True Solution of the Sword Dao

"Aren’t you already enlightened in the First Layer of the Thoughtless Sword Dao?" Ning Que’s voice suddenly appeared in the great hall. He slowly emerged by Lin Fei’s side.

Clad in white, with a longsword hanging at his waist, he was the very image of an ancient swordsman.

"Enlightened in the First Layer?" Lin Fei was startled. "What do you mean by that?"

Ning Que smiled and said, "The basic condition for embarking on the path of the Sword Sect is to understand the Thoughtless Sword Dao. To be ’thoughtless’ means achieving the state of instantaneously severing the past during battle; it is a realm that has nothing to do with the strength of one’s abilities. The other two realms are the same."

"So, the three great realms of the supreme Sword Canon aren’t necessarily related to achieving a certain level of strength?" Lin Fei asked.

"That’s one way to put it. The three great realms are merely states of mind, states that are said to possess limitless potential and the possibility of immense power. Warriors who possess these three realms might not currently be the strongest, but they will definitely become the strongest in the future! Such individuals are bound to grow at an incredibly rapid rate. There was once a warrior from the Royal Court of the Sword Canon who understood two realms. In just a few short years, he stepped into the realm of the Sword Sect and achieved the Supreme Sword Dao."

Lin Fei looked at the demon sword in his hand and furrowed his brow. The demonic power receded.

The demon sword quickly melted, fusing into his skin and disappearing from sight.

"By the way, I came over to remind you. Your golden Naga is critically injured; her true body badly damaged. She’s just returned, and everyone is shocked. Griffin and Loa have both sent restoratives," Ning Que lifted the wristwatch on his hand. It was Lin Fei’s council wristwatch. However, it had been given to Ning Que to help him manage some day-to-day affairs. This allowed Lin Fei to focus on his practice without distractions and to find a different path that blended demonic power with swordsmanship.

"Send over a bottle of Feather God Dew. It was just an extra from when I traded with Shaliye. Although its recovery strength is strong, it’s not of much use to me now," Lin Fei said casually. "What’s the situation now? With the Naga’s predicament, Griffin must respond, as he is currently the de facto leader of the golds."

"Titan has already responded. The group that severely injured the Naga council member is now inside the ruins of the Naga Temple in the Inner World’s India. Titan, on behalf of the golds, has requested that forces from the Dark Alliance move out to conduct a carpet search in that area. But even if this is done in revenge for the Naga, she won’t be able to recover her original strength. Three of her avatars were destroyed; the most critical thing is that her soul’s origin was damaged, her strength can never be recovered," Ning Que spoke with some emotion. "A top-level warrior has been destroyed just like that. Who knows what it was that could damage the Naga’s soul’s very essence and will."

"Is it confirmed that the Naga’s opponent was a low-level warrior?" Lin Fei showed interest.

"It’s confirmed. It was a native youth from the Inner World named Loa. He and a few of his companions pressed the Naga into this state. However, one of his companions also sacrificed their life in the process. The bond between these people is very deep. They trust each other to the extent that they would entrust their lives to one another."

"Ridiculous!" Lin Fei spoke coldly. "The human heart is unpredictable. To entrust one’s life, if not merely lip service, is to not know the price that must be paid for the slight sincerity from the other person. Such unequal payment has no meaning whatever! I have to see for myself what these so-called life-entrusting feelings are really like in the legends."

"Be careful, the other party has means to harm the soul," Ning Que reminded.

"No problem. I’m not a waste like the Naga," Lin Fei said indifferently. "Unlike her, I don’t regard my opponent as a low-level warrior. Often, luck too is a part of one’s strength. So even if they only possess low-level strength, I will still regard them as equals."

"That’s good," Ning Que nodded.

With a whoosh, both of them disappeared from the great hall at the same time.

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

Inner World

The border area between the Alliance of Cities and the Temple of the Gods.

It was covered by vast forests and hill basins, with a large number of complicated terrains nestled within, which also harbored all kinds of strange creatures and species, a veritable paradise for many adventurers.

However, amidst this area, there were also some dilapidated temple ruins.

These temples were mysterious and unpredictable; even in complete disrepair, they contained incredible might.

It’s said that this might was the residual power left by the divine beings native to the Inner World upon their fall. Even in death, they possessed an overwhelming force for ordinary warriors.

Many warriors who tried to enter the temples in search of treasures, from D level, C level, and even some B level, have all vanished without a trace, disappearing inside the temple as if evaporated from this world.

For thousands of years, countless warriors have entered the temples, and only a very few have come out having benefited. The rest never returned.

Within this vast territory, there was a place called Naga Canyon.

A grassy area at the mouth of the canyon.

Some black bugs were crawling through the grass. A few colorful butterflies occasionally fluttered by.

The afternoon sun shone on the meadow, reflecting a brilliant green.

Suddenly, the sound of a car engine could be heard from the distance.

The noise of the engine grew closer, and soon it reached the meadow.

A camouflage-colored vehicle, similar to a jeep, came to a steady stop on the grass.

The car doors banged open, and three people in camouflage attire emerged. Two men and a woman, all muscular and robust, with bulging utility belts wrapped around their waists. They all looked very capable.

"This is the place," the tallest man spoke in a deep voice, standing on the grass and looking into the canyon. It was all shrouded in misty white fog, obscuring any view.

"Even D-level strength can come out of the Naga Temple unscathed, so we should be able to do it, too!"

"I heard that of the four people who went in, three actually came out. Clearly, the dangers inside the Naga Temple are far less than those in other temples. This is our chance as treasure hunters! I bet it’s not just us; Volvo’s team is probably planning to go in as well," the sole woman said with a frown, a green stripe painted across the bridge of her nose, giving her a wild look.

"But how credible is the rumor that Loa came out of the temple with D-level strength?" another man asked quietly. "It would be troublesome if it were fake. Temples aren’t places where we C-levels should meddle. I think we better not go in."

"What are you afraid of? We’ve already lived for hundreds of years. If we don’t find a way to advance and extend our lifespan, we might as well wait to age and die when our time comes. Opportunities like this don’t come every day! Those who hesitate will ultimately gain nothing!" the tall man said coldly.

The other man bowed his head, and after a moment, he slowly nodded. "Alright, it’s death either way, but this is a rare chance to take a risk. If we get the Time True Water, we might live for another few hundred years."

"Then, let’s start planning now..." the woman nodded and her voice became hushed immediately.

The three of them discussed in hushed tones on the grass for a while before hurriedly getting into their vehicle and checking their equipment and supplies. The car slowly began to enter the canyon and soon disappeared into the dense fog.

Time passed slowly. The sunlight grew dimmer.

Two hours later, another camouflaged off-road vehicle arrived at the entrance of the canyon and stopped on the grass.

"We’re here; this is the entrance to the Naga Temple canyon where that lucky guy, Loa, entered. By now, quite a number of people have probably already gone in," someone said.

A beautiful and graceful young woman stepped out of the car door.

Dressed in a tight black leather suit that accentuated her perfect figure, her brown hair casually draped over her shoulders, she seemed both sexy and innocent.

The doors on the opposite side opened as well.

A burly man with a beard stepped out, followed by another man, lean and tall like a bamboo pole.

"Nini, are you sure this is the place?" the bearded man asked for confirmation.

"Positive!" the young woman nodded. She turned back and called to the car, "Our guest, we’ve arrived. Don’t you want to come out and check for yourself?"

A figure slowly exited the car.

It was a handsome man with pale skin, purple lips, and delicately perfect features that showed no sign of frailty. Instead, from his not-so-thin body emanated a sharp, blade-like edge.

The man swept his gaze around.

As they met his gaze, everyone involuntarily felt an overbearing discomfort. This was a particular kind of presence developed from having long been self-centered.

"Is this the place?" the man asked softly.

"Yes, this is the entrance to the Naga Temple. We have completed our task as a mercenary squad. Now you can choose whether to go in or not, we won’t accompany you further," the woman explained politely.

"Do you want to go in?" the handsome man asked in return.

"Yes," the bearded burly man took over the conversation. He glanced at the other man’s beautiful and delicate face and his comparatively slender body. Frowning slightly, he said, "I suggest you don’t go in alone; this is the Naga Temple, you understand what a temple means, right? Without full preparation, going in is suicidal! Even well-prepared, we can’t guarantee we’ll come out alive. Even B-levels have fallen."

"Oh," the man nodded indifferently. "However, I still want to take a look. Just entering the canyon shouldn’t be a problem, right? Lead me to the temple entrance, that will suffice. I have a personal interest in ancient history and want to study some of the dark history regarding the temple."

"That’s not a problem," the bearded man nodded affirmatively. "But the fee will be doubled. It’s riskier here than outside, with many dangerous and bizarre creatures. The more people we guide, the more risks we take. And you’ll have to leave on your own when we come out; we will temporarily create a relatively safe route without much danger—you need to record it yourself."

Originally, they thought the man might be some hidden expert, but on second thought, how often does one come across hidden experts? The general C- and B-levels live in cities enjoying their lives – who would want to risk their life adventuring outside? Especially someone like this man who clearly wasn’t from an ordinary background. Aside from Time True Water, there were other ways to extend lifespan without having to take such risks.

Moreover, the energy detector was in the car, and it had not detected any power reaction from the man. Beyond the upper limits of B-levels, the detector could completely sense the strength levels of all below, and although some may disguise themselves, physical strength doesn’t lie.

Meeting a B-level is rare, something that doesn’t happen without decades or centuries.

With that, the big man let go of that particular line of speculation.

"No problem," he replied.

"Then let’s get back in the car," he said.

All four people got back into the vehicle.

Just then, a piercing scream suddenly came from the sky. (To be continued. If you like this work, please visit qidian.com to cast your recommendation votes and Monthly Tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation.)