The Way of The Dao

"Do you want to be my personal maid?"

Ling Tian asked with a small smile, looking at Li Fengyuan and recalling a bit of Sheng Mei, his sword maidservant in one of the worlds of the Immortal realm. The aura she had looked a bit like Sheng Mei, but it was distinctly different, as if it was natural.

Personal maid?

Li Fengyuan was stunned as she thought about this situation. Although she knew Ling Tian was powerful, she still couldn't help but doubt; after all, no one wanted to lose their freedom in becoming someone else's servant or slave.

Feng Ye raised his eyebrows upon hearing Ling Tian's boldness with this topic, thinking inwardly that it was not to be avoided that he was also young and had such thoughts. Feng Xiao blinked and saw Ling Tian wanting to confirm that he wasn't joking; his gaze also shifted to Shin Wei and Xuanyuan Ling, with the latter having a slightly somber face and a tinge of disappointment.

"I..."

Ling Tian looked at Li Fengyuan who hesitated still, clearly understanding her thoughts.

Then, Ling Tian smiled faintly and said, "A long time ago, I had a personal maid who had a similar resemblance to you in terms of sword talent... and she became my sword maid..."

These words shocked Li Fengyuan and she quickly thought about whether there really was someone else who agreed to be this man's maidservant in front of her. And moreover, a sword maid?

"That girl was very good and obedient, so she was very diligent..." Ling Tian smiled without taking into account the expressions of the others and continued, "At first she was very depressed because of the past she had with her family and fell into a state of depression that was almost impossible to get out of. But over time she managed to overcome it and her heart became stronger than ever, overcoming the tribulations of life with each steady step and without hesitation. I taught her everything I knew and her strength reached a height she never thought she could ever touch in her entire life, destroying rivers and mountains just by waving her hand, destroying enemies with a thought and splitting Heaven and Earth in half just by waving her sword after entering the Way of the Sword... she no longer had to look from below at the world like in the past, but instead she could stand at the top of the heaven and despise the world with her power..." Ling Tian smiled with a touch of bitterness and melancholy, remembering Sheng Mei's tragic past. Although there was a clear barrier between the two at first, in the end Ling Tian was able to connect with her and help her to rise again.

Shin Wei and Xuanyuan Ling were surprised to think that Ling Tian really had a personal maid and seemed to be very powerful with just those words. Feng Ye and Feng Xiao were shocked as well and even did not hesitate to think whether Ling Tian was really a young man or someone who has lived for thousands of years.

Li Fengyuan followed in a state of stupefaction, realizing that she had a slight resemblance to that woman in terms of their lives, being helpless and without a real home.

"So... what happened to her?" Li Fengyuan didn't hesitate and asked curiously, thinking about what had happened to her. Her brain simply believed what Ling Tian was saying and did not reflect that Ling Tian seemed to speak in a time long ago, let alone thinking that Ling Tian was a young man like her.

"What happened to her?" Ling Tian looked up at the sky without leaving that longing smile and said, "She is in a place far away, fighting on the road of life until we meet again..." Ling Tian actually had a bit of concern for her, being aware that he had not been able to return to that world and Sheng Mei should be worried about him too when he disappeared without warning. Sheng Mei held the same weight for him as if she were his own disciple in his heart: a family member.

Ling Tian simply wanted Sheng Mei to continue her life if they failed to meet again, that she would even have a family and be happy. Ling Tian always wished her the best, a truly happy life unlike her past.

"She is still fighting?" Li Fengyuan blinked her long delicate eyelashes and contemplated what Ling Tian said, not feeling any falsehood or exaggeration in his words, as if it was really the truth. The hesitation in her heart diminished greatly, still pondering it.

Ling Tian stared at the sky for a little while longer before sighing inwardly and letting out a smile; wherever Sheng Mei was, Ling Tian prayed for her sake.

Li Fengyuan thought about it some more before making a decision.

"Please take me as your personal maidservant!" Li Fengyuan knelt down and kowtowed to Ling Tian, knowing the power this young man in front of her had, "I want to become strong and that no one will ever again have to force me to do what they want!" Although Li Fengyuan still had a slight reluctance in her heart, she gathered her courage in taking this step and decided that she would do whatever it took to achieve her goal. The fate of the city and the mountains in the distance that had been cut down by Ling Tian's sword had emboldened her heart.

Ling Tian's gaze fell upon her, showing a look full of indifference as if he could see through her with her thoughts and heart for an indefinite time before lifting the corners of his mouth and smiling, "Then, from this moment on you will become the Sword Maid of this Venerable Immortal! You will be under my protection and whoever dares to harm you will have to deal with me! Not even heaven itself can question my authority!" Ling Tian's natural impulse came out for the first time and changed the feeling of the atmosphere.

* Boom! *

Lightning flashed across the clear sky and let out a fierce thunder, as if responding to Ling Tian's words!

Both Feng Ye and Feng Xiao could not help but be stunned at the sight of this strange phenomenon. Even Xuanyuan Ling and Shin Wei were no exception!

A few words could cause such a change in the sky?

But this essential change went unnoticed by Li Fengyuan, who was concentrating on Ling Tian's words and felt that there was a subtle but evident change in her, as if some shackles disappeared from her and she felt a trace of that longed-for freedom.

Was this the change and feeling of freedom she longed for?

Li Fengyuan wondered inwardly as she kowtowed to Ling Tian three times, knowing that her life had taken a different turn and she had probably entered another world.

Venerable Immortal? This identity echoed in her head and she wondered what it really meant, if Ling Tian really considered himself an immortal and a powerful one it seemed.

Ling Tian nodded as he saw Li Fengyuan's bow and raised his eyebrow as he sensed the anger in the sky, as if he had really interfered with fate's plans.

'To think that I attracted the wrath of the universe by accepting this woman and changing her fate...' Ling Tian thought inwardly about heavens' change. He knew that there were certain things that the Heavenly Dao and the universe kept written down and didn't want anyone to touch them, which was taboo. But he touched them and even changed them, thus triggering this heavenly phenomenon.

These words he said while taking Li Fengyuan also struck his soul and he felt as if in his past life he had also done the same thing, interfering with heavens themselves.

Li Fengyuan finished with her reverence and stood up once. Her expression had changed and she now felt a little freer, but when she looked at Ling Tian she maintained a respectful expression throughout.

"Take these medicinal pills and heal yourself first on the way." Ling Tian took out several medicinal pills from his storage ring and passed them to Li Fengyuan. He knew that Li Fengyuan no longer had emotional attachment in this place. Ling Tian retracted his momentum and natural aura again, causing both the few dark clouds and lightning in the sky to disappear soon after, clearing the sky and returning to normal.

"T-thank you... M-Master..." Li Fengyuan thanked and her tone carried a nervous touch.

Ling Tian seemed to take his time as he glanced around for an indefinite amount of time before saying, "Then let's go." Ling Tian nodded and headed towards the flying artifact. His gaze shifted to the Feng family's place and said, "Di Ji, let's go!" A smile formed at the sight of her.

"En!" Di Ji did not hesitate and ran towards Ling Tian. It seemed as if she was the only one who was not afraid of him.

Di Ji caught up to Ling Tian and nervously climbed onto the flying contraption.

"Yuan'er!"

A voice stopped Li Fengyuan as she was about to climb onto the flying artifact. She turned and looked it was the patriarch of the Li family where she had grown up.

Li Fengyuan looked at the patriarch of her family and the members there for a while, before cupping her fists together in thanks and saying, "Patriarch Li, family members, Fengyuan thanks you for providing me with a home and food all this time. But Fengyuan has to leave and cannot stay in this place anymore, so I ask you to forgive Fengyuan and I bid you farewell." She bowed one last time before climbing into the flying contraption behind Xuanyuan Ling.

The Li family patriarch as well as all the members glared at Li Fengyuan and the others, knowing that this family member had gone her own way.

"Niece..." Patriarch Li watched Li Fengyuan disappear before he smiled bitterly and regretfully, knowing that he had pushed this genius of his family into the corner and that Li Fengyuan no longer had any affection for this family.

"Brother, I failed to take care of your daughter..." Patriarch Li said in his heart with regret. Although he was remorseful, he knew that the path Li Fengyuan had taken would be one that even he and his family would not achieve even in generations to come.

The Li family members watched Li Fengyuan leave before sighing and repenting as well, reflecting on how they treated her and even did not hesitate to turn against her so that Li Fengyuan would marry Feng Xuan.

Ling Tian looked at this place and saw that only the Li family and the Hua family who did not interfere in the battle remained, thus saving themselves from elimination. But this place and these families were no longer of importance to Ling Tian and he boarded the flying artifact, heading for the imperial capital.