The Martial Unity

Thus, as long as Jormungandr could embed a command in all the quasi-Transcendents and other monsters to not target ships below a certain threshold of energy, then all warships would become obsolete.

Of course, this was also true for the Panamic warships, of which the Kandrian Empire had a substantial amount, but Rui had decided that this was a worthy trade-off.

Most of Panama’s vessels were designed for trade and transport.

After all, during the Era of Darkness, the ocean became their only refuge for trade. All ships, including most battleships, were rapidly refitted and converted to carry as much cargo as possible to transport and deliver across human civilization through the sea.

Thus, the Panama Continent would not lose much by not being able to field warships, while the true world would become neutered in its naval warfare.

Not to mention, with the protection of the beasts and monsters of the Great Nam Ocean, they truly did not need to have warships. The beasts and monsters of the depths of the ocean were the ultimate defense that could not be overcome.

It took a while for Rui to hash out all the details with the Jormungandr.

It was why he had come all the way to meet face-to-face with the great serpent.

The creature proved to be just as intelligent as he had expected it to be, capable of great reason and sophistication. An unsophisticated creature with as much power as Jormungandr had would likely have destroyed the world by haphazardly wielding its power.

Thankfully, the creature wasn’t just intelligent but also stunningly rational and reasonable.

It understood the importance of trade despite being a giant snake.

It understood the importance of the Panama Continent finding its place in the true world.

Thus, it was cooperative with him as he explained the details of the system that he had in mind.

By the time he was done, Rui was exhausted.

Not just because of the weight of the ocean.

But the mental pressure that the Transcendent Serpent exerted upon him was truly tiring.

It was a feeling that he had increasingly experienced less frequently.

Back when he was an Apprentice many decades ago, he used to feel mental pressure from many, many people. Squires, Seniors, and Masters could make him feel small.

The stronger he got, the less frequently he experienced the feeling.

At his current stage of power, only Transcendents could make him feel small.

By the time their pact was done, Rui was very eager to depart from the depths of the ocean.

And yet, he was stopped.

You are too weak within water for someone who aspires to become Water.

Rui froze where he stood as he heard Jormungandr’s powerful voice within the depths of his mind.

The eerie, sharp slits in its eyes bore deep into his.

He sensed its disapproval.

He sensed its disappointment.

Has it never occurred to you that harnessing the literal manifestation of the metaphor of your Martial Path is crucial to making progress along your Martial Path?

Rui’s expression grew complicated.

It had indeed struck him many times.

Perhaps an important condition of Project Water was actually learning how to adaptively evolve to aquatic conditions. And, by definition, that was true, since Project Water was very broad and all-encompassing.

Yet, despite claiming to be Water, you cannot even last long within its depths, the serpent whispered within the depths of his mind. Within its greatest depths, you are so weakened by the environmental conditions that your supreme power as a Martial Sage will likely not avail you if you were to be attacked by the beasts and monsters that I have instructed to leave you alone.

RUMBLE

The world shook as countless quasi-Transcendent beasts and monsters emerged all around him.

Ordinarily, quasi-Transcendent beasts and monsters were nothing but fodder for him.

But within the depths of the ocean, the pressures he sustained many thousands of kilometers underwater were so high that moving even an inch felt like trying to move a tectonic plate.

He could still fight, but the drag and water resistance would greatly weaken his attacks.

He wasn’t confident he would be able to emerge from within the depths of the ocean alive if all these beasts were to attack him.

You may be a powerful Martial Sage as well as the Emperor of the Beast Domain, but you are unworthy of Transcendence. You are unworthy of the grace that I extend to you and the hopes that the Transcendents have placed on you to deal with the Fear that plagues us. Do not return to my domain until you have mastered the power of water before you seek to master the power of Water.

A flicker of finality entered its eyes.

Begone.

Its double-pronged tongue emerged from within its mouth, flicking lightly before returning to its mouth.

But that motion alone generated more force than anything Rui had ever experienced in his life. Even the spontaneous invintium shield he created cracked under the astronomical pressures that Jormungandr created, launching him away.

BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMM!!!!!!

“Rgh!” Rui gritted his teeth as the powerful wave launched him out of the ocean at great speed.

BOOOOOOOOOOOMMM!

He emerged from within the surface of the water, flying across the skies at extraordinary speeds as his body uncontrollably surged into outer space.

“Damn…!” Rui cursed as he finally managed to bleed out his momentum.

The serpent wasn’t even trying to hurt him.

It exerted a distributed concussive force that was meant to launch him away rather than crush his body.

It was also able to control its power better than he had even imagined possible, despite its size. Perhaps it was not as helpless in its inability to prevent environmental damage as he might have expected.

What hurt more than his forceful exile was what it communicated to him.

Indeed, he was utterly powerless in water.

It was even embarrassing to consider this when he claimed that he wanted to be water and to master it. His environmental adaptive evolution was also a field in which he was highly deficient.

“…Another thing to add to my Project Water to-do list.”