Inner Dao

Very few people reached the 5th layer of cultivation. The vast majority, upon entering, would suffer severe damage to their minds and Qi and be forced to retreat.

Upon entering the fifth layer, an enemy was created in the cultivator's mind. This enemy was a personification of something or someone more powerful, causing greater pressure on the cultivator's mind based on what they had seen in their life. The formation always created this enemy just slightly stronger than the cultivator who created it. But the pressure and fear in their minds were a problematic barrier to overcome.

A strong determination was necessary to be able to fight against something you fear and still elevate your strength in a battle to overcome it.

Lian, out of curiosity, would sometimes quickly look into the minds of those who were fighting. Since only the younger ones who hadn't seen much of the world made it there, Lian himself was something to overcome in most of these battles.

On that day, Lian came to the lower layers to observe Rumi and Shiho when he felt something imperceptible to everyone else there. A faint, cold, and subtle Qi seemed to cut through the air and disappear without a trace. It was something very familiar. It was the dao of an assassin. In a completely isolated area, no one could sense a battle happening there. Lian approached out of curiosity, hiding his presence.

He had read in the clan's library about the fate of some clans that existed on that continent when he was still Zeke. There was an extremely troublesome clan of assassins in his mortal life. He had nearly died at their hands countless times. And even after becoming so powerful that he could go to the Divine Plane, he couldn't completely destroy that clan.

By gaining more knowledge in the Divine Plane, he had a surprising understanding. There were gods in the world. There was no knowledge of what they were like, their true names, their actual cultivation levels, nothing... The only irrefutable fact was their followers.

These followers were scattered in various locations, both in the Divine and Mortal Planes. On Zeke's mortal planet, there was only the Assassin God. In other places, the gods of Alchemy, Dragons, War, and many others made their presence known. All the followers were cultivated by worshiping these gods. In return, they were aided by extremely powerful Qi. Their dao was completely devoted to these gods, and even if they were annihilated, the heavens would assist them.

Although Zeke believed he had eliminated all the assassins on his planet, it seemed like an endless task. Every time he cut off one head, two new ones would appear in its place. After the catastrophe, faith in the god who granted him power disappeared. The clan that Lian couldn't completely destroy was condemned.

A few survivors infiltrated other clans, hoping to be reborn in the future. Although they had lost their central power, their assassin skills were still intact. Medium or small clans would accept them through marriages, allowing them to continue using their techniques. As generations passed, parents would teach their children the techniques. But without the power of their god, these techniques proved flawed and useless. To survive, the techniques were adapted and changed to the point of becoming extremely superficial.

In front of Lian, a descendant of the extinct assassin clan was fighting tirelessly. There were records of her parents and her existence within the clan, but she had never been seen by anyone.

Wei Albedo was one year older than Lian. Her hair cascaded over her shoulders like a waterfall of black ink. Her eyes were big like a baby's, incomparably bright, and her forehead was crowned with a neatly trimmed fringe. She wore a simple black outfit, but it couldn't hide the beautiful delicate curves of a young maiden.

By observing and sensing her Qi, Lian perfectly understood the kind of person she was. Extremely beautiful, cold, and dedicated—a perfect personality for an assassin. Her cultivation was mediocre for her age, only at the final stage of Qi Condensation. Her techniques were empty and flawed, but her determination was evident.

There was little information about her in the clan's records, only her name and her family's past. Piecing it together, Lian began to understand her life. A charming young woman like her could arouse interest among the other youths in the clan. To prevent that, her cultivation and appearance were intentionally kept secret, keeping her hidden despite being part of the same clan.

Wei must have lived every second trying to cultivate and hide from everyone with her mediocre assassin techniques. But it wouldn't be long before reality knocked on her door. The assassin clan was destroyed because the techniques lacked the power of faith. Without that extremely stolen Qi, their power would elevate very slowly, and even then, there would be an obvious limit.

In a few years, Wei would have to find a sponsor to protect herself. She would have to rely on her beauty to become a concubine of someone strong. The cultivation world was always cruel to those without strength. A woman who could make even Lian's heart skip a beat would not have an easy future. But she still had hope.

Curiosity arose in Lian's mind. A person isolated from the world and from people—what kind of creature would she create in her mind for this test? Following the pattern, she might have seen his previous fight and been fighting against him. That's what he thought. Still, Lian investigated her mental battle with his soul.

The sounds of a blade colliding with something hard could be heard clearly in his mental sea. To Lian's surprise, it wasn't him who was fighting. It was Wunu who was fiercely battling in his disfigured form due to demonic power.

Every time Wunu threw a punch infused with earth power, Wei was thrown back several meters. She would rise from her injured body in her mind, and with eyes full of determination, she would look in a certain direction. A slight headache passed through Lian as he caught sight of it. There, in a corner, stood another Lian observing this dispute.

Wei's spirit then soared rapidly, and she advanced at high speed, disappearing from sight. Only to reappear with an attack on Wunu's back. This fight seemed endless, and Lian watched Wei with a peculiar smile. After seeing her fall and rise multiple times, Lian reached a conclusion. Her strength, dedication, and determination were so valuable that it was worth training her. With a slight vibration of his soul, the second Lian disappeared.

After being struck again by an earth fist and pushed backward, Wei fell to her knees. Her hands tightly gripped two daggers, and her grip was so strong that blood dripped from her fingers. In search of motivation, she looked in a direction, hoping to find something that would inspire her. However, a brief moment of shock crossed her eyes when she found nothing but emptiness.

A sense of despair seemed to take hold of her mind, and her eyes trembled as if they were about to collapse. But suddenly, Lian appeared once again.

Lian looked at Wei, who already had teary eyes, and calmly said, "The Dao of an assassin is always to eliminate those whom their master needs to eliminate. An assassin's blade needs to be perfected with blood to show its true power. From today onwards, you will be my blade and eliminate any target determined to die."

After his words, Lian's Qi penetrated Wei's mind and body. Information flowed through her mind like a raging river. Wei began to understand Zeke's assassination techniques, as he was extremely experienced in this art. He had killed many to survive in his difficult life, and learning to eliminate a target stealthily had become a valuable skill for him. Now, Wei would have access to some of these techniques learned in the Divine Plane.

Wei opened her eyes after a few minutes. In her mind, hours had passed, and a portion of the knowledge and techniques of an assassin had already been absorbed. She then turned her eyes to Lian, who stood there. Her Qi and eyes had now completely changed.

The subtle cold dao of an assassin was now sharp and firm. It was like a blade that could immediately cut an unsuspecting throat.

With a nod from Lian, she turned to face forward. Wunu was still standing there, emanating a strong earth power mixed with a death Qi. Less than a second later, Wunu's head fell to the ground. It was a swift and simple strike from behind. There was no explosive Qi or powerful aura. Just the purest killing dao.

Quickly, Wei appeared in front of Lian. She knelt with her head bowed, and in front of her was a severed head. It was the bow of an assassin after fulfilling the orders of her master.

Lian understood the greatest weakness of this apprentice assassin. She lacked techniques, an inner dao, or faith to be able to kill. But now, from that day onwards, Wei swore that in this life, Lian would be the only god in her heart.