The Way of The Dao

Finally, Ling Tian quickly retreated a few steps back as he drew his sword and prepared to receive any attack. His consciousness was on the Heavenly Seal for anything in case he could not resist and thus gain more strength.

His senses were on edge, although he did not understand why he could not feel any alarming sensations from his instincts, as if there were really no problem with the man in front of him.

Linqi never left that calm smile on his face as he watched Ling Tian: "You don't need to worry or be on guard with me, I won't hurt you... I'm just an old pacifist who doesn't have long to live." He nodded to him.

Ling Tian looked at him for several seconds before slowly relaxing his guard. If his intuition didn't even alarm him, then there really shouldn't be a problem.

Someone who can discover his identity is a great threat and will surely want to kill him without a second thought.

'It is supposed that if one succeeds in killing a Supreme, that person will succeed in entering that realm in the future as well...' Ling Tian thought as he recalled the rumors from the Immortal World.

It was said that as long as one could directly kill a Supreme, one would have the opportunity to enter this legendary realm without problems in the future.

Ling Tian furrowed his brow when he heard the latest: "Don't you have long to live? Does the Senior have a problem?" He did not see that this old man in front of him was dying, unless it was an internal wound that he could not notice.

"My life essence is coming to an end after a long time, but while I try to fulfill my mission." Linqi nodded to his question.

"Is there anything I can do to help you?" Ling Tian asked as he looked for some superficial sign in his body. He felt a little strange because he was wanting to help a man he had barely known, but somehow he felt he should try.

Linqi shook his head: "Life comes and goes, one is born from the Earth and returns to the same Earth, we are only like specks of dust in the wind with Time advancing, no matter what we do, in the end life comes to a point where every being will reach the end of the road. You may think that destiny has been unfair to you all your life, but the heavens will always give us another chance to achieve and find what we need while we get new missions in our life".

Ling Tian narrowed his eyes as he reflected on what Linqi had said.

In part it was true, he had been abandoned on a lower plane, with family and people who in spite of everything loved him and he could live the family love. Although he lost them as he entered a new world, as well as losing important people along the way, in the end it seemed that destiny would always grant him good fortune if he struggled and fought his way through.

His main goal was always to be strong enough to protect his loved ones, and he succeeded in doing so.

"Missions in our lives." Ling Tian whispered as he meditated on what he had lived through all this time.

The only important thing he thought was that the existence of all the Heavens and Earth could end. Having traveled to various dead planes and worlds, he had a troubling feeling that someday the Immortal World, as well as the Cultivation Worlds and other planes or existences might disappear in time.

"I can feel that you are a person of very good fortune, blessed by the heavens themselves and even by Great Dao itself." Linqi spoke once again, surprising Ling Tian to hear this.

Blessed?

Smiling bitterly, Ling Tian replied, "Blessed? Since I have been conscious I have gone through countless ups and downs of life and if it weren't for my perseverance and willpower I might be dead... I feel that in my case I am cursed and the Dao itself wants me dead." He shook his head as he let out a long sigh. Although he knew on one hand why his current situation, he still couldn't help but be a little resentful.

Linqi raised his eyebrows and calmly replied, "But despite everything you've gotten to where you are now and you're still living, aren't you? You even opposed Dao itself when you had to die." His look indicated that he seemed to know all his life.

Ling Tian was surprised to learn that he could know his encounter with Dao itself and what happened. Ling Tian suspected that this person could be one of those existences that are born by the Heavens themselves and that guide and illuminate one's path. Although these are rare existences and are probably only rumors, no one could know if they really are.

"But Senior, in spite of that now I am in a state that I do not know how long it will take me to return to how I was before." Knowing Linqi's probable identity, even his tone became a little more respectful: "I'm practically shackled..."

"Laws are for a reason." Linqi nodded and continued, "Perhaps deep down you think the current situation you're in is unfair, but have you ever wondered why everything that has to happen happens? Why has your life in cultivation been such a challenge that most people probably couldn't handle it? Why have your trials always been more ferocious and horrible than anyone else's? Why does every step you take feel like you could die or disappear at the next second? Even the Seal that the Heavenly Law itself imposed on you is for a reason, not because they hate you or would rather see you dead."

Ling Tian finally verified that Linqi could be an existence belonging to the origins of Heaven and Earth.

He was right, his path in cultivation had always been horrible compared to anyone else. His way of cultivation needed more than luck and perseverance; it needed incredible willpower that did not fall.

His way of cultivation was also frightening and incredulous; if someone else needed 10 Immortal Crystals to advance a single stage of a realm, then he needed more than 100 Immortal Crystals in order to advance.

Even his lightning bolts of divine damnation when he entered a greater realm were always much more intense than cultivators of the same level and he always ended up with almost one foot on the other side, breathing weakly as if he were no different from someone agonizing before death. An example would be entering the Stage of the Nascent Soul, his divine damnation would be almost comparable to someone entering between the realm of Separation and Reunion and the realm of the Great Ascension.

Although luck also influenced his life greatly, Ling Tian could not yet claim to be someone blessed. He had lost his adopted family, as well as his two female friends who helped him in the beginning; it goes without saying that even his true family abandoned him on a lower plane.

But then, why did he seem to be always punished and cursed by Dao itself and the Heavens and Earth while trying to advance even a step?

Putting his fists together again and bowing down, Ling Tian respectfully asked, "Ling Tian asks the seniors for advice to enlighten the doubts and questions."

Linqi stared at him for a long time before nodding softly and replying as he turned his head and seemed to look into the same void: "Every path comes from the Dao. Innumerable paths and visions maintain the harmony of life. The Heavens and Earth keep together with the Great Dao and rule the world. The Heavenly Laws cover every space.

The Heavenly Dao maintains control over everything. There should be a very balanced life of every being. Even the Heavenly Dao cannot interfere too much with the Laws of Heaven and Earth.

There must be a control, an order...

Heavenly Punishments are imposed to maintain control and not to alter the natural order of things.

Heavenly Law and the Laws of Heaven and Earth must be just. Maintaining the balance is imperative. Avoiding chaos and disorder is necessary.

Life and Death go hand in hand; the cycle cannot be broken.

Questioning the Laws will cause conflict, harming life or something else in one's path or probably getting a unique punishment.

Things that happen always happen for a reason and have a purpose in the life of every being and existence throughout the universe.

The restriction of the Heavenly Laws is not because they want you dead, but because you need to learn about the essence of life, the purpose of your own path and what it entails."

Linqi turned to Ling Tian and said, "You have defied the Laws, so a punishment was imposed on you as a result of rejecting the purpose of the Great Dao and so forth in exchange for continuing to live."