Charles lay limp on the airplane like a corpse, already deeply regretting transmigrating to this world.
Fortunately, someone had anticipated Charles's fear of transportation. A Sword Bearer traveling with him used his ability to temporarily alleviate Charles's abnormal condition.
But the effect wouldn't last forever—once the power wore off, Charles would need to ask for help again.
Still, thanks to that Sword Bearer, Charles was able to calmly reflect on the two years he had spent at Shenlong Temple since arriving in this world.
Back when he first stepped through the gates of Shenlong Temple two years ago, Charles had already sensed it was no ordinary temple.
The gates of Shenlong Temple seemed to have a perception-blocking effect, so Charles only truly sensed the interior once he had entered.
Even with just a rough scan, he could detect an overwhelming density of strong presences within.
According to the Grand Elder, those Charles could sense were all disciples who hadn't yet completed their cultivation.
Previously, the Grand Elder had intentionally released his aura when first meeting Charles to test him. Once the conversation began, however, he became indistinguishable from an ordinary old man, with no trace of danger left.
In other words, there were likely many more within Shenlong Temple who, like the Grand Elder, had achieved the realm of "returning to simplicity," completely beyond Charles's perception.
It was only after living there that Charles came to understand what kind of place Shenlong Temple truly was.
Rather than a temple, it was more accurate to call it the Shenlong Martial Arts School. Its disciples were not all monks—there were even quite a few female students.
Oddly enough, regardless of gender, people from the outside referred to all Shenlong Temple disciples as "Martial Monks."
Moreover, Shenlong Temple disciples neither chanted sutras nor practiced vegetarianism. The temple didn't even have any Buddha statues. Their daily routine revolved entirely around studying and training in martial arts.
Calling it a school wasn't quite accurate either—a better description would be a martial sect straight out of a wuxia novel.
Disciples who joined Shenlong Temple treated it as their home, inheriting its spirit and strictly following its commandments.
However, for reasons unknown, even though Charles was allowed to train there, the Grand Elder had never officially made him a disciple.
Thus, while learning about the world's common knowledge, Charles also began training in Shenlong Temple's martial arts.
In this world, not only did magic and supernatural powers exist, but martial arts had developed to an extraordinary level.
Some of Shenlong Temple's more advanced techniques were even more miraculous than magic, opening Charles's eyes to new possibilities.
Charles's previous fighting style was brute force-oriented—the kind where strength alone could fling bricks like bullets. This was the first time he had learned more refined combat techniques.
Martial arts weren't just about fighting—they were about mastering power. To Charles's delight, through learning martial arts, not only did his combat power improve, but his control over both his body and magic reached new heights.
That alone made his journey to this world worthwhile.
His magic power was steadily growing, and his martial arts skills had improved rapidly thanks to the Temple's training. Charles had even planned to stay at Shenlong Temple until he had accumulated enough magic for his next transmigration.
But fate had other ideas. The day before, the Grand Elder summoned Charles and gave him a task.
And today, Charles was on a plane heading to the island nation. His visa and tickets had already been prepared in advance—it was clear they had known Charles wouldn't refuse.
Charles's mission was to retrieve a defector monk who had escaped from Shenlong Temple's Tower of Extreme Suffering.
So-called defector monks were Martial Monks who violated one of Shenlong Temple's Five Precepts. These precepts could essentially be summed up as a single rule: violence must never be used for unrighteous purposes.
Violating laws went without saying, but even boasting about one's strength was forbidden. In practice, this meant Martial Monks from Shenlong Temple were forbidden from participating in any competitions—except for the Temple's own "Battle God Cup."
More than martial prowess, Shenlong Temple emphasized martial virtue.
Any Martial Monk who broke the commandments was to be imprisoned in the Tower of Extreme Suffering, enduring hellish training until the end of their life.
Such a place was naturally impenetrable. Charles knew even he wouldn't be able to escape from the guards stationed there.
So anyone who could escape from it was certainly not an ordinary person—in fact, the one who had escaped was one of the Four Immortals, and the youngest among them.
The "Four Immortals" were the four officially recognized Immortals of Charles's homeland—exceptional individuals known to the outside world as Desperados.
Of course, the homeland was full of hidden masters. The Grand Elder wasn't the only Immortal within Shenlong Temple; several of the older monks clearly had that level of power.
The youngest Immortal was named Fu Xiaoli, and she was known by the title of the mythical beast Taotie. In the last Battle God Cup, this title had made waves around the world.
And yet, this very person had unexpectedly been imprisoned in the Tower of Extreme Suffering—then escaped and vanished.
Now, the task of retrieving her had fallen to Charles.
Charles was quite familiar with Fu Xiaoli. His previous training had been under her guidance.
In Charles's memory, his senior sister was a strong, charismatic girl—occasionally a bit quirky, but fundamentally upright and principled. She didn't seem like someone who would violate the path of righteousness.
Her escape from the Tower was highly suspicious. Even as an Immortal, there was no way she could've broken out so easily.
Moreover, the Grand Elder had tasked Charles with "retrieving" her, not "apprehending" her—a subtle difference that spoke volumes.
And Charles realized he really was the most suitable person for this job.
First, persuading an Immortal to return was impossible.
There was no shortcut to breaking free from the bounds of fate—it could only be done through sheer willpower. Someone with a will strong enough to defy fate wouldn't be easily swayed.
So bringing Fu Xiaoli back would inevitably require force. Without the power of an Immortal, one couldn't even withstand her overwhelming aura.
But a veteran Immortal like the Grand Elder couldn't just waltz into the island nation—getting a visa alone would be a political nightmare. No country would casually allow a "strategic weapon" from another nation to enter, especially under current global tensions.
Charles, on the other hand, was just a teenage boy and wouldn't raise those kinds of alarms.
Over the past two years, Charles had gained a thorough understanding of this world.
There were three major factions: the Great Powers Alliance centered around three major nations; the International Magic Knights Alliance, composed of smaller countries that worked together to manage Sword Bearers; and the global terrorist organization known as Rebellion.
Charles's homeland and the island nation belonged to opposing camps—the Alliance and the Knights' League, respectively. Their relationship needed no further explanation.
Because of the complicated relationship between the two camps, the island nation was a perfect place for Fu Xiaoli to evade the Temple's pursuit.
However, the intelligence the Grand Elder gave Charles indicated that Fu Xiaoli hadn't gone there to hide—she was after someone.
That person had traveled to the island nation, and Fu Xiaoli had followed.
"World's Strongest Swordsman!" "Most Ruthless Criminal!" "A One-Person Army!" "The Pinnacle of Swordsmanship!"
These were the titles bestowed upon that individual—none other than Adelheid, known as Winged Twin.
Charles rubbed his temples. Even the Grand Elder had praised this powerhouse. Now she was in the island nation too—this mission was sounding more difficult by the second.
But why was Senior Sister Fu Xiaoli seeking out Adelheid? Surely she wasn't shallow enough to challenge Adelheid just to claim the title of world's number one?
There was still too little information to go on. Charles could only investigate further once he arrived in the island nation.
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