CHAPTER 2373: UNABLE AND UNWILLING

Now, however, they were two of the youngest Martial Masters in history with dazzling achievements to their names while she was still a relatively unimportant Senior.

She was highly driven and talented, too. Yet, the gulf between herself and Kane had only grown larger.

They lived free lives while she was shackled by the burdens of responsibilities of her Martial Family.

It would be rather incredible if she didn't feel negative about it.

Ultimately, she was only human.

"Fae..." Rui continued as his eyes grew sorrowful. "I'm sorry, but I'm unable to give you what you ask for."

She simply stared at him. "...Unable or unwilling?"

He looked back at her.

"I... am not trying to emotionally blackmail you. I won't hold it against you if you refuse me. I just want to know the truth." Her voice was reduced to a faint whisper.

"...Both," Rui admitted. "I know, looking in from the outside, it must seem like I just walked in and accelerated Raijun's Martial progress just like that. You probably harbor hopes that I will be able to do the same for a Senior now that I have broken through to the Master Realm." The expression on her face showed that he was exactly right.Exclusive content © by Nô(v)el/Dr/ama.Org.

"Unfortunately, it doesn't work like that. I can't just accelerate people's progress," Rui explained patiently. "With Prince Raijun, I was refining his individuality that had been left unrefined due to an absolute lack of real experience. In other words, he has already done all the work, I just helped make it mean something. In your case, you are not some princess with no field experience. You... are simply not ready yet."

He could clearly sense that her nascent Martial Mind had not reached anywhere near saturation.

She was far from becoming a Martial Master.

There was a reason that it took decades and even a century to hit the Master Realm.

It was deeply difficult to form it and was highly atypical to the paths that one took to get there.

"...I see." Her expression fell. "Hearing the truth makes me more ashamed of myself."

Rui shook his head. "Don't be. I understand doing everything in your power to grow stronger. I'm sorry that I can't help you accelerate your Martial progress directly."

"...You said you wouldn't."

"I wouldn't," Rui confirmed without a hint of shame. "If I were to somehow fulfill your individuality requirements for you, it would cripple you forever."

She frowned. "...Cripple me?"

Rui nodded. "There are some things that must be done by ourselves, no matter how easy it might be to let someone else do it. The very process of imbuing individuality in your Martial Art increases your ability to do so better. You get better and better at doing it. You learn more about yourself. Yet, what if someone else does it for you? Then, none of that happens, and you're unable to move forward due to the progressively higher demands for individuality." She understood the meaning of his words. "Breaking out of cocoons gives butterflies the wings they need to fly."

"Just so." Rui nodded. "Even if I could accelerate your progress for you, I wouldn't because it would be no different from crippling you; you would not be able to handle the increasingly greater demands for individuality to make the same progress as you did before."

Her expression grew sullen as she heaved a deep sigh. "...I understand. I should have never thought about a shortcut in the first place."

"I don't think you were necessarily wrong to consider it. You just need to know what line not to cross so as to not cause major consequences for yourself," Rui comforted her. "Besides, I may not be able to help you directly, but I can help you become more successful in your Martial progress thanks to one of my more recent projects."

She raised an eyebrow as a rueful smile appeared on her face. "My, you always have some sort of trump card up your sleeves, don't you? It reminds me of the time that you gave us the Hungry Pain technique."

Rui recollected that with a wry smile.

He had given them that technique so that he would have proof that the technique worked when he did give it to the Martial Union later on.

"I'll have my staff send it to you." Rui smiled. "It was originally something that I had created for my Water Sect, but I'm willing to share it with you as long as you promise not to share it with anybody else."

"I promise. I'm not ungrateful enough to screw over one of my greatest benefactors." "Good to know." Rui nodded. "What I'm offering is a solution to Martial Seniors who are having a hard time creating their Martial Minds. One that, I believe, will increase their prospects of breaking through to the Master Realm significantly."

It was something that he had cooked up for training thought in his sect in the long run, which was why he believed that Fae could really achieve something with it.

"I'd love to teach it to you myself, but unfortunately, I'll be returning to the Shionel Confederation today," Rui continued with a smile. "You will have to figure it all out yourself, but as long as you succeed, you will be able to massively accelerate your growth rate." "...Thank you." Her tone grew grateful. "I wasn't sure if you could help me. But I appreciate that you are able and willing to help me gain more power on my own."

Rui smiled. "Don't worry about it. When you're ready, I'll break you through to the Master Realm as well."

Rui was glad she had come to him for help. They had known each other since the age of twelve, and he didn't want to refuse her when she needed his help the most. He could only hope that she would be able to use it to accelerate her progress as a Senior and eventually

Master.