MIGHT AS WELL BE OP-Chapter 961: Martial Rhythm
Hearing Kingsley’s words, a smile appeared on Anthony’s lips, slow and knowing, as though he had already anticipated that exact response long before it was spoken. He had expected the answer, after all, he knew Kingsley sort of saw him as a brother because they were both anomalies, two existences that stood outside the common sense of the world and walked paths others could neither comprehend nor follow.
Although Kingsley was older, Anthony wasn’t going to be the younger brother in anything, not in strength, not in presence, not even in mentality, he was going to be the older brother regardless of age, besides he was stronger than Kingsley, and in their world, strength often decided such trivial hierarchies.
"Since that’s your answer, then let’s get to work," Anthony stated, his smile still ever-present, calm and effortless, as though what was about to happen was something mundane rather than extraordinary.
The moment Anthony said those words, the eyes and ears of everyone sharpened immediately, the surrounding chatter dying out almost instantly as anticipation spread like wildfire. Although Lucian and Aura Nova had spent their own battle talking before Lucian ended it by bisecting Aura Nova without warning, this time, they all intended to listen carefully, unwilling to miss even a single syllable, even Klaus and Amara, who normally maintained an air of detached superiority, focused their attention without the slightest distraction.
This was Anthony after all, and aside from Klaus and Amara, he was unarguably the strongest person here, a fact none dared to dispute even internally. Whatever he thought Kingsley could learn might help them walk further on their own paths in life and cultivation, perhaps granting insight they themselves had overlooked. Besides, they were intrigued on a deeper level, Kingsley had lived his whole life without using a single form or type of energy, something that defied the natural order of this universe, so what exactly would Anthony, who could use all forms of energy with absurd mastery, teach someone like Kingsley.
They seemed to be opposite poles that by all logic should repel one another, yet paradoxically, they were about to attract at this very moment.
Anthony raised his right hand, and suddenly, a colorless glow encased his palm, faint yet unmistakable, like transparent light that warped the air around it. Although it had no color or shape that could be properly defined, everyone could still see it clearly and, more importantly, sense it, their instincts screaming that what they were witnessing was something fundamentally different from ordinary power.
Anthony’s lips parted as he began to speak, "This is called the Martial Rhythm," his voice came out low and steady as he spoke, calm yet carrying an inexplicable weight, "just like how Sword Intent is related to the sword and Spear Intent is related to the spear, the Martial Rhythm is related to the martial arts," Anthony stated, then raised his left hand.
On his left hand, another energy appeared, sharper and more familiar in nature, dense and oppressive. "This is the Martial Intent, but as you know, you can’t use it because of your special constitution," he paused for a moment as though making sure Kingsley was following everything he was saying, his eyes carefully observing even the slightest reaction.
Kingsley listened with rapt attention without daring to break eye contact, his golden eyes shifting between the Martial Intent and the Martial Rhythm as though comparing two completely different worlds. But at the same time, he felt confused, a faint crease forming between his brows, he couldn’t use any form of energy, so why was Anthony showing him the Martial Rhythm as if it were something attainable.
"The Martial Rhythm is a lost form, or rather, something unattainable by all," Anthony continued, his tone turning slightly more serious, "simply because to use the Martial Rhythm, you would have to purge all energy and never tap into any form or type of it. This is the reason you or anyone else doesn’t know about it. Simply because everyone is in tune with mana, aura, or something similar, and also, nobody within this level of the Galaxy or even the next has it or knows about it, hence its obscurity and mysterious nature," Anthony paused, his eyes shifting to Kingsley as though urging him to ask any question he might have, silently encouraging curiosity.
Kingsley, getting the signal, spoke, "Since you already know about my special constitution, it means the Martial Rhythm isn’t an energy, what is it?" he asked, his voice steady but laced with genuine curiosity.
Anthony nodded at the question as though expecting it, but he had been planning to talk about it whether Kingsley asked or not, "although I would love to go deep into it, I can’t since I don’t want to complicate things unnecessarily. But you can think of the Martial Rhythm as a flow, or a law, kind of like your Concept of Destruction," he explained calmly, choosing his words carefully.
Kingsley nodded his head, digesting the explanation, then his lips parted again as he spoke, "If the Martial Rhythm isn’t known because one needs to reject all forms of energy to use it," he paused briefly before continuing, "then why can you use it?" he asked.
Anthony smiled as he heard Kingsley’s words, then replied without hesitation, "Because I am Null Anthony," his tone flat and matter-of-fact, as though he had merely stated an obvious truth rather than something absurdly unreasonable.
Kingsley shook his head helplessly, a faint exhale leaving his lips, he didn’t know what he had expected from Anthony, but he had to admit it, only Anthony could give an answer like that with such confidence and make it somehow sound logical.
Anthony himself had only come in contact with the Martial Rhythm because of his Primordial Bloodline and Beginning Of All Things Physique, both of which constantly provided him with fragments of ancient knowledge and instinctive understanding about countless forgotten paths. Martial Rhythm was simply one of those hidden inheritances, an ability that had surfaced naturally within him as though it had always belonged there.
Anthony smirked faintly, then continued, "Normally, someone like you would awaken the Martial Rhythm naturally in the future within a few years, but right now and here, I can help you awaken it," his tone casual, as though he were offering something trivial.
"How?" Kingsley asked as he always did, straightforward and direct, his eyes flashing with fierce determination, after all, who wouldn’t love a power-up, and judging by what Anthony had said about the Martial Rhythm, he understood that his strength would climb to a whole new level after this, or rather after he mastered it or gained even a small degree of control over it.
At the same time, he knew Anthony wasn’t going in-depth into the Martial Rhythm and was merely scraping the surface of something much larger, but Kingsley didn’t care. Awaken it now, ask questions later, that was his method for now, simple and efficient.
"The answer is simple, I will attack you with Martial Rhythm, flood your body with it until your body forcefully awakens it," Anthony stated as the Martial Intent in his left hand changed into Martial Rhythm, both hands now radiating that strange, colorless presence, "this method wouldn’t work with others even if you tried it, but you are special, Kingsley, so I’m sure it will. The only answer that remains is whether you are willing to endure pain for it," Anthony stated in finality, his gaze sharp.
Kingsley immediately shifted into a martial stance without hesitation, his feet grounding themselves firmly against the earth, his breathing steady and controlled. Pain was nothing to him, meaningless and fleeting, he could heal back to his peak no matter the injury. Pain and injury were merely small prices to pay for power, and if suffering was the toll required to walk further down his path, then he would accept it without complaint.
