more like it.”

It was worth it to get something in return. He wasn’t nearly as selfless as a lot of the legends and tales surrounding him had begun to portray him, especially for a nation that treated him very poorly.

“I want it in writing and sworn in the name of Solaris,” Rui specified. “I don’t trust verbal promises alone.”

“Very well. Is there anything else?”

“Nope, that’s enough.”

“Then, we have an agreement.”

“Indeed, we do.”

It wasn’t too long before they signed a formal document detailing the agreement, bringing their discussion to a close.

“I’ll commence my services in a short timeframe,” Rui remarked. “I have some personal matters to attend to.”

He eagerly departed from the meeting heading, heading back to his designated training chamber while accompanied by the Golden Guardian.

“What are you planning to do now?” Amare asked with a hint of curiosity.

“What else?” Rui grinned as he gazed at the vial of blood that he had received from the queen. “Time to reap my rewards.”

Soon enough, it was time to do just that. –