The Martial Unity

Rui most certainly recalled the Martial Heart manipulation technique that the Gatekeeper had deployed in their battle. The man had exquisite control over his Martial Heart, which allowed him to use it in extremely flexible and efficient manners. Rui hadn't even considered the technique because he assumed that it was extremely difficult, making it utterly non-viable for standard Martial Artists.

However, according to the Gatekeeper, it was something that powerful because of his mastery of the technique rather than the technique itself. It also meant that the technique difficulty was lower, making it viable for Rui to have it serve as a method of bodily Adaptive Evolution for those who joined the Water Sect in hopes of mastering it to a greater degree.

Of course, that also meant that the technique was not going to be as impressive as Rui remembered it in their duel, but he was fine with that. He didn't need to provide his sect members with grade-ten techniques when it came to giving them the basics of Adaptive Evolution.

On top of that, above the Apprentice Realm, stuffing them with too many pre-existing techniques was not good. Martial Squires were supposed to be creating techniques that would allow them to squeeze out the hidden potential of their Body and eventually awaken the Martial Heart.

Individuality was needed, for individuality was the only way to ensure that their techniques were perfectly compatible with and synergetic with them. Thus, Rui had no intention of spoiling them with a large number of techniques in each domain. It would be better if he simply gave them a technique in each broader field and had it serve as their entry point into the field that they could explore and progress in. "Thank you for your aid." Rui smiled at the man. "I did expect that your knowledge and expertise would be useful, but I didn't think that you would have the perfect solution."

The elderly Master shook his head.

"I am deeply ingratiated to you."

He gazed at Rui. "Without your grace, I would still be in a coma. I most certainly would not have broken through to the Master Realm. In comparison to that, this is merely a tiny sliver of the debt that I must pay back to you. Now, then, let me impart the technique to you. It will take some time before I have transcribed the principles and the training regime."

He explained the technique thoroughly to Rui as he began writing it down in a small procured booklet.

The Gatekeeper nodded. "Forsooth, that is the secret of the technique. It manipulates blood vessels to allocate blood flow. The more blood a particular region of the body receives, the better it is able to function. The breath that we imbue in blood contains the necessary ingredients for the fire of life to be stoked and deliver even greater power. Parts of the body deprived of blood will be temporarily weakened in turn. Thus it effectively functions as the reallocation of resources as per your will."

Rui grew fascinated by the technique principle. It was completely different from what he had expected. "That means that I was mistaken in my evaluation that this technique only applied to the Martial Heart. It applies to the Martial Body in general."

"Correct, it is not an uncommon misunderstanding of the technique, however. After all, the technique visually appears to be manipulating the Martial Heart. Thus, it is a misunderstanding that even Sages have harbored. However, as I have explained, the technique is not nearly as extravagant as one would think. What matters most is how well one masters it and how well one applies it."

Rui nodded. "That only makes the technique more valuable if you ask me. Are there any catches or risks that I should be made aware of before I spread the technique?"

"…If misapplied, there is a minute possibility of a heart attack or blood vessel rupture. But aside from that, I cannot think of anything else. It is a relatively benign technique that grows more powerful the better it is applied," Sir Armstrong continued as he documented the training method. "After all, the mechanism by which the blood vessel manipulation occurs is through altering internal pressure. You apply pressure on some parts of the circulatory system while lowering pressure on other parts of the circulatory system, thereby changing the flow of blood."

"…Fascinating."

As the Gatekeeper continued explaining the technique to Rui, Rui couldn't help but gain even greater excitement at spreading the technique as the basis of an entirely new field of bodily Adaptive Evolution.

With this technique and perhaps one or two other foundational techniques at the basis of the physical Adaptive Evolution in the Water Sect, he could create an incredible new endeavor that would improve the way that Martial Artists applied their physicalities in combat.

With this, he didn't need to be worried about a high failure rate or flawed physical evolution. Although this method would lead to less powerful physical evolution than his Metabody System, it was worth it as it reduced the barrier of entry and was highly flexible and general. In other words, there were plenty of directions to build upon with their own individuality from there, whereas the Metabody System was less forgiving and less flexible, offering them much less room for individuality.

It was perfect for his needs.

"I am done," the Gatekeeper remarked after some time. "It is not detailed, but that is hardly an impediment for the likes of you."

Rui grinned as he accepted the little booklet with care. "Thank you. I'll be sure to put it to good use."

Rui bade him goodbye and good luck before heading out. He immediately secluded himself back in his isolated chamber in the manifold as he fell into thought about the foundational techniques to be offered to future recruits of the Water Sect. Thanks to the Gatekeeper, he had made great progress with establishing a flexible and general foundation in physical evolution that could be used as the basis for all progress in the field in the future.

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