The Martial Unity

Chapter 2731: Pretending

RUMBLE!!!

The world shook as the ephemeral divide between mind and soul melted.

Nathen discovered his Martial Soul.

Those who beheld the battle stood up, gaping as they witnessed the birth of a new Martial Sage.

It wasnʼt the breakthrough itself that was the most shocking, although it was plenty shocking in and of itself. What was truly shocking was the fact that everybody was certain that this breakthrough would not have happened if not for the Dawnbringer.

It was a well-known fact in the highest echelons of the Virodhabhasa Theocracy that the Anti-Life was far away from the Sage Realm. The Sages, with their powerful insights, could see that he had deep unresolved issues.

Thus, no one had expected him to break through to the Sage Realm this soon.

And yet, he did.

Their shocked gazes simply shifted towards Rui, who simply gazed at him with a composed expression. His opponent was turning into a Martial Sage, and he didnʼt seem to have even the slightest hint of fear.

He even waited patiently while Nathen completed his breakthrough.

Any reasonable Martial Master would have struck at that moment to win the battle.

And yet, he simply waited.

He watched as Nathen changed so much that he resembled a different person. His gaunt, chilling face and deathly, lifeless eyes shifted, causing a visible change in how he looked.

And soon enough, he opened his eyes, gazing at Rui with a calm and relaxed expression.

Any hostility he had was entirely gone.

He simply gazed at Rui in silence, watching him take his classic neutral stance. He watched as a fierce battle lust blazed in Ruiʼs eyes.

He watched as a thrilling grin emerged on Ruiʼs face.

He watched the Dawnbringer accept the circumstances with excitement.

The entire audience watched with shock as the Dawnbringer challenged a Martial Sage head-on.

”Tell me…” A faint remark escaped. ”Why did you not kill me when you had to chance?”

The air grew silent.

It grew profoundly silent as Nathen focused the entirety of his mind and awareness on the Dawnbringer.

Rui shrugged. ”Why would I?”

Nathen simply gazed at him. ”…I am a Martial Sage.”

Rui shook his head. ”Youʼre weak.”

A provocation that once would have inspired cold bloodlust from the man merely drew a small smile cracking at the edge of his mouth.

”I have one last question for you.”

Rui glared at him impatiently.

Nathen simply gazed at Rui with profound eyes. ”Why are you in denial?”

Rui frowned at the strange question. And yet, the air grew tense.

”You… you are the Antithesis, are you not?”

Nathenʼs tone grew intense.

His gaze sharpened.

The atmosphere boiled tumultuously as the infant Martial Sage confronted the Dawnbringer.

”You are Lord Virodhabhasa, are you not?”

His powerful eyes remained fixed on Rui.

”And yet, you dismiss the plain truth right before your eyes.”

Rui heaved an exasperated sigh. ”It is because of this stupid ideology that I have to go through this circus in the first place. If you guys had any sense or rationality, I would not have to do all of this. But because of this nonsense, I have to pretend to be the Antithesis.”

Nathenʼs expression hardened.

”Pretend…? You think that youʼre pretending?”

”Always was.” Rui shrugged.

Nathen heaved a sigh.

”I see.”

”Now then,” Rui smirked. ”Letʼs continue.”

His eyes flared with power while the tension and suspense in the air grew with each passing moment.

And yet, Nathenʼs eyes were devoid of fighting spirit.

His demeanor and body language were relaxed.

”Continue…?” A whisper escaped him. ”Did you forget what I said earlier?”

Rui frowned, furrowing his eyebrows while a smile cracked at the edge of Nathenʼs mouth.

”ʼI am not the Antithesis.ʼ” Nathen repeated his words. ”Do you recall the condition for resignation you proposed yourself?”

Ruiʼs eyes widened as he understood what he meant.

”Stop. Donʼt you dar—”

”I am not the Antithesis.” Nathen calmly cut him off. ”I forfeit this battle.”

”Oh, come on!” Rui protested.

And just like that, an atmosphere boiling tumultuously with tension and peril deflated, leaving Rui deeply disappointed. Rui groaned and grumbled, cursing the infant Martial Sage while the latter simply ignored his childish protests.

And thus, the battle came to an anticlimactic end.

”And the winner is Prince Rui Quarrier Silas Kandria,” the Martial Pontifexʼs voice left nothing to doubt.

Rui was deeply displeased by this outcome. As far he was concerned, if he was going to go through this chore of a battle, he would much rather have fun doing it, but now even the fun part had been ruined.

The fact that the Anti-Life had broken through to the Sage Realm only delighted him with the promise of a thrilling battle.

He didnʼt think he would lose.

He actually thought it would be quite an exciting battle. He had fought Sages before, and this one had absolutely no experience in the Sage Realm. On top of that, his condition was pathetically damaged.

And yet, he had been deprived of the chance.

Meanwhile, the audience remembered to breathe.

To say they were shocked at what they had just witnessed was an understatement. They had watched what were undoubtedly the signs of his Martial Path breaking before the man broke through when he should have been far away from breaking through. It was an extraordinarily shocking thing to witness.

It didnʼt help that there were records of another peak Martial Master breaking through to the Sage Realm when fighting against Rui. The Sages, in particular, were frozen.

Many of them had been supporters of the Mindbreaker and the Worldfolder.

And now, they felt ashamed for ever having supported those two frauds. Not only did they fail to do anything to the Dawnbringer, they died inconsequentially against the Anti-Life, who then failed to win against the Dawnbringer and was on the back foot for the entire battle.

The fact that the Anti-Life declared himself not to be the Antithesis after he gained Enlightenment of Self destroyed any chance that he was wrong. That left a lot of Sages unanchored as to whom they should have placed their trust in. -