Art of Truth

Art of Truth . . . 

Upon the wall, an enigmatic truth character housed an innate technique of supreme significance. The more Qin Wentian delved into his cultivation, the deeper he perceived its profound essence. He could do nothing but shut his eyes in contemplation, immersing himself in the silent pursuit of enlightenment. Within the ancient castle, the symphony of the Great Dao played an unending melody, resonating with Qin Wentian's unwavering focus.

An ocean of buddhic light enveloped him as a multitude of runes flowed into his being, endowing him with a wholly new perspective. The world expanded before him, its vastness contrasting with his own minuscule existence. Yet, undeterred by this realization, Qin Wentian continued his meditation, directing his thoughts toward the truth character as he sought to unravel the intricacies of his own existence.

This truth character encapsulated the essence of a supreme art, harboring boundless power capable of guiding individuals towards a profound understanding of themselves before they could attain enlightenment regarding the power of truth. Naturally, such a comprehension couldn't be achieved in the span of a single day. Qin Wentian himself couldn't discern how many years had elapsed.

As for the activities of his companions, they remained veiled in mystery.

The journey to the distant shore was arduous, but for those with extraordinary comprehension abilities like Qing'er, Jun Mengchen, and Hua Taixu, it posed no insurmountable challenge.

Four years had been spent in the immortal sea, followed by six years within the ancient castle, accumulating to a decade of unbroken seclusion. However, in his meditative state, Qin Wentian perceived his cultivation steadily advancing. It was not uncommon for hundreds or even thousands of years to appear to pass in the blink of an eye when one immersed themselves in such intense concentration for the sake of cultivation and comprehension.

Today, a figure composed of truth energy, mirroring his exact likeness, materialized behind Qin Wentian. This corporeal representation radiated with boundless splendor and boasted the same impervious resilience as his original form. Moreover, it exuded an overwhelming surge of power, as if it had undergone further refinement and evolved into an independent embodiment of truth.

This was the power of truth—the truth body aglow with golden buddhic light, adorned with an intricate tapestry of ancient runes cascading across its form. The radiance emanating from it converged onto Qin Wentian, infusing his being with the entirety of buddhic truth energy. The Qin Wentian of today had undergone yet another transformation, his physique now even more formidable than ever before.

Another year elapsed, accompanied by the emergence of a chant that bore the essence of greater truth, sprouting from Qin Wentian's lips. It coalesced into an innate technique infused with the energy of truth, although its power had not yet reached its zenith.

With the passage of time, Qin Wentian's third eye opened. This newly awakened third eye held the power to pierce through the illusions veiling reality. Slowly but surely, his normal eyes also unveiled themselves, gleaming with a newfound sharpness.

Finally, he discerned four doorways among the four walls of the central grand hall, their portals unfolding like gates to the void, offering passage to distant realms.

"This..." Qin Wentian's eyes sparkled with insight. Nearly eight years had elapsed within this ancient castle, combined with the four years spent adrift in the immortal sea. His cultivation had ascended from the second to the third level during his time here, and he had also acquired the profound art of buddhic truth, resulting in incremental cultivation improvements and further refinement of his physique. Now, the gates of the sacred academy beckoned him once more.

If his intuition proved correct, these four gateways would lead to four distinct sacred academies. Together, they would be collectively known as the Heavenly Dao Sacred Academy.

Every detail he observed now validated the words of the spectral figure bearing the scepter. There were myriad ways to traverse the immortal sea, and depending on one's chosen path, they would arrive at different destinations. Qin Wentian had embarked on a journey of seeking truth across the immortal sea, and in doing so, he had found the truth he sought—a path that had brought him to this ancient castle.

Without pausing to rest, Qin Wentian continued his quest. Despite dedicating many years to this arcane art, he understood that complete mastery could not be attained in such a brief span. He would persist in his endeavors, meditating on the ancient truth character, seeking deeper insights.

This was akin to his mastery of God's Hand. Although he had cultivated it, he remained far from unlocking its full potential. His current level of mastery only scratched the surface of what God's Hand could offer.

"After so many years, it's time to explore new horizons. Breakthroughs and insights won't happen overnight," Qin Wentian mused. With that thought, he rose to his feet, his formidable gaze fixed upon the four void gates. Without hesitation, he chose one at random and ventured inside. As a practitioner of the art of truth in the Buddhist path, he was content to leave his fate in the hands of destiny.

Upon stepping through the gate, Qin Wentian felt himself traverse a considerable distance in space. When his feet finally found solid ground, the crashing waves of an ocean filled his ears.

Now, he stood on a vast reef beside the restless ocean. Waves relentlessly surged, splashing his robes and dampening them.

Turning around, Qin Wentian beheld the boundless expanse of the ocean behind him. Ahead, a path led to a simple yet majestic gateway that marked the entrance to the sacred academy.

"It appears I have arrived. The location of the art of truth contained the pathway to the sacred academies," Qin Wentian mused, allowing the ocean's spray to wash over him. With measured steps, he approached the sacred academy's gate.

After a brief journey, he arrived at the entrance. Stretching out his hands, he pushed open the gate and crossed its threshold.

The moment he did, a resounding voice echoed within his mind, outlining the sacred academy's rules.

The gate behind him closed, and although he knew he stood within one of the sacred academies, it felt more like an entire world.

As Qin Wentian moved forward, a subtle smile played upon his lips, as though he anticipated what would happen next.

After some time, a streak of white lightning streaked through the air with astonishing speed. Shortly thereafter, a pure-white figure leaped directly into Qin Wentian's embrace.

"Little Rascal, are you trying to tackle me to the ground?" Qin Wentian affectionately patted Little Rascal's head, a wide grin adorning his face. A graceful figure followed closely behind Little Rascal—none other than Purgatory.

"Why did it take you so long to arrive? This baobao has been here for many years. You're quite sluggish," Little Rascal remarked, casting a mocking glance at Qin Wentian. It seemed Qin Wentian had arrived many years after him.

"The methods of crossing the immortal sea vary, leading to different paths. I reached another location before coming here, and it took me quite some time to unravel the mysteries of that place and find my way here. What about you two? Did you both arrive here directly after crossing the immortal sea?" Qin Wentian inquired. He possessed a form of telepathy that allowed him to communicate with Little Rascal and Purgatory. This connection was particularly strong with Little Rascal, forged through years of companionship that allowed them to hear each other's thoughts and sense each other's presence, albeit with some weakening over long distances.

"Yep. I fell asleep on the boat and drifted across the immortal sea. When I awoke, I was already here. It was quite a comfortable nap," Little Rascal responded lazily, his words prompting a playful roll of Qin Wentian's eyes. Wasn't this too simple?

"What a boastful little rascal," Purgatory scolded in a hushed tone.

"Little Purgatory, how can you say that to me? This baobao has always been here to protect you," Little Rascal quipped with a tilt of his head, drawing an amused grin from Qin Wentian. He couldn't help but find this mischievous little puppy increasingly unreliable.

"Purgatory, how many people are in this sacred academy? Are there any familiar faces?" Qin Wentian inquired.

"There are quite a few people here, around a thousand or so. However, the majority are demons," Purgatory replied. "As for those you might know..."

"Your Little Yunxi is here too," Little Rascal chimed in, eliciting an eye roll from Qin Wentian as he playfully tapped Little Rascal on the head. This little fellow was practically begging for a scolding.

"I didn't say anything wrong," Little Rascal whined, adopting an indignant tone.

"Nanfeng Yunxi, Nanfeng Shengge, and a few others from the Southern Phoenix Clan are here. Additionally, a few from the group of people who chose to follow Big Brother Qin have arrived," Purgatory added. Qin Wentian's eyes sparkled with recognition; he knew Purgatory was referring to the Battle Saint Tribe members.

"Those demons are quite bothersome. They often harass Purgatory, Nanfeng Yunxi, and the others from the Southern Phoenix Clan, even going so far as to want the girls to bear their offspring. It's shameless," Little Rascal grumbled. Qin Wentian glanced at Purgatory, whose expression had grown colder. He understood that some demons had been bullying her.

Many of these demons possessed the bloodlines of formidable greater demons, hailing from peak demonic powers. The Great Roc Race and White Tiger Race, for example, were exceedingly powerful. Demons tended to have more direct and domineering personalities. Little Rascal's words likely held truth, as Qin Wentian himself had witnessed the arrogance of these pure-blooded greater demons when they set off on the immortal sea, even daring to provoke human cultivators from peak powers.

"Let's go find them," Qin Wentian decided.

"Who?" Little Rascal inquired.

"Nanfeng Yunxi and the others," Qin Wentian replied. Little Rascal responded by winking at Qin Wentian, while Purgatory took the lead and flew ahead.

"What does this academy have to offer?" Qin Wentian asked as they soared through the air.

"There are many cultivation grounds and perilous secret realms here. Currently, Nanfeng Yunxi and her comrades are on an ancient mountain. This mountain houses numerous potent innate techniques and secret arts of the demonic race, as well as incredibly powerful demonic beasts in its depths. No one knows where these demonic beasts originated from," Little Rascal explained.

"This place is vast, resembling an entire world rather than a mere academy. Many areas remain unexplored," he added.

"Got it," Qin Wentian nodded. Their group continued to soar through the air, and after some time, a mountain range came into view.

Groups of people stood on a particular mountain.

Qin Wentian extended his immortal sense, quickly locating Nanfeng Yunxi's exact position. The group dashed toward her.

Nanfeng Yunxi seemed to sense their approach, and her once cold and aloof eyes now held a hint of a smile. "You're here."

"Mhm." Qin Wentian touched down and joined Nanfeng Yunxi. Nanfeng Shengge was also present, and she smiled at Qin Wentian. "Something seems off. Why did you arrive so much later than the rest of us?"

"There's not just one academy. From what I know, there are four grand sacred academies. Our methods of crossing the sea differ, so those who cross over are sent to different locations," Qin Wentian explained. "I was initially sent elsewhere and only recently found the entrance to this academy."

"I see," Nanfeng Shengge nodded in understanding. Qin Wentian directed his gaze toward the mountain wall before them, where lifelike phoenix images were carved into the stone, as if about to burst forth from the wall.

Other mountains in the vicinity featured depictions of various greater demons. This place appeared to be a cultivation sanctuary for demonic beasts.

"Have you gained any insights?" Qin Wentian asked.

"These images are incredibly profound. The more I contemplate them, the deeper and more unfathomable they become. It feels as if merely studying these images could purify the phoenix blood in our veins," Nanfeng Yunxi replied earnestly. Although she was a human cultivator, her ancestor was a true phoenix, and this ancestral connection caused the Southern Phoenix Clan descendants to possess phoenix blood. This was especially true for the Holy Successor, whose bloodline had grown even purer after entering the ancestral lands.

"Stand away from her!" A commanding voice suddenly rang out, and Qin Wentian's gaze snapped to a demonic figure standing on a nearby mountain. This greater demon bore the character '王' (royal/king) on his forehead and hailed from the royal faction of the White Tiger Clan. He had the audacity to instruct Qin Wentian to keep his distance from Nanfeng Yunxi!