The Way of The Dao

"Little Guang?" Ling Tian also couldn't help but be surprised and asked with some excitement, "Is there someone who attracted his interest?"

Ying Cheng nodded and said, "It's his assistant... mmm, we could say it's almost like she's his Alchemy disciple."

Although Ling Tian taught them all about the three main areas, he remembered that Daihang Guang was among the most outstanding in understanding in Alchemy back then.

"And how did they meet?" Ling Tian wanted to know about that woman.

"In the great Alchemy tournaments held in the continent, among us, Brother Guang participated the most and took the first places several times." Hao Zhentian told about their martial brother and continued, "Since Brother Guang had made an identity for himself, it would be obvious that he would meet many people. It was on one of those occasions when he attended the last great tournament as a judge that he met that woman."

Ling Tian was surprised and felt happy. It seemed that Daihang Guang and all these guys had done a lot of things. Daihang Guang even entered and won to those kinds of tournaments he knew.

"But that woman was only a maidservant due to the fact that she ended up being sold by her own family because of problems between large families with strong backers. Because of that, she ended up as a slave and servant to a woman who was considered a genius for her cultivation ability and more." Ying Chen sighed. On his face, one could notice that lamentation and even displeasure when talking about those people.

"The world is always like this. You will meet every kind of people that you will never end up surprising." Ling Tian spoke indifferently, sighing inwardly, "And then what happened?"

"Brother Guang saw this by chance and got upset. He then talked to the current family in possession of that woman and after some dealings, Brother Guang ended up giving them a round of pills to help that woman enter into the Nascent Soul state. Since it wasn't difficult for him at all, he ended up agreeing easily." Ying Chen opened his palms as he explained.

"Genius in the Golden Core state?" Ling Tian was disdainful at the thought of this woman who claimed to be a genius.

A true genius at least wouldn't need the corresponding pills to enter the next realm. Not that a genius wouldn't need outside help like pills, but in the way of advancement they would be unpredictable and would really stand out to others by growing in surprising ways.

And if she couldn't make those kinds of pills for her own advancement in cultivation either, then there was nothing more to say.

Ying Chen nodded with the same expression and continued, "Then Brother Guang obtained that woman's freedom by eliminating all the problems with that family and made her his assistant for the remainder of the tournament. Once they finished, Brother Guang learned that that woman had a good aptitude and knowledge for alchemy due to her previous status, so he gave her several tests and housed her in the Great Alchemy Association of the Continent. After that, the woman did not want to disappoint him and showed great potential by studying hard. Brother Guang continued to supervise her and over time they formed a good relationship in which the woman became a great assistant to our brother when he performed Alchemy."

"When we realized it, we noticed that happy and genuine interaction in which the two of them related." Hao Zhentian smiled, showing that he was happy for his brother. 

"So, if it's certain that they two will end up together?" Ling Tian asked with a happy expression.

"Yes!" Sun Xiang replied with a laugh and added, "Rather, the two of them are like lovebirds but slowly making progress."

Ling Tian was happy about this but asked with some puzzlement, "Slowly? Little Guang is taking his time?"

"You could say so, Master." Shin Wei spoke up this time and said, "Brother Guang really likes that woman and we can also see that she is obviously in love with him. It's just that, since we don't know if at the next moment we might feel the call to ascend, Brother Guang wasn't completely sure about taking the next step. If he were forced to ascend, he would not be able to see her for a long time until that woman ascended. That is why he has been dragging things up to the present time." 

Ling Tian finally understood. Daihang Guang was insecure about taking the next step because of divine ascension; if he accepted and then ascended, he might not see that woman for a long time. That would leave a worry in his heart.

"Haah... Little Guang is a fool." Ling Tian sighed and said, which made the others surprised, "I'm not saying that he is wrong, but on the contrary, it is very wise and reasonable that he can think to that extent. But that is precisely why he is also a fool to close his mind."

At once, Ling Tian looked at each of them and explained, "If you were to meet someone and for some reason you were in the same position as your brother, you don't have to think and complicate yourself with those moments of separation in the future. If you and that special person are meant to be together, then you will meet again as many times as necessary." Ling Tian showed a serious expression and remarked his words, "If there is something preventing you from being together and forcing you apart, then fight and destroy that obstacle, find a way to overcome it and move on. Don't just stay with the thought and the attempt to do so!"

Ling Tian understood this in many ways. Although he too did not like the idea of being separated for a long time, Ling Tian would do whatever it took to find his family and be together.

Patting Ying Chen's shoulder, Ling Tian said again, "Never hesitate to do or express whatever you feel in your hearts. You will never know if that moment could be your last together with that person. You might deeply regret it when that person has to leave or you might not be able to see them again... either for a while or for all eternity. It's better to have a beautiful memory than a haunting regret that will keep you from moving on."

The boys nodded with a great sense of gratitude at Ling Tian's advice. They understood what Ling Tian wanted to explain to them, as they had also felt it directly when Ling Tian was with them back then and was in deep depression and sadness.

"By the way." Ling Tian recalled some of what Ying Chen said and asked, "You said that Little Guang housed that woman in the Alchemy Association. You mean that Great Alchemy Association of the entire continent?"

"Yes! That Great Alchemy Association that covers the entire continent..." Ying Chen paused for a moment and immediately took out a token and handed it to Ling Tian, "Master, this is the token of the Alchemy Association in the entire Heavenly Earth Continent. I forgot to tell you about it." Ying Chen gave himself a slap on his forehead.

Ling Tian took the token and saw that it was made of a special kind of dark-colored wood that was light and thin, but almost indestructible. On its surface there were 5 big gold stars in the middle and the characters "Alchemy Association" were written on it.

"Are you a member of this association?" Ling Tian raised his eyebrows in surprise when he saw it. This token that had the 5 gold stars on its surface and with the kind of material which it was made of, it showed that Ying Chen is at least a high-level member in this association and a very important one.

"We are all part of the association, Master." Shin Wei took out his own token and showed it. Hao Zhentian and Sun Xiang also took out their own tokens.

All of them were the same as Ying Chen's.

"And how did you get in?" Ling Tian asked in surprise. This association is very famous all over the continent, but he never paid any importance to it back then due to the fact that he could make his own pills himself and had all the recipes for concocting them.

"By brother Guang." Ying Chen smiled and explained, "Since he had won those tournaments many times, the president of the association heard about it and even talked with him. After exchanging advice and experience, the president himself was very impressed by Brother Guang's ability and when he learned that all of us are also skilled like our brother but remained hidden, he was shocked by it."

Ling Tian smiled as he imagined all that.

"Then, the president wanted to continue to exchange advice with Brother Guang and us to improve with his own Alchemy, which finally he made him the vice president of the whole Alchemy Association and gave him the status and identity. To us he also bestowed great status like Brother Guang and we became Great Elders." Ying Chen made an expression saying that they did not seek it and everything came to them.

"I imagine it couldn't be that easy for him to have given you those identities and statuses..." Ling Tian narrowed his eyes and said.

No one would give without asking for something in return. There must be something behind all this.

Indeed, Ying Chen nodded and smirked, "Of course. When the president also found out that we were all already experts of the Great Ascension state as well, he asked us to help in case the association was in danger or some other kind of trouble that endangers the association. He also asked Brother Guang if he could teach several special members with great potentials so that they could improve in Alchemy."

Ling Tian was not surprised by this.

"In exchange for that, we could obtain any herbs and plants we wanted. We could even ask for support from the Alchemy Association if we encountered any kind of mishap."

"And you guys agreed?" Ling Tian asked.

"At first we weren't sure and didn't accept because we weren't interested, since we could get what we wanted ourselves and the Alchemy Association wouldn't be of much help to us. We all knew how to concoct pills." Ying Chen shook his head and said, "We thought that the president would hide other intentions, but in time we found out that this was not the case and that he really just wanted to make the Association greater and better, since high-ranking Alchemists are very rare and as time goes by alchemy is declining."

"He also explained that we didn't have to deliver our recipes or anything else, but that just our advice and experiences would be enough to bring a big change to the whole Association. We could also help from time to time." Shin Wei added shortly, "If we were to sell some recipes, they would gladly buy them at a good price as well."

Ling Tian frowned for a moment and asked, "Who is the president of the Association?"

"His name is Fang Ye." Hao Zhentian replied.

Ling Tian searched through his memories and seemed familiar with that name.

"I probably know him. But I don't remember from where." Ling Tian sighed and said, "Did you tell him about me?"

"No. No one has been told about you, Master." Ying Chen shook his head. None of them talked about Ling Tian, "We only said we have a Master but never revealed your identity."

Ling Tian nodded. He didn't know if there would be people looking for him. If they found out about his relationship with all of them, they would try to harm them.

Ling Tian handed the token to Ying Chen again, but the latter waved his hands and said with a smile, "Keep it, it is for you, Master. With this you can ask for help at the Alchemy Association and ask for all kinds of herbs if you needed them and you wouldn't have to pay anything."

Ling Tian showed a grateful smile and rubbed Ying Chen's hair making a muss of it.

Before Ling Tian put the token in his storage ring, Ying Chen again took out several tokens with similar designs to the Alchemy Association token and grinned proudly.

"We also have identities in the Formation Association and the Forging Association..."