The Martial Unity

Rui would be lying if he said that he wasn’t deeply attracted by the notion of having his blood evolved by the bloodwhirler species. It became evident that the Blood Cult had indeed made contact with the Divine Doctor a long time ago, which would explain how they came to have gotten their hands on such a specimen that his Enlightenment of the Tree of Life recognized to be an artificial species created with multiple evolutionary branches in the plant kingdom.

He was amazed to know that the Divine Doctor had managed to create artificial species for the specific purpose of evolving blood, so much so that the Blood Cult made use of them even centuries later.

‘When I get back home, I will need to ensure that we are putting him to good use.’

Biotechnology was a powerful weapon that this world didn’t use very much. Rui recalled how the Divine Doctor survived the depth of the Beast Domain for many years with his own knowledge and skill. It was especially the case when he traversed zones that even Seniors would find extremely dangerous.

He realized that the Kandrian Empire could be making much better use of him. Regardless, he focused on the present.

“…I am interested.” Rui shifted his gaze back to Blood Lord Vrukshus. The man smiled knowingly. “I suspected as much, given your history of indulging in the national treasures of nations. And what Martial Artist would not want to have their Body’s blood evolved to an even higher level? But unfortunately, I cannot give it to you for free.”

Rui raised an eyebrow. “You had mentioned a favor…”

“Correct,” the Martial Sage remarked. “If you fulfill that favor, then I will let you consume this resource and grow even stronger than you are at the moment.”

“…Obviously, it depends on what the favor is,” Rui remarked with a suspicious tone. “If it’s something that I’m able and willing to do, then you have yourself a deal.”

Blood Lord Vrukshus’s smile grew mysterious as he gazed at Rui with a hint of greed. “Come, let me take you to meet the Blood Goddess.”

The man gestured to follow him as continued going down deeper into the treasury of the Blood Cult.

Rui raised an eyebrow. “Blood Goddess?”

Amare’s eyes lit up as she recognized the name. “I remember her. She’s a Martial Master of the Blood Cult. Something like it’s princess.”

Rui frowned. “Princess? Of the Blood Cult?”

The Blood Lord burst into laughter. “I can understand why you have come to develop that idea, but, I suppose it’s not entirely wrong. You see, she’s more than a princess. She is, as her title suggests, our goddess.”

Rui frowned even deeper.

The Blood Goddess was an odd name to give to a Martial Master of the Blood Cult when the Blood God was a Martial Transcendent. The gap between the two was so enormous that it was frankly insulting to the Martial Transcendent to have the title of a Martial Master be Blood Goddess.

The Blood Lord seemed to understand what was going through his mind. “Her title was given to her by the Blood God himself.”

Rui’s eyes widened.

“…And it is very justified, you see.” The Blood Lord smiled. “Her blood is the key to elevating the blood of the entirety of human civilization. Not to godhood, not by herself, but still more progress than the entirety of the Blood Cult. You see, she’s the highest-ranking member of the Blood Cult, even higher than me, due to her sheer contributions to our ultimate goal. She had done far more for it than even I have.”

 Rui grew increasingly confused the more the Blood Lord rattled on about the Blood Goddess. They went deeper and deeper into the treasury, and they finally happened upon a giant gate at the very end.

CLACK

The gate opened to reveal a spherical laboratory that revolved around a giant cylindrical column of glass filled to the brim with a transparent liquid.

At its center was an unconscious woman suspended in the liquid with a breathing apparatus attached to her face and multiple tubes and needles sticking into her bronze skin and her bare body.

Her blood-red hair swayed slowly, suspended weightless in the liquid.

It was clear that the entire laboratory revolved around her. The gathered researchers and scholars monitored her condition with a hawk’s eye and great care. Just their body language alone told Rui that they harbored reverence for her while he could blatantly sense their deep regard for her with his mind sense.

“Behold…” his voice grew profoundly heavy. “The Blood Goddess.”

At this point, both Rui and Amare were very confused.

“Tell me…” the Blood Lord began with a shaky breath. “Are you aware of why Martial Bodies cannot reproduce with normal humans unless they opt out of evolving key parts of reproductive organs?”

Rui raised an eyebrow. “…Because their DNA and chromosomal make-up diverges from that of the human being. They essentially become their own unique evolved primate species, similar to the relatives in our genus.”

“That is a perfect explanation,” the Blood Lord nodded appreciatively. “Martial Bodies are unable to pass on their evolved blood to their offspring because they are simply genetically incompatible with the human species. The probability of maintaining reproductive compatibility with the human species is astronomically infinitesimal, less than one in a trillion. But…”

He turned towards Rui with intense eyes. “…but it’s not impossible.”

Rui felt chills as he understood where this was going.

His eyes widened with shock as he beheld the suspended Blood Goddess.

“We have been blessed with that infinitesimal possibility.”

His voice was triumphant.

“We have been blessed with a Martial Body with the power to pass on its extraordinary blood to its offspring.”

His eyes were greedy.

“We have been blessed with a woman who can bear evolved children.”

The air trembled with tingling tension.

“We have been blessed with the Blood Goddess.” His grin widened. “She who can spread her godly blood to all of humanity! Behold the first Martial Body with confirmed reproductive compatibility with the human species!”

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