“Your guest has arrived.”
Yousti prepared himself to meet whoever this perpetual was that wanted to meet him.
The plan was rather vague because none of them were able to anticipate what the perpetual would want to hear or see because it could be anyone.
‘Oh its him.’
Neoth stood in front of Yousti as the two finally met again after a decade.
“It’s been over ten years Neoth.”
Neoth was not wearing the golden armor like last time and was in a much more humble set of clothes.
Probably to avoid standing out too hard in the Sumeru Academy.
“Indeed it has. I can see much has changed.” Neoth observed Yousti’s new body and circular soul.
Yousti guided Neoth to a room where they could both sit down and talk.
It was high up, allowing for a view of the entire campus and the various martial artists training all throughout the academy.
“You know. I may be powerful and have a long lifespan but my vision doesn’t extend into the warp itself. I’m sure you have questions about martial arts so how about we exchange questions about whatever we’re curious about.”
“That sounds like a fair exchange. Then I will start. What do you think your martial arts is and what is your plan for humanity by teaching them these martial arts?”
Yousti leaned back on his chair.
“Martial arts can train humans to be resistant to the warp. Although I’ve never personally left this world, I’m aware that there are other civilizations out there among the stars all with their own unique properties. And that among them are races where all of them have psychic power. Although my goal is not to make all of humanity martial artists, I want to make it so that everyone has that possibility, so that all humans have the potential to become a martial artist.”
“Not everyone is suited to be a martial artist. And not everyone should be a martial artist.” Neoth coldly stated.
“Yeah, anyone can create art. But not everyone is an artist. And what I teach as ‘martial arts’ is a discipline far more broad than just conventional martial arts for combat. What you could also call it is the Heart Path. If you want to make it more distinct from the term martial arts when talking about it.”
Neoth listened closely to Yousti’s explanation.
Noting within his mind the name ‘heart path’ of the psychic path that he believes Yousti wants humanity to take.
“My question now. I met a perpetual that went mad and slaughtered many people. But before I did he told me that my soul was three things. It was full of something ancient, it took on the form of Taiji, and that it was round. So what do you think of my soul within the warp?”
“Your soul is spherical instead of humanoid, this is a sign of special warp power. And within it lies something that feels ancient and takes the form of taiji that feels immensely powerful and dense as well. The perpetual you met didn’t have the perception to properly differentiate between your soul and that thing within your soul.”
“Is that why you call me a perpetual?”
“One question at a time.” Yousti had asked two questions.
He shrugged and waited for Neoth to finish his turn.
“Are you able to enter the warp?” Neoth asked.
“Nope. Why did you call me a perpetual even though at the time I very much was aging and had a lifespan of a normal human?”
“I saw the future and in the far future you were still alive. I also believe that your power comes from the taiji within your soul. Perpetuals can vary drastically in their abilities so the taiji is nothing unusual. With it, you are immortal.”
Neoth mirrored Yousti and leaned back in his chair as well.
“Now tell me everything you know of the Heart Path.”
Yousti was getting used to the back and forth of quick questions, but this was going to be a long one.
So he stopped himself and began gathering his thoughts.
“Martial arts is divided into 14 realms…”
Yousti explained the first 7 realms and how he had yet to reach or even know of the later 7.
He explained internal energy and even the World Intent he always saw and how it was different than intent that flowed through the world.
“…But I’m not entirely sure on the relationship between the warp and martial arts because we may not be seeing into the warp but rather directly observing its intent through the whole world. And there’s so much more but they would only matter to you if you yourself practiced martial arts.”
Neoth had silently listened to Yousti yap about martial arts for a full hour and a half.
‘As expected of the origin of martial arts.’
Within the warp the future Emperor of mankind saw much more than just an ancient taiji within a spherical soul.
He saw the future of Yousti for thousands of years into the future.
Brief glimpses into what kind of terrifying being he would become.
The Origin of Martial Arts, The Heavenly Artillery General, The Martial Master, the Divine Silk Spirit, all kinds of titles within his future that he would hold.
But more than any of that he remembered the vision on that day of the new prophecy of a being called the Martial ████ ██████.
As the strongest human psyker he saw far more than most.
He distinctly remembered the last thing he saw before those two words were ripped away from the very concept of his soul.
It was a figure between an endless chaos and an infinite void, bathing in purity.
Endlessly performing martial arts for a time close to eternity.
Neoth didn’t know what to think of Yousti who wasn’t nearly as strong as him right now.
But he was all but certain that he was the figure within that vision of the warp.
But the warp had within it many prophecies of potential futures and many possibilities of new gods.
What really made this vision of a new god so unsettling was not just the immense passage of time he felt from it.
A time close to eternity.
But the fact that it was completely seperate from the 8 chaos gods of primordial annihlation.
That this true god of the warp was wholly seperate from the 4 and the future 8 that would bring ruin to the universe and was still just as powerful.
Eventually the questioning and discussion reached a conclusion.
“So what do you think of the relationship between the warp and martial arts?”
“It is a psychic discipline. But it is also unique to itself as a kind of sorcery. Different than the raw power of the warp.” Neoth responded.
Yousti was satisfied with that answer.
“Well I’ve asked everything I wanted to ask. Would you like a tour or will you be leaving now?”
Neoth stood up from the chair he was sitting on.
“I will be leaving now. I have much to do. But are you sure you do not wish to ask me of what I foresaw in your future?”
Yousti looked at Neoth with an confident smile.
“Neoth. Martial Arts is about the here and now. I refute the determinism brought about by your predictions. My heart will always belong to the present.”
Neoth looked at Yousti with a serious expression.
“You may have much to say on how the warp affects those among the Heart Path. But have you thought about how those of the heart path will affect the warp? Consider the possibilities.”
The emperor disappeared.
Probably teleporting through the warp to continue guiding humanity somewhere else.
But Yousti felt a little smug, he was sure that he would remember what he said.
‘I suppose we have a somewhat better relationship now.
I’d say the next time we meet it will be to fight the void dragon.
Assuming I’ve become strong enough to even be qualified for a fight like that.’
He contemplated Neoth’s last words.
‘How will martial artists affect the warp?’
He was worried now.
Because what he was planning would bring about the era of martial arts.
Where any of these complications would become all too real.