The Martial Unity

"And, rest assured, the quasi-Sage level version of the Eye of Prophecy was also too difficult for any of the Masters at the time, let alone any of the younger Martial Artists," Emperor Rael's tone grew darker. "As I mentioned, it could not be used without paying the price and the price they paid."

He stared deep into Rui's eyes. "The price they paid to use a technique they were unworthy of using was their lifespan."

Rui's eyes widened with shock. "What?!"

"They modified the technique, adding forbidden principles that could supply them with the power they needed to wield the Eye of Prophecy in exchange for their lifespan," the Emperor explained in a heavy tone. "Lifespan is precious, and when sacrificed can conjure up miracles. That's why those principles are forbidden. That is why it is considered a forbidden technique. The Panamic Martial Federation frowns upon the creation and propagation of forbidden techniques, techniques that cause irreversible harm to their user, yet the Silas Clan was determined to use the Eye of Prophecy even if it came at the cost of their lifespan. They believed the power was worth it, and thus began a century-old tradition in the Silas Clan."

Rui listened to the Emperor's tale with rapt attention.

"And they were right," The Emperor remarked. "It was worth it. When the world learned that the Silas Clan had harnessed the power of prophecy, naturally, they wanted it. The Silas Clan was targeted and hunted by the powers of the world that sought to get their hands on the power of prophecy."

"…Why didn't they seek refuge in the Transcendent Prophet if they were his descendants?" Rui raised an eyebrow.

"They probably tried." The Emperor sighed. "But Martial Transcendents are…detached from human civilization. Not even I have been able to understand what it is that drives them away to distance themselves from humanity when they break through to the Transcendent Realm. Regardless, it can be readily inferred that this option was not available. Otherwise, they would have lived happily ever after in the Virodhabhasa Theocracy."

That was a sensible deduction.

The Emperor heaved a sigh. "Prey to the predatory greed of human civilization, the Silas Clan abandoned their roots and became a permanently nomadic clan that wandered through the peripheries and gaps in human civilization and the Beast Domain to this day. The world searches for the Silas Clan even to this day, yet none have found them yet."

His eyes narrowed. "None except me. I searched for the Silas Clan for many years, studying every ounce of data and creating models of behavioral patterns until I managed to predict their future course based on a crucial piece clue that the Kandrian Intelligence Agency. I personally undertook the operation, traveling across Panama in disguise to intercept them along with a single Martial Sage, and succeeded. I won the race to the Silas Clan."

An affectionate smile appeared on his face. "…And that was how I met your mother."

Rui's eyes widened as the Emperor's demeanor changed.

His eyes grew loving as they glazed over, recounting the memories of a woman who no longer was.

"…Your mother was a being of hope." The Emperor remarked lightly, lost in his memories. "She gave me hope when I had nearly lost all of it."

"You see," The Emperor remarked as his attention returned to Rui. "The reason I sought the Silas Clan wasn't just because prophecy was an extremely useful and revolutionary power for any ruler to have, although that was also true and a good bonus. But the true reason I sought the Silas Clan…was because they had the power to help me find the key to healing my curse."

Rui's eyes widened with shock.

The Emperor's eyes darkened. "I had already been alerted to the Eternal Dream disease that lay dormant in my body a few years prior to my meeting with the Silas Clan. There was no known cure in the medical community. No treatment could slow it down. Nothing could get rid of it. I drove myself mad, looking for a solution, almost unraveling into despair until a possibility finally appeared."

Rui's attention intensified.

The air grew heavy.

"The Divine Doctor." The Emperor remarked. "The single greatest known healer in all of human history. A genius that is said to be a gift to humanity from the God of Medicine herself. Born many centuries before even the Age of Martial Art, this doctor was said to be transcendent in his ability to heal and cure. The Divine Doctor is said to have even cured death itself, transcending morality and becoming an immortal sage who wanders throughout Gaia to this day."

Rui grew amazed, enraptured by the Emperor's tale. "…He doesn't even sound human."

"He can hardly be considered to be a human," The Emperor replied. "He isn't the only one. Throughout history, there have been those born with transcendent minds and godly mentalities, not unlike yourself."

Rui narrowed his eyes.

He eyes Rui carefully with a pointed look. "The Scrier…an extraordinary archaeologist who sought to uncover the mysteries of the Empty Ages before known and recorded human history. The Beggar Sage, the founder and current leader of the Beggar's Sect, is said to possess an unfathomable comprehension of information and epistemology. And, of course, the Divine Doctor, the godly healer, said to be able to cure anything."

The Emperor narrowed his eyes. " I believed that he might have the power to heal my condition. However, finding him was even more difficult. It proved untenable with my power alone. I needed something that could help me find the Divine Doctor."

Rui's eyes widened as realization dawned on him. "That was why you sought the Silas Clan. That was why you sought the power of prophecy. You hoped that with Silas Clan's Eye of Prophecy, they would be able to help you find the Divine Doctor to help cure your condition before it manifested."

"A keen inference," The Emperor nodded, smiling. "An accurate one, too. Yet, the prospect of finding a secret nomadic clan to then somehow gain their most treasured technique to, in turn, somehow help me find the Divine Doctor was…a dubious plan, to say the least. By the time I had succeeded in intercepting the Silas Clan myself with a Martial Sage, I had lost all hope and, as I said before, that…"

He smiled once more with clear eyes full of hope. "…was how I met your mother. She gave me hope. The hope for life. The longer I spent with her, the more hopeful I grew. And long I spent with her, indeed. It wasn't long before she gave me more than just hope."

A soft smile appeared on Rui's face.

"As a Martial Apprentice, she had already gained the power of prophecy."

Rui's eyes widened, surprised. "She was a Martial Apprentice?!"

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