Consuming Earths, Devouring Skies

"The dao truly is infectious," Tao commented by the side, his eyes flickering with traces of profound intelligence. As a person who spent two years besides Yan Zaizen, he knew this more than anyone. A person with the dao could gather followers as easily as picking up a pebble on the side of the street. People intentionally and unintentionally flock around, desiring what they have, and seeking the dao within them.

Earlier, even he realized that his personality was being slowly affected by Yan Zaizen's dao. Not to mention, this dao was still in its developmental stages, but it was still so incredibly strong that he felt the desire to listen to Yan Zaizen's every word and watch his every action.

"Tyrannical ferocity, somber calmness, unyielding confidence, ice-cold decisiveness, and heartfelt warmth. To have so many characteristics that synchronize so perfectly together, if the rumors are true, his dao will certainly be an extraordinary one." Tao whispered to himself, looking at Yan Zaizen and Lin Feilin.

From what he knew, the dao in its early stages was born from one's past experiences and actions, and there were quite a few whose dao would shatter before fully forming. Yan Zaizen almost suffered this due to his indecisiveness and lack of confidence when thinking of Ya Qinqan, and only when he rectified these thoughts, was his dao further accentuated towards completion. If he had kept that unstable mindset, it's possible his dao could've shattered and vanished from existence. This is why Pinaka helped him, if that happened, then the heavens would surely smite her.

The dao was a fragile internal law that existed within oneself. It was like manifesting your own law, one that solely belongs to you and you only. When Yan Zaizen saw the motes of light before, his assumption was correct, if he combined all the motes of light into a single entity and comprehended it thoroughly, it truly would rival heavenly law as a whole.

It could, theoretically, become its own heaven.

For those with a dao even greater than normal, it could even exceed it.

"What is the heavens truly?" Tao couldn't help but mutter softly, his eyes filled with confusion and ponderance. Many knew what the heavens were, the regulator and controller of the myriad realms, but many records state that it's so much more than just that. Some records even mention that the heavens are the dao and the dao was the heavens. Unfortunately, his realm and comprehension were far too low to sift through the truths and falsities of these rumors.

"Fei'er, this is serious!" Lin Qinlin shouted, her tone was exasperated by their ignorantly casual words. The world didn't just work like that. You couldn't make a promise and break it without consequences, and simply deciding that you would no longer marry someone you swore to was a humiliating affair that could breed a death grudge.

However, Bai Lufeng spoke before Lin Qinlin could continue. Despite loving to see weaklings overestimate themselves and underestimate others, he couldn't allow this beauty to do so. "Qinlin, you must understand, Young Lord Zai, ahem, if he decides that she won't be married. I don't think anyone on the continent could tell him otherwise." He was trying to figure out a way to say it without revealing too much.

This, however, only caused Lin Qinlin to feel further infuriated, but she kept it all inward seeing Bai Lufeng speak. Bai Lufeng was a mid-Origin Core Realm cultivator who took an interest in her, and he was her ticket into the Origin Core Realm. Earlier, they were just talking about a grand-tier Origin Consolidation Pill that could guarantee half-step Origin Core cultivators an ascension into the realm.

How could she ruin her chances to argue over this?

If it wasn't for that, why would she flirt so obviously with another man? She had a little more self-respect than others, but an additional three thousand plus years of life, as well as a huge standing in the cultivation world, was sufficient for her to place that respect into the trash bin. Not to mention, a mid-Origin Core Realm expert as a backer would set her up nicely for the future. Each stage in the realm was like the difference between the earth and the sky.

She went silent, nodding towards him with a shy expression. Bai Lufeng could see her thoughts and couldn't help but laugh inwardly. There were countless people like this Lin Qinlin. The ones who act high and mighty to all those lower, but obedient and seeking favoritism from those stronger and more wealthy than themselves.

The non-cultivation world had a name for them: Gold-diggers.

Despite this, Bai Lufeng was ecstatic.

Tao looked over and couldn't help but inwardly shake his head. In the cultivation world, one truly doesn't know how important strength and wealth is until they've lived hundreds or thousands of years in struggle. Women like Lin Qinlin were a dime a dozen, quite literally. It wasn't just restricted to women either, but men take the same course of actions. Many are willing to throw down their bottom lines for wealth, status, personal power, and most importantly, longevity.

This is why robbery was so prevalent in the cultivation world and why Grux slave culture was required with their population density and resources.

Yan Zaizen didn't take Lin Qinlin seriously. He looked at Lin Feilin's soft hand which was within his own, and couldn't help but have particular thoughts. As for Lin Feilin, she was staring at him with that mesmerizing smile on her face and looked at him as if he was the only person in the world. A little embarrassed, he looked at Bai Lufeng and instructed, "Let's go."

Bai Lufeng promptly nodded, executing his movement art and arriving at the helm of the skyship. He brought it closer, for ease of boarding.

Lin Feilin seemed to notice her hand being in contact with Yan Zaizen for a little too long, and she quickly pulled it away. Her expression returning back to its icy-cold gaze and indifferent expression, but it was hard not to see the soft blush on her face. She jumped onto the skyship first, as if trying to avoid his gaze.

Yan Zaizen laughed at this. Yan Zaizen and Tao slowly ascended on the deck, while Lin Qinlin also followed suit. Internally, she was cursing their actions and hoped that nothing too serious takes place. After they realize their overestimation, perhaps they'll even join the Water Veil Sect. She arrived next to Bai Lufeng, her face still containing that flirty shy expression and she engaged in conversation with him.

Tao escorted Lin Feilin to a cultivation cabin as per her request and Yan Zaizen stayed on the deck looking at the surroundings in deep contemplation. Only when Tao returned and arrived beside Yan Zaizen did his eyes show signs of activity. "Tao, my Dao. Do you…" This wasn't the first time he realized the effect he had on people. In the Deep Mines, he could make others feel fear due to his tyrannical ferocity, and now, he could obviously tell that Lin Feilin was affected by his unyielding confidence and warmth.

He realized that the lower one's soul cultivation base and qi cultivation was, the easier it was to affect them. He feared that her feelings of warmth were gained from his own, and his existential thoughts of them possibly pairing could affect her feelings as well. Could it be...that if she developed feelings for him, it wasn't her own?

This scared him a little.

Tao, however, could only sigh at his thoughts. "I can't say for certain, but she trusted your word of the Soaring Cloud Sect destruction without a single shred of proof. She trusted you to help her out despite the repercussions if you failed. If she's smart, then she should have realized this. But she didn't."

Yan Zaizen's heart dropped. Indeed, his dao can inspire confidence not only from himself but to others, and her low cultivation base caused her to naturally trust him. In that case, was it real? Would any feelings she has for him be nothing less than manipulation via his dao? If he said that he loved her, would she respond in kind despite not knowing him more than a month? Despite them not interacting too deeply?

He felt that would be the case.

"I said it before, no one on this continent is worthy of you. If you decide to formulate your own harem, it'll only take a snap of your fingers and the women will pile, but if you want something true, then that'll be difficult. However, if you wait till your dao fully formulate, it shouldn't be too difficult to find someone. At this moment, your dao aura is slowly condensing and becoming stable, but it leaks far too often. When you can prevent that from happening, you'll know it's true. Until then, don't think about it too much or stifle your desires. Act how you wish." Tao reassured him.

Yan Zaizen couldn't help but feel irritated by this. However, if that's the case, then he'll simply wait. Perhaps he and Lin Feilin had a future, perhaps they didn't, but he'll have to wait until that day comes.

"Those who possess the dao has the grace of the heavens bestowed upon them, what individual can resist willingly? It's like resisting the very heavens, too difficult." Pinaka's voice resounded within his consciousness. One can hear the sheer bitterness in her voice from these words. However, she didn't say anything else and slowly went back into deep recovery.

Yan Zaizen sighed, his eyes looking at the skies. "Well, I'm young anyways. I have time." He comforted himself, his gaze filled with the unyielding confidence of his future.