True Solution of the Sword Dao

"Not long, huh, one... two... three... four... only over ninety years," the fairy counted on her fingers. "I wonder how the Forest of the Sky is now? I really miss it. A life with fruit to eat every day is the happiest~~~" Realizing that she was about to drool, the fairy quickly wiped the corner of her mouth and glanced at the man beside her, relieved when she saw he hadn’t noticed.

Jingjing gazed down at the city below, seemingly lost in memories as well. The image of a tall figure clad in a white cloak emerged from the depths of his distant memories.

He spread his hand open, in his palm lay a strand of golden thread that once shone brightly but now had dimmed slightly.

*********************

Capital City

Inside a two-story little inn on the outskirts of the city.

Lu Xiuya lay on the bed, eating from a boxed meal in small bites.

The curtains were drawn open, allowing the bright sunlight to quietly spill into the room, warming the entire space.

"Lu Xiuya, no matter how much you deny it, I did save your life, didn’t I?" Lin Fei said leisurely, sitting opposite the bed with her legs crossed.

"Do you intend to use that favor as leverage?" Lu Xiuya asked indifferently. "You know my current state too well, it’s far from recovering. I doubt I’ll be of any help to you."

"I need some information about the Inner World, as well as some specifics on B-class warriors, you know what I want," Lin Fei said. Although she had reached B-class, she grew cautious following news on the Mage’s Eye about heretics and Holy See warriors being warned by the Temple of the Gods for initiating combat over the Pacific Ocean. If the Temple could detect that, then their surveillance may well be unimaginably vast.

Lu Xiuya looked at her in surprise. "True, without entering this circle, specific details are hard to come by. Most are communicated and shared among top-level warriors." She could sense the formidable power contained in the person before her; although she did not know the extent of it, she was certain it was beyond her current capabilities to handle. Right now, she could barely manage to get the upper hand against a C-class novice little loli.

"These aren’t any precious secrets; there’s no harm in telling you," she paused, organizing her thoughts.

"First, regarding the decree issued by the Temple of the Gods, there’s actually only one: B-class and above warriors cannot cause large-scale conflicts in the apparent world. Any disturbances that affect the established order will be punished by the Temple of the Gods."

"What if the influence is not widespread?" Lin Fei asked.

"Then there are no constraints. The Temple’s doctrine is to maintain stability in the apparent world. Although there might be biases, that’s essentially the main idea," Xiuya paused, "It means, what they care about isn’t whether B-class warriors fight or not, but the extent to which the fight impacts and damages the apparent world’s natural order. If the impact is significant, even C-class warriors will receive punishment. It’s just that B-class warriors, once they fight with full strength, inevitably cause such massive uproar that this rule exists."

"What is the punishment?"

"Death! But a warning is given first, and if it’s not heeded, the warrior will be hunted down," Lu Xiuya said calmly, "That’s not something you’d want to face."

By now, she was convinced that Lin Fei was a newly-promoted B-class warrior, so it was normal for her not to know this.

"Regarding B-class warriors, in Hua Nation, they’re considered top-level combat power, and in other countries, they are high-end as well. Above us are just some heads of states and clan leaders of great families. Here, I must mention the most important aspect of B-class warriors," her expression grew serious.

Lin Fei, too, became solemn.

"Reaching B-class, our rate of progress nearly comes to a halt. Or rather, it completely stops. There’s no further advancement. Some might use other methods to increase their combat power, but the rank itself will not change. No matter the understanding, no matter the strengthening of influence, there will be no alteration."

"Due to the extreme difficulty in advancing from B-class, there are a good number of warriors who remain at this level, of course that’s not considering the Inner World. Hence, among B-class, there are subtle differences and categorizations. These are only circulated within our circles, you’ll know in time."

Lin Fei nodded slightly, sensing that a critical point was coming.

Lu Xiuya picked up the glass of water from the bedside table and took a small sip, continuing, "If D-class represents the divide between mortals and the extraordinary, then B-class marks the divide of the same nature. We have large-scale offensive abilities. Any B-class warrior has unique methods for extensive area attacks. Thus, in the apparent world, we’re also seen as a deterrent strength in the power balance between nations and ethnic groups. We’re considered a comparative resource representing strength. If a country loses its B-class warriors, it faces plunder, oppression, or even invasion from other countries."

"Just like the Eight-Nation Alliance back then?" Lin Fei asked.

"Certainly. Back then, internal strife; after the Qing Dynasty massacre, regardless of Manchu or Han, the number of top-level warriors on both sides dwindled inexorably. Later, those in power, in their quest for absolute authority, orchestrated the death of the last recuperating Manchu B-class warrior. Eventually, power was centralized, entirely in the hands of the government. But the result was foreign invaders pillaging our nation’s wealth and resources. Reminiscing of the days when our Hua Xia’s Flying Swallow Clan dominated Asia, Flying Swallow Yan Shi’s might covered half the Inner World, what glory, what dominion! Alas..." Lu Xiuya appeared somewhat agitated.