221: Returning to the ruins and entering the palace, the true understanding bows its head.

The dilapidated ancient temple, like a silent giant, lay prostrate at the core of the Jedi. The Dao Concept of Nirvana emanating from it was like a tangible tide, washing over the outside world in waves. The three stone Sculpture guards from before seemed to be merely the outermost gatekeepers.

Li Ao shielded Medusa behind him, his gaze calmly sweeping over the opened temple gate, which seemed capable of devouring all light. He did not step in immediately; instead, he slowly raised his right hand.

Without activating his battle Qi or drawing upon the “silent ruin,” he simply extended a wisp of his transformed “Concept of Guixu” forward, like a probe, gently touching the boundary of the temple gate.

“Zzz—”

A barely audible sound. The invisible spatial Restriction at the temple gate, upon being touched by that wisp of Guixu Concept, instantly dissolved like ice meeting the sun, creating an opening large enough for a person to pass through. The dense, unyielding aura of decay and Nirvana behind the Restriction, sensing a homologous yet higher-level power from Li Ao, not only did not resist but, like subjects welcoming their king, obediently parted to both sides, clearing a path.

Medusa, behind him, clearly witnessed this scene, her heart even more shaken. She had previously fought desperately, unable to even approach the door, yet Li Ao, with just a thought, made the temple's Restriction retreat on its own. Was this the might of “Guixu”?

“Stay close to me,” Li Ao tilted his head and whispered to Medusa, then stepped into the temple gate.

Medusa immediately composed herself and followed closely.

The moment they stepped into the temple, it felt as if they had entered another world. The desolation and stillness of the outside had not changed, but the concentration of Dao Concept here had increased more than tenfold! The air was as viscous as mercury; every breath inhaled a large amount of pure Nirvana energy. If an ordinary being were here, their flesh and blood would wither, and their Soul would decay in an instant.

The interior of the great hall was extremely spacious, with most of the giant pillars supporting the roof already broken and collapsed. The ground was covered with thick dust, vaguely revealing some scattered, broken divine weapons and skeletons that had long lost their spirituality, indicating the tragic events this place had experienced.

And in the deepest part of the great hall, a colossal throne, a hundred zhang tall, constructed from countless dark golden skeletons, stood majestically!

The throne itself was empty.

But what captivated all of Li Ao’s and Medusa’s attention was not the throne itself, but the gigantic, complete, and complex dark golden pattern engraved on its backrest!

That pattern was precisely the perfect connection and Fusion of the seven fragmented carvings Medusa had previously collected, along with many more, intricate, and profound lines and symbols! It was no longer incomplete but a whole, unified entity, radiating the ultimate true meaning of Nirvana, encompassing the creation and destruction of all things and the Reincarnation of the Universe!

“Nirvana True Understanding”—the complete version!

It was there, as if it had existed there since ancient times, waiting for a master who could understand and bear it.

Li Ao’s breathing quickened slightly the moment he saw this complete True Understanding. In his profound eyes, within the Concept of Guixu, nebulae seemed to be born and extinguished, resonating strongly with the True Understanding pattern on the throne.

He didn't even need to “comprehend” it.

When he stood there, carrying the realm of “Guixu,” the “Nirvana True Understanding” seemed to have found its ultimate home, emitting a joyful and submissive hum.

Om—!

The entire throne, along with the complete True Understanding pattern engraved upon it, suddenly erupted with an unprecedented dark golden light! The light was not dazzling; instead, it carried a restrained, profound sense of power. All the lines and symbols seemed to come alive, like living fish, beginning to peel off and flow down from the throne!

They transformed into a vast, dark golden torrent composed of pure Nirvana Dao patterns, like a hundred rivers returning to the sea, or like subjects paying homage to their monarch, actively and eagerly surging towards Li Ao!

This time, there was no need for “silent ruin” as an intermediary.

Li Ao stood there, opening his mind and Dao realm. The vast dark golden torrent surged into his glabella without any hindrance, merged into his Sea of Consciousness, imprinted itself deep within his Soul, and blended perfectly with the “Guixu” realm he had just comprehended, complementing and elevating each other!

“Boom!! ”

In Li Ao’s mind, it was as if heaven and earth were being created! Countless ancient mysteries and ultimate insights about “Nirvana” surged forth like a sudden enlightenment. Shattered stars, withered worlds, ended eras... scenes of Nirvana flowed through his consciousness, ultimately converging into that single point—the “Xū” where all methods return to nothingness.

The cracks on the surface of his body, which had previously only been forcefully stabilized, began to heal and disappear at a visible speed with the Fusion of this complete True Understanding! It was not a simple healing, but a reshaping by a more pure, more Origin-aligned power of Guixu! Although his aura had not yet returned to its Peak due to severe injuries, its essence was undergoing a profound transformation, becoming deeper and more unfathomable.

And the “silent ruin” in his Qi Sea roared with joy, the patterns on its blade perfectly merging with the surging True Understanding Dao patterns, becoming increasingly complex and profound, its quality and spirituality ascending to an unimaginable height.

The entire process lasted for about the time it takes an incense stick to burn.

When the last dark golden Dao pattern merged into Li Ao’s glabella, the light on the throne completely dimmed, returning to its previous stillness. The complete “Nirvana True Understanding” had already changed hands, thoroughly becoming a part of Li Ao’s Dao Foundation.

Li Ao slowly closed his eyes, quietly comprehending this complete Legacy. The Guixu aura emanating from him became even more attuned to this Jedi, as if he were the… Lord of Nirvana born from this place.

Medusa stood behind him, witnessing this miracle throughout. She looked at Li Ao’s back, feeling the increasingly terrifying and profound aura around him, her heart filled with relief and a hint of complex emotion.

He had become stronger, so strong that she felt a touch of awe.

But no matter what, he had survived, and, it seemed, had found a true path to the Peak.

Just then, Li Ao suddenly opened his eyes, the Guixu scene in them slowly settling, becoming as still as an ancient well. He turned his head and looked at Medusa, his gaze falling on her still pale face and unstable Soul.

“Your injuries,” he extended his hand, a wisp of pure, gentle, yet fundamentally high-level Guixu energy flowing at his fingertips, “it’s time to heal them.”

Before he finished speaking, without waiting for Medusa’s reaction, that wisp of energy gently flowed into her body.

Medusa’s delicate body trembled slightly, feeling a cool yet vital force instantly flow through her limbs and bones. The hidden injuries left from resisting the stone Sculpture guards and Soul impact, as well as the potential dangers from the erosion of the decaying aura here, began to rapidly heal and purify under the nourishment of this power!

She looked at Li Ao in disbelief.

Guixu... doesn’t it represent the end? Why... does it contain such vast “vitality”?

Li Ao looked at her surprised expression, the corner of his mouth seeming to curve into an extremely faint, almost imperceptible arc.

“The end of destruction is also the beginning of new life.”

“I, who wield Guixu, wield... my own ‘life’ and ‘death’.”

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