Many Martial Masters had deigned to spectate the first three rounds of the Martial Contest. Most that did only did so because they had patroned a Martial Squire. Very few Martial Masters were genuinely interested in the Squire-level contest. If they did choose to spectate the Martial Contest, it would be the Senior-level contest. It was usually a lot more interesting to them, given that it was only one Realm below them.
Yet those who did choose the Senior-level conflict would later regret the choice once their fellow peers informed them of what happened.
Every Martial Master heard a heartbeat.
There was plenty of noise, the attacks from the contestants, the crowds going wild. Yet none of them missed it.
Master Deivon widened his eyes with an expression of shock as he watched Rui.
('This…') He could hardly believe what he was seeing. ('…The Heart omen, he has arrived at the precipice of the Senior Realm? At the age of twenty-four?!')
Contrary to what many believed, the fulfillment of the Martial Body condition was not a sign that one was ready to enter the Senior Realm.
No.
The Martial Body condition was the absolute bare minimum. Most grade-ten Martial Squires had fulfilled the Martial Body condition, yet most grade-ten Martial Squires never became Martial Seniors. Only a minority did.
There had been Martial Squires who had fulfilled the Martial Body condition decades ago and had still not advanced. It was not a sign of anything, much to the dismay of Martial Squires.
There was a more distinct sign that one was truly at the precipice of the Senior Realm. It was one that Martial Masters did not reveal to Martial Artists of the Senior Realm.
Even as Master Deivon beheld Rui, he could sense that Rui was different from normal. He didn't know why, but he could clearly see it.
Mind and body had overlapped, coordinating in a symphony of melody and rhythm.
A symphony that only Martial Masters were qualified to hear.
BADUMP
At that moment, it rang in their ears. It could not be impeded by mere noise, it almost rang on a different plane of reality, one only they could sense.
The many Martial Masters in the audience frowned as their eyes shifted away from that of their peers and towards the source. It didn't matter even if their heritors were on the losing foot.
It was a rare opportunity to behold something that was hard to come by.
BADUMP
Master Gremingar, whose duty was to carefully oversee the entire battle, couldn't help but divert his attention away from others as a hint of confusion flashed across his trained face.
Master Uma opened her eyes for the first time from her meditation in her VIP seat. Her eyes slowly turned towards Rui as she stared at him expressionlessly.
An amazed smile slowly emerged on Master Carian's face as he paid even more attention to a Martial Squire who had already earned his interest.
BADUMP!
Unbeknownst to everyone else, their eyes were fixed on Rui with rapt attention as they beheld the inception of a battle that may very well allow them to witness a spectacle that was too rare to be missed. This content © Nôv/elDr(a)m/a.Org.
Rui, however, didn't know.
Even if he did, he would never care.
After what seemed like an eternity, it was time.
The true battle had begun.
WHOOSH!
Rui sharply avoided an attack from the Abyssfeeder. A black spike had emerged from Abyssfeeder, lashing out towards Rui out of seemingly nowhere.
Yet it appeared that it wasn't done.
WHOOSH WHOOSH WHOOSH!
Rui somersaulted away as he evaded the black spikes. He did not want to let them pierce his flesh, he was rather wary of any potential venomous attacks. If the creature could adapt its entire body on a fundamental level to handle any environment, then poison was a very realistic possibility.
('I can't take any damage, it's too dangerous to fight at close range.')
He had already begun adapting. He quickly concluded that hand-to-hand combat was futile, if only because it did not have hands, and fought by generating spikes from its body, at least for now. But that made it harder to predict while making it easier for him to get hit at that range. The only way to dodge a barrage of spikes was to move back, there was no space in between spikes.
He also couldn't attack it with strikes very easily, if his fist ran into a spike, it would not end well, he had already decided to avoid the spikes, making close-range attacks impossible. Grappling was absolutely out of the question, he would die if he tried that.
('In that case, it's better to open up the distance entirely.') Rui's expression sharpened.
THWOOM THWOOM THWOOM!
He fired away three powerful Mighty Roar Flash Blasts at the creature.
BAM BAM BAM!
"Tsk," Rui narrowed his eyes as they were less effective even when he considered the fact that they were much weaker than the tier five Transverse Resonance that he had launched earlier.
It lashed forward like almost nothing happened. It began changing form, going from being flat to returning to a blob-like shape. Rui narrowed his eyes as it began taking a concave or hemispherical shape.
('The inner hemispherical surface matches the shape of the sound attack, this increases the area of contact, reducing the pressure.') His expression grew more grave. ('Furthermore, by increasing its surface area, it has a higher chance of getting a good grasp of my body in close quarters.')
It rapidly shifted across the ground, relying on a wheel-like mechanism to seamlessly chase after him.
Rui immediately began sky-walking as he continuously observed the creature's changes and shifts. He was starting to get a good idea of how the creature functioned effectively. The fundamental metabolic processes that the body underwent were still a large mystery to him, but the principles that guided the change were becoming more transparent to him.
Immediately the Abyssfeeder took to the air, and Rui studied it more intently.
('Air absorption and expulsion thrust.') He quickly concluded.
It sucked in air and launched it downwards extremely powerfully, using Newton's third law to propel itself towards him.
Not even taking to the skies could shake its determination to consume him!