The Way of The Dao

"Don't you want to know what the Great Dao is?"

A mysterious but familiar voice was heard instantly, startling Ling Tian.

Time seemed to have stopped slightly, as if giving Ling Tian a chance to rest.

"Senior Linqi?" Ling Tian murmured in stupefaction. That voice clearly belonged to Linqi, the legendary and celestial Qilin whom he had met in the other dimension of the void.

A figure soon began to materialize smoothly, like a shadow at first and finally taking on a clear appearance.

This appearance clearly was the same as Linqi, but Ling Tian sensed that it was not him.

"Mhm? Hmm, you can call me that. After all, all of us came from the same Heaven."

The figure had put his hand to his chin, but then nodded with a gentle smile as he looked at him, indicating that it didn't matter what the name was.

Ling Tian felt confused at first, but he quickly understood one thing: Linqi seemed to come from Heaven itself, like those celestial figures that would travel on the rivers of time for eternity, having a goal while performing different things.

"I'm just a Remnant Soul from the Dao itself, so don't worry." The figure spoke again upon seeing Ling Tian's confusion and thoughts.

Ling Tian nodded still, but wondering how a Remnant Soul could appear at this time.

"Do you really not want to know the true meaning of the Great Dao? Only by understanding the Dao will you be able to move on." The Remnant Soul asked again calmly. Clearly he knew that Ling Tian's opportunity was in front of him, waiting for him to accept and take the opportunity.

"Maybe at first I would take this choice, but now I don't care anymore." Ling Tian answered sincerely, opening his heart and freeing his mind.

"This opportunity is unique and it could be said that less than 10 individuals had been given the chance to achieve it, but now you are the second one who has been able to make it to this step but the first one to have a second chance again, having the door in front of yourself to know the secrets of the universe and the understanding of the Dao itself..." The Remnant Soul held his voice with calmness and serenity, coming from celestiality and peace, "In fact, even the Dao itself wants to take you and teach you its secrets, that's why it brought you here..."

Ling Tian was silent for a few seconds before shaking his head again, "If it means leaving everything behind and starting over, I'm not willing."

The Remnant Soul seemed to know what Ling Tian would say and added right away, "Although you will start over, you will have a different destiny and an extremely easier path, but above all, you will be able to reach the top of the universe at the end of it all... You could say that Heaven itself will be your support..."

"Maybe so, but I don't want that." Ling Tian shook his head and sighed, then said, "At first I could have accepted this without hesitation, but not now. I have people who trust me and expect my return, so I can't let them down and make them sad, I can't give up..."

Ling Tian could accept this opportunity if it was at the beginning when he was in that mysterious mountain of crystals, after all, his adoptive family had been killed and he had no one else, not even the memories of his true family had emerged, so he had no more emotional ties or bonds at that time.

But now, not only were the lost memories of his childhood beginning to manifest, but Ling Tian had many loved ones after all these millennia. His family, his friends, his disciples, his wives...

Ling Tian could not fall here. If he fell, he knew that he would die but would reincarnate again, whether he could not remember or not. But the thing was, he didn't know how long it might be before he would be reborn, a year, a hundred years, millions of years, but most of all, he would leave his loved ones alone who were waiting for him.

Although there would be a day when the end would come for everyone, Ling Tian still wanted to spend as much time as possible with all of them. Besides there seemed to be a voice inside him that always expressed to him to never leave his loved ones.

The Remnant Soul nodded softly, without showing any expression of disappointment or anger, joy or sadness, as if he was only talking about something casual with Ling Tian.

"I think you understand that since the objects you obtained were the opportunity to be able to get to this point, they have fulfilled their mission and should now be returned to where they belong." The Remnant Soul changed the subject of the opportunity and commented on the three sacred objects of legend.

"I don't mind, you can take them." Ling Tian replied without hesitation.

Those three objects were from the legend and Ling Tian did not know why he had been chosen. But he didn't care about any of that, he didn't even care whether or not he had those objects. After all, Ling Tian always struggled to cultivate and become stronger without receiving any help from those objects all his life, just a question that would be the same and maybe it influenced his thoughts a little bit, but nothing more. With them or without them, Ling Tian was completely sure that he would still reach the pinnacle once again.

Those objects had been useless before he fell to the small plane and discovered the changes in them. Although one of the objects turned into that mysterious Little World, another into a strange Vine below his Consciousness Sea and the last one cracked, Ling Tian didn't care and gave in.

For what good would they be if he would have to die to finally could use them anyway? The Avenue of the Great Dao seemed to really take his life this time, that was why he had transported his soul to another dimension.

Even if he lost those items, even if he lost his power, even if he lost the chance to reach a new heaven, Ling Tian didn't care. As long as he was still alive, he would go his own way!

Now, Ling Tian looked at the spirit of the Great Dao in the depth of the void, refusing to give in to it even with the threat of losing those legendary items.

The Remnant Soul nodded calmly. But Ling Tian had the illusion that he seemed to have seen the corner of his lips move slightly, as if he was about to smile.

"Before we continue, could you explain to me why those objects underwent changes even though I refused the first time?" Ling Tian asked curiously. He was unaware why the objects had finally transformed even though he had not died and been reborn again.

"Those three objects you have are the worship and desire of countless beings, wishing day and night that they could obtain them and get to the top of everything... these have a mysterious power and are the tools to help you on your path, taking you to the top that you would be predestined to be. You would be the strongest being in existence at the top of the universe. I think you know that the realm of Supremacy is not the end, but the way to get to the top." The Remnant Soul did not answer Ling Tian's question, but instead said something related to it and then asked again for the third time, "Are you sure you don't want to know what the Great Dao is?"

Ling Tian lowered his head, as if pondering it for the first time. But then he raised his head and shook his head, his eyes showing a firm and unwavering resolve.

"I don't mind losing the opportunity to be the strongest. I've never considered myself the strongest under heaven because I know there are bigger heavens and stronger people. Maybe there are other people who would gladly accept this opportunity and leave everything behind because cultivation is everything to their life. But for me, cultivation is not everything, because..."

A pair of invisible and imperceptible shackles seemed to break from Ling Tian's soul, freeing his spirit from the bonds as a mysterious feeling surrounded him.

Ling Tian shifted his vision to the light of the Great Dao that seemed to return the gaze as well, showing his indelible resolve and firm decision.

Time that seemed to pass slowly once again began to move to normal, bringing that feeling of returning to battle once more.

Soul chains moved towards Ling Tian's soul essence, as if they wanted to bind him and lead him towards the sacred light. The time that seemed to be a second seemed to last for an eternity. The mysterious feeling of the Avenue of the Great Dao seemed to touch Ling Tian's soul at any moment, as if in the next second it would claim everything from him!

A mysterious light crossed the Remnant Soul's eyes as he watched Ling Tian face the Great Dao without fear, a small, imperceptible smile flashed across his face.

"Because if I can't see and be with my loved ones, then it wouldn't be worth it to be the strongest being in the universe!"

Ling Tian's soul essence roared, seeming to cause ripples and turbulence in the strange void!

If you're going to fight, fight!

If it's all for them, then advance without hesitation!

If the situation is unfavorable, never give up!

When everything was destroyed, when your loved ones were gone, leaving you alone, then even if you could stand above the heavens, even if you could rule the entire universe by yourself, what meaning would there be in that?

Even if he could get the chance to obtain eternal life, in the end, what would be left would be nothing but eternal loneliness and everlasting torment.

He already lost his loved ones twice. If he were to lose them all in the end, nothing would be worth it...

Ling Tian stared at the bright, heavenly light that was the spirit of the Great Dao. His eyes began to glow a light golden color as he felt the shaking deep within his soul, as if something mysterious was trying to come out!

Although Ling Tian agreed to hand over the sacred items of legend, he never said he would hand them over easily.

After all, who said to choose him? If they wanted the items, then they would have to pay a price too, they had to fight for them...

A smile filled with the meaning of defiance formed on Ling Tian's face, refusing to give in to the same Great Dao that would make all beings surrender. No matter if he didn't have his full strength, no matter if he was facing the most powerful true existence in the universe, no matter if there was no chance of winning against heaven itself...

As an Immortal Supreme who had been at the top, he also had his own pride and dignity!

Even if it was heaven itself, Ling Tian would never give up! He never had and never will!

The light of the Great Dao seemed to sense his desire for struggle and rebellion, to which, it responded with an increase in light and attractive force!

Ling Tian felt something embrace him and increase its force upon him, trying to cover everything about him as he was pulled toward the light. His soul essence fought fiercely and shook, refusing to give in.

The void lit up and trembled fiercely!