All three options had their allure.
He had yearned for the capabilities of the abyssfeeder the second he learned about them. Their ability to adapt themselves to basically everything was truly impressive and extremely relevant to him.
Of course, he was aware that he would never be able to fully replicate the abilities of the abyssfeeder, but that was fine. Anything he could get was something he would welcome greatly.
The second option was also a pretty good idea, but it was a little bit more controversial. He didn't know if it was a good idea entirely to shape the development of his Martial Art over the next few years around a single person. Of course, there was the point that he was generally improving techniques that would be useful in many other circumstances.
He just needed to make sure that he didn't get too one-track-minded in the development of his Martial Art.
The third option of mental techniques was something that he had in mind for quite some time, and he was finally at a stage where he could afford to focus on it. He didn't want to miss this chance to get some powerful mental techniques in the bag.
The next question was that even if he wanted to go for any or all these paths, where would he get the foundation and resources needed to develop powerful techniques in any of the three chosen paths?
Unlike normal techniques, these techniques were not techniques that he could delve into without any foundation or experience. Even when he developed other techniques, they were usually predicated on principles or elements of techniques that he had mastered or based on principles of physics and human anatomy.
Mental techniques firmly fell outside the foundation of knowledge that Rui had. Thus he most certainly needed a source of foundational information and a knowledge base.
'I'll probably have to rely on the Beggar's Sect to get what I need.' He was already relying on them to get the intelligence on Chairman Deacon. In comparison, asking for help with avenues of Martial Art training was a lot less dangerous.
Time passed as Rui swiftly crossed the continent, heading back to the east. He crossed mountain ranges, valleys, inland oceans, and other topographies for nearly two weeks before he finally reached the Saiful Region, overlooking it from atop a large mountain.
"Super flat," Rui murmured as he gazed at it.
It was an incredibly flat plateau spanning thousands of kilometers in diameter. He knew that the Derimont Bazaar was somewhere in the center of the region, but at this distance, not even his enhanced vision was able to spot it, not without the Martial Heart anyway.
Dim lights glowed across the Saiful region in the darkness of dusk.
He had heard that the Derimont Bazaar was the most active at night, thus he decisively chose to begin his search as soon as possible.
He swiftly leaped off the mountain cliff side, plummeting straight towards the Saiful Region headfirst. However, he was sure that he would be able to get away when he was spotted because these nations, like the Kaddar nations, did not possess too many Martial Seniors. He ultimately decided it wasn't worth it, becoming a vigilante the moment he entered the Saiful Region was not worth it.
He did not want to give the Beggar's Sect the impression that he was a force of the chaotic evil faction.
That was why he actually went out of his way to enter through the official port of entry, something he didn't really need to do with his skills. Crossing a border was far too easy for him.
Thankfully, the process was not too lengthy. He concealed the fact that he was a Martial Artist with Mind Mask, and had simply registered under his newest alias 'John'. He did not want to use the name Falken since it too had become compromised. Master Uma would undoubtedly be searching for any traces of records that bore that name.
In that regard, he was glad that the Floating Sect was informationally isolated from the rest of the world. That would certainly make his life easier than if it wasn't.
"Welcome to the Republic of Ferendul."
Rui stepped into the nation with a rather surprised expression on his face once he entered the nation, before glancing back.
'How eerily quiet.' The port of entry was dead silent. It seemed that basically no one was entering or leaving the nation.
It was ominous.
Yet not nearly as disturbing as the things he saw once he actually entered the nation.
The commercial area that greeted the port of entry was silent, which was universally uncommon for commercial areas. Grocery stores, small shops, stalls, and carts were shabby and half-empty. There was basically nothing to sell, and what was left was so bad that it was better off not being purchased.
The few people that he saw manning these shops didn't even react as he walked past their humble establishments.
They didn't so much as twitch.
Their eyes were dark and hollow, devoid of light. Their bodies were skinny with bones visibly sticking out under the meagre amounts of flesh that clung to them. They were poster children for malnutrition.
Measly scraps of clothes did a poor job of covering their bodies and providing them warmth from the cold winds that stung them.
The infrastructure was probably the worst that Rui had ever seen in any country he had ever traveled to. There wasn't a single fully intact building. Holes peppered the walls and the roofs. Many buildings weren't even in a single piece.
What particularly tightened his heart was the state of the children. He had always had a soft spot for children given that he grew up with them in the orphanage, seeing them in their malnourished state was definitely not something that he could spectate passively.
It was in moments like these that Rui was truly grateful for the privilege of being born in a sound powerful nation like the Kandrian Empire. There could have been many places that would have led him to lead a much darker and harsher life. Although he wasn't particularly brought up in the best financial condition, he couldn't complain sine he was given three square meals, shelter, and a family that showered him with love.
