《The Urban Dao Child》


 Chapter 1: Yang Dao.

    In the city of Jade, a young boy, with a handsome face, crewcut black hair, stood at the train station entrance. The boy was wearing a casual t-shirt, jeans, and white sneakers. His dark black eyes were sparkling. A lot of women gave him a second glance. The boy only smiled and walked towards where a banner addressing the new students hung. He came to stand below the banner and saw a lean boy standing there. The other boy was wearing a formal shirt and trousers. His hair was brownish.


    The boy spoke, "Excuse me, are you here to meet with new students of THE NATIONAL UNIVERSITY?"


    The boy holding the banner smiled and said, "Hello, junior brother, my name is Steven. I am a second-year student responsible for escorting new students to the college to complete registration. May I know what is your name?"


    The black-haired boy replied, "Good morning, senior brother, my name is Yang Dao."


    Steven smiled and was about to look through the list when his hands shook. He looked at the boy in front of him as if this guy was a monster with six arms and three hands. Steven asked, "Are you THE YANG DAO, who scored perfect marks in the national exams?"


    Yang Dao smiled and said, "Senior, I am not THE YANG DAO. I am just, Yang Dao. And yes, I did score full marks in the exams."


    Steven was shivering with excitement. He yelled to a boy standing at a distance, "MARIO, GET YOUR ASS OVER. I HAVE TO GET THIS BROTHER TO COLLEGE. YOU HOLD THE FORT."


    The boy called Mario was someone with curly golden-brown hair. He wore round glasses. An oval shape with a sharp nose. He did not even have the time to react before Steven grabbed Yang Dao by his arm and pulled him to a car parked on the side. He helped Yang Dao with his luggage and even pulled the door open for him. The car ignited and ran through the traffic. All this happened in a moment.


    ...


    Inside the car, Yang Dao said, "Senior, your reaction is it not a bit too much?" he was actually very bewildered by this reaction from his senior.


    Steven replied, "You have no idea. I was instructed by our principal to bring you straight to college as soon as you come to report. Not only me, but even the student envoys at the airport and bus stations all around the city. You might not know, but you are a superstar." he laughed when he finished speaking.


    Yang Dao spoke again, "Why? I understand that I did well in the exam, but there is no need for such a big hub-hub." he frowned as he wanted to stay low profile. The principal of the college was over-excited. Steven saw Yang Dao''s frown and said, "I understand your way of thinking, Junior Yang. I am also ''poor'' in the eyes of some people, but my grades and hard work speak for me. I know that you do not want any trouble, but these ''rich people'' do not bother with people like us until we offend them." he tried to console Yang Dao.


    The boy next to him looked out of the window and said, "Senior, if someone values their silk-pant face, and an orphan with no background is treated specially in front of them. What do you think they would do? They will not create trouble from the shadows?"


    Steven was surprised when he realized that what he said was true. These second-generation rich guys were really arrogant. Even if the national college was the top institute, and it advocated equality, outside the campus gates it was an urban jungle.


    Liro was the earth of another dimension. The people here were cunning. They feared the strong but bullied the weak. Laws and rules were always the tools of the rich. Steven sighed, knowing all this. He was also helpless. The one who was responsible for all this was the principal. That undying fart was a person who wouldn''t change his decision once he made it, even if the world is collapsing. Yang Dao was correct to be worried about this. Jade City was the capital of the Jewel Nation. This place was the hub of many evil capitalists. These people were scum gilded in gold and jewel stones.


    The car reached the campus gate, but it did not stop there and rushed straight to the core administration office. The campus building was a castle. The highest tower in the castle was the principal office. This office had 8 windows overlooking the whole campus. Yang Dao did not even glance around on the campus. He was in a bad mood. The reason behind his bad mood was the principal of this college.


    Steven took out Yang Dao''s luggage from the trunk and led him to visit the principal''s office. Yang Dao unwillingly followed Steven. They both came to an automated staircase and stepped on. The staircase led them to the only operating place in the tower. They both came to the top floor. A wooden door greeted them. Steven knocked twice on the door. He spoke, "Dean, Yang Dao is here."


    A loud voice came from the other side, "WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR ON THE OUTSIDE? COME IN HERE."


    Steven pushed the door and entered with Yang Dao following him. The office was very simple. There was a mahogany table in the center of the office covered with some files and a computer screen. An old man stood in the shoulder-long gray hair. He wore a steel gray three-piece suit. The man had some wrinkle on his face. His face was a normal everyday face that can easily be forgotten in the crowd.


    The man walked forward in big strides as soon as he saw Yang Dao. He checked him out from head to toe and grabbed his shoulders. He spoke, "Good boy, I am Brad Mcqueen. I finally see what a genius looks like. I have arranged a ceremony for you. You will address the new students at the noon."


    Yang Dao''s eyes were saying, ''I will address shit, you old fart.''

 Chapter 2: Resgistration.

    Yang Dao gave the old man a cold stare. The old man however ignored his look completely. He then glanced at Steven and said, "Boy, you did a good job. You can go to the accounts. Your monthly tuition fee is waived off by me."


    Steven was about to rush out when he felt a death stare from his side. Although he was a bit guilty, it was human nature to be selfish. The boy exited the room with his eyes, avoiding Yang Dao. The principal spoke, "Yang Dao, you can rest at your lodgings. All the charges of your education have been waived off by the college. We hope that you like it here."


    Yang Dao spoke, "Mister Principal, I have not yet completed the registration. Also, I will not be addressing the students today. This is not up for discussion. Or I do not mind taking a taxi straight to the Soldiers Academy." his voice was low and his pace was slow.


    The principal looked at him with his eyes wide open. He could not believe why this boy in front of him refused such an honor. He also did not think that this boy would dare to threaten him with Soldiers Academy. He asked in a calm voice, "Yang Dao, why do you refuse to address the students?"


    Yang Dao spoke, "Sir, I dislike to be the center of attention."


    Brad Mcqueen spoke again, "Yang Dao, this speech does not make you the center of attention. Just give off a single liner and walk down the stage. How about it?"


    Yang Dao shook his head, "No, I have seen and heard about a lot of narrow-minded pricks. This slogan might turn into a wave of trouble for me."


    Brad Mcqueen spoke again, "Yang Dao, I understand your worries. Relax, I will take a step in if anyone tries to make things difficult for you. You are young and be wild. Do you think you have no background? You are the national record holder. Do you know how many people are watching over you from the shadows? These people are big shots of the government. You don''t have to worry at all. Believe me, we will support you." his tone was calm and his eyes were sincere.


    Yang Dao fell into deep thought. He breathed heavily and said, "Okay, I will do it. But if someone comes looking for trouble, then do not blame me if I eliminate troubles from the root."


    Brad Mcqueen heaved a sigh of relief and nodded. Inside, he was thinking, ''Phew, who said this brat was easy to get along. I had to coax him with the support of the leaders. I hope no one seeks trouble with him or things will get messy.''


    Yang Dao then asked where to go to complete his registration. The principal gave him the directions and sent him out. Yang Dao came downstairs by the automated stairs and walked around with his luggage. Not like he needed help, but who doesn''t like to be pampered. He asked some senior students passing by to confirm the direction. After following the direction, he came to a hall-like structure. He saw a registration window. A long queue of students was already standing there.


    Yang Dao fell in the queue, patiently waiting for his turn. The queue drifted and Yang Dao felt his phone vibrate. He took out a brick phone and accepted the call. It was a familiar number. He spoke, "Hello! Sister Emma... Yes, I reached... No, it was an easy journey... Now? I am about to complete the registration... Yes, don''t worry. You tell others to take care and give little ones my love... Yes, bye."


    A girl standing beside him was listening to his conversation. She couldn''t help but speak, "Hello, I am Kiya. Nice to meet you. We will be classmates in the future. How about we get to know each other?"


    Yang Dao gave her a slight smile and said, "I am Yang Dao, nice to meet you."


    Kiya was a pretty girl. This prettiness was common. So few people felt jealous about it. But soon a girl in high heels walked over and stood behind Kiya. She spoke, "Damn, Kiya. Found a friend as soon as you arrive. Why do people not talk to me?"


    Kiya giggle and said, "Well, Sasha, is it not because you make them run away after one sentence."


    Yang Dao did not take part in the conversation. He did not know this new person, so why should he interfere. The girl Sasha was at least ten points more beautiful than Kiya. She was 1.7 meters tall, with slender legs. Oval face, blue eyes with blonde hair. She was very fair. The boys have been checking her out for a long time.


    She noticed that Yang Dao did not take any initiative to introduce himself. She raised her eyebrow in surprise usually people would flock around her. She was dressed in brands all over. Her identity was that of a princess of a rich family. She wanted to get to know this boy who ignored her charm, yet her ego stopped her from approaching him. She started chatting with Kiya. Kiya also did not introduce her to Yang Dao. Kiya was among the top hundred. She was a focused girl and did not compare or care about other people''s results.


    The queue crawled slowly and Yang Dao answered some congratulatory calls. Now it was his turn to register himself as a student. He took out his invitation letter and national ID card. The documents were passed on to the chubby clerk sitting behind the window. He looked at the ID and typed in the number. Soon the details of the student appeared on the computer screen. The chubby clerk''s eye dilated into pinpoints. He could not help but scream loudly.


    "ARE YOU YANG DAO? THE TOP SCORER IN THE WHOLE COUNTRY?" the man shouted loudly, successfully attracting all the attention of the people inside the hall. Some people even started clicking pictures. Yang Dao hated this kind of reaction. He even regretted scoring the highest. But what could he do in this situation other than nod? He cannot go up and just slap this fat man to shut up.


    He nodded and the fat man became excited. He hurriedly printed a pre-filled form. He handed the form to Yang Dao. The fat man said, "Student Yang, you can sign here and the process will be complete."


    Yang Dao nodded. He did not bother with the pen offered by the man. He took out his own ordinary pen and signed his name. He returned the form and was about to go out when the man said, "Student Yang, the details of your parents are not mentioned here. It is needed for the University."


    Yang Dao nodded and took back the form. Then he wrote something on the form. Returned it to the man and left after passing a faint smile to Kiya, who stood there shocked. Sasha and the other students were also shocked. They did not know that the mysterious National topper would come here. The details about this student were not known to many people.


    Sensing that it was a good chance, another clerk snatched the form from the shocked fat man to see what was written. The clerk was also shocked. A flash of pity flashed in his eyes. The students saw this and asked, "Sir, what is written there?"


    "Yes, yes, sir. Tell us, which big family does he come from?"


    The fat man spoke with a sad voice, "What big family? That boy is an orphan."


    Some people exclaimed, "What? He is an orphan? Oh my god."


    "How is this possible? Doesn''t this mean that this by scored and defeated this whole country on his own?"


    "Fuck, this is scary. I like it."


    Yang Dao was unaware of all this and he walked towards his dormitory. Even if he knew, he could not care less about it.

 Chapter 3: On The Stage.

    Yang Dao located his dormitory. The room he was provided as a single person room. It was done because he was a topper and he deserved at least this much courtesy. Yang Dao took out the card provided to him by the principal. The room had advanced security measures and was installed with a computerized lock. Yang Dao tapped the card on the lock and the door opened with a click. He dragged his suitcase inside. The room was actually two rooms. One living room furnished with a sofa set and table. Behind the living room was an open kitchen equipped with some basic appliances. Yang Dao walked straight to the small corridor leading to his bedroom and study. There was a normal bed in the room. Capable to accommodate one person with no problem.


    Opposite the bed was a small study table with a bookshelf hanging over it. There was also a bathroom and a balcony in this room. Yang Dao was satisfied with such a room. He raised his wrist to look. It was about time for the student gathering. The registrations would close for the day. They will continue tomorrow and every student can take part as long as they have the invitation letter. Yang Dao opened his suitcase and took out a pair of formal blue shirt and blue pants. He also took out his belt and formal black shoes. It was all the gifts he got from the people in his orphanage.


    Yang Dao took out a change of his undergarments and toiletries. He walked towards the bathroom to take a bath and get ready for the student''s address. After taking a bath, he came out with his hair slightly wet. He first hanged his towed to dry on the balcony. Then he came in and brushed his hair. Following the steps, he first wore a blue shirt, black pants, a pair of blue socks, and black shoes. The shoes were well kept. He then tied a silver strap watch on his wrist. He checked himself in the mirror one more time and left after finding nothing wrong with his attire. He folded the sleeves of his shirt by a quarter and his looks were enhanced by a multiple of ten.


    On the way to the assembly hall, a lot of students saw him. Girls looked at him with adoration while guys gave him an envious glance. Yang Dao ignored them all. He really did not like to become the object of scrutiny. He walked over and saw Kiya and Sasha also following the trail to the hall. Kiya saw Yang Dao, who smiled at her. She instinctively did not greet him and just returned the gesture. Yang Dao gave her a second glance and kept walking to the assembly hall. His eyes were filled with disappointment.


    He thought to himself, ''People always act like that. If you are too high profile they a scared of you. If you are too low-profile. They suddenly think you are not worth shit. This universe is filled with snobs. Snobs who only indulge with those who are on the same level as them. Whether it is the rich or the poor. Humph. I am good on my own.''


    His resolve to stay low-profile to avoid people became more rigid at this moment. He arrived at the assembly hall and stood among the masses like a normal student. Some people though still recognized him. They started whispering and even pointed fingers at him. He could sense all those fingers without even looking at those people. Yet he could only ignore them. The clock struck three, and the principal walked up to the stage. Followed by the teaching faculty of the first-year students and also the heads of the departments. He only stood in the crowd, glancing at the stage.


    The principal tapped the mic twice and everybody fell silent. He spoke, "Hello, students. Welcome to The National University. I am Brad McQueen, your principal. I congratulate you all on getting admitted to this great institution. This campus has witnessed the rise of lots of scholars, leaders, and tycoons. I believe that your batch will also have some remarkable figures waiting to rise and cover the sky. I hope you are taking the rules seriously because in our college they are not bent for anyone, and I mean anyone. You all should have read the rule book by now and I would not waste anymore time over this issue. Now I ask the Head of departments to come over and address you."


    The crowd applauded for the principal. The speeches continued and every department head took their time to introduce the faculty members responsible for the one by one. This was a slow and boring process, but the students were high on adrenaline. They experienced all this for the first time. This spared Yang Dao the itchy fingers pointed towards him. The principal took over the mic again after the Head of Departments were done.


    The old man spoke, "Now is the time to introduce you to this year''s student representative. Please cheer up your classmate and also the genius who broke the all-time high score record in the general entrance exam this year. Yang Dao."


    Yang Dao walked forward under a good enough applause by the ''snobs''. Yes, Yang Dao named the whole society as ''snobs'' collectively. He stepped on the stage. Shook hands with the faculty and Heads of departments. He came to the Mic stand. Suddenly a voice came from the crowd.


    "He grew up in an orphanage. How is he good enough to represent us, the people of High society?


    The principal retorted, "This is a university. Here your marks talk. Not the last name you were given by your family."


    The boy who tried to stir up trouble quietened down. Yang Dao spoke, "Respected, teacher, faculty members and staff of the university. I, Yang Dao, on the behalf of all the freshers would like to thank you for taking care of us students through the years we graduate. As for my fellow classmates, I would like to say, for the next four years we all will be together. I hope we all get along and help each other if need be. Thank You."


    There was good enough applause. Yang Dao got off the podium with a smile on his face. Some girls even clicked his picture. He was already handsome but when he smiled the people around will also smile.

 Chapter 4: Trash.

    Yang Dao walked down the stage, his destination, The Library. Although he was a new student the principal had allowed him 24*7 access. This was what he wanted. Yang Dao always thought that books were better than some snobs. He was actually right about this in a way. Yang Dao left the assembly hall in large strides. He ignored all the rich boys and even girls. Which was like a slap to their faces. Though the rich girls here were also very happy that he did not choose someone else. They won''t be bothering such a charming boy.


    But the silk-pant boys thought that even if this guy scored the perfect score he should come and bow down to them. After all, they had money. Yang Dao''s ignorance was not a slap to their face but it was like he spat on their faces under the eyes of the whole grade. A rich boy looked at his peer and said, "Humph, ignoring us as if he is the king. This dirt-blood has eyes in the sky. He looks down on us."


    A blonde-haired boy said, "Jack, I feel like. He is arrogant because of his face. How about we break his face. Also hands too. Hehehe..."


    The other rich boys exchanged a glance, they were somewhat hesitant. A muscular guy wearing a thick gold chain spoke, "Just bruise his face. Don''t be too excessive. Rather than physical torment, break his spirit. He is a dirt-blood, I want to see how big is his spirit. Let''s go, catch him before he enters the Library."


    "Yes, brother Tyson." The group spoke. This man was Tyson Carlos, son of the owner of Paradise Hotel Group. This was one of the top hotel groups on Liro. You can guess the arrogance. The group followed the lead of this boy to capture Yang Dao.


    ...


    Yang Dao was walking at a normal pace. His hands were inside his pants, although the sun was high in the sky there was always a cool breeze around Yang Dao. He always felt comfortable regardless of the weather. One time a little girl was lost and it was the winter season. She was crying as she could not find her mother. Fortunately, she met Yang Dao. Maybe because the girl was very young. She was shivering in the cold breeze despite having some woolens clothes on. So Yang Dao stepped forward and offered her his only jacket and carried her in his arms. Only after two hours did they found her mother who was also looking for the child all around with a nervous expression on her face. Turns out the girl mixed up their meeting place and walked to another block.


    The temperature was freezing cold but Yang Dao was totally fine. As smart as he was, how can he not understand that there was something unusual with his body. But despite all the research through the books and legends. He could not find anything to define what it was inside him. And he was afraid to go to the doctors, in case they turned him into a lab rat which would be a terrifying experience.


    So he convinced himself that it was a blessing of the gods. As a child who grew up in an orphanage. He always believed that there is some higher existence that he cannot describe or explain in the terms of science and reason. Though he believed in this existence it was not so much that it could defy his sense of reason.


    Yang Dao was about fifty meters away from the Library when he heard some engines roaring behind him. He did not even look back and shook his head. He knew what these cars were coming for. All sorts of luxury cars encircled him. They were all sports cars. The doors opened and boys in branded clothes stepped down the cars. They had different hair colors, eyes, and body types but one thing was similar among them. That was the unbridled arrogance on their faces.


    A blonde-haired boy leaned back on his car engine. He spoke to Yang Dao who stood in the center of this circular formation, "Hey, do you think you are a big shot? How dare you not greet us? Do you not know the difference in your status? Filthy Dirt-blood."


    These words were very rude and offending but Yang Dao did not react and stood there with indifference on his face. He hated this kind of people the most. But his silence was mistaken as his weakness.


    Another boy spoke, "Still not apologizing, Jack, looks like he does not put you in his eyes. Hahaha..." his words were adding the fuel to the fire.


    Jack was the blonde-haired boy. He wore black attire, making his fair complexion very handsome, yet it was still lacking in comparison to Yang Dao. Jack spoke again with scorn on his face, "He is just an ant in my eyes, but you dare to tease me? Do you want to lose a layer of skin too, Matthew?"


    The boy who teases him was called Mattew Tartarus. Their family was a big name in the country. Just like Jack''s and they were always competing. So Matthew only chuckled at this threat. Jack focused on Yang Dao again, "Hey, dirt-blood. Still do not come over to greet us. I give you a count to three. If you still did not speak. I will have you crawling on the floor for the rest of your life."


    His threat made even the rich people feel chills down their spines. Jack was known to have made the people who offended him crawl for the rest of their lives by breaking their spines. This was a brutal method. They would not want to experience it even in their dreams. Matthew had a playful smile on his face. He wanted to see this Yang Dao broken.


    Jack counted in a deep voice, "One... two... three... Okay, Bosco, come and break him."


    Matthew spoke in a low voice, "Shit, it''s Bosco. Jack is serious. Damn this thing will be troublesome."


    A boy with gray dyed hair spoke, "Brother Matthew, is this not getting overboard? This is still the university campus, I have heard that the principal here is very strict."


    Matthew did not reply but Tyson spoke, "It''s okay, we will handle it. It''s just a little dirt-blood." his words were enough to make every one silent


    Bosco was his butler and bodyguard. This man was specially trained in advanced martial arts. He used to be a mercenary in the past but Jack''s father spent a hundred million to get this man to guard his son. This man was capable of killing 20 people as strong as an average soldier with his bare hands. Bosco stepped up from behind Jack. He was a muscular man with a wide jaw face. A scar on his nose and eyebrow making him look very dominating and fierce. He walked slowly towards Yang Dao. He spoke as he stepped forward, "Why do you not bow down? Do you not know, those who do not bow to the strong winds will break?"


    Yang Dao did not react but kept looking at his feet. As soon as Bosco was one meter away from him, the boy in the blue shirt moved. He took a left foot forward, firmly put it on the ground and his right leg whipped out. A simple and straight kick aiming for the abdomen of the opponent. The surrounding people did not even have a chance to react. When Bosco clutched his belly with his hands. His body trembled, he found it hard to breathe. Raised his head with difficulty and glanced at the boy in front of him with a shocked expression on his face.


    He could not even speak. He locked eyes with Yang Dao and the indifference in those eyes made him feel scared. He, Bosco, the killing machine was scared of this kid? Everyone was ready t shout when they heard a calm and cold voice, "Trash."

 Chapter 5: Finally Found You.

    "Trash." this word was spoken not in a loud voice but it was enough to make the group of rich kids feel uneasy. The one who was shocked the most was not Jack, Bosco''s employer, but Tyson. He did not expect this boy to defeat Bosco with one kick. The more exaggerating fact was that he still had his hands in the pocket of his pants. The gray-haired boy next to Matthew spoke, "Bro... brother Matthew, he still has his hands in the pockets."


    These words woke up everyone. They finally noticed this point. It can be said that other than Tyson, it was this boy who was good at observing the whole scene thoroughly. Yang Dao looked at Bosco, "I heard these people say that you were some big name? Did not even put your guard on. Do you think because I am young I am not strong?" he paused and looked at Jack.


    His indifferent eyes gave Jack feel as if he was looking at a beast. Yang Dao spoke, "You Were speaking a lot just now. I hate snobs like you. What are you all without your families? Trash. Incomparable trash. Each one of you. How much did you spend to get a back door entry in this college? Humph cannot even pass an exam and dare to look down on me? You called me ''Dirt-blood''? Yes, I am an orphan. I do not know my parents, but everything I own is made by my own two hands. While you people are parasites. Money-sucking parasites, worse than even a ''Dirt-blood.'' Do not waste my time. Get lost. Yang Dao does not like to cause trouble, but remember I am not afraid of trouble either."


    He spoke domineeringly, took large strides to walk towards the library again. Tyson who was sitting inside his car the whole time stepped out. He clapped his hands slowly and came to block Yang Dao''s path. He spoke, "Little, ''dirt-blood''. Do you think you are something high and mighty by kicking down a dog? Come practice with me. Let me see how powerful and skilled you are."


    Tyson was not stronger than Bosco, but he was good enough to know that the brain and body together can break out of even near-death situations if used together in harmony. Yang Dao did not stop. He did not speak. He ignored not only Tyson but also Tyson''s whole existence. This action of his enraged Tyson. The muscular boy kept his cool and said, "How about I go to Bell City and ask Yurika to fight me?"


    Yang Dao stopped. He raised his gaze and his eyes focused on Tyson''s face. His eyes showed a flash of anger. He did not speak but just kept staring at Tyson. The latter smirked and said, "I know everything about you, little dirt-blood. Your Orphanage has produced quite some little flowers. I would smell them all after putting you down."


    Yang Dao was so enraged that he would not even care about anything and kill Tyson right here. The surrounding wind turned a bit fast, but nobody noticed this. Yang Dao spoke, "Come." as soon as his words dropped from his lips, Tyson rushed at him like a leopard waiting to strike.


    Yang Dao was ready for this kind of reaction and took one big step back. Tyson did not stop and threw out a fast right fist at his opponent. Yang Dao was also not slow, although you might not see he has built up his muscles ever since he was in high school. Three years of daily workout and raising the intensity every week can turn you into a machine. He did not have any big bulging muscles, but his muscles were tight and solid. They carried explosive power inside them. He caught Tyson''s wrist with his right hand, sidestepped facing the same direction as Tyson, and used his left hand to chop Tyson''s throat.


    COUGH!


    Tyson coughed, but he was not given a chance to catch his breath. Yang Dao twisted the right arm grabbed by him with full force. Tyson gave out a muffled wail. Yang Dao was merciful and did not break his hand yet.


    Tyson shouted, "Fucking, son of a bitch, let go of my hand or I will destroy you and your orphanage. All of your dirt-blood siblings will burn under my wrath."


    Yang Dao''s reverse scale was poked once more, and he said, "Still do not realize your situation?" he exerted force and twisted Tyson''s arm with full force. Three crisp clicking sounds were heard by everyone present.


    ARGHHHHH...


    Tyson wailed under agonizing pain. Yang Dao snorted, "Noisy Trash." he lifted his left leg and kick Tyson in the back of his head. The wailing stopped. Tyson was knocked out. He was now laying down, making peace with the asphalt. The other people were shocked, and they did not even dare to breathe loudly. This guy was a monster. Bosco, who stood behind Jack still rubbing his torso, felt lucky to have not continued advancing against this boy. Jack sneered, "You just committed physical violence. You will rot in prison, filthy worm."


    Yang Dao glanced at him and Jack was scared off. The boy reached into his pocket and took out a brick phone. He clicked a few times, and a voice came out from the phone. When the people heard the voice, they were all stunned. They did not believe that this boy would have recorded everything they said till now. One guy with orange hair spoke, "So what if you have an audio recording. Do you think you can scare us? We just need to say that it is all recorded with the help of voice artists."


    Yang Dao laughed, "Surely, you are the crap who bought his way in. The police will judge all this. But since you scums can buy your way out of the law, I will sell this clip to the media. Your company shares will plummet. As a national top scorer. I will have some credibility."


    They all shut up. The silence was disturbed by a, ''Da Da Da Da'' sound. The wind around that was like a gust turned even more violent. They saw a shiny red helicopter arriving towards them. Matthew saw the emblem drawn on the side of the Helicopter and he shouted, "Fuck, isn''t this the brand mark of Phoenix Group."


    A blazing phoenix spreading its wings, facing the sky. This was the insignia of a business giant on Liro. The phoenix group. This was an entity this group of people looked up to. If they were tycoons in the face of the masses, then they were masses in the owner''s face of the Phoenix Group. The chopper landed a little further than the place where the cars were parked. A security guard got down and hurriedly pulled open the back door of this luxury chopper. A set of folded titanium steps fell down.


    A beautiful woman with black hair neatly tied into a high bun, wearing a one-piece white and gray office skirt, a pair of red stilettos. The woman was as if a painting drawn by the gods stepped down from the chopper. She walked towards the group of silk pants. Straight sharp nose, slender brows, bright almond eyes, rosy lips. Long legs, thin waist, perfect figure. No words could describe this woman''s beauty. Her white porcelain neck was adorned by a ruby pendant. The ruby was as big as an apricot. She also had two ruby earrings on her ears.


    Jack, Matthew, and the other boys were enchanted when Bosco sucked in a cold breath. He spoke to Jack, "Boss, don''t look at her with lust. She is the owner of the Phoenix Group. The Pheonix herself, Miss Feng Yun."


    All the boys woke up in an instant. They all had cold sweat on their forehead. The woman did not bother with them. She scurried avoiding their admiring gazes and came to Yang Dao. A satisfied smile surfaced on her face. This smiled shocked all the people. Even Yang Dao was a bit surprised by this smile. What happened next almost scared people to death?


    Feng Yun bowed to Yang Dao and said, "Young Master, Feng Yun, finally found you."

 Chapter 6: The Dao Child.

    Yang Dao was shocked in a daze by what the woman said. He asked again with an unsure tone, "Excuse me, Madam. Are you talking to me?"


    Feng Yun stood straight with a smile on her face. She spoke in a voice so warm and soft that it could melt the whole planet, let alone some stone-hearted person.


    "Young Master, I am talking to you. I understand that you have a lot of questions but do not worry. I will answer them all. You can just board the chopper and I will take you to the place where I live."


    Yang Dao would have agreed if he was a normal human, but he was not. This tone had a little effect on him. He spoke, "I need to register my library card first and also collect the course books. Can we not just sit down in the library and talk? Also, it is quiet there."


    The people around wanted to rush up and kill him. This guy, how dare he to ask this empress of a lady to escort him to the library? Did he perhaps think that just because she was acting respectful to him? He can put up such absurd requests. The monkeys on the side-line got excited when they saw this man refusing this lady. They have pinned their gazes to the lady in front of them.


    Feng Yun did not even hesitate or think for even a second. She replied, "Yes, it would be my pleasure."


    This simple sentence shocked the rich pants and around. Yang Dao glanced at the lady one more time and nodded. He turned to walk away from the encirclement, avoiding all these losers. Tyson was groaning unconsciously on the ground. He suddenly woke up when he tried to move his hand and felt agonizing pain. He wailed and after a moment memories flowed back. He yelled towards Yang Dao in rage.


    "You filthy dirt-blood. I will destroy your orphanage. I will kill every single man in there and use the females as my slave. You just wait, you fucking son of a bitch. I will make you pay the price. YOU DIRT BLOOD." his words were scary but not to Yang Dao. The rich pants around him were all looking at him with a pale face. They all wanted to erase his existence. Yang Dao had just walked to the edge of the encirclement when he heard these words.


    The wind became violent. A fearsome pressure radiated from him. It was focused on Tyson and the rich pants. He turned around and wanted to rush and kill him when he was stopped by Feng Yun, who was following him. She smiled warmly and was not affected by the pressure radiated from Yang Dao. She spoke in a sweet voice, "Young Master, I found you after a very long time and rushed over in excitement. Let me give you a gift."


    Yang Dao locked his gaze with this woman in front of him. He did not speak, he was hesitant to owe someone a favor. But Feng Yun only smiled and spoke to the rich pants, "Who can tell me what is this person''s identity?"


    The boy who stood behind Matthew was quicker than anyone. He rushed over and said, "President Feng, this boy is called Tyson Carlos. The owner of Paradise Hotel Chain, Bryan Carlos, is his father."


    Feng Yun gave him a nonchalant glance and nodded. Her security detail was standing a bit further. She waved her hand for these people to come over. A man in a black formal suit came to her side and bowed slightly. Feng Yun spoke, "Call Tim, tell him I want to own Paradise Hotel. I give him an hour." she finished speaking and was about to turn away when she said, "Get someone to give this boy some medical treatment. Also, the process should be a hostile takeover. I want to see, Bryan Carlos kneeling in front of me in an hour."


    The man in the black suit shuddered a little and said, "Yes, Miss." as he rushed away with his phone in the hand. Feng Yun turned to speak to Yang Dao, and her expressions changed as if flowers bloomed in Iceland. She spoke gently, "Young Master, do not worry. Shall we go to the library?"


    Yang Dao nodded and walked ahead after giving a glance to all the rich people around. Tyson was taken away by a man in a black suit. On the way to the library, Yang Dao fell into thought. From the moment he saw Feng Yun walking down the helicopter. He felt that there was an unexplainable connection with this girl. Just when he was trying to find the reason they had reached the Library. Many students saw them but did not approach them at all. The cause was the two hunks wearing black suits walking behind Feng Yun.


    Feng Yun arrived here with only three of her bodyguards. But these three were very strong and enough to deter the crowd with only their gazes. The four people entered the Library smoothly. Yang Dao came to the Library window and passed the stunned clerk his card. He spoke, "Sir, I ask you to help me register this card."


    The clerk came back to his senses quickly typed the details into the computer in front of him. He then trembled with excitement and stamped the card with no hesitation. Yang Dao collected the card and departed the registration window. He walked through the Library, picked up the books related to his course. Through the process, Feng Yun followed him patiently. After picking up the eighth book, Yang Dao found a place to sit down.


    A four people table was placed below a window. The outside view in this place was also very serene. Yang Dao instinctively sat down on the chair. He saw Feng Yun standing beside him so he spoke, "President Feng, please take a seat."


    Feng Yun smiled and sat down across him. She spoke, "Young Master, as you might have guessed already. My name is Feng Yun. My other identity is the owner of the Phoenix Group. This is known to the entire world. But there is another identity which is only known to four people, including me. This identity is that of your servant."


    The two bodyguards guarding the table felt their hearts skipping a beat. They had never seen Feng Yun talking like this. Also, servant? She? The billionaire was a servant to this teenager? Are you kidding me?


    Yang Dao spoke, "Do not joke, please. I am an orphan. I cannot afford to have someone like you are my servant." there was a faint smile on his face. After a break he spoke, "Why do you call me the young master?"


    Feng Yun replied slowly, "Have you ever felt that no matter how cold or hot the surrounding air will always feel comfortable.?"


    Yang Dao nodded, Feng Yun smiled and continued, "Have you noticed that the flow of air surrounding you also changes with your temper?"


    Yang Dao Nodded again, his heart was beating faster with every sentence Feng Yun spoke. The gorgeous lady continued, "If I told you, that you are blessed by the heavens and will rule over four elements and 8 laws, would you believe it.?"


    Yang Dao was shocked and confuse and the next moment Feng Yun waved her hand to conjure an exquisite fire flower, that floated above her jade palm.

 Chapter 7: Identity.

    Yang Dao was shocked to see a fire flower blooming over Feng Yun''s plan. He looked around and found that no one seemed to have noticed it. Despite being intelligent, he could not help but raise his hand and rub his eyes to check if he is having hallucinations. He raised his head to focus on the pretty smiling face in front of him.


    Feng Yun seemed to have sensed his doubt. She spoke patiently with an affectionate tone, "Young Master, what you see is real. I have merely cast a barrier so that to the outside people we appear to be just sitting and talking casually."


    Yang Dao believed her and asked, "How can you produce fire out of thin air? Are you one of those in existence people talk about in fantasy novels?"


    Feng Yun covered her mouth and chuckled a little and she said, "In a manner, yes, we are the existence they talk about in the novels. But, we are not."


    Yang Dao asked, "Can you explain it to me?"


    Feng Yun nodded and said, "Young Master, you know that this universe is very vast. There are countless universes in existence. The same is with planes. The planes I talk about are also known as dimensions. Every world, every universe, and every dimension has its own rules and laws. This dimension is what we call the elemental Dao dimension. There are four primary elements and eight rules. The primary elements are Fire, Water, Wind, and Earth. These together form other hybrid elements such as water and earth form wood, fire and wind form lightening, earth and fire form metal, and so on. While the eight rules are, life, death, time, space, creation, destruction, chaos, and order. To understand all these, one needs to cultivate and master the elements first. I am a master of the fire element. I can also control lightning to some extent now. Everyone in this world is blessed with an affinity towards elements when they are born. But as time passes, the people get affected by mortal aspects of life. They do not have any knowledge of cultivation as well, which leads them to forget the affinity of elements. There are also many people who give up the mortal world and try to shatter the mortal shackles and live in the embrace of nature. They are called hermits."


    Feng Yun stopped explaining further after she saw that Yang Dao fell into a state of deep thought. Only after a few minutes did Yand Dao woke up from his thoughts. He smiled apologetically to Feng Yun and said, "I apologize. All this is very fascinating to me. I believe what you said to some extent, but I cannot believe it until I experience it myself."


    Feng Yun nodded with a smile and said, "It is good that you have a sense of vigilance, young master." she was very satisfied by the behavior of her young master. If you put your trust into someone you just met a few minutes ago, then you are the most na?ve person in the existence. This will just lead to your demise eventually. Yang Dao spoke once again.


    "Madam, why do you call me young master? Are my parents your boss that has finally found their lost child?" Yang Dao''s tone was filled with self-mockery.


    Feng Yun spoke while she shook her head, "Young Master, your identity is not something like that. You are a soul that accumulated good karma throughout your reincarnations. When you were about to enter this life, the heavens gave you a blessing. You are the blessed Dao Child. Your good deeds earned you the blessings. The parents you speak of were a couple who also accumulated a lot of good deeds. They were normal people. Their good deeds became obstacles to some evil people." Feng Yun stopped and her tone became harsh. Her eyes were glowing with a red light.


    Yang Dao was also affected by her mood and asked, "Can you tell me who were these people?"


    Feng Yun closed her eyes and instantly calmed down, "Young Master, only when you have enough strength will I tell you this. I hope you understand what I mean. Thinking about too many things will burden your mind and hold back your growth."


    Yang Dao asked, "Okay, so how are you related to all this? You did not tell me about your identity."


    Feng Yun spoke with a smile on her face, "Young Master, as a Dao Child, you are blessed to have four familiar spirits. I am one of those four elemental spirits. I am a human in this world but my origin traces back to the Red Pheonix, which is a beast that reigns over the fire element in heaven''s code of law."


    Yang Dao was surprised, as he said, "Are you serious?"


    Feng Yun liked this surprised look on his face. She smiled even more brightly and said, "Yes. the spirits are not human born. We all incarnated as abandoned children, then build our way up from scratch."


    Yang Dao frowned. He said, "I am sorry. You built all this on your own, with your own two hands. You do not need to serve me at all. I do not deserve this." he was a man with a self-conscience. He did not want to feed off of somebody else''s hard work.


    Feng Yun felt warm with his concern. She answered, "Young Master, we spirit, all exist to serve you. If you decide that you do not want us, then we will vanish. You are the source of our existence." she paused and stood up. She circled the table and came to his side. She kneeled down on both her knees with no hesitation and shame. It was only Yang Dao who can see her kneeling. He hurriedly stood up and held her shoulders.


    He said, "Madam, please get up. You do not need to do this."


    Feng Yun did not budge at all. She kept looking down on the floor and said, "Young Master, I would rather kneel my whole life than to get up and lose you. I will not stand up even if you kill me. Not until you accept me as your familiar spirit."


    Yang Dao felt helpless in this situation. He could sense the resolve in her voice. He sighed and while holding the beautiful lady, he said, "I accept you as my familiar spirit.


    Feng Yun raised her head and a small flame tattoo appeared between her eyebrows. The tattoo glowed with a blazing red light. The glow was so strong that Yang Dao involuntarily closed his eyes. The glowing light covered Yang Dao. He felt a warm current flowing throughout his body. It was as if he was burning inside out. The scoring heat was baptizing his body. The source of this heat was the origin fire of the phoenix inside Feng Yun.


    The heat subsided after a few minutes. He was covered in sweat. Feng Yun stood up and waved her hand. A gust of hot air immediately wrapped his body, and the sweat evaporated. Yang Dao opened his eyes and saw Feng Yun standing in front of him with a smile. Without waiting for Yang Dao she said, "Young Master, a part of my origin fire now resides inside you. It will baptize your body and cleanse the impurities slowly."


    Yang Dao gave her a wry smile and nodded. He wanted to ask something when one guard standing in front of them turned and said, "Miss, the owner of Paradise Hotel is here."


    Feng Yun spoke in a cold voice, "Let him wait. We will see him at our convenience."


    The guard nodded and turned around. Yang Dao spoke, "Feng Yun, can we get this thing dealt with? Now that I have accepted this identity. I might as well fix up this bloody snob circle."


    Feng Yun smiled, "Very well, Young Master." she was about to turn and leave when Yang Dao tapped on her shoulder. The girl looked at him in askance. Yang Dao put his hand in his pocket, took out a handkerchief, and knelt down. Feng Yun opened her eyes wide and was about to stop him when she saw Yang Dao using the handkerchief to wipe the dust on her knees.


    Yang Dao stood up and said, "Oh, yes, Feng Yun, I forgot to say this earlier because I was cautious of you. You look very pretty."


    Feng Yun smiled like springs appearing on barren land. She spoke in a mellow voice, "Thank you, Young Master."

 Chapter 8: Exaggerated Gift.

    Under the protection of two guards, Feng Yun and Yang Dao walked out of the library. Feng Yun was one step behind Yang Dao. This action was enough to tell others how prominent Yang Dao''s status was. Yang Dao and Feng Yun both carried two or three books in their hands. These were the books Yang Dao selected and registered earlier. They came outside the library and saw the rich pant males lined up aside. Yang Dao glanced at Feng Yun in askance. The other party nodded, assuring that it is okay. Yang Dao''s heart was still a bit unsure of his new identity. After all, the change was too sudden and the facts he came across were too fancy. It was as if his lame life turned into a beautiful fantasy.


    Yang Dao saw Tyson standing behind a bald middle-aged man, who had an anxious expression on his face. He guessed the identity of this man but did not show it on his face. Feng Yun knew that he was hesitant about this course of action, so she took the lead and walked forward. The two people came to stand in front of the bald man. The middle-aged man did not hesitate even for a second and fell right on his knees. He spoke without raising his head, "President Feng, please spare me. Tell me, what can I do to make you let me go? Please, president Feng, I beg of you."


    Feng Yun had her face covered with a mask of indifference. She spoke in a cold tone, "Mister Bryan Carlos, what do you mean?"


    The man kneeling in front of Feng Yun was Bryan Carlos, father of Tyson. This man was a very strong person in the jewel nation. Just an hour ago this man was relaxing at a spa holding beautiful girls left and right but now here he was, kneeling in front of the woman, who god knows from where found the evidence of his dark side. Tyson, Jack, and Matthew along with other silk pant people were shocked to see this scene. Tyson was aware of this women''s identity now, but he never expected that she can make his father kneel to her in an hour.


    Bryan spoke, "President Feng, I do not know. What have I done to offend the phoenix group? Please, instruct me. How can I make you drop this matter?"


    Feng Yun spoke, "Very well, what do you think is of higher importance? Your life or your money?"


    Bryan Carlos was a smart man. he quickly understood what Feng Yun wanted. He spoke, "Yes, President Feng, I understand. I will give you the money. Please quote the price."


    Feng Yun snorted and said, "Do you think, I lack money? I can have you shoveling my dog''s shit. Do you get that?"


    Bryan Carlos immediately gave in, "Yes, I am sorry, President Feng. I apologize for my dirty mouth."


    Feng Yun enjoyed tormenting this man in front of her. Yang Dao saw this and used his new identity. He said, "Feng Yun. If he did anything bad, then let him be punished by the law. Get this done, I am hungry it is lunchtime." his tone was impatient. He was ordering Feng Yun.


    The chief guard could not hold it in him and he spoke, "Hey boy, do you think just because my boss is being polite to you. Someone like you can order her around? Do you probably want to die?"


    Yang Dao did not reply, but he felt looked at Feng Yun. The beautiful girl was gone, and in place of her stood a volcano. Feng Yun was angry and her anger was sensed by Yang Dao from the depth of his soul. Feng Yun spoke in an icy voice, "Barack, you are fired. Effective immediately."


    The chief guard looked at her in bewilderment. He stuttered, "Miss, why... what did I do?"


    Feng Yun gazed and him in indifference and said, "I have always tolerated how you behaved till now. Today, you dare to question and threaten my young master? Do you think a mere guard like you can talk to him like that? How dare you look down on my young master?" she paused and turned to face the other two guards. She spoke, "Dispose of him. You have five minutes."


    The two guards jumped into action and quickly subdued Barack. Yang Dao shook his head. Feng Yun took out a cell phone from the pocket of her dress and called a number. She spoke after the call connected, "Dispose of Bryan Carlos. Get me the board of Paradise hotel. Clear their loans and buy out the stocks." the call disconnected and the people in the surrounding sucked in a cold breath. This girl was so beautiful, yet so cruel.


    She glanced at Bryan Carlos and she said, "Mister Bryan Carlos, you could have taught your son better. But he had to threaten Young Master''s orphanage. I want to see what can he do now. Also, you can have a happy life in prison." the two guards had subdued Barack. Feng Yun glanced at the man and said to her remaining guards, "Liberate him of the pain." the two guards nodded, and with painful eyes, they dragged him away. This guy was their comrade, after all, but who asked him to be presumptuous and offend this lady?


    Yang Dao spoke, "Feng Yun, stop them. Take this man back to your place before dealing with him. This is a college."


    Feng Yun nodded and said, "Bind him and arrange for someone to deal with him later. Just to be sure that he does not run away interrupt his tendons." she took two steps and came to stand behind Yang Dao. The guards looked at the young man with gratitude in their eyes. They knew that eventually Barack would be dealt with, but they were thankful that this boy saved them from being the dealing hand.


    They did what they were instructed to. The surrounding people were all shocked after watching this ruthless operation, but who would dare to speak out? The wails attracted a lot of students in the area to come over and watch what was happening. They also saw that the rich snobs were standing at a side, not daring to make any noise. They all followed and watched everything silently. Among the crowd, Kiya and Sasha were also watching. At first, they were surprised, but when they saw Feng Yun standing behind Yang Dao as a subordinate they were shocked. They were about to ask the people around when loud alarm sounds disrupted them.


    They turned and found two police cars moving towards them at high speed. Bryan Carlos knew that he had no way to avoid this demise. He could not afford to be Feng Yun''s enemy. So he quietly surrendered. The police cars were followed by a convoy of luxury cars. The people who stepped down were all dressed in formal suits. They were all executives sent by the board members of the paradise hotel. They all were notified by Tim''s calls and came over to personally hand over the signed buying contract to Feng Yun.


    Feng Yun paid them with money on the spot. The police took away Bryan Carlos because of conclusive evidence of his involvement in drug smuggling and extortion. Feng Yun took over the documents from the representatives. She came to Yang Dao''s side and said, "Young Master, this is my gift to you. 100% shares of Paradise Hotel Chain." after these words she bowed down to Yang Dao.


    Every single person who watched this was shocked. They knew what happened here. They all had one thought in mind, and that was, ''SHIT, SOMEONE OFFENDED YOUR BROTHER AND YOU BOUGHT EVERYTHING THEY HAD? ISN''T THIS GIFT A BIT TOO MUCH?''

 Chapter 9: Flying away with the phoenix.

    Yang Dao had already left the crowd with Feng Yun. The police arrested Bryan Carlos, and the news leaked. Feng Yun''s employee Tim had already passed on the news to the other shareholders of the hotel, and they all gratefully grabbed the olive branch extended by Feng Yun. They all escorted the police to hand over the signed agreement to Feng Yun.


    Feng Yun collected the documents and dismissed these low people. She passed on the documents to Yang Dao. It was clearly stated that Yang Dao is now the sole owner of The Paradise Hotel. Yang Dao was afraid that this purchase might make things difficult for Feng Yun, so he asked, "Sister Yun, will this purchase not make things difficult for you? I mean, the money you spent just now seems to be a big amount."


    Feng Yun was surprised to hear Yang Dao call her sister Yun. After all, she has stated that her identity is that of his servant. Yet Yang Dao still addressed her as a sister. This gesture made her feel warm, and she said, "Young Master, there are no shareholders in the Phoenix group. I never allowed the shares to be on sale to safeguard my interests. Though, I provide some higher-level employees with a bonus equivalent to the share purchase value every year. I still own the hundred percent. So don''t worry about the money I spent. It is all mine."


    Yang Dao was shocked and wanted to ask her how did she make such a powerful and rich business empire at such a young age, but his stomach grumbled a bit. A faint blush surfaced on his face, and he turned his face sideways to avoid Feng Yun''s gaze. The girl following behind him witnessed this. She could not help but giggle covering her mouth. She spoke, "Young Master, how about we have lunch? There are a lot of good places in Jade Capital City."


    Yang Dao pondered a bit. He did not have any classes today, and even if he had, after all the commotion he would not want to go. He looked at Feng Yun and said, "Can I see your office? I still have a lot of questions and given that this matter is sensitive. I think it is better to discuss it in a safe place."


    Feng Yun was more than happy. To be true, she was also looking for a way to have Yang Dao come along with her. This was necessary. Being together will help her watch over his security and also teach him about the elements and the rules. Also, Yang Dao needed to sharpen his brain. His thinking of lying low is just instinctive to avoid troubles but just like today, it will follow him because no matter where he goes he will stand out of the crowd like a ruby shining in a pile of diamonds. So sharpening his mind was necessary. He was intelligent, but cruelty is not always something used to harm others. It can also defend yourself.


    Feng Yun said, "Young Master, how about we use the helicopter. It will be quick and easy to get to my office in thirty minutes."


    Yang Dao nodded and said, "Okay, but can we grab some snacks from the dispensing machine? I am starving. Last meal I had was a meat bun and a glass of milk." his tone was pitiful. He was starving. Feng Yun saw this and a smile surfaced on her face. She nodded and accompanied Yang Dao to the snack dispensing machine in the corridor near the dormitory. He was going to ask the dorm supervisor for a night pass. The supervisor did not know him personally, so he found nothing peculiar in this operation. It was normal for a young boy to come to the capital and go out and have fun. Plus that beauty Feng Yun followed Yang Dao like a tail. The warden even whispered in Yang Dao''s ear.


    "Youngster, it is okay to be energetic but buy some balloons on the way." his tone was very serious and righteous, as if he just gave Yang Dao some world saving advice. If he knew that the woman she was speaking about was the queen or tycoons in the nation, wonder if he would have died from the fright alone.


    Yang Dao came to Feng Yun who stood at a distance with a perplexed expression. Feng Yun asked in concern, "Young Master, is there anything wrong?"


    Yang Dao was a teenager, and he trusted Feng Yun. The reason was the spiritual bond between them. He said, "Sister Yun, why does the warden ask me to buy balloons? Do I look like a child going to the amusement park?"


    Feng Yun blushed severely and turned back to find the warden, but the man had already returned to the office. She thought to herself, ''Bastard, how dare you influence my Young Master with such shitty advice. Don''t let me find you or you will regret being alive.''


    When they came back to the ground where Feng Yun had her helicopter land Yang dao met the Principal and the heads of department. Almost all the big shots of the college administration were present here. They all were alarmed by a helicopter coming in suddenly. They found out that Tyson and other rich pants were trying to bully Yang Dao, their treasured genius, so they deliberately delayed themselves. Now that the matter was resolved by Feng Yun, they had to come and show due gratitude.


    Brad McQueen took the lead and greeted Feng Yun. He spoke, "It is our honor to be visited by one of the most prestigious alumni of our college."


    Feng Yun nodded and shook hands with the principal. She spoke, "It feels good to come back but some things do not change at all. The snob club is still the snob club."


    The principal put on a bitter smile. He wanted to invite Feng Yun for a cup of tea, but the offer was mercilessly shot down as soon as it took a breath in the free world. The gun was in her pretty mouth, and the bullet was called work. She just told them that Yang Dao was her Young master and Phoenix Group was his. Then without waiting for the matter to drag, she asked Yang Dao to get on the helicopter.


    Under several complicated, bitter, envious, hateful gazes he and Feng Yun flew away in a luxury helicopter.

 Chapter 10: Enlightenment.

    The helicopter flew up, This was the first time Yang Dao had the chance to travel by air. He glanced out of the chopper window and admired the beautiful scenery. He sighed as he observed the beauty. Feng Yun saw this and said, "Young Master, do you feel that the scenery is exquisite?"


    Yang Dao nodded while he kept gazing outside the window. He was sixteen this year old, and it was because of his exceptional mind that he could skip grades during his education and even join college at such a young age. But knowledge is never equivalent to experience. He had never experienced air travel. Feng Yun understood this and said, "Young Master, when in future your strength improves, you will travel through the sky on your own."


    Yang Dao opened her eyes wide and looked at her. He spoke with a bewildered expression, "Sister Yun, are you kidding me?"


    Feng Yun smiled, and she waved her hand, casting a barrier around her. She pressed a button on the armrest, "Keep the chopper steady, I am opening the door to let the Young master enjoy the scenery."


    The pilot replied respectfully, "Yes, President."


    Feng Yun pressed a small lever on the door of the helicopter. The door opened, and the helicopter shook slightly. Yang Dao was confused at first, then he realized. He saw Feng Yun standing up from her seat. She walked out of the helicopter cabin. Yang Dao would never forget what happened next. He was always believed in reason and science. According to his beliefs, Feng Yun should have fallen down and become a puddle of meat and bones. Yet he was absolutely sure that she was, at this moment, standing in the space with a smile on her pretty face. Her clothes and hair strands fluttering with the air.


    Yang Dao looked behind her and saw that the clouds were shifting, which meant that the chopper was moving. He completely understood now Feng Yun was flying. She was really in the literal sense F-L-Y-I-N-G. As in a bird flying in the sky. He finally understood what it meant when someone said that their worldview collapsed. This scene did the same for Yang Dao. The gorgeous lady came back inside the chopper and closed the door. She wanted to explain what was happening to the boy in front of her, but she sensed him falling into a state of comprehension.


    Although it was sudden she was not surprised at all. Yang Dao differed from others, he was blessed by the heavens. He was the Dao Child. The helicopter landed on the tallest building within twenty Kils. One kils in this world could be equal to five kilometers of earth. This magnificent building was 178 floors tall. It was a giant made of steel and concrete. The outside of this building was covered with red shiny stone plates. These stone plates were all made from powdered ruby gems. Yes, powdered. Feng Yun bought rubies in bulk, then she had them ground into a fine powder. Then thanks to the industrial help. She had them all melted and frozen into plates. Only this idea was enough to shake the definition of the wealthy in Liro. Imagine the impact when this edifice was covered in these plates overnight. It made the wealthy realize that their wealth was a speck of dust compared to Feng Yun''s.


    The helicopter landed with no shocks. This was the latest custom-made vehicle owned by Feng Yun, so obviously it was the ultimate transport. The guard on the helipad opened the door and was about to greet Feng Yun when she gestured him to keep quiet with a poker face. She got off the chopper and arranged for her secretary to wait on Yang Dao. The secretary was a middle-aged woman. She had maintained herself very well, looking like she was in her late twenties. This beautiful OL was called Mary Wilson. She had a brownish complexion with a curvy figure. Many people would fantasize about her but they do not dare to look at her because not only is this lady a close confidante of the president, but she was also an expert in close combat.


    Once, she was pestered by second-generation silk pants. In fifty seconds, she had turned that guy into a vegetable for life. She was very brutal in her treatment. She broke his hands, legs, and ribs in multiple places. The next morning she told Feng Yun about this incident and what happened next could be imagined. Feng Yun had that guy''s father on his knees. Since then she has become only a fantasy & no approach entity.


    Mary stood on the terrace for two hours. Suddenly she felt the air around her change. Inside the chopper cabin, Yang Dao comprehended first level air control. He waved his hand and the airflow changed. He was surprised, then he became ecstatic. He checked his surroundings and found that Feng Yun was not here. He glanced outside the window. Mary was also looking at the window. She saw Yang Dao looking around. She understood that he was confused about his surroundings. She thought that this guy fell asleep and her boss did not want to disturb him. So she waited on him. This was a bit undigestible, but what can she do.


    Yang Dao opened the cabin door and stepped down on the golden steps. He came outside and asked Mary, "Hello, ma''am, can you tell me where is Sister Yun?"


    After hearing this sentence, Mary felt like she was struck by a lightning strike. Who was this kid who addressed the President as his sister? She hurriedly replied, "Young Sir, please come with me. President is waiting for you in her office. She had something urgent to deal with, so she left in a hurry. I am Mary, a secretary to the President. I am here to lead you to her."


    Yang Dao smiled and expressed his gratitude to the lady before following her into an elevator.

 Chapter 11: Slow and Steady.

    Yang Dao followed Mary inside the elevator. The OL swiped a golden card at the number panel and the elevator automatically took them down. Yang Dao asked with curiosity, "Excuse me, Ma''am, is the card you just used, a piece of SMART BUTLER SYSTEM?"


    Mary glanced at the boy beside her with a surprise. She smiled and replied, "Yes, do you have an interest in technology?"


    Yang Dao nodded and said, "A little. Ma''am, If I am not wrong, this system should be the basic version right?"


    Mary was surprised once again. She nodded and said, "Yes, it is a basic version. How do you know this?"


    Yang Dao shook his head and said, "When this system came out, I followed the introductory conference the manufacturing company held. I have to say this is a very good system, but Crypto Nation is maintaining hegemony over advanced tech for years now. How can they allow others to be comparable to them? They do not provide other countries with high-level tech products. I suspect that If not for the name and face of The Phoenix Group, they would not have sold this basic version as well."


    Mary subconsciously nodded in her opinion this boy was very smart. The elevator opened with a ding sound. Yang Dao stepped out after Mary. He was led to a door ten meters away from the elevator. Mary was about to knock on the door when she heard something shattering inside. Her hand paused mid-air. A wry smile immediately surfaced on her face. Seems like someone is going to have a bad time today. Yang Dao looked at Mary and said, "Ma''am is everything okay? Why did you stop?"


    Mary spoke, "Young sir, how about we wait for a bit? Is there something you would like to do?"


    Yang Dao spoke, "Can I have some meat buns? I am starving." he scratched the back of his head in embarrassment. Mary smiled and was about to lead him away when the cabin door flung open and a man hurriedly rushed away. They all heard a harsh, cold voice from the inside.


    "If this task is not completed by the evening, then you better resign on your own." Yang Dao recognized this voice, it was Feng Yun who was speaking.


    Yang Dao turned around and peeked inside the room. Feng Yun sensed it and shouted, "Who?" when she raised her head and spotted Yang Dao peeking inside. Her anger immediately vanished. She even fumbled a little. The lady spoke, "Young Master, why are you standing outside? You can come in whenever you want."


    Yang Dao walked inside the cabin. The cabin was very exquisitely decorated. Though the color was mostly red, it looked very nice. Yang Dao spotted a broken sculpture on the side of the table. He said, "Sister Yun, what made you so angry?" he spoke with a smile on his face.


    Feng Yun stood up and came to his side. She put her jade hands on his shoulders and led him to sit down in her own chair. Yang Dao spoke, "Sister Yun, this is your chair. I cannot sit down in it."


    Feng Yun shook her head and said, "Young Master, I belong to you. So what is mine, is yours."


    Yang Dao still wanted to protest, but he was pushed in the chair by Feng Yun. This beautiful tyrant actually used some physical force on him. He was helpless against an elemental practitioner who had higher strength than him. Feng Yun nodded in satisfaction when she saw Yang Dao sitting in the chair.


    The door of the cabin was knocked. Feng Yun spoke, "Come in."


    Mary pushed open the door. The sight of Yang Dao sitting in the president''s ''ROYAL THRONE'' almost gave her a heart attack. This chair was taboo in the office. Nobody could even approach one meter near the chair, let alone sitting in it. She could not help but wonder what was the relationship between this boy and Feng Yun.


    Feng Yun unintentionally answered this question in her heart. Feng Yun spoke, "Young Master, have met Mary earlier. She is my secretary and a good friend." she looked at Mary and said, "Mary, this is my Young Master. From now on, when you see him, it is like you see me. His words are placed over mine."


    Mary was shocked when she heard the words ''my young master'' then another bomb fell on her when she heard ''his words over mine''. She wanted to yell at Feng Yun ''are you kidding with me? Who is this boy?'' yet she did not have the courage to say all this. She nodded and walked up to the table. She put an exquisite lunch box on the table. She said, "Young Master was hungry and wanted to eat some meat buns so I took the liberty and called the cafeteria. Is it okay, President Feng?" before Feng Yun could say anything, Yang Dao took the box and said, "Thank You, Ma''am."


    He opened the box and inside laid six meat buns. He picked one meat bun in his hand and stretched it towards Feng Yun. He said, "Sister Yun, can we continue our conversation. I have a lot of questions."


    Feng Yun naturally had no objections and nodded. She spoke, "Mary, you can leave and see if the thing I asked you about in the morning is done."


    Mary nodded and left the room after greeting Yang Dao. The door was closed and Feng Yun waved her hand, creating a barrier. She spoke, "Young Master, you can now ask any question you may have."


    Yang Dao picked up a meat bun and started gobbling it. He asked as he ate, "Sister Yun, I want to know if the power is divided and classified. If yes, then can you tell me how it is divided?"


    Feng Yun spoke, "The strength is divided into five levels. People who can control elements are called the elementalists. Elementalist have five levels among them, the weakest of them is Elemental seeker. This is the first level of elementalists. In this level, the practitioner seeks the elements they try to interact with the elements. Like altering the airflow, controlling the temperature of flames, stirring a cup of water with no external interference, or making the earth tremor. When a practitioner can successfully interact with an element within a one-kilometer radius, they step into the second level. The second level is called Elemental Bender. At this level, a practitioner can let the element behave according to his commands. Let me show you."


    She lit up a decorative candle. She pointed her hand at the candle tip and the flame turned shapes. One second it was normal. The other second it became a butterfly with flaming wings. Feng Yun spoke to Yang Dao, "Young Master, when a practitioner can control the element to bend into a shape as big as an elephant. They step onto the third level. Now before I explain the third level, I would like to say something."


    Yang Dao nodded and Feng Yun spoke, "Young Master, I think too much knowledge will make you rush, so I would suggest that you practice yourself and when you have digested the result, I will tell you more about the power levels. Is that okay? or I can tell you all right now, but it is better to be slow and steady."


    Yang Dao thought about it, and his life changed too suddenly and he was not yet completely ready. So he nodded to Feng Yun with a smile. Just when the two were about to continue, Feng Yun''s phone buzzed.

 Chapter 12: First Time.

    Feng Yun picked up the phone and saw it was a call from her secretary. She picked up the called and after listening to the other side, she said only one word.


    "No." in a cold and resolute voice. She turned the phone silent and then continued to describe the method to interact with the elements. She asked Yang Dao to close his eyes and focus his mind on his own breathing, then sense the flow of the air inside his body. Then urge the air inside to interact and manipulate the air outside. The manipulation will be very minimal at first. It can be said to be almost negligible. Feng Yun said, "Young Master, the process will be slow. I remind you not to give up or feel depressed."


    Yang Dao replied, "Sister Yun, I understand. Don''t worry." he then closed his eyes and relaxed as he sat in the chair. This interaction with elements did not require him to sit down in a specific position. All he needed was to focus on breathing. He inhaled a deep breath. A cold wind from the surroundings flew inside his nostrils. He sensed as the cold air flowed through his windpipe. The air then filled his lungs. The next step was the most difficult barrier to cross. It would take people a very long time and determination to sense the air mixing in the blood. The blood flowing inside the Human body represented the water element. As a beginner, it was difficult to sense one element, let alone sensing it when it is covered with the second element.


    The elements could mix and create the magic of life. The four elements Air, Water, Earth, and Fire were present inside every living entity on the planet as Breath, Blood, Bones, and Heat respectively. This cooperation of the four elements was very complex and mystical. It was almost impossible to understand the reason behind this cooperation because there four elements also have contradictory properties. So life was a very magical and scientific thing at the same time.


    Perceiving an element covered or mixed with another element may be difficult for others, but Yang Dao was the blessed one. This thing, he could do it in his sleep. Feng Yun was observing the situation from the sidelines. When she saw Yang Dao concentrating, her eyes flashed with joy and respect. Only after ten seconds, her joy turned to surprise, then after a minute, the surprise turned to shock. Then after ten minutes, her worldly beliefs shattered. The air inside the cabin slowly picked up the pace.


    The standstill air was now blowing, but it was only strong enough to gently stroke her skin, still miles away from implying the terrifying power contained within the air element. But this blowing wind was a sign that Yang Dao has taken a step in the world of mentalists and now all he needed was diligent practice and improvement consistently. Feng Yun was very satisfied with the development of her Young Master. She did not want to hinder his practice and quietly came outside the cabin.


    This world of elemental power and laws was very simple. It was only that not everybody knew about the existence of such a divergent group of people walking beside them. One only needed to interact with the elements calmly and must have the patience to interpret the response by the elements. Few people could do this also, the stage Yang Dao unlocked would take people months if not years, that is when they have a good foundation and background. Otherwise, you can only watch as others pass by you.


    This universe also had people who acted against the elementalists. These people were called the Enhanced. These people were ''created'' by other humans as lab-rats. Yes, these people were products of human gene enhancement programs. A lot of rogue scientists under the influence of their lunatic leader ''Omega'' formed an organization called ''New Dawn''. They blatantly conducted genetic research. After the initial stages when they encountered success they asked for human -volunteers.


    Later, this organization vanished from the face of the planet. Then, after five decades of hiding, they came back stronger than ever before. The secret of their strength lied in the mastered formula of the human genetic code. They developed a vaccination to enhance the human body''s potential. This vaccine was called ''the Nector''. This vaccine was not mass-produced, it was only given to those who were designated useful assets by the organization. The result of the vaccination also varied from people to people. The elementalists also had this own forces to stop these people from messing with the natural flow of life. In fact, this vaccine was just a way for those who failed in the way of nature or were too desperate.


    It was unknown how much time had passed when Yang Dao opened his eyes. The boy looked around and did not find Feng Yun, but he could sense that she was close by. He sat in the ''Throne'' patiently while he glanced around the office. On the desk, in front of him, a bright red file caught his interest. cautiously picked it up and started reading the content. In the beginning, his gaze was fine but as kept reading the gaze turned cold. The air inside the room started swirling. The object trembled a little, the intensity of the air was enhanced by Yang Dao''s emotional state. The cabin door opened and Feng Yun walked inside. Yang Dao kept his vision locked on the content of the file. He spat only one word, "Explain" today was the first day he experienced the power of nature inside him and also when he felt like exploding from rage.

 Chapter 13: See-Saw.

    The file contained the details of how many people were killed by the forces allied to the Phoenix group. There were even some children involved in this thing. Yang Dao felt very enraged when he read all this. Feng Yun did not feel any resentment towards his behavior. Yang Dao was a 16-year-old kid. He was unaware of the ways of the world. She placed the file down on the table and spoke in a patient manner.


    "Young Master, do you think it is wrong to kill humans?"


    Yang Dao glared at her but did not answer. Feng Yun continued after registering his reaction, "The people we killed are offenders of nature. Every person inside this file is artificially created. They are created by a group of people who failed to perceive the elements and thus decided to misuse the power of science. These things look like humans but are synthesized in a high-tech facility. That is why they were just erased."


    Yang Dao was shocked to hear this. He did not expect things to be like this. Although it all sounded a bit fancy he could not find a reason to say that it is not true. Perceiving the elements also sounds like a fantasy tale but he himself experienced it. He wanted to say something but he hesitated. Feng Yun sensed his mood as his spiritual familiar and said, "Young Master, I understand that you might want to see the proof of what I say is real but it is not the time for you to meddle with these things. You are not strong enough. I can only ask you to place your trust in me."


    Her tone was sincere and her eyes had an expectant gaze. Yang Dao observed her carefully and pondered for a bit. Then he said, "Okay, Sister Yun, I will trust you for the time being."


    Feng Yun''s heart finally started beating and she smiled. She was scared when Yang Dao got enraged. She thought he will leave her right now but maybe it was because of heaven''s blessing. The Dao Child and the familiars will always choose to stay together. She sat down on a chair opposite Yang Dao and said, "Young Master, given your talent you do not need to go to college. You can study on your own and just go to appear in the examination. But I would like to ask for your opinion. What do you want to do also you can stay outside the campus dorms? I will arrange transportation for you as well."


    Yang Dao spoke, "I would like to attend the college but if you have something for me I don''t mind taking a day or two off. I can also join the office as an intern to learn during vacations. Though there is one thing that I want to do right away. I think you can arrange for it."


    Feng Yun''s battle spirit lit up. She spoke, "Anything you say, Young Master."


    Yang Dao smiled and said, "Sister Yun, I grew up in an orphanage. That place is like my home and the people are my family. I would like you to allocate 50 % of the profit from Paradise Hotels to the orphanage charity fund. Then set a group of people to monitor and look after things such as orphanage maintenance, hygiene, education of the children. Also, a career guide, who can encourage them to pursue what they want and not what they need. If they put their efforts into the things they dream to achieve then allocate separate funds according to their needs. The funds would be coming from the profit of the hotel. Can you make the arrangements?"


    Feng Yun smiled and nodded. She had no problem in making arrangements for such a task. She was a part of the divine phoenix soul and she was aware of her identity. Now she understood why the heavens blessed this boy to be the dao child. This boy would always pay the debts and accumulate good karma. She thought of something and spoke, "Young Master, why do you not donate the money in your name but the hotel''s name?"


    Yang Dao replied, "One should not look for fame while doing good deeds sister Yun. Also, they will ask how and where did I procure so much money. It would be a hassle." he gave her a sheepish smile. Feng Yun returned the gesture and nodded in satisfaction. The familiar spirits were supposed to guide the Dao Child and when she observed Yang Dao''s way of thinking. She was assured that he was a good soul.


    Yang Dao spoke again, "Sister Yun, I don''t like the atmosphere at the university. Too many snobs. They dampen the atmosphere. So can you arrange a place for me to stay? Near the college if possible."


    Feng Yun spoke, "Young Master, I have a place in the apartments near Sapphire Lake. It is a nice place to live. How about I arrange for you to stay there? It won''t take long for you to reach your college from there. Plus it is a safe and secure area. It is just an hour away from your college."


    Yang Dao mumbled, "Okay, I will stay there. Then I think I should cancel my dorm registration that would save me some scholarship funding. Guess I can only do it tomorrow." then he looked at Feng Yun and said, "Okay sister Yun, I will follow your arrangements then. Also, can you call me something other than the Young Master? It feels awkward to be addressed like that. You are like an elder sister to me."


    Feng Yun smiled with delight and she picked up her phone to dial a number. She spoke, "Manager Luna, inform the maintenance staff to clean up my penthouse. My younger brother will stay there starting today. Also, send some people to check the vehicles in the garage."


    The manager Luna on the other side was shocked when she heard these words but then she replied quickly and said, "I will get these things done, Madam. May I ask by what time your brother will arrive? I would inform the security in advance."


    Feng Yun replied, "I will come along with him in the evening. Will it be done by then?"


    Luna replied, "Yes, President Feng, I will personally overlook the whole thing."


    Feng Yun said, "Very well then, thank you for your hard work Luna." her tone was filled with genuine praise.


    Luna was again surprised and she replied, "It is what I should do, President Feng. I will see you in the evening then." although her voice was calm her heart was fluttering like a butterfly. She disconnected the call and rushed out of her cabin in a hurry. This whole apartment complex that had 500 luxury apartment units was built by New Light Infra, a subsidiary of the Pheonix Group, and Feng Yun owned the best penthouse in the main tower. The penthouse was situated on the fiftieth floor. The top floor of one of the best residential complexes in the city.


    On the other side, Feng Yun said, "It is done. Do you have anything you want to do?"


    Yang Dao said, "If you are not too busy can you show me around this building. It is my first time in a corporate office."


    Feng Yun nodded with a smile, she took him for a tour. In Feng Yun''s vision, she would never be too busy for Yang Dao. Although, Yang Dao was not yet completely trustful of her the see-saw they both were riding was balanced for the moment and Feng Yun believed that she can win over Yang Dao with time and effort.

 Chapter 14: Sensational Meal.

    Feng Yun showed Yang Dao around the office. Yang Dao was very curious and kept asking questions regarding things he did not understand. The staff was shocked because regularly Feng Yun would come to the office by her chopper, then she will sit down in her own cabin. She was a mythical fairy for the staff. The highest designated person they have ever seen was Mary, the secretary to the CEO. Today when they all saw this beautiful rumor changing into reality they all were shocked.


    The men all acted to be diligent while the women, although did not dare to show but were burning with jealousy when they saw Feng Yun''s beauty. While the situation among the staff reversed when Yang Dao came into question. The women all had an adoring expression while men were burning with envy. Feng Yun took Yang Dao to the company cafeteria. This cafeteria was no less than the top restaurants in the country. Yang Dao''s nose reacted to the fragrance lingering in the air. He spoke, "Umm... Sister Yun, can we eat some food? I am not really full after those dumplings."


    Feng Yun smiled when she saw the embarrassed expression on the boy''s face. She nodded in approval. Yang Dao looked around and found a table for four people by the window. Although two people were already sitting there, that spot was very nice. The cafeteria implied on the semi-self-service system. That means you have to place your order yourself and collect it too. Yang Dao said, "Sister Yun, you go and sit there. I will put up the order."


    How could Feng Yun let her Young Master work? She shook her head and said, "You go sit there I will get the order. Tell me what would you like to eat?" her tone was firm and left no room for questioning.


    Yang Dao spoke, "Chicken fillet burger, and lemon noodles?"


    Feng Yun smiled and said, "Okay, I will have the same then. Go get the seat."


    These two people were so ignorant that, they did not notice the frozen and shocked staff members who were eating there. The staff obviously recognized their boss Feng Yun, the beautiful rumor. That was when they felt surprised and slightly shocked. The thing that made them freeze was the CEO of the biggest company in the nation, took the initiative to get serve a teenager. This thing was too heaven-defying for them. Ignorant to all this Yang Dao walked up to the table by the window. He was a genius but his EQ was a questionable attribute.


    He approached the table where two girls were already sitting. He saw them looking at them with their big eyes. He spoke in a polite manner, "Excuse me if you don''t mind. May I sit down in the empty seats?"


    The girls were still in a daze and subconsciously nodded. Yang Dao smiled and sat down in the chair next to the window. His gaze was stuck to the windowpane as if there was no one next to him. five minutes later, Feng Yun came to the table with two trays in her hands. She carefully placed a tray in front of Yang Dao and another in front of her. She said, "Young Master, the food is served."


    Her words shocked the two girls to the core. They have always heard that the CEO is a very cold person. They could not believe that this woman could even speak in such a soft manner. Also, she just called this teenager ''Young Master''. This was BIG. Feng Yun sensed their gaze and turned to face them. The girls immediately woke up from their daze and were about to stand up when Feng Yun said, "It''s okay to sit down here. But do not gossip about ''anything'' you hear. Got it?"


    The girl nodded in response, her image was that of a chicken pecking grains. Yang Dao snickered and said, "Don''t scare her Sister Yun."


    This simple sentence shattered Feng Yun''s cruel demoness image in front of the girls. After hearing what Yang Dao spoke, Feng Yun smiled instinctively at Yang Dao. The girl was mesmerized by this smile as well, after all, Feng Yun was an inexplicably exquisite woman. It might be because of her origins related to the phoenix, who was among the most exquisite creations existent in nature.


    Yang Dao did not interact with the two girls at all. He silently ate his meal. Feng Yun also did not speak much but would occasionally use a pair of clean chopsticks to put something on Yang Dao''s plate. Yang Dao was also not polite with her as he was immersed in the flavors of the meal. He has never eaten such tasty food, or to say that he never paid attention to the taste because he had a lot of many things to do in his early life. After a satisfying meal, Yang Dao stood and was about to return his dishes to the sink but Feng Yun acted faster and took it from his hands. She then returned the dishes to the sink. She even wanted to wash them but the cafeteria in charge, who was already so excited that he could even die without regrets, came to her side and said, "President Feng, please let our cleaning department do this kind of thing."


    Feng Yun realized that she was still the president of this company. She responded with a nod and left after putting down the utensils. Yang Dao spoke, "Mister, the food here is very nice. Can you convey my compliments to the chef?"


    The cafeteria in change was a smart man and he figured that someone who can make Feng Yun wash his dirty dishes was definitely not a simple man. He quickly replied, "Yes, sir. I definitely will." Yang Dao smiled and left. While the man thought that Yang Dao was an exceptional ''Rich'' Youngman. The exception was because Yang Dao was polite, and despite being rich he was not snobbish at all. Well in a way it was true. Though Yang Dao and Feng Yun had left, their simple lunch had caused a sensation in the company. As the high-level staff was wondering who was the boy with the president. They all received a gag-order from the president herself.

 Chapter 15: So Close Yet So Far.

    Yang Dao left with Feng Yun unfretted and said, "Sister Yun, when can we go to see the accommodation?"


    Feng Yun said, "We can go now, Young Master." her expression was as if she had been waiting for him to ask. Yang Dao squinted his eyes and shook his head. He spoke, "You should not avoid your work because of me, sister Yun. You have built this company into a giant that people look up to by your own efforts and hard work. Although I am young and my EQ is low according to the people, but I am sensitive towards the vibes in the surroundings. You are also aware of what I am talking about. So you deal with your work today first, and then we will go. I will just read some books and walk around by myself." his tone was very calm. But Feng Yun knew he said all this to save her image in the company. After all, she was the boss. Yang Dao did not show it earlier and appeared to be unaffected by the fingers and gazes posted at him, but he as an orphan was very sensitive to all this and did not want Feng Yun to be affected because of him.


    Feng Yun spoke, "Okay, we will do as you say, Young Master. You can move around as you like and I will go back to work. Please call me if you need anything okay?" the two people exchanged their contact information. Yang Dao did not go back to the top floor,, but he came to a balcony in front of the Cafeteria. He asked the person in charge if he can take a chair out on the balcony. The man agreed, and Yang Dao carried a chair outside and placed it on the balcony. He sat with his back facing the cafeteria.


    The people thought that Yang Dao wanted to watch the scenery, but contrary to their expectations Yang Dao had his eyes closed and was interacting with the surrounding air. He followed the instruction given by Feng Yun earlier. Soon the air in the surrounding 10 meters started blowing like a gentle breeze. Yang Dao''s movements were sensed by Feng Yun, who was working in her office. She raised her head and looked in the direction where Yang Dao was, and a smile appeared on her face.


    Yang Dao was lost in interaction with the air and slowly the area of effect had turned from 10 meters to 50 meters. The sun had set and the company office was about to close. The cafeteria in charge did not have the guts to ask Yang Dao to leave as his status as sacred. Just when the cafeteria in charge was wondering whether he should contact the president. The cold faced Feng Yun appeared at the entrance of the cafeteria. She did not look at them and said, "You all are free to leave."


    The cafeteria in charge wanted to say that they do not mind staying, but judging from the president''s tone they all took the hint and left after greeting the cold-faced woman in front of them. Feng Yun waited for the people to leave and approached Yang Dao, who was sitting on the chair immersed in the interaction with the element. She spoke, "Young Master, it is time to go home."


    Yang Dao''s body trembled and woke up from his meditation. He spoke with an exasperated expression, "Sister Yun, I have been stuck on the same point for the past two hours. What is this situation?"


    Feng Yun smiled and said, "Young Master, interaction and manipulation of the element is something that needs patience. You can now move the air in a radius of 50 meters. People take months to reach this stage that took you hours. Just be patient and you will get further than this point. You are the Dao Child blessed to have no bottlenecks, but what you need is the patience to interact with the elements." her voice was calm and filled with warmth.


    Yang Dao realized he is being impatient. He stood up and said, "Sister Yun, let''s leave. The sun has come down."


    Feng Yun nodded, and then she led Yang Dao back to the top floor where the helicopter was ready and waiting for them. Yang Dao quietly followed her and boarded the chopper. The beast woke up, and the rotors turned. The chopper took off and the two people departed for their destination. After a couple of hours, the helicopter landed on top of the reach of the apartment complex. Yang Dao could see the towering skyscrapers lit up in the dark night. It was like a pond of light in the dark cave.


    Yang Dao sighed. He thought, ''It is good to be rich.''


    Feng Yun sensed his emotions but said nothing because in her heart whatever she owned belonged to her young master. The helicopter landed when the two people were lost in their thoughts. On top of the tallest tower, a helipad was constructed for Feng Yun especially. Yang Dao stepped down from the helicopter after Feng Yun.


    The property manager Luna was waiting for them near the helipad. She came forward and slightly bowed to Feng Yun, "President Feng, everything has been arranged. Your penthouse has been cleaned. The supplies you ordered have also been delivered and stored inside the cloakroom and the kitchen."


    Feng Yun nodded and said, "Let''s go then." her demeanor was that of a queen. Well, she was the president of the Phoenix Group, so this thing was natural for her.


    Luna nodded and quickly led the two people to the elevator. Although she was curious about the bit, she dared not ask anything. Yang Dao spoke just as the elevator closed, "Sister Yun, are you also going to stay here?"


    This question was obvious, he did not know if Feng Yun was going to stay here with him or not. Feng Yun shook her head and spoke with a reluctant tone, "No, I want to, but the commute will take too much time. It will be tiring. But if you want, I can stay."


    Yang Dao glanced at her with squinted eyes, "You are again doing the same thing like in the morning." Feng Yun found his action adorable and chuckled. Luna on the side was shocked to see Feng Yun like this. She could not imagine this iron maiden to have such a cheerful side.


    Ting...


    The elevator descended one floor, and the trio exited. Luna led the other two people to the door in front. She took out a key card, smoothly inserted it inside the key slot. The door opened with a click sound. She walked inside and the lights switched on automatically.


    She spoke after turning to face Feng Yun, "President Feng, this penthouse has three rooms, four bathrooms, a kitchen, two powder rooms. The master bedroom has a cloakroom attached to it. The living room can also access the terrace. The four wind panels outside can also be used manually to adjust the wind flow. Do you need the property management office to arrange for maids or other staff?"


    Feng Yun did not reply to her but turned to face Yang Dao. She asked in a polite manner, "Young Master, do you need them to arrange any staff for you?"


    Yang Dao spoke, "Um the place is big I cannot clean it on my own, given the time I have daily." he paused and turned to face Luna and he spoke, "Ma''am can we arrange for the maids to come over and clean it twice a week?" his tone was very calm and stable, unlike a teenager. He gave off the expression of a young scion.


    Luna was also an experienced person, and she spoke, "Yes sir. That can be done."


    Yang Dao nodded with a smile on his face. He spoke, "Then we do that."


    Luna introduced Yang Dao and Feng Yun with some more features of the house. The penthouse was equipped with smart sensors that will turn on the lights automatically by detecting the occupant''s movement in the house. The furniture was of high quality and was never used before. The balcony had a sky pool at the edge. This place was like a mini-resort. After the introduction was done, Luna left.


    Feng Yun took Yang Dao to the cloakroom attached to the master bedroom and said, "Young Master, this cloakroom is my real gift to you. Here are clothes and shoes for you I selected this morning when I was coming over to meet you. but I did not expect that paradise hotel owner to offend you. It made me angry, and I had to buy him out."


    Yang Dao smiled and said, "Sister Yun, it is bad to make you angry. Also, thank you very much for all that you have done for me." he bowed down at a 60-degree angle to Feng Yun. How could Feng Yun accept a bow from her Young Master? She quickly held him by his shoulders and helped him stand straight. She said, "Young master, if not for the rules set by the heavens. I and the others could have come to you already. Also, please do not ask me to tell you about the others. They will come to you when the time is right. I hope you do not blame us." she spoke in a pitiful voice. It was her duty to keep track of Yang Dao as the first familiar spirit, but she lost his trace when his parents died and she only found him when Yang Dao topped the college entrance exams. He stood out of the whole nation. When Feng Yun saw him on the news telecast, she recognized him in a glance.


    Yang Dao nodded. He glanced at Feng Yun and said in a heavy voice, "Sister Yun, you go. It is getting late. I am tired and I need to sleep. You also sleep early. It is not good to overlook your health."


    Feng Yun sensed the turbulence in his heart, but she knew that Yang Dao would not open his heart to her just like that and she left. Yang Dao came to the helipad on the floor above to watch her leave. He spoke, "Sister Yun, can I have a bicycle? The college campus is one hour away from here. So, instead of wasting money on cabs or buses, I would like to have a bike for myself."


    Feng Yun spoke, "Young Master, should I arrange a chauffeur and a car for you?"


    Yang Dao shook his head and said, "I don''t like to pose, sister Yun. A good Bike would do. I will get a car after I am eligible for a driver''s license."


    Feng Yun nodded with a smile and boarded the Helicopter. The rotors started moving, and she waved bye to Yang Dao, who stood on the side. The wind produced from the rotors brushed off Yang Dao, making his clothes flutter. Yang Dao stood with one of his hands in his pocket while the other waved back to Feng Yun.


    As she gazed at the boy standing on the windy roof waving at her Feng Yun muttered, "Young Master, I will one day make you open up to me." while on the roof Yang Dao muttered, "I hope that one day I could open up you, Sister Yun."


    Yang Dao craved for someone he can share his pains with. He was an orphan who came this far with his own hard work. He sighed and turned back to go down to the house.

 Chapter 16: Narrow view..

    Yang Dao sent off Feng Yun and came down to the house. He walked around a little to familiarize himself with the place. He found that the books he had taken from the library today were all placed on a table beside his bed. He walked over and picked up the book on the top. He started reading the book while standing. As he immersed himself in the content of the book he started pacing slowly in the room. This was his habit. Whenever he would study, he would pace around. Time flew by unknowingly and Yang Dao finished the whole book in just one night. Yang Dao was an entity blessed by the heavens so the rate at which he absorbed things was terrifying.


    Yang Dao was now aware of the reason behind his skills and talent but he did not bother with it. He was not a conceited person. He also knew that there is always someone stronger and better than you out there. This was the reason he kept working hard and was never arrogant about his ranks and grades. Yang Dao saw the sun rising up from the window and he put down the book and entered the washroom to freshen up. This was his lifestyle. Ever since he was young, the energy in his body was abundant and he wasn''t easily tired and could state awake for 72 hours continuously.


    After washing up he draped himself in a towel and came to the cloakroom. As he watched the options in front of him, he sighed and muttered, "Now I understand the struggles rich people have. Sister Yun gave me too much." He looked through the vast variety of clothes in front of him and finally picked up a relatively simple black zipper hoodie, white sports shirt, paired with black jeans and white sports shoes. He was about to enter the kitchen when the doorbell rang.


    Yang Dao came to the door and opened it. He saw Luna standing in front of him with a smile. She spoke in a polite tone, "Sir, President Feng has sent arranged for your meals with us and a bicycle has also been delivered for you. I took the courtesy to bring the box up here. Is that okay?"


    Luna stretched out her hand and showed Yang Dao a neat and elegant meal box. The boy accepted the box and said, "Would you like to come inside and eat? I also have something''s to ask you about this place."


    Luna''s little heart fluttered when she heard this. Last night was enough surprising for her and now this. She was a person who has been working long enough to calm down quickly. Yang Dao led her to the living room and said, "Please be seated. I will be back shortly. What do you like? Tea, Coffee, or fruit juice?"


    Luna shook her head and replied, "I just had my breakfast sir. Thank you for the invitation."


    Yang Dao only asked her so that he doesn''t look rude or impolite. He took the meal box inside the kitchen to inbox the meal on a plate. The breakfast was very lavish. The dishes in the plate contained, saffron honey congee, shredded chicken and egg scramble, a big glass of fresh mixed fruit juice. It looked heavy but the meal followed the idea of ''breakfast is the most important meal''. Yang Dao was a foodie and he was very happy with this meal. The sweet aroma of the dishes had him under his control as soon as he opened the box. If not for the sophistication inside him. He would have devoured it then and there.


    He placed the congee bowl and the scramble play on a big tray alongwith the glass of juice and took it to the living room and placed it on the table. He sat down on the couch and spoke to Luna, "Miss Luna, I wanted to ask if is there a gym in the housing complex?"


    Luna replied attentively, "Yes sir, we have a gym inside the housing complex. The gym staff is all professionally trained people. The service quality is guaranteed."


    Yang Dao nodded and said, "Can I have a contact number? I would like to arrange for a slot for myself. Also, do you know the fee?" he said as he ate the scramble.


    Luna smiled and said, "Sir, all the consumption has already been paid, you do not have to worry about the fee. You just need to call them over before you go there."


    Yang Dao shook his head. He knew that it was Feng Yun who paid it all. After he finsihed the meal he stood up with a satisfied smile on his face. He took the dishes to the kitchen and folded his sleeves and then washed the dishes. Luna was surprised to see this behaviour. She did not expect a rich scion to do all these things by himself.


    Yang Dao was oblivious to her thoughts and cleaned up the dishes and placed them to dry. He came out of the kitchen and said, "Can you take me to the bicycle? I need to leave for my college."


    Luna nodded and stood up from the sofa. Yang Dao only took his wallet from the bedroom and they both came towards the elevator together. Yang Dao stood beside Luna as she pressed the descend button. The elevator vibrated slightly and then the number on the information panel changed. Soon in a minute they came to the under ground parking level two. This whole parking level was the garage for the house in which Yang Dao lived. But at this moment their was just one wooden box placed in this place. This ''garage'' was so big that 30 cars could be parked here with ease.


    Yang Dao neglected all the things and came to the box with Luna and the beautiful OL introduced the bike to him.


    "Sir, this bike is called ''Silence'', it is designed by Markus Hanabi, the world renowned automobile designer. The special feature of the bike is the complete silence and extreme comfort. The whole body is made of carbonium fiber and titaniron webbing. The bike is very light and can tolerate a heavy assault of a military tank. The color is black. It comes with a 40 gear combination and there are only 2 pieces in the world. One is owned by the designer himself. There is also a matching helmet and glove kit placed inside the box." Luna took a deep breath after the introduction. She spoke non-stop for this presentation.


    Yang Dao pulled a lever attached to the box and the box opened. The whole box was filled with styrofoam beans to provide cushioning. The bike itself was tied to the base. Yang Dao liked the bike at first glance. The main body of the bike was not smooth but patterned. The pattern was designed very meticulously and did not hinder the performance in any way but enhanced its charm. Yang Dao did not spend much time on appreciating the lines and the curves and picked up the helmet and gloves. He wanted to ride it as soon as possible.


    After gearing up he asked Luna for the direction of the college and left the underground parking. Luna stood behind and muttered, "I wonder how much sensation this bike will cause today. 2 billion for a bike. Poverty limits my world view."

 Chapter 17: Silent Joy Ride.

    Yang Dao rode the bike to the Jade city national university smoothly. The bike performed just like her name. There was no sound as the bike moved forward. The 40 combination gear shift was very smooth and quick to respond whenever Yang Dao shifted the gear. The bike was a road bike. The handlebar was lower than the normal bikes. The grip was curved backward. The rider could use two positions. One, where the rider could hold the handle from the higher position, helping him when climbing the slopes. Second, when the rider needs to ride on flat roads at a high speed.


    The bike pedals had special minor suction cups on the surface. It was designed this way so that the user does not have to use any special shoe in order to use the bike to its full capacity. The suction cups on the pedal surface did not hinder the performance of the rider at all. Once the rider presses brakes or the bike comes to a stop, the suction cups will deactivate. The suction intensity was directly proportional to the speed. The stronger the suction, the stronger the foothold. Yang Dao rode the bike smoothly. He felt as if he was flying. The bikes usually had a 30 gear combination. While ''Silence'' used a 40 gear combination. There was an extra gear blade on the front axle. This gear allowed him to achieve a higher speed. Although using the front gears would cost a lot of energy, but he was young and this was totally fine.


    While Yang Dao was having a joy ride. He was unaware about the uproar the bike sale caused in the world. This bike was only one in the world. So, the designer published the new of the sales on social media. As a prominent, his followers were a lot of high-profile people. There were also some professional bicyclists and bike enthusiasts. They were all surprised when they discovered the designer sold ''Silence'' to someone.


    When they enquired this issue more. It came to light that the purchase was made by Feng Yun, the president and owner of the phoenix group. This made many people confused about the reason she bought the bike. Then some keyboard warrior commented it might be because Feng Yun wanted to keep the bike as a collectible. This comment made some sense after all rich people liked to collect rare things.


    Feng Yun was approached by a lot of friends and acquaintances to confirm the news. She was tired of the barrage, so she posted a comment on her social media: Yes, I bought the bike. Thank you for your concern.


    She was a famous ice cold demon. She always spoke in an indifferent and aloof manner. Her fans were used to it, and they liked how Feng Yun spoke. She was young and rich, and the wealth came from her own efforts. So she had the capital to speak like the way she did. Her confirmation of the matter made the people explode with exclamation. The second wave of murmurs started on the internet. This time the people asked if she will take a ride on the bike or is it just a collectible for her.


    To this wave, she remained unaffected and did not respond. Putting all this to a side, she called Yang Dao.


    ...


    Buzz buzz...


    Yang Dao was riding the bike, and he sensed the brick phone in his pocket vibrate. He rode the bike to the side of the road and came to a stop. Then he fished out his mobile and connected the call.


    "Good morning, Young Master." A sweet and soft voice greeted him from the other side.


    Yang Dao replied, "Good morning, Sister Yun." his tone was calm but his breathing was deep.


    Feng Yun spoke, "Your breathing tells me you were riding the bike, how was it?" her mood was uplifted by another level when she discovered that Yang Dao is using the bike she got for him.


    Yang Dao replied, "This thing is amazing, Sister Yun. You know there is no sound when you ride or even shift gears. Haha, I passed a motor bike a few minutes ago. Imagine how his face was hahaha..." he was happy, to where he subconsciously put down his guard and acted like his age.


    Feng Yun at this moment sensed heartfelt joy. Yang Dao has been keeping his guard up against her ever since he met her. This was the first time he spoke up to her and told her some trivia he experienced as if it was something world shaking. She spoke, "I am glad you like the bike, Young Master."


    Yang Dao calm down and returned to his usual self. He asked, "Sister Yun, is there anything else? I have to get to the college."


    Feng Yun did not mind it and said, "Okay, Young Master, take care and ride safe."


    Yang Dao replied, "You too, take care, Sister Yun. Bye."


    The other side replied, "Bye" and the call disconnected.


    Yang Dao once again rode the bike to his college. He really did not understand the value of his bike. The University campus slowly emerged in his view. Yang Dao spotted a group of cyclists, they were riding in a formation and their speed was quick. This ignited the spark of competition inside Yang Dao. He took a deep breath. He set two goals for himself. One, catch up with the group, two, pass them all.


    The road was flat and Yang Dao was sure in his strength. He dipped down and held onto the hooked handles. He shifted the gears to his convenience and pedaled. His pace increased a little by little and in twenty seconds his cadence was catching up to those people in the cycling group. Yang Dao was wearing a regular outfit while they were wearing a professional riding suit. Usually it would have created a higher air resistance, but Yang Dao was not affected by this at all. He was the Dao child.

 Chapter 18: The Race.

    Yang Dao rode his bike to catch up with the cyclists in front of him. Then he did not rush to pass them all instantly. He was not that over-powered. Plus, the group of people in front of him were all professionals. Yang Dao positioned himself behind them. He calmly observed their movements, adjusted his body frame, matched their cadence and breathing. After, a few seconds, when Yang Dao got used to the rhythm of these people, he increased his pace.


    He has been riding as a part of beeline formation to avoid the air, but now he came to the side and pushed forward. His pace was constantly increasing and the guys from the cyclist group noticed his pace. Yang Dao passed one person at a time. He was smiling as he did it. This was his first race, after all. Soon he was neck to neck with the leader of the Cyclist group.


    The boy was a couple of years older than Yang Dao and as he noticed Yang Dao''s pace he nodded and spoke, "Freshmen?" he spoke as he rode the bike at a high speed. His sudden words surprised Yang Dao. He was not experienced enough to talk and ride at the same time at such a high speed. Fearing that his breathing rhythm would disrupt, he nodded in reply.


    The leader of the group said, "Are you a road racer?"


    Yang Dao shook his head while his eyes were stuck to the road in front. The other guy glanced at Yang Dao''s posture, breathing, cadence and rhythm. He also noticed that Yang Dao was wearing casual clothes and not racing attire. He glanced at the bike Yang Dao was riding. For a moment he froze, then he shook his head. He did not dare to believe that this rookie was riding on ''Silence''. He was aware of the world''s most famous road racer being sold, but he did not believe that it would appear in front of him so soon.


    The cyclist group increased the pace but Yang Dao was still neck to neck with the leader and only one kilometer of the track was left before they would reach the college back entrance. Yang Dao increased his pace. The leader spoke, "Hey, rookie, want to race to the entrance? The one reaches first treats the other with breakfast?"


    Yang Dao nodded after he heard this. The whole group underestimated him and smiled. They all shook their heads. The captain would usually lure the new racers for a race and then ask them to pay for the breakfast. Almost all of them had faced it. The captain was a third-year student, while half of them were second-year students. The cyclist group had six people, three senior students, and three second years. This year first-grade team members have not yet been recruited.


    The rest of the group slowed down their pace and they would only follow as the captain raced the rookie for a kilometer. They all have just returned from the vacation and were only running a normal practice lap around the city. Also, the captain was enough to deal with this guy, they thought.


    Yang Dao kept following the pace of the captain as the other guy sped up and broke through from the group. The two people kept pedaling. One running while the other chased. Yang Dao had never been through such a competition. His body was performing at its peak and his body seemed to improve at a terrifying rate. With every pedal, he was growing. Soon he was not following the leader but came neck to neck with him. Yang Dao exhaled heavily and shifted the front gear of his bike. The bike shifted to the 4th front gear. He was riding with the 46th combination of gears. The other guy did not notice that Yang Dao shifted the front gear as Yang Dao was on his left-hand side and the controls for the front gears were also on the left side.


    Yang Dao''s pace kicked off like a rocket. With every pedal, he pulled a distance of at least half a meter between him and the leader. The other party was dumbfounded. He did not waste time thinking about the reason behind what just happened. He quickly shifted his gear and caught up to Yang Dao.


    The team behind saw this and one rider exclaimed, "Did I just saw that newbie shift the front gear?"


    The other guy spoke, "FUCK, that newbie is riding on ''Silence''. Shit, god this is unfair."


    The others all groaned. They did not blame Yang Dao for his better bike, because a bike is also a part of your strength. They all learned this over the times as they competed. Many riders had better bikes than them, but they never gave up. It may sound like having a 4th front gear is a good thing, but the strength one needed to pull a bike in this gear is not a joke. It will make you wish to forget how to ride a bike. Any normal human would have stopped.


    But Yang Dao was not a normal human. He had a physique superior to others, and the innate elemental boost strengthened him. So he could pull the bike at this speed and gear combo. The distance between the two of them did not lessen on the contrary when Yang Dao was in lead with ten meters he stopped speeding up and maintained the pace. He did this to save himself some strength for the next 500 meters. The leader tried to catch up but then he also maintained his pace to regain some of his energy to make a dash when there is only 100 meters are left.

 Chapter 19: Joining The Team.

    Yang Dao was riding the bike at a uniform pace while the captain and the ace rider of the university team put up his best effort to catch up to Yang Dao. When they both reached the 500-meter milestone the captain gave up on catching up to Yang Dao. He wanted to regain some strength to make a sudden acceleration on the 100-meter milestone.


    The rest of the team followed behind and they all were watching how the race progressed. They could not believe that someone younger than them, without any proper equipment, and riding the bike on a never before witnessed, was faster than their ace. They were agitated to the limit and unknowingly their pace of riding also increased.


    Yang Dao was unaware of this and his eyes were locked onto the university entrance 400 meters away. He did not know when he crossed the 500 meters milestone. The boy was engrossed in the adrenaline rush. The excitement he felt when riding the bike in front of all the professionals. The wind brushing past his face, his accelerated heartbeat, the slight pain originating from his muscles. He has never experienced all this. Today was the first day when he felt such bliss. As he rode the bike forward unconsciously he started sensing the air around him.


    He was blessed by the heavens. He could do things unconsciously which some people cannot even perceive even with a deliberate attempt. The air around him was moving very fast as Yang Dao was not sitting in one place. It would have caused errors for normal elementalists but for Yang Dao, it acted like a perk. As his mind gradually immersed in wonderous Dao comprehension. His understanding of the air increased. He also expanded the range of element manipulation by ten meters.


    This whole process took him just a couple of seconds. This monstrous speed of comprehension was only possible for him. He could not yet bend the element the way he wills it but as he rode he realized that riding the bike helped him in interacting with the elements. Just as he was lost in his comprehension. The team captain behind him found an opportunity as Yang Dao slowed down his cadence.


    The captain of the school team, losing to a newbie? What a shameful matter it is. He picked up the pace and stood up by transferring his wait on the pedals. His body started swaying like a pendulum as his bike acted as a counterweight. This stance is called dancing. Dancing provides the rider with an extra acceleration force by using weight shifting. The captain''s acceleration made the team cheer.


    "Come on, do it, Captain."


    "Yay, we are with you."


    The team behind cheered their captain with similar shouts but their shouts also caused Yang Dao to wake up. He was only engrossed in partial enlightenment. He sensed a strong aura radiating behind him. Yang Dao did not turn his head back to check his opponent''s move. His eyes glanced sideways. From the corner of his eyes, the captain dancing with his bike came into his field of vision. Yang Dao waited for his opponent to come close to him. They only had 300 meters to reach the finish. The path in front of them was a straight stretch.


    The team captain came side by side with Yang Dao. Just as he wanted to feel mighty in his heart, the captain sensed a gaze looking on to him at the side. It was his opponent, Yang Dao, who was gazing at him as if trying to figure out something.


    Yang Dao suddenly let out a dazzling smile. The captain was confused to think why did he smile. Though the next moment this man even thought of suicides. Yang Dao observed his riding stance and adapted it. Under the surprised gazes of all the riders. Yang Dao stood up on the bike. He shifted his weight to one side and the bike was leaned in his opposite direction. This scene shocked the captain to his core. He was having an existential crisis at this moment. How could he encounter such a monster on a practice run?


    The team behind him was now partially numb. The guy who has been commenting since the beginning spoke again, "Hey, why does his dancing look so exaggerated?"


    Another guy who was watching this suddenly flinched, he almost crashed with his friend. He regained his balance among some curses and spoke, "That guy is using the metronome dancing technique. He is using his whole body as a counterweight to generate force."


    The other guys also flinched at this. Metronome dancing was something that could not be learned by just anyone. The person was needed to be a genius cyclist. They looked ahead with eager gazes but the race has now finished. They all sighed and could only rush to the school gate. The captain of the team stopped beside Yang Dao and spoke amidst his panting, "You... are... good... join... our... team...what say?"


    Yang Dao took off his helmet and shook his sweaty head. His breathing was slightly disturbed but not as ragged as the captain. He nodded with a faint smile, and said, "I hope you guys don''t have snobs among you."


    The team has arrived by now and one guy directly came and squatted by his side. He was admiring ''Silence'' and snorted, "You guy, making us eat dust, riding on the pinnacle bike and call us snob. You sure have a sense of humor."


    Yang Dao tilted his head and asked in a low voice, "What do you mean? Aren''t all race bikes like this one?"


    The whole scene turned silent and the captain could not help but scream at Yang Dao, "You, fuckk... you are kidding with me right? You think the bike you are riding is an ordinary bike?" his eyes were about to fall out of their socket. The whole team looked at Yang Dao as if they have seen a retard.


    Yang Dao was a boy untouched by money and fame and when he noticed the weird expressions on the faces of the people around him. He felt confused and to make things worse he even nodded subconsciously to what the team captain asked him. The captain saw him reacting positively and immediately ran up to strangle this boy. It was only after the team held him back did he calm down a bit.


    So, like this Yang Dao became a member of the university cycling team.

 Chapter 20: Classes.

    Yang Dao mingled with the few people from the cycling club for a few minutes before his class was scheduled to start. The club members asked him if they could take pictures of the bike and post them online. Yang dao agreed to them. He was unaware that his pictures were also taken by the club members. He was busy filling up the registration form. After he was done with the formalities, he asked the captain about how much a normal road bike would cost, he read some rules, and Silence was specified to be categorized as ''illegal'' for racing. The reason was the fourth front gear which would provide a sprinter an extreme benefit while it might also lead the racer''s heart to fail or suffer leg injuries.


    The captain was called, Thomas Shuttler, he was an understanding person and was aware of the reason behind Yang Dao''s question so he suggested him some models. Yang Dao wrote them all down in his brain. He would check them out later when he goes back home. Also, Feng Yun needed a call for splurging so much money on a BIKE. He did not show it on his face when the club members told him the actual value of the bike but inside his heart was almost exploding.


    Thomas Shuttler escorted Yang Dao to the first-year classroom and left to attend his own classes. Yang Dao was about to enter his class when he saw a middle-aged man standing on the teacher''s podium and was taking attendance. Yang Dao knocked on the door and the middle-aged man looked over.


    The man spoke in a solemn tone, "Try to be early from tomorrow onwards. Come in and sit down on the chair designated to you."


    Yang Dao bowed slightly and walked inside. The classes were designed in a staircase design. This design allowed the students to have a clear line of sight so that they could read everything the professor is writing on the blackboard. The chairs were all individual seats. There was a board attached to the side of the chair which was used as the work desk. The chairs were designed to be very comfortable, they were all cushioned and stitched. The windows were large to allow both illumination and ventilation throughout the room. Through the windowsill, a variety of flowers could be seen. The whole class was filled with a mixed fragrance of these flowers. Yang Dao smiled faintly as he inhaled the fresh fragrant air.


    While the girls had stars in their eyes when they saw Yang Dao smile, the silk pants in the back of the class shrunk their neck and immediately became silent. Yang Dao did not even glance at them and he glanced around and saw a chair next to the window with his name sticking to the backrest. He sat down and heard his name being called out by the professor on the podium. He responded with a common ''present sir''.


    The professor lifted his head from the register to check who was the person who responded. After all, the faculty responsible for the first year all had been briefed by the Dean of the college that Yang Dao was a special person. Not only was he the topper of the college entrance exam but also had a deep relation with Feng Yun, president of the Phoenix group. It was just a curious glance. The professor returned to the attendance after a moment.


    Yang Dao glanced around and saw the girl whom he met during the registration process was his neighbor. The girl nodded to Yang Dao and the boy returned the gesture with a faint smile on his face. Kiya tore a piece of paper from the back of her composite notebook and wrote something on it. She noticed that the professor was still busy with the attendance and put the folded slip on the desk in front of Yang Dao.


    Yang Dao took up the slip as he was aware of this method of communication between the classmates. He unfolded and saw very neat and beautiful characters written on the slip, ''Where are your books?''


    Yang Dao stretched out his hand to her, asking for a pen to write. Kiya gave him an extra pen she carried with her. Yang Dao held the pen perpendicular to the piece of paper and wrote something. Then he folded the slip and passed it back to Kiya.


    The girl unfolded the slip after she glanced at the teacher and saw a font, not any less beautiful than her own which said, ''Was in a hurry. Can you lend me a notebook to take notes, I will get you a new one.''


    Kiya had an amused expression on her face. She wanted to ask what was the hurry but then she held herself back, then she took out a blank notebook to him. Yang Dao smiled at her and accepted the notebook from her. Theprofessor on the stage closed the attendance register and cleared his throat with a cough. He spoke in the microphone planted on his table, "Students, My name is Micheal Newt. I am your class teacher for the first year of college. You can address me as Professor Newt. I have sent you all a text message, you can contact me on that number for anything related to the class or your studies. I will be teaching you advanced mathematics. Before we start we have another method to discuss but first let me ask if there is anyone who did not receive my text message?"


    Yang Dao took out his brick phone and saw that he did not have any message the professor mentioned just now. He raised his hand and the professor asked, "Did you not get the text message?"


    Yang Dao stood up respectfully and spoke, "No, sir, I did not."


    The professor took out his smart phone and after tapping for a while he spoke, "Student Yang Dao, your number is not registered on the college messaging app?"


    Yang Dao shook his head and spoke, "Sorry, for the inconvenience sir, but I do not own a smart phone. Will it be possible for you to pass me your contact detail directly. I will call you if I have something urgent." his voice was calm and composed, and he was not afraid or effected by what the people around him will think of him.


    The professor pondered a bit and nodded, then he exchanged the number with Yang Dao. While the silk pants at the back of the class gloated, "Seems like his sugar mom did not buy him a smart phone last time."


    The other rich kids also had a sneer on their face. This sentence circulated through the whole class and reached the student who stood behind Yang Dao. Althought they tried to keep their voice low but Yang Dao still picked up some key words. This was enough to make any normal person to be enraged. Yet Yang Dao sat in his chair calmly as he took notes of what the teacher taught them. He would never pay attention to these kind of scum until and unless they do something that touches his bottom line. As for these rumors, it was something these losers did not dare to speak out loud. So he can let them be happy in their hearts.

 Chapter 21: Dispute.

    Ignoring the whispers of the silk-wrapped shit bricks, Yang Dao kept taking down notes at a fast speed. His pen moved perpendicular to the notebook the entire time as if he was using a brush for calligraphy. Kiya on his side observed this, and she was surprised to see someone still using the pinpoint-style font. This font, although looked extremely elegant and exquisite, it was difficult to master. This font may take years to master and given that Yang Dao was using this font with an ordinary pen. It meant his mastery had reached the peak. She was marveled at this. This made her even more curious about this handsome, smart teenager.


    Yang Dao was unaware of this all, and he kept taking notes with rapt attention. The professor continued for half an hour. Professor Newt on the podium asked the students had any queries. Yang Dao raised his hand and asked, "Sir, why is the wavelength emission you described differs from what professor Gali described in his thesis?"


    Newt was surprised to see that a student was aware of the difference between his explanation and the great scientist of their world, Professor Gali. He spoke, "The reason behind the difference is the magnetic field, we will have another lecture on this topic." hearing his words, Yang Dao nodded and still wrote done what the man spoke.


    The professor then spoke, "Who among you people will be the class rep and vice class rep for this semester?"


    Yang Dao did not react, and neither did anyone else among the top students. Silk pants from the last row spoke up, "Sir, I think the brightest student should be made the class rep."


    The professor nodded, and he looked towards Yang Dao. The boy sensed his gaze and raised his head. Yang Dao stood up and spoke, "Apologies, Professor Newt. I will not do this job. First, I have joined the cycling club and will have to practice in both morning and the evening. Second, I don''t want my studies to be affected by this work."


    Before the professor could react, the flashy silk pant young shit brick spoke up in an exaggerated tone, "Oh, so does the topper means we are not worth paying attention? I expected something more from you, Student Yang Dao."


    The whole classroom was looking at Yang Dao with a variety of expressions. Some sympathized with him, while some were gloating and there were some who even expected his reaction. Yang Dao could have let it go, but since this guy picked him out, he would show him some color. Yang Dao did not bother with the rest of the class, and he did not even look back at the silky shit. He just spoke in a bland tone.


    "If any classmate needs help to regard something they did not understand during the lecture, then they call contact me upfront and I will help them to the best of my capabilities. As for what the classmate in the back said, that is true to some extent." his words made the silk pants sneer. They thought that Yang Dao was about to self-destruct, but their happiness was short-lived.


    Yang Dao continued speaking amidst the mixed gazes of the crowd, "I am 16 years old. That is two years younger than most of you. In case of some other... well, students. I am even 3 years younger. If you want to push off all your responsibilities and show that you are all incompetent, then I will accept this designation. Also the student in the back, rather than expecting more from me, expect more from yourself as to not spell doom for your family."


    His words, although were arrogant, they had some weight. The people in the class all felt ashamed when Yang Dao pointed out his age. The silk pants all had a vein bulging on their foreheads collectively. Well, these guys were not yet aware of what happened to the guys who offended Yang Dao after the introductory speech. Yang Dao glanced at Kiya and spoke, "I recommend Classmate Kiya as the Class Rep. She is one of the top 100 students of the country and also a genius of the class." then he turned indifferent to the surprised class.


    Kiya glanced at him with her eyes almost bulging out of the sockets. The professor coughed and the attention of the class was gathered back to him. He spoke, "Since the student, Yang Dao recommended Student Kiya. Let''s vote." he gestured to start from the back. The silk pants choose to vote for one of the weakest among them. The reason? They could push their weight around in the class later.


    But this was only for the last row. The rest of the students voted for Kiya, disregarding the glares they felt on their backs. Then the professor selected three more people from the class for the disciplinary committee. The process was wrapped up quickly. The professor did not reprimand any silk pants or Yang Dao for the ruckus they have caused because he was aware of the ''big-shots behind the silk pants and the ''queen of big shots'' behind Yang Dao.


    Tring...


    The bell rang and Professor Newt walked off the podium after passing on the homework questions. Just as the professor stepped out of the classroom, the students wrapped up their stuff and leave the class. The silk pants were waiting for it and they stood up from the back. Previously the guy who picked out on Yang Dao spoke, "Yo, topper-san. Can you kindly repeat what you said earlier?"


    As he spoke, his cronies blocked the door. They wanted to make an example of Yang Dao. So, they stopped the people from leaving the class. Yang Dao did not speak and just observed the situation with a poker face. Kiya spoke, "Hey, what do you want?"


    The silk pants did not even bother her and walked straight to Yang Dao, who sat on his seat. He raised his leg and was about to place it over the notebook on his desk. Yang Dao was pissed off. He dispersed people who disrespected knowledge and education. Stepping over a notebook or a textbook was something he hated.


    The wind moved, and Yang Dao stood up from his chair, and the next thing everyone saw, the silk pants young master who flew away with a weird posture.

 Chapter 22: Change.

    The whole class descended into silence. They did not expect the second-generation rich man to fly out and crash into his cronies who were blocking the door. They all turned their gazes to Yang Dao, only to see him picking up his notebook and pen with an indifferent face. He then turned to Kiya and spoke, "Class rep, I will return you a new composite notebook and a pen tomorrow. Take care." then he walked towards the door.


    It was not until he left the silk pants, woke up from their daze and saw their leader groaning on the floor. They all rushed up to help him up and took him to the infirmary while cursing Yang Dao. The whole class meanwhile discussed the whole incident on the university forum. The taglines of this chain of posts were:


    [National Treasure Yang Dao beats Young Master Donnie.] (Donnie was the guy who flew away)


    [First-day brawl. Yang Dao knocks out Donnie Sugars.]


    [Young Master Donnie can fly.]


    ...


    In only fifteen minutes the whole university was aware of Donnie Sugars being beaten by Yang Dao. This news was natural to create a sensation. The rich were agitated that a nobody attacked them, while the nobody club felt as if a messiah has arrived to liberate them from the torment. Meanwhile, the protagonist of the new, Yang Dao, was busy taking notes in the class. The rest of the class would always look at him in anticipation, yet this guy acted as if he was a robot. He acted as if nothing happened in the morning.


    Though, he stood true to his words. One girl approached him to ask whether he understood what the professor taught them. Yang Dao showed her the notes he took down while patiently explained them to her as well. The girl asked if she could copy his notes. Yang Dao generously agreed and allowed her to copy. This left a good impression on the whole class. They did not expect the national topper to be so approachable. It was just that the rich club was too silent. Therefore they hesitated and did not approach Yang Dao.


    They did not want to meddle with both sides. The rich will use them and then discard them for their convenience, while Yang Dao was too nonchalant. He was not rich enough to suppress these big shots. Thus they avoided him. Not that Yang Dao cared, anyway. The classes passed in a blink. Lunch hour was onto them as a bell rang throughout the college. Yang Dao arrived at the cafeteria, he stood up in a queue of students for food. The queue crawled slowly. Suddenly a hand patted on Yang Dao''s shoulder. The boy turned back and saw Thomas Shuttler, the captain of the cycling team, standing behind him.


    They exchanged a smile and Thomas spoke, "What are you doing here? Do you not know that people involved in sports can just order and the staff will provide them with food?"


    Yang Dao shook his head and said, "It is okay to wait, that way the taste of the food will enhance."


    Thomas kept looking at him with a blank face, waiting for his further explanation. But the introvert had already walked ahead in the queue. He turned and saw Yang Dao picking up a plate and spoke to the lady serving him.


    "Auntie, can I not have the porridge and just some solid food?" his voice was very soft and his tone was warm. The auntie behind the serving counter was as if she ate honey. She spoke in an equally warm tone, "Yes, tell auntie, what do you like?" the whole cafeteria knew that Yang Dao was going to eat with them and because of his popularity all of them wanted to see how he will deal with the canteen Hitler''s venomous tongue. They were shocked to see Yang Dao handling her with such ease and getting two big meat buns in reward.


    Another chain post was made on the university forum:


    [A smile that melted the mountain.]


    [Canteen Warden finally tamed.]


    [Yang Dao creates another miracle.]


    [Happy eating.]


    ...


    Thomas was surprised with this change in the canteen Hitler''s behavior. He walked up with a plate and with a smile on his face asked, "Auntie, can I skip the greens?"


    The auntie looked at him with a grimacing face but she felt she should not scold a bit who greeted her politely, so she spoke, "Boy, you run around on a cycle all day long. Eat the greens you need them. Here I will give you one extra jelly dessert today. But this is only today."


    The students were shocked, and they all exchanged glances with each other. They never imagined that the canteen Hitler could be so nice to them. The whole cafeteria echoed with a cheer, "All Hail, Auntie Mellow."


    The auntie behind the counter rolled her eyes and asked them to move forward, but the smile on her face was still bright. The people ate lunch with a high spirit. Thomas glanced at Yang Dao, who ate his food in silence with a satisfied expression on his face. He wanted to talk when Yang Dao''s phone rang. Yang Dao frowned. He did not like people to disturb his meal. Still, he fished the phone out of his pocket.


    Thomas was again surprised. He thought to himself, ''This guy runs on a billion worth bike but uses a brick phone. What is this low-key attitude?''


    Yang Dao clicked the accept button, and the call connected. He put the phone next to his ears and a silky voice came out from the speaker, ''Young Master, have you eaten yet?"


    Yang Dao recognized Feng Yun. He replied with the bun still in his mouth, "Yes, Sister Yun, I am eating as we speak."


    Feng Yun heard his groggy voice and chuckled. She spoke, "Young Master, you eat first. I will call you in the evening when you get home."


    Yang Dao hummed in response and disconnected the call. Thomas did not know that the one who called his new teammate was Feng Yun. So he ignored it and spoke, "Yang Dao, I want to ask you, how often can you join the team for practice?"


    Yang Dao thought for a bit while he chewed on to his food. He replied, "How about six days a week, then rest on Sunday?"


    Thomas nodded in approval and said, "Okay, this is the usual practice schedule of our team and here you take this map of the practice route. We will do two runs daily. One before school and the other one after school. The route will be different in both runs and on the last day of the week we will have a race. The winner gets to eat Sister Helen''s cooking."


    Yang Dao asked, "I get the rest, but who is Sister Helen?"


    Thomas smiled and replied, "Alumni of the university and boss of the biggest restaurant in the city. She used to be the manager of the cycling club, so after graduating she allowed us all to eat at her place. Though it is only for the winner. Although, she is a management tycoon. Her prowess in the kitchen is no less than a professional 3-star chef."


    Yang Dao was fired up as soon as these words reached his ears. He was now looking forward to the weekly race. The two people finished eating and then parted their ways. Yang Dao returned to his classes while Thomas returned to his own matters. While the outside world was boiling. The cycling team of the University has become a hot topic on the net. The pictures of Yang Dao they uploaded on the net had gone viral.


    ...


    In Feng Yun''s office, The lady stood in front of a group of people and spoke, "I do not want his information to leak out. Use any connections you want but encrypt the real information of Young Master. Put up a false one in front of the people. Do you get it?" her cold voice sent chills down the spines of these people and they all agreed. After leaving her office, they quickly contacted people in higher places and encrypted Yang Dao''s information.


    Mary on the side did not understand why the president was doing something like encrypting someone''s information, but she did not ask. Feng Yun treated her as a friend, but that did not mean she could meddle in her personal affairs. She quietly passed a glass of water to Feng Yun and said, "Take it easy."


    The cold president sighed and nodded. Then she went back to her daily work. She was trying her best to protect Yang Dao''s safety and privacy. The false front of the information will make Yang dao have an identity of her teacher''s son. It will deter both the paparazzi and the rich from taking any action against Yang Dao. She was also aware of the dispute the boy had in the morning, and she already dealt with it by calling the rich club''s parents.


    Suddenly she noticed she had become a lot more caring than before.

 Chapter 23: Dominos.

    The day passed soon and Yang Dao made his way to the cycling club. He greeted some classmates who were leaving college. After walking to the cycling club door Yang Dao knocked.


    Knock Knock...


    After a few seconds, the door was pushed open. The person who opened the door did not seem to be a member of the club. The man appeared to be somewhere in his late forties. Yang Dao spoke, "Sir, is Captain Thomas inside?"


    The man asked back, "Who are you?"


    Yang Dao patiently replied, "I am the new member of the club. In the morning, Captain Thomas and the other seniors asked me to store my bike here for extra safety. I came to pick it up."


    The man nodded and shifted to the side, gesturing Yang Dao to walk inside. Yang Dao walked in and the elder closed the door behind him. He spoke, "The kids are out for a practice run. They did tell me about you coming over. Your bike is parked in the back where we keep the spares." The elder pointed his finger towards the area behind the locker boxes. He then continued, "My name is Jacob Gust. I am the coach of this cycling club. Since you are a new member. I now inform you, that the club will be holding an orientation race tomorrow morning. You should report here at 7 in the morning. I do not allow latecomers to join the club. Any questions?''


    Yang Dao hesitated and asked, "Sir, is there anything else that I should keep in mind? I have never really raced on bikes, so please pardon my ignorance." he humbly asked the coach. The elder nodded slightly and replied, "Bring one water sipper, wear flexible yet skin-fit clothes. They reduce air resistance. Also, a good quality helmet and joint pads if you are not confident with your skills."


    Yang Dao earnestly nodded, after greeting the elder he walked to the back and took his bike. The helmet was hanging by the strap on the handle. Yang Dao pushed the bike out of the club from the back door. He tied his helmet and pedaled out. His speed was very steady, unlike the morning where he was overcome by the excitement of a new toy in his hands. He decided to buy a more normal bike later with his own money.


    The young boy has just covered a distance of a couple of kilometers when he heard an engine sounding behind him. A white luxury sedan caught up with him and slowed down to keep up with him. Yang Dao glanced at the car and saw the window of the driver seat lowering. A young man with black hair sat inside with his hand over the steering wheel. He spoke, "Student Yang Dao, can we have a chat?"


    Yang Dao glanced at the other party and after pondering a bit he nodded. The boy drove his car to the side of the road and Yang Dao followed his actions. The boy came out of his car and stood near Yang Dao. The boy spoke first, "I apologize for my abruptness."


    Yang Dao shook his head but did not speak. The other party nodded and spoke, "My name is Mikhail. I am a senior year student at the university." the boy stretched his hand towards Yang Dao.


    Yang Dao held his hand and gave it a polite shake. He asked, "How can I help senior Mikhail?"


    Mikhail spoke, "The rich in the university have a social group and I am the president. I have noticed that there have been continuous conflicts between you and the other first years nouveau rich. So, I just wanted to ask if we can put a rest to all this."


    Yang Dao smiled and spoke, "Senior Mikhail, rather than asking me to put a rest to it, please ask your club members to put a rest to their arrogance. I get the point that none of the people in the world are born with the same destiny but just being born into a rich household doesn''t give them the right to act as if they own the world."


    Mikhail nodded calmly and spoke, "I understand what you are saying but this arrogance is natural. After all, we can afford things that other people cannot." his tone was plain yet a hint of arrogance was visible.


    Yang Dao spoke with his smiling face, "Do you feel hunger?"


    Mikhail was confused but he nodded his head. Yang Dao spoke, "Do you fall sick sometimes?"


    Mikhail again nodded and Yang Dao again asked, "Did your relatives or elders also pass away?"


    Mikhail frowned slightly and nodded. This time Yang Dao did not ask him a question but said, "Then what is the difference between you and the rest of the humans? Is it the food you eat? Is it the treatment you receive or is it the manner of death? Senior Mikhail, only when humans treat each other with respect will they be able to grow. If not for the poor to work for you, you won''t have been a rich scion. So do not think as if the world is moving around you. Everything is interconnected the day one element breaks the balance it will cause destruction of both sides." his calm tone and firm eyes shook Mikhail. He wanted to retort but was unable to and Yang Dao continued after a pause.


    "Let me give you a simple example if your family was mediocre and could not afford all these expensive shenanigans, would you still be the president of this Rich Club? Senior Mikhail, people who are blinded by wealth and pleasure see the whole world with golden glass. They judge your value by the amount of money you have on your card. They will not care whether you are Mikhail, who cracked and improved the security algorithm of JIB in your high school. To them, you are just Mikhail the richest person among the students."


    Mikhail was surprised to find that the young man in front of him knew about his first-ever big feat. He opened his mouth and then he found that he could not speak. Yang Dao''s preach has shaken him inside out. Yang Dao spoke, "Senior, it is getting late. I need to go home. Take acre on your way." with that he rode his bike back to the road and headed towards his house. Yang Dao had a low emotional quotient and left Mikhail standing there on the side of the road.


    It took a while for Mikhail to wake up from the daze. He glanced in the direction where Yang Dao has just left. He shook his head and got back in his car. Then with a vroom, he left the place as well. His view of being rich and arrogant was shaken by the words of a teenager. He thought about it as he drove and he found that what Yang Dao said was indeed right. He had no right to be arrogant about the stuff that he was given by others. In the morning he did found out that Yang Dao was riding a 2 billion dollar worth bike. Yet just now when he was talking to him Yang Dao was not arrogant at all.


    He was impressed by the boy. As he thought of this he pressed a button on the console of his car and a call connected after a few rings. He spoke before the other party could even say hello, "Call everyone to gather, the club is holding an emergency meeting. If anyone is missing, then they can stay out of the club forever."


    The other side only replied with an okay and the call disconnected. Tonight Yang Dao''s sermon woke up Mikhail. He decided to try and put himself in the shoes of the poor and experience life from their point of view. It may sound too unrealistic but this was a perk Yang Dao had as a Dao Child. He was capable of moving people''s hearts with his speech. As a Dao Child, he was an embodiment of Dao. His words and actions all contained the hint of Dao and thus they can make people ponder over their actions and deed.


    ...


    Unaware of the change he had started Yang Dao reached his housing near the sapphire lake. The guards on duty saw a bike approaching and immediately stopped him from entering. One of the burly guards asked Yang Dao, "Sir, can you please show us your key card?"


    Yang Dao nodded and took out his key card from his back pocket. When the guards saw a red phoenix engraved on the platinum color card, they were all shocked. The guard hurriedly returned the cards back to Yang Dao with both his hands. He spoke, "I apologize, sir, I did not know that you were the new owner of the Phoenix next."


    Yang Dao waved his hand and spoke with a smile, "It is alright, you are doing your duty. But can you tell me what do you mean by Phoenix nest?"


    The guard embarrassedly spoke, "Since, president of the phoenix group owns that place we call it a phoenix nest. I apologize for our rudeness." Yang Dao laughed out loud when he heard this.


    He spoke, "It is fine, Sister Yun, is really a bird and this is her nest. Hahaha... good one. I will go now, take care, and thank you for your hard work." with that said Yang Dao left on his bike still laughing lightly.


    The guards all were impressed by Yang Dao''s politeness. They have rarely seen any rich son being so low-key and understanding.

 Chapter 24: Chain Reaction.

    Yang Dao reached home and the first thing he did was to take a shower. He put his clothes in the laundry basket. Then he entered the kitchen and his phone rang.


    Tring Tring...


    Yang Dao used the default ringtone because to him the phone was just a means of communication. Though with his savings it was not a big thing to buy a high-end smartphone. Yang Dao pressed the accept button and the call connected. Feng Yun spoke, "Hello, Young Master."


    Yang Dao replied, "Hello, Sister Yun." his tone was calm. He pressed the speaker button on the keypad and placed the phone on the counter. Then he turned to open the fridge, fished out some ingredients then picked up a chef knife from the wooden storage block as he continued to speak, "Sister Yun, are you done with your office for the day?"


    Feng Yun seemed to have heard all the noise. She replied, "Yes, Young Master, just left the office. Also, I seem to hear some noises from your side. What are you doing?" the curiosity could not be hidden.


    Yang Dao replied, "Cooking the meal, Sister Yun." he replied with a faint smile on his face.


    Feng Yun spoke, "Oh, that means I missed some tasty food."


    Yang Dao chuckled and spoke, "What tasty food? It is all going to be boiled and seasoned. Though, I will call the staff of the society to see if I can get some fresh fishes and then fillet them into sashimi or sushi."


    Feng Yun replied, "Ohhh." she had not yet finished speaking when Yang Dao spoke up, "Sister Yun, the range of my wind sense improved by 10 meters while I was riding on the bike today. The total circumference is now 70 meters."


    Feng Yun had expected this to happen and replied, "Congratulations, Young Master."


    Yang Dao faintly smiled and while chopping the vegetables, he then began to explain to her how he came across the cycling team, then how he raced with the team captain. In the end, he spoke, "So, at Captain Thomas'' invitation, I joined the cycling team. Also, I will not use this bike again Sister Yun. Why did you spend so much money? And I did not even know about the value. When I asked if my bike was different from other bikes the whole team was looking at me like a lunatic. The captain was held back by the team or he would have smashed my nose crooked."


    Feng Yun couldn''t help but laugh at this. Her bell-like laughter did not make Yang Dao angry or irritated but it made him feel a little closer to Feng Yun. When he was in the orphanage, he did have friends but a faint barrier still existed in between them. He always focused on his studies and never had the time to mingle with people. Though he did love the people there for the care and warmth they showered on him. He wanted to become a man who can support the orphanage when he grew up.


    Feng Yun calmed down after a bit and said, "Young Master, I will arrange for a bike for you."


    Yang Dao spoke, "No need, the club have spares so I will use them. Why waste so much money on a bike. I will use this one to complete long journeys. It is very comfortable to ride on this bike as if you are riding the wind." in his voice a feeling of yearning was obvious. Ever since Feng Yun walked in the sky, he wanted to fly as well.


    The two people continued to chat while simultaneously discussing the daily stuff. Yang Dao also called the housekeeping staff to send him some fish. The boy skillfully fillet the fish and cooked a good protein-rich meal for himself.


    ...


    In a high-end Villa area, lower than sapphire lake view residency, 20 people sat around a round-table. This villa was owned by Mikhail. At this moment he was sitting down in the chair with golden trims. The people around him were all known as the upper echelon of the rich club. Mikhail called them all for a meeting urgently with a warning to have them thrown out of the club if they are not present.


    Mikhail spoke, "These past two days, our club members encountered a person. This person had no background, no financial worth, and no social standing. Yet the moment he appeared in the jade city he cleared up Tyson Carlos and his father. Even took over the paradise hotel chain. Do you know why he was able to do this?"


    One guy with blonde hair spoke, "Is it not because of that Phoenix group owner?"


    Mikhail shook his head and tapped on the table. He spoke in a solemn voice, "It is because of the arrogance we rich have. If not for Tyson Carlos to think that he as a rich fresher should get the introductory speech would this national topper clean him up? You all, I have some questions I hope you all can put aside your Young Master attitude for a little bit and then answer from a neutral point of view."


    The Young Masters found it a bit odd and they all agreed. Mikhail asked, "Tell me if we had no background and other stuff to be called Young Masters and just a normal pedestrian. Would we still be so arrogant?"


    The rest of the people did not even think for a second and collectively said, "No"


    Mikhail nodded and asked, "Suppose, we the rich guys have so much arrogance while almost 75% among us cannot even pass the college entrance exam. How much arrogance should a pedestrian who topped in the whole country have?"


    The room echoed with sighs. These sighs came from those who failed the exam. At this moment they really felt inferior. Mikhail spoke again, "If you don''t catch the flying arrow and shove it up to your ass, will it distract from its usual path?"


    This statement made some people instinctively tighten up their butts. Mikhail spoke, "The level of the rich is falling. We need to make people look up to us and not look down. If eyes could kill then we all would have been massacred over a thousand times by now. You tell me, do you wish to continue this? If yes, then I will draw a clear line with that person because I don''t want to be looked down on by people."


    The members around the table did not expect Mikhail to speak so bluntly. They all combined were not capable to match Mikhail, and hundreds of Mikhail could not catch up to Feng Yun. So They all fell into thought and decided to try and mend themselves. The meeting came to an end with some rules inside the rich club. It can only be said that these rules made a lot of guys upset.


    Mikhail even set up a separate group to monitor that everyone follows the rules down to the words. The upper echelon of the club agreed to his proposal, despite being rich and arrogant they were not narrow-minded. Otherwise, how were they to be called the high table members? This chain reaction was very quick and before midnight the rules were already circulated in the group. Everyone will have to follow them or the high table will act against their whole family in case of voilation.

 Chapter 25: Orientation Race.

    The next morning, Yang Dao woke up at 5. He meditated and did a light workout. Then he took a shower and cooked himself some eggs quickly. Then after checking up for everything. He selected a pen and a composite notebook from his stationery supplies. After putting everything in his backpack Yang Dao, dressed in a white round neck shirt and gray sports shorts, walked out of the door.


    The elevator descended and Yang Dao came straight to his bike. He put on the gloves and helmet and rode out. He wore dashing shoes. The sleek design was comfortable for running fast and long distances. The shoes were matched with his white shirt with ankle socks. The entire look was refreshing and Yang Dao decided that he would not use his elemental skill to manipulate the wind during the race. He rode fast and the bike also carried him on the asphalt with grace. Yang Dao practiced his dancing and other bike riding skills on the way.


    If yesterday he was a typhoon, today he was a gust. Calm and controlled. Yang Dao''s yesterday burst was because of the excitement of riding the bike so fast. Today he was relatively calm and his bike worked perfectly in sync with his body. Yang Dao rode the bike back to the one-hour trail back to college in fifty-five minutes. A five-minute deduction for a rookie is a big deal.


    When Yang Dao reached the University gate he saw the Cycling Team members wearing their full gear talking among themselves. The University entrance was the starting line. Watching Yang Dao ride the bike they all greeted him. Thomas spoke, "Dao, go and put your bag back in the locker room. Also, leave your mobile phone too. There is a code lock on the locker, you can rest assured. There is a guard to watch over the stuff."


    Yang Dao nodded slightly and pushed his bike to the stand placed at the club entrance. The cycling club had a separate single-story building for itself. Jade University was relatively large and comparable to a small city in itself. Not only Cycling club. Every prominent sport had a designated separate building. Yang Dao quickly finished putting his things inside the locker and walked out to where Thomas and the rest were assembled.


    He spoke to Thomas after exchanging a polite greeting with the other members, "Captain, can I use a spare bike? ''Silence is a bit too much, no?"


    Thomas and the other glanced and him and rolled their eyes then they started laughing. Thomas spoke after calming down, "Well, I will allow you to use the spare bike this time. This is an orientation race. Let you use a spare bike so that nobody points fingers at you. Though remember that your bike is also a part of your strength. After riding ''Silence'' the basic aluminum frame bike will not allow you to give out your all. So take my bike. The two leaders of the team are Ray and Felix. You go familiarize with my bike and then I will describe the course and the rules of this race when the coach arrives."


    Yang Dao nodded and left to familiarize himself with this bike. He was fascinated when he saw a blue streamlined bike. Though it was not as classy as his ''Silence''. It was still a good-looking bike. Yang Dao pushed the bike to the side and saw two people warming up on a roller. This piece of equipment really attracted Yang Dao''s attention. It was like a treadmill for bikes. He found an unoccupied roller for him and then placed the bike on it and got on it. He pedaled but soon he found the peculiarity.


    A guy on the side spoke, "Bro, pedal fast at first to make the roller gain momentum. Then slow down and ride at peace." Yang Dao turned to the guy and said, "Thank you."


    The boy followed his advice and put some force behind his cadence and the bike ran on the roller. Yang Dao took some time to familiarize himself with the bike then he clicked on the gear switch and shifted the gears. He constantly tried different gear combinations. The guy who advised Yang Dao was surprised to see this. He did not expect the newbie to be able to proficiently switch gears. He felt curious and was about to initiate a conversation. When Thomas shouted, "Freshmen gather up." followed by a couple of claps.


    Yang Dao got off the roller and pushed the bike to the gate where the people gathered. Thomas spoke, "The orientation race is a ritual of our club, from the day it was established. So, I hope none of you act out of line because that leads to a ban from entering the club. Second, you guys will be led by third-year senior students, Ray and Felix. One will be leading in the front while the other will be watching from the back. They will make sure that none of you misbehaves or leads to accidents. The rest of the team would follow you on a bus. We will pick up those who are too tired to race." he took a pause and continued, "The race is 100 kilometers long. The first section is 5 kilometers of city traffic, then a 30-kilometer long flat road leading straight to the winding Ruby Mountain. You will climb the 40-kilometer slope, then descend and follow the 25-kilometer flat road leading to the back entrance of the college. Also, remember, no one is allowed to pass each other in the city to avoid accidents. After you exit the city you can even leave senior Ray behind, that is, if you can."


    With all the rules and track described all the freshmen mounted the bikes. The coach of the team spoke, "Ready?" after a pause, he yelled, "Go." and so Everyone kicked off the pedals and rushed out with Ray leading them by a distance of 5 meters.

 Chapter 26: Balance.

    As soon as the coach finished speaking everyone started rushing forward. Yang Dao was also among the cyclists. Today, 8 people were racing each other. Even if the university supported the club. Not many people like road racing. They would prefer track and other sports. Yang Dao did not care about this. Even if he had not encountered the cycling team, he would have contently kept on riding on his own daily.


    Cycling was not only a means of transport, it would help him stay fit and also communicate with the wind element. Yang Dao rode his bike at a steady pace. The people were following Ray in two queues of four bikes each. The boy who had given him advice about the roller earlier was riding by his side. Yang Dao kept his eyes on the road as he rode. The boy spoke, "My name is Icarus Stern. What is yours?" he stretched out his hand for a shaking hand with Yang Dao.


    Yang Dao glanced at him minutely and replied, "I am Yang Dao. Nice to meet you Icarus." he gave his hand a polite shake. Then he did not speak much. Yang Dao treated his words as gold. Only when necessary will he speak. Icarus spoke, "You are not very talkative, are you?"


    Yang Dao smiled faintly at this. Icarus spoke, "My family will like you a lot. After all, we have stern as our last name. Though, I don''t like staying quiet." he was smiling slightly as he spoke.


    Yang Dao kept nodding to him and occasionally replied as they rode the five-kilometer stretch inside the busy city roads. The cyclists rode the side lane designated for bikes and soon came to the city exit. Then Ray shouted from ahead, "The real race has begun."


    Yang Dao was not going to relax. He fell out of the queue and pedaled hard. With a sudden burst of force, his bike accelerated and he caught up to Ray. Ray glanced at his side and saw Yang Dao. He spoke with a smile, "Dao, you just need to follow this road and the track is all lined, do not take any divergent turns. Also, if you see any splits, keep left."


    Yang Dao nodded and his bike shot off again. The other eight people were shocked to see his rapid pace. Then they shook their heads calling him amateur and that he will lose his stamina and stuff. Felix on the back heard all this and he spoke, "Do you guys think, you can overtake the regular team members and also win a race against Thomas?"


    They all shook their heads and Ray chuckled as he said, "Yang Dao can. He did it only yesterday. You guys should catch up to him first before you call him an amateur."


    Six out of seven people were shocked. Icarus was the only one who had a bright spark flashing in his eyes. He also fell out of the queue and accelerated to follow Yang Dao. Ray also accelerated and this time he was not passed by Icarus. But the new boy was also a veteran in bike racing and passed Ray after some effort. Ray gave him the same directions as he gave to Yang Dao. Icarus only nodded as he started to chase Yang Dao who was twenty meters ahead of him.


    Yang Dao rode his bike without a care in the world. His feet moved constantly with the sync to his breathing. His pace was very calm. While he ate last night, he used the PC in the room and researched road racing. The first round of the race, flat run. The second section of the race, mountain climbing. The third part of the race, Descend. Sometimes there are only the first two rounds in a race. Yang Dao meticulously read the blogs to gain some knowledge and not end up a total dunce in the race.


    Yang Dao was confident in his physique but he was not over-confident. He was riding at a calm pace, without exerting too much pressure on himself. He was aware of someone gaining over him. But this was just the start so he did not mind. The real race would start when they start climbing the mountain and descend straight to the finish. His eyes were glowing with sparkles. Yang Dao was enjoying the scenery.


    Outside the jade city, there were vast farming grounds, the horizon was covered with greenery and some people could be seen working in the fields. Yang Dao looked at them with a smile and some aunts even waved back at him. Yang Dao returned the gesture with a bright smile and moved on. Icarus finally caught up after one Kilometer and spoke, "Bro, you are very leisurely. How can you ride like this."


    Yang Dao replied, "Because I enjoy the scenery as I ride. Because I want to see what lies ahead as I rush on the road. Do not always think about defeating the opponent. Bikes are made for fun and joy. We ride together to share the joy and make each other better." his calm tone woke up Icarus.


    The dao child has spoken and all the burdens on the mind loosened up. Icarus''s breathing calmed down and his foot movement became smoother with every pedal. He tried to contemplate why did he agree to Yang Dao''s words. He glanced at the boy riding the bike beside him. For a moment it was as if a king was riding by his side, immersed in the leisure of the constantly changing scenery behind them.


    Yang Dao and Icarus then kept riding their bikes peacefully. The sprint section which was 30 kilometers long only took them 45 minutes to complete. Unknowingly their speed has risen up. They soon reached the foot of the mountain road. Yang Dao clicked on his gear switch. Icarus followed his pace and they kept riding in the mountainous tracks. The mountain was used for terrace farming and Yang Dao seemed to have been mesmerized by the sights. He has never seen such a beautiful place. The ruby mountain had a cascading design so it was suitable for terrace farming. Yang Dao unknowingly started to pedal faster.


    His bike moved faster and faster, creating wind resistance. Icarus followed him like a wingman. The two unconsciously fell into a formation and the wind resistance was reduced by a lot. These two did not care about anything and kept climbing the mountain with a smile on their faces. They did not even know that the coach and the rest of the team were following them with a bus and they were monitoring them with a drone as well.


    Thomas sat down with the coach in the second seat glancing at the monitor set up in the bus. He spoke, "These two are good."


    The coach nodded and said, "It is as if they are not competing. They are enjoying their ride. Yang Dao is controlling the pace very well. Let''s see when will they start racing."


    The rest of the people nodded. Ray and Felix were relieved by the second-year students because they wanted to watch the two leaders compete. The bus had now picked up three people who could not continue racing. They also forgot their exhaustion and watched the screen intently.


    Yang Dao suddenly spoke after an hour, "Icarus, you are losing the sense of balance."


    Icarus reacted, "Huh, how come? I am riding fine."


    Yang Dao replied, "You are losing yourself to the bliss of enjoyment. Did you forget that we are here to race? If you always focus on your opponent, you will lose the scenery. Yet if you enjoy the scenery too much you will forget that your opponent is already far ahead. That is the balance I speak of." with that said he accelerated his bike.


    Icarus who was losing his sense of spiritual balance woke up. He accelerated but Yang Dao was not joking this time. He rode his bike fast. Increasing his cadence, his breathing kept in sync with his feet. His body was lowered even more to resist the wind resistance. Yang Dao could have used the wind sense and completely undo the barrier but he did not want to cheat. Icarus caught up to him was gritting his teeth.


    They were riding faster than before and Yang Dao was neck-to-neck with Icarus. It was unknown when only 500 meters remained of the mountain trail. Icarus suddenly stood up on his bike and clicked on the gear. His bike took the lead by a tire. Yang Dao also reacted and immediately stood up and he clicked on his gear switch as well. Yet his gear did not lower instead he switches to a higher front gear. His bike seemed to have grown wings and coupled with his high cadence. It flew past Icarus.


    Icarus had no idea about giving up and kept pedaling as he danced with his bike slowly closing the gap between the two.


    Inside the bus, exclamations rang out. Thomas spoke with a sigh, "If not for the sake of fairness. This monster would have ridden his own bike and Icarus would be doubting his life."

 Chapter 27: King Of The Mountain.

    Yang Dao sensed Icarus closing in on him. He switched his gears again and leaned his body even more. His speed increased again, the distance between the two people increased more. Yang Dao saw a curve coming up ahead, he had no intention of slowing down. Icarus saw Yang Dao''s intention and was surprised because until Yang Dao intended to lean into the inside, that way he will be making a quick turn but then he will enter the wrong lane as the curve ended.


    The whole crowd in the bus held their hearts in their mouths. Only the coach was looking excited. He wanted to see whether this kid had the guts to do this. Although he knew it was not safe to do so, this mountain relatively had no traffic at all. Except for the occasional tourist buses passing by. When the corps of the farms was harvested it would be transported by heavy trucks and in those days the mountain was closed for civilian transport. This was because the crops here were grown for military use and transportation cannot be slow. So to avoid accidents they sealed the mountain for two days.


    Yang Dao leaned in for a big turn. He moved his bike towards the inside of the road first, then as the curve finished he was on the wrong side of the road. The bike was moving at a speed of 50 kilometers per hour on a slope. This guy was a monster for those who watched from behind. But if someone was to see the front they would know how hard this boy was trying to keep the lead and win the mountain stage. Icarus on the back muttered, "The shortest way."


    The shortest way was a technique used in road racing. Taking the inside on the bend and outside on the straight to complete the curve. This technique could be successfully used in motorbike or car racing but while riding a bike the gravitational pull changed and affected the stamina of a person. The further outside you are the greater the pull. Yang Dao has been implying this strategy from the beginning yet still he was able to keep up the lead. This fact stunned Icarus even more.


    His battle spirit ignited and he also started to accelerate. But his racer instincts did not allow him to use the same technique as Yang Dao. He moved at a steady pace. Icarus wanted to win. But he was not given a chance by Yang Dao. Icarus was persistent in his pursuit but his rhythm was disrupted by Yang Dao''s chaotic style. Now they had crossed the hundred meter milstone. The highest point where the road of the Ruby Mountain reached was now in sight. This 100 meter were a straight stretch.


    Icarus changed his gear and accelerated. He swiftly caught up to Yang Dao. Icarus was an experienced rider, he was skilled enough to close in ten meters gap with a short time. The two people riding side by side with only 70 meters left to the mountain finish. Yang Dao was not to give up. He raised his head to watch the summit approach. He raised his front gear to the third and squeezed the energy out of his partially numb muscles. His speed increased and he took the lead by half a wheel.


    Now only 60 meters were left. Icarus leaned forward on his bike as he danced. The wheels produced a whoosh and he accelerated again catching up to Yang Dao. The crowd in the bus was extremely excited. They did not expect the first years to put on such a competition. Yang Dao and Icarus were definitely regular team material. Thomas nodded alongside the coach. The three first years who gave up felt blood rushing to their heads. They wanted to rid their bikes just like this. To have this kind of a race, but they took this sport too lightly. The seen they watched on the screen made them all decided to be harder on themselves.


    Yang Dao and Icarus were unaware of the inspiration they gave to the others. They were totally focus on the road and their bikes. Yang Dao lossened his upper body to lean down. His bike was constantly swaying from left to right. He increased his cadence all of a sudden. Icarus increased his pedal force as well. One minute later, Yang Dao  raised his head up while he panted. Icarus behind him kept his head down.


    It was apparent who won the mountain section of the race. Yang Dao was breathing heavily and Icarus was no better. He spoke as he kept looking down, "Damn... you sure... you are human?" he was also trying to catch his breath. Yang Dao was not using hsi wind element manipulation and spoke, "Yeah... I am human."


    They both were not pedaling but letting the inertia carry their bikes ahead. Icarus spoke, "Look at the view on your left." Yang Dao instinctively turned left and he was shocked. From this point he could see the whole city below. It was as if a model from building blocks was created. Yang Dao smiled faintly. Icarus spoke, "Congrats on becoming the king of the mountain. I am now going for the flats and see how you eat dust." his words may sound harsh but Yang Dao smiled and raised his knuckle at Icarus.


    He spoke, "Friends?"


    Icarus was shocked stupid, he yelled, "I thought we were friends already back at the start line. Fuck." although he said that he still bumped his knuckles with Yang Dao. Then Yang Dao spoke, "What is this King of themountain, you spoke of."


    Icarus spoke non chalantly, "The one who crosses mountain zone the finish line first in the whole race is called King of the mountain. As he or she are the first one to conquer the peak that day. But do remember its just a dramatic way to say you won the mountain section."


    Yang Dao nodded and he did not ask for more. Icarus also did not speak as he was feeling drained of energy. The two people chugged a bottle of energy boosting water, glucose. They continued to descend. Unaware that they have caused the whole bus to erupt in loud cheers. Thomas and the coach exchanged a glance and nodded.


    Thomas spoke, "Coach, how about it?"


    Jacob spoke, "They are good. Let''s see them in the training camp three months later."


    Thomas nodded and then they sat as the crowd discussed the climb. Yang Dao was favored by Felix as a fellow climber, he felt that Yang Dao had a good chance of becoming the team''s core climber. While Ray as a sprinter supported Icarus for his overall effort. It may sound like a mixed opinion but it was actually a good research. Icarus was a sprinter, thus his effort was more commendable. Yet Yang Dao was riding his bike with a calm temper as if winning had nothing to do with him.

 Chapter 28: Friend.

    Yang Dao rode his bike with a relaxed mind and did not seem to be competing with Icarus for the final finish. Icarus spoke, "Hey, I am also tired. But at least, try to put up some competition here." he was dissatisfied and thought Yang Dao was letting him win in pity.


    Yang Dao shook his head and spoke, "My legs are numb. I cannot feel them anymore." his words were not exaggerated. This is his second bike race and he did not resist the wind in the slightest. He was physically fit but never had proper training in bike racing. It was all rainbows and strawberries from the rookie point of view of how hard it could be to ride a bike for 100 kilometers. But when you actually do it, you will wish to cut off your legs and feed them to dogs.


    Icarus glanced at Yang Dao for a second and then exclaimed, "I lost the mountain to a rookie?" he could not believe that Yang Dao was a rookie but then the scene where Yang Dao was having a problem with the rollers flashed in his mind. Then another explanation echoed in the mountain, "FUCK YOU, YANG DAO" Icarus was doubting his life for a second. Then he spoke to Yang Dao, "I beg your pardon for losing my composure but really man, fuck you. You are a beast you know? I have been racing for 3 years and won a lot of events but never imagined losing the mountains to a rookie."


    Yang Dao did not take any offense and spoke, "There is a first time for everything." his voice was calm and serene as he glanced at the scenery. Icarus sighed and slowly pulled forward while Yang Dao rested his feet on the pedals and let gravity pull him down. His thighs were really sore. After resting for 20 minutes on the descend Yang Dao turned back to look at the mountain and saw a bus appear around the bend. This was the recovery bus, Yang Dao did not want to be picked up so he increased his speed.


    After 30 minutes Yang Dao reached the back entrance of the university and saw Icarus sprawled on the ground with some students crowding around him. Yang Dao thought they were messing with his acquaintance, so he rode the bike forward. Icarus spoke, "Issokay, cousin, don''t worry. I am fine. Just tried from the race."


    A man looking like Icarus shook his head and said, "Icarus, I have never seen you like this. Also, Your mom will make me lose a layer of skin if something happened to you. Let''s go to the infirmary to check."


    Icarus shook his head, he heard the sound of an approaching bike and raised his head to see Yang Dao. He spoke, "Classmate Dao, you are such a pervert. You only fell behind by 3 minutes and 42 seconds. I was expecting a little longer."


    Yang Dao spoke, "The recovery bus showed up behind and I was scared so I pedaled faster. Though, now it seems I will be crawling back to the class." he ignored the person standing near Icarus. This person was none other than Mikhail. The president of the rich club. He also did not bother with Yang Dao.


    Icarus asked, "Which class are you in?"


    Yang Dao replied, "Class One, first year."


    Icarus nodded and spoke, "We can ask the others after the completion. Till then you lay down and rest." then he turned to Mikhail, "Mika, I will talk to my friend. You go, I am fine. Also, I lost the mountain to this pervert. He climbed 30 kilometers in an hour." his words shook Mikhail. Riding a flat surface of the same distance is such a time that could be understood but climbing a roundabout mountain road. Only monsters would do that. Yang Dao was a monster in human flesh.


    Yang Dao spoke, "Throughout the whole climb you stuck on my ass like a goober." his voice was low and it was a disgusting analogy. Mikhail tagged his cousin as a monster as well. While Icarus spoke, "You are a goober."


    The two began to bicker each other without caring for Mikhail and his cronies around them. Mikhail shook his head and left the place. Soon after he left the rest of the people came back to the finishing line. The Coach and the rest slowed down when They saw Yang Dao speeding up on the descend. They saw Yang Dao and Icarus laying down on the grass bed. Thomas walked up to the two and spoke, "Wake up you guys. The race has finished."


    Yang Dao sat up but Icarus still kept laying down. Yang Dao spoke, "Captian, he fell asleep sometime back." then he stood up and walked back to the coach and ask if he could leave now. At this moment Jacob Gust was talking to some of the regular members and asked them to arrange the duties of those who although did not perform well in the race yet want to join the club. Yang Dao did not jump in, silently waited at the side. Jacob Gust spoke to Yang Dao after the rest was done.


    "You go to the lockers and take a shower. Their is already a set of spares placed for you all. Then you can go back to class." his tone was calm and composed. Yang Dao nodded and left to the locker room.


    Icarus was still left to lay on the grassbed by the others. Yang Dao found him miserable and filled a glass of water. Then walked up to him, poured all the content on his face. Icarus yelled, "Save me, mom." and he stood up. Yang Dao heard his scream and could not help but laugh.


    Icarus looked at Yang Dao who was laughing at him on the side. He understood that it was this guy who poured water on his face. He spoke, "Damn you, I could have died just now." but his words did not make any difference and he stood up to chase the laughing boy. Yang Dao ran straight inside the club room. Everyone saw them messing around but did not say anything. This was the usual way fresher behaved. Suddenly Icarus stopped in his chase. His eyes landed on a black bike placed on a stand behind the lockers.


    He asked Thomas, who was servicing his bike after Yang Dao used it, "Captain, why do I feel this bike is somewhat similar?"


    Thomas understood what he was talking about and without lifting his head he spoke, "It is Dao''s. ''Silence'', you can guess the rest." his tone was bland and devoid of emotions as he was focused on his bike. His words were like heavenly lightning falling on Icarus.


    He pointed at the black bike and spoke, "Seriously? Why did he not ride this bike then?"


    Thomas spoke, "You won''t be able to catch him then. Last time I rode with him on a flat and he won. The lead was 10 meters. Also, don''t look at his smiling face. That beast can use the fabled fourth front gear."


    Icarus screamed as he imagined the scene, "WHAT?" then he calmed down and said, "This monster."


    Yang Dao came out of the showers wearing a dark green shorts and a round neck t-shirt. The t-shirt was slightly shiny and had white triangles as big as fist printed on it. On the back of the t-shirt in white print ''KING OF THE MOUNTAINS'' was written. Below this title a number was printer, 06. He asked, "Why are you always shouting? Do you know it is illegal to cause Noise pollution?"


    Icarus stood in a daze without replying. Yang Dao simply came to a desk and put on his shoes. He took out his bag from the locker and asked Thomas, "Captain, is this locker assigned to me?"


    Thomas hummed and Yang Dao nodded then he spoke, "Okay everyone, I will leave. See you in the evening." with that he left and Icarus spoke, "Hey, wait for me. I have to report to the same class as well."


    Yang Dao said, "You take a shower first or the whole class will be contaminated." and he left. The rest of the people kept indulged in their own things and Icarus rushed to the showers.


    ...


    Outside the club Yang Dao was thinking, ''May be it is not hard to mix up with people and have friends.''

 Chapter 29: Daily Life Of The Topper.

    Yang Dao walked through the corridor under a lot of surprised and confused gazes. These were mostly students of the university and due to the posts on the university forum yesterday they all knew who Yang Dao is. Also, due to the rules formed by the Rich Club High Table last night. One of the rules was to never mess with Yang Dao, they were courteous enough to include a picture of him to avoid any possibilities of conflict.


    This rule was not actually included in the list but when Mikhail and the several High Table members receive a phone call from their fathers and elders had to include this rule as well. They asked for the reason and were shocked. Feng Yun personally called all their elders and said three sentences, "It is time you clean up yourself or I will. Yang Dao is my brother if he even sneezes because of your perfume. I will make you pay with everything you have" after this, she hung up and sent them some digital documents. These documents were enough to uproot their whole family and send them behind the bars.


    Yes, not just a person but the whole family would be destroyed, this was the amount of evidence she had against them. So they immediately decided to avoid the plague called, Yang Dao. They were all capitalists. They did something they should not have and that one thing led to another and then another. Turning their tiny deeds into a big pile of crimes. Yet the gazes of the crowd were mostly pointed at Yang Dao because he was wearing a pair of sports attire. They had a university emblem imprinted on it.


    Some people who were cycling fans knew that what it was and they clicked pictures in secret and posted them on the forum.


    [All hail the New Mountain King.]


    Yang Dao walked to the class and saw the professor hasn''t arrived yet. He got in and sat down on his seat. He opened his bag and took out a composite notebook and a pen. He passed them to Kiya who sat beside him. He spoke, "Thanks for yesterday, class rep."


    Kiya lifted her head and said, "You don''t have to give it back to me, you know?"


    Yang Dao shook his head and said, "I know, but I want to give it back to you. Otherwise, this slightest of debt will make me restrained in interacting with you."


    Kiya shook her head and said, "I will only take it back when you call me Kiya and not Class rep. Also, do share your notes with me Topper-san."


    Yang Dao nodded and said, "Notes are easy, Kiya. Now, please take these back."


    Kiya smiled faintly and took back the notebook and pen. The Professor entered the room and the students stood up. They all spoke in unison, "Good morning, professor Newt."


    Professor Newt replied, "Good Morning guys, sit down. Let''s start with attendance and then we will carry on where we left yesterday."


    The attendance started and when the professor called Yang Dao''s name the latter replied with a present sir. The professor paused and spoke, "Congratulations on becoming the mountain king of the first year."


    Yang Dao was surprised and replied, "Thank you, sir."


    One of the students could not help but ask, "Sir, what is this mountain king? Even the forum is discussing it."


    Professor Newt spoke, "The mountain king is a title given to the person who climbs the mountain in a cycling race faster than anyone else and is the first one to reach the highest road point."


    The same student asked, "Then does it mean, Classmate Yang, climbed the mountain using a bike and was the first to reach the summit?"


    The professor nodded and kept on with the attendance without caring about the murmurs in the class. He spoke, "Icarus."


    Then a voice sounded from outside the class, "Present Sir."


    Everyone looked at the source of the voice and saw a white-haired boy panting in a sports attire similar to Yang Dao just the color was red. The Professor spoke, "Mr. Icarus Vlad, next time you better be on time or I will not let you in."


    Icarus nodded as he tried to catch some breath. He walked in feebly and sat down on Kiya''s right. Now, Kiya was sitting between Yang Dao and Icarus. The professor spoke, "Also, congratulations on winning the orientation race this year."


    Icarus nodded and said, "Thank you sir." but his chattery personality did not allow him to stop and he spoke, "Sir, do you know Yang Dao defeated me in the mountain zone?"


    The professor nodded as he fished out some papers out of his bag. Icarus continued, "We climbed 30 kilometers of Ruby Mountain in just thirty minutes sir. This guy did not let me get past him till the summit for even a second, and that too when it is his first race." his statement shocked the class. The professor was no different than the rest. Yet he regained his composure and said, "Now let''s continue with the class."


    Then the professor started the lecture and Yang Dao started to take notes with a focused mind. The professor finished the first part and Yang Dao raised his hand. The professor asked with a faint smile, "What is it student Yang?"


    Yang Dao spoke, "Sir, My calculation diverts from yours. Did I do something wrong?" his voice was calm. The professor was surprised to see the topper coming over and admit a mistake. He spoke, "Show me."


    Yang Dao walked up to the podium and passed on his notebook, he stood below trying to figure out what he did wrong as the professor analyzed his work. After a minute the professor gasped. He spoke, "Student Yang. How did you derive this value of the wavelength?"


    Yang dao spoke, "I followed your example sire but just nearing the end the equation seemed unbalanced, and to balance it out I introduced a constant as you did in the previous class. Thus, the result. Is what I did wrong, sir?"


    The profess shook his head and started laughing, he spoke, "No, It is better than the standard procedure. Your value is correct. You did well. What I followed is a standard procedure, and the values obtained are also standard. To be applied in general but your derivation is precise and a notch above then mine."


    The whole class was immersed in solving the equation but only now did they all hear what the professor spoke. The professor continued, "How about you join our freshmen physics group and participate in the upcoming Inter-University competition? I promise it will be worth your while."

 Chapter 30: Professor Dew.

    Yang Dao did not hesitate and spoke, "Sir, I will need some time to think about it."


    Professor Newt realized that he has been a little too abrupt in his proposal. He nodded and said, "Good, take your time."


    He sent Yang Dao back to his seat, he explained the method by comparing his with Yang Dao''s.


    The class continued smoothly. The bell rang and the professor left the room after assigning them some homework. Yang Dao and others then picked up their bags and left to attend other classes. Icarus stuck to Yang dao as he had selected the same subjects like him. Icarus spoke, "Say, Dao, what do you think? Would the teacher of the next course be a beauty or a man?"


    Yang Dao glanced at his new friend with a strange expression, and said, "Can you not be so dirty in your brain Icarus?"


    Icarus grinned cheekily and said, "It is a skill bro, you have no culture. It would be nice if the teacher was a beauty."


    Yang Dao asked, "How would it be nice?"


    Icarus shook his head and said, "Her pretty appearance will be helpful in listening to the lecture and learning."


    Yang Dao spoke, "You will be focused on her looks and not the subject, perv." his voice was low as a lot of people were gazing at him and Icarus. Yet Icarus was shameless, and he said, "Shut it, why do you sound like a nagging grandpa."


    Yang Dao shrugged his shoulders and decided not to pay attention to this guy anymore and entered the classroom. He found his seat and sat down in silence. Icarus went on to meet some of his acquaintances. The class was not started yet so they could move around. Yang Dao took out his notebook. Just when he was about to fill up the index, a clicking sound attracted his attention. Yang Dao raised his head to look at the door of the classroom. What he saw next struck him faint.


    In walked a woman in a knee-high black skirt and blue shirt, her legs were covered with silky stockings, both black in color.  Her hair tied in a nice bun. She had a pair of glasses resting on her slightly long nose. A tiny black dot on her chin enhanced her beauty. She had plain-looking gold studs as earrings and light makeup. This lady is the teacher of computer operations.


    She walked inside the room and the whole class fell silent the boys even froze on the spot. Yang Dao stood up and spoke, "Good morning, professor." his voice woke up the rest and they scrambled to their seats. They all stood up and greeted the lady, "Good morning, Professor."


    The lady nodded and spoke in a calm yet indifferent voice, "Good morning, I am your professor for computer operations and you all will address me as professor Dew. Now starting with attendance." the lady took a roll count and then with her slim jade fingers she picked up the chalk. She wrote down on the board the topic of the class. The lecture started. Yang Dao did not care about anything and kept taking notes. He was writing very gracefully and suddenly he heard a ''snap''


    He raised his head and saw Professor Dew facing the class and she spoke, "If I found anyone using cell phones in the class. I will relieve him or her from ever attending my lectures." her eyes were on a boy in the middle who was using his cellphone. Professor Dew spoke, "This is a class of computer operations, but before I put you in front of a screen I want to know that you have all the basics I teach at your fingertips so that you don''t embarrass me out in the world."


    Yang Dao kept listening to this calmly. It had nothing to do with him what others did. He was very selfish when it came to studies. Although he would not mind helping others it was also because that way he can revise his work more. he did not buy himself a smartphone because he did not want any distraction. He has been saving money ever since he was in high school by working part-time and freelancing as a program tester. The money he saved in three years was equal to two million.


    Imagine how big of a geek he was. He would not only spot the bugs in the programs but also fix them and sell the better version to the company at a low price. He did not see it as a laborious task but it was his practice. Professor Dew spoke, "Now anyone who can come over and complete the code I wrote on the board will be allowed to use a PPC(Portable personal computer) device in my class. You don''t have to come over. Just write the solution in your notebooks and I will check it.


    Yang Dao raised his hand. Professor Dew looked over and asked, "Do you have any questions?"


    Yang Dao shook his head and said, "I have completed the code, you asked for professor."


    Professor Dew raised an eyebrow. She thought this guy was trying to be funny but she was a teacher and patience was her virtue. So she beckoned him over and Yang Dao calmly walked over. He handed her his notebook. The first thing that caught her eyes was the beautiful pin-point text. Then she looked at the code written on the page. She was surprised and then she smiled when she closed the notebook. Yang Dao''s name was written over the cover. She was aware of this genius kid.


    She nodded but did not return the book to him. She spoke, "This notebook will stay with me for a day. You can have it back tomorrow when the rest of the people are done submitting their work. Also, if I found anyone cheated or asked for your help in this matter. I will have you and that person both thrown out of the class for a whole year. So you should be smart to know what to do."


    Yang Dao nodded was about to go back when he turned and asked the professor, "Ma''am, if I cannot write the codes now in my notebook the would it be alright if I leave the class till tomorrow. I can learn in the library."


    Professor Dew nodded and allowed him to go out. Just as Yang Dao passed Icarus, the other party gave him a thumbs up. Yang Dao slightly shook his head and picked up his bag. Then he walked out of the class.

 Chapter 31: Silent Ghost.

    Yang Dao swaggered out of the class with his bag flung over his shoulder. He walked through the corridors with a poker face. Yang Dao was not a cold-nature person, but this face helped him avoid unwanted interactions with just everyone, who thinks he looks good. The boy did not dilly dally and came to the library quickly. He was about to enter when his mobile vibrated.


    Yang Dao set the phone on vibration in the college to avoid disturbance. He fished out the phone from his pocket and saw an unknown number calling him. He picked up the call and spoke in a bland voice, "Hello?"


    The other side spoke, "Hello, is this Yang Dao?" the voice was familiar but Yang Dao could not recall whom it belonged to. He responded, "Yes, who am I talking to?"


    The other side replied, "I am Mikhail Goldberg. We met last night."


    Yang Dao nodded in recognition. He asked in a cold tone, "What did you call me for? Mr. Goldberg."


    Mikhail Goldberg spoke, "My father, would like to ask you if he could have a meal with you. He believes that someone as talented as you should be interacted with. This exchange will help both sides grow. Would it be possible?"


    Yang Dao raised an eyebrow. After thinking for some time he said, "Okay, I will tell you about it soon."


    Mikhail replied politely, "Yes, I will wait for your call."


    Yang Dao disconnected the call. He did not put the phone back in his pocket but called Feng Yun. The call connected, and it rang.


    ...


    Feng Yun was in a meeting with some clients from Crypto Nation. The meeting was being held so that the Phoenix Group could get a more advanced version of some techs. At this moment her cellphone was held by Mary. The mobile in her hand vibrated, and she glanced at the screen. The contact was saved by the name, "Young Master"


    Mary picked up the call and spoke, "Hello, Young Master, President Feng is in a meeting."


    Yang Dao asked, "When will she come out?" he asked in a calm tone.


    Mary spoke somewhat hesitantly, "That, I am unsure of it."


    Yang Dao was also confused. He asked, "Can you pass on a message?"


    Mary gave him a positive response. Yang Dao told her about Mikhail''s call briefly. Since he was not sure how to respond to the other party he asked for Feng Yun''s advice. Mary affirmed to him she will convey the message word to word as soon as President Feng comes out of the meeting. Yang Dao hung up the call and went inside the library to quench his thirst for knowledge.


    The rest of the day Yang Dao had no classes to attend, and when inside the library he was lost in the books completely. On the table beside him were four thick books of computer operations. Yang Dao would always read based on his mood. Somehow today he wanted to indulge in computer operations. Last Time he saw the SMART BUTLER SYSTEM in the phoenix group that left a deep impression on him.


    Yang Dao wanted to make a name in the technology business. Also, he never liked how the country he lives in was the biggest market of a foreign nation. The people from the foreign nation would always look down on them. In his second year of high-school, one won a contest and went on a trip to the crypto nation. He was very excited, but the way people in the crypto nation gazed at him made him feel disgusted with the place. He decided that in the future he would make these people in the Crypto nation beg him for cooperation.


    The Crypto Nation may be advanced, but they were more polluted, they had to import food grains every month. It was only their technology that gave them the right to look down on the other nations. They would not pay for the food they import with money, but with technology. Such as mobile phones and automobiles. These people were so clever that they had all the exported goods equipped with traps. As soon as anyone tries to open up the equipment, the internal chips and circuits would fry.


    Yang Dao has been researching and compiling notes ever since he came back from the crypto nation. He had five things in his mind, clean energy, hands-free mobile, automated public transport, zero-emission vehicle, and last, space exploration. Though now becoming an elemental has also taken up a large part of his mind. Yet he does not want to give up. Yang Dao was never someone with ambition, yet that one week in Crypto Nation, the constant feeling of being looked down on by the natives made him angry.


    The people visiting the Crypto Nation were asked to wear a red armband. This armband was like an identity card for them. Yang Dao wanted to make the people of the Crypto Nation feel the same way. In high school, he was reading university courses and now in graduation, he was reading a doctorate thesis by various experts. There were a lot of experts from the Crypto nation as well. Yang Dao would never hesitate in acknowledging someone''s skills, but the discrimination was something he hated. He hated snobs to the point of being cynical in this matter.


    It was dusk when his phone rang. Yang Dao rubbed his eyes a little and saw it was Icarus Calling him. Yang Dao picked up the call and a loud voice greeted him. Icarus spoke, "You are late for practice. Hurry up the coach will scold you otherwise."


    Yang Dao hung up and put the books back to the shelf assigned for them and rushed out of the library. The whole process was completed in five minutes. He rushed into the locker room and saw everyone was just about ready to leave. He also came to the back and put on his black helmet and gloves. Then he pushed his bike out of in the open. He did a short warm-up on the roller and some stretching to get ready.


    Thomas spoke, "We are going to the sapphire lake today. Those who live on the way can leave directly when we are coming back. Okay, Let''s go." with those words he stepped out.


    Yang Dao also followed them silently riding the bike. Icarus was burning in his heart with envy, but he did not dare to ask Yang Dao for the bike. This bike was worth 2 billion and another thing he was worried about was, if he enjoyed riding it then he will ask Yang Dao again and again. That would not be good for his face. Yang Dao was unaware of all this, and he was lost in his own thoughts. Unknowingly his speed was increasing.


    Icarus was keeping up with him with ease. According to the rules, the first years should ride behind the second year, but Yang Dao was going a little too fast. The team was riding in the bike lane and their speed wasn''t that fast. Yang Dao was too fast and overtook a motorbike on the main road. He did not slow down and passed Thomas Shuttler. The bike lane had a speed limit.


    Icarus on the side spoke, "If you are caught riding at such a speed in the bike lane then they will seize your bike, slow down or jump on the main road."


    Yang Dao nodded and jumped on the main road. The motorbike riders were shocked and so were some car drivers. The team practice as usual and they would often ride on the main road. But they would never do it alone. Yang Dao clicked his front gear and switched to the fourth gear, then he stood up and spoke to Icarus, "I am going ahead."


    Yang Dao pedaled and the team that sped up behind him yelled, "The Speed-star is here."


    Speed-Star was the moniker they gave Yang Dao. Icarus was stunned by the yell, but when he looked ahead Yang Dao was moving like a ghost on the road. He spoke after falling back to Thomas''s side, "Capitan, how about changing the Moniker to Silent Ghost. His bike is called ''Silence'' after all."


    Yang Dao did not know that he was named Silent Ghost. At this moment his heart was facing a lot of ghosts. He did not want Feng Yun to deal with those snobs, but he did not want to meddle into her business as well. This confusion was making him restless. Yang Dao was sprinting on the road because he wanted to find a solution and that too, a plausible one. When he was about to stop at a red signal, the signal turned green. Under the green light, Yang Dao smiled brightly. He made a decision that will change the Jewel Nation completely.


    He made a turn to enter the road following along the sapphire lake and he sensed the phone in his bag ringing.

 Chapter 32: The Meal.

    Yang Dao stopped the bike at the side of the road. Sapphire lake was relatively untouched by traffic and only VIPs lived here. The phone showed it was a missed call. The caller was Feng Yun. Yang Dao glanced back to see if the team is here and dialed the call.


    The call connected just after one ring. Feng Yun spoke in a slightly tired voice, "Young Master, I was busy when you called. Mary did pass me your message. I suggest that you don''t really need to pay mind to these people. I will call them later."


    Yang Dao spoke, "Sister Yun, send someone to pick me up. I will cook for you, and also, I have something to discuss with you." his tone was excited. Feng Yun was more than happy for arranging this task. She replied, "I will deploy the chopper eight away Young Master."


    Yang Dao nodded and disconnected the call. The cycling team entered Sapphire Lake road. They saw Yang Dao standing in front of them waving. Thomas stopped and behind him the entire team. Yang Dao said, "Captain, it is not very good for us to be practicing at this pace."


    Thomas smiled bitterly and said, "Yeah, but we cannot block the roads. Or come out at late hours. The university doesn''t allow this."


    Yang Dao sighed and said, "How about we all first discuss this matter thoroughly and try to come up with a solution?"


    Thomas looked at the team. These guys were the seniors and they understood the crux of the situation. After the third and the second year people nodded in agreement, Thomas nodded to Yang Dao. He said, "Let''s get back to the club and we will talk there."


    Yang Dao shook his head and said, "No need, I live nearby, let''s go to my place. It will be better and also will save time. Plus I can arrange a gym for the Club."


    Thomas nodded and Yang Dao rode his bike again leading the team to the Sapphire Lake Residency. Thomas and the rest were shocked. As for Icarus, his heart was beating in his mouth at this moment because this residency was not a place where just everyone could live. The owners in this residency will have to go through a proper background check, and two rounds of interviews. The building company reserves all the rights to evict them at any moment they are found to violate the terms and conditions of the agreement.


    Yet some dignified military officials, judges, police officers, Movie stars, Celebrities, Even government officials lived in this residency. Thomas asked Yang Dao, "Dao, do you live here?"


    Yang Dao was unaware of all this and just nodded. He entered the residency gate but the guards stopped the team behind. Yang Dao spoke, "Big brother, they are my guests."


    The guard was surprised at first then he saw that it was Yang Dao, who called him big brother. He immediately saluted and spoke, "I apologize Young Master." he wanted to talk more when Yang Dao shook his head and said, "It''s okay, you were doing your job. Can you let them enter now?"


    The guard did not dare delay and nodded. He quickly let the others pass. Only when Yang Dao vanished in his eyes did he heaved a sigh of relief. He spoke to the other guards, "What do you think will he do about my neglection?"


    The other guard who saw Yang Dao the day before spoke, "Doesn''t look like Young Master, will complain, as you were doing your duty but be careful from the next time around."


    The guard nodded as he wiped the sweat off his forehead. Yang Dao led the team to the underground parking designated for him. He asked them all to park the bikes here as he parked his bike there as well. This nonchalant action of his made other people almost killing him. Icarus spoke, "Dao, can you please take your own bike upstairs?"


    Yang Dao looked at him weirdly, said, "Why? Space here is big and also, the security is good. Why should I take it up?"


    Icarus spoke gritting his teeth, "You know that this bike is worth 2 billion carat coins (currency of the Jewel nation). Yang Dao seemed to have understood his intent so he sighed and helplessly pushed the bike to the elevator. The elevator was big enough for ten people. So 9 of them boarded with the bike standing between them easily. 3 people were left so they asked to come up later. Yang Dao told them that this elevator only goes to his floor and they can just walk in and it will lead them upstairs.


    The elevator moved and soon they arrived at the top floor of the building where Yang Dao lived. Above this level was just the Helipad. Yang Dao fished out the key card and entered the house while pushing his bike. Behind him, the team also entered and when they saw the decoration they were hesitant to take a step further. Yang Dao said, "Come, you guys decide where to sit down. I will park the bike in the balcony area."


    He did as he spoke, opening the slider door to the balcony her pushed the bike out. Leaned it against a floor-to-ceiling window pane and came back inside the gazes of his mentally numb teammates. The other three people also arrived at this moment. They all sat down and Yang dao served them with some juice. He said, "I think the university had given a basic gym to every club right? Why don''t we have one?"


    Ray the third-year sprinter spoke, "We had one but those rich club members acquired it forcefully last year. Thomas had to sit out of the preliminary round of the Inter-university club."


    Yang Dao nodded and he picked up his phone. He dialed the number Mikhail called him with. The other side responded quite quickly. "Hello. Are you calling to give me an answer, Yang Dao?"


    Yang Dao spoke in a cold voice, "Mr. Mikhail Goldberg. Does your father really want to have a meal with me?"


    Mikhail sensed the chill in his tone and spoke earnestly, "Yes, he really wants to have a meal with you."


    Yang Dao spoke, "Then first, you see that the members of your Rich Club are in line. I don''t like to interact with gangsters, who hurt others and acquire their rightful assets." with that said he disconnected the call. The rest of the people looked at him as if he was a monster. Yang Dao did not bother and picked up the intercom.


    Luna replied from the other side and he asked, "Miss Luna, can I have ten servings of Salmon Sushi, large mixed fruit juice, and chocolates sent to my place?"


    Luna told him that the food will arrive in 15 minutes. Yang Dao put down the receiver. Another call rang, it was Thomas''s phone. He nodded and after the second his face was blooming like a sunflower. He disconnected the call and said, "The bear called, they returned the gym to us."


    The rest of the people cheered. Mikhail called Yang Dao again. Yang Dao smiled and let the call ring until the last second and he picked it up. Mikhail spoke first, "Student Yang Dao, this is my neglection. I apologize for the behavior of the club members."


    Yang Dao was not in the mood to listen to his bootlicking and said, "Tomorrow noon, your father and any of his friends are invited to the Ruby Tower. We will have a meal in the cafeteria. Please don''t look down on the cafeteria the chef is a 7-star expert." and with this, he disconnected the call.


    AT this moment the doorbell rang. The food has arrived.

 Chapter 33: Meal.

    Yang Dao opened the door and saw four formally dressed community staff members pushing trolleys. They greeted him in unison, "Good evening, Young Master."


    Yang Dao smiled and replied, "Good evening to all of you, and thank you for your hard work. Please come in. Can you push the trolleys to the balcony? Also, leave them be and collect them in the morning?"


    The staff was 3 women and 1 man. They all nodded with a smile on their face. Yang Dao led them inside and after pointing to the balcony he went to his bedroom and took out some Carat Notes from his wallet. The staff was done serving the food. Yang Dao came out and followed the staff out to the entrance. He patted the man on the shoulder and said, "Please accept this." and with both hands presented him the Carat Notes.


    The man shook his head and said, "Young Master. It is our job to serve the owners. We all get the salary for this. Please do not do this."


    Yang Dao shook his head, "You cannot fool me like this. Your job is to maintain the community operations and not serving the owner. I know there is a different house-keeping department in here, but I did not have their contact details. So manager Luna sent you guys here. Please accept this otherwise, I will not ask for help in the future." his tone was friendly, and a smile rested on his face the whole time. Yang Dao''s charm was omnipotent.


    The man turned to the three women, they all nodded, and then he accepted the tip given by Yang Dao. Yang Dao nodded and closed the door. The team was already on the balcony, savoring the delicious food. Yang Dao spoke as he picked up his own plate, "Captain, now we have a gym but we lack a proper outdoor training circuit."


    The rest nodded, Thomas spoke, "Hey, Dao, I remember the mechanical branch has a circuit track for testing the vehicle models they develop. This track is 9-kilometers big, spread around the university. It is fenced, not available for ordinary use. The terrain of the track comprises a 1-kilometer straight stretch, 3 kilometers of wide and narrow corners, which can be good for cornering exercise. The rest is a steep climbing slope. We can use it if the university permits. Though how will that happen is a different story?"


    Yang Dao nodded and said, "The day after tomorrow, I will talk to that old man. Humph, if he dares to refuse I will switch colleges." he spoke with food stuffed in his mouth. Icarus laughed as he saw his funny face. Yang Dao kept on eating, then his phone rang. He put down his plate and chugged down the juice to help the meat slide down.


    He pressed the button, and the call connected, "Hello, Young Master, the chopper has arrived on the terrace."


    It was Luna who called him. He replied, "Alright, manager Luna, I will big there soon. Thank you." then he disconnected the call. He looked at Icarus and said, "Help me with a leave tomorrow."


    Icarus nodded, they were all big boys, they all heard the call and quickly chowed down the food. Thomas spoke as he wiped his mouth with his sleeves, "Thanks for the meal, Dao. This was the freshest Sushi, I have ever eaten."


    Yang Dao chuckled and said, "They breed salmon in the sapphire lake." he pointed in a direction to show them a breeding pool for the fish. The pool was a part of the lake and thus the fish was fresh. The team members all shook their heads and left after placing their dishes back on the trolleys. Yang Dao led them to the door, and they all left on their own. Yang Dao wanted to see them off, but they refused. Afterward, Yang Dao entered the elevator and went to the terrace.


    A red chopper stood there with a couple of lights blinking on its tail and nose. The pilot was waiting for Yang Dao on the side. He stepped forward and bowed slightly. He spoke, "Young Master, shall we leave now?"


    Yang Dao nodded with a smile on his face and he walked to the chopper. Before he boarded, he asked the pilot, "Can we fly with the cabin door open? I like the view that way."


    The pilot was experienced and nodded with a smile. Then, Yang Dao got up from the chopper, tightened his seatbelt. After a few seconds, the rotor wings turned and they lift off the terrace. Yang Dao first enjoyed the night view of the sapphire lake, but then he closed his eyes, felt the wind moving around him. He did not move the wing but only sensed it. As he concentrated, he perceived the change in the wind flow.


    The more he focused, the better the perception. Suddenly he felt as if he was surrounded by a lake of stars. These stars were the particles of wind. Yang Dao was now perceiving the wind at a molecular level. The particles were glowing because of the energy they contained. Feng Yun had not explained this to him, so Yang Dao could not do anything about this. He then opened his eyes and shook his head, taking a mental note to ask Feng Yun about this.


    The journey carried on, and he kept perceiving the wind. This time he controlled his perception and only increased his range and not the intensity. His range was 70 meters, and this time it did not increase. Yang Dao was woken up by the pilot who spoke through the headset, "Young Master, we are about to land."


    Yang Dao opened his eyes and looked outside. He was surprised to see an ancient-style courtyard house. This house looked plain, but it had a certain charm to it that made Yang Dao be mesmerized. with the sight. The house was surrounded by several evergreen trees. These trees all gave off a dim luster at night. Yang Dao muttered, "Evergreen Emerald Plum trees."


    This tree was hard to cultivate, yet the courtyard as big as a fort was surrounded by it. From the sky, the courtyard pathways were visible. They all had red vines forming a loose canopy over them. The courtyard roof tiles were red and lustrous. On the corners of each roof, a phoenix with its wings wide open was visible. This thing was made from precious material. Under his shock and awe, the chopper landed gently in the garden.


    Yang Dao quickly undid his seat belts and jumped out. The rotors of the chopper have not yet stopped moving completely. Yang Dao walked to the garden and saw a patch of flowers suddenly smiled, as he spoke, "The endangered, Moon Orchid. Sister Yun, one of these alone, could buy out the so-called rich in the jade nation."


    A chuckle sounded behind him, Feng Yun was already waiting for him when the chopper landed, but the boy did not come to meet her. Instead, he went to the flower patch. She spoke in a soft voice, "That is not the case. These seeds were given to me as a gift by a botany expert from Garden Island. It bloomed well for a hard one to nurture."


    Yang Dao nodded and said, "Garden Island are indeed capable of such a gift. Okay, we talk later, first I cook for you."


    Feng Yun nodded and stepped aside to lead Yang dao but who knew the boy would grab her boneless palm and said, "Why do you always act like a subordinate, Sister Yun?"


    Feng Yun shook her head and said, "It has become a habit now. Young Master, let''s go. I will try to not act like this."


    Yang Dao nodded and holding her hand walked through the courtyard. He laughed and talked with Feng Yun about different plants and things he spotted on the way. Feng Yun was thrilled to see him act like this. Soon they came to the kitchen and Yang Dao made her a bowl of fried rice, boiled chicken sunflower salad. Feng Yun ate and was surprised to find that the taste was very refreshing.


    This meal opened up the closed doors of Yang Dao''s heart to her. Yang Dao also ate with her, and he kept serving her with a smile on his face. Feng Yun was so happy that her eyes turned red. She spoke, "Young Master, thank you."


    Yang Dao replied, "I should thank you, Sister Yun. Also, please don''t cry. I am not good at dealing with emotions." revealing a slightly embarrassing side. Feng Yun couldn''t help but let out a chuckle at this.


    The night passed with the two people joking and talking with each other about a variety of things they faced in life. Yang Dao unknowingly slept on the couch with his head resting on Feng Yun''s shoulder.

 Chapter 34: Source Particle.

    The night was calm, and Yang Dao slept leaning on Feng Yun''s shoulder. The boy had finally opened up to Feng Yun. Last night they talked about a lot of things, from incidents in childhood to future aspirations. Feng Yun also talked about her initial struggle and how she took a bold gamble and set-up her own company.


    They were talking as they played a popular game on a gaming console. The standby staff in the courtyard mansion was so feeling like they are in a dream. Usually, Feng Yun would be so cold that they would shiver at the thought of her. Yet to this young boy, she was so warm. Yang Dao was also a candy to the female staff, though they did not dare to be too blatant in their acts.


    Unknowingly the two people fell asleep leaning against each other. The staff approached Feng Yun holding a quilt. Feng Yun opened her eyes, giving a fright to the staff. The staff said, "Madam, quilt if you need."


    Feng Yun spoke in a hushed voice, "Put it on the side and do not disturb again." she deliberately lowered her voice as to not Yang Dao''s sleep. The maid nodded and after putting the quilt on the side, she left. Feng Yun glanced at Yang Dao when she found that he was not awake, she herself got some squint time.


    At Feng Yun''s level, sleeping at night was not required. She could stay awake for a week if need be, and even then she will only feel slightly exhausted. But to keep up the facade that she was just a normal human being and not to kill her employees with extra work, she had to close the shop every day. Yang Dao was just a kid. He had a very busy day. Squeezed out his physical potential on the ruby mountain climb. Then dealt with classes, took a practice run in the evening. After coming here, he cooked and played with Feng Yun.


    He was exhausted and fell asleep as he was talking to Feng Yun. The cold CEO did not budge at all and allowed the boy to rest. As for the quilt, that was unnecessary. Yang Dao was always comfortable. (Cold never bothered him anyway.) The night passed slowly, and the sun shone on the eastern horizon.


    Yang Dao woke up sharply at six with his bio-clock. He stood up and stretched his body lazily. Then he looked around as he rubbed his eyes. He saw Feng Yun sitting on the couch beside him, and she was smiling at him. He recalled how he fell asleep on the couch so he spoke, "Good morning, sister Yun."


    Feng Yun smiled and replied softly, "Good morning, young Master."


    Yang Dao said, "Sister Yun, can you tell me where is the washroom?" Feng Yun pointed at the door on the left side of the room and said, "There. You can use that, although it is a guest washroom, I never have guests here."


    Yang Dao did not mind and under the strong pressure coming from his bowels he rushed in like a cheetah. Feng Yun also got up and left to freshen up herself. After 10 minutes, Yang Dao came out of the washroom looking fresh and energetic. He then looked around but Feng Yun was not there, but he spotted a cute maid. He spoke politely, "Excuse me, can you tell me if there is a gym in the mansion?"


    The maid was startled and then quickly responded. She used sign language to interact. With the movement of her hands, Yang Dao understood she cannot speak. He became upset but then he nodded and also used sign language to communicate with her. The maid was surprised and then joyful to see a distinguished guest of the house communicating with her in the same language. She told him that her name is Lisa, and she was born with this ailment. Yet After completing her education Feng Yun hired her as the housekeeping staff.


    Yang Dao nodded and kept on communicating with as Lisa led him to the gymnasium. Yang Dao thanked her for the help and entered the gym. He did some warm-up and then he did some weight training, cardio, and leg work. His workout routine was very balanced. Feng Yun came in when he was doing heavy squats. She nodded as she looked at Yang Dao''s form and effort. She said to him, "Young Master, come I will teach you something, that will help you in the future."


    Yang Dao nodded and dropped the heavy barbell on his shoulders carefully. Then he walked up to Feng Yun. Feng Yun pointed at the mirror-ed wall and said, "You look in the mirror and follow my moments."


    Yang Dao nodded and followed her instructions to the word. Feng Yun spoke, "The sparkling light particles you perceived last night are called, source particles. These particles are the source of energy an element contains within itself. In the future, after you manipulate the elements, you will need to absorb these particles into yourself. They will provide you with energy, and elemental boost. Elemental boosts are Wind gives you speed, Earth gives you strength, Fire gives you ferocity and Water gives you life."


    She paused as she started moving her hands and feet slowly and gracefully. Yang Dao followed her movements as Feng Yun continued speaking, "I will explain the boosts to you when you achieve that step."


    Yang dao nodded and kept copying her movements. Feng Yun slightly nodded when she saw the firmness in his eyes. The two people kept on it for about half an hour until the gorgeous lady said, "Young Master, let''s stop here for now. We need to go to work. You told me we will receive guests today."


    Yang Dao nodded and spoke, "Not guests, potential business partners." at the end of this sentence, a smirk appeared on his lips. Feng Yun was confused but asked little. She also wanted to see how Yang Dao would do to the so-called rich and big people.

 Chapter 35: Ruby Roulette.

    Yang Dao dressed up in a black formal shirt and beige trousers accompanied by Black flat base sneakers and wore a beige strapped chronograph watch on his wrist. This set of clothes was in contrast to Feng Yun''s white and red combination. She wore a long-sleeved white blouse with Red-colored pants. She wore a pair of white stilettoes and a red strapped watch. Her fair jade-like face was added an immeasurable amount of charm when she put on a pair of ruby earrings on her ears.


    This pair was out for blood today. Yang Dao complimented Feng Yun when they met after breakfast, "Sister Yun, you always look so pretty." he clasped his chin with his index finger and thumb.


    Feng Yun smiled and replied, "Just like how you always look so charming, Young Master." she copied Yang Dao''s gesture. They both exclaimed in unison, "Got it."


    Then they looked at each other and laughed. Feng Yun spoke, "You wait for a second Young Master, I will grab something you are missing." with that, she quickly walked to her cloakroom and came out after a minute. She walked up to Yang Dao and carefully pinned a brooch to his patch pocket. She caressed the brooch gently and said, "Young Master, this broch is something I bought with my first ever earning. It may not be as valuable as a gem but it is definitely a charming one. I hope you don''t mind it."


    Yang Dao turned and glanced at a decorative mirror on the wall. The brooch was shaped like a lotus blooming. Yang Dao nodded and said, "Sister Yun. I don''t mind. Also, do you have a red eye shadow?"


    Feng Yun nodded said, "It is inside my cloakroom. I will get it for you." and soon after another trip to the cloakroom she bought Yang Dao a palm-sized box. The box was marked with a brand name that Yang Dao did not recognize at all. Regardless, he glanced at the maid standing at the side and said, "Sister, can you get me a chair?"


    The maid reacted quickly and found him a chair. Then Yang Dao said, "A handheld mirror as well, please." the maid again went out of the living room. Yang Dao sat Feng Yun on the chair took the box of eye shadow from her and opened it swiftly. He smeared his fingers with the eye shadow and said, "Close your eyes, Sister Yun."


    Yang Dao was very good at art. He was capable of painting with his fingers. One of his paintings was bought by a patron visiting his orphanage at a boggling 3 million price. All of which he donated to the sick children''s medical treatment in the orphanage. Feng Yun closed her eyes. She has seldom used makeup on her face. Yang Dao moved his fingers gently yet gracefully. His thumb stroked the upper eyelid along the lashes very skillfully. If someone asked Feng Yun she would say that she did not feel the touch of Yang Dao at all.


    Yang Dao gradually increased the pressure as he moved outwards and even the surface of touch had increased. Then he used his clean fingers and blended the makeup with the real skin. He backed off and saw the maid standing with a mirror in her hands. Yang Dao smiled and took the mirror from her and spoke to Feng Yun, "Sister Yun, you can open your eyes now."


    Feng Yun opened her eyes and she was stunned for a moment when she glanced at the mirror. The woman in front of her was so beautiful. She knew it was her, and she was aware of her beauty but after Yang Dao''s touch her image has gone up by two levels. She smiled and said, "Thank you very much, Young Master."


    Yang Dao shook his head and said, "Jade looks better when it is clean and carved."


    Feng Yun nodded her head and stood up. She said, "Shall we go now?"


    Yang Dao nodded and the two people came out of the house they did not take the chopper but a luxury car. They entered the garage outside the courtyard and Yang Dao spotted a car and he stopped in his tracks. The silver-colored car had a bright red trimming around the corners. Yang Dao spoke as he shook his head, "I wonder, who bought this beast after a day it was released. Quinn, only one model was ever produced by Torque Motors. I have to say, they outdid themselves with this. Equipped with an 8 cylinder engine twin-turbo, 1,479 horsepower, 1,180 pounds/feet torque. 286 miles per hour. The whole thing is carved out of Vibron, the strongest and lightest natural alloy in existence. Even the engine block and drive train are made from this metal as well. Powered by Crypto nation''s best vehicle assist system. They didn''t cut any corners here. The interior, don''t get me started. Sister Yun, be honest, did they made this for you specifically?" he pointed a suspicious gaze at Feng Yun.


    Feng Yun at this moment like a child turned her head away. She knew what this gaze meant. She hesitated and spoke, "The four of us bought out Torque Motors a few years ago. And decided that when the Dao Child will meet the four of us, this will be his gift. I forgot to have it parked here."


    Yang Dao had his mouth wide open he couldn''t believe these crazy people will spend so much for just a gift. he was moved and scared silly by this gesture. Didn''t this mean that if someone messed up with him? His four familiars will slaughter the world for him. This thought scared the shit out of him.


    He closed his mouth and without another word he sat down in the back seat of a commercial luxury car. Feng Yun sat down with him and the already driver started the vehicle. Usually, the people would have a car waiting on the porch but Feng Yun had a thing for riding different cars for different kinds of schedules. The garage was as big as a 5 bedroom penthouse. And this was only the first level. She had stored her most favorite cars on this level.


    Usually, she would drive a two-seater sports car on her own. Today she was going to meet with the ''big shots'' so the big boss car was needed. Though, she did not expect Yang Dao to go silent as soon as she told him the origins of that vehicle. Yang Dao was a kid and her master. She was unable to hide anything from him, it was a condition set by their bond. She was also able to sense the turmoil inside Yang Dao''s heart. She did not speak to quell this storm. Yang Dao had to decide for himself on how to deal with this. She had complete trust in Yang dao and that he would be able to solve this momentary trouble.


    The car moved smoothly on the road to the ruby tower. Yang Dao glanced outside the window and suddenly a smile appeared on his face, he mumbled, "Your actions decide whether there will be chaos or serenity."


    He entered a state of nothingness and they reached the office edifice. Only when the vehicle stopped did Yang Dao woke up. He smiled at Feng Yun and said, "You guys need to hold back on the gifts a little."


    Feng Yun showed him a wry smile and they both went upstairs under the admiring and envious gazes of the staff. Yang Dao fished out his cell phone and dialed Mikhail Goldberg''s number. The call connected and a voice that did not belong to Mikhail sounded.


    "Hello, Mr. Yang, I am Khal Goldberg. Mikhail is my son." the tone was very excited.


    Yang Dao handed the phone to Feng Yun directly and said, "You ask him who is coming and who is not. I am not very familiar with these guys."


    Feng Yun took over the phone with a smile on her face. She spoke in a cold voice, "This is Feng Yun, president of Phoenix group. Chairman Goldberg, you are welcome to come over and have lunch with me and my Younger brother Feng Yang Dao." her personality changed drastically. Yang Dao shook his head helplessly, after all, he himself was like this.


    On the other side of the phone, Khal Goldberg was shocked. He did not expect Feng Yun to talk to him over the phone. In his stupor, he responded, "Yes, President Feng, I and the others will come surely."


    Feng Yun replied, "Welcome. We have lunch at 1.30 noon. Be on time. My time is precious." she did not wait for his reply and hung up the call. Yang Dao spoke, "You are so cool dealing with these guys."


    Feng Yun chuckled and said, "You will get used to it Young Master. These people don''t deserve softness."


    Yang Dao nodded and then sat down on the couch while Feng Yun took her desk and started working. Yang Dao asked suddenly when he got bored, "Say, Sister Yun, when will I meet the other three people? I like that car a little, you know." he raised his head and kept glancing at the ceiling. Feng Yun saw this and smiled, Yang Dao was, after all, a child. She said, "We can arrange for special coaching for you in driving a sports car at a race track. You can get any car you want except for that one."


    Yang Dao glanced at her and rolled eyes as he said, "Go, go, work. You tease me. Humph." Feng Yun chuckled and the two spent time in silence waiting for the ''big-shots to come.

 Chapter 36: Bringing Out The Humanity.

    Mary knocked on the door, Feng Yun, who was busy with sorting out some reports, said, "Come in."


    Yang Dao was busy reading a research paper on clean energy. Yes, if others saw this 16-year-old guy calculating these things. They will be shocked and also ridicule him for acting like a genius. Mary entered the room and said in a low voice, "President Feng, the bosses of Goldberg Consortium, Fahrenheit Infratech, Aspire Finance, and Bay-Mach Engineering are down in the reception hall. They all said that you invited them. Feng Yun glanced at the watch tied to her wrist.


    She glanced at Yang Dao, who was scribbling something on a piece of paper. He sensed her gaze and said, "It''s up to you, Sister Yun, don''t glance at me like that. You are the big boss here..." he did not raise his head. Feng Yun shook her head with a smile and spoke to Mary, "Call them all to the cafeteria."


    Mary nodded and walked out of the cabin. In her mind, a cyclone was raging, "President Feng actually looked at this young boy for a decision. Also, she put on make-up today. I''ll be damned, we are going to have a colorful spring in the company." she was happy to see the subtle changes in Feng Yun. As someone who has followed Feng Yun for a long time, she always worried about her. Putting all this aside, she rushed down the tower to bring the visitors to the cafeteria.


    Feng Yun asked the people to mask Yang Dao''s identity. She was not afraid that they would backstab her or leak the information outside. Because these people were all from a force trained by one familiar Yang Dao had not met yet. They were all loyal to death and would die before betraying the forces behind them.


    As Mary rushed down, Feng Yun stood up and said, "Young Master, let''s go. Time to eat."


    Yang Dao nodded and picked up the paper he was scribbling on. He smiled at Feng Yun and said, "Let''s have a nice bowl of chicken noodle and a burger with clear blueberry soda."


    Feng Yun nodded with a smile. Yang Dao was a foodie who would eat things based on his impulse. She liked his spontaneity. The two walked to the cafeteria, smiling and chatting. Yang Dao showed Feng Yun the piece of paper he was scribbling on, stunning the beauty. This piece was a plan he came up with to do business with these big-shots.


    The two people reached the cafeteria, smiling and talking. Yang Dao held the door for Feng Yun and bowed slightly. Feng Yun chuckled and walked ahead. Her laughter attracted a lot of attraction from the crowd, or the big-shots. Mary had asked the normal employees to order take away which will be reimbursed by the company as the big shots might talk about something inappropriate for them to hear.


    Yang Dao entered the cafeteria behind her. He walked straight to the manager in charge and placed his order. The manager took it down with pleasure, and Yang Dao came back to Feng Yun. Though the beauty in front of him was in ''the cold boss'' mode. The two walked up to the bosses who stood some distance away.


    Khal Goldberg, a man of tall stature, burly physique, and knotted beard, was the first person to walk forward and greet Feng Yun with a smile on his face. He spoke, "Hello, President Feng. Young Master Feng." Feng Yun put down her name in front of Yang Dao for his cover. The others also came forward to greet and introduced themselves.


    Feng Yun nodded and Yang Dao spoke, "You all please sit down." they did not shake hands as Feng Yun never shakes hands with other men.


    The people all sat down, Yang Dao spoke first, "I am not someone from the biz world, so allow me to be blunt. Why did you want to have a meal with me?" his calm and composed tone made the visitors nod in approval. Leo Dim, a sneaky-looking man spoke first, "Young Master Feng. First, we would like to apologize to you for any sort of discomfort our offsprings may have caused you. We really don''t have words to convey our grievance."


    This man was sure a person who dealt with money and stocks all day long. Such eloquence. Yang Dao replied with a smile, "You don''t have to be so embarrassed, Boss Dim. I will not be accepting the apology as I have always returned to people as they do to me. Second, I don''t need your words as well. I believe actions are always louder than words. Mr. Goldberg, I have to say, that your son, Mikhail Goldberg, is good." his tone was cold and indifferent when he dealt with Leo Dim, but the cold vanished when he addressed Khal Goldberg.


    The bearded man smiled and replied, "The reason I asked you for a meal was that I was worried about the evidence President Feng holds against us. That is why I asked for a face-to-face confrontation with you and see what we can do about it. Also, to discuss if we could bask in the light of your glorious company." his tone was calm and polite, and he was about to continue when Feng Yun interrupted, "Mr. Goldberg, do you think that just a meal could help you get rid of your troubles? Do you think, I am unaware of the way you snakes deal with things."


    Her remark made the big shots go through a change in their expressions. Feng Yun spoke, "You want to be free? Very well, I will let you be free. First, compensate every single life you have affected throughout your work span with money and a personal apology. After that, I will call you and we will have a chance for a business co-operation." with that said Feng Yun went silent as she was before.


    Yang Dao shook his head bitterly inside his mind. The situation was awkward, so he stepped forward. He spoke in a calm and serene tone, "You people, may not know that your actions people will remember when you leave the world. Or maybe you know, but you don''t care as you will be already gone. Nature is counting everything you do. The curses and hatred of the people pointed at you. The grace and blessing of you have earned, everything is accounted for and that account will decide the future, not only for you but for your coming generations. As the generations become more unruly, the family will degrade. But if they are disciplined and virtuous, they will flourish. Your forefathers must have been people of strong virtue, thus they gained reputation. Reputation brings prosperity, while the opposite is true for your children. People avoid them like a plague. You all must know, if given a chance, a pedestrian might kill you. But if you had a good reputation, then those same pedestrians will look at you with reverence. They will try to be like you idolize you. How do you think gods came into existence? Is it because of their strength? No, there are demons who are equally strong as the gods. It is their deeds that make them what they are. A human can also be revered like a god, but only if he remembers they are humans. Losing yourself in the bliss of reverence will make you fall from the providence." he paused when he saw that the big shots in front of him were looking at him with eager eyes.


    He continued, "You will look outside the window and tell me, what sounds better. Khal Goldberg, the boss of Goldberg consortium, ruined lives for his gain, may he die like a dog or Khal Goldberg, the boss of Goldberg consortium, who changed lives for a better society. May God bless him."


    Khal Goldberg''s body shook. The answer was apparent in his eyes. Yang Dao spoke, "Those who share happiness will lack nothing. You might think that I am talking non-sense but if your so-called friends and family members are asked if they would choose you or the wealthy. They will choose wealth without hesitation."


    Leo Dim had tears in his eye. He spoke in a shivering voice, "Young Master Feng, what you have said is completely correct. My younger brother, whom I grew up with, tried to get me assassinated for the chair I sit in. My son and his son, who should live in harmony, are now hating each other." he couldn''t hold on and started crying. The manager of the Cafeteria walked in with two food trays in his hands. Feng Yun gestured him to stop and place the food on a table other than the one they sat at.


    Yang Dao said to the emotional men in front of him, "You are all grown-ups but you are also humans. So crying is okay, but what will do after wiping the tears is what important. I will now go to eat. You all should let go of your burdens and then come to join us." Feng Yun and Yang Dao stood up from the table and walked up to their food.


    They were at a certain distance and they could see the bosses sobbing. Feng Yun waved her hand and cast a barrier. Then she said, "What was the point in preaching to them?"


    Yang dao spoke as he stuffed some noodles in his mouth, "People with authority have burdens on their hearts. These burdens are also what makes them ruthless and cruel. My words worked on them because of the authority they see I hold. If I was a poor orphan, the scene would have been the opposite of what we see today. These words will make them see me as a human and when they subconsciously compare themselves with me. They will want to become human as well. Only when humans unite will they change things. And for that we make these capitalists remember their humanity." his tone was groggy as he was eating.


    Before Feng Yun could ask anything he spoke, "No talking when you eat." making the girl chuckle and shake her head as they ate their food contently.

 Chapter 37: All In.

    As the two people ate the five people lamented on their lives. They calmed down and took out their phones. Immediately calling their secretaries to gather the information of the people they have hurt or ruined by the evening. The secretaries were shocked but then acted quickly and got to work. They saw Yang Dao eating food with a content expression on his face. Khal Goldberg spoke, "How long has it been since we have actually enjoyed a meal?"


    The others nodded with sighs escaping their mouths, Leo Dim spoke, "I am so paranoid that I suspect my cook will poison me so I have started to cook by myself." the others shook their heads in lamentation but did not say anything. Feng Yun had spotted them by this time and she removed the barrier. She spoke to the serving staff at the side, "Get them the menu."


    The staff did not dare to delay, they quickly served the bosses a menu card. A slim man shook his head and said directly, "I will just have the noodles Young Master Feng is having." The others also nodded, ordering the same thing. The person who took the initiative was called Terrence Bay, partner, and co-founder of Bay-Mach engineering. Beside him sat a chubby man, Cobalt Mach, the expert investor. Terrence Bay was a genius who designed a nuclear vehicle concept. His best work was a hybrid car that could move sideways and was driverless. He designed cars, bikes, planes, and even space shuttle.


    They made everything from civilian to military automobiles. While Terrence raked money in engineering, Cobalt put all that money into investments. They were money printing machines. A famous magazine once quoted that Bay-Mach Engineering makes money faster than the national mint (money printing). They started from scratch even though they both belonged to prominent merchant families, they created an empire of their own. Today their motive was to meet the person who dethroned them from the first rank in the business.


    After these guys were done eating. Yang Dao and Feng Yun came back to the common table. Yang Dao asked with a smile, "Hope you enjoyed the meal."


    Ian Fahrenheit, chairman of Fahrenheit Infratech, second-biggest civilian contractors, the made highways, express corridors, landscapes, skyscrapers. Their best work, Sky Tower, 50 meters smaller than Ruby Tower. This man spoke, "To be honest and true to you and ourselves. This is the first meal we have actually enjoyed in many years. You have our gratitude, Young Master Yang Dao."


    Yang Dao waved his hand and said, "I am not proficient in business negotiations. So I will give it to you straight. I want Crypto Nation to regret their arrogance. You people have already achieved what you can in the Jewel Nation. There is no point in sticking to what you are doing now."


    Leo Dim spoke up, "Indeed, the money cycle is just circulating and we don''t have any major changes in the flow in the past five years." his tone was serious. They were all in for business now.


    Cobalt Mach spoke, "True, the tech is also rising but it is slower than it was in the past. Now all the young blood graduates and go out in the world to seek experience. Once they realize the living standards there are better than in our nation, they don''t come back." his expression was solemn.


    Yang Dao glanced at Feng Yun, who caught the queue and said, "We have a business plan. That will bring us the edge over the crypto nation." her cold voice woke up all the people in the cafeteria.


    Khal Goldberg spoke, "As long as it is something in our capabilities we will agree."


    Feng Yun patted Yang Dao on his shoulder and spoke, "My brother came up with this plan. And don''t judge him by his age, he is the national topper this year with full marks. He will show you something now."


    Yang Dao shook his head at her words but still took out a piece of paper from the pocket and placed it on the table. He spoke, "To conquer the enemy, one must know the enemy. Once you know the enemy, you will be able to find out his weakness and strengths."


    Terrence Bay picked up the paper and his soul almost left his body. He muttered, "Atomic Fusion..." his voice was low yet his words were heard by all the big shots. They may not be engineers but they knew the significance behind these two words. They all glanced at Yang Dao, who god knows when stood up. The boy spoke, "The higher metabolism a body has the more food it needs. So if Crypto nation is a body and Tech is the metabolism, Power supply becomes the food. Simple enough to understand I guess?"


    While the bosses nodded in a daze. Feng Yun almost could not hold in her laughter. She was amused how Young Master Yang Dao can find analogies related to food almost every time. Yang Dao spoke, "You all are old players, so have you figured out the weaknesses of Crypto Nation?"


    The bosses nodded, but Cobalt Mach asked, "Young Master Feng, this idea is good but it will need the support of the government. It will be a long process."


    Yang Dao shook his head and walked up to a window on the side. He spoke while his gaze rested outside, "It is up to us to make the government agree to this proposal. To keep something like atomic tech research confidential we need tight security. The military will be strengthened first. Our companies will collaborate on this. I guess Mr. Bay has a lot of ideas in this field which if shared and explored can bear a good result."


    Terrence Bay was shocked to see Yang Dao figuring out such a point and then when he imagined the big amount of engineers in the Phoenix group and the research facilities. He became excited, without even looking at Cobalt Mach, he agreed to it with a nod. Inside Yang Dao''s mind, a countdown started, 1 down 4 to go.


    Yang Dao kept on speaking, "The research facility for the Atomic Research will be left to Mr. Fahrenheit. We will collaborate on this as well. I guess it will be ready within 2 years? The benefits and prestige will be huge."


    Ian Fahrenheit knew what it meant for him to design such a facility along with the Phoenix group. He also nodded easily and said, "I will personally set-up a team and will make sure that the purpose of this construction is not leaked by them."


    Yang Dao nodded and spoke, "Mr. Mach, you are an investment visionary and so is Mr. Dim. I guess you can figure out that the most important job of extracting funds from the market without causing any big ripples is left to you. I think later when the Crypto nation observers find out where the fund was going to. They will surely drown in shame."


    The two money monopolizers were indeed happy after hearing this and assured Yang Dao not to worry as they will get this down. Feng Yun also spoke that her team of traders will help them as well. They reached a co-operation. Now only Khal Goldberg was left. Yang Dao spoke, "Mr. Goldberg, I have read that your company deals in everything. Just like our Phoenix group?"


    Khal Goldberg nodded in answer. Yang Dao continued, "Then, supplies and procurement of raw materials for everything fall onto you and us. How about it? Would you like to make an alliance and conquer the Crypto nation?"


    Khal Goldberg was stunned for a second and then he spoke, "How do we conquer them?" he was confused about this.

 Chapter 38: Campaign Begins.

    Hearing Khal Goldberg''s words, Yang Dao smiled, "If our reactor is successful. It will produce so much energy that it will be able to power our country for a minimum of two decades. That too without a single power cut and the peak of energy consumption. How do you think Crypto nation will react to this?"


    Khal Goldberg stood up from his chair. He saw a door of a new world opening to him as Yang Dao spoke all these words. He was thrilled to imagine if this could be achieved. He spoke, "The day the Crypto nation comes to our door to beg. I will have them wear a red-colored armband. I will have them stand out for the rest of Jewel Nation Citizens. I, Khal Goldberg, promise you, Young Master Feng. I will see through this whole campaign alongside you and President Feng."


    This guy has suffered humiliation when he visited the Crypto Nation in the past. There was a cafe that said, "Foreigners are not allowed." and the person he wanted to meet set the meeting place in that cafe only. His secretary later told him that the cafes for foreigners are all costlier and dingier than the normal ones. He hated this nation for its discrimination. The Goldberg family always respected the strong but was benevolent to the weak, he recalled the family motto when Yang Dao preached earlier.


    His momentum made the other big bosses echo the same. They all promised to have an agreement formed by tomorrow evening. Yang Dao promised them and personally sent them down as for Feng Yun, she just warned these big bosses that she will only sign the agreement when they have solved all the grievances with the people they have suppressed.


    After sending them away, Yang Dao rushed back to the cafeteria and asked the serving staff, "Can I have a big bucket of ice cream?"


    The man behind the counter was very happy. He asked, "What flavor would you like Young Master?" the cafeteria staff was very happy as the young master would eat the food here with such eagerness. It made them feel accomplished.


    Yang Dao thought for a bit and then said, "One big bucket of every flavor? Yes, every flavor."


    The man was surprised and then he quickly prepared 8 buckets. He spoke with an apologetic tone, "Young Master, the company now only serves 8 flavors. Would that be fine? Should I order more from the outside?"


    Yang Dao shook his head with a smile and picked up two buckets in his hands. Then he said to the man behind the counter, "Come with me, send these buckets to Siter Yun''s cabin."


    The man nodded and put down the buckets on a big tray and asked Yang Dao to let him carry the buckets. Yang Dao put down one of the buckets and picked up a wooden spoon from the counter. He ate as he walked. He was happy. He just shot down three birds with a stone.


    First, woke up the humanity inside the big-shots.


    Second, conquered them. Made them co-operate with the Phoenix Group, and even ordered them around like a big boss.


    Third, the plan to break the Crypto nation''s arrogance was also set in motion.


    He ate the ice cream contently and walked with a spring in his step. Feng Yun ordered the staff to leave the cafeteria when they were discussing so the matters were completely confidential. Yang Dao greeted everyone he met on the way to the elevator. After walking out of the elevator he spotted Mary. He asked the man behind him to go ahead as he walked up to Mary. He asked, "Madam, what are you so worried about?"


    Mary was startled by the sudden soft voice from her side. When she raised her head, she found Yang Dao eating ice cream with a content smile on his face. She replied, "Young Master, you don''t have to call me madam. And I am worried about the agreement we will have to sign with the companies tomorrow and also, the president told me to check on the settlements the companies will issue."


    Yang Dao nodded and said, "That is fine. Don''t worry too much. The bosses are not fools to let go of such an opportunity. Just keep checking on the settlements they issue. As for now. Please come along with me. I have something for you to do. It is very important." his voice became serious. He waited till Mary stood up from her seat and walked back inside with him.


    Feng Yun was looking at the ice cream buckets in front of him with a weird gaze. Yang Dao walked in with Mary and said, "Sister Yun. What are you waiting for? It will melt. Eat eat. Choose your favorite flavor and eat. We are having an Ice cream tasting session on the occasion of beating the big-shots into order."


    Feng Yun shook her head and said, "Young Master, you will one have cavities if you eat so much ice cream." her tone was filled with worry.


    Yang Dao squinted his eye and said, "Are you thinking that I eat so much ice cream daily?"


    Feng Yun found his face very adorable at this moment and nodded. Yang Dao squinted even more and spoke in a low voice, "I have never been so wronged in my whole life. I only eat ice cream once a year. Though the quantity is very much the same that is a different matter altogether."


    Feng Yun could not hold anymore and started laughing at his acts. Yang Dao smiled and said to Mary as well, "You too eat. Come we both cannot finish this. I mean sister Yun cannot. She is afraid of gaining weight." he deliberately lowered his voice for the second half. But how sharp was Feng Yun? She stood up from her chair and walked to Yang Dao. The boy ran around the room as the pretty in red and white chased after him.


    Mary was amused but she focused on eating her ice cream. Feng Yun was not worried about her image in front of Mary as she was her confidante and they would sometimes joke around. Though that was as rare as hailstorms.

 Chapter 39: Talking with the professor.

    Yang Dao and the ladies ate the ice cream contently and then they went back to their respective works. Mary got busy keeping a check of the settlements offered by the companies. You have to say that the efficiency was terrifying. Feng Yun drilled back in her mountain of files and document signing. Yang Dao on the side was reading research papers with leisure.


    Suddenly something came to his mind and he picked up his phone. He made a call to his professor.  The call connected after two rings. It was professor Newt who spoke, "Hello, Student Yang Dao?" he had his number saved obviously.


    Yang Dao spoke, "Hello, professor Newt. Is it a good time to speak?"


    The professor replied, "Yes, sure tell me."


    Yang Dao: "Sir, I was thinking. If I did join the physics group, you mentioned. Will I be allowed to conduct some experiments?"


    Professor Newt: "Well, it is not actually possible for a first-year student to be conducting experiments. What kind of experiment are you thinking about anyway?"


    Yang Dao: "Sir, Atomic Fusion. If possible, can you be the overseeing researcher?"


    Unfortunately, Professor Newt was going through an existential crisis the moment he heard the two words, ATOMIC FUSION. He was silent for quite some time. Yang Dao had to call out repeatedly. Professor Newt woke up and said, "We will discuss this when you get back to the college. It is not safe to talk about this over a call."


    Yang Dao agreed and they set up a meeting for the evening. Yang Dao spoke to Feng Yun who was working, "Sister Yun, I am going back to the college. Do you have anything for me?"


    Feng Yun raised her head and said with a smile, "If possible do come over to the courtyard on weekends." she would not say that she felt lonely but Yang Dao around made her happy.


    Yang Dao nodded and said, "If I have time then I will call you to arrange a pick up for me. You take care of yourself and don''t work too much. Bye-bye." he waved at her from the cabin door. Feng Yun returned the gesture. Yang Dao came to the terrace where a chopper was ready to take flight. Feng Yun had choppers posted at different locations in case of emergency travel.


    Yang Dao had ridden this chopper earlier and the pilot knew how big Yang Dao''s status is so he did not ask any questions and directly ignited the metallic beast. Yang Dao sat down in the seat and tied his seat belt. He kept the doors open. This method was helpful in his interaction with the elements. The chopper flew up and Yang Dao started his meditation for the time of the journey. He was headed to the sapphire lake residency. There he will change into something more comfortable and then rush out on his bike to meet the professor.


    During his interaction with the wind, his range of interaction and perception increased by another 5 meters, reaching a total of 75 meters. Yang Dao was happy with this change. After an hour the chopper landed on the top of the building. Yang Dao disembarked and after thanking the pilot he came downstairs.


    He changed into a sports t-shirt and shorts. The shirt was red in color and the shorts were black. Paired with red high ankle shoes. He walked to the balcony and found the bike leaning to the window. A slight layer of dust was visible on the surface. This aggrieved Yang Dao, he shook his head and with a dusting cloth cleaned his bike. Then he put on the helmet and gloves.


    ...


    Yang Dao was riding his bike to the college. Before leaving home he asked Professor Newt for his address. Professor Newt resided in the teacher''s dormitory with his family. It was for his convenience to commute daily. Yang Dao did not see the cycling club on the practice run and decided to pay them a visit later on. His speed was very fast and he reached the college in 40 minutes. He used his elemental skill to offset the wind pressure.


    The teacher''s dorm was actually a villa complex. Every teacher was given a villa based on their level of experience. Professor Newt lived in a two-floored villa. Yang Dao located it after some effort. He did not have a smartphone in his hand and could only look for the place in an old-school manner. He pressed the doorbell. After a few moments, the door opened and a little girl showed her head from the gap. She seemed to be only 5-6 years old and looked very cute.


    The girl spoke, "How may I help you?" her voice was polite and sweet as honey.


    Yang Dao took off his helmet and smile at her. He replied, "Hello, my name is Yang Dao. I am a student of Professor Newt. Is he home?"


    The girl looked at Yang Dao and said, "Please wait here." and she closed the door. After a few more moments the door opened and Professor Newt came out this time. The little girl hid behind Professor''s legs. The professor spoke, "Yang Dao, I thought you would come tomorrow."


    Yang Dao scratched his head and said, "Sir, this topic is very important and I cannot contain my excitement. Thus, I came right away."


    The professor smiled and spoke, "Come in."


    Yang Dao walked in and left his bike outside the door. The house was decorated very simply. He spoke, "It is very warm in here."


    Professor Newt understood what he meant but he just smiled and did not say anything. After inviting the boy to sit down, he left to get some water, the little girl clasped the professor''s trouser with her little pink hands, following him like a tail."


    Professor came back holding a tray with two glasses of water in it. Yang Dao took over the tray and let the professor sit down first. Yang Dao spoke, "Sir, we don''t need to conduct actual research but simulations to collect the basic data. Can this be done."


    Professor Newt nodded as he spoke after some lamentation, "It can be done but we will need the help of the computer operations department."


    Yang Dao asked back, "Do you mean Professor Dew?"


    Professor Newt nodded, "Yes, Professor Dew. She will be needed to design a proper reactor simulation program and only then can we go on with this plan. But why the sudden interest?"


    Yang Dao spoke, "I have been reading about this since middle school. Since the day I came back from an educational trip from the Crypto nation. I have wanted to make them feel the same they made me feel in their nation. This is the best way to make them bow."


    Professor Newt nodded and agreed with him. Then he said, "Indeed the Cryptonians are arrogant. Well, I support you. Let me call Professor Dew over and have a detailed discussion over this." He glanced at the little girl in his lap and said, "Candy, get me my phone, sweetheart." his voice was so soft as he spoke to the girl.


    The girl smiled and went to his study to get his mobile for him. Yang Dao smiled as he saw the girl''s smile.

 Chapter 40: Can He Do It?

    Candy came back holding a smartphone with her two little hands. Professor Newt patted her head and said, "Did you greet the big brother?"


    The girl shook her head and Professor Newt said, "Go on then, he is the nation topper you read about."


    The little girl''s eyes were immediately filled with stars. She hopped near Yang Dao and spoke, "Big brother, are you, Yang Dao? The one who topped the national exams at the age of 16?"


    Yang Dao smiled and spoke in a soft voice, "Yes, I am Yang Dao. But I don''t know what little sister is called."


    The girl spoke in an excited tone, "My name is Candice Newt. I am six years old. I am in elementary school in grade two now. You can call me Candy."


    Elementary schools had 8 grades before 2 gades of junior high school and 3 years of high school. This girl was a good one to be a year ahead of her peers. Yang Dao recalled that he carried a candy on him. he fished out his pocket and took out an orange-wrapped candy. He extended the hand to the little girl and said, "Big brother did not bring you any gifts this time. So take this candy. Next time I will get you an encyclopedia of your choice and chocolates. Okay?"


    The girl nodded with a big smile on her face. She asked, "Big brother, how do you know that I like encyclopedias?" she tilted her head in confusion.


    Yang Dao pointed at the books lying on the couch. He spoke in a mellow voice, "See there are three books lying on the couch." the girl was reading them before she opened the door for him and left them lying there.


    Candy smiled brightly and then chatted with Yang Dao. The two only stopped when the doorbell rang again. Candy exclaimed, Big sister Dew is here." she ran to open the door quickly. And Professor Dew wearing blue jeans and a black top stood in front of her. She picked up the little girl in her arms and walked in as she closed the door with her heel. She was wearing slip-on bellies matching her top.


    Yang Dao stood up from his chair and greeted the young beauty, "Good evening, Professor Dew."


    The beauty nodded with a smile and said, "Good evening to you too, student Dao." then she sat down on the couch and asked professor Newt, "Uncle, what did you ask me to hurry over for?"


    Professor Newt noticed Yang Dao''s confusion and introduced Professor Dew to him. It turned out that this young lady was Professor Dew''s niece. He happened to be her Uncle-in-law. Yang Dao just nodded with a smile and did not make any comments.


    Professor Newt spoke, "Kylie, Yang Dao wants to conduct some simulation research on Atomic Fusion. I am the overseer of this whole program. But we will need simulation software for this. Thus, I called you over. Can you help us?"


    Yang Dao replied, "I am willing to assist you to the best of my abilities, Professor. Please help us." his expression was serious. Professor Dew could sense the sincerity in his eyes. She spoke, "I can help, but we don''t have the needed equipment. The system available at the university is not cut out for such a heavy simulation program."


    Yang Dao spoke before Professor Newt, "I can get everything we will need. You only need to tell me what you need."


    Professor Newt nodded when the beauty looked at him asking if what the bit said was true. She spoke, "Okay, we will need..." as Professor Dew spoke the name and requirements of the equipment. Yang Dao typed them all on his phone and sent a text message as long as 300 words to Feng Yun.


    Soon after Feng Yun called back, as soon as Yang Dao picked up the call the other side spoke, "Young Master, I will get this all for you by tomorrow evening. Where should I deliver this?"


    Yang Dao smiled and said, "Sister Yun, you are the best, you know that? Let me ask the Professor where should we get these delivered." he looked at Professor Dew who was staring at him with her eyes wide open.


    She spoke, "This system assembly will need a very big space. We don''t have such an area in the university. Even if we have it. We won''t be able to get the permission by tomorrow. And it won''t be secret if we went to the higher-up."


    Yang Dao nodded and spoke to Feng Yun on the call, "Sister Yun, how about you get this all delivered at Sapphire Lake residency. My garage is empty. We can assemble it there and cordon off the area. Will that be sufficient?"


    Feng Yun thought for a bit and said, "Young Master, you don''t need to put it in the garage area, the place below your penthouse is up for sale. I will buy it and you can work over there."


    Yang Dao spoke, "I am making you spend money again, sister Yun." he was very aggrieved with this.


    Feng Yun spoke, "What is mine is yours, Young Master. Also, you are now my Young Master as well as Younger Brother. Please don''t think too much. I will get this done. Okay, bye." she decisively hung up knowing that Yang Dao would counter her.


    Yang Dao shook his head and said to professor Dew, "Ma''am, the equipment will arrive by tomorrow. I will take you to the place in the evening. Will that be okay? If you think the daily commute will be hectic. Then you can live over there with ease. The place is big enough."


    Professor Dew was now numb to his talks and nodded. After some more discussion, Yang Dao bid farewell to the two and a half humans and rode his bike away.


    Professor Dew asked Professor Newt, "Uncle, can he really get this done?"


    Professor Newt shook his head and said, "Girl you are too young. Only the bike he rides is worth 2 billion carat coins. Do you know who is the sister Yun is was talking to?"


    The beauty shook her head, still stunned from the words earlier. Professor Newt spoke, "President of the Phoenix Group. Your senior, Feng Yun. She came to pick him up personally the day the college started and cleaned up the paradise hotel owner Carlos and his family for offending Yang Dao. Now tell me can he do it?"


    The professor went inside with Candy leaving the beauty standing stunned under the moon.

 Chapter 41: Are You Ready?

    The night passed and Yang Dao reported to the cycling club in the morning. Thomas greeted him and passed him a brown envelop. He said, "Inside is something sacred for us cycling club members. I hope that you can ride with all you have in the future and make our colors be in the lead." his words confused Yang Dao but he did not question it. His EQ was low but he was careful enough to cover it up with a smile and silence.


    He walked inside the locker room leaving his bike on a stand outside the club. He opened the envelope and found a jersey inside. The jersey was white and blue in color. It was half-sleeved, a zipper for closing the front, white torse, and sleeves with a blue seam on the joints. The shorts were blue in color with a white seam on the joints. On the back of the jersey, a font was printed,  DAO, 09, JADE CITY UNIVERSITY. The font was written in blue color and the font was generic. It looked very simple and sober. Yang Dao liked this kind of style.


    This was the first time he ever had something like this. His vacant emotions reacted a bit. He quickly took out the jersey and put it on. The jersey felt cold to his body. It was tight yet not suffocating. On the contrary, it was as if the fabric was breathing with him. He put on the shorts as well.


    Yang Dao glanced at himself in the mirror and he twisted his waist to view himself as much as he can. Suddenly he heard a voice from behind, "Dao look here." he turned his neck and heard a  ''SNAP''. Icarus stood behind him wearing a similar jersey as him. Yang Dao smiled brightly. Icarus was two years older than Yang Dao. He looked macho while dressed in the jersey. Icarus showed him his mobile, on the screen, a picture of Yang Dao looking back wearing the jersey was being displayed.


    Icarus asked, "How is it?"


    Yang Dao nodded and said, "It is a good picture. Can you mail it to me?"


    Icarus nodded and sent the picture to Yang Dao in a mail. He then asked, "Hey Dao, why don''t you buy a smartphone?" his tone was filled with curiosity.


    Yang Dao replied honestly, "I think it will distract me."


    Icarus held his face in his palm. He shook his head and said, "Dao, my innocent child. You need to know that nothing can distract us if we don''t want it to distract us." his sudden words of knowledge stunned Yang Dao. He felt as if his brain exploded. He stood there in a place looking dumb. Icarus was shocked by his side. He thought to himself, ''Isn''t this reaction too exaggerated?"


    Yang Dao calmed down after a few moments. He said to Icarus, "Can you take me to buy a new smartphone? Also, brother can you teach me how to use it?" his tone was still calm and composed but he looked at Icarus with respect. His casual statement helped him achieve a breakthrough in his mindset.


    Yang Dao maybe the Dao Child but he was not omnipotent from birth. He has been blessed with virtue This virtue is what made him what he is today. Icarus on the other hand was surprised with Yang Dao calling him brother. He was happy to have this guy call him brother. He agreed to buy a phone with him after the practice run. Soon the whole team assembled. wearing jerseys. Today they will practice in a group of three. The third place in tomorrow''s race was someone, who got the flat tires in between and had to wait for the bus to come over with spares and help him.


    The boy greeted Yang dao and Icarus, "Hello, I am Rayden. First-year, literature department."


    Yang Dao shook hands with him and so did Icarus. Icarus spoke, "Since you can get the third with 20 minutes gap then that means you can beat us both? Bro we are racing in the evening."


    Rayden smiled and nodded at him. They all set off. Rayden followed Thomas(third-year & captain) and Montage(second-year & all-rounder. Icarus followed Ray(third-year & Sprinter) and Damon (Second-year sprinter) Yang Dao followed Felix(third-year & climber) and Aran(Second-year & climber).


    This session was just to get these three people familiarized with their roles in the team. The third-years explained everything to them. Then the third years started increasing the pace and they all led the others easily. The second-year was calm and keeping up. Yang Dao followed with ease the session came to an end. Then before they got back to the college Icarus and Yang Dao went to buy a mobile at a flagship store. This was a store belonging to Icarus''s friend. Se e called him and asked a guard to open the store for him. They simply selected a phone picked up the box, scanned the code, and Yang Dao paid with his card.


    Yang Dao was confused about which one to buy so Icarus helped him with a good-looking white business mobile. I could run emails, balance sheets, etc. Yang Dao was satisfied with the mobile phone and share his picture with Yang Dao the moment he learned how to use this, he called Feng Yun and sent her the picture of him in the jersey.


    Feng Yun was similarly happy to see her Young Master enjoying his first jersey. And finally, she can have a video call with him at night. Yang Dao and the rest returned to the college and hurried to the class. Yang Dao asked Professor Newt to add him to the social media group of the class. Kiya was absent today. When Yang Dao asked the disciplinary committee members they told him that Kiya has joined the physics group.


    Yang Dao had already decided to join the group as well. It would be beneficial for him in the future. After the class finished, he walked parted from Icarus and came to the office of Professor Newt. As a senior scientist at such a young age, Professor Newt was given a separate office. Yang Dao rapped on the door. After a few moments, the door was opened and a pink head popped out from behind.


    It was Kiya, she was surprised to see Yang Dao. She smiled and invited him inside. Yang Dao smiled at the girl as well, after all, no matter how emotionally dumb you are. A boy will naturally smile back at a girl. This is a heavenly mandate. Or you will die single. So, after walking in Yang Dao saw the professor scribbling with some paper. He was frowning constantly.


    Yang Dao nudged Kiya with his elbow lightly and with an eye, gesture asked why the professor was in such a mood. Kiya understood his gesture and pointed at the blackboard. Then she leaned close to him and whispered in his ear, "That problem was sent in this morning. It was Professor Bailish who sent it. He told the professor to see if he can do anything and help him solve it. This problem is very important and is related to governmental issues."


    Yang Dao''s eyes sparkled this was an opportunity to cater the governmental support for his experiments in the future. He took out a notebook from his bag and with a pen in his hand he started to solve the thing. Kiya was surprised by his action. She thought, ''How can he solve it if the professor cannot do it. But well he is courageous enough to try.''


    Yang Dao was unaware of the math going on in her head and he gradually lost himself in solving the problem. His hand never stopped moving. Sometimes he crossed out a line he wrote with a constant flow for two pages. After filling up 20 pages he stooped and exclaimed, "Huh, they are researching an aeronautical equation?"


    His voice was loud. It landed on professor Newt''s ear like a ballistic missile. He asked, "Yang Dao, what did you say?" a strong wave of surprise was present in his voice. He did not expect this teenager to guess what the problem they just solved was for. Yang Dao replied honestly, "I solved it. And after a little reverse calculation, the root is visible."


    Professor Newt shook his head and said, "Show me what you have got." Yang Dao passed him the notebook. Professor Newt''s face was like a television program. His expressions were changing constantly. After turning the final page he sighed and spoke, "I never thought this could be down by the basics. Simply genius. But how did you figure out the thrust value?"


    Yang Dao replied, "First half of the problem denotes the weight of the carrier. So, I calculated it with a general formula and then integrated it." his manner was as calm as ever.


    The Professor smiled and then he picked up the phone on his table. He dialed a number and after the call connected, he said, "Your thing is done, old man. Now you do me a favor..." he was on a call for half an hour. They needed permissions to run experimental simulations. After the call was disconnected the Professor told Yang Dao, "We will get the NOC by tomorrow. Are you ready?"

 Chapter 42: Enraged.

    Yang Dao heard the professor''s words and smiled. He replied, "As ready as you are, professor. The equipment will arrive in the evening. Though assembling them will need an extra pair of hands." he scratched his head.


    Professor Newt spoke, "Have you asked Professor Dew for help?"


    Yang Dao nodded, "I will call her after the classes."


    Professor Newt hummed in pondering and then asked, "Dao, we will need tight security to guard the computer assembly. Is your place safe?"


    Yang Dao smiled confidently and replied, "Professor, you can rest assured."


    Then before the two can talk more. Kiya interjected, "UMM, excuse me, Professor. Yang Dao came to you for something." her voice was getting doubtful by the end of her sentence. She was not sure why Yang Dao came here. So reminding the professor the only next best thing.


    The professor asked, "Dao, what do you need from me?"


    Yang Dao replied, "Professor, I am majoring in computers and physics. While my minor courses are Mathematics and Literature. I have been exempted by Professor Dew from attending her classes. I can learn more in the library. I wanted to join the physics club you asked me about. That way I will have a little more freedom in learning."


    Professor Newt smiled at his words, he said, "It is alright." he turned to Kiya and said, "You take him to the registration office, guide him with the procedure for joining an academic club."


    Kiya replied with a joyous smile, "Yes Professor."


    After a brief conversation, Yang Dao came out of the office with Kiya walking by his side. The professor wanted to entangle more with this young genius mind in front of him, but it would make him look too clingy. So he could only let him wait for the next meeting.


    Kiya walked silently with Yang Dao. It was unsure why, but a silent Yang Dao looked like an irreplaceable part of the scenery. The walkway was covered with a vine canopy overhead. This canopy brought relief to the students and staff while increasing the scenic vibe of the campus. The two people were walking at a calm pace. Kiya''s pink hair stood out under the green vine canopy as if a firefly in the night.


    As the girl observed the scene in a third-person view in her imagination. Her heart skipped a beat. A faint blush rose over her face. This scene was so romantic. Walking side by side a handsome talented Young man. Yang Dao felt something weird. He turned to look at Kiya beside him. His sudden gaze made Kiya''s soul escape her body out of fright. Yang Dao asked, "Class Rep, are you okay? Is the heat too much? Your face is all flushed."


    Kiya was stunned. She knew that his EQ was low, but this was unacceptable. But the next moment she woke up from the daze as Yang Dao reached out his palm with some hesitation and touched Kiya''s forehead. The girl felt a calming cold spreading over her. She exhaled heavily and said, "I am fine. Why are you so cold on such a hot day?"


    Yang Dao replied, "I don''t know I am always like this." his answer was a precautionary one. It was winter and today was a clear day. Inside the buildings, the heat radiators worked to relieve the people, but the outside was not gentle to them. Today the sky was clear, but Kiya was wearing a sweater and woolen stockings. She wore all this today because Sasha, her best friend, asked her to.


    Yang Dao took back his hand and said, "You should go to the dorm and change your clothes. They seem too warm for today. But since it is winter, you should mind warring yourself well."


    Kiya''s stomach was full of butterflies, she thought, ''He is caring for me.'' She asked with curiosity, "What sort of clothes do you think might suit me?"


    Yang Dao was taken aback, but he still responded. His gaze scanned Kiya from head to rough and said, "Those skirt dresses and jeans and top would look good on you. Though not something stuffy or deliberate. Your natural sense of styling is better suitable." his words were like the hymn of the angels.


    Yang Dao walked ahead on the sidewalk while Kiya followed him. She had now developed a crush on Yang Dao. It is not die-hard love, but just a casual attraction she felt for him. She led him to the registration office and helped him complete the joining procedure.


    The procedure was slightly longer as this was an academic club. Any achievements you make for the club will be added to your degree certificate. The same applies for the bad remarks by your club supervisor. This is also a reason the people did not join the academic clubs such frequently.


    ...


    After the procedure was complete, Kiya parted with Yang Dao. The girl walked away with a spring in her step while Yang Dao walked his way to the cafeteria. He loved his food. He washed his hands before picking up a plate. He asked the serving aunty with a smile, "Good noon, Aunty Mellow."


    Aunty Mellow was a fan of Yang Dao. He was the first boy who treated her with respect and politeness. She smiled as she replied, "Student Dao, good noon to you as well. Today we have a special Saffron porridge and Devil Eggs. What would you like to eat on the side? Bread or salad?"


    Yang Dao replied, "Half a serving of all of them?" he was a foodie through and through. Aunt Mellow chuckled, "I reward you with full servings."


    Yang Dao happily took his plate and after sitting down in front of a student he did not know, he started eating with a smile. Someone else sat down by his side. Yang Dao did not look up to him and was immersed in his food. The person spoke, "Do you think that because you tamed Mikhail and the high table you will be safe? If you did not stop, I will make you regret it. You might have that Feng Yun behind you, but what about your cycling club members? What if someday a stray vehicle hit them? What about that little girl of Professor Newt? And that pink-haired beauty who was thrilled with you? Who do they have behind them?" his voice was low and his words were full of threat.


    Yang Dao would have minded no one threatening him, but they involved innocent people in it. Yang Dao''s anger flared up. The student who sat beside him wanted to leave after delivering the threat, but just as he removed his palm from the table after leaning on it to stand. He realized he could not move it at all. He looked back, and a scream rang out throughout the cafe.


    A pair of chopsticks was lodged in his palm and passed through the table. It was unknown when the chopstick pierced through his palm. A strong numbing pain took over him. Yang Dao gave up eating and stood in front of the man. The white of his eyes had turned pink. He stood up from his seat and choked the boy''s throat. The boy was shorter than him in height. Yang Dao exerted some strength and lifted him off the ground.


    He spoke in a loud voice, "YOU PISSANTS. YOU JUST THINK THAT MY SILENCE IS MY WEAKNESS, RIGHT? I WILL DESTROY YOU AND EVERYONE RELATED YOU. THOSE WHO GAVE YOU THE COURAGE TO TRY THIS STUNT WILL KNEEL BEFORE ME."


    At this moment, Icarus was entering the canteen. When he heard Yang Dao screaming so loudly in rage, he hurried over. He saw Yang Dao holding a boy from his neck. The boy''s face was flushed, his legs were swinging in the air. One of his palms was stabbed through and stuck to the table while he desperately tried to get Yang Dao''s hand off his throat.


    Icarus was worried that Yang Dao might really kill this guy. He walked over and shouted at Yang Dao, "DAO, HE WILL DIE. LET HIM GO."


    Yang Dao woke up and let go of the man, but his rage has not yet be sorted. he took his phone and dialed a number. Mikhail Goldberg answered in a beat. He spoke, "Young Master Feng, what can I do for you?"


    Yang Dao roared at him, "GOLDBERG, YOU CANNOT CONTROL YOUR DOGS AND CATS RIGHT. THESE RICH SCIONS THINK THEY CAN THREATEN ME AND THOSE AROUND ME. I GIVE YOU HALF AN HOUR. I WANT ALL THESE PEOPLE KNEELING IN FRONT OF ME. OR I WILL PERSONALLY DEAL WITH THEM AND THEIR END WILL BE SOMETHING YOU CANNOT IMAGINE." he disconnected the call.


    His roar shocked Mikhail. He did not know who dared to offend this guy so much that he lost his composure. He knew that not everyone was happy with the way the high table decided over the past re-correction. But these people dared to offend Yang Dao, Young Master Feng Yang Dao. Yang Dao alone may not be a force alone, but the name FENG was enough to doom them all for an eternity.

 Chapter 43: Realization.

    Everyone in the canteen was terrified when they saw Yang Dao bursting in rage. The student who Yang Dao sat down with at first was Mikhail''s pawn in the college. He was there when the so-called victim threatened Yang Dao. He hastily merged in the crowd. Took out his cellphone and dialed Mikhail''s number.


    Mikhail had asked all his contacts to gather the information regarding what happened. So he responded to the call in a blink. Before he could ask anything. The nameless student spoke up, "Boss, Yang Dao was eating his food in the canteen when some guy came out and said..." he narrated the whole scene and even Mikhail was pissed off to a new high.


    He said, "You will be awarded later. Let me deal with these bugs first." the call disconnected. This student was from a mediocre household and he was very good at management. Mikhail scouted him during an event organization. This guy handled things with gusto and if he could not understand or do something by himself. He would ask for help with no hesitation. Well, luck is also a part of people''s strength.


    Mikhail understood the gravity of the matter and he decided to go to Yang Dao personally. While in the canteen. An injured student was kneeling on the ground with Yang Dao''s stare focused on him. Icarus stood behind Yang Dao. He tried to speak to Yang Dao to calm down but the latter only gave him one word in reply, ''SHUT UP''


    Fortunately, the voice was low or things would have been awkward. Soon, 30 minutes passed. Yang Dao picked up his phone, he dialed Feng Yun''s number. This moment he was not the genial sunny Young Master. He was a young man in a rage. The call connected. Yang Dao''s emotions were sensed by Feng Yun half an hour ago through the spiritual bond.


    She did not say a word and waited for Yang Dao''s command. Yang Dao narrated the whole scene and in the end, he said, "Return them in kind."


    Feng Yun only replied, "Yes, Young Master."


    The plan of action was simple, anyone who was loved by the culprit will suffer. Feng Yun dialed a number from her phone and instructed the person to get things done. The person she contacted was the head of a part of her private forces. The wings. This force had a lot of people, both elementals and muggles. The one she called was the muggle division.


    Elemntalists cannot harm common civilians without discretion. Thus, she developed the muggle division to counter the commoners in her way. They were also the ones who collected the evidence on the big-shots. This organization was loyal to Feng Yun even in their deaths. They were all picked up by Feng Yun in times of dire need and never did Feng Yun asked them to do anything immoral or disrespectful.


    Today they were tasked by Feng Yun to locate the culprit and make them feel the pain of losing a loved one. The task was accepted. The forces were mobilized immediately. Yang Dao waited patiently in the canteen. He trusted Feng Yun''s efficiency. No one in the canteen was leaving. Icarus sat down on the table and asked Yang Dao, "You are not eating all this? Such a waste of Aunt Mellow''s food. I will help you." and started eating the food.


    Yang Dao had his gaze locked on the boy kneeling before him. He asked, "Who sent you?" his calm voice was akin to a whisper of death.


    The boy shivered and only shook his head. Yang Dao smiled, "Either you are too forced to do this or you are too loyal. If it is the former, you will be spared but if you are the latter..." Yang Dao leaned forward with his elbows resting on his thighs and said, "You should accompany your master as a loyal servant should."


    The Dao Child was a representative of a lot of things. In his past lives, his soul suffered a lot of torment but never complained. So the heavens empowered him with a karmic nature. Someone who crosses his bottom line will be paid in kind. Yang Dao would do to them what they did to him.


    A figure rushed inside the canteen parted the crowd and came to Yang Dao. He panted and said, "Young Master Feng, I apologize for my insufficiency. The culprit, even though has been discovered. I could not touch him. He is hiding inside his family."


    Yang Dao asked, "Who is it?"


    Mikhail replied, "Carole Dimitri, member of the high table, also the CEO of Kratz Consortium. His family is as wealthy as mine but their security is too heavy and I could not send my men to death. I apologize to you. He opposed the others to join in and recorrect. He also allied with some others."


    Yang Dao spoke, "This is not your fault. I won''t hold you responsible for the sake of your men. But from today, there will be no high-table. There will be no rich club. YOu people formed a group to maintain your hegemony but now it is done for. Do you have any opinions?"


    Mikhail found that Yang Dao was somewhat different from before. He thought it was because of the anger. He did not mind the abolishment of the club as it was already a mess. His friends will stay his friends regardless the club exists or not. He nodded in agreement. Yang Dao''s phone rang. He picked it up with a swipe.


    "Young Master, the culprit will be in front of you in five minutes?" it was Feng Yun. Her voice was calm.


    Yang Dao asked, "How did you do it?"


    Feng Yun narrated the whole process.


    ...


    Her forces acted, they tracked Mikhail''s trail leading to Carole Dimitri. They were told to hurt Carole''s loved ones. They researched and found out that Mr. Dimitri loved his mother a lot. The second person was his 6 years old niece. His sister was also on the list but the lady happened to be out of town.


    A few minutes ago, Mrs. Dimitri was holding onto a young girl''s hand as she picked her up from school. Despite being rich, Mrs. Dimitri was a virtuous woman. She would donate a huge amount of money for the welfare of poor people. She was a woman in her late forties. Her husband passed away a few years ago from cancer. Since then the business responsibility is shared by her son and daughter. Her daughter was married to a common man, whom she fell in love with during her college time. The man was now working in another city and was well off, by his own efforts.


    As Mrs. Dimitri picked up her grand-daughter, a man approached her and said, "Madam, please come along with us. We have something you need to see."


    Mrs. Dimitri countered, "Who are you? Why should I come with you?"


    The man replied, "I work for Mr. Carole, he met an accident and is now in hospital. He sent me to lead you there right away."


    A mother''s love is her greatest strength and also her greatest weakness. As soon as she heard her child being in an accident she forgot everything and with her grand-daughter, boarded the man''s car. The vehicle had a partition raised between the back seat and the front. As soon as the doors were locked a fruity gas was released. This gas made the two passengers lose consciousness.


    The man then drove away. While in the meantime, the Dimitri mansion was visited by an infiltration expert. This person put a brocade box in front of Carole Dimitri''s study and after knocking on the door loudly he walked away.


    Carole Dimitri opened the door in irritation. He was looking at some documents at the moment when the door was knocked. He found a wooden brocade box on the ground with a tag on it. With regards.


    He picked it up and inside were the pictures of his family being kidnapped and two fingers. Beneath all this was a note that said, ''DON''T WORRY THESE ARE FAKE FINGERS. IF YOU DID NOT APOLOGIZE PERSONALLY, WE WILL SEND BACK THE WHOLE PERSON NEXT TIME. JUST IN THE CONDITION, YOU MENTIONED TO US. DEAD''


    These words shocked Carole to the depth of his heart. He knew who did it and why. He did not even put on his shoes and ran barefoot to the garage, pushed the driver away, and took out his car heading straight to the university.


    They did all this within twenty minutes. This operating efficiency is enough to describe how string the wings were.


    ...


    Yang Dao''s anger calmed down. He said, "Thank you, Sister Yun."


    Feng Yun smiled when she sensed Yang Dao calming down. She said, "It my purpose to help you, Young Master. Also, the batch of equipment has been dispatched and it will arrive by the evening."


    Yang Dao nodded and after a brief chat they disconnected the call. As soon as he put down the phone, a man ran up to him. He was bare foot his hair were in disorder, seemingly from being handled by the man in anxiety.


    The man knelt down right away and said, "Young Master Feng, please forgive me. I did not recognize your strength. Please let..." before he could plead for the release of his mother and niece.


    Mikhail snorted and said in a cold voice, "Dimitri, be sensible about what to say or what not to say." his words were a warning. If the people got to know how Yang Dao dealt with this matter it would be a blemish on his name. Mikhail wanted to avoid it.


    Yang Dao spoke, "I did not do anything to them because I do not instigate innocents in my problems. Specially those who are not related to me. Do you now feel the fear of something like that happening to you?"


    Carole only nodded as he kept looking down on the ground. Yang Dao spoke, "Mr. Dimitri, your mother is a virtuous woman. Your father was also an upright man. He was ana example among the rich class. He never forgot his roots but you, money made you smear the name of your father and his deeds. Believe it when I say, you are the sin of your family. If it would have been someone arrogant then they would have already sent you the people back. You should know what theircondition would have been or even worse. Sometimes life is a greater nightmare than death. I will give you one chance. Go back home, donate 50% of you wealth to good causes and I will spare the people. The choice is yours." his voice was low and the facts he stated earlier woke up Carole.


    He nodded and rushed back home. Within an hour 50% of assets and money of the Dimitri family was donated to nationwide charities and his mother and niece were sent back. When he met them, the two told him that they were scared by such an excuse to send them to a spa with surprise. They were also very proud of him for donating the money.


    Carole finally realized what it feels to share happiness. He has never seen his mother look at him with a proud look. Although she loved her a lot, she was not proud of such a money minded son. THis fact became clear and the dust settled.

 Chapter 44: Assembled.

    The teaching staff never took any action because they could not move against the people involved. Yang Dao was a national treasure and also, the younger brother of Feng Yun. That woman alone can change the outlook of the annual economic report. You can guess how powerful she is. While the other parties were all big names as well.


    Yang Dao compensated the boy who had threatened him. Still sitting in the canteen, he pondered over the situation. Although the result was good. His own behavior came to him as a shock. Never has he lost control over himself. Thinking of the incident as an act committed in the heat of the moment, it was put aside. The focus was then shifted to the dishes served in front of him.


    Mikhail also had lunch with him and Icarus but he did not let out a single word, afraid that he might disturb Yang Dao on the other hand Icarus kept on talking even with his mouth filled with food. Yang Dao kept nodding at him and occasionally hummed.


    The three people went back to their classes after the meal. The incident in the canteen was suppressed by Mikhail from spreading like a wildfire in this jungle of gossipers. These rumors will affect Yang Dao''s reputation and once highlighted or picked up by some attention-hungry Media, it will raise chaos.


    Yang Dao attended his classes and then took a practice lap with the cycling team. Today they all rode a complete circuit together. Yang Dao was taught how to draft for the team and Icarus was asked to draft on the flats.


    Yang Dao was a sponge, absorbing everything he was soaked with to the last drop. The team was happy with his growth at the end of the day before parting, Ray asked Yang Dao, "Dao wanna participate in an event?"


    The boy was surprised and then asked, "What event?"


    Ray smiled and told him, "There are a lot of organizations who organize bike races all around the city and people come to participate. It is a sort of promotional event. You just need to wear a jersey they give. They pay you with some money and energy supplements in the end. How about it? You will get some experience, it may not be as competitive as official races but still, it is a good one to hone your skills." he was patient in his explanations. Ray''s temperament was just like a mountain. Calm, firm, and dependable.


    Yang Dao was curious to take a part in an official event. He asked, "Whan is it being held?"


    Ray replied, "Saturday, three days, later. Also, try and not ride Silence there. Too many bike enthusiasts. They will storm you like wild boars." his tone was solemn.


    Yang Dao nodded after giving it a thought and said, "Okay, how about this? We go and you help me buy a good bike from a shop, tomorrow. I will be able to get used to it before the race."


    Ray nodded with a smile, "I will be glad Tyrant Dao."


    Yang Dao chuckled as the two parted after a few words. He pushed his bike to the campus gates with a bag on his back as his helmet hung at the handles. Raised his hand to put on the helmet, but his phone rang at this moment.


    Fished out the phone from the bag, accepted the call. The other side was a silky-voiced woman, "Hello, is this student Yang Dao?"


    Yang Dao replied, "Yes, may I know who is this?" his voice was calm and indifferent.


    The lady on the phone spoke, "I am Professor Dew. I wanted to ask you, has the equipment been delivered? If yes, then when should I come over to help you assemble it?"


    Yang Dao stuck out his tongue on a reflex. Then he said, "Professor, would it be alright if I called you in a bit to report the status?"


    The beauty professor agreed and disconnected the call. Yang Dao immediately called Feng Yun. as the call connected he asked hurriedly, "Sister Yun, the equipment..."


    His sentence has not yet completed when Feng Yun interrupted, "It has all been delivered in the suite below yours, Young Master. You can ask Luna for the keys to the place." her tone was warm and Yang Dao could imagine her smiling. He replied as he heaved a sigh of relief, "You are the best, Sister Yun."


    Feng Yun was as if she ate honey when Yang Dao said this. She smiled and said, "Anything for you Young Master."


    The boy talked for a bit and after promising her a video call, he disconnected the call. Yang Dao then called the beauty professor asking her to come at the college gates so that they can go to his place and assemble the equipment. Proffesor Dew agreed and drove her car to the entrance. She saw Yang Dao standing on a side with his black bike on his side. She lowered the window after parking near him asked, "Student Dao, would you take a ride?"


    Yang Dao saw her and said, "It''s faster this way Professor, I lead, you follow?"


    Professor Dew was confused to see how it was faster for him to lead her CAR with his BIKE. Yet before she could say anything, the charming boy in front of her put on his helmet and set out.


    From the first pedal his bike was fast. Professor Dew followed for a few more minutes and as she saw Yang Dao coming out of the bike lane and speeding up with the main traffic, she was scared. The speed limit was 50 kilometers and hardly anyone was able to drive that fast in so many vehicles. Yet Professor Dew saw that the bike in front was keeping a constant speed of 40-45 kilometer per hour.


    After 50 minutes of city commute Yang Dao took a turn, entered the road beside the sapphire lake. Professor Dew was about to relax when the bike shot like a bullet. This road had no traffic and Yang Dao stood up on his bike. The beauty in the car was shocked. The car was now following at a speed of 62 kmph. She did not know how could a bike move so fast.


    Soon, they arrived at the residency entrance, Professor Dew was aware of Yang Dao''s identity but this was a bit too extravagant for her. The boy told the guards to let the car behind follow in. Professor Dew glanced around the whole construct with awe.(?¨Œ?)


    The broad road, leading to the central tower and then dividing into four different roads dedicated to the surrounding towers. The car entered the parking area, Professor Dew parked her car next to Yang Dao''s bike. She disembarked the vehicle, first thing she did was asking Yang Dao, how could his bike reach such a speed?


    Yang Dao patiently explained to her about how a road racer worked. He tactfully ignored the part about cost of his bike. Then he led the beauty inside the elevator and called Luna. The call connected and the charming manager responded, "Young Master, I am waiting for you in front of your door."


    The elevator opened and Yang Dao found Luna standing in front of him with a phone attached to her ear as she smiled at him. The boy smiled back and asked her to lead the Professor back downstairs so that she could check the equipment.


    Luna nodded and twisting her willow waist she led Professor Dew downstairs. In her mind, she was trying to predict what relationship did the two people have. Professor Dew broke the silence as they walked out of the elevator, "Hello. I am Yang Dao''s professor, Kylie Dew."


    Luna responded, "Hello, professor. My name is Luna Grace, a manager in the community."


    Professor Dew nodded at her and the two ladies were already inside the house. Luna pointed at a bunch of big boxes placed on the ground, "This is the stuff that was delivered. We made sure to handle it with as much care as possible."


    Professor Dew nodded, and moved to check the equipment. As soon as she opened the box and took apart the safety wrapping her eyes shone. She carefully placed the equipment back in the boxes. Then she arranged the boxes in a particular order. Yang Dao arrived at this time. He helped the lady with labor as she fixed the parts inside a cabinet.


    They had ten cabinets. Each consisting one motherboard, 3TB RAM chips, 20 TB storage drives, powered by a 32 core Processor chip. These thing had some serious juice and needed to be supported by an excellent cooling system. So they had asked for 20 cooling fans and 10 oil cooled cabinet cases.


    After placing these things into a room, the professor connected them to a 55 inches big screen. Then she was about to start working on configuring the system. When she turned to Yang Dao and said, "Can you arrange for food? I am hungry, also, I have applied for a leave at the uni. I will stay here for the time being. This thing needs serious work."


    Yang Dao nodded and thanked her sincerely. He asked Luna, who watched all this from the side and said, "Please look for someone to arrange food for her these days, also, what we have here needs not be talked about. It is not anything illegal, I hope you understand."


    Luna was hesitant but Yang Dao''s last sentence broke through. The perks of being a handsome rich teenager.

 Chapter 45: Surprise.

    Luna agreed to Yang Dao''s request, even though she understood little. After arranging for food delivery, she left. Yang Dao called Professor Dew out for the operation room, as he called it, and had her eat. The Professor was very reluctant to stand up from her chair. She was dedicated to her work and understood that eating for energy is also necessary.


    She asked Yang Dao to put the meal on the table and she would eat it after washing up. Yang Dao had no qualms about it and served the food. Then, out of curiosity, he walked inside the room, where the computer was placed. He saw a coding screen being displayed on the monitor. This system had no operating system, so they designed one from scratch to fulfill their needs. He sat down in the chair, skimmed through the codes. Then he slowly started writing a code.


    His eyes were fixed on the monitor and his fingers moved smoothly on the keyboard, producing a rhythmic sound. He was instantly cut off from the world. All that remained to him was the computer screen and codes in front of him.


    Kylie Dew came out of the bathroom. She had changed into loose cotton lower and an oversized pullover. She was young, but this attire gave her that girl next door aura. She walked out, sat down on the couch, and started eating the food. One thing was awkward. She did not find Yang Dao when she came out. Thinking that he might have gone back to his place upstairs, she continued eating.


    After cleaning up the dishes and putting them up to dry, she headed back to work. As her footsteps neared the processing room, she picked up a rhythmic sound. An expert herself, she was more than familiar with this sound. Dashed inside the room and saw a handsome boy writing code at a speed faster than herself. She wanted to stop him, but his concentration was too high and he did not react to her voice.


    She glanced at the screen instinctively to see how much of her work is lost, but soon her initial anxiety turned to surprise, then to shock, and finally disbelief. Yang Dao has keyed in a lot of code, some of which was fixing the bugs her own code might have. She grabbed a chair and sat down beside him. This was an opportunity to learn.


    The more she observed, the more she was excited. This young boy in front of her was typing up the code as if has been practicing from birth. Time flew, and it has been an hour since Yang Dao started typing. Suddenly he stopped in his movements as he muttered, "Would be nice if we had an assistant program. This would have been so much easier."


    Behind him, Kylie Dew heard this and sighed. She said, "That would have been great, but only the crypto nation has an assistant program. They don''t allow it to be imported by the world."


    Yang Dao spoke, "I have been to the Crypto nation once. The hotel I stayed in was very dingy but once I was outside strolling, I found a broken mobile. It was lying there near the garbage dump. I picked it up. Read some books and found that the device can be traced the moment it is switched on. Some online forums mentioned that if the device is found out-of-bounds then it will be remotely scraped. Thus, I did not start it. Now that we need it, first I will remove the tracker and then use it to extract the assistant program code and imitate it to some level."


    His words surprised Kylie Dew. She sat up straight in her chair and said, "That sounds brilliant, but how are you going to remove the tracker?"


    Yang Dao replied, "Remove the storage drive of the device, connect it to a normal notebook. Do not go online first, afterward copy the data to the notebook. Connect the notebook to this computer, write a scanning code. Rectify the tracking code. Extract the rest, change it and use it. Sounds plausible?" he was still young and had to ask for the advice to confirm his direction.


    He turned back, only to find a surprising beauty looking at him with stars in her eyes. He waved his hand in front of her and only then did Kylie snap out of her daze. She coughed and spoke, "Your idea is good. We can try it. But let''s do it tomorrow morning. You should go to bed."


    Yang Dao spoke, "Not only me but also go to bed as well. Come, you will keep working if you stay here. We are going upstairs. We cannot move ahead for the time being. We need something that can be faster than the human brain to code all this in the system."


    Professor Dew was a young woman after all, and being asked by a boy to stay at his place. This was not appropriate. She countered his proposal, "No, no, I should stay here. As the elder one among us, I should stay here to ensure the safety of the computer. What if someone broke in?"


    Yang Dao glanced at her weirdly and said, "This is a highly secure premise, you know? Also, what floor are we on?" his eyes clearly held a question as it was pointed at Kylie. Is your IQ plummeting from lack of sleep?


    The professor could not counter and how was she to say that a girl and a boy with no relation should not spend the night at each other''s place? Wouldn''t that make it even more awkward? The boy was unfretted by her concerns and asked her again, "Are you coming professor or not?"


    The beauty sighed and accepted her fate. Yang Dao locked the place with the key card, operated the elevator, and ascended to his own residence. Kylie was surprised as she walked inside the house. She thought to herself, ''Being rich is really cool. You can live in such a place? I want to get rich as well. Ugh.''


    Yang Dao pointed at the right corner of the living room and said, "You can use the room there. It has everything you might need. See you in the morning, professor. Good night." with that said, he left to his own room on the left side of the house. The beauty was left standing alone. She could not believe what just happened. To think that this is how she will be given her room to sleep at night.


    She shook her head and walked to the room pointed earlier. The room was clean and cozy. Only a bed and a cupboard were placed inside, the decoration was white and brown in theme. This was probably the guestroom of the house, she guessed. After taking a little while to get familiar with everything inside, she laid on the bed as her half-open eyes gazed at the ceiling. Her brain was filled with ways to develop the computer system.


    Yes, she was a workaholic and 90% of her brain was occupied with it. Yang Dao deep has a good impression over her, but it was still too earlier for her to think about him before going to bed.


    In Jewel Nation, 16 is considered an adult and they don''t bound students from dating their teachers, but it should be only after graduation or you better change the subject of that teacher to avoid the suspicion of being spoon-fed in the exams.


    While Kylie Dew swung between reality and slumberland. Yang Dao sat down cross-legged in his room. He was meditating, trying to increase his range of wind perception. After half an hour when he found no growth at all, he sighed and opened his eyes. He laid down on his bed and thought about how to create a better operating system for his computer and then conduct experiments.


    He kept sighing as he encountered obstacles in his mind. He doubted his way to approach further in this field. Suddenly he recalled he promised Feng Yun a video call. Hurriedly searched for his phone and dialed her number.


    The call connected and before Feng Yun could greet him, Yang Dao spoke, "Sorry, Sister Yun, I was busy coding for the operating system and this totally slipped my mind." his tone was sincere, worried that Feng Yun might not talk to him.


    The other side replied, "Hm, so Young Master, does care about, Yunyun. I wonder if he will felt the same about me?" it was a voice Yang Dao never heard before. Yet it felt familiar to him. Just like how he felt when he heard Feng Yun for the first time.


    With an uncertain expression is asked, "Are you a familiar spirit?"


    The other side chuckled and replied, "Very good, you are smart, Young Master. I will meet you soon as for Feng Yun. I will tell her to call you back soon. She is busy now as something came up. See you later."


    Tu... Tu... Tu...


    The call was disconnected and Yang Dao was surprised. He did not expect to hear the voice of another familiar spirit when he called Feng Yun. To be honest, he has not yet learned to use the mobile otherwise, he could have seen the face of that lady. Yes, the speaker was a lady.

 Chapter 46: Danger in the shadows.

    Yang Dao sat there holding the phone next to his ear. He was numb as soon as the lady on the call told him about his identity. This storm came a little too suddenly. From the voice alone he was unsure of the lady''s age. Then he thought to himself. Don''t tell me they are all women? Nah, I am just fantasizing a bit too much.


    Yang Dao put down the phone thinking about something but soon it rang again. The boy picked it up with slight listlessness. He spoke after he put the phone next to his ear, "Hello.."


    Feng Yun spoke, "Young Master, this is a video call. Why are putting the phone next to your ear?"


    Yang Dao snapped and raised the phone to his face. On the screen, a smiling Feng Yun was looking at him. He sighed and said, "Who asked someone to give me a surprise? Sister Yun these acts are not good for the heart okay."


    Feng Yun chuckled, she replied, "I apologize for the shock you received Young Master, but she is just like that. I cannot help it."


    Yang Dao sighed again, suddenly something came up in his mind, "Sister Yun, tell me all four of you are not girls, right?"


    His sudden question surprised Feng Yun, although she did not know his reason she couldn''t help but tease him a bit, "Why young master do you despise girls?" this woman even put up a coquettish expression on her face. If some big-shot was to see her this moment, they would probably smash their head against hard rock and kill themselves.


    Yang Dao shook his head and replied, "I don''t mind girls, sister Yun. I just want to prepare myself in case they are all as good as you are because then I will be in a tough spot." his face had as ''if you know what I mean.'' look.


    Obviously, if you are being surrounded by four beautiful women how can you be neutral to them? If you are neutral, you don''t like them enough, and if you are not then you are partial. So either you are a stone or a pervert or a hypocrite. Yang Dao didn''t want to be either.


    Feng Yun started laughing loudly. Only after some minutes did she calm down, she said, "You don''t have to worry about that young master, two of us are women and two are men. You will not be in trouble."


    Yang Doa was thrilled as he has just extracted a valuable piece of information. Feng Yun realized that she has passed on an important point of information. She snorted, "This is the last time you made me tell you anything in this regard, Young Master..."


    Yang Dao interrupted her and said, "I know Sister Yun. It was not my intent to make you do that. I only asked you out of curiosity."


    Feng Yun sighed helplessly, after all, she understood that it was not his fault but the second familiar''s. She asked Yang Dao if the things with the equipment went smoothly. Yang Dao told her everything he had on his mind and then asked whether his direction of advancement was wrong. Feng Yun thought for a little and told him that she will assign two people from her office to come over and help him. The two people are good and their loyalty was higher than the rest. These two people were from the same orphanage as Feng Yun''s.


    Yang Dao did not need any more information as to what she told him was enough for him to trust the two guys. He asked if the agreement is settled with those big-shots. Feng Yun nodded and told him that things went well and the agreement is signed. Yang Dao nodded and after some casual gossip, the call disconnected.


    Yang Dao fell asleep quite fast. His biological clock rang him up. After some leisurely stretching, he walked inside the washroom to brush his teeth and wash his face. Today he decided to an early visit to the gym. It has been quite some time since he stopped training.


    After changing into a vest and sports lower, he put on his black sports shoes in the cloakroom. Found himself a hand towel and walked out. He went to the kitchen and picked up a bottle of water. He was about to exit the house when he recalled professor Dew staying with him. He picked up the intercom and called for the housekeeping to deliver two sets of nutritious breakfast.


    He found a note and wrote ''Going to the gym. Be back later please receive the breakfast. Please give them the tip on the table as well. Thank you.'' knowing the efficiency of the housekeeping team, they will bring the breakfast in 30 minutes or so. He stuck the note on the front door while putting the money on the table.


    His meticulous actions were sure very good but the thing is he was an effing teenager. He walked out of the house, got inside the elevator came to the ground floor, and at the reception counter he asked the steward, "Excuse me, can you tell me where is the gym?"


    The steward was surprised to encounter someone asking him such a question in the morning. He was up all night and then this? What kind of a resident doesn''t know where is the gym in a residential complex? Yet he cannot afford to be grumpy, with a standard professional smile he provided Yang Dao with the directions.


    Yang Dao smiled back, thanked the man, and left the building. A lady receptionist walked up at the counter and told the man, "You are relieved, Rob."


    Robert was the name of this person, "Thankfully. Still a bit late though, seems like I was fated to encounter a troll." his tone was pitiful. The woman asked, "What troll?"


    Robert explained to her the whole event, then the lady said in a regretful tone, "I missed the chance to see Young Master." she sighed and then glared at Robert as she lowered her voice, "Be careful about what you spout, okay? That person wasn''t a troll. He is the younger brother of President Feng, the builder of this whole complex, the owner of the Phoenix group. He started living in the top penthouse not long ago. That is why he asked you about the gym. Humph, praise the luck that no one heard you just now or you might be looking for another job." this time her tone was particularly sharp.


    Such was Yang Dao''s charm. Robert had a pale face. He was secretly happy to keep his temper in check or things would have been worse. After asking the lady to keep it a secret in exchange for a meal he left the counter. What no one noticed was that in his eyes a cold glint flashed. The man changed his clothes, and made a register entry, and left the residential complex.


    He boarded a cab and headed home. This cab was provided by the phoenix group to pick up and drop the employees as they start or finish their shifts. Robert chatted with the people in the cab normally as if there was nothing wrong with him. He reached home, locked the door, and entered the bedroom. It was a one-bedroom unit, closed the windows, closed the blinds.


    He picked up a book from the shelf in his bedroom and was about to open it when suddenly he was startled by a knock on the door.


    KNOCK KNOCK!!!


    Robert calmed down, placed the book back in its place on the shelf as he spoke in a loud voice, "Who is it?"


    A silky voice replied, "Hello, I am the new tenant downstairs. I work for the Phoenix group as well. I guess by the cab you came, so I thought about greeting you."


    Robert sighed, he moved to the door and said, "I just came back from the shift. Would you mind..." he opened the door as he was speaking.


    BANG!


    A gunshot sounded, Robert glanced at the girl in front of him with shocked eyes. The girl spoke to Robert, "Hello Robert a.k.a. Lab Rat of New Dawn." her words increased the shock in the man''s eyes. He used his left fist and punched forward.


    The girl chuckled and with the little finger of her right hand parried the punch. She then punched forward and a sonic boom sounded. Fortunately, she had deployed a barrier to isolate the sound. Her fist was already in front of Robert.


    SPLAT!


    The girl shook her head as she spoke, "Kaya, have this placed cleaned later. These fickle porcelain melons bursting with such a gentle touch. What is the use of creating them?" with these words she poked Robert''s headless body with her finger, making it fall done with a dull thud.


    She walked over the corpse and searched the place. She found the book Robert was holding earlier, as she muttered, "Are they not trained? Why is it always so obvious? Losers." she spoke again, "Kaya, tell my sister about the threat. We go back to camp after this." then she left the place.


    Few steps away from where this girl was standing a figure walked out of the shadows. She sighed, "General why do you always act so recklessly. Anyway, let me call Madam, Feng Yun..."


    This girl was Kaya, and the person she addressed as the general was the second familiar spirit. This time they were asked by Feng Yun to clean up the rats in the city. Rats were obviously the spies and informants of NEW DAWN and crypto nation.


    These people could be anywhere doing anything from begging to a prominent CEO, their aim? Simple, kill every Elementalist they find. Feng Yun was a person they were suspicious about, after all, such a young tycoon was never seen. Yang Dao was targeted because of his connection with the phoenix.


    So this time it was a close call. Or who knows what they will do to him?

 Chapter 47: New Direction.

    Yang Dao was working out in the gym. A personal trainer was assigned to him as soon as he showed his key card. The trainer was named, Wayne Flint. He was a retired special ops soldier. His physique was not as exaggerated as that of a bodybuilder.


    He had sharp eyes, a pointy nose, pointy chin. He was handsome but standing in front of the ''eye-candy'' incarnate, Yang Dao. He felt a little shabby. At this moment, Yang Dao was doing some weighted squats.


    It was his third set with 20 repetitions each. This was the last set. As soon as he finished the last rep. Wayne Flint helped him put down the barbell on his shoulder. The weight of the barbell was a hundred kilograms.


    The trainer sighed and spoke in admiration, "Young Master, you are the first person I have ever met to lift such a heavyweight on his own for three sets. You should join the army." his tone was filled with awe and excitement. (?¨Œ?).


    Yang Dao smiled and replied, "Instructor Wayne, I would like to join the army but the age of application is 19. I am 16. We will have to wait for some time." he spoke calmly.


    Unaware that his words caused a great shock to the trainer by his side. ¦¸§¥¦¸


    Yang Dao took out a hand towel, cleaned his sweaty neck then went to another spot for another exercise. He worked out for a couple of hours before leaving. The gym staff was very happy with him as Yang Dao would return the dumbbells, barbells, and weight plates to the place where he found them. This was a rare thing among people.


    The boy wearing a gray waist jogged his way back home. He did come across some hungry gazes but ignorance is bliss. Then the elevator took him up to his house. Yang Dao opened the door with the keycard and entered inside. He saw a trolley of food parked in the living room. The food was untouched. He walked inside his room and took a shower, changed in a clean pair of t-shirt and lower he walked out.


    Professor Dew was sitting on the dining table with food in front of her. She smiled, "I thought it would be rude if i ate alone. So, I waited. Come it''s all re-heated." her soft tone sounded normal to Yang Dao.


    He nodded, sat down on a chair, then ate the food with great enthusiasm. Today''s menu was fish soup, triple egg ommollete, and a wholesome glass of banana and nuts smoothie. After eating he let out a content burp.


    Professor Dew couldn''t help but chuckle at him. Yang Dao was embarrassed, he said, "Excuse me."


    Then he washed the dishes despite the protest put up by the professor that she would clean her own dishes. After half an hour when Yang Dao was done cleaning his house, he took a broken mobile and his note book. He said to the beauty professor, ''Professor, let''s go downstairs."


    The lady nodded and after locking the house they came to the flat downstairs. In the equipment ordered asked by Kylie there was also a precision tool kit to assemble the system. Yang Dao used that tool kit to dis assemble the mobile phone which looked like a transparent screen. He sighed and said, "You have to give it to the Crypto Nation, these guys make the best tech in the world."


    Professor Dew who was inspecting some of the parts chimed in agreement, "That is for sure. You see these transmitters embedded in the chipset? I have never seen this sort of an arrangement." she sounded very excited as she took down notes on the chipset.


    Yang Dao removed the inbuilt-storage disk from the mobile and heaved a sigh of relief. On the outer edge of the mobile phone, there was a gasket filled with liquid nitrogen. If there was even a slightest of error in opening the back cover of the phone. Then the gasket will burst and your phone will become scrap along with the data.


    Professor Dew asked him, "This connector slot is so different, how will you connect it with the notebook?"


    Yang Dao took out a data cable and the connecting slot from the mobile that was used to connect the storage disk. Then he cut the data cable, his actions made Professor Dew surprised. She did not expect him to do something like this. The boy meticulously used a plucking tool to separate the optics from the data cable and soldered it with the connector slot. His actions were fluid as if he had done it many times.


    Then he blew on the soldered joints to cool them down. He opened his notebook. Before connecting the storage-disk to his notebook, he made sure that the notebook was not connected to the internet. He inhaled deep and muttered, "Let''s see what this thing holds for us."


    He connected the cable to the notebook, and instantly a prompt sounded,  Todong. This sound meant the connection was successful.


    Yang Dao quickly used the mouse-pad to open the storage disk. When he completed the operation he could not help but sigh as he shook his head. Professor Dew was the same, she said, "So many encryption for an assistant program?"


    Yang Dao corrected her, "Not just any assistant program. The best mobile assistant program." their was a bitterness in his voice.


    Professor Dew sighed, "What now? This thing came to a dead end again." her eyes were gled to the notebook screen.


    On the screen a progress bar was blinking. Data scrap in progress. The storage disk was encrypted to scrap all the data as soon as it is connected to any offline device, and if it is connected to the online device then it will send the details over.  Yang Dao disconnected the cable. and walked up to the window inside the room.


    He looked out at the sapphire lake in front of him. He said in a solemn voice, "As I thought, our direction is wrong."


    Professor Dew just sat there calmly listening to him, the boy continued, "We are trying to achieve something the others have not. So why do we need their stuff? If it was possible to use this technology to achieve atomic fusion, they would have done so already."


    Professor Dew spoke up, "True that." keeping her voice low.


    Yang Dao continued, "Hmm so we develop our own Artificial intelligence."


    His words shocked the professor she stood up from her seat and asked, "Are you for real now, student Dao? Do you think it is easy to create something like that?"


    Yang Dao shook his head, "Nothing is easy in this world. Don''t worry, I will have some people come over to help us. Instead of going right on to the artificial intelligence, we start from the roots. Automated translator, file compiler, voice controlled mobile assistants. Build everything and then combine what we learn. Everything in this world comes from nothing and then goes back to nothing. So why do we covet what others have?"


    Professor Dew was surprised to see how this young man looked at the world. This sort of perspective was expected from some elders yet this boy in front of her only sixteen years old has such thoughts.


    She sighed at herself. Giving up too easily. She spoke, "Student Dao, I now give you an annual project. If you can finish a BETA version of the mobile assistant by the end of the semester, you will pass my subject without examination. But we will need the program as a proof. How about it? Do we have a deal?" her words were to motivate Yang Dao to work faster and get to his goals faster.


    Yang Dao was obviously happy about it. He nodded with a sunny smile on his face. Then he said, "Professor, you can start coding the basic operations in the computer. I need to go out for a bit then I will take over after coming back."


    Professor Dew nodded and went to work. Yang Dao checked the time and messaged Ray on his mobile. Ray replied that he doesn''t have any classes in the noon but does have two in the evening. Yang Dao communicated with him and the two decided to go out now and get him a new bike before the evening practice.


    Yang Dao told Professor Dew about it and went upstairs. Then he called Feng Yun. The call connected and he described ho whe was planning to advance with the artificial intelligence and Atomic Fusion. Feng Yun approved of it and they disconnected the call.


    ...


    The ruby tower, Feng Yun''s office, at this moment a girl was sitting in the couch with a gun tied to her thigh. This girl was the same person who killed Robert. She asked Feng Yun who had just disconnected Yang dao''s call.


    "Yunyun, I think we should train Young Master in some combat. He cannot identify killing intent or malice, although we are here to protect him but he should be able to protect himself as well. We cannot be around him always or his growth will be hampered." her tone was serious at this moment and her words were correct. They will need to wait till Yang Dao learns all four elements before they could be by his side.


    Feng Yun replied her with a smile, "Aren''t you going to meet him soon. You will see that he is not as naive as you think he is. Also, do me a favor, have him learn how to drive. Last looking at his face when Quinn was denied, I wanted to cry."


    The girl replied as she played with her white hair, "Okay, I can do that. Anyways, the old man will also meet him sooner. So he can be given Quinn to drive around. Who asked second brother to park it in your garage? I want to see his face when young master takes away the car. Hahahaha, will be fun." this was her personality. Bubbly and naughty.


    The two women joked with each other while Yang Dao got out of the house wearing a jeans and shirt. His hair fluttered with the wind as he stepped out of the residential complex to meet Ray who was waiting for him in a car.

 Chapter 48: Accident.

    Yang Dao and Ray rode a lower-class high-end car. Yang Dao spoke as soon as he sat inside, "Senior Ray, this car, did you have it modified by the vendor?"


    Ray was surprised by his question and nodded as he kept looking at the road. He asked, "Not many people know about this. How did you find out?"


    Yang Dao smiled and spoke, "This model is supposed to have a ground clearance of 170-175 mm while your car is 180-185 mm. If I am not wrong this is because of the custom suspension system. And from the sound, the vehicle produced when you turned the key. I can hear a turbocharger. The gear shift is also smoother."


    Ray thought as if Yang Dao himself tweaked with his car. He was shocked but recently he has grown used to this kid''s perverted behavior and recovered quickly. He smiled wryly as he said, "Did you work at the shop I bought this from?"


    Yang Dao chuckled, "No, I just worked as a mechanic at a garage in Bell city. So I learned all this."


    Ray nodded and said, "Then why didn''t I see a car in your garage?"


    Yang Dao held his head in exasperation, "Don''t tell anyone about this okay. The day I moved to sapphire lake residency, Sister Yun had 5 cars inside the garage. I wanted to avoid being high-profile so when on the way Sister Yun showed me the vehicles on a tab. I hurriedly asked her to take them away. Asked her for a bike, she got me ''Silence'', now you take a guess what cars she selected for me. Modest of them all was customized Hurricane XGT."


    Ray sucked in a cold breath. He said, "Why do I feel like you have picked up the skill of showing off."


    Yang Dao shook his head as he shifted his attention to the scenery outside as Ray kept introducing him to the happening places. This was the first time Yang Dao has came out in the city. Usually, he would go to college and come back straight back home or it would be him flying to meet Feng Yun via helicopter.


    He also asked Ray some questions about the places that caught his attention. Suddenly something clicked to Yang Dao and he said, "Senior Ray, you are also from Computer operations right?"


    Ray nodded, the boy continued, "May I ask what is your graduation project?"


    Ray replied, "Real-time translation app. Recently jewel nation''s tourism is booming so I thought this would be a good way to earn money and also increase the ease of convenience for the tourists." Yang Dao did not reply but fell into thought.


    A final project is a mandatory project for every computer operations student. They are all asked to design a model software program. If the software meets the standards the student is allowed to pass and will be provided with a recommendation later in case they want to pursue higher education.


    Yang Dao spoke, "Senior Ray, what do you want to do after graduation?"


    Ray replied casually, "I am done with education brother, the number of brain cells that died in these past few years is enough. I will find a job and maybe keep on riding."


    Yang Dao asked, "Will you work with me? I plan to do something. Though the salary will be a little low at the start I will increase it in the future. What do you think?" he was a little embarrassed to ask all this after all he did not have any capital of his own yet. All he had was 3 million, but that would only allow him to register a company.


    Ray did not think much and asked, "When do I start working, Boss?" how could he let go of an opportunity to work with ''YOUNG MASTER FENG YUN.''


    Yang Dao scratched the back of his head and said, "I will ask Sister Yun to register me a start-up company first. Then I will talk to you further. Will that be okay?"


    Ray chuckled, "As you command, Boss. Though, I have a question, what is the companies direction?"


    Yang Dao replied in all earnest, "The first step is to develop something good enough that the people can take it as a first choice. After all, crypto nation tech costs a lot. I plan for a series of products to be combined inside a mobile assistant."


    Ray raised his eyebrows. He was not a virgin in the market. He has dabbled in the stock market earlier, so he knew what Yang Dao was aiming for, the mobile phone market. Seemingly one of the biggest money cycles in the nation. The population of the nation was 80 million, and the annual mobile sale was 1.5 billion.


    Even if they stay at the bottom it will be good but who was Yang Dao and who was backing him? One of the annual financial magazines last year reported that Feng Yun had so much wealth that she can rent out the whole country for a month. Can you imagine the power she had?


    Ray was about to say something when they heard a loud screeching sound followed by a crash. He floored the brakes and stopped the vehicle immediately. Fortunately, the two of them were wearing their seatbelts.


    Outside, it seemed as if the vehicle lost control and crashed into the side pole. Yang Dao hurriedly got out of his car. The surrounding people also rushed forward to check the situation. The car was badly crushed, in the driver''s seat, an old lady laid unconscious. Her head was cushioned by the airbag, but the door was crooked and people could not open it.


    Suddenly someone yelled, "Get away the fuel is leaking." this exclamation triggered a panicked reaction among the people and they all scurried away. Ray also came back to his own car and was about to sit in when he recalled Yang Dao was not by his side. Turning his head he found Yang Dao still yanking on the car door with all his might.


    Ray was immediately flustered he screamed, "Dao, getaway, it can explode."


    Yang Dao gave up his grip on the car door. The surrounding people breathed a sigh of relief as they saw this, but this feeling was short-lived. Yang Dao rolled up his sleeves, held onto the already open windowpane with his right hand, while his left hand held onto the vertical edge. Placing his left foot on the body of the car he inhaled deeply.


    Then he pulled with a soft cry, "HUP" the door was pulled open. Yang Dao reacted quickly and tore off the airbag. He leaned inside and undid the seatbelt. Carefully carried the old lady out and walked to Ray''s car. He said, "Senior Ray, open the door, we take her to the hospital."


    The boy reacted, opened the door, and helped Yang Dao pacing the old lady inside. The two rushed to the nearest hospital. On the way to the hospital, Yang Dao called the police to inform them about the situation. By the time they reached there a policeman and a policewoman were waiting for them.


    The doctors took the old lady for treatment while Yang Dao and Ray made transcripts. Ray wanted to pay the bill but Yang Dao stopped him, he paid the bill himself. The policeman saw that Yang Dao was very calm for his age and asked, "Little one, were you not afraid of the vehicle exploding?"


    Yang Dao smiled, "There was no sparking in the wiring system so how would it explode?" his reply shocked the three people. It was true that ''normally'' cars don''t catch fire when they crash but that doesn''t mean they ''won''t ever'' catch fire. But the reason behind an explosion in a car crash is mostly the sparking in the onboard electronic system or if the car is creating friction with the asphalt during the crash which may ignite the fuel.


    The police were surprised with the observation power of the youngster in front of them. A few minutes later the doctor came out of the emergency ward and said, "The patient lost consciousness due to hypertension leading to an accident. It may be her luck but she escaped with just a few bruises. We will now keep her here for observation and run a thorough check-up."


    Yang Dao nodded his head, thanked the doctor. Then after asking the police if they can leave the hospital, the two people left. Yang Dao''s benevolent act of rescue was now already uploaded on the internet. Yet the target of all this was busy comparing bikes. Ray took him to the store where he got his bike. Yang Dao started comparing them all with silence.


    He asked Ray for advice when he himself could not decide which one should select. Yang Dao spent 5000 on this bike. The shopkeeper gave him a matching blue-colored helmet and gloves. Then Yang Dao bought himself a spandex jersey as well. Then the two people left the shop with a new bike in hand. Yang Dao asked Ray to lead as he followed his car. They parted when Yang Dao arrived home.

 Chapter 49: Trouble.

    Yang Dao parked his bike in the parking and ran upstairs. He first stopped at the floor below to check if Professor Dew was still working. He rang the bell and soon a beauty opened the door. The woman asked, "How may I help you?"


    Yang Dao found it weird for a stranger to be here. But he still replied, "Where is Professor Dew?" his voice was indifferent and it made the girl frown. She replied with a cold snort and said, "Wait here." then with a  BAM, the door was closed.


    Yang Dao patiently waited there, after a minute the door was opened and it was Professor Dew this time. She was surprised to see that it was Yang Dao who was shut out. She hurriedly replied, "Student Dao, why are you standing there, come in."


    Yang Dao walked inside. He saw the pretty girl looking at him with a confused gaze. He turned to Kylie Dew and asked, "Professor, why is there a stranger here?"


    The pretty girl frowned hard she was about to refute when the professor replied, "Student Dao, she is my student from the university. Third Year student, Nika Orlenko. I called her over to help me with some coding. She is reliable."


    Yang Dao gazed at the beauty, then said, "It is getting late, you both can order dinner. I will go back to rest a bit. Tomorrow I will go to college. You can also resume your work, two people will come over and their work will be arranged as well." then he turned away and left.


    Professor Dew closed the door and sighed. Nika spoke as soon as she returned, "Teacher, who is this guy. So cocky." her tone was obviously not very amiable.


    Kylie replied, "That was Student Yang Dao, or should I call him Young Master Feng Yang Dao? Although he is not a snob, he doesn''t take tantrums or rudeness very well."


    Nika was not a social butterfly, and most of the time she would stay inside the lab. She had blonde hair, blue eyes, fuller lips and looks like a doll. No one in the college can resist her charm but Yang Dao is well Yang Dao.


    As the two women talked, Nika was surprised to know that Yang Dao was so rich. She herself was rich but she was from another city. So she was unaware of the depth here. It could be said that she was rude at the door but she was not a snob.


    The thing that pinched her was how Yang Dao gazed at her like a dead face.


    ...


    On the floor above Yang Dao was taking a shower and then he laid down on the bed holding his cell phone. He called Feng Yun. The call connected in a blink.


    Yang Dao asked, "Sister Yun, such a fast reaction?"


    Feng Yun smiled and replied, "Young master, I was calling someone and you called so I picked it up."


    Yang Dao replied, "I am sorry to disturb you but it was kind of urgent in case I forgot it later."


    Feng Yun sighed, "There you go again. Young Master, can we not be so formal?" her voice sounded a little upset as she spoke.


    Yang Dao reacted, "Yes, I will not use it again. I am s.. Yes, Sister Yun, can you help me register a company?" he was very close to making a blunder there, so he changed the topic soon.


    Feng Yun was surprised and asked, "What kind of company?"


    Yang Dao replied, "Dao Technologies. I have a fund of 2 million in my hand that can be registered as the company assets. We will first try to develop the software programs and then progress to our own manufacturing. Can you help me?"


    Feng Yun replied with great confidence, "That will be done by tomorrow evening and you will have a license delivered at home." her voice was brimming with excitement.


    Yang Dao and Feng Yun chatted for a bit and then the call finished. Feng Yun had work to do while the boy had to meditate. As the boy sat down on the mat his phone rang again. He sighed and picked it up. Saw that it was his friend Yurika.


    The two people grew up together in the orphanage. Yurika was three years older than him. She studied in Onyx City, next to the jade city. Yang Dao picked up the call with a smile on his face. But soon his smile changed.


    The other side spoke, "This is Inspector Haward Russell from Onyx city police station. Your friend Yurika has been arrested under the charge of drug peddling and extortion. You are called under the right to call and inform a person. For any more queries, you can visit Onyx City Police station." the call was hung up abruptly.


    Yang Dao was upset. He called Feng Yun again and spoke as soon as the call connected, "Sister Yun, my friend Yurika has been arrested under the case of drug peddling in Onyx City. As far as I know her, she would never do that. Can we do something about this?"


    Feng Yun replied calmly, "Young Master, I will have my best lawyer team depart with you right away. You can go to Onyx City by the chopper."


    Yang Dao sighed and said, "What do I do?"


    Feng Yun spoke with a smile, "You dress up in a formal attire then my lawyers will handle everything."


    Yang Dao nodded and disconnected the call. He needs to go get ready. The boy put on a black shirt, blue tie, and a black coat. the set had blue cufflinks as well. Wore a pair of leather shoes and belt and a leather strap luxury watch.


    He was all set. Before leaving he went downstairs and rang the bell again. Nika opened the door, this time she was charmed with Yang Dao. He was not only handsome but domineering in this attire. He did not step in but handed her a key card. He spoke, "Can you tell professor Dew, that I have to leave for an emergency matter. Please?"


    Nika took the key card and nodded. The next moment Yang Dao went back into the elevator and rushed upstairs. The blonde beauty glanced at the key card in her hand and was speechless. She thought as she gulped, ''He is pretty handsome.''. Closing the door the girl went inside as well.


    ...


    On the roof, Yang Dao greeted the pilot and told him that they will be heading to Onyx City and will converge with the lawyer team on the way. The pilot has changed and this person was on duty today. The pilots were allowed to rest in a cabin made for them on the side.


    The two people sat in and the beast flew up. The chopper was scene by Nike who stood on the balcony of the house as Professor Dew brought her upstairs. Though she was forbidden to enter Yang Dao''s room as the boy locked the door. She was shocked to see Yang Dao''s face from the chopper window.


    This boy was really handsome.


    Yang Dao and the team of lawyers met in the sky after 15 minutes and the three choppers flew over to Onyx City police station.


    ...


    Inside Onyx City police station, a timid-looking girl sat with her swollen eye. Her hair tied up in a ponytail, she wore a set of normal clothes. She was looking down on the floor. Suddenly a policewoman came in front of her and said, "Let''s go, time to take your statement."


    The girl was helpless, the police wanted to call her orphanage in the bell-city but she did not want to bother anyone so she called Yang Dao. But as soon as she dialed his number her tears started raining. The officer responsible for her case conversed with Yang Dao instead of her.


    While the girl was taken inside the interrogation room.


    Outside in a luxury car, a young man with golden hair sat with a cigarette in his hands. He spoke to a bald man with cunning eyes on his side, "Damn, this time the police were too alert. If I had not slipped the drugs inside this girl''s bag, I would have been in a quagmire."


    The cunny man spoke, "Poor girl, she is going to suffer for being in the wrong place at the wrong time. What is surprising to me is that her friend was a well-known guy. Why did he not help her?"


    The yellow-haired boy spoke, "Hahaha, that guy is my cousin, he wanted to have fun so he asked me to bring some spice. But who knew before we could make a move the police came. Someone tipped them off it seems. Anyway, our trouble is finished as soon as this girl is convicted." his tone was not anxious at all.


    How were they to know that their actions have just called over a storm that will ruin them all once and for all?

 Chapter 50: Fear.

    Onyx City Police station, inside the interrogation room, three people sat together. It was a typical dark, cold room to intimidate the suspect. A light bulb hung from the ceiling, under it laid a square table. A lady wearing a police uniform was leaning forward on the table with her hands. She spoke, in an indifferent tone, "Student Yurika, if you plead guilty the court will be lenient with you. Otherwise, you tell us from where did you find that thing? I assure you, we will make the culprit pay."


    By now Yurika had calmed down a bit, she replied in a shaky voice, "Ma''am, I swear to you, I do not know where it came from. I was in that club for only half an hour. You can ask anyone in my college that I have always been a good student and have done nothing wrong. Please ma''am help me, I am innocent."


    The male police officer spoke in a cold voice, "The most beautiful angels become the cruelest of devils, Miss Yurika. We have searched your hostel room and found one similar packet there as well. What do you say now? Your roommates said that you are not that kind of girl, but we found two packets in your possession. Now tell me, are you trying to shield somebody?"


    Yurika was shocked when she heard another packet was in her hostel. She shook her head and replied, "Sir, I really don''t know how the packet got there. Please believe me."


    The man shook his head with a sigh and replied, "Miss Yurika, I am sorry, even if I want to believe you the evidence is not supporting you."


    The two cops exchanged a glance, and the woman spoke, "We will take you to the court in the morning. There you will be allocated an attorney. That person will present your side of the case. We just hope that given your condition and records, the court is lenient to you." with that said the two of them took her outside the interrogation room.


    ...


    After half an hour, In the car, outside the police station, the yellow-haired man''s phone rang. After he took a quick call, a burst of creepy laughter rang out. He spoke, "Let''s go, it is done that chick is ruined."


    The creepy bald man smiled and turned the key, ready to go. Then suddenly, they heard a loud noise. Both people looked out of the window and were shocked. Not only them, but even the whole police station was surprised. They immediately sprang up in action. They all rushed outside, ready with their sidearms.


    ...


    Three red helicopters were nearing the police station at a high speed. Phoenix Group had the permission to fly almost everywhere, they had a whole level in the sky reserved for themselves. The choppers slowly descended from the sky.


    The director of the City Police came out of the station, he roared, "WHO FUCK CAN TELL ME WHAT IS GOING ON HERE?"


    The people shook their heads. The choppers landed softly in front of the station, right on the main road. The two choppers on the side opened and 12 people wearing suits stepped out. This was the lawyer team Feng Yun sent. The center most chopper showed no sign of action. The pilot got down and pulled open the back door.


    Titanium steps opened and a dashing young man wearing a black suit stepped down. The 12 older men stepped forward to him and walked toward the station. Yang Dao was unlike his usually innocent self. At this moment, his aura was so intimidating that the people were all shocked. He took two steps before he turned to the pilot and said, "Glide around, don''t cause trouble to the people."


    Then he walked again, his eyes located the director of the police station, he asked a lawyer on his side, "Is he in charge?"


    The lawyer nodded and said, "He is the director here, Connie Bran."


    Connie bran was a middle-aged man, because of his exceptional record he was promoted to his current post only three months ago. Faced with this young man with shiny eyes and a calm face, he sensed pressure like never. He stepped forward and asked in a loud voice, "Who are you? What is your purpose here?"


    The lawyer beside You Xi Wang said, "This is Young Master Feng Yang dao, brother of President Feng, owner of the Phoenix Group. I am Harvey Trent, his attorney. My client received a call from your police station regarding one of his friends being held here. May we talk inside?"


    The director was shocked to hear about Yang Dao''s identity. He nodded stiffly and led them all inside. The people on the road were still shocked, and some even cheered.


    "Who the hell is this young man? Cool, car."


    "Yeah, look at that swag. He sure looks good."


    The three choppers flew back in the air as Yang Dao entered the Police station.


    Yang Dao sat in front of the Director calmly and spoke, "The caller was Inspector Haward Russell and my friend is Yurika. She has been arrested under the charge of drug peddling. I only hope that she is not dealt with unjustly."


    The director nodded and said, "I guarantee you, she will not be dealt with unjustly. But also, if she is found guilty, I will not let her go free because of your connections." his voice was stern and unmoved. Yang Dao simply nodded.


    He asked, "Is it possible for me to see her?"


    The director rang a table bell, a constable walked in. He spoke, "Call Inspector Haward."


    The constable saluted and left. After a few minutes, Inspector Haward knocked on the door. The director spoke, "Come in."


    In walked a square-faced man. Wearing a suit with a police badge shining on his waist. The man saluted and asked, "You called me, Boss."


    The director nodded. He gestured towards Yang Dao and said, "This is Mr. Feng Yang Dao, you called him regarding a suspect being taken into custody?"


    The inspector was surprised to see that the person he called would come over in such a high stance, yet he nodded calmly. The director spoke, "Take him to meet the suspect."


    Hayward Russell nodded, glanced at Yang Dao, and said, "Come with me."


    Yang Dao nodded to the director. He stood up and followed the inspector out. The inspector spoke, "What is your relationship with Miss Yurika?"


    Yang Dao said, "You don''t need to know that, do you?"


    The inspector was surprised at the back talk Yang Dao gave him. He rebuked him, "This is a police station and I am inspecting the case of your friend, so you better be disciplined. Otherwise, regardless of your identity, I will have you in a lock-up."


    Yang Dao said, "You can try. I will see how you get me inside a lock-up."


    Yang Dao was not polite to this man. His lawyers had told him already not to answer anything honestly without a lawyer by his side. At this moment they were all outside dealing with the bail proceedings.


    Haward snorted and led Yang Dao to the lock-up cell where Yurika was. Yang Dao spoke as he stood in front of the cell in a cold voice with his gaze pointed at the clerical department, "Mr. Harvey, how much time do you guys need?"


    His voice was not loud, but somehow it reached Harvey and his lawyer team. They shivered, picking up the documents rushed to the cell block. Panting, Harvey presented the documents to Inspector Haward. He spoke while panting, "The bail documents."


    The inspector''s face changed. He could not believe that these people got the suspect bailed so soon. He was unaware of Yang Dao''s identity. It was because he has never dealt with such big people.


    Yang Dao spoke, "Open the cell, let her out." then he turned to Harvey, "What is the status of the investigation?"


    Harvey replied, "The hidden camera footage has been gained, Young Master. In ten minutes, they will be here along with a witness. We have asked for the magistrate to allow us a special hearing because Miss Yurika is a bright student, such an incident will stain her future."


    Listening to Harvey''s words, Inspector Haward shook. These people were too big for him to deal with. He opened the cell and said to the stunned Yurika, "You have been bailed."


    Yurika reacted, raised her head in confusion and surprise. She did not know anyone who can have her bailed. Suddenly an extremely soft voice landed in her ears, "Rika..."


    Yang Dao had a habit. He would call his close ones by nicknames. Yurika shivered as soon as she heard this voice. She saw Yang Dao standing at the cell door wearing a stylish suit. Her body moved on its own. She flew into his arms and started bawling her eyes out. Yang Dao patted her back and said with a chuckle, "Are you the older one, or am I? Why are you always a cry baby?"


    Yurika punched his chest as she cried. Yang Dao could only calm her after a few minutes. When he raised his head, he saw the inspector was missing. He spoke to Harvey, "I smelled fear from the inspector. Get people to dig him up. Also, don''t spare anyone."


    Harvey replied, "Yes, Young Master" and then he left. Harvey was not a common corporate Lawyer. He was the head of the former head of the bar council of Jade city. His connections were almost endless. So this thing was nothing for him.

 Chapter 51: Innocence Proved.

    Yang Dao took Yurika to sit down outside the police station where a luxury car was parked for them. Harvey was tasked with three things. One, check up on the cop responsible for the investigation. Two, arrange a hearing with the magistrate ASAP before the sun comes up. Three, find the real sinner.


    Harvey was doing it all with the help of his 11 companions and assistants. His efficiency was very high, which is why he was assigned to help Yang Dao. Feng Yun would do her best to help Yang Dao, and Harvey was the best in his field. Inside the station, Harvey picked up his cell phone and dialed a number. The call connected, and he spoke in a commanding tone, "Where is my evidence?"


    The other side replied, "5 minutes, a person will hand you an envelope. The second task is being completed as well, the evidence will be sent online to your mailbox."


    Harvey nodded, the other side continued, "What about the payment?"


    The lawyer replied, "When I get the evidence, you get the payment. It is the same old. I won''t pay a penny without verifying the authenticity of it."


    The man sighed, "Sure, Harvey, old rules. You never change, do you?"


    Harvey did not have any interest in small talks and immediately hung up. He glanced at his assistants, who were trying to put up a sound defense for Yurika, and walked over to help them.


    ...


    Inside the car, Yurika was still holding on to Yang Dao and sobbed slowly. The boy patted her back and asked, "Tell me what happened? From the start."


    Yurika spoke in a low voice, "I came here. Then last month I started dating this guy from the sports department. His name is Alex. He looks good, is caring. Just too horny. I only date them and don''t let them close. Holding hands is the maximum for me, you know that. Then this guy was acting patient with me. I don''t go out to party places at night. But since he said it was his birthday, so I made an exception. Suddenly the place was raided by police and I got arrested..." at the end of the speech the girl started crying again.


    Yang Dao patted her chest. Now he knew who the primary target was called Alex. He trusted Feng Yun, so he knew Harvey will solve it for him. Yang Dao closed his eyes and sighed. He spoke, "By the way, did you graduate?"


    Yurika cried "It is tomorrow. Now they will cancel my degree. Dao, what do I do?"


    Yang Dao said, "They will not. I will let nothing like this happen. Don''t worry." he heard a knock on the window. He rolled down the glass. In front of him stood Harvey.


    The lawyer spoke respectfully. "Young Master, the evidence is here. The digital hearing is also ready. We should go the magistrate will be on in five minutes."


    Yang Dao nodded and said to Yurika, "Rika, come on. If I found one more tear falling from your eyes, I will leave right away." his voice was both helpless and forced. Yurika was a naughty girl. She liked to meet new people and thus she would date guys casually. Yet she was not that easy as well. Till now no one has ever even got her first kiss, let alone scoring. Sometimes back in bell city, Yang Dao would have to fight off some clingy guys for her.


    Yurika on the inside was a softie and a queen of cry babies in the world. She would cry hourly, watching a funny video, she would cry. Somebody was rude to her, she would cry. It wasn''t limited to herself only, but even if she saw someone scold others, she would cry. Yang Dao was the only one who could handle her when they were young. He would always threaten her about being left alone for crying too much. This resulted in the girl developing a tolerance.


    His words today were also a trigger to this tolerance. Who would want to be alone in such a situation? The tears stopped. The two people got out of the car. Yang Dao gave her a water bottle and said, "Chug it down."


    After so much crying, dehydration was possible. Yurika timidly took the bottle. Yang Dao took off his coat, rolled up his sleeves, and loosened his tie. He said to Harvey, "Mr. Harvey, please lead the way. Also, I apologize for my behavior earlier. The situation forced me not to be on my best behavior."


    Harvey was surprised, but he immediately shook his head and waved his hand, "No, no, young master. It is not your fault. I don''t mind. When were you rude?"


    Yang Dao smiled helplessly. These guys won''t let him be humble. The trio walked into the police station. They came to a secluded special room where a big screen was arranged along with some chairs in front. The direction of the police station and the lady inspector responsible for Yurika''s case were present.


    Yang Dao glanced at Harvey in askance. The lawyer gave him a reassuring smile. After a nod, Yang Dao and Yurika sat down in the chairs for the observers and the suspect, respectively. While the Director of the station was serving as an overseer, to make sure that the proceedings are followed by the rule. The laid inspector sat down beside Yurika silently.


    The big monitor on the screen turned on. The director spoke, "All Rise." following his voice, everyone stood up. On the monitor, a chubby old man appeared. He nodded and said, "Sit down. Let the proceedings begin."


    The crowd sat down and the director spoke, "Introduce the case, the victim, and the charges filed."


    The lady police inspector stood up and spoke after a slight bow to the magistrate, "Sir, 5.40 yesterday our team was tipped off about a drug deal being held in Arcana Pub, in Craft Street, Onyx City. We conducted a raid, and after a search, the suspect was found with 200 grams of crystal meth in possession. The suspect was then detained.


    The suspect is named, Yurika. An orphan who grew up in Bell city orphanage. She moved to Onyx City three years ago as a student in the city university. Her records are clean and she is an exceptional scholar. The suspect also completed her education with exceptionally top marks.


    She is now charged with charges 32 A, illegal possession of drugs, 32 B, drug peddling, and 01 F, misleading/non-cooperative in the investigation."


    The lady inspector completed her task professionally and sat down in her chair. The magistrate asked, "The defense may proceed."


    Harvey stood up, "Your honor, the defendant pleads not guilty and we have all the evidence to prove this, so without wasting our time with an opening argument, I would present a set of photographs and also the CCTV footage to the court." he snapped his fingers, and an assistant stood up from the side. The assistant passed on a brown envelope to the Director of the police station.


    The man in uniform opened the envelope and took out the content. Then he placed the photographs inverted over a scanning device that was projecting the scanned objects to the magistrate directly. Next was to play the disk that contained the recording.


    The whole process lasted about 15 minutes. In the end, the lady inspector sat there as she grit her teeth, Yurika was shocked with her eyes wide open. The Director was also gritting his teeth while Yang Dao and Harvey had a smirk spread across their faces. The magistrate spoke, "Is this evidence authentic?"


    Harvey snapped again. The same assistant passed the director two authentication certificates with an ''A'' rating for both the photographs and the video. The director placed the certificates on the scanner. At this moment Harvey spoke, "Your honor, as you know, my client is an exceptional student, actually she is the valedictorian of this year''s batch. She topped her grade. Tomorrow morning the university will hold a graduation ceremony, not only will she miss it but standing under the banners of a criminal will also harm her prestige. I plead with the court to announce your decision tonight itself and also provide my client with a letter to the college so that they don''t make things unnecessarily difficult for her."


    The magistrate spoke, "The court has heard your plea. After watching the evidence, the defendant has been framed by two people. The court announces that Miss Yurika is innocent of all charges filed against her. While the court also asks the police force to be more thorough in their investigation and not rely on interrogation. I hope the real culprits will be taken into custody ASAP. The following documents will be released by the Director of the police force under his personal seal. The court is adjourned."


    The screen only displayed the magistrate signing some documents as it turned black. Harvey spoke, "Half work is done."


    The director asked him, "Half work?"


    Harvey smiled and said, "Now we clean up your house and the city."


    The director and the Lady inspector were stunned by these words while Yurika sat in her chair with blank eyes. She still did not understand why will her ''cinnamon roll'' (expression for a cute boy) boyfriend would do that to her. Yang Dao shook his head and stood up. He walked over to her and patted her shoulders. He said, "Come, let''s buy you a dress, you are graduating tomorrow."


    Yurika snapped out of her daze and hugged Yang Dao as she said, "Dao, thank you."


    ...

 Chapter 52: Go Shopping.

    Leaving the clean to Harvey and his folks, Yang dao grabbed Yurika''s wrist gently and walked out of the police station with her. His steps were calm and steady. He raised his head to look up at the sky. It was as if the three choppers were waiting for him to look up. They all neatly landed on the road.


    The yellow-haired boy was already gone. Otherwise, he would have died of fright watching such a scene. Who would expect them to have framed an orphan girl whose best friend is a tycoon?


    Yurika who was stunned woke up from the daze only to get a bigger surprise. Four men walked towards them from the sides. They all wore nice suits and looked sharp. They bowed to Yang Dao slightly. One of them stepped up and said, "Young Master, we are the guards, Madam Feng arranged for you. It might be dangerous to wander alone outside. We will escort you. Please pardon the intrusion."


    Yang Dao had no problem, with a nod he agreed to the guards. Then as he walked toward the chopper he asked them, "What is the danger?" his voice was poise.


    The guard hesitated and Yang Dao said with a smile, "Come on, I won''t tell sister Yun. Tell me, that way I will be more alert."


    The guard spoke softly, "Sir, it is just a precaution. Please bear with us."


    Yang Dao chuckled as he shook his head. The pilot of the chopper was standing with the back door, slid open for him. He asked, "Where to Young Master?"


    Yang Dao sighed and said, "Rika, where is the best shopping place in this city?"


    Yurika was unresponsive, the boy shook her with his hands. Only then did she react, "Dao, stop, I am having vertigo." her tone was irritated.


    Yang Dao stopped, with a sunny smile he asked, "Where is the best, high brand shopping place in the city?"


    Yurika muttered, "Crown Shopping Mall, 1st wonder street." she replied in a low voice. Yang Dao glanced at the pilot who nodded with a smile. Yang Dao smiled back, he pushed Yurika up to sit down in the chopper. Then he turned back to one of his guards and asked, "Can you do me a favor?"


    The guard gave him an instant reply, "Anything under my power Young Master."


    Yang Dao shook his head as he spoke, "Nothing that big, sir. I just need you to tell Mr. Harvey in the station to make sure that the dean and the faculty of Onyx City University are informed about Yurika being innocent. I don''t want anyone to make an unnecessary fuss."


    The guard nodded with a smile when this young boss talked to him so politely. It was said that President Feng Yun''s brother was really polite but today they also witnessed it. He happily left to deliver the message to Mr. Harvey inside.


    These people sure were naive. Yang Dao was only acting with them. There were two motives. First, to not do anything that embarrasses Feng Yun in front of her staff. Second, to make sure that everyone works to the best of their capabilities. It may sound cruel but this was Yang Dao''s nature. He is a nice guy and all, but his fake smile game is very strong.


    He would never open up to anyone unless they are really close to him. All the smiles he passed on except those to Yurika today, were fake. So he is even more clever than Feng Yun, herself. At some distance, on a high-rise building, three people stood with binoculars in their hands. Their eyes trained on Yang Dao.


    ...


    One guy spoke in a deep voice, "This assignment to protect the national treasure is easier than I thought it would be."


    Another person spoke, "Is he really worth for us Tiger Fangs to be protecting him?"


    The man who stood with his hands behind the back snapped, "Shut your mouth. I don''t want you to question the general''s orders. Do you get that? If the general thinks this is good then this is good." his voice was cold, brimming with the intent to kill.


    The man who just asked the question sighed and asked, "Boss, why do you never question the general? Is it because she saved your life?"


    The cold-voiced man snorted and said, "You will never understand that until you rise in your ranks, boy. Now focus on your task."


    Suddenly the quiet man flinched, he mumbled, "Did he just sense us scouting him?"


    The other two people picked up their binoculars and found Yang Dao squinting his eyes in their direction, but then the boy just shrugged off and got on to the chopper. The three people were shocked, confused, and unsure about what just happened.


    ...


    The guard returned after completing his task given by Yang Dao. The chopper could carry six people in the back but where do these guys have the guts to take a ride with their boss. So they all drove a heavy all-terrain vehicle. The car was modified to fit the urban streets and the performance has also been adjusted.


    The chopper flew up and the car followed it on the road. The three people on the roof of a high-rise building all vanished as soon as the chopper flew up as well. It was as if they were never present there.


    ...


    Inside the chopper, Yurika did not glance at the scenery, she held Yang Dao''s tender sculpted face in her hands while she locked her eyes with him. She asked, "Who are you? What did you do to my Dao? Are you an alien? Did you eat him inside out and then took his skin as a suit? I tell you, if anything happened to my Dao, I will make you pay."


    Yang Dao sighed and flicked his fingers on her forehead. He spoke, "Are you again watching those crappy illogical movies? Rika, what do I do with you? I will call sister Tina, she will fix you. This time it is the heights. What would have happened if..."


    Yurika rubbed her forehead and said, "I am giving up on dating anyone. Cunning people. Also, you tell me. Why are you so scared now?"


    Yang Dao replied in a casual tone, "Phoenix group''s president, Feng Yun, adopted me as her younger brother."


    Yurika was surprised but then she squinted her eyes, "Younger brother, or white face brother? Tell me Dao are you selling your body for money? You should have waited to grow old, at such a young age it will be harmful to your body you know."


    Yang Dao almost spurted out a fountain of blood at this. He pointed his finger at the girl in front of him and said in anger, "You annoying woman, your head is filled with cheap shit. I am calling sister Tina as soon as we touch down. You... You... just wait. I won''t talk to you. Humph." he was a child after all. Yurika''s words made him explode.


    The chopper flew through the sky and soon a shiny building came into view. It was very pretty. The top was shaped like a crown glided with gems and shiny stones. Every single inch of this exterior must have worth hundreds of thousands of carats. The building below the crown was straight and simple.


    The designer blended simplicity and royalty. It was seamless. The chopper landed on a helipad in front of the mall parking. As a high-end mall, the owner added a helipad in the parking place. It was just a whim, but who knew one day a Chopper would really land here.


    The mall was not closed yet so a lot of people saw a chopper landing. They immediately took out their mobiles to record the scene.


    "Hey is it a star who came to our city?" an 80 point beauty spoke excitedly.


    "Bah, since when did the stars became so rich to use a chopper to travel?" a young man beside her scoffed.


    Similar discussions were going on around. The pilot opened the door and stepped down. Then he opened the back door of the chopper. Yang Dao stepped out after he adjusted his tie. On his face was a face that only allowed his eyes and forehead to be visible. He did not help Yurika to get off like a gentleman should because he was still angry with her.


    He fished out his phone and dialed a call to Sister Tina. The call connected in a jiffy. Yang Dao spoke, "Hello, sister Tina... Yeah, I am fine... Do you know what Yurika did this time?... Yes, she dated some jerk, got framed in drug peddling... I saved her, don''t worry... I will ask her to go back to bell city for a week after she graduates... You must discipline her, sister Tina... She called me a flesh trader after I saved her and told her that President Feng adopted me as her brother... Her brain is filled with shit...Yes, I am passing it to her." he turned and shoved the phone in Yurika''s hand who flinched in fright.


    With her hands shaking the girl put the phone over her ear and spoke in a small voice, "Hello..." she did not even get the time to finish the greeting when she was bombarded with scolding remarks.


    The crowd was about to come over from the side and create a mess when an all-terrain vehicle stopped nearby. Four burly men quickly came towards Yang Dao and a strong pressure radiated from them. The crowd suddenly froze. Soon, they dispersed with some dissatisfaction.


    Yang Dao took Yurika inside the mall with a gloating expression hidden under his mask. Yurika did not dare to put the phone down. She was being scolded so hard that she wanted to find a hole to hide but the other party was the person who looked after them from childhood till now. She was more than a mother to them so how could she rebuke or run away.


    ...


    On the campus of Onyx University, on the basis of the proof, Harvey submitted the police arrested, four suspects, named, Clide Bolton, Henry Bolton, Melany Harington, and Julia Stevens. Clide was the yellow-haired boy. Henry was Yurika''s boyfriend and cousin to Clide, While Julia and Melany were Yurika''s roommates who in exchange for money planted the drugs in her cupboard.


    Other than that, a corpse was being loaded in the ambulance on the side. The corpse was Inspector Haward, who came to Clide to inform him what has happened, but in rage Clide accidentally killed him with a vase to his head. Julia and Melany turned witnesses, returned all the money they got to save themselves from prison, and also losing their degree qualifications.


    As for how Harvey did it?...

 Chapter 53: Gifts.

    Yurika and Yang Dao quibbled as they wandered around in the mall. They had just come to the elevator when the metal doors opened. A chubby middle-aged man with a barren scalp walked out. He was headed straight toward''s Yang Dao and Yurika.


    A guard reacted and stopped the chubby man at a distance. He spoke in a cold voice, "Sir, please state your identity, first."


    The chubby man was surprised by this sudden obstacle, yet he was told by his secretary that a big shot came to visit the mall and he came by helicopter. The man swallowed his pride and replied in a dignified tone, "My name is Taro Kojima, I am the manager of this mall. I was told that your boss came over so I came to get to know him." his eyes had a look of dissatisfaction.


    To be asked who you are in his own mall, wasn''t that a palm to his fat face? Yang Dao spoke up in a polite tone, "I apologize to Manager Taro on behalf of my guard. They are just trying to do their jobs well. I hope you forgive us."


    The manager''s dissatisfaction eased a little. He put up a professional fake smile and said as he laughed, "No, no, Mister, you don''t need to apologize. I understand that this brother is trying to do his best. Well, I do not know who you are."


    Yang Dao took off the mask, stunning the entire crowd with his jade sculpted face. He spoke, "My name is Feng Yang Dao. President Feng of the phoenix group is my elder sister." his voice was not too loud but still some people picked up what he said.


    The entire crowd was shocked to hear that the brother of President Feng was here. Suddenly someone from the crowd shouted, "Hey, brother, did you register as Yang Dao in the national exam?"


    Yang Dao instinctively nodded, and another wave set off. Someone asked the man who had raised this question, "Hey, tell me, who is he?"


    The person replied, "He is the national topper. The one who scored full marks in the national college exam. He is that Yang Dao."


    The murmurs became cheers. Yang Dao scratched the back of his head and bowed to the crowd slightly. He then asked the manager to help him find a high-brand store so that he can buy a dress for Yurika.


    The manager led him to the fifth floor of the mall where the most luxurious brands in the world had shops. He spoke as soon as Yang Dao stepped out of the elevator, "I have some work to do sir, so I will take my leave."


    Yang Dao nodded at him with a smile. Then he placed his left hand around Yurika''s neck and said, "Let''s go, Rika. The budget is 500,000-carat notes."


    Yurika knew that Yang Dao had such money to buy her such a dress. The two people came to a brand store called Bellucian. Yang Dao pushed in the door. Two guards walked behind him while the other two stood outside the door.


    Yang Dao and Yurika were attended by a pretty sales executive. The lady wore a blue pencil skirt and white shirt. Her hair was style in a neat bun. The lady spoke with a smile on her face, "Hello, Sir, Madam, welcome to Bellucian. What can I do for you?"


    Yang Dao spoke, "We would like to buy a dress for this lady. Also, please provide us with the suitable accessories and jewelry to match the dress. I remember that your brand manufactures all this, right?" at this moment Yang Dao gave off the aura no weaker than some young scion who is familiar with fashion brands.


    The lady nodded as she replied, "Very well, sir. I will personally guide the lady to get a dress. May I ask what is the occasion. That way we will be able to select a more appropriate outfit." this question was aimed at Yurika.


    The girl replied, "I am getting graduated from the uni." after that the lady took Yurika to select the dresses while Yang Dao beckoned another sales girl to his side. Hesitating the sales girl came to him and Yang Dao whispered something to her. The sales girl''s eyes shone and she nodded.


    Yang Dao wanted her to ask the lady who was guiding Yang Dao to not to hold back in showing the dresses no matter how expensive. Though he wanted the lady to hide the prize and say that it was under 500,000.


    This kind of people were rare who would want to hide the real value of their gifts. Also, Yang Dao would not be asking Feng Yun for the money. He held a golden card in his wallet that has never been used before. This card contained the profits he gained from the Paradise hotel. He never intended to use this gifted wealth to set up his own business.


    The reason because he used it today was because he did not find it reasonable to buy a cheap gift for Yurika. So he decided to take out the gold card. Shaking his head the boy looked around in the shop. His eyes landed on a red singlet. He glanced at the card laying beside it, in order to learn about it.


    The singles was made of an alloy called, "Silvyril" it was a very common allow in Jewel nation and the price wasn''t much as well. What caught yang Dao''s eye was the design of the singlet. It was a simple chain yet an exquisite soaring red phoenix was hanging from the joint. After Checking the price Yang Dao picked it up.


    He walked up to the counter, paid the bill separately. The sales girl was surprised at this, aren''t you buying the girl who came with you then why separate bill? Yang Dao probably sensed her confusion and said with a smile surprise.


    The sales girl immediately smiled. Just then Yuriak walked out of the dressing room. She was wearing a light violet dress. It was a one piece off shoulder dress. The skirt reached her knees precisely. The dress had some brown leaf patterned designs printed on the borders. Yurika had dark brown hair and it looked pretty. She wore a pair of stilletoes, a violet-brown bead bracelet rested around her willow wrist. She had voilet crystal studs adorning her ears. She looked very adorable.


    Yang Dao nodded and said, "Not bad, finally something decent from you."


    Yurika''s smile immediately vanished. She raised one eyebrow, and she said, "Brat, I will beat you. Sister Tina won''t save your butt. Got it?"


    Yang Dao shrugged and said, "As if I would let you. Any way I will clear the bill go get changed. I am tired."


    Yurika stuck out her tongue at him and walked back inside the dressing room. Yang Dao turned to the counter and directly took out a card from his wallet. The lady took the card with both hands. During this exchange her eyes fell on Yang Dao''s watch and she was shocked. Yang Dao entered the PIN and the bill was cleared.


    He collected the receipt put it inside his pocket. Yurika came out and after five minutes they left. The sales lady sighed and said, "Today, you all get a dinner treat from me."


    There wer total 4 employees in the store. They asked why? The lady told them, first because they sold the dress and stuff worth 4 million. Yes the dress was made up from a special thread which can only be harvested once in 10 years. It was called feather silk. As light as feather and water proof.


    Plus the earnings were a set of diamond studs carved in such a way that they give of violet glint. The lady continued, "The second reason is because we got to see, Young Master Feng."


    Her sentence was more shocking then the first one. The girl on the billing counter felt her legs turn soft. She asked, "Boss, you are not joking right?"


    The lady shook her head and said, "The watch he was wearing, it was a rare metal chronograph. There are only five such watches in the world. Four are owned and today I saw the fifth. I don''t know who own the first three, but one is owned by our boss, President Feng Yun, and this particular model with a leather strap was specially ordered by her as a gift to her brother. This is a well known thing in our circle of high brands. Personally I think President Feng is invincible."


    The girl behind the billing counter could not hold on anymore and sat down with a puff. The rare metal chronograph was worth 10 million to 30 million and Yang Dao was wearing the 30 million one. Also, the brand Bellucian belonged to Feng Yun. The general manager however was someone else. Yang Dao did not know this because he never actually looked into the brand''s details. He only cared about the product.


    The two teenagers walked out of the mall and flew away in a chopper. They were heading for the hotel to spend the night and have a good rest. Today was quite stressful for them.

 Chapter 54: Peek.

    Yang Dao and Yurika reached the hotel. This hotel was one of the Paradise Hotels. Yang Dao owned it. He was greeted by the hotel manager on the roof. After a polite greeting, the petite mature manager led him to the presidential suite.


    Yang Dao spoke, "Can I have two servings of braised chicken, salmon curry, brown rice. As for the side dishes please have some seasonal vegetables stir-fried. Also one big serving of ramen noodles with egg."


    The manager was surprised first. It was not like anyone can eat so much food. But she was not familiar with Yang Dao, so it was natural. Yurika was another Yang Dao in terms of eating capacity. Nonetheless, she nodded with a smile and left after a greeting.


    Yang Dao and Yurika entered the suite. This suite had three bedrooms, one living room, one dining room, a study, a swimming pool, a mini gym. A minibar was set up in a corner of the living room. The decoration was very easy-going yet super luxurious.


    Yurika was surprised, she reacted, "Say, what is the actual deal? Do you own this place or something?"


    Yang Dao replied casually, "The whole chain of hotels is mine. Sister Yun gifted it to me."


    Yurika dropped the bags in her hands. Yang Dao did not stop and entered the bedroom. He did not bring any clothes with him. Took out a robe from the cupboard and took a cozy shower. The boy had just dried up and tied the robe around him when the doorbell rang. He walked out, Yurika had already opened the door to allow the waitress to walk inside and serve the food.


    The waitress was looking around to sneak a peek at the new boss. When she saw Yang Dao, she was surprised. Though that it was the son of the owner. But too bad her doubts will remain unanswered. Yurika sent away the peeky waitress. She snorted as she closed the door.


    Yurika may be frivolous but Yang Dao or any other younger one from the orphanage was cared for by her like a hen protecting the chicks. This was also the reason why everyone in the orphanage had a good relationship with her. The two people sat down across and started gnawing on the food.


    If this scene was seen by others, their eyes might drop out from the sockets. The sound inside the room was either the clatter of the crockery or momentous burps. Yes, the two people gave up all etiquettes as they ate. They were so thorough that not a single sign of flesh could be found on the bones of the chicken and fish.


    Yang Dao ate faster then Yurika. He stood up and chowed down on the bowl of ramen. After the two finished eating they glanced at each other and spoke simultaneously, "ICE CREAM." then after a brief silence they laughed.


    Yang Dao called the room service, and spoke in a calm voice, "Hello, can I have one medium bucket of choco caramel fudge and one similar bucket of a Black current vanilla sundae, please."


    The room service sent the order and Yang Dao said to the waitress, "Excuse me, please send someone from the housekeeping. They can take away the food trolley." he had a smile on his face as he interacted with the pretty waitress. The staff on the other hand could not help but feel her heart almost exploding from sudden excitement.


    The charm Yang Dao held can never fail on ordinary people. The lady nodded and followed Yang dao inside. She cleared up the table and found that not even a drop of curry was left inside the bowls. She wondered if the guest washed it off or if they licked the bowl to make it so clean.


    Yang Dao meanwhile took the ice cream bucket to Yurika who was leaning against the recliner on the balcony, staring at the peaceful night sky. The boy handed her a bucket filled with chocolate caramel fudge, while he sat down beside her on the same recliner holding his own sweet dish.


    Yurika smiled as she saw Yang Dao''s shining eyes. Ever since he came to the orphanage at an age of two, he would be his happiest when eating food. Sister Tina was just in her late teens when she started looking after them and Yang Dao was the apple of her eye. She would always bring him new dishes from her savings. Yurika was the only one who would play with the quiet Yang Dao so she used to get a share in his food.


    Reminiscing the old days Yurika smiled. She suddenly asked the boy beside her, "Dao, how have you been in Jade city?"


    Yang Dao smiled and said, "It is good. You know Rika, I joined a club. They are all cool people. I made a friend as well, his name is Icarus. We ride on bikes. They are as fast as a motorbike in its initial gears. It is very exciting to ride. I also won the Mountain King title..." the boy told his confidante about his adventures from club to education. Yurika would chuckle occasionally. She only found that despite her good relationship with Yang Dao, she has never taken the initiative to know where her best friend more.


    Yang Dao also asked the girl about her. The weather was cold. Despite the clear skies, there will be fog. So the two people walked inside the suite and went up to their own room. Yurika was tired with all the hubbub. The moment she sprawled over on the bed she fell asleep.


    Yang Dao was not much different from her. He made a call to Feng Yun and after thanking her and getting scolded he fell asleep with a silly smile smeared across his face. The night flew away as a fleeting affair and morning came. Yang Dao woke up when he felt someone walking inside his room, rubbed his eyes slightly in front of him stood Yurika, all dressed up.


    Yang Dao picked up his watch from the side table and saw that it was already 8 in the morning. He smiled wryly, eating like a pig makes you sleep like a pig as well. He asked in a husky voice, "Rika, are you going so soon?"


    Yurika nodded to him with a smile, as she replied, "Yes, the ceremony will start at 9.30. I have to meet a friend on the way. You are not allowed to come with me."


    The sleepy boy spoke, "Why?"


    Yurika spoke in a teasing manner, "Who asked you to be such an eye candy. The girls in the university will turn into hungry nympho if they ever saw you. Go back to Jade City. I will come to meet you after I visit Sister Tina."


    Yang Dao hummed and laid back on the bed. He said, "Wait lemme arrange someone to follow you lest some old flame of yours start to pester you." he picked up his phone, made a call to the hotel manager. Paradise hotel provided high-class bodyguards for their guests. Yang Dao asked the manager to arrange for two capable female bodyguards to follow Yurika for the time till she leaves the onyx city. The expenses were all reimbursed by the hotel.


    The manager had no qualms and agreed to this task. To be honest the higher level was aware of how the hotel changed owners so they all treated Yang Dao''s words like the heavenly commandment. Just that Yang Dao did not know that the people feared him so much.


    He came out of the suite with Yurika. He spoke as he yawned, "Rika, call me if something happened."


    Yurika nodded, she stood on her toes and ruffled his hair as she said, "You wash up kid, your elder sister is hot chili pepper."


    Yang Dao suddenly made a face and covered his forehead with his palm. He said, "Rika, you know that it is not a good thing to feel good about being a hot chili pepper?"


    Yurika made a face and asked, "Really?" the boy nodded. After a small bickering session, she left with the two bodyguards.


    Yang Dao also freshened up and wore the clothes from yesterday. Tied his watch and after wearing his shoes, he was about to make a call to the guards that he was about to leave when his phone rang. It was Icarus.


    Yang Dao connected the call and Icarus spoke, "Young Master Feng, where are you?"


    The boy chuckled and said, "When did you start talking like your cousin?"


    Icarus replied in a distressed voice, "Ever since the coach asked me to not talk too much this morning. You tell me, do I speak too much?"


    Yang Dao chuckled and said, "Yes, you do."


    Icarus suddenly cried like a child, "You all are so mean. Anyways the coach asked you to be present in the evening." then he disconnected the call.


    Yang Dao smiled a little wryly. He did not know how to deal with this guy. Still, he had to go back. So after giving a call to the guards he came to the roof.


    A kilometer away, three people were monitoring Yang Dao. One of them said, "Okay we are on the move again..." his words have not finished when he flinched.


    The leader asked, "What is it?"


    The man said, "He looked in our direction. Then got up on the chopper." this was the second time Yang Dao glanced in their direction. This time it was even more accurate than the last time. The gaze lasted for a longer time.


    The captain nodded and they started moving. The captain reported the fact that Yang Dao gazed at them twice to the general. This was his task. Monitor the safety and pass an hourly report.


    In the chopper Yang Dao had his eyes closed. He was thinking over the strange feeling of being peeked upon. This feeling came suddenly and then vanished. Yesterday he just gazed casually when it appeared, but today he used the wind perception. It was as if the gaze came from the outside of his perception range, yet it was faintly present.


    He decided to talk about it with Feng Yun later when he was done with the race event. This feeling was making him uneasy.

 Chapter 55: Yang Dao.

    Yang Dao''s chopper took flight, and in a couple of hours, he reached home. He called Professor Dew and found that she was at home. He hurried downstairs, pressed the doorbell. He greeted the beauty professor, then walked inside. As soon as he took a step inside, he frowned. In his bedroom, a foreign fragrance was lingering.


    He walked outside, found that the professor was in the living room. He asked, "Did that student of yours visited my room?" his voice and temperament had completely changed. He was speaking with a demeanor of superiority.


    Professor Dew sighed and said, "Yes, she went in. I tried to stop her, but we both had some drinks. We touched nothing but wanted to see the decoration. We wanted to see how the rich people''s bedroom would look like." her voice was getting smaller with every word. While Yang Dao balled fists were tightening up. It was so tight that the skin turned pale. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath.


    Then he spoke, "I asked you to live in my place because I did not want you to overwork. You called over a student without informing me, I did not say a word. In return, I only asked you to never enter my room. You had some drinks that''s okay, but handling the liquor is also upon you. I expected you to be more professional, Miss Kylie Dew." he was angry. His way to address the professor changed suddenly.


    The beauty noticed rage in Yang Dao''s voice. She wanted to rebuke but found no comebacks. After all, Yang Dao treated her fairly. The boy gulped and stretched out his hand. He said, "My keycard, please return it. The floor below has all the sufficient commodities for you to live. I DO NOT WELCOME YOU OR YOUR STUDENT IN MY HOUSE ANYMORE." he did not raise his voice. But he emphasized the last sentence a lot.


    Kylie Dew was stunned, but then she nodded, handed over the key card. Yang Dao said nothing and after taking the key card he went to his room.


    BANG!


    The door was closed strongly. Yang Dao was angry. Inside the room, he started punching the wall. A section was inlaid with slight impressions. His fists were red and bruised. He was furious.


    ...


    Outside, the bang was so strong that the professor flinched. Then she heard some dull thuds. The rooms were soundproof, but the sound will leak out if you punch the soundproofed walls themselves. Professor Dew felt guilty in her heart. Suddenly she heard a voice, "Professor, what happened just now. Are you okay?"


    It was Nika Orlenko, the blonde doll who right now was wearing the Professor''s nightclothes. It was as if she just woke up. She had a good relationship with the professor. The professor rushed to her and said, "Get our stuff, we are moving downstairs. Yang Dao was furious, I told you we should not go inside his room. He does not like that. Come, we are going."


    The girl frown and said, "Why is he so special, is he not just Feng Yun''s brother? Humph, stingy guy."


    Kylie Dew rebuked her sharply, "Shut up, Nika. Are you any better than to accuse others? Did he stop you from staying in his house? Did he disrespect you? It is this personality of yours which is always at fault."


    Nika fell silent. Then the two ladies brushed up their clothes and left for the place downstairs.


    ...


    Yang Dao calmed down, took off his clothes, and walked inside the bathroom. The boy cleaned himself up. Wore his mountain king clothes and walked out of the room. He picked up his mobile and wallet. Put them in a small bag on his back and after locking the house he went straight to the garage. There he saw an extra car parked. He guessed it must belong to the technicians sent over by Feng Yun.


    He was calm now, thinking that he sent the two girls to live with two men. He frowned but recalling how they walked into his private space. He dealt with this later. Then the boy rode his bike straight to the college. He did not take off his gloves, they were hiding his swollen bruised knuckles.


    The coach and the whole club were present there. Yang Dao greeted everyone with his signature smile (fake smile). Ray was the last one to come in. He patted Yang Dao on the back and said, "Everyone, I introduce you to the hero Yang Dao. The guy manhandled a crooked car door, saved an old lady. He did not care whether the car was about to explode after it just had an accident."


    Everyone was surprised when they heard applause coming from the door. They saw the coach standing there. The old man spoke, "What are you guys ogling at? The kid saved a life, praise him."


    The guys started clapping hard. Yang Dao scratched the back of his head. He spoke, "was at the place at the right time. If not me then someone else would have saved the old lady."


    The coach nodded at him. He said, "I heard that you and Ray are taking part in a race tomorrow?"


    Yang Dao nodded to the coach. The old man walked inside, took out a catalog, and handed it to Yang Dao. He said, "This book is a record of all the turns, elevations in the track you will run tomorrow. Also, this time you will have hundreds of competitors. So before the race, you will have a qualification race. It is a circuit race. Where you are supposed to make 3 laps around the circuit, the fastest lap will be counted. Your rank in the first event will be your rank in the main event. Questions?"


    Yang Dao shook his head. He took the book in his hand and started reading it. Everyone dispersed, Icarus sat inside the club room with a leg over his leg. He said to Yang Dao, "Whom did you beat?"


    Yang Dao glanced at him and raised an eyebrow. Icarus pointed at his gloves. He said, "It is tighter than usual. So, I guess it is swollen and both of them are swollen means you got into a fight."


    The Dao Child was surprised to see the loudmouth having such observation skills. He simply replied with a nod. As soon as he recalled the scene, he felt cold. Yang Dao was an orphan, he was a very private person. Never open up his heart to just anyone.


    Icarus asked, "Who was the victim?"


    Yang Dao replied, "Wall."


    Icarus was about to ask something again when the club house''s door opened. A blonde girl walked in. She had a pink-haired girl behind her. Thomas stood up as soon as they came in. He spoke, "Fellows, these two are the new managers of our club. I want you all at your best behavior. Got it?"


    The guys replied, "Yes, sir." they were all hyped up as soon as the two beauties walked inside. Yang Dao nodded to Kiya with a smile on his face. He did the same to Sasha. Unexpectedly this girl reacted modestly today, returned his gesture.


    Ray came out of the locker box and said to Yang Dao, "Let''s go, Mountain King, we race to the Ruby Peak."


    Yang Dao chuckled as he stood up and placed the book in his locker room. Icarus spoke, "Why do I feel Senior Ray is pitting up our first-year Mountain King?"


    The second-year student reacted, "Ah, the famous newbie crushing is here. Okay, the winner needs to cook for the whole team, while the loser will have to do the dishes. Agreed?"


    The boys were energetic and replied loudly, "HURRAY!!"


    The coach said to Thomas, "I need to check their registration, you go take the team to watch over the race. Either follow on bikes or bus, that''s your choice."


    Thomas nodded and said, "Let''s go, guys, we ride the bus."


    Yang Dao did not know why they were all so energetic, his reaction was in line with the first-year members. The two girls were asked by Thomas whether they also want to come. To add to everyone''s joy, they agreed.


    Icarus said, "I am riding my bike, I need to run."


    Thomas nodded and said, "Okay, but you may not communicate with the contenders today. Or the race will end. Is that clear?"


    Icarus nodded as he put on his helmet and gear. Yang Dao had his gear ready. He pushed out his new bike to the starting line. Everyone found it odd, but they talked about it later and boarded the bus.


    Thomas said, "We are going ahead. You guys start after ten minutes, same rules, no passing inside the city traffic. May the best rider win." his tone was that of a senior. It differed from his usual helpful fellow member.


    The bus started and took the team ahead. As soon as the school was out of sight. The second-year student mountain king asked, "Captain, what do you think is the reason behind Yang Dao getting a new bike and not using ''Silence''?"


    Thomas replied with a smile, "Dao likes to be low-profile. He does not like to be the center of attention, neither does he like when people pry over his personal space too much. The reason behind his act is that he probably did not know the value of ''Silence'' the first time he used it. Later, you guys looked at him as if he was a deity so obviously, he had to change his bike. Let''s be honest, did you guys never thought that he was so good because of his bike?"


    The crowd became silent after hearing these words. Sasha asked, "Captain, what is this ''Silence'' you talk about?" she just asked out of curiosity. After all, the feeling of being left out was not good. The girls did not know about Yang Dao much except that he was good at studying and connected with Feng Yun.


    Thomas replied to her gently, "Silence is the name of the world''s best bike. It is made from carbonium fiber and titaniron webbing. Legendary automobile designer Markus Hanabi is the designer. The two metals are very rare and the bike comes with never seen before 40 gear combination while the normal bike has only 30. The name silence is given because of its design that eliminates every single sound wave. The bike costs 2 billion carat coins."


    The girls had their jaws fell at this. Suddenly a guy from the back spoke, "Captain, they should be starting. Deploy the drone."


    The ten minutes head start was finished, and they were at the edge of the city. Yang Dao and Ray will start racing now.

 Chapter 56: The Silent Ghost.

    At the university gate, Yang Dao and Ray stood, mounting their bikes. Behind them, Icarus was gazing at a countdown timer. He suddenly spoke, "Go" with a single call the two people charged out. Icarus followed them quickly.


    Yang Dao was relatively calm, he stuck close to Ray. He matched his pace perfectly. Ray also did not shake him off because they were in the city at this moment. Icarus had a mini-camera attached to his helmet which was relaying the video to his mobile and then finally to a screen in the bus.


    Everyone could see that Yang Dao was in the back and Ray was leading. Felix said, "Dao won''t get caught up in Ray''s pace like this?"


    In the driver''s seat, Thomas shook his head, "I think it is hard. This boy looks gently but his depth is uncertain." he always felt that Yang Dao was way too smart. This made him uneasy. As a captain, not being able to see through a team member made him itchy.


    ...


    Ray and Yang Dao left the city and suddenly a pressure radiated from them. Yang Dao was not affected by it. He was now in full control of his bike. The boy suddenly sped up with a high cadence. He caught up with Ray in a blink. Just when Ray was about to counterattack. The smiling boy changed his gear and sped up. He took the lead over Ray.


    Ray smirked and caught up with the boy. He thought that Yang Dao will lose his stamina sooner than this. But all in vain. The race had just started. Such judgments will not be a good thing. So, Ray decided to wait and duke it out with Yang Dao.


    The boy in the green shirt lowered his body and increased the force in his pedaling. His blue bike shot out like a rocket. This time it was not a short burst. Yang Dao kept on accelerating. Ray and Icarus were also moving fast behind him. One trying to catch up with Yang Dao while the other trying to record it all. Thankfully the track was still flat so Icarus was not far behind.


    ...


    Felix glanced at the speed Icarus mentioned to them in his mind. He spoke to Thomas, "Ray is moving faster than his usual pace. Is it Yang Dao''s deliberate challenge?"


    Thomas spoke uncertainly, "I am not sure but yes Yang Dao can lay a trap for I''m."


    The bus was silent. After two minutes someone spoke, "They are here. Dao is leading."


    Soon a figure was seen rushing towards the bus on his bike. The speed allowed to the bike riders was not mentioned, and their bus cannot keep up with Yang Dao. This guy was 10 kph faster. Yang Dao glanced at the bus, but he did not stop at all. With a swish, he passed the bus and kept. Ray appeared a minute later than Yang Dao.


    Ray did not expect this. This freshman has successfully ignited his competitive spirit. He increased his cadence speed to catch up with Yang Dao. On the bus, the people were stunned. Felix spoke, "This is just the beginning how will they climb the peak if they let out all their energy in sprinting?"


    Thomas spoke, "Sit tight, I am speeding up. Also, don''t worry, these guys are still not at their 100%."


    The bus moved to catch up with the bikes. Icarus was also keeping pace with the two contenders. He tapped on the screen of his mobile, unmuted the mic, and said, "You people will stay under the speed limit captain. There are cops on the side."


    He was ahead of the bus and in a distance, he spotted a cop car standing. Thus, warned the captain, in case they get held up. Thomas immediately slowed down back under the speed limit. He was driving the minibus himself, so it was not very good for him to peek at the screen. He sighed and said to Felix, "Record this thing. I will watch it later."


    ...


    Yang Dao was struck by a suffocating feeling ever since that outburst in the room. He did not know what happened to him. The boy has never lost his temper in the past. It was way too violent. If not for the momentary control, he would have punched both the professor and the girl in their faces.


    As he was riding the bike, his perception was latched onto the surrounding air. Suddenly it came to him. What is the nature of elements? Air/Wind is free to move however it may wish, non-tangible, yet you can feel it. Strong enough to uproot trees and buildings, yet gentle enough to caress away the exhaustion.


    As soon as this series of thoughts circulated in his mind. The boy slowed down, his thoughts were now focused on the comprehension of the Wind element. He did not even react when Ray caught up to him from behind, just kept his head down and kept perceiving the wind. Ray also asked little, this was a competition, and he would not be easy on his opponent.


    Icarus saw Yang Dao slowing down and wanted to say something, but he remembered how the captain told him not to talk or the race would end. He was worried about his friend''s sudden decline in speed.


    Yang Dao reached the limit, he could now sense 99 meters of air around him. Just a step away from becoming an official Elemental Seeker. He raised his head and looked ahead on the road. A smile appeared on his face. His legs moved, cadence increased, so did his speed. He subconsciously controlled the airflow. ZERO AIR RESISTANCE mode on.


    As he moved forward, only a minimalistic level of sound was radiated from his bike. Icarus who was behind him raised his eyebrows. He spoke, "Shit, Dao went into his silent ghost mode." his excited words made the whole bus cheer.


    Yang Dao looked behind at him and said, "I am going ahead." and with that, his bike actually sped up like a motorbike. He left a vague gust behind him. That was how strong his acceleration was. Icarus said, "FUCK, captain, this guy jumped five meters stretch with burst acceleration."


    ...


    Inside the bus, everyone was cheering suddenly Felix stood up, "OKAY, LISTEN UP. We are now open for betting, if the one you pushed on wins, you are free from cleaning duties and stuff for a week. So place your bets, gents. We are open for business."


    The first years were skeptical of Yang Dao, and the same was for the second year. The third-years, on the other hand, bet on Yang Dao. The reason was simple, Yang Dao was twenty minutes behind Ray. They have seen no one catch up that much distance on a climb. Felix turned to the two girls and asked, "Ladies, whom do you bet on?"


    Kiya replied in a blink, "Yang Dao." her voice was firm and she had no hesitation. Sasha also spoke, "Yang Dao."


    Felix nodded with a smile and sat down in his seat. He switched the broadcast from Icarus to the drone. The images should Ray already in the end stretch of the flats. While Yang Dao was only done with half of it. A first-year saw the images and gloated, "Without his bike, he cannot catch up. Looks like Senior Felix will clean the clubhouse from now."


    Felix just smiled and did not react. He sat in his chair with a smile. Sasha asked him in a low voice, "Senior, what was that thing, Silent Ghost mode?"


    The guy replied, "It is when Dao races silently, not only will he not speak but even his bike will become silent. If he was riding on Silence, then it would be truly silent, now it should be just a slight buzz."


    The girl nodded. She glanced at the screen Yang Dao was rushing forward at a great speed. He did not waver as he made a rush straight toward Ray.


    ...


    Slowly the distance lessened, Yang Dao was now in the final section of the flats while Ray has climbed the mountain.


    The boy clicked his gear and entered the mountain. He shifted the front gear to the third outer gear and the same thing was done to the back gear. This was the highest and hardest combo on a normal bike. Yang Dao was a monster. His speed kept increasing as he climbed the mountain. The people who were watching it were silent.


    Yang Dao was unaware of all this. To him, there was only the road and the race. Nothing else. His cornering became sharp but smoother. At a point, he scared everyone when he made a right 180-degree turn with his head almost grazing the side rails. Kiya and Sasha held their breaths. They did not believe anyone could come out unscathed from such a stunt.


    Yang Dao ignored all the dangers as he kept riding forward, and soon, Ray''s silhouette fell into his vision. The real race begins now.

 Chapter 57: Record.

    The moment Yang Dao started to climb the mountain, his aura changed. His whole being was as if a king walking through his kingdom. His eyes were calm and his breath was strong. Every pedal of his was firm and steady. The boy was accelerating uniformly. Ray was in front of him by 15 minutes now. But Yang Dao advanced without a care in his mind.


    Icarus behind him slowly fell behind. He shook his head and slowly advanced the mountain. Yang Dao however did not slow down one bit. His feet were moving tirelessly. The speed was as high as 45 kph. This was something a human cannot do with all the air resistance and the gravity working against them.


    Yang Dao at this moment had an air blanket around his body. How it worked was very simple. Yang Dao was manipulating the air ten meters ahead of him to part. It was like a spear attached to his bike and it would pierce through all air before his advance. This was a cheat but well he wasn''t doing it constantly.


    ...


    The boy was so indulged in moving forward that his cornering became extremely sharp. The people in the bus saw it and they all sucked in a cold breath. At a moment he was almost banging his head on the side rail. Despite all this danger, there was not a single ripple in his eyes.


    Felix and Thomas had a smirk on their faces. Suddenly, Thomas said, "Felix, how about we take him to Inter Uni Cup?"


    Felix was surprised by this question. He spoke, "Inter Uni Cup is very tough. Plus the second years have been training for it. Let them do it. Or it will not be good for Yang Dao."


    A second-year heard this and his heart fell back to its place. He spoke, "We can ride his bike in the tournament. In that way, he will still be a part."


    Felix snapped, "Tim, are you not thinking a bit too much of yourself. Who here is qualified to ride SILENCE? You only know the good side of it. Do you know that the gearbox in that bike is so precise that to shift gears you need to have a predefined speed otherwise it won''t change? The suction cups on the pedal only hold on to your feet when you ride fast. Can you ride fast enough to have constant suction on your feet? The reason why Donal Eglasias did not buy that bike the moment it was announced was because of these reasons. Humph, ignorant."


    His words came as a surprise to some while some decided to check whether what he said was true. Felix spoke, "Markus Hanaabi is not a god of designs. He is a Demonic God. They are only useable by those, who are destined to have the capabilities. Do you plebians think you can ride that bike? Fools." Felix was a noble descendant so his tone was not weird at all.


    The rest of the people however blushed when they heard the facts. Thinking of this, it is indeed very difficult to win a tournament on that bike. Thomas shook his head and said, "Calm down. You guys always look down on Yang Dao thinking that he is good because of his bike. You are wrong. Also, given the amount of wealth he has, does he really need your opinion? Another thing, do not think that he is humble and easy to bully. Once you step on his feet, he will break your legs in return."


    His words were both advice and a warning to the guys. The girls however were aware of it already. The headline in the campus forum a few days ago flashed in their minds, [Young Master Donnie can fly.]


    Sasha exclaimed, "He caught up."


    Everyone once again focused on the screen and they saw Yang Dao just ten meters away from Ray. The distance was closing but it was very minuscule. The air manipulation helped both Yang Dao and Ray at this moment.


    ...


    Yang Dao was looking at Ray''s back. He was tempted to start dancing and pass him but that would cost him a lot of stamina. So the struggle started. Yang Dao was not controlling the air blanket it was a subconscious thing. The only way to pass Ray now was steady pursuit. Wait for a chance.


    Ray was also an expert. He would dip his head down and look at where Yang Dao was on the road then align his bike with Yang Dao''s to block his passing route.


    Yang Dao tried to break through five times but was shut out. Then it clicked to him. He observed Ray for a few seconds and his breathing changed. His pedaling also came into sync with Ray. This scene was being broadcasted inside the bus.


    Thomas spoke, "This is what he did to me in the first race." he showed a bitter smile. Felix smirked and said, ''You offered him a race, not the other way around.


    Thomas nodded as he let out a sigh.


    ...


    Yang Dao followed Ray like a shadow. Except for the color of their bike and clothes, everything was the same. The way their chest heaved high and low. How their pedaling legs moved. Yang Dao once again charged forward. Just as he was about to close in Ray moved in to block. Yang Dao pressed his breaks slightly and as soon as his speed fell slightly. A gap was revealed from where Ray moved in.


    Yang Dao stood up on his bike and shot like an arrow. He passed Ray with a  whoosh.


    Ray was not ready for this, Yang Dao had already taken a lead by 5 meters and it was not slowing down. Yang Dao had decided to sprint all the way to the top of the peak. The boy was shifted his back gear. One lower than before, this was enough relief for his legs. His legs felt light and he moved.


    ...


    In the bus, Felix stood up from his seat, and holding on to a support bar he asked, "Did he just break Ray''s block? Also, is he sprinting up the mountain?"


    Normally people would hold the handle from the upper section but Yang Dao was using the lower one. He was really sprinting. Thomas could not hold on and said, "Fuck, he wants Ray to pay back for passing him." his voice created a ripple in the bus and all sorts of exclamations rang out.


    ...


    Yang Dao was moving faster and faster. his face had a smile pasted on it. The scenery was changing faster than ever. It was a wonderful feeling. His wind control was evolving as well. Suddenly, his speed increased, the boy was being pushed ahead. Yes, he cast a gust behind him. The gust gave him a boost and he was moving at a speed of 60 kph.


    ...


    The drone could only fly at a speed of 50 kph. It was dropping behind. Felix asked, "What is this? Dao is leaving behind the drone?" he quickly controlled the drone to fly a bit higher so that it could capture a much wider area.


    Yang Dao was like a green snake slithering along the roads. Everyone was shocked at such a speed. They could not see that Yang Dao had a wind gust blowing now and then. The gust would give him a push. Thomas slowed down the bus and parked aside. He glanced at the screen carefully.


    His pupils dilated and he said, "THERE IS A DUCT GUST." his voice was not low by any means.


    A second-year asked, "Captain, what is a duct gust?"


    Felix spoke, "Sometimes there is a wind gust on the mountain. This gust when flows through the roads due to the farm barriers, is called a Duct Gust. It is just like a wind flowing through the air condition duct. When a rider is riding in the direction of the gust, he/she will get a boost that would push them forward. It is such a strong boost that it can make your speed shoot up to 55 kph. It is fast but it is dangerous."


    Thomas nodded and said, "Dao is insane. He is riding in such a strong gust. His speed is 50 kph and more but still, he is going strong. It has been only 30 minutes since he entered the mountain. Only one kilometer is left."


    Yes, it was unknown when 30 minutes passed away but Yang Dao was probably going to break his record.


    ...


    Back at the clubhouse, everyone looked at the smiling Yang Dao and the pale-faced Ray. Felix asked, "So, Dao, what will you cook for us?"


    Yang Dao replied, "Hot-pot, Ramen, and I will order good Ice cream. Also, I wanted to ask. Can we invite some guests to watch the event tomorrow?"


    Felix asked, "Who do you want to call?" he had a smile on his face.


    Yang Dao spoke, "Sister Yun. She is usually very busy so I wanted her to take an off. I will call her now. Yes, how about I go ahead and prepare the food and you guys come later?"


    Thomas nodded, he said, "Why don''t you take the two managers with you they will be able to help you with the grocery."


    Yang Dao shrugged and asked the girls to come with him. The two agreed and they left. Ray did not speak, he just sat there on a chair with blank eyes. He was defeated by Yang Dao with a gap of 20 minutes. The boy broke his climbing record by 10 minutes. The last time when Yang Dao was riding up to the mountain, it wasn''t that close. But today Yang Dao reached the summit in 30.54 seconds. This was a heavy blow Ray suffered.

 Chapter 58: Happy Evening.

    Yang Dao was pushing his bike while the two girls followed him in silence. They were headed to the supermarket to buy some groceries. The boy was happy today. He was whistling a song as he was pushing his bike. Sasha asked, "Yang Dao, how did you ride the bike so fast? Does it not hurt your legs?"


    Yang Dao stopped whistling and shook his head, he replied, "I train regularly, plus today the wind was very helpful. It saved me from too much exhaustion." following his words a gust blew naturally. It was as if the wind was happy with his words.


    The three people came to a supermarket. Yang Dao locked his bike on a bike stand and walked inside with the girls. He asked them, "Can you help me? It would take too much time otherwise."


    The girls nodded and then Yang Dao sent them to different sections after knowing what they can select without any problem. Sasha was in charge of the condiments, Kiya was to pick up sauces and pickles, while the boy went to select some vegetables and relatively fresh fish and chicken meet. They all met after thirty minutes. After paying the bills they left. Yang Dao placed the carry bag on the shaft of his bike.


    He looked at the two girls, "You guys can take a taxi and go ahead if you want to."


    Kiya and Sasha shook their heads and they followed Yang Dao. The girls noticed that Yang Dao had a faint smile on his lips as he gazed at the world around him. His footsteps slowed down when he saw some children playing in a park as they walked. Kiya asked, "Dao, do you like children?"


    Yang Dao smiled as he replied, "They remind me of some little ones in the orphanage. Let''s go, or it will be late."


    Soon the three people arrived at the Sapphire lake residency. The guards greeted Yang Dao, "Greetings, Young Master."


    Yang Dao replied with a smile and then said, "My teammates will be coming in some time, can you let them in?"


    The guard replied, "Rest assured, Young Master."


    Yang Dao left there with a smile. As soon as he entered the parking he saw two men, about to get inside a car. They stopped and greeted Yang Dao, "Good evening, Young Master."


    Yang Dao smiled and asked, "Are you two people assigned by Sister Yun?"


    The two people nodded, one of them had blonde hair and brown eyes, seemed very young. While the other was a middle-aged man with slightly greyish hair. Yang Dao talked to them for a few minutes about how the programming is advancing. The blonde guy called, William, replied, "Sir, the system is responsive, in a week we will have a beta version."


    Yang Dao nodded and the two of them were sent away. He carried a big bag of groceries in his arms and walked inside the elevator. First, he went to the top floor of his own house. After making the two girls sit down in the living room. He said, "I will go downstairs for a while. Professor Dew and one of her students are working here on a project. So, I should call them all to dine as well."


    The girls were surprised to see that Yang Dao was dealing with Professor Dew. But they did not ask anything. Yang Dao left and came down a floor. He knocked on the door. After a few moments, the door flung open. It was Niya, she scowled, "If it isn''t the Young Master. Did you come here to humiliate us more?"


    Yang Dao frowned, his good mood was gone. He walked inside and passed by her, completely ignoring her. The girl was pissed and before she could say anything Professor Kylie walked out of the Processing Room. Yang Dao spoke, "Profesor, I apologize to you for my behavior this morning. But I don''t feel guilty about it. In my orphanage, we were taught to respect other people''s wishes and privacy. I grew up like that. Never has anyone dared to inside my room unannounced. I do not like people to walk into my personal space until they are very close to me."


    His calm voice made Professor Dew feel even more guilty. She was about to speak when Nika snorted, "Tell us what you need from us and go away."


    Yang Dao took a deep breath, "He said to the professor. Today I broke the record of climbing the ruby mountain. The cycling club is invited for dinner. I thought I should invite you as well."


    Kylie Dew sighed and nodded. She said, "I apologize to you for walking inside your room without permission. Thank you, I will come to the dinner."


    Yang Dao glanced at Nika and said, "I don''t discriminate between man and woman. If you do not know what courtesy is. Then first learn and then talk. But the next time you act all cocky in front of me I will break your face with my slap." the calmness was replaced by a chill that sent down shivers to Nika.


    She immediately became quiet. Yang Dao Talked to the Professor about the development of the program when she said that it is his project and he will have to complete it himself if he wants to pass this semester. Yang Dao agreed with a smile. Then he asked them to come up after changing and left. After the dinner, Professor Kylie will be going back to the University dorm.


    Yang Dao came back upstairs and he rushed straight to the kitchen. He started to prepare marinations and clean up the meat. Kiya came by his side and said, "I know how to cook, so can I help you?"


    Yang Dao nodded with a smile. He had a good impression of Kiya. She was a sensible girl, plus she also helped him when he did not bring a notebook. Yang Dao was like a person who would return the smallest of favor 100 times more. The same was done in case of grievance too. The boy started to cook. Suddenly the door bell rang.


    Sasha shouted, "I got it."


    Yang Dao replied, "Thank you very much."


    Sasha opened the door and saw Professor Dew and Nika standing in front of her. She was surprised but not too much. Nika asked her with a frown, "Why are you here?"


    Sasha replied, "It has nothing to do with you, right? Miss Orlenko."


    Nika raised an eyebrow, "You say that as if you are not an Orlenko."


    Sasha chuckled, "I am an Orlenko but not the one who is famous at home." her casual replied was a knife to Nika''s heart. Nika was known for her rash and arrogant personality. So she was more famous and the sisters had a grievance between them.


    Sasha did not wait for her reply and took them inside. Kiya came out fo the kitchen wearing an apron. She carried a glass of juice in her hand. She placed them on the table and left after greeting the professor. Nika also exchanged a smile with her.


    Soon the door bell rang again, this time the cycling club entered the house. Yang Dao played the host role very well and got them all some drinks as they waited for the food. Icarus was a different story though. He was stunned as soon as he saw Professor Dew sitting on a couch. He dragged Yang Dao inside the kitchen and said after a sigh, "Brother will forgive you if you honestly tell me, do you have a leg with professor Dew?"


    Yang Dao was stunned hapless, he wondered if this guy had a brain anomaly. He shook his head and said, "I do not. She is here to work on a computer operations program with me."


    Icarus smiled brightly, "I still have a chance to get her heart. Wish me luck, I will try my best."


    Soon the food was done, instead of dining table every one just ate while holding their dishes as they sat in the living room. The atmosphere was very lively. Icarus suddenly asked, "Profesor Dew, you are such a beauty then how can you don''t have boys bothering you?"


    Professor Dew smiled and said, "I don''t go out much. I am more focused to my work so they cannot disturb me."


    Icarus continued, "So professor what kind of a man would you like?"


    The beauty replied, "Man with a calm temperament, not much of a talker, so that he can listen to me. That is all I have in mind for now."


    The cycling club started to chuckle and slowly it became a burst of laughter. Yang Dao was not much different then girl when he heard them all laughing. He wanted to ask what happened when the door bell rang. Yang Dao stood up from his seat and came to the door. He saw a face in front of him that made him smile wide.


    He said, "Sister Yun..."


    Outside the door stood Feng Yun with a bright smile on her face. She wanted to surprise Yang Dao, and it worked too. Yang Dao was very happy to see her coming over.

 Chapter 59: Family Time.

    Yang Dao held Feng Yun''s hand as she walked inside the house. Then he quickly came to the shoe locker. He took out a pair of indoor slippers and gave them to her. He knew Feng Yun did not like to wear heels at home. The beauty in front of him sensed a burst of warmth. This warmth then radiated in her voice, "Young Master, you don''t have to do that."


    Yang Dao replied, "I know, but I just want to." the sunny smile on his lips. Melted Feng Yun''s heart. She shook her head, took off her heels, and put on the slippers Yang Dao got for her. Then Yang Dao said, "I won a race today so, I called over the club and some classmates. Sorry."


    Feng Yun shook her head with a smile, "I don''t mind it is your home."


    Yang Dao squinted his eyes and said, "Our home." Feng Yun chuckled and said, "Yes, your lordship. Our home. Now can I have some food. I am hungry." with a pleading look on her face.


    Yang Dao chuckled and led her inside. Maybe because Yang Dao was blessed by the heavens, he was better at anything he tried his hand in. Thus, people alienated him. Except for a few, Feng Yun was the only one who treated him like a teenager he was. After he stayed with her, she realized that the boy craves for someone to see him as a normal kid and not some expert or stuff.


    The boy led her by holding her jade hand. The people all knew that someone came but when they saw it was a beauty they all sucked in a cold breath. Yang Dao spoke up, "This is my elder sister, Feng Yun."


    Then he made the introductions. Feng Yun nodded at them with her usual cold face. If not for Yang Dao''s face do they even deserve her nod? Blasphemy, she is a phoenix. Yang Dao rubbed the back of his face and said, "Well, umm.. you guys carry on eating." then he made Feng Yun sit down in his place.


    He went to the kitchen and prepared a serving for her. Feng Yun saw Yang Dao''s food on the table so, she started eating that. For her it was not lowly or anything, after all, Yang Dao was her master. The others anyway did not think it was normal. But did they have the guts to clatter?


    Yang Dao came back and saw Feng Yun eating from his dishes. He came to her side and said, "You... you took my food sister Yun." his face was the epitome of dread.


    Feng Yun stifled a chuckle and stopped. Then took dishes from him and started eating. Yang Dao ate from his dishes. He also joked with the people as the atmosphere was somewhat stiff. Yang Dao suddenly said, "Sister Yun, tomorrow I participate in an official race. Will you come?"


    Feng Yun replied, "Definitely."


    Thomas asked, "Say, Dao, I am confused about one thing. I don''t know if I should ask you about this or not."


    Yang Dao said, "What is it, captain?"


    Thomas sighed and said, "I apologize if you find this offending, Madam Feng. Dao if you have a sister then why did you live in the orphanage?"


    Yang Dao became nervous, but Feng Yun replied calmly in his place, "The reason is that our parents passed away when we were too young. That time I could not take him out so we lived in the orphanage. I made some money and then created the Phoenix group. during this time I was busy and it was not entirely rainbows and roses. So Dao stayed behind in the orphanage as a cover."


    Yang Dao let go of his heart. Thomas nodded and said, "I apologize."


    Feng Yun nodded indifferently. Ray stood up as he spoke, "You guys who are done give me the dishes. That was the bet."


    Yang Dao stood up and said, "Senior Ray, it doesn''t need to be like that." he was embarrassed to let a guest do this kind of work in his home.


    Thomas shook his head, "It is fine. We have all been through this. Nothing new. Just did not expect him to do it again in the senior year."


    Thomas and Felix let out a peal of laughter. Ray snorted, "Someone who lost to him before I did can still have the audacity to laugh?" this was aimed at Thomas. The captain immediately choked this time the whole club laughed.


    Yang Dao sat there beside Feng Yun with a smile. Felix asked, "Dao, how were you able to increase speed when you lowered your gear?"


    Yang Dao replied, "Too much pressure on the high gear made the legs get used to it. Then powered the gear. Legs became light and TADA."


    Felix nodded, "Good, but next time don''t lean on so close to the guard rail. " Ray cleaned all the dishes in an hour and came out of the kitchen.


    Yang Dao said, "Senior Ray, where do we meet in the morning?"


    Ray thought for a bit and said, "On the venue?"


    Yang Dao nodded, the club members dispersed and the girls were taken along with the professor. Ever since Feng Yun came she was talking to Feng Yun about work stuff.


    Yang Dao closed the door, came back to Feng Yun, and said, "let''s seat on the balcony."


    Feng Yun nodded and came out to the recliner sat down on it. Yang Dao suddenly came and stood behind her. He said, "Can I give you a hot oil head massage?"


    Feng Yun was about to refuse when she saw him looking into her eyes and said, "You work all day and every day. Relax once in a while."


    The beauty nodded and let Yang Dao do it. The boy poured some drops of hot oil directly on her scalp. Then his long fingers started to massage her scalp gently. Feng Yun sighed as Yang Dao touched her. She mumbled, "Young Master, you have magic in your hands."


    Yang Dao chuckled, after some time Feng Yun fell asleep on the recliner. Yang Dao came to her side. It was not expected for her to fall asleep in the chair. The boy nudged her shoulder and said, "Sister Yun, you should go back in the room to sleep."


    Feng Yun opened her eyes slightly and stood up and walked back to her room. She muttered as she closed her room, "Young Master, you should have carried me to the room. Such low EQ, have to deal with it."

 Chapter 60: SHOCK.

    Yang Dao got up early the next morning, after taking a shower. The boy had just walked out of his room when he smelled a faint aroma coming from the kitchen. He walked over with Curiosity and saw Feng Yun, wearing an apron and cooking eggs. This was something he did not expect. The beauty chef sensed his presence and said, "Young Master, do not look at me like that, please. I used to cook for myself before I became the big boss."


    Yang Dao smiled, "I said nothing, just that, it is weird to see you like this." it was nothing out of the norms. The girl was the owner of an almost Trillionaire consortium. How would anyone expect her to cook?


    Soon the breakfast was served. Yang Dao ate as he spoke, "I will have to go for a qualification race first, then you come when the main event starts?"


    Feng Yun nodded as she replied, "In the meantime, I will deal with some work things."


    Yang Dao nodded. He washed his dishes and left after saying goodbye to Feng Yun. He rode his blue bike with a small pack on his back. He had already read and memorized the content of the book Coach Gust handed to him. His destination was a place called the central market. The race was designed inside the city. The roads for the track were all cordoned off. The track was 3km long. Three laps around it. The best lap counts.


    Yang Dao arrived relatively early, it was 9.30 in the morning. The qualification race had already begun at 8 in the morning. Before leaving his place yesterday, Ray told him to arrive around 9.30 which is when it will be his turn. The boy glanced around and saw a lot of cyclists stretching up or watching the participants on the track.


    He took off his bag, took out his phone, and made a call to Ray. The call connected, Ray spoke, "Dao, come to the registration area..." the guy explained to him some directions and after five minutes Yang Dao located him along with the coach. Ray beckoned him to come close.


    Yang Dao pushed his bike over and greeted, "Good morning Coach, Senior Ray."


    The old man nodded and said, "This track is set in the flat region. Will you be okay?"


    Yang Dao nodded. After a few words, the old man posted two sheets of paper on his chest and back. He said, "This is your contender tag. This number is your Identity till you stand on the podium. Only when you stand out on the podium, will you have a name. Otherwise, you are just a number."


    Yang Dao nodded. These words pumped up his spirits. Ray said, "Your turn is after me. All the best, okay. Try your best."


    Yang Dao and Ray bumped their fist, and the senior pushed his bike near the waiting spot. One rider will ride at a time. This allowed better ranking. Yang Dao asked the old man beside him, "Coach, why do they say that those who can climb mountains cannot run the streets?"


    Coach Gust smiled and said, "There is something that you don''t understand?" his words made Yang Dao embarrassed. The coach spoke after a tease, "The riders on the road excel in explosive bursts of energy. They can sprint, but then they will get tired and you will have to carry them. While climbers have better endurance and steady outflow. You think of sprinters as a spear while the climbers are the shield. One is fast, and the other is steady."


    Yang Dao nodded and then asked, "Coach, is captain Thomas, an all-rounder?"


    The old man nodded. He replied, "Yes, Thomas has been good at riding bikes ever since he was a kid. Don''t worry, he still lost to you. Did he not?"


    Yang Dao scratched the back of his head. He said, "That was because of the bike."


    Old Man spoke, "Was it the bike riding on its own?" Yang Dao shook his head. The old man continued, "The bike is only as good as a rider. Never think like that." then he patted Yang Dao''s back.


    Ray had done two laps by now. Yang Dao moved to the waiting zone and observed the last lap. Ray was pointing his all in this lap to make the fastest lap. Soon the lap ended. Yang Dao waited as Ray rode to his side. He said, "Be careful in the corners."


    Yang Dao nodded, entered the track. The referee said, "Ready!" Yang Dao mounted his bike. after a deep breath, he nodded to the referee. The latter raised his hand in the air and slashed it downward and gave a low shout, "GO!"


    Yang Dao started slow. Everyone thought it was just a slow start, but this boy. He was riding as if he was out on a leisurely trip. Some people could not help but ridicule him from the sidelines.


    "Hey, this kid, is he out for picnic here?"


    "Hey, whose child is lost?"


    Coach Gust was observing all this in silence. Suddenly he heard a voice, "Dad, is that kid with you?" the voice sent shivers down his body


    The old man turned his face, a young girl about 23 or 24 stood in front of him. Her face was 70% familiar to Coach Gust. The old man''s face bloomed with a hearty smile. He touched the lady on her forehead and said, "Are you the guest here?"


    The girl nodded with a smile as she hugged the old man. She is Ayaka Gust, Jewel nation top-level cyclist. She is the champion of the world games five years ago. Yet now she is struggling with her form and is on a break to recover. Coach Gust spoke, "Do you think that the kid is also on a picnic?"


    The girl shook her head and said, "He is feeling the track. These people will shut up after the third lap." Her words had fallen and Yang Dao was moving towards the finish line.


    Five meters from the goal, the boy stood up, switched his front gears. He suddenly sped up a lot. The next thing was a robot moving through the curves and the sprints without stopping his feet. He was cornering by shifting his center of gravity, yet even during that time, he did not stop moving his feet. When he entered the last sprint, his cycle started swaying even more.


    Soon he completed the second lap, yet his speed did not slow down. Unlike the last lap, this time he slowed down on extremely sharp corners. Yet still, the performance did not decrease here, but the balance of acceleration and brakes along with the constant shuffling of the gears made his performance soar.


    Ayaka Gust was stunned. She has never seen such an operation. She asked her father, "Who is this kid. So overpowered."


    Coach Gust chuckled, "He is Yang Dao. National college entrance exam topper, also the most terrifying rookie of our club. Till now he has defeated, Thomas in a sprint, Junior Youth Champion Icarus in climbing the Ruby mountain, and last night Ray here was shamed by him. This kid climbed the mountain in 30 minutes and some seconds."


    Ayaka Gust was aware of how talented Thomas and Ray were in biking, to think a first-year defeated them but then again he also defeated Icarus? She could not digest it. She glanced at Ray, who nodded with a bitter smile on his face.


    Ray said, "Sister Ayaka, this monster does not use his own bike otherwise, it would have been even more exaggerated."


    Ayaka asked, "What do you mean, his bike? What model is it?" she was excited to think what kind of bike does this guy uses?


    Coach Gust spoke, "Silence"


    This word almost made the girl fall on her knees She glanced at her father, who had a serious expression. She asked, "You sure?"


    Both the males nodded. Ray flashed her phone at her face. It was an image they clicked when Yang Dao first rode with them. Ayaka almost dropped the phone. She said suddenly, "I want to train you guys for the tournament next time."


    Ray shivered, he said, "Coach, ask her to spare us. She almost killed Felix last time." he kept his voice low, but it was heard by Yang Dao, who was pushing his bike over to the crowd.


    Ray said, "This is..."


    Yang Dao replied, "I know, Ayaka Gust, champion of the world games." he turned to face the lady, and with a smile, he said, "Hello, senior Ayaka."


    Ayaka replied, "Hello, Junior Yang Dao"


    The four people were chatting when an announcement echoed. Yang Dao did not hear his name on the qualification list. Suddenly he heard another announcement. The organizers canceled the main event, and this time trial was the event itself. The top three will now be called over the stage.


    The sudden change made every participant angry, but then the organizer asked this because of their product selling Insurance.

 Chapter 61: Deepening Bonds.

    The host told people they canceled the event because they sold insurance. This explanation made people even angrier. The host suddenly started laughing and said, "Alright, calm down. I was just messing around with you people."


    The people complained to the host to pull such pranks over them. The host then spoke, "Everyone event will start after half an hour. In the meantime, I just wanted to relax you all a bit mentally. Also, I will now announce the top three qualifiers of the race, in the third position among the qualifiers we have participant number 83, the second place is taken over by participant number 65, and the first qualifier is participant number 90. Please have a good rest, the race will start quickly."


    Yang Dao shook his head. He glanced at his coach and asked, "Sir, can I have my mobile? I need to call over my sister."


    The coach passed him the phone. Before the qualifier, Yang Dao handed his phone to him for safekeeping. The boy took the phone, made the call to Feng Yun. He did not tell her he was the first ranker in the qualifiers. Feng Yun also did not tell him that the reason the canceled event resumed again was that she said ''Hello'' to the event organizer and the company behind it.


    The organizing company wanted to end the event after qualifiers. They wanted to convey that life was unexpected and that having insurance can save people, but suddenly the president called and said that they will hold the race. The host had already announced the cancellation and thus the awkward cover-up. Also, how did Feng Yun found out that they were canceling the event?


    Are you kidding me? This woman possibly knows everything about every company in the city. How can she not look into something her Young Master was taking part in? And what work can she possibly have when she took a two-day off? Who dares to disturb this woman?


    So after the call, Yang Dao took a sip or two of water from the bottle latched on his bike. The organizer called for all the qualified participants to stand in front of the start line in the order to their ranks. They were also asked to follow a Yellow car this way it will be easier to navigate. The main event was a 20-kilometer course, 10 kilometers of which were steep climb.


    Before Yang Dao headed toward the starting line, Feng Yun arrived. She wore a white t-shirt, blue jeans with red flowers embroidered on the thigh, paired with white sneakers. She had a mask on her face. She sneaked beside Yang Dao and patted him on the shoulder. Yang Dao had already sensed her presence. He asked, "Sister Yun, no security?"


    Feng Yun shook her head. She had sunglasses on her face. Also, her natural charm was hidden somehow. Yang Dao was sure that if not for their spiritual bond. He would have missed her in the crowd, just like any other passer-by. The boy said, "I am going. Bye-bye."


    Feng Yun gave his shoulder a light pinch and said, "Bye-bye. I will watch from the sides." Yang Dao was about to walk away when Ayaka Gust walked up and said, "Student Dao, I am not very good but if possible, try to preserve some energy before the descend. All the best."


    Yang Dao replied to her with a thank you. After waving to Feng Yun, he pushed his bike and merged with the crowd. Ayaka glanced at Feng Yun and extended her hand to her with a smile, "Hello, I am Ayaka Gust. Nice to meet you."


    Feng Yun took the hand and said, "Hello, my name is Feng Yun. I am Yang Dao''s elder sister."


    Ayaka tilted her head in confusion, "You two have different surnames."


    Feng Yun chuckled lightly and said, "His full name is Feng Yang Dao. But we just call him Yang Dao or Dao."


    Ayaka immediately apologized, "I apologize. I was just confused at this. I had no other meanings."


    The girls mingled for a bit, and Feng Yun was led to the spot where all the Jade City University cycling club members were gathered. At this moment they all had slightly tensed expressions on their faces. Ayaka asked, "What happened?"


    Felix pointed towards some people with cameras in their hands. Ayaka shook her head and said, "Isn''t this regular? calm Down."


    Thomas replied, "Not normal, they will definitely look into Dao''s information and we don''t want that to happen. Dao will be our trump in the annual racing event, but this will ruin it."


    Feng Yun replied to him in a faint voice, "They cannot scout young master. The reason is that his helmet is equipped with a distortion sensor. The pictures will be blurred always. So don''t worry."


    Thomas and the others recognized Feng Yun''s voice. They all hurriedly bowed to her like a junior would, "We have seen senior Feng Yun."


    Feng Yun found that today these guys were more disciplined than yesterday. She nodded to them, her gaze then shifted to Yang Dao, who stood in the pack''s front and listening to the instructions of the judge. While Ayaka slipped to stand behind Thomas and asked, "Oye, Tom. Tell me about Feng Yun."


    She spoke in a very low voice, Thomas shook his head and took out his phone directly searched the net for Feng Yun and the results were handed over to Ayaka directly the girl stood there in a daze. Actually, she forgot the fact that Yang Dao owns Silence. That is why she did not link Feng Yun to the phoenix group.


    Soon, the race started and Yang Dao was given a 10-second head start. The boy did not waste it, and he rushed immediately. His speed was very high. The people shook their heads. Only the Jade University camp was silent.


    Ayaka asked, "Did you guys wish him luck before he went out?"


    Felix said, "Dao, need luck?" his tone was filled with confusion.


    Ayaka asked, "What do you mean?"


    Thomas said, "This guy can climb Ruby Mountains in 30 minutes, with an average speed of 50kph. Does he need luck? Just pray that the other people are not too far behind." although he said this, he kept his voice low after all people will gossip and it was not good for them to offend such a big crowd.


    Ayaka shook her head in disbelief. She could not believe what they all said. It was too exaggerated. She gave up on talking to these people and focused her gaze on the telecast screen. Yang Dao was leading, and he was quick. The leading car had to keep up with his speed or if he passed them, then he would be lost in the urban jungle.


    Yang Dao was at ease he would only speed up when someone tried to catch up to him. This scene was witnessed by everyone on the sidelines and they started talking about how long can this guy hole.


    A rich guy even organized a bet where they would gamble on how long before Yang Dao would have to quit or give up the lead. The odds were high as well. So Thomas and Felix took up the bet they betted on him winning. The people thought they were mad or just had too much money.


    But they knew better. The organizer started sweating when Yang Dao took the sprint checkpoint. Even after the bit entered the climb, his speed did not decrease by much and he held on to the lead. The second place was trying his all to catch up to him. Unfortunately, he was just over-exerting himself and got caught in Yang Dao''s pace.


    The guy had to call it quits when he was 3 kilometers in the mountains. The people who were cheering on number two were devastated. It was a blow to them to think that their idol lost to a boy. Yang Dao was young and growing, while this person was already at the peak of his youth. Disappointment can not be cured.


    Some people heard that the boy in the lead was called Yang Dao. Soon, this news spread like a wildfire and people started chanting his name. The chants grew stronger as the boy neared the mountain checkpoint.


    DAO! DAO! DAO! DAO!


    Feng Yun raised her chin a bit more when she heard the chants. She understood why was Yang Dao putting so much effort as he rode today. This was because he wanted to make her proud. He wanted to tell her that all her care is not wasted. He wanted to show her he will not let her down and become a stain on her name and prestige.


    She was happy before, but now she was exhilarating. A warm feeling rose from the depth of her soul. She opened her eyes in there was a spark in there. The girl was about to advances to another level in her cultivation. This change was triggered by her bond deepening with Yang Dao.

 Chapter 62: Starting Line.

    Yang Dao reached the peak and raised his hands to the sky, with his fists balled up. His face was also lifted upward. The people erupted in cheers. They never imagined how the person they all thought would lose, would win so both the sprint and the peak. While some people were exhilarated some were depressed.


    These people were those who better for Yang Dao to call it quits. Yet how were they to expect such a great upset? Felix and Thomas were standing beside the banker they did not say anything, just stood there silently. They had pushed on Yang Dao to win the whole race. So they were waiting to cash out. These two were low-key but they were rich. It was all thanks to their high moral value that they were not snobs.


    Yang Dao took a deep breath and started to pedal. The descent started, now he had to bring it home. He detached the sports water sipper on the bike. After he took few sips to hydrate his parched mouth. He started to pedal again. During this whole process, his body was pushed to the limit. Never slowing down too much, always maintaining a lead. It put down a lot of pressure on his physique.


    Yang Dao did not yet know how to harness the natural energy from the particles around him. He was getting tired yet his eyes were still sharp. As soon as he caught up his breath. He took a hold of the lower handlebar and landed down on the bike. This stance under the influence of gravity accelerated his speed even more.


    He became a shadow. The air was blowing onto his face so fast that he had to move his head up and down to avoid suffocation. This was a professional technique, normal riders would slow down but this way it prevents them suffocation. It was a very good technique. A lot of people note it down in the list of his skill set.


    Yang Dao was now about to enter the flats after this slope. Something came to his mind. He stood up on the bike, everyone thought that he would dance but then the boy leaned back, lowered his abdomen over the seat, and gave up on pedaling. Yes, he removed his feet from the pedal.


    Some people heaved a sigh. Thinking he was about to quit and they will save their money this way. Yang Dao, however, was set to give them nothing but depression. The boy raised his legs, parallel to the ground. It was as if he was lying down on the bike.


    Ayaka was surprised, this pose may seem odd but it needed a lot of practice and still, not everyone can pull it off. The same shocked expression was witnessed on those scouts. Yang Dao''s speed increased like a rocket. The last slope was a straight line for 200 meters.


    The boy did not have to look up and just accelerate with his head down. The crowd was stunned, everyone thought it looked cool. Icarus, who stood among the club members asked, "Coach, is this not used to save effort?"


    Coach Gust nodded and said, "The boy is exhausted, he used his complete strength to win the first two checkpoints, but he knows that only the last point is what makes him a winner. If his speed is up to the mark then he can reach first relying on his cadence. It may seem like it is easy but it is not. At this moment his body weight is focused on his belly, he cannot breathe properly when he gets up, the bodyweight shift will make him lose speed. He sacrificed his rest for a speed burst because the rivals are catching up."


    Icarus and the other gazed past Yang Dao and saw two riders catching up. One of them was Ray and the other was a man with a calm and arrogant face. Due to the acceleration, Yang Dao reached the end of the slope and entered the city road. His speed was above 65 at this moment. The boy restored the standard pose and started to pedal.


    Yang Dao took a deep breath and started to move in the city tracks. Now it was all filled with turns and curves. The boy did not give up and kept moving through. The fans on the sidelines could see the exhaustion on his face and they were impressed. They all cheered, "You can do it, Dao."


    "Come on, keep fighting. Only 500 meters."


    "We are with you. Win it, Dao."


    Supportive cheers had a wonderful effect on human beings. It can wash off the fatigue slightly. Yang Dao was just a kid. As he heard all such comments, he was moved. His eyes cleared up and the bike kept moving. The cornering became tighter, it was almost running into the side fencing. The audience gasped every time Yang Dao took such a close turn.


    Cycling was not only about speed and strength. It was about conviction and bravery too. Yang Dao was convicted to see the race through and win it whole. He forgot about everything. In front of him, was only the track and his bike. The sense of time vanished for him. The sensation of rushing past his body, legs heavy like lead, his heart beating fast, the sweet dripping off his eyebrows. Everything vanished for him.


    He did not even know when he passed the finish line and his nose broke the ribbon. His legs lost all energy, the bike slowed down, yet it did not stop, his bike kept going farther. Out of nowhere a girl in white top and blue jeans appeared in a distance in front of him. The bike tilted to a side as the speed decreased.


    The girl stretched out her arm, supported the falling Yang Dao. She spoke in a soft voice, "Thank you for your hard work, Young Master." this woman was Feng Yun. She sensed Yang Dao losing consciousness ten meters before the finish line, yet his conviction kept pushing him forward.


    The cycling club members also came to her side. They helped her and took both Yang Dao and his bike to a van. Before the award ceremony a lot of sport reporters had already gathered in front of Yang Dao''s relief van. Ray also came over. The media asked him some questions about Yang Dao. Ray did not tell them anything except the basic knowledge.


    Feng Yun frowned when she heard the reporters being persistent. The noise outside will disturb her young master. She took off her sunglasses released her aura and walked out of the van. The reporters were stunned when they spotted Feng Yun.


    She spoke, "My name is Feng Yun. My younger brother, Feng Yang Dao, is resting. I hope you all can be a bit QUIETER. her cold voice made all of them shiver and the noise was immediately reduced to murmurs. One person did not want to give up and said, "President Feng, can we ask you a few questions? We will be on best behaviour."


    Feng Yun nodded, the reporter asked, "President Feng, I am a reported for Brocade News. How is your brother''s condition? I think he lost consciousness after he crossed the finish line." his words made the crowd gasp in surprise.


    Feng Yun replied, "Thank you for your concern, he is at the moment resting. He did not lose consciousness. The fatigue from the race took over too quickly. It is his first race, so he is inexperienced and could not deal with it." she would never let any one think her young master was weak. Yang Dao fainted? Who said so?


    A lady reporter asked, "Ma''am, how old is your brother? Is he interested in representing the Jewel nation on a higher stage in this sport?"


    Feng Yun replied with a faint curl on her lips, "He is 16 this year, as for the future, it is his choice. He is too young at this moment."


    The questions continued, Feng Yun answered one question from every reporter. By the time she sent away the reporters, Yang Dao woke up with a groan. He asked Thomas beside him, "Did I win?"


    Thomas and the others started laughing as they said, "Yes."


    Yang Dao heaved a sigh then asked, "Sister Yun?"


    Thomas pointed his finger out of the window. Yang Dao shifted his gaze and saw Feng Yun entangled with the media. He stood up from the chair and after taking a deep breath he walked out. In his mind, a thought appeared, ''I guess it is time to give up on staying low profile. Be like the wind. Unrestrained and unfretted.''


    A dull bang sounded in his mind. His perception breached the final barrier. Yang Dao became an elementalist. He may have crossed the finish line in the race but now he just took a step in the world of elementalists. This was his starting line.

 Chapter 63: Thank You.

    After dealing with the media, Feng Yun came back inside the van. She smiled when her gaze fell on Yang Dao, who was about to open the door and walk out of the bus. The media had not yet left and some people caught hold of Yang Dao.


    Someone asked, "Young Master Feng, can we ask you some questions, please?"


    Feng Yun frowned. She wanted to turn around and lash out at the media person because just now she had finished answering their questions and asked them to leave. But these guys had the guts to pester her Young Master? Her gaze turned cold but she felt a soft warm finger, poking her arm. Yang Dao glanced at her with a calm gaze as he blinked.


    She understood that he wanted to do it so she nodded slightly. The lady turned to her side, letting Yang Dao pass. The boy smiled and walked out of the bus. Feng Yun also turned and held his shoulder. What she did was not only out of affection but also to support his staggering steps. She would not let him look weak in front of anyone.


    Yang Dao smiled at the media and spoke, "Hello everyone, how can I help you?"


    The same person who spoke earlier asked, "I know that you are tired, we apologize for disturbing your rest. But can you tell us what thought was there inside your mind from the starting of the race?"


    Yang Dao nodded, with a smile, he said, "I just wanted to be ahead of the rest."


    The answer was simple and straight. Usually media would not have liked such a response but they thought that the boy is just like his sister. Cold and Introvert. Another reporter asked, "So, what do you plan for the future? Would you like to join the bizz world like your sister or would you focus on sports?"


    Yang Dao tilted his head to the side and asked, "Why can I not do both?"


    The reporters were stunned. They immediately started to scribble to record his response. Some more questions were asked and they were all responded to. In the end, Feng Yun spoke in her cold voice, "I thank you friends from the media. I really like how you all present things to the world without manipulating them. I will invite you all for a meal to thank you for the hard work after you are done publishing the article."


    The words may sound like an invitation but they carried a cold threat within them. The threat was ''DO NOT MANIPULATE WHAT MY BROTHER SAID OR, I WILL HAVE YOU ALL ON A PLATTER.''


    The reporters all nodded and left. Even without Feng Yun''s ''kind words'' they dared not do anything. Their have been cases when some reporters tried to act out and accused The phoenix group for some immoral things. Feng Yun proved the innocence of the company and then she made the whole media company go bankrupt. The reporter would be sent to prison for the shady things he did in the past.


    So after this thing happened for a few times the media became very cautious in dealing with The Phoenix group. Just now Feng Yun''s words reminded them of how some firms got bashed and their ones escaped by the skin of their teeth. They all scattered away in a hurry.


    After the reporters left, Feng Yun asked in a warm voice, "Young Master, are you okay? Should we go home?"


    Yang Dao nodded, "I am fine, but I can use a nap. Also, sister Yun, can I lean on to you a bit? You see my legs are numb. Probably I used them a bit too much." during the entire race. He did not preserve his strength for even a second and was constantly ruching forward. Thus the numb legs. Feng Yun nodded and let him lean on.


    Thomas and the others came out of the bus and said, "Dao, you need to got up on the stage to get your prize."


    Yang Dao nodded, then they all walked up to the prize ceremony. Feng Yun secretly passed on some of her elemental source energy in his body. The boy only felt a warm current washing over him, reducing the numbness in his legs and relieving his exhaustion. He raised his head and gazed at the beautiful girl who was supporting him with a smile on her face.


    Yang Dao felt warm in his heart. Soon, they reached the podium. The host invited them from the thrid position to the first. Yang Dao climbed the stairs and the people started to chant his name.


    DAO! DAO! DAO! DAO!


    Yang Dao bowed to them slightly to express his thank to them. The host asked, "Would you like to say some words to the people? Inspire them to chase their dreams?"


    Yang Dao thought for a bit and took over the mic from the host and said, "Thank you everyone for supporting me. I really appreciate that. As for inspiration. How about I share a poem with you all?"


    YAY!


    The crowd burst with cheers. After all the person who won their hearts wanted to share a poem with them. How can they not feel excited?


    Yang Dao took a deep breath and then he said in a soft voice,


    "Crispy winds brushing my face.


    Life is a struggle, they said.


    I wanna ask the world, if its alright.


    I don''t wanna run, I will take a flight.


    Crispy winds will carry me.


    Life is a struggle, but I am free.


    I wanna tell the world, that it''s okay.


    Just walk the way you want, and make your way.


    It is all very nice, up in the sky.


    Make your dreams your wings, take off and fly.


    No need to run, no need to hide.


    There is a lot of space in endless sky."


    The crowd fell silent, they did not expect the guy to say such words. It was unknown who clapped first but, the whole crowd started to clap some reporters who stayed behind to get some pictures also recorded this. Amidst the applause, the host invited Ayaka Gust over the podium. She was asked to present the awards as she was one of the top names in the cycling world.


    Yang Dao accepted a golden colored cup and a bouquet. After a few pictures the boy went down the stage. He handed both the bouquet and the cup to Feng Yun and said, "This is my gift to you sister Yun."


    The lady smiled at him as she took the two things from him and said, "I like it very much, Young Master, thank you."

 Chapter 64: Dining In Style.

    Later, Yang Dao wanted to ride his bike back home but given how tired he was, Feng Yun denied him. Thomas volunteered to deliver the bike to the boy. Only then did Yang Dao got inside Feng Yun''s car. It was a luxury car. As soon as the boy sat down in the back seat. He leaned back and sighed as he said, "Sure enough, nothing beats a Royal Cruiser Behemoth in terms of comfort."


    Feng Yun smiled, she said to the driver, "Sapphire lake residency." the driver nodded and Feng Yun pressed a button at the side, a tinted glass screen blocked the partition between the driver seat and the back cabin.


    She turned towards Yang Dao who was sprawled on the seat. The beauty shook her head and press a button on the armrest. This button initiated a massager in the seat. The space in the back seat was so much that the seat itself converted into a massage chair. Yang Dao sighed in comfort as he experienced the mechanical massager chair at its best.


    Unknowingly the boy drifted into slumber. Feng Yun also did not disturb his sleep. Due to the traffic, it took them two hours before they arrived at Sapphire lake residency. Yang Dao was still asleep. Feng Yun got off the car, picked him up in her arms. She may look like a porcelain doll. But her strength was strong enough to kill an elephant in a pat if she willed it so.


    She carried Yang Dao to his home and tucked him inside his bed. The process was very smooth. She was not the Bizz Queen. She was now just a servant to her young master. Even though Yang Dao treated her like a sister. Some things must never be forgotten. They belonged to Yang Dao. That was one of these things.


    Her cellphone buzzed and she walked out of the room. She smirked when she saw the caller ID. She connected the call. "Yun, I am sorry, please call me back. I cannot stay in this place. Please, I recognize my mistake. I will never repeat it. Please, Yun, I beg you."


    The caller was Mary, she was drunk. Last time when she did not tell Feng Yun about Yang Dao''s call because she was in a meeting. The cold president blew a gasket in her brain and the secretary was thrown to the coldest region of the planet. As a punishment, she was asked to survey the place as Feng Yun suddenly wanted to manufacture a factory there. Mary has been trying to call her for several days but, only now did it connect.


    Feng Yun said, "Will you do it again?"


    Mary replied in an aggrieved manner, "No my mother, never, just take me back from here. I have not taken a shower from the moment I landed here. Please." her voice was hoarse now. So Feng Yun promised to send some people to pick her back and disconnected. She made a call to someone and asked them to take back Mary.


    She walked to the study room and place the trophy Yang Dao won on an empty shelf. Her eyes gazed at the cup with a happy smile on her face. Then she went off to rest. It was already evening when Yang Dao woke up from his sleep. He sat up and stretched his body lazily as he yawned.


    He gazed around and found himself inside his room. He guessed that it was Feng Yun who took him back up. Yang Dao stood up and was about to get inside the shower when Feng Yun came inside the room after knocking on the door.


    Yang Dao said, "You could have wakened me up, sister Yun." as he rubbed his eyes slightly.


    Feng Yun replied, "Young Master, it''s fine. How about we go outside for dinner?"


    Yang Dao was tired and was not in the mood to cook so he asked, "Where are we going?"


    Feng Yun spoke, "There is a charity ball today. I happen to be invited. So how about you come with me?"


    Yang Dao nodded, he asked, "What are you wearing?"


    Feng Yun thought he is asking out of curiosity, so she replied, "A ruby red dress. Why?" Yang Dao shook his head and walked inside the bathroom. Feng Yung shrugged and left to get ready herself.


    Inside the bathroom, Yang Dao thought to himself, ''Maybe I should have carried Sister Yun back to her room last night. Meh, next time.''


    The boy took a thorough wash, removing the dirt stuck to his body. He got out after drying himself, heading straight to the cloakroom.


    ...


    Paradise Hotel, Jade City.


    The hotel had a special Pavillion called, Star View Pavillion. The whole place only had imported glass tile flooring, below the tiles a layer of glitter was buried. It looked exquisite. The place had no doors but 18 pillars surrounding the floor as they supported a glass ceiling. The ceiling was made from a single piece of glass. It was seamless and very nice.


    At this moment a lot of big names in the Jewel nation were gathered. One of them was particularly surrounded by a lot of people. This man had chocolate brown hair, with brown eyes. He was wearing an expensive designer suit. People were complimenting him for his dressing sense, but his eyes were stuck to the door of the pavilion.


    Someone asked, "Why do you keep gazing at the door, Mr. Lucius?" this man was called Lucius Mcdouglas. The organizer of tonight''s event. His motive was to invite and see Feng Yun. It just so happen that 3 years ago he once interacted with Feng Yun. From then till now, he could never get her out of his mind. But too bad, Feng Yun only thought of him as a rich philanthropist.


    As he was about to reply a vehicle arrived at the door. The front door opened, the driver came behind, opened the back door. A foot encompassed in a red stiletto stepped on the ground. Then a graceful figure walked out of the car. It was Feng Yun, she was wearing a ruby red party gown. It was a full-sleeved gown, it revealed nothing except her fair hands. The color and the texture were just perfect.


    Not too tacky and not too shiny. Her hair today was curled and left loose. The smoky red eye shadow paired with black eyeliner. It was enough to shock the people. She wore red ruby earrings and carried a clutch bag in her hand. After getting off the car she did not take a step forward but to the side.


    Behind her, a man came down the vehicle. Feng Yun''s beauty may have surprised the people but her traveling with a man was shocking. The man was very handsome. Neatly combed hair, a black-red hung around his collar. He wore a black shirt and a black suit. His cufflinks and the pocket square matched his tie. He had a luxurious brand watch resting on his wrist.


    The man glanced at Feng Yun with a smile with was replied by an equally sweet smile from the lady. He raised his hand towards Feng Yun and the lady hooked her arm with his. Only then did the two people started to walk forward.


    Their subtle intimacy with each other was witnessed by Lucius and he was burning with rage. He had just returned to the Jewel nation. He had no idea who Yang Dao was to Feng Yun. His eyes flashed with killing intent.

 Chapter 65: Arrogance.

    The Big Shots were surprised to see Feng Yun appearing at the place with a man. Khal Goldberg and the other big shots were surprised as well, but unlike others they were happy. They wanted to see how Yang Dao will handle the situation. Lucius''s intentions were known to everyone.


    The two people walked over calmly, Yang Dao would point out some exquisite flowers he spotted to Feng Yun in a low voice, and the lady would reply to him in kind as well. The people have never seen Feng Yun move her lips so much. Obviously, they were surprised. Soon the two people walked up to the pavilion entrance at a calm pace.


    Feng Yun opened her clutch bag and handed the staff a golden envelope. Only 1 such envelope was issued. The staff immediately accepted the invitation with both her hands. The lady in the uniform said, "Welcome Madam Feng, Welcome President."


    Her greeting shook the whole crowd, few of them aware that The Paradise Hotel has changed hands. Yang Dao nodded slightly as he cast a gaze at Feng Yun. She covered her mouth and said with a chuckle, "The staff is all shown your picture, Young Master." to this the boy only shook his head.


    Khal Goldberg and the rest came forward to greet the two people, their faces full of smiles. These days the business was doing well and their good-for-nothing sons and they themselves have become better humans. The thing that made them change was not only Feng Yun''s condition, but now when they walked into their office the people would cast them a gaze filled with respect instead of fear and loath.


    Khal Goldberg smiled, "Hello, Young Master Dao, President Feng."


    The beauty in red only nodded while Yang Dao extended his hand to Khal Goldberg with a smile, "Hello, Mr. Goldberg." the two people greeted each other. Followed by the other big shots Yang Dao met with them all. A few people introduce him to some other big names in Jade City, who were present at the event.


    Seeing that all the limelight has been gathered by Yang Dao. Lucius walked forward, holding a glass of wine in his hand. The man was refined, you have to say. The people saw him arriving and let him pass by, clearing the way. This made him raise his chin a bit more. When he arrived near Feng Yun, he spoke, "Pardon the intrusion, ladies, and gentleman, but might I also take part in the conversation?"


    Khal Goldberg and the others had no problem with him and nodded. Lucius thanked them and smiled at Feng Yun. He said in a familiar tone, "Yun, I haven''t seen you for a long time. How are you?" although he maintained his elegant stature, his eyes were flashing with unrestraint lust.


    The other people were surprised when they heard his familiar manner. It was as if he knew Feng Yun for a long time. The lady in the red raised her eyebrow. She was about to rebuke when a cold voice sounded, "I don''t know if you know my sister or not. But if you did not correct your gaze, I will have you thrown out of this place like a dog."


    The voice was freezing, the people all shivered, they did not expect such a remark. They focused their gaze on the source of the voice. Yang Dao was found glancing at Lucius with a cold pair of eyes. Many people wanted to know how the situation will proceed just so you know, Lucius was not just a philanthropist, but his wealth was higher than the Paradise hotel chain.


    Lucius''s face turned black, and he replied, "Do you know who you are talking to? I can make you go bankrupt in a month." his voice was equally cold.


    How can Feng Yun take a threat of coming to her young master? That too, after the boy just stood up for her? She spoke in a cold voice, "You just said that you can make my younger brother go bankrupt in a Month? Are you perhaps forgetting who I am?" her words were not like lightning but a shower of lightning to people.


    They only found out that the person they were speculating right now turned out to be Feng Yun''s younger brother. Lucius immediately turned pale. He did not know that this guy was Feng Yun''s younger brother. Without giving him a chance to regret or apologize. Feng Yun picked up her phone and was about to call someone.


    Yang Dao held her hand and said, "Don''t pay attention to such people, Sister Yun. It will make them look important." then he turned to face Lucius, and said in an overbearing manner, "many people think I am what I am because of my sister. This is their mistake. My sister can only guide me whether or not I achieve something is my skill. Since you claimed to make my hotel business go bankrupt in a month. I accept your challenge. You can move against me. My sister will not block you. But do bear one thing in mind. If, you even by mistake let an innocent suffer. I will kill you regardless of the laws and regulations."


    No one standing there doubted his words. His aura was truly that of a Young Master, dominant and arrogant as he stood against Lucius. This look made a lot of girls since butterflies in their stomachs. They did not expect the young man to be so cool.


    Lucius felt a pang of heat on his face. He cared for face more than his money. He replied, "Very well, I will make sure you go lose your hotel. I just hope that your family doesn''t come back at me after you lose."


    Yang Dao chuckle, the chuckle turned to laughter, then he said, ''Do you think I am just like you? I started the challenge and I have over 5 ways to make you come to beg me on your knees. You try your best, but if the people behind you tried to come back at me later, I will make them accompany you in tarnation." with those words, he and Feng Yun left to settle down in their seats.


    Tonight was the first time Yang Dao showed his dominance. He was the Dao Child. The incarnation of Dao itself. he was not weak, but at this moment he was not invincible as well. People like these were necessary for his growth. If these losers had so much arrogance, then think about how much arrogance should he have. Feng Yun, the person they all could only look up to, will bow her head to him. Just because Yang Dao did not let the arrogance get to his head, it did not mean that he was not arrogant.


    The world was such. Every capable man will be arrogant. Yang Dao was one such man.

 Chapter 66: Battle Begins.

    After this incident, every guest sat down in the chair and the event started. In the center of the star gazing Pavillion, a circular stage was set up. At this moment a lady wearing a black gown stood on the stage holding a mic. She was an exquisite woman as if a painting created by the heavens but she still paled in front of Feng Yun and Yang Dao. Behind the woman, five elegant wooden stands were placed. they were all covered with a silk cloth at this moment.


    She spoke in a mellow voice, "Good evening, ladies and gentleman, I am Stacy Bloom, your host, and auctioneer for the night. We gather here tonight to raise funds to help people suffering in the remote regions of our nation. The person behind tonight''s event is Mr. Lucius Mcdouglas, please give him warm applause." following her words the applause did ring out but it was anything but warm.


    Stacy Bloom was not aware of the conflict at the entrance. She quickly reacted to salvage the situation. She was a professional host and auctioneer in one of the biggest auctions in Jade City. The auction house was also a subsidiary of Feng Yun. She quickly followed through, "Tonight we have five articles straight from Mr. McDouglas''s collection. They are all worth your time. I hope you all donate to your heart''s content. Without wasting any time, introducing you to the first item of the night."


    She raised the cover from the first stand and said, "Ladies, and Gentleman, I give you the Thorns Of Ecstacy."


    Below the covers laid a Tiara, Stacy introduced the tiara to everyone, "This tiara is made from Meteor Gold, weighing only 100 gms. This exquisite piece of jewelry is one of the most expensive headgear. The World Jewelry certifies that this piece was favored by The first princess of the Ancient Suryu Empire. This piece was discovered by archeologists during the exploration expedition conducted in the underground ruins of..."


    Yang Dao had no interest in such events to him charity did not need any such shows. Just providing people with what they need is good enough. He just focused on the food in front of him and thinking about how to take down Lucius Mcdouglas.


    Suddenly it clicked to him. If Lucius was such a generous philanthropist, then how come his eyes were lustful. His first flaw was his character. Yang Dao planned to find the chinks in his now slightly dim silver armor. What he wanted to do was to ruin Lucius''s reputation, then make his money useless, then his so-called pride.


    Tonight his gaze at Feng Yun was a blasphemous act in Yang Dao''s eyes. He respected Feng Yun for her achievements and treated her like a family member. How dare this dog man look at her with lust? He was bound to be ruined. Feng Yun could have done that to him with just a phone call but what Yang Dao had in mind was much crueler.


    He took out his phone as he ate his food. Feng Yun would bid eventually. Yang Dao shook his head to the situation. They are all wealthy people yet they only take the money for the winner? Bull shit. His mobile phone now had a remote uplink of his computer. This was something he designed himself the first moment he was using the system.


    With the constant effort of the two workers and the professor, the system now looked like a basic computer. Yang Dao was now searching the net for Lucius Mcdouglas''s details. His actions were all noticed by Feng Yun but the lady let him do what he wanted.


    Yang Dao skimmed through and found out that other than Charity and fundraising, Lucius Mcdouglas had two major businesses, one was a pharmaceutical company and the other was an entertainment production house. The man had many other businesses as well. Such as schools and hospitals all over the nation and that was all top grade. Normal people could not get treated or educated in the hospital and the schools, respectively.


    Yang Dao smirked when he saw this. There was a lot of information on the net. By the time he was done the auction ended. The boy glanced at Feng Yun and said, "Sister Yun, shall we go. I have to prepare for a battle."


    Feng Yun nodded with a smile, after greeting a few people they boarded their BEHEMOTH car and left.


    Someone in the crowd asked, "How much did President Feng Yun donate?" the question was asked to the Host, Stacy Bloom. The lady in the black dress replied with a smile, "20 million carat coins." this amount came from the third item of the auction but after the auction, she returned it.


    This price was too high for the item worth only 11 million. The other people shook their heads. This auction was different. Instead of crying the price, it will all be recorded by the auctioneer according to the basic Increment mentioned at the beginning. So the people did not know how much Feng Yun donated.


    ...


    On the way back to the sapphire lake residency, Feng Yun asked, "Young Master, who are you going to deal with him?"


    Yang Dao replied, "First gather the info regarding his businesses. Then look for the chinks in his armor. Slowly expose him, making him lose image and money both. Then let him kneel for forgiveness. Simple and concise."


    Feng Yung nodded with a smile and she asked, "How will you achieve that?"


    Yang Dao replied, "Don''t worry, he gave me a month, I will give home a week. Within a week I will have him on his knee. As for how? I will rely on my hands and brain."


    Yang Dao was going to hack into Lucius''s life and take him down from inside out. The boy had this much capability. Otherwise, how will he win a trip to Crypto nation in his junior high school?


    The battle has begun, it was going to be a nightmare for Lucius McDouglas. A nightmare that will scar him forever.

 Chapter 67: The first strike.

    When the two people reached home, Yang Dao changed into his casual nightwear and sat down in front of his computer. The computer in his study also had a link to the one downstairs. His slender fingers moved.


    Feng Yun came to his room to check up on him and found first impressions on the wall. She was confused. With some hesitation, she placed her hand on the impressions, closed her eyes as she spoke in a low voice, "Omni Eye."


    In the middle of her eyebrow, a glow flickered. Inside her mind, Feng Yun saw the whole process of Yang Dao seething in rage as his fists rained down on the wall. After a few minutes, the glow vanished and Feng Yun opened her eyes. She had a faint smile on her lips as she said, "Until they actually enrage Young Master. They can be left alone."


    The faint smile was murderous, if not because her deeds were now linked and affected by Yang Dao. She would have done something already. The lady let out a breath and then she walked to the study.


    ...


    Inside the study, a rhythmic clicking sound was echoing. Yang Dai was typing a series of codes on the computer. The boy was immersed. He did not notice when Feng Yun appeared beside him. She knew the boy was going to strike first against Lucius.


    She pulled a chair over and sat down there without disturbing him. Yang Dao was looking for illegal track records of Lucius Mcdouglas on the dark web. This place was not meant for regular people. Only hackers and strong coding experts could access it. Yang Dao was proficient in his coding and tech skills even before he was enrolled in the college.


    The thing about the darknet was, backtracking some shallow sins was easy for those who knew what to look for and how to look for it. It can be said that these shallow and low deeds were like a firefly in the darkness. Yang Dao picked up these fireflies with ease.


    The fireflies were tax evasion records, embezzling fund records, forcing women, blackmailing people, human trafficking. Yang Dao had a cold smile on his face. He spoke, "You really had the guts to challenge me? I will have you down in a week."


    He saved all the data and came out of the dark web. The boy released the information of Fund Embezzling first. The whole process was anonymous. Even if the people in high society knew that it was him. The opponent won''t be able to accuse him.


    Step one; Destroy the righteous night image. This way he will lose the favor of society and people won''t side with him during his struggles. Yang Dao kept on coding, but this time he was working on his language translator. He compiled some of the best dictionaries in the world, then he incorporated them into his program.


    The process was long, but the boy was tireless. Feng Yun watched it all with a smile on her face. She received a message on her phone, Mary had been picked up from the polar regions. She surfed over the net when she spotted that the news released by Yang Dao has already caused a stir, and it was escalating with every passing second.


    The reason was that Yang Dao shared the evidence in a student forum. Young students are all hot-blooded and idealistic. Perfect target audience to scrap someone hypocritical.


    ...


    A student of Social Science was looking at the forum in his free time. Suddenly he saw a folder of files dropped in by an anonymous person. There were many people in the forums who were anonymous and did not like to expose themselves. So, he did not feel it was anything out of place. The folder was named, PHILANTHROPISTS?


    The question mark piqued his curiosity, and the boy clicked the folder open. As soon as he read the data on the files. He circulated it among his friends, and in just thirty minutes the whole course was on fire. One hour and the fire spread to the whole grade. Few more minutes the whole university was set alight.


    The students were enraged.


    [Shame of humanity, Lucius Mcdouglas.]


    [Sinner of faith, Mcdouglas embezzle charity funds.]


    [Knight in shiny armor? Wolf in human skin.]


    [Condemned deeds of Lucius Mcdouglas]


    ...


    The fire spread out in all directions. In just a couple of hours, Lucius Mcdouglas became the headlines for all the wrong reasons. The man was sleeping in his cozy bed, holding a pretty lady in his arms. He woke up to a loud knocking on the bedroom door.


    Lucius frown, he got off his bed and picked up a silk robe from the side, and dressed as he walked towards the door. He opened the door and saw his butler standing in front of him. He asked in an annoyed tone, "What is it, Steven? Is the house on fire?"


    The man was elderly he bowed slightly and said, "Master, Secretary Ian has been calling your phone repeatedly. He said, it was urgent and asked me to disturb you. I apologize to have disturbed your slumber."


    Lucius snorted and said, "You can go back. I will contact him." then he rudely closed the door. The old man sighed and left the place. He was now used to the behavior of this guy.


    Inside the room, Lucius has lost his sleep because if Ian insisted on disturbing his sleep, then it must be something really important. he picked up his phone. Undid the silent mode, he was surprised to see Ian leaving him 15 missed calls.


    He called back and instantly the call was responded to. A male in a panicked voice spoke, "Sir, someone exposed the charity fund embezzlement. Please check the web. It''s all over us, the people are crazy."


    Lucius''s face changed. He did not disconnect the call and quickly check the internet. His news was flashing on the top. He clicked it and saw the records of embezzlement being published in front of the public clearly. All the transactions and things were exposed.


    He said to Ian, "Immediately contact the web companies, suppress it."


    Ian replied, "Yes, I am trying to get in touch with them."


    Lucius snarled, "Feng Yang Dao. I will make you regret it."


    While the two people were busy dealing with the first issue, Yang Dao was sitting in front of his monitor.


    ...


    While Yang Dao was typing in the codes. He received a prompt notification on his monitor. The boy smiled as he mumbled, "Oh, defending so fast? Let''s see how long can you defend."

 Chapter 68: Down Goes Lucius.

    Just as Ian reached an agreement with the web companies, another missile was launched against them.


    ...


    Yang Dao let out a whole bundle of tax evasion documents in the student forum. The fire was even faster this time. A lot of people were paying attention to it. It circulated throughout the city in half an hour. The impact was so high that the tax department swung into action.


    Before sunrise, Lucius had his cash factories sealed and were under inquiry. His staff members were all nabbed as soon as the first ray of light appeared in the sky. Ian called Lucius immediately.


    "Boss, manager Choi, and Manager Luxor. Both of them were arrested by the tax patrol. What do we do? Somehow the tax patrol got a wind of our tax evasion..." his words had not yet dropped and he heard a scream from the other end.


    "WHAT?" Lucius could not believe what he just heard. He immediately followed through, "How is that possible, did you not destroy the paper trail?"


    Ian replied, "I did destroy the paper trail. I told you that it can still be recovered from the network. But you did not believe me. I just checked, someone invaded the company servers last night. I don''t know how much data they copied before the firewall shut them out."


    These two did not know that Yang Dao deliberately left clues. He wanted them to look like fools and accuse him of theft. And this is what happened. Lucius disconnected his call with Ian and immediately called the police chief of Jade city.


    He spoke as soon as the call was connected, "Hello, Chief Balon. Someone invaded my company server last night. I have a strong suspicion that it is Feng Yang Dao. Can you do something about it?"


    The police chief has just woke up and was unaware of the quagmire Lucius was caught up in. Last night he did get to meet Yang Dao at the auction. He was hesitant to jump into this mess. Lucius judged his silence correctly and said, "Cheif, you don''t have to worry about it. That boy said that his sister will stay out of it. You can act. Please arrest him. I will pay you 1 million carat coins."


    The chief was a wage earner. He was tempted but suddenly he had a gut feeling that it was not worth it. If this matter was leaked then it will be a problem. He replied, "I need time to think." and then he disconnected the call.


    Lucius sighed. He was aware that the police chief was a man in need. His mother needed money for a kidney transplant. He was almost assured that the chief will agree. As soon as the chief disconnected the call. His wife rushed at him with a word from his deputy.


    She said, "Deputy Azjhan is here. It seems to be urgent."


    The chief walked out of his room and found his deputy walking around in the living room. He asked, "Kris, what happened?"


    The man replied, "Chief, you are awake. Do you know what happened in the morning?"


    The chief shook his head, Kris replied, "Lucius Mcdouglas embezzled charity fund. He evaded taxes. These two things got the relevant departments in action and they arrested his managers."


    The chief was surprised. He did not expect such a thing to happen. He said, "I just received a call from him. Thankfully, I did not agree, or I would have lost my job as well. What do you? Is that all?"


    The deputy shook his head, "This time this guy is done for. No one is siding with him. The tax department is waiting for an arrest and search warrant but the depart is slow. They first need to extract a confession from the employees."


    The two people were discussing how the police force should react to this issue. Suddenly the chief''s phone buzzed. He picked it up. What he saw made his face pale. On his screen were documents and videos proving that Lucius Mcdouglas, was involved in human trafficking, forced prostitution, black mail. The conversations were all recorded by Ian as a backup plan.


    Yang Dao researched thoroughly. He invaded the company server then he invaded the high designated staff members and TADA. He did not sleep for the whole night but his mnd was still sharp. He made two strikes on Lucius, now the third one is also made. With this, Lucius will go down.


    The chief acted quickly and got himself an arrest warrant. He cooperated with the Tax Patrol. That was it. Soon, the warrants were all sorted and the force departed to nab the culprit before he has time to pull some trick on them.


    ...


    The mansion where Lucuis resided was very luxurious. Normal people were not allowed to enter the premises. The guard on the duty saw a police car appearing, he stopped them with his raised hand.


    The Chief stepped out of the car himself. He said, "We have an arrest warrant named for your master. Also, before you try to stop us, let me tell you that the charges are serious to have him shot to death ten times over. If you people tried to delay, I won''t mind relieving you of your limbs to nab this bastard."


    With that said, he unstrapped the gun holster, with his hand resting on the grip of the gun. This showed his stance and resolve. He was really ready to shoot the security guy to exercise the law. The security guards all exchanged a glance and they let them pass. They were all aware that a job can be found again but life, nay ay.


    The police surrounded the whole mansion and even deployed a chopper to make sure that this guy does not run away. Cheif Balon raaped on the door. After a few seconds a servant opened the door. It was a lady, she was surprised to see the police to be visiting them so early in the morning and also was wondering why the security did not inform them.


    She asked, "How may I help you officer?"


    Chief Balon said, "Miss, please call over Lucius Mcdouglas. We have an arrest warrant for him. I hope you co-operate with us." although his words were calm, his voice carried a chill.


    The maid was shocked to hear what she was just told. She could not process what just happened. The chief glanced at a female cop behind him, the lady in the uniform nodded and then she gently guided the maid to the side. The police team entered the house and after ten minutes Lucius was dragged wearing an underwear.


    The poor fucked happened to be shitting. The cops directly broke the door of the toilet. They first made fun of his shriveled peanut. Then they dragged him in a underwear. The guy was in a shock. He never imagined that Yang Dao even retrieved some evidence that was not even supposed to exist.


    Yang Dao did not give him any chance. It was like a heavenly tribulation. The lightning streaks kept landing on him until he was turned to ashes. First, his image was crushed. Second, his money was seized. Third, his companions left him alone. Now he had nothing. In one night, he fell from cloud 7 to the seventh hell.


    He sat there listless as the police shoved him inside a van. He saw his assistant was also there but he was looking fresh as if he was about to travel. Lucius understood, his assistant had planned to elope and leave him alone in this crisis. But he did not rebuke these actions after all he would have done the same.


    ...


    The boy who did all this was rubbing his eyes and yawning in leisure. Feng Yun sat behind him the whole night. She said, "Young Master, are you sleepy? Should I call your teacher to ask for a leave?"


    Yang Dao shook his head and said, "Sister Yun, today is Sunday. Unlike you, the workaholic person, others get a rest day." the boy let out a chuckle at the end.


    Feng Yun was surprised and she shook her head as she chuckled along with Yang Dao, "Yes, I have lost the concept of work day and rest day."


    Yang Dao said, "How about we both ride bikes today? We can go to some village farms and have fun. I heard from Captain Thomas, there is a village farm on the outskirts of the city. They cook barbeque and host people on Sunday. How about it? Should we go?"


    Feng Yun smiled and said, "Anything you want, Young Master."


    ...


    While the two planned a outing. The news headlines in the whole city, set off a wave among the high society. They all knew that Yang Dao had a intersection with Lucius. They all contacted the big guys in the circle, Goldberg and such. The five former high table members told them how Yang Dao was not unreasonable but a good human being and all.


    The whole circle began to move and settle old accounts. They wanted to avoid ending up like Lucius McDouglas.

 Chapter 69: Unexpected.

    In the morning, while Lucius Mcdouglas was taken down to the precinct by the cops. Yang Dao and Feng Yun were planning for an outing without a care for the world. The boy got dressed and wore sports attire, the girl also wore sports attire. The boy changed the pedals for her. She rode the blue bike, leaving the Silence for Yang Dao.


    After breakfast, the two kept their phones and essentials in their backpacks and after wearing a helmet, gloves, and sunglasses. The two people rode out. The cold days have warmed up a little, but these two were never affected by the season change or anything.


    The reason Feng Yun wore shades was to hide her epic beautiful face, and Yang Dao wore it because it looked good on his angular face. The two people rode bikes in harmony. They were not going too fast or too slow. Thanks to the Sunday, the traffic was sparse as well. Suddenly, Yang Dao recalled the accident victim that day. He spoke, "Sister Yun, how about we visit the hospital too? I helped an old lady a few days ago, maybe she is still in the hospital. How about we check on her?"


    Feng Yun nodded with a smile on her lips. The two people headed to the hospital. On the way, Yang Dao grabbed some fruits. The two people came to a cycle stand and parked both the bikes there and left. Imagine if you were riding a billion dollar bike. Would you have the guts to park it on a public cycle stand?


    Thank goodness Feng Yun had shadow security. So the valuables were safe. The two people leisurely entered the hospital. On the reception counter, Yang Dao asked a genial-looking nurse, "Excuse me, Ma''am, can you tell me if the old lady who came here after a car accident has been discharged?"


    The nurse looked up at his smiling face and said, "Do you not know her name? We have three old patients here, who were involved in a car accident."


    Yang Dao scratched the back of his head. He said, "I only rescued her, did not ask the name. The police captain was here as well. Can you check? Her credentials must have been registered after the treatment."


    The nurse was surprised, then she smiled and said, "So, you are talking about Madam Elena. She is about to be discharged, she is actually a tourist here. You can find her in ward number 51, fifth floor, left-hand side."


    Yang Dao thanked her and left with Feng Yun. The nurse sighed to herself, ''Such a handsome little guy.''


    The two people took the elevator and arrived on the fifth floor. They easily located the room mentioned by the nurse. Yang Dao took the lead and knocked on the door.


    "Venient in." a husky feminine voice sounded from the room. Yang Dao glanced at Feng Yun in confusion. These words were unknown to him, so he did not know the meaning. Feng Yun nodded to him and the two people walked inside.


    On the bed sat an old lady. On the side of the bed, a bag was placed. The old lady asked, "Quomodo i auxilium vobis?"


    Yang Dao was surprised, Feng Yun smiled and said, "Young Master, the lady seems to be a native of the Freedom Country. She is speaking in the native language."


    Yang Dao asked, "Can you understand her?"


    Feng Yun shook her head. She only knew some basic words and was not proficient in communication. Yang Dao suddenly thought of something and he took out his mobile phone. A remote uplink connected him with the computer at home and started the translation application he coded for last night.


    He spoke on his phone, "Hello, I am the person who rescued you a few days ago. I just wanted to check how you were doing."


    "Salve, ego homo qui liberavit vos abhinc paucos dies. EGO iustus volo sisto tibi faciebant" a mechanical sound came from his mobile. The old lady was surprised. She smiled and said, "Gratias tibi, adulescens."


    Her voice was recorded on the mobile phone and then the same mechanical voice sounded, "Thank you, Young man." the two people were excited. This was the first time that Yang Dao tested the software he wrote. The boy was very excited and the two people kept on chatting. During the conversation, they discovered that the old lady was here for a tour with her granddaughter.


    Her granddaughter was a Pop Idol in freedom country. They were here to talk about contracts with Sparkle Entertainments. That day she was bored and wanted to take a ride but, as she was driving her blood pressure suddenly fluctuated and led to the present scene.


    As the three people were talking, a girl came inside the room. She was surprised to see the two unexpected guests in the room. She was about to ask who they were but her grandmother made the introduction before things go sour.


    The girl bowed to Yang Dao deeply as she said, "Thank you for saving, nana. You have my gratitude."


    Yang Dao was embarrassed and said, "It''s okay, I was there by conincidence. Please raise your head." he let out a chuckle. Feng Yun knew that Yang Dao was feeling shy in front of the teenage idol. The girl was exquisite. The thing about Feng Yun was that she was Yang Dao''s own person, and the two treated each other as siblings, but this girl was different. She was good-looking and gentle in temperament.


    The girl was named Jelena Riaz. She had auburn hair, big eyes, a cute little button nose complemented by fuller fish lips. She was like a doll. Her complexion was slightly dusky, but the skin was smooth like porcelain. Feng Yun asked her, "What grade contract are they offering you in Sparkle Entertainment?"


    Jelena thought that the lady in front of her was related to the industry she replied with a self-deprecating smile, "They came up with a C grade offer. I cannot accept that so the negotiations were foiled."


    Yang Dao asked, "Would you like to be the spoke person for my company?"


    Jelena was surprised. She asked, "May I ask, what is the name of your company?"


    Feng Yun replied, "You can search, Feng Yang Dao and Feng Yun on the net. You will get the answer." she manipulated the words, because if Yang Dao told her that his company was just established. She was an Idol might look down on him. Which should not happen at any cost?


    Jelena nodded, took out her mobile, and looked up the information of the two people. She was shocked when she read that Feng Yun was the owner of Phoenix Group. While Yang Dao was her younger brother. These two were worth Billions if not trillions.


    She took a deep breath to calm down and asked, "May I ask what is the product?"


    Yang Dao smiled as he replied, "Insta-late. A multi-functional translation software. It is written by my company. The purpose is to help people understand the native language of the foreign places they visit. Other features such a document translation and editing are also available but they will be of limited use until the people buy premium membership at 100 bucks in their currency. I will keep it equal for them all."


    He and the girl talked among each other about the product and what the girl needed to do for promotion. Feng Yun was busy talking to the old lady who kept praising her beauty.


    After agreeing on a meeting the day after. The two people were sent out by Jelena. It was now time for a ride. The two were going to visit the country farm and have some barbeque.


    ...


    In a building 10 kilometers away some people were sitting together in a circle. They were looking at something in front of them. A mobile phone was placed in the center and a scrambled voice sounded, "The target is out. You have 2 hours to complete the extraction. Don''t leave any traces of the intrusion."


    The voice came to a halt. The 6 people in the room stood up. One of them spoke, "Let''s go."


    These people were all similar in the physique. They were all people from New Dawn. They were tasked with something very important this time. As soon as the leader spoke, they all headed out.


    ...


    After an hour of riding the bikes, Yang Dao and Feng Yun, both arrived at a farm. There were few people at this moment. The boy parked the bike and excitedly came over to the counter to place a barbeque order. Feng Yun asked him to try a glass of beer as well. He was an adult, and some indulgence was necessary.


    As the two were eating, Yang Dao suddenly looked away in distance, as if searching for something. Feng Yun noticed his peculiarity and sensed around. She found something wrong. So she said, "Young Master, do you sense someone staring at you?"


    Yang Dao nodded as he kept looking in that direction. Feng Yun nodded at this with a smile. She said, "This is your instinct. You can actually watch who is looking at you after you step into the third stage."


    Yang Dao turned to her abruptly, "Sister Yun, what is the third stage?"


    Feng Yun smiled and said, "I will tell you when we get home." the boy nodded and focus on eating his food. Suddenly he felt the world turning dark. While he was looking at the horizon, Feng Yun spilled a medicine in his food.


    As soon as she supported the unconscious Yang Dao, she said in a cold voice, "You cockroaches disturbed the meal of my young master. I will make sure you regret it." Her pupil changed color. They turned red. The chair and table around her melted in an instant.


    Her hair was flying with no wind blowing. She held Yang Dao in her arms, preventing him from experiencing the heat. Her voice turned ethereal, "COME OUT."

 Chapter 70: Rage Of the Phoenix.

    Feng Yun held an unconscious Yang Dao in her hands and spat out in a cold voice, "Come Out."


    Six figures appeared around her. The leader spoke, "You should cooperate with us. Otherwise, the child in your hands is bound to suffer."


    Feng Yun raised her eyebrow. She said, "Do you bugs of New Dawn think you can touch the hair of my Young Master, while I am present. You are wrong, so wrong." the chill in her voice was higher but the heat in the surrounding was also increasing with every passing second.


    These people were sent here to abduct Feng Yun. Yang Dao was the lure but since the target was out on her own, he was not needed. They would just kill him. Well, at least that is what they thought.


    One of the assailants attacked Feng Yun from the side. The lady snorted and a geyser of fire erupted from the ground below the assailant. The geyser was as thin as a needle, it penetrated his forehead. The man did not stop, as he took the next step a geyser as thick as the man erupted. This time his whole person was engulfed in hot lava.


    He did not even have the time to scream when his body vaporized. The other five people took a step back in caution. How could the enraged phoenix let them go so easily? She stomped her feet and the whole ground turned into a lava river. The people were stuck in a hot fiery quagmire. which kept erasing them slowly.


    The leader gritted his teeth as he said, "You will be captured, Phoenix. The dawn will come, and with it, your fall will arrive." everything below his neck was already vaporized. He was dead now. Feng Yun glanced at Yang Dao in her arms as she sighed, "These people might come to hurt you again. Today I will clean up the whole nation for you, Young Master."


    She took back the lava pond, and a figure arrived in front of her. The figure was also a girl but she had white hair and a dainty physique, a fabled loli. She said, "Third Sister, I apologize, we were late in tracking these scum."


    Feng Yun glanced at her with a cold gaze. She said, "I forgive your mistakes but that doesn''t mean I will keep doing that. If today, Young Master suffered even a scratch, I will turn this whole world to ashes. Including you three."


    Feng Yun seemed very gentle but once enraged she won''t calm down so soon. The loli simply looked down on the ground without refuting her. She was wrong in the matters that took place today. Feng Yun spoke, "Get your man to deliver the bikes home, I am taking your car. You have one hour, find me all the new dawn bugs and their holes. I am going to squash them myself. Did you get that?"


    The loli nodded and took out the car keys. She handed them to Feng Yun. Her eyes were filled with rage. She hated new dawn. First, they were about to harm her Young master. Second, they attacked her third sister. Third, it was because of them her sister was so angry. She stood at the spot glanced at the carbonized scenery, they left the place with a stomp.


    Soon the area recovered its lush green grass and trees. The loli took out her phone and called some people. Then she got a reply within ten minutes, all the lists were of New Dawn people. She called her people. They took the bikes back to Sapphire lake residency.


    Feng Yun drove the car on the asphalt like crazy. Her speed was way too high for the speed limit but when the people saw it was a military vehicle they did not dare chirp. The girl reached back to the house in30 minutes. She gently tucked in Yang Dao and left a note below the alarm clock on the side table.


    The note said, "Gone out for work, will be back by dinner."


    She came out of the house and found two men in uniform standing there. They saluted her and said, "Major Feng." yes, that was the beauty''s second identity. Major in the elemental forces of the nation. She nodded and said, "Even a fly is not to go inside the house. If not I will have your heads as an apology."


    The two people nodded and saluted the enraged beauty. Feng Yun asked, "The info?"


    The man on the left gave her a booklet. The booklet contained all the names and addresses of the New Dawn people. She read the first address and then left the building. She did not take a car this time. She jumped up to the sky when she reached the terrace and a pair of lava red fire wings sprouted from her back. The wings were very pretty as if they were really wings. These wings were made of mana.


    The wings flapped and with a solid thrust her figure flew out to the location of the first address. Feng Yun was going to annihilate the whole New Dawn forces in the Jewel Nation. She was not alone. The spirit of the wind, azure dragon. The spirit of the water, the black turtle. The spirit of the earth, the white tiger. All started to take any action against the New Dawn forces.


    The efficiency was frightening. In two hours they killed more than 600 people. All the people were strong men of the new dawn. They were all able to get hired in a prominent company and then use it as a cover. They were like cockroaches, almost everywhere. The nation had turned one eye closed and the other eye opens as long as they don''t do anything bog.


    The only mistake was to provoke Feng Yun and threatened her Young Master. While the four spirits were busy killing people, Yang Dao woke up.


    He stretched and Yawned. In his memory, he was eating barbeque and suddenly he fell asleep. The boy shook his head and sighed, "I need to get more fit."


    Then he got off the bed and started to cook some food for himself. Then his eyes fell on the table, he picked up a note. The boy shook his head again and muttered, "Work all day long. What do I with her."

 Chapter 71: Shocking the teachers.

    The door of the house was opened when Yang Dao just sat down at the dining table. He quickly stood up and saw Feng Yun closing the door silently. He walked up to her and squinted his eyes as he said, "You promised not to work today."


    Feng Yun did not expect him to wake up so soon. Guess she did not realize the recovery capability of Yang Dao''s physique. She smiled apologetically and said, "I apologize Young Master, but something really urgent came up. You fell asleep while you were eating. So, I took you home. I did not expect you to wake up before I come back."


    Yang Dao snorted, said, "You are punished to eat the food I made." then he held her jade wrist and took her to the dining table. Made her sit in his chair and started to serve her. Feng Yun immediately waved her hand in panic. How could she let her Young Master attend to her?


    Yang Dao smiled and said, "What? Could it be that the Dao Child is not affected by the ledger of Karma? You take care of me so much, in return, if I cannot even serve you, then will it not be a violation of Dao? You take care of me and I look out for you, this balance among us is what is dao. A familiar spirits Dao is to look after the master while the master should also follow his Dao of responsibility towards the spirits." his voice was soft and warm.


    He spoke after a pause, "Even if you are the big grandmaster of elementals and cannot fall sick. Some stress accumulation is still possible. What are you gawking at Sister Yun? Eat, you big beauty." with a cheerful tone he picked up a spoon and fed Feng Yun some soup.


    Feng Yun finally woke up from her stupor as the sweet and sour soup enwrapped her tongue. Her eyes sparkled as the subtle blend of tastes overtook her. Yang Dao fed her with a spoon in his hands. The entire time his face had a gentle smile smeared on it. To him, Feng Yun was his family, an elder sister who did not know how to take care of herself.


    After the meal, the beauty was asked to sleep while the boy went inside his study. Tonight he was going to finish the coding of ''Insta-late''. The naming sense was terrible but according to human psychology. People pay more attention to weird things. So this way he was sure to have an impact on the market.


    Fingers turned into after images as the speed increased after some initial warming up. The eyes were moving in correspondence with the flickering characters on the monitor. Yang Dao was just debugging the BETA version he tested in the hospital while adding some new features. The whole process lasted for a couple of hours.


    ...


    The next morning, Yang Dao was dressed in his usual college attire and after an energy-filled meal with Feng Yun, he left the house while Feng Yun left for her office as well. She also had to meet Jelena today. Yang Dao was riding his bike Silence today. The time of commute was reduced significantly. Today the boy was going to submit his software to Professor Dew and ask her to get it tested among the special cultural exchange students. Except for the Crypto nation, every nation sent students outside for a harmonious exchange.


    The boy was a talk on the campus. His contagious smile made almost every girl feel their heart flutter. But none would approach to talk to him, a halo of Feng Yun''s younger brother acted as both the sword and the shield for him.


    He arrived at the staff room, a lot of teachers would gather here in their free time. He knocked on the door, after someone asked, "Who is it?"


    Yang Dao peeked in and replied, "Apologies for the disturbance sir, may I know if Professor Dew is here?"


    Kylie Dew was having her morning tea when she heard someone looking for her. She sensed that the voice was familiar. Then she said, "Come in."


    Yang Dao walked inside and first, he greeted every teacher present in the room. Almost all the teachers inside knew him, this boy was taking on two major courses and two minor courses at the same time. Who would not know him? Professor Dew asked him, "Student Dao, what is it?"


    Yang Dao took out a portable hard disk and said, "Semester protect submission, Professor."


    Everyone was surprised. You know one semester would be six months long and now it has been only 20 days or so and this guy is already submitting one? Is this a joke? Professor Dew almost spewed out the tea in her mouth. She said after gulping it in, "Student Dao are you sure it is done? I will deduct your marks if it is half-assed."


    Yang Dao asked with confusion, "Why would it be half-assed? You can test the program yourself. If then rank it." his eyes had no flicker of hesitation. The professor was convinced. She said, "You will wait here, I will check it right now. If it is not up to the mark then you will be flunked in my course."


    Yang Dao nodded slightly. He was not afraid of failure. The teacher connected the Hard disk to the computer on her table and quickly ran the software after a scan. A small floating cloud appeared in the bottom right corner of the screen. The cursor move and the lady clicked on the cloud. A mini prompt box appeared in front of her.


    She glanced at everyone in the room and asked one of the foreign guardian teacher, to help her test the effectiveness of the program. The teacher nodded and spoke some words in his native tongue. To everyone''s surprise, the translation was returned almost instantly and it was perfect. The foreign teacher was excited he said, "This product can ease a lot of trouble of the exchange students who are not capable of fluid communication."


    Yang Dao replied, "The mobile version will be launched soon, you can ask the higher-ups of the university to equip all the computers with this software but outside the college, you will need to use the mobile app. My company will be presenting it to the market soon."


    His words made the people bewildered for a second. They recalled that this boy is Feng Yun''s brother. It was normal for him to have a company of his own.

 Chapter 72: The Military Training.

    Yang Dao came out of the staff room with a big sunny smile. The guardian teachers all just told him that they would be recommending his software to be used in the consulate of their nations. This was like an order. An advance order. The boy picked up his phone and called Feng Yun.


    The call was attended by a person he had not seen recently, that''s right, Mary was back in her Perfect Secretary role. She picked up the call and before Yang Dao could say anything she said, "Hello, good morning Young Master. Can you wait for a moment, I will get President Feng on the call right away."


    Yang Dao was surprised but he did not have a rebuke for it after all he did call Feng Yun. Mary acted impolitely and pushed open the door of the conference room, with no care regarding the indignant eyes she said to Feng Yun, "Young Master is on call." and the phone was extended towards her with both hands. If not for the three other people being present Feng Yun Would have laughed at her friend.


    She took the call and spoke in a warm tone, "Hello, young master what is it?"


    Yang Dao replied, "Sister Yun, the translator is done as you know. Just now when I was submitting it to the Professor, she called some foreign guardian teachers to test. The volunteers were happy with the software and they told me that they will be recommending it to their consulates to use it. So, I wanted to ask you. Can you ask an intern manager at your company to come and work at my place? I am going to apply for a 5 million carat coin student business support fund."


    Feng Yun asked, "Are we short on money? Why do you ask for the loan?" her expression was that of a wronged kitten. The three clients were mesmerized by this. Sensing their gazes Feng Yun turned the chair to face the other direction.


    Yang Dao replied, "No, we have a lot of money but I want to make a name for myself on my own. Please? See did I not ask for an intern from your office?" his soft voice was toxin to Feng Yun. She would fall into a trance every time he did that. The big beauty finally agreed and the call disconnected.


    Feng Yun spoke to Mary, "Select our best company manager intern. Send the person to work at my brother''s place. Also, call Brad Mcqueen, that old man is too laid back. Tell him if my brother''s loan application is not sanctioned. Then I will have his position given to a better person." her cold words were filled with dominance.


    Mary rushed outside and the three people sitting opposite Feng Yun were surprised. They did not expect that the iceberg in front of them was actually a volcano. She glanced at them with her eyes full of rage, said, "I will not be negotiating with you three next time. I will just spend a little more and dig all your staff and artists. Then close your company and have you visited by some people when you are asleep. Get that?"


    The three people were scared. Feng Yun was lying, don''t tell me you expected her to become the richest in the nation with just her work skills? Some crookedness is needed to reach such standing in society.


    The three people in front of her were the shareholders of Sparkle Entertainment. Feng Yun offered to buy out their shares and merge the company with True Art Productions. Her own production house. Since they were riding the high horse she did not mind telling them that they can be crushed like ants.


    The threat worked and the three people agreed. They signed the contract and the procedure was finished. Feng Yun then asked Mary to get some to contact Jelena Costa and they will sign a contract with her. The contract will start with a b grade one. Her accommodation and the rest were to be reimbursed by them.


    The planning for the great launch has now kicked off. Yang Dao will make his entrepreneur debut in a month. Feng Yun was looking forward to how the Young Master will grow. But before he takes a step into the biz world. He has to go through mandatory Military training. Learn martial arts, gun fighting, survival skills, etc. Although elementalists don''t use guns, it was not a problem to use one when you need to hide your identity.


    ...


    In college, Yang Dao was attending classes peacefully. The class finished and he was ready to pack his books and leave when Kiya stood up from her seat and climbed the podium. She clapped her hands twice and said, "Hey everyone, as per the notification issued by the college. I would like to remind you all to prepare yourself with some essentials so that you can live in the barracks for the next month. During Military training, no one is allowed to leave the campus grounds until it is an emergency. Also, young masters in the back, although you guys have corrected yourself to some extent. Please don''t lose control in front of the instructors. They have the right to break limbs in training you. The last thing, you all are to report back to the college before 10 PM tonight."


    With that said the girl got down from the podium, flashed a smile to Yang Dao, and left the class. Icarus on the side spoke, "Dao, what do you think? Our instructor will be male or female?"


    Yang Dao replied, "I don''t know. Also, why do you always worry about their gender?"


    Icarus sighed and shook his head as he said, "You heavenly child. May lord forget me for corrupting you."


    The two people packed up their books and left while bantering. The cycling club allowed the first-year members exemption from practice for a month. The boys did a practice run and then they headed home only to come back. Yang Dao went home, called Feng Yun, "Sister Yun, I will be in the college dorm for a month. Who would look after the house?"


    Feng Yun said, "You can lock your room and the study young master, I will have Luna arrange for a weekly cleaning team for both floors. As for security, that will be taken care of as well."


    Yang Dao disconnected the call after a small conversation regarding how the whole day was. Feng Yun smiled as she disconnected the call.


    In front of her sat a beautiful girl. Her long white hair was spread like a shawl. She had a smile on her face. Feng Yun said, "Don''t be too hard on him in the beginning. Just increase the pace slowly, he will catch up."


    The girl nodded, "I know, don''t worry. Also, you told me his instincts have started to sharpen?"


    Feng Yun nodded... The two girls kept talking about Yang Dao and his growth plan.


    ...


    Crypto nation, underground research facility, a giant screen was flashing with red characters. A Young Man was staring at it calmly. He mumbled, "Looks like, the plan will be delayed now. Let''s get back to work."


    The man was Omega, or his enhanced version to be precise. This place was the headquarters of New Dawn. The reason they could reside in the Crypto nation like this was that the government had a lot of their pawns.


    The plan the man was talking about was to take over the Jewel Nation. Sadly his guinea pigs were all eliminated by Feng Yun and the other 3 people.


    ...


    The next morning, Yang Dao and the rest of the first years gathered at the training grounds behind the college. They were all wearing a standard military uniform, provided to them by the college. They were waiting for the instructor to arrive.

 Chapter 73: Laohu Bai.

    The students were all dressed in army uniforms. Some were goofing around while some were clicking pictures. Kiya wanted all of them to stand up in queues but she achieved no effect. This was not a classroom after all. She came to Yang Dao and Icarus who were standing together bantering.


    She said with an aggrieved tone, "You guys help me, please. We are the so-called elite class but the discipline is so wayward. It''s shame full. The instructor will give us a low score."


    Yang Dao sighed and said, "We can try." he glanced at Icarus and said, "Deter them you rich punk."


    Icarus rebuked him, "Hey, you are richer than me. Go make some effort for a change you laid back rascal."


    Yang Dao was then pushed forward. The boy glanced at the crowd, thought for a bit. He said, "Who wants to date Icarus?"


    A lot of girls were attracted. Yang Dao went on, "The best girl in the whole training will get to go out with him. Do you guys agree?"


    Icarus was handsome, plus he was rich. Which girl did not want to date him? So a lot of girls cheered, "YES!"


    Yang Dao nodded and continued speaking, "So be at your best behavior and do not slack off. As for the guys. If you guys want to stop this from happening, make sure to rank over Icarus in the training. I will treat you all to a meal after the training is done."


    The boys were also fired up. They cheered, "HO"


    Just when Yang Dao was about to get back to the crowd a girl asked, "Student Dao. What if someone wants to date you?"


    This sentence sent a wave of murmurs among the girls. It was Sasha, who asked the question. Yang Dao smiled but he did not know how to answer this question. Kiya was also waiting for his answer. Suddenly they all heard a stern voice, "Seems like this year''s batch has no sense of discipline."


    From behind the crowd, five people walked over. They were all wearing military attire. It was obvious that they were the instructors this year. At the helms of the group was a lady with white hair. Her face had a certain charm about it. Sharp big eyes, straight slender eyebrows, a small button nose, puckered lips. She walked like a cat, her feet falling in a straight line making her hips sway a bit.


    The woman wore a military camouflage uniform, a tilted red beret over her head. The uniform was paired with high ankle boots. On the shoulders rested an epaulet with 3 diamonds and a tiger. Her rank was that of a general. Some of the informed ones shared the info in whispers.


    The boys were all fascinated but they did not dare to ogle for too long, because behind her were two men and two women. They were also commander-level officers. The lady spoke as she walked toward Yang Dao, "My name is Laohu Bai. You will all address me as Chief Instructor. Questions?"


    Yang Dao was stunned from the moment he heard her voice. It was a sensation similar to when he met Feng Yun. As if he had known this lady for a long time. The lady was now in front of him. She spoke with a smile, "Do you like to stand out cadet? If so, give me 100 push-ups."


    Yang Dao did not ask the reason, military rules, superior''s words are a heavenly mandate. He dropped down on the ground and started to do a hundred push-ups. His pace was well controlled. Suddenly just as he was done with ten push-ups he felt the weight increase by a ton. He heard his classmates gasp collectively.


    The Chief Instructor spoke up in a leisurely manner, "Now the introductions have been made. You all have one identity, Cadets. I have one identity, the chief instructor. The four people will be your instructors. They will teach you strategy, close combat, gun fighting, and also Army Discipline. Within one month, I will ask your names if you are worthy enough. Otherwise, you will all stay cadets all your life."


    She stepped down from Yang Dao''s back and asked him to stand up. The boy followed the command. The lady in white hair said, "Join the ranks of your classmates."


    Yang Dao saluted her and stood up in the queue. She spoke, "If you ever want to speak, then before speaking you will say ''Report''. Understood?"


    Yang Dao gulped and said, "YES SIR."


    His voice was in sync with the rest. The lady nodded and said, "First to understand how much pressure you can endure. You all will be wearing these 50 kg weights on your shoulders and then you are to run around the field until you drop. You have 10 seconds to start. Those who fail to start in 10 seconds will not receive a meal. Your time starts  NOW."


    Yang Dao ran to the place where the weights were placed. He was a regular at the gym and his fitness was supported by the physique of the Dao Child. He did not waste time tying the weight on his shoulders. He picked it up put it over and ran to the field. He cannot tie it properly in ten seconds, so might as well start running first and tie it in while running.


    The plan worked, he reached the field when 8 seconds have passed. The boy started at a slow pace as he tied the heavyweight pads with the hooks passing through his underarm. Then he started running. On the side of the track, he noticed one of the instructors was busy noting down the time they took for a lap.


    Yang Dao''s speed was slow at the start but as he progressed his speed increased to that of a normal man jogging in the park. by now 12 people have given up. They were all now kneeling on the side. This was something Yang Dao hated. He would never kneel. His spirits were flared and his footsteps quickened.


    In his mind only the track was left, the whole world seemed to have blurred. Suddenly he was overcome with a sense of crisis and dived down. He rolled and stood up from the ground. His vision cleared and he saw the chief instructor in front of him. She had just landed on the ground after completing a roundhouse kick.


    The two people were now quite far from the rest. She said, "I tried to call your name, but you did not listen. Also, what is up with your eyes. Kepp that gaze down, Cadet."


    Yang Dao replied, "Report."


    The chief Instructor raised her eyebrow and asked, "What is it?"


    Yang Dao replied, "Only those who do shameful things lower their gaze. I did not do anything of that sort." his words could be translated as FUCK YOU.


    The chief instructor chuckled as she spoke, "Sister Yun told me that you are not to be underestimated. Seems like she was, right. But I am a tiger, Young Master. You will have to win me by force."


    Yang Dao was surprised but he regained his composure and said, "I will try my best. Chief Instructor." with that said he charged forward.

 Chapter 74: The Earth Spirit Messed Up.

    Yang Dao charged forward, but just as Laohu Bai thought he would take the initiative the boy stopped. The defense move she had prepared never came into play. Yang Dao dropped to the ground. Supported himself with his hands and his right leg swiped at the lady from the side like a whip.


    The lady slightly jumped to dodge. The boy did not come a full circle with the whip, but rolled over while he pushed himself off with his hands and his left leg shot. It looked like a roundhouse kick, but the performer was tilted in his position. Laohu Bai used her arms to defend and retreated. Yang Dao stood in front of her with a smirk on his face.


    The lady smiled at him. She charged forward at an extremely high speed. Yang Dao''s pupil dilated he hurriedly jumped left, from his right a powerful punch brushed out. The boy dodged some attacks, some attackers were blocked. He knew he cannot match the chief instructor in strength and speed.


    That is when it clicked to him. The air around was moving along with the lady''s movements. So Yang Dao sensed the surrounding airflow. His defense suddenly shot up. The boy acted as if he was a robot. His speed also increased when he used the air element to boost his body. After one minute, he counterattacked as well.


    The fists collided, legs collided. Thankfully the lady held back her strength otherwise Yang Dao would have lost his limbs already. Suddenly Yang Dao sensed a fist aimed at his temples. His left hand gripped the firm left wrist of the lady. He moved from under her left arm while his grip was latched onto her wrist. The next moment Yang Dao stood behind the lady with her left hand held behind her back.


    She wanted to use her right elbow, but Yang Dao had already taken a hold of it. She suddenly moved toward the back of her. It smashed right into Yang Dao''s face. The tingling sensation made him loosen his grip and retreat. The boy had watery eyes. The lady charged at him. She was lost in the heat of battle and did not notice that the surrounding air has picked up the pace.


    Yang Dao took a boxing stance. His elbows tucked in while his fists guarded his chin. His sharp gaze locked onto the girl who was charging at him. She jabbed at his head, the boy weaved, his left fist shot out when he ducked under her fist. The punch connected with the girl''s ribcage.


    THUMP.


    Yang Dao has been holding back too. He may not have any combat experience, but he was not a noob. If he is angered, then he will retaliate. the head butt just now flared up his anger, and he let go of any hesitation. The punch was heavy; it made the girl grimace a bit before she countered. A kick landed on her right side.


    The girl did not have a tight guard like Yang Dao; the kick hit her arm firmly. Yang Dao took a step forward and started jabbing at her. The whole time his abdomen was locked perfectly, he was standing on his toes with his knees slightly bent. The girl moved in when Yang Dao''s punch retracted.


    The boy was right now following his instincts; he dodged and weaved through her punches. Suddenly, the girl slowed down in his punch. Yang Dao wanted to follow in, but he knew it was bait. He will be done if he follows. Maintaining his stance he kept on fighting and thirty seconds later the girl threw a punch at him, Yang Dao dodged it and immediately his right fist followed.


    THUMP!


    Yang Dao''s punch connected with the girl''s temple. She was stunned for a second. Yang Dao charged. His left jab landed on her nose. The same left hand gave her a hook punch. She almost lost her bearings. Next moment Yang Dao''s right fist landed right at her diaphragm. This punch knocked out her breath.


    Yang Dao did not quit he grappled her arms and made her fall down on the ground. The lady sighed, "Young Master, if not for the case that you don''t know how to absorb elemental energy, I would have lost."


    Yang Dao replied, "Not lost, I would have broken your arm thrice by now. Also, that head butt was a cheap move. I expected something better from you." he was extremely dissatisfied with her. He let go of her hand and stood up. The girl also stood up, but Yang Dao walked away with his eye locked onto her. It was as if he was worried that she might take a shot as soon as he turns around.


    The girl was stunned. She did not expect that the effect of her head butt would be an angry Young Master. She really underestimated his nature. In a panic, she dialed Feng Yun''s phone. The call connected and Feng Yun asked, "How was it?"


    The girl gulped and retold the whole incident that she was just playing a prank when she said she would need to conquer her. Things were okay in the beginning, but then the girl kind of head-butted him and the young master became serious. Now he just left with a disappointed gaze. She asked, "Third Sister, please help me. How do I make it up to the Young Master?"


    Feng Yun was irritated. She scolded, "I told you, not to be playful last night, but you don''t listen, do you? I don''t care how you make it up to him. But if he is not happy by the evening, I will shave your head bald." With these words, the call was disconnected.


    The girl in the military uniform kept standing there as if she lost her life when she suddenly thought of an idea and took a sigh of relief. She mumbled, "Young Master, I will make it up to you."


    With a firm resolve of pleasing her Young Master. The girl in military uniform walked back to the crowd. While fighting, she had deployed a big barrier to isolate and conceal the truth from the rest. Now we will have to see how can she make it up to Yang Dao.

 Chapter 75: Chad Eldest.

    After Yang Dao came back to the crowd he stood in the middle of the crowd intentionally. He wanted to avoid the chief Instructor. He did not like her ''cheap'' move. To be honest, during spars such moves were not called for. Yet Laohu Bai used it on him without any restraints. It displayed her frivolous temperament.


    If the spirits can demand the Dao Child to conquer them then why can Yang Dao not peg them down a notch? He also has standards regarding the people in his life. Feng Yun had raised the bar a little too high for the other familiar spirits. The boy did not hesitate to show his dissatisfaction regarding the way Laohu Bai conducted herself.


    Laohu Bai came back to the crowd, her eyes carried a tint of guilt within. She gestured the commanders under her, to let them start the training. The males stepped forward, and one of them said, "I am Commander Talen. You will address me as Instructor Talen. I will be responsible for teaching you survival skills."


    The second male followed him, "I am Commander Victor. You can call me instructor Vic. I am responsible for teaching you mountain climbing, rafting, and paragliding." the man had a cheery smile on his face.


    After them, the two girls stepped forward, the first one spoke, "I will teach you military combat. You will address me as Instructor Lin." her cold voice scared the students.


    The second girl stepped up, "You guys will learn Gun Fighting from me, you can call me Instructor Kaya." she had a sweet voice and a sunny feel about her.


    Talen spoke up, "The training will be divided into two parts. You will learn survival skills every night from me. The site will be the forest garden behind the university. You will be living in the forest from now on. Except for meals and morning classes. You are not allowed to leave the forest. Questions?"


    None spoke, Instructor talent nodded as he stepped back. Instructor Victor stepped forward and said, "You will be learning Adventure sports from me, then martial arts, and finally gunfighting. Once every three days. Questions?"


    Yang Dao spoke, "Report."


    Victor nodded, Yang Dao asked, "Sir, what is the reason behind learning survival skills for a longer duration than the others?"


    Victor smiled as he replied, "In a war, those who live longer have a greater chance to turn the table. Thus, we implied this training method."


    Yang Dao spoke up again, "Report."


    Victor was surprised and nodded, the boy spoke up, "Permission to speak freely, sir."


    Victor spat, "Granted."


    Yang Dao asked, "Sir, if a coward is left alive on the battlefield, then he would defect the forces for the winning side. It does not matter whether you live longer or not. What matters is that your life made a difference. On the battlefield, to survive one needs to fight. To fight you need to be strong. Strength only comes from body training. I apologize if I spoke out of term, Sir."


    His words shook the four people. They did not expect a college student to speak like this. Just when Talen was about to step up. Laohu Bai stepped forward. She said, "What the student said is correct. You all will be living in the forest but only for your lessons. If you cannot survive in the face of an enemy then you should die. This does not mean that you will not be given the survival lessons. The lessons will be held regularly. But before you learn survival in the forest, you will all have to complete a set of physical drills and also an obstacle course. Questions?"


    Yang Dao saluted and stepped back in his ranks. Talen spoke, "You 60 people will be divided into two groups of 30 each. Each group will have a squad leader. At the end of the training, the best squad will be given a reward. You can start from the left row, you say ''A'' and ''B''. Those who say A can step out to the left while those with B can step to the right. Start."


    The training field rang out with the shouts of A and B. The group of 60 people was quickly divided. Instructor Talen spoke, "You all now decide among yourself. Who will be your squad leader?"


    Students discussed among themselves, Icarus was selected to be the squad leader of the B squad. Yang Dao''s name was pushed forward to lead Squad A. This time he did not put up any protest, his temperament has changed. Now, he did not mind whether he is low-key or high-key. All he cared about was the peace of his mind. If accepting this title can make the rest, grow along with him. Then why not?


    Instructor Talen said, "Squad Leaders, step forward."


    Icarus and Yang Dao stepped forward, they both were handed two armbands. Both were the same color except for the marking of A and B. The hulky commander spoke in a deep voice, "I hope that the two squad leaders keep it in mind that it is a friendly competition. Help each other grow. Question?"


    They shook their heads and stepped back after a salute. Talen said again, "You sixty are just one class among the dozens of classes. In the last week of the training session, we will hold friendly games. They will be based on your training. So learn well."


    The students all replied, "SIR, YES, SIR."


    With that done, Lin took them to the open area asked them to form a circle, the shorter ones in the front while the taller ones in the back. She was introducing the basic definition and uses of martial arts. The students all heard attentively. That was because Lin was not only a girl, but she was a beautiful one at that.


    ...


    As the students were learning, Laohu Bai''s phone buzzed. She sighed when the identity of the caller was found. She picked up that call in a despondent manner. From the other side, a deep silky voice sounded. The person asked, "Xiao Bai, what did you do to make Yunyun so angry?"


    Laohu Bai spoke in an aggrieved tone, "Eldest, I tested Young Master, and during the test, I lost myself in the heat of the moment."


    The man spoke, "I told you many times to give up your simpleton mindset. But you never listened to me. Did you? Now tell me what was the test?"


    Laohu Bai replied, "Martial arts sparring..." she then narrated the whole thing, making the caller sigh. He said, "Acknowledging the mistake is half the penance. Meet the Young Master, apologize. The rest is up to him. You do know that once you meet him in person if you do not have him acknowledge you. You will return to your source."


    Laohu Bai sighed, "Yes, Eldest, I know. I will."


    The man on the other side said, "You have all the skills worthy of being a familiar spirit, but your arrogance, is what holds you back. We are the beings given birth by the will of the heavens, while he is the will of the heavens incarnated into a human. Think about it. Is ur arrogance worth it in front of him?"


    Laohu Bai shook her head, "No."


    The two people chatted for a bit more before the other party said, "Oh, I forgot to ask you something important in all this."


    Laohu Bai asked, "What is it eldest?"


    The man asked, "Did Young Master, spank your fluffy rump?" without hearing the answer he disconnected the call.


    Laohu Bai was stunned, then a vein appeared on her forehead. She smashed the phone on the ground and even stomped on it. Her pinkish fists were pale. She was pissed, this eldest brother was such a bastard.


    ...


    While far away from her, in an office, a Man was laughing his lungs out. This was was the eldest.

 Chapter 76: Apologize & Acceptance.

    After smashing the mobile phone, Laohu Bai asked her subordinate Kaya to buy her a new one right away. She herself glanced at the circle of students where Lin was guiding them with step-by-step moves. Yang Dao was spotted by her. Thinking about how to apologize she walked over. The students saw her approach, backed off a bit, clearing a path for her.


    Lin stopped the guidance when her superior arrived. Laohu Bai asked, "Did you guys really understood what your Instructor explained to you?"


    The students replied, "Sir, Yes, Sir."


    Laohu Bai nodded and said, "Now I give the squad leaders a chance, whoever can display these moves Instructor Lin just explained better will get a reward. This reward will be accounted for in the final assessment too. What do you think? Would you like to try?"


    Yang Dao was thinking about what Laohu Bai would have wanted when Icarus shouted, "I will take this chance, Chief Instructor."


    Yang Dao shook his head in exasperation. Just show him a beautiful girl and his low IQ turns to negative. All he could do now was to agree. He spoke in a helpless voice, "Ok I agree as well."


    The two boys came forward from the group, Laohu Bai nodded and took a step back. She gestured to Lin to preside over the spar as she said, "Try not to harm each other as much as possible."


    The two people nodded and stood in front of each other. Instructor Lin said, "Shake hands."


    The two people shook hands as Icarus spoke in a low voice, "Rookie, let me see if you can still beat me."


    Yang Dao shook his head and replied, "Be my guest, Noob."


    Their exchange was a total banter, Lin said, "You are not allowed to deliberately target the pelvic region or the abdomen of your opponent. Breaking the rule means I will spar with you next, without holding back my strength."


    Her cold words made the student tremble slightly. This was the aura of a soldier who has been fighting for years. The voice alone is enough to deter them. The two squad leaders nodded and they started to fight.


    Yang Dao made the first move. Laohu Bai explained, "The one who makes the first move gains the initial control over the pace of the battle."


    Yang Dao kicked his right leg, aiming to hit Icarus on the knee. It was a cruel move, just as Icarus stepped back with his left leg, the kick stopped, the next thing he saw was a fist touching his temple. Laohu Bai spoke again, "Stop. Always aim for the vital spots, this way you will be able to deal more damage, quickly solve the enemy, and move forward."


    Her stop cry was aimed at Yang Dao, if his fist connected with Icarus then he would have ended up with a concussion at the minimum. She spoke again after explanation, "Start."


    The spar started again, Icarus tried to take back the control. He ducked, took a step forward, held Yang Dao from his shoulders, and started to push him back. Yang Dao took three steps back when everyone saw that he was about to lose, both of his hands, grabbed Icarus''s arm, suddenly Yang Dao turned his back towards Icarus, bent over and the next thing everyone saw was Icarus being slammed on the ground.


    Laohu Bai explained again, "Surprise element is always handy. It has a lot of applications, which you will be taught in future classes. As for now, squad A wins." her lips had a faint smile.


    Yang Dao helped Icarus stand up as he said, "This is what happens when you are restless."


    Icarus grimaced, "Can you not make fun of me? Humph, monster Dao."


    Yang Dao chuckled. Their banter came to an end when Lin said, "Shake hands and retreat. The others will take turns to spar."


    After shaking hands the boys retreated. Laohu Bai said, "The winning Squad Leader, come over."


    Yang Dao walked over unwillingly. This lady gave him a repulsive vibe. Laohu Bai said, " Let''s take a walk."


    Under the confused gaze of everyone, the two walked away. Laohu Bai took the initiative, "I apologize for my earlier conduct, Young Master. When I came to this world, just like others I was an orphan too. Two years after my birth I was taken in by a Soldier couple, who could not bear children. They were good people and there I got everything I needed. One day, I awakened my true memories, I was 10 at that time, now I am twenty-six. It could be because of your birth that I awakened my memories. I met the others when I was 18, and before that, all this was just nonsense for me."


    She paused and said, "I never once experienced struggle, when I enlisted my skills and prowess got me promotion after promotion. I made enemies because of my nature, one day new dawn bombed my family. None survived. This thing made my senses more clouded. The others have told me that if I did not restraint myself then it will be a problem. Until today I never took it seriously. When you left with a disappointed expression on your face. That moment woke me up."


    She stood in front of Yang Dao and kneeled in front of him. She said, "Please do not discard me, Young master. I apologize for my mistake. Please punish me, but do not abandon me."


    Yang Dao was a teenage boy, after all, watching such a beautiful lady apologizing to him. It was painful too. He said, "Okay, I forgive you, but I hope that you don''t repeat the same thing in the future. Arrogance is good. Everyone has it but just don''t let it overwhelm who you are. Spirits of the heavenly beings are the proudest and noblest of them all but, blind with arrogance is not a trait they should have. Arrogant people fall harder." his voice was soft, and his gaze was warm.


    Laohu Bai said, "Young Master, do you accept me as your familiar spirit?" her voice was filled with expectations.


    Yang Dao said, "I do." next moment, Laohu Bai''s eyes flashed green, a tiger roar echoed from within her body while a green tree symbol shone in the center of her brows. The green glow emitted from her was very strong. Yang Dao closed his eyes. His body was covered with a green glow. He sensed that his body was strengthening. His muscles grew firmer, his body felt as if a firm mountain to him.


    The glow resided and the boy opened his eyes. He asked, "Is it like the origin fire, Sister Yun gave me?"


    Laohu Bai said with a soft smile, "Yes, mine is Origin Soil. It will strengthen your physique over time."


    Yang Dao said, "You can now tell Sister Yun to not be angry with you. I don''t know why but I can sense your moods more clearly."


    Laohu Bai said, "It will grow cleared as you meet the others and our bond deepens. Yang Dao nodded and the two started to walk back. As for the witnesses of this event? None, All hail Illusion barriers.


    This was how Yang Dao accepted the second spirit.

 Chapter 77: In a Fair.

    After the sparring, everyone was given a rest. During this time Laohu Bai called Feng Yun. The call connected in an instant, Feng Yun spoke coldly, "WHAT?"


    Laohu Bai replied, "Young Master forgave me. Can you not be so angry now sister Yunyun."


    Feng Yun snorted, "Humph, you wait for the training camp to finish. I will teach you then."


    Laohu Bai said, "You... you... you bully. Eldest brother also said bad things to me. Now you also bully me. I will... yes, I will tell Young Master, about it. Then you see." one thing was sure, this girl was a tsundere.


    Feng Yun chuckled, "Okay, I was teasing you. Stop being a baby. Go train the students well."


    The call disconnected. Yang Dao, on the other hand, called over his squad. He said, "Let''s all sit down together, have a meal as we talk about the difficulties you guys faced. I will try my best to explain it to you."


    The others nodded and quickly gathered together after picking up their meals. Yang Dao asked them to sit on the ground in a circle. They followed. He watched as some people were picky about the food they were served. The boy chuckled and said, "You guys are being so picky about your food, do you know that there are people in the world who would kill to even have your leftovers?"


    His words made everyone stop picking out stuff from the food. But they did not eat it anyhow. Yang Dao spoke again, "The meal is a blend of all the nutrients you need to get stronger. Being picky is also the reason why some of you lag in some aspects. I know, my words sound like a sermon to you. Yet what I say is based on facts."


    Sasha happened to be in his group, she asked, "What facts?"


    Yang Dao said, "You can check on the net about the benefits of a balanced diet. I bet that some of you will even get rid of your long-time ailments such as weak eyesight, skinny physique, etc."


    Some guys even looked it up. They hardened their hearts and ate the food without picking out anything. A famous boy named Donnie asked, "Squad Leader, How do we break out of a hold if the opponent is stronger? For example, Theo held my neck between his arm and shoulder in the morning and I had to give up."


    Yang Dao said, "Always keep a calm mindset. Training helps you develop a calm mindset. Assess the situation first and then you will find a way out of it. How about you show me physically? I will try to break out of the hold. Okay?"


    Donnie nodded and he stood up. Yang Dao also stood up and both came to the center of the circle. Donnie positioned himself behind Yang Dao held his neck between his elbow. Yang Dao had both his hands placed on Donnie''s arm trying to shake it off. The boy spoke, "I will try it now, are you ready?"


    Donnie replied, "Yes." Yang Dao raised held onto his arm and jumped up, going back down he moved his legs faster and his lower body passed under Donnie''s crotch. The momentum suddenly made the assaulted lean forward, the defender used his hands to exert a pull. Donnie lost his balance and Yang Dao broke free from his hold while he was sent over the latter''s body into a slam.


    The other people were surprised. Some of them tried to break free from this in the hold in the morning but were incapable of it. Yang Dao explained the process in detail. He told them other methods as well. The process was so thorough that he classified some moves to be used by females specifically.


    The break time finished, the students were asked then asked to gather for muscle training exercises and the obstacle course run. In the evening, they were given a basic kit and Talen led them into the forest to teach them survival. A bonfire was out of the question until they had a natural cover, otherwise, the light may attract the enemy to them.


    They were taught how to make shelters using sticks and leaves. Some students were almost crying because of the harsh environment of the forest, while Yang Dao helped his squad by applying what he has learned. His calm attitude made the others calm down as well. They quickly finished their tasks, decided on the night watch, ate the dry rations.


    This was how the first day of the training ended. The girls were complaining about mosquitoes and bugs as they slept but even Yang Dao was helpless with this. Thankfully, they all had full-sleeve military uniforms.


    The next morning they all were allowed to take a shower. Yang Dao asked his squad to wash their uniforms so that they can wear the spare one, and this one will be clean for use tomorrow. His squad was very cooperative. No one complained to him. They did ask questions and reasoning behind his decisions but never did they complain.


    After a quick breakfast, they gathered in the ground. In front of them stood a smiling Kaya. She said, "Good morning everyone. Today we will learn, Gunfighting. Are you ready?"


    The cadets all were hyped by her cheerful tone, "YES, SIR."


    Kaya said, "Follow me." she turned on her heels and walked ahead. The two squads followed her, While Icarus''s squad had a lax manner, Yang Dao''s squad was as if well-trained scouts. They all had straight backs, sharp eyes.


    Icarus spat to his squad, "Do you see them? Do you feel shame?" his words made all the guys ashamed and they started to behave a bit.


    Soon the squads reached a make-shift shooting range. A few metal plates could be seen placed in some distance. Kaya pointed at the two closest and said, "We will first start with a handgun, the aim will be set at 10 meters. This is the easiest target in the range."


    She then came to a table where a lot of guns were placed. She said, "The guns are all filled with live ammo so, be very careful while handling them. If I see a single gun aimed towards your comrades. I will break your hands from three places." these words did not match her smile, it gave the boys a chill down there spines. Those who had any ideas of flexing strangled it to death.


    Kaya nodded when she noticed their expressions and she said as she picked up a handgun, "This is a standard military handgun. It is called Death Star 01, it comes with a fire rate of 10 bullets per 10 seconds. The recoil is not very much and beginners can handle it. The clip capacity is 15 bullets. Although you can use an extended clip you don''t need to know that. Now, I will show you how to use the gun first, then you will come over and shoot a clip of bullets for me."


    The students all nodded, Kaya showed them how to load the clip, slid the lock, aiming a stance. Then she shot BAM, BAM,BAM,BAM,BAM,BAM,BAM,BAM...


    Kaya emptied a whole clip, all the bullets landing on the bull''s eye. She then called the two people from the back and asked them to pick up a gun each from the table in front. The students did as they were told, the process was clumsy but still manageable. They aimed. Kaya corrected their stance and then asked them to shoot. Even though they were somewhat prepared, the recoil shook them.


    The loud firing sound made their ears tingle. One of them shot the target thrice while the other shot it twice. The rest of the bullets flew past the target. The session continued and everyone took a shot at the targets.


    Finally, it was Icarus and Yang Dao''s turn. Kaya spoke, "The one who scores more gets extra points so, all the best, cadets."


    Yang Dao picked up the gun. He felt the weight of the object in his hand, the cold radiated from its dark body. He loaded a clip, slid off the safety lock, and came to stand in front of the target.


    He stood with his left foot in front of his right, his shoulders slightly facing his right. This way he could keep the gun closer to his body. This was to reduce the recoil effect. Icarus also took a stance similar to him. Kaya checked them once, she nodded in affirmation and said start.


    Yang Dao felt the whole world blur and only the red dot on the target was visible. The crosshair fell in line with the red dot and he squeezed the trigger. Yes, he squeezed it and did not pull it. Squeezing the trigger gives you a smoothness while shooting. On the other hand, pulling the trigger makes the muzzle shift.


    BAM,BAM,BAM,BAM,BAM,BAM,BAM,BAM,BAM,BAM,BAM,BAM,BAM,BAM,BAM...


    Fifteen shots in fifteen seconds. All hitting the target or to be precise, all hitting the bull''s eye. Icarus was shaken by such rapid shooting. He glanced at Yang Dao and mumbled, "This pervert."


    His perfect score was a surprise to Kaya as well. She could not help but ask, "Cadet Yang Dao, have you ever shot before?"


    Yang Dao nodded, "Yes, Ma''am."


    Kaya asked, "When?"


    Yang Dao replied, "In a fair, he I was in Bell city. That toy game, where you shoot of the cans. Why?"


    Everyone almost did not faint at his reply.

 Chapter 78: Car God?

    Kaya almost fainted with the rest of the cadets. Yang Dao actually treated a real gun similar to a toy gun. Only after a few moments did, they take back their gawking eyes. The instructor spoke, "Okay, so Cadet Yang Dao won."


    She cast a gaze towards Icarus who said, "I have no objection, Madam. I can hit the target alright, but the bull''s eye? That is not happening."


    Kaya nodded, and she picked up a silver gun from the table. It was the same as the death star 01, they used just now, except for the color. She said, "This is a moment model. It can shoot rubber bullets. I repeat, rubber bullets only. Use a real bullet and it will burst open. You can think of it as a toy. This is your reward Cadet Yang Dao." she handed the toy gun to Yang Dao.


    The boy held the gun in his hand and felt that the weight of the gun was like that of the real one he just used. He raised his head at Kaya, who gave him a sneaky thumb gesture to look behind her. In a distance, Laohu Bai stood with a smile on her face and nodded to him. It was obviously her who asked Kaya to pass him the gun under the ploy of a toy gun.


    He held the gun, asked her later about it. Kaya also passed him a decorative holster. To make it look normal, they have distributed a silver model gun to every top gunner in every batch of 30 students. There were at least 24 squads undergoing training together with 15 students in squads.


    The gun had a decorative pattern engraved on it. A smile emerged on Yang Dao''s face as he looked at the pattern. It was a white tiger crouched along with the slide. It looked very elegant. The boy tied the holster around his waist. Kaya took over to teach them all how to disassemble and assemble the same model handgun. This was also an important part, the better you know the weapon, the better you handle it.


    She said before parting, "In next class, I will test you on disassembling the weapon and assembling it. The winner will get to use a rifle once under my supervision. The one who can do complete assembly and disassembly in the lowest time will win. So I hope you all do practice this inside your minds. Now dismissed."


    Yang Dao saluted and his squad followed. Icarus and his squad also saluted before they parted with the smiling instructor. Kaya watched them all go back for lunch. She turned back and walked to Laohu Bai.


    After reaching she asked, "General, why did you allow that smart kid to have a real gun? Also, he is an excellent shooter. Please tell me who is he?" her voice was filled with curiosity, her eyes were sparkling as soon as she smelled gossip.


    Laohu Bai smirked and said, "Feng Yang Dao, rings a bell?" as she turned away to leave.


    Kaya opened her mouth big enough for a quail egg to fit within. She was surprised to know the identity of the smart kid. Then she calmed down, "No wonder he is so good." she sighed and followed the white-haired general.


    ...


    During the meal, Yang Dao again helped his squad mates to understand some things they did not understand. Such as the reason behind his stance, squeezing the trigger, and other stuff. His gun was loaded with rubber bullets. He generously taught them with it. The bullets did not produce a big sound either. The recoil was almost negligible. The squad leader did not allow them over two shots. Just get the feel of squeezing and not get used to the low recoil.


    The day was followed by an obstacle course run and strength training. In the evening, instructor Talen took them to the forest. They were taught how to set traps, locate a source of water, medicinal herbs, etc.


    ...


    Day 3, morning.


    After showering and putting on a clean uniform. The squad was ready to work the whole day. They all gathered at the training ground, standing at attention, looking sharp. Instructor Victor walked over and nodded as he said, "Now, you guys look the part of Military. Just the part, I mean."


    He glanced at their straight faces and nodded again. He then continued, "One of the most basic skills one needs in the army is driving a car. You learn that from me today. As for the adventurous skills, I will show you in later classes. Now, follow me."


    The smiling hunk led them to a track. On the side stood a pair of military jeeps. The road had cones placed on it. He pointed to the jeep and said, "That will be your ride today. Now, who can tell me what is the name of that jeep?"


    Yang Dao said loudly, "Report."


    Victor smiled and said, "Go on Cadet."


    Yang Dao spoke, "The manufacturer is called Chariots, this model is War Horse. Specialty is consistent performance even in extreme terrains. Tire change and you can have it running through plains, mountains, and deserts. High clearance chassis, 3ltr engine. Top speed 120 kph. Can carry a load of 4oo kg. Easy to maintain. Produced 10 years ago and is currently the longest commissioned model in the Jewel Nation army. Even the Crypto nation demands it, but the manufacturers refuse to sell the blueprints."


    Victor could not help but clap for the detailed introduction he just heard. He asked, "Report your full name, Cadet."


    Yang Dao knew his name has now changed in the school records so he replied, "Feng Yang Dao, Sir."


    A tinge of surprise flew across everyone''s face except for Icarus and Kiya, who met with Feng Yun at his house a few nights ago. They all thought that Yang Dao was an orphan. Guess he would have to lie and cover this up. Victor was also surprised at this, but he regained his composure. He nodded and asked, "Have you ever driven a car before Cadet Dao?"


    Yang Dao shook his head as he replied, "Never sir."


    Victor nodded slightly, and he said, "So first we separate those who have driven a vehicle before and those who have not. The former is on my left while the latter is on my right."


    The cadets separated as instructed. Victor tossed a key to Icarus on his left and said, "Cadet, you are also a squad leader so, you will overlook them driving the jeep. I expect no scratches. What you have to do in this segment is to follow the driving signs. For example, you see those cones in a straight line? You drive in a zigzag through them. Understood?"


    Icarus nodded and said, "SIR, YES, SIR" Victor motioned them to go while he took the others to the second jeep. It was an open-top model for better demonstration. Victor sat in the driver''s seat as he introduced the 6 students to the vehicle. Starting with the pedals, steering wheels, he covered everything a driver needed to know.


    He then pointed at a random part and asked the cadets to recount what that thing was and what were its uses. The cadets followed. There were some slip-ups, but it was satisfactory. Then he taught them how to drive. This vehicle was equipped with a teacher''s brake, so every time the cadets overshot the accelerator or were about to move out of the road, Victor would miraculously rescue them.


    Yang Dao waited for his turn as he watched the already experienced students running through the obstacle course. He would close his eyes to imagine how they would handle the controls to make the vehicle move like that. Soon, Victor called him to take the driver''s seat. The boy calmed his excited heart and got in the car.


    His hand caressed the steering wheel to get a feel. He held the steering wheel from the center on both sides. Releasing his right hand, turned the ignition key. The vehicle shook, and it started. Placed his hand back on the steering wheel, pressed the clutch with his left foot, his left hand held the transmission rod, put the car into first gear.


    Releasing the clutch while pressing the accelerator. All of this was done slowly yet smoothly. Victor nodded and asked him to take the car around the open road for a spin to get a feel. Yang Dao nodded and did as instructed. His operation was smooth to the extreme. Victor was impressed, he did not press the brakes even once.


    He said, "How about it Cadet Dao, would you like to take her down the obstacle course?"


    Yang Dao asked, "Can I go faster, Sir?"


    Victor nodded, they both had seatbelts on, and for an extra precaution, he placed his hand on the power brakes. He said, "Wait for them to finish one round and then you take it."


    Yang Dao drove the car near the starting line of the obstacle course and waited. Soon, the other vehicle returned, Victor told them to wait and signaled the boy beside him to start.


    What happened next was a shock to Victor. The boy next to him started the car, shifted the gears quickly, and the car shoot up to 40 kph. Yang Dao completed the zigzag in almost five seconds, followed by an S curve, U curve. sharp cornering, parallel parking, reverse driving, mound climbing, and descend. The whole course was completed within 10 minutes. The fastest score in the day.


    The others were shocked. Icarus sighed and said to the rest of the students, "Do you believe me if I say this kid is a monster in a human body?"


    The students replied, "Sir, yes, sir."


    The girls pouted, one of them said, "You guys are jealous that he is a natural car god, while you people are not. Humph, jealous of our Dao. You can die. Jealous Dogs." their intense reaction made the boys sigh as they shook their heads at them.

 Chapter 79: High Evaluation.

    The training proceeded smoothly. Yang Dao stood at the lead of all the trainee cadets. Even his squad was the cream among the cream. He taught them all he could, such as martial arts, gun fighting, adventure skills. The squad was subdued by his generosity and his confidence. If he said attention then the squad will stay like that even if it is for hours.


    Not only did boys get subdued by him even the girls were the same. He taught them how to be balanced. Both inside and outside. The change and growth of his squad were a surprise to the instructors but also to the rest of the cadets. Tonight was the start of the fourth week of the training camp. It was last week as well.


    Not wanting to be left behind, Yang Dao was approached by 24 squad leaders. At first, they wanted to fight against him head-on. Yet the reality hit them hard, Yang Dao along with his squad never cared about competing, to him only growth mattered. That is why he led his squad with no burden in his mind.


    ...


    23 people stood in front of Yang Dao. He had just come to take a bath, did not know why all these people were here waiting for him. He asked, "Do you guys need something?"


    Icarus spoke, "Teach us, how you lead your squad? We want to get better but we never can catch up to you."


    Yang Dao sighed as he cast a glance across expectant faces. He said, "Everyone has their own path of growth. If you only follow someone, your growth will stagnate. All I do is to help my squadmates improve based on their needs. You guys are the squad leaders because you are the best. Your job is to make your squad better and not to chase other squad leaders. If you stop looking at me and start to put in efforts for self-improvement, you will find that you grow daily. So look inside of yourself. What is it that you need? What is it that your squad-mates need? Fulfill that need and you will grow."


    His words had a magical effect on the people. They all seemed to have gotten into a state of enlightenment. Yang Dao left them standing there and walking inside the washroom. Today was a hectic day. The instructors announced a surprise test for them. The test was actually a race.


    The participant will have to face ordinary soldiers. The race will start with an obstacle course. Soldiers will first complete the course, then shoot targets. Fixed targets first, then moving targets. They will reach a man-made disaster site, rescue an injured, give them first aid. Drive them to a temporary hospital for quick medical treatment.


    The marking scheme was also very complicated. Every stage will have a different sort of marking. For instance, while the obstacle course needed one to be fast, one''s degree of carefulness will be taken into account for the rescue ops. The first squad to participate in this test was going to be the A squad.


    Yang Dao was early to arrive today, he wanted to talk to the instructors about some things. After wearing a fresh uniform the boy ran up to the training field which was now modified into a full-fledged obstacle course. He was surprised at the efficiency of the military technicians. They changed the whole place in one night.


    The instructors were all gathered together holding a mug of tea. Laohu Bai was nowhere to see at the moment. Yang Dao marched in front of the instructors and gave them a crisp salute. The instructors smiled, he was the best cadet they have trained. Obviously, he left a good impression on them, even the ice face martial art trained Lin smiled at him.


    Talen spoke, "At ease, Cadet Dao. Do you have something to find us so early?"


    Yang Dao parted his legs slightly and his hand behind his back. He spoke, "Reporting, Sir, I have some questions regarding the test."


    The four people exchanged a glance, Lin spoke this time, in a rare warm tone, "Go on, speak freely."


    Yang Dao said, "Madam, what I want to ask is, usually the squad leader goes first, but can I go last in my squad today?"


    Victor asked, "Why? Are you not confident?"


    Yang Dao replied with a smile, "I am confident in myself sir, but Chief Instructor said in her lecture last week, that ''A good leader is not only the one who stands at the helms but also the one who can push his team forward from behind.'' Thus, I want to support them as an audience. They have been working hard and improved a lot, that is why I came to you today."


    His words, fit that of a leader. After some discussion, his request was approved, and after a salute and thanks, Yang Dao left to address his squad. Kaya, who was surprisingly silent today, spoke up at this moment, "His growth potential is terrifying. To think that he made his squad break past their limit and now even pushed himself in the back to let his squad not be overshadowed by him. It is worthy of a future leader."


    The other three people nodded at her assessment. It was a very high assessment to be true but, Yang Dao earned it. Just when they were about to keep on discussing, heard an old voice from behind, "I wonder who made the Special Ops veterans to give such high evaluation."


    The four people turned, after they saw who the person was, they all saluted, "Greeting, Lieutinent General."


    The old man nodded, his face was filled with wrinkles, but his back was as if a spear. His steps were steady and a sharp aura lingered in his eyes. This man was Liutenant General, Tyberius Jenkins, also known as, Tyberius the crimson king. It is said that during an operation in enemy lands, he slaughtered at least a couple of hundred enemy troops leaving a crimson road behind him. He walked out of a death zone like a king returning from a crusade.


    The old man spoke again with a smile, "You didn''t answer my question, yet."


    Kaya replied, "It is a young cadet squad leader, sir. I suggest you watch it yourself in the test today."


    The old man nodded, he never believed in hear say anyway. He asked, "Where is General Bai?"


    The four people told him that she was inspecting the preparation of the test. To make sure that the people did not slack off, she came up with surprise inspection. The old man was led to sit down on a chair in a watchtower in the center of the training field.


    ...


    Yang Dao stood in front of his squad, gazing at their straight faces. He broke the silence, "You all have done you best in the past few days, and you have my congratulations for getting better than what you were yesterday. In today''s test, you all let go of your restraints, let go of your opponents and even the expectations you might have. Just go out there and run that test like you own it. DO YOU GET IT?"


    The squad roared, "SIR,YES, SIR."


    The boy nodded and spat, "SQUAD, MARCH." then led the two queues of seven people each ina standard march. The sync was good and the step was firm.


    ...


    On the watchtower, the oldman looked towards the direction where a squad was marching forward. He heard the sound of the footsteps and nodded, "You trained some good kids this time."


    Lin replied in her cold voice, "You are expecting too much of us, Sir. This squad is the best because of their leader. The boy in the front of the them, Feng Yang Dao. He is the one we were talking about earlier."


    The old man raised an eyebrow, this was the longest Lin has spoken, this boy made him curios. If Lin can sing his praise then he looked forward to this boy''s performance.


    ...


    On the ground, at the starting line, the squad lined up behind Yang Dao neatly, saluted Talen in a perfect sync. Talen nodded and said, "Cadet Donnie, you will run the course after Private Dillon is down setting a score for you guys. Understood?"


    Donnie replied, "Sir, Yes, Sir." he was not surprised when he was going first. Yang Dao had told them that a solider doe not question his superiors, but just agree. This si a sort of mental pressure that hinders them if they question. Thus just do what you are asked to and the rest is none of your concern.


    Talen glanced at Private Dillon, who stood at the starting line, and said, "Start."

 Chapter 80: Shocking skills.

    Talen''s voice fell and Private Dillon shot off from the start line. He ran fifty meters sprint then climbed over a 3-meter high wall. Then again a fifty-meter sprint and this time he had to do a zig-zag run between the cones placed on the track for 10 meters. Sprint and jump over a 6-meter water pit.


    The run was filled with a lot of sudden obstructions. As soon as the body gained momentum while running, this makes it difficult for people to stop suddenly. It puts more pressure on one''s physique. The speed of progression would drop once the stress accumulates. Yang Dao said, "Observe, his movements."


    The squad all fixed their eyes on the running private, the intense gaze sent chills down the Private. Talen did not say anything. At this moment, Yang Dao was a senior officer to the cadets. He had the right to instruct them. His command was simple. Observe him and develop an image of how to perform with your bodies in his place. Soon Private Dillon came to the firing range.


    You need to deal with the targets on the move. On a table, laid some guns, off different models, the soldier used a sub-machine gun. Yang Dao spoke, "Use the one you are more familiar with. Understood?"


    The squad replied crisply, "Yes."


    Their voice was heard by the old man in the watchtower. It was unknown when Laohu Bai found her way behind him. At this moment she was smiling at Yang Dao''s instruction. She was happy that her young master was in the lead. Soon, the soldier finished the run.


    Talen said, "Cadet Donnie, you are up."


    Donnie replied, "Yes, sir."


    As the boy stood at the starting line he took a deep breath and Talen yelled, "Begin." Donnie ran forward in a sprint... (omitting needless, description of next 6 squad members)


    ...


    The performance of the squad was very good till now. The girl running on the track now was called, Clara. She was slightly near-sighted, but these days, proper diet and exercise did help her improve her eyesight. She performed very well in the rest of the race but just as she was about to pick up the injured person over from the ground. She tripped and hit her chin on the ground.


    The shock made her senses numb suddenly she heard a loud shout, "DON''T GIVE UP. TAKE CONTROL OF IT CLARA. FINISH THE TASK." the voice belonged to Yang Dao. She instinctively shouted, "Sir, Yes, Sir." her shout woke her up from the stupor, and then she carried the injured person with no care for the blood dripping from the scratch on her chin. She then drove the car to the hospital and walked back to the squad with a bandage on her chin.


    Yang Dao smiled as he asked, "You did well."


    Clara had teary eyes, but just when she was about to cry, Yang Dao said, "So what if you fell? So what if you got hurt? You stood up again, you saw your task through. You have the spirit of a soldier, that is what matters. You did a good job. Better than your past self. Come on cheer up."


    The girl nodded and took her place among the squad. The squad also cheered her up. In the watchtower, the old man nodded as he said, "This kid is good. He reacted as soon as the girl tripped over the rubble. His shout brought her back from the shock. He filled in the job of the leader. He did not retort her when she came back with guilt and fear that she may have failed. His words washed over her remorseful heart. Very good, let''s see if he could do something similar in his trial."


    Laohu Bai just smirked as she thought in her mind, ''Humph, old bag of bones, you look down on my young master. Your mother here, eats five like you in dessert so what do you think you have against my Young Master? Just wait for your eyes to fall out, wrinkly bitch.''


    She did not like this arrogant Oldman scrutinizing her young master at all. She just waited for Yang dao to run without holding anything back.


    ...


    (Omitted the rest of the minions rushing the track.)


    Instructor Talen said, "Cadet Dao, you are up."


    Yang Dao took a step forward and he came to the starting line. He squatted down on the road, removed his cap placing it on the side.  Now he placed both his hand on the ground distributing his weight evenly.  Talen asked, "Are you ready?"


    Yang Dao nodded, and Talen spat, "Begin." his thumb clicked on a stop-watch timer in tandem with his voice. The boy took off, 4 seconds to complete a 50-meter sprint, he jumped a little with his body sideways and jumped, as a spiker in volleyball. The boy flew up almost the whole wall. Then with one hand, he flung his body over the wall.


    Landed on the ground with a roll, to cancel the fall impact while gaining a firm foothold on the ground. Completing the roll, just as his feet came in contact with the ground, he shot off again. Fifty meters sprint and shifting the weight on his toes weaved through the cones. His speed again increased, jumped over the water pit.


    His speed and control over his body were too good. The old man in the watchtower was standing with his hands claiming the wooden railing. Laohu Bai smirked but with a soft voice spoke, "Sir, the railing is not strong enough to handle your strength."


    The old man snorted and held his hands behind his back but his eyes did not part from Yang Dao who now entered the firing range. The boy picked up a handgun similar to the one he won in the gunfighting class. He held the gun with his left hand while his right hand took out a gun from the holster on his left side. He used a single-hand grip to undo the safety, load the gun, held back the gun, and shots rang out.


    BAM, BAM, BAM, BAM, BAM, BAM, BAM, BAM...


    8 shots, 8 targets, 4 shots from one gun with every shot hitting the bull''s eye. His feet did not stop. Not only the old man but even Laohu Bai herself was shocked at this performance. This boy actually performed like a machine. A machine made for war. The boy did not stop, ran over to the disaster site, checked the injured, administered first aid, carried him swiftly to the vehicle.


    The car was parked in reverse. The boy started the car, drove it in reverse, made a smooth 270-degree turn, he did not let the vehicle go through the abrupt direction change shock. The whole deal was completed within 7 minutes.


    The old man spoke with excitement, "I WANT HIM IN THE SPECIAL FORCES." his voice rang out through out the whole training feild.

 Chapter 81: Special Forces.

    The resounding scream shocked everyone, but Squad A did not react. They all stood like statues. Talen who was presiding over them noted this point in the score sheet. This was the tantamount Military Discipline. No movements until you are commanded to. Tyberius turned to Laohu Bai. He asked, "Who is this kid?"


    Laohu Bai spoke with a prideful smirk, "Younger brother to my sworn sister, Feng Yun. So, he is my younger brother too. His name is Feng Yang Dao, age 16 and 3 months. This year''s national topper, with full marks. Currently, a student in this university, pursuing Physics and Computer Operations as major courses while Arts and Human Psychology are selected as minors. Recently established a company under his name, Dao Technologies. Will release the first product after the military training."


    This sounded like a resume, but the thing is that the resume was impressive. Tyberius almost doubted his existence, listening to the words of the beauty in front of him. He sighed and said, "What are the chances that he can join the special forces? You can have him under your wing. I just want his talents on the battlefield to be useful. Try to convince him?"


    Laohu Bai shook her head, as she said, "Sir, you are a senior, while I am like his sister, he will refuse to me easily." in her mind, however, a wicked thought came, ''Humph, old man trying to save face after learning about my young master''s identity? As if I would give you a chance.''


    The old man sighed and nodded. He walked down the watchtower, thinking that what Laohu Bai said was reasonable. If you are too familiar, then it would be easy to refuse her proposal. He climbed down the ladder with his mind filled with such thoughts.


    Talen saluted Tyberius as he came closer. His actions were followed by Yang Dao and his squad. The old man nodded to them. He said in a deep voice, "You kids are good. I hope you all persist in training yourself after this mandatory session as well. Consistency is all that will get you to a higher pedestal in life."


    The squad replied, "Sir, yes, Sir."


    The old man nodded, his gaze concentrated at Yang Dao as he said, "You were good out there."


    Yang Dao replied, "Thank you, Sir."


    The Lieutenant-General gazed at him from head to toe. Then he said, "Come, talk a walk with me."


    This came as a surprise to the boy, but he complied with the command. He followed the old man after saluting Talen and Laohu Bai. He was not yet open to Laohu Bai like he was o Feng Yun, so he did not ask her what it was all about.


    ...


    The old man said nothing as the two walked. Only after a few hundred meters, Tyberius asked, "Are you not curious about why I called you over?"


    Yang Dao replied, "Report, I am curious, Sir." he was completely immersed in his role as the cadet at this moment. Tyberius spoke, "You can speak freely to me, as to why I called you over. I want to ask you, are you interested in enrolling in the army?"


    The boy was surprised, to be honest. Not everyone gets to be invited by such a senior officer. He did not expect this thing. Although he liked to live the way he wants but, to say that he did not have an idea about the army would be wrong too. He replied after some thought, "I do not think, I can join the army, sir."


    Tyberius asked, "Why? You have the skill, and the opportunity as well. I can let you enter the special forces, directly reporting to General Laohu Bai. Why do you refuse?" his voice was calm and patient.


    Yang Dao replied, "Sir, the army is too restrictive. The restriction will limit the way I can help my country. I do not want that. When I look at people wearing the uniform, I can feel the pride radiated by them, but the uniform is also a chain that bounds them to the army only. They may not take civilian decisions. This restraint is something I do not want. Only when the nation grows on both the fronts can it grow."


    Tyberius at first thought that the kid was speaking out of context, but as Yang Dao proceeded his words became meaningful. It may seem a little weird, but Yang Dao speaks in such a manner because his words reflect the Dao. The old general realized his meaning and was surprised. He fell silent and then said, "How about you are granted the freedom you want? Two conditions have to be followed through."


    Yang Dao was surprised, as the agreement was out of expectation, after all the boy was a teenager only, which made Tyberius accept him. He asked, "What conditions?"


    Tyberius spoke, "If need be, the special forces will call you over, you cannot refuse. Second, do not reveal your elemental skills to anyone until it is a life and death situation." his voice was low. Both the people came to a stop as soon as these words were dropped.


    Yang Dao widened his eyes and the old man raised his hand, made a grasping action in the space. It was as a sword always hung in the void for the old man to claim. A translucent turquoise sword appeared in Tyberius''s grasp. The old man said, "I am also an air elemental. That is why I can sense an elemental perception on you. You recently stepped into the first realm, Elemental Seeker, right?"


    Yang Dao could not believe what just happened here. He gulped and said, "I accept your conditions. Are there more elementalist in the army?" he was very excited at this moment.


    Tyberius laughed loudly. He pointed to the four instructors and Laohu Bai in the distance and said, "They are all elementalists. That is why they are called special forces."


    The boy opened his eyes wide. He muttered, "So, this is why they are all so good."


    Tyberius nodded, as he said, "You will be enrolled, by the end of the week you will have your Identity card issued. I hope you grow and let the country grow along you. Let''s go back, they are waiting."


    Yang Dao followed the old man in silence. He did not have any questions, neither did he have any complaints. He got to be in the army while his freedom stayed intact. What else could he ask for?


    Sounds like everything he got was served to him a silver platter, right? Well that is what means to be the darling of the heavens.

 Chapter 82: Stagnation.

    After the discussion with the old Lieutenant General, Yang Dao and his squad went back to rest. The rest of the week was bland, the usual routine. The joy came when on the final day of the training, Instructor victor told them about Sky Diving. The cadets were all young but it was inevitable to have someone afraid of heights.


    So they were all allowed to abstain on their own violation because a certain risk factor was always present in the end, only 50 cadets came forward. The rest were not scared of it, but they were influenced by those paranoid ones. These fifty students included fifteen of Yang Dao''s squad, none of them retreated.


    Sasha dragged Kiya with herself. In the morning, 50 cadets were standing on the training field, which was now back to its usual form. Victor came to them with his usual smile. He said, "Lets''s go, we take a bus to the airport, a plane will take you all to the ceiling height of 15000 feet in the sky. Come."


    The Cadets nodded and followed him to the bus in the college parking. Orderly boarded the bus, only to find Instructor Lin sitting in the first sit. All their dreams of having fun were killed by her cold gaze. Yang Dao was in the back of the crowd and is so was the last person to board the bus. Victor was sitting next to the driver in the front.


    Just when he was looking around the bus he saw, that Lin was sitting alone. He turned to her and asked, "Madam, the rest of the seats are full. May I sit here?"


    Lin nodded to him with a rare smile. Two days ago, in a personal spar, Yang Dao managed to defeat her, his impression of her was now stronger. Watching Yang Dao sit next to the iceberg Lin. The male cadets exchanged glances. Their gazes meant one thing, ''Student Yang Dao, peach blossom luck is very high. Even the iceberg melted for you.''


    You need to know that Lin usually kick-ass with her gaze. Right now, she sat with Yang Dao with her eyes closed. The boy Felt a cold current radiating from her. He asked in a low voice, "Instructor Lin, you practice water element?"


    Lin opened her eyes as she replied, "Yes." but in her eyes, a sense of bitterness flashed. Yang Dao said, "I apologize if my words caused you offense."


    The lady shook her head and said, "It is not you. It is me." as she sighed.


    Yang Dao glanced at her with a confused expression. the lady replied, "I have not been able to advance to the second realm for five years now. My strength came at a stagnation after I joined the forces. If not for General Bai, I might have been sent to the reserves already."


    The boy nodded and said, "Why is it so?"


    Lin knew that this boy was also an elementalist so she said, "To bend an element you need to understand what the element''s essence is?"


    Yang Dao asked, "What is the essence of water?" his calming tone, made Lin calm down as well.


    She replied, "Calmness. Water is always calm."


    Yang Dao shook his head, he said, ''Pardon, but you are wrong, instructor."


    Lin asked, "How so?"


    Yang Dao spoke with a smile, "If water was always calm, then it would not cause tides, floods. Calmness is what it brings to people but the essence is something bigger." he paused for a moment and he said, "Water, is balance. A balance between strength and submission. Water can give life and it can take it away too. It is impulsive, yet containable. It is shapeless yet can take shape of anything. It can be dirty yet cleaning others is still possible. So what is water? The essence of water is Life."


    His words enlightened Yang Dao, she picked up where he dropped, "Just like how life has many forms, so does water. Just like how life never stops, so does water..." she kept on muttering until the cold she radiated vanished.


    Her eyes gained a shine. She made us seals with her hand and suddenly a blob of water formed in front of her. Yang Dao smiled, as he said, "Congratulation."


    Lin closed her eyes, she placed her hand on his hand and said in a low voice, "Thank you."


    Their moments and voice was only strong enough for them to hear. The lady did not notice that Yang Dao was flushed at the moment her soft hands were holding his palm. She let it go after a few minutes and said, "I will treat you to a meal someday."


    Yang Dao nodded and then closed his, Lin let go of his hand after a few moments. After thirty minutes, the bus arrived at the airport. Though it did not stop near the parking but directly led the group to a runway where a behemoth was awaiting them.


    The students walked off the bus. They were all shocked to watch the big plane in front of them. A big hatch door at the back of the plane was lowered. Victor spoke, "Boys and girls, the one one who can guess this plane will get to dive first."


    A lot of people knew but kept quiet, diving first? Will they not be anxious? Yang Dao said, "Military transporter, HT25000 Gigantia. Four engine model, capable of carrying 500-ton weight. Used to deliver aid, ammunition, and armed forces to the fronts. Also known as AAA battery."


    Victor nodded in satisfaction, "As usual Cadet Dao wins. So let''s go guys adventure awaits. Also, those who are having second thoughts can stop here. I don''t want to deal with your pukes in the sky." with that said, he walked to people to the hanger where they will get there equipment. Someone asked Lin at this moment, "Madam, what height will we be diving?"


    Lin spat, "25000 feet." Her cold words made the people shiver. Except for Yang Dao''s squad, Kiya, Icarus, and five other Squad leaders prevailed.

 Chapter 83: Be The Wind.

    Inside the bunker, some tables were placed. On the tables lied, some bags and jumpsuits. Victor smiled and said, "You guys, select whatever suits you like." then walked aside.


    Everyone chose a suit, but Yang Dao was still standing aside. His eyes skimming through the tables, searching for a suit that he liked. Then he said, "Well, Looks like will have to make sister Yun spend money again." although the mumble was low everyone behind him still caught wind of it. They all smiled and shook heads.


    They thought it was because of the quality of these suits. But the thing that he disliked was the designs. So, he fished out one randomly, put it over his uniform. Victor nodded and said, "Let''s go, you guys will now take your parachutes and gauges." as he pointed at another table with 50 parachute bags lined up on it.


    Victor personally demonstrated how to open a parachute to them once more. In the past month of training, he did give these guys proper training for the drop stance, reading gauges, and all. That is why the kids were calm enough to handle the anxiety inside.


    After they were all suited up, Victor led them to the plane that was already warming up the engines and was ready to leave the tarmac. Victor led the kids inside the belly of the metal beast. Lin was here to keep the scared ones in line. The cadets inside the plane sat down on the planks on the side and tied up their safety belts. Victor spoke something in the microphone. And the hatch closed slowly as the plane started to move.


    As the hatch closed the loud noise of the rotors lowered as well. Victor spoke loudly, "Goggles on."


    The cadets replied, "CHECKED"


    Victor spoke again, "Check gauges."


    The cadets tapped on the gauges attached to their parachute bags, they replied, "CHECKED"


    The instructor nodded, nobody in the plane spoke a word. Yang Dao glanced at everyone and said, "Probably you guys are too nervous? I just want to say one thing. Being nervous and scared is good, it helps you stay cautious and alert but don''t let it overwhelm your hearts, your spirit. Your emotions are meant to be controlled by you. Not the other way around."


    His voice was calm and low, yet everyone felt his words resonating on the inside of their body. As if thunder, his voice shook off their anxiety and fear. Victor nodded and thought to himself, ''This kid is a natural.''


    The plane suddenly shook, and the instructor yelled, "Stay calm, just the usual turbulence."


    It was as if the heavens chuckled sensing his thoughts and said, ''YEAH SURE HE IS A NATURAL.''


    The plane stabilized after a few seconds. Fifteen minutes passed in a blink, a red bulb near the hatch turned green. Victor shouted, "Get ready." as he undid his safety belt. Then he stood up holding the support straps hanging from the ceiling of the place. He pointed to the railings above the heads of the cadets as he said, "You guys, stand holding that and move forward one by one after the hatch door is open."


    The cadets gulped, Yang Dao replied, "Sir, yes, sir."


    His words were followed by everyone. Victor came to the open hatch door and gestured for the cadets to jump. The guys gulped and Icarus, who was at the front, took the initiative. He ran over the hatch plank and jumped as she screamed, "GERONIMO" his voice vanished as the figure flew away at a very high speed.


    Following him, all the guys jumped. The girls were still waiting for some boost. Yang Dao said, "After the jump, I take you guys to my place for a meal. All of you, I mean." his words were meant for all the guys and girls.


    The girls were happy but they did not have any over imagination, well, probably only Kiya did. So they jumped off after a short run. Yang Dao was about to jump when Victor extended his hand to signal him to wait.


    He spoke in the headset, "Climb to 30,000 feet."


    The altitude increased and Victor said, "You are now a member of the special forces. You will jump off from 30,000 feet." soon the wind outside turned colder. Victor said after he got a signal from the pilot, "Go."


    Yang Dao did not hesitate and ran out on the hatch door plank. He jumped off in a heartbeat. The cold wind brushed his body, for the first time in his life he felt cold and shivered. This feeling made him feel a strong adrenaline rush. This was a sensation he had never experienced. His eyes closed as he was immersed in the cold caress of the wind against his face.


    He held his breath, the pressure outside made it too hard for him to breathe. He did not panic, after a few seconds the pressure resided and Yang Dao fell under the 25,000 feet ceiling. He inhaled, a cold current filled his lungs. The boy was now facing the sky, it was the wrong way to dive but one could at least breathe.


    Yang Dao was immersed in this feeling of wind surrounding him. He felt as if he was in a warm embrace. This feeling was radiating from nature. He was the heavens darling, being closest to nature, this situation simulated the warmth of nature for him. The cold air bought him the warmth he never felt before.


    He started to focus on how the air moved around him. It was unknown what happened but suddenly Yang Dao''s speed decreased. He was not falling to death, at least, not as fast as earlier. His body was moving forward in the sky. He was gliding. This happened because he unconsciously bent wind into a current. This was something he did not expect.


    Immersed in the relief, he turned himself face down to the earth when he suddenly started to glide forward. The boy was not scared but excited. In a blink, he was already at 10000 feet, the boy started counting in his mind.


    1001, 1002, 1003, 1004, 1005...


    As soon as he reached the fifth number in his mind, he pulled the latch on the side of his bag. The latch triggered the main parachute to come out of the bag. The parachute unfolded in the air and Yang Dao''s glide and fall both came to a stop. He was now gradually descending to the ground. This was the military airdrop.


    Soon, the airstrip appeared in his eyes. During the training, they were all told about how to locate a landing zone. Yang Dao pulled onto the strings of the parachute and guided himself to the big red circle drawn on the ground. As he neared the ground he started to move his legs as if he was running.


    The running helped him to cancel the impact of the fall. He tugged the parachute down as well. Victor came and clapped his hands. This guy also did a skydive after the plane descended to 15000 feet. His motive was to check if any students could not open their parachutes then he would have rescued them.


    He saw Yang Dao bending the wind, and he came to congratulate him. The instructor said, "You did good, Cadet Dao. I sensed the air current change, so I thought you made a successful first bend."


    Yang Dao smiled as he replied, "Thank you, sir."


    Victor helped him pack up the parachute as he said, "Thank you for helping, Sister Lin."


    Yang Dao shook his head and said, "I did nothing. It was herself."


    Victor smiled as he said, "You maybe don''t understand, so let me tell you. Lin is the last member of her previous team. She was left alive because the enemy thought that she was too weak. Ever since that day, she has been working the hardest yet her Elemental skills did not improve. Today, on the bus, when you explained to her what the essence of water is. She finally got through the barrier. So it is thanks to you."


    Yang Dao was not the one who would keep pushing so he just nodded and accepted the thanks. In his mind, however, Lin succeeded on her own. The two returned to the hangar and after returning Yang Dao''s equipment they boarded the bus, where the cadets who dived, were sitting with a smile. They all had gloating expressions towards those who did not dive. Yang Dao shook his head and sat down next to Lin.


    Lin smiled brightly like a flower blooming and said, "Congratulation on becoming the wind."


    Yang Dao asked, "What does that mean?"


    Lin replied, "You can only bend an Element when you are one with it or understand its essence. You probably bend it unconsciously right?"


    Yang Dao nodded, so Lin continued, "At that moment, you were one with the wind. The wind was you and you were the wind." indeed, at that moment the boy was being embraced by the wind, he is the Dao Child, was the Wind itself.

 Chapter 84: Training Complete.

    As the two people chatted, Yang Dao realized that Instructor Lin was not radiating the usual cold repulsive aura anymore. She seemed much gentle as if a stream of water flowing calmly through the landscapes. The boy linked this change to the possibility of her breakthrough. Her temperament has not become a reflection of the element she bends.


    The boy mumbled in a low voice, "If instructor Lin can be gentle like water, then why is General Bai is so frugal?" his words fell into Lin''s ear, the beauty started to laugh. The whole boys were stunned at her beautiful appearance and bell-like laughter. They did not expect the iceberg to have this side as well. Boys have a hyperactive imagination. The laughter of the beauty was linked directly to Yang Dao.


    His reputation soared to the skies of their hearts. This guy was not only the genius student but also the genius flower picker(girl picker). Yang Dao would have smashed his head to the pull if he knew their thoughts. Icarus raised his hand slightly with his thumb stuck outside. This act was followed by every boy on the bus.


    The girls did not know what they were doing, they asked in a low voice but the guys only ignored them. The fun part was even Victor raised his hand. The mood inside the bus was not as gloomy and solemn as it was earlier. Amidst the faint chatter and chuckles, the bus reached the college. The students were asked to report in the training field.


    The training field was big enough for all the squads to gather together. The cadets all stood in the formation of four columns with six squads each. In front of them stood Laohu Bai along with the four instructors, two on each side of her. She spoke in a sonorous voice, "I now proclaim that the mandatory military training is now complete. You all have exceeded your limits in the past few days. I hope you will keep on training yourself to be better. Now I will announce the best squad and the best individual cadet."


    Her words made everyone surprised because there was never such a thing mentioned before. The white-haired beauty spoke, "Only when you face competition will you grow. The best squad that took up the challenge and broke through in aspects of all the marking criteria, Discipline, Dedication, Hardwork, Improvement, and Resolve, is Squad A. Give them a huge applause. They have become the first squad in history to have completed the airdrop, in the history of mandatory military training."


    She paused and continued with a faint smile, "We come, train students, every year, but this time we came across a squad which completed the final test with all of its squad members." she then asked the squad members to walk over to her one by one as she gave them an embroidered ceremonial scarf. She helped them all wear it around their necks as well. The scarf was a commemorative gift for the best squad. The charm and aura of the squad suddenly increased a lot.


    Laohu Bai said as she addressed the crowd, "Every year the best cadet is invited to join the military. This year was the same. The best cadet agreed to join the military but given that his age is too young, he is allowed to report after 3 years, when he reaches the eligible age to enlist. I call forward, the best cadet of this year''s military training, Cadet Yang Dao."


    The best cadet selection was not surprising at all, everyone knew how big of a chad Yang Dao was in the field. Over the weeks a lot of squad leaders competed against him but all were left in the dust, Icarus the second-best squad leader was a mile away from him so these plebs had no chance at all. But the second half of the news did make them all unsettled.


    Yang Dao marched ahead and came in front of Laohu Bai. The boy saluted her which was returned by the lady. Then she gestured to the instructors behind her. Talen and Victor walked forward and pinned a star on each of his shoulders, followed by Lin and Kaya, who pinned a name badge and one pinned the reporting regiment insignia, on his right and left chest, respectively.


    The insignia was made of silver, it was as if four comets chasing each other in a circle. When the four stepped back, Laohu Bai stepped forward and placed a crimson beret over his head gently. She whispered in a low voice, "Young Master, you need to take a picture with me later on, Okay?"


    Yang Dao replied in an equally low voice, "Can you show some dignity?" his words made the lady pout but her eyes were shining. She took a step back to glance at the handsome boy in front of her. Yang Dao saluted her in all crispness. She said, "Hold it like that."


    Quickly took out her phone, adjusted the camera, and clicked a picture. She did not care about the gawking eyes at all. When she saw the annoyed expression on Yang Dao''s face, she pursed her lips and returned his salute. Then she said, "Dismiss."


    Yang Dao walked back towards the crowd and was immediately surrounded by everyone. Icarus said, "Say, you monster, you are so good that you hooked up with Instructor Lin, and why did you not tell us about this military joining?"


    Yang Dao gawked as he said, "When did I hook up instructor Lin?"


    Icarus smirked and said, "In the bus, when she laughed, it was because of you right?"


    Yang Dao palmed his face and asked, "So, if I can make people laugh then that means I hooked up with them?"


    The boys nodded and Yang Dao asked, "So if all of you laughed with me in the past that means you are also hooked up? Are you all using me as an excuse to say that you like men?"


    The girls despised the boys while the targets all had crooked faces. They did not expect Yang Dao to be so toxic. They all quickly dispersed. Later after gathering in the classroom, Yang Dao said, "Those who took part in the airdrop are invited to have a meal in the evening. Please tell me if anyone is interested."


    All the people who did the airdrop agreed. Yang Dao told them that he would take them all to paradise hotel. Star view Pavillion. They can all mention his name and they will enter. With that said, the boy departed to his house while carrying his luggage in his hand.

 Chapter 85: Warmth.

    Yang Dao was walking on the sidewalk wearing his uniform. A lot of aunties who passed by could not help but look at him with a bright smile. Where do you see such a young soldier that too with the handsome face? A traffic police cop even thought that he may be an actor and advised him to not go out with the prop on. Yang Dao gave him a confused glance and took out his Identity card.


    The officer was shocked, he checked the card. Afterward, he stood in his place like a statue as Yang Dao walked away. He did not expect the boy to be an army man. He only came to his senses when he was called out by an uncle for directions. Yang Dao meanwhile, walked his way home silently. The guards were surprised to see him a bit, the fair complexion was slightly tanned, the whole body was as if a piece of hot iron, exuding aura.


    Yang Dao nodded to them as he walked inside. He did not stop at all, he just wanted to soak in the tub and have a good nap before dinner tonight. He boarded the elevator, swiped his key card, and went straight up.


    He opened the door and as he was about to take off his shoes he spotted a pair of stilettos there. He knew this style was preferred by Feng Yun. His doubt was true a figure walked out as he was taking off his shoes. He smiled at her as he said, "Long time no see, sister Yun."


    Feng Yun walked near him and gave him a warm hug, she replied, "Long time no see Young Master. How have you been?"


    Yang Dao liked her warm embrace and said, "Been okay, just a bit tired, can I go to bed for a bit?"


    Feng Yun held his shoulders as she broke the hug. She said with a smile, "Definitely young master. You do not need to ask me."


    Yang Dao nodded, snatched his language before Feng Yun could take it up. He said with his squinted eyes, "You can never rest can you sister Yun?" his words made Feng Yun smile brilliantly so that her eyes turned into crescents.


    The two chatted a bit and Yang Dao went to take a bath, he came out to eat something and found that Feng Yun was cooking in the kitchen. He asked, "Looks like I am not the only one who has been training."


    Feng Yun smiled as she said, "Young Master, you flatter me. I was able to do all this in the past since you came back home after a month then I thought about making you a good filling meal." she had prepared meat buns and tofu ramen for him.


    Soon she served the food and said, "Young Master, the mobile version of the translating app is complete and it can now be released. I have taken the liberty to arrange a press meet for you."


    Yang Dao asked, "Why the press meet?"


    Feng Yun said, "I know that you want to forge your way but I can at least make it smoother without interfering. So the press meet will be used to show that you are my brother and your company is one with mine so that someone doesn''t try to sabotage stuff."


    Yang Dao nodded and asked, "When will it be held?"


    Feng Yun replied, "Tonight."


    Yang Dao said, "I actually invited some classmates for dinner in the Paradise hotel to dine."


    Feng Yun said, "That is fine just tell them to take a professional get up that way they will be alright."


    Yang Dao nodded and ate his food with both hands, it was as if a vacuum cleaner was sucking off the food from the plates. Feng Yun was happy to see that. It was because Yang Dao liked the food she cooked. The boy praised her at almost every bite he took. He ate too much, so much that moving became a pain so he sat there on the table. Made a call to Icarus, who volunteered, said he would bring his word about the attire to everyone. Feng Yun did not want him to work at all so, the jade lady even cleaned the dishes, when she returned, a sleeping Yang Dao greeted her.


    With a smile, she picked him up in her arms gently and walked to his bedroom. Just as Yang Dao was tucked in, she sensed someone entering the house. A loud voice came in, "Young Master, where are you?"


    Feng Yun quickly cast a barrier to cancel the sound. She sighed, after making sure that Yang Dao is fast asleep she walked out of his room, only to find a white-haired girl peeking around. She crossed her arms in front of her breasts and cleared her throat, "Ahem."


    The girl wearing a skirt suddenly froze. She turned around stiffly and said, "Sister Yun, hehehe... what are you doing here? Are you well?"


    Feng Yun spoke with a poker face, "You little headache, Young Master just fell asleep and you want to wake him up?" her cold tone made the girl shudder.


    She quickly said, "I am sorry, please don''t spank me this time. I could not even sit last time. Please, big sister, I will restrain myself." this aggrieved girl was Laohu Bai.


    Feng Yun snorted and said, "Why are you here though?"


    Laohu Bai said, "We have a problem in hawk nation. Our main assassin there is MIA. We sent someone to investigate this but nothing turned up."


    Feng Yun raised her eyebrow as she spoke, "So?"


    Laohu Bai spoke with a sigh, "Eldest wanted Young Master to go there and check. He said it will be able to give him an experience."


    Feng Yun refused without even thinking, "No, I will deal with eldest for you, let it be."


    Laohu Bai nodded, she suddenly recalled something and showed her the picture of Yang Dao saluting wearing the army uniform. The two ladies suddenly started acting like best of friends. In the evening Yang Dao woke up only to see the two beautiful girls were dancing in the study with two dresses on.


    Sensing his presence they both turned to him. They greeted him but the previous scene made him, emotionally dumb. Feng Yun again spoke and only then he came back to his senses.

 Chapter 86: Waves.

    Feng Yun spoke, "Good evening, Young Master." her smile made Yang Dao smile as well. Though his eyes were still dazed. Feng Yun knew he was still not fully awake. She held him by his shoulders and made him sit on the couch as she sat beside him. Yang Dao leaned onto her fair arm.


    He spoke in a low voice, "Sister Yun, you make good food."


    Feng Yun smiled brightly. Laohu Bai on the side took out her phone and started to record this moment. Feng Yun was wearing a white gown with diagonal red streaks on it. Her eyes had red makeup smeared on them just like how Yang Dao did last time. Ruby earrings and a solitaire ruby necklace. Her smile overshadowed all those ornaments. She replied in a soft voice, "Thank You, Young Master. I can cook for you daily."


    Yang Dao said, "No, I will get fat. Don''t you spoil me, Sister Yun." his eyes were half-closed. The exhaustion of the training was hard for him to shake off, after all, he was a kid.


    Feng Yun glanced at his face with a smile as she placed his head in her lap for a better rest. She asked, "What do you think about Xiao Bai, Young Master?"


    Yang Dao said, "She is naughty. I don''t like her forcing me."


    Feng Yun raised her eye, while Laohu Bai pouted. The former asked as she gently stroked Yang Dao''s face, "Did she force you?"


    Yang Dao replied, "Hmm when she gave me the stars and the badges, I saluted her. She did not return my salute but made me stand and clicked pictures. Icarus almost laughed at me. Then the other time, when I was running she suddenly attacked me. Said I need to win her by strength. I ask you, Sister Yun. Am I a fool? Do I not know that all the four spirits are respectable. I sparred with her, did not make a lowly move even once. Yet she did. Why do you say you are respectable if you don''t keep your dignity?"


    Feng Yun''s brow furrowed. It seems that Laohu Bai offended the kid a big deal. Yang Dao kept going on and on. How Laohu Bai was lax in discipline and how she would tease him over the month. When Feng Yun was about to reprimand her sister, the Young Master said, "She is like a kid. It is good. She is innocent at heart and a free spirit. She just needs a little restraint. The earth is always firm and warm. She is warm that is why her heart is open. You know sister Yun, I think, if she was just like you that would be nice, but her own personality is also necessary. I don''t dislike her, she is nice. Just some more time, we will become friends."


    Feng Yun suddenly smiled, "Okay, now you get ready, we have to attend a press meet."


    Yang Dao stood up from her lap as he said, "Okay, but can I drive? I have a license now. Please, don''t give me that car but any other would do." he gazed at the pretty girl with his big eyes. As if a puppy. Feng Yun chuckled she spoke while pinching his cheeks gently, "Okay."


    Yang Dao smiled and went to the washroom after waving his hand to Laohu Bai. Feng Yun said, "Xiao Bai, he woke up when I asked him how bad you were. You offended him a great deal. That is why he is not yet close to you. You have to realize that, Young Master is only sixteen, growing up he has always been idolized and alienated by people. Your teasing annoys him." her words made Laohu Bai frown and her eyes became watery.


    Feng Yun spoke, "Do you know what he meant by the latter half of his statement? It meant that you can be naughty, but instead of making fun of him, you should do fun with him. Okay? When you try to include him in your life that is when he will include you in his."


    Laohu Bai looked at Feng Yun with a flicker hi her silver eyes. She couldn''t help but hug Feng Yun. She spoke after breaking away from her, "I will definitely do what you said."


    Feng Yun shook her head with a smile and said, "It is what Young master said, you are just too silly to understand."


    As they were chatting, Yang Dao walked out wearing a royal blue suit with a white shirt inside, a red satin tie around his neck. The Royal Blue suit was matching Laohu Bai''s gown while the shirt and the tie complimented Feng Yun. He came out holding a pair of cufflinks. He said, "Sister Yun, why is this so hard to put on?"


    Laohu bai answered, "Young Master, to look good, you pay with effort. Here let me help you."


    Yang Dao nodded and let her help with the cufflinks and watch. The three people came downstairs. The staff in the reception lobby bowed to them. Yang Dao and the two ladies came out of the building and a luxury sports sedan stood waiting for them. The boy came to the driver''s seat and said to the man standing outside holding the door open, "Uncle you can take the day off, I will drive."


    The driver was an old age man. He was surprised to see the young master saying that he will drive himself. Just when he was hesitating, Yang Dao turned to Feng Yun with squinty eyes. The beauty shook her head and said, "Henry, you let the Young master drive. I will not blame you."


    Henry nodded and passed Yang Dao the key. The boy smiled and opened the door, he started the car and said, "Sister Yun, hurry."


    Feng Yun and Laohu Bai got in the car quickly. The two closed the door but Yang Dao asked, "Can I go fast?"


    Laohu Bai sat in front with him, while Feng Yun in the back. Both of them nodded and Yang Dao let go of the clutch, put the car in the gear, and pressed the accelerator. This was a four-seater sports car. Every aspect of the vehicle was top-notch. As soon as it came out of the residency, the vehicle turned into a bullet.


    Laohu Bai glanced at the GPS and said, "Elder Sister, you better put on the seat belt back there. Young Master is not a professional driver."


    Yang Dao was about to rebuke her when she added, "He is a race car driver." the boy smiled and said, "You are a quick learner, Baibai."


    This was the first time he called her with a nickname. This sent waves inside the white-haired beauty''s heart. After half an hour the vehicle came to a stop in front of the Star Viewing Pavillion. The three people got off and were immediately showered with flashes. Yang Dao covered his eyes from the sudden flicker.


    Feng Yun came to his side with a smile and said, "Ready?"


    Yang Dao opened his eyes and asked, "So many people?"


    Feng Yun fixed his crooked tie and hair gently as she spoke some things. Laohu Bai came held his hand with a smile. She said, "Let''s go in, these media people will eat you here otherwise."


    The two beauties held his hands both left and right. The flash flickers suddenly turned wild. The two beauties were enough to make people lay down in front of them, they were now holding onto a young boy. This was going to be a piece of international news.


    The media was not yet aware of Yang Dao''s Identity. They thought he was some young star Feng Yun took a liking too. At the entrance of the pavilion, the staff bowed to them and let them inside. The college students who took an airdrop were now eating. While they all cast their gazes in the direction of many rich businessmen, celebrities.


    Yang Dao asked, "Why are these people invited? Was it not just a press meet?"


    Feng Yun said, "When you enter the business, you need to socialize. Don''t worry. They won''t mess up Mcdouglas case is still fresh."


    Yang Dao nodded. he greeted his class mates some acquaintances among the bizz tycoons. Then he walked to a table where an old lady and a beautiful girl were eating fruits silently. He spoke, "Hello, granny, how are you?"


    The old lady has seen him walking over and had the mobile translator app ready. The two conversedwith ease. Yang Dao also chatted to Jelena Riaz. Soon he was called over the stage. Jelena Riaz was also wearing a golden brown gown. She looked very beautiful. The two people went back stage, to go over the stage they were needed to climb two steps. In high heels this was going to be difficult so Yang Dao offered his hand.


    The girl took his hand with a slight blush and climbed up the stage. Mary stood on the podium bowed to Yang Dao, while the boy waved at her.


    Feng Yun was sitting on one of the three chairs behind the table. The two people sat beside her and Mary spoke, "Friends of the media, thank you for coming. The press meet for Dao Technologies has now begun."

 Chapter 87: Biz Debut

    Mary spoke in the microphone in front of her, "Ladies and Gentleman, I call upon, Miss Feng Yun, president of the Pheonix group and Chief Advisor of Dao Technologies, to introduce the Dao Technologies to you." her words dropped and the media became calm.


    Feng Yun stood up and gracefully walked to the podium. She glanced at the people below with a poker face and said, "Thank you, for gracing us with your presence tonight. You have my gratitude for sharing our happiness." she took a pause, then carried on.


    "Tonight we invited you here to bless my brother as he takes his first step in the Biz World. Last month he registered a company under his name. He started on his own and came to me only after he had his first product developed. His question was, "What to name the product?" I asked what will I get for helping him with this so the boy offered me a job." she let out a chuckle.


    Imagine somebody offering a job to the richest woman in the country? The media and the guest all laughed a bit. Yang Dao looked down on the ground, pursing his lips as he blushed. This incident happened over a phone call when he told Feng Yun about his product development. This thing was insignificant and as the two joked with each other he asked Feng Yun to work for him.


    A media person raised his hand. Feng Yun nodded, and the person stood up. It was a lady in a formal outfit. She spoke, "Hello, President Feng, I am Ling Yu from Liro Times, my question to you is, How much salary did Young Master Feng offer you?"


    Feng Yun showed a rare smile at this question. She replied, "The Young Master generously gave me a bowl of Chicken Ramen noodles and a slice of  Apple cherry pie, cooked by himself."


    The people did not laugh this time but smiled. This statement showed how close the relationship between the siblings was. The reporter sat down in her seat and Feng Yun continued, "During his childhood, my brother was forced to live in the orphanage because I was not strong enough to protect him. But later he became used to it and we decided to get back together when he is in college."


    She also used this opportunity to prevent people from looking into his identity and raise questions later. If somebody tried to smear them with mud, she would deal with them obviously, but it is good to prevent it. The media took note of all this. Feng Yun introduced them to Dao Technologies, it was nothing much, then she said, "I give you, the protagonist of the night, Mr. Yang Dao."


    The media and people all applauded the young man who stood up from his chair and walked to the podium with a faint smile on his face. The boy took a deep breath before he stepped over and spoke in the microphone, "Hello everyone, thank you for coming. I am Feng Yang Dao. CEO of Dao Technologies, and Sister Yun, I am deducting a slice of pie from your salary for revealing internal matters."


    Feng Yun quickly said, "I apologize, but don''t take away my pie." as she chuckled. Everyone joined in the laughter. The boy was a natural, he set the mood right. He spoke with eloquence, "The company started a month ago, I wrote the code for a product. Today after a month, the technicians in the company have successfully developed the product to be compatible with almost all the smartphones available in the market. The product has a premium and a free version, users can download the product free of cost, use the trial for 3 months without paying a dime..."


    He kept on introducing different aspects of the product to the media and the people. After ten minutes he said, "The product will be revealed by our spoke person, a pop idol and a youth icon. I give you Miss Jelena Riaz."


    Jelena Riaz stood up and walked over to Yang dao with a sweet smile on her face. The media knew her as a pop idol from the Freedom nation who was now making waves all over the world. Only now did her appearance was justified. The classmates of Yang Dao were all sitting in a daze. They did not expect this guy to get the pop idol as the spokesperson of the product.


    Jelena took the mic at first she spoke in the native language of freedom nation. Later a machine voice sounded translating her words into English. This shocked the media. Some people in the crowd knew Freedom country language and exclaimed at the perfect translation. Jelena kept on talking using the app.


    The girl even called over a volunteer from the media and the application worked completely fine. After the demonstration, Jelena spoke in her sweet voice, "The rest is over to the boss." she was 16 just like Yang Dao so her frankness was overlooked.


    Yang Dao came back and smiled at her as he said, "This app also has a computer version, and is capable of translating documents and text inside a picture. The users will have to log in using their ID. The pricing for the premium will be revealed later on. Now you can ask questions."


    His words dropped and all of the people raised their hands. Yang Dao said while pointing at the man in a white shirt, "The gent in white, please."


    The man stood up and asked, "Good evening, Boss Feng, I am Tyler Nathan from Jade Truth. I want to ask you, what made you start an independent company while you could have followed your sister?"


    Yang Dao smiled and said, "You are wrong, Sir. I am following my sister. She also started her own company so I did that as well."


    The man nodded with a smile as he sat back down. Yang Dao revealed that he was following his sister but not under her shadow. He wanted to create a name of his own. The reporters kept asking him questions and the boy kept answering. After half an hour the Q&A finished. Yang Dao said, "I invite you all to the banquet, but if you want to click photographs then please ask the guest for permission before you do so."


    With this press meet, he has officially made his debut in the business world. Usually, nobody organizes a press meet for the first product. But Yang Dao did not know that in the last month Feng Yun had gotten him a lot of orders already. Thus, the press meet would just get him a better result and publicity.


    That said the boy walked off the stage, he helped all the three ladies to walk down the steps. Mary was the last one to get down so Yang Dao asked, "Madam Mary, I haven''t seen you in a long time, how are you?"


    Mary gave him a wry smile and said, "I was out on a paid vacation, Young Master. How are you?"


    Yang Dao nodded with a smile, "I am fine. You take some rest, Madam. Thank you for your hard work."


    Mary nodded to him and after talking to Feng Yun she walked away. The boy held not Feng Yun''s hand and said, "What do you think? Will the people like it?"


    Feng Yun responded with a smile, "Of course they will."


    Jelena exchanged a few words and went back to sit down with her grandmother. Yang Dao greeted a few guests and slowly came to the table where his classmates were eating and chatting. He sat down beside Kiya, as that was the only chair empty.


    The table was covered with a lot of dishes. It was a buffet system. Do you like it? You serve it. He noted that Kiya was not eating. He asked, "Why are you not eating? Is the food not good?"


    Kiya shook her head in silence. Yang Dao asked, "Did anyone say something to you?"


    Kiya shook her head, she could see that although Yang Dao was calm he was concerned for her. She asked, "How did you get Jelena to be your company''s spoke person?"


    Yang Dao smiled and told her how he saved Jelena''s grandmother in the car accident and then met her in the hospital. During the training camp, Kiya has become good friends with Yang Dao. The slight membrane between them did not exist now. Yang Dao would tell her everything she would ask him.


    Kiya was also happy with this development but maintained a proper line between what to ask and what not to ask. After all, Yang Dao was a private person. If things went bad because she is nosy then it would be bad.


    The two started to chat and Yang Dao served some food on her plate. Kiya did the same. She was not jealous anymore that her crush was indulging in other women. as the group of students was eating. Laohu Bai approached them and said to Yang Dao, "Dao, I want to dance with you. Will you?"

 Chapter 88: Dancing with the beauties.

    Laohu Bai''s sudden appearance surprised the students. They were all used to facing her ice-cold glare till this morning. Suddenly the lady acting like a gentle girl next door, they cannot help but gulp at her.


    Yang Dao turned to face her and said, "Sister Baibai, I don''t know how to dance."


    His calm and gentle tone made Laohu Bai very happy. She said, "Young Master, I will teach you. Now you come along." she directly held his hand.


    Yang Dao, "What did we talk about in the evening?" his tone was calm but the voice was deep.


    Laohu Bai let go of his hand and said to the classmates around, "Boy and girls, I am Laohu Bai, cousin of Yang Dao. Pleased to meet you. If you all do not mind may I borrow him for a few minutes?"


    The guys all nodded dumbly. Yang Dao shook his head and was about to stand up when Kiya mustered up her courage and asked, "Y...Yang Dao, can I also dance with you?" her voice was almost like a whisper. Yang Dao smiled and said, "Okay after I learn some, we dance."


    The boy stood up and walked to the center of the hall. There was an orchestra playing gentle music. Laohu Bai walked to the center and turned to face Yang Dao. She used her hand to place Yang Dao''s left hand on her waist while used her left hand to hold his right hand.


    She turned to the orchestra and the music changed. The change was abrupt and attracted everyone''s attention. Laohu Bai started to guide Yang Dao. The two bodies sway to the music in tandem. Nobody thought that Yang Dao was dancing for the first time. His steps were steady and the back was straight.


    He was able to follow the whole process with ease. After three minutes the music stopped. The surrounding audience clapped. Yang Dao scratched the back of his head in embarrassment. Silently he walked back to his table calmly. When he saw Kiya gazing at him with expectations, he could not help but bite a bullet.


    The boy walked over to her and said, "Would you like to dance now?"


    The girl blossomed with a smile and nodded as she said, "I''d be honored."


    Yang Dao extended his hand and Kiya placed her palm over it. The pink-haired her had a casual yet elegant one-piece dress draped on her. She said to Yang Dao as the two walked toward the center, "Would you like to do the same dance as you did with Instructor Bai?"


    Yang Dao nodded as he replied, "I would prefer to take baby steps. Learning too many things can make it bad."


    Kiya nodded, "But I thought you have four subjects in the college. Why not learn dance in multiple styles as well?"


    Yang Dao replied, "Let me first learn how to deal with women. This is something no one in the world could complete." although the boy was mumbling, it still fell into Kiya''s ears and she chuckled. This was probably the best joke from Yang Dao in his life.


    The two stood facing each other and started dancing to the music. This time it was slower and the boy was being led by Kiya. The two people danced very much similar to the way Laohu Bai taught him earlier and still some steps were modified by Kiya.


    The people thought that Yang Dao was a sucker for pretty girls. They began to see hope, let the girls in their family seduce this wealthy Young Master and rule. But the next moment, they saw Feng Yun walking up to Kiya who was enjoying her dance and whispering something in her ear.


    Kiya smiled and nodded, then with a bow to Yang Dao she walked back to her table while Feng Yun took on Yang Dao''s hand. She said with a smile, "You have two more people to dance with young master."


    Yang Dao tilted his head and asked, "Who two?"


    Feng Yun spoke as the two people danced, "Mary, and Jelena. They are gazing at you with hope."


    Yang Dao rolled his eyes and said, "Sister Yun, you don''t tease me okay. Sister Bai already threw me under the bus." he made an aggrieved expression and continued, "All the business big shot want me to fall into a honey trap."


    Feng Yun chuckled as she said, "A few months ago they wanted their kids to entrap me. Now they have set their eyes on you, Young Master. How will you handle it?"


    Yang Dao replied, "I will go and hide, they cannot trap me if they cannot find me." a smirk rested on his lips.


    Feng Yun could not help but chuckle at his acts. He was really different in front of her. Like a child almost. The two kept dancing slowly for the next five minutes and occasionally chuckling and joking with each other. Then Feng Yun beckoned Mary to come over.


    The secretary adored Yang Dao a lot, he was always respectful and nice to her. The main reason was that even though he was the brother of her boss, the boy called him MADAM. That sense of superiority made her swell, Yang Dao was her spoonful of honey.


    Yang Dao then danced with Mary and the music was a bit more fast-paced now. The boy handled the pressure with ease. Even the people nodded. The boy was able to keep up with Mary as if it was very easy but when the music picked up the footwork did too. It may not be as smooth as that of a professional but it was indeed very soothing to watch.


    The dance ended and Yang Dao bowed to Mary. The boy then walked up to the table where Jelena was sitting with her grandma. He was surprised to see that now a young man was sitting at the table as well. He did not bother and came to the old lady. The old lady was called Melissa Riaz. She smiled at Yang Dao.


    The boy asked her if the arrangements and the food were to her liking. Melissa nodded and thanked him. Yang Dao then turned to Jelena and asked, "Miss Jelena, may I have the honor to dance with you?"


    Jelena smiled and was about to agree when the young man said, "Mister, you have been dancing with a lot of beauties, why bother with Jelena too?"


    Yang Dao smiled and asked, "May I ask, who might you be sir?" he did not show any discomfort on his face at all.


    The young man smiled and replied, "I am Jelena''s cousin and her agent. My name is Zac."


    Yang Dao nodded and said, "Please enjoy your meal." then he turned to face Jelena and said, "Come, let''s have some fun." this time he did not ask, but told her. His words slapped the guy right across his face and it was a loud slap.


    Yang Dao''s earlier words were like, ''SHUT UP AND EAT. THIS IS MY PLACE AND I AM THE BOSS.''


    The boy took Jelena''s hand and took her to the dance floor. The girl followed him with big sparkling eyes. She liked his chivalry and the guts not to let the others meddle in his affairs. The two stood facing each other and started dancing.


    Yang Dao spoke suddenly, "I apologize for offending your cousin."


    Jelena shook her head and said, "He is always like this, nosy in my affairs. Ever since my parents let him be my manager, I have become nothing but a workhorse yet all my income is monitored by him."


    Yang Dao asked as he spun Jelena twice, "Is there any reason for such operation? Your parents do not stop him?"


    Jelena nodded, "My father owed his dad a big favor so. They have to tolerate. What is more, this person even had me write a contract that if I fire him then I have to pay him ten times the salary amount at that moment. But how do I pay? All of my money is held by him and used at his discrimination as well?"


    Yang Dao shook his head as he said, "This is a bit too much. How about I ask my sister to deal with it for you? That way it will solve your crisis, you can be free. What do you think?"


    Jelena thought for a bit and then said, Give me some time to think about it and then I will tell you."


    The boy nodded after he put himself in her shoes. The person was her family member. The two then danced in silence. Yang Dao and Jelena danced for 7 minutes. Then they stopped. After bowing to the audience Yang Dao took the beauty to her table and after a polite exchange with her grandmother, he left.


    Yang Dai had just turned away when he sensed a cold gaze aimed at his back but did not take it seriously. Laohu Bai and Feng Yun had already noticed the young man, who introduced himself to be Jelena''s cousin, glaring at their Young Master.


    Feng Yun said, "Deal with it."


    Laohu Bai said, "Rest assured, this guy will regret it."

 Chapter 89: Rush.

    The banquet ended smoothly and the three people drove back home. They all had a cheerful expression. Parked the car inside the parking lot and they boarded the elevator. When they reached the top floor and were about to enter the house. Yang Dao received a phone call.


    It was 11 PM. The caller was sister Tina, this was quite a surprise for him as sister Tina would be sleeping by this time. Yang Dao had a bad feeling and he stopped outside the door glancing at the phone screen. His actions were noticed by Feng Yun and Laohu Bai.


    You Xi Wang picked up the call before he could say anything, the other side spoke, "Dao... huuhuhuu... forgive me, I could not save them."


    Yang Dao was confused, the bad feeling in his heart was getting stronger. He asked, "Sister tina what happened? Please tell me all."


    Sister Tina replied while crying, "Dao, huuhuhuu..." the lady kept crying on the phone and the boy was getting anxious. He said, "Sister Tina do not worry, I will come now please calm down." the boy disconnected the call and anxiously glanced at Feng Yun.


    He was about to say something when the beauty said, "You can go, young master, Xiao Bai you go along with him. Remember, nothing should happen to him. The distance in the two cities is a bit far the chopper is not an idol transport. You go to the airport, I will have the jet ready."


    Yang Dao hugged her tight and said, "Thank you." with that said, he rushed back to the elevator. Feng Yun pushed Laohu Bai as she said, "Go, or he will leave alone."


    She was able to sense the anxiety inside yang Dao. This was not something she had ever sensed in his heart." after closing the door, she walked to the living room, picked up the landline phone, and called some people to have her private jet ready at the airport.


    ...


    Downstairs, Yang Dao rushed to the car in the parking, followed by Laohu Bai. The duo entered the car, with the boy driving. His skills were anything but below professionals. The vehicle roared as it came out of the residency and ran wildly on the streets and main road. Laohu Bai guided him to the airport by provided him directions every turn and Yang Dao followed her words in silence. His mind was focused on the situation in the orphanage.


    He even jumped the red signals. Thankfully it was night and the roads were relevantly empty. the boy picked up his phone and called Yurika. The phone rang for a long time before connecting.


    Yurika spoke in a lazy voice, "Dao, what happened?"


    Yang Dao asked, "Did you not go back to the orphanage?"


    Yurika replied, "I did go back, only last week I came to the jade City. You were in military training so did not disturb you. What happened?"


    Yang Dao said, "Nothing, Catch you later." with that he disconnected the call. Knowing Yurika, she would probably think that he was casually asking and disconnected the call to let her sleep. She is not selfish but she doesn''t have a sense of vigilance.


    The car roared all the way to the airport. Feng Yun was given a special passage and it was always kept empty to save her time. Now that she had made the call to the airport the same arrangements were made. The car entered the airport and came directly to the airstrip where a black and red beast stood.


    This was one of the best private jets in the world. Yang Dao parked the car did not even close the door and rushed to the airplane. The captain was about to greet him when Yang Dao said, "How long before take-off?"


    The captain replied, "Two minutes, Young Master."


    The boy nodded and entered the cabin. Laohu Bai said to the captain, "You will fly at the full speed, the destination is Bell city."


    The captain was aware of Laohu Bai''s identity and nodded respectfully to her. The two people climbed the stairs and entered the cabin. The captain went to the cockpit while Laohu Bai sat in front of Yang Dao and said, "Young Master, calm down. Only when you are calm can you handle the things coming at you."


    Yang Dao nodded and said, "Sister Bai, use your contacts. Find out the situation in the orphanage by the time we reach it. I don''t want even a second to delay."


    Laohu Bai nodded, picked up the phone, and called her subordinates. The instructions were brief and concise. She disconnected the phone when the plane was on the runway. Yang Dao said, "Sister Bai, let the plane fly over the orphanage, we dive, it will save a lot of time."


    Laohu Bai nodded, but inside, her heart was running just as fast as the plane. She waited for the take-off and after taking off her seat belt she went to the cockpit and told the pilot about what Yang Dao said. The pilot had no problems with this. He did say that they will have to use the cargo bay for the drop because the engine placement did not allow them a completely risk-free dive.


    The wings were placed past the door and if dived out in the air, the diver might just end up being ground by the turbines. Laohu Bai had no issues and left after nodding. When she returned she saw that Yang Dao was sitting on the floor, with his legs crossed and his eyes closed. She knew that he was cultivating so she did not say anything.


    Yang Dao was perceiving the air current around the plane and he used his bending skills for the first time and bent the opposing air current into a favoring one. Now the wind current suddenly changed direction and provided acceleration to the plane. The pilot was surprised but happy. He could finally make the plane run to its top speed.


    It took them only two hours, the captain only thought that he was riding on the tailwinds and the air currents to complete the journey in half the time. He spoke in the mic connected to the cabin and said, "Young Master we will fly over the location coordinates you gave. You can use the Cargo bay. I will tell you when to jump off."


    The boy was only waiting for this. He stood up and made his way to the cargo bay. Laohu Bai grabbed two parachutes from below the seats. This was the feature of the luxury plane. You have as many parachutes as the seats.


    ...


    Two minutes later two people were crouching in the empty cargo bay. A lady in a gown dress and a boy in a suit.


    Soon they hear a voice, "DIVE."


    Yang Dao and Laohu Bai dived hearing this. In the cockpit the captain witnessed them jump on a screen connected to the mini camera in the cargo bay and sighed, "I don''t know what the rich even think."

 Chapter 90: Tragedy.

    Yang Dao and Laohu Bai jumped off the plane. The two could see the outline of the landscape below. The boy led the dive trajectory while Laohu Bai followed. Vaguely identifying the orphanage building outline, the boy pulled onto the parachute string. Laohu Bai followed his actions with no hesitation.


    ...


    Below in the orphanage, a few older kids were still awake and had anxious expressions on their faces. One of the girls named Tasha asked, "Say, Brother Cao, what do you think will happen to the three?"


    Cao was a guy. He was 14 and was the oldest among the seven or eight kids here. He said, "I don''t know, Sister Tina called Brother Dao a few hours ago. Probably he will be able to help them."


    Tasha nodded, then she glanced outside the window and closed her eyes to pray, "God, please send us your aid. Help those who are in suffering, heal those in pain. Please, I will not eat chocolate for 3 months. No, 1 month. Please." she was 12 years old. To an orphan chocolate was a delight and luxury, this girl gave up her delight to help her fellow orphans who were in suffering at this moment.


    The girl opened her eyes and saw two neon figures slowly descending to the orphanage. She rubbed her eyes twice and said, "Brother Cao, what is that." as she pointed her finger to the two figures falling from the sky.


    Cao looked outside and was surprised. As Yang Dao and Laohu Bai came closer to the garden in the orphanage the dim lighting reflected on them, their appearances became more prominent. Cao spat out in disbelief, "Brother Dao fell from the sky with an angel beside him."


    Laohu Bai was nothing short of an angel in looks, her white hair made her have an appearance of a fairy tale creature. The four boys were mesmerized by her appearance. Just as they were lost in thought, Yang Dao and the girl touched down. The kids rushed out to greet them.


    ...


    Yang Dao landed and quickly tugged down the parachute and so did Laohu Bai. The boy was just packing it up when he heard a lot of footsteps rushing towards him. He turned back only to catch two girls jumping at him. He sighed, "I missed you two as well. Nina, Tina."


    The two girls who jumped at him were twins called Tina and Nina. It was not known who was the elder one and who was the younger one. They were unable to talk when they were sent back to the orphanage, the two girls were already in dire conditions. They were seemingly being strangled by their father when the police came. To save them, the constable shot down the maniac father, who was shouting that these two kids were the demons who ate their mother and killed her during the birth.


    In the assault by the maniac, the two lost the ability to speak. Yang Dao was 5 when they came over and due to him being a silent one he liked to stay by their side and took care of them. The bond between people was very deep in the orphanage. Despite being an introvert on the surface, Yang Dao did his best for everyone since a young age and everyone in the orphanage knew that. He started to work part-time when he was ten and since then he would bring back stuff from his savings.


    Coaxing the two girls who hugged him with gentle pats on their heads he asked, "Cao, what happened?"


    Cao woke up from his trance and said, "Brother Dao, today was the outing day. Sister Tina took ten children under ten years to the elder square. It happened that some rich philanthropist was visiting the square as well. But something happened, Sister Tina did not tell us anything when she came back. Only seven children came back. She said that the orphanage is now running on your money so she will inform you while asked us all to go to sleep. She was very exhausted so Tasha gave her some cough syrup. The seven children are all quiet as well not telling us anything. We don''t know what to do."


    Narrating the situation, the dam he built to hold himself broke and tears started pouring out. He was younger than Yang Dao, now seeing him in front of him, he could not hold on. His tears fell and everyone else also started crying. Yang Dao did not know how to handle this, he turned to look at Laohu Bai who was just as clueless as him.


    He sighed as he thought it would be better to have Feng Yun beside him at this time. He said, "Sister Bai, did your people get anything?"


    Laohu Bai replied, "Let me make a call, Young Master." Yang Dao took out her phone from his pocket and returned it to her. Her dress did not have any pockets so she handed it to him on the plane. She took back the phone and made a call, both the people did not care about the crying children or it could be said that they did not know what to say and how to make them calm down.


    Watching Laohu Bai going to the side to make a phone call he said to the kids, "See guys, I do not know how to console you, but I assure you this time will pass. If we are done wrong by anyone then I will make them pay. Okay. Believe in me for a bit and do not cry." his calm voice made them all calm down a bit.


    Laohu Bai walked back after a few minutes. Her aura was akin to a tiger ready to shred the prey. Yang Dao said, "Calm down, Sister Bai."


    The girl immediately woke up. Her aura was so harsh that it scared the children. She said, "I apologize for the mistake, Young Master. The report I received is not very good. Please come with me."


    Yang Dao sensed that it may be not something that could be disclosed to the children so the two people walked to the side. When they were out of the earshot Laohu Bai said, "Young Master, seemingly the square is under terrorist attack. The three children are dead." her energetic voice turned helpless when she said the last sentence.


    Yang Dao stood there stunned in a daze.

 Chapter 91: Dao Punishment.

    Yang Dao stood in a daze when he heard the words from Laohu Bai. He asked her again, "What did you say?"


    Laohu Bai replied, "A group of terrorists attacked the square, they first entered the restaurant. The three children were taken hostage by them as they sat on a table close to them. The others were quick to rush out yet still. The terrorists killed 5 people with the bullet spray. According to what my people found, Sister Tina was smart enough to send the children with her outside quickly. She even asked the terrorists to be hostage and that they let go of the kids, but to no avail. When the police forces rushed to the scene, one of the children tried to run away, the other two followed him, in panic, the terrorists shot them. Sister Tina was rescued by the police, they shot down one of the four terrorists."


    Yang Dao was calm but Laohu Bai sensed the wind picking up around her. She saw the boy close his eyes, he turned to the other children and said, "Cao, you all go back inside I will deal with this situation. Go, do not let anyone wander around."


    Cao nodded to him and led the others back inside. He said to Laohu Bai, "I want to go there, the special forces take charge, can we do that?" sensing the chill in his voice Laohu Bai nodded. The two walked forward. At the entrance of the orphanage, a green military jeep was parked. Two men stood outside the jeep.


    As they saw Yang Dao and Laohu Bai approach they saluted. Laohu Bai said, "You two guard the orphanage." the two people replied loudly in acknowledgment. The girl turned to Yang Dao and said, "Let''s go, captain."


    Yang Dao nodded and took the driver''s seat. Laohu Bai sat down beside him and the duo left for the square. All along the way, Yang Dao was silent. This made the white-haired beauty worry. She did not speak a single word but delivered a text to Feng Yun asking her how to deal with it.


    As the time passed Laohu Bai noticed that the clear skies were covered with clouds and the wind was roaring. The swift and strong winds were a representation of how chaotic Yang Dao''s heart was. The three children who died were innocent and so were the rest of the people. But as a person who grew up in an orphanage and treated the fellow orphans as his siblings, how can he take this well? The rage inside his heart was justified.


    ...


    Feng Yun was sitting crosse-legged when she woke up from a text on her phone. The text was sent by Laohu Bai. It described the situation in the Bell City and also Yang Dao''s anger. Feng Yun sighed she picked up the call and dialed the eldest brother''s number.


    The call connected in a blink and the other side spoke, "The freedom country dignitary is not being held hostage by three terrorists. I know that the young master is going over there in rage."


    Feng Yun asked in a cold voice, "Eldest, don''t make it so that I burn you to ashes."


    The man sighed, "Yun, trust me I did not do anything this time. I called XiaoLong a bit ago. He said that it is some mercenary corps that is playing the hand in the shadows."


    Feng Yun said, "Young Master''s rage is not a good thing for the world. Old man, this is my last warning, if you tried to push his growth, I will kill you and the three of us will evoke the heavenly dao to erase us." her voice was a naked threat.


    The eldest gritted his teeth. After a few minutes he sighed and said, "Very well, I will not do something like this. I will not force his growth. But you guys don''t slow it down. What is coming is not a minuscule terror attack."


    Feng Yun did not reply and disconnected the call. She replied to Laohu Bai, and mumbled, "This eldest turtle is such a pain." shook her head and went back to the meditation.


    ...


    Laohu Bai saw the text on her phone and said, "Young Master, Sister Yun said that only those who are calm and rule over their rage can face every opponent with ease and win."


    Yang Dao pressed the breaks, not because he was enlightened but because they reached the barricade of the police. He said, "I know that. Don''t worry."


    As he talked a police officer wearing protective gear knocked on the window. Yang Dao lowered the window and before the other party could speak, he said, "General Laohu Bai, special forces, is here to take charge."


    The policeman was stunned for a second and said, "I would need to see some ID, sir." he did recognize the military vehicle.


    Yang Dao turned to Laohu Bai, who puller up her dress a bit and revealed her white legs. On her thigh, a strap held a red book. She took out the book and handed it to Yang Dao, who in turn flashed it to the gulping police officer. The place to keep the identity card was a bit too feisty for him.


    After confirming that the ID was real he let her go inside. The barricades were set a whole kilometer away from the actual event place. Yang Dao parked the car after crossing the barricade. Laohu Bai said, "I will lead you will follow, Young Master." as she got off the car.


    Yang Dao nodded and followed her down. The two people came to the back of the jeep and opened the back door. Inside lied two spare sets of uniforms, and a complete standard weapon set for the army with a kevlar jacket and weapons. Laohu Bai said, "Let''s change into something comfortable and easy move-in, first."


    Yang Dao nodded and the two people change one by one after boarding the car again. They took turns changing the clothes. (I know what is going on in your mind)


    After they were done Yang Dao asked, "Sister Bai, what is the plan?"

 Chapter 92: Assault Plan.

    Yang Dao asked when the two stood outside the jeep, "Sister Bai, what is the plan?"


    Laohu Bai spoke in a soft voice, "Young master, now I am your commander. We are on a military assignment. Do bear that in your mind."


    Yang Dao nodded and said, "My apologies, General."


    Laohu Bai said, "Now, we first search for sentries. Since they entered inside the city and can blatantly attack people, that means they have people to back them up. These backup forces are usually hidden in the immediate surroundings. So we will locate and diffuse them first. Make sure you have the gun suppressed and only use a gun when you cannot deal with the enemy with melee."


    Yang Dao asked, "Yes, Sir."


    Laohu Bai said, "Here take the comms, you search the top of the buildings while I search the streets."


    Yang Dao nodded and took the comms, an earpiece, and a mic connected to a battery box on his utility belt. Laohu Bai walked up to the police officer, who stopped them earlier and said, "Connect me to your commanding officer."


    The policeman nodded, using his walkie-talkie connected to the commanding officer. He spoke, "Chief, there is a special force general here. She wants to talk to you."


    The other side replied in a deep voice, "Put her on."


    Laohu Bai grabbed the walkie-talkie and said, "My name is General Laohu Bai, ID number - 2879... You can confirm my identity."


    The other side did not respond until a few minutes. Then the chief''s voice sounded, "General, you now have the command, what are my orders."


    The girl replied, "Maintain the status quo, leave the rest to me." her commanding tone left no room to question and doubts.


    The chief acknowledged, Laohu Bai left with Yang Dao to skim through the alleyways. The walkie-talkie sounded again, "Harry, how many troops does the general have?"


    The policeman was called Harry. He replied, "Including her, it is a two people team chief."


    The other side fell silent in shock.


    ...


    Yang Dao carried a long barrel sniper on his back and a dagger in his hand. He first entered a building. The city had a not-so-impressive infrastructure. The people could traverse from roof to roof and there were almost no buildings that would be higher than ten floors. The boy checked every corner of the staircase before he climbed up. to the roof. He set his sights on the tallest building in the area. It was 600 meters away from his position. He took off the Sniper Rifle and sat down on the ground.


    With a deep breath, he focused on interacting with the wind. An area of a hundred meters around him immediately fell under his radar. The wind flow became his search tool. Swiftly sweeping over the top of all the buildings in a radius of a hundred meters. He found nothing and said as he pressed the mic switch.


    "Report, General, do you copy?"


    Laohu Bai returned, "Go ahead."


    Yang Dao said, "Wind sweep discovered nothing in a hundred meters, permission to advance the search radius."


    Laohu Bai, "Granted, act to kill."


    Yang Dao replied, "Acknowledged."


    The boy then picked up his sniper rifle and ran over to the edge of the roof and took a leap. He willed the wind to give him a boost and he landed on to the next building. After careful sweep and search, he arrived at the tallest building. The night was a perfect cover for the two people.


    Laohu Bai suddenly contacted him, "Come In, tower." tower was Yang Dao''s code name as he was a sniper on the tall building.


    He pressed the mic and replied, "Go, for Tower."


    Laohu Bai said, "300 Metres to your north, do you see movement?"


    Yang Dao changed his position and placed his eyes on the location suggested by Laohu Bai. He spoke, "Movement spotted. Three assailants, armed."


    Laohu Bai spoke, "Lazer mark the one you have a clear shot at, leave the rest for me."


    The sniper rifle was equipped with a laser pointer it was a UV laser visible to only those who had special glasses equipped. The boy marked the target he was comfortable to take out and also sure.


    ...


    At this moment, three people holding guns were talking about something, when suddenly with a  PUFF, the head of their comrade was blasted off like a watermelon. Before they could react a bullet found its way to the second guy''s head and the third had his throat pierced by a dagger.


    Laohu Bai came out of the dark. She heard a message from the comms, "Report, Two assailants, three blocks away."


    She turned her head in the direction and said, "Alright... approaching the target."


    The two people worked and searched for about 30 minutes and killed 9 assailants. Then they came to stop near the restaurant where the three people had 20 hostages covering the windows. You Xi Wang laid prone on the building opposite the restaurant, due to the elevation angle he was hidden in plain sight.


    The terrorists have been trying to contact their backup forces but did not get any response. This made them panic. Laohu Bai walked up to the chief of police who had a parameter set up around the restaurant.


    The other party saw her uniform covered in blood and asked, "Ma''am are you okay?"


    Laohu Bai responded, "Thank you for asking I am fine, what is the situation?"


    The chief responded, "They have twenty hostages placed against the window and we are not sure about taking them out."


    The general asked, "Demands?"


    The police chief nodded and said, "They want Paulson Romero to be set free."


    Laohu Bai spat on the ground when she heard, "Ma''am I have a clean shot on the terrorists." coming from her come.


    It was Yang Dao. He positioned himself to the side building where scaffolding was placed. He was laying on that scaffolding and three terrorists were all visible to him from the angle. The three people were hiding behind a counter and were barely visible from an exhaust fan hole. At this moment the electricity of the place was cut and they only had flashlights.


    Laohu Bai asked, "How confident?"


    Yang Dao replied, "100%."


    Laohu Bai took a deep breath, "Take the shot."


    Yang Dao did not hesitate and squeezed the trigger.


    PUFF, PUFF, PUFF.


    One muffled shot and three people dead. Yang Dao bent the wind to accomplish that. He used the wind to sense the bullet trajectory, and calculated the amount of deviation after the bullet will hit the target. His bullet passed through the neck of the first target from the side, then through the jaw of the second target next to him, finally lodged inside the third target''s skull.


    Yang Dao said, "General, Target diffused."

 Chapter 93: Aftermath.

    Yang Dao messaged Laohu Bai, "General, Target diffused."


    Laohu Bai got back to him, "Do not relax, stay alert until the final sweep." her voice was calm. The degree of vigilance she radiated was also very high.


    Yang Dao replied, "Roger."


    The boy took out a mini binocular from his utility belt and set his gaze to observe the restaurant for any changes. He did spot the three children lying on the floor in a corner, drowned in their own blood. He took a deep breath to calm himself. Yang Dao understood this fact very well that at this moment he is a soldier and rather than revenge, the safety of these hostages mattered most.


    ...


    On the ground, Laohu Bai told the police chief, "The three terrorists are dead, I will now go inside for a final sweep. You tell your men to stay alert until I say so and do not move the hostages. There is a chance that some terrorists may have disguised themselves as the hostage and hid among them." her commanding tone did not leave any grounds for the police chief.


    The poor man could only reply, "Yes, Sir."


    Laohu Bai nodded, turned around, and spectated the restaurant. Yang Dao spoke to her, "General, there is a blind spot at my side. Should I go in?"


    The general hesitated for a moment then she said, "You can go in, act with caution. If you find anyone being sneaky, shoot first, talk later. I will take the responsibility." her voice was firm. She gave him this command because she was afraid that something might happen to Yang Dao.


    The boy replied, "Affirmative." in a stable voice and walked down the scaffolding without making any sound. He crouched down as he approached the restaurant door. From his waist, he took out a sleek dagger. Yang Dao was trained to check for traps on the doors before entering a closed enemy zone.


    Closed doors, corners, curtains are classified as three critical Cs while raiding and sweeping the grounds. They all can be glazed with a variety of traps and bombs. So, to check the door for any traps, Yang Dao wedged his dagger in the space between the door and the frame, moved it along, suddenly he felt that the dagger cut something. The door was unlocked, so if anyone even accidentally pushed it open, the trap will be triggered.


    Yang Dao put the dagger back in his utility belt and took out the gun as he gently pushed the door open. The inside the all dark because of the power cut. The police force did this to make things difficult for the terrorists. When Yang Doa took the shot he had the sniper rifle scope equipped with night vision. Otherwise, that shot was almost impossible. Well, it is still unimaginable that the boy killed those three people with one shot.


    Since it was dark, he can move inside with ease and support his wind bending skills. The boy held his gun with both hands and moved at a slow pace. His footsteps were silent, wind flow inside the restaurant became his scouter. After five minutes, he stood near the counter where the three terrorists lay dead.


    His gazes scanned the hostages leaning against the glass windows. He did not say anything. Suddenly felt a moment from his left side. A hostage suddenly came at him holding a dagger. A muzzle spark flashed.


    Puff...


    The person fell on the ground with a dull thud, the guy was dead. Yang Dao sighed and walked up to the main door which was also planted with a bomb but this one was 5 times bigger than the one on the back door.


    He pushed open the door and walked out. Suddenly the policeman shouted, "STOP, DON''T MOVE."


    Yang Dao stopped and raised his hands as he replied, "I AM CAPTAIN YANG DAO. SPECIAL FORCES."


    The policeman was shocked, they did not know the special forces sending a guy inside. They hurriedly contacted their senior officer with the walkie-talkie. Only then they allowed Yang Dao to move. The situation was diffused so the police immediately took charge. They found that the hostages were all tapped to the glass windows with their mouths covered as well. That is also the reason that they did not make any ruckus when Yang Dao shot the terrorist.


    Laohu Bai walked over with the police chief. The old man was about to express his gratitude when Yang Dao rushed to the side of the road and puked his guts out. The police chief asked, "Is he fine? We have an ambulance on standby."


    The general said, "Nothing just the sequela of first blood."


    The police chief was shocked, he did not expect this special force officer to have never killed before, but when he recalled the handsome face with some childishness lacing over it. He asked, "Is he one of those Special recruits?"


    Given his rank, as a city police chief, being aware of a special recruiter was something no surprise. Laohu Bai nodded as she said, "The situation is solved please clean up soon. The three children who died belong to the same orphanage as the special recruit is. I hope you understand."


    The police chief understood and said, "I will personally see the handover. Other than removing the bullet I will not let the doctors operate the corpses."


    Laohu Bai nodded with a sigh and said, "Keep our appearance a secret, just say that a team of special forces dealt with it with your help."


    The police chief nodded, he turned and started to instruct his people to clean up quickly. He also had the media blocked, they had jammers installed so that no camera or recording and broadcasting equipment can be used. Of course, Military-grade equipment was not included.


    ...


    After dealing with the police chief, Laohu Bai first went back to her car, picked up a water bottle, and came to Yang Dao who was still puking. The boy held his belly, no matter how strong you are the constant contraptions happening to the body during vomitings are painful. The beauty held onto his shoulder as she patted his back gently. Yang Dao had tears in his eyes.


    Laohu Bai said in a soft voice, "It is okay, to cry sometimes, Young Master."


    She was at this moment trying to console him for both the loss of the kids and the first kills. She was impressed that he held onto his emotions until now. A true soldier was a machine that could not malfunction and must stay calm at all times. After Yang Dao was done vomiting, she held his shivering body and made him sit down on the sidewalk.


    Yang Dao was vulnerable at this moment, he took the water bottle the beauty gave him, in his shivering hands. He rinsed his mouth and spat it out before taking two sips. He said, "Sis... Sister Bai, I killed a... a human being."


    Laohu Bai said, "Young Master, these people we killed are not humans. They are beasts, let loose to cause harm to the innocent for petty gains."


    Yang Dao could not hold up and hugged her. The Dao Child was a child after all. He let out all his grief and fear in the form of a muffled wail. Laohu Bai patted his back with one hand while she wiped the corner of her eyes with another hand. The pain Yang Dao felt was too much. As his familiar spirit, she felt it too.


    She said in a heavy voice, "Young Master, sometimes, we have to do things that we don''t want to. Just like today to save 20 innocents you fought and prevailed against these terrorists. You need to stay strong Young master. How would you support the people in the orphanage? Those children are all waiting for you to go back."


    Yang Dao calmed himself down a little, he asked, "What can I do there? How do I tell them everything will be right when it is not?" his voice was aggrieved.


    Laohu Bai said, "Only by accepting the truth can they move forward. The rest is up to the gods."


    She spent some time consoling him. Only after half an hour was Yang Dao able to stop shivering and accept that what he has done was an absolute requirement. They walked back to the place where the jeep was parked. At this moment the horizon was lit up with early morning sun. Yang Dao had some drops of blood on his camo shirt so he took it off and wore a green t-shirt.


    Laohu Bai drove the car back to the orphanage. Before leaving the police chief told them that the city administration will pay for the funeral costs but Yang Dao rejected him. He was upset and said, "You should pay to increase the security of the city, rather than funerals."


    The car stopped in front of the orphanage and the two people got down. Laohu Bai sent off the two guards and walked inside with Yang Dao.

 Chapter 94: Breaking The News.

    Yang Dao and Laohubai stood at the gates of the orphanage. The boy took a deep breath, his resolve to handle the tragic situation was rattled once again as he saw the place that always used to be filled with cheers and laughter. He did not know how to walk in and tell the people about what happened to those three children.


    Laohu Bai sensed his turmoil and placed her hand on his shoulder. She squeezed it gently and said, "Stay strong, Young Master. Life and death are just the two sides of a coin. They are never apart and they are never the end."


    Her calm voice eased the storm inside Yang Dao''s heart a bit. After a couple of deep breathes the boy moved his steps forward. The white-haired girl followed him in silence. The Orphanage used to be a school earlier. But later on, the building was renovated and the city government changed it into an orphanage. There was one big entrance with a concrete shed over it. Two Pillars supported the shed, these pillars all had the name of all the children who grew up and walked out of the orphanage to a new life.


    The whole orphanage was painted with cheerful bright colors to make it more children-friendly. In front of him stood an Oak-wood door. The boy pushed it. The door was old and heavy, it opened with a creaking sound, shattering the silence of the early morning. He stepped in and saw an empty reception counter.


    He walked slowly with his eyes gazing at his old home, soon he came to a stair case. Turned to Laohu Bai and said, "Sister Bai, wait here. I will get the rest to come and help."


    Laohu Bai nodded, she was worried and grateful to Yang Dao. Her only weakness was being emotionally expressive and understanding the people she did not know. The children in the orphanage were unknown and she did not know how to deal with it. She watched as Yang Dao climbed the stairs slowly.


    She came back to the reception counter sat down on a chair with a sigh when she heard her phone buzz. The girl jumped off the chair in fright and picked up the phone. The called were the eldest and Feng Yun. It was a multi-call.


    She spoke, "Hello, eldest brother, Sister Yun."


    Feg Yun spoke, "Xiao Bai, where is the Young Master?"


    The white-haired girl replied, "He is upstairs, waking up the children. He asked me to stay here."


    The old man spoke, "Why is he dealing with it alone?"


    Feng Yun spoke, "He might have sensed that Xiao Bai cannot deal with unknown people. Too stoic. Her military training comes in the way of emotions."


    Laohu Bai just hummed silently. The Old Man spoke up in a solemn voice, "How is he holding up and narrate the whole story."


    The white-haired girl told them what happened from the moment they started to kill the terrorists and now. The two listened in silence. Just as they were talking Laou Bai heard crying sounds. She sighed and said, "Young Master, told them about the death of the children. The whole orphanage is echoing with wails. What do I do?" her own eyes turned red.


    ...


    Yang Dao climbed up the stairs and came to the second floor where the elder children used to sleep. He first woke up the boys and walked up to the female dorms alone. After he woke up the girls, the 13 children above the age of ten all gathered in the corridor. Yang Dao glanced at them and said in a heavy voice, "You guys know that yesterday something happened in the orphanage when Sister Tina took the young ones out."


    The rest nodded, they all could sense that it was a bad thing from his heavy tone. Yang Dao took a deep breath and said, "There was a terrorist attack in the city. The three children were held hostage when they tried to protest and break away. They were brutally murdered."


    The boys in front of him were stunned while they covered their mouths with a palm and some girls held each other''s hand tight. They could not believe what their elder brother was saying. Yang Dao said, "I am telling you the truth. I saw them there, sleeping forever. I joined the army from the training. Do you know that elder sister with me? She took me and helped me avenge our brothers. But even then I could not bring them back." his eyes were already covered with tears.


    Cao, the 14-year-old boy, who told him everything last night, said, "It is not your fault big brother Dao. You avenged them and saved a lot more. The three will be happy." although he said that, he was also tearing up.


    Children in the orphanage all grow up relying on each other and thus they have a greater sense of unity and the circumstances make them more responsible and mature. This is also what sister tina instilled in them when they all grew up. Yang Dao nodded slightly and said, "Can you wake up the others, we need to prepare for the burial ceremony. Sis... sister Tina. I will go to her."


    The rest of the children nodded and left to wake up the others. Yang Dao walked back to the first floor where Sister Tina resided, his pace was slow. His heart was as if being squeezed by grief. The pain was unbearable. This pain was not from the death of the children but the sadness, he shared with everyone. He has not even reached the doors when he heard the wailings behind him.


    The boy came to a double door and raised his shivering hand to knock on it. After knocking twice, he noticed that the door was open already. He pushed it open and said, "Sister Tina." as he peeked inside.


    He shivered as he saw sister tina sitting on the bed wearing a black habit. She never wore the colors of grief but today she was wearing them. She raised her head to glance at him and said, "Come in Dao."

 Chapter 95: The Closure.

    Yang Dao did not expect that when he peeks inside he will find Sister Tina, dressed up in the grieving habit. He walked inside when she called upon him. He crouched in from of him and asked, "Are you okay, Sister Tina?"


    Sister Tina nodded as she sighed, "I cried all night long, then it clicked to me that I cannot actually control everything in the world. Those children maybe they were only meant to live this long. I can only pray that they are all in a better place. May their souls rest in peace and may the angels watch over them."


    Yang Dao did not believe in god much but he never stepped back when Sister Tina said prayers, he said, "Amen."


    Then taking a deep breath he said, "You are stronger than me Sister Tina. I cannot handle this pain inside me." his voice became low as he went on.


    Sister Tina stretched her hand and placed it over his head. She said, "I know you do not believe in God. But did you not read the Words Of God? How can you not see the logic in it?"


    Yang Dao raised his head to look at her as she said, "It is okay for humans to feel grief, sorrow, joy, lust, and anger. That makes you human. But do not let them take control of you. Only when you let the not affect your state of mind, do you become the true human."


    Yang Dao picked up the cue where she dropped it, "Those who stay the same whether it is joy or sorrow can step over the bounds of life and death. Only those who have the heart free like a river and doesn''t let the flow of life restricted can be free from the bonds of mortality." he stopped.


    Sister Tina picked up, "Those who can brave the storms of life with a smile on their face and those who can see the misery hidden in those desperate smiles, can be the saint among men."


    Yang Dao finished, "Those who can carry on their duties with peace in their minds can be sages. Those who realize that tranquility lies inside the eye of the storm can be at peace."


    Sister Tina and he spoke at the same time, "Those who understand that their deeds can make them ascend are the true humans."


    Yang Dao pondered over these words, and his grief calmed down. He understood that everything in the world is not in his control. It is okay that he feels emotional pain, but letting his emotions overwhelm him is bad. His emotions should not be the master of his life but the other way around. He took a deep breath and leaned his head against Sister Tina''s knees, as he kneeled.


    He said, "If there is a god in the world, it resides within you."


    Sister Tina said, "If there is a god in the world, it resided within us." her hand kept stroking Yang Dao''s hair. The two people stayed there in silence until the door was knocked.


    Yang Dao stood up and asked, "Who is it?"


    The door was pushed open, two girls holding hands walked in. They were the twins, Nina, and Mina. They had red eyes at this moment. Yang Dao walked up to them, touched their heads, and asked, "Are they done?"


    The two girls nodded. Sister Tina stood up from the bed and said, "Come, let us send your brothers off."


    The two girls hugged Sister Tina. The lady sighed with a heavy heart and coaxed them to be brave.


    ...


    Just as Laohu Bai heard the wailing, a few children came downstairs. holding shovels both big and small. They stopped when they saw Laohu Bai. Cao walked forward and asked, "Big Sister, do you need anything?"


    Cao glanced at Tasha and said, "Tasha, stay here to see the guest, we will go to dig. Send someone up when they co... come."


    Laohu Bai shook her head but  suddenly asked, "Can I help you with the digging? I have some understanding of the soil."


    Cao and the others exchanged a glance, they were kids, having an adult along would not bother so they nodded. Three girls were asked to stay back and inform the rest when the ambulance arrives.


    Tasha nodded, together with Nina, and Mina she came and sat down near the counter while the boys went off to the big ground. The orphanage had a big ground which was used by the school for various meets. Now a corner of it was covered with plants and trees. It was not cluttered but very well arranged. The curator of the orphanage was a person with OCD, his freakiness was passed down to children as well.


    Cao and the other children asked the curator about where to dig the graves and they were pointed to that corner. Soon, they were done digging, do not look down on them because of their tender age. They were all responsible for taking care of the orphanage chores. So shoveling the snow in the winters and other stuff was learned. So, they easily dug three deep pits. All as deep as five feet deep.


    Laohu Bai used the big shovel and it was thanks to her that they were all done in half an hour. When they got back all of them saw the ambulance parked at the side. Tasha stood there shivering. Laohu Bai stepped forward placed her hand on the little girl''s shoulder and asked the escort guy, "Where do I sign?"


    The guy said, "Madam, you need to be the orphanage staff for that." he spoke apologetically. he noticed that Laohu Bai had the military uniform on.


    Just when Laohu Bai was about to rebuke him a voice came from behind her, "I will sign the undertaking document, sir please wait."


    It was sister Tina who came down with Yang dao and the two girls. She nodded to Laohu Bai and walked up to the man. Her hands shivered slightly as she took hold of the document but then she calmed her heart and signed it.


    She spoke to the boys, "Go, take your brothers down and take them to their place of rest. Also, don''t cry. They will all feel sad watching you like this. Go."


    The boys nodded and walked away to the ambulance, Yang Dao was in the lead. Sister Tina turned around and spoke to Laohu Bai, "Dao, told me what you did. Thank you."


    She was about to bow when Laohu Bai stopped her and said, "You have taken care of my young master throughout his life. Please do not bow. I cannot accept that."


    Her words confused Sister Tina but she thought that Laohu Bai was a member of the Feng household and attendant to Yang Dao. Actually, her earlier words were just courtesy. All the children and the members of the Orphanage staff gathered together and attended the funeral of the three children.


    The event came to a closure amidst a lot of tears and heavy hearts. But then again that was life. Sorrows and happiness are the two sides of a coin, one is light and the other is dark.


    Yang Dao spent the day inside the orphanage with his ''family''.

 Chapter 96: Home.

    The next morning Yang Dao woke up in his bunk bed, he rubbed his eyes and found everyone else was still sleeping. The mental stress on them all must have made them all sleep a little longer. Without causing any disturbance Yang Dao walked outside the room and found Laohu Bai walking out of the guest room she was arranged to stay in.


    She said, "Good morning Young Master."


    Yang Dao replied to her. Usually, girls will have messy hair and a grumpy mood when they wake up but Laohu Bai looked very pretty just like how Feng Yun does. The boy connected this to have to do anything with being the spirits of the heavenly beasts. Yang Dao walked to the staircase and said, "Would you like to go out for a jog?"


    Laohu Bai nodded, "Yes." The two were already wearing sport shoes when they came out. Laohu Bai had someone deliver them some good clothes. They walked downstairs, came out of the orphanage building. Yang Dao did some warm-up jumps and stretches. Then he started to run ahead at a slow pace.


    Laohu Bai followed his pace for the run. On the way, a lot of early risers saw Yang Dao and greeted him. Yang Dao has been running here for 3 years. He has basically known by his face. After finding his sunny face appear after a long time a lot of people asked him why did he suddenly go missing. He replied that he joined the college, people congratulated him, and carried on running.


    They were not familiar with each other but just used to see each other in the morning, while they come out to run or walk. The bell city was one-fourth of the size of the Jade city so Yang Dao was at ease here. Soon he led Laohu Bai to a market, the air lingered with the fresh smell of vegetables and spices.


    Yang Dao stopped in front of a shop. A young girl in her twenties was sitting at the counter. She saw Yang Dao and said with a smile, "Dao, back for a break?"


    Yang Dao nodded and asked, "Do you have any Emerald grapes?"


    The girl nodded, "Yes, 20 carat coins per pound. How much do you want?"


    Yang Dao said, "Two pounds please sister jenny." he took out four notes from his pocket and handed them to the girl. Jenny, the vendor, gave him two pounds of emerald-like grapes on a paper plate. Yang Dao smiled and said, "How is little momo?"


    Jenny smile, "She is as naughty as ever. If you come by noon, he will be here."


    Yang Dao shook his head with a smile and said, "I will be leaving then, give my best to everyone at home sister Jenny." with that said he left waving to the girl who returned his best wishes.


    The boy extended the plate of grapes to Laohu Bai and said, "Have some Sister Bai, they are straight from the farms."


    The white-haired girl who was attracting the attention of almost everyone in the market street picked up a grape and tossed it in her mouth disregarding her non-existent lady image. She chewed on it and said, "Young Master, this is nice, should we buy a lot for Sister Feng and your friends?"


    Yang Dao shook his head and said, "Sister Jenny will not have enough on her shop." Laohu Bai nodded and asked, "Why not by from the other shops?"


    Yang Dao replied, "They won''t have this grape at all. Sister Jenny and her family are the owners of all the grape farms on the outskirts. They supply it to the big hotels. She is here at the shop because her father started everything with just a shop and she is here to look after it in the morning."


    Laohu Bai asked, "How do you know her Young Master?"


    Yang Dao replied, "They adopted Momo, a two-year-old toddler from our place. At that time I used to be Momo''s sitter. So when she had some problem adjusting at their place, I was called over." his voice was calm.


    Laohu Bai asked, "It would be difficult to take care of a kid no?"


    Yang Dao smiled but did not answer. The two chatted a bit as they ate the fresh grapes, Then they ran around the market. After half an hour Yang Dao stopped at the sight of a truck. Some labor were unloading some spare parts. He approached them and said, "Hey, Cline, long time no see."


    The man overseeing the labors turned to him and smiled after some moments, "Hey guys, Dao is here. Where have you been sleek?"


    Yang Dao said, "Jade city, college."


    The man nodded and his gaze landed on Laohu Bai, he asked, "And who might this young lady be?"


    Yang Dao said, "She is the general in the army, came here to deal with the terror attack two days ago. We lost three children so. She is currently a guest at the Orphanage."


    Laohu Bai nodded to the few people. Cline said, "Yeah, I heard. It is saddening. May they rest in peace."


    Yang Dao held a small convo and then left. He said to Laohu Bai, "Cline is the owner of the mechanic shop where I worked. He is also Sister Tina''s elder brother."


    Laohu Bai nodded. Yang Dao and she ran around again, it was already a couple of hours since they came out, so they returned on foot. The speed of their run became faster and faster. By the time they reached the orphanage, they were almost blue from the lack of air. Yang Dao slumped onto the floor of the reception area.


    He closed his eyes as he took in a deep breath. He suddenly felt a soft hand on his head and looked up to see Sister Tina smiling at him. She asked softly, "Back at it again?"


    Yang Dao stuck out his tongue. Tina has stopped him from running so head but this time she did not pinch his ears just asked him to rest well. After catching up his breath he asked, "Did you call others?"


    Sister Tina nodded and said, "Just when you were out, Yurika will be coming over in a few hours. The rest will come by the evening."


    Yang Dao nodded as he sat up and he said, "Can I go back today? I have some worked to do back in the college."


    Sister Tina nodded and said, "Yes, go back to study."


    The boy and the woman sat in the center of the reception hall, chatting and stuff. After half an hour Yang dao stood up and said, "I will go to the shower now."


    Sister Tina nodded and she also stood up to attend to the work matters of her own. Soon the orphanage started to liven up like usual. The seven children seem to have forgotten about the tragedy. While the elders have started to learn self-defense and weight training. Even the girls. Laohu Bai decided to lend a hand. She arranged for some Discharged soldiers to come here and teach the kids.


    Yang Dao was worry-free, with the amount of cash inflow from the paradise hotel group was sufficient to support the orphanage with ease. He just relaxed while he pampered his sisters. He braided Mina and Nina''s hair, got read some boys with Tasha. Played with the younger ones. The seemingly quiet boy was still not used to words, but slowly he has now begun to change and personality.


    When the clock ticked 12 Laohu Bai appeared next to him and said, "Young Master, it is time."


    Yang Dao nodded and after washing up his dishes he walked to Sister Tina''s office. The lady was looking at the supply list at this moment. She sensed Yang Dao peeking inside like he always does, without looking up she said, "Dao, come in." her voice was soft and warm.


    Yang Dao walked inside and said, "Time to go." his heart was not calm. This was his home and going away was something he did not like.


    Sister Tina smiled and said, "May the gods watch over my child. May they bless you with glory and fame."


    Yang Dao did not say amen, he said, "May God bless me with a sane mind and happy heart. Why ask for fame and glory?"


    Sister Tina chuckled. Every time she prayed for anything other than this for him. The boy would scrunch his nose just like right now. He did not allow sister Tina to see him off. But when he came out he saw his siblings standing there with watery eyes.


    He gave them all hugs and smiles. He told them to come over and stay with him during the summer vacation. After coaxing them all he got in a jeep and departed. He still waved at them until the vehicle turned and the orphanage vanished. He took his head back and sighed as he mumbled, "Home is where your heart is. True I guess."

 Chapter 97: Tremendous Response.

    The car entered the airport and Yang Dao and Laohu Bai walked through the terminals, security check and finally, a bus led them to the Airstrip where the commercial plane was standing. The two people decided to fly in a commercial flight. Feng Yun conceded it when Yang Dao said that things are not so urgent and that he has never flown in a plane with a lot of people.


    Feng Yun sighed, even more, when Yang Dao said, "Sister Yun, I have no experience with fellow humans my EQ is low because I do not indulge much with people." if she were to know that her ''XiaoBai'' was the one behind all this. Then she would have hung her up on a pier.


    The two people walked up the stairs, and as they entered the door. A beautiful lady greeted them. She spoke politely, "Welcome sir and madam. May I know where are you seated?"


    Laohu Bai showed her two air tickets, the lady did not look shocked, with a smile she directed them to their seats. Yang Dao said, "Sister Bai, did you notice?"


    The white-haired beauty asked, "Noticed what, Young master?"


    "There is a couple who is using the translator app to communicate. In the back." he sounded a bit excited. Laohu Bai turned to find that behind their seat sat a young couple who seem to be communicating with the help of a mobile app.


    She stood up and asked, "Excuse me, pardon my intrusion but may I know if you are using the Dao Technology''s translator?"


    The girl nodded while the male was ogling at Laohu bai''s beauty. He did was not rude though. The girl next to him nudged him, only then did he wake up. He used the app and the app translated, "I beg your pardon, lady, You are very beautiful."


    Laohu bai replied, "Thank you. Can you tell me how is the experience of this app?"


    The man heard what the translator said and he gave her an OK signal from his hand and said to the mobile, "Thanks to this app, I could come here and finally meet the girl I have been dating on the net. We thank the developer for this gift."


    The girl spoke in the native without using the app. She was a native. Yang Dao stood on from his seat and asked, "Miss, would you and your boyfriend, mind leaving a review on the web-store?"


    The lady covered her mouth with one hand and raised her other hand and pointed and Yang Dao as she said, "You are the developer and owner of Instalate and Dao Technologies, FENG YANG DAO." subconsciously her voice became louder at the end of the sentence.


    The other passengers looked towards them when they heard the voice. Yang Dao wanted to say something when an aunty stood up and said, "I know, you are Yang Dao. The younger brother of President Feng Yun of the Pheonix Group. You are also the topper of this year''s college entrance exam. Truly, young and promising. You have my blessings kid."


    The lady was a rich person in Bell City and she was aware of the things happening here. No big deal that she recognized Yang Dao. The boy greeted her gratefully. Although she did flex her knowledge about him she did give him blessings. Not many people do that. Laohu Bai returned to the seat and soon the plane took off the two people had nothing to do so Yang Dao asked the flight attended if they had any board games on the plane.


    The attendant then told them yes. They choose chess. Laohu Bai said, "Young Master, whoever losses will have to do one thing the winner asks for."


    Yang Dao nodded, and the game started. The flight was three hours long but the game did not come to end. They both had sparse tokens left on the board suddenly a pawn from Yang Dao''s side reached the end of the board and became a queen. The boy just smiled picked up the queen, won the game.


    Laohu Bai sighed as she said, "Young Master, this was not very chic of you. How can you give up your queen in the first half only to revive it later."


    Yang Dao smirked and said, "Strategy."


    Amidst the bickering, the plane landed and the two disembarked. He was about to get on to the bus when a black behemoth car ran over and parked near the plane. Laohu Bai said, "Sister Yun, could not hold any longer."


    Yang Dao shook his head with a smile as he climbed down, and soon the car door opened. A beautiful Feng Yun came out. She waved at Yang Dao and Laohu Bai. They both also returned the gesture as they walked over to her. The beauty was wearing her signature white and red outfit but today it was a jumpsuit. She looked like a college student.


    Yang Dao hugged her before getting inside the car. The vehicle exited the airport under the awe-filled gazes of the plebeians.


    ...


    Inside the car, Feng Yun asked, "Young Master, are you fine? Did anything happened to you?"


    She sat holding his hand, her eyes filled with concern. Yang Dao nodded, "Something happened indeed."


    Laohu Bai''s neck turned to him so fast that it snapped, Feng Yun asked, "What happened, Young Master, tell me. I will do anything to appease the harm."


    Yang Dao said, "Nothing serious actually, Sister Bai lost to me in the chess game and now she has to fulfill one of my wishes. Regardless of anything."


    Feng Yun sighed as she calmed down while Laohu Bai asked, "Young Master, what is your wish?"


    Yang Dao said, "Teach me about the third stage of Elementalists."


    Laohu Bai sighed and said, "Young Master, you scared me there for a second."


    The boy smiled as he leaned his head onto Feng Yun and said, "I wanted to take Roullete on the race track but thinking that Sister Yun would not agree and I don''t want the others to blame her, that is why I asked you for this. The lesson starts when we get home."


    Feng Yun smiled at him. She knew he did not ask for that car because it will make the others blame her. But asking for the details of this was also good. He has already stepped into the second stage of Elementalists, so learning was not too early anymore. Yang Dao chatted with Feng Yun about how he was scared and rattle after killing the terrorists. He suddenly asked, "Sister Yun, how is the response of the market towards Insta-Late?"


    Feng Yun smiled and said, "It already has 1 million users registered. ten thousand of then bought the premium package withing twelve hours. The number is still rising. How is it do you feel exciting."


    Yang Dao nodded and said, "It would be a lie to say that I am not excited but the thing is, I need to look forward. Ummm, I guess it is time to ask Yurika to be my secretary and manage the company but she would be too young. Hmmm... Sister Yun, can you ask Madam Mary to be the General manager of my company?"


    Feng Yun was surprised and asked, "Why do you ask for Mary? I have other employees ready for this job."


    Yang Dao said, "She has been following a workaholic like you so she can use some rest and help me teach Yurika the work. Hire people in the company so that the shell company start working. I will wait for the company to be listed but I want it to have a firm foothold if it does go public. Madam Mary has this capability."


    Feng Yun nodded and said, "I will tell her to come at your company."


    Yang Dao nodded but then it clicked to him that he has not yet registered an Office space. He asked, "Ummm, Do you have any empty office space?" he looked at the car flooring when he asked about this. Shameful.


    The lady smiled and said, "I have your office registered when the company was registered. It is near Park Plaza. Mary knows the place. Yang Dao nodded. Soon, the vehicle reached the Ancient Courtyard style Villa and Yang Dao saw the name on the plate, FENG PALACE.


    Yang Dao glanced at the lady next to her. Not knowing how to answer Feng Yun just stared outside the windows as the car was moving. He said, "Did I inherit your naming sense with your flame essence? Sister Yun."


    Laohu Bai could not hold on and started to laugh. Feng Yun looked at the floor with a slightly blushed face. She was unable to do anything to this white haired girl in front of her young master and it was true that she had a bad naming sense.


    She rebuked Laohu Bai, "What are you laughing at, he took on your Emotional Clutz before even meeting you." she regretted the words as soon as they came out of her mouth. Laohu Bai had a cold face when she heard this.


    This time Yang Dao laughed out loud. As the car came to stop.

 Chapter 98: Elemental Contractor.

    The three people got off the car and Yang Dao sighed, "You sure have a good sense of value for money, sister Yun."


    Feng Yun smiled. She knew that Yang Dao was talking about the house. The last time he came here was in the night and left to accompany Feng Yun in the morning. He could not admire the beauty of this place completely. The faint fragrance in the air, the colorful scenery. He liked it a lot. Laohu Bai said, "Young Master, do you want to rest or do you want to learn first?"


    Yang Dao said, "Learn first. How about we sit in the garden pavilion? The weather is not too cold, and the sky is clear as well."


    Feng Yun nodded as she placed an arm around his shoulder and said, "Yes, I was about to say this. Come, let''s go to the pavilion."


    The three people walked up around the house and came to the back garden, where a big white marble pavilion was built. Inside the pavilion, a mahogany set of four chairs and a tea table were placed. At this moment, a maid was wiping dust off the furniture. Yang Dao spoke to Feng Yun in a low voice, "Sister Yun, you have such diligent staff, yet you keep them all scared. This is not fair."


    Feng Yun sighed and said, "Young master, I want to be warm as well, but these guys might just ride over my head. What will I do then?"


    Yang Dao said, "Why is it that every Elementalist I have seen has a temperament corresponding to the element they practice, but you guys are all opposite?" he spoke in an aggrieved tone.


    Tyberius Old man had a wild and free persona like the wind, Lin had a calm and strong character like water, Talen was sturdy and firm in his nature like earth. Victor was warm and nice to everyone, like a fire in the cold. Kaya was bubbly but sharp. Yet Laohu Bai was unlike the Earth, she was all naughty and moody. Feng Yun was ice cold to the others.


    This was something he did not understand. He wanted to ask them both about this for a long time, and only now did he get the opportunity and the excuse to. Laohu Bai said, "I will explain this to you, young master."


    Yang Dao nodded. The explanation will start after they sit down in the pavilion. Lisa heard someone approach and turned back. She was startled to see Feng Yun. Immediately stopped her work and stood up with a bow. The boy sighed when he saw this. He took the lead to speak, "Miss Lisa, you can complete your work, do not worry about anything."


    Lisa looked at Feng Yun, who nodded to her. The little maid bowed to express gratitude and quickly finished dusting the last chair. Yang Dao said, "Miss Lisa, can you bring us some tea can cookies?"


    Lisa nodded with a faint smile and left. Laohu Bai said, "Young master, why do I think that your emotional quotient worked just fine right now?"


    Yang Dao stuck out his tongue to her as he replied, "Boo, you don''t get to judge as your EQ is impaired itself." his words made the white-haired girl freeze while Feng Yun started laughing.


    They did not expect Yang Dao to come back at her so viciously. Laohu Bai immediately made a grabbing gesture toward the boy, who moved and dodged her hands. He said, "Sister Yun, she is bullying me." as he hid behind Feng Yun.


    Feng Yun said, "Xiao Bai, it is okay. He was joking with you. Come teach him about the third stage."


    After the black-haired girl played the peacemaker, they sat down on the chairs inside the pavilion. Laohu Bai said calmly, "The third stage is called Elemental Contractor. In this stage, you sense the source energy present in an element. Then you channel that energy inside your body. Once you successfully do that, you swear to not use the energy attained from the source energy for any sort of harm and dark things. Once this is done, you are officially a contracted Elementalist."


    Yang Dao replied, "Source energy, Sister Yun told me about it last time. I will first try to make the air bend and then I will step on to the third stage." then he glanced outside the pavilion. The two ladies saw he was not too hasty in his cultivation and were satisfied. They nodded as they exchanged a glance. Soon, Lisa came pushing a trolley, with an exquisite tea set placed on it.


    The maid served the tea, Feng Yun signaled her not to disturb Yang Dao, who was lost in the scenery. Lisa nodded and performed her task. Laohu Bai said in a low voice, "Young Master, what is it?"


    Yang Dao replied to her, "Nothing, just thinking about what product to develop next. Probably a mobile OS. Sister Yun, What do you think?"


    Feng Yun thought for a bit and said, "Young Master, the idea is good, but a mobile phone OS, will take a lot of apps and software to make a full virtual eco-system. No?"


    Yang Dao nodded and said, "We make a mobile phone market, ask the developers in the world to develop and upload their apps on that market. That will support the app system. Almost all the apps in the smart store can be used on every phone. We will just provide them with an optimized OS."


    Feng Yun nodded, her eyes shined, she said, "This might work. I will have your general manager deal with it."


    The boy smiled and picked up his cup of tea. He took a sip and said with a sigh, "Good tea."


    Feng Yun smiled and said, "It is a credit to Lisa. She made the tea."


    Yang Dao glanced at the maid, who stood on the side, with a timid expression on her face. He said, "Thank you, Miss Lisa."


    Lisa shook her hand and waved her hands. Yang Dao chuckled at her cute look. He suddenly thought of something and asked, "Sister Feng Yun, How about we use Miss Lisa as a virtual assistant avatar? She will be perfect."


    Lisa was shocked, the other two were surprised. Laohu Bai asked, "Do you have a mobile assistant already ready?"


    Yang Dao shook his head as he said, "Not yet, but soon."


    Feng Yun asked the maid, "Lisa, would you like to be an avatar model?" her voice was not cold, but soft."


    Lisa looked down on the floor, as Feng Yun continued, "You know it is a good opportunity?"


    The girl nodded and used sign language. She was asking Feng Yun if she could continue working here even after signing the contract with Yang Dao.


    Feng Yun smiled and said, "Okay, you can stay here and work."


    Lisa bowed to her in thanks and after everyone was done drinking tea, she left with the cups. Yang Dao asked, "Why is she so adamant to stay here?"


    Feng Yun spoke with a sigh, "She was a rescue from New Dawn. Her voice used to be very melodic, but those bastards. They ruined her voice forever. She always tells everyone that she was born with it, but that is not correct. She is a fine young woman, but because of her hoarse voice, she acts like a mute. She is afraid that everyone will shun her that is why she came up with that story that she is born mute from birth. her parents were all killed by the New Dawn bastards. After some rehabilitation, she set off on the path to regular life."


    Yang Dao felt even sadder in his heart. He did not expect such a pretty girl to have such a harsh past. He realized she wanted to stay here not because of anything else but because she feels safe here. He said, "It would be nice for her to go out and see the world."


    Laohu Bai shook her head and said, "The people surviving the New Dawn traps are all vulnerable to have a mental breakdown when they are exposed to the world. We have tried several times, but the induction never works well. These people all develop a stigmatic brain of not trusting anyone completely, and the constant paranoia that someone is about to drag them back to that place just makes this thing a lot more difficult. Lisa is one of those who have adjusted in a regular life comparatively better to those who are living inside the mental asylums."


    Yang Dao did not know that the New Dawn was so terrible and so strong. He ground his teeth and then he sighed. Suddenly his cellphone buzzed. He picked it up and saw it was Yurika calling. The call connected and an upset voice sounded, "You left just before I came? Do you not want to see me anymore?"


    Yang Dao held his forehead and said, "Do you want me to call, Sister Tina, and tell her, you are playing the mellow drama card on me to avoid the orphanage duties?"


    Yurika shrieked on the call, but before her loud voice could affect Yang Dao he had already placed the phone on the table and a voice sounded out, "DAO, YOU BETTER HELP ME COME BACK EARLY. THESE KIDS ARE difficult TO HANDLE. DID YOU HEAR ME? OYE DAO... DAO... AARRGGHHH YOU WAIT FOR ME TO COME BACK, I WILL SPANK YOUR TUSHY."


    The call hung up and Yang Dao shook his head, while the two women finally let go of the restraints and started laughing at the warning Yurika issued.

 Chapter 99: Dao Change.

    As the three people enjoyed the calm breeze and since among them, time flew past. Yang Dao closed his eyes to meditate as the wind caressed his hair. The boy took in a deep breath as he tried to perceive the source energy of the wind. After thirty minutes, his brows furrowed. He made no progress at all. He sighed as his brows stretched back to normal. He opened his eyes and said, "Sister Bai, let''s spar. You use a strength similar to mine. Bend the earth."


    Laohu Bai and Feng Yun were surprised by this sudden proposal of their Young Master. The former asked, "Why so suddenly?"


    Yang Dao said, "If feel like to get more proficient in bending, I should incorporate some, body movements to it. That will make it easy for me to bend the wind." he stood up and stretched his lazy body.


    Feng Yun said, "Young Master, why not spar with my guards first."


    Yang Dao thought for a bit and asked, "Okay, sister Yun." then he took off his watch and put it on the table as he walked out of the pavilion.


    He stopped on the steps and asked, "How will I use bending against them? Are they not normal people?"


    Feng Yun smiled and shook her head as she replied, "Some are but some are not." then she turned to the four men standing in a distance. She spoke in a slightly loud voice, "Dain, come here."


    One of the four men turned and rushed over. He stood outside the pavilion and asked with his back bowed a little, "What can I do Miss?"


    Feng Yun said, "Call over the other three of you, play with Young Master." her voice was as ice-cold as it was usually.


    The man was surprised for a second and quickly nodded after gaining his senses. He replied, "Yes, Miss."


    Feng Yun nodded and said, "Call them fast." she then smiled at Yang Dao when she saw him thinking as he stood at a spot.


    "You can stop thinking too much young master, they are all retired veterans from the special forces. They are capable enough to deal with almost anything under the contractor level." her voice woke up Yang Dao.


    He walked out down the stairs while shaking his head, he mumbled, "Did she just call me ''anything''? I have been underestimated a lot of times, but this time I actually want to rub a good one in their faces."


    His temper had flared up. How dare they look down on him? He did some basic warm-up and waited for the opponents to arrive. Soon he heard a clutter of footsteps behind him. He saw four men, dressed in black suits. They all were two heads taller than Yang Dao. The boy was 16and still growing.


    He asked, "Will you be able to move properly in these suits?"


    The four men hesitated, Yang Dao said, "Lose them, when you spar with me do not hold back anything. But if you took any cheap shots, do not blame me for using a hard hand." his solemn tone did not sit well with the guards.


    They all exchanged a glance and took off the coats, thinking, how could this AC baby ever push them to the limits? Laohu Bai shook her head as she looked at the scene in front of her. She said to Feng Yun without turning her head, "You just rattled a dragon."


    Lady in Red dress asked, "What do you mean Xiao Bai?"


    "In training, he defeated Lin almost every time. Other times it was a draw. Talen almost could not hold himself back and jump in to fight with him. I will just say this. Your word ''anything'' unintentionally poked his ego. He is low-key usually but when people close to him look down on him directly or indirectly, he goes mad." her voice was filled with melancholy.


    Feng Yun sat up straight. She was aware of her sister''s direct subordinates and their skills. If Yang Dao can beat them, then her guards were just paper tigers to him.


    The four people stood facing Yang Dao, the boy had a calm expression. He said, "I will be fighting seriously, so I hope you do not hold back."


    The guards grunted and they charged at him altogether. Yang Dao also did not budge and took a step forward. Due to the fast charge of the guards, the first one has already reached him. A fist enlarged in Yang Dao''s peripheral vision. The fist was aimed at his head, he simply ducked to the side a bit.


    The fist brushed air and Yang Dao caught hold of the guard''s wrist. Twisted it, tripped the guy''s leg, making him eat a mouthful of tender grass. His back faced the other guards who were rushing at him. Letting go of the already fallen guard he ducked down and suddenly jumped. His body was horizontal and it spun like a corkscrew.


    He extended his leg outward, hitting the shoulder of the opponent, as he landed, he waved his hand, intending to let the wind rush at the guard on his right.


    WHOOSH


    The wind rushed suddenly at the man, his shoulder bloomed with a blood flower. Initial nature of wind, ''the faster it travels, the sharper it becomes.'' If the wind movement was in a huge area then it will not cut but since Yang Dao only willed the wind to move with his hand, the action was in a limited area and cut.


    The guards were shocked, Yang Dao was shocked, Feng Yun and Laohu Bai stood up from their seats. Yang Dao immediately said, "I am very sorry, I did not mean to harm you, I just wanted the wind to put up a barrier to prevent you from moving forward."


    Feng Yun said, "You all, retreat. Treat the wounded first." her cold voice made the guards wake up and they immediately took their comrade to treat his wounds. Yang Dao turned to her with a guilty face, "Sister Yun, I really did not mean to harm them. I am sorry."


    With a heavy voice, he was about to bow when Laohu Bai hugged him. The reason the two people stopped the spar was not that he hurt a guard. It was because of the scared expression on his face. Yang Dao has developed Hemophobia. This was probably because of his close encounter with the terrorist and killing them. The Dao Child was a young boy. This was a potential risk that could happen to anyone.


    Feng Yun shook her head and said, "It is fine, you just rest for a few days."


    Laohu Bai patted his back gently while her other hand pinched an acupuncture point on the back of his neck. The boy fainted in her arms. She carried him to his bedroom. Feng Yun on the other side, called, "Eldest, get your ass, here tonight. Young Master developed Hemophobia. He cannot see blood."


    The other side asked, "How do you know?"


    "He was sparring and suddenly cast a wind blade. The opponent got injured. Young Master froze as soon as the blood came out. I could sense the fear n his heart. He lost his composure and even was about to bow to me an apology." her voice was very low.


    The other side sighed and said, "Alright, I am coming."


    Feng Yun said, "Good, where is second brother?"


    The other side spoke with a sigh, "Hawk nation, dealing with the bloody mess left there."


    Feng Yun nodded and said, "Should I tell him about this as well?"


    "I will do it, you just look after the Young master. He is in a fragile state of mind right now." afterward the call was disconnected.


    Feng Yun put down the phone and sighed. she then walked inside the house. Just when she was about to get inside Yang Dao''s room, Laohu Bai came out. She said, "He is asleep, do not worry."


    Feng Yun said, "I have called the eldest. He will be here soon."


    Laohu Bai replied, "Ask that old man to keep his chad side under control. If he tried to make fun of young master. I will make him hide in his shell forever. I swear."


    ...


    Somewhere in a desert, a man sat with dead bodies lying around him. He felt a satellite phone on him, ring. He picked up the call and asked, "What is it?"


    The other side replied, "Are you done with the assignment?"


    He replied, "Yes."


    "Come back, the young master needs you." the called was the old man. The eldest of the four spirit incarnations.


    The man in the desert was the second brother in Feng Yun''s mouth, he said, "What happened?"


    The old man said, "He fought some terrorists and killed them. But developed Hemophobia. Yun confirmed. Come back, you are needed to meet him before I do."


    The man stood up from the ground all of a sudden and said, "I will be there by nightfall."


    The call disconnected and the man said, "This was not supposed to happen. The change in the Dao cycle is not a good omen." as he glanced at the stars in the sky. Calming himself, he jumped in the sky and vanished into a little dot.

 Chapter 100: Dao Change.(2)

    While Yang Dao slept in his room, outside in the living room two ladies sat with anxious expressions on their faces. Laohu Bai asked, "This was not supposed to happen."


    Feng Yun nodded, "No. The change is young master means the change in Dao. This is something we need the eldest to interpret." her tone was restless.


    Suddenly her phone buzzed. Picked it up and asked, "Second brother?"


    A man spoke, "Yeah, Yun, it is me. I am on my way to your place. Will reach in thirty minutes. Has the eldest arrived?"


    Feng Yun replied, "No."


    The man said, "He will be coming later than me. I will meet the Young master first." his tone was nonchalant.


    Feng Yun asked, "Do you need me to wake him up?" she asked with hesitation.


    "Not yet. We can see to it when I arrive, let him rest. Just tell your guards to not stop me. I am not in the mood of formalities right now." he replied.


    Feng Yun nodded and after a few more words the call disconnected. Laohu Bai asked, "How long?" her sister then told her everything.


    ...


    Time passed and soon thirty minutes flew away. A maid came to Feng Yun and spoke in a low voice, "Madam, the second master is here."


    Feng Yun and Laohu Bai glanced back at the door only to see a blurry man wrapped in a cloak walked over. He was six feet eight inches tall. A blurry figure, his face was angular and looked very handsome. At this moment he was wearing a cap and mask. A muffled voice sounded, "Let me tea a bath first, the desert is was dusty.


    Laohu Bai laughed with a puff sound. She said, "Second brother, your usage of words. Hahahaha." only she was able to laugh so carefreely with this person. Even Feng Yun had some restraint in front of him. This guy was called Ryu Jinshi, the azure dragon spirit incarnation.


    He shook his head and walked to his room in the mansion. Yeah, all of them had a place to crash in each other''s house. Feng Yun frowned when he passed her. She asked, "Who was it?"


    The man replied, "Visionary Mercs. Killed a whole village, along with five of our agents. They had thirty clones from New Dawn amongst them. Cleaned them up altogether."


    Feng Yun nodded as the man walked to his room for a bath. Laohu Bai said, "No wonder he is wearing a cloak. I could smell the blood even after he was covering it."


    The latter just nodded and sat down. She said, "I do not know, how will the young master take it."


    The mood was sullen because Yang Dao''s chaotic emotions were rambling inside them as well. This was the reason why the two of them could not distract themselves for even a bit.


    ...


    Inside the room, Yang Dao was covered with sweat. He was having a nightmare about unintentionally hurting those close to him. Suddenly, the door of the room was pushed open and three people slowly walked in. The three were none other then Feng Yun, Laohu Bai and Ryu Jinshi.


    Feng Yun saw that the boy was uncomfortable and was struggling in his sleep, she came to his side and place her hand over his forehead. Slowly the boy eased up and his breathing calmed. He opened his eyes slowly. He saw Feng Yun next to him with a concerned face. In his sleep he could sense that it was Feng Yun who calmed his heart. So, he mumbled, "Thank you."


    His voice was not it''s sunny self. He tried to sit up and Feng Yun helped him with her hands as she sat behind him, holding his shoulders. Yang Dao has changed drastically. His body was devoid of any energy. He glanced at his slightly shivering hands and said in a low voice, "What happened to me?"


    A deep voice said, "You are scared and in doubt."


    The boy raised his head and saw a tall man standing in front of him, he wore a black round-neck shirt with a grey lowers, his bulging muscles were terrifying. Yet his face was angular and his deep blue eyes gave off an awe-inspiring aura.


    Yang Dao did not ask him anything but gazed at him silently. The man spoke, "When normal Elementalists have doubt in there heart they all forget how to bend slowly. Their powers come from the belief in themselves and their choices. You are the dao child. The doubt inside you will slowly crumble both you and your familiars." he radiated his strong aura toward Yang Dao


    Laohu Bai bared her teeth at him as she came in front of Yang Dao. The four beasts were all equally strong, they just called each other eldest and stuff because of the order they were all incarnated on the planet. So the white haired girl dispelled his pressure and said in a cold voice, "Hey reptile, do you dare to harm the young master? I will snap you in two."


    The reason the other two did not talk openly with the Azure Dragon spirit was because they would have already smacked the arrogance out of him. The so called pride of the dragon. The man took back his pressure and said, "This is what I mean would happen if you did not stabilize yourself. Young Master, we the familiars together with you represent the supreme dao. If the Dao itself is at the conflict then what do you think will happen to us?"


    Yang Dao put his feet down on the ground and stood up staggeringly. He held onto Laohu Bai''s hand and asked, "Can you take me out for a walk, Baibai?" his weak and sweet voice calmed down Laohu bai in an instant.


    The latter nodded and took him out while supporting his shoulder. Feng Yun stood up and watched them go out. The moment Yang Dao took a step outside and the door closed. She radiated a killing intent at Ryu Jinshi. The intent was so strong that Azure dragon even had goosebumps.


    Feng Yun spoke in a cold voice, "IF. YOU. EVER. DARE. TO. DO. THAT. AGAIN. I. WILL. KILL. YOU." every single word contained so much killing intent that the furniture in the room started to smoke slightly. The man had sweat on his forehead and said, "I was trying to push him."


    Feng Yun calmed a bit and said, "You don''t have the authority, neither are you worth it. Not only you but none of us is. Stay within your limits and do not make me turn the whole world to ashes."


    ...


    Yang Dao was walking in the garden with Laohu Bai and asked, "Say Baibai, if I did not kill that Terrorist, was it possible for us to save those hostages?"


    Laohu Bai shook her head, and said, "Young Master, the only way for this was to engage the terrorists. they had things covered so well that if I tried to deal with them, that would have led to a lot of casualties. You know how could we have avoided that?"


    Yang Dao nodded as he gazed at the flowers in the garden. Laohu Bai said, "By releasing the terrorist caputed after sacrificing 3 agents. That guy was wanted for serial blasts from 20 years ago. You know how many he killed?"


    Yang Dao shook his head and the girl replied, "4367 people, in one night. The bombs were carried by children he breain washed." her voice was cold. The boy held her hand tight when he heard the number.


    Suddenly he heard a deep voice bwhidn him, "You might have saved those hostages without killing the terrorist using this method but the one they wanted would have came out to brain wash a lot many children and youth. Then leading to nothing but chaos and screams. You did nothing wrong and you should not be afraid of it."the man paused and continue.


    "If one day your closed ones are in pain, hurt or bleeding? Then will you help them or just stay scared?" his voice was deep but it was not cold.


    Yang Dao shook his head and said, "No."


    The man said, "Then be brave. Control your fear. If you can overcome your fear now, I will acknowledge you as my Young Master. Do you dare?" he poked his ego. No matter what is the state the Dao is always pissed at those who look down on him.


    Yang Dao stood up straight, clench his fists and said while looking into the man''s eyes, "I do."


    The man smiled brightly and his eyes flickered. Immediately the scene around Yang Dao changed. He found himself to be inside a battle field with people wielding guns and swords killing each other. Behind him stood his close ones. Blood and body parts flew around like cherry blossom leaves in autumn. Yang Dao was horrified but he recalled that smile Ryu gave him. He closed his eyes.


    A figure rushed to wards Yang Dao as he stood with his eyes closed. The boy waved his hands and started to bend the air. At first it was just one man and slowly it became a swarm. But his hands did not stop. He was first stop them from approaching him but after a point of time he got pissed and started to injure them all.


    After five minutes, the injuries became killings. He did not know how much time had passed but he did not bother with anything other then the safety of his closed ones. He realized that after a point everything is baseless, whether it is peace or violence. To attain peace you need to face violence with violence, while to protect peace you must not be afraid of violence. Yet always use Voilence as a last resort for though it may harm others, others can also harm you.


    Suddenly Yang Dao felt an hand on his shoulder. His moments stopped all of a sudden.

 Chapter 101: The New Dao.

    The hand on his shoulder belonged to Feng Yun. She said, "It is okay now Young Master." in a soft voice.


    Yang Dao stopped and opened his eye. The scene turned back to the garden, Laohu Bai and Feng Yun stood behind him while Ryu Jinshi stood in the front. He said, "You did well."


    Yang Dao replied in an indifferent voice, "I do not need your approval on anything." he turned to Feng Yun and spoke with a smile, "Can we eat I am hungry."


    Feng Yun smiled at him and replied, "Yes, I am hungry as well."


    She took his hand and walked inside the house. Laohu Bai said as she watched the two people going inside, "Second, your pride of a dragon is not worthy in front of the Dao Child. You tried to suppress him twice. Let him learn how to harvest source energy and he will break your teeth in all entirety." with that said she also walked inside the house.


    Ryu Jishi stood at his place like a statue, but a slight frown on his face was detectable. He was the strongest mercenary in Jewel Nation, to the public. His real identity was soldier king of the nation. A one-man army capable of taking down cities on his own. At this moment, he was looked down on by a kid.


    He wanted to go on and fight but he could not. If he even had a blemish big intent of being his usual self it the two ladies will kill him regardless of anything. Just when he was in a dilemma an old voice sounded behind him.


    "Breathe in and Breath out, Ryu. The young master was not wrong. He who represents the Dao does not need anyone''s approval. Also, I can sense that the girls are particularly despising you today." this voice belonged to an old man.


    Ryu Jinshi spoke, "When did you come here eldest?"


    The elder chuckled and said, "Just when Xiao Bai warned you."


    Ryu Jinshi smiled bitterly, "Do not make fun of me eldest. Without facing the fear or the pressure the Young Master needed a push. Now, these guys look at me like that. What do I do?"


    The old man said, "What else? Lower down your chin. I have heard from Yun. Young Master is not arrogant when the other people are humble. But if you think you can point at him. That is wrong. Also, with my understanding of your heart. You tried to suppress or shock him did you not?"


    Without waiting for the reply, he walked up holding a cane in his arm and said, "Come, the dinner is served, and I smell fried rice and eggs."


    Ryu could not do anything more but follow him inside the house as he thought about some matters. Mainly about how to make the Young Master accept him.


    ...


    Inside the kitchen, the cooks appointed by Feng Yun watched Yang Dao cook with horrifying expressions. They did not expect the young master to be so efficient in cooking. His speed and action were smooth, all were connected. Soon he was done with fried rice and sauteed boiled eggs. The aroma of the two ordinary dishes was very strong and provoking.


    Yang Dao served five bowls and said to a chef, "Sir can you deliver the two bowls later?"


    The chef nodded and the boy smiled at him. Then he placed the bowls in a trolley and pushed them out to the dining area. When he came he saw Feng Yun and Laohu Bai setting up the table with two other men.


    One was the young and tall, Ryu Jinshi. The other one was someone he vaguely remembered. He walked forward while trying to recall how this person was when suddenly the person smiled at him. Yang Dao recalled who he was. He said in surprise, "You are the strategist. Mr. Atsuji Kurogame. The chief officer responsible for the war tactics of the nation and also you are the intelligence and defense minister of the country. I know you."


    The old man stood up with his back arched slightly and said, "It is my pleasure to be known by the Young Master."


    Yang Dao nodded, He read about this man in the new papers, or seen him on the news channels. He asked with an exclamation, "Wait Kurogame, that means you are the black turtle."


    The old man nodded, he said, "Young Master, I apologize to you on the behalf of Ryu just now."


    Yang Dao said, "You are an elder to me, you all are but that does not mean, you cannot be wrong. It is good to have pride, otherwise, you will be stepped on. But too much pride and arrogance make you fragile. Your achievements have nothing to do with someone you just met. Neither do you have the right to act like a superior to someone who corrected his error by himself."


    He paused and put the three bowls of Fried rice on the table and continued, "The reason I left the room was to think about solving the problem, you helped me. I am grateful for that but did I ask you to help me? Did I cry in front of you? Who made you think that you can look down on me, for something that can happen to anyone? Do you think that just because I am the Dao Child I am impeccable? You are foolish if you think so."


    He raised the coldness in his voice at the last sentence. He continued, "The world is Dao, and Dao is the world. Constant change that makes life move forward is prone to flaws and so is Dao. If it were invincible then there would not exist a need for people who fight against the bad or the good. I made a fault I took the pain and humiliation. You made a mistake by looking down on me for something that was out of my control. You three, amongst you, sister Feng Yun is the only one with who I actually feel happy. Sister Bai took a cheap shot at me during a spar. Mr. Jinshi, acted as if I am his slave of sorts. While you Mr. Kurogame, meddled in an issue you did not take part in. Get a life, if you are so lonesome that you need to step in for others."


    The boy panted hard as he finished speaking. Feng Yun poured him a glass of water. The other three people looked at each other and sighed. Laohu Bai was about to stand up and say something when Yang Dao put down his glass and said, "Baibai, you did something wrong, you apologized sincerely. That thing finished there. I apologize to have gotten angry and speak too brashly."


    Laohu Bai shook her head rapidly and sat on her chair with a relieved expression. Ryu stood up and bowed as he said, "I apologize to you for my rudeness, Young Master. "


    Then he kneeled on one knee and said, "Young Master, please forgive me. I am the azure dragon spirit, Ryu Jinshi. I let my arrogance and pride overwhelm me too much. I seek your forgiveness."


    Yang Dao sighed, he could sense the sincerity in his voice and said, "Stand up, I forgive you. Also, can you two complete the ceremony?"


    Ryu stepped near him and said, "Yes."


    Yang Dao stood up from his chair and said, "I accept you..."


    The same thing happened with the Old man as well, but Yang dao did not let him get down on his knee. He just forgave him and even apologized for being rude and calling him lonesome.


    Yang Dao was blessed by the source of Azure dragon which made his body gain muscles in an instant and the black turtle source made his mind become sharper. The cooks delivered the two more bowls of fried rice and eggs. After eating everyone wanted to sit together and talk, but they were rattled by Yang Dao''s shiny eyes.


    He held Feng Yun''s hand and said, "Can I get roulette''s key? You said I can drive it when all four are together. Please. You cannot say no, sister Yun."


    Feng Yun held her forehead in a palm and said, "Young Master, it is late already. You can get it tomorrow."


    Yang Dao immediately slumped his shoulders and said in an aggrieved tone, "I knew you would say this. To think my love for you would be wasted like this."


    Then he shook his head and walked to his room. Feng Yun was happy when he said, he loved her in a way and also when he scolded the rest but not her. Watching him go back to his room like this made her sad. She said, "Okay, Young master, wait. I will get you the keys but you have to promise not to play too much okay? Be careful while riding."


    Yang Dao''s eyes shined and he nodded like a chick pecking grain.

 Chapter 102: Roulette Rush.

    The boy came back to Feng Yun when he heard her voice. He asked with sparkles in her eyes, "Hurry, why are you standing?" with these words, he held her hand and started leading her to the garage.


    Feng Yun said, "Young master the keys are in my bedroom." her voice was helpless. This boy became a kid too quickly.


    Yang Dao turned the direction to her bedroom. He knew Feng Yun''s room was opposite to his. He bought her to the door and stopped. He said, "You go in, and get the keys sister Yun." his tone was anything but patient.


    The other three people in the living room had an amused reaction when they saw his excitement. Ryu Jinshi asked, "Xiao Bai, does he like cars?"


    Laohu Bai chuckled, "He is nuts for them. You point at a car and he will probably know every specification about it. As for Quinn, it is the world''s fastest car. It has not yet made a debut on the road. Young Master will surprise you two oldies."


    Just when they were talking they saw Yang Dao dashing through the leaving room and came to Laohu Bai. He whispered in her ear, "Let''s go, Sister Yun gave me the keys. She will come after locking the vault. She will not let me drive fast. Come, quick."


    Then he dashed towards the garage with no care in the world. Laohu Bai chuckled as she ran after him. The old man sighed, "Youth is a wonderful thing. I was like this once as well."


    Ryu Jinshi said with a powerful face, "Umm, I remember I met you when you were already a middle-aged man. Hard to believe you were young." his words made the old man change face. Before he could rebuke, a questioning voice came over, "Where is Young Master?"


    Ryu Jinshi said, "He went to the garage." Feng Yun shook her head. She said, "Come, we take the chopper. He will not listen to me tonight."


    The three people headed to the helipad inside the house. Meanwhile in the garage...


    Yang Dao stood in front of the car. Gazing at it with a sparkle in his eyes. Raised his hand to caress the edge lightly. Laohu Bai was fascinated by his face. She took out her phone and clicked pictures A lot of them. Suddenly the phone buzzed.


    She saw it was Feng Yun calling her, picked up the call, and said, "Okay. Yeah, I will see to it."


    Laohu Bai said, "Young Master, we should go the other three have taken the chopper. Sister Yun said we can go to Jewels Prix Stadium. She has called people over. You can drive on the track as you like."


    Yang Dao snapped back, with a nod, pressed the key in his hand and the door opened. He walked up and sat inside the driver''s seat. The glazed mahogany interior with leather bucket seats was made of luxury among the luxury materials. Laohu Bai sat in the passenger seat. The car was a two-seater one.


    Laohu Bai said, "Young Master, you place the key in the slot to start up the onboard assistant."


    Yang Dao followed her instruction, placed the key in a slot in the center of the dashboard. The dash control panel lit up. A mechanical voice rang, "Hello sir, Cryptonia Drive assist welcomes you."


    Yang Dao said, "Cryptonia, can the car function without your assistance?"


    The computer replied, "100 percent functional, Sir."


    Yang Dao nodded and said, "Leaving the basic settings, uninstall all your files." his voice carried no empathy toward a machine from the crypto nation.


    The smart butlers would record your data and the Crypto Nation was privy to your information. Yang Dao did not want this. The computer replied, "You will have to contact the manufacturer for uninstalling the assistant program."


    Yang Dao sneered. He said to Laohu Bai, "Sister Bai, by the time I am familiar with this car can you pull some strings and get this thing out."


    Laohu Bai nodded, the four of them were major shareholders of the company and so they had powers. She picked up her mobile phone and called the CEO of the company.


    A groggy voice sounded, "Hello..."


    The girl with white hair replied, "Benjamin, this is Laohu Bai."


    Benjamin immediately woke up, "Yes, President. What can I do for you?"


    Laohu Bai gave a simple set of instructions and disconnected the call. Benjamin had a laptop, which allowed him access to manage all the devices equipped with a driver assistant. Usually, he will not meddle with this but today the president called personally and asked him to remove the Cryptonia driver assistant from Quinn.


    He quickly tapped on the device, completed his instruction quickly, and re-installed a basic domestic program in the car system, remotely.


    Yang Dao started the car engine, revved it a bit, and then slowly drove it out of the garage. He made one lap around the driveway and got familiar with the vehicle. Just when he was about to proceed to the villa entrance, his vehicle stopped and after a few seconds, it started again.


    Laohu Bai said, "Task accomplished."


    Chuckles sounded in the cockpit. Yang Dao drove the vehicle out of the villa and then to the road. The car moved on the road and attracted a lot of attention. It looked so good. The passerby could not help but turn back and look at him one time. Yang Dao increased the speed slowly as they approached the secluded area.


    ...


    In the sky, a chopper was hovering in silence. Feng Yun sitting with her arms across her chest. The old man asked, "Why are you grumpy Xiao Yun?"


    Feng Yun replied, "Young Master will be driving that car without a driver assist."


    Ryu Jinshi asked, "That is the most advanced piece of tech. Why would he reject it?"


    Feng Yun said, "Because it was made in Crypto nation. Young Master doesn''t like them or their products."


    Her words were true. Suddenly she felt the chopped move. Looking down she spotted a car moving through the traffic as if a needle through the silk. Ryu Jinshi spoke as he glanced below, "He can indeed drive smoothly."


    Suddenly the vehicle shoots up like a bullet from the gun.


    ...


    Yang Dao was now on a road that had almost no traffic. He asked Laohu Bai, "Jewel Prix Stadium is how far?"


    Laohu Bai replied, "60 kilometers."


    Yang Dao said, "Umm, that is 20 minutes give or take." and he floored the accelerator. The click transmission was capable of switching gears in a blink of an eye, without any effect on the speed. Laohu Bai was scared, the young master was moving too fast. This car was actually how it was described. A BEAST.  Yang Dao made elegant turns and sprints. The car was just a streak of light on the road.


    ...


    A few people in the sports car were gathered together when they heard a high-pitched sound rushing towards them. The vehicle did not roar but it had a sound comparable to the electric supercars we see. A whistle. Some guys turned their attention to the sound.


    One of the boys asked, "Hey, who had his car sound modified?"


    The rest shook their heads when they saw a red streak coming over. They all stood with their cars on the side. The road was a U-turn to enter inside the race track. These guys were all pro racers. They focused on the vehicle approaching them only to have their souls almost scared out of their bodies.  The oncoming car did not intend to slow down.


    Yang Dao inside the car did not change face. He pulled adrift at a high speed. Laohu Bai almost screamed. She had her nails deep inside the seat already for half of the journey. When she saw that the boy was about to drift in a hairpin turn she was scared witless. Also, there were people on the side of the road.


    SCREECH!!!


    Everyone just heard a harsh sound and burnt smell, coming from the tires rubbing against the asphalt. The professional racers had their jaws dropped when they saw the vehicle. More shocked when the crystal clear windows displayed the face of a young man sitting in the driver seat. Before they could react the car was already gone.


    A man asked, "Say, was that the Quinn?"


    One of the racers spoke with a stutter, "I was there during the launch event. I can never forget the ruby streaks on the car. It was the Quinn."


    Someone shouted, "Hey, I caught it on the dashcam." this person''s car was parked on the center of the hairpin turn and so his dashcam recorded everything, from the arrival to the departure. They all had their cars lined up on the left of the road and did not stand on the road.


    Racers or not, vacant or not, no one was to stand on the road for more than a few seconds or they will go to the precinct. The guy was about to upload the video on the net when a senior racer said, "Don''t upload it. The owner of that car was low-profile when they bought it. Also to buy that car they must have some background. As for the driver. He was so skilled. Do not be nosy lest they find you."


    The man was correct. Feng Yun was low-key. As for Yang Dao. He did not care.(lol)

 Chapter 103: Rambled White Tiger.

    Yang Dao did not know that his actions have raised a storm among the professional racing circle. He drove the car straight to the entrance of the stadium and stopped in front of the barricade at the entrance of the stadium. He was about to ask Laohu Bai to call Feng Yun when the barricade was raised. A young man in a formal suit came running to the side of the car.


    Yang Dao lowered the window, and before he could say anything. The young man spoke, "Hello, sir. Are you, Mr. Feng Yang Dao?"


    Yang Dao nodded, and the young man made him a welcoming gesture as he said, "Please come in sir the facility is already prepped."


    The boy inside the car did not know what he meant but drove his car inside anyway. The young man heaved a sigh of relief. The guard at the duty asked, "Secretary Dillon, who is that kid."


    The guard has seen a lot of rich kids come here but never did the secretary rushed out to welcome them himself. The young man was the secretary to the director of the race track. This race track was a government-owned establishment. He definitely had a high designation in the government to be asked to handle this facility along with the director.


    The young man sucked in a cold breath when he heard the guard talk like this. He said, "I tell you, Hong Lee, do not talk about him in a haughty tone. He is the younger brother of Feng Yun, the president of the Phoenix group. They run this country without being in politics. Also, the car he had was not just a supercar. That is the world''s fastest car. Value enough to build the whole stadium from scratch."


    Hong Lee sucked in a cold breathe he did not expect the kid to be such a big shot. No wonder the secretary rushed over in the middle of the night. Dillon was about to sleep when he got a call from the director, who happens to be out of town. He was told about the situation and the whole race track staff was called over to work overtime. Although they were unhappy they did not dare to complain. after all, a stable job was not easy to come by and this was the first instance when such a thing has happened. They all were given a staff accommodation 5 minutes away from the race track.


    Dillon snapped out of his daze and rushed back to the race track to play the host. He had just taken a step when he saw a red chopper, shining in the race track lights, slowly descending on the helipad. He cursed, "Fuck, the phoenix herself is here?"


    His gaze landed on an electric scooter on the side and he grabbed it. The guard said, "You can take it, Boss. Just don''t scratch the paint." with that said, Hong Lee threw him the key. Dillon scolded as he started the scooter, "Old Lee, you still have the guts to joke. I will deal with you later."


    The security guard chuckled at the young man''s rebuke. Dillon did not mind the casual banter and revved the motor and rushed toward the helipad.


    ...


    Meanwhile, Yang Dao parked the car in front of the entrance of the race track. He got off the car but did not find Laohu Bai getting off, so he went up to her side and opened the door. He asked, "Baibai, are you not coming?"


    Laohu Bai smiled and said, "I will wait for Sister Yun to come Young Master. You should go in first."


    Yang Dao nodded and then gave her the keys. He said, "You keep the keys, the doors will not open otherwise. Also, you look pale, wait, I will bring you some water." he left after that.


    Watching his back Laohu Bai slumped in the seat like a noodle. Her body was empty of strength because it took her all to keep herself from crying while the boy drove earlier. She was used to rash driving but not at such a speed. A military jeep would run as fast as 150 kilometers per hour but this boy was drifting at 150 only. The speed on a straight road was 240. That is because he did not find an empty road.


    The last drift was also at 150 kph that almost killed her from heart failure. But thanks to his skills they survived. Just when she was flustered she heard footsteps approaching. She cast her dead gaze out of the window. It was Feng Yun and the rest walking towards her. The white-haired girl, stepped out of the car with her hand almost deforming the door clamped under it. She wanted to walk up to them but her legs shook.


    Feng Yun saw the situation and sped up to her side. Just as she hugged her, Laohu Bai bawled in her embrace. She cried like a child. She said, "I almost died, Big sister. The young master is not normal. He wants to kill me." she did not know what she was talking about. The fear had rambled her brain so much.


    Ryu Jinshi spoke, "Calm down, he is here." he spotted the culprit rushing towards them holding a water bottle and juice can in his hand, so he told the girl to stop. How can they say such a thing to Yang Dao? Would he not be sad then?


    Yang dao came near with a smile on his face. His gaze landed on Laohu Bai''s teary face, his smile vanished. He asked in a soft voice, "Baibai, what happened to you? Are you hurt?" the concern in his voice was apparent to them all.


    Laohu Bai shook her head, Feng Yun said, "She is just emotional after such a good ride with you."


    Yang Dao smiled and said, "We can have a lot of rides in the future, do not cry. Also, have some, water and then some juice." he extended the bottles to her.


    Laohu Bai took the bottles, after some consolation and expressing her grief, she was now stable. Feng Yun said, "Dao, this is secretary Dillon. He prepared the whole race track for you tonight." she gestured at Dillon and made the introductions.


    During the meal earlier, Yang Dao asked them not to call him Young Master. Feng Yun was the first one to get used to it. The boy smiled and shook his hand as he said, "Thank you for your effort secretary Dillon. I am thankful to you and the whole staff of the race track."


    Dillon smiled brightly, as he replied, "It is alright. President Feng donated a lot when the stadium was built. So it is all mutual. Please come, I will introduce you to the race track."


    The young secretary led Yang Dao inside the stadium. Atsuji Kurogame asked, "Xiao Bai, can I take a ride with the young master?"


    Laohu Bai said with a serious face, "Yes, eldest you can." she paused, the old man smiled and straightened his back when the girl said, "Only if you are in your primeval form and can hide in the shell."

 Chapter 104: Young Master Drives well.

    Yang Dao walked along with the Secretary in a calm manner. His initial excitement of driving the world''s fastest car has calmed down. The boy was curious about the race track and toured the place with Dillon. The young secretary also introduced the various sections of the race track to the boy. After twenty minutes of the tour, they came to a place that was labeled as authorized people only.


    Yang Dao asked, "Sir, is it okay to in this place?" he was confused and hesitant about such a place.


    Dillon chuckled and said, "Young Master Feng, you will be surprised when you go inside." he pushed the door and gestured for Yang Dao to get in.


    The boy followed and heard a clap. Dillon switched on the lights of the place. It was a big hall, the walls were covered with photographs, in the center stood three sports cars, which Yang Dao recognized after some recollection, and behind them was a glass shelf laid with trophies and certificates.


    Yang Dao muttered, "The Jade city racing hall of fame?" he has read about this place in a book some time ago. Dillon heard his whisper and said, "This place is just a hocus Young Master. What you see is the replica of the actual Hall of fame."


    Yang Dao sighed and nodded. He said, "You scared me for a moment, Sir Dillon. The hall of fame is a place meant for the against of racing world. I was scared to even breath for a moment."


    The secretary smiled, he asked, "It happens when someone comes here the first time. So what do you think? Impressive?"


    "Impressive indeed, I did not know that you guys would actually have the trinity model completed. They look just like they do in the videos." Yang Dao spoke as he glanced at the three cars.


    Dillon asked, "I did not know that Young Master Feng was a fellow car enthusiast." he was surprised but not shocked.


    Yang Dao chuckled, "Nothing of that sorts. There are a lot of things that I still do not know. These three were designed by the devil designer, Markus Hanabi. I have a bicycle he designed. These things he designed are anything but shallow. Whether you compare them in grace, performance, or style. They all stand out. These cars are called the trinity because they are only one of a kind and won the international car race summit thirteen years ago. They won, the rally, circuit, and drag sections. So they are worth to know about."


    Dillon nodded in admiration the young man in front of him was humble and had some knowledge. He said, "Young Master Feng, should we go to the track? You are here to do some laps around it right?"


    Yang Dao nodded and they came to the open track. The boy asked, "Where are the others?" as soon as he spoke he heard a voice, "Dao, where have you been?"


    It was Feng Yun who came out of the door he did. She put one of her arms around his shoulder. She acted like how an elder sister would. Her acting was not acting but reality. Yang Dao took her as his sister, and she also treated him as her brother now. He told her about the places he visited in the facility. Then he asked, "Would you take a lap with me? I promise not to go too fast."


    His tone was a bit guilty. Feng Yun asked, "How did you know?" she was aiming at the subject of Laohu Bai being scared. Isn''t that why Yang Dao told her that he will drive slow?


    The boy spoke, "I saw how she almost dug her nails inside the seats. She must have been scared from my reckless act. Should I say sorry to her?" his voice was low. Dillon saw that the two people were having a serious conversation, so he stepped out of the earshot sensibly.


    Feng Yun smiled and said, "It is okay that you realize this. But they did not want you to know about this. If you apologized to them then they will feel bad. No? So calm down and don''t worry. Just pay attention to it next time." her voice was very soft and warm.


    The boy nodded, he sighed and said, "I am sorry, Sister Yun."


    Feng Yun shook her head to him with a soft smile on her face. She said, "Okay your car is parked at the starting line. Go run this track. I want to see how fast you can go." as she patted his shoulder.


    Yang Dao smiled and ran to the start line. He opened the door and sat inside the car. He was surprised when he saw the old man sitting in the co-pilot seat. He asked, "Elder Atsuji, are you sure you want to ride?"


    Yes, the old man was here. He replied, "That little girl dare to say that I will need my shell to ride along with you. I want to prove her wrong. Come on Young Master. Go as fast as you can."


    Yang Dao shrugged and closed the door. He burned started the car, played a metal rock song on the console, revved the engine, and his gaze locked onto the start lights.


    A siren sounded around the track, if anyone was on the track they were now supposed to leave. The lights Yang Dao gazed at turned yellow. Then after a second, they turned green.


    The boy let go of the clutch pedal and shifted the gear in a blink. All smooth and steady. The car screeched and accelerated on the tough asphalt. It was as if a missile.


    ...


    In the pit stop, four people were gazing at the screens displaying the car progress, not even a frame was missed. This was thanks to the cameras placed all over the track. Suddenly, Ryu Jinshi asked, "Why do I not see Old man Atsuji?"


    Feng Yun asked, "Yeah, where did he go?"


    Laohu Bai said, "He wanted to go to the urinal. I don''t know what is taking him too long. Did he get lost?"


    Dillon spoke up, "Excuse me, I apologize for intruding on your conversation but that old gentle man was sitting in the passenger seat of the car Young Master Feng is driving." his tone was humble. His words set off a storm in the pit stop. Three people exclaimed, "WHAT DID YOU SAY???"


    Dillon was shocked at the reaction of these people. Suddenly Laohu Bai started laughing, she said, "If the young master can make this old man rambled. I will buy him a set of... hmmm... yeah I will buy him a set of Carlos Trident engraved guns."


    Ryu Jinshi nodded, and followed, "How about Tanaka''s original Katana and armor set?"


    Feng Yun held her forehead in her palm. She was hapless and helpless at these two. Laohu Bai said, "You know the first lap is the slowest?" then she started laughing as she pointed at the screen where Yang Dao took an S turn and 80 kph and then shoot up to 150 kph in a blink, followed by a U hairpin turn at 100 and another sprint.


    Dillon on the side said, "Young Master Feng really rides well."

 Chapter 105: CHAD Atsuji?

    Inside the car, Yang Dao asked Atsuji, "Elder, are you really fine?"


    Atsuji nodded with indifference. Yang Dao was surprised and asked, "Can I go faster then?"


    The old man asked, "You can still go faster?"


    Yang Dao nodded and said, "This is the first lap only, so I needed time to adjust since you are fine and can take the heat then I would like to go faster. If you don''t mind. Or I can let you off at the starting line and then go on."


    Atsuji was silent for a bit and then said, "It''s okay, been a long time since this old man has felt so much excitement. Let''s go. I would like to see how fast this vehicle can go. Don''t worry, I have sat in a fighter jet once. I can deal with it." he assured Yang Dao to drive with no pressure in his mind.


    The boy was a simpleton and since his eyes were fixed on the road, he did not notice the elder already had a pale face. During the last set of turns, this guy almost called out for the gods in the heavens. Yang Dao accelerated even more.


    ...


    In the pit stop, several people had their hearts in their mouths. Beside Feng Yun, Ryu Jinshi, and Laohu Bai. Dillon also arranged for some expert car mechanics and technicians to attend to Yang Dao in case the need arises. Although his car was the fastest car in the world, it was still designed to be driven on the road and not the track.


    The cars running on the tracks always have a lower chassis, a few millimeters only. While road cars had a slightly higher ground clearance. Don''t overlook the few millimeters. They can make a big difference. Dillon could not help but nod in appreciation when he saw that Yang Dao was so good at controlling.


    One technician asked him in a low voice, "Boss, did you call over some professional driver?"


    Judging by the performance, these guys all thought that it was a professional driver. Dillon snorted as he said, "Which professional driver would drive a car like this?"


    The technicians were lost for words. Indeed, when someone is trained to do things in a certain way, they get used to it, and even subconsciously they would stop themselves from crossing that threshold. A professional driver was the same. They will break speed at turns and all those technicalities will be followed.


    Yang Dao was reckless. It was almost as if he did not know the concept of brakes in a vehicle. The technicians were all experts. They can see how the driver did not follow along the lines set by the professionals. It was as if a street racer took the tracks and is drag racing.


    Ryu Jinshi heard the technicians asking if the driver was a professional. he smiled faintly as he shook his head. He and Laohu Bai wanted to see how fast the kid can drive and if he can make the old man regret it.


    ...


    Yang Dao had no hesitation in his actions and his car was like a glider on the asphalt. The graceful cornering, fast drift slides, sprints. All the maneuvers were controlled to the extreme. His actions were being noticed by an old technician. He muttered, "Micro Control?"


    This was a term used in this world. Anyone who can push himself to the edge in the activity he is performing is called micro-control. This term defined an extremely thin line between absolute perfection and chaotic devastation. The people who can walk this line were the rarest of the rare.


    The old man''s remark made the people such in a cold breath. Feng Yun turned to the old man and asked, "May I ask, who might you be, elder?"


    The old man nodded and said, "My name is Viktor Dragunov. Former professional driver, now I serve here to teach some amateurs or some rich people who like to drive their vehicles to the utmost limit."


    Feng Yun nodded. She asked, "What do you think about my brother''s skills?"


    Viktor replied, "Reckless, risky, and stupid." he did not hold back the criticism but after a pause, he continued, "He is bold, that is how a race should be. Yet again, every racer is. They may be the sanest people in the world but inside a car, they become beast tamers raging to tame the beast in their hands." by beasts he meant cars.


    Laohu Bai spoke, "Old sir, what do you think? Can Yang Dao break the record of the fastest lap here?"


    Viktor shook his head and said, "He just did." with that everyone shifted their gaze at the timer board. This board had a sensor that detected the vehicles running on the track and how much time they took for a lap. Yang Dao just completed the fastest lap ever on this circuit in 6 minutes, 34 seconds.


    This was a monster record. The best time here earlier was 8 minutes, 20 seconds. That was driven by the second fastest car in the world. The driver was the best professional in the city. Yang Dao, a kid, a street racer-style driver beat that guy and left him in the dust. This was a shock to everyone.


    Just as they asked Feng Yun some questions, a loud screech sounded outside the pit stop. Yang Dao had stopped the car. He got down and said, "Sister Yun, come here. Elder Atsuji fainted." his voice was filled with panic.


    He said, "I swear I asked him if he was okay and he insisted on it. He fainted during the triple turns. I drove him here as fast as I can." Feng Yun had already arrived next to the passenger seat and saw Atsuji passed out. She checked his pulse and sighed. She said to the panicked boy, "Young Master, do not worry, he just fainted from vertigo and extreme gravitational pull."


    Laohu Bai on the other side started laughing wildly. She said, "I told him, but he did not believe me." her laughter echoed through the race track, probably.

 Chapter 106: Vacation Over.

    Yang Dao did not understand why Laohu Bai was laughing but he was feeling guilty so he said, "Baibai, want to take another drive with me?"


    Laohu Bai immediately stopped laughing. Feng Yun chuckled and said, "Ryu, take eldest inside. He will be fine in a bit." she turned to Yang Dao and asked, "Dao, are you not hungry yet?"


    The boy nodded, he was hungry, always. So the girl said, "Let''s go to Paradise hotel. I will ask someone to deliver the fried rice and eggs as well. But first take me for a drive." with a smile she sat inside the car after Ryu Jinshi princess carried the old man out.


    Yang Dao asked, "Are you sure, Sister Yun? Do you want me to drive fast?" as he sat inside the car.


    Feng Yun nodded and said, "Don''t worry I am a phoenix, don''t you know?"


    Yang Dao nodded he started the car but saw that the fuel gauge was almost touching the empty sign. He lowered down the window and asked, "Excuse me, can I get some fuel?"


    Dillon nodded and said, "It will be done in a minute, sir." he waved his hand and a technician walked over holding a hose. This hose was connected to the jet fuel container in the stadium. Yes, it was jet fuel. This thing burned faster than the normal fuel, increasing the acceleration and stuff. In short, it was a high protein diet for the cars.


    The hose and container were connected to a high-pressure pump. The tank was filled in a couple of minutes. After getting a go from the technician. Yang Dao started the car and took off. Viktor Dragunov spoke to Dillon, "Do you think, we can have this kid race in the upcoming charity event? I will be his crew chief."


    Dillon was surprised, THE VIKTOR DRAGUNOV, himself offered to be the crew of some kid. Laohu Bai heard this and she said, "Old sir, if it is for the charity then he might agree, I will talk to him for you, but I need Pit tickets. Also, no one should force him to lose deliberately if he is winning. You know what I mean?"


    Viktor Dragunov nodded and said, "I know, don''t worry. The event is two weeks away. I will not train him. He is already good but I will need him to attend the press conference next Sunday. As for him throwing the event? That will not happen, I will make sure of this. Don''t worry." he thought that the girl was worried about the kid''s safety or image.


    Ryu Jinshi spoke in a cold voice, "If someone tried to fly over our heads. Humph, see if I clip off their wings."


    ...


    Yang Dao drove the car and Feng Yun was talking to him normally, she would at times let out an excited scream. The boy was also enjoying along with her. Feng Yun asked him to give her a drive because she wanted him to actually enjoy his drive. The boy has been holding back himself when he drove the other two. The impact of this occurrence was so strong that the boy would not let go even if he drove alone.


    Only when he found that his skills are not hurtful would he move on. This was his nature. So, Feng Yun blended a hand. Yang Dao took the hand, increasing his performance. The boy broke his own record by five seconds.


    When the two reached the pit stop. Dillon stood holding a camera. His face was full of smiles. He spoke as soon as Yang Dao stepped out of the car, "Young master Feng, can I have a picture of you and the vehicle parked next to the board?" as he pointed to the speed time board in front of the Pit stop.


    Yang Dao nodded and moved the car next to the board. Dillon took a picture of him and said, "With your permission, can we send this picture to the newspapers. You see, Quinn is the fastest car and not many people have seen it perform. So, the title is still regained by Titan GTX. We can use the footage of your laps to prove the authenticity. If you allow us, that is."


    The boy was confused and said, "Umm, I will have to ask, Sister Yun. Can you give me a minute?"


    Dillon nodded in agreement. The boy was barely an adult so he can ask his adults to give an opinion. Yang Dao asked Feng Yun and the girl agreed to Dillon''s proposal. This was going to boost his image in public and also benefit his business venture.


    Yang Dao drove the vehicle out of the race track and this time Ryu Jinshi sat with him. Atsuji woke up a little shaken by the fact that he lost to Laohu Bai but other than that he was fine. This time Yang Dao did not drive too fast.


    He passed the place where the professionals were gathered. He drove slowly, and this time the people were able to see the beauty of the car properly. Yang Dao did not show off deliberately but he was just not in the mood to drive too fast.


    The drivers clicked a lot of pictures of the car. If not for the fear that the car was too expensive and that the owner might get angry and ruin them, they would have blocked him to get to know him.


    Ryu Jinshi asked, "Young Master, how is your cultivation going?"


    Yang Dao replied, "I can now bend the wind to some extent. Today when I was driving I felt the wind change as the car move through. I gained a lot. Maybe I can now try to bend Air currents and not air blades." his voice was sincere.


    Ryu Jinshi nodded and said, "Young Master, only by steady growth can you improve. I hope you can maintain your focus and grow stronger. There are some things that you need to do otherwise, the consequences will be dire."


    Yang Dao did not know what the man was talking about and neither did he ask. He was not close to him so better wait for the right time to arrive. The two reached the hotel where the other three were already gathered. Then they had a meal where Laohu bai told him about the charity race. Feng Yun agreed and encouraged him. So after a brief discussion, the people went to Feng Yun''s mansion. Yang Dao was sent to bed as he will have to leave early in the morning as his vacation was over.

 Chapter 107: Surprise.

    Early next morning Yang Dao woke up, did some sparring with Ryu Jinshi, and he was beaten down to the ground. He played chess with Atsuji Kurogame as he had the morning tea. It was not the regular time, but the four people woke up really early to spend some more time with Yang Dao and see him off.


    The boy himself woke up at 4 in the morning. He was having a morning tea at 5 and by 6 his breakfast was ready. Feng Yun made it herself. She cooked tofu and shredded chicken sandwich. With a glass of fresh juice. The boy ate full and after getting ready in casual attire, he was ready to leave.


    Jade City was enormous, and the journey from the central part to the far corner where the University was situated took 30 minutes in a chopper. It will take Yang Dao three hours by road. But again, if he wished to drive his car, he needs to commute.


    Today he wore a white-collared t-shirt, blue denim, paired with white flat sole sneakers. Feng Yun walked over to him and fixed his collar. She fixed a few stray strands of his hair. She said, "Xiao Bai, do you think something is missing in his attire?"


    Laohu Bai was still slumped on the couch, being lazy. She cast a gaze on the boy and said, "A watch, big sis."


    Feng Yun nodded and went inside the cloakroom, where all the stuff she had bought for Yang Dao was stored. After two minutes she walked out with a chronograph. This watch was called Serenity. The brand was Torque Motors. This watch was a commemorative product from them. To celebrate the successful completion of Quinn.


    She tied the watch to Yang Dao''s left wrist and nodded. The boy asked, "May I go now, Your ladyship? The traffic will not be so kind to me."


    Feng Yun chuckled as she said, "Very well, Your Majesty. Take care on the way and drive under the limit. Call when you reach the college."


    Yang Dao nodded, and after greeting the two men and one lazy cat, he walked out holding Feng Yun''s hand. The other three obviously followed. Yang Dao asked, "Sister Yun, can you send Lisa to my apartment? I will need her help to design the model. She can live there for some time. Then I will bring her back here. You can ask if she is comfortable. I will call you about it when I have the rest of the things ready."


    Feng Yun nodded with a smile. She gave the boy a warm hug and then he got inside the car. Waved to the others and left.


    Laohu Bai asked, "Why did he not hug me?"


    Feng Yun replied as she watched the car slowly vanishing from her vision, "You should wash off the drool from your face first."


    Yang Dao had a minor OCD, he did not say anything, but he was disgusted by the drool on this kitten''s face. The two men smiled faintly. Laohu Bai blushed and ran to the washroom while Feng Yun shook her head.


    ...


    Yang Dao drove the car under the speed limit. Even though it was early in the morning some early risers and commuters caught sight of his car and could not help but click pictures. The spare vehicles on the road maintained a one-foot distance from his car. The beauty and dominance of this car on the road were enough to scare them away.


    The owner of this car, however, was not affected and drove with peace of mind. Just when he was about to reach the college, he saw a lady traffic police inspector waving her hand at him. This was obviously a signal to stop at the side. Yang Dao was confused, but he had to follow the laws. He parked the car at the side.


    The traffic police inspector came running from behind. She was about to knock on the window when Yang Dao lowered it down and asked politely, "How may I help you, Officer?"


    The lady was a beauty but compared to Feng Yun, Laohu Bai, or even professor Dew. She was leagues below. After taking a deep breath she said, "You need to step out of the vehicle, sir."


    Yang Dao was surprised and asked, "Why, madam? Did I do something Illegal?"


    The inspector raised her eyebrow and said, "Kid, do you not know it is illegal to drive modified cars? Also, show me your license and ID."


    Yang Dao took out his ID and license but said, "This car is not modified, at all Madam. You can search on the internet."


    The inspector snorted and checked the ID and license. When she found that the License was Military-grade she was surprised. She asked, "Why do you have a military-grade license?"


    Yang Dao replied, "That is because I am a special recruit and I passed my driving test with military standards." he was truthful about this.


    The lady heard this, and she was even more surprised. She asked, "Also, is this car really not changed?"


    Yang Dao sighed as he said, "Madam, there is only one of this car in the world. You can check it on your cellphone. The model is called Quinn."


    The inspector nodded and checked the name on the internet. When she found the value and status of this car, she was shocked and even took a couple of steps back. She returned Yang Dao, his documents and said, "I apologize, sir, you can go. Please do not complain to the higher-ups. I only have this job, sir. Forgive me."


    Yang Dao spoke, "It is okay madam, you just did your duty. I will leave now. Please continue your work. Have a good day."


    The lady was shocked to be true. She has witnessed some of her colleagues losing their jobs because they stopped these wealthy Young Masters. Yang Dao was humble to her, but she did not believe it. Who knows when would a snake suddenly bit you?


    Yang Dao drove away. The campus was filled with activity, people who were visiting their homes were back after a day off. Soon Yang Dao also arrived after parking his car near the parking space. He did not attract too much attention, as the people with cars would come later. Entering the campus, the boy made a beeline to the library.


    He called Professor Dew it was replied in a lazy voice, "Who is it?"


    Yang Dao replied, "It is Yang Dao. I have an idea about the future project. Can you help me with some coding?"


    Professor Dew sat up in her bed. She said, "Come to my accommodation. We need to discuss it first."


    Yang Dao nodded and after getting the directions from the lady he located her hideout in the teacher accommodation area. He greeted some teachers moving past with a smile on his face. He reached the place he was invited to. The boy knocked on the door, instantly the door opened.


    Professor Dew stood in front of him wearing shorts and a loose, round neck-shirt. Her hair was hurriedly arranged and her face looked face. Judging by the water stains on the collar of her t-shirt. She seemed to have just rush straight out of the washroom after washing her face.


    She smiled at Yang Dao, "Come in, come in." as she almost pulled him inside the house.


    Yang Dao walked inside and was guided to the sofa by the teacher. He sat down with a restraint. The two people started talking about the new idea he came up with. Professor Dew served him some juice as the two talked.


    The boy wanted to develop a driving assistant. The concept and idea in his mind were very clear. Kylie Dew was amazed and impressed by him. She accepted his request to help him in the debugging. Yang Dao asked for one thing, "Do not invite anyone to my place. I will have senior ray join us."


    The incident from last time was really something that Yang Dao disliked and he disliked that girl. He came to the professor because she was an expert and was talented. He needed talented people to help him with the base program. Otherwise, the process might take a little longer to complete.


    The protagonist did not intend to wait. he just wanted to have this thing ready and running in a week. The program will use a self-learning algorithm and for that, they needed to have a lot of cars constantly equipped with the software and a mini-computer on board. He aimed to complete this thing within a month and introduce the auto drive feature in the car.


    This thing will help many people. And the features he came up with were all very ingenious. Discussing about the program, Kylie Dew had her eyes shining with stars. Suddenly, the lady jumped at and hugged Yang Dao.


    The boy was shocked. Just when he was about to push her away, he heard her say, "I am sorry. I did not control the situation and violated your personal space. I thought you do not want to talk to me anymore. I was very tangled with how to deal with this situation. Thank you for calling me. You just gave me a much-needed push to apologize and recognize my mistake."


    She broke away from the hug and gazed at the boy in front of her. Yang Dao was a mortal, such a beautiful woman who is not like a sister to him, hugged him. His hormones were triggered. His eyes did not part from the professor''s face. Their breathing fastened as it collided with each other.


    In the end, Kylie Dew took the initiative and kissed the boy as she sat down in his lap. Yang Dao opened his eyes wide and then he slowly closed them and replied to Kylie''s movements sloppily.

 Chapter 108: Complexity.

    Coming over here, Yang Dao did not expect this to happen. Yet the temptation cast by the soft and supple lips was too much for a hormonally unstable teenager. Yes, he was emotionally and intellectually stable but hormones were easy to trigger. The boy kissed the lady in his lap, sluggishly.


    Just when the lady tried to invade the uncharted territories of his mouth. She sensed something vibrating underneath her nether region. She thought it was a normal reaction of the boy, and just when her invasion was about to succeed, a strong resistance pushed her off the saddle.


    Yang Dao woke up for the momentary trigger of lust and pushed off Kylie Dew from his lap. The phone in his pocket was vibrating. He did not wait for any reaction from the beauty on the ground. He stood up and ran out of the house. The boy ran non-stop to his cycling club and only when he was inside the locker room did he stop.


    He was panting. It was not from the running. His physique was good enough he was panting from the shock he was experiencing. The phone inside his pocket rang more than five times on the way from Kylie Dew''s house to the lockers. He took the phone out with shivering hands and accepted the call.


    Feng Yun spoke, "Dao, are you okay? You scared me. Tell me are you okay?" her voice was full of concern and worry. Yang Dao took a deep breath and controlled his mental state as he spoke, "I went to my professor to talk about the future project. Yeah, I reached just fine."


    Feng Yun sensed something. She asked, "Young Master, why is your breathing so fast?" she picked up the minor pace in his breathing.


    Yang Dao sighed as he said, "Was it not because I had to run away from the clingy teacher to pick up your call." his tone was filled with complex emotions. He did not know how to deal with the present situation. He had no time for love and things.


    Growing up he was taught in the orphanage to only fall in love after they have gained a stable foothold in their careers. He never imagined that a respected professor was going to kiss him. While Yang Dao was entangled in his mind. Feng Yun spoke, "Dao, hello, can you hear me?"


    The boy snapped out of his daze and replied, "Yes, sister Yun."


    Feng Yun replied, "You are too distracted to talk. Let us talk in the evening when you get back home. Also, Lisa has agreed to come and stay at your place when needed."


    Yang Dao nodded and after a despondent bye, the call was disconnected.


    ...


    On the other side, Feng Yun was seething in rage. Laohu Bai asked, "Big sis why did you use the Omni Eye just now?"


    Feng Yun snorted, "That nympho Kylie Dew. How dare she kiss young master against his wish? I will have her skin as my shoes." she just cast her special skill to learn about Yang Dao''s complex emotions.


    Laohu Bai said, "Did the young master not hide it from you?"


    "Yes, what do you mean?" Feng Yun asked back.


    The white-haired girl replied, "He does not want to elevate this situation. Let him handle this by himself. He may treat us like family and we may not call him Young Master, but we are still his servants. This will never change. Until he wishes, we should not meddle in his business." her tone was calm and her eyes were filled with wisdom.


    Despite being the ''child'' among these guys she was still a heavenly spirit incarnation and can use her wisdom.


    Feng Yun asked, "Did eldest possessed your body?" with a confused tone.


    Laohu Bai pouted, "See, this is why I never talk wisely. You all make fun of me. Especially that old man. Humph, did you know, last night I recorded him crying in secret." her eyes revealed a trace of victory.


    Feng Yun shook her head as she went back to her room. She needed to go to the office. Laohu Bai was still sprawled on the couch as she played with her mobile.


    ...


    Yang Dao walked out of the locker room after washing his face and headed to the class. There was nobody in the clubhouse in the morning. At this moment Yang Dao was confused about whether it was a good idea to invite professor Kylie Dew. He did not know how to react to the situation that just happened.


    Entering the class he found all of the people already present. Icarus waved to him with a smile. Yang Dao nodded and walked up to his seat. Kiya sat next to him asked in a low voice, "Why do you have your brows furrowed?"


    The boy glanced at her, and asked, "You noticed this?"


    Kiya nodded while suppressing the butterflies in her heart. She replied, "It is so obvious."


    Yang Dao nodded and said, "Something did happen. Anyways let it be."


    Kiya replied, "Yeah, the crypto union sure is shameless."


    Yang Dao asked in confusion, "What do you mean?"


    Kiya asked, "Did you not check the news in the morning? The crypto nation issued a statement. They wanted a car owner to apologize to their technicians. They said that the person blatantly said bad stuff regarding their advanced vehicle assistant. They said that this was an act of disrespect towards their hardworking and dedicated technicians. If the person did not apologize then within a month they will ban their vehicle assist technology in our country."


    Yang Dao did not expect such a thing to happen but, this did not mean that he was affected by this. He was confident in his skills. He said, "Kiya will you join my company? I can now give you a salary. Although it is a bit low by the time your graduate I will increase it."


    Kiya was thrilled by his sudden words. She asked, "What is the job profile?" trying to keep calm.


    Yang Dao replied, "Secretary and shield." in a very low voice.


    Kiya was surprised and opened her eyes wide. She asked, "Why shield? What sort of shield?"


    The boy sighed and said, "The shield to protect me from other women. As for the secretary that is just the same as what you study in the books. Managing my appointments in the future and keeping an eye on the other basic stuff in the company. Reporting to me if there is something you cannot handle."


    Kiya asked, "Which women do you need protection from?"


    Yang Dao almost let out the professor''s name, but he stopped himself and said, "There has been a lot of them. I feel scared. Please help me." his pleading voice was enough to make the girl in front of him, nodded.


    She said, "I accept but I have a condition."


    Yang Dao asked, "What condition?"


    Kiya replied, "You need to cook food for me." in a low voice.


    Yang Dao nodded with a smile, "Okay, deal." he stretched out his hand to her and they shook on it with a gentle grip.


    Kiya said, "Well, boss. What is the salary you offer me?" the boy was about to reply to her sweet voice when there was a large sound in the back of the classroom.


    Everybody turned toward the sound. A boy held a vacuum flask in his hand. In front of him laid a guy bleeding from his forehead. Everyone was surprised. Kiya asked, "Hey who are you, what are you doing?" her voice was loud and stern.


    The boy snorted but did not look at her. He spoke, "I am the exchange student this year. You will call me Drake Langdon. I am from the crypto nation. As for this guy, I told him to not sit with me. How dare he think he is suitable to sit with me. Maggot."


    Yang Dao ignored all this and came to the guy who bled from his forehead. He took a handkerchief from his pocket and pressed it on the guy''s forehead. He spoke to Donnie, "Take him to the infirmary, he needs medical attention."


    Donnie had just moved to pick up the guy when Drake Langdon said, "You will not take him out until he apologizes to me. Also, his filthy blood stained my shoes, he needs to lick that clean." he gazed down at his shoes, on the few drops of blood.


    Donnie said, "Don''t act too big you will regret it." The guy snorted and said, "I have diplomatic immunity. Even your president cannot do anything to me let alone you."


    Yang Dao snapped, "Donnie, why are you not moving out yet." his cold voice made the latter gulp. He took the injured''s hand and flung it over his shoulder.


    Who would have thought that the crypto nation native will wave the vacuum flask in his hand again? The target was Donnie this time.


    Some people had their camera''s place on and some closed their eyes tight. Not wanting to see blood. While some fainted hearted girls even screamed.


    But the bloody scene did not appear. Yang Dao blocked the vacuum flask with the back of his shoulder. This was a deliberate action. He blocked it with his back when he saw that the people were recording the scene. He wanted to use this opportunity to break this guy just like he broke his classmate. The force in the hit was strong enough to make Yang Dao wince.


    Drake Langdon did not know the identity of his victim. He hit him five times before Icarus and some guys held him tightly. Yang Dao said, "Leave him. I will deal with it."

 Chapter 109: Too Weak.

    Icarus glanced at Yang Dao when he heard the latter wanted to deal with this guy on his own. He did not understand the logic behind his decision. Under everyone''s gaze, Yang Dao pulled out a red booklet from the back pocket of his jeans.


    This book was his Military Identity Certificate. He spoke. "You guys let him go. I can handle this." a flash of cruelty appeared in his eyes. Icarus understood his motive. He said, "Guys, let go of him. He is a guest, also we need to take Brad to the infirmary. He needs help."


    With that said, the four boys who were holding Drake down let go. Donnie helped the injured boy with two others and led him to the infirmary. At this moment there was an announcement on the speaker inside the class.


    "Students of Class-A first year, please pay attention. Professor Art has called in sick. You all are expected to study on your own."


    "I repeat, Professor Art has called in sick. You all are expected to study on your own." with a low volume beep the speaker fell silent.


    Today the first class was the literature class. Professor Art was an elderly person and sometimes he would call in sick. He was a god among modern Jewel Nation. The students were tensed and the mood to study has been ruined by the self-proclaimed tyrant of the Crypto Nation.


    Suddenly those who were about to put down the phones heard a snort. "This is the standard of education in this backward country? No wonder you all are inferior to my country." the speaker was Drake.


    He turned his gaze to Yang Dao and said, "Boy, your friends creased my clothes, you will compensate me for a million Cryo Coins. Also, the blood on my shoe has not yet been cleaned. Come here, or I will beat you again."


    Kiya could not hold and she spoke in a loud voice, "YOU, DON''T FORCE IT. I WILL CALL THE STUDENT COUNCIL TO TAKE AN ACTION. DO YOU UNDERSTAND? THIS IS JEWEL NATION NOT YOUR CRYPTO NATION."


    Yang Dao was surprised at her outburst. He did not expect this gentle girl to burst up like a volcano. Drake, however, was unmoved. He smirked and said, "You can try. I would like to see what they can do to me. My father is a big businessman back at home. Humph, you all should feel grateful that I even came to this pathetic place for an exchange. I just remember that I lack a girl by my side. How about you ent..."


    His words were not finished when he suddenly choked. Yang Dao had him lifted in the air as he held his throat in his grip. Drake''s face turned blue. Never did he expect some to treat him like this. Yang Dao threw him down the stairs.


    The classroom was like a giant staircase so that every student could see the teacher and the board properly. Drake bounced slightly as he fell. Despite the fall, he did not suffer any big wounds. Yang Dao controlled his force a lot.


    Drake stood up, wincing as he spoke, "You lowly piece of shit. How dare you to move against me. I will make you regret it. You wait for me in the sports field if you are a man." and then he ran outside.


    It was obvious he was going to call his fellow exchange students to deal with Yang Dao. Icarus asked, "Dao, what to do now? This will be a big international issue you know?"


    Yang Dao spoke, "Do you think that the crypto nation will go to war with Jewel Nation for the sake of silk pants? This guy broke laws just now. I will deal with it, don''t worry. Yeah, none of the first years may move against them." his voice was calm.


    It made other people feel at ease as well, knowing how capable this guy was, they all let him deal with it. Icarus sighed and asked, "I feel pity for these guys who mess up with you."


    Yang Dao shook his head with an indifferent expression on his face. He walked down to Kiya, who stood at her seat with a frown on her face. He said, "I got your back, calm down." as he patted her shoulder gently.


    Kiya nodded as her eyes shone. Yang Dao turned and walked towards the sports field. He said to Icarus, "Tell all the first years, to not make a move. Otherwise, this thing will get out of hand. Let them attack first."


    Icarus nodded and immediately made phone calls. His connections were no less than Mikhail. He even called the student council to not act as a peacemaker. The student council representative of the first year told him that these guys have come here since the past week. They have been making things difficult for them. They even molested a girl from the council. Thankfully, they tried nothing excessive.


    Yang Dao heard it all, and his eyes became colder and colder. He took out his phone and called a number under the name of Elder Atsuji. After all, the old man was a big shot in the government. His interference will make things go smoothly.


    The call connected after a brief ring. The old man spoke, "Did you miss me so soon, Young Master?" his mellow tone gave Yang Dao goosebumps. He also did not want to back down and said, "Yes, elder, I wanted to take on a drive around my campus. When are you free?"


    The other gave out two coughs and refused tactfully in the name of some work. Yang Dao smirked and said, "I am going to beat some Crypto nation people. The guy in my class..."


    He explained to the old man. FYI he did not add or subtract anything at all. The old man asked, "How do you plan to deal with it?" in a solemn voice


    Yang Dao replied, "Let them attack first, beat them in an act of self-defense. Will just take one hit for each except for that cocky one in my class." calmly.


    Atsuji Kurogame nodded on the other side and said, "You can deal with it. Record it all. Then send me a copy. I will deal with it. Since you revealed your identity earlier, do not do it again lest someone had a good brain resting on their shoulder, and see through it. Don''t worry, Crypto Nation may have the technology but in defense and weaponry, they cannot move much without us knowing so we can handle it."


    Yang Dao nodded and disconnected the call. During the call, the whole class has reached the sports field. Four boys stood there wearing good, high-quality clothes. At some distance stood the students, who were free and interested in what the fuss was about.


    Yang Dao walked ahead as he motioned his friends to stop. Drake did not wait for the former to speak. He said, "You were acting very cool and savvy in the class, right? Now I give you a chance, kneel and bark like a dog, then we will break your legs so that you can enjoy the rest of your life in a wheelchair. Or I can complain to my consulate and you can watch as the two countries go to war."


    Yang Dao shook his head, as he said, "You value yourself too much. Do you think your country will send thousands of soldiers to their deaths for a piece of shit like you? If I am not wrong you must be trash in your family otherwise why would they send you here? You cannot even represent your household, yet you act like the ambassador of your country? Shameless fool."


    He spoke with no restraint on his disdain and disgust in his voice. Icarus had already asked the students in front to record everything. The plan was on. Yang Dao''s words triggered the fool, and he said to his friends, "Go beat him up."


    His friends were also not very sharp. They all rushed at Yang Dao like rabid dogs. The latter calmly dashed forward and suddenly jumped up in the air. Using his legs he rotated in the air twice and his leg whipped out.


    A strong kick landed on the face of the first guy, making him dizzy. The momentum of the spins was concentrated on Yang Dao''s foot. He landed on the ground and rushed to the second guy on the right-hand side. Two meters away from his opponent, Yang Dao crouched, thrust his body forward and a strong punch was dealt with by the liver of the second opponent.


    The third one on the left was moving on him as well, Yang Dao rolled sideways on the ground. He was now in front of the third opponent. He delivered a low whip kick on the person''s leg but the latter jumped up in the air and avoided it.


    He did not expect Yang Dao to use his other leg for jumping up in the air. The next thing was stars in his vision. He was delivered a roundhouse kick to the temples and so the boy passed out.


    Drake grit his teeth and rushed over to Yang Dao. But the latter evaded his attack, came behind his back, clamped his waist, and arched his body like a bracket. Throwing Drake over his body while his belly faced the sky.


    A dull thud sounded. Drake landed on his back, his senses numbed and dazed, but before he knew anything else. Yang Dao rolled over him, picked him up from his waist. The strength of this boy was too much. The last thing Drake sensed was someone holding his collar and then shoving his body down with just one hand.


    Thump


    With that, Drake fainted. He heard Yang Dao say, "Too weak could not even take minor 4 chain drops."

 Chapter 110: Aftermath

    The crowd was silent. Even a pin drop could be heard. It stunned the people. They did not expect Yang Dao to deal with the people in such a manner. Also, the last move, when he grappled with Drake and put him down twice. That moment was so fast and smooth. It was as if a movie scene played in front of them.


    Icarus couldn''t help but whistle. The crowd also cheered as if a glorious thing just happened here. Yang Dao stood amidst the crowd with an indifferent face. He shook his head and walked back to the classroom. He had a lot of things to do. Such as sorting out the cycling club practice track issue. He has postponed this issue for a long time.


    So after putting the people in their places. Yang Dao walked back to the classroom. Attended the lecture on human psychology. Then he took his leave and walked to the principal''s office. On the way, a lot of students gazed at him with respect in their eyes. The boy walked up to the principal''s office; he saw a peon sitting in front of the door. He said, "Is the principal inside?"


    The peon saw him and asked, "Do you have something urgent?"


    Yang Dao nodded. The latter asked, "Your name and class?"


    The boy reported his name and class. The peon stood up and went inside the office. A few minutes later the person returned from inside with a somber face and said, "You can go in."


    "Thank you, sir." with that Yang Dao went inside the big wooden doors.


    The principal room was the same as the last time, but today a peon was sitting at the door. Knowing the temperament of the old man, Yang Dao found it weird. Sure enough, when he entered the room. In front of him stood a woman in her late 40s, going by her appearance.


    Yang Dao asked, "Madam, are you the principal?" voice filled with confusion.


    The lady spoke in a matter-of-factly tone, "Yes, I joined 20 days ago. The former principal, Brad McQueen, retired during your military training. According to the rules of the training, until it is too major, we may not disturb you."


    Yang Dao nodded. He said, "I wanted to ask if the college can allocate a time slot for the cycling club to practice in the road track build for the mechanical branch? Madam, we have to go out of the campus to practice and the traffic on the roads is not very safe for the team to ride. If we could have a specific time to practice inside the campus, our performance will increase."


    The lady was silent for a few minutes. She asked, "Why is it you and not the captain of the club, coming here to negotiate?"


    Yang Dao replied calmly, "Madam, Captain Thomas is in his senior year and these days the classes they have, go on for almost an entire day. So easing the pressure of my seniors I came here."


    The lady smiled. "As expected of the national treasure and younger brother of Feng Yun. My name is Aislinn Jasper. I used to be the teacher of your sister. Well, I will approve of your request but I have a condition?"


    Yang Dao asked, "If it is within my reach. I will not step back." his voice was confident.


    Aislinn Jasper said, "In a week there is going to be a debate competition. The theme is..."


    She explained the theme briefly. Yang Dao nodded and when she was finished, he said, "I will do my best, but I will not say that I am hundred percent sure."


    The principal nodded and said, "Then based on your performance I will approve your request."


    The two people take a bit more about the debate competition.


    ...


    Atsuji Kurogame right now was walking through the corridors of a building. They covered the walls of the corridors of the buildings with jades and precious gems forming various abstract murals. Armed forces surrounded this building. Soldiers patrolled the place, and some, who passed Atsuji, saluted him while the old man nodded to them indifferently.


    The building was the most important place in Jewel Nation. This was the office of the government, after all. At this moment Atsuji was going to the premiere''s office. Before he could enter the office, he went through multiple checks, and in the end, he waited for the clerk at the door to inform the man of his arrival.


    He sat down on the couch outside to wait. Soon, three more people arrived. They were all dressed in a similar suit to the old man, but their age was at least half of Atsuji Kurogame. They all bowed to the old man.


    The latter nodded and gestured them to sit down. They took their seats, but none of them spoke. They were called here by Atsuji Kurogame. Seeing that the elder has not spoken a word yet they all were silent as well. They were aware of the abilities of this old man. The reason he never took up the premiere''s position was that he wanted a little more freedom.


    In the jewel nation, you first take an exam. This written test calculates your mindset and the way you will deal with the problems. If there is any problem with the test, you cannot advance to the official post at all. No matter who you are.


    Then you get to complete a certain task. Then you go through with the elections. The relevant departments will publish the candidate''s performance to the public. This plan had no leaks at all. You will be monitored and streamed live 24*7


    There were no political parties. So there was no manipulation in the government and also, it prevented people from covering up for each other.


    The clerk by the door spoke in a soft voice, "Sirs, you can go in."


    Atsuji Kurogame stood up, the rest followed. After entering the door, they all stood in front of a vast table. Behind the table, a Dignified-looking Middle-aged man sat. His face was enough to inspire people.


    The man saw Atsuji coming in with the other ministers. He raised his sword eyebrows and asked, "Elder Atsuji, you came with all the others. Is everything fine?" he was a military veteran and had made countless contributions to the country and his abilities were also good.


    Atsuji Kurogame spoke in a respectful tone, "Premiere Abraham. I need to show you and the others a little something. This time the Crypto Nation will have to pay." he fished out his mobile and gave it, to one man on his side.


    He said, "Ali, get this plugged in. Inside is a video received recently. You play it on the big screen for everyone."


    The man Ali was the finance minister of the country. He nodded, respectfully took the phone, and connected it to the big screen. The video played, and they all saw Drake acting arrogantly. He used the vacuum flask on Yang Dao. Then he even humiliated a girl, then Yang Dao took action.


    Atsuji Kurogame asked Ali, "Play the second video."


    Ali nodded and played the video as asked. The second video was where Yang Dao defeated the four people with minimal effort and left silently. Abraham sighed and asked, "Elder, the crypto nation..."


    Atsuji spoke, "The implicated person is Feng Yang Dao, Feng Yun''s younger brother." his words made everyone gasp. Feng Yun was the biggest economical tyrant in the nation.


    Atsuji continued, "The boy is a wonderful academic gem as well. He solved the nuclear reaction question, you guys must have heard a month ago. He also has his own business, The Dao Technologies. The first product is already a hit. He is also a special recruit in the Special forces."


    Others may not know the truth about the special forces, but Abraham knew because he himself was a special force soldier. This boy was a gem among gems. Atsuji spoke, "He sent me these videos to ask for help. Count us lucky, if Feng Yun knew. She would have raised hell. You know what she can do and her cousin, Laohu Bai, the white death as they call her in special forces. She would have done something similar. You tell me what to do, Premiere."


    Abraham held his forehead. Ali said, "The Crypto nation is too much. Not only do they look down on the world, but now their pups are also looking down on us?"


    Another man spoke up, "Foreign minister Christopher. What do you think?"


    Christopher said, "I have long wanted these Crypto nation pussies to wear that armband of shame." his words may sound not suitable for the position he sits at but he hated Crypto nation. He continued, "I will never forget how they deported our citizens fifty years ago. They blamed us for the epidemic bursting out in their country. Shameless bastards. Who did not know that they were dabbling with human genetic research? This time we stop defending. We attack."


    Abraham sighed, "Well, since you all agree, then I will first call all the ally nations together. They have also suffered a lot under Crypto nations hands."


    Atsuji nodded and said, "I just hope that this thing doesn''t let our citizens down." his meaning was to not let Yang Dao down.

 Chapter 111: The Hero?

    While the government was planning to take action the two videos spread on the internet like wildfire. The number of people who watched it started to multiply very quickly. The stars of the video were sitting in a five-star hotel room.


    The four guys were left off easy. The first one who was kicked down said, "That guy is very strong. My jaw hurts." he held an ice pack in his hand covering the swollen jaw. The other two also expressed dissatisfaction while the main guy, Drake lay sprawled on the bed. His whole body was aching, especially his back. It was as if a truck hit him.


    He has never been treated like this in his life. He could not even call his family as they sent him here as a punishment. He sighed with a wince as he laid down on the bed. He said, "The video will rich our people. They will do something about it do not worry. That boy attacked us. He will pay."


    While they were hoping for their government to take action. A press meet was called over.


    ...


    Ali, the foreign minister of the jewel nation stood on the podium. He faced 20 or so reporters, who were invited to cover the news. The minister spoke, "Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for coming. Today by the order of the Premier, I would like to address the issue related to a fight that took place in the Jade City university."


    The reporter all saw the video. Hearing the statement they all immediately perked up their ears. Ali paused and after gathering their attention, he spoke, "The two parties involved are Exchange student Drake Langdon, son of the CEO Mr. Arion Langdon. The other person is Feng Yang Dao. He is the brother of President Feng, of the phoenix group. The dispute started when a student sat down beside Drake. As seen in the first video as well. The second video is when Yang Dao beat them all."


    A reporter raised her hand and she asked, "Sir, why did Feng Yang Dao, attacked them?"


    Ali replied, "After the investigation, the college staff reported to us that Feng Yang Dao first defended the two classmates as Drake Langdon attacked him. Feng Yang Dao also took out his identity certificate. I would like to inform you that Feng Yang Dao is a special recruit in the special forces. His performance videos can be checked on the Army website. Still, Recruit Dao did not take any action. Until Drake Langford insulted a female classmate."


    Another reporter raised his hand, Ali nodded and the man asked, "But sir, the act of violence is not a justifiable answer. After all, Drake Langford is from Crypto nation and is a guest here."


    Ali raised his eyebrow and said, "Due to the recent physical, violence and abusive treatment against the women in the nation. The premier has been thinking a lot and just before this incident he made a law to protect the rights and dignity of a woman. So this act is justified. Also, if someone is a guest at your home, will you let them treat your daughter however they want?"


    The crisp reply made the reporter quiet. Ali continued, "After this incident, we would like to deliver a message to the Crypto nation. From this day forth, any Crypto nation native visiting Jewel nation will have to wear a red armband throughout their visit. If they are found without the armband, they will be deported back. Second, If any Crypto nation company breaches the contract in business, they will be black-listed from the Jewel Nation market."


    His statement sent out big waves among the reporters. The intent was clear, no more defense. The jewel nation was going to return the Crypto nation in kind. The press conference came to an end after a few more questions and answers.


    The reporters returned to their channel and print media offices. They learned that not only Jewel Nation. But Freedom country, Hawk Nation, First Republic, almost half the world had come forward with such conditions. This was a worldwide action against the Crypto nation.


    ...


    In the phoenix group office, the atmosphere was as tense as a war front. Nobody dared to even breathe loudly. They all saw the video on the net. Feng Yun''s younger brother was attacked in the college. They were all scared because Feng Yun may be a goddess but she was a goddess of hell.


    What they all feared, did happen. Feng Yun dismissed all cooperations with the Crypto nation. She even stripped off the smart butler system from the building. All the vehicles from the crypto nation were gathered on the public square and burned to cinders.


    This was not all, her shopping malls, canceled the contract with the top brands of the Crypto nation, paid for the supplies inside, and distributed them among the poor. This happened nationwide. The breach of contracts was paid by almost 10 percent of her net worth. The huge amount was paid without a blink.


    The poor people who received the high-end gifts were all happy and blessed, Feng Yun. The lady behind it all was however walking on her high heels. Her face was ice cold. She wanted to rush over to the Crypto nation and burn them to ashes. She picked up her phone and failed Ryu Jinshi.


    The call connected and the other side said, "I know, calm down. I will make sure none of the flies reach him."


    The flies in his mouth were the killers and assassins that the crypto nation would dispatch to deal with Yang Dao. Feng Yun hummed and put the phone down. She was uneasy with all this. Finally could not hold on and called Yang Dao.


    As soon as the call picked up she started, "Dao, are you okay? Are you fine? Should I come over?"


    Yang Dao on the other side did not expect such a big reaction from the lady. He patiently waited for her to stop and said, "I am fine. Those kids were useless. They were only big-mouthed that is it."


    Feng Yun spoke, "But I saw the video. He hit you with the vacuum flask." Yang dao shook his head and did not know how to console her.


    The two people went back and forth on the discussion in the end Feng Yun compromised. The call disconnect with her sigh.


    ...


    Yang Dao had just gotten off the call and walked back to the class. He saw Kylie Dew standing on the podium. Without any big reaction, he asked, "May I come in?"


    The teacher nodded with a complex emotion in her eyes. She had no idea that she will kiss him in the morning. Yang Dao walked up to the chair and sat down beside Kiya. His movement did not reveal anything. The formal was even calmer than he was usually.


    Kylie Dew carried on the lecture. Soon after the class was done she said, "Student Yang Dao, come to the office, please."


    Yang Dao stood up and followed her with no expression on his face. The two quickly came to the office where Kylie Dew sat on a chair and she said, "Dao, I am soo..."


    Her words did finish when Yang Dao spoke, "What happened was a mistake. Forget it, I don''t want to talk about it. See you in the evening at my place. Good day."


    This simple answer made Professor Dew should. She did not even have the chance to say anything. A smile appeared on her face when she thought of something on she or gods know.


    Yang Dao walked out and was on his way to the parking when he ran into Icarus. The two tagged along. Icarus asked, "Why are you heading to the parking? Did you not come by bike today?"


    The boy shook his head. He replied, "I went to stay with Sister Yun. So drove a car today. What about you?"


    Icarus replied, "The cycling club was not open today. The seniors went out to a trial race for the inter uni tournament. We are first years so we can slack off."


    Yang Dao nodded, the two people started talking about cycling club and some study-related topics. They reached the parking and found a huge crowd gathered together.


    Suddenly they heard a loud voice, "DON''T TOUCH IT. IT IS WORTH TOO MUCH. WE CANNOT AFFORD IT." the voice was not angry but excited.


    Icarus walked ahead mumbling, "What is the fuss about?"


    Yang Dao on the other hand placed his palm on the forehead. His posture was similar to Feng Yun. He knew why the crowd was gathered. It was because of his car. He had no choice but to dive into the crowd. It took him some effort and he finally, came to the front.


    These guys were all standing five meters away from the car. Three guys were holding a boy with shining eyes. Yang Dao said to Icarus, "I will be going ahead you take your time."


    Icarus was focused on the car and nodded. Yang Dao took out the key from his pocket and pressed the button.


    Tweet tweet


    The car turned on, tail lights flickered. Suddenly the chaos descended into silence. Yang Dao walked over to the car under the surprised gazes and opened the door. He sat inside and after ignition drove away.


    The shocked crowd did not move an inch. Suddenly a horn sounded and they all flinched awake. Still maintaining silence they all gave way to the vehicle and let it pass.


    It was unknown who cheered first, but the shout was, "HAIL FENG YANG DAO, THE HERO OF THE UNI."


    He was rich, smart, strong, talented, handsome. What else does one need to be the hero?

 Chapter 112: Happy Happy.

    Yang Dao drove his car to the college entrance and his phone rang. He parked the car at the side and accepted the call. The other side was Kiya. She asked him to check on the news. The boy replied he will do it once he reaches home.


    Disconnected the call and drove to Sapphire Lake Residency. The guards on the door saw Yang Dao. As the car passed one of them said, "Young Master finally got a car. That too a beauty."


    Another guard beside him stood at the side. With his face full of shock. He had just clicked a picture of the car and searched it on the net. Watching his expression, the former guard asked, "What happened, Jack?"


    Jack replied with a stutter, "Boss, that car is the world''s most expensive car. Those red lines on the edges are all powered rubies. Also, the metal it comprises is the rarest."


    His words made the guards regret how happy they felt for the young master buying a car. They felt odd when a rich scion would just ride around on a bicycle, but now this guy just drove in the world''s most expensive car. What will they do if some expert tried to steal the vehicle?


    Yang Dao, unaware of the fright among the security teams, just parked the vehicle and went up to his home. He just came out of the elevator and saw Feng Yun walking into the lobby. He was surprised and asked, "Sister Yun, when did you come? Why do you not go inside?"


    Feng Yun just came to him without speaking, checked his body up and down. Then walked around him in a circle. Only after confirming that Yang Dao was fine. She hugged him in her arms. The boy felt warm. This warmth came from inside. Feng Yun was concerned for him and her emotions were sensed by him.


    After a few minutes, the two broke up the embrace and he saw that Feng Yun had two tears almost dropping from her eyes. He wanted to wipe them off, but the girl stopped him. She took out a glass vial from her bag. Then carefully took the two drops inside. She said when Yang Dao looked at her confusedly, "Young Master, did you forget I am the incarnation of the vermillion Pheonix?"


    Yang Dao nodded as he spoke, "I remember all of this, but why collect your tears?"


    Feng Yun replied, "My tears can bring you back from the edge of the underworld if god-forbid something happens."


    Yang Dao was shocked. He did not expect such a thing to be possible. He thought Feng Yun was joking and said, "You cannot fool me."


    Feng Yun smiled and said, " You will know in a bit come, let''s go inside."


    The boy entered the house with her, he found Lisa was standing at the side. He said, "Hello Lisa. You can seat on the sofa you know, why do you stand?"


    The girl shook her hand, but Yang Dao said, "You know this is not the Dao Courtyard. I am the boss here, I say you sit means you sit."


    Lisa was still unwilling, so the boy turned to Feng Yun with squinty eyes and said, "This is all because you are too cold to people."


    The girl in a red suit stuck out her tongue. She said, "I told you about my tears, right?"


    Yang Dao nodded, Feng Yun said, "Lisa bring me a knife from the kitchen."


    Lisa nodded and walked into the kitchen. She came out after a few moments holding a set of knives. Feng Yun shook her head. This girl would just do it all if she doesn''t know the specifics. The cold persona lady said, "Come lie down on the sofa."


    Lisa did not hesitate and laid down on the sofa silently. Feng Yun held the fillet knife in her hand and placed the tip on her throat. The maid did not even flinch. Yang Dao asked, "Sister Yun what are you doing?" he was scared by this scene.


    Feng Yun said nothing and exerted a slight pressure on Lisa''s throat. A drop of blood broke out from her skin. Lisa felt pain and her brows frowned. Yet she did not make a single sound, not even a murmur.


    Feng Yun opened the vial in her hand and poured a drop of the clear liquid on her wound. The wound closed in a blink, and the skin was repaired back to its flawless state. She said, "Lisa, today I reward you. Your voice is now back to normal. If you trust me, you can try speaking."


    Lisa hesitated, even so, she closed her eyes and said, "Madam." She was shocked by this. She did not expect her voice to be like this. Her voice was gone. It was as if a bear roaring. Tears fell from her eyes. She covered her mouth with her hands.


    Yang Dao raised his eyebrows in surprise. He asked Feng Yun, "You can just sell those drops and be the queen of the world, you know?"


    Feng Yun chuckled, and said, "Dao, tears of a phoenix, are difficult to shed. Today I was just worried about you. Also if the people knew I can heal with my tears, would they not put me inside a lab?"


    Yang Dao asked, "Who dares? I will have Mister Ryu handle them."


    Feng Yun chuckled again. Lisa was a victim of the new dawn organization and she knew the existence of elementals. The two people consoled her as she kept thanking them again and again. After having some chat with Yang Dao regarding the issue with the crypto nation, Feng Yun left in the chopper. She had a lot of stuff to deal with, such as bankrupting the crypto nation firms in Jewel Nation.


    Yang Dao watched the news and held his forehead in his palm. He did not expect Feng Yun to set the cars on fire and stuff. She also spent so much money on the contract breaches. What surprised Yang Dao was how the allied nations also took action against the Crypto nation.


    ...


    In the evening, Lisa knocked on the door. She said, "Young Master, your tea."


    Yang Dao said, "Come in, please. Also, you can call me, Dao."


    The boy at this moment sat in front of his computer and was punching in the codes. He was preparing for two things. One was the mobile assistant, and the other was the car assistant. He used Lisa''s voice model for both of them and they will be called Lisa.


    Lisa pushed on a trolley and poured him a cup of tea. She was mesmerized as she gazed at the screen filled with codes. As a child she also wanted to study but when she was caught in by the New Dawn. Her dreams ended. Yang Dao stretched and noticed her expression. He said, "Lisa, do you like this?"


    Lisa snapped out of her daze and she nodded. Yang Dao said, "Why don''t you study?"


    Lisa opened her lips and spoke in a low voice, "yes, but I could not study after the third standard." She was 18 this year, at this age people would go to college but here she was, not knowing much about the outside world.


    Yang Dao asked, "How about you study here? I can get you a book and then you can apply for exams. Jewels nation has an exam where students who can not attend schools can also appear in exams and they can then enter the colleges for higher education. How about it? Would you like to try?"


    Lisa shook her head like a rattle. She said, "I do not know if I can understand all this. I have not touched a book in a long time, Young Master."


    Yang Dao said, "Lisa, I will teach you what I know. Without trying, you will never know what you can do and what you cannot. In this house, you have little to do. The cleaning will be done by the housekeeping staff. Also, in the future, as the smart assistants model, you will be needed to appear in front of the media. So learning will help you and who knows if you turned out to be a genius, you might as well get promoted and become my secretary in the company."


    Lisa blushed at his optimism. She had no confidence in herself. Yet the young master insisted on it. Before she could reject, she heard the doorbell ring. She put the tea kettle back on the trolley and rushed to the door.


    She opened the door and saw a beautiful Kylie Dew standing in front of her. She asked, "How may I help you, Madam?"


    Kylie Dew was shocked to see a girl appear in Yang Dao''s apartment. She said, "I am Yang Dao''s teacher. Is he inside?"


    Lisa replied, "Please come inside, I will call the Young Master."


    After settling the professor on the couch. Lisa called Yang Dao out. At this moment Yang Dao was on a call and after putting the phone down he came out with Lisa in tow.

 Chapter 113: Peace and War.

    Yang Dao sat across Kylie Dew. Lisa stood behind him holding her hands in front of her. The beauty professor gazed at the two of them, seemingly trying to assess the relationship. Yang Dao was emotionally weak but he was intelligent. He noticed the lady''s expressions and said, "This is Lisa, she is my attendant. She will stay with me from now on."


    Kylie Dew''s eyes flashed, she nodded and wanted to say something when Yang Dao again interrupted, "Lisa, pour some tea for the guest."


    The maid replied in her mesmerizing voice, "Yes, young master." and scurried to the kitchen. Her big doe eyes and bell-like voice were like a snap of thunder in Kylie''s mind. She had ideas about Yang Dao. Lisa''s appearance was a threat to her. She knew that Yang Dao would not care for status and origins, he cared about a person''s heart.


    Her idea was not to con him or something but to develop a relationship with him and fall in love. Yang Dao was a charming handsome boy who like her was a technology nerd. Just when she was about to speak, Lisa returned with a tray in her hands. Her efficiency was commendable. She placed the tea on the table, then placed a cup and saucer. She spoke, "Young Master, would you like some mint tea as well?"


    Yang Dao nodded. Lisa nodded and first served a cup to Kylie Dew and then one for her young master. Who knew that that boy would say, "Lisa, sit down. Do not stand all day long." As he gestured her to the seat next to him.


    Kylie Dew sensed something ambiguous. However, she did not feel like commenting. She picked up the tea and started drinking it in small sips. She sighed, "Good tea."


    Yang Dao introduced, "Have some more then." Lisa immediately filled up another cup. Yang Dao was not trying to overwhelm her but he was scared. He did not want her to do something like she did in the morning.


    He asked, "Professor, why did you come over so early? It is still early and you were to code for a whole night, were you not?" his voice was calm. It was as if he had never been kissed. Kylie Dew sighed, she expected something like this to happen.


    She replied, "I want to talk to you regarding something not formal. It has been bothering me a lot." her voice was calm but her gaze was pained.


    Yang Dao asked, "What is it?"


    The lady replied, "Let''s talk on the balcony, alone." she urged.


    With a nod, the boy stood up and walked to the balcony with Kylie Dew following him. Lisa stood in the giving room, with no thoughts in her mind. She did not mind for two people to have a private conversation after all she was just a maid in the house.


    ...


    On the balcony, Kylie Dew took the lead as she leaned against a railing. The wind is her hair, the setting sun at the horizon shone upon the two. Yang Dao glanced at her and felt his hormones getting out of control. Kylie was the most beautiful woman he has been in touch with except for Feng Yun and Laohu Bai.


    Kylie Dew gazed at him and said, "Yang Dao, you might think that the reason I am approaching you is because of the status and money you have. But that is not it. I started liking you when I saw you coding for the translation program. As weird as it may sound, but I am only a computer expert in the end. I have liked a lot of capable men like other girls would do. Yet never have I felt a flutter in my heart. When you submitted your semester project in one week, my heart fluttered. I could not see you for a month due to the military training. I missed you and wished to meet you but, alas, the regulations."


    She took a pause, noticed that Yang Dao did not look away from her and was listening. She continued speaking, "When today I saw you in the morning I was very excited and could not help myself. I came so early to tell you that I will not be able to resist my feelings for you, if I worked together with you something like that will happen again. So, tell me, will you give me a chance?"


    Yang Dao took a deep breath and said, "I am not bound by the difference in age and other stigmas but it would not like to jump on a boat blindly. If you don''t mind, let nature take its own course. If we can develop something then good, if not then good as well. I just hope it does not affect the equation we have as co-programmers."


    He did not have the heart to deny her right up. To be honest he was moved by her words. He could tell what intent did a person have. At this moment, he was sure that Kylie Dew was not lying or tricking him. But he was not sure about his own feelings so he decided to go slow. The lady on the other side smiled brightly, she jumped to hug Yang Dao but stopped.


    She extended her palm and said, "Hello, I am Kylie Dew, 25 years old. I like to code and teach people."


    Yang Dao had a strange expression, he did not know what to do. Kylie Dew said, "Basic introduction?"


    Yang Dao snapped out of his daze and held her hand gently as he said, "Hello, Yang Dao, 16 years old. I like umm... everything."


    Kylie Dew couldn''t help but shake her head, "Well, still given your Eq this is an improvement."


    Yang Dao replied, "Says the one who likes me cause I can code." his voice was low but the damage was high. The two bantered a bit and then came back to the living room. Yang Dao held his forehead in his palms and said, "Lisa, this is an order. If you are not working then you will rest or study. Don''t keep standing like a robot..."


    He spotted as he got an idea for his next project. Then he said, "Professor, you can take the coding over. I need to meet Sister Yun urgently. You carry on. Lisa look after her." With that said he picked up his keys and wallet, then he rushed out of the house.


    His speed was too quick for the women to react. Kylie Dew chatted with Lisa a bit and found the girl surprisingly shy. So after a brief small talk, she went downstairs to start her work. Yang Dao was about to get inside the car and rush away when his phone rang. He saw it was Yurika who called him.


    He picked up the call, and the other side said, "I am at the airport. Come pick me up." the boy took a deep breath and replied, "Okay, wait there."


    He closed the car and sighed, "Guess I will take the chopper."


    The boy rushed to the terrace and boarded the helicopter. He said, "First stop at the airport terminal. Second stop, Pheonix Group."


    The pilot nodded and the man-made beast took off displaying its speed and efficiency. Yang Dao calmed himself down and meditated. The chopper landed on a helipad. Yang Dao got off and asked the airport staff to make an announcement for Yurika to come over here. A few minutes later the girl came dragging her suitcase behind her with a pout on her lips. She threw away the suitcase and walked up to Yang Dao.


    She placed her hands in her waist and said, "Do you think you are now a big shot? Calling your mother here and there. Humph. I will not talk to you."


    Yang Dao sighed and picked up her suitcase. He put it inside the cabin and said, "I will leave with your stuff first, you can come later."


    Yurika almost blew off her head. She climbed inside the chopper and started blaming him non-stop. After half an hour the chopper landed on the top of the phoenix group. The two people got off and Yang Dao said, "You better keep your mouth shut for the next few minutes. I don''t want to throw you off the top floor."


    Yurika pouted as she snorted to him, "Just you wait to get home. I have learned to choke and hold. See how I straighten you."


    The two took the elevator and went down to Feng Yun''s office. In front of the cabin, on a desk sat a lady. She saw Yang Dao walking over, she stood up and bowed slightly. The by asking, "Is sister Yun inside."


    The lady nodded, and Yang Dao walked inside after pushing the door. He asked Yurika to sit down in the lobby and wait.


    ...


    "President Feng, I remind you it is not good for you to do this. The crypto nation market is a good piece of cake, and if you throw it away a lot of people are waiting to grab it." A man in a professional suit sat in front of Feng Yun.


    His tone was haughty. Feng Yun was about to reply when the door was pushed open. A boy wearing a casual lower and sports shirt walked in. The man frowned and said, "Whoever you are. Do you not know how to knock? Also, where are your manners to dress like this? Do you know what is this place? How could the staff let you in."


    Yang Dao raised his eyebrow and asked, "Sister Yun, who is this?"


    Feng Yun replied, "Mr. Toshigawa Henry, Ambassador Crypto Nation." her voice was calm and steady.


    Yang Dao asked the man, "Are you a native of Crypto nation." in reply the man raised his chin up. Obviously, proud of his nationality.


    The boy walked up beside Feng Yun. Picked up the receiver of the landline phone and failed 888. This was the emergency helpline number they had in their country. The call connected, "888, please state your emergency."


    Yang Dao spoke, "Madam, I am Feng Yang Dao, there is a gentleman who claims to be a citizen of the Crypto nation, yet he is not wearing the red armband on his arm. I think he is impersonating to be someone else. Kindly send over someone to investigate."


    The man panicked and before he could say anything Yang Dao reported the address and all. He did not expect something like this to happen. After putting down the receiver Yang Dao said, "Crypto nation will beg us on their knees to enter their market. We will make sure of that."

 Chapter 114: Arrangements.

    The man heard his words and sneered, he wanted to reply when Yang Dao said, "Sister Yun, call the security. Escort this imposter to the waiting area till the investigators arrive." Feng Yun was waiting for an excuse to let loose.


    She happily smiled and said, "Yes, Young Master." she pressed a button on the table.


    The man in front of them was dumb. He thought he heard wrong, Feng Yun, the richest woman in the Jewel Nation called this uncultured boy, Young Master. Sensing the confusion in his gaze. Feng Yun said, "Mr. Toshigawa, let me introduce you. This is my brother, Feng Yang Dao. The Young Master of the Pheonix Group."


    Toshigawa Henry was shocked. He did not expect this boy to have such an identity. As he was lost in a daze. Four sturdy guards knocked on the door and walked inside the cabin. Yang Dao said, "Escort this gentleman to the waiting area. In a few minutes, investigative forces will arrive. Cooperate with them. Okay?"


    The guards bowed slightly and led the ambassador out of the cabin. Feng Yun sighed and slumped in the chair. She said, "Thank you, Young Master. I had too many things to do today. This man had taken an appointment a month ago, today he came, and instead of our original topic, he started talking about us pulling out of the Crypto nation market. By the way, what made you come over?"


    Yang Dao took a deep breath, "First, I started working on the mobile smart assistant. Second, I want to recruit some robotic experts." he stated his goals.


    Feng Yun asked in confusion, "Did you not say that the two projects will be, mobile smart assistant and OS, along with Smart Car assistant? Why did you suddenly change it to a Robot?"


    Yang Dao replied, "The mobile assistant and OS are fine. As for the robot, I do not want a proper robot but, a cleaning bot. Today I saw Lisa, she is always standing when at work and help with the chores. So I decided to build a robot that can help people with chores, such as cleaning. At this moment I want this bot to be able to clean and exercise simple first aid and call for aid in case of a mishap."


    Feng Yun heard his plans for the bot as he kept going on and on and on. She did not expect Yang Dao to have such a high level of business intellect. This product will change how cleaning is often visualized by people. She was impressed once more. Then she nodded and said, "I will let Mary look into it."


    Yang Dao asked, "Yes, where is she? I saw someone else sitting in her chair."


    Feng Yun gave him a white glance as she said, "Mary is now the managing director of the Dao technologies. So obviously, she is in her new office. The building beside Ruby Towers was available so I took it on lease. You can buy it later on your own."


    Yang Dao smiled brightly, "Finally, you allowed me to buy something on my own. Okay, then I will go to her. You take care and don''t overwork." he turned and was about to go out when he came back to her table. He said, "Sister Yun, my professor confessed to me. I asked her to let nature take its course. Was I correct?"


    Feng Yun sighed and she said, "Your sister Yun is also a single lady, Young Master. I do not know this aspect. Still, I think you made the right decision."


    Yang Dao nodded and after saying bye, he left. Watching his fleeting back, Feng Yun sighed, she shook her head and said, "Guess, I am not yet considered a lady to him. Did I get Sister zoned by him so soon?" in this aspect her EQ was also low so she went back to her work without any other thoughts.


    The dao child on the other side took Yurika with him to the building where a vertical plaque-style board greeted him. The board was placed right in front of the entrance of the building. It said, ''Dao Technologies.''


    Yang Dao walked forward when he heard a voice from behind, "Excuse me, who are you? How can I help you?"


    The voice came from the front desk. A pretty lady was sitting there wearing a black and white formal uniform sort of attire. The boy walked over with Yurika in tow. He asked, "Is Miss Mary, inside?"


    The lady nodded and asked back, "Who are you?"


    The boy smiled and said, "My name is Feng Yang Dao."


    It was nothing too big to state your identity but the girl on the reception table said, "Say, little brother, did you come here to prank this sister?"


    Yang Dao was surprised and asked, "Why do you say so?"


    The girl replied, "You are so young, how could you be Feng Yang Dao? He is a boss of this company, must be in his thirties at least." her voice was doubtful. It was her first day in the company and she did not know how the boss looked like except for his name. Yang Dao replied, "Sister, you can check on the internet."


    The girl squinted her eyes, and said after a few moments of silence, "Well, since you look so handsome, I will check on the net." with that said she typed out the name in the network browser. The next thing was the girl coming in front of the table and bowing to Yang Dao with an apology. The boy chuckled and told her not to worry.


    Then he took the elevator and went to the 12th floor. In front of Ruby Towers, this building looks like a toothpick but to reach that height he must start somewhere. On the took floor there was only one office yet where Mary sat looking at the various resumes of interested candidates. She heard a knock on the door.


    She said, "Come in."


    Yang Dao entered with Yurika in tow. Mary stood up from her chair with a smile. She greeted, "Welcome to your office, Young Master."


    The boy shook his head and said, "This is our office now, Madam Mary."


    The lady nodded, she then asked, "Who might this be?"


    Yang Dao made the introductions and said, "Madam Mary, this girl is a friend of mine. I hope you can let her follow you and learn some things. Also, you don''t have to be soft if she is wrong."


    Mary nodded and said, "You don''t worry about it, Young Master. I have learned from Yun. I will deal with it." She then asked Yurika to live with her in the company accommodation. After all, she used to live alone in a five BHK flat. The latter agreed for the sake of convenience.


    Yang Dao asked her to allocate the 11th floor as the laboratory, and model testing area. The rest was up to Mary''s own choice. He also told her about the future vision he had in his mind and stuff. The three people were immersed in talks when Feng Yun arrived. She also bought dinner for the rest. After a meal, Yang Dao took the chopper back to the sapphire lake residency.


    He took out the key to unlock the door and walked inside. He saw Lisa was sitting on the sofa gazing at the door. She stood up as soon as he walked in. Yang Dao shook his head and said, "You were free while I was gone? Right?"


    Lisa nodded. The boy continued, "From now on your free time is going to be dedicated to studying. I will buy you new books tomorrow. Also, did the professor leave yet?"


    Lisa nodded and said in a low voice, "She left a few minutes ago."


    Yang Dao nodded then asked, "Did you eat?"


    The girl shook her head and said, "Young Master, I do not know how to cook."


    The boy raised his eyebrows in surprise. He smiled and said, "Come, I will cook for you." he stood up and walked to the kitchen. He took out some ingredients from the refrigerator and started to cook. It took him half an hour to prepare two sets of egg scramble, roasted vegetable curry, and rice.


    Lisa helped him place the food on the table and was about to serve him when Yang dao said, "Sit down and eat. I can serve myself." Lisa wanted to argue but watching his squinted eyes, she helplessly sat down and started to eat the food.


    As soon as she took a bite, she exclaimed, "So Good!!! Young Master, are you the god of food? Why does it taste better than Chef Longini in Dao Courtyard?"


    Yang Dao replied, "How would I know? I cooked myself both the times I was there. So, I don''t know."


    The gaze pointed at the boy changed from respect to awe. Lisa did not expect the young master to be so down to earth. ''Seems like not all the people in the world are bad'' she thought.

 Chapter 115: Lifting Up.

    After dinner, Yang Dao washed his dishes. Even though Lisa insisted on doing it for him. He just ordered her not to. He said, "I am used to this. You wait, when I am done you can wash your dishes."


    The maid was helpless. She even wanted to take back her thought that Young Master was nice but, after some careful contemplation. She found that Yang Dao was nice so the girl just followed his arrangements.


    After the task was done, Yang Dao did not go off to bed. He went to his study and using the remote uplink, checked the progress of the project. His fingers punched on a key to scroll up and down the screen. This boy was an ''all-keyboard'' person. After some skimming through he started to correct the errors and then his typing speed took off.


    His fingers were dancing all over the keyboard. Usually, people dance when they listen to music but, Yang Dao''s fingers danced and produced music. The typing produced rhythmic music filling the study to the brim. Lisa who was told to go back to her room and rest could not help but sit in her bed and listen to it.


    The time flew by and the night bled with dazzling sunlight. Lisa fell asleep in her room last night listening to rhythmic music. She woke up with a smile. She stood up from the bed, went to the washroom, freshened up, and walked out of the room, ready to face the day with a faint smile on her face.


    Just as she walked out to the living room. She was shocked to see a plate of food served and placed on the table beside it was a note. ''Going to college. reheat the food if it is cold.''


    Lisa had a blush on her face. She did not expect Yang Dao to go out so early, and even prepared breakfast for her. She was dazed as she glanced at the food.


    ...


    Yang Dao rode his bike ''Silence" to the college and stopped near the Cycling Club. He parked the bike on a stand and walked inside the clubhouse. Today everyone was present. Other than the usual team three girls wearing a sports tracksuit and Coach Gust was also present.


    Everyone turned their gaze to Yang Dao, who had just entered. The boy took half a step back and asked with a confused gaze, "Am I late or did I do something?"


    Coach Gust spoke, "You got us 4 hours of practice time on the track inside the college. You have done well"


    Yang Dao shook his head and said, "It is not a big deal." his eyes fell on Ayaka Gust. He asked, "Why is senior Ayaka here?"


    Coach Gust said, "I have to go to freedom nation for some work. Till then Ayaka will take over. She will follow you guys on the rides and she can train you better than me for the inter Uni. Tournament. The reason is that she can still ride the bike and has a better understanding of your young people."


    Yang Dao nodded, to him it did not matter who coached. He will just learn everything. He spoke up in an urgent tone, "I need to participate in the debate competition later this week. So I will be calling in for a leave of absence that day. It was the principal herself who nominated me for this."


    The coach nodded and approved his LOA. The team warmed up and changed into their spandex gear. They all rode their bikes to the track for practice. Coach Gust introduced Ayaka to the relevant administrators of the mechanical field while the team started to bike.


    Yang Dao and Icarus rode in a pair separately from the team. Icarus spoke, "You finished your semester project?"


    Yang Dao nodded and asked, "What about you?"


    Icarus replied, "I am writing codes for a game." he smiled at the end. Yang Dao raised an eyebrow, "What game?" he asked.


    Icarus said, "Poker and blackjack. I call it Card night. If it is successful, it can be used by people to play together, in multiplayer." his voice was getting low because this sort of game was very common and was only counted as passable semester projects.


    Yang Dao asked, "How about you help me develop a segment of the program in my next project? You can submit that as a semester project. That way my work will be reduced and the efficiency will increase. What do you think?"


    Icarus was surprised, he said without any hesitation, "Well, I am in. Tell me what do you want me to develop. I will try my best."


    Yang Dao asked, "I want you to develop a sensor, that can judge and measure the distance between two cars on the road. Can you do that?"


    Icarus asked, "Are you trying to write an automobile assistant?"


    Yang Dao nodded, confirming his friend''s thought. The two people started to discuss as they were riding and the pace of their bikes picked up slowly. Icarus was keeping up with Yang Dao and his cornering also followed the latter. It was almost as of two machines riding together in sync.


    Actually, it was Yang Dao, who was slowly leading Icarus to keep pace with him. Gradually changing his stance and postures. On the sidelines, three girls stood watching the two people. The three girls were Kiya, and Sasha, the secretaries of the club, along with Ayaka Gust, the national cyclist, and their temporary coach.


    Ayaka said, "I really want to get my bike and listen to what they are talking about. Icarus does not realize how Yang Dao is chancing his pace and pattern slowly." her expression was very complicated.


    The two boys were unaware of what their coach was thinking at this moment. They kept on riding and discussing their combined project. A couple of hours passed and they only stopped when they saw everyone else standing on the side.


    Yang Dao beckoned Ray to his side as soon as he came to a stop. Ray asked, "What happened?" with a confused expression.


    Icarus jumped in and told him about Yang Dao''s idea. Ray was excited and then nodded. He told Yang Dao that he is in. The three decided to head to his place after the evening practice. After listening to Ayaka''s pointers the group dispersed. Yang Dao took a shower in the locker room, changed into a fresh set of clothes, his training gear was disposed of in the washing machine in the club house.


    Later the club secretaries will operate the washing machines and then hang the gear in the sun to dry. The boys then went to the classes. Yang Dao spent some time in the library to procure some research and study material regarding his debate competition. The day passed in a blink. After evening practice the three boys bid farewell to everyone. Yang Dao talked to Kiya for a bit, he said, "Why don''t you come over to our workspace when you have some free time? You have a job as my secretary now."


    Kiya smiled and said, "Ho, I thought I was a shield. Also, who am I to shield you from?"


    Yang Dao thought for a bit and said, "Professor Kylie is a potential threat." his voice was serious. Kiya was shocked for a bit but then she started laughing loud.


    The boy was surprised at this. Kiya looked really beautiful right now. Her hair was brushed by a gust of wind as she was laughing. It was as if the time slowed down for Yang Dao. He only snapped out of his daze when Kiya waved her hand in front of him. She asked him what happened, he honestly replied that she looked very beautiful and he was dazed.


    Who knew that her face would also turn slightly pink and then she would run away? The three boys rode back to the sapphire residency. Yang Dao let the two in where the mainframe computer was set up. He then distributed the task.


    Icarus was responsible for the software development. Ray was to test the software with his car. Yang Dao wanted to allocate some funds to Icarus to buy some equipment to manufacture the sensor. Icarus then said, "Oi, this is my investment. I will buy shares in the future."


    Yang Dao shot him down and said, "You will only get the dividends. No voting. That too only five percent." Icarus left clenching his chest. Ray, on the other hand, left with an appointment letter in his hand. He was now an employee of Dao Technologies.


    The president called Mary and got this letter faxed to his place in five minutes. None of the people had any complaints about this arrangement. The reason was that they all knew their capabilities and at this moment Dao(the human and not THE DAO) was lifting them as he grew more. The boy did all this unknowingly.


    The boy sent them off, went upstairs, and found that Lisa was reading a book with a frown on her face. Yang Dao asked her, "What happened?"

 Chapter 116: Attacked.

    The next morning Yang Dao called his teachers and directly asked for five days'' leave of absence. His skills and knowledge were not doubted and the teachers all knew how capable this guy was. So they approved the leave.


    Yang Dao planned to use these five days to complete the coding. Also, brush up on some knowledge and factual arguments about his upcoming debate. After dealing with the college he failed the call to Yurika.


    "Hellooo..." a lazy voice came from the other end. Seemingly the girl woke up just about now. Yang Dao raised his wrist and glanced at his wrist. He said in a scolding manner, "Say, Rika, do you think that I own the company you can be lazy? It is already 9. You should be in the office by now."


    Yurika sensed that she was in for a scolding from the boss. So she said, "I am just leaving. I promise not to be lazy and late in the future."


    Yang Dao only snorted and disconnected the call. He then dialed Mary''s phone, he first told her to not be easy on Yurika, also to deduct her salary for the day. Then he asked her to find him a company that manufacturers proximity sensors and order a carton for him.


    Mary was already at the office and when she heard how Yang Dao talked to her with a neutral tone. She had a thought in her heart, ''These two siblings sure have similar ways of doing business.''


    After disconnecting her phone Yang Dao sat down in front of his PC. He started coding and forgot about the rest of the world. He never felt any discomfort regarding the temperature and thus did not even switch on the Air Conditioner. It was already lunchtime when he decided to take a break.


    Just as he was about to stand up. The computer system sent him a notification. The boy raised his eyebrow as he muttered, "So, they finally could not hold back."


    The notification was sent by the firewall protection he built on his computer. He sat back down in the chair and did not move. He observed what the other party was doing. A smirk appeared on his face. His fingers snapped, a rhythmic sound erupted. His fingers turned into afterimages as he countered the incoming attempt to heck his computer.


    The other party was trying to invade and then plant a monitoring bug inside his system. They will be able to steal and monitor his activities. Both personal and professional. How could Yang Dao let them do it?


    The boy did not need to defend himself so what he did was to track down the invader. The invading party was clever. They used signal jumping. As soon as Yang Dao was about to reach the rope''s end, the location will change. Suddenly the rhythm of his typing changed. After a few minutes, the invasion stopped.


    ...


    Crypto Nation, Cyber Police Bureau.


    A young man sat in front of a PC. His age was slightly older than Ray. He had blonde hair, between his lips a cigarette was placed. A few moments before he was typing rigorously and trying to heck into a personal server to place a monitoring bug. What he did not expect was the other party to counterattack them.


    On the screen, a dialog box was flashing. The prompt said, ''Hello, how do you think of my skills?''


    The Youngman dared not to reply or engage in a conversation. he directly pressed a button place beside him. This button was like an alarm. It was present on all the desks. Soon the whole place rang out with an alarm.


    Soon a lot of officials gathered by his side. A bald man asked, "What happened? Why did you press the alarm?"


    The young man said, "We were counter hacked."


    Everyone was surprised and then they all started laughing. They all thought that it was a joke. The bald man said, "Duke, how can someone hack us. We are the Crypto nation. Do you mean that hairy kid from the heap of shiny stones can hack us back? You sure can joke."


    The young man shouted, "YOU OVERCONFIDENT PIECES OF SHIT. WE WERE COUNTER HACKED. DO YOU THINK I AM JOKING?"


    His roars interrupted the laughter. They all saw the young man pointing at the computer. There was a dialog box on the screen.


    The atmosphere suddenly descended into chaos. As the people were thinking about how to deal with the prompt, whether to reply or not, another alarm went off. The People were shocked because the alarm came from the mainframe. The gathered staff quickly ran to the mainframe room and they yelled anxiously, "Cut off from the grid. Quickly."


    A technician pulled the plug down quickly. The whole mainframe was forced to shut down. This was the first time something like this to happen. Within fifteen minutes the whole nation found out that one of the major governmental departments was hacked and forced to shut down. The government denied any of such questions and pretended to be normal on the surface.


    The young man responsible for hacking Yang Dao''s system was interrogated on how did this happen. He told everyone about the process and they were all shocked. To think the most powerful hacker in their department could not get past the firewalls. Yet the other party countered and even tracked them down. They had no idea how much Data did the other party copy.


    They decided to hold a meeting with the higher-ups, they cannot take such a thing lying down.


    ...


    Sapphire lake residency. Jewel nation.


    Yang Dao sat in front of the computer screen, gazing and studying a lot of notes. What he did was not copy the data, but use the mainframe of the CPB to invade the closed net of Crypto nation. He speculated that the opponent will shut down the system so he prepared a two-pronged plan. The invasion was done in two steps. The first step was to invade the mainframe, trigger the alarm, distract people from safeguarding the closed net entry. Patch the code to his hack and using the mini window enter the closed net.


    When Yang Dao visited the crypto nation in the past. He had already gathered a lot of information for the future. How did he do it? He wrote a patch software for someone he met in a cyber cafe. That person made money and gave him all the info he needed. (Yes, that is the plot armor. But I am trying to be as logical as possible here.)


    What he did after invading the closed net was to cover his tracks and extract the information regarding his two projects. He was learning for the people, improvising it, and then make it yours. He called Atsuji Kurogame. The call connected after a few minutes.


    Yang Dao spoke, "Elder Atsuji. I have some information you might find useful..." the two people talked, and then the boy sent an encrypted file to Atsuji. This file contained a list of agents and spies planted inside the various departments of the government and the society of the nation. Some were high society civilians while some were just poor beggars. Every single one of them was listed in the file.


    Not only that, but he also found a list of such people inside the allied nations and sent it over. The motive was to strengthen and scare those nations that since they found about the Crypto nation''s snare. They can find out about them as well.


    Using the code Yang Dao discovered from the hack he rectified some flaws in his own code and then also improvised some areas. The codes he wrote were in a different language than the Crypto Nation''s but the knowledge was similar. It took him one hour to complete his debugging. Just when he was about to go at it again.


    The door was knocked, Lisa walked inside. She spoke softly, "Young Master your meal."


    Yang Dao looked at her and the monitor and then he stood up to pick the food. A soup and two main dishes were prepared. He took in a bite and asked, "Did you learn it from the net?"


    Lisa nodded shyly, "Yesternight, you cooked. I felt bad and since you said I should learn then I started with cooking."


    Yang Dao nodded and said, "Salt is to be used according to your own preference. Do not follow everything down to the words. Explore more, and then you will rectify your flaws. Only when you stumble and fall, can you actually learn about the true balance." his voice was calm and he ate with no change on his face.


    Lisa was enlightened by his words though. After the meal, Yang Dao went back to coding. His speed after learning from the codes he got from the Crypto nation. His speed and efficiency increased. It was evening when a guest arrived.


    This guest was both uninvited and hostile to Yang Dao.

 Chapter 117: Bad Feeling.

    Yang Dao and Lisa were both inside the study. Suddenly the bell rang. Lisa stood up to go outside and check when the boy said, "Wait."


    Lisa gazed at him with a confused expression. Yang Dao stood up, he said, "You are not to come out or make a sound until I tell you to. I have a bad feeling." his warning shocked Lisa. She immediately became scared. She spoke in a hushed tone, "Should I call the mistress?"


    The boy nodded as he walked out of the room, with cushioned step. He was heading to the cloakroom. In there, his handgun was kept. Yang Dao took the gun out, loaded a mag of bullets, and equipped a custom compensator. He did not want the whole building to echo with gunshots.


    He held the gun up and closed it to his chest. He looked through the gap in the door. There were some shadows, suddenly he heard a dull thump outside. The boy sensed his bad gut feeling vanishing, slowly opened the door. In front of him stood Ryu Jinshi, and a man was sprawled on the floor, blood pouring out of his throat.


    Yang Dao asked, "Mister Ryu."


    Ryu Jinshi had his back towards him, hearing the call he turned around and said, "Young Master, the subordinate is late. I beg your pardon."


    Yang Dao asked, "Who is this guy?"


    Ryu Jinshi replied, "Yesterday, Drake Langdon''s father put out a contract for your death with a bounty of 1 million crypto coins. The contract was open, yet because the amount was low, only killers in Jewel nation acted."


    Yang Dao raised an eyebrow, "I am worth a million crypto coins? I don''t know whether to laugh or to cry at this. Anyway, thank you. Would you like to come inside?"


    Ryu Jinshi nodded with some hesitation. Then he said, "This place will be cleaned in a few minutes. I have placed some of my people in the community staff."


    The boy nodded and walked inside. He said, "Lisa."


    The girl walked out timidly. When she saw Ryu Jinshi standing behind Yang Dao. She let out a sigh of relief, walked up, and bowed to Ryu Jinshi as she called out, "Second Master."


    Ryu Jinshi accepted the greeting with a nod. Yang Dao said, "Open up a guest room for Mister Ryu. He will be needing to clean up." with that said he walked into his study. Lisa nodded, led Ryu Jinshi to an unused room. This house had five bedrooms, one of them was used by Lisa at this moment, one was reserved for Feng Yuna and Yang Dao.


    She led the man to a room and told him that all the basic supplies are available inside. Ryu Jinshi was smelling like blood. Yang Dao was able to distinguish this smell, that is why he asked the former to come in and wash.


    While Ryu Jinshi was busy taking a shower, Yang Dao was immersed in his coding. The former came to Visit the latter in the study but when he watched how the young master was immersed in his work he returned to his room.


    None spoke till the evening when Lisa opened the door and found Feng Yun and Laohu Bai standing outside the house. Laohu Bai was holding a bag in her arms while Feng Yun came here right after the office. The first thing she asked after getting inside the house was, "Lisa, where is the young master?"


    Lisa replied, "In the study, working. He did go out with a gun but master Jinshi arrived in time."


    Laohu Bai asked, "You underestimate the young master a bit too much." she was not happy with Ryu Jinshi being late to cover for Young Master. He himself took over the job for his protection. Plus, her confidence was high in Yang Dao, that he would have been able to deal with the assailant.


    Feng Yun raised her hand and said, "Xiao Bai, Lisa does not know about Young Master''s capabilities. Lisa, you go prepare some tea for us."


    Lisa bowed and went inside the kitchen, the two ladies made themselves comfortable in the living room. After a few minutes, Ryu Jinshi came out of his room. He was looking a lot different than his own self. His shallow beard was clean shaved, messy hair was neatly combed and he wore a set of a white t-shirt and lower. This guy did not like the plain and light colors.


    Laohu Bai lashed out as soon as the person fell in her sight, "Why were you late?"


    Ryu Jinshi replied, "40 men infiltrated the community. Tracked them and killed them. So took time."


    Feng Yun said, "Since you knew where they were going, you could have just waited with the young master?" her voice was doubtful.


    Laohu Bai shook her head, as she said, "You have forgotten your basics, Sister Yun. The more you let them clog up the more pressure you endure. Too much risk."


    Suddenly the three heard a voice, "Since there is greater pressure then you can share the work."


    The speaker was Yang Dao, he just took a break from his work and came out of the study room. Lisa came out of the kitchen pushing the trolley. Feng Yun asked, "Young Master, how would have you taken out the assailant?"


    Yang Dao replied, "Guessing his stance three shots through the door. One at the face two at the torso. Also, he was a weak one, otherwise, he won''t have rung the doorbell. Idiot."


    Laohu Bai raised her eyebrows, she asked, "How would you execute it?"


    The boy replied, "Rig the door with a C4 tripwire. Rig the elevator to break off the cables and fall as soon as the key card is scanned. Plant a claymore explosive device in front of the door. Not the big ones but small ones and set them into a formation. Chain blasts create panic, as soon as the target moves to a window, Sniper shot." his calm tone and words did not match with what he said, at all.


    Ryu Jinshi was surprised that his eyebrow was raised. Yang Dao''s analysis was correct and on the point. He said, "Young Master, would you like to join an assassination firm?"


    Laohu Bai and Feng Yun were shocked when they heard Yang Dao''s analysis, but this time Ryu Jinshi almost made them face plant. Lisa felt as if she was dreaming. She pinched her thigh and she was shocked to find that the conversation at this moment was actually happening.


    Feng Yun shook her head and said, "This is not happening. I refuse."


    Laohu Bai said, "I will support whatever Young Master wants to do." her voice was calm. Ryu Jinshi was obviously in support of Yang Dao joining an association.


    Yang Dao replied, "What is the reason behind this proposal? I tell you that I only kill for my safety or the greater good. I do not kill innocents." he was curious about the reasons but not keen on joining.


    Ryu Jinshi said, "Only bad people put out the contracts, you can deem whether someone is innocent or kind in your eyes or not by the provided information. Rest assured the information is all provided by the association. They don''t temper with it and they follow rules. You can keep your identity anonymous as well."


    Yang Dao nodded and said, "That is only half the answer. I asked, Why do you want me to join?"


    Ryu Jinshi said, "This way you can gain a lot of battle experience. Also, when you live on the edge. Your strength grows faster. We all have done this in the past." his voice and gaze did not waver at all.


    Yang Dao hummed and then said, "I will think about it. Right Now, I am hungry. Let me call paradise hotel. We will try the roasted duck, tuna sashimi, and chocolate fudge brownie. As for appetizers, let me ask if they have that sweet and sour soup." he stood up and walked inside the study to place the order.


    Feng Yun said, "Lisa, you are smart enough to know what to hear and what to speak. Right?" her voice was low.


    Lisa nodded and said, "I know, Miss." the former nodded and asked, "How do you find it here?"


    The maid told her how she is unable to do any work. She also told her how she started learning things after the Young Master told her. Feng Yun smiled and supported her. Laohu Bai was the same. Only Ryu Jinshi sat down quietly. Yang Dao came out after placing the order, he said, "I will go to the gym for half an hour. You guys can stay here. Okay?"


    The three people nodded. Yang Dao went inside his room, changed into sports attire, and walked out. Bade farewell to the crowd and went inside the elevator using the key card. Suddenly he frowned and muttered, "Similar feeling."


    He did not waste time and quickly perceived the area around him.

 Chapter 118: Carole.

    Yang Dao stood in the elevator, with a somber expression on his face. He quickly took a step back. Suddenly the feeling vanished. The elevator reached the ground floor and Yang Dao got out. He calmly walked out. He took out his mobile and typed a message to Laohu Bai.


    The message was a combination of 1s and 0s. It was a code he learned in the Military training. This sort of code language was very all over the world but was taught to every cadet so that if they receive a distress signal so that they could provide aid if needed.


    After sending the message he walked around the building and his doubt was confirmed. Someone was following him. The reason he came down was to drive his car out and go to meet Kiya. She invited him out in the evening. He found that he will not be able to complete his commitment. He took out his phone and called her.


    The call was connected, a sweet voice sounded, "Hello, Dao, I am just getting ready. Did you reach already?"


    Yang Dao replied, "Wait, you take your time. Can we change the meeting place? How about you come to my place? We can have dinner here. I will cook for you."


    Kiya replied, "What happened? You changed it all of a sudden."


    Yang Dao said, "Due to that Drake issue, Sister Yun said not to go out for a few days. Seems like Mr. Langford is hating me." his tone was helpless.


    Kiya sighed and then said, "Okay, then we can postpone it. Going to your house is bad when I invited you for an outing."


    As he walked to a secluded place, the boy promised her that they will go out after the debate competition. Kiya accepted it and the call was disconnected. Suddenly, Yang Dao turned around and his hand was stretched out. His left hand held his gun and he squeezed the trigger.


    PUFF PUFF


    The gun was compensated, two bullets flew off and penetrated the chest and head of a man. The man stood there with his eyes wide open. After a few minutes, he fell to the ground, dead. This man held a knife in his hand. Thinking that Yang Dao was indulged in the phone call, he took a shot, but how would he have known that the boy was monitoring the whole situation with his air perception.


    The man held a weird weapon in his hand. He wore a community staff uniform. Yang Dao walked around the community and led this guy ahead. He killed the man to save himself. But he was irritated. What if this person would have acted when he was out with Kiya? What if anyone else was inflicted because of him.


    He waited for a few minutes. Ryu Jinshi appeared in front of him. Yang Dao gave him an indifferent look as he said, "Mister Ryu, stop holding yourself back. You can act freely, just don''t affect the innocent in this. Also, clean up the city, please. I will handle the rest."


    Then he turned and walked back home. Earlier in the text to Laohu Bai, he had called Ryu Jinshi to his side. He did not want to humiliate the man by stating the reason. He entered the house and said, "Sister Bai, can you arrange for two active special forces troops to guard the orphanage?"


    Laohu Bai was surprised but she replied, "Consider it done, Young Master."


    The boy glanced at Feng Yun and said, "Sister Yun, I guess you stop me from joining the Assassination Organization, is because you are afraid that something bad might happen?" his voice was calm and solid.


    The lady nodded, as she sighed. She knew that she was being a bit too protective of him. But what can she do? She had her protective instincts kick in as soon it was Yang Dao. The boy spoke again, "Give me 1.1 million crypto coins? I will return them to you."


    Feng Yun shook her head and said, "Everything, I have from my body and soul to my assets and money. They are all yours Young Master. You don''t have to ask me, but tell me."


    Yang Dao did not know how to reply and said, "Come with me." and pull Feng Yun by her hand to the study. He sat down in front of his PC and showed her how he invaded the closed net of the Crypto Nation. He logged into the assassination guild site on Jewel Nation closed net, searched that a contract was put against him.


    He did not hack in or something. Just simply placed a contract on Mr. Langford, the price difference was just ten thousand dollars. It may look like it was nothing much. But this amount was enough for the local killers to raise a storm for Mr. Langford.


    Yang Dao''s action made Feng Yun happy. The young master finally started to deal ack with people in kind. Just like how Dao would be. After a few minutes, someone accepted the task.


    The two people were sitting in front of the PC when they heard a piece of urgent news. Crypto nation asked for the world to help them with a hacker who invaded their CPB office, to be put on the wanted list. The boy smiled as he said, "In your dreams."


    He went out of the study, had dinner with Feng Yun and Laohu Bai. The girls left in the morning, leaving Laohu Bai handed him two silver-colored hard ballers. These guns were very light and were made of Carbonium. They were very sturdy and high-end weapons. Yang Dao accepted them and stored them in his vault.


    The next five days were occupied by teaching Lisa, Coding with Kylie Dew, debugging Icarus and Ray''s software. Also, preparing for the debate. On the fifth night of his off. He cooked a meal by himself and invited Kylie Dew, Icarus, Ray, and Kiya home. The occasion was the completion of the driving assistant Beta model and the Mobile OS assistant.


    At first, Lisa was shy but during these few days she opened up to Yang Dao. She also showed great potential while Yang Dao taught her. She was very good with her math and analytics. Six people ate a hearty dinner and parted. Kylie Dew was about to stay behind with Yang Dao have a good time with him, but her wishes were interrupted by Kiya who held his hand and pecked his cheek before fleeting away like a swallow out of the cage.


    Yang Dao did allow her to be friends but nothing more and they were not too close to comment on each other''s actions. She left after a sigh and a light hug. Yang Dao wiped off some non-existent sweat on his forehead as he closed the door. He did not expect Kiya to give him a peck and that it would act as a shield and ward off Kylie Dew.


    He helped Lisa to clean the place and then went off to bed. The next morning, he woke up early and after a wash, he glanced at his notes. He took a shower, dressed formally, according to the event today. Then picked up his essentials and walked out. He drove his car to the university. He was told by the principal to come to the college in the morning and then he will regroup with the team for the debate and then they will go to the venue.


    When he reached the principal''s office, he found a group of 5 people standing near the entrance. The principal was standing in front of them. Seemingly advising them about something. Yang Dao arrived and bowed to the principal. Aisslinn Jasper said, "Everyone, this is, Yang Dao. he will also be on your troupe. I hope you all co-operate well and have each other''s back."


    Then she turned to Yang Dao and said, "Mr. Feng, I will be expecting you in my office after the competition is done, to discuss your detention. You understand what I am talking about?"


    Yang Dao slightly bowed and replied, "Yes, madam principal."


    Aislinn Jasper nodded, turned on her heel, and went inside her office. The five people introduced themselves. They were all students from the third to the fourth year. Yang Dao was the youngest. One of them was the former high table young master along with Mikhail. He stepped forward and said, "Welcome to the Debate group, student Dao."


    Yang Dao shook his hand and the man told him his name, Shelby Cooper. The others also introduced themselves. The team had three boys and three girls including Yang Dao. They all headed to the parking where a commercial vehicle of the college was parked. The problem was that it could only take four people, the college assigned a driver for them.


    Yang Dao said, "It''s okay, I drove my car today, I can follow behind you all."


    Shelby Cooper said, "Well, let''s do this. one ride with student dao and the rest in the college vehicle?"


    The team nodded and a delicate-looking senior girl was selected after five rounds of stone paper scissors. The reason was to give everyone a fair chance. They knew Yang Dao''s identity and everyone preferred riding a good car.


    The girl introduced herself with a calm tone, "Hello, my name is Carole Tepes."

 Chapter 119: Prey & Hunter.

    As the boy gazed into Carole''s eyes, He felt as if she could see through his mind. He went in a daze but suddenly woke up. For a moment, he sensed as if Feng Yun patted his back gently.


    Carole who always had a dead gaze suddenly had sparkles in her eyes. It was as if she came alive. The two people shook hands gently. Yang Dao did not drag onto the topic and said, "Let''s go."


    The girl nodded and followed him with a curious gaze while the boy ahead was occupied by the thoughts of what just happened. He has never experienced anything like that. This was not fitting in with the line of his understanding. What made him baffled was the fact that he sensed Feng Yun patting his back, as if she was beside him.


    The two reached the car, Yang Dao took out the keys and opened the door. Carole was surprised to see such a beautiful and fluidic looking car. She got in the car after Yang Dao. The boy slowly drove out of the parking and parked behind the college vehicle. He leaned his head out of the window and said, "Senior Copper, we can go now."


    Shelby Copper stuck out his head and was shocked to see that Yang Dao''s car. He took a deep breath and with a nod, he got back inside. After a few seconds, the college vehicle started to move. Yang Dao followed it with a calm pace.


    He did not engage in talks with the girl inside his car. Due to the last incident, he raised his level of vigilance against this girl. Suddenly Carole asked, "Student Dao, are you a special Army recruit this year?"


    Yang Dao nodded in silence. Carole said, "I am the same. What division are you assigned to join?"


    The boy asked, "What about yours?" it could have been seen rude to answer a question with a question, but the girl did not mind. She revealed a tinge of surprise in her eyes. Then with a chuckle, she said, "Army intelligence."


    Yang Dao nodded and said, "Special Forces." during his training Laohu Bai had told him that the different departments use different powers among the people to the limits. Army intelligence was a division that trained people to be spies and investigators. These spies were masters in disguise and the investigators were able to tap into the target''s mind.


    The boy suddenly spoke, "So you are the investigator of Army Intelligence?"


    Carole nodded, she said, "I did not expect you to know this. Well, yes, I realized my skills to tap into a human mind a few years ago, and I apologize it is still not very well controlled. I apologize."


    Yang Dao did not reply, he did not believe her. Who was she kidding, she was recruited three years ago. The training would have helped her control it. He was not naive, kept quiet, and focused on driving the car. The venue for the debate competition was located in the central region. Yang Dao was wearing a Sea-Blue shirt paired with black pants and leather shoes, on his wrist a black leather strapped watch rested.


    Coincidently, Carole was also wearing a one-piece dress, the dress was Sea-Blue colored. The helm reached her knees. She wore a pair of black bellies, with a black wristwatch matching Yang Dao''s attire completely. The boy had noticed this fact but he did not say anything. Carole was a beautiful girl, even girls would compliment her for her looks. Yet Yang Dao did not say a word.


    This indifference of his, paired with the fact that she could not see through his mind, piqued her curiosity. She never expected to meet someone like him today when she left her dormitory room. She wanted to know more about Yang Dao. This curiosity made her take the initiative.


    "Student Dao, what major are you from?" she asked calmly.


    Yang Dao replied, "Computer Operations and Applied Physics." his tone was flat. He answered for the sake of courtesy.


    Carole spoke with a surprised expression, "Oh, double majors. Indeed, you topped the exams this year. I am also a Physics major. I am writing my final project thesis on Electromagnets."


    Yang Dao nodded and said, "I have done my semester project two weeks ago for Computer Operations. As for physics, I have not started yet."


    The girl asked, "Have any idea, what you will write for your physics project?"


    Yang Dao just nodded without revealing any hints. The mood turned silent. Carole asked, "Student Dao do you mind if I play some music on your car''s stereo?"


    "Yes, I mind." his words almost made Carole choke. She did not expect this guy to reject her. She did not give, now it was not curiosity but irritation. Does he not understand how to act like a gentleman?


    She asked maintaining the pretense, "Do you not like Music?"


    Yang Dao replied, "I like music but I do not have the mood to listen to anything right now."


    The girl was at a loss for words, but before she could come up with a counter. The car turned and came to a stop. She did not know when they reached the venue. Yang Dao said, "You can get down now. I need to park it."


    Carole got out of the car in a daze. Yang Dao parked the car and regrouped with the people in his team. The group then headed to the entrance. Suddenly Yang Dao stopped and turned his head to look in a certain direction. He spotted some acquaintance of his. He said, "Senior Copper. Is it alright if I greet someone before we enter?"


    Shelby Copper nodded and said, "Okay, we have half an hour before the competition starts. I will take care of the final reporting procedure. Just make sure you come to hall 1 five minutes before the start."


    Yang Dao nodded and said, "I will come sooner." with that said he turned and walked to the side where he saw two people. The group did not mind and walked ahead. Carole however kept her gaze locked to his back.


    She saw Yang Dao meeting with two beautiful women. Then she left with the group, questioning her charm in her mind.


    ...


    Yang Dao walked up to the two women and saluted them. These two women were none other than, Kaya and Lin. The two smiled at him while Kaya took the lead, "Captain Yang Dao, you are looking very crisp and sharp today."


    Yang Dao smiled and said, "Madam, you are very beautiful yourself. May I ask the two seniors, why did you come here?"


    Lin replied in a soft voice, "General Bai asked us to protect you in secret. So we just wanted to let you know that we are around you. For the time being until a counteraction is taken."


    Yang Dao nodded and said, "Thank you for your hard work. I have a question. Is there a way to avoid an Army Intelligence recruit''s skills?"


    Kaya raised her eyebrow, "Somebody from the intelligence division revealed the fact to you?"


    The boy nodded, the two ladies exchanged a glance and spoke, "What is her name?"


    Yang Dao replied, "Carole Tepes."


    Lin replied, "Avoid being in touch with her. The Tepes family is not a good peer. They all are either Army Intelligence or death dealers. Be careful around this girl."


    Yang Dao nodded. The three people exchanged small talk before the boy left to join his team. Kaya spoke as she watched the boy walk away. She said, "Lin, call the general. Seems like these few bats have come out of the caves."


    Lin nodded, took out her phone, and spoke after the call connected, "General, we have a situation."


    ...


    Sat in her office, Laohu Bai listened to what Lin said, and then she said, "I will let Stefan Tepes know. You guys take care of yourself." with that she disconnected the call. She leaned back in her chair and with a sigh, she picked up her phone and failed a number.


    The phone connected after a few rings, an old voice sounded from the other side, "Tepes Household."


    Laohu Bai spoke in a cold voice, "Call over Stefan Tepes, tell him, General Bai is calling." the other party replied with a, "Please hold."


    After a couple of minutes, a deep voice sounded, "General Bai, how come you are calling me?" his tone was respectful.


    Laohu Bai spoke, "Stefan Tepes, I have a few questions to ask you. Let us start with this one, Who-is-Carole-Tepes?" she said every word in a slow and chilling voice.


    The other side replied after a deep breath, "My daughter."


    Laohu Bai asked, "Why is she in Jewel Nation?"


    Stefan Tepes replied, "She wanted to study like normal people."


    Laohu Bai nodded, "Very well, I will not act against her this one time. I hope you call her and tell her that if she had any ideas about Feng Yang Dao, I will break her and your whole family''s fangs. Do-you-understand?"


    Stefan Tepes replied stiffly, "Yes, General Bai." Laohu Bai disconnected the call.


    ...


    Freedom nation, Tepes Mansion.


    A blonde man, with a pale face, held the phone dumbly in his hand. Beside him, a Dark Haired woman asked, "Stefan, why are you scared of this General Bai?"


    Stefan Tepes woke up from his daze and said, "She is a monster. Five years ago our blood guard cornered her in the desert. They vanished after an hour. Now you can imagine why am I scared."


    He was definitely scared to the depth of his soul, Laohu Bai made him, the king of vampires, feel scared. As if a prey afraid of a hunter.

 Chapter 120: Easy Win.

    Yang Dao regrouped with his group. Carole was missing at the moment, given the first impression she left on him. The boy was not curious about her whereabouts. He just mingled with Shelby Copper.


    With this interaction, he got to know that there were 10 themes in the competition. Every college was allowed to take up only 6 at most. This was to avoid the hegemony of a college in the competition and give the others hope to try harder at the same time.


    Yang Dao was asked by the principal to stand in the theme called humans together. The basic idea was to state his views on Humans being together, or should they focus on their own goals. Aislinn Jasper only told him the theme but gave him the freedom to pick what side does he want to support.


    As the six were talking Carole Tepes, returned to them. However, her pretty face was a bit sullen at this moment. She came to Shelby Copper and said, "Leader, I will be going ahead. All the best to you all." with that said, she left.


    Shelby Copper shook his head and said, "She is always like this. Don''t mind her, let''s go, everyone. All the best to you. Also, the losing ones will host a dinner party."


    Yang Dao and the rest nodded and after wishing good to everyone, he went over to the location of his debate competition. The people were to gather at hall one, then they were to disperse in ten different zones.


    These zones were sort of rooms. Jewel Nation had a lot of colleges, but in this competition, only the top ten colleges were to take part because the judges were all retired political dignitaries, servicemen, and tycoons. It was not a snobbish process, but the lower-ranked college students were all sort of sluggish in front of their appearances.


    Yang Dao walked inside the hall of his competition and found nine people already sitting inside. They all had a non-committal look, but the tension was visible in their eyes. The Dao child however just glanced at their name plaques slightly, then he walked up to his seat. The nine people were aware of his presence but they did not put him in their eyes. To them, he was just a kid.


    They all looked up when a host came forward. The person was a middle-aged man. Yang Dao seemed to have seen him somewhere. As he was speculating the person''s identity. The man spoke in his naturally deep voice, "Hello, everyone. I am your host for this theme, my name is Light Stevens. I am an author. Before we start let''s introduce yourselves. Starting from my right."


    The competitors were sat in a semi-circular arc design. As the host stood in front of them. He gestured the first candidate from hai right to stand up and introduce.


    A guy with glasses on his nose, said, "My name is Eric Eckhart, Pearl City University. Third-year student."


    Pearl City was a coastal city in the Jewel nation. The place was famous for its resorts and beautiful beaches. Also, flawless pearls were found there. The strong suit of this university was analytics.


    Another guy stood up and introduced himself. Soon, it was Yang Dao''s turn. He stood up and said, "Yang Dao, Jade City University, freshman."


    The host and judges were surprised, while the contestants sneered. They directly eliminated Yang Dao from their minds. The host was still an elder, calmed himself, and said, "Very Well, now let us start With the opening arguments."


    Surprisingly, seven of them supported humans to focus on their own goals. Yang Dao had no opinion on this. He just sat down listening to the nine people debating in full gusto. Just when there were only five minutes left in the debate duration. He stood up and suddenly he attracted the attention of the people.


    He took a deep breath and said, "If everyone in the world became to focus on their individuality, we will be more find the world partitioned in as many countries as the people in the world. Given your IQs, I don''t need to state the outcome of that. The best example of people being together is the armies, they stand united to protect your individuality. Their power and skills are better than yours, because you stand alone."


    The pearl city contestant spoke up, "At this moment, you stand alone."


    This was a very good counter. But would Yang Dao back down? He glanced around and saw others nod to the guy.


    He smiled and said, "Ironically you stand untied to defend your point. You all stand together. Also, if you look at me standing alone, then Senior Emily and Senior Mark also stand in favor of my argument, so we are not alone. But you seven, on the other hand, contradict your own point when you nod for the other person. You acknowledge that he is right. If you stand for individuality then you should have you different opinions, and no agreements."


    The rules of the debate were simple if you cannot count an argument within thirty seconds. You automatically forfeit. Yang Dao did not give them the time. He presented examples of how these seven people co-operating unconsciously.


    He only sat down when it was precisely thirty seconds were left in the clock. The seven were stunned because they did not know how to deny the facts Yang Dao stated. The host did not expect this boy to be so clever, he did not state the benefits of being united, but the disadvantages of human beings standing alone and rubbed it in the face of the competitors as well.


    The judges were impressed, one of them was a renowned psychologist and he spoke in a low voice, "Interestingly, he found the common chinks in the arguments, exploited them, and completely shut them down."


    A big businessman sat beside him said with a strange expression, "Professor Willis, if I am not wrong that is the method you use to counter-arguments right? Is this young man your apprentice?"


    The old doctor smiled and did not confirm anything. He now wanted to acknowledge the kid as his apprentice. Suddenly, a ministry official spoke in a low voice, "This kid is not easy. He is Feng Yang Dao. The phoenix is his elder sister."


    His words made everyone wake up. The old doctor spoke with some stutter, "Do you mean he is involved with Elder Atsuji?"


    The official nodded, he was the person who wrote the speech delivered by Ali, the foreign minister, during the last press address, where they targetted the Crypto nation so he had some inkling of the matter. As the judges were involved in the discussion the time of the debate came to an end.


    Light Stevens spoke up as soon as the counter hit zero, "Unable to present any counter-argument to Student Yang Dao is declared the winner. Anyone who has any opinions?"


    The defeated party wanted to say something but stopped when they saw Yang Dao had no change in his gaze. His face had not changed once. Also, if they did not even have the guts to acknowledge their defeat. This was a stage where they all were being watched by all the dignitaries and big names in the social circle.


    Silently, they acknowledged the defeat. Light Stevens spoke again, "Well, usually we would have waited for the judge''s scorecards but you all did not present a counter-argument for thirty seconds. This makes the situation an automatic forfeit, thus Yang Dao is the final winner. Now I would like to invite..."


    The host invited a chief judge, to present Yang Dao with a Blazer and certificate. The blazer was black in color and had a golden pattern embroidered on the patch pocket. The winner had no particular attachment to the prizes, his brain was occupied by how to complete his project faster and send out the Beta version.


    After the prize distribution ceremony, he mingled with the fellow competitors. After all, this was an opportunity for him to learn a bit from them. Also, he did not want to look arrogant and individualist right after he won a debate by speaking of the reverse. The students came back to the hall one almost the same time.


    Yang Dao bade farewell to the competitors and met his group. Surprisingly they all wore a blazer and held a certificate. Shelby Copper sighed and said, "Okay, again we go out without a party."


    The Dao Child was a foodie. He spoke up, "Umm, how about some street food? Would you guys like to eat some? It is lunchtime now and we will have to face a big traffic barricade on the road, as the others will also be leaving. So why not just eat some stall specialties?"


    His proposal was supported by the rest and they all left the hall and began to dwell around the Central Academic Hall. This was the place they held the competition at. Yang Dao was unaware that as he was dwelling around a lot of eyes were focused on him. Some friendly and some malicious

 Chapter 121: Hurt.

    Yang Dao was unaware of the gazes set on him as he walked around with his group and ate some street food. He did not need to worry actually. He was being protected by the Four Special Forces officers.


    Victor spoke in a low voice, "Is he being careless, knowing that we are here? Does that not increase our pressure?" his expression was wry.


    Lin replied, "Focus, him being careless allows us to spot the snakes in the shadows." her voice was cold and firm.


    Talen spoke up next, "I have spotted five till now." he meant the assailants after Yang Dao.


    Kaya did not report until twenty seconds later, "Three, taken down. All Mercenaries."


    The other three just shook their heads, they knew Kaya would always be the first person to act. They also got to work. However, the opponent was not a noob. Two Kilometer away, in a five-star hotel room. A man was looking at a laptop screen.


    On the screen, some red dots were flickering and moving. Suddenly, he picked up a phone, typed a message, sent it, and leaned back in his chair. The message content was some sort of code. He sent this code to multiple people. Soon, he received multiple messages.


    The man closed the laptop and said, "Seems like, I will have to hunt this kid by myself." he sighed. This man was the mercenary leader.


    ...


    Back at the Central Academic Hall, Lin was following Yang Dao at a distance. She noticed that some snakes left all of a sudden. He spoke in a mic on her collar, "The snakes are retreating. Do not chase. Kaya, if you went on your own, I will have the general deal with you by military law." her voice was low but the chill was very strong.


    Kaya was about to chase the people when she stopped and put forward her argument, "You know I can deal with it."


    Lin replied, "And you breaking away means the lag in protection. You better stay here. I will report to the general right now." her argument was sound. Who knows what the opponent might have in store for them. Elementalists were not exclusive to Jewel Nation. They were all at the second level. The opponents turned to be a level three-person. They won''t be a match for him.


    Kaya stopped after the three people voted for it. They all spread up to make sure that no one was left out in the surroundings. Kaya also decided to clean up the three dead bodies. Yang Dao ate the food with his friends.


    He suddenly glanced at his wristwatch. He saw the time and said, "Senior, I think we should leave. I have to report to the principal."


    Shelby Copper asked, "Why are you getting detained?"


    Yang Dao sighed and said, "I gave an exchange student a minor 4 chai-drop. He passed out in the 2nd."


    Carole was drinking a soda, which she spurted out. She looked at Yang Dao and asked, "You missed the other three who ended up with concussions and also the international storm for Crypto nation."


    Yang Dao had some guilty conscience, but he defended himself, "That was not my intent."


    The group walked back to the car parking. They agreed on Shelby Cooper to ride with Yang Dao on the way back. The boy sat inside the car and took it out of the parking. He opened a door for Shelby when he suddenly felt a strong sense of danger and ducked.


    A bullet pierced through the bulletproof window glass, passed out of the other side grazing Shelby''s leg. The victim fell to the ground. The rest of the people suddenly saw Shelby fall and were about to move over when Carole said, "Stay back. Someone is sniping them. I will get him back. You guys move back inside the Academic Hall."


    She was a special recruit and had been trained to handle situations like this. Just as she was about to move when she saw a burly man running from behind them. He said, "Move back." he threw a projectile below the car. Soon, a dense smoke cloud covered the car. Yang Dao was inside the car, he recognized Talen''s voice.


    Talen quickly dragged Injured Shelby away. Lin appeared and sat down in the passenger seat. She said, "Drive out of here. You are safe inside the car." she then pressed a button on the dash console. Suddenly a secondary glass layer came out from the window gap. It was as thin as a paper. The same thing happened in the windshield. But it was as in a liquid form.


    Yang Dao started the car and drove away. He did not have the time to marvel at the liquid nanoparticle protection system. The traffic was less, but he still did not know where to go. Sensing his trouble Lin said, "I will guide you."


    The boy nodded and drove according to her instructions. On the way, Yang Dao met some car chases but they did not even get close to Yang Dao''s Quinn. Ten minutes after the chase, the boy gazed at the rearview mirror. He spotted a black car following him. Lin spoke, "It''s the rest. Don''t worry."


    Yang Dao nodded and drove as per the instructions. Suddenly he applied brakes and made a U drift. Lin asked, "What happened?"


    The boy replied, "Caltrops on the road, the tires will burst." he stabilized the car. He accelerated when he saw a motorbike coming straight at them. His senses tingled, and he accelerated the car on the collision course.


    He bent the wind current into a downwind gust. His speed shot up to 300 kph in a few seconds. The man on the bike was the mercenary leader, he was also the one who shot the first bullet that hurt Shelby. Sensing that Yang Dao was not going to deviate from the collision course. He spoke, "Engage plan B, the prey is stubborn."


    He leaned slightly to the side to change course as the car rushed at him. How was he to know that Yang Dao had no intentions of letting him go?


    Sensing the assailant changing course, Yang Dao made the car turn suddenly and leveled it out as soon as it fell on a collision course once more. This was unexpected by the biker. He had no time to react when the vehicles. Collided.


    BAMMMM...


    The car rammed the front of the bike, made it flip over. The man collided with the windshield of the car. The impact was too strong that the glass protected by the nanoparticles almost gave in. The bike flew off and over the car. Yang Dao pulled the brakes and stopped the car. The man slid down the hood and fell to the ground with no movement.


    Yang Dao and Lin were panted inside the car. Lin was scared by Yang Dao''s move, but the boy was panting because of a different reason. At this moment a knife was stuck two inches away from his heart. Yes, when the men collided head-on with the windshield, he placed a palm against the glass, and a crossbow-like weapon shot from his sleeves.


    It must have been very powerful to have shot a knife and get through the nano-particle and ballistic glass. Yang Dao never felt such pain in his body. Lin glanced at him and was shocked. She did not see when this knife flew in. She gazed at Yang Dao''s chest, picked up her phone, and said, "Dao is hurt. You guys come over soon. We have a serious problem."


    As for the man on the ground? He was already dead. At this moment, Ryu Jinshi was disposing of the dead bodies of some local killers, when he vomited a mouthful of blood. The same happened to the other three. They all sensed that Yang Dao being hurt severely.


    Laohu Bai failed Kaya''s phone, as soon as the call connected she asked, "HOW IS THE YOUNG MASTER?" her voice was agitated and loud.


    Kaya was scared but she still replied quickly, "We met a mercenary attack. Young Master and Lin drove away in the car but later the someone came to attack but the young master, killed the guy, who knew that the assailant will carry out a last-minute suicide attack. At this moment we are moving him to the hospital. A Tungsten flying knife is lodged in his chest. Two inches away from the heart."


    Laohu Bai disconnected the call and ran out. She just sent a message to the other three, ''YOUNG MASTER IS HURT.''


    The other three people gave up their work and moved. They could sense Yang Dao''s situation. Using the spiritual bond they all flew to him.


    ...


    Yang Dao was conscious the whole time. He accessed his injury, got out of the car, and said to Victor, "Senior, check this man first."


    Lin said, "You stop acting like this, Talen take him to the hospital." her voice was filled with worry.


    Yang Dao said, "I will go, but someone check this man. His injury was not as simple as it may seem. Any sudden pressure can complicate the issue further. Suddenly the knife in his chest started to glow, Yang Dao grabbed the exposed blade and pulled it out with a scream, and threw it away.


    BOOM


    An explosion strong enough to make anyone minced meat sounded. Yang Dao had fallen to the ground with a cavity in his chest, that was leaking blood at a high speed. The four people did not dare delay, they did a basic medical procedure to stop the bleeding and took him to the hospital along with the half-dead mercenary leader.

 Chapter 122: Calm Cover.

    Talen had performed first aid acupressure on Yang Dao''s wound to stop the bleeding. Victor drove the car, with Lin holding the boy in her embrace. Kaya was taking care of the assailant, who died. It took them fifteen minutes to reach the military zone hospital.


    Talen had already called ahead so that a team stays ready to attend to the boy as soon as they arrive. Victor parked the car and two soldiers came forward. They opened the rear door and carefully carried the unconscious boy out. They placed him on the stretcher and pushed him inside the building.


    The doctor was an old man, his actions all displayed his experience. He acted as soon as the two soldiers pushed the stretcher inside the hospital building. He placed one of his hands on Yang Dao''s wrist as he walked along. His eyes lingered on the wound. He said, "Special Forces?"


    Victor and Lin were following them and nodded. The doctor saw their actions from the corner of his eyes and said, "The wound is not fatal, but the fatal thing is the burst blood vessels. How was he wounded like this?"


    Lin replied, "A vibranium flying knife shot from a sleeve held knife gun." her voice was solemn. She blamed herself for missing it.


    The doctor shook his head. "The projectile was obstructed?"


    Lin nodded as she replied, "Nanoparticle & ballistic glass barrier."


    The doctor raised his eyebrows in shock. Nanoparticles could stop almost anything but if the knife still got through, it means that the distance between the knife was fired at point-blank. The doctor said, "This child is fortunate. If that projectile was to hit him directly, his chest plate would have shattered. Endangering his life. Call his guardians, we need to operate to close the wound and put him under observation."


    With that said, the doctor walked inside the emergency room with the stretcher. Victor and Lin glanced at each other. They did not have any guts to call the general. Soon they heard a voice, "Where is the young master?"


    The chill carried in the voice made them shiver. Victor turned around and saw Laohu Bai standing behind him with a cold face and a blank gaze. He replied with a stutter, "Inside the operation room."


    Laohu Bai asked, "Who is operating?" her voice was as if she was talking to corpses.


    Lin replied, "Doctor Stephen."


    Laohu Bai nodded. She said, "You failed the mission, for the sake of you being my team, I give you a chance."


    Victor and Lin saluted and replied with a determined gaze. Laohu Bai said, "Torture that assailant to where he begs for death, extract everything from him. kill all the remaining mercs. I want to find out who is the predator. If you die accomplishing this, I will arrange for your families, and offer a flower on your graves. You are dismissed."


    Her words were heartless. She stood holding her hands behind her back, at this moment they were red with the blood pouring out of them. She gripped it so tight that the nails dug into the skin. Victor and Lin knew their fault. They underestimated the enemy. That is why Yang Dao was hurt. They did not say another word and left.


    Lin turned back to cast a glance at the emergency door, then with a firm resolve in her eyes, she left. She was indebted to Yang Dao for his help in her breakthrough the last time. She wanted to avenge him at all costs. Victor touched her shoulder and the two people left. They met with Kaya and Talen, who were dealing with the assailant.


    The two had just left when Atsuji Kurogame and Ryu Jinshi descended into a derelict alley a few meters away from the hospital. Feng Yun landed a few seconds later. They all walked toward the hospital without exchanging even a glance, let alone a greeting. They all had a calm expression.


    Feng Yun walked ahead. A strange heat was radiating from her. It was her innate anger. If not for her control, this place would have vaporized already. These four were the strongest Elementalists in this world. Laohu Bai saw the three of them arrived and explained the situation to them. Atsuji Kurogame said, "Yun, go complete the formalities."


    Feng Yun took a deep breath and nodded. She left to complete the formalities. Atsuji said, "Ryu, visit the mercenary headquarters. Erase the one who doesn''t know restraint. I cannot do anything big at this moment but I will make the Crypto government pay for not understanding the first time. They did wrong this time."


    His voice was cold and calm. The reason he could not make any big moves on the surface was because of the early sanctions and moves taken by the allied forces. Atsuji was forced to stay silent for a time. Otherwise, if he burned the bridges with the crypto nation. It will be bad and may lead to unnecessary war.


    War was a death hole. He did not want to see innocents die. Ryu Jinshi nodded and said, "I will leave after the young master wakes up."


    Laohu Bai said, "It is all because I arranged for my team to protect him. They were still weak, this should not have overlooked by me."


    At this moment Feng Yun came back, and she said, "Your team is fine. This mistake could have been done by anyone. Who would expect the mercs to send a ''Prototype'' among humans? You must have sent them away on a redemption task. That is enough. Also, eldest, calm down, Young Master will handle it by himself. Your actions speak for a country. That means you will influence a lot of innocent people if you did anything. That is not good."


    She turned towards Ryu Jinshi and said, "Kill every mercenary in Crypto nation. They all are arrogant and sinners. It is time they walk down the bridge of the afterlife. The king of the underworld awaits them."


    The three people nodded and fell silent. Thinking about the next actions they will take. After a few minutes, the operation room was flung open and an old doctor walked out wearing a green gown over his body. He gazed around and found neither Victor nor Lin. Before he could ask anything.


    Feng Yun stood up and asked, "How is my young master?"


    Stephen gazed at her for a moment and then asked, "Are you the guardian of that child?"


    Feng Yun nodded. The doctor replied, "He is out of danger now. The body is responding to the treatment as well. I would suggest that he is kept under observation for 72 hours. His blood vessels were damaged, and if not for the first aid, exercised on him. Things would have been trickier. So making sure that nothing else goes wrong, I recommend the observation unit."


    Feng Yun nodded and said, "I understand. We shall do as you say, doctor." her tone was kind and grateful. She bent down to him as a thank you. the rest also stood up and bowed to the doctor. Stephen was overwhelmed. Just when he was about to say something he heard Atsuji Kurogame speak, "Thank you for your hard work."


    Stephen nodded and left after passing some instructions. Ryu asked, "Is something wrong?"


    Atsuji Kurogame said, "You are to stay here 24*7 until the young master wakes up."


    Ryu Jinshi nodded. Soon the nursing staff pushed out a stretcher with Yang Dao on it. He looked as if he was sleeping, but a drip of saline was visibly lodged in his right arm. The four people were distressed and could only watch the staff pushing yang Dao to the private ward Feng Yun reserved for her.


    This was a military hospital and such wards were reserved for the highest rank officers. Yang Dao was allowed a room because of Laohu Bai. She was a general and the boy himself was a special recruit. This was a testament to his value, which was estimated very high by the nation.


    Yang Dao woke up four hours after the operation. As he opened his eyes, in front of him was a white ceiling. The fragrance of medicines was distinguishable. He turned his head sideways and saw Feng Yun sitting beside him on a couch. Her eyes were closed, meditating. He tried to raise his hand but felt a tingling sensation in his chest.


    His mouth was parched. Just when he was about to raise his hand again, a soft palm covered it. Feng Yun woke up from her meditation and said, "I am here, don''t move. The wound is still tender, it will ache. What do you want?"


    Yang Dao mouthed a word, and Feng Yun nodded. She walked to the side table and picked up a spoon, then held a glass of water in her hand and fed it to the boy with spoons. She did it so that the boy doesn''t have to move. After the hydration, Yang Dao said, "Can you inform the principal about the incident? Also the blazer, I wore was a prize, the certificate is inside the car. Yeah, sister Yun, they broke my car."


    With that last sentence, Yang Dao almost cried. While Feng Yun held her forehead in her palm. She had a smile on her lips but her eyes were flooded. She said, "It is repairable damage, young master. I will have it done before you go back home."


    The boy was trying to cover up the pain from her and the fear he experienced today. She on the other side was trying to cover the anxiety underneath her cover of calmness, as well.

 Chapter 123: Healing.

    Yang Dao fell silent after he heard Feng Yun''s words. The boy let out a breath and said, "Thank you, also, don''t cry. I am fine you see. That guy wanted to escape when I rushed at him. Given his determination. This suicide attack was just a desperate effort if he was successfully allowed to let go. I would have probably fallen into a more dire state."


    Feng Yun''s expression became somber when she heard his explanation. Yang Dao was on point in this reasoning. She said, "You don''t worry about this now, focus on your healing. Tell me if you need anything?"


    Yang Dao thought for a bit and said, "Can you call Icarus and senior Ray here? Along with Kiya? I have to finish the last few bits of the programming and put the BETA versions to test and experiment. We only have a month. Elder Atsuji took a great risk when they barred Crypto nation. Also, you co-operate with your subsidiaries in allied nations. Contact the governments there and talk to them. We sell the assistants on a lower price margin. This time they all stood along with us, so we better pay them back."


    Feng Yun nodded as she heard his instructions. She picked up a phone from the side table and placed it in front of Yang Dao''s face to unlock it. Then she swiped the screen a few times with her long delicate fingers and dialed Icarus''s cell phone. Yang Dao was not allowed to talk loudly as that will hurt his wound.


    The call connected and a voice spoke, "DAO, YOU BITCH, ARE YOU OKAY? TELL ME WHO DID IT? I WILL KILL HIM FOR YOU..." before he could utter any more profanities, Feng Yun said, "This is Feng Yun speaking."


    Icarus fell silent, Yang Dao was listening to all this as the call was put on speaker. The boy said, "This guy will always make me laugh. Oh, it will hurt." he smiled, and Feng Yun smiled as she watched him happy.


    She spoke in her cold voice, "I will arrange a pick up for you, call over Ray and Kiya at your place. Tell me the location and someone will pick you up. Bring your computer notebook and tech things along. You have 48 hours."


    The other side replied, "Yes, Madam." and Feng Yun disconnected the call. The girl said, "You take a rest, Laohu Bai will come here. I will go and deal with some pushing matters in the office. Don''t worry though I am just downstairs. Okay?" she caressed his forehead with a warm expression on her face.


    Yang Dao nodded as he closed his eyes, enjoying her warm touch. The door of the ward was pushed open, Laohu Bai entered the room. Feng Yun turned to see her and said, "Xiao Bai you stay here, I will come back in a few hours."


    The white-haired lady nodded, her face was unnatural. She came and stood beside the bed. Feng Yun spoke a few words to Yang Dao and left the ward. The boy glanced at her and said, "Why are you sullen? Is it because of the incident? This was not yours or their fault. They did their best to minimize the damages, you know. If not for them, I would have, in all likeliness died. So don''t be so hard on your self Baibai." his soft voice penetrated through her core.


    Laohu Bai had her eyes flooded. She said, "Young Master, they are better than this. There were times on the battlefield when only they made us get through it. Yet today, this was not what I expected from them." her voice was shaking.


    Yang Dao patted the bed with his hand gently. He said, "Sit here."


    Laohu Bai nodded and hesitantly sat down on the bed where he patted. The boy spoke in a low voice, "Why do you expect? Your expectations are a burden on them and yourself. They push themself so much so that they can catch up to you. In this process, you hinder their insight about themselves. Today they acted how you would have acted in all the situations, that is why you blame yourself, right?"


    Laohu Bai heard his words and nodded. His words were indeed true. She had trained her team to be like her. Yang Dao continued, "The situation today was different from the battlefield. We were in an urban zone, the enemy was in the shadows. Your team specializes in attack but not rescue and protection detail. You also realized that, and that is why you are so guilt-ridden. Let it go, the future will be better. They will grow from the failure and so will you."


    Suddenly his eyes shone with a golden light as his voice turned ethereal, "Those who stand up from a fall can carry on the way to the supreme dao. Never let your emotions hinder your sense of progress."


    Laohu Bai was stunned for a bit and then she knelt on the ground. She mumbled, "Loahu Bai understands." her voice was filled with reverence and awe.


    The golden light faded from the eyes. Yang Dao suddenly felt drained and closed his eyes as he fell asleep. Laohu Bai stood up from the ground and said, "Heal well Young Master." her phone rang, it was the other three on a conference call.


    She spoke even before they could, "Yes, he manifested Dao teaching just now. It was related to me. I am fine now. The young master fell asleep from the drain."


    Atsuji Kurogame said, "Not only you but all of us are also healed."


    The four people talked a bit and then the call disconnected. The blood they threw up was because they were all also injured when Yang Dao suffered the stab wound. To be precise, their wound was more like an injury on their Dao Core. The core was just like their source cores that resided inside Yang Dao.


    This core was a part of Yang Dao''s spirit inside them that was exchanged during the acceptance ritual. Just now when Yang Dao manifested the golden light in his eyes. He preached true Dao to Laohu Bai. That manifestation healed his spirit inside the four of them.


    This was something he did unconsciously. His sole intent at that moment was to console Laohu Bai. He did not know whether he had any such skills and neither will he remember any of them. Only when he learns about all four elements will he be able to control such skills of his.


    Laohu Bai gazed at the boy in front of him. Her eyes sparkled with resolve and determination not to let him suffer like this in the future. She sat down on the couch at the side with her eyes closed, meditating.


    ...


    Jade City University, the principal office.


    Feng Yun called Aislinn Jasper. The principal said, "Miss Feng, I understand that Yang Dao is injured. He has my best wishes, but Shelby Copper almost died too. So, as a principal of the university. I have to take responsible action in this event. Until you make sure that Yang Dao is not being targeted, I hope you do not send him over. This will be exposing my students to unnecessary risks. I hope you understand."


    Feng Yun spoke, "I understand your concern but do not worry, it will be clarified to you in a few days. Only then will I allow my brother to go back to classes." her voice was brimming with confidence. She was sure of it. Ryu Jinshi had left the country the moment Yang Dao woke up. He went to the crypto nation to kill the preparator. As for Laohu Bai''s team, they were clearing up the scum inside the city. Major offenders were shot down and the lowly ones were all to be thrown inside the prison.


    The principal asked about Yang Dao''s medical condition and disconnected the call after some good wishes. Then she called up all the teachers, whose classes the boy took, to inform them of his absence. She did not reveal the detail about him being injured at all. This was not known to everyone.


    The people in the college only knew that Yang Dao was attacked, Shelby Copper was admitted to a hospital by Carole Tepes. Later on, she went back to her dormitory. She wanted to find out about the boy''s condition, but her father had asked her not to do things the usual way. If she wanted to be a friend with him, she should do it by correcting her first impression.


    ...


    Drake Langford sat in the five-star hotel''s suite with his leg crossed over the other. He smirked after he put down the phone. The call was from his home, his father told him about how the mercenary leader died and injured Yang Dao gravely. He mumbled, "Now I want to see you defending that girl." his words had just dropped when the suite''s bell rung.

 Chapter 124: Irony Of Karma.

    Yang Dao laid asleep in the hospital bed. His consciousness was calm and undisturbed like a silent sea. He slept for twelve hours before he woke up. Slowly he opened his eyes and was about to raise his hand to rub them when he felt a slight tinge of pain coming from his chest. He needed to go to the washroom.


    A soft voice sounded from the side, "What is it, Dao?"


    Yang Dao turned his head slightly and saw Feng Yun sitting crossed leg on the couch. He said, "Good morning, can you help me to the washroom. I need to relieve myself."


    Feng Yun nodded and stood up from the couch. She slipped her jade feet into a pair of ''use and throw'' slippers before she walked up to the boy. She gently placed a hand behind his head and said, "Try not to move by yourself. Okay? Let your body lose until you sit up properly."


    Yang Dao hummed in response. Feng Yun then leaned over and placed her other hand behind his shoulder. At this moment, her glorious mounds of softness were hanging directly over Yang Dao''s face. If it was before the boy would have closed his eyes. But that unexpected kiss with Kylie Dew changed something inside him.


    As he gazed at the mountains of glory and pride, his body relaxed and Feng Yun had already lifted him. Before releasing her grip on the boy she took in a deep breath and sighed to calm her down. How can an entity as strong as her not sense an Intense gaze focus on her body? She suppressed the overwhelming blush on her face, released Yang Dao, and said, "You can move now, Dao."


    Yang Dao had also woke up from his trance when he sat up and almost choke on air when Feng Yun took a deep breath. While the beauty was relaxing, her deep breath inflated her mounds, only when he felt a gush of air on his head did he wake up. He replied to her normally with a nod and stood up from the bed.


    The boy walked up to a washroom in the corner of the room, he said, "Sister Yun, you might need to come over and undo the lock."


    For a second Feng Yun froze. She asked again, "Undo what, Young Master?"


    Yang Dao cast her a strange glance and said, "See this is why I tell you to sleep on time. The door is locked, can you open it for me? I cannot move my hands too much, you know?" he was covering up his embarrassment from earlier.


    Feng Yun nodded, she again took a deep breath and covered her embarrassment. Then gracefully she walked over to the door and pushed it open after turning the knob. Yang Dao walked in after a thank you. The door closed, both of them finally let go of the breathe they were holding and were instantly overcame by a blush.


    Feng Yun covered her face with her hands in shame. She never expected something like this to happen. She could sense that Yang Dao was covering it up with bravado so she did the same. Well, doesn''t make a difference, as they both can sense each other''s emotions. At this moment it was all over the place.


    Inside the washroom, Yang Dao pulled down his lower and sat down to empty his bowels. The thing that troubled him now was how to wash up. Soon, his gaze fell down on a panel on the side. He almost exclaimed in surprise. Then he let out a sigh of relief. He mumbled, "Thank god for remote faucet control system."


    ...


    After washing up Yang Dao walked out of the washroom. He boy was slightly tired. He saw Feng Yun was still sitting on the couch but this time in front of her was a laptop and a mobile phone. She was working.


    The boy felt guilty and said, "Sister Yun, how about you get me discharged and then we can go back home. You have been staying here. That must be effecting work right?"


    Feng Yun lifted her head and smiled at him. She said, "You wait for the doctor to check up on you. Then if he says that you are fine then we go home okay?"


    The doctor has asked to put the patient under observation for 72 hours but Yang Dao was already walking on his own. In his sleep last night, his body was healed by Laohu Bai with her earth source energy. This was one of her skills, Rejuvenation Touch. Also, Yang Dao held the source essence of all four heavenly spirits inside his body.


    His injury was serious, but his body had terrifying healing capability of its own, he was the Dao Child. The boy heard what Feng Yun said and with nod he went to lay down on the bed. He was still recovering after all.


    Soon a nurse came inside with two servings of breakfast. Yang Dao sighed when his gaze fell on the food. He said, "Sister, are you sure you want me to heal?"


    The nurse was surprised to see the seriously hurt patient talking to her. She asked, "Hello, how do you feel now?"


    Yang Dao said, "Slightly fatigued after the trip to washroom. But now that I have seen this boiled food, I wish I can faint back again." his lips were pouted and his eyes were squinted. Feng Yun had adjusted the bed to a slightly reclined position when he was gone to the washroom.


    The nurse was even more surprised, this patient who almost died yesterday was now able to walk to the washroom and perform the daily routine tasks? She snapped out of the daze when she heard a couch from the side. Feng Yun was standing up as the old doctor Stephen entered the ward. He nodded to the girl and asked Yang Dao as he walked closer, "How are you doing today... umm"


    The boy replied, "Feng Yang Dao, Doctor."


    Stephen nodded as he asked the nurse to help Yang Dao''s shirt. It was an attire provided by the hospital. The nurse only had to undo three buttons. Yang Dao''s body was very fit and sleek. The doctor gently removed the bandage and cleaned the wound with an Anti-bacterial liquid.


    He pressed the area around the wound with a cotton swab clamped in the tongs. He asked, "Do you feel any pain?"


    Yang Dao replied, "No."


    The Doctor smiled and said, "You are recovering very quickly, it is a good sign. Do you have any other sort of discomforts?"


    Yang Dao nodded and said, "The hand movement is not too convenient. When can I move them freely?"


    The doctor told him that it was because of the stitches on his wound, and that he will be able to move his hands within two days at the given pace of recovery. Then the doctor was about to leave when Yang Dao asked, "How long do I have to eat this mushy stuff for?" his tone was that of a wronged child.


    He has never ate something as bland as the food in hospital. It was a soup, with no salt and pepper. The boiled mashed vegetables and a gel-o. Yang Dao felt like puking at the sight of it. Stephen chuckled and said to the nurse, "Change his diet, he will be served a big bowl of beetroot and mixed fruit soup with a pinch of black pepper and salt, to make up for the blood he lost."


    Then the doctor walked out. Yang Dao smiled brightly and said to Feng Yun with a sigh, "Doctors are really nice people."


    Feng Yun chuckled and shook her head. She went outside the ward to ask Stephen about the discharge. While the nurse carried away two plates of untouched food to another ward and to bring two bowls of soup back.


    Yang Dao laid in the bed silently. Soon Feng Yun came back. She said, "Doctor stephen said that we can have you discharged after the resolve your stitches. Depending on your recovery speed he can do that tomorrow night."


    The boy nodded, he said, "Okay, also, can we not call Icarus and the others here? Like since I will go home then why not call them over there only? Saves us the trouble to set up the equipment here."


    The nurse came back at thismoment with two bowls of soup. Yang Dao was a kind boy so he asked her whether she ate or not? Before she left the boy wished her a good day. He felt guilty for the lady. She had to do extra work because of him after all.


    ...


    The two people drank soup and Drake Langford had a lavish meal served for himself on the table. Just as he and his friends were about to take a bite of the food Drake''s phone rang. He frowned but saw that the caller was his from Crypto nation, his own residence to be precise.


    He picked up the phone and said in a cherry tone, "Hello..."


    The other side however interrupted him in a anxious tone, "Drake, get back home right now. Your father is in a critical condition. Some one attacked him last night. Please come back son." the person was his mother.


    Drake was stunned. The fork in his right hand fell to the ground with a clinking sound. His friends also froze at this. They all had a bad premonition in their hearts. Think of the devil and the devil is here or at least the devil''s whisper is. They all received a call from their homes, telling them to comeback right away.


    To imagine that someone who was living in luxury can go through such pain while on the other hand, someone can still smile in a hospital. That is the irony of karma.

 Chapter 125: Luxury Testing.

    That very evening, Drake and all his friends flew back to their homeland. The rest of the students in the college were called over by the embassy and were given a choice whether they would like to stay in the Jewel Nation or go back to the Crypto nation. Surprisingly, all of them stayed. The reason was that they did not have any significance back at home as well.


    ...


    In the military zone hospital, Yang Dao was sleeping on the bed with comfort. On the couch beside him sat Laohu Bai. She was meditating, suddenly the door of the ward was pushed open and Lin peeked in. The white-haired girl opened her eyes and asked her in a low voice, "What is it?"


    Lin replied, "The task has been completed, General."


    Laohu Bai nodded and was about to send her away when Yang Dao, who still had his eyes closed, spoke up, "Senior Lin, you can call in the others. I am not asleep."


    The general nodded and Lin returned to call over the rest, she turned her head to Yang Dao and asked, "Young Master, since when have you been awake?"


    Yang Dao replied, "Almost a couple of hours, you were meditating. I didn''t think that disturbing you was a good thing. Also, I meditated as well. I can now move my hands slightly." he raised his arms a little.


    He said, "While meditating I focused on your source essence, it gave me a refreshing feeling. It was pure fluke that I tapped in on this secret."


    Laohu Bai smiled and said, "So, you finally figured it out?"


    The boy asked, "What do you mean?"


    "I mean, you can focus on one source essence at a time, as you grow stronger and learn more about elements you will be able to use two or more source essence together. In simpler terms, you can be seen as a processor. As you upgrade the more tasks you can handle at a time. By tasks I mean..." Laohu Bai''s words were completed by Yang Dao, who said, "Manipulating and integrating with the source essence."


    The girl nodded. Before they had the time to continue, the door was knocked. Laohu Bai said, "Come in."


    Victor entered the room with, Kaya, Talen, and Lin in tow. They all saluted Laohu Bai, who nodded back to them.


    Kaya took the lead, "General, we apologize for underestimating the situation. We were not good enough to be Yang Dao''s protection team." then she bowed.


    The rest also followed and gave a bow. Yang Dao glanced at Laohu Bai and said, "Baibai, do you want to go on a drive after I get well?" his voice may sound sweet but the threat was immense. Laohu Bai was planning to smash the four people with her hammer tongue but the Dao child tamed the white tiger to be a kitty.


    She sighed and said, "It''s fine. The fault is not yours. we all specialize in attacks and destruction of the target. Also, to take into account we usually dwell in the forests and not the concrete jungle. You guys did well enough to bring him to the hospital in time. Raise your heads."


    The four did as commanded. Yang Dao said, "Did you guys not take a bath since you went out? Then you even came here straight?"


    Victor smiled and said, "Yeah, we came here straight after dealing with the task."


    Yang Dao scrunched his nose and said, "Senior victor, I am not praising you. This is a hospital ward and I am a patient prone to infections. You guys came here covered with the scent of a massacre on you. Such unhygienic behavior. Go, go clean up. We can eat together later." listening to his words the people smiled and left the ward after saluting Laohu Bai.


    Later on, the four joined Yang Dao and Laohu Bai for the dinner. Feng Yun was busy taking care of some business affairs. The curtain of night fell over silently. Yang Dao slept comfortably on the bed with Laohu Bai beside him. Before falling asleep, he asked her to go to bed, but she just said that she can handle it. She was an Elemental God plus a general in the special forces. This much endurance was not even worth thinking about.


    ...


    The night passed swiftly like a swallow flying through the skies. The following morning Doctor Stephen came for a check-up and he dealt with the stitches and gave some instructions regarding the cleansing and bathing to Yang Dao. He also used a water-resistant/proof bandage to cover the wound. Feng Yun has come over to take the boy back to the Dao Courtyard Mansion.


    Yang Dao bade farewell to the nurses and the staff who had taken care of him these two days. Then the two people boarded a helicopter and flew away. Inside the helicopter, Yang Dao asked, "Sister Yun, what about Icarus and the rest?"


    Feng Yun replied to him, "I arranged for them to take the helicopter from Lakewood Residency. Lisa will be accompanying them. She was living alone there for two days. So I thought about calling her over for the time being as well."


    Yang Dao had no objections and nodded. Feng Yun then said, "Icarus asked me whether they can bring over Kylie Dew, as she is also a programmer involved. I agreed on my own initiative. Hope you don''t mind." her teasing was evident.


    The boy shook his head and said, "When did you pick up Baibai''s disease of teasing me?" his tone was helpless, making Feng Yun chuckle.


    Soon, the chopper landed on the helipad built in the mansion. Yang Dao got down with Feng Yun supporting him with her hands. The boy suddenly said, "Can you have a rocking chair placed in the pavilion? I would like to rest there. I need to let the air wash this medicinal smell off me. I don''t know how the medical staff tolerates this."


    Feng Yun smiled and nodded, she took him to the pavilion slowly while a maid and a steward arranged for a rocking chair with a thin mattress over it. Yang Dao bent the air like a gentle breeze as he sat down on it. He sighed, "This is life."


    Feng Yun shook his head at his antics. This boy was just afraid that if he went inside the house, Feng Yun will make his sleep to recover his energy. Soups were not enough to make him feel energized and also he just sat through an hour-long flight.


    She turned to a maid and said, "Prepare some chicken soup, some little fish recipes for the lunch also, remember we will have some guests over."


    The maid was about to leave when Yang Dao said, "Madam, wait. I have a menu." he gave her several names, while he kept looking at Feng Yun from the corner of his eyes.


    After the maid went away Yang Dao asked, "Sister Yun, what about my car?"


    The girl replied, "Under repair. Will come back when you recover." her words made Yang Dao feel at ease. He squinted his eyes and swayed lightly in the rocking chair. After a few minutes, he fell asleep unknowingly.


    Feng Yun received a message from the security that a chopper is inbound. She allowed it and stood up. Despite the status, she must treat the guest with courtesy. Turned to Yang Dao and said in a soft voice, "Dao, your friends have arrived, wake up."


    The boy woke up, glanced at her drowsily, and said, "Food is ready?"


    Feng Yun could not help but laugh at this. This foodie was thinking about food and not his friends. She helped him up and sorted his hair carefully and then took him to the helipad. Yang Dao held her hand gently. He asked, "Are they here?" in reply he got a nod from the other party.


    Soon, Icarus, Ray, Kiya, and Kylie stepped down the chopper with their eyes almost falling off their sockets. Lisa was the last one to get off the chopper. She saw Yang Dao and Feng Yun walking towards them and rushed over to meet them.


    Lisa came over and bowed twice to Yang Dao and Feng Yun. She asked in her soft voice, "Young Master, are you alright now?"


    Yang Dao nodded, as he replied, "I am fine now. I apologize for leaving you alone in the house."


    Lisa shook her head like a rattle at his apology. Yang Dao smiled and walked forward to meet the others. Kiya greeted first Feng Yun with a bow and then she came to Yang Dao and held his hand. She said, "Why are you not resting?"


    Yang Dao replied, "I have some work to do and then eat some food. Then I will go to bed. Don''t worry."


    Feng Yun was smiling at their behavior, which was as if a couple. While Kylie was totally burning on the inside. She did not dare to show it in front of Feng Yun but Kiya was now a love rival for her. After greeting them, Feng Yun took them all inside the mansion.


    Yang Dao, Ray, Icarus, Kylie, and Kiya came to the study and Icarus set up the equipment. He looked at the data and then said after half an hour, "This is still lacking but we did not have many resources if only we code have more cars equipped... Yeah, we can do this."


    He called over Feng Yun and said, "Can we use the cars in the garage for the experiment? Like you just take one out at a time and the rest are just lying down like empty shells. So we can equip them with the sensors and have them take a run in the city during the commuting hours. The data input will grow exponentially."


    Feng Yun nodded and said, "Why do you ask just use it."


    Yang Dao smiled, he did not use any extra resources just recycled what Feng Yun did not use. This was effective and simple.

 Chapter 126: Race?

    Yang Dao asked Ray to place the sensors on all the luxury cars inside the garage. It was around 50. Feng Yun was a motor idiot. Any car that fancied her, she would buy it. She arranged for drivers and instructed them to tour the city separately, lest it look like a roadshow and the people are troubled.


    In the evening, they all were sitting around the dining table. Yang Dao was still not capable of eating by himself, so Feng Yun spoon-fed him, like a little kid. Icarus almost laughed out aloud. The Dao Child said, "Senior Ray, you and Icarus should stay here for the rest of the week if you have no work at hand. I will need help with Data Calibration and debugging. Until I can move by myself. That is for two more days. I guess."


    Feng Yun did not comment. Her full focus was on feeding Yang Dao. Suddenly, a maid came in and bowed to Feng Yun. She said, "Madam, Elder has called."


    Elder in her mouth was Atsuji. Feng Yun said, "Tell him, I am helping Young Master with his meal."


    The maid nodded and went back. She came back holding the phone in her hand and said, "Madam, the elder said it is very urgent."


    Feng Yun''s feeding hand stopped. She took the phone. Everyone on the table shivered in her cold and fearful aura. She placed the phone against her ear and said, "Did you not understand what I said, Eldest?"


    Yang Dao heard a helpless voice clearly, "Crypto Nation banned Phoenix Group. Do you think it is not important? So many assets are about to be gobbled up by them. Think of something."


    Feng Yun replied, "I can handle my work, you better not be mindful and the next time, until the world is about to collapse, if you disturbed me at a time like this you will pay." she had forgotten her ladylike appearance. She was an angry phoenix who was disturbed while she was having a good time.


    The rest of the people were very embarrassed at this moment. Yang Dao sighed and said, "Don''t mind her, she overreacts when eating." he was just trying to cover it up. On the other side of the phone, Atsuji Kurogame was also helpless. Although he was the eldest, that was just in the order they incarnated on the land. The rest of the things between the four spirits were equal.


    After completing the call. Yang Dao asked Lisa to arrange a room for the two people. He asked Kiya to go back with Kylie Dew. He called over Kiya to stay and help him with the work but if he asked her to stay, Kylie will stay as well so to avoid the awkwardness he had to send her back.


    Feng Yun did not intervene throughout the process. After the dinner, she went back to the office to deal with the crypto nation ploy. She did not actually care about this. Because the treatment their company was given in that country was leaving them almost no profits. So she attacked the Crypto nation economy before getting out of there.


    ...


    In a blink, a whole week passed. Feng Yun shorted the stock in Crypto Nation, made quite a big profit, and then she issued a warning. She threatened every international partner or subsidiary. If they were to be in any collaboration with the Crypto nation after their ongoing ones are finished. Then she will have them on a silver platter.


    Feng Yun had a lot of weight in her words in the business world. One statement was enough to counter the over domineering Crypto nation. At this moment she stood behind Yang Dao who was typing like there is no tomorrow on his computer.


    The boy was completing the final steps of the Automobile Assistant. Lisa did not speak. Her voice was heard by only Yang Dao and Feng Yun only. Suddenly, the rhythmic clicks stopped. The boy picked up a mobile phone and said, "Drive it to the Grand prix circuit track. We will test it there."


    He turned to Feng Yun and said, "Why are you gazing at me like that?"


    Feng Yun sighed and said, "Just drive carefully. Okay?"


    The boy smiled and nodded. His car has been delivered back after repairs. Plus, staying at home for the past few days had made him restless. So tonight was going to be a rave for him. He was still a teenager, you know.


    The two people left the house, Yang Dao drove his repaired car, it felt better than new. He asked, "Did you replace the transmission box?"


    Feng Yun nodded. She was always amazed at how the boy could tell about changes just after a minor touch or shifting gears. He pointed this one out as soon as he put the car into gear. The original paint scheme on Quinn was a silver chrome style while this time it was glossy black with red ruby streaks. A beast through and through.


    Feng Yun did not take the chopper because she wanted to make sure that Yang Dao is not attacked again. She said, "Dao, you can be fast but make sure not to be reckless like last time."


    Yang Dao smiled brightly and stepped on the accelerator when they got out of the mansion. The car howled. Yes, the special sound produced by the car engine was like a wolf''s howl. As the car picks up speed, the sound will get sharper and higher. The black shadow moved through the sparse traffic on the road. It was almost midnight.


    They drove to the Grand prix Circuit and found Ray and Icarus standing together. They were chatting while they were leaned against a car. This car was a high-end sports car. They have been driving it for a week now and accumulating the data. Finally, the tests were complete and Yang Dao asked them to try a test drive.


    They saw a black car moving towards them. Yang Dao slowed down on the U curve today because Feng Yun would have nagged him for being reckless. So he parked the car next to the two people and got down. He asked, "Why are you guys standing here?"


    Ray said, "We thought it would be better to enter with you." he saw a lot of luxury but thanks to a good upbringing his mind was unaffected by the glam and bling.


    Yang Dao nodded and was about to walk back to the car when he heard a loud sound. It was a motorcade. He mumbled, "Streak S40, Torrent XT, Arrow Art. Seems like we have a good company today."


    Soon enough, three cars fell in their view. Feng Yun got out of the car. She wore black jeans, and a top paired with a crimson jacket and sleek matching racing shoes. Her outfit matched Yang Dao''s. She spotted the cars coming closer and said, "Dao, come, we are going in."


    Yang Dao nodded and got inside the car. Icarus and Ray followed and drove to the circuit entrance. The incoming three cars also lined up at the entrance behind them.


    Dillon stood waiting for someone at the building entrance. He soon saw five cars driving in. A black and red car stopped and Yang Dao got off. He smiled. "Secretary Dillon, working overtime today? Troubled, you."


    The man shook his head with a smile and said, "No worries, Young Master Feng." while the two of them were talking, the rest of the cars also opened. Feng Yun walked up and said, "Secretary Dillon, get our two cars to the pit stop 1." with that command she walked ahead. Yang Dao sent Icarus and Ray along with her. The two were not so scared of Feng Yun now, after spending a week with them.


    Dillon was about to talk to Yang Dao when three men, yes men, wearing racing suits came over. The one in the lead spoke, "Hello, secretary Dillon." he had a smile on his face and his expression was sincere.


    Dillon was surprised at first and then said, "Mr. Akira. You coming over at such a time?"


    Akira smiled and replied, "We came to see elder Viktor. He said that tonight we can meet a racing prodigy. his voice was calm.


    Dillon smiled and nodded. He said, "You can go in. But you won''t be able to run the track tonight. The whole circuit is booked by this gentleman. I introduce you to, Feng Yang Dao."


    Yang Dao has been watching the three men with stars in his eyes. He recognized them. Before Akira could speak, the boy spoke up, "Akira Hayate, three times Jewel Prix in a row. Enzo D''costa, two times Freedom Prix in a row. Migel Antonio, dark horse of this year''s Hawk country rally. I am Feng Yang Dao, nice to meet you."


    The racers were surprised when Yang Dao counted their most glorifying achievements. They shook hands with him and after a small talk Yang Dao suddenly said, "Can I race against you three?"


    Migel chuckled at his enthusiasm and said, "What is in it for us?"


    Yang Dao thought for a bit and said, "How about I give you my next product for free? Please believe me it will definitely be worth your effort and time." his voice was sincere and Akira nodded. So did the others. Dillon became the notary, but at this moment he was sweating from his back. He dared not expect how Feng Yun was to deal with them later.

 Chapter 127: Lisa1 Success.

    The three people found the child very enthusiastic. Akira Hayate said, "Well, how about we first look at the product?" He became curious about the product. After all, they found out that this guy was the younger brother of Feng Yun. So he might have a good product.


    Yang Dao nodded, and said, "We are about to test the product on the track. Please come along if you want to." His tone was polite, but not too humble.


    The three racers nodded, Yang Dao turned to Dillon and said, "Sir, those two cars are all to be moved to the track." Then he handed the car keys to the young secretary, who accepted them with a nod. Feng Yun had called over earlier to plan, and the staff was enthusiastic about it. Two drivers stood at a distance and all came forward and pushed the cars inside the circuit.


    Enzo D''costa glanced at the black and red car for a bit and said, "Why does this car look familiar to me? It''s just like Quinn."


    Yang Dao chuckled and said, "It is Quinn. I just had the paint changed. The black and red look better. What do you think?"


    Migel Antonio asked, "You own QUINN? Damn, you are lucky. Can I take it around for a lap?''


    Yang Dao said, "Only if you let me drive your Arrow."


    Migel said, "Deal." He was excited. The four people walked inside the edifice and soon came to the pit stop. The old Crew Chief was present there. Icarus and Ray were setting up some monitoring equipment.


    Feng Yun stood beside them silently. She saw Yang Dao come over and smiled faintly. The boy introduced the three professional racers to her. The three drivers became very cautious and serious while they said hello to the beauty in red.


    Yang Dao spotted two people pushing the silver sports car to the track. He said, "Icarus, are you ready?"


    The latter nodded and said, "I am ready but still you should do a last check yourself." Yang Dao nodded and walked up to the car. Ray and Icarus also followed. The three checked the equipment installed in the car. After ten minutes, the three nodded and came back to the pit stop.


    Yang Dao said, "Start the first test."


    Icarus nodded and pressed the enter key on the keyboard. On the track, the silver sports car started with a buzz. The surrounding people were shocked. Yang Dao sat in front of a laptop along with Ray and Icarus and said, "All the parameters are normal. Let''s start with the upper limit of 30 kph, first."


    The two nodded and pressed some keys. The car moved slowly. The staff was all shocked. Dillon couldn''t help but ask, "What is this? Remote driving?"


    Feng Yun shook her head and spat out two words, "Autonomous Driving." Her voice was calm and stable. She had the utmost confidence in Yang Dao and his abilities.


    The base code of the driving system was written by Icarus and Ray while the rest was completed by Yang Dao. He also integrated the assistant system in the car. The whole thing was 65% his own doing.


    Soon the vehicle on the track vanished from everyone''s eyes. Yang Dao said, "It looks good till now. Braking around the corner is fine."


    Ray followed. "The car is following a straight line. Routing system works fine."


    Icarus sighed. "We don''t know if it can avoid obstructions or traffic right now. That is the key feature, you know?"


    Yang Dao shook his head and said, "Since when did you become a worrywart? Let me test the second and third features." with that said, he stood up and walked out to his car parked on the track.


    The keys were already inside, and the vehicle was ready to drive. Yang Dao sat in and put on the seat belt. He ignited the vehicle and drove off like a bullet. Icarus mumbled, "Should I have ridden with him?"


    Feng Yun shook her head and said, "Your chief instructor, Laohu Bai, cried like a child when she accompanied him for a ride. Are you sure you can handle that?"


    Icarus exclaimed, "Damn, thank you for the warning, Big Sister." Well, Yang Dao told them to call her big sister, or he told Feng Yun to let them call her big sister. His wish was her command. So she followed along.


    ...


    On the track, Yang Dao quickly caught up to the silver car. He dialed a call to Icarus. The call connected and the other side said, "You caught up?"


    The boy replied, "Seems like rear detection works fine."


    "Yup. Start other tests." Ray''s voice sounded. Excitement was audible in his voice.


    Yang Dao flickered the headlights of his car and after five seconds the silver car in front switched on the right indicator light and drove to the left. It gave the boy a smooth pass. The boy said, "Sign and road traffic calculating algorithm seems fine."


    Ray''s voice came, "Increasing the upper limit of speed to 60 kph. Dao, try to drive in front of LISA1. Test the simultaneous braking algorithm."


    Yang Dao nodded and said, "Okay."


    He drove past the silver car named LISA1, based on the artificial driving system inside the car. The silver car was now driving steadily at 60 kph. The acceleration was deliberately slowed down. Yang Dao lined up in his car and slowed down slowly. The silver car followed the pace it slowed down.


    Icarus said, "The system is scanning for stop signs." he just finished speaking when the silver car flickered the lights at Yang Dao.


    The boy replied, "It works fine. Let''s do the last test. Increase the upper-speed limit and set the pit stop as an emergency spot."


    He heard some typing and Ray said, "Done."


    Yang Dao increased the car speed and the silver car followed. Soon, it was now driving at a speed of 80kph and a female voice sounded, "This is an emergency, please give way. The passenger needs medical help."


    As soon as Yang Dao gave it some space, the silver vehicle drove past with words, "Thank you for your cooperation."


    ...


    Three minutes later, Yang Dao drove over to the pit stop with the silver car. Icarus and Ray were cheering and hugging each other. They rushed over Yang Dao. Feng Yun also came over to congratulate along with the rest of the people. They have never seen a car drive autonomously, never expected something like this to happen tonight.


    Viktor Dragunov said after everyone calmed down a bit, "Feng Yang Dao, your name will resound through time."


    Yang Dao humbled himself and said, "You glorify me, senior." The three racers have been looking at the silver car. They came back to the crowd with strange looks on their faces.


    Akira Hayate asked, "Young Master Feng, I did not spot any changes in the interior. How did you make it work? I cannot wrap my head around it."


    Yang Dao smiled and said, "You will have to wait for the press conference. Also, how about it? Is a copy of this sort of vehicle good enough to make you drive."


    The three racers nodded. Suddenly, Migel Antonio spoke up. "How do you suppose us to defeat you in that beast of yours? This is unfair competition." his finger was pointing at Quinn.


    Viktor Dragunov said, "Yang Dao will drive my car, slayer sword. That car is on par with yours. Today you realize that it is up to the driver and not the car entirely." His words pumped up the three professionals. They were not present in the gathering a few days ago when Yang Dao made a pin curve at a high speed and they did not see him driving like a maniac on the track as well.


    To them, this kid was just another fan of racing. They all were before they became pros. Soon Yang Dao and the others sat down in the cars and gathered at the starting line. Feng Yun stood at the sidelines, and her face was somber.


    Dillon said, "Madam, are you worried that Young Master may lose?" His tone carried a lot of respect.


    Feng Yun shook her head and said, "I just don''t want him to break their spirits. I hope he can restrain his eagerness."


    Dillon was surprised, but recalling how Yang Dao drove Quinn around the circuit, he kept quiet, even somewhat agreeing with Feng Yun.


    Viktor Dragunov pressed the signal lights. The cars fired their engines.


    VROOMMM...


    The people heard loud revving sounds of the cars. The signaling lights turned green and the four cars shot off like bullets. Icarus said, "Senior Ray, what do you think about this race?"


    Ray was doubtful. He said, "I do not know. But if he is as good as he is at cycling, I will not be too surprised to see the other three suffer."


    Viktor Dragunov chuckled as he heard these two. He said, "You do not know. Your friend is a genius."

 Chapter 128: Full Throttle.

    Yang Dao sat down in the car he was provided by Viktor Dragunov. The boy felt the comfortable interior matched with the modern consoles. He sighed and mumbled, "Sure enough, Slayer is a good automobile company."


    He started the car and revved it along with the three professional drivers. His eyes were calm as they were fixed at the signal lights. Just as the lights turned green, the cars galloped. Yang Dao and the others were neck to neck. Soon a light curve appeared in front of them, Yang Dao was at the outer edge. If he slowed down, then the rest will take a lead.


    The others also had to slow down a bit, but the boy just did not slow down and made a small drift along the outer edge. His car was as if skidding along the edge of the track. Now he and Akira Hayate were in the lead, while Migel Antonio and Enzo D''costa fell behind because of their slight precautionary breaking.


    ...


    Icarus and Ray stood with their mouths wide open in the pit stop, as their eyes were fixed on the monitors displaying how Yang Dao just overtook two of the world''s finest race drivers. Viktor Dragunov said, "I knew my car could do a drift but I did not know it could look this easy." his tone was indifferent as if it was something normal.


    The two boys looked at him with an even more strange face. Feng Yun had a smile on her face. She knew something like this would happen.


    ...


    Yang Dao quickly maneuvered his vehicle in the front to block Enzo D''costa. The track got narrower after the curve. This forbade the others from overtaking the leaders with ease. Although they could still try and squeeze in the car and get ahead, it was easier said than done. At least not everyone could do that.


    Akira Hayate was tied with Yang Dao on the track. He tried many times to lose the boy with his skills but Yang Dao was following him as if he was his own shadow.


    ...


    Ray watched the scene and he glanced at Icarus. The two spoke in unison, "SKILL STEAL."


    Their voice was not low by any means. Viktor Dragunov asked, "What do you mean?"


    Ray replied to him, "He is a member of the university cycling team and is better than even the third-year captain. In his first-ever encounter with our team, he was on par with the captain, but then he slowed down, matched the captain in everything, his breathing and rhythm. The next thing we knew was he changed those skills to his own needs and won the race. So, after the second time. We named his technique, Skill Steal." his voice was filled with reverence.


    Icarus said, "I did not know that you would do this in the car as well. May, God bless Akira Hayate."


    The people compared Yang Dao''s cycling prowess with his other skills while the race continued at full throttle.


    ...


    The racers entered the twist and turns of the circuit. Akira Hayate was confident that he would get rid of Yang Dao on the sharp and tricky turns. He sprinted at the outer edge as Yang Dao stayed on the inside. But as soon as the sharp U-turn began and he slowed down a bit, in came Yang Dao with a semi drift blocking his line of driving.


    It was a complete block from then on, Yang Dao drove the turns as if he owned them. His car slid, rushed. Everything was perfect.


    ...


    Dillon said, "What is the best time Slayer Sword had on the track?" his sudden question attracted a lot of attention.


    A technician at the side picked up a logbook and searched for the entry. Viktor Dragunov said, "Nine minutes, thirty-five seconds. That too on downwind. The car has one big issue, the body is too long for the sharp turns in the later sections."


    He was an experienced racer and trainer. His observation was not doubted by anybody present inside. If he did not know about the timing of his own car, then what good was he?


    Dillon said, "Young Master Feng may bypass that flaw, Old Chief." his voice was confident and calm.


    ...


    The cars were roaring on the track. Yang Dao and Akira Hayate changed the lead position several times in just a few turns. Inside the car, while Akira had his forehead laced with sweat, Yang Dao was chilling. He had a rock and roll song playing on the stereo.


    Yeah, he was enjoying his race to the ultimate extent. If the other three knew this, they would be shocked, scared. At such a high speed, it was not advised to sway your head to the music. Soon the race entered the last stretch. Now they were going to run a course of three hairpins in a succession and then a straight sprint to the finish.


    It was mostly the person who led the hairpins who won the final sprint as well. Yang Dao drifted the car inside the hairpin turn. The vehicle was four-wheel drive, which also allowed better maneuverability, but the body was too long and lagged in the hairpin turns. Akira Hayate exploited this and took the lead.


    Not only him, even Enzo D''costa and Migel Antonio did the same. They were professionals, and also opportunists. Yang Dao had to break more than them because of his car''s body. It was shaped like a sword to thrust forward. So how could it turn quickly?


    ...


    Viktor Dragunov said, "Young Secretary, you were half-correct. This boy got the time down but the defect cannot be bypassed so easily. I feel bad for limiting his skills." he regretted giving him his own car despite knowing the limitations.


    Feng Yun replied before Dillon, "Nothing is final before the end, and if he lost. It will be good for him to learn how it feels to lose." she was sincere with her words. After all, Yang Dao was a teenager, although he does not have any bad traits in his nature. He might get too ahead of himself. So losing will not be a problem.


    ...


    Yang Dao was just milliseconds behind the other three. He stepped on the accelerator hard, quickly shifted the gears, and stopped just one gear before the top one. The car was very low and lean. It galloped with the streamlined body. It really was like a sword. In just a few seconds, Yang Dao caught up with the three of them.


    The track widened and now there was only half a kilometer before the finish. They were all top brand supercars. Engines roared, breaking the silent darkness of night. None of them wanted to give up even an inch. They all had the honor of a racer and a man. They were all involved in fair competition and pushed to do their best, so how can they hold back in the end?


    As soon as Yang Dao caught up to the rest, he shifted to the top gear. The car picked up speed, rushing to the finish line.


    ...


    The technicians in the pit stop rushed outside with the cameras and mobiles. They wanted to record this moment. Everyone else followed them. Viktor glanced at the cars rushing to the finish line and he suddenly said, "Huh, why is my car so high from the ground?"


    Dillon glanced at him and asked, "What do you mean?"


    Viktor did not reply, and just asked a technician to focus his camera on the chassis of the car. The technician did as he was told to. Soon, the drivers crossed the finish line. Under everyone''s applause, they slowly stopped to the side.


    Akira Hayate took the first, Yang Dao came in second and the last two were tied. They chatted and congratulated each other for the performance. Feng Yun just placed her arm around Yang Dao''s shoulder who chatted with Icarus and Ray about the launch of Lisa1 car assistant.


    Then they left the circuit to prepare for the event. Viktor Dragunov sent them off with the racers. As the two cars vanished in the distance, Akira Hayate said with a sigh, "This kid sure is a genius, I almost lost."


    Enzo D''costa and Migel Antonio nodded. Old Viktor, however, shook his head and said, "You did not win."


    Akira Hayate would have gone ballistic if this statement would have been made by someone else. But who was Viktor? So he asked politely, "Why do you say that old chief."


    Viktor gave him a stinky look and said, "That kid drove my car in the normal settings. Do you know my car has a racing mode where the chassis is even lower by a few millimeters? Not only that, even the transmission time is improved by milliseconds. Yet that kid just drove in the normal settings. He probably did was not familiar with this feature as it was released just a few days ago. It is a bloody software update for the car''s driving settings."


    His words shattered Akira''s and the other two''s hearts. They almost let out tears from their slightly wet eyes. They knew how millimeters and milliseconds can affect the outcome of the race.

 Chapter 129: Savior.

    The very next morning, Yang Dao called Mary and asked her to arrange a launch event. Lisa1 the car assistant system and Mobile OS, were both to be launched together. After reaching home he did not sleep and dived straight into the study to complete a presentation. Icarus and Ray wanted to help but they were sent to sleep.  Feng Yun knew that she will also be thrown out of the room so she left by herself after wishing Yang Dao a good night and asking him not to stay up too late.


    However, would the boy listen to her? She was not worried as she was not going to sleep but meditate and monitor Yang Dao like that. Two hours passed and Yang Dao finally completed a presentation. He glanced at the table clock and stretched his body. He searched the net and found the number of Phoenix Group.


    The company was known to have millions of employees because they worked round the clock. Three shifts, eight hours each. He failed the number and a crisp voice sounded as soon as the call connected, "Hello, thank you for calling The Phoenix Group, how can I help you?"


    Yang Dao spoke calmly, "Hello, This is Feng Yang Dao. Can you extend the call to the automobile division for me? I don''t have their extension code."


    The operator on the other side was surprised. She was not sure why the young master would call at the reception desk at such an hour. She said, "I apologize sir, but can you give me proof of your ID. This is a company protocol."


    Yang Dao cooperated and said, "Yes, do tell me what to do."


    The receptionist asked him to switch on the video call feature so that his face could be recognized. The boy agreed but after a few minutes he was unable to connect the lady on the other side spoke, "Sir, I apologize for the inconvenience, our network is down. We will contact you in a few minutes."


    Then the call was hung up. Yang Dao smelled something fishy. He stood up from the chair, picked up his keys and mobile. As soon as he walked outside he found Feng Yun walking outside. She said, "Our mainframe is under attack from hackers."


    Yang Dao nodded and said, "Let''s go, I will help you." his tone was confident, and regardless of anything Feng Yun had ultimate trust in him. She nodded and followed him. The two sat inside the car and rushed to the ruby towers.


    The streets were scarce of traffic except for some rich kids out for partying or some hardworking people finally going back home from their work. Yang Dao skillfully drove the car, passed the guard post, and parked the car in front of the building entrance. Feng Yun walked ahead of him.


    They were greeted by a few high officials. Feng Yun did not speak a word and kept walking. While Yang Dao behind her smiled at everyone. Soon, the group of people came to a room where only high-speed tapping sound was echoing at the moment. This was the server maintenance room. At least twenty people were battling on the computers at this moment.


    Yang Dao did not disturb anyone but sat down in front of an unoccupied system. It was labeled as a reserve workstation. He quickly logged in and started to tap on the buttons. An old man in the room noticed this and was about to reprimand him when he spotted Feng Yun standing behind that kid. He almost strangled him.


    Suddenly someone said, "The assailants are being attacked from the inside." this voice attracted everyone''s eyes to a big monitor on the wall in front of them.


    The old man who was about to go ballistic on Yang Dao asked in a loud voice, "Don''t relax, keep on defending." he was cautious about the third party who just joined the fray.


    The others were about to start crunching and engage with the third person as well when a cold voice spoke up, "No need." this voice sent chills down the spines of these people and they did not dare to act.


    Feng Yun would take a round around the company once a month. She would scold the hell out of the experts on the spot if she found any problems. So people were very scared of this cold voice. They did not dare to go against her command. But they heard a calm voice, "You guys can take a rest. I can handle these guys."


    They were shocked to see that the one who spoke was the boy who sat in front of a reserved PC. His hands were moving like phantoms. Feng Yun nodded and said, "Take a rest. Let the young master hold them down."


    The people finally knew that this guy was the young master of the company. The mythical unicorn, who was warm and kind, unlike a certain someone. They wanted to ask if it was okay when they all notice the attack slowed down and after a few minutes it was all silent. Yang Dao chuckled, "Sister Yun, look these people went off to counter fire with fire and left their house unguarded."


    Yang Dao used his crypto close network ID to attack the assailants. These people belonged to Big tycoons in Crypto nation. They were all attacking together. Yang Dao launched an attack on them which he called the tanking. He tried to invade all the systems and dropped a message, ''So weak."


    These two words were like slaps on the hacker''s faces, soon they were all hooked up by Yang Dao using the same method. Then he wrote a piece of code that made these hackers see others as the troller and made them infight. These people even did not notice Yang Dao sneaking into their systems leaving a back door.


    In the future, he can cloak himself as any one of them and cause havoc in their nation. Obviously, he would not harm the innocent but the bad guys won''t be spared. Soon he left them to fight and started to enforce the defense of the Phoenix group. At this moment the codes he was writing were all being showed on the big screen.


    Someone spoke up, "What is this code? Mr. Steven. Do you know?" his question was directed to the old man from earlier.


    The old man said, "I don''t know, but going by the effect I can see. It should be a looping Firewall?"


    Yang Dao spoke up, "As expected the elder is still sharp." his voice confirmed the code.


    Steven asked, "Young Master, we already had this in the past. What do you wish to do?" his tone was soft but not humble.


    Yang Dao replied, "Nothing much but just making the code grow by itself. As soon as it is invaded, the code copies itself. Generating new firewalls. But I used a bit of chemistry here. As the walls generate they merge and integrate. So the more you attack the stronger it gets. What do you think will happen in that case?"


    An employee reacted, "Shut out by the firewall? Also, our jobs are in danger?" his second question was spoken in a low voice but Yang Dao caught it and chuckled.


    The boy said, "Well, not exactly. This code will be needed to written and executed manually, in case of fully self-operated, the chinks become obvious so, just let you guys handle this."


    The employees started clapping in cheers. They did not expect this boy to be such a talent. Yang Dao completed the coding and stood up from the chair stretching himself. He said, "Okay you guys carry on. I will go now. See you later and thank you for the hard work."


    The employees stood up to send him off. Yang Dao came out of the server maintenance room and said, "Sister Yun, I need to see some engineers from the Automobile division. Would you like to come along or you have something else to deal with?"


    Feng Yun replied, "I am coming along." the boy nodded and the two came to the automobile division after Feng Yun made the officials go away.


    She took him right to the person in charge of the assembly lines. She was very well aware of why Yang Dao was here today. The two people walked inside a cabin with no door. Yeah, it had no door. A man was looking at some documents when he heard the sound of high heels. He raised his head and pressed the glasses resting on his nose slightly higher.


    He saw Feng Yun and stood up as he said, "President Feng, you should have called me. Why did you come over by yourself?"


    Feng Yun shook her head and after some small talk, she threw it all to Yang Dao. The boy caught the ball and described his purpose to the man. He showed him a video on his mobile phone. This video recorded the entire process of the changes they made in the silver sports car the other day.


    The man nodded in the end and said, "Don''t worry, sir. We can do this in a day. I will have 100 units ready by tomorrow night."


    Yang Dao smiled and shook his head and said, "I only need one for the time being that is by tomorrow morning, also I want it to be impeccable. No errors in the body are allowed. I mean none. This is about the face of the whole nation." his words were sincere.


    This was the truth, his product was the first of its kind in the world and he invited press from all over the world. He did not want any mishaps. Now all that is left was the morning press meet.

 Chapter 130: The Buzz.

    Yang Dao and Feng Yun left the Ruby Towers and headed home in a chilled mood. In the automobile division the director, Harrison Trevor, who just talked with Yang Dao, picked up the cordless phone from his table. He dialed a number on the phone; the call was answered quickly.


    Harrison said, "Trent, I am sending you a blueprint. Get me one model made by the morning. The modification must be checked ten times before it is clear. You watch over it. Failure means shame for the whole company. Also, get it road-tested, drive it from the plant to the office. Understood?" his tone was serious.


    The other side was a man in his thirties. He asked, "Boss, why are you so hyped? What happened suddenly? Also, where did this new model come from?" he was curious and surprised. Never has he seen Harrison reacting like this.


    Harrison replied, "This model is designed by Young Master Feng. He needs it exactly as he instructed. I noticed some extra space in the hood. You don''t meddle with that. He said he would make some changes later. Just get this thing done. Go now." with that said he disconnected the call.


    Feng Yun had the director of Jewel nations finest company, Torque Motors, shift their management wing in the Ruby Towers. Then she bought out a few more not-so-big car manufacturing plants, merged them all, and now Torque Motors can produce thrice their original capacity and they also make regular cars, instead of just sports and supercars.


    While Harrison was occupied by car manufacturing. The CPB crypto nation was busy handling chaos. They all were monitoring the raid of some high-level hackers on the Phoenix Group. The motive was to make this company crash and warn Feng Yun about how she shorted stocks. Just when they all felt the Biz Alliance of Crypto nation was about to succeed, an anomaly appeared.


    Somebody craftily made all the attacks bounce off their security and were relayed to the next person who attacked them. Crypto nation encouraged hackers and recruited the best in their Cyber Police department. The reason they were shocked was that this signal was scattered all over the closed net now.


    This person was like an ant in an ant colony. You try to find him. Impossible. So all they could do was to pacify the hackers and let them reset their techniques and stuff. They had suffered a second loss and all within a month. This shameful incident could not be covered up. They all came up with counter-strategies.


    ...


    Yang Dao reached home and unlike the two ants on a stove, Ray and Icarus, he went to bed and slept contently. Well, what can you do if the car is not ready before the press meets? It is not up to him anyway, so he went to bed directly. He was tired of all the running here and there in the past few hours. Today his sleep was even very comfortable.


    The night passed quickly, and the sun came up. Yang Dao woke up like usual. He freshened up and walked out of his room. Feng Yun sat on the dining table with a newspaper in her hands. She turned to look at Yang Dao walking over to the table. She said, "Dao, PCB updated the bounty on the rogue hacker, they also made it public."


    Yang Dao chuckled and said, "Oh, this is good news. But do they know who is this ''rogue hacker''?"


    Feng Yun shook her head with a smile on her face. She said, "Icarus and Ray are too nervous, talk to them."


    The boy nodded and sat down at the table. He ate a filling breakfast and went out in the garden where the two guys were walking to and fro. He said, "You are walking too much, look at the ground, the grass is all ruined."


    His words stopped the two people, and they asked him with a blank face, "How can you be so calm?"


    The boy replied, "Because, I am confident in my work. If you cannot even feel confident about your own work, then how can you assure the world that it is good?" his tone was calm and composed.


    The two people heard his words, and they felt embarrassed. What Yang Dao said was correct. Three of them started talking and gradually they calmed down. The boy led them back inside the house, where they had breakfast. Then they left the mansion, Yang Dao and Feng Yun rode Quinn while the other two drove the silver sports car.


    It was 10 o''clock when they reached the Ruby Towers. Harrison at this moment was standing at the door of the building, waiting anxiously. He was worried about the car quality, even though he said he can have hundreds made. This unit was more important than a bunch. He saw a black and red car driving over gracefully and his body went rigid.


    How can he not recognize a vehicle he looked over personally when it was build built? He took a step forward when Yang Dao stepped out of the car, followed by Feng Yun. The boy smiled at him and asked, "Mr. Trevor, why are you at the gates?"


    Harrison Trevor did not dare hide anything. He said, "Young Master, my chief engineer is driving over the unit you ordered. It will take him two minutes to get here." his voice got low and low and low. He was afraid if the Young Master blamed them for being late.


    Yang Dao asked, "That is fine, also, Mr. Trevor how many times did this unit go through the quality checks?" he asked curiously. He was just curious about this, nothing much. Harrison, however, felt like Yang Dao was testing him so he replied, "The car has been tested ten times, sir."


    Yang Dao nodded as he was about to ask more before he saw an ice blue-colored vehicle driving to them. This car was very serene to look at. Yang Dao nodded again and again. He gazed at Icarus and Ray as he said, "Let''s go, we have little time left."


    The conference was held at 11. They still had to attack the computer system in the vehicle. Feng Yun said, "Dao, you deal with this. I am going to work. I will attend the press meet later. Okay?"


    The boy nodded and walked up to the silver car to help Icarus and Ray. Harrison meanwhile took over the car keys from a man with black hair and dark-circled eyes. The man said, "Boss, it is done. Also, I don''t know what the Young Master wants to do, with this stuff."


    Harrison did not care about his grumpy mood and checked the vehicle inch by inch. It took him five minutes to do the important checks, and he turned to the grumpy man. He said, "Trent, if this car fails Young Master''s inspection then I will send you back to the shop." the shop was just a garage where they started Torque motors.


    Trent was shocked to see Harrison attaching this much importance to the car. He was about to reply when he heard an unfamiliar voice. "Director Harrison, can you open the hood and trunk for us?"


    Harrison turned around and saw Yang Dao dressed up in a blue jumpsuit, which was the worker''s uniform. He was scared, couldn''t help but ask, "Young Master, why are you dressed like this?"


    The boy however said, "We have little time can you do what I just asked you to?"


    Harrison kept his silence and opened the trunk and the hood for him. Ray took out four car lifting jacks and put the car over them. Meanwhile, Yang Dao was busy fixing the sensors and the mini-computers in the special sections he had designed inside the car. In the silver car, they had to take out some passive and unnecessary parts to fix the sensors and a mini-computer was placed inside the dashboard compartment.


    So he came up with some places for these things and edited the design overnight. Icarus was busy with the truck section and Ray was lying under the car, constantly arranging the wires to pass through. In thirty minutes they were done arranging the whole stuff. To be honest, last time they calculated it to be one hour, where they had to remove the stuff they did not need. This time it was all done within half an hour.


    They cut down the time by half. It was 10.55 in the clock. Yang Dao asked, "You guys done?"


    Icarus and Ray nodded. The boy said, "I will address the media. You guys do a final check and bring it over in ten minutes. Okay?"


    Ray said, "Okay, boss. Let''s make a buzz." he had a crooked smile on his face.


    Icarus was the same. They were confident in their product. It was going to be a hell of news for the world. With this, Yang Dao took off his jumpsuit and ran to the building of Dao Technologies.

 Chapter 131: Bomber Dao Strikes.

    Yang Dao rushed to the office of Dao Technologies. He had a suit and a pair of shoes for the event inside his car. He parked in front of the building, a guard came over to open the door. He bowed slightly and asked when Yang Dao was getting off, "Sir, do you need it to be parked in your personal parking space?"


    The boy nodded and handed over the keys, he said, "Thank you for the help." his politeness surprised the security guard but before he could react, Yang Dao had already moved inside the building. Shaking his head the guard carefully parked the car. Quinn was not yet updated with the driver assistant system so it was left for the people to do manually.


    Yang Dao rushed straight to the top floor. He came out of the elevator and spotted Yurika directing some staff members. He came up to her and said, "Rika, where can I change my clothes?"


    Yurika sighed and said, "Come with me. Also, do you know how long we have been waiting for you? Now there are only a few minutes before the press meet begins."


    Yang Dao did not reprimand her and said, "I will deduct your bonus." and stuck out his tongue.


    Yurika shook her head and led him to a vacant cabin. She said, "This is your cabin, use it as you like, and lock the door before you change..." before she can complete nagging, Yang Dao pushed her out and locked the door. He quickly changed his clothes.


    His cabin also included a washroom, so he conveniently groomed himself. Then with a glance in a mirror, he left the washroom. Today he had a navy blue suit with white pinstripes running in checks over the coat and pants. It was matched with a matching tie and a white shirt. He adjusted the pocket square, wore a brooch that Feng Yun gave him last time.


    He was about to go out when the door was knocked on. He came over and unlocked the door, in front of him stood Mary. She had an anxious expression on her face. She greeted Yang Dao with a wry smile and asked, "Young Master, can you tell me what is the second product?"


    Yang Dao smiled mysteriously and asked, "Why are you so anxious Madam Mary? Come, the press meet is about to start." he chuckled. His face and body language radiated his confidence and elegance.


    The two people came down the elevator to the reception area of the building where the press reporters were gathered. They all saw Yang Dao walking over and started to click pictures. The boy was not worried, "He even smiled and waved at them."


    The press was happy to see this young boss, pose and interact with them. They will be able to write more in their newspapers. Yet soon their excitement was strange below the high heels of a certain person called the Phoenix. Yes, Feng Yun also came over. Her arrival was as if she stomped over the throats of these people. Yang Dao smiled and the two chatted as they stood beside the podium.


    Mary greeted the press, "Hello, friends of the media. Thank you for honoring our invitation over here today for the launch of Dao Technologies'' next product. First, I would like to convey a heartfelt thank you to the consumers for their support for the translator we introduced earlier. Now please put your hands together as I call upon, the founder and the president of Dao Technologies, Mr. Feng Yang Dao."


    She gestured towards Yang Dao with a smile, who amidst the applause, climbed the two steps and came to the pedestal. He spoke with a smile on his face, "I thank you all for coming over here so early and on such short notice today. I would also like to thank the consumers through you all. Thank you. The second product the Dao industries would like to introduce to you is, LISA, a mobile operating system."


    His words sent a wave of shock to the people. This event was being live broadcasted on some channels as well as some internet forums and platforms. The people did not expect Yang Dao to take such a big leap all of a sudden. From additional software to the whole operating system. A barrage of chats erupted on the forums and internet platforms.


    The boy on the stage kept speaking, "Lisa is completely independently developed OS for your mobiles. We put a lot of attention on the privacy and security of the user. The system is not hackable. If anyone in the whole world, thinks they can crack the firewall of the system, then I invite you all to log in and register on the Dao Technologies Website. You sign a few agreements to ensure that the code will not be downloaded or copied by you, then you can come over to our office and try your level best to crack the code. If you are successful, I reward you with 10 million carat coins and close my company. If you fail, then I want nothing in return except for an acknowledgment letter signed by you."


    He sent dropped another bomb in the world of tech. The people who were working as professional coders were out of their minds when they heard this. While the business elites were stunned at this move. As long as the Dao industries survive this, they will be swimming in the ocean of money and fame.


    The comments on the net were something like this:


    "This boy is gutsy, I like him."


    "He is a biz master. Even more ferocious than his elder sister."


    "Yo upstairs, you could not have been more correct. He just drew out a double-edged sword, if he is successful, the rest of the tech companies will be out of this field, he also made it clear that his goal is the world. Even Feng Yun never said something like this."


    "Hey, why does he look like the guy who gave a harsh beating to those Crypto nation students?"


    "Yeah, now that you say so. Hahahahaha, awesome, he can use both his body and brain. He deserves a name for himself, like Cold Phoenix."


    "So what do we name him? Hey upstairs, you suggested this so put one out."


    "Yup, you lead us to support this boy."


    "Hmm, I agree."


    ...


    After a few comments, the guy who came up with the suggestion commented, "His name is Dao, and he excels at dropping bombs. How about Bomber Dao?"


    "Bomber Dao, I like it."


    "+1"


    "+2"


    ...


    Yang Dao was occupied on the stage, he was introducing the features of the operating system. Such as its compatibility with any computer system. Having a separate app store where the develops from all over the world can upload their apps and earn a share of the money. Yang Dao ended the description and said, "Now, the staff of the company will provide you all a box. This box contains a mobile equipped with Lisa. You can try using it and by the time you are done, I guarantee that you will be in love with it."


    As soon as his words dropped, some staff members came over. They were pushing trolleys, one pushed and one passed the boxes. The process was smooth and clean. Yang Dao said, "While using it, we encourage you to share the process with the public. You are all, tech experts gathered here. After this, we will hold a question and answer session."


    He then took a step back from the pedestal. He came down to Feng Yun who handed him a bottle of water. She asked, "What do you think the reaction will be?"


    Yang Dao shrugged his shoulders making the beauty shake her head. This boy was too carefree for her. The reporters were, however, almost dead. The phone screen lit up, the logo of the company appeared, then the Dao Technologies logo appeared. Then instead of the home screen, a three-dimensional girl came running from the center of the screen.


    She looked at the screen with her head tilted and made a knocking gesture, then a voice sounded as the girl avatar moved her lips, "Hello owner, I am Lisa. Your real-time mobile assistant. Please confirm whether you will call me Lisa or something else?"


    Although she spoke and people were surprised, they were not yet blown away, someone asked instinctively, "How do I do that?"


    The girl avatar squinted her eyes and stuck out her pink tongue. She said, "I forgot, you can just chat normally with me, and I will do my best to follow your instructions." now, they were shocked.


    This was something they did not expect. They eagerly started testing the OS chatting feature and they were shocked. Lisa was able to chat with them but it was limited to basic interface and task completion.


    One of the reporters raised his hand and said, "President Feng..." he threw the first question at Yang Dao. The whole media was like ants on a stove. Ready to launch a rapid-fire at Yang Dao.

 Chapter 132: High Caliber Round.

    A reporter in the crowd raised his hand with excitement. Yang Dao saw him and came back to the podium. He asked with a smile, "Hello, are you done checking the features?"


    The reporter spoke, "Yes, President Feng, I want to ask you, is this mobile assistant artificially intelligent technology?''


    Yang Dao shook his head and said, "I wish it was, unfortunately, for the time being, it is limited to the primary level." His words just fell when a lady raised her hand.


    Yang Dao nodded to her and the lady spoke. "Hello, President Feng, I am Rosa Gears from Tech Daily. Firstly, congratulations on the success of your products. I wish you all the best for LISA as well."


    Yang Dao nodded and said, "Thank you, please ask your question." he had a smile stuck on his face.


    Rosa asked, "What do you mean by LISA being a primary level artificial intelligence?"


    The boy replied, "This is my personal way of thinking, dividing an AI into three stages. The primary level is LISA mobile OS. The program has no capability of self-execution nor can it decide. The program will follow your commands. For instance, if you want it to show you the mailbox, your mailbox will be opened but you will have to manage the content by ourself. As for medium level, the program will help you manage your mails, as you command it to. For example, if you want to delete stuff then just tell the program to delete it and done."


    He took a pause, noticing that everyone was looking at him. He said, "The higher level of artificial intelligence will ask for your commands on its own initiative. You received an email, it will ask you how to respond to it. You are doing research work, it will help you manage your notes. Help you perform calculations, and so on. The applications and potential are limitless." His words were agreed upon by almost everyone present.


    Nothing is ever completed without an obstacle. Soon a person raised his hand. Yang Dao nodded to him and said, "Hello, I am Richard Cosmos. I report for Crypto Daily. I have three questions for Young President Feng, may I?"


    Yang Dao nodded, and the reporter started. "A few days ago, Young President Feng was embroiled in a brawl with a few other youngsters, the video went viral and the whole nation supported you, the government even imposed some policies to suppress the Crypto nation citizens here. Was that planned?" his words were a retaliating shower of bullets against Yang Dao''s icing bombardment. The atmosphere suddenly turned solemn.


    On the internet, comments paused, and then they restarted, "Shameless Cryptonian. Always thinking they are bigger and higher than the rest of the people in the world."


    "Agreed. Did they not see how that girl was being insulted and how their students acted like rabid dogs?"


    Suddenly the crypto nation people also started spitting profanities, "Humph, you people have no insight. Also, the things this guy is selling to you, we already have it."Hey why bother with these hilly billies. I want to watch how this kid will react to Mr. Cosmos?"


    They even placed bets on the answers. Yang Dao on the podium smiled and said, "You say that the fight was planned? How do you think I did that? Maybe paid him money? Did him some other favor? Right? Otherwise, how would a proud citizen of your Crypto Nation act like a rabid dog in heat?"


    The people on the internet froze again. They did not expect the boy to come back so strongly. Before they could react, however, Yang Dao spoke again, "As for the governmental policies, it is not only The Jewel Nation that has chosen them, even the allied nation got inspired by how your national policies and adapted them. Do you mean to say that you are trying to suppress the world by doing this? If I am correct even the nations Crypto nation claims to be an ally with are given the same treatment there as the rest right? "


    Someone on the internet commented, "This boy is awesome. I will definitely support his products. Hahaha, these are all high caliber ammunition he has."


    Soon a lot of such comments followed, "Yeah, he is a Bomber after all."


    "Supporting him means we join him. So what are we? Bombing Buddies?" someone gave a random name to the people supporting Yang Dao. The next moment everyone slammed it with upvotes.


    They even called out the crypto nation netizens, who were even placing bets just now. Yang Dao asked, "Also before you deny you are not arrogant, tell me why are you not wearing the armband? Does this not mean that you place yourself above the government of my country?"


    He made the reporter lose face to a great degree. This event was for his product launch and not propaganda, but if someone wanted to come and smear it with trash, then he had no qualms about teaching them a good lesson. When all was said and done, Richard Cosmos could only take out the red armband, wear it around his right arm and leave the venue, otherwise, he might get deported by the authorities.


    The people kept asking questions, and they were all answered as well. In the end, Yang Dao said, "Before we end this segment, I would say, any reporters except for the crypto nation can take these mobile phones back with them. You can test this thing to its limit, write a review so that we grow and improve our shortcomings. Also, I suggest you not hand it over to anyone for an in-depth inspection. That will render it useless."


    A lady stood up and said, "President Feng, did you adapt this policy from Crypto nation as well?" The boy nodded to her with a smile on his face.


    It may be called adaptation, but the message was simple and crude, ''We don''t give a fuck about Crypto nation.''


    Yang Dao said, "Now after a break of five minutes, the Dao Technologies will hold a launch for another product." his words made the media stunned.


    They all raised their hands asking what is the next product and blah blah blah. The boy, however, said, "Hahaha, calm down please, the next product will be shown to you in a few minutes. You will obviously know what it is. Please relax for the time being and refresh your moods."


    With that, the boy walked off the podium and came to Feng Yun. He asked in a low voice, "What do you think will be the impact of breaking up with that Crypto reporter?"


    Feng Yun smile and said, "Doesn''t matter, we are not selling in their market anyway, as for our market, we will know when you announce the release date. The product is good, just like hotcakes in a bakery. Don''t worry it will sell."


    Yang Dao nodded and after a rest of few minutes, he received a call. The caller was Icarus, he informed him that the car is now ready for the world. Mary walked up to the podium and said, "May I have your attention, please? Ladies and Gentlemen, for the second product launch, please step out of the building. I apologize for the inconvenience, but the product cannot be bought inside the building."


    The people became curious and after the impression cast over them by LISA mobile OS, they were curious about the second product. So, they all walked outside the edifice on Mary''s invitation. Outside they found an ice blue-colored car parked right in front of the entrance. They all knew this car, Torque Motors, Commuter. It was the best vehicle in its class last year.


    Yang Dao walked outside along with Feng Yun. he asked the reporters, "Do you all find something different in this car?"


    The reporters were confused. Suddenly Yang Dao said, "LISA WAKE UP." and the next moment the car''s headlights flashed and a sweet voice sounded, "Oh, hello master."


    The reporters were shocked, the netizens were shocked. They had not expected this at all. Yang Dao gauged their reactions and said, "This vehicle is like the mobile phone you own. It can drive itself, this vehicle is road tested by Icarus and Senior Ray. They both worked very hard on writing the algorithms, they will also be the ones to answer your questions. As to check out whether or not this is a genuine product. How about you all take a test drive inside?"


    The reporters did not share his enthusiasm. Yang Dao did not understand why nobody wanted to ride. Suddenly Feng Yun came forward. "How about an interview with me over the recent changes and waves? The venue is this car. You can choose for yourself." with those words she walked up to the car and sat down inside.


    One reporter did not dare to delay and grasped the opportunity. His teammate also followed and sat down in the front passenger seat. A few seconds later, the car moved. All the people shifted the camera to the front seat where they all witnessed the steering wheel slowly turn and the car moved out onto the road. They could only regret not being able to grasp the chance.


    Now the first experience in the driverless car was hoarded by one channel. You can imagine the amount of attention they will get after this. The reporters who were left behind cast their gaze at Yang Dao, but the boy just smiled at them with not a single word. He just left the Q&A section for Icarus and Ray to handle.

 Chapter 133: Wind Of Dao.

    As the reporters were busy questioning Icarus and Ray about themselves and the automated vehicle system. Yang Dao was talking to Mary. He asked, "Madam, is the Dao Technologies, website ready to go active?"


    This task of website design was overtaken by Mary herself. The boy was not aware of the rules and policies a commercial website has to follow. Also, he has been working over the mobile OS and the vehicle assistant. So, Mary also wanted to lower down his workload slightly. Lest Feng Yun found out that her brother was working too much and sent her out to the polar regions again.


    Mary nodded as she heard the question and said, "The beta version of the website used last time for letting the people download the translator app will now be updated on a complete website. This way the people will down the OS system directly from there as well as they will read about the vehicle too."


    It seemed as if Mary wanted to say something more, but she hesitated. Yang Dao asked, "What is it?"


    The lady sighed and asked, "Do you really not want to let us publicize on Lisa''s account?"


    Yang Dao''s expression immediately became stern. He said, "What do you want to do exactly? Tell the world that Lisa is mute? Then if one day she started speaking, would it not be a slap to us? Or do you want Lisa to dress up and walk in front of these people like a model? I have mentioned it once, and this is the last time you will hear it from me. Lisa is not to be pushed in front of people if she doesn''t want to. Understood?"


    His aura was that of a domineering president and Mary instinctively flinched and nodded. Yurika at the side could not help but feel shocked at Yang Dao''s behavior. She was about to scold him when the boy looked over at her. He said, "When you are in the office you do not get the special treatment. Go, get back to your work."


    Yurika flinched and left after she stuck out her tongue at him. Icarus and Ray came over at this moment. The latter said, "Dao, we are done with the questions and answers. Now only let the vehicle come back and then give them all a lap around the block.''


    The boy raised his eyebrows at them. This was not planned. Icarus interjected, "They are anxious and said, ''We can not do a good report if we don''t experience ourselves.'' I think it is fine, I and senior Ray can take turns and have it done. What do you think?"


    Yang Dao sighed and nodded. Soon the three finished their discussion. At this moment, the blue car came back. Feng Yun opened the door and walked over to him, while the reporter crew got off with amazing reactions on their faces. The two who got the first ride directly took off the leave and did not stay for the lunch offered by Yang Dao. They wanted to get this report done and the video recording to be shown in the prime time news.


    It was not daily that you get to ride in a driverless vehicle. The biggest fears they had in their mind and hearts were all resolved. This was a treasure they have discovered. How can they miss time to flex it in front of the world?


    Yang Dao did not mind this as well. The sooner things get done, the better. Icarus and Ray took turns taking the teams for the lap around the block. The reporters who were waiting took this opportunity to ask Yang Dao more questions. The boy happily answered them. Yet he did not reveal any sensitive information.


    In an hour, every team of reporters had taken a lap in the car. They were all eager to leave when Yang Dao said, "Before you all leave, I have a favor to ask you all."


    ...


    In the evening, when the prime time news was broadcasted, many people were watching the telecasts. Yang Dao and Feng Yun sat in front of the television. Icarus, Ray, Mary, and Yurika all were invited over for the evening as well.


    Mary has been to the Dao Courtyard Mansion in the past. Yurika, however, was stunned. When has she ever been to such a luxurious and refreshing place? NEVER. If not for Yang Dao holding her hand tightly, she would have run around yelling like a kid.


    She still asked him in a whisper when she entered, "Say, you have so many rooms, can you not rent me one?"


    Yang Dao was left between tears and chuckles. Right now, everyone was focused on the reports of the products on the news channels. Soon the presenter said, "Now about the technological field. Dao Technologies, a young company headed by an equally young president, Feng Yang Dao, today came out with two new products. One of them is a mobile assistant, while the other is a driverless car..."


    The report continued and before completing the report, the official website was announced. The report finished and the people all had tea or compressed juices celebration, suddenly after ten minutes, Mary received a phone call. Her smiling face dampened after the call. Feng Yun asked, "What is it?"


    Mary sighed as she replied, "Young Master''s challenge for cracking the System security was accepted by over ten thousand programmers in ten minutes. I don''t know if it is a piece of good news or bad."


    Feng Yun and the rest cast a gaze at Yang Dao, who was busy drooling over the snacks. Suddenly the boy felt a lot of gazes pointed at him and he flinched, "What?"


    Yurika snapped, "You big foodie, I can kidnap you with a bunch of chicken dumplings as bait. Now your challenge of cracking the system has been accepted. What do you want to say? We have ten thousand applicants. More counting."


    Yang Dao smiled and said, "It is a good thing. I already had some cards up my sleeve. Hehe, Madam Mary, you can start the registration and let the challengers sign the contracts, they can start fighting tomorrow morning. Don''t worry at all." his tone was confident.


    Mary cast a glance at Feng Yun, who nodded without a change on her face. How will she question Yang Dao? So, this thing was settled, Mary left with Yurika, while Icarus and Ray also left the mansion. Their leave from the college has ended. Also, they will submit the algorithms they designed back as their projects.


    As everyone left, Yang Dao sighed and went back to his room with an excuse to rest. Feng Yun gazed at his back. She knew he was feeling low about not being able to go to college. She picked her phone and went inside her room. She failed Ryu Jinshi''s number first. The call connected, and a cold voice sounded. "Xiao Yun, is it urgent?"


    Feng Yun asked, "When can Young master go back to college?" her tone was enough to tell Ryu Jinshi all he needed to know.


    He said, "It should not be a problem now. Ask Xiao Bai to can Tiberius. He will make the arrangements. Young Master is a talent he recruited, is it not his face being slapped. He will make the arrangements for his security. Okay?"


    Feng Yun nodded and disconnected the call. She called Laohu Bai, but it was out of reach. She opened a drawer on the side table next to her bed. Inside the drawer was a satellite phone. She did not hesitate and called the only contact saved inside.


    ...


    In a silent warehouse, unknown location. Laohu Bai was shaking her head. She said, "Lin, wrap up, we go home..." her words were interrupted by a sudden call she received on her satellite phone. She picked up and asked, "Sister Yun, missing me?"


    The other side said something, and she replied, "Yeah, don''t worry. I will have this done tomorrow. he can go back to college the day after. Also, give him my congratulation. I watched the event a few minutes ago. he looked dapper in the suit." she started gossiping not affected by the dead bodies, blood and scattered limbs around her.


    She was out of the country on a task. The call disconnected, and Feng Yun stood up. She walked out of her room and went straight to the kitchen. She wanted to appease Yang dao with some good food tonight. After an hour of effort, she cooked by herself, scaring the maids. She even pushed the trolley to Yang Dao''s room. Just as she was about to knock, her hand froze.


    A strong aura was radiating from behind the door. Feng Yun glanced down at her feet. She sensed a strong air current just now. A smile appeared on her face. She mumbled, "The wind of resolve. Good."


    ...


    Inside the room, Yang dao was sitting cross-legged and his body was glowing with a light blue glow. The boy had assimilated the source energy of the wind element inside his body after swearing that he will not use his powers for harm. He has stepped into the first stage of an Elemental Contractor.


    Now he can bend the element, not only like currents or streams but into shapes. Such as spheres, cyclones, swords, and knives. He was now a beginner Elemental Contractor. Unknowingly, a smile surfaced on his face when he advanced.

 Chapter 134: Elemental Contractor.

    After his friends left, Yang Dao was depressed. Unable to go to class affected his mood a lot. The presence of his friends Icarus and Ray in the past few days kept this heavy feeling of being left out at the bay. Tonight, however, watching them all leave the Dao Courtyard mansion. He did not want Feng Yun to be worried over him. So he made an excuse about going back to rest.


    He went inside his room and closed the door. He did not sit down on the bed, but crossed his legs and sat down on the floor. His mind was flooded with a lot of useless thoughts. Controlling his emotions and thoughts, he focused his consciousness over the reason he was denied to attend college.


    The answer came to him. Others were implicated because of him. Why were they implicated? Because he was weak and let down his guard. He let himself flow with the moment and immersed himself in the joy and spur of it. As he ponder3ed over these questions, unconsciously he entered the state of meditation.


    The solution to this problem was for him to get stronger. How to get stronger? Advance to the next level. The wind inside the room moved gently around him. Yang Dao locked his perception to the wind in his lungs. His perception magnified the wind element. Soon, he could ''see'' the glowing particles of source energy.


    He did not hurry to assimilate them inside him. He concentrated on the wind outside and increased his perception. Soon, within a kilometer, all the wind followed his command. The boy increased his focus and soon the wind transformed into shiny particles. The particles all looked like glitter scattered in the air. A cerulean glint was clear in them.


    The boy focused on the particles both inside and outside. The particles moved slightly, but they did not assimilate with his physique. He recalled he needed to make a vow before he could complete this step. He thought in his mind, ''I swear to never use my powers to harm the innocent, nature, and the weak.''


    It may seem that the oath was going to limit him, but actually not. Yang Dao would harm no innocent and nature. As for someone weaker than taking him on. He did not need his powers, his skills were good enough. The boy interacted with the source energy particles. He had already noticed Feng Yun standing outside the door, with food.


    Yang Dao reined in his drool and desire. He focused on the source particles, the particles looked like glitter. They moved towards him with every breath he took, the glitter mixed with his blood and then flowed throughout his whole body. The blood vessels carried them to every single cell of his body, nourishing it.


    ...


    Outside the door, Feng Yun nodded with a smile and walked away with the trolley. The process of nourishment was going to last for a long time. She did not want to disturb his concentration. Also, as the Dao Child became stronger, the familiars will regain some of their sealed powers. She quickly entered her room, after closing the door, she sat down on the ground.


    ...


    Yang Dao was unaware of all this. He seemed to have cut off from the entire world. The properties of wind uncovered to him as he dwelled on it more. The wind was not only sharp but also blunt. If wind can strengthen fire, then it can also extinguish it. all that matters is the flow and intensity of it.


    (Well before you all go gaga over how the wind can extinguish the fire. Ever heard of creating a vacuum by the change in pressure? The same is what I mentioned here. SMH)


    Two things were happening here at one moment. One was the source of energy particles nurturing Yang Dao''s body, the second was his mind comprehending the meaning of an element. To become truly stronger, one needed to comprehend the Source meaning of an element.


    The boy was unaware that an azure-colored dragon tattoo was shining between his eyes.


    ...


    In Crypto nation, Ryu Jinshi was surrounded by a lot of enemies, and bullets were flying around like confetti. His breathing was heavy, he mumbled while he hid behind some cover, "To think these bastards want to outsmart me? Shameful."


    Suddenly, he sensed something deep inside his soul. A grin surfaced on his face. He muttered, "Finally." The next moment he stood up and said in a low voice, "Rage Strom."


    His eyes glowed for a second and the wind currently changed, out of nowhere a storm, strong enough to uproot buildings, raged. The strange thing was that this strong circled Ryu Jinshi. At first, he would have killed these people with a weapon or something, but this storm made it easier.


    The whole thing lasted for a minute and then fell silent. The people who surrounded Ryu Jinshi all fell. If someone came to investigate, they will find that the bodies were covered with slash marks all over their bodies. This was the effect of Rage Storm''s move. This skill was not to be used often as it would not distinguish between friends or foe.


    Unfortunately for the people who just died, they all had Ryu Jinshi lured to an isolated area. The azure dragon was the epitome of might and raw instinct. Tonight he cleared up every assassin who took on the contract against Yang Dao. This skill helped him deal with the mess without bathing in the blood of these filthy people.


    ...


    The same thing happened with everyone else. They regained their sealed skills. At this moment they were cheerful. Finally, the one they serve realized his responsibilities. Yang Dao realized he was the Dao Child, and he has a lot of duties towards everyone. He did not want the surrounding people to be implicated and thus he advanced.


    It was midnight when he opened his eyes and saw test his power. He stood up from the ground and walked outside his room. Looking around, he found no one, so the boy went out into the garden. His actions were simple and swift.


    Coming to the garden, under the dim-lit surroundings. The boy practiced. His punches and kicks moved, followed by a small change in the wind flow in the garden. This was the phenomenon caused by Yang Dao becoming an Elemental Contractor. Soon the boy increased the intensity of his practice. A shiny cerulean glove appeared on his hands.


    The next thing was Yang Dao vanishing from his place. His speed also became as fast as the wind. The garden echoed with popping sounds. It was the boy throwing punches in the air. His figure would vanish from his spot and then appear some place else. As time passed, his proficiency increased.


    His figure was now fast enough to cast an afterimage that would last for a millisecond. His punches were also sharper and stronger. Suddenly he stopped in his place. In front of him, Feng Yun appeared. He smiled and asked, "Sister Yun, did you see that?"


    The girl nodded with a smile and said, "Dao, how about we fight?"


    She did not wait for him to reply and attacked with her strength higher than Yang Dao. The boy was surprised, but not unguarded. During his contemplation earlier, he decided to never let down his guard. He dodged the attack at the last moment. Feng Yun kept attacking and Yang Dao kept dodging. He would only attack when he found a suitable opportunity.


    Atsuji Kurogane''s source essence blessed him with a better intellect plus his already strong IQ, Feng Yun could not bait him with the openings she revealed. The two people were so immersed in their practice that they even forgot the flow of time. Feng Yun also did not hold back. She would use many attacks, like grappling or clawing at Yang Dao.


    The boy was even more unbridled when he was almost caught by Feng Yun. he bit her thrice, leaving deep impressions on her jade skin. he exploited all the things he could, such as pulling on her hair, biting her. The only thing was that he did not attack her womanly parts. Things would have been awkward. (For them. I would have enjoyed it TBH)


    Finally, they stopped when the sun lit up the dark horizon with a shade of ember. Looking at each other, the two started laughing loudly. They were looking like two children who just stopped brawling. Messy hair, dirty clothes, let alone them even the garden was a mess. The grass was missing some patches.


    Feng Yun suddenly said, "Dao, you can go to college starting today. I will talk to your principal. Also, you still might have to go through the detention she mentioned." the boy was stunned but after a second he hugged Feng Yun tightly and in his excitement, he kissed her cheek hard.


    He said, "Sister Yun, you are the best." with that said, he rushed back inside the house to get ready and leave for the college. He did not notice that Feng Yun was blushing as she gazed ahead blankly.


    She mumbled, "He kissed my cheeks..." Well, she has been pretending to be cold and cruel for her entire life. This first kiss on the cheek came too suddenly and it surprised her to the core of her being.

 Chapter 135: Detention.

    Yang Dao rushed to his room, took a shower, then dressed up in a crisp white shirt with some abstract design printed on it. He wore blue denim and white sneakers. A luxury watch rested on his wrist. When he was ready he rushed outside only to meet Lisa, who stood in the corridor holding a broomstick.


    He asked her, "Lisa, are you not coming with me?" his voice attracted the attention of all the servants in the vicinity.


    Lisa lowered her head slightly and then she used her signs to communicate. Yang Dao knew that she does not use her mouth to speak inside the mansion lest things get complicated and the servants smear her character. Almos none used the sign language in the mansion. She asked Yang Dao if he needed her for anything. After all, her modeling task was now finished so what else was she to do at his place?


    The boy said, "Well, you don''t have any tasks left now. I thought you wanted to study so it would be easier for me to teach you there. Since you like it here, I will ask Sister Yun to get you a mobile phone. That way, if you have questions, you can write them down and pass them over."


    His voice was calm and his face did not fluctuate. The rest of the servants, who assumed that the Young Master must have done something with Lisa and wanted keep doing it, suddenly realized how wrong they were. The Young Master was so generous to let this servant be a model avatar in his product and also encouraged her to study. They felt ashamed of themselves.


    Yang Dao was unaware of all this. He spoke a bit more and then came to the dining hall. Feng Yun came out of the kitchen with a clean appearance. She cooked the breakfast herself. The boy gorged up the food as if it will run away from his plate. He bade farewell to the beauty and also told her to buy every maid and staff member a mobile phone.


    Feng Yun assured him she will as the two people walked to the garage. The boy sat down inside his car and after turning the ignition, He waved his hand to the beauty outside and slowly drove outside the mansion. As soon as the vehicle touched the asphalt, it shot out like an arrow from the bow.


    ...


    Yang Dao was half a distance away when his cell phone rang He parked the car at the side of the road and accepted the call. He said, "Hello."


    Icarus spoke up, "Dao, I just found out that our new prince wants to punish you for the fight with that Cryptonian?"


    Yang Dao replied, "Yeah, she asked me to come back after that debate but the attack happened and she asked me to stay away from the college lest it hurt anyone else." his tone fell when he spoke of this matter.


    Icarus spoke. "Isn''t she a bit too righteous here? Did Sister Yun not compensate those people? Or did you implicate them intentionally? Also, you almost died, and she still wants to use her sword tongue? You come back to the college. I would like to see what can she do to you. Come." he was agitated to see Yang Dao being treated like this.


    Yang Dao did not know what to say, but he felt warm in his heart. He said, "Well, I am on my way to college now, don''t worry. We will talk when I get there." his words calmed Icarus a bit, and the call disconnected.


    ...


    Icarus on the other side shook his head. At this moment he stood on the class podium. The whole class was filled with students, and they all heard the conversation as Icarus put it on the speaker. They all had a very good opinion about Yang Dao. The day he saved Donnie from that flask bottle and took it all on himself. Their impression has also grown a lot.


    You need to know that once upon a time these rich kids used to bully them but Yang Dao taught them how to keep things separate. The boy helped Donnie during the military training and also saved him from Drake''s attack. The rich class finally came around and they all understood that Dao''s behavior depended on their deeds.


    They have all noticed the change in the people they interacted with now. At first, it was fear and hatred, but now it was neutral. Sometimes they even got some unexpected smiles, too. The reason behind all this was Yang Dao. So how could they let him suffer like this? Young Master Donnie spoke up, "We cannot let this happen."


    Icarus spat, "Obviously not, genius. But knowing Dao, if we raised a riot, he will beat the shit out of any of us. What to do?"


    Sasha (who has been missing for a lot of chapters) said, "How about we share his punishment? That way neither will we offend the principal nor will Dao suffer."


    Kiya nodded in agreement. Now that they all had a plan, they all needed to execute it. They all walked out of the class. heading to the principal office.


    ...


    Meanwhile, aware of the student revolution, Yang Dao drove his car on the roads with a calm face. For one kilometer around him. Everything was in his vision. Constantly keeping vigil will cost him a lot of energy. So he would just move the air slightly every five minutes.


    It took him thirty more minutes to reach the college. The boy parked his car and walked straight to the Principal''s office. If someone asked him if he was nervous? He would reply with a yes. Never has he been called out by a teacher for something like this. He was a quiet kid, and growing up he was looked after by his teachers. He was an ideal student. Always full score in all the subjects and always obedient.


    He walked to the principal''s office and climbed the stairs. The peon glanced at him and said, "Wait here for a bit. I will inform Madam of your arrival."


    Yang Dao nodded and said, "Thank you, sir." the peon nodded and went inside the cabin with an indifferent expression on his face.


    Soon, he came back out and said to yang Dao, "You can go in."


    Yang Dao nodded and with an anxious expression, he walked inside. He peeked inside and said, "Madam, may I come in?"


    Aislinn Jasper spoke in her calm tone, "Come in, Student Feng."


    Yang Dao walked inside and closed the door behind him. he bowed down to the lady slightly. Aislinn sighed and said, "Take a seat."


    The boy replied with a thank you and sat down with only half of his butt resting on the chair. Aislinn nodded in her heart. The boy sat down like that, increasing her posture. As Yang Dao was about to speak, the principal cut him off.


    She said, "First, how are you feeling now? Is your injury healed?" her voice was softer than usual. Yang Dao nodded and said, "Thank you for your concern, Madam. Now I am fine."


    Aislinn Jasper nodded and said, "See, I know you did not implicate anyone intentionally and that your sister also gave them generous compensation. The reason I asked you not to come over to College was that I was afraid about what to do if someone barged inside the campus and did something even more heinous?"


    Yang Dao nodded and said, "I understand your concern, Madam. Thank you very much on the behalf of all the students." he stood up and bowed to the lady. His gesture surprised Aislinn Jasper.


    She stood up and said, "Dao, raise your head. You do not need to thank me. I will be embarrassed. Also, congratulations on the new products of your company." a smile surfaced on her face.


    Yang Dao bowed to her slightly in thanks and asked, "Madam, what is the punishment you decided for me?"


    Aislinn Jasper said, "Since you like to stand for others, then I want you to help a senior year student with their final project thesis. You will be named as the second writer. But do not take it lightly. The student is very smart and her topic is also very difficult."


    The boy was confused, but then again punishments are made to make people learn the consequences. The boy asked, "Madam, who is this student?"


    Aislinn Jasper sighed and said, "The student is named, Frieda Foster. Her project? You will know when you report to her."


    The boy nodded. Later Aislinn Jasper gave him some paper chits. Then she said, "Here is your meeting address. I wish you luck." she spoke with a smile on her face.


    Yang Dao bowed and after a few questions, he walked out of the room, only to meet some people he knew. He asked, "What are you guys doing here?"


    In front of him stood, Icarus and the rest of the class. Their arrival confused Yang Dao a lot. Icarus said, "We are here to share your punishment."


    Despite feeling warm, the Dao Child almost face planted.

 Chapter 136: Agreed.

    Yang Dao held his forehead in his palm and said, "Can you people all stop for a second? What are you all planning to share? A senior year final thesis? Who came up with this revolutionary idea in the first place?" his tone was helpless and exasperated.


    Icarus dumbly asked, "What did you say the punishment is?"


    "Final project thesis with Senior year student, Frieda Foster." said Yang Dao.


    All of a sudden everyone took two steps back from him as if they saw a ghost. A topper of the class asked, "Repeat the name of the senior you mentioned again."


    Yang Dao gazed at everyone with a strange expression on his face and said, "Frieda Foster."


    Icarus shook his head and said, "You are on your own. I will not share this punishment. You must suffer sometimes." his tone changed so quickly that Yang Dao even doubted if he was the same guy just ten seconds ago.


    He asked, "What do you guys mean?"


    Sasha came forward and asked, "Do you really not know Frieda Foster?"


    Yang Dao shook his head. Donnie came forward and said, "I wish you luck, student Dao." then he patted the former on the shoulder and left. The others also followed the same action. Sasha, Kiya, and Icarus were left for the last. Icarus sighed again and again.


    Finally, he said, "Brother, we will meet again if you survive." then he left. Sasha shook her head and left after a casual greeting. Kiya came to him and suddenly hugged him.


    Yang Dao did not expect this and froze. When has he ever hugged a girl so tight, except for Kylie Dew? That too was not proper as the two were sitting and they still had some gap due to the angle, but this time, he had no leeways.


    He asked in a stutter, "Ki...Kiya... What happened?"


    The girl parted after a few seconds and said, "I did not ask anything that day in front of your sister and the teacher, but are you really fine?" her eyes were a brimming concern and care.


    Yang Dao felt warm in his heart but he did not know how to react to this. He just gave her a flustered smile and said, "Yes, yes. I am totally fine. Now I need to rush to meet senior Frieda. Okay. I will talk to you later."  he just turned around and was about to leave when Kiya said, "You take care of yourself. I have still not received my meal payment."


    The boy replied, "Yes, soon. I will cook for you soon." and with that, he ran away. Kiya shook her head and mumbled, "Am I the girl? or him?" as she walked back to the classroom.


    Yang Dao was embarrassed and flustered by the sudden display of affection by Kiya. He almost ran out as he did when Kylie Dew kissed him. Shaking his head he calmed down and ran to the specialization wing of the Computer Operations Department. His face gathered a lot of gazes and pointing fingers from the people in the corridors. The boy was undisturbed, he was the talk of the campus after that brawl and now he even launched two amazing products in the market.


    He quickly came to the classroom for students specializing in robotics. He peeked inside from the door and saw that an old professor was now picking up his notes. The classroom had only a handful of students. The lecture seemed to have just ended. Yang Dao knocked on the door and asked, "professor, may I come in?"


    His crisp voice attracted attention instantly. The old professor raised his head and nodded to the boy to come in. Yang Dao walked in and the old professor asked, "Who are you?"


    The boy replied, "My name is Yang Dao, a freshman in computer operations, class A." his words made the professor''s eyes shine. He exclaimed, "The national treasure. What do you come looking for?"


    Yang Dao scratched his head and said, ''You glorify me, professor. I cam here by the order of the principal, to find senior Frieda Foster."


    The Old man cast his gaze to the back of the classroom, the students all cast a look in the back too. Then they all shook their heads. The professor said, "There she is, Frieda Foster. The topper of the Robotic Science department. You can talk to her on your own. All the best." then with a pat on his shoulders the man left the class holding his notes in his hand.


    The rest of the students also slowly poured out of the class. Yang Dao smiled at them all. Then he walked over to the desk where he found a girl who seemed to have fallen asleep on the desk. His gaze fell on a few notebooks, as he watched the content, the cogs in his brain started to move at a fast speed.


    Silently he turned a few pages and figured out the ups and downs of the stuff written on the pages. The information recorded on the pages was about the configuration of a robot design. What Shocked Yang Dao was that the design was humanoid. He could not help but knock on the desk hard to wake up the sleeping beauty.


    TAP TAP TAP


    Loud and continuous rapping woke up Frieda from slumber. She found a young boy looking at her with shining eyes. She flinched back in surprise, looked around her and found that she was still inside th classroom but she did not know this guy. She wanted to ask him who he was, but the boy cut her off and asked, "Do you want to make a humanoid robot? This design is very good but it lacks in some points. Such as the power source and the body construction material can be much better. Also, the neural schematics. They can also be much better..."


    Frieda was shocked as Yang Dao went on and on about the stuff. he did not seem to even breathe. Frieda''s gaze became sharper as she listened to him talk. After a few seconds, the two people started to converse and make notes on a new notebook. They only stopped after an hour when Yang Dao''s phone buzzed.


    The boy apologized to Frieda and picked up the call. He asked, "What is it?" his tone was a bit grumpy.


    Icarus said, "Young Master Feng, get your ass to the cycling club. We have a calamity." the guy sounded troubled.


    Yang Dao sighed and said, "Okay. I will be there in a few minutes." then he disconnected the call, turning back he said to the girl, "Senior Frieda, how about we exchange contacts? I will find you after college?"


    Frieda nodded and exchanged phone numbers with him. Yang Dao was about to leave when she asked, "Hey, what is your name? and Who are you?" her voice was very soothing.


    Yang Dao turned back, and only now did he properly look at the girl. Fair skin, blue eyes, shielded by a delicate spectacle. Long golden hair, and a face that always seemed to be smiling. He replied with a smile, "Yang Dao, your thesis, assistant." with that said, he left the class.


    ...


    Yang Dao came to the cycling club and found the atmosphere was a bit tense. He saw that the third years were all sitting with sullen faces. He asked, "What happened and where is senior Ayaka?"


    Thomas said, "In the hospital with the second years." his tone was angry and helpless.


    Yang Dao was surprised and asked, "What happened?"


    Icarus said, "Tim was practicing with senior Felix when senior overtook him. That bastard, god knows what came over him and accelerated on the turn. The bike slipped and he fell at a speed of 50 kph. When we all reached he was unconscious and his leg seemed to have been hurt seriously."


    Yang Dao muttered, "Shit. Now what? There is not much time before the inter Uni cup. Will he be fine by then?"


    Thomas shook his head and said, "No. Senior Ayaka just called in. The doctor put a cast on his leg. His leg has three hairline fractures, and the fall caused two of his ribs to crack as well. Eugene, cannot race as well, because he was on a team with Tim. Alone his skill set is not up to the mark."


    Eugene was also listening to this but his face showed no change. He sighed and said, "Captian, you can take Icarus and Dao to the tournament with you. These guys are strong enough to make the others run for their money."


    Ray said, "Yeah, I agree to it. We now have four months before the summer vacation, when the tournament is held. and two months before our training camp. These two can definitely train to meet the requirement."


    The rest of the people also nodded and expressed their agreement. Thomas finally sighed and said, "Dao, Icarus, you guys make your choice."


    The two boys gazed at each other and said, "I Agree."

 Chapter 137: Moving Forward.

    Yang Dao agreed to the captain''s suggestion. He would be getting back in practice starting tomorrow. With all that said, he walked out of the clubhouse. He did not have any classes, but since he missed the feeling of being in class. He rushed to the library and started to binge read. The content in his reading list included mathematics, robotics, computer operations, human neurology, metal science, etc.


    One book from each subject and this whole thing took him quite a few hours. The boy only came back to the world of the living when he got a call. Fishing out his mobile it turned out to be Frieda Foster.


    "Hello, Senior Frieda," he said as soon as he answered the call.


    The other side responded, "Hello, Yang Dao, I wanted to ask you if you have some time on your hand? Can we go over the neural schematics one more time?" her voice sounded restless.


    Yang Dao raised his hand to look at the watch on his wrist. He said, "Yeah, I do have time, but I want to ask you if you are carrying a computer with you?"


    Frieda replied in a wry tone, "Well laptops are not powerful enough to handle my project work so I use a desktop but it is in the girl''s dormitory. You cannot enter there."


    The boy hummed and said, "I have a good system but it is also kept at home. How about we connect after an hour via the internet? I will be able to show you the program code I think is more suitable for this."


    The girl replied, "Okay, I will call you in one hour then." and the call was disconnected. Yang Dao was wary of women after the hug in the morning. So cleaning up the table, the boy-wonder walked out of the library. Arrived at the car parking, sat down in his metallic epitome of ''Male Desire 101'' (not being a sexist, women also like cars, sometimes. Just did not know what terms to use for it. If you guys have any do share in the comments.)


    Quinn glided on the asphalt like a ghost. The boy suddenly saw something out of the window and he came up with an idea. This random thought of his was going to bring a major change in the world as they knew it. The vehicle entered the Sapphire lake residency.  Yang Dao parked his car and was about to enter the elevator when he heard a voice from behind.


    "Excuse me, Young Master." a tender and sweet voice rang out through the parking lot. yang Dao turned his head and saw that it was Luna, the manager of the community services. She was wearing her daily work uniform as she walked towards him. Her high heels knocked the floor disrupting the silence in the dark place.


    Yang Dao asked, "What can I do for you, Madam Luna?" his tone was formal. The two people had some interceptions in the past, yet it has been quite some time since Luna came to him for anything.


    Luna spoke with a smile, "Young Master, the weather is changing. I wanted to ask you if you would like to adjust the wind directors outside the building. We tried to reach you on the intercom but found out that you have been outside. Also, congratulations on your new products." She was also formal with him.


    Yang Dao nodded with a smile and said, "Thank you. I was outside. As for the wind directors. You can let them be. The natural flow of things is better than man-made." his voice was calm and serene.


    Luna nodded to him dumbly because she was ASMR on his voice. The boy asked again, "Anything else, Madam Luna?"


    She woke up and shook her head. With that, the boy stepped inside the elevator headed straight to his house. Entering inside with the key card he found the place crystal clean. he sensed someone inside the house. His guess was correct, Lisa came out from the kitchen and bowed to him slightly. She said, "Young Master, Madam asked me to come here and help you with stuff."


    The boy shook his head and nodded. he said, "Okay, you can continue doing your job. I will now go to work in the study. Also, after you are done with the chores, you can rest and read if you want to."


    Lisa nodded and the boy walked inside the study room. He took out his cell phone and called Frieda, "Hello, senior Frieda."


    A clear voice sounded from the other side, "Hello, Yang Dao. Can we work now?"


    The boy gave her an affirmative answer as he sat down in front of his PC. He said, "We will use ScreenTeam."


    ScreenTeam was a computer software used to connect two computers and then it will allow you to watch the other person''s activities on your own screen. This software was used in a lot of offices these days.


    The two people swiftly connected the computers and then while they discussed things on the phone. Yang Dao started to type codes simultaneously. On the other side, Frieda was also typing codes. Yang Dao only knew the computer expect of it while Frieda input the parameters according to her research. This thing needed a lot of coordination and deep knowledge of each other as well as the project.


    ...


    The two kept on crunching for a couple of hours before Yang Dao heard some movement inside the study. he turned back and saw Lisa pushing on a trolley. She said, "Young master, it''s past the time for dinner. Madam called to check on you. She said, "If you overwork then she will come over and take you back to the Dao courtyard." her voice was sweet but it conveyed Feng Yun''s threat completely.


    Yang Dao shook his head and said to the person on call, "Senior Frieda, I have to go for dinner. How about we continue tomorrow?"


    Frieda immediately became anxious, "Yang Dao, can you not stay for a few more minutes? This is a crucial step. just a few more minutes and it will be completed."


    The boy understood why everyone called her, Robotic Frieda. She was someone very restless about her work and eager to complete it. She was a typical workaholic. Yang Dao said, "Senior, your restlessness, will only make your brain work too much. Do you not know the reason behind the mess in your project as it advances? Too much of anything is not good. Even if it is work and dedication. You need to keep moving forward."


    His voice was as calm as a gust of wind. It calmed down Frieda, her sigh could be heard on the call. She said, "Yeah, you are right. I am just too paranoid about this thing. I will see you tomorrow."  before she could disconnect Yang Dao told her to get some sleep and also try to relax a bit.


    The call disconnected and Lisa was already serving the food on the table in front of him. The boy said, "We could eat at the dining table, you know?"


    Lisa shook her head and said, "Madam said not to delay anymore. She will call in a few minutes to check again." the girl put on an adamant face. Yang Dao could only eat while sitting in front of the computer. He mumbled, "I wonder how the market responded to the products. Did the people like it?"


    He chowed down the food and made a call to Mary. The call connected in just a few seconds and Mary spoke in an exciting tone, "Congratulations, Young master."


    Yang Dao asked her, "For what?"


    Mary replied, "The company made twenty million in bookings of the cars and five million on mobile shipments. What I am talking about is the earning from the software. Dao Technologies is an independent company in collaboration with King-Comm and Torque Motors. So this is the fifty percent share of the first batch of orders. The orders are placed by not only individuals but some High-class hotels, VIPs, and also Fair-Fare approached us for a collaboration. It is a good day."


    (King-Comm is mobile manufacture under the Phoenix group. Torque Motors is a vehicle manufacturer. Fair-Fare is well Uber of Liro{Liro is the planet name})


    Yang Dao was happy with the result but he still said, "This is just day one. The more people will be coming to our doorsteps so you keep a clear head. Also, register a subsidiary called, Dao Investments, start investing in electric motor and battery manufacturers."


    mary was confused and the two started talking about Yang Dao''s vision. It won''t be a lie to say that this kid did give Mary a terrible scare. The call was disconnected but soon Yang Dao received another call. It was Feng Yun this time.


    "Hello, Dao, Why did you delay your dinner? Are you okay?" she fired as soon as the call connected.


    The boy replied, "Well Sister Yun, I was busy coding with a senior. It is my detention punishment to help her in her project. So I lost a sense of time."


    Feng Yun sighed, "You need to be careful about your health too. Also, congratulations on the big profit today." her tone started to lif up as she talked to him about his success. This made the boy feel warm in his heart.


    He discussed his plan of investment with her and received boundless support. Yang Dao did not want to get stuck at a point, so he decided to move forward in venture capital. This step was going to be a crucial decision for his future development. he did not put all his eggs in one basket. Even in the investment area, he asked Mary to invest in a lot of potential fields such as metal, electricity and also if possible to sponsor and fund some independent research centers.


    He aimed to change the world, and it will start when technology and scientific development can keep up the pace.

 Chapter 138: Daily Life of the Dao child.

    After the meal and talking with Feng Yun. Yang Dao helped Lisa with the dishes and was about to walk back to his own room when the maid said, "Young Master, can you help me with mathematics?"


    Yang Dao was surprised and then he smiled. Seems like the girl has taken interest in Mathematics. He nodded and after the chores. He helped her with her studies as he read some of his own course books. The two people continued for a couple of hours and then they both went to their own rooms for the night.


    The dao child did not go to sleep but started to meditate and deepen his knowledge about the wind element as his body drunk the source energy in the surroundings. He was immersed in this state for a whole night. The next morning he woke up when the sun lit up the horizon and the bright rays were reflected on his face.


    Despite not sleeping for a night Yang Dao did not feel tired or sluggish. On the contrary, he was quite hyped up. The boy freshened up, took a once bath. He shampooed his hair and gave them a flick. He liked to flick his hair around when they were wet. he felt satisfied with it. Followed by a nod to approve of himself the boy walked to the cloakroom. He selected the King Of Mountain jersey to drape around today.


    Coming out of his room he saw that Lisa has also woken up and was preparing breakfast for him. He sat down at the dining table while catching up with the news on his mobile phone. The economic news had an article about Dao Technologies'' sudden rise. Some analysts even questioned if the company could keep up with the pace of its growth. The boy shook his head and dismissed the negative vibes.


    Lisa came out with two plates in her hand. She said, "Young master, double egg cheese scramble as well as fruit salad. All prescribed by the doctor for your nutrition. Please taste them." her bell-like voice made people feel happy. Plus that soft smile on her face.


    Yang Dao shook his head and said as he picked up a pair of chopsticks, "You people are too systematic for food. I will have a conversation with Sister Yun." despite this, he ate the meal with a smile on his face.


    He said, "Lisa, starting today make me protein-rich meals. I will be resuming my cycling club starting today. Also, tell me if we lack any groceries I will shop in the evening. A friend might be coming over."  his voice was soft and calm.


    With that said, he went out on the balcony, gazed at his shining black bike. He mumbled as he held the handle in his hands, "Let''s go, partner."


    This was his first vehicle so he had a certain attachment to this bike. The boy pushed the bike out of the house and waved to Lisa. They were both teenagers so this was a normal gesture. He got inside the elevator with a bike. On his back rested his bag, while he tied the helmet to his head.


    Yang Dao rode the bike and rushed out of the parking lot. The guards at the gate of the residency saw him rushing out on a bike and talked among themselves.


    "Do you notice that Young master smiles more when he is riding the bike?"


    Another guy said, "I don''t know about his smile but yes, I do like him riding the bike instead of that monster car." the people chuckled. They were all scared when they saw Quinn passing by.


    ...


    Unaware of all this the boy was riding his bike on the road with a smile on his face. His smile was content and his eyes were sharp. He had the wind around him moving like a radar. This was necessary for his own safety and it was a good habit. As he was riding he sensed the mobile in his bike vibrate.


    Parked the bike at the side of the road and took out the phone, the caller was Icarus. Yang Dai accepted the call and asked, "Yes."


    Icarus replied with a question, "You are riding to the college today right? How about riding together."  judging from his tone this guy has just woken up.


    Yang Dao took a jab at him, "I am sorry Young Master Stern, the plebian is already ten minutes away from the campus. See you later, lazy ass."


    Icarus became alert all of a sudden, "What the fuck. You traitor. You want to steal senior Ayaka from me."


    The Dao child laughed, he said, "Do I need to put in the effort? Given the charm of the plebian it is only a matter of time." he acted cocky on purpose.


    Icarus screamed, "You wait for me Yang Dao. I will break your ass to pieces." the call disconnected, it was evident that Icarus was rushing to get ready and come over.


    Yang Dao shook his head and rode his bike back to the college. he parked it in front of the clubhouse and knocked on the door. It seemed that he was the first one here. He waited for a few minutes when Ayaka Gust rode over on her bike. She was surprised to see Yang dao already waiting.


    She said, "I did not expect anyone to come so early. How are you doing dao? The injury is healed?"


    Yang Dao nodded and replied, "I am all healed now, coach. How is senior Tim?"


    Ayaka shook her head, "he is the hospital. Will stay there for a few more days. The doctor has forbidden him from riding a bike until he is completely recovered. Well, it''s okay. Sometimes such accidents happen, it shows that he was dedicated and enthusiastic about the coming competition. Yet, too much of everything is bad too."


    Yang Dao nodded as he heard her words. He came across Frieda yesterday who was the same. Too dedicated to her work that it made her restless if it is not done. Shaking his head he asked, "Coach, do we have morning practice?"


    Ayaka nodded and said, "You will be running the circuit with me. I need to know the extent of your skills before I can give you any advice."


    Yang Dao nodded and asked, "How about we do it now? It will be a waste of time before the others come."


    Ayaka pondered for a bit and then she nodded. The two people placed their bags inside the clubhouse, that has been unlocked by Ayaka. She was the coach and held the spare key other than the captain. The two people then rode their bikes to the circuit of the mechanical engineering branch.


    As they were riding the rest of the club also arrived and joined in. Icarus, however, cast a stink glare at his best friend. He believed that Yang Dao was actually interested in Ayaka. Thus, he started to ride with more enthusiasm.


    Ayaka noticed this and said to him, "|Icarus, why are you riding at such a high pace. Do you not remember what happened to TIM. Calm down a bit." her words woke up Icarus. He slowed down and said, "I am sorry, coach, I was rage riding."


    Ayaka shook her head and passed him. Yang Dao whispered to Icarus, "I am not interested in her you doofus. Can you calm down now?"


    Icarus was surprised at this and watched the boy passing him in a daze, but later his eyes were filled with tears and a smile surfaced on his face. He mumbled, "Dao, you are a true friend. Even sacrificed your love for me."


    ...


    The practice came to an end and Ayaka advised Yang Dao about a few things that he should avoid while riding in an official competition. Such as his close cornering skills. They might lead to a major accident. At least not until the moment when they are competing for the finish line.


    The boy nodded and they dispersed. He met Kiya in the classroom and invited her and Sasha to his place for dinner. Then he went to the library, to meet Frieda and helped her with her project. It was sunset when the two people left the library. Frieda was still restless, but it was not to the point where she would beg Yang Dao.


    The progress of her project was proof enough to make her correct her ways. The change was slow but then again, late is better than never. The boy went back to the club for evening practice and this time he rode with all the advice Ayaka gave him in his mind.


    After the practice, Kiya and Sasha took off with him. The two girls also bought bikes for themselves. Last time when Yang Dao had to push his bike because the two had none, they decided to get one for themselves. The recent influence of the cycling club made them buy road racers. This week they have been practicing diligently.


    Kiya was surely crushing on Yang Dao while Sasha was still unclear about the matters of her heart.

 Chapter 139: Colors & Enjoyment.

    Yang Dao and the two girls rode their bikes slowly, enjoying the evening mood. Sasha asked slowly, "Hey guys, what do you think about the school festival happening next week? I heard Samuel Dimitri will come over."


    Her voice was excited while her eyes were shining. Kiya shook her head and said, "Can you not fangirl over a married man?"


    Sasha pouted and said, "It is not wrong to fangirl over him. It''s not like I am stealing him."


    Yang Dao said, "Buddha said wrecking a marriage is worse than wrecking a building or was it something else." he tilted his head thinking about whether or not what he said was correct. The girls gave him a surprised gaze and started laughing.


    They did not expect this woodman to crack a joke. The boy asked them, "What?"


    Kiya shook her head and said, ''Your EQ is improving."


    The boy gave them a white glance and sped up. Amidst the banter, the three people arrived at the residency. The guards saluted him as Yang Dao passed the entrance. They came in front of the apartment and were about to press the doorbell when the door popped open. Lisa bowed slightly and spoke in her mellow voice, "Welcome home, Young Master."


    Yang Dao nodded and walked inside. He took off his shoes and sensed something. He turned back and asked, "What is it, you two? Why not come inside?"


    His question brought back the two from their thoughts. They walked in and Sasha asked him in a low voice, "Who is this pretty lady?"


    The boy gazed at Lisa and smiled. "She is Lisa, an employee at our courtyard mansion and also the voice and avatar model of the assistant program, LISA." that he introduced the three and went inside the house. He wanted to change his clothes after he just spent a whole day running around.


    Lisa, in the meantime, hosted the two girls. She answered all the questions Kiya and Sasha asked, such as how old was she, how long has she been working for Feng Household. She did not hesitate and confidently answered the two. The interactions with Yang Dao these days have made her a bit more confident. Plus, Sasha and Kiya were beautiful. Lisa thought of them as porcelain dolls with fake hair on their heads.


    I wonder if the two girls would laugh or cry if they found out how Lisa visualized them. While the three were immersed in chatting, Yang Dao walked out of his room. He was wearing a cotton shirt and lower. He asked Lisa, "Come let''s cook."


    Lisa excused herself and followed Yang Dao inside the kitchen. She was going to play assistant chef. Yang Dao was a better chef than her, so she would take this chance to learn stuff.


    ...


    Outside in the living room, Sasha said, "Kiya, you have a lot of competition."


    Kiya stuck out her tongue at the former. This was something she knew instinctively that Yang Dao, such an amazing guy, would have a lot of girls behind him yet she wanted to try her best. The fire of love raged in her heart and it was at this moment she confirmed her heart.


    ...


    Suddenly, the doorbell rang again. Lisa said, "I will take it."


    Yang Dao nodded and focused on cooking the chicken dish in front of him. Lisa walked to the door and peeked through the eyehole on the door. She saw two women standing outside the door. She knew one of them, so she pushed open the door.


    She smiled and bowed slightly as she greeted the guest, "Welcome, Secretary Mary."


    The visitors were Mary and Yurika. They were here to have Yang Dao sign some urgent documents and orders for them. Mary smiled, "Lisa, long time no see."


    She had been to the Dao courtyard a few times in the past. Although she has never talked to Lisa in private, she knew her by name and face. With that said Lisa escorted the two of them inside, and yang Dao''s voice sounded, "Lisa, who is it?"


    Before Lisa could reply the second girl accompanying Mary spoke in a high voice, "DAO, YOU BRAT, HOW DARE YOU COOK SPECIAL CURRY CHICKEN WITHOUT TELLING ME."


    Everyone was surprised at her scream, they did not expect her to react like this, but before they could register what happened Yang Dao''s laughter echoed followed by a sentence, "Oh so it is Rika the food cop with her dog nose and buffalo belly."


    Yurika busted a gasket and rolled her sleeves as she walked to the kitchen. Her face was red and a blue vein was twitching in her temple. She had just reached the kitchen entrance when Yang Dao said, without even looking at her, "If you take one step closer I will deduct your salary, stop cooking and also call sister Tina. You handle your own tushy."


    Yurika stopped and gazed at him with her mouth wide open. She pointed a trembling finger at him and said, "You have become a capitalist. I knew this would happen."


    Yang Dao countered, "Says the one who wants to be the richest and have a male harem for herself."


    Yurika squinted her eyes and barged into the kitchen as she said, "You have done it."


    Soon after pleading sounds of "Mercy, my old mother, you will ruin the food. YOU WASH YOUR HANDS PLEASE." erupted from the kitchen.


    Yurika was aware of Yang Dao''s OCD, so she exploited it. The boy finally took the concession and apologized to her. Yurika walked out of the kitchen with her chin high. She said, "You are still too young to fight with me, Youngman."


    Yang Dao shook his head, and Lisa served the juices to the two. Yurika was an outgoing girl, so she broke the ice and told everyone that she was from the same orphanage as Yang Dao. Soon the four girls talked to each other about various topics as Lisa stood at the side to attend to them.


    A few minutes later the Dao ''chef'' child also walked out of the kitchen, with a black apron around his waist. he said, "The dinner will be done in a few minutes."


    Then he turned to Mary and asked, "madam, what brought you here this late?"


    Mary smiled and said, "Young Master, the company now has the eligibility to be a listed one." she had a wide smile on her face.


    Yang Dao asked, "What is the benefit of being listed? I do not intend to let others get in and disturb the progress. As for the market valuation? Doesn''t matter. We can get loans from Sister Yun. No need to bother with it. Do recruit some robotic experts, I have a new project."


    Mary was not surprised at this. Feng Yun had already predicted this. She said, "Very well, Young Master. I will have it done as soon as possible."


    She showed him the details of the ventures and research she had shortlisted for investment. Yang Dao then told her to hold off fifty percent of the funds. He wanted to set up an independent team to work on a secret project. This project will shake the entire world. The details were to be known by only those who are involved in it.


    Mary nodded to his proposals. She has been working with Feng Yun and was not a newbie anymore. The two people went to the study to talk about the project. They only came out after thirty minutes when Lisa knocked on the door. The chicken sitting in the oven was now ready to partake. So Lisa wanted to remind him about this, as per his instructions.


    Mary came out with a flash of awe in her eyes as they gazed at the young boy in front of her. She would go to Feng Yun in the morning and tell her about the things Yang Dao proposed today.


    Yang Dao glazed the chicken with the curry he prepared. Then, the food was served. Everyone ate together. Mary and Yurika returned to their accommodation so that they could commute easily in the morning. While Sasha and Kiya rode their bikes back to the college dorms.


    After the colorful meal, Yang Dao sat in a hammock on the balcony. He was dwelling over the things he wanted to do in the future.


    The ingredients were ready, now he had to mix them up efficiently and with patience, he must cook a wonderful dish. The Dao child used cooking as the reference for his plans and his goal became a dish for him. This was an easier way to set off on a journey. Imagine it as a lot of small journeys.


    Today was the actual first step he took towards his goal. What lay in front of him was a long and boring path, so to make it balanced he added a lot of small goals in this journey and even more steps to the goal. This was not to enhance the length of the journey but to make it enjoyable.


    The Dao Child always did things in a balance, so how could he just blindly charge to the main goals and not enjoy the journey? How can the Dao be so bland?

 Chapter 140: Invitations.

    Yang Dao fell asleep as he swung on the hammock gently. The weather was not too cold in the retreating winters. Well, the cold never bothered him, anyway. (Yes, I watched frozen last night. Now read)


    The next morning Yang Dao woke up to the bright sunlight. He was refreshed. It has been few days since he worked so much; the body takes time to get back in the swing of things. He walked inside and saw Lisa cleaning up. The boy shook his head. This girl has gotten used to this after many years and her habits won''t leave her for a long time as well.


    Lisa spotted him and bowed her head as she said, "Good morning, Young Master." her sweet and clear voice brought a smile to Yang Dao''s face. He replied, "Good morning to you as well, Lisa. I will go take a bath, can you prepare breakfast? I have practice."


    Lisa nodded and fluttered to the kitchen like a swallow out of a cage. Yang Dao went inside his room and after fifteen minutes he came out looking all crisp and charming. A sports t-shirt, tightly fitting around his torso, paired with a contrasting short. He was brimming with energy. His nose twitched as soon as he walked out of the room.


    He smiled and walked to the dining table. His gaze was dazzled by a stack of pancakes neatly served. Lisa came out of the kitchen holding three bottles in her hands. She said, "Young Master, would you like, Honey, chocolate syrup, or maple syrup to be served with the pancakes?"


    The boy said as he sat down on a chair, "Maple and Honey please, you can put them here I will help myself. Also, you are forbidden to have chocolate syrup with pancakes. I will not forgive this sin."


    His voice was so serious as if Lisa actually sinned. The boy took a hold of the two bottles and started eating the pancakes. He alternated the syrups with every bit. Still, he ate it all in under ten minutes and said with a content expression, "You did well, Lisa. I liked the food a lot."


    The boy stood up and after picking up his bag he went downstairs, holding a helmet in his hands. ''Silence'' was parked below last night. His other low-level bike was left at the club for practice. The silence was his first choice for commuting but sadly they did not allow this bike into the competitions.


    His feet moved, and the bike followed his wishes. He came to the college. Same as yesterday he was the first one, but Icarus arrived three minutes later than him. The guy had a smirk on his face as if saying, ''Senior Ayaka is mine.''


    The Dao Child could only shake his head at this simpleton. Soon Ayaka also arrived. After a short greeting, Icarus and Yang Dao proceeded for practice. Just when they were riding, Icarus said, "Dao, when is your birthday?"


    Yang Dao was surprised by such an abrupt question and said, "The new year."


    Icarus nodded and said, "Well, mine is today. You are invited to the party at my home. I am not taking a no or any excuse at all. I will have some friends from my high school and the cycling club is also coming. Don''t you dare back out." his glare made Yang Dao, who was about to back out gulp a mouthful of excuses and he nodded.


    Icarus smiled, and the two carried on with their practice. Later on, the two people washed up in the locker room, changed clothes, and walked together to the class. They were about to enter the class when Yang Dao ran into the physics professor.


    Micheal Newt smiled and beckoned at Yang Dao. The boy exchanged a glance with Icarus, and the two parted. Yang Dao bowed to the professor and said, "Good morning professor."


    Newt smiled and said, "Good morning. Dao, congratulations on the new products and the success of your company."


    The latter thanked him for the good wishes and asked, "Professor, is there something I can help you with?"


    "Well, can you look at this draft paper and solve the problems written below? What you need to do is derive a formula. This thing is not entirely physics." as he extended the draft paper in his hand.


    Yang Dao took the paper and said, "Sir, you could have sent it to me via mobile or just called me over. Why rush by yourself." he took the paper and looked at it.


    Professor Newt shook his head and said, "You don''t know the importance of this thing. I would never take a risk of putting it through the screens. The reason this was given to me to deal with is because of the solution you came up with last time. You can take this home and do it within a week if possible."


    Yang Dao nodded as he said, " I will get this done for you by tomorrow. I have some idea about this as I look at this question. The reference of Thermodynamics is very useful in this." his words shocked the professor.


    Unknowingly, the two people stood in the corridor and kept talking about the solution. Two minds are better than one. This famous saying came true when Newt used his experience and accumulated knowledge to support and lead Yang Dao''s radical ideas and methods.


    The two people came up with a rough equation within thirty minutes. Do not underestimate Newt. he is one of the leading Physicist in the entire world. Yang Dao is a young aspirant with impeccable memory and reasoning skills. (Thanks to heaven{Author is the heaven here})


    The two only woke up when the bell for a class period rang out through the campus. Students flooded the corridor. Everyone passing the two would greet the professor. This caused a lot of disturbance. Yang Dao took out a pen and after he wrote the conclusion of their discussion, the two parted.


    Yang Dao could not take a class. He had to meet with Frieda to help her further with the project. Just as he predicted, the girl was already waiting for him in the library. Yang Dao greeted her and said, "Senior Frieda, I have an idea. May I?"


    Frieda nodded, and the boy talked to her about how they are lacking in experimental data. Frieda nodded and told him she could not afford such an expensive experiment. Even though her family conditions were well off. Renting a lab space and conducting practicals were very costly. This was something she could not do at the moment.


    Yang Dao smiled and said, "I can handle those things. There is a lab in my sister''s company we can do it there. But I would like to ask you. Would you like to join my company and lead the robotics division?"


    Frieda was stunned at the sudden invite. She thought for a bit and was about to reject when Yang Dao said, "I will not limit your research and provide you sufficient funds based on your progress. You will have your due credit in all and any contributions you make. The patents will be under your name. I just hope that you allow the rights of use and application to the company at a low price. You see, I am also a beginner and need to support the family."


    The girl could not hold on and started laughing. She calmed down after a warning from the librarian. She almost scared the people in the library to death. She said, "Alright, I will talk at home and then tell you my decision."


    Yang Dao nodded and said, "You stop the work right now, and continue when we get a lab space?"


    Frieda surprisingly nodded and said, "I will go home today, will let you know about the job on Monday. Can you arrange a lab space in time?"


    Yang Dao nodded and the two people parted. He attended Kylie Dew''s class, where the teacher made everyone clap and cheer him and Icarus for the wonderful result and achievement with their automated vehicle. The boy fled away as soon as the class finished.


    He came to the cycling club and practiced a bit. Ayaka let them all go early as they wanted to go to Icarus''s birthday party. Yang Dao first rode his bike to a watch store. He had a good amount of money for himself after the profit.


    He gave Icarus and Ray an appropriate share as well. The two were happy with it. After all, the two contributed hugely to the project with their algorithms. Yang Dao purchased an elegant-looking watch, costing half a million. This gift was bought with a lot of thought. Icarus was a rich guy, so it should match his status. Not that Yang Dao had become a snob, but the people who attend the party may look down on Icarus for having shabby friends.


    He had it gift wrapped and then went back home. As he was getting ready, he suddenly sensed as if something bad was about to happen.

 Chapter 141: Dog Child?

    Yang Dao got back home and took a shower. He changed into a dark grey suit, paired with a black shirt inside. A pair of black oxford shoes and a pair of black ruby stud cufflinks. He walked outside the cloakroom with a gift-wrapped brocade box in his hand. This bow was Icarus''s gift. He spotted Lisa, who was about to go inside the kitchen, and said, "Lisa, do not prepare a meal for me. I am going to a banquet. Okay?"


    Lisa nodded with a smile and said, "Be careful on the road, Young Master." she followed him to the door.


    Yang Dao came down to the parking lot and drove his car out. The sun was setting and the black car looked like an emissary of night. The guards saluted the boy as the vehicle drove away from the residency. A few owners in the residency asked the guards and the community manager about the person and the vehicle.


    Many people come back home from work, the vehicle was so dashing that it aroused their curiosity and they made inquiries. They were shocked to find that it was Young Master Feng. Soon the owners discussed in the community group how to get close to this guy.


    Yang Dao drove the car on the road, following a GPS location to Icarus''s house. The banquet starts at eight. He was driving slowly and leisurely as if showing off his car to the world. None of the cars on the road door close to him. As if a plague the people wanted to avoid.


    The boy took it as if the people were disciplined. Only after half an hour of travel did, the boy stepped on the accelerator and the vehicle shot out like a bullet. He drove to the central region of the city within one hour and thirty minutes.


    He came to the door of a mansion. It looked like a mix between the Persian and Victorian era. A guard came to his window and asked gently, "How may I help you, Sir?"


    Yang Dao replied, "My name is Feng Yang Dao, Icarus Stern invited me for a banquet." His tone was polite as well.


    The guard nodded and said, "The Young Master has informed us beforehand, you can go in, please." he made a please gesture.


    Yang Dao nodded and drove the vehicle past the main gate. The guard picked up a walkie-talkie and said, "Inform the Young Master, his important guest has arrived."


    ...


    The Dao Child parked his vehicle in the parking space designated for the visitors. He got out of the car holding a gift box. A maid dress in a Navy-blue skirt and white pleated blouse bowed to him and said, "Sir, please follow me. I will take you to the guest reception"


    Yang Dao nodded and walked behind the maid. The maid was a beautiful lady but did the Dao Child lacked beauty? The two walked on the tiled pathway. On the way, he glanced at the flowers and plants at the sides of the pathway. He nodded in acknowledgment. The high-class families still knew how to arrange gardens.


    Soon, the two arrived at the reception. The place was very cheerful, a lot of young boys and girls were having fun together. Some were dancing, while some were laughing together with glasses of wine and other spirits in their hands. Yang Dao''s arrival attracted little attention.


    The boy glanced around and spotted some familiar faces. One of them being Mikhail Goldberg. He recalled Icarus was his cousin. Locating a secluded corner, Yang Dao walked over and sat down in a chair. He did not have any friends here, neither was he interested in knowing the people. The same applied to other people. They did not know him and were not keen on knowing him.


    The boy took out his mobile and used his personal funds to buy the stocks he deemed worthy. He also texted Feng Yun to lend him a lab space until his own lab is completed. The lady did not hesitate and had the best lab in the company emptied. The researchers working there were all asked to work in other labs.


    Yang Dao also calculated the problems and questions he discussed with Professor newt in the day. Suddenly he woke up from his stupor. A beautiful lady wearing a white and blue gown stood in front of him. Her long black hair fell over her shoulders like a waterfall of night. They reached her knees.


    Yang Dao raised his head to look at her picturesque face. He asked, "How may I help you?"


    The lady noticed that Yang Dao had a clear gaze. She nodded, thinking, ''Indeed, unlike others.'' Her beauty was higher to the level where it almost caught up with Feng Yun and Laohu Bai. She asked, "May I ask if I can sit down with you?"


    Yang Dao thought little and nodded to her. He put his head back to the mobile screen. The girl spoke up again, Hello, My name is Genie Jasper. May ask who you are?"


    Yang Dao understood now he cannot work. So he stuffed the mobile back in his pocket and said, "My name is Feng Yang Dao. Nice to meet you."


    The girl revealed a pretty smile and nodded as she said, "So, it is Young Master Feng. You have been quite a talk of the town. Congratulations."


    Yang Dao simply thanked her. He had no intention to talk to her. The girl, however, was not so bright she asked, "Icarus is your?"


    Yang Dao replied, "Classmate."


    The lady nodded and said, "I am the daughter of your current principal. I will transfer to your uni soon. I came back from Crypto nation."


    Yang Dao was surprised. he asked, "Why did you come back from there?"


    Genie replied, "The sanctions imposed by Jewel nation, made the situation for the outsiders in that nation a lot worse. The fees of receiving an education were already twice as much as the normal but now it has been tripled. So I had no choice but to come back over."


    Her voice carried a hint of irritation and anger. Yang Dao asked, "So, do you think what the Jewel nation did was wrong?"


    The girl shook her head and said, "No, I have suffered the Crypto nation for a year, and I am very grateful that this happened. My father is actually a citizen of the Crypto nation. I was born out of wedlock. I am what you can call a half-breed." she looked downcast at this moment.


    Yang Dao said, "I do not discriminate among humans. I discriminate against their deeds. Your deeds make you a god or a demon." his voice was calm yet the thought he just expressed carried a deep and heavy message.


    Genie had heard of him from Icarus and her mother. Before, she was the university principal. Aislinn Jasper was a teacher, and Icarus had studied under her guidance. So the two were familiar with each other. And would often chat. Yang Dao fell silent and suddenly Genie said, "You are quite an interesting person, Young Master Feng."


    The boy nodded and said, "You too, Miss Jasper." Just as the lady was about to continue, the birthday boy arrived. Icarus wore a black and red suit. He looked dashing. He scanned the crowd and his gaze fell on Yang Dao.


    After he greeted a few people, he came to Yang Dao. He gave him a bear hug and asked, "Did you experience any discomfort?"


    The latter shook his head and said, ''Happy birthday." with that said, he took the gift box and gave it to Icarus. he asked, "The team did not come?''


    Icarus shook his head and said, "They made an excuse, I will screw them tomorrow." Yang Dao nodded and asked, "When can I eat? I only came here for the food."


    The birthday boy said, "Come, the banquet is about to start I will introduce you to my parents. My dad especially wants to see you, but I say that you make a good impression on my mom. She controls the stuff at home. You know what I mean?"


    Yang Dao said, "Dude, I can leave now. You don''t have to act as if I am the girl you love and introduce me to your parents. I don''t have such heavy tastes."


    Hearing this Icarus immediately smacked the back of his head, "He said, shut up, bitch. I am not into men as well. Come along with me."


    Yang Dao laughed as he rubbed the back of his head. He followed Icarus to the banquet hall. Instinctively his nose moved, and he mumbled, "Chicken Roast, cheese and green onion salad, tofu curry, sashimi, you have 8 flavors of ice cream? Damn, you spent a lot this time. I smell paradise hotel deviled eggs and also stir-fry chicken noodles."


    Icarus held his forehead in a palm while Genie, who also followed without being called, had her eyes wide open. The former asked, "You have a smell detector in your nose, or are you born in the dog constellation?"


    Yang Dao rubbed his nose. He was a foodie with immense experience, plus now that he has become an elemental contractor, his sense of smell has been enhanced by a lot.

 Chapter 142: Name Game.

    Yang Dao immediately fell silent as soon as he heard this comment. He was not a dog, just extremely in love with food. How was he to know that his friend would joke on him? Well, he shook his head and suddenly heard a silky voice.


    "Son, why are you here? The guests are all asking for you." the owner of this sultry voice was a brown-haired woman, seemingly in her thirties. She had a well-maintained figure. A lot of young hearts would twitch with the sway of her waist. (Too bad Yang Dao is a proper gent and has a stable heart.)


    Icarus sighed and said, "Mom, you know I don''t like this high society facade. Also, this is the guy I have been wanting to introduce to you and dad, but that old man is busy flexing his wine collection to those old perverts."


    That is Icarus for you, straightforward and frank. The lady shook her head. She was helpless with this child of hers. She gazed at Yang Dao and nodded at him. She said, "Hello, I am Adriana Stern. Icarus is my son."


    Yang Dao stepped forward and bowed to her slightly as he said, "Feng Yang Dao, thank you for having me here."


    Adriana was surprised and smiled. She said, "As expected of Young Master Feng, you carry yourself with the etiquettes of a noble."


    Yang Dao shook his head and said, "None is noble and none is a pleb, we all feel hungry and we all bleed red. I am just a human."


    His words shocked Adriana. She did not expect this guy to throw a quote of his own in return for her praise. She liked him more, as the boy was neither too humble nor too arrogant. She nodded and said, "Very well said."


    Icarus smirked. The reason he introduced Yang Dao especially to his family was to mostly make his mother not worry about his peer. The reason Icarus was indifferent to wealth and glamour was because of his mother. Adriana has always taught him to be humble and frank. Even to date, Icarus was given a monthly allowance and anything that he needs is bought for him by his mother.


    Adriana exchanged a few words of courtesy with Yang Dao and then left to look after some things. Icarus asked the boy, "What do you think of my mother Dao?"


    The boy replied, "She is kind." with a smile on his face.


    Genie Jasper was also a part of the conversation but since she already knew the stern family since childhood, her views were not very significant. Icarus and the two returned to the reception hall. Yang Dao was introduced to a lot of rich scions. They all became surprised and eager to talk to Young Master Feng.


    Some of the older guys even asked him if his sister was single. Yang Dao did not even bother to reply to these dogs in heat. He just walked around the hall with Icarus and Genie. While the birthday boy played host with the visitors, the two people sampled all the snacks and juices being served.


    They did so in a not so conspicuous manner. it would not be nice if the crowd started pointing fingers at them. Unknowingly Genie Jasper has begun her path of becoming a foodie. she asked, "Say, Dao, why are you not fat after such a diet?"


    The boy replied, "I am a cyclist plus I work out to burn the calories I intake." he sampled a fresh grape as he said this.


    Genie nodded and asked, "Can I ask you a favor?" her voice was quite low all of a sudden.


    Yang Dao nodded and asked, "Yeah, what is it?"


    The girl replied, "You see, there is a guy who is here with me. He is also a student in the Crypto nation and is a rich scion there. I have told him many times that I have no interest in him yet he still bothers me. Can you do something about it?"


    She deliberately molded her words. How could she ask this guy to be her shield? Yang Dao raised his brows in surprise. He asked, "Will he not mess with your transfer procedure?"


    Genie shook her head and said, "It is already complete just waiting to receive the documents by post. You can rest assured. If you have any problems then you can forget about this matter. I will think of something else."


    Yang Dao shook his head, "I have no business in Crypto nation. Sister Yun also pulled out of there after killing the market. So it''s okay." he assured her.


    As they say, speak of the devil and the devil appears. Genie stood a little closer to Yang Dao and said, "See, here he comes."


    Yang Dao raised his head for a bit. he saw a man dressed in a maroon suit walking toward them. Behind him, two bodyguards followed. The boy did not bother and kept eating the snacks in his hand.


    The young man in maroon said, "Genie, I have been looking around for you. How are you doing? Do you like this party or if you do not find it nice here I can arrange something better for you."


    Genie shook her head and said, "You call me Miss Jasper, Mister Browns. Also, I am having a good time with my friends, if you would please go away and not ruin the lovely ambiance, it would be nice of you for a change."


    The guy was called Ashton Browns, heir to the Liquor king of Crypto nation. He had immense wealth and thus did not put anyone in his eyes. His smiling face was now looking cold. He asked, "Who might your friend be? I wonder if I can meet her?"


    In his mind, Genie was his property. In Crypto nation, he never let any guys waltz around her. Those who did were broken. The one thing he could never control was Icarus talking to Genie. This time his main goal was to deal with Icarus.


    Genie did not reply and held Yang Dao''s hand. She said, "Let''s go."


    Her gesture caught Ashton Browns'' attention. He asked, "Oh, so you are the friend. Well, friend, now that you have spent enough time with her, should I have some time with her?" he spoke with a genial tone yet the emphasis on the latter half of the sentence increased by a lot.


    Yang Dao raised his head and asked, "You are from the crypto nation, right?"


    Ashton nodded with pride. Yang Dao asked again, "So do you wear the maroon suit to compensate for the red armband for the visitors?" his question made the others freeze.


    A lot of people had seen Ashton Browns acting cocky and were displeased with him. At this moment, Yang Dao''s pun was no less than a slap to the former. The guards behind Ashton acted, "You bastard, how dare you ant, talk like this. They charged at Yang Dao abruptly.


    The boy ducked to save the food in his hands from falling and launched a swift kick to the man''s knee. Everyone heard a click sound. The second guard suddenly took out a foldable baton from the inside of his coat but he was also kicked.


    Yang Dao dodged to the side and delivered a roundhouse kick to the guard''s head. Instantly knocked down. He did not give anyone time to recover and picked out his phone. He called the police, "Hello, I would like to register an assault complaint..."


    He provided an address and everything so that the police could easily get to the location. He watched as the first bodyguard was still wailing. Yang Dao shook his head and hit the back of his neck, making him unconscious.


    Ashton browns wanted to cuss him but he clenched his fists. He was about to yell at Yang Dao but he controlled his anger. He said, "You will pay for this. I will remember this humiliation. The brown family will definitely get you."


    Yang Dao was not the old low-key guy. He hated arrogant young masters. This guy was the same. So he smiled and said, "Are we playing family? Okay, I, Feng Yang Dao, accept your challenge. Do try your best and come at me with all you have. I would like to see how you make me pay for this."


    Ashton was shocked by the readiness of this guy. Then he recalled the whole thing Yang Dao just said, he asked, "What did you say your name was?" a little dazed.


    Yang Dao smiled and said, "My name  is Feng Yang Dao." he only emphasized the ''is'' Well, this was enough to scare Ashton Browns. He trembled slightly. In his eyes, Yang Dao became a devil all of a sudden.


    He was aware of the reason why his whole country was facing the current situation. Was it not because of a guy who beat the citizen of their nation and when the thing spread like a virus the forces even wanted to kill this guy but they could only retreat in defeat.


    Brown family had their own force that was contracted by some tycoons to dispose of this guy, the whole force was wiped out by a force. Ashton Browns only now recalled the pictures of the old target. His pupils dilated, he asked, "You are the young master of The Phoenix Group?"


    He thought he was the tallest here. Rich of the Crypto Nation. Only now did he realize what was the pressure of a name.

 Chapter 143: Task.

    Yang Dao nodded in reply. He said, "Mr. Browns, let me introduce myself, Feng Yang Dao, not pleased to make your acquaintance." his voice was calm and steady.


    His voice carried an invisible aura. It was as if an emperor suddenly popped up among the plebeians. Ashton Brown was shocked. He never expected that he would cross paths with this god of plague. Recently, the damage done to the Cryptonian economy was still fresh in their minds. He regretted this.


    He wanted to apologize as well, but suddenly three policemen arrived. They were called over here by Yang Dao earlier. Ashton Browns was taken back to the Cryptonian consulate while his guards were sent to the hospital for treatment. One had a leg broken while the other suffered from a concussion.


    The crowd cheered as they saw Ashton Browns being taken away. They were all very depressed by his cockiness, yet still, they could do nothing because their pride stopped them from seeking outside help, such as police, and second, they were not smart enough.


    As the famous saying goes, ''Common sense is not so common.''


    Yang Dao shook his head at the people who were cheering up. Then he turned his gaze to Genie, and asked, "Okay, you can let go now. He won''t come back." His voice was low enough to be heard by the girl only.


    Genie woke up from her daze and said, "You dealt with that guy just like that? Like in a matter of minutes?" she still found it hard to believe. How can something that she has been bothered by for almost a year can be solved by this boy so easily? Although she woke up, she still did not let go of her grip on his arm.


    Suddenly, Yang Dao sensed his mobile ringing. He said, "Excuse, I need to take a call." only now did the girl let go. The shy Dao Child thanked the caller secretly. Just now, his heart was almost exploding. Genie was just a few marks short of reaching Feng Yun or Laohu Bai. Recently, he has been receiving attacks from the opposite gender as well. His awareness has improved. It would be awkward if he walked around with a bulge in his pants.


    He found a secluded corner and fished out his mobile. The caller ID displayed an encrypted number. Yang Dao picked it up with some scruples on his mind. he said, ''Hello?"


    A familiar voice sounded from the other side, "Special recruit Yang Dao, this is Lieutenant General Tiberius speaking. You are now ordered to report to the Central Command Office, ASAP. You have a task."


    A sense of urgency overwhelmed Yang Dao. he replied, "Yes, sir."


    The call was disconnected, Yang Dao first called Atsuji Kurogame. He asked as soon as the call was connected, "Elder, do you know?"


    The old side replied, "Young Master, it is a secret assignment. You report as soon as possible. I will talk to Feng Yun and the rest." his voice was solemn.


    Yang Dao did not delay any further. He disconnected the call and turned around to find Icarus. But the birthday boy was occupied with his friends at this moment. He looked around and suddenly a silky voice sounded in his ears, "Dao, are you looking for anyone?"


    The voice belonged to Adriana Stern. Yang Dao turned around and with a slight bow, he said, "Madam, I have to go. Something urgent came up at home. I wanted to tell Icarus, but he is busy attending to the guests."


    Adriana asked, "Everything alright?" her eyes showed a tint of concern.


    Yang Dao nodded and said, "Yes, it is not a big deal. Also, can you please pass on my good wishes and this gift to him?" he took out the box from the inside of his coat and extended it to Adriana.


    The lady took it with a smile and said, "I will handle it for you. be careful on the road and come to visit us in the future." well just the random usual lip service.


    Yang Dao left the reception hall and came to the parking lot. He started his car and drove out of the mansion. It was almost dinner time, and the traffic was scarce. Yang Dao used the GPS to locate the central command office in the city. He stepped on the pedal and the beast galloped.


    Central Command was the name for special forces commanding office. They had offices in every city of the country, but this was the headquarters. At this moment, many people were gathered in the situation room. They all had solemn expressions on their faces. Tiberius sat in the head position with a saddened face. he asked, "Still no news?"


    The surrounding people shook their heads. They all were also helpless. Suddenly, military personnel came inside the room. He saluted and said, "Sir, a special recruit called Yang Dao is here to report."


    Tiberius smiled suddenly and said, "March him inside."


    The soldier turned to the door and yelled, "SR DAO, MARCH IN."


    Yang Dao was standing outside in the corridor. He was led here when he came inside the building and told his situation to a soldier on the reception counter. He heard a loud call, and with a deep breath, he marched in.


    He marched inside the situation room and his gaze fell on Tiberius. The boy saluted and said, "SPECIAL RECRUIT, YANG DAO, REPORTING FOR DUTY, SIR."


    His voice was crisp, and his actions were sharp. The people at the table could not help but look deeply at this boy in front of them with a light in their eyes. Tiberius said, "At ease."


    Yang Dao followed the instructions and heard the old man say, "Your assignment is to go to an enemy country, Imperial Star Nation. You will be accompanied by two of your comrades. Their details will be provided to you later. Your task is to investigate the disappearance of three of our agents there."


    Yang Dao was given a task, an important one.

 Chapter 144: Ready.

    Tiberius continued. "Since it is behind enemy lines. You will not receive much support but your exit has been secured and you can use it anytime you think the situation is getting out of hand.


    Do you agree?"


    Yang Dao thought for a bit and said, "Yes Sir. Permission to speak freely."


    The old man nodded as he raised his brows slightly. Yang Dao said, "I would like to get a detailed report of the following events. Such as the time of the last contact, the last assignment the missing agents were given, their assets in the territory, and also their alias. Other than that, I hope I have some decision-making rank in the investigation team."


    Tiberius smiled and nodded. "Granted," he said loudly, shocking everyone in the room. They did not understand why this tender boy was granted all his wishes.


    Yang Dao asked, "When do we leave?"


    Tiberius told him, he will regroup with his team in an hour. Yang Dao nodded and walked out of the room. He called Lisa and told her he will be away from home for a few days and that she should go to Dao Courtyard. He also called Kiya and asked her to help him with a leave.


    The reason was that he needed time for his research. Then he called Frieda. The call was connected and a sleepy voice came out of the speaker, "Hello."


    The boy spoke with a smile, "Senior Frieda, it is Yang Dao."


    The girl woke up a bit. She asked, "What is it?"


    "Senior, something urgent came up, and I will have to go out of the country for a few days. Someone will contact you and they will help you with the lab space in the morning. Is that okay?"


    Frieda became anxious suddenly. She said, "When will you be back, how will I do the experiments alone?"


    Yang Dao smiled and said, "An expert will help you with the apparatus. You can have Kiya from my class, lend you a hand. It will be fine and if not then do not worry I will be back soon and we will finish it before your deadline. Please be assured."


    He gave her alternatives for every problem she could think of. He even patched Kiya in the call. After he was done with these, he called Feng Yun.


    The call connected and the other person spoke up first. "Young Master, how come you remember calling me?"


    The Dao Child chuckled and said, "We talk daily, Sister Yun. Also, I have to tell you something important. I have little time. I am being deployed for a military task. You can find out the rest from the elder, and I apologize to say, but can you contact Frieda Foster tomorrow? I promised her to help and now this thing came up..."


    He felt guilty in his heart. Feng Yun was not his subordinate or servant to him. She was the person closest to him. Ever since the first time she came in front of him, his heart has held a strong bond with her.


    Feng Yun said, "I will do whatever you ask me to do. I only want you to be safe and calm when you go out there. Only when you are calm can you handle such unfamiliar situations, okay? Do not worry about anything else. I have your back." her voice sounded even more soothing than usual.


    The Boy asked her to arrange a pick up for Lisa from sapphire lake residency. After that Yang Dao called Laohu Bai and found her cellphone out of reach. Seems like she is out of the country as well. he did not bother with Ryu Jinshi, the cold man.


    He heard some footsteps behind him. When he turned around, he found a boy and a girl, similar to his age. What surprised him was that he knew the girl. It was Carole Tepes. He did not have a good impression of this girl in front of him.


    As for the boy, he wore a pair of glasses on his nose. He had a geeky air about him. He was as tall as Yang Dao, with pale skin. A soldier was following behind them. As the three people approached Yang Dao, the soldier said, "These are you teammates for the team, sir. They are arranged by the higher-ups."


    The boy said thanks and the soldier left. Carole Tepes said, "I will first apologize for that day. I only hope that you can look past our differences and do our best on the mission." her tone was that of a senior. She thought of Yang Dao as a newbie.


    The Dao Child gazed at her and said, "I will say nothing much, but I treat others the way they treat me. Asking me to trust you two completely unknown people is a bit too much."


    The boy with glasses said, "Fair enough. Yeah, my name is Tony Jose. Let''s work well together."


    Yang Dao nodded and made the introductions. The three people developed a basic communication ground. An old voice sounded, "You guys go to the briefing room, we have little time."


    The three people nodded, and they went to the briefing room, along with the old man. The old man was Tiberius. Inside the room, a projector was displaying the plan and intel they would need when they reach the enemy territory.


    After fifteen minutes, Yang Dao and the others came out of the room with solemn expressions. The intel was quite vague. The boy sighed and said, "Looks like the other party was a step ahead of our alleys."


    Carole nodded and said, "There are two reasons this could have happened." her tone was suspicious.


    Tony spoke up, "A double or a rat?" his meaning was either the agents had turned into double agents or they were ratted out by someone. Both the situations made it hard for them to work with ground support.


    Suddenly Yang Dao said, "We can do it." the other two nodded. Carole said, "Captain Dao, shall we depart?"


    The Dao Child said, "Yes, let''s go."

 Chapter 145: Behind Enemy Lines.

    Yang Dao and the other two changed into more casual clothes according to their cover. They all were then sent to the airport where they boarded an Airforce high altitude scouting aircraft. The plane was as big as two commercial airliners; it was painted black.


    Yang Dao sighed, "G10 Megalith. This thing can actually fly?"


    Carole chuckled, and so did Tony Jose. They also had the same expression when they first saw this aircraft. During the time they commuted here, Yang Dao found out that both his companions have handled some assignments in the past so they were not complete noobs. While Carole specialized in interrogation. Tony was an expert in disguises and he was also a marksman.


    Yang Dao was assigned as the captain of the team during the briefing period. He showed his skills of observation and reasoning inside. The two people were dissatisfied earlier, but they were tamed immediately.


    Yang Dao revealed flaws in their plans while he also fixed them. As the three people sat inside the behemoth, it growled and move. Despite the soundproofing, they could hear the loud sound of the engines.


    It was estimated that the journey will take them 13 hours. They will be skydiving at noon. The country they were going to be a Chain of islands, It was called the Garden Islands. This nation was the hub of the rich and willful to come and squander their money.


    This nation had 20 islands around the biggest island. Every island had its own specialty, Casinos, hotels, discos, sightseeing, Etc Etc. Except for these, they also had animal sanctuaries, and something the entire world wanted to peek inside, research centers.


    The thing about these research centers was that even the citizens of Garden Islands were not allowed on the island dedicated to them. The world never found out what they were doing there. The security was so tight that even research personnel were not frisked twenty times before they enter.


    This was the target of the spies, who were reported missing in action. Yang Dao recalled all the information he was provided by the old General. There were five agents posted here. All of them missing.


    Their names were;


    Jackyl Tryst, a 25 years old male. Cover - Botanist in the Garden island Universities, had a lot of contacts with people in high places. Specialties - Just like carol he was an investigator.


    Edgar Floyd, a 23 years old male. Cover - Security personnel in Research Islands. Specialties - investigator.


    Liliana Drummer, a 26 years old female. Cover - Police office on the island nation. Specialties - Marksman.


    Andromeda Jones, a 29 years old female. Cover - Travel office manager. Specialties - Tech expert.


    Dillion Hanks, a 25 years old male. Cover - Security officer in one of the biggest casinos in the nation. Specialties - Vehicle expert and getaway guy.


    These five people were placed in positions where they can monitor the different activities in the whole country. They provided some information regularly but suddenly they vanished. This happened two days ago. They were tipped that a consignment of research samples would sail out.


    They went to intercept and did not return. The tip came from a verified asset. Yang Dao was provided with a list of assets and their contact numbers as well. They were given a time limit of three days to locate and investigate the case. If they were captured by the enemy, they will be abandoned by the nation. Plus they were all illegally infiltrating the Garden Islands.


    This place was a den of the rich and cowards. They paid a lot of money for their security. If these big names sniffed that, Jewel Nation was sneaking in their paradise. It will escalate the situation too much.


    The reason the three people were not sent in by regular ways was that Garden Island was too secure for the three to sneak out of the web until they get out of the place. It was as if you are constantly monitored. The citizens all had to wear mini cameras when outside. These cameras are more terrifying than CCTVs. You can imagine the network the people have.


    ...


    The red bulb inside the plane turned green. Carole said, "Let''s go, we are here."


    Yang Dao stood up with a parachute tied to his back. He said, "I lead, you follow? Wing formation?"


    The other two nodded, and the hatch opened. They took a small run and jumped from the opening. Yang Dao was in the center while the other two followed him on both sides. The altitude was twenty-five thousand feet. Almost at the edge of the stratosphere.


    They wore casual clothes, cold and lack of oxygen hit them hard, but suddenly a warm blanket of air enveloped them. Yang Dao bent the surrounding wind. The conditions eased a little. They quickly descended the sky. It would be boiling during the daytime, so nobody would look up at the sky when the sun was raging overhead.


    They choose to land in an animal sanctuary. This place was not visited by humans who came here for parties and plundering their wealth. As for some tourists, they all don''t have spare attention on their hands, as they were all busy making videos and clicking pictures. The place they landed on was a swamp area.


    Three parachutes vanished inside the thick cover of green. The kids rolled them up and hid the bags in the bushes. Tony Jose said, "So now what?"


    Yang Dao spoke up, "Heck into the Citizen monitoring network. Extract the clues of our agent''s meeting with the assets. Locate the asset, Interrogate the truth out of them."


    Carole nodded, "We need a place to operate. The old safe house may not be actually safe." her voice was wry.


    Yang Dao said, "Locate a cheap hotel, fill it with money, operate from there. Or look for a poor family. They might be in need."


    Tony shook his head and said, "Rich people, I never get what they are thinking about."


    Then they vanished into the woods.

 Chapter 146: Investigation Begins.

    The three people used the boiling noon to the best of their advantage. There were fewer people out on the streets. They all quickly exit the animal reserve and came to the city. Tony used a small computer, and he located a cheap hotel.


    Carole was asked to play the lure in their Honey trap. The hotel was like the motels one would see in the western hemisphere of the world. She entered from the back door of the main office. The manager of the place was immersed in a drama series on TV. She covered his eyes from behind using her palms and just as the guy was about to struggle she spoke in a silky voice, "Guess who is it, baby?"


    The last syllable was stretched a bit. The middle-aged manager was almost in the loop. He was about to turn around when Carole said, "I will vanish if you let other people see me."


    The man asked, "There are no other people here."


    Carole whispered, "But your camera has other people watching, though. They will take me away from you." well she is a vampire, her charm is enough to make people believe in the crap she was spewing out of her pretty mouth. Also, she was deliberately using vampiric skills.


    The man immediately covered the mini camera on his shoulder and pressed a button. The camera turned off. He said excitedly, "Now can I see you?" great expectation could be heard in his voice.


    Carole sighed and accepted her fate. She said, "Yes, you can." She distanced herself from the man as he turned the chair around. The man was average in looks but had a big belly. He almost could not control his drool as he gazed at Carole.


    He said, "The god finally answered my thoughts. I can finally have a beautiful lady for myself." he raised his hand and was about to touch Carole when the lady frowned and said, "You have not yet qualified the test of the gods."


    The man froze in his action. Carole continued, "Do you think God will reward you without a test? Foolish Mortal. Know your limits." her tone was harsh, and her eyes suddenly glowed red.


    As soon as the man looked into those blood-red eyes, he froze. Carole held her forehead and said, "The manager is under control. Come in."


    Tony and Yang Dao entered inside the office one after the other. They were not worried about surveillance. Tony has already frozen the frame at the normal scene. Nobody comes to this place usually. So nothing wrong will be found. Yang Dao said, "Ask him for a set of rooms, also, we will need a computer. Tony''s mini-computer cannot perform complex hacks."


    Carole nodded, and she said to the man, "The rules of the test are, you cannot tell anyone about the god''s messengers. We will vanish otherwise, and you will suffer the wrath." her silky voice entranced the man. He had completely lost his sense of reality. In his mind, Carole was actually a fairy the god has sent for him.


    Carole asked him a set of the cleanest room here. The man hurriedly skimmed through the clatter of keys inside the drawer. This motel had 20 rooms. He found the cleanest for her. It was more like a duplex house. The team nodded. It was better for them to stay together.


    Next, the man was given some cash the team carried on them to go to the market and buy them a good laptop. It would take him an hour to run the errand. In the meantime, Yang Dao and the others squinted eyes.


    Tony suggested as they send the man away. "We may be tracked in the night. How do we deal with that?"


    Yang Dao said, "We are not going out until we look at the videos. We need to know, what the game is to beat the other side. Rest now. We work when the manager comes back."


    The two nodded. They agreed with it. Even though they had limited time in their hands but if they tried to rush things they will fail, eventually. They had two tasks at this moment. One was to investigate the missing agents while also safeguarding themselves.


    Suddenly a satellite phone in Yang Dao''s gear rang. The boy picked it up.


    He only said, "Acquired base of operation, an asset. No alarms raised." his voice was firm and calm. The call disconnected.


    He turned around and saw Carole looking at him with some hesitation. Tony has already gone inside the washroom to take a shower. He asked, "What is it?"


    Carole asked, "Do you know what am I?" her question was a little awkward.


    Yang Dao gave her a confused glance. The girl sighed and said, "Just like how you are an Elementalist, I am a vampire." her lips, however, were fixed.


    She was speaking directly inside Yang Dao''s mind. The boy was surprised, but then he calmed down. After all, a month ago, he did not even know about Elementalists. He asked, "Then do you drink blood like how they say in the books?


    Carole was surprised for a second and then laughed. her bell-like laughter rang out in the room. She said, "No, I don''t need to drink blood. At least not more than once a month. Also, it is not human blood, we prefer animals nowadays."


    Yang Dao nodded. Carole continued, "I do not have any physically strong straight. Just as strong as a normal human, but my brain, however, is a different story altogether. I am not smart, but I can use telekinesis, telepathy, and also the vampire bloodline skill charm. The last time when we met I could not help but find you interesting and thus I used the skill on you. But somehow you broke out of it. You are the first man to do that."


    Yang Dao did not comment. He was focused on how to use Carole more efficiently. Carole did not speak as well. Tony walked out of the bathroom and said, "Why the awkward silence?"


    Yang Dao replied, "I have an idea."

 Chapter 147: Execution.

    Tony and Carole were curious about what idea can this guy get. Yang Dao smiled and told them the plan. The more he talked, the more he amused the other two. After he was finished with it Tony said, ''Is it just me or the plan sounds too childish?"


    Carole nodded in agreement. Yang Dao shook his head and said, "Humans always fall for something they do not expect. You tell me, will the assets ever imagine something like this? They are all probably ready with guns hanging to their waist to kill whoever approaches them. Relax, just trust me. It will work."


    Tony had some hesitation but Carole said, "As expected of the national nerd king. I knew you were reading Human psychology but to this extent, I did not expect it. You surprise me, student Dao."


    Yang Dao smiled and Carole told Tony about his background. Tony was a guy who had just returned from an exchange program, plus he was not a native of Jade city. He belonged to a small mining town called Stalactia. The town was famous for Gem stalactites found in the caves here.


    Any gem or precious metal you can think of, if there was a mine in this region, that precious metal will show itself as stalactites. Tony was scouted by some passing military officers when he sneaked inside the camp and stole food. The army trained him since then and only recently he joined the Military University.


    As he listened to the details from Carole, he nodded and agreed to go forward with the plan Yang Dao suggested. It might work. The three people took showers and rested for some time when the manager of the motel came to the place. He held a big box in his hand. Yang Dao came and took the box.


    Carole sent off the guy with a command to get them some good street food. In the time the manager would come back, the Dao child unboxed the computer and set it up. It looked more like a gaming system.


    Sensing Tony''s confused he told him, "If we order for a normal high spec computer, it may tick off some leaders of this, please. This gaming laptop is perfect for our use."


    The boy started typing at a ghostly speed and shocked Tony. The latter had no ideas about what was going on. He just gazed at Yang Dao''s operation and after a few minutes, he did not almost jump off the building.


    The dao child had entered his Crypto Nation account. Using that account as a relay, he hacked into the garden Island network. Both Carole and Tony stood behind him, frozen. They had seen nothing like this. It was as if Yang Dao was a developer of the system. He hacked inside in thirty minutes.


    Tony said, "Why do you have an account of Crypto Closed web?" his voice was shaking a bit.


    Yang Dao replied, "Because I hack the CPB of the crypto nation?" his voice was as calm as if he was saying someth9ing normal. He paused and continued, "The garden island system is designed by a cryptonian. Now we have a piece of good news and a piece of bad news. Which one first?"


    Carole replied, "Good one." her eyes were expectant.


    Yang Dao said, "I have the address of the cryptonian who maintains the garden Island surveillance."


    Tony asked, "Bad news?"


    Yang Dao replied, "The data in the servers was manipulated, and only one person can do this. That person is?"


    "The cryptonian developer?" Tony asked in an unsure voice.


    Yang Dao said, "Bingo, we need to get his computer and the key card. Or we find nothing." his tone was as if they were here to hang out.


    Carole said, "So, we infiltrate a guy responsible for the security of the whole place and take away some of his stuff and then can we do something?"


    The two boys nodded. Carole sighed, "What a drag."


    The three people looked for ways to get this developer in their trap. During their research, they found the developer had a daughter. The relationship between the two was stiff and was a very good angle to exploit.


    ...


    In the evening.


    Tony spent three hours disguising himself as the manager of the hotel. Then he dressed up nicely. Even If it was the manager''s mother, she will not recognize him at this moment. The plan was to abduct the girl and use her as a bargaining chip. This task was given to Tony.


    Yang Dao was the getaway support, while Carole was the guide. The plan was simple, Carole will monitor the girl''s location, she will guide the people, Tony will seduce the girl and take her to the car, where Yang Dao is a driver. The girl will be used then.


    Since Tony was playing the Motel manager, the real guy was put to sleep by Carole in a storage closet of their room set. Tony first switched off his camera and knocked out a cab driver. Yang Dao changed into the cabbie''s uniform while the cabbie was injected with sleeping medicine and tucked inside the trunk.


    They had to make sure that they are not caught in a camera. Then, Yang Dao drove Tony to a camera shop where the guy showed his IDs and all to ask for a new camera. This was a governmental office and any changes in the equipment must be reported or the forces come looking for you.


    Carole informed them about the girls'' location on their sat comm earpieces. She seemed to drown her sorrows in a pub. Yang Dao drove the cab over to the location and Tony got down. Despite his fat figure, the man was dressed lavishly. The guards let him enter the pub. Yang Dao drove his cab to a dark alley and turned it off.


    He said in the comms, "Tony is in, tell me as soon as you find something wrong." the first half was for Carole while the second was for both.

 Chapter 148: Execution(2)

    While Yang Dao sat inside the cab, Tony inside the pub approached the bar counter where a few people were drowning themselves in alcohol and spirits. He spotted a girl wearing an off-shoulder dress, she looked sensual. For a moment Tony was surprised.


    Then he shook it off. he reminded himself of his task and sat down in the chair next to the girl. he did not glance at her and called a bartender. The lady bartender was another charming obstacle. With a bewitching smile and playful gaze, the bartender asked, "What will you have?"


    Tony smirked and checked her out, as he said, "How about I have you, love?" although the fat belly was ugly the voice coming out of his throat was good enough to hook the fish.


    The bartender did not expect the fat man to be so confident of himself and tease her back. She stuck out her tongue and said, "I will think about it based on your performance. Now, what will you have?" her tone was calm but not as playful as before.


    Toney said, "Anything you recommend, I want to forget my relationships tonight." his words were casual and his lips had a smile but the voice carried a hint of loneliness.


    The bartender nodded and then she poured him a drink of her choice. She said, "Nothing heals the wounds better than a neat glass of bourbon and understanding company. You have the bourbon now look for a companion." she patted his hand as she passed him the glass and left to attend to another guest.


    Tony muttered, "Company, you say? My own family is too busy for me. How can stranger have time to accompany me." then he raised his glass and said, "To solitude and pain."


    With that said, He chugged down the glass and winced. Suddenly the girl next to him asked, "How about we accompany each other."


    Tony did not react at first then the girl nudged him with her soft hands. Only then did he gaze at her and asked, "You were talking to me?"


    The girl nodded and the two gradually started chatting and drinking. Soon, finding the similarities among themselves the girl eased up and sympathized with Tony. At this moment someone pushed the girl from behind and said, "Sorry."


    The girl was too drunk, and she had no sense of balance. At this moment she fell in Tony''s arms, she gazed at his face in the dim lights. Toney said in a low voice, "It is okay."


    The girl stood on her toes and hugged him suddenly. She whispered in his ears, "take me home with you."


    Tony acted to have been shocked and said, "This is too soon. No?" he was dying to take her home. So despite he said this he tied his gaze around her waist. The girl smiled and said, "It is best to be unplanned."


    Tony nodded after a few seconds. He paid the bill and walked out of the pub with her. The sultry bartender however sighed and shook her head. she mumbled, "There goes my money stash."


    ...


    Carole said, "Dao, he is out. You are up."


    ...


    Yang Dao quickly took action and drove the car to the entrance of the pub. He quickly noticed Tony supporting a girl in his arms waving at him. He drove over slowly and turned the meter.


    There were a lot of people who came to these places with a cab they had booked for a full time. So no one found anything unusual. As the two sat inside the car. Yang Dao drove it away. The girl was getting restless and was almost on the verge of tearing her clothes apart. Thankfully Tony knocked her out with a palm knife on her neck.


    Yang Dao sighed in relief. The girl fell asleep in Tony''s arms. Yang Dao said, "Take off your clothes before you close her camera. Also only take off the outer ones."


    The people in the observation room would not pay any attention to the guys immersed in sex. Tony nodded and did as instructed. Soon they arrived at the hotel. Tony carried off the unconscious girl inside while Yang Dao drove away. He had to deal with the fainted cabbie as well.


    The boy took the cabbie out of the trunk and changed his clothes again. They had left a hole inside the trunk cover to let the air pass through to prevent the person from suffocating. Then YanG Dao cleaned up the car of any prints before putting the cabbie inside. He also put some money in the cabbies pocket to justify that he took a passenger to the pub and then came back. As for the girl, no one knows where she went."


    Yang Dao returned to the hotel, where Carole had already prepped the Girl and she was dealing with the manager, prepping him up in case the police come searching. She had him lock the door from the outside and leave. This set of rooms look inhabitable from the outside so no one will get suspicious about it.


    Carole said after the manager left, "Dao how do we lure the developer?"


    The boy said, "Charm her to dance I will have a video telecasted for the developer''s eyes only. That should do the work. Also, make it so that she only acts like stripping and not actually do it. I do not want any sins on my conscience."


    Carole nodded, Yang Dao asked, "Where is Tony?"


    The girl replied, "Too drunk, flushing his system. Also, it will take some time, so you can eat. I will tell you when it is ready." then she left the room.


    Yang Dao picked up the food served on the table and started to eat.


    ...


    Jade City, Dao Courtyard.


    Feng Yun sat in front of Laohu Bai, who had a red face at this moment. She was not blushing, but she was enraged. she said, "HOW DARE HE SEND DAO TO SUCH A PLACE?"


    She was aware of the difficulties in Garden Islands. Her anger was aimed at Tiberius. If not for Feng Yun who stopped her. The old man would have died already.

 Chapter 149: Rescue or Retreat?

    Feng Yun sighed and said, "Calm Daon, Xiao Bai. Young Master is fine. I have sent Shadow guard to watch over him and his team. They will take care of the rest calm down."


    Her words calmed down Laohu Bai a bit but still, she was shivering from rage. Suddenly the phone rang. The caller was Atsuji Kurogame. The white-haired girl picked up the call and was about to spit fire when the old man said, "Young master is fine, do not worry. He informed us of his status and the situation is under control."


    The people in the house calmed down a lot after this news, yet still, the white tigress blamed the people for letting Yang Dao go to the enemy territory on his own.


    ...


    Tony came out of the shower and he ate some food with Yang Dao. He drank a bit too much with the girl. Carole came over to them after a few minutes and asked, "She is under control. What do we do?"


    Yang Dao nodded and stood up, as he said, "I will hack into his system. You give me some time." with that said he stood up and changed his position to sit down in front of the gaming laptop. he started to type in codes wildly. The other two did not disturb him at all and let him do his thing.


    After twenty minutes the boy wiped off some sweat on his forehead and said, "Okay, Senior Carole, you can start your show now. I have the thing set completely."


    Tony asked, "Why are the codes on your screen still moving?"


    Yang Dao said, "Evolving wormhole firewall code sequence. Plus the mirror code is written in here so." boys will be boys. Tony also liked tech and he knew a little about hacking and coding. The two codes said by Yang Dao were very good and almost impossible to breakthrough.


    ...


    Moonshine Apartments. A posh area where the higher-ups and the rich lived. In an apartment man in his fifties was sitting in front of a big screen and he was typing at a speed almost similar to yang Dao. He lifts his hands from the keyboard, took off the glasses sitting on his nose, and rubbed the bridge a bit. He was about to stand up and finish working for the day when he saw an email notification.


    He did not open it up and first checked the IP address, when he confirmed that it was from the Crypto nation he relaxed and opened the email. Suddenly a video played in front of him. A video that shook his soul.


    He quickly picked up his phone and wanted to call his daughter, who was at the moment dancing in the video. He was about to press the call button when he saw a message on the mobile screen. "Hello, if you wish your daughter to be well. Please co-operate or this video will become the screensaver of the whole Crypto Nation."


    Yang Dao had cleverly found a stripper-san video on the net and put the girl''s face over it. The developer was a respected person, if this thing was circulated will he not lose his face. He looked at the dialog box below the video. A typing cursor was flashing on it.


    He quickly typed in, "WHAT DO YOU WANT AGAINST HER FREEDOM? WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS? YOU ARE A CRYPTONIAN AS WELL."


    The other side replied, "You don''t need to know these things. What we need is some simple information. I ask you questions and you reply truthfully, also it would be nice if you provide the evidence of your claims. I give you my word. Your daughter will be safe."


    The old developer had no choice. Obviously, he was trying to track down the other person but two things stopped him. First, the IP of Crypto nation, second, the word ''WE'' used by Yang Dao earlier. He thought that Yang Dao had a group of people behind him and he immediately became cautious. he knew that the hacker of the country was not very easy to deal with and they all had inexplicable unity.


    He typed in, "What do you need?"


    "What did you do to the Jewel nation Spies?" Yang Dao typed.


    "They are all dead." the developer replied.


    "The evidence to support the claim." Yang Dao returned the ball.


    The developer hesitated. Another message popped up, "Looks like you are not very loving to your daughter or should I say your prestige. How about telecasting it to the biggest billboard in Garden islands?"


    "Wait, wait, I lied. I lied. Here take this evidence. The agents are alive but they are kept in captivity by the army. They suffer a lot of torture these days. I swear that is all I know. Here is the proof." The old developer was scared instantly when he heard the message about his image and prestige. He immediately opened the folders where the videos of the agents were stored.


    ...


    Yang Dao did not download the videos he played them remotely and recorded the things on his mobile phone camera. He said to Carole, "Use the charm, let the girl return to her home and tell them that she was on her way home after she came here with the manager but somebody pulled her in a car and made her dance in front of them."


    The girl nodded and left. The Dao child asked Tony, "What do you think of this situation?"


    Tony replied, "Rescue or retreat? What else can we do?"


    Yang Dao said, "Repot it in first, then settle the accounts with the rat and probably rescue?" he was unsure about what to do in this situation because they did not have enough support. Carole cannot do combat missions and Tony was obviously not meant for the front lines. he could only provide support. Things were going to be trickier now.


    Shaking it off, he gave the Sattelite phone to Tony while he warned the old developer to keep his mouth shut or he will be hunted down by the cryptonian assassins. Carole made the girl stop dancing and then she let her go home. The charm will not affect her in any way just alter her memory.

 Chapter 150: Decision.

    After wrapping up the stuff, Yang Dao sent the videos to the office back in jewel Nation. The three people then waited for the higher-ups to speak. In the meantime, they squinted their eyes and took naps while one person kept watching.


    The satellite phone rang all of a sudden and Yang Dao immediately picked it up. The other side said, "Deal with the rats and the next step is left to your own description."


    The call was brief and the message was clear. Yang Dao put the phone back on the table as he leaned back on the couch. Carole asked him., "What did they say?"


    The boy glanced at her and told her the message. Tony was also awake and he heard the whole thing. He said, "Well, how about we do it in phases?"


    Yang Dao gazed at him without speaking. Tony continued, "Deal with the rats first. Then we toss about what to do and what not to do."


    The three people nodded in agreement. They had been given a list of assets by the HQ so they located these people by hacking in the surveillance network. Three out of these ten assets have been missing for three days exactly. Yang Dao used a triangulation algorithm to track them down.


    He said, "They might have guards and all. You leave the recon and infiltration to me. If the security is too tight, you guys help me create distractions. Okay?"


    Tony asked, "How do we do that?" his tone was showing toward the fact that they had only their sidearms and not much ammunition. 4 magazines of bullets won''t be enough to create a distraction.


    Yang Dao shook his head and said, "You just tell me how far you can throw a projectile weighing around a quarter kilogram? Also, how fast can you run? I will create the tools of distraction for you."


    Tony was confused but till now everything has worked fine as they followed Yang Dao''s arrangement. Earlier he perfectly got the developer to speak. He exploited the common trait among the Cryptonians. Their greed for fake pride and glory.


    The two people answered the questions he asked. Yang Dao had Carole play the getaway guy, while Tony was the decoy in danger. Yang Dao was the main assault and infiltration guy. Just when the two people were wondering how this guy will make them the tools for a distraction.


    The boy stood up and walked into the washroom. Then he asked Carole to go outside and bring some other things. Tony heard the list of things and stood up in surprise. He said, "You intend to make bombs?"


    Dao Child smiled and said, "Bingo."


    Tony shook his head, "Surely the topper, huh. This was taught for just one class in training. And the instructor only mentioned the chemicals that can make a bomb but who would have thought that you guy actually learned it and even found the ingredients."


    Yang Dao smiled and said, "You also figured it out means you are smart enough too. So, can you help me?"


    Tony nodded and when Carole came back with the stuff she bought with the help of her subject ''the hotel manager'' the two people made ten makes to do bombs. Carole shook her head and said, "Why don''t I remember such a thing?"


    Tony said, "You were trained by the special forces?" the former shook her head in denial and that was the answer.


    Before moving to the Investigation unit, Tony was a common military cadet, and he had taken part in special training exercises as well. Carole was a proper investigator, she was taught only how to extract information from other people. Yang Dao was a proper special forces person. He was trained in everything, but not specialized in one thing only.


    The sun was about to set when the people walked out of their rooms. Yang Dao spent some effort and cloned three cameras for themselves. He did not do it earlier because he was unfamiliar with the coding process and other things inside the system.


    The boy prepared everything. No one will notice three citizens popping up in millions of population and thousands of daily tourists. They ''borrowed'' the manager''s car this time and had Carole drive it. The car was an average one. The miser manager has not driven it much.


    Carole drove the car to the casino island and roamed around at a calm place. After finding a secluded place, the two boys came out. Yang Dao had located the first rat to be hiding in a high-end hotel.


    The security was visible from the outside only. Tony asked, "How to do it?"


    The boy replied, "Time to improvise. You change with Carole. We go play the killer couple." his tone was calm and steady.


    Tony smiled and said, "I like this idea." and he went back to the car. A few minutes after, Carole walked over. She asked, "What do we do?"


    Yang Dao said, "We play a couple, go inside the hotel. book a room. You will extract the information from a steward. Tony will create a distraction. I kill the rat, we flee." as he said that, he took a deep breath.


    Then he said, "Pardon my rudeness." and he placed a hand behind Carole''s waist. The girl was shocked but stabilized her emotions and with a smile snuggled closer to Yang Dao. The two people walked inside the hotel. As he observed the security earlier, the guests were being frisked at the entrance. He also noticed that there was no female guard.


    He gave the gun to Carole and whispered something to her. The girl nodded, and the two walked out of the alley and came to the front gate. A guard came up and said, "Excuse me, Sir. Please cooperate with the security check. We apologize for the inconvenience"


    Yang Dao nodded with a smile and said, "I don''t mind, but if you are going to check my girlfriend as well, then please arrange either a woman or a secluded area."


    His demand was placed politely and as a big name in the hospitality business, the hotel did not hesitate. They arranged for female staff to do the security check.

 Chapter 151: The Action Begins.

    The Female staff member led Carole to the side and she frisked her under the gaze of a male security guard. This situation was as if gazing was allowed, but what can they do? Force too much might attract attention and blow up their cover.


    To get past this obstacle, Carole used her vampiric charm. She first cast it on the male guard and then the female staff. The staff already had her mentality under the pressure of the male guard. The two people returned after two minutes and the male guard nodded to his companions.


    The Dao Child showed some growth at the receptionist table. He kept his hand around Carole''s waist and gave it a gentle stroke now and then. The girl also did not shy away she placed her head on his shoulder or she would whisper something in his ears with a smirk. The two people flexed their ''romance'' enough to make some people feel jealous.


    Yang Dao asked for a room on an hourly basis, the hotel agreed and the boy took out his identity card. It was a fake he had created for today. The three people were going out and needed to move under the nose of these people.


    The lady at the reception arranged for a bell boy to lead the two people. Carole started working as soon as the elevator door closed. She whispered in a low voice as the two stood behind the bell boy. soon the bell boy was completely under her spell. When the two people entered the room. the bell boy told them that the guy they were looking for is inside the presidential suite.


    Turned out the rat was kept in a luxury cage. The garden island government was obviously afraid of the counter-action of the people from the Jewel nation. Yang Dao had a skin mask that Tony had made for him, inside his jacket. He took the gun from Carole and left the room.


    The bell boy has told him that there were two guards next to the elevator on every floor and three guards at the staircase on every floor. The boy had noticed this arrangement when he had come out of the elevator. The guard asked him, "Sir, is there any problem?"


    Their job was to stay alert and stay suspicious. Yang Dao scratched the back of his head and said, "Well, my girlfriend does not like the protection balloons inside, she said to get a thinner one." he was embarrassed and shocked at his own action.


    Icarus has sometimes planted corrupted thoughts in his mind and thankfully they came in handy. The guards smiled at him meaningfully. They wished him a good evening and then let him board the elevator. The elevator door closed and started to go down.


    Yang Dao was on the fifteenth floor, while the target was on the twenty-third. The plan was already clear in his mind when he heard the bell boy reveal the details to him. he had Carole make the bell boy loosen the nut and bolts locking the fan assembly. All he needed to do was to give them the last twist and open the hatch.


    The elevator was a big one, and the fan assembly had a sliding design. The boy had looked up all the info on his mobile when Carole was charming the bell boy. (Do you think that the plot armor is cool?)


    The boy got over the elevator after sliding the fan assembly to the side. He closed the hatch from the inside. Then he spoke in his comms, "Tony are you up there?"


    Tony responded, "All set." he was told by Yang Dao to abandon the vehicle and get on took of the building. After a few minutes, Carole will leave the hotel and cover the getaway guy role. Tony''s role was to open the elevator shaft door from the outside.


    Getting a go from Tony, the boy started to climb the iron ladder inside the elevator shaft. He had to climb from the first floor to the top. When he reached the fifth floor the elevator below started to move. Yang Dao quickly moved his body to one side of the ladder, his back was stuck to the wall. His right hand held onto the ladder and right for was also firm on a step, while his left hand supported against the wall.


    The elevator moved past him. The boy flung his body back on the ladder and started climbing. He had to do this flinging a few times before he reached the top floor. When he reached the top floor Tony stood there, wearing different clothes, with three men lying near his feet. They all were pale.


    Tony said, "They were guarding here. Had no choice but to take them down. Also, we have only half an hour before the assault is discovered once you start. They do checks every thirty minutes." he stated the fact in a calm manner.


    Yang Dao said, "How much time has passed since the last check?" he was swinging his hands and flexing his legs. He has been climbing for half an hour now. His body may not be tired but it was very stiff.


    Tony replied, "28 minutes. You have 2 minutes to start. Also, Carole is ready. For the past ten minutes, I could not contact you. That means, they have jammers placed after a certain level."


    Yang Dao nodded and said, "Thank you for noting this. Well, if I am not back in twenty minutes you can throw the bomb down and run away. Okay?" his voice was solemn.


    Tony hesitated but then nodded. He was here for a mission and now that he has gotten a command from Yang Dao himself. If things did not work out then he will take Carole away. Suddenly a walkie-talkie started beeping. Tony changed his voice and replied, "All clear."


    The other side replied, "Okay."


    Tony had stuck the cameras of the three people to the walls so that they were now facing the horizon. When he was sneaking over, he was almost spotted. They took him for a guard in another building when they saw his clothes and just as they turned around to share a cigarette, he killed them.

 Chapter 152: Pest Control.

    Yang Dao heard Tony confirming the situation check. He dusted his clothes took out this suppressed handgun and walked down the staircase leading to the roof after he gave an OK signal to Tony. This guy was very skilled, he arranged the three cameras and left a blind zone for himself and Yang Dao.


    The dao child moved quickly but carefully. He crouched as he entered the staircase. He also made sure to avoid creating any sound as well by keeping his body away from the walls and the railings, lest he touched them accidentally. The target was residing a floor below.


    Soon Yang Dao heard some voices, "Matthew, for how long do we have to stay here?"


    "I don''t know. Well, these higher-ups are crooked. They did not want to expose themselves so hired us. Humph, I hate cowards like this."


    "Yet you love their money."


    "That I certainly do." then the people burst into laughter. Yang Dao deducted from the varying voice pitch that there were 3 guards. he took out the skin mask from his jacket and put it on carefully. In his mind, he scolded himself, ''This was supposed to be done before entering the staircase.''


    Thankfully he did not make any sound. He focused the wind around him. Using his elemental skill he gathered it in a ball as big as a human. Then guided the ball along the staircase and made it burst in front of the three guards.


    The sudden strong wind made them all squint their eyes and Yang Dao quickly moved as soon as he made the ball burst.


    PUFF, PUFF, PUFF...


    Three consecutive headshots. The attack was swift and concise. Yang Dao ran up to the fallen guards. removed the cameras and placed them on the walls, quickly. Then joined his hands together to the corpses and said, "May you rest in peace." then he stepped over the dead bodies and peeked through the corridor entrance.


    The place seemed to be deserted. He held his gun up, leveling with his shoulders and close to his body. Wherever his head moved, the muzzle was also following. He checked all the corners, and gaps as he proceeded toward the target location.


    The whole floor seemed to have been cleared for safety reasons. Yang Dao did not dare to be careless even for a bit. He reached the last corridor on the floor and sensed two people with machine guns posted at the door of the room securing the target. He did not waste time, quickly rolled on the ground as he fired two shots.


    The scene was as if an action movie was being played. Well, there were no special effects but the wind sense. The boy could locate everything within a kilometer and the accuracy will be to the point of a nano-meter. The same operation like the one on the staircase.


    After placing the cameras on the wall. He searched the two guards and found a key card inside one guy''s clothes. Using the key card he opened the door slowly. He slid inside the room and closed the door. He looked around and found nothing. Suddenly he heard someone singing loudly behind the closed door on the side.


    Seemingly someone was enjoying a bathroom concert. Yang Dao had just came to the door when the door was opened from inside. A young man in his twenties came out. He froze when he saw Yang Dao. The latter already had his gun pointed at the young man.


    The person did not even get to response or beg when a bullet passed through his brain, splashing a mix of red and white on the floor behind. The killer joined his hands and said, "Be loyal in next life."


    Then he walked out of the room without any delay, leaving a bleeding cor[see behind him. Yang Dao prayed for the guards on the door and he left the place quicky.


    ...


    On the roof, Tony was biting his nail in anxiety. He only let out breath when he saw Yang Dao coming out of the staircase. Then Tony fled from the top while Yang Dao went down from the stairs and exited the hotel from the main gate. The boy had killed three more guards and prayed for their peace before coming out. The reason was to mislead the investigators of this scene.


    Outside the hotel, Carole sat inside a car. Soon Tony and Yang Dao also got inside an the trio left the scene.


    ...


    A man, was observing the three poeple. He placed a hand near his mouth and said, "Retreat. Young Master is safe."


    This man was one of the shadow guards Fenh Yun sent to guard Yang Dao without helping him at all. Ever since the time the boy was injured. Feng Yun had twenty people guarding him in rotation. They were all elementals and knew how to avoid detection. They did not want YanG Dao to know about their existence lest he deliberately let down his guard.


    The purpose was to protect him and not make him dependant on them.


    ...


    Yang Dao and the two people returned to their hideout. Carole asked, "What do you think we should do about the next two targets? This operation is too time consuming and also risky."


    Yang Dao said, "If we rushed they might kill our agents. That risk is not worth it." he was sprawled on the bed as he said this.


    Tony also nodded, "This time, I was almost killed by these fuckers. Things are not easy. How do you avoid being pictured the whole time you are outside your home? Too much hassle."


    Carole said, "If only I could control a guard and have them assassinate the targets for us." her voice sounded helpless at this moment.


    Yang Dao said, "Give me half an hour and then I will try to make your wish come true."


    The boy was tired from all the climbing and stuff. he picked up the satellite phone and called back to HQ. The message was small, "First round of pest control was success. No infection on our side."


    After he disconnected the call he asked, "Who came up with the codes we use?" with his bows frowned causing the two people smile.

 Chapter 153: Shadow Strike.

    Yang Dao rested for a bit and then he got up again to work. Sitting in front of the laptop, his fingers moved on the keyboard and the touchpad. Tony asked from the side, "What are you doing now?"


    The boy replied, "Invading the research centers and causing a disarray."


    Tony was shocked and asked, "What do you intend to do?"


    "Ghost command to the mercenaries, to deal with the rats as they have outlived their use. While bypassing the firewalls to see what these guys are actually doing inside the labs." Yang Dao''s voice was very calm and stable.


    Before Tony could ask anything, the boy said, "Can you not disturb me? One mistake and we will be spotted by the forces here." he did not take his eyes off the screen.


    Carole, who went to rest in her own room, came out at this moment. She asked, "What is going on?"


    Tony signaled her to keep quiet and told her everything with whispers. The girl was surprised and asked, "Why did you not do this earlier? Are they not aware of the first strike?"


    Yang Dao sighed and said, "Well, I did not think about this method until you said so. Also, even if they are investigating, I have given them the reason that there is another agent in the country and that person is a master of disguise."


    Tony asked, "Why does that sound like me? Also, how are you sure that they will believe you?"


    Yang Dao was about to notice when the satellite phone rang up suddenly. The boy made a shushing gesture to the two and picked up the call. Then In a deep voice, he said, "Report your ID code."


    The other side reported the ID code and Yang Dao said, "Identity confirmed. Task confirmed." With that, the call was disconnected.


    He was about to get back to work when Carole asked, "Classmate Dao, you want to tell us what you did?" her voice did not carry a hint of request.


    The Dao Child sighed and said, "Well, I extracted the data of the guard detail. Then pinged the leaders of the guard team. These people are mercenaries. They may not go to the research center. The data shows that all the arrangements were done on a closed network and encrypted calls.


    The reason being that Garden Island''s government is pretending to be on neutral ground in front of the world. Jewel nation is constantly monitoring them along with the allied nations. So the people behind the research center''s mercenaries.


    After all, who can be completely sure that the other nations have not planted spikes inside the core of their government? So, I just diverted the calls of the mercenary leaders just now and then I asked them to kill the rats. For whatever reason, these people secured these rats, it has nothing to do with us."


    Carole was surprised by this analysis. She asked, "How sure are you that these people will do what you said?"


    Yang Dao beckoned her to stand behind him. Then the two people looked at the screen, which showed footage from the security guards'' perceptive. The two people recognized the targets. They had seen how the assets looked like when they received data from the developer. The guards killed the targets with ease and soon Yang Dao received a confirmation call.


    The boy was not ready to take the risk of exposure when he went to kill the first guy instead of directly hacking and manipulating the security teams. he was afraid that the forces deployed are covert army specialists, and it was not nice to kill soldiers lest they found something. If this happened the whole country will hunt them.


    Yang Dao hacked inside the research centers data and found the details of the research subject. The more he read, the more he was irritated. Soon, he was enraged when he saw the atrocities these people committing in the name of research.


    Thinking of this he was about to go chaotic when he heard Carole say, "These people will die."


    Yang Dao woke up from his rage and directly sent the Data from the research center to the jewel nation. He said, "Will await your orders."


    Carole and Tony were sharing the same emotion as Yang Dao at this moment. Tony said, "I wish I could bomb these places. This is sinful."


    Carole clenched her teeth and said, "Those are human kids."


    Yang Dao nodded and said, "I will erase the data they have gained, permanently and then expose the proof to the world. The ugly stench they have covered with exotic flowers will come out and the world will condemn them. Or at least those who are involved in this."


    Tony nodded and said, "Good. I support you."


    Soon they got a response from the HQ. The command was to secure the data and bring it back at any cost. Yang Dao did not quite understand the reason behind this order. He was not a foot soldier to die following orders. He tweaked with the Satellite phone again and called Atsuji Kurogame.


    ...


    The old man was sitting in front of Feng Yun and Laohu Bai. They were having tea in silence. When Feng Yun said, "Young Master seems to be enraged."


    The other two nodded, and a cell phone rang. They could sense his mood even from half a world away.


    The old man took out his mobile phone and accepted the call. He was used to receiving encrypted calls. So, this was not a big deal as well.


    He said, "Hello."


    Yang Dao''s voice sounded. "Elder, do you know about the decision the central command made after I submitted the proof that Garden Island is dabbling in human genetic research? The test subjects are children." his voice was loud enough to be heard by Feng Yun and Laohu Bai.


    Atsuji Kurogame said, "Young Master, I have not been informed about any such thing. Give me five minutes and I will give you an answer."


    Yang Dao said, "You have five minutes, or I will destroy the fucking freak show going on here. Do you understand?"


    Atsuji Kurogame said hurriedly, "Yes, young master. I understand." his voice was shaky. When has Yang Dao talked so harshly to him?


    The last time the boy did such a thing was when the high table threatened the innocent people around him. Putting the call on hold. The old man made calls quickly.

 Chapter 154: Dao Commands.

    Yang Dao''s mood immediately affected the three people. But watching Atsuji making calls and roaring at the people. They all kept patient. Soon, the old man disconnected the call and said, "Young Master, this was done by an officer two ranks above Tiberius. I will have things enquired and clean up every mess overnight."


    Yang Dao said, "Put the call on speaker."  his voice carried a hint of cold.


    Atsuji Kurogame did not delay and put the call on speaker. He said, "Young Master, it is done."


    Yang Dao said, "Sister Yun, use your connections to find every corrupt official. Baibai, clean up the military. The means you sue are left to your own discretion. As long as you have proof, clear up the mess thoroughly. Those who sit in high chairs have heavy responsibilities on their shoulders. If they cannot do their jobs honestly. They do not need to sit on the high chair.


    Clean up the mess and seize their dirty money. Use it for the welfare of the needy. As for their families. have them all into rehabilitation. I do not care how you do it. But I want this to be telecasted on the news tomorrow morning.


    As for you eldest, I hope you already know what to do?"


    The three people knelt on their knees and said in unison, "The orders will be seen through Dao Child."


    This was the first time they have called him with the official title of the Dao Child. Yang Dao did not request them anything but ordered them to deal with things. The boy may have done that subconsciously or something but his majesty was undeniable.


    The call disconnected and the three people got to work.


    ...


    Carole and Tony did not know what Yang Dao has done when he went outside. But after an hour they received a call that gave them an order they were very happy to comply with. Yang Dao did not hesitate and immediately planted the virus inside the research center''s mainframe server.


    For the past half an hour he has been writing this virus. It could be that he was enraged that his speed was faster than when he was at his best. His virus was a tribulation to the people involved in these sinful acts.


    After he was done with that, he released the evidence of this crime to the world organizations. Then he called Ryu Jinshi.


    ...


    Five kilometers away from the hotel where Yang Dao was a man sat on the side of the road, wearing a black cloak. Suddenly a phone rang in his pocket. The man picked the call and heard a voice, "Mr. Jinshi, You are tasked to rescue the agent of Jewel Nation and the genetic research subjects inside the research centers. I know that you are in the Garden Islands.


    I sensed you with the spirit bond when we were escaping in the evening. I hope you give me a result within an hour."


    Ryu Jinshi knelt on one knee, he said, "The order will be seen through Dao Child."


    The call was disconnected. The cold man however smiled and said, "I did not expect him to be so vigilant and aware. Now time to work."


    Ryu Jinshi came to the Garden Island at his own discretion. The shadow guards were all around Yang Dao but he could not sense them. Ryu Jinshi however was another story. He shared a spirit bond with Yang Dao. They both were capable of sensing each other''s mood and approximate location.


    The Dao Child gave him a task. He did not delay and flew up in the sky. The man was a mercenary king. A person who could destroy a whole battalion by himself without using elemental skills. This small contingent of guards was easy for him to deal with.


    ...


    Yang Dao did not waste time, he walked inside the room set and said, "Take a rest. We leave in an hour." he did not tell them where they will be going so the two people thought that he was going to rescue the agent and the rest of the children.


    They nodded in agreement. Yang Dao sat down on a chair with his hands crossed and eyes closed. He used his leg to pushed the chair of the front legs. The chair began to swing a little as Yang Dao manipulated the weight control.


    Soon, an hour passed. Carole and Tony were just about to stand up when a call rang. Yang Dao picked it up. The other party said, "The guards are all unconscious as for the hostages, they are all left at the entrance. Be safe on the way back. I have left you some firearms."


    Yang Dao smiled and said, "Let us go." then he stood up and walked out of the hotel. The three people had the hotel manager drive them to the location. After they arrived, Carole let her pet go back home.


    Soon sounds of footsteps were heard from the main road connecting the island. Yang Dao saw five agents covered in various wounds and bruises. They walked over and stopped a few meters away from these kids. They had a few children behind them. They all looked at them with some hesitation and suffer.


    This main road was the location Yang Dao was told to come and pick the people by Ryu Jinshi before the man left. This was his usual routine. Walking away after the massacre. Today however, he knocked down the guards, but he killed the scientists and some stubborn men.


    Yang Dao walked a step forward and saluted the five people. He then showed his credentials and bowed to the five of them, He said, "I thank you for your hard works and pleasant welcome. The children can follow us back to the jewel Nation. We will try to connect them to their parents back."


    The man in the lead said, "You and your team are very good. Where is that man who rescued us?" this man was an agent, Jackyl Tryst.


    Yang Dao just said, "He will be waiting for us back at home. He is just very shy and doesn''t talk much. Let''s go. The kids looked scared. Yet they had nowhere to go so they boarded a mini-bus to drop them tho the coast.


    After half an hour, Yang Dao rented a Yacht. The group was airlifted after they came out of the domestic waters of The Garden Island.

 Chapter 155: Purge.

    Yang Dao and the others were been escorted back by the navy. The people were immediately taken care of and provided with basic medical help. For the rest of the journey, they could rest. Since this was the first assignment, Yang Dao was tired to the core. He had never been so much under pressure. He and Tony shared a compact bunk bed space.


    Suddenly, Tony said, "Thankfully, things are finally over." he was lying on the lower bunk bed.


    Yang Dao said, "We were still too lucky you know? All this time, it can be said that we were being helped by the providence itself. Our plan had so many loopholes." His voice displayed how thankful; he was for the completion of this mission.


    Tony replied, "Nobody is perfect. Also, this was the first time you came to such a task." he tried to console.


    Yang Dao said, "I am not suited for covert operations. This is for sure. At least not until I have some experience, as you said. The pressure and stress are unhealthy for my body. I am just a college student." he sighed exasperatedly.


    Tony heard him and laughed. He said, "You will get the hang of it after a few times. You will have loopholes, while the other people will have loopholes too. Did you not exploit them this time? No one is perfect. In the end, it all comes down to one factor that cannot be calculated."


    Yang Dao asked, "What is that factor? Oh, wise one?" the boy added a touch of dramatics in his question.


    Tony also played along, "Listen well, thee ignorant. Luck. The answer is luck. Cannot be counted and cannot be depended on. Yet it plays a significant role. Just like how you successfully broke through that Cryptonian developer."


    Yang Dao was surprised. He thought about what he heard and agreed with it. the Cryptonian Developer was definitely a stroke of luck now that he looks at it. The video was definitely created artificially and if that developer ran it through a simple test. Things would have not been so smooth for them.


    Despite being an IP address belonging to the Crypto nation. That developer could have verified if it was actually being used as a relay. Similarly, a lot of loopholes were left in the plan''s execution. If you ask Yang Dao, then he would say that except for the killing thing nothing else was perfect.


    As he was lost in thoughts, his body relaxed and he fell asleep.


    ...


    While the Dao Child was asleep, the data he released on the global internet struck like a nuclear missile. The world media was shaken by the evidence. In one hour, the entire world knew about the atrocities committed in the Garden islands.


    Flower Palace, Garden Island.


    A man sat in his office wearing formal attire. The man had thick brows and sharp eyes. He was the Prime minister of the Garden Island. At this moment, he sat in the head position in a conference room with a sullen face.


    Around the table sat the rest of the cabinet ministers of the country. The prime minister said, "Someone tells me what the fuck is going on in our country? There are already citizens condemning us. The media is on to us. We have become a worldwide target."


    His voice was calm, but the anger was conveyed by his eyes. A guy spoke, "We did not know that they were doing human experiments."


    ...


    As the people were discussing who to blame, tourists were canceling their tickets. They decided not to travel abroad. At the same moment, Feng Yun operated her company. All the tourist subsidiaries pulled back from the country after they issued an official statement, "The Phoenix Group does not associate with countries that support such sinful acts to be committed on their land."


    Garden Island was also a big name among the parties who ordered driverless cars. But after this event, the order was canceled, and the money was refunded too. After Feng Yun, a lot of foreign companies issued similar statements and pulled out of the country.


    This quick action immediately made their public value sore and the stock market went through another storm.


    ...


    While garden Island was facing a disaster, the same thing was true for some corrupt and irresponsible officials in the Jewel nation. Feng Yun collected economic evidence of the crimes, while she had the capitalists in the country decide for themselves what they choose. She gave them a choice to correct their mistakes or to have them all cleaned.


    She was not omnipotent yet. So she killed the chickens to scare the monkeys. She ruined five big companies by snitching on them after six hours of her ultimatum. She even said that it was the first round.


    This was enough to clear up the doubts among the masses, and the people corrected themselves. If they all knew that Feng Yun did not have any evidence against them. Would they puke blood?


    ...


    Atsuji Kurogame took command and led the governmental agencies to first hold internal raids. Then after six hours, they took down all big and small names in the country. His actions alerted the cabinet.


    An emergency meeting was called. Atsuji Kurogame simply told them how someone dared to cover up the data gathered by Yang Dao and his team. His logic was that if the agent and the soldiers did not feel good about the cause they are shedding blood and sweat with both hands, the nation will fall before they could even think about it.


    With that, the internal cleansing began. People were nabbed and imprisoned. They were all to be dealt with following their crimes. Laohu Bai was also ordered by the prime minister to take action. Atsuji Kurogame was the senior-most minister and the Prime minister agreed with him. It was time for a clean-up.


    In 12 hours, Yang Dao''s commands changed the face of the system. While the Garden Island bled with fame, prestige, and money. The Jewel nation bled with sinners and corruption.


    The two were xperiencing purge, but the difference was that while one was being damaged, the other was being rejuvenated

 Chapter 156: Pleasure and Pain.

    Twelve hours passed so quickly that it felt like minutes to the people who were involved in the purge. The Garden Island issued statements and the big names held press addresses, but the damage has been done. Even if they were innocent as they claim to be, things cannot calm down in an instant.


    The bigger problem was that the world asked them to bring forward the children who suffered this inhumane thing. They all wanted to assure that the children are alright. Where can the government complete this demand? Someone proposed to gather similar-aged children and present them in front of the media, as the ones in the videos declare them to be under isolated treatment.


    The idea was good and was executed swiftly. Those in need exist all around the world. The people acted quickly and found such children. The media accepted this, but they all demanded the children be looked after by the government and provided high-end facilities and compensation.


    The government had to accept this and even the term of making the procedure to be overseen by a public organization to ensure transparency. They were not sparing any efforts to mend the things. How could it be so easy?


    ...


    While the people in the Jewel Nation were also exhausted but unlike the frowns on the faces of people in Garden Island. Everyone had a content smile on their faces here. The orders were given too suddenly, and almost none of the corrupt people had any time to run away at all. The impact of the raids was so strong that the felons and underworld of the nation were scared to death.


    The record-high arrests and convictions shook the nation. The news was also boiling over this, but the limelight still belonged to the Garden Island. Jewel Nation did things more covertly. Those who were wise gave up and turned themselves in. As long as their crimes were not too big, they were spared.


    The Central Cabinet understood that too much rectification will leave a lot of empty posts and filling them all instantly would be very hard. So Atsuji Kurogame came up with a proposal of promoting the innocent executives, while their posts were to be filled up by the people in training.


    The youth of the nation preparing for the exams to become civil servants got immediate notice. The civil service examination was changed. The examinees will now have to handle the vacated designations. They will all be judged by their performances.


    This method will help them groom more talents and also give them a chance to not let the government bodies crumble. All of this was executed in an instant.


    If Yang Dao was to know that his anger caused such a drastic change in the country, then he would definitely ask the people to take it easy. Well, it was only a matter of time before he found out.


    ...


    In Dao Courtyard, Feng Yun sat with Laohu Bai. The two were playing chess. It was Laohu Bai''s turn. She said, "This move was too sudden, Sister Yun." as she moved a pawn.


    Feng Yun nodded and said, "Surprise and regularities. It is all in balance Xiao Bai, once you break the balance, you lose the game." as she moved a token, captured Laohu Bai''s knight."


    Suddenly they heard a voice. "Loss and victory are also balanced, Sister Yun. You may lose a game but might win another. You must find what you are good at. Even then your victory is not guaranteed. After all, guarantee and uncertainty also need to be balanced."


    They both knew whom this voice belonged to.


    Feng Yun smiled and looked up, while Laohu Bai sensed pressure on her shoulder. Yang Dao rested his chin on her tender shoulder and spoke in a low voice. "I never knew that missions could be so stressful, Baibai. You need to ask them not to give me such important ones directly. I almost cried you know."


    His tone was aggrieved. However, Laohu Bai was happy. She was sure that the pressure must have made him grow, and she was also happy because her Young Master had his chin resting on her shoulder. Cozy close.


    Yang Dao said, "Sister Yun, can I have some good food? Garden Island was not very travel-friendly for us. Also, can one of you deal with the rescued children? They might need some special care. some of them cannot be saved." when he said that his voice became heavy.


    Laohu Bai rubbed her cheek with him slightly as she said, "The balance of life of death is also a mandate of heavens, Dao. Don''t worry, I will look into it."


    The boy nodded and said, "Did you get smarter when I was out, Baibai?" he asked with a surprised tone.


    The girl squinted and got back at him, "Your EQ raised a lot I see."


    Yang Dao nodded and said, "Well, unlike some people who need to work on both IQ and EQ. I am still having it easy." with that said he ran to his room.


    Feng Yun smiled as she looked at the two people. She said, "Good for you, Xiao Bai. Dao is getting closer to you." her voice was soft and cheerful.


    Laohu Bai nodded and said, "Maybe because he is growing up."


    Feng Yun nodded and stood up. She said, "Come, little one, it is time you learn how to do more than just cook." then she dragged the white-haired lady to the kitchen.


    The two people cooked a lot of alluring food. Yang Dao took a shower and changed into comfy clothes. He got out of the room and found Lisa standing out of the room. She asked, "Young Master, how was your travel?"


    The boy replied, "It was successful, Lisa. How are you? Also, did you read when I was gone?"


    Lisa nodded and said, "I did. Learned some but still have doubts. Will you help me? Young Master?" listening to her soft voice.


    Yang Dao smiled and said, "After the meal. We study. Okay?"


    The maid nodded with a smile. Yang Dao thought, "The entire world is balanced. Someone losses and someone gains, some get pleasures while some get pains."

 Chapter 157: Remorseful.

    Yang Dao came to the dining table with Lisa following him. She asked, "Young Master, miss Kiya called asking when will you be coming back."


    The boy asked, "How come they have your number? Also, did I not tell her that I will be out and it has been only two days."


    Lisa said, "That day when the two young ladies came to dinner they exchanged contacts with me before leaving. Also, miss Kiya told me that it was a young lady named Frieda Foster, who asked her to check." her tone was soft and low.


    She did not talk inside the mansion, but now that Yang Dao came and she found none of the servants around. Yang Dao nodded and replied with sign language, that he will contact them after dinner.


    At first, Lisa was surprised when the boy started to use sign language, but later she found a maid approaching them she also used sign language and then left to do some work. Yang Dao was getting bored and then his gaze fell on a pair of chopsticks and different cutlery on the table.


    The boy picked up the chopsticks. He held one from the thicker end while one was held from the thinner end. Then he started to clink the chopsticks on the cutlery in a rhythmic pattern. The chopsticks and the utensils turned into a drum set in his hands. He swayed his head slightly and his right foot was shaking up and down as well.


    As the time passed his hands started to move fast, it was unknown when the maids nearby came over and started to sway to the beats, one even had the thing being recorded on her mobile. They all had a smile on their faces. Suddenly Yang Dao asked, "Does anyone know what will happen if Sister Yun caught you like this?"


    His and did not stop moving though. The maids however froze. They bowed and said, "We apologize for slacking off, Young Master. We will go back to work. Please, forgive us."


    There were three maids. Yang Dao stopped beating the chopsticks and turned to them. He said, "Why are you guys so scared. Chill. Also, do not worry. My sister is not a beast, you know. She is not so inhumane. You can work and enjoy at the same time but make sure that your enjoyment does not disrupt your job, Okay?"


    Listening to him speak so much, the maids were in a daze. The cherry on the top, the guy was smiling, dazzling their eyes. The maids nodded and they all agreed with his words. Yang Dao also told them to tell all the staff in the mansion that it was okay to chat and laugh but make sure you do not overlook your work.


    The maids went away with a satisfied smile and Feng Yun came over with Laohu Bai pushing the food trolley. Yang Dao asked as he chuckled, "Baibai what happened to your face? Why are you blushing?"


    Laohu Bai almost did not cry. She said, "Sister Yun squeezed my face when I made mistakes in cooking. You have to ask her for an account Dao." she spoke in an aggrieved tone and pouting lips.


    The boy started to laugh really loud. He said, "Good job, Sister Yun."


    Feng Yun also chuckled looking at him. This made Laohu Bai drink the sour soup and her face became worse. Yang Dao stood up from his chair and walked up to her, after he placed his hands on her cheeks he said, "There there, now I have put a healing medicine on them. They will get fairer and smoother than before."


    Then he took his hands back and pushed her to sit down in a chair. Feng Yun also sat down, Yang Dao refused the maid who followed the people to serve the food and did it himself. The three people ate with great satisfaction. Yang Dao praised the soup Laohu Bai and encouraged her to learn more dishes.


    The white-haired girl was very easy to please, and his words were more than enough for her to stop being sour and joke around with them. The dao child asked when they were eating moon cakes.


    "Baibai, I left my car at the central command. They asked me to leave my mobile and the other civilian stuff behind. Today they dropped me here directly from the tarmac. Can you take me later to get the car? The keys are with Lt. Gen. Tiberius."


    Laohu Bai chuckled, as she said, "The old man was so scared when he found out about your car, he dared not let a soldier drive it and had it loaded in a truck and delivered here. You should have seen how he returned the keys to me. I will give them to you in a bit."


    Feng Yun said from the side, "Also, do you remember the car racing event that the old chief Viktor asked you to participate in?"


    Yang Dao nodded to her and the lady continued speaking, "It will be held a day after tomorrow and you can go there if you want to, otherwise I will send someone else."


    The boy nodded and said, "I will go, but what car am I driving? Quinn is way too OP for the normal cars."


    Feng Yun said, "Surprise, all in the good time." her eyes leaked a playful glint.


    Yang Dao wanted to ask more but knowing that she will not reveal it he set this matter aside. He asked, "What about the lab space?"


    Feng Yun replied, "It is done, they came over for some work in the morning, they did some experiments. I had the people not peek at them. The lab space has been set up in Dao technologies office building."


    Yang Dao nodded and the three people decided to take a walk outside in the garden. The boy gazed at the beautiful flowers in the garden and was lost in deep thought as he walked. None of the beauties said anything. They just followed him in silence.


    Finally, the boy said, "When I was in that place, such flowers were everywhere. Yet they had lost the sense of beauty to me. The more time I spent there, the more ugly it felt. I guess, just like anything else. Too much beauty begets ugliness."

 Chapter 158: Taking It Easy?

    The boy stood in the garden for a few moments and then said, "It is quite late, let''s go back. I need to rest." his mind was still not completely relaxed as for the body. Well, 12 hours on the submarine were quite cramped for him. he adjusted to it later but who doesn''t like a cozier bed?


    Feng Yun and Laohu Bai nodded and they followed him back to the mansion. Yang Dao spotted Lisa waiting for him with her books. He rubbed his head and mumbled, "Well, I can use the distraction."


    he beckoned Lisa to come over and he sat down on the sofa in the living area. He asked her, "Why are you standing? Sit down or how will I teach you?"


    The girl hesitated but facing her stern gaze she sat down on the couch next to him. She then did not waste time and gave him everything she did not understand. Yang Dao was pleasantly surprised that the girl was so meticulous that she has been keeping notes of what she understands and what she does not. This made things easier for him.


    He decided to test her knowledge, so he would ask her questions related to the topics she understood in a way that did not seem like a test at all. He was worried that the girl might get nervous and feel pressured.


    The two went on for a couple of hours and then Lisa left with a cheery smile on her face. She was happy that the Young Master can free up some of his time and guide her. If she were to know that Yang Dao was happy to teach a diligent student like her and had an excellent expression of hers, then she might start dancing.


    The boy went to his room and without delay, he dived on the bed and fell asleep in a few minutes. That night Yang Dao had a dream, that someone was massaging his head gently, it was very relaxing.


    What he did not know was that Feng Yun and Laohu Bai were massaging his head and feet respectively as he slept. The two girls had only one motive in life, to make him feel relaxed and satisfied. They would go to any level for that.


    The following morning, Yang Dao woke up, stretched his lazy body, and walked to the washroom. He came out after freshening up, changed into sports gear. He headed to the gym inside the mansion and after an hour of sweating and training, he felt refreshed.


    He looked at the time, took a bath, dressed up in crisp clothes. A white shirt with blue jeans was his all-time favorite and preferred attire. He came out of the room and saw the two big beauties already dressed up and waiting for him at the dining table.


    Lisa had prepared a protein-rich meal for Yang Dao as per his instruction. Laohu Bai was going to the central command office while Feng Yun was going to the ruby towers. The lady general was picked up by a military vehicle while Feng Yun rode with Yang Dao.


    The lady said, "Young Master, your friends are arranged by me to be picked up and dropped back to their accommodations by a company vehicle. Is that okay? I found that they would have a lot of trouble with that and offered them to stay nearby but the girls did not agree."


    Yang Dao smiled and said, "It is okay. I will talk to them about it. After all, it is not good for both work and body to travel so long daily."


    Feng Yun nodded and the two casually chatted before Feng Yun was dropped in front of the entrance of the Ruby Towers. Yang Dao then went on to the office of his own company. He parked the car in a spot reserved for him and got down. He met Yurika on his way, who had also just come to the office.


    The girl looked very pretty when she was dressed up. Yang Dao could not help but say, "Rika, you are looking very pretty."


    Yurika smiled when she heard him say that. Her sarcastic friend would only compliment her when she was looking extremely pretty. Her long hair was slightly wet from the shampooing before. She bloomed in a smile and said, "Dao what are you doing tomorrow?"


    The boy thought for a bit and said, "Car race. Why?"


    The girl said, "I just got my first salary. I sent half back to sister Tina, and thought maybe I can take you out for a treat." her voice suddenly became hesitant.


    Yang Dao knew what was going on in her mind the two people entered the elevator and after tapping the button to the top floor, he suddenly hugged Yurika in his arms. He said, "You know that your knees would hurt if you use that tiny brain of yours too much? Chill. I am dragging you to the racing event first then you are to treat me to a good happy meal. I am not any different from how we were in the orphanage. Okay? You can say anything to me."


    His voice was soft and his embrace was warm. Yurika''s hesitation washed away and she hugged him back. The hug was brief just like how it was between old friends. The reason why he hugged her in the elevator was that he was careful about her image. What will they do if people in the company maligned Yurika behind their backs?


    Yurika walked out of the elevator with a skip in her step while Yang Dao shook his head with a helpless smile on his face. This girl was a simpleton. That is why she was always in trouble when dealing with people outside. The two were heading to the same place, Mary''s cabin.


    Yurika entered and said, "Look, who I nabbed for you, Sister Mary." her cheery voice attracted the lady''s attention. She raised her head and found Yang Dao standing in front of her.


    She blurted out, "So the lazy boss, finally returns."


    Her words almost made Yang Dao face plant, while Yurika sprayed a mouthful of breath and started laughing loudly. Mary notice the embarrassment on his face and said, "I mean you are taking it easy, boss."


    Yang Dao wanted to cry, he sighed in his heart, "I was doing a military task, those are easy you say?"

 Chapter 159: One Step At A Time.

    Yang Dao only said, "I am a college student, you know?" his tone was aggrieved at this moment.


    Before Mary could chuckle, he said, "I will tell Sister Yun if you tease me." his words immediately shut up the lady. She sighed and shook her head.


    Mary said, "Boss, the products are well received and the money coming in is increasing daily. We have accumulated 50 million in a couple of days. What do you think?"


    Yang Dao nodded and said, "Well as long as it is enough for the plans. Give the employees a bonus for their hard work during this time. The more directly involved get life insurance and a fixed deposit of fifty percent of their salary. They will be able to use it in the future."


    Mary nodded at this and was impressed as well. This way they will be able to keep their employees involved with the company and give them a sense of belonging. Yang Dao continued to speak, "There were some people who came to perform some experiments in the lab, arrange accommodation for them nearby. They will be spending a few days here."


    Mary nodded again while Yurika took notes on the side. The boy talked about a few more things and after half an hour left for the lab. Someone from the reception desk notified Mary about their arrival. The beautiful CEO sighed and said, "I still have to learn from him. No wonder he is the younger brother of Feng Yun."


    Yurika was not present on the spot as she was leading Yang Dao to the lab space. The two people came down a floor in the elevator. Their arrival attracted the attention of the three girls already present there. The Dao Child was busy instructing Mary and was delayed.


    The three girls were surprised to see him. Kiya almost hugged him hard, but she stopped herself and asked, "Classmate Dao, where have you been?"


    Yang Dao smiled and said, "That is a secret, but you can understand that it was very important."


    Kiya pouted and with a snort, she turned her face to Yurika and greeted her with much pleasant surprise. Sasha had no conflict with him so she waved at him with a smile while Frieda almost could not wait to grab him like a dead dog and make him work on the experiments.


    Yang Dao sighed and said, "Kiya, you and Sasha can go back to the college, I can work with senior Frieda, why do you disrupt your studies?"


    His words were sincere and polite. Sasha replied, "Senior promised us to give credit to the project. We are now assistants and can stay along with her."


    The boy nodded and the people entered the lab space. Yurika had left to attend to her job as well. These people were experimenting with algorithms used in the robot''s programming. They used some cameras and rovers to record the behavior and adjust the algorithms accordingly.


    The work efficiency with Yang Dao around increased by several folds. His speed was terrifying for the three girls. Frieda did not expect him to be such a monster at all. The tests were conducted and the basic coding of the robot they needed was completed in one day.


    Now what they needed to code for was the movements, behavior, and response programs of the robot. This was going to take a long time. Yang Dao spotted a 3-D printer in the lab space. He decided to use the printer to manufacture the robot parts. While doing all this the boy also borrowed some knowledge regarding the lithographic machines from the crypto nation.


    He sent a detailed plan to Feng Yun asking her to get her logistics company to start working on it in secret. This machine will solve a lot of problems for them. The day passed like a gust of wind.


    Yang Dao and the three were still going at it when the lab was opened and Feng Yun entered. Her arrival attracted the attention of the ladies while Yang Dao kept working with nothing in his mind. Kiya and Sasha stood up and bowed to Feng Yun slightly who faintly smiled at them and nodded.


    Kiya was about to disturb Yang Dao Feng Yun raised her hand and signaled her not to. She sat down on a chair and waited patiently. Only after half an hour did the boy completed the task on his hands. He said, "Senior Frieda, I think we should wait a bit before we develop a humanoid robot."


    The girl instantly asked, "Why?"


    YanG Dao replied without turning his face, "The astigmatic beings, Homo Sapiens, have difficulty accepting something they do not understand or do not feel safe with. There are millions of articles over the internet on how humanity will create the harbinger of doom, in short, an android. I suggest you think about it. Your project is an interactive robot, right?"


    Frieda nodded in affirmation, Yang Dao continued, "I suggest that you introduce a bot that is capable of doing household work. Once it is welcomed by the people. You can design bots closed to human figures. That way the people won''t be so uneasy and shun them away. Do you know what I mean?"


    Frieda thought about it and said, "You mean I start with something like a rover bot or those moping drones then as the people get used to it I develop something complex like a humanoid?"


    Yang Dao nodded, his ideology was simple. If you suddenly jumped to the top then it will be difficult to outdo yourself. Only by slow and steady progress can they make a uniform growth. The people in the room heard this and nodded. After a few minutes, Frieda agreed to his proposal and she also agreed to join Dao technologies.


    The boy then said, "Tomorrow is a day off, you are all invited to the Grand Prix Circuit. Also, my sister has been waiting for half an hour now. I will be heading home. You guys have been arranged a place to live nearby. So stay there for the night, we go back to college in three days."


    Feng Yun heard his words and smiled faintly. How could Yang Dao not sense her arrival? Would that not be a shame for the spiritual bond they share? The two people walked outside chatting and joking with each other.


    Frieda asked, "Kiya, who was that beautiful girl? Dao called her, sister."


    Sasha replied, "That girl was Miss Feng Yun, president and owner of The Phoenix Group, also Yang Dao''s elder sister."


    Frieda asked, "They have a different name." she could not believe that this humble and polite junior in front of her was the rich young master. her words made Kiya chuckle. She said, "His full name is Feng Yang Dao. he does not use his surname usually."


    Frieda was surprised to the core.

 Chapter 160: Hummer.

    Yang Dao and Feng Yun did not go back home after they came out o the building. The two people set down in the car and drove to the racing circuit. It was Feng Yun who suggested this trip. She wanted to show Yang Dao what car he will be driving tomorrow.


    The boy was also excited and he drove at a high speed. As he reached the circuit he slowed down a bit. The reason being a lot of big trucks slowly moving toward the stadium. He asked, "Hmmm, are these the vehicle carriages?"


    Feng Yun nodded, "Yes, tomorrow 30 racers from all over the world will be participating here. All of them being the youths under the age of 16. The race is an exhibition event for the people. The money will be donated as a charity. While the young racers can display their skills in a real event. It will be like hands-on training for them."


    Yang Dao nodded and soon the people reached the entrance of the stadium. Dillon was talking to some people when he saw a vehicle driving over to the VIP parking spot. Unlike the old times, the parking area was filled with supercars, they apparently belonged to the racers who came over to participate in the event.


    Dillon was also not alone, he recognized the vehicle and whispered something to the older man next to him. The man was converting with some people wearing, crew uniforms. He nodded to Dillon and kept talking to the men. The young secretary came over to receive Yang Dao and Feng Yun.


    He spoke politely, "Young Master Feng, President Feng. Welcome. I apologize, we are completely stacked with work. What can I do for you?"


    Yang Dao shook his head and spoke up with a smile, "I wanted to see my vehicle for the race tomorrow nothing more. You can carry on your work. I will call elder Viktor."


    Dillon nodded and after a small talk, he returned to the older man''s side. The older man glanced at Feng Yun and nodded, Feng Yun returned the gesture and the two people walked inside the stadium after Yang Dao called the old Crew Chief.


    The location was the same old Pit stop. Yang Dao walked over and suddenly his steps froze. His eyes were glued to a black and white-colored race car. The car looked like a piece of art. He walked closer to it. The technicians did not know who this kid was.


    The next scene shocked them all though. The car was placed on the elevated jack at this moment ant the people were assembling the parts. Yang Dao started muttering, "Algorithm 01, twelve-cylinder combustion engine, 3mm ground clearance, magnetic transmission, vibron drive shaft, carbon fiber body, magnetic independent suspension. Top speed - 450 kph, acceleration - 0 to 100 in 2 seconds. The dream of professional drivers. The star of the A1 racing, Wind God."


    Suddenly he heard a pair of claps behind him. He turned his head and found that Old Crew Chief was clapping his hands as he glanced at him. He spoke with a peal of hearty laughter, "I do not think that you were such an enthusiast Dao."


    The boy scratched the back of his head. He replied, "Every boy and a man like vehicles, Elder. You praise me in vain. So, I will be driving this tomorrow?"


    The elder nodded. He said, "Not only you but the rest of the drivers will also be driving cars with almost the same configuration. You know that A1 is all about the racer''s skill and not the vehicle''s performance."


    Yang Dao nodded and the old man took him outside with a hand around his shoulder. He told Yang Dao that some drivers were still driving around to get used to the track. Then he told him about some rules and regulations. Suddenly a man came and joined the two people.


    Viktor made the introductions, "Dao, this is..." before he could complete, the boy spoke up, "I know, Sylvan ''The Hummer'' Stockholm. Nice to meet you, sir."


    The man was surprised and said, "I did not expect anyone to still remember me."


    Yang Dao replied, "The loss for those who forgot."


    The man chuckled and said, "Very well, you sure can drive the words. I like it. Also, you have not told me about yourself."


    "I am Feng Yang Dao, I will be racing tomorrow." he used his full name, as he was not very familiar with this man.


    The man nodded and told him that he was also here with a guy who will be racing tomorrow. More importantly, the guy was quite sure of this kid under him. After a few minutes, he left. Yang Dao asked Viktor, "Elder, why did he stop racing?"


    Viktor was surprised and gazed at the back of the man, he spoke with a sigh, "The man is blind in his left eye. It may look okay, but he cannot see anything from his left eye. In his last race, his vehicle was tampered with. After the thirty-fourth lap, the car caught fire, he parked the car and jumped out of it. The vehicle exploded, the flying debris hit his head and when he woke up, he had no vision in his left eye.


    A wonderful driver, but he was too good and some people could not tolerate his rise so they schemed against him. They were caught later on and Sylvan received a hefty compensation but now he stays a crew chief guiding the younger generation."


    Yang Dao sighed, his mood was a little heavy. The hummer was a person he liked a lot. The reason was that whenever this guy was racing he would humm, like the engine, and even make the clicking noise when he changes gears. It was very fun to watch him race.  The boy felt downcasted after discovering the reason behind his retirement.


    He decided to try something in the race tomorrow. Viktor saw his mood was influenced and said, "Come, would you like to get familiar with the car?"


    The boy smiled and nodded. He was given a gift-wrapped box by Feng Yun who said, "This is the gift I prepared, that car was because of the regulations."


    Yang Dao smiled and said, "You will spoil me rotten one day." the two people chuckled. How can you spoil the Dao?

 Chapter 161: Gamble.

    Yang Dao went inside the dressing room and unwrapped the box given to him by Feng Yun. Inside it laid a sleek white and black racing suit. The suit had a dao symbol on it. This made the boy happy, to him the most important thing was that this scheme was matching with his car perfectly.


    He quickly changed into the suit and came out of the dressing room, the car was now pushed outside the pit stop. he gave it a comprehensive check himself and even asked the technicians to make some tweaks according to him like the seat and steering level. The technicians followed his instructions.


    Yang Dao put on a full face mask leaving only his eyes and then he put on the helmet. He heard a voice in the helmet, "Hello, Dao, can you hear me?"


    The boy looked around and found Viktor wearing a headset and mic. he gave him a thumbs up indicating that he can hear loud and clear. He sat down inside the car and waited for a signal. A car with yellow lights came from behind.


    Viktor said, "Go, stay ahead of the yellow."


    Yang Dao clicked on the gear switch and pressed the accelerator, the car turned slightly and he came on a clear road, then zoomed past the other pit stops. In a blink, he was on the track and was sprinting ahead.


    Viktor joked with him, "Kid, this one can''t dance, be careful around the turns." the technicians behind him were all locals and they knew Yang Dao''s skills as a road racer. This joke caused them to chuckle.


    What the old man meant was that this car cannot drift. It was made for speed or to be precise, to display the control over speed. The braking and speed drop was similar to the acceleration. This beast can stop in a second if you command it so.


    Yang Dao was already familiar with the track. His fingers were dancing as he changed his gears. His speed was fast and his turns were crisp. Soon, he met the first person in front of him. This guy was driving in the standard line like a race car driver, but nothing special. Just as they were about to turn, Yang Dao overtook him from the inside.


    The pit crew cheered. Viktor asked, "What if he scared them all off and they refused to race tomorrow?" he was not bothered about the kid.


    The boy was doing good and within 6 minutes he completed a lap. He spoke in his helmet, "Chief, the tires are stiff. I think a set of balanced ones would give me a better grip on the track."


    Viktor replied, "Alright keep going and enter the pit stop in the next lep I will have them on stand by."


    Yang Dao replied, "Roger." He kept driving with his mind only focused on the track.


    Just when he was about to enter the pit stop he slowed down a bit, suddenly he made a left turn, a car passed dangerously fast on his right.


    Viktor shouted, "BASTARD, DO YOU NOT KNOW THE RULES?"


    The car stopped a stop next to them. The driver did not even bother to react, suddenly Viktor saw a person and he clenched his teeth. At this moment, Yang Dao entered the pit stop. He got out of the car. The boy took off his helmet and walked up to the neighboring pit stop with a smile on his face.


    Viktor wanted to stop him but was stopped by Feng Yun. She said, "Relax, my brother can handle things. You guys change the tires." she was not worried about him at all. If anyone dared to try anything funny, she will vaporize them slowly.


    ...


    Yang Dao walked up to the pit stop. His arrival attracted a lot of attention. The technicians had a wry smile on their faces, they all were aware that the pass just now was dangerous but the driver and the crew chief were both such crude people, and they were just responsible for the vehicle and not how they drove it.


    The boy looked at the old man who was chatting with the driver inside the car and said, "Excuse me. Are you by any chance, Simpson Jacobs? Also known as the streak of the race track?"


    His voice attracted the old man, as well as the driver. The old man found Yang Dao quite young. He asked in an indifferent voice, "Are you the one, Mika passed just now?"


    Yang Dao replied, ''If you mean Mika as in the driver of your camp then yes." his voice was polite and calm.


    The old man asked, "Why are you here? Do you expect an apology?" his voice carried a hint of sarcasm. He continued, "The track is ruled by speed, you were slow you have no right to complain."


    Yang Dao chuckled, "He said, "Old sir, you think too much. I am obviously aware that the track is ruled by the fast. But you don''t seem to know that if speed is not controlled, it can also bring death. Then you might as well go and race in the underworld." his words shocked everyone, even Viktor did not expect him to be so straightforward.


    No one has ever talked to him like this. He was about to reprimand him when Yang Dao said, "You better take deep breathes of if your heartbeat also started racing then you might need a fast ambulance. Am I right, you just had a bypass surgery not too long ago. As for the reason I am here. Tomorrow, I will pass your driver, by two whole laps. I will show you what speed actually is.


    You might think that everyone has forgotten about it but you know deep inside your heart that just when you rose to the top and claimed the title of the world champion, this same arrogance of yours made you retire early. I just hope you do not teach others what you did wrong."


    His words shocked the old man, the surrounding pit stops all heard what Yang Dao said. The driver, Mika got out of the car and took off the helmet. Long hair fell cascading her shoulders. Mika was a girl, and her beauty was close to Genie Jasper.


    She was enraged at this boy, who just came over and insulted her grandfather. She said, "Who are you? How dare you come over here and insult my grandfather? You will regret ever saying these words."


    Yang Dao gazed at her and said, "I will make a bet with you. If I could not pass you by two laps tomorrow, I will kneel down in front of you and your grandfather and accept my mistake." his confidence words shocked the people around. They all did not have the guts to make such a bet.


    Mika sneered and said, "What is the guarantee that you will honor your words?"


    Yang Dao smiled and was about to reply when Feng Yun came over from behind him and placed a hand over his shoulder. She said, "My name is Feng Yun. President of The Phoenix Group. The one who stands in front of you is my younger brother. As for the guarantee. How about we use my company? If he lost and did not honor his words even if he hesitated slightly, you get my whole company. How about?"


    Bomber Dao, Bomber Yun, reporting for duty. Her introduction made people shocked and this stake made them almost faint. Some faint-hearted even had to take support of the walls. How much was the net worth of the phoenix group? Trillions. She staked it all like it was nothing.


    Yang Dao did not say anything because he was sure of his skills. Mika was surprised but she was unaware of Feng Yun''s identity, she has always dedicated her whole time and effort to racing. She said, "I accept. If I lost the bet then I will be his maid. You stake your everything. I bet mine."


    Her grandfather was shocked. He tried to stop Mika but she did not listen to him at all.


    Feng Yun nodded and called her lawyer. The guy came over within thirty minutes. The whole track was silent. Yang Dao and Feng Yun were the only ones smiling. The lawyer came and the two parties signed an agreement.


    Feng Yun did not even read it and signed it as soon as Harvey gave it to her. Harvey can try and do something funny. He will not know how he died. Mika, however, had her lawyer check the agreement thrice. She signed it and the game was on.

 Chapter 162: Calm Before The Storm.

    The agreement was signed, and the people dispersed afterward. The news of Feng Yun betting on her company for the sake of her brother caused a sensation none of the people ever expected. Yang Dao took Feng Yun back to the Dao courtyard.


    The drive was relaxing. The two people had no worries in their minds. Yang Dao still asked when they were getting close to the house, "Sister Yun, what will you do if I lost?" his voice was calm and it was just something he asked on a whim.


    The girl replied, "Give away the company, rest for a month, then start again. I will take back my company in six months." She chuckled for a moment then with a firm gaze she said, "I trust you. You are the Dao, when has Dao ever lost?"


    Just when Yang Dao was about to reply she said, "I know, it is possible to lose but those who are confident and hardworking. The chances are low." this was her trust in him.


    Yang Dao shook his head with a sigh. The phoenix would honor her words, but she did not say that she cannot take it back. You know that she had wealth other than her company. Her company was generating billions of profit. She gave it away, but it would still not be able to match the amount of money she had earned in the past.


    The girl asked this time, "What will you do with that girl if you won?" her voice revealed a tint of playfulness.


    Yang Dao knew that this was a trap, and he said, "I will free her. I have accumulated a lot as it is already." he jabbed back at Feng Yun. The girl was shocked, then she said, "To think the society and glamour will spoil such a good boy."


    The two people continued to play around and they reached back home. The atmosphere was tense among the staff. Yang Dao spotted Lisa and using sign language he asked what was going on?


    The girl told him that the servants all found out about the bet and were worried that the miss might be angry. Yang Dao was surprised at this. He did not expect this news to leak out so quickly. His cell phone rang and found that it was Icarus.


    He picked up the call and placed it away from his ear, "DAO, WHAT DID YOU SIBLING DO?"


    Yang Dao replied, "Can you shut up? We already know what we are doing. I have sent you some passes for the race event tomorrow. You are invited with your family. Also, I am going to sleep. Good night." that the call was disconnected.


    The Dao Child switched off his mobile. he used the landline in the mansion to call Kiya, pacified her, and told her that a car will pick them up tomorrow. The people did not know that Yang Dao was racing himself. This was kept a secret. The news channels were not told about this.


    They only knew about the parties involved in the betting, which were a veteran racer and Feng Yun. The name of the racer for Feng Yun was not unveiled. Yang Dao at this moment walked out into the garden and sat down on the floor of the pavilion there. He was immersed in cultivation to be at his peak tomorrow.


    The race will be a long one. They had to do 78 laps of the track, a total distance - 206.5 km.


    ...


    While the Dao Courtyard was calm. Mika had a pale complexion after she heard who were the two people. She did not expect that boy to be a rich scion. Also to say that the richest in the entire world won''t be wrong.


    She looked at her grandfather and asked, "Did we do something wrong?"


    The old man was bitter, but he could not have his granddaughter breaking down like this. He said, "No. You follow your own beliefs also they were the ones to propose the condition. You can return to the company. Also, you will only get the company in case he did not apologize. Do not forget that the company is just collateral. Calm your mind and focus on the race. The rest, we will deal with it as it comes."


    His dignified voice highlighted the points needed to calm down the girl. She took a few deep breaths and her complexion improved. She nodded and sat down on the ground to meditate. She was not an Elementalist, but she used this method to focus herself.


    Soon she calmed down and unknowingly even fell asleep. The old man picked her up and tucked her in. he sighed, thinking about tomorrow. Looking at the girl in front of him, he shook these thoughts out of his mind.


    Closing the door, he walked back to his own room. His brain was flooded with the scenes that happened tonight. God knows what he was trying to figure out.


    ...


    The night passed away in a blink and the sun rose to set the horizon on fire. Yang Dao had spent the whole night refining the elemental source energy inside his body. The boy had found that the source energy gets better and better in quality if it is run through the body in cycles.


    He opened his eyes and mumbled, "Looks like the passive effect of the source energy is to make the response and senses faster and more active."


    He heard a soft voice behind him, "Half correct."


    The boy turned around and saw Feng Yun standing there with a smile on her face. she walked over to him and sat down on the floor with him. She said, "Different elements have different nature when you master those elements your source energy will enhance and you will learn different such passive skills."


    Yang Dao nodded in understanding. He said, "The weather is nice today."


    Feng Yun nodded and said, "Well I watched the weather forecast, they said it could rain."


    Yang Dao nodded and said, "Let us go, eat before we go. I call dibs on meat dumplings and soy sauce." with that said, he ran inside the house and Feng Yun chuckled. She shook her head, "Of all the things, he uses the enhanced sense to smell food."


    After breakfast the two people left the house, heading to the race track.

 Chapter 163: Storming The Track.

    Yang Dao and Feng Yun ate a hearty breakfast and drove to the racetrack. The roads were empty because it was a holiday. The boy parked the vehicle and had just come out when the young secretary ran over, panting. He said, "President Feng, the chairman invites you to his office."


    Feng Yun, the proud Phoenix, would go to someone else? She said in her usual cold voice, "Tell your chairman that even if he combines a hundred of people like him, he is not worthy of my visit. If he has something to say, then he can come to the pit stop. He may be the chairman, but I am also one trustee on the committee.


    The boy did not know why Feng Yun was so enraged that he could sense it with the spiritual bond. He asked nothing and just walked behind her after she was done rebuking the young secretary. He asked in a low voice, "Why are you so angry?"


    Feng Yun said, "Do you remember your race with the top racers that night?"


    Yang Dao nodded. How can he forget something like that? The girl replied, "The footage was about to be released, but this old man canceled it. He said that we should not smear the image of the professions. Humph, actually it was Akira Hayate''s manager who pressured him. Even if the tea itself is not boiling, these cheap kettles are steaming.


    So, I had Harvey visit him. If he does not release that footage then I will sue him."


    Yang Dao shook his head. This was a silly dispute but if he tried to mediate that will be him undermining Feng Yun, who was doing this for him. The footage from that night is very good and can increase Yang Dao''s face value. His face value equals the rise in the evaluation of the Dao Technologies.


    ...


    Inside the pit stop. Yang Dao saw Viktor was talking to a man he met yesterday. Sylvan, the hummer. Yang Dao did not disturb the two people and walked over to his vehicle. He checked the car, helped the technician crew with all the tests.


    Feng Yun, meanwhile, sat down on a chair having a cup of tea. Suddenly, an old man came to the pit stop. His brows were frowning. He was the chairman of the race track committee. When the people who gave funds for the stadium declined to take on the chairman position because they were all busy.


    He was selected by the government. He was called Steven Rogers. this man had a misconception. he thought that Feng Yun and the other trustees were respectful to him because of his capabilities of managing the track. This misconception was swelling recently. Ever since Feng Yun called him to arrange for a night drive and had the technicians pull overtime, he thought she owed him a favor.


    He walked in large strides. The man''s arrival attracted a lot of attention. Viktor was about to come over when Feng Yun said, "Before you yell or throw your weight around. Better check your email to see if you still hold some of it."


    Her cold and indifferent voice made him frown. His momentum came to a standstill with just one sentence. Dillon came running to him. His forehead was covered with cold sweat. He whispered something in the old man''s ear and passed the complexion to him. The old man gazed at Feng Yun with shock in his gaze.


    His forehead was covered with cold sweat. He was about to kneel when the cold voice sounded again, "Secretary Dillon, you are promoted, congratulations. Today is an important event. Please have irrelevant people moved out of the pit stop, lest they create a mess."


    Dillon gulped a mouthful of saliva and then he guided the shocked old man out of the pit stop. He still had not wrapped his mind around what just happened. Well, a few minutes ago he got a message from the committee members that he has been voted as the Chairman, replacing the old man.


    ...


    Soon, the public flooded toward the stadium. The seats were being filled up quickly. The VIPs also arrived soon. Kiya and Sasha dragged a reluctant Frieda with them. Mary was waiting for them along with Yurika, she was told by Yang Dao to lead them to their seats.


    VIPs get a special seat above the pit stops and they can watch the whole event. The people were fired up. A little away from the starting line, the drivers parked their vehicles in random order. Since this was an exhibition race for the people, they did not go through the placement qualifiers.


    Yang Dao was sitting in his car on the rear end of the pack. Mika was somewhere ahead of him, but not by much. The boy was calm. Under the signal of the flag bearer, they all drove their cars in a zigzag pattern to the starting line. This was a standard operation to warm up the tires. Yang Dao was using a set of balanced tires like yesterday.


    ...


    None of the people knew who was racing for Feng Yun''s team, Phoenix. Soon the list was announced. The speakers echoed, "Position number 26, the black and white A1 is driven by a new driver. Give him a huge round of applause, FENG YANG DAO."


    While the crowd was cheering, the VIPs were shocked, so were the rest of the people sitting in the stands of Team Phoenix.


    ...


    The signal lights turned yellow and the roar of engines echoed in the stadium. The flag bearer shook the flag, and the lights turned green. The cars took off like arrows from a bow.


    ZOOM ZOOM ZOOM.


    Vehicles passed quickly and soon they were all out of the vision of the people sitting in the stands. Yang Dao has already climbed up to 20th place. He took advantage of the perfect start and rushed forward like a storm.


    In a blink, he was racing with Mika on his right. He did not even pay attention and kept his eyes stuck to the road. He heard the old man Viktor speaking in his helmet, "Dao, the track will narrow up, get ahead and squeeze in."


    Yang Dao nodded slightly and stomped the accelerator, his car speed increased. Beside him, Mika was also the same. She was accelerating. Suddenly Yang Dao slowed down, let Mika pass him and he switched lanes.


    Viktor asked, "What are you doing?"


    The boy replied, "Drafting."


    His words silenced the crew and Viktor while Icarus and the rest of the cycling club who came today on Yang Dao''s invitation started laughing.

 Chapter 164: Racer Dao.

    The cycling club spoke up in unison, "God bless them with a strong heart." among the VIPs Atsuji Kurogame, Ryu Jinshi, and Laohu Bai were also sitting along with Feng Yun.


    The old man could not hold it in and ask, "Why do you say that?" his tone was amiable.


    Icarus turned back while laughing and said, "Elder, Yang Dao is one person who can steal your skills. You can think of it this way. He applies what he learns."


    Kiya continued, "Humans run from the things they cannot deal with. In this race, that driver is one of the best, she also bet against, Sister Feng Yun. Dao will stick to her like a shadow. The driver will run faster. What will happen then?"


    Atsuji Kurogane was the smartest entity. He figured out the ups and downs of this. He said, "He will get to the lead of the pack without much effort, then he can pass her."


    "More than that, once Dao decides to pass her his accumulated speed will be greater than this driver. He can get past and get the lead in an instant. Also, while the two are like this, their speed and efficiency will be better. Hoping that she could not shake him off." said Thomas.


    The rest of the club nodded. They were still one of the top college cycling clubs in the nation. Atsuji Kurogame leaned back in his chair. The other three did not speak. They had their focus on the Monitor screen showing Yang Dao''s progress.


    ...


    On the track, Yang Dao followed Mika like a magnet. The girl tried to shake him off but he was persistent beyond her imagination. Mika took a right to overtake a driver in front of her, The driver tried to block her but was late. This turn made Yang Dao''s way close.


    Just as Mika was rejoicing about it, the black and white car popped out from the left side of the vehicle. The commentators were discussing the two people with fervor, the crowd became enthusiastic as well.


    This was only the first lap and Mika and Yang Dao had climbed from the bottom to the top ten. The situation was very thrilling. It was as if the two were the only ones racing on the track. After the third lap, Yang Dao was second while Mika was first. Suddenly, the black and white car took the advantage of the curve and made a slightly wider turn.


    Yang Dao''s car was on the right side of Mika as they turned left. The boy has become sensitive to the wind flow and even without bending it. He perfectly placed himself inside the shielded zone and quickly shifted gears as he accelerated.


    Only with sped can you overtake on a wide turn. A wider turn makes the road fall in a straight line sooner. Just when Mika made a tight corner turn and slowed down a bit to stay inside the track. Yang Dao passed her on the right side.


    The same scene happened in the pit lane. Mika was flustered and had to apply brakes to take control. She clenched her jaw and kept moving forward. It was not that she did not want to complain or she was not angry but she could not do that because she was well aware that she did the same thing and it was far dangerous than this one.


    By the time she started to accelerate Yang Dao was already 30 meters ahead of her and the distance was enlarging. She focused herself on just one thing now, to catch up to Yang Dao.


    ...


    In the VIP stand Feng Yun smiled faintly, and so did the rest of the familiars. Their Young Master would never step into something he cannot handle. Icarus asked as he turned back to Feng Yun, "Sister Yun, How many laps does he need to pass that other person by?"


    They all heard about the bet vaguely and not complete information. Feng Yun replied, "Two."


    The rest nodded and turned back to the screen.


    ...


    Mika was trying to catch up but she noticed that the boy was getting further and further away from her. She could not understand what was happening. Suddenly she heard a voice in her helmet, "That child, is micro controlling."


    This voice shocked her, Her grandfather was a person who could micro-control his vehicle on the track. She heard that these people were rarest of the rare and today she did not expect to meet another person.


    Those who could micro-control can enhance their performance with every turn. The people who were hoping for Feng Yun to lose the company became sullen. While one side Yang Dao was racing, a video of him racing with Akira Hayate and the other two people was released.


    The video spread out like a wildfire. Yang Dao''s fame erupted within a matter of minutes. While the people were chattering about this racing wonder. Suddenly an accident happened on the race track.


    A car lost control and went off track, and crashed into the sidewall. Emergency teams rushed forward. Thankfully the driver was safe and walked out on his own. The crowd cheered for the drive as he walked back to the pit stop shaking his head. The reason was that the steering suddenly jammed up.


    Well one in a million chances, but still happened. Viktor looked at the black and white car passing the line again and starting the sixth lap. He asked a technician, "Karl, how is the status?"


    The man said, "He is fine and so is the car, boss."


    At this moment a team of commentators came up to them. A lady reporter asked Viktor, "Chief Viktor, can we ask you some questions?"


    The old man was in a good mood and nodded. the lady asked, "What do you think is going to happen?"


    The old man replied, "Yang Dao will do his best as for the rest I will not comment. No one knows what fate might hold."


    The lady asked, "Can we have to listen to the driver?"


    The old man nodded and called Karl to patch them up. Viktor said, "Dao, you are in the lead, What next?"


    Yang Dao was unaware that his conversation was being recorded, he responded, "Fastest Lap. Also, Chief, can I have some music? This helmet is too silent."


    Viktor chuckled and said, "Brat you are driving at 400kph, be careful. Also, You can create your own music, because we have no disks here in the pit."


    The boy nodded and next second, he suddenly started humming. Like a car engine.

 Chapter 165: Humming.

    Yang Dao''s humming surprised the reporter but she noticed the shock on Viktor''s face. The old man suddenly started to laugh. He turned his head to a man standing a few pit stops away and yelled, "Sylvan, the humming is back."


    His loud voice attracted the man and he had a strange expression on his face. He did not clearly hear what Viktor was saying. Suddenly a technician came and said something to the man. His strange expression turned into a shock. Soon, the pit crew turned on the secondary listening channel and they heard a humm sound being broadcasted by the commentators.


    ...


    On the track, Yang Dao was humming as he drove. His humming was not useless and neither was it just for his entertainment. As he hummed in sync with the vehicle, he started to notice the slight time-lapse in his control. Even after Micro-control, he was not completely at the peak of his skills.


    Soon, he finished a lap. His timing improved by milliseconds. The boy did not stop and kept running the laps faster and faster, every lap was getting faster by a few milliseconds. Viktor glanced at the timesheet and gasped. He then sighed and said, "This kid is going for the all-time best. he is ready for a refuel and tire change. Get ready."


    The crew yelled, "Yes."


    Yang Dao completed the fifteenth lap and he could see the tail of the racers. He asked Viktor, "Chief, how fast can they finish the stop?"


    Viktor replied, "Two seconds." his voice was calm. Even if there were no races the crew would also train regularly.


    Yang Dao nodded and said, "I am coming in then." with that said, he entered the pit lane. The others will be coming in after him. As soon as the car stopped the pit crew jumped into action. The boy had his gaze fixed to the stop and go board in front of him. Just as he took a deep breath the stop board was retracted and the boy stepped onto the accelerator.


    He was so focused on the race that he could not hear any other sound. His sprints became faster and the cornering became sharp. Soon, within half a minute he caught up to the tail of the rest of the racers.


    The racer at the end did have no idea that as soon as he would turn, He would be overtaken from the outside. Yang Dao was weaving through the traffic. He was humming as he focused more. He even made the clicking noises when he was shifting gear. But it was all in his mind.


    Viktor was shocked, he was about to ask the former something when he heard a loud cheer from the kids among the VIPs.


    "THE SILENT GHOST."


    He could not help but turn to them and asked, "Hey kids, what ghost?"


    Ray spoke up, "He will be silent and move like a ghost. The silent ghost. Just watch it."


    ...


    On the track, Yang Dao moved like a specter. The drivers did not even see when he came behind them, matched their driving pattern, and slipped past them. This shocked the whole crowd and the experts watching this event.


    Viktor was surprised and overwhelmed with great joy. He sighed as he sat down in front of a monitor, "This kid, is a genius. He evolved the Humming."


    Karl asked him, "How?"


    Viktor said, "When someone hums in sync with their vehicle they find some flaws in their driving and optimize it. These faults are basically timing. Now, what is he doing? He catches up to them, syncs his motions with them, finds out the flaws, and then passes them. even Sylvan could not do it back in those days."


    This was Yang Dao''s genius. He took up a technique, mastered it, and even improved it.


    ...


    Back on the track, Yang Dao came to second place and found that Mika was rushing ahead and she was leading. The girl realized that she was too concentrated on Yang Dao, at this moment she also concluded was that if she focused on doing her best, only then can she catch up to Yang Dao. She was leading by quarter lap, while Yang Dao was leading by a full lap.


    Yang Dao''s car sound was lower than the other people''s, this was noticed by some people and they asked why this was happening? Viktor could only shrug. They had no idea. While the others were at a loss. Feng Yun mumbled, "Elemental Assistance."


    Ryu Jinshi nodded as he said, "The endowment of the heavens, as the dao child gets focused the elements themselves will help him."


    ...


    On the 26th lap, Yang Dao caught up with Mika. The boy began the chase without any delays. he passed Mika, but the girl was not an easy one too. She would keep up and try to pass him as well. The two soon forgot that they were racing. They were having fun with it.


    But on the 27th lap, Yang Dao broke away and he extended his lead and by the 30th lap, he has vanished from Mika''s eyesight once again. She did not give, just then she heard a voice in her helmet, "Mika, pit stop. The tires are too hot to continue."


    The girl nodded and drove back to the pit stop. She happened to see Yang Dao''s car merging with the track after a pit stop. She was eager to catch up with him and skipped the pit stop. Her grandfather yelled in the microphone, "MIKA, WHAT ARE YOU DOING?


    Mika ignored his voice and kept racing, suddenly it started raining. The girl noticed that the car has become somewhat slippery. Her lead gradually shortened but she still managed to keep the position of second place. Soon she entered the pit, they changed the car tires and she continued racing again.


    Her eyes kept looking for that boy to show up but to no avail. She did not know that if she was fifty percent ahead of the rest then Yang Dao was hundred percent ahead of her. The boy was running among the traffic again by the time they had 40th lap.

 Chapter 166: Accident.

    Yang Dao entered the fray once again. The reason for his speed was not that he had a faster car or something. But his control over time. Saving a lot of seconds on how to get around on the track was his boon.


    Also, he was not racing for any price, it was just for fun and teaching Mika how to be careful. The guy this time was even more bizarre than the last time. While the people were slowing down on the curves even more than before Yang Dao was pulling up his usual speed.


    Some guys were even scared off by him. A few drivers even asked their crew chiefs if Yang Dao was someone their age. This guy ran the track as if he was some old monster with tonnes of experience behind him.


    As the race progressed Yang Dao passed them all once more. He was now driving behind Mika, who was in half a lap ahead of the rest. She heard the sound of someone approaching her. they were both on the 50th lap. The boy behind her has cut down the lap time to a shocking four minutes fifty seconds.


    She saw the time board near the starting line when she made a pit stop. This time she did not have any time to chase after the guy, It was a straight stretch and Yang Dao slipstreamed behind her, and just when his car was about to touch her tail, he turned out and passed her.


    The girl almost could not believe how he did that to her. She tried to catch up and suddenly when they were turning around the corner. She found that she could not slow down as fast as she wanted. The track was slippery and she had rarely raced in rains. The break timing was not correct and her car got off track.


    Yang Dao was sprinting ahead and he heard a crashing sound behind him. He asked Viktor, "What happened?"


    Viktor replied, "Mika crashed, the car is flipped, she is pinned."


    Yang Dao had a bad feeling in his heart. He also moved his car off the track and stopped there. he got off the vehicle, threw his helmet back in the car, and ran to where Mika was pinned down under the car.


    His actions shocked the people. Never did a driver rush back to save an opponent.


    ...


    Icarus stood up and said, "That is dangerous, that car is leaking oil."


    Feng Yun said, "Calm down, Dao can handle it."


    Laohu Bai also in a calm tone, " He is a special recruit. He has this much skill." she actually wanted to say that ''DAO CAN KILL YOU ALL AND YOU WILL NOT EVEN KNOW HOW YOU DIED''


    The rest were calm, but below inside the pit stop. Viktor was yelling on top of his lungs.


    "WHAT IS THIS BRAT DOING? WHAT IF IT EXPLODES? KARL, GET THE EMERGENCY TEAMS THERE ASAP. I WANT..." his rapping was on.


    ...


    Yang Dao reached the red car, he asked, "Mika are you awake?" his voice was loud.


    He heard a voice, "Yeah, but I cannot get out." the voice was weak, evidently, the girl was hurt in the crash.


    Yang Dao said, "Brace yourself. I will flip it over."


    Inside the car, Mika felt that the voice was familiar, but she did not seem to recall who it belonged to. Well, she did not pay attention to the dao child earlier. (HOW SINFUL)


    Yang Dao outside was unaware of this and squatted down. He took a deep breath and clenched his jaw. With a grunt, he lifted the car slightly.


    ...


    A tremor ran across the audience, everyone was struck silent. The minimum weight of an A1 car is seven hundred and forty kilograms. This guy lifted that, even if it is by inches, this is too exaggerated, right.


    Ryu Jinshi mumbled, "He is not using the source energy inside him. Yun, did you not tell him about this?" his low voice did not hide the harshness.


    Feng Yun did not reply, she did not direct all the important points to the boy. But yang Dao did not let her be the target of the rest.


    ...


    Yang Dao had his eyes closed and sensed that the source energy was flowing to his arms slowly. He decided to give it a try. He urged the source of energy to move inside his arms faster. Suddenly, the strength in his arms increased exponentially. He grunted, "Humph,"


    The car was lifted more. Mika could see that the car was being lifted by just one person and the black and white attire of the person made her heart shiver. She was about to get lost in her thoughts when she heard a scream.


    ARGGHH,


    Yang Dao had lifted the car onto its sides. He said with a wry smile on his face, "Can you undo your seatbelt and try to climb out?"


    When he sensed that the car was balanced on its sides he let it go. Mika nodded and tried to undo her seatbelt but it was jammed. She said, "It won''t come out." she was scared now. She had her helmet open and can smell the oil leaking. She said to Yang Dao, "You go away, please. This is about to explode."


    Yang Dao shook his head with a sunny smile and said, "May I try?" without waiting for her reply, the boy stuck his hand in the cockpit, he held on to the seat belt joint. With a deep breath, he pulled it.


    SNAP


    Mika had no time to react when she was pulled out of the car. Yang Dao held her like a princess and walked away. She wanted to turn back and look at the car when she heard a warm voice, "Don''t look back."


    The girl became obedient all of a sudden. Her heart was almost exploded. She had never felt anything like this. The two had walked a little further when the lightning flashed. Followed by it the car exploded.

 Chapter 167: Finish Line.

    Yang Dao held the girl in his arms and walked a few steps away before the car exploded. Mika shrunk into his arms. She was scared and did not notice that the boy did not even blink an eye when the explosion occurred.


    He bent down and placed her on the ground. He said, "Take off your helmet and lay down. The emergency personnel will be coming over in a few seconds, I will meet you after the race is complete." with that said, he walked back to his car, picked up his helmet, put it on, pushed the car slightly outside on the track and with a ZOOM, vanished.


    Mika stared blankly in his direction and felt her heart beating at a high pace. It was as if the car engine was roaring inside her. She lay down on the ground as Yang Dao said and after a few moments emergency personnel came over to her.


    ...


    In the stands, the audience cheered up with gusto. Yang Dao had now become a hero for them. The VIPs who were silently hoping for Feng Yun to lose the bet were ashen. They did not even wait for the race to complete and left the venue to go back to their respective countries.


    Icarus and the others jumped up in cheers. Kiya silently wiped a tear from the corner of her eye and sighed in relief. However, Yurika fished out her phone, sent a long message to Sister Tina, and complained about the boy being too careless.


    Feng Yun and the rest of the familiars did not show much of an expression on their faces as they already were confident in Yang Dao. The boy passed Mika twice, and he did it all with his skills. The accident happened due to Mika''s carelessness and could not be pinned on the Dao Child.


    Even if they wanted to pin it on him, the familiars were ready to hold the skies to safeguard their young master.


    ...


    The rest of the race was Yang Dao on a joy ride in the fastest track machine ever. This vehicle did not go as fast as Quinn, yet it had the consistency to maintain the top speed. Quinn was a car for the normal roads where top speed was rarely shown. While the track needed the full show of power from but man and machine.


    Dillion stood over the podium holding a checkered flag in his hands. Just one lap before this Yang Dai entered his final lap, the others also increased their output and the distance between them was shortened by a lap.


    A Black and white vehicle came roaring from the distance and Dillon started to wave the flag. Just as his flag waved once.


    ZOOMMM...


    The car passed below like a fighter jet. Yang Dao slowed down and entered the pit lane. The race was finished for him. Viktor slapped the back of his head hard as soon as he got down. He scolded, "Brat, are you too pumped in your heart? What would have happened if that thing exploded?"


    Yang Dao smiled sheepishly and did not reply. He knew that the old man is doing all this out of his concern for himself(Yang Dao). After scolding him for a few minutes the old man calmed down. Karl came over and said, "Young Master, good job." he said in a whisper.


    Yang Dao smiled and the two exchanged a fist bump. The reporters did not wait for the race to finish and the result to be announced they flooded over to interview him but were stopped by the security guards. The lady reporter, however, was a commentator correspondent of the event so only she was allowed.


    She asked Yang Dao, "Sir, is it alright to ask you a few questions, now?"


    The boy nodded with a smile. The lady asked with a smile, "How do you feel after winning this event?"


    "Relaxed and satisfied." the boy replied quickly. He was just like Feng Yu while talking to the media. He would smile but not reveal too much.


    The lady nodded and asked, "Sir, what were you thinking when you rushed to the tilted car?"


    Yang Dao replied, "That, I need to do something to help her." his voice was calm but his eyes were sincere. He really just wanted to help her.


    The lady asked, "Even though she is your competitor and your sister is betting her company with her?" her question was genuine. Not a lot of people would have the guts to do what Yang Dao.


    "The stakes of gamble did not include life. Also, the company was just collateral, in case I back out to fulfill the condition. Even if she is my competitor, she is a human being. She met an accident while doing her best on the track. If I cannot even respect her efforts, then what sort of human am I or am I even a Human?


    If humans started to look at each other with glasses of meaningfulness then the world will come to an end. You may think that I am just spouting non-sense but ask yourself. When you help someone do you not feel good? And do you not know how some people for their selfishness ruin lives?" he stopped after the question because he hated how humans were these days and this was not the right place to speak.


    The lady nodded and said, "Thank you for your time and words, Sir. Congratulation on the victory."


    Yang Dao nodded, thanked her, and retreated to the pit stop. Soon, the results were allowed, the top three were asked to come over the stage and collect the award.


    The person who finished third was Sylvan''s disciple, Amil. He and Yang Dao talked for a bit, they found out quite a lot of common things of interest. They parted after exchanging their contact numbers. The third place was taken by a girl. She was quite shy to talk to Yang Dao. When she saw the footage where he carried Mika in his arms and the car exploded behind them. She was already a fan of his.


    She asked for his contact details and left quickly like a Doe running from a hunter. The Dao Child did not notice that few pair of jealous eyes were almost killing that girl.

 Chapter 168: Pay Up.

    After the award ceremony, Yang Dao was again surrounded by the reporters asking him a variety of questions, such as how will he donate the money, if he would like to go professional in racing, what are his interests and what are his business aspirations.


    The boy replied to all of them and after one question each he told them that Feng Yun has been waiting for him. With that indirect threat, the people all let him go. They were content that Yang Doa answered to them. Even though it was a concise answer, but his smile was enough compensation.


    ...


    Yang Dao carried a crystal trophy and came to the hall reserved for his VIP guests and pit crew. The people all cheered for him, they popped open some champagne bottle and were about to shower it on him when they felt a cold gaze locked on their back, and they all froze.


    Laohu Bai walked forward and hugged Yang Dao tightly. She said, "Congratulations."


    Yang Dao replied, "Thank you." the people all came over to thank him. They were all happy when Mika walked over followed by her grandfather.


    The atmosphere turned somber. Mika was a beautiful girl, she had been prideful her whole life and this sudden apologizing in front of everyone made her a bit flustered. Still, she clenched her teeth and was about to bow down when Yang Dao said, "Shut down all the recording devices if this is leaked. You will deal with The Phoenix group."


    His words deterred a few reporters who were still recording with their mobile phones. Mika was hesitant because she did not want the world to make a joke about her. Now that the boy she lost to made a move on her behalf, how could she hesitate?


    The girl knelt on the ground and said, "I apologize. I was wrong in my belief. You were right, if speed is not controlled it will lead to death. I am very sorry for my behavior. Please forgive me." as she said all this, tears formed in her eyes.


    Tears of regret. Yang Dao took a step forward and helped her up. He said with a smile, "You are a very good racer, Mika. You have the heart and the mind to reach the pinnacle of this profession but what stopped you was the blind chase of speed. Now that is gone, you can start anew."


    He noticed that the girl was not looking in his eyes, alas the confidence was shaken. Yang Dao held her hand and asked her grandfather if he can take her out for a bit.


    Feng Yun and the others did not stop him despite feeling some heat in their hearts. Yang Dao was loved by all of the women here. How can they not be jealous if he just went out of the party they held for him?


    ...


    A boy wearing a black and white jumpsuit dragged a girl wearing a red jumpsuit behind him. The two people came to where Quinn was parked. He had taken the keys from Feng Yun earlier before coming out.


    He opened the door and said, "Mika, sit inside." his soft voice made the girl feel a flutter in her heart.


    She nodded meekly and sat in the passenger seat. Yang Dao had asked Dillon to make sure that no staff was on the track, lest they met some accident. He sat in the driver''s seat and started the car. He drove it through the building and came to the track.


    He said, "Why do you not look at me?" the car was already moving on the track.


    Mika shook her head and said, "I lost to you. I wronged you yesterday. I am ashamed to look in your eyes." her voice was filled with remorse.


    The boy hummed and kept driving at a fast speed. He said, "You make mistakes but cannot admit them?"


    Mika said quickly, "No, I admit that I made a mistake. I am guilty." Yang Dao hummed and continued to drive.


    Subconsciously the girl gazed at how he was controlling the car. Then her head raised a bit and glanced outside the window. A true driver and racing fanatic can never ignore the urge to look at the fast-changing scenery when they were moving.


    Yang Dao said, "You have only done half the work. When you have the guts to correct your mistakes. Only then can you be guilt-free. It is not sure when that will happen but every journey begins with one step forward. Am I right?"


    His calm and soft demeanor resonated with the girls, shaken heart. She looked at his side profile. Yang Dao smiled slightly as he kept driving. Then he said, "That is good. Also, I never mentioned it before but you are beautiful, and it was nice to race with you."


    Mika froze when Yang Dao complimented her. She did not hear a single word afterward if you ask her. His focused gaze as he drove the vehicle, seemed to make her heartbeat accelerate.


    Yang Dao spoke for a long time before he turned to look at her. He was stunned to see her charming flushed face. Their eye matched and Yang Dao made a drift on the track without turning his head to look at the track.


    The car did slow down a bit, Mika unconsciously raised her hand, placed it on Yang Dao''s lap, making him jerk his foot and almost crushing the accelerator. Thankfully they entered the straight and Yang Dao still had some sense of sanity left.


    Despite being sober he could not take his eyes off of Mika. The two gradually leaned over until their lips touched. The boy pressed the breaks hard and moved the stirring. The car spun like a disc on the asphalt as the two people were busy kissing each other.


    The first time did Yang Dao took initiative for a real kiss and the reason was an impulse.


    ...


    In the party hall, Laohu Bai said, "Sister Yun, why are you looking at the track?"


    Feng Yun stood on the balcony and was gazing at the car standing on the track. The car was as big as a mole in normal people''s eyes but she could see that Yang Dao was kissing Mika. She said, "Nothing much. Ask eldest to give Young Master the ''men talk'' they do when a guy grows up."

 Chapter 169: Scolded

    Yang Dao and Mika broke away after a few moments. The boy realized what he did when he gazed at her blushing face. He did not know what to say. He scolded himself in his mind, ''How can you do that? Why did you give in? What will she think?''


    Mika said, "Thank you." in a soft voice.


    Yang Dao was surprised and asked, "Are you not angry?"


    The girl shook her head and said, "Angry about what? The kiss? I will consider that as a pay-up for your advice and teaching. Also, you will now have to go professional with racing. Or at least attend some events. I will try my best to beat you."


    Yang Dao was happier to see that the girl did not blame him. Yet some guilt still resided inside his heart. To make up for that he promised her to race again in the future and join more events. Then he drove the car back to the parking area. Mika left after exchanging the numbers with him and Yang Dao came to the party hall.


    The atmosphere was cheery and everyone had fun. Atsuji Kurogame came to him and said, "Young Master, it is good to explore feelings but I only advise you to exercise some restraint."


    Yang Dao has been noticing that Feng Yun was slightly cold to him as if she was hurt by something. Now that the eldest had come to him with sermons. Yang Dao figured out what was the reason.


    He agreed with Atsuji and said, "I need to cultivate my thoughts, Eldest. My mind and thoughts are like the wind, I have not yet been able to restraint them. What do I do?"


    Atsuji smiled and said, "Do you see Ryu? You can talk to him. He was just like you in the beginning. He can help you. Remember that the familiars exist to help you." his genial and warm tone made Yang Dao calm the storm brewing inside him.


    The party ended, after sending off the guests. Yang Dao and Feng Yun came out with the other three. Feng Yun was about to go and sit down in the car with the others when the boy said, "Sister Yun, can you ride with me? I have something to say."


    Feng Yun could sense the guilt glazed in his voice. She did not want him to lose face in front of the others so she nodded with a smile and sat down in his car. The two drove off slowly. None of them spoke up.


    Then Yang Dao said, "You are upset with me?" he asked in a calm voice. He was not a person who was afraid of facing his mistakes. Why should he not confront it?


    Feng Yun was also not to lie to him. She nodded and said, "Your impulse today. I did not like it. You need to understand that even if you are a human you carry the responsibilities far greater than a normal human would. I never treated you all high and mighty like a Dao Child should be treated because I understand that being down to earth is your nature and I like that about you.


    Young Master, everything is done in a balance, Dao is the thing that exists out of this scale. Dao governs the heavens and hell. The Dao governs life and death. Yet nothing governs Dao itself. It is omnipotent and autonomous. Let me clarify one thing for you. To become the Dao Child and save this world from facing calamity you need to work a lot harder than you are doing currently.


    I or any other familiar would never push you to do something you don''t want to but today when I saw you, the Dao Child, who is the representation of Dao, the source of our existence to act impulsively. I felt enraged and ashamed. I hope something like this does not happen."


    Yang Dao gazed at the road but this was the first time he was scolded in his whole life. Feng Yun was his closest and most cherished of the people in this world. Today when she said these words to him. He was shaken. He realized that he really did commit a great mistake.


    he has never actually realized the importance of the term THE DAO CHILD. Today only did it became clear to him. He recalled how Feng Yun said told him on their first meeting that the familiars exist for him and from him.


    He closed his eyes and said after he opened them again, "I understand. I apologize and promise that I will never let something like this happen again."


    Feng Yun heard his voice, glazing with guilt. She raised her hand and placed it on his head. She said with a soft tone. "Dao, mistakes are natural. I only hope that you try to minimalize them. We don''t know what sort of a person the other party is. You only met her yesterday. I am not against you having a companion, you can have anyone in the world but remember to take it slow. Rushing things will make you vulnerable."


    Yang Dao had red eyes and nodded to her. He said, "I will pay attention to it. To be honest, I did not know what came over me when I gazed into her eyes. At that moment, she was so vulnerable and weak that I could not control myself."


    Feng Yun nodded, the boy was not lying. It was his motive to console her but when the weakness was paired with Mika''s beauty. The boy gave in. It has been said that beauties can make nations fall to their knees, then Yang Dao was a boy who had never been observant about beauty. His time was dedicated to hard work to make his life better.


    Now that he has got a better life and is more interactive with the world around him. His urges have grown strong. The charm of beauty was also not unknown to him. This is why he was impulsive today. After all, he has been surrounded by beautiful women, so how long can he turn blind a blind eye to it?


    Feng Yun consoled him for a bit and only after his mood stabilized did the two return to the Dao Courtyard.

 Chapter 170: Rush.

    The night passed in silence. Yang Dao spent the whole time meditating and sorting out the clutter in his mind. What Feng Yun said to him in the evening left a deep impression. The cloudy sky outside was the reflection of his heart and soul.


    Slowly as the night passed the wind of growth washed over the world and the boy, clearing away the clouds and his heart at the same time. The next morning, he opened his eyes, shining with sparkles. They were clearer than ever. He stood up from his spot, took a shower, changed into fresh clothes, and went outside his room.


    It was early, given Feng Yun and the other''s routine they were still meditating. Yang Dao entered the kitchen made himself a simple meal and started to eat in silence. The maids saw him and wanted to approach but the calm atmosphere was so satisfying that they restrained themselves from disturbing the scene.


    After breakfast, the boy stood up and said to one of the maids, "Please tell the others that I have gone to the office." the maid nodded and Yang Dao walked outside. He spotted Lisa working in the garden.


    She also noticed him. She smiled and bowed to him, the boy returned the smile and after a nod, he continued forward. He drove his car to the office.


    ...


    When the rest of the people gathered at the dining table the maid told Feng Yun that the young man has already left home for an hour or so. Atsuji Kurogame asked, "Xiao Yun, did you went a bit too hard on him yesterday?"


    Feng Yun only replied, "Sometimes we need to be hard on him. Too much affection and pampering will only spoil him and distract him from his path in the future. He needs to realize that only with determination and focus can things be done otherwise, they vanish in the air like a puff of smoke before you even know."


    Ryu Jinshi nodded and supported her action. He said, "Have him enroll in the assassination circle. He needs to temper himself also time has come to start punishing the sinners."


    Laohu Bai sighed and said, "We have some military assignments for him too. But he needs to compete in the inter-college tournament before that. Yesterday his friends told me that he is now a member of the cycling team and they only have few weeks before the competition. I think we can let him travel after that."


    Atsuji Kurogame nodded, "So it is decided, let the young man go out after his competition."


    The people were planning to guide the Dao Child of further training the person himself was sending off two girls back to college and taking Frieda to the lab. he intended to have the work done and dusted within a week.


    Freida was more than happy with this. The two people came to the lab and Yang Dao entered the lab without much nonsense. Yurika saw this and shook her head. mary asked, "Why do I feel like he is different?"


    Yurika shook her head and said, "This is how he used to be back in the Bell City. Focused and sharp. He would seldom talk to others and just drown himself in work to complete his goals. Something must have happened yesterday that made him like this. But don''t worry he is normal. We should start working as well Sister Mary. I don''t want to lose my bonus."


    Mary chuckled and the two people started to work.


    ...


    In the lab, Yang Dao sat in front of a Computer and was inputting the data in the 3D printer to make the parts he needed. Frieda was contacting a few people to enquire about the motor assembly and the battery components for their robot.


    After an hour she was done contacting 3 vendors, who sufficed their needs and placed the orders. These vendors were small companies but they did good work. She informed Yang Dao about this.


    The boy took advantage of the time, while the printer was printing the parts he went to Mary''s office.


    Mary asked, "What is it, Boss?"


    Yang Dao replied, "Acquire Swift Electronic, Power Command, and Chipset Nation. Do not change the name and the management but have the three bosses here in the building. I will hold a meeting with them. I want this done by the evening."


    Mary did not understand his logic but she nodded. She asked, "What about the funds, the rest is already involved in investing."


    The boy said, "Mobilize the funds from Paradise hotels. Anything else?" his calm voice held so much commanding aura that Mary felt scared and shook her head.


    The boy nodded and walked back to the lab. Mary said, "These two siblings sure take after each other." sighed and started to do what the boss had just told her.


    ...


    Yang Dao came back to the lab, he and Frieda assembled the parts they have been talking about and needed to be included in the bot. The two people were going through a lot of combinations of tools and placements.


    They did not notice that the sun has come down. Suddenly the door was knocked and Yurika popped in her head. She said before the boy can say anything, "The three companies are acquired, their bosses are waiting in the conference room."


    The boy took a deep breath and nodded. He left the arrangement to Freida and followed Yurika to the conference hall. Three middle-aged men sat there waiting for him. The boy walked in the room and said, "Thank you for coming over, I can guess that you would like to hear why I acquired your companies?"


    The three men nodded. The boy spoke, "The answer is simple, I will make you the richest and the biggest names in your field. Do you believe me?" his tone was confident but the three people had also researched the person they were meeting.


    Given his achievements, only a fool would not believe him. The three people nodded and Yang Dao briefed them about his plan.


    The three people nodded and assured him to meet his requirement completely. After that, they left. Yang Dao was now rushing to the completion of his first goal, Getting a foothold in the market.

 Chapter 171: Robo-Aid.

    After the meeting was completed, the boy went back to the lab. He started assembling the parts and tools needed for the bot with Frieda in fervor. The two people had forgotten the sense of time.


    The moon hung high in the skying watching the two people through a big window they were immersed in testing and debugging the software of the robot. The robot was ugly. It had no body cover on it as the two people were still in the middle of testing and the body was yet being manufactured by the 3-D printer.


    The tools short-circuited many times, they did not give up. The whole process lasted for a week and for the last 3 days the boy did not even bother to go back home. Feng Yun tried to talk him out of it but he did not budge at all. In the end, they could only arrange for a room for him in the office building. The whole staff was aware that the boss was residing in the building to complete an upcoming project.


    ...


    After a whole week of work. The two people decided to test and run their product in a natural environment. They installed the body covering and changed the bot from ugly to sleek and cute. They place the bot in the employee pen they also made the janitors not clean the floor.


    After they placed the bot in standby mode, they pressed a button on top of it and went back to the room to rest.


    ...


    An employee came inside the office and when he came to the employee pen, he raised an eyebrow. He caressed his table with his finger only to find slight dust accumulated. He sighed and said, "Come on. why is it dirty?"


    BEEP, HELLO, DO YOU NEED MY HELP TO CLEAN IT UP FOR YOU?


    A sweet mechanical voice sounded behind the man. The robot was coded to sound this way. He turned around and found a white and blue ball slowly rolling over to him. The ball stopped a few feet away and a panel lit up on the center of the ball. A few blue LED lights were arranged like a smiley face :)


    The voice sounded again, ''HELLO, CAN I HELP YOU CLEAN UP THE DIRT AROUND?''


    The man realized that it was the ball that was speaking to him. he pinched himself and the slight pain confirmed that he was awake. He asked, "How do you know that I need your help in cleaning?"


    The bot replied in the same voice, "My scanners picked up some dust on your fingers. May I help you? Please?"


    The employee was blown away when he saw the bot begging to help him. A big smile surfaced on his face and he said, "Yes, please clean up."


    The bot LED lights turned from blue to red and the bot quickly moved over to the side of the desk. Then from its side came out a rotating brush. The brush cleaned the side first. The employee sighed thinking that the bot was so small, how can it clean such a high desk.


    His thoughts has just completed when a few suction cups came out of the bot''s surface. The circular bot then used the suckers and cleaning brush simultaneously and climbed the desk. The rest became history.


    ...


    The next day, a video on the internet went viral. The video showed how a bot cleaned up the whole office. It recorded the whole conversation between a man and the bot. The bot introduced itself as ROBO-AID.


    A lot of netizens commented and asked for more details. They all found that the video was posted by Dao Technologies. This immediately made the people energetic. A lot of them have seen the mobile OS and the driverless car. They were all impressed and immediately asked for the price and release dates.


    ...


    The company claimed the bot as their upcoming product. The notice also stated that they will be holding a press conference to issue the price and other details related to the product. The netizens all were paying attention to the website notifications.


    In the noon, it was declared that the press conference will be held in the evening. All the major media platforms send their correspondents to the company. The stage was set and the reporters all sat down on their respective chairs.


    Yang Dao had asked Mary to call some of the upcoming celebrities who live on their own and cannot clean their houses regularly. His purpose was to let them advertise the product. A day before the press conference, they had sent out fifteen sample bots to such celebrities and the company hired camera teams to record the video.


    The upcoming stars were obviously happy to generate such heat for themselves. So, the process was smooth. The media was shown all the videos one by one and they all noted a lot of key points of the robot.


    Yang Dao walked over the stage and the people started to raise their hands. They were aware of his style by now. The boy however shook his head and said, "The developer of the robot is not me alone. The credit goes to the main developer, Miss Frieda Foster, a senior student in the Jade City National university. She specializes in robotic science and it was her idea that made Robo-Aid come to life. Please give her a huge round of applause."


    As Yang Dao retreated while clapping his hands. Frieda walked over holding a ball in her hands. She placed the ball o the podium and said, "Hello everyone. Thank you for coming over."


    She said, "Feng Yang Dao is a modest guy so please do not believe him. Behind this sweet little face of his lies a brain that makes me wonder if he is really a normal human. The bot algorithms and a lot of other things were thanks to his effort only. When I started to make a robot, my idea was to make something like a human. But after he told me a design in his mind. I agreed to it within five minutes.


    Robo-Aid is a product similar to the Mobile OS the company released earlier. It is capable of using free conversation but that is limited to only cleaning and some other basic stuff..." She started to introduce the various features of the robot and her enthusiasm hooked onto the people quickly as well.


    After she was done she took a sip from the water bottle on the podium and said, "Dao, over to you."


    Yang Dao walked over with a smile and said to the people, "Well, I know that you all are eager to ask questions. Let me give you a quick demo before that."


    He pressed a yellow circle on the top of the bot and said, "Robo-Aid. Wake up"


    The LED flickered a few times followed by a long yawn. The mechanical voice sounded, "Time to work?"


    Yang Dao said, "Robo-Aid, we have a lot of guests today."


    The bot asked,  ''Do they bring dirt and germs along with them?''


    The reporters laughed, Yang Dao said, "Yes. So will you help me clean up the mess."


    The blue lights turned red and the bot replied, ''It will be my honor.'' the voice became a bit too macho causing the people to burst into laughter again.


    Yang Dao said, "The bot is programmed to be funny and interactive with the hosts. The reason is that we are all tired of a bland vacuum cleaner. Also, it can help you relieve loneliness. Now let us have some questions."


    A lady asked, "How much is it priced?"


    Yang Dao sighed and said, "The most difficult one first. The bot is priced, ten thousand carat coins for the classic model, twenty thousand carat coins for the boosted model. The difference between the two is that one supports wireless charging and the former basic model does not. The boosted model comes in different colors, such as anyone you select from the color palate."


    A man asked, "Boss Feng, do you think that everyone can pay ten thousand carat coins?"


    Yang Dao shook his head and said, ''Of course they cannot. That is why the company is providing them all with a ten installments payment plan. The bot comes with a guarantee of a year and five years warranty if the equipment is faulty. The people can pay for the bot in ten parts, thousand-carat coins per month. This price is too cheap and affordable.


    The bot is low maintenance and you will not regret it."


    The questions and answers continued. In the end, Yang Dao said that the product will be up for order within a week and the order can be placed on the company website. To kill the middlemen, he introduced that everyone needs to provide an ID copy. One user one bot policy for a few months so that the people do not get scalped.


    Other than the three companies earlier, he bought three more and had them remodeled by the time the press conference was held. The press conference had just ended when the big tycoon companies started to rush over with congratulations and collaboration offers. One of them being Cryptonian company called, Mecha-tech.

 Chapter 172: Face-Off

    A week had passed since the press conference. In this period of time, Yang Dao and Frieda had completed a lot of things. The girl got to submit her final project and pass the class with flying colors while the boy got the bot tested and certified by dozens of governmental authorities and was ready for sale.


    The official website of the company had a countdown timer on the book now button. Yang Dao himself sat down among the IT staff of the company. Only ten minutes were left before the people will start booking for the Robo-Aid.


    The reason he was sitting here was to fend off the unwelcome guests. The Crypto Nation was always staring at the world with concealed eyes. They had the technology but a lot of it came from the other parts of the world too. Last week, Yang Dao met a company representative from Crypto nation.


    The company was called Mecha-tech. They specialized in robots and they liked the handy and adorable design of the bot. At least that is what the person said on the surface.


    For the sake of pretense, Yang Dao met with the guy and what happened next was something everyone will remember for a long time.


    ...


    A day after the conference a man dressed in a grey suit walked into the Dao Technologies building. He was about to ask the receptionist something when his gaze fell on a white and black bot cleaning the area. The man gazed at this bot without blinking.


    He walked over and was about to touch the bot when the bot turned to him and spoke in its mechanical voice, ''Hello, do you need help in cleaning something?''


    The man replied, "No. Can you let me touch you?"


    The bot replied, "I am on duty. Please do not disturb me." With that said the bot turned back around and kept on with its own thing.


    The man did not mind but nodded in affirmation. He wanted this bot to be a part of their company lineup. Or the developer of this bot to work for them. Changing his attention he came to the reception desk and told the employee there that he was here for a meeting.


    The girl called the related people and told the man to take the elevator and go to the 9th floor. The man nodded and followed the directions. This man was middle-aged, with sharp eyes and a slightly hooked nose.


    Yurika stood waiting for the man near the elevator. She saw him coming out, and greeted, "Hello, Mr. Daniel, the president is waiting for you. Please follow me."


    The man nodded and followed Yurika. On the way, his gaze wandered on places it should not. The girl was unaware of this wolf-eyed man. She came to the conference hall and pushed open the door. She said, "Dao, Mr. Daniel from Mecha-Tech is here for you."


    Daniel calmed his raging testosterone and walked in with a serious look on his face. Yang Dao sat in the head position reading some documents. He raised his head and said, "Hello, welcome to do technologies. Please have a seat, Mr. Daniel."


    The man sat down and said, "You have a nice place here, Mr. Dao." with a smile on his face.


    The boy put down the paper and said in a cold voice, "I would appreciate it more if you called me with my last name. Dao is not something everyone is eligible to call me."


    Daniel froze for a bit and then gave an awkward laugh. He said, "I apologize, Mr. Feng. I come here to propose a collaboration between our two companies."


    The reason he had to talk about it first was to dispel the awkwardness Yang dao created by his stern remark. The boy asked, "What is your proposal?"


    The man said, "I propose to buy out the development rights of your bot Robo-Aid for the next five years. In return, we offer you the sales right of our exoskeleton, Xr-9t for a similar period. what do you say?"


    Yang Dao put down the documents in his hands and gazed at the man with a poker face. After a few seconds of silence, he said, ''Do you take me for a child, Mr. Daniel? My company has no intention to dabble with Exoskeletons at this moment. Also, the product you are offering me to sell for you is a defected half-assed effort of the arrogant researchers on your country.


    In the past six months since the production of this model, your company has faced 8 lawsuits and all of which you lost. The reason was the long-term adverse effects. Should I read it in detail?"


    His words made the middle-aged man surprised. he did not expect this kid to be so well prepared. Yang Dao actually found stuff from hacking the Mecha-tech servers. Daniel was not to give up so soon. he said, "Look, President Feng. I will be clear with you. We at Mecha-tech need this bot of yours. You can name a price and sell the rights. Or I can just go to the developer of this bot herself."


    Yang Dao smiled and said, "You cryptonians all lack patience. Do you not? You are so overconfident of yourself that you waltz inside my office with no homework. The developer of the bot is Frieda Foster, while I am the one who assisted it. I have my name on the patent certificate as well. I have published the whole design for the world to read but can you actually make it?


    Try it, and I will sue you and your company for all that you are worth. Second, "Frieda Foster is an employee of my company. You can go and try if she agrees, but I warn you. If anything happened to her, even if it is a scratch, you will be held responsible. I will have you and your company on my plates for dinner."


    His words scared the shit out of this person in front of him. he had no idea that this kid can actually do something like this but he was aware that the other party is not easy. Behind him stood Feng Yun who can actually have his company crumbled and cribbed. With no results, he left the Dao technologies.

 Chapter 173: Busy Dao.

    Yang Dao did not bother about Daniel but he was aware that these people will try something trickier. As soon as he walked out of the office the boy called Mary to his office. The content between their talks was not privy to even Yurika.


    All she knew was that Mary left in a hubbub. The rest of the week was smooth except for the Cryptonian businessman approaching Frieda Foster and trying to poach her to work for them. But just when she asked who will get the name on the patent and the guy instinctively smirked and said the company. They were shunned off by her.


    Yang Dao later had her live in the dorms only. He was cautious enough to prepare against the guys in case they attempted abduction. Feng Yun has gone overseas for some business deal leaving Yang Dao with Laohu Bai who was on a vacation to live in the Dao Courtyard.


    ...


    Back to the present sale. Yang Dao had his eyes trained on the five computer screens in front of him. These screens were connected to the mainframe of both Phoenix group and Dao Technologies.


    Since Feng Yun was away she left the command at home in Yang Dao''s hands. The boy ruled with an iron hand. In one day he had the gigantic Phoenix group ridden of the minor flaws they had in the system. His methods were a surprise to those who followed rules while the ones who exploited them almost cried.


    Just as the counter on the screen hit zero. The customers started to flood in. Yang Dao suddenly started typing on the keyboard in front of him. His speed was too fast. The whole IT room was silent and suddenly it was echoing with clicking sounds. The employees were anxious because they all knew that their young boss was not ordinary.


    Yang Dao said, "Relay the customers on the secondary server. The primary is under attack." since he was busy defending he had the others manage the customers. The employees all started to work as well.


    The boy spoke in a low voice, "Seems like they won''t learn their lesson so easily."


    He accessed his crypto net ID and dropped a message on the closed net, "Take down the Mecha-tech server, and I shall be your ally." his capabilities shown earlier had left a deep effect among the people and the hackers wanted to have him as a friend.


    The message kicked off a storm. The hackers of all levels started to attack the Mecha-tech servers. They did not care about a company, they cared about their own interests. The people hired by Mecha-tech were suddenly bamboozled at this.


    They also issued a message that they were taking trying to take down the Phoenix group. The hackers were in dilemma. Yang Dao noticed this and immediately pulled the strings. He uncovered the hacker''s darkest sides and even their own identities. It was all at his fingertips. He sent them all one message. Comply or Die.


    Who knew how many people are out there looking for the death of these hackers. They all became disciplined and started to attack Mecha-tech. Taking advantage of their attack, Yang Dao sneaked in a virus code in the company mainframe.


    He sent the code in parts, imagine a jigsaw puzzle and 100 people holding 10 pieces, as soon as the pieces connect the picture is complete and the effect augments by a hundred times. The Dao Child passed the pieces to his ''allies''.


    As soon as the virus exploded the attacks from Mecha-Tech fell. Their dirty secrets were all released to the public. All this happened within ten minutes. After dealing with them the boy asked, "How are the sales?"


    An employee replied, "Sir, the stocks have been cleared and we have ten million pre-bookings. The status is still rising."


    Yang dao calmly asked, "How many are the native and how many are foreigners?"


    The guy said, "7 million native orders and 3 million foreigners. Also, sir 85 percent of people are going for the installment scheme that you came up with." he was trying to bootlick the hermit.


    Yang Dao did not comment and said, "The things here are left to you. I have other work."


    He stood up and walked outside, came to Mary''s cabin, and knocked. The lady said, "Come in." The boy pushed open the door. and walked inside.


    Yang Dao asked, "What is the status of the factory acquirement in Freedom country?"


    Mary shook her head with a sigh and said, "Too wide-mouthed."


    The boy asked, "The reason?"


    Mary said, "Rise of Dao Technologies. If we want to have them do stuff for us. They want us to bleed."


    Yang Dao said, "Forget the factory. Buy out the laborers. Find another factory, pay the laborers twice their original. Get the plant going. I cannot make any more trips out of the station. I have a competition coming up. Also, have the sales window closed for now. Stop taking orders. Finish the piled-up ones first. This will relax the factories."


    Mary nodded, she made arrangements for everything and Yang Dao went back home. By the time he reached the Dao Courtyard, it was already an hour past midnight. He has been working a bit too much in the office recently and had no time to rest.


    As soon as he sat on the couch. He sighed. It was unknown when but he fell asleep. Laohu Bai came out of her room and saw him sleeping on the couch. She walked over to him and raised her hand to touch his forehead but suddenly the guy opened his eyes and grasped her wrist tightly. His eyes were full of vigilance.


    The boy asked, "Baibai, what happened?" he relaxed when he saw the white-haired girl.


    She smiled and shook her head. She said, "Go to bed, Dao. You have been pushing yourself a bit too much. This is not good. Work and rest must have a balance maintained between them. Okay? her voice was soft a caring.


    Yang Dao nodded he stood up and after giving her a hug he walked back to his room. Laohu Bai sighed as she gazed at his back, "When can the Dao rest. But you need to know that even if you are the Dao Child, you are still human." with those words she went back to her own room.


    Yang Dao has taken the scolding a little too seriously. He needs to be counseled.

 Chapter 174: Sensation.

    Dao Technologies had set up distribution centers in all the major cities of the country. The purpose was to deliver the bot to the customers as soon as possible. Yang Dao had the bots prepared in the stockpile evenly distributed among these centers.


    Overnight, as soon as the orders were confirmed and the distributors'' payment procedure was completed, the distributors set off. Ethically it is wrong for the delivery to be made in the night''s dead. But surprises come quick and the delivery boys were told to be extremely polite as if they were talking to their ancestors, but if they came across any unreasonable person, they can call the manager directly and have him deal with it.


    ...


    Yang Dao at this moment was sleeping soundly. His accumulated fatigue from the past two weeks took over control as soon as he fell on the bed. The boy has been using source particle energy to support himself all this while. If someone counted, they will find that the boy has only squinted his eyes for a couple of hours.


    He was unaware that Mary has planned for the orders to be delivered so quickly he won''t know how to react.


    ...


    A delivery boy was stopped at a high-end apartment entrance. The security guard asked him what was he to deliver at this hour. The two people were grassroots workers so how could they not feel the pain of each other.


    The boy did not want to cause trouble for the security guard, and he called the customer directly.


    ...


    Tring trying.


    In the apartment upstairs, a middle-aged woman was almost asleep when her phone rang. She was tired for the whole day and then she had to wait in front of the computer to place an order. Finally, when she confirmed the order and made the payment. She was ready to go to bed after her night routine.


    The phone rang. She cursed. "Can people not be mindful about the time?" Picked up the phone and found that it was an unknown number. Her brows frowned, but she still picked up the phone.


    A humble voice sounded, "Hello, is this Mrs. Holder? Madam, your Robo-Aid unit is here for delivery."


    The lady was shocked and then she thought it was someone from her circle who was pranking her. Well, she flexed her order for confirmation. She asked, "Do you think I am a fool? I just placed the order about an hour ago." then the call was disconnected.


    But soon after, the phone rang again. She was about to fire when the other party said, "Madam, can you please ask the security guard of your society? He will confirm my identity. Please. I apologize for the inconvenience."


    The lady said, "Alright, if I found things otherwise. You will meet the police for harassing me." she disconnected the call and dialed the security office.


    The query was answered positively, and the lady asked them to let the delivery boy come up. The delivery boy wore a white t-shirt and black pants with a symbol of Dao Technologies printed on the back.


    He rang the doorbell, and the lady opened it instantly. The boy bowed to her as he held a simply packed box in his hands. He said, "I apologize for the intrusion. Here is your ordered unit. Please confirm your identity."


    The delivery guy asked her to show the ID proof she used to book the order. The lady complied and nodded with appreciation. She liked how thorough the procedure was. After the confirmation, the delivery boy took an electronic signature on the receiving document and left after handing the box.


    The delivery boy was happy. The lady gave him a 100 bucks tip. (When can my readers give me some tips and gifts? I wonder if I can have some)


    The lady forgot about her sleep and quickly unpacked the box. The packaging was simple and some booklets about the operation of the bot were placed there, along with the charger panels. The lady was recording the whole thing. She pressed the button on the top and the blue LED lit up on the front panel of the bot.


    The bot said, "HELLO, THANK YOU FOR CHOOSING ROBO-AID. WOULD YOU LIKE ME TO HELP YOU CLEAN?" the cheery voice worked its magic, and the lady said, "Yes."


    The bot''s blue lights turned red, and it worked with great vigor. (It is a machine obviously, while your author here, is a human who needs your love {money} to survive. Joking while not Joking. You like me now? EH?)


    The lady uploaded how Robo-Aid cleaned everything it can. The bot could not move heavy furniture but could clean the gaps with a retractable set of micro brushes and stuff. The lady was thrilled.


    ...


    Similar cases took place in the whole nation. Overnight Robo-Aid became a hit and superstar in the cleaner bot industry. The internet was flooded with such videos and clips. Some people tried to stop Robo-Aid from working and the bot''s voice acted like it would cry if they stopped it from working.


    Imagine the effect on those otakus? SENSATIONAL. In one night, Dao Technologies became a name echoing in every household. This was what Yang Dao wanted and this was what he achieved.


    ...


    While something good happens, it brings along its countering bad omens as well. Just like how some people praised the company for their amazing product. Some people went out to scold them.


    These people were the poor, those who lived by working as a cleaner in such places. But now that Robo-Aid was delivered, they were all sacked. The next morning, Yang Dao woke up. He found a bunch of congratulatory messages piled up on his phone. He walked out of the room without even washing his face.


    He did not greet Laohu Bai, who was eating at the table. Ran straight to his car, he drove like a typhoon on the roads and reached the office. The employees were surprised to see their CHAD boss in such a manner. Yang Dao did not bother with them and swiftly came to the top floor.


    Mary was about to take off for the day after a long night when she saw Yang Dao rushing into the cabin. he had scattered hair, and his face clearly told her he did not even take a wash. She asked hurriedly, "Young Master, is everything okay?"


    It was his day off, too.


    The boy asked, "Did you not implement the charity and educational scheme before you delivered the bots?" his voice was cold.


    Mary gulped and said, "I set them up. It is being held by the Govt. as soon as I get the permission, we can get have them going." she has not seen him so angry ever.


    Yang Dao mumbled, "They never learn, do they?" with that said he went back to the Dao Courtyard to rectify this problm.

 Chapter 175: Dao Acted.

    Yang Dao came back to the Dao Courtyard. He had been thinking about what to do about this situation on the way. The solution he came up with surprised him as well, but thinking of the results. The boy could not help but chuckle.


    He parked the car the whole trip did not take any longer than an hour. The boy entered the house and saw that Laohu Bai was walking to and fro in the living room. When she found Yang Dao walking over with a smile on his drowsy face she asked, "Is everything alright?"


    The boy said, "Baibai, let us have some fun later. Some stubborn people will bend this time." with that said the boy entered his room to freshen up. Laohu Bai did not know what he was going to do but this time, she had a bad premonition in her heart.


    The boy came out after half an hour and he wore a plain outfit and said to Lauhu bai, "Come let us go. I have an interview to attend."


    Laohu Bai was surprised to see that Yang Dao wanted to go out to attend an interview in such a casual outfit. The two people came out of the house. The two drove a military jeep to the TV station of a channel called Jewel Prime. This was the biggest news channel in the nation.


    Biggest in the terms of reach. Even in the remote area of the country this channel was watched and had an office. This was what Yang Dao needed. Reach, a coverage so vast that the hidden snakes will get his message loud and clear.


    ...


    The two people were welcomed by an editor-in-chief himself. He was going to take the interview in person, after all the guy was the youngest Business Tycoon and the younger brother of Feng Yun.


    After an hour the two people sat across each other between them laid a table covered with some papers and a remote. The editor-in-chief was a senior reporter, appearing to be in his late fifties but he was not sluggish at all.


    The man spoke, "Hello viewers, good afternoon to you all. Welcome to Heart-to-heart. Today, the person, who graced our channel with his presence is the youngest business tycoon, a recruited soldier, a literary genius, and also a stunning sportsman. As for his recent adventures, he can be called a genius. I give you, Mr. Feng Yang Dao. President Dao Technologies and co-developer of the new darling of the Jewel Nation, Robo-Aid."


    An artificial applauding sound echoed on the Television units. Yang Dao was brought into the frame. The old man said, "Welcome to our show, Mr. Feng."


    Yang Dao smiled and said, "Thank you very much for having me here, Mr. Nicholson. Also, everyone who is watching this, please do not believe the great titles this gentleman gave me earlier. I am not worthy."


    The old man said, "Too much modesty is often seen as arrogance, Mr. Feng."


    Yang Dao nodded and said, "What you said is correct, but I still have a long way to go and I should not treat myself as a genius."


    "Indeed, extraordinary. So, Mr. Feng, firstly, congratulation on the big hit of your recent products. Marvelous creations, I must say. How do you feel when you find people using your products?" asked Mr. Nicholson.


    The sunny smile on Yang Dao''s face vanished. He fell silent for a few seconds and said, "Sir, I grew up in an orphanage before my sister took me in. I grew up watching how people struggled in their day-to-day life. Pushing themselves to the limit even if it was just a tiny bit. Today when I see such hard-working and genuine people losing the tiny bit they had because of my products I feel bad.


    Yesterday night when Robo-Aid was delivered, a lot of people, who made a living by cleaning other people''s lives, lost their jobs. It has pained me greatly to see them suffer more than they deserve."


    Laohu Bai sitting beside the cameraman almost did not believe that it was the guy who was chatting and laughing on the way here. She was shocked to see his acting skills.


    Editor-in-chief Nicholson was interested in this, the one who said such an empathetic thing was a growing businessman and a teenager. He said, "Something good always brings along something bad in the retrospect. What can we do?"


    Yang dao replied, "We can do things to fix the side effects and improvise. Only by continuous improvisation can the world be a better place."


    Nicholson asked, "What can you do about the unemployment?"


    Yang Dao said, "What the people need is food, shelter, and better education. So when we were developing Robo-Aid, we also developed an institution we call, Helping Hand. This organization was to be funded by the profit the company made after selling Robo-Aid. The aim was to provide the poor with food, shelter, and help them with a better education."


    Nicholson asked, "Then where is this organization now? The poor can definitely use this at the moment."


    The people outside who were watching the telecast were very eager to listen to Yang Dao. Especially the ones who suffered after the sales of Robo-Aid.


    The boy replied while he shook his head, "I apologize, but at this moment, the Helping Hand project lies on the table of a governmental official, who refused to sign the permission. The reason they gave us was that this organization was in direct conflict with the governmental system of the country."


    His words immediately set fire to the dry woods. The netizens went crazy with such a big gossip material. They never thought that such a thing can happen. You know, Jewel Nation had a practical execution system to judge and vote who should be the leader of the country and the same was effective for the officials.


    This statement kicked off a storm.


    ...


    At this moment the prime minister 0of the country was also listening to the interview while he enjoyed a cup of tea in his few minutes break. The guy spewed out the tea like a shower as soon as he heard this. He smiled bitterly. He mumbled, "Elder Atsuji was correct. This kid was anything but simple. Using the masses to teach the stubborn ones. Well, it is good, but it is time that I meet him in person as well."

 Chapter 176: Action = Reaction.

    Yang Dao was unaware that a certain person has taken interest in meeting him. The boy calmly sat down in front of Mr. Nicholson. The two people talked about a lot many things such as his future way of growth, etc.


    Upon being asked how does the welfare policy of the company stand opposite to the government of the country. Yang Dao elaborated on how the welfare policies will work. The boy said, "The primary goal of this policy is to provide the needy people with aid. We developed selection criteria for whom do we provide aid to. The people who cannot earn enough to eat and are suffering are the primary targets.


    These people will go through a medical examination, financial inspection, and psychological inspection as well. What we intend to do is to provide sufficient aid so that these people can live well. At the same time, we do not want them to be too dependant on the aid and will give them knowledge and jobs to earn what they need and desire."


    Nicholson asked, "Well, I guess the medical examination and financial examination are quite self-explanatory but why do you need a Psychological inspection as well?" his question was what a lot of people wanted to ask.


    Yang Dao smiled and said, ''When you face too much misery and pain, your mind becomes numb to the joy and pleasure, or it becomes too sensitive to them. In both cases, the subject is driven to the edge of madness. If the psychological inspection does result as such, then we can have the people go through proper counseling and rehabilitation."


    Nicholson could not help but applaud at this point. He also asked, "There are countless such people, who need help. You also said that you will arrange jobs for them. How do you plan to accomplish that?"


    The boy said, "We humans, grow at the cost of natural degradation. We consume resources but we do not know how to give them back. This will be the job of these people. They will learn how to preserve nature for us. This was my idea when I decided this, A helping hand to take care of nature."


    His words left everyone shocked. They did not expect this boy to be so farsighted. Nicholson was struck in a daze for a few moments. He was old and experienced but rarely did he came across such a wise youngster.


    The interview ended with applause from the camera unit and the staff. Yang Dao stood up with a smile and nodded. Then with Laohu Bai, he went back.


    ...


    While Yang Dao was going home to rest, the nation was boiling. A forum was established on the internet. It was called, Help The Helping Hand. The motive of this server was to gather the masses and pressure the government officials to pass the project.


    The government''s basis of rejection or hold was that the project was almost equal to a private government. The scale of this project was nationwide, yet the proposing party said that it is a non-profit project. What was the guarantee?


    This was the statement issued by the government official in question. Yang Dao was watching all this at home. He logged into his company''s website and using the administration rights he had, posted, "Thank you, everyone, for your support and well wishes. The government is also thinking in the favor of the people. After all, what is the guarantee that Dao Technologies will not turn corrupt? So, to make sure that everyone can rest easy. The company will make the accounts and operations of the Helping Hand division open for the public eye.


    Any defects and flaws in the operations will be under the scrutiny of the masses and they will also have the right to complain and suggest some changes for the improvisation of the project. We here at Dao technologies believe that everyone will raise a helping hand with an open heart. Wish you a good day."


    His one statement made the supporters go bonkers. The government now had no grounds to hold this project back. The official did not reply and everyone thought that he was busy with the procedures.


    However, contrary to that, in the divisional office, a man sat with a solemn face. He was the official in charge of this file. This man was a fish that fled from the net of the raids. Or you can say that among so many big fish nobody paid attention to a krill. After the raids, he thought that since there is no tiger in the jungle the monkey is the king.


    Well, too bad, he wanted to have under the table dealing with The Dao Technologies. The dealings were for him to get a cut from the money generated from the project. All the key features were marked in the file submitted to the office and he obviously knew how much money it was.


    How was he to know that Yang Dao would put him under the public eye, with one move? Just as he was thinking what to do and what not to do the phone on the table rang. He picked up the phone and said "Who is it?"


    From the other side, a sullen voice sounded, "Official Samuel Luther. You are called to the prime minister''s office with all the documents and stuff related to the Helping hand project. You have fifteen minutes to report."


    The call was disconnected and the man sat there like a puppet with no life. He snapped out of his daze, gathered the documents, and ran straight to the prime minister''s office.


    ...


    After an hour of Yang Dao''s statement, the prime minister''s office issued a statement. "On the behalf of the whole nation, I thank Dao Technologies, for coming up with such an initiative. The government will provide you all reasonable support. Let us make the world a better place together."


    These two sentences may seem simple, but the weight they carried was too much. The prime minister, who rarely comments on something publicly, made a statement supporting a nationwide project. That means the project has passed and everyone can enjoy the benefits sooner.

 Chapter 177: Shocking Growth.

    Yang Dao smiled when he read the statement issued by the PMO, a smile emerged on his face. The boy called Mary to deal with this as soon as possible. The latter agreed. She said that it will be the first thing she does in the morning.


    The call disconnected on a pleasant note. Yang Dao and Laohu Bai ate some light meal and the former went back to his room. He sat down with his legs crossed and started to meditate. Soon, he could ''see'' the glowing sea of source energy in his body.


    According to the explanation that Laohu Bai gave him that day first, he must integrate the source particle energy in his muscles, then his bones. Then he must try to channel it outside his body. The boy moved the source particle energy to his muscles.


    The energy nourished his muscles slowly and strengthened them as well. His muscles had an azure glaze to them. It was the glaze of the element. As he sat in meditation, he lost the perception of time.


    Laohu Bai pushed open his door at night. She was here to call him for dinner, but when he saw him immersed in meditation she did not disturb him. She went outside the room and dismissed the maids, then she returned and sat down in front of him.


    The girl started meditating as well. Two people sat down in silence, immersed in meditation. Yang Dao was vaguely aware of his surroundings. He was aware that Laohu Bai was sitting down beside him.


    He was not sure about how strong the white-haired girl was, but one thing was sure that if Yang Dao was a ball of light then Laohu Bai was as big as the sun.


    ...


    Unknowingly seven days had passed since the boy sat down in meditation. He was the Dao Child, otherwise three days to complete the two stages that even the familiars completed only after a month when they trained themselves.


    Yang Dao let out a breath, it was as if a bullet from a gun. His room was very big, the place he sat was ten meters away from the wall in front of him but the breath shot out and hit the wall. Leaving a clean hole. It was three inches deep dent with sharp edges as if cut by a machine.


    He opened his eyes, looked around, did not find the white-haired girl. She had left a few hours ago. Yang Dao stood up and his body emitted clicking sounds. His whole skeleton was refreshed and relaxed. He looked around and noticed that his height had increased by five centimeters.


    The boy walked up to the mirror in front, he noticed the changes in his body. His vague muscles were clearer, his eyes were sharper than before, his height was taller than before. Suddenly the door of the room was pushed open and Feng Yun walked in with Laohu Bai.


    The latter told her that Yang Dao was immersed in cultivation so she came to check. When they found the boy looking at himself in the mirror, trying to assess his own changes they both smiled. Feng Yun said, "Dao, why not we do a comprehensive physical assessment?"


    Yang Dao looked at her and smiled, "Okay."


    Three people then came to the gym inside the mansion. Laohu Bai said, "We have the data from your best performance in the military training. Now you do the following things again and we will compare it with the previous data."


    The boy nodded and came over to the treadmill. This treadmill had one wire attached to the computer in the room. The use was to calculate the top speed of the runner. It did not have a motor in it. The faster you run the more the speed.


    Yang Dao started to run slowly and soon his pace started to pick up.


    ...


    While Yang Dao was going through a comprehensive test, Mary was busy with the data surge in the company. The Helping hand shelters and employees were working 24*7 and the response was terrific.


    A lot of big businessmen came over to join them in this initiative. The well-off people also supported the initiative with both money and heart. The company had established help centers in the poorest and remotest regions first. This whole thing did not even take them twenty-four hours.


    The people were amazed at this efficiency shown by the company. On the second day, they had registered at least a hundred thousand people in need. Now, as soon as the result of the test came out they all would have a happy week before they start training for the occupations they qualify for.


    The company had a trash recycling chain set up. In this chain, the gathered daily trash will be segregated between, Bio-degradable, and non-degradable. The former trash is sent to decompose.


    The decomposed trash is mixed with cow dung and other animal waste collected from the whole area. This mix is stored underground in a high-pressure chamber, that produces, flammable gas, a substitute for the current mode of fuel they use. The only difference between the two gasses was the color they produced when set on fire.


    When the fermented mix has produced enough gas it is replaced with a new batch, the old batch is left to dry in the sun. Before it dries it germinates maggots, these disgusting and creepy seeming insects feed on the drying mixture and enrich it even more by pooping in it.


    This whole poopy stuff is the best fertilizer. It generates money and the money is sent out as aid.


    This was only one of the methods of the company. In the past seven days, the company had already sold one batch and the profit they made was enough to support twice as many people as possible.


    ...


    The growth of Yang Dao and the Helping Hand initiative was shocking. Whereas the boy shocked the two girls the latter shocked the whole world. The Dao Child had gathered a lot of love and merit for his deeds, but some have taken special hate for him as well.


    What happened next was highly anticipated.

 Chapter 178: Charm.

    Yang Dao stood in the testing room. Just now, he had completed a comprehensive assessment of Feng Yun''s suggestion. The results were out. The content on the monitor was.


    Strength - S


    Speed - S


    Stamina - S


    Reflex - S


    These were the four parameters of the assessment. Yang Dao was now above the average humans. He mumbled as he clenched his fists. "I feel as if raw energy is coursing through my veins. What a wonderful sensation."


    He had a content smile. Feng Yun nodded and said, "Your strength before was as good as that of an average human but as an elemental. If you wanted to you could squeeze out more of your potential strength. Now after the nourishment of the Source particle, you are above the average humans."


    Yang Dao nodded. The girl continued, "Now the third stage is half complete. What you need to do now is learn about channeling the source energy out of your body. That may not be so easy even for the Dao Child. So be calm and patient."


    The boy nodded with a smile. He underestimated nothing despite being the fabled Dao Child. The three people came out of the testing room and sat down in the living room.


    Laohu Bai said, "Dao, you have a lot of calls to return. I took down the messages for you. Your cycling team needs you to go back as soon as possible. Your principal called to check up on you. Yup, Mary also called. She told me that the value of Dao technologies has soared to the skies..."


    She went on and told him a few more things, such as who congratulated him and who did not. The boy kept nodding and then he said, "Well, I guess I will go back to sapphire lake residency tomorrow."


    Feng Yun nodded with a calm appearance. She said, "You have an evening tea appointment in the Crown." her voice was calm.


    Yang Dao heard her and only reacted after a few seconds. He asked, "Sister Yun, you mean THE CROWN?"


    The lady nodded and Yang Dao gulped and asked, "Who invited me? Eldest?"


    Feng Yun shook her head and Laohu Bai chuckled. "The premiere. When did the eldest may call you over? We the familiars will come to you if we have something, not the other way around. The premiere, however, is a person who is not aware of your status, so that is a different story. Also, just so you know, the premiere is an ex-special force. His element is Earth."


    Yang Dao recalled how every special forces person was an Elementalist. He also knew that the premiere was a man from the forces. He sighed and said, "No wonder he is so awesome."


    Feng Yun chuckled, "Still not as good as you are now. He left the forces after he could not overcome the second stage. So do not worry about it when you meet him. Go, get ready. Be on time, plus go through various security checks." with that said she handed him a red-purple golden card. It was like a plastic card, but on the center of the card, a Crown was engraved. This was an exclusive brand to the Crown.


    The crown was actually the office and resting place of the premiere. This place was the royal palace of the emperor of the nation back in feudal times. After the feudal era ended this royal palace became the workplace and Premiere''s house during his tenure.


    The reason was to remind the Premiere that if the masses can take down the Emperors, then he was also the same. Thus this thing has worked in the favor of the masses. Never had a premiere tried anything funny or selfish. If they did and were caught, the consequences were to be killed by their own guards.


    The guards of the building were called Sentinels. The army will have a constant circulation of new squads to be posted here to ensure safety and transparency. It may seem like a facade and illogical. But the army in the jewel nation guarded the nation against both outside and inside. threats.


    Yang Dao stood up and walked to the cloakroom in a hurry. He was anxious about what to wear. He picked up a suit and, just as he put on the pants, he grimaced. The pants were high, and the waist was tight.


    He changed back into his pajamas and came to the living room. He said, "I have a wardrobe crisis." he made a face as if he would cry.


    Feng Yun chuckled and said, "Let us go shopping?" Laohu Bai rushed back to her room to put on a more comfortable dress.


    Ten minutes later the three people sat down in a luxury sedan car and Yang Dao drove them to the biggest shopping mall in the city. After parking the car, the people came to the shopping center.


    Feng Yun wore a crimson blouse paired with blue denim and matching heels. She had her hair tied in a side pony, letting them fall over her shoulder. Her ears had the studded ruby earrings. Her cold and indifferent face attracted a lot of gazes. She was a beauty like none other, and the males were infatuated at just one glance.


    Next to her stood Laohu Bai, dressed in a sea-green off-shoulder top and blue denim. She had peach-colored gypsy sandals on her feet matching with her waist belt and earrings. Her white hair was lost, falling over her back like a snowy waterfall. She was no less beautiful than Feng Yun, paired with a playful smile on her face. She killed a lot of men with kindness.


    One cold and one cheery, the best combo of beauties, who would not fall. Just when the women in the vicinity were about to go made a figure walked up and stood between the two girls. A look on his face, and it was as if a gust of cold wind washed over them. His sunny smile melted the ice in their hearts.


    The boy extended his hands to the two girls. The two beauties smiled and hooked their hands with him as they walked to the shops to splurge.


    if gazes could kill, yang Dao would have died the moment he came to stand between the two girls. The charm of three people was too strong for the mundane people to tolerate.

 Chapter 179: Male God.

    As the three people entered a high-end clothing store, a salesgirl walked over. She bowed a bit and asked, "Hello, Sir, Ladies, would you like me to assist you with the cloth introduction?"


    Laohu Bai said, "Guide us to the latest collection of your brand." her voice was calm and she had a smile on her face.


    The saleswoman nodded and said, "Please come with me."


    The three people followed the lady inside to a place where four mannequins stood dressed in gorgeous dresses. Two male and two female dresses were displayed with matching jewelry and accessories.


    Feng Yun asked, "Is it possible to try the suits?" her cold voice gave the saleswoman pressure. She gulped and said, "Madam, this is the latest collection. Only five such units were made. I am afraid I cannot call the shots for this. Please allow me to call the manager."


    Feng Yun nodded. The reason this salesperson did not recognize her was that she rarely showed her face in public. Such big stores all had a store manager. The saleswoman walked back to the office behind the counter and knocked.


    A feminine voice sounded and said, "Come in."


    The saleswoman walked and saw a lady in her thirties was reading a magazine. She said in a low voice, "Sister Amaya, there are customers out there, they want to try the Elegant collection suits. I would have rejected them. But these people seem very rich and I think that the boy among them is familiar. Please handle this matter?"


    The lady sighed and glanced at the monitor screen on her desk. This screen fed her live direct videos from the store camera system. When she saw the three people chatting casually and looking around at clothes she seemed that the two among them looked very familiar.


    The lady squinted her eyes and focused on Yang Dao''s face. She instantly sat straight and said, "Tamina, you did a good job not refusing them. The boy is the youngest male god in the country. Do you remember the primetime broadcast yesterday? He is that guy. Let me go and deal with it." with that said she instantly stood up.


    Sorted her clothes and walked outside of her cabin. She came straight to the three of them. She bowed, "Hello, I am Amaya, the store manager here. How can I help you?"


    Feng Yun said, "Can we try this suit?" her tone was bland and indifferent.


    Amaya had dealt with a lot of people and had a discerning eye towards what sort of a person she was dealing with. She nodded and said, "It would be our pleasure."


    She waved her hand to the saleswoman Tamina to take the suit off the mannequin. Yang Dao carried the clothes to the trial room and after 10 minutes he came out.


    The suit was a modern style design with shawl lapels. The shirt was moonshine blue and the lapels of the black coat matched the shirt. The pants were slim style and were fitting Yang Dao perfectly. On the cuffs, moonshine blue cufflinks were held together by an obsidian gem button.


    The black bow tie matching the suit, paired with a black flower-shaped brooch on the lapel. A moonshine blue pocket piece. The suit was very nice and looked as if it was designed for the boy himself. Yang Dao had a quality, all the clothes looked good on him.


    Feng Yun smiled brightly when she saw him looking at her in askance if the clothes suited him or not. Laohu Bai rushed forward like a kid in the zoo. He stopped two steps away from Yang Dao and said, "You rock in the suit. I like you dressed up."


    Yang Dao pushed her aside gently and came to stand in front of a floor-to-ceiling mirror in the store. He said, "I still find something is missing."


    Feng Yun and Laohu Bai stood beside him. The former said, "You can use a hair style arrangement."


    The latter added, "A pair of black brogues, and a nice watch. If you don''t mind a mild cologne perfume as well."


    The boy nodded. Amaya on the side also nodded. She said, "We also have accompanying shoes and watches with the suits, would you like to try?"


    Yang Dao replied, "Yes, why not?" his tone was calm. The manager left to bring out the stuff asked for.


    He turned to Feng Yun, and said, "Can we skip the hairstyle appointment? I will be late, who knows how much time they will take?"


    Feng Yun smiled and said, "I can arrange the, for you. Just sit down." her soft voice made the boy smile. Then he sat down on a stool. Amaya bought him two boxes of shoes. One was oxfords and one brogues style.


    The difference was the that latter had a plain and sober face while the latter had a punched hole design on the toe face. Yang Dao tried them both and took the former one. This action made Laohu Bai very happy and she gave him a tight hug. The boy sighed at this gesture.


    Feng Yun sent Laohu Bai to select a watch while she arranged his hair. She asked Amaya for a water sprayer and that was all. She used the water to wet Yang Dao''s hair and with her jade hands, she combed them into a back brush style. It has been a long since the boy has taken a haircut.


    Feng Yun tilted her head to look at the sides of his head and after a few seconds. She pressed her hands on the sides and said, "Just a second."


    She used her fire elemental prowess. The heat fixed the hair in the pressed position. Feng Yun took out a small bottle of hair oil from her bag. Took out two drops and applied them to Yang Dao''s hair.


    Who said Elemental skills are good only for battling? Laohu bai returned holding a watch with a black strap and Moonshine dial face. She tied it gently on Yang Dao''s wrist and said, "Now the Male God is ready."


    Yang Dao squinted his eyes, the girl stuck out her tongue at him. The two were like kids with each other. Amaya did not disturb them. Feng Yun was about to take out her card when to pay the bill but Yang Dao suddenly went back to the trial room. he had forgotten his wallet and clothes in their. He walked out and extended a vermillion red card to Amaya.


    He said, "Miss, please collect the payment. Also, can you help me pack these old ones?"


    Amaya nodded with a smile and completed the procedure. Feng Yun said, "Dao, I called Second Brother to drive your car over. He is here. Let''s go."


    Yang Dao asked, "Do you two not want to buy anything?"


    Laohu Bai wanted to say something but Feng Yun said, "You need to go, cannot let the premiere wait for you, right?" despite being a mortal in her eyes. The premiere of the nation held status in public.


    Yang Dao nodded, and said, "You take my card. You buy whatever you want. This is my gift. Please. I will not go if you refused. Also, I will send you a healthy bag carrier."


    The boy shoved the card in Laohu Bai''s hand and ran out of the store. The two girls started giggling like bells as they Imagined Ryu Jinshi holding their bags.

 Chapter 180: The Crown.

    Yang Dao rushed out of the store dressed up in all bravado. His appearance attracted a lot of gazes from the people. The boy, however, treated them like wind and kept walking outside. He was worried about getting late for the appointment with the premiere.


    He came to the front of the shopping mall where the pedestrians were arranged to enter and exit. As soon as he came out he saw a crowd gathered around a black car giving off a metallic luster under the sun. The winters were almost finished and spring has arrived in Jewel nation.


    Yang Dao walked through the baffled and bewitched crowd. He saw Ryu Jinshi standing near the car with a frown on his face. He walked up to the man and said, "Mr. Ryu, rein in your temper. Do not look down on the presence of others. For if they were not present you will be alone in this whole wide world, bored to death."


    Ryu Jinshi calmed down and was struck into a momentary daze as these words sounded in his ears. he then bowed to Yang Dao and said, "Thank you, for your enlightening words." The boy waved his hand.


    He asked, "Can I have the keys?"


    Ryu Jinshi gave him the keys respectfully and then Yang Dao opened the door and sat inside the car. Ryu JInshi thought that the boy will now straightly depart. Contrary to his speculation Yang dao rolled down the window and called him, "Mr. Ryu, I have decided to treat Sister Yun and Babibai to some shopping, you please feel free to go inside and join them. Also, I hope you enjoy the time with them." with a smile on his face he started the car and left.


    The crowd was busy clicking pictures and recording videos f the beautiful car and equally handsome boy driving it. Ryu Jinshi scratched his head and walked inside the Shopping mall. He had never stopped, even at this moment he was wearing sports attire, he has always treated dressing up and stuff as a waste of time. But since Yang Dao asked him to do this then he must go inside.


    ...


    Yang dao drove the car to the venue at a moderate speed. None of the other cars on the road dared to get close to him. The people were not that ignorant. A few ladies tried to drive closer but were stopped by their companions. One such lady asked her companions, "Hey why do you stop me? Is that car a royalty or something? Taking up so much space as if he owns the road."


    The companion had a layer of cold sweat and said, "My great-great-grandmother, please calm down. That car is worth billions or carat coins, okay. Just drive close and if you made a mistake, our generations will be sold in slavery to pay off the damage."


    How can women be so easily convinced? The companions showed them the details of Quinn on the internet. A lot of them were using the new mobile system developed by Dao Technologies. The sweet voice assistant delivered them the whole detail of the car they pointed their camera at. It was a feature of the Mobile OS, open camera and point at anything, then ask the assistant to tell you about the targetted item. TADA you have all the details on your fingertips.


    Yang Dao drove unaware of all this and soon he reached The Crown. His car was stopped five times before he even came to the front gate. The government takes a lot of precautions for this place. They had five check posts established at one kilometer each. Yang Dao showed his invitation card, and only after the confirmation and a thorough frisk of the vehicle was he let go to the front gate.


    The palace was not like the usual architecture but it was as if a crown was placed on the ground. High pointed towers with a twin tower in the front and center the whole thing had a combination of glass and stone visible on the outside. It was truly very beautiful. Yang Dao parked his car in the visitor''s parking.


    A guard wearing a black armor kit and carrying weapons on his body came over. He said, "Sir, we hope for your co-operation in the security checks. Do remember that we have the right to shoot you at any moment you act suspicious."


    Yang Dao nodded with a smile. He said, "I am a special recruit, Sir. I have been trained by the best of special forces. So, I understand what you mean. Please do not worry, you have my full cooperation."


    The guard nodded and led the boy to the security check. After 4 such checks and one full-body x-ray, he was let inside the palace. A lady dressed in blue pants and a white office skirt walked over. She looked to be in her thirties, but her body was healthy and well maintained. She smiled at Yang Dao and said, "Hello, I apologize for the inconvenience you had to bear with the security checks. Please follow me, Premiere Abraham is waiting for you in the garden."


    Yang Dao did not register the second half of what the lady said. He asked, "Madam, did you just say that the Premiere is waiting for me?"


    The lady smiled even more brightly and nodded. She said, ''If the premiere did not know even this much courtesy, then is he really the premiere?"


    Yang Dao was almost going silly. To him, the Premiere was an elusive person he could have never met in his life. Yet here they were. The boy walked through the corridors of the building, looking around with curiosity. He would mumble something from time to time.


    Surprising the lady guide, she never expected that this boy had a nick for political history as well. Yang Dao sensed her surprise and said, "In the orphanage, the care taker, Sister Tina used to say. We only grow wiser when we learn from the past. So she used to make us read books and case files. Thus I have a slight knowledge."


    The lady nodded and said, "She must be a wise lady."


    "Indeed." said Yang Dao as he revealed a proud spark in his eyes. The two people arrived at the central garden in the palace. This place was located within the centre of the place. This garden was the hub of the palace. In the center of the garden, a pavilion was covered with green vines, giving of a transcending vibe. Below the vine shed sat a man in a rocking chair, in front of him laid a trolley with a complete tea set and some snacks.


    This man was the Premiere of the Nation, Abraham Lewis.

 Chapter 181: Enlightenment.

    Yang Dao saw the man who governs the whole nation in front of him, sitting under the vine shade. The man had his back to them and he was relaxed. The lady spoke as they approached the pavilion, "Sir, the guest is here."


    The man stood up from the chair and turned to face them. He smiled and said, "Welcome to The Crown, Young Master Feng."


    Yang Dao smiled and bowed to him slightly as he said, "The pleasure is mine, Premiere." his calm actions and tone surprised the man. He did not expect this talented young man to be so polite. His sister can turn the face of the countries economy in a blink if she wanted to yet this boy was acting humbly to him.


    He gestured to the boy, "Have a seat."


    "Thank you," said Yang Dao and sat down silently. The lady left after a nod from the premiere. The man sat down and asked, "What do you think of this place?"


    Yang Dao looked around and said, "It is nice, but not suitable for me."


    The man asked, "Why do you say so?"


    "Is this place not a glorious cage? Surrounded by guards, who protect you and watch over your actions. I understand that it is all for the sake of the people of the nation but such a sacrifice is a bit too much. Is it not?" said the boy.


    The premiere sighed and replied, "It has been like this for a long time and it will be like this in the future. Is this observation the reason that you did not wait for the civil service s exam and directly used your own company to start the Helping Hand Project?"


    Abraham knew that the project was very helpful for the people, but he also knew that this welfare was just the start, in the future if Yang Dao continues such actions it will gain popularity with the people. The rich me support the government for their own interests. But the poor, the sick, the liberals and the literary will stand behind Yang Dao.


    This may cause chaos and might lead to some significant changes in the governing system of the country. Yang Dao smiled and said, "The reason I started the project is that I believe that to do good deeds one does not need any sort of title and uniform. Entering the political front will limit my growth. Only when you keep improvising can you become a better human."


    The premiere asked, "Than do you not think the powers in the political courtyard are perfect for such improvisation?"


    Yang Dao gazed at the man right in his eyes and chuckled, "Perfection is just an illusion created for our own comfort. Even the god and heaven themselves are not perfect or why do you think that humans created by the heavens are so imperfect? Even our breathing pollutes nature, then how can our concepts be perfect? Science and Technology are the greatest examples if the scientists and inventors all thought that the world is perfect the way it is, then we might not have needed places or cars. "


    His words were calm but they were enough to inspire the person who was an inspiration to the rest. Abraham sat there on his chair with his mind stuck in a daze. The boy meanwhile prepared some tea for the two. He poured a little boiled water into the cup and then added tea leaves to it. He stirred the cup gently and soon a faint fragrance emitted from the teacup.


    The boy asked Abraham, "Milk or black?"


    The premiere said, "Milk, please."


    Yang Dao nodded and pour some milk into the cup. He said, "Just how the milk blends with water and they become one, those who want to do good for the people can also blend."


    Abraham nodded and asked, "One cube of sugar."


    Yang Dao did not mind and added a sugar cube to the tea and stirred it. He held the saucer and offered it to Abraham. The man took the cup and gave it a blow before he took a sip. He said, "Good Tea."


    Yang Dao only smiled at him. The premiere asked, "How did you make it?"


    "My sincerity is my skill. That is how I made it." he fell silent and poured himself a black teacup. The boy then added two sugar cubes to it. He picked up a cookie and snapped it into two. He extended the one half to the man and kept one for himself.


    Abraham shook his head saying, "I do not eat cookies with tea."


    "You can try it. If it did not suit well, then you can take it as an affirmation of your taste and style." his polite voice and smiley face had a charm that worked not only on females but on males as well.


    Taking hold of half of the cookie, Abraham said, "To improvisation."


    Yang Dao said, "To improvisation." he watched as the premiere dip the cookie in hot tea. After a second he took it out and took a bite of the cookie.


    He sighed at the taste. Yang Dao smiled and said, "Blending thing is not always a bad thing, Premiere Abraham. The world is changing and we need to prepare. If we did not try new things, then our stereotypical ways will be the cause of our doom."


    His words fell on Abraham''s ears like divine enlightenment. As the leader of the nation, he understood what Yang Dao was indicating. The future will change and with it change the people. If they did not change or adjust with it. Then the time will bury them slowly.


    He nodded and said, "Indeed. Blending things is not always a bad thing." although he said this, he still had some hesitation in his heart. How can he trust a child?


    Yang Dao said, "Blending is good only when it is done in proportion." his words eased the man. The two people sat down in silence enjoying tea. Soon the lady came back.


    She said, "Sir, you have another appointment." in a low voice.


    Yang Dao stood up from his chair and said, "I shall not bother you any further, Premiere. I will take my leave, and it has been an honor to share tea with you."


    The man also stood up and extended his hands. They shook their hands and Yang Dao suddenly said, "The earth is firm and stable, but it is also, boundless and vast. Hesitation will only hold you from progressing and trap your heart in the past."


    His phrase sounded like a rhythm to the lady while Abraham was shocked. He has never broken through to the third level of Elemental Bending because he doubted in his heart. As Ryu Jinshi said, "When an Elementalist is in doubt, they will forget their skills." but the phrase Yang Dao gave just now, eased the long tied knot in Abraham''s heart.


    By the time he woke up, Yang Dao was already about to vanish from his sight. The premiere bowed ninety degrees to the residing back of the teenager. This was his gratitude for the teachings bestowed upon him.

 Chapter 182: Let Go.

    Yang Dao was guided by the lady again on the way back. He thanked her and then he came to the car parking. He started the car and left the complex. He called Feng Yun to ask where she was. The lady said that they were still shopping. So he went over to the shopping complex directly.


    The meeting with the premiere was only a few minutes, including the commuting time, it was a couple of hours round trip. Yang Dao came to the shopping mall. He sensed the three people with the spiritual bond they shared. When he arrived, he saw Feng Yun and Laohu Bai gazing at some jewelry in a store. He walked over and asked, "Do you like it?"


    They were staring at a necklace. Yang Dao''s question was very logical, actually. They had all the money one could ask for, so why would they not go inside the store and buy the thing. Feng Yun had sensed his presence from the moment he was just a kilometer away from the shopping complex.


    She said, "They only have one piece. We both want it. What to do?" sounding helpless.


    Yang Dao said, "Do you two people not understand that you can simply share it? You will not be going around wearing the same piece anyway. Buy this one. Order another one as well, so that when they finally have it done, you can have it and no more problem." His suggestion made the girls exchange a glance, and the two nodded.


    Laohu Bia walked inside the store and five minutes later she came holding a designer bag and brocade box. The two people then held onto Yang Dao''s hand and walked to a man who was holding dozens of bags. Yang Dao recognized this man. It was Ryu Jinshi.


    He did not expect the two people to make the proud dragon a collie to them. He gulped and asked, "Sister Yun, are you not a bit too hard on him?"


    Laohu Bai replied, "He made a bet. He lost. This is his punishment." she had a smirk on her face. The boy shook his head and said, "You people are really endless."


    The two girls giggled, and they continued to shop. After a few moments, the boy asked Ryu Jinshi to hand him some bags to carry, but the dragon insisted on carrying them all. The boy sighed and said, "The reason you carry them now is that you did not listen to what Baibai and Sister Yun said earlier."


    Feng Yun also added, "He never listens to us, Dao." the boy turned his head to her and squinted. He said, "As if you are completely innocent."


    Feng Yun stuck out her tongue at him. She would never hesitate to express her emotions to Yang Dao. The boy was the same as her. He said to Ryu Jinshi, "You practice the way of the wind, and you yourself are too rigid. Why?"


    Suddenly, his eyes glowed with golden light. Feng Yun cast a barrier around them, and the three people knelt in front of him. The boy said, "Those who blend with their elements are mentalists in the truest form. The purpose of an Elementalist is not to rein over it but to let it flow through them. As the incarnation of the heavenly beings, you are capable in all the aspects but your desire to follow behind me that bounds you.


    Have you forgotten that your purpose is to guide me? How can you guide me when you have forgotten your own ways? You are my familiar spirits and you are my teachers as well. The rules of heaven may bound you as my subordinates, but does that mean you will hide your true strength?


    In the name of Dao, I command you. Release the restraint and guide me to move forward. The Dao Child may be blessed but is unaware."


    Yang Dao fell silent, as he spoke earlier, his voice had turned ethereal slowly. The first half was his own words, but by the time he questioned them, it was the Dao inside him. This instant was like how he preached to Laohu Bai but if last time was auto-pilot, this time he was the one to take off and the rest was auto-pilot.


    After he was done speaking, the glow in his eyes faded away. He glanced at the three people kneeling in front of him and he asked, "What are you..."


    His sentence did not complete when the exhaustion from the Dao Preachment washed over his body like a tide and he fainted. His body was about to fall forward when Feng Yun took him in her arms. She said, "Let us go home, Young Master needs rest. Call the eldest, the Dao Command has been issued. We must let go of the facade."


    The other two nodded. Feng Yun dispelled the barrier around them and holding Yang Dao in her arms, she walked outside. The three did not care about the people pointing fingers at them. Laohu Bai fished out the car keys from Yang Dao''s pocket and she gave them to Ryu Jinshi.


    She said calmly, "You drive his car, he will ride with us." and then she went to Feng Yun''s sedan. Ryu Jinshi did not complain about being commanded and took the keys and drove Quinn out of the shopping complex.


    Laohu Bai drove the car calmly and stably, unlike her usual style. Feng Yun noticed this and asked, "Why do I feel you have already undone the seals on yourself?"


    The white-haired girl replied while her eyes were set on the road, "Ever since the military training, he asked me why I am not like my natal element. I could not reply to him. But I knew what he asked me. So, slowly I undid the seals. His first Dao Preachment for me was the trigger. It made the process easier. Today when he was speaking, I let go of the restrains.


    What he said is correct, the purpose of the familiars is to follow the master but to guide him as well. The moment he steps into the fourth stage of wind element practice. I will take him to the sub-plane"


    Her words made Feng Yun open her eyes wide, but recalling what Yang Dao commanded them to do. This was necessary. She sighed as she gazed at the boy lying unconscious in the back seat of the car.

 Chapter 183: Daily Life Of Dao Child.

    Yang Dao woke up after a few hours of rest. he found that his clothes were changed, he sat up with reflex action. He was like a corpse reanimated by electricity. The door of the room opened and Lisa walked in. She said, "Young Master, the lady has called for you in the living room."


    Yang Dao nodded and stood up. He put on the slippers and walked out of the room wearing cotton sleeping shorts and a white t-shirt. He found Feng Yun and Laohu Bai were sitting on the couch with Ryu Jinshi and Atsuji Kurogame.


    He asked, "Sister Yun, you called for me?" his voice was calm and soft.


    Feng Yun smiled and said, "We all have started to undo the seals we placed on our spirits. We only hope that you do not dislike us after you have seen our actual personalities." she had a wry smile on her face.


    Yang Dao smiled and sat next to her he said, "For better or for worse. You as a phoenix, are the most beautiful and loving to the people in your heart. Baibai is graceful and ferocious to those who have their eyes in the sky and protective to those in her heart. Mr. Ryu is prideful and an upright man who will not teach me bad things. As for the eldest, he must have a lot of knowledge to pass on to me? No?


    You guys worry too much. We will see what happens when it happens, till then be true and be the best of yourself." he said with a smile on his face. then he stood up and humming a song he started to walk to the kitchen.


    None of the familiars stopped him. They were all smiling looking at their young master being so cheery. Suddenly Yang Dao popped his head out of the kitchen and with squinted eyes he said, "Whoever changed my clothes, you are a hooligan. Humph." then he entered the kitchen making everyone chuckle.


    He knew that they only changed his upper clothes and not the undergarments. The boy was shy you know. Shy to the point of being called a girl by Kiya. he entered the kitchen and decided to make some food for everyone before he left the house. Everyone in his list meant everyone, including the house staff.


    He took a big vessel and started to make some sort of soup and then he made some sauce, two main dishes, two desserts. he spent a long time inside the kitchen before he said, "Ready."


    Then the servants started to serve them in the cutlery and took them all out to the dining room to serve. Everyone ate a hearty meal. Yang Dao then packed up his stuff and said, "I shall leave, and go back to the Sapphire residency. I have missed on the practice and other things a lot."


    The four people nodded and the boy turned to a maid and asked, "Miss, where is Lisa? Can you please tell her to come over with her stuff? I need someone to clean up the house for me. Plus she has not asked me any questions regarding her homework in quite some time."


    The maid bowed and quickly ran to the servant''s quarters. Lisa was startled when she heard that Yang Dao called her by name, almost let out a wail. The girl quickly packed up the stuff she needed and came to the living room. She looked around and did not find Yang Dao. Feng Yun smiled and said, "The garage."


    Lisa bowed to her and the other people and then rushed to the garage. Yang Dao was dusting the vehicle. Lisa was about to pick up a duster and was about to help him when the boy said, "No need, it is done."


    Lisa stopped and said in a low voice, "I apologize for being late, Young Master."


    The boy said, "Why do you apologize so much? It was not planned actually, but thinking of the dust, I could use help in cleaning the place before I go to sleep."


    Lisa nodded. The two people sat down in the car and Yang Dao drove it a little fast. Lisa was scared, when has she ever sat in a car akin to a plane? The boy sensed her anxiety and said, "I suggest you let go of yourself. Relax, and trust me. I can race in the stadium so I can drive on the road too, you know. This car is half the top speed of that A1." with that said the boy rolled down the windows.


    The car was akin to a specter on the road. Lisa was screaming at first but then she realized how despite being so fast Yang Dao was still able to keep the car completely stable and in control. She started to enjoy weaving in the traffic. She had the seat belt tied already and finally relaxed in the seat.


    Her bell-like laughter echoed in the car. It brought a smile to Yang Dao''s face as well. He suddenly said, "Lisa, how about you sing?"


    Lisa was surprised and then said, "How can I? I do not know how to sing."


    The boy said, "You just need to dream about singing and then you will do everything on your own. After a week I will have a test for you. You start with nursery rhymes. Okay?" he was not talking a no from her.


    The two people started discussing and they reached the sapphire lake residency. They cleaned up the minuscule dust accumulated in the house and then went to bed. The boy woke up early the next day. He cleaned up the black bike, and said, "Crunch time buddy."


    Now that his body has been nourished by the source of particle energy he did not need to go to the gym. When he came back from the balcony, Lisa was cooking a meal for him. The boy nodded and went to take a bath. Took the dinner and his sports outfit he rushed to the college. His speed was a few seconds faster than his previous average performance.


    When he reached the college he saw a huge banner adorning the gate, "Welcome, Professor Elliot, to the National University."


    Yang Dao almost did not fall from his bike. He mumbled, "They have him over for a guest lecture?"

 Chapter 184: Respected.

    Yang Dao glanced at the banner and then pedaled forward. His mind was filled with a lot of questions. He had read about this old professor invited by the university for a guest lecture. The reason was that the old man was a prominent figure in Nuclear physics.


    The boy had a goal in his mind and that was to develop an Atomic Fusion reactor and this old man could help him a lot but the thing was; he had a lot many things to prepare and achieve before he can even think about an atomic fusion reactor.


    With shaking off his thoughts, the boy came to the cycling club. He found a roller outside the clubhouse. Seems like someone forgot to place it in. This was obvious, as the door still had a padlock on it. He placed his bag down, and after setting up the bile on the roller, he warmed up.


    His mind was focused on the constant muscle movement in his body. It has been a few weeks since he had been on a bike, so the body needed a few tweaks to get in perfect condition. Thanks to the source particle energy, he could adjust himself within just a few minutes.


    He heard another bike approach and saw Ayaka Gust. He stopped the roller and got down from the bike. He bowed and said, "Good morning coach, and I apologize for my absence."


    Ayaka said, "It is okay. I knew that you had some urgent work. Don''t worry. Go on keep practicing."


    Yang Dao nodded and got back on the roller. Ayaka found the boy was drenched in sweat when she arrived. She assumed, the boy must have been here for an hour. She nodded. Even though he was late, she liked he was dedicated enough to practice by himself. Although the winters were ending, the morning air still had a chill and few people liked this chill.


    A few moments later, Kiya, Sasha, and Icarus all arrived. Yang Dao nodded to them, but he kept on pedaling. Icarus said, "Young Master Feng, you are a monster and your level has gone high again."


    Yang Dao smiled and said, "Drama queen."


    Icarus pouted and said, "You don''t love me anymore. UMMMM"


    Yang Dao chuckled, and so did the girls. Ayaka came out of the clubhouse and said, "Dao, Icarus, you two go to the circuit and do a few laps."


    The two nodded and Kiya said, "Can we also lap with them, maybe we will learn something."


    Ayaka nodded, and the group came to the track. Kiya and Sasha had been cycling daily and have improved a lot in the past few weeks. Yang Dao put on the helmet and ran laps around the circuit. He was pedaling single-mindedly. Ayaka took notes of his form and nodded. The boy was riding better than before.


    Icarus was following Yang Dao on the wing position. He asked, "Do you want to go to the guest lecture today? They called some big shot I heard."


    The latter was silent for a few seconds and then said, "Personally, I was not interested, but as a member of the physics club under Professor Newton, I might have to go. Also, there are a few things that I want to ask the guest. So, most probably, yes. Why do you ask?"


    Icarus said with a smirk. "I want to spend time with Coach Ayaka. You can complete early and leave." his words had no meaning. Ayaka did not even let this cocky brat near her. Icarus just did not want Ayaka to get close to his best friend. Silly, but well okay.


    Yang Dao nodded and with a flick of his finger, he changed gears and accelerated. His speed increase. The boy stood up from his seat and danced. In an instant, he shot forward like a bullet. Icarus did not even have the time to react when the former pulled a lead of five meters.


    The sportsman inside Icarus''s heart woke up, but it was too late. Yang Dao was moving forward like never. His muscles were packed with explosive power and strength to move forward. His eyes were focused on the track. Soon, he left Icarus in the dust.


    Ayaka nodded with a big smile. Yang Dao had subconsciously deployed the air pocket and was moving like a wind on the circuit. He completed the lap and even caught up with Kiya and Sasha. It was just a blink when he passed them and went forward.


    Icarus soon caught up with the girls as well. He saw their faces and asked, "You did not even hear him approach, right?"


    The two girls nodded, and Icarus said, "Now you know the horror of this guy. But other than him. The world is filled with monsters, equally powerful and horrifying."


    Yang Dao completed his laps faster than the others and he passed them 3 times. Ayaka was speechless. He came to her and said, "Coach, can I take a shower and go to attend the guest lecture?"


    The girl could only nod. After all, academic growth was important as well. Taking a shower, the boy came to the auditorium. The whole physics major course was present here. Some scholar students from other streams were also here. Yang Dao''s arrival attracted attention. The seats were filled. A few people offered him a seat, but he refused with a smile and stood with the rest of the non-seated students.


    Soon, Aislinn Jasper led over a few men and women. These people were all researchers who met Professor Elliot after his lecture is done. After the guests arrived, Professor Newton stepped on the stage and said in a mic, "Settle down, please. Today is another big day for our university. We have one of the leading scientists and researchers in atomic physics, visiting our college. Please put your hands together, and welcome, Professor Elliot."


    The auditorium was filled with clapping sounds. An old man holding a cane walked into the auditorium. The man had a majestic aura around him. His steps were steady, his back was slightly bowed but his eyes were clear and sharp. The wrinkles on his face showed the vicissitudes of time on his body.


    Everyone stood up as they applauded this man. This man was someone Yang Dao respected.

 Chapter 185: Brief Interaction.

    Yang Dao watched the man climb the stage and clapped with the rest of his fellow students. The old man got on to the stage, shook hands with Professor Newton. The latter gestured the old man to take a seat, but the old man shook his head and gestured with his hands, seeming to say that he wanted to speak already.


    Newton hurriedly nodded and stepped aside to let the man speak. The old man stood in front of the mic and tapped it twice.


    DUB DUB...


    The sound radiated in the auditorium. Everyone fell silent and focused on what the old man was about to say. An old voice filled with vicissitudes sounded, "Hello guys, I am Elliot. First, you all should relax a bit. Second, the topic for today''s discussion is not physics."


    The crowd had a lot of emotions among them. Some were disappointed, while some were curious. The old man said, "I came to this place for a change of pace. If you all are still intent on listening to my planned gibberish then, I will give you a little lecture, albeit reluctantly."


    This man sure had a sense of humor. The people chuckled. Professor Elliot talked about the basics of physics. He argued that only when you practically understand the basis will you be able to understand and dwell on advanced concepts of a topic.


    The students were hooked by him as he recited the concepts of laws of motion. The man was so indulged in it he did not even notice his fallen cane. This man had dedicated his life to physics and science. He never married, nor did he have any children. Some might find it saddening, but Professor himself liked his life the way it was at the moment.


    After completing the lecture, he asked if anybody had questions. Yang Dao raised his hand along with a few more. The professor answered them all one by one and finally, it was Yang Dao''s turn.


    The old man said, "What question might you have?"


    Yang Dao asked, "Sir, the laws of motion you described just now..." his words had not yet been completed when the old man suddenly lost his balance. Thankfully, Professor Newton was right behind him and came to the rescue.


    The question was left incomplete. The old man was given a chair, and the faculty fawned over him. The old man was embarrassed at his blunder and apologized for the disruption. He gazed at Yang Dao and beckoned him over. The boy nodded and complied. He came over the stage and asked, "Are you alright, Professor?"


    The old man nodded and asked, "What is your question?" obviously the age has taken a toll on his body but his heart and mind were dedicated to science to such a level. Yang Dao found his respect rising to a new level. he asked him the question and when the old professor made the explanation, the boy hesitated but proposed a counterargument.


    Not expecting the body to be so sharp, the professor talked to him. After a few minutes, the old man asked, "How about we talk outside as we walk? This atmosphere is not friendly to us nerds."


    The staff faculty was immediately speechless. They wanted to arrange meals and stuff for this guy and he called them non-friendly. Yet given the status of the man, they could only express it with wry smiles on their faces.


    Yang Dao supported the old man from one side, while the old man held his cane in another hand. The two walked out of the auditorium. The two started conversing while Aislinn jasper, Professor Newton, followed them at a distance.


    Yang Dao came up with an idea. He focused the source energy and channeled a wisp in the old man''s body. It was just a wisp of smoke if seen in real-world measures. The purpose was to let the old man relax and regain some strength. After a few minutes, Professor Elliot said, "You are one smart kid. This conversation has given me some ideas. I now wish to go back to the lab and start continuing my research work. Also, if you want to pursue physics on a higher level, you are welcome to visit my office anytime. Here, take this and it will be your entry ticket."


    With that said he handed Yang Dao a card and the two regrouped with the faculty members behind. The boy had some classes to attend, and he discovered some things during this entire conversation.


    One, that the old man can help him with the atomic fusion. Two, source energy can help others in physical strengthening. Three, source energy is like an endoscope. Yang Dao can peek even inside the old man''s body. These three things made him satisfied.


    With a clutter of thoughts in his mind, he went to the classes. As the college was about to finish. he saw Kiya stepping up on the podium. She first clapped and attracted everyone''s attention. She said, "Guys, we all know that a student in our class has shocked the nation a few days ago with the wonderful invention called Robo-Aid. This was a combined effort of our classmate and a senior student, Frieda Foster.


    I have called you all to support me so that we all can have a certain someone give us an exclusive party for the success." the class chuckled and the boys even whistled to show their support. Soon, the room was filled with cheering chants, "Dao, Dao, Dao..."


    The boy shook his head and said, "And here I thought it was something serious. Okay, I will book the paradise hotel restaurant for you all on the weekend. Is that okay?"


    They all cheered. Kiya smiled sweetly and sat next to the boy. The latter asked, "How come you became so naughty." with his eyes squinted.


    Kiya turned to him with her cherry blossom pink hair brushing his nose and said, "This was what secretaries do. The boss makes money and they tell him how to spend it."


    Yang Dao sighed and said, "I made a mistake hiring you." the two looked at each other and started laughing. The day was quite fruitful for the Dao child. He gained knowledge and some people to share his happiness as well.

 Chapter 186: Friedas Gratitude.

    Finishing the classes and after promising the fellows a good meal. Yang Dao walked to the library in a good mood. He was about to enter and pick himself some good books to read later on when his cellphone rang.


    Feng Yun had been disliking his ''expensive'' smartphone for quite a sometime now so she got him the one she liked yesterday when they were shopping. The boy had to say, this thing looked very nice. He accepted the call when he saw the familiar number on the caller ID display.


    He spoke, "Hello, senior Frieda."


    "Hello, Dao. How have you been?" the other side asked with glee in her voice.


    The boy replied, "I have been well, senior. How about you?" his tone was calm but he could sense the joy glazed in Frieda''s voice. This bought a faint smile to his face.


    The other side replied, "I just wanted to thank you. You may not know what you have done, but it has changed my life. Never have I ever be a popular child in my entire village or even relatives. But after that press conference, a lot of people finally came up and talked to me willingly. Although they had selfish intentions. I told them who Miss Feng is and that pacified them to become honest."


    She paused and Yang dao chuckled. The girl carried on, "My father was an electrician in the city. Like the one people call if their bulb goes out, but he could make very good mechanical puppets. These things were able to make our family get by in daily life. One day, my father suffered a big electric shock and his nerves were burnt. He does not feel anything in his left hand anymore.


    I was in junior high at that time. My mother had to work for us while my father, despite his condition would take up some menial labor work. I studied hard and improved my grades, all my education was supported by scholarships after scholarships. Until the final year.


    The passing project was my chance to leave a mark on the world and this whole year, I read books about robots and robots only. I wanted my project to be a gift to my father like the hundreds of his mechanical puppets to me. But nothing seemed to be working. Then you came. You made my dreams come true."


    She seemed to be choking, the guy consoled her, "I could only help you because you wanted to be helped, and you had the skills to make your dream come true. What I did was just to follow you when you found the path to be much arduous and steep.


    Can you see a tree from where are you at this moment, Senior?" his question seemed to be out of context but Frieda looked around from her window and replied in affirmation.


    The boy said, "When light falls on the leaf, it is white, yet the color we see is green. It is because the white light is made up of seven colors, just like the rainbow. Suppose the leaf is a representation of a human and the seven colors of light are representations of the human traits.


    The leaf reflects the green color from the other six but it absorbs the rest six. Similarly, a human also absorbs the traits of those around them. Like how your parents never gave up, you also did not give up. You may look like a cynical person driven by her own ideas, but the eyes do not notice the determination hidden beneath.


    You and everyone else have the potential to do what they dream. A dream could be seen from different angles. Sometimes you just need a different angle. That is all I did, showed you a different angle. As for the dream you saw. It will come true as well. have faith."


    His calm words rained down on Frieda, calming her. This was his acknowledgment, for the girl who albeit driven to the edge of despair, did not give in. Frieda was almost alienated by all of her peers. Imagine the burden of such a situation in someone who was looking for help yet none would even spare a thought for her.


    She had no choice but to look for help outside the peer circle and reached the teachers. Even the teachers failed, they reached the principal. Again facing a failure. Finally, Yang Dao appeared, ending her plight.


    The boy was also very much appreciative of her and thus he told her such words. The two people held the phone against their ears, enjoying the silence. After a few moments, the girl said, "So, when can I start working on the next project?"


    The boy chuckled and said, ''You can come by to the company, you will have a similar accommodation facility arranged. Your salary will be arranged by Mary. But you cannot overwork."


    The other party agreed without much of a protest. They talked for a few minutes before Yang Dao went to the library, took the books he liked, and came out.


    He came back to the cycling club and found a growing Icarus. he asked, "What happened?"


    The latter glared at him and said, "You dared to ask me what happened? You monster, I asked you to hurry but not to pass us like we were not riding at all. Coach gave me an ear full because of you. Do you understand that you have successfully ruined my good impression in her eyes. What do I do now?" he almost cried.


    Suddenly, Icarus was kicked on his butt. He turned around and saw the assailant and he immediately became honest. He asked, "Coach, What can I do for you?"


    The lady replied, "Die of shame."


    Icarus almost did not cough up blood but Yang Dao started to laugh unbridled. Ayaka ignored him and said to Icarus, "I have been tolerating your nuisance from the first day. I never said anything thinking that you are a young boy. Yet you, this shameless thing, dare to blame others for your own shortcomings? Dao is three years younger than you. Have you no shame? Go give me 100 laps more than usual. Also, I never had any good impression of you. Get lost before I strangle you."


    Although she said all this. She was not genuinely pissed at him. she was just trying to teach him in a language he understands better.

 Chapter 187: Training Camp.

    A week has passed since the day Frieda called Yang Dao to express her gratitude. During the week, her convocation ceremony was held, where Frieda came out as the Valedictorian of her class. She was happy.


    While on the other side Icarus was broken-hearted, Ayaka would not even bother to call him out, regardless if he did good or bad. Well, he was broken-hearted for at least one whole day. Then he was back to his usual goofing around and scoundrel behaviors with Yang Dao. His actions really troubled the Dao Child to get a correct understanding of his character.


    On the weekend, the whole first-year elite class was gathered together in the Paradise Pavillion. Yang Dao stayed true to his promise and held a big meal for all of them. The people were happy with him and with the food. They all left with a big fat smile on their faces. They all got to dance and sing in karaoke as well.


    The funny thing is that Young Master Donnie confessed that when he was kicked by the former sometime ago, he actually felt like flying. The people laughed a lot. It was a merry, cheery weekend they all spent together. A lot of students also got the chance to discuss their future aspirations. Some people confessed and got rejected while some got together.


    During this week, Mary, the CEO of Dao Technologies, spent a lot of funds to gain a lot of potential business ideas while also supporting some independent research centers. Obviously, she did all this after the authorization of Yang Dao. The boy decided what they should invest in and what they should not try for the time being.


    His company and products were still growing in the demand. A lot of international companies have come forward to collaborate with him. Those who looked for share acquisition were coldly shut out. Those who wanted to get a sales channel medium for the products were given only distribution rights. They had no control over the price set for the units they sold. The two plants were manufacturing Robo-Aid in full swing.


    Not only Robo-Aid but even the mobile OS and the automated car were also given a complete update. The customers were thrilled with this. Some even suggested that Yang Dao design a special mobile phone for the OS to match completely. Life was content. He also spent a lot of time on his education and the results he got was astounding.


    Despite not being present inside the class for more than a month, Yang Dao ranked top in the monthly assessment conducted in all subjects. He spent some time with Kylie Dew. The two people acted like friends, and nothing more. The lady was happy with this, as she has not seen the boy much ever since she visited him in the Dao Courtyard.


    The daily life was contained between cycling in the morning, then class and assessments, again cycling in the evening, going back home, he would read something randomly while helping Lisa with her homework and education. A call with Feng Yun and Laohu Bai. Then repeat the whole thing.


    In the night, he gave up sleep to meditate. His goal was to refine his physique to the limit, but as he progressed the growth became slower. The boy consulted Feng Yun and found out that his body is the body of the Dao Child. At this moment he was absorbing the source energy in the wind, which may cause an imbalance to the elemental properties of his body and is being resisted.


    To completely refine his body, he must first learn about the other three elements as well. In the fifth stage of an Elemental, the elemental god can transform the source energy of any other element into the element they favor or practice. However, the Dao Child, as blessed as he was, had his own difficulties.


    Yang Dao was needed to learn all the elements and train himself to the fourth stage of the Elementalists only then can he advance to the fifth stage. This was because he could completely change the source energy into any of his wished-for elements.


    ...


    It was Monday, Yang Dao rode his bike to the college like usual and met Ayaka waiting for him in front of the clubhouse. He greeted her with a polite good morning wish. The girl replied to him with a smile and a nod. He asked, "Coach, I will go to the track to run a few laps."


    He was about to pedal his bike when he heard, "No, today you stay here, no one is going anywhere. I have something to talk about with you all. Let us wait for the others to come over."


    The boy agreed and with a nod, he got off his bike. They did not have to wait for much longer. The people arrived one after the other. Even in the second year, students were always on time. Ever since Tim had an accident, everyone had become a bit more disciplined.


    Thomas asked, "Coach, what is the matter?"


    Ayaka replied calmly, "The inter University tournament is just a few weeks ago. The time is short and we need to step up our practice regime. So, I suggest that we all organize a training camp. The location you always use is not something I am in favor of. I suggest everyone come up with one area that comprises a mountain, flats and also the breathing conditions are not so friendly.


    I need you all to push and increase the limits of your lungs. Do you understand what I am trying to say?"


    The people nodded. Extreme weather was a good body tempering, and practicing terrain. She wanted them to increase their stamina. Because in the long run, the one who can hold on and burst out in the end wins.


    Sasha and Kiya were also present in the clubhouse, as they were the managers. The former said, "Coach, how about Diamond Desert? It is a high-altitude cold desert. The outer region has mountains while there are a lot of curvy planes inside the mountains. It is like a nest, the climbers can practice in the mountains and the sprinters can move to the inner regions.


    Though, one problem."


    Ayaka asked, "What is that?"


    "The problem is the temperature, in the past twenty years, it has never risen about 2 degrees." Sasha''s words made some guys shiver slightly. Their eyes seemed to ask, what sin have we committed for being exiled to the cold hell?

 Chapter 188: Departure.

    Yang Dao and the rest agreed to get the permission letter signed by their guardians. The people all agreed to the arrangement. Yang Dao wanted to take the responsibility for the transportation but Ayaka said, "You will all bike to the place. The training week will last for a month. Make sure you are ready to sleep on the bus and out in the wild if needed. We are not going on a vacation. Understood?"


    Watching her strong stand the people all gulped their words back inside and nodded. They collected the permission letter and left the clubhouse. Yang Dao went back to the house and asked Lisa to pack her stuff, he will be dropping her off at Dao Courtyard.


    The girl nodded without any question. She knew that the boy must be going out on some important work and so he did not want her to commute back alone. She felt that the boy was concerned enough for her. She packed her stuff with a happy smile and came outside the home.


    The boy drove her in his car. They reached the house within half an hour. Feng Yun had just come back from work and was having tea. A maid came to her side and said, "Madam, The Young Master, is home."


    Feng Yun smiled brightly and soon, saw Yang Dao walking in with a paper in his hand. He smiled at the former as well. The two sat beside each other and Feng Yun asked, "A sudden visit, what is the reason?"


    The boy smiled and said, "That, Coach Ayaka said, that we need to take part in a training camp. The location is diamond desert. So they want the guardians to sign the permission letter." he extended the letter towards her.


    Feng Yun read it and then took out a pen from her bag and signed it. She said, "I am signing it but You have to promise me that you will carry your sidearm at your person all times. I will call your principal. I do not want you to be out there and exposed to risk. Otherwise, you will be shadowed by guards."


    Yang Dao hurriedly said, "Okay, I take the gun, but not these stone-faced guys." his words made Feng Yun chuckle.


    Yang Dao did not like to be followed by guards. So Feng Yun deliberately cornered him in such a manner. She said, "Okay, have you done packing?"


    The boy nodded and said, "Just a few things are left, I will buy them on the way back. The weather there is too cold. Although I do not feel any discomfort, I should still prepare."


    Feng Yun nodded. She said, "You will call me every day, with no miss. Understood?"


    Yang Dao nodded on all the instructions Feng Yun gave him like an obedient kid he was. She also asked him to not indulge in alcohol on the road and some other stuff. The boy nodded and after a quick meal, he left the place.


    On the way, he stopped in front of a sports shop and bought himself a couple of sports glasses. One glass was a mirror reflection while the other was transparent. The transparent one was for rain and dust, while the mirror-styled one was for strong sunlight. He made sure that both the glasses were anti-glare.


    Ayaka had told them to be careful of the oncoming traffic using high beams. They will be riding in tandem with the bus Sasha arranged. Yes, the blonde bombshell was responsible for the transportation. She told everyone that Diamond Desert was her and Kiya''s hometown.


    After he bought the stuff, he came back home prepared one backpack of his stuff. He took one pair of slippers, and cleated shoes, while the rest were his undergarments and sports attire. Two sets of skin-tight skivvies as well.


    Next, he prepared a small kit bag carrying bike repair tools. after he was done with all this. The boy prepared another bag with some spare parts for his bikes. He was told by Ayaka to bring along both his bikes.


    She will come in the morning and help him take his other bike. Before going to bed the boy cleaned and serviced both his bikes thoroughly. He sighed, took a bath, and went to bed. The night passed in a blink. The next morning the boy first brought his two bikes down in the parking lot. Then he came back upstairs, put the big backpack on his back, tied the tool kit around his waist, carrying a small bag of spare parts he came out of the house.


    He locked the place and came one floor down. He checked that the computer was working fine. He locked the place and went downstairs. Ayaka called him as soon as he came out of the elevator. She asked him if he was ready.


    The boy affirmed her and pushed the bikes outside the parking lot. Soon, he came to the main gate and saw Ayaka waiting for him in a tracksuit. She also had a backpack tied to her back. Yang Dao asked her, "Coach, how did you come here?" as he did not find any vehicles around.


    She said, "Took a cab. Let''s go." she had a helmet in her hand, and after putting it on the girl took the handle of Yang Dao''s blue bike and got on it. The two rode together and arrived at the college gate together.


    Sasha was waiting for them with Kiya beside her. A luxury bus stood near the gate as well. Kiya hopped over to Yang Dao''s side and helped him with his luggage. Soon, everyone else arrived. They all had a similar backpack for luggage. After everything, loadable was loaded in the bus, Ayaka said, "Ride out."


    Almost spontaneously, they rode out from the college gate in the early morning. Thomas led the pack, Ray, and Felix behind him and Yang Dao rode on the wing with Icarus behind him.

 Chapter 189: Did He Fall Asleep?

    The people rode bikes along with the bus at a calm pace. The journey was going to belong. They could not stop for six hours of cycling. They will stop at night, but that is also after nine. If they found a hotel on the way, then they are lucky. Otherwise, the wide sky will be their ceiling.


    They have prepared rations and drinking water on the way to support them for three days. That is the time it will take them to reach Diamond Desert with an average speed of 45 kph. The cycling club was excited, they have never been out on the road, on their bikes for such a long journey.


    ...


    Icarus said, "Say, can we make a stop and try the local specialties?"


    Yang Dao''s eyes shined with a hint of joy. The Foodie prevails. Thomas said, "If only you can reach the local town exactly on your break time. Otherwise, the coach will eat us raw."


    The few guys chuckled. Yang Dao said, "The next town residential area on this route is two hundred kilometers away. Given our average speed, we may reach on time." they have been riding for an hour already, and they had left the Jade City.


    The route to the Diamond Desert was northbound, and for the safety of the cycling club, Ayaka had taken the less-trafficked route. That also meant fewer human settlements. Thomas heard Yang Dao''s voice and said, "Yes, but we need to keep up at this pace. Also, Felix, it is your turn to draft."


    Felix said, "Aye." he fell out of the queue and Thomas slowed down, letting Felix take the lead and draft for the pack.


    They rode and kept talking. Yang Dao was silent most of the time, he was immersed in the scenery.


    ...


    On the bus, Ayaka sighed. She said, "These guys, can they not preserve their energy? Look at them chatting like a radio." She cast her gaze on Yang Dao and said, "If I had Dao riding on his ''Silence'' he would have left them here to lament. Let''s do this. They had enough fun."


    She peeked out of the window and spoke loudly, "Dao, you pull up." her voice made the people calm down, and they glanced at the boy in askance. He shrugged, following the order of the coach, and pulled up the bike.


    The bus also stopped and Ayaka got down. She said something to the boy and with a nod, he got down from his bike. The cycling club saw this as they also stopped a few meters ahead. Icarus said, "Captain, let''s go. I have a bad feeling. I know this look on her face. She is definitely up to something."


    He was terrified because Ayaka had just smirked in their direction. Thomas and the rest nodded and pedaled. Soon, the bad premonition came true. Yang Dao loaded his bike in the bus and exchanged it with ''Silence''.


    The boy rode his bike and shot to the front, soon caught up with the pack and said, "The coach said, If you all reach the next town with more than half an hour later than me, you will be sent back home." with that said, he shot forward.


    His speed was fast and after taking the lead of a few meters, he stopped. This was not a dash race, this was a marathon. So he just had to keep ahead of these guys and pull them to be more focused. Ayaka told him to say the things earlier, but it was all to motivate the people.


    Yang Dao rode with a smile on his face. The bus drove side by side to the pack. Ayaka noticed that none of the people were talking now but were focused. Icarus was also quiet for a change. Kiya noted this situation. They had installed a camera on everyone''s helmet.


    When she watched the footage coming from Yang Dao''s camera she said, "Coach, Dao seems to look at the scenery rather than the road."


    Ayaka smiled and said, "The purpose of a bike is to traverse the scenery. The road is too bland and given the personality of Dao, this is fine."


    The two managers nodded. True, they always thought that Yang Dao''s actions were simple yet profound at the same time. The two kept monitoring and noting a little few things in the video and reporting them to the Coach.


    Ayaka would peek out of the bus and speak a few words of guidance to the boys to constantly improve their performance. While the cycling club was worried about keeping up with Yang Dao, the boy was having fun.


    He rode with his hands off the handle and sat straight, looking around at the changing scenery. He liked how the fields changed color from yellow to green, he liked the wind rushing around him, the feeling of moving forward as if he was flying.


    His legs were in good condition and it was as if his legs had some sort of machine fit inside them. He was riding as if he was breathing effortlessly. His distance of a few meters has now extended to ten meters.


    The boy was unaware of the pressure he gave to the rest of the club. Icarus spoke, "This guy is not a climber, he is an all-rounder."


    Thomas nodded. "His true skills are not yet at the display. But as I look at him, it feels as if I am looking at a carefree child, who is engrossed in his fun and joy. His hands are off the handle, but his bike is moving smoothly. It is as if I am watching a movie." he said with a sigh in the end.


    This was true, Yang Dao was immersed in the fun part of the journey. His mind was clear of any pressure. Suddenly, he heard something akin to a whisper ringing in his ears. He was shocked and almost lost his balance on the bike. Controlling his bike, he looked around and found nothing.


    Icarus saw this and said, "Did he fall asleep while riding?"

 Chapter 190: The Slyph.

    Yang Dao calmed down, and after regaining his balance he was back to pedaling. After a few moments, he heard the voice again, "Hey."


    He was ready and calm this time. Then he asked, "Who are you?"


    The whisper suddenly turned into a scream, "WHAT!! YOU CAN HEAR ME? CAN YOU REALLY HEAR ME?"


    Yang Dao was surprised and then he replied, "Yes, I can hear you, but I do not know who you are and how can you talk inside my mind."


    The boy was smart when he asked the speaker about their identity he did not move his mouth but it was a thought. The voice reacted. It said, "I can finally speak to someone else. Do you know how long has it been since I talked to someone? Fifty years. Many people like you come and go from this spot but never can they hear me. I have been so lonely... sob, sob, sob..."


    The sudden sobbing made the boy fluster. He may have improved his emotional quotient, but it still needed a lot of work. He said, "Hey, don''t cry. Be happy that you can talk to me. Come on, tell me about yourself, that way we can talk longer."


    A giggle akin to a bell sounded. The voice said, "Yes, you are smart. I like you. My name is Ushi, a sylph. I am exquisite and also very sweet." the voice giggled a bit.


    Yang Dao chuckled, "Also, a bit narcissist." The voice followed. "Hey, who made me so awesome?"


    The two chuckled before the boy asked, "What is a Sylph?"


    Ushi replied, "Silly, Sylphs are sylphs. We are wind spirits. Do you not know?"


    Yang Dao replied, "No idea, never seen one."


    Ushi chuckled. "Yes, Sylphs do not come out of the secret place. So no one can see us."


    Yang Dao asked as he focused his gaze on the road, "How come you came out?"


    Sylphs are very innocent creatures, you be nice to them and they believe you. Ushi said, "Some people tried to barge into the secret place. So I was the guard, who stopped them. Later they dragged me here in combat. The doorway closed, and I flew away. They cannot find me until I wish to appear in front of them."


    Yang Dao was not surprised by this, he imagined that someone calling them wind spirit would not be that simple. He asked, "Then, can I see you?"


    Ushi sighed and said, "Okay." the very next moment, Yang Dao saw a glitter appear on the handlebar of his bike. He was surprised to see a feminine creature, as big as the middle finger, dressed in some sort of blue shreds. She had azure-colored hair, blue eyes, a pair of almost invisible wings on both her feet.


    She looked like a clay doll. Yang Dao commented, "You look so cute and pretty." causing the girl to chuckle. She said, "Ushi knows. So, who are you?"


    The boy replied, "My name is Yang Dao. I am a human." his tone was calm and stable.


    Ushi asked, "I know you are a human, but why do I not feel that you are greedy?"


    The boy chuckled, "Because I am not greedy."


    Ushi held her tiny chin in her equally tiny hand. She was lost in thought. Yang Dao suddenly noticed that his bike has been moving comfortably. The wind seemed to have been flowing through his body as if he was invisible. After a few seconds, he concluded it may be because the Sylph appearing next to him.


    Letting go of the handlebar, the boy looked back and he could not see the rest of the team anymore. he wore a special jersey he bought yesterday, on the back of the jersey there were two pockets on the sides, just above his hips. He had his mobile phone kept inside it. The boy rode to the side of the road and, taking out his phone, he called Ayaka.


    After checking the monitoring system, the girl told him he was leading the team by a kilometer. Yang Dao was shocked. It has only been a few minutes since the sylph has appeared. He did not even notice that his speed shot up so much. Ayaka asked him why did he suddenly speed up so much. The boy told her he messed up the rhythm.


    The call was disconnected. Ushi asked, "Why do you have the blessing of the wind god?"


    Yang Dao asked, "Who is the wind god?"


    Ushi said, "You don''t even know this? The Wind God is the god of wind. He has many names but if I am to tell you the one I like, that is the virtuous and gentle, the Azure Dragon of East. The mighty dragon whose thoughts are enough to bring chaotic storms to uproot evil. Also, he brings the soothing breeze and gust to people."


    Yang Dao said, "Would you like to talk to the Wind God? He is a friend of mine."


    Sylphs were actually very naive and innocent creatures. Ushi was a genuine follower of the wind god when she heard this boy say that he can have her talk to him. She was excited and she started to fly around his head in circles saying, "YES, YES. I WANT TO TALK TO HIM."


    Yang Dao chuckled and failed Ryu Jinshi''s number on his phone. The call was answered in an instant. The boy asked, "Mr. Jinshi, Is it possible to have you on the video call? I met a sylph, who is your follower."


    Ryu Jinshi was surprised at the mention of a sylph. He replied, "Yes, I will start the video call." He pressed the video call switch with that said. The boy on the bike placed the phone in front of him.


    Ushi landed on his shoulder and looked at the screen with curiosity. Soon she saw a handsome man appear on the screen. The girl pouted and was about to reprimand Yang Dao. After all, she wanted to meet the wind god, the azure dragon, but this guy called another human, but before she could say anything.


    Ryu Jinshi spoke, "Guardian Sylph? How come you came out of the sacred plane?" his question reverberated in Ushi''s ears. She was aware that Yang Dao did not tell anyone about her. Also, no people could see her until she wanted them to. Even on the cameras. She knew this man was not ordinary.

 Chapter 191: Elemental Spirit Guard

    Yet Ryu Jinshi could see her. This was definitely not an ordinary human. Ryu Jinshi saw that the tiny girl was shocked in a daze, he said a few words in some language Yang Dao did not understand, but the girl immediately knelt on his shoulder and kowtowed to the screen. She said, "I beg your forgiveness, oh mighty one. Please forgive this ignorant child. I did not know that his holiness is dwelling on the mortal plane. Please forgive me."


    Ryu Jinshi said, "Worry not. Your arrival is a good thing. You must follow the young master from now on. Be by his side and be good. You are to be his elemental spirit guard. Do you accept?"


    The girl nodded and accepted the task with great enthusiasm. She was thrilled to have received a task directly from her god. She decided to do it well, Yang Dao almost did not roll on the floor in laughter. This tiny girl was so cute. her porcelain doll face and sparkling eyes were totally adorable and funny.


    Listening to what Ryu said, Yang Dao asked, "Why are you tasking her to be bound with me without even asking her?"


    Ryu Jinshi replied, "Young Master, she has been out of the sacred plane for a long time and she needs to consume source energy. The sylphs and other such creatures are blessed by elements yet they are unable to refine the source energy for themselves without a medium.


    Inside the sacred plane, they rely on a material called, source stone, while out here in the mortal world source stone is the rarest of the rare commodity. She has been stranded here for more than fifty years, I can tell. Her reserves of the source stone are running empty. If you do not support her then she may not be able to make it for a long time. The reason is that you are still growing.


    My energy may be wind source energy, but she will explode into sparkly dust if shared. So, this is to help her and help you."


    Yang Dao nodded and said, "Okay, thank you for the help. Go now, be busy. I am riding on the highway. See you later."


    Ryu Jinshi disconnected the call. The boy said to the sylph, "Is what he said about your energy running low true?"


    The sylph nodded somewhat embarrassedly. She asked, "Why did, His holiness called you Young Master?"


    Yang Dao thought and said, "Oh, I am the Dao Child they say."


    Ushi froze in her spot. She asked, "You mean you carry the blessing of the four elemental gods?" her voice was a little trembly


    The boy thought and nodded. He asked, "Why are you so scared?" he could sense that the girl was scared at the mention of the four elemental gods.


    She said, "Please, I will serve you with everything I have, can you not complain to them about me being naughty?"


    Yang dao asked, "When have you been naughty? Did you do something to me?" the tiny girl shook her head. The boy sighed and said, "Calm down. You did nothing wrong. So how do I help you?"


    The girl said, "You give me a new name, I hope you do not change my name too much, but after I acknowledge the name you have given me, you will become my Master. I will be able to absorb Source Energy as long as I am in your contact."


    Yang Dao nodded and with his bad naming skills he said, "I name you Sushi, how about it? Do you accept?"


    The sylph did not know what sushi meant but she knew that the boy did not change her name too much as she asked him. She smiled and said, "I accept the name you give me, my master."


    Yang Dao felt a connection with her. It was something radiating from deep within his body. Shallower than what he felt with Feng Yun and the others but similar.


    She glowed for a bit and then returned to her actual appearance. She flew around Yang Dao in a circle and asked, "Where are we going, master?"


    The boy replied, "Human town a few kilometers away."


    Sushi asked, "Do you need my help?" tentatively.


    The boy shook his head and said, "Your wind resistance is already buffing me up. So forget it."


    The sylph nodded and sat down on his shoulder. Sushi said, "Master, is it alright if I take a nap? I have not slept in a long time now."


    Yang Dao did not mind and said, "Will you be fine on the shoulder?"


    His wide shoulder was big enough for him but he was afraid if this tiny porcelain would fall off. The girl said, "I can rest in your hair. Can I?"


    The boy nodded with a smile and let her jump over his head, and she hid in his hair. After one small moment, Yang Dao felt nothing, he started to focus back on the road. A lot of questions were storming his mind but he believed that he will get the answers later.


    He wanted to ask, what was the sacred plane, what was the origin of this sylph, etc etc.


    After two more hours, Yang Dao crossed the town gates. It was a small county, the boy looked around and found a dumpling stall soon. he parked the bike in front and asked the old granny, "Grandma, how do you sell?"


    It has been a long time since any customer talked to the old lady so kindly. Otherwise, people would just call her old lady. She raised her head and found a young boy wearing a helmet, sitting on a bicycle standing in front of her. She had never seen this boy here. So she asked, "Sir, are you new to the town?"


    Yang Dao smiled and asked, "Grandma, where am I a sir? Also, yes I am a passerby. My friends will be coming in a few minutes. So, I thought if I can eat some dumplings here."

 Chapter 192: Food Hunter.

    The boy had a sunny smile on his face that made the old lady smile as well. He carried some money on him. The old lady took out two warm meat buns for him. Yang Dao ate with delight. He complimented her craft and even asked her for a few tips. After paying up, he secretly tucked in a few notes in her money box.


    Then he went onto the next stall to try some other food. For the next thirty minutes, the boy dwelled around the town on his bike. He would stop whenever he found a nice fragrance of food. Yes, the nose detector was his weapon to detect food and hunt them down. The dao child was a demon who relished good food.


    He had just finished a serving of chicken legs when his phone rang. the boy paid the bill and after washing his hands he picked up the phone. He said, "Hello." his voice was slightly lazy as he was filled to the brim.


    Ayaka asked him, "Dao, where are you? We are at the town gate." she had told him to meet them at the gates.


    The boy said, "I will be right there. Give me... Ummm. three minutes." he disconnected the call and dragged his lazy body to the bike. He sighed and mumbled, "Walking is a good way to digest food."


    Then he pushed his bike to the town gate.


    ...


    Near the bun stall where Yang Dao ate earlier, the old grandma glanced at a group of children with bikes and the bus behind them. She asked, "Excuse me, young sirs. Are you looking for your friend?"


    Ayaka heard and she came to her. She asked with a smile, "Grandma did you see a young boy, wearing a white tight jersey and riding a black bike?"


    The old lady smiled. She said, "He ate a few buns at my stall. Are you all hungry? You can try some, if you like it only then you pay."


    Ayaka would have said something bad but glancing at her stall, she asked, "Grandma, do you work on your own?"


    The old lady sighed and said, "My son used to do it but he fell sick a few days ago. We eat from this stall so I had to come, my daughter-in-law wanted to do it but how can I let her come when she is about to give birth? It will be fine after a day, my son will be able to get back up." she smiled.


    Ayaka saw her smile she saw how the old lady suffered for the sake of her children. She smiled and asked, "How long before your buns go rotten?"


    The old lady said, "One night. We feed them to the dogs before the nightfall."


    Ayaka glanced at her group and said, "I will take them all. These guys can use some light protein on the road." her words surprised the old lady. She called over the guys and have them eat the buns. Soon, they spotted a boy pushing the bike over.


    Thomas asked, "Don''t tell me did this kid break his bike?"


    Kiya chuckled and said, "Look at his tummy, he overate and is trying to digest it." her words made everyone take a note of Yang Dao''s belly, and they all chuckle.


    Icarus commented as the boy came near, "The mighty food hunter returns."


    He received a glare from the ''Food hunter'' in return. The boy said, "Coach, I will carry some stuff on me on the way." with that said the boy climbed into the bus and took out some things from his bags, and made a small bag to tie on his back.


    The small bag was bought from the local handicraft shop. He liked the cloth bag with traditional design. He carried a roll of tissue paper and hand sanitizer in the bag along with some money. He did not want to think what to eat and what not to eat. This was particularly torturous to him.


    He got out of the bus and walked around the place a bit, soon the bloated tummy went back to normal. The Dao Child returned to his former glory with just a few steps. After talking a bit to Ayaka the boy took a nap inside the bus.


    After an hour when the rest have massaged their stiff muscles the group took off. This time Kiya and Sasha rode with them. Yang Dao was again asked to move forward. Will he hesitate? No, ditching the team the boy soared forward.


    Icarus said, "We have not yet entered the mountains, this guy surely is not easy to deal with." he sighed.


    Thomas said, "Do you think he is rushing without consequences? The amount of food he ate is partially because of his foodie nature. He needs tremendous amount of energy to move forward at such a pace. That is why he consumed so much meat."


    His words made everyone realize how much effort Yang Dao was putting in. After riding for an hour and a half the girls went back to the bus and continued monitoring and reporting to Ayaka.


    ...


    In prairie gate town, the place Yang Dao had just passed by, arrived ten people. All dressed up in suits and ties. One of them pointed his finger to the old lady and said something in the ear of the man leading them. The old lady was clearing up her stall, ready to go home and bring medicine for her son.


    The man walked up to the old lady, giving her a scare, he asked, "Old Madam, can you share the recipe of your meat buns?"


    The old lady thought her recipe was not anything special so she told him the exact stuff. The man snapped his fingers and asked his people to procure all the ingredients and had a professional chef make a few buns in front of the lady step by step under her guidance.


    The old lady corrected him a few times, and she even made one bun, from start to end including the filling the covering. The procedure was recorded in a high definition camera. This made a lot of townsfolk gather.


    One of them asked, "Granny Cotton, what is going on?"


    The old lady said, "I don''t know, but these gentlemen asked me about the recipe."


    The man saw the townfolks and said, "Just now, our Young Master, Feng Yang Dao, passed your town along with a few people. So he tasted the buns. He liked them and contacted back home. He intents to buy out your bun recipe for 1 million carat coins, also, he would like to make you a permanent shop front here in the town or in the Jade City."


    The offer shocked everyone. Turned out the boy with a sunny smile was hunting for food.

 Chapter 193: Does He Need Help?

    The group kept moving forward and on the way, yang dao bought out a few recipes. Some were out of the taste and some were out of a greater cause. he would assign a team of analysts to check the background of those he bought recipes as an excuse to support them.


    These recipes would be improvised by him and later he will start a restaurant business. the food hunter left his marks as they traveled. He did not tell his friends about it. To the dao child, good deeds were not something to be flexed to the world.


    After continuous pedaling for two days, they reached the mountainous region. It was already evening when they came to the foot of the mountain. Sasha had called for some people to arrange their pickup. The bus cannot get inside due to the curvy trails, the efficiency will be slow plus it was hard to get the fuel.


    So she called the people of her family and the people were already waiting for her at the foot of the mountain. Yang Dao was at the forefront and his speed was fast. The little sylph was sleeping in his hair comfortably. The boy spotted 8 off-road jeeps standing at a distance. The metallic luster coming off of the surface was easily visible.


    He pressed the brakes of his bike. He looked at the men in black suits with vigilance. One of the men came forward and asked, "Are you a companion of Miss Orlenko?"


    Yang Dao mumbled, "Miss Orlenko..." he then asked, "Do you mean Sasha?"


    The guard frowned, he did not like how this boy called his young miss with her first name, yet he was a sensible one. The identity of the other person was unclear, so he asked, "Yes, also can the young master provide his identity?"


    Yang dao nodded and said, "Feng Yang Dao." his tone was casual, and then he pushed the bike to the side of the road, or the dirt track should be more accurate. The hard asphalt was covered with a layer of sand and dust.


    This was the cold desert on the peak of the mountain where trees did not grow. Yang Dao had a lower in his small bag so he wore it over his skin-tight shorts after he off the bike. he found a big boulder, pushed his bike to the boulder, and leaned it against it. He blew on the surface of the boulder.


    His breath made the dust and dirt fly away from the surface. Then he sat down on top of it with his legs crossed and his eyes closed. His gaze observed the horizon, in the past three days he had watched sunsets from three different places and this one was thus far the best.


    He liked the scenery and inhaled a deep breath. The air at higher altitudes was thinner but he did not feel much discomfort. The guards were observing his movements keenly. They were curious about who could be the people coming along with their young miss.


    The one who earlier asked Yang dao his identity reported a message to all of them. "Do not mess with this person. His identity is not simple. The Master forbids any rudeness towards this boy, he said, if we are even remotely disrespectful, he will have our skins on a wall."


    The rest of the guards were pacified. Soon, Yang Dao closed his eyes and started to meditate. He felt the source of energy around him and started to gather it inside his body. The little sylph in his hair moved slightly. A smile appeared on her sleeping face. She was very weak the moment she met Yang Dao and this source energy was great nutrition to her.


    The boy was aware of her changes and did not bother with her recuperation. His actions were seen by everyone. The people were attracted to the scenery of a young boy with a slight tint of orange on his face meditating like a Daoist.


    The serenity of this scene brought them a never-before experience. They felt their own minds at peace and their hearts calm like the vast oceans. Yang Dao was immersed in meditation with only a vague awareness of his surroundings. If someone approached him, then he would wake up instantly.


    Soon the group also arrived, The bus followed them tightly. The bus was a luxury bus so it did no make much sound. Sasha got off the bus and the guards immediately came forward and were about to yell loudly when the girl said, "If you disturbed Dao, I will beat you all."


    Her words were clear, ''Don''t you dare cause a ruckus.'' the guards nodded and bowed. The one who took Yang Dao''s identity earlier asked, "Miss, shall we move now?"


    Sasha turned toward Ayaka and asked, "Coach, you decide."


    The latter shook her head and said, "These brats are still not good enough. They will not be able to traverse the unknown mountain roads. Give them time to rest for a night. Camp here."


    Sasha nodded and said to the guards, "You guys, please help us set up some tents. We will move tomorrow morning."


    The guards nodded and moved quickly. Ayaka and the people were carrying tents with them. Soon they had six tents erected and a bonfire set up in the middle. They all were now wearing slightly thicker clothes. The wind was getting colder as the night descended.


    Only, Yang Dao sat on the boulder with his eyes closed. The boy had placed his left palm over his right palm as they faced the sky, with his thumbs touching at the tips. One of the guards asked Sasha with slight hesitation, "Young Miss, would that young master not need anything/"


    The blonde beauty said, "Eric, you do not know him. He treats this weather and harshness as the means to temper himself. never once has he slept in a tent in these two days. He would only sleep outside under the stars. If you ask him, he would say, ''Does it makes a difference if you sleep under the stars?'' that is FENG YANG DAO, yet his character is so humble to nature. Don''t worry about him. he will ask if he needs help."


    Well, let her be happy in the bubble of her imagination. Who would tell her that the winds and stuff had no effect on Yang Dao? That the stone is not actually too hard for him. That the boy was not humble to nature, nature itself was humble to him.


    Ignoring all this the Dao Child continued meditating as the time passed.

 Chapter 194: Diamond Desert.

    The people spent the night at the foot of the huge mountain range. Yang Dao sat in meditation the whole night. He only woke up when Ayaka approached him.


    The boy looked at the girl in front of him, bathed in the bright sunlight. His heart was calm and stable like the boulder he sat upon. He asked, "What is it, Coach?"


    Ayaka said, "It is time to go. Get ready, we leave in half an hour." her voice was also calm, or at least on the surface. The boy in front of her had surprised her a lot the moment she approached him, she thought that the boy had a halo behind his head. To her, at the moment, Yang Dao looked like a saintly being, who must not be stained by her approach or contact.


    The boy was unaware of all this and he stood up from the boulder. His bones made a slight clicking sound as he stretched to loosen up. He took a water bottle from Ayaka and washed his face. The two people came back to the campsite. Yang Dao ate some casual packed ration, that he did not like.


    The boy removed his lower behind the boulder and packed the thing back in his bag. Then he geared up and after a slight warm-up, he rode his bike and came to the dirt track. Sasha said, "Dao, we will ride in cars. Why not join?"


    Yang Dao asked, "Really? I thought we were riding. What happened?"


    Sasha said chuckled, "Senior Ray cooked the food last night, they all puked. So their bodies are not well for the day."


    Yang Dao nodded then he asked, "There is a proper road on the mountains right? Also, what is the speed limit?"


    Sasha turned to face the guard named Eric. She asked, "Eric, Tell him the conditions."


    Eric nodded and with a respectful tone, he said, "Young Master, there is a road on the mountain but it is very curvy. The speed limit for motor vehicles is 30 but your bike can go up to 45 kph. I strongly advise you to ride with us."


    Yang Dao thought for a bit and said, "I cannot drive faster than the limit in the mountains, so, I will ride my bike. Where are we going through?"


    Sasha was prepared for this so she had already prepared a map for him. The boy had bought a thigh strap to keep his phone on his body while riding. So after Sasha marked the location on his map, he pedaled.


    Since it was just the beginning, the boy had decided to take it easy, so that he can get used to the curves of the road. He also wanted to take into account that the oxygen is thin but since he was the Dao Child, a constant breeze was feeding him fresh cold air.


    The convoy of cars rode past him in a blink. Leaving a dust cloud in their wake. Yang Dao did not mind and with a casual wave of his hand, the dust cleared, yeah he just waved it away.


    ...


    Ten minutes had past and Eric asked Sasha who sat in the back seat, "Young Miss, would young Master Dao be fine?"


    Sasha sighed and said, "You should worry about yourself."


    Eric made a question, "huh?"


    Kiya said, "Yang Dao did not ride with us, because he doesn''t ride cars until he is behind the steering wheel. Also, he can compete with professional race car drivers so you can imagine his control." she had a prideful tone.


    Eric thought the girl was joking with him when suddenly he saw a boy on a black bike, passing by his side and taking the lead constantly. On the curvy roads, the boy was riding as if it was a straight track.


    The driver almost lost control. Ayaka said, "This brat is shaming all of the cyclists in the world." Sasha turned to her side to look at the coach and found the latter had the corner of her mouth twitching.


    Kiya asked, "Coach, why do you say so?" she was curious to know.


    Ayaka sighed as she replied, "His bike is following a line, the shortest route tactic. This way he reduced his steering time and can pedal faster. I am telling you that if the rest were even half as capable as this boy, they would have been the top stars already."


    Eric had still not come out of his shock when the boy in front of him leaned to his right while pedaling. The bike turned into a graceful arc and covered the long bending turn. He was enchanted by the figure of the boy riding so beautifully.


    You must know that on the ride-hand side of the road there was nothing, it was a cliff end. A lot of people would drive closer to the mountain by instinct but this guy was so daring that he made such a stunt close to the edge.


    Kiya held on to Sasha''s wrist tightly whenever Yang Dao made a turn. Suddenly the boy stopped pedaling and looked to the side, in the valley a river ran. The others also followed his gaze. As they climbed down the mountain a little to reach the road connecting to another mountain, the road got closer to the river.


    No one expected the boy to slowly go close to the river, stopping and then he leaned his bike to a big pile of boulders. He took off his helmet, his bag, his jersey, his shoes, and socks. The cars all stopped at the side of the road.


    The boy was so handsome that all three girls were blushing at the glance of his body. Lean yet filled with sculpted muscles.


    Icarus saw this and hung his head out of the window and asked, "Dao, do you know how cold that water is?"


    Yang Dao turned back with a smile and he stepped inside the water. The river was not flowing fast but the chill it carried was a murderous weapon. He stood in knee-deep water but still moved forward. Soon, after a couple of steps, the boy dipped in the water a couple of times and came out with a satisfied smile.


    He was about to say something when he heard a loud buzz coming from the sides.

 Chapter 195: Assaulted.

    Yang Dao had just put on his jersey when the scenery was disturbed by some buzzing sounds. Eric shouted, "Desert Raiders."


    The guards immediately got outside the cars and closed the cars. The people were shocked. Eric wanted to call Yang Dao back when a motorbike flashed between them, followed by thirty more motorbikes.


    Yang Dao calmly put on his clothes. His hands combed his hair as if nothing was going wrong. Ten cars had one guard and one driver. Total twenty people, excluding ten cycling club members. All were surrounded by fifty motorbikes.


    The bikes were all painted to match the desert. They all looked dirty, the people wore black leather jackets and jeans, their faces covered with black helmets. On their wastes, a gun was tied in a holster. Eric looked at the bike that stopped in front of him and asked in a cold voice, "What do you want?"


    The other side spoke in a muffled voice, "Same old, passing toll. Leave the valuables or stay forever."


    Eric sneered and said, "Do you know that we are the Orlenko''s? Are you bandits forgetting your limits?" he also took out a gun from his coat. They were all war-trained people. They were not to give up so easily.


    Yet a fact remained obvious. They were outnumbered. The enemy had fifty people while they were only twenty. One of the people close to Yang Dao laughed and said, "Eric Wolfrom, do you not see the situation? We have more people and also a hostage."


    He got off the bike and walked toward the boy who was tying his shoes. He chuckled with his gun aimed at the boy, "Hey, look, is this boy disabled? Why can he not see that a gun is pointed at him. Or is he posing."


    The actions of the bandit shocked everyone. The cycling club wanted to do something but since the cars were locked they could only hit the glasses. These cars were all bulletproof. The glass was reinforced and could not even be broken through by a bullet let alone hands.


    Eric yelled, "Stop, do not move. I will shot I am telling you."


    All the guards had their guns aimed at a bandit closest to them. Eric himself was aware that this was a desperate effort and will not bear fruit, yet he had to do it. He was aware of how powerful the person being taken hostage was, or his family was.


    If anything happened to the boy, then even if they made it out of here alive, they will all be crushed to death. His gaze landed on Yang Dao trying to see if the boy was scared or anything but he froze the next moment.  The bandit had now reached close to Yang Dao and had his gun aimed at his head. Suddenly, the boy moved.


    Yang Dao moved his right leg like a whip, in a blink, the face of the foot connected with the helmet of the bandit. The impact of the kick was so strong that the guy fell to the ground instantly. The boy moved quickly and took the gun. He did not intend to wait and negotiate.


    These guys had radiated killing intent toward him, he had the right to kill them. With a smooth movement, he raised the gun and placed the muzzle on the neck of the bandit.


    Everyone was shocked, but soon the bandits laughed, one of them said, "Alek, you were taken down by a kid."


    The bandit was taken down by Yang Dao was now trapped between the ground and the gun, along with a knee placed on his back. The boy gazed around at the bandits laughing and then he raised his gun and shot.


    BANG!!!


    The aim? A bandit standing in a seemingly random position. The bullet landed on the shoulder of the bandit and a blood flower bloomed as the target fell on the ground. Suddenly a scary was heard, "Leader."


    The bandits were stunned, they all had their eyes focused on the leader. Yang Dao broke the hand of the man under his knee and swiftly moved to the fallen leader. He ran with his body crouched, weaving between the bandits, cleverly avoiding their line of fire.


    Eric and the rest of the guards were shocked, they did not expect such a thing to happen. They did not even have the time to properly appreciate Yang Dao''s move when the boy was already holding the wounded leader.


    The bandits cried, "NO, Let the leader go, or you will beg us to die."


    Yang Dao stood with the bandit leader in front of him, the muzzle of the gun placed on the neck. The boy hid behind the leader so well, that even a thread of his body was not visible. He said in a chilling voice, "You can try and move against me, or my people. I may die, but I will blow the head of your leader like a watermelon. Wanna try."


    His words did not waver, it was like a devil from hell. The bandits were scared they did not expect such a thing to happen as well. They all had the same clothes and the same bikes. Everything was identical.


    The wounded leader was also surprised. He thought that this guy had shot him by fluke, but recalling his movements and execution. He figured that this kid was not the regular joe. He asked in a whimpering voice, "What are you?"


    Yang Dao replied, "You don''t need to know." why will he explain his origins to a bandit? He is not that polite. He said, "I give you my word, have your people retreat, after we reach the safe distance, I will release you. If you think my words mean nothing then, even if you kill all the guards and me. Your side will suffer casualties too. The people inside the car must have already called for backup. You have ten seconds to chose."


    The Dao Child bluffed with confidence. He did this after seeing how restless the bandits were after the leader was captured. He played by the rules of psychology, this guy was a good leader and thus they all were dependant on him. Kill him and the bandits will self-destruct. He did not want blood shed. So, he gave the guy a choice.

 Chapter 196: Mentalist.

    Yang Dao''s cold voice sent a chill down the spine of the bandit leader. The guy still tried to play it hard though, "Even if we all die, what makes you so sure that you can still stay alive."


    The boy smiled and said in a low voice, "Your people only have ten real guns the rest are life-like imitations."


    Under the helmet, a pair of cold sharp eyes enlarged. The person could not believe how the guy found out but what he said was true indeed. Among fifty people only ten held real guns and bullets the rest held dummies.


    One more thing was clear to the bandit leader, that this guy did not want to kill unabashedly. Taking the mercifulness into account the guy said, "I agree, let my people go and I follow you."


    Yang Dao nodded and said, "You ask them to leave and if I found any single lingering shadow within a kilometer, you are dead, then I will hunt them all down. Do not mistake my patience as my weakness." his words, warnings, gestures all made the bandit leader believe that Yang Dao can really kill them all if he wished so.


    The bandit leader raised his uninjured hand and said in a muffled voice, "Leave, no one comes close and do not follow us."


    Of course, how could the people leave so easily? They were a group of bandits on the surface, but Yang Dao sensed their bond and hesitation. The gang protested. They did not want to leave their leader in the hands of the enemy.


    "Leader, we can still fight it out."


    "You cannot do this, who knows what they will do to you. We will not go."


    The area and mountains echoed with the chant of protest. Yang Dao raised his head and fired a shot in the air. The people immediately fell silent. The boy then pointed the gun at the bandit leader and said, "I shoot your leader, right now and right here. You can take a pick. The sooner we get away from here, the sooner you can treat the injured.


    Look here, the wound on your leader''s shoulder is bleeding, it will not stop until the bullet is taken out, the longer the bullet stays in the higher the risk of toxic spread. If the blood became toxic, your leader may die, or worse, become an amputee. Tell me what do you want? A healthy leader, a dead leader, or umm... half leader?"


    The indifference carried in his voice was scary, not only for the bandits, but at this moment even the guards were scared. The people inside the car could not hear anything happening outside. The cars were slow, and the tires were not bulletproof. Eric and other guards had faced these bandits earlier. So they knew that if the convoy did not stop, these guys will shoot at the tires.


    This boy in front of them was calm and flexible since the starting of the assault. His movement shocked the guards.


    The bandit leader said, "I know that you all do not trust this man and his people, but believe in me. Leave, if you think of me as your leader and you care about my words." the tone was dominant.


    The bandits were stuck in a dillema. This person was their leader, the one who had got them through many disasters, the reason this person was their leader was not because of the strength. It was because of the wisdom and virtue of this person.


    The leader of the raiders was unanimously elected. Sensing the hesitation of the men, the leader said, "Since you do not go, I am no longer your leader. Boy, you can kill me. They do not care about my words anymore."


    Yang Dao nodded and asked, "Where do I shoot you? In the head or the heart? Be sure you will suffer pain in both the spots. The brain stays awake for a few seconds before complete death. The pain from getting shot will be too much to bare. Or do you prefer I break your neck? Or bumper offer, I break your spirit in front of your men by stripping your clothes off and then, You can commit suicide."


    His words were getting to much for even himself, yet he could not show any sort of hesitation otherwise the bluff will not pay off. His act helped the bandits. They could do anything for their leader, but thinking about the last words spoken by the brat, they believed that this guy will actually do it.


    One man shouted, "Stop. We retreat. Men, let''s go."


    The bandits slowly left on their bikes. Yang Dao, waited and with his wind sense he verified that the bandits had now gone and stopped approximately a kilometer away. He let go of the bandit leader and said, "Let''s go,"


    He kept a two meter distance from the person and on the gun point he led the person to the guard squad. He said, "Give me a car, Kiya and Sasha will be with me. Load my bike and gear in your cars. Be quick."


    Eric did not dare to question this boy when he was akin to a monster from hell. He nodded opened the door of his own jeep, in which Kiya, Sasha, and Ayaka were waiting anxiously. At the same time he had two people load Yang Dao''s bike and stuff on another car.


    Yang Dao asked Ayaka, "Coach, can you please go sit in another car?" he did not take his eyes off the bandit leader when he talked.


    The coach was surprised but she trusted Yang Dao and without wasting any time she went to sit down in a car in the back. The Dao Child said to Sasha, "Take the wheel, you are driving, Just like military training. Kiya you are operating on this person."


    He said to the bandit leader, "Get inside. Try to make a funny move, and I will strio you of both your clothes and skin, while you are alive."


    Let alone the bandit leader, even Sasha and Kiya were shocked to hear such words coming out of Yang Dao. He was in his soldier mode at this moment. The survival of his team was more important for him.


    The four people got inside the car, Sasha behind the wheel, Kiya sat on the left of the bandit leader, while Yang Dao, had flattened the passenger seat to get a clean aim of the bandit leader. Just now he used his mental skills to the peak.

 Chapter 197: Bandit Beauty.

    The convoy moved. Yang Dao was constantly monitoring the bandit leader in front of him and the surrounding air to sense if the bandits would return. He said to Kiya, "Cut the sleeve of her jacket with the scissors, be careful not to graze the bullet wound."


    Kiya also came out of military training freshly, and she was an exceptional talent in medical issues, after Yang Dao, of course. She followed the instructions seriously and carefully cut off the sleeve of the jacket.


    Instead of a rugged, thick arm, a slender and smooth arm came out from below the jacket. Yang Dao said, "You can take off your helmet, I know you are a girl. Try not to do anything funny."


    The bandit leader was surprised even more. She slowly took off her helmet with one hand. First, she undid the strap of the helmet, then she took it off. A beautiful face came into view. The girl had almond eyes, filled with resentment and hatred for Yang Dao along with a sense of helplessness. She had shoulder-length black hair loosely falling over her shoulders. Accompanied with thin lips like pink flower petals.


    Too bad Yang Dao was not a normal guy or he would have fallen for her charm. Yang Dao ignored the bandit beauty, he said, "Take out the cleaning alcohol and clean the wound."


    Kiya nodded and took out the bottle of clinical alcohol. She said to the bandit beauty, "It may hurt, please bear with it."


    Before the bandit beauty had the time to react, she clenched her jaw and closed her eyes tightly. Despite the burning pain, she did not make a noise. Yang Dao nodded in appreciation. This showed the resolve and guts of the bandit leader.


    This also made him aware of one thing, this girl was anything but soft. The vigilance in his mind instantly doubled. He said, "Clean the forceps and take out the bullet."


    Kiya was surprised and Sasha was also surprised, but they trusted Yang Dao. Kiya cleaned the forceps as instructed and asked, "Dao, we do not have anesthesia. The pain will be too much."


    The bandit leader did not show it to her face. Yang Dao said, "Roll up the jacket sleeve tight, she can chew on that to hold on for a few seconds."


    Kiya stared at Yang Dao as she listened to him. This guy was so indifferent. The boy sensed the satisfaction and said, "When they pointed out the guns at us, did you think, they were joking? The person who approached me radiated actual killing intent. Now stop pitying her. Or she will die from the blood loss."


    The argument was over. Kiya sighed and with an apologetic gaze she placed the twisted sleeve in front of the bandit leader''s mouth. The latter bit on the sleeve hard, as her eyes glared at Yang Dao. She had a lot of questions, but now was not the time to ask. She vented her rage on the poor cloth.


    Kiya cleaned the bleeding wound and inserted the forceps inside the wound. Her moments were meticulous and calm. She had forgotten everything, while the Bandit leader bite on the cloth harder and clenched her fists hard. She wanted to wail, but if her voice showed her weakness, then she would be wasted.


    The doctor felt a hard object inside the wound. Carefully she squeezed the forceps and after applying a little force the bullet dislodged from the bone. The bullet was lodged in the bone slightly. Yang Dao was extremely thoughtful when he shot the girl. The aim was not at the shoulder but below it. Missing the joint slightly.


    Kiya pulled out the bullet, and Yang Dao said, "Do we have a stature kit?" the bandit beauty took a deep breath after the bullet was out.


    Kiya looked down in the first aid kit bow she was provided by a guard. She said, "I have a stature kit here, but I do not know how to stature. Dao, I cannot do it." her hands were shaking after she pulled out that bullet.


    The boy said, "Sasha, Stop the car." his tone was stable and light. Sasha slowed down the car and stopped at the side. The rest of the cars following behind also stopped. Eric quickly got off and came to them.


    Yang Dao said, "Kiya, get down, and let Eric sit in my place. You go to his vehicle and I will take your place." it was a three-way swap.


    Kiya asked, "What about Sasha?"


    Sasha said, "I am fine, no problem." she was a tough girl. She was used to this when she used to live in the place.


    Kiya nodded and got off the car. Yang Dao swiftly slid into her seat. The door was closed and Eric got inside the car. He sat in the passenger seat and was shocked to see that the leader of the famous bandits of the region was a girl. Yang Dao said, "Aim your gun at her. If she moves too fast, pull the trigger."


    His voice was cold and calm. Sasha regretted not getting off of the car when she had the chance. The boy said, "Drive." he put the gun behind him. poured some clinical alcohol on his hands and rubbed it evenly. Then he picked up the needle, prepared the stature tools.


    He held the needle with a pair of forceps like a proper medical personal. Before performing the stature, the boy hit a few acupressure points on the girl''s arms. He sensed the disgust originating in her eyes, but he did not care. He picked up the forceps and passed the needles through the wound.


    The girl was ready for the pain, which did not come. She opened her eyes and asked, "How come it doesn''t hurt?" she has received stitches before but they were never so painless.


    Sasha said, "He must have pressed your acupressure points. It is taught in military training. You are lucky that a special recruit is performing medical aid for you."


    "Sasha, focus on the road." Yang Dao''s cold voice sounded. He did not want Sasha to talk too much.


    The girl realized she spoke too much, she said, "Aye Captain." Soon Yang Dao was done. With the stitches, he covered the wound in a nice clean bandage. Then he leaned back in his seat.


    He said, "Would you like to play a game? One question for each. You can start first."

 Chapter 198: Promise.

    Yang Dao said, "Would you like to play a game? One question for each of us. You can start first."


    Eric knew that the boy was seeking information. The Bandit beauty was also aware of this, she had seen how this charming devil had pointed out the secrets of her troupe. She was vigilant in her heart.


    The boy smiled and said, "You can relax, I am not an evil capitalist." he turned to Sasha and said, "Where is your mobile?"


    The blonde did not turn her head and handed him the mobile. Yang Dao chuckled, "You also bought it?" as his hands moved on the mobile screen.


    Sasha replied, "This is too good, Dao. I have almost forgotten how to use a phone, just one command, and Lisa will do it for you. By the way, why do you not use the phone your company made for yourself?" her question was not fitting with the scene, but it was a good catalyst to relax the tension inside the vehicle.


    Yang Dao said, "The reason is very simple, Sister Yun said, ''You should wait for a better higher quality model to be launched and then use that. This one is not very complimentary to your status.'' then she got me the one I am using now."


    Sasha snickered and said, "Damn you, rich people."


    Dao chuckled and said, "Hey, that is my sister. I am still not very rich, neither does it make a difference to me."


    Sasha replied, "That is obvious, your company is donating almost all the profit to society and making the world a better place. Hey, do you think you can set up a helping hand office in this place? There are a lot of people who can use help."


    Yang Dao said, "Yeah, why not? I will have mary work on it after she settles the things on her hand." his gaze was locked on the mobile screen. Then suddenly he looked up at the bandit beauty and said, "Since you have not questioned then let me ask, Given how well educated you are, why do you do this?"


    The girl did not reply but the surprise in her eyes was obvious. She did not know how did this guy come up with this? She asked, "How do you know?"


    Her voice was akin to an oriole singing. The boy smiled and said, "How did I know what?"


    The beauty said, "Everything, the number of real guns, my identity, how did you know it all? Who the heck are you?"


    The boy replied, "When the people were laughing and taunting only you were quiet and looking around to check for traps. That is the attitude of a good leader. Also, you could have been just another dumb rookie in the gang, but still had to take a gamble.


    About the guns, when someone holds a real gun in their hands they are brimming with confidence. When I shot you and rushed to take you hostage, only ten of your people were aiming at me while the rest had put their guns down. Otherwise, from the position I was standing, at least two people could have shot me.


    As for your education and qualification, I am a computer nerd, I can find the stuff I want to with a little effort. You can assure though Senior Marian, I am not against you or your goals until I know what they are." his calm words were followed by the power of the thunder.


    Thunder, so loud that it almost shattered the beauty bandit from inside. She could not think of how this guy could do all this. The shock was not only for her but even for Eric. The army veteran was stunned, he could not help but look at the boy in the back seat from the corner of his eye. So many things were not even noticed by him, yet this youngster could do it. How? Has he wasted his life?


    Yang Dao sent another guy in existential crisis. He asked the girl, "So, would you tell me, why are you doing this?"


    Marian seemed to have lost her soul. She just gazed at him with a blank gaze. The boy shook his head slightly and said, "Looks like I have to contact, Piff, Jeremy, Sabina, Elton..."


    Marian woke up and said, "NO, NO, I will tell you everything. Please leave them out of this. I beg you." her expression was horrible. She was scared, this guy in front of her had even found out the names of the people in her gang, and some of them were closest to her.


    She did not want her group to suffer. So, she started begging. Yang Dao knew that his soft approach was misunderstood but he was in no mood to clear the haze. he wanted information to decide what to do. he said, "calm down, and then you can tell me what I ask you. I assure you, till the moment you cooperate with me, I will not move against you or your people. But do not take me for a fool."


    The girl nodded repeatedly. Then she took a few deep breathes to calm herself down. After a few seconds, she said, "We all are the villagers in these mountain ranges. The resources are scarce and our families are having trouble getting by. A few months ago, some big-time mining company arrived claiming that they have the governmental permission to dig on our farms and that we have been living here illegally.


    Overnight, they asked us to move away. We could do nothing against them, they had the documents and were accompanied by some armed people. A few men tried to protest but were injured seriously, lacking medical supplies, they died. Hapless, we could only move from our ancestral land. These people stopped their activities a few days ago, but our people cannot go back there.


    The land is nothing close to what it used to be. So, when we moved out from the villages we decided to form a group and have them deal with the so-called rich. Until today, we have never failed. We have never killed any innocent, but I will not deny that we have killed 3 people. They were responsible for the death of my fellow villagers."


    Tears filled the girl''s eyes as she recounted what pushed her people to do such lowly and sinful acts of robbing. Yang Dao asked, "I will help you. Within a week. Things will be mended. Till then ask your people to calm down and not to act rashly. I give you my word."


    With that, he sat down with his eyes closed. The boy was pondering on how to keep his promise.

 Chapter 199: Grandson-In-Law?

    The car was silent, and Sasha''s driving skills were also stable. After three hours, they reached their destination. It looks like a small town in the valley but in the center of the town stood a red monument with a dome-style ceiling.


    Yang Dao looked out of the window and asked, "This architecture, Sasha, is your family the descendants of the ancient empire of Droga?"


    Sasha smiled, "As expected of Young Master Feng, cultured and well informed. Yes, my family comes from the line of the ancient empire." Her voice was devoid of any pride. After all, in the modern world, it did not matter whether they were the royal descendants from thousands of years ago.


    Yang Dao hummed a bit and said, "That is good. Since you are the royal linage, your family has some say in this region. Can you arrange a meeting with the person in charge of the family matters and also business matters?"


    Sasha was surprised but recalling the promise he made to the bandit beauty, Marian. She realized where this was heading. She said, "The household is managed by my grandma. My father and aunt handle the business. I can arrange for them to talk to you before the training camp starts. But Dao, is it really important for you to help those bandits?"


    The boy leaned back in the seat and said, "You may have not noticed, the hope that flickered in her eyes when we let her go. I can tell you that someone as educated and well-mannered and tough as her doesn''t want to do it. Eric, if I am correct, none of the robbed people ever have been mistreated, except for the three people she said."


    The man nodded as he said, "Yes, Young Master Feng, the Orlenko family received reports of the wealthy being robbed, but it was never about the people mistreating them or anything. Yes, they may have used harsh words, but that was all to scare the people."


    Yang Dao nodded and said, "Sasha, you have your answer, also if any effort of mine can make people happy, then what is the problem. If those with strength cannot help those without it, then what is even the use of having it?"


    The people became silent again. The bandit beauty has already been dropped from the car a couple of hours ago. Yang Dao left her with his contact number. He asked her to call him at night, by then he was confident to arrange things for them.


    Sasha turned from the car and entered the town. Followed by the rest of the town. Yang Dao asked, "Sasha, this place is remote so why does your family stay here?"


    Sasha said, "It is because of my great grandfather. he said that the Orlenko empire used to be in the diamond desert so he decided that the people of the family will live here. Unless it is for education or business, they should stay here and cultivate themselves. he used to say that remoteness can connect you to nature and then you can be a better human being. I wonder if he was correct."


    Yang Dao wanted to say something but thinking that Sasha could not understand him, the boy kept silent. he gazed out of the window and saw the domes getting bigger and closer in his sight.


    Soon, the convoy entered the huge metal gates of the mansion. Sasha drove them to the front porch. and got down. Yang Dao also got down. He saw an old woman wearing a white fur coat standing at the door. The lady had snow-white hair tied neatly in a thick bun, her face had wrinkles but she looked exquisite. Her blue eyes were like Sasha''s. She held a cane in her hand and smiled when she saw the blonde girl coming forward.


    The rest of the cars also stopped behind them and the people got off looking around at the landscape. The old lady said, "Sasha, my dear. Come to grandma." as she raised her hand.


    Sasha skipped and hugged the old lady. She said, "Grandma, let me introduce you to my friends and seniors."


    She gestured to Ayaka, Thomas, Ray, Felix, and then finally she came to Yang Dao''s side and said, "This young man is Feng Yang Dao. He has a lot of achievements and identities but today he is the savior of our convoy."


    Yang Dao glared at her and said in a low voice, "Since when did you became infected by Icarus Syndrome."


    Sasha only giggled. She never used to talk with anyone much. Back in the jade city school, she hated snobs and only Kiya was her friend. She first was hesitant about talking to Yang Dao as well. Women seldom take the initiative, especially the beautiful ones, who are rich. They have an innate arrogance. But after being in touch with the boy in the classes and the gathering. They have become sort of good friends.


    The old lady asked in a cold voice, "Eric, what happened to the hostage you took/"


    Eric bowed slightly and said, "Young Master Feng, let her go."


    The old lady turned her sharp eyes to the boy and asked, "What gave you the right to let someone, who attacked my granddaughter go?" her tone was calm yet her words were harsh.


    The atmosphere turned somber suddenly. Nobody expected such a thing to happen right after introductions.


    The boy gazed into the old lady''s eyes calmly and said, "I captured her, got us out, that enough is capable to allow me what to do with her. There is another factor, strength." Dao Child did not have any ego, but if someone dares to look down on him, his ego is not smaller than the planet they live on.


    The old lady said, "Is that, how you talk to your elders?" her tone became cold.


    The boy followed, "It depends on the way my elders look at me. Just because they are born a few years earlier, does not make me respect them. I respect those who respect me. The way you just spoke now, was rude."


    The situation was about to get fired up when suddenly the old lady smiled, "Good, you qualify to be my grandson-in-law. Sasha, you found yourself a good man."


    The scene fell silent. It was so silent that even the cold breeze blowing past became audible.

 Chapter 200: Innovation.

    Yang Dao thought that he was hallucinating. He looked at his friends and they were all shocked. Suddenly he started having a bad premonition. Sasha was stunned then a fierce blush climbed up on her fair face. Kiya looked at her with a stinking glare.


    The blonde gulped and calmed down, her best friend will certainly kill her for stealing her eye candy. She said, "Grandma, what are you talking about? Dao is two years younger than me and we are only friends."


    The old lady said, "Age is just a number, also you can take charge since you are the older one. Feelings will cultivate as you spend time together. Also, you introduced him last, so I know that he is the best. To be able to deal with the bandits and make them flee is certainly good enough to show his strength and reliability."


    Apparently, the old lady was dead set on getting Yang Dao as her grandson-in-law. Yang Dao asked, "Coach, I am going back to Jade City." he was scared, if not for the fact that he could not run that far he would have already vanished from the place. With these words, the boy rushed to the car in the back and was about to unload his bike.


    Suddenly a charming voice sounded, "Young Master Feng, please wait. I apologize for my mother''s behavior. She did not mean to offend you."


    Yang Dao glanced at the speaker and found that it was a girl, as old as Feng Yun. She wore a similar white fur coat as the old lady and wore emerald earrings, her hair was blonde. She was walking toward him from inside the house.


    The Dao Child said, "Madam, I am not offended but I am scared." he actually had sweat on his forehead.


    The guys from the cycling club could not help but laugh. The lady came to his side and said, "Young Master Feng, my name is Mina Orlenko, your sister is waiting for a video call with you, inside the mansion. You can talk to her first, and then we will follow whatever you decide."


    Yang Dao hesitated and thought, ''If they tried to take me, hostage for forced marriage, I will use my elemental skills and run away. Yes, then let Sister Yun deal with them.'' after nodding to his own idea the flustered boy walked inside the mansion with everyone.


    The boy still kept a distance from the old lady. He kept looking at the floor as he walked behind the lady slowly. He noticed that the floor was made in a monotone chess pattern. Soon, the two people turned and parted ways from the rest. They came to a room, seemingly the conference room.


    Mina Orlenko smiled and said, "Young Master Feng, please have a seat. I will call your sister." as she gestured him toward the chair. Yang Dao looked around before sitting down, the whole room was decorated with modern appliances.


    Glass lamps hanging from the ceiling, a long table surrounded by 11 chairs. The boy placed his hand on the table and sighed, "Ceramite, the oldest the most long-lasting stone used for luxury furniture. Surely worthy of being called the descendants of the ancient empire."


    Mina Orlenko on the side was surprised to hear the muttering coming from the boy. She did not expect him to be so knowledgeable at such a young age. She was calling Feng Yun. The call connected.


    The speaker was not Feng Yun but her secretary. In the meantime, Mina connected the phone to the projector Feng Yun was on the call. Mina spoke a bit before she let Yang Dao talk. Feng Yun looked at Yang Dao''s face and her eyes were filled with concern all of a sudden.


    This was an expression reserved only for Yang Dao and Yang Dao only. She asked, "Are you hurt?"


    The boy shook his head. Before he could say anything Feng Yun said, "I will send my guards to eradicate these people. HOW DARE THEY MOVE AGAINST YOU?" she did not yell but Yang Dao could sense the rage inside her from the emphasis on her words.


    The boy smiled and said, "Calm down, they are people driven to do such things because of the circumstances. Also, it was me who broke the hand of one guy, probably suffered a concussion as well as I did not hold back on the kick. Then I shot their leader and took her hostage. So, do not move against them, please. For my sake? My sweet Sister Yun. The most beautiful in the world, the sweetest and the dearest, please."


    He was trying to simmer down her flames with his sugary mouth and it seemed to be working. The furrowed brows of the beauty stretched and her frown turned upside down. She was brown-nosed by the kid. She said, "Well, okay if you say so. But the next time, they can vanish altogether."


    The boy nodded and said, "I need your help to set up a Helping hand branch here in advance. Although Mary can do it as well, she may need some time to get the previous targetted locations dealt with first. Other than the helping hand branch, we would need to build a village from scratch."


    The two people started to discuss and Mina Orlenko was also called to join the call. Earlier she had left after greeting Feng Yun to give the siblings some privacy. The more the people talked the more shocked Mina was.


    She did not expect this kid to have so many ideas to change the face of the cold desert as it was known to the people. He came up with ideas such as animal raring, they had a lot of lands, it was enough to raise cattle and poultry, then they can also rare sheep and huskies.


    He also proposed for them to create solar energy fields or wind turbine fields to meet the energy needs of the area. To make the place green he came up with the idea of planting trees in the region, based on their suitability. The land lacked nitrogen so he suggested making it fertile by feeding the land organic fertilizer.


    Mina Orlenko was shocked by the business and innovation genius of this boy.

 Chapter 201: Begin.

    The video call finished with Feng Yun telling him she will dispatch two teams, one responsible for establishing the village complex and the other one to get the people integrated with the helping hand office.


    Yang Dao was happy that his promise can be kept. WHAT A JOKE? Will the phoenix let some nobody bandit look down on her young master? To hell with the system. She had so much money that she was the system and all this was for her Young Master.


    The things were done, and the boy was tired from the two days of cycling. Then he went inside a guest room Mina had arranged for him. The mansion was huge, so was the room. It had a floor-to-ceiling vacuum glass wall for the view outside. The two bikes of his were parked inside the room with stands. The silence was even thoroughly cleaned.


    Yang Dao went inside the bathroom, took a warm shower, cleaned off the dust, shampooed his dusty hair, and came out in nightwear. He did not go out to eat food. Climbed onto the bed and fell asleep.


    The little sylph was still inside his hair. She woke up for the time the boy was bathing and waited for him to come out. Thanks to her, Yang Dao can say goodbye to using a hairdryer. The boy was so tired that he slept straight from noon to morning the next day.


    The next morning, he woke up when someone knocked on his door. He said, "Coming."


    He stretched his body and then walked up to the door. The door was opened and outside stood Ayaka, dressed in her coaching dress. She said, "Dao, get ready, we are beginning."


    The boy nodded and after a quick shower, he changed his clothes into sports ones. A servant took his blue bike outside. He himself was guided to the dining hall. It was only now that the Dao Child noticed the decoration of the mansion. It was filled with antiques. Some of them were even so nice that he even stopped for a few seconds to appreciate them.


    The whole club was gathered at the dining table. Yang Dao greeted them and sat down on the chair designated for him. Then he chowed down. The people were used to this. Yang Dao ate with no hesitation. His speed was fast, yet he was mindful of his table manners.


    After they were done loading their stomachs, they all came outside. Ayaka waited for them by an off-road jeep. She said, "We will ride in a marathon, patron. Six hours straight. Maintain an average speed of 30 kph. Ride in two groups. Thomas will lead the senior years, while Yang Dao and Icarus will be led by the second years.


    No passing is allowed. Dao, you need to learn how to ride together with the group. Okay?"


    The boys nodded and yelled, "Yes, Coach Gust."


    Ayaka smiled and said, "Let''s go. Follow the car."


    She went and sat down in the back of the open head jeep. She had few water bottles inside the back stored in the way. The boys all got on the bikes and they followed the jeep. The speed was steady and the two groups worked well with each other. Today the morning was filled with cold gusts. Ayaka was wearing the fur coat arranged by the Orlenko house. The boys wore skivvies under their jerseys and shorts. The fabric could give them some warmth.


    Icarus said, "It is hard to ride here."


    A second-year senior said, "Indeed, that is the training. Come on do not relax. Use a higher gear, save yourself from extra movement. The more you move, the more oxygen you need. The air is thinner here."


    Icarus nodded and raised his gear. Yang Dao did the same. Suddenly he heard a sweet voice in his ears, "Master, sushi is cold."


    The sylph woke up. They can converse with each other using their mind, so, the boy asked, "You feel cold?" he was confused about how could a wind spirit feel cold. They were blessed creatures, right?


    The tiny girl chuckled, "Of course, you see, that person is wearing such a pretty coat, Sushi also wants that." turns out she felt cold because she liked the coat.


    Yang Dao almost laughed out loud. He calmed down and said, "I will get you some later, Okay?


    "I knew it, Master is the best." she said as she flew around his head in circles."


    The people kept on riding for an hour in the valley that was relatively flat. Ayaka said, "Ray, Dao, switch to drafting, carry your teams up the mountains."


    Yang Dao was using his blue bike because he would ride that one in the tournament race. He came to the front of the team but did not start drafting immediately. He said, "Sync up with me as much as possible."


    Icarus nodded and said, "Okay," then he and the other two people synced up with him. What he wanted was for these people to match his pace, movement, and breathing pace. This way they will climb faster and more efficiently.


    After a minute, the four guys climbed. A second-year said, "Dao, be sure to regulate the pace as we progress."


    The boy replied, "Yes, Senior." and they kept climbing the cold barren mountains.


    ...


    Orlenko''s house, the old lady at this moment, was sitting in the gym in the mansion. She was watching Sasha and Kiya working out. Kiya had been here a few times and the old lady like this girl as much as she liked her own granddaughter.


    Mina Orlenko came in as well, wearing a tight-fit sports jumpsuit. The Old Lady asked, "Mine, what do you think of that boy?"


    Mina sighed and said, "I almost doubted my entire existence during the video call yesterday. This guy has so much talent. Also, Sasha told me, he is also a part of the army. So, he is quite amazing for his age."


    The old lady smiled and said, "I must have him as my Grandson-in-law. This is final." Mina shook her head and went to work out. Her mother was a hopeless subject only her elder brother, Sasha''s father, can deal with her.

 Chapter 202: Meeting Marian.

    Yang Dao suddenly sneezed. Icarus asked, "Did you catch a cold?"


    The boy shook his head and said, "No, I don''t think I caught a cold." as he kept pedaling. The Dao Child, catching a cold. How embarrassing is that? The boy rode calmly, suddenly the phone in his back pocket vibrated.


    He picked it up with his left hand and put it next to his ear, "Hello." sounded a soft voice from the other side.


    Yang Dao recognized this voice. He said, "Hello Marian."


    "Young Master Feng, can we talk about what you promised the last time?" she asked a little wryly. The boy could pick up some sounds coming from her side. He said, "Yes we can talk. I hope you come alone or just one more elder person along with you. If I saw your gang trying to get back on me for yesterday, I will be killing directly this time."


    His cold voice scared her again. She agreed to his conditions and they decided to meet after an hour. The boy disconnected the call and sped up to catch up with Ayaka. He told said, "Coach, I have a meeting in an hour. Can I go ahead? I swear this is the last time I disturb the training."


    Ayaka sighed and said, "Who asked me to make you kid my favorite? As a punishment, you will cook me hot spicy ramen."


    Yang Dao chuckled and said, "Okay, deal. I will be back in a few hours. Bye-bye."


    The boy then rode his bike and moved past the jeep. Ayaka yelled loudly, "BE CAREFUL."


    Yang Dao raised his hand and showed an okay symbol. In the back, Icarus was sobbing, he mumbled, "Farewell Ayaka, the love of my life."


    The senior behind him thought the boy was hurt and was about to console him when he heard another mumble, "Sasha''s aunt is also single. Hmmm, let us try on here. Hehehe..."


    His words almost made the senior lose the balance of his bike. The person got past him and smacked the back of his head. He retorted, "Focus."Icarus immediately became honest.


    ...


    Yang Dao rode his bike on the curvy roads with ease, occasionally he would come across some military vehicles. he arrived at the designated place and parked his bike to the side of the road. He enjoyed the high mountains overlapping each other in the surroundings. He said, "If only they had some tree to paint this grey dead scenery into a lively one, that would have been awesome, no, Marian?"


    Other people may not know her approaching them but Yang Dao knew about her movement when she entered the one-kilometer perception range. Marian was shocked. She did not expect this boy to know about her arrival. She wanted to check if he really had such capability.


    She asked in a low voice, "How did you know about my approach?" she was confident in her skills, she made no sound at all.


    The boy just gave a single word to her, "Wind." he did not explain it to her. The girl was confused but after a few moments, she changed the topic.


    "What about your promise?" her voice may be soft but the resolve was firm. She had her left hand supported by a sling. The boy said, "Two teams of people will arrive here. One will have your village settled the other with giving you work training. You all those who work will get a fixed salary and some bonus. rest-assured the money will be enough."


    The two people kept talking and after the discussion, Yang Dao gave her a pen drive, he said, "This is the plan. You can study with your people."


    Marian took the pen drive and asked, "Why are you doing this?"


    This question has been troubling her ever since Yang Dao promised her the resettlement and work stuff. She did not sleep last night but after calming the gang she decided to ask him this question today.


    The boy replied, "Helping a few people will get me some good deed in life. So I am just accumulating your blessings to protect myself in the future." he had a slight smile on his face. He enjoyed bringing smiles to others. Yang Dao was the Dao Child. He was not only a strong man but he was also a scale of providence.


    He would always react to people around him based on the invisible scale of Karma. Those who did good will be on his good side, those who did bad will suffer his wrath. This was his principle and also karma''s cycle. You would reap what you sowed.


    The two people chatted a bit more and after an hour Marian left with the storage drive in her hand. Yang Dao gazed at the scenery and then rode his bike back to the team. When he came back it was already noon, Ayaka said, "Lunchtime. Ride back. Dao will cook."


    Yang Dao was helpless and with a nod, he rode his bike with everyone heading to the Orlenko Mansion. The old lady was walking back and forth. She was trying to come up with plans to help Sasha seduce Yang Dao.


    Even now she was unaware of his identity. She wanted someone who can live in their family house after marriage so that she will not have to send away her darling granddaughter. So, she thought that Yang Dao was a perfect choice. Mina tried to tell her that Yang Dao was not as simple of a person as she thought, but she did not believe her thinking she was deliberately trying to sabotage the relationship talks.


    At this moment suddenly she heard a clatter outside her room, "Kiya, come Dao is cooking. You will miss eating otherwise. Come on you lovely strawberry."


    Kiya scolded her, "Sasha, you... today this old woman will treat you good." Then a tide of giggles and chuckles broke out in the corridor. Their banter made the old lady sigh as she mumbled, "If only Nika was like Sasha too."

 Chapter 203: Dao Chef.

    Yang Dao stood in the kitchen and with him stood a few professional chefs hired by the Orlenko''s. Outside the kitchen, all the cycling club members were gathered. They all wanted to watch Yang Dao cook for them.


    The boy shook his head with helplessness. He sighed and took an apron from the chef. He tied it up neatly and processed the ingredients. He washed the vegetables in slow running water, then he peeled them off. He diced some potatoes and chopped some onions.


    The chefs saw the boy handling the knife so nicely they could not help but nodded in admiration. After the vegetables were done, Yang Dao turned and asked, "Icarus, do you want sweet and sour chicken?"


    The boy who was busy gazing at Mina Orlenko sneakily yelled, "YES."


    Yang Dao said, "Then go gather some firewood, we cook it old-school." then he turned his head to the chefs and asked them to help him prepare some chicken. The people nodded. Orlenko''s family raised their own poultry animals to eat.


    Five people took five freshly slaughtered chickens. Suddenly Yang Dao looked at the chefs processing the chicken and said, "You seniors are too careful."


    Then he closed his eyes, and laid his hands on the chicken, and said, "To legs." holding the two chicken legs. The next moment ''click click'' with two clicking sounds, the boy dislocated the legs and with a quick knife he took them off. The crowd was shocked. They all saw his eyes closed.


    He held the wings, then using the same method, he processed the whole chicken quickly. Then he smiled. The boy processed fifteen chickens, considering all the people inside the house. Then he marinated the chicken with lemon juice, chili pepper, some salt, and other condiments.


    He let it rest for a bit. His eyes fell on a big grinder and he took a lot of tomatoes and put them inside along with two handfuls of ginger and green chilies. The boy smiled, and said, "I wonder how technology is making things easier."


    Ray chuckled and said, "Says the inventor of driverless cars." the rest of the people started laughing as well.


    The people all laughed around and joke with each other after half an hour when Icarus came back they all moved into the backyard. Yang Dao went to the side and used some bricks to set up a temporary stove. Then he placed in the firewood and started the fire. Two chefs carried a big vessel and placed it on the fire carefully.


    The boy poured in half a liter of oil inside the vessel. The chefs had already carried out the prepared vegetables. Yang Dao put the onion inside and let them saute slowly. The fire was not too strong. He used a stool to stand on, and with the help of a big stirrer, he shoveled the onion constantly. He was sweating from the heat originating from under the vessel.


    Then followed in the tomato puree, he patiently cooked it till the water evaporated and the edges revealed a slight glaze of oil. He had the chefs pour in the marinated chicken. Then after the mixture boiled once, he put in a lot of water and covered the vessel with a big tray. He said to Icarus.


    "I am going to prepare another dish so you watch the fire. Maintain it at this intensity. And send someone to call me after twenty minutes, remember twenty minutes or this dish will go to waste and you will be blamed." and he rushed back to the kitchen.


    Yang Dao asked a chef to help him in cooking rice for everyone. As he prepared a dessert. He took some cottage cheese, first he mashed it all, mixed some refined flour in it, and then he made small bite-sized balls of it. He poured some water into a pan and after adding a bit of sugar to it, he let it boil.


    He set another pan where he put in jaggery and let it melt slowly as the pan heated. The chef asked, "Young Master, why not use sugar?" as a high-level chef he was aware of the dish Yang Dao was about to make.


    The boy smiled and said, "This is an improvisation, Jaggery is a healthier substitute of sugar. The old madam of the house is advancing in age, and my team is filled with athletes. Too much sugar is harmful. Yet the sweetness of jaggery is not too hard." his words made the chef smile.


    The person said, "I apologize, for testing you just now. But Young Master you surely have high attainment in the art of cooking."


    Yang Dao chuckled and said, "My attainment comes from my greed for food."


    The chef said, "All the chefs are foodies." the two people laughed. The boy boiled the cheese and flour balls in the boiling water. This trick would cook the cheese ball without blackening or browning it.


    After this, the chef dipped the boiled balls in the jaggery syrup and placed them all under the fan to cool down. After they finished cooking all the balls. The jaggery syrup was diluted even more and after a boil, it was poured into a wide container.


    The cooked balls were also placed inside the container, and they carried it outside carefully. The temperature at nights in the diamond desert was chilling enough to slowly cool down the dessert.


    It was this time when Icarus sent a maid to call Yang Dao over. The boy nodded and walked over. He had some sweat on his forehead. Yang Dao wore mittens and uncovered the container. He added the spices inside the container. Used the giant stirrer to give it a final stir. Then after adding some jaggery syrup, he closed the vessel again.


    After fifteen minutes, with the help of the chefs, he took down the vessel from the fire and said, "Food is ready."


    The chefs became his loyal fans as soon as the vessel was uncovered. The sweet and sour aroma from the vessel was enough for them to salivate at the dinner. Yet just as they were about to eat, a strong roar shook everyone.

 Chapter 204: Be My Friend?

    Yang Dao and the rest reacted and immediately glanced at the source of the noise. There were a few animals in the Cold Desert. Flesh wing squirrel, Dust cloud rabbit, etc. Among these animals, one species remained very mysterious.


    The visitor at the Orlenko house belonged to this species, smoke leopard. This leopard was named after its smoky color. At this moment, the shiny eyes were locked to the vessel filled with chicken. Mina Orlenko said, "Guards."


    Instantly few people carrying out firearms arrived at the place. Eric suddenly said, "Finally, this ghost is found. Today I will shoot you once and for all."


    Yang Dao shouted, "STOP." his loud voice gathered everyone''s attention. The boy said, "Everyone, step back. She is hungry, she needs food. In this cold and barren land where else would a mother gather food if not from humans."


    People were confused about what he said when Yang Dao poured a big pan with chicken curry and slowly walked over. The leopard saw the human walking towards her, but the eyes were vigilant. She was cautious about these two-legged animals. In the past, she had seen them killing her kin in the mountains.


    The leopard growled. Icarus said, "Dao come back."


    Yang Dao stopped and said, "Can you just ball up a bit? I know what I am doing. Look at Kiya and learn from her. Sissy." the boy walked again.


    Icarus glanced at Kiya and found that the latter looked very calm. All the boys who gazed at Kiya felt ashamed at this moment. This little girl was so calm. How could they, as men act like sissies? ASHAMED.


    The boy grit their teeth and clenched their fists. Eric wanted to order the guards to shoot, but he did not dare to. The moment Yang Dao gave them the command to step back, he recalled the boy handling the bandits. Mina Orlenko said, "Young Master Feng, do not go close. She is a predator."


    Yang Dao smiled and said, "Humans are the biggest predator in the world, madam. Animals still hunt other animals for hunger while humans devour the entire world for various kinds of hunger inside them." his words made sense, and they were profound.


    The boy stood ten meters away from the leopard. He slowly bent down, without taking his eyes off the Leopard in front of him. He knew that once he breaks eye contact, the anxious Leopard will attack him and the people will shoot her down. He placed the big dish in his hands on the ground and said, "You can eat with content. No one will harm you. Okay?"


    His voice was very soft. The boy walked back a few steps slowly with his face still towards the leopard. After he got out of the twenty-meter range, he turned his back to the leopard and walked back to the people. All the people had backed off a lot when Yang Dao walked to the beast.


    The boy saw the Leopard was still not moving. He said to Eric, "Would you have the people aiming at her from the roof move by yourself, or should I make a move?" his cold and domineering voice shook the man. He waved his hand and the snipers on the roof put away their guns.


    The leopard eased. Beasts have strong instincts and she knew that someone was aiming at her. Now that the guns were put away. She calmed down. The people were all out of her quick attack range.


    Yang Dao said gazing at the beast, "You can eat. If you feel hungry after this, tell me I will get you more food. Eat now, your children must be waiting." it was as if the leopard could understand him. She walked forward to the big bowl and ate the chicken. Yet it would look up from time to time and scan the surroundings.


    Yang Dao said, "You guys, eat as well. Leopards can eat a lot. I won''t hesitate to cut your share for her." the people all had their plates filled with rice and curry. They ate. Yang Dao already had the chefs take out a portion for the maids and the rest of the staff.


    As he predicted, the leopard cleaned the big vessel in front of it and growled. Yang Dao looked up and saw the leopard licking its mouth repeatedly. The boy chuckled and stood up from his chair. Only he was calm enough to sit down. The rest were all standing. Some, ready to counter the beast in case it attacked, while some were ready to flee away.


    Yang Dao asked a maid to get him another big deep vessel from the kitchen. The maid looked at Mina Orlenko, who nodded. She quickly got Yang Dao what he asked for and he poured the food inside the pan to the brim. Then he walked closer to the leopard. This time his speed was as if he was walking normally.


    The leopard growled vigilantly. Yang Dao frowned and said, "What are you being all vigilant about? Behave or I will smack your rump."


    The people were shocked, but suddenly the leopard bowed her head a bit. It was as if a docile kitty was scolded by its master. Yang Dao smiled and poured the food into the pan used earlier. He was standing just a meter away from the leopard.


    He crouched down and looked at the leopard. He stretched his hand and said, "Would you like to be my friend?"


    Icarus whispered, "Did he fall on his head when he went out alone today?"


    Kiya stepped on his foot harshly and said, "You behave, or I will kill you." the girl was already very tense during this whole situation. She did not want her lovely Yang Dao to be eaten by the wild beast.


    But the next moment they all were shocked. The leopard raised her paw and placed it on top of Yang Dao''s palm. The boy smiled. "You are a smart one, aren''t you? Here, you eat. We will talk later."

 Chapter 205: Protection.

    The boy sat down next to the leopard humming a gentle tune. Let alone the guards even the classmates have never known the boy to hum or sing. Tonight was the first time they have heard such a thing.


    Suddenly the Leopard raised her head and glanced in a direction in the mountains. Yang Dao asked, "Do you feel anything?"


    He immediately spread out his perception but could not find anything. He said, "Sushi, wake up." At this moment he was wearing a fur coat. Sushi was resting in the fluffy collar. He spoke using the spiritual bond.


    It was similar to the bond he had with Feng Yun and the others. Yet this tiny sylph had taught him a spell and then the two people were capable of talking through thoughts. Sushi revealed her tiny head out of the fluffy collar and asked drowsily, "Master, what happened?"


    The boy said, "Can you go in the direction this leopard is looking and report the situation?"


    The sylph nodded and said, "Okay master." then with a whoosh, the girl vanished from his sight. Yang Dao was her master so he could see her moving through the skies, she turned into a streamer.


    The boy said to the leopard in a low voice, "Well calm down, we will know if something is wrong, soon. Okay?"


    The leopard growled. Soon, the sylph said, "Master, there are three people carrying weapons. They look similar to the hunters. Also, they seem to be looking for the leopard next to you. I can see two little cubs as well."


    Yang Dao''s heart tightened. He said, "Can you hold these people off. I will arrive in a few minutes?" as he talked he had already rushed inside the house.


    The tiny girl said, "Okay master. But please be quick."


    Yang Dao did not answer her and came to his room. he took out the gun from his luggage and put it on the underarm holster. He came back to the backyard and found the leopard missing. He asked Eric, "Where did she go?"


    The guard was confused and pointed his finger in a certain direction. Yang Dao yelled, "SHIT."


    He said, "Come with me and take your guns we have to face some hunters in the mountains." With that said he rushed out like the wind. Mina Orlenko panicked and was about to stop him when Sasha said, "Don''t worry. He will be fine. Did you not see him taming that leopard? Dao is elusive, we humans cannot understand him."


    The people shook their heads and a few guards ran after Yang Dao. The boy at this moment was running on the mountainous track with no problem. Suddenly he heard bike engines revving behind him. Eric and four more guards rod two bikes. Eric said young master get on.


    The people rode over in the direction where Yang Dao pointed them to. Suddenly the boy pinched on Eric''s shoulder and said, "Stop the bikes. We travel on foot. The sound of the engine will alert these poachers.


    Smoke Leopard was one of the rarely sighted animals. Although the jewel nation did not support hunting, they did not impose any strict bans on it either. This had led to scenes where people would go hunting and then they would get away with a slight fine.


    Yang Dao disliked harming nature, thus hunting was a crime to him, after all, human hunters would not eat a predator, then why would they hunt? For the carcass of the exotic animals that will get the money. This was criminal and sinful.


    Equipped with a gun anyone can kill an animal from a distance if you sneak up. Even the tigers in the jungle would go close to the deer it was hunting. This act of sneaking up and killing was just a cowardly act of people to call themselves brave and get fake recognition. If you want to be worthy, go stand in front of the beast and try to duke it out with them.


    The human body is weaponless, yet the damage it does to the world is the greatest. The six people walked on the sloping hill slowly, and soon they heard human activity. Some curses were raining out.


    "The fuck, where did this storm came in?" a grumpy voice sounded.


    "The dust is getting in my eyes." said another one.


    Yang Dao and the rest came to the side and saw a weird scene. Three people were trapped in a dust cloud. The boy spotted the leopard standing in front of an open Murrow, he could sense two little cubs behind her as well, peeking at the whole scene with curiosity in their eyes.


    The boy took out his gun and the rest of the guards did the same. They slowly walked forward to the dust cloud. Yang Dao said, "Sushi, let it stop."


    "Yes, Master." the tiny girl flashed from the other side and came to his side. She dived in the soft furry collar and sighed in comfort.


    The boy did not pay any attention to her. The dust cloud settled down. The guards did not wait for any instructions and directly controlled the three offenders. The people protested but it was all in vain. Yang Dao said to Eric, send them back to where they came from. Thankfully we arrived in time."


    Eric nodded and went up to his people to make the arrangements. Yang Dao came to the Murrow. The leopard had smelled the boy''s arrival so she lowered down her guard slightly. Yang Dao patted her back after he crouched down. He said, "Don''t worry, I will arrange for some people to patrol the mountains. There will be no hunters in the future."


    To him protecting the animals was as valuable a task as protecting the people. Humans were meant to maintain the balance of the world. So, they should guard the order in the wild to keep it safe and clear of human interference. To let the wild stay the wild.


    Then he sat down at the side of the leopard and gazed at the moon like two little cubs actively played around him and eventually they started to interact with Yang Dao as well. The boy was lost in his thoughts as he gazed at the moon.

 Chapter 206: Betrayal.

    Yang Dao sat down with the Leopard as he watched the two cubs playing and cuddling with each other. His mind was filled with a lot of thoughts. It has been just two days since he came to this place. He had experienced the troubles and the treats of this place.


    Instinctively he raised his hand and placed it on the Leopard''s head. He said, "I wonder if the entire world has its own share of troubles and treats? It would be nice to travel the entire world freely, no?" he sighed. "Yet we all have to find a place to call home and make it grow. Life is a wonderful thing."


    He sat on the ground for an hour and some minutes. Then he stood up. He said, "You can come to the mansion if you feel hungry. They will always have food for you. I will go now. Don''t worry, no one will disturb the peace here. Bye-bye."


    The boy walked off and the leopard kept gazing at his back. The cubs followed Yang Dao for a few minutes and only walked back after the boy tickled them and told them to go back to their mother. The guards of the Orlenko family were awed by his actions.


    Cooking food, sharing it with everyone, even an animal. His fearless behaviors had won them over. He made friends with the beast, even rushed off alone to protect them from hunters. How do you decide that someone is actually high class?


    It was never their money even the dregs of the society can look clean and classy if they have money. It was the actions of a person, that depicted what was their class. Yang Dao had a class of his own. A class that ordinary people cannot even imagine. The people rode the bikes back to the mansion.


    As soon as the boy walked inside, he found a warm, soft body hanging from his neck. The impact was strong, and he had to take a step back to regain his balance. He was lost in thoughts when he came in and noticed nothing. He looked down and saw a cherry blossom head buried in his neck. Kiya had been really worried about him ever since he approached the leopard.


    At this moment, Yang Dao''s face was reflecting the pinkish hue from Kiya''s head. The girl said, "Can you not give me such minor heart attacks? What if that leopard attacked?"


    The boy scratched the back of his head. To be honest, he thought little and just believed in his instinct like he always did. Looking at the worried face in front of him, he said, "Well, I will try but no promises. I thought you were quite calm at that moment."


    Kiya pouted her lips and said, "Humph, wood stick." and then she went back to sit with the others.


    Yang Dao shrugged his shoulders and walked over, chatting with everyone. He did not realize that at that moment Kiya was not actually calm, but was gripped by fright. Well, the low EQ strikes back.


    After chatting with everyone, Yang Dao went back to his room. Before going to bed, he picked up his cellphone and called Marian. The call was picked up and Marian spoke in a lazy voice, "Hello."


    She still sounded very nice. The boy said, "Your raider gang, can they help to monitor the mountains and dealing with Hunters? I will pay them 5 million a month." his voice was calm. The boy was making millions daily with the sales of Robo-Aid and driverless cars.


    Marian opened her eyes and said, "Can you say it again?"


    Yang Dao repeated what he just said to let the lady confirm that what he said was not actually a joke. The two people negotiated for two minutes before the deal was set. Marian was trying to get a better price but Yang Dao just gave her a thirty percent discount on the village resettlement price.


    Marian had a finance major as her education so she was agreed to the thing after she made some calculations on her part. After all, thirty percent may look small but if you add up the logistics and material purchase included in the process, it was a big sum. She agreed and the people would start dealing with the hunters after they sign the official contract.


    As they said, "Time can make a beggar rule countries while a King can beg for mercy." the raiders of yesterday were protectors of today. After the call, the boy went to sleep. This contract will also be dealt with by the lawyer team arriving tomorrow and that is all to be conducted by Mina Orlenko. Sasha''s father was out of the country and will come back in two days.


    The night passed away quickly. The next day, Yang Dao woke up, took a bath, ate a protein-rich breakfast, then followed his team out for the practicing. He dared not mess up today because Ayaka Gust had switched to the witch coach-mode.


    She had everyone tie weight plates around their ankles and ride at a high speed. They could only slow down after ten minutes of constant sprinting. She also asked them to maintain an average speed of thirty kilometers per hour.


    Icarus almost fainted. Thankfully, Yang Dao held his hand and gave him a wisp of source energy. They came back in the noon and Yang Dao found Marian sitting in front of Mina Orlenko, reading the contract documents carefully.


    They were on lunch break. Suddenly, a guard came to Mina''s side and whispered something to her. The lady nodded and said, "Young Master Feng, we have the visitor in the backyard. Can you please, help?"


    Yang Dao smiled, "Looks like I have caused trouble."


    Sasha almost smacked the back of his head. She said, "Young Master Feng Yang Dao, did you really just find out that you are a trouble maker?"


    The boy squinted his eyes at her and said, "Kiya, your friend is bullying me." he had no reply but how would he take it lying down. So he called Kiya to his rescue.


    But the pink-haired girl turned her face and said, "Humph, not talking to you."


    The Dao Child suffered the first betrayal of his life. Shaking his head he said dramatically, "Thou hath betrayed Thee. Thou Bully." causing everyone to erupt in laughter.

 Chapter 207: Seals Undone.

    Yang Dao came to the backyard and found a Leopard looking around cautiously. He asked, "Are you hungry again?"


    The leopard looked at him and growled. In this barren land, where will they find food easily? That is why the population was scarce and they were mysterious. The boy beckoned the leopard close and served her food in a big pail. He said, "You know this is not very good. You are a proud feline, be more arrogant. In the coming future, the population of wildlife will increase you will have enough food then."


    The leopard did not understand his complex talks and focused on food. Sushi peaked out from his hair and said, "Master, when can Sushi eat food?"


    Yang Dao asked, "What do you eat?"


    Sushi said, "Source Energy. I have never tried anything else. What do you think master? Can Sushi eat those human foods?"


    The boy asked, "I don''t know. I will ask Mr. Jinshi later. Okay?" the reason he did not actually shove the food in her mouth was that he did not know whether it will have any bad effects on her or not.


    Sushi said in an awe-inspiring tone, "Master, you can talk to the Wind-God so easily. It must be a good feeling no?"


    Yang Dao smiled and did not say anything. He did not want to tell her that the guy she called the Wind-God was actually his subordinate. Although he treated them with respect he was not very close to the men in the group. He was lost in thought when suddenly his cell phone rang.


    He picked it out and saw that the caller was Laohu Bai. The call connected and the boy said, "Baibai, how come you missed me?"


    The other side said, "You would only miss when you forget someone, Dao. I never forgot you." her soft and calm voice shocked the boy. Then he smiled and said, "Now you really seem to have become one with the earth. Tell me, what happened?"


    Laohu Bai replied, "Nothing happened, I just completely undid my seals. Sister Yun is also close to doing it. I thought I should check on you while I share this news. So, where are you and what are you doing, Dao?"


    The boy smiled and said, "Congratulations, I am sitting in the backyard of Orlenko Mansion here in Diamond Desert. You were in seclusion when we came here. Also, Baibai, I made a new friend. She is a Smoke Leopard, she likes my cooking."


    Laohu Bai smiled and said, "That is a good thing for that leopard. Do you like her?"


    "Yes, I do, she has two cubs. I don''t know why but one is black and the other is white. I wanted to find out the reason but I have not yet found the time. Yesterday night only the three were almost hunted. Sushi rescued them." he replied.


    Laohu Bai said, "They could be of such colors because of some genetic pigmentation, or do one thing, click a picture of them and send it to me later. Okay? And who is Sushi?" she asked, but her usual curiosity was gone, she was calm and patient.


    The boy replied, "Sushi is a sylph, Baibai. Also, you did let go of your seals and not your balance. The earth is firm but it can also be soft and flexible. You know." his words made the girl chuckle.


    She said, "I expected you to say that. I will maintain balance, Dao. Don''t worry. Just be careful out there and come home soon. I also miss your cooking, and driving." she spoke with a smile on her face.


    Yang Dao asked, "Are you sure you want to go on a drive with me?" and chuckled. The two joked with each other and the call disconnected. The leopard had also finished eating the food. After rubbing her head to Yang Dao''s leg she walked out of the backyard as well.


    The boy stood up and went back in. Ayaka Gust came rushing to his side. She said, "We have been talking to the Cycling Association for the past few days. After negotiations, they have allowed you to ride on Silence, that condition is that you do not use the top front gear."


    The whole cycling team cheered with a hurray but the boy was calm. He asked, "What is the point of it then? The bike needs a precise operation to shift gears and stuff. Would I ride her just to make things difficult for me? They are playing you."


    It was only now that everyone paid attention to it. Ayaka said, "Well, they did allow us the top gear, but the condition was for you alone to start from the last place. They said it was to make it fair. I mean, are we fools? So I rejected."


    Icarus said, "You did the right thing. Inter-University has at least 500 participants from all over the country and the event will last for a whole week. It is a marathon around the whole country and in this situation they want him to start from the last place? Bastards."


    Thomas and the rest nodded. Kiya suddenly spoke up, "If Dao can catch up with the leaders, then it would be fine right?"


    Ray said, "What you said may be achievable, but between the leaders and the tail lies a dead zone. That zone is called the hive. A hive is a group of average riders, who tag along to survive. The more people, the faster they are, and the hive is so densely packed that you cannot pass them. This is worthless risk-taking."


    Ayaka said, "Unless, Dao unlocks his seal."


    Everybody focused their gaze on her and even Yang Dao looked at her. Ayaka gulped from the sudden pressure and said, "For the next two weeks, you wear a weight-suit and you ride silence in the mountains for sixteen hours a day. You are not allowed to take off the weight suit until the final three days. This training will make you so fast that you might, I repeat, you might get away from the hive before it starts buzzing. What do you say?"


    Everyone was scared at the mention of this training regime and they thought Yang Dao will say no, and when they turned to face the guy they all sighed and said together, "Knew it."


    The boy had a sunny smile on his face and his eyes were crescent. He was nodding in agreement as if it was not hell training mode but a walk in a park.

 Chapter 208: Dao Flight.

    Yang Dao did not wait for the day tomorrow, he enjoyed riding Silence. An obstacle appeared as soon as they moved forward. The body weight suit was not available. Ayaka Gust was not carrying it with her stuff. The boy, however, smiled brightly and asked Mina Orlenko if they had a gym?


    Mina Orlenko was confused but still said, "Young Master Feng, we have a gym here. Do you want to use it?"


    The boy said, "No madam, I want to use the weight plates in the gym." his reply confused the lady even more. What happened later made her shake her head helplessly.


    The boy took four round plates weighing five kgs each and tied them on his chest with a muslin cloth wrapped around them. Then he took a big round twenty kilograms plate and hung it on his back. Icarus and Thomas helped him with that.


    Thomas asked him, "Dao, that is forty kilograms, can you manage? You know this is will increase in the future when the coach gets the bodysuit?"


    Yang Dao replied, "It is okay, Captain. Do not worry." his tone was calm. Then with the whole team, he rode but this time he sat in silence. He struggled a bit in the initial phase. Such as he could not change the gear as the bike was not at the optimum speed. (please refer to chapter number 57)


    Then his body was bound with additional weight. Yang Dao focused and after ten minutes he was back in his usual routine. This time he rode in the back of the formation because he was getting used to the weight on his body. Ayaka wanted to have him wear ankle weights but Thomas asked her to stop. The boy was still sixteen years and some months old.


    Yang Dao did not mind, and he rode the bike with the team on the mountain track with ease. Just as the sun was about to sit, he spotted a few bikes treading on the mountains. They were all Marian''s people patrolled the mountains for hunters.


    Everything in this world had an opposite to balance it. If you keep exploiting nature for no reason, then the world will end and you will follow along. So since you consume the resources, you must also protect them.


    The boy pedaled with no hesitation in his mind. The speed was not slow by any means, but it was not fast either. The boy cycled till the sunset and finally took a break. He climbed a hill and came to the Murrow where the leopard family stayed.


    The cubs seemed to have recognized him, and they ran close to him. The boy laughed and picked them up in his arms. Then he walked to where the mother was resting. Yang Dao said, "You are getting lazy." as he stroked the head of the leopard gently.


    The boy looked at the two cubs playing on the side and picked up his camera. Then he clicked a picture of the two. His moments made the Leopard look at him, but more than vigilance she had curiosity in her eyes.


    Laohu Bai called him almost instantly after she saw the pictures. The boy picked it up and asked, "Baibai, so anxious."


    The girl replied, ''Balancing, Dao. Balancing." the two people chuckled the girl said, "Do you see the tails of the two have different spots. Now that she mentioned it, Yang Dao noticed the different colored tails tips. The white cub had a black tip tail white the black cub had a white tip tail.


    The two cubs were running in front of him. It may be coincident that they were born like this, and even more of a fluke of nature for them to run like this and from a circle. Watching them play, the boy fell into deep thoughts.


    Laohu Bai on the phone fell silent. She could sense that Yang Dao was experiencing something important. Her thoughts were correct. There was no wind flowing in the region, yet his hair was blowing.


    The fourth stage of elemental. You can turn the source energy inside you to take shapes. So many elementals are stuck on the third stage of the elemental contractor. Rarely do people get out of the blockade? The boy sensed something, and then something happened.


    Yang Dao''s body floated a few inches above the ground. The small rubble around him was moving around him in a circle. The weights tied to his body all fell to the ground. The jersey he wore burst into shreds. From between his shoulder blades came out two translucent azure wings.


    The wings looked so beautiful as if he was an angel. Instead of energy wings that had a blunt and plain appearance, Yang Dao''s wings had feathers. It was as if he really grew bird wings. The wide wings gave off a slight glow. Soon, the boy woke up from his trance. When he looked around, he almost could not believe it.


    In his trance, he moved the wings a little, and now he was already floating above the clouds. He pinched his forearm and when he felt a slight pain he yelled, "I CAN FLY" with a flick of his wings the boy flew in the sky like a bird.


    The add ons were that he also gained a bird''s-eye view. After two minutes, he sensed his energy lowering down a bit. So, just to be safe, the boy descended on the ground once more. The Leopard growled. It did not understand how could the boy fly suddenly. Yang Dao smiled and said, "I can bend elements."


    The leopard nodded. Sushi popped out from his hair and said, "Master, you can fly now. Sushi and master can play sky tag in the future."


    The boy nodded with little thought in his mind. He was still indulged in the experience of flight. He glanced at his phone dropped on the ground and saw that the call was still going on. He quickly picked it up and said, "Baibai."


    Laohu Bai said, "Still here Dao. What happened?" her voice was calm, but the concern was visible.


    The boy replied, "I can fly now."


    Laohu Bai was shocked and then with a smile, she congratulated him.

 Chapter 209: Gratitude.

    After the call, Yang Dao had to face another problem. He called Ray to his location with a jersey. The latter arrived in a car. He did not understand first but later he found Yang Dao leaning against the leopard while he sat in the nude.


    He asked, "New kink?"


    Yang Dao just gave him an eye roll. He stood up and wore the jersey. Ray went back away. He came close because he did not spot the leopard from the distance. He showed calm on his face, but his heart almost exploded when those green jewel-like eyes shone on him.


    He went back a few steps because his calm was about to end and he did not want to look bad in front of Yang Dao. The Dao Child squatted down beside the two cubs, who were now looking at him with their shining green eyes. The boy said, "Thank you for your help. You made me realize something, that whatever we take from nature is eventually returned to nature. Um... I still cannot put it in words. Well, whatever, thank you. I will come by tomorrow and bring you good food."


    He rubbed the two cubs a bit and then left. Ray helped him push the bike as the boy carried the weight plates in his hands. They talked little and after putting down the plates inside the car, Yang Dao rode the bike to the mansion. The dinner was already being served.


    He went back to his room and entered the shower. As the warm water from the shower washed over him, the boy fell into thought. He was thinking about his comprehension earlier. When his eyes fell on the two cubs, it was like the Ying Yang symbol spinning in front of his eyes. His mind was sucked inside that vortex.


    In that vortex, there was endless space. When he looked around he saw absolutely nothing. He heard some buzzing sounds that meant nothing. He tried to exert his strength, but it did not make any difference. This situation was like when he performed skydiving. It was as if his body was in free fall.


    He finally tried to take control and moved his source of energy, the first thing inside his mind was to take control of his body, thus the wings were formed behind his back. The next thing he understood inside that vortex was that elements gave him power and similarly, he can give power to the elements.


    Suppose if the strong wind helps him move faster, he can also make the wind move faster by his will and interaction with the source energy. The process was really quick, and the effect was clear. He opened his eyes and walked out of the shower. Cleaned himself up with a towel and said, "Sushi, can you help me with my hair?"


    The tiny girl appeared from outside and blew gently on his head. It was like a storm and Yang Dao''s hair was dry. The boy applied a little moisturizer agent on his hair and he was done. He took out a set of clean clothes and walked out of his room.


    When he reached the dining table, he saw that another familiar face was sitting down. It was Nika Orlenko, he did not know when did this person arrived here, and neither did he care. He sat down next to Kiya and ate the food after he said a prayer.


    The old lady of the Orlenko family was also sitting at the table. She noticed Yang Dao praying and asked, "Why do you pray, Young Master Feng?"


    The boy smiled and said, "We should be thankful for the food we have. Out there in the world, there are people who might kill someone just for a morsel, let alone this luxury food, served on a ceramic platter."


    "Does being thankful make any difference, who knows when the situation might change and we might also fall in the ranks with those who can kill for a morsel." said the old lady.


    Yang Dao smiled and said, "That is why being thankful is necessary. If you take what you have for granted, you will eventually lose it, whether it is wealth, love, or life. So cherish what you have. Only then can you totally know the value of it, that will prevent you from losing this."


    His words were calm but his reason was sound. It echoed in the hearts of all the people present in the dining hall. They had never thought of being grateful to things. The old lady did not want to give up and said, "We have the things because of our hard work. Why should we be grateful for it then? It is what we have earned. Is it not?"


    Yang Dao stopped his fork and after placing it down he gazed at the old lady and said, "If one day you suffer an accident and let alone hard work even following daily routine becomes a mess and you look for help from others even to use the loo, then would you still think the same? Be grateful that you had not been through something like that and I hope you do not suffer, but the arrogance and pride for your hard work is also the reason that your family business almost died if not for Sasha''s aunt and father."


    His words shocked the hearts of the old lady. She conceded, and the people had a pleasant mood. Yang Dao did not mention what the old lady said in the building. The old lady learned what it meant to be grateful. She said a prayer and ate. She sensed that the taste was slightly better than before. Not that Yang Dao did something to the food, but just their mentality.


    After the dinner was finished, Yang Dao walked into the backyard and ponder over how to improve his skills to the peak. What he did not expect was to see Nika Orlenko sitting on a tire swing under a leafless tree.


    Yang Dao did not bother with her and kept strolling around.

 Chapter 210: Forceful Rehab.

    Hearing someone walking in the backyard, the girl shook her head to see the person. She saw that it was Yang Dao strolling in the backyard with his hands behind his back. She gazed at him for a few seconds and then turned his face around.


    The scene was tranquil, however, soon, it was disturbed by Nika Orlenko taking out a cigarette from her pocket and putting it next to her lips. She said, "Would you like a puff?"


    The boy disliked all this and even Nika herself was a name on his bad list. He did not reply and heard Nika say, "So, are you shy or pretending no to smoke? I mean you are a big name so who knows what you may do in secret." her voice was full of playfulness.


    She wanted to irritate Yang Dao. Her purpose was not something very clear to him. So he just sat down on the steps leading inside the house. Nika found that her words did not affect the boy so she said, "Do you have a kept woman? A lot of rich people do. Some even raise maids you know. Oh, this reminds me, you have used a Maid in your house as the model for the apps you produced, right? I wonder how she served you."


    BOOM...


    A loud gunshot sounded and everything paused, only the guards were quick enough to react. They all found Nika had fallen from the swing. Mina Orlenko quickly came out with the other people and she asked, "WHO SHO..." her words died in her throat when she saw Yang Dao holding a silver gun.


    The boy gazed at Nika with such indifference as if he was looking at a space. He said in a low voice, "If you are doing all this to irritate me, then you have succeeded. The next time you do this, it will not be the cigarette filter, but your head." with that said he walked back inside the mansion without explaining anything.


    Eric picked up the cigarette from the ground and his eyes fell on the filter at the back. He came to Mina and said, "Madam, he shot at the filter of the cigarette, when Young Miss was smoking."


    Mina turned pale. If a man can shot accurately at the cigarette filter when you are smoking, then what can he not do with a gun? The old lady of the house watched all this from the balcony. Sasha at this moment put down her grievance and held the shocked and frightened Nika in her arms as the two walked inside the mansion.


    The old lady smiled a bit and walked back to her room as well. She knew why Yang Dao did what he did. Thus, no need to question it. The night went by like a swallow in the sky.


    ...


    Ayaka Gust did not scold Yang Dao because the olde lady of the family told her something when the two met in the gym. Today, Yang Dao had gotten a body suit, the total weight od this suit was fifty kilograms at this moment, it could still be increased. EEveryone was quietly eating their food when Nika came over with her baggy eyes. The girl could not sleep the whole night. She would recall the scene of Yang Dao shooting the bullet at her.


    The moment the bullet passed through she felt a sharp wind on her lips and finger tips. She experienced death. Yesterday she cried holding Sasha. The latter also consoled her sister. After all, the grievance between the two was not something very big. Blood is thicker than water.


    Nika tried to smoke to calm her mood but as soon as she held a cigarette she again recalled that scene. She threw it away. She picked up smoking recently and was not addicted to it. As she sat at the dinner table she dared not look at Yang Dao. Sasha suddenly said, "Nika, why do you not come along with us for the p[practice today? You will get bored at home alone, also who knows if grandma decided to marry you off to captain Thomas?"


    Thomas spewed out the water in his mouth right then making the people to chuckle. The old lady said, "You brat, what is wrong with me marrying you off. Thomas would you like to marry my elder granddaughter? She is a beauty, you will not loss."


    Thomas stood up and said, "I am sorry, madam. I already have a girlfriend back home." then he bowed and scurried outside the mansion.


    The lady looked at Yang Dao and said, "Dao, only you can save my house now. Marry both my granddaughters, given your outstanding capabilities I allow you to have a harem of your own."


    Yang Dao did not run away like the last time, he said, "I will take in Sasha, but for your other granddaughter, she does not have the qualities to be liked by me. Not until she corrects herself I would rather not think of her. I beg your pardon, I have to practice now."


    The boy modulated his voice, the first half was calm and the second was was chilly. he did not even use her name to address her. This was a slap and a push for Nika Orlenko. How could the boy who was a student of human psychology would miss it? This girl would do everything of you just challenge her ego. Yang Dao first made her get close to her sister, now he slapped her with his words to make her correct herself.


    Simply, because Nika craved for attention and love, once she correct herself she will understand that her ways were not right. The boy decided to correct her ways because first he was a kind guy, second, Nika will go astray and might harm herself.


    Yang Dao believed that if you can help and save someone, then why not? A human should help another Human with expecting nothing in return, only then can the world become a better place.

 Chapter 211: Training Of The Urban Hermit.

    Yang Dao and the others started to train. They rode behind the jeep and Ayaka scolded them all from time to time. They were learning the tricks Ayaka had gained throughout her life experience.


    Kiya looked at a laptop in her hand and said, "Coach, Dao''s performance is dipping."


    Ayaka said, "That is because he cannot increase his sped to change the gears on his bike, also if he reduced the speed, he will not be able to regain it, we are climbing now."


    Sasha suddenly shouted at Icarus, "Icarus, you again raised your back." The boy flinched and said, "Sorry, Boss."


    Icarus had a habit of raising his back from time to time. This slight raise will affect their drafting by some milliseconds. It may not look like much but in the long run, it will definitely be harmful to them. Yang Dao said, "Coach, can I ride on my own. I will be dragging everyone with these weights on me."


    Ayaka snapped back at him, "No, you will push yourself to match the team. You have always pulled them forward. Let them push you with them for a change. You ride together as a team. Do you understand?"


    Everyone replied, "Yes, Coach."


    They kept on riding. In the noon the people did not go back to the mansion and ate food the girls had packed for them earlier. Nika was also with them but other than a few sentences with Kiya or Sasha she did not say anything. Yang Dao at this moment was standing in the river stream. He had all the weight on his torso. The chilling water was helping ameliorate his legs.


    The boy even ate the food standing. Ayaka nodded to him. Nika, who sat beside her asked, "Coach, why is he standing in the chilling water?"


    Ayaka said, "A lot of blood flows in the legs when anyone rides. The chilling water eases the pain coming from the riding." her tone was patient. No one hits a smiling face until they are not bullies, sadists, or insincere smiles.


    Nika asked again, "Then why only him?" her question stunned Ayaka and she realized that she overlooked something. The coach said, "Nika, thank you very much." her sincere thanks surprised Nika.


    The coach stood up and said, "You guys, all go stand in the river for a bit. That will help you ease some pain in the legs." her tone was harsh. The team quickly took off their shoes and socks and rush to stand in the river.


    After ten minutes they all came out. They warmed up their legs slightly and then they all rode the bikes on the road on the track. They spotted a few big trucks loaded with tools and material moving on the roads. Felix asked, "Dao, is this the reconstruction team you talked about a few days ago?"


    Yang Dao glanced at the trucks and saw that the people were wearing the uniforms of the Phoenix Group. He nodded as they kept riding. The people moved in streams. The people also noticed the team cycling.


    At this moment the labor team was settled in the valley beside the river. The engineers and managers were dividing the work to them and instructing about the cautions to be taken in this place. Ayaka said, "Dao, do you want to check their work?"


    Yang Dao was surprised and said, "I will come after I am done riding for sixteen hours." he had no experience with supervising the people in the field so he just decided to delay it. Later on, he will come when everyone is having dinner, and that way he will not be a supervisor but just a visitor.


    The team rode till the sunset. When they were returning to the mansion, they passed by the camping site. Yang Dao rode off the road and parked his bike next to a boulder. Then he took off his shoes and stood in the cold river.


    A few workers responsible for cooking the meal were also working on the riverside. They all had head covers and gloves on their hands. The engineers in the noon had since Yang Dao and they had asked everyone to inform them if the young master comes by.


    One of them quickly moved through the came and after ten minutes he returned with an Engineer. The person did not hurry and stood by the bank to wait for Yang Dao to come back. he saw the boy coming out of the river and he picked up his socks from near his shoes. Then he squatted down and washed his socks in the flowing water.


    He asked, "Can I have some firewood? I would like to dry my socks." his calm words made the engineer confused but then he waved to a worker beside him. The worker got the firewood and with the help of a phosphorous stone, he set it alight.


    Yang Dao asked the engineer, "Are you people comfortable here? Should I ask Sister, to get you some better campsite?"


    The engineer shook his head like a rattle and Asia,d ''Young Master, thank you for the concern but it is fine. Our camping tents are already very good. Please do not worry." his tone was respectful and he was telling the truth. Feng Yun had them use the low-class luxury equipment.


    The boy asked, "How long do you think it would take to complete the village?"


    The engineer replied, "Young Master, the terrain is being leveled, which may take a few days. Afterward, it will take two weeks to build houses here. We hope that it does not rain." the engineer said.


    Yang Dao nodded and fell into thought. The engineer asked, "Young Master, would you like to have dinner with us? If you don''t mind?"


    The boy smiled and said, "I thought you would never ask me and was about to invite myself." as he chuckled. The boy sat down on the boulder and started to talk to the engineer, soon the other engineers and the laborers also gathered and the atmosphere became merry.


    The people never expected Yang Dao to be so humble and down to earth. His behavior made them happy and a few people recorded his video of sitting on a boulder wearing a padded jacket and talking with people around him with a smile on his face.


    The laborers named him, Urban hermit. After all, how many rich scions could humble themselves?

 Chapter 212: Unlocked.

    The boy finished eating the food with others and then he rode his bike back to the mansion where everyone seemed to be waiting for him. He sensed something wrong from the vibe. He asked, "What happened?"


    Kiya walked up to him and said, "You are viral on the net." she showed him a video of him eating and chilling with the workers. The boy drank a lot of yogurt and milk when the laborers came to toast to him. He told them that he was still underage and that the laborers should take it easy as well.


    He asked, "Why are you all upset about it? Is it a bad thing for me to do this?" he was totally confused by this reaction of theirs. Ayaka sighed and said, "Dao, did you call your people back in the city?"


    Her words made the boy feel even more worried for some reason. He did not say anything else and quickly took out his phone, only to find that the thing was out of power. Recalling his routine, he remembered how he had forgotten to charge the phone. He dragged the phone in Kiya''s hand and with his memory he called, Yurika''s number.


    The phone rang and the other side asked, "Who is this?" Yurika sounded exhausted.


    Yang Dao asked, "Rika, are you okay? Is everything fine over there? I am sorry I forgot to charge the mobile. Did my video cause you, people, some major trouble? Showed I ask the people to take it down?"


    Yurika said, "Dao, baby, calm down. Take a deep breath and listen to big sis." she paused and waited for him to take a deep breath. The boy followed her instructions.


    "YOU, PROBLEM CHILD. WHO THE FUCK TOLD YOU THAT IT WAS SOMETHING BAD? ARE YOU SURE YOU DRANK YOGURT AND MILK AND NOT LIQUID COCAINE? URBAN HERMIT MY ASS, YOU GET HOME AND SEE HOW I BREAK YOUR SOFT ASS INTO A BLOOMING FLOWER." Yurika yelled and the boy moved the phone away from his ear.


    His face was blushing. Suddenly he heard a calm voice, "Yurika, calm down." it was Mary who spoke. She took the phone and her voice came to Yang Dao''s ears.


    "Young Master, you do not worry. things are all good here. The reputation of the company soared because of your video and the views are still growing. We all are just busy here. You go and train hard. I wish that you win the event to support our hard work." her voice was calm and consoling.


    Yang Dao did not realize that he had some tears in his eyes. For some reason, he was very scared from the moment Kiya spoke to him. The boy was worried that if something happened to the people back in the city what would he do? His fear came out in the form of the tear from his eyes.


    This single tear surprised people and they felt guilty. After all, this was all just a prank they planned they never imagined that this boy would get scared. Yang Dao wiped his tear and said, "Please, excuse me." and then went to his bedroom.


    He did not wait for anyone to say anything and ran straight inside his room. The boy sat down in the corner of the room. He seemed to have recalled how he missed his parents when he was a child. He was still a child but he did not miss his parents anymore. Those old memories came to him like a tsunami.


    He drowned in it and tears kept falling from his eyes. Yet he did not sense comfort, the boy grabbed a cushion and after covering his mouth with it he bawled his heart out on the fabric. He did not care about the people outside. At this moment, he was aware of his turbulent heart and how he needed to let it calm.


    The night went by in a snap and the boy fell asleep in the corner. After crying for the whole night he had finally calmed himself. He realized that in this world of mortals everything must end at a certain point in time. Whether you accept it with a smile or with tears that is up to you.


    The sun rose on the horizon and the boy woke up sluggishly. Yang Dao stood up and walked to the washroom. He freshened up and walked out of the room. His steps were calm and his eyes were tranquil like usual. He met everyone at the dining table and greeted them with a good morning. Somehow his voice did not radiate the same cheerfulness as it used to be.


    The old lady of the Orlenko family, Anastasia Orlenko, said, "Child, are you okay?" she was concerned about this boy for unknown reasons.


    The boy smiled at her and nodded. He seemed to have reverted to his introverted side again. After breakfast, the team rode the bikes on the mountainous terrain and moved forward to their goal. Yang Dao was unlike the past, his body today carried an extra weight of seventy-eight kilograms. He did not want to interact much with the people and kept moving forward.


    Kiya and Ayaka who pranked him were totally guilt-ridden. They had no idea about how to approach him and apologize. Yang Dao actually did not want them to apologize to him. He had come to understand a very important thing last night, if anyone was to come and apologize to him, then the boy would actually thank them.


    They kept riding until it was noon. Yang Dao still stood in the middle of the stream. Unlike the usual, Kiya did not rush to give him food; more precisely, she did not have the guts. Nika picked up the food and with some hesitation, she walked to the river bank.


    The book looked up to her and after taking the plate he said, "Thank you."


    Nika nodded to him and turned back, suddenly she turned back and said, "They are all feeling guilty about the prank last night."


    Yang Dao smiled as he looked in the distance and replied, "Last night they made me realize that everything in this world must come to an end. Their prank made me realize that life is unpredictable and worrying too much about it will make me vulnerable. I actually feel grateful to their prank."


    Then he started eating the food. Nika was now facing him and her eyes described all the surprise she felt. This boy can take something like that and make it sound so positive. She wanted to open his scalp and check how his brain worked. Before she could leave, Yang Dao asked, "Can you tell them to not worry? I just want to be at peace for some time."


    Nika nodded and then she left. She talked a bit to Kiya and the rest. The people gradually calmed down. The boy ate his food and they started to ride again. On the way, he looked at the laborers from a distance and kept on riding.


    This routine continued for the next ten days. The weight Yang Dao carried in his weight suit increased to a staggering ninety kilograms. He was still with the team but the position shifted to the back. The boy was using source energy to push forward. This routine did not only increased his cycling capabilities but also his control over source energy manipulation.


    ...


    There were only two days left before the team returned to Jade City, Ayaka told Yang Dao to ride alone on his own. The boy followed her instructions and just as he was about to put on his weight suit. He was told, "Let go of it. Adjust to your new skills and strength."


    ...


    Last day of the training camp was a race. The race would start from the mansion and the team was given an extension of thirty minutes. Yang Dao would have to catch up to them within 15 minutes, otherwise, he will not be able to get through the pack and will lose.


    During these ten days, the village reconstruction and the helping hand branch in the region was already set up. The boy spent almost all his evenings with the leopard and her cubs.


    ...


    At this moment every one stood at the doors and Ayaka sat on the peak of the highest climbable mountain in the region. The thing was twice as high as the Ruby Peak. Mina Orlenko volunteered to monitor the start of the race. Yang Dao sat on the seat of his bike and the team stood in front.


    Mina Orlenko said, "GO!" and they all kicked off together. The Dao Child sat back watching them vanish in the distance. Anastasia Orlenko, the old lady, said, "Child, don''t worry. You can do it."


    Nika''s father had came back and he told his mother the whole thing. After spending a few days at home the man left for another business trip. Due to his intervention the marriage farce came to an end. The old lady had started to see the boy as her own grandson. The boy also did not shy away from her and the two had gradually became close.


    The boy smiled and said, "Don''t worry Grandma. I am calm. This thing is not enough to shake me."


    The lady smiled as she patted his strong back. She just said, "Unlock your heart child, and the world will unlock to you."

 Chapter 213: Whoosh!!

    While the boy patiently waited for his turn to race, the team was already cycling fast. Thomas said, "Calm Down, even if he passes us, it is not a bad thing. If you all get so reeled up then, we will fall before we can even reach the mountains. Calm Down."


    He was not yet leading the front of the team but was in the middle of the formation. His words made everyone calm down and the rush continued. Ayaka had told them to increase the distance between them and Dao as much as possible. That is what they were doing.


    Half an hour passed and the team reached the foot of the mountains. Icarus said, "Now it begins."


    Ray switched the position and started drafting for the team. The team entered the mountain road. If Yang Dao can catch up to them within ten minutes then the boy will not be bothered by the pack. Otherwise, things will be hard for him to deal with. Ayaka looked at the drone and the clock and said, "Show me your limit, Dao."


    ...


    At the gates of the Orlenko mansion, Mina Orlenko said, "Go." Yang Dao was waiting for this signal in a ready-to-rush stance. As soon as the words fell in his ears the boy pedaled. His start was slow but after five or six pedals his speed started to climb. After ten seconds, he has vanished from the sights of the people at the mansion gate.


    Yang Dao clicked his left and right fingers from time to time as he rode. His speed was almost exceeding the range of imagination. At this moment he was riding with his head leaning down toward the handlebar. He held on to the lower grip and his bike was swaying slightly from side to side.


    This stance did not look like a full sprint but was somewhat awkward. The boy was aware that Ayaka was watching him from the drone. Sushi, the sylph, made the air pass through him and the boy faced no restriction from the wind. To make it, even more, exaggerated a strong gust would blow from behind him and give him a boost.


    After one minute the boy mumbled, "Time to whoosh." he stood up on his bike and switched to the front top gear, sped up and became silent. He asked Sushi to stop the wind pass through his body. The tiny girl nooded and waved her hand to stop the innate magic. She asked, "Master, what will you do now?"


    The boy smiled and said you will see. He made a cone shaped barrier in front of him. The reason was simple, It was better that the air flew around him instead of through him. The airflow may be the enemy of speed when confronted, but if it is bent to the side then the wind will guide you as if you are her own.


    The birds in the sky do not fly without wind, they fly because they can be friends with the wind and ride it. The wind squeezed Yang Dao''s body forward. The boy suddenly stood up from his seat and sped up. After a few seconds he switched the optimum gear combination and sprinted on the road.


    The drone recorded the complete process, Ayaka took a deep breath and mumbled, "Damn."


    Kiya asked, "What happened coach?"


    "What do you guys think his speed is?" asked the coach.


    Sasha said, "Probably above fortyfive kilometers per hour?" she was unsure about it and made a guess based on Yang Dao''s previous performance.


    Kiya shook her head and was about to answer when Nika, who has joined the club officially as a manager spoke, "Sixty Kilometers per hour?"


    Ayaka smile and said, "Close but not correct." she gazed toward Kiya who said, "The drone speed is sixty kilometers per hour, Dao is almost out of the frame if not for the high elevation for a wider view. He is going slightly above sixty kilometers per hour."


    The coach smiled and said, "With this speed he can make it to 10 kilometers but the team is already 25 kilometers ahead." her words shocked the people.


    Kiya asked, "How will he even catch up to them? This is not right."


    Ayaka said, "That is the challenge, at this moment he needs to increase his cadence. The human body can only boost him to a limit otherwise he will not be able to catch up."


    By increasing the cadence his speed will increase but it will be consuming his energy too fast. This was the choice he needed to make. In reality things would not have been so drastic but Ayaka could not afford to go easy. The conditions of the cycling authority were that tough.


    As she was dwelling on the problems. Yang Dao had actually increased his cadence.


    ...


    Yang Dao was using the source energy augmentation to speed up. His bike had almost left the frame of the drone cam. He passed by the laborer settlement but a few people did not even have the time to react when the boy vanished from their sights. the roads were curvy but Dao was using his shortest route tactic.


    This time it was not based on instinct but calculation. Despite the curves it was like the boy riding in a straight line. Five minutes had passed and he has covered eight kilometers. To get out of the pack he needed to cover atleast five kilometers more.


    The boy looked down at the cyclocomputer fixed on the handlebar, and quickly calculated the distance. Yang Dao was aware of his plight but he did not panic. He knew that panicking will only harm him. Taking a deep breath he focused on the pedaling. Suddenly, his vision changed, now only the road existed in his eyes.


    ...


    Ayaka noticed how Yang Dao began to adjust his bike on the curves. Her eyes brightened as if she was gazing at a diamond. Kiya also noticed this pecularity and mumbled, "Micro controlling?"


    Sasha asked, "What is Micro Controlling?"


    "When a person can adjust and control the bike to a level where his every move optimizes his performance, that is called Micro COntrolling. You may not have paid attention but during his car race, he did the same thing and took the first by two laps over the rest of the people." replied Kiya.


    Sasha and Nika nodded and Ayaka sighed, "Well, now we can rest easy. The boy can make it through the pack. Let us just see how fast he can catch up to the team. It has been now ten minutes and he still has nine kilometer distance with the team. After passing the pack, you encounter the contenders. It is not easy to pass these contenders. I hope the boy can manage."


    ...


    After ten minutes, Yang Dao calculated his distance and smiled faintly. He picked up his water bottle, sated his parched throat, and after putting the bottle back in the holder, he kept on it.


    This time he shifted gears and sped up with the gusts blowing on the roads. His control was impeccable. He advanced with no worries.


    ...


    Icarus said, "Three minutes before he catches up." he sounded excited.


    Behind him the second year guy spoke, "But the time set was ten minutes, right?"


    Felix shook his head and said, "Ten minutes were to pass the pack. Then cut down the time and meet up with us. In this seven days event, we have to circle the country, How long do you think we will have to cycle everyday?"


    The rest of the people gulped. Thomas said, "Calm down. Thinsg will be fine if you can act calmly." he was a good captain but at this moment even he was a little flusttered. They were in the mountains and the wind was flowing against them. Thankfully, Ray was an experienced climber and paced himself well.


    Suddenly everyone sensed a strong pressure coming from behind. It was an instinct of the racer. The people would always be aware when someone is about to catch up to them. The whole team had goosebumps at this moment.


    Ray said, "We all dance and advance together. Do not make it easy for him." with that said, they all stood up on their bikes and started to speed up.


    ...


    Yang Dao was looking ahead with a smile, he had finally reached the mountain road. Entering the terrain he found that the road was like a snake moving forward. He smiled and continued climbing at an average speed of forty five kilometers per hour.


    ...


    Ayaka said, "Girls, let us cook. The race is about to finish soon."


    The three girls smiled and left, the had bought all the necessary supplies to cook. The guards had all helped them set up a camp and a campfire. With that the people started to prepare for the grand closure of the race.


    ...


    Yang Dao rode with his head down. The team on the upper level of the road spotted him and Ray sped up again. The boy did not care, a gust blew from behind him, and pushed him forward. In just a few seconds, the boy caught up to them.

 Chapter 214: Closure.

    Yang Dao raised his head and spotted five people climbing the mountain with great speed. He took a deep breath and controlled the source particle energy to move to his lungs, legs, and shoulders. These three parts of his body were all crucial at this moment. During the time he caught up with the team, he could be seen as over-revving the engine.


    Now he used the source particle energy to alleviate his condition. This was the reason why he was stressing himself so much to catch up with the people. This time he kept a good enough distance with the team and did not join the formation.


    Icarus in the front looked back at Yang Dao who was looking down on the road as he pedaled. He said, "Captain, I have a bad premonition in my heart."


    Thomas said, "I know, he is resting before he can take us on. I assure you, this guy caught up thirty minutes gap in fifteen minutes, it would have taken a big toll on his legs. Once he charges ahead. We will not be able to catch up. Ray, speed up."


    Ray nodded and he increased the speed. Yang Dao did not react. The team wanted to compete with Yang Dao. They wanted to show him that they can also excel. In the past few days, the team had developed a shadow in their minds, where they would see Yang Dao riding at the back of the pack.


    Ayaka had told them that the reason why the boy was at the back was that he was carrying weight on his body. They all never knew how hard it was for Yang Dao but given how the boy was always together with them, they thought it was easy.


    Today they all wanted to beat him. This scene was seen in the camp on the summit. Nika had no culinary skills so she was sitting in front of the monitor. She turned her face to the side and said in a loud voice, "Coach, Thomas, and the rest are playing dirty."


    She was a senior year student. Ayaka came over with a look of askance on her face. Nika pointed at the monitor. Ayaka watched the situation and said, "I have been thinking about this for a few days now. These guys think that Yang Dao was always good because of the bike. What surprised me is that all these guys are the ones who always defended Yang Dao."


    Nika said, "They will regret it. Soon, they will realize that it is not the bike that is making the boy move fast, but the boy who is riding the bike." her voice was filled with confidence.


    Icarus was the only one with some hesitation in his mind. He said, "Captain, do you guys really think that Yang Dao is fast and strong because of the bike?''


    Thomas almost did not fall off the bike. Then he asked, "What the heck are you talking about? Do our actions look like that?"


    Icarus nodded with a wry smile on his face. Thomas sighed as he said, "I told you asshole. That what we are doing sends out the wrong message."


    Felix behind him said, "I did not expect this to happen."


    Icarus said, "Can you tell me what is going on here?" his tone was urgent.


    Felix said, "We knew that Dao has never actually tried his best with us. So we wanted to ignite his spirit. The only way to do that is, to poke him slightly." he spoke in a wry tone.


    Icarus could not help but look at him from below his arm. He clenched his jaw and almost could not help himself from cursing the guy. He said, "You poked the wrong person. You will now know what is the actual gap between us." as soon as his words dropped they felt a strong pressure coming from behind.


    Yang Dao had started to speed up at this moment. he stood up from the seat and clicked the gears. He did not look up at the people but only at the road. Soon he was neck to neck with the people. He raised his head and as they turned a U-turn he said, "I apologize for holding back always, but since today you wish to see, I shall grant you this."


    His voice and face were calm as a sea. This was his true nature. The poker face and indifferent Dao. The boy sped up the next moment, and within a few seconds, he had already left the vision of the team. Ray spoke, "He just climbed this slope with a speed of sixty kilometers per hour."


    Icarus asked, "How do you know?"


    Ray pointed his finger at the sky. Icarus looked up and saw the drone flying. He asked, "He left the drone field?"


    Thomas said, "The drone is barely keeping up with it. One thing we must do after the race is to apologize to Dao. We did wrong him even if it is unintentional." his voice was solemn.


    The team realized that in their attempt to poke the boy they had actually wronged him. This was not their motive. So, an apology was deserved. The people carried on climbing.


    Yang Dao had already completed climbing half the mountain, he saw the drone was barely keeping up with him. Thankfully the climb was a snake trail one otherwise, he would have already left it behind. Although the team was left behind, he still did not ease up and climbed with all his gusto. he only left a whooshing sound in his wake.


    His bike lived up to its name and silently climbed the tallest peak. Suddenly, Yang Dao sniffed a peculiar scent in the wind. He was already close to the summit but the smell made him stand up and with a combination of top gears, he started dancing on the bike. The summit was claimed by his climb after three minutes.


    He parked his bike to the side and walked over to the fire where Kiya was stirring the food in the vessel. She saw this guy coming over with a scrunched nose and smiled. yang Dao said, "You are making tofu and coconut curry?"


    Kiya nodded. Sasha beside her said, "Young master Feng, your nose really is powerful." as she flashed him a thumbs up.


    The boy rubbed the back of his head. He asked, "Can I go to rest?"


    Kiya said, "Ask the coach."


    Ayaka happened to be coming over. She said, "You can rest when the others arrive. We will eat."


    The boy nodded and went to a tent prepared for them early on. He changed his clothes to a lower and windbreaker. Then he laid down on the mattress inside the tent. The boy was exhausted and that is why he asked to rest. Ayaka was aware of his condition and thus agreed to it. He needed to rest after such an intense climb.


    The situation was actually quite worse than what Ayaka speculated it to be. This rest period was making them grow back again and grow stronger than before.


    The process that would have taken him a few weeks as a normal human was completed within a few minutes. The credit goes to the source energy particles inside his body. Sushi jumped out from his hair and sat on his chest with her legs folded. She watched the boy sleep. This sylph has now recovered enough to guard Yang Dao for a few hours as the boy slept.


    During the Bandit raid. Sushi had asked him whether she should act but the boy told her not to attack, lest it revealed her existence. Only after he had finished dealing with it did he find out that the sylphs emitted a speck of dust that can make people forget about their existence if they willed it so.


    That day he learned, to listen before acting. Today he learned never to hold back when competing. This was to show respect to his opponents. The Boy smiled in his smile as he slept. Sushi gazed at his face and mumbled, "master, looks so handsome when he smiles. If only he was smaller in size... Sushi, what smaller size, bah... if he was a sylph that would have been better but the size is good enough."


    Don''t go on her finger long size and innocent charm. This girl is at least a hundred years old and has spent fifty years in the human world. So she was obviously aware of some stuff meant for adults.


    Today a lot of misunderstandings cleared. The team reached the summit and before Ayaka could scold them. Thomas explained things to her, then they woke up Yang Dao and apologized for their behavior. The boy said, "Senior, you could have just told me to do my best. I respect the effort you all put in. So, I will never hold back while competing with you or anyone."


    Thomas said, "Dao, not everyone deserves to see your best. Just forget it. You will understand one day." he patted his shoulder and left. After all, this was not something that could be said in words. Yang Dao needed to understand things on his own.


    The team then sat around the campfire as they ate food. The training camp came to a closure.

 Chapter 215: Night Camp.

    The people sat around the campfire and ate with smiles. Kiya cooked the food really well. Yang Dao asked, "Kiya, where did you get the coconut milk in this place?"


    Green coconuts are a product of coastal regions, so getting them here in the cold desert was rare. Kiya smiled and pointed at Sasha, who was smirking. The boy understood it must have been the Orlenko Family who arranged it.


    Nika said, "My father would bring back things when he goes out on a trip for business. Usually, it is all foodstuff. Grandma likes to stay home, but she likes to eat food." Her voice was small and calm. Unlike her previously rowdy temperament. Yang Dao had been noticing the changes in her personality, but he did not comment about it at all.


    Icarus suddenly said, "My mom used to tell me a story when we used to go camping." His voice carried a trace of nostalgia.


    Sasha asked, "Do you not go camping now?"


    The boy shook his head. "Nah, my dad got too busy for it. My mom tried to take me out, but not that fun. Cons of being rich."


    Thomas sighed, "I know what you mean. Well, screw the negative vibes, tell us the story your mom used to tell you."


    The others all followed the mood. They were camping in the wild and stories were necessary. Icarus said, "Once upon a time, there lived a knight. He fought in wars and won great glory for his kingdom. Everyone in the kingdom liked him. Children dreamed to be like him when they grow up. One day the knight was asked to be the personal guard of the princess as she married in another kingdom.


    The knight was confused and asked the King, "My Lord, what crime have I committed that you punish me?"


    The knight thought the King was punishing him. The King smiled and said, "In the whole country, I love my daughter more than anything and anyone. With you guarding the borders, I am at ease. Now I am sending my daughter to another place. With you guarding her, I will be at ease,"


    The knight accepted the task, for he lived to serve the king. He set with the princess in the neighboring country. One night, they camped by a lake. The lake was called Sapphire lake."


    Ray asked, "Jade City Sapphire lake?" in bewilderment.


    Icarus glared at him and said, "Yes, and do not disturb."


    Ray flinched, and everyone else chuckled. Yang Dao asked, "Then what happened?"


    Icarus smiled and continued, "That night, the Knight was missing his homeland. He sat by the lake and looked at the reflection of the moon in a daze. Suddenly, he heard a voice behind him. Turned out that it was the princess.


    The knight did not raise his head and asked, "Your highness, why are you out of the carriage?"


    The princess asked in her mellow voice, "Does, Sir really not aware why you have been sent here?"


    The knight asked, "Is my purpose not to guard you?"


    "It is to guard me, but from what do you think you will guide me from?" the princess asked again. The knight was confused, and he asked, "Your Highness, you are going to get married to the neighboring prince. I will guard you on the way and then in the foreign palace."


    The princess chuckled, "You have been fooled by the king, Sir. I am not getting married but exiled."


    The knight was shocked. He could not believe why the king will do such a thing to his beloved daughter. He asked, "My Lady, what are you talking about? How could you, the princess of the kingdom, be exiled? His Majesty loves you more than the country itself."


    The princess said, "It is because I asked him to do so."


    The knight almost fell to the ground. The princess continued, "Five years ago, in the battle against invaders, you saved my life. At that moment, I fell in love with you. The more I saw you, I understood you will never accept my love for you because I was the princess of the kingdom. That is how loyal you are. In the end, I had no choice but to ask my father to give me exile in the name of love. Now you are my guard."


    The knight was shock-struck. He did not expect it to be such a thing. He said without raising his head, "Your Highness, this is not possible. We must go back to the Kingdom. His Majesty will pardon you."


    The princess did not reply but just gazed at him. The king hated the knight from the moment his daughter told him she loved him. He wanted the knight to die, so he assigned assassins in the squad to kill the knight and get back his daughter.


    As the two people were engaged in talks, the assassins struck. The Knight was stuck in a daze and he did not notice a sharp blade heading toward him. Suddenly, he heard a sound.


    PUCHI...


    Followed by that a wail sounded. The assassin yelled, "SHIT RETREAT THE PRINCESS TOOK TEH ARROW." his cry woke up the knight. He saw the princess standing in front of him, an arrow stained with blood penetrating her heart.


    He reacted and attacked the assassins in range. When he came back the Princess was left with one last breath. She said, "Maybe in next life, you will be mine."


    The Knight could not react and the Princess passed away in his arms. The man did not even look at her face through his life. He asked the injured assassin, "Who sent you to kill us?"


    The assassin replied, "His Majesty. The King."


    The knight sighed and gazed up at the sky, then he looked down on the arrow tip passing through the dead princess. He took off his armor and hugged the princess tight. The arrow penetrated his chest as well. He mumbled, "I am yours in the afterlife and next life, Your Highness."


    The rest of the soldiers attacked him and when they assured his death, they left. In the cold, silent night, two fireflies emerged from the bodies of two people. Just when they were about to move, the world froze. A voice sounded, "The princess has sacrificed herself and she is worthy of appreciation."


    One dragonfly flew in the sky, becoming one with the moon. The other dragonfly was told. "You have a lot of blood on your hand. You will be a wolf, fighting to survive generation after generation."


    Then the second dragonfly merged with a wolf. The person who decided this was the goddess of love. She punished the Knight for not valuing the love he received. In this world, many people crave true love but as the one who got it and did not care, he was punished."


    Nika asked, "Why was the Princess punished to be the moon and not being able to be with the wolf?"


    Icarus was about to reply when Yang Dao spoke up, "Because she loved blindly. The knight never even looked at her face. He did not know how many tears she shed for his glance. She let her get hurt by someone who did not value her feelings. That was her disrespect to her own emotions, that is why she was punished."


    Icarus asked, "Dao, have you heard this story before?"


    The boy shook his head and replied, "Sister Tina taught us, in this life, before you expect anyone else to respect your emotions, learn to respect them yourself. Give no one else so much power over you that even their trivial actions can hurt you." his voice was calm and serene.


    Suddenly, the people shivered as they heard a long howl.


    HOWWLLL...


    Icarus looked in a direction and said, "It is said, that the wolves cry when they see the full moon in the sky. They cry from the pain the two people felt."


    Yang Dao held his hands together and then he blew hard between his thumbs. The next moment, a howling sound echoed on the summit.


    Howl...


    The people were surprised by his action but what happened next shocked them. The entire mountain range echoed with the following howls. Sasha said, "This is the first time, so many wolves are howling together."


    The night passed quickly and in the morning, the people returned to the mansion. Yang Dao had asked Ayaka to give him one day to settle his affairs and then they can leave back to the Jade City. The coach was generous and allowed the rest of the team a break.


    The Dao Child had a few things to do. One was to seek closure with the bandit beauty. Then check the progress of the rebuilding and organization of the Helping Hand office with Mina Orlenko. The last thing was to check up on the leopard.


    These few days he had spent almost every night with the family of three, and thus he wanted to check whether or not the leopard wanted to follow him.

 Chapter 216: Drifting Out.

    Yang Dao rested at the mansion for a bit. Then after refreshing up the boy asked Mina to arrange a car for him. The lady was thrilled. This was the first thing Yang Dao has ever asked her to do for him. The business deals earlier were actually a favor the boy did to their family. Helping hand set up will change the face of this region in the coming days.


    Eric was assigned as his guard. Dao was wearing peach-colored cargo jeans, a black graphic T-shirt that had an eight trigrams symbol printed over it in white color. He wore a pair of black casual sneakers. On his left wrist, a leather strip bracelet was tied. The boy was completely out of his formal and disciplined looks today. He was going out to chill, thus the attire was casual.


    Eric opened the passenger cabin door for Yang Dao when the boy walked out, yet the latter bypassed him and came to the driver''s seat. He opened the door and got on. Eric stood there, stunned. He did not expect this kid to pull off something like this. Yang Dao waited for five seconds before he turned to look at the dazed Eric and said, "Will you get in already?"


    He was exasperated by this behavior. Eric woke up and got inside. The boy turned the key and the off-road jeep roared as he revved the engine. Yang Dao said, "Good car."


    Then he put the thing in gear and they left. During the past two weeks, he had learned all the roads of this place. He drove the vehicle straight to the laborer settlement. This was his first goal of the morning. To check the rebuilding site.


    The black jeep moved on the mountain terrain faster than Eric has ever driven here. His heart was almost in his throat. Yang Dao slowed down on the corners. He said, "Eric, do you guys not have any low clearance cars? This big guy cannot drift on the bends, you know. I am afraid if I pushed, then it will tip over. You guys get a better suspension and use the gyroscope chassis next time."


    Eric could only nod. If someone was to tap his heart, they would hear the chief guard of the Orlenko family cussing a boy and calling him a beast. he could not help but ask, "Young Master Feng, how can you drive like this?"


    Yang Dao raised his left eyebrow and asked, "What do you mean, like this?"


    "This fast, I mean," replied Eric.


    Yang Dao said, "Oh... that. Well, I learned how to drive in military training. I drive Quinn back home. Plus I have some experience in A1 racing. So you can say that it is all I learned from there. As for the reason I am not so afraid of these snaky roads? I ride them daily on my bike, you know. This is a car, much safer than the bike."


    His tone made Eric fall silent. He did not expect this to happen. This boy was driving too fast. It was not like Eric has never driven this fast, but ever since he joined the Orlenko house, he had become used to this slow snail pace.


    Yang Dao, however, did not believe in the concept of slow cars. His thinking was simple, Cars are made to make you reach your destination faster. Believing in this idea, the people reached the laborer settlement.


    The boy parked the car and hopped out of it. He walked up to the people and asked where he can find the engineer. The person directly led him to the engineer.


    The engineer responsible for the final touches was a Youngman. he wore formal clothes, with rubber boots and a hard hat. An orange vest could be seen on his torso. Yang Dao also wore an orange vest, and he came to the guy.


    The engineer was surprised and greeted Yang Dao with a slight bow. he asked, "Young Master, anything I can help you with?" he knew the boy was here for inspection.


    "yes, I wanted to ask you. Till when do you think the people in the village can come back to live?" asked the boy as his gaze wandered around the place.


    The engineer replied, "The process is almost finished, the final round of painting will finish by tomorrow. Then just after a day, the people can move in."


    Yang Dao asked, "Would they not have to wait for the residue smell of paint and chemicals to vanish before moving in?"


    The engineer told him that the company used herbal paints so there is no harmful odor. Still, as a precaution, they asked the villagers to wait for a day. yang Dao nodded and then he took a tour of the place. he asked questions regarding the venue set up from time to time. he also suggested some minor changes.


    The engineer nodded and wrote them down. The boy had a keen perception of the Feng Shui of the place so he also gave some suggestions regarding decorations, like rockery and stuff to use that. After an hour, Yang Dao left the place with Eric. His destination was the bandit camp. He had called Marian in advance to be ready.


    The phoenix group had already set up the helping hand branch and plants here in the past two weeks. Marian was a worker in the plant and the supervisor. She was at this moment standing at the gates of what looked like an animal farm. The whole farm covered a mountain.


    A black jeep parked at the side of the entrance and Yang Dao walked out. He came to Marian, who then took him around. She introduced him to the elderly responsible for the animal care and feeding, followed by the youth responsible for the heavy-duty work like shoveling the farm, bathing the animals, etc.


    The farm had four animals. Fish, cattle, poultry, and sheep. The manure was all shoved into a bio-gas generation plant and then the slurry was being taken out to the mountains and buried under big pits as fertilizers.


    The whole place was bustling with animal sounds or native chatter. The older people when realized Yang Dao''s identity blessed him a lot. One even asked him to marry Marian, but the boy denied it. Then with a shy smile, he walked back to his car and was headed to the Murrow.


    This was his last stop for the day. He climbed up the cliff and came to the Murrow. He found the cubs and played with them. He waited for a long time, but the leopard was nowhere to be seen. He frowned and asked Sushi.


    "Can you look for their mother?" his voice was somber. Eric noticed something was wrong with the boy, but he did not dare to ask anything. Yang Dao waited as his sylph flew up in the air. After a few seconds the Sylph came back and said, "Master, I hope you can stay calm when you learn the news."


    The boy asked, "What is it?" he felt his heart tighten.


    Sushi flew in front of his face and said, "Master, I found the leopard trapped in a steel jaw. The body is badly mutilated. Seemingly, it tried to free itself. One of its limbs is detached from its body. You should go there to check if it is the same leopard."


    Yang Dao was shocked and stood up. The boy then picked up the cubs in his arms. The cubs seemed to have sensed something bad. They started whimpering slowly. Sushi led them to the place where the Leopard was found. As they got closer, the whimpering of the cubs increased.


    The boy was a kilometer away when he found the leopard''s carcass. Normally he would have been enraged, but after that night his heart has become calmer and steadier. He noticed the rust and dirt covering the steel trap. After a sigh, he kept on walking.


    The cubs also spotted the body and jumped out of his embrace. They rushed to the body and whimpered. Eric was surprised at how the boy came to this place. Yang Dao sat next to the steel trap and concluded that the trap was an old one. He gazed at the surroundings and found that the trap was dragged from another place.


    He spotted a furrowed hole a few meters away. The leopard hunted and fell into the trap. The steel-jaw trap snapped and broke the bones of one of its legs. Then the poor creature was in so much pain that it mutilated itself and passed away.


    Eric sighed and asked, "Young Master, what should we do now?"


    "Bury the leopard near the Murrow. Clean up the region for any steel-jaw traps. I will ask Marian to tighten the patrolling forces." said the boy in a heavy tone. He stood up and walked over to the cubs, who were whimpering at the side of their mother.


    He crouched down and placed his hand on the dead leopard''s forehead. He said, "Go with peace. I will take care of your children."


    The cubs had a great sense of familiarity with Yang Dao. They rubbed their head on his legs as they whimpered. The boy sighed and said, "She is watching over you from the sky."


    After a few minutes, the guards, Eric called over, arrived. They carried the body back to the Murrow and dug a deep pit near it. Yang Dao also helped them. The boy did not want the leopard to be eaten up by the scavenging animals in the region. Although he understood it would be nature taking its natural course, his human heart has still not grown detached to this level.


    He asked the cubs, "Will you guys come with me?" this simple question seemed to be pointless. After all, the cubs did not even learn how to hunt now. Yang Dao did not know why he asked them, but he did. The cubs gazed at the place their mother was buried and then walked up to the boy. They rubbed their heads against his legs.


    ...


    The next morning, the people drove back in the cars. Today was the day when the team left the Diamond desert. Yang Dao drove his own car, Kiya, Sasha, Ayaka sat in the back, while Icarus sat in the front with a pale face.


    The Dao Child was driving a luxury sedan, and he was drifting on the bends. Only the leopard cubs were excited, the rest were praying for safety.

 Chapter 217: Back Home.

    The convoy stopped at the entrance of the desert. Mina Orlenko wanted to send them all back to the Jade City, but Ayaka told them that the boys will be riding their bikes. So they used two cars only. They were all big off-road vehicles, easily storing the backpacks of the people, camping equipment, drinking water cans.


    They had four bikes that were all disassembled and stored inside the cars. Nika volunteered to drive one car, Ayaka took another. They will switch with Kiya and Sasha. The team rode on their bikes for sixteen hours a day.


    On the way, the food hunter came back to life and started to eat at every break possible. Nika was a new addition to the club so she was shocked. The two cubs enjoyed how their master was eating and sharing the spoils with them.


    Sushi had found a new job to pass time. She was busy training the cubs, just like an animal tamer. She allowed them to see herself. At first, the cubs tried to catch her up with their paws, but when they got spanked by the wind whip and lost a little fur from their rumps. They became obedient.


    On the night of the second day, they were just a few hours away from the city outskirts. So Ayaka told them all to camp. Sasha placed some shredded meat in front of the cubs and said, "Dao, why do I feel like the fur on the cubs is different from before?"


    The boy knew that the two guys were trained by Sushi. He could not say that the little guys were whipped so he said, "I don''t know. Maybe they are shedding. They will grow new fur in a few days."


    Everyone found this a reasonable explanation and went back to deal with their food. Yang Dao said to Sushi, "Do not be so hard on them. They are kids, and kids are naughty. Also, do not hurt them."


    Sushi pouted and asked, "Master, do you really think Sushi is so cruel?"


    Her response made the boy stunned. He asked, "I know you are doing this for their well-being, but why to hurt them?"


    Sushi sighed and said, "I am teaching them how to practice elemental ways. These kids have good potential since they are young. I found that their speed and nature were in line with the wind element so I thought why not make them smarter and stronger." the tiny beauty kept on talking.


    Yang Dao had never noticed that the white cub was a male and the black cub was a female. Sushi was teaching them how to interact with the wind element. The method they practiced was the one used by the beasts in the sacred realm. The effect was that the two cubs will be shed their fur once.


    Not only that but their intellect will grow stronger and their speed with be faster. Yang Dao nodded and asked, "Sushi, why did you hit them with the whip then?"


    The tiny girl said, "Master, the beasts need outer stimulation to achieve better progress. Also, please, believe me, my wind lashes leave no mark on the target."


    The two continued their discussion. Yang Dao suddenly asked, "Tell me who were the people who tried to attack your world?"


    Sushi immediately became gloomy at the mention of this topic. She said, "I do not know their names or identity. They tried to attack my world during the alignment. As a sylph, we are not allowed to kill, unless there are no other options left. When I came out of my world they tried to catch me. One of them was able to sense my presence and track me. So I had no other way but to attack and kill them.


    They chased me for ten years. Now I can only go back to my world when I have forsaken the name you gave me and the wind god allows me the passage. Otherwise, I can wait for a thousand years before the next alignment."


    Yang Dao said, "I shall talk to the wind god about this. Do not worry." he smiled as he said. The tiny girl was happy and pecked him on his cheek. Then she went inside his hair to sleep.


    The Dao Child also sat down in a crossed leg position and started to meditate. The people were used to him staying like this. He would meditate once a week. Other times, he would practice while sleeping.


    The night went by very quickly. The sun rose. Yang Dao opened his eyes and found the two cubs resting on his thighs. He smiled and stroked their fur gently. The little guys purred to him. Yang Dao said, "We will be back home in a few hours, then I will introduce you to the rest of the family."


    The team woke up and freshened up in the wilderness. Yes, they knew that camping meant doing it ''all'' in the wild. They packed up the camping kits and rode their bikes to the city. Ayaka took them all to report to the college.


    The teachers all arranged some make-up classes for them in the upcoming days before the tournament starts. Yang Dao reported to the physic teacher and the two talked about some things. Old man Newt had called the boy over for something serious.


    The two cubs were left inside the cars, after all carrying them inside the campus may cause an uproar that Yang Dao wanted to avoid. After the things were completely dealt with the boy left for home.


    He asked Sasha if he can drive away from one car with his two bikes loaded in them. The girl agreed and said, "I will charge you for a meal."


    The boy agreed with a smile and drove away. He was heading for the Saphire Residency. On the road, he did not get the privilege to shower so he was eager to go. The guards found a big car approaching them and became alert. Yang Dao stopped in front of them and rolled down the window.


    The guard saluted instantly and the barricade was lifted. One of them said, "Young Master came back from a long vacation."


    Another one scoffed and said, "You are not up to date. Young Master was out for a training camp. Did you not see his video?"


    The laborer camp video was a huge hit you know. Well unaware of the idolization of the guards the boy parked the car. He took his backpack, and the cubs in his arms and went upstairs.

 Chapter 218: Familiar Warmth.

    Yang Dao walked out of the elevator and was about to take out his key card when the door of his house flung open from the inside. In front of him stood Feng Yun, wearing her trademark smile and red top. Her dress was unusually casual today.


    She wore a red round-neck t-shirt with a pair of hotpants, exposing her legs to the air. This sight almost made Yang Dao nose bleed. She smiled and said, "Welcome home, Dao." and the usual restraint was gone as well. She stepped forward and hugged the boy in her tender embrace.


    Yang Dao knew that it was because Feng Yun had no seals on her nature anymore, but it was still a bit too much for him to handle all of a sudden. The girl has been in seclusion and did not even pick up his calls but Laohu bai was in touch frequently.


    The boy also missed her so giving up his hesitations he hugged her back and said, "I am back, Sister Yun." his voice was calm and serene.


    Feng Yun took a step back. She looked at the cubs in his hands and took them in her hands. The cubs were very obedient and did not act up when Feng Yun took hold of them. She walked inside after Yang Dao. She said, "Dao, I was in seclusion and could not talk to you on the phone. Please forgive me."


    The boy shook his head with a faint smile on his face. He said, "It''s okay. Baibai was in touch with me. Also, thank you for the pleasant surprise. I have missed you in these past few days." his words made Feng Yun smile brightly and her eyes sparkled.


    The two people went inside the house and Yang Dao spotted Lisa, reading a book. The girl saw two people coming inside and she hurriedly stood up. She said, "Welcome back, Young Master. Also, just now, Miss went over on her own. I did not know you will be back today." her radiant voice became smaller at the end of her sentence.


    Yang Dao chuckled and said, "Thank you, Lisa. Don''t worry, Sister Yun just wanted to welcome me personally. No, Sister Yun?"


    Feng Yun nodded with a smile on her face. The boy said, "How about, I go and take a shower before we catch up. I do not like this sweaty self of mine."


    How could the two ladies have any problem with that? Yang Dao went inside his room and after putting down his luggage he looked around. The room was cleaned recently. Seemingly this morning Feng Yun herself cleaned the room. Lisa was not yet allowed to enter his room and clean. He would do it all by himself daily.


    He recognized the scent Feng Yun left in the room. Taking a clean towel he quickly rushed inside the bathroom and took a long-awaited shower. He had not bathed in the past seven days so you can imagine his eagerness. After the bath, he wore casual sleeping shorts and a sleeveless vest with some inspirational quotes printed on it.


    He came outside and found Feng Yun teasing the cubs. The boy sat down next to her and asked, ''Sister Yun, how have you been?"


    The girl replied, "I have been good. What about you?"


    Yang Dao then told her about his trip. Feng Yun was very interested in all this and she would ask questions as well from time to time. Lisa on the side was looking at the cubs. She wanted to say something but did not interrupt. Yang Dao asked, "Lisa, what is it?"


    The maid said, "Young Master, why are these kittens so big?" her voice filled with the innocence of a child.


    Yang Dao laughed along with Feng Yun. Lisa blushed profusely. She said in an almost inaudible voice, "I am sorry..."


    Feng Yun replied, "Lisa, dear, these are not kittens but leopard cubs." her voice was calm and patient.


    The phoenix was now true to herself. Warm like fire to those she cared about, but the same fire can also burn the enemy to ashes. Her words declaring the identity of the cubs surprised Lisa. She could not understand the logic behind why a pair of wild cubs will appear with the young master. She knew that Yang Dao was not involved in any illegal and bad activities.


    The boy sensed her confusion and with a smile, he explained to her. Lisa being a softie, is inside. Almost could not control her tears. She calmed down and asked, "Young master, are we going to take care of these two fellows?"


    Yang Dao glanced at Feng Yun and asked, "Can we have them?"


    "When have I ever refused you anything? They can be kept here. Also, that tiny doll in your hair as well." Feng Yun smiled.


    Sushi peeked out from the hair and said in a low voice, "I have seen the fire goddess. Please forgive me for not coming out earlier. I was scared."


    Feng Yun smiled and said, "It could be because of innate suppression. But do not be afraid of me little one. I am sister to your idol. The wind god. Would you believe that he was still carrying my shopping bags a few days ago?"


    Yang Dao was surprised and then he started to laugh hard. Sushi was shocked to hear such a statement. She did not expect the Wind-God to be so easygoing. After all, in her eyes, the Wind-God was an existence beyond the reach of mundane people. Yang Dao and Feng Yun ate lunch prepared by Lisa.


    The two people sat on the balcony leaning against each other. They sat on a recliner and chatted endlessly. Unknowingly Dai had placed his head on Feng Yun''s shoulder and gradually he fell asleep.  Feng Yun did not wake him up but sat there. Silently enjoying his presence.


    She had missed the boy a lot as well. She had the strongest bond with him among all the familiars and now that she has let go of the seals on her the bond has become even stronger. It was not only Yang Dao who felt warmth in her presence but she also felt warm in his presence.

 Chapter 219: Sparks.

    Yang Dao fell asleep with his head leaning on Feng Yun''s shoulder. The girl also sat down there leaning her head against his. After she made sure that the boy was in deep sleep. She placed a hand behind his head and another one under his thighs.


    She carried him to his room and said, "Lisa, go sleep."


    The maid bowed and went back to her room. Feng Yun came to Yang Dao''s room and gently put him down. She sat by the side of his bed and gazed at him. She smiled and leaned over his lips all of a sudden. She kissed his lips like a dragonfly hovering over the lake surface. After the seals were gone Feng Yun had let of her hesitations as well.


    She stood up with a smile and walked to the door of the room. She said, "Get stronger, Dao. A lot of things are depending on your strength." her voice was very low, enough only for herself to hear. She carefully closed the door and walked back to her room.


    Yang Dao slept peacefully for a few hours but suddenly, he started to dream about something that made him very suffocated. His fists balled up when he saw the scenes in his dreams, the boy had been sweating profusely. Suddenly he sat up while gasping for air.


    He looked around and found that he was in his room only. He mumbled, "That dream, why did it feel so real. I should talk to sister Yun."


    He got out of bed, at this moment he did not care about how he got inside his room. He needed to talk to someone. Opening the door of his room he walked outside heading straight for Feng Yun''s room. The boy was very anxious at this moment.


    He came to Feng Yun''s room and knocked on the door. Feng Yun answered from the other side, "Come in."


    Yang Dao pushed the door open and got inside. He found Feng Yun laying on the bed. She seemed to have fallen asleep, unlike her usual behavior. Yang Dao almost ran up to her. After he got to her side, he asked her, "Sister Yun please help me. I dreamed of a person, at first he seemed like a nice guy later on he started to get stronger. Just as when everything seemed to be normal, that person started to do bad things.


    He got his closest people killed. Later on, the whole world began to fall under his strength, the people started to wail and beg for mercy but that person did not stop. I don''t know why but I feel very suffocated by this dream. It felt very real to me. As if I was somehow related to it."


    The boy did not even notice that he was already being hugged by Feng Yun. The girl patted his back and said, "Dao, what you saw now is related to you. But you need to calm down before I can even tell you about it."


    Yang Dao hugged her back and calmed down after a few deep breathes. After he calmed down he realized that he was hugging Feng Yun very tightly. He could sense her soft body in his arms. He almost could not control his physical urge. Teenagers have a hard time controlling themselves when close to a loveable female/male.


    He took a step back and looked into Feng Yun''s eyes. He asked, "I am calm now, can you tell me about it?"


    Feng Yun smiled and held his hand then she pulled him to sit on the bed in front of her. Yang Dao did not mind this, or so to say he did not have any vulgar intentions. He sat down and Feng Yun hugged him from behind. She rested her chin on his shoulder and said, ''What you dreamt of was real. Just like this one place where we exist, a lot of mirror dimensions also exist.


    In those dimensions, the heavens selected a Dao child. Yes, there have been different Dao Childs. They were also blessed with spirit familiars. Just like how they were good, they also hid darkness within themselves. Sometimes, overwhelmed by the darkness, the Dao Child will corrupt their familiar spirits.


    The heavens will erase the familiar''s spirits and give the Dao child a chance to redeem himself/herself. Those who came back from the dark side blamed themselves and ended their life. While those who could not come back perished along with their world."


    Yang Dao was shocked by this revelation. he asked, "Are there other Dao Child at the moment?"


    Feng Yun shook her head gently and said, "No, only one Dao Child may exist at one time." her voice was very soft and soothing.


    The boy asked again, "Why did I see such a dream?" he instinctively leaned against Feng Yun even more.


    "Every Dao Child has dreamed such a scenario once. This is a warning from the heavens to them that those who are the chosen ones, should maintain the balance. This balance does not mean the world or other things, but themselves too. Only by finding a balance within themselves can the Dao child balance the world." said Feng Yun slowly.


    Yang Dao nodded and asked, "Will I be able to do so?" at this moment he again realized how difficult it was to be the Dao Child.


    Feng Yun could not help but peck his cheek as she said, "You are already doing so. Did you forget how you asked the capitalists to correct their ways, how you punished those who did human experiments and violated Nature''s law? Did you forget all that? That is your way to create a balanced society. As for your balance. That is something you have to figure out on your own."


    Yang Dao suddenly turned his head towards Feng Yun, and their lips touched. The boy was awake and the touch was sensational enough. The soft and warm lips touching his own, the restraint loosened. If the kiss he gave Mika was based on his impulse then this one started from a coincident to deliberate. Yes, Yang Dao kissed Feng Yun.

 Chapter 220: RALF.

    Yang Dao kissed Feng Yun, and the two people were engaged in the soft sensation for a few minutes before they opened their eyes and woke up. Yang Dao gazed in the sparkling eyes in front of him and he jerked away from the kiss. He did not dislike this feeling for the first time. Yet his heart was not calm.


    Feng Yun sensed his unease and smiled. She said, "Dao, this will have to wait until you have mastered the laws of the heavens. I can tell you that the journey ahead of you is still very long, but hugs and kissing once in a while are okay. Also, keep it a secret until we ascend."


    Her words attracted Yang Dao''s attention and drew him out of his daze. He asked, "Ascend?"


    Feng Yun smiled and said, "Ascend to the Dao Palace in the Heavenly Palace. You can put that aside now. Go to bed. Also, you can sleep here if you want to." She invited him.


    Yang Dao shook his head like a rattle and said, "No, I just came because of the dream." Having said that, the boy ran outside like a gust of wind. Feng Yun was surprised, and then she chuckled. Shaking her head, the girl went to bed.


    ...


    In his room, the boy tried to sleep for a long time but tonight the sleep evaded him. Helpless, the boy laid on his bed and stared at the ceiling. He sighed and then keep reminding himself that what happened was wrong and taboo. He used a self-hypnotizing trick he read in a book. The reason he did this was to stop himself from losing control.


    Feng Yun had told him to wait until they ascend and the journey was long so, he shifted his focus on the journey ahead of him. Unknowingly, he fell asleep while hypnotizing himself. The rest of the night flew by quickly. Yang Dao woke up right on time. He took a shower and after changing into his casual jeans and shirt, he rushed to the study.


    In the living room, Feng Yun was drinking her morning tea. Lisa stood behind her respectfully. The house was cleaned by the Robo-Aid. The two people saw Yang Dao coming out of his room. Feng Yun said, ''Good morning, Dao."


    Yang Dao replied, "Good morning, Sister Yun. I will have my breakfast in the study. I have an important thing to check." he ran inside the study and started his computer.


    Lisa came in after a few minutes, pushing a trolley. The breakfast was served on it. She looked at the boy, gazing at the computer screen with all his focus. His fingers danced over the keyboard, producing rhythmic music. The boy stopped suddenly. His eyes widened, and a smile spread over his face.


    Suddenly he stood from the chair and shouted, ''YES. FINALLY."


    Lisa flinched back, and Feng Yun came over when the boy shouted. She asked, "Dao, what happened."


    Yang Dao forgot last night self hypnotizing and rushed up to her and gave her a big hug. He was laughing with joy. Feng Yun raised her eyebrow. This boy had seldom lost his calm in front of her. This was not the end. The boy even rushed to Lisa and hugged her as well.


    Feng Yun asked him again, "Dao, what happened?"


    The boy said, "You will see soon." then he came in front of the computer and typed a code. Then he pressed the enter key. Suddenly the screen turned black and a green progress bar came up.


    Yang Dao stood up and ate the omelet and toast on the trolley and then he said, "Lisa, can I have some fruits as well, I feel like eating something sweet."


    Lisa nodded and said in her sweet voice, "Yes, Young Master. Just a minute." she was thrilled to serve him. Even though the boy was not always around but he was the closest she had to a friend. She came back holding a plate of fresh peaches and grapes. Yang Dao smiled and ate the fruits.


    Feng Yun waited on the side patiently with a smile on her face. After five minutes when the boy finished his meal, the computer made a sound.


    Initiation complete, AI is online. Please assign a name to the program.


    The sound was actually a mechanical voice. It made Feng Yun and Lisa shocked. They did not expect something like this. Feng Yun looked at the boy, who was wiping the corner of his mouth with a tissue. Yang Dao smiled at her and said, "Assing the name, RALF AI."


    The computer spoke again, "Command confirmed, Assigned name RALF AI. Voice Signature Registered. State the name and designation to the voice signature."


    The system was asking Yang Dao to state his name and designation in the system. This program acted like a bird, the first voice it heard was registered automatically, the rest will have to be set manually.


    Yang Dao spoke, "Name, Yang Dao. Designation, Administrator." the computer replied instantly.


    Identity and designation set. RALF greets the Administrator.


    Yang Dao smiled and said, "RALF tell me what are the requirements to make you upgrade?"


    The computer replied, "The system will need..." the computer went on and on about the requirements to make it upgrade to the next level. Right now, it was five levels above the mobile operating system but the performance was painfully limited. The reason being the lack of hardware.


    The hardware it needed was not the CPU set-up on the floor below, but the additional tools. The purpose of RALF was like a manager. What it lacked was knowledge. Knowledge was the biggest tool he lacked.


    Yang Dao said, "Start learning all the knowledge from the internet. Mask the IP and avoid governmental portals."


    RALF replied, Yes, Administrator. and it began learning from the internet.


    Feng Yun asked, "When and how did you make this?" she was shocked to witness what just happened in front of her. Even if this program was in the initial stage, it was something that will change the pace of things drastically.

 Chapter 221: New Wave.

    Feng Yun was shocked to see the computer perform in front of her. She asked Yang Dao when did he even complete this thing. The boy smiled and replied, "The source code comes from Lisa, Mobile Operating System. You remember the market interface we launched so that the developers can code and develop their own apps for the OS."


    Feng Yun nodded. The boy continued, "So, in the agreement we signed with these developers, we asked them to allow us to copy the source code. We obviously paid them with the term where they get eighty percent of the money made by their apps. They were all happy, so they opened the source code to us. I asked our technicians to upload them all to a server connected to our system on the floor below.


    Remember when I coded first. I had a self-learning algorithm posted then when I hacked into Crypto Nation Closed net, things became easier. Crypto nation has a AI developed, so I just copied some codes from there to provide my system a base. Then tweaked with it a bit. The rest came from the codes of other developers. Copied and arranged the needed parts. That was much easier than typing the whole patch.


    After a month of self debugging and coding, this is the result" {Disclaimer: Tech geeks, I do not know how to code an AI so just go with the flow here?}


    Yang Dao was done explaining, and he stood up. Feng Yun asked, "Where are you going? Today is your day off."


    The boy replied, "To the Military Cantonment. Baibai asked me to bring over the cubs when I come back. Do you want to come?"


    Feng Yun smiled and put her arm over his shoulder as she said, "Nope, I have slept little in the past few years. I will rest today. You go. Be careful on the road. Carry your firearm on you. Also, your ID."


    Yang Dao smiled and nodded. He came out of the room and picked up his car keys with the wallet and other essentials. Then he beckoned the two cubs on the balcony. They immediately followed him. The cubs were getting smarter at a quick speed. Within eight days of training with Sushi, they have become capable of interacting with Yang Dao.


    They can understand the basic signs and gestures if not human speech. Sushi had them focus the source energy they absorbed directly into their brain. This way they will nourish the rest of the body more efficiently. Only with a better brain can they grow strong. A beast''s body was stronger than that of a human in normal circumstances, but they lacked intellect. So this was what Sushi came up with.


    The boy walked forward with the cubs in tow. The elevator descended and Yang Dao came to the parking. He saw his black car standing there. He smiled and walked forward. He was now wearing a holster on the side of his thigh. His silver gun rested inside.


    Getting inside the car, he revved it. The cubs sat in the passenger seat. Yang Dao floored the accelerator and drove out. His first destination was the fuel station. An attendant stood there. Yang Dao parked the car in front of a vacant station and lowered down the window. He said, "Full tank please."


    The attendant smiled and after tweaking with the fuel pump, he picked up the hose and inserted it into a hole in the side of the car. The rest of the attendants were normal, but the people were surprised. They have never seen such a beautiful car. Yang Dao was used to this and did not react. The fueling was done after a few minutes and the boy paid with his own card. Then he drove out of the fueling station.


    The second destination was the military cantonment. He drove on the road and on the way he picked up a bouquet of white lilies. After half an hour, he drove the car past the last barricade and parked in the parking space.


    He got off the car and the two cubs followed him on both sides. They showed a vigilant look. Sushi had trained them to be guards of the boy. This was the first thing they were taught by the tiny Sylph. Yang Dao was about to enter the facility when he heard a cheery voice from behind. "Dao?"


    He turned his head and found Kaya looking at him a few meters away. She smiled after seeing him and almost flew over to his side. She whispered. "Please help me for old times'' sake?"


    Yang Dao asked, "What is the matter?"


    Kaya was about to say when a guy in a navy uniform walked over with a smile. He said, "Kaya, where did you vanish to? I thought you bailed out on me."


    The girl smiled and said, "No, I actually came to meet my boyfriend, Dao. Let me introduce you two," she pointed at Yang Dao and said, "This is Captain Feng Yang Dao, my boyfriend." then she pointed at the man and said, "This is Commander Terrence Lewis, my childhood friend."


    She did not introduce the rest of the details purposefully. Yang Dao heard the person was a commander, so he saluted him with a military code of conduct. The guy was slightly surprised, and he only nodded subconsciously. Yang Dao suddenly spoke up, "Report, Sir. Commander Kaya is not my girlfriend, the reason she said so is to not make you feel bad and end the friendship between you, too. I have no right to talk between you two, but I hope you can consider what she feels like and stop being too clingy. Please respect yourself."


    His words shocked not only Terrence but also Kaya. The girl did not expect Yang Dao to pull such a card on the person. Terrence, however, was angry. How can a lower-ranking guy teach him?


    He asked in a cold voice, "Go out of the building and kneel. How dare you talk back to a superior ranking officer?"

 Chapter 222: Unshakeable.

    Kaya heard Terrence commanding Yang Dao to kneel outside and reacted, "Commander Terrence, this is not your naval forces. This is the special forces, other than the reporting superior officer, only the Minister of Defence, and the Premiere may punish a soldier. You are none of them, please be mindful of your behavior."


    Her voice radiated a strong gloom. She did not like this guy to be pursuing her as a love interest. To her, this guy was a brother she grew up with, yet he had to come over to the cantonment and act like this. Yang Dao said nothing but stood still. The leopard cubs beside him were growling at Terrence with hostility. Sushi had them staying back or things would have escalated real quick.


    The man in the Navy uniform heard this and frowned. He said, "Kaya, don''t be angry. It is just as a junior this boy is not very disciplined." he blamed Yang Dao instead.


    Kaya clenched her jaws and was about to speak when Yang Dao asked, "Permission to confront, Commander Kaya."


    He was asking for her permission to face this guy. His insensitive behavior had pissed Yang Dao. Kaya did not want to be with him and that should be the end. Yet it was apparent that this man was clingy and how he commanded Yang Dao to kneel just now displayed his self conceitedness.


    Kaya would have hesitated earlier but now she nodded and permitted Yang Dao to face this person on his own. Yang Dao said, "Thank you." then he turned to the man and said, "When Commander Kaya introduced us, I saluted you following the military code of conduct. Then I only spoke up to my superior officer. You commanded me to kneel and called me indiscipline.


    If not because of the rules and regulations of the army and the fact that you are a superior ranking officer, I would have acted immediately. A man who cannot even discern whether his own actions are right or wrong should not point his fingers to the others." his words were sharp and clean.


    Other people in the building were passing by and after hearing Terrence command Yang Dao to kneel, they all stopped to watch the reaction of this boy. However, not only did the boy not apologize, but he also countered the person. They all nodded inside their hearts. This should be the attitude of the special forces. They were not as vast as the Navy and other two main forces, but the quality was better and the things they dealt with were difficult as well.


    The special forces had a motto, ''Never start a fight but if there is a fight, never back down.'' Yang Dao did not start it. What he did earlier was to clear the situation and help Kaya let out the suffocation she held inside. Who knew this man was so narrow-minded.


    Terrence wanted to say something, but he had no words left for a comeback. He was fierce at the way this boy spoke to him. He was about to lose it completely when a cold voice sounded, "What is going on here?"


    Everyone froze from the deterrence of the voice. Yang Dao smiled faintly but stood at attention immediately. The person who had just come over was none other than Laohu Bai. She wore her military uniform and looked very sharp.


    Yang Dao saluted her crisply. Laohu Bai gazed at him, and her stern gaze softened. She said, ''At ease, Captain."


    The boy parted his legs a bit and held his hands behind his back. Laohu Bai asked, "Commander Kaya, report, what happened here."


    The rest of the Special Forces officers stayed silent at attention. They were all scared of this white-haired beauty also known as The White Death in the forces.


    Kaya saluted and said, "General. Commander Terrence came over to meet me. During the meeting, I found out that he has romantic emotions for me, so I asked Captain Yang Dao to help me. The result was that Captain Yang Dao conveyed my refusal to Commander Terrence.


    Commander Terrence thought he was out of line and asked Captain Yang Dao to kneel. When you arrived Captain was confronting the Commander with logic."


    Laohu Bai nodded and said to Terrence Lewis, "Commander Lewis, you are a dignified officer. You should respect others and yourself. Since Commander Kaya has no such feeling for you, why do you insist? Do you want to push her out of your life so much?"


    Her words clarified the fact to Terrence that his actions and help will definitely make Kaya go away from him. The man did not want that. They were still childhood friends, you know. He said, "I understand Commander. I shall go back."


    He wanted to leave so easily, but how would Laohu Bai let it be. She said, "Commander Terrence, you waltzed inside the cantonment of Special Forces and even asked my officer to go outside and kneel. You should at least apologize to him."


    Terrence clenched his jaws tightly. He took a deep look at Laohu Bai, who looked at him with utter indifference. He found the girl had no fluctuation in her eyes. He could only turn back to Yang Dao and said, "Captain, I apologize for my behavior just now."


    Yang Dao nodded and said, "I understand, Sir." that was it. After this, Terrence left the building and headed back to wherever he came from. Laohu Bai snapped at everyone, "Get back to your stuff. The show is over."


    A loud yes sounded, and the people scattered. Yang Dao smiled and said, "I did not know, Babi to be so strict."


    Laohu Bai smiled brightly. After walking over to him, she placed her arm over his shoulder and said, "Let''s go. We have a lot to talk about. Also, Kaya, you really need to be straight when dumping people."


    As soon as there was no one, they became frank and informal with each other.


    Kaya blushed and said, "Boss, that was not my boyfriend. So, I hesitated."


    Yang Dao said, "You practice the earth element, no Senior Kaya?"


    Kaya nodded. The boy said, "Be soft but stern. See, look at Baibai. The earth is like that. Calm, patient yet unshakeable." his brief sentence shook Kaya, sending her into a state of enlightenment directly.

 Chapter 223: Revelation.

    Yang Dao walked side by side with Laohu Bai talking and smiling. Kaya sat down on the desk outside the cabin. She was on duty today as an attendant to Laohu Bai. The four people were all as high ranking as a commander but the special forces worked a little different. The people here worked in small teams but if they are asked to supervise another division of the military, they will have the privilege of their ranks."


    Yang Dao walked inside the cabin and closed th door. He asked, "Baibai, do you want to see my wings?" he was very excited. The reverence he looked at Feng Yun earlier had now become familiarity and somewhat intimacy. Laohu Bai had now entered from the acquaintance to the revered person because of her true nature being relieved to him.


    Yang Dao liked her more because of her present temperament. She gave him an ''I have your back'' vibe. He was a teenager, slight assurance always worked. Laohu Bai smiled and said, "How about we go flying together? You, me and Sister Yun?"


    "Yes." he agreed in a blink. Laohu Bai said, "Okay, so you show me the wings when we go back home. As for now, let us focus on the things at hand. First is, these two cubs."


    Yang Dao nodded as he glanced at the two cubs in front of him. The cabin was decorated very formally but an extra couch was placed along with a table. This was where Laohu Bai can have lunch. The two cubs sat on their hind legs in the free space between the work table and leisure table. The chairs accompanying the work table were placed at the side of the room.


    Laohu Bai abhorred empty chairs in her face. At this moment she sat next to Yang Dao on the couch and said, "These two are being trained by that tiny doll in your hair?"


    Yang Dao nodded and said, "Sushi, come out."


    The sylph flew out and bowed to laohu Bai. The girl with white hair smiled and said, "Don''t worry, I am not angry at you training them. You just made a slight slip. These beasts are slightly different from the ones in the sacred realm. These beasts do not have innate wings. Thus even if they practice the wind element, their speed will be limited."


    Sushi replied quickly, "I understand, Goddess, but I had no other methods to train them. I apologize." she was shivering slightly. And yes she called the white-haired beauty a goddess. Well, that was the status of the four heavenly spirits. They were regarded as gods of their elements.


    Laohu Bai shook her head and said, "It is not bad, in the begging phase the methods are the same. Here I will impart the knowledge you need to teach them." she pointed at the tiny fairy with her finger and an olive green light flashed.


    The light landed on Sushi''s heart and covered her body. Yang Dao looked at the process curiously and asked, "What did you do Baibai?"


    Laohu Bai said, "You will learn this when you can dabble with the laws of heaven. What I did was, in simple words, copy a shred of my memory and transferred it to her. This is easier than dictating the process."


    The boy nodded. Slowly the green glow resided and Sushi came in view again. She bowed to Laohu bai and said, "Thank you goddess for your instructions. Sushi will make sure to achieve great results." the tiny girl spoke with vigor like never before.


    Laohu Bai nodded with a smile and then she cast a glance over to the two cubs. She said, "Dao, these two are akin to the twin stars you see in the vast space. They are bound to each other and different at the same time. White the white cub represents light, he is naughty. As for the black cub, she represents darkness but is calm.


    They can be trained in earth elements and the laws of light and dark. You don''t have to worry about it I have passed on all the knowledge to this little sylph."


    Yang Dao nodded and asked a few questions related to the cubs, such as what to name them or will their growth be restricted inside the house should he send them back to the wild. Laohu Bai replied to his questions patiently she did not want to have the boy worrying about all these trivial things.


    After the questions were finished, Laohu Bai said, "Dao, the next thing you need to think about is the trip after this cycling event in your college."


    Yang Dao became excited, and asked, "What trip? Are we going to do a task together?"


    Laohu Bai smiled and said, "yes, we will be together but the task will not be on Liro."


    Liro is the name of the planet if some of you forgot. Yang Dao raised his eyebrow. he asked, "What do you mean?"


    Laohu bai said, "We are going on an inter-dimensional trip. Sister Yun should have told you how the different Dao Child has been chosen by the heavens over eternity, and how they have failed?"


    Yang Dao immediately became solemn. He nodded with a heavy heart. Laohu Bai placed a hand over his hand and said, "Dao, as the Dao Child you have the responsibility to restore the balance of everything. You have to discover the balance inside you as you travel and balance everything else. Do you understand?"


    Yang Dao nodded. Laohu Bai continued, "Yes, well so this time we will go to a place and the task is also relatively easy. Don''t worry. I will be there by your side to guide you. Okay?"


    Yang Dao nodded again and asked, "Say, Baibai. What do you think? Will I be able to handle such big responsibility?"


    Laohu bai smiled and said, "You will only know the outcome of war after you play on the battlefield. Buck up soldier. This will be easy."

 Chapter 224: Provoked.

    Yang Dao chatted with Laohu Bai for a few more minutes, then he left the cabin. The girl had some work to do before she could leave. The cubs and Sushi stayed inside the cabin. Sushi wanted to follow Yang Dao, but the boy asked her to watch over the cubs. He had not yet come up with a name for them. (neither have the author. Please ask the readers to suggest some names in the comment section.)


    The boy walked out of the cabin and he met a familiar face, chatting with Kaya. This person was the ever-smiling Victor. The man was not smiling at this moment, though. Yang Dao walked over and saluted.


    "Senior Victor."


    Victor was a wind Elementalist and so he had caught Yang Dao''s arrival. He turned to face him and returned the salute. He said, "Dao, long time no see."


    The boy smiled and asked, "What made you forget to smile senior?" he was very curious to find out what can make Victor gloomy.


    Victor smiled wryly and said, "We were having a sparring session between the few teams but suddenly a special recruit from Onyx city took a cheap shot and injured Lin. her injury is light even so, it dampened the mood. To think that the commanders from team wolf actually supported such a move."


    Yang Dao nodded and asked, "Is the sparring still going on?"


    Victor nodded and said, "Yes, Talen is holding the fort. I came to call over Kaya. Would you like to join us as well?"


    Yang Dao nodded and turned back to peek inside the cabin and said, "Baibai, can I take away Senior Kaya? We are going to have fun."


    Laohu Bai raised her head and smiled. She said, "Okay, you can take her with you. But Dao, be easy on the ignorant." Her words made Yang Dao spit out his tongue and close the door. She was confident in his ability as the boy had stepped into the Elemental priest level. Old man Tiberius was not his opponent, let alone these normal small fries.


    Yang Dao followed Kaya and Victor. On the way, he was told that every city will have one special recruit selected from the college and they would come over to train on the weekends. Today was the month-end, so the neighboring cities had taken their special recruits to assess for improvement. Otherwise, they will be trained within the city limits by the respective scouting teams.


    Yang Dao asked, "Hey, why was I not trained?"


    Kaya chuckled and said, "Because, you had the level of a regular special forces soldier even when you were a cadet."


    Yang Dao pursed his lips and said, "Was I so good? I never felt so."


    Victor said, "That is also the reason you were sent on a task directly."


    This made little sense to Yang Dao but actually, the thing was that the boy was already a second-level Elementalist when he was in the training camp. The commanders were all level two and rarely level three. So how could they train him, who was almost leaving them in the dust? if they found out that the boy behind them is now level four will they not bang their heads on tofu and suicide?


    ...


    The three people left the office building and came to an adjacent construct. Victor introduced this building as the exercise zone. They had a shooting range, a gym room, a comprehensive test hall, similar to the one Yang Dao used back in Dao Courtyard. The three people came to the room that looked like a sparring hall.


    It was empty except for a few matted zones. At this moment a few people were standing in the hall, all of them had their eyes fixed on the centre most mat. Yang Dao followed their gaze and found Talen fighting with a guy with a dense beard. This man wore a similar military uniform, but he had a wolf badge on the collar.


    Yang Dao gazed for a few seconds and then looked around in the crowd. He found Lin standing not far away. At this moment she was standing on one leg. Yang Dao looked carefully and found that Lin had her shoe taken off. Her foot was exposed to the air and it was swollen. He walked over to her with Kaya and Victor.


    Only Yang Dao was not dressed in the military uniform. His arrival had attracted a lot of gazes, but people focused on the match on the mat. The boy came up to Lin and crisply saluted her, "Long Time no see. Senior Lin."


    The ice beauty of the special forces revealed a blooming smile as she said, "Long time no see indeed, Dao. What wind blew you here, today?"


    Yang Dao chatted with the ice beauty. This was enough to draw aggro from the minions in the hall. There were other ladies, but Lin was the prettiest. Second to her was Kaya. Yang Dao was a beaut himself. the women also pointed their envy and jealousy at Lin and Kaya.


    However, the other parties were indifferent to this. Talen finished the match with a choke slam and walked off the mat. He was about to come over to the team but a voice sounded. "Instructor Talen, would you like to teach me a few moves as well?"


    Victor sighed and said, "This kid was the one who injured Lin."


    Yang Dao did not even look at the opponent and gazing at Lin''s furrowed brows and wry smile he said, "How about we spar. If you can win me, you can come up with one condition, unconditionally."


    His voice was cold, and it attracted the attention of the target successfully. The other side was a male, twenty years old. He saw the pretty boy in front of him and scoffed. "Are you sure about that? I might take over your whole family''s wealth."


    A few people chuckled in the hall. Some jealous men did not hold back from spewing their routine nonsense and petty comments.


    "Yeah, kid. be mindful of your words."


    "This is not your father''s office so that you can slap others with money. we are a special force"


    ...


    Yang Dao turned over to the special recruit of the wolf team and said, "My name is Feng Yang Dao. I always keep my word. If you won, you can have all my wealth. If I won, you will apologize to my senior Lin and admit your fault. Deal?"


    The whole hall was shocked by his words. Lin faintly blushed when she heard the words, My Senior Lin. She said, ''I vouch for the credibility of his words."


    Her sentence was seconded by Kaya, Victor, and Talen. they knew his identity of course. The wolf team''s special recruit smiled.


    He said, "Very well. I do not want the money. But I will date Instructor Lin for a day. Deal?"


    Before Yang Dao could refute. Lin actually said, "Deal. I want to see what your true skills are."

 Chapter 225: Wipe Out.

    Lin agreed to the wolf team''s special Recruit, Trent''s condition. She agreed to go on a date with him if he can win Yang Dao in a spar. She put her dignity on line for the boy. This made Yang Dao very irritated. He turned around and looked at Lin. He said, "A woman is not an object to be put at stake. Since you have done this already. I will have me at your feet like a scum he is."


    His words made the women happy, but Trent clenched his jaw. Yang Dao called him a scum in front of everyone. He said, "Humph, hypocrite, do you not like beautiful women or are you just posing to be the righteous one in front of them?"


    Yang Dao undid the holster on his thigh and said, "Those who cannot differentiate between appreciation of beauty and staining it with lust are scum. Everyone here can see what emotion you had in your eyes. Don''t put your dirt on everyone else. Come, let us spar."


    The boy held his gun holster in his hand and walked over to Talen. he saluted and said, "Long time no see, Senior Talen."


    Talen smiled and saluted back, "Long Time no see, Captain Dao."


    The boy extended his holster and said, "Sir, can you please hold it for me?"


    Talen took the holster in hand and sighed. He said, "You surely treat your arms right." He was impressed with the quality of the leather. The boy scratched the back of his head. He was not aware of what Talen was talking about but he could not say so, to reveal his ignorance.


    Handing over the gun to Talen, he walked over to meet the opponent. Trent was a boy with a height of six feet. He had a well-muscled physique as well. Yang Dao stood in front of him looked very vulnerable. Well, our boy here was chiseled and not buffed.


    The two people stood across from each other. An instructor walked over to play the referee. This person belonged to a neutral party. So the judgment was going to be fair. The man said, "The rules are clear, no serious injuries to be inflicted. Stop once the opponent taps out."


    Yang Dao nodded with his eyes locked onto Trent. The latter also nodded with a smirk on his face. The referee said, "Start."


    And he backed off. Yang Dao did not take the initiative. He never underestimated the opponent. Trent, as a special recruit, definitely had some capital, plus even if he used the cheap move to injure Lin. It worked against a veteran. That showed his skills were not meager.


    Trent saw that Yang Dao did not move and did not take a stance. He was confused. Not taking a stance made him feel the boy was confident in his skills, but why did he not attack.


    This was Yang Dao''s play with his mind. Trent wanted to move forward, but he was confused. Just as the guy clenched his jaw and decided to resolutely attack. Yang Dao moved. He approached Trent from his right-hand side. Just as the latter was ready to intercept. Yang Dao took a step back and jumped in the air. He swung and delivered a roundhouse kick.


    Trent did not expect such a quick change, but he was ready. He rais his arms to block the kick. However, he was in for a rude awakening. The kick was as if a car struck him. Trent could not help but take a few steps back to regain his balance. Yang Dao landed and how could he let go of such a chance?


    He charged forward to Trent. The speed was fast and his movement was sharp. Yang Dao waved his punch, aiming right at the face of his opponent. Trent raised his hand to block, but he covered his eyes in haste, blocking his vision. Yang Dao quickly moved like a gust of wind and grappled Trent''s waist from behind.


    He did not waste any second and lifted Trent from the ground. Then, in front of everyone, he arched his back and slammed Trent on the floor.


    BANG...


    A loud voice echoed. Trent was a strong man, but the shock from the slam was enough to stun him for a bit. Yang Dao released his grip and stood up. Then he grabbed a hold of Trent''s ankle and held it in a lock.


    He said in a cold voice, "Give up, or I will break your ankle for sure." with that he applied some force and the latter woke up from his daze. He whined and tried to kick off Yang Dao with his other leg. A few kicks landed on Yang Dao.


    He was irritated. Trent sensed the grip on his leg loosening a bit and was about to continue his assault when Yang Dao turned his body over. He maneuvered his body over Trent''s and held both his legs in a lock.


    Yang Dao looked at the referee and said, "If he put up anymore struggle then I will break his leg. This is a spar. If he tried desperately, I will not hold it back."


    The people around all nodded. His point was correct. Why would you try so desperately in a practice match with the purpose to learn? The referee saw that Yang Dao was serious. He said, "Trent, give up. It is not worth you to suffer a fracture. I assure you the intensity will not be less than a communicated fracture."


    Trent froze. He did not want to believe, but he was dealt with by a younger boy in such a manner. He came one year later than the others in his college but he was the best in terms of military skills. Yet, he was beaten like this by a junior. Shameful, but helpless. he raised his hand and tapped the floor.


    Yang Dao let go of him and stood up. Trent stood up, but suddenly he felt his feet were numb. He fell again. He whined in pain. the soldiers in his team came forward and checked. The guy with a thick beard said, ''It is a normal sprain. Take him to the infirmary."


    Suddenly a cold voice sounded, "He has yet to apologize to my Senior Lin. He cannot leave."


    Everyone recalled the bet they made earlier. The speaker was Yang Dao, and his gaze at the bearded man was filled with anger. How could he not see that this team of shameless people was trying to cover for themselves.

 Chapter 226: Challenge.

    Yang Dao''s words made the people freeze. They did not expect Yang Dao to block the wolf squad. The prestige of the wolf squad was lower only than the white tiger squad in the special forces. However, Yang Dao was still just a special recruit.


    The bearded man raised his eyebrow and said, "Are you sure, you are commanding a high-ranking officer?" he wanted to suppress this special recruit in front of him with rank deterrence. Yang Dao was not a vegetarian as well.


    He said, "My rank is a captain, I have one task with difficulty level A completed. Your special recruit is lower than me. So, I am asking him to honor his bet just now. Or are you, Sir, trying to cover up for him in acting shamelessly? " he did not hold back in the slightest.


    He was pissed at their behavior. At this moment he shoved ranks and stuff to the corner. The bearded man was surprised. So were the other people. This time however no one else commented anything. They have been slapped in their faces strongly enough earlier but saying they were not excited about the ongoing scene would be a lie.


    The bearded man looked up at Talen and the rest of the White Tiger Squad. He found that the senior officers had no intention of shielding Yang Dao. He said, "Very well. I challenge you. Come let''s spar."


    His actions were downright shameless, but how can he let a child smear the face of his entire squad with shame? Yang Dao however shook his head. He said, "Why? What do I get from sparring with you? Your actions, Sir. have no connection and are not relative to this guy apologizing to my Senior." his words were logical. These people were just getting angry from embarrassment. He found no reason to be dealing with them.


    The bearded man smirked and said, "So, just this much lip service is all you can do? White Tiger group has always been high and mighty but that is all due to General Bai. You porcelain vases are good for nothing but looking good on a pedestal." his words were a direct provocation for Yang Dao and the entire White Tiger Squad.


    Kaya spoke, "Hey, Gerrard, do you want me to break your bones like the last time? Mind your words. The white tigers are not afraid of you wolves. I will take you sissies up for a fight anytime." She may look calm and cheery but she was the scariest of the White Tiger Squad.


    Her retort made the bearded man called, Gerrard ending up with a black face. He was about to rebuke her when Yang Dao said, "Very well, I take up your challenge. Let''s have a comprehensive duel. I take on every squad expert of your wolf team. If I lost you can do whatever you want to do to me. If you lost the condition is the same but this time you all apologize to my White Tiger Squad. What do you think? You can surely take me on right?"


    His words shocked the people once again. They did not expect this kid to take on a full-fledged squad on his own. That too in a comprehensive Duel. This sort of duel is where the two squads will compete in their key skills.


    Suppose Victor is a driver and extreme infiltration expert, so he will compete with the driving expert in the opposing team. Now Yang Dao took on the whole team on his own. The people reacted and looked at the commanders in the White Tiger squad. Surprisingly enough they all did not worry but even a smile.


    Yang Dao said, "How about it? We all don''t have the whole day." his tone was getting impatient and colder. That was only on the surface. Inside he was calm.


    Gerrard clenched his teeth and looked at the other people in his squad. They all exchanged a glance and nodded. They all had been together for a long time and definitely did not want to be shamed by a kid. So, they agreed. Gerrard smirked and confidently said, "Kid, pick the category you want to go on first."


    Yang Dao smiled and said, "Since we all don''t have much time. I will take driving and shooting at the same time. Do you think that is possible?"


    Talen asked, "Dao, explain."


    The boy replied, "We set up random targets around a driving course. We drive through the course at the fastest speed while shooting down the targets. The one with the shortest time and highest accuracy will win."


    Talen nodded and Gerrard said, "I like your guts to pose kid. Hahaha... we are on. See you at the course in a few minutes." then he left with his team. Trent smirked provocatively at Yang Dao. They thought that the boy was overconfident.


    After the wolf squad, the rest of the spectators also scattered away. Lin limped over with Kaya. She smiled and said, "I never knew, the good boy, Yang Dao can be so cunning as well."


    Victor nodded. Kaya smiled and said, "I want to see this mutt squad crying and whimpering later. Dao, you better beat them all seriously."


    The boy smiled and nodded. He said, "Let us go to the infirmary first and then to the course."


    Talen said, "No, you take Lin to the infirmary. I will go and help them set up the targets. Victor go get the kid a good car. As for Kaya. You are to monitor the wolf squads, they have some history of playing in the shadows." he was the senior-most officer and his words were second to Laohu Bai.


    They all saluted and dispersed to carry out their tasks. This whole incident and the challenge sent out by Yang Dao spread across the whole cantonment area. Laohu Bai heard about it and smiled. She glanced out of the window as she mumbled, "Let us see who much Dao has grown with his skills."

 Chapter 227: Round One.

    Yang Dao supported Lin and the two people moved toward the Infirmary. Talen has given him the gun back before dispersing. The boy held a black boot in his hand, while Lin had her arm over his shoulder. She jumped on her other leg to move forward.


    The injury on her leg may have looked like a common bruise, but Yang Dao saw her ankle was almost dislocated. This was too hard of a move played by Trent in a simple sparring match, Lin had a faint blush on her face as the boy placed his other hand on her waist. Yang Dao would lay if he said that he did not like Lin but the affection was not too strong. They did not have that deep of an interaction.


    Yang Dao said, "Senior, you could have handled that guy harder." he intended Lin goes easy in sparring matches.


    Lin nodded and said, "I was trying to practice my hard and soft skills with him. I did not expect him to pull this kind of move. At first, he seemed very diligent to me. That is why I was not on my guard."


    Yang Dao shook his head and said, "Water is soft but when it attacks, it is a force that can destroy the entire world. You need to be like that Senior Lin. When fighting, never go easy. I mean, you may not hurt him but do not give the other person such a chance."


    Lin nodded, smiled. Yang Dao was speaking out of concern to save her from such injuries in the future. She nodded and assured him to be careful in the future. They reached the infirmary and the on-duty medical staff came to check on her. Special Forces were all elemental. The doctors were the same.


    The difference was that they were very proficient in manipulating the source energy to heal the wounds. The doctor checked the wound and then he moved the source energy in the atmosphere to heal the injury. The process was very fascinating for Yang Dao. He was drawn to it. Too bad that the process was finished in five minutes and Lin had recovered her foot.


    The two people then left for the racecourse. Many people were already gathered around the racecourse. Yang Dao was surprised. He asked Lin, "Is this not too exaggerated of a response?"


    Lin shook her head with a smile, "This is because of the comprehensive duel. It has been a few months since such a big event was held. You may not know but the comprehensive duel result is like a ranking match between squads."


    Yang Dao was surprised and asked with a wry smile, "So if I lost, our squad falls in the ranking?"


    Lin nodded with a calm smile on her face. She said, "Don''t worry. Try your best." the boy nodded to her and they walked over to the starting line.


    Talen, Kaya, and Victor stood by the car making inspections. The position of the targets was random and was not told to any of the participants. The two people from the wolf squad were also isolated from the rest of the squad. Even their communicators were seized by the overseers.


    Yang Dao came over almost at the same time as the opponents. The people on the sidelines were all whispering and pointing fingers at them. The hubbub was too great. A referee came over and said, "We will toss for the one who goes first and who goes last. Okay?"


    The two parties agreed and Yang Dao tossed the coin. The opponent called for heads as the coin was still in the air and after it landed, they won. They sent Yang Dao first. This way they will locate the targets popping up on the course. Obviously, it was a lowly move on their part, but it was a duel and they could not go easy.


    Yang Dao asked to referee, "Sir, may I know how many targets are there?"


    The referee said, "The course is five-kilometer long. Twenty targets have been set up. Some are stationary while some a moving. All the best, Captain."


    Yang Dao smiled and replied, "Thank you, sir." he came to Kaya and asked, "Can I have your gun as well? Mine can only hold ten bullets."


    Kaya handed him her black DeathStar1 with a smile and said, "Boy, don''t you dare miss a shot with my little one. She spews death in the literal sense."


    Yang Dao smiled as he sensed the gun in his hand. He said, "Don''t worry. I will not be that bad." and he walked over to the jeep prepared for him. The boy got up and started the car. He placed his own gun in the holster while held Kaya''s in his hand. The referee on the side said, "Ready..."


    "Go..." as soon as the word dropped, the car shot out like a bullet. Yang Dao had his elemental sense locked on the place. Not even an ant can get past him let alone a human-sized target. The boy had just left when a target popped out of the bushes. He raised his hands and...


    BAM...


    A bullet flew out from his gun and landed square on the target. The people were surprised. They did not expect a target to be hidden there. Yang Dao used just one hand to make a hard drift and on his left side another target popped up. The Jewel nation used a right-hand drive car system.


    Yang Dao had just entered the right curve when this target came up on the left. The boy switched the gun to his left hand and...


    BAM...


    The rest of the course was like this one. Unexpected targets popped up now and then and the boy shot them all down with ease. At least it looked easy to the others, but they all were in a daze. The car was gliding while the gun fired very precise bullets.

 Chapter 228: Mental Game.

    After five minutes, Yang Dao reached the end of the course and then drove back. On the way, he shot down every target with full accuracy. How did he do this? We can talk about it later, but let us watch how the opponents played.


    Yang Dao came out of the track and the people clapped for his performance. The boy smiled and bowed slightly. He came to Kaya and gave her the gun he borrowed from her. He said, "This is a good gun."


    Kaya smiled as she heard his words. The referee gave the go signal, and the car departed. Continuous shots rang out on the course. The driving was perfect, and the shots were well-timed as well, yet the screen that displayed the time and shots landed showed the difference completely.


    Yang Dao completed the course in 5 minutes and 13 seconds. While The wolf squad took 5 minutes and 17 seconds. The former landed twenty shots, only one of his shots landed on half of the bull''s eye dot. The rest were dead on the spot. The wolf squad had also landed all the shots, but they were not dead spot accurate.


    The referee compared all the results in front of the spectators and said, "The winner for this round is Captain Feng Yang Dao, White Tiger Squad." his words made the people surprised and impressed at the same time.


    Many people did not understand how Yang Dao did it. The bearded Wolf Squad commander Gerrard said, "Don''t be too happy we still have two more rounds to go." with a snort he led his team away.


    Talen asked, "Dao, spill the beans. How did you do it?"


    Yang Dao scratched the back of his head and under the scrutiny of everyone, he said, "Well, I baited them. Even though the two people have been with each other for a long time, they still have not learned each other''s skills. So for instance, if Senior Victor is driving and Senior Kaya is shooting the targets. Senior Kaya cannot know how much the car will drag and how much whiplash she will suffer from the acceleration.


    Similarly, senior Victor also can not judge how much he needs to steer so that the target will line up with the gun while saving the time on the course."


    His explanation was sound, and the people marveled at how this boy can come up with such a mental strategy. Some gloated at the wolf squad for such foolishness. They wondered if they will puke some blood if they found out the cunning of this boy.


    After this round was done, the next was a chess match between the two people. It was not normal chess. The survival expert of the squads was also the in-charge of plans and strategies after the general. So they selected this game. After all, it may take them a few days to judge based on their survival skills and they will have to go to the wild.


    So strategizing became a crucial factor in judging a squad''s talent.


    ...


    In a wide hall with chess tables placed over neatly, many people gathered a table. Yang Dao was playing chess with a man with squinty eyes. This person gave off a cruel vibe, well to survive in tragedies and the mission one has to be cruel. However, the cruel person was frowning.


    This person followed a strategy of rules. His moves were completely out of a textbook and given the resolution with which he played every move, this person was an earth elemental. Yang Dao, on the contrary, was very relaxed. His strategy was a mess but except for a few pawns, none of his major pieces were captured by the man.


    The person picked up his queen in placed her on a square to checkmate Yang Dao in the next move. However, the Dao child smiled brightly, and he moved his knight. Putting it in a positing where the queen will be captured or the rook will be captured. It was a sure-to capture move. The opponent frowned.


    He was disappointed as to him this move was useless, but the next moment he froze. When he looked at the board, he was shocked. No matter how he moved, Yang Dao will capture his pieces. He calculated, but the result was still the same. The man sighed after a minute of move time. he said, "You win. I resign this game."


    All the strategy experts were surprised. They were taken aback because they did not notice Yang Dao''s setup. The opponent was called Graham. He asked, "What is this play?"


    The Dao Child smiled and said, "The orderly chaos. Played by Raymond Lancaster against grandmaster Lennon Harting, two hundred years ago. he lost in the end."


    Graham was surprised. He could not believe that he lost to a kid that too when he used an already defeated strategy. He asked, "How did you win if it is a beatable strategy? Lennon Harting is also known as the finest textbook player and I follow his style."


    Yes, correct, that was why he was so shocked. Yang Dao smiled and said, "You, Sir follow Lennon Harting but are not Lennon Harting himself. The reason you lost is that your ways are too rigid. The game we play is a reference to a mission we perform. Life is unpredictable and so is the mission, so how can a fixed set of moves work every time?"


    He stood up and left the room. The referee had announced his win already. Graham was left seated in the hall pondering over what Yang Dao said. Outside the hall. Yang Dao''s reputation spread like a wildfire. The last round was an Elementalist battle. The contenders will fight using their elemental skills.


    Yang Dao had not yet revealed his strength to the other people. and his opponent was a fire Elementalist. Some people said that this upcoming match had attracted the higher up''s attention as well.

 Chapter 229: In The Ring.

    Yang Dao came to an arena under the lead of Lin and the rest. After winning the chess match he has been asked to change his clothes to a more sporty attire and meditate to adjust his mental state. He complied with their instructions and changed his clothes. He selected a generic-looking white t-shirt and black lowers along with white shoes.


    The rules of the Elemental Duel were as such. The contenders are not allowed to carry external weapons and must be searched before the battle. They must not wear any defensive armor. The meaning of elemental duel was to compare the strength you can generate using the element you practice in.  Your attacks can fight with your physical strength as well. However, in front of elements, the human body falls short.


    The arena was similar to those boxing arenas in the movies. One ring in the center of the hall was made on a high-raised platform. The spectators sat around the ring observing the match. However, since this was a Military establishment. The standards of judgment were also Military grade. The senior officials could all be the judges. Any cheating and they will act.


    Opposite Yang Dao stood a Gerrard, he wore a vermillion t-shirt and black lower. His eyes were filled with the fighting spirit. Laohu Bai walked over to Yang Dao and said as she fixed his hair gently, "Dao, this is the first time you will be facing an Elementalist properly. Learn all you can and get used to your own strength. Also, no need to hold back your strength. Be the wind."


    Yang Dao smiled. He was oblivious to the fact that he was now the secret enemy of all the men in the special forces. Laohu Bai would bite and scratch other men as soon as they walk close to her, but here he was getting the smile and hair fixation from their goddess.


    The boy stood on the edge of the ring. The floor was textured stone. There were no boundaries, on the four corners, however, four poles were erected. At this moment the poles had a fire burning on top of them like a wooden flame torch.


    Talen has told him earlier about the basic rules of the duel. The ring had four elements on it. The floor was made from blending hard and soft soil grains. The open structure supported wind, while the poles supported fire elements. As for water, the 5 inches thick gully around the ring will be filled with water if the contender practicing in the water element.


    None of the participants were allowed to harm the ring. Suppose a wind elemental decided to create a vacuum vortex around the torches then the fire will be extinguished. In a war, you face off with an enemy. You avoid the enemy and diffuse the source of his power to win the battle. However, this was a duel and everyone must get a fair chance to defend their honor.


    Yang Dao wanted to rebuke this rule, why should your enemy get a fair chance? Will they not humiliate you once you fall in front of them? Hypocritical rules were a thing that the progress was limited.


    Well, what can he do? He is still young now. Elementals in a war can be terrifying but they must be at least level three at least. The special forces are made up of elementals but hardly anyone is over level two here. Tiberius is level four and a few others are level three but that is a handful of people. Laohu Bai is the elemental god though she keeps it under wraps.


    A referee stood on the ring and said, "Both contenders, please proceed to the ring."


    Yang Dao and Gerrard walked over from two different sides. A flight of steps led to the ring. The referee said, "You have been told the rules of the duel earlier. I will not repeat them. I only suggest that you respect yourself and your opponent. Any deliberate attempt to harm the opponent is punishable depending on the intensity."


    While he said the last line, the referee cast a stern gaze at Gerrard. Then he wished them both luck and stepped outside the ring. He stood on a separate column to preside over this duel.


    Gerrard and Yang Dao stepped back. Gerrard took his stance and was ready to attack as soon as the referee spoke. The fire torches started to burn intensely. Yang Dao on the other hand stood in a standard military boxing pose. His arms up and left leg slightly in front of the right.


    The high-rank officials looked at him and nodded in appreciation. The young boy was completely calm in front of the veteran. The referee spoke, "Introduce yourselves."


    Gerrard said, "Gerrard Morgan, wolf squad, fire elemental."


    "Yang Dao, White tiger squad, Wind elemental." said the dao child.


    On the ring, there were no ranks, no superiority but strength. They did not declare their levels of elemental blessings. Yang Dao gazed at Loahu Bai on the side, who nodded to him. The boy took in a deep breath and calmed his heart down. Truthfully speaking he was hesitant about revealing his own strength but since Laohu bai had said so, then he will trust her and do it.


    The referee said, "The duel begins."


    The surrounding people were all very curious to see the elemental duel and learn something from it. Gerrard did not hesitate and directly attacked. He took a deep breath and drove the fire from the torches to his side. Yang Dao stood still waiting for the attack to come. He wanted to learn what and how the other party dealt with.


    After five seconds a ball of fire was formed in front of Gerrard. He moved his hands slightly and turned them into a shape of a lotus. Then with the shove of his hand, the falling flower flew over. It was neither fast nor slow. Yang Dao was surprised to see this.


    His furrowed brow made people think he was scared. Some of them even commented, "This boy had guts but he is still too green. Gerrard is not keeping any hands. I just hope that the guy is not seriously injured."


    His voice was followed by a few nods from his peer and some other affirmations and verbal concern. Like His face will have scars left and many more trivial things.


    However, the next moment, they all froze. Yang Dao sighed and slapped out his palm on the flower.

 Chapter 230: Shock.

    Yang Dao slapped the flaming lotus with his bare hand under hundreds of shocked gazes. Everyone froze in their places. They did not expect this boy to be so gutsy. Someone wanted to shout and tell him to dodge but just as the person opened his mouth he froze.


    A strong gust blew in the hall. The fire lotus was blown back to Gerrard. Yang Dao just bent a gust in a closed room and the intensity was not low. It was a proper wind they all sensed. Laohu bai smiled.


    The white tiger squad was happy except for Victor. Kaya asked, "Victor, why are you not happy at Dao being strong?"


    The man said, "His level is higher than any of us." his words shocked the four people and they all looked at Laohu Bai sitting behind them. The white-haired girl smiled and said, "Four."


    If not for the military training they have received over the years they would have cursed. They turned their attention back to the stage. Yang Dao said to Gerrard, "The referee said we should respect our opponents. General Bai told me about myself from you. I hope that you give it your all."


    His words made Gerrard tremble. He was enraged. Then he granted and moved his hands. Quickly a lot of embers started to gather around his body. Yang Dao saw this and stood in his stance but instead of fists, he opened his palms.


    Gerrard punched and this time it was a fireball thrice bigger than the previous lotus. The boy nodded and then he performed a taichi stance. The action was push and pull simultaneously. However, one thing was sure, Yang Dao was moving faster than the usual Taichi. The next moment two opposite air currents flew in the hall but they collided with each other.


    The collision originated a vacuum zone, a few seconds later the Fireball passed through the zone and was reduced to a quarter of its actual size. Yang Dao released a deep breath from his mouth and the fireball was extinguished. Gerrard felt pale, next moment he started to wave his hands faster and faster. A lot of fireballs started to condense and fire at Yang Dao.


    The people in the stands were shocked they did not expect the boy to be so talented. His strength was deterrent enough to hold back Gerrard. Trent in the crowd was scared pale. If Yang Doa had used such skills against him then he would have been seriously injured.


    Laohu Bai looked on the stage and shook her head. She mumbled, "I guess, I will have to do it myself." then she closed her eyes and spoke, "Dao, finish it."


    Her voice flew like a whisper in the wind as it flew over to Yang Dao''s ear. The boy sighed and said to Gerrard, "Sorry."


    The boy stretched out his left arm and grasped the void. Suddenly an azure blue glow erupted from his fist. Soon an azure blue bow appeared in his hand. The bow was a standard longbow used back in primeval days. He placed his red hand on the thin string on the back and an arrow formed from between his fingers. The bow was engraved with an azure-colored dragon on the sides.


    The arrow was long and slender. The tip gave the people a piercing vibe. Gerrard did not want the boy to shoot at him but the next moment. Yang Dao vanished from his place and appeared in front of Gerrard. He said, "Admit defeat."


    His two words shocked the whole arena, including the high-ranking officers and the referee. The old man jumped back on the ring. He asked, "Gerrard, do you concede? If not then will not have against the rules if Yang Dao shot the arrow."


    His words woke up Gerrard and the latter nodded as he said, "I concede."


    Yang Dao took back his arrow and bow and then he walked off to the side. The referee spoke in a loud voice, "The squad ranking stays the same, the winner of this duel is Captain Feng Yang Dao, White Tiger Squad."


    The whole hall erupted in cheers and applause. In the last move, everyone saw a pair of azure blue wings erupting from Yang Dao''s back. It was as if an angel had come down on the ring and as the wings trembled the boy vanished and the next moment he already had the arrow resting in front of Gerrard''s throat.


    They have never seen such a thing happen ever before. Gerrard suddenly felt a wet feeling coming from his throat. he touched it with his hand to check what it was. He raised his hand from his throat and found a trace of blood.


    The referee said, "If you had not conceded after that. The boy would have shot the arrow with no hesitation." and then he left.


    Gerrard was shocked and turned around when the cold voice sounded, "Are you still not going to admit it?"


    The speaker was Yang Dao, and his words attracted a lot of attention. Gerrard froze in his place he had forgotten then he had bet the face of his squad. He clenched his jaw and said in a low voice, " Don''t push people too much. Learn to make things smaller."


    Yang Dao sneered and looked at the crowd, he found a man wearing a uniform similar to Laohu Bai. The only difference was that the insignia on his chest was a wolf. The man was middle-aged and was the commanding general of the Wolf squad.


    The man sensed Yang Dao looking at him and asked, "What is it?"


    He was as strong as Yang Dao now in terms of realms. So his voice radiated through the hall as he had used the source energy. Yang Dao saluted the man and said, "Report, previously Commander Gerrard bet with me and my fellow Squad members. Now that he has lost, and is time to fill the words they said, Commander Gerrard is backing off. I ask you to get us what we deserve."


    The general asked, "I have an inkling of this matter, what do you fight for?"


    Yang Dao said, "Dignity of my senior and my squad."


    The old man said, "By humiliating my squad?" the tone was solemn.


    "First live for your country, then for the team, then the Forces and if you can still survive, Live for yourself. I will apologize to you after they have apologized to my seniors." said the boy.


    The man nodded and after a few seconds of silence, he said, "Commander Gerrard, apologize." this shocked the hall once again.

 Chapter 231: Improved.

    Gerrard heard what the general said. He froze for a second, but after being commanded by the direct senior officer; he had to lower his stance and apologize. He walked in front of the white tiger squad and bowed down as he said, "I apologize for my behavior and I admit we took cheap shots."


    Following him, the whole Wolf Squad came over and apologize. Trent apologized, but the hatred in his gaze did not calm down. He wanted to rip Yang Dao apart. The Dao Child sensed it and he said, "If you are still not convinced then practice more. The day you are confident enough, challenge me. Even if it is a life and death battle, I will fight you. However, if you dared to do anything sneaky. Regardless of the military code of conduct, I will break you to pieces."


    Then he walked toward the General of the Wolf Squad and saluted the man as he said, "I apologize for my out-of-line actions, sir."


    The man nodded and with the sword-like gaze, he stared at the boy. He asked, "Would you like to join my squad? I will give you more benefits than General Bai."


    Yang Dao was stunned, everyone else was stunned. They never expected this guy to have his squad leveled by a kid, and then he wanted to poach him. Calming himself Yang Dao said, "No, Sir. Thank you for the proposition, but I like my squad better."


    The man nodded with a faint curve at the corner of his lips. He glanced at Laohu Bai and nodded. Then he led his squad out. The people shook their heads and dispersed. Some level three strong generals complimented Yang Dao, and then they also left.


    Soon, what happened in the duel spread out to everyone in the special forces. Yang Dao''s prestige spread from the business world to the Military. He was a sports star as well, but that was just one race and that too exhibition. It still needed a lot more than that for him to make his name more prominent.


    Laohu Bai and the rest of the White Tiger Squad retreated to their office. The atmosphere was sullen. The white-haired beauty had a smile on her face while Yang Dao was sweating. At this moment Victor, Talen, Kaya, and Lin were surrounding him and they were gazing at him with a fiery gaze.


    Kaya asked, "When did you break through to level three elemental contractor?"


    Yang Dao replied without hiding it, "Shortly after I finished the military training."


    Victor said, "He is telling the truth. He bent the wind current during the free fall." Lin nodded to support his statement.


    Talen asked, "Can you tell us how do we perceive the source energy? The general said we are too dumb to understand when she told us." he was such a man. Never hide his shortcomings and always try to improve.


    Yang Dao thought for a bit and said, "When you try to perceive the source energy. Where do you start from?"


    Lin said, "Are we not supposed to perceive the energy of the element? The general told us we should first look for the source energy inside ourselves. But it never works, the perception stops after a certain level."


    Yang Dao nodded and said, "The first time I perceived the source of energy I did it outside the body. What Baibai means is not inside your body but inside ''you''. When you are communicating with the elements, you are one with the elements. No?"


    His words shocked the people. He shook his head and said, "Find a place abundant with your elements and then practice. I am sure you can breakthrough. The elements are an extension of the human body, think of it like that and meditate." he smiled.


    Lin said, "No wonder, General said, we were dumb. We always thought wrong. Thank you, Dao."


    The others also bowed slightly to express their tanks and then left the room in a hurry to train. Laohu Bai smiled and said, "You are too easy on them."


    She wanted her squad to overcome this obstacle on their own. That is why she never helped them. The boy said, "You are too hard on them, Baibai. Sometimes it is good to show the people the way. You tell me with their skills if they discovered the truth at the age when they are about to retire, will it do any good for the country?"


    Laohu Bai nodded and said, "True, I seemed to have missed out on this point. It is still not too late then. I hope they break through soon."


    Yang Dao checked the two cubs. He found Sushi has been looking at him with a pouty face. He asked, "What happened to Sushi?"


    The reply was a cold, hard snort, "Humph." and a gust moved in the room. The little sylph immediately recalled where she was and stopped the gust. She bowed to Laohu Bai and said, "I apologize for my rudeness, Goddess."


    Laohu Bai did not mind and waved her hand with a smile. Sushi let out a breath and said to Yang Dao, "See, all master''s fault. Making Sushi angry and then being rude in front of the Goddess."


    Yang Dao smiled and asked, "How did I make Sushi angry?"


    Sushi replied, "You left Sushi alone here with these to kitties. They are sleeping and meditating only. Sushi was bored." her tone was aggrieved.


    Yang Dao almost let out a chuckle, watching her adorable pouty face. He said, "I was afraid that someone might covet my little doll. That is why I left you here." his words made Sushi bloom into a smile.


    The tiny fairy flew around his head once and asked, "Really?" she like sweet things, especially words.


    Yang Dao nodded and said, "Really."


    Laohu Bai watched all this and said, "Dao, your emotional quotient surely improved a lot."


    The two people looked at each other and laughed. After finishing the work on her hands. Laohu Bai and Yang Dao walked to the parking, with two cubs following them obediently. The couple grasped a lot of attention from the crowd on the way.

 Chapter 232: Tag? Hide & Seek?

    Yang Dao and Laohu Bai drove back to the sapphire residency. They came over chatting and smiling. Lisa opened the door. She greeted the two people and went to prepare tea for them. The two leopards went to the balcony and sat down to meditate. They have become very eager to improve after Sushi trained them with a new method.


    Yang Dao changed his clothes while Laohu Bai went to Feng Yun''s room to change her clothes as well. She found Feng Yun sleeping and shook her head. She walked over and said, "Sister Yun, wake up please."


    Feng Yun woke up after a few more efforts and said, "XiaoBai, I have been sleeping a lot these days."


    Laohu Bai said, "That is until you regain your balance. I guess you are close now. Are you not?"


    Feng Yun nodded and said, "This imbalance led me to kiss, Dao. Thankfully somehow managed to delay it or might have committed a disaster." her calm words made Laohu Bai''s pupil dilate to pinpoints.


    The white tiger clenched her teeth and said, "Do you know what could have happened by your actions? Have you forgotten the records in the Dao Palace? Have you forgotten why Azure Dragon and Black Turtle were born as males in this place? How can you do that, Vermillion Phoenix?" she was speaking with their heavenly names.


    Feng Yun wanted to retort but she could not. She knew what she did wrong. She said, "I apologize White Tiger. It will not happen again."


    Laohu Bai shook her head and said, "We are all equal so you don''t apologize to me but, for the sake of that young boy who is trying his best, please don''t do that again. That boy is different from other Dao Childs in the past. He is unlike anyone I have read about in the records. So please get a hold of yourself."


    With that said she did not bother to wait for her reply and walked to the cloakroom. Feng Yun sat on the bed with guilt flashing in her eyes.


    ...


    Yang Dao sat out on the balcony on the recliner with a cup of tea in his hand. He asked, "Lisa, how are your studies?"


    The girl replied, "It is all fine, young master. Though, calculus is a bit irksome at times." she pouted as she said this.


    Yang Dao laughed and said, "I know, but you will be fine after you get a hang of it." the two talked for a bit when Laohu Bai and Feng Yun came over. The three people chatted as they drank tea. Laohu Bai told Feng Yun about how the boy defeated a whole squad on his own. Lisa beside them had a flicker in her eyes.


    She was a fan of Yang Dao ever since she had spent time with him. Lisa said that she needed to buy some groceries for the house and left.


    Laohu Bai said, "Dao, how about we take a short flight now?"


    Yang Dao asked, "Yes, yes... Let us go." Then he jumped off the recliner. Two azure wings formed on his back. Feng Yun stood up and said, "Your wings are very pretty."


    Two vermillion wings sprouted from her back as well. They were similar to Yang Dao''s filled with feathers like a bird. Laohu Bai also had similar wings but her wings were white. Yang Dao asked, "So, will Elder Atsuji have black wings and Mr. Ryu will have Azure wings?"


    The two girls chuckled. Laohu Bai said, "When you learn the laws, you do not need to grow wings on your back. Also, the Second brother bends air current to fly, he says that wings are superficial."


    Yang Dao grimaced, "I will bend wind too." then he flickered his wings and flew away. Feng Yun and Laohu Bai smiled as they followed him. Laohu Bai had cast a barrier around the boy before he flew away or the world would have thought of him as an alien.


    The boy had flown earlier but it was not for a very long duration so this time he flew faster and higher. When he had flown earlier the source energy in his body was not much. But this time he has been storing it for a long flight.


    When they were above the clouds, Yang Dao said, "Can we play tag?"


    His suggestion surprised the two. They did not ever think that they could play tag in the air. They nodded and said simultaneously, "You are it."


    Then they flew away in different directions. Yang Dao smirked and chased. The two people held back their speed because they were cautious about the boy pushing himself too much and using up all his source energy.


    However, just after ten seconds, they found that Yang Dao was faster than their expectations. Suddenly the wind in their surroundings moved and their speed slowed down. Yang Dao just bent a current to interfere with them.


    The boy did not give Laohu bai any time and patted her back as he said, "You are it." and flew away. Laohu Bai said, "You cheated, Dao." with a pout.


    Yang Doa, however, did not stop and with a sharp turn, he vanished in the clouds leaving behind his laughter. Feng Yun became Laohu Bai''s target. As the three played tag the Dao Child learned more about bending the currents and riding them.


    They forgot the time and suddenly Yang Dao stopped in the air. He said, "Baibai, Sister Yun, shall we go back? I ran out of source energy." he was now bending the current to keep himself in the sky.


    The two nodded and descended slowly. Feng Yun guided them back to the Sapphire residency. She had the bird''s eye. Their laughter attracted Lisa, who was working in the kitchen. She came over and asked, "Madam, I thought you all had gone out when I came back."


    Feng Yun said, "No, Lisa we were just playing Hide and Seek." as she smiled the two people chuckled. Lisa was aware of the elementalists and that her employers are all elementalists. Lisa said, "Young Master, Sasha, and Kiya called. They asked if they can come over?"


    Yang Dao nodded after some thought and then went to call them over.

 Chapter 233: Preparations.

    Yang Dao left the two ladies on the balcony. He came to his bedroom and picked up his mobile to call Kiya and Sasha. He saw there were a few missed calls from both of them, along with a few texts. These girls had exchanged contact with Lisa and thus they approached her.


    He dialed the number to Kiya''s phone and as soon as the call connected, the girl shot off a series of questions at him. "Where have you been? Are you still a human to leave your mobile at home when you go out?"


    The boy sighed and said, "Calm down Miss spitfire. I was playing with my sisters. Also, yes, you can come over for the dinner. I will cook something for you two. And ask Sasha to bring an extra driver, her car is still in my parking lot." he also replied rapidly.


    Kiya took a deep breath and said, "Coach Ayaka will join us, along with the rest of the cycling team members who are going to the tournament. She said she wanted to talk to you all with something."


    Yang Dao nodded and said, "Okay, they can come along. Though we will have dinner in forty minutes. Be fast."


    Kiya replied, "Okay, we will be there." and she disconnected the call. The Dao Child smiled and walked outside, and spotted Feng Yun and Laohu Bai sitting on the couch. He said, "We will have a few guests. Can you two change into something not too dazzling?"


    The two people were wearing hot pants and loose t-shirts. Yang Dao can control himself in front of their bewitching beauty as he was the Dao Child, and they shared a spiritual bond. However, Icarus and the rest were normal humans. They might fall under the spell. After these words, he went into the kitchen.


    He did not want to tell them what to wear as they had their own preferences and rights, but the guys coming over will be more focused on these two instead of the briefing. Laohu Bai and Feng Yun smiled and went to their room.


    The white-haired beauty said, "Sister Yun, you should probably manipulate his memory about that kiss scenario. I know it is wrong but it will still be a safer thing to do." she was still worried about it.


    Feng Yun said, "Do not worry, I will let nothing like that happen again. We should not do some things, XiaoBai. This is one of them. On the way of Dao, it is okay to make mistakes once or twice. Everyone can make mistakes, but the important thing is that the mistakes should be corrected adequately.


    Later, If Dao found out about the way we tried to cover up my flaw, will he not hate me? or worse? So calm down. Your caution is well found but too much caution will make you paranoid." her voice was calm and stable. Like the old self.


    Laohu Bai nodded and kept quiet. She realized she had almost made a grave error because of her caution. The two swapped the hot pants with loose lowers and came out.


    ...


    While they were discussing things, the discussion target was busy preparing food for the guests coming over in a few minutes. He made one soup for an appetizer, one vegetarian and one meat dish for the main course, and a dessert for the end. All this was prepared within forty minutes. He served the food when the guests arrived at his door.


    Ding Dong...


    Lisa said, "I got this." and she left the kitchen to attend the door. Yang Dao was busy with the plating and nodded to her. The girl walked out and opened the door. She found Kiya standing in front of her with a smile.


    She greeted them inside with proper maid etiquettes. Sasha said, "Lisa, tell me. Is Dao bullying you? You can quit working here and come to my place any time."


    Lisa shook her head with a smile and said, "Young master is very kind to me. This is my home and not the workplace." her sweet voice and smile made everyone smile. That was her charm. Sasha sighed and walked inside.


    Kiya sniffed as soon as she came to the living room and smiled. She found Laohu Bai and Feng Yun sitting on a three people couch. She greeted Feng Yun and saluted Laohu Bai. The latter chuckled and said, "I am not your chief instructor anymore, Miss Kiya."


    The pink-haired girl shook her head and said, "Just a force of habit, Ma''am."


    Sasha came in and followed Kiya''s action. Making Laohu Bai smile in helplessness. Ayaka followed behind the two people and was observing the decoration. After the introductions were made Ayaka was asked by the two ladies if Yang Dao was doing good. The coach also explained to them the restrictions placed on Yang Dao for riding ''Silence''.


    Feng Yun frowned and said, "Should I call the minister of sports?"


    Ayaka was shocked but before she could say anything, Yang Dao came over and said, "My old mother, don''t do that. I am this close to being called Sister''s pet." his tone was aggrieved.


    His expressions made the people chuckle. Feng Yun asked, "Who calls you that?"


    Yang Dao spoke with a sigh, "They dare to say it knowing you will be angry?"


    Feng Yun nodded and fell silent. Laohu Bai said, "It is okay, Sister Yun. Dao can use some challenges. Also, given his record, I wonder if anyone will catch up to him if not for the handicap."


    The people discussed and the rest of the cycling team also came over. Icarus was familiar with Laohu Bai and Feng Yun, but the seniors were meeting for the first time. So after a casual introduction, the people sat down in the living room.


    Yang Dao sat between Laohu Bai and Feng Yun. He asked, "Coach, what did you want to discuss?"


    Ayaka nodded and said, "The cycling tournament is like a marathon, and as it progresses, prepare. Some of your teammates might get injured, exhausted to carry on. So I wanted all of you to just focus on one thing, which is to cross the finish line with that jersey on your body. Okay? So prepare to stone your heart. Next thing is the map and rules of the race..."


    The meeting was called for this reason only. Ayaka did not want these kids to go out there with a na?ve mindset.

 Chapter 234: Begins.

    A week had passed since the dinner meeting with Ayaka and the rest of the people. Today was the day the Inter-University Tournaments began. The events were not limited to only cycling, but every single sport was listed in the brochure.


    A woman in a white and blue habit was walking on the footpath holding a neat brochure in his hands. Behind her followed a queue of little boys and girls, who held each other''s hands and were dressed in neat clothes. The people around all smiled at this scene.


    Suddenly one of the children said, "Sister Tina, we will miss the inauguration ceremony. Mini is tired of walking around."


    The woman in the habit was Sister Tina, the lady responsible for the orphanage in Bell City, where Yang Dao grew up. She turned around and said with a smile, "Okay, I will ask someone about the way."


    The children smiled back at her. The group had just arrived in the city in the morning, Yang Dao had come to pick them up. The kids all said that they want to see the big city first and then they will come to his event. Yang Dao wanted to arrange a mode of transport for them but Tina said, It is good to walk around a bit after such a long travel.


    The kids actually supported her, and after Yang Dao sent back their luggage he headed to the college. What happened next was the group got lost after thirty minutes. Tina turned her head and found a cop crossing the road.


    She asked, "Excuse me, Officer." in a loud voice.


    The cop turned to face her. It turned out to be a lady cop. The policewoman was also surprised to see a nun with a dozen of cute children behind her. She asked, "Yes?"


    Tina walked over with a smile and asked, "Madam, can you tell us where is jade City University? We want to visit the inauguration ceremony for the tournament."


    The cop was surprised and said, "It is a ten-kilometer far, in that direction. Do you not know?"


    Tine blushed, but a little girl spoke up, "Elder sister, we are new here. Our brother is participating in the tournament, we came to cheer for him. Can you help us get there?"


    The policewoman was around thirty but such a small girl calling her big sister? Obviously, she was happy. Then she said with a smile, "Okay, I will call a taxi for you guys don''t worry." then as she said, she waved her hand to a taxi.


    After she gave the directions to the taxi driver, she gestured for Tina and the Children to get in. The taxi driver was a middle-aged man, he was going in the direction of the University, so he did not make a fuss.


    ...


    A man from the ministry of sports was standing on the podium behind the starting line. The entire road was blocked today for this event. He had just finished giving the speech and now the people were standing in attention in the respect of the national anthem.


    In front of the podium, the participants of the race all stood in attention facing the official. After the anthem finished the people clapped and cheered. The participants went to take on their places in front of the starting line. Yang Dao separated from his team and came to the back of the pack. A few attentive audiences asked among themselves for the reason why this boy came to start from the back while his team was starting from the leading position.


    Soon, they found the answer when they logged onto the cycling association''s official website. It was clearly mentioned why Yang Dao was in the back. Some people found it fair while some found it unfair. The target of this decision was looking around at the audience. Suddenly he heard a few voices from the back.


    Kiya was waving her hands intensely to get his attention. He found Tina standing beside her. Kiya was arranged to wait for them at the place where the road was blocked. He smiled and gestured for her to wait. He got off his bike and laid it horizontally on the ground and rushed to the fence.


    He stood in front of Tina and said, "You forgot the way again?"


    Tina smiled without replying. The little ones nodded in her stead. The lady held the chain she had around her neck and raising the triangle in front of Yang Dao she said, "May you stay safe on the road, may you come back unharmed. Amen." then she touched the triangle to Yang Dao''s forehead and smiled.


    She said, "I do not know how hard it will be. I do not know what your goal is. But I know that my favorite child is the best out there so go and kick some butt."


    Yang Dao chuckled and said, "Cussing right after prayer. Sister Tina, thou hath sinned." the people chuckled.


    A little one said, "Big Brother Dao, I have a question."


    Yang Dao crouched down and asked, "What is it, sweetheart?" the little girl said, "Can you give me some money?"


    Yang Dao was surprised. According to his knowledge, the orphanage should have enough funds channeling. he asked with a serious face, "Why do you need money?"


    The little girl said, "Why else, but sister Tina can use a guide dog so I thought we should train one for her as a gift. She forgets the way all the time."


    Sister Tina blushed and said, "Jess. I swear I will learn GPS navigation when we go back."


    The little girl immediately turned to her and said, "Promise? Or I will have Big Brother Dao get you a guide dog." the woman in the habit smiled and nodded.


    Yang Dao smiled and ruffled the little girl''s hair. The kids all kissed him on the cheeks as blessings and Sister Tina hugged him. Kiya wanted to hug him too but was flicked by the finger on her forehead.


    Yang Dao ran back to the pack picked up his bike and got on it. Just in time for the government official from earlier to wave the green flag. The race had officially begun. They will pass through the city, climb the ruby mountain and then take an intersection for Onyx city. Yang Dao will have to catch up to his team before they climb ruby mountains but the thing was that inside the city this was impossible.

 Chapter 235: Chase.

    The government official waved the green flag and the people started to pedal. Since the riders stood densely packed they had to wait for the leaders to leave. The starting process was slightly different.


    Before this race, a qualifier circuit race was held. The team that came first by completing the race fastest was the winner followed by the other finishers. So, now suppose that the leader finished the qualifier in One minute and fifty-six seconds while the second position was two minutes and six seconds.


    Then the second person will start ten seconds after the first position has left the starting line in the main event. Jade city University or the national university was in the third position delayed by five seconds. While Yang Dao stood at the end waiting for his turn.


    The people at the back all moved when the referee signaled them based on their turn and calculated time difference penalty. After ten minutes, Yang Dao could start. The boy did not delay and kicked off like a bullet.


    ...


    In the city passing people was very hard because of the sharp turns and short sprints. However, in this section, a few accidents also happened as the riders failed to rein in their desire to move past the rider in front of them. Some collided with fellow riders while some hit the fence. This did not affect the race. Yang Dao did not move past the rider in front of him and patiently waited to exit the city limits and wider road.


    It took him fifteen minutes to complete the city area. The race had now begun for twenty-five minutes. The difference from the front was now within a range of ten to twelve minutes.


    As soon as Yang Dao came out of the city limits. He switched his gears and sped up. Instantly taking over three riders in front of him. He did not look back after that. The road to the mountain was a long curve. So he kept on pedaling at the highest cadence as he can and his bike moved like a black gust on the asphalt.


    The roads were blocked today so it was not a problem for him to ride in the second lane of the road. That was the outside of the long curving road. However, the extra distance was not the problem. Yang dao was focused on passing the people ahead of him to catch up with the team.


    In the next five minutes, he passed seventy-two riders. This was a record in itself but the problem was that the passing charge had to slow down, the mountain section came up.


    The race was now on for a total of thirty minutes, the time difference from the front was between seven to ten minutes. Can the ruby peak stop Yang Dao? That was the question. For such a big even live commentary was also arranged.


    A lot of people were present on the sidelines with recorders and cameras in their hands. The government had placed a lot of CCTV cameras to monitor the progress and rank change. Kiya was helping the little children to buy breakfast and then was leading them to the travel bus. Feng Yun had arranged a luxury bus crew for the people to travel along with the cycling team.


    A small van carrying three spare bikes and other supplies was to meet the team after they travel on the highway to reach the other cities. These small supply cars were only allowed to stay on the highways. Inside the city, the city government was responsible for helping the riders in times of need. The people arranged for this process were all invited from different cities and then put together to work as a team. This was done to prevent the city government from being biased.


    Sister Tina stood among the crowd with her hands clasped together. The commentator was now announcing the ranks of the people.


    Suddenly the robust voice stopped as soon as it was to announce rank number twenty. Then the man coughed and said, "Apologies for the delay, but we have a situation. At this moment, Rider number 018 is displaying some fantastic cycling skills as he climbs the highest mountain in Jade City, the ruby peak.


    Rider number 018 is called Feng Yang Dao. Due to the restriction of using a high-end bike, he was asked to start from the end of the pack. he started ten minutes later than the leaders and now has caught up to rider number 19. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, this marvelous young boy, of age 1sisxteen years and seven months have chased down the leaders from the last position of 100 in twenty minutes.


    At this moment he climbs the peak as if he is riding on a flat." the announcement sent a wave of exclamation around the crowd. Kiya walked over to the stunned Tina and said, "Sister Tina, shall we go? It is time to ride."


    Tina looked at her and asked, "Did I hear it right? Did they say that Dao caught up to the front?"


    Kiya smiled and said, "Yes, you heard it right. You may not know, but Dao is the fastest in our college when he rides on his bike. People often think that his bike is easy to deal with but the thing is, it is quite the opposite."


    As the two talked they moved to the bus.


    ...


    Yang Dao looked at the team wearing blue jerseys in front of him. A squad of six people and they all were moving in perfect sync. He recognized them from the markings on their jerseys. This team belonged to the western top university, The silver city. This team was led by a strong captain who was right now riding at the back of the formation.


    Yang Dao wanted to pass but the man would command the whole team to move like a wing. They rode in the center of the road and blocked on both sides of the road. The Dao child looked down on the road and got close to the formation. Then he synced his movements with the captain. Just as they entered a bend, moving to the right.


    The captain of the silvers said, "Right block" based on the movements he sensed from behind him. Yang Dao leaned his bike to the right, but then suddenly the person moved to the left and passed the whole team from the outside before they could even react.

 Chapter 236: Breeze.

    As the team from silver city blocked the right side of the road. Yang Dao moved ahead from the left side. What he did was to stand up and dance. The captain of the team in front of him was actually taking advantage of the sun and calculating his actions through the shadows formed on the road. However, he could still only see the front side of Yang Dao''s body.


    When Yang Dao synced his body movements with the person, he looked down slightly following his actions and found that the shadow on the road was formed from behind them as the sun was still not that high. This gave him the idea of how he was being blocked. So, he meticulously came up with this way to pass the people.


    Yang Dao had locked his head in the standard position while his butt was already off the seat. As long as he would stand up, he can dance at his best. So he delayed raising his head much and with a jerk on his bike he fooled the opponent and passed them smoothly in one go.


    As soon as the captain of the silver team saw this he said, "Klint, chase him." in a loud voice. Klint was the climber and at this moment he was riding in the second position behind the drafter.


    The guy switched the gears of his bike and moved toward Yang Dao. However, can the dao child let him catch up? NO.


    Yang Dao switched the gears and his bike zoomed past like a breeze. Klint tried three-time but Yang Dao did not slow down at all. Klint returned to the team and said, "That boy is not a good thing."


    A calm voice asked him, "I human language."


    Klint sighed and said, "That boy is the one riding Silence. Feng Yang Dao. I have heard his record, he has a record climb on this peak that was when he was riding a normal bike."


    The captain at the back said, "Interesting. I want to see how he can keep up at this pace."


    ...


    At the front, Icarus suddenly shivered and said, "He is here."


    Ray was drafting for the team, and said, "Thomas, let the kid go and chase down Alex. The gap is too much for me to catch up in this old age."


    Felix chuckled. A few moments ago they were not so calm and relaxed. Felix had taken the sprint checkpoint of the city. Ray was supposed to rush the mountain but he had to draft and now the opponent was already seven hundred meters ahead. He did not have much confidence to catch up and beat that guy. Also, this was the first day so he did not want to push himself too much.


    Yang Dao however was a monster and he could eat people even a kilometer ahead of him. Eugene was the second year who was riding with them, he was originally not part of the team but Ayaka said that he has a better chance than the other guy. No one had an objection. So he joined the racing team.


    He was at the back of the team and said, "But what if the Military Uni tried to stop him?"


    Ray said, "You stay ready to draft, I will block the army." Icarus chuckled and said, ''Yesh, senior Ray block the army."


    Everyone chuckled. Suddenly they heard Thomas say, "Dao get the peak." in a loud voice.


    Yang Dao had almost caught up with them and was just two meters away from the team when he heard this command. He stood up on his bike and switched the bike to the highest gear combination and sped up like a gust he was.


    The opponent team was just a few meters ahead of them. This team was wearing dark green jerseys. They were all military colleges, situated in Jade City. The biggest competitor of the national university.


    They also heard this command from Thomas and sneered. After all, they were the people who trained rigorously all year around. How can a civilian student get past them and catch up to their top climber?


    However, before they even had the time to scoff at them a figure passed them from the right side of the road. The captain of the military school was shocked and said, "Chase."


    Yang Dao had already shifted his focus to the peak and the rider ahead with no concern for these people in his mind. A barrier formed in front of him and his speed increased even more. The boy stood up on his bike and he rode like he was being chased by something horrible.


    The student from the military college could not get close to Yang Dao at all. It was as if he was chasing a ghost. Yang Dao''s figure became distant at a visible rate. It was like the person was riding a motorbike.


    ...


    One kilometer away from the peak, a boy was climbing with a frown on his face. He mumbled, "It is no fun to climb without a competition. Old man Ray could have at least tried, no? Tch."


    This boy was a third-year student in the military college. His name was Alex Storm. He has been competing with Ray for a long time as the two were from similar schools. Only in college did they separate.


    Just as the boy was scolding Ray for not racing with him. He felt a strong pressure coming from behind him and his hair stood up. He started to pedal seriously and increased his pace. However, this feeling did not go away but it was like a sword getting closer to him with each passing second. he wanted to look behind him but he stopped himself and steeled his heart.


    Soon, the sword chasing him caught up. Alex could not see the face of the other party as at this moment the rider had his head down and was looking at the asphalt. Alex asked, "You are also from a national university?"


    Yang Dao replied, "Yes."


    Alex nodded, "I did not notice you in the team formation earlier."


    Yang Dao said, "I was not in the formation." his legs were moving constantly and the pace was keeping up with Alex.


    Alex was surprised to see that this boy could keep up with him. Suddenly his eyes fell on the bike Yang Dao was riding and looking at the patterns, a bad premonition rose in Alex''s heart. He glanced at the gear assembly and saw that the front section had four gears.


    He thought, ''Black textured body and four front gears. Zero sound production. This is ''Silence'' so this boy is the one who rode from the last position today? Feng Yang Dao, but how did he catch up?'' his pupils dilated the next moment.


    Yang Dao raised his head and with a smile, he stood up on his bike and sped up. They had unknowingly reached the five hundred meter milestone from the summit. Alex was still stunned when Yang Dao shot off.

 Chapter 237: Result/Decision.

    Yang Dao was dancing on his bike with Alex right behind him and now the distance to the peak was less than two hundred meters. A few seconds ago when Yang Dao sped up. Alex was still in a state of shock. He only woke up when the boy had already moved past him.


    The distance was closing up between the two when Alex heard a click sound. His heart skipped a beat and the bike in front of him was five meters away and still rushing forward at full speed. He wanted to curse Yang Dao for having that bike, but he looked at the muscles on his legs and saw how much power it was needed to push the pedal forward at this combination.


    Yang Dao was still doing it at such a high cadence. His competition spirit was ignited by such a display. Alex clenched his jaw and pushed his legs to move over their normal limit. He also sped up fast but still fell short of a meter to catch up with the kid in front of him.


    The summit was now only a hundred meters away. Yang Dao was dancing faster on the bike as if a greedy dog rushing forward for food. His chase and his climb had made the commentators speechless and mesmerized. They were now only reporting the distance from the summit. Yang Dao ignored it and lowered his shoulders closer to the bike handle even more and he shot forward.


    Alex did not give up and followed Yang Dao''s line. He could feel that the wind behind force was not too hard here, and this was also his best shot to win the checkpoint. He was intending to slipstream behind Yang Dao and fling himself over to the side when he was close enough.


    How could it be so easy to pass this monster riding in front of him, who only took himself as a competition? His only motive was to improve himself and nothing more. If the other people knew that Yang Dao was single-tracked about his growth, will they feel offended? Who knows?


    Yang Dao respected his opponents, but that did not mean he will hold back his own skills. Thus, he charged straight for the summit with nothing else in his vision. Alex behind him was trying his best to catch up, but he could just not. He was thrilled when he was in lead.


    He was craving for competition but not this one-sided abuse by Yang Dao. This boy did not once look at him and rushed forward. While Alex was pondering over the thoughts in his mind, Yang Dao crossed the summit check-post and looked up at the sky whilst he panted.


    Alex was just a few seconds behind him, but he looked down on the road. He was panting hard as well. The speakers installed on the route all echoed, "Rider number 018, Feng Yang Dao representing the national university, has taken the first mountain checkpoint of the event."


    This same announcement was announced three times and the commentators once again reminded the people about how Yang Dao chased his way to the first from the last. The people cheered. No one does not like such a turnover.


    While there were some people who liked Yang Dao, some accused him of using a bike better than the others.


    ...


    Feng Yun sat in her office and was looking at the live telecast with a smile on her face. However, reading the negative comments targeted on Yang Dao made her frown. She called a number on her phone and said, "I want this mess to be cleared. teach these ignorant people about the reality of that bike." her voice was cold, and she was furious.


    A calm voice sounded in her office. "Sister Yun, calm down, please. This is just the start. Reacting too fast will mean that we are defending him. That is not the truth. Let him think of a way around this."


    Feng Yun sighed and said, "Well, okay, if you think so. Also, what did you do about his security?"


    Laohu Bai smiled and said, "My squad broke through level three because of his guidance. Now four elemental contractors are protecting him. Don''t worry."


    Feng Yun nodded and said, "So, what sacred realm are you going to take him?"


    Laohu Bai was lost in thought and said, "Almost all of them are on the verge of unbalance. I am confused about which one to take him to."


    Feng Yun said, "You should ask Eldest and Ryu after they come out of seclusion."


    Laohu Bai shook her head. "Ryu and Eldest have been sealed for the longest time because of their ages. They will take a long time to undo the seals. We cannot afford so much time. The movements of the new dawn are getting faster. Well, I think I should take him to the realm of light and dark."


    Feng Yun raised an eyebrow and said, "That place has now become a chaotic mess. What do you intend to do?"


    "It is time the Dao child dabbled with his first two laws and take the test of heaven," said Laohu Bai


    The room descended in silence for a few seconds. Feng Yun said, "Very well, then. Since you were the first person to undo your seals, we will follow your command this time. But I hope you do not push him too hard, XiaoBai. He has yet to grasp his own skills completely."


    The white-haired girl nodded and said, "Do not worry, "I am aware of his limits. The laws of light and dark will definitely help him counter the new dawn. You also prepare to tell him the identity of those who killed his parents. After he returns from this event. The heavenly trial will begin."


    Feng Yun nodded and her gaze focused back on the screen where Yang Dao was regrouping with his team and they came to the highway where one yellow car was driving in front of them, and the support crew vans were on their right-hand side in a separate lane.

 Chapter 238: Change.

    So, here is a little gift back for my loyal readers.


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    This code can get you 100 WN coins for redemption. Lucky 9 people will get it. Have fun. Thank you for your support.


    ...


    After Yang Dao won the first summit checkpoint, he and slowed down on the descent and met the team. Ray kept on drafting and Yang Dao rode in the middle of the formation. He held onto Felix beside him and rested his legs for a bit. Throughout the morning, he had yet to infuse the source energy in his body.


    He wanted to complete this on his own, and that is what he did. The teams moved forward and entered the highway. The highway was blocked for the event and it was a national holiday for the event. The four-lane highway had one lane reserved for the coach and emergency supply van, while the rest were open for the cyclists.


    The national university van was driven by Victor and Ayaka sat in the passenger seat with Talen, Kaya, and Lin sitting in the back with some first aid, spare parts. On the roof, three bikes were loaded, and two hung on the back. This was the basic luggage for all the teams. Kaya and Lin had the identity of the medical staff while Talen was the mechanic, and Victor was the driver while Ayaka was the coach.


    The other four were given a false identity by the Army in cooperation with Aislinn jasper, the principal of the college. She was also worried about something like the last time happening again, so she agreed to this proposal. The one who talked to her was old man Tiberius. When he found out that Yang Dao was a level four Elementalist he was depressed. After all, the man spent all his life to reach the realm where Yang Dao stood in his teenage. So after Laohu Bai interfered, he became normal.


    ...


    Ayaka waved her head when she saw the team coming over the highway. She had heard everything on the commentary broadcast on the radio. Icarus was drafting for the team as they were on the flats. He saw Ayaka and said, "Captain, the coach is waving."


    Thomas nodded and said, "Go over." The formation moved near the van and heard Ayaka say, "Good job. Try to maintain the lead but preserve your selves. Okay? Also, Dao, don''t race at your best just now."


    Yang Dao nodded and the team once again distanced themselves from the van. They took a sip of water and kept on pedaling. The destination was Onyx city. They will have a night break only after 9. This was the rule. None of the riders could be on the road after 9 they all will have to either camp outside or sleep in the city in a hotel they had booked earlier.


    ...


    The event was seven days long and the riders would have to cross over three cities in one day if they hoped to have a chance at the final day. Every city has a different condition, a different scenery, a different terrain. The cycle of the time was ruthless. An average team can only ride two cities'' in a day.


    Yang Dao and the rest were playing above average and many people were eliminated. The rules of elimination were simple. On the first day, two hours behind the leaders will be defeated or disqualified. On the second day, it will be one and three-quarter hours. With each passing day, the time limit will decrease by a quarter of an hour.


    This rule can almost be called cruel, but it was to preserve riders from suffering long-lasting damage. You can race when you have life, but if you push yourself on and on you can have sequelae left on your body.


    ...


    Yang Dao and the rest were riding with one thing in their mind and that was to win. The vans were restricted to travel on the highway only and thus Laohu Bai had arranged for people to guard the boy in the city.


    Three days had passed and the national university had taken down fourteen checkpoints out of eighteen they had crossed. All the mountain and high climbing checkpoints were taken by Yang Dao. Ray had dedicated himself to the team. He would only draft and Yang Dao will take down the checkpoints.


    Ray was saving his energy for the last day and Yang Dao was not having a problem with this. he did not care for the glory much and just focused on his growth. However, at this moment his body was floating over the water in the swimming pool in a hotel. The water in the pool was cold and Yang Dao was using it as a treatment of his sore legs.


    Today he had come across a group of people who did not support him riding the black bike. Today, a few people holding banners shouted from the sidelines as he entered this place for the rest time. This thing did not affect him, but it was related to the Dao technologies, and what mattered to him the most was the fact that Feng Yun was also dragged into this so-called scandal.


    He did not like this thing one bit and was frowning. The team was heading toward bell city tomorrow morning. Suddenly, his attention was attracted by a loud splashing sound. The boy turned and found Sasha and Kiya had jumped into the pool wearing seriously enchanting swimsuits.


    Yang Dao was almost drawn in then with a sigh he calmed his mind and asked, "Why are you two people here?"


    Kiya said after she popped her head from the water, "To check on a dead body floating in this pretty pool." she hid nothing in front of the boy even what was going in her heart.


    Sasha asked, "Are you worried about those haters?" she was much more sophisticated than the strawberry head.


    Yang Dao nodded and said, "I will change my bike tomorrow and show these people what I am."


    That said, he excused himself and stood up in the pool. His manly figure has ached in the minds of the two ladies. They blushed when they saw Yang Dao almost naked. Soon after rubbing himself dry, Yang Dao went back to his room.


    He called Ayaka on the way and asked her to prepare his bike. The reason was to achieve the same result as any other day. Takedown the checkpoint. Can he do that on a normal bike? Yes, he can. because till now he has not used the source energy.


    The night passed away with Yang Dao meditating on the floor. In the morning, he took a quick meal and set up his other bike downstairs. Today he was going to make the critics shut up.

 Chapter 239: Typhoon.

    Yang Dao came to his room with a firm decision in his mind. He changed into a fresh pair of sleeping attire and walked out of his room. He headed to Ayaka''s room. It was located close so after a few steps he came in front of a door and rapped on the door.


    Knock Knock...


    The door was opened from the inside after a few seconds. Ayaka appeared in front of him, dressed in a nightgown. She asked, "Dao, what is it?"


    You have to admit that she was a good coach. The concern in her voice was genuine. The boy said, "Coach, I will not use Silence in the further races. Also, can I move alone? These people and their irrelevant talks have pissed me off a lot."


    His voice was calm, but the agitation was clear by his clenched fists. Ayaka thought and nodded. She said, "Okay, you can go but remember that the event still has four mode days to go. Okay?"


    Yang Dao nodded and after wishing her a good night, he walked away. The boy did not go back to his own room but walked outside in the hotel''s garden. The team was staying in the branch of Paradise hotel in the city of Pearl.


    The staff saw him wandering around in casual clothes and all bowed to him slightly. When a few guests and people asked them about the boy in casual clothes, they were told of his identity surprising and shocking the people. A few of them wanted to approach him to express goodwill and establish contact, but Yang Dao tactfully declined.


    Some people were however too consistent in their efforts of bugging people out did not give up. To save himself, Yang Dao was looking around for some excuse, and his eyes fell on Sasha and Kiya coming out of the swimming pool area with robes wrapped around them.


    The boy excused himself and came to the two girls he said in a low voice, "Can you save me?"


    Sasha looked around and found a lot of gazes focused on them. She hugged Yang Dao from the side suddenly and whispered something in his ears and then distanced herself again. She said to Kiya, "You two go out to the garden and chat for a while. I am going back."


    The two nodded and sent her away. Kiya held Yang Dao''s hand and walked out to the restaurant. The Dao Child almost took his hand away but when he saw the surrounding gazes held Kiya''s hand, making her reflect the pink hue of her hair on her face.


    The two came out and sat down in a pavilion in the garden. Yang Dao gazed at the stars in the sky. Kiya asked, "Why are you so uneasy?" her voice was calm and serene.


    "Nothing." said the boy.


    Kiya smiled and did not ask him anything more, but said, "Don''t shoulder stuff alone. I am always by your side."


    Yang Dao smiled at her and nodded. The two people enjoyed silence together. Kiya had now fallen for him completely. The boy was aware of it and thus had complex emotions in his heart because he has never thought of falling in love with anyone.


    After a few minutes, the couple returned to their respective rooms.


    ...


    In the morning, the crowd was gathered at the starting line. To everyone''s surprise, Yang Dao was not riding the black ''Silence'' but he rode a blue bike. A lot of people among the participants had a similar bike.


    They all thought that this was a chance for them to defeat this monster. After all, he had given up his war chariot. The team of the National University, Military College, and Silver City were standing in the front. Yang Dao was the first person to cross the final finish checkpoint yesterday so, he was at the forefront.


    The referee signaled and the boy shot off. His aura was fierce today. After five seconds the rest of the people also were given a signal to ride forward. Alex, the climber of the military college said, "Why does this boy seem to be faster?"


    Icarus chuckled as he heard this. The three teams were riding side by side. The boy said, "Senior, do you think that this pervert can only climb?"


    His words surprised the people. A cold snort sounded, "He is just five meters away, I can catch up if I want to anytime." this person was called Mattheus, the sprinter of the Military College. He was the tough competitor of Felix, they had a tied result.


    Felix said, "Wrong, he has pulled away by seven meters. Your fans have spelled doom for you all." his voice was calm as usual.


    The silent captain of the Military College, Evan, said, "I don''t want to agree but I have no choices. His aura is very different from the past days."


    Thomas chuckled and said, "This boy when he first met me, defeated me in a sprint. The second time he defeated Icarus and took the ruby peak. The third time, he defeated Ray and broke the record of the ruby peak. All this he did while riding ''Silence''. The people do not understand it but that bike is actually keeping this monster child in check. Are you all aware of the limitations of that bike?"


    The captain of the silver city team spoke, "Yes. If a cyclist is unaware of this, then what sort of cyclist they are. However, it does give him a boost. So why did he give it up?"


    Thomas said, "A few people have been commenting on him and his sister. Blaming them for using that bike. Yang Dao lived in an orphanage for sixteen years of his life before he could reunite with his sister. You tell me, how much he loves his sister? How can he tolerate such a stain? So he gave up the boost and the limitations."


    His words made the atmosphere solemn. Evans said, "So, the gust has become a typhoon." as soon as his words dropped, Yang Dao shouted from the front, "Captain, I am off." then he stood up on his bike and shot off like a bullet. His figure slowly vanished from the sight.


    Icarus said, "Wait, is this monster trying to sprint for the coming Five kilometers?"


    A collective curse echoed on the track, "FUCK."

 Chapter 240: Counter.

    Yang Dao did not care about the reaction and moved forward. However, how would the others let him go without a chase? Evans, the captain of the military college said, "Mattheus, chase."


    Mattheus was a boy with a strong physique and his skills were also top-notch. He heard the command and moved forward like a bullet. Silver City college was also not behind and their captain shouted, "Iker, go."


    A tall boy with silver hair charged. Icarus said, "Captain, I want to try as well."


    Thomas nodded and said, "Go, you are the youth champion at the last high school level. Show them some gusto. Also, if you can beat Dao. I will buy you a set of aviators." his words made Icarus'' eyes shine and he sped up.


    Yang Dao was being chased by three people but at this time he had no time to pay attention to them. The five-kilometer sprint was too much for any of the three. They all sped up but did not start dancing and kept moving forward at a high speed. They all had trained themselves in unique ways and at this moment it was showing.


    In front of the three, Yang Dao rode with black sports sunglasses covering his eyes. When a person infuses source energy in their eyes. The pupil changes color. Last night when he was preparing for action he recalled the first meeting with Feng Yun. When she conjured the fire plume in her palm. Her eyes changed color.


    The event was going to be covered live almost the whole time they were on the road. Yang Dao just wanted to be safe so he wore the black sunglasses he bought from a shop inside the hotel. Sushi sat on the handlebar of his bike and said, "Master, those three people in the back are good."


    Yang Dao replied with a hum. He spoke in his mind, "Sushi, cast the air spike."


    The sylph immediately became energetic and said, "Yes, master."


    She turned around while sitting on the handlebar and pointed at the front. A sharp gust broke out from her tiny hand like a needle. The needle flew through the void and after it flew to a distance it froze. The thing about this needle was that it made the air part. It was like Yang Dao riding with a Javelin in his hand. The pressure on the tip made the current go around him.


    The current going around him squeezed his body even further and faster. The three people behind him all were surprised when they felt a strong current against their faces. Yang Dao was cycling at a speed of forty-two kilometers per hour. This was still inside the city. The course was filled with a lot of turns and curves but the boy displayed his extreme cornering skill as his bike danced.


    Soon, he came close to the sprint checkpoint, Icarus and the rest had always kept within a chase-able range. However, they were already starting to tire up. Today was the day they realized the horror of this young silent boy. It was like a ghost riding a bike in front of them. No matter how much effort they put in they could not come close to him.


    After Yang Dao had burst with the air needle. His speed had increased exponentially. The three could not keep up. The distance between was too much. Yang Dao also did not intend to go easy and with no care, in his heart, the boy crossed the finish line.


    The commentators announced the result and they also announced that the boy was not riding his high-end bike but a common ride. The supporters cheered for him however, the critics said that who knows if he used some means and totally random nonsense was spewed out.


    ...


    A big news TV channel, that was covering the event, at this moment held a live broadcast with a side-by-side event broadcast.


    A beautiful news presenter spoke while looking at the camera in front of her, "Hello, ladies and gentlemen. We apologize for the abrupt interference on our side. A lot of rumors have been following the top-ranking participant, Feng Yang Dao, in the cycling Inter University tournament. The first big controversy was regarding his high-end bike."


    She told the people about what was the rumor, then Yang Dao''s identity and his deeds of charity. Then she said, "To clear off these stains on his image, Markus Hanabi, known god of designing came forward. To those who are unaware, Markus Hanabi is the designer of the bike called ''Silence'' that Feng Yang Dao used in the earlier part of the race."


    Then the camera panned and a long-haired man came in view. The face was average but the eyes of the person were extremely sharp. He had golden locks on his head. The man was middle-aged.  The man nodded to the presenter and said, "Hello, thank you for allowing me to be here."


    The presenter asked with a polite smile, "So, Mr. Markus, what do you want to say to the people, regarding this matter?"


    Markus Hanabi spoke in a deep voice, "The bike in question is the one I designed. It may look like that it can change a person into a racing beast but that is just the misconception of some free-willed fools.


    My designs, although give you a boost but the limitations always exist. Do you think if it was so easy to use that bike, then the top racer, Iglesias would have stayed behind? That bike is a tool of precision. You need precise speeds to change gears, a constant speed to make the suction cups work properly. On top of that, the frame design limits the dancing.


    You see those groves, they cancel all sound emitting from the bike but the greater the speed the greater the air wall you face. But some fools just had to comment and throw mud around. Feng Yun is a name the whole world knows, if she buys something for her brother, then what is wrong with it? Feng Yang Dao is sixteen years and some months, but the guy is doing nationwide charity. Shame on you for looking down on him."


    Markus Hanabi, as the rumors said, was quite an intense man and his acidic reply made a lot of people reflect upon themselves in shame.

 Chapter 241: Counter 2

    Sitting in the studio office in front of the camera, Markus Hanabi, was like a missile aimed at the critiques. These people with nothing else to do in their lives had to just throw mud at the sky and now they were getting stained from their own mud.


    Markus Hanabi turned to look at the side screen where Yang Dao could be seen charging at the sprint checkpoint in the racing event. The man said, "You look at that boy and tell me, was ''silence'' restraining him or was it boosting him?"


    The news presenter looked at the screen and said, "Yes, indeed, he has been sprinting like that for five kilometers now and the rest of the people have not been able to catch up to him."


    Markus Hanabi nodded and said, "An elite cyclist can produce about 5 watts (5W) of power for every kilogram of body weight for a 1-hour event. For example, a 70 kg cyclist who can maintain a power output of 350W for 1 hour would be considered to be in the elite category. However, if the person is riding on ''Silence'' then they need to double the output.


    That boy has been pushing himself twice as much on my bike, now that he has given it up, his output has doubled with only half the input. I hope through your channel that some of these wastrels learn how to not be nosy from now on.


    Also, those who supported the different teams from your cities, you have just made your favorites lose."


    He fell silent after that. The news presenter continued asking him about the various aspects of the bike and finally, she asked the man, "Mr. Markus, I would like to ask, why is such an elusive personality, like you, is here today. Is it really to speak up for Feng Yang Dao?"


    Markus Hanabi smiled and said, "Every design I sold from my private collection is a documented purchase. One of the clauses of the contract is that I will help the client deal with some things. For example, the controversy like Feng Yang Dao getting boosted. It is actually simple customer care service.


    Usually, people treat my designs like some sort of a holy artifact and keep them enclosed inside glass cages. I designed them to be used, you know." he chuckled at the end.


    With that, the interview came to an end and the people in the country had fallen quiet after a session of face slapping.


    ...


    On the road, Yang Dao was unaware of all this. He had just crossed the sprint checkpoint and was riding toward the mountain checkpoint. His bike did not slow down at all until he started to climb the slope. The people were going crazy with the sheer display put up by the dao child.


    They had never imagined him to be so strong and to last this long. A few people thought that if Yang Dao continued to push himself like this then he will not be able to last longer in the event and might have to drop out. They were waiting for such a sight to take place and so that they could gloat on his misfortune and stuff.


    Yang Dao rode the bike with no care in his mind and after an hour of riding he had taken down both the sprint and the mountain checkpoints. He was riding at the average speed of thirty kilometers per hour. However, his figure had not shown any signs of fatigue and soreness.


    A couple of kilometers back, the three top teams were following. Icarus said, "Captain, I think we should have just sent him to participate alone here."


    The rest of his teammates sighed and Thomas said, "Don''t worry, he is just angry. You know he does not take it so well when people look down on him. He will be fine tomorrow."


    The military college captain, Evans said, "I hardly doubt that. How much stamina will he be able to recover in one night? Also, will he not face the soreness tomorrow?"


    Felix chuckled but did not reply. The rest of the national university team also had smiles on their faces. Looking at the confused Evans, Thomas said, "Do you think he did not train for this?"


    Evans almost lost balance of his bike when he heard this. He gulped and said, "What do you mean?"


    Icarus said, "He used to cycle his other bike sixteen hours a day with eighty-five KG weight on his body, for two weeks. Don''t underestimate his dedication and endurance. He is the youngest among us, but he is a demon."


    His words made the people fall silent like they had forgotten to talk. This was the truth, Yang Dao kept himself two-kilometer ahead of the rest of the people when he came out of the city limits. Ayaka was almost unable to control herself from yelling at him when she saw this.


    Kaya asked, "Does he do it a lot?" her voice carried a hint of curiosity."


    Ayaka sighed and said, "This boy is a monster child. He can defeat them all on his own. Think how hard it is to handle him. Though he is good and has total knowledge of his body. I am still worried about him pushing himself too much."


    Victor smiled, "He is fine, don''t worry."


    Ayaka nodded solemnly. She suddenly picked up the megaphone and peeked her head outside the car window. She yelled, "Thomas, get your butts moving or you go hungry at night." her tone was as if a hungry demoness was out of hell and looking for food.


    Thomas and the rest of the teams heard this voice and started to speed up. They were now accelerating as a whole unit, and the speed was anything but slow. The other two teams were shocked. They did not expect the whole National University team to be full of monsters. When Yang Dao took the sprint checkpoint, Icarus was the second.


    Ray took the second in the mountain checkpoint. They have now discovered the true strength of these guys.

 Chapter 242: Home.

    After Ayaka raged Thomas and the rest sped up and lessened the distance between, him and Yang Dao slowly. The rest of the people did not give up but followed them with moderation. Yang Dao still led the pack with a gap of five hundred meters.


    The result for the day was six checkpoints, all taken by Yang Dao. The people would cover three cities in a day, and they will stop when they enter the fourth city to start from there in the morning. The final destination for the day was Bell City. Sister Tina and the rest of the kids had come back in the noon a bit ahead then Yang Dao.


    Yang Dao was sipping water from his sipper when he was on the highway. The setting sun reflected the orange hue on his face. He has been infusing the source energy in his body and was now running very low on it. As he stuck the bottle inside the holder on the frame. He raised his head and saw the city gate in front of him.


    However, what surprised him was a large number of people gathered on both sides of the road. They carried some baskets and their faces were full of smiles. The city looked a little brighter than how Yang Dao remembered.


    His bike crossed the city gate and he shook from the loud noise, "BELL CITY WELCOMES BACK YANG DAO."


    The people started to take out flower petals from their baskets and started to shower upon the boy as he passed the road. Yang Dao had no idea why he was receiving such a warm and lavish welcome but he did not have the time to stop and ask. His body was running on fumes, and he needed to reach the orphanage.


    This scene was actually being captured and broadcasted live on television. Yang Dao smiled and waved back to the people in acknowledgment. He grew up in this city and was known by many people. Recently when he set up helping hand organization and the development of the city had made people find out about his origins.


    So, unknown to him, Yang Dao had become the son of Bell city. The boy rode his bike amidst the petal shower and came to the orphanage. He spotted Tina and the rest of the people standing at the gate from a distance. The orphanage was light up brightly.


    Yang Dao stopped the bike in front of the orphanage and got down. He supported himself with the bike and transferred his weight to it. Tina asked, "Dao, son, why are you not coming in?"


    Yang Dao gave her a sheepish smile and said, "Well, the legs are numb, so cannot actually walk."


    His words made the people laugh, some people wanted to support him but Yang Dao said, "No, it is fine. Give me a few minutes. I will be fine."


    They chatted just like this and a few people also laughed with him. Soon, the rest of the team also arrived. They all knew that the bell city was their place to stay for the night and they were going to Yang Dao''s orphanage but they did not expect him to have such a warm welcome.


    They saw him standing with his bike supporting him. Icarus said, "Stop being so macho, Okay?" and supported him as he walked inside the orphanage.


    Tina and the few staff members dealt with the people gathered outside and after thanking them they sent them away. They all turned back to go inside. Yang Dao was sitting on a couch in the reception area along with his teammates while the children in the orphanage were serving them water and stuff. Ayaka and the four instructors had also arrived along with the team and they came over after unloading a few bags.


    Kiya and Sasha had been a hit among the few children. Yang Dao looked at Tasha and Cao supervising others and said to Tina, "These two grew up a lot."


    Tina nodded and said, "After that night, they did."


    Yang Dao nodded and asked, "Where are Nina, and Tina."


    The twins were named before they were brought to the orphanage and one of them had the name common with Sister Tina. The lady said, "They would spend time in the library these days. Wait, someone, must have gone to inform them about your arrival." just as her words dropped and two cute and beautiful girls came over holding hands.


    They attracted attention from everyone as they looked like two dolls. They were just eleven years old. Tasha said, "Big brother Dao. You tell them to play as well. Reading all day long is not good for health. We tell them but they do not listen."


    The twins did not care about Tasha complaining to Yang Dao. They had sparkles in their eyes when they saw Yang Dao sitting in front of them. They rushed up to him and hugged him tightly. The boy smiled wryly and said, "Yes, I missed you too. Also, I am soaking with sweat. Do you not feel disgusted."


    Two little heads on his chest shook like a rattle. Yang Dao raised his hands and as he patted their backs gently he said, "Come, sit down."


    The girls were very obedient to him and sat down on either side. They did not let go of his arm. The boy said, "You two, go out to play once a day for two hours, okay? It is important to play and study."


    They bobbed their heads up and down. Sister Tina smiled and said, ''How come they never listen to me but you?"


    Cao, the fourteen-year-old said, "Because, Big brother Dao is handsome."


    Icarus also chimed in, "You are correct brother, I can relate to you." since Cao was sitting next to him. He placed a hand around his shoulder. How about you tell us some embarrassing stories of this guy.


    Tasha pouted and said, "Although, there is nothing like that but CaoCao, I tell you if you dared babble. You will be spending the night in the reception hall."


    "Yes." all the little girls chimed along.


    Icarus and Cao gave each other a look, ''I understand your pain brother.''


    The team laughed. They all were arranged to take shower in the boy''s common washroom while the girls were in the girl''s wing. After cleaning up Yang Dao was good enough to walk and came to have dinner with the people in the hall.


    He was comfortable and all the frustration has vanished from his heart when he was playing and spending time with these people. He was at home.

 Chapter 243: Guidance.

    The night bled with sunlight and a new day started. Yang Dao was sleeping in the reception area and not the room allocated for him. Why? Because the kids in the orphanage all want to stay with him since the room was not big enough they set up some mattresses in the reception area. Nina and Tina, however, were undefeated and slept closest to the boy.


    It was five o''clock in the morning when Yang Dao woke up. He sat up and found that everyone else was sleeping, so, he stood up silently and made his way to the sides. The reporting time was eight o''clock and he still had three hours.


    The boy rummaged through his luggage and took out his sports shoes. Then, before anyone woke up. He ran outside the orphanage. He missed this place so now that he was visiting, he decided to go for a quick run in the city.


    He had just come out of the building when he found Lin, Kaya, Talen, and Victor practicing taichi. However, their stances were all different. His arrival was also sensed by them. They all stopped and waved at him.


    Yang Dao walked over and saluted them, after all, they were all his senior officers. He asked, "Do you all only practice with TaiChi?" he did not know why he asked but the question was instinctive to him.


    The other four nodded. Victor said, "Before we were commissioned we used to have different practices but now we are almost always on stand by so, we do not have much time on hand."


    The rest sighed. Yang Dao said, "You all are my protection detail arranged by Baibai, right?"


    The four people nodded. Yang Dao smiled and said, "Come then, we will go for a quick run. Also, be quick, come back before the coach wakes up." his words made the people exchange glances and they nodded to him.


    The Dao Child had already rushed forward before they could react. They also followed him. At first, the pace was calm and steady. Yang Dao said, "Senior Kaya, can you feel how the earth rebounds your feet when you run?"


    Kaya was surprised and after noticing what Yang Dao mentioned, she said, "Yes."


    The boy kept talking, "This shows that the firm earth is flexible as well." his words sent Kaya into a moment of trance. She has never actually noticed this but this young man in front of her actually made her enlightened. She was not dumb. She knew what Yang Dao said.


    Kaya had a personality of being very calm and cheery usually but as soon as she is onto a task her temperament becomes rigid. The balance of the two sides was what made her complete, and just now she realized this fact. She sensed the earth source energy inside her becoming even more rich and refined.


    This was how one refined the source energy inside them by realizing and comprehending the meaning and properties of the element they practice. The other three people were also shocked. They did not expect Yang Dao to suddenly give them pointers.


    When in the military training Laohu Bai told them that this boy was a gem, they did not understand at first but as time passed, they had realized that this boy was indeed a gem. He can solve things that have bothered them a lot. Also, his talent for practicing elements was even higher than the strongest people they have seen.


    Thus, they did not look down on him. Yang Dao continued and said, "Senior Talen, do you feel the heat inside your body? Do you feel how as you breathe while running, the heat inside you makes the outside colder?"


    Talen replied, "Yes." he felt a strong heat inside his body due to running but as his body became heated the outside became colder to him, relaxing him a bit. It is just like the phenomenon, you run for an hour and when you stop, you feel that the outside is colder by a bit.


    Yang Dao said, "This is fire, balanced by nature. Fire can not only make things warm but also make them cold. It is said that extreme heat can generate cold."


    Talen was also enlightened in this way. The two others were also pointed out and they also had some gains and the thing was that they did not even realize when they had started to sprint through the streets and roads of the city with Yang Dao. Their speed was enough to give any professional athlete a run for their money.


    They returned to the orphanage after thirty minutes and the boy was greeted by Ayaka standing at the doors. The pretty coach was glaring at him hard enough to scare him. She took a step forward and held his ear in his fingers and she said, "You Naughty Boy. Who allowed you a run around? Do you want to lose your legs? Go take a cold bath and you are not allowed to walk on your legs until it is time to report at the starting line."


    Yang Dao grimaced but nodded. He did not say anything to make this she-devil even more infuriated. Ayaka let go of his ear and the boy walked inside the reception hall. Then he took some of his clothes and then he came to the bathroom. He dipped his legs inside the bucket filled with cold water and relaxed them. Then he closed his eyes to meditate.


    He was going to heal his injured muscles and get ready for the race today. In his mind, however, the ideas about his upcoming trip with Laohu Bai were almost raging a storm. He calmed himself after a few minutes and focused on his recovery. Sushi meanwhile massaged his hair with shampoo. She had taken a liking to this bubbly substance, unexpectedly it can make her own hair silky and smooth.  No matter what species, women loved to look good.

 Chapter 244: Flying With The Phoenix.

    After Yang Dao was done healing he ate a hearty breakfast and then after bidding an emotional farewell to everyone he left the orphanage with his team.


    Today he was riding the ''Silence'' again. Ayaka was monitoring the news and web forums about this and she found a lot of people apologizing to Yang Dao for their earlier statements. They also apologized to Feng Yun for calling her an evil capitalist of so.


    Not that the phoenix cared about it. However, Yang Dao became calm after this incident. he went back to riding his own bike. After the participants, all gathered at the starting line they were all shocked to find the crowd being pro-Dao.


    The city was drowned in overwhelming chants of his name, "DAO! DAO! DAO! DAO! DAO!"


    Yang Dao stood at the starting line with a helpless smile and a negligible blush on his face. he raised his hands and waved to the crowd. The referees waved the flag and the event began again. Just like he entered the city yesternight, the people all showered him with flower petals.


    The boy decided to respect the people with winning the two checkpoints and he slowed down and said, "I will not switch to the top gear, how about a race for the checkpoint?" he had forgotten that not everyone was able to heal themselves overnight. The others have all pushed themselves yesterday.


    Watching no one answering his offer. Thomas pulled forward and said, "How about I race you?"


    The other people were also surprised. Evans also smiled and said, "I am in too."


    The captain of the silver city also said, "I am in too. However, you must not touch the fourth front gear." he stated.


    Yang Dao nodded and said, "After this turn, the sprint is straight. You can use all that you have. Let the spectators enjoy." with a smile on his face.


    The three people nodded, after all, in the past four days only they had not raced for checkpoints.


    Yang Dao and the four took the lead, unaware that Ray and Felix had started a betting stall on the go. Ray said, "Dao gets first, Evans gets second. I bet five hundred carat coins."


    Felix bet on Dao first and Thomas second. The rest of the teams pressed on their own captains winning the second. Yes, second. They knew what sort of monster was that kid. Soon the results became obvious, the Dao Child took first, Thomas second with Evans, and the Silver city guy coming in third by a millisecond and tied.


    The mountain or the highest road point checkpoint was taken by Yang Dao. The whole Jewel nation was like a big plateau. The race continued and on the sixth day, Eugene dropped out along with a member of the silver city team.


    Despite the tough training, the pressure of the actual race was not handled by them. The bodies had reached the limit as they were going at least thrice faster than the pace of the training. On the same night, two more people dropped out. The other teams were also in dire straits, but the competition went on. On the final day, The people returned to the jade city. This time they climbed the ruby peak first and then chased to the finish line in the city.


    Thomas took the finish line and Yang Dao came in second. This was done deliberately and everyone was aware of it because Thomas was about to pass out so this win became Yang Dao''s gift to him. After the award ceremony, Yang Dao was surrounded by the press. Fortunately, Feng Yun arrived on time to rescue his tired ass.


    The lady rode a vibrant vermillion-colored chopper and behind her two leopards followed. The two cubs had grown half a meter in size after just one week. They looked very domineering. The chopper landed in the middle of the road and the media shifted their focus on Feng Yun''s entry. The lady gracefully walked wearing her traditional vermillion red dress.


    She came to Yang Dao and with a smile, she embraced him. The boy said, "Sister Yun, what is with the charade?"


    The girl whispered, "Surprise for later, Dao. Do not spoil it. You know I cannot deny things to you."


    Yang Dao smiled. he beckoned the leopard cubs. The two furry creatures walked over to his side and rubbed their heads to his legs. The people of the media went crazy. To think such strong animals were so tamed in front of Feng Yun and Yang Dao.


    If they knew that the IQ of these two can put them to shame, then what? Feng Yun turned to the media and said, "Thank you for your attention. You can ask questions to my brother but slowly. he is very tired from the event so I hope you understand."


    The people nodded and started to ask him questions about how was he able to keep up in the event and where did the cubs come from. The boy also did not shy away and told them that he was able to keep up because of daily training and the support of his teammates. He also mentioned how Ayaka coached them to win this event.


    He came to the topic of the cubs and told the people how he found them in the mountains and how their mother dead by a trap left behind by the hunters. After all, this was done, Yang Dao went over to meet the principal, Aislinn jasper who was standing with the officials discussing some things.


    Her daughter happened to be present as well. She and Yang Dao exchanged a smile and the boy spoke, "Ma''am can I take a leave from the college?"


    The principal smiled and said, "Well, you can take the leave to rest, but do submit your physics project, before the final assessment. Professor Newton might deduct some credits from you otherwise."


    The lady was joking with him actually. The boy scratched the back of his head and nodded in promise. Then he sat down in the chopper and flew away with Feng Yun. Just like the first time, people looked at his back in awe and envy.

 Chapter 245: Departure.

    Yang Dao sat on the chopper with Feng Yun he laid back in the seat and relaxed. The hard work did tire him. He asked in a low voice, "Where are we going?"


    The two leopards sat beside him and placed their heads in his lap. Feng Yun replied, "You are departing on a new adventure with XiaoBai. Dao, be very careful when you go out there. Understand?"


    The calm lady sounded unusually concerned and anxious. Yang Dao nodded to her. He asked, "How long I will be gone for? I will need to make arrangements for a lot of things."


    Feng Yun said, "You will be gone for a month at the least. Your performance there will decide the actual duration of your trip. Also, you can make the arrangements now. Once the chopper lands, you will have no internet access."


    Yang Dao picked up his phone and called Kylie Dew after a long time. The call was answered in an instant. An excited voice sounded from the other side, "Well, how come you recalled to call me, Dao?"


    The boy smiled wryly and said, "Actually, I need a favor from you."


    Kylie Dew fell quiet and asked after a few moments, "What is it?"


    "Can you look after the growth of the AI program I designed in my absence?" his words were like a nuclear missile hitting the target. At this moment, Kylie Dew was shocked, her pupils were dilated to the limit of the human body.


    She asked, "What did you just say?"


    Yang Dao repeated himself and said, "I have my maid Lisa at home. You only need to go my place once a week only and check the growth rate. I will have your role set as a moderator in the system. How about it can you do it?"


    Kylie Dew replied, "I am going right now. Also, can I see the code?" she was obviously in fan girl mode. Yang Dao agreed to her and after disconnecting the call he called Lisa about this. He sent a message to his friends saying that he is going out for a month. Just when he was done with all this he got a call from an unknown number.


    He connected the call and found that the caller was a girl. He asked, "May I know who is this?"


    The other side spoke, "I am Aina, from the A1 car race. I came third. Do you not remember?"


    Yang Dao recalled how the girl just took his number and left. He asked, "Yes, I remember. I did not expect you to call me. So, what''s up?" his tone was calm and casual.


    The girl said, "I saw your team winning the first prize in the inter university so I decided to call you and congratulate."


    The two people exchanged a few plesantries and the girl asked, "When will you be back to race on the circuit?"


    Yang Dao thought about it and said, "I don''t know but probably when the new season begins. Also, Aina, I need to go, I wish you all the best fro the season."


    Aina replied him with a thanks and the two people disconnected the phone. That girl did not call him to suck up to him but was just congratulating her idol for his victory. Feng Yun smiled and said, "We are here."


    Yang Dao looked outside the window and found a island surrounded by the sea. The island looked like a sphere with eight cliffs standing around it. Feng Yun smiled and said, "The eight cliffs represent the eight laws of heaven. The island is called gateway. It is completely protected from the satellites and human probes."


    Yang Dao nodded as he heard these words. The sylph peeked out from his hair and said, "Master, the elemental fluctuations are very strong here. Unlike the other places. This place is somewhat like my home."


    Feng Yun nodded and said, "Little one, you are quite sharp."


    Sushi blushed at the compliment and hid in Yang Dao''s hair again. The chopper flew closer to the island and Feng Yun said, "The chopper is piloted by my trusted shadow guards. So, it is not a problem. Come let us go."


    Yang Dao only understood her meaning when she opened the door and Feng Yun jumped out of the cabin. The boy held the two cubs in his arms and jumped out as well, since he was running low on the source energy. He directly bent the wind to fly to the island. Feng Yun led him to the center  of the island.


    The pair landed in a clearing. The island was covered in lush green grass, a gentle breeze blowing around. On the four corners of the clearing, four stone platforms were visible. They all had different engravings on them. Yang Dao noticed these engravings and he sensed the four different elements coming from them.


    He let the cubs go from his embrace and asked, "What do we do now, Sister Yun?"


    Feng Yun smiled and said, "Be patient, let the others come over."


    Yang Dao nodded and sat down on the lush grass. He said, "I will take a nap." and laid down on the grass directly. This place made him feel like he was in a paradise. So warm, calm and serene. The felling was flooding his heart and as he laid down, the wind started to brush over him gently, the grass around him became more radiant.


    Sushi was flying around suddenly stopped. Her gaze was locked with Yang Dao. The boy was now covered in a dim gloden light. Her tiny body shivered as she asked, "Goddess, is this Dao resonance?"


    Feng Yun nodded with a smile. She said, "You seem quite knowledgeable, little one. It is indeed Dao resonance. The one who sleeps in front of us is none other than the Dao Child. This place is the Dao is strongest in the whole world. This is why he is at ease here."


    Sushi had knelt down on the ground, and she prostated herself to the boy who slept with a smile on his face. Feng Yun said, "Dao resonance will heal him up. As for the other things related to Dao resonance, you will discover in the future. Now go around and play."


    Sushi nodded and flew a distance away but she did not leave like earlier. Yang Dao being the Dao Child was something shockening to her. Soon, three figures appeared in the sky. They were none other than Ryu Jinshi, Laohu Bai, and Atsuji Kurogame. The time of departure was close.

 Chapter 1: Plea.

    Hello, Dear Readers.


    First of all, thank you for your support of the story. I am very grateful for that. When I started this book, I did not expect it to turn so much better and was really overwhelmed. I have always tried to do the best that I can from my end.


    I never had any complaints regarding what people said about my work. I took it as a pointer and tried to improve. However, a week ago, I found that someone has infringed almost the whole book, (ch 247) and posted it on a pirated platform.


    This act has cost me a lot. Writing books is my full-time job, So I request you to kindly not read the book on pirated platforms. This is my hard work and a lot of things rely on it from my end.


    Also, if possible please vote with your Golden Tickets.


    Thank you very much for the time you all have spent on this book. Your support, comments, and likes are appreciated.


    Yours gratefully,


    The Wordsmith.

 Chapter 246: The Departure (2).

    Yang Dao was sleeping with comfort, unaware that the other three people have arrived. They all landed on the ground and Atsuji Kurogame said, "Finally took down the last seal, two hours ago."


    Ryu Jinshi smiled, yes the big oaf smiled. His smile carried a hint of carefreeness. He stretched his body and said lazily, "Do we have to send these two off today? I mean, I just undid my seals last night. Can I not race with him, before he goes away to learn?"


    Laohu Bai smiled and said, "You will lose regardless. Now send us away." her voice was calm.


    The familiars have all undone their seals and their temperament has changed a lot all of a sudden. Feng Yun said, "Let me wake him up."


    She walked over to Yang Dao and said in a soft voice, "Dao, wake up."


    Yang Dao turned on his side and said, "Just a few more minutes, please, Sister Yun." his voice was lazy and he was enjoying his sleep here. The people all showed warm smiles on their faces. Laohu Bai gazed at the two leopards in the distance, who seemed to have frozen in their places. She said, "Sister Yun, you take care of these little ones. As for the tiny Sylph, Second Brother, you have to make some arrangements."


    Ryu Jinshi nodded and looked around, his gaze fell on a tiny blue creature flying around Feng Yun with a panicked face. He asked in an unknown language, ''What are you doing, little one?''


    Sushi froze in her place and even forgot to use her wings to fly and slowly landed on the ground. She kowtowed to Ryu Jinshi and greeted him. The man smiled and beckoned her over. The tiny girl rushed over with an excited look in her eyes.


    Ryu asked her to wait beside her. Feng Yun again woke up Yang Dao, "She said, "Dao, the others have arrived. Get up. It is time."


    The boy reluctantly woke up. He sat up while rubbing his eyes. He looked at the other three and said, ''Hello." in a lazy voice. He stood up and stretched his body again as he looked around. He asked, "Can I live here?"


    Atsuji Kurogame shook his head and said, "That is not good, is it? Though you can come here for vacations later, that means you only."


    Yang Dao nodded and said, "Okay, so when and how do we leave?"


    The old man said, "XiaoBai, stand with him."


    Ryu said, "Dao, let us have a car race when you come back. Also, your Sylph will stay by my side in your absence. So, don''t worry." his speech shocked Yang Dao. He did not realize till now that all these people have changed in their temperament.


    He smiled and said, "Okay, Mister Ryu." he was happy to see him like this. The boy looked at the two cubs and said, "You guys, be obedient and practice hard. I will check after I come back, okay." the cubs nodded like a human as they gazed at Yang Dao with shining eyes.


    Feng Yun said, "Dao, be very careful out there. Do not trust anyone except XiaoBai." her tone was solemn and her eyes were as if she would cry anytime.


    Yang Dao said, "I understand, Sister Yun. Also, tell Lisa to learn well. Take care of yourself. Okay?" he spoke with a soft voice. Feng Yun was his first familiar and she was the one he had spent most of his time with.


    Laohu Bai was standing beside him she patted his shoulder and said, "Calm your mind, Dao. It will affect the travel."


    Yang Dao gazed at her and nodded. Then he closed his eyes and calmed down. Laohu Bai sensed his mind and said, "Eldest, you can start."


    Atsuji Kurogane nodded and said, "Safe travels." he waved his hand, and a vortex formed above the two people. The vortex had a mystical vibe about it, smoke edges with a black yet shining inside. The vortex exerted suction over the two people and they vanished from their spot. The vortex also closed after their disappearance.


    Feng Yun and the two people glanced at the site in silence. The girl mumbled, "If he can make it through to the initial stage, then he will get a lot stronger."


    The two men nodded. Ryu said, "He will be fine. I can sense, he is different from his predecessors."


    ...


    After getting sucked by the space vortex, Yang Dao opened his eyes and glanced around. He sensed himself to be flying in space, surrounded by twinkling lights. He was about to extend his hand but a force blocked his movements.


    A calm voice sounded, "Dao, do not move while inside the space duct." from Laohu Bai.


    The boy asked, "Baibai, do you mean?" in confusion.


    Laohu Bai smiled and said, "A Space Duct is very similar to your AC duct. We are the wind inside. The sacred realms are all akin to different rooms connected with the space duct. These ducts are what we travel through to access the sacred realms. This duct also acts as a safety path. What you see is actually an isolated space. It looks vast but it is very compact."


    Yang Dao asked, "What lies outside this isolated space."


    Laohu Bai smiled and said, "When the time comes, you will find out about it yourself, Dao."


    The boy smiled at her answer. It was unknown how much time had passed when Yang Dao found a glowing hole approaching them quickly. Laohu Bai said, "Dao, hold on to me. Okay?"


    Since he was not aware of what was lying on the other side, Yang Dao wrapped his hand around Laohu Bai''s waist. Not to take shelter in her but to protect her. This was his instinct as a master of the familiars. The white-haired girl felt a warm current washing over her heart. In a blink, they vanished from the stary space.

 Chapter 247: Comprehension.

    Laohu Bai and Yang Dao stood in a wide field with grass as high as their knees. Yang Dao asked, "Baibai, except for the feeling this place looks very similar to Liro. Where is this?"


    The feeling in his words was the feeling he got back on the island. Laohu Bai smiled and said, "This is the entrance of the sacred realm, the doorway." her voice was very calm.


    Yang Dao again asked, "What is a sacred realm?" as he gazed around at the scene in front of him.


    Laohu Bai replied, "A sacred realm is a place which is made up of the manifestation of different laws of heaven. The one we are headed towards is called the realm of light and dark. It may look similar to you on the surface. However, the difference is really great."


    She was very patient in describing all this to Yang Dao. The boy was also like a sponge, absorbing everything he was told. He asked after Laohu Bai finished speaking. Yang Dao nodded and asked, "So what do we have to do here?"


    Laohu Bai chuckled and said, "To enter the realm of light and dark, you must figure out what you hide inside you. Are you made up of light or are you made up of the dark? When you have completed that, you will fight the master of light and dark, well not all-powerful, but strong enough for you. If you can compare with the master''s comprehension, then only you will pass."


    The boy froze and asked, "Are their people inside the realm of light and dark?"


    Laohu Bai nodded. Yang Dao asked, "Did they also compare before being allowed inside?"


    The white-haired girl could not help but laugh out loud. Then after a few seconds, she calmed down and said, "Migrants have to go through interviews."


    Yang Dao chuckled, and he asked, "So where do I meditate?"


    Laohu Bai said, "Do you sense anyone around?" calmly.


    The boy shook his head and understood her meaning. The place where they stood was just a vast prairie. Covered with grass as high as his knees. He waved his hand and a wind blade cleared a circle around him with a radius of one meter. He sat down and was about to close his eyes when Laohu Bai said, "One tip, to look inside yourself is the only way to see what you are made of. Since I am feeling happy, I give you another hint. Close your eyes properly."


    Then she sat back with an amused expression on her face. Yang Dao nodded and closed his eyes. He did not understand what the white-haired girl said, but said nothing because he needed to work on it by himself.


    As he cleared his mind and dwelt on the topic. The first question that came to his mind was how to find out what he was made of? To him, humans comprise flesh and bones irrigated by blood and energy, but that was before he became an Elementalist. The boy pondered over what could light and dark inside a person would mean.


    After a few hours, which he did not realize have gone by, he concluded that the light and dark reflected a person''s nature. Now to see one''s nature, you have to look inside their souls. Now the question was. How to look into your soul, where exactly does it live?


    Yang Dao recalled the hint given by Laohu Bai, that he should look inside him. However, where inside him lived the soul? The boy was confused. He took a note that his mind was getting agitated, so he took a deep breath and calmed down. Then he let go of his thoughts. He let them dwell in whatever direction they wanted. This action calmed him very much.


    When too many thoughts flow through your mind and you cannot keep a track of them, you find yourself at peace. At this moment, he suddenly recalled how his familiars all had a mark glowing on their brows when he accepted them. They told him that a shred of their souls was now mixed with his.


    He focused his energy on his brows. Soon he found a vague light glowing inside his brows, buried under his body. Now he wanted to focus further but felt a headache. He calmed down, again let his thoughts run wild as he sat in peace.


    ...


    Outside his body, Laohu Bai was looking at him with a soft smile on her face. She nodded as she saw the boy approach such an obstacle with a calm mind. It has been a day only, she mumbled, "It should take him a week at this rate. Let''s see, how deep can he go."


    ...


    Days passed quickly for Yang Dao as he was immersed in meditation. It was the third day on the vast prairie. Yang Dao has been sitting in his position for three days now. However, today the boy had figured out how to close his eyes completely.


    He was circulating the source energy behind his eyelids to form a film behind them. He kept layering the azure-colored overlapping each other and soon the azure color changed to black. Yes, it became too saturated. When you close your eyes, you can still see if it is light or dark outside. But now, surrounded by complete darkness, he could see inside him.


    The glow inside his body was more prominent. He thought to himself, ''When I there was light outside, he could not see inside himself. It was all dark. Now that I have darkness blocking the light outside, I can see the light inside me.''


    He comprehended the fact, darkness and light go hand in hand. It is just like two sides of a coin. When you have lights outside, you will be dark inside, but when you have the dark outside, the light inside, you will glow. They will balance each other. Yang Dao focused himself to look what his soul was like.


    The glow coming from under the brow was getting brighter with every second. Using the source energy to perceive what it was like. He found a ball of light floating inside his pineal gland. He gazed at the ball and found that it was not actually made up of light completely. He could see a tiny black point floating on the ball as well.


    It could be an illusion, but it confirmed the fact that the soul comprised both light and dark. However, he did not hurry to open his eyes but kept looking at the light and dark ball.

 Chapter 248: The Trial Of The White Tiger.

    Yang Dao sat immersed in his comprehension unaware of the time outside. After an unknown time, he opened his eyes. He smiled when he saw Laohu Bai sitting in front of him with her eyes closed. He was about to stand up when the girl opened her eyes.


    She smiled. The boy asked, "Can I have some food? I feel hungry."


    Laohu Bai said, "After you pass the trial and enter the sacred realm, you can have whatever you want." with a helpless smile.


    Yang Dao did not mind and nodded. He asked, "So, who is the master of this sacred realm?"


    Laohu Bai smiled and said, "The white tiger." with that said her body floated to the sky and a strong green glow radiated from her body. Yang Dao covered his eyes when the glow resided and he finally opened his eyes.


    He was shocked, in front of him stood a behemoth. His figure looked extremely negligible in the face of the white tiger standing in front of him. A faint green glow was radiating from the beast. The white tiger would be as tall as a skyscraper if it stood on its hind legs.


    However the figure was not real, but it was ethereal. Magnificent white fur with domineering black stripes. Strong muscled legs, a long and agile tail flickering from time to time. Big bright eyes with a vertical pupil, green in color.


    The boy tilted his head to the side and gazed at the creature in awe. An ethereal voice sounded, "Young Man are you ready for the trial?"


    Yang Dao nodded and said, "Yes. Can I ask you something first?"


    The white tiger asked, "Go ahead." in the comforting ethereal voice.


    "Ummm, regardless of the result of the trial. Can I have Baibai back?" his voice was full of innocence and confusion. He was aware that Laohu Bai was the incarnation of the white tiger. However, he was worried that if he failed the trial, he will be sent back alone.


    A flicker of surprise flashed in the eyes of the beast. Never has she ever came across a Dao Child who would worry about their familiar while they participated in the trial. The beast nodded and replied in the same ethereal voice, "Yes. Now shall we start?"


    Yang Dao nodded. The beast said, "Sit down." as she sat down on her hind legs. Following her instructions, the boy sat down silently.


    The tiger asked, "So what are you made of?" this was the first question. The white tiger did not do much and jumped straight to the topic. This was in line with her personality. Straight and righteous.


    Yang Dao smiled and said, "I am made up of everything." his answer was vague.


    The white tiger emitted a strong aura from her eyes. She asked, "Explain the meaning of your answer, young one."


    "Everything, in this world, apart from the law of light and dark and lot of other things reside inside an entity. If light and dark are the only things I am made up of, how can I exist?" his words dropped and suddenly the world lost its color.


    The vast green prairies in the surroundings changed to bizarre lines of black and white. He looked around and said, "See, the world has become just lines. The black is dark and the white is light."


    The white tiger looked around and a glint of surprise flashed inside her big shining eyes. However, she wanted to see how Yang Dao justified his answer. The boy spoke calmly, "If it was just light and dark, it did not show its properties. Will the world not be vague and monotonous? You are the white tiger, your fur looks white and black. however, your eyes are green.


    The master of the light and dark, yet you have the earthen element radiating from you. They said I am the Dao Child. Although I do not know the weight of this role, Dao resides in everything. Since extreme light can give birth to dark, and vice versa why can the Dao not be made of everything when everything is made of Dao?


    Since the dao child is a reflection of the Dao, like Baibai is yours. Why can I not be made up of everything like the Dao? Also, if this reason sounds vague to you, then why is my color not in line with the entire scene?"


    Yes, the boy was looking exactly like the way he was before, he still had his color and traits just like the White Tiger had her green eyes.


    Hearing what Yang Dao said, the White Tiger stood up, and said, "The white tiger has seen the Dao Child."


    As she said, this, she bowed her head to the boy. Yang Dao tilted his head and asked, "Did I pass?"


    The white tiger burst into laughter. She said, "Yes, you have passed. The motive of the trial is not to judge if you are made up of light or dark or both. But to see if you can find what are the adverse effects of them. When people are tested in something they often neglect the adversity of that topic.


    However, the true light and dark are positive and negative working hand in hand. You showed me the negative while the positive is already visible. Thus, you have passed. Now, I shall give back your familiar to you."


    Yang Dao raised his hand and said, "Ummm can I say something before you go?"


    The white tiger said, "Yes, Sire."


    "You look so cool. I will make a sketch of yours, can you stand a little sideways, please?" he asked while scratching the back of his head. When has he ever seen the stunning heavenly beast. The aura and the demeanor were unexplainable. Since he could not put them into words, he decided to sketch them.


    The White Tiger laughed again and showed the side profile to Yang Dao. Then said, "I will wait for your ascension, Sire." and with a burst of green light it vanished.


    Laohu Bai''s figure appeared in the void, floating with her eyes closed, Yang Dao caught a glimpse of the green mark between her eyebrows fading slowly. The girl opened her eyes and landed on the ground.


    She smiled and hugged the boy afterward to congratulate him. Then she led him to a big stone arch, Yang Dao did not know when it appeared but he walked holding Laohu Bai''s hand slowly.

 Chapter 249: Huh? For Real?

    Laohu Bai held Yang Dao''s hand and led him to the huge stone arch standing in the distance. Yang Dao asked, "Hey, is it because you are the master, that these pillars have the white tiger carved on them?"


    The white-haired girl nodded and said, "Same for everyone else. They have similar pillars for the sacred realms they govern."


    Yang Dao nodded and looked at the pillars with more focus. The pillars seemed to give off a little glow of the like and dark. He nodded and said, "They contain profoundness of the light and dark law."


    Laohu Bai nodded and said, "These arches are more than just a mere gateway, Dao. Can you guess the other purpose?" she asked him quizzically. The two people stood in front of the magnificent arch holding hands.


    Yang Dao looked carefully at the two arches. He suddenly said, "Is it also guarding the entrance?"


    Laohu Bai revealed a stunning smile and nodded as she spoke, "Yes, the door is sentient, anyone who tries to barge in the sacred realm must face off with the spirit of the gateway."


    Yang Dao was surprised and asked, "Who can attack the sacred realms?" this place was supposedly only accessible to the four heavenly spirit beasts and the Dao Child. He did not understand who might have the strength to attack here.


    Laohu Bai shook her head and led the boy forward. The two people crossed the arch and the scene did not change much. However, Yang Dao spotted a few trees here and there. He turned back to find the huge archway missing. He asked, "So where are we?"


    Laohu Bai said, "We are on the clearing between the kingdom of the light king and the kingdom of the dark king."


    The boy pursed his lips and asked, "Details and history please?"


    Laohu Bai chuckled and said, "This world has two main regions, The kingdom of light, and the kingdom of the dark. The place where we are standing is called the twilight mountain. We are standing at the summit. So now we can start the journey. You can decide which kingdom you would like to go to first."


    Yang Dao crossed his hands and asked, "So what is the purpose of my visit to the respective kingdoms?" his tone was thoughtful.


    "To learn about the laws of light and dark." replied, Laohu Bai.


    The boy nodded and said, "How do I do that?"


    He had no idea how Laohu Bai planned on letting him learn about the laws. The white-haired girl replied, "By reading the books in the respective kingdoms. Also, you can find a teacher in these places to help you out."


    Yang Dao shook his head, "I don''t find this idea very plausible. But since you have said so, I will try. If not then I will try another approach on this okay?"


    Laohu Bai nodded, and asked, "Where do you wish to go then?"


    The boy gazed around and said, "A place where they have good food? Please." making the girl chuckle. She nodded and took him down the mountain. The two people were flying down like specters.


    Yang Dao found that the twilight peak was really desolate, let alone humans even beasts were missing. Yang Dao asked Laohu Bai a lot of things regarding the two kingdoms but the girl just smiled at him.


    They had just gotten down the mountain and the boy said, "Baibai if the food is not good, I will... I will ask the white tiger to come back."


    Laohu Bai could not help but laugh out loudly. The boy who was worried about her disappearance just a few moments ago was now threatening to exchange her if the food is not good. What else can she do other than laughing? The two people were walking along a mud trail when he spotted a big sailor ship sailing in the sky. His eyes opened wide and he pointed at the ship flying across the vast blue skies.


    Yang Dao asked, "How is that sailer ship traveling through the air?"


    Laohu Bai smiled and said, "How about we take a ride on it?"


    The boy nodded like a chicken pecking grains. Laohu Bai was about to move forward and said, "Well, a change of clothes is required." She waved her hands and a pair of garments appeared in her hands.


    They were both same but a white pullover shirt with silver embroidery on the sleeves, black lower seemingly made of cotton with gold embroidery on the thigh area, and was tight at the bottom. Yang Dao was so excited to get on the sailor ship that he snatched a pair and ran behind a tree. Laohu Bai was smiling as she shook her head. She also changed her clothes behind another tree.


    Yang Dao came out and found that the girl was dressed but her set had a long skirt and not a lower. He wore his white sneakers. Laohu Bai said, "Let us go?"


    Yang Dao did not bother to answer by words but actions, he directly jumped up and a gust blew behind him. On his back, two big blue glowing wings appeared and he flew to the boat. Laohu Bai jumped up and followed him. She said, "Dao, calm your mind. Too much excitement, is not a good thing."


    The boy shivered and woke up. He said, "Sorry, I was really just excited right now. How can they make that thing fly in the air? I will not lose it again."


    Laohu Bai nodded as the two people flew forward. Soon they caught up with the ship. The magnificence that Yang Dao saw from below was nothing compared to this. He could never imagine such a thing.


    The people on the ship who saw Yang Dao flying in the sky with his wings were shocked. An elder in the crowd shouted, "The Emissary of heavens." and he knelt down. Followed by him, the rest were shocked and they also knelt down.


    Yang Dao looked at Laohu Bai, who said, "The Dao Child is called the emissary of heavens."


    The boy said in exasperation, "Are you for real, Baibai?"

 Chapter 250: The Delicate Balance. (1)

    Laohu Bai snickered when she saw the look on Yang Dao''s face. The boy asked the people who knelt in front of them, "Excuse me, Old Sir. Can I come aboard your... Um, vessel?"


    His humble tone surprised the people. They did not expect him to be so polite. The old man hurriedly stood up and with a bent back, he said, "Yes, it will be our honor to have you come over. Please, lord please, be welcome."


    Yang Dao slowly landed on the deck and looked around. Laohu Bai stood behind him in silence. The boy asked, "Old Sir, what is this gigantic airship?"


    The old man was confused. He said, "Sir, mean the elemental vessel?"


    Yang Dao replied, "Yes, can you teach me about it old sir?" he was calm and polite.


    The old man said, "This vessel is called an elemental vessel. It is powered up by the laws of elemental cultivation. This vessel can travel, in the air, in the water, and on earth as well. The person in charge ignites the source energy from their body and channels it through the vessel, making it move forward."


    Yang Dao nodded and asked, "Forgive me, Old Sir, may I know what your name is? I am Yang Dao. Thank you for allowing me to come aboard." With that said, he bowed to the old man.


    The old man had not expected this. He hurriedly said, "Lord, please raise your head. You are the emissary of the heavens. How can you bow to us lowly beings? Please, Lord. Stand up."


    Yang Dao raised his head and asked with a smile, "Old sir, you said it yourself. I am the emissary of heavens. I am not the heavens itself. Please stand up. Just like you, I exist under the heavens as well. Do I not?"


    His words surprised the old man. Laohu Bai spoke, "Since the Dao Child has spoken. Old Sir, stand up and report your name."


    Her voice sent tremors to the people. They have all heard of the legend, how the emissary will be escorted by an entity as strong as the deity of the realm. The old man did not dare to refuse her words and raised his head to stand up straight. Yang Dao gave Laohu Bai a thumbs up. He said to everyone else. "Please stand up."


    The rest of the people looked at the old man. He nodded and the rest of the people stood up. They all finally caught a glance of Yang Dao''s handsome visage. The old man replied, "Pardon my rudeness, Lord. I am called Theseus."


    The boy nodded and asked, "Mister Theseus, can you tell us how can you channel energy through this vessel? Is it not made of deadwood?"


    The old man found a fire of curiosity in his eyes and replied with a smile, "Lord, even though the wood has been cut off and crafted in this shape. It is still a part of nature. Everything in nature can conduct source energy through it."


    Yang Dao looked and nodded. He asked, "Can I see how you do it, please?" he was new to this word and did not know of the way things worked. He has learned that students should always stay humble with their teachers and thus he behaved like this.


    Yang Dao may be a Dao Child, but it was a status that had little an influence on his mindset. He believed everyone should be treated with respect and affection. One of the biggest factors that made him develop such a mindset was the early years of his life in the orphanage. Tina was a religious lady, although Dao never found why he should believe in something non-existent he followed the good things taught in the holy scriptures.


    Laohu Bai on the side had a very content expression on her face. The previous emissaries of heaven were all people elder than Yang Dao when they were discovered. These people had different backgrounds and different mindsets. Some misused the title of the Dao Child, while some were too humble to the point of being treated as a fool.


    Such flaws in the character we''re supposed to be eliminated by the familiars by guiding the Dao Child, however, since they disclosed their status as a servant, things never worked out the way they should have. Leading to chaos.


    ...


    Theseus nodded with a big smile on his face and told Yang Dao to use his feet as a channel and then sense the ship with the source of energy. Just like how they found the energy inside themselves to interact with the world, now they use the body inside to interact with the energy inside the external things.


    Yang Dao stood in a place with his eyes closed and quickly he found that the whole ship was filled with Source energy. After this, the second step was to use the ship as a medium to bend the surrounding element. The boy focused and moved the wind and soon the speed of the ship increased exponentially.


    A loud voice sounded, "Theseus, you old man, can you not stop it. You made me die with a heart attack. Stop channeling your elemental energy. This is too fast. We will be fined by the kingdom of light. Do you take it for a Sky-streak event." the voice was loud, but it sounded very strong.


    Yang Dao hurriedly stopped the manipulation of the energy. After a few seconds, a tall and strong figure appeared in front of Theseus. The man was seven feet tall, he had broad shoulders. It was as if Ryu Jinshi''s cousin has appeared. Theseus said, "How many times I have told you to be polite? We have guests on the vessel."


    Theseus raised his hand and points at Yang Dao. The burly figure took a glance at the boy and turned around. However, he froze and then looked at Yang Dao''s clothes. then at Laohu Bai, who was looking at him with an eyebrow raised.


    This guy ignored the Dao Child in her presence. The man smiled brightly and directly hugged Yang Dao. His actions surprised the boy a lot. This was the opposite of how old man Theseus.

 Chapter 251: The Delicate Balance. (2)

    Yang Dao was surprised by the man suddenly embracing him. He sighed and thought, ''I let my guard down after all this time of peace.''


    Theseus'' complexion turned pale in fright. He snatched back the burly man and made him let go of Yang Dao. He screamed, "Djomdar are you out of your bloody mind you uncultured man! Do you know who is this personage in front of you? How dare you? I... Arrghhh... I will kill you."


    Yang Dao was even more surprised. After all, it was just a hug. Why do you have to kill him? He frowned. Laohu Bai snorted, "Humph." and the next moment everyone on the deck, except Yang Dao, fell pale.


    Theseus immediately knelt and said, "My Lady, please spare us. This sort of scene will never happen again. Please spare us. We will go away and live in seclusion."


    Watching the old man beg for another person, made Yang Dao somewhat strange in heart as well. He asked, "Baibai, stop scaring them." he turned to her and almost pouted.


    How can Laohu Bai be strict after that look? She held down the urge to chuckle and with a poker face took back the pressure. This was innate law suppression. Laohu Bai was the goddess and master of the laws of light and dark. She was the protector of this realm as well, she had the supreme authority in this place.


    Yang Dao glanced at the two old people and asked, "Mister Theseus, who is this gent?"


    Theseus was surprised and forgot to introduce the man beside him to Yang Dao. Taking advantage of the situation the burly man said, "Lord, my name is Djomdar. I am the second owner of this vessel. I apologize to you for my impulsive behavior. I have heard the tales of all-powerful emissaries appear out of nowhere. When I found your attire matching the description I could not help myself. Please forgive me."


    Yang Dao being a child from the outside world where treachery is common, asked, "Why do you judge me based on the clothes? What if I am using treachery? What if this garment is fake?"


    Theseus broke out of his stupor and said, "Lord, the insignia on your clothes is the symbol of balance. None other than the emissary of heavens can wear it. If someone does, then the lighting whip will deal them devastation."


    Yang Dao first opened his eyes wide and then squinted sideways at Laohu Bai. He could sense that this lady has tweaked the rules in this world. So he decided to ask her later. After all, it was a bad thing to confront your comrades in front of outsiders.


    Laohu Bai also avoided his gaze by acting as if she was admiring the scenery. outside the deck. Yang Dao sighed and said, "Sir, please stand up first. Also, Mister Djomdar can you tell me why did you hug me? I mean, hearing tales and stories cannot make you react like that."


    He was reading psychology in the otherworld and he could figure out things by the reactions of a human. Yes, the people in this sacred realm were humans, but they were reincarnations. Every human will go through his reincarnations in the realms of the laws they never understood before they could again go back to the secular realm.


    These people will obviously forget about the laws in the secular world and have their own lives. But if they could remember the laws of heaven, then their actions with the laws will determine whether they will ascend or descend. Ascension will send them to the heights of the heavens while descent will send them to the depths of hell.


    Yang Dao''s question made Djomdar flinch and the respect and awe in his eyes became even stronger. He said, "Lord, in the records, it is said that once an emissary of heavens come, he or she will be able to restore the balance of our lands. Just like how it used to be ages ago."


    "Do you mean to say that the world is imbalanced?" asked the boy.


    Laohu Bai did not say anything but she was worried about how Yang Dao will deal with this situation.


    Djomdar sighed and said, "Lord, we, the kingdom of light are at war with the kingdom of the dark." in his voice, a strain of pain was lingering.


    "What do you mean? This world is at war?" Yang Dao opened his eyes wide. He asked again before anyone else can say anything, "Can you tell me the reason for this war?"


    Theseus said, "Lord, both sides are struggling to reign supreme in the world. It all started ages ago. We do not know why it started. However, you can find this in the palace of the light." a tint of hope appeared on his face.


    Yang Dao asked him how can he go to the palace of light. Theseus replied to him immediately and gave him a map as well. The boy did not wait and after taking a tour around the elemental vessel he flew away with Laohu Bai.


    He did not look back to see that the people on the vessel were kneeling in his direction and worshipping him. Laohu Bai, who had been silent for the whole time asked suddenly, "What did you figure out?"


    "A lot. The people do not know that what balance actually is. Theseus was the solemn one but he was filled with light, while Djomdar on the surface was happy but his heart was filled with darkness.


    Second, you have made me overrated. Third, the Dao Child of the past did not do a good job here. Fourth, I am very hungry." Yang Dao replied.


    His reply was filled with both serious and funny things. Laohu Bai on the side, smiled when she heard this. The boy did not react like this deliberately. But he was getting a deeper understanding of the laws with his interactions with the people. He has realized the delicate line of balance.

 Chapter 252: Light Food.

    Yang Dao and Laohu Bai flew in the sky for a long time, on the way Yang Dao spotted a few Elemental Vessels, but he did not board them. He saw that other than different decorations and sizes; they were all same.


    Theseus and Djomdar had told him they were merchants and their business was to allow people to travel between the two kingdoms. Despite the war going on the two kingdoms allowed civilian life to be as far from it as possible.


    This was the decree of the last Dao child who appeared here. Since that person could not find the solution for this situation, he/she commanded the people of the world to leave the civilians out of it and not to force everyone. They thought that the war will calm down on its own. They found a temporary balance that if the armies and the rulers are waring, then let the civilians be peaceful with each other.


    Yang Dao asked, "Baibai, did you all not question or guide the Dao Child when they were passing on these decisions? I mean, how did they even get the title of Dao Child. They say heavens never make mistakes, so how come they all failed?"


    Laohu Bai replied, "The heavens never make mistakes, Dao. However, it provides the people with their own thinking, as the people learn, they decide. Someone will try to gain something but they will lose something as well." Her tone was calm and patient.


    Yang Dao nodded and said, "Cause and Effect. Well, I will try to rectify this, also, I can command you right?"


    Laohu Bai nodded and said, "Yes, you can command me."


    The boy smiled and said, "Now, I have two commands for you. One is that you stop me from making any silly mistakes like my predecessors, and you can roast me for that. Okay?"


    "You said so yourself." said the white-haired girl.


    Yang Dao nodded and said, "Second, is that we land and eat food, I see a city approaching."


    Laohu Bai smiled and the two people softly landed on the ground. The city is front had tall walls, mounted with some defense weapons. A contingent of soldiers was also visible patrolling the parameters, a few people were standing outside in a queue to enter the city. Yang Dao and Laohu Bai came over and stood in the queue.


    The two attracted a lot of attention. The soldiers all stopped and suddenly the soldiers knelt, followed by the civilians. They all faced Yang Dao and Laohu Bai. The boy shook his head and said, "Please stand up. Carry on the usual operations."


    The soldiers were surprised, but in the past, they have heard that some emissaries were really humble and they did not ask for any special treatment. Soon they all stood up and one soldier said, "Lord, you can go inside the city first."


    The civilians also agreed but Yang Dao shook his head, "It is alright, we are in no hurry, but the elders and aunties can go in first." his voice and charming smile won the hearts of these simple people.


    Laohu Bai stood beside him and soon it was their turn to enter the city. The soldier on duty said, "Lord, you do not need to pay for entry."


    Yang Dao was about to ask when Laohu Bai, behind him, said, "Dao, it is fine. Let us go in."


    The boy nodded, and the two walked inside the city under the respectful gazes of the people. The soldier said, "This boy was the emissary of heavens? He sure has the charm."


    "Yeah, let''s see if he has the strength as well." said another guy.


    ...


    The city of light was the only city in the kingdom of light. It followed a circular layout. It was like a layer of buildings. The outer layer was the biggest and the core was the smallest. The outermost circle was for farmers, then came businessmen, then the government and military area, and in the center, the royal palace.


    Yang Dao has been craving food and now even his stomach growled. He asked a passerby, "Excuse me, brother." his voice attracted a person who was passing from the side. He was shocked to see the clothes Yang Dao wore. Before he could react, the boy asked, "Can you tell me where I can find a place to eat food?"


    The man pointed his hand and spoke with a stutter, "Moonlight Inn." Yang Dao thanked him and moved forward before the person knelt. He did not want these people to kneel to him, so to save himself from the repeated persuasion of making people stand it was better he vanished quickly.


    Laohu Bai understood his mood and followed him with an amused reaction. She has seen the records of how Yang Dao''s predecessors all came up with different solutions for this problem. Some would issue decrees, while some would try to avoid going out among the people. However, never has she read about a guy who would shy away from it.


    This was the difference between Yang Dao and the rest of the people. He was never eager to be treated like high and mighty. The two quickly came to the Inn, a waitress, ten years old, greeted them and led them to a table.


    The girl seemed to do not know about their status and treated them normally, much to Yang Dao''s liking. The boy asked, "Little Sister, what is your name?"


    The girl looked very adorable, with slight baby fat on her cheeks and two dimples on her cheeks. She had brownish curly hair and silver eyes. The girl smiled and said, "Jenna. What can I get you, two guests?"


    Yang Dao nodded when he saw the girl acting professionally. Yang Dao said, "Two servings of your best dish, then two servings of the best dessert, also tell me how much will it cost."


    Jenna replied, "That would be ten rays."


    Ray was the currency of the kingdom of light. Yang Dao turned his head to Laohu Bai, who blinked at him, showing that it is fine to eat here, and she has the money covered. Yang Dao nodded, and the girl went back to the kitchen to get the food.


    After ten minutes, she came back holding two big pots. She said, "This is a spicy fruit soup. It is a blend of two opposite flavors please try. I will get your dessert ready." with that said she went back to the kitchen.


    Yang Dao sniffed and smiled. He said, "Baibai, this is a cold soup and I can smell a spice similar to chili flakes in it."


    Laohu Bai nodded and the two people took a sip. The blend of chill and spice exploded in their mouths. Yang Dao liked it a lot. He drank the soup slowly, savoring every sip. Laohu Bai said, "Do you know why this is the best dish here?"


    The boy nodded. "A previous Dao Child left it here, probably. The dish is so good that it can be called perfect because the favors are in balance. It was probably his effort to fix the situation in this place."


    Laohu Bai nodded and was about to say something when the little girl arrived with two small bowls of dessert. It had a pleasant smell on it. Yang Dao asked, "What is this?"


    The girl replied, "Apple Pie." with a sweet smile on his face. The girl placed the food on the table and the two people ate it. Yang Dao closed his eyes and said, "Really, apple pie. How come they have apples here?"


    Laohu Bai said, "One predecessor, planted them here. Now the people use it,"


    Yang Dao shook his head and said, "This should not have been how they handled this thing. You just entered a different world and introduced the thing that never existed or was suitable for the place? This is also disabling this place."


    The two people were eating suddenly they heard a loud voice, "HOW DARE YOU SMEAR MY CLOTHES." followed by a loud slap.


    Slap


    Yang Dao looked over and he was enraged. The little girl Jenna was beaten harshly for a minor mistake. The so-called smear was two drops of curry on the shoes. The person who beat her stood up from his chair and walked towards the little girl, scaring her.


    Jenna said, "Sir, please forgive me, I did not do that on purpose."


    The man sneered and said, "You will pay me." and reached out his hand to grab the girl when a slender white palm caught his arm.


    The figure who blocked was Yang Dao. He said, "Sir, mistakes happen. You are rich and powerful, let bygones with bygones. How about I invite you for a light meal?"


    His question was polite and straight to the heart. The man did not put Yang Dao in his eyes. His gaze fell on Laohu Bai and they shone with unrestrained lust.


    He smiled at Yang Dao and said, "Brother, I accept your offer. I will take this meal. My name is Samson."


    "Yang Dao, nice to meet you." said the boy. He sent away the little girl and the three people chatted.

 Chapter 253: Lessons Of Karma.

    Yang Dao''s action made the waitress lose her good impression of him. She thought this person was very nice at first, but when she was slapped, this man did not help her but even offered a meal to the cruel man. She went inside the kitchen with a heavy face and sulky heart.


    Laohu Bai was also surprised at first, but with her understanding of the boy, she knew that this man will definitely suffer. The three people sat at Yang Dao''s table. On the surface, Yang Dao was talking to the man happily.


    Samson, however, was monitoring Laohu Bai. His brain was on a track of no return. He wanted to make this fly ''Yang Dao'' go away from his osmanthus cake ''Laohu Bai'' so that he can eat her. He asked, "Brother Yang, are you siblings out for travel?"


    He was trying to confirm the relationship between Yang Dao and the girl. The latter was about to answer when Laohu Bai interrupted, "How can I be siblings of the Young Master?"


    Samson had a spark flash in his eyes, "Oh, so this beauty is actually a slave subordinate to Brother Yang." his voice did not get pitiful but carried a cheer in it.


    Yang Dao did not wait, but focused on his soup. Samson sighed and said, "How pitiful to have a beauty like you beating a slave. How about this, I buy you from him? Brother Yang, I do not know if I can buy this lady from you."


    The Dao Child had a mouthful of soup in his mouth. After he heard what Samson said, he directly spewed a cold geyser on Samson''s face. The scene in the inn froze. Yang Dao was, however, angry. He glared at Samson and a strong aura radiated from him, then he slapped Samson.


    Smack!!


    The next moment, Samson fell from the chair. Yang Dao asked, "How dare you stain my relationship with Baibai with such language?" his tone was exactly the same as how Jenna was. At this moment, the whole inn fell silent suddenly.


    The guests did not expect such a scene to take place with the same person, but the position has changed. Samson sensed all the gazes concentrated on him. He was flushed with shame and grit his teeth. He wanted to stand up, but the force of the slap was so strong that it made him dizzy. Yang Dao still held back his strength when he smacked him.


    After a few seconds, Samson stood up and with murderous eyes glared at Yang Dao. He said, "How dare you slap me?"


    Yang Dao raised his head from the bowl and said, "Do you need me to slap you again?"


    Laohu Bai stifled a peal of laughter. She knew this would happen. Samson was about to react when an Old Man entered the inn. His presence was like a storm unleashed. The people all stood up in his respect. The old man gazed around and his eyes fell on Yang Dao and Laohu Bai.


    Samson was frozen in his place when he saw the old man. The person walked over and came in front of the table. He did not glance at Samson, but his eyes were locked on Yang Dao''s visage. He arched his hands together and knelt on the ground as he said, "Lord, forgive this servant for arriving late."


    Yang Dao shook his head and said, "Elder, please do not kneel. I feel embarrassed, please stand up."


    The old man stood up amidst the shocked gazes of the people in the inn. Loahu Bai asked, "Who might you be old sir."


    The man bowed as he said, "I am Orion. Minister in the palace of light. I was informed by the soldiers that the heavenly emissary has arrived in our kingdom."


    Laohu Bai nodded and went back to eating. Yang Dao said, "Old sir, please sit down. Would you like to eat?"


    Orion was temped but then he shook his head, he said, "Lord, please enjoy your meal." in his mind, he was not qualified to sit down and eat. He turned his head and said to the people, "You all did not recognize the child of chronicles, you all wait for the judgment." his words were strong.


    It was as if not recognizing Yang Dao was a terminal crime. These people were civilians. They had enough troubles to deal with in life. How were they to expect that the child of chronicles will appear out of the blue?


    "Minister Orion, forgive us. We did not expect the lord to appear among us plebeians." a person begged as he knelt down.


    The rest also begged and kneel. The Inn staff also came forward. Jenna was about to kneel and beg as well, when Yang Dao said, "Quiet."


    Everyone looked at him and with a wave of his hand, a strong gust lifted them all up to their feet. Yang Dao said, "You do not have to kneel to me. I am a human too. You do not have to recognize me as I have done nothing great. Be free. You are pardoned."


    Laohu Bai said, "Minister Orion, they are pardoned. This is not a crime." her voice may be calm but the pressure it gave Orion was strong enough to bury him under the ground alive. The old man nodded and said, "Yes, My Lady."


    Yang Dao finished eating the desert with a bright smile on his face. He said, "This dish is nice. Baibai, shall we ask for the recipe?"


    The dessert was apple pie, but it was not similar to the one they had on earth. Laohu Bai chuckled and said, "Food hunter."


    Yang Dao smiled and beckoned Jenna close to him. The girl walked over cautiously. She asked in a low voice, "Yes, Lord."


    The Dao Child placed his head on her head gently and said, "You can call me Big Brother Dao. Drop the lord, okay. Also, I wanted to make this man feel what humility was, earlier. Otherwise, I would not have invited him to my table. Forgive me, please?"


    Jenna was surprised and emotional when she heard these words. The person in front of her was the one this entire world was afraid of and respected. Yet this same man talked to her so gently and called her sister. She wiped a tear from her face and nodded her head.


    Yang Dao looked at Samson and with a cold voice, he said, "What you do to others is what the world will do to you. You are rich, that is your fortune, but remember, wealth is a fleeting thing. You never know how you might sleep and never wake up, so what is the point of being arrogant about wealth gained by your forefathers?"


    Orion was about to speak when Yang Dao''s gaze fell onto him. Do not underestimate this smiling boy, he was a cold piece of iron for outsiders. He said, "Old Sir, the people inside this place are all civilians. You wanted to punish them, why? Just because they did not kneel to a person they did not recognize. You are a minister and must know that every human has their own pride and own notions. Some people believe in god and some do not, but have you ever seen God acting with bias?


    You rule to serve. If someone is wrong, tell them their mistake and ask them the reason behind it. If the mistake does not hurt someone and the person is willing to accept it, they shall be forgiven. If I said that you knelt down in front of me is against my will, should I also punish you?"


    His words shocked the people. They had never looked at things in such a way. Well, rich could buy the rights to do anything they wanted. The high officials ruled over the civilians. They never thought that wealth and life were fickle so what was the point in being rich. The high officials can also be ignored by the people superior to them. So, what was all the high and mighty facade.


    Yang Dao said, "The rich and the poor fall sick all the same, they feel hungry all the same. They have same emotions and the same human body. Then what is the point of all this? Just because of some comforts you are bestowed by your ancestors? Do not forget they also started from nothing and then returned to nothing.


    The purpose of laws and rules is to make everyone feel equal and protected. Do not use them as you like, glorifying things you think are great is not the purpose of the laws and the rules. Respect your own seat and the others will respect you. Otherwise, they will curse your from the depth of their hearts. Condemning you to the depths of hell."


    What he spoke about were all facts of the Karma. These words carried the essence of balance in the world. Orion bowed in respect of these words he realized how wrong his actions were. He unintentionally was about to hurt the people he was supposed to serve and safeguard.


    Laohu Bai nodded secretly with this. The Dao child had the power to influence people with his words. These words were the tool to restore the balance of the world. Yang Dao was very proficient in using this tool.

 Chapter 254: See Through.

    Yang Dao stopped preaching and went inside the kitchen to learn about the apple pie recipe under the surprised and awed gazes of the people. He learned how to balance spiciness with sweetness and taught the chef a dish from Liro.


    He taught the chef how to make moon cakes using different ingredients. The chef was happy and he thanked him repeatedly. Yang Dao was all smiles, he asked Laohu Bai to pay the bill. Although the chef denied he said, "It is fine. Please do not make me indebted."


    Hearing this the owner did not hesitate more and accepted the rays. Laohu Bai saw the little girl Jenna was favored by Yang Dao and she secretly gave her a wisp of earth element. The girl will definitely be a genius elemental in the future.


    Just as the two people were about to walk out, Old Minister Orion said, "Lord, please wait."


    Yang Dao asked, "What is it, Old Sir? Can I do something for you?" he respected the man for his age.


    Laohu Bai stood behind him silently. Surprisingly, she would only guide Yang Dao when they were alone. In front of the people, she would act like a servant, always guarding and serving him.


    Orion said, "Lord, your words glorify me. This humble one would like to extend the invitation of the queen. We would be obliged to have you in the palace." his voice was low and his back was bent.


    Yang Dao thought for a bit and said, "Very well. I shall visit the palace."


    Orion''s eyes flashed with excitement. He replied, "Please." and made the gesture for him to be ahead.


    The boy nodded and walked forward with Laohu Bai half a step behind him. Orion followed two steps behind them. Yang Dao asked, "Baibai, can we find the records in the palace?"


    The records in his mouth were the books Laohu Bai said will teach him about the light and the dark. Hearing his question the white-haired girl nodded. Yang Dao nodded and they walked out of the Inn.


    ...


    After coming out they saw a contingent of the soldiers standing on both sides of the entrance. Yang Dao stopped walking and his gaze scoured over the soldiers, he was very vigilant since the unexpected hug.


    Orion walked over behind him and said, "Lord, these are the solider of the light. They are my personal guards." his voice carried a tint of pride. Although it was low but was still noticed by Yang Dao. He nodded. They were just about to take a step forward when the soldiers all nodded. They all spoke up, "We have seen the Emissary of heavens."


    Yang Dao smiled but the corner of his mouth was twitching slightly. Laohu Bai smiled as well, but her smile was the one of gloating. If not for the sake of the boy glaring at her sideways along with his image she would have laughed out loud. Yang Dao waved his hand and lifted the soldiers. He said, "You people are soldiers and I am a soldier as well, do not kneel in front of anyone except your parents. You carry the hope and lives of the citizens on your shoulders. You shall be respected."


    After this, Orion then led him to the carriage standing in the distance. It was a four-wheeled carriage, pulled by four white horses, the carriage was decorated with white and golden engravings. It looked very elegant. Orion personally took the initiative to open the door for him.


    Yang Dao got up followed by Laohu Bai. Orion was the last person to climb up. The carriage was very luxuriously decorated and it had soft fur covering the seats. They sat and the carriage moved forward surrounded by the soldiers. Yang Dao gazed outside the window saw a lot of people outside on the street. They all looked at the carriage with reverence in their eyes.


    He sat silently, lost in deep thought. Laohu Bai was similar to him. She also sat beside him with her eyes closed. Orion gazed at the two of them at first he wanted to engage in conversation but he did not have any guts to disturb the two people.


    Suddenly Yang Dao leaned onto Laohu Bai''s shoulders and closed his eyes. The girl opened her eyes and smiled. She gazed at Orion and said, "Do not disturb him until he wakes up."


    Orion was shocked because Laohu Bai did not move her lips when she talked. The man hurriedly nodded. Laohu Bai made a barrier around Yang Dao just to be safe. The boy had fallen into a state of epiphany. He was thinking about what the people in this place expected from him and gradually he started to see through the people and the mysteries of the laws.


    Laohu Bai had earlier thought that he might need some tutors or hermits teaching to help him but it did not seem necessary at the moment. Yang Dao was unlike the other Dao Child who came here in the past. He had a clean mindset that he was a normal human and he did not know anything. He never thought that he knew everything about something.


    The biggest difference between him and his predecessors was that the boy had a firm belief in the sense of balance and his instincts. This was the reason why he was able to look into the mysterious laws of the heavens.


    As Yang Dao was indulged in his epiphany the convoy entered the royal palace. Usually, the carriage would have stopped at the gates of the palace. After Laohu Bai''s instruction, Orion stepped out and told people not to be loud. He had quickly sent a foot soldier ahead to report the situation to the queen, who was now waiting for the people at the palace gate in person.


    This was the magnitude of Yang Dao''s status as the Emissary of the heavens. Orion did not get back inside the carriage and rode a horse with the Guards. He was afraid that he might disturb the Lord. He spotted the Queen standing at the Palace and controlled his horse to move faster.


    He got off quickly and said, "My Liege, the emissary of heavens has gained enlightenment. His companion told me not to disturb him."


    The Queen of the light kingdom was very beautiful. She can complete with Kylie Dew in terms of appearance. She heard these words and said, "This emissary is stronger than his predecessors. We must win him over. Let the carriage go directly in front of the entrance of the palace." with that said she moved her gaze back to the carriage.


    Yang Dao was unaware of what a few people were thinking about. He was immersed in a world of his own. Laohu Bai sat with him guarding him and the surroundings. A couple of hours had passed, Laohu Bai did not know how long the state of epiphany will last. She gently made Yang Dao lay down on the soft seats and silently got out of the carriage.


    She spotted Orion and a pretty lady standing outside the carriage and said in her cold voice, "Is the queen still here?"


    The woman standing ahead of Orion said, "I am the queen. I do not know how to address, My Lady." although she was the queen, she was aware that the woman in front of her can erase the whole palace in a wink. They had also seen the records of the heavens. Instead of the emissary of heavens, the more frightening existence was the white-haired attendant.


    The white tiger incarnations were also gender fluid. If the Dao Child was male, it would incarnate as a female, but if the Dao Child was a female the white will come along as a hunky male.


    Laohu Bai gazed at the queen and asked, "My name is only for the Child of Chronicles to use. You may call be Lady Bai."


    The queen was not displeased with her behavior and nodded with a smile. Laohu Bai continued, "Young Master is meditating, no one should approach him. Also, prepare some good food for him. He gets hungry after he wakes up from his practice."


    The Queen nodded and dispatched her handmaiden immediately. Laohu Bai asked, "What is your name? You are quite young to be the queen."


    "Lady Bai, my name is Glow. The predecessor has returned to the source untimely and for that reason, I was crowned on the throne." replied the queen.


    She looked to be in her early twenties. Also, returning to the source in her mouth meant dead. Laohu Bai nodded and said, "We will converse once the Young Master wakes up. You can go back to rest and work."


    ...


    It was only after a day when the carriage door opened again, Laohu Bai, who was sitting on a chair in a distance stood up and walked over. She looked at the boy stepping out of the carriage, her next step was in the air but it froze. She spotted the change in Yang Dao.


    His eyes were half black and half white as if a Dao Symbol replacing his pupil. Laohu Bai shivered and mumbled, "Dao, reached the realm of perfection in the laws, on his own and in a short time. Maybe he can really solve the trouble here."

 Chapter 255: Dao Eyes.

    Laohu Bai walked up to him and asked after calming her down, "Dao, did you just comprehended the laws."


    Yang Dao raised his head and said, "Only half of it. I need to read more to refine my comprehension of the light. Then we go to experience life in the Kingdom of The Dark. Only then can I completely comprehend the laws."


    His voice carried a subtle etherealness to it. He was not aware of it, but Laohu Bai could sense the Dao resonance from his actions. She heard his words and nodded. Yang Dao said, "I am hungry." he blinked his eyes and his pupil returned to normal.


    Laohu Bai smiled and said, "I had the people prepare food for you earlier. Come, let us go in." she took his hand and the two people walked in.


    Yang Dao said, "Baibai, why do I see a slight glow coming from your eyes?" he was confused by this sort of vision.


    At first, he thought it was because of the comprehension of the laws, and the entire world looked monotonous to him. However, after he controlled the pupils to return to normal, he could see that everything around him radiated a slight glow. Especially the eyes of the people. He spotted the same glow from the eyes of the guards at the palace entrance.


    Laohu Bai smiled and replied, "Innate skills of the Dao Child. Eyes of Dao. When a Dao Child comprehends their first set of laws, they unlock this skill. This eye prowess allows one to see through the people''s hearts and souls.


    For instance, if you want to find out why a criminal committed a crime, these eyes can help you look into his soul and find the answer. However, since you have not yet comprehended the complete set, you can only see a dim glow. It will recede in a few minutes."


    Yang Dao nodded and walked with his hands behind his back. Laohu Bai had placed a barrier around them and to the people, they were only walking silently. He said, "Baibai it is a nice skill. I will definitely master it before the trip ends."


    The white-haired girl nodded to him. Soon, under the lead of a maid, who had met them at the palace entrance, they arrived at the dining hall. The hall was luxurious and grand. A white marble table, enough to have twenty people sit and eat, was placed in the center of the hall. Above the table, a crystal chandelier hung from the ceiling.


    The table was accompanied by white chairs with golden trims on them. Yang Dao saw a beautiful girl standing as they entered the dining hall. Laohu Bai said, "Young Master, this is Her Majesty, Glow. The queen of the kingdom of light."


    Then she said, "This is my Young Master. His given name is Yang Dao."


    Yang Dao took a step forward and bowed slightly to Glow as he said, "Pleased to meet you, your majesty."


    Glow was overwhelmed when she saw this handsome Youngman. He was obviously higher than her in terms of superiority, but he still bowed to her in greeting. This was giving her face. So she quickly gathered her thoughts and was about to kneel when a strong wind lifted her body. She heard Yang Dao''s voice, "You are a representative of your whole nation. Do not kneel so easily. Also, I am not very comfortable with the prostrations. So, can we skip it?"


    The queen was overwhelmed. She nodded and said, "I apologize, My Lord." after a pause she gestured him to the head position at the table.


    The boy shook his head and said, "I am just a guest so, I will sit on the other spot." with that said, he gestured for the queen to sit down first. Then he pulled a chair and said, "Baibai." while he beckoned her to sit.


    The white-haired girl smiled and sat down on the chair. She said, "Thank you, Young Master."


    Yang Dao smiled and sat down in his own chair. He had picked this habit of pulling the chair of a female companion from the books he read. His action indeed made a few maids and the queen feel the need for a chivalrous man in their lives.


    Yang Dao sat down last and they ate. Glow asked, "Is the food, to your liking, Lord?"


    When has Dao ever raised his head from the dishes to reply to others? He nodded as he gorged on the food. Laohu Bai said, "He likes it. Since he is eating like that. Do not worry, please continue eating."


    Her words were calm, but her face was indifferent to the queen. The people ate contently and stood up from the table. Glow said, "Lord, your residence has been arranged. Would you like to rest now?"


    Yang Dao shook his head and said, "I would like to read the Chronicles first. As for my resident. Please have a chair set up in a pavilion. I like the open air." His words surprised the queen a bit, but it was just momentary. She quickly nodded and led the boy to the center of the palace.


    ...


    In the center of the palace, a book was laid, with dust accumulated on it. The book was placed on a stone stand. However, it was left unprotected. Yang Dao was about to ask when Glow spoke up. "This is the chronicle of the realm. This one records the activities of the emissary of the heavens inside the kingdom of light. This book can only be touched by an Emissary himself. Thus we could never move it to other places and as for security. The book is indestructible, some forces have tried it already but they could not even scratch the covers."


    Laohu Bai said, "You can leave. Arrange for none of the people to disturb the Young Master when he reads the chronicle." the queen nodded and retreated.


    The white-haired lady waved her hand and formed a barrier around themselves. She stood beside Yang Dao as the boy blew off the dust from the book and turned the cover with ease. He started reading and his speed did not slow down.


    He gradually lost himself in the book, as he imagined the things his predecessors did by placing himself in their shoes. Soon, he found the flaws they made in their decisions. The chronicle was a long record from the past, so how could it be finished reading in just one day?


    Yang Dao lost the sense of time. He was alternating his time between reading and comprehension. Laohu Bai stood behind him, protecting him in full vigilance. She has never let her guard down here. It was not like someone can attack Yang Dao, but if the imbalanced people really tried and hurt Yang Dao. The realm would collapse.


    These imbalanced people were the biggest threat inside the sacred realm. Laohu Bai was looking around and did not know what was she thinking about.


    ...


    Feng Yun was sitting in her office dealing with some work when she suddenly raised her head and looked at the horizon. She said, "Dao, overcame the first trial." a smile appeared on her face. She looked down and continued working. As a Familiar, they could sense Yang Dao''s growth. Just like her, the other two also realized that Yang Dao had improved.


    ...


    While the three familiars outside were acting happy, Orion was making his way toward an altar. This altar was actually the place where the ashes of the old queens were buried. The minister would come here daily to pay his respects to the old queen. The reason was that she was his wife and Glow, was their daughter.


    He came to the altar and placed a white flower in front. He said, "Miko, the emissary of heavens has arrived. Finally, we have hope of fulfilling your dream to end the war and, along with it, the dark kingdom.


    Those barbaric people will suffer the wrath of Light. Do not worry, I will avenge you, and then I will tell our daughter about us."


    In his eyes, a flicker of madness was clear. However, it was quickly suppressed. The minister, revered by the people of the kingdom, had become imbalanced. Inside his heart, the bright radiance of light had given birth to the shadiest darkness.


    ...


    Yang Dao sat cross-legged as he was reading the book. Suddenly, his body trembled and his body gave off a dim glow. Laohu Bai was watching this scene and smiled. She sighed and mumbled, "Good speed. I hope you can learn about darkness soon as well. Dao."


    After a few minutes, the dim glow receded, and the boy opened his eyes. He stood up with his sparkling eyes and asked, "How many days?"


    "Five," said Laohu Bai.


    He has been comprehending the law of light for five days. Finally, today he finished it. Yang Dao nodded and said, "Let us go. Have some food, take a shower, and then we go to the kingdom of the dark."


    Laohu Bai nodded, and they moved to the courtroom to find Glow.

 Chapter 256: Correction.

    Yang Dao and Laohu Bai walked through the corridors and came to the courtroom. Glow was sitting on her white marble throne, however, the throne was very comfortable. The whole courtyard was white, with golden trimming all over the edges and corners. A few ministers also sat in the courtroom below the throne.


    Their chairs were also made of white marble but they were half the size of that of Glow''s A guard standing outside the courtroom spoke in a loud voice, "Child Of Chronicles seeks an audience with her majesty."


    Actually, Yang Dao could have gone inside unannounced, but he did not want to undermine the queen in front of her people. This was equal to using his status to bully and humiliate the people. Thus, he asked the guard to announce. Glow and the rest of the ministers were surprised. They all stood up and Glow said, "Escort the Lord with due respect."


    The guard outside bowed to Yang Dao as he followed them to the inside. He bowed to the queen and Glow said, "Did you not hear when you were told to not stop the Lord from going anywhere in the palace?"


    She was angry, thinking that her soldiers and staff were irresponsible. A strong light emitted from her, making the guard tremble. Yang Dao said, "Your Majesty, this brother is not at fault. I just did not want to intrude rudely and asked him to announce my arrival."


    Hearing his words, Glow calmed down and said, "Where am I the majesty in front of the lord? Please do not embarrass me, Lord." she was returning the face Yang Dao had given her.


    The boy said, "Well, you are still the queen of the people, so you are majestic." the two people were brown-nosing each other. Glow asked, "I was wondering, why did the lord visit the courtroom?"


    "To discuss something with you, your majesty. I wonder if it is a good time?" said Yang Dao.


    The queen looked around and said to the ministers, "You all, please take a step. Since the lord wants to discuss this with me."


    The people were all old and smart they understood that the matter they talked about next is not suitable for them to hear and thus they left silently. Actually, this was not his motive when he came inside, his gaze fell on a few people. These people made him feel repulsed. He recalled what he read in the chronicles, ''The Dao Child will be repulsed by those who side with selfish desires.


    These people were all imbalanced in their souls. Thus, he changed his plan and first talked to Glow. Now that the people all walked out. Yang Dao said, "Your majesty, do you know that extreme light gives birth to darkness and the darkness can also give birth to the Light?"


    Glow nodded and Yang Dao said, "Something like that is going on in this entire realm. What do you plan to do.?"


    The queen asked him in confusion, "Lord, what do you mean?"


    Yang Dao said, "The people in your courtroom had some imbalanced people among themselves." his words shocked the queen. She was a person who believed in the power of light. How can these people be imbalanced?


    She asked, "Lord, how can that be possible?"


    Yang Dao smiled and asked, "May I?" he extended his hand towards her. Glow did not know what he intended to do, but she placed her palm in his. The next moment, she could see how everything in the world emitted a slight glow.


    Yang Dao said, "What you see is the light and the dark people have. Everyone in this world has balanced qualities. Now please take a note of how some people emit glow higher or lower than the rest. These people are called imbalanced.


    To restore them to balance, one would need to either extinguish their wishes or make them wish for something. Only when people realize things by themselves, can they restore the balance within themselves, which will restore the world."


    His words fell silent and Glow calmed down. She took back her hand and asked, "Lord, is there a way to make the people understand?"


    Yang Dao sighed and said, "This will require further investigation. I can only hope that you take back the control of your people and also, order the military on the borders to a ceasefire. Do not attack the forces of the dark."


    Glow nodded. She found nothing wrong with this proposal, but she asked, "Lord, whom should I trust?"


    The context of this question was that she needed at least someone to help her. The boy said, "Call back your people."


    Following his instructions, Glow called back the people. After a casual introduction, they all left. They were grateful that the Child Of Chronicles was interested in meeting them. Yang Dao took a few names. She asked, "Lord, why do you not call out Orion? Is he also imbalanced?" her voice was shivering.


    Yang Dao sighed and said, "Yes. However, he can regain his balance if you can help him."


    Glow was surprised by these words. She did not know what this handsome boy meant when he said this. She asked, "What do you mean, Lord?"


    Yang Dao told her the true identity of Orion. The people of the light kingdom used a system for childbirth. Every pregnant lady will gather in a hospital. They have one such hospital in the whole kingdom, especially for childbirth. Even the royalty was no different. After giving birth to the child, the mothers will come back home alone, later the children will grow up in an institution that will treat them all fairly.


    The children will receive an education based on their skills and talents. So it will ensure that every child is perfect in their job. This system would require sacrificing their own child, but after the children are fifteen years of age, they will be randomly allotted to families.


    Suppose, if a child grows with medical skills, he or she will be fostered by a family of doctors. Not a lot of mothers were willing for such a sacrifice and thus this kept the population in control as well. It may be fate that Glow was assigned to her original family, but the queen''s husband could never come in front of the people, as the queen of light was a maiden.


    Loopholes and contradictory system policies caused this world to shift from the point of balance. The previous Dao Child never corrected the mistakes their predecessors made. Thus, Yang Dao took it by himself.

 Chapter 257: Corrections. (2)

    Yang Dao finished talking to Glow and came to the dining room. The palace did not have a shortage of food and you can eat anything anytime. So he spent some time eating and recover. Laohu Bai had been greatly alerted this whole day.


    Tomorrow they will be leaving for the kingdom of the dark. The day went by very quickly and Yang Dao spent his time walking around the city He liked the atmosphere here. The clean and fragrant roads well maintained traffic. However, the boy still found some things odd. Such as the laws of how to dress or how to act in public. This was something people discovered by instinct and not by books.


    These things were taught by the elders and anyway every human had the right to wear the clothes they like, what was going on here with the imposing laws. So, Yang Dao decided to correct what was not fitting in the scene. To do this, he asked Glow to call for a meeting with all the ministers and to arrange the meeting in the public.


    ...


    In the square, in front of the palace, a huge crowd was gathered. They were all looking at the square pedestal set up in the center. At this moment, on the pedestal sat Glow, Orion, Laohu Bai, and the fellow ministers.


    Glow motioned and Orion stood up from his seat he said, "Calm down, please. The child of Chronicles arrives." this was something the royalty insisted on doing. They did not want Yang Dao to appear on the pedestal in a mundane manner. However, their method was too high profile so Yang Dao said, "I will drop from the sky."


    They all agreed when they saw Yang Dao doing something he did not like for them. They cannot be too pushy to the Dao Child, can they? So now just as the old man was done speaking a figure slowly glided down from the sky.


    Yang Dao had beautiful azure wings on his back. When he touched down the people all knelt in reverence. They have people who can fly but not with such beautiful wings. The boy sighed and with a wave of his hand all the people stood up from the ground. He said, "Thank you all for coming over today."


    The people all clapped their hands breaking into thunderous applause. Yang Dao waved his hands and said, "Please calm down."


    His words were like the words of heaven. The people followed them with no hesitation. They immediately stopped and the hall became quiet. Yang Dao almost cried at this scene. He took a deep breath and calmed himself.


    He took out a coin in his hand and said, "What I have in my hand is a coin. This coin represents this realm. Just like this coin the realm also has two sides. However, the difference between the coin and the realm is that while the coin is in harmony, the realm is in chaos" he paused. His words send tremors among the people.


    They did not expect that a simple coin can show them an example of the realm they all live in. On the pedestal, Orion and the other imbalanced were surprised to hear this. Yang Dao spoke again, "A coin has two sides because it needs two sides. One head and one tail. Just like humans, if we all had no legs but one head, will we evolve?


    Similarly, the realm has two sides, The light kingdom, and the dark kingdom. What you need to understand is that there is nothing different between the humans on the two sides. They all have two eyes, two ears, one nose, etc. What they have is a different mindset toward life.


    But I do not understand how different thinking on the grounds of a war? Some people like to eat meat, while some like fruits. Some like to dance in public, while some like to be alone. Why is it so difficult to live together? In harmony and balance like the coin?"


    Orion spoke up, "Lord, do you mean to say that we made a pact with the kingdom of Dark?"


    Yang Dao shook his head and said, "You misunderstood me, Minister Orion. What I mean is to make harmony inside yourself. If you are not in balance how can your world be in balance?"


    The old man was stunned and nodded. However, his eyes were flashing. Yang Dao spoke again, "The imbalance inside us is formed by the loopholes we ourselves created. For example, the law of child upbringing."


    His words shook the people but the boy did not give them the time to absorb it. He continued, "The law states that every mother-to-be should give birth to their child in a special hospital, to ensure that the talents of their child will get them the opportunity they need to have a successful life. This law also stimulates fair conduct and treatment. Am I correct?"


    The people subconsciously nodded. Yang Dao spoke, "How can a mother stay happy and calm with herself when she, after nurturing a baby with her blood and love for months inside her, have to give it up for a period of fifteen years? Coincidently they may get allotted a child that is their own by the system but is everyone so lucky?"


    The people shook their heads sideways, they agreed that not everyone was so lucky. Glow on the stage was trembling slightly. Even Orion had his eyes wide open. He could not believe that Yang Dao was going to make a change in the law that has haunted him for ages.


    Yang Dao said, "Why can the law not ensure equal treatment to the children and still give them the opportunity they need to have a successful carrier, while they live with their parents? Some may think that since you are a doctor your child should be a doctor too. But that is not how the world works. Not all the fingers in your own hand are the same, how can your children be the same.


    Let them have the freedom to excel in the fields they have the talent to. This way you will have your child grow up in front of your eyes and be happy for them and with them."


    He paused and said, "Do you not think, this can solve a lot of problems?"

 Chapter 258: Invoke.

    Yang Dao asked the people who supported him, and the majority yelled yes in favor. The boy kept on talking about different laws and making amends with them. The voices kept growing. Laohu Bai was getting more and more agitated.


    She was happy that Yang Dao was restoring the balance of the people, but she was worried too. You cannot salvage everything after damage. Destruction leads to construction and vice versa. So her fear was not out of place in this situation. Rebuilding a monument has its own risks.


    Suddenly, Yang Dao stopped speaking, and he asked, "Do not just follow whatever I tell you is right. If anyone thinks that you have something to add to my suggestions, then do it. The society is run, not only by the ministers and the royalty but by the civilians as well."


    His words made the people respect him even more. They did not think that the fabled child of chronicles will actually ask them for their advice. Suddenly, a shout echoed in the crowd.


    "Lord, by doing all this, you will change our ways. These ways are all set by our and your predecessors. Do you not think it will be disrespectful to them?"


    Everyone turned to the source of the noise and found a middle-aged man. This man had a scar on his face. The aura emitted by him was baleful. Yang Dao guessed he must be a soldier in his posture.


    He smiled and shook his head. Then he replied, "This process is an improvement. The day we stop improving is the day the world will perish. Do your parents not want you to excel and become better than what they were in their youth? Do they not instill their learnings to us since childhood to make us grow more? The same is with the laws.


    None of you can read the chronicles otherwise you would know that only the first page itself says, if you think that the change you will do can bring out a better outcome, then change it. Sir, the past is history, the future is a mystery. However, the things we do today, in the present, will determine if the future will be a gift or misery."


    His words shook the man, and he nodded. He calmed down and believed in what Yang Dao said. The people all came forward and make contributions to the discussion. Glow also did not shy away from this. She accepted some and denied some. After all, not everything was suitable to be seen as an improvement but just as she was afraid of making the people unhappy.


    Yang Dao came to her rescue. What he did was to point out the loopholes in the rejected suggestions and then he improved them and had a separate law established accordingly. However, not everything was strawberries and rainbows. The boy declared punishments for the crimes of corruption, infidelity, and inhumane acts. The punishments shocked the people.


    They were scared from just hearing it. Since he preached balance, he also introduced the concept of equity. He told them how equity is better than equality. The people were skeptical at first but as he kept on talking, the people all accepted his suggestion. It was not all that easy after all the counter questions were hard to say.


    Yang Dao used pure logic to make the people accept why equity was better than equality. The sun was about to set when he said, "Now we come to the final law. This law is actually only known to the royalty and the ministers. However, I would say that this law is should be known to the people. They should know what sacrifices have been made by their queens in the past."


    Before he could continue, he was interrupted by Orion. "Lord, please don''t do this. This law must not be unveiled."


    Yang Dao shook his head and said, "Minister Orion, do you wish your daughter to suffer the same grief and pain as her mother?" his voice was low but the people have all been paying attention to what he would say so they naturally heard it. To the civilians, Orion was a hermit who has never married, so how can he have children.


    Orion was shocked to hear these words. None knew about this, except for the queen and him. The two have never even met after that night. The man dedicated his life to helping her run the kingdom to the best of his abilities. They would always act like colleagues and nothing else in front of the world and even after the courtroom is adjourned, they would stay like this. However, they loved each other from the depth of their hearts.


    They were both classmates when they were being trained in the institution until Glow''s mother was sent to the palace as the daughter of the king and queen. The love story was not short. Orion was shocked and Yang Dao said, "The queen is a human being and she also needs to be loved and taken care of. In the annuls of the past, I found out that the people glorified their queen as a goddess of light.


    The goddess was a maiden and she could not be touched by the mortal men. However, she could still bear offspring. Have you never thought about why the offspring is a woman? Earlier, when this law was established, the queen was a maiden, but one queen thought this law was unjust and she changed this law.


    Her reason was, "As a woman myself, if I take away someone else''s child. I cannot live with myself." So, she made a few changes. She married a man secretly and the two people came together to bear a child. After the queen was confirmed to have become pregnant. She ceased all connections with the man.


    She sacrificed her own child to make the law equal. That same sacrificial act is being followed over the ages. A queen is also a human like you. She is not a goddess. However, the people who deprived her of her humanity sure look like demons to me."


    His words set off a storm among the people. Yang Dao said, "I ask you, why is the queen deprived of humanity? Why is she not allowed to fall in love? Why can she not have a family and still be the queen? Are all the gods above celibate? Tell me."


    The last two words were a shout, and with his shout, the wind blew around, shaking the people a little. The Dao Child could invoke the light, but he can also invoke the darkness of destruction.

 Chapter 259: Mirror.

    Yang Dao was displaying the emotions Orion was going through at this moment. The old minister still had a great control over himself. Someone else in his place would have broken down. The man was also very loyal to his mate, the former queen. Unlike some of his predecessors.


    The child of chronicles yelled at the masses with endless anger contained in his eyes. The people were scared. While some people realised that their assumption of the queen being a goddess was bad and similarly there were some stubborn lumps, who thought that the the child of chronicles was uttering total bull shit.


    Yang Dao sensed this and said in a deep voice, "If you need proof then I shall prove it to you."


    Just as his voice dropped, he waved his hand and the whole world lost it''s color. The people were stunned. They saw the world becoming a sketch of black and white lines. While some were clear some were blurred with the hue of white and black.


    Yang Dao said, "Look at your queen. Do you see that she is made of the same lines as you are?"


    The people looked at Glow, who sat on her chair above the pedestal. They did not find any difference in her sketch. It was similar to them, black lines drawing a shape in the white void.


    Suddenly a person among the flock of sketches spoke up, "The Child or chronicles still have his original colors, and, when did that tiger appeared on the pedestal."


    The people all saw Yang Dao standing in his original colors. Those who believed in him found their belief restored, however, when was it so easy?


    A harsh shout sounded from the crowd, "Blasphemy! This is all illusion. How can the world loss color but he cannot?"


    The owner of the voice was a blurry character. Yang Dao smiled and said, "Can your goddess break this illusion?"


    Laohu Bai, who was in her tigeress form, thought to herself, ''Dao, did not comprehend the laws of light but he used the light to comprehend the dark?''


    If not for scaring the people, she would have yelled out loud. Her heart was a stormy sea at this moment. She never thought such a thing would happen.


    This boy was really different from his predecessors, they have never used the counter forces. What Yang Dao showed earlier was a neutral state of his, he was only revealing the laws of darkness right now, by standing against the followers of light and his aim was to counter balance it all.


    The blurry man caught a hint of provocation in the question. He yelled, "How dare you, outlander, question our goddess? She can break your illusion at a whim. You are just a clown jumping on a beam in front of our goddess."


    Yang Dao tilted his head and started chuckling. The chuckle later turned into a laughter. This sort of arrogant laughter has never been a part of his nature or habits. He lifted his head to the skies as he laughed.


    HAHAHAHAHA...


    As he laughed, Laohu Bai became worried, if Yang Dao himself entered the state of imbalance in his effort to counter these people, it would be even more devastating.


    ...


    Ryu Jinshi was in the gym when he sensed Yang Dao comprehending the laws of the dark. He put the barbell back on the rack and set up on the bench. He mumbled, "Dao is walking on the edge."


    ...


    Suddenly the laughter stopped and Yang Dao spoke calmly, "So, why has she not broken my illusion till now. What is she waiting for?"


    The blurry shadow was stunned, but the imbalance can not be countered so easily. So the figure said, "Your majesty, please, break this illusion."


    Hearing this, the other stereotypical people also jumped in. They all, started to plea Glow, to break this illusion. Yang Dao said, "Your majesty, please break it."


    Glow stood up from her seat. While some people were happy, some people were skeptical about it. The lady said, "I apologize, but I do not have such prowess. The child of chronicles is correct. I am a human. A human, who will bleed if cut, cry if hurt. I am a human like you all, born from the dust to become dust."


    Yang Dao glanced back at the people who begging the queen just now and asked, "Still not believe it? Very well, you all are much wiser than the rest, right? Now I ask you, why would the goddess change and let her offspring ascend the throne? Why would she, an immortal goddess cannot rule over the kingdom for centuries or millennium? If a goddess is not even immortal, what is the use of being a goddess at all?


    The people could not provide a counter after this. Come on, still not accepting the facts will just make them swallowed by those who believed in Yang Dao.


    Even if they were imbalanced they were all facing a lot of people who had restored their beliefs and started to seek a new balance. Yang Dao'' idea was not against them but they did not think it was in line with their ideology as well.


    The crowd fell silence and Yang Dao said, "Your queen, Glow, happens to be one of those people who were luckily alloted to their own parents. Minister Orion, paid with his blood, sweat and countless tears to make a better kingdom for you, what did he ever recieve? Sacrifice of his family? Sacrifice of the person he loved more than himself? Do you know what it is like to be close to the one you love yet never be able to have any acknowledgement?


    You do not. Because what is important for you is to glorify this human being you address as your queen and then pray to her like she is a god.


    Shame on you, shame on you for depriving someone of their humanity, their love, their happiness. You think I will be able to stop a war that you started out of your own ignorance. You are fools and so were your and mine predecessors. Look up, the sky is filled with twinkling stars in the dark sky. Are you standing here trying to say that you are better than the entrie universe?


    You all are more dark than darkness, after all, in face of light the dark disappears yet your stereotypical ideas and traditions do not adapt with times. Fools to believe that one person with a title can be the master of your destinies. Humph."


    The entire speech was done in one breath, practically. The people were silent. It was as if no one was present in the square. They were all contemplating, whether they were all correct or not. On the other side, Yang Dao sat down on the pedestal to meditate and calm his mind. He was aware that he was losing control of himself to the darkness, that he comprehended.


    Darkness representative the negative thoughts of people, such as arrogance, greed, disdain, shame, and rage. At this moment Yang Dao was going through allt his and he wanted to control himself before he was completely overwhelmed with the laws of darkness.


    After a long silence, one of the normal sketches said, "Lord, I apologize for my folies. I apologize for not being able to adapt and see the flaws in my thinking."


    This person was none other than the one who accused Yang Dao of casting an illusion. The moment his ideas began to move towards the balance, the vision started to restore to normal. It was not only him but all the masses. These people all, despite being normal, had never seeked balance.


    Now that their balance was restored, they were all finally able to look at the world as it was. Yang Dao had become a mirror. His words had brought back the people.


    At this moment, Laohu Bai looked around and she glared at Orion, the old minister was struggling. He was struggling to restore his balance. However, he was unable to do so. He remembered that the old queen wished for the people to eradicate the darkness.


    Yang Dao opened his eyes and said, "Minister Orion, do you think that your wife, the old queen was a person, who would wish for the slaughter of unarmed civilians? Would she wish for the death on infants? Tell me was she a person who wanted to restore the balance to the world to destroy it by painting it in one color?"


    After hearing this, the old man knelt on the ground. Following him the whole populace under the pedestal knelt. They all were showing their grievance and penance to him by doing this.


    Yang Dao was about to wave his hand and make them stand up when Laohu Bai spoke in his mind, "Let them learn. They respect you, not for your title but your deed. This is what you have earned. A human''s deeds can make him a god, Dao. You have become their mirror, let them remember this."

 Chapter 260: Follow Up.

    After the people knelt on the ground. Yang Dao and Laohu Bai said nothing. He watched the people kneel on the ground as their balance restored. The boy waved his hand, and the world restored its color. He said after a while, "It is time that I go to the Kingdom of Dark. I hope that the army of your kingdom can hold back and not provide fuel to the flame of wars."


    What happened in the square today may not be known to many people. But the dialogues of the Child of Chronicles and the masses were a topic of public knowledge. So they will spread throughout the kingdom in the morning. The queen will publish the annals. Or the people will talk by themselves.


    This has been a rule throughout the history of the realm. As soon as the Child Of Chronicles changes the laws for the betterment of the people, the rulers will publish the records and then have them circulated throughout the kingdom.


    Glow, who was kneeling beside Old Minister Orion, said, "None of the forces of Kingdom of Light will start the attack now, Lord. We will now only move to protect our kingdom."


    Yang Dao nodded and said, "Thank you. I will call you to the peak of the twilight mountain. Once I have finished my visit in the Kingdom of The Dark." with that said, he waved his hand and gradually floated in the air. Laohu Bai followed him quickly.


    It was unknown who shouted first, but the whole horizon erupted with the chants of, "LONG LIVE THE LORD. HAIL THE LORD."


    The boy ignored all this. At this moment, he was on the edge of losing his own balance. Also, he was aware of his own vulnerability at this moment, so how can he let this go won and keep affecting him? He bent the air and his body moved through the void like a bullet. Laohu Bai knew what he was doing. At this moment, he needed a place where nobody would know him and affect his mindset.


    However, it was easier said than done. At this moment, Yang Dao was very close to getting influenced by the dark side of the laws and lost his balance and himself within the struggle until and unless a miracle happens, can bring him back to the center. In this condition, he was going out to visit the place where the laws of darkness were in power.


    The concept of light and dark was not only positive and negative but also, order and chaos. While the kingdom of light worked with the order, the kingdom of darkness was filled with chaos. How would Yang Dao pick out the order in such chaos, that was his trial?


    ...


    Two figures traversed through the void in silence. Only a wave of wind current was left behind them, making soft howling and whooshing sounds. Laohu Bai sighed and said, "Dao, calm down."


    Yang Dao replied to her, "I want to calm down, but I am afraid of what is going inside me. I cannot sit down in meditation for some unknown reason. My focus is inclining towards the dark laws. What should I do, Baibai?" his voice was filled with helplessness. He did not know how to calm himself down.


    Laohu Bai said, "Let us go to the twilight peak. We will race there. How about? Still got your skills?" she wanted to relax his mind and the best way was to give him something competitive. What she did was exploit the innate nature of the boy. Competitiveness.


    Yang Dao nodded and the next moment the two people exchanged glances. Laohu Bai said, "You can only fly as high as one hundred meters in the sky. Any higher, and you lose by default. Okay?"


    The boy gazed at her smiling face and nodded in understanding. The two people landed on the crown of a tree. Laohu Bai bent down and plucked a leaf from the top and said, "This leaf will be our starting signal. When it vanishes from the sight. That is when we start. Okay?"


    Yang Dao nodded and said, "Okay. Why are we doing this?"


    Laohu Bai smiled amusedly and said, "You will figure it out in the end at the finish line." with that said, she blew on the leaf and the leaf flew through the void, and after a few seconds, it descended and blended in the green forest.


    Yang Dao''s figure that was standing on the crown of the tree vanished immediately. Laohu Bai was not losing out. She was even a blink quicker than him today. The two rode the air currents and whooshed to their destination.


    It was not all easy for Yang Dao, Laohu Bai was the goddess of the earth element and but her command over the other three elements after converting the source energy was not low either. She could change the scenery if she unlocked her full potential and even destroy a world with ease.


    How can Yang Dao level up to her so quickly if she did not hold back or allowed him to get ahead of her? This was what she did today. She did not let him win with ease. Every time he caught up to her. She would raise her strength and take the lead by a few meters.


    Yang Dao would burn his source energy faster than usual to at least catch up to her. Laohu Bai saw this, but she did not comment. It was not her duty to tell him how to use his energy or what was the bigger thing here. The two people tread the sky and soon they came to the vast clearing of the twilight peak.


    Laohu Bai won the race with ease. She saw Yang Dao landing a little roughly than his usual touchdowns, and asked, "What did you learn when you raced Dao?"


    The boy said while panting, "That you are too strong, Baibai? Have you been holding back against me always?"


    Laohu Bai chuckled and said, "Not every time, when you defeated me in sparring, I was actually doing my best, but you won on your own. Same with the car ride. The familiars exist to make you strong and not to feed your ego. You are the child blessed by the heavens and loved by nature. You can do all the things you want too, as long as you put your mind to it.


    What I meant to ask you was, except for the strength difference, what else did you learn? Did you not notice how you were focused on the race only and did not notice a couple of elemental vessels passing by us? Did you not notice how your potential converted into power when you were consuming your source energy to catch up with me?


    You pushed yourself past your limits and reached a new level of strength within such a short time. Did you not learn the changes in your body as you moved?"


    Yang Dao was surprised by all the things she said to him. He actually did not know what happened to him in the race. Now that she pointed it out and he subconsciously looked inside him, he found that his source energy was denser, lustrous, and refined.


    Suddenly, something clicked to him. He mumbled, "The reason we were racing was for me to learn the changes inside me and also, to comprehend that my will decides whether or not I can focus. It is good you be cautious, but that does not mean I should lose my self-confidence."


    He gazed up at Laohu Bai, who smiled at him and sighed. Then he said, "What will I do without you guys?"


    Laohu Bai did not answer but smiled with content. However, what happened next surprised her. Yang Dao bowed and said, "Thank you for your impartations."


    Laohu Bai bowed in return and said, "It is my purpose to serve you, Sire." a hint of ethereal voice reflected from the sound. Inside the realm of Light and Dark, the lady was possessed by the White Tiger. The heavenly creature surfaced when Yang Dao needed help, and at this moment, he could indeed use some help.


    The two people stood facing each other, and the boy said, "I shall meditate and merge my gains."


    Laohu Bai replied, "I shall guard by your side, Sire." and the next she turned into a white tiger that was smaller than what she was outside the realm but still thrice bigger than the tigers on Liro.


    Yang Dao did not sit down but laid down on the ground. His hands crossed under his face, and his body was relaxed. Now he focused on sorting out his thoughts and keep the chaos in order. To solve the trouble outside, one must solve the trouble inside.


    The white tiger sat down beside him on all four legs. Her ears would flicker from time to time, monitoring the surroundings while her eyes were half-closed. The scene was a standard depiction of serenity.


    ...


    Feng Yun, Atsuji Kurogame, and Ryu Jinshi sat down with each other in the lawn pavilion having tea and they sensed a wave of peace washing over them, and the old man said, "The Young Master has completed the first half. He can do the second half as well. When he comes back, it will be time for him to judge the New Dawn."


    The other two nodded. Feng Yun glanced at the two leopards in the garden and said, "He will have some gains as well." what she meant was by the growth of the two leopards.

 Chapter 261: Recognition.

    Yang Dao meditated and restored his own center. While he was immersed in meditation, reaching the point of inner peace. This state was called infinite zero. A human brain was capable of giving birth to unlimited thoughts within a moment. However, he was not controlling them at the moment. When infinite thoughts moved uncontrolled, the human mind could not focus and thus returns to zero.


    This zero state of his mind was what letting him regain his grip over the situation. The subtle breeze on the summit caressed his hair. The White Tiger sitting beside him raised her head in tandem with Yang Dao opening his eyes. The boy glanced at her and smiled. The White Tiger nodded her head and asked, "Sire, shall we go to the Kingdom of the dark."


    The boy stood up and nodded. He cast a gaze on the wild and wide horizon. The White Tiger glowed with green light and then Laohu Bai appeared in her place. The two people floated in the air and then vanished.


    Their destination was the kingdom of the dark. While passing over the skies, Yang Dao noticed the two armies standing in front of each other. He stopped moving forward, and said, "Baibai, do you also feel that the army of the dark kingdom still does not want to stop the attack. However, what is holding them back?"


    The difference between the two sides was obvious. While the kingdom of Light had their army standing in discipline and order. The Dark Kingdom''s army looked like they were a gathering of thugs and desperadoes. The formations were a chaos.


    Laohu Bai said, "The reason that they are being restrained is because of the rules set by the Dao Child, who visited here in the past. The first Dao Child set a rule that once a Dao Child starts taking actions both sides shall cease all assaults. This is a rare period of peace for the two armies. The two kingdoms have almost half their population forced into battle. While the kingdom of Light follows the commands of the Dao Child obeidently the dark kingdom follows it with force."


    Yang Dao raised his eyebrow and asked, "What do you mean by force? Do I need to beat them into submission?"


    Laohu Bai smiled and said, "Indeed, since you are entering their kingdom from the side of the light kingdom, you are needed to show them the strength to make them fear you and only when you have defeated them will they all willingly follow your words."


    Yang Dao sighed and asked, "Do I need to defeat them all? Their are thousands of people. How am I supposed to fight with them all?" he was not afraid of fighting but dealing with such a big number was too much for him at this moment. After all, he only had one element under control."


    Laohu Bai smiled and said, "Take out the imbalanced in the army if you wish for. The balanced already follow you."


    Yang Dao nodded and descended to the ground. He was very decisive to descend. Laohu Bai delayed for a moment as she mumbled, "Now is the time you earn the experience for actual combat."


    She had deliberately asked him to fight with the army. They had to fight in the palace of the Dark Kingdom. But the king of the Dark nation was a battle hardened man, and he was not someone Yang Dao can face from the get go. That is why Laohu Bai encouraged him for this method.


    ...


    Yang Dao slowly floated in the air between the two armies, The army of the light kingdom knelt on the ground. With a wave of his hand and the whole army suddenly felt as they were being blown away by the child of chronicles. However, they were all just pushed to stand up.


    Yang Dao faced the army of the dark kingdom with his hands behind his back. He said, "I heard you all want me to prove my strength to you?"


    The army of the dark kingdom was surprised and then the chaos erupted. The whole army exploded with the chants, "Fight, Fight, Fight."


    The chant was as if the skies thundering. Yang Dao nodded and said, "Very well."


    He landed on the ground and his figure flashed. He was already in front of the first line of the army. He started to fight with his normal strength. His fists landed on the temple of a Dark Troop, knocking him down perfectly. Then he began to fight, without using his source energy or bending the elements.


    He skillfully used the principals of hard and soft on the people he attacked and those who attacked him. The whole thing surprised the army of the light kingdom. Laohu Bai stood on the ground between the two armies. She said, "Your left fist is lacking power, make it compact.


    She was coaching the boy in his skill with the hands. Then after Yang Dao had taken down the first hundred or so down, he encountered a strong enemy. The person on the other side saidm "Step back, I would like to duel with the emissary of the heavens."


    Yang Dao looked at this man and found that his attire was a little different than the rest of the people. He asked, "Are you an officer among them?"


    The man nodded and said, "You have a good eye. I am the officer among them. I am called is Achilles. How about it? Shall we fight?"


    Yang Dao nodded and the man said, "Choose your weapon."


    The Dao Child shook his head and said, "Only if you can make me draw the weapon, will I draw it." his voice was calm. However, it looked like arrogance to the other people.


    The supporters of Achilles started to shot off their mouth and bad mouthed Yang Dao. Achilles waved his hand and they quite down. The man said, "Very Well, then Let us fight."


    With that said his figure vanished. Yang Dao punched forward and with a bang it collided with Achilles'' fist. The latter backed off by two steps. Yang Dao also took a step back from the after shock. He never had the habit to underestimate his enemy, and this time he used the source energy in his body to fight with him.


    Yang Dao raised his eyebrow. Although, he held his force back, he did not expect the other party to be the same. Achilles on the other side had a similar expression on his face. He also did not expect Yang Dao to be so strong. The two man seemed to have understood their emotions and they started to smile and then the brawl began.


    BANG... BANG...BANG...


    It was as if the ground is set with explosives. While Laohu Bai nodded in approval, the armies on both sides were surprised and found it unbelievable. Achilles was a man, who could kill a whole platoon alone, yet Yang Dao, a child, can compare to him in power. This was not something they could see daily.


    As they fought, Yang Dao started to become stronger. They were using their fists to compare, but suddenly Achilles jumped and tried to deliver a round house kick to Yang Dao. Was it that easy for him to do so?


    No, Yang Dao ducked and as soon as Achilles landed, a strong fist made contact with his sides.


    BANG...


    The strong punch was delivered to Achilles''s liver. The next thing was the strong man of the dark kingdom to barf out his breakfast in front of his troops. Yang Dao fought him with patience and just when Achilles took the gamble to hit him down, the boy also took a chance to counter him and settle the match.


    After the blow, Yang Dao tok two step backs and said, "Do you wish to continue?"


    Achilles coughed and spat out the not so good taste in his mouth on the ground and said, "I wish I could continue, but that last blow almost killed me. Thank you for your mercy, Lord." with the last word he knelt on the ground followed by all his subordinates.


    It was not that he was weak, but during the match Yang Dao''s strength improved a lot. Achilles was just a high commanding officer of the first front, there were many strong people behind him. He had not yet broken through the third stage of elemental cultivation. That is also a reason why Yang Dao did not bend the wind while fighting.


    With this duel the people all recognized Yang Dao''s strength and they calmed down. In the past, duel with the normal troops, Yang Dao had subdued a lot of imbalanced people and now that he had defeated Achilles. They had recognized his strength.


    Laohu Bai nodded and landed beside him. She said, "Do you wish to stay here and learn combat?"


    Yang Dao shook his head and said, "I need to go and read the chronicle in the dark kingdom. The rest is for later."


    After all, this was his motive to come here. Not to become a martial tycoon.

 Chapter 262: Light Of The Dark.

    After defeating Achilles, Yang Dao sat down in the camp where Achilles stayed. He asked, "Why do you people not follow the discipline of war?"


    His question meant why did the army of the dark kingdom did not follow the system of formations and moved like a swarm. He could not understand how these people could even survive. Although the swarms can disrupt the formation, yet still the formations are more efficient in dealing damage.


    Imagine 100 archers split in a group of two and they can fire fifty arrows every second. They do not have to aim, it just fires them at the swarm of people. If even half of them hit the target, that is equal to fifty enemies down.


    Achilles said, "We have never thought about it like this. So, I cannot answer you. However, when a swarm charges forward to face the enemy, it intimidates them perfectly. Thus, we have always followed such a pattern." His answer sounded vague, but it was the crudeness they had inherited from their predecessors.


    Yang Dao nodded and after drinking water, he stood up. Achilles glanced at him in askance and asked, "What is it, Lord?"


    Shaking his head, Yang Dao said, "Nothing, it is time for me to go to the civil settlement. I would like to experience what it is like there."


    Achilles said, "I wish you a pleasant journey, lord."


    With that, he led Yang Dao and Laohu Bai outside the camp and the two people flew away. A soldier behind Achilles asked, "Commander, why did you not use your sword?"


    The latter smiled and said, "He would have defeated me without a weapon, then. In the duel, his potential was exploding, and he was growing tremendously. When he faced off against the hundred soldiers, his moves became sharper. He is a creation, that will grow stronger as he fights. You can imagine the horror of that? If I play against him with my sword, will he not grow even more terrible?"


    The soldier nodded and said, "What you say might not be wrong, even so, you should have given him some pressure."


    Achilles laughed out loud as he heard this. Give pressure to the emissary of heavens. Who was holding back almost half his actual strength against him? Good joke.


    ...


    Laohu Bai flew beside Yang Dao and asked, "Why did you not fight with more people?"


    Yang Dao replied, "I am standing on the edge. Until the balance has been gained. I would like to avoid such situations. Winning and brawls will incline my heart toward the darkness. I would like to play it safe." his voice was calm but Laohu Bai knew the brief look surfaced on his face when he was fighting with those people.


    Winning in duels was a feeling everyone loved. Yang Dao was not different. He was a teenager and when he was fighting, the winning was making him excited. This dueling with the troops was a two-way test. One was to get his strength recognized by the troops of the dark side, and made them calm down.


    The second part of the test was to control himself for getting influenced by the negative emotions generated from the win or lose. Arrogance, overconfidence, and disheartened, all are negative emotions. As a Dao Child, she should have these things inside him in a balanced quantity.


    The two people flew in the sky, gazing down on the roads, observing the atmosphere of the kingdom of darkness. Here everything was extreme, it was as if Yang Dao had entered a place of anarchy.


    He landed outside the city gate and came over with Laohu Bai. His arrival had caused a lot of hubbubs. The people recognized him based on his clothing. The civilians from the kingdom of light knelt while the citizens of the dark ignored him. The contrast was too striking. However, Yang Dao liked this setting.


    After two days, he finally revealed a smile sincerely. It was as if flowers bloomed in the desert. Laohu Bai secretly let out a breath she has been holding. She was afraid that Yang Dao may restrict him too much.


    The city infrastructure was like the one they visited earlier. Similar circular buildings around the palace. However, there was no traffic. When Yang Dao enquired, he discovered the king had made three circular roads, and four intersecting paths as the roads only for traffic, the rest of the pathways were limited to the pedestrians.


    Yang Dao did not understand the reason for this, but listening to a passerby he found out that the king doesn''t allow the people to use private vehicles, he confiscated them all, now only a public transport network is available. There were two reasons behind this move. One was to make everyone have a sense of equality and the second was to save money on road repair.


    The king was a money-grubber, they said. Yang Dao noticed that there were fewer imbalanced people in this kingdom compared to the Kingdom of Light. They all could do what they aspired to, and wear whatever they deemed to be worthy.


    The police in this kingdom were more rigorous than the army on the borders. The people in both the kingdoms were practitioners, while the citizens in the light kingdom followed rules, the people in the dark kingdom challenged them. They would go face-to-face with the police forces just to state that they were correct.


    It was the law of the jungle. The King had never held the reins too tightly. He gave the people complete freedom. The freedom made the country chaotic it also reduced the number of imbalanced people.


    The imbalanced here were not those who had their hopes and wishes suppressed by the laws, but the people who had been oppressed by others following the freedom given by the king. Laohu Bai asked, "Dao, what is it?"


    She noticed how the boy had his brows furrowed. Yang Dao said, "Did you notice that in this chaotic place, the people have brighter smiles than that of the people in the light kingdom?"


    Laohu Bai nodded, she said, "However, that is not the reason you furrowed your brows, right?"


    "Yeah, why is it that the people with so much freedom, do not have a sense of responsibility to make things better?" the boy said after nodding.


    He spotted a few people directly misusing the freedom they were given. Yang Dao was depressed about the situation. He sighed and said, "Let us try to eat some food and then go to the palace. The people in this place have a strong sense of being and will not invite us. So we can only go ourselves."


    Laohu Bai nodded, and they came to a restaurant in the place. Well, this place was the most modest they could find. When they first entered a so-called eatery, they found a few women with no clothes dancing on the stage.


    Well, strip clubs were common in this place. Yang Dao did not know what the people were thinking when they started it. The two people sat down and ordered food. A seductive woman was the waiter at their table. She was winking and making vulgar gestures at Yang Dao. When she came back with the food she said, "Have a good meal, sweetie." as she blew a kiss to Yang Dao.


    Laohu Bai almost lost control of herself. She would have either punched the girl in her face and destroyed her being if not for the restriction that she cannot kill people. Yang Dao said, "This is not wrong but they should still have some warnings hanging outside."


    The two ate the food. It was not delicate but the blend of spices was not bad. Afterward, the two people came out and strolled around. They were headed to the palace to meet the king of the darkness.


    Soon, they reached the palace gates, and the soldier responsible for guarding the entrance said, "His majesty, had said that you two should be let in as soon as you come over. Please follow the steward to reach the courtroom."


    Yang Dao nodded and then walked forward. The steward nodded to him and then led the two to the courtroom. The courtroom was quiet and only one man sat on the black marble throne with his head leaned back and eyes closed. The Steward walked inside unannounced and said, "Your Majesty, the child of chronicles is here."


    The king hummed and waved his hand. However, he did not open his eyes to look at Yang Dao. The Dao Child also did not speak. He came here was enough face for the man. He would not humble himself too much. Laohu Bai frowned and wanted to speak, but Yang Dao slightly shook his head at her.


    He wanted the king to speak first. He was ready for the battle as well, but he would not lower himself. So, he just floated in the void and crossed his legs as he also comprehended whatever he saw on the way.

 Chapter 263: Confrontation.

    Yang Dao sat in the void with his eyes closed. He did not bother with the majesty of the king. Laohu Bai stood beside him maintaining vigilance. She was standing calmly but her senses were alert to the limit. She was aware of what these people could do. They worshiped strength, and to test strength, they could go to any limit.


    The king sat on the throne and he had his eyes half-closed. He wanted the boy to speak first and lose the initiative. However, this kid dared to meditate in front of him, as if he did not exist. He opened his eyes and said to Laohu Bai, "The Child Of Chronicles sure has his arrogance."


    The man had a burly figure, long hair cascading down his shoulders. He was dressed in a black robe with some silver thread embroidering on it. Angular face, sharp eyebrows, and a strong aura emitting from him. A long sword rested beside him.


    Normal people can be easily influenced by him but the two in front of him were anything but normal. Laohu Bai said, "Indeed. However, his majesty does not lose his grounds in comparison." she spoke with a sarcastic tone.


    The king laughed and said, "I heard that he defeated Achilles? That is why I allowed him inside the palace. However, if he wishes to talk to me, he needs to earn that."


    Laohu Bai raised her eyebrow and asked, "Are you sure about that?" and her aura started to flood the whole courtroom. The king was taken back by this pressure. It has been a lot of generations since they have seen the last Emissary Of Heavens visiting the realm. The king heard that the guardian following the child was strong but this was not what he expected.


    He almost choked from the pressure emitted by Laohu Bai, but he would not be putting his arrogance down. He was the King after all. He said, "Yes, this is a tradition. He needs to compete with all the ministers, and then me to talk to me. He must defeat us all, to show that he is better than us. There will be no exceptions."


    As he spoke the pressure on him increased. Yang Dao suddenly said, "Baibai, do not scare him."


    Laohu Bai immediately took back the pressure and the king sighed. He would lie if he said that the white-haired lady did not scare him. His back was wet with cold sweat. Yang Dao said, "Call your ministers over. Let us compete."


    The king nodded and he clapped his hands. A few old men walked into the courtroom from the side door. A total of five old men, all dressed in grey robes. These people carried a huge amount of vicissitude in his eyes. Their faces were wrinkled and long white beards.


    Yang Dao stopped floating and stood on the ground. He exchanged a glance with them and nodded. The people also nodded. The king spoke, "Old people, you can start competing with the Child Of Chronicles."


    The old men nodded. The Kingdom of the dark had no respect for the elders of love for the younger, all this belonged to power. The more powerful you are the more perks you have. One of the Old men said, "My name is Aldeon. I am the minister of war. We will compete in the art of war strategy. Is this acceptable?"


    Yang Dao nodded and asked, "How do we compete?"


    Aldeon replied, "We have a board game, the objective is to capture the king..." he described the rules to Yang Dao. After the description was complete, Aldeon called a few soldiers to set up the game table.


    Yang Dao and Aldeon sat on either side of the table and the game began. Laohu Bai stood behind him, her eyes were trained on the game table, but her senses were covering the surrounding courtroom. She was always on guard, this was her innate instinct of the White Tiger.


    ...


    On the game table, a few pieces were arranged in a specific way. The game was similar to chess, however, the pieces on the table were different. It was a map of an imaginary land, with two different kingdoms. The motive was to use the army and conquer the other kingdom.


    According to the rules, the people will have ten minutes to arrange their pieces according to their own desire. Yang Dao saw that Aldeon had no intention to manage his pieces. He waved his hand and bend the air. The air current was like threads, roping his desired pieces like beads in a rosary.


    He arranged his archers in four groups and kept them behind the infantry. He sorted half of his cavalry ahead of the infantry. The horsemen were all armed with long spears. Yang Dao was aware that he could not deal with the chaotic opponent with this method. However, he did not intend to show his motives so soon.


    After twenty minutes, Aldeon said, "The game begins."


    Yang Dao nodded. In this game, both the players could attack simultaneously. So they began, Aldeon waved his hands, and the swarm charged forward. The old man had a smirk on his face. He thought that Yang Dao was trying to face him with the standard measures of the light kingdom.


    The boy also followed up, he moved his hands and the archers started the arrow rain. Aldeon said, "It won''t work."


    Yang Dao smiled and said, "We will see." as soon as the swarm came close enough. He moved his hands, the cavalry charged forward, however, they did not attack the swarm but split it. The cavalry was like a spear, splitting the masses.


    The key element was to shred the swarm into smaller patches. The cavalry did not follow a straight line. They would split and regroup from time to time and started to shred the swarms. The next thing Yang Dao did was to throw his infantry into the mix. The short patches were dealt with a quick assault.


    Aldeon started to lose. After a few moments, he lost fifty percent of his army. Yang Dao''s pieces had casualties but still, they outnumbered Aldeon and soon the old man lost. Yang Dao said, "The problem with chaos is, that if you can divide it. It is no match against organized chaos."


    His words shocked Aldeon. Now that he noticed, he found that the cavalry had no specific path when they shredded his assault. He sighed and said, "I accept my defeat, Lord."


    He accepted Yang Dao''s superiority over him in the skill of war.


    The other ministers nodded. What followed was a series of competitions. Yang Dao had to compete in poem writing, painting, and debate. Yang Dao won the competitions with ease and defeated the four ministers. Then he gazed at the king and said, "When do we fight?"


    He was aware of what the competition would be when he would be facing the king. The King said, "We fight tomorrow morning, in front of the citizens. They should know your strength if they are to follow your words."


    Yang Dao nodded and turned around. He wished to leave the palace when the king spoke, "You can read the chronicle while you are here."


    Laohu Bai said, "Young Master, your strength will increase if you read that book." her voice was low enough for only Yang Dao to hear.


    The boy nodded and Aldeon took the initiative to lead him to the center of the palace. The old minister was very respectful to him. He led him to the center of the palace where a black book was placed. Similar to the palace in the Light Kingdom, they had no patrols or guards here too. Yang Dao did not waste any time and started to read the book.


    Laohu Bai stood beside him like always. The chronicles here were simpler than the ones he read in the light kingdom. He found all sorts of things mentioned inside the book. Some amused him while some made him facepalm.


    He said, "Did they all get drunk when they came here? What is this bullshit? Here is a guy who made a law that only peanuts must be eaten with their liquor?" he cast a gaze at Laohu Bai.


    The girl shook her head helplessly. She was not aware of why did some people make this kinda law.


    ...


    While Yang Dao was reading the book, the King had publicized that he will be dueling with Yang Dao a day later. The whole kingdom of the Dark was set on fire and it was boiling like water. Everyone wanted to watch the child of chronicles fight the King. Some wanted the king to win, while some prayed that the Child of Chronicles can beat the heck out of the arrogant money-grubber to bring good changes to their country.


    Yang Dao was unaware of all this and he was immersed in reading the thick book in front of him. Suddenly he realized what the book was to teach him, and he fell into epiphany.

 Chapter 264: Smiling Slugger.

    Yang Dao fell into a state of epiphany and he lost his sense of surroundings. Laohu Bai waved her hand and cast a barrier around him. She mumbled, "This boy, surely is on the high ride."


    She has read the records, the Dao Child in the past had epiphanies but it was not so easy for them to gain something. As she was lost in contemplation a dim glow radiated from Yang Dao''s body. She smiled and nodded.


    ...


    Feng Yun was in the middle of a meeting when she sensed her strength growing slightly. They had unlocked the seals on their nature, but they cannot unlock their power on their own. It will grow with the strength of their Young Master.


    A smile surfaced on her face and the people suddenly received a ten thousand crit attack on their tiny hearts. She said, "Well, this plan is confirmed. Mary, prepare a stockpile and announce the release."


    The meeting was actually regarding a future product of Dao Technologies. She completed the meeting and came back to her cabin. She stood in front of the floor-to-ceiling window and mumbled, "The final phase has begun."


    ...


    Similar to her, Ryu Jinshi, who was having a drink in a random bar on the planet received the similar sensation. He became excited and yelled, "Drinks on me!!"


    The club paused and the people cheered. They did not expect to encounter a frugal rich man. The people all attacked on the liquor as if they were survives of draught, and the golden liquid will save them from exhaustion.


    Ryu Jinshi mumbled, "Good Job." a girl who was kissing him thought he was praising her.


    Well, the killing machine Ryu Jinshi has become a frugal man of culture.


    ...


    Atsuji Kurogame was reading a document when he sensed a warm current flowing inside him. He just smiled and went back to his work.


    ...


    Inside the realm of light and dark, Yang Dao sat with his eyes closed. He was totally unaware of the outside as he comprehended the laws of light. If his eyes were open, the dao symbol pupil in his eyes would have been found spinning like a yo-yo slowly.


    Yang Dao was unaware of the changes. The day had passed and the sun rose on the horizon. The old minister Aldeon came over to Laohu Bai. The lady glared at him, making him freeze. The man bowed and said, "The duel with the king is about to begin. His majesty sent me to invite the Lord."


    Laohu Bai glanced at Yang Dao and said, "It will be delayed a bit. The Young Master has fallen in a state of epiphany." as soon as her words dropped, the dim glow around Yang Dao flashed brightly, making Aldeon squint his eyes.


    After a few seconds, the glow receded and the scene returned to normal. Yang Dao had flung his eyes open and stood up from his place. The world became even brighter to him. If at first Yang Dao could see the glow emitted by the things, then now he can see the structure of the things made with rays of light.


    The boy smiled at this sight and said, "The world is really a wonderful creation."


    Laohu Bai saw the spinning pupil and said, "Young Master the time for the duel has come."


    Yang Dao turned to face her and smiled as he said, "Oh, yes. I still did it in time? Let us go then."


    His eyes scanned Laohu Bai and he saw how the rays of light bent in the darkness making Laohu Bai''s figure. He thought, "I thought it would be a white tigers figure."


    With that said, his rotating pupil vanished and his eyes returned to normal. He greeted Aldeon with a smile and walked to the outside. The reason he could complete the comprehension this time was because he comprehended the counter law earlier. It was like magnet. Opposites attract but when they become similar, they repel.


    Under Aldeon''s lead Yang Dao and Laohu Bai walked from the center of the palace to the colleseum standing outside the palace. Yang Dao had not taken an note of this monument. At this moment, he could hear a lot of noise coming out of the stadium. As if a carnival was going on.


    He became curious to find more about this place. Aldeon beside him sensed the change in his eyes and said, "Lord, this is the ancient construct of the kingdom of dark. It was made to hold competitive fights. It has been recorded in the royal family records that the foundation stone was placed by a Child Of Chronicle. The person at that time argued that if people could use their fighting spirit competitively than they cane help the nation''s strength become stronger. This colleseum now holds a hundred such matches everyday."


    Yang Dao nodded with indifference on his face. He really wanted to go to the past and ask the person by what he meant when he said, competitive fights. This was simply giving these blood hungry people a good excuse to kill as they willed.


    Laohu Bai smiled behind him as she sensed his helpless sigh. The people entered the colleseum and found that the whole place was packed to the brim. Yang Dao was afraid of someone losing his stepping and falling to death in the stamepede.


    When the child walked out of the corridor and stood at the corner of the big circular ring. He found that the King was also present in the center of the place and he was using a long sword and shield. He did not wear armor of any protective gear as he treated scars like a ornament on his body.


    Yes, this guy was flexing his buffed physique with his royal robe on his body. Laohu Bai said, "Dao, here."


    Laohu Bai waved her hand and a white and black bow appeared in front of her. She said, "I know you will be going all out in this fight. Use this weapon. This bow is an armament made for you."


    Yang Dao was not humble and took the bow from her hand. He said, "It is a bot heavy but good. If I cannot hit the old man, then use it to bang up his shield." with a smile on his face. Suddenly he said, "But before he can make me draw the arrow, I would like to exchange some heavy slugs with him."


    Slugs in his language were fists. Laohu Bai said with a smile and said, "Go you brawler."


    Yang Dao chuckled and said, "Says the one who trained me?"


    Laohu Bai chuckled and saw the boy moving to the center of the colleseum. He said to the king, "How about, before we go on with weapons, we use out hands to talk."


    The king smiled and said, "Very well, you, The Child Of Chronicles, fit my appetite." and he laughed out loud as he stabbed the tip of his sword in the ground and hung his shield on the hilt.


    Yang Dao smiled and put his bow on the ground. The two people walked forward and came to stand two meter apart from each other. Aldeon was the proctor and said, "Begin."


    ...


    Hello, guys, I am sorry for missing out on the chapters. Recently, I have been very sick. I will get it back on track when I recover. Thank you.

 Chapter 265: Beat Down.

    Yang Dao and The King stood two meters apart from each other after they gave up their weapons. Aldeon glanced at them and said, "Begin."


    Before the two people even came to the colosseum, the people had been given an introduction to the contenders. The crowd was excited when they heard the old minister, Aldeon saying the magic word.


    Yang Dao took the initiative to attack. His body leaned forward and he aimed his left fist directly at the opponent''s temple. The King at first did not expect the kid to attack him and that too so viciously. Just when the latter raised his right punch to counter the incoming assault, Yang Dao''s fist turned into a grappling claw.


    He held onto the King''s right wrist twisted it. The king was unprepared, he did not expect that this guy was fighting with him while using his brain. The dark nation never believed in strategies. They believed in strength only. Yang Dao did not get the chance to twist the hand completely to leave better damage, the King used his left leg like a whip and shot at Yang Dao''s waist.


    The boy stopped twisting the hand and took half a step closer to the king, then he raised his leg. The kick connected but it was neutralized quickly. The King was surprised and the audience was exhilarated.


    HURRAY!!!


    A cheering sound echoed in the colosseum. The King in the dark kingdom was selected based on his strength. They would hold a competition every ten years, and everyone can participate. The participation age had no limits, even if it is an infant, they can participate. However, the cruel side of this tournament was that life and death were unpredictable.


    It has been twenty years since the King ascended to the throne, and he was still undefeated. Nobody could force him to the brink, until today. Yang Dao appeared and his blows gave people hope. Hope for the scene they wished to see. But some despaired a bit as well, as they wished to see this king reign for a longer duration.


    This guy was one of the imbalanced in the dark region. He had the strength to sit on the throne and the throne had no taboos. If he ordered the disbandment of the government, the people will follow.


    Yang Dao was very close to the King''s body. He tried to pull back but the king was not a rookie. He could sense that this guy''s power was extremely strong and can defeat him. So, he used his left hand to cling to Yang Dao''s body preventing him from retreating and get more room for himself.


    Yang Dao bowed his head and leaned it against the king''s chest. The next moment, the King sensed a strong impact coming from his guts. Yang Dao''s right hand was circulating with the source of energy and it was delivering heavy bombs to the opponent''s body. A normal person would have spurted out at least one mouthful of blood but the King as the strongest man in the kingdom did not slack off and tolerated the onslaught.


    Yang Dao became curious about the limit of the king. However, before he could sate his curiosity his hair stood on their ends. He sensed a big threat approaching him. So, he decisively let go of the hand of the King and evoked his wings. The wings fluttered and his figure vanished. He reappeared at the place where his bow was placed.


    The king was an earth bender, and he used his bending skills to move his sword. At this moment, the king held his sword and shield in his hands. However, on his torso, a lot of red and blue bruises were visible. The king wanted to say something but suddenly, some red leaked from the corner of his mouth.


    The whole colosseum fell silent. It was so silent that even a needle dropping on the floor could be heard. The people were all holding down their breaths. Never had they ever seen their king bleed. Given his undefeated record, they almost thought of him as a god. Today, the illusion broke, they finally saw that the king was nothing but a human-like them.


    The supporters of the King gave up hope. They saw the condition of their champion and sighed. Just when they thought that the old king will bend his knees the man raised his sword and pointed the tip at Yang Dao''s visage. He said, "Come."


    His voice echoed throughout the place. Yang Dao smiled and his eyes lit up. He picked up the bow and suddenly was lost. He had no arrows to shot. He suddenly heard, Laohu Bai speaking, "Your will is the arrow."


    The lady with white hair was standing at the entrance of the colosseum. She smiled as she shook her head and said, "This boy still is a boy."


    Yang Dao nodded and gave her an OK signal without looking back. He saw the king charging at him with steady strides. He sensed the earth tremble a bit. He mumbled, "To if the wind is strong and sharp, it can cut through the mountains."


    His wings flickered and the boy flew up from the ground. He raised his left hand holding the bow and placed the two fingers of the right hand on the bowstring. In his eyes, everything else vanished, and a strong intention of cutting through surfaced.


    Unknowingly his pupil changed to the Dao Eyes, the king became a bundle of light rays entangled with the dark. The king on the other side was not resting as well. He moved his hand and a sharp spike originated from the ground. It was rapidly moving in the direction of the Dao Child.


    Yang Dao ignored the spike and pulled the bowstring back, forming a full moon, a thin azure-colored arrow appeared out of nowhere, the next everyone saw was an azure flash, stabbed in the ground behind the King.


    The earthen spike originating from the ground stopped all of a sudden. Inside the colosseum, only a light vibration sound was echoing. The scene seemed to have stopped. The king was stunned, he slowly lowered his sword. A cut opened on the joint of his neck and shoulder. Red blood sprayed in the void as the mighty king knelt on the ground.


    The king looked at the figure slowly descending from the void like an angel and asked, "Why not kill me?"


    Yang Dao waved his hand without replying and the wound on the man''s shoulder healed. He said, "You have lost, this is a duel. We have no grudges, so, why should I kill you?"


    His voice was indifferent, and the pupil in his eyes was slowly spinning, hypnotizing the man kneeling in front of him. The kneeling man said, "My name is Seid. I accept my defeat, Lord."

 Chapter 266: Unification.

    The King fainted on the ground. Yang Dao did not bother much. When he waved his hand, he healed the wound but the man still could not take the exhaustion of times that washed over him. Staying at the top may look all fun and games but maintaining that position requires one to become cruel to the world and crueler to themselves.


    The King was on such person. Yang Dao did not even know the man''s name yet because the King had never introduced himself. In his eyes, the weak did not deserve to know his name. he landed on the ground and the silent crowd burst into cheers.


    HAIL THE LORD, HAIL THE LORD...


    Yang Dao''s status as the lord was recognized by the citizen after this fight. Not only did the boy defeated the king but he did it fairly and squarely. The moment his arrow poked a hole through the spike and passed over the King''s body, injuring him. They all knew that this boy was being merciful to the old man.


    That blow could have killed the king but it did not. Yang Dao was clear that despite anything, he was not here to kill the imbalanced but to restore them. Unlike a few of his predecessors, who thought that killing would solve the problem. Shamefully, they did not think that imbalanced was also the point of balance for some and if that point vanished, it will leave even more imbalanced.


    Laohu Bai walked over to Yang Dao''s side and asked, "How was it? Was the bow okay?"


    Yang Dao nodded. He turned around and handed to bow to Laohu Bai as he said, "This weapon can cause serious destruction. Let me complete the task here and then I will familiarize myself with it."


    Laohu Bai nodded and took the bow Yang Dao returned to her. He turned around and beckoned Aldeon to himself. The old minister did not delay and rushed over with sparkle in his eyes. Yang Dao said, "Please announce to the crowd to come to the public square tomorrow. And make some medicine for the king to relax."


    The old minister nodded. He beckoned for a few soldiers to carry the king back to the infirmary to treat him. Yang Dao and Laohu Bai were also asked to rest in a suite in the palace. The boy had not eaten a grain of food so he was famished. Be glad that he did not raid the kitchen and sophisticated asked the chefs to make him some good spicy meat dishes.


    The chefs had heard that this boy was stronger than the king and thus they cooked with the best of their ability. Plus, Yang Dao himself staring at the kitchen as they were cooking, making them all nervous.


    The food hunter was a food hunter. He would not discriminate against anything that can be plated and eaten without being tagged bizarre. He will relish it. The two people ate a lot, well actually, Laohu bai''s plate would be delivered food by Yang Dao himself as he was eating. he was aware that the lady also did not eat when he was in seclusion. Such affection and care were not to be taken for granted.


    Since the familiars were looking out for him, he must also look out for them. This was his duty as their Young Master. At night yang Dao asked for an attendant to bring him a lot of paper and charcoal. The person was confused but he hurriedly bowed and completed the task given to him. Tonight Yang Dao was going to dedicate his time to complete a promise he made to the White Tiger.


    He was going to sketch the heavenly beast. But why did he ask for a lot of paper instead of just one sheet or a canvas? Yang Dao believed that the white tiger represented a long accumulation of positive and negative and how they can shape something so magnificent.


    Thus, he started to draw lines, one page at a time. Unconsciously his eyes awakened the Dao pupil. They were enabling him to complete this task, with flying colors. At least a computer was needed to do something like this. As the night passed his hands moved and unknowingly the sun rose on the horizon.


    The door of his room was knocked on when he put down the last paper in the stack. A content smile was visible on his face. he waved his hand and the door opened. In this world, everything was made of positive and negative blending together and Yang Dao had mastered the laws of Positive and Negative. he can manipulate things in the dark but it was not to the extent of destroying the world or recreating one.


    The door opened and Laohu Bai walked in. She said, "Good morning, Dao."


    The boy replied with his sunny smile, "Good morning, Baibai." as he rubbed his eyes with his hands. Not realizing that the charcoal had stained his fair face. However, the lines on his face did not make him look funny or fierce but as if blended with him.


    Laohu bai froze in her place as she mumbled, "Dao Resonance."


    Whenever the Dao Child comprehends a law successfully he will awaken Dao Resonance in his motions. Even if it is just a normal wave of hand it would look as if a part of nature and not something mundane. Laohu Bai knelt on the ground and banged her head on the ground nine times quickly.


    Yang Dao was stunned and hurriedly helped her stand up. He asked, "What happened?" his voice was full of concern as he looked at Laohu Bai''s red forehead. The tiles on the floor already had cobweb cracks over them.


    Laohu Bai felt warm in her heart and said, "You are the unification of the laws of this realm and thus, I had to kowtow. It was my instinct as your familiar."


    Yang Dao blew his cold breath on her forehead and said, "Humph, don''t talk, I am angry with you." he threw a tantrum.

 Chapter 267: Curtain Down.

    While Laohu Bai was trying to appease the Dao Child. Aldeon was busy running through the palace. He was instructed to set up a gathering in the square in front of the palace. Similar to the one Yang Dao held in the Kingdom of Light.


    The old minister dared not slack off in the arrangements. He had some idea of what sort of change the nation will face after the gathering at the square. to be honest, he was even looking forward to the new kingdom. He came to the infirmary to find the old King. Yes, after the king was taken to the infirmary yesterday, the black hair turned white and the appearance became old.


    Thus the people immediately started calling him the old king. It was as if the man had taken a dip in the river of time. All the past years washed over him in just a few seconds. However, the man still regained his vitality and gave people a sense of awe and dread.


    Aldeon came to the side of his bed, while the old man stared at the ceiling. The minister of war said, "Your majesty, the arrangements are complete. Shall we proceed to the place?"


    The old man sighed as he closed his eyes and sat up from the bed. He said in a low voice, "The times have changed, a new sun will shine upon the lands."


    Aldeon nodded solemnly at this and took accompanied the old man to the square. The other ministers had all appeared already, A contingent of soldiers was posted below the elevated pedestal to maintain order among the people. Everyone saw Aldeon leading an old man and the crowd started to whisper among themselves.


    Seid, the king, sighed and said in a loud voice, "Silence." despite his appearance, the strength was enough to deter the masses. he did not speak anymore and came to the sit designated to him. He sat down and waited for Yang Dao.


    ...


    While some people hoped for the Child of Chronicles to change the ways in the kingdom, some also hoped for him to let them stay like it was already. Yang Dao was unaware of all this and he walked to the high platform with Laohu Bai in tow.


    The lady had a hard time coaxing this big guy. He was a natural at blackmailing. He asked Laohu Bai to cook her best dish for him. The white-haired beauty had no option but to agree to it. Under a lot of mixed gazes, they climbed the high pedestal.


    The crowd was excited to see Yang Dao on the stage. The boy had fair skin and deep penetrating eyes. He said, "Today I come here to say a few things to you all. I know some may feel that I am bullying too much by this but what I am going to the state will show you the reality."


    The weaker people all had a spark in their eyes. The moment they all longed for had finally arrived. Yang Dai said, "The system of your kingdom, needs to be rectified thoroughly to ensure balance. You all have been living in a place where strength is the criteria deciding your privileges and rights. You are wrong. It does not matter how much strength you have. What matters is how you use it.


    Ever since I have stepped inside this kingdom, I have found how the people with strength bully those who lack it. Do you think strength is invincible? Well, let me give you an example.


    You are sleeping in your room, and you have no vigilance because you are strong. But a servant in your house, who did not have the strength to even look in your eyes, sneaks in and stabs you with a poisoned knife. Tell me do you want to die without even knowing it? Those who misuse the strength they have often meet a bad end.


    So give up the pretense, start using your strength for the welfare of those around you and be a better human being. Let the people on the lower level raise their heads, become idols, inspire them to grow along with you. Those who become inspirations live forever, those who are arrogant die untimely. The choice is yours."


    The correction needed in the kingdom of the dark was very minimalist because the only thing that needed to be mended was discrimination. The laws and the other things are very much in order here already. A few people with strength would have objected if Seid, the king would have been the winner but Yang Dao''s strength was enough to quench the rebellion and kill them.


    Within fifteen minutes the people accepted the new laws Yang Dao suggested. The laws he came up with were to provide the poor and weak with a fair chance to excel. He also suggested that once the reparations have been paid the people must not seek vengeance. If the vengeance is dissolvable then the people can go to the colosseum and have a life and death duel.


    The duel will not be interfered with by anyone in any condition. If the rules were violated then the proctor will take the action and kill the interfering party. This concluded the gathering and Yang Dao said to the king, "Stop all assault on the kingdom of light. This war is worthless."


    Seid stood up and bowed as he said, ''As you command Lord."


    Yang Dao nodded and then said, "I invite you on the peak of the twilight peak in three days."


    Seid nodded and wanted to say more, but Laohu Bai shook her head yet. The next moment the boy flew up in the sky and flew away. Laohu Bai nodded to the King and she left too. The Dark may look chaotic but it was also very simple at the core.


    The difference between the two nations and natures was contrasting. In the Light kingdom, Yang Dao was well received and he was warmly greeted by the people, but he had to put in a lot of reasoning and effort in front of the people to let them accept the rules.


    However, in the Kingdom of Dark, he was not well received and was even looked down upon. Yet after he dealt with the initial problem, the people accepted him readily and they all began to look forward to a new future.


    ...


    Laohu Bai sat in front of Yang Dao, who was meditating on the summit of the twilight mountain. Never has the boy ever been so calm. He was surrounded by a mystical fog at times while in the next moment his body will shine.


    Laohu bai smiled contently at this scene. Suddenly she stood up and said, ''Since you all have arrived, wait below the mountain, The Young Master is in seclusion. He will call you at his convenience."


    It was as if her calm voice shook the entire realm. At this moment, Glow, and Seid stood at the bottom of the mountain. They greeted each other with courtesy and talked about the changes made by the child of chronicles.


    Glow was the queen of the light kingdom while Seid was the king of the dark. The two people were invited by Yang Dao specifically and none other could approach this place without his intention. In the past two days, Yang Dao had mastered the laws of Light and Dark completely. He has unified them inside him.


    After a few minutes, the two people suddenly vanished and appeared on the summit. They were shocked to see what happened around them but when they found Yang Dao to be sitting on a boulder with his legs crossed and gazing at them. The two of them knelt on one knee.


    Yang Dao said, "I called you here to tell you both something important. Light and Dark need each other to rely upon and support their existence. Without the dark, there is no meaning to light and vice versa. The realm has now achieved a state of equilibrium. However, nothing in this world is constant except change.


    This balance can and will shake and fall. I hope that you both form an organization that can look after this balance. The task is to promote balance and mixing up with each other. Everyone can have different opinions but the goal is progress. I hope you both can ensure that the world progresses in a way that nobody is hurt in the process. In line with nature.


    Only when the people are balanced inside can they find balance outside. Do you understand? If the balance is to tip. The world will end. So, I hope you maintain it well."


    The two people replied with a solemn expression, "Yes Lord."


    Yang Dao nodded and said, "Go."


    He sent away the two people with a set of instructions. The reason he called them here was to make the people be balanced. Let them remember that the rigid a sword the more brittle it is.


    Laohu Bai said, "Dao, shall we go back?"


    Yang Dao nodded as he jumped off the boulder. He said with a smile, "You know I almost scolded them. It is hard to keep the pretense."


    Laohu Bai chuckled as they vanished from the place. Glow and Seid spread the word that the two nations will now be in alliance and that the Emissary Of heavens had returned, but he left behind a warning, that the world will end if the two forces did not maintain a balance. The citizens have all started to look for inner balance since then.

 Chapter 268: Back Home.

    After vanishing from the summit of the twilight mountain. The two people appeared near the gigantic archway they passed earlier. Yang Dao could feel that the essence of light and dark inside the two pillars has improved and strengthened a lot since last time.


    A smile surfaced on his face, as if it was a good thing. Laohu Bai asked, "Why are you smiling?"


    The boy replied, "Balance and imbalance also represent the two sides of a coin, no? We tried our best, despite that, there are elements of imbalance present within the realm and ourselves. This is the harmony of Dao." his soft voice and sharp eyes were following his thoughts completely.


    Laohu Bai nodded with a smile and said, "Let us go back."


    Yang Dao asked, "Eldest sent us here. How are we going back without contacting him?"


    The white-haired girl pointed at his heart and her mind without replying. Her meaning could not be clearer. She was showing toward the telepathic connection they shared. However, Yang Dao only had the beginning level of understanding, thus he could not connect to the old man with mind waves.


    Soon, a wormhole appeared in the void in front of them. Laohu Bai held his hand and said, "Going back is harder than coming here." As the two people walked forward.


    Yang Dao did not ask why it was harder to go back, because when he came and Laohu Bai told him that something or someone has the power to attack the sacred realms, he was very surprised. So, given his IQ, it was not a problem that he put together the equation of travel.


    The wormhole travels were still the same. Dark, misty, and filled with a strong pull from all sides. However, Yang Dao could sense that the realm also had its own force dragging him back. As soon as the two people stepped inside the wormhole, Laohu Bai waved her hand and closed the hole.


    The force acting on them reduced a lot, but it was still difficult. Yang Dao walked forward, holding her hand in the dark void.


    ...


    On the Dao Island, Atsuji Kurogame, Feng Yun, and Ryu Jinshi were waiting as they sat on the pedestals designated for them. Ryu Jinshi had a long Azure dragon tattoo on his body. He sat half-naked, Feng Yun said, "Second brother, please cover up yourself. Although you are like the wind, you know that too fast wind is also harmful."


    Atsuji Kurogame said, "Ryu, talk to the Young Master when he comes back. Your curse can be lifted by him only and if you think about your pride and ego, then you will ruin our work."


    The old man had a somber face and a deep voice. He was unhappy with Ryu Jinshi. The dragon spirit seemed to have run into some sort of problem recently and his behavior has changed a lot.


    Ryu Jinshi said, "Eldest, I need to be put to rest. I need to learn to restrain. This freedom is not actually free. So, please I will talk to the Young Master when he comes back."


    Atsuji Kurogame nodded. Feng Yun just closed her eyes and kept on meditating. The phoenix was the cultivation maniac. She did not care if the two people had problems. She will talk about it only when asked to.


    As the three people were talking suddenly, two roars echoed on the island. The roars were not loud or threatening. Feng Yun opened her stunning eyes and said, "Young Master is here."


    The three people nodded as they waited. However, suddenly Atsuji Kurogame''s face changed. The other two caught the change in his expressions.


    ...


    Yang Dao and Laohu Bai were walking through the dark void when the boy suddenly felt his heart tighten. He sensed an unprecedented danger approaching them. He was about to say something when Laohu Bai snorted hard.


    The void trembled. Yang Dao held her slender hand even tighter and saw that a figure appeared in the void. The figure looked like a human. It was a dark outline, very vague. Yang Dao felt scared. The Dao Child looked at the figure''s outline and experienced something that he had never sensed.


    Suddenly, he sensed the figure move and attack him. Laohu Bai furrowed her brows and punched with her free hand. Yang Dao would not let the figure have its way with him. So the next moment, he waved his hand.


    Inside the void, there were not elements present, but the laws worked fine. With a wave of his hand, a ray of light flashed in the void and the spear of light penetrated the figure, but it had no effect on the figure. The next moment, Laohu Bai punched harder and the figure''s outline broke down into particles.


    Yang Dao asked, "Baibai what was that?"


    Laohu Bai said, "We will discuss after getting home, Dao." her voice was calm but a trace of caution was revealed from it.


    Then she moved while holding Yang Dao''s hand. The two moved faster. Suddenly the void trembled slightly, and a wormhole opened. Laohu Bai showed an expression of relief, but Yang Dao suddenly moved from her left to her right side.


    The process was quick. Yang Dao did not even have the time to inform Laohu Bai when he sensed an attack coming from her right side. It was as if a dark spike aimed at Laohu Bai. The spike was made of the misty void.


    The boy evoked his Dao eyes and the next moment, a bright light rod appeared in his eyes. Then he slammed the light rod against the spike. There was no sound coming from it, but Yang Dao could sense the dread of the enemy. Laohu Bai placed her hand on his shoulder and pushed. The strength of the white tiger was enough to counter the spike.


    This time she did not wait to solve the enemy, but jumped out of the wormhole with Yang Dao.


    ...


    On Dao Island, a wormhole appeared and two figures flashed out of it. Atsuji Kurogame closed the wormhole quickly. Yang Dao looked around, at this moment he was still shivering a little. As he saw that he was out of the void tunnel, he asked, "Baibai, are you..."


    His words did not complete before he fainted.

 Chapter 269: Guiding.

    Yang Dao fainted, and he fell to the ground. Ryu Jinshi appeared beside him and supported his body with his arms. He asked in a deep voice, "What happened?"


    Laohu Bai sighed and said, "We met two void beasts. Young Master tried to block attacks, twice. The last one was threatening. Although I helped him, the impact was still too much for him. If not because he had comprehended the first two laws. Things would have been disastrous."


    Atsuji Kurogame nodded and said, "I sensed the fluctuations in the void tunnel after you and Young Master were walking through. This was unexpected."


    Feng Yun ignored them and her eyes were focused on Yang Dao''s visage. She said, "Let him rest here to recover. This place is the best infirmary for him."


    Nobody had any different opinion, and they settled yang Dao on the tender grass as they sat around him. Feng Yun asked, "Xiao Bai, how was the trip?"


    Laohu Bai smiled and said, "Thankfully, it was very smooth. Dao rectified the severe imbalance and restored the balance. What surprised me most was that he comprehended the opposite laws in the realm."


    Ryu Jinshi asked, "What do you mean?" he was very curious about this and asked her.


    Laohu Bai said, "He comprehended the dark while looking at the light and vice versa."


    Feng Yun nodded with a smile. "It is easy to see how darkness originates from extreme light and vice versa. He has been like that ever since."


    The others nodded. Atsuji Kurogame asked Laohu Bai for more details as he was very curious about the way Yang Dao dealt with the problems. Although they all could sense the growth, they were unaware of the process. The white-haired beauty was thrilled to tell them about the process. It was the longest time she had spent with Yang Dao alone, and the bond between the two had grown significantly.


    As the people were talking, Yang Dao was healing. When he faced the blow from the void beast. His body was suddenly drained of all energy. The void beasts fed on the source of energy from their prey. In this big wide universe, the void monsters were an existence that would trouble almost everyone.


    Atsuji Kurogame, as the master of space and time laws, was more knowledgeable about it. The mysteries of Time and Space will be unveiled to Yang Dao in the future. As the boy lay on the tender grass and absorbed the energy in the surroundings, his body regained its original charm and vigor.


    He yawned as he woke up and opened his eyes. He took a deep breath as he sat up and looked around him. He smiled at Atsuji Kurogame, who was sitting in front of him. "Long time no see, elder Atsuji."


    The old man smiled warmly and replied, "Long time no see, Young master."


    Yang Dao turned to his right-hand side and saw Feng Yun looking at him with a tender smile. The boy scooted towards her and hugged her gently as he said, "Missed you in there, Sister Yun."


    Feng Yun patted his back and said, "I missed you too, Dao. How are you feeling?"


    The boy broke the embrace and said, "I am fine. What was that thing?" he replied with a sunny smile on his face.


    Atsuji Kurogame said, "That is a thing you will learn about but in the future."


    Yang Dao nodded and did not push it. He stood up to stretch his body when his gaze fell on Ryu Jinshi. He froze in the middle of his stretching and said, "Mr. Ryu, seems like the winds have become turbulent?"


    Ryu Jinshi smiled and nodded. He moved to sit down on his knees and bowed his head. He said, "Ryu Jinshi, seek your advice, Young master."


    Yang Dao waved his hand, and a wind raised Ryu Jinshi''s head from the ground. Atsuji Kurogame and Feng Yun were surprised. They saw the Dao resonating with his movement. It was as if the boy had become the part of nature itself. Laohu Bai told them through her mind to not kowtow him or he gets grumpy.


    Yang Dao was unaware of this and said, "You are free like the wind, however, too much freedom is anarchy. What you do should be done with a sense of responsibility, not to others but to yourself. You are the incarnation of the heavenly beast. You are bound with the cycle to the cause and effect. You know what the effects can be much better than I do."


    His voice was calm and his words were concise. The three other familiars nodded after hearing this. What Yang Dao said just now was the truth. If they did not have a sense of responsibility for their own actions, they will be trapped later on.


    Yang Dao said, "Your own sense of responsibility will become the restrain, the winds will calm down."


    Ryu Jinshi shivered slightly and bowed his head again as he said, "Thank you for guiding the way, Young Master."


    Yang Dao waved his hand again and said, "Do not kowtow to me. You all are elder to me." his eyes were squinted, and he scanned them all with his gaze.


    Feng Yun said, "Let us go home? A lot of things are waiting for you, Dao."


    The boy smiled and said, "Yes." then he bent the wind and floated in the air. The rest of the people followed him.


    Just like earlier, a few kilometers away from the island, a helicopter was waiting for them in the sky. Yang Dao and the rest boarded the chopper and flew away. This place was located quite far from human civilization.


    Atsuji Kurogame handed Yang Dao a pouch. He said, "This is a treasure I refined. It can store your pets inside, Young Master. It was not convenient to bring them inside the chopper so I had them move inside the pouch."


    This pouch surprised Yang Dao, as he could sense the two leopards inside.

 Chapter 270: Tide.

    After an hour, the chopper landed on the helipad of Dao Courtyard Mansion. Atsuji Kurogame got off first, followed by the others. Yang Dao did not hurry off to get off the helicopter. He channeled his source energy inside the spatial pouch and moved his thoughts. The two leopards appeared in front of him inside the helicopter cabin.


    The two little furry things have grown a little too much. By Yang Dao''s estimate, he spent only two weeks inside the sacred realm. After he came back, he found he had spent two months inside. The time inside the sacred realm differed from the mortal world.


    One day inside a sacred realm was equal to four days outside. The ratio was 4:1, so, by this equation, two weeks inside is equal to eight weeks outside. The cubs have been staying on the island the whole time. The energy of there had proved great nourishment for them. The cubs were now as big as an adult and to think that they will grow even more in the future.


    No wonder elder Atsuji said that the two were better to stay inside the pouch. While riding, Yang Dao investigated the pouch. As long as you channel your source energy inside the bag you find that the tiny pouch contained a separate space as big as the Dao Island. It was big enough for the two cubs to stay.


    The two beasts were thrilled to see Yang Dao and rubbed their heads against his chest and legs while they licked his face. Yang Dao chuckled and said, "Okay, Okay. Easy there. Hahaha... It tickles."


    Then he urged them to go outside of the cabin. The two beasts were spiritual and could understand his intention of even saying anything. Yang Dao got down and his eyes scanned the familiar scenery.


    He walked ahead as the two beasts followed him. The first thing he did was to switch on his mobile phone and as soon as the mobile had access to the internet, the thing was flooded with messages and call notifications.


    The callers were mainly Kiya, Yurika, Icarus, Kylie Dew, Professor Newton. he also checked a lot of emails and messages the content was similar. Where have you been, are you okay? etc...


    Mika also called him once and left him three to five messages. The boy replied to them ''I was out of the country for travel and exploration so did not take my phone with me. I am fine and have come back to Jade City. Thank you for your concern.''


    The people called him as soon as his message was received. To think that he has not yet even crossed the garden of the mansion. The first caller was Yurika. Yang Dao coaxed her he was out for special training in the army and had no access to the phone. Well, that was the only place where you could not carry mobile phones.


    Everyone knew that Yang Dao was the special recruit, so the waves of overwhelming questions were sated with a white lie, who said that the Dao Child will always speak the truth. The boy entered the mansion wearing his cloth shoes, white and black attire. He attracted the attention of the maids and staff. However, the attention was short-lived as the maids feared the big leopards following Yang Dao.


    Lisa was the only one who was excited to see Yang Dao. The boy also was having similar emotions in his heart. he greeted her with a smile and, using sign language, asked, "How are you?"


    Lisa replied that she was okay, and she passed a few exams while he was gone. The two talked about how life was and Lisa told him she would go back to the house in the sapphire lake residency to clean it up. She also learned how to ride a bike and used a bicycle to commute.


    Yang Dao was happy to see her grow. The girl was finally trying to come out of the shadow of the past. The boy sat down on the couch and the two big cats laid their heads in his lap to stroke. They sure enjoyed vanity.


    Feng Yun sat on the couch opposite Yang Dao. Laohu Bai sat with her. Elder Atsuji sat on a chair on the right side, and Ryu Jinshi sat down on the left-hand side. The boy asked, "Where is Sushi?"


    Ryu Jinshi reacted and waved his hand. The wind condensed and Sushi appeared in the void. The maid had already gone back to their work. The little doll was the same in appearance, but Yang Dao could sense her vitality was strong. The sylph flew around Yang Dao and greeted him in a sweet voice, "Master, did you miss Sushi?"


    Yang Dao replied, "You only miss someone when you forget about them. How can I forget you?"


    His words made Sushi feel very warm. Although what the boy did just now was a showcase of eloquence. It made someone happy. Yang Dao asked Feng Yun, "Sister Yun, how are things at work?"


    Feng Yun replied, "Everything is fine. However, your developer has requested to meet you. She needs help to overcome the next step in the production of a new bot."


    Yang Dao nodded and said, "I will look into it tomorrow."


    Atsuji Kurogame said, "I will take my leave now, Young Master. You also need to face a tide that has accumulated after your absence." he had a genial smile on his face.


    Yang Dao smiled and said, "Aye, you are correct indeed, elder. But before I get to the thick of it, can I have a good meal."


    His words made everyone smile, and Feng Yun stood up. She said, "I will cook myself for you."


    Yang Dao nodded with a smile and leaned back on the couch as he sighed, "Home Sweet home."


    The boy had come to know that home was not where you lived but where you felt at ease. He felt at ease with these people and thus this was his home. After the trip he was tired and needed to rest, the trip in the void tunnel was not that easy.


    Thus, he sighed and closed his eyes to relax as the sky outside dimmed a little by little.

 Chapter 271: Mundane.

    Yang Dao ate a hearty meal and returned to his room. After taking a hot shower, he dried his hair with a towel and was standing in front of a mirror. During the meal, he was filled in by Feng Yun regarding his company''s process. He found out that Frieda was developing a new humanoid robot. The purpose of this new product was caregiving.


    The idea was basic, a robot inside the house, capable of looking after the kids and elderly in the house and alert the emergency services if need be. However, the implementations were easier said than done. The coding needed to make this sort of robot work was much complicated.


    Yang Dao looked forward to completing the task. The main reason was that the boy had RALF to assist him in this task. RALF was the AI he designed before leaving for the sacred realm and left it on self-learning mode. Kylie Dew, the professor of computer operations in the university was asked by him to look after it in his absence.


    After he wiped off the water and dressed in a fresh set of nightwear, he came out of the cloakroom. His gaze fell on his phone on the bed, given the late hour, he hesitated but still called Kylie Dew.


    The call rang for a few seconds before it was connected. A lazy voice came from the speaker, "Hello."


    Yang Dao scratched the back of his head. The voice belonged to Kylie Der and just as he guessed the lady was asleep. Now that he had already called, he decided to bite the bullet and initiate a conversation.


    "Hello, Professor Dew? I apologize for disturbing your sleep, but it was sort of urgent," he said.


    On the other side, Kylie Dew was shocked to hear the same melodic voice she was craving for. She sat up straight as if possessed. She asked, "Dao, is it you? What happened, everything alright?"


    She thought something wrong must have happened since this cultured shy boy decided to call her at this hour. Yang Dao replied, "Yes, yes, everything is fine. I just wanted to talk to you about the AI progress."


    Well, Kylie Dew was a fangirl and when she heard the magical words, ''I just wanted to talk to you'' her brain almost short-circuited, thankfully the other half came along to wake her up. She replied, "Yes, RALF is growing every day. By now, it has already soaked up in half the world''s knowledge and still the absorption is not slow. We encountered a storage problem every fifteen days at first, and since I had no other means, I called your Sister. She helped us with setting up the storage disks. The whole floor below your house is now a server room for RALF.


    She had used the biggest and the best storage disks for it and the cooling system is also very impressive. However, I think this storage will be filled within another month. So, you will have to solve this on your own."


    She was very excited about talking to Yang Dao, and the excitement amplified because they were talking about computers and technology. The boy pondered over what she said and replied quickly, "I will see what I can do. Ummm, I don''t know if it is convenient for you to bring my notebook to The Dao Technologies'' office in the morning?"


    Kylie Dew replied, "What is so difficult in this? I mostly stay in the house here for convenience if I get late. The algorithms of the system are very fascinating and I get to learn a lot. Only the permissions set do not allow me to set any tasks. I am just a monitoring unit."


    Yang Dao was embarrassed and did not know how to reply to the second half of Kylie. He did not give her any rights because he did not trust her too much with the AI program. In Yang Dao''s view, an AI was an extension of his own intellect an alternate persona of himself. While the persona is in the initial stages it can be influenced very easily. Thus, he did not allow Kylie to tweak the system.


    The lady on the other end understood the implementations of her complaint and said, "Dao, do not worry, I am just ranting. Actually, I have also designed an assistant software following the code of your assistant program and it is exclusive to me only. It is useful in basic operations but I cannot afford the storage needed for an AI, like you. But do not worry, I was just ranting. Hopefully, I can get to see your AI at work tomorrow."


    Yang Dao replied, "You might get a chance, Professor. So, see you in the morning?"


    Kylie replied, "See you in the morning, Dao. Good night."


    The boy sighed and put his phone on the side table. Then he laid on the bed as sleep slowly crept over him. He has been cultivating and travelling constantly inside the sacred realm so he had no time to rest. He slept with peace.


    Sushi the sylph was sleeping in his hair and the whole room was filled with freshness.


    ...


    Early morning, Yang Dao woke up because of his biological clock. He rubbed his eyes and stretched his body as he sat in the bed. After a few moments, he got out of the bed and mumbled, "Dropped my guard again." and sighed.


    He had developed a habit of being vigilant all the time but last night he dropped his guard as he experienced the comfort of his home. He freshened up and came outside of his room after a bath and dressed in a casual shirt and jeans. A watch rested on his hand, matching his casual look. His hair was slightly longer but it looked good on him.


    Feng Yun was reading the newspaper as she sat on the couch. Laohu Bai was back laying on the couch like a lazy cat she was. Yang Dao looked around and asked, "Where is Mr. Ryu?"


    Atsuji Kurogame had left the mansion last night itself. Ryu Jinshi was staying in but he was missing in the morning. Feng Yun replied with a smile as the boy sat down opposite to her, "Second Brother had to go and complete a task he had been delaying for a few days due to the problem with his temperament."


    Yang Dao nodded and said, "Baibai, how come you are becoming lazy again?"


    The girl replied, "I am home, Dao." her voice was calm and she had no intention to get up from the couch. She was stating that I am lazy because I am home.


    Yang Dao shook his head and said, "Give me that bundle of papers, I gave you back in the sacred realm."


    Laohu Bai waved her hand and a stack of papers appeared on the table. The stack was two inches thick. The sheets were all as big as an A4 size sheet. Yang Dao nodded and picked up the stack. He said, "Sister Yun, I am leaving for office and will eat there. Then I will go back to Sapphire Residency at night. The college is resuming after the vacations tomorrow."


    Feng Yun nodded and stood up behind him, she escorted him to the garage and said, "You sure, you won''t be staying here for a few more days?" as they walked.


    The boy shook his head and said, "I have a lot of things to do." and came to stand next to his car, The Quinn.


    His gaze caressed the vehicle and he took out the key. However before he got inside the car, his gaze fell on a motorbike and he asked, "It is Mr. Ryu''s?"


    Feng Yun nodded and looking at him she said, "You can take it if you want to."


    Yang Dao shook his head and said, "No, I will ask Mr. Ryu, the next time. Bye-bye." and gave her a tight hug before he got inside the car and zoomed out of the garage.


    Feng Yun shook her head with a smile and came back to the living room. Laohu Bai was drinking coffee and said, " Did you notice?"


    Her voice was calm. Feng Yun nodded and said, "Yup, he is fine and stronger than before. His actions though, carry Dao resonance. Why?"


    Laohu Bai shook her head and said, "I do not know, but he sure is stronger. Let us see. However, he needs to start training with the earth element."


    Feng Yun nodded and said, "I will tell him at lunch."


    The two ladies nodded to death and had breakfast. Afterward, Laohu Bai went back to the Military Zone, while Feng Yun went to her office.


    ...


    Yang Dao reached the office earlier than anyone and he was busy decorating the wall behind the reception counter with his stack of paper while he was humming a tune with joy. He wanted to share the magnificence of White Tiger art with everyone.

 Chapter 272: Surprising.

    While Yang Dao was sticking up the paper sheets behind on the wall using a ladder, the employees started to arrive. They all notice Yang Dao doing stuff. The first person to arrive was coincidently the receptionist.


    She hurriedly walked closer and said, "Young Master, what are you doing? Should I call someone to help you?"


    Yang Dao was engrossed in pasting the papers, the lady attracted his attention with her voice and the boy turned to face her. He smiled and said, "Oh, good morning, sorry to be a bother. I will finish quickly, don''t worry."


    His sunny smile and warm voice stunned the lady and she froze. The boy, unaware of this, went back to his task. The receptionist was a lady in her early thirties and she was smitten by the boy''s aura unconsciously. Now that the boy had gained the resonance with Dao, his motions carry an unavoidable charm.


    The lady asked, "Young Master, what are you pasting?"


    Yang Dao subconsciously replied, "A sketch I made during my trip."


    The lady became curious and took out her phone to record the process. Yang Dao did not care about all this even if he knew that someone was recording the video. He could not act like a dictator and tell people not to take pictures of him, after all, they are all working for him. So it is okay.


    He pasted the sheets in an up to down order. He sorted out the pages, moved up on the ladder, and after pasting the page he would come down a step, repeat the process and move down, then he would again sort the paper and climb the ladder and repeat the process.


    The receptionist lady could not figure out what the sketch was about. Yang Dao did not say anything as well. His movements were calm and crisp. The sketch was pasted from below the AC duct to the height of the reception counter. The reason why Yang Dao selected this place was that the wall was big enough and the place was the first thing anyone visiting the place saw.


    A lot of employees came to work but they all froze at the entrance only when they saw Yang Dao pasting papers on the wall. Some took out their mobiles to record while some stood there blankly. They saw a huge white tiger gazing at the sky, and the eyes seemed to be joyful. It was as if the tiger will walk out of the sheets at any moment.


    Yang Dao pasted the last sheet and sighed. he was happy with his work completed. He looked around at the people who were busy admiring the sketch and nodded. He was happy that the people can admire the magnificence of the heavenly beast. What he did not know was that as soon as he pasted the last sheet of paper on the wall, the people almost screamed.


    To them, the white tiger turned his head at them and roared. However, they soon found that they were hallucinating. They all woke up when Yang Dao moved the ladder to the side. The receptionist lady clapped and the rest of the people followed.


    Yang Dao shook his head and with a smile, he said, "Thank you, everyone, for boosting my ego. Now, lets us get back to work."


    The people chuckled and after wishing him a good morning they all moved to their workstations. Yang Dao walked towards the elevator he saw that it was already full. He did not bother and went to the stairs, given his speed and physique now, he moved like a phantom and climbed the stairs in a blink. However, he was still modest enough to not shook the people and arrived just a few seconds after the elevator.


    He came to the top floor and came to his cabin. He sat down on the big chair and leaned against it as he waited for Kylie Dew to arrive at the company. He closed his eyes and meditated.


    ...


    Downstairs, the lady on the reception counter posted a video on social media, with the title, "Artist Dao."


    The video was instantly popular in the lady''s friend circle. The people who watched even on the phone were stunned and felt drawn inside the scene. In the end, when the white tiger roared in their minds they were completely stunned. At first, there was no big reaction but slowly, within an hour the video became a topic everyone was talking about.


    Such was the charm of the sketch. Mary and Yurika came to the office and were stunned as they entered the building. Yurika walked up to the reception counter after a few seconds of daze and asked, "Debbie, where did this drawing came from?"


    Debbie was the receptionist lady, she replied, "Young Master pasted it."


    Yurika asked, "Dao, came back?"


    The lady nodded. Yurika looked at Mary, the latter nodded calmly and took her inside the elevator. They came to the top floor and saw Yang Dao sitting inside his corner office while reading some documents. One of the walls of Yang Dao''s cabin was made up of high-quality bulletproof glass.


    Yang Dao was not resting in the office for the past hour. He called up the investment department to check the amount they have earned from the investments and also to check the ongoing project development. His sudden check-up gave the people a sense of dread. After all, they all were human and they were afraid to cause any mistakes and losing their jobs over it.


    Mary wanted to knock on the door when Yurika just pushed it and rushed inside the room. Yang Dao said, "Rika, not now, please. After the work."


    Yurika sighed and grumpily sat down on the chair in front of him. Mary outside the cabin shook her head. How could Yang Dao not know that the girl was about to spit fire on him for being missing for two months.


    Mary came in and sat on a chair as well. She asked, "Dao, how have you been?"


    Yang Dao smiled and replied, "I am fine, how about you?"


    Mary nodded with a smile and said, "I have a lot of things waiting for you. Although Yun signed the important documents in your absence, I still suggest that you look at them. If possible, do visit the lab downstairs. Frieda has been troubled these days. and the deadline for the new product release is coming closer."


    Yang Dao nodded and said, "Yeah. Sister Yun hinted to me. I will look into it. I am just waiting for someone to bring over something. Also, this electric battery station project is almost complete. The staff involved in it is quite efficient. Give them the due bonus."


    Mary nodded and was surprised, cause she did not expect Yang Dao to give out a bonus right away.

 Chapter 273: RALFs Debut.

    Yang Dao had just told Mary that he is waiting for someone when the intercom in the office rang. The boy clicked the button and put it on speaker. Debbie spoke from the other side, "Young Master, a lady is here to see you. Her name is Kylie Dew, she is a professor at the National University."


    Yang Dao replied, "Send her up, please. Thank you."


    Debbie replied, "Right away, sir." and then the call disconnected. Yang Dao raised his head and said to Yurika, "Get the research team report to me after lunch. I have things to discuss with them."


    Yurika nodded. Mary said, "We will go and handle our own work."


    Yang Dao said, "Wait, I intend to hire this person in the research group. We need a computer freak in the future and she can fulfill that. You guys stay here and that will help make decisions. Consider it as a surprise interview."


    The three were talking when the door of the room was knocked. Yang Dao said, "Come in." and the door was pushed in from outside. Yang Dao smiled and greeted the lady coming inside, "Long time no see, Professor."


    Kylie Dew bloomed in a smile. She wore a professional dress. The reason was that she had a lecture to attend at the university after this meeting. She replied, "I am good, how have you been. You totally vanished after the award ceremony. Also, it was too one-sided, a few people in the rival colleges claimed they will beat you next year."


    Yang Dao shook his head and said, "Who knows. Also, my notebook?"


    Kylie Dew came forward and she placed her bag at the top of the table and took out Yang Dao''s laptop notebook from it. She said, "RALF has been uploaded in it" she also took out the charger from the bag as she spoke.


    Yang Dao said, "Thank you. Also, Professor, would you like to join the Dao Technologies as a presiding computer research advisor?"


    Kylie Dew did not even think twice and said, "Nope. You have the help that you need. I will not be joining. Yes, if you need any help. You can tell me. I can help you recruit some good technicians if you need."


    Yang Dao glanced at Mary, who nodded faintly. The former smiled and said, "We will be needing such people in the future. I will trouble you then."


    Kylie nodded with a smile. She did not seem to be as affectionate with Yang Dao as she was a few months ago. Yang Dao was relieved and said, "I will show you all something. Come along."


    With that said he held the laptop in his handstand walked out of the cabin. Kylie Dew was aware of what Yang Dao will be showing them so she followed quickly. Mary and Turika also became curious and they both followed as well.


    They did not know what the boy had in his mind but they knew that he was not a person who would waste their time. They came to the elevator and descended one floor. The eleventh floor was the place where they had the lab set up for research.


    Yang Dao and the other came to the general area where Frieda was staring at the computer screen. The boy said, "Senior, good morning."


    The girl turned her head around and saw the person she wanted to see the most. She did not even reply to his greeting and said, "You came, finally. Please look at this code, I cannot find the flaws."


    Yang Dao gave her a wry smile and said, "You are rushing things again, Senior. Did you forget what I told you the last time."


    The girl replied with a sigh and said, "I remember but I cannot help but get paranoid."


    Yang Dao shook his head and walked over to the computer. He placed his laptop next to it and connected it with the CPU of the computer. He switched the laptop on and when the black screen appeared. He said, "RALF, are you there?"


    Everyone was confused when a bomb exploded in their minds. The laptop speakers echoed with a voice, "Yes, administrator."


    Kylie Dew has been watching over the system growth but she had never talked to it. At this moment she heard the voice and was stunned. This was brilliance. The response time was instant. This response time itself was the indicator of the brilliance of this AI.


    Frieda was frozen in her chair and was looking at the laptop with wide eyes. Mary asked, "Dao, what is it?"


    Yang Dao smiled and said, "RALF, introduce yourself."


    An artificial voice sounded, "Yes, Administrator. Hello, I am RALF. I am an artificial intelligence program created by Yang Dao, the administrator. My processing speed is 8.42938 GHz. The speed is upgradeable with the advancement of the equipment..."


    RALF went on for a few minutes before he finished wrapping up the stuff about himself. Yang Dao said, "RALF, I have connected you to a computing unit. Can you help me debug the code displayed on the screen?"


    RALF replied, "Certainly, Sir." and the computer screen started to move. The codes that had any flaws were debugged. RALF spoke up again, "Sir, do I have the permission to optimize the program?"


    Yang Dao said, "Yes."


    He paused and continued, "Inside this mainframe, there are schematics of a prototype robot. Your second task is to optimize all those schematics and use the equipment inside the lab to remotely create a robot. Can you do that?"


    RALF replied, "Certainly, Sir." and the computer screen started to flash quickly.


    Yang Dao said, "Senior Freida, we can now have a Humanoid Robo, produced just like you wished. How about it? You design the body and I designed the mind." calmly.


    Frieda was excited and her face was flushed. She stood up and hugged Yang Dai tightly. She did not expect happiness to come so suddenly. Yurika and Mary smiled at each other. They have become good friends with Frieda Foster and knew that this girl was very driven to complete her dream project.


    Yang Dao was stunned by the hug but he sensed that the lady meant nothing more than thank him. he said, "It''s okay. We are all friends. RALF will help us a lot in the future."


    Frieda nodded as she broke the embrace. Then she sat down in front of the computer again. Yang Dao shook his head and said, "What happened here, stays here. I don''t wish to see any word out of this place."


    The people immediately calmed down. They all knew the significance of this development. Treasure and trouble go hand in hand.

 Chapter 274: Neo.

    The people nodded when Yang Dao issued a gag order. They all understood the gravity of the situation. If this AI tech was leaked, it will cause a shockwave that, if not handled properly in the slightest, could shake the foundation of The Phoenix group.


    Despite being an Independent company, Dao Technologies had great cooperation with the Phoenix Group. After all, the two owners were siblings in the public eye. So, Yang Dao did not want to stain the name of Feng Yun.


    As the five people were thinking about the plausible future directions of growth, they heard a buzzing sound. Frieda had used the big 3-D printer to create a prototype body. The thing she was struggling with was the coding aspect. She did not stop when Yang Dao commanded RALF to optimize the body structure.


    She understood that the body designed by a human designer will have a lot of flaws and will take a lot of tests and research to develop a new body. However, RALF saved them the trouble and was optimized the skeletal design of the prototype model. The lab was fitted with two printers and both of them were in use at the moment.


    Kylie Dew could not help but asked, "Dao, how come these small parts will create a body?"


    Yang Dao shook his head and said, "RALF, you have the permission to answer the questions intended for you."


    The laptop replied, "Yes, Administrator." then it paused and replied, "What I did right now is just to optimize the design of the prototype body. We only need to reconfigure these parts inside and the machine will improve significantly."


    Frieda asked, "How did you obtain the conclusion?"


    RALF replied, "Date simulation. I ran a thousand combinations of data to optimize this body."


    Frieda asked again, "How did you obtain the data?"


    "Modelling Formula, derived by calculating the various parts of the prototype," RALF replied.


    The blonde beauty was completely smitten with this AI. she wanted to play more but she understood that it was using remote processing for the work so she could only hold her curiosity. She turned to Yang Dao and said, "Boy, you sure you are normal?"


    Yang Dao just smiled at her with a smile. He had no intention of explaining things to her. Soon the 3-D printers stopped. The precision robots were programmed to assemble the parts into a body. Yang Dao did not have much to do, he only sat down on the chair and watched how RALF handled the robotic arm remotely and assembled a robot behind the protection glass.


    Suddenly, Kylie Dew exclaimed. Everyone turned to face her and she said, ''Excuse me." the lady was so immersed in the operations inside the lab that she had forgotten everything. Just now her cellphone vibrated in the breast pocket of her shirt and brought her back from the fantasy land. She checked the content and said, "Dao, I will be going back to the Uni, I have an urgent class to attend."


    Yang Dao nodded and said, "Should I see you off?"


    Kylie Dew shook her head and said, "I can manage. Also, you have to turn in a project this semester you know. I will be expecting something good."


    Yang Dao smiled and still escorted her to the elevator out of politeness. She was keeping his big secret under wraps so this much courtesy was needed. After dropping Kylie Dew to the elevator, he made his way back to the robotics lab and saw that the robotic body was already finished.


    The arms were just screwing up a led display on the ''head'' of the bot. The whole bot was one meter high, it looked like a midget. The outer shell of the body was made of carbon fiber and it was black in color. The robotic arms moved the complete bot to the safe area. Frieda jumped like a cat and inserted the plug of the transmission wire inside the bot''s body.


    The bot was powered by a lithium-ion battery. It was easy to charge as they placed the charging coils in the feet. The bot will just need to stand on the wireless charger and TADA. The bot was fixed with two 20 megapixel camera''s equipped with thermal, and infrared sensors, one on the back of the head and one in the front for a 360-degree view, the hands of the bot had a texture of a human hand. It was like a rubber glove covering the hands. This was done to make it gentle to touch someone.


    RALF was transferring the code data inside the body very quickly. The LED display covering the camera was see-through from the inside. At this moment, the lights on the display were showing a light circle in completion.


    Yurika said, "Dao, why is the body so small?"


    Yang Dao replied, "To make it more acceptable. People like children." his voice was calm and this was the idea behind this bot. It was an experiment and if it is a small-sized thing the people may still be very happy to have this thing inside their homes. Humans were weird creatures, they would be scared of what they did not understand, however, if the out appearance is genial enough, they will not hesitate much to try it.


    It is similar to them being scared of a rat snake, which is non-poisonous, but at the same time eat some poisonous fruit, because it is a fruit and it doesn''t move.


    After half an hour the program codes were all installed in the storage disk of the robot. The bot started with a black and white Dao symbol spinning on the screen and then a pleasant voice sounded, "Hello, everyone, I am Neo, your house care unit. What can I do for you?"


    Frieda was so excited that she had her mouth covered with her hands, yet her exclamation was audible. Yang Dao shook his head and said, "Neo, can you scan all the people here and see if they are all healthy?"


    The robot replied, "Yes sir." the bot walked close to Yang Dao and stretched his hand. The motion was very fluid and controlled. It said, "May I take your pulse?"


    Yang Dao nodded and held out his own hand. The bot placed his two index fingers on the wrist and after a minute it said, "Your pulse is normal, sir. Your facial experience does no indicate you to be having any discomfort."


    Yang Dao nodded and pointed towards Frieda, "Check her please."


    Neo turned around on its axis, as if a military soldier, however, the movement was fluid. After checking the pulse of the lady, the bot said, "Madam, your pulse is high, looking at your expanding pupil and elevated breather. I suggest you calm down. Either you are excited or you are hyperventilating."


    Mary could not help but mumble, "Sick."


    The bot turned to face Mary and asked, "Madam, do you feel any discomfort?"


    Yurika chuckled and said, "Dao, give it puffy cheeks it is so cute."


    The boy only rolled his eyes at her. Yang Dao said, "Call for a press conference ASAP. We are taking him out. Live field play. Before opening for the sale, let the people know what our product is about. We are not seeking funds or profit but we are certainly seeking value price (Similar to stocks) to rise."


    Mary smirked and said, "Consider it done, also, now is lunchtime. You take a meal and then you have a meeting with the graphene research team."


    Yang Dao nodded and said, "Senior Frieda, let us have some food. Come on."


    The girl was reluctantly dragged away from the lab to the cafeteria of the company by Yang Dao. The mess was very active when the boss walked in. The treatment given to the employees was top notch and none could have messed it up. Yang Dao and Frieda ate the food while talking about other potential projects the girl had in her mind.


    Yang Dao told her that they can take it easy and research first before they create too many robots, after all, the presence of robots will change society''s outlook all of a sudden. Frieda agreed to it and ate a satisfying meal.


    Later, Yang Dao headed to the conference room. He had commanded RALF to print out the material and directives for the experimentation on carbon particles. The AI was smart enough. When Yang Dao commanded it to self-learn, he had already set up the priority to learn and prove this issue.


    This material was very much needed by him to escalate the future growth of the country''s infrastructure. At this moment a few old scientists were sitting in the conference room waiting for Yang Dao to appear. These people were all part of the Phoenix research center and were loaned to Yang Dao for this project.


    The boy pushed open the door of the conference room and the meeting began.

 Chapter 275: Unvieling.

    Yang Dao walked inside the room holding a thick file. He smiled at the scientists gathered in the room and greeted them with a bow. He said, "Good afternoon, Seniors. I apologize for calling you all over so abruptly but there is something I would like to show you."


    With that said, he did not waste any time and passed over the file in his hand to the man sitting closest to him. He had prepared several sets of documents and also read them. He had good enough knowledge to say that this data was enough to make the world go to war in the shadows.


    He was paying attention to the behavior changes in the people as they read the document. He smirked as he saw the old people shivering slightly. The boy did not need his special pupil to see that the people were excited. He noted that when they started to look at the content of the documents their lips were twitching. They obviously did not expect this young man to be so capable.


    Then the disdain turned to shock, the data on record was indeed scary for them. They did not expect to find such theories and test directions mention in the content they randomly came to check. After a few moments, the shocked dilated pupil expanded and the breathing also picked up the pace. Calculation of the future of this data brought them infinite happiness.


    An old scientist took a deep breath and calmed down. He asked, "Sir, may I ask what is the source of this data?"


    Yang Dao shook his head and said, "Professor Spacey, it is not convenient for me to disclose that. Also, I would like to have you all sign a non-disclosure agreement before you can take this file back with you to study. Although I agree that this data is something that should be shared with the world but I ask you, would the other people also think of it the same way?"


    The scientists present here were all people screened and monitored by Feng Yun''s shadow guard regularly. Their loyalty was in the right place and they were all genuinely pursued science. They all nodded. Professor Spacey said, "Give us some time to discuss?"


    Yang Dao nodded and said, "You can discuss but may I please take the set of documents?"


    The people all nodded and handed over the documents. Professor Spacey asked, "Gents, what do you think?"


    Another old man spoke in a slightly hoarse voice, "If the data is checked out. We might be able to develop the product we need."


    Professor Spacey said, "I agree with Old Zhang. It might get it what we need."


    A few other experts also expressed their opinions. The project was to research an allotrope of carbon consisting of a single layer of atoms arranged in a two-dimensional nanostructure. The data provided to them stated a few facts that shocked them.


    It said that given as appropriate doping enables an in-plane conductivity of 100 MS/m for the graphene flakes with a flake size in the tens of micrometers, the macroscopic graphene can reach an electrical conductivity of up to 80 MS/m, with highly thermally conductive, exhibiting a thermal conductivity of ~4000 Wm?1 K?1.


    As for the density of the graphene sheets? The density of graphene sheets can increase with increased stacking order and perfection. Perfectly stacked and aligned graphene sheets have a density close to that of crystalline graphite (2.267 g/cm3).


    All they needed to do was to follow the few experiments and tests from the file Yang Dao showed them. They all could have their name written in history. The people exchanged a look and nodded resolutely. The scientists called Yang Dao back inside the room and asked, "Sir, when can we sign the nondisclosure agreement?"


    The boy smiled and called in Mary. After the two parties discussed the terms and conditions they agreed to sign the document in the evening. This matter was handled by Mary herself. Because she knew what the importance of this agreement was. Yang Dao informed Feng Yun about the situation and asked her to arrange for the security of these people. The boy did not have any security force under himself and nor did he plan to.


    It was four in the evening when the press address was arranged and the place they were all asked to take a seat was the reception lobby. The security guards were all vigilant and the elevator was under a strict monitor. Two men in black suits guarded outside while one man was posted inside. These guards were all retired army veterans of special forces people.


    The press reporters were gathered and were talking among each other. However, their eyes were all focused on the huge tiger painting on the wall of the area. They have never seen such good-quality art. One lady could not hold her curiosity and asked Debbie, "Excuse me, Miss. May I ask, who drew this sketch?"


    Debbie replied, "This is the work of my boss, Yang Dao."


    The reporter was shocked. She was dizzy, after recalling the info in her mind, that the artist is just 16 years and some months old. She did not expect this to be a deed that ''child'' commit. She immediately started to ask her cameramen and made a brief report about its in the secluded corner.


    The rest of the people were slow but they also made similar reports. Soon, an hour passed and Yang Dao walked out of the elevator in the corner wearing his casual attire. A sunny smile resting on his face. he waved at the reporters and walked forward to stand in front of the reception counter. The press all moved their focus to him and started to click pictures and ask questions.


    The boy raised his hands to gesture them to ease up. he smiled and said, "Hello everyone, long time no see. I thank you all for coming over on short notice. Actually, for the past couple of months, our company has been working hard to develop a very interesting product and today only did the results came out. So, please give me some leeway.


    According to my general manager, Ms. Mary Olajire. I should have waited till the thing is finalized but I just could not hold on to my excitement. So today I called you over to introduce to you a new member of our Dao Product Line. Neo."

 Chapter 276: HIT.

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    Yang Dao raised his hand and pointed at the elevator. Frieda walked out of the elevator with a notebook in her hands and behind her followed a Midget humanoid. The people were shocked and they could not help but suck in a cold breath.


    The humanoid was now white in color with a blue smiley face lit up on the LED screen face. The movement was crisp and fluid. Like a teen walking behind everyone. Frieda came over and stepped behind the reception counter. She set up the notebook there and asked Debbie, "Madam, can I have your spot for a few minutes please?"


    Who was Debbie to refuse the legendary Frieda Foster? Okay, without exaggeration, Freida was still, an upper echelon. She hurriedly walked to the side and stood outside the frame. Neo did not go behind the counter but stood next to Yang Dao.


    The Dao Child smiled and said, "Neo, you see the guests? Introduce yourself to them."


    Neo replied to him with a nod and turned to face the press reporters. The robot said, "Hello everyone. I am Neo, I am a house care robot designed by Dao technologies. I am capable of babysitting, monitoring household,s and also, medical assistance. I have a storage capacity of one hundred terabytes. My operating system details are confidential. I am very pleased to meet you."


    The smiley emoticon on the LED screen turned from blue to green. The reporters were silent. A guy whispered, "Are we watching a movie?"


    Someone sitting beside him gave him a hard pinch making him yell. The man beside him said, "It is real."


    Their voice was like a stone pelted on a beehive and it made the reporters swarm. The people with cameras were moving their pictures like a high-performance race car engine. The mics were all pointed at Yang Dao. The boy was calm and had a faint professional smile on his face.


    He said, "Calm down. One by one, please." his voice calmed the beehive.


    he pointed at a half-bald man. The person stood up and asked, "President Feng, is this bot capable of free chat with the owner. Or will the interaction remain content with the field of work?"


    Yang Dao smiled and said, "It can hold a free conversation. However, the content is limited."


    Then he pointed and a lady in a brown formal shirt. The lady asked, "Sir, can you talk about the battery life and what is the material used for manufacturing the body?"


    Yang Dao nodded and with patience, he told them that the body was made up of carbon fiber to keep it lightweight and sturdy. The internal skeleton was made of aluminum and steel allow, the limb movement is powered by a network of four independent brushless motors. The chest and the back area of the robot are fixed with lithium-ion batteries containing a charge of fifty thousand MaH.


    The people were dumbfounded when they heard such specifications. Still, the bot came with wireless charging, three years of free maintenance, and the capability to alarm emergency services based on the emergency faced by the human master.


    The bot was not good at protecting and monitoring others but itself as well. It was capable of sending a direct feed to the company in case it was abused by the owner. Trying to hack into the programming of the bot will also cause the person to be blacklisted from the Dao Technologies database.


    The people started asking more complicated questions regarding the mechanical mechanism of the bot and Yang Dao said with a bitter smile, "That is what Senior Frieda is responsible for. So, you can have a piece of her mind now."


    Frieda faintly smiled and replied to the questions she was asked about. She did not expose any of the programming details of the bot at all. You have to say that this girl had a high IQ. She avoided the questions with ease.


    Finally, someone was unable to hold it within and asked, "President Feng, will you give us a demonstration of the skills of this bot as well?"


    Yang Dao had put his products on public demonstration and they were all bought out because of this as well.


    The boy heard the question and said, "Why not? Would sir mind volunteering?"


    The reporter was stunned but he quickly regained his composure and nodded. Then he walked forward and stood in front of Yang Dao. The two shook hands and the Dao Child said, "Neo, scan this gentleman for any medical discomforts."


    The bot stepped forward and held out his hand to the man as it said, ''Sir, may I ask you to move your hand forward? I need to check your pulse."


    The man did not hesitate and extended his hand forward. This person was wearing a full sleeve shirt and his wrist was covered with the cuffs of the shirt. Neo glanced at his wrist and asked, "Sir, will it be okay to open your cuff? The cloth can obstruct the reading?"


    The reporter asked, "Can you not take it like this?" his question was obviously to find flaws, after all, nothing is perfect. The bot replied, "I can try to take the reading like this. Today is my first day, so i am anxious."


    The voice tone also changed to match that of a nervous mood. The reporters smiled at this humourous bot. Yang Dao raised his eyebrow because even he did not know what has Ralf did to the bot. however, it was a good thing. The bot placed its fingertips over the cuff and took the reading. After one minute the bot said, "Sir, you can try having a glass of warm water and try to relax. Your pulse is alleviated, it is not good for your heart. Would you like to prescribe you something?"


    The man nodded and the robot said, "Buddhist scriptures, three times a day can help you calm down and easy on viagra."


    The people were shocked and the man asked, "How do you know that I have taken Viagra?"


    The bot replied, "You have a packet sticking out of your pocket."


    The man was stunned and looked down, he found nothing and the bot said, "I am joking. Hahaha." in his bot voice.


    The other people laughed and so did the targetted person, he would have spewed out the water if he had any in his mouth. The man could not help but say, "President Feng, you sure made a funny one this time."


    Yang Dao passed him a smile as well. The bot continued to take pulse readings and it was a hit amongst the press. Now the company only had to wait for the announcement broadcast from the media and TADA. Neo will be a household name.

 Chapter 277: Response.

    After the press meet finished the press rushed back to their own offices to publish and broadcast the news they have just covered. Yang Dao did not make a big fuss about the event as he stated the bot to be in the experimental period and to be the prototype.


    He also stated that the company forum will add a  Suggestions tab to let the consumers provide them a few ideas about what features will they need in the bot. After a discussion, the bot will be put up for sale.


    The media will never let go of such a juicy piece of meat. They all contacted their offices and bosses to directly get themselves a slot on about the news.


    ...


    While the people were boiling up about Neo, on the web forums, Yang Dao''s sketching skills had already started to draw aggro of the keyboard warriors. The people were all excited to see the handsome male god working by himself to paste the sheets together.


    A few comments were highlighted below the posts. The people expressed themselves as;


    ''Is this not the boy who won that car race and saved that beauty driver?''


    ''This child is so bright. He first invented that cleaning ball (Robo-aid) and now this, sketch. Why is my son not like him?''


    ''Awesome!! I was scared out of my wits when I saw the tiger turning its head but it was just my hallucination. The sketch is so life-like. Why is god so unfair?''


    Such comments continued to be posted on the internet. Soon, the people around Yang Dao also knew and started to call him over to check whether he actually drew this. The Dao Child did not shy away from the exposure. After the trip to the sacred realm, his mind had gone through a growth spree.


    In these two weeks (inside the sacred realm) he has understood that nothing can disturb you if you do not want to be disturbed. At this moment, Yang Dao was skimming through some documents in the office, and on his table, the laptop was placed. Just a few moments ago, Yang Dao had given RAFL, permission to monitor the activities of the scientists included in the graphene development project.


    Once the project completely bears fruit the impact will be significant. Graphene will replace a lot of things in the market and those who can monopolize it will score. Unlike the rest of the people, Yang Dao had low to no interest in money or luxury. What he wanted was to make everyone get what they deserved and make a prosperous society.


    Although he knew that prosperity will come to an end too, he still needed to strive. This was the cycle of nature and life. The prosperity of society depends on how people treat nature. Thus, he had already developed plans for the future growth of the company.


    ...


    Yurika walked inside Yang Dao''s office and said, "Dao, Sister Tina was asking about where you went. So I told her that you went on for military training. Yang Dao nodded, and asked, "Say, how about opening a restaurant?"


    Yurika was dazed by the sudden question, she asked, "What are you up to?"


    "You remember when I went on the camping trip, I bought a few recipes?" he asked.


    Yurika nodded and the boy continued speaking, "Those recipes have yet to be shared with the world, and I came up with some very interesting dishes as well. So I was thinking if we could make it a venture. The dishes are all simple. We can sell them at a low price. Ummm, we do not need to open a shop specifically, just have a few food vans set up. They can park in different areas of the city and sell."


    Yurika said, "If that is the case, we can make a good profit."


    Yang Dao said, "Nope, the profit is to be used in purchasing, eco-friendly consumables. Do you remember the bamboo cups and banana leaves? Promote those to be used more."


    His idea was simple, and the plan was simple. Yurika nodded and even took notes of the key points. Half an hour later, Yang Dao said, "Come, let us go grab some Ice cream, I will drop you home, then I go to sapphire lake residence. You can talk to the manager of Paradise Hotel. They can gather vans and trainee staff that are below the mark to work in the hotel."


    Yurika nodded and then she stood up with him. Yang Dao closed the laptop and walked outside the office. It was seven in the evening and the televisions and billboard screens around the city were all flashing with the news of Dao Technologies introducing the new robot.


    Under his instructions, the company had opened a pop-up survey on the official website where the consumers can input their suggestions regarding the feature they needed for the robot. Yang Dao was unaware of the wave he had created by his sudden unveiling. He was not bothered by it, so he came out of the company and suddenly said, "Oh, Rika, can you get someone to cover this sketch with some glass or acrylic? The paper will last longer that way."


    Yurika shook her head and said, "Aye boss."


    Yang Dao chuckled at the exasperated expression she had. The two rode Quinn and came to a roadside ice cream shop. Yang Dao ordered two different ones and the two people ate ice cream in silence. This was their response to something good happening.


    The world around them, however, was not so calm. Some major experts in robotics and computer operations were at this moment hold emergency meetings. They were concerned about how did this company achieve this milestone. They all have been trying for a long time but their robots were still not so smooth and fluent, whether it was body movement or communication.


    In the crypto nation, a man with glasses sat in a chair. His eyes focused on the Television screen. He said, "They seem to have grown a bit. How about a test?" his eyes flashed with a hint of playfulness.

 Chapter 278: Balance Point.

    Yang Dao dropped Yurika back to her accommodation and drove his car around the city in leisure. Despite living in the jade city for a long time, he has never taken out time to admire this place. His mind was at ease as he drove around. A lot of people were attracted to him and his car.


    Quinn had a whistling voice, and the car was designed beautifully, being driven by Yang Dao, the best combo. While the girls were curious about the boy, the men were envious and wished for him to go away as soon as possible. Yang Dao decided to try his special eyes on the people.


    In an instant, his eye flicked, his normal black pupils were replaced by Dao eyes. The pupils rotated slowly as he gazed at the mortal realm. What he was interested in seeing through the emotions of the surrounding people. Yes, he had never used the second skill of the Dao eyes to see through the heart of the people inside the sacred realm.


    He saw that the heart of the people emitted a lot of colors; it was a blob of different colors. Some were dark murky while some were shining shimmering. The dark was negative emotions while the light was positive. Surprisingly enough, a lot of people had balanced hearts as well. These people were usually older in age. Yang Dao came to realize that in the mortal realm, the people live life to figure out the balance between them.


    While in the sacred realm, he also realized one of his balance points. As the Dao child, if he was responsible to serve nature to be in balance with the humans and the rest, then he was also responsible for his own happiness. The king was, after all, a human too. This was his point of balance.


    With such thoughts, he drove his car back to sapphire lake residency. The guards on the duty saw the car coming over and they all lifted the barricade and saluted. Yang Dao has been gone for two months and they were having an easy life. Now that he has come back, they felt the pressure again. After all, if something happened to the young master. Their lives will be forfeited.


    Yang Dao was kind enough to roll down the window and smile at them as he stopped the car at the door. He asked, "Do you all have enough comfort at work? Summer is here. Shall I arrange something for you?"


    The guards were gratified by the concern the young man showed to them. However, they already had everything they could ask for, provided by the company. They all shook their heads and bowed to Yang Dao in thanks. Actions represent their emotions better than words would. The boy smiled and said, "Okay, do not hesitate to tell me if you need anything. Have a good day."


    With those words, he drove the car away. The guard chief said with a sigh, "The young master is not only big in net worth but his heart is even bigger."


    The rest of the guards nodded one by one. They agreed with the statement of the head. Yang Dao parked the car inside the underground parking and found a few more cars standing in the lots. Even two heavy motorbikes were placed. Yang Dao was confused because he never asked or bought himself so many things.


    He fished out his phone and dialed Feng Yun''s number on it. The call was connected in a blink. Yang Dao asked, "Were you waiting for my call, Sister Yun?"


    The other side chuckled and said, "Yes, I was. Did you reach home?"


    The boy hummed and said, "Do you know where these cars and bikes come from?"


    Feng Yun smiled on the other side and said, "They are the things that the second brother took a liking for. The cars and the bikes all are some things he tried after undoing his seals. He said that you can also use them. As for why he parked them at your place, it was to make it convenient for you."


    Yang Dao was speechless if calculated, the value of all these cars and motorbikes was high enough to buy the whole building of Dao Technologies. There were fourteen cars, the cheapest worth three million and the highest worth twenty-three million. The two motorbikes, each worth a million.


    Probably she sensed his thoughts. Feng Yun said, "Did Mary inform you?"


    Yang Dao asked, "About what?"


    "That, Dao Technologies, now do not have any debts remaining and that the office space is also your own? This was all done with the profit the company made from the stock market, sales of Robo-aid and Intelligent assistant sales," said Feng Yun.


    Yang Dao hummed and said, "Okay. I will go now. I need to go to college in the morning."


    The two people said goodbye and disconnected the call. Yang Dao took the elevator and ascended to his house. He stepped out of the elevator with the laptop in his hands. Just when he was about to open the door with the key card. The door was pulled open from the inside. Yang Dao saw Lisa standing in front of him with a bright smile.


    She said, "Welcome home Young Master." her voice was calming and sweet like always and Yang Dao subconsciously smiled. he stepped inside and closed the door behind him. He asked, "Did Sister Yun sent you here?"


    Lisa nodded. Yang Dao came inside the living room and found the two leopards gazing at him. He stepped over and stroked their heads gently. He asked, "Did they also come along with you?"


    Lisa nodded and said, "Madam said that they would love living with you also. They scare the maids in the mansion so she sent them over."


    Yang Dao nodded. He had already noticed how scared the maids were after the two entered the house with him. However, he was surprised and asked, "Why are you not scared of them?"


    Lisa was surprised and then said, "I don''t know. They are cats, just oversized." her expression was very adorable at this moment. It was not that she was ignorant, but her confidence was correct. The leopards were technically cats, just bigger and fiercer than the normal ones.


    He said, "What is for dinner?"


    Lisa smiled and the two people ate dinner in silence. Yang Dao helped Lisa with the cleanup and then, after a shower, he went to bed.

 Chapter 279: Idol Man.

    ||Discord handle: THE WORDSMITH#2521||


    ...


    The next morning Yang Dao woke up and changed into a set of sports shirts and boxers. He put on his running shoes and was ready to go out for a run. He saw that the two leopards were gazing at him with twinkling eyes. He said, "Well, okay, but do not be naughty when you go out."


    The leopards nodded humanely. Yang Dao could understand their emotions when they were just normal beasts. He said, "Sushi, wake up. You are the nanny."


    Sushi was meditating in his hair. She woke up by his call. She said, "Master, why am I the nanny?"


    Yang Dao said, "Because you are older than the two of them. Also, did you name them?"


    The little sylph flew around his head and said, "They have names. Their mother gave them one in their own language. The boy is white so she called him Luster, the girl is black so she called her Shadow."


    Yang Dao glanced at the two beasts and nodded. He said, "I wonder how the people will react to them." with that said he did not waste any time and came out of the house. Lisa was at this moment busy preparing breakfast for him. The beasts now absorbed the source of energy as their food and they did not like normal food. Just as much as a human meal was enough to sate their taste buds.


    One human, two-spirit beasts, and one elemental spirit boarded the elevator and came down to the lobby on the ground floor. The residency had around-the-clock staff. Right now, the people on the night shift were still on duty.


    They saw the elevator stopping at their level and all became alert. After all, the residents in the building were rich and powerful. The door opened and they were shocked to see Yang Dao walking out with two big leopards following on both his sides.


    The people sucked in cold breaths but Yang Dao said, "Calm down, they are not wild."


    The staff was stunned when they thought about the implementations in the simple sentence he just used. The beasts were not wild, did that not mean, Yang Dao was keeping leopards as his pets and that too, such unique-looking ones.


    Yang Dao said, "Luster, Shadow, greet everyone."


    The two leopards nodded like a human and gazed at the four people in the lobby. They nodded to them as well and Yang Dao took them out for a run around the society, leaving the people in shock. They did not expect the beasts to be so intelligent and well-behaved. The girl behind the reception table said, "Young Master is a proper tycoon. How can he take in usual dogs as his pets? Look at those elegant beasts, how they are so tamed around Young Master. The charm of an idol."


    If not for the reason that she was a human and not an anime figure, her eyes would have turned to stars like a little fan girl.


    ...


    Yang Dao ran around the society parameter and he was spotted by a few people. The people were shocked but after they recovered, they only had some sweat on their backs and surprise in their eyes as they saw a human running ahead with two leopards on his sides and the speed was comparable to a national level athlete.


    ...


    A little boy and girl were walking with an old man chattering endlessly. The old man also had a smile on his face. You can tell that he loved these two little ones. Suddenly the two kids exclaimed together.


    "Such pretty cats." their eyes were twinkling.


    Yang Dao had run around for an hour and he was now resting at the side of the garden. The two leopards were sitting on either of his sides. The kids were not too old just three or four years old. So they could not differentiate between cats and leopards. But the old man, how could he not know that the two beasts were predators.


    He wanted to stop his grandchildren but the two kids were already out of his reach. He said, "Tim, Kim, stop." his heart was almost out of his mouth.


    Yang Dao heard the voice and saw two kids running over. They came to stop, five-meter away from him. He crouched down and said, "Hello."


    The two replied, "Hello."


    The old man had caught up at this moment and came to stand in front of them. He was panting as he almost sprinted for a few steps. The old man asked, "Young man, these two beasts are dangerous."


    Yang Dao expected this reaction and smiled. He calmly spoke, "Sir, these two leopards were rescued by me when they were just a couple of weeks old. They grew up in contact with humans and are completely harmless. Until someone hurts them they do not attack."


    He said, "Luster, Shadow, greet the old sir."


    The two beasts sat down on their hind legs and bowed slightly to the old man. Actually, they were dancing to the wind whip in Sushi''s hands. She had warned them earlier. The warning sounded like, "You two overgrown kittens, if the master was embarrassed because of you I will make you lose a layer of your fur and make coats out of it."


    Back to the current scene, the old man stood in a daze. Tim and Kim peeked out from behind his legs and the boy asked, "Big brother, can we pet them?"


    Yang Dao said, "Yes if your grandpa allows you to."


    The two kids looked at the old man with big puppy eyes. The old man hesitated and finally succumbed to the lethal weapon. He said, "Okay, but be careful."


    His heart was not at ease. The two kids walked over behind him and came close to the two beasts. They had no fear in their hearts. Yang Dao gazed at Sushi, who swung the whip in the void and said, "Lean over, let them touch you."


    The two leopards gave in to their fates and leaned over, the kids smiled, the head of the kitten was finally in their reach. Two small palms petted the two big heads. It just happened that someone recorded this scene and uploaded the video on the net. The video was titled, "The Idol Man."

 Chapter 280: Stand-by.

    Yang Dao was smiling as the two kids played with Luster and Shadow. The old man saw that the beasts showed no signs of revolt and calmed down a bit. Yang Dao said, "Old Sir, would you like to sit down?"


    He stood up and gave his seat to the old man. The old man nodded and sat down hesitantly. He asked, "Young Man, what is your name?"


    Yang Dao reported his name and asked the Old Man about his. The man introduced himself and the people began to talk. Unknowingly, Yang Dao even sat down on the ground on the soft grass while talking. He was just like that. The garden had stone chairs but he preferred the soft grass. The old man saw his temperament was different than the other rich people in the society and asked, "Young man, what does your family do?"


    "My elder sister is a businesswoman, Feng Yun. I also have my own company, sir. Why do you ask?" Yang Dao asked curiously.


    The old man smiled and said, "To think that the young master of Pheonix group will sit down on the ground and talk to a humble old man. I have never seen a rich person sitting on the ground, so casually."


    Yang Dao chuckled and said, "You glorify me, sir. Humans may earn immense wealth, they all feel the same hunger and same sickness. So why can they not sit down on the ground?"


    The old man nodded and said, "Indeed." the two had a small talk and turned to look at the kids. The leopards were now playing tag with each other and the kids were also running around with them laughing. suddenly, Yang Dao''s watch beeped. He looked down at the sports watch and said, "It is time."


    He stood up patting his buttocks to dust off any blade of grass stuck to him. He said, "Sir, I will take my leave now. I have to go to college." he bowed slightly to the old man and turned to the leopards.


    He said, "Luster, Shadow, let''s go home."


    The two beasts came to his side immediately. Tim and Kim also rushed over. Kim spoke up, "Big brother, can you not stay for a few more minutes, please." and she took out her lethal puppy eyes and aimed at Yang Dao.


    The boy, however, repelled her strong attack with a sunny smile on his face. he crouched down and patted her head gently as he said, "How about we meet again tomorrow? Today, I have college."


    His charm was enough to make countless beauties fall, this little girl was no different. She was hooked to his smile and said, "Okay. Promise?" as she extended her pinky finger to him.


    Yang Dao smiled and hooked his pinky finger with him and said, "The hook of life. No lie."


    The little girl also chirped, "The hook of life. No lie." She was a complete fangirl of Yang Dao.


    After bidding them farewell, the boy ran his way back to the lobby of his residential tower. Took the lift under the stunned gazes and took the two big cats back home. He was about to open the door when Lisa pulled it open.


    Yang Dao asked, "How did you know about my arrival?" he was genuinely curious about how the girl found out about his arrival, every time.


    Lisa just smiled and did not say anything. Yang Dao sighed and got back inside. He took a quick shower and changed his clothes. He ate the breakfast prepared for him and after taking his shoulder bag he left the house.


    He did not ride his bicycle today. He directly started his car and left for college. It has been quite a few days for him to see the lively college campus. He was wondering if anything changed there. When he was driving inside the college parking area. He found a familiar face looking at him. The face belonged to Carole.


    Carole was a vampire, how specialized in interrogation and information extraction. The two participated in a task for the special forces. As he parked the car, Carole walked over to him. She waited till he got out and said, "We are on stand-by."


    Yang Dao was surprised. Last time after the task, it was made clear that the three people who worked together will be working as a team over time. However, he did not expect to get a stand-by notice as soon as he returned to the normal swing of life.


    He asked in a low voice as the two walked inside the campus, "What''s up?"


    Carole said, "We have found traces of hyper humans, infiltrating the region. A nationwide alert has been issued until their target is confirmed."


    Yang Dao raised his eyebrow and asked, "Hyper humans? Do you mean, New Dawn?"


    Carole did not reply but only nodded. She said, "Tony has been transferred to our city as well. The high command has allowed us the commanding rights. We can move the civilian forces as we deem necessary."


    Yang Dao nodded, he asked, "Is Tony here?"


    Carole nodded and said, "He is your classmate. Also, here is my contact number. We will meet at night, I think we should set up a monitor base."


    Yang Dao had no problem. He did not mind being careful to avoid danger. After the short discussion, the girl left for her own classes while Yang Dao moved toward the teacher''s office. Thinking about the whole conversation with Carole, he could not help but fish out his phone and called Laohu Bai. The call connected after a few rings.


    Yang Dao said, "Good morning, Baibai. Missed me."


    A soft voice sounded from the other side, "A little, tell me what happened?"


    Yang Dao asked her, "Hyper Human invasion?"


    He only said these three words as he did not trust the safety of the connection. Laohu Bai replied, "Aye, the estimate is nine. Three teams. We have mobilized the squads, but still, the SRs are asked to be on stand-by. Hyper Humans are not easy to deal with."


    Yang Dao''s face became solemn, "Strength estimate?"


    The girl on the other side sighed and said, "Level four Elementalist."


    It would be a lie if Yang Dao said that he was not surprised to hear this. After all, he himself was a level four Elementalist and his strength was enough to level a city. (Yes, I kept it low-key till now.)

 Chapter 281: Test.

    The two talked a bit and the call was disconnected. Yang Dao came to the staff room and knocked on the door. Almost all the teachers were sitting inside, sharing morning coffee. They all heard the knock and a dozen pairs of eyes turned to the door.


    Yang Dao smiled and bowed. He said, "Good morning, Professors."


    The teachers loved his polite behavior and all replied to him. Some lady professors were warm to him and even asked him how were his vacations. Yang Dao replied to them all. He asked, "Professor Newton. I have my physics semestral assignment here. Would you like to take a look?"


    Professor Newton immediately put down the coffee mug in his hand and said, "Finally found the time?"


    Yang Dao scratched the back of his head. He spoke with a hippie smile, "It is not like that. Physics is tougher than Computer Operations."


    At this moment he heard a voice, "Oh, is Computer Operations such an easy subject? Shall I give you a hard assignment this time around?"


    The voice belonged to Kylie Dew. He said, "I mean, that I am better at Computer Operations than Physics. Thanks to Professor Dew."


    The lady smiled at his words. Suddenly an old man in the room spoke, "Manipulating Emotions. I see Young Dao has gotten proficient in human psychology."


    His words made everyone laugh. Yang Dao smiled and passed him a thin file. He said, "Sir, this is the semestral assignment for Psychology."


    Every student was given a case file to study and then they will have to write a report based on their learnings. When he was busy talking to the old man. Professor Newton was shivering with excitement. He asked, "Dao, have you published this thing anywhere?"


    Yang Dao shook his head and said, "It is better if it does not go out from the national circle. The people may go to war for it."


    His tone was calm but his words shook the whole staff room. One of the young teachers asked, "Is your assignment that serious?"


    Yang Dao chuckled and said, "No, Ma''am. I was joking."


    Everyone calmed down. Professor Newton picked up the file in his hands and said, "Dao, you should come along with me. I still need to ask you for clarification for some things."


    Yang Dao nodded and walked out of the staff room after greeting the people. He knew that old man Newt has called him out on purpose. The topic of his research was related to the research being carried out on the atomic fusion reactor. He had taken some help from RALF, the conclusion and the basic idea were all input by him. RALF had just helped him with the calculation in one night.


    Yang Dao did not question and just followed the old man to his own office. The staff room was a place where these old fellows all meet and share a light bite over some chat. On the way, Yang Dao met a few students, who smiled at him and he returned the gesture.


    Smiling at each other as a greeting. The reason they did not yell, HELLO DAO, was because professor newton walking along with him. After a while, the two people arrived at the office of Professor Newton.


    Kiya happened to be cleaning up some things. It was the student''s duty to manage the office of the professor they study under. Kiya was like a disciple to Professor Newton so she was responsible for cleaning it up in the morning. She saw Yang Dao beside the professor and almost could not stop herself from jumping in his embrace.


    She greeted the professor, "Good morning, Sir."


    Newton nodded and said, "Dao, what are you intending to do with this paper, tell me?"


    Yang Dao said, "I study for my own growth. I have a business in computer technology and finance market. So, I do not need to be a famous academian. So, there is no need to publish this paper. You can give me the passing grades, then share this paper with the other researchers with ease. However, I hope they all are loyal people."


    Newton nodded and said, "Don''t worry about that. I can guarantee their loyalty. In the past two months, the research has taken a big leap and the progress is stable. The people are all being monitored by the government. So, we do not have to face the problem of defectors. But are you sure you want to give up all the things that come with the publication of this paper?"


    Yang Dao was not an idiot. Obviously, he was aware that the fame and reputation he will get with the publication of this paper will have make a lot of things easier but after careful calculations, he decided to give up the publication because he did not want it anymore easier than this.


    His life was already smooth sailing and he was looking for a challenge that can make him aware of where his limits lie. Thus he decisively sacrificed the publication of this paper.


    He said with a calm face and heart, "Yes, Professor, I give up the publication of this paper. I just wish that the research goes on smoothly."


    Professor gazed at the aloof boy in front of him and said, "Very well, we do this. This paper will be made public after five years. The results must come out positively."


    Yang Dao had no opinions. He did not care about the future, just his present actions were what he was concerned about as these actions were the key factor that determined the future. Kiya was confused with the conversation being held between the two men.


    However, she did not intervene as she was not related to this. Professor Newton sighed and said, "Well, go, you have classes. I will deal with things for you."


    The old man was moved by this action of the young man in front of him. Yang Dao nodded and beckoned Kiya to come along with him as well. he did not care but Professor Newton was aware that anyone who gazed at this paper will have turbulence set off in their hearts.


    ...


    On the highway near Jade city, a white SUV was traveling at a high speed. Inside sat three passengers. One of them said, "How long?"


    The driver replied, "Twenty Minutes."


    The car returned to silence. Suddenly, the driver raised the speed. He said, "I sense danger."


    The next moment, three earth spikes popped out from the ground and impaled the feet of the three men. However, they all did not react.


    The man in the back seat said, "Elementalist." in his voice there was no surprise. These three men were hyper humans, sent by the New Dawn.

 Chapter 282: Face-to-face.

    On the highway, three earthen spikes impaled the three men inside the SUV. The people however were not affected. The one sitting in the back seat said, "Elementalists."


    The other two nodded and held onto the spikes passing through their feet. With a twist, they broke the upper end and broke away from the bounds. The men got out of the car and looked around. The driver of the car said, "One kilometer away."


    The other two also turned their eyes to the direction where the driver pointed. The reason why the driver could see what was going on in a radius of a kilometer was that the man had his left eye replaced by a powerful high optical zoom camera. His left eye was actually the ball camera, invented by the organization, New Dawn.


    Hyper Humans were not people who had undergone the genetic treatment but they also had some sort of implants in their bodies. The driver of the SUV just now had an eye camera, the ability to emit ultrasound waves, and also to receive them back.


    The other two were capable of fighting hard. The reason why they all did not have every implant stuffed inside them was that there was a limit to how much the human body can be modified. These people all had dire straits when New Dawn scouted them and gave them money or solved their troubles in exchange for their lives.


    ...


    One Kilometer away, Laohu Bai stood with her team of four people. She said, "Looks like we have been spotted." she had a smirk on her face.


    Talen said, "These people will be troublesome to deal with."


    Victor nodded and said, "What is the plan boss?"


    Laohu Bai said, "You block the two in pairs, I deal with one. After neutralizing them, I come to resolve the trouble."


    Lin asked, "General, what about the other hyper humans?" her voice was calm.


    "Split team operation. One team is main, the rest are decoys." said the lady with white hair.


    With that said the team moved. Victor and Talen teamed up while Lin and Kaya formed a team. These teams were not made on a whim. Talen and Victor were practitioners of Fire and Wind elements respectively, they can fight together and support each other.


    The same was true for Lin and Kaya. The two can command water and earth elements. They can also help each other in fighting. So they moved together. The team has been fighting together for a long time and the cooperation was impeccable. Laohu Bai stood on her spot when the team moved. She stretched out her body some clicking sounds were heard.


    She mumbled, "These pests, can they not act like other insects and attack in a group. Taking on these lost fish is too easy."


    With a sigh, she vanished from her place. Her speed and power were at least a hundred times higher than the rest of the team. Just when the team and the Hyper humans came at a stand-out before the action. Laohu Bai''s punch landed on the driver''s left temple.


    Her strength sent the person flying for fifty meters before he dropped down on the asphalt like a rag doll. The other two hyper humans did not bother with their comrade flying away and immediately attacked the four people.


    Talen faced one guy head-on and the fight began. Victor stood at the back leisurely. The sight at the girls'' side was opposite to the men''s.


    As the Hyper human charged at Kaya, Lin cast a ball of water around the man. The hyper-human was strong enough to break the bonds within a second, but that second was enough for Kaya to cast multiple earth spears at the man. Her speed had increased a lot after she broke through to the level of the elemental contractor.


    The spikes were all punched down by the man bare-handed. Kaya nodded to Lin, this was the signal, the two had a set of moves to analyze what was the weakness and the strength of the other party. The human body can be trained immensely, yet it will still have some weaknesses left.


    While these people were trying their best to block the two hyper humans. Laohu Bai was having a good time with an ultra heavy-duty sandbag. She did not go all out with her power but, her blows were enough to make the hyper human move around like a pinball. It was not that the guy was too weak, however, the one facing against him was an elemental God. Her strength was a thousand times more potent than the level four elemental master.


    ...


    Unaware of the fight between the hyper humans and the white tiger squad, Yang Dao and Kiya walked through the campus laughing and chatting. The people were headed to their classroom. As Dao entered the class, the class fell silent. The boy looked at the people and asked, "Why are you all quiet?"


    Icarus said, "Young Master Dao, perhaps you are forgetting something. The meal for finishing the inter University race is still due."


    Yang Dao bumped his knuckle with the guy and said, "You are all welcome, but we eat in a few days. I have something going on right now. However, in the few days, I will share some of the best food I have come across these days."


    Everyone believed him, I mean given his net worth it was not necessary for him to avoid such a thing. Icarus asked in a gaffed tone, "Don''t tell me, your two-month trip was to hunt food?"


    Yang Dao chuckled and said, "Who knows?"


    Then he was about to sit down on his chair when his eyes fell on a familiar visage. He walked over to the other party who nodded and shook hands with him. Tony Jose said, "Long time no see, Captain."


    Yang Dao nodded and said, "Long time indeed." The two people chatted with each other and the Dao child suddenly asked, "Things have become stormy these days?"


    Tony Nodded and said, "The department is on high alert. Let''s talk after the class?"


    Yang Dao nodded and went back to his seat near the window and sat down.

 Chapter 283: No Title.

    Yang Dao sat down on the chair near the window and attended his classes with peace in his mind.


    ...


    On the Highway, Kaya was using earth bending to fill up the potholes left by the aftermath of the fight. In the second half of the fight, she and Lin had injured the hyper human, and the guy suddenly burst out with more energy to fight them and Lin was injured in defending herself.


    Thankfully, Laohu Bai had come over and she broke the guy like a bamboo stick. His joints were all bent in strange angles and the neck was broken too. The hyper humans were not easy to kill, this guy still attacked Laohu Bai when the neck was broken.


    This made the white-haired beauty flare up in rage and she delivered heavy punches on his body, breaking all his bones. The result was more than just broken bones, the road was also broken in places. The white tiger was so ferocious when enraged that she did not even give the last hyper-human enough time to figure out what happened.


    She directly dissected him limb to limb. Brutal, she was. The reason she was called The White death was that the lady will make the people fall pale in comparison to the rest of the things around them when she took action.


    As Kaya repaired the road, Talen and Victor were erasing the signs of a fight. They had the highway blocked. Imagine if a civilian found that a few people were producing water geysers and flame balls out of nowhere, what will it do?


    Laohu Bai was looking at Lin''s arm. The girl had her hand fractured in the sudden blow she received from the man. Thanks to the water ball she cast to delay the man, otherwise, she would have died from the blow.


    Laohu Bai said, "Lin, you did a good job." her words were not superficial, they were actually true. Kaya and Lin fought together and they used a one-two combo. When Lin managed to injure the opponent, Kaya was about to attack, but the man burst out with strong power.


    Lin displayed her presence of mind and cast the water ball she was most proficient in and blocked the attack. Hearing Laohu Bai complimenting her, the lady only smiled while tolerating the pain. Kaya came over and said, "General, we have completed the clean-up."


    Laohu Bai nodded and said, "Take Lin to the hospital back at the cantonment. Let us go. We need to look for the other two teams."


    The man had also returned at this moment and the team quickly left the highway. On the way, Laohu Bai called Feng Yun.


    The call connected and Feng Yun asked, "What is it XiaoBai?"


    Laohu bai said, "Ummm, we have encountered three hyper humans. However, six more were supposed to be with them. We suspect they are trying to do something big. The last time they targetted you, it can be related to the same this time as well. So, be alert."


    Feng Yun nodded and said, "I shall pay attention. Also, is Dao fine?"


    Laohu Bai said, "He should be on the list too. He unveiled the robot so, it is complicated. But worry not, he can handle it, we have issued an alert to all the special recruits."


    The two chatted for a bit and the call was finished.


    ...


    In the evening, Yang Dao got out of the class. Icarus stopped him and said, "When will you come back to the club?"


    Yang Dao said, "I will be riding the bike normally but not taking part in the races, is that okay? I can help you with the internal races or practice."


    Icarus was surprised but he knew that Yang Dao joined the club on a whim and the boy was already as good as a professional so he did not persuade him much. He nodded and then after a few bouts of banter Ciarus left. Kiya asked, "Dao, will you really come to the club, or were you politely refusing?"


    Yang Dao squinted his eyes and said, "Since when did you become a finance major student to think I will be polite with you all?"


    Kiya chuckled and said, "Are you sure you will not be polite?"


    Yang Dao nodded and said, ''Don''t worry, I will drop by in a few days. I have some things to manage since I was on training, I will catch up soon."


    The two people talked and Yang dao left the classroom. Tony Jones was waiting for him in the corridor. He said, "Do they know how ruthless you can be?"


    Yang Dao shrugged and said, ''They might have some idea."


    The two people quickly came to the college library where Carole had just come out and was about to leave. Yang Dao asked, "Are you not graduating?"


    Carole shook her head and said, ''I have to complete my masters here as well."


    Yang Dao nodded and asked, "Where to now?"


    Carole said, "Your place? You can hack into the systems and help us set up a monitor station?"


    She was not sure if Yang Dao would agree. The boy surprisingly did not question and said, "Okay, come on."


    ...


    Thirty minutes later, Yang Dao parked his car in the parking lot and Tony parked his motorcycle. The latter was so dazzled with the machines he saw in the parking lot that Carole had to drag him to the elevator.


    After they got off the elevator, Lisa, like always, opened the door before Yang Dao could make it ring. Yang Dao invited the others inside. Tony had a lot of bombs dropped over him. He found two leopards inside the living room, resting on the carpet. Then his gaze fell on the beautiful lady who served him water.


    He said, "Dao, you have such a cool life."


    Yang dao smiled and did not comment. His mind was not affected by this lifestyle so he had zero fucks for this statement. He said, "You guys sit down, I will call you after I am done hacking."


    The two nodded and sat down on the couch. Tony was an Elementalist so he was not afraid of the two beasts. While Carole was a vampire.


    Sushi had been sitting on the table, with her eyes trained at Carole. She was wary of this woman. after thirty minutes, Yang Dao called the people inside. Actually,- he was done with it all in just five minutes, he just did not want to reveal RALF to the two people yet.

 Chapter 284: Game Begins.

    Yang Dao called the two people inside the study. Carole and Tony were led by Lisa. She arranged a chair for the two people to sit down beside Yang Dao and left the room. She was sensible enough to know where she can mingle or not.


    Carole noticed that Yang Dao had changed his clothes. She asked, "Did you take a shower?"


    She was trying to fish in the dark. It was her habit after joining the intelligence department she had become very observant and nosy. Yang Dao was also a psychology student and a good one at that. How could he miss the intention Carole had? He chose to not hide and simply nodded.


    Carole said, "You know how to enjoy."


    Yang Dao did not comment on it and said, "You better not play this game with me. What I do is my own business. Not even the special forces can question me. Did you not see my recruitment form?"


    His sharp words made Carole fall silent. What he said was indeed true. He would be asked to do three tasks in a span of a year. Tony found that the vibe was too ambiguous. He asked, "Dao, how are we going to track?"


    Yang Dao nodded and said, "When did the people infiltrate our borders?"


    Carole said, "Two days ago."


    The boy nodded and, after some clicks, he displayed some video files. The desktop was a fifty-one-inch big screen in front of him. The screen was split up into multiple screens. Yang Dao said, "These are the video logs of the border monitoring parameter. If we can spot the infiltrators, then we can run their faces and physical stature through automated recognition software."


    The two people nodded and trained their gazes on the monitor. After a few minutes, Carole pointed at a split-screen and said, "Pause the footage."


    Yang Dao pressed the space bar on the keyboard once and the footage stopped. Carole said, "Rewind by three seconds."


    The boy nodded and reminded the footage of three seconds. Tony leaned in and squinted his eyes. He said, "Um, why are we looking at this?"


    Yang Dao said, "This is the place where they infiltrated from."


    Tony scratched his head and asked, "How do you know?"


    Carole said, "You sure you know what we are dealing with? Also, how did you pass the final test?" her tone was sincere and questioning.


    Yang Dao said, "Stop bickering, move on." his voice was somber, and the people had no other way than to calm down all of a sudden.


    Carole said, "Do you see these patches?" she circled out a patch of black on the seemingly dark square.


    Tony did not understand it even now. Yang Dao sighed and played the video frame by frame. The black patch moved and for a frame, it became a shape of the human body. The boy said, "This vague outline is that Hyper human, traveling in the curtain of the dark. "


    Carole nodded, Tony asked, "How will you find them now?"


    Yang Dao smirked and checked the video logs of the whole nation for the locations where the video log was missing from yesterday''s recordings. He spotted one such place, and that was the expressway of the Jade City.


    He said, "We go to the section of the road from where the footage is missing or we continue searching."


    Carole did not even think twice and said, "Missing coverage means that some have taken action and it has already been dealt with, we need to continue looking for."


    Yang Dao thought for a bit and picked up his phone. The number he dialed was Atsuji Kurogame''s. The call collected and the old man on the other side said, ''Hello, young master. Is there something important?"


    Yang Dao was not polite and said, ''Elder, I need the pictures of the assailants dealt by the special forces on the expressway."


    Atsuji Kurogame asked calmly, "Why the sudden interest? Wait, are you assigned to be on standby?"


    Yang Dao replied, "Yup, we are looking for it."


    Atsuji sighed and said, "Okay, I will give you the description, but be careful. These guys are not simple. Xiao Bai has one member injured and is now in the infirmary."


    Yang Dao asked in concern, "Anything serious?"


    Atsuji Kurogame sighed and said, "Lin broke her hand, communicated fracture. Xiaobai, stabilized her now just the basic attention and aftercare will do."


    Yang Dao nodded and said, "Okay, I will visit them after the situation is wrapped up."


    Atsuji Kurogame gave him a few more words of advice and then he sent him a digital file containing the details he asked for. Yang Dao immediately fed the details to the system and then RALF became active. The boy then asked the two people to come outside and have dinner before they continue.


    The people had no problems. After all, you can not fight wars on an empty stomach. Lisa served the food with grace. Carole looked at the girl with interest, but the latter party had no interest in indulging with people.


    Yang Dao had just made the basic introduction and nothing more. The three people completed the meal and returned to the study room. The flaw in all these hyper humans was that they all had a similar physique. RALF had the power to hack into all the mobile phones in the country, and it did so. It scanned all the current images and filtered out the ones similar to the one it was provided with.


    RALF did not store any images that were not useful to itself. After the results were filtered, Yang Dao and the people found themselves, six men. These men all had one thing in common, they were split into teams of three. One member had a weird eye, no pupils, but more like a camera. Yang Dao was shocked to see this. The reason he was shocked was to see that these people were moving in one direction.


    The predicted route was for the house of Frieda Foster. The designer of the robots in Dao Technologies. Yang Dao did not wait and called Feng Yun. The call connected, and he asked, "Do we have shadow guards deployed around Frieda Foster?"


    Feng Yun replied with a furrowed brow, "I only had them posted around the scientists. What happened?"


    The boy told her about the situation and Feng Yun was about to act. Yang Dao said, "This time it is a test for me. You cannot act on my behalf always."


    With that said, the call was disconnected and Yang Dao said, "Do you guys have your gear? We need to act. They have six people. According to the special forces deployment list, all the main teams are out of town. Even if they all come back, it will take them two hours to get to the target. We have no other way to deal with this. But I am telling you, they are six Hyper humans."


    Carole said, "Who are you trying to scare? Let''s go." she was very excited.


    Tony said, "Give me a gun."


    Yang Dao nodded and went to the sidewall. He pushed an inconspicuous tile on the wall and a mechanical panel popped up. The panel slid to the side and revealed a lot of guns and kevlar sets inside. The boy said, "Pick yourself, I have my own."


    Tony and Carole exchanged a glance, and they picked up a set of guns and armor. This was done in the house by Ryu Jinshi before he went to complete an assignment. Feng Yun had told him in detail the things Ryu had done. Yang Dao came inside his room and said, "Bow come."


    The void split and a white and black bow appeared in front of him. It was the same bow he used in the duel with the Dark King Seid. Laohu Bai gave this to him after the duel and then told him the trick to summon this weapon.


    Yang Dao changed into a set of black jackets and jeans. he placed his two silver death stars inside the underarm holster. The boy connected the mobile phone with Bluetooth earphones and walked out of the room. He glanced at Sushi and said, "You are coming with me tonight Sushi."


    The tiny girl flew up from the leopard''s fur and landed on his shoulders. He told Lisa that he was going out on an assignment and will come later. The bow was tied on his back. Carole and Tony also walked out dressed in armors. Yang Dao said, "You guys use the car, I will take the point on the bike."


    The two nodded, and the trio left home to rescue.


    ...


    Tony chose a big SUV, Carole on the driving seat made a call to the headquarters, and said, "The special Squad is taking action, assailants spotted near Trivia avenue. ETA thirty minutes. Please have the roads blocked."


    The command center immediately became active. The special squad was a group of three kids, Yang Dao being a level four while the other two being level three strong. Tonight was going to be action-packed.

 Chapter 285: Showdown.

    Yang Dao led the two people riding a black motorbike in the garage. The reason he did not ride along with these two was that he could act better alone. The strength of the two people would hinder his actions. Thus, by taking the lead, he can play the role of a decoy. That is why he left his bow hanging on his back.


    This move helped him keep the void summoning a secret from the other two, while it will also draw the attention of the assailants. The black bike was a super bike, a beast made to chase the peak of speed and agility. Compared to a car, two-wheelers had better fluidity to weave through the traffic. Yang Dao had connected himself to Tony and Carole through a conference call.


    He said while riding the bike, "Maintain a hundred-meter distance from me. Carole, I will scout and you will use the sniper to take down the sentries deployed by the enemy."


    Carole nodded and replied, "Copy that."


    The girl was riding in the back seat. She held a sniper rifle and was attaching a suppressor to the muzzle. Hearing her confirmation, Yang Dao said, "Tony, the strength of these hyper humans is equal to a level four Elementalist. You are level three. Would you be able to play support?"


    Tony was aware of Yang Dao''s strength. He nodded and said, "I thought you will never ask."


    "The scouting range of the hyper humans is still one kilometer. That means Carole will be setting up the spot at one thousand one hundred meters. I will lead the point. We engage one target at a time. Tony, if you are targeted, then do not hesitate to use earth escape." instructed Yang Dao.


    Tony was a practitioner of the earth element and earth escape was the basic trick they all learned to save themselves when in danger. The guy had no problem. He was aware that his strength was a shackle for the team and agreed. Carole was listening to all this, and she nodded in appreciation of Yang Dao.


    As the leader, he had given them crucial roles but took on all the danger for himself. Yang Dao was unaware of the thoughts of his team and landed his bike to the right to take a high-speed turn. The people were all scared to see the scene. It was as if a racer was turning on a track. Yang Dao had a speed of at least a hundred kilometers. The boy had no hesitation in his mind. He had tied his mobile to his thigh. With a touch of his finger, he put the call on mute and said, "RALF, what is the team composition of the hyper humans?"


    RALF had downloaded itself inside his mobile phone the day before, so it could hear all the things and can act anytime Yang Dao calls upon it. The AI responded, "Given the data from the Ministry of War, the targets act in a batch of three, one hyper human specializes in scouting, with their eyes replaced with a camera, capable of zooming in for one kilometer and still can scan thermal and infrared images.


    The other two assailants have gone through physical up-gradation. The vitals spot cannot be breached, they are covered with carbonium alloy skin webbing. The bones are thirty percent denser than a normal human. Senses are all enhanced to the same ratio."


    Yang Dao took a deep breath. He asked, "Any update in the target''s movement?"


    He had asked RALF to monitor the two parties, party A Frieda Foster, and party B Hyper humans. The AI replied, "Target B has secured a parameter around Party A''s nest. Party A will take twenty minutes to arrive at the nest."


    The nest was at Frieda''s house. Yang Dao asked RALF to remind him when they are about to enter the one-kilometer radius of the location. He did not want to startle the snake so soon. After ten minutes, they all reached the edge of the location.


    Carole said, "The area has a lot of civilian activity."


    She was now sitting on top of the terrace of a building. Beside her lay a big sniper rifle as she peeked through with a pair of high-resolution binoculars. Tony was walking on the side of the road with a cigarette in his mouth and said, "Yes, how to take out the target silently?"


    Yang Dao said, "This is a residential complex. The hyper humans are waiting for the people to get home. They also want to keep it as silent as they can. Even if they want to avoid attention, at this moment there will be a limit to it."


    Carole said, "Well, you better inform Frieda about her accommodation not being a very good place to sleep tonight." she had put down the binocular and was now lying behind the sniper rifle peeking through the scope.


    Yang Dao nodded and said, "I was thinking what excuse should I give her. I am not too good at lying, you know." this silly reason was why he had not yet called Frieda and stop her from coming to the place.


    Carole said, "Tell her that the maintenance found bed bugs and the place is sanitized. She cannot come over." her tone was calm and without any fluctuation.


    Tony leaned against a wall and chuckled. He asked, "What novel did you steal this line from?"


    Carole said, "Ten ways to get away will a murder." in a serious tone.


    Tony chuckled. Yang Dao shook his head with a smile as he made the call to Frieda. The call connected, and a yawn greeted him from the other side.


    Yang Dao asked, "Where are you, Senior Frieda?"


    The girl replied, "Reaching home in a bit. Why?"


    Yang Dao said, "Oh, well, can you go back to the office to stay. The maintenance called just now. They found a bed bug so, the place is sealed after sanitization. You cannot stay there."


    Frieda was surprised and said, "Well, okay, can I go to your place and check out RALF?"


    Yang Dao agreed, and the girl paid the cab driver an extra hundred dollars to turn the cab to the Sapphire lake residency. The boy heaved a sigh of relief and said to the team, "I just found out that it can be fun to lie sometimes."


    The other two chuckled and Carole said, "We are a bad influence on the Idol man."


    Yang Dao smiled and said in his mind, "Sushi, go find me where are the people hiding."


    The tiny girl came out of his hair and said, "On it, master." then she saluted him and flew off.

 Chapter 286: Showdown. (2)

    Yang Dao sent Sushi ahead to look for the hyper humans. They were still standing at the edge of the surveillance zone. If the hyper humans found them out, then they might escape. Also, Yang Dao and the team all had weapons equipped. Rather than the fear of getting spotted they were afraid that the assailants may take hostages.


    Carole spoke up, "The headquarters is calling."


    Yang Dao said, "Connect them." his tone was solemn.


    The girl followed his instruction and connected the headquarters of special forces to their own conference call. An old voice rang out of the earphones, "This is Luitenant General Atkins, I will be presiding over your movements. Before the operation begins, do you have any questions?"


    Yang Dao thought for a bit and asked, "Sir, this is Captain Yang Dao, may I ask, why are we not allowed to act on our own?"


    His question could have been seen as an offense but the old general had asked them if they had any questions so, this was the question. The old general was surprised, he did not expect the boy to raise such a question. The old man said, "That is because you guys are greenhorns. You have experience with one assignment. Do you think it is wise to let you all act on your own?"


    Yang Dao replied, "Sir, with all due respect, you are not in the field and if your instructions were unable to have the desired effect, that will be equal to the death of my whole team. I will happily sacrifice myself for the country but that will be my choice. However, I accept that you have the precious experience that we may need here. How about we ask you when we cannot deal with a situation?"


    His words stunned the old general to mute.


    ...


    In the headquarter, Tiberius was sitting beside the old general Atkins. He was holding his mouth with his hand and his shoulders were shivering. Atkins was his peer, known for the iron hand measures to train the soldiers. This was the first time he had been shut down by a kid. Tiberius found it very funny.


    He saw that the old man was in contemplation and taking a deep breath he calmed himself down and pressed the ''mic on'' button on the table. He said, "Dao, you can proceed. Tell us when you need help."


    Yang Dao recognized his voice and replied, "Affirmative, Dao out."


    Atkins glanced at Tiberius with furrowed brows. He was about to ask the old man something when the latter said, "Yang Dao is the cousin of that kid, Laohu Bai, and brother of Feng Yun. He is sixteen years and some months old. His strength is already level four Elementalist. If your decision let him suffer something as big as a scratch, what do you think will happen?"


    Atkins was shocked. He did not see the data on the three people completely just the page where their mission record was stated. However, after hearing this he was shocked. Tiberius said, "This kid has met old Abe, and made him breakthrough after so many years. What do you think about his talent?"


    Atkins gulped a mouthful of water at this. Then the two people turned their gaze to the big screen that displayed the satellite images of the three people.


    ...


    Yang Dao was aware that he was being watched, but he did not care. He told Tony and Carole about the team composition of the hyper humans. The two found it hard to believe and asked how should they deal with it.


    Yang Dao said, "Take out the eyes of the sentries, however, they will still be able to fight, so, after you take out the hyper vision, I will dive in."


    Carole said, "Copy that, but how will you dive in so quickly?"


    Yang Dao said, "Don''t worry, just do it." then he asked Tony to rush over as soon as the sentries are taken out.


    Tony had no problem at all. His strength was enough to reach and defend. After the discussion, Sushi returned to Yang Dao and said, "Master, two men with weird eyes are standing back to back on the terrace of a building."


    Yang Dao nodded and suddenly jumped up, he bent the wind and levitated himself high in the sky. He said, "Carole, do you have the targets in your scope?"


    Carole was shocked to see him fly, she quickly moved her scope and found a vague shadow standing on the terrace. She said, "Only one."


    "They are back to back, aim for the head." said the boy in the sky.


    Carole nodded and said, "Okay."


    She turned the dial on the scope a few times and took a deep breath. She paused for a second and as she exhaled, she squizzed the trigger.


    The suppressor on the muzzle canceled out the sound of the shot and the bullet flew across the void. The one who was facing the bullet suddenly tilted his head, letting the bullet pass by the head of the one behind him.


    The hyper human behind him fell to the ground. Yang Dao said, "One hurt, the other is safe. I am acting."


    Then he dived down as he took out his bow from his back. The hyper human had already spoken the words, "Mission compromised. Move out."


    However, the next second, an azure ray flashed past his eye. The hyper human said, "Scouting equipment hit. Hyper Vision failed. Evacuate."


    Yang Dao stood behind him and sighed, "As suspected, not so easy to kill." Then he shot the arrow already waiting on his bow. This time the azure arrow did not cut, but under Yang Dao''s will, it exploded as soon as it entered inside the hyper human''s brain.


    A splash of white and red followed soon after the explosion. Sushi said, "Master, the other one is moving."


    Yang Dao turned around and the hyper human had already jumped on him. The boy did not have the time to knock the bow, so he just channeled the source energy inside his body and swung the bow from its end like a mace.


    The bow was made of unknown material and hit the hyper-human head hard. A  puff sound was produced followed by a  bang. The hyper-human flew and hit the boundary wall of the terrace, while his brain burst open after Yang Dao hit him with the bow. The boy sighed, "This is so unhygienic."


    Sushi chuckled, "Master, let me help you." with a wave of her hand the brain matter stuck to the bow end wiped away.


    Yang Dao said, "Carole, two down. What is the situation?"


    Carole said, "Ummm, three fled, Tony, is trying to block one. You should head over. His earth guard is about to break."


    Yang Dao nodded and said, "Copy that." then he flew up into the sky.


    She was shocked to see that Yang Dao took down two targets in just a few minutes. After reporting to him she spoke to the headquarters, "This is Carole, Captian Dao has taken down two hyper human sentries. He is now proceeding to the third target to help Lieutenant Tony. Three targets are on the loose."


    The time was close to midnight so the action did not catch much attention. But who knows if they can still maintain such a silent act.

 Chapter 287: Chase.

    Yang Dao flew up from the terrace after taking down the two sentries. This image was displayed inside the headquarters via satellite broadcast. Tiberius was surprised by the speed of Yang Dao''s attack. He sighed and said as he leaned back on the chair, "This kid, I am afraid that he has already surpassed me."


    Lieutenant General Atkins beside him had a pale face, as he said, "This kid used the wind to penetrate and explode, and the second one was taken down directly with his strength. I understand that the scouting hyper humans are weaker and have a low defense rate but one blow kill was too much. How did he do that?"


    Tiberius sighed and said, "Source energy augmentation on the body."


    Atkins said, "I know that but so much strength output is not the result of the augmentation." suddenly something clicked to him, "until... he can channel the source energy through every single cell in the body."


    Tiberius nodded and said, "Laohu Bai has taught this to every person but only a few can achieve such devastating power."


    Atkins sighed and mumbled under his breath, "Monsters."


    Tiberius gazed at the screen and said, ''Do not have any ideas about these people. Behind them is Ryu Jinshi. The dragon of Northern front. You very well know what happened to the guy who tried to stand against him."


    Ryu Jinshi was the guy everyone feared inside the army. None of the military-dressed people knew his name. Tiberius warned Atkins to not even think about how he could have laohu Bai or Yang Dao under his division of full-time soldiers.


    Atkins sighed and strangled the idea in his mind before it could even see the light of day.


    ...


    Carole moved her gun and aimed for the two people fighting on the ground. She wanted to take a shot at the hyper-human restrained by Tony. However, not only did she not get a proper shot but Tony was also on the verge of giving in. She had just informed Yang Dao about the situation and the boy had left his spot to come over.


    ...


    Yang Dao gazed down on the ground and descended to the place where Tony and the hyper-human were fighting. He was about to land behind the hyper-human when he knocked an arrow on his bow. The next moment the hyper-human tried to shake him off with a backhand punch. However, the Dao Child bends the air and with his head focused on the hyper-human, the whole body floated into an arc.


    The punch was avoided and the arrow left the bow. Since the vital organs of the hyper-human were all covered with carbonium webbing, the arrow was aimed at the place where there were very low chances of any protection, the ligaments. If they had added any protective material over the ligament then despite being strong the body will not be able to generate such strength.


    The arrow pierced and cut down the anterior cruciate ligament of the right knee. This tiny muscle was a very important part of human anatomy and without it, your movements were drastically limited. Even if the guy was a hyper-human and had good healing capabilities, he cannot deny the limits of the human body.


    The ligament had no blood flow inside it so it cannot be healed again. Yang Dao was aware of this and said, "Tony, bash him up."


    Tony has been on the backfoot far too long. He had tolerated at least seventy blows on his forearms, thankfully he has diamond arms. Whenever he used this skill his arms became as hard as diamond.


    Hearing Yang Dao''s word, Tony attacked with full strength. His punch was just launched when the hyper-human punched out too. Thanks to Yang Dao who shot an arrow on the shoulder joints of the opponent. After Yang Dao destroyed the ligament in his shoulder, the hyper-human fist lost its original power.


    The hyper-human was like a killing machine and he immediately shifted his weight on the injured foot, while kicked Tony, who has punched him in the guts with his left leg, however, another ray of azure flashed and Yang Dao had made both the legs worthless. The next moment, Tony burst out in energy and his fists rained down on the face of the hyper-human.


    Yang Dao also swung his bow to the Hyper human''s head and made it splatter across the ground. Tony stood on the side panting and said, "Dao, good assist." and he fainted. Tony was exhausted after facing such a strong enemy. His strength was one whole level down in comparison to the enemy.


    This one level may sound like it is a negligible gap between two things but the difference in strength was akin to a mountain. Without patience and preservance, climbing at the top of the mountain was a joke.


    Yang Dao did not have the time to mingle and said, "Target down, Carole you have the charge. I am going after the three runaways."


    With that said the boy vanished from his spot like a wisp of mist under the sun. Whenhe next appeared it was near his bike. After he sat down on the bike, he vanished from the place like a mirage. The bike roared on the road as it chased on the path specified by RALF.


    RALF had never let go of the tracking task setup by Yang Dao. The effects of having an AI to serve you was ultimate bliss. That being said, Yang Dao himself was no less shocking. He killed three hyper humans, and was still a child.


    The bike howled and manuevared between the traffic like a needle sewing thread. The target were three people all running separately but after fifteen minutes they will converge the routes and meet at the private airport in the region. Yang Dao suddenly felt he was rushing things and slowed down on the chase.


    Time wass a powerful thing. If you use it as tool, then you can have unlimited leverage but if you let the tool take command, the you become taken over by it, leaving you become dust. So Yang Dao slowed down.

 Chapter 288: Calculation.

    Yang Dao parked the bike on the side of the road and fell into thought. Things did not seem to be as simple to him all of a sudden. He fished out his mobile phone and made a call to Atsuji Kurogame. The call connected in an instant and he spoke before the other side could even greet him.


    "The hyper humans are retreating without fighting. Is it just I or the matter is complicated?"


    The old man on the other side sighed and spoke, "Young Master, what you deduct is correct. These people had a motive when they infiltrated the country. The departments detected only nine Hyper humans, however, the real number was ten."


    Yang Dao raised his eyebrow and asked, "Where is the tenth one going to strike?" his tone became somber.


    Atsuji Kurogame said, "That is still a mystery for us. The people are trying to track the guy but we have yet to find a trace." a sort of embarrassment was apparent in his voice.


    Yang Dao said, "Where did he infiltrate from?"


    Atsuji Kurogame replied, "Waterways, southern sector, The Dual Barrier Reef. It is a tourist location, so the troops were lax and the guys slipped away. We do have some suspects but it has not helped us reap any benefits."


    Yang Dao took a deep breath and asked, "As a tourist place, the location must have round-the-clock closed-circuit monitoring. Get me the footage pack for the whole day and from every single camera."


    Atsuji Kurogame had already gotten the information that the boy has dealt with two hyper humans. So, he was aware of the strength Yang Dao had. He can solve these problems. Atsuji Kurogame gave up his hesitation and said, "You will have all the data within thirty minutes, Young Master."


    Yang Dao asked, "How did you discover that there was one more hyper-human?"


    "A spy in Crypto nation sent the word back only an hour ago," said Atsuji Kurogame. The old man could guess what Yang Dao wanted to ask next. So, he said, "The source is reliable."


    Yang Dao nodded and after a few seconds, the call was disconnected. He made a call to Feng Yun to check whether the scientists have moved. He started his bike and started to chase down the runaways again. Suddenly RALF issued a warning, "Administrator. An identified man is spotted on the premises of Sapphire lake residency."


    The whole society where Yang Dao lived had a monitor system. The cameras were so advanced that even if someone is trained, professionally will miss one or two of them after entering the premises. Hearing the news, something suddenly clicked in his mind.


    Could it be that the target of the lone wolf was him? He said, "RAFL, call Lisa."


    The system immediately connected the call to the intercom at home and after two rings, Lisa picked it up. Her pleasant voice sounded, "Hello?"


    Yang Dao said, "Lisa, drop all the work you have at hand. Take Frieda Foster and the leopards with you to the terrace, and board the chopper. Understood? Right now."


    Lisa was stunned by the suddenness of this command but she had complete faith and trust in Yang Dao so she only replied with, "I understand, Young Master. I will get it done."


    The receiver was placed down and the call disconnected.


    ...


    In sapphire lake residency, Lisa had just disconnected the call and rushed to the study room where Frieda was exploring RALF. She said, "Miss Foster. Young Master has asked us to go board the chopper and leave. The situation is urgent."


    Frieda had her focus locked on the series of codes fluctuating in front of her eyes. She was brought back to reality as soon as these words rang in her ears. She did not know what happened and wanted to ask when the two leopards came to stand in front of her. The girl was so excited earlier that she did not notice the beasts earlier.


    Now she immediately became pale in fright. Lisa, however, did not give her any time to reason and took her outside the house, holding her hand. The two boarded the elevator and pressed the button for the top floor without any hesitation. The leopards suddenly gazed in the direction of the stairs and they bared their fangs.


    They had the instincts of spirit beasts and could sense a threat coming over from the stairs. Lisa followed their gaze and closed the elevator doors. The beasts stood by her side with their bodies slightly lowered. Frieda was still in a state of shock. Her brain was overflowed with numbness when she saw the two beasts.


    The elevator stopped on the terrace. Lisa dragged Frieda to the chopper as fast as she can. The chopper already had the rotors moving, and the pilot was waving at them to hurry. The door of the cabin was slid open for them, too. Lisa took the lead and pushed Frieda over to climb while the beasts were gazing at the doors of the staircase. They were ready to attack the source of the threat if need be.


    After Lisa got on board, she whistled. The beasts got into the chopper as well. The pilot pressed a button to close the cabin and took off. They were high in the sky when Lisa spotted a figure walking on the terrace, gazing at them. She could sense that this person was not normal. She unlocked her mobile phone and called Yang Dao.


    She said, "Young Master, we have left. There is a person on the terrace."


    Yang Dao said, "Don''t worry about it. Go to the Dao courtyard mansion. I will handle the rest."


    Lisa disconnected the call and sighed.


    ...


    Yang Dao, on the other side, was getting closer to the airport. The place was owned by a small-time businessman. At this moment, the Dao Child could sense a small airplane engine roaring on the runway.


    He said, "What are you calculating so much for?"

 Chapter 289: Evaporation.

    Yang Dao heard the roaring engine sounds coming from the runway. He parked his bike in a derelict corner. He took off his helmet and walked toward the entrance under the shadows. Suddenly, he stopped and smiled. He thought to himself, "Forgot that I can fly."


    With that thought, he jumped up and levitated inside the boundaries of the airport. This place was a simple airstrip with a hut serving the purpose of air traffic control. A small plane had the engine running at the end of the airstrip. Yang Dao moved his wind sense and found three hyper humans inside the plane. At first, he planned to confront them but now he had to deal with the guy, who raided his home.


    He watched quietly from the shadow as the plane took off from the runaway after reaching the terminal velocity. He took the bow off from his shoulder and knocked an azure arrow on it. Suddenly a thought emerged in his mind.


    He thought about how he was so merciless toward these people from the New Dawn. He had no answer in his mind but then his eyes changed into Dao eyes. The pupil started to rotate slowly as his gaze was fixed on the plane getting further in the sky. The plane was made up of lines of light and dark intersecting each other but the people inside had a gray murky shadow. It was as if a blob of smoke.


    He finally got the answer to why he was so unbothered with it. These people were not governed by the heavens. Yang Dao had some knowledge about how his judgment worked regarding these things. As the emissary of heavens, the designation he learned about in the sacred realm, he had an affinity toward everything that follows the way of heaven.


    He was tolerant enough to see how some people would rely on their talents and breakthrough their limits. However, despite breaking past the limits one did stay under the governance of the heavens. This was the truth that none of the people could defy. If someone becomes so strong that they were not affected by anything under the heavens, the people may get the illusion that the heavens are below them.


    What they fail to understand is that heavens were just accommodating them, they reaped the rewards of the trials and tests they prevailed through. Yet once they started to think of themselves like they own the universe and all the beings inside, someone comes and dethrone them.


    Putting away these thoughts Yang Dao knocked the arrow on his bow and pulled the string back into a full moon. The next moment a ray of azure flashed through the void. The plane flew like nothing happened until it exploded all of a sudden. The people on the ground heard the loud explosion sound and when they raised their heads to the sky they were shocked.


    The hyper-humans were not so easy to kill, they all jumped off the plane without parachutes. Hyper-humans, just as the name suggested, they were far better than normal humans, even a few bits more than the so-called superhumans. These people can land on the ground from a height of three hundred feet unscathed.


    Yang Dao did not let them go so easily. He knocked the bow and the arrow condensed.


    Zeng...Zeng...Zeng...


    Three arrows shot through the void quickly. Nobody, other than elementalists can see the manifestation of the source of energy. All they saw were three people falling from the sky suddenly turned into a blood mist. Some pieces of flesh dropped on the ground as it was too rigid for the wind to evaporate it. These pieces were all augmented with carbonium webbing.


    Yang Dao blinked his eyes, returning them to the normal eyes, and put his bow back on his shoulder, and flew out of the airstrip. He got on his bike and asked, "RALF, where is the intruder?"


    "Administrator, that person tried to check the house but after he found nothing he left. At this moment that person is heading to the Dao Technologies office. Given how the administrator had Ms. Lisa and Dr. Frieda move to the mansion. I have asked, Miss Yurika and Miss Mary to give the staff an early off for the day. Also, I deduct that, this intruder might be heading to the lab. His purpose might be Neo." said the mechanical voice in his ear.


    Yang Dao smiled to see how the program he developed was growing. He asked, "The reasons behind your deductions?"


    RALF replied, "The intruder used the computer to search for a few keywords, related to robots, Dao technologies, Neo. Thus, stating his intentions."


    "Good work, RALF." said Yang Dao with a smile.


    "Much obliged, sir." replied RALF.


    Yang Dao called Atsuji Kurogame and said after the call connected, "The three runaways are down. The last guy is heading to the Dao technologies. I am going over to the spot."


    Atsuji Kurogame said, "Young Master, I understand why you are in a hurry but the people of the office have gone home already. You do not need to worry." to him the reason Yang Dao was moving so fast was that he was afraid for his employees.


    Yang Dao replied calmly, "The reason I am rushing over is to safeguard the work that my employees have done with their hard work. It will take Laohu Bai or any other general level person around fifteen more minutes to get there. The hyper-human will take eight minutes while I will reach there in nine minutes. I will talk to you later."


    He disconnected the phone without listening to the other side''s opinion. Atsuji Kurogame also sighed and with a wry smile said, "You are forgetting that Feng Yun is right next to your office, Young Master."


    Yang Dao was shuttling his motorbike through the traffic at high speeds. At this moment, the hyper-human had already reached the lab space of Dao Technologies. Just as this man wanted to unlock the door, a hand was pressed on his shoulder.


    It was as if he was touched by a feather. It would have been nice, but the feather was hot. The hyper-human did not even have the time to react when he sensed his skin evaporate followed by the bones and viscera(organs).


    Feng Yun smiled and said, "Such trash is meant to be incinerated."

 Chapter 290: Dust Settles.

    Yang Dao was still on the road when RALF spoke in his Bluetooth earphone, "Administrator, Miss Feng Yun has made the intruder vanish."


    The boy understood what might have happened. RALF suddenly asked, "Administrator, I have been trying to look for a reason behind how the people can do such things. However, the result always turns out empty."


    Given his IQ, Yang Dao understood what the program was talking about. He replied, "In the future, I will tell you what it is RALF but for now we must do one very important thing."


    "What is it, Administrator?" asked RALF with the mechanical voice.


    "Track down the origin of these people and then have them pay for their actions," said Yang Dao. His tone was firm and his words were straight.


    RALF immediately accepted the test and got to work. Lisa called him to tell him that they have reached the Dao courtyard mansion. She also told him that Frieda was still a little shaken from the leopards'' presence, but overall fine.


    Yang Dao nodded and parked his bike in front of Dao Technologies'' office. He got off and used the elevator to go to the top floor, where Feng Yun was waiting for him. Nobody needed to tell him anything. He could sense her presence. Calmly, he walked out of the elevator and came to his cabin where Feng Yun was reading some work files on her digital tablet.


    She was about to stand up when Yang Dao waved his hand and said, "It''s okay. Why do you have to be so formal with me, Sister Yun?"


    The girl smiled and said, "Well, manners are not a formality, Dao."


    Yang Dao smiled and asked, "What about the intruder?"


    Feng Yun shrugged and said, "Incinerated."


    The boy nodded as if nothing happened. The phoenix gazed at him and asked, "Did you find out why we are against these people?"


    Yang Dao nodded with a poker face. He did not sit down and turned to look outside the floor-to-ceiling window. He said, "We need to move against the organization behind this. I do not wish to see them becoming a hindrance. Today this guy you dealt with visited the residency first. Almost got Senior Frieda and Lisa. Thankfully, RALF noticed him and alerted me earlier."


    Feng Yun nodded and said, "Dao, we also want to deal with their people, but the hand pulling the strings is not something we can deal with. It is your job to do so, and this hand is not easy to cut off. Do you know the fifth stage of elementalists? The elemental god, it sounds almighty but in reality, that person can beat us easily, shall we confront him?"


    Yang Dao was surprised. He asked, "How can there be such an existence? You are the heavenly divine beast."


    Feng Yun smiled and said, "None under the heavens are invincible, and I did not say that none of us is the match of the other party. You see, everything in this world has weight, and every weight has a counterweight. So, if that guy is weight, you are the counterweight. We can deal with his people, but only you can deal with him. Also, to do that you need to master all the laws and all the elements first."


    Yang Dao calmed down. He recalled how when they first met, Feng Yun told him not to worry too much and that she will tell him all this when the time comes. Yang Dao trusted her. He has always known that the familiar spirits were his guides, those who would point at the path but whether he will take it or not depends on him.


    This belief of his was even firmer as he came back from the sacred realm. In the chronicles of light and dark, he has read how the White Tiger spirit pointed out the way for his predecessors, they followed the path in the being but still in the end they all chose their own mind and heart leading to them being deviated from the path of Dao.


    The boy sighed and said, "I shall wait for the time, however, these guys will still pay a little amount of their follies."


    Feng Yun nodded calmly. She did not mind him smoking the snake hole a bit. Yang Dao said, "RALF, did you track it down?"


    A computerized voice echoed in his ear from the earphone, "Tracking results have come out, Administrator. The location is an extremely remote forest of the crypto nation."


    "How did you track it down?" asked Yang Dao.


    The machine replied, "Hacked inside the Crypto cyber police servers and found out that these people were all their people. These are criminals on death row. Somehow, they vanished from the prison and were experimented on by the new dawn. Although they have left no paper trail, they did leave some leaks in the dark."


    Yang Dao nodded and said, "Release this data to the whole world, anonymously. Hack the crypto nation stock market, make them shiver."


    RALF had been learning about human slang and had been surfing urban lingo, so he understood what Yang Dao meant and got to work. Feng Yun said, "Why are you punishing the whole nation? Do you not think that there may be some people who are innocent in all this?"


    Yang Dao realized that this was his mistake, he said, "RALF, check down every single stock market account holder and investor if they have no dirty stains on themselves, then you will note them down and after the whole process is completed, you will have their funds ejected back before you choke the market."


    RALF replied, "Understood, Administrator."


    Yang Dao smiled at Feng Yun. The latter shook her head and said, "You shall start perceiving the earth element. This time, I will not help you. If you have any questions, then you will ask the eldest. He will be your guide this time. Okay?"


    The boy nodded and returned to gaze out of the window as if nothing happened. Actually, the hyper-human invasion this time did not fail.


    ...


    In the crypto nation, a man with glasses said, "Hm, turns out they passed the test with flying colors. However, we have no information about the guy who acted. Keeping low. I like this opponent."

 Chapter 291: Seeking Guidance.

    Yang Dao was confused by what she said. Feng Yun sensed his confusion and said, "You don''t have to overthink it. The reason why I cannot guide you this time is because of the rules we all set up earlier. We wanted to guide you in elements we originate from. However, given the records, we decided that you shall be taught by people of different elements. This way, the risk of influencing you is also lessened."


    Yang Dao asked, "What do you mean by influencing me?"


    "If we taught you the elements we are proficient in, then you will get a better knowledge of that element and your own scope of exploration will be reduced. We will always share out hundred percent with you. You know that a cup filled to the brim will not be able to hold anything more. Right?"


    Yang Dao heard her words and understood the meaning. He nodded and said, "I shall get back to the cantonment. I need to report and make records."


    Feng Yun nodded and said, "Be careful on the road." With a warm smile on her face.


    Yang Dao nodded and walked out of the office. His mood was suddenly complicated. He decided that he will find Atsuji Kurogame tonight itself to get this problem solved. He got on his bike and made his way to the cantonment unhurriedly.


    ...


    In the cantonment, Carole and Tony sat in front of General Atkins. They had just finished describing how Yang Dao took down three hyper-humans in less than three minutes. The old man was shocked and sat in his chair in a daze. He said, "Contact Captain Yang Dao, tell him to report to me immediately."


    He was very eager to meet Yang Dao. His purpose was not just the curiosity he had for this little guy, but also wanted to see the weapon Yang Dao used. Yes, Carole and Tiny gave a vivid description of the bow used in the assault. The old man had ideas about the heavenly armament. If Laohu Bai was here, she would have shoved his head into the ground.


    A corporal standing behind him nodded and carried out the order. Carole and Tony exchanged a glance, and they wanted to say something, but the person in front of them was their superior. How can they just go forward and say that this was a bad idea? They knew what Dao could do and the old man was definitely underestimating him.


    Speak of the devil and the devil comes. They were just in their thoughts when Yang Dao came to the door of the room they all were sitting in. He saluted the old man crisply as he came to stand in front of the table. General Atkins nodded and said, "At ease."


    This guy had Carole and Tony sitting on the chair but did not ask Yang Dao to sit down. His gaze moved over Yang Dao, from head to toe. His eyes did not miss the bow ends over Yang Dao''s shoulder. He said with a poker face, "Captain Yang, we will have to take custody of the bow you used tonight. It is a weapon and due to the laws, we cannot allow you to carry this on your person. Plus, you used this weapon to deal with the hyper-humans as well, so we need to analyze and see if it can be mass-produced.


    I hope you have no opinions on that."


    Yang Dao took the bow from his shoulder and placed it on the floor. He said, "If you can wield it, I have no problem."


    Atkins raised his brows and asked, "Oh, you think, I cannot wield this bow?"


    Yang Dao did not comment and shrugged his shoulders. Atkins has been dissed and told by him twice already as a senior officer he was being looked down on by a greenhorn. Shame on his title of a Lt. General.


    The old man stood up from his chair and came around the table. He extended his hand towards Yang Dao. The latter also understood his intention and passed the bow in his hand. The moment Atkins held the bow, he felt as if he was holding a mountain in his hand. The bow looked slender and elegant, giving a light feeling, but the mass of it was like a mountain to people other than Yang Dao.


    Atkins cursed Yang Dao''s whole ancestor the moment he held onto the bow. He did not think that the bow was like that. He grit his teeth and said, "Why is this thing so heavy?"


    Yang Dao simply shrugged and said, "How would I know, it feels really light to me." his face had no expression.


    Suddenly, an old hand grasped the bow from Atkins and held it up. The owner of this hand was none other than Atsuji Kurogame. He could life the bow up because he was the incarnation of the heavenly beast, but the pressure on him was still present. If Atkins was a car crushed by a mountain, Atsuji Kurogame was a truck crushed by a hill.


    The old man handed the bow back to Yang Dao with both hands and said, "This weapon is meant for one person only." Yang Dao took the bow with a faint smile on his face.


    Atsuji Kurogame turned to face Atkins and said, "Lieutenant general Atkins, you are to go back to the high command. There are important things waiting for you there."


    Neither did the old man have a face to stay and nor did he want to spend one more minute in Yang Dao''s presence. Also, the one who ordered him was the boss of the boss of his boss. Atkins saluted and left while he hid the resentment in his eyes.


    Carole and Tony were also relieved and Yang Dao was left alone with Atsuji Kurogame. The old man smiled and said, "You have a lot of questions, Young Master." in a genial tone.


    Yang Dao nodded and said calmly, "Guide me, Elder. How to get past this hurdle."

 Chapter 292: Knowledge.

    Atsuji Kurogame smiled at Yang Dao as the boy asked for his guidance. The old man said in a low voice, "It will be my pleasure and honor to guide you, young master." with that said, he featured the boy to follow him.


    Even if the two people had a servant-master relationship. Yang Dao treated himself below Atsuji at this moment. When he was in the orphanage, facing the harsh cold winds of life, he realized that you can learn about everything from everywhere and from everyone, only if you have an open mindset about it.


    This moment was the same. He was seeking guidance from Atsuji Kurogame, an elder. He followed him half a step behind him. The elder pulled him by his hand and said, "Even if you are a student, you can walk beside me."


    After a few seconds, they came to a garden in the cantonment area. Yang Dao still had his bow tied to his waist while Atsuji Kurogame walked with a wooden cane in his hand. The old man said, "The earth represents the second state of mind. Elements are everywhere, omnipotent. However, they all have different variants. For instance, the floor beneath our feet is made up of stone tiles, but these stones are still components of the earth. Correct?"


    Yang Dao nodded quietly, and Atsuji Kurogame continued, "To bend an element, we start with its most rudimentary variant. What do you think is the most basic variation of the earth element is?"


    "Soil." this one-syllable spoken by Yang Dao made Atsuji Kurogame nod. The old man asked, "How is the soil made up of?"


    Yang Dao replied, "Minerals?" he was quite unsure about this. So he stated the only thing he could logically come up with.


    Atsuji Kurogame smiled and said, "It is more than minerals. The earth is formed when dead and living organisms combine with minerals, air, and water. This is why the earth can give birth to food and life."


    Yang Dao was stunned as he heard this. This explanation was simple and reasonable. He never thought that the earth they all walk on and usually do not think about can be explained so simply and yet the importance of it was so immense. Atsuji Kurogame led him to a bench, and they sat down.


    He said, "The earth resides inside us. Feng Yun must have told you that our bones and body are made up of minerals. These minerals are also present inside the womb of the planet. Life is a blend of magic and science. Magic is how a human being can resonate with the world around them and bend the elements while science can be seen as a guide to magic."


    Yang Dao did not expect the old man to say something like this. Atsuji Kurogame was aware of his confusion and continued talking, "Can you tell me how the giant metallic planes fly in the air?"


    The boy replied simply by saying, "They use the engines to produce thrust and keep themselves in the air."


    The old man nodded and said, "Correct, but they are still riding the wind by burning minerals with fire. Are they not?"


    Yang Dao thought about it and with wide eyes nodded to the old man. Atsuji Kurogame said, "Everything used by common humans is also a device they created with science to interact with magic. An Elementalist does not need these tools of science to interact with the magic of elements. This is the difference between a common man and an Elementalist."


    Yang Dao knew that common humans and Elementalists were different from each other, but he had never gotten a definition to his thoughts. Today, only did he realize what a wise man was.


    Atsuji Kurogame said, "You have perceived the wind inside you before. Similarly, now perceive the earth inside of you."


    Yang Dao closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He moved his source of energy to perceive the earth element inside him. Atsuji Kurogame beside him shook his head with a smile but did not stop him from making a mistake.


    The boy tried to perceive the earth element in his body, but he could not. It was as if he was being repelled by something. After ten minutes of continuous attempts, he calmed his mind and exhaled a deep breath. He opened his eyes and said, "Elder, I will now go back home. It is late and I have classes in the morning."


    He did not tell Atsuji Kurogame about his problem of repulsion because if everything was to be spoon-fed to him, then how will he learn how to get over an obstacle. The old man nodded and sent him away. Yang Dao needed guidance, so he guided him. Now how to overcome the obstacles was his own choice.


    He will help Yang Dao only when the boy is stuck and can not see a way ahead. However, knowing Yang Dao, he was aware that the boy will overcome this situation on his own. After sending him away, Atsuji Kurogame took out his mobile and called a person. The call connected after one ring and the old man said, "Clean it up. Make it look like an accident. This scum dared to betray us and even be present at the spot of destruction. Kill him the worst way possible."


    The other side replied, "I will don''t worry. Also, what about the rest of his contacts?"


    Atsuji said, "Cleanse the forces, I don''t want such a thing to happen again." his voice was opposite to how he talked with Yang Dao. He was a ruthless man. Well, he was not in the wrong. To safeguard the country, he might even shoot the premiere as well if he needed to.


    ...


    Yang Dao rode his bike on the road slowly and calmly. The boy looked at his surroundings and he caught a sound, "Come on, don''t you know how to generate the power in soccer?"


    With that said, he stopped his bike and came to watch what was going on in this place.

 Chapter 293: Captivated.

    Yang Dao parked his bike at the side of the road and came to sit down near the field where a group of children were practicing soccer. An old man explaining how to generate power when kicking a ball. The Dao Child did not know why he was attracted to these activities. His gaze focused on the boy kicking the ball and slowly everything else began to dim.


    He saw how the guy took a run-up and arched his back slightly as he kicked the ball. The hands extended to provide the body a good sense of balance. The foot connected with the ball and it shot out like a bullet. The ball hit the net and the old man said, "Good job. Practice it again. Also, remember the energy comes from your core."


    Yang Dao saw how the children ran all over the ground. Suddenly his pupil changed into the Dao patterns, slowly rotating. He saw how the lines of light and dark tremble as the figures ran. The resolution between the body and the earth gave him an ethereal feeling. Unknowingly, the boy fell into a state of enlightenment.


    He closed his eyes and looked inside his body. He saw his body filled with azure source energy particles. Yang Dao looked closely and found that his bones and organs were not blended with the source of energy particles. It was only glazed with it. He thought to himself in this state, when I perceived the wind, I used the breath as a guide. Now when I wish to sense the earth within my bones, what should I do?


    He was confused and thought, ''The elements inside me will resonate with the elements outside. If the breath is wind, then bones are earth. The wind moves, but the earth is stable. The best way to sense the earth is to feel it with your hands and feet.''


    Yang Dao glanced inside his body and urged the source of energy particles to move away from his bones and organs. The source of energy moved away from his bones and then he started to move his thoughts to sense the minerals inside the bones.


    When he comprehended the wind, his thought power was one thing that helped him back then to sense the movement of wind inside him. At first, he was using his source energy to find the existence of another source of the element. Only now did he realize, just like how you cannot produce energy without utilizing the power of the whole body, you cannot sense the existence of the earth inside you if you do not utilize the other elements inside you, too.


    When he first came in contact with the elements, he comprehended the element that is used and interacted by the humans the most ever since they are born. Earth is an element that represents calm and stability, just like Atsuji Kurogame said. To perceive the stable Yang Dao used the ever-moving.


    As the Dao child, he could seek to figure out these things without anybody''s help. He focused and his perception became sharper with every second. It was after an hour or so when he sensed the surrounding ground. He was able to sense the vibrations sent from the movement of the people and the vehicles in his vicinity.


    The perception was really weak at the moment, only ten meters, but he was successful in doing this. Yang Dao opened his eyes when he sensed his mobile phone ringing. He picked up the call and Atsuji Kurogame spoke, "Congratulations."


    Yang Dao knew what he was talking about. The boy replied, "Thank you for your guidance, elder."


    The two did not talk about anything serious and after a casual remark, the call was disconnected. Yang Dao stood up and rode his bike back home.


    ...


    While the boy was going to ride back home, Atsuji Kurogame was sitting on the chair in his own house. Atsuji Kurogame was part of the serving government and thus he had the privilege of being provided with a room inside the crown.


    After chatting to Yang Dao, he called Laohu Bai and said, "Young Master comprehended earth element."


    The white tiger on the other side replied, "Good, I just hope that he can keep up this pace. Or the situation will become more and more complicated."


    Atsuji nodded and said, "Ryu will be coming back in a few, then we can ask him to have Young Master register as an assassin."


    Laohu Bai agreed with it and said, "Shall we take him to the second level so that he can practice assassinations?"


    Atsuji shook his head and said, "There is still time to do that."


    Laohu Bai fell silent, she found that Atsuji was correct there was indeed a time before Yang Dao was ready for the second level, And when he moves to the second level, he will have to deal with the cause and effect of this area before he can go to the realm of immortals.


    The two people talked a few tidbits, and the call was disconnected.


    ...


    Yang Dao had reached home, and he fell asleep. The next morning, he woke up, dressed up, and saw that no one was home yet. Lisa and Frieda were sent to the Dao Courtyard Mansion so they might be coming back in the afternoon. He prepared a meal for himself and then he went to the college riding his blue bike of his.


    He did not use silence today. On the way, he used his earth sense to observe the area ten meters around him. What he did not notice just yet was the changes in his body that had occurred after he awakened the power of the earth. However, suddenly he felt a little awkward atmosphere around him. He found that a few college students were looking and pointing at him.


    Suddenly he heard a low voice from Kiya, who appeared next to him out of nowhere. "I was wondering who was so captivating. Turned out it was amazing Master Yang Dao."


    The two exchanged a glance and chuckled as they rode their bikes to the clubhouse.

 Chapter 294: Idol Effect.

    Yang Dao and Kiya rode their bikes side by side and the former asked the girl, "Why do you call me captivating?"


    Kiya smiled and said, "If you are acting then I must say that you can act well. If you are not acting, then you are ignorant to the world of social media."


    The boy became even more confused, he asked, "Why do you speak in riddles?"


    Kiya chuckled and her pink hair fluttered in the wind. She said, "Ironically the Idol Man cannot anticipate my words."


    Yang Dao sighed and gave up on getting anything out of her mouth. Watching him acting like this the girl said, "The reason why I called you captivating is because of a video going viral on the net."


    "What video?" asked the boy.


    "The video where you go out for a morning run with two oversized kittens and then two little children come over to play. You confronted an old man and made him understand that your pets were tamed. The two children played with the cats and you left. The interesting fact in this event is that the video is being shot without your knowledge." said Kiya.


    Yang Dao was aware of this video and said, "I am aware of this video, Rika teased me with it and I even received a call from my orphanage and got scolded by Sister Tina for being wayward. Why do people make such a big deal out of it?"


    Kiya said, "That is not the only thing, Dao. The new robot you announced and how you asked the people for possible feature configuration also cast a protagonist halo for you. The students who were recruited to the Dao Technologies also received a bonus from the earnings company made from Robo-aid sales. Would you believe that even me, your so-called secretary got the bonus?


    Helping hand organization is rescuing a lot of people from despair and setting them in a new direction. What do you think is not present there to call you an Idol?"  said Kiya.


    She replied to his question while presenting one of her own in the end. Yang Dao had always been a low-key man in her eyes. He is not the one who would preach his good deeds to the world. She respected him but when he did not express his emotions in a situation. She felt as if she was banging her head on the wall.


    Yang Dao sighed as he rode the bike. He said, "Who is an Idol? I took the two cats away from their natural habitat. To my satisfaction, I came up with ways to make people accept it. I am not the idol the people look at me like. You know that I also have a dark side. If I am on a military mission I will kill to achieve my goal.


    If someone does not do things the way I want them to I feel irritated. I get the point that the people all think I am a good man, okay I accept that maybe I am good. But what is good and what is bad?


    Some so many people did not want their lives to be changed with the establishment of Helping hand. They were used to living like that and were used to it. However, I forcefully changed it all, in the name of a better life. What is a better life? To some people, it might be traveling in a luxury car while to some people it would be to find shelter from wind and rain.


    How do you say that I am an Idol? I am a human, just a simple human who is trying to do his best with everyone and everything."


    Kiya was surprised by his burst of words. She has never seen him speak this much. However, she realized that even if he spoke so much, his tone was still calm and the bearings were peaceful. She said, "Dao, I agree that it may be painful for people to experience such a change but in the long run they will get used to it. They will bless you for the better life standard they will achieve because of your initiative."


    The two kept talking and rode the bikes around the campus. They had already passed the cycling club twice but they were so engrossed in the topic that they did not even pay attention to Icarus who was following them silently. After crossing the clubhouse four times Icarus said while clearing his throat, "Ahem, Lady and Gent, can you already stop circling around the campus. It is the time for class."


    His words brought back Yang Dao and Kiya from their discussion. The two people accused Icarus of not reminding them earlier. They quickly parked the bikes and rushed to the classes. On the way to the classes, the students cast gazes and smiles at Yang Dao. Icarus sighed, "Bathing in the light of the Idol is so hard, even if the women approach me now, they all ask for his number. Tell me Kiya what should I do?"


    Kiya replied non-comically, "Either you grow up, or shut your mouth that is yapping all the time or you give up hope."


    Icarus clenched the left side of his chest and said, "Lady, your words, sometimes they hurt me a lot."


    Kiya flicked her hair and smirked, "At least you catch the intent correctly."


    Yang Dao patted Icarus on the shoulder and said, "You have tried your best soldier, now you rest."


    The three exchanged a glance and laughed. They came to the class and Yang Dao received a call from Mary. She said that the company will be holding a press meet, they have reached an abundant amount of stockpiling for the new NEO bot. Yang Dao asked her to select the college as the venue and get things ready.


    Mary agreed and the call disconnected before the professor arrived. Yang Dao thought since he was the IDOL then his alma mater must also bathe in the light he gave off. This event of his had a dual implementation.

 Chapter 295: Cheeky.

    ||Instagram: author_wordsmith||


    Yang Dao watched the professor entering the class as he put down the phone and a normal day in the Dao Child''s life began. The teacher stood over the pedestal and said, "It has been six months since you all have come to the college. The time to check your progress is also around the corner. The curriculum has been finished so now you can come up with any doubts you have till next week."


    His words surprised Yang Dao. He quickly wrote on a slip of paper and asked Kiya, "Class rep, what is the professor talking about?" passing the chit.


    Kiya glanced at the chit and almost did not yell, but her wide eyes were enough to tell him about the surprise she was going through right now. She wrote down on the back of the chit, "We have semestral exams next week, President Feng. -_-" she even add the little emote in the end to express her exasperation.


    Yang Dao took back the chit and after learning the answer, he scratched the back of his head. He forgot about examinations as he was indulged in his life. He nodded and opened her book to read the content. He was not worried about the exams, but as a diligent student, he was eager for it.


    The class went on and everyone was indulged in reading. The professor scanned the crowd with his gaze and found that the students were all sincere. He nodded in satisfaction. Even the young masters of the rich families were sincerely reading. This showed why this class was called the elite class.


    In the back of the classroom, a guy raised his hand and asked, "Professor, is it possible for a person to control their subconscious impulsive actions?"


    The professor said, "Theoretically, yes, but the subconscious actions are a representation of a person''s real self. So it is not proven whether a person can control that or not. However, if someone can do it, then he/she will be a person ruling over the world. The sky would be the limit."


    The student nodded and sat down to read the book again. The class was about psychology. The professor suddenly asked, "Student Dao."


    Yang Dao stood up from his chair and replied respectfully, "Yes professor?"


    "What do you think about the question your classmate mentioned just now?" asked the old professor.


    Yang Dao thought for a bit and said, "There have been people who could manipulate their subconscious actions to an extent, but definite control is not possible. These people have trained themselves over time to achieve such a feat. An example is professional poker players. They can win a lot of money. Yet they still lose sometimes. That is because some of the subconscious actions are not noticed by them and had become a part of their being. They can not suppress it.


    A similar situation is often seen with Algorithm drivers. They control their fear of fast speed and train their reflexes but they develop some particular actions. For example, Mika has a habit of drafting behind the leaders whenever she is getting out of a turn. This is her subconscious reaction and she may be able to control it over time if she notices it.


    If someone can control their subconscious completely, then they can be anyone at any moment and we will only think that the person is being serious."


    The old professor nodded and said, "Well said. Carry on with the reading." just as his words dropped, the class ended. The next class was on computer operations but Yang Dao was exempted from attending the class.


    He was also slightly worried about getting close to Professor Kylie Dew. Icarus came to his side and said, "You need to get to the class today. Professor Kylie will be talking about machine learning."


    Yang Dao wanted to refuse, but he nodded under the insistence of his friend. Kiya also followed them. Icarus asked, "Class rep, are you going in the wrong direction?"


    Kiya shook her pink head and said, "I have taken up computer operations as my additional subject. I need to have some basic knowledge. Why do you ask?"


    She had a pinkish glow on her face reflecting from her hair all the time, but at this moment it was obvious that she was blushing. Her eyes fell on Yang Dao. This was her subconscious reaction. Icarus understood that the girl was joining the class because of Yang Dao. However, just when his brain was about to be flooded with thoughts of teasing the girl, he was shot down by a pair of eyes that could kill him.


    Gulping a mouthful of saliva, Icarus turned away to avoid Kiya''s death stare. They reached the classroom and just as they entered, they found that the professor was sitting on the pedestal. Usually, the beauty teacher would have a faint smile on her face, but at this moment she was distracted and had faint dark circles under her eyes.


    Yang Dao and the rest slowly filled their chairs, and the bell rang. The bell seemed to wake up Kylie Dew from her thoughts and she put on a professional smile on her face. She took a roll call, and she started directly from Kiya and the rest.


    At the end of the roll call she heard a warm voice, "Professor, you did not call my name."


    Kylie Dew shivered slightly and raised her eyes from the register to look at the source of the voice. She saw Yang Dao standing in front of her with a plain expression on her face. She pinched her cheek, and said, "Ouch, so The Yang Dao came to class?"


    The whole could not hold back and they all burst into laughter. Yang Dao scratched the back of his head to show his embarrassment. Kylie Dew smiled and said, "So, Dao, what wind blew you here?" she smirked.


    Yang Dao for a change said, "Your beauty attracted me to the class professor. I have noticed that I have not appreciated your grace for a long time."


    The class was stunned to see this shy guy flirting. Everyone knew about him being shy. Kylie Dew was stunned as well, and she said, after regaining her composure, "Someone has grown to be cheeky."

 Chapter 296: Kylies Trouble.

    Yang Dao chuckled and sat down in his chair after Kylie waved at him. He was called cheeky by the teacher but it was not a bad thing. At least, he got her to smile. The teacher became more enthusiastic, and she resolved the doubts of the students one by one.


    Computer Operations was a subject that was completely on a different level and the students had a lot of problems on some topics. Yang Dao was the only one who read the book on his desk in silence. He would eventually point things out to Kiya. Nothing else.


    During the class, he noticed that the teacher was sitting in her chair, looking at the students, but her gaze was listless. She was lost in her mind. He decided to ask her after the class finished. The time passed by quickly and the bell rang. However, Kylie Dew did not react. Somewhere along the time, she had placed her head on the small table in front of her and her eyes were closed.


    The students stood up however, they all could not leave before the teacher does. Usually, it was the teacher catching students sleeping, but today the tables have turned. They all did not say anything but kept looking at each other. If they woke her up, it will be embarrassing the teacher, and it was not a good thing.


    Yang Dao sighed and stood up from his seat. He waved his hand and gave them a quiet signal. Then signaled them to leave the class silently and he will take responsibility. The students nodded and walked out of the classroom. The whole movement was completed smoothly. He walked to the teacher and gently tapped on her shoulder.


    He spoke in a soft voice, "Kylie, wake up."


    After they become friends on the balcony of his house, they have been on a first-name basis when alone. His voice was softer than the class bell, yet it woke up the lady from her sound sleep. Kylie raised her head, looked around, and found herself in the classroom. After a few seconds, her brain processed what happened, and she sat up straight with a blush on her face.


    She asked Yang Dao in a low voice, "Did they all see me like this?"


    Yang Dao nodded, and the blush on Kylie''s face became even stronger. She asked, "Why did you not leave?"


    The boy smiled and replied, "I wanted to talk to you. I have known you to be a graceful and dedicated teacher inside the classroom. today is the first time I saw you like this and your condition worried me a lot. So, tell me, what is going on with you, and do you need any help?"


    Kylie Dew was overcome with warmth with the words she heard. Her eyes glistened with tears. She shook her head and said, "No, it is not a big problem. Just that I am trying to move forward but I cannot."


    Her voice was shivering, and she was almost crying. Yang Dao said, "Why does it sound like a love affair?"


    Kylie Dew gave him a death stare and made him fall silent. She was enraged to hear this. She said, "You, you better keep your trap shut. Do you know that you are the first human I ever kissed? I almost surrendered myself to you. You moron, and where were you? Traveling the world with no contact and no information. You had the face to ask me to monitor your AI? Ungrateful boy..."


    The more she spoke, the louder she became. Yang Dao did not interrupt and kept on listening to her. He was aware of what was going on. He suddenly leaned forward and hugged Kylie Dew across the desk. Her head touched his chest, and she was stunned. This warm embrace came to her a little too suddenly. She had no time to figure out how to react.


    Yang Dao was hearing all her complaints and said, "I apologize for neglecting you. I assure you that it was not deliberate on my side. It''s just that I have been busy. Please forgive me." his voice was as warm as his embrace.


    Kylie Dew was subdued completely, and she could only hum in response. When has she ever been consoled so warmly by a male? She said, "It is okay, the fault is mine. I should have understood that we are friends and could have taken the initiative to call you up."


    Yang Dao nodded and said, "Well, I will try to be around frequently in the future. Now you get yourself together. I will go now. We have an event in the evening. You should come too, but there will be a lot of media, so do look after your appearance."


    He loosened his arms around her and let go of the embrace. Kylie Dew heard his words and said, "You look down on me too much. If not for periods, do you think I would have been like this? Humph, go away and get ready to behold my beauty."


    Yes, Kylie Dew was on periods and when she saw that Yang Dao was back, but he still did not contact her on his own, she was depressed and grumpy. Her mind was flooded with negative thoughts and could not sleep peacefully these days. However, Yang Dao came to the class, and all the pent-up frustration was released on him when he woke her up.


    Yang Dao chuckled and after picking up his books, he walked out of the classroom. He was headed to the principal office to get Aislinn Jasper to the event platform. As a principal, she must attend this event, and he, as a junior, took it over himself to escort her to the place.


    The whole campus was lit up and the hustle excited the people. When they heard that Dao Technologies was going to hold an event on the campus, they were eager to watch how things would play.

 Chapter 297: Sudden Happiness.

    Yang Dao came to the principal''s office leisurely and climbed the stairs. The moment he came outside the office, he saw a girl standing at the door waiting for her turn to go inside. She was talking to the principal''s peon with great familiarity.


    The two people were not aware of Yang Dao coming over, partly because they were immersed in their conversation and partly because the boy made no noise as he walked to them. Only when he stood close enough did, the conversation stopped.


    The girl was none other than Genie Jasper. She was wearing a low key stylish outfit. A one-piece cotton dress reaching her knees. The base of the dress was white, but it was printed with flowery prints. Yang Dao smiled at her and she did the same as she said, "Long time no see, Young Master Feng."


    Yang Dao replied, "Long time indeed, Miss Jasper. How have you been?"


    Genie smiled and asked, "Here to meet my mother?"


    Yang Dao almost blurted out, ''Is that not obvious? Why else I would be here?'' controlling his impulse he said, "Yes, as the principal. It would be nice to have her attend the launch event of Neo-bot."


    Genie nodded, as she replied, "Congratulations on the new product launch. I have seen the press release that day. It is impressive to have such a robot made in the Jewel Nation. Even the crypto nation does not have such an advanced piece of technology."


    Yang Dao heard the sincerity in her compliment and said, "Thank you for the praise. I appreciate it on behalf of my team and staff members." And he gave her a slight bow.


    Before the two people could converse, a light bell interrupted them. The peon said, "Genie, you can go inside."


    Genie nodded, she turned to Yang Dao and said, "You can join me if you want to."


    Yang Dao asked, "Will it not disturb you?"


    Genie smiled and said, "No, it is alright. Come on."


    The boy hesitated and then with a nod, he followed her inside the room. The scenery inside the room was the same as always. Aislinn Jasper was focused on reading some documents placed at her table while the two people came and stood up in front of her. She did not raise her head and asked, "What is it, Genie?"


    Genie took a deep breath and said, "That can you not recommend the start-up plan?"


    Aislinn Jasper sighed and raised her head. She was surprised to see Yang Dao standing behind her daughter, but she did not think too much. She said, "Genie, the college also has its policies. We cannot recommend your start-up to any investment companies. You know that if your venture fails, it will be accounted in the college''s name. National College is a public institution and we are an educational institute. We cannot take part in business ventures."


    Yang Dao on the side could figure out the head and tail of the conversation. It seems that Genie was seeking a recommendation to get her start-up plan started and highlighted to get herself some funds. Aislinn Jasper has been a reputable teacher and she was also a person earning well enough to live. However, she did not have the capital to support a business venture.


    He cleared his throat to attract the attention of the two ladies. When he realized that he has achieved his goal. He said, "Senior Genie, if you do not mind, you can send a detailed business proposal stating your business idea and estimated future growth in the related market to the Dao Investment group. Then if the proposal passes the screening test, I can invest some capital based on the test result. We can also provide you feedback and tips to alter your plan for better if any loopholes are found.


    How does that sound to you?"


    The pair of mother and daughter were surprised by his sudden proposal. They did not expect Yang Dao to stretch out a hand. You know this discussion had put a lot of stress on the two of them. This sunshine boy came and brought them the warmth and relief they have been seeking these past few days.


    Aislinn saw her daughter stuck in a daze and said, "Genie, did you forget your manners?"


    Genie reacted and bowed to Yang Dao, "Thank you very much for the opportunity. You will not regret this moment."


    Yang Dao scratched the back of his head and said, "UMM, you can be at ease, please. I suggest that you deal with what is about to come with peace in your mind to enhance your work quality. The better the input the better the output."


    Aislinn Jasper was about to thank him too when the boy said, "Ma''am, can you please attend the launch event today? I have something that needs you to be present on the stage."


    The principal asked, "What do you wish to do?"


    What Yang Dao said next almost made Aislinn Jasper faint from excitement. Although she did not show it on her face, her eyes were honest enough to describe the state of her mind. She never expected happiness to come so suddenly. If not for the sake of her image, she would have yelled that Yang Dao was the incarnation of God of Gifts.


    The boy was also looking forward to the result of his investment in both the college and Genie. He had been told by Icarus that Genie was a finance genius. So if this gamble pays off, it will be very helpful to Yang Dao''s plans.


    The classes finished for the day and a lot of students were already present in the college stadium. Yang Dao earlier wanted to hold the event in the square of the college but the people gathered were too many to hold, so the venue was changed. At this moment, under the gaze of thousands of students and faculty members, Aislinn Jasper stood on the podium in the center of the ground, surrounded by media people.


    Along with her stood, Mary, Yang Dao, Frieda Foster. A few big shots from the company marketing and publicity department. Yurika spoke in the mic.


    "Ladies and Gentlemen, we are grateful that you took out your precious time to attend the launch even of Neo-bot. Now, without any further delays. I would like to call on the mic, the president of Dao Technologies, Feng Yang Dao."


    The people started to clap their hands as Yang Dao stood up from the chair.

 Chapter 298: Gift.

    Yang Dao stood up and came in front of the mic under the thunderous applause. The boy had now become a well-known figure in the whole college. Everyone had an image of the boy in their mind. To some, he was an object of envy, he was an idol. The males wanted to be like him while the females wanted to be with him.


    His classmates have always been a center of attraction in any gathering they participate in because of his halo. During the past two months, Yang Dao''s prestige has grown to such an unprecedented level that almost everyone could recognize him. To the people, Yang Dao was a figure shrouded with a mist. The more they saw him the curious they become.


    The target of everyone''s scrutiny tapped on the mic twice and said, "Hello everyone, thank you for joining us today. I have called you all here to welcome another product of Dao Technologies, Neo-Bot. As I have told you all in the past press address the purpose of this bot is to serve as a steward.


    However, to uphold the name of the official protocol, I should still give you a detailed introduction of the bot."


    His frank tone caused a slight chuckle among the people. Yang Dao continued, "The people gave a lot of love and support to Robo-aid the cleaning bot we made. I hope you also welcome Neo."


    He extended his hand to the side and Yurika unveiled a bot covered with red cloth beside the guests. A red and white bot appeared in front of everyone. The bot had a square LED display for his face. The body was that of the human and the head was a television monitor. This design was made by RALF to make the bot more acceptable.


    If the people saw the bot looking like a machine then they will accept it easily. So RALF revised the design and made it look like a machine. Yurika pressed the button on the chest of the bot and the screen head lit up.


    The button was highlighted by a hexagon painted with red color on the chest. It was indulged with the surface to ensure a sleek design. The whole body of the bot looked in line with the human anatomy. What attracted the attention of the media was how the LED screen indicated a graphically smiley face.


    -.-


    Yang Dao spoke, "The power button of the bot is equipped with a fingerprint scanner. While a camera is hidden behind the screen. The moment the bot starts up, it will record the face of the person and take the first command from that person. The fingerprint will be required to access the bot''s internal settings. Such as voice customization, monitoring modes, etc."


    Following his words, the bot turned to face Yurika and a mechanical voice sounded, "Hello, I am Neo, your steward bot. How may I help you."


    Neo has now been upgraded from a medical assistant to a full-fledged steward. This was done to attract more customers.


    Yang Dao spoke up, "The bot you see in front of you is the prime model of the NEO-bot series. This model comes with medical monitoring, security monitor, and household aid. This series will have two other models. They will have a slight difference in battery life, color scheme, and features That will be described on the official website of the company."


    He motioned to Yurika who said, "Neo, go stand over there." The bot turned to look at the spot she pointed and walked over with fluid motions.


    Neo-bot came to stand beside Yang Dao. The bot turned his TV face to the man and said, "Hello, I am Neo. Nice to meet you."


    Yang Dao replied, "Hello, I am Yang Dao. Nice to meet you."


    The bot and the man displayed a full conversation where the bot itself revealed the material in his body composition, these parts were no secret to the world. They had no effect on the sale. Yang Dao had already bought out all the factories manufacturing these parts. However, the bot was so clever that it avoided any and every question required it to the reveal any information regarding it''s programming.


    The media people were all looking at it with great curiosity and awe. They did not expect that the actual product will be so advanced than the prototype. It was as if a completely different product. The speech efficiency, movement fluidity, presence of mind. Everything was too good for the people.


    Yang Dao said, "This bot uses a special algorithm, the purpose of this program code is to learn and calculate any possible human behavioral change. This calculative ability enhances the bot to the level of a human teenager with average intelligence."


    His words shocked the people. They did not expect this when they came here. A media person could not hold it in anymore and asked, "President Feng, how much do you have to pay to buy this?"


    Yang Dao chuckled and asked, "How much do you think should this be worth?"


    The media person was stunned. He asked, "Sir, do not tease me. I am dying with eagerness. Please tell us."


    Yang Dao said, "Alright, Neo is worth fifty thousand carat coins. The company will provide the customers with a three year service warranty. Also, the other two model prices will be updated on the official website. As for the features suggested by the consumers. This was done as a surprise act of the company. If the people who made these suggestions will buy the bot. They will have the feature they suggested added in their bot. That model will be called NEO CUSTOM."


    To think that Yang Dao was selling such a high quality bot this price and he was also providing a custom bot. This moment became the highlight of marketing world. The pre-orders of the bot shot to the peak. They could have crashed the manual server in this very instant.


    Tonight Yang Dao came bearing gifts.

 Chapter 299: Gifts (2).

    The people were surprised and completely swept off their feet. They never expected such a surprise from Yang Dao. The boy followed, "In addition to this, Dao Technologies has reached agreed to cooperate with the National College to walk forward on the goal of advanced infrastructure. Next, I would like the respected principal, Madam Aislinn Jasper to come forward and address you all."


    The crowd was already excited from the bot presentations. They did not expect that Yang Dao to have something more in the store. Under bursting applause, the principal wearing her formal attire walked over to the podium.


    She cleared her throat to check that the microphone is working fine. This check is more like a habit than a necessity. She said as the crowd settled down slightly, "Student Feng Yang Dao is a bright student of our institution. His achievements in sports, military, academics do not need me to validate his talent and skills. His business venture is also one of the most successful and rapidly evolving ventures in the country.


    The results are under the public eye. Today, a lot of people want to start a business on their own. A place where they work for themselves. The National College has always supported its students to walk the path they wish to. We have schemes to provide students with an initial investment fund. However, the funds we have are limited. So, supporting every venture is impossible for us.


    Student Dao came up with a proposal that his company will help the college to provide sufficient funds for such start-up ideas. The terms of this proposal only expect a ten percent annual dividend from the start-up company. Wait, do not get excited. Money is not coming out of the air. The people involved in the initial start-up staff will have to go through a set of tests to get the money from Dao Investments.


    The agreement will be in action by next Monday and the terms will be explained in detail on the college forum. In addition, Dao Technologies will also provide the campus with fifty units of Neo Prime. This bot will become the first digital mascot of any educational institute.


    On behalf of all the students, I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to Yang Dao. Please give him a huge round of applause."


    The next moment, a loud burst of applause shocked the stadium. Yang Dao had completely shocked the people with such an operation. However, looking at it from a business perspective, He will be making a lot of free money. Ten percent dividend forever in exchange for a one-time investment in the initial stages is a damn good strategy. However, Yang Dao had little to no interest in the money so he was not bothered by this.


    His main motive was to farm talents in his backyard. The event carried on. Neo bot showcased some of its key features and won over the crowd in an instant while the people watching the event from back home were rushing to book this toy and get themselves one.


    The event came to an end after Frieda came forward to provide a detailed working scheme of the bot. The bot in the mean time was completing some medical tests on the people or interact with them casually.


    After an hour the event came to an end and the media all started to walk away. Yang Dao got down from the stage and while talking with his employees he came to the library of the college. He was going to spend some time to read the books. He was serious about the upcoming exams.


    This was his quality, he has never slacked off in his studies. When he was living in the orphanage, he would work three jobs but whenever it was exam time. He would take an off from the jobs and spend his entire time preparing for the exams.


    The students were all busy gossiping about the event he just held so the library was devoid of humans. Only the librarians were present. They saw Yang Dao coming in and nodded to him in politeness. The boy also returned the gesture. He found the book he wanted to read and sat down on a random chair.


    He soon forgot about the world as in front of his eyes only the text remained. His hands were constantly moving on a draft paper beside him. He was doing two tasks at the same time. In next three hours he changed two more books and still had no intention to stop. The national college library was open twenty four hours, and thus the boy kept on reading there.


    He did not notice that missed calls from a few people were piling up on his cellphone. Kiya, Icarus and Kylie Dew were looking for him everywhere. By coincident Sasha also visited the library tonight and she saw Yang Dao immersed in reading. She was aware that her friend was also looking for this guy so she called Kiya and said, ''Your boyfriend is reading like a mad man in the library."


    Kiya, Icarus and Kylie Dew came to the library and they found Yang Dao actually immersed in books. Kylie Dew said, "You guys wait, I will do it."


    Kiya and Icarus nodded and the professor walked forward. She patted on Yang Dao''s shoulder waking him up from the world of books. Yang Dao raised his head to ask who was here. He saw Kylie Dew standing there and asked, "What is it professor?"


    Kylie Dew sighed and said, "Check your phone. Lisa and Yurika has been looking for you. I do not know what happened but since Lisa called us then it might be serious."


    Yang Dao nodded and calmly picked up his phone, He did not call and walked out of the library. He called Lisa and after the call connected he asked, "Lisa what is it?"


    The maid replied, "Young master, Miss Mary called and said that the research team has an important word for you. Nothing more."


    Yang Dao nodded and said, "Okay, I will see what it is." his tone was calm but his eyes were shining. He expected something good to happen.

 Chapter 300: Small steps.

    Yang Dao disconnected his call with Lisa and dialed Mary''s number on his phone. The call connected and the lady on the other side spoke with great excitement, "Young Master, the research team sent in a report. Graphene sheets and tubes were successfully developed. They also reported that they had to make some alterations but the basic technology was the same as you provided them."


    Well, the theory Yang Dao provided the people was compiled from the research and development of the said project research all over the world. The theory did have some loopholes, but the boy was not skilled enough to overcome them on his own at the moment. The people on the scientist team, however, had a broader range of experience pooled together, and to make it work the way they wanted it to, they made some changes in the technology and achieved the results.


    Contrary to Mary''s expectation, Yang Dao just replied, "Okay, have them look forward and inform me when they can mass-produce it. Also, have them transmit the data back to me. I will study it to help them in my break times."


    Mary became sluggish. She did not expect the boy to overlook the achievement. However, she cast a gaze across her table where Yurika was smiling at her mouth the words, ''Told you so.''


    The lady agreed to Yang Dao''s instructions and after disconnecting the call, she said, "Why are these siblings similar to the point of despair."


    Yurika said, "That is because they are siblings and they do not care about the small achievements on the way to supremacy?" she paused and then continued, "I have known Dao, all my life. He is a person who would keep looking forward, one goal then another goal and this sequence keep going on. To him, small achievements are just steps to walk forward on the way.


    Also, when he is preparing for exams, everything losses its purpose to him. His focus will be aimed at his books and books only."


    Mary sighed and said, ''Well, whatever, it is. he said, get the date back to him for analysis."


    Yurika nodded and started to contact the people of the research center to get things done.


    ...


    Yang Dao disconnected the call and raised his hand to check the time. He turned around and saw Icarus, Kiya, and Kylie Dew staring at him in exasperation. He asked, "What happened?"


    Kiya placed both her hands on her waist and asked, "Do you have to be so single-minded that you cannot even pick up the call? What would you do if someone died while you are busy? Do you have no sense of social connection?"


    She was really depressed about the way Yang Dao reacted today. This guy almost made her cry thinking something happened to him. So she was just venting out her heart at him. It was already nine o''clock and no students were wandering outside otherwise, imagine the idol being scolded by his class rep for being irresponsible.


    Yang Dao said, "I apologize, I forgot to turn on the ringer after the press event. I will be careful in the future. Now, the things have been sorted out. You guys should get back to the dorms and study for the exams."


    Icarus asked, "What about you? You are not planning to stay in the library the whole night, are you?"


    Yang Dao nodded, shocking everyone. In the next second, he walked straight to the library. Kylie said, ''Dao, did you eat?"


    The boy shook his head and said, "I will eat in the morning." he did not wait for anyone''s reaction and walked inside the building.


    Kylie said to Icarus and Kiya, "Don''t worry, he is just too worried about the exam?"


    The two people chuckled and said, "You are underestimating him. He will shock you with the results."


    They were aware of this guy''s horror. He would never compete with others, as his only goal was his own self. This is why Kiya loved him. The three people walked back to their boardings. Icarus was the last as he acted like a gentleman and escorted the two ladies to their abode first. The night passed away as a fleeting matter.


    Since it was the last week before the exam the college was scarce of students. They were all caving up to catch up with their lost lessons. The cafeteria was the only place where you can find some human activity. Yang Dao walked holding a book in his hands and came to the cafeteria. On the way, he did not once look up from the book but avoided obstacles successfully.


    A few people thought he was deliberately acting like this and took his pictures and posted them on the college forum. While some admired that Yang Dao was like this because these people noticed how the boy was still wearing the same clothes from yesterday.


    Without any care about the gazes pointed at him, the boy came to the cafeteria. He stood aside as the seats were almost full and he was also more interested in the topic he was reading. After half an hour he closed the book and took a portion of meal from the aunt at the counter with a smile. The lady had a good impression of this guy and gave him enough food for two people.


    After eating the meal with big bites he came back to the library. He called Lisa and asked her to deliver clothes to him. Lisa had no problem and did as he told her. He raided Icarus'' dorm room for a shower and other stuff. This whole week the boy was spotted in either the library, the cafeteria, or Icarus'' dorm. he would also, help a few students of the same grade with their problems.


    A week passed away and the boy took exams for his four courses. The datasheet was easy enough to follow and the exams did not overlap. He did not rush out of the halls early but patiently wrote down the answers, triple-checked the answers in his mind, and also took a nap. The teachers were surprised but after they glanced through the exam sheets, they all had big smiles.


    They all worked overtime to complete the check and know how much the student scored. They were looking forward to the result of these exams.

 Chapter 301: Examination.

    ||Golden tickets, please. We are past 300. The story is about to enter time skip. The book is losing support. Please do read and subscribe.||


    ...


    Yang Dao completed his exams over the next week with great ease and comfort. He did not bother with anything during this week and only focused on his exams with the peace of his mind. He spent his free time reading the research data sent back from the Phoenix Research center. The numbers and theories on the paper made him very fascinated and happy. For some parts he could not calculate with ease, he asked RALF to help him.


    One day, he received a call from Frieda, who asked him if she can make a completely humanoid robot. The girl was not as stubborn as before, she was there when the suggestions made by the people were being read and she found out that the people wanted the robot to look different from a human.


    So, she asked him if she could just make one such robot. That robot will be used by her only inside the lab and office premises. Yang Dao had no problem and told her to go ahead with it. As for the programming of the bot. He asked her to leave it to him. He wanted to upload RALF in that bot''s main system.


    The AI bot was a key piece of his plan. The week passed away and after the examination was finished, the college announced two big events. One was the semestral week off from college, and the other was to welcome the fifty digital mascots back to the school.


    Yang Dao was not interested in this. He came back to sapphire lake residency. His new routine began. That was to take the leopards out for a run in the early morning. After the run, he would sit down on the ground in a garden with the two leopards playing around him. The wind spirit was at ease and would only act to discipline the naughty leopards.


    The dao child would meditate while he sat on the ground covered in the soft grass. He would forget about time and hunger once he enters deep meditation. After he mastered the Dao Eyes, he got an ability similar to that of the four familiars. Every time he was going out, he would cast a barrier around himself. He did not wish for the people to see him meditate.


    Every day, his perception of the earth element improved. In the noon, he would work on his investment plans and spare some time to check on the charity ventures. RALF was also growing rapidly, and the AI was now taking initiative to ask for tasks. Yang Dao came up with a cool idea. That was to connect the whole household appliance with a computer system.


    He asked RALF to design appliances like that and then he had them manufactured by the company workshop. The process was tedious, but the workshop was to develop prototypes and they completed it all within two days. They manufactured appliances like microwave ovens, coffee machines, blenders, and toasters. Many other appliances were also made, and they were all installed in the office cafeteria to see if they can work well.


    Neo-bot was responsible for operating the appliances. The robots could save them a lot of money on recruiting staff. However, Yang Dao did not cut the cost. His reason was simple. The robots were only tools. Even if they can cook, they will always lack human emotions. Only with emotion can you improvise in the dishes.


    The cafeteria staff was grateful to Yang Dao for this. After a week, the appliances passed all the tests and Yang Dao had a complete set installed in the Dao courtyard and released it to the world as well. He knew that the people will not be able to replace all their appliances so; he asked Mary to collaborate with the manufacturers. They made a few changes inside the appliance design and then gave it back to the consumers.


    Those with Neo but enjoyed the complete hands-free mode, while those without NEO bot could buy a wireless speaker to operate the appliances with their voice. The product was an instant hit and sold in the markets like hotcakes. Yang Dao did not care about the money he earned, but he wanted to raise the living standard of the people to a great level.


    Another good thing that Yang Dao learned during this one week was when he was using his Dao Eyes, he could perceive the different sized particles in the source energy. Every element was a mix of things carrying source energy. The wind had different gases inside it. While practicing, on a whim, he decided to carry out a test.


    He came back home from the practice and set fire to a cloth. He took the cloth on the balcony and willed a few similar particles to move and cover the burning cloth. however, the particles did not extinguish the fire but strengthened it. Yang Dao immediately took out his pen and the details he recorded in a journal.


    The tests continued and how the fire reacted with the element was recorded for future reference. He called Feng Yun and asked her about this. The girl replied, "I have no idea we could do such a thing. You may be close to becoming the elemental god."


    Yang Dao had no idea and shook his head. The two conversed a bit, and the boy asked the old man, Atsuji, about his observation.


    The old man said, "Young Master, what you sensed is the essence of elemental bending. The purpose is to use this source energy of the element to strengthen ourselves. So it is not a surprising thing. I can also make salt water separate from sweet water. So you have touched the core of the elemental bending. Refine this energy control and you get to be the elemental god and the power to enter the second plane."

 Chapter 302: Ascension.

    Yang Dao heard the term second plane and asked, "Elder, what is this second plane? Sister Yun also talked about it once, but she did not explain it to me. I am curious about it."


    Atsuji said, "Yun is right. You will know all you need to know in due time. Do not let your heart wander. I can give you the information you need, but that will make you divide your attention. The first thing you need to do is to get stronger."


    Yang Dao gave up on asking them anything. He said, "You guys know that for subordinates, you all sure have some issues."


    He was displeased by the fact that these familiars always thought that he will be distracted by the knowledge. He never showed his dissatisfaction in front of Feng Yun or Laohu Bai because they were girls and they were very good to him. However, Atsuji Kurogame was an elder and he should have shown some wisdom of his in this situation.


    A child grows up only when they are given responsibility. An elder''s purpose is not to protect the youth like a delicate sapling to water the sapling as it is tempered under the sun. Yang Dao''s dissatisfaction was evident in Atsuji Kurogame. The old man smiled and said, "Today you have first time addressed the status of the familiar. I hope you always keep this in mind. We are your familiar spirits, and we must guide you.


    You have asked us to give up our restraints, but what about you? Have you ever gave up your restraints? No. Today, you slightly loosened the shackles on your mind. Let me tell you about some things you should know, Master."


    Atsuji Kurogame''s address changed from young master to Master. This was evident enough that Yang Dao was now truly their master. He paused and said, "The universe has nine layers. Each layer is made up of eight laws of heaven. Such as light, dark, space, time, life, death, chaos, and order. Along with eight laws, heaven''s spirit upholds these layers. These layers can be called planes, realms, or dimensions.


    These dimensions are connected with eight sub-dimensions. The sacred plane of light and dark you visited is one such sub-dimension. There are only four sub-dimensions accessible to us, while the other four are dead sub-dimensions. They are to act as the counterbalance of sub-dimensions.


    The nine dimensions have their counterparts as well, but they are not accessible to us. Every Dao Child will have to learn the basics on the first plane. Then when he is strong enough to defeat the Suppression of the world. They can ascend to the other planes. Once you can break to the top strength and pass the trial of heavens, you will have the access to all the layers.


    The last dimension, the ninth layer, is a place where the heavenly court awaits you."


    Atsuji Kurogame took a pause and Yang Dao asked, "Do the heavens also have a counterpart to itself?"


    The old man was surprised. He asked, "Why do you say so?"


    "If everything has its counterparts, then the heavens shall also have its counterpart. No?" asked Yang Dao.


    Atsuji Kurogame sighed and said, "Yes, if the sky is ruled by the heavens, then below the earth rules Hell. Master. Please do not ask for more. I will be punished by the other three." his tone was wry.


    Yang Dao saw that the old man had already defied his rules so did not pursue this matter. He said, "If the heavens have a counterpart. Then the emissary of heavens must also have one."


    Atsuji Kurogame saw his shining eyes and cursed himself in his heart. The Dao Child found out that he was not alone and that there was also another counterpart to himself. He became excited by this discovery.


    However, he quickly calmed his heart and broke through to the peak of the first level of earth element. This excitement he experienced just now was enough to make him give up everything and go out looking for his counterpart. The stronger the excitement, the peaceful the calm. His heart attained a moment of peace and he used that moment to breakthrough.


    He could now sense everything on and under the earth in a radius of a kilometer. Atsuji Kurogame was on phone but he was able to sense the advancement. He cherished in his heart that the master truly stepped on the path of the Dao Child.


    The knowledge he passed onto him today will be defining his future. Yang Dao maintained a state of peace and calm, indulged in his meditation. The next step was to move the earth as he wished it in his heart. Atsuji Kurogame spoke on the phone, "The earth and heart are the same. The spelling of the two is the same and the essence of the two is the same as well. They are the ground of life."


    Yang Dao was indulged in meditation, but he still had the awareness of the situation. He could sense what Atsuji Kurogame said radiating in his heart. He willed his bones to resonate. The sensation from the earth was penetrating inside his body. These vibrations were the catalyst to inspire the bending of the element as well.


    He was sitting on the ground and the floor under him was moving as if waves in an ocean. If this scene was to be witnessed by anyone, they will surely get themselves checked by a psychiatrist or call an exorcist.


    Suddenly, his eyes flicked open. Around him, within one meter, there were only one-inch-long spikes. The floor was obscured by the spikes and the sharpness was enough to shred even iron like tofu under a knife. He broke through two levels at a time. This sort of growth was only possible by the inspiration he got from the knowledge Atsuji Kurogame parted for him.


    He calmed his mind and with a wave of his hand, the floor returned to normal. He took a deep breath and stood up, overlooking the scenery from the balcony.

 Chapter 303: One year.

    After that night, time seemed to have grown wings and flew away in a blink. Today was the new year, and also Yang Dao''s birthday. The Dao Child has now mastered two elements and was about to enter another sacred dimension to learn about the laws of life and death.


    The sacred realm they were going to was known as the realm of life and death. The Azure Dragon was the overlord of this realm. It was decided that they will all leave after celebrating Yang Dao''s birthday.


    Feng Yun held a big feast for him at the Dao courtyard Mansion. She called all the people from his orphanage, his classmates, his cycling club members, some of the high-ranking staff in his company, and finally, she also invited a few high society business giants.


    The past six months have completely changed the face of the Jewel Nation lifestyle. You will not recognize the country if you are coming back from some other nation and the time you have been away from home exceeded six months. The roads were ruled by driverless cars, the street sides were loaded with holographic billboards.


    People were using handsfree mobile. Yes, Dao Technology introduced a device that projected the phone screen directly at your retina. You only need gestures to operate the mobile phone. The world was shocked. The company made a fortune as it made the technology available to the whole world. Not only this, Dao Technologies invested in every potential project they could find and get their hands on.


    The deliveries were now done using cluster drones. However, everything was supervised and operated by humans. The people were happy with a thing they can control but not a robot that can be independent. They all had stigmas after all. Another thing that Yang Dao held back on was too much development. He set up a recycling plant and everything the company manufactured was made with recycled material.


    If someone wanted to buy his mobile. They will have to exchange their old phone for it. The data they had will be transferred to the new phone while they will be charged half the money. The company raked money and Yang Dao gained fans. At this moment, a lot of people were gathered in the serene garden of the Dao Courtyard Mansion.


    Yang Dao was upstairs and beside him stood a dashing man wearing a steward suit. This man was not a human but the robot Frieda had created for Yang Dao as a gift. This thing was loaded with RALF''s program.


    Frieda had gifted this steward to Yang Dao one month earlier than his birthday, and RALF had adjusted to his body completely. His throat was fixed with a speaker from where the sound was emitted via small radio.


    At this moment, the dao child was getting ready for the banquet. He wore a simple mink style tuxedo, the coat and the pants were of moonlight blue color. He was standing in front of the big mirror. RALF from the other side said, "Administrator, the watch."


    He extending in his hands toward him with a luxurious yet simple watch held in them. Yang Dao took the watch and put it on his wrist. Then he said, "RALF, change my address designation to Master, instead of Administrator."


    Ralf nodded and replied, "Understood, Master."


    The AI can now compete with humans in everything and even defeat them. However, Yang Dao had put a limit on his skills in front of commoners. The eyes of the bot were designed by himself. They could work two ways, one was to record the scenes and the other was to project images. The storage he used was cloud storage that worked just like the human brain.


    Yang Dao nodded and said, "RALF, what is the situation of the fusion reactor?"


    RALF said, "The reactor is working and the reaction is stable." the voice was calm.


    Yang Dao said, "Hmmm, arrange for the media to come over at the end of the banquet. It is time to gift the nation something and also, send a gift to the enemies in the shadows."


    RALF nodded and said, "The invites have been sent to the prominent news channels. For better reach, I have taken the liberty to invite some social media celebrities as well."


    Yang Dao nodded. He was about to say something when the door of the room was pushed open. Feng Yun and Laohu Bai walked inside the room. The ladies were adorned with jewels and they wore gowns.


    Laohu Bai had a white off-shoulder gown while Feng Yun had a similarly designed vermillion gown. The former wore pearl jewelry while Feng Yun had rubies, looking pretty in her light. They looked at Yang Dao and Feng Yun said, "Dao, did you not say you will wear a black and white suit?"


    She was confused about it. The boy said, "That suit seemed too monotonous with the setting today. Everyone downstairs is wearing black suits. As the birthday boy, I must stand out. No?"


    Laohu Bai chuckled and walked forward. She said, "Are we finally acting willful, Master?"


    Yang Dao chuckled along with her. Ever since he mastered the earth element. He became even more stable and calmer than before. The three people chatted with each other and then they walked out of the room. Outside the room, two Leopards were waiting for him. They were given a slight upgrade by advancing in the level of elemental cultivation.


    They both were more muscular, their eyes were more spiritual and the elegance they emitted was also a lot higher. Their fur was as if glowing. The people were not afraid of them anymore. They stood up beside him like two guards. Yang Dao said, "Luster, Shadow, where is Sushi?"


    The tiny sylph was supposed to be with the two of them but he did not know where she went. Shadow raised her paw and signaled to him that Sushi went downstairs, followed by a lick of her mouth to indicate that Sushi went to eat.


    Feng Yun said in exasperation, "She seems to be having fun, as always. This tiny one is too willful."


    Yang Dao said, "It is okay. She has taken that after her master."


    Laohu Bai chuckled, "The food hunters."


    The mood was merry. RALF came out and said, "Master, we shall get going. The guests have has been waiting. Mister Jinshi and Elder Atsuji have their hands full with guests."


    Yang Dao nodded and they all left for the banquet. The boy reminisced how a year has passed since he left the orphanage to start a new journey, and how the journey was completely different from his expectations.

 Chapter 304: Departure.

    Yang Dao came outside the mansion followed by the two ladies and leopards. They were heading to the gardens where the party was being held and the guests were mingling. As they entered the garden. RALF, who had been following them two steps behind, moved forward and clapped his hands.


    There was one thing about the party in higher societies. They were not loud. The clapping sound attracted the attention of all the guests present and RALF said, "May I have your attention please, Ladies and gentlemen."


    The people stopped what they were doing and turned to face him. The Steward AI said, "I give you the star of the night. Mister Feng Yang Dao. Please put your hand together and bless him on his birthday."


    The crowd cheered. Those who were drinking raised their glasses while some clapped their hands as they all said in unison, "Happy birthday, Young Master Feng."


    Yang Dao took a step forward and bowed to the people. He saw that a lot of people were holding their glasses high to show their respect to him, so he waved to a waiter. He picked up a glass of champagne and raised it to the people and said, "Thank you, everyone, for coming over to wish me."


    Then he took a sip of the sparkling liquid. For the first time, he tasted the spirit however, he did not react. To keep himself from being embarrassed in front of the guests, the boy had created a layer of source energy inside his mouth and food pipe. The spirit will dissolve as soon as it enters the stomach.


    The people felt honored as Yang Dao took a sip of the liquid for him. Feng Yun and Laohu Bai glanced at each other and picked up a glass as well. The two accompanied the boy in exchange for respect. Atsuji Kurogame was the elder and people were not pestering him. However, the old man took the initiative of offering spirit to the people.


    Ryu Jinshi, the azure dragon, when was he ever shy of liquor. He started a competition at the side to drink out the hotshots of the party. This list included the cycling club and the young classmates. Maybe because of the powers of Ryu Jinshi, he looked very young, and these guys thought that he was their peer.


    Yang Dao was surrounded by lots of girls, however, Kiya, Kylie, Mika, and Selena Costa took it upon themselves to protect their chick from the wild witches. The four women all reached an agreement that they will deal with the incoming traffic and then only will they solve the harem matters.


    Yes, they agreed to have a harem around Yang Dao before he even knew about their feelings, as none of them was going to give up. What was left to do now was to decide the designation in the harem.


    So tonight they were playing the role of Yang Dao''s bodyguard. They even decided to distribute their tasks. Like Kiya would accompany him to dance, then followed by Kylie Dew, Selena Costa will play a music piece with him. Mika will be coming last to have some good food with him.


    They met him in this order, thus they worked in this order as well. the other social butterflies had no chance to catch Yang Dao''s attention. Many hearts were broken and crushed in the banquet. Feng Yun and Laohu Bai sat down with Atsuji Kurogame and Ryu Jinshi. They were observing the whole scenario with amused smiles.


    Atsuji Kurogame said, "Yun, once the young master kissed that girl on impulse, you reminded him of his role as the Dao child. Today, he is maintaining a distance from them because of that day only. He is a young man and born as a mortal, he has needs and desires. Your words have sealed his desires. This suppression is not good. He has learned how to calm himself now and no one can match his temperament. You need to take out some time and talk to him about this. Understood?"


    Feng Yun nodded and said, "The reason I stopped him was because of his impulse. If his desires are all in his control, then I do not mind him pursuing them. I will talk to him before he leaves for the sacred realm of Life and death."


    The other two also nodded when they heard this. Laohu Bai said, "His control over the elements has advanced to a level we cannot reach until we have ascended. Why is this?"


    The control she meant was how Yang Dao could manipulate different sorts of metals, minerals, and gases into the elements he has mastered. They could not understand the reason behind this achievement. As you ascend, the control of your elements will increase. They had never heard of any Dao child to be able to achieve this level when residing in the mortal realm.


    Atsuji Kurogame said, "It is because he has achieved an inner equilibrium. He is different from the other Dao children in the past. He is better, but not proud. He is Dao himself. Even after an eternity of comprehending, we will never be aware of all the mysteries of Dao."


    The three people nodded. Ryu Jinshi said, "It is time for them to dance. Xiao Yun, Xiao Bai. Go, have a nice time with him. He will be gone for as long as last time."


    The girls smiled. They had a stronger bond with Yang Dao and thus they will miss him. The party was organized around a pavilion. Yang Dao would bask in the sun here often during the last six months. This spot was his favorite, so Feng Yun organized the party here only.


    The crowd did not go inside the pavilion as they saw a music orchestra occupying half of the pavilion. The pavilion had half of itself covered with tiles while the other half had a glass ceiling. Kiya tugged the boy''s sleeve and said, "Can I have this dance with you?"


    Yang Dao smiled and was about to say yes, when Feng Yun came to his side and asked, "Kiya, can you do me a favor. He will go out for some stuff again and will be back after a couple of months. So can I have this first dance tonight?" her attitude was polite as one asking for the favor should have.


    Kiya was a sensible girl and nodded with a smile. She took a step back, and Feng Yun took Yang Dao''s hand as the two people walked to the pavilion. Feng Yun had decided to dance in the unoccupied half. The two people walked up the small steps under the gaze of the guests. Yang Dao placed his left hand on Feng Yun''s waist while he supported her left palm high up with his right hand. His left elbow supported Feng Yun''s elbow as her hand circled to rest on his left shoulder.


    The orchestra started to play the soft music and the two people began dancing to the tune. The music was a classical piece, and they danced with ease and grace. Feng Yun spoke with a slight smile as her feet moved, "Dao, you can stop suppressing your wishes to mingle with women."


    There was an incident when Yang Dao and Feng Yun kissed each other. However, that incident was buried in the heart of the two people. Yang Dao read in the chronicles in the sacred realms how the Dao child who fell in love with a familiar spirit got distracted and fell. The result almost led a world to its doom.


    After the boy realized the fickleness of this issue, he stopped having any thoughts on this matter. Feng Yun speaking this made him confused. His mind was calm, and he was aware that she was not talking to him about herself. He asked, "What do mean, Sister Yun?"


    Feng Yun said, "I am talking about how you can now pursue what you desire as you control your desire." her tone was calm. The two people danced and talked about it for a few minutes before the piece of music ended and the dance came to an end.


    Two of them bowed to each other, then the orchestra, and then to the crowd in gratitude for the praise and support. The crowd was applauding the performance. Laohu Bai took the second dance with him, followed by Kylie Dew and Kiya. After that, Yang Dao retired from the dance floor and sat down in front of the piano used by the orchestra. Then he played a beautiful accompaniment to Selena to sing a song.


    Afterward, he and Mika had a filling dinner. Turned out the athletic beauty was a fan of food as well. Yang Dao played a lot of party games with the children from the orphanage. Sister Tina prayed for his long life and prosperity before they left. Feng Yun had arranged a luxury bus for their travel. The crowd cleared and Yang Dao took off with the other four, traveling through the sky and they came to the Dao Island to see him off.


    This time, Sushi was also following along as Ryu was going to visit her world.

 Chapter 305: Azure Dragon.

    Yang Dao landed on the Dao island along with the other four people. Atsuji Kurogame said, "Master when you enter the realm of the spirits. Try to comprehend everything that you can."


    His words were confusing and Yang Dao had no idea what he meant. Knowing that the elder was trying to give him a hint about the situation inside the realm. He nodded to the elder and after waving his hands to Feng Yun and Laohu Bai he left. The leopards were handed over to Feng Yun for the time. They were now twice as an adult tigers. Leopards usually had a smaller physique than a tiger for better agility and stealth.


    However, Luster and Shadow had become stronger because of the elemental cultivation. Atsuji Kurogame opened a space duct simply like the last time and Ryu Jinshi, who stood beside Yang Dao, stepped inside the tunnel first with the Dao child behind him.


    Ryu Jinshi had tied a rope to Yang Dao''s waist as he walked forward. Compared to the past the pull and pressure of the space tunnel on his body were lower this time. He could not help but ask, "Mister Jinshi, why do I feel less pressure than before?"


    Ryu Jinshi replied, "It is because you have comprehended another element and also a set of laws. This increase in strength is the reason behind his sensation. The void tunnel is similar to digging out a tunnel through a mountain to deal with a mountain between two towns. Without pillars or other things, the mountain will collapse and the tunnel will close. The elements are a part of nature and as you progress with the cultivation your body will get closer to nature. The lesser the pressure of the void."


    Yang Dao nodded as he heard this. He found that the reason Ryu Jinshi presented was very logical and acceptable. The boy moved along with the burly man in front of him. Similar to the last time, he felt as if he was walking for a long distance however, the distance seemed to have shortened as well.


    Ryu Jinshi asked, "Do you feel like you have not yet taken as many steps as you did on the last try?"


    Yang Dao nodded, as the Azure Dragon spoke, "Yes, the reason is the same."


    When his strength increased, his speed and affinity also increased. Yang Dao asked, "Why is the void similar to a swamp?"


    Ryu Jinshi chuckled, "That is because heavens always test people. The void is a test set by the heavens for those who wished to go to the realms they did not belong to."


    Yang Dao chuckled and said, "If I am the Dao child and represent the heavenly dao. Why do I not belong to these realms? I should be a citizen of them all no?"


    He was joking but his question was very meaningful. Ryu Jinshi said, "Master, the Dao child needs to go through a lot of tests to become the Dao itself. Heavens do not favor anyone while treats us all the same. Even heavenly beings had to go through some tests and trials to become heavenly."


    Yang Dao nodded and said, "I understand what you mean Mister Jinshi." As the two people continued to discuss they all reached the exit hole. The scenery outside the hole changed drastically.


    The last time he had a similar scenery was when he went to the realm of light and dark. This place had bluegrass spread as far as eyes could see. The sky was greenish. Sushi had been resting in his hair, suddenly jumped out and started to fly around. She said, "Master, I sense my home. Are we there yet?"


    Yang Dao smiled and shrugged. Ryu Jinshi said, "This is the land of the trial. As a sylph, you must know what that means. Right?"


    Sushi replied, "Yes, My Lord." as she bowed to him. She was forbidden to kneel to him as Yang Dao was her master. She kneeling to him meant Yang Dao kneeling to him. So this action was forbidden to her.


    Yang Dao asked, "So, do I get to be tested by the Azure Dragon?"


    Ryu Jinshi nodded, he said, "First let me send this tiny girl back to her land. We can meet her after the trial is finished."


    Yang Dao nodded. Ryu Jinshi waved his hand and a huge doorway appeared behind him. The door was similar to the one in the realm of light and dark. Cathing Ryu''s hint the sylph waved bye to Yang Dao and left after asking him to come and meet soon as she will wait for him on the other side.


    The door was covered with enchanting life-like patterns. After looking at them carefully Yang Dao found that all these patterns looked like some organisms. These organisms were of all shapes and sizes. As if they were drawn here out of imagination.


    As the Dao child, he sensed a vague familiarity with the creatures depicted in the patterns. Ryu Jinshi asked, "Shall we begin?"


    "What do I have to do? What is the trial about?" asked Yang Dao.


    Ryu smiled and said, "Azure Dragon is the guardian of spirits and spirit world. Spirits are capable of giving life and death to everything in the world. They are all very strong. So what you have to do is to defeat..." his words did not complete as his body flew up in the void and morphed into a huge Azure dragon.


    Shiny azure scales, horns of a deer, talons with five claws, glistening with a touch of gold. Yang Dao was awed by the magnificent appearance of the behemoth floating in front of him. The vertical pupils gazing at him were as deep as if an abyss of no return. The dragon had no wings but it had a stance that no one can match or break.


    "Defeat the master of the trial." said the Azure Dragon.


    Yang Dao, however, asked, "Ummm, how do you differentiate between normal scales and reverse scale? Why can I not see it?"


    His question was based on pure curiosity. This was enough to trip the dragon and almost make him face plant on the ground.

 Chapter 306: At Loss.

    The Azure Dragon was floating in the void with his gigantic body wriggling around. The gaze was pointed at Yang Dao, who stood on the ground. The boy had just asked him about how does the dragon differentiates between the reverse scale and the normal ones. The heavenly spirit beast was stunned.


    He replied in a deep voice, "This, I..."


    Yang Dao her his response and chuckled. He said, "Okay, I was joking with you. Can you tell me what are the rules of this duel?"


    The Azure Dragon said, "I will have a strength higher than you. Fairness is just a hoax of imagination. I will be using all four elements. You can fight with me at your full strength without holding back anything. You can pass the trial if you can last for more than ten minutes or defeat me. The choice is yours. However, shall you fail the trial? The Dao will penalize you."


    Yang Dao nodded. Although he did not understand what will be the penalty or how will it be decided, he agreed to the duel. After all, the dragon had said it already. Fairness was a hoax of the imagination. His brain started to move at a super-fast speed and at least ten strategies formed inside his mind. His IQ has taken off to the skies lately. Atsuji Kurogame said, that as he continues to instill the source energy inside his brain. His IQ will keep on rising.


    The boy had no thoughts about it. It was okay as long as he can get strong and walk forward. The dragon said, "We start fighting in two breaths."


    The duration of a breath was one second. That means the duel will start after two seconds. Yang Dao was not dazed enough to confuse this time given to him by the dragon and just as two seconds passed, he cast an earth wall around him. The reaction was based on his instinct as he sensed that the dragon was going to attack him with wind blades.


    He was sensing everything around him ever since Ryu Jinshi turned into the dragon and was ready to act at the moment''s notice. That is why he could sense the slight moment of the wind. His earth walls were slashed through by hundreds of wind blades. However, Yang Dao was missing from his spot. The azure dragon cast a fire spell on the earth and made it heat up. The heat burnt down the whole plain filled with bluegrass.


    Yang Dao, however, was not to be found. The dragons were an arrogant species. They had learned this skill from their ancestors. Arrogance and dominance ran through their veins. This innate arrogance made him underestimate the ingenuity of the Dao Child. The moment the dragon cast the wind blades, Yang Dao had flown up in the air.


    He was not detected by the Azure Dragon. How could it be that the heavenly dragon missed an existence as weak as Yang Dao? The boy had cast a spell he learned during these days of practice. When the Dao child discovered that he can manipulate the microparticles of the source energy, he became curious about things.


    He began to dabble in the manipulation of light and dark energies. The energies of the laws were different from the source energy of the elements. So they had to be mastered differently. Yang Dao had earned his special eyes and as he discovered them further, he found out that he can manipulate these two energies as well.


    What was the most fascinated thought among the teenagers? To become invisible and prank on people. He loved jokes, but he was never good with them or to say he never had the luxury to. So, he started to manipulate the light to make himself invisible. The process of mastering invisibility took him five months, starting from his fingers, hands, and finally in the end, his body.


    The first victim was Lisa, whose hair was played by the invisible Yang Dao. The girl was scared and just when she was about to cry Yang Dao stopped his acts. After half an hour only did Lisa forgave him. This was a secret of the two of them. None of the people knew. Laohu Bai was a little suspicious of the growth of his skills, but she did not say anything. After all, which magical person did not have their secrets?


    Yang Dao bend the light around him and vanished as he flew into the air. He held his breath as he flew up. After all, what if the heavenly beast sensed his breath and foiled his plans? he made a careful action when he moved. Just like him, the Azure dragon could also sense the movement in the wind. So, he cast a few mini wind blades of his own.


    The surrounding wall was cut through, but he made the incoming attacks clash with his wind blades, causing them to be deflected, and he followed them. The Azure Dragon had cast the heat spell, burning down the whole plain of grass. Yang Dao frowned as he saw this.


    The azure dragon was too single-minded. He should not have harmed nature like this. He chanted under his breath and a bow appeared in front of him. This bow was the same weapon Laohu Bai gave him. She had taught him a spell to summon the weapon as it will stay in the void until he ascends to the heavenly palace.


    The boy pulled the string back to the full moon and aimed. An arrow condensed out of nowhere. The color was not azure blue but teal. Dao was going to use the combination of two different types of source energies. He even manipulated the light rays around the arrow. The purpose of this move was to make the arrow fast.


    Light and dark could provide augmentation to any article the caster wished for. The arrow was augmented by speed and the next moment, Yang Dao released it decisively. The arrow vanished and landed right at the brows of the Azure dragon.


    ROARRRR!!!!!


    Yang Dao sighed and bitterly said, "Guess that was the reverse scale."


    The roar shook the whole realm. Yang Dao was blasted off just by the shock wave of it. He gazed at the Azure dragon that started to look around with red eyes. Yes, the deep blue eyes turned red as soon as the arrow lodged inside the reverse scale. The body of the heavenly being may be ethereal, but the sensations were all real.


    The pain he experienced right now was also real, and it was horrible. When has the Azure Dragon ever suffered so much? He sensed the arrow only after it lodged itself between his scales. Yes, how hard were his scales? Let alone piercing them if the arrow can even scratch them would be a great achievement, but somehow the arrow lodged itself between the two scales.


    The pain was terrible and what was even more terrible was that the afflicted area happened to be the soft flesh under his reverse scale. Every dragon had one, and he was no different. He was enraged after this and started to cast elemental spells all around the void and land. The spells had something very odd about them. Yang Dao could see that wherever the spells fell, the world became dead.


    Yes, dead. The burning fire stopped as the new wave of spells hit the plain. Yang Dao was overwhelmed by a sense of dread. He did not expect his attack to cause the death of the surroundings. He did not know what was going on, but he could not just let it all go on.


    The boy maintained his invisible state and made his way towards the enraged dragon. The onslaught of spells made Yang Dao scared as he advanced. The closer he got to the dragon, the harsher the pressure became. He had a simple idea. That was to take out the arrow, however, to take it out. He needed to reach it.


    This was easier said than done. Yang Dao moved forward, but he was constantly pushed back by the powerful roars and shock waves. He could not advance forward and after five minutes, he gave up. While avoiding the attacks, he looked around the dragon and found that the tail was not flickering around as before but stationary.


    Something about this situation was not fitting well. Yang Dao opened his dao eyes and looked around. The scene was something he did not comprehend. He found that everything was exactly as it should be, but the colors were reversed. The blob of light was being contained with the rays of darkness.


    He focused and soon the scene turned back to how it was supposed to be. The dark rays became light rays and the blobs of light became a spread of the dark. The pressure from the Azure Dragon vanished. Yang Dao''s pupil returned to normal, and he spotted Ryu Jinshi standing in the distance. He floated over to the man and asked, "What happened?"


    Ryu smiled and said, "The test was to defeat the Azure Dragon. You destroyed his spiritual image by hitting the reverse scale. The heavenly spirit is only able to come here with limited strength. Not wanting to lose his face. You were put through an illusion. You broke it by using your eyes. So you passed the trial."


    Yang Dao was at a loss after hearing these words.

 Chapter 307: Cunning Dragon.

    Yang Dao stood in the void at a loss after he heard what Ryu Jinshi said. He asked, "Why is so?"


    Ryu replied, "Well, the personality of the azure dragon is sort of unpredictable. I have no idea about it. If you ascend the heavens in the future, then only will my character become the essence of the character, otherwise, you will just have to deal..." suddenly Ryu Jinshi punched Yang Dao in the face.


    However, the boy was ready and blocked the punch with his own.


    BANG!!!


    The impact from the collision was too loud and shaking. Both people took a few steps back to regain their balance. Yang Dao sighed and thanked himself for not giving up his vigilance.


    Ryu, on the other side, said, "So, you can still hold on even after falling into the illusion. Very well, I shall show you some skills then."


    The next moment he vanished from his spot but Yang Dao was not slow either. His eyes changed and the pupils started to rotate fast. He spotted a shadow from the corner of his eye. Thankfully, he could still detect motion on earth. Otherwise, Ryu Jinshi, who had become one with the wind, would have clobbered him ruthlessly.


    The strength Ryu Jinshi displayed was too much for him to handle. The first punch that he blocked had made his hand numb, and that too was after he augmented his bones and skin with earth source energy. Sensing the second attack coming his way, he manipulated the particles of earth and his body became slightly harder than before. He used metallic property particles to strengthen the predicted target area.


    BANG...


    The punch landed on Yang Dao''s ribcage. The impact shook the boy and made him fly a distance of ten meters. He could sense that this was not Ryu Jinshi''s full power. However, as he was facing the enraged dragon, he was also deducting the situation in his mind.


    ''This is an illusion inside an illusion. I thought he was underestimating me, but I was the one who underestimated him. How do I break this illusion?'' was the thought in Yang Dao''s mind.


    He fended off the attacks aimed at him and survived the onslaught. Ryu Jinshi stopped and said, "Why? Why do you not fight back and only dodge? We do not need a weakling master."


    Yang Dao hated to be looked down on. He had always been keeping his calm but never tolerated disdain from anyone and defeated them with his hard work made them look up to him. This was the reason why he had come so far, so after all the effort and hard work, how can he take this offense now?


    He circulated his source energy at the highest pace he could. This was also something he discovered during his practice. Rather than storing the source energy inside his body, he would circulate it around his acupressure points. This circulation provided him with power that was higher by at least two times.


    As the circulation completed, Yang Dao vanished from his spot and attacked Ryu Jinshi. The latter raised his hand to block the punch, but the next moment a streak of teal passed through his defending arm.


    The forearm was left with a hole in it. However, that was it. The next moment, Ryu Jinshi sensed a strong attack coming from behind him. he turned around and wanted to block but it was too late. Yang Dao''s shin was already connected to Ryu Jinshi''s abdomen.


    Ryu Jinshi, the incarnate of the azure dragon, did not back off. On the contrary, he held onto Yang Dao''s leg. The next moment the boy was flicked over his shoulder and hardly rammed into the ground.


    A bang echoed in the surroundings, followed by some dirt and grass. Yang Dao was lying inside a human-shaped hole. However, as soon as the dust cleared. A streak shined again. Yang Dao sensed his leg released and a faint hiss was also heard by him.


    He stood up from the ground and found that Ryu Jinshi was holding his shoulder and gazed at Yang Dao with red eyes. He let out a roar. Yang Dao did not back away this time. His punch landed on Ryu Jinshi''s chin, dislocating his jaw. The dragon backed off by two steps and he opened his mouth. Overcame by the sense of fear, the boy suddenly ducked and rolled.


    The roll was not long, but enough to get the boy into a ditch on the side. He had made this ditch by manipulating the earth element. He has manipulated the element to dig out that ditch in an instant. As soon as he fell in that ditch, a wave of heat passed above him. Yang Dao could see a wide thick sheet of fire outside.


    He took out his bow and shot out an arrow. The arrow flew up in the firestorm and it started spinning because the arrow was a wind elemental one. It started to make the fire breath of the dragon gather and revolve into a twister.


    Twisters were natural phenomena, but this time Yang Dao manipulated the wind to create this. He willed for the arrow to spin faster and faster. The faster the flames spun, the hotter they became. After five seconds, only the flames turned from ember to yellow. The lighter the color, the hotter the flames.


    Ryu Jinshi watched this and, given his knowledge, he predicted what was about to happen, so he waved his hand to call upon the wind and rain. Things changed in an instant. The strong attack method borrowed by Yang Dao was diffused and he had just raised his leg to send a shock wave to fish out the hiding Dao Child when suddenly he sensed a lack of breath.


    Yang Dao had been multitasking. The air he controlled was not the one outside only. He was also trying to tap on the wind stored inside Ryu Jinshi. Finally, at this moment, he succeeded. The familiar spirits all mastered one sort of source energy and they could have this energy inspire the other sorts of energy to bend and cast elements. Unlike the Dao child, the master of it all.


    Yang Dao stood up from his ditch and said, "Are you done?"


    His tone was bland and cold. Ryu Jinshi was still raged. This was an illusion, after all. The Dao Child had been inside it a long time and he hated being controlled or restricted. Ryu Jinshi was panting in front of him, but he was unaffected.


    His eyes became the dao eyes again, and he started to perceive the illusion. Illusions were based on light and dark. So if he can perceive one loophole, he will be able to break it. The azure dragon may not be the supreme master of the light and dark laws, but it was the heavenly beast, so it did have some skills in that area. These skills were enough to dabble the budding Dao Child.


    Yang Dao controlled the Ryu Jinshi in front of him and sat down on the ground. During his time inside the first illusion where the azure dragon went mad, he could sense the loophole, but that thing was so obviously placed that after taking it he fell into the second illusion.


    After trying to find the loophole for a few minutes, Yang Dao said, "This guy sure is cunning. What to do now?"


    The illusion was completely like a real scene. Even the reaction and the pain he had just suffered were real. Looking around, he did not discover any loophole. Everything seemed normal. He sighed when it clicked to him. Since everything was normal, then why are his clothes okay.


    The last illusion had a loophole, and that was the stationery tail of the wriggling dragon. Yet he still had his hair and clothes mess up a little. But this time, he was still looking all clean and crisp. Yang Dao figured out that he was the loophole of the illusion.


    He closed his eyes with this thought in his mind and manipulated the light and dark. The next moment, the scene changed, and he stood in front of the Azure Dragon. He did not wait to check the scene and found that it was not an illusion.


    An Ethereal voice sounded in his mind, "The Azure Dragon, seek your forgiveness, Master."


    The trial was not strength but observation. Only when you can observe things can you decrypt the mystery of life and death. The strength inside the illusion was not real. Vitality gives strength and as the vitality decreases, life becomes death. To witness this change, they must observe.


    Yang Dao sighed and said, "You are very cunning. I almost fell for the trick. So tell me, is the trial over?"


    The azure dragon nodded like a human and said, "I await your ascension, Master." with that, his figure faded away and Ryu Jinshi appeared.


    Yang Dao mumbled, "Humph, Baibai is still more friendly than this guy. Wait, I will complain to her when I go back." he was distressed about the tight lips of the azure dragon.

 Chapter 308: Spirit Realm.

    Ryu Jinshi appeared in front of Yang Dao. He landed on the ground and said, "Congratulations on passing the trial."


    Yang Dao snorted, "I was thinking about sketching his magnificence on the paper. But now I changed my mind. He can suck up to his attitude."


    The boy was acting like a teenager. It was because his mind had mastered the art to remain calm. Now, despite all the responsibilities, he can stay calm and maintain a peaceful mindset that allowed him to be able to act like the teenager he was. If any familiars asked him why was he being like this. His reply would surely make them face plant.


    He would say, ''I need to act my age you know. The people are suspicious that I am a time-traveling old man.''


    Well, Yurika did call him that when she saw RALF in the robotic body. She asked if her job was in danger and if he can provide her with support money. Yang Dao had given connection access to RALF in the company and everything was being monitored. The same was being done in Feng Yun''s company. They only announced that everything they do inside the offices will be under supervision but did not mention the supervisor.


    Legally they were at a fault but they had created bypass very smartly. You can say it was something against Yang Dao''s usual operations but it had to be done if he wished for the world to grow as an overall and not just the jewel nation.  The business was growing smoothly and so were the life standard of the people.


    Ryu Jinshi gave a wry smile sensing his dissatisfaction and said, "We can now enter the world of spirits."


    Yang Dao nodded and walked over to the big door in front of him. The golden door was engraved with patterns and designs. Yang Dao asked, "I can sense some familiar aura from these designs but cannot recognize them. What are these?"


    Ryu Jinshi said, "The figures you can make out are some of the strong and major races living in the world of spirits. There are others as well, but they are relatively low profile or not very strong. So, they are not displayed on the door. As the races gain power and rise in status they are shown on the gate. The right-hand side displays those who practice the way of life. While the left side shows those who practice the way of death.


    Yang Dao nodded and asked, "What are the ways of life and death?"


    "The way of life is a practice philosophy that inspires people to seek longevity while the way of death is a philosophy where the people seek detachment from the living and pursue the real meaning of death," said Ryu Jinshi.


    Yang Dao nodded. He got the basic gist of the situation and stepped forward to the gate of the spirit world. As soon as he came close the golden gate changed and became a golden film. Through this film, the world on the other side became visible to them.


    Yang Dao did not hesitate and took a step inside. Ryu Jinshi followed him. On the other side, a young lady with blue hair and a blue dress stood waiting for them. Yang Dao glanced at her and was surprised to find that her appearance matched the tiny sylph who came in before them.


    The sylph noticed the surprise in Yang Dao''s eyes and asked, "Oh, Master, you must be thinking, why do I look like this?"


    Yang Dao hear her question and nodded. The girl chuckled and said, "This is my usual appearance in this realm."


    The boy nodded but he was still surprised nonetheless. The girl in front of him looked as if a porcelain doll. Exquisite looks, sharp features, proportional figure. Her appearance statistics were as high as Feng Yun''s. The phoenix was always hiding her true beauty. Or she could cause a world war any moment.


    Ryu Jinshi spoke, "Young Master, we will be visiting the council of spirits first. Sushi is not allowed to go there."


    Yang Dao asked, "Why so?" he asked in confusion.


    Ryu Jinshi said, "The Council of spirits is an organization meant for collective governance of the forces of life and death. Only the elders of each race are allowed to gather together. They forbid any security or weapon holders there. Sushi is a guard warrior of the sylphs thus she is not allowed to be there."


    Although he was still not clear enough about what Ryu Jinshi has said, he did not put forward any argument or opinions. He was new in this place and did not know about it. All he knew till now was this place was vast, had bluegrass, pleasant weather, birds with four wings, and blu leaved trees. All these were visible to him by looking around.


    Hearing what Ryu Jinshi told him about the council he said, "Sushi, you have been away from home, why do you not visit them and I will come over after I am done meeting the council?"


    Sushi was reluctant but still, she nodded. She hugged Yang Dao and the next moment she flew away. Yang Dao could only shake his head. Then he said to Ryu Jinshi, "Do I not change clothes? Baibai gave me that suit."


    Ryu Jinshi smiled and with a wave of his hand, a dress appeared in front of him.  The suit was similar to the one he wore with Laohu Bai expect the sleeves had now two rows of silver thread embroidery. These threads represent how many elements have been mastered by the Dao Child.


    After the two men have completed changing their clothes they left. Ryu Jinshi could not call his mount inside. So, they decided to fly through the skies and reach their destination. However, the journey was long and the two people would rest as they were tired and then carried on.


    The location they were going to visit first was the center of the Spirit world. Unlike the realm of light and dark where two different kingdoms were at odds. The spirit world was a habitat for different races.


    Sylphs, the race who practiced the way of wind/air. They looked like a little pixie.


    Udine practiced in the water element. Their bodies were human above the torse while below they had a fishtail, covered with glistening scales and they looked very beautiful.


    Gnomes were the priests and practitioners of the earth element. They were never taller than three feet, the males had a long beard. To make themselves look tall they wore long hats. Their temperament was grumpy but they were kind, deep inside.


    Lastly, the fire element was pursued by the salamanders. These people were half humans half salamanders. They had thick scale armor covering their vital organs. They had a thick tail and strong legs capable of moving over any hard surface.


    Sushi address Ryu Jinshi as the God of Wind. Azure Dragon was the guardian of this realm and despite having control over all four elements he had the strongest control over the wind element and was thus called the god of the wind in respect.


    The god of the wind was a designation more than an achievement. Every Azure Dragon incarnate will bring their Dao Child here to learn and they will be recognized by the council as the God of Wind after a reaction from the monument of the realm.


    On the way, Ryu Jinshi also told Yang Dao that these spirits within themselves have factions of life and death. Every race has appointed two elders each to form the council and guide the civilization without generating any conflicts among each other. However, this had not been a successful deployment.


    Yang Dao asked, "Do they have records of the dao child here?"


    Ryu Jinshi nodded and said, "Yes, they do. However, I advise that before proceeding to the records, you proceed with one on one guidance."


    Yang Dao shook his head, "Life and death can only be understood if you look at them together, otherwise you will become imbalanced. Relax, I have a sense of measure. I will deal with it carefully." with that said, his eyes fell on a big pink tree.


    It was the only tree with a unique color. Like a diamond shining within a pile of coal. Ryu Jinshi said, "This tree is a spirit tree. My original form placed it here. It is called the world tree."


    Yang Dao nodded and cautiously they moved forward. After a few kilometers, a loud voice rang out.


    ''STOP, Who are you? State your purpose.'' said the voice.


    Yang Dao was surprised because he could not locate the sense where the voice originated from. Ryu Jinshi answered, "Ryu Jinshi, butler too, his highest, Yang Dao, the emissary of heavens."


    This intro was enough to make the world skip a beat. The bark of a tree split open and out came a living druid. They had leave color hair and dusky complexion. The person knelt down and said, "I have seen the guests, please follow me."

 Chapter 309: Smitten The Spirit Council.

    Yang Dao and Ryu Jinshi flew at their max speed and they came to the center of the spirit realm. On the way, they had encountered some settlements but did not interact much. This realm lacked food. Elemental spirits did not need any mundane food. They fed on source energy for the surroundings.


    Ryu also informed Yang Dao about some rules and regulations of the world of spirits. He also told him that the spirit king was one of the strongest elders on the spirit council. Both life and death spirits would have a spirit king, and this person would change after every ten years.


    The two people reached the center of the world and what they found was an isolated island. What seemed to be an eco-friendly building was standing above it. The design of the building was simple, yet it gave off a divine feeling. A row of huge black and white stone pillars stood surrounding the building in a semi-circular arc. In the center of the pillars, a wooden building stood covered with vines and leaves.


    It did not look shabby but was decorated with some small flowers, blooming from the vines. Yang Dao spotted some creatures similar to butterflies and some four-winged birds flying around the place. He and Ryu Jinshi descended and set foot on the island. To learn about the laws, Yang Dao would first read the records left behind by his predecessors and then he would travel across the realm to observe the beliefs of the people.


    The balance of this realm was intact because the practitioners would monitor each other and correct when needed. Yang Dao wanted to ask the people, how did they come to such a way to assure the balance. Controlling his curiosity, he walked forward with Ryu Jinshi following him by half a step.


    The scenery was very pleasing to Yang Dao''s eyes. A wide ocean with a clear blue sky. Subtle breeze with a fresh fragrance of flowers lingering around. He almost asked Ryu Jinshi if he could sleep in peace here. The two people ascended a flight of stairs and came to the building entrance. The boy laid his eyes on a pair of giant doors engraved with a pattern similar to the one he saw on the entrance of the realm, but this door was not divine. It gave him a hermit vibe about it.


    Yang Dao was about to raise his hand and knock on the door when the door opened itself. Eight figures presented themselves in front of them in full glory. The people walked over to a group of four. At a glance, Yang Dao could tell which of them was from which race.


    Based on Ryu Jinshi''s introduction, he could discern the species. The sylphs had a fair complexion and blue hair. Along with a pair of wings on their backs.


    The undines would have fishtails when in water, but on land, they would look like humans, except for the webbing between their fingers and moisturized skin they looked like normal humans.


    The Gnomes would wear long pointed hats on their head, they will have long beards and a furrowed brow. Almost always, they would be snorting or grunting at things.


    The Salamanders would have thick armor on their torso, while the females will have a similar armor but lack the tail, unlike the males.


    While Sylphs and Undines had a petite bodies, the Gnomes had a short and sturdy build. Salamanders all had burly physiques, even the women had proud peaks.


    The groups were distinguishable by the aura they gave. While four were all energetic and enthusiastic, the other four were detached and formal. Yang Dao could tell that the former practiced the way of life while the latter were seekers of the true meaning of death.


    The people knelt on both their knees and said, "We pay respects to the wind god and the emissary of heavens."


    Yang Dao sighed, but this time he did not make a fuss over the kneeling. Ryu Jinshi asked, "Is something wrong? Why did the elders not appear to greet the Master earlier?"


    A soft voice sounded, "We were holding a debate and could not sense the arrival of his excellency."


    Ryu Jinshi snorted, and the wind picked up its pace in an instant. He said, "Those who pursue blindly will never reach their goals. Pathetic." this was his true temperament, the proud dragon.


    Watching the old people shivering in fright, Yang Dao had to intervene. The lord of the realm was angry, and the whole realm responded to his emotions. The boy said, "Calm down. It is okay. We came here unannounced. Let us go. We have to hurry or the time outside will fly away."


    The time in this place was the same as the other sacred realms, seven days outside was equal to one day inside. They have been traveling for three days. That means three weeks had already passed away outside.


    An old Gnome walked forward from the group to his left. He wore a black hat and a black gown. The man had a milk-white beard sweeping the floor as he walked. The person spoke in an aloof tone, "Lord, my name is Begnic. I am the spirit king for the death faction. Allow me to be your guide."


    Begnic was a gnome, he was the strongest elemental spirit being in the group of death practitioners. Yang Dao had no problem in having him be his guide for the time he was inside this building. However, a beautiful undine walked out from the other group. Her choice of clothing was a white cloak covering her white swimsuit.


    She was five feet six inches tall and had a supple figure that could make a man howl like a wolf in heat. Her skin complexion was pale and even had a tinge of blue. She seemed to be in her twenties, but her actual age was at least a couple of centuries. She had elongated ears, long dark hair, and her face was free from wrinkles.


    She bowed and said, "Lord, my name is Assyria. I am the spirit king among the practitioners of life. I also volunteer to be your guide. Please accept." her tone was similar to the one he had heard from the maids back at home. They would try to hide their excitement, but their eyes and smile would reveal all their true emotions.


    Ryu Jinshi did not interfere. This was the decision Yang Dao himself would have to make. He wanted to see, whom would the boy choose. Yang Dao was calm and asked, "Why do you propose for me to have you, two people, as my guides?"


    His sudden question put the people in the loop. The Gnome first replied, "Sire, the factions meet each other to debate and learn. However, the people of life faction would not know the way around in our camp. The opposite of this spoken scenario is also true."


    Yang Dao thought about it and asked, "How do we decide what faction do I visit first?"


    His words tripped the people. They had not thought of this. Ryu Jinshi became curious about what Yang Dao wanted to do. He did not comment, but watched from the sidelines. The spirit beings looked at each other, trying to come up with an answer, but after a few moments, they were unable to.


    Yang Dao said, "How about the spirit kings recounting their comprehension over the years?" his suggestion was not odd but surprising. The people did not think he would be encouraging them for a debate. However, was it going to be this simple to convenience the Dao child? No, so Yang Dao spoke one more time.


    He said, "You both will be writing your comprehension within one sentence on a piece of paper and then I will read them in front of everyone. How about this? Is it fair and efficient?"


    The spirit beings were surprised again, and they knelt on the ground as they said, "Yes, Your excellency."


    IN their minds was a common thought going on, ''Who is this so wise and skilled in his craft?'' the spirit council was smitten with Yang Dao and his wisdom.


    The boy himself, however, counted this as a normal operation. he did not know what sort of thoughts were generating inside the mind of these two groups. Right after the agreement, these people stood up and welcomed the two guests inside the hall. They all fawned over Yang Dao with their unique beliefs and customs.


    Yang Dao was taking note of everything. He might have said that he will read the comprehension of the two spirit kings, however, he was already learning about what these people had comprehended throughout their practice. He ignored the fact that not only was the elder council smitten by him, but also Ryu Jinshi.


    After watching the way he solved the problem, the azure dragon nodded in appreciation for the smooth solution and also raised the level of respect from the holy to the divine.

 Chapter 310: Ant Mortem.

    While Yang Dao and Ryu Jinshi were treated with courtesy, the two Spirit kings were busy writing down their comprehension about life and death separately. The matter was lengthy and it will take a long time for them to be completely able to put it all down in words. The dao child was in a hurry.


    He sat on a simple wooden chair and looked around at the hall decor. he nodded and found that the place was relatively simple. It had a few balls hanging on the ceiling, flooding the hall with hazy light. He sensed the place with his earth and wind perception.


    He found the way to where the Dao records were placed, but the people had cast locks and traps on the path. With a sigh, he gave up the eagerness. Ryu Jinshi smiled as he stood behind him and said, "Master, calm your heart and meditate. You will find the answer you are searching for."


    Yang Dao cast a glance at his side and the burly man nodded to him in assurance. Following the advice, the boy closed his eyes and leaned back in the chair to meditate. Now, he could easily enter the state of deep meditation within a few minutes.


    Ryu Jinshi was monitoring his state and when Yang Dao entered deep meditation. The dragon spirit turned his head to the serving spirit council elders, and his expression was not a pleasant one. He isolated Yang Dao with three barriers and unleashed his aura.


    He yelled, "I give you the knowledge of life and death. In the name of dicks and balls, you mofos stop embarrassing me all the time. The last time the emissary of heavens came here, your predecessors did the same. You embarrassing beings. You shall suffer my wrath."


    His voice shook the void, and the skies changed from clear to cloudy in an instant. The elders were shocked. They were all aware that the god of the wind was an iron-blooded beast who was only gentle in front of the young emissary. The six of them shivered and knelt as they repeatedly begged for mercy.


    The two Spirit Kings also came to the scene. They had been working extra hard and fast yet it will take them one more day to record it all on paper. They came here because of the disturbance in the main hall. Ryu Jinshi said, "You old relics can write whatever, but I am taking my master to read the records. Any questions?"


    His aura left them no room to question. Their heads shook like rattles, and the next moment things returned to normal as if nothing happened at all. The elders were still shivering. Ryu Jinshi smiled and said, "Get a grip, I was kidding with you all."


    The next moment he spoke in a deeper voice, "But I am taking the master to read."


    The elders nodded and stood at the sides. Ryu Jinshi sent the spirit kings back to separate rooms to continue writing as they were asked by Yang Dao. Well, they lost the opportunity to fawn over the emissary, but they could still impress him by their studies.


    The scene returned to normal on the surface. Ryu Jinshi had no problem dominating these people. His spirit incarnation has always been joked upon among the heavenly spirits for such an embarrassing reception of the Dao Child in the realm he rules in.


    He has had enough. Yang Dao was still immersed in his meditation. Ryu Jinshi said, "Spread the word among the people. If the emissary is neglected in any manner." he squinted his eyes and raised his hand. Then he clenched his fist all of a sudden. A rumble of thunder was heard outside the Spirit Citadel making the building shake.


    The elders nodded and sent out magical letters in all directions. After an hour, Yang Dao opened his eyes and asked, "The spirit kings will take a little longer, I guess."


    Ryu Jinshi said, "Master, I shall take you to the records. I know the way around." his voice was calm.


    Yang Dao glanced at the elders and saw them all nodding. He sighed and said, "Okay, let''s go."


    Ryu Jinshi made a please gesture and followed Yang Dao behind a step. His spirit incarnation has been here and these traps the elders had set up were some things he saw through with just one glance. His hand moved and a wave of source energy diffused the traps. He spoke with the elders in the spirit hall, "Remove the spells, no one can access the heavenly records unless they are the emissary of heavens."


    His voice echoed directly inside their brains and it was like a streak of lightning inside their minds. Since they had been commanded, they must work. Ryu Jinshi took Yang Dao to watch the records of life first, so the elders of the death faction undid the traps and locks around the records of death.


    Yang Dao stood in front of a book that looked no more than a few pages as if floating in the void. What made him wonder was the aura he sensed from the book. The book of life was written on the cover with wonderful calligraphy. Despite all this, the aura was depressing. He did not question Ryu Jinshi as it was up to him only to discern the truth of the book.


    He placed a hand on the book and a chill ran down his spine. Controlling the chill, he turned over the cover and the scene suddenly changed.


    ...


    Yang Dao sensed himself being sucked inside a portal. His body twisted and churned like someone wringing out a wet cloth. When he got his senses back again, he wished to puke, but nothing happened. After a few seconds, he heard an ethereal voice, "So, another one has arrived to seek the mysteries?"


    Suppressing his nausea, Yang Dao stood up and looked around vigilantly. He willed to channel the source energy inside his body but found that he did not have a shred of source energy inside himself. Here was a place of darkness. He could not manipulate the elements, but darkness was unmoved by his effort as well.


    He asked calmly, "Who is it?"


    The ethereal voice said, "Death." the eery feeling was strong.


    Yang Dao stayed silent for a few minutes and then suddenly he said, "You are the truth of life, Death."


    His voice was like a ray of light, shredding the darkness. The ethereal voice said, "You are the first one to realize it this soon." the darkness receded, and the next moment a figure wearing a black gown appeared in front of him.


    Yang Dao saw a woman looking serene in front of him. He asked, "You are the spirit of the book."


    The woman in the white dress nodded. She had long black hair, a plain white gown, black eyes, fair skin, and an oval oriental face. She said, "Vita, has seen the Dao child." as she bowed down.


    Yang Dao asked, "Why do you bow to me?"


    The spirit named Vita said, "The Dao child is the existence that rules above all the laws. Since you have realized my identity in the first trial, you are now my master."


    Yang Dao was surprised and asked, "I have not learned the secrets of the laws. How can I be your master? Also, you cannot leave this book and this book stays in this realm. Tell me, what do you mean?"


    He was correct in his deduction. The spirit in front of him smiled and then chuckled. Her whole body changed into a mass of black fog. In her place, a man appeared. This man wore a black cloak and only his gleaming eyes were visible under the hood. The reason why Yang Dao could tell the figure was a male, was because the voice changed.


    The change was obscure, but the Dao child stayed calm. The man stopped laughing and said, "You are among those rare ones who saw through my disguise. You have passed the second round of the trial of life and death. Shall we move forward?"


    Yang Dao asked, "What is your name, and what is this trial?"


    The man in front of him replied, "I am Mortem. This trial is for you to gain the eligibility to look at the laws and the records. Life and Death cannot be handed to just anyone. The result will be destruction."


    Yang Dao nodded and asked, "Why do I not see the spirit of life participating in this trial?"


    Mortem replied, "I am the stronger one. Why shall she be allowed to take command?"


    This reply did not fit well with the Dao child, and he decided to tame this. spirit of death first and then have him acknowledge his weakness. Turned out the people were normal, but the laws of this world themselves were imbalanced. Yang Dao said, "You are an ant."

 Chapter 311: Rectifying Death.

    Yang Dao heard that Mortem called the spirit of life weak and imposed himself in the position of power. He was enraged. His innate aura of the Dao Child was lit up in an instant as he called Mortem an ant.


    The spirit of death was also shocked. It had never been expected that anyone would dare to call him as such. The previous Dao children were all respectful to him. They revered him, making him know his true power. While compared to Mortem, Vita was treated a little more mundanely.


    The heavenly spirits were aware that the world was in disarray, however, Laws of Life and Death that were mastered by the Azure Dragon had become imbalanced. The Azure Dragon could not interfere with them after all, even if he had mastered and seen through their secrets. He was just an entity born from the Dao, similar to the laws.


    If you can imagine the laws of life and death, or any law for that matter, as a railway track, then the four heavenly spirits were just ordinary mechanics looking after these tracks. If they could not handle some problem related to the maintenance and found a major error. Mechanics will inform their engineer, the Dao.


    Heavenly Dao will act and fix everything. The mean of action will be a chosen one, the Dao child. He will be the Dao himself. Yang Dao had adjusted into his role completely and thus he had begun to develop his mind to think like an impartial entity, managing all the things to stay in balance. Sounds impressive, right? However, this mentality of his has always been covered up and rarely shown in front of anyone.


    Dao was mysterious. How can he let anyone see through him so easily? Of all the surrounding people, only Mortem was lucky enough to see his real face. Yang Dao stood in front of the black-cloaked spirit with a poker face.


    Mortem was sluggish for a few moments when he heard how this kid addressed him. His sense of arrogance had taken over his sanity to a level where this guy had placed himself an entity equal to Dao. Completely forgetting that without Dao enlightenment they would have been a set of obscure laws, like a wisp of gas in the eternal void.


    Mortem regained his senses and said, "How-dare-you-?" he put a lot of emphasis on every single word he spoke. His anger was obvious. After all, he was the spirit of death, made from the laws of death. He can destroy a whole world if he wished for it."


    Yang Dao tilted his head to the side and said, "You, incapable thing. Do you think death is stronger than life? You are a spirit who came to life because the laws of Death gained enlightenment from the heavens after being read and comprehended by countless people. Otherwise, what were you? A word that was written on a stone tablet by a caveman?


    You use your LIFE to rule death. Shameful thing, it is time you are cleansed." the next moment his hair fluttered without wind. Yang Dao was angry with this guy like he has never been before. You can imagine that he had the heart to kill and that too, not without torture. Mortem underestimated the cruelty of this guy in front of him.


    Mortem was stunned for a second. However, was it that easy to counter the beliefs that could even make the laws of heavens shake and succumb to imbalance? He retorted, "You dared to enter the world of spirits with this half-ass spiritual body and dare to call me MORTEM, an ant. Very well, you can perish here.


    At first, I thought to would serve a good role of being my host, if you passed the trial but now, you shall perish here. It will be a significant event, as never has anyone died while they had tried to master the laws."


    Yang Dao did not have the slightest fluctuation on his face. His eyes were calm. This aloof temperament of his made Mortem curious. He wanted to see till how long can this human pretend in front of his might. He did not dare to underestimate the Dao Child in the slightest.


    The spirit of Death still underestimated him a lot. Yang Dao said, "Come, let us fight."


    It was as if a switch was flipped inside Mortem''s brain and he attacked as soon as the words came out of Yang Dao''s mouth. He waved his hand and a beam of black light shot out from the void aimed at the boy.


    The latter stood there calmly. His eyes were as deep as an abyss and his heart was like an ocean. While Yang Dao was inside the citadel earlier, he meditated. The blessings of the Dao Child were immense, and he did not need to wait to read a book to comprehend the laws. All he needed was to find a secluded place and meditate with his consciousness focused on the root of the law. Though augmented boosts of the books were nice and welcomed too.


    The books gave him knowledge of the past visitors of the realms. He learned from his predecessors. Before he sat down in meditation, he perceived his surroundings, and the set up of the book of death made him fascinated. That book gave him a feeling of calm. Unknowingly, he comprehended a few bits of the law of life.


    That said, since he had managed to glimpse at the laws of Life, after entering the spirit world of Death, he has started to comprehend the laws of death as well. Once you know the secrets of a weapon, you can use it on others and also defend against it if used upon you.


    This is what happened here. Yang Dao closed his eyes as the ray of black light came closer to him. Mortem sneered at the scene. He knew it was not that easy to take down the child of heavens but it was not easy to get away unscathed from his attack as well.


    Imagine if you find that a vein in your body is blocked. What do you think will affect you more severely? A punch in the face of a blocked vein in the brain? He was an entity born from the Dao, thus any action of his that defied the purpose of heavenly Dao was counted as a blocked vein.


    However, contrary to what Mortem expected, the black ray did not harm Yang Dao, but wrapped him like a cocoon. His eyes almost fell out of his skull under the hood. He was shocked, raised his hand, and asked, "What are you? Why can you use my powers so easily?"


    Yang Dao replied in an ethereal voice with his eyes closed, "I am the Dao, I am the death. Eternity is my soul, I am the heavens, the only unmatched."


    After this phrase, he opened his eyes, his golden eyes. There was no wind or temperature in this spirit space, yet Yang Dao''s hair was fluttering and Mortem was shivering. Slowly, the Dao child flew up into the air. His levitation was in line with his Dao resonation. However, to Mortem, Yang Dao had grown into a giant, with black hair and golden gleaming eyes. His gaze was like a torch that could evaporate the gloom in the world.


    If life was to get stronger with joyous feelings in the world, death fed on gloom and despair. However, who was stronger than the one who created him and had no fear. Yang Dao had entered the state where he was omnipotent. Where he was strong enough to rewrite the laws themselves. This development was so sudden that Mortem had not even registered what was going on.


    Yang Dao said, "Spirit of Death, you have defied the purpose you were given by the heavens. You have fallen from grace. Hereby you are sentenced to execution. Do you have any last words?" his ethereal voice was so awe-inspiring that Mortem was stunned.


    His brain was flooded with all the wrongs beliefs inside him. He bowed his head and said, "I have nothing to say."


    The heavenly Dao ruled above them all. Mortem was no different. None of the Dao Childs could ever evoke this resonance to cleanse his corruption, but Yang Dao did and thus he accepted every penalty with grace.


    Yang Dao replied, "Very well." and his hand moved. A golden wave of light moved towards Mortem slowly. However, just as it was about to land on the target a soft voice sounded.


    "Master, forgive him." the voice belonged to a female. The golden light stopped. It was not because of the words, but a person appeared in front of Mortem. Kneeling on the ground with her head bowed low.


    Yang Dao spoke, "Spirit of life, Vita. You are obstructing the rule of heavens. Have you also corrupted?" the voice was like a hypnotizing skill. Anyone who heard it was compelled to answer truthfully.


    The lady in a white dress said, "Master, I apologize. Please give this lowly one a chance to speak. If you find my reason lacking, then please eradicate us. I will not complain."

 Chapter 312: Restoration.

    The spirit of life knelt in front of Mortem, the spirit of death, and Yang Dao, who had initiated the Dao resonance mode. At the moment, when Yang Dao had decided to rectify the spirit of death and recreate it, the spirit of life came forward to plead for his sake.


    Yang Dao heard her say that if her explanation was not good enough, then he can execute his sentence on both of them equally. Thinking about it for a few seconds, he hummed giving her permission.


    Vita spoke without raising her head, "Your excellency, the role of two countering laws is not only to maintain the order in the world but also to maintain order among themselves, too. As the spirit of life, I have failed to keep the spirit of death in check. Thus, I am as much of a failure as he is.


    I am not weak, but I have always hoped that he will correct his ways one day. This excessive hope is my folly. Please, give him a chance, sire. This sort of anomaly shall never occur ever again."


    She was being suppressed by Yang Dao''s immense pressure. She was unable to convey her true thoughts from the fear that if her choice of words was a little incorrect, Yang Dao might erase this whole realm and recreate it. The heavenly Dao was omnipotent. Its power was immeasurable. Trying not to infuriate the boy any further, she said all she could come up with.


    Her words were true, and she was indeed guilty of letting Mortem run rampant. This behavior of the spirit of death had caused the aura of the place to decline and the negativity was too high. Yang Dao had sensed this when he was going under the trial of the Azure Dragon.


    The power of death used by the Azure Dragon was so strong that it could have killed the world itself. That illusion was more like a hint the Azure Dragon had left him. Remember when Yang Dao spotted that the illusion was a little too normal under his Dao Eyes? It all clicked to him only the moment he sensed Mortem.


    Listening to Vita, Yang Dao again cast his gaze over Mortem, who had now undone his hood. Instead of an obscure blur, his face was well-defined and sharp. He spoke in his ethereal voice, "The essence of life is to give the world hope, let them learn the emotions, build a character and lead it to death.


    The essence of Death is to make the person abandon it all, suffer the consequences of their deeds and again enter the world of the living when they have paid all the debts in full.


    Those who can master and realize the essence of both laws are entities who become free from the cycle of life and death. They gain enlightenment and become the Dao, a part of the great Dao. All life comes from the great Dao and returns to the great Dao.


    You, the keepers of balance, broke the equilibrium, thus you are to be punished. You will be now followers of the Dao Child. Entrust your spirit law seeds to him. You will live till eternity and watch over this realm without a mistake."


    The authority of the ethereal voice was something they could never overlook. The two people replied with their foreheads on the floor, "Yes, your excellency."


    The beam of light in front of them vanished slowly. However, the glow coming from it did not fade. The dark and gloomy place glowed with a light indescribable in words. Yang Dao''s eyes were still golden. His figure was floating in the void with fluttering hair.


    His silence hinted to the spirits that he was waiting for them to hand over their spirit seed. Spirits all had a seed inside them, which functioned as the heart of the humans. But these spirits could stay alive without their seeds within them. as long as the seed is intact, the people will stay alive.


    The Dao has passed his judgment. If they did not wish to be eradicated or replaced by a new spirit designated in their places they would comply. Imagine Yang Dao being so powerful that he thought was enough to erase things. Scary, right?


    He could have erased the two spirits in a blink as if they never existed in the first place, but he did not wish to do that. Unlike the other Dao children in the past. He was in complete control of his resonance. His thoughts were to restore balance and not to leave an impression of himself. If he was to destroy these spirits and create new ones in their place, it would be easy, but the new spirits will be akin to a blank page, they would need to be filled with the law code, which would take him countless years.


    Where did he have so much time on his hand? Probably after he ascends to the heavenly court. But that will take a long time as well. So, he decided to keep them alive, but extracted the spirit seed. The reason was that after he fuses with the two seeds, he will be able to monitor the situation of the two spirits.


    While also be able to comprehend the two laws slowly. He will also be able to command the two powers with the augmentation of the two-spirit seeds. That said, the two spirits did not hesitate and closed their eyes and joined their hands in a praying stance.


    They were urging the spirit seed to move out of their bodies. Under their will, the spirit seeds were ejected from their bodies. The seed emerged from the middle of their chests. The seed looked like an egg, carved with glyphs from a language unknown to Yang Dao. While the seed of the Life spirit was golden and had white shining glyphs, the seed of death spirit had black color with red glyphs covering the surface.


    Yang Dao raised his hands and the two seeds flew over without any resistance. The two seeds floated over Yang Dao''s palms. Something happened and the two seeds started to vanish inside the palms of the Dao child. It was something melted and mixed in his flesh. The process was completed in a much shorter time than the spirits even took to eject the seeds.


    Yang Dao said in his ethereal voice, "Farewell, you do not have another chance." and vanished from the spiritual void.


    Mortem and Vita were the only two people in the spiritual void now. The former said, "Thank you, Vita."


    The spirit of life said, "The reason why this happened was that you are a fool. Go away and correct the mess you have made." her voice was cold. She was upset because she was scolded by the Dao Child. When has she ever been scolded? She was the cute and smart spirit of life.


    This all happened because of Mortem being a jerk. After cursing the guy in her mind, she turned her face away. The death spirit was so depressed, never had he thought of such a thing to happen. Then he left the book of life and returned to his place in the book of death.


    ...


    Yang Dao stood holding the book of life and he sensed the gloom vanish from the book. A smile surfaced on his face. His two wrists both had a bracelet. These bracelets were his armaments. The bracelet on his left wrist was black and red, while the one on the right was gold and white. They had an exquisite design and gave off a delicate feeling.


    The Dao child suddenly wished for the bracelets to vanish, and TADA. They were gone. The spirit armaments were capable of appearing and disappearing according to the thought of their master. Ryu Jinshi was standing beside him and when he saw this, he had an urge to kneel.


    He did not know when he got the bracelets. All the things inside the spiritual void may seem long, but outside here, it was just a blink.


    He needed knowledge. Even if he has the armament, that does not mean he will be using them anytime soon. He needed to understand it all, and only when it was necessary would he be using them. First, understand how they worked and then only use them when you have no other options left.


    He was the Dao child, he was the Dao himself, yet until he is strong enough to merge the Dao with himself. He cannot do something that is not permitted by the Dao. What he questioned himself about was will he be able to bend the Dao if he became one with it or will it be the other way around.


    Putting aside all the thoughts, the boy started to read the records again. As he read, the understanding of the laws deepened. Today, he rectified the balance in this world. After he finishes reading the two records, he will go to visit the four major spirit cities and then back home.

 Chapter 313: Comprehended.

    Yang Dao kept on reading the book of death and found out that the reason behind the spirit of death losing his balance was because of the previous Dao Children having a misconception. These guys did not have complete control of their Dao Resonance and thus they feared death as the all-powerful spirit.


    While at the same time they were very friendly to Vita, the spirit of life, who had always been calm and kind to the people she interacted with. Spirits, despite being all-powerful, would lag in some aspects. They tended to believe the words of the outlanders a bit too quickly.


    For example, if you tell an Undine that she is the most beautiful lady you have ever seen. The Undine will blush and get a big head. That being said, the spirits of life and death also had this flaw in their characters. The heavenly balance was displayed here as simply as it could. Even the all-powerful spirits have flaws, so what are you and me. The Dao itself is ever-changing and improving.


    Yang Dao kept on reading the book and found that some of the people were not afraid of the spirit of death, but they believed that the power of negativity was above that of positivity. Thus, to get in the good books of the spirit, they flattered it without any scruples. The deformity in Mortem''s character took charge and made him imbalanced.


    Vita tried to advise him but was ignored. Since the two were counterpart spirits, Vita could not do much other than ask him to correct his ways. If she was to fight with Mortem, the imbalance would have escalated and the world could be destroyed before a suitable Dao Child could come and fix things up. So, she endured.


    Mortem took her patience and forbearance for her weakness and started to suppress her. Vita was pushed into seclusion. If she did not react and maintained her balance, she could extend the timeline. It was a gamble, but her gamble paid off. Yang Dao arrived and handled the situation very calmly.


    He was neither afraid nor in awe of the spirit of death. After taking control of the spirit seeds, he finished reading the book with ease. He closed the book of life and sat down on the ground with his eyes closed and contemplated on the information he had read.


    The process was tedious and long, but with the patience of the Dao Child, it was nothing. After two days of secluded meditation, Yang Dao opened his eyes. It was said that the eyes were the window to your soul. The glow and dull contained within his eyes were like a verification of the quote. He had mastered the laws of life and death.


    The result was so soon because the process was aided by the spirit seeds. However, since he had just read the book of life. He decided to go and read the book of death. He always believed that incomplete knowledge was harmful. This was something unique about him. Ryu Jinshi stood in the back and he was observing all this. He had sensed that Yang Dao''s aura has undergone a significant change.


    However, since Yang Dao had not disclosed it to him, then he would not pry into this matter. Everybody had their secrets. One more thing that prevented him from asking things was that his aloof, windy temperament did not stop the laws he ruled over from going astray. Well, he was not alone in this matter. All the familiar spirits had made such mistakes.


    The thing is that they were using the devices made by the heavens to manage the world. Just like a consumer using a product. They will try to use the product to its best extent, however, they could not fix the problems within the product design.


    Think of a realm like a factory. The familiar spirits are managers. The laws are the products being designed by an existence that even the managers had no connection to. The world becomes the consumer and after the changes in the product over time; the consumer faces the problem, so the manager has to call the designer to fix it. After all, their job was to look after the factory.


    Yang Dao opened his eyes and said, "Ryu, blaming yourself is a vain cause. Learn and improve. Let us go to the death faction. I need to read the book of death. Time is going away."


    His voice was dignified and calm. His temperament has changed from the evasive young boy to a man who could inspire people. His aura made Ryu change his address for the boy, "Yes, Master."


    Yang Dao had always been careful about not being high and mighty in front of people. But after he understood the content in the book of life, he understood that one should remain the same as they have always been, regardless of the result of what the world thinks about them. They can handle things if they go wrong, but hiding your true self will only make things difficult for them.


    Ryu Jinshi led him to the chamber where the book of death was located. Yang Dao did not waste a single moment and started to read the book as soon as he got near it. The speed was fast, but he did not miss a single word. Half the content was as he expected, but he found that some of the Dao children tried to show the spirit of death a lesson, but they were all defeated and thrown out of the world.


    The books also stated the reason for such happening. The Dao Children thought they could just preach how they were the Dao and the Dao was them. but since they did not have control of the Dao resonance in them. The spirit of death did not take them seriously and TADA. They were all defeated and thrown out of the realm itself.


    Ryu Jinshi wanted to sigh when he recalled the stuff he read in the records of the heavens about the Dao children. It was stated in the records that the Dao Child will influence the familiar spirits around him. It also stated that the familiar spirits should arrange it so that the Dao Child should not be disturbed inside the realm because he could enter a state of epiphany.


    Just as he was having such thoughts, Yang Dao sat down on the ground with his legs crossed and he started to contemplate what was written in the book of death.


    The book of life, apart from the records of the past Dao Child visitors also, defined the purpose of life. It said that "Those who live shall live properly by performing their duties, such as involving in secular human life to contribute to the society, avoiding sinful acts, and in the end giving up the secular life and live in seclusion trying to discover themselves. In the end, they can attain freedom from the cycle of life and death."


    The book of death also had such a description of the purpose, "Those who indulge in secularism and harm the society, commit sinful acts, and do not repent their deeds from the depth of their hearts will suffer in death to pay the price for all the harm they made. Such people will go through unimaginable pain and only after serving enough time in the depths of the hell will they be given another chance at life to discover themselves and break free."


    Yang Dao meditated for a day as he sat down. He was thinking about what is death and what is life if all they are aiming towards freedom from the cycle of life and death, then why was it so hard to do so. The answer was all inscribed within the cycle itself. He concluded that to get ahead in the world, people need money and status, to protect themselves and the things they care about they have to gain power.


    These emotions of a person bound them to a lot of things that stand in their ways to attain Emancipation. Only by giving up these bonds and bounds will they be able to break away from the cycle. Yet, it was not so easy for a human, who has already become a slave to his/her emotions, to give up, and they keep on growing in this quagmire of life.


    Yang Dao opened his eyes again and mumbled to himself, "Why can people not control their emotions when they know what will happen to them if they kept indulging in it?"


    Such questions flooded his mind. Ryu Jinshi said, "Master, emotions are a test set by the heavens. If it would have been easy to attain emancipation, humans would start taking it for granted and thus the need for this cycle of life and death is very important. After all, you might not wish to have everyone to return to the origin and making the world devoid of life?"


    Yang Dao thought for a bit and felt that all the things were now falling in their place. He smiled and bowed to Ryu Jinshi as he said, "I thank you for your guidance."


    Ryu Jinshi was embarrassed and quickly bowed back to Yang Dao, but before he could say anything He said, "Let us go outside, I would like to see if the spirit kings have some real capital or not."


    That said, the two people left the secret rooms to the gathering hall.

 Chapter 314: The Purpose Of Dao Child.

    Yang Dao and Ryu Jinshi walked through the simple corridors of the spirit council citadel. The place was kept as simple as anything. Except for being slightly bigger than a normal house, there was no difference. The two people walked over to the gathering hall and found two chairs were placed in the center.


    The spirit beings had the four strongest among their whole race, selected as the representatives present from each faction inside the spirit council. They had four seats placed on the two sides of the hall. In the center, at the end of the hall, they had placed two chairs. One big and one small. Yang Dao noticed that the size of the chairs was different and the big chair had some fur and foam over it to make it comfortable.


    He stepped forward and stood in front of the chair. It was his chair. He asked, "Where are the spirit kings?"


    The Salamander from the life faction stepped forward and said, "Lord, they will be here in a few minutes. Please, take a seat for the meanwhile." He politely made a gesture by extending his hand to the chair.


    Yang Dao shook his head and stood in his place to wait. His stance sent a wave of tremor to the hearts of the life faction people. They prayed that the spirit king comes forward quickly as to not enrage the heavenly emissary.


    The death faction was silent. They did have a few drops of cold sweat on their forehead, but they kept their calm on the surface. Ryu shook his head when he saw the situation. He deducted the reason why Yang Dao was behaving like this. How could a world with imbalanced spirits stay in balance?


    He was hoping that Yang Dao does not have too harsh an action against the spirits. Even if he was not here to watch and help his realm, he was still the guardian. However, he was aware that whatever Yang Dao decided to do would not be something he could turn around. Since worrying about it will not help, he decided to stay calm and wait for the spirit kings to arrive.


    His thoughts were as if being heard by heaven. The two-spirit Kings came over from their respective rooms in the two factions. They both held a scroll. They bowed to Yang Dao and held out the scrolls to him. The Gnome of the death faction said, "Sire, this is my comprehension of death."


    The undine also spoke up. "I have recorded my understanding of life on this scroll. Please take a look, Lord."


    Yang Dao nodded and took the two scrolls. He waved his hand, and a table formed from the earthen floor in front of him. The two scrolls were spread open over it. Yang Dao wanted to read them together at the same time. He began to read without caring about the confused look on the face of the people in the gathering hall.


    Ryu Jinshi sensed the doubt in the mind of these spirit beings and snorted loudly. However, his snort did not disturb Yang Dao but echoed in the mind of the spirit beings. It was enough to make the spirit beings put aside all the doubts originating in their minds.


    Yang Dao did not comment on this and kept his focus on the scrolls. The content was typically just opposite of each other. Not much difference. If life is filled with joy, then death shall follow the indifference and nonchalant attitude.


    The boy patiently read all that was written in front of him, but he did not find anything that could even remotely hint at the real meaning of life and death. He sighed over the fact that these guys were all looking at the surface and not even close to knowing the depth, let alone explore it.


    Could life and death be so shallow of a subject? He spoke up suddenly, "Why do you have furs and things on the big chair?"


    The spirit beings were all stunned for a second. The gnome spirit king from the death faction said, "Lord, that is for your comfort."


    His answer was substandard. It was like Yang Dao was the guest, so he should have some comfort higher. The rest of the spirit beings nodded. They were like this for as long as they can recall.


    Yang Dao shook his head and with a wave of his hand, the decoration on the chair came off. The spirit beings were all shocked. They thought that Yang Dao has become angry with them. The boy said calmly, "You all do things that are not necessary. You need to focus is the comprehension of life and death."


    His calm voice was like a breeze. Silence before the storm. The silence did not last long. Yang Dao said, "Death and Life may seem opposite of each other but without even one, the world will stop existing sooner than later. Begnic, do you think that death is when you stop communicating and interacting with anyone from the secular world?


    You realize that if you do that, you are not dead but alone. Your concept of death has nothing to do with what it is. You are looking at it too superficially. Death is where nothing can accompany you, even your own body. Your soul is eternal and ever-living, but it will pay for the sins you have committed in this human life by going through unlimited reincarnations and punishments in hell.


    Assyria, do you think that life is all about the six emotions of a person and the pursuit of these emotions can give you longevity when you comprehend their origins?


    The six emotions inside a being are just to give it the power to express what it feels in a certain situation. They all originate from the soul. Every soul has a purpose of origin, and that purpose can only be discovered when you commit yourself to the lives you have. You all are the elders of your races, yet here you are leaving the management of your races to younger ones who are also trying to give it up like you. Is this your pursuit of life?


    You both defy the very definition you pursue. How can you achieve the real aim of this pursuit of life and death?"


    His words shook the spirit beings. Even Ryu had not thought that the spirit beings were in defiance of their definitions. What could be a greater level of imbalance than this? The world would have come to an end if Yang Dao was not visiting here.


    Cold sweat formed over his forehead. The world of life and death was tipping at the edge of life and death. The sacred realms start to fall apart when they enter a state of collective imbalance. This imbalance is most likely a phase where people do not realize that they are going down the wrong ways even after all their intelligence.


    The spirit beings were stunned and Yang Dao said, "The real meaning of life is to understand the purpose of your existence. Do your best to achieve that purpose. If you do not, then when you sense your end approaching, you give up all the secular things and duties and repent.


    Repent your misdeeds by focusing on the one Great Dao. The one that created us all. The great Dao will assist you on your last journey.


    Since you cannot do anything after you cross the world of the living, you ask your relatives to send you off and pray that your soul may find peace and become one with the great dao. You can only pay the price of your deeds, but the prayers of your relatives may ease up things a bit."


    Begnic could not help but ask, "Lord, how can prayers help us?"


    Yang Dao replied, "We all originated from the Great Dao. If you pray, it will listen. However, the prayers must be true and honest."


    The spirit beings found this logical and nodded. They started to talk among each other and slowly a glow appeared around them. It was not bright or anything but it was the dim glow, like what emitted from Sushi when Yang Dao met her. This was the glow of the spirits. This glow is visible to non-spirits.


    It was a sign that the spirits were now regaining their lost balance slowly. Ryu Jinshi said in a deep voice, "In the name of the Heavenly Emissary, I command you to circulate the conversation that took place here to everyone out there. We will now leave, the Lord will visit the territories of all the spirit races."


    Yang Dao nodded and said, "Start with the Sylphs. Sushi would be worried."


    Ryu nodded and the two people walked to the entrance. The elders inside the building all knelt on the ground and knocked their heads to the receding back. They said, "We send away the Heavenly Emissary."


    On this visit to the council, Yang Dao discovered his purpose of existence. To preach Dao and enlighten people. Make their way to emancipation easier.

 Chapter 315: Sylphia.

    Yang Dao and Ryu Jinshi left the spirit council citadel wearing their white and black dress. They were going to fly over to the territory of the sylphs. The elders inside the spirit council immediately began to spread the word that the Heavenly Emissary has come to their world. They also spread out the conversation the boy just had with the spirit kings.


    The spirit kings were in a state of comprehension at the same time. The words they heard being spoken by Yang Dao were obscure to them at first, but the more they thought the better they understood the meaning of it. Assyria realized that they had made a grievous mistake of abandoning the normal life to chase after something that is not even remotely connected to it.


    Begnic had come to understand that death is the sum-up of all the deeds you committed while alive and thus they should be good and humble. They must all try to complete their tasks without getting attached to them and fulfill their purpose in life without expecting any result. He recalled how they never had the people praying for the easy afterlife. They would send the dead for cremation by simply using a magic spell in the death faction. They followed no rituals at all.


    He decided to ask Yang Dao, why the rituals were important. He noted down all the questions that came to his mind. He was going back to Gnomia and wait for the lord to visit and if Yang Dao did not visit back, then he would try to figure out the reasons by doing following the rituals.


    Assyria was the same. The spirit elders discussed with each other and they left after sending out the word using some magical means. They were going to wait for the heavenly emissary to go to their regions so that they could seek more of his guidance and understand the fundamentals better.


    ...


    Yang Dao and Ryu Jinshi were flying under the verdant blue sky. Their destination was Sylphia, the territory of the wind spirits. All the spirits of the same race lived together. Sylphia was a region of towering trees and hanging houses.


    Yes, the houses of the sylphs were similar to that of the hanging nests of an oriole. The size, however, was enough to accommodate a whole colony of Orioles. Yang Dao asked Ryu about it and the dragon spirit gave him some information.


    However, when Yang Dao asked more. he was told to wait and ask the Sylphian people by himself. Yang Dao found it sound. Even if the man was aware of the process, it does not mean that he will be able to guide him properly.


    Suddenly, Ryu Jinshi asked, "Master, what have you thought about joining the assassination union?"


    Yang Dao replied with nonchalance, "I will see when we get back home."


    Ryu Jinshi nodded. This question was not fitting with the scene, so he did not hesitate on giving up for now. It took them two days before they could spot towering trees outgrowing a regular skyscraper. The lush green leaves were shining with a touch of gold on them, as the sun shone upon them.


    Perhaps she sensed Yang Dao''s presence approaching closer. Sushi had already flown up to the border of the territory to welcome him. She used to be the guardian of the territory and her fight with the humans, when they tried to barge in, was well known to everyone, earning her the title of the Valkyrie.


    She was received warmly by the people. In the past week, she has been enjoying the VIP treatment of the people in the territory. However, she had not forgotten about yang Dao and had told everyone that she now had a master who looks after her a lot and also made her stronger and smarter.


    Yang Dao was flying in the void when he sensed a familiar presence and a faint smile emerged on his face. He quickened his pace and flew over to Sushi. He had forgotten that the girl was now as tall as a human girl.


    The finger-sized porcelain doll was now a live-sized jade doll. Ryu Jinshi followed Yang Dao like a shadow attached. The latter said, "Ryu, what do you think is my purpose here?"


    Ryu Jinshi was stumped, he did not expect such a question to be thrown his way, and that too all of a sudden. Still, he could not be just a dimwit and after thinking for a moment, he said, "You want to learn about the wind?"


    Yang Dao stopped moving forward and glanced at the familiar spirit incarnate in surprise. He said, "That is but obvious, why did you just state the obvious?"


    He really could not digest that this guy would not be able to deduce his motive to visit the territory of the Sylphs. He sighed and said, "Although I am the Dao Child. I have to enlighten the path to emancipation for the children of the world. However, I am still a teenager. I came here because I wanted to see this place."


    Ryu Jinshi was again surprised by this answer. Suddenly he got enlightened, Yang Dao had become unpredictable and mysterious. He could not predict what he was going to do the next moment. As the god of the wind element, he was more than familiar with this feeling. Before the practitioner enters the god level elemental level, the element will test him.


    Yes, the elements themselves had consciousness and they would test the practitioner before the final stage. The wind will give you impulse and only by controlling this impulse can you step over to the next level. As he was thinking, Yang Dao had vanished from his sight. Ryu Jinshi looked around with his wind sense and found that Yang Dao had appeared next to Sushi.


    The azure dragon had a bad premonition in his heart and immediately came beside Yang Dao. The boy had raised his hand to hold Sushi''s thin wrist when Ryu Jinshi spoke in a deep voice, "Lord."


    Yang Dao shivered and woke up. He looked at his hand and then at a confused Sylph beauty in front of him. He recalled what was he about to do and took two steps back. He turned to Ryu Jinshi and said, "Thank you, just now, the wind got in my head."


    This phrase could have made Ryu laugh normally, but not at the moment. The familiar spirit asked, "Shall I arrange a place for you to be secluded?"


    Yang Dao nodded and said, "That would be great, need to get in touch with the earth element to refine my state of mind and then control it."


    Ryu Jinshi nodded and said, "Yes." he turned to face Sushi and said, "Take us to the elder."


    Sushi nodded and led them to the tree in the center of the territory. All the spirits lived in one territory that was as big as twenty soccer grounds. The tree in the center was a no-fly zone, they said. A territory of the spirit beings was the shelter of both the life and the death faction spirits. This was not only in the Sylphia but in every race.


    Sushi spoke in a light voice as they reached closer. She said, "Elder, my master, the heavenly emissary has come to meet you with the wind god."


    A figure walked out of the hanging house. This person was a shriveling old man. He wore an indigo shade robe and walked shiveringly. The old man flew out of the room and asked, "Who has come to our humble abode?"


    Sushi pointed her finger at Yang Dao. The boy bowed slowly to show his respect for the elderly. The old man took a step to avoid the boy. He replied, "Lord, what do you mean by this?"


    "First, you are an elder to me. Second, I have not done anything great. Third, it is not harmful for the younger generation to be respectful to the elders. Your blessings will be good for me." said Yang Dao.


    His words surprised the old man. He thought that since the other person was called the emissary of heavens and was escorted by their god as an attendant, he must be high-headed. Ryu Jinshi was about to speak when he suddenly sensed the wind flow around yang Dao change.


    He said, "Elder, can you spare a room for, My master to rest? He has been on a long journey."


    The wind was getting stronger and the more they delay the harder it will become to control it. The elder nodded and said, "It would be my pleasure, Sir."


    He led the three people with a smile and brought them to a room. Yang Dao immediately sat down on the floor and started to meditate. Ryu Jinshi cast five barriers around him and said, "Sushi, you go prepare some food, you know he will be hungry after he wakes up."


    The girl nodded and rushed out to prepare the food and show her craft to her master. Ryu Jinshi said to the elder, "I do not see the elder from the life faction? Is everything okay?"


    The old man nodded and said, "She has gone to help someone deliver a child. She will be back soon."


    Ryu Jinshi nodded and looked at Yang Dao as he murmured, "You can do it, Dao."

 Chapter 316: Elemental God-Prince.

    Yang Dao sat down in the room. He was brought to by the elder of the Sylph territory. The dao child was experiencing a tough time at the moment. His heart and mind were not in his control. The wind has made him uncontrollably impulsive and free in his behavior. A few moments ago, he almost molested Sushi. He had known that the spirit being was very charming and beautiful but never had he developed such thoughts.


    Ryu Jinshi told him that this was the test of the element before he attains the level of the wind god. After the Elemental priest, the next level was the god level. An elemental god is someone who can control his source of energy to convert it into different elements on a whim.


    The four familiar spirits could do this and they were almost invincible. However, Yang Dao was the Dao Child, and he needed to learn about all four elements before he can be called the true Dao child. The reason was that the power the four familiar spirits had behind the converted elements was lower than their root elements.


    Yang Dao, as the child of the heavens, cannot have such a flaw in his strength and to balance the four elements, he must know how to use them and not convert them. The conversion was only to help him expand his energy reserve and variety.


    While every mortal was limited to be the elemental priest in their lives. The Dao Child was blessed to be the god of the elements that ruled over the world.


    ...


    Yang Dao closed his eyes and tried to calm down the raging impulse inside him. The wind was not easy to control. He was having a hard time even sitting still. How was he to control the wind. His clothes and hair were fluttering as the wind blew around him fiercely.


    Suddenly, he recalled a memory from his days in the orphanage. Yang Dao was ten years old, and he was listening to Sister Tina telling a story to the children his age. The story was about the dragon of wind.


    Sister Tina said, ''The wind dragon was so fast that he could travel to the end of the world in just a thought.''


    Yang Dao was an unusual child, so he could not help but ask the lady, "How can anyone be that strong? It is impossible, no?"


    Sister Tina rubbed his head with an affectionate smile and asked, "It means that the dragon of wind was as strong as your imagination. You can travel to the end of the city if you imagine it, right? But the wind dragon had the speed of imagination."


    The young boy exclaimed, "Teleportation?" and the story was left behind. Yang Dao began to tell everyone what teleportation meant. Sister Tina just sat there holding the fairy tale book with a smile on her face as Yang Dao''s explanation captivated all the children.


    ...


    Yang Dao was meditating, recalling this memory buried deep in his mind, made a curve appear at the corner of his lips. He realized that the wind was as fast as his imagination, so how could he control it? The best way to restrain one''s thoughts was to let go of them.


    Let them go and explore everything. Following this thought process, the boy let the wind around him and inside him free. The intensity was so strong that some things in the room started to shiver.


    ...


    Outside the nest house, Ryu Jinshi sensed a strong wind behind him. He smiled and then he knelt in front of the door facing inside. The elder of the death faction was also surprised by the wind just now and his surprise turned to shock as he as the Wind God kneel to the door. he did not know why Ryu Jinshi did that, but he followed the lead and knelt behind him.


    This moment he heard Ryu Jinshi speak, "He has mastered the first element. He is the God of Wind."


    His words were not meant for anyone but the other three familiar spirits who were able to sense the changes inside Yang Dao back in the human world.


    ...


    Feng Yun was about to board the helicopter and go to a meeting when she sensed the change. She smiled and stopped a step before the chopper cabin. She mumbled, "Second brother is lucky."


    The other two people also had the same reaction as her. Laohu Bai sighed as she smiled, "Finally let go of the restraint."


    Atsuji Kurogame smiled and his eyes closed to hide the tears of joy in his eyes. Yang Dao had not only mastered the first element, but he had also mastered the two laws at a minimum. The mastery of his two laws meant that the corresponding realm had regained its balance.


    Yang Dao had mastered Light and dark laws completely today along with his mastery over Wind Element. The test of the elements will come when the realms he had been too had regained their balance.


    He had learned the laws corresponding to the earth element when he had only learned wind element. In the realm ruled by the azure dragon, the master of the winds, he had come after learning the earth element.


    This was a strategy to make his progress slow and steady. The familiars did not want him to gain too much strength too quickly and then diverting his path. This has happened in the past. The Dao child gets the powers and strength too quickly and diverts their path.


    Yang Dao was a stable child and has never lost sight of the goal. However, the familiar did not wish to take a risk. They delayed meeting with him on purpose and called it heavenly rules.


    Yes, at first they wished to meet him as soon as he was born. Then they recalled how the eagerness had never been helpful. If the child had never seen any hardships, then he/she takes everything for granted. So they let him fend off for himself.


    They were his servants, but they had no control over his life. They did not meet him for his good and could not interfere with his life. That much was true. Half deliberate while half coincidence had made the story as it was. They will take on the blame if Yang Dao came to know the fact. They loved him and cared for him the most, but it was their duty to make him an idol Dao Child.


    ...


    Inside the world of spirits, the wind started to blow. Not a single corner was left without a breeze blowing there. The Undines experienced waves in the water, formed by the clash of wind against it. The Gnomes heard howling sounds as the wind passed through the vents of their homes. The salamanders relished in heatwaves coming from the volcano top in their territory.


    Sylphia was filled with dancing leaves. Yes, the wind had blown up some broken leaves in the air and they were now dancing in the air current. The scene was very beautiful. Yang Dao sat inside the house with his eyes closed. He was not controlling the wind inside him and letting it do what it wanted.


    The elements we practice can influence our behavior, and thus Yang Dao lets his thoughts free. Like a wild tiger out of the cage. He became one with nature and, unknowingly, a cocoon of azure light enveloped him.


    After a couple of hours, the cocoon faded away, leaving only a boy with an azure halo over his head. The halo will be the base of his crown. The crown of the elemental god-king. The sixth stage of Elementalists can only be achieved by the Dao Child. Every familiar spirit had one such halo with the color of its corresponding element. Only the Dao Child can have a complete crown, as he will be the master of four elements.


    Yang Dao flicked his eyes open and stood up slowly. He did not know about the halo over his head. He sensed the wind around him and was shocked to know that he could sense the whole world. His eyes became wide and his breathing escalated. He could sense the empty spirit council citadel from his location, then the gnome territory at the opposite corner of the world.


    He recalled that the wind dragon in the story had the speed of imagination. Today, he also had the speed of imagination. He walked out unconsciously, only to find Ryu Jinshi kneeling in front of him with reverence in his eyes, and behind Ryu, the whole Sylph territory was kneeling.


    The people spoke in unison, "We greet the Wind God."


    Ryu Jinshi snorted loudly and said, "My master is not an ordinary god. He is destined to be the only God-king among elementals. You shall call him, His Highness, The God Prince, as you wait for him to ascend the title of the kings. Understood?"


    His loud voice seemed to have echoed in the whole realm. The Sylphs replied with a loud yes and they greeted the confused boy once more.


    "We greet, your highness, the God Prince."

 Chapter 317: The Coversation.

    Yang Dao was overwhelmed by the greeting and he did not know when he became the god-prince. Regardless of that, this was the difference between him and the familiar spirits. Yang Dao had become an Elemental God Prince and not an ordinary Elemental God like them.


    He waved his hand to stop the repeated chanting. He asked, "Ryu, you need to give me an explanation."


    Ryu Jinshi nodded and said, "Yes, Master."


    Yang Dao nodded and his gaze wandered over the crowd. He asked the azure dragon in a low voice, "Can I get something to eat?"


    Ryu Jinshi nodded and beckoned Sushi. He said, "Is the food ready?"


    Sushi nodded with a smile. She said to Yang Dao, "Master, would you like to eat with us all?"


    Yang Dao smiled gently and nodded. His answer made the girl smile, and she directly led him to the place where the people would eat. The sylphs did not eat inside their homes. They all ate at a big table that could accommodate thirty or so sylphs together. This was done to keep the society well connected and united.


    Even if the people had any disputes, they will be solved over the table. The elemental spirits were all harmonious together. They would eat together whether they followed the death faction of the life faction. After he was told about the reason by Sushi, Yang Dao nodded in appreciation. This reminded him of the mess in the orphanage.


    Ryu Jinshi was standing behind him silently. He was the god of the wind and the ruler of the realm, so these spirits were all his subordinates and, like Laohu Bai, he did not interact with them much. This was an autonomous place.


    The elder who had helped Yang Dao with the room came over. A woman followed him. The old man bowed to Yang Dao and said, "Lord, my name is Sissas. I am the leader of the death faction in this secular place. This is Ihniff, the leader of the life faction. She was occupied with an important task earlier and could not welcome you. Please forgive us."


    Yang Dao waved his hands and said, "It is okay. I understand. Please have a seat. I would like to ask you a few questions."


    The two sylphs had no idea about what the young boy might ask them. They sat down anxiously. Yang Dao was about to ask when his stomach growled. The boy blushed. He was really hungry. Unlike the realm of light and dark, this place had no restaurants and food. Sushi appeared with lots of fruit in her hands.


    She placed them on the table and said, "Master, you can partake of these. They are all sweet and they have no seeds. I cleaned them with water so you can eat them directly."


    Yang Dao gave her a look of gratitude and took a big bite of the fruit in front of him. He had never eaten such wonderful fruit, every time he chewed it was as if he ate a different fruit. His favorite fruits were litchi, peach, mango, and grapes. The boy could taste those familiar flavors coming from this fruit.


    The food hunter was triggered and the fruits in his sight became a delight. The boy ate like no tomorrow, surprising the Sylphs. However, he was not scary. A few children would peek at him from behind their parents or elders. Yang Dao would smile at them and share his fruits with them. This simple gesture of his won the hearts around the territory and in Sylphia, the wind does carry your words.


    After an hour when Yang Dao was done hogging the fruits, he let out a light burp, making the people chuckle. Ryu Jinshi glared at people and they all quietened down. If these guys had any knowledge of human movies or crime stories, then they might imagine Yang Dao as the good cop while Ryu Jinshi will be the bad cop.


    Yang Dao waved his hand to stop the Azure Dragon from suppressing the people. He turned his head to the two elders sitting next to him. He asked, "I heard Ryu and elder Sissas talking earlier. You had gone to help someone with labor. I hope things were fine, Elder Ihniff?"


    Bother the elders were touched by the question. Given that the boy was just a passing gust of wind in this place, he still observed the things around and even expressed his concern. Ihniff nodded and said, "The child came to the world completely fine. I was about to name her when I was told of your arrival, lord. So, we delayed the process for some time."


    Yang Dao nodded and said, "Does naming a child take that long?"


    This question was more crucial than it may seem. Ihniff nodded and said, "We elemental spirits believe that our name is how the gods of life and death recognize us. We name the child after birth and the same name is the only thing that goes along with us from this world to the other. Thus the naming ceremony is important and needs to follow some rules."


    Before she could take a breath, Yang Dao asked, "What are the rules of such a ceremony? Also, what is the use of these rules?"


    The lady replied, "The rules of the naming ceremony are that the child should be awake so that the name sound will resonate with his soul and will be imprinted there. As for the second question, Lord, we do not know who made these rules, but one thing is clear. These rules help us live. Some people do not follow the rules. after all, it is not a mandate of the gods. Personally, I feel like, if rules can help us make life easy, then it is good while at the same time some rules are too hard to follow."


    Yang Dao nodded his head. He turned to face Sissas. He asked, "Elder Sissas, do you also have such rules to follow when someone dies?"


    The elder nodded and said, "Yes, Sir. Once someone dies, we cremate them with rules followed by ancient times. The body is carried to cremation grounds, the dead are placed on a pile of wood, then the eldest person in the next generation sets the pile on fire. The body burns and turns to ashes, the ashes are later sprayed and scattered to the wind from the high cliff."


    The man pointed at a mountain in the distance. Yang Dao asked, "Why do you scatter the ashes?"


    Sissas replied, "We are the beings of wind, and after death, we become the wind. This is the code we Sylphs live by. Every elemental being has a different code, the undines scatter the ashes on the surface of the water, the gnomes bury the ashes in the farms. while the salamander''s people evaporate upon death. They are the beings of fire."


    Yang Dao nodded and asked, "What other important rituals do you people have?"


    Sissas told him about the praying ceremony they do after someone dies, they would also hold a yearly prayer for such people collectively. This prayer was synonyms for the birthday people hold. Ihniff nodded from the side when she heard the descriptions. She also added her tidbits to the mix. She told Yang Dao about the marriage ceremony, how they would pray for prosperity every year.


    The dao child was surprised to learn all this. In his human eyes, this was a waste of time. However, the elemental spirits were the beings of nature, and in a way, they were the very nature themselves, so his mind could not understand their thinking behind it. He was not in this world to change their ways. He was here to restore the balance. He had already done his bit now the rest was up to the spirits of life and death.


    He came to visit the elemental beings out of curiosity. He wanted to see what was different between the people in the human world and the world of spirits. And after this interaction, his eyes had opened to a new horizon. The rules these people follow were their own to follow. Humans also had such rules. Cremation and burial funerals. Marriage and naming ceremonies.


    While the humans would be running after success and wealth for a better life, the elemental spirits were content with what they had. This was the difference between humans and spirit beings. The boy fell into contemplation.


    Was it alright to let the things be the way they were? His purpose was to ease up the path of people from all walks of life. Dao was the same to everyone, whether they were humans or spiritual beings. Dao will test the people by instilling emotions inside them. The deeds committed by the people were the only thing that would get recognition. whether good or bad, it would all depend on that only.


    Thinking about this, he fell into another epiphany, and Ryu Jinshi cast a barrier around him. He said, "You all send the word. Master will be visiting the other three territories before he leaves."


    The elders exchanged a glance and, after a nod, they left to send the message.


    || Let''s read together. The event is going on in Webnovel that you can find on the bottom right icon in your library. Please do recommend your favorite author''s books and help them get more exposure. You can recommend a single book or a reading list.


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 Chapter 318: Improvisation.

    Yang Dao sat in the state of comprehension, cut off from the world around him. He was not comprehending about life and death, but something that tracked back to the source of life and death. The great Dao.


    Ryu Jinshi had made the people retreat and stood beside him in guards. The world of spirit was not imbalanced by the people, but by the laws of the world. Thus, his comprehension of the great Dao of life and death would make the laws refine themselves as well. Yang Dao held their spirit seeds in his palms.


    Every time he comprehends something, it will reflect on the seeds and, in turn, the spirits. Vita and Mortem were also cultivating inside the books of life and death. Yang Dao sat in the same position for a couple of hours before he woke up.


    The boy looked around and found that no one was beside him except Ryu Jinshi. The Azure Dragon asked, "Is there anything in the trouble, Master?"


    Yang Dao sighed and said, "I was wondering if I could witness such ceremonies. I want to see what the people feel when they go through such ceremonies."


    Ryu Jinshi nodded and said, "There is only one such ceremony going on in this region."


    Yang Dao asked in a confused manner, "Do you mean the naming ceremony?"


    Ryu Jinshi gave him a nod. Yang Dao asked, "The rate of life and death is not too big in the spirit realm, I guess?"


    The reply was a nod from the dragon spirit incarnate. Yang Dao placed his right elbow over the table as he cupped his chin in his palm. He was thinking about whether he should go or not. After all, he did not know the people and was a stranger in this place. Well Alien, would be an accurate term to describe his existence in this place.


    Ryu Jinshi was aware of his concerns and said with a smile, "Master, they would love you to visit them at such an auspicious time."


    Yang Dao was hesitant and at this moment, Sushi came over and asked, "Master would you like to go to the naming ceremony?"


    The shred of hesitation vanished, and the boy nodded with a smile. He stood up and the three people made their way to the house (inverted nest) where the ceremony was held. Yang Dao spotted a group of people from the distance. he asked Sushi, "Who are these people?"


    Sushi said, "These are all relatives and friends of the family."


    Yang Dao asked, "So, they all gather to share the joys and sorrows?" his voice was uncertain. It was not that he did not know anything about society and normal households, but as an orphan, these sorts of gatherings reminded him about how the people would like to show off everything great they have, instead of living in the moment.


    Sushi was unaware of his thoughts and said, "Master, we are taught to share both the sorrows and joys. Happiness multiples from sharing while the sorrows divide. Thus, the spirits would gather with each other to make this happen."


    Yang Dao nodded and sighed. he wondered why Humans were not like this. He wondered why the sentient being, that had made wonders without any external aid, was so apathetic. Why would there be people who had no care or regard for the emotions that made them the higher beings on the planet?


    As he was lost in his thoughts, the trio reached the house where the people were gathered. The people saw Yang Dao, and they all bowed to him. The boy nodded back with a generous smile on his face. Ryu Jinshi followed suit and nodded to the people as they bowed to him.


    Ihniff came outside the house holding a small bundle of cloth. She was followed by a woman and a man. The woman held the man''s hand and her gaze was fixed on the child held by the elder. Yang Dao deduced her to be the mother of the child.


    Ihniff made her way to Yang Dao and said, "Lord, the family members would like you to name the child. Can you please do it?"


    The Dao Child was shocked. He did not know how to respond, however, the whole crowd was looking at him in anticipation. The boy looked at the tall man behind him. Ryu Jinshi smiled and nodded at him. He was not protecting him anymore. He would act when Yang Dao was in mortal danger.


    Yang Dao took a deep breath and nodded. The word nodded, and then Ihniff came forward and handed the child to him. The child seemed to be a little uncomfortable when Ihniff was holding. The life faction elder said, "Lord, this child is newborn so is a bit fidgety as you hold her."


    Yang Dao was not nervous because he had handled a few kids when he was a toddler. Nina and Tina also grew up under his hand. So the boy carefully placed his hand along the baby''s spine as his elbow supported her head and neck. His meticulous actions made the people surprised.


    Sushi asked, "Master, how do you know how to hold a baby?"


    Yang Dao gazed at the child in his arms and spoke with a smile, "I have handled a lot of children back at home."


    Sushi nodded. While she was aware that Yang Dao was a teenager. The other people thought that the boy was some immortal who did not age and looked like a teenager. Ihniff said, "Lord, would you like to name the child?"


    Yang Dao was surprised, and he did not know how to react. Naming a child was something that was done by the parents. He said, "Elder, this is the right of the parents. How can I, a stranger, do this?"


    Ihniff shook her head and said, "You can ask the parents for their consent." she turned to the couple standing behind her. The people smiled and said, "Lord, it will be a great fortune for our child to be named by you. Please bless her."


    The two finished speaking and bowed in a ninety-degree bow to the boy. Yang Dao thought for a bit and after witnessing their sincerity he said, "Okay. Please rise, sir & madam. I will name the child. However, I have to say something. I am not proficient in the language of the spirits, thus I do not know any names in this language. Can I name her in a language I know back at home?"


    The couple exchanged a glance and then looked at the elder. Ihniff nodded to them with a smile. They let go of the last restraint and nodded. The child''s mother asked, "Lord, can you tell us the meaning and the reason behind the name?"


    Yang Dao smiled and nodded. He said, "In this world, there is nothing eternal except change. Change is everlasting and ever exists. She has come to this world like a hymn of change. A poem of change. I would like to name her, Hymn. How is it?"


    The surrounding people all whispered the name and smiled. The people all bowed to Yang Dao and said, "Thank you for your grace, Lord."


    Yang Dao shook his head and shook his hand slightly to tease the little doll in his hands. The child was smiling and giggling in his arms. Her eyes would flicker around like normal. Yang Dao whispered in her ears, "Be good little hymn, now go to you mother. We will meet again if fate prevailed."


    This simple sentence was like a lullaby and the little girl fell asleep in a blink. Yang Dao could now resonate with the Dao. This resonation made the girl sleep. Her body was young, and this resonance was nutrition for her. Thus, to digest it, she fell asleep. Ryu Jinshi told the people that the child will be a little more sleepy than the normal children, as Yang Dao gave her a blessing.


    The people were enthralled, and they bowed to the receding back of the young man. Yang Dao had left the place after exchanging pleasantries with the people. He was going to see Sushi''s family. The girl has come back home after a long time and thus she had been staying with her people. Now that Yang Dao had come to this place, he decided to meet the people and ask about their welfare.


    Sushi had helped him in a lot of crucial matters thus, this much was his duty towards her. Ryu Jinshi followed them silently in the back. Sushi was her usual energetic self as she led Yang Dao to her home and the two chatted about a lot of trivial things with great curiosity and interest.


    The sylph became the teacher to the Dao Child while the student absorbed everything. He even discussed with Ryu Jinshi if they can take away some of the spirit fruit he ate in the evening. The azure dragon was shocked at how fast this guy would change his pace, from the Dao child to the teacher of the world, then to the student, and finally the great food hunter.

 Chapter 319: Entrustment.

    Yang Dao walked along with Sushi, discussing trivia. Ryu Jinshi was at a loss watching the two people. The man was at a loss because of these guys. However, he realized why the young man in front of him was so desired by everyone around him.


    The reason was very simple, Yang Dao would adjust according to the people and still be the best. For example, In front of the elders of the spirit council, who idolized him, he would be an idol, guiding them patiently and calmly fulfilling his duties. While on the other hand, he would be a gently caretaker in front of the common masses. Just like when he named the little girl.


    At the moment, when he just silently listened to everything that Sushi said with a faint smile on his face, was enough to define that Yang Dao has begun to merge with the great dao. Everything comes from the Dao and leads back to it.


    After walking under the giant trees for a few minutes, they reached their destination. Sushi flicked her wings and flew up along the trunk of the tree. Yang Dao followed her lead, and so did Ryu Jinshi.


    The girl entered a nest hanging down from a branch. Yang Dao slightly peeked inside and saw Sushi beckoning him. As he entered inside he said, "Where is your family Sushi?"


    The girl smiled and said, "Mom, Dad. Master has come."


    The nests may sound like a nest, but they were as big as a villa in some high society area. Following her voice, a couple walked out from inside. They both seemed to be in their middle age, but Yang Dao was smarter to know that they aged a lot more than this. The couple had a bearing similar to Sushi.


    They came to stand in front of Yang Dao and knelt on the ground. They said, "We greet the lord."


    Yang Dao waved his hand, and a gust picked them up. He said, "Please do not embarrass me. You are the parents of Sushi and that makes you my people. Do not kneel."


    The two still bowed to him and then bowed to Ryu Jinshi. The dragon had issued a mental command not to kneel. If they knelt to him, will that not make his status equal to Yang Dao? What a sin would that be?


    The two people asked Yang Dao to sit on a stool made up of dried leaves. The furniture was made of dried branches and sticks passing through dry leaves. In the territory of Sylphs, the weather was always spring, so they never needed different arrangements.


    Yang Dao sat on the stool observing the minimalist style of the house. Sushi''s mother asked, "Lord, is Ushi good in serving you. She has been a naughty child if she makes any mistakes. I apologize."


    Yang Dao was surprised by her humbleness. He expected them to be humble but straight apologizing was not on the charts. He hurriedly replied, "Elder, she is very good to me and has helped me a lot. I just hope that I am good to her."


    Sushi smiled and stuck out her tongue to Yang Dao, making the latter smile. Her father glared at her. It was a sin to tease the LORD. Yang Dao shook his head at the situation. after exchanging pleasantries, he told them about his future expedition and that he will be leaving from the last stop itself and not coming back.


    He asked whether Sushi would like to stay in this realm among her people or will be following him back. The girl chose the latter without any hesitation. The family of three became emotional a bit, but they were happy and grateful that their daughter was following the emissary of heaven.


    After the farewell, Yang Dao came to the center of the region near the tree where the elders resided. He was told by Ryu that there was a teleportation formation that can make him teleport to the other regions.


    The distance between the places did not matter anymore. Yang Dao was happy to hear this news. He selected the land of undines to be his next stop. The elders, Sissas and Ihniff came to send him off. The boy gave them his advice about the path of life and death and hinted that the two paths can be merged instead of separating them.


    As for the rest of the comprehension, he left it over to the people. Ryu Jinshi placed his palm on the tree trunk. Suddenly, the trunk lit up. Ryu Jinshi had circulated the source energy of the water element to select and confirm the destination for them.


    The elders were surprised as they never knew that this tree was the gate to other spirit lands, however, they did understand that only the heavenly emissary can access this portal, and thus it was forbidden for anyone to approach this place except the eldest of the region.


    Ryu Jinshi said, "Master, the land of Undines is underwater. Please take this pearl and keep it inside your mouth. This will allow you to breathe and travel there as if on land." then he gave Yang Dao a blue pearl.


    The boy placed it inside his mouth. Ryu Jinshi also gave one to Sushi, who followed them and the three people walked inside the shining portal. The blinding light inside the channel made Yang Dao close his eyes. Ryu Jinshi held the two people by their shoulders gently as the light vanished.


    Yang Dao opened his eyes and found himself in a world of blue.


    All around him he saw various fishes and sea plants. It was as if the world was constantly swaying. Under his feet was yellow sand. He moved his hand and found no restraint of the water. The boy looked up and found the yellow ball hanging high in the sky. A smile surfaced on his face. He always dreamed to go underwater diving as a child and today he could experience all this.


    He thought, ''The world under the water. It surely is beautiful.''


    Ryu Jinshi spoke up, "Master, you can transmit your thoughts to communicate if you wish to."


    Yang Dao nodded and tried to communicate mentally, "Where are we?"


    Ryu Jinshi was about to reply when they sensed huge movement in the surroundings. Yang Dao saw people surrounding them, or fishes surrounding them. At first glance, he thought humans were riding fishes, but then he focused and saw that these people were half humans and half fish. They all looked beautiful to him. Sea-green eyes, varying hair color, sharp features. The scales on their body were so beautiful.


    Two people swam forward and placed their right hand over their heart-formed into a fist. They bowed their heads and said, "We have seen the emissary of heavens."


    Yang Dao nodded with a smile. He thought, ''Thank God, these guys cannot kneel.''


    He was toxic here, the people did not have knees, and he was thankful that they did not prostrate themselves in front of him. Bad Dao child.


    Well, after the introduction, he found out that the two in front of him were the elders of the Undine. The rest of the people were the guardians of the Heaven Reef. They were not aware that it was a portal, but since no trespassing was allowed, they posted some guards around the area. This was to keep the mundane creatures at bay.


    Yang Dao was led out and he was surprised to see the surrounding scenery. This was not what he expected. The corals were as big as buildings in the human world and they were used as the housing infrastructure. Since water had no roads, the people had marked some waterways for convenient traffic. The mode of transportation? Sea horses and fishes.


    Yang Dao was fascinated by this and he had an urge to paint. However, the boy calmed his mind and said, "Where can we discuss the rules and ceremonies you guys perform. I would like to know about what are your views on Life and Death."


    The undine elders bowed their heads, and they said, "Lord please come along with us."


    Yang Dao was sure of one thing. These fish-men were different from the Sylphs. So he became even more curious about this. They led him over, and on the way, he noticed some guards patrolling the area holding tridents in their hands. Yang Dao did not understand what was going on. He had an impression that the spirit world was a peaceful place, but that did not seem to be true at this moment.


    Sushi was sticking closer to Yang Dao. After all, she was not used to such scenes and was slightly uncomfortable. Yang Dao asked the elder in front, "Elders, may I ask you what is going on with these people holding spears?"


    The two elders in the front stopped, and the man replied, "Lord, these are the Undine Guards. They patrol the area as for the reason this is happening, I will tell you inside the Parliament."


    Yang Dao was shocked to hear the words Parliament, but he was curious as well. Thus, he nodded and followed the people.


    ||FOLLOW ME ON WN GUYS. PLEASE.||

 Chapter 320: Undine Administration.

    Yang Dao was taken to a coral building the people called the parliament. The building was made of red coral. It was very fascinating to see how they made use of this thing. The whole coral was hollowed out and then used as buildings by the undines.


    The boy could not help but as how did they do it. The answer made him speechless. The undine elder displayed how they used pressurized water to hollow it out. Well, he thought, and found this method to be in line with the nature of the spirits.


    Elemental spirits were creatures who lived in harmony with nature. They only used what they needed and not a single shred more and they still tried to be in line with nature, not damaging it too much. Corals were said to be so delicate that they can break on the softest touch, but the scene in front of his eyes was completely different.


    Ryu Jinshi smiled and resolved this confusion of the boy, "Master, these structures are close to Corals found back in the mortal realm but are completely different. Do you know how soil rich in different metals and minerals has a different color? These coral-like mountains are the same. The color is because of the different densities of minerals and metals."


    Yang Dao felt a new world open to him at the moment. This sort of thing was too unexpected, but he was eager to learn more about such things in the world. Under the leadership of two undines, the group stepped inside the Coral building. Ryu Jinshi swept his gaze around once and nodded. he was a heavenly spirit incarnate. His innate memory had deep imprints in his mind, so he was not very captivated by such sights.


    Sushi, on the other hand, was looking all around the place with awe in her eyes. Yang Dao was also looking around, but he was thinking about some other things. His brain was not usual. He was taking down architectural notes. As for his plans about it, only he was aware.


    The inside of the coral was empty except for some weight-bearing pillars. The pillars all had exquisite patterns carved all over them. It was as if the patterns were telling a story. Sushi said, "This is the legend of Poseidon?"


    The two undines were surprised and then, with a smile, the lady among them said, "Yes, little Sylph, have you heard of Lord Poseidon''s legend?"


    Sushi nodded with some pride in her eyes. She said, "After the last emissary of heavens visited our world, he found that the Undines had no system and were spread around, so he selected the wisest Undine and asked him to make the race unite. This wise person was Lord Poseidon. He accepted the task and with his intellect and chivalry, brought the race together. Thus Undines became united."


    The two elders nodded with reverence in their eyes. The woman said, "Not only the unification but Lord Poseidon also designed the governance system. He found that the undines were too impulsive sometimes, so he made some rules to make sure that the race does not do anything harmful to itself or the other people.


    He believed that the water element that resided inside us was so strong that its flow can wash away the world. The people would need some regulations to control this flow within them. Only when the flow is stable, will they be able to strive forward."


    Yang Dao asked, "What to do when the flow encounters blockade?"


    The undine said, "Endure and accumulate and then the pressure of the flow will overcome the blockade."


    Yang Dao nodded. The brief discussion told him that this Lord Poseidon was very wise and good. That said, the ground floor was filled with just pillars depicting the legend of Poseidon. On the side of the entrance was a staircase leading the people to the first floor. The two elders led them upstairs.


    The staircase was long and circled the whole Coral. The ground floor also had most of its area left as it was naturally. The pillars were made in the memory of Lord Poseidon. Yang Dao liked the thoughtfulness of this construct. The parliament was made on the top of the coral. They had the top hollowed out for this purpose.


    They had windows on the side of the staircase. The stairs were made for the foreign race elders who might visit the place. Undines would provide them with pearls similar to the one Ryu Jinshi gave Yang Dao and Sushi earlier. The top floor was similarly minimalistic.


    The two elders led the three people to sit down on the couch placed inside the chamber. The chamber was as big as a few hundred meters square. It was filled with some stools made of stone. The two undines placed their fists over their hearts and said, "Lord, the elders of the two factions will be coming over in a few moments. Would you like to eat something?"


    The keyword here was ''eat''. When has Yang Dao not welcomed food? He nodded with a calm face, but Ryu Jinshi could sense the anticipation in his eyes. The Azure dragon smiled, and he snorted in his mind. The voice was directly transferred to the minds of the elders of both factions.


    "How dare you, people delay meeting with my Master? Shall I clip your scales?" his words were a direct naked threat.


    The elders were not too far. The reason they were delayed was the entanglement with the duties they had. Although the Sylphs had delivered the word, they did not expect Yang Dao to arrive so quickly. They were just in the middle of preparation when they sensed the movement inside the forbidden area.


    Thankfully, they had two elders posted to attend the emissary at any given time. They all rushed over, almost in sync with Ryu''s snort. A total of eight people stood in front of Yang Dao and all performed the honorary salute with their fists. One person swam forward and said, "Lord, my name is Marinus. The leader of the Life Faction."


    Another man swam forward from another side. He said, "Lord, I am Oshorus. The leader of the Death faction."


    Yang Dao nodded and said, "You all are my elders. Please take a seat before we all talk." his status as the heavenly emissary did not allow him to get up and talk but his manners and habits aided him well.


    The elders had heard from the spirit king that the Emissary was polite and dignified, and it all turned out to be true now. Yang Dao waited for them to be seated before he asked, "What is the reason that you still have so high patrol and troops?"


    He wanted to know all this, because if it was just like how the two elders earlier explained to him. Then, over time, society should have already adjusted to this restrained mindset.


    Marinus said, "Lord, I would like to talk freely." and he paused. Yang Dao nodded, and the former continued speaking. "A few decades ago we tried to abolish the forces. However, the people who learned to be restrained from the fear of being punished resurfaced. Thus, we had to reinstate the forces."


    Oshorus said, "Lord, the forces are like a dam that restrains the flow of water. Once the gates are open, the flow will flood the society. We did not want our people to be washed out and thus the implementations. If possible, we seek your guidance to correct this flaw."


    Yang Dao gazed at the people and asked, "I would first like to hear the opinion of all the elders." his words made them surprised, but still, after constant observation, the people did have some ideas and they all put them forward.


    One of the opinions was that the self-control standard of the people must be tempered. Yang Dao took a note of it and when the elders were done he said, "As one of you just said, pardon me as I do not know your name, madam. The self refrain is needed. However, if you take out the dam, then the sudden flow of intensity will not be calm at all.


    I suggest that you all try to come together and discuss the truth of life and death with the people. These two things have been described separately, but after the clarification, I gave the spirit kings that day. You all may be aware that the combination of the two is what makes your life stable. That stability is what we are all looking for here, right?"


    The elders thought about it a bit and then nodded. They were going to move in the direction of unification of the two factions, but on their own, it would have been slow. Since Yang Dao pointed the way, they will move forward with trust in their hearts. Ryu Jinshi, on the side, also nodded in satisfaction. Only when you look at things together, will you know that life and death are related.


    Yang Dao may not have told them all this directly, but if the spirits cannot take the direct hint, then they shall not be spirits.

 Chapter 321: Learn.

    After the discussion with the elders of the Undine race, the elders became eager to implement the new ways suggested by Yang Dao. However, they dared not neglect the duties of a host. How can Yang Dao not see this? and said, "At this moment you all are exercising your self-control. Your nature makes your heart and thoughts move forward, but it is can still refrain."


    His voice had turned ethereal as if hypnotizing the Undine Elders. They all sensed a strange calm washing over their restless thoughts, making them firm and calm. The surrounding water had a slightly colder temperature than the normal Undines.


    This was nothing more than an indication that they were now calm. The undine elders did not know when they had changed their fishtails into human limbs and were kneeling on the ground. When they recovered, they all had reverence in their eyes. The target was Yang Dao. The boy was also not too hard on them. He waved his hand and let them go on to deal with the things they had in their minds.


    Ryu Jinshi wanted to stop them and say something using his mental energy, but he was stopped by Yang Dao. The Dao child waved his hand and said, "The spirits all follow the commands of nature. These commands are not something we can intercept until we have become one with nature. Let them go, or you will stand in obstruction of nature''s course."


    Ryu Jinshi bowed and said, "As you command, Master."


    The three people were then provided with two guards to move around the territory and sightsee. Yang Dao was very fascinated by the necklaces and other things. He bought some. The shopkeepers were aware of his status and wanted to waive the cost to him, but Yang Dao did not budge and only accepted the gifts after the payment was accepted.


    The masses were enthralled to see the emissary of the heavens be buying the mundane things. One man could not help but came forward to ask him, "Sir, will you have any use of these back at your heavenly palace?"


    The boy was taken aback, then he chuckled. The people thought that the guy was offended but the young man replied, "I have yet to get the qualification to get inside the Heavenly palace. Also, even if it is the heavenly palace, mundane things that bring you peace are not mundane."


    The people were confused for a bit, but after a few seconds the mist cleared and they understood what he meant. They all bowed to his receding back. They comprehended that if something can bring you peace, true peace, then it is not a mundane thing and can be placed in the heavenly palace. Peace is priceless and cannot be judged by monetary value.


    This washed away their doubts about the Dao child. Well, they thought that the person was buying it all just for the sake of farming some goodwill. Absurd, when had the Dao child missing such things as goodwill. Now that the person was acting genuinely, their respect grew.


    The reason Yang Dao did not take things for free was that he was not such a person. Secondly, he did not wish to owe favors to anyone for such trivial things. The knowledge of four laws had made it clear to him that the cause and effect in the world will someday come forward and become his biggest obstacle in the path to move forward.


    Ryu Jinshi understood was he was thinking and said, "Master, if you do not form bonds or connections then that will also be a flaw in your way to ascension."


    Yang Dao nodded and said, "I understand that Ryu, but is it necessary for me to make connections with everyone. I have the four of you. My friends in the mortal world. The reason I am not eager to have any bonds in this place is because of the limited travel. What if I need help or they need my help? I cannot intervene in the laws of the world too much or the catastrophe may elevate."


    That said, the three people continued walking among the sand streets of the Undine region. Yang Dao asked, "Where can we try to eat some food?"


    Only Salamanders were carnivorous among the spirits, the rest all consumed vegetables. Sounds odd but the closer they were to nature and given the conditions the three species lived, vegetables were abundant in bulk and sprint was only for the fire species because they were all warriors. They needed to be stronger than the rest of the species.


    However, it was not just eating all and anything, they would just eat the beasts that are closed to their lifespan found inside their territory. Despite being the beasts of brute force, they all had a warmer side. They were very united, and they loved their families. Yang Dao heard all this from the babbling Sushi and was shocked. His first impression of the Salamanders was that of a warrior hungry for battles.


    Sushi laughed so loud that it attracted the Undines around them after she heard what he thought of the Salamanders. Ryu Jinshi also had a faint smile on his face. The master still had a long way to go and learn that a book must not be judged from its cover. Although he would not do so every time, a slip sometimes was necessary to make him regain his stability and become even better.


    Yang Dao was not a person to flinch his neck back when it came to learning things. His attitude to learning about everything came to him as an innate feature of his persona, embedded deep inside his origins. The Dao was ever-changing and thus the Dao child was also changing as he learned about things.


    The boy completed the tour of the territory faster than he expected. By the end of the day, he said to Ryu, "We need to wrap things up fast. I have been here for 6 days now. Which means six weeks have gone by. I need to get back home."


    Ryu nodded and said, "We shall go to the Gnome territory today. After you are done there, we can head to the Salamanders and go back home. How about?"


    Yang Dao thought about it and then nodded. He said, "What I learn here is not that immersive. All the things in this realm teach you how to be in line with nature. How to use nature without damaging it beyond the point of repair. I saw how the Undines repaired three buildings with the dust they collected during the hollowing.


    They did not dump it away like us. They have no garbage here, they eat seaweed and it tastes delicious. The means of communication has also taken from nature itself. Even if they use sea animals for transport, they are not harsh on them. While humans think that if they own an animal, they can do anything.


    I have learned the importance of the change in the human mindset. The governments and politics, the businessmen and the profiteers. These people will always exist. After all, we need the good to be balanced by the bad, but they need to stop the exploitation of nature and the morale of humanity. The supreme beings of the world, yet are the cause of the world''s destruction.


    After going back, the first thing I will do is..."


    He chatted with Ryu Jinshi in-depth about his future goals and the picture of the world he had in his mind. The azure dragon was also very patient, and he guided the boy calmly. Sushi was allowed to wander around the vicinity on her own. What the two men were talking about was not heard by the surrounding people, as they had cast a barrier.


    If they let the knowledge of other realms influence this world, it will be a catastrophe. Ryu Jinshi said, "Master, you can leave the people that can be reformed to us, however, I suggest that when you go back, you begin to clean up those tumors that cannot be cured."


    Yang Dao nodded. He was not a sissy when it came to killing people who were not willing to re-correct themselves. He said, "I will be carrying out hits all over the world then. Also, you need to train me. The reason I have not made any move now is that I do not have control over my killing aura. On the mission back to then, the guards could sense me. It was because they were all trained and had better senses. If I was to encounter another Elementalist, it would have been a lot more complicated."


    Ryu Jinshi nodded and said, "You have been trained by the military, so you can operate in a team with no problem. However, acting as an assassin is a different thing. I will take you to the battlefields of the freedom country, both the hidden ones and the world-known. There you will accumulate the experience and the control you seek."

 Chapter 322: Hint.

    Yang Dao agreed to Ryu Jinshi''s suggestion and before the time of the day ended, they left the Undine region and, using a similar teleportation channel, came to Gnome land.


    The first thing Yang Dao saw around him was a wall covered in pebbles. Yes, he found that he was standing inside a room and the walls were covered with white and black pebbles. The ceiling was a dome-styled one, covered with pebbles as well.


    This room seemed to have been a secluded place as well, as some green moss was visible between the pebbles on the walls. There were some places on the wall where a candle stand was placed. Ryu Jinshi said, "This is the standard architecture of the gnomes, master. They live in stone huts and pebbles. Well, you must know this from the book of life."


    Yang Dao nodded with a faint smile on his face. The book of life had the mention of the pebbles in it. One time a little girl visited the land of gnomes, she found these spirits very cute, it could be that her first element was earth as well, si she had a greater affinity with these spirits. The girl was very happy, but when she saw the houses Gnomes used, she frowned.


    This little girl was also a Dao Child in the past and epochs ago. The girl said, why do you not use any decoration, the Gnome elder told her that, for Gnome decorations are just superficial and they prefer to be close to nature. The girl was only ten years old. At first, she held it back, but after spending two days in this territory, she found some pebbles. Then she used her earth skills and used the pebbles to decorate the huts.


    The decoration of stones made the huts look attractive and also not too crude. The gnomes also did not find it odd or uncomfortable. They thanked the girl for her teachings and since then they decorated the houses and every building in such a manner. She taught them that if they wished for it, the rawness of nature will become beautiful.


    Yang Dao had smiled when he recalled this. The three people walked out of the hut calmly. They were greeted by the elders of the Gnomes. The Sylphs were people who lived in an aloof manner. The undine was a society of rules and regulations. Gnomes were crafters.


    Yes, they used the earth element to create objects and give them to the other races. Sylphs exchanged the spirit fruits they had, Undines exchanged their form of currency, and Gnomes exchanged their utensils and other crafts for the things they needed from the other races.


    The spirits had a barter system formed between them, and Yang Dao had found that, unlike humans, their barter system does not cause any conflict of interest. Thus, they all are happy. It was not even a barter system. The spirits exchanged things among each other out of necessity and nothing more. This barter system was also established by the previous Dao Child.


    The elders of the Gnomes bowed down to Yang Dao and said, "We greet the lord."


    Yang Dao smiled and said, "Please raise your head."


    The people raised their heads, and they led him to the earth hall for discussion. Since Yang Dao was short on time, he did not bother to tour the region, but on the way, he was taken to visit the marketplace of the place. The territories of the spirit races were vast, yet they all had a common marketplace. This was done to keep the serenity of the other places intact.


    Back in the Undine region, Yang Dao like some things and Ryu Jinshi paid for them with his currency. This currency was a sort of crystal that carried his aura. This crystal would slowly make the holder stronger. In the market of Gnomes, Yang Dao liked some toys they had made for the children in the region. He bought a few that were unique.


    Ryu Jinshi paid without any hesitation in his mind. His crystal may make the holder strong, but it will not help them break past the limited potential. That would require a little more effort. Soon they arrived in front of a building that was used by the Gnomes to discuss the matters of society and seclusion. A place where they learned about life and death in a deeper sense.


    Yang Dao asked them to discuss among themselves as he input some points of his own in between when the discussion was about to reach a stagnation point. The gnomes were patient people and thus the stagnation did not bother them, but when Yang Dao pointed out the way for them, they were happy.


    Yes, it may seem that the Gnomes had a grumpy temper, but on the contrary, they were all very calm and patient. No wonder the previous Dao children found them cute. The gnomes were described by that term.


    The Gnomes were simple and their problems were easily solvable. Yang Dao was thinking that he might have to spend a lot of time. But it was all done in the matter of an evening. He retired for the day. Sushi wanted to take him out to wander, but the boy refused to say that he needed to consolidate what he gained in these days.


    He came to a house he was arranged by the Gnomes. This house had two floors. It only had one room. The room was not square but round, attached with a bathroom and toilet. A flight of stairs led to the floor above. The floor above was similar to the room he had below except it had a dome ceiling and the sound of the wind was louder.


    A small door that needed one to bend down if they wished to go outside was spotted on the side. Yang Dao was a curious teenager than well, so he came outside to see what was this place all about. He found himself standing on a seamless balcony. There was no boundary wall as well. It was more like a broader ledge than a balcony.


    As Yang Dao moved around, his eyes found a very special thing. Every house of the gnomes had their white and black pebbles arranged in such a way that they formed a face. His house was on the highest vantage point in the surroundings and thus he could see this face.


    As he watched this face, he fell into thoughts. He felt as if the other person was someone he had known for a long time.


    ...


    Somewhere unknown, surrounded by a group of people drinking liquor and gorging meat, sat a lady. The lady had sharp features. She had snow-white hair reaching her feet. She wore a black shirt and white loose pants. A long sword tied to her waist. Unlike the surrounding people, she was not drinking or eating in an unhygienic manner. However, the people were unbothered by the strength she was radiating. It was as if she was not present there.


    Suddenly, a spark flashed in her eyes, a rare smile surfaced on her lips as she mumbled under her breath, "Seems like the heavens have found a suitable candidate. I wonder when can I meet him, the one who is destined to be with me."


    her soft words were heard by herself only. A man walked over and came to stand behind her. He said, "Saintess, the Ashura Clan refuses to heed the commands. What shall we do?"


    The lady sighed and said, "Why do I have to tell you this every time? Go and talk to them again. My words are not a command but a suggestion if they do not intend to accept them. Then leave them be, let them die by infighting."


    The man nodded and left. He was thinking, "The Emissary of Hell, since when did you allow people to ignore your ''suggestions''?"


    The lady back at the table mumbled again, "For the sake of your existence, I gave them a chance."


    ...


    Yang Dao had no idea that the face he saw on the houses of the Gnome spirits belonged to none other than his counterpart, the emissary of hell. She was also a Dao Child, but she represented hell while Yang Dao represented Heaven.


    The boy was unaware of all this and he was sitting with his legs crossed on the terrace, immersed in meditation. His thoughts were focused on what he has learned in this realm of the spirits. His aura was getting finer with every second.


    Ryu Jinshi, who was standing a meter away from him, thought to himself, "The master has gotten the hint of the emissary of hell. His aura has started to become finer. It is time that he also selected a weapon to keep beside him." as he sighed.


    ...


    The night passed away soon and Yang Dao was prepared to say farewell to the people here. The three of them headed to the region of the Salamanders.

 Chapter 323: The Salamanders.

    Yang Dao consolidated all the knowledge he had gained in this one day. The night passed away. Just before the sun came up in the sky, the boy could see the curtain of darkness lifting and the stars looking so pretty. Ryu Jinshi said, "Master, what are you thinking?"


    The boy replied, "I wonder if such stars can be seen back at home as well. The pollution clouds have become a pain now."


    Ryu Jinshi nodded and said, "We can make things happen. It will take time but we can surely change things around. No?"


    Yang Dao said, "Until humans are shown the wonder of elements. They will never be attentive to all the destruction they are causing. Even if they are conscious they will not have the sincerity."


    His words were correct, humans were not sincere in their effort to save the world as they were in their race of development. Yang Dao wished to change this mindset. Suddenly a soft voice asked, "Master, why can you not show all this to the other people?"


    Turning his head to the side, he found Sushi sitting at the ledge, swinging her legs in the void with a silly smile on her face. Yang Dao asked, "What do you mean?"


    Sushi replied, "Master, do you not have those things moving on that box. Like images? I forgot what they were called. But you can make such images move, and tell the people about it?" her question was like a bomb in Yang Dao''s brain.


    He stood up all of a sudden and said, "You are a genius, Sushi."


    He was so excited by this idea, that he hugged the girl in his embrace and gave her a swing. He calmed down quickly as well and said, "I will have RALF design a theme park and a movie setup looking like this and then, we will show the world the magic of the elements."


    Ryu Jinshi smiled at this. He was happy cause Yang Dao was happy. The next moment the boy said, "Ryu, let us go to the Salamanders. I wish to see their territory and then go back home."


    The azure dragon nodded and the three people came out of the house. Yang Dao found an elder walking over to their place holding a tray. The two met outside the house. Gnome elder asked in confusion, "Lord, is there something troubling you? Did we not make proper arrangements?"


    His eyes were evidence that he was really upset and concerned about Yang Dao''s stay. The Dao Child smiled and said, "Elder, nothing is the matter. You are worrying too much. The thing is that I need to keep on moving as I have less time at my hand. I need to go back home and deal with things. Thus, I was going to bid you all a farewell and go to the salamander region."


    The elder was happy that they did not make any mistakes but he was sad that the emissary of heavens will be going back to his place so soon. However, after the things they learned yesterday, they all realized that change is the only constant in the world. And this was not a final goodbye. Yang Dao may visit them in the future.


    The elder nodded and handed over the tray in his hands. He removed the cover and said, "Lord, this is the breakfast we prepared for you. Please, eat before you leave. We will be thankful."


    Yang Dao shook his head with a smile and said, "I will be grateful to have eaten something before going. To be honest we were about to come and ask for some food."


    The elder was old and a smile surfaced on his face as soon as he heard this. Yang Dao took a fruit from the tray and ate it with a smile on his face. He gave Ryu Jinshi and Sushi one each. After the breakfast was complete the boy decided to meet the elders of the Gnome council once before leaving.


    Most of the spirits would wake up with the sun coming up on the horizon, the Gnomes were the same, they would wake up and get to their tasks after cleaning up. The weather in the morning was slightly chilly but comfortable.


    After the farewell to the elders of the gnomes. Yang Dao and Ryu Jinshi came to the teleportation channel. The latter channeled his fire source energy and they teleported to the land of Salamanders.


    Salamanders were like a primitive species. They would like in stone huts but the huts were unlike Gnomes. They had no rules, everything was decided by strength. Unlike Undines, who followed orders, Salamanders worshipped the strength of an individual above anything else. When Yang Dao and Ryu Jinshi appeared near the teleportation channel they found no one guarding the place.


    Ryu Jinshi raised his eyebrows in utter dissatisfaction. Salamanders were humanoid creatures and their looks were the closest to a dragon than any other species. However, his presence made no sense to them? They did not come to greet him and his master? Since they worship strength, were they looking down on their strength?


    All these questions came up in his mind and he was getting angry. Yang Dao said, "Ryu, calm down. Things are not as simple as they seem to be."


    Ryu Jinshi took a deep breath and said, "Yes, master. What shall we do now?"


    Yang Dao smiled and said, "Ofcourse, we go forward." with that he moved forward. The teleportation channel in this region was a big boulder filled with cracks and it seemed that molten lava may drip out of the surface anytime.


    The heat waves were too close for comfort. However, the Dao Child had an all weather blessing. The three people walked forward after sensing the movements. After ten minutes they came to a building where a lot of people were gathered. Ryu Jinshi walked in front and asked a man standing at the back of the gathering.


    "What is going on here?" he said in a deep voice.


    The male salamander did not turn back but said, "Brarut is going to challenge the old Elder, Bezor."


    Ryu Jinshi said, "Move aside, we need to pass."


    The salamanders were very arrogant and they only believed in the strength of an individual. Hearing Ryu speak in a commanding tone, the salamander snorted and turned around as he said, "Do you know who I am? How dare you..."


    Before his words could complete, Ryu Jinshi waved his hand and a wall of fire split the crowd. The thing about this wall of fire was that flames of the wall were all blue. The red sky stood in stark contrast with the fire.


    The salamanders were told a story from childhood. Blue flames of the god, was the title of this story. The whole crowd froze, and people started to kneel on the ground. The wall of fire receded and Ryu Jinshi snorted.


    He took a step back and turned to his side as he said, "Master, please." making a gesture with his hand to let Yang Dao walk forward.


    The kneeling Salamanders turned their heads to look at the young boy walking forward. Suddenly they caught a glimpse of the azure halo floating over his head. They shivered with fright. This boy was the god king the people were talking about.


    Yang Dao walked forward and where he passed he left a gust of hot wind in his wake. The salamanders liked heat and this gust was a bliss for them. Walking to the center of the crowd, they spotted two people standing against each other.


    They both held a spear in their hands. Their eyes were brimming with the intent to fight. Ryu Jinshi said, "What is going on here? Care to tell us, late comers more?"


    His voice attracted the two people standing in the ring. They were irritated to hear someone disturbing them but after they saw the people in the circle kneeling on the ground, and the attire worn by Yang Dao and Ryu Jinshi. They strangled the thoughts and curses in their mind and knelt to greet the people.


    Several more people came out of the crowd they all had a strong aura surrounding them. Ryu Jinshi exhaled heavily and all the aura vanished. Yang Dao recognized one of them. This was the person he saw in the spirit council citadel.


    The same man came forward and knelt on the ground. He said, "Lord, we are graced by your presence."


    Yang Dao asked, "What is happening here?"


    The man said with a sad smile, "The son wishes to succeed his father, the father says the son is not eligible yet. So the son exercised his right of duel of ascension. In short, they will fight to death."


    Yang Dao took a deep breath and said, "Can they not stop before killing each other? Even if you all worship strength, you must have some emotions inside you, right?"


    The young one said, "Pardon me, Lord, but only weak talk about emotions."


    His intent maybe something else, but he successfully pissed of Yang Dao by indirectly calling him weak.

 Chapter 324: Agni Dwand.

    Yang Dao heard the young Salamander say that emotions are meant for the weak only. He felt the word weak might be aiming at him as he was the one who preached about emotions among compatriots. He did not expect this young one to be coming in so strong. He asked, "So emotions are for the week you say? I would like to ask you if you are the strongest one among your people?"


    The young salamander nodded and said, "Yes, I am the strongest one in our generation." his voice was laced with a strong sense of confidence.


    Yang Dao moved his gaze around the crowd and spotted the people nodding slowly. He nodded and said, "Then do you think there is no other person, stronger than you in the world?"


    The young Salamander hesitated, after all, he knew that the world was big enough but then he said, "I would not know until I try. At least in my territory, no one is stronger than me."


    Ryu Jinshi stepped forward but Yang Dao waved his hand to stop him and continued to ask the young Salamander, "Since you are so confident, I would like the old sir to let me fight in his place. Is that possible?"


    His words set up a tremor among the people. They did not expect this passing traveler to meddle in their works. They did not expect him to challenge their champion. The elders of the race were also surprised. The supreme elder, the one who represents the race in the spirit council, came forward and said, "Lord, you do not need to do this. If something..."


    Yang Dao cut in before he finished speaking, "If something happened, none of you will be held responsible. Worry not, I have some skills to get by. Do tell me the rules."


    The elder said, "Since you have made up your mind, I will tell you that you can only use the Fire element to participate in the Agni Dwand, the duel by fire. You can only use the spear as your weapon. Would you still like to battle lord?"


    Yang Dao did not know the two things but he decided to go through with his decision. He said, "I agree to fight the duel."


    As soon as those words were dropped, Ryu Jinshi asked, "Master, be calm."


    Yang Dao nodded and walked inside the circle where the two people stood. The young salamander said, "I do not have the habit to go easy, still, I will try not to burn your face."


    The Salamanders were not particularly handsome, and Yang Dao''s appearance was repulsing to them. The Dao Child smiled faintly as he heard the remark. He said, "I hope you still have the scales left after I am done with you."


    He glanced at the elder and said, "I do not know to harness the power of fire or to cast spells. Can I still use my source energy to fight? I will not cast any second element spells." his voice was calm and patient.


    The elders exchanged a glance and then nodded. The elder inside the circle handed the spear to Yang Dao as he walked out with a solemn reaction. The young Salamander said, "Emissary of heavens, you sure are high on success, facing me with no knowledge of Fire. Are you looking down on me too much?"


    Yang Dao shook his head and said, "I do not even know you, let alone looking down on you. Thinking too much is not good enough. I am still a student back at my home. I know two elements and four laws. I am quite strong you know?"


    The young salamander brandished his spear and said, "Come on."


    Yang Dao glanced at him and said, "Okay." he stabbed the spear down in the ground and took up a standard boxing stance.


    The surrounding people were surprised, the elders of the race looked at Ryu Jinshi, who cast a barrier around the circle with a wave of his hand, with a worried face. The azure dragon said, "Do not worry, my master is not a kid, and also, he is not that easy to win. The young salamander will recognize this fact soon as well."


    His words dropped and he said, "Arambha."


    Arambha, means to begin.


    The two participants moved, while the young Salamander stabbed ahead with his spear, aiming at Yang Dao''s heart, the latter moved forward and suddenly dodged to the side as he kept moving closer. The young Salamander sneered and with a blowing gesture, he let out a stream of fire to attack Yang Dao.


    The Dao child was in a bind as soon as the match began. However, was he such an easy person to deal with? Yang Dao swiped his leg on the ground and a lot of coarse sand flew up to become his shield.


    The fire was weak against the earth. The young salamander did not understand what happened, just when he was in a daze to see his attack fail, Yang Dao had closed the gap between them, and his leg kicked at the opponent''s waist augmented by the earth source energy.


    The kick connected and the young salamander flew back slightly. This spirit race had scaled on their torso to help them deal with the incoming damage. However, the aftershock was strong and thus he flew back from the kick. A normal salamander was two feet taller than normal humans. Yang Dao was six feet tall, and the young opponent against him was eight feet and some inches tall.


    The Dao Child did not want his opponent to have any time to think of a counter-strategy and moved forward. Suddenly the salamander started to swing his spear in circles and soon a circle of fire began to rise around him. However, before he could complete the spell. Yang Dao used his old trick again.


    He kicked back and rushed forward. Before the young guy could do anything, his eye caught the glimpse of Yang Dao''s eyes. Those eyes were hypnotizing, it was like an abyss of black and white, spinning like the world they live on. Dao Eyes came out when Yang Dao wished for it and the salamander in front of him turned into a crossover of black and white.


    The next moment his fists started to rain on the opponent. The knuckles were augmented and they brought the salamander a lot of pain. Yang Dao was not hitting his abdomen blindly, but all the places where the light was weaker.


    Yes, the light lines were a representation of the salamander''s body and these lines were what he exploited. The weak light was a representation of the injuries he had suffered in the past. These weak tints were like time bombs waiting to be played with so that they can explode.


    The pain made the salamander very angry, he gave up his spear and grappled Yang Dao in his strong grip. Holding the boy in a place he tried to hit his chest with his knees. The Dao Child had his head being held in a strong grip. Then he was being kicked by strong knees. So what he did was to turn the tables.


    All of a sudden he gave up the struggle to free from the grip and let his body fall down like weak. The drastic change in his weight made the salamander stumble and loosen his grip. As soon as that happened. Yang Dao delivered his strongest punch to the guy''s gut. The salamander could not help but let out a groan.


    The impact made the people gawk. They did not expect this sort of reaction from their champion. Before the salamander fighter could even cast a spell of fire, Yang Dao had taken hold of his extended arm and threw him over his shoulder.


    BANG.


    The salamander fell on the ground and his head buzzed a little. The Dao Child was so pissed that while he held the hand in his hand, he kicked the salamander in the chest. He did not hold back a little bit. This guy dared to look down on him and he also dared to look down on the things that made them better than other creatures.


    After a few kicks, the young salamander was knocked out. Ryu Jinshi saw this and said, "Master, the duel is finished. The opponent has fainted."


    Only then did the guy stop with his kicks. Yang Dao was also panting. He was not unscathed. He had two red marks visible around his neck, they were formed from the Salamander''s hold. Not only that a few sparks from the unfinished spell had hurt him, and left a few burn marks on his face.


    Ryu Jinshi stood outside the circle and nodded in satisfaction. Yang Dao had never fought such a brutal fight, he had dealt with humans, killed with guns but never a brawl with an elemental. Today, he had finally gotten a glimpse of how strong an elemental could be. If not for the laws of light and dark, the situation could have been worse.

 Chapter 325: Correction.

    Yang Dao stopped kicking the guy and with after panting for a few bits, he caught up to his breath. His breathing was not ragged because he was tired but because he was excited when he fought with the young salamander. Never has he experienced the lethality of elemental fights at such an intensity.


    The people were surprised to see there youth champion losing to the Heavenly emissary, who did not even know how to use a spear or even the fire element. It all looked so easy to them, they could not even think about using the sand on the ground to diffuse a spell. This was very shockening to them. Ryu Jinshi was scared deep inside his heart. After all, the Dao child was standing against fire and he even took some wounds.


    His neck had second degree burns, while his face had some freckles caused by the sparks. Quickly he stepped inside the ring and was about to use the earth source energy to heal,when Yang Dao waved his hand and stopped him.


    The boy said, "You may be looking down on emotions but this thirst to prove oneself in front of everyone is an emotion we call pride. The disdain when he looked down upon me is an emotion, when you all nodded in his favor is called confidence. So, tell me are all of you weak?"


    His calm voice rang out among the people and shook their hearts like an earthquake. They did not say anything an even bowed their heads in shame. Yang Dao saw that none of them gave any answer so he said, "You people are the beings of fire. Fire is not only to burn things but it is to provide warmth. It is to make the dark go away. The essence of fire is not only brutal strength but also, life giving.


    The food you eat is cooked with fire and in turn gives you energy to keep on living. When a mother holds her child in her arms, that is warmth. That is fire, the fire of affection. When two people are in love and they find spending time with each other relaxing, that heat between the two people is not only physical need but also the heat of passion and love.


    That rage you feel when someone tries to threaten your people, that is the fire you need to protect people. Is that all not emotion? What sort of bland fire will you master if you give up on the basic element that made you better then the other people? Fire of nothingness? Are you all really that weak that in order to get strong you need to make sacrifices other than your time and effort?"


    His words were nothing less then molten lava raging on to burn down the mental restraints these guys have created around themselves. In the eyes of Yang Dao, disregarding their emotions was nothing more than just weakness. This ''emotions are for the weak'' was nothing more than an excuse to hide their weakness.


    The people were all ashamed on being reprimanded by the Dao Child. They had never been so humiliated. One of the younger children walked out of the crowd and from the side of the ring asked, "Lord, how can we get stronger with emotions?"


    This question may have been asked by a child but it was something everyone in the Salamander race wanted to know. They had become used to live like this for far too long. They were a barbaric race but who said, barbarians had no concept of emotions?


    Yang Dao said, "Do you want to protect your family from facing any trouble?"


    The young child nodded without hesitation. Yang Dao smiled and said, "That is the emotion you need to hold on to and walk forward. Keep it in mind that your strength must be used only to protect those who needs protection. You are a salamander, originated from fire. What did I say about fire before?"


    Hearing Yang Dao asking him what he said about the fire, the child replied, "Fire is to light up the dark, give warmth to the people, and to make them feel safe."


    This answer brought a smile on Yang Dao''s face. He walked forward and crouched in front of the child and asked with a smile, "What is your name child?"


    The boy said, "Ifrit."


    Yang Dao smiled and said, "You are a smart child, Ifrit."


    This remark brought a smile to the child. Yang Dao stood up after patting the head of the child and turned to face the elders, he said, "It is your duty to make sure that the people are on the right path. If they gave up emotions in pursuit of strength, then what use will be that strength? A living creature without emotions is dead.


    Pursuit of life and death may look like it needs you to sacrifice but this thirst of knowledge itself is an emotion. Do you understand what I am trying to say?"


    The supreme elder of the Salamanders knelt on the ground on his knee and said, "I understand, Lord. I will make sure that the balance of their heart is not lost ever again."


    The surrounding people also knelt and said in unison, "Lord, we will correct our ways."


    Yang Dao waved his hands and said, "It is upto you. Just know this, if you are speaking empty words, then you will cause the destruction of this whole world. You are the spirits of fire. You should be more aware of what you can achieve by lining your heart with the nature."


    The people were all enlightened by what he said. He did not even need to use the Dao resonance. The equation of balance was as such. Imagine a tangled ball of hair. The tight your hold is the harder it becomes to undo the hair.


    The easy you take things the calmer you are the better you can solve the problem. It may not be the best analogy but it is still somewhere along the lines. Spiritual awareness makes you closer to finding your balance and spirit is free so how can you become aware about spirituality by force?


    Yang Dao saw that the people were indulged in epiphany. He said to Ryu Jinshi, "Shall we head back? It may take some time for them to wake up. When they wake up, we would not be needed here."


    Ryu Jinshi nodded with a smile and said, "Lord, this method you used to shatter their corrupted views, is admired by this humble one."


    Yang Dao tilted his head and said, "I did not expect the dragon of wind to be so good with eloquence." and then he chuckled as he saw Ryu Jinshi blushing in shame.


    Sushi had been silent the whole time. She asked at this moment, "Master, is there anyway I can be this big back in that world? I cannot eat much food you know?" her tone was very pitiful.


    Yang Dao looked at Ryu Jinshi who shook his head in helplessness.


    Yang Dao coaxed the sylph. Ryu Jinshi waved his hand and the gateway of the spirit realm appeared in front of them. The trio crossed the gate way and the golden gate was now even more brilliant than before. The patterns all had some sort of color radiating from them.


    Yang Dao asked, "Ryu, I did not meet any of the other species except the four spirit races?"


    Ryu Jinshi said, "Master, these species all live in a aland other than the spirit race islands. We did not go to their places. Shall we go back?"


    Yang Dao thought about it and asked, "They do not cause any imbalance?"


    Ryu jinshi said, "They are not that intelligent yet. So without intelligence their is no balance or imbalance. They only follow their instincts."


    Yang Dao nodded and said, "Maybe we can back in the future."


    Ryu Jinshi nodded with a smile and asked, "Would you not like to consolidate what you have gained?"


    Yang Dao said, "I will do that back at the Dao island. It will take too much time here. Already been six days."


    He was eager to go back home as a bad premonition was hitting him. Ryu Jinshi nodded and then he contacted Atsuji Kurogame with his spirit sense. Instantly the space crack appeared in front of them.


    Yang dao said, "Sushi, hold Ryu tightly."


    Sushi was shocked but then she saw, Ryu Jinshi taking the initiative. He placed his hand over their shoulders as they walked inside the space crack. Last time when he was returning from the space crack the boy had encountered a void beast.


    This time he hoped nothing like that happens. The initial steps were all nice but suddenly a figure formed in front of Yang Dao. The people were forced to stop. However, before Ryu Jinshi could say anything, a few more figures formed around him. One of the void beasts had a contrasting outline and had red light for eyes.


    It pointed his figure towards yang Dao and seemingly meant something but Yang Dao''s instincts were crying loudly. He sighed and said, "Ryu, I can use other laws in the space cracks with greater strength?"


    The azure dragon nodded and the next moment the figures started to wail. Yang Dao had used the law of death directly. These beasts were neither alive and neither were they dead. Thus, the laws were poison to them.


    After a few seconds when the void beasts were dead the space crack turned into a wormhole and sucked the people towards themselves.

 Chapter 326: Coming Home.

    Yang Dao and Ryu Jinshi were sucked off in the wormhole that appeared out of nowhere. They were very calm when the wormhole appeared. Ryu Jinshi held tightly onto the two of them as they vanished from their place.


    A few moments later, they appeared in the clearing. Yang Dao felt a little dizzy in his head when he landed and unable to control vertigo, he sat down on the ground. Though he was not completely in control of his senses he could make out three figures running toward him. The next thing he knew was darkness around him. The Dao child has fainted.


    Yang Dao looked around and found that he was standing in the starry space. However, this space was not outer space. Just as he was confused about this place four nights appeared around him. These lights seemed to be shining very far away from him but soon they began to travel toward him.


    The lights had the colors of four corresponding elements. As the lights came closer the shape of the heavenly beasts became clearer. The white tiger and the Azure Dragon were the clearest of the four. The beasts were in the ethereal form and looked like holograms. They were all constantly revolving around Yang Dao as if the moon of a planet.


    Though it seemed that he now had much better familiarity with the beasts but they did not talk. Or it could be that they could not talk in this form. Yang Dao did not bother about it but he was sure of one thing that this space was something inside his body. The white tiger and the Azure Dragon gave him this message.


    They could not speak but could transmit emotions and these emotions were as good as any method of communication. Yang Dao wanted to explore this world when he heard a voice calling out for him, "Dao, Dao, wake up."


    Yang Dao wanted to stay inside that space and explore but the voice made him wake up...


    In the real world, the boy on the grass suddenly flicked open his eyes and saw Feng Yun''s face. The face was inverted and obstructed by something round. Yang dao sat up and only then did he realize that he was lying in Feng Yun''s lap. He found Laohu Bai standing beside them and Atsuji Kurogame was asking Ryu Jinshi about some things.


    Laohu Bai said, "Eldest, this time your method was too rough. Ryu should have told Young Master in advance and prevented this." her voice was brimming with dissatisfaction.


    Yang dao had woken up but he was still feeling fatigued. So he asked in a low voice, "What happened? Did we not take the wormhole back then as well?"


    Loahu Bai said, "These two men are so insensitive. The further you are from the wormhole the stronger the suction will be needed. The stronger the suction the worse is the side effect. Also, can one of you tell me what is the issue with those claw marks around your neck?"


    Yang Dao flinched back and wanted to hide but he sensed a soft yet strong palm on his shoulder. He gulped a mouthful of saliva and said, "Well, I fought in a duel with a Salamander. He was so strong and used fire elements but that guy said emotions were for the weak. Then I was pissed and challenged him."


    He sighed and said, "I want to learn more weapons, Like swords, spears, and hammers. Also, can we start learning another element? Oh yeah, now that we are at it I have to tell you something. In the Gnome land, I saw a face made from the pebble stones embedded in their houses. I do not know whose face it was but it was as if I know that person from a long time."


    His last words surprised the four people. They did not expect him to see the face. However, the boy had a different motive when he said all this. He wanted to divert their attention so that he could heal his wounds by using the earth source energy. Yes, the earth had this effect. Laohu Bai spotted this and said, "Dao, it is good that you challenged him and won but try to be more careful."


    Yang Dao nodded with a smile. He was glad to be back. After talking to the people he closed his eyes and sat down in meditation. The tiny sylph was back to her original abode in this world. Yang Dao''s hair bed. The familiars cast a barrier around him as they talked among themselves about a few things.


    Feng Yun asked, "What happened in the space tunnel?"


    Ryu Jinshi replied, "Ten void monsters, led by one wise void monster. Master, evoked the law of death to wipe them off. Nothing else." his tone was filled with respect when he said the word Master.


    The other familiar spirits were not aware of the flaw they encountered inside the Spirit realm. Ryu Jinshi knew that the girls were curious and told them how Yang Dao now has the seed of life and death inside his body. He did not tell them anything about the boy being in full control of Dao resonance. He was not aware of this himself.


    He narrated the whole journey from the start of the trial to the end of their journey and that Yang dao named a baby sylph, Hymn. The two girls were far from their image of the heavenly spirits they both had tears in their eyes.


    Atsuji Kurogame said, " Yun taught him about wind, and Bai took him to learn the laws. I taught him about the earth and Ryu took him to learn the laws. Now, Ryu will teach him about fire and Yun will take him to learn the laws. In the end, it will be Bai and Me. Any objections?"


    The people shook their heads. The plan for Yang Dao''s future growth was set. Laohu Bai asked, "The face Young Master saw at the Gnome territory, could it be the face of his counterpart?"


    Atsuji Kurogame sighed and said, "It was not a probability, but certainly. If Yang Dao is the heavenly Dao Child then that person must be the Dao Child of Hell. Time is arriving closer before the ascension. Ryu, how do you plan to train him?"


    The man said, "Let him settle the mundane affairs here in the secular world, and then I will take him to the battlefields. He lacks fighting prowess. How will he work in tandem with the Dao Child of Hell? Thus, he will be learning how to kill. I wanted to take him back to the land of slaughter but he has too little contact with the blood. He may not be able to take it for the time being."


    Feng Yun said, "He had taken down people and killed before out of necessity. Even if you take him to the land of slaughter, he will not be able to spill blood until the other person attacks him first."


    Ryu Jinshi nodded and said, "I can only take him to the battlefield then."


    The people nodded and Feng Yun said, "The master will need constant guidance, make sure you do that."


    The dragon nodded and the people turned their heads to look at the boy who was meditating in the center of the island and suddenly they had a sense of respect in their eyes and knelt on the ground. The boy had an azure blue and green halo intertwined over his head. Yang Dao had reached the pinnacle of the earth element.


    He could sense the whole world being walked over, crawled over, dug out, filled in. The whole planet was rotating and Yang Dao was able to sense that. He could sense every single person breathing and causing the slightest moment in the air. It was as if he was the center of the world.


    The four people knelt on the ground unconsciously. Their heads rested on the ground as their hands were extended towards Yang Dao. The tiny sylph also flew out of his hair and landed behind Ryu Jinshi in kowtow.


    Yang Dao had ascended from Grade One Elemental god-prince to Grade Two Elemental God-Prince


    After a few minutes, the halos receded and the boy opened his eyes. All his wounds have healed and his aura had become too refined. Yang Dao looked around and said, "Umm, can we go back home. I am hungry and need to eat."


    The four people raised their heads and with smiles, they all nodded. They flew out of the Dao Island and boarded the chopper in midair. The chopped flew to the Dao Courtyard mansion. On the way, Feng Yun told him that the Nuclear fusion reactor has been completed and that the procedure of stable reaction will be achieved very soon.


    Atsuji Kurpgame told him that now the special forces have been dissolved and all the army is an Elementalist army. They all have people at level one or level two. This information was a secret for the time being and slowly the government will move toward the civilian aspect. Yang Dao nodded and said a few ideas of his own and Atsuji kurogame was shocked at this.


    He nodded and invited Yang Dao to the crown to talk about these things with all the leaders.

 Chapter 327: Take Command.

    Yang Dao talked to Atsuji Kurogame about what he thought should be done but the latter asked him to visit the Crown and meet the leaders. The Dao Child could understand that the reason why Atsuji Kurogame suggested this was because of the support needed by the country''s government. However, Yang Dao did not think things will be this easy.


    "The nuclear fusion will be built and developed independently by our company. We will give it up to the country to manage in the future but not now. If the world pressurized them to give the technology, they will have to do so in the name of the greater good. We do not need to. So I will not go to the crown. Old Abe is afraid to try new things and blend them." said Yang Dao.


    Atsuji Kurogame took the hint and said, "Let Yun send them a contract of cooperation. They will accept it if it is in the favor of the people."


    Feng Yun nodded. They all knew at this moment that Yang Dao was not interested in the country of the world. He has started to become detached from it all. The conversation continued with Yang Dao coming up with some new ideas such as how to make nature regain its balance and stuff. The four of them heard it all and they agreed to him.


    They were all more experienced than he was so they also provided him with a few better alternatives. The discussion taking place at this moment was going to change the world significantly. This was the power these people held.


    The chopper landed in the Dao Courtyard and Yang dao came down. he found that the two leopards were sitting in front of him looking very disciplined. They seemed to have lost their previous pet vibe but now they looked like guardian beasts or more like watchdogs in the canine unit.


    Loahu Bai said, "I took them with me and trained them. They now have the nobility of the elemental beast in this world. They are still weak though, but time will change everything."


    Yang Dao nodded and said, "Shadow and Luster can follow me to the battlefield in the few days to come."


    Ryu Jinshi nodded and said, "It will be good for them to train and hone their skill. Besides the people you will be dealing with are not normal people but all sorts of scums of the world so there will be no emotional baggage."


    Yang Dao walked inside the house and found RALF, the artificial robot he had uploaded with the AI program to be waiting for them. It crisply turned around and said, "Welcome home, Master."


    Feng Yun said, "I took the initiative to make some changes in the address and behavior of the bot. You can discover them later, but now you eat." then she turned to the kitchen and said, "Clemencia, serve the food."


    A voice responded, "Right away, Miss."


    Yang dao asked, "Where is Lisa?"


    Feng Yun replied, "She had exams and passed them with flying colors. She is now a student at the National University. She choose to stay in the dorms until you came back."


    Yang Dao raised his eyebrows and asked, "Mid-term admissions?"


    Usually, the people would pass the exams and they would wait till the year ends to get enrolled. Feng Yun told him that the girl not only did clear the entrance exam but also nailed the top scholarship exam of the university to get enrolled.


    Yang Dao nodded and ate the food served with his usual demeanor. After dinner, he called back his friends and chatted. Lastly, he called Mary and asked her to gather all the big shots of the company to gather in the morning.


    He walked out of his room and found that Feng Yun had just sent the rest of the familiars back to their places and was coming back inside the house. He asked, "Yun, I have something to ask of you."


    His tone was not the cherry one. His aura was that of the Dao Child. The one who had accepted his identity completely and will now move according to his status. Feng Yun smiled and bowed, "What can the subordinate do for, Master?''


    Yang Dao said, with no hesitation, "Mobilization power of the Phoenix Group."


    Feng Yun nodded and said, "Finally, the handover documents can be used. I had them made the moment I went to meet you."


    Yang Dao nodded and said, "We move it in the morning. You are still the president of the group. I will go and sleep, you too get some."


    Feng Yun nodded and said, "Yes, Master." then she went to her room.


    This may seem a little too odd, but it was what they, the familiars, wished for. The Dao Child accepted his identity and this acceptance will lead to some changes such as this. It was not overwhelming but what the familiar spirits prepared for the first time they met Yang Dao.


    These changes also did not mean to transform the boy into a tyrant but he will not be a shy one from now on. To lead the world he was needed to walk at the forefront of this movement and this can only be done when he is confident and domineering.


    Deep down he did care for the people around him. However, now was not the time to show this care and love. He had too much to do and the time was too little. The night also seemed to have grown wings and flew away.


    Yang Dao woke up and cleaned himself. He discovered that in the days he spent in different realms he did not get dirty. But just as he came back to this world he had an urge to take a shower. That said, he dressed up in formal clothes and put on a black jacket to match his pants. He walked out of the room and had a light breakfast.


    He saw that Feng Yun was also ready in her red jacket and black jeans. The boy said, "Ride bikes?"


    Feng Yun seemed to have the ability to see the future as she was wearing sneakers instead of heels. She nodded with a smile as the two had breakfast. They walked out to the garage and other than cars, Feng Yun had also collected some bikes she liked. Yang Dao picked up a black bike while she picked up a red one.


    Yang Dao chuckled and said, "You are such a sucker for red."


    Feng Yun chuckled along and said, "Just like you are for black and white."


    Yang Dao nodded with a smile. Indeed, he was a sucker for the monotone. The two people rode out of the mansion and they were like streaks of two colors on the roads. The people did not know what it was that passed them on the side. The impeccable control the two had on the bikes was as if they were controlling their bodies.


    They rode for half an hour before they reached the office buildings. First, the two people walked inside the Phoenix Group office, The Ruby Tower. The two people signed the ownership deed under the witness of the lawyers and the executives. They did not hold a big party or anything. To the duo, it will just slow them down.


    That done, Yang Dao called over all the people from the Dao Technologies to the Ruby Tower. The conference room was big enough to hold the executives of both the companies. Yang Dao was going to talk to them together.


    In just ten minutes the people arrived. Mary saw Yang Dao standing behind Feng Yun, who sat on the boss chair, with his hand holding the chair. She knew something big was coming. She took her seat on the right of Feng Yun and the rest of the officials were all arranged as well.


    Yang Dao said without turning back his face to the people, "Now, I will talk about the goals of the company in the coming six months. Firstly, to accomplish the tasks we will be needing a lot of manpower. Pheonix group works in two shifts, still, the people have to put up over time. They cannot do any more work for us and still be healthy.


    Start hiring. We need two more batches of employees to run parallel to the current staff and work for us. Overtime is banished. The treatment they get is sufficient, but they''re working to keep the job. Until they work fine there is no problem with keeping them. Understood?"


    The staff did not dare to say no after they heard the calm voice. They felt as if Feng Yun had taken over a male tone, the rest of the things were the same. The pressure they felt was even greater than Feng Yun''s.


    They all replied, "Yes."


    Yang Dao continued, "Promote the best employees and have them lead the new staff. Recruit more freshers. Target the universities, collaborate with them, and get this done. The executives will also be allotted to deal with the people together. I do not want any conflict, healthy competition is fine but if the company suffered, you can pack your stuff and leave before I have you thrown out."


    The boy was now a cold emperor leading his courtiers and had no other emotion in his mind. The next wave was the projects he had come up and the more the people heard the surprised they were. They did not think they could even complete half of what Yang Dao said, but they did not know all this would be aided by a being that could calculate much faster than them.

 Chapter 328: Change Begins.

    Yang Dao addressed the staff and issued commands to change the company structure significantly. His words and ideas shocked the people to their cores. They did not expect the Young master to be coming back from his vacation and kicking their asses to turn them into work horses.


    Yang dao walked out of the conference room after four hours. Feng Yun said one thing that made the staff become more disciplined. She said with her cold gaze falling over all of them, "The young master will be the supreme existence in this company. If the commands are not fulfilled, you can pack your bags and leave. There are a lot of people who are waiting in queue."


    Then she left as well, the reason she did this was because the staff needed to know that she would not be stepping in if they messed up. The people began to group up and divided the tasks by themselves. Then the change of the Phoenix Group began.


    Yang Dao came to Feng Yun''s cabin and said, "RALF, tell me about the progress of the nuclear fusion plant."


    "Yes, Master." replied a mechanical voice and then it started to introduce the various aspects of the the nuclear fusion powerplant to Yang Dao. The boy passed some remarks as he heard this all while sitting on the couch of the cabin. Feng Yun had also returned to the cabin but she was pushed to sit down in the chairman chair.


    Yang Dao said, "Assign the more man power to this place. Tighten the security around the area. Yun, send your shadow guards in. Also, as Bai to assign some Elemental contractors to be posted here. You will go to the crown in person and have them sign the cooperation agreement." his tone did not leave a room for negotiation.


    Feng Yun stood up with a smile and said, "I will go right away, master."


    Yang Dao raised his brows and asked, "Would premiere Abraham meet you impromptu?"


    Feng Yun chuckled and said, ''Young master, did you forget that I am the richest businesswomen in this nation?"


    Yang Dao chuckled and said, "Be careful on the road, Sister Yun."


    Feng Yun nodded and said, "I will be, Dao." she replied with a smile as she walked out of the office.


    On the way, Feng Yun met Mary, who asked, where she was going and the former told him that Yang Dao had told him to go outside and do something. This was heard by a few people in the office and then a fire spread across the company.


    The title of the news inside the employee group was, ''Young Master Feng, the handsome slave driver.''


    Yang Dao was told of this by RALF. He chuckled and ignored this news. He began to use RALF to develop another set of products that was need to excel the pace of development. He also asked Mary to come inside the cabin.


    The OL arrived and asked, "Boss, your command?"


    Yang Dao raised his head and asked, "Since you also find me to be a slave driver. I do have some things for you to deal with. Acquire all the plastic and metal scrap dealers. You have a week. Call your secretary, she needs to buy a piece of land that is at least five kilometers big, then a land by the sea, get a beach on lease, A mountain and a forest patch,


    She has a week, or I will be calling Sister Tina. Before you barge inside the cabin, do not be loud."


    Yurika walked inside the cabin with a puffy pouty face. She pointed her finger at him and shivered. After she calmed down, she asked, "Tell me how can this be done within a weak?"


    Yang dao said, ''That is your job. My job is to give you tasks. Also, you can call up our allies. They would like to grab the piece of this pie. The resources we have shall not all be consumed so give them a suitable stake. RALF, will divide the stakes after I have completed things on my side. Now, if you wish to visit orphanage, you can stay here. Or get working."


    Yurika stomped and said, "You better be ready to cook food for me."


    Yang Dao nodded and was about to say, one meal, when the girl said, "One week. No less. I will complain to sister Tina."


    Yang Dao nodded and said, "Okay, go now."


    The two ladies left and their phones were already put in action. Yang Dao was developing a holographic projector for the upcoming project. He put the basic ideas inside the computer and RALF evolved them.


    After an hour the boy got up from the couch after closing the notebook and said, "RALF, get it rendered by the evening."


    The AI replied, "Yes, master."


    Yang Dao walked out of the cabin and he headed to the entrance of the building. Then he mounted his black bike and after turning in the throttle he whizzed away. The staff was dumped with a load of work but they had no complaints. They were all told that in a week, a new batch of staff will be allocated and they can be at ease.


    They were worried that the pay scale will shrink but that was not the case and this made them work with double efficiency. Yang Dao, meanwhile, was headed to the college. He had made the decision to pass ahead of time and get on with his trainings.


    The criteria of early graduation was to create a project that could convince the teacher panel of your skills. Yang Dao was the boss of a technology company but he still wanted to get things done. He parked his bike in the parking lot and when the passing people saw him appear on the campus the word spread.


    He headed straight to the principal''s office. He was going to talk with the boss of them all. Aislinn Jasper, may have a lot of work but she was free to attend a meeting with the star student of the campus. As soon as the peon told her about Yang Dao''s arrival, she nodded to bring him in.


    Yang Dao walked in and said, "Greetings madam."


    Aislinn Jasper asked him to take a seat and asked, "What wind blew you in here, Student Dao?"


    Yang Dao jumped straight to the topic, "I want to submit a few projects and graduate ahead of time."


    Aislinn Jasper was surprised and asked, "Why do you wish for this so suddenly?"


    Yang Dao gave it to her straight, "I will be travelling in the future, and that will not allow me to appear in exams and even to study here. I have already completed the syllabus and now I have projects ready for all my courses. All you need to do is to check them."


    Aislinn Jasper thought for a bit and asked, "When do we hold the inspection?"


    "One week later." said the boy.


    The lady nodded and said, "You will have to bring your projects over to the college and it will be checked in front of the whole campus. Graduating from four courses and that too ahead of time by full three years. We need to be transparent about this. I hope you understand."


    Yang Dao nodded and agreed on the date. he was well aware that if he graduated in a low key manner the people might say that he paid his way to get the certificate. That would be detrimental for the university. He did not wish for the college to be sullied by his actions.


    After he talked with Aislinn Japser, the boy headed out. He called all his friends, they had a meal in the cafeteria and when he told them about the advance graduation the people were all sad. They did not expect him to be moving away.


    Yang Dao smiled and consoled them that they can come over to meet him in the company and if he is not on a tour he will catch up to them on the weekends. Then the people changed quickly like the wind and asked him for a party.


    The guy was not stingy and said they can all go to the paradise hotel but Kiya stood up and said, "I will not eat anything expect your cooking for this meal."


    Yang Dao hugged her from her shoulder and said, "We have party at Dao Courtyard. I will send cars to pick you guys. Icarus, you are incharge of calling the whole class. Also, the cycling club."


    Icarus was more than happy to take up this job and the people parted their ways. After this Yang Dao went to his apartment and picked up his weapons from the cupboard and after parking his bike. he came to the garage.


    He caressed his car, Quinn, gently and said, "It is time we change you. The world will follow your lead."

 Chapter 329: Shatter The Reality.

    Yang Dao rode his car, and he had already communicated with RALF to clear the parking elevator of the Dao Technologies office. and unhinge the glass panels of the lap space.


    The AI has followed the commands and began to work. While the boy himself drove the car slowly back to the building. His first project was going to start with the car itself. He had yet to tell anyone what he had in his mind. Frieda Foster was the person in charge of the lab space. When the staff was cleared out and the bots started to unhinge the glass panels around the door, she was curious and asked.


    RALF only replied, "Boss''s orders."


    Yang Dao had placed a top-secret bar on this project and none were allowed to know before completion. An hour later, the car drove inside the parking of the building. The dedicated elevator was empty and reserved for Yang Dao.


    This elevator had a space big enough to park a car. The boy did just that and drove his car inside the elevator as soon as RALF opened the doors for him remotely. The CCTV was blackened out for a second and no one was aware that Yang Dao had moved his car inside the elevator.


    The elevator moved up and Frieda was shocked to see Yang Dao moving out his car from it. The boy drove out of the car in reverse and parked inside the lab space. He got out f the car and said, "RALF, get the car up and do away with the tires. Remove the engine and driveshaft. Everything except the interior and the nanobot protection devices is to be removed. We are going to overhaul this girl."


    The bot moved instantly. They moved forward and started to remove parts carefully. Frieda Foster stepped forward and asked, "What are you going to do?"


    Yang Dao replied, "Maglev. Time has come to change the automobile and also make it pollution-free."


    Frieda asked, "What will you use for the fuel?"


    The boy just smiled mysteriously and did not say anything. He only said, "You will know soon. I have to get this done in a week, so if you do not mind, leave the lab for me. This level is not allowed to be visited by anyone. You have a paid vacation."


    Frieda Foster said, "I can be of help, do not throw me away." she made a pitiful face and said, "Okay, you can go and rest in your accommodation room. Do not come and ask me stuff."


    The girl nodded and went back to her room. This guy was too strict. Yang Dao also closed his eyes on the world outside and began to work on the car. Whenever he was too bored with the car work, he would fill up his final project pages. The reports and the projects for all the four courses were to be completed by him in this one week.


    The projects of his choice were.


    A mobile phone that did not need hands to be carried. Just put it on your ear, like an earphone, and it will work. The main element of this project was the holographic projector. RALF was capable of lithography and the level was far exceeding the most advanced machines they had. This was going to be sent in the computer applications.


    The maglev car was for physics. It was time to shock the old man Newton. He also had projects for his minor courses, but they were not to be highlighted. He buried himself inside the lab space and he did not communicate with anyone. The calls and texts were all replied to by the AI. Feng Yun told him that the negotiations with the government will be sealed within a week.


    Usually, these matters would be slow, but Feng Yun had kept in mind that Yang Dao wanted to do something big in the coming week and made an offer that the government could not refuse. This was not only from the business standpoint. She also made offers on the other aspects of the Nuclear fusion plant.


    The security and a lot of other things such as maintenance. The company did not ask for a dime of profit, but only to recover the cost they have put in to build the whole thing and the operations. The other thing she proposed was to use the profit from this plant to construct three more such plants.


    Each plant was capable of fulfilling the needs of the quarter of the nation. They will also be using other means of energy generation. Solar power and tidal energy generation were on the list and so was recycling.


    The government heard all these projects, and they were surprised by the drastic change presented by the Phoenix Group on paper. They were all leaders and could speculate about the future based on the projects they approved. If the company can achieve even fifty percent of the said plans, then they will be grateful for the better version of the country.


    The company proposed to only be responsible for the maintenance of the projects and not take a single penny from the profits. The government did not have any objections. Thus, the agreement was reached. The companies taking part in the projects will have to divide among themselves within the fifty percent shares they were allocated, while the other fifty percent belonged to the government.


    Feng Yun had completed her task in the die time and was magnificent at that. The next news came from Mary''s end that she had completed her task as well. The metal and plastic recycling plants were all acquired by her. She did not know what the boy wanted to do, but she followed the command without a doubt.


    Yurika had also completed her task of buying the patches of areas in mountains, water, forest, and the desert. The area was not too big but still, it was enough to make the people shock when they were negotiating. Yang Dao nodded and asked her to get another thing done.


    He wanted her to get permission from the government to make demolishable constructs in these patches of land. The constructs will be all eco-friendly and if the land deed cannot be extended, the constructs will be taken down.


    Yurika questioned him about what he was thinking, but the girl was denied. The land was found in four parts of the country. The central deserts, the northern mountains, the southern sea, and the eastern forest.


    The final day came and Yang Dao was also done with his work. RALF was capable of running millions of simulations in a day to make sure that the procedure was correct and that it will not fail in a small time. The equipment they had developed could be said to be the prototypes, but they must all not be half-assed.


    Frieda has been living inside her room for the past week, fighting the urge to go out and suck Yang Dao''s brain dry, but the guy had a bot staring at her door. As soon as she even opened the door Yang Dao would say, "Go back inside, it is not done yet."


    How was she to deal with something like this? Today she counted that it was the seventh day and opened the door. The bot was gone. She scurried her way to the lab area, wearing her grey pajamas and rabbit-shaped slippers. She found a car standing in the lab and ignored it, then she turned around to look for Yang Dao but found him nowhere. Suddenly, the lights of the car flickered at her.


    Frieda raised her hand to cover her eyes and her eyes looked down. The scene froze there. She found that the car had no tires around it. The tire holes have been covered and painted with similar black paint. The car looked so elegant that she had no words to describe it. She walked forward and caressed the curves.


    Yang Dao opened the door and came outside of the floating car. He asked, "What do you think?"


    Frieda said, "This is truly magnificent. Tell me, can you travel in time?" her expression was that of awe and respect.


    Yang Dao chuckled and said, "No, hahaha, I am not a time traveler. But I have a bot that can calculate and simulate things that take people years or decades in weeks."


    Frieda nodded and said, "You are a genius."


    The boy did not reply, and the girl continued to ask, "Does this vehicle work?"


    Yang Dao replied, "According to the simulations, yes. In reality, I am yet to try."


    Frieda said, "What are you waiting for!! Let us go, make a dream out of reality. Shatter this reality, that is not the dream." she was excited.


    Yang Dao said with a chuckle, "Senior Frieda, you do not look like it but you are quite a poet."


    The two people laughed and then they got into the car.

 Chapter 330: Ghost Car.

    Yang Dao controlled the car to get inside the elevator. There was no malfunction at the moment. The boy said, "RALF, how are the stats look to you?"


    A mechanical voice replied, "No problem this far master. Data is good."


    Yang Dao nodded and the elevator had come to the floor below. Using the reverse button on the panel, the car moved back outside the elevator. Frieda asked, "What is the principle behind this car?"


    "Elector magnetic induction," said Yang Dao.


    Frieda asked a lot of questions like how the car could support itself up in the void. The boy patiently answered as he drove the car out. (I am not describing them here, as I do not want to be killed for revealing the top secret.)


    The car floated 10 millimeters above the ground that was even lower than its original ground clearance. Yang Dao drove the car around the city and the people distanced themselves from it. They were scared to make a mistake and get in an accident with this car. This will be tantamount to selling their lives in compensation.


    No one seemed to have noticed that the car had no tires and the voice was even more streamed than before. The black glint was enough to make the people give up any other thought. However, when Yang Dao was standing on the signal, a traffic police cop was keeping watch on the side.


    He noticed a sleek and low sports car standing in the traffic and could not help but sigh in admiration. Just when his gaze was caressing the car he sensed that something was odd. He glanced over a couple of times more. Just when he was confused and scratching his head, he looked at the other cars parked beside the black Quinn.


    His eyes widened and he rubbed them twice and thrice. Then he pinched himself to make sure that he was not dreaming. He could not help but grab his walkie-talkie and say, "Hello, Command center, this is Unit JTC776, please give me a check on the license plate number FYD01."


    The other side did not reply at first, only after a few seconds, they said, "This car is registered under the name of Mr. Feng Yang Dao. What happened, unit JTC77. Everything fine?"


    The people did not communicate with names but ID numbers to make sure that the communication is smooth and the zone is located easily by going through the online posting log.


    The constable replied, "Command, this car does not have wheels and seems to be floating. I don''t really know what to do."


    The command Center found it odd, they quickly checked through the closed-circuit monitoring system to check the situation. They quickly spotted the anomaly. The people were all stunned. The lady who was in charge of operating the system was shocked and muttered, "Ghost Car."


    The people all were attracted to her voice and when the followed her gaze to check the scene being displayed, they all became shocked. The superintendent watching over them was alerted by this sudden silence in the monitor room and asked them what was going on. The people told him what was going on.


    The superintendent was surprised and after looking at the identity of the owner of the car he said, "Is this not the richest teenager of the country? Call the constable in charge, have him walk over the car and ask what is the matter."


    The orders were relayed and the constable on duty suddenly cursed himself. He wished to strangle himself for alerting the command center. He cursed the superintendent for this order. He said, ''I am a constabel and not an exorcist. What richest guy, this is a ghost car.'' obviously it was all in his heart.


    He walked over to the car and his movements attracted the gazes of the other people standing at the red signal. The constable muttered prayers in his heart and raised his trembling hand and knocked the window twice.


    Yang Dao had long noticed the cop moving toward him and lowered the window. He asked politely, "Officer, how can I help you?"


    The constable flinched a little, his doubt became even stronger that this car was a ghost. How can a rich kid have such manners and polite voice. The voice gave him a sense of calm. He asked with hesitation.


    "Can I see your driver''s license and also, can you tell me what is this car?" asked the constable.


    Yang Dao smiled and said, "This is a prototype I have just made. I need to test it on the road so took it out. We are heading to the Jade City University."


    The constable, glanced at the License and the car again. He returned the license with both hands and said, "Please wait a moment I need to confirm something with the command center."


    He took two steps to the side and relayed the account to the command center. The superintendent nodded and said, "It is okay, let them go."


    He was aware of the price of the car this boy was using and just modified it into this prototype. One thought came to his mind was, "The rich are willful."


    The constable nodded and let the guys pass. The signal turned and the car flew. On the empty roads, Yang Dao still increased the speed. It took them half an hour to reach the college campus. Yang dao said, "This car can fly now, because we are using electo magnetic generators inside the four pads. This solution is not only expensive but have reverse effects of what my goal is with the project."


    Frieda nodded and said, "I can understand what you mean but what do you propose to do to solve this."


    Yang Dao spoke as he drove the car inside the campus, "A single electric railway track all over the countries main roads and introduce a dual transportation mode. The tires cane still be used in the offroad areas. The maglev will enhance the commuting speed and also, reduce traffic accidents but the sports department will still be using tired cars for a bit longer."


    The two had come to the square in front of the principal''s office. The staff faculty was already waiting for them. Aislinn Jasper had called over a few journalists. She wanted to make sure that no one will question how Yang Dao graduated ahead of time.


    The boy parked the car and looked at Frieda. He said, "You can sit inside. Play to be my driver. Your clothes are not very appropriate."


    Frieda suddenly recalled that she was sitting in the car wearing her pajamas. She nodded with a faint blush on the car. Yang Dao opened the buttfly door and got down in his crisp blue shirt and black pants. He wore a pair of blue swede sneakers with black soles. A watch was tried to his wrist this was the same dress code that he had used on the first day of college, except for the shoes.


    Frieda forget to tell him that she did not know how to drive the car. The car was equipped with a small camera and RALF analysed her facial expressions. It said, "Miss Foster, may I ask if you have any discomforts?"


    Frieda replied, "I do not know how to drive the car."


    RALF said, "That is easy to solve. I can drive this car. It is inbuilt with the most advanced version of the autopilot system."


    Frieda thought for a bit and said, "Well, let me sit in the driver''s seat and pose like the driver."


    RALF had no problem. The girl changed her seat and watched Yang Dao talking to the faculty outside.


    ...


    The boy greeted his teachers and the principal. He handed the two minor course teacher his graduation thesis two days ago. He took old Newt to the side and told him about the completion of the nuclear fusion reactor and also signaled him to check out the car levitation on the side.


    The professor said, "Is this thing flying in the void by resonating to the natural magnetic field?'' hw was surprised by this and wanted to study it more but Yang Dao said, "Don''t get excited, this is a prototype model. I will be putting it back to be the normal version of itself soon. As for the maglevs, they will be put into production in a month."


    The old man nodded but he failed to hide his excited eyes. YanG dao sighed and said, "Okay, you can go to the lab and research after the ceremony."


    Old newt patted his back twice and he did not hold back. He said, "You pass, A+" and he walked over to the car. Yang Dao shook his head.


    He showed the prototype of the handsfree mobile to Kylie Dew and after the few tests she was satisfied and said, "You pass. A. I would give you a plus when you show me the working and in production model."


    The people chuckled. On the otherside, the post about Quinn, mag lev had gone viral on the net with the title of GHOST CAR.

 Chapter 331: Graduation (1).

    Yang Dao asked the people to hide the car till the official event begins. The people agreed to it, after all, they were going to hold this presentation in front of the media. This event was not going to be a small one or low-profile by any means.


    A podium was set up by the new student volunteers and they all gazed at Yang Dao with complicated eyes. The boy was younger than them and still, he was the first to graduate, and that too from four courses. They were all confused about whether to worship him or to beat him to a pulp for raising the bar so much.


    On the other side, the video of the ghost car was getting more and more popular with every passing hour. The media was keen on such news like always and they carried out a small investigation. The results all led this car to Yang Dao. The people were already going to meet the guy at the early graduation ceremony being held at the college campus. They decided to ask him questions then.


    They all arrived at the college campus at the agreed time and found that the faculty was already at the spot and so was Yang Dao. Old Man Newt stood on the podium and said, "Thank you everyone for coming over today. The event today is the early graduation of one of the most brilliant students passing out from our institution.


    You people already know about his different identities so that saves me the trouble to give him an exaggerated introduction. The student we are talking about is none other than the young man, Feng Yang Dao."


    He paused shortly and said, "Now I will be calling over to the mic, the principal, Madam Aislinn Jasper."


    The reporters were not the only people at the event, the students were also allowed to come over. Yang Dao''s classmates were all there and they clapped loudly as the principal came over. The principal let the people clap for a bit and then she raised her hand to make them calm down in an instant.


    The lady''s actions surprised the reporters. They did not expect the lady to have such good control of the situation in the college. The students all fell silent and the lady spoke, "When we all say that we will give it our all to pursue our dreams. However, do we give it our all? I do not know about anyone else, but I feel like, even I have at some moment slacked off in my pursuit of dreams.


    Yang Dao is the one person who gives me the inspiration to keep on moving forward. At the age of sixteen, he became the youngest student to top the entrance examinations and now at the age of seventeen years and a few months, this guy again is here to shock us all by graduating from college ahead of time.


    He did not drop any of his subjects for this and neither has he taken any examination. Yet the college faculty voted to let him pass, the reason behind this decision will be put in front of everyone. I would like to present to you, Feng Yang Dao."


    Under the applause from the students, Yang Dao walked over from the side. He bowed to the principal slowly and after she gestured him to take the podium, the boy took the mic.


    He tapped the mic twice and spoke with a smile, "Hello ladies and gentleman. Thank you for finding time and coming over. I know that you may have a lot of questions for me, but let me first present to you my graduation projects." he paused and said, "I have four courses. Two major and two minor. The major once are, Physics and computer operations. While the minor ones are Arts and psychology.


    The projects I have prepared for the courses are two prototype devices for the major courses, one art piece and a thesis for the minor ones. Let us talk about my thesis first, the topic I selected was Human Nature.


    I want to say that when we are born, we are just plain normal humans. We have no tags of religions, casts, creeds or even a name. However, as we group up, we forgive this. We become the part of a race that is not visible to us.


    I would like to use an example here, the leaders of the countries all wish to be supreme and they all might even have the idea to rule the world. I want to ask you, what is so good about ruling the world. Can your armies outnumber the masses, or do you plan to eradicate the masses with those weapons you all create? If so, then what will you be ruling? A graveyard?


    The rich is getting richer and the poor is getting poorer. I may be sounding hypocritical to you right now, but it is not a bad thing to be rich. What makes the difference is how you use your wealth. My sister owns, one office building, one courtyard mansion, and two suite apartments. I own a office building. As for the factories we now, I cannot recount them.


    Yet, the treatment we provide to our employees is the best. They get an accommodation and the company never undermines there achievements. That is leadership, to make a company/society that can work on its own. You earn good so you have the right to wear good. But would it be too much to contribute a small part of it to the society? I think no.


    Contribution can alleviate a lot many things, such as pollution, global weather anomalies, social distress and poverty. If the people of a nation stop using personal vehicles for just one day in a week, the carbon emission will fall down. This practise may not have effect in the short term but it the long term it will save the planet.


    Our planet is not going to end on its own, but the humans themselves will be the reason of this end. The resources we have on our planet will not end on their own but the ill-management caused by the humans will be the reason. It will all come down to the age of cannibalism if the humans did not learn to contribute. If humans did not savor and culture the humanity between each other first the world will end.


    The conclusion of my research is that the humans do not understand the meaning of humanity so they must first learn what humanity is before they call themselves human."


    The atmosphere was quite and the reporters could not help but clap after the speech. They thought they were inside a humanity seminar. Yang Dao smiled and continued the piece of Art I prepared is a portrait similar to the one in my office, the white tiger. The one I made this time is called The Azure Dragon. Due to it''s size being too big, you can look at it after the event the principal confiscated it."


    He made a painful face to make the people laugh. Then he said, "The next project is for the Computer operations. This is a prototype device which is made and designed solely by me using the three dimensional printers. This device is called RCP-001. Since it is a prototype I have not assigned a name to it."


    He took out a small device that could be hung over his ear. He pressed a button on the side of the device and it lit up. Yang Dao said, "This device is capable of projecting your computer at home to anywhere in the world. It uses a holographic projector and that projector, will cast an exact copy of your computer screen to any sort of surface in front of you."


    He displayed how the device worked under the low exclaimaion of the people. he said, "The few aspects that stops this project from being put into production are the lack of privacy and battery power at the moment but this will be solved very quickly and hopefully in a few months you all will be using it."


    A wave of applause erupted once again. Yang Dao said, "Now, the last project. This one surely will be a shocker for you all. As it might change the face of transportation as it is. This project is also a prototype model. I call it Quinn .2, yes, I modified my favorite car for this one."


    He waved his hand and with a whizzing voice a car came in front of everyone. The car was Quinn but it had no tires. The people were shocked to see that this car was actually floating. Icarus and the rest stood in the crowd and the boy said, "This perverted monster. What did he eat to design something like this."


    Kiya stomped on his foot and said, "Curse him again and I cut off your tongue."


    The people behind them chuckled. The reporters were busy taking pictures and making videos. They even forgot Yang Dao at this moment.

 Chapter 332: Graduation (2).

    The reporters ogled over the car for a few minutes and then they all turned back to face Yang Dao, who stood on the podium behind the mic. Journalists all had a talent for nitpicking, and they were born curious about everything. Some were better than others and even had the skill to dramatize stuff.


    They started speaking together and the scene became chaotic. Yang Dao sighed and said, ''Can you all speak a little slowly and one at a time? I have not gotten much sleep in the past week so I would like you all to be considerate. Also, this is a college, there are still classes going on."


    His words were low sounding and calm paced but it warned the hens in the pin to calm down very efficiently. The reporters settled down and they raised their hands to show that they have questions regarding the products.


    Yang Dao nodded and signaled a man in his forties to stand up and ask questions on a random. The man stood up and gave a brief introduction of himself, then he asked, "Student Feng, can I ask you what is the fuel this car is using? Also,"


    Before he could finish the words, the boy on th podium smiled and said, "One question per person only, please. I will answer you all. Just be patient." he paused and the man nodded and waited for Yang Dao to continue.


    The boy nodded with a smile and said, "So, the fuel used in this vehicle is not the common petrochemical, but it is using a Hydrogen Fuel Cell. It is more like a battery, the technology is yet to be approved a patent so I will not be disclosing the mechanism, however, the by-product of this fuel alternative is nothing but water.


    The recharge time is faster than the prototype electric vehicles and it still provides a longer range for travel. Zero noise pollution and almost zero carbon emission."


    The reporters were busy figuring out the questions when a lady raised her hand and Yang Dao signaled her to ask. The lady asked, "Student Feng, what you said sounds all fascinating but I have always known that treasure and trouble are two sides of a coin, can you tell us what are the difficulties with such a fuel alternative?"


    Yang Dao raised a thumbs-up. He said, "Madam, we need more people like you. The cons of this fuel are the extraction and storage of hydrogen. Although it is very abundantly available, it has its properties. Concentrated more than four percent to seventy-five percent, it will start burning when it comes in contact with air. So the cells I designed are all vacuum sealed and carefully checked."


    The conference kept going on and Yang Dao explained everything without hiding and facts other than the mechanism behind the car. The people were fascinated by his explanation. After the media had fed enough, they all settled down with peace.


    Aislinn Jasper took the podium and said, "Since you all are now done with the ''Inspection'' shall we proceed with the graduation ceremony?"


    The people all chuckled and said, "Yes."


    Yang Dao was asked by the principal to go down the stage and dress up in the graduation gown. In the meanwhile, a few people from the teaching faculty took the mic and praised the various qualities of the boy.


    A few classmates were also invited over and they showed them the childish side of the Dao Child. How he like simple things and was very competitive. The various personality traits that have always been hidden from the world surfaced. The atmosphere was very merry.


    Professor Newton took the mic and said, "I would now like to welcome on stage, the first early graduate and the youngest graduate in the history of our university, Feng Yang Dao."


    Under warm applause the boy wearing a black academic gown a black academic falt top hat. The hat top was square and a golden tassel was hanging from the right corner. A decorative hood was also placed over Yang Dao''s shoulder. The colors in the hood were indicators of your degree and it also had your school colors.


    Yang Dao had golden yellow for science and white for art and humanities. The boy walked up to the stage and Aislinn Jasper gave him a hard roll case. They gave him all four of his certificates together.


    The boy bowed to the teaching faculty slightly and then he faced the students and media to bow slightly to them. He was just ready to get off the stage when Professor Newton said, "Would you like to say something to your friends below, Dao?"


    Yang Dao thought for a bit and then came over to stand in front of the mic. He said, "The party is held at my place, seven in the evening. If you are late, I will not be opening the door."


    The people laughed and the boy got off the stage. He interacted with his friends and suddenly felt someone patting his shoulder. He turned back and found Lisa standing there. The classmates were surprised to see the freshman beauty coming up to them, but Kiya stepped forward and asked, "I called Lisa. You better take her home as she has been lonely for a long time."


    Yang Dao scratched the back of his head and said, "Well, lend me your car, mine will have to be taken back to the lab."


    Icarus handed him his car keys and said, "No scratches."


    Yang Dao punched him in the chest and said, "Lisa, do you need to pack anything?"


    The girl shook her head and using sign language asked if she could click a picture with him while he was wearing his attire."


    Yang Dao nodded and the people began to click pictures with the boy. They even invited the teachers to take pictures with them. The photo session was just about to be wrapped up when a cellphone ring disturbed the flow.


    This phone belonged to Yang Dao and the boy excused himself and picked it up. The caller was Ryu Jinshi, after the call connected the man said, "Master, you better get moving from that place and fast. We have received the information. Dozen of hyper-human teams have slipped through and they are all going target you."


    Yang Dao asked in surprise, "What do you mean?"


    Dozens of hyper humans were enough to take down the cities and they can only be tackled by a grade four or above elementalists. So the situation inside the civilian regions can become a massacre. Ryu Jinshi said, "I will tell you all the details on the way. First, please get away from the civilians. Laohu Bai and Feng Yun have already reported to the border regions last night to support and this information only came to us now.


    Please move."


    Yang Dao nodded and said, "Okay, I will leave now." he turned back to his friends who were watching him talk and said, "Something has come up. I need to go urgently. You guys, I am sorry I will hold the party later. Kiya take care of Lisa."


    Just to be on the safe side, he said, "Sushi, you look after these guys. No harm shall befall them."


    The sylph had always been by his side, so she nodded and agreed. She said, "You got it, Master. Bring me some ice cream later."


    Yang Dao nodded and then he rushed out. He did not forgive to say in his mobile, "RALF, move the car back to the lab."


    "Yes, Master." said the AI. The boy was not ideal. He used his extreme senses and found three groups of hyper humans to be heading towards him from three directions and they were all twenty kilometers away.


    He wished he could kill them all right away but this was the civilian area and a lot of collateral damage will occur if he took an action thus, he first decided to move away from the place. The people did not have the chance to ask much. Yang Dao rushed to the parking lot, got into the car and left the place.


    The people at the venue were all surprised, suddenly Lisa received a phone call. She picked it up and said, "Miss, the Young Master just left in a hurry. Is everything okay?"


    Feng Yun said, "It is fine, but you all evacuate the place for safety. There are hyper humans at loose, get to Dao Courtyard. Other than Young Master, the rescued children back then can also be potential targets. Go. Now." although she was speaking calmly she gave away a sense of hurry to the girl.


    Lisa''s eyes turned sharp and she said, "Kiya, I need to get back to the mansion, you all too. Leave early. Something big is going on. Do not ask much but do as told, please." and she turned to leave


    This was again a surprise to the students. At the same time, Aislinn Jasper on the other side, also received a call, and she had just come back to the office, was shock struck. She could not believe what was going on but she flipped a switch under her desk and the whole campus echoed with alarms.


    I few students were still aware about this siren. One of them was Icarus, who said, "We are under stage three terror attack. Everyone stay calm, we are heading to the under ground bunker in the college. Quickly form a queue."


    Evacuation to the safehold begun like this.

 Chapter 333: Terror Attack.

    Yang Dao was rushing off to get out of the civilized region in Icarus''s car and he spotted a lot many people rushing on the sidewalk. Suddenly, the boy found a police vehicle parked in the service lane area and a constable was speaking over a megaphone.


    "Please follow the guidelines of the evacuation. Head to your home or the nearest shelters. Do not panic. Those who are indoors, please stay indoors and cooperate with the emergency officials."


    Yang Dao realized that the situation was even more critical than he had initially thought. He parked the car at the side. The traffic was crawling and he couldn''t get away from this place using a vehicle. He walked among the people on the sidewalk and blended into the crowd. His senses were locked onto the three teams heading his way.


    He fished out his phone and dialed Laohu Bai''s number. The call connected and the other side responded calmly, "I know why you have called me master. Kaya and Lin had been deployed to take care of the orphanage and they have taken the people to the shelter in the city. Right now we have located a dozen of hyper-human teams.


    Although the special forces are not special anymore, the old teams are still acting in line with the old protocols. They are currently in a battle with eight teams. We are trying to track the rest of the teams but nothing has been found yet."


    Yang Dao looked around and found an inconspicuous corner. He walked over and said, "I have found three teams, they are about ten kilometers away from me now. You are free to use your god skills to make sure that the casualties are low. They have attacked us, but I have not yet heard of any casualties. What is going on?"


    Laohu Bai said, "There have been casualties. When they raided the borders, they were ruthless, and the counting of the dead is still on. They attacked out of the blue and took down almost the entire frontal force. Second brother took action and dealt with these guys, but the battle consumed his energy and he went to recover after the battle. Sister Yun is now on watch for the anticipated watch. The rules of this world restrict us from taking action with our full forces. But sensing these guys will not be a problem."


    Yang Dao nodded and said, "I will deal with these three teams."


    That said, the boy disconnected the call. He was constantly monitoring the hyper-human teams and he could sense that they were using the terraces to fight and move closer to him. He located an alley at the side and quickly entered inside. There was nobody following him, so he waved his hand and his body floated up in the void.


    The area where his car was stuck was very close to the cooperate area. This place had a lot of skyscrapers built into an office space complex. Yang Dao was also going to use the terraces to distance himself from the civilian places. As he flew up, he called RALF.


    "Master." spoke the bot posted in the Dao Courtyard.


    "Take every staff member into the basement and lock the door. Leave Luster and Shadow outside." said the boy.


    RALF replied, "Yes, Master." and then there was silence.


    Yang Dao knew that all the teams were going to regroup at the same time and he would be unable to counter them all at once. As he stood on the terrace, he took out his bow and pulled back the string into a full moon.


    He turned back and aimed at the team, following his back. The arrow he condensed was not the usual wind source energy arrow, but it was a silver arrow, containing a gloomy aura about itself. Yang Dao saw the void monsters he face and the hyper humans as the same at this moment. He was condensed an arrow of law to test what the effect will be.


    With a deep exhaled slowly, he let go of the bowstring and the arrow flew. A ballistic gun may not be able to hit a target five kilometers away however, this arrow of laws could. The reason, it was made of the laws governing nature and was unaffected by things such as gravity, wind speed.


    The trajectory of the arrow was not in a straight line. The planet was round, you know, so the trajectory needed to follow at least some rules. Yang Dao shot the arrow in such a way that when the scouter of the hyper0human team looked up, his camera eye did not find the projectile. The sun gave it a cover. The arrow was flying through the void with the sun at its back. No matter how strong the camera was, it could never distinguish between the sun and the light arrow.


    ...


    Three hyper humans were running on a terrace and they would jump over to cross the gap between the terraces. They were all hyper-humans, even stronger than the superhumans. This sort of distance was nothing. Suddenly, the scout in the lead froze. The two strength augmentation type hyper-humans also came to a pause. A second later, the scout began to wither. Starting from the head to toes.


    The law of light made the arrow reach the target in just a blink, and the law of death made the target wither. The two strength-type hyper-humans had not yet reacted when they also had their heads pierced by the law arrows. Three people withered into nothingness.


    ...


    Yang Dao had found out that his guess was correct. He could use the laws and elements of nature without much hindrance. The reason could be that he was born on this planet naturally and the familiars all popped out of nowhere and were tagged as orphans.


    He did not worry much about the reasons and rushed away after dealing with the teams. There were still two teams on his back. The boy did not waste time jumping from terrace to terrace but directly flew up in the sky.


    The hyper-humans were now only two kilometers away from his location. The Scouters could see his movements. Yang Dao even took the initiative to wave at them to lure them over. He did not completely fly away.


    He glided slowly and landed on the terrace, away from the people. A good cat would only chase a mouse when it can be seen. No hunter would be moving behind an invisible prey. Hyper-human teams were a sort of hunter. Also, Yang Dao needed to make sure that these remote control toys did not harm the people of the city. The chase began, lasting only a few minutes.


    Their speed was not slow. They had covered the usual thirty-minute route in just five minutes. While the hyper-humans took small jumps, Yang Dao just had a larger stride to lure them. He rushed onto the sidewalk and then jumped over the wall of the mansion. The mansion was equipped with a security system, so as soon as the two parties jumped over the wall, the alarms sounded.


    Yang Dao said, "Dao is ever-changing." this seemingly random mumble diffused the alarm system.


    The hyper-humans surrounded him from all sides. A scout among the six people stepped forward and threw a phone to Yang Dao. The boy was not afraid, but he did not hold the phone in his palm directly. He covered his hand in a glowing green layer of earth source energy.


    The phone rang, and he clicked the accept button. He switched on the speaker mode and a calm and indifferent voice sounded from the other side.


    "Hello, Mr. Yang Dao."


    The boy did not reply. The voice did not seem to mind it and continued, "I have a proposition for you. Join New Dawn, you will not regret..." however before the voice could complete its words, Yang Dao interrupted him.


    "Sorry, who are you again?" he asked.


    The other side said, "Your adoptive sister might have told you, Omega."


    Yang Dao nodded and said, "Sorry, I have no interest in your organization. Thank you for your time." he tightened his grip, and the phone broke. He raised his head and said, "Luster, Shadow. Takedown the targets."


    Aye, he was not ideal when the call was going on. He had already commanded the two leopards to target the Scouters and take them down. While Luster could hide in the shiny surfaces as she was practiced the law of light, the shadow could hide in the dark surfaces thanks to his comprehension of the dark laws.


    As soon as Yang Dao spoke, two leopards came out. One hid in the shining sprinkler surface behind a Hyper human while the other hid inside the shadow of his target. The leopards did not have their usual appearance, but they were both as big as a horse.


    They could move between light and dark surfaces without coming outside. They had practiced the element of earth and the strength was enough to shred iron. As soon as they appeared, they jumped at the scouts with their mouths open wide. They both slashed at the targets with their claws. The nails were as big as a human palm. The attack was so fast that the scouts could not even react before they fell on the ground, and only then did their heads detach cmpletely.

 Chapter 334: Cruelty.

    As the two leopards attacked and solved the two scouts, Yang Dao also moved forward to deal with the hyper-human standing closest to him. He had no tactic or pre-defined plan in his mind. The hyper-human moved forward to attack him as well.


    They have received the command from Omega. Since the boy was not going to side with him the person had decided to kill him. yang Dao decided to see the limits of these so-called better than normal humans. He intended to brawl with the hyper-human. He circulated the earth source energy in his hands as his fist collided with the hyper-human attacking him.


    The leopards jumped with an agile movement and attacked the two other hyper-humans. The response time of the two was better than the scouts. The reason could be that now the leopards did not have the element of surprise and the Strength type hyper humans had a better responsory nervous system.


    The leopards were entangled with two hyper-humans, and Yang Dao was dealing with one, that left one of them alone. This guy did not take immediate action but as soon as Yang Dao and his opponent repelled each other after the kick, he moved.


    The Dao Child sensed a man appearing inside his peripheral vision. The late act of this hyper-human was simple and cruel. This guy kicked at Yang Dao''s waist as he was retreating. The boy was sandwiched between two hyper humans at the moment. The kick was fats and could not be avoided so Yang Dao exerted force on his feet and jumped.


    He flipped over the incoming kick and landed on his feet. Now the two targets were all in his front. As soon as he landed he moved forward and launched a fist to the face of the hyper-human in front of him. His knuckles were covered with the earth source energy and his elbow was supported by an isolated gust of wind on his elbow.


    The speed of the fist was faster than before. The fist landed squarely on the jaw of the hyper-human. The next moment this guy flew away and hit the wall with a Bang. The hyper-humans were unable to connect with nature and they could not use any elements thus they did not see anything. These hyper humans all had a communication device that allowed them to connect with Omega.


    Yang Dao said, "RALF, jam the connectivity and trace this guy back."


    He used the sound of the wind. This was the trick used by the Sylphs in the land of spirits. He was not just wandering around there you know. The Dao Child can learn these things on his own as long as he pays attention to them. The reason to use this skill was to make sure that the message is isolated from the hyper-humans.


    The Scouters may be dead but there was a possibility that they might be transmitting the scene happening here back to the hideout. Yang Dao did not wish to expose RALF to the world. He moved forward and changed a few more punches with the hyper-human in front of him. After five minutes he began to adjust to the impacts and his strength began to climb.


    This was not what he expected, it was as if his body would grow as long as he fights. His fighting spirit ignited and his punches became stronger, sharper, and swift. His hands moved and followed a voice of cutting the wind. This was not his elemental powers but only the growth of his physical body. After ten minutes he was able to suppress the hyper human. The one he had punched before, his brain only refocused now.


    Yang Dao shook his head while dodging a blow. The next moment he waved his hand and earth spikes protruded from the ground. He had decided to end this. The spikes were not very big but enough to slow down the hyper-humans. It was like a spike passing through the feet of the people. Then a blade of azure source energy formed in his hands, and his figure flickered.


    Ten seconds later, he came to a stop. The azure sword in his hand a glint of red. The four hyper-humans fell on the ground. Yang dao just used them to hone his skills and get used to his real power. Even now he is holding back.


    He glanced at the corpses on the ground and waved his hands. The wind became sharp like swords and in just a blink the corpses turned into minces meat. Yang Dao did not look away. He found a lot of things contained inside the corpses. The wind only de-particlized the flesh and nothing else. The skeleton seemed to be made of metal, the souters had a part of their brain filled with electronic components.


    The boy imagined the process of modification and his gaze turned cold. He had never thought that anyone could be this cruel. What irked him even more was not the process but the reason. He wanted to know the reason behind such cruelty. He wanted to know why would anyone go through such a horrifying treatment. They did not even have a sense of existence, losing family, friends, and money were understandable but losing the sense of yourself.


    This was what Yang Dao wanted to know. He closed his eyes and with his thoughts the soil in the garden acted like a sponge. All the minced flesh seeped inside the ground without much movement. As for the weird things he had found inside the corpes. He let RALF take care of it.


    He asked RALF, "What is the progress of the tracking?"


    The AI replied through the Bluetooth earpeice, "Master, the system is unable to track back that person. They seemed to have cut off every connection from the internet. Shall I plant some monitors."


    Yang Dao shook his head and said, ''They won''t work. The enemy is cunning enough to notice them. Confiscate these things, send them back to the lab for analysis. I want a report withing two days."


    The bot complied and walked out of the basement to the garden. The maids and the staff was asked to stay inside the basement bunker just in case. Yang Dao was not planning to take any action. Suddenly he heard a voice in his mind, "Master, three strong people have appeared. I have been holding them back but now they seemed to have changed targets and moved away."


    Yang Dao thought and said, "Follow them and make sure they do not harm any innocent person."


    "Yes, Master." replied Sushi.


    The boy cast a gaze over the two leopards and said, "Let''s go. We have the final enemy to deal with. I do not think it will be as easy it may seem like."


    The leopards moved quickly. One hid in the glint of his belt while the other hid in his shadow. The enemy in his mouth was the team of hyper-humans Sushi had came across. The thing that made him anxious was that if she could only hold them back then what sort of strength did this team held.


    He bent the wind and flew up in the sky. He fished out his phone and dialed Laohu Bai. The call connected in a jiffy. The boy said, "The three teams are handled by me, and I have erased their clues. The fourth team that you said was hiding also, raided the National University and were repeled by Sushi. I do not know what their motive is, but if they are strong enough to get out with a tie while fighting Sushi, then I will need help."


    Laohu Bai said, "Master, Ryu is on his way to aid you. I have been arranged by the eldest to infiltrate and strike back at the new dawn camps in our awareness. The eldest is busy with the over all situation and Sister Yun is guarding the borders. He will be there in twenty minutes."


    Yang Dao nodded, he said, "Okay." and he disconnected the call. he was going to deal with the familiars later. The primary concern was the safety of the people. He did not wish for any one to suffer in this attack. However, the cruelty of life was not in line with his thoughts.


    As he flew in the air, he could see what Sushi was witnessing with her eyes.


    ...


    Sushi flew over to the team of humans she had just replled and found that these three humans were rushing towards the teacher accommodation. The area should be empty as the previous alarm for evacuation was very strong and all the people in the university were asked to head to the shelter.


    However, at this moment, Old professor Newton was rushing toward the direction of the shelter with his daughter, Candice. The little girl had grown up a little taller but she was still a child. Professor Newton did not have a car, thus he could only move with his legs.


    The Dao Child said, "Sushi, protect the two people. No harm shall befall them. I will reach in five minutes."


    Sushi nodded and blew hard from her mouth. She was going on with the all out war to deal with the enemies. She was a warrior sylph. The one responsible to protect the entrance of the world, how can she have a weak resolve?

 Chapter 335: Sushi Fillet.

    While Yang Dao flew through the void, heading towards the university. The pack of Hyper-humans had come across Professor Newton and his daughter Candice. The sylph spirit was floating between the two groups and her face was cold.


    She mumbled, "These guys are irritating me." her mood made the wind in the region pick up the pace.


    The hyper-human said, "Professor Newton, please cooperate with us and follow us. The procedure will not be painful and we will not harm you."


    Professor Newton may be old but he was not a coward or scaredy-cat. He shook his head and calmly asked, "Who are you? Why should I follow you?"


    The hyper-human did not answer but he vanished from his position. The professor was surprised and scared, he tightened the grip on his daughter''s shoulder and struck her close to his body. The hyper-human wanted to get close to the professor.


    Sushi had sensed this, just when the hyper-human was talking, she was prepared to act. The hyper-human rushed forward and was stopped five meters away from the two people. Sushi mumbled, "You have pissed me off."


    She waved her hand and professor Newton and Candice suddenly fell unconscious. Their bodies were lifted off the ground. They were now floating at least two under meters above the ground. The hyper-humans were surprised by this before they could even think what was going on. Sushi waved her hand again and created a vacuum around the bodies of the hyper humans.


    She mumbled, "I did not want to be brutal. However, you people dared to touch the people, who were close to my master? Blame yourself."


    A human body inside a vacuum space. Terrible, was the only word to explain this situation. The vacuum will suck all the air from and inside you. The air inside your lungs will be sucked and they will rupture. Your body will expend twice the normal size. However, you will not explode and if you can exhale all the air inside you, then you will survive but, the lack of oxygen will kill you eventually.


    The hyper-humans had such fast reflexes that as soon as they sensed the vacuum around them they exhaled the air inside their lungs, however, the other air cavities in the human bodies expended and ruptured. Sushi was not kind enough to give them a chance to repair and she let the air pressurize their bodies from all sides.


    The hyper-humans were bleeding but they felt no pain. Sushi smiled and again created a vacuum pocket around them, the air that had rushed through their wounds once again caused ruptures. She said, "Since you are balloons, let me see what is your limit."


    The next moment all the air around in the scene seemed to have turned into drills and found its way inside the hyper-human body. The wind that could soothe the chaos can also become chaos itself. Bodies expended and the bodies became round like a bloated balloon, well the flesh did, and after it reached the limits of what the flesh could handle, it all exploded with a loud pop.


    Sushi flickered left and right to avoid the flying flesh and blood. However, the hyper-humans were still not dead. After the explosion the hyper-humans were still standing, now they were missing flesh and their skeletons were exposed. Their organs were working. At least the vital ones. The lungs were pumping and the heart was beating.


    Sushi expressed her disdain and disgust by scrunching her nose. She said, "These things are indeed in violation of nature. Well, shall I help master erase them? I will ask him to buy me ice cream later."


    Her fingers flickered, causing some extremely sharp wind blades to chop off the heads of the hyper humans. Earlier when she was dealing with them, she was not irritated and her only motive was to repel them. Sushi was the spirit of nature. She was not violent by nature thus she did not act decisively and repelled them away.


    The heads flew in the sky and with a thud, they came back to the ground. At this moment, Yang Dao came flying. He saw the heads falling on the ground and asked, Sushi, "What flavor ice cream do you want?"


    The tiny girl smiled and giggled. She said coquettishly, "Master, you are so kind."


    All this action happened in five minutes. The boy said, "Take the professor and Candice down. Do not awaken them just yet."


    That said, he turned around and found that Ryu Jinshi had just landed behind him. Yang Dao, who was usually warm to his familiars suddenly turned cold and said, "Clean up, and get everyone to the Dao Courtyard after this mess is cleaned up."


    Ryu Jinshi froze up and nodded. He picked up the skeleton and flew away in an instant. Yang Dao looked at the flesh and blood, he waved his hand and the earth swallowed everything. He walked over to the professor and his daughter, who were now lying on the ground. He once again checked the surroundings and after finding nothing was wrong with the houses. He nodded to Sushi.


    The sylph saluted him like a military officer and waved her hand to wake up the people. Yang Dao almost laughed but he strangled it as soon as he saw the little girl, Candice twitching and waking up. The little girl reacted to the wake-up agent Sushi used very quickly.


    Yang Dao walked over to her and crouched down, he asked with a confused reaction, "Candy, why are you lying down on the road?"


    The little girl was also confused at first and only after a few seconds did the daze in her eyes clear. She hurriedly looked around and found her father lying down. She shook him up with an anxious expression on her face. She called out, "Daddy, daddy wake up. Please wake up."


    Hering the anxious cries the middle-aged man woke up. Old man newton, blinked a few times and then he sat up like a dead man coming back to life.

 Chapter 336: Anger.

    After Professor Newton woke up, he told Yang Dao that they were attacked by a group of people and then they suddenly fell unconscious. The boy replied, "Sir, I did not find anyone here. When I arrived you and Candy were lying on the ground."


    The man thought and said, "Maybe stress got to my head. But What about Candy. Why did she fall unconscious?"


    Yang Dao shrugged his shoulders and said, "She is a child, Sir. Probably the sudden alarms scared her. We can get it checked up by the medics at the shelter. Shall we go?"


    He helped the man up on his feet and they slowly walked to the shelter. On the way, Candy chatted with Yang Dao about a lot of random things. This trivia lightened up the mood. After they arrived at the shelter they found that a few strong boys were guarding the door. They all saw Yang Dao approaching and nodded to him in greeting.


    The shelters were all equipped with basic surveillance and survival tools. So someone had informed the principal about their arrival. After all, Professor Newton was a senior faculty member and his being missing from the headcount, worried everyone.


    Aislinn Jasper came to meet them as soon as they came to the gate. The shelter was an underground bunker. It was developed in every college and every block of residential complexes. Later on, it was made mandatory to have an underground shelter in office buildings as well. This shelter had packaged food with a shelf life of 18 months. They also had a large amount of bottled water.


    The government will replace the food a few months before it would go spoilt. The stock inside could support a year of isolated life for as many as a thousand people in each shelter. You can imagine the extent of war preparations made by the nation. These shelters could take on nuclear explosions and be only accessible from the inside. So a team of five people will always be stationed inside. making it a safe house for the people.


    Aislinn Jasper came up, she saw the three people and let go of the burden in her heart. She urged them all to get inside but Yang Dao refused, he said, "Ma''am, I am a special recruit and I am on duty. So I will not be going inside. You all can stay here and wait it out."


    The lady nodded and said, "Student Dao, take care of yourself out there?"


    Yang Dao nodded and after he gave the people a few instructions about patrolling and surveillance. Then he left the shelter. he was heading to the dao courtyard. A lot of work was left to be sorted out. Don''t look at his gentle expressions, he had a storm raging inside him, and the people who will suffer his wrath were the four familiars and then the crypto nation.


    He walked his way to the mansion and came to sit down on the couch in the living room. He said, "RALF, fetch me a glass of water."


    Since it was a bot he was not inside the shelter. The bot walked out of the kitchen holding a tray with a glass of water placed over it. He said, "Master."


    Yang Dao took a sip of water and asked, "What happened to the tracking of that guy Omega?"


    RALF said, "The target could not be pinpointed but I was able to get his general location. It is suspected that he has developed an AI as well." with no expressions in his voice.


    Yang Dao said, "Is the suspected AI better than you?"


    RALF nodded and said, "Given the state of the Hyper-humans we just saw, it is better than me. This sort of thing cannot be done with a human brain until they have been living and researching for at least five hundred years."


    Yang Dao nodded and said, "Go, start learning everything you can. We do not have much time to wait left. I do not wish to see them invading and attacking us again. Also, this time they caught the whole nation off guard. Check the whole nation, I want to see every human and bug that has been to the crypto nation. Screen them for any biological and mental anomaly."


    RALF nodded and stood aside, manipulating his servers and cloud storage. The Dao Child finished drinking the water and said, "Shadow, Luster."


    The two leopards leaped out of their hiding places. They sat down in front of him obediently. Yang Dao smiled and patted their heads gently as he said, "You guys did very good. I will cook for you today."


    Then he stood up and walked to his room to shower. Suddenly, he turned back to RALF and asked, "The staff in the shelter, are they comfortable?"


    The mansion had a dedicated shelter underground. The controlling team was Feng Yun''s shadow guards in the guise of normal guards. RALF nodded and said, ''Yes, sir, they are fine."


    Yang Dao nodded and then only did he go to take a bath. After coming out he called Sister Tina, but the call did not connect, which meant that she was also inside the shelter. he came out of the room and walked to the kitchen. he started to cook the food and RALF stood behind him to act whenever called.


    The bot suddenly said, "Master, the crypto air strike division has been ordered to move toward the coast of Jewel Nation. Shall I act?"


    Yang Dao did not reply immediately and said, "Hack in, take control of the force. Initiate the self destruct sequence of all the fighters moving towards us. However, eject the pilots first. No need to harm human life."


    RALF nodded and said, "As you command, Master." he acted as told and hacked inside the network of the Crypto nation air force. Within ten minutes all the fighters, whether airborne or grounded, all started to beep and the people were evacuated. What followed the ten minutes was a complete destruction of all the air force assets the country had.


    Yang Dao said, "Do the same to every other country in the world. No one is allowed to have arms. They create such things in the name of defence and after they see the strength of these machines, they start to harm the world for their selfish reasons. Only commercial assets are left. Destroy the arms and not the planes. This can be considered a leeway. Deliver a message, if any one is found to be arming the planes. Then they are on their own."


    RALF nodded and before acting he asked, "Master, is this a bit too much?"


    The boy said, "Do you think, there acting and attacking each other, harming human life, is it not too much? They shall be happy that I have not eradicated these scum in there governance and business field."


    RALF silently took a note and kept on doing what he was told to. The world governments received such a message collectively and it was destined to cause waves in the oceans. Some denied to believe it and still tried to arm there planes. The result was the planes blowing in fumes. It took them three days to accept the reality.


    Meanwhile, Yang Dao continued to cultivate himself. After three days, when the ripples calmed down, the four people returned to the Dao Courtyard Mansion. There faces were not good. Ryu Jinshi, after he came back with the corpses of the hyper humans he told all three of them, "Master is angry."


    They all saw the consequences of his anger. The world lost its air forces and other weapons of mass destruction as well. This included the Jewels nation too. Nobody knew who did this. People had came out of the shelters and they were happy that some one had diffused the ticking time bomb called, Military Power for them.


    Some "peace promoting" dignitaries even used the media to extend their thanks to those who did this thing. They emphasized that if the world governments were to put the resources and money in developing arms, were to develop human feelings thinsg would have been way better than the current state.  The civilians were happy but the governments were not.


    ...


    Yang Dao sat under the pavilion with his eyes closed as he swayed on the rocking chair slowly. He did not react when the four people came inside the pavilion. His silence caused the peopel to gulp a mouthful of saliva.


    Suddenly, they felt cold all over their backs. Yang Dao opened his eyes and glanced at them with indifference. He said, "Explain to me. Why none of you had any idea about this thing? Are you elemental gods, so suppressed under the laws of the world? have your mastery over the two laws lost its meaning?"


    His words represented the calm before the storm. They were scared to even talk. But how long can they not talk?

 Chapter 337: Dispute.

    Yang Dao''s word made the four people shiver. The boy was still leaning back in the rocking chair and he gazed at the people with a calm face. Never had he given off such a strong pressure. Watching the four of them not answering his question the boy had no option but to speak.


    "Why do you think I became what I have become today? Why do you think I worked myself to the ground, gave up my sleep, gave up the friends I cherished, the vanity I yearned for as a child? Why?" he asked in the same calm tone.


    The familiars opened their mouths one by one, but they had no words to say. They had nothing to clear their names. Feng Yun wanted to say something like Master calm down and all but watching the trace of disappointment in his dim eyes, she could not.


    Yang Dao continued, "Ever since I was a child, I wished to enjoy life, however, when I was still growing up, I realized that only the rich can enjoy life. I started to work and learn from an age where people do not even have to think about what ''money is. I made myself into a genius through my hard work and preservation. All this cost me my childhood. I never complained, nor did I plan to rant to you about it at some point, but you know why am I doing it today?"


    He took a glance at the faces of four people and said, "Because, one day when I was about to take the final step to my academic journey and do something to make my dreams reality, riding a red helicopter, stunning the people of the world, CEO of THE PHEONIX GROUP, Ms. FENG YUN came to see me.


    That day, she changed my life, by showing me a fire plume and a skywalk. I was so fascinated by that, I almost lost sight of my own goals. I became a Dao Child. The savior of balance. as I dealt with the big things, I lost sight of the smaller things. You all loved me, treated me with respect. Tell me, did I misuse your powers for my own goals?" (Bold letters are just emphasized.)


    The familiars hurriedly shook their heads. They did not wish for him to have any misconceptions about himself. Yang Dao nodded and said, "Hmmm good. So tell me, when I need you the most, you did not come through? I controlled the Dao Resonance, don''t know how, but I did it. However, I never showed it to you.


    Do you think, that I let you decide my path is because I cannot decide for myself? WRONG, I DID IT BECAUSE I TREATED YOU AS FAMILY. I TRUSTED YOU." speaking the last part his voice was so loud that it shook the four people.


    Yang Dao shouted to show them his control over Dao Resonance. His voice was not loud but it made them all pale from fright. They were shocked to hear this but if they had any doubts in their minds. They were all gone now. They did not expect the boy to have mastered the Dao resonance on his own and so soon.


    None of the previous generation Dao Children were able to do this. They were not even able to perceive that they had a counterpart. But when they recalled how Yang Dao was able to do things that none of the previous people could, they all came to believe it.


    Yang Dao said, "You all, have been deciding my fate ever since I was born in this world, right? You came to look for me when you deemed it necessary and you told me that it was the law of heavens. Jokes." he chuckled in the end.


    Then he said, "Atsuji Kurogame, age ninety-nine years old. Ryu Jinshi, despite your young looks, you are forty years old. I am sixteen years old, my parents must have been in their early thirties given the benefit of doubt in your favor. Still, you say that it was someone stronger than you who killed them yet you could not save them?"


    Yang Dao''s question made the familiars suffer. They never imagined that the Dao Child, their master will question them like this. However, the questions were not wrong. They were indeed aware, that this day will come where they will be unable to make any explanations but they did not expect this day to come so soon.


    Feng Yun knelt, followed by Laohu Bai, when all this happened, they were just kids and had not yet awakened their true powers. But Ryu Jinshi and Atsuji Kurogame had the power to save the parents. Yang Dao looked at the kneeling girls and the standing men with indifference and said, "You all have been controlling and manipulating me in the name of tempering me. Making it so that I do not diverge from my path. You controlled me to achieve your goals.


    Your level of manipulation has surpassed my imaginations. Very accomplished in this field, you are, Minister of war strategies. You are a loyal hunter, Dragon of Wind. Well, I give you the last chance, give me an explanation of your actions."


    That said the boy placed his hands behind his back. He gazed at the people in front of him, watching them shivering, afraid, guilt-ridden but he did not say anything. The wait lasted for an hour. Yang Dao said, "I am leaving, and I will have no connection with any of you anymore. Not until you can tell me why you did what you did. You are dead to me. Until the day you recall your identities of my servants, do not call me Master."


    Ryu Jinshi clenched his fists, Yang Dao smiled and said, "Still arrogant, very well then, you narrow-minded reptile." his eyes turned golden and his hair started to flutter. He took a step forward and vanished from his spot.


    The burly Ryu Jinshi suddenly flew outside the pavilion and crashed directly into a wall of the mansion with a loud BOOM. The three familiars were shocked. Yang Dao walked up to Atsuji Kurogame and raised his hand.


    SMACK...


    A loud clap resounded in the whole mansion. The old minister also flew off to kiss the verdant greens in the garden. Yang Dao glanced at the ladies and said, "You two are the people I cared for most, your silence has broken my heart. Goodbye."


    Then he vanished. Feng Yun and Laohu Bai had their hands risen in the air towards him as if trying to get a hold of him but Yang Dao had gone before they could say anything. They helplessly sat on the cold floors and shed tears.


    The debris from the wall moved and an embarrassing figure of Ryu Jinshi was spotted moving. His hair was disheveled, lips had a trace of blood at the corner, the chest was sunken in, the kick earlier had broken his breast bone and a least of a few ribs. This injury carried a trace of death laws. He would have to meditate for a few weeks before complete recovery.


    Atsuji Kurpgame was no better, his jaw was dislocated. His chin was broken, his neck had a severe muscle rupture and his eardrum had lost the sense of hearing, while his head was spinning. Yang Dao had been easy on him for the sake of his age.


    He took even a longer time to move than Ryu Jinshi. The two finally made their way to the pavilion where Feng Yun and Laohu Bai had stopped crying. Atsuji Kurogame moved his jaw and was about to say something when Feng Yun said, "I am angry, leave here before I kill you both."


    Her voice was calm but the temperature had risen as she talked. Laohu Bai did not say anything but she stood up and stepped in front of Feng Yun. She said, "Maa... He said you were a loyal Hunter, Ryu Jinshi. Does that mean you were the one who led the New Dawn to his parents?" she changed her address for Yang Dao as he had just forbidden them to.


    Feng Yun raised her red eyes and her hair was already giving off slight ember, while Laohu Bai''s hands had become sharp like claws. Ryu Jinshi glanced at the old man but then nodded with a trace of sweat on his forehead.


    His head had not yet raised back, but he felt a strong pain coming from his gut. Laohu Bai had torn his guts and her hand was inside his abdomen. Ryu Jinshi did not even have the time to grimace when a fist made contact with his head and his body flew off to the distance bouncing on the ground. His head was bleeding, his skull had broken.


    When Yang Dao attacked him, it was an act of the heavenly dao to deal the man with a punishment. This was why he had no powers. His body was still that of a familiar spirit incarnate but the powers were sealed.


    Feng Yun waved his hand Atsuji Kurogame sucked in a cold breath. The floor below his feet had turned into molten lava. A calm voice sounded, "Told you one day, your wisdom will lead you to your end, you pathetic crawler."

 Chapter 338: Hidden.

    While Laohu Bai vented her rage on Ryu Jinshi, Feng Yun had Atsuji Kurogame sink in a puddle of lava. They both had no idea of what they had done.


    The enraged phoenix asked, "What did you do? Because in my knowledge you said, ''The parents died, we did not interfere because we wanted to make the young one grow with full knowledge of how hard life can be.'' today only did I discover that you were the one who called the shots?


    Give you a chance to explain all this to me or you will perish."


    She was extremely angry. However, she still held onto the last shred of her consciousness and asked him questions. While Laohu Bai had become a wild beast in rage, Ryu Jinshi, was not recognizable anymore as he lay on the ground. The white tiger had broken half his bones and then shredded a lot of his flesh.


    Atsuji Kurogame had a strong body but it was similar to Ryu Jinshi at the moment. Their elemental skills were banned and they could not do anything but take the beating. Feng Yun continued speaking, "You bastard took advantage of his care and respect like this. Tell, me old crawler, how long have you planned this all?"


    Atsuji Kurogame endured the pain as he said, "Yun, listen to me."


    Feng Yun glared at him and said, "You better you the proper address now, turtle, do not try to anger me any more than I already am, you will not like it." her voice was muffled as she had grit her teeth tight.


    The old man saw that the girls were not going to budge so he said, "The parents of the boy were researchers. They used to dabble with human potential. They were the citizen of the Jewel nation, they had a complete formula derived and were conducting animal trials. However, they suddenly stopped researching forward.


    We had no reason not to suspect that they were dealing under the table. The investigation turn useless, but the suspicion became stronger. I asked Ryu to check into the matter, at that time he was a young man and his temper was volatile. He went to talk to the couple in person.


    What he talked about, I never knew, but I did allow him to take the shot if necessary."


    By this time he had lost his tolerance and said, "Spare me, please, the heat is too much." his lower body would have melted in the lava, but his body was very strong and thus it was just prickly to him.


    Laohu Bai stomped on the hand of Ryu Jinshi and crushed the bones, making the man cry, his face was covered with mud, blood, sweat, and snot. The man said in a weak voice, "I did not ask anything but the reason why they stopped researching. I had taken up the identity of a senior government investigator.


    The two hesitated before for a bit and then they told me that the research was far more hideous than they estimated it to be. They told me the various drawbacks of the serum they developed and found out that these drawbacks were not reversible, so they just sent a vial to their friend back in the crypto nation. Their friend happened to be the leader of New Dawn.


    I lost my patience and shot them, I did not know that they were innocent and just had a passer-by scientist relationship until later the investigation turned in. Only when I heard the child awakened by the gunshot did I calm down. That was the moment I realized whom did I kill for this mission."


    Laohu Bai kicked on his face and broke the remaining bones as she said, "Let me take his blood as ink and we write an apology later to him. Sister Yunn, what do you say?"


    Feng Yun waved her hand and the old man fell out of the molten lava and she said, "You two, pick yourself up and get lost until you are forgiven. Don''t dare to contact me until you have located the Dao Child by your skills and not by using country assets. Get lost"


    The two people in such embarrassing attire rushed out of the hospital nearby. On the way, Ryu Jinshi turned and asked, "What shall we do now?"


    Atsuji Kurogame said, "Try and figure out a way to apologize." his tone was calm.


    Ryu Jinshi asked, "Do we apologize? It was a mistake, no?" he was not convinced.


    "Mistakes are meant to be apologized for, Ryu. Feng Yun and Laohu Bai can kill us any moment they wish, yet the same would have been true of us too. Our powers are sealed by the boy so we can only humble ourselves. Understand. He is not something we should control. He is to control us." said the old man as he tried to comfort his burns.


    ...


    Yang Dao in this while had come back to his orphanage. Since the people have yet to come back from the shelter, he decided to clean it up a little. He said, "Sushi, from now on you will be guarding this place till things are sorted."


    The sylph nodded reluctantly and said, "I understand, Master."


    "Shadow, Luster. You two are to look out at night. Do not let your guards down." he said, as two leopards appeared behind him. He made Sushi responsible to look after them. He did not use his powers but just a simple broomstick and dustpan. After he was done he paid a visit to the graves of the children who passed away in the terrorist attack.


    He burned some incense and sat there under the trees for a few minutes. Later he stood up and said, "Luster, Shadow, be good to everyone, okay?"


    The two leopards nodded and came over to his side and rubbed his thighs with their heads. They only stopped when Yang Dao patted them and said, he will be back soon. Sushi was upset because she had known why they were left here.


    The Dao Child flew up in the sky and said, "RALF, block all and any news about me, mask my appearance on the cameras of the whole world. Also, you have the authority to make decisions for the company, do not bother me until it is something very serious."


    In his ear, a voice rang out, "Yes, Master."


    The boy flew off in the vast sky aimlessly. He suddenly recalled something and came to a place down on the street. He paid some money at a general store to buy a set of kitchen knives and a medical mask to cover his face, and a few power banks to keep his mobile charged. He would not be able to contact RALF. He was avoiding the familiars and not the rest of the world, the reason he came to this secluded place was to calm his mind and test the familiars.


    He was now aware that Atsuji Kurogame and Ryu Jinshi had killed his parents, even if it was unintentional, he would have them give him an explanation of he will just keep on beating him again and again.


    This was an odd set of purchases but people did not mind. After all, he paid them money. Then Yang Dao left the surroundings of The Jewel Nation. After twenty-four hours of non-stop flying, he came to a mountain, in the freedom country. One of the largest mountain ranges, known as the Titan Range.


    He had planned to live here by himself and continue learning the elements until he finds the answers he was looking for. His gaze scanned the rang from the high sky and settled upon a cliff. This cliff seem tough to climb and was isolated from other mountains. The steepness was enough to make the slope seem like a wall.


    He nodded and descended on the summit of the cliff. The cliff had some thick bamboos growing over. Taking out the knife, he covered it with his source energy and cut down some bamboos to make a shed for himself. On the way, the boy collected some wild fruits and herbs to eat.


    He was sufficient in making all these things for himself. After the shelter was prepared and he sat down under it he mumbled, "I shall beat them whenever I feel uneasy."


    Then he closed his eyes and focused on his breath. The next element up for him was fire, so he will now try to learn about that. He had been through the process twice so now the route might be a little different but the destination was the same.


    ...


    While the boy was sitting in the shed like a hermit, Feng Yun had become her previous, ice queen. She sent out all the shadow guards to locate Yang Dao. Laohu Bai decisively resigned from the military. She went into the military because Atsuji Kurogame suggested she do that, however, she was a wild person.


    She did not want to do anything with the two men, she was deeply hurt when Yang Dao showed his disappointment, thus she resigned, but the Military did not allow it, she was given an indefinite vacation and will only be called when needed be.


    She agreed to it and set out to look for Yang Dao.

 Chapter 339: Movement.

    Feng Yun and Laohu Bai met up at the top of the ruby tower. They stood with an indifferent face, unlike the usual. There was no air wind blowing at the top this time. Laohu Bai said, "You placed a ban of the wind blow, Sister Yun?"


    The latter only nodded in reply and said, "Let us get moving, Xiao Bai. Dao is a sensitive person. If he decided to go away, it will be bad for the restoration of the balance. I do not care about my existence, but there are countless innocent lives in the world that may suffer because of something they did not even know about."


    Laohu Bai sighed and nodded heavily as she said, "Dao, has alienated himself because his anger will get better of him, those two pricks. I wish I can kill them. How dare they manipulate things to such an extent? I do not know why. What will they gain from this?"


    "They seek the balance of things at all costs. Like the two of us are controlled by the Dao child. They act as our counterparts. They seek to control the path of his growth. However, these fools forgot that control can only be helpful to a certain level. If they put a restraint too hard, then Dao will annihilate everything that restrains him." replied Feng Yun.


    What she said described the personalities of the people at the root level. While the black turtle was clouded by his wisdom, the azure dragon was an arrogant creature. This was the innate nature of the two people and can only be rectified by the Dao Child. Nothing else can make them realize that what they did was wrong.


    Laohu Bai said, "I cannot sense his presence at all. He seemed to have left this world all of a sudden."


    Feng Yun nodded and said, "RALF will not track him as he commanded it not to and blocked all backtrack access. I could not sense his presence, but I feel something big is about to happen. What do you suggest we do?"


    Laohu Bai thought for a bit and said, "Given his control over himself, he might be meditating at the moment to calm down. IF we still cannot find him, then the other two will. Or more like Dao will find them. He will be beating up everyone who angered him. That kick last time was strong enough to kill that lizard, but he stopped. I do not know why?"


    Feng Yun shook her head, "That was to disdain Ryu. He wanted the dragon, to know that his strength is nothing but a fleeting matter in front of the majesty of the Dao Child. "


    Laohu Bai nodded and said, "He should have spat on his face as well. That much would have lowered down his arrogance a little."


    Feng Yun shook his head and then said, "He is dignified and will never insult someone like this."


    Laohu Bai nodded and, after a brief discussion, the two moved and decided to look for the Dao Child in different directions. However, was it so easy to look for the person who had integrated himself with nature? The spirit bond they had seemed to be non-responsive as well. Yang Dao was hurt, and he did not trust any of them, or to be precise, he was disappointed in the beings of heaven.


    He was enraged by the things he deducted and the limits were crossed when Ryu Jinshi acted with no forbearance on his face. Thus, the spirit connection lost all the responses except a little blurry vibe they could comprehend, but the moment he secluded himself and became one with nature, everything became cold.


    ...


    While the two ladies were moving to seek him out, the targeted boy was sitting under the shed made by splitting bamboos. His eyes were closed and were meditating. The boy did not percieved fire as soon as he sat in meditation, but first, he wished to control his temper. He came to an understanding that if he was to be enraged when he cultivated the element will become chaotic and might cause harm then to favor him.


    The bigger reason was that he did not like to be stuck in such a chaotic state of mind. As he meditated, gradually he entered the state of deep meditation. He was not worried about being disturbed by this isolated place. The meditation continued, the surrounding darkness began to brighten.


    The process was slow, and he did not know how much time has gone by since he was sitting like this. However, an impulse told him that he can open his eyes. The dao child always believed his instincts and opened his eyes, only to find himself surrounded by seas of stars. He mumbled, ''What is this place?''


    A calm voice replied to him, ''Dao Space.''


    Yang Dao was surprised but calmed himself. He looked around and froze when he found a woman standing not far away from him. The woman had beautiful white hair. Reaching the floor, she had a pair of three inches small horns on her forehead. She was beautiful and even to the level where Feng Yun and Laohu Bai might have to give way.


    Yang Dao swore that he could never describe it in words. The girl was also observing him. She locked her gaze with his, although Yang Dao was appreciative of her beauty he still had control over his thoughts, to avoid any conflict or being rude, he locked his gaze with hers, despite feeling a little dizzy from the sharpness radiating from her gaze. He bowed slightly and asked, "May I know who are you?"


    The girl replied in a tone similar to earlier, "I am a Dao child, represent the hell. The dao child of hell. Nice to meet you, Dao Child of heavens."


    This came as a strong shock to Yang Dao. The boy was stunned for a few minutes and then replied, "Nice to meet you, too. I am called Yang Dao. May I ask your name?"


    The girl nodded and said, "My name is Dallia. So what led you into this space?"


    Yang Dao stood up from the ground. Given his IQ it was easy to figure out that in this place their bodies were their spirit bodies and they were free to do anything. He replied the question with a question, "Is this space special?"


    It was not that he was too paranoid, it was just that he wished to know more and clearer facts before he opened up. The girl nodded and said, "You can find the answers within yourself, but since you have asked me, I shall tell you. To enter this space, the Dao Child must have strong emotions raging inside his conscious."


    The boy nodded, put his hands behind his back, and said, "Since we two are the opposite and will have to depend on each other to maintain the balance and fulfill our purposes, I think we shall become friends?"


    He walked up to the girl in front of her and stretched out his hand towards her. He said, "Will you be a friend?"


    The girl asked back with indifference, "Heaven and Hell can be friends?"


    Yang Dao smiled and said, "It depends on how you look at it. Hell and Heaven are like two sides of a coin. It does not matter what we think, the great doa has already created us. If we embroiled in needless struggle and do not accept the reality, then will we not be causing even more imbalance?"


    The girl still did not raise her hand and asked, "Why do you wish to be my friend?"


    "There are a lot of reasons, one of them is that you seem to be a wise person, another one is that if we are to fight in the future, we shall keep our enemies closer, and the last reason is, I wonder if you would look even more beautiful if you smiled. Also, you do not do always do things for reasons, do you?" said the boy with a sunny smile on his face.


    He was not making things up. He saw her not speaking and said, "Being the Dao Child of heavens I was given four familiar spirits. However, two of them turned out to be manipulating things. After finding it out, I sealed their prowess and entered seclusion. That may be the intense emotion you mentioned earlier.


    Friends allow each other to rant, but they do not judge or advice. After all, it is one''s own life to make choices, no? You just stand by them. For all I can discern is that your intense emotion might be loneliness, Dao Child of Hell prevails on her own, no?"


    His words shocked the girl. She did not expect him to see through her cold gauze. She asked, "How did you figure it out?"


    Yang Dao replied, "Will tell you but only if you become my friend."


    The girl had an amused expression on her face and held his hand in hers. The contrast was that her hands were as if jade, smooth yet hard, while Yang Dao had callused palms. She asked, "I promise to be your friend. Now tell me."


    "Has no one ever told you that your eyes speak?" said the boy.


    Dallia heard his words and, after the initial shock, she chuckled. Yang Dao could swear his heartbeat escalated when she chuckled. He asked, "Why do you laugh?"


    Dallia calmed down and said, "Those who looked into my eyes have all died, so no one dares to tell me that my eyes speak. Isn''t that ironic?" she said this and wanted to see how the boy reacted.


    Yang Dao nodded and said, "Indeed, Ironic." he did not make any comment on how she killed the people and why she killed them. He did not think their connection had reached the point of such inquiries.


    Dallia nodded and said, "You are indeed very interesting. Just as I predicted."


    Yang Dao smiled and said, "I will take that as a compliment." making the girl smile. He said, "So what is the situation in your place? Too much imbalance?"


    Dallia suddenly became serious, as she replied, "Indeed, some people have been the reason for chaos, as they were practicing crooked methods to gain powers. I have been too tied dealing with them lately."


    The boy nodded and said, "It right be similar to the ones I have to deal with in the long run. Nature should not be tainted by such practices. Do you need any advice?"


    Dallia thought for a bit and the two began to chat. They did not know how long they discussed the topics bothering them both. Yang Dao found out that Dallia was three years older than him and she had completed her elemental education and was now an elemental god-king, with four elements molding a crown for her.


    The boy asked her why can she not ascend then? Dallia told him that she cannot ascend until Yang Dao also reaches the same level and she must restore the balance of this world first. She had gained a lot of knowledge as she was not aided by anyone and her experiences made her a strong woman. Yang Dao was appreciative of this. He accepted all the universal guidance provided by her.


    She also told him not to be too cold to the heavenly familiar spirits. If they suffered too much of a shun from him, the push might lead to a greater imbalance.


    ...


    While the two people continue talking with each other, in the outside world a lot of movement was visible. The gathering of two dao children would always cause some phenomena. At night the stars were shining more brilliantly and the natural disasters predicted by the science organizations did not occur. It was as if nature were celebrating.


    Laohu Bai had decided to vent out her hatred while looking for Yang Dao and she went to the battlefields of the mercenaries. The place where all the third-grade scum lived. She was relentless and cruel. As soon as she set foot in this place, her hands became knives and she ripped the lives of a dozen of low-level scum.


    While the white tiger was busy venting out and ripping lives. The vermillion phoenix was visiting every single country and eradicating the terrorist and terminal criminals. The shadow guard under her was busy combing the whole world to look for Yang Dao. They did not spare anyplace, forests, slums, inhabited land, and even deep underwater.


    The shadow guard was confused when they were tasked with carrying out a worldwide search for the young master. However, they did not dare question the lady. She has never been so cold. She hated these terrorists and the pollution of the world, but never did she go all out to search and hunt these low-level minions.


    How were they to know that, if the lady did not go out to vent out the heat, then she might just evaporate the whole world in her sleep? They just carried out their duties.


    ...


    In the crown, Atsuji Kurogame stood in front of Premiere Abraham, who had a solemn face. The latter asked, "Why do you do this, elder?"


    The old man had just turned in his resignation from the office. He said, "I have been in the field for too long, Abe. I am a hundred years old almost and I joined the government when I was in my late thirties. The people outside do not know this, but you do. This dealing with the shadows has changed my mindset. I have tried to control a lot of things that I should not control.


    This unconscious habit of mine had cost me a lot, and I will now have to pay the price. So, accept it. It is time I rest. You can call me in times of dire needs, but I will not be taking the office."


    He said that and then he walked out of the office. Abraham knew that he would not be able to change Atsuji''s decision, so he sighed and attested the document in front of him with his stamp. Then he called his secretary to announce the news to the world.


    Ryu Jinshi was resting in the apartment he owned. His body was beaten to shreds. despite the seal on his prowess, he still had the healing ability, despite that the wounds were yet to close. He was in pain. He could not eat as his guts were stuffed inside by him when he was thrown out of the Dao Courtyard.


    His lungs would ache at every breath, his ribs had punctured his lungs in many places. If it was any normal human being, he would have died from the agony. Broken hands and broken legs. The bones were not completely connected. He was lying on the bed and gazing at the ceiling. He mumbled, "What have I done?"


    His mind was occupied by the scene that night when he shoot the two people without knowing the consequences. He killed two innocent people, two people who were working for the betterment of society.


    The research done by Yang Dao''s parents was not radical or harmful to the world, but it was a little something that could help everyone by giving them a better life. However, his impulse and character flaws led things to this big mess. He could not help but mutter the sentence above.


    That night was also a reason why he embroiled himself in constant bloodshed and violence. He wished to kill those who deserved it, that is why he entered the world of mercenaries and contested on the fields where gathered the depraved of the world. They were all given a chance at freedom, and the condition was to defeat the mercenaries.


    The mercenaries used this place to temper themselves and, at the same time, they earned a lot of money. The criminals were also trained to a level to hold a chance of survival against the enemy. The reason the world government allowed this was because they believed that hanging till death was a punishment too easy for such beasts.


    Atsuji Kurogame had given up on his office in the ministry and came back to the apartment where Ryu Jinshi was. Their powers were sealed. also they needed to use their methods to find Yang Dao. After living for so long, they were not completely dependent on their powers, they both had a deep contact list.


    The old man looked at the vacant Ryu Jinshi on the bed and said, "Get a grip on yourself. Those who make mistakes must have the guts to pay the price and suffer the punishment as well."


    Ryu Jinshi gave him a look and said, "You think I have no guts? Didn''t Xiaobai show them to you yesterday?"


    Atsuji Kurogame said, "What have you thought?"


    "I will have the mercs mobilize. The dragon unit has been living quietly for a long time. The vacation is over." said the wounded man.


    Atsuji Kurogame said, "I will be calling in for some favors as well. I will kneel and kill myself in front of him if I have to." he did not sit down but took out an old phonebook from his breast pocket and used the antique landline in the apartment he called a few people. The chat was kept brief, but the task was the same.


    Ryu Jinshi on the side let out a text message to all the people who were members of his mercenary team, the dragon unit and the task was to locate Yang Dao.


    The huge movement had caused a big stir in the world, both hidden and public. Everyone knew that something was happening, but they did not know why it was happening. The search was kept confidential, but the movement was still present to the people.

 Chapter 340: Isolated.

    Yang Dao did not care for anything and kept sitting on the ground with his legs crossed. After his conversation with Dallia finished, he opened his eyes slowly, let out a heavy breath, and picked up the mobile on the side. There were a few notifications on the side. He scanned through and after he did not find anything that needed his attention.


    Suddenly the AI spoke up, "Master, people have mobilized a lot of assets in your search. Also, Lady Feng and Lady Laohu have been moving all over the planet in your search."


    Yang Dao replied, "Hm, let them be. Anything else that needs my attention?"


    RALF replied, "Master, the company has launched the holographic projector, holo-phone prototype has been put in production after concerning Dr. Frieda Foster. There were a few changes made in the design. Would you like to see some?"


    Yang Dao thought for a bit and said, "Yes, show me." he wanted to see what the changes were.


    The holo-phone had turned into a pair of glasses. A mini projector was installed in the upper corner of the glass. It will project everything directly on the retina of the owner. A ring was needed to control the ''virtual touch'' feature of the lense. This feature allowed people to access everything they see on the screen.


    The back stem of the glasses was a set of earphones, a mic was also placed inside the glasses. This device was accepted by the people warmly and the sales were quite profitable. The next product was the lev car. After the changes made in the infrastructure, the cars will soon be out on the roads. Not only this, the company offered to change the conventional car models to the levitating ones for a minimal charge.


    Yang Dao nodded and said, "I will go back to meditation. If anyone finds me, tell them they can disturb me at the price of their lives."


    His rage has not yet calmed down. He did not wish to go all chummy with those people who deceived him. Yang Dao closed his eyes and sat back in meditation. He had gained the knowledge on how to master the elements quickly by Dallia. She had told him how she achieved these things on her own. He intended to do the same.


    As he was indulged in meditation to perceive the fire element, the familiars were moving. A month had already passed when Yang Dao was immersed in meditation earlier. This time, he did not know how long will the meditation last. He could not meet Dallia in the Dao space, as she was going on an expedition in her realm.


    ...


    While the boy was focusing on moving forward, the four familiars were looking for him frantically. Feng Yun had combed the whole world and her shadow guards had been looking in every place humans could go to. Laohu Bai had been looking in the forests and deserted places. She had yet to climb the mountains. She had been to a lot of places and had yet to find Yang Dao.


    They have been expecting Yang Dao to hide in plain sight when they combed the civilized places. However, when they found nothing, they began to look at the secluded places. The two ladies had been in touch with each other, but they had not even once bothered to check up on the two men.


    They did not care if Atsuji Kurogame and Ryu Jinshi were to die. Their deeds had put them in such a position, thus the hatred was normal.


    On the other hand, Atsuji Kurogame and Ryu Jinshi, who was not yet completely recovered, was walking with crutches. The two men were boarding a plane to the freedom country. The dragon unit had been out looking for any news and clues about Yang Dao.


    Atsuji Kurogame told them that electronic surveillance will not work. He did not disclose any details about RALF but just said that the other party had a device that disables all the electronic surveillance. The people also did not ask much, they used the traditional old-school methods to look for Yang Dao.


    The dragon unit is used to train parrots. And the person responsible for this would have a parrot fly in the sky and have him report back as soon as they spotted something odd. A GPS locator was equipped on this parrot to make it easier to find it. RALF did not ban the electronic device being worn by a bird, as the system tagged it as one of those sheltered birds.


    The bird located Yang Dao sitting under the bamboo shelter with his eyes closed and he mentioned it to the people. The dragon unit was excited. They did not expect to find the guy after such a long time. One month for them was enough to find out what sort of codes were being used by the president of the world to keep the top-secret data safe. They were all level three elementalists.


    RALF would send a notification for every human within two kilometers from Yang Dao. The boy will then wave them away. However, the people from the dragon unit did not approach him. They waited at the edge for Ryu Jinshi to arrive.


    ...


    Laohu Bai was on a call with Feng Yun. She said, "The old man sent me a message, he had found a trace of Dao. What shall we do?"


    Feng Yun replied in an unfeeling voice, "We go. But tell them to not make a sound. I am disgusted with their voices."


    Laohu Bai nodded and said, "I agree."


    The white tiger was the youngest, and she made a mistake earlier by believing the people too much and disappointed the Dao Child in her. She did not want to fall into the same deposition again, so she was keeping in touch with the old man. Her motive was to find Yang Dao by hook or by crook.


    This was her first task when she came to this world, but let the old man make them believe that the delay was for the Dao Child''s betterment. Yang Dao did turn out to be a good child, but his emotional growth stagnated. He became too practical. Though he grew up later in their company, the love a child deserved was taken away from him by the actions of the two people.


    The other two were now facing the consequences of being on the same team as the culprits. This was the cause and effect.

 Chapter 341: Consequences.

    Yang Dao did not know that the four have managed to get a hold of his position. He sat under the bamboo shed with his eyes closed and ignorant to the world. During this time of meditation, he was focused only on the inside of himself. The Dao resonance was sealed off to avoid being located by the familiars and thus a thin layer of dust had accumulated over his clothes.


    His face, however, was clear as usual. The dust was the consequence of his seals. His eyelids flickered, but they did not open. The mountain top had become the center of the world. RALF spoke, "Master, four people are approaching."


    Yang Dao did not react, as he was immersed in meditation. The four people also received the message the boy had left earlier.


    ...


    On the cliff opposite to where Yang Dao sat, four people were gathered. Ryu Jinshi was slightly pale and held a crutch in his hands. Despite the heavenly blessing of healing, the man still had trouble walking on his own.


    Atsuji Kurogame was having trouble breathing. His old age seemed to have caught up with him. The powers of the heavenly spirits were sealed, making them mortal. Climbing so high on the mountain was not something they could do with ease now.


    Laohu Bai and Feng Yun stood together with cold eyes, and they did not look at the two men. The dragon unit had given the two men a pack of equipment at the base of the cliff. They were not allowed to move with them. This was not to maintain secrecy but to make sure that Yang Dao was not disturbed.


    Feng Yun was about to fly over to where Yang Dao was when she received the message left from the boy. The AI spoke in its indifferent voice, "Master has left a message, Miss Feng."


    Feng Yun hesitated a bit and said, "Tell me."


    "Those who disturb me shall pay for it with their lives." Yang Dao''s voice sounded from the phone. They all froze up in their tracks.


    Laohu Bai tightened her jaws and clenched her fists hard. She said, "I came here and decided not to be angered but looks like I have no other option but to kill you." her cold voice sent shivers down the two men. They were really weak enough for their physical body to die. Laohu Bai was cruel and will shred their bodies to pieces.


    Feng Yun shook her head and said, "A moment of impulse is the reason behind today''s situation. We shall not do something that may anger him any further. Xiao Bai, we have powers and can manage not to disturb him. They are responsible for their actions. Let us go."


    Laohu Bai snorted at the two men and left with Feng Yun. Atsuji Kurogame let out a breath he held in his lungs and said in a low voice, "She would have killed us."


    Ryu Jinshi said, "I never had a doubt. The youngest of us is the calmest, yet her temper is also the most fierce. Yun might give us a way off despite being cold, but Xiao Bai will kill us without even the slightest of hesitation."


    Atsuji Kurogame nodded and then the two of them started to descend the cliff. They were using completely mortal means to get to where Yang Dao was. This was the consequence of their arrogance. The two of them may not admit it, but they were very arrogant about their strengths as the elemental gods. Thus, when Feng Yun and Laohu Bai knelt in fear and surrender, they hesitated.


    They would have knelt to show their devotion to Yang Dao, but when the boy pointed out their flaw, they flinched, and that flinch was enough to cause the Dao Child to take away their powers. He did not need to go through some hectic procedures to seal their powers, he only needed to have the thought and their powers will seal off by themselves.


    This was the perk he had for mastering the Dao Resonance. His thoughts became the will of the heavens. While the two people climbed down the mountain in silence, Feng Yun and Laohu Bai landed in front of Yang Dao.


    The two ladies did not walk close to him, but knelt a few meters away. They sealed off their powers to not cause any disturbance to the boy. Feng Yun was shedding tears from the moment she landed in this place. She saw the dust accumulated on his clothes and it pained her heart too much.


    The tears were not the precious tears of the phoenix. They were the tears of a mortal lady. She had sealed off her heavenly spirit powers to make penance. Laohu Bai was calm and her head was hovering over the ground by a few millimeters. She had also sealed her heavenly spirit powers.


    She wished to bang her head on the ground, but she did not dare to make the slightest of noise as to not disturb the boy in front of him. She could sense that he was immersed in deep meditation and if he was disturbed, then he may get injured seriously.


    The two decided to stay like that until the boy wakes up. As for the two men, they did not care. The time passed away quickly, and the people seemed to have become stones. The ladies kept maintaining the kowtow position constantly, and the boy kept sitting in meditation. It took Atsuji Kurogame and Ryu Jinshi a week to get to the top of the cliff.


    They came and found the ladies kowtowing to the boy in silence. They exchanged a glance and followed the lead. They were aware of their deeds and thus they decided to pay for their sins with the same vigor they committed the sins.


    Yang Dao, at this moment, perceived the fire element inside him. His body was washed over with a warm current. The heat from the flow of his blood, from the consumption of energy inside his cells. All this heat was giving him a sense of warmth. The boy had been stuck at this point for a week and finally, the effort and dwelling paid off. This time, he was able to count the time in his mind. It must have been two weeks since he last woke up.

 Chapter 342: Punishments.

    Yang Dao sensed the fire heating him on the inside and then he gradually calmed down. This was just the beginning. He needed to go to a place abundant in the fire to communicate with the element. With that thought in his mind, he opened his eyes and retracted from the state of meditation.


    However, the excitement in his heart died down. He saw four figures bent to face him. He wanted to run away and never to face them earlier, but while talking to Dallia he found out that what happened was their fault but it was because they did not have complete control of their temperaments.


    Dallia told him, "Yoru familiars will play a significant role in your growth. It is not that I have never received any aid, but the aid was short-lived. The spirits of the four ancient beasts are neutral. They make mistakes but that is because when the incarnation is born, it is tinted by the flaws of the world they are in.


    I hope you try and look past it. Only with the spirits can the dao be balanced. Do you understand?"


    In the time they were conversing, their bond has grown from strangers to acquaintances and then friends. They exchanged ideas to solve the troubles faced by the worlds they are in. They exchanged knowledge.


    Yang Dao wanted to talk more but Dallia had to leave for some tasks at her hand. She had told him that they might be able to meet when he masters the laws again. The next set of laws he needed to master were creation and destruction. How these laws were different from life and death will be something he will find out later on his journey.


    He gazed at the four people and could sense their shivering. They were in their mortal forms right now. Their bodies were already past their limits yet they insisted on prostrating to him. He cannot say that he did not feel anything. His heart was not made of stone. He could not change what has happened in the past but it still pained him.


    The four have also sensed his gaze but they did not dare to raise their heads to look at him. The boy opened his dao eyes and said, "Raise your heads."


    The four people shivered and raised their heads, however, the eyes were still staring at the floor. Yang Dao found that the two girls had violet arms. The clifftop was cold at night and for a mortal, it was indeed harsh. They also had swelling on their bodies. He sighed and waved his hands, directing a wave of earth source energy into the ladies. These two had no involvement in the crime committed by the two men.


    The earth source energy healed their ailments and Yang Dao said, "Undo your seals. You have been punished enough. Also, Sister Yun, go easy on killing people, your spirit is too violent now."


    His address was enough to make her heart of the phoenix fly up in the skies. However, she calmed down as well. She was not going to let this little thing get to her head now and serve him to the best of her abilities (not behind closed doors).


    Yang Dao cast his gaze at laohu Bai and said, "Baibai, you too, calm your heart, the rage in your heart is not good."


    Laohu Bai replied, "Yes, Master." she had completely surrendered herself to the identity of a servant of the Dao Child.


    Yang Dao glanced at the two men and said, "I know that you two had control over your tainted temperament at that moment, however, you have done something that my heart will be burdened with for my whole life. I am the Dao Child, the incarnation of the great dao in a human form. This body of mine is a mortal and it carries over the burdens of morality. I cannot get rid of the relations and the debts incurred throughout my life.


    The people you killed were responsible to bring me to this world. That debt can never be paid off. Similarly to me, you also have some debts over yourselves. The debt of life, the debt of my childhood. The debt of hericide. You will have to pay them off with sincere efforts. Do you understand?"


    "Yes, Master." said the two people in unison. They did not have any arrogance or hesitation inside their hearts anymore.


    Yang Dao nodded and continued speaking, "Ryu Jinshi for the act of killing two parents, you are to look after people and serve them till they pass away in an old age home. You must choose healthy old people if I am to discover that you slacked off in some way. I will kill you and have you incarnate again. Since you were impulsive back then, learn to be patient. Do you accept?"


    The man replied, "Yes, Master."


    Yang Dao said again, "Atsuji Krogame, your ignorance and slacking behavior led to a child suffering a childhood without parents, you are to adopt a child and teach him all your skills and nurture him with care and love.  Since you used to be in control of everything, learn the spontaneity of a child. Do you accept?"


    The old man nodded and said in a hoarse voice, "Yes, Master."


    Yang Dao punished them in a constructive way. This was to make the flaws in their characters to be removed completely. They may have reflected on it by themselves but who knows when the flaws might resurface in the future?


    Yang Dao waved his hand to undo the seals of the two people and said, "I will be going off to practice at the volcanic regions. Go do your jobs correctly. Baibai is to monitor you, she has the right and power to kill you the instant you exceed the limit of error. Laohu Bai, since you could not change what happened in the past, you have the chance to watch over things now and change them if something goes wrong, Do you accept?"


    Laohu Bai nodded and said, "Yes, Master."


    Yang dao looked at Feng Yun and said with a smile, "Sister Yun, you go back to deal with the business. Being away from the company might hinder future plans. You go back and get things done in accordance with the plans. Okay?"


    Feng Yun asked, "Am I not to be punished?"


    Yang Dao shook his head and said, "Who told you to cry because my clothes were dusty?"


    He stood up and cleaned his clothes with a wave of his hand and said, "I will be back after mastering the fire element."

 Chapter 343: Land Below.

    Ryu Jinshi saw Yang Dao ready to leave and hesitated in saying something. The Dao Child asked, "What is it?"


    The guy said, "Master, I can take you to a place where you can learn how to control fire and also learn about the skills in battle."


    Yang Dao raised his eyebrow and asked, "What place would that be?"


    Ryu Jinshi said, "Land below."


    His words made Yang Dao have a strange expression while the rest were surprised. He asked, "Something I need to know?"


    Laohu Bai replied, "The place he mentioned is a hidden city. This place is nothing short of a hell hole except being on this planet. It is a gathering place of the most heinous people in the world."


    Ryu Jinshi said, "You can go there, use this token and call for a death rally. You will be fighting with those people to death."


    Yang Dao asked, "What is the catch?"


    He was smart enough to know that nothing was that easy as it seems to be in this place mentioned. Thus he asked for the rules and the catch. Ryu Jinshi gulped and said, "Master, that place has a natural formation that bans the use of all other elements but fire. So you will have to learn the fire element to survive inside. Those criminals all are somehow capable of using fire elements and they can only stay alive within the bounds of that city.


    We do not know the reason behind this. It can only be discerned with the help of your Dao''s eyes. So, please look into it."


    Yang Dao nodded, he asked about the general location of the place and left for the destination flying high in the sky. Laohu Bai gazed at the figure vanishing in the dense clouds, she said, "You people may have gotten off the hook, but do not dare to think, that things will get back to the way they were. Master looks at the big picture but I am not that wise.  One tiny mistake, and I will execute the command. Your lives are in yoru own hands."


    Feng Yun looked at the two people and did not say a word, but she turned to face Laohu Bai and said, "XiaoBai, stay in touch."


    The white-haired girl nodded and saw Feng Yun flying off in the direction of the Jewel nations. The two men did not comment at all but accepted everything these girls said. Feng Yun may have been silent but her eyes directed her intent right in their hearts. She had been killing too many people in the past month, she needed to calm down. Thus, she did not use any words but her actions.


    Atsuji Kurogame sat down on the ground and began to heal his old body, same was going on with Ryu Jinshi, as he was also healing his wounds. Although Yang Dao had undone their seals, they dared not to heal themselves.


    ...


    Yang Dao was flying in the sky and his gaze was focused in the direction of his destination. He was to go and look for this place on the south pole of the world. The polar regions were covered with ice. however, extreme cold gives birth to extreme heat. Beneath the kilometers thick snow layer, a volcano was buried. He was to get to this volcano.


    Since he had yet to master the two elements, water, and fire, he could only fly over the dense snow. He could sense the earth below the snow caps and could tell that it was a vague connection. The boy had been flying for one night and day in a row, so he sat down on the snow and meditated to restore his peak.


    The source energy inside the world flowed into his body, washing away all the exhaustion he accumulated in the travel time. The process was slow and simple. He stood up from the ground and felt the snow beneath his feet. A smile surfaced on his face.


    He turned around to cast a gaze at the surroundings and scanned the horizon. Then he started to glide over the surface and headed to the center of the polar region. There was no sun in the sky to help him. This was the coldest place on the planet and never had been visited by normal humans. When they say ''The end of the world.'' this place was that end of the world.


    People would be lost if they were left in this place of endless white. However, when was the Dao child a normal person? He had activated his dao eyes as soon as he had woken up from the meditation.


    The whole place was like a sea of dark and light. in the center of this sea, a blob of light was shining brilliantly. This blob of light was what Yang Dao was looking for. The light given off by humans and other things had different intensities. Thus it had become easier for him to move forward. Thanks to these eyes he could tell that this place was not just a bizarre existence in nature.


    He could sense a strong presence existing there. After an hour he reached the place that looked like a hole. Yes, there was a hole in the middle of nowhere. Yang Dao could see the blob of light down the hole. He closed his dao eyes and found that below his feet, the hole was filled with bitter cold water.


    He realized that this was the lake at the end of the world. He took a deep breath and with a firm gaze, dived in the hole. The first thing he sensed was cold, enough to freeze his bone marrow. This sensation was uncomfortable to him. Dao Child had never suffered such bitter cold. However, this water seemed to be something against him.


    He grit his teeth and kept diving down to the depths of the cold water. He tolerated the cold and kept on going down. At one point he even wished to go back and beat Ryu Jinshi.

 Chapter 344: Heat.

    Yang Dao was diving deep in the ice-cold blue water. He had never imagined that cold can be this cruel. He had never felt the need to change his water temperature. The hot shower he took was something natural. The water had heated up according to his comfort level. This was just like how he had never been bothered by the cold or the heat.


    The dao child can also be called the child of nature. He could tell that the blood in his body had frozen to the point of crystallization. Suddenly he opened his dao eyes and saw that he was getting closed to the blob of light. The blob of light that gave off a glimmering shine was only as big as a house when he was outside, but not it has been slowly getting bigger.


    The human body had the property of buoyancy, diving with your weight applied to a certain distance. Despite the crystallization of his blood, the boy was able to dive using the source energy of earth elements.


    His bones were denser and his weight has increased, allowing him to dive slowly. His limbs had stopped moving a long time ago. However, despite the cold, his brain was working at peak performance. He finally realized why this place was only for those who had learned fire element.


    He began to focus on the heat inside his body. His blood has been frozen, his brain was being protected by the source energies. He was awake because the body was consuming the source energies at a fast pace. Yang Dao focused on the heat in his brain and began to accumulate it.


    The heat slowly started to melt his blood vessels and capillaries. The heat began to circulate in his body, and slowly it started to make his blood melt. producing heat cost him all his source energy. It took him two hours to melt the blood in his heart and organs before he depleted his source energy resources.


    He also began to swim faster. The blob of light was almost in his reach when his body lost the support of earth source energy. The buoyancy got the chance to act on his body. Yang Dao could not afford to be pushed back into the deep icy waters. He will surely die if he did this. He gathered a shred of wind energy in his body and cast a drill around him. The water diverted for a moment and that was all the time he needed.


    The boy sunk deep and he touched the blob of light. A strong force sucked him inside. The next thing he knew was darkness and warmth. He never imagined how darkness can bring someone comfort. It was ironic how the light he yearned for, gave him pain while, after reaching the goal, he submerged into darkness.


    He did not know for how long he was unconscious. However, it was very calm and soothing for him. When he woke up, he sat up alerted. The boy looked around and found himself in a dark alley. Suddenly, a strong stench made him realize that he was lying in the sewer. The OCD kicked in and he jumped up on his feet.


    The sewer was open, unlike the ones in the city. The sewer was more like a ditch. He found a relatively clean corner and began to climb up. The speed was affected by occasion dregs of decomposing crap on the cliffside.


    He navigated his way through the shit pile and came up to the normal surface. He heard a hoarse voice, "Hmm, someone can survive that shit hole? How depraved can you be, boy?"


    The next moment, a knife was placed over Yang Dao''s nape. The boy could sense that he had encountered a strong opponent, but he was not afraid. He had confidence in his abilities. A stinky breath collided with his face and the man said, "Where did you pretty boy come to this place? What did you achieve? Plunder or arson, or did you commit fleshy sin? Hahaha ha, teenagers do that right?"


    Yang Dao suddenly reacted and his elbow hit the breast bone of the man behind him. The gap between them was thus an inch, but it was enough. The elbow shunned the man off a bit. In this place, people were fierce but they also feared for their lives. He did not expect Yang Dao to act so carelessly.


    The Dao Child turned around and with a quick action took hold of the knife holding wrist of the man. His next step was not to snatch the knife away, but to hit the inside of the man''s elbow with his palm. This made the hand bent, and the knife was lodged inside the man''s throat before he could even react.


    His wrinkled face had a horrified expression, his pupils were dilated into pinpoints. He did not expect that this boy will kill him. Elementalists were strong, but they were not immortals. Their bodies were mortal. And without a body, the soul will not live in this realm. The rule of the world will erase it.


    The wrinkly man died, Yang Dao pulled out the knife from his throat and pushed the man over the cliff. Looking at the shit hole from this place, he realized that it was a mass graveyard. The place was filled with dead bodies of people who might have died in this place. The stench was not of rotten crap but flesh.


    The dregs Yang Dao avoided on the way up to the cliff were pieces of flesh as well. This made him nauseous. However, he had not eaten anything for months, so he could only spit. The source of energy inside him was the fuel to his body, but now that it was exhausted, he would have to accumulate it again.


    The boy sighed and looked at the sky, cursing Ryu Jinshi in his heart. Only now did he notice that the place was surrounded by a bubble of air that kept the water at bay. He mumbled, "Giants are also fragile."

 Chapter 345: Mysterious.

    Yang Dao looked back around him and found that the whole city was covered with a tint of amber. There was no sun in the sky here, it was all below the water. His gaze fell on the floor below his feet. He realized that the floor was radiating heat and glow. He rubbed the floor with his feet and sensed the hardness of the floor.


    The guy understood that there was something beneath this place that gave off the heat and transformed the floor into a hard crystal-like surface. That said he walked forward. A few meters opposite the mass grave, there were buildings. He was curious to see some buildings here and decided to explore them.


    He did not relax his vigilance though. He was wearing a simple shirt and jeans when he came here so he stuffed the knife snatched from the previous attacker inside his sleeves as he kept walking forward. His gaze was scanning the whole place around him and his ears were focused on the sounds in the surroundings.


    He could hear the murmurs coming from the buildings. There were people inside. He decided to use his Dao Eyes to check the place for living people inside the buildings. He did not wish to meet anyone but to find a secluded place where he could meditate in quiet.


    The building looked like it had rooms, but there were too many people in this place. The whole place did not seem to be bigger than a football field. Soon Yang Dao found a building where the terrace seemed to be empty. However, when he looked at the design, he found that there were no stairs in the buildings.


    Suddenly he turned back and slashed the knife behind him. The move was completely out of the blues and killing. The person who approached him did not expect such a keen response from a kid who did not seem to have any fire energy radiating from his body. The approaching party was also not slow and retreated quickly enough to avoid the slash but not without a scratch.


    Yang Dao could not see the face of the person in front of him but heard a cold voice, "Such a quick response, either too paranoid or too much battle experience."


    The boy did not respond but held the knife with a reverse grip and his eyes locked with the figure in front. The two got into a staredown and finally, the figure asked, "Seems like you are new here. What crime did you commit?"


    Yang Dao had heard a similar question earlier. He said in an indifferent voice, "What does that have to do with you?"


    The cold voice replied, "This is a place of the scourge, but there are some rules that imply upon all. Everyone needs to be registered, those who do not comply will die as soon as they touch the buildings."


    Yang Dao did not understand what the person meant, he asked, "Care to elaborate?"


    The figure shook his head and said, "There must have been a depraved old man you killed back at the flesh pit?"


    After receiving a nod from the boy the figure continued, "This place is a mysterious land. When your crimes get past the range of punishment, they become sins, and sinners are exiled and boycotted. This is the land of exile. We all do not know how we ended up here after being thrown in the barren ice land above.  However, we have a few things in common. We all can practice in the element again."


    Yang Dao did not find any implications of the person to be lying by the stability of his breath and speech but he was not naive enough to believe him just based on that. He said, "Why do you tell me this?"


    The cold voice replied, "Do you not understand that this place is made by the criminals and sinners, and even though we are sinners we all have a set of rules. Fairness among the villains you can call it. Given the level of your elemental skill, you will be provided a place to live and also, you will fight members with similar strength as well."


    Yang Dao replied, "I am an elemental seeker. Also, I did not commit any sins, I am here, it is my choice."


    His voice was calm but his eyes were cold, the person in front of him was shocked for a few minutes and then he asked, "What you said is true? Why did you come to such a hell hole on your own? Have a certain death wish?"


    The figure received no reply and said with a sigh, "Find any place to live but not the top of the buildings. Those are occupied by some big names who are at the moment fighting with each other. You do not wish to get captured in the aftermath."


    Yang Dao did not reply but understood something about the set of rules in this place. He nodded to the person and turned back. Suddenly the person moved his hand but found that a knife was flying at him and lodged straight inside his throat. He did not have the time to cast his fire skill.


    The boy walked over and took out the knife and left the place, slowly the figure fell to the ground. Yang Dao did not turn back to look at the dead body. He was not an emotional fool to have empathy with the enemy. However, this encounter did provide him with some information regarding this place.


    One, this place was mysterious, and two, none of the living beings shall be trusted in this place. The only way to unravel the mystery was to get stronger and survive. He was walked closed to a building and spotted a few dents inside the walls. After tracking the dents he found that the dents led to the top of the building and also the window openings in the building.


    He had no idea of barging inside a room for shelter. This was the place that worshipped strength, so only the strong had the right to get themselves a room. He quickly climbed along the wall and arrived at the top of the building. Walked to the corner of the terrace and gazed at the horizon in front of him.


    A few mental notes were taken down by him. This place was as big as a football field, one half was filled with buildings while the second half was a grave pit. Three, the floor gave off an amber glow and heat.


    Yang Dao sighed and mumbled, "The world sure is mysterious."

 Chapter 346: Bloodshed.

    After taking a good look at the scenery the boy sat down on top of the terrace and began to perceive the element. He did not know how long it was when his ears flicked and he stood up from his place. He caught a light fighting sound coming from the side.


    He saw two people fighting with each other on the terrace of the second building in front of him. The buildings were all like single-room towers, separated by an alley wide enough for a man to pass through. Since the distance was not very far, Yang Dao could see the movements of the people very clearly.


    He heard two sets of movements coming from behind him. He turned to find two people climbing up the tower. They had just climbed up the wall and set foot on the terrace when they spotted Yang Dao and were surprised. The two people were females, wearing tight clothes but not looking sensual or anything. But even a little filthy.


    One of the ladies spoke, "Oh, such a handsome young boy. Why have I not discovered you before, Sugar?"


    Her hair was covered with dirt and blood but the blonde glint was still visible. Going from her features, Yang Dao could tell that she was from the freedom country, however, he could still discern her words despite the different vocal. Another mental note was taken down by him at this moment.


    This place can translate the global tongue.


    Yang Dao asked back, "What do you need here?" his tone indifferent.


    The girl laughed and said, "Hahahaha, we are going to fight here, what else. Wait, did you just come over and did not know that this is a battlefield? You live in the rooms and fight on the terrace. Then dump the dead enemy in that big pit."


    Yang Dao nodded and said, "You can fight, I will not interfere, whoever, dies, I can have her room."


    He did not have a slight fear in his heart when he saw these two ladies, they were the same strength as him, an elemental seeker. They could only sense the heat from outside their bodies, try to manipulate it but nothing more.


    The blonde girl nodded but the other party was a bald girl with a scar on the side of her face. She did not say a word from start to end and her eyes were filled with vigil. However, Yang Dao could not sense any fluctuations from her stature. She was calm, like a viper waiting to attack.


    The boy nodded to her and came to stand up at the boundary of the terrace. He had no idea of interfering with the people. The fight of the building at the side had come to an end with the death of a person. Yang Dao did not have the intention to go and kill the wounded winner. That was not his style.


    The two girls stood face-to-face and they began to clash with knives and blades in their hands. They both used two-handed knife and dagger fighting styles. The blonde girl said, "Amyra, you should have died outside. You know that you are not my enemy?"


    The bald girl did not reply. She moved forward as soon as the blonde stopped speaking. Yang Dao watched the movements of the two people and found that despite her calm the bald one was on the weaker side. The blonde girl was attacking hard and fast. Her hands were moving at a fast speed. All her attacks were aimed at the vital spots of the bald girl.


    Yang Dao crouched down and began to focus on the moves. His brain did not work like normal people, equipped with his Dao eyes, he could easily discern her move pattern. After the pattern entered the repetition cycle Yang Dao changed the focus of his attention and found that the bald girl seemed to be holding back on purpose. She was defending the attacks focused on her vitals impeccably but she ignored everything falling on the rest of her body.


    She defended her joints, internal organs, neck, and head. Yang Dao will never accept that there was such a big loophole in the defense technique. This person must have been some big shot to have been called a sinner and thrown here. Just as he predicted, the bald girl, Amyra ducked as a blow came to her head and staggered back a step but that was only to lure in the blonde.


    The fish took the bait and followed in, Just as the Blinde rushed in to take advantage of the bald girls lost balance. The latter smirked and took a step to the side in a cross step. She placed her left feet past the right and used them as a pivot to twist her body and deliver a critical slash at the stomach of the blonde. Bloodflowers bloomed in the void as the dagger ripped apart the stomach of the blonde.


    Yang Dao almost stood up to applaud the move. The bald girl was not the opponent of the Blonde in terms of anything, whether it be martial skills or appearance, but her brain. Her brain was much sharper than her daggers. The blonde girl could not believe what just happened and clutched her stomach, the blood gushed from between her fingers, she barely could keep her guts from spilling outside.


    She asked in a broken voice, "Why?" her eyes were brimming with disbelief and pain. Amyra did not speak but Yang Dao said, "You looked down on your enemy, let down your guard. Your arrogance became your demise. You might have been a big shot out there to be placed in this hell hole but do you really think, that those who came here are any weaker than you? They would have been dealt outside if so."


    He did not leak out the strategy used by Amyra. He did not want to tell her that she has been seen through. After all, she was his potential enemy. He walked over to the blonde girl, who was gazing at him with anger in her eyes. He took a hold of her knives and said, Thank you for the room and the knives. I will use them to their fullest."


    Then he nodded to the bald girl and walked away. The bald girl did not relax and said in a low voice, "Goodbye, sister." and slashed her blade on the blonde''s neck, ending her misery.

 Chapter 347: Silence Before The Storm.

    Yang Dao climbed down the wall. He found an empty room and climbed inside from the window hole. The room was filled with nothing but darkness. Using his dao eyes, the boy came to the center of the room. He found that the source energy inside the room was particularly stronger in the center.


    He looked down at the floor and found a mandala pattern engraved there. The energy inside the room seemed to be gathering at this place. He sat down on the pattern and crossed his legs. The source energy was warm. However, the boy did not start absorbing the source energy directly. Dallia had told him, first to adjust his internal structure a bit.


    The adjustment she mentioned was how an elemental god can control their mentality. The source energies all had different raw properties of their respective attributes instilled within them. To make sure that the body is absorbing the energy to its highest level and the harmony between the two is also optimal, the practitioner must adjust their mentality.


    That could only be done after aging a certain understanding and comprehending the meaning of the element. Since Yang Dao was percieving the element of fire he would focus on the meaning and profoundness of the element. This trick was a secret Dallia had came up by herself. She did not have anyone to aid her in understanding the meaning of the elements.


    Yang Dao had gained a lot from this encounter of their and was ready to apply his learnings to the pursuit of strength. He began to think about what fire meant. Everyone will have a different comprehension of the elements they perceive. It could be said that meanings change with the lives of people. Comprehensions made by every one may lead to the same destination but the path will diverge a bit.


    As he comprehended what fire meant to him the surrounding source energy in the void began to roll around him in a spiral. If the people from the outside looked inside, they will see a vague shadow of the vermillion phoenix flying around Yang Dao.


    The source energy was radiating to his thoughts taking the shape of his ideas. To Yang Dao fire was a source of warmth. The warmth he found when he was in the orphanage being cared by Sister Tina, the children in the orphanage, who accepted him and loved him like a brother. The warmth he later found from Feng Yun.


    Feng Yun was the first person outside the orphanage, who loved him with nothing expected. He could tell that she was really caring about him, giving him the best of it all was her way to show her care and love for him. He found the warmth in his friends, who laughed with him and felt happy when he achieved something.


    The warmth in the orphanage became a fuel in his heart, lighting up the fire of hard work and excellence. Part the reason he worked so hard was this warmth. He wanted to provide for the best for everyone in the orphanage. He did not imagine that Feng Yun would suddenly come up to him and then serve him all his desires on a silver platter.


    Feng Yun had suffered a lot as well. She had achieved all this with her own hard work, yet she signed it all to his name without a second of hesitation. The proud heavenly spirit beast would look down on the world from the skies but never did she had the idea to despise. Yang Dao was were impressed and satisfied with her.


    Thus the fire in his mind took shape of the phoenix. As his understanding of fire deepened the phoenix flying around his body became vivider and even the detailing of the elemental avatar became more detailed. Yang Dao sat on the ground unaware of this change outside. The rest of the people could not sense all this with their shallow understandings. Even if they had reached the fourth level of elementals. They were weak in front of him.


    Suddenly the phoenix flew over his head and then the avatar became a plume of flares. They all flew to his body pores and were absorbed. This flares did not hurt him, but nourished his body, alleviating the previous cold and exhaustion in his body. The process was very relaxing to him. Yang Dao was in no hurry and he sat down in his place as he absorbed the source energy like a drought surviving land quenching itself in fire source energy.


    The source energy of the earth and the wind elements has been depleted in the earlier attempt to generate heat and enter this place. So his body has been thirsty for some nourishment badly. This point made Yang Dao advance to the second stage of the fire elemental. He did not stop absorbing the energy until he was full.


    The process lasted for a long time. During this time no one came to his room. He could still hear the battle sounds coming from the terrace and his vigilance has never been lowered. He was not afraid that someone will come in to pick a fight with him. Even if someone did come then he will be not falling down.


    The silence represented the rise of a storm and the settling of dust as well. Yang Dao had finished absorbing the source energy to his limits and had been practising the knife skill he learned from the blonde, who died a few days ago. Yes, it has been a few days since he came to this place but he had been staying inside his room only.


    Suddenly a figure rushed inside his room and a cold voice said, "I want this room, get out."


    Yang Dao said, "Make me, if you have the skills." he was not soft at all.


    "Very well, come fight on the terrace. I would make you leave the world altogether." and the other person left the room to climb up to the terrace. Yang Dao also did not back off and came to the tp of the terrace. As he set his foot down on terrace he caught the first glance of his enemy.

 Chapter 348: First Fight.

    Yang Dao looked at the person in front of him. The opponent was a man with a burly physique and long hair, his clothes were shredded and broken from places and he held a big sword on his back. This made him confused. He did not understand where this guy found such a big sword.


    The opponent looked at his face and asked, "What is it?"


    Yang Dao said, "Will you answer a few questions before we begin?"


    The man nodded generously at this. He could tell that Yang Dao was new here. It can be considered an act of kindness among these sinners to answer each other''s doubt just before a death battle so the person can pass away with no burden in their hearts.


    Yang Dao nodded and asked, "Why do you want to get my room?"


    The man replied, "That is because the higher the room is the better healing carving it will have. The pattern on the floor. You must have seen it, right?" watching the boy nod he continued, "That pattern is the healing channel of a sort. The energy will heal your wounds a lot quicker than any hospital out there."


    Yang Dao nodded and asked again, "Where did you get the sword?"


    The man said, "Killed someone and took it from him." this answer was expected by Yang Dao, after all, he had also snatched a pair of knives from the blonde last time.


    He nodded at this reply and held his knife in two different grips. The knives were held differently, one had a reverse grip while the other had a normal grip. Yang Dao placed his right foot slightly ahead of his left. His right shoulder also moved ahead of his left shoulder. His breath was calm and his gaze was firm.


    The man on the other side watched this and nodded, he took the broadsword on his back and held it with two hands. The tip of the sword was aimed diagonally at Yang Dao''s head. His gaze was calm yet sharp. The Dao Child could sense the power radiating from the man as soon as he took his stance.


    This made his war spirit to be excited a little. Yang Dao has a little battle experience. He may have fought hyper-humans but his encounters with elementalists were rare. That too, the wicked and broken ones. This place mysteriously allowed the fallen elementalists to be able to use their skills again.


    The third level of elementalists needed the people to take an oath of not committing harm to nature but this place defied this logic. Yang Dao was very curious and confused about this but that was something he will look into later when he had crossed the level of the contractor in the fire element.


    The two people stood facing each other, with their gazes locked with each other. Yang Dao had just refilled his tanks with source energy and he was practicing when he was called out so his body was like a car already geared and ready to go.


    The man moved and so did the young teenager in front of him. Yang Dao held the knife in his right hand in a reverse grip while the left one was normal. He saw the man swinging his sword at himself and moved forward even faster.


    Yes, instead of dodging the blow he had decided to use the soft and hard technique to counter this incoming slash. The other person was scared to see that Yang Dao had such a keen perception of his attack.


    The dao child was trying to hold him back from using law skills at this first battle. As the blade was about to make contact with his neck he raised his left hand and the knife in his hand made a hard screeching sound as it slid over the sword blade. Yang Dao was moving forward as the blades collided.


    He used his utmost physical strength to block the attack in such a dangerous manner, this was his only chance as well, the attack range of the broad sword was much larger than the pair of knives he held. Just when he was about to slash at the man in front of him, he sensed a vague wave of warmth coming from the back of his head.


    He was aware that this man was at least an elemental contractor so he can bend the source energy of fire in the surroundings to make it into flames. Without hesitation, he moved to the side to avoid the heatwave from his back. However, he did not give up on advancing at all. He took a step diagonally to the left of the man.


    The man saw this and his pupils were dilated to pinpoints. He did not expect this boy to take such a route, he was surprised that his trick failed and the chance of his comeback became even lower until he managed to pull off an amazing trick.


    Yang Dao would not give him a chance to avoid his attack so easily. The knife in his left hand was glowing from the fire source energy wrapped around it. The boy stabbed forward with the glowing knife in his hand at the man''s eyes.


    The man let go of the sword grip from his right hand and raised it to protect his eye, but Yang Dao was even crueler, he did not stop at throwing the second knife and delivering a cunning and critical injury to the left wrist of the man.


    The wrist was injured and could not hold on to the broadsword, letting it fall to the ground. Yang Dao was quick to grab the sword and with no hesitation, he slashed at the man''s neck.


    The person did not even have a chance to react when the blade left a line of blood on his neck. The man looked at the teenager in front of him in disbelief and after a few seconds, the surprise became a sad grin radiating his bitterness.

 Chapter 349: Midnight Visit.

    Yang Dao killed the man, however, he was not burdened by the sad grin of the victim. This was a fight they choose with complete awareness of the consequences and thus were responsible for bearing the result as well. The man fell to the floor and his head separated from his body. It rolled over to the feet of the boy.


    The Dao child non-comically raised the blood-stained blade and said, "Hmm, sharp blade." Then he dragged the dead body down from the building and dumped it in the mass grave.


    He was not a completely cold-blooded machine and prayed for the deceased slowly in his heart. He only wished for this sort of people to get what they deserve and pass over to the afterlife without any obstacles. It may seem cold to think like this, but the people were all sinners.


    As he thought along with this idea, Yang Dao decided that he will find out the sin of the people he killed in the future. He wanted to know what was SIN in the eyes of the muggle world. He came back and sat over the pattern carved on the floor of his room.


    It may seem like the earlier battle was a flawless victory for him, but things were not as they seemed to be. During the first attack itself, his shoulder muscles were ruptured. The pain was numbing, but in the heat of the battle, he overcame it and prevailed. As he sat down on the pattern, his body began to heal. This pattern also made him very curious.


    How was it possible to have a seemingly random pattern on the floor in a place who knew existed for so long, do have such an effect? After his injury healed and the body recovered, he stood up and walked to the side to observe the whole pattern. The pattern was shining with amber color, as if molten lava. The pattern gave him a feeling he could not put his finger on.


    He crouched down and memorized the pattern. He decided to ask Feng Yun about it. He stood up and picked up the broadsword to practice. This place seemed to have another mysterious fact about it. During his whole time, he had not felt the need to eat, drink or even release his bowels.


    He started to practice with the broadsword held in both his hands. The practice lasted for a few minutes before his movements paused and continued again. After an hour, he spoke in a low voice, "Why are you here?"


    Earlier when he paused in his practice, he had sensed someone entering his room, but since the other party did not even once radiate a killing motive, the boy did not act. Now that his practice had ended, then he had to ask what the other party was seeking.


    The other party replied in a whisper, "Stay awhile. It is not good outside."


    Yang Dao asked, "Why here?"


    The other party thought for a bit and said, "You are not a bad guy."


    This reply made Yang Dao raise his eyebrow and ask, "Is there someone in here who is not bad?"


    "The people here do not have honest eyes. Your eyes are honest, so you are not bad." said the other party.


    Yang Dao said, "I am not bad, but I am not very accommodating as well. Please leave, or I might take action." his voice was completely unfeeling towards the visitor.


    The visitor replied, "I have not recovered yet. Please, help me. I can tell that you are not a sinner of the world but came in here voluntarily." her voice had a slight tremor contained in it.


    Yang Dao was surprised to hear this. He asked, "How do you know this?"


    "I know this because I am the same. Came to this hell hole seeking vengeance, finally got what I wished for, but the aftermath is terrible. After I achieved my goal, it became as if I have been working for whole my life and finally the tide of exhaustion drowned me." said the visitor.


    Yang Dao asked, "Hmm, do you think I will trust you with this?"


    The person replied, "No, you won''t, and I do not mind that. I will not believe the person completely as well if I were in your place, but those who come here with their own will all seek the way back to the surface. So, we have a common goal."


    Yang Dao heard this and mumbled, "Endless benefit."


    The other person hummed in response. The boy said, "So was your goal to kill that blonde? Why?"


    "Since you are allowing me to stay here, then I will tell you. That woman was called Malisha, the top killer of the secret services of the freedom country. She had the license to kill. She was a double agent, working for my father in the guise of the agent.


    She was discovered by my father, starving on the streets. He raised her like his own and gave her all that she could ever dream of. In return, he only asked her to reach a position no one can. She achieved it all. However, one day, a guy in her department accused my father wrongly. You see, my father was a drug cartel. He may be responsible for killing a lot of people indirectly, but he never did anything to the innocent children and ladies.


    He was framed as the person responsible for the ''red rain'' incident. The whole district was buried that night, and Malisha''s family was one of them. She escaped with her mother, but society swallowed the lady, leaving her to fend off for herself.


    She did not wait for the investigation but in one night killed my whole family. My face was scared of her to agonize my father. In the end, to spare me from the torture, my father committed suicide in front of my eyes.


    Later, when the investigation turned in, it was found that my father was the government agent for forty years and he was responsible for monitoring the drugs business for the country. Since they could not ban the dark trade, they decided to have someone on the inside placed at the high position.


    I called for justice, but they did not kill her and cast her here. They hoped that she will come out alive, but I followed her and eventually ended up here."


    Yang Dao could have said that it was all a lie. However, the boy said, "I believe you."

 Chapter 350: Alliance & Provocation.

    When Amirah heard Yang Dao say that he believed her she was shocked. She asked, "Why?"


    The boy replied in a casual tone, "Simply because, your eyes did not waver while you recounted the chain of events. On the contrary, a look of nostalgia appeared in them. So, I believe you, but that does not mean that I will trust you completely. You give me one chance to suspect you, I will be taking your head off with my own hands."


    That said, Yang Dao sat on the floor with his eyes closed. The girl on the other side was surprised for a few moments but then she nodded. She stood up and came to sit down on the healing pattern.


    Yang Dao did not stop her, he wished for her to heal sooner so that she can be useful to him. The two people meditated. But good things must come to an end. This period of silence and peace among them also came to an end.


    A loud voice shook was heard from the outside. "Come out, where did you hide? Why did you not think about hiding when you killed my Malisha? Bitch, come out. Anyone in the crib, listen to me carefully. If you aided that wench Amirah in hiding I will be hunting you, and if I caught you. You will not have a pleasant death."


    Yang Dao had opened his eyes and asked, "This is the aftermath?"


    Amirah said, "He is William, grade three elemental. He was Malisha''s fuckmate in this place. So, now that I have killed her he wanted me to take her place. I know you want to know what does that has to do with you?  The answer is, that unless you allow someone, nobody can check the room for a week, immediately after a duel."


    Yang Dao asked, "Why did you come in this room then?"


    Amirah replied, "That is because only the top floor rooms have this feature. Why do you think the people are always targeting those on the top floor?"


    Yang Dao nodded and said, "Heal up, I have my breakthrough coming soon." and he closed his eyes again to meditate.


    Amirah was surprised when she heard the word breakthrough. She thought that the guy in front of her was a teenager and much younger than her, how can he say that he will break through soon? How much experience was needed to say something like this?


    After thinking for a bit, she concluded that the guy was just trying to act big in front of her. She calmed herself and meditated, trying to perceive the fire element. Yang Dao was already in the second grade of his practice of the said element. He was able to move the source energy surrounding him.


    ...


    After a couple of days, Amirah opened her eyes. Her injuries have recovered completely and now she can leave. She turned her head to look sideways and was shocked to the depths of her being.


    A flaming bird was circling Yang Dao, It would let out a low cry every so often. She did not know what was going on with the bird. Humans were always scared of things they did not understand. This flame bird was also the same. She quickly stepped away from Yang Dao.


    Suddenly the flame bird sat down on the boy''s shoulders and the whole person was covered with raging flames the next moment. Amirah was scared pale in fright. She did not notice that the boy was chanting something under his breath. It was the oath of the contractor. He had stepped inside the realm of the elemental contractor.


    After the chant was finished the flames covering his body calmed down and slowly dissipated. Yang Dao opened his eyes and was about to say something when a loud voice cut him off, "You did not heed my words, I will now search, if that girl is not found then you are on your own. You dare to fuck with my bitch, I will cut off your dick and shove it up your ass."


    His rude language made Yang Dao frown. He stood up and walked straight to the window. He peeked outside and said in a loud voice, "Hmmm, So it is the courage wolves again. Here I thought someone was busy sucking their dicks. Why do I have to deal with these sex-hungry pigs."


    He did not hide his disgust over the man who stood below gazing at the buildings and neither did he wish to hide anything. He would have needed a grindstone so this person was good for his use. Amirah frowned and wanted to walk over when the guy shook his hand and shook his head in denial. He did not want to act and deal with this guy on his own.


    The man looked up at Yang Dao and said in a cold voice, "Bastard, are you looking for death?"


    Yang Dao replied, "You can kill me? Oh, I thought you can only ask for holes to bury your non-existent penis." and chuckled at the end of his words.


    There were other sounds of chuckles and laughter echoing in the place. This made William feel even more enraged and he said, "If you are the seeds of your said father. Come to fight me, bitch."


    Yang Dao sighed and said, ''How boorish, but what else can I expect from an inbred person. I apologize to you on behalf of destiny, also come on. Let us get it over with."


    That said, he skillfully came out of the room and climbed over to the terrace. William was not slow either, he came up to the terrace right after Yang Dao. The guy held a spear in his hand, his appearance could not be any worse. Dishelved hair, face full of scars, and bare-chested. The guy looked like a cave man in front of Yang Dao. His face was wide and broad, like the rest of his muscles.


    Yang Dao said, "Huh, looks like your ego is not the only buffed thing about you."

 Chapter 351: Flame.

    Yang Dao''s comment made William angrier. A vague distortion of flames could be seen glistening his body. It was not only the two of them who had come over to the terrace to watch the fight, but a lot of spectators had also come over to join in the excitement.


    William said, "I will see if your sword is as sharp as your tongue. Come, boy, time to die." with that said, he rushed forward with the spear in his hand.


    Yang Dao was not scared or intimidated. William noticed this, but he did not stop. Everyone in this place was a battle-hardened person, so how could this boy be intimidated so easily. His spear was two and a half meters long, including the spearhead.


    So just as he found Yang Dao was within his range of attack, he vigorously stabbed the spearhead at the boy''s head. The latter just tilted his head to the side slightly. William was not discouraged and holding the spear shaft with both hands, he started to stab at the boy with an even faster speed. This time he changed the aim from the head to the torso, to get himself a bigger targeting area.


    Yang Dao still focused only on dodging the attacks. The people on the sides could not help but comment at this, "Humph, I thought this hairy guy had some skills but turned out that he is just a talker."


    A few people agreed with this, they did not deliberately lower their voices. William heard it and a sneer appeared on his face. He was happy to see Yang Dao being looked down on by the rest of the people. The Dao Child on the other side looked completely unbothered by this. He patiently moved around in wait for one lax move by the opponent to close the distance between them.


    William suddenly applied some force to the ground and rushed forward. His spear was also shoved forward to the fullest. This was one of his killed tactics, the death lunge as he called it. Just when the opponent was getting used to short stabs, he would lunge in to attack them all of a sudden. Disrupting their defense rhythm.


    Even if this move was a bit too wide and the opponent might dodge it, he will turn passive in the exchange and that will help him a lot in the battle. However, was it so easy for him to attack Yang Dao and gain initiative?


    Watching the spear come in closer to his face, He took half a step to the side. William had predicted this and a knife began to condense in his hand. The strategy was good, but the pace was slow. Yang Dao raised his hand and gave it a wave.


    The next moment, a cloud of flames appeared in the void out of nowhere. Yes, the surrounding people were shocked, and so was William. The flame cloud was as big as five feet, and the speed it condensed at could be referred to as an instant. They have never seen anyone being able to cast such a big spell and that too at such a fast speed.


    Yang Dao was not bothered by their surprise. As soon as the fire cloud appeared, William dodged to avoid the heat coming at his face, the knife of flames in his hands also dissipated. William was also a veteran. He knew that Yang Dao will be rushing in to exploit this situation.


    The boy also did not upset the guy and moved forward. Just as William was getting happy to see this and preparing a fireball to throw at the incoming boy, Yang Dao changed his direction. he did not advance to deal with William head-on, but to the side. The people did not understand what his motive was, but he was not giving them a lesson on battle tactics either.


    Just as Yang Dao was three meters away from William, the latter decided to foil his plans and stabbed his spear. He was aiming at the predictive path of the boy. Since Yang Dao was moving fast, this sort of blow would not be avoided by him easily. But who knew that the boy would not take a step forward to the side but abruptly jumped sideways, redirecting himself to face William head-on.


    Now, the spear was diagonally passing between the two people. William held the shaft in his right hand while the spearhead was passing from Yang Dao''s right as well. He tried to swing the spear but Yang Dao rolled over the ground, making the distance just one meter. William cast a basic fireball, but before he could throw the fireball at the boy in front of him, a burning sensation came from his back.


    Yang Dao had cast a fire dagger behind the guy when he entered the roll. William was occupied by the pain when a cold metal touched his neck. He woke up and found the hairy guy smiling at him. He wanted to throw the fireball in his hand at the smiling face, but Yang Dao stabbed his sword forward, penetrating his throat and making his life dissipate.


    Till the last moment, his eyes were filled with disbelief. Yang Dao did not have any pity in his heart or mind for this sort of guy. He directly snatched the spear held by William and turned around to walk away.


    A spectator wanted to tell him that he must dispose of the body himself according to the rules, but Yang Dao waved his hands and set the dead William on fire. His actions made people shiver. They did not expect this guy to be so cruel and cold.


    However, in this place, only such a temperament can get you to survive longer. The crowd dispersed after Yang Dao climbed back inside his room. He did not find Amirah inside and sat down on the healing pattern. He willed and a barrier appeared in front of his window/door opening. This was the blockade that Amirah mentioned earlier.


    He did not care whether the girl would come back in here or not, but he did not want to be disturbed or surprised like the last time.

 Chapter 352: Startling.

    This sort of upset was too common in the land below, so nobody found it sensational. The only reason they gathered to watch the fight was because of the words thrown out by the two people. Some people di find it interesting how Yang Dao could manage to cast spells that big and that fast.


    His speed and strength had made him a topic to talk about in the past few days among the grade three elementals present in the place. The boy himself was busy practicing and consolidating his gains from the battle. The spear was also learned by him.


    At this moment, he laid on the healing pattern, with his forehead covered with sweat. He had just finished practicing and was tired. He mumbled while catching up his breath, "Weapons can augment and aid the bending to a higher level. I wonder if I can use the bow here? But it will be too high profile. Well, let us practice the knife skills and then the sword skills in a low-key manner. Then go back home."


    According to Yang Dao, it must have been a couple of weeks since he had gotten here. He did not have any notion of rushing things up. Once in a while, he did recall his people out there, but that was it. He was not occupied or homesick. After he decided to go forward with knife skills, he began to challenge people.


    ...


    After a week, seven people had fallen to meet their makers under his hands. During these matches, he had completely mastered the use of knives, and even his control efficiency of the fire element had grown. His skills had advanced too quickly, and this was all thanks to the blessing of the heavens.


    It could be because this place was a mini world of fire that he was able to learn all the weapons and skills he put his mind into. The fire was a warm element, yet it had a fiery spark to it. It was violent and deadly despite the comfort it provided someone.


    Yang Dao was using the weapons and learning the skills thanks to the fiery nature of this place and the element. This augmentation aside, his skill of learning itself was comprehensive. His seven battles were all challenges to people with similar strengths. His winning streak had made people talk about him again.


    After the last fight, Yang Dao defeated the last elemental contractor, and this alerted a few level four elementalists in the place. These people all resided in the top-floor buildings without ever fighting with anyone. They were the top shots. Once in a blue moon, they might come out to fight but it was just to spar. These big shots had developed a mutual understanding.


    The powers of an elemental king were to bend the element according to their will. For example, they could make weapons out of the source energy. These weapons were not like the knife made by William. Instead, they were as tough as metallic weapons. They also contained the magical properties of the element.


    Suppose if you can cast wind blades from the sword condensed of the source energy, you can similarly cast lava ponds with arrows of fire source energy. The damage output will drastically increase.


    Yang Dao''s abrupt rise caused them to be startled. They have noticed how the boy went out to seek challenges from the contractors. There were thirty towers in this place. While seven top floors were occupied by elemental contractors, four were taken by elemental kings. The rest of the top floors were occupied by other people of lower cultivation levels.


    There would be battles sometimes. Yes, the battles were frequent, but only recently did Yang Dao find out that the people did not kill each other but sparred. He met Amirah in his room, she told him, it is because they all did not wish to be alone in this place.


    Yang Dao understood the reason very well. What frightened people more than death was to be left alone. Sinners were particularly not those who liked loneliness. They committed their deeds because they were looking for fame and attention. They rejoiced when people talked about them whether they were cursing them.


    This sort of twisted mentality was partly the reason why people committed sins. Now that they all found out that someone was deliberately breaking their rules and set out to kill them, how could they rest easy?


    The four people held a meeting to discuss what to do with this kid. One of them suggested, "Tell him not to kill anymore. That is what we are seeking. If he does not agree, then it is easy to kill him. He is still a contractor. Cannot be much powerful in front of us."


    This suggestion was accepted by the people readily and they picked up the one who suggested this plan to go and mediate the situation with Yang Dao. The four of them were old. But they all were brimming with vitality. Since they have reached a consensus, the person moved.


    He came straight to Yang Dao''s room. He was flying in the air and said, "Boy, we shall talk."


    Yang Dao was immersed in meditation and he was preparing to get past the third level of the Elementalist practice. He did not react to the call. The old man thought that he was being deliberately ignored.


    When did twisted people have calm tempers? The old man busted a gasket and said, "You will fight with me, and I will kill you the day this barrier is down."


    With a cold snort, the man left the place. This incident was seen by Amirah. She was aware that Yang Dao was in practice and thus she decided to monitor the room and if the boy woke up, she will tell him what happened.


    Suddenly a wave of heat hit her face. Turning her face, she found that the source of this heat was nothing else but Yang Dao. The darkroom was glowing.


    The silent land below was startled by a Bird''s chirp.

 Chapter 353: Ash King.

    Amirah who was latching onto the window opening to Yang Dao''s room was startled like everyone else who caught the slight bird sound echoing in the dark and gloomy place. She peeked inside the room and found a strong glow erupting inside.


    She did not find Yang Dao inside the room so concluded that the guy was responsible for this glow eruption. After a few seconds, the glow began to dim, and Amirah spotted an outline of Yang Dao amidst the dim glow. She sighed and mumbled, "This guy is a beast."


    Yang Dao was unaware of all this, the glow erupted from his body as he stepped into the realm of an elemental king. It was just like the element becoming one with him and thus it came forward to be embraced by Yang Dao, nature''s favorite. As his realm broke through completely and stabilized, he kept sitting in meditation.


    Only to be disturbed by continuous knocking on the barrier window. Yang Dao opened his eyes and found that the girl was glaring at him with a fidgety expression on her face. He sighed and waved his hand to take down the barrier, allowing her to climb in.


    Amirah sat down on the ground close to the window entrance and after wiping a layer of sweat on her forehead she said, "You were challenged by the old man. Your hunt of the contractors made the people with higher realms feel insecure. When you were meditating a person from the group to talk to you about this. However, since you did not respond to their call, the old man was enraged and left after challenging you."


    Yang Dao was calm as if nothing has happened. He nodded and asked, "When is the battle due?"


    Amirah said, "Whenever you wish."


    The boy suddenly stood up and said, "Then what is there to wait? Let us go. I need a hand in consolidating my realm further."


    That said, he picked up his shoes from the side and tied them up. This place had no dirt so it was clean, but the blood and fleshy stench accumulated over time cannot be cleaned as well water. Yang Dao would keep his shoes off his feet to avoid them developing an odor.


    He was very quick in his actions and left the room. Amirah was yet to recover from his answer when she spotted that the boy had already run outside. She also followed him with a complicated mind.


    ...


    Yang Dao stood on the roof, gazing at the horizon, then he turned his head to the location where he sensed a strong fire source energy circulating and said, "Who challenged me? Do come out."


    His words surprised the level two and below practitioners, they would never have thought that such a thing can be done. Yang Dao was floating in the void and his hands were tied behind his ban. He patiently waited for the old person to come forward.


    Soon a voice came to his ears, "Oh, so the little chicken is out of the pen? Good, do you fight with me?"  Hahahahahahaha, Very well, I have not seen a young talent in a long time, come on."


    An old figure walked from the building. He wore a black robe similar to Yang Dao were dilapidated and broken in places. The boy said, "Come let me see, what you have."


    The two soon stood facing each other and the Old man asked, "Why do you have the confidence to face me at your level of strength? Do you know how long has it been since I reached the level of the kings? You were not even born probably."


    Yang Dao said, "That just means you should have died long ago, but TYama forgot to check your lease. Also, you are a king for eighteen years? More or Less, but I became a king at eighteen years. Old man, the difference is not something your isolated brain can comprehend. Come let us get it over with."


    The old man snorted at his rude words and with the wave of his hands condensed a long sword made up of fire. The glinting orange color of the weapon looked very fascinating. Yang Dao was not behind as well, he shook his head and with a wave of his hand, a lot of feathers composed of the fire source energy.


    The Old Man looked around and did not understand what was going on. He sneered and with the sword tried to attack Yang Dao with w lunge. The boy was not surprised, he, on the contrary, waved his hand and the feathers flew up to sting the old man.


    Before the man could react from the pain, the feathers enveloped his whole body. The old man had not yet even reacted when the fight came to an end. The scene was witnessed by a few ole people from a distance. They were surprised by the fact that one of their fellow king was taken down by the guy so easily.


    Yang Dao had no change in his face. After a few seconds, when the flame feathers scattered, they revealed a statue hidden beneath them. The statue resembled the old man, the surprising expression on his face was so real as if the statue will come to life any moment. Yang Dai did not bother much and went back to his room while mumbling, "Useless."


    The reason he said this was because the peopel might have broken through to the level of an elemental King but they still had a shallow understanding of Fire. Amirah was sitting at the boundary and at this moment she was having a strong existential crisis. This young man in front her was a beast among beasts. She did not know anything about the guy but was aware that she must never end up on his bad side.


    After this fight, or wave of hand, Yang Dao gained a new moniker to himself, The Ash King. He made his opponents into Ash, and thus the name. After he left, the statue of ash, broke up and scattered in the void.

 Chapter 354: Clearance.

    Yang Dao sat crossed leg in his room, cut off from the world. Amirah sat leaning against a wall as she had just taken a break from her cultivation. It has been a week since Yang Dao turned that old man to ashes. What shocked the people was that to seek a challenge this guy called for the rest of the kings to fight him together.


    Yang Dao undoubtedly won the battle but it was a tough one. He was healing from his injuries till now.


    ...


    Two days ago, Yang Dao sensed the three kings to be gathering for a sparring session. He stood up and walked in on them. He said, "I challenge you, for a deathmatch. You can come together. I do not mind."


    This shocked the old men, even if they were weak he did not have to rub it in their faces like this. However, when faced with their grumpy and scrunched faces, the boy said, "Only the strong have the right to protest here, am I right? or Am I right?"


    His words silenced the people, they all wanted to avenge their ''friend'' and also to get over this hairy little boy who disrupted the flow of their reign. They agreed and Yang Dao said that he will not use the feathers technique and the people were pleased.


    The reason Yang Dao did not use that technique was that he was about to hone his skills on these people. They were his sandbags. They engaged in battle and for a little while, the three people seemed to be winning. Yang Dao was a genius but he was not so heaven-defying that he would be able to find loopholes in the teamwork of these three old relics.


    He suffered some wounds but just when the people thought this young man has reached the end of the road, he countered. He condensed a sword and a shield and began to slowly counter the people and fought stably.


    There was an instant in the fight when he slashed the sword at the enemy in front of him while blocking an incoming attack from the other side. The third old man engaged him thinking that he was occupied, but the boy kicked with his leg and out of nowhere the third guy was splashed with molten lava.


    Yes, the boy used bending as well. Unprepared for the attack, the third guy was gravely injured, this made the other two hesitate and Yang Dao exploited this. He changed his sword and shield into a bow and arrow. He nailed the other two people to the ground as well, and let them melt slowly as their cries shocked the place.


    The people did not dare to get close, they all were scared and hid back in their rooms. Yang Dao came back to his room and began to meditate. The pace of his healing was as usual, but the injuries were also very harsh. His back was cut deep enough to reveal his bones. Thankfully, the nourishment of earth spirit energy had made them strong enough and they did not break under the impact.


    That cut alone took him one whole day of healing after complete focus. The rest of the body was to be dealt with later. After breaking through the level of the elemental king, he was able to completely control the flow of source energy through his body to regulate the healing.


    Amirah had taken the role of his gatekeeper at this moment. She would stay in the corner of his room. The reason? Outside this room was complete chaos, people were fighting for power and killing like mad dogs. However, this tower was isolated as the people were scared of Yang Dao.


    To think this cherry boy can make people avoid him like a plague. After he finished healing his wounds the boy opened his eyes. His eyes were also flickering with a spark of amber. The guy stood up and said, "I am going to clear out this place. You stay here."


    He had decided to get out of this place, and he would do that only after killing the sinners in this place. The reason was that he had noticed something. When he sat down on the healing pattern, he found that this flame source energy was not as pure as the one he felt radiating from Feng Yun.


    Yang Dao could almost taste the reason behind this impurity but he want to make sure that his speculation was correct. He climbed the tower and condensed a bow. Then he condensed an arrow, integrated with laws of death.


    The peculiar thing about the law of death was that it could enable him to sense every living being within a certain range. It was thanks to the seed of the death spirit that resided inside his body. He pulled the string into a full moon and shot the arrow into the sky.


    His brain became a radar system, and the arrow became a guided missile. It moved along with his thoughts. Within a few minutes every single person in this place, except for Amirah and himself had died. Some were dead because of others while those others died because of Yang Dao.


    The arrow moved back to his side and vanished in the void as if it had never appeared. The Dao Child did not fret much over the killings and looked in the direction of the mass grave. This place was very deep and filled with god knows how many skeletons. Only this place was devoid of the source energy, unlike the rest of the place.


    Yang Dao sighed and said, "It can be that simple?" He was in doubt because if his conjecture was correct then the source of this mysterious place was hidden under plane sight. He flew over to the mass grave and with a wave of his hand, the surrounding land turned to molten lava and began to pour inside the mass grave. Burning everything into nothingness.

 Chapter 355: Golden Crow.

    Amirah watched Yang Dao cleaning the place and was confused. The boy did intend to explain anything to her as well. So, she could only stand on the edge of the room and watch him do things.


    As the molten lave flowed inside the mass grave the flesh began to evaporate and the level began to lower as well. The stench that plagued the land below also began to side. Yang Dao began to descend as the corpses began to melt. The process was fast, yet the corpses were too much.


    Some had fermented and some had become a bunch of bones over the time but they were all piled up and acquired a lot of space in the grave. Yang Dao was not in a hurry to clean them up. He was also looking for something as the lava flowed down.


    He was sure that there was something hidden under the grave and to find that thing he had to be patient. After ten minutes, his patience bore fruit. The corpses vanished leaving behind only a pond of lava. Yang Dao waved his hands and the lava parted as if a bar of tofu chopped by a knife. The sight below him made the floating young man smile.


    Below the grave hid a piece of rock. It was as big as a football, but it had an exquisite feature about itself. The rock was very smooth and it had golden lines crisscrossing all over its surface. What made Yang Dao happy even more was that the pattern on the rock was an exact match of the pattern he found inside the room.


    He landed on the ground and walked over to the rock. He noticed a few more lines on the ground, that seemed to be leading to the building complex and this confirmed his doubts about the energy. The source of energy was this rock. However, he was not very interested in touching and exploring the rock at the moment. The reason was those dead bodies piled over this pit must have some reason.


    He was sure that if the people were drawn in this place because of this rock. This rock was discovered and led to bloodshed. Later the people who made the discovery all fell to their deaths and thus the treasure was lost. The later arrivals all thought that it was a mass grave and started to pile up dead bodies.


    Yang Dao did not think that the people who died here were all due to their own battles. He opened his dao eyes and the picture in front of him changed. This rock was the blob of light and the glow coming from it almost blinded him. However, the glow had no trace of darkness inside it. This confused him.


    He leaned over a bit and the life seed in his right arm shook alike. An instinct told him that this rock contains a life. He blinked to let his eyes return to normal. He wondered what sort of life form can reside inside this rock. He could sense that an immense amount of heat was radiating from this rock as well.


    This made him even more hesitant to act. Suddenly it clicked to him. Why did this rock attract the people in this place? He thought, "Could it be this thing is feeding on their lives in return for source energy powers. After all, not everyone who was placed here had elemental skills from the beginning. This place also seems to be in defiance of the laws of nature, however, it is more like an isolation barrier for those who broke the laws.


    Why did this thing need so much life energy? It does not seem to be radiating any evil vibes to me. The healing pattern inside the rooms also seemed to have a connection with this rock. What should I do? Given the temperature of this thing, I certainly cannot take it outside here. Also, going out will be a big project now that I have to carry that girl. What to do?''


    Just as Yang Dao was lost in thoughts, the rock in front of him shivered a bit and a feeble voice was transmitted inside his mind.


    "Who are you, why do you have the Dao resonating with yourself? How can a mortal have such an achievement in this place." the voice shocked Yang Dao to his core, he did not know who spoke and how did they communicate to him with thoughts. He began to look around vigilantly.


    The voice was heard one more time, "I am inside the rock. You answer me first and I will answer you as well. A fair trade."


    Yang Dao instinctively asked, "Who are you?"


    "I am a golden crow, born inside the core of the sun. However, I came to this world after I was bored over there." said the voice in his head.


    Yang Dao again asked, "Why are you inside the rock?"


    "Oh well, when I traveled to this place, I found a rock very hard. I could not melt it down, you know, I can meltdown this whole planet but that bloody rock was the only thing that I could not melt, thus I began to melt it, Unknowingly, when the rock was melted I was already this deep under the crust. When I found that the hole was so big, I fell into the molten rock. Who knew that thing will harden almost immediately." sighed the creature inside the rock.


    Yang Dao gulped and asked, "How are you alive then?"


    "Umm well, I could only carve this rock from the inside and make channels on the outside using my psychic abilities. I have been consuming the life energies of those who died in this place. I am not evil, I did not kill anyone, but consumed the forces of those who live in here, and are killed in battle. That is all." explained the crow inside the rock.


    Yang Dao asked, "How do I trust that what you are saying is the correct thing?"

 Chapter 356: Drag.

    Yang Dao questioned the voice in his head. He did not trust the thing inside the rock. He had no reasons to. The rock shivered at this question and the voice in his head rang again, "I do not know if this world has anyone equipped with the laws of nature, but these laws can help you discern whether what I say is true or not."


    This was a surprise for Yang Dao. The boy asked, "What do you mean?" he was familiar with the laws of nature and had mastered four of them till now. However, the reason he had asked this question was to find out the level of the entity speaking to him.


    The higher your understanding of the laws, the higher your spirituality. This was something he had found from the book of life in the spirit world. Thus, the question was to test the spirituality level of the self-proclaimed ''golden crow''


    The voice rang again and said, "The law of life can help you at this moment. When someone consumes the life energy of another living thing out of selfishness or other negative emotions in his heart, their life forces become stained with death energy. You can think of it as white marble with streaks of black crossing over it. You can check that if you have some comprehension of the laws."


    Yang Dao found that this explanation was in line with what he had comprehended thus far. He had already confirmed that this piece of rock did not contain any evil entity within itself with the use of his dao eyes earlier. He just wanted to test the intellect of this thing. The smarter the being inside, the warier he grew.


    However, since the other party was not malicious, he found no problem in helping it out and seeing what sort of creature was this golden crow. He sighed and said, "Tell me, how do I help you?"


    The golden crow heard these words and became excited. It had lost count of how many years it had spent in this rock. Surviving inside and watching how humans fought with each other for pity meanings. Finally, someone came along to ease his plight.


    The golden crow said, "Melt this rock. Just enough to make a crack on it is enough. Can you do it? Although you are in the realm of the elemental king, it will not be an easy or short time process. You cannot stop once you start to heat this thing."


    Yang Dao nodded and said, "You do not have to worry about this, I will do it." he was confident in his skills and comprehension of the laws. He walked closer to the rock and placed his hand on the surface. The next moment, a strong heat began to flow outward on the surface of the rock.


    Yang Dao assumed that the rock was a piece of metal, that has been refined by the strong heat of the golden crow. Yes, in the process of melting it the bird had refined all the impurities contained within the rock. The effect was so drastic that it has transmuted into a sort of compound metal. Yang Dao was surprised when he analyzed the rock structure using his earth elemental skills.


    He knew that there were some hybrid elements created by the fusion of two primary ones, and this rock seemed to be the hybrid element created by the fusion of fire and earth. To bend this thing to his will, Yang Dao will have to control two elements at the same time. This was not an easy task for him. Even if he was the Dao Child. bending two elements to his will at the same time will be demanding to squeeze his mental power to the limits.


    It would have been different if he was outside and was just practicing. That way the toll would not go beyond the limit and he would be able to handle it. He could have melted this thing, but the source energy inside his body would only allow him to produce flames powerful to match the golden crow''s level. Thus, melting this thing while being at this place was impossible for him.


    He suddenly asked, "How can you bend the laws of nature? Here we feel no hunger, thirst, even if we are breathing. I do not see any air outlets."


    The golden crow said, "Hahaha, novice, the floor you stand on is the earth that can sate all hunger. The place is surrounded by water. Quenching all your thirsts. As for the air, this is a function of the pattern you sat upon to meditate daily. You might not have noticed that the world is like a jigsaw. If you can put together the jigsaw, you get a pattern. That pattern is unique to every world and is called the world pattern.


    The mystery of this pattern is said to have emerged from the great dao. I do not know much if this pattern can make all barren places like this liveable by converting the source energy into the attributes needed by the people. You can call this place a natural safe-house."


    Yang Dao was surprised and never would have imagined that something like this can exist. He did not know what to say at this point. Taking a deep breath, he focused himself again to deal with the task at hand. He closed his eyes and tried to figure out how can he control two elements at the same time.


    He thought, ''If I can manage to focus fire element on my left and the earth on my right hand. I might be able to pull this off, but balancing between the two elements will be the key. Wait, it could not be that simple. This is not a rock, but a metal compound. Every metal is made from different factors playing together.


    So what I need to do is to find the balance point. How much fire should be mixed with earth to make it interact with this ''rock''. Damn, this is going to be such a drag.''


    The boy sighed when he finished drawing up a plan for his approach. He said, "You will have to be patient. I need to calculate some stuff."

 Chapter 357: Ara Ara.

    Yang Dao sat down in front of the ball. Before he had begun to try his idea of opening the cage for the golden crow, he had told the creature that there was another human, who was left out of the pit. He did not tell the golden crow this because he had some care for Amirah, but because he wanted the golden crow to help him guard himself.


    During the deep state of meditation, Yang Dao will not be able to do much for himself, and who knows when people get rotten ideas. So it was better to be on guard. The golden crow agreed to it without any hesitation in his mind. After all, he had been stuck in here for a long time.


    Yang Dao focused his mind on locating the equilibrium of the two elements to be able to communicate with this ''rock''. He started with a higher concentration of fire and earth. This compound in front of him was something he had never seen, and it did not react to the normal ways he tried before.


    The source energy of the two elements began to merge. It may be a misconception to say that the balance of the two elements must be in equal proportions to make things stable and work, but you know, not everything that was made from carbon, and the pressure they all need to materialize is also different.


    So the boy began to slowly melt and blend things to form an equation among them that could help him communicate with the rock in front of him. Elementals communicated with the elements in their purest forms via manipulating the raw forms inside their bodies.


    So, communicating with the compounds formed by the union of two or more elements, they would need to find the root equation that resulted in producing them. This was not an easy task as there was a limit to which the humans could perceive the elements until they have ascended. This was not because human potential was limited, but this world was.


    All the worlds had their rules, and so did Liro. This was also the reason why the familiar spirits were barred from using their strengths to meddle with the things they wished to. This was also the reason they had to depend on Yang Dao for the exploration of this place. They were well aware that as the child blessed by Dao. He was part of the world itself.


    Yang Dao also understood this and thus came over. Now that the mystery has been unveiled in front of him, he had no reasons to hold back. The time passed and after a few hours of constant compression of the source energies, the rock suddenly shivered.


    The golden crow inside became excited and was about to yell when it forced itself to calm down. The shivering was the result of elemental resonance. Yang Dao had derived the equation and now he needed to evaluate it. The process was slow but the Dao Child was persistent. After sweating for more than a couple of hours he successfully made the rock tremble and the surface began to split.


    This sort of manipulation was not only taxing on the source of energy, but also the mind. Yang Dao, despite all his strength, was a boy who had never practiced mental power. Thanks to his natural endowments, the boy was able to hold on.


    The golden cow sensed the splitting of the surface and also began to apply force from the inside. It wanted to use its flames, but when it discovered that Yang Dao was manipulating the elements of the rock, it held back. Interference of any other elemental source would disturb the balance point and will make things go in vain and with the chance of freedom from this cage, the golden crow did not wish to do anything silly.


    Yang Dao did not calm down and squeezed himself even more. His resilience had made the golden crow inside give him a new evaluation. He had seen how other human beings were greedy for the mystery inside the rock, but this child not only helped him but even after knowing the secrets of his origin, had never once given birth to any bad thoughts.


    Suddenly, a crack split up the rock from the center. The crack was not very big or striking, but it was enough.


    Crack...


    A golden beak peeked out from the crack and went back inside. Then it came out again and then went in again. This happened a lot many times and slowly, but surely, the gap was widening. After an hour, a golden head protruded out of the rock. It was indeed a bird, a golden scalp with red eyes.


    The head looked around flickering fast and began to wriggle. The crack widened even more and with a slight ''popping'' sound, the bird flew out. It was as if a streak of golden lava flying through the void. The heat inside the place seemed to have risen tenfold.


    Amirah, who was sitting at the edge of the window, saw this streak and was scared. She thought that Yang Dao had again shot his arrow of flames like earlier and this time he will be claiming her life to keep the secret he discovered a secret. However, after the streak flew in the void at random, it went back deep inside the cave. Amirah was pale, and she did not dare to walk over and look at the pit.


    ...


    In the center of the pit, laid Yang Dao, fainted and bleeding from his nose. The strain of his mental power was too big. After opening the rock, he did have enough energy to sustain his consciousness and fell to the ground.


    he did not notice that a golden bird landed on the rock and started to mumble hysterically as it stomped its claws on the rock.


    "DUMB SHIT, TRAPPED THIS MOTHER INSIDE YOURSELF. HUMPH, SEE HOW I FIX YOU LATER. First, let me check my savior." and it turned its red eyes to look at Yang Dao.


    Watching his handsome face, the crow opened its beak and uttered, "Ara ara."

 Chapter 358: Thug.

    The Golden Crow said, "Ara ara, such a young boy. I must have done something good in my past life to meet such a dashing prince." the tone was cherry and the mood was happy.


    Yang Dao would have taken three steps back in shock if he was to hear these words from a bird. However, the golden crow calmed down and suddenly ''she'' flinched back. She spoke in a loud surprised tone, "The Dao Child Of Heaven? Oh my lords, what blasphemy was I committing by entertaining those thoughts about his excellency.


    I hope that her majesty(the phoenix) is not watching me. Or I will be roasted alive."


    Suddenly the crow flapped its wings and glided over to the fainted boy. She gazed at Yang Dao for a few seconds and said after letting out a sigh, "Thank the heavens, he is just exhausted."


    Then she place one of her wings over Yang Dao''s head and channeled her spirit energy inside his body. The golden crow was a creature of the element. It did not practice the way of elements but the way of spirits.


    Spirit energy was similar to the source energy but while the source energy was the energy of the elements, the former was the energy of the living beings in the world. The golden crow practiced the way of the spirits as it was a technique she had gained from the root of her bloodlines. She was spiritual but in the end a beast. She may be able to transform into a humanoid later but now that day was still far.


    To transform into a humanoid, you will need to get to the next realm. The laws of this world will not allow it to have so much power and neither will this world have her gain the things needed to breakthrough.


    That said, the spiritual energy from the Golden crow began to channel through Yang Dao''s body, alleviating his condition and strengthening his body in many aspects, including mental power. So, if Yang dao wished to control such unique substances, he will not have to break a sweat. The nourishment of the spirit energy made him wake up sooner.


    He suddenly sat up like a dead person jumping of their grave. The first thing he sensed was that the world has become more vibrant, his senses were ten times stronger than before and he seemed to have grown taller by a couple of centimeters. Yang Dao noticed someone gazing at him and he turned his head, only to see a pair of ruby red eyes.


    He was shocked and took and jumped up. Only after he took a few steps back did he see a bird sitting on the ground. It was a golden bird with an appearance of a crow. If it was not for the twisting and tilting neck, Yang Dao would have mistaken this bird for a statue.


    On the opposite, the bird was also looking at the boy, from head to toe. It had a thought in his mind, ''Humans are so ugly but looking at his excellency, it feels very pleasing. This is the charm of heavens.''


    Yang Dao asked, "Are you the one I was talking to just now?"


    The crow nodded. It took two steps forward and placed her head to the ground while opening her wings like a fan. This was the biggest sign of respect in the spirit birds. To show the root of their wings the most vulnerable point to show their loyalty.


    Yang Dao was not surprised by this but he was rather helpless at the moment. He could not hide his status as the Dao Child from the intelligent species of the heavens. The crow spoke again, "I have seen, your Excellency."


    Yang Dao asked, "Raise your head. What is your name?" his tone was calm and stable. This gave the crow a sense of awe.


    She replied after raising her head, "My name is Amber."


    "How can we go outside this place?" asked, Yang Dao.


    Amber replied, "I can change my size and shape, sir. You can mount on me and I can take us out of here." politely offered the crow.


    She did not know that Yang Dao was the Dao Child until she has seen him. Now that his identity has been unveiled how can she be frivolous?


    Yang Dao did not want to ride her but he had no idea how he would get out of here. So, he nodded and then suddenly it clicked his mind. He said, "I have another person along with me. is it alright for her to come along with us?"


    The crow thought for a bit, ''How dare a puny insect sit on my back? But I cannot just say that to the lord. Hmmm, I will just threaten her later.'' and nodded.


    Yang Dao nodded and flew into the void. He came in front of the room and said, "We are leaving here. Come along."


    Amirah nodded and stood up, suddenly her eyes turned bulged and widened. She could not believe what she saw in front of her. A bird was as big as a fighter jet. The whole body was as if carved in gold. She could not believe that something like this was happening in front of her.


    Just when her thoughts were drifting toward the illusion of her death and that all this was happening after she had been killed off by the arrow of Yang Dao, a voice sounded in her brain, "Tch, pathetic. Do you doubt the good intentions of my lord? Shall I claw your eyes out and break open your skull to see if you have a brain or pus-filled inside you?"


    Amirah pinched her thighs and was jolted awake. She realized that it was not a dream. She was about to reply when the Crow spoke in her mind, "You better not make a sound and follow what the Lord said, or I will roast you like a chicken and have your long legs for dinner."

 Chapter 359: Returned.

    Hearing the threat coming from the giant creature, Amirah almost knelt on the ground. She could not wrap her brain around what was going on and then came the consecutive threats. Yang Dao extended his hand as he floated in front of Amirah.


    The latter instinctively took it. She was aware that this ain''t bird was listening only to Yang Dao. She pushed herself in his embrace and said, "Please do not leave me here."


    She was genuinely scared that the boy will leave her here. Yang Dao did not comment and holding her waist he moved and landed on the back of the golden crow. He said, "Amber, let us go. Also, destroy this place."


    The crow gave out a loud caw and fluttered her wings. The next moment, the three people flew up. The speed was much faster than a supersonic plane, and to justify this a loud boom was heard behind them.


    Amirah tightened her grip around the boy''s chest. Yang Dao was not paying attention to her but to the ethereal shield formed around them. He asked, "Amber, is this a skill of yours?"


    Amber was happy when she heard him being curious about her, she was smart enough to understand what Yang Dao was asking about and replied in his mind, "My lord, this is just basic spirit energy manipulation. You can also master it when you ascend to the higher realm."


    Yang Dao nodded and decided to ask her the details of spirit energy later. As they flew up, this spirit shield repelled the water and made the flight almost frictionless. Within a few seconds, they were already in the sky. The bitter cold did not affect them. Amirah had her eyes closed the whole time. She did not know what was going on around her.


    Yang Dao said, "You, let go of me." his voice was calm and indifferent. It shook off the girl clinging to him.


    Amirah took a step back and found that they were out of the land below. Yang Dao asked, "Where do you want to go?"


    The girl said, "I have nowhere to go. My family and friends are all dead. You can drop me down to the nearest human settlement and I will manage the rest myself."


    Yang Dao nodded and said, "Good. You can follow me back to my place." Amirah was surprised and nodded.


    The boy had a use for her. He said to Amber, "Move towards the east, raise the flying height, or destination is an island."


    The crow did not reply with her words but her quick actions. She immediately climbed the sky with her wings, and they were soon above the clouds. Yang Dao took out his smartphone. This thing has been shoved inside his socks, to avoid being damaged. Although the gadget was waterproof, it also applied to a certain depth under the water.


    However, it was not a problem for him to mend it now. He channeled the earth source energy through the phone to dry it. Yes, the earth absorbs water, the same applies here. After making ten circulations he changed the source energy of the earth to that of fire and made one circulation at a minimal energy input.


    He closed his eyes and mumbled, "Please work fine." as he switched on the phone by holding onto a certain place on the screen.


    After a few seconds the phone did not switch on and Yang Dao let go of all hope. He said, "Amber, fly at your fastest speed. I do not wish for the satellites above to pick us up."


    That said, he did not even wait for confirmation and asked Amirah to lie down on the back of the giant bird. Earlier he had noticed how the spiritual shield was working around them. He did not know much about the spirit energy mechanism but he was aware that birds flew against the wind, thus this was his effort to lower the burden on Amber.


    Amber sensed his movements and said, "Lord, thank you." She was indeed flying against the wind and it was because of her spirit energy manipulation that she was able to achieve the speed of sound. As Yang Dao and Amirah lay down, the spirit energy shield also contracted and it became sleeker.


    Amber fluttered her wings and the speed increased by five times that of the sound. Yang Dao also helped her by manipulating the air current around them to provide her with some extra push. The speed was so fast that within half an hour they crossed half the world. Amber said, "Lord, we have arrived."


    Yang Dao said, "Can you sense the strongest concentration of fire source energy?"


    Amber nodded and talking his hint it flew towards the fire source.


    ...


    At this moment, Feng Yun was sitting in her office at the ruby towers, suddenly she sensed something and a smile appeared on her face. RALF said, "Master is above the surface and he seems to be riding a golden bird. Shall I proceed to erase these things from the network, Madam?"


    Feng Yun nodded and said, "Yes, RALF, erase them. I will go and meet him."


    The program replied, "Very well, madam." and began the task to delete every satellite image, secret code transmission, and video feed to ensure that Yang Dao is not picked up by anyone. The system was not yet invincible, it was not as strong as the guy in the New Dawn organization. However, it was versatile.


    While the new dawn AI would only take part in modifying the human bodies it had no other uses but it was equipped with an almost uncrackable firewall algorithm. RALF on the other hand was a versatile bot and still growing at a stable pace. Feng Yun had gone to the terrace to meet Yang Dao.


    Just when she came out of the elevator, she spotted a bird flying towards her. Although the bird was still very far away she could see it with her special eyes. She said, "Everyone, go downstairs."


    There were a few staff members present on the terrace to look after the helicopters, when they heard the command, they all completed it without any hesitation or doubt. Feng Yun was the empress they dared not defy even in their dreams.


    After the staff went down, the golden crow landed on the floor. Yang Dao and Amirah slid don and the crow turned smaller, then it bowed to Feng Yun but this time, Amber did not extend her wings, and said, "Amber has seen her highness, the flame queen."

 Chapter 360: Development.

    Feng Yun glanced at the golden crow bowing in front of her. She was surprised when she saw this creature. She nodded and turned her focus at Yang Dao. She bowed and said, "Welcome back, Master."


    Yang Dao smiled and said, "Why are you acting so formal with me, Sister Yun?"


    He stepped forward and hugged Feng Yun. He asked, "The others, are they behaving?"


    The lady was wearing a red jumpsuit and stilettos, looking beautiful. Ever since the day Yang Dao had put eye shadow makeup on her, she had been using it the same way. She felt warm when the boy hugged her, and after hearing her question she said, "Yes, they are repenting sincerely. Xiao Bai does not leave them any other options. In the past few days, she had not had to school them. Otherwise, I would have heard that Ryu broke a few bones because of his mistake."


    Yang Dao imagined the miserable two but he had no emotion on his face. They were being punished, this was natural. He nodded and said as he broke the hug, "This is Amirah. Screen her thoroughly and appoint her the task to infiltrate the crypto nation army to monitor the New Dawn movements."


    Feng Yun nodded and said, "Yes, I will get it done." as she cast a gaze at Amirah.


    The girl shivered at the indifferent gaze and thought, ''I felt as if I am naked in front of her gaze. Who are these people, and why are they so chill about this grumpy bird?''


    Feng Yun said, "Shadow."


    Following her words a person walked out of the terrace gates, dressed in tight-fitting black clothes and a mask. The person was a male or a female, it was difficult to make out. Shadow knelt in font of Feng Yun on one knee and asked, "Lord."


    Feng Yun said, "Take her away, give her rest, food, clothes, training, and conduct a thorough search on her. Then sneak her into the Crypto Army. Understood?"


    Shadow nodded and then Feng Yun said, "You can follow her, do not worry, they will not harm you." she explained to Amirah.


    Amirah bowed to her and Yang Dao and then followed Shadow. This shadow guy was not a name, but it was a designation for all the shadow guards around her. After the people left, Feng Yun asked, "Dao, would you like to take some rest?"


    The boy nodded and said, "I will go to take a nap now. You would be wanting to talk to Amber, right? Bye." and then he also went downstairs.


    Feng Yun smiled at his back and then cast a gaze on the golden crow. She asked, "Why is a golden crow here?"


    The crow replied, "Umm, I was bored back at home so come out to fly, then that weird rock caught my sight and I got into trouble. Thankfully, his excellency saved me."


    "How did you know that he is the dao child?" asked the phoenix.


    The golden crow replied, "I have once seen the previous Dao child of heavens and he had the same aura about himself. Well, his excellency had a much purer aura than the one I saw in the past."


    Feng Yun nodded and said, "What do you plan to do from now on?"


    Amber replied, "Can I stay beside his excellency? I will be useful in protecting him and also, be mount for him. I have been in this world for quite a long time and my energy is not too strong now, so I can follow him easily. I can be of aid, Your highness. I can guide him to natural treasure herbs."


    Watching the golden crow trying to convince her, Feng Yun almost laughed out loud. However, she was the flame queen and her expressions were only to be seen by her master. She said, "Good, then you can stay. Do you know how to transform into a piece of jewelry?"


    The crow nodded heavily and with a flutter of her wings, she turned into a golden ring with a red ruby-like gem embedded in it. Feng Yun took the ring in her hands and she said, "You are not to make trouble in his personal life or appear in front of him without his command. Also, he does not like such shiny jewelry."


    Amber replied, "As you command, your highness." and then the ring turned black, but the small ruby-like gem still stayed there.


    Feng Yun nodded and walked back to her cabin. Yang Dao was already sitting on the chair and was reading files on a holo-tab. A product developed by Dao Technologies in his absence, this product was based on holographic technology and was a huge hit.


    The boy was checking all the progress reports he had missed. He did not even change his clothes and sat on the chair. Feng Yun saw him working right off the bat and shook her head with a wry smile. She said, "Dao, you need to rest a bit."


    The boy did not raise his head and said, "The trip was not very tiring so I am fine, plus, Amber had cast multiple world patterns in there so it was not tiring."


    Feng Yun was shocked at this and cast a glance at the ring in her hands. Then she smiled and said, "You have picked up a treasure this time. Not everyone can see the world patterns, even we the heavenly spirit beasts cannot see them. The Dao Child can but only when he ascends to the throne of the Dao Palace."


    Yang Dao had expected such a thing and asked, "Why do I see, so many reports of infiltration around the reactor site? Is the military so useless after becoming elementals? Or has New Dawn found a way to mass-produce superhumans?"


    Feng Yun sighed and said, "The Shadow Guard and special forces have made new discoveries regarding this matter. I hope you change into something better and visit the Crown."


    Yang Dao raised his head with a cold glint flashing in his eyes.

 Chapter 361: Lisas Doubt.

    Yang Dao asked, "What is it, tell me." his voice was cold. He could tell by Feng Yun''s tone that something terrible was discovered and the government was playing hide and seek in this matter.


    Feng Yun said, "The shadow guards found out that some people from world governments have been conspiring with the New Dawn. They all have been involved in human trafficking. The government of Jewel Nation also had some people like this among the cabinet but they were all weeded out after a thorough investigation by us during the last few swipes.


    However, now, a group called slave collectors have surfaced and they target little children from all over the world, then hand them over to New Dawn in exchange for money. The amount is transferred in small installments that look like a regular income. These people portray as law-abiding white-collar workers.  We have tracked some people but the number is in single digits."


    Yang Dao took a deep breath and calmed his anger and said, "Why did you not use RALF?"


    Feng Yun said, "I did ask it to find me the evidence. But it said that the other side has also started to use their AI to cover up the trials. Despite all its efforts, track down was not successful."


    As Yang Dao heard this, his face became solemn, he did not expect such a thing to happen. He stood up and said, "I had called RALF to deliver my set of clothing earlier. I will be using the special room you have here to change and groom myself. Prepare a car. I am going to the crown."


    Feng Yun bowed and said, "Yes Master." she acted according to Yang Dao''s mood. She knew that the conversation just now was not done between family but a master and a servant.


    The boy put down the holographic tab and stood up from the chair. He came around the table and walked to the small room adjoined to the cabin. This room was used by Feng Yun rarely when she would be staying in the office itself during the early days.


    The black ring was still held in Feng Yun''s palm. Suddenly it vibrated, reminding Feng Yun to hand it over to Yang Dao. The lady woke up and said, "Master."


    Yang Dao turned back with a solemn face and asked, "What is it?"


    Feng Yun heard his calm yet cold voice and gulped. She said, "Amber turned into a ring, you can wear her on your finger and she might come in handy."


    Amber wanted to cry, ''Your highness, can you not undermine me like this? I have some skills you know.''


    Yang Dao did not say anything and extended his hand. Amber could still control itself and it flew over, landing accurately in his palm. The boy nodded and put it on his right index finger. The ring adjusted to the size of his finger.


    The boy walked inside the room and took off his clothes, he entered the bathroom and took a shower, cleaning himself thoroughly. Then he took a look at himself in the mirror. He mumbled, "I need to shave."


    However, then something clicked to him, and all the shallow facial hair on his face began to shed as if sharply cut. He used the wind to shave. This was his degree of control over the elements after he had reached the level of a god-prince.


    After drying himself up, he walked outside the bathroom with a towel wrapped around his waist. He did not see RALF but Lisa standing in front of him. The boy was surprised and asked, "Lisa, how come you are here?"


    The maid was standing near a floor-to-ceiling window, looking at the world outside. She was startled when she heard the voice. She turned around and bowed to Yang Dao. She said in her mellow voice, "Master, have I made any mistakes in serving you?"


    Yang Dao said, "No."


    The girl asked with her head still bowed, "Then, why am I being ignored and not allowed to be of use to you?"


    Yang Dao was surprised and asked, "What do you mean Lisa? These days I have not been at leisure like I used to be in the past. Do not think such things. Okay?"


    Usually, the girl would have agreed to it but today she was particularly adamant. She suddenly knelt on the floor and banged her head on the ground. She said, "Master, I had no purpose in life, I had no sense of being. lady Feng Yun took me in because she pitied me. However, when I met you for the first time, you communicated with me in the method I was profuse with.


    You taught me, gave me the right to stand out there in the world and claim a piece of it for myself. I was very happy. I thought that finally, someone needs me. This sense of being wanted, made me put in all my effort into progressing. However, when I thought I have achieved something that you can be proud of, I see myself discarded. Please tell me what do I do."


    Her voice was resonating with Yang Dao''s heart. He was surprised and said, "You dummy. I have always treated you how I should treat a human. You are my friend and that was why I helped you. Since you think that I have discarded you, I will make this go away. Remember, I appointed you as my secretary?"


    The girl nodded, Yang Dao said, "I will promote you. You will be my prime interrogator. You will learn all the skills to follow me in the battle to come. Do you accept?"


    His words have made her surprised and she raised her head and said, "Yes, I accept."


    Suddenly, Amber vibrated. Yang Dao asked, "What is it?"


    The bird said, "Master, her voice has a similar power like that of the Resonance Oriole. A spirit beast extinct from the world. If this girl can learn those skills, she can make people do as she wishes with her voice. However, this skill will work only on those who are weaker than her."


    Yang Dao figured that as an ancient spirit bird, the golden crow might have some knowledge that he does not so he nodded and said, "We train her later. But now I have work to deal with."


    He said to Lisa, "Go to Sister Yun. Tell her to get your training started. You have participated in military training at the university so you might still have some muscle memory left. After a week, depending on your performance, you will follow me."

 Chapter 362: Wrong.

    Lisa went to Feng Yun, leaving the boy alone to change his clothes. However, before going out, Lisa peeked at his bareback with worship in her eyes but was shocked to notice the big scar left on his back.


    Yang Dao seemed to have grown a pair of eyes on the back of his head, he said, "Do not tell sister Yun. She will become paranoid. Go now."


    Lisa flinched and ran away with a spring in her step. Yang Dao shook his head and began to put on his set of clothing. The feeling of fresh crisp clothes was so satisfying to him that a faint smile appeared on his lips. He wore a formal black suit but did not knot a tie around his neck. The jacket was also styled to stay open without looking rude or out of place.


    He walked out of the room draped in the black suit, white shirt, and slightly longer hair. It has been a few months since he had a hair cut and he liked this style after he saw Dallia with her long hair. Feng Yun had been waiting for him. She smiled and said, "In your absence, I had torque motors manufacture another Quinn for you, this one can convert between tired or levitating mode freely and is run on electricity. The battery life is also good enough. It charges when driven on higher speeds or braked in the urban regions."


    Yang Dao nodded and said, "I will be going now. Let me see what Old man Abe wants to say. Also, call, Baibai over, I need her to train Lisa. You stay ready, we will be leaving for the sacred realm in a month."


    Feng Yun nodded and said, "As you command Master."


    Yang Dao nodded and he came over to the lady to take the keys to the new car. he gave her a hug and left the office. Feng Yun mumbled, "Dao is getting mysterious, just like it should be."


    She was unable to predict when Yang Dao will act as her brother and when he will be commanding her like her master. This unpredictability of his made her happier, as the great dao was also unpredictable. She would follow him in any situation and that was all.


    ...


    Yang Dao did not know what was going on with Feng Yun''s brain and came down to the car parking. He spotted a black car standing in the VVIP spot and walked over to the car. He took out the key but found that it was not a key. He saw a smooth glass surface on the ''key'' he held. he instinctively placed his hand on the smooth surface.


    A light flashed forming a circle and following it the car unlocked. The boy raised his eyes in surprise. A voice sounded, "Welcome Master."


    Yang Dao got in and after familiarizing himself he left the company. The guards saw him and saluted. They whispered after the black car vanished from their sights. "When did Young Master come back?"


    The others shook their heads and began to idolize the boy. And how they wished their children grew up to be like him.


    ...


    The boy on the other side drove the car to the crown. Feng Yun had already informed Premiere Abraham about his arrival so nobody made a fuss over it. He did go through security checks like the last time but that was it. The secretary led him to the pavilion where the premiere would have his tea.


    Abraham saw Yang Dao coming and nodded to him. Yang Dao responded in kind and sat down at a table.


    Abraham said, "Do you know, why I have invited you?"


    Yang Dao shook his head as he placed his right leg over his left. He knew why this guy called him over but he would not lower himself. This time he was not here to advise the premiere like the last time, but to do something else.


    Abraham nodded and said, "Allow me to be blunt, I would like you to hand over the Slave collectors. We need to investigate this matter as well. Rightfully it should be done by the government. What do you say?"


    Yang Dao kept gazing at him but did not respond instantly. Only when he saw that Abraham was losing his patience did he chuckle and say, "Who do you think you or your government is to order me around?"


    His response shocked Abraham. After all, the premiere thought that the boy was a good guy and would play along with him given their last interaction. He did not expect the boy to smack him in the face like this. Even Feng Yun has never talked to him like this. He was about to retort but yang Dao cut him off.


    "The development of the country is done by the effort of the people and your job is to manage the masses and ensure order. Do you think, that since the country is now rapidly developing you can rule? What do you think if one day the reactor suddenly became unstable and blasted off? Can you imagine how many people will turn to smoke by that?


    Or How about all your government levitating convoys suddenly have a malfunction and start to bang with each other. How many times do you think you will survive? Do you think that only you have the technology? Did you forget that I am the one who allowed you to have it in the first place?


    Your government has just become a rotten piece of dung. You should have been the first to locate those Slave collectors, but you did not. Why because you are incompetent. You blame everything except your own policies. If you would have trained the whole army in the ways of elements earlier, would this have happened? You as a premiere depended on your old minister of war a bit too much.


    And now that my sister had located some important lead against New Dawn, you wish to take it over, and then do what? Can you even interrogate these people? No, because you do not have the strength to defend them. A team of hyper humans can kill all the elementalists you have here. You just want to get re-elected by showing them off to the world do you not? Old Man Abe?"


    Abraham had never been so humiliated. A blue vein protruded on his forehead. Yang Dao showed him the ugliness, agitating him to the heights. His earth source energy became violent and the floor started to shake with tremors.


    Yang Dao chuckled and waved his hand. The scene became calm. Abraham was shocked by this. In his knowledge, this boy must have only mastered the wind element and not the earth. Yang Dao said, "You have a wrong definition of strength, Old Man Abe."

 Chapter 363: Deterrence.

    Yang Dao stated that the old man does not know what true strength is. He waved his hand and the top of the pavilion became dust and fell upon them. Abraham sat in his chair like a mannequin, shocked and scared when he saw this.


    The boy turned the whole ceiling into dust with a wave of his hand. What sort of magic was this. He had never seen any elemental pulling this off. Yang Dao evoked the azure feather wings on his back. He was not showing off his strength and thus he needed to do it properly. Casting an image in the premier''s mind. An image so deep and vivid that if the old man even has thought of slacking off or not being just in his dreams, he will never sleep again.


    The wings fluttered making his body float in the void. Yang Dao crossed his hands in front of his chest and looked down on the old man. He asked, "You may have seen a lot of level four elementals among the old generation nowadays. However, I stand at the level they can never even dream of.


    You might be thinking that I am bluffing but look carefully. As soon as he said this. Three halos entwined with each other appeared over his head. Abraham had the urge to kneel and worship this guy right now. He could sense that the halos were condensed of the source energy and the attributes of the elements as well.


    Yang Dao said, "You shall always know that the chair you sit on is not a throne placed in a royal court, but an ordinary seat in an examination hall. You are being tested constantly, only with results can you stay on the chair. Otherwise, you will be replaced by someone new and better. This change will come once you are too old and unable to evolve when you are too tired and need rest.


    So why do you cling to this chair so much? I told you that you have the earth element. Despite flying high in the sky a bird will always land on the branches of a tree that is connected to the earth. You came this far with your effort, from nothing to the premier of the country, and one day you will return to that nothing be it after your death or your retirement.


    So why do you try to stay? better go out on your own so that you have a chance to enjoy the hard-earned peace. I thought you were a wise man, Premiere Abraham."


    That said, he landed back on earth, and with a wave of his hand, the ceiling was restored. During this whole scene, the cameras were hacked by RALF and provided a false feed. The area was covered by a barrier so that the guards in the surrounding will only think that the scene was serene and calm like usual.


    Abraham had his forehead covered in a cold sweat and the same was true for his back as well. He was soaked. Never before has he ever sensed such oppression in his heart and thoughts. The shock in his heart was so big that he did not even have the guts to stand up. He could sense the blood gushing in all of his body.


    Yang Dao noticed this and decided to stop before the old man dies of a cardiac arrest. He did not want to be titled as the murderer. On the way here, Amber had told him that he can communicate with her using his thoughts. He did not think that it will come in handy so soon. He thought, ''Amber, can you use the spirit energy to calm him down?''


    Amber replied, "Yes, Lord. But can you get me in direct contact with him?"


    Yang Dao walked over and placed his right hand over the old premiere. He said while gazing in the eyes of the latter, "Do your job well, and you may get to stay on the chair for longer."


    This one moment was enough for Amber to pass on a wisp of spirit energy and make the old man calm down. After this was done, Yang Dao retracted his hand and sat down on the chair opposite Abraham.


    After a few minutes of silence, the premiere said, "I had lost my sight after I saw how the country has begun to develop and I wanted to enjoy this feeling of progress. Thank you, sir, for correcting my path."


    Yang Dao nodded and said, "Since, the purpose here has been achieved. I will now take my leave. The rest of the world does not need to know what happened here. I hope you understand. Also, do not worry about the cameras, they will never find anything there."


    Abraham had seen his prowess and nodded. After the spirit energy took effect the guy stood up and bowed to Yang Dao, who had already left after finishing his words.


    Yang Doa deterred the government from meddling with him. The boy came out of the building with a calm pace and met a few ministers on the way. However, he did not greet them with a smile and even ignored some. The ministers sneered while some were surprised. They rushed back to find Abraham and know what has happened in the meeting.


    Yang Dao got into his car and leaned back in the seat as he switched on the auto-pilot mode. The car moved out slowly driving through the city. The boy was not physically tired but mentally exhausted. He did not remember when was the last time he had relaxed.


    He had been calm but not relaxed or carefree. He sighed and mumbled, "I miss my days at the orphanage."


    With that he closed his eyes, the car system was so advanced that the seat reclined and an automatic massager was initiated to enhance the comfort of the passenger. Slowly, Yang Dao drifted off to slumber land while the car made its way to the Dao Courtyard Mansion.

 Chapter 364: Seclusion.

    Yang Dao slept all the way home. and even after reaching the mansion he did not open his eyes and continued sleeping. The AI in the car also did not disturb him as well. The staff of the mansion could not look inside the car because of the black glasses so they thought that the car was sent back by the lady.


    In the evening when Feng Yun came back home, she heard a voice in her mind, "Your Highness has entered deep meditative sleep. He is still inside the car."


    Feng Yun was shocked when she heard these words. She quickly walked to the car and using the special override feature, she opened the car door. She found that Yang Dao inside the lying reclined in the seat with his eyes closed.


    She said, "Amber, how long has it been?"


    Amber replied, "Since noon, Your Highness. I could not alert anyone around, as I do not trust them. I apologize." she took the initiative to lower herself in front of Feng Yun. She has heard the legends of how the rage of the phoenix was even more disastrous than the dragon.


    Feng Yun said, "It is not your fault. He has been too burdened recently and had not relaxed, so he pushes himself to meditate and this is why he had entered the meditative sleep. I will take care of it."


    She leaned down and held up the guy in her arms gently. Carefully took him out and carried him back to his room. The maids on the way all stood up to the side in fright. They had seen the car arriving here back in the noon but they did not know that the young master was sleeping inside. They thought Feng Yun will eat them raw today and they turned pale from fright.


    However, Feng Yun did not say anything and brought Yang Dao inside and tucked him in. She asked the maids to disperse and did not punish them. She called Laohu Bai and asked her to get the other two along with her to see if the boy was only in a normal meditative sleep or was she missing something.


    ...


    Meanwhile, Yang Dao had appeared in the Dao Space. He looked around and did not find Dallia. Now he believed what the girl said was true. He will not be able to meet her until he masters the laws corresponding to fire.


    He was not eager to leave this place and sat down in meditation. He did not care what was going on in the outside world. However, he could vaguely sense the existence of the four familiars around him. The stronger their dedication and loyalty the stronger the spiritual connection they will share with Yang Dao.


    However, he did not eagerly tap on the connection, they have not yet won his trust back again completely.


    ...


    After dinner, Atsuji Kurogame, Ryu Jinshi, Laohu Bai, and Feng Yun came over to his room. The old man stepped forward and after carefully glancing at Yang Dao he said, "Everything is fine, the master is just meditating in peace. He will wake up after a few days on his own."


    Feng Yun sighed and they all came outside. She said, "Within a month he wants to leave for the sacred realm to master the laws."


    Laohu Bai said, "He is eager to get things sorted here. He needs to unwind. Sister Yun, you can send him to the orphanage in the bell city once he wakes up. The slave collectors are also kept in that area as well, so he might be able to relax as well."


    Feng Yun nodded and said, "You are correct, but can you please train Lisa? She seems to have a big role in his further actions."


    Laohu Bai nodded and said, "I will take her along with me. Do not worry."


    After this brief conversation, the three people left. The things between the familiars were also awkward. Laohu Bai and Feng Yun had grown closer after the previous shakedown. While the men had become busy with their tasks. Ryu Jinshi was taking care of an old couple, and he was very diligent in his efforts. At least after Laohu Bai broke his bones a couple of times when he lost his temper.


    The old couple was healthy but there were still too many things they could not do and thus Ryu Jinshi was called in. He would do things as he was asked but the old couple would nitpick and this irritated him. Thus the pummel.


    Atsuji kurogame was having a good time on the other side. He adopted a little girl around five years old from an orphanage and he began to take care of her. He would teach her English, maths, tell her stories and play board games with her. However, the child was still too fluttery for him and he could not control her acts. So, at least once a day he would find himself in a helpless position but he appointed a lady maid to look after the girl as well.


    Laohu Bai did not get a chance to do anything to the guy because the old man was too experienced and calm about handling the issues he faced. Before leaving the place, Laohu Bai took Lisa along with her, she decided to train her into the best protege under her. She would be using a special program developed by RALF for this.


    She had this thing made on a demand to train the four people, Lin, Kaya, Talen, and Victor. This time Lisa will be using this tool. Lisa had told the people from college that Yang Dao has come back but he was really busy and will meet them later.


    A week was a very short duration when you have lost the sense of time. Yang Dao meditated inside the dao space and he felt as if years had passed away since he came to this place and began to meditate. The same was true for Lisa, she had been training inside a Training capsule. This capsule was an excellent product. She could play a hundred times faster in her brain. So if she spends one minute in the normal world then this machine would accelerate that one minute equal to a hundred inside her brain.


    She would be practicing to an amount equal to a couple of years and that too a special technique. This will turn her into a full-fledged special military soldier level.

 Chapter 365: Vroom.

    After seven days, Yang Dao woke up in his bed. He looked around and found himself in his room. He stood up and walked to the washroom to freshen up. He took a shower and came out of the room dressed up in a white t-shirt and blue lower paired with white sneakers.


    The first person to greet him was none other than Lisa. She stood wearing a maid dress outside his door. Yang Dao could sense that her aura has changed. Her gaze was now sharper and her body language has changed. The boy said, "You have been training?"


    Lisa nodded and stood by for the order. Yang Dao asked, "Elaborate me the process."


    Lisa nodded and said, "Madam Bai trained me in assassination and close-quarter combat. I can now use, twenty melee weapons, ten handguns, and five rifles with complete proficiency. I also have the basic knowledge of first aid and emergency bypass procedures."


    Yang Dao was surprised and suddenly recalled that RALF reported to him about a prototype system that was developed to provide training to the four wings under Laohu Bai. He deduced that Laohu Bai must have used that system for training Lisa this week.


    The efficiency was better than what he had expected. Even after watching the reports, he had a thought that maybe the people were exaggerating the facts. However, when he saw the micro change inside Lisa, he had to believe that machine. He decided that he will be trying that machine for himself once he got the chance in the future.


    The two people walked over to the dining table and found that Feng Yun was drinking a glass of juice. She was about to stand up to greet the boy but the person waved his hand and said, "Sister Yun, relax."


    Feng Yun nodded and kept on eating her meal. Yang Dao also sat in his chair and began to ponder over a few things as Lisa served him his preferred items. The boy ate as his thoughts became even more entangled. The phoenix sensed his melancholy and said, "Dao, what is bothering you?"


    Yang Dao said, "I do not seem to have any directions to move forward now. What do I do?"


    Feng Yun smiled and said, "How about you try and relax? You have been rushing forward continuously. Even if you have unlimited energy, it is not good to rush forward without resting. Sometimes taking a step back can make you look at the bigger picture."


    Yang Dao smiled faintly when he heard her words. He asked, "How do I do that, Oh wise lady?" he wished to have things normalize soon and thus cracked jokes with Feng Yun as he did in the past.


    Feng Yun nodded and said, "You go to bell city. Xiao Bai has posted her four wings there. Meet them and they will tell show you a bigger scene."


    Yang Dao nodded and said, "I will be going over there, but not by car this time. I will take the bike. You have spoiled people with the lev cars, cutting off the thrill."


    Feng Yun nodded and said, "It was Ryu, who suggested that we make half the road for lev cars and keep the other half for tired vehicles. However, the people all hogged on to the lev vehicles like bees on honey. Only a few people, who are either too old or are unfamiliar with the lev car driving technique, still use the tire cars."


    Yang Dao nodded and said, "Well it is good that some people still use the old ways. I have seen the report RALF has given me. The lev cars must be driven to in tire mode to give them a certain speed to go into lev mode and when the battery is low, they will be using the tires again as well. So I guess, it was a well-executed plan.  I will leave with Lisa."


    Feng Yun nodded and said, "Good, I will have the staff prepare and check two locomotives for you. The luggage will be set on the back as well? What sort of bike do you want?"


    Yang Dao leaned back in the chair and pouted, "Why do I have to carry the clothes and stuff when I can directly buy some? My company must be filthy rich now? Apart from the charity. I will take a sports bike, like your red spark."


    Feng Yun chuckled and said, "Okay, do buy whatever you want. You take the red spark, and Lisa can ride an icicle."


    Yang Dao nodded and began to eat the food prepared for him. Feng Yun finished her meal early and personally went to the garage to supervise the staff. Lisa was asked to sit down with Yang Dao and forced to eat food with him. After the meal, they went to change into riding gear.


    The extravagance of this place had risen to such a level that Feng Yun had bought a special 3-D printer. Yang Dao told RALF to print a rider suit based on Lisa''s physique using spandex. The service was quite fast. Since the rise of technology, Feng Yun had started an initiative to support young people and provide them with the knowledge to create software based on their own needs and even hardware.


    Within just one month almost every third house had a small-scale 3-D printer equipped. The people were all very active in creating new technology, even if it was just for fun. After dressing up the two people came to the garage and found two bikes polished and tuned parked at the doors.


    Feng Yun said, "Dao, I have a meeting with some delegates of the freedom nation. I will leave now."


    Yang Dao walked over to her and hugged her, and said, "Take care. Drink more water and eat properly."


    Feng Yun nodded and after wishing him the same she got into her car and left the mansion. Yang Dao walked to the side of the bikes and said, "Lisa, let''s go."


    Lisa nodded with a faint smile and got on the bike. The two people turned on the ignition and the bikes vroomed out of the mansion turning into streaks of red and blue.

 Chapter 366: Joy.

    Two bikes began to shuttle through the traffic at a fast speed. Yang Dao did not slow down on purpose. He wanted to see the limits of Lisa. The thing that affected her the most was the fact that the time she spend inside the training machine the time speed was too much faster than what was on the inside.


    Her brain began used to all the movements, when Lisa woke up from her sleep she could have sworn that her body felt alien to herself. Laohu Bai bought her to familiarize herself with the body through brutal hand-to-hand combat. The last day of the training was more brutal than the whole time she spent in suspended animation.


    However, the brutality did work upon her like a charm. At the moment they were riding bikes at a speed of two hundred kilometers an hour. She had been following Yang Dao from the side constantly like a wingman. Her riding suit was white and blue while Yang Dao was dressed in a black suit with red streaks.


    They looked like a pair of fire and water flowing together on the road. Lisa was now acting as both, secretary, and handyman for Yang Dao so she had a holstered gun tied to her thigh. The model was the same Death Star gun issued by the military. They were not allowed to use elemental skills on mortals.


    Lisa herself was not an elemental. She has just embarked on the path of a water elemental and was a level one elemental seeker. The two rode their bikes for three hours before they reached the orphanage in bell city.


    The city had transformed a lot. Holographic hoardings and a ton of new tech had made the place very lively. However, the people were still the same. After entering the city, Yang Dao opened his helmet and began to ride at a minimal speed. His get-up and bike caught the attention of a lot of people.


    The people all greeted him with a smile. They all knew that the boy had his own business now and he was adopted by the richest girl as her brother, they were also aware that Yang Dao had his own business and he was also a successful person. They all greeted him because the guy had grown up in front of them from a toddler to the fine young man he was now.


    Yang Dao also waved back to them in greeting. With his face brimming with smiles the two bikes came to the orphanage gates. The big gate was always open but now there was a digital security system equipped on it. As soon as the two people approached the system scanned them. However, there was no alarming reaction in it.


    The boy tilted his head and drove inside, thinking if something was wrong with the system. Their helmets were equipped with short-distance communication equipment. Lisa said to him, "Master, this system only acts when there is an intruder or unknown person. Details of the people related to you are all updated by RALF.  All the information is scanned by RALF in real-time."


    Yang Dao nodded and parked the bike in front of the building entrance. The two of them came inside and found two girls sitting behind the counter with their heads bowed to read books. They seemed to be engrossed with the books and did not hear them coming. A smile surfaced on Yang Dao''s lips and made a quiet gesture to Lisa as he walked forward with silent steps.


    He circled the table and came behind the two girls. Then he leaned his head between the two girls and said, "Oh, so we are reading the derivation formulae. I see children have grown up."


    The two girls froze for a bit, then with a smile they turned around to see Yang Dao. They were none other than Tina and Nina. The two girls were five years younger than Yang Dao and were twelve years at this moment. However, they were blessed with a smart brain and could already understand courses much advanced than their actual course.


    Last month they had even gone to the Jade City University but when they were tested by Aislinn Jasper the principal told them to wait and study more before they came to attend the university. They were not let down but took it positively and began to work even harder. Seeing Yang Dao next to them, they hugged him tightly, making the boy chuckle.


    He said, "You two silly ones. Come let us find others, I will stay here for a few days."


    The girls raised their heads to look at his face and clapped like children. They were children but faced with the harsh reality of the actual world, they all had a much mature mindset. Yang Dao was led by the two of them as they held his hands. Lisa followed behind silently. She seemed to have forgotten to smile.


    Her face had become indifferent. Yang Dao had noticed this and decided to teach her later. The crowd came to find Sister Tina in her room. She was resting after finishing the morning chores. When she heard the knock on the door and saw three heads popping in from the gap of the door she chuckled and said, "Little chipmunks, not growing up."


    She would call these three chipmunks when they did this. The twins had picked up this habit from Yang Dao, who would act as a curious cat. Yang Dao asked as he walked inside the room, "Can I stay in the house for a few days?"


    Behind him, the two girls also nodded their heads like chickens pecking grain. Sister Tina smiled and said, "You can always come here. This is your own home, you know?"


    Yang Dao nodded and then he took the two girls out shopping with Lisa along with them. The people all traversed through the streets, shopping for clothes and other things. The atmosphere was very joyful and this visit allowed the Dao Child to relax his tired and stressed mind.

 Chapter 367: Calm Before Storm.

    Yang Dao and the people shopped and came back to the orphanage. The boy got the people to buy one dress for each child in the orphanage. The locality has changed a lot in the past year. There was a time when a b-grade brand used to be an exclusivity symbol of the city, and today they could find anything here.


    After shopping, the people went back to the orphanage. Nina and Tina began to run around and flex the gifts Yang Dao bought for them. The Dao Child changed his clothes and so did Lisa in an adjacent room beside him. The girl walked out of her room and she found Yang Dao standing outside her room with a calm expression.


    She asked, "Master, something I can do?"


    Yang Dao nodded and said, "Let''s go. Time to check on the slave collectors kept here. Also, do you remember how you ended up in the new dawn facility?"


    Lisa was surprised but after the initial moment, she nodded and said, "It may be that we were children that they did not take us much seriously. Also, I was not forced into it. My father just told me that these people will take me to a better place and that was it. There were a lot of children similar to me."


    Yang Dao nodded and said, "Come, let us go."


    Lisa nodded and the two people left the orphanage in the name of touring the city. Yang Dao was dressed in a white shirt and blue jeans, while Lisa had a beige skirt put on with a pair of white sneakers. She looked very fresh and sunny. Sister Tina thought that Yang Dao has fallen in love with this girl and thus he had brought her over to see the place he grew up in.


    Lisa was a beautiful girl and paired with her mellow voice, she was just an angel in human form. The two people walked through the streets with smiles on their faces and talked about what the specialties of the places were. They gave off the perfect illusion of a loving young couple.


    Suddenly, Lisa turned into an inconspicuous alley. Yang Dao followed her quickly as well. None of the people noticed them. The young couple inside the alley was still together,, but they looked more like grim reapers. The smiles were gone, and they radiated a cold aura.


    Lisa was in the lead to guide them to the place where the slave collectors were kept. This operation was done completely old-school. At least the rest of the world had no idea about this. RALF was an exception. It was his system that trailed these people back to their holes and burrows.


    Only the four people under Laohu Bai knew about the mission. They all had been given a prior leave on paper. In the damp and derelict alley, a burly man sat leaning against the wall. Beside the man, a dingy maroon door was visible.


    Yang Dao said, "Sir, do you know it is not right to slack off on-duty hours?"


    The burly man raised his head and said, "Kid, you seem to be looking for a beating?"


    Yang Dao chuckled, and the man stood up. The Dao child did a military salute, and the man returned his salute. The burly man was none other than Talen. Lisa said in a cold voice, "Sir, you cannot do anything to Master. His strength is higher than Madam Bai''s."


    With that said, Lisa opened the door and got inside, leaving the two men awkward. Yang Dao sighed, "I will have to ask Baibai, what did she do to my cute Lisa."


    Talen was left standing listlessly on the spot. He did not think that in one year this boy will be leaving him and his idol in the dust. Yang Dao got inside the door and found a dark, steep staircase leading down. He walked down slowly, but his steps were calm. He could sense the movement ahead. He could distinguish everyone.


    Kaya and Lin were greeting Lisa, while Victor was keeping an eye on five people locked behind the bars. As he reached the end of the stairs and he saw Kaya walking up to him. The lady had a smile on her face. Yang Dao smiled and saluted her and Kaya returned him the salute. She said, "Captain Yang, will you be needing a detailed report about these scums?"


    The boy heard this and nodded. He was interested in what sort of people was he going to deal with. Kaya handed him a device that looked like a pen and Yang Dao pressed the button on top of it, a screen extended to the side of it. The boy read the data displayed on the screen and gradually the surrounding wind became calm.


    The people all noticed his change and were aware that it was the calm before a storm. The people were indulged in all sorts of malpractices, arson, rape, robbery, murders, extortion, drug cartel, piracy. Then two among these people were said to be the most wanted human traffickers. They also had a foot set in the organ business. They smuggled the human organs of the dreaded people.


    The reason why they were called the slave collectors was that they kidnapped children from small towns and remote villages and sold them to the New Dawn, sometimes if they took the fancy of a child and even him or her as their plaything. The details were accompanied by a few heart-shaking pictures. Glorifying the horrendous deeds of the group.


    Yang Dao asked, "The source of this information?"


    Lin replied from the side, "Confessed. However, they do not plan to unveil secrets related to the New Dawn. What do you think we should do?"


    Yang Dao said decisively, "If I let Lisa in with them, then these guys will confess it all. I do not wish for them to have such an easy time. I am going inside. Please do not enter till I say so. You can rest assured, I will leave you a live subject. Lisa, you are to watch the procedure. Do you understand?"

 Chapter 368: Cruelity.

    Hearing Yang Dao''s words, the people gulped. Before anyone could say anything, Yang Dao had already walked toward the closed room. As he stood in front of the door, he rapped the door with his knuckle, and said, "Commander Victor, let me switch with you."


    The door opened after a few seconds, Victor looked out with a sunny smile on his face. The man said, "Dao, how are you?"


    Yang Dao said, "I have been well, Sir." as he saluted him. Victor returned the salute and said, "You taking the shift?"


    Yang Dao nodded and the two people exchanged places. Victor could tell by the look on Yang Dao''s face that something serious was about to happen. The boy said, "Lisa." and turned to face the people inside the room


    The pretty girl walked inside the room and closed the door behind her. Yang Dao scanned the few people with his cold gaze and said, "Lisa, hand me your gun."


    The girl nodded and unstrapped the black death star from her thigh and handed it to Yang Dao. Holding the gun, the latter looked at the people in the room. However, what he saw was not fear but contempt. A man sneered and said, "They sent a child to kill us, sinners. How ironic? Say boy do you dare to kill us, the girl behind you looks very s..."


    BANG


    Yang Dao raised his hand and had taken the shot. The people in the room froze when they saw their inmate leaning against the wall with no movements at all. Slowly the bodyweight leaned to a side and the man fell leaving a bloody mark on the wall as he fell.


    Lisa also froze as she saw the scene in front of him. She had killed a lot of people in her mind but this was the first time she had ever witnessed the scene in reality. What surprised her was not the murder but how she felt that it all did not matter to her. Yang Dao seemed to have looked inside her mind and said, "You will have to blend the two Lisa, only then can you be reborn."


    The girl took his hint and nodded. Yang Dao said, "Luster, Shadow, come out."


    He had taken the two beasts last night when he came here. The reason he took them out is to simply intimidate the people. The people were scared witless to see the two giant beasts. Sensing the intention Yang Dao had in his mind, the two beasts roared. The roar not only shook the people physically but also their souls.


    People outside the room were shaken as well. When they heard the gun shot, they were surprised but the roar shocked them pale. They had no idea about what had just happened inside the room. The room was not soundproof enough.


    Yang Dao said, "Luster, have you ever eaten a human being?"


    The people inside the room were so scared that they knelt down on the floor. They did not expect this young man to be so cruel. Before the guy could say anything Yang Dao said, "You people have been sinning and doing cruel things all your lives, now why do you seem so scared? My friends here have another skill, you know? They can cast spells."


    Yang Dao placed a hand on Shadow''s head and the beast licked her lips. Yang Dao said, "I do not want them to be resting at all. They do not deserve any comfort."


    As soon as the words dropped, Luster''s gaze flickered and next moment spikes grew beneath the four people. The all stood up from the floor in a hurry. Someone asked, "What do you want from us?"


    Yang Dao smiled and said, "You will know in the due time." He waved his hand a formed a whip of flame. The nature did not allow them to harm those who were innocent but these peopel were the scum among scum.


    He flicked his wrist and the whipe hit the people with snapping sounds. The flames were so hot that it left burnt marks all over their bodies. The room echoed with screams of mercy and curses. Yang Dao stopped whipping the people only after ten minutes.


    Ten minutes and forty lashes, ten for each person. He said, "Lisa, your turn. Extract the whole thing."


    Lisa nodded and stepped forward. For the rest of the time, Yang Dao stood in the back as he recorded all this in a mobile camera. He was surprised by some of the details of the process. The planning of this racket was so through that he almost complimented them.


    Yang Dao knew the reason they could have such a planning. The person, or the mastermind of this plan was none other than the AI developed by Omega, the leader of New Dawn. After RALF had taken action against them. The people have also started to learn from them. Omega was not a fool who would not be able to figure out that the reason Yang Dao was able to take them out of the Jewel nation and a lot of other places was because of external aid.


    Yang Dao also did not mind his opponent being able to figure his moves out and develop a counter strategy. He would take this instance to learn about his opponent. The phone he used to record the confession and interrogation was uplinked to RALF. The AI was evolving and learning a millions of strategies and counter tactics at this movement.


    The AI was advanced enough to create an algorithm based on the video and then it applied combinations and perutations to the mix. After half an hour of interrogation Yang Dao came out of the room and said, "I left four alive."


    Suddenly he raised his wrist and the watch showed lunch time. He said, "May I leave for lunch Also, what are you all eating here?"


    Lin smiled and said, "We have good food delivered by the personnel below us daily, so do not worry."


    Yang Dao nodded and after a few minutes of discussion he decided to go back to the orphanage.

 Chapter 369: Blending.

    Yang Dao walked back to the orphanage with Lisa in tow. The couple was silent throughout the hike. It was already lunchtime when they came back, and the children all were waiting for them at the entrance. As they saw Yang Dao walking over, they all cheered.


    The boy stopped as he saw the scene and said, "Lisa, do you think you are stuck in those scenes you have been trained for in the machine?"


    Lisa nodded. Her face seemed to have become paralyzed as soon as she woke up from the training. Even if the whole scene was something she did not go through physically but she was very affected by it. Yang Dao said, "Have you diluted curd with water?"


    Lisa nodded hard. She had spent a lot of time in the kitchen and had her fair share of marination and stuff. The boy said, "Look at these kids. Think of them as curd and you are the water. Tell me, how do you blend the water? Speak."


    The reason he asked her to speak was that Lisa was using her head to communicate in yes or no. He did not like it. It was all that simple. Lisa took a deep breath and said, "You pour curd in a bowl, then you pour water over it depending on the need while stirring the curd."


    Yang Dao nodded with a smile and said, "You need to know that the blending must be done slowly but thoroughly to ensure that no lumps are forming. Correct?"


    Lisa nodded and said, "Yes, Master."


    That said, the boy started walking towards the children. Lisa stood gazing at his back and mumbled, "The curd is stirred slowly, master, humph." Suddenly she realized something. After waking up from the training, she sensed as if she was devoid of emotions. She did not feel anything even when Yang Dao killed people in front of her. However, just right now, the boy mentioned the wrong step for diluting the curd. She felt wronged.


    She was trained to handle such things in the kitchen. This made her surprised, how easily Yang Dao evoked her emotions. Thinking of this, a faint smile also surfaced on her face as she walked inside the orphanage.


    ...


    The kids went inside the orphanage and the four people in the room were dealing with things in a daze. When they came inside the room, they found that the four people were beaten half-inch to death. They were surprised by how Yang Dao managed to keep them alive. Kaya said, "They have a strong earth source energy coursing through their bodies, that is why they are alive, however, the body is not absorbing it. Only a minimal amount. I do not know why?"


    Lin said, "The realm of the Elemental King?" her voice was low but the tremor she set off was so high that the other three were silent.


    Victor asked, "Did he not master the wind element?"


    Kaya sighed and said, "This monster has multiple element control. General Bai told me so." in a low voice.


    Talen spoke in a daze, "No wonder, Lisa said that I am not a match for him anymore."


    Victor chuckled and said, "We were no match for him like even when he was a trainee." after a sigh they began to complete the tasks they had on their hands. The task was to escort these four people to a place of endless agony.


    ...


    Back at the orphanage, Yang Dao was sitting in the garden basking in the glow of the setting sun. Lisa also sat beside him, but she was not vacant. The girls in the orphanage liked her very much and were playing games with her.


    Lisa also recalled how Yang Dao had told her to blend in with the crowd to evoke her emotions, and that was what she did. The mistake made by the boy in telling her how to dilute the curd seemed to have become real.


    The reason he asked Lisa to do it fast was that if she did not blend the two moods, then she will have a lumpy behavior. That will affect her performance as his secret card. Lisa was the least bothered about the fact that she was being used by Yang Dao.


    As far as she was concerned, the boy had given her a lot of things that she never imagined. She was aware that it was Feng Yun who healed her voice, but the reason was Yang Dao. Her education, her skills, and now even the strength she had were all because of him. So, even if Yang Dao was to ask her to strip naked on the street, she will not hesitate.


    The boy was leaning back on his elbows when he sensed a light pat on his shoulder. He turned and found a boy looking at him while scratching the back of his head. Yang Dao asked, "Cao, what is the matter?"


    Cao was a sixteen years old boy and was in his final year of middle school. He was an average student and often would ask someone to guide him with essay sections. Today Yang Dao was here, so he asked, "Big Brother, can you tell me why did Nautico stand between the two armies during the battle of tryst?"


    Yang Dao smiled and said, "Who was the enemy Nautico faced?"


    Cao replied, "Dominar, his stepbrother." in a quick reflex.


    Yang Dao shook his head, "Every war is fought with your allies to back you up. What Nautico wanted to do was to analyze the strong and weak links in Dominar''s forces. Thus, he came to stand in the middle of the battlefield. He did this because analyzing only his enemy was not enough, but he needed to look at his force as well.


    The center of the battlefield shows the neutral point of balance. From where everything is equally distant and can be analyzed correctly. To deal with a troublesome situation, one must analyze every aspect of it."


    Cao suddenly said, "Okay good, now I will complete the rest of the essay, thank you." and he rushed back to deal with his work.


    Yang Dao shook his head with a smile. Suddenly it came to him that he has not analyzed the New Dawn completely. This thought made him think, and a smirk appeared on the corner of his lips.

 Chapter 370: New Direction.

    Yang Dao got an idea after guiding Cao with his work. Now that he looked at it, he has never taken the time or effort to find out about his enemies. He has always been working on the information provided to him by the four heavenly spirits.


    Thinking about this he stood up from the ground and stretched his body. The children were also done with their work so they came over to his side to play. Yang Dao played a game of tag with them and after eating dinner the children were all tucked in their beds.


    Lisa was also doing better after the therapy. She seemed to be more united with her emotions. Yang Dao came inside his room and took out a new computer notebook he had bought and had RALF set it up. He had a plan in his mind and this plan was going to cost him a lot of time and effort.


    After taking a bath, the dao child sat down on the chair with the laptop in front of him. Then his fingers started to flicker. It has been a long time since Yang Dao sat behind the keys to code. RALF was his last project and ever since then, the AI itself has been put in charge of the codes.


    As Yang Dao began to code, RALF asked, "Master what do you intend to do?"


    "You will know soon enough RALF. Do not disturb me." as he spoke the speed of his clicking and the pace of the codes he produced increased steadily. After an hour the room was filled with unrhythmic clicks and his hands were moving so fast that they left after images.


    He began to focus and his sense of time became distorted. However, he was completely vigilant. Sushi would peek out from his head from time to time but looking at his concentrated face she did not say anything and went back to sleep. This tiny doll liked to sleep and fight. Although there were not many fighting opportunities, she did have a lot of time to slack off.


    Sleeping was a sort of cultivation method for them. These days since Yang Dao has been busy Sushi has been taking with Amber, the golden crow worn on Yang Dao''s finger. The two gossiped about how they came to this place and their experiences and discussed the spirit energy.


    Yang Dao was subconsciously listening to all this but his primary focus was dedicated to the codes in front of him. It has been three days since he has been coding without rest, Lisa and the others did come over to call him out but when they peeked inside the room from the crack and found him immersed in his work they all left.


    Sister Tina shook her head with a smile on her face when she saw this. She mumbled, "You never change Dao. Always working hard."


    She asked everyone to not disturb him and wait for him to come out on his own. These three days, Lisa helped with the chores around the orphanage and taught the children in the steed of her master. She was a hit among the children. They loved her mellow voice and were completely obedient to her.


    Even the naughty ones were so well behaved when Lisa was around that Sister Tina was surprised. Lisa schooled the boys to be gentle and chivalrous while she taught the girls to be grateful. She also taught the people a few tricks for self-defense and how to handle situations harmful to them.


    Sister Tina will have a sweet smile on her face whenever she looked at Lisa. However, she still counseled the girl to not indulge in the children too much because after a few days she will leave this place and the children will feel downhearted. Lisa understood this fact very well lessened her indulgence.


    However, the children would still come for her when they needed help with homework or had a conflict. To solve this Lisa told them to be good, she will reward them with candies. She also told them to be the same in her absence.


    When Yang Dao came out of his room after a week, he was famished. He walked straight to the kitchen. He found a few buns in the refrigerator and chowed down. But this was not enough to sate his hunger and he began to cook food and eat simultaneously.


    A few staff members saw his actions and informed Sister Tina. When the lady arrived she took over the cooking and let the boy eat to his heart''s content. Lisa also came over after finishing her chores in the garden. Yang Dao spoke with his mouth stuffed with noodles, "Get ready we go back to the city."


    Lisa was surprised but nodded to him. He wanted to speak again but heard a soft sound, "Did you forget your manners, Dao"


    The boy shivered and shook his head like a rattle. Sister Tina was the one who spoke just now. She saw his reaction and nodded in satisfaction. Lisa could not help but stifle a peal of laughter at this. Yang Dao glared at her but did not comment.


    The children heard that Yang Dao was going to take Lisa away and began to gather and rebel against this monarch. This was what they had written on the banner.


    Yang Dao did not know whether he should cry or laugh at this. He sighed and said, "You guys, Lisa is really important for me. Please let me take her. I promise to bring her back to meet in the future more often."


    Nina and Tina were the only loyal ones he had left now. The children were adamant about this and did not agree until Sister Tina came in to play. She still held full authority in the orphanage. The children knew they should not anger the matron or she will cry. Lisa coaxed the children and the two people prepared for their trip back home.


    Yang Dao was going to enter the sacred realm of fire to master the corresponding laws of nature. In the meantime, RALF will execute the update and will infiltrate the New Dawn system to learn from it.

 Chapter 371: Symphony.

    Yang Dao returned to the Jade City on his bike with Lisa following him all the way. After they reached the Dao Courtyard Mansion Feng Yun was at home. It was already evening and she had come back early for something.


    As she saw Yang Dao walking inside the living room she asked, "Young Master, do you have any plans for the evening?"


    Yang Dao shook his head and asked, "Is something up?"


    Feng Yun nodded and said, "The company is holding the bi-annual party. We made a good run this half so. You have been away from the press for quite a long time. I suggest that you take this party as an opportunity to make an appearance in front of the public. What do you think?"


    Yang Dao thought for a bit and said, "Very well. I need to get out as well. When do we leave?"


    Feng Yun said, "In a couple of hours."


    Yang Dao nodded and placed his helmet on the sofa without much care about it and walked to his room. He said, "Lisa, get ready, you are my date for the night."


    Lisa froze in her spot and said, "Yes, Master."


    Feng Yun raised her eyebrow with a smirk on her face, she was curious about the situation between the two people. She had not told Yang Dao yet but the Dao Child of Hell will not be holding him back from having a harem. However, she did not wish to see just anyone becoming a part of it.


    Lisa went to her room to get ready as well, while the boy also took out a black tuxedo from his wardrobe and after a brief wash he put it on. His slightly longer hair was now back brushed and well-groomed. He used the wind blade to clean off the shallow beard on his face. Then he carried the coat of the tuxedo on his shoulder and walked out of his room.


    He made his way to the study and said, "RALF, you know what to do?"


    A butler bot was present inside the room and it nodded, "Yes Master. The task will be accomplished with no problems. I have masked it completely, also, I can now generate an exact copy of the codes and optimize them to suit my parameters. When shall we begin?"


    Yang Dao said, "Right away. I will instill the primary codes."


    The bot nodded and stood aside in silence. Yang Dao sat on a chair and with his gaze locked with the computer in front of him, the boy began to type codes. He had made all the codes back in the bell city and was waiting to get his hand on the mainframe of RALF.


    What he was going to do was to make an auxiliary code in the system that will be learning and composing new codes to make the system evolve continuously with changing the orientation of the source code.


    As he was typing he did notice that two beautiful figures have entered the room and they were silently watching him work. Yang Dao said, "I forgot to bring my Cufflinks and a watch."


    Feng Yun said, "Lisa, tonight you are his date so you must be responsible to select those things for him."


    Lisa had a faint blush on her face and said, "Miss, I cannot enter Master''s room."


    Feng Yun said, "Dao."


    Yang Dao said, "Go, Lisa, do what she says."


    Lisa nodded and said, "Yes, Master." then she left after bowing slightly.


    Feng Yun asked, "What are you doing?"


    "Creating a symphony, Downfall." said the boy as he tapped on the keys faster and his hands became after images. After ten minutes when Lisa finally returned with an appropriate set of cufflinks and watch, the boy stopped.


    He stood up and said, "RALF, you know the rest of the notes. Conduct it nicely."


    The bot nodded and replied, "Yes Master." this bot was capable of doing all the changes in the code without using the keyboard and stuff.


    Yang Dao picked up the coat and put it on, then Feng Yung helped him with the cufflinks and Lisa did the tie. After they were dressed up the people left the mansion in a luxury sedan. The location was Ruby Towers. The party was held inside the company building. Feng Yun had a twin building constructed opposite her office building, the only difference was that this building was half the original tower''s height.


    This mini Ruby Tower was not for her office but an entertainment center. This building housed some of the best clubs and restaurants in the whole nation and also a lot of other things. The party was held in the paradise hotel branch. It was a ball party and everyone was to dance at least once.


    When the people arrived the party had already begun and the senior members of the company management were giving introductory speeches and keeping the atmosphere. Tonight happened to be the inauguration night for the building as well. A lot of press was also present at the moment.


    Feng Yun got out of the car followed by Lisa and then Yang Dao. The boy was sitting on the innermost back seat, he could not get out from that side because of the car blocking in the door. After the boy got off the car, the media froze and then the cameras started to flash insanely fast. Feng Yun hooked her slender arm with his and held onto the elbow gently.


    Yang Dao nodded and felt a soft and warm sensation from the other side and found that Lisa had done the same thing with his right hand. Then he was dragged inside the venue. The media was crying in their hearts. They were jealous that this boy could hold on to both of the ladies.


    The music coming from the speakers in the building seemed to be the prelude of a classical symphony. The symphony of downfall, both the men at the party and the man behind New Dawn.

 Chapter 372: Dance.

    Yang Dao was unconcerned about the people. He was wearing exquisite silver glasses. It was a smart communication device, however, his are special. They were connected with the screen displaying the code for the RALF mainframe.


    The boy was constantly commanding the AI to execute his plan. They came inside the party and the trio became the center of attention as soon as they came in. Yang Dao greeted everyone with a smile. Lisa left his hand and stood half a step behind him while Feng Yun stayed with him without a change in her body language.


    She was his elder sister in front of the people and she was there to give him a heads up if the people in the party approached them. Yang Dao was engrossed in commanding the AI. Feng Yun said, "What do you plan to do with so many commands and instructions?"


    "Dance with New Dawn. Teach them how it is done." Yang Dao said.


    The music setting for the party was classical. His words had a tinge of mystery and slyness. Feng Yun had never seen Yang Dao like this after the Mcdouglas incident. She almost had the urge to pray for New Dawn.


    What Yang Dao planned was simple. They will hack systems in the crypto nation and use them as their false fronts to attack the New Dawn AI. Then the symphony code written by Yang Dao will be recording the defense firewalls and imitating them.


    This imitation will not be simple but the symphony code will continue improving and fixing the loopholes left in the AI firewalls. What do you think will happen if New Dawn attempts to strike back at RALF after they did track it down? There AI will be left ineffective. You take something already in existence and improvise it.


    Yang Dao was not afraid about the New Dawn copying their means. If their AI did copy their improved firewall they will also copy something like a trojan in the system. Regardless of how strong the machine was, it was still made by a man. RALF had been slowly infiltrating the crypto nation dark net now and had taken over almost forty percent of the systems. This was the first command Yang Dao input when he began with this plan.


    Watching the Dance floor empty, Yang Dao said, "Sister Yun, how about a dance?"


    Feng Yun was dressed in her usual vermillion dress with ruby jewelry and looked ravishingly beautiful and she nodded with a smile. The boy had a black and white tuxedo with a bow tie. It was as if Feng Yun was the color of his monotone.


    Both the people came to the center of the dancing area and bowed to the musicians and then each other slightly. Then the orchestra began to play a delightful symphony and the pair began to dance. Lisa stood on the side and a few outstanding employees in the company tried to approach her and ask for a dance but she refused them all.


    While Yang Dao was dancing with Feng Yun. RALF has commenced the attack.


    ...


    Somewhere in the crypto nation, the headquarters of New Dawn. An alarm suddenly set off. A few people walked over calmly. They had no emotions ever since they joined this organization they all had become serious slaves.


    One of the people wearing a lab coat said, "Horizon, what is going on?"


    Horizon was the name of the AI developed by the New Dawn. A mechanical voice sounded in the room, "I am being attacked by nine hundred ninety-nine hackers at the same time."


    The people were shocked when they heard this. Suddenly an icy voice woke them up, "Who is it?"


    Horizon replied, "Sir, the IP is located in Crypto Nation itself."


    The cold voice belonged to Omega, he said, "It is that kid from Jewel Nation. Leave it be, neutralize the attacks and resume normal working patterns."


    "Command confirmed," said Horizon and began to neutralize the attacks. The people all returned to their work.


    Suddenly Horizon sent a message to the glasses of Omega. This person liked dim lights and no one knows how he looks like, however, they all know that Omega wears a pair of glasses. The message was that the opponent is learning and copying the firewall schematics after the attacks.


    Horizon was an advanced AI and could detect this. Omega furrowed his brows and said, "You neutralize the attacks first, then backtrack the dunce, and see what they have got."


    "Command confirmed." said the AI.


    ...


    On the other side, Yang Dao was dancing with Lisa and his face was brimming with a smile. Lisa could not help but ask in her mellow voice, "Master, what is going on? Why are you smiling?"


    "The plan is working at the enemy is cooperating with our dance very well." said the boy.


    Lisa''s eyes shined with joy when she heard this. She hated New Dawn. So, when Yang Dao told her what he planned to do. She was happy. Suddenly RALF sent a message to the glasses.


    "Master, they have started to track us down."


    Yang Dao said, "You can let them get to us, put some resistance but do not reveal all the methods. Let Symphony create some music for the guests."


    RALF replied, "Acknowledged."


    This battle was heading into the last few rounds and Yang Dao wanted for the symphony code to work properly and that needed some time. RALF also executed commands after all the calculations and just as they predicted Horizon tracked them down and was about to get inside the mainframe when Symphony acted.


    The next moment all the actions that were taken by the Horizon froze.


    ...


    Back at the New Dawn HQ, Horizon sent a message to Omega.


    "Sir, they have better firewalls, however, I can copy the codes and learn from them. Shall I advance?"


    Omega thought for a bit and said, "Advance."


    The next moment Horizon began to copy all the advanced algorithms.


    ...


    Yang Dao smiled and said, "The dance has come to an end and we have made an acquaintance."


    Then he bowed to Lisa and the musicians.


    ||You can play some waltz while reading this chapter||

 Chapter 373: Interaction.

    As soon as the music stopped and the couple performed the last bow to each other the hall rang out with applause. It was Feng Yun, who took the lead to clap and wake up everyone else from their daze. Her applause woke up the rest from their daze and the clap began.


    Yang Dao had a brilliant smile resting on his lips. As soon as Feng Yun came over to him he said, "The dance has come to an end, now it is time to chat."


    The sly spark in his eyes made Feng Yun recall what he has been doing this whole time. She had almost forgotten about his move against New Dawn. She nodded and turned to the higher management of the company, who were planning to mingle with Yang Dao and introduce some business proposals and girls for him.


    However, Feng Yun said, "The night has come to an end. My brother has just returned from a trip and came here before any prior rest. So, I apologize but we will have to take our leave."


    Her words might sound polite but they were not up for negotiation. The management did not even think it was rude of her and nodded with smiles. After bidding farewell to the people the trio got inside their car. The car headed straight to the Dao Courtyard Mansion.


    After getting down from the car, the three people headed inside. On the way to the study, Yang Dao took off his coat and undid his cufflinks. The boy rolled his sleeves and walked in big strides. Inside the study, RALF bot was already standing with his back facing the computer. It spoke, "Master, the other side has copied seventy percent of our improved algorithm along with the ''openings''"


    Yang Dao smiled and he sat down in front of the computer screen. He said, "Now, I would like to see Omega. The founder of New Dawn. This guy seems to be very confident about himself. To think that he even dared to alter the natural constitution of the human body. I wonder how many people did he kill in the process."


    As he thought about this his expression became solemn. Feng Yun sat down on a chair behind him and said, "Dao, your mindset is like that of the fire. Calm down. Or things will not be smooth. Only when the temperature is right does the metal melt. Do you understand?"


    Yang Dao was guided by the goddess of flame and nodded. He had not yet noticed this. His temperament has become decisive and he was much more intimate with emotions now but he has also become prone to losing his control all of a sudden.


    He asked, "Why am I like this? Did I not master the calmness when I learned the earth element?" he had doubts in his mind. After all, he had learned the earth element before and he was calm, the master of his thoughts.


    Feng Yun nodded and said, "It is good that you have doubts. Well, when you practice with an element, that certain element takes over the major part of your conscious and the rest become dormant. Tell me the elements you have practiced till now?"


    Yang Dao nodded and counted, "Wind, Earth, and now fire."


    Feng Yun nodded, "You have two volatile attributes. Both wind and fire. Thus the change in your temperament. These changes will let you grow and master the transition within yourself completely."


    Yang Dao understood what she meant and nodded. Then he closed his eyes to meditate. Feng Yun shook her head and with a wave of her hand cast a barrier around him. She mumbled, "Careless."


    Lisa who was standing behind her asked, "Miss, can anyone master the four elements?"


    Feng Yun shook her head and said, "Only him. You must have found out that his identity is special by now. Do you want to know?"


    Lisa nodded, Feng Yun said, "It is not that simple to know about him, Lisa. You will have to give up all the mundane things if you wish to stay beside him. He is an entity that exists beyond the horizons of the sky you currently look up to. He will leave this world to another place and there is someone as strong as he is, she is his destined better half. Do you still want to follow him?"


    She was not inviting him but this was her disguised effort to test her resolve. If Lisa was to have any hesitation she will be left behind as Yang Dao walks forward. However, Lisa nodded and said, "Miss, I have never had a sense of belonging, and now, where Master goes, that place is my home. I do not know the reason behind this change in my mindset. It is not because of his favors or support, but when I am around him, I feel like I have some reason to exist. Even if it is to serve him for an eternity, I will gladly accept it." then she bowed to Feng Yun.


    Feng Yun did not miss the glint of conviction in her eyes. She was surprised to see that the girl did not even ask who was destined to be with Yang Dao but still accepted her place as the maid. This sort of dedication was not something she could understand. She had the power to look into the river of time.


    So Lisa was still an open book to her. The rest of the girls all had their affection for Yang Dao slowly return to just a friend and idol after the boy went away. Only two more girls were there who had the same feelings for him as Lisa.


    These girls were now being trained by Feng Yun and Laohu Bai in secret. They were found to have talent in being resilient and thus using them as guards for the boy was not a bad thing. These girls were groomed like Lisa but they were given traditional training as for who they were, it will be disclosed when the time was right. Feng Yun did not plan to let anyone know anything, for the time being, even Yang Dao.


    As she was dwelling over these things, RALF suddenly said, "Miss, the algorithms have been hundred percent copied and are being installed in the enemy mainframe. It will take them some time to execute the command."


    Feng Yun nodded as she heard this and mumbled, "I hope this guy is a good enough whetting stone for him."


    This interaction today showed the difference in the resolve of the two people, while some resolved to serve, some resolved to destroy. Two sides of a coin interact with each other without being far away yet not being in contact.

 Chapter 374: Challenge.

    After a few minutes of RALF''s notification, Yang Dao opened his eyes and woke up with a calm mindset. Feng Yun took down the barrier around him and asked, "How do you feel now?"


    Yang Dao said, "I feel calm. Let us deal with Omega."


    Feng Yun nodded with a smile and said, "You deal with this guy, I will make some arrangements for Lisa. Her training is not yet complete."


    Yang Dao nodded and said, "Lisa, be attentive in your training and be earnest. I will see you later."


    Lisa nodded and bowed to him as she said, "Yes, Master."


    Then the Dao Child turned his head to the monitor and began to check a few things. Feng Yun took Lisa outside the room and said, "The place you are going now is a proper battlefield. In the mind space training, You must have experienced a lot of situations. Your task is to guide the two girls using your experience and make sure that you all survive. I will take deal with your ailments later.


    The identity of us all will be disclosed to you all after you complete the training and return home. You will be provided only with only primary equipment support. Understand?"


    Lisa nodded and followed Feng Yun without any questions. She was decisive and there was almost nothing she had not yet faced in her mind.


    ...


    Inside the study, Yang Dao was making the final check of the codes copied by the opponent. He said, "RALF, initiate the vertical compiling."


    RALF replied, "Yes, Master." and the program began to execute.


    The codes carried a cipher code hidden between them. RALF had even added a fragmented remote uplink inside those codes. It was all done in a way where the codes were not suspected by the Horizon AI and directly copied. After the AI began to optimize the firewalls it will run the codes. Yang Dao designed the whole thing in such a way that it will not be discarded in the initial checks.


    When an artist dances to the music, the people focus on the dance and not on the orchestra. Music also becomes a secondary thing for them. This was why the boy called the whole this a dance. The spectator was Horizon, RALF was the dancer and the Symphony was created by Yang Dao.


    The whole act came to success when the AI was riled into the performance. After half an hour, RALF said, "Master, we are in."


    Yang Dao said, "Crumple all the at the end of the invasion. I want them to have nothing left in their data banks. Peek in on the AI source code. Replicate it and improvise it then merge the files. When you are almost done with all this connect me to the Omega. I would like to have a word with him."


    RALF nodded and began to execute the commands passed to him by the boy. RALF may be a weaker AI version in comparison to Horizon, but it had a higher degree of freedom to act as Yang Dao set permission. RALF was also much more cautious in dealing with these sorts of things.


    It took RALF almost six hours to complete the commands issued by Yang Dao. It said, "Master, the patch link is ready."


    Yang Dao nodded and said, "Connect."


    ...


    HQ New Dawn.


    Omega was gazing at the ceiling overhead, seemed to be thinking about something. Suddenly he saw an incoming call notification on his glasses. He was surprised, never before had he received a call from anyone. After all, the people in the organization were all his slaves, they were all afraid to even mention his name. They will submit their reports through AI. How come he got a call today?


    Occupied with these questions, the man accepted the call. What he saw was a smiling boy gazing at him as if he was a fan. However, recalling some past events Omega recalled who this person was. However, he was not surprised. He asked, "How did you get into the system?"


    Yang Dao heard a cold voice and his smile became even thicker. The boy said, "You asked the wrong question. Old man, I want to ask you, How long has it been since you gave up your emotions?"


    The Dao Child could sense that this person had no emotions left inside him as his eyes. Omega replied with indifference, "You also asked the wrong question. What do you need from me?"


    Yang Dao replied, "Although I cannot wait to take your life, that will have to wait. I just had one question in my mind before we two met in person. I hope you can answer it."


    Omega was generous to his enemy and asked, "Go ahead." he intended to listen to what this guy might ask him.


    "Why do you do all this? I mean, looking in your eyes I can guess that you know what you did is a sin. Why go forward with it after knowing it?" asked Yang Dao


    Omega let out a chuckled and said, "I prayed and I preached. To stay a human, I sinned. Does that sate your curiosity?"


    Yang Dao was surprised and chuckled, he said, "I did not expect you, a scientist to be so philosophical. Good one. I will leave you with a gift then. See you soon, Omega."


    "Likewise." said the man with glasses. He was not afraid of anything or more like he did not have emotions at all.


    To improve his formula and techniques, the man experimented on himself and made himself what he is today. As soon as the call was disconnected. The facility began to echo with alarms. RALF had crumpled every last byte of data they had accumulated over the years. This data was crucial for them to improve their advanced surgeries.


    Omega stood up and walked out of his office.


    ...


    Yang Dao gazed at the computer screen and mumbled under his breath, "I shall make you realize at least a couple of emotions before I send you down the road of the afterlife, Omega."

 Chapter 375: Cooking.

    After Yang Dao was done mumbling Feng Yun had also come back to the study. She looked at him and asked, "Are you done with it?"


    The boy nodded and asked, "Things for Lisa have been arranged?"


    Feng Yun nodded and said, "What do you plan to do now?"


    "I was thinking that maybe we could just get some food before I begin to look at the data they have collected over the years." said Yang Dao.


    Feng Yun nodded and the two people moved to the dining room where the maids were already serving the food on the table. The lady asked, "Why do you want to look at the data? Is it not something against the flow of nature?"


    Yang Dao picked up a fork as he began to eat and said, "Even if it is against nature, we must still know about it. Only when you know both the good and the bad can you differentiate between the two."


    After he was done, he started eating the rice dish served on his plate. Feng Yun smiled and began to eat her meal. It was not that she did not know what Yang Dao just told her but she still wanted to know what was the reason behind his study.


    Even if he was the Dao Child, he could get affected by this sort of data, despite every sort of tempering he has been through his current mindset was a little volatile and could distract him from the path of dao. However, after hearing his thought and philosophy she put down the heart back in its place.


    Yang Dao ate a hearty meal and came back to the study. RALF said, "Master, would it be not nice, for you to change into a more comforting attire? I can display all this data directly in your room."


    The boy was about to sit down on the chair suddenly froze and said, "I would have forgotten that you have such skills RALF. I will go to my room. You can come over in a bit."


    The bot nodded and said, "Certainly sir."


    Yang Dao moved back to his room and got his clothes changed to comfortable sleepwear and sat down on the bed. He said, "RALF, we can do it now."


    The AI robot walked inside the room and came to stand in front of the bed. Then one of his eyes started to project the holographic pictures in the void in front of Yang Dao. The boy was surprised and asked, "Did you upgrade your body while I was gone?"


    RALF nodded and said, "Yes sir, Doctor Freiza made this new body. Is there anything you do not like sir?"


    The boy shook his head and said, "No. Just checking. Let us start with the data analysis."


    RALF nodded and then he began to project the details and Yang Dao began to read things. As he kept reading the files he found that somethings were actually just the basic knowledge about the human body but at some point it all diverted from the natural course of things and became an abomination in the name of knowledge.


    Yang Dao sighed and began to delete the diverted information while leaving the normal one. This information was basic natural tempering that he thought could be useful for the normal people in the world. He decided to keep the good part and shred the bad part. He was the Dao Child and this was his innate nature to refine things for the good of the society.


    As he was reading and segregating the data he lost his sense of time. None of the people in the house came to disturb him. Feng Yun did came out of the room to check but when she saw Yang Dao being immersed in the data inspection she left the room silently. She had to sort her things before he was done with the data.


    They had to leave for the sacred realm after he was done with this data segragetion. Yang Dao finished doing his stuff, and said, "RALF compile all the highlighted data into a set and delete the rest completely leaving nothing. Swipe the download tracks to check if there is anything even remotely connected to the data up for shredding. Okay?"


    RALF nodded and began to execute the command and it asked, "Master, why do you intend to delete all the data?"


    The question was very simple, even if the data was still knowledge then why do you need to delete it and not keep it for the future. It can at least tell people what not to do.


    Yang Dao said, "Your logic needs to be updated RALF. The reason I delete this is because the humans will eventually stumble upon some ways to commit atrocities and sins. I do not wish to be a helping hand for them. Imagine if someone actually did manage to break through your firewall, and get the data on his/her hands what will that lead to? Humanity is a chef that will try to make new dishes and then they will make mistakes."


    RALF nodded and said, "What you say is indeed correct. Humans have a wonderful potential when it comes to ruin things. I do not understand how they manage to do that. Why do they even do it?"


    The boy heard these words and chuckled, he said, "I can say the reason humanity even exist it to learn how to stand as they take a stumble."


    That said Yang Dao went inside the bathroom and got himself a shower. He had not left the bed for seven days. After changing his clotheshe came out to the dining room and found that the breakfast was being served. When he did not find Feng Yun sitting on the table he asked a maid, "Where did sister Yun go?"


    The girl said, "Miss is cooking the breakfast, Sir."


    Yang Dao smiled and nodded as he walked to the kitchen. He wanted to see what she was cooking.

 Chapter 376: Change The Game.

    Yang Dao peeked inside the kitchen and found that the lady in a white shirt and red pleated skirt was untying her apron. He sighed and said, "I am late."


    Feng Yun chuckled and said, "Dao, you are in time. Also, do not forget that late is better than never."


    The boy smiled and then helped her take the food out to the table. The dishes were something Yang Dao has never before seen or eaten. He asked, "What is this?"


    Feng Yun said, "It is your typical tofu soup but I replaced the spice proportion and also, the tofu is replaced by cottage cheese."


    Yang Dao said, "I do not know if this was a good idea but tell me a little something, how did you come to the point to make this?"


    "Trial and error." said the lady. Yang Dao shook his head and Feng Yun continued, "Your thinking that making changes to the natural things is a bad thing. I agree with that but do you know that if we were to eat all these things in their natural state, we will be cavemen."


    Yang Dao was surprised and then he broke out in a chuckle. He said, "Funny, how I agree with what you said."


    The essence of this small talk was that the same thing done by different people has a different meaning. This principle applied to all the things in the world. So things must be done but with a concern of nature, and Karma.


    The two people ate the food and Yang Dao said, "Yun, the data has been segregated. See to it that this data is circulated among the educational department and imply that everyone who can exercise according to this plan, will have a better chance to become an elemental in the future. Even if they did not become elemental, their lifespan and physical performance will be upgraded for the better.  Make sure that society does not get divided."


    Feng Yun heard and nodded as she replied, "Yes, Master."


    She knew what he was worried about. Yang Dao did not wish for the elementals to form groups of their own. People with flawed personalities will make the whole world chaotic so he had to think about this as well. He had mentioned a team forming method among the students. This four people team will have all the elements in it making it balanced.


    This was all he could think of about doing at the moment. The rest will be left for the leaders of the country to decide upon. He had mentioned his concerns in the data file clearly and this new file will be forwarded to the premiere directly. Old Abe had his faith and ways corrected not long ago so he would not be making any mistakes in the process.


    Yang Dao nodded and asked, "When can we leave for the sacred realm?"


    Feng Yun said, "Atsuji Kurogame said that it is Shiro''s exams in the school. So he asked if we could wait for a couple of days. He is the child''s family now and it would be a good thing for him to be there."


    Yang Dao raised his eyebrow and nodded. He said, "Very well, they seem to be sincere about this."


    Feng Yun nodded and said, "They are. I will first go and visit Premiere Abraham and have an in-depth discussion with him about this."


    Yang Dao nodded and said, "I will set a special command in RALF''s source code. After we ascend he will monitor how the world will work."


    Feng Yun froze a bit and then nodded. She realized that the boy did not want a human to monitor the humans. She stood up and after bowing slightly to him, she left the house to meet with the premiere. Yang Dao nodded to her and he got up from the chair. He decided to take a ride around the city and see the changes.


    The last time when he was in the city, he did not have the time to pay attention to the changes. Also, he thought he should meet up with Icarus and the rest of his friends, after all, he had not been very social in the past few days.


    He stood up and after picking out his phone he made a call to Icarus.


    Tring, Tring...


    The call connected and an indifferent voice sounded, "Moshi Moshi, who is it?"


    Yang Dao said, "I apologize but I have been busy with a lot of important stuff. Now can you please stop being grumpy?"


    Icarus said, "Don''t you act as nothing has happened. You vanish after a blink. Your party for graduating is due. Also, I do not even know what happened to the class representative. She did not resume studies after the year-end."


    Yang Dao was surprised and said, "Does Sasha has no idea about it?"


    Icarus sighed and said, "If she had any idea, would I be here? Dealing with you? Mofo, get your ass over to the circuit. You have to race to get forgiveness."


    Yang Dao sighed and said, "What race are we talking about?"


    Icarus said, "Car race ofcourse."


    Yang Dao chatted with him for a bit and after they confirmed the timing of the meeting. The boy sat down in his car and then vroomed out to the meeting spot. He drove his old Quinn. This car has been restored by the company. This car was perfect for track racing.


    The boy left the house earlier so that he could cruise in the city. He gazed at the glowing streets and flickering hoardings. The world also gazed back at him. The girls on the side of the people driving lev cars looked at him with a mix of emotions. The technology of lev vehicles was relatively new, but it had taken over the world by storm.


    Yang Dao was standing out this time, not because he drove the Quinn but because it was driving on the road. It was not the rules of the game that has changed but the game itself has changed.


    Robots looking over humanity but never acting blatantly against it, cars floating in the void, and not driving on the road.

 Chapter 377: The Race.

    Yang Dao went out for a day and mingled with his friends. As he was cruising around the city. Lisa was transported to the battlefield in a remote corner of the world. This place was not someplace normal people were allowed to trespass. Lisa was sent here to aid the two trainees.


    These two trainees were girls who were devoted to Yang Dao completely and were selected by Feng Yun. At the moment the two girls were out on an assignment. They were to assassinate one target. It sounded simple but the reality was quite the contrary.


    In this place, where all the scum of the world is gathered, these girls were sent to kill a guy who ruled them. Yes, their target was none other than the world''s strongest killer and mercenary, Sylvester.


    Lisa was sitting on a fighter plane heading to the island of sin. This place was located at the center of the planet and almost all the nations sent the criminals here. A time came when the criminals outnumbered the guards. They rebelled and overnight, the guards were forced to flee the island with all the weapons and supplies.


    The land descended into chaos, eventually, someone came forward and told the people that they cannot last long if the chaos continued. Then the strong people decided to hold a competition. The rules were simply to fight and survive for a three-day duration. The one to win most fights will be the leader of the place and decide the future of the people.


    The leader organized these scum together and asked the world to give them supplies to sustain themselves. What was shocking in this whole scenario was that the world governments agreed. The reason? The forces had forgotten a piece of ammunition, that could erase at least a whole nation completely.


    This ammunition was a nuclear dump. This island had tonnes of nuclear waste buried underneath the land and they can just directly dig in the ground and they will be unlocking the hell. Those who came up with the idea to form a prison over the nuclear dump were all exiled to the island itself.


    Island of Sins had independent security, the scums given arms had begun to protect their leader. The current leader Sylvester was a strong man. He was the uncrowned king of the sinners. The two girls were at the moment at the periphery of the island and they had to infiltrate the security, get to the center of the island where the target lives in a palace turned from the old prison fort, kill him, and then leave.


    The two girls were Kiya and Mika. Yes, the strawberry blonde class representative and the rescued race care driver. They approached Feng Yun after Yang Dao left, they told her their feelings and decided to wait for him. Moved by their emotions, Feng Yun decided to give them a chance. They passed all the tests and endured all the pains.


    Feng Yun talked to their families and told them that she will be now taking care of the girls. She had the capital to set the people of the two families at ease.


    ...


    Kiya had changed her hair color to brown and was wearing a black cargo and a black armor jacket. Her gaze was not filled with the naiveness she had in the past but a cold glint. Like the edge of a sharp knife. She held a silenced assault rifle in her hands, with a knife tied to her thighs. Her petite waist was loaded with ammunition and a utility belt.


    Beside her, Mika was in a similar situation. She had her blonde hair covered with mud and tied into a pony. She held a similar assault rifle in her hands but also a silenced sniper rifle on her back. Her eyes were like a poisonous snake waiting for her prey.


    Mika said, "Madam Feng said she will be sending an aid?"


    Kiya nodded and said, "It will be someone good."


    Mika nodded and said, "I hope so. How long do we have to wait for the support?"


    "Any moment now," Kiya said.


    The two were standing at the shore side. This place was filled with rocks and the terrain was not suitable for boats to sail over. The island had a radar to monitor the skies. These two girls were level two elementals now.


    Kiya had the affinity of the earth while Mika had the sparks of fire flickering in her eyes. Lisa was affiliated with water, although her elemental prowess was lower than the two, she had the battle experience they did not and her mind worked like a war machine.


    As the two girls were talking they sensed movement among the rocks. They raised their guns and aimed. Suddenly they heard a soft voice, "I am an ally."


    The voice was enough to make them dizzy for a moment and then they woke up to a sense of cold radiating from their throats. When they peered down, two daggers were resting at their napes, sending chills down their spines.


    The soft voice sounded again, "Long time no see, Kiya."


    Kiya said, "You are, sister Lisa?"


    Lisa took down the daggers and smiled at the girl, who turned back to look at her. The two exchanged a warm embrace. Mika was introduced by Kiya as well, and after the three came to know the reason for their cooperation they developed a closer sense of intimacy.


    Kiya asked, "What is the action plan?"


    Lisa asked, "Do you have a map of the island?"


    Mika nodded and took out a holographic pen. This pen had a satellite map of the whole island. Mika clicked on the top and a square map popped up. This map displayed all the security details as well. Lisa scrutinized the map and said, "We attack at night and it will be a race against time. We have two hours till sundown."


    That said, the three girls made their way to the infiltration point and hid to wait for the opportune time.

 Chapter 378: Twist & Turn.

    The Island Of Sin.


    Lisa and the girls were hiding in wait to attack.


    ...


    Jade City Race Track.


    Yang Dao had met with Icarus. The sun had gone down and the crowd has gathered together. Icarus said, "This guy has been running around calling himself the fastest racer off the grid. Last week he rubbed off ten pink slips in total. Then he called you out by name and said, he wanted to see if you were worthy enough to drive the Quinn."


    Yang Dao raised his brows and asked, "Dude, where did you find this cartoon?"


    Icarus sighed and said, "I do not know if you have improved or not but this guy gives me a vibe similar to you when you rode ''Silence.'' You better watch out."


    Yang Dao nodded and said, "When did I agree to this though?" he did not agree to the race at all.


    "Shut up, you need to make up for your absence. Get your ass inside the car and beat him up," said Icarus with annoyance.


    Yang Dao sighed and said, "Bitch, you lost your car to him as well?" he knew this guy a bit too well.


    Icarus scratched the back of his head and said, "Well, he did take away my saber but I was not racing, it was Sasha. However, she overturned at the last pin and lost, had a terrible collision. The car was finished thankfully she ca,e out with light bruises. I still had her stay in the hospital."


    Yang Dao raised his eyebrow. He recalled Sasha''s driving skills from their training camp in college. She was not a rookie to overturn in a race. She had her early driving in the mountains filled with twists and curves.


    As the boy was indulged in thoughts he was brought back to reality by a sharp engine sound. Icarus said, "Here comes."


    Yang Dao did not turn around and said, "Hybrid engine? Hmmm seems like someone spared no efforts to race me. They are even using this car."


    Icarus nodded and said, "This Chaser is a worthy opponent of your Quinn. What do you think of his skills?"


    Yang Dao could sense the movements coming from behind him. He said, "Sub-standard." this was not his arrogance but it was his skills. After mastering the elements, he has grown stronger in his driving.


    Icarus nodded, he had full confidence in the guy. They were talking when a moonshine blue car parked behind him with a screech. The door opened and a boy with white hair came out of the car. He walked over to Icarus with big strides and suddenly stopped.


    The reason behind his pause was a black car parked at the side. He walked over to the car and was about touch it when a cold voice sounded, making him freeze, "That is not something you can touch."


    The guy raised his eyebrow and found Yang Dao looking at him with no expression in his eyes. He sneered and said, "So, you are the fabled, Young Master Feng. Well, it is only a matter of time before it belongs to me."


    Yang Dao said, "Icarus, pet a dog but never pet an illusion. Also, I have a meeting to attend. Let us get this done."


    The man with white hair nodded and the people began to arrange the race. The two cars moved to the starting line, with their engines fired up. The man with white hair said with his window down, he said, "My name is Terrence."


    Yang Dao did not reply. He had no interest in conversing with a passing character in the story. Icarus stood at the podium holding a green flag.


    ...


    On the other side, Lisa was holding an assault rifle, squatting down on the ground, leaning in the shadows of the building at the edge of the city. Mika had a sniper rifle aimed at the soldier, who stood on a watchtower.


    Kiya held a binocular checking the surroundings and said, "Clear."


    Mika squeezed the trigger and with a minimal sound, a bullet ejected from the muzzle piercing the head of the soldier. The target fell on the floor of the watchtower. Kiya said, "Hit, move."


    Lisa nodded and started to move forward. She said, "Five minutes."


    The speed of the three girls was higher than the normal elite soldiers. On the way, the trio met three patrols. They diffused the situation as soon as they encountered it. They were aided by their level one practice of Elementalist.


    Their senses were high and responses were flickering light. However, things were not as simple as they seemed to be. Lisa froze as soon as she reached closer to the old prison fort.


    She said, "It is fishy, we hide and wait."


    Kiya and Mika were told to follow her lead and they did. As soon as the commands were issued the two moved and hid in an abandoned building. They controlled their breathing and aura. No questions were asked, and they all sat down with the cover of the shadows.


    ...


    Yang Dao was driving the car at a high speed on the track. His skills were even sharper than in the past. Icarus and the rest were stunned when they saw the situation. Yang Dao was leading Terrence with a lead of twenty meters. The difference came at the corners. The time was reduced by a lot.


    Suddenly Yang Dao raised his eyebrow and pressed the breaks. The speed slowed down and he let the guy get ahead. However, the gap did not increase too much. Inside the car, Yang Dao said, "Hmmm so this is how they lost."


    Terrence was a level two Elementalist and he created a disturbance on the roads. He was an earth elemental. Yang Dao pressed the pedal and Quinn roared. He came neck to neck with the guy and kept at it. Suddenly he sensed another distortion coming his way.


    He said, "Not this time." and he bent the earth and diffused the coming distortion. It did not stop at just that, the distortion he cast made Terrence lose control and the guy was forced to press the brakes hard.


    Yang Dao chuckled and pulled away. He decided to deal with Terrence after he crossed the finish line.

 Chapter 379: Engage.

    Lisa and the two girls hid inside an abandoned house. They had left micro motion sensors outside the parameter before they came in. Kiya asked as she checked the mini monitor display, "What is going on?"


    Lisa said, "According to intel, there are three superhumans inside the prison fort. I did not take this seriously, but the silence around the region made me believe this intel."


    Mika asked, "Why did you not believe the intel earlier?" she had seen Lisa in action and was sure that her skills were not shallow. She did not understand why she would not follow the intel.


    Lisa said, "The intel was just a speculation of the scouting equipment. Thi place has never been scouted or reckoned by humans so were had no idea what they might have in store for us. So, I did not believe the intel. Now I have a question. What do you think we should do to deal with the superhumans?"


    Kiya shook her head and said, "I have no idea, let me think."


    Mika said, "Do they have an invincible detection for a kilometer?" she has never dealt with the superhumans.


    Lisa heard her question and nodded. She said, "The assignment was not to kill Sylvester but to deal with these three. One each."


    Kiya said, "Yang Dao can deal with three hyper humans on his own and without breaking a sweat. So we should still be able to deal with these guys at the cost of some injuries? Can we not?"


    Mika chuckled, "I wonder if he will take a second look at us after filled with scratches."


    Lisa smiled and shook her head. She was aware that these two were joking and Yang Dao was not a person to go after looks only. She still said, "Do not worry, I will let you in on a secret. I was rescued from a hidden research facility at New Dawn. The experiments had ruined my voice. It was because of Master and Miss''s generosity that I got it back and even to the point where I can cast hypnotism by just speaking. So do not worry about injuries."


    Kiya and Mika were surprised and nodded. They wanted to ask more when Lisa said, "There is movement. We can leave the conversation for later."


    Mika said, "What is the plan?"


    Kiya said, "Block the monitor vision, diffuse the strength. Sounds good?"


    Lisa nodded and said, "Good, Mika. You are a fire elemental, right? Cast a smoke barrier. Kiya, you are with me. Diffuse strength, I will distract the scout''s senses."


    The two nodded, and they moved. Mika got out of the house and then squatted down near the door. She took out a flare from her pocket and ignited it. The flare emitted a bright red light and also red smoke. Mika controlled the smoke and cast a thin curtain on it. She did not stop at this. She took out another flare to make the gauze thicker.


    After five flares, she was able to cast a hundred-meter curtain to block the vision of the superhuman scout. As she finished her task, Kiya and Lisa moved out of the house as well. They carried two assault rifles in their hands. Lisa said, "Mika, watch our backs okay?"


    The girl winked at her with a smile. Kiya and Mika moved out at high speed. The y were limited by their strengths and range of activity. One hundred meters versus one thousand meters. The point in their favor was that they had a lot of covers to hide.


    The whole island of sin was akin to a slum, and the closer you get to the prison for the vacant it became. The trio was located in the last block of buildings, so they did not come across any movement and could operate without any problems. Earlier, when Lisa told the two people her story, she saw some movement on the mini monitor.


    The feed was broadcast live to the device from the satellite. The movement she mentioned was the teams coming out for patrol but avoiding their block. She could predict what was going to happen, so she asked them to discuss and come up with some method to deal with the inbound superhumans.


    This was her experience from the countless training scenarios simulated in her mind. The people followed her lead as well, and they devised a plan. Mika was to camp on the roof of the building to take out or engage any threat the two may not be able to detect while they were on the ground.


    Kiya was the main force as she had a stronger physique to deal with the enemies up close, while Lisa will be confusing the scout with her movements and tricks. The action began.


    ...


    Lisa was shuttling through the streets at a fast speed, while Kiya was slowly following her. They were running around the slum block in circles. Suddenly, when running to a crossroads, Lisa stepped back, and said, "Attack." in a low voice.


    This was the key for Kiya, following behind her to engage the lured superhuman. Yes, one of the superhumans has found them and caught up. Kiya suddenly exerted some strength to her feet and leaped a distance of ten meters in two steps, and punched at a vague outline in front of her.


    They could even differ an outline thanks to the smog. Kiya punched right in the face of the outline. She was a level two Elementalist, trained by Kaya. She was calm, but robust enough to clobber at the enemy with a force that can make them lie down.


    The superhuman responded. Thanks to his fast reflexes he dodged the incoming attack and countered Kiya with a kick to her waist. The girl was surprised for a second, but reacted with her muscle memory and took a step back to avoid the attack.


    Then, as soon as the leg was retracted, she moved in along with it and punched at the superhuman''s waist. The opponent was fast and better than her, but she used the minute lapse between his movements and hit him hard.


    The punch connected with the waist, but it was Kiya, who reeled back from her position. She pursed her lips as she said, "This guy has an iron body. Damn."


    Lisa was about to move ahead, she said, "Use hard and soft. I will go to the draw out another cookie."


    Kiya nodded to her words without moving her gaze away from the target. She took a Tai-chi stance and squinted her eyes at the superhuman. Despite the overwhelming strength and hyped-up reflexes, the superhuman had a normal vision. He was contained by a smokescreen.

 Chapter 380: Hard Battle.

    Kiya was engaged in a full-blown battle with a superhuman in front of her. She had her hands positioned in front of her shoulders and her fists were open palms facing the enemy with her left foot placed in front of the right foot. Her eyes were calm.


    Lisa had used her experience when she gave her this advice. She has seen Laohu Bai in action, the method of hard and soft boxing had left a deep impression in her mind ever since she had been through the scenarios in her mind.


    Kiya herself has seen the strength held in this battle art during her military training as a fresher in the college and later when Kaya trained her especially. The superhuman approached her with a quick movement and clawed at her face.


    She waited for the claw to come close enough and then she tilted her body to the left, letting the claw pass over her shoulder. She raised her right hand to grab ahold of the opponent''s wrist and turned her back to the man. Then she tilted her body forward and somehow managed to lift the guy over her shoulder and threw him on the ground.


    The superhuman had not yet landed on the ground when Kiya delivered a strong punch to his temples. She then punched him twice again, before taking a step back. The softness was used to redirect the force of the opponent and inflict damage upon him. The punches were add-ons.


    The head seemed to be the most vulnerable part of his body but it was the most tightly guarded part as well. Kiya moved back after delivering the blows and the superhuman sprang up from the ground. He turned around and moved his hand. Just when Kiya was anticipating her move, the guy pulled out a gun from behind his waist and sneered.


    He said, "The game has changed." Kiya stood frozen in her spot, she knew that she cannot outrun a bullet, she was not that fast. She was about to give in to the situation when a bang was heard.


    The bang was distant, and Kiya knew that she was not the target of the incoming bullet. She woke up from her daze and saw the superhuman baking two steps. When she focused on his body, she found that the chest was hit with the bullet and it has broken some of his skin, the damage was not much.


    However, this shot was enough to make the superhuman miss his aim and Kiya moved in. The bullet Mika shot was special, it could electrocute things. The superhuman was numb as the electricity moved throughout his body, even in this state this guy was able to move like a normal human. Kiya would not lose to an injured opponent and taking out a dagger from her thigh strap, she slashed at the superhuman''s nape in a swift motion.


    The dagger was a sharp carbonium alloy and was sprayed with nanites. If the wound was not deep enough to kill the superhumans, the nanites will start eating their bodies from the inside as soon as the dagger rub off their skin.


    Kiya finished her slash and a blood flower bloomed from the nape of the superhuman. She backed away and quickly pressed a few buttons on her wrist display to activate the nanites. The nanites were so quick that the superhuman, who had just woken up from the numbness began to slow down again.


    He fell to the ground as his nervous system was rendered useless by the release of a neurotoxin. Kiya saw this and took a deep breath. However, she did not leave the spot, they were told to ensure that the target is dead before they move to the next target. She did not wish to leave this guy to come up later and trouble her.


    She sat down in the shadows of the house at the end of the crossroads after she picked up her assault rifle. Although she was waiting it did not mean that she was resting. She could not let her guard down.


    The biggest trouble in this mission was that they were barred from any communication. Yes, the people were not allowed to talk to each other during the battle. They were to depend on their skills to help each other and make it out of this place. The rest of the girls had given up. Even professor dew had found her loved one and got engaged to him a few days ago.


    Kiya waited patiently for all the signs of life in the superhuman to cease before she advanced.


    ...


    Lisa had been running in circles and she had avoided the area where Kiya was fighting with the superhuman. She was not strong physically, she was an assassin. Her job was to kill the enemy with one strike but after even one minute of circling the hundred-meter area, she had yet to find the second superhuman.


    As her gaze was scanning the surroundings, suddenly her senses screamed danger and she dived on the ground, rolling to the right side in an instant. She had developed these instincts from the sufferings in the simulations. They were never wrong. As soon as she finished the roll, she found a superhuman standing at the corner of the building on her left with a gun aimed at her previous position.


    The superhuman squeezed the trigger and fired at her after adjusting his aim, but Lisa was not a normal human as well, her bloodline had evolved after she was treated with the tears of the phoenix, not only did it heal her throat and voice, but also, cleansed her bloodline. She was not to lose to a superhuman in terms of reflexes and sensory responses.


    BANG, BANG, BANG, BANG...


    This sound was not coming from the silenced guns but the collisions of the bullets. Lisa was shooting not at the superhuman assailant but the bullets fired at her. This was her way to defend herself.


    She noticed something and a sneer came up her lips. She became even braver in firing at the guy as she moved forward while shooting. With a flick of her finger, the gun turned from semi-automatic to automatic and the fire rate increased.


    The bullets shot from the superhuman''s gun were firing slowly after Lisa flipped the switch. The guy stood at the same spot while Lisa moved forward. She overwhelmed the opponent closed the distance.


    Suddenly she jumped to her right as she shot at the bullet from an angle. The angle of deflection was as such that the bullet found its way right to the superhuman''s chest. The impact was strong and the guy flinched a little. This little flinch was all that Lisa needed. She fired ten more bullets on the superhuman.


    The opponent she faced, was not a strength type superhuman but the scout. Lisa figured this out when she saw the opponent standing at one spot and engaged in a shoot-out with her. Ten bullets were enough to kill the guy but she did not want to slack off. She took out a kunai from her thigh belt and threw it at the superhuman, who fell down to the ground.  This kunai had a micro-vail inside it filled with nanites. The superhuman would surely die after ten seconds.

 Chapter 381: End Game.

    After Lisa took down the second Superhuman she did not know what to do, so she headed to regroup with Kiya and analyst the situation. The two people had a similar thought. They did not waste time and moved to the regroup point.


    They did not have any digital and direct communication methods, thus Kiya left some signs on the walls along the alley as she moved to regroup with Mika. She left signs on the walls and the ground to tell Lisa about her movement as well. Lisa was quick on the uptake, she ran through the alleys and reached the regroup point, and found the two girls standing with their guns aimed in her direction.


    They only lowered it slightly after they confirmed that Lisa was the one who approached. Mika asked, "Any signs of the third superhuman?"


    Lisa shook her head and said, "They always act in a team of three, it could be possible that the third superhuman is inside the fort and laying in wait for us to arrive. We will be able to take him down together if that is the case."


    Kiya nodded and said, "Indeed, we cannot assume things to be this simple. However, I do not know why this feels a bit too easy."


    Mika nodded and said, "I agree, the target can have a better card up his sleeve?"


    Lisa nodded and said, "Three-pronged approach. I am better at moving in the shadows, so can you take the lead? I will be there to make a move at the critical juncture. Does this sit well with you two?"


    The two girls exchanged a glance and they nodded. Lisa did not know but before she came here, Mika was telling Kiya about how she finished a superhuman on her own. This surprised the two girls but they also came to find that the skills Lisa had were top-notch and higher than them.


    After watching her skills the two people agreed to follow her completely. They were smart enough to know what was the difference between them and her. She was decisive while they still had some hesitation when it came to dealing with a situation like this.


    After they made the plan they all moved to the prison fort. The fort was a three-floored building, with eight watchtowers around it. They had guards patrolling the grounds at every one-minute interval. The lighting of the parameter was dim, some vague shadows could be seen at the patrol but their lax behaviors were enough to show their level.


    The elite criminal lay low while the small guys played bigshots. This sort of security was worse than having none. Lisa had broken away from the two when they reached the edge of the parameter. After a simple nod, three people broke up the team, Lisa vanished into the shadows while Kiya and Mika slowly moved forward.


    The watchtowers were equipped with a big torch. They had no pattern of movement to look for infiltrators, however, this was a disadvantage for the two people. They never knew when the light is focused on them and it becomes a death mission. The two girls decided to observe the path of the light.


    After reckoning for five minutes they found that the light may be moving irregularly, but it also left a few blind spots in the trail. They took half an hour to make it through the web of patrols and searchlights. They had marked a tunnel in the fort earlier when they made the plan and decided to use it as the point of infiltration.


    The tunnel was used dug out by the guards who fled this place in the past. These two were just here to exploit the leftovers. The criminals were lazy and never took the pain to seal these off. However, they did make people guard the exit of the tunnel inside the fort. Kiya took the lead with her earth sense to walk in a crouched position.


    The ceiling of the tunnel was only a few feet high. Two girls walked inside at a slow pace, they had their guns set at ready. A few times, Mika almost shot but Kiya stopped her with a whistle as her signal. Dark places were always nested with rodents and crawlers. She could sense their movements and stopped Mika in time to save the element of surprise.


    They moved into the cramped space for over an hour before they finally came five meters close to the tunnel opening. Kiya walked under the light pouring in from the hole in over their head. She gestured to Mika with her hands. She told her that there were three people on the other side.


    Mika nodded and was about to move over when Kiya held out her stretched palm to stop her. She then opened her mouth and made a moaning sound. This sound not only shocked the people outside guarding the opening but Mika as well.


    Kiya winked at her and the latter understood how she was going to clean up the fish.


    Suddenly a guard said, "Who is there?" in a loud voice.


    Kiya took off her gun and threw it to the side and said in a pitiful voice, "Why do you yell? Do you want all those bad people out there to hurt me?"


    ...


    On the floor above a guy said, "Shhh, dimwit bastards, can you not recognize that the voice belonged to a girl? Have you been sucking cocks a bit too much?"


    A guy with a dumb expression on his face said, "Sorry brother Jack. I did not expect a girl to be here."


    Another guy said, "That voice just now came from the hole. Let us check."


    That said they all moved over and saw a pitiful Kiya sitting on the floor inside the hole. The lights were dim yet they could tell what was that the girl below was very beautiful. The guy named Jack asked, "Who are you? What are you doing here?"


    The girl said, "I do not remember, who I am, Sir. I hit my head and cannot remember anything. Can you please help me with some water? I will do anything for you." she blinked her doe eyes at the end of her line.


    The words, ''will do anything'' were enough to shock the three men. Jack looked at the guys and said, "I take the lead and you follow."


    The two men shook their heads in disagreement. These were all men deprived of sexual comfort for who knew how long. There were females on the island but they were all scarce resources. Thus a jade girl like Kiya was something they did not wish to be taken away.


    Suddenly, Jack clicked his tongue and raised his gun, and shot at the two men. They never expected this guy to shoot at them all of a sudden.


    BANG, BANG...


    With just two shots the problem was solved. Jack sneered and said, "Idiots, and then he jumped down in the pit."


    As soon as he landed, the fine hair on his neck stood up, and before he could even react his head burst open like a watermelon. Mika took the shot. Kiya had already turned her head away when the guy jumped down, but some blood and brain matter splashed on her back and she glared at Mika, who stuck out her tongue to the girl and acted cutely.


    The pit was not deep but only ten feet and it was only a few feet wide, so the girls climbed up by supporting themselves against the walls. They scanned the surroundings before they made a move deep in the fort. Mika took the lead and Kiya covered her. They moved slowly but the pace was steady.


    On the way, they shot down a lot of people. The striking detail of these encounters was that every shot was a headshot. The angel may be different or the point of impact may be different as well, but the bullets all landed on the heads. The two girls were tired but they were determined to see this task through.


    Throughout their intrusion they had not caught a single glimpse of Lisa. However, they were not worried about her. Given her sneaky skills, she could escape the place if she could not dissolve the threat.


    What made them wary in all this silence was that no alarm was triggered. They were told that the fort had an alarm system, and if triggered, the number of people flooding the fort will drown them before they even had a chance to think.


    They reached the room where the target was said to be living and found a burly man standing at the door with his hands crossed in front of his chest. Mika asked Kiya what to do, the latter told her to engage straight on. They had no other choice at their hands any how. This guy was a strength type superhuman, his movements will have no care for stealth.


    They came to stand in front of the guy. Kiya gave up the gun and held her dagger in a reverse grip. She even borrowed the dagger from Mika, just in case she lost hers. Mika had the guns to act as a support. Kiya could augment herself with the earth element to be just a slight bit weaker than the opponent.


    The superhuman was not shocked to see them. He lowered his hands to her sides, and suddenly charged at them. Kiya rushed forward as well, and punched at the guy. She used her left fist at the guy. As soon as the fists were about to collide, Kiya opened her fist and changed the trajectory of her hit.


    The next moment, using the soft and hard boxing technique, she turned her body using her feet and slashed his knife at the guy''s abdomen and using just one hand she flicked him over her body. At this moment, Mika fired her gun at the guy, turning him into a sieve.


    Kiya still sensed the signs of life coming from the guy and she stabbed her knife right in his skull with all the brutality she could muster in her heart. The nanites took a few milliseconds before they turned the guys brain into mush and made him take the long road.


    The two heaved a sigh of relief, they had never thought that the things they learned in the training would come in so handy during a mission. Kiya was trained by Kaya and Mika was taken under his wing by Talen. The two had never came in contact with a superhuman before, only some videos of the fights.


    When they saw how capable these people were, they did have doubts but their trainers told them not to freak out. Laohu Bai said to them, "A calm mind is sharper than a sword."


    This time, when Kiya met a superhuman the first time, she was confused, thankfully, Lisa gave her the tip. Finally, the play came to an end. They took down two superhumans. Greatly boosting their confidence to deal with such situations.


    Mika tossed Kiya''s gun to the latter and they both moved forward towards the door. They positioned themselves at each side of the door and their guns were pointing at the door. The objective maybe in the front but they also paid attention to the surroundings, in case any stray rats came out.


    Just as they got close to the door, they heard a clicking sound. The door was pushed open from the inside. The two people jumped back a step and raised their guns to shoot when they heard a sweet voice, "It is me."


    The voice made them numb. They found Lisa walking towards them with a bloodstained dagger in her hand. They sighed and asked, "How?"


    Lisa did not reply but only smiled mysteriously. She had long since killed the guy inside the room without alerting the superhuman, and was waiting for the two to arrive. The game has came to an end with their victory.

 Chapter 382: Domineering Dao.

    Here the girls finished their task and left the place swiftly. Lisa had disabled the mainframe alarm system earlier when she intruded in the central room. Kiya and Mika were now her diehard fans. They even thought that if Lisa was asked to get inside the fort and kill the guy on her own. She would have done it without triggering the superhumans.


    They were exaggerating in their imagination but it was imagination only. They left the island by hijacking a speed boat in the periphery of the island. Here their game came to an end. On the other side, Yang Dao also finished his race and came to the finish line before the rest.


    He was very curious about this guy, Terrence. Yang Dao was the Dao Child of Heaven. How could he like someone making a mockery of elemental practices? The act of making the ground move at a hairpin turn could cause the car to lose balance. The case amplifies when the car is running at a speed of hundreds of kils per hour.


    Yang Dao wanted to deal with this guy as hard as he can without killing the guy. He parked the car and got out while immersed in his thoughts. Icarus came to his side but after he saw the solemn expression on Yang Dao''s face, he did not initiate any conversation. He even waved away the rest of the crowd.


    Soon, Terrence came to the finish line as well. He parked the car and got out with a melancholic expression on his face. The crowd of rich pants sneered at him. They were rich kids, however, recently they have mended their ways to mix with the rest of the people, but that did not mean they would just let someone walk over their face.


    They all gathered around Terrence and were about to make a joke of him when they heard a cold voice, "You are not worthy to have it."


    The cold voice gave them all chills down their spines. The crowd scanned around and found that the source of this voice was Yang Dao. They fell quiet and stepped back from Terrence. Times have changed and they were not ignorant like in the past. Yang Dao was the person they wished to chase as their goal. They had awe in their eyes when they gazed at Yang Dao.


    Terrence raised his eyebrow. He was five years older than Yang Dao. He defeated all the people in the circle, yet he lost to this kid. He would not have minded losing but he used his elemental skill and still lost. Over the top, Yang Dao said that he did not deserve it. How could he not know what the young man was talking about?


    He said, "Do not get on the high horse. Who are you to teach me what I deserve or not?"


    Yang Dao raised his eyes to meet his, he was young but his stature was better than Terrence. He was leaning against Quinn when he was talking before. He stood up and walked over to the guy with white hair and said, "Who are you to be so pomp? Do you not think it is bad to endanger life with these skills."


    His words did make the people around intrigued. They did not know what the two were talking about but the tension was too much for them to handle. Terrence thought that Yang Dao was genuinely asking about his background. He knew about Yang Dao''s background but he was not afraid of him. He raised his chin and said, "My father is the cabinet minister of war strategies, Theodore Benjamin."


    Yang Dao smiled and said, "Is that where you got it?"


    Terrence snorted and said, "You do not have to worry about how I got it, but you have to worry about yourself. This is top-secret data, how did you get it and practice? I can get my father to rummage your properties and have you behind the bars. Unless you hand over that car of yours to me." he became smug of his identity, or his father''s identity to be precise.


    Yang Dao scorned as he said, "I asked, who you are and not your father''s job profile. As for whether you can even enter the premises of my properties, let alone your father, even Old Abe is not qualified."


    Terrence was enraged by this ridicule. He lost his temper and punched Yang Dao. The guy was a level two Elementalist and could use source energy to augment himself. He was aware that Yang Dao was an Elementalist as well, but the level was not known to him.


    The Dao Child had no change in his calm expression while the other people were shocked. They could not think of offending Yang Dao like this. Icarus wanted to move but the reaction was slow, the fist had already reached the jade cheek.


    The boy suddenly turned his head to the side all of a sudden and avoided the punch. The strong wind around the fist did nothing much other than tussle with his hair. Yang Dao smirked and said, "You gave me the chance."


    The next moment, Terrence clutched his stomach and knelt on the ground. Yang Dao said, "I am a former special force operative. As for you father." He took out the phone and dialed Atsuji Kurogame''s number. The call connected and the other party said, "Master, do you need something of me?"


    Yang Dao said, "The new minister of war strategies seemed to love his son a lot. This guy here is a level two Elementalist with earth attribute, and he has been using his abilities to loot the people of their vehicles by racing them. If he is losing then he will cast the elemental displacement at the hairpins, and endanger the life of his opponents. He even threatened me to hand over the car or his father might ruin things for me. Do you know what to do?"


    His words were similar to signing the death warrant of Terrence and his father''s career. Atsuji Kurogame said, "It will be done, Master." the old man has given up on controlling things but he can still pull the strings and get back to his routine.


    The call was disconnected and Terrence lay on the floor with shock written on his face. He did not expect this guy to be so domineering.

 Chapter 383: Creation & Destruction.

    Yang Dao did not pay attention to the man lying at his feet but looked at the people around him, he said, "You all are curious about the roots of this conversation. Do not be anxious, you will find all the answers you are looking for in the coming days."


    His words were akin to an emperor''s decree. The people have seen how he just diffused Terrence with one punch they did not even get to see clearly, and that punch has left a psychological image in their minds. Icarus sat in the passenger seat and left the place with Yang Dao driving the car. They were heading to the sapphire lake residency.


    The reason was that Icarus had contacted all of their common friends and the boy was now to cook food for them. The party of his graduation was still due. On the way back to the apartment, RALF was notified to clean up the place for the party. However, the AI told them that the apartment has always been kept clean by the orders of Feng Yun.


    What no one knew was that this smiling person was very cruel as well. Before he got back in his car, he patted Terrence on his shoulder. He controlled the resonance of dao and sealed all his elemental skills and prowess. This was his punishment to the guy who used the elements to harm the others and had diverted from the true path of an elemental.


    The two people chatted on the way back to the apartment. Sasha also got discharged from the hospital a day ago and she was invited to attend the party. The cycling club was already on the way over.


    In Yang Dao''s harem, only three girls were left, the freedom nation pop star, Jelena Riaz, had a controversy where she got drunk at a party and ended up making her bed with a colleague, but the two people then came forward to make it official. Yes, they could not accept that this was a mistake and malign their image in the public, so they announced that they were dating in secret for a few years now and thus she fell off the harem list.


    Feng Yun did not contact her, and neither did she use her influence to hinder her growth but she made sure that Jelena was working well. The pop star felt guilty and apologized to Feng Yun about the awkward situation. Kylie Dew found a guy and married him. The person was a teacher in Candice''s school.


    The two people met during the parent-teacher conferences and Kylie found that the teacher was warm and kind. She asked a lot of people to check on him and when the reports turned in clean, she took the initiative. The reason she agreed was that the guy had his face matching Yang Dao by a certain amount. His eyes reminded Kylie of Yang Dao.


    Yeah, that was how it was. She had no hopes of marrying this guy after he asked her to be friends with her. She was a mature woman and knew that she was not getting any younger so she settled with a resemblance to him. That left Kiya, Lisa and Mika. Scoring three out of five when you did not even meet them for months was still good enough.


    The people reached the apartment and Yang Dao cooked them nice barbecue food. Ray and Felix had bought a big stock of beer to drink with the food. Yang Dao was also dragged in to drink some, after all, doing things within a limit was not something Yang Dao was against. He was almost eighteen, so it was time he tasted the beer.


    Sasha was the last to arrive. She walked inside the house and came to stand in front of Yang Dao. The boy smiled at her and Sasha greeted him with a hug. She whispered in his ear, "You better take care of Kiya, Dao. Or I will find a way to kick your balls to a pulp?"


    Yang Dao was surprised by this warning and asked, "What happened?"


    Sasha asked him back in an equally surprising tone, "Do you not know?"


    Yang Dao shook his head and Sasha said with a sigh, "I only know that she enrolled in some project of the Pheonix group."


    Yang Dao nodded and said, "I will look into it later. Do not worry. Sister Yun knows she is my friend. Nothing wrong will occur to her." as he patted her back gently.


    Sasha broke away the hug and joined the party. The atmosphere was merry as the young people indulged in food and liquor. However, they were all keeping things under strict limits. Yang Dao also held a bottle of beer in his hand and had a few sips with the people. They all sang using the karaoke system kept in the place. As the host, the Dao Child was also dragged in the mix and to their shock, he sang in a mellow voice.


    ALthough he was not a professional singer he still had a good voice that mesmerized the others. As the party came to an end, Yang Dao began to think about the laws he would have to master in the sacred realm this time. The laws he had mastered were, Light and Dark, Life and Death. The elements he had mastered were Wind, Earth, and now Fire.


    The laws that he thought were the closest to fire were the laws of creation and destruction. Fire had the power to create things and also, destroy everything within seconds. The more he thought the more his idea confirmed. After he sent away the people back home after dinner, he sat down on the couch as the robots looked after the cleaning.


    He closed his eyes and suddenly recalled Sasha''s concern. He made a call to Feng Yun and asked, "Where is Kiya? Sasha told me that she joined the phoenix group."


    Feng Yun replied, "Kiya is out on a company task, she will be back soon. Nothing to worry, she finished the task smoothly."


    Yang Dao nodded and asked, "When will we be leaving?"


    Feng Yun replied, "Tomorrow morning, is that okay, Master?"


    Yang Dao nodded and the call disconnected. He sighed as he said, "Creation and Destruction, eh." It sounds like how he had destroyed the corrupt officials to create a better system.

 Chapter 384: Departure.

    The night passed away in a blink and Yang Dao spend his time meditating with his hidden cards. Luster, Shadow, Sushi, and Amber, were all sitting around him as he meditated. What these four were doing could be called washing off in Yang Dao''s limelight.


    As the Dao Child, when he sat in meditation, the dao will resonate with his consciousness, these spirit beings could absorb that resonation. This resonation was akin to a resource that the people would sell their souls for. They on the other hand could get it for free. Call them lucky.


    Amber was not sitting in the form of a ring, with Yang Dao''s permission, she turned into a smaller golden crow. Sushi was fascinated by her appearance and asked her a lot of questions before she calmed down and began to meditate.


    Yang Dao was sitting on the balcony of his penthouse with his eye closed and knees folded. His skin was bathing in the glow of the moonlight, making him look like an immortal. The two big leopards sitting in front of him, and two glowing creatures on both his sides, one azure, and the other gold, added the color of fantasy to the picture.


    The night passed away in a jiffy, the horizon swallowed the moon and the sun slowly rose above. Yang Dao opened his eyes and said, "Today we go to the Dao Island."


    He stood up and walked inside his room to freshen up. Ever since he had mastered the laws of life and death his hunger has calmed down. He only eats when he spends a long time in seclusion. The foodie side of his was just a pinch of exotic herb spices in the dish of life. After freshening up the boy wore a vermillion t-shirt to match Feng Yun with black jeans and matching sneakers.


    He has never sported this color before. This t-shirt had a print of color that gave an illusion of flames. He picked it up today because he wanted to surprise Feng Yun, plus the fire element made him open up to flashy things, that he did not like earlier. When he mastered the control of the wind element he restrained himself a lot, still, he used the most expensive bicycle and the Quinn.


    That was catchy enough. After dressing up he walked out. Amber flew up from the balcony and came near him, then the golden bird dived and suddenly its body started to minimize and change into a black ring engulfed in fire.


    Yang Dao smiled at this transition of the golden crow. Sushi simply came and sat in the dense hair over his head. Luster and Shadow found their abode in his shadow and the glint of his watch glass. He came outside, locked the door, and boarded the elevator moving straight to the ground floor, and sat down in his car.


    He called Feng Yun, the call connected in a blink and the lady said, "Good morning, Master. Everything is in order, we can leave for the island any moment."


    Yang Dao replied, "Sister Yun, calm down. I am not a tyrant. I will pick you up from the mansion and then we go ahead together."


    Feng Yun agreed to it without even blinking. Why would she refuse to his company? Yang Dao drove out of his car and the guards saluted him with awe. It has been a long time since they saw the young master, but the respect has multiplied a thousand times more. The black car ran through the light traffic and reached the Dao Courtyard Mansion in an hour.


    Feng Yun stood waiting for Yang Dao at the garage door when she saw the vermillion color t-shirt draped around Yang Dao. Her eyes turned crescent, she walked over to him, embraced him tightly in her slender arms. The Dao Child smiled and hugged her back as well, but his grip was gentle. Feng Yun sensed this and asked, "Dao, did I do something?"


    The boy was surprised but then he sensed her mood through the spiritual link and said, "No, I just think we should hold onto treasures a bit more gently. You are a treasure, are you not sister Yun?"


    The lady did not expect him to compliment her, suddenly Yang Dao said, "I realized that I was too harsh on you and Baibai in the previous facade. I will make it up to you two, okay?"


    Feng Yun nodded and the two broke the hug. They came to the helicopter and boarded it. Yang Dao asked, "The others?"


    "They have already reached the Dao Island last night," said Feng Yun.


    Yang Dao nodded, the rotors turned and the helicopter began to ascend the sky. The flight later for a couple of hours before the chopper arrived over a vacant ocean region. The boy suddenly asked, "Sister Yun, I never actually took notice, but why is the flight for the Dao Island always so short, the distance covered in these two hours cannot be covered even if you double the time."


    Feng Yun smiled and said, "The route this helicopter took to the island is covered with multiple space folding spells. We cannot let anyone track us through the satellites. The location of the Dao Island, if revealed can lead to the destruction of the world."


    Yang Dao nodded as he found this explanation to sate his curiosity. The helicopter came to a standstill and Feng Yun opened the cabin door after clicking the button on the side panel. The two people jumped out of the cabin and flew away. Unlike the usual Yang Dao did not evoke his azure wings but vermillion feiry wings. This action of his made Feng Yun very happy.


    They flew through the clouds and suddenly dived down at the lone island floating in the endless blues. The place was covered with barriers and could only be accessed by the four of the Heavenly spirits and Yang Dao. As the two landed in the center of the clearing. Yang Dao spotted three people sitting over the four tree stumps.


    Laohu Bai stood up and walked over to his side. She said, "Long time no see, Master."


    Yang Dao shook his head and took her in his embrace as he said, "Long time no see indeed, Baibai."


    Atsuji Kurogame and Ryu Jinshi also greeted him. They were calm but they were still awkward since the last time. Yang Dao nodded to them with a faint smile but nothing was spoken. He only said, "Can we start?"


    Atsuji Kurogame nodded and made a few seals with his hands, opening a space duct between the sacred realm and the world. He said, "Master, I advise you take that ring along with you and no other companions. The space ducts will have stronger void monsters, the presence of the companions might become a burden."


    Yang Dao nodded and said, "Thank you." He took out his bow and let Sushi and the leopards roam the Dao Island till his return.


    He glanced at Feng Yun with a smile and said, "Shall we go?" Feng Yun smiled, took a hold of his hand and she jumped into the space duct with him.

 Chapter 385: Trial By Fire.

    Yang Dao and Feng Yun appeared in the void of the space duct. The pressure exerted by the surroundings was lower than what he had experienced in the past. He asked, "Elder said, there will be void monsters?"


    Feng Yun nodded and said, "You are the representative of the will of heavens, you seek to maintain balance, while they seek the contrary. As you grow stronger, you become a greater threat for them, so they will try to attack you every time you travel through the void. It may be just four times before you ascend, but in the higher realm, to travel to different places, you will have to be a frequent void traveler."


    Yang Dao asked, "When did I sign-up to be a door-to-door service?" with a confused expression on his face.


    Feng Yun chuckled at his remark and said, "You will be traveling to get stronger. The way of elements is not the only thing a Dao Child needs to master. Achieving the realm of the Elemental God-king is just the beginning. You will have to master other ways of strength as well."


    "For example?" asked Yang Dao.


    Feng Yun said, "For example, the way of the spirit, then the way of dharma, then the way of eternity."


    Yang Dao was surprised to hear that so many ways of cultivation. He was curious about it but he did not raise a question. It was not the time yet. He took off the bow from his back and condensed an arrow instilled with the laws of life and death. He stretched the bowstring to a full moon. His eyes had the dao pupil slowly rotating in them.


    Feng Yun said, "Good that you sensed them. But can you see them?" with a faint smile on her lips.


    Yang Dao shook his head. He reacted to his instincts but did not see anyone around as they walked through the space duct. He asked, "What is this?"


    Feng Yun said, "Have you heard the phrase when you look at the mirror, the mirror looks back at you?"


    Yang Dao nodded, this phrase was very popular and he has read it a few times. Feng Yun nodded and said, "The void is a materialization of this phrase. Everything in existence, whether it follows the dao path or goes against it, has dao within it. The void is like a blurry mirror. You look at it and it looks back at you. In simple terms, you are a stone and the void is water. Your movement causes ripples, but you also sense the vibration."


    Yang Dao nodded, this analogy may be vague but the mystery of the void was not something he could understand at the movement but he did understand that it was usual and he was being paranoid.


    Feng Yun and he walked for a bit and soon they found an opening in the space duct. They picked up the space and reached the hole and jumped in. The glow inside the hole was too strong for Yang Dao and thus the boy closed his eyes.


    After a few minutes, he woke up. He found himself standing in a barren land, with strong waves of heat. Yang Dao did not find Feng Yun around him but he did not panic. He saw the ground was parched and filled with cracks. The cracks stretched to the horizon, as he raised his head, a big yellow sun hung above his head.


    The heat was enough to melt cheese if exposed to air. He saw that in a distance an arch of black stone was standing. He walked over and found that the two pillars were covered with different marks. Out of curiosity, he raised his hand, and just as he was about to touch the pillar a strong wave of heat washed over him.


    He smiled and turned to look back. What he saw was nothing less than a fantasy. A faint bird covered in vermillion feather, red ruby eyes, a feather crown on her head, two strong, scale-skinned talons. The bird had an aura of supremacy to itself. Yang Dao could not help but admire it more. It was as if a flame itself had come in front of him.


    The bird spoke in a soft voice, "Greetings." the voice was not cold or robust as the previous to heavenly spirits but warm.


    Yang Dao smiled as he replied, "Greetings. How are you?"


    "I am fine. May I ask, if you are ready for the trial?" asked the bird in a calm tone.


    "I agree." replied the boy simply. He was aware of the trial and thus he had no reason to deny it or drag this.


    The vermillion bird nodded and said, "The trial of fire is simple, you will have to use the flame to rejuvenate this parched land. Do you understand?"


    Yang Dao thought about it and nodded. He did not say anything but used his actions. He sat down on a boulder and began to circulate the heat around him. This place was already so hot that even if it rained the water vapors will evaporate. So, he decided to make all the heat gather into him.


    This was not very hard for him to do, but he did not have a cooling source of energy inside his body. He will be pouring fire inside his body, burning himself up. This trial has been one of the hardest trials proposed by the four beasts. The reason was the restriction set upon the Dao Child. The vermillion phoenix asked them to use the flame to rejuvenate the land.


    That meant that only fire bending can be used to make the land rejuvenate. Nothing else was to use, no other element, and neither the laws. If they did the punishment will be so heavy that the Dao Child night not be able to bear it. The trail of fire began, Yang Dao, began to make all the heat towards him.


    He was blessed with an inbuilt thermostat and rarely did he experience a heat this strong. The phoenix beside him kept gazing at the boy as she flew around him. She was waiting, not for him to make it work, but for a mistake. She will turn him to ash and evaporate his soul.

 Chapter 386: Morale.

    Yang Dao was not aware of the intentions the phoenix had in her heart. He dedicated himself to concentration and began to gather all the heat inside his body. The process was dangerous, he was aware that he could not use the wind attribute to calm himself down. So, he decided to let the heat be evenly distributed in his body.


    The boy began to sweat from all the heat funneling into his body but he did not stop. He knew that this was far from enough. The boulder was placed in front of the arch, the phoenix found no signs of other elements being used and she landed on the archway.


    The heat was controlled by Yang Dao because he could master the element that was the source of all this heat. The source of the heat was none other than the Phoenix in front of him. Yang Dao could see that all the heat in this place was because of her. So he focused all his energy on siphoning off the heat from her.


    He willed the fire source energy in this place to concentrate and burn. Once the source energy in the void is used, it will take some time to replenish. So what Yang Dao did was to make all the source energy gather and funnel inside him like heat.


    He did this to execute a plan that he came up with. He did not make the move as soon as he came up with the plan but waited it out. He knew that he only had one chance at it. He would only be defeated if he was not careful. Yang Dao knew it very well that he only had one chance to change his destiny, which he did not wish to lose.


    The process of funneling and gathering heat along with the source energy was very slow. He did not know how much time had passed, but he was aware that the situation of his body was getting from bad to worse. At first, his hair all fell off, then his skin was inflamed, slowly his blood began to boil, his organs began to heat up. They did not melt as his body was especially nurtured by the elements.


    After a point, his bones began to get affected by the radiating heat. His appearance was nothing close to the sunny, and handsome male god that he was. It was as if a lot of skin patches were stitched together and wrapped around a skeleton. The pain he was going through was not something that can be imagined by normal human beings.


    However, the phoenix did not bother to stop him. She wanted to see if the boy would perish in the fire or will he rise from his ashes, reborn like a phoenix. Yang Dao was not a normal Dao child. She was aware of it but she did not wish to go easy on him. Resolve was akin to a fire, too much wind will make it go out of control. Too less, the fire will go out leaving dark smoke.


    Just as the Pheonix was lost in her thoughts, Yang Dao made his move. He had reached the limit of his body. His tissues had started to melt now, half of his blood had evaporated. If the situation was to be dragged along, then it would have been very critical for him. So, he decided to make his move.


    He controlled all the source energy and cast a barrier around the phoenix. The bird did not react, she wanted to see what this boy intended to do. After the sphere was complete, Yang Dao channeled all the heat inside his body to inside the sphere. The phoenix finally could not sit still.


    Yang Dao was not in the mood to give her any chance to counter his move, so he willed for all the source energy to light up into a fire. The fire was strong, but it was not enough to threaten the Vermillion bird. However, it mixed up with all the heat the vermillion phoenix had. This realm did not follow the laws of physics but the laws of dao.


    Extreme heat can give birth to cold. The heat around the phoenix when paired with the heat Yang Dao had channeled, caused the temperature of the rest of the area to fall, and when the temperature fell rapidly, it was followed by a drizzle, rain, and then some hail.


    The barren land drank up all the water that fell on it. Yang Dao was also showered with the water. However, the heat inside him was so strong that all the drops turned to steam as they fell over him.


    The water was formed from the vapors mixed with source energy, and when such water fell on the ground, it was bought back to life in an instant. The whole place was covered in shallow grass blades, a soothing breeze blew in the plain. The phoenix now did not radiate a strong heat as it sat on the arch.


    The phoenix was a giant it lowered its proud head and breathed over Yang Dao gently. In an instant, all the wounds and ailments were cured. Yang Dao''s physique grew back to its prime, and it also became better than before. The boy now had a glow radiating from his skin, his hair did not grow like the style he had earlier, they grew long enough to trail his waist.


    He sat on the boulder, naked, all his clothes had turned to ashes earlier. The phoenix did not care and said, "The vermillion Pheonix, pays homage to master."


    The ethereal and warm voice knocked directly on Yang Dao''s heart as he opened his eyes. He said with a smile, "Can I have some clothes first? It is very embarrassing to talk like this."


    The vermillion phoenix could not help but chuckle. A chuckled that made the rejuvenated land relish with the glow of life. Yang Dao passed the trial, by using the flame to rejuvenate the place. The flame was not the fire he set earlier, but the laughter of the flame queen, the vermillion phoenix.

 Chapter 387: The First.

    The phoenix laughed and the world became radiant. The laws of Dao overpowered the laws of physics. Yang Dao sat on the boulder with a serene smile on his face. After a few moments when the phoenix calmed down, she flickered her wings, and magically the black and white dress of the Dao Child was wrapped over Yang Dao.


    The boy stood from the boulder and found a pair of cloth shoes on the ground. He put the shoes on and raised his head to look at the phoenix but only to find Feng Yun standing in front of him. She wore attire similar to him but the top was styled for a lady.


    This was also the first time when Yang Dao noticed a trimming on the dress worn by the familiar. Recalling the past travels, Laohu Bai had a green thread seam on her dress, Ryu Jinshi had an Azure thread, while now Feng Yun had a vermillion thread seam. These thread seams must be the representation of their elements.


    The boy looked at his attire and found nothing like this. He asked, "Where is my elemental color thread?"


    Feng Yun smiled and said, "When all the elements come together they form the gold color. You have a golden seam already, do you not?"


    Yang Dao opened his eyes wide and raised a thumb to praise the lady. Feng Yun said, "Master, now we get past the gate."


    Unknown to the boy the archway now seemed to be holding a glowing curtain within its bounds. Yang Dao also found that the marks on the archway were all glowing with a dim vermillion light. He did not ask what it was and directly walked through the glowing light while he held onto Feng Yun''s jade palm.


    ...


    On the Dao Island, the three people heaved a sigh of relief collectively. Atsuji Kurogame said, "Thank heavens, for bestowing Master with his talent."


    Laohu Bai said, "The heavens had given everyone an equal qualification. It is the choices we make that make us better than the rest. He suffered things like none others, he prevailed and made himself what he is. So, thank Master for being Master." her voice was not cold but it was indifferent.


    Ryu Jinshi nodded and said, "The way we tried to deal with things was wrong. It could have destroyed everything before it was even created. It is his choice that we all could see this day, otherwise, he could have killed us all and diverted from his path."


    Atsuji Kurogame nodded heavily, he realized that in his excitement of the completion of the trail he has forgotten the edge of destruction they had faced a month ago.


    ...


    After passing through the curtain of light, Yang Dao and Feng Yun arrived at a barren-looking place. The boy looked at the beautiful lady beside him with a look of askance. Feng Yun replied with a smile, "This place is the Eternal Battlefield."


    She waved her hand and the two people rose into the sky. Feng Yun continued speaking, "This place is where the future is either created or destroyed. This is the land of elements. Fire is the most volatile element in the chain, it can create a master artwork if handled with care, but a slight mishandling and the artwork will be destroyed.


    Fire also represents the word strength in the world. So, the people of this world all use strength to make decisions. This land is governed by four forces, all mastering one element each. The surprising thing is that never in this world, there has been a person who can practice the fire element born in the water elemental forces. The reason, unknown. The same is true for every other force."


    Yang Dao was given the basic knowledge of this place by Feng Yun. This led him to a different series of questions. He asked, "Where are the books of laws?"


    Feng Yun sighed and said, "Non-existent. None of your predecessors passed the trial of fire, so the records of their visits do not exist. You will have to learn and master the laws on your own. However, I can give you a hint."


    Yang Dao nodded to her, he had expected this when he was told outside that no one ever passed this trial. Feng Yun said, "Horizon is your journal."


    That was it, another obscure hint. However, this hint could help him in the future. Feng Yun did not help him much, she was there to guide him and not to make things easier for him. Neither did the boy expect her to do anything like that. He has relied on himself when it came to strength. Why would he need someone to pave the way for him now?


    This land was going to be his work. He believed that improvising was good, but when you get to start something from scratch you have a greater room for the creation process, you can do things the way you want and you will not be limited by the predefined criteria.


    He asked Feng Yun, "Can we go to a civilized place first?"


    The lady nodded and they were about to fly when the spirit of the ring asked, "Master, can I be the mount for you two?"


    Yang Dao nodded, the ring turned into a giant golden crow. Amber bowed her head to the two people and positioned herself below them. Yang Dao was the first to land on her back and sit down while Feng Yung followed him and sat down on the feathery back. She said, "Choose a direction at random, Amber. We will let you take us to our first destination."


    The golden crow nodded and let out a caw. Then it flew toward the east direction. It was the basic instinct of the bird. She was born from the core of the sun and liked to travel from the direction the sun rose.


    Yang Dao looked forward to what he will learn in this place. It was a surprise to him when Feng Yun told him he will be the first one to leave a mark here. He wanted to do the best that he could and with such thoughts, the people flew away in the sky.

 Chapter 388: Conflict.

    Yang Dao and Feng Yun rode the Golden crow for a couple of hours at a speed of five hundred kils an hour. They both were immersed in meditation and did not waste time. Yang Dao meditated on how to deal with the things ahead. He was drawing blueprints to approach things laying ahead of him.


    Feng Yun was meditating because she did not have any interest in the scenery of the world if Yang Dao was not interested. The definition of the world in the eyes of a familiar spirit was very simple. The Dao Child was their world. If he was not there, then they will just act to make things ready for his arrival.


    That was all that mattered to them. Their job and reason of existence were to help the Dao Child while the Dao Child will deal with the big things. Since the boy was going to meditate, she turned aloof to the world.


    Amber spoke all of a sudden, "Your majesty, there is a big man-made region up ahead."


    Feng Yun opened her almond eyes and using her advanced vision prowess she found themselves approaching a force that controlled this place. She said, "Land a hundred meters away from the place."


    "Yes, milady," said Amber.


    Feng Yun did not want to go into the unknown head-on. She wanted to ask Yang Dao about his opinion. After a few minutes, the people landed a hundred meters away from the place. The boy woke up when he sensed the pause. He asked, "Did we find a place?"


    Feng Yun nodded and said, "Ahead lies the nation of fire. I did not wish to rush into the unknown in such a boorish manner. So, I thought about landing here and letting you decide what you wish to do."


    Yang Dao nodded and said, "You thought right, we should not act too headstrong at the beginning. Must analyze the situation first."


    That said, he jumped off the back of the golden crow. Feng Yun followed him up and Amber fell back on the index finger of the boy becoming a jewelry piece. The duo then walked forward to the entry gate pointed out by Feng Yun.


    As they got close to the gate they found soldiers guarding the place. They were not like mortal humans but looked like the eternal guards of the empire. All wearing a similar crimson and black armor and helmet, a long sword hanging on the waist while they held long spears in their hand diagonally across their body.


    The soldiers spotted Yang Dao and Feng Yun approaching towards them and one of the soldiers suddenly yelled, "Stop. State your identity and purpose."


    Feng Yun replied, "Travelers. Feng Yun maid to Young Master Dao." as she made an introductory gesture toward Yang Dao.


    The soldier asked, "Where did you come from?"


    Feng Yun replied in a calm voice, "A faraway place."


    The soldier nodded and turned his head to look at the captain sitting behind. The captain had a red hussar on his black helmet. He walked over and asked, "Do you know how to bend elements?"


    His tone was cautious. Feng Yun nodded and so did Yang Dao. The man asked, "Which one?"


    Feng Yun said four and Yang Dao replied three. The people froze for a second but then they burst out in a peal of loud laughter. They had never seen anyone in the whole ''world'' to be able to bend two elements but these two ''lunatics'' claimed to have control over four and three attributes.


    "hahahahaha..."


    "HAHAHAHAHa..."


    Suddenly the captain took out his sword and hacked it at Yang Dao, who stood at the forefront, as he said, "No lunatics allowed inside the fire region."


    Feng Yun did not expect the person to suddenly attack Yang Dao. However, the boy did not act in a hurry. He watched the sword incoming and held it between his two fingers with a clanking sound.


    The captain was surprised, he noticed that Yang Dao''s fingers were covered in a green luster. He yelled, "Earth practitioner. Everyone on guard."


    The next moment Yang Dao waved his hand and a strong air current lifted the man up from the ground, as it gently pushed him away. Yang Dao had not said a single word since he had come here. He said, "Know your limits, do not push me to act."


    His cold voice made the people sweat. They did not expect this young man to be so strong. The cold voice was lingering with a strong intent to kill. The captain wanted to take a step back but suddenly a voice rang out on the scene and disturbed the silence.


    "Who dares to be so rampant in the region of fire? What if I turn you to ashes right away." the voice was filled with arrogance but it was not deep. On the contrary, the voice had a sharp shrill to it. Yang Dao raised his head and located the source of the voice.


    He was surprised that he was challenged and threatened by a lady. He would have dealt with the girl if he was alone, but since Feng Yun was here, he decided to let her come forth.


    He said, "Yun, get it done, go easy."


    Feng Yun smiled when she heard his cold voice. She was finally asked to deal with the people by the master himself. How could she let go of such an opportunity? She did not even say a word and waved her hand. A slash of fire rushed towards the girl.


    The girl was panicked when the curtain floated towards her. She could sense the pressure it gave. This was not something she could deal with. She took out a crimson piece jade card from her sleeve and broke it. A layer of vermillion source energy appeared in front of her, forming a defensive barrier, but at the moment the slash fell on the defensive spell. The girl realized her nativity, she heard a cracking sound from the defense barrier and an indifferent voice, "Stop."


    The voice belonged to Yang Dao. He asked Feng Yun to stop before her slash killed the girl and turned her dead body into a melted puddle of meat. Yes, Feng Yun was a sadist and she did not turn things to ash.

 Chapter 389: Flame Palace.

    Yang Dao told Feng Yun to stop. The lady did stop but not before she incinerated the defense shield in front of the girl wearing the brocade dress. Just leaving her an inch away from being obliterated. Feng Yun cast her cold gaze at the people around making them shiver in fright.


    Yang Dao said to the captain, "Just because you are incompetent and cannot master anything other than arrogance, it does not mean that no one can. Do you understand?"


    He had already diffused of the captain with an airwave. Making the man freeze. Feng Yun locked her gaze at the young girl and said, "Going by your attire, you seem to be a person with some authority. Who are you?"


    Her aura was even more majestic than the empress at the moment. The girl spoke in a weak tone, "I am the princess of the fire region."


    Yang Dao asked, "Your region is a kingdom?"


    The girl nodded and then she shook her head like a rattle. Feng Yun frowned and was about to ask her again when Yang Dao intervened and said, "Calm down, we are not here with malicious intent. We just had to act because your people looked down on us and took the initiative. Take a deep breath and tell me."


    His soft voice and a faint smile worked on the girl like a charm spell. She let down her guard and took a deep breath. Then she said, "The world follows those who have the strength to lead. My grandfather is the strongest in the land of fire, and thus our family is the ruler. The rulers are all elected after a tough competition and until they are defeated they will sit on the flame throne."


    Yang Dao nodded and understood what was going on here. The place was not barbaric but systemized. Too much chaos giving birth to order. He figured that to have any say in this place he would need to show his strength. The strength can only be displayed in fights. However, he did not know how to control water so this plan had a flaw.


    He raised his head and cast a gaze on Feng Yun. The tactical understanding was so good between the two that the lady did not even need him to say anything. She directly said to the girl, "Take us to meet your grandfather. We have some things to talk to him about."


    The girl hesitated when Yang Dao came forward and with his fist clasped in his palm he bowed and said, "Please." in a soft voice.


    The guy used the charm of heavens to a level never thought before and passed through the walls of the territory. The city inside had ancient architecture. The people lived in courtyards, big and small. The roof of the houses were all vermillion-colored tiles. Yang Dao said, "Sister Yun, they seem to share your favorite color."


    Feng Yun pouted at this joke. She did not like how arrogant these people were. Yang Dao took pleasure in her pain as they walked through the streets. The territory was vast, much bigger than the jade city in the mortal world. He found that the people used some conventional means of transports to travel inside the fire region.


    He spotted the hand-cart. However, that was not all, he also saw a few things looking similar to the hot-air balloons. He asked the girl, "Miss, what is your name?"


    The girl has been walking with them lost in a lot of thoughts when she heard his soft voice a faint blush appeared on her face, she said, "My name is Dawn. What should you be called?"


    "Yang Dao." said the boy. The girl had a confused expression spread across her face. Yang Dao asked, "What happened?"


    The girl shook her head and said, "Nothing, your name is unusual. What does it mean?"


    Yang Dao said, "It could be because I am not from this place, but a traveler. As for the meaning of my name. Yang means the light, Dao means the way of life."


    The girl had sparks of fascination flying in her eyes. She had never thought that words like this would exist in the world. With that, she brought the two people to a place that was surrounded by a crimson glazed wall. The tiles were so glossy that one could see their complete reflecting in them.


    Dawn said, "This is the rubika stone. It is the hardest stone in our place, also it can reflect a hundred percent of the sunlight and also store the essence of fire in nature." she seemed very proud while introducing the things.


    She came to a mahogany door and opened it with a light push. Yang Dao asked, "Is this the palace?"


    Dawn nodded. Yang Dao asked, "Why do you not have guards?" in confusion.


    The girl replied, "Not everyone can bend elements, so the forces are limited after the great war a few decades ago. My grandfather was a surviving captain back then. He stood up and participated in the competitions and eventually became the undefeated king of flames. He implied that he did not need guards in the noon, as a fire practitioner, noon was the best time to practice. So the guard comes only at night."


    Yang Dao nodded, he pegged that the old king of flames was a man, who was considerate to his people. This was the sign of a good ruler.


    Behind the mahogany door, a huge garden was parted with a stone path awaited them. The garden was as big as the whole Dao Courtyard mansion. The boy thought that the people here really knew how to live in swag.


    As they walked on the stone pathway, Yang Dao found a rockery decoration placed in the eastern corner of the garden. He could sense a strong fire source energy radiating from the rockery. Then he gazed at the inner building and found a three-floor high building, white marble walls with a red rubika ceiling. The contrast was well defined. Suddenly he asked, "What is this place called?"


    Dawn replied with a proud smile, "Flame Palace."

 Chapter 390: Duel With The King.

    Yang Dao nodded as he heard the name. Feng Yun behind him had eyes brimming with loath and disgust. She controlled her facial expressions, but her eyes, Yang Dao could read them like an open book. He did not say anything. After all, the flame originated from her, and when she saw these people, only looking at the domineering side of the flames This irked her to a new high.


    The reason why she did not say anything or express her ideas was that she was following her master to this place. A subordinate''s behavior is often used to judge their higher-up. She did not want to be the stain on Yang Dao''s image at any cost and thus she tolerated all this with an expressionless face.


    The Dao Child also did not say anything to her. Everyone had their perception. He decided to talk to her about this later when he was done with his first task. Dawn led the two people inside the palace building.


    As soon as they entered they found a huge lobby, decorated with gold and vermillion colors, chandeliers hanging from the ceilings, the extravagance of the place was out of bounds. After a series of twists and turns, the people all reached a place where Dawn said, "You wait here. I will tell my grandfather."


    Yang Dao nodded to her as she vanished behind a huge mahogany door. The boy spotted a lot of things carved on the mahogany door. After a few seconds, he smiled and said, "This is an interesting place, Sister Yun."


    Feng Yun was confused at first but after she followed his gaze, a smile surfaced on her face as she nodded. On the way to this place, they have come across a lot of servants and maids wandering in the palace lobbies. They all had one thing in common, the aura they gave off was very dauntless.


    Although they bowed to Dawn, they did not have any reverence in their eyes. This feeling made Yang Dao itchy. He could understand that the status Dawn had was because of her grandfather but why did the mortals have no respect for her in their eyes? The carvings on the door gave him the answer.


    The people of the fire nation, bender or not, had an innate arrogance within themselves. The boy had no complaints about it, but he wanted to know the reason why they all had such arrogance. The answer he got was that the people of the flame region came out as the victors of the great war that took place in the past.


    They were the strongest after the devastation and thus the arrogance. All this was carved on the doors in front of Yang Dao. The text in this world was not similar to what existed outside, but he could still understand the meaning of it thanks to some magical power of the world.


    The meaning of the carvings was that the one who stood tall at the end of it all was the strongest, since they are strong they can be arrogant. Yang Dao could agree with the first part of the inscription but not the second one. He did not think that the strong should be arrogant.


    They should be confident but everything must be within a limit. Just as he was immersed in his thoughts Dawn walked out of the room with a wry smile on her pretty face. She said, "Well, you see my grandfather is a warrior, and he said, he will meet you, but he will talk to you only after you duel with him. I tried to pursue him but he said he would like to play against someone who can control multiple elements."


    Yang Dao did not mind, he had prepared himself for such a condition. He asked, "When is the duel to be held?"


    Dawn said, "It will be held in the evening, he is the king here. So every duel is about defending his throne. If he losses to you then you get to be the king of the flame region." as she said this she cast a wary gaze at Feng Yun.


    She did not know how strong was Yang Dao, as she did not see him attack but she knew that Feng Yun could defeat her grandfather. She was worried if this pretty lady took action what the outcome will be. Feng Yun sensed her gaze and said, "You can relax. Master will deal with your grandfather with ease. I will not interfere unless his life is in danger."


    Yang Dao shook his head and said, "Throwing me under the bus so soon?"


    Feng Yun only smiled. The connection between the two was better than the rest of the familiars he had been with, it could be because Feng Yun was the first to meet him and whenever she gazed at him, her eyes seemed to have nothing but dedication hidden within them.


    Laohu Bai was more like a playmate, but Feng Yun was his secret keeper. Dawn tilted her head and asked, "What is a bus?"


    The boy was surprised and said, "It is a public vehicle where we come from."


    The girl nodded and was about to ask something when Yang Dao asked, "Can you tell me what was that jade card you used earlier?"


    Dawn nodded and replied, "How about I take you to the place of your rest and explain on the way?"


    The two had no problem with it and nodded. Dawn took the lead, walking side by side with Yang Dao while Feng Yun followed half a step behind. The girl was their host so her status was equal to that of Yang Dao for the sake of protocol. The girl said, "The jade card you speak about was in fact a thin sheet of Rubika stone. That sheet contained a trace of my grandfather''s fire essence. I could break it and use it for protection."


    Yang Dao nodded. He found that in this place the source energy was called the essence. It was only normal for different worlds to have the same things called with different names. That said, the people were led to a guest room to have a period of rest before the duel in a few hours.

 Chapter 391: Duel.

    Yang Dao and Feng Yun were given a luxurious room in the palace to rest till the duel began. This was a bit surprising to the boy. He asked Dawn, "Such a luxurious room. Are you sure we are the challengers and not the winners?"


    Dawn chuckled and said, "This is a way to show respect to the challenger for his/her bravery and courage. Nothing else. You rest well, someone will call you when the duel begins."


    That said, the girl left the two people in the resting room. A king-sized bed in the center, adorned by a silk sheet. A chandelier of rubika crystals hung down from the ceiling. The exquisiteness of the chandelier even made Feng Yun nod in appreciation. Don''t think that she is the phoenix so she was omnipotent.


    She was the incarnation of the heavenly spirit and every place was new to her as well, but due to her temperament, she did not look like a plebeian in the palace. Yang Dao was not a normal man, so he was also unfazed by this.


    The main reason for such luxury to be allowed for a challenger was to let him relax. What happens when you relax before an important event? The accumulated stress and fatigue washes over you, lowering your performance output. In a battle that would spell defeat.


    The other effect of such a setting would be to portray the generosity of the champion. Since the champion is generous and does not make things difficult, that would mean he was not bothered by the challenge. This would make the challenger doubt the situation. They will start to doubt their own strength and TADA, lack of confidence will make them lose.


    The human mind was a weird thing, it did not need any external force to tip the balance. The constant thought process was like a see-saw. Once it tips, it will need a counterweight to shift it back, but when you are the one who tipped it, it gets hard to find the center.  Filled with self-doubt when you face a problem, you will eventually fail. It was just that simple.


    Feng Yun sat down on a couch in the corner of the room and leaned on the backrest with her left leg crossed over her right. Her fingers gently tapped the armrests as she closed her eyes.


    Yang Dao sat on the ground with his eyes closed. He was not bothered by anything and focused on maintaining his peak state for the coming duel. He did not have the habit to look down on the enemy. Who knows what cards he held.


    Feng Yun sighed and said, "Dao, why do you bother so much?"


    Yang Dao opened his eyes and spoke in a slow voice, "Not bothered but why let down your guard and be caught in the blind spot?"


    Feng Yun asked, "Do you think he is so strong that he deserves your attention?"


    Yang Dao said, "If the flame was all about strength, he would not have given us such a room."


    His one sentence was enough to make Feng Yun smile. She was testing him. The boy asked, "Why do you always keep testing me?"


    Feng Yun said, "The journey to the greater Dao is a test. It is not only a test for the Dao Child but also the familiars. We have failed a lot many times. However, never have we been this far in the journey. So, constant tests are what make a person grow. Constant growth makes them move forward."


    Yang Dao nodded, he asked, "Did the predecessors generate in Liro as well?"


    Feng Yun shook her head as she replied, "There are countless worlds and countless dimensions. Each is different from the other. They were all in random worlds. However, the actions a Dao child takes in his world, will somehow, reflect on every other mortal world."


    Yang Dao nodded and said, "Well, let me meditate. I just want to think."


    Feng Yun nodded and let him be as she sat on the couch, maintaining vigilance. She was aware that the boy will try to comprehend the laws of creation and destruction. Time passed quickly, they did not communicate much but kept sitting in the meditative posture.


    Suddenly, the door of the room was knocked. Feng Yun took the lead to attend. She found a maid dressed in humble attire standing outside. She said, "The challenger is summoned to the arena."


    Her tone was not sitting well with Feng Yun but the boy behind her put a hand on her shoulder. Yang Dao was now two meters tall while Feng Yun was two heads smaller than him. He said, "We shall go."


    The maid did not say anything else, with a stoic expression she walked ahead. Feng Yun grits her teeth and said in a low voice, "Beat that guy to the pulp. Or I burn this place to vapors."


    Yang Dao gulped, these people flared up the temper of the phoenix. He nodded and followed the maid with Feng Yun. After a few twists and turns, they were brought to the ground. The place was not very big just half a football field. Yang Dao spotted drums lined up at the edge of the square field. Behind the drums cascading seats were arranged with four high pavilions to allow a better view of the duel.


    In the middle of the field stood a man, with his long gray hair falling down on his back, like a smoke cloud. He wore a brocade shirt and black pants. Given the outline of his body, Yang Dao could tell that the man was physically not weak. He could even sense a strong source of energy radiating from the man.


    Feng Yun snapped her fingers all of a sudden and the source energy condensed into a sword embryo. She held the hilt of the sword, the source energy faded away revealing the glinting metal sword. The blade had a tint of vermillion, the hilt was shaped like a phoenix, studded with ruby gems and golden carvings. A long thread hung from the end of the hilt with a feather tied to it.


    She handed the sword to Yang Dao and said, "Your second armament, Fire Feather." that was all the introduction given to him, and that was all he needed. Yang Dao held the sword hilt in his hand and the blade seemed to have come to life.

 Chapter 392: Arrogance.

    Yang Dao held the vermillion sword in his hand and sensed the slight tremor coming from the sword. The sword was three feet long, slender blade, narrowing down as it more towards the tip of the blade. The width of the blade was three inches to half an inch. While held in the palm of the Dao child, it seemed to have been custom-made for himself.


    The boy was attracted to the crimson phoenix carved along the blade face or both sides. The exquisiteness of the sword made it look like a decorative blade and nothing much, but appearances can be deceiving. The boy was stunned for a moment when he took hold of the blade. It was not because he was smitten with the beauty, but because his brain was flooded with a lot of ways to use the sword. Yes, the blade came with its unique sword skills.


    The boy woke up after a second and asked, "Can I have a sheath?"


    Feng Yun chuckled, and a sheath materialized the same way as the sword. She even helped the boy tie the sheath to his waist, but horizontally. Accompanied by his long hair, the boy looked very majestic at the moment. He said, "Can you stop fangirling me. Baibai is enough for this, you know."


    Feng Yun chuckled and after adjusting his collar she said, "Give him a good bashing please."


    Yang Dao gulped and nodded. He never found that Feng Yun could be such a tsundere. She was still pissed off by how the staff was so rude here. Back at Liro, the staff at the Dao Courtyard was similar to the staff here, but they were not arrogant. They were trained to know that the guests were all of equal stature to their master. Though the courtyard never hosted any guests other than Yang Dao''s classmates for a party.


    Yet the guests never had a complaint. Yang Dao stopped thinking about it all and walked forward. As he stepped inside the field line. He sensed a lot of eyes locked on him. The emotion he interpreted were surprise, curiosity, and disdain.


    Yes, disdain, this emotion was particularly apparent in the eyes of those who sat on the higher VIP platforms. Ignoring all this, Yang Dao walked forward and came to stand ten meters apart from the man with gray hair. He did not speak but stood there silently with his hands behind his back.


    The other person was aware of his arrival. Yet he did not take the initiative to speak, implementing his superior status. But was the Dao Child so desperate that he will take the initiative to talk? Since these people all had arrogance etched inside them, Yang Dao decided to show them the arrogance of the heavens.


    He even closed his eyes as he stood. After five more minutes, with a wave of his fingers, he bend the earth to make a throne from the land he stood upon. The people all gasped collectively. The throne chair was raised a little to make the man with gray hair seem smaller in front of him. This was a humiliating action committed by him, but this was not yet the end.


    A man from the high platform was triggered by this and said loudly, "How dare you? Do you not know that the one standing in front of you is the king of flames? How dare you be so rampant in his presence? Who do you think you are?"


    Yang Dao raised his head and replied nonchalantly, "We stand in the arena, to duel for the title of the strongest. He is nothing but my opponent at the moment. I am the challenger. Those who stand in the arena facing each other are equal. If he has a problem, then beat me to apologize, but standing there like a statue, posing high and mighty. Humph, disappointing."


    His words slapped the crowd blatantly and his tone did not hide a single shred of disgust inside his heart. On the contrary, this was done with all the considerations in mind. The other party took the initiative to reproach him. He did not need to care for the rest.


    The man with gray hair turned around, revealing a man with a face brimming with vitality. His body looked like it was carved with a chisel. Yang Dao would not have believed that this man was an old person if he had not seen the vicissitude in his eyes. He asked, "Who are you?"


    "Yang Dao." said the boy. The old man nodded and said, "Let the duel begin."


    Yang Dao nodded and the throne under him merged back with the land as he came to stand on his two legs. The king of flames said, "The rules are simple. If one of us becomes unable to fight, the duel is over, the last one standing is the winner. You can only use the fire element to fight with me. Since you are a traveler, then you are exempted from the death punishment at the end of the battle."


    The boy nodded when he heard this. He did not wish to kill anyone when he came here. He needed to study and make things better here. The King of Flames gazed at the side and moved. His speed was fast enough to reach the boy within a blink and used his fist to punch at Yang Dao. The boy was unfazed by this and tilted his head.


    The punch was avoided by Yang Dao but the flame king was not so simple as an opponent. His fist caught fire all of a sudden. His fist turned into a claw as he slashed his hand at Yang Dao''s head. The boy reacted quickly and, with a slight force to his feet, he moved forward to close the distance between the two people.


    Now the flaming claw could not touch Yang Dao, but the boy was so close to the old man that he could easily deal him some damage, and that was what he did. A punch was presented to meet the abdominal region of the king. The impact was so strong that it made the flame king slide back on the ground, leaving two groves.


    None of the people expected Yang Dao to make the king of flames retreat with just one punch.

 Chapter 393: Flame Dance.

    Yang Dao looked at the king of flames. He did not use the fire element just now, because he was aware that this was not the full strength of the old man. He was just testing the waters with his earlier attack.


    The flame king had not retreated because of the impact of his punch, but it was at his discretion. By opening a gap between each other, he will be able to get a better chance of attack, while at the same time he can make Yang Dao have the illusion that he could suppress him.


    Yang Dao admitted in his heart that this guy was not the ordinary joe. He had the skills at both physical and mental levels. The small schemes set the ground for a big scam. The scam was to let the opponent think he was weak and then, like a viper strike when the opponent thinks that the fight has ended and relaxes.


    The old man took out a sword from his side. Yang Dao did not pay attention to the sword earlier as it was not drawn out. Turns out Feng Yun gave him a sword because she saw this coming. He scratched the back of his head as he made a thumbs-up gesture behind him. He realized that he has a lot to learn to become strong.


    Feng Yun smiled at this. As the boy focused on the duel. The flame king moved forward at a fast speed, stabbing at Yang Dao with his long sword. The Dao Child did not underestimate this person anymore and drew out his sword as well.


    The drummers at the edge all began to play beats. Yang Dao was disturbed by this and the opponent exploited this opening. He began to stab at the boy repeatedly. The attacks were so fast that Yang Dao could only parry or avoid the attacks. What added to his troubles was a flame stream shot at him between the streams.


    The crowd cheered as the king of flame overwhelmed Yang Dao. The beats also began to pick up the pace and the flame streams shot at him also rose in number. The Dao Child had his forehead covered in sweat, but he did not panic. The situation was not in his favor, but he could still get out of it.


    Suddenly he jumped back and as soon as he landed, he took a step to his left. He did this to avoid being attacked and chased by the king of flame. He took a deep breath and gazed at the opponent, who was still coming over to stab him, exhaled heavily.


    What came out of his mouth was not just exhaled air, but also fire. Yang Dao breath fire at the opponent, shocking the latter into a retreat. The king of flames did not expect this boy to have such a skill up his sleeve. However, he was an experienced person as well. He kicked the ground to open the distance between the two and waved his sword; it was as if he danced and the sword was covered in flames.


    With every slash, he directed a fire slash at Yang Dao. This attack was not only hot but also sharp. The Dao Child sensed the sword tremble. He recalled how the sword has given him some unique skills. These skills were attack moves.


    He raised the sword and began to move. As he moved the sword in his hands, his movements changed. From simple slashes using the wrist, the whole arm began to move, and then the whole body. It was as if he had begun to dance with the king of flames. However, his dance was not that strong in the beginning.


    As the boy moved, his stance and movements gradually improved. Yang Dao seemed to have comprehended the skill. Feng Yun mumbled, "Good."


    She heard a voice behind her, "Miss, may I ask what is good?"


    Feng Yun had long since noticed that the girl Dawn was standing behind her. She seemed to initiate a conversation with her, but the duel had made her turn her attention. Feng Yun also wanted to talk about Yang Dao and finally, she found someone to brag to. She smiled and said, "Master finally understood the secret of this move."


    Dawn asked, "Has it been long since he has started studying this move?"


    Feng Yun shook her head and said, "No, it has been just a few hours since he had known that move."


    Dawn was shocked. She could not understand what level of talent did one need to learn a move within a few minutes. She turned her head to the battlefield and found Yang Dao dancing with his sword. The tassel at the back of the sword had a lot many uses, but what Yang Dao used it for was a distraction.


    The tassel was made of vermillion silk. As the blade swung, the tassel followed the trajectory. The king of flames was distracted a little. Till now Yang Dao had yet to use the fire element to attack. The boy has been defending himself against the fire slashes sent towards him by the old man.


    Yang Dao wanted to find the source of strength for this skill. He did not wish to shame the title of the challenger, and also the arrogance he showed earlier by ending up with a half-assed attack. As his mind turned like clockwork. He came to a point that the essence of the skill lied with flame.


    A flame was always the strongest at its core. The skill required the body to dance like a flame while slashing the blade. So imagining the body like a flame, the core will be the waist. The strength channeled through the body as he used his waist to generate the force. The moves became strong and now he could confidently deal with the fire slashes.


    What happened next was not expected by the people in the stands. Yang Dao countered fire with fire. The blade was covered with flames and as it slashed, the flames traveled through the void. The flames danced mesmerizing them all.

 Chapter 394: Hail.

    Yang Dao began to slash at the old man in front of him with flame slashes. His sword was dancing even faster than it was earlier. As the dance progressed, the tassel of the sword also caught fire, and every time it moved, sparks were emitted.


    The whole battlefield was covered in sparks flying in the void. The scene did not look like a battle but a movie cinematic. The people in this place may not be aware of what a cinematic was but Feng Yun did. She was smiling happily as she saw the match progress. However, this much was not enough to defeat the old man.


    He was troubled, but if given a chance he might conjure up a card that could turn up the table. It was not a sure thing, and just Yang Dao''s cautious mind at work, but why should he be given a chance?


    The Dao Child thought for a bit as he moved. He was almost dancing with his hands stretching and contracting, only his feet were kept on the ground. Suddenly he began to exert force to his feet and the boy began to randomly move closer to the opponent. The speed was slow and the direction of approach changed on random as well.


    He ran around the opponent in circles moving forward and sometimes retreating as well. There was something else that was at work in this scene. The drum beats had started to change. The drummers were trained to keep an eye on the challenger. They were supposed to change the beating pattern to disturb the movements of the challenger.


    As soon as the body of the challenger adjusted to their rhythm they will change the beats, adding to his troubles. Yang Dao, however, was a completely different case. It was as if he had isolated the sound from disturbing his play and his movements were not bothered by them. As they kept looking at him, they were also affected by him.


    When the boy began to use his limbs to display the improvised version of the attack skill, his body subconsciously resonated with the Dao. It mesmerized the drummers, their beats changed, but not in defiance to Yang Dao but accordance with his movements, completely irregular.


    As a warrior, amidst a fight, the old king of flames was paying attention to all the sounds on the battlefield. His mind was subconsciously paying attention to the drum beats as well, but since he had been dealing with this for a long time he ignored it. The beats have always been regular and robust, fueling his excitement.


    This sudden irregularity in the beats was not in line with his subconscious and his defense became chinky. The scenario was discovered by him, but even if he tried to uphold the defense he was unable to. His consciousness was now divided between paying attention to Yang Dao''s movement, the incoming attacks, and the exposed chinks in his armors.


    Ignore anyone, it will spell defeat for him, as the man was burdened by his thoughts, he began to falter. Yes, the battle of resolve was now tilting in Yang Dao''s favor. Feng Yun on the side saw this and clapped her hands with a smile on her face.


    Dawn beside her was frowning with water gathering in her eyes. Feng Yun was the phoenix, if she was cold to those with bad gaze at her people, she was warm with those who needed it. She placed a hand on the little girl''s head and said, "Do not worry, he will not harm him. This place is just a stop in our journey."


    Dawn raised her head when she heard the warm voice, she could not imagine that this was the same lady that almost made her a mound of ash a few hours ago. Feng Yun smiled and did not speak further. The result of the duel was evident.


    Suddenly, the drums stopped. Somehow, taking advantage of the chinks in his defense, Yang Dao had come close to the king of flames. They stood three feet apart from each other with an elegant blade covered in a vermillion glow, almost stabbing his throat. The sword was held by a slender jade-like hand, but the real horror hid within those eyes.


    The king of flames gulped as he saw the indifference within Yang Dao''s gaze. He said, "I have lost."


    Yang Dao nodded and took back his sword, with a blink, his eyes came back to normal. He was in sync with fire, and when the fire was in a rage, it will burn everything in its way, thus the intent was reflected in his eyes as indifference.


    The surroundings turned silent. The people could only hear the collective deep breaths of the people. The king of flames, the strongest of them all, a man who reigned over them for a decade, was defeated by a young man, who came out of nowhere. As unbelievable as it may sound, it was the truth.


    Yang Dao was about to say something when the people in the stands stood up and knelt to the ground. Even the old king of flames knelt on the ground with his head prostrating to Yang Dao. The boy was shocked, he turned his head to Feng Yun and found her winking at him as she knelt along with Dawn. Originally she was his servant and had no problems kneeling down to him.


    The former king of flames said, "HAIL THE KING."


    The crowd followed, "HAIL THE KING."


    "MAY HIS FLAMES LAST FOR ETERNITY AND SHOW US THE WAY." said the old man.


    The crowd followed his words loudly. They truly worshipped the strong, and this was their problem. Yang Dao did not say anything but raised the old man up with his hands. He said, "We need to talk about the future. Can we find an isolated place?"


    The old man bowed and said, "As you command, Lord." and then he led Yang Dao to the inside of the palace where they can talk in isolation.

 Chapter 395: Destruction.

    Yang Dao was guided by the old king to the study room inside the palace. He said, "Lord, this place is isolated from the whole world completely."


    The Dao child could sense a slight barrier around the place isolating them from every human interference. Yang Dao asked, "I do not know how to beat around the bush. So, let me be blunt. The current thinking process of this world is flawed to the point where it can trigger self-destruction. I do not know about the mindset people have in the other regions but your fire region can vanish overnight."


    The old king was shocked when he heard these words, he asked, "Lord, what do you mean? I do not understand."


    Yang Dao sighed and walked to stand in front of a big window in the study room. He gazed at the world outside and said, "You people in the fire region think that you stood tall in the great war that occurred in this world, so you can be arrogant. I want to ask you, would a sane person go out and tell everyone that he is strong because his distant cousin is strong?"


    The old king shook his head. Yang Dao said, "Old King..."


    He could not complete his words when he was interrupted by the old king, who said, "Lord, my name is Jwal. You do not need to call me the old king."


    Yang Dao nodded and said, "Sir Jual, you must be well aware that the people in this region are far from the sanity they need to sustain their lives. They are all arrogant because the fire region stood tall in the war. Let alone the talented people, even the servants in the palace have their eyes on the sky. Do you think given my strength, I could have wiped all of your staff and people? Do you think it is possible?"


    Jual fell into thought as he saw this young man in front of him saying that his arrogance will be the cause of his fall. He did not rush to reply but thinking about the last phrase he said, "You are not strong enough to kill us all, but yes, the palace can be razed to the ground."


    Yang Dao nodded, he said, "It is indeed true that I cannot kill everyone in this region because I have human emotions and I do not take a human life for granted. However, there are others, who can do it. Shall I call over my attendant for you to see?" he cleverly injected a trace of death law in his voice.


    Jual heard these words and his body trembled uncontrollably. His eyes opened wide with pupils dilated to pinpoints. Only now did he realize the horror of the boy in front of him. The law of death affected people when used. It will uncover the darkest fears in your heart and make them amplify by a hundred times.


    Yang Dao used this not only to intimidate Jual but also to make him imagine that their blind arrogance can spell the death of the whole region, but because he had heard from Dawn that this guy had been on the battlefield and had suffered a lot before he could finally prevail in that hellish situation.


    The death law amplified the horrors of the battlefield in his mind, providing him with a vivid picture of destruction. Yang Dao used the law of life and said, "You may not believe me, but harmony can be achieved easily, but the maintenance is what costs a lot of effort."


    Jual relaxed and gradually woke up from the horrible nightmare in his mind. He did not expect the strength of this young man to be so horrible. He was aware that all these scenes of turmoil and agony only surfaced in his brain because of Yang Dao''s voice.


    He decided to believe in what the young man had just said. He asked, "Lord, how do you plan to deal with the rest of the people. How will correct their heart?"


    Yang Dao smiled and said, "Humans are interesting. Once they face death they all come to find a new value in life. Only when they see the benefits of another path do they move towards it."


    Jual did not understand what Yang Dao meant to him when he said these words. The boy shook his head and said, "You will know in the future. For, now, you do not retire from the palace. I will need to be by my side."


    Jual nodded and said nothing. After a few moments of silence, he asked, "Would you not go to address the people?"


    Yang Dao sighed and said, "I am tired from the battle. I will do it in the morning tomorrow. Till then I need to think. You can leave, also, send my attendant here."


    Jual nodded and left the room with precipitation on his forehead. He did not wish to see this young man too often. He even thought in his heart that staying away from him was better for his heart. As he came out of the study, he found that Feng Yun was led over by Dawn.


    He did not know when was his granddaughter so good with other people. He was not paying attention earlier so he did not know who this beautiful lady was, but just as he was about to ask, Feng Yun cast him a gaze. This gaze made his heart agitated again. It was not excitement but fear. This feeling was similar to what he had seen inside Yang Dao''s eyes.


    Feng Yun ignored his expressions and after thanking Dawn she went inside. Leaving the two people outside the door of the study room. Inside the room, she saw Yang Dao leaning against the wall and gazing outside from the window. She said, "Thinking about something?" in her soft voice.


    Yang Dao nodded and said, "Destruction of their mindset, and create a new one. How will I do it? That is the question."


    Feng Yun smiled and said, "If only, it was that easy."


    "Easy or not, I will do it. Do not worry." said Yang Dao. He was all set to destroy the arrogant mindset these people had before he could create anything.

 Chapter 396: Epiphany.

    Yang Dao sat in the study with his eyes closed. Feng Yun sat on a chair beside him, browsing through the books collected in the study. She was very curious about the knowledge of this world. This place had quite a lot of things similar to Liro but they were technologically backward.


    However, elemental science had helped them negate the matter. The mobiles were replaced by long-distance communication charm cards. They had also developed vehicles for traveling. The books in the study had a rich knowledge of the modes of transportation from all over the world.


    The hot-air balloon thing they saw on their way to the city was called Fire Bubble. The water region had a similar vehicle that traveled on the surface of the waterways, it was called, Nixie. This thing was a version of the motorboat, it traveled by the bending of the water element. The earth elementals had the vehicles they called Marbel. This thing was akin to a monowheel. The difference was that there were two monowheels attached to a cabin.


    Yang Dao had no interest in this knowledge for the time being. He wanted to figure out a way to change the arrogant perception of the people in this region, for that he tried to meditate and seek the answers from within. Suddenly, he sighed, no way could make him achieve this change.


    Hearing his sigh, Feng Yun said, "Dao, did you forget what I said when we came into this place?"


    Yang Dao heard these words and his mind began to work. What Feng Yun said just now pointed at the hint she had passed to him in before they entered inside the realm of elements. She had told him that this world had no record books like those he had seen in the other two sacred realms. At that moment Feng Yun had said, "The horizon is your journal."


    Yang Dao thought about it and for some weird reason, he stood up from the floor and came to the balcony attached to the study room. The sun was slowly setting at the horizon. Yang Dao gazed at the scenery with silence, he did not try to control his thoughts. It has been a long time, since he had discovered that the more you control your thoughts the more you dwell on them, and the more you dwell the more you worry.


    The secret of attaining calm was to let it all go with the flow of nature. Consciousness was a river thought, the more you control it the heavier the pressure, so let it flow freely, and eventually, all these ideas will fall in the ocean of nothingness. Calm and peace were nothing. As the Dao Child watched the scenery it clicked to him.


    Horizon was his journal, he did not know if the interpretation he made was correct or not but he was sure that it was the most suitable to solve his problem. If everyone can take a look at his journal, will it not be circulating the thoughts in his mind to the people. Not everyone can read these thoughts but they can understand them if they get the correct explanation.


    How do people relate to things? They will relate to things when they see the similarities among these things. What was the similarity between people and Yang Dao? Ofcourse, the great dao, that was his common ground to talk to the people.


    Thus the boy fell into a false state of epiphany. This state was not triggered by his heart or mind resonating with the Dao but it was something that made him fall into a deeper state of self-cultivation. Only when he is sorted on the inside can he sort the things outside.


    Feng Yun could sense the changes in his mood. She smiled and continued reading the book in her hand at leisure. The boy spent the whole night standing on the balcony of the study room. He did not even come inside for dinner. When the maids tried to approach him, Feng Yun denied them any intrusion. Her tone was not kind.


    The sun rose up in the sky and Jual, the old king of flames, came searching for Yang Dao. He was surprised to see that the boy was still inside the study room. He knocked on the door and heard a clear voice coming from inside the room. He punched the door opened and walked in, to see Feng Yun holding a book in her hand while a pile was lying at her side.


    She may be the overseer of this realm but never has she come here to check the growth, at least not in a human form. So, she was very curious and could not keep from reading. She knew the visitor was Jual. Without raising her gaze she asked, "Are you looking for, Master?"


    Jual nodded without speaking, he was not charmed by her beauty but awed by her aura. In front of Feng Yun did not give off the aura that made her look like the empress of the world, but whenever Jual saw her alone, he could not help but submit to her aura as a subordinate would.


    Feng Yun replied, "He has fallen in a state of epiphany, you can go, and tell the people to be patient and he will address them at his own convenience."


    Her tone did not leave any room for negotiation. Jual understood that if the person falls into a state of epiphany, then he will not wake up until it is naturally ended, if you forcefully try to intervene, then you will cause more harm than help.


    Jual nodded and left, he was about to go outside the room when Feng Yun said, "Call over your granddaughter. I have something for her to help me with."


    The man nodded respectfully and retired. He did wonder, why the boy was ignoring the address, and now this lady had called over his granddaughter. What did she want her to help with? Were they bad people? ETC ETC. However, as a firm believer, he decided to follow the command sent by the King Of Flames, right hand.


    Feng Yun did not have any other motive, but just prepared things for Yang Dao after he woke up from the revelation.

 Chapter 397: Humiliate.

    Yang Dao woke up from the epiphany in the evening. He let out a deep breath as he did. The boy had been standing in one position for almost a whole day but he was not tired. The gentle breeze tussled his long hair, and a faint smile surfaced on his lips and he watched the sun going down on the horizon.


    He stretched his body a bit and then walked back inside the study room with a refreshed mood. He found that Feng Yun was still reading books and the pile was now as tall as two meters. He asked, "Do you plan to write a thesis on your visit here?"


    Feng Yun smiled and said, "Only by learning constantly can we grow, Dao."


    Yang Dao was aware of this but he was only teasing the lady. He said, "I have an idea about how to deal with things at hand."


    Feng Yun nodded and said, "What do you need me to do?" this was the tactical understanding between the two people. She was aware that if the boy had said something to her that he must have something for her to do.


    Yang Dao smiled and came to sit down next to her. The two people chatted about how he was going to approach things. This was not a place where his predecessors had left him any pieces of knowledge to learn from this was his research and development journal. Yes, the horizon was as big as you think, and so the whole world was his journal.


    He discussed the idea in his mind with Feng Yun because she could provide him with valued feedback and point out the things that could play against them. Yang Dao was also not this open to everyone. Feng Yun was his right-hand woman, a powerful and wise minister beside the king, to guide him at times, and sometimes being led by him.


    A king was strong, not individually but by how he controlled his people and led them to a better livelihood. Yang Dao was that king at the moment.


    ...


    The night turned into the day slowly and after discussing, Feng Yun said that she will not go to sleep but read, Yang Dao, placed his head over her lap and fell asleep gradually. This scene was witnessed by Dawn, who arrived again in the morning.


    She was called over yesterday by Feng Yun, and the lady had told her of her tasks, today she came to report that the arrangements have been completed when she saw Yang Dao sleeping on Feng Yun''s lap with his eyes closed, as one of the jade hands massaged his scalp lightly while the either held a book and pages were being scrolled.


    Yang Dao was not careless to give up his guard while sleeping but when Feng Yun was around, he did not care about anything. The lady will not let him suffer even a scratch. She could have started a war if someone was to harm or even hold bad intent on Yang Dao.


    Feng Yun said, "Dawn, you know your task?"


    The girl nodded and said, "I am to follow the lord and note down everything he does, just the way you told me to."


    Feng Yun nodded and this discussion made Yang Dao open his eyes. He asked, "What is this?" without raising his head off the lap.


    "This is to create a journal. I asked for Dawn''s consent and she agreed to be the copywriter of the first journal. Later when our journey has ended in this world, the journal will be used by the people to refer to your deeds." replied Feng Yun.


    The boy nodded and said, "Good." He did not know if this was the preparation for the worst or was it to leave something behind for the people of the world. Yang Dao had no opinion, he was dedicated to his task in this world.


    He thought for a bit and said, "Inform the people, I will hold the official address tomorrow."


    Dawn nodded and bowed as she said, "Yes, Lord." and then she left the study in a hurry.


    Feng Yun asked, "Have you decided?"


    The boy only hummed and went back to sleep. Feng Yun also continued reading while playing with his hair. No words were spoken for the night.


    ...


    The next morning the people stood gathered in front of the flame palace. Yang Dao stood facing the people on the balcony of the courtroom. The balcony was simple, Jual explained to the boy that the people believed that strength needed no adornments and thus this place was kept so simple. Yang Dao had no care for this, all that meant to him was the people in front of him.


    He smiled and asked, "Do you all think, I am very arrogant for not meeting you for the past two days?" he spoke softly but the wind carried his voice to everyone in the region.


    The people did not say anything to him but the looks on their faces were evident. They were all very pissed why this guy was ignoring them. They acknowledged that he was strong is that why he looked down on them. Such thoughts gave them a bad image of Yang Dao.


    The boy smiled and said, "You people are just like twigs of dry wood. You may acknowledge that the wind can crush you but you will never look at your weakness. The way you all look at me with arrogance brimming in your eyes. I ask you, what is the source of this arrogance?"


    His cold gaze scrutinized the people as he said, "You think that because your relatives, survived the great war, you can be arrogant? Have you people ever thought that your actions are nothing but that of a parasite?"


    Humilation and showing them the ugly reality was the only way to bring them out of the illusion that gave them the arrogance of the strong. Only when they accepted the reality could they move forward.

 Chapter 398: Destroyed.

    Yang Dao was dead set showing these people what strength meant. He compared the people to parasites. Parasites were organisms that lived off of other beings, in return giving them nothing but holding back their growth. His words were cruel, and his gaze was brimming with loathing as he looked down at the people below the balcony.


    The people grit their teeth, some balled their fists almost ready to rush at Yang Dao and beat him up. But then they recalled how he defeated the strongest man in the region. They did not have that many guts in them to go and challenge the strongest.


    Yang Dao said, "You people are all pretenses. Nothing more, nothing less. You all think that fire is all about strength, but you forget that if it was only strength, then cooking the food would not be a delicate process.


    Fire would not give you the warmth you seek on lonely breezy nights, it will not have lit up the dark that scares your children. Fire is not only limited to what you see or sense outside but it resides in your hearts, the desire to achieve something, the passion you feel for someone. These are all fires, yet here you are, thinking that being the last one standing is fire and that it makes you strong.


    Misunderstanding the sacrifice and resolve of your people into a facade of arrogance. I only have one word for you, Pathetic."


    The people did not feel anger now. They were enlightened. Yes, Yang Dao had just used the Dao Resonance to make the people open their minds, and look at the horizon similar to his. This was his plan, to preach the Dao to them.


    Yang Dao had come to an understanding that Dao creates and Dao destroys everything in existence. Whether it is mindset or way of life, they all contained dao within themselves. However, being overwhelmed by one emotion only could not be the proper dao, it was imbalance.


    Yesterday, he realized that the imbalance of this place was not among the people or the way of life, but the emotions. The elements represented the emotions of a human being, and if the emotions were in chaos, so were the elements. Light and Dark represented thinking, Life and Death represented the cause of a being, and the elements represented the emotions that made one a being.


    This equation only clicked to Yang Dao when he was falling into a state of false epiphany. As he spoke at this moment, Dawn was scribbling it all down on a notebook in her hand. She was writing with her eyes locked on Yang Dao. The dao resonated with her as well, and she was enlightened. However, the effect was not so intense on her mind as she had already witnessed how fickle her arrogance was in front of true strength.


    She loved her family but never looked at the others because she was elusive about it. She had thought that given the strength of her grandfather none of the people were worthy of her love, she did not have friends as well. Yang Dao and Feng Yun opened the doors to a new world for her.


    She saw how the two people being servant and master were so close. How they addressed each other as sister and brother. She did not question them at that time but now she understood that strength does not mean for one to shun away the world but to bring it together.


    Yang Dao was not aware of the tsunami of change his words set off in the heart of the little girl. He kept talking to the people, telling them how they could have been stronger if they only did not interpret the fire as a label of strength.


    He said, "If you were truly the strongest then the world would not have been into pieces where the four elements were to stay in four distant corners. Do you know, how much you could have achieved if you were together? I found that none of the fire region people can manipulate another element, it must be the same for the other places. Do you know the reason behind this?"


    The people all looked at him, they were true to the fire in their hearts and this question made them very curious. Yang Dao sighed and said, "The people here grow up thinking about the strength of fire, they have never experienced anything else. They grow up watching their parents covered in a layer of arrogance. Ever since I have come here, hardly do I ever see anyone with expressions on their faces.


    All I see is how some people leer at the others with their disdain-filled gaze. You people hold back not only those whom you think are strong but also those who can become strong. Your arrogance clouds their young minds and their chances of being elementalists are killed in the cradle. You people are murderers, you may not hurt others physically but you do kill their future."


    His voice was not loud but calm, however, an invisible wave of dao was carried within. Everyone who heard him was surprised, they sensed their long-lost emotions once again, the shame of being looked down upon by a young man, the guilt of ruining the future of their youth, the anger over their own illusions.


    Too much negative gives birth to a positive. This cycle of the world cannot be avoided. Yang Dao could sense their emotions through the resonance in his heart. He smiled and thought in his mind, "Amber, come out."


    The bird obeyed his command and came out of the ring. Yang Dao said, "Look at her. Does she look arrogant to you?"


    The people looked at a golden bird resting on Yang Dao''s forearm. They were surprised to see the bird. The emotions displayed by Amber at this moment were not her usual ones, her ruby eyes flickered with wisdom, warmth, and calm. The Dao resonance was a mysterious thing, it made the people understand the emotions inside the golden crow. It was like a universal translator of emotions.


    This invisible translation broke the walls of arrogance that the people had put up. The imbalance was destroyed.

 Chapter 399: Price.

    Yang Dao successfully destroyed the emotional imbalance that the people were suffering from. However, creating something was much more difficult than destroying something. The boy had yet to figure out how to make people support him in this recreation. After all, the method he had come up with was not something they could easily accept.


    However, he would have to try no matter how hard it was. He sighed and mumbled, "It is not easy to be the dao child."


    Amber said, "Master, the people have all understood what you just said, but some of them have a question, after all, I look like a bird."


    Yang Dao smiled and said, "Go, show them your true form."


    Amber flapped her wings and took the skies, the people followed her with their gazes. At first, they thought the bird will fly away, but suddenly, they held their breaths. They had never seen a bird so big. The feathers were glowing like they were covered with flames, talons like molten steel, ruby eyes sending chills down the spine.


    The crowd watched the huge monster bird flying over the region in a stupor. They could only imagine the possibilities of Yang Dao unleashing this bird over them if they ticked him off. They all gulped. Yang Dao was noticing that the changes in the expressions.


    He turned and said, "Sister Yun, your turn."


    That said, Feng Yun, who had been standing behind him in absolute silence flew up in the sky and when she reached above the golden crow, her body flashed with a vermillion spark and it transformed into a phoenix. The size was four times as big as Amber''s. The golden crow turned back to her small size and came back to Yang Dao, gently landing on his shoulder.


    The people turned pale when they saw another monster creature appear. Just when the horses of their imagination were stampeding they heard a soft voice, "I can be arrogant if I wish to. After all these two are my subordinates, however, I know that there is a sky above the sky and a mountain over a mountain. If I am blinded by my arrogance and somehow call upon the wrath of the heavens, what will it make me? A mound of ash."


    As his words dropped Feng Yun came back to his side, looking as graceful as ever. Dawn had placed the lady on a new throne in her heart. Yang Dao said, "What I am going to propose now, will be difficult for you all to accept but know this, it will make your future a peaceful and better one. Do you have the guts to accept what I am going to tell you now?"


    The people were fired up when they heard him telling them that they can improve the future of the coming generations. A lot of people in the region were young children because the great war had just come to an end ten years ago. A decade is not long enough to make the people forget the horrors they have been through. If this new way said by the Young King of Flames helps him with a better future then why not.


    The people replied, "YES, LORD."


    They decided to hear it out first. Yang Dao nodded and said, "Your fire region stood tall in the battle, however, it is not because the other elements are weaker but because the human error. Just like you the people do not understand the importance of emotional balance. How about it, what do you say to this arrangement, that if I defeat the other three regions, Will you all be willing to come together and form a society where you can live and grow together?"


    The excited crowd suddenly became silent, They did not expect him to suggest such a thing. You know, that a lot of their relatives, loved ones, had fallen in the war thanks to the other regions. How were they to accept such a thing so quickly?


    Yang Dao sighed and said, ''Your people also took lives. Both sides suffered the loss of life and love. Why can you, the one who stood till the end, be the one to lead the way to a new world too? Do you place the hatred of those who had gone away above the growth of those who stand in front of you?"


    The people again fell into the dilemma, they had just come out of their arrogant barriers, how could they walk into this new thinking so easily. Yang Dao was not a tyrant he said, "You people take three days. You think about what I said. I hope you can see that only when you are together can you change your lives for the better. Everyone needs a counterweight. The other regions are those counterweights. Go home and come back after three days. I will wait for you."


    In the end, his tone was that of a calm and wise man. The people all bowed to him and left the place with complicated emotions. Feng Yun asked, "Why did you not just tell them to follow this plan?"


    Yang Dao rolled his eyes and said, "You testing me again. Well, the reason I did not force them was that when you build something you need a strong foundation. If you are too strict in the foundation the building falls when it is exposed to tremors. Got it?"


    He told the people the price they would have to pay, life is costly, but the price one pay for it is not materialistic. Now the people would all have to decide on their own whether they wished to pay the price of a better life or not.


    With that analogy, the boy flicked his long hair over his shoulder and walked away from the balcony. Feng Yun and Dawn looked at each other and burst into a giggle. Yang Dao could hear them giggling but he was not angry. He has made the last gesture on purpose.


    He was now heading to a bedroom arranged for him by Jual. After using the Dao resonance, he would always feel tired. the reason was that if he channeled the Dao resonance, it will make his body tired and exhausted. Dao can not be shared with the people for free. The price he paid was his energy.


    Thus he needed to rest otherwise given the strength he had now, he could last for a month without even napping.

 Chapter 400: Challenge Book.

    Yang Dao went inside the room and laid down on the bed. He was going to sleep. The Dao Resonance cost him energy. The energy was not normal energy but source energy. Thus the rest was important. Amber had long turned to her ring form and rested in his hand normally.


    Feng Yun had followed him back and was now sitting on the sofa inside the room as she watched the boy sleep. She had instructed the people in the kitchen to prepare a lot of food. Although the boy was sleeping and he was tired, he could still get up to eat and restore his energy. Eating was the best way to restore his energy.


    Everything in the world was made up of source energy and food was the best-balanced diet to restore this energy inside the body. The staff of the flame palace was very happy and eager to serve the new king.


    Some people among the staff had decided to follow what the king had said about the new age, but some were still hesitant. Even though in the past ten years the fire of hatred had calmed down they could not just forget that it was because of the other three elemental regions they did not even get the dead bodies of their loved ones.


    However, they were glad as well that the king allowed them to decide what they wished to do. They had never seen a king, who would ask the masses for their opinion and let them practice their opinions.


    Yang Dao was sleeping but he was not aware that he has become a huge hit among the people, regardless of whether they agreed with his idea or not. The boy rested for a whole day before he was awakened by Feng Yun.


    Jual had personally guided the people in the palace to bring the food. What they did not expect was that Yang Dao will be able to eat what ten people would eat alone. Yet, Jual did not see any bulge on the stomach of the young man.


    Feng Yun noticed his curiosity and said, "He can convert all the food he eats into source energy or what you call the elemental essence almost instantly. So do not worry, he is fine."


    Yes, this was the effect of his unique body. The familiars have never told him what his special physique meant, but the boy himself knew that he had a boon of not getting fat no matter how much he eats. However, his capacity was also limited. He could only eat a certain amount and then wait to let the acquired energy settle down and then only can he start again.


    After he was done eating, Yang Dao asked, "Sister Yun, the eternal battlefield. That place should be in the center of the world right?"


    Feng Yun put down her spoon and nodded. She raised her eyebrow, "What do you have in mind?"


    Yang Dao smiled and said, "Call over the three leaders of the wind, the water, and the earth regions to gather at the battlefield, with their ministers and royal courtiers. I will officially send them a challenging book. The stake is the future. After I duel with them, I will go to their regions and preach Dao to the people. To destroy their imbalance and create a new balance."


    Feng Yun nodded to his idea. Going to three regions and battling every time was very time-consuming. She said, "Or I can evoke the world authority to make it so that all your preachment reach everyone in the world. This way it will save you travel time and also, energy. Sharing the resonance with people at such a large scale repeatedly can have adverse effects."


    Yang Dao raised his eyebrow, "What adverse effects?"


    Feng Yun said, "Longer sleep." as she shrugged. True the body will not be able to hold up repeated stress.


    After giving this suggestion a thought, Yang Dao said, "Very well, we do this. Gathering as many people from the three regions as possible. Since they all worship strength, I will fight with them at the same time, later when it is time to convince the crowd, you evoke the world authority."


    Feng Yun nodded, she could easily complete her share of the task. She said, "What about the person from the water region?"


    The reason she asked this was because the boy had not yet learned the water element. Yang Dao thought for a bit and said, "In the state exceeding Dao Resonation. I am capable of bending elements without learning them. However, there is a time limit on this state. So I will have to make it count."


    Feng Yun nodded, she said, "You will need armor for the battle. You cannot always go to the battle in comfortable wear" the comfortable wear in her mouth was the uniform-like attire they had on at the moment. Yang Dao shrugged his shoulder telling her that he do not have armor.


    Feng Yun smirked and said, "Ryu Jinshi did not give you any armament because the land of spirits did not need it. However, you have passed the trial of the azure dragon. I will tell you how to get the armament."


    Yang Dao figured out that the armaments were rewards of the trial. Feng Yun closed her eyes and focused on contacting Ryu Jinshi with her spiritual connection. The link did not allow them a proper conversation but it did allow them to convey their intentions.


    Ryu Jinshi ''looked'' inside himself and concentrated at the seed of Yang Dao''s essence inside him. He then transferred armor to Yang Dao. The communication was too mysterious. The Dao Child never thought something like this can be done.


    Imagine sending real oranges to your friends through the phone screen this was what happened here in a way. Yang Dao was sitting on the chair in his room. He sensed something moving inside him. His face turned pale, Feng Yun was beside him she placed her hand on his back and said, "Focus on Ryu Jinshi''s source essence inside you."


    As Yang Dao did so, he sensed something enveloping his body, however, the sensation was not tight but it was lighter. He opened his eyes and an azure-colored armor was covering his body. The boy touched the armor surface and despite the looks, it was as if he wore something made up of cloth.


    Feng Yun smiled when she saw him like this and said, "I will go and send the challenge books."


    Yang Dao nodded and that was it. The postman was Amber. Her speed was fast and she could move almost invincible in this place. Thus she was sent to deliver the challenge books.

 Chapter 401: Reactions.

    Yang Dao did not bother with anything around him and after making some changes in the social system of the region, he came back to meditate in the garden. The flame palace had an enriched garden. The color of the flowers was still inclined towards red or vermillion but it looked very soothing to Yang Dao as he sat under a pavilion.


    Society was driven by strength in this region. Yang Dao changed that altogether. It was not that the place was anarchic but the people with strength could get away with their mistakes without paying the price. This was not good. If this continued one day the strong people will be driving the rest of the people into slavery. He did not wish to see that, because, now that the arrogance is gone, the barrier that stopped people from protesting against tyrants was gone.


    Since he changed the perception these people had in emotions, the civil war was even closer, and perceiving the threat the boy issued a few changes. The laws were made and issued and the people all found them to be fair for all of them. They passed the credit to Yang Dao but actually, the move was made by his minister Feng Yun.


    The lady has been reading the books for two days and she had already decided what sort of changes must be done in the region to make the people live better. Education and Health were both made a free service, they did not have the concept of money here. They were to earn one rubika crystal per ten patients the doctors treat and the teachers will be given twenty rubika crystals.


    The region did have a government, that was the strong people were responsible for over seeking a lot of stuff. So, Feng Yun made the society a feudal system, where the strong men will report to the flame palace about everything they do. They will collect taxes and then the taxes will be circulated within the people as wages.


    The complex system was easy to handle and if any strong man is found to be embezzling any resources, they will be tagged as the scourge of the region and exiled. No matter how strong they were, they will not be able to resist the masses. Also, the other strong people will not hold back. Strength was a toxic thing, it makes one selfish.


    Feng Yun kept all this in mind when she came up with the social system. The lady was very smart to have come up with all this. She played the role of the minister perfectly.


    ...


    Amber flew over the regions, she did not meet any strong beasts on the way. The first stop was made to the northern region. The earth elementals used to live in the mountains. Amber could sense the source energy radiated from the places where the elementalists lived. It was like a radar she was equipped with.


    She located the earth region inside a valley in the mountains. The people in the valley had long noticed her presence in the sky, after all, how can they ignore the second sun in the sky. However, they did not react much to it and carried on with their tasks.


    Amber snorted and if not for the orders to not initiate an attack, she would have burned them to crisps. She dived down from the sky and landed in front of the biggest house in the center of the region. She said, "Earth Lord, I come here to deliver you the message from my master, the king of flames. You are now challenged for the throne. The battle will be held on the eternal battlefield two weeks from now. If you decline to fight, the king of flames will charge at your city with all the fire region strong force."


    A hoarse voice sounded from the inside of the house, "Your master does not know that he can only fight with the same element when it comes to the challenge of the throne? Also, you have stated what will happen if I lost or did not agree, what about if your master lost?" his tone was calm and steady.


    Amber said, "My master is aware of this. He can control all the elements. Also, if he lost the duel, he will give up the throne as the king of flames and you can rule the people of the fire region as you wish. What is your answer?" she was calm as well.


    However, her words did make the Earth Lord surprised. The man thought for a bit and after weighing the gains and the loss he said, "I accept."


    Amber said, "Good luck to you, farewell." and with a flap of her wings she flew into the sky. Her next destination was the western wind region. The reaction to her appearance was opposite to what the earth region had. She was annoyed by some much hubbub. One little boy came close to her with his finger rolling inside his nostrils.


    Amber could swear that she would have puked if she was a human being. She issued the challenge, the wizard of the wind accepted it with gusto and Amber flew away. She realized that the elemental properties of wind and earth were completely different, and it was monotonously contrasting.


    She turned in her direction and came to the water region. The water region was settled on an island. The people looked up in the sky and immediately took up arms. Amber had to state that she was not here with hostile intentions and only then was she allowed to set her talons on the land.


    The contrast between fire and water was that unlike the fire region soldiers, who were trigger happy, they were cautious and only took up arms to defend themselves. After Amber stated her purpose the Lord of the region engaged in a discussion with her. Amber was not a normal beast, her spiritual intelligence was even higher than normal humans so she could keep up with this person with ease.


    After a couple of hours, the water region accepted the challenge and Amber set off back to Yang Dao''s side. She had completed the task within two days. Now it was all left for Yang Dao to deal with these people.


    When Yang Dao was told of how the people of the fire region accepted the laws, and the successful challenge acceptance of the other lords. He was calm but his eyes were looking forward to the duel. The reactions from all sides were in line with his action and his future plans.

 Chapter 402: Paid.

    Yang Dao heard what Amber described and he nodded. He said, "You did good Amber. Now, you rest. Sister Yun, we spar, no hold bars."


    Feng Yun nodded and said, "We should find a desolate area. You might destroy the garden."


    The boy squinted his eyes and said, "I am not that lax with my controlling skills, okay? Humph, come I will show you." and then he walked out of the courtroom.


    Feng Yun followed him with a smile on her face. She had never seen Yang Dao exerting his full strength. She wished for him to fight at his peak output with her. That said the two people walked out of the palace and came to the square in front of the region. The duel arena was not used by them as it was considered sacred. So, they selected this square.


    Yang Dao''s arrival attracted the attention of a lot of people in the square. The boy greeted them with a smile. The duration of three days will be coming to an end tonight. The people thought he had come over to refute his words. Feng Yun smiled and said, "Can we have some space for ourselves? Master and I need to spar."


    Although she was smiling her words still had no room for a bargain. Yang Dao shook his head as he heard this. The phoenix was as domineering as ever. After the people backed up subconsciously, the lady waved her hand and cast a big barrier around them. Yang Dao stood opposite her with his hand behind his back.


    Feng Yun raised her eyebrows and said, "You trying to provoke me, Master?"


    Yang Dao did not deny but nodded and said, "Come, let me show you control." he chuckled and made a come-on gesture to the lady.


    Feng Yun did not hesitate and immediately her long slender legs turned into a whip, lashing at Yang Dao. The lash was not a simple kick, but Yang Dao could sense the strong earth source energy concentrated on her feet. He smiled and used the wind to tolerate her kick. He used his feet as a pivot and spun on the axis.


    He used hard and soft to its fullest from the first blow itself. After diffusing Feng Yun''s blow, he took a step forward and tried to hit Feng Yun on her shoulder with a palm attack. His attack was not simple as well, a block of earth flew out from the floor and flew at Feng Yun.


    The lady did not expect him to be so tricky and cast a wind blade to cut the block in two but behind the block, the palm still moved toward her.


    SMACK.


    The slap landing on her shoulder surprised her. Yang Dao did not use much force but it still left a warm touch on her skin. She was in a daze but the opponent was not, a gust pushed Feng Yun forward and the boy kicked her with a flame energy leg. The lady saw the incoming attack and woke up from her stupor, to cast a barrier of earth on her abdomen.  The boy suddenly recalled how he controlled metal.


    CLANG...


    Feng Yun was thrown off her feet. For the first time in her life, she was repelled by an attack. Yang Dao moved forward but he stopped in his tracks. Feng Yun raised her head with a smile on her face. The boy suddenly had a bad feeling and rolled on his side. A geyser of molten lava erupted from beneath where he stood.


    Feng Yun said, "Dao, you said, no hold bars." with a smile.


    Yang Dao sighed and the two people began to brawl like no tomorrow. The people in the surroundings were shocked to see the display of elements. They have never seen such a brutal fight. They had no regard for each other''s safety. However, what shocked them was that despite all the attacks, the surroundings were not affected. The two people themselves were not hurt.


    An old man at the side said, "At first, I thought what he said the other day was just something so the people could idolize him, but then he introduced the laws. he broke the layer of glass blocking our emotions. Now, I look at his control over elements and I feel that despite the destructive power at the display, under proper control, things can make us grow. Like it is doing for him in the fight."


    The surrounding people nodded when they heard this. They did not want their children to suffer in wars. Seventy-five percent of the people could not manipulate elements and the strong ones did not need much to show to get things done. This was the first time they have seen what the elementals can do.


    This duel between the two people made them realize what they needed to do. The choices of their future were made at this moment. They waited for the duel to finish so that they could tell their king what they have decided.


    Yang Dao did not make them wait for long, it was unknown when he had taken out the sword and was clashing the blades with the boy. Feng Yun, sighed at the last when the boy deflected her blade, and the next moment a stone sword was resting against her nape.


    The control and multi-element control Yang Dao had was superior to her or any familiar for that matter. The Dao Child smirked and asked, "Hehe, what do you think?"


    Feng Yun said, "You win, and I think your control is awesome." with a smile on her face.


    The boy chuckled and the lady took down the barrier as they finished fighting. They were about to go back to the palace when the old man from earlier said, "Lord, please wait."


    Yang Dao stopped and turned his head to look at the old man. He walked over and asked with a smile, "Sir, what can I help you with?"


    The old man was flattered by the way he was addressed. He said, "We wish to follow you, Lord."

 Chapter 403: March To The Future.

    Yang Dao heard his words and was surprised. Then he asked, "Old sir, the time has not yet finished. Are you sure you wish to follow me? My path is not an easy one to follow."


    The old man raised his head to look the young man in the eyes and said, "We have been living easily in our bubbles. What has that brought us? The decline of our children? If our pain can ease their future then it is a price we are willing to pay. We all pay for our deeds. It was us who made this wall of glass, and it should be us as well, who walk over the broken shards to bring our children to a bright future.


    When I was in the army, we had a motto. A soldier must march to the glory of his country. Similarly, an elder should march to the future of his descendants. Please, guide us, Lord."


    Yang Dao could not help but mumble the phrase spoken by the old man just now. He smiled and held the old man''s shoulder with a smile and said, "Together we lead each other, sir. I am not omnipotent and I am prone to make mistakes. Thus, as an elder, I hope you bless me with your guidance and point the way if I lose my sight on the way."


    His humble attitude was not to lower himself but to ignite the spark of co-dependence among the people. To make them realize that the King of flames was also a human, like them. After that Yang Dao chatted with the people surrounding them for a long time before he went back to the palace.


    Feng Yun said as soon as they were inside the flame palace, "What do you have in mind now, Dao?"


    Yang Dao replied to her, "Every creature was bestowed with their own free will. I am no one to force them. I will ask those, who agree with me to follow me, as for the rest, they can live here in their home town. They can follow the rules that have been introduced for the betterment of society. Their future may not be bright but it will not be the one without possibilities. Isn''t that they all need, possibilities?"


    Feng Yun nodded and followed him back to the palace. Yang Dao entered his room to meditate and consolidate the things he learned from dueling with Feng Yun. This information will be useful for him in the coming duel. He was not going to let his guard down.


    He was unaware of the process to manipulate the water element at the moment but he has been meditating a lot these days to accumulate the Dao resonance on him. So, that he can use it to deal with the Lord of the Water region. With these thoughts in his mind, the boy meditated.


    He had also come to gain an understanding of creation and destruction. He had found that to create something/anything, you need to destroy something. The vice versa is also applicable. You can only destroy something that existed. What existed was created by someone.


    Yang Dao found it very funny how he could understand this thing with such ease. The people he will be facing in the future will not be easy opponents but he will deal with them. He will break their hegemony and then he will create a society with equal standings. This sensation made his heart beat fast.


    The night passed away very quickly and Yang Dao walked out to stand on the balcony of the palace in wait for the people to come over as they expressed their opinions about the migration he had planned. He watched as the crowd slowly gathered in front of the palace, with a large number of people carrying their bags.


    Yang Dao gave them a nod and asked, "What have you decided, ladies and gentlemen?"


    The crowd replied with one voice, "We wish to follow you, Lord."


    Yang Dao smiled, he tried to check the resolve the people had, "What will you do if I led you to a dead end?"


    The crowd was confused but then a lady spoke, "We are already at a dead-end, Lord. We will find a way if we stay together with you."


    The rest of the people cheered up after they heard this. Yang Dao nodded, as he said, "Very well then, pack your stuff, we move in two days. Also, bring the tents along. Okay?"


    "OKAY." the crowd clamored.


    Yang Dao sent them off with a big smile on his face. He came back inside to find Feng Yun sitting at the table while she scribbled along with a paper. The boy came to stand behind her and when he saw what she was doing, he nodded repeatedly. She was the biggest biz queen of the mortal world. The paper was filled with laws and orders maintained by the people.


    It was not limited to those of the fire region but all the other regions as well. Yang Dao could see that it needed a lot of wisdom to make such a draft. He asked, "Sister Yun, are you sure that the eldest is the wisest of you all and not you?"


    Feng Yun did not stop her work but replied with a smile, "The eldest has innate wisdom while the rest of use accumulated of the eons. The reason why I can use this wisdom today is because of what I have experienced through the ages and that I am aware of the temperament of the people in the different regions. I can sense them because I am the lord of this place.


    You can also sense them but you are just like the Dao. You do not wish to influence people much thus you do not take the initiative to go out and look for these people. Am I wrong?"


    Yang Dao nodded and said, "We will leave this place two days later, and arrive at the eternal battlefield. What do you think?"


    Feng Yun nodded and before the boy could ask her anything else, she said, "Go get moving, I need to get this done before the move, Dao. Also, you need to go and prepare, the accumulation is not yet enough."


    Yang Dao sighed and said, "Okay."


    That said, the dao child entered seclusion for a period of two days. The time passed away in a blink. Yang Dao was sitting inside his room when Feng Yun came over. There were no barriers around him so he could sense the movement around him. As the young man opened his eyes. He found Feng Yun looking at him with a smile as the lady said, "Master, it is the time to march."


    Yang Dao stood up and after stretching his body he walked out of the room.

 Chapter 404: Arrivals.

    Yang Dao walked out of his room in the palace and saw that the people all were standing ready to march ahead at his orders. He saw that some people were too old to carry out such a long journey yet they stood there in the crowd with their luggage.


    The mode of transportation was not their feet, Feng Yun had asked all the hot air balloons carriages under the flame palace and fire region army to be used for transporting the old and the sick to the edge of the eternal battlefield. However, this was not enough.


    Yang Dao spotted a lot of strongmen standing at the forefront of the crowd with study horses beside them. He walked over to the people, who greeted them with their heads bowed. He said, "Are all the strongmen going to ignore that they can help the old and ladies ease their sufferings? You all may be thinking what can you achieve from this. Right?"


    The people had a faint blush on their faces, but this was not the end, Yang Dao said, "If you help them, they will bless you. They will idolize the strength of the man, who came to help them in their time of need. It is not hard to be strong. But it is not easy to be acknowledged. Do you not wish to be acknowledged?"


    His words made the strong men shiver. They immediately all began to move around and asked, their servants to gather the old and the needy women to ride their convoys. Yang Dao called out for Amber. The people were surprised to see that the older bird was the ring on the Lord''s finger.


    He asked, "Go scout ahead."


    Amber nodded and flew away. The people already had their mouths wide open, if she spoke in a human tongue they might die of fright. Yang Dao said, "What are you all waiting for? Let us march ahead and the people follow."


    He turned back to face the crowd and said, "We all will march in five queues, elders in the middle, both sides with women and children, and the outermost layer is to be the men. Any questions?"


    The people did not reply, which meant they understood. Feng Yun followed Yang Dao with the other strong people of the region. After they left the borders of the fire region, a group of strongmen were asked to watch the back of the people. This change was made by Yang Dao to ensure that nobody gets left behind. He was the strongest, and he was at the front so the rest can at least ensure that nobody was left behind.


    The bigger the movement the larger the time it took. Yang Dao however, made sure to reduce the time taken in the journey. He asked the people to follow them in a strict order. They would take a half an hour rest after every two hours of travel. They were not allowed to break the queues and were to rest only at their spots. This way they saved the time to rearrange the convoy again and again.


    The journey was tiring but it brought with it a strange sense of satisfaction. The people have never been so far out of their region. They enjoyed the travel, the sceneries, the new curiosity ignited inside them. They all knew that Yang Dao was the reason behind these sensations inside their hearts.


    ...


    It has been a week, the people have finally regrouped with the elder people at the edge of the eternal battlefield. Yang Dao said, "You all are to rest here. I will go ahead, to meet the leaders of the three other regions."


    Then he allocated the strongmen to stay put and protect the people. He cast a glance at Feng Yun, who nodded, and the two people walked to the center of the battlefield. Amber had been in contact with Yang Dao through the spiritual connection. She had already told him that the other three forces have arrived at the battlefield.


    The boy was anticipating the upcoming fight with the three lords of the regions. The other side was also very curious about what sort of monster was this kid to challenge them all at the same time. How can there be someone to control all four elements.


    Yang Dao had long hair and he walked forward with confident strides and Feng Yun followed him with a faint smile on her face. The phoenix was nothing short of a demon enchantress when it came to her beauty. She said, "Dao, how would you be tackling the opponents?"


    Yang Dao shrugged and said, "How else, we will first talk about it. Then with the mutual agreement of all the people, we will begin the battle. I guess they will agree with cycle duels."


    Feng Yun nodded, and said, "Ofcourse, this is the only feasible way to make you take out all your cards. What is your counter plan?"


    Yang Dao said, "Improvise when the duel begins. Thinking about it will make my mind preoccupied and restrict my adaptability."


    As the two were talking, the people all reached the place from where they could see the encampments of the three lords. He said, "Amber, inform them of my arrival."


    Amber was flying overhead, she replied, "Yes, Master. Right away." and she turned into a golden streak in the sky and made her way to the encampments. The colors of the encampments gave away their regions.


    Yang Dao said as he gazed at the colored flags and decorations, "They took us too lightly and came here without any preparation for the other two regions. It might play in our favor. But they could also be hiding a strong card that might counter us in one fell swoop."


    Feng Yun nodded, "Correct, be wary of the region of water. Their guardian is a very cautious person. Amber told me when she came back."


    Yang Dao squinted his eyes and asked, "Why not me?"


    Feng Yun chuckled but before she could answer, a voice sounded, "Are you the King Of Flames?"


    ...


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 Chapter 405: Discussion.

    "Are you the king of flames?" said a man wearing green armor on his body. He looked old, with his white beard reaching his waist, but his eyes were brimming with vitality.


    Yang Dao nodded and said, "Yes sir, I am the representative of the Fire region." He did not call himself the king of flames. That was just a superficial term these people have invented.


    The man nodded calmly, and asked, "Are you able to control all the elements?" his tone carried a slight doubt.


    Yang Dao smiled and with a nod he moved his hand, making the barren earth in front of them protrude in the form of four chairs. He said, "Let us have a seat while we wait for the other two people to come over. What do you say to that, sir?"


    The old man nodded and took a seat at his side. The four chairs were all facing each other. The old man asked, "Why do you wish to challenge everyone? What is the main motive you have behind this? I can sense that you have a lot of people following you. They are all camped at the edge of the battlefield. Why do they follow you?"


    The old man seemed very curious about this. Yang Dao smiled and said, "Sir, when the people start living inside a cage they created themselves. They slowly discover that they are giving up on the possibilities they could have in the future. However, they gradually get used to the cage and they do not have the guts to break it.


    After all, destroying what you created with your own hands takes a lot of courage. Not everyone in this world is blessed with such a will. I happened to be the one who broke their cage. When they found a new chance of possibilities in my appearance, they followed me. That is all. I just wish to create a future where people are free, just like the elements they practice are."


    The old man did not expect this young man to have such a unique thought process. He had never sensed any other emotion than calmness, but these words coming from Yang Dao made his heart tremor slightly. He did not expect such a thing when he came here.


    That year when his son fell in the battle in front of him he did not feel any emotion other than the calm. How can his heart have a tremor now? He dispelled this as an illusion, however, then he found that illusion means he was confused. How can he be calm when he was confused.


    Just a couple of vocal exchanges had set his calm mind in a state of unrest. However, the old man was stubborn. How can his cage be broken so easily? He calmed himself again after a few moments. He was about to say something when they sensed two people walking towards them.


    One was a lady wearing an indigo dress, with her long hair tied in a high pony. Her face was as if the calm ocean, her eyes were deep like. She was the lord of the water region. On the other side was a man with an unbuttoned azure shirt and matching pants made of coarse fabric. His hair was unkempt and aloofness dripped off his face.


    The lady came to stand by at a distance. She did not come closer to take a seat while the guy from the wind region came and sat down without any word. He asked, "So, when do we fight?"


    He had come so far only to fight and not to discuss what Yang Dao will do if he won the duel. The boy did not say anything but leaned back in his chair and with a smile said, "Does the lady desire the same?"


    The lady in his mouth was the leader of the water region. She shook her head and said, "I wish to have a proper discussion, only then will I decide what to do."


    Yang Dao said, "I have had a brief discussion with the lord of the earth region. The friend from the wind region wishes to fight. If the earth lord also wishes to fight, then I will entertain the two of you first, and then I will talk with the lady."


    His tone was calm and polite. He had been counting on this. If he could discuss with the lady of the water region, then he can break down their cage of caution easily. The water region was very strong but they have never displayed their strength. Not only were they cautious towards the external world but to themselves as well.


    This was the biggest chink in their armor. Yang Dao stood up and said, "Yun, attend to the guests."


    Feng Yun bowed with a smile and said, "Master, have fun."


    She was just like that, completely confident in Yang Dao''s capabilities. She knew that Yang Dao was seeking fun at this duel. This guy with the wind element practice had only a partial understanding of the wind. How can he or any of the lords be the opponent of the Dao Child?


    Yang Dao and the wizard of wind walked to a place slightly away from the rest and stood up against each other. The Dao Child asked, "What may I call you?"


    The man said, "Jiren. How do we fight?"


    Yang Dao said, "Wind element. I can control it as well. So, traditional way of fighting?"


    The man did not ask much but nodded, and his figure flickered. Yang Dao expected something like a sneak attack, and he tilted his head to the side, dodging the punch, missing his face completely. At the same time, Jiren was pushed from the side by a gust and from the other side, an elbow dug into his rib cage.


    To keep the damage in the moderate range, Yang Dao dispelled the pressure from the other side and let Jiren be thrown from the impact of the hit. The lady from the Water region squinted at this. While the earth lord sat up straight in the chair. His calm mind again experienced the ripples caused by Yang Dao.

 Chapter 406: Fighting At Multiple Fronts.

    Yang Dao did not pay mind to what the two people were thinking, he was focused on fighting with Jiren only. The man in azure clothing was not a soft egg. He stood up after the first blow and his figure vanished.


    He had attained the level of unity with the element. However, his swiftness was not enough to make Yang Dao budge or fret. The reason was that he had not mastered all the attributes of the element. His wind was that of chaos, so as he moved, the chaos would appear before him. Yang Dao could sense it from miles let alone in close quarters.


    As soon as Jiren moved close to him Yang Dao cast a wind blade around himself. Jiren''s movement pattern was messy and chaotic, he did not have a set path of approach, so Yang dao did not take any risks. He cast a wind blade around his whole body. A sharp wind radiated from his position, covering 360 degrees around him.


    Jiren did not expect this to happen, but before he could react the blade approached him. He sensed a sharp intent to cut coming from the blade and raised his hands to save his face, however, Yang Dao had something else in his mind, he willed and the sharp edges of the wind blade turned broad like a mace.


    Jiren was pushed back for at least five steps from the impact. He raised his head and depressing the pain in his arms, he asked, "Why did you spare me?"


    "I am dueling with you, not exercising revenge, why should I kill you when you can be more useful to the world alive?" said Yang Dao.


    Jiren did not understand what the guy meant. He decided that he was going to try everything before the duel ended, he did not wish any regrets in his heart, that he could have done better. He condensed a spear with the azure wind source energy.


    The spear was one foot taller than him and was very sharp. Holding the spear with both hands he shot towards Yang Dao, only to see the latter standing with a calm face. All the shots were made at the vital spots of the Dao Child.


    The latter only took a step and tilted his body to avoid the attacks on him. He was moving so fast that his body looked like a mirage, a phantom leaving after images in the void. Feng Yun had stars in her heart. She wished she had a camera to record this fight. The two other people were watching the battle in a state of sluggishness.


    They did not expect this young man to have such battle skills, more so the element control he had displayed was far higher than they could have ever achieved. If not for the fact that he was holding back, Jiren would have log retired from the battle.


    Just as they thought of this, Yang Dao made his move, he did not believe in disappointing the masses. Just as the barrage of spear stabs slowed down, he moved in, following the retracting spear. Jiren did not understand what he had in his mind and the next moment an azure spear was resting against his neck.


    One light push will behead him. He did not even dare to gulp it. Yang Dao had cast a spear of his won as he charged forward. He said, "Did you use, all the skills you had?"


    Jiren blinked at him in agreement. Yang Dao said, "You lost because you have been living in a cage, thinking that wind is all about aloofness."


    His words did not clarify a lot of things. He said, "You better sit down and think about the battle. Think of the wind as really all just aloofness. Is it not stable, is it not calming, is it not something more than what you have come to understand?"


    Jiren was stumped to hear these words. He has never thought of something like this. Yang Dao waved his hand, and it lifted Jiren, up in the air. He said, "This is my wind, it can take you high in the sky like a bird with wings. Can your wind, do it? It is not that your understanding is wrong, but it is incomplete. The wind is much more than just a swift gust."


    He gradually bought Jiren down on the ground. The latter did not speak a word but walked to the chairs. Yang Dao followed him silently and asked the earth lord, "Sir, would you like to begin?"


    The old man asked, "Do you not need rest?"


    Yang Dao shook his head and said, "I am fine, Sir. Thank you for the concern, but we can start now."


    The old man nodded and stood up from the chair. The two people calmly walked over to where Yang Dao had just defeated Jiren. The old man asked, "Are you sure, you wish to begin now?"


    The Dao child nodded and asked, "Sir, may I know your name?"


    The old man was surprised and then he said, "Jeager. I am called Jeager."


    Yang Dao bowed to him and took a battle stance when the old man asked, "What do they call you?"


    The boy smiled and said, "They call me Dao, Yang Dao."


    "An interesting name." mumbled the old man. He said, "Traditional Elemental Duel?" and received a nod from Yang Dao.


    The two people took battle stances and they were ready to go at it. However, none of them moved. They kept staring at each other. Feng Yun smiled at this scene. The water lady asked, "Why do they not attack each other?"


    She has been holding in a lot of questions and finally could not help but ask. Feng Yun chuckled and said, "Master is testing the limit. The limit of how long before his calm opponent develops an itch to take the initiative. The duel is not about strength but also about temperament and the understanding of emotions."


    "Why emotions?" asked the lady in blue. Feng Yun replied, "Emotions regulate your control over elements. That is why."

 Chapter 407: Convincing.

    Yang Dao did not take the initiative to attack and neither did the earth Lord, Jeager. The old man stood calmly with his palms spread in front of his body, his legs spread apart. It looked like the stance of the sumo wrestlers.


    The Dao child on the other hand stood in a standard boxing stance. His gaze was locked with Jeager but it revealed no emotions or his intention by waiting for so long. It has been ten minutes since the duel had begun but they had not moved at all. It was as if they had been frozen in time.


    Suddenly the eyes of the old man flickered. He had decided to attack first. There were two reasons behind this. One, he was old and his body could not bear the pressure of the stance for prolonged durations. Two, his state of mind has long been disturbed by Yang Dao. Whether it was his words or his deeds. The way Yang Dao dealt with things, his unique perspective has already disturbed the calm inside his mind.


    Jeager raised his right foot high intending to slam it on the ground. However, how can Yang Dao let him do as he wished? The boy took half a step forward and the ground beneath Jeager''s raised feet raised to meet his foot in the void.


    The old man was surprised by the quick response, he crossed gazes with Yang Dao and found the young man looking at him with complete calm in his eyes. The old man did not expect this boy to be able to maintain such a tranquil expression.


    He slapped his hand forward and the raised column beneath his foot broke away from the ground and flew straight to Yang Dao. This was his original intent. The slam of his foot would give rise to a column and then he could slap it forward to Yang Dao. In his eyes, the opponent had just helped him.


    The dao child did not budge when he saw the incoming column of hard ground. The whole thing was at least four feet tall and the weight did not look light going by the dimension. Yang Dao kicked his leg forward, and the column flew sideways.


    The old man that he was supposed to see after dispelling the column had vanished. Suddenly, he shifted his weight and took a big stride forward. The speed was so fast that it cast a vague delay in the people''s response senses.


    The ground where Yang Dao stood a moment ago suddenly burst up from the inside. Out came Jeager.


    The boy would not let this attempt unanswered and jumped up to gift the guy with a roundhouse kick on his back. The impact was solid and it made the old man fly to a distance of ten meters before his feet found the ground to stumble. Yang Dao did not rest, but chased after the opponent.


    He slammed his feet to the ground and Jeager was surrounded by sharp spikes. One of the spikes was so long that it was almost piercing through his eyes. If he moved, even slightly forward, it would have made his brains turn to mush.


    Yang Dao asked, "Do you wish to continue, Sir?" his voice and attitude became calm. Jeager experienced almost all human emotions in this bit of a fight.


    He experienced, irritation when Yang Dao did not attack him, helplessness that he was getting old, rage when his slam was interrupted, surprise when Yang Dao dodged his fist, rage when he was kicked on the back and finally the fear of death that came with the protruded spikes.


    He had not been calm at all. When he was asked if he wanted to continue, that made him embarrassed to look at the young man in front of him. Never has he felt such emotions inside him. Yet he was aware of what they all were called.


    He shook his head and said, "No, I am convinced of my loss. Fighting further will just add to my humiliation. I am not that eager to be humiliated yet." a faint smile surfaced on his face.


    Yang Dao nodded and the two people walked back to the chairs. Yang Dao did not sit down but asked the lady from the water region, "What may I address you as?"


    His attitude was completely opposite of the fire lord when he met the water clan in the past. It was unknown why they treated each other with hatred but it was almost as if they would start killing each other at any moment possible.


    The lady said, "My name is Juno. Pleased to make your acquaintance, Lord Yang."


    Yang Dao chuckled and said, "Please feel free to call me Dao. No need for honorifics, Lady Juno. What was it that you wanted to discuss with me?"


    Juno asked, "Why do you think that our current emotions are the cage of glass that stops us from moving forward in life?"


    Yang Dao nodded to her. She was indeed a wise woman, jumping to the root of it all. He said in a calm manner, "You do not think so?"


    The lady shook her head, she had her own ideas. So, Yang Dao said, "Your water region is so calm about everything that there is a constant state of tension. In the battle ten years ago, your people retreated first. It was not because that they were afraid of dying, but because they were cautious of the powers they had.


    The emotions you all have are just a part of the entire human emotions cycle. Do you know what happens when you do not feel it? It makes you apathetic. Apathy leads to the destruction of things. Your youth cannot bend the elements, why do you think, anyone should let you exist in this world?


    This world will stop existing if one day there are no elementals. Do you wish for your future generations to never exist because of your foolishness? The actions you take today are what define your future."


    His tone was calm but it was loud enough to make the three people have their eyes wide open. They had never looked at things this way. Yang Dao convinced them of their follies, but that did not mean they were ready to embark on the new roads lying in front of them. They will only follow when they know where the road leads to.


    Yang Dao smiled at this, deciding that he will show them what lies ahead of them. He was convinced of his methods as well.


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 Chapter 408: Creation.

    Yang Dao''s word made the three people fall into contemplation. They were all leaders of their respective regions. How could they not be aware of what Yang Dao had said? However, those who group up in a cage themselves cannot teach others about the life outside it.


    The lady from the water region said, "I can understand what you are saying, Dao. But what do you say about the great war? The lives, our people sacrificed? I can calculate, along with your notion of wanting to make a world where the four elemental regions merge to keep each other in check. But do you think it is that easy for our people to forget the past?"


    The Dao Child smiled and said, "The great war started because of the fire nation. They came out to the party who stood till the end while the rest of you gave up. They were also the ones who lost the most. After winning the war, they did not have the resources to colonize your regions and retreated to their territory. Do you think it was easy for them to march out here with me?"


    He took a pause and stood up from the chair. He gazed around at the horizon and said, "Look around you. The place is so big that all you can see is loneliness. When people are alone, they look for others. They seek attention. You all must like to meet new people and be friends with them, right? To see the sceneries of the world?


    You three are the strongest of your regions, but have you been outside your region? Have you ever sensed the wind rustling against your hair as you visit the plains of the west? The serenity of the southern rivers? Anything? Even my messenger bird has experienced all this. Now I ask you, is it too difficult to give up the past grievances for the sake of your future?"


    His counter made the people think. It was true that they were the strongmen of their region, but they were the strongest inside their region only. They have never visited any other places. Their lives were spent monitoring their people. Where did they have the time to visit places for pleasure? However, the people they cared for also did not leave their regions for pleasure.


    Why? They had no answers. Yang Dao gave it the last push, "Either you hold on to your past and drag your future to the ground. Or you rise above it to grab hold of the future that can lead you to the skies. Think about those children who would never know the wonder of elements if your people did not learn what the elements truly mean."


    Yang Dao fell silent. Juno sighed and said, "Very well, I surrender to your strength and logic. I may defeat you and retain the control of all the regions, but that would be akin to defeating the possibilities, I speculate."


    The boy smiled and said, "Thank you for your trust. Now you will have to call over your people here. Since the Eternal Battlefield is a place where the cages were destroyed, why not let it be the place where a new future is created?"


    Jeager said, "Dao, if we are convinced that does not mean our people are convinced too. You might have to visit our regions." his voice was calm but the anticipation in his eyes was obvious.


    Before Yang Dao could answer, Feng Yun said, "Everything that has happened here, from the moment you all met, has been broadcasted to your people. Without missing anything."


    Yang Dao smiled and said, "Let me introduce you. This is Feng Yun, the phoenix. One of the four heavenly spirits."


    Feng Yun smiled and her figure vanished. When she reappeared, it was in the sky, in the form of a giant vermillion bird. The three leaders stood up from their chairs. All the people in this world had an imprint of the heavenly spirit, who ruled the realm, on their souls. Now that the cages that imprisoned their emotions broke down, they finally recalled the innate memory.


    The young man in front of them was the incarnation of Dao, sent here to restore the balance of their world. The lady was his attendant and the existence that ruled over this realm. She had the power to turn everything into a speck of dust or to make it shine like a diamond.


    The three leaders knelt on the ground. They were not the only ones who knelt, the people of the three regions and the fire region people who were waiting for them at the edge of the battlefield. All knelt on the ground at their initiative.


    The phoenix vanished, and Feng Yun appeared behind Yang Dao. She said, "Master, the task is complete."


    However, Yang Dao did not reply to her. He stood there with his eyes closed. He had finally grasped the meaning of creation and destruction. Feng Yun saw this and cast a barrier around him. She said, "Please, start calling your people here. In the meantime, I will create a city here. For your people to live in. I hope that you can all work together to main the balance of the world."


    Her voice had become ethereal as she spoke. The people all obeyed her commands. What? Did you think she was politely asking? No, she was politely telling them what to do.


    Feng Yun blinked and her eyes flashed with a green spark. The next moment, the whole eternal Battlefield shook. Only where Yang Dao stood was left calm. She had a clear plan in her mind and at this moment, she was just executing it. Under her manipulation, houses and other sorts of buildings were produced. The scene shocked everyone.


    They have heard of an overnight makeover, but this was even faster than that. Finally, they realized the power and the blessings of the two people in front of them. Feng Yun created a city in a circular arrangement. She left clear pathways, places for gardens. She had made the buildings directly out of the ground rock, so there was no problem with the sturdiness.


    However, she could not decorate it as well now, can she? So she had given instructions to the three leaders, who had their deputies go back and escort the people here. The leaders were more than happy with this task to fall upon their shoulders.


    Jeager asked, "Your excellency, why did you leave the center of the city empty?"


    Feng Yun replied, "That is for you leaders to create a building where you will make decisions for the governance of the city."


    The leaders did not understand her point, so she continued, "We care for what we create."


    With that, the three leaders began to discuss things with each other. Jual was also called over to take part in the meeting as the fire region representative. The sun was about to go down. At this moment, Yang Dao opened his eyes and said, "Yun, how long before we are done?"


    Feng Yun said, "We have done all that we can, now it is up to them. Do you wish to leave?"


    Yang Dao nodded and said, "I have completed my comprehension. Now I need to consolidate it. If I entered deep meditation, I do not know when will I wake up. I should do it outside."


    Feng Yun nodded. She called over the leaders and informed them of their departure. The people were reluctant, but Yang Dao consoled them with some lip service and the two disappeared from the place.

 Chapter 409: Initiative.

    Yang Dao and Feng Yun vanished from the view of the people and they came to the skies, where a portal was opening. The eternal battlefield was the entrance of the world, but now Yang Dao had established a civilization in that place. So the entrance was shifted to the sky.


    In case Yang Dao failed at his duty, some other Dao child will be appointed and he will have to come over to this place. Of course, he will have sufficient strength to fly so, the entrance was not a problem.


    The two people entered the space tunnel opened by Atsuji Kurogame. As soon as they entered, Yang Dao took out his sword and the azure dragon scale armor appeared on his body. He had long hair. The pauldrons of the armor had a fierce dragon engraved on them. The armor did not only cover his torso, but even his thighs and feet as well.


    He said, "This looks so..." Feng Yun completed his words by saying, "Heroic."


    Yang Dao rolled his eyes at her. He took out the vermillion sword from a spiritual space as well. He said, "I sense them moving faster than before."


    Feng Yun nodded and said, "The level of the void monsters gets stronger every time. So the creatures you face will get smarter every time as well."


    Yang Dao understood this the last time he came. He did not say much, but he was curious about the origin of these creatures. How could something like this originate out of nowhere? Sensing the curiosity about him, Feng Yun said, "All in good time, Dao. All in good time."


    The boy nodded and the next moment, he moved forward. The sword in his hand gleamed with a vermillion light as it slashed to the few obscurities forming in the void. Imagine all the sacred realms placed in an order getting farther from the mortal world where the Dao Child is originated.


    Then the Realm Of Elements was the second farthest. Atsuji Kurogame could not evoke the rule of space or time for the boy to call them back from the space tunnel. His body was suppressed by the laws of the world. So the two people will have to fight their way back. Although, Yang Dao did slash a few void monsters before they could take a proper shape.


    The impact was not too big. He raised his head and found that the place was covered with a legion of void monsters. He said, "Sister Yun, is this a war?"


    Feng Yun had also changed her attire, not knowing when she did it. Yang Dao was surprised to see that the lady was wearing the armor of vermillion scales. The style was similar to him. The lady said, "Dao, lend me your bow?"


    Yang Dao nodded and tossed his bow to her. Feng Yun said, "We need to clean a path to the dot, you see. The rest can be left."


    The Dao Child nodded. They aimed to get back home and not to deal with all this scum. That said, the boy asked, "You will be my support?"


    Feng Yun nodded with a smile, and the two people moved in tandem. Yang Dao rushed into the legion of monsters with his sword instilled with the wisps of laws. This was the best way to kill the void monsters. Any time a monster was about to claw at Yang Dao, an arrow of laws will be piercing through them.


    Yang Dao did not worry about him being attacked as he fought. Suddenly a void monster got dangerously close to him, but the arrow had yet to arrive. Despite a fast reaction, Feng Yun still could not deal with these people as Yang Dao moved forward.


    The void monsters were not here to be slain. They came here to kill the Dao child. Just as the claw landed upon Yang Dao, his armor glowed. It repelled the attack, but the shine of the armor became low.


    Feng Yun said, "Dao, avoid their attacks, they devour the Dao resonance."


    Yang Dao was alert earlier, but now he began to use the elements to his aid. The source of energy inside his body carried the attributes of the elements. He combined the fire and wind source energy to repel the surrounding creatures. The elements worked perfectly.


    Wind and Fire coming together created such a strong effect that the ten meters around Yang Dao were all cleaned up. The boy did not stop and kept advancing. The truth was that the enemy was smarter. Almost none of the void monsters were slain in one attack. They all avoided his slashes. This assault cost Yang Dao to waste a lot of energy.


    Suddenly, Feng Yun said, "Dao, duck down." The next moment, an arrow left the bow, forming a straight line to the light dot where they were headed to.


    The line seemed to be insignificant, but suddenly it expanded. Feng Yun vanished from her place and appeared next to the boy, who was panting as he knelt. She grabbed ahold of him and vanished again, heading to the exit porthole.


    Yang Dao had cleaned up the way till half the waypoint. The thin silvery line was condensed with laws Feng Yun mastered. As it expanded, so did its glow. The next moment, a big area was cleaned up of the void monsters.


    All the monsters had red eyes, but one of them had eyes akin to that of a human. It spoke in a hoarse voice as Feng Yun and Yang Dao entered the portal, "HOW. LONG. WILL. YOU. RUN. FOR? THE. VOID. WILL. BE. EVERLASTING."


    The speech was broken, yet every word was heard. Yang Dao turned his head to look in the direction of the sound and spotted the smart Void Monster. Feng Yun, however, did not wait and jumped inside the portal, taking him away.


    Outside, three people waited for them with anxious expressions. Laohu Bai said, "Close the bloody portal, they are out." her tone was very irritated.


    As soon as her words dropped, Feng Yun appeared in front of them with Yang Dao in her arms. The boy had fainted as soon as he came out of the space tunnel. Feng Yun said, "They sent a Gleam."


    The whole scene became silent at this moment. Ryu Jinshi said, "We have no time left. Due to the previous actions, we are already running on an extension. We need to hurry."


    Laohu Bai said, "As if you are not the reason for this extension and strain on Dao. We talk at home, Let us go."


    Feng Yun willed it and the armor on her body disappeared. She did not say anything. She was focused on Yang Dao, who fainted in her hands.

 Chapter 410: Yang Dao & Dao Yin.

    Yang Dao fell into a deep sleep as soon as he exited the space tunnel and was taken back to the courtyard mansion by the four people. Feng Yun narrated the whole journey to the people and how the young man restored balance among the elements. She also told them how he fought with the void monsters.


    Atsuji said, "We do not have much time left. farther the sacred realms, the more imbalanced they are. The void entities will be ready for us the next time we travel."


    Ryu Jinshi said, "It will be you going out personally. You can control the space and time, and outside in the void, the world laws do not apply. You can act freely. However, do not forget that you are not in control now. Follow whatever Master says." His voice was solemn.


    Laohu Bai said, "Old man, you have one shot at redemption. Do not let it go, or you know what might be the result."


    Atsuji Kurogame nodded, and the scene fell silent. Feng Yun checked on Yang Dao and found the boy to be sleeping on his bed with a peaceful expression. She sighed as she closed the door and she left.


    Yang Dao did not know what was going on outside. He was immersed in comprehending the laws of creation and destruction, consolidating them in his memory and learning to harness the powers. As he dwelled deeper on this, he slowly came closer to the Dao Space. He was eager to meet Dallia again.


    As his comprehension completed, he came to the Dao space. As just as she said, the girl stood there in the starry Dao space, wearing her black Hanfu gown, long white hair, and a sword resting on her waist. She had a smile on her face when she saw Yang Dao appear in the space. She said, "Quick enough, I see."


    Her temper was not as cold as it was in the past. Yang Dao smiled and said, "I do not know if I am fast enough. The familiar spirits do not share it with me but I can sense the urgency they all have, buried deep within their hearts."


    Dallia nodded and said, "The balance of the four heavenly sacred realms needs to be fixed before you can restore the order in your mortal world."


    "What about you? Have you restored the balance of the sacred realms of hell?" questioned the boy.


    Atsuji Kurogame told him that eight such sacred realms would surround the world, and that there was one more mortal world which was the opposite counterpart of the mortal world he lived in. The only difference was that Yang Dao in the other world was called Dallia.


    Dallia nodded and said, "I have one last realm left to deal with, after that, I have to solve the situation in my mortal world."


    Yang Dao nodded and sat down in the starry sky. He said, "Sit down. We might as well take this time to impart and exchange the knowledge of the laws."


    Dallia nodded and sat down, however she asked, "Do you know that my real name is Dao Yin and not Dallia?"


    Yang Dao raised his gaze and nodded, "I thought about it the last time but did not mean to ask you why you did not tell me."


    The girl smiled and said, "You do not misunderstand, the world I live in has a language different from yours. In that language, Dallia means Dao Yin."


    Yang Dao nodded and asked, "So what do I call you now?"


    Dallia said, "However you like." she had a smile on her face. Yang Dao was also happy, and the two began to talk about what they have been dealing with recently. They also talked about the problems during void travel.


    Dao Yin had it easier. She was alone and had yet to encounter the smarter void monsters. She did not have four familiars but was bestowed with all the powers and armaments since birth. So her skills were enough. If she felt a need, then she can also invoke the heavenly spirits and summon them to aid her.


    Yang Dao did not have such privileges. He did not need them. The four familiars were basically his shadows in the mortal world and even in the heavenly sacred realms, they would always stay beside him.


    The two people began to learn from each other the situation of their worlds and they came up with suggestions to deal with the problems. While Yang Dao provided Dao Yin with reasoning tips, the latter preached to him the way of force. She imparted to him some martial art techniques suitable for sword users. However, since she was a girl, she modified the technique to be suitable to be used by male users.


    The two people practiced together in the Dao Space. Yang Dao suddenly asked when he was learning how to use the sword, "Is this what they call Dual Cultivation?"


    His sudden words made Dao Yin blush faintly. She shook her head and said, "There are many types of dual cultivations. The one we are doing right now will be called a form of spiritual dual cultivation and nothing vulgar. Do you understand?"


    Yang Dao nodded and said, "I do."


    The time passed quickly inside the Dao Space and they did not have any worries about the outside world. The young man asked, "What about your physical body?"


    The girl said, "I hid away from the people, into a secluded place. Do not worry, I am fine. I have my beasts on the lookout."


    Yang Dao did not ask further. Dao Yin asked, "What about you?"


    He replied, "I am probably inside my room, with Sister Yun guarding it."


    Dao Yin raised an eyebrow and Yang Dao told her the names of the familiar spirits and how things worked in his world. Dao Yin told him about her world as well. The things were similar, but nature was the opposite.


    What Dao Yin was to look after was that chaos is not harmful to nature. While Yang Dao looked after the order of the world. What one needed to understand was that both chaos and order were needed in order for the world to sustain itself, but they must not go over the limit and affect nature. This was the task of the Dao Child.


    The two practiced swords and only when Yang Dao learned it completely did he stop. The young man did also pointed out a few loopholes in Dao Yin''s practice and made her improve. They learned a lot from each other and finally, after a brief hug, they said goodbye to each other, promising to meet when they have dealt with the next sacred realm of heaven and hell.

 Chapter 411: Proceedings.

    Yang Dao and Dao Yin parted and the boy woke up in his room. He did not move but kept lying there on his back, gazing at the ceiling. He wanted to be numb for a moment and savor the silence. After twenty minutes he sat upon the bed slowly and checked the time. It was noon already, he stood up, took a shower, and came out of his room.


    Unlike in the past, he did not go to eat but came directly to the study. RALF bot would stay in th study most of the time if no tasks were specifically assigned to it. The servants in the house did not want to be helped by it much as they all felt this bot was a danger to their jobs and did their tasks diligently.


    Feng Yun was away with him, while the rest did not visit this place. As expected Yang Dao found the bot on standby, as soon as he entered the study. He said, "RALF, wake up."


    The bot opened its eyes. The system makes the bot go on sleep if there were no physical tasks to be done. RALF scanned around the room and found Yang Dao sitting on the chair in front of the table.


    The bot responded, "Welcome back, Master."


    Yang Dao nodded and asked, "Highlights during the time I was gone?"


    RALF replied, "The elemental parks have been constructed and can be integrated at any time possible. The New Dawn AI has been broken down and completely implanted with the detection codes. We can track their location within twenty-four hours."


    Yang Dao nodded and said, "First, you track down all the auxiliary bases they have set up. Every single one of them, all over the world. How long will it take."


    RALF replied, "Twelve hours, the detection must be kept undercover because once discovered, the New Dawn can disconnect the drive servers. We will have nothing to get our hands on."


    Yang Dao nodded and said, "Take it slow, also announce that the elemental parks will be opened for the people today. Get me a complete swipe on the places. Arrange for a press address in the evening."


    RALF nodded and said, "As you command, Master." and began to perform his tasks.


    Yang Dao took out a lot of paper and began to sketch again. This time the sketch belonged to the majestic phoenix. He did not sketch because he was fascinated by their appearances but because sketching these beasts gave him the sense of consolidation. Yang Dao integrated the laws within his existence and thus he became stronger.


    Sketching was a process that helped him integrate the laws. Yang Dao did not think much and immersed himself in painting. One page after the other, ceaselessly he used the brush and hands. It took him three hours to finish the sketch. Then he left it all to dry. This sketch was even better than the rest, it carried a glaze about itself


    The reason for this glaze was the source energy of the fire element coated over the phoenix, making it look as if the bird was like a flame burning over the paper. He left the paper to dry and used the bamboo planted in the garden to cut a frame from it. The servants were surprised but Yang Dao did not bother.


    The bamboo was not an ordinary one you know. The servants dared not question what the young master said. The rich were willful. They made a trip to the best shop in the city and by the time they came back with a bamboo frame, Yang Dao had ordered the fabricators to get him a big stand to mount the frame.


    He asked them to make the mount to be sturdy and good-looking. They were given six hours to do that. The place he was going to mount this frame was the entrance of the elemental park. Yurika had done a good job when finding the land. The place where they had the parks created was the region where all four types of terrain were present.


    A single road divided this area, from the shore of the river and the hilly region. The company was told the designs and they began to work. The specialty of this park was there were no rides, it was more like a rejuvenation park. The marketing department has been working on it and they have successfully roused the public''s interest.


    The people can book a trip to the park with a meager sum of thousand carat coins and spend two days here. They were asked to store their mobiles and electronic valuables in a locker which will be accessed by a smartwatch provided by the company to make sure that their belongings are safe.


    The river had an underwater graphene dome, where Ceramic was used to recreate the buildings Yang Dao saw in the Water Spirit region on his visit to the land of spirits. The mountains had gnome villas, there was a man-made forest on the western side where the people could awe and experience the housing of the sylphs. The salamander house complex was also made in the park.


    The company had hosted a reality show with some celebrities under their banner, living there and unwinding. The show had gained crazy ratings and the public all wished to get a chance to visit the place where their favorite celebs have been too.


    They only waited for Yang Dao to return and inaugurate the park for the public. After getting the frame done, the Dao Child personally set the pages inside it. The frame was assembled in a way so that the glass can be taken away. RALF helped Yang dao with the task. Then the frame was bubble wrapped and Yang Dao boarded the helicopter with it, and RALF followed him.


    They were going to the elemental park. Yang dao asked, "What is the tracking status?"


    RALF replied, "I have located twenty centers of these guys over the world and more are being located as we speak master."


    Yang Dao nodded as he gazed outside the window and said, "Get me a secure line to the premiere, it has been a long time since we have spoken."


    RALF nodded and connected a call to the premiere, and a voice sounded, "Hello."


    Yang Dao replied, "Good evening, Premiere Abe, this is Yang Dao speaking. Is it a good time?"


    He did not care whether the old man will be shocked or scared, after the greeting he told the old man to keep the task forces on standby as they will be attacking the New Dawn lookouts. At the same time, he warned him, that if any government official or military official was found in collusion with the New Dawn, then Yang Dao will be dealing them a hand they could never forget.


    His threat was potent enough. The old prime minister assured him and the call was disconnected. Suddenly, RALF said, "Sir, Omega is seeking a connection with you."


    Yang Dao was surprised, he did not know what this guy could ask of him. He thought and said, "Accept the connection."

 Chapter 412: Wrath.

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    Yang Dao asked RALF to make the connection. He wanted to see what this guy wanted. A calm voice sounded in the chopper cabin, "Hello, Feng Yang Dao."


    The boy did not respond he was not interested in small talks with this guy. Omega paused after his greeting and upon confirming that he will not be getting any answers he continued, "I have come up with a solution to all this struggle between us. Today at midnight, the world will sleep, but when they wake up, they will all discover that their bodies have changed.


    You might not know, but sixteen years ago, there used to be a couple of scientists, without them, I might have failed in creating the hyper humans. Their research was so crucial to my work that if I removed their formula from it, then my specimens will be abominations in the truest sense."


    Yang Dao had a calm face but his fists were clenched tight. Omega kept on talking, "I plan to release my genetic serum to the world, overnight evolution. Although there might be some who might not be able to withstand the change and die, that will also teach us. When the whole world is the same, we will have no differences. Right?"


    Yang Dao finally spoke, "You are wrong. What we share is not a simple difference of thoughts. You are an existence that stands in violation of nature. You have to be rectified. I was about to take things slow, but you have given me an excuse to use the iron fist. Since you plan to change the world by tomorrow morning, I will change your world before the sun comes up."


    Omega replied, "We shall see. Who changes what." this time there was no voice, but a blank tone. The connection has been cut.


    Yang Dao said, "RALF, you know what to do?"


    The bot nodded and said, "I had initiated the commands as you were speaking master. Since Omega mobilized every unit in the world, I have been able to backtrack the commands IP with the help of his AI."


    Yang Dao thought of something and said, "Kill his AI, kill all the communication methods he had with the outside world. Smoke the hole. I want to see what this guy can do."


    RALF said, "Master, they might have a backup AI. If they started that, killing the other one will be difficult."


    "Then send his AI on sick leave. Give it six hours of reboot time. If he tries to initiate another AI, then you are to sneak in and do the same. It is time to clean out the scum. I want him to feel as helpless as his experiment victims do." commanded Yang Dao.


    The chopper will take a few hours to reach the place where the elemental park was built. In the meantime, RALF left no effort to clean up New Dawn. Yang Dao also mobilized the shadow guards to take out the superhuman puppets all over the world. In three hours, almost a hundred covert strikes were committed.


    None of the familiars were involved in this operation. They all had their own tasks. Feng Yun had been away from the office for a couple of months and now was the time she took back the command. Laohu Bai and the rest were also busy. They had to settle their affairs and all-cause and effect before they left this world.


    Yang Dao had decided to learn the water element after he was done with the initial strike on New Dawn. Then only will he take down Omega in person, Yang Dao could now sense that Omega was not a simple human. When any person is thinking against natural flow, they are called imbalance, but when this imbalance begins to devour the Dao of the world, they become entities similar to the obscurities in the void.


    The sensation from Omega was similar to what Yang Dao had when fighting the void monsters this time. The Dao of the world was the balance of nature. The balance of order and chaos work together so that the life cycle is not affected. Omega was a person who was affecting both order and chaos to fulfill his goals.


    Yang Dao was monitoring the situation in the headquarters of The New Dawn, RALF reported that Omega lost his patience but quickly calmed down to develop the counter plan. He still wanted to carry out his plans but was unable to get a hold of his members.


    Yang Dao also found out that twenty shadow guards died in the battles. He sighed and asked the rest to bring them back home and give them an honorable funeral. He also gave the rest of the participating Shadow Guards praise and asked them to take a rest.


    How many people did not know his strength in the shadow guards? They all knew that even their boss, Feng Yun was weaker than the young master. So, his praise meant a lot to them. The shadow guards were all orphans and rejects of the society, Feng Yun gave them a purpose and Yang Dao extended that purpose by letting them take off their masks and rejoin the society in form of welfare workers.


    They could not thank him enough even if they wanted to. So, when they were sent out on missions, they will do their best to accomplish it, even if it meant to lay down their life.


    If Omega had a force that devoured the Dao. Then Dao had a force that guarded it at all costs. The shadow guards were spread all over the world. Just like the New Dawn, but they were more patient, they only came out when summoned.


    A lot of them were rescued people and fighting against New Dawn was what they sought after so these people never thought much of their lives if they could take down even one of New Dawn''s pawn.


    Yang Dao did not wait for the people to escape and asked the premiere to mobilize the troops on covert tasks. They were all responsible to clear up the New Dawn bases and remove the leftover trash. As these commands were being carried out, Yang Dao landed on a helipad in the middle of the elemental park.


    RALF got down first and held the door open for him. Yang Dao came down and said, "RALF, take the picture frame and come along."


    The bot did as commanded. The two were greeted by the park management and led to the entrance. Yang Dao had two stone pillars erected, carved with the spirit creatures he saw engraved on the land of the spirit''s entrance.


    Sushi peeked out of his hair and said, "Master, this place looks like..."


    Yang Dao did not wait for her to complete and said, "The adaptation of land of spirits, how about it, do you like it?"


    They communicated telepathically. The tiny girl flew out of his hair and vanished for a second. The next moment she appeared and said, "This place is very well imitated, but it lacks the concentration of spirit or source energy."


    Yang Dao nodded and said, "It will be fine in a bit." He asked for the staff to get him a ladder.


    The frame mount was made on the entrance arch, the design was sturdy and looked assimilated with the rest of the work, Yang Dao climbed the ladder, later with the use of a rope he pulled over the picture and removed the bubble wrap before he erected the frame. The picture was made in such a way that it was visible from both sides.


    Sushi said, "Master, the concentration of source energy has increased. Ho..." her gaze fell on the picture and she smiled in understanding.


    The phoenix was the reason why the source of energy increased so drastically. It was not only the fire elemental but the frame, Yang Dao had carved a few glyphs on the frame, these glyphs attracted the source energy of the rest of the elements.


    He jumped down the archway giving the people a scare, the height was 20 meters, however, when he landed on the ground, he said, "Only clean the glass on this frame and not the outsides, the carvings are delicate."


    The glyphs also had anti-theft signs, touching them would send someone to the other side. So, he covered that up. Just as he was about to go and look around, the media people came over, and a call from Feng Yun.


    The call made Yang Dao frown hard, and the surrounding air, became cold all of a sudden.

 Chapter 413: One Sword.

    Yang Dao was touring around the elemental park with the reporters when he received a phone call from Feng Yun. The content of the call was not known to anyone but they all sensed the air becoming chilly all of a sudden. The boy put down the phone and said, "I apologize to you, friends, but something came up. I have to go. You all are free to trou around and experience the park."


    Then he turned to the management staff and nodded to them. The staff took his hint and took the media people around the park. Yang Dao got on the helicopter with RALF. He said, "Go to Emerald City."


    This place was an entertainment hub of the country. People from all over the world visited here to indulge in pleasure. You can find anything here, as long as you have money. The goods were all guaranteed to be top quality.


    The reason Yang Dao was called over by Feng Yun was that they found some traces of hyper humans. These hyper humans were not the normal strike team force, but they were spies and traffickers. Despite being almost omnipotent the Femiliars could not sense these obscurities. They were to guard the Dao Child and the Dao Child was to deal with the obscurities.


    This was the work chain, Feng Yun told him on the phone that some of the shadow guards have perished in the region, and they had narrowed down the list to retainer forces of New Dawn. The boy was angry.


    During the flight, he did not speak or say anything but closed his eyes and meditated. The pilot notified him after two hours, "Young Master, we have entered the Emerald city airspace."


    Yang Dao opened his eyes and said, "Keep her in the air." and with a wave of his hand, the door of the cabin opened. He did not jump but began to sense where the Hyper humans could be. The outcome was not very pleasing.


    The obscurity was sensed on the highway leaving the city. There were twenty hyper humans, and they all had a hostage with themselves. He said, "RALF, direct Feng Yun to my location."


    With that said, he dived down. His figure fell from the sky at a high speed and wings of azure condensed on his back, while he fell. As soon as the wings finished condensing, the boy flickered. He was a thousand feet above so no one heard, but a loud boom sounded.


    Yang Dao went supersonic. He reached the target in a few seconds. However, he was detected by the scouting hyper humans. They were all fleeing in cars, the headquarter was not contactable for more than twenty minutes so as per their orders they all were to head back to where they came from.


    Scouts sensed Yang Dao approaching and they told the rest to engage the enemy. They did not stop the cars but leaned outside the windows and with their guns and shoot at Yang Dao. Who knew that the wind would form a circle around the boy and make the bullets fly away.


    The density of the air around Yang Dao was not less than the earth beneath his feet. Yang Dao flew over and passed the four cars. He landed on the ground and with a stomp of his feet, earth spikes formed, piercing through the levitating cars, making them stop in their tracks.


    The hyper humans were not slow, they all rushed out of the cars with the hostages in front of them. They had taken up children as their hostages and had guns pointed at their temples. The children were all crying. Yang Dao did not act rashly. His eyes changed into DAO PATTERN.


    The next moment, the hyper humans saw him move and they shot. However, the weird thing was that Yang Dao did not get hit by even one of the bullets. He kept dodging the bullets, and the Hyper human who had taken his hand off of the child in front of him, Yang Dao appeared, held the child in his arms, and vanished.


    This did not happen to only one of the children but all of the hostages were rescued in this way. Suddenly they heard a snap and found that Yang Dao was standing at the same place as before, but this time behind him were all their hostages. What happened earlier was a simple illusion cast by the Dao Child infusing the laws of Light and Dark.


    At this moment, Feng Yun arrived. She looked at the children and said, "Master, I apologize, I will take care of it."


    Yang Dao shook his head and said, "Step back. They will help me test my speed and sword."


    As soon as his words dropped, the vermillion sword appeared in his hands. His long hair fluttered in the wind as he held the sword and walked forward step by step. The heroic majesty he had around himself was something that Feng Yun had never seen before.


    The shadow guards also appeared behind her, they wanted to act but Feng Yun shook her head and said, "Wait and watch."


    Yang Dao vanished and a vermillion light flashed, and then a head flew in the sky. Feng Yun was surprised to see this, she did not know that the boy was so strong. The hyper humans had finished their bullets earlier when they fell into the illusion earlier.


    The illusion did not mess with real actions committed by the person. They decisively gave up their guns and took out the swords. Yang Dao smiled and said, "That is the spirit. Come."


    The clash began, Feng Yun cast a barrier and had the government close the highway. The whole scene was echoing with tinkling sounds. The swords collided with each other. What surprised the people was that Yang Dao fought with the hyper humans alone and he was not at a disadvantage.


    His speed and reactions were far higher than the hyper humans. The enemy did not expect the boy to be so strong. It was as if he was playing with them. A few of the shadow guards were already down on their knees.


    Feng Yun was surprised as well but Yang Dao gave her a shock when he mumbled, "Dao Yin was ten times stronger. What a waste."


    The next moment a sharp intent covered the surroundings and Yang Dao softly said, "One Sword."


    His sword trembled, the scene turned silent. The hyper humans froze, as he stored the sword in the sheath on his waist (they would appear together in the last position as he wore them). The hyper humans fell to the ground. Or precisely, their heads fell to the ground, followed by the bodies.


    Just one sword strike and Yang Dao killed nineteen hyper humans. Feng Yun said, "Sword Intent. When did he achieve this?"


    Yang Dao did not tell them about this. He trained in the Dao Space with Dao Yin and this was the result.

 Chapter 414: Simple Dao.

    Yang Dao moved back towards the crowd but he did not forget to snap his fingers. The snap ignited a fire so strong that it evaporated all the corpses in an instant. His actions were so domineering that the Shadow Guards were charmed.


    Feng Yun shook her head and smiled at him. She asked, "When did you pick up the art of posing?"


    Yang Dao smiled brightly at her and asked, "These people were weaker than the strike teams we have faced."


    Feng Yun nodded and said, "They are the retainers, the weaker hyper humans."


    "There must be others like them. Where are they?" asked Yang Dao in a cold voice. He wanted to kill all of these hyper humans.


    Feng Yun said, "Do not worry, Master. Xiao Bai has gone to take care of this."


    Yang Dao nodded and said, "RALF could not track these guys invading?"


    He was confused about this. How could his AI not detect these people invading the territory? It was not that weak. Feng Yun said, "You will have to ask the bot himself. I have no idea how this technology works."


    Yang Dao nodded and asked the shadow guards to send the hostages back to their families and compensate them for the physical and mental trauma. He and Feng Yun took flight and came to the helicopter. The first thing Yang Dao did was to ask the RALF bot, "Did you not track these hyper humans entering the territory?"


    The bot replied, "The enemy has mastered the ways to avoid satellite scanning. There are loopholes as the satellites fly past, they leave a time window for the intruders to get past. I apologize for not notifying you earlier."


    Yang Dao raised his eyebrow, "If you knew there was a problem, then have you figured out the solution?"


    RALF said, "Yes, the solution has been figured out and will be executed tomorrow in the morning. We will be deploying wind turbines. The turbines will be supported by a helium balloon. It will be kept in a range where the gas does not expand more than the balloon''s limit. The turbine will be connected to the ground with a high tensile cable. This will allow the connected area to harness the energy, and also, the turbine unit is equipped with a scanner. It can help us monitor a lot of things."


    Yang Dao nodded and said, "Next time, the same error should not occur."


    "Yes, Master." replied the bot. Feng Yun did not say anything as she sat in the helicopter. The technology had advanced to the point where the fossil fuel engines were replaced by electric and in the case of the chopper they were riding, it was nuclear, they could fly in a place till the rest of the parts could support it.


    They headed home as the boy suddenly asked Feng Yun, "How is Lisa? I have not heard a word about her training."


    Feng Yun replied with a smile, "They were deployed after your commands in the morning. They will be coming back at the moment. Also, you might be surprised when you see them. Do not be too gaffed then or you will be embarrassed."


    Yang Dao opened his eyes wide and asked, "That awesome? I will try it myself. Humph. Also, who are they?"


    He was not told about Kiya and Mika at all. Feng Yun replied, "Won''t you know when you see people?"


    Yang Dao squinted his eyes. He knew that this lady will not be saying anything so he did not bother to push further. It will take him a few hours to get back home so he just closed his eyes and meditated. Feng Yun was sitting across from him, the cabin was a luxurious one so the seats were not connected.


    RALF sat beside Feng Yun and asked, "Madam, the housekeeping staff would like to know what shall be served in dinner."


    Feng Yun said after some thought, "Have them make Master''s favorite and also order black currant ice cream."


    Yang Dao heard this and a faint smile appeared on his face. He was that simple of a person. After a few hours, the helicopter landed inside the courtyard mansion. The people got off, Yang Dao said, "Luster, Shadow, go play."


    The two beasts appeared and after rubbing their heads against him they left to meditate in the pavilion. Yang Dao shook his head and said, "I do not understand, when were these guys so diligent."


    Sushi popped out from his hair bed and she said, "They are competing with Amber. They also wish to talk to you like she can."


    Yang Dao smiled and said, "Oh, this is good. But remind them not to be too blinded by this competition. Okay?"


    Sushi nodded and said, "Leave it to me, master. Also, can I have some ice cream later?"


    Yang Dao chuckled and said, "Okay, you foodie."


    Sushi flew off and Yang Dao walked to the entrance of the house. Suddenly the hair on the back of his neck stood up and the boy cast an earth wall behind him. The next moment he turned around and his bow was already aimed at the direction from where he sensed the killing intent.


    However, he calmed down soon as well, he found Feng Yun had not attacked but was smiling. She said, "You have three targets. They will come at you with the intent to kill, you have to find them soon. If they can land a single attack on you, then you lose, but to win you will have to defeat them to immobility and you cannot use flight."


    Yang Dao shook his head and said, "This is unfair. Why am I not allowed to use my full strength? The enemy will not give them this much leeway."


    Feng Yun smirked and said, "They said, you will not agree. Seems like they have a better understanding of you, Master."


    Yang Dao raised his eyebrow and with some irritation, he said, "Then I will not be holding back my punches."


    If the people knew that their teasing backfired they will puke blood. The EQ of the Dao Child had improved but he was still very much of a simpleton. Before Feng Yun could say and thing. Yang Dao vanished. She sighed and said, "I am sorry girls. You are on your own."

 Chapter 415: Lure.

    Yang Dao vanished from the courtyard. He did not bring along his spirit aids. Amber was on his finger but he did not intend to call her out. He can still deal with humans on his own. His elemental sense covered the whole city but he could not find any suspicious movement. However, he was not that simple.


    The boy rushed to the city center and climbed on top of the highest building he could spot in the vicinity. He looked around and said, "So, you can blend, but, does that make a difference?"


    The opponent seemed to be good and blending in with the rest of the world to avoid his detection. The city was their playground. However, he was sure that these guys were not able to cover such a big area on their own.


    He opened his dao eyes and looked for not humans, but digital equipment. Surely, he found mini sensors all over the city. He was surprised to see the people plan for all his movements. These sensors were something he was familiar with. You need to feed the details in the system and they will only sense the specific person or object that you wish to.


    This was a device developed by RALF. Suddenly, Yang Dao tilted his head, and a wax bullet flew past his ears. He smirked and vanished.


    On a building, one kilometer away from Yang Dao, Mika was lying down on her belly as she looked through the scope of the sniper rifle. She cursed, "You sure, this guy is not a hyper human? He dodged the propelled bullet."


    The bullet she shot was not a normal wax bullet but a piece of tech. This bullet was twice faster than the normal bullet. Yet Yang Dao dodged it. Lisa''s voice sounded in her ear, "Why are you still not moving. He is better than a hyper-human. He must have sensed the changes in the wind and back-tracked you. Move, or he will get you."


    Mika woke up and said, "Yes, I am moving."


    Suddenly, her body was covered with goosebumps, and the next moment she sensed an impact from her temples. The whole body was immobilized and her sense of direction was disoriented. She heard a cold voice, "Going somewhere? Without even greeting me, Mika?"


    She raised her head as her feet staggered. She moved her hand a strong wave of fire rushed toward Yang Dao. However, the attack was nullified with a snap. The fire wave she cast flew away with a gust of wind.


    The next moment Yang Dao appeared in front of him and landed a punch directly on her diaphragm. This punch was called a solar plexus. The impact on the diaphragm made Mika unable to breathe as she gasped on the wind.


    She did not expect Yang Dao to use such a heavy hand on her. She almost thought that she was going to die. The lack of oxygen made her body keel over as she fell to the ground. Yang Dao waved his hand and a wave of earth source energy healed her ailment. She took deep breathes. The boy sat down next to her and asked with a smile, "Long time no see."


    Mika gave him a smile that was uglier than her crying face and said, "Yang Dao, hehehe, long time no see."


    The boy smiled at her and asked, "If you tell me where your two teammates are, I will not do anything."


    The threat is his warm voice was so cold that it made the girl shiver. She gulped and said, "Are you still the boy, who saved my life?"


    Yang Dao said, "Who asked you to play this game with me?"


    Mika thought for a bit and found that it was them, who wanted to go at it. She sighed and said, "You have taken me out. Getting caught by the enemy means, I am dead. Dead people tell no stories."


    Yang Dao nodded and said, "Good. For this resolve, I will spare you." and then he chopped on her neck. The girl fainted.


    During the whole time, he was scanning her body with a faint air current, Mika was hurt and the numb sensation in her body did not allow her to trace what the boy was doing. He found a mini-computer on her body. This computer was used in fields to check where the allies and enemies were.


    Yang Dao smiled and fiddled with the mini-computer. It had a few buttons but they were enough for the tech genius to get his way around. Just when he was closed to detecting the opponents, suddenly the signals vanished. He raised his eyebrow in surprise as he mumbled, "Very determined."


    The opponent had directly switched off their mini computers to resist his detection. Now they could not communicate with each other. However, Yang Dao knew it was not that simple. For people who had covered the whole city to track him. They will not fall into his hands so easily. He again opened his Dao eyes as he sat next to Mika.


    Suddenly he smiled, he gazed at Mika and tilted his head. He said, "I am not allowed to fly, but you are."


    Mika was not actually fainted, she was just disoriented. When Yang Dao hit her neck, she had her source energy cover her brain to keep her awake. However, now that she heard his low voice, she shivered.


    Yang Dao turned out to be a monster, she regretted having been provoked now. The boy stood up and moved his hands. Mika''s body flew in the void, she gulped and heard Yang Dao say, "Go up."


    Mika did not dare to open her eyes but she sensed herself flying higher with every passing movement. Then she heard a soft voice in her ears.


    "If you wish to not fall like this then, call out your friends."


    Mika mumbled, "When did I fall?"


    The next moment a scream rang out.

 Chapter 416: Scary Prowess.

    Yang Dao had no intention of going easy on these people. Since they sought a leeway in banning his flight, then he decided to give it to them hard and cold. He had to bend the wind to carry Mika to the sky at a height of a thousand feet.


    Mika might have her eyes closed but she could tell by the chill she sensed around her. She was aware that Yang Dao had sent her high in the sky but what she did not expect was that the boy will cruelly drop her down.


    A thousand feet high above the land. A free fall from such a height will make her body turn into a puddle of minced meat on contact. She could not believe Yang Dao would be so cruel, but life was not something that would go around as she thought of it too. She screamed at the top of her voice.


    However, it was already evening and no one can see her except elementalists. Yang Dao had cast a barrier around her. He did it to lure out the other people in their team. Tactical understanding, if you are a good team, you will not abandon your people, and you will have more than one ways to keep a tag on them.


    This was why Mika was treated so. His Dao Eyes and elemental sense were constantly scanning the surroundings. What he relied on was not the movements in humans, but the movement of elements. If an Elementalist had a turbulent mindset then the source energy around him will have slight effects.


    Yang Dao could sense even the minute changes of the source energy. He did not care about the girl falling from the sky. With a wave of his hand, Mika began to ascend the sky, as she reached the top the boy turned her so that her face looked down at the earth. After she reached the height of a thousand feet, the levitation force vanished.


    Mika screamed in a muffled voice. The air was distorting her voice and it even made it hard for her to breathe.


    ...


    Kiya had a binocular in her hands, watching all that was happening. She had her pretty mouth open wide enough to fit an egg. She could not believe Yang Dao to be so bullish. Her heart shivered. She mumbled, "This guy is the same, Yang Dao."


    Lisa beside her said, "Kiya, calm down. This will put us in a problem. Lisa will be fine. Master is not a monster."


    Her voice charmed Kiya, however, that momentary unrest was what Yang Dao was looking for. Standing at the top of a building, Yang Dao spotted the two people he was looking for. Kiya''s emotional stress gave it away. However, he did not act immediately. He wanted to take down these two at the same time.


    He kept Mika on the elevator and laid down on the terrace. He scanned the surroundings for the sensors. Then he smiled with a sly expression on his face. He waved his hands and the floor next to him began to squirm. The floor turned into a figure that looked exactly like him. It did leave a hole in the floor, exposing the floor below.


    Yang Dao decided to fix this later. The stone figure stood up and slowly walked around in a circle. He could make a statue court of the earth, then he can control the statue as well. The statue was the decoy. The Dao Child controlled in a way that would gain the attention of the two ladies. He silently let Mika down, she has fainted after her fifth ride up and down.


    Yang Dao sensed the movement of the two ladies and immediately moved. His first target was Kiya. Lisa had taken the initiative to chase after the statue based on the input of the sensors. Too bad that the sensors cannot provide a proper image. The scanned target will look like a dot on the radar.


    The boy exploited this and rushed from the backside of the building, he was forbidden to fly but not to glide down. Also, how would the sensors pick him up if he traveled by earth? Yes, by earth and not on it. As soon as the boy landed on the ground, he seemed to have vanished in the earth.


    Elemental god-prince can bend the element to his will but for some weird reasons and concepts, he could also make his body blend with the elements. He could not get his body to vanish in the air, without being detected, but under the ground, he can.


    The human body and the earth were both solid, making it easier to blend. The boy moved through the earth at a comfortable pace. Kiya was seven hundred meters away from him in a straight line. He was also mindful of the earthen statue. He was trying to move it around the streets while trying to avoid the sensors.


    Suddenly, the puppet started running in a direction the same as Yang Dao.


    Lisa noticed this, she thought that Yang Dao had found out about Kiya. She picked up her comm-set and said, "Kiya, master is heading your way."


    "He.." Kiya''s voice sounded and it broke before she could finish her words. At this moment, Yang Dao stood in front of her, holding her gun aimed at her head. He had a sunny smile on his face. He said, "I did not expect my class representative to have become so raunchy now. What happened to you, Kiya?"


    The girl gulped and said, "Can we talk after you put the gun away from my face?"


    Yang Dao flickered and appeared behind her. He said, "Yes, why not?"


    He did not give her a chance to mobilize her source energy and fainted her. Next he carried her over his shoulder and moved away. Lisa had discovered that she was chasing a dud, she did not find any movements on her sensors. She could sense the water vapors in the surroundings but even so, she found no clues.


    Her only option was not to find her two compatriots, if she wished to have a chance at winning this.

 Chapter 417: Defeat.

    While Lisa was running back to their hideout in the abandoned house of a building. Yang Dao had brought Kiya to the top of the building where Mika was lying on her back. He had her hands and legs bound in the concrete of the floor.  He was not too rash, just enough to hold her in place.


    Yang Dao placed Kiya next to Mika. He said, "I know you all have mastered that trick to get up quickly. So, better not play dead on me."


    His eyes were still scanning the surroundings. The reason he took out these two first was that he want to dedicate complete attention to Lisa. That girl had more than one card up her sleeve. She had better and longer training than these two. Her voice could hypnotize the targetted person.


    The first thing he did was to cast a sound isolation barrier around his ears. The barriers can not be sensed by anyone. Amber spoke in his mind, "Master, should I act?"


    Yang Dao refused, "Let me handle this on my own." he wanted to see, what was the extent of these three. The two girls in front of him were good. Mika was just like a new flame, and she was getting used to the temper and steadiness of a fire.


    Kiya had panicked a little before but she had displayed calmness of the earth when Yang Dao morphed out of the ground. Her first reaction was to take a step back and pick up her gun. What happened next was not expected by Yang Dao. She took a shot at his head.


    Thanks to his fast reflex and observation, he cast a wind wall in front of him. Then he snatched her gun with a quick grab and chop. That was the moment when Lisa contacted her, she instinctively wanted to answer but when she saw the sunny smile on Yang Dao''s face, the girl fell in a daze.


    Hearing what he said just now, the two woke up and Yang Dao sat in front of them. His gaze did not have many emotions. Mika asked Kiya in a low voice, "Do you think, sister Lisa can take him on?"


    Kiya gazed at the boy and shrugged her shoulders. She did not say much and just shook her head. She recalled the level of Yang Dao''s strength was already on par with the military instructors when they were in freshmen year, so how can Lisa take him on after two years?


    Mika opened her eyes wide, after their missions together she had come to worship Lisa for her skills. Yet, Kiya so easily said that Lisa will lose. She did not believe it. Suddenly, she saw Yang Dao taking out a bow from out of nowhere.


    Her eyes were open wide, brimming with disbelief. Yang Dao stretched the bowstring into a full moon as he aimed in a seemingly random direction. There was no arrow on the bow yet. The boy exhaled and let go of the bowstring.


    ZHENG...


    Accompanied by the vibration of the bowstring, a wind storm started. The girls could only squint their eyes as their hair fluttered against the strong winds. The people in the city did not know why the wind suddenly picked up the pace.


    In such a strong wind, anyone will stop but not an assassin. Lisa was a trained assassin, she did not think this storm was set off by Yang Dao. The boy did not bend the wind with his source energy because he was smarter. Lisa would be able to sense the disturbance in source energy. The bow was strong enough to set off a strong wind that was no less than a storm.


    He mumbled, "Now, show yourself."


    His eyes turned into dao eyes. The stormy wind became a river of light, and the objects in the landscape became dark stones. What he was looking for was a pebble, moving in the wind. And surely, he found this pebble. As soon as he found it he snapped his fingers and the storm vanished. He turned around with his gaze focused on the door leading to the terrace.


    He said, "You can come out. I will not say again, Lisa."


    Lisa walked out from behind the darkness of the door. She asked, "Shall we fight master?"


    Yang Dao nodded and said, "Very well." and with a welcoming gesture, he asked her to come to the center of the terrace.


    Lisa walked over, holding a dagger and a gun in her hand. She said, "Master, your hair, looks very good."


    Yang Dao smiled and said, "These, well sister Yun gave them to me."


    This compliment from Lisa was actually to test the mental state of the boy in front of her. However, she did not expect him to reply like this. She went into a daze for a second, and Yang Dao moved against her. He would never give a chance to his enemy.


    The reason he was able to talk unfretted with Lisa was that he used lip-reading and not ears. His speed was so fast that Lisa immediately became flustered. She avoided the first blow but the next second a strong gust pushed her to Yang Dao.


    Before she could even have the time to react, a punch landed on her abdomen. Making her empty out her lungs. She took a couple of steps back. She was not expecting Yang Dao to use elements in such a manner.


    She did not lose hope but agitated the water source energy in the surroundings to cast a fog around themselves. This way she concealed herself from Yang Dao. The Dao child had yet to learn the water element. However, he could still use his dao eyes. That is what he did at that moment.


    In such situations, the people all guard their backs, and sides subconsciously. This makes their frontal defense weak. Lisa attacked Yang Dao with no intent in her heart. Normally, the boy would have been unable to sense her, and he had also blocked all sounds from reaching him. However, he could see everything as clear as crystal.


    Lisa did not attack him but she was going to help her friends. They have a better chance at winning this together, but Yang Dao did not want them to win. So he bent the concrete on the floor to immobilize the three of them in one place.


    He said in a soft voice, "You lose."

 Chapter 418: Enlightenment.

    Yang Dao stood on the terrace, looking at the three girls sitting immobilized in front of him. After Lisa acknowledged the defeat, he waved his hand to remove their restraints. He did not talk but controlled the earth statue to come back to the place. There was still a big hole in the terrace.


    The puppet came back soon and Yang Dao filled the hole back to its real state. His hair fluttered along with the wind. He asked, "Do you have nothing to say?"


    He could sense the surprise in the gazes of the three people. Mika said, "I want to ask you, who is the real Yang Dao? The one who saved my life in the race, or the one who almost killed me today?"


    Yang Dao smiled, "Real me is the one who acts according to the situation, with everything in my mind. That day, in the race, you were my competitor doing your best to defeat me, but you met an accident, so I saved your life. Today, you were competing with me again, but you had helpers, I need you to get to them so the thrill. However, I had no intent to hurt you."


    Mika sighed and nodded. Kiya said, "Were you this strong from day one of the college?"


    Yang Dao shook his head, "That was the day, I found out my real identity."


    Kiya asked, "The younger brother of President Feng?"


    The young man shook his head and said, "The master, of heavenly spirit beasts. One of them is President Feng, the vermillion phoenix."


    The two people were shocked but then they erupted in a burst of laughter. Lisa was the only one, who had a calm face. She was mentally prepared, she was aware that Feng Yun and the others were not normal people. The things they did were not something a normal human can achieve. How can she forget the night she was rescued, and the moment Feng Yun gave her that treatment. She was able to hear it all but did not know what the tears of the phoenix meant, till now.


    Yang Dao sighed and his temperament changed from a mortal to an entity that transcended mortals. The laughter from the two people gradually faded. Yang Dao said, "This world is governed by the four elements. It is made up of eight laws. It signifies the balance of order and chaos. This world is where people start their journey to reach the great dao.


    I am the mortal representation of the Dao. I am the Dao Child of heavens. I represent the order of the Dao. The four elements and the eights laws are ruled over by the four heavenly spirit beasts. The Vermillion Phoenix, The White Tiger, The Azure Dragon, The black Turtle.


    We are here to restore the balance of the world. That is our purpose here. That is our identity."


    His voice made their hearts calm down. They sensed a peace like never before. They gazed at Yang Dao and found three halos intersecting with each other hovering over his head. Just looking at those halos made them gain a deeper understanding of their elements.


    Lisa asked, "Master, can I follow by your side."


    She did not need any other clarifications. She believed in Yang Dao with all her heart and soul. She only wished to be with him. Yang Dao said, "If you wish to, you may."


    Lisa knelt on the ground and said, "Thank you, Master."


    Yang Dao did not mind one more to follow along. Also, Lisa had no ties in this world. Kiya and Mika hesitated a bit. They did trust Yang Dao because till a few months ago, they never thought that elements can be bent and controlled as well.


    However, despite all that, they had ties and relations in the world that cannot be dealt with so simply. Yang Dao was aware of it and said, "We have time before the final battle comes. We will leave after that only. I suggest to we all grow stronger and if you wish to follow me, solve your entanglement. We do not know when we will be coming back. The choice is yours. Come to me when you have decided."


    Mika and Kiya exchanged a glance and nodded. The former said, "Can you teach me how to use elements in close combat?"


    Yang Dao smiled and said, "Lesson one, you need to stop hesitating. You practice the fire element. You are spontaneous, wild, brave. However, that is just the initial state of fire. You need to be consistent, calm, steady."


    He waved his hand and a fire plume blossomed above his palm. Slowly the chaotic plume of fire became a flame lit on a candle. Then it turned to a bird and began to fly around. With a snap of Yang Dao''s finger, it erupted like a cracker and floated in the void like sparks.


    Mika could not believe that the Fire element can look so delicate and exquisite. He looked at Kiya and said, "You practice the earth element. You need to be more confident, Kiya."


    He exerted a little strength from his feet and a lot of dominos protruded out of the floor. Then suddenly they began to fall, tipping the one next to them. The pattern they formed was a complex one. Yang Dao said, "The simple can be complex and the complex can be simple. Understand?"


    Kiya nodded and the dominos melted back on the floor. Yang Dao said, "Lisa, I am yet to learn about water, but I will tell you one thing. Water is not only flexible if used with enough pressure, but it can also cut through diamonds."


    Lisa nodded and said, "Thank you for your advice, Master. I will remember it."


    Yang Dao smiled and said, "How about we go to the sapphire residency? I have not cooked for you all in a long time. Also, Kiya and I have a graduation party due."


    Kiya said, "I graduated too. Did a thesis in physics. RALF assisted."


    Yang Dao chuckled and said, "Cheating is a bad thing, Class Rep."


    The people came down the terrace of the building amidst laughter. The competition had finished, now they were friends. Lisa rushed ahead and got a car for them to ride. The three girls were laughing and smiling but they all understood one thing. Yang Dao was not the man they thought he was. He is something very simple yet out of the scope of understanding.


    They all were enlightened about Dao, at the same time.

 Chapter 419: Served.

    Yang Dao did not say anything when he saw them all immersed in enlightenment. He drove the car slowly without disturbing them. The levitating cars were completely shock-resistant. So it was not a difficult task for him. On the way, he took a quick stop at the grocery market and bought new vegetables.


    When they reached home, the guards checked the car, after the initial surprise of Yang Dao''s return they saluted him with a smile and let them pass. The young man parked the car and boarded the elevator without the girls.


    They will wake up when they wake up. It was time for him to cook food. The house was also equipped with the RALF AI system. Yang Dao was approaching the door and was about to knock when the door was opened from inside. He heard a mechanical voice, "Welcome home master."


    Yang Dao nodded and got inside. After changing his shoes for the slippers, he headed to the kitchen. Placed his supplies inside and went to take a shower. He said, "RALF, pull up all those who helped New Dawn. Every single person, all tracks."


    RALF replied, "Yes, master."


    Yang Dao took a shower and changed his clothes. He walked to the kitchen with his hair slightly damp. He said, "It is a pain to manage these long hair."


    That said, he began to take out supplies and started to cook. RALF said, "Master, the data you asked for is ready."


    Yang Dao nodded and said, "Play some dark instrumental music."


    As his hands began to dance with the knife, the music began to play in the background. Yang Dao was thinking about how to deal with those who helped the obscurities. This was something he did not need to do, but he thought while driving the car back.


    What was it that made people devour the order and chaos of the world, what made them go against nature and harm the elements of humanity within themselves? They may not have been altered by the New Dawn but they had committed the sins. As the music played and the boy dwelled over it again.


    Suddenly, the track ended and another began to play.


    Yang Dao stirred the vegetables in the pan and said, "RALF, segregate these people on a scale of one to ten based on the severity of their crimes. The dirtiest of them will be placed the highest on the scale."


    RALF replied, "Yes, Master."


    It did not make the system more than a couple of seconds before it said, "Master, it is done."


    Yang Dao asked, "Tell me the most severe crime of these people."


    The system said, "Human trafficking and organ trafficking."


    Yang Dao raised his eyebrow and as he sprinkled the condiments inside the dish he said, "Issue the killing order for these people."


    RALF was a machine and had no sentiments, he said, "Affirmative Master."


    Yang Dao asked, "Deal with the rest. Murderers, Rapists, all are to be executed after torture. Leave the evidence against them beside their corpses. Those who were included in transporting the humans to New Dawn, have their limbs removed.


    Those who sold out their close ones for money, have them bankrupted. They must never be able to live a lavish life, have their money donated worldwide. Those who conspired for their own advantages, are to be imprisoned.


    Those who got promoted are to be fired and investigated. Understood. I want all this done by the morning tomorrow."


    The system replied, "Noted, master."


    RALF began to direct commands to the people who were tasked to execute the punishments. Yang Dao was not a demon who would live his life in absolutes. He dealt the punishments according to the crimes of these people. He understood that the punishment was necessary but it was also necessary to not be excessive.


    The bigger the crime, the bigger the support needed. If you break the support, you stop the crime. Altering humans was a crime against humanity and nature. RALF said, "Master, a team from the shadow guards is asking if the death should be accidental or not?"


    Yang Dao was preparing the glazing sauce, he said, "Those who did nothing good, they do not need any dignity. Expose their crimes, assassinate. Since they went against nature, let their death be against nature as well. However, leave no traces."


    If this Yang Dao was seen by the others they will be shocked. The boy was so cold and unfeeling when he said all these sentences that even the Golden Crow inside the ring was trembling from his core.


    Yang Dao was the Dao Child of Heavens, he would not have taken such actions if he had not met with Dao Yin. She had taught him that when dealing with the enemy, one must not look at the cruelty but the virtue of the one being punished. The only thing that could save people from being punished in hell was their good karma.


    The job of the Dao Child was to punish their physical self. The soul will be judged by the court of death and life. Yang Dao had done just that. As the boy finished his sentences, his hands also came to a stop. He was dealing with a dessert when he told the people to deal in kind.


    At this moment the door of the apartment swung open. Lisa entered with Kiya and Mika. The first thing that attracted them was a faint fragrance of food in the air. Kiya said, "God, how can he cook so well?"


    Mika asked, "Are you not exaggerating?"


    Lisa replied in steed of Kiya, "You will know soon." then she took off her shows and went inside with a slipper.


    RALF''s voice sounded, "Miss Kiya, your slippers are in the left cupboard."


    Kiya replied, "Thank you, RALF." as she found her slippers in the left cupboard. These slippers were the ones she wore when she came here in the past. RALF extracted information from the previous smart system footage.


    Mika was shocked and asked, "Who was that?"


    She did not know about RALF. While Mika filled her in, Lisa called them to the dining table. Yang Dao served personally, and the four people ate in peace.


    While outside, Yang Dao''s commands had surprised the four familiars. Atsuki Kurogame said, "Master has met with the dao child of hell. He has learned some good things."


    The other three nodded. They would have to deal with the support by themselves if not for Yang Dao to issue commands. Feng Yun said, "Dao has served a spicy main course to Omega. That guy would never have expected this."

 Chapter 420: Learning.

    Yang Dao''s apartment was big enough for the people to spend a night with not much trouble. Early next morning, the four people headed to the Dao Courtyard mansion. They were talking and laughing as they reached the place.


    Feng Yun was eating breakfast on the table when they arrived. Yang Dao sat down with her and shared a couple of bites. Suddenly, he said, "I want to learn about water elements."


    "Okay, I will inform the eldest about this. You can go directly to him." said the lady.


    Yang Dao nodded and stood up from the table. He said, "I am going to find, Baibai. I need to hone the sword skills."


    Feng Yun nodded and asked him to take care. The three girls still had some time left to complete their training with the shadow guard so they left as well. Yang Dao came out of the house and went to the lady with white hair. He called her directly and found the girl to be busy with rookies in the army training camps.


    Yang Dao took out his bike and rode to the training camp on the outskirts of the city. Soon, he arrived at the destination. He was still listed as the captain in the army. After showing his credentials, the guards let him pass. Laohu Bai had told him to come directly to the training ground. Since he had to visit Atsuji Kurogame later, she did not want to waste his time.


    Yang Dao walked over to the training came and saw a tall heroic girl, wearing a camouflage uniform. She was watching over the recruits marching and practicing various disciplines of the military. The boy walked over to her and greeted her with a crisp salute. He said, "Good morning general."


    Laohu Bai was surprised to hear this, her calm visage leaked a faint smile and said as she nodded, "Good morning, Captain Dao. Ready to spar?"


    Yang Dao nodded. He said, "Let us get it done."


    Laohu Bai asked him what weapon he wanted to use. The young man asked her for a sword. The two people stood in front of each other and attracted a lot of attention. The training instructors all knew the skills of their general. They were surprised to see a young man standing in front of her holding a sword pointed at the lady.


    Yang Dao said, "Ready?"


    Laohu Bai nodded and they shot forward. They both had swords in their hands. In the first blow, they just touched their swords superficially. The surrounding people thought it was easy sparring, but the next moment they were left baffled. The intensity of the sword exchanges increased so much that sparks were flying all over the place.


    What shocked them was not Laohu Bai but Yang Dao. This young man was able to hold his end against the white death. As the spar progressed, Laohu Bai even tried to slip in kicks and punches, but Yang Dao dealt with them all. He was not as naive as he was when he sparred with her for the first time.


    He has come to understand that everything was a mix of order and chaos. Sneak attacks were to balance the frontal combat. The chaos was hidden in order. Yang Dao also threw in a punch of his own and made Laohu Bai retreat by two steps. The people were shocked at this scene. Laohu Bai stomped on the ground and a lot of earth spikes appeared around Yang Dao.


    The boy swung his sword and all the earth spikes turned to dust. Suddenly he dashed forward and stabbed at Laohu Bai with the tip of the blade. The lady was prepared, just as she was about to block the attack, her body froze.


    She was aware of what happened but just as she broke through bondage, a cold metal tip was placed against her nape. She heard a soft voice, "Baibai, you lost."


    Yang Dao has been covering her body with slight dust particles, and just a moment ago, he bent the earth to make that dust gather on her joints and shackle her. Although the lady broke past this shackle all in just one moment. However, Yang Dao was quicker.


    Laohu Bai said, "Master, how do I lose to you every time? It is always a one-sided thrashing."


    Yang Dao said, "It is because you only react when you need to. I act pre-emptively. You have sneak attacks, but I had whole frontal combat set as a facade. This is why you lost." his tone was calm.


    Laohu Bai nodded. They had been fighting for thirty minutes. The young man said, "The sword moves were taught by Dao Yin. They have an impact like none other. Thanks to you, I could get a hold of them properly."


    He had only used these skills in his Dao space and the body had not been used to them yet. After the two exchanged a few words, Yang Dao left the cantonment. The soldiers all stood in shock. They only woke up when Laohu Bai roared in her cold voice.


    ...


    It was lunchtime when Yang Dao came to the place where Atsuji Kurogame lived. It was a lane filled with old-style architecture villas. A place where retired government officials were given a place to live after their tenure. This was to monitor them in the name of honor. The security was also tight. After a few checks when Yang Dao came to the villa, he found Atsuji Kurogame standing at the gate to receive him.


    He got off the bike and asked, "You did not have to come out, elder."


    The old man said, "It is my duty, Master. Please come." and invited him inside. The old man walked half a step behind Yang Dao.


    The boy said, "When can we start?" he was really focused on learning, nothing more.


    Atsuji Kurogame said, "After lunch? Aurora is about to return from school. I hope it is not too late by then for you, Master."


    Yang Dao nodded and said, "Okay."

 Chapter 421: Broke Through.

    Yang Dao sat in the living room, admiring Atsuji Kurogame''s home decor. The place was akin to an antique shop. Old pine wood furniture, paintings, porcelain vases. The old man patiently told him the history behind the objects. A servant served Yang Dao with a glass of water.


    Atsuji Kurogame said, "You came to me to learn about water. You remember that you learned wind from Feng Yun, earth from Ryu Jinshi, and I taught you about fire. I will give you the basic knowledge of water, however, it is better you learn water from Laohu Bai.  How do you think about this?"


    Yang Dao thought and nodded. It was not that he minded who taught him what, he just wanted to learn. Atsuji Kurogame pointed at the water in the cup and asked, "Our mind is akin to water. Our thoughts are like water, flexible. Do you understand?"


    Yang Dao nodded and the old man continued, "The water element inside our body is more than just the blood circulating inside. Reaching the most narrow capillaries with force but still not damaging the veins. Water contains terrifying energy. However, it can also hide it and be humble."


    Atsuji Kurogae preached to the young man for a few minutes before he stopped. Yang Dao was sitting in the same place but his eyes were closed. He was focusing on the basic interaction with water. The old man saw this and made a gesture to cast a barrier around Yang Dao.


    As Yang Dao sat in meditation, a little girl around ten years old walked inside the house holding the hand of a servant of the house. She looked at the person sitting on the couch with great curiosity in her eyes.


    She had black hair and big doe eyes with a glass resting on her nose. Two cute pigtails tying her curly brown hair, her eyes were filled with the playfulness. Her face was very pretty, some baby fat. She cautiously walked over to Atsuji Kurogame. The old man carressed her head gently and asked, "Aurora, how was the day? What did you learn today?"


    The little girl replied, "It was good, Grandpa Atsuji. We learned about water."


    Atsuji Kurogame smiled and asked, "Oh can you recite to grandpa?"


    With a nod the girls started to speak, "Yes, Miss Knight said, Water has no taste, it has no shape. It becomes what you want it to. She told us that the water in the rivers must not be polluted as it brings us life..."


    The girl kept on speaking as she sat next to Atsuji Kurogame. Finally when finishing she asked, "Grandpa, who is this big sister. Also, her hair are so pretty."


    The old man smiled and said, "This big brother is Yang Dao. He is meditating, will wake up in a bit then you can ask him to be your friend."


    The girl smiled brightly and sat down in her place. She was born with a disease, her eyes were terribly weak. A servant bought food over, and Atsuji Kuurogame fed it to the little girl with a gentle smile on his face. Yang Dao woke up half an hour after the people finished eating.


    He looked at the girl and was shocked. He could sense that Aurora had problems with her sight. He asked Atsuji Kurogame, "Elder, this is Aurora?"


    Atsuji Kurogame nodded to him. The old man said, "Aurora, what did I teach you about meeting elders?"


    The little girl stood up from the couch and said, "Hello, big brother Dao. My name is Aurora."


    Yang Dao smiled at her innocent voice, he asked, "Aurora, come here."


    The girl hesitated but she was a child after all. Yang Dao''s call seemed to have hooked her heart. She got off the couch and slowly found her way to the young man after sensing the table in front of her. After a couple of minutes she moved around with her hands stretched. Yang Dao leaned forward and caught her hand.


    Aurora sensed a wave of warmth washing over her her as soon as her hand was taken by him. He asked, "Can I take a look at your eyes?"


    The girl flinched, even if she was eager to befriend him for some unknown reason, she was aware of her weakness and did not want anyone to look down on her. The girl had obviously been bullied by other kids in the school. She thought Yang Dao will also do the same and her eagerness to befriend him diminished.


    Yang Dao understood her heart, he said in a soft voice, "Trust me."


    The girl hesitated and fell into thought, she did not even know when Yang Dao had reached for her glasses and took them off. She was about to complain when she found that her vision, that has always been hazy began to clear up.


    The girl had a spot on her retina. This made her vision blurred. What Yang Dao did just now was to use the drop of phoenix tear. He had smartly used the Dao Resonance to call Aurora close, and then bending the tear into micro particles made them fly to her eyes. The little girl stood their in surprise gazing at the young handsome man in front of him.


    She could not believe herself, Yang Dao pinched her tiny nose gently and said, "It is real."


    The girl let out a yell in her high pitched voice, the servants in the house all came out from the places, they found that the master of the house was present and nothing was wrong so they let out a sigh of relief.


    Yang Dao smiled at the girl and said, "Hello Aurora, my name is Yang Dao."


    Aurora woke up from her excitement and hugged him tight as she said, "Thank you big brother. Now Auro will not be bullied." she had tears in her eyes.


    Yang Dao said, "Aww, who dares to bully the princess of my house. Tell me their names. We will handle them together."


    After teasing her for a bit Aurora went inside to complete her homework. Old man Atsuji said, "Master, thank you for blessing the child."


    Yang Dao replied as he stood up, "It is not a big deal. Do not worry. Also, I have stepped in the first level of water element cultivation. It was thanks to her voice that gave me the much needed inspiration. So, this counts as my pay off. The cause and effect was settled like this."


    Atsuji Kurogame nodded. Turns out that when Yang Dao was stuck, Aurora gave him the push to get through.

 Chapter 422: Goals.

    Yang Dao bade farewell to Atsuji Kurogame and Aurora in the evening. He headed to the Dao Courtyard. As he rode the bike, he found that he did not have anything else to do. His company was being run by the people and his education was complete. The people back at the orphanage were living well.


    These were his goals when he left the orphanage, now after just two years, he has achieved all this. He would not say that it was all because of his effort if he was not supported by Feng Yun and the others, it may have taken him a bit longer to achieve his goals. However, now that all the pursuits have come to the destination, he felt like a headless bee.


    He rode his bike on the road with his mind clouded with thoughts. He did not know what he should do other than practicing with the elements. The more he thought the more agitated he became. His gloom directly affected nature. The winds became swifter and the scenes became damp.


    ...


    Feng Yun was working in her office when she raised her head to look at the scene outside. The mobile placed on her table rang, she picked it up and said, "Hello."


    Laohu Bai''s voice sounded from the other side, "It is because of him."


    Feng Yun nodded and said, "Yes, what do you intend to do by calling me?"


    Laohu Bai said, "I do not know, how-to guide him. It is my responsibility. I can be calm but the guidance. What do I do?" her tone was anxious. She seemed to be troubled.


    Feng Yun said, "This reaction of yours is because you are thinking too much about him being upset. Go and confront him about it. He will tell you."


    How could Feng Yun not see, that Laohu Bai was affected by Yang Dao''s mood? She was affected by it too. She did not want to stay in this place anymore, however, she was aware that this restlessness was just a momentary phase and it will go away. Thus she calmed her heart and got back to her work.


    The best way for her right now was to divert her attention. Yang Dao was her master, and his influence was strong enough for her to lose control of the elements and set the world ablaze. She did not want that. Not only her but the other two were also the same as well. She was calm but she was afraid as well.


    ...


    Atsuji Kurogame was sitting in the backyard of his villa when he sensed all the changes. He sighed and mumbled, "You need to calm down, Master. The restlessness is only temporary."


    He was commenting on Yang Dao''s restlessness. Ryu Jinshi on the other hand busied himself with the care of the old couple. He did not wish to intervene in the natural path of the Dao Child again. If they had not done things that led them to this situation where everything was rushing at a neck-breaking speed then it would not have been like this.


    ...


    While nature was influenced by his mood, the boy seemed to be detached from everything happening around him and kept riding his bike. The boy did not know what he should do at this moment. He did not even know where to go. His mind was so hazy that he took a random road.


    On the other hand, Laohu Bai took off from the training camp and sensing the epicenter of this disturbance, located Yang Dao, on the highway exiting the city. She cast a barrier around herself earlier, so she slowly descended and sat behind Yang Dao on his bike.


    This sudden appearance woke him up. Just as he was about to press the breaks, he heard a soft voice, "Master, what has troubled you so much?"


    He recognized Laohu Bai and said, "I have no goals anymore." he did not intend to hide. He had come to understand that only when you look at things from different perceptions will you be able to solve them quickly. To see the perspectives, you must discuss.


    Laohu Bai leaned her body against him, however, the contact did not have a vulgar emotion. The lady with white hair wanted to console her, and this was how she did things. She said, "Restoring the balance of this realm had always been your unspoken goal. Why do you think, you have no goals?"


    Yang Dao replied, "That is my duty Baibai. A goal is something that will make me improve. You see, how will I improve now? This Dao child thing that made me grow tremendously now seems to have become my shackle. What should I do?"


    The girl nodded and said, "Indeed, however, improvement and growth also needs a break, right? to grow or improve, one must know their shortcomings. You said, that you do not have a goal left, but that is limited to this planet, is it not?"


    Yang Dao nodded, and Laohu Bai said, "Then why do you not look at the stars? They are boundless, if you can step out there, will you not have a goal?"


    Her words shocked the boy, he raised his head to gaze at the sky above his head. Laohu Bai said, "The new goal is to step out of this world, not as an Elementalist but as an astronaut. None of the people have ever touched the moon. You can touch it study it. Teach the world to harvest resources. But you will have to teach them how to give it back and never take more than what they need. Never to exploit it. You can make those things your goal. This will help humanity improve."


    Yang Dao thought for a second. Then he nodded and said, "What you said is good. I will do this on my own, not using RALF''s help."


    With a goal in his mind, the surroundings began to calm down. The two people then rode back to the Dao Courtyard.

 Chapter 423: Fluid.

    Yang Dao at the food with a calm mood. He did not speak much and went inside the room. Feng Yun did not bother with him but asked Laohu Bai, "What did you say to him?"


    Laohu Bai replied, "He was restless because he did not have a goal for his mundane life in this world. He had achieved all his previous goals. Since he wanted to have a goal, I gave him one and a few."


    Feng Yun asked, "What is this goal?"


    "Stepping out to the sea of stars." replied, Laohu Bai.


    Feng Yun opened her eyes wide and said, "You know what will happen once, he achieves that? The humans on this planet are all greedy, they will all start to rush to devour everything they can stand on."


    Laohu Bai smiled and replied, "That is the second goal. To teach people to be restrained. To teach them how to not exploit things. Also, I passed your test."


    Feng Yun suddenly smiled and said, "You did. Thank you for the hard work, Xiao Bai."


    Laohu Bai flicked her hair and said, "Not a big deal."


    The two ladies gazed at each other and then they let out a peal of laughter.


    ...


    Yang Dao sat on the floor of his room, with his eyes closed. Sushi was swimming in the void around him, she was talking to Amber.


    "Sister Amber, what do you think? How long will it take Master to reach the pinnacle of the water element?" Sushi spoke with her spiritual skills.


    Amber was inside the ring, she replied, "I have no idea. In the noon, when Lord Atsuji guided him, Master broke through the first level. Then in the evening, he became restless about something, and only when Lady Bai came did he calm down. So, you can try and make a guess yourself."


    Sushi nodded with a humm. She did not know how would Yang Dao achieve this. She sighed and gave up thinking about it. Yang Dao was not disturbed by what the two entities in his room were doing, he meditated over things and his elemental practice as well. As the sun came up on the horizon he opened his eyes.


    He stood up and went to take a shower. He called Feng Yun and asked her to make a partition inside the lab at the office for him to work separately. Feng Yun did not mind and asked the staff to install a partition wall in the lab. Frieda Foster was the sole ruler of the lab. She found that the partition was being installed because Yang Dao was going to carry out some research work. She was very interested in what the young man would do.


    ...


    It took the people one full day to make the lab as per instructions. Yang Dao came in after the workday was finished and people were clocking out of the office. He greeted the employees with a smile and the people were shocked to see his waist-long mane. The charm he had was broken to a level where females would even stop breathing for the time when they see him.


    Yang Dao got inside the elevator followed by the RALF bot. They came to the lab. Frieda Foster saw him walking in from the glass wall of her part of the lab. She was surprised by his long hair. Yang Dao found her gaze locked on him and looked back at her. He greeted her with a wave of his hand. He came to her lab and asked, "How have you been?"


    The lady nodded and said, "I am fine. What is with the look?"


    Yang Dao smiled and said, "Sister Yun." as he shrugged. Frieda understood that it was because of Feng Yun that he had put this hairstyle.


    The two had a small chat and then Yang Dao came to his room. In his part of the lab, there was just a computer, printer, a shredder, and a pile of drafting paper. He said, "RALF, you are here for security. Stay on stand by and act if someone is approaching. You will inform me before they come in."


    The bot nodded and stood at the door of his lab. Inside the lab, a bed was also placed. It was for Yang Dao''s convenience. The Dao Child took a seat in front of the computer and began to first learn about ''ROCKET SCIENCE''.


    His speed of learning was good but the amount he had to learn was also very big. He did not know how much time he had spent reading the books on the screen and taking down notes. He was also given an honorary student ID at the university, using which he communicated with global peak space researchers.


    The boy did not leave the lab for anything expect, bathing and to attend natural calls. His speed and persistence were shocking. The people in the company were aware that the young master was staying indoors for a week, and did not leave for even a single day. This made them all work in high spirits.  Although the young master had come to the office in a long time, they were aware every time he came, things became busier and the world changed.


    Frieda would have interactions with Yang Dao during their mealtime and when she found out that he was charging to the space, she was surprised. She also began to look forward to the result of his research.


    Feng Yun had a building identical to her Ruby Towers made next to it to serve as the head office of the Dao Technologies. She had a skywalk made between the two buildings and connected them. The next big news was that the company had commissioned an architect to build an air tunnel in the twin tower.


    After the construction was completed, Yang Dao had spent a total of three months in his research to design an aircraft model. This styrofoam model was created with the help of a three-dimensional printer and was to be tested in the air tunnel.


    This model was named Fluid. Yang Dao had not even once taken any assistance from RALF for this. During these three months, the boy had broken through the second level of water element as well. He did not rush forward, but practiced like a river, slowly nourishing the lands.

 Chapter 424: Problem.

    Early morning, Yang Dao pushed the trolley carrying the aircraft model out of the lab. The employees have yet to arrive. He had only finished the final touches last night. So he decided to get things done with not much noise. RALF bot has been standing by at the door of the lab for three months now.


    Yang Dao said as he came out of the lab, "RALF, help me set up the air tunnel."


    The bot nodded and said, "Yes, Master."


    Yang Dao had been very careful when designing the AI program code. He was aware that human beings are driven by their emotions, and these emotions, if not controlled properly will cause things to go into disarray. Thus, he made it so that RALF would understand emotions but never develop some of his own.


    The bot took the lead to push the trolley from the lab to the elevator. They descended two floors, accessed the skywalk, and came to Dao Technologies buildings. They made their way to the Air Tunnel and began to prepare for the test.


    The air tunnel was equipped with a jet turbine to create a strong airflow inside the artificial area. the tunnel was equipped with mini-cameras to keep a record of the activity inside the tunnel. Yang Dao stood outside the tunnel and gazed at the control panel. He heard RALF''s voice on the speaker, "Master, the model is set up. Please check if it is up to your requirement?"


    Yang Dao nodded and checked on the monitor. The various data was being displayed, he calculated it and said, "It is fine, instill the smoke stick and come out. The test begins now."


    RALF nodded and pressed the button below the platform. Their was a stick in front of the platform, which produced smoke electrically. Thi stick will not go out in the strong airflow. After RALF came out of the tunnel he sealed the entrance from the outside.


    Yang Dao sat in front of the control panel and the turbine began to move. The speed began to pick up the pace slowly. The smoke from the incense flew with the air current and covered the aircraft model. The smoke bypassed the model like a river bypassing the stone.


    RALF stood behind Yang Dao monitoring and calculating all the data displayed on the monitors. He said, "Master, the drag is a bit high."


    Yang Dao nodded and said, "Yes, the tail can lead to na explosion when the air craft is re-entering the atmosphere. This is a big problem."


    RALF nodded and said, "We can have the crew free fall from the edge of the atmosphere."


    Yang Dao chuckled and said, "Nice one, saves fuel. But Definitely not safe. Good Joke, though RALF."


    RALF nodded like a human and said, "Thank you for the praise, Master."


    The two people conducted a few tests and closed the turbine. Yang Dao was not expecting it to be a success in just his first try. He was aware that his skills had not yet reached to the level in this field. However, he did not have to worry about anything else. He just had one problem to deal with. Now he had two solutions for this.


    One was to go get an elementalist to sit in the cockpit and then let him/her control the wind around the aircraft to ensure a smooth re-entry. Second, to solve this problem using the means of the mortals.


    He choose the second one, after all, elements should only be manipulated when it was needed to. Yang Dao came back to the lab, he had a meal with Frieza Foster. The two people communicated about the problem, exchanging the ideas about what plausible methods can be used to get over this obstacle.


    After the meal, the same routine began. The employees did not get the wind of anything. Yang Dao was writing some draft papers when he suddenly asked, "RALF, any big movements from New Dawn?"


    The bot said, "No, Master."


    Yang Dao tilted his head thinking about something and then he said, "Okay, inform the shadows to look at this on the ground level."


    RALF replied in affirmation and the commands were issued. He could not believe that Omega will give up on his deeds like this. Given the way he was slapped in the face, he should be getting ready to do something big against them. Thus the shadows were mobilized.


    Yang Dao got back to his work, he would act if needed, but before he went toe-to-toe with Omega. He wished to be completely ready. Mastering all the elements and the laws, if he wished to have a chance against the guy. Their was a possibility that Omega was even more dreadful than his hyperhumans.


    This possibility had effected him from a long time. Only with patience can he deal with such a thing. After he encountered a stumble in his calculations, the boy laid down on his bed and immersed himself inmeditation. His realm has been stuck at the second level for a month now. He wished to find a way to get past this obstacle in his practice.


    However, it was not easy to unlock his mind. When after proofing over the question for such a long time he did not find any solutions the boy got up from the bed and called Laohu Bai. The lady offered him to meet at the office but he refused.


    The clean white walls has been clouding his vision for a bit too long. The guy changed his clothes and tied up his hair. They were now hanging below his waist. It was like a tree on his back. He got out of the lab and asked RALF to guard. At the gate of the building, Loahu Bai stood wearing a blue jeans and white top. She looked very energetic and attracted a lots of gazes, but the death star tied to her thigh made the people avoid her.


    Yang Dao walked out of the elevator with steady strides, he saw the lady waved at her. Laohu Bai also waved back at him and the two people left the office. Laohu Bai took the steeringas the young man sat in the passenger seat. She asked, "What seems to be the problem, Dao?"


    She was here to guide him and he was her student. So this address was justified. Yang Dao said, "I have stumbled across a problem and I do not even know what it is. Any tips?"

 Chapter 425: Dam.

    Yang Dao stated what he was going through to at the moment. He did not even know what it was that he should try to solve. Laohu Bai smiled but did not reply. She drove her levitating military jeep at a calm speed. The weather was pleasant, with clear skies over head and a breeze stroking their faces slowly.


    They took a ride around the city and slowly came to the outskirts of the city. On the expressway, Laohu Bai increased the speed and they were heading to a random location. It has been two hours since the drive began. She said, "Dao, what you are worried about is that you cannot figure out your problem. Right?"


    Yang Dao nodded following which the lady said, "Then tell me, what you know?"


    Her calm tone had a soothing effect on the boy. He said, "I am at the second level of water element practice for the past one month. I have been trying to reduce the drag on the aircraft for the past week. I have tried all the means that I have but there has been no improvement. This is what I know."


    The lady with white hair shook her head, "I cannot help you with the aircraft you are making. I am not even aware of that. I want to know what you know about Water. What is the essence of water?"


    Yang Dao nodded and said, "Water is calm, soft, cold, while at the same time, it is turbulent, hard, and consoling. Water is silent yet the silence also screams the loudest. It is flexible and can be anything, yet it will always regain its own properties."


    Laohu Bai nodded and said, "You forgot to say that water is boundless, yet limited. If you look at the spiritual properties of water, you will find that it is something opposite of fire, and different from other elements as well. However, have you noticed, that all the elements, despite being different from each other are the same at the root?"


    Her words fell on Yang Dao like a bolt of lightning. The boy had missed this point completely. He had never thought about things from this point of view. Being pointed out like this by Laohu Bai, he was surprised. He pondered over the words just now and gradually fell into a state of enlightenment. The aura in his body increased. It began to climb to a level, where Laohu Bai had to stop the car at the side.


    She waved her hand and cast a barrier around Yang Dao. His aura can directly impact the world now. So it was needed to be contained. Laohu Bai said, "Amber, Sushi, Luster, and Shadow, absorb all the leaking aura that you can. This is an opportunity for you all."


    Yang Dao''s leaking aura can change the world and affect nature but it can also nourish the spiritual beings like nothing they can ever find. His aura contained the fragments and resonance of Dao.


    ...


    In the mirror world, Dao Yin was facing a few people with a sword in her hand. Her white hair was stained with blood, ragged breathing. She clicked her tongue and muttered, "You rats sure came at a good time."


    She was facing against the enemies in her world, however, she has not been at her peak and came to a blockade in her practice. Just when she was in a crucial phase, she was attacked by this group of people. She had killed at least twenty people by now and still, she had thirty more advancing towards her.


    Suddenly, she sensed strong energy pouring inside her. She had used her accumulated Dao resonance earlier to block the attack made on her life. She did not know where the energy was leaking from and pouring inside her body. However, this was all that she needed all the Dao resonance began to concentrate on her blade''s edge.


    She took a deep breath and raised her sword. She said, "Dao Slash."


    With those words, she slashed the sword in her hand horizontally. An arc of dark light slashed at the people advancing towards her. The attack was not fast and nor did it look dominating but the moment it landed on the people or anything that stood in its way, the thing was evaporated completely.


    This was the destruction brought by Dao Resonance in the crudest form. Dao Yin stood at her spot looking at the destruction around her. She mumbled, "Yang Dao."


    She had found out the cause of this dao resonance. Only the dao child can harness the energy and other than her, only he can do it. She did not know how did this energy found its way into her world, but it did and saved her from imminent danger. She smiled and after sheathing her sword, she left the place with calm steps.


    She was the opposite mirror image of Yang Dao, at this moment she was stuck in her practice of the wind element.


    ...


    The boy on the other hand was immersed in his practice. His eyes were flickering but his body was frozen. Laohu Bai suddenly smiled at the scene. She called Atsuji Kurogame. The call connected after a few seconds, she said, "Eldest did you transfer the excessive Dao resonance to the other side?"


    Yes, they were the heavenly spirit beasts and they could sense what was happening to Dao Yin in the other world too. They could only do this after the last time when Yang Dao interacted with Dao Yin in the Dao Courtyard Mansion. The reason was that they happened to be close to Yang Dao at that time.


    Atsuji Kurogame said, "Only when the gates of the Dam are opened, can the old accumulated water flow out. Only when the old one is flushed out to quench the thirsty is it useful for the new one to pour in."


    Laohu Bai nodded and said, "Well said. Take rest, eldest. We will meet soon."


    The call ended on a good note and Yang Dao seemed to have passed the obstacle in his practice. As the call finished, he opened his eyes and the leaking aura began to calm down. He said to Laohu Bai, "Thank you for your guidance, Teacher."


    He was about to stand up and bow to her when the lady said, "I did what is my duty, Master. Do not shame me like this. Now, that the dam has been emptied, time to accumulate again?"


    Yang Dao nodded and said, "Indeed." his practice has reached level three. The next thing he did was to complete the contract with the element and affirm his foothold.

 Chapter 426: Catching The Stars.

    Yang Dao thanked Laohu Bai and the two people made their way back to the office building. Yang Dao understood some very common things. The young man got off the car and then said, "Baibai, I will see you in a few days."


    Laohu Bai smiled and nodded, "I will look forward to it, Master."


    The young man nodded and then he walked inside the office. The employees saw him and greeted him. Yang Dao nodded and smiled at the people. His clogged-up mood was replaced with a cheerful flow. He got to the lab and began to fill up the draft papers like there was no tomorrow. He has found a new inspiration to deal with this problem.


    In the history of the planet''s space research, there has never been a successful space flight that has enabled mankind to come in contact with other planetary bodies. Unlike other people, his first goal was to land on the moon.


    To achieve this goal, he had a lot of small targets to achieve. So his first target was to make an aircraft that could break away from the gravitational pull of the planet. Yang Dao spent two months, caved up in his lab and his brain never stopped working. It was as if his world had been limited to the lab only.


    After two months, he came up with a design that had no tail at all. The drag was solved and the maneuverability was improved. Now what he had to deal with, engine capacity. Yang Dao decided to try something wicked.


    He called RALF and the two people appeared in the Air Tunnel. It took them three hours to confirm all the test results. Yang Dao said, "RALF order the fabrication facility to manufacture a plane as per these instructions." as he instructed him.


    RALF replied, "Yes, master."


    The plan was set in action. Yang Dao left the office building and drove a car directly to meet Khal Goldberg. The reason was to buy a plane from his aviation factory. Pheonix Group had an aviation company but he did not intend to use the model they manufactured. The reason was the model they manufactured did not meet his needs.


    Khal Goldberg heard from his assistant that Yang Dao wanted to meet him and he agreed with no hesitation. He was a businessman and was aware that this boy was a golden chance that should not be missed at any cost.


    ...


    After lunchtime, Yang Dao arrived at the Goldberg Headquarters in the Jade City. He parked the car in front of the main building entrance and was about to go to the reception when an OL came toward him. She said, "Sir, might you be Young Master Feng?"


    She had never seen Yang Dao but was told to greet the most charming person arriving. Yang Dao heard her voice and calmly nodded. The lady bowed slightly and said, "Sir, please follow me, President is waiting for you."


    Yang Dao nodded and followed her directions. The lady took him to the top floor through the special elevator and they came to meet Khal Goldberg''s personal cabin. The OL knocked on the glass door and said, "President, Mr. Feng Yang Dao is here."


    Khal Goldberg said, "Bring him in." as he stood up from his chair.


    Yang Dao walked inside the office with a calm face and his eyes were locked onto the old man coming around his worktable. He walked forward and with a smile on his face extended his hand to greet the young man.


    Yang Dao faintly smiled and shook hands with him and asked, "How have you been, Mr. Goldberg?"


    The old man nodded and said, "I have been fine and peaceful, thanks to you, young master Feng."


    Yang Dao shook his head and said, "You praise me in vain. How has senior Mikhail be doing?"


    Khal Goldberg smiled at the mention of his son and said "Mikhail is now learning work in the company. I let him observe some important meetings to hone his skills."


    Yang Dao nodded and asked, "If possible, do call him over. I have not met him in a long time now."


    Khal Goldberg nodded and gestured Yang Dao to take a seat on the sofa in his office. The boy nodded and sat down. Khal Goldberg himself prepared tea for Yang Dao and asked, "I wonder what Young Master Feng is looking for at my place."


    Yang Dao did not like to beat around the bush and directly said, "Mr. Goldberg, I have a business proposal for your company."


    His words made Khal Goldberg''s ear stand, he asked, "What is this business?"


    Yang Dao said, "If I say that I need your company''s Model M617 as a taxi. What do you think of it?"


    His words confused Khal Goldberg, how could he not know that his comapny''s design was not anything spectacular. He wanted to ask Yang Dao what he was hinting at when the door was knocked. A young man poked his head inside and asked, "Dad, you called me?"


    Khal Goldberg woke up from his stupor and nodded. He said, "Young Master Feng is here today. He asked me to call you over, so I called you over."


    Mikhail''s gaze fell on a young and dashing man sitting in the sofa beside his after. He was surprised at first and then a smile appeared on his face. The guy walked inside the cabin and asked, "Classmate Yang Dao, it has been a long time."


    Yang Dao stood up and greeted the smilining guy with a gentle embrace. They were the same age and at this moment, Yang Dao needed to communicate someone who can see the potential of this idea. Khal Goldberg was a man, who needed someone to support him in order to advance. His opinions needed to be developed.


    Mikhail asked with a smile, "What did you call me for? I wonder it is not something simple."


    Yang Dao nodded and said, "Indeed, Mr. Goldberg here could not figure out my meaning just now and even if he did understood it, he will need your sturdy shoulders to help him."


    Mikhail became curious about the proposal Yang Dao had in his mind. He asked, "What is it?"


    Yang Dao smiled and said, "How about you give me a lift to the edge of the world and I catch you the stars?"

 Chapter 427: Launch.

    A month has passed since Yang Dao had visited the Goldbergs. That day the boy told them what he wished to do. He did not reveal any details and asked them whether they were willing to move along with him. Khal Goldberg was a little confused but as soon as he heard the brief pitch made by Yang Dao. He bought the ticket to the moon.


    Today Mikhail Goldberg and Yang Dao were sitting behind columns of monitoring stations. This place was built on the southern coastal shore of the nation. It was guarded by the military, but Yang Dao have been given special access. Mikhail Goldberg was here as the partner of the company. CTS Limited.


    They dealt with space aviation and research. When the news was made public a week ago, it took the world by storm. None of the people imagined that Yang Dao will be making such a big leap. There were a lot of people who asked him why did he advance towards the stars?


    He told the media that humans were not worth researching and guiding. They were a sort of parasites that were living off their world and never thinking about how the resource consumption was going to make it hard for the people and how the future generation will be left with only the option of slaughter to feed themselves.


    His statement caused a lot of dispute but he did not shrink away. He stuck to his statement and told the humans the facts. The facts about how the green forests were flattened out to make living areas for humans. How the city was badly managed and the corruption. These things were all man-made and thus the criticism was to be handled by the humans as well.


    The people gradually calmed down. Yang Dao did not hide an ounce of humiliation and disdain in his words. The statement Yang Dao gave was known as the Dawn Of Humans. In the second half of his statements, a lot of people asked what he meant and the Dao Child preached to them the importance of conserving nature.


    The helping hand initiative from Yang Dao had already covered up half of the planet and nuclear fusion was supplying the other half of the world. The people had become aware of what they needed to do. However, it was still too soon to be not worried about exploitation.


    Yang Dao and Mikhail Goldberg sat next to each other, in front of them on a monitor the scene of the tarmac was being displayed. The technicians on the panels were all busy calculating the final sequence.


    Laohu Bai was responsible for the security of the place. The last thing that anyone wanted was for a bunch of hyper humans rushing over and slaughtering people. The situation with New Dawn was very critical these days. There have been signs of movement. Omega has given up the digital front and was operating underground.


    Shadows had located him but they did not have exact intel about what the plan was going to be. Thus the situation was set on alert. Yang Dao suddenly stood up and said to Mikhail Goldberg, "Senior Mikhail, I have something to do. I will be back in a bit. You can do the ignition. My stomach has been a little upset these past few days."


    Mikhail nodded with a little stiffness. He was afraid about the flight they had planned. This was the space they were talking about the whole world was gazing at them like a ferocious tiger. One mistake and the world will be grilling them like dead meat. At this moment, Yang Dao vanished from his seat, it gave Mikhail enough adrenaline for one life.


    The chief technician said, "Sir, everything is ready. Shall we begin?"


    Mikhail nodded as he took a deep breath. The chief technician gulped and said, "Initiate command. Taxi phase one is a go."


    Several people began to crunch the keyboards in front of them and a chart displaying the status of operation turned green.


    On the runway, stood a behemoth. This plane was called M617, made by Goldberg aviation factories. This plane was a quad-engine jet. It can climb the peak of the stratosphere. The highest for any aircraft. This plane could carry half of its weight and needed a seven-men crew to fly it.


    This plane was used in air postal services and global monitoring and stealth bombing. So the power was sufficient. The plane was modified for this mission, it was a drone version. The fuselage was carrying another aircraft over it. It was something that the world has never seen. The body of the aircraft above seemed to be seamless. Sleek lines and smart outlook. It was as of the plane was built of some fluid frozen by nature.


    After the inner crew received the go, they started the engines. With a rumble, the plane began to pick up speed as it ran on the tarmac. After attaining the terminal velocity the wheels left the surface and began to climb the sky. The remote crew gradually increased the output and the height of the plane increased.


    Within thirty minutes, the plane was already at the top of the stratosphere. Inside the command center, the crew notified Mikhail. The man looked around to check if Yang Dao had returned and finally he said, "Detach."


    The chief technician said, "Detach sequence initiate."


    The crew replied, "Sequence initial..." however, his words stopped.


    The chief technician asked, "FD confirm command status." his voice woke up the young guy behind the screen.


    The technician replied, "Sir, there is someone inside the Fluid cockpit. The aircraft is being controlled manually."


    These words shocked the whole command center to silence. Mikhail stood up from his chair and asked, "What do you mean. How can there be someone inside the cockpit? Was it not checked before the flight initiation? Use the remote command to make the plane land. This is not a joke."


    His roar woke up people from the shock and daze. Suddenly, they heard a soft magnetic voice, "This is Fluid, Command, this is Fluid. Do you copy, over?"


    The chief technician grabbed the microphone on his station and said, "Fluid, this is command. We read you. Do not worry, we are trying to get the bird back on the ground, over."


    The pilot replied, "Command, thank you for your concern. This is pilot Yang Dao. I have taken over the command of the bird. Do not worry, things are in control, will be in touch. Over and out. Shhhh..."


    The people had their mouths wide open. They did not know how to react to this situation. Suddenly a cold voice rang out in the command center, making the people shiver, "What is the situation?"


    Feng Yun had arrived in the control room.

 Chapter 428: Fun.

    The command room had descended into cold silence. The people did not dare to look at the lady in the vermillion dress. They had no idea how to report to her what was going on. The technicians all cast their gaze at Mikhail Goldberg. The man gulped and said, "President Feng, we did not expect this to happen but Young Master Feng got inside the space aircraft, Fluid. He took over the manual controls and now is in control of the vessel."


    Feng Yun''s pupil dilated as she cast a gaze at Mikhail Goldberg. She walked to the chief technician''s workstation and said, "Do you have radio contact?"


    The man nodded, and immediately said, "Fluid, this is command, do you read? Over."


    Yang Dao''s voice rang out, "Go for Fluid. Over"


    The Chief technician said, "President Feng wants to have a word with you. Over."


    "Connect me, Over." said the young man.


    Feng Yun took the mic and in a calm voice asked, "Is your safety assured?"


    Yang Dao smiled in the cockpit when he heard these words. He nodded and replied, "Affirmative. Do look after the rats. Will contact on re-entry. Over and Out."


    Feng Yun sighed as the connection went cold. She said, "It is okay. Let him have his fun. You guys keep on working as normal. Do not seal any news. Be transparent with the people. Give them some excitement."


    The people were given another shock. Some even doubted if these two ''siblings'' were in sound mental health. This was the space they were talking about. Anything was possible.


    Yang Dao, however, did not care about this. He wanted to touch the edge of the sea of stars. This was his only motive behind this flight.


    The media was directly broadcasting it all live throughout the world. The news that Yang Dao had gotten inside the experimental aircraft shocked the world like a nuclear bomb. Yang Dao was a big name in technology and business. His name was known to everyone, as every second household in the world was using the appliances and gadgets manufactured by his company.


    The phoenix group has grown from the biggest company in Jewel nation to the biggest in the world and it had no rivals. Those who were being aided by the helping hand initiative all began to pray for Yang Dao''s safe return. This was all because of his deeds. Even if he had never seen the people, the people all remembered him in their prayers.


    Yang Dao had changed the lives of countless people and this time he was in a dangerous position, so they all prayed.


    ...


    In the cockpit of the aircraft, Yang Dao gazed at the scenery outside the windscreen and sighed. he mumbled, "Initiating the primary engines."


    Till now the aircraft was using two auxiliary thrust rockets. They were to fire when the two air crafts detached from each other. Yang Dao pressed a few buttons on the panel and the primary engines came online. The engine technology he used was not seen by the world.


    It was a combination of nuclear and electronic eon engines. They could fly with no pollution and no sound. What was even more, they were almost infinite fuel. The aircraft was fitted with a miniature version of a nuclear fusion reactor. How Yang Dao did it. It was his secret.


    The speed of the aircraft began to increase and the flight altitude improved with each passing second. The people in the command center were not at ease. They were monitoring every byte of the incoming data.


    After Yang Dao got past the Stratosphere. He did not show any sign of excitement and waited till the aircraft climbed the few more layers of the faint atmosphere. After an hour his body experienced a sensation like never before.


    He spoke on the radio, "Command, the bird has flown out of the cage. I am right now suspended in the void."


    The aircraft was now levitating in the void. The engines were shut down by Yang Dao, it was moving freely. His words were enough to confirm to the people below that he has achieved the goal of this flight. The aircraft he had designed was as big as a fighter jet.


    This was to reduce the risks around the big body planes. He said, "The bird will now re-enter the cage. See you on touch down, over."


    The feeling without gravity was not sitting very well with him. After the words were delivered, Yang Dao restarted the engines. His descend began. He did not dive nose down, but glided down, in a circular path. As the impact of gravity increased, he lowered his acceleration. It took him only a few minutes to decent.


    The body of the aircraft was glowing red when he entered the troposphere. Only then did he use the controls to gradually reduce his speed and land on the tarmac. The aircraft was designed in such a way that it could do the vertical take-off and vertical landing. Like a helicopter.


    As soon as the plane touched down the land, Yang Dao breathed a sigh of relief. He pulled out a data storage device from the USB port in the cockpit. This data drive contained all the changes the aircraft experienced during the flight. This data was crucial in improving the designs in the rest of the things.


    His aircraft was so heated at the moment that he almost thought of the nuclear reactor exploding him to nothingness. The emergency crew all rushed forward. They showered the fluid with an extinguishing agent and also perform a few medical checkups on Yang Dao as he got out of the cockpit.


    Everyone was wearing a hazmat suit. They were not aware of the nuclear core inside the plane had become unstable due to the heat on the plane surface. The chassis was not damaged, neither were the engines.


    Yang Dao was taken to the side by the medical teams and only spared after a check was done on him. He first met Feng Yun who smiled upon him. She asked, "Did you have fun? Dao."


    Yang Dao could only nod in agreement with a smile on his.

 Chapter 429: Rapids.

    Yang Dao wrapped things at the launch station and then he was targeted by the press. They all wanted to ask him a lot of questions regarding the flight. He did not shy away from the people and welcomed the questions.


    Reporter 1: "Sir, how would you describe this flight in one word?"


    Yang Dao: "Wonderful."


    Reporter 2: "Sir, what future goals do you have for the future?"


    Yang Dao: "Build a station in space."


    His announcement shocked the world. The people did not have any idea what a space station was or what it took to build one. However, Yang Dao was sure about what he needed to do and how he would do it. After the conference finished a lot many space researchers were invited on the TV channels and debates and seminars were held. The world space organizations all tried to reach Yang Dao and the company.


    However, they were turned away. Yang Dao had no idea of collaborating with any hypocritic organization. RALF was responsible for rendering the design of the space station and also the. RALF was the most advanced AI on the planet but when commanded to render something that had no reference points, the system slowed down.


    It took the system a complete one week to come up with a plausible design plan. Yang Dao had called up their ally in the field, Bay-Mach engineering for the fabrication solutions they needed. The opposite party was not surprised but already prepared to receive him. Yang Dao was baffled by their readiness.


    The engineering head of the company, Terrence Bay told him that he prepares solutions for every project that he finds interesting in his free time. He found the space station interesting so he found a lot of ideas that could solve the potential problems. However, when Yang Dao showed him the design blueprints. Terrence Bay was almost scared of an existential crisis.


    He did not expect such an extensive design to be taken out by this teenager. He took up the task and they began to fabricate.


    The pace of the growth was not slow. In three months, while Yang Dao broke through the peak of the fourth level of the water element. The company had deployed Fluid fifteen times in the space to carry parts. RALF both were used to complete the task. The process was extensive but they achieved the tasks impeccably.


    Nobody in the world had ever thought that there would be a day when a few people from the masses will be able to live in space. They had no idea of what was going or if things were real. At the beginning of the fourth month, the company declared its intention to reach the moon.


    The flight pattern was disclosed to the world, the people will be going out of the atmosphere, dock with the space station and from there they will take a Fluid Aircraft to go to the moon. This seemed to be easy but that was only in the theory.


    In the previous months, the company had already used a drone to deploy supplies on the moon, and now the people would just have to go there and explore the moon. Yang Dao was personally a part of this mission and along with him, Major Lin, and a few scientists were selected by the government.


    Feng Yun had established a cooperative institution with the government for future ease of access. They did not want to be tagged as space hoarders by the rest of the world. At this moment Yang Dao was sitting in a flight that was heading to the space station.


    The design of the Fluid aircraft has changed into various convenient models. This one was a multi-passenger vehicle. They also had a freighter design that was used to carry the space station parts to the space. Yang Dao sat in the back with the rest of the people and let the RALF bot control the flight.


    The identity of the robot has been disclosed to the people but they were told that it was not a smart AI but a normal robot that could reduce human error in flights. The world had no comment and neither did the rest of the passengers.


    The aircraft docked with the space station and the after the airlock was secured, the crew of six people got out of the aircraft. Yang Dao was in the lead. They all wore blue-white space suits. Before this flight, they had been going through strict training for 3 months.


    Yang Dao did not say much but he moved through the space station ducts. The astronauts were excited about being able to step inside the space station. As they explored the things inside, their images were being displayed to the world. The astronauts were chosen from all over the globe, and thus the whole world was rejoicing in their victory.


    The astronaut crew consisted of a physicist, an engineer, a physician, a botanist, a geologist, a soldier, and a crew captain. The crew captain was to manage the logs and make decisions. Yang Dao was capable of all that.


    He also explored the Space station. It was an extreme structure, powered by solar batteries. The solar panels were arranged in such a manner that they looked like a dragonfly to the people. After resting and sleeping in the space station for a night the people woke up and began the second phase of their journey.


    Yang Dao sat in the pilot seat with the rest of the people sitting behind him in two rows. After he was done with the final check of the aircraft he pressed a button and established communication with the command center back at Liro.


    He said, "Command, his is Fluid-three. We are commencing the second phase of the mission. Acknowledge."


    After a lag of a few seconds he received a message, "The Command acknowledges, go ahead Fluid three."


    Yang Dao looked over his shoulders as he showed a thumbs up to everyone and pushed the detachment switch as he said, "Fire the engines."

 Chapter 430: Titania.

    Yang Dao and a crew of six more people sat inside the Fluid Vessel. After detaching from the space station, the young man turned on the engines and the craft moved. There was no friction in the space so the people only felt a slight centripetal impact before they returned to normal. Lin asked, "What will be our ETA?"


    Yang Dao said, "According to the system trajectory, six hours."


    His voice was calm and the people nodded. He moved the controls and the spacecraft moved forward. He maintained the trajectory manually. He did not want to disclose RALF to the world and thus he did not install the hyperlink in the ship. The reason was that the nations of the other astronauts were checking the craft for safety.


    Yang Dao did not trust them, although he could have fooled the scanning systems it was not his style to do such things. He kept monitoring the trajectory and the sea of stars. He asked, "What do you all think? Is this place too good of a spacescape?"


    The botanist in the crew was gazing from the side porthole. She could see the home they had left behind. She said, "Indeed, the home looks so well from here?"


    Yang Dao nodded to her and said, "Tanya, you have a daughter I remember, no?"


    Tanya nodded with a smile and said, "Why do you ask?"


    The young man shook his head and said, "No, I just thought, you named her Titania, was it always your dream to get to the moon?"


    Tanya was surprised, the name was not something she came up with and they have never even noticed it being in the same place as the moon''s name. The people in the crew were all surprised by the observation made by this young man. They knew that he was the biggest businessman and this whole expedition was funded by his company.


    During the training period, they have found that this boy was not normal. He was a genius at everything he did. He had learned a lot of things from them during the training and he was a special soldier too. This resume had shocked the world when they found it. Yang Dao was a low-key person but when his achievements were listed, the people were lost for words.


    Tanya woke up from her surprise and said, "You would not believe it, but until today, I have never taken notice of the fact that my daughter and the moon share the same name. See, back at home, the moon is a name used for a cosmic body and we call it the moon as well. Nothing else."


    Yang Dao nodded and said, "Well it is okay. Nothing out of the usual, I guess. None of us do notice such things."


    The people nodded and Tanya asked back, "Why did you want to go to the moon?"


    "Haha, I am twenty years old, the youngest ever to set for on a planetary body outside Liro. Sounds cool no?" said the young man. His witty reply made the people smile. They did not expect him to have such a goofy side to him.


    Lin smiled and said, "How about we add the first person to that title as well?"


    The rest of the people looked at each other. Yang Dao shook his head and said, "How about we all jump at the same time and land down at the same time?"


    The people laughed, suddenly a sound echoed from the radio, "Fluid three, this is command. Do you copy? Over?"


    Yang Dao pressed the button and said, "Go for Fluid three. Over."


    "You are about to reach, please reduce the speed to intercept the surface." spoke the person from Liro.


    Yang Dao nodded and said, "Acknowledged, initiating landing procedure."


    He fiddled with the few buttons on the console and the spacecraft began to slow down. They could see the Titania getting bigger and bigger on the window. The probes sent by Yang Dao earlier had told them that there was no atmosphere on the moon. The spacecraft slowly began to descend on the surface as a vertical landing jet could.


    Three clamps detached from the lower body of the spacecraft as the distance was closing with the surface and the people were getting more and more anxious. Suddenly, they all sensed an impact coming from the chassis of the spacecraft.  Yang Dao pressed the button on the console, "This is Fluid three. We have made contact with Titania on Zero Four Hundred Hours."


    ...


    Back on Liro, the people heard the voice coming from the radio, and they all began to yell in cheers. This scene was witnessed all over the world. The people had no idea why they were so happy but they were happy. Feng Yun announced a sudden bonus for all her employees. The world was a happy paradise at that moment.


    ...


    Yang Dao opened the exit hatch and said, "You guess can decide, who will go out first, but be quick we have a tight schedule to follow."


    The guy did not say anything then. The astronauts decided to play a game of stone paper, scissors. After three rounds it was decided that Tanya will take the first step out. The rest followed and Yang Dao was the last person to go out.


    ...


    Tanya slowly held the railing extended from the spacecraft. She said, "The gravity is half that of Liro. Be careful with your jumps."


    The people nodded and thanked her for the advice as they all walked out of the spacecraft slowly. Yang Dao walked at the back of the crew and this all was being recorded and telecasted to Liro directly with a lag of few seconds.


    The boy posed at the cameras and the few people took time to jump around. Then Yang Dao took out five levitating boards and said, "We will first head to the supply station. We need to erect the spacious cottage."


    The rest of the people nodded and they all boarded the levitating boards like they were trained to. Yang Dao rode at the pace with the team and they came to a place one kilometer from their landing site. This was where they had a lot of stuff delivered earlier when they sent probes here.


    The cottage was actually a smart bunker the Bay-Mach engineering came up with, obviously, RALF helped from the shadows. Nothing big to be honest. Yang Dao pressed the button on the lapel hanging from the big pile of things.


    As soon as he pressed a button, a green light flickered below it, and then it started to unfold. Lin and he both moved together to roll over the airlock system from the space craft they were traveling to while the rest of the team worked with other equipment.


    Lin asked, "What is the main motive here?"


    Yang Dao smiled and said, "Reaching the peak of the water element and comprehending the laws of space and time."


    Lin had been told about his real identity by Laohu Bai and was entrusted to guard him while he practices. His words shocked Lin. She asked, "Do you not have to visit the special realm of the two laws for that?"


    Yang Dao shook his head and said, "Eldest had told me that only those who have touched the premise of the two laws are allowed to get through the seal barrier there. You see these two laws can allow one to change the pattern of the whole world as we know about it. So one must not be ignorant about them or misuse can cause doom."


    Lin nodded to him. She was well aware that the people she was dealing with were not normal and the rules of the world she lived in were not as simple as they seemed to be. She had no rights and powers to intervene with the steps they take in order to accomplish their goals, however, she was aware that the people were not harming the world.


    Yang Dao placed the airlock and initiated it. The people all moved inside the bunker carrying a few things from the supply pile. The took four more hours to set up the electronic and computer systems inside the bunker.


    Then the boy said, "You guys rest, I am going out to explore. The command is with Major Lin. I will be back in ten hours."


    He had eaten the dry rations they had kept in store for the astronauts. His words did not make anyone curious, after all, he was young and had better stamina and curiosity about the unknown. If they know why he was going out, then they probably would have chained him to the bed. Taking up his lev board, Yang Dao left the bunker.


    ...


    Back on Liro, Atsuji Kurogame smiled as he sat under the shade of a big tree and mumbled, "The test of Titania, now begins."


    Behind him stood the three other familiars. Feng Yun said, "He will do it."

 Chapter 431: Trail.

    Atsuji Kurogame stood up from his chair and stretched his body slowly. He said, "The trial of Titania will begin soon. You all have any words to convey to him?"


    Ryu Jinshi shook his head and said, "You just do not lose too badly."


    Laohu Bai smirked and said, "Master always hates when people look down on him. So, try not to do that if you wish to have your shell intact after the trial."


    Atsuji Kurogame chuckled and said, "My trial does not test the strength. It is about the wisdom of a person."


    Feng Yun said, "Go. We will await your return."


    She was tense about this trial. Never before had this trial been completed by anyone. The previous Dao Children, regardless of what order they learned the elements and the laws, have never been able to even complete this trial let alone pass or fail.


    The rules of this trial were not known to them but they knew that Atsuji Kurogame, despite his different names in all his incarnations has been a sly bastard. His task was to thoroughly check the wits of the Dao Child. He was the bad cop, who specialized in breaking the Dao Children to the point where they are eradicated.


    Atsuji Kurogame flickered and vanished from his place. Ryu Jinshi said, "It will take him a few minutes to reach the moon."


    The two ladies nodded with a somber expression. They could not get their mind to be at ease. Ryu Jinshi looked at them and said, "Trust in him. He will not let us down."


    That was all that he could say. The three people began to wait for the assessment to begin.


    ...


    Yang Dao was using his lev-board to traverse the dusty moon. His speed was faster than before. He was using his source energy to propel even faster. He had already covered a few more than ten kilometers, on the way he had been recording the scenery in the High definition camera embedded in his helmet and pauldrons.


    After coming a bit further he looked around and made sure that he was not in the range of the bunker''s detection system. He turned off his live feed but left the biotelemetry on. He did not wish to make the people in the bunker get worried and set out on a search.


    ...


    The person ogling at the monitoring system suddenly heard a beep from the system, he turned to check and was surprised. He turned his head back and said, "Major Lin, Yang Dao is out of bounds."


    Lin raised her head and asked calmly, "His Biotelemetry is, Okay?"


    The man nodded and reported, "Yes, everything looks normal, just that he is now moving in an uncharted territory."


    Lin nodded and said, "Do not worry he is careful enough and smart enough to restrain himself."


    Her slightly cold voice made the people calm down. They all got back to setting up the supplies inside the bunker.


    ...


    Yang Dao stopped in the center of a crater and looked in a direction. He sensed something looking towards him. He was correct, Atsuji Kurogame stood in the void, looking at him with a smile. He was wearing a black cloak. His old face gave Yang Dao an eerie vibe at the moment.


    The old man waved his hand and created a barrier around them. He said, "Dao, this place is now an isolated space, it has its atmosphere, you can take off your helmet."


    Yang Dao was not surprised at him being able to appear out of nowhere and stay alive in the vacuum. He trusted him at the moment and after pressing a button on his suit, he unlocked the helmet.


    Phish...


    The helmet was unhinged and taken off by Yang Dao. He did not say anything at first but he kept looking at the old man in front of him for a few moments. He asked, "What are you looking for here, Elder?"


    He did not want to lose the initiative but the person ahead of him was the black turtle, and his patience was on a different level completely.


    Atsuji Kurogame said, "This place is where we will begin your trial of the water element and the laws of Space and Time. I will be presiding over the test."


    Yang Dao nodded and did not ask much. He was aware that he would have to pass such a trial to him it did not matter whether the trial comes sooner or later. So, he did not worry about it. What mattered to him was not being able to have the time to try to gain an understanding of the laws of time and space.


    He asked, "The rules of the trial?"


    Atsuji Kurogame said, "You have thirty minutes to comprehend the laws of space and time, every thirty minutes, I will be killing one of the people in the space bunker. This will motivate you. After all of them are finished, I will take away one of your organs after every ten minutes. You can avoid the trial, and die peacefully."


    Yang Dao raised his eyebrows, he was surprised by the cruelty of this trial but it did not matter to him much. He closed his eyes and sat down on the levitating board with his legs crossed and eyes closed.


    The old man nodded patiently and then started to wait for the time duration of thirty minutes to pass. He was a sadist, looking forward to seeing Yang Dao panic when he tells him how he killed a member of his crew.


    However, his wish was not completely fulfilled. The thirty minutes time duration expired and he did kill a guy in the crew, making the rest panic to the point of rushing back to Liro. However, Yang Dao sat there like a stone immersed in his own world of comprehension.


    Atsuji Kurogame clicked his tongue in disappointment. He really wanted to see this boy wither in front of him, suddenly he sensed something radiating from Yang Dao. This made him shocked.

 Chapter 432: Twisted.

    Yang Dao was not aware that Atsuji Kurogame had actually begun to kill people. As he was getting deeper in his comprehension the world was getting distant for her. He did not hear anything Atsuji Kurogame said and kept meditating with his mind occupied by the question of the laws.


    ...


    Outside the bunker has descended into chaos. Lin was getting more and more helpless in controlling the people. The one who passed away was none other than the botanist of the group, Tanya.


    The physician was right there when she got a cardiac arrest. The physician performed CPR and artificial respiration but to no avail. After ten minutes of trying with defibrillators. He gave up with a solemn expression on his face.


    Lin asked calmly, "Can you tell us the cause of her death?"


    The physician shook his head and said, "Before the flight entered the second phase. We had all done checks in the space station. It should not be a hidden illness or anything. We did not feel any gravitation anomaly here as well, so that is also not the case."


    The physicist said, "Could it be because of the less gravity here. It can also work negatively on the bodies."


    The doctor shook his head and said, "This is not possible Krum. It will take a long time before our muscles dissolve because of low gravity. This is Physique and not physics."


    The people around agreed with this statement. However, they were confused. Thankfully they had closed the telecast from the suits otherwise the people n the planet would have cried along with them. As they were wondering what was going on, thirty more minutes passed.


    Krum the physicist passed away from cardiac arrest as well. The people were shocked. The engineer even suspected that Yang Dao induced them with a poison serum and that was why they were dying like this. Lin immediately silenced him, however, the two other people did not trust her much. They wanted to switch on the live feed and show the world what was happening here.


    She was here to safeguard Yang Dao and his image. She took a step and tied them all up. They cannot under her knots at all. Unless they are willing to get hurt. Lin sat on a chair. She looked at the situation around her and sighed. Three people were tied and two were laying on the floor. She sighed and mumbled, "Dao, come back fast."


    ...


    The young man in her mouth was sitting over the levitating board and his mind was scratching over the few things he understood about space. Suddenly, his body shivered. A few moments later he opened his sparkling eyes and asked, "I am done."


    Atsuji Kurogame smiled and said, "I have killed three of your crew members. Now depending on your answers, I will deal with the rest."


    Yang Dao nodded without flinching and asked, "What is your question?"


    Atsuji Kurogame asked, "What do think is Space?"


    Yang Dao replied, "It is infinite and yet it is nothing. The all-encompassing yet had no value. It can be folded and yet it is not tangible."


    Atsuji Kurogame nodded and said, "Good theory, but can you control it?"


    Yang Dao nodded, he waved his hand and created another barrier inside the barrier. He said, "This place is now an isolated space. Has its own atmosphere."


    Atsuji Kurogame was shocked for a second and chuckled, he said, "Hahaha, Yang Dao, you are trying to play me. Do you think I am a fool? This barrier is your space manipulation?"


    His tone became angrier. he did not expect this boy to do this to him. To use this barrier as a trick of space manipulation. Yang Dao, however, smiled and said, "You think of yourself as a fool, elder. You asked me to manipulate the space. This barrier is a fold in the space, it is a basic level technique. You did not mention what level of manipulation I needed to showcase."


    Atsuji Kurogame said, "Then I ask you to do a manipulate it at a higher level. What is your answer?"


    Yang Dao shook his head and said, "I cannot do it. Also, you cannot change the questions according to how you will them. Simple as that."


    Atsuji Kurogame said, "I am the invigilator set here by the Dao."


    Yang Dao smiled and said, "I am the Dao." with that said, his eyes became golden and his hair began to ruffle without any wind.


    The boy had to cut his hair short when he was taking the flight to the moon. Atsuji Kurogame sensed the space fluctuate. He calmed down and sighed. He asked, "Do you know what is time?"


    Yang Dao nodded and answered the question, "Time is eternal yet non-existing. Time is similar to space, however, it is completely different than space..."


    The young man gave the answer and when Atsuji Kurogame asked him can he manipulate the flow of time, he said, "I have made you be entangled with me for such a long time, did you not notice the manipulation?"


    Atsuji Kurogame was surprised, he realized that the two people have been talking for an hour without him realizing it. This made him grit his teeth. Yang Dao had outsmarted him. None of the previous Dao Children could do that. He was not ashamed to say this. This was a trial before the trial. He could not show his reality from otherwise he would have been bowing to Yang Dao in all grandiore.


    The old man said, "Master, I apologize for my previous behavior but it was only to check whether you can pass the trial without losing your calm. Anger is the enemy of calm and wisdom. This trial was not to test your space and time laws but wisdom."


    Yang Dao nodded and said, "Bring those you have taken back to life and they must not remember any of it. I will forgive you then."


    This was the first thing that came to his mind. He did not wish to see any of the people dying because of his wisdom being tested. Atsuji Kurogame nodded and something incredible happened. The whole universe slowly rewound into the place where it was one and half an hour ago. The sight, if anyone witnessed it would have been shocked.

 Chapter 433: God King.

    Yang Dao returned back to the moon base after a few hours and he found that everyone was working just fine. They did not have any recollection of what happened to them. This may look unscientific but what about elementalism and the great dao was scientific?


    Tanya greeted him with a smile and asked, "Where did you go? The location was out of the surveillance."


    Yang Dao smiled and told them about the sceneries he saw. He also, transferred the footage back to Liro for the masses to see. The data transmitted also contained a few pictures of the crew working in the bunker.


    Lin asked him with a gaze whether he completed his trial or not. Yang Dao nodded and then began to help people complete their tasks.


    ...


    Back at the Dao Courtyard, Atsuji Kurogame appeared with a solemn face. Feng Yun asked, "How did he do?"


    This was not a trial of the Dao but sort of a pre-test for the Dao Child to be able to get into the sacred realm governed by the old man. He heard the question and said, "Outwitted me, as expected. His potential is terrible."


    Laohu Bai commented, "He is the Dao Child, after all. It has to be this way."


    Ryu Jinshi nodded and asked in a low voice, "Why did we never find the same thing in those previous generations? Why him?"


    Atsuji Kurogame sighed and said, "Because we controlled them."


    Feng Yun raised her eyebrow and asked, "What do you mean?"


    "What I mean is, that we met those children early on, did not give them any time, and taught them all that we could from the first moment. They did not understand the significance of it because of our indirect control. We decided nothing for them, let them be how they want to be but always under our noses.


    Yang Dao is a different boy, we controlled him but never kept him under our noses. He had been working from an age when other children just pick their noses. He has seen the difficulties of life and the importance of responsibility. This was his own choice, despite being under our control.


    Dao says extreme control gives birth to impulse while extreme impulse makes you restrained. Do you now understand, why him?" explained the old man.


    The three people nodded and they all began to discuss when to take him to the sacred realm. Feng Yun said, "Eldest, let us decide this when he has come back from the expedition."


    The people nodded and the topic was put to rest for the time being. They had to deal with a few things before they could take Yang Dao out this time.


    ...


    The boy helped the crew on the moon to take logs and collect samples of the soil to see what minerals are buried here and if they can harvest some without damaging the place''s integrity. After spending a total time of seventy hours on the moon. The crew rode their hoverboards back to the spacecraft.


    Yang Dao helped them load up and secure the samples they have collected and got in the pilot seat. He pressed a button on the control panel and said, "Command, this is Fluid three, do you copy?"


    The command center replied after a few minutes lag, "This is the command. Go ahead Fluid Three."


    Yang Dao said, "We are leaving Titania. Over."


    "Affirmative command, all the best." replied the command center.


    Yang Dao relayed a few more messages and then said to the crew, "Strap in guys. We are leaving."


    Tanya sighed and said, "Can we not have a home here, it looks so beautiful."


    Krum chuckled and said, "Home is Liro, this place will always be a camping trip."


    Yang Dao smiled and did not say anything. He asked, "Ready?"


    The people replied to him verbally, then he pressed a few switches and began to operate the joystick. The spacecraft slowly left the surface of the moon. The boy pushed the lever and the engines began to push them forward. After completing a circle the spacecraft headed back to the space station.


    Lin asked, "Similar ETA?"


    Yang Dao shook his head after looking at the monitor as he said, "Eight hours."


    The lady nodded and they traveled the space. After eight hours they docked with the space station, moved the samples back to the fluid one, while Yang Dao checked the system on the station. They boarded the spacecraft and the RALF bot controlled it to take them back to Liro.


    The re-entry was smooth and the hearts of everyone paying attention to the landing were relieved. Following the landing, the whole world began to celebrate. This was an achievement for all of them. The crew was immediately thrown in front of hungry wolves of the media. The wolves devoured everything they could from them.


    Yang Dao also released the videos they had recorded inside the space bunker and outside. There was one instance that was loved by everyone, Krum as the senior-most person of the crew aging forty-four, was mimicking Lin as she was telling everyone their tasks.


    At the end of the conference, Yang Dao was asked, "President Feng, what do you wish to accomplish now?"


    Yang Dao replied, "It would depend on you all."


    The people were confused as the boy went on to say, "I wish to set up a city on the moon. This city will have everything one might need to live. However, this does not mean, you can own a piece of it. You will be allowed to live on the moon city but only for a limited period. This period will be decided by how your character is. The moon will not be exploited like Liro."


    The world was shocked, they did not expect him to have such a ridiculous goal. However, after the shock came a wave of fervor. The conference ended and Yang Dao came to his bedroom in the hotel. This suite had a swimming pool. Yang Dao took a dip in it and comparing the sensation he had back on the moon, he said, "So, this is the feeling."


    At this moment, the three halo''s over his head began to glow.

 Chapter 434: God King.

    Yang Dao was floating in the swimming pool when the three halos over his head appeared and began to shine. He was breaking through to the level of the elemental god of water element. The other elements were all reacting at the same.


    The whole world experienced a sensation of spring. Regardless of the weather, they had it all became pleasant. The wilted flowers came back to life. Tidal waves calmed down, volcanic eruptions slowed down in some places. The whole world was filled with a pleasant sensation.


    The people could not pinpoint what was happening but they all could sense that it was something supernatural. In the flower viewing areas, the trees all were covered with flowers and they all had just appeared out of nowhere. The wind made the flower petals scatter all over the place. The animals were all making cheerful sounds.


    It was as if the world has entered a state of festivities. Feng Yun was resting in her room at the Dao Courtyard Mansion when she was hit with this sensation. She picked up her mobile phone and quickly rushed out of the house.


    Ryu Jinshi had just finished massaging the feet of the elderly he was looking after. He excused himself and rushed out of the room. Laohu Bai dismissed the training session of the special team and left the base. Atsuji Kurogame also hurried over to the hotel where Yang Dao was staying.


    The dao child himself was unaware of the change that was happening around him. At this moment, his body was being filled with four different types of source energies and they were struggling to find a balance among themselves inside his body.


    A slight imbalance could have caused his body to erupt and splash over the floor like a ripe melon. He did not dare to be careless. He was aware that he was the Dao Child but he was not omnipotent or invincible. The imbalance was the thing that could kill him before he could even realize it. Thus he must keep a stable and calm mind at all times.


    He began to integrate all the source energy inside his body slowly and tried to bring them to level. He was not aware that the four familiars were present around him. They were flying in the void around him. The expressions were somber.


    Laohu Bai said, "This is crucial."


    Atsuji Kurogame said, "Indeed, one slight miss. It will end."


    Feng Yun glared at them both and said, "One more word, and I will be taking away those tongues."


    The people became honest all of a sudden. Yang Dao was unaware of all this. he focus on the four energies inside his body. As he manipulated the balance of the energies inside him, the halo''s over his head began to merge slowly.


    Ryu Jinshi closed his eyes and his hands formed a seal. An Azure Halo appeared over his head. The four familiars were floating in the void around Yang Dao, and he stood at the western corner. He was urging the source energy to resonate with Yang Dao to help him tame the element. Followed by him Laohu Bai, who stood at the northern corner made a seal with her hand and closed her eyes. A green halo appeared over her head.


    Feng Yun did the same after a few minutes and a vermillion halo appeared over her head as she formed a seal. Yang Dao found that the three elements, Wind, Earth, and Fire had become easier to adjust and he focused on the water element.


    After a few moments, he found the balancing point and a fourth halo appeared over his head. The color of the water was not visible. It was like a transparent film that would reflect some of the light. Atsuji Kurogame sighed and said, "The purest form."


    With that, he closed his eyes and made a seal with his head. An invisible halo appeared over his head and radiated a dim glow around it. The halo''s floating over Yang Dao''s head began to condense into a golden light. After a few seconds, the glow dimmed and only a golden halo remained over his head.


    The process did not end yet. Four different color flames erupted from the halo. These flames did not intersect with each other but were laced on the edge of the crown. Yang Dao had stepped into the realm of elemental gods. His strength had reached a level where everything was nothing but negligible to him.


    His body floated upward, suspended out of the swimming pool. The world seemed to be echoing with an almost inaudible hymn. This was the Dao resonance as if revitalizing the world and announcing the arrival of an elemental god. The people were all struck in a daze as if hypnotized.


    Some people fell asleep from the comfort their souls received, while some people broke down and began to cry regardless of what they were doing, these were the people who recalled their sins and grieved over them.


    Yang Dao was not responsible for this. This was all done by the great dao itself. His strength promotion had made him get one step closer to his goal. This was not true for him only, this was the same for Dao Yin.


    ...


    In the mirror world, the same thing was happening, the great dao was resonating and the demons and everyone else were experiencing the same thing as they were in Liro. Dao Yin was condensing her crown of elemental source energy as well. She could sense everything around her and like the last time, she was not being attacked by anyone, as the people who chased after her, were in a daze.


    ...


    The two people in two different worlds open their eyes at the same time. They seemed to be able to see through the fabric that split their world, and they smiled. Their smiles made the worlds bloom with positivity. They were now the Elemental God-Kings. Their thoughts could end the world, while they can also make the world revitalize.

 Chapter 435: Goals.

    Yang Dao smiled and his cultivation consolidation came to an end. He smiled and asked, "When did all of you come to the place?"


    Feng Yun smiled and said, "It was a crucial step, we could not leave you alone."


    The young man nodded and said, "Elder, let us go, time to deal with the last two laws."


    The four people were surprised. Laohu Bai said, "Dao, do you have to be so urgent?"


    Yang Dao looked at them and asked, "I something wrong?"


    Ryu Jinshi said, "Master, it is auspicious for you to wait till the morning. Your crown needs to be consolidated further. The flames of elemental source energy must be one with the base of the crown. That is when you have completely become the elemental God-king."


    Yang Dao nodded and said, "Very well then. I need to finish a few things before we finish things here. I was just being a little impatient. Thank you for the reminder."


    He was indeed a little too impatient after he saw Dao Yin''s figure in the mirror world. He was a teenager and he was also prone to the emotional storm in his heart. He calmed down and said, "We need to start laying down the foundation of the moon city. That city will be a crucial spot for humanity after we leave."


    The people nodded and after the small talk, they left the place. Yang Dao checked out in the morning and headed straight to his office in the twin towers. His motive was simple, have the people work on the moon city project. He informed Mary to bring over all the high officials in the meeting, whether they were in the nation or outside that was not what he cared for. Anyone missing the meeting will be fired.


    His words surprised Mary but she was aware that the reason for his urgency was not his greed but his determination to not lose to anyone. He was not the only one trying to set a step on the moon. The crypto nation had also begun to try and come up with plans to take him over.


    Yang Dao had the complete support of the Jewel Nations. This was decided by a poll survey. Ninety percent of the people of the nation were in support of Yang Dao to set up a city on the moon. The boy wore a black shirt and black pants as he got off a levitating luxury commercial vehicle and entered the building.


    The ladies on the reception desk were already drooling. The boy did not pay them any mind and took the elevator and came to the big conference room. It was more like an auditorium. Fifty of the high designation officials were sitting inside the auditorium. They were waiting for the boos to arrive and the meeting to start.


    Yang Dao walked in not long after they all were present. He directly went up on the stage and took the mic. He said, "You all know the reason I called you here. We have an important business venture to complete. If we managed to do it, we will be the biggest company in the world."


    This was his way of motivating the people working for him. They were mere mortals at this point. The government has been introducing elemental knowledge all over the world but the pace was still slow. This was to control a lot of elementalists suddenly popping up and changing the face of the world.


    Sensing the excitement inside the people, Yang Dao said, "You people all need to know that the upcoming task cannot be done in a lax manner. If one mistake occurred, then we will be in deep shit. However, that does not mean you need to be overly worried. Just operate normally, things will be fine. I am now going to talk about the next project of the company."


    After a dramatic pause, he said, "Titanica City..."


    With that syllable, a holographic blueprint of the city was shown in front of the people. Inside a transparent doom stood a beautiful city blinking with shimmering lights. The people were surprised by this. It looked like a glass ball. Yang Dao explained various aspects of the city to them and also, what they needed to get the city established.


    Yang Dao also told them that before anything else, they will need to find an efficient way to transport the raw material to the moon. For that, he came up with another two projects. The space elevator and the space terminal.


    The space elevator was to be connected to the space terminal. This terminal was a bigger space station. It was to serve as the airport between the planet and the moon. From here he planned to launch space flights to deliver the raw materials on the surface of the moon.


    Yang Dao did not plan anything, however, RALF did, every aspect of the future projects was carefully planned inside the data that was being read by the Dao Child. Yang Dao did not plan to introduce AI to the world. The reason was the work he had stored for it. The monitoring of the human race after they have left the plane.


    RALF had no issues with this. Yang Dao had programmed it that way from the very beginning. He had entered commands in such a manner that if the AI tried to override itself, the program will collapse forever.


    The meeting continued till lunchtime. At this time, Feng Yun came to his side and said, "Dao, we have some movement in the New Dawn leftovers."


    Yang Dao gazed at her and asked, "Where is it?"


    Feng Yun said, "Crypto Nation. They seem to have made a breakthrough in the strength of humans. It is on the news. They have developed a gene evolution serum."


    Yang Dao raised his eyebrow because he was sure that this gene evolution serum was not something good. He said, "Try to stop them from mass producing it and no human trial must be allowed until the basic is posted to the world. Can we do that?"


    Feng Yun nodded she said, "I will get that done. What do you plan to do next?"


    Yang Dao replied, "Get this serum here, let us see if it is actually harmful to the world. If it is not, then we can let it be induced in society slowly. However, if it is harmful. Then you need to have this thing cleaned up from the roots. I cannot act now. The equilibrium inside is very delicate until it is consolidated. Every and any move of mine can leave an impact on the world."


    Feng Yun nodded, she said, "I will get this done, do not worry." with a smile she left him inside the office. He was looking into a lot of things at the moment. The project was so vast that it could not be completed by The Pheonix group alone, so he looked for collaboration from the proposals he had received.


    The announcement of the Lunar city was enough to get the market squirming and dumping letters of intent. Yang Dao prioritized the people in the Jewel nation. Then he began to look for middle-level businessmen and also asked the Human resource department to hire people. Meanwhile, he arranged the robot factory to manufacture humanoid bots.


    The happiest person in all this was Frieda Foster. She had finally gotten her dream to create a humanoid bot. Though RALF was there as her partner, she was still happy. The people were working four shifts a day to get things done at a quick pace.


    On the other hand, Yang Dao also spent time consolidating his cultivation. It took him two months. They also found out that the genetic evolution serum was not harmful to the people if they took only one dose. However, if they were to take more doses they will likely get mutated and the outcome was to lose their minds.


    Yang Dao asked Feng Yun to arrange for her people to take over the injection process and make sure that nobody gets injected more than once. They also broke out the news of the higher dose risks. The scientists called them the whistleblowers, however, when they were all kidnapped and given a shot of the serum they did not take even a second to spill the reality. All this was telecasted all over the world, live.


    The scientists were given nothing more than a shot of mineral water. However, the facade was taken down and the people came out on roads in protest, questioning the ethics of the nation''s scientists. What was even more, a lot of rich in the crypto nation were now willing to pay any price to get citizenship of the Jewel nation.


    Yang Dao began his journey with the goal to make the crypto people kneel in front of him. That goal was achieved but at that time he was a boy, driven by patriotism and human sentiments, unlike the person he was now. So the achievement did not get him a sense of pride. Instead, he signed with vicissitudes as he saw the scene in front of him.


    He had decided to make things fine only after he can kill Omega, the person who was behind this offset.

 Chapter 436: Completions.

    Yang Dao was sitting on the roof of the ruby tower, with his legs crossed. A year has passed by, he was now a Young man of nineteen years. The projects he started were all reaching completion. The space elevator and the space terminal have all been deployed a few months ago and were fulfilling their purpose efficiently.


    He used to come to the top of the building to meditate and consolidate his cultivation. He has almost completed this task, now just a wisp of elemental aura can be seen fluctuating on his crown. The golden halo was gone, it was now looking like a crown on his head. The crown had a golden base with the four sides equally condensed into jewels on four sides.


    It looked so beautiful that if Yang Dao allowed the mortals to see it all, they will be kneeling to him subconsciously. This was the charm he had after reaching the realm of the god-king. Feng Yun came over to stand behind him and said, "Omega has been found. He is hiding inside the ice caves of flake Glacier."


    Yang Dao opened his eyes and asked, "How was he discovered?"


    Feng Yun smiled and said, "Sushi has been looking for him all over the world and finally found him in the place. The tiny one has been anxious. She has been raging for some action. She says Master has become boring since you stopped him from mastering the last two laws. He is always in stone statue mode."


    Yang Dao chuckled and said, "My consolidation is complete, the last bit can be done in the sacred realm, the energy here is not sufficiently pure."


    Feng Yun nodded and said, "I will ask for everyone else to arrive at the Dao Island."


    In the past year, the level of humanity to be in sync with nature has grown to an unprecedented level. The elemental knowledge has grown to the level where seventy percent of the people were level one elementalists. They were all taught to never alter the flow of nature for their convenience. The police had a department to check such interferences.


    Anyone who was caught doing such a thing was fined a lot of money making the people stop messing up things. The people of the world had never expected such a qualitative change in the world. Nature activists have all grown to another level as well. However, there was still a section of people that did not wish to give up.


    These people were left alone until they made a little too much noise. Yang Dao was happy with this as the balance of the world was close to complete restoration. He stood up from the ground and patted his pants to shake off the dust. He slowly raised in the sky and began to fly in the direction of Dao Island.


    Feng Yun called the other three when they took off from the roof. The people had all been arranging their matters for the last couple of months. On the way to the island, Yang Dao said, "Sister Yun, make sure that you do not let Omega find out about my disappearance. He is aware of our identities."


    Feng Yun nodded heavily. She was aware why the boy had asked her such a thing. Four months ago, when they were searching for Omega, they found the target to be sneaking inside an orphanage in the freedom nation. Atsuji Kurogame wrapped space and carried Yang Dao along with him to confront the person as he was carrying genetic medicine.


    Omega was shocked to see them but then with a gloomy smile, he told them that he planned to use the genetic medicine and mutate the children in the orphanage to be his new troupe. The man has lost himself to the situation and the failure has made him crazy. Yang Dao had a duel with him.


    Although he did repel the guy the strength showed by Omega was not low. It was to the point where Yang Dao was scared to face him rashly. Omega has become a sort of void monster and the level was higher than the Glare. Atsuji Kurogame told him to face Omega after he masters the all laws and elements.


    Yang Dao had no other option and nodded. As these thoughts passed through his mind, they reached Dao Island. Feng Yun said before they entered the barrier around the barrier, "Dao when you reach the sacred realm, do not panic."


    Yang Dao raised his eyebrow and asked, "Do you know something that I am not aware of?"


    Feng Yun sighed and said, "I am not, none of us is. The sacred realm has never been opened, so we do not know what might be inside."


    Yang Dao nodded as the two people got inside the barrier. Surprisingly, the three others were already present. They bowed towards Yang Dao when they saw him floating over. The four people talked a little about the present state of the world and afterward, the four familiars took the four corners formally and used their hands to make a seal.


    Atsuji Kurogame spotted the confusion in Yang Dao''s eyes. He explained, "Master, the distance between this world and the sacred realm is too big. I need to be supported by these three to open a passage. My energy is actually barred because of the world rules."


    Yang Dao nodded and raised his head, just to see a space rift opening over his head. Atsuji Kurogame came over and stood beside him. He said, "This much is fine. We will be back soon."


    The three people opened their eyes and watched the two figures flicker. Atsuji Kurogame had taken Yang Dao to fly in the void tunnel by holding his shoulder. Feng Yun and Laohu Bai glanced at each other and nodded.


    The former said, "Ryu, you can be on the lookout for Omega, we are not to lose him this time. You must take note of his every moment and at no cost must you let him counter detect your presence. His genetic abilities may put a lot of pressure on him but the three-minute invincibility is too much."


    Ryu Jinshi nodded and said, "You don''t worry. I know what to do with this guy. Last time eldest did not take me with them or I would have beaten his face to the ground. How dare he be cocky in front of the Dao Child?"


    Laohu Bai said, "There, that is why they did not take you along. You are an elemental god, but Master did not wish for us to deal with him. This is his duty and final goal to restore the balance of the world. We should and cannot interfere without paying a big price. Do you understand, what I mean? We will be banished from this world and then we will have to leave the Master''s side ahead of predestined time."


    Her stern made Ryu Jinshi calm down as the man said, "Very well, I will follow your arrangements."


    That said, the three people dispersed.


    ...


    Yang Dao was walking inside the void with Atsuji Kurogame behind him. The young man suddenly took out his sword and began to slash at the surroundings. The old man nodded slowly at this and said no words. This time going inside the sacred realm and coming back, both will be a war. The void monsters will try to not let them pass the void so easily this time.


    The slashes from his sword were all carrying a faint trace of the sword intent. His growth and control have left all the four familiars speechless. They did not expect him to comprehend the sword intent on his own and that too in an environment where there were no sword practitioners.


    At this movement, the young man was not fighting at his complete strength output. This was his control. The amount of intent leaking from his sword was enough to destroy the void monsters in front of him. The reason he used this method was to hone his skills with the sword and also conserve as much energy as possible.


    Atsuji Kurogame did not say anything but walked quietly behind him. He held a cane in his hand and every time he lowered the cane, it caused ripples in the void. The voids disrupted a lot of void monster''s spawning process. That was a huge boost to Yang Dao. He had already noticed this but he did not have the time to compliment this method.


    The old man just like Feng Yun gave him enough protection that will just save him from attacks. What was even more, Yang Dao was growing stronger with every slash he made on the void monsters. His sword was not only laced with intent to cut but also the laws of the universe.


    After an unknown time, a Glare appeared in front of Yang Dao, out of nowhere, with his claws slashing at the boy''s neck. Atsuji Kurogame raised his eyebrows and a strong pressure erupted from him, but at this moment, Yang Dao snorted, a trace of light and life law was mixed and this sound wave made the Glare to step back and roar as it dissipitated.

 Chapter 437: Snare.

    The Dao Child was fighting with the void monstrosities as he advanced in the void slowly but steadily. His pace had not slowed down ever since he had taken out his sword. As he fought the source energies inside him began to reach an optimal balance.


    Some things could not be achieved until you work for them. The equilibrium of elemental energies inside his body was a similar thing. He did not say much but focused on dodging and countering the attacks of the void monsters.


    The number of the lower-level monsters was reducing as he kept on fighting. Yang Dao was aware of this, eventually, a glare-level monster will creep up in his blindspot but he would deal with it in calm. Just when his body was getting tired, Atsuji Kurogame did something.


    The old man pointed his finger at the young man and made the space around Yang Dao freeze. He walked over to the young man and asked, "Do you wish to rest?"


    Yang Dao nodded, he said, "I do not wish to rest, however, I cannot flow forward without getting tired. By now, it has been a few hours since I have started to kill these monsters. I have sufficient energy in my body, yet I am overwhelmed by this sense of exhaustion. I wonder why is that?"


    Atsuji Kurogame sighed and said, "The Void is a place with no laws, and no elements. This place is under the Dao but still not within it. So, you will gradually feel tired even if you have sufficient energy in your body."


    Yang Dao nodded and said, "Pressure of the Void?"


    The old man nodded and said, "Correct. You can only overcome it by covering yourself with a layer of laws."


    The Dao child learned something, slowly his law essence began to cover his body like an invisible cloak. Gradually he felt his exhaustion vanish as well. He asked, "Are you also using the same thing?"


    Atsuji Kurogame smiled as he shook his head. He said, "I and the other three have originated from the great Dao. The void is not strong enough to aim at us. However, you are the Dao Child. You have not yet grown strong enough to take on the void."


    Yang Dao finally came to understand why the Void monsters did not attack the familiars. As his body regained the usual Vigor the boy moved forward to strike the monsters again. Atsuji Kurogame slowly walked behind him. The performance of the boy had increased a lot as soon as he covered himself with the law essence.


    The two people were invincible. As Yang Dao slew a void monster with his sword, he suddenly looked in a direction. The rest of the void monsters rushed at him. Yang Dao did not bother to spare effort to deal with these guys anymore.


    A crown appeared over his head. The reflected radiance slew all the void monsters. Expect the one that has been staring at Yang Dao. Atsuji Kurogame spoke in a calm manner, "Snare. The third-level monster of the void. It takes a bit more than just source energy radiance to break them. Also, this guy can use the space wrapping sort of skill. So be careful."


    Yang Dao nodded, with his gaze locked at the snare. He found that the shape of this monster was similar to that of a human being. It looked like a shadow of a human. Unlike the weaker one, Glare, this thing had a mouth as well.


    The young man wielded his sword as he sensed something behind him. He slashed the sword with no hesitation. His reaction was fast enough to make the sword block the incoming attack at him. Unlike the other void monsters, the sword seemed to have met a condensed object. this thing was not a shadow in the void but the void itself.


    Yang Dao infused his sword with a trace of all the laws he had learned this now and took the initiative to attack. He was very careful to not let the Snare touch him. The opponent was also fighting with a sword made up of darkness. The Dao child was surprised but not scared. The growth spurt he was going through while fighting with the snare was sharpening his edges.


    He did not back down and continued to fight the snare. Suddenly, his sword landed on what should have been the hand of the snare. The monster, let out a shrill scream. Yang Dao backed of and Atsuji Kurogame said, "That is how you deal with a snare. Just like how the void is pressuring us. You pressure them."


    Yang Dao understood his meaning and slashed at the head of the snare. The battle, he may have won, but he was aware to keep moving forward and stay ready to welcome the next battle. As the snare vanished after a shrill scream. Atsuji Kurogame said, "Now, we leave."


    He appeared next to Yang Dao and placed a hand over his shoulder. The next moment the two people vanished.


    ...


    The next time Yang Dao opened his eyes, he found himself standing in the center of a decorative pattern. The area of the pattern was too big for his eyes to discern. The circle was made of golden lines making some intriguing patterns all around him. He did not see anything else, but a boundless starry sky spread over his head. He heard an old voice in his ears, "Brat, what do you think of my realm?"


    Yang Dao was surprised but he recognized the voice, it belonged to Atsuji Kurogame. He asked, "Eldest, where are you?"


    "Below you. The place you are standing on is the summit of my shell." replied the voice.


    Yang Dao was surprised by this sudden announcement of the shell peak. He asked after gulping down a mouthful of saliva, "Elder, I do not see any gateway to the sacred realm."


    He sensed the ''ground'' beneath his feet as a chuckle echoed in the whole place. The old voice sounded again, "You seem to have a misunderstanding. My shell is the sacred realm."


    Yang Dao was almost face-planted on the spot he stood. He asked in disbelieve, "Are you kidding me, elder?"


    The voice sounded again, "Yes, do you think this is a joking matter? The place you stand on is called the wheel of samsara. You have passed the trial on Titania. Now you must learn what time is. This wheel will show you some things that can consume your life and consciousness. I only have one tip for you. Time is the consciousness of the universe. It records all without missing anything."


    The absurd phrase called TIP was bestowed and now Yang Dao had to see what it meant. As he gazed at the circle around him, he found it as if the circle was slowly spinning. Soon, Yang Dao fell into a state where he had no recollection of his body and he seemed to be living a different life.


    A sigh rang out with a word, "Remember yourself."

 Chapter 438: River Of Time.

    Yang Dao was standing in the center of what looked like a decorative circle. His eyes were dim. It was as if his body was only a shell made up of flesh. In his mind though, something beyond comprehension was going on.


    ...


    Yang Dao felt himself being pushed out by a force that he could not resist. He felt his whole body being squeezed to the limit before he was washed over with a wave of relief. He opened his eyes with difficulty and sensed his body being bitten by infinite ants. He could not help but cry as the sensation hurt him beyond anything he had ever experienced.


    The pain only passed away after a few minutes and he sensed warmth around him. He opened his eyes and found that he was being gazed down by a beautiful woman, but her face seemed a bit too big for his vision. He could understand that the lady was happy to look at him.


    He wonder what was happening. Suddenly a man walked over in his peripheral vision, Yang Dao tried to turn his head to look who it was but his neck did not listen to his command. Perhaps the lady registered the movement of his eyes and turned his body to face the man. He heard a soft voice, "Ian, look your son wants to see you."


    Yang Dao was hit by a bolt of lightning. His body was shivering, and his vision was clouded with tears. He realized that he has been sent back in time and this was his parents. The boy began to cry, it was as if his sanity had begun to dim. His emotions were running out of control. The man smiled and took him in his arms. He coaxed him to not cry.


    Gradually Yang Dao felt his strength to stay awake failing him and he fell asleep. Yang Dao woke up after a few moments and he found a toy hanging over his head. This toy had four animal cut-outs hanging from it as it spun slowly.


    Since then, the boy began to live a normal life. His parents were both different from how he remembered. They were teachers but not scientists. They loved Yang Dao a lot and gradually the boy forget who he was. He was walking away from his path of dao and near to the rat race of life.


    ...


    The big turtle sighed as he sensed something going at the place where Yang Dao was standing. The body of the young man had begun to disappear. This was the corrosion of the samsara wheel. Atsuji Kurogame never had anyone take a test, the wheel of time will send you to a space where you can comprehend a lot of things, but if you lost your way in that illusion, the wheel of time will begin to consume you.


    He wished he could go in and wake up Yang Dao but he was not allowed to. His body was the carrier of the wheel of time, he could not meddle with it. He could only guard it. Atsuji Kurogame helplessly saw Yang Dao''s body slowly being consumed by the wheel of time.


    ...


    Yang Dao did not know about anything and his life passed slowly and smoothly. It was an average life, he grew up to be a white-collar worker, raised in ranks, married a wife, had kids. However, he was not placed here to enjoy vanity. Time showed its cruelty.


    His parents passed away, he was hurt but still able to stand on his feet. His wife contracted a terminal illness, his children grew defiant, in the end, slowly his life became a tragedy. In the late forties of his life, the man found himself with no reason to live.


    His wife passed away and their children had left, so after the funeral of his wife. He left the city and began to wander around the world to seek himself. He met a guru, who told him what the reality of life was. Influenced by the preaching, Yang Dao began to cultivate himself and began to look inside himself.


    He was told that all the answers one sought, lied within themselves. Yang Dao meditated daily and lived a minimalistic life. One day when he was cleaning his house, he came across the storeroom where his childhood things were placed. The strong emotion of longing for the old happy days made him step on the memory lane. The man fiddled and cleaned the things.


    His eyes fell on the cradle that he used to stay in his early childhood. Suddenly he froze, after a few seconds he woke up from his daze. He mumbled, "Time, the journal of the universe. It will see everything and never forget it. I forgot myself, yet the time remembered me. Time is more than just age, and experience. Time is..."


    As Yang Dao began to recall his life and began to comprehend the laws of time, his memories began to clear up.


    ...


    Atsuji Kurogame sensed something. He smiled as he mumbled, "Thank the great Dao. He got a  grip."


    The body that was beginning to crumble was now being reconstructed. It was because, before time to completely erase Yang Dao, the boy had grasped it. He was slowly gaining control over time. The pattern on the wheel of time was changing slowly and it was becoming more and more mysterious. The pattern now had the colors it never had.


    Slowly, the light came back to Yang Dao''s body. Inside the river of time, he had not lived just one lifetime. After he completed his comprehensions, he did not hurry to come back and carried on to live more parallel lives. All the lives taught him things that he never expected. He spoke, "Elder, I am back."


    The soft voice sounded, "Master, now you need to comprehend the laws of space. This time, I will not give you any tip."


    Yang Dao nodded and sat down on his spot with his eyes closed. He said, "See you soon, eldest."

 Chapter 439: Master.

    Yang Dao sat on the back of the black turtle with his eyes closed. He was aware of what the laws of the time were. What he needed now was to get an understanding of the laws of space. The space was not as time.


    He did not have any tips that might help him. As he sat in meditation, he realized his folly. He scolded himself for being too overconfident and pretending that he can do it all when he posed in front of Atsuji Kurogame as he said, "See you later."


    At this moment suddenly something clicked in his mind. A thought flashed in his mind. He thought, ''The mind of a human is boundless space as well. However, it has the power to contain all the knowledge in such a tiny space. So, suppose that the wide space around us is also a container that contains it all within itself...''


    The black turtle opened his always closed eyes, reflecting the boundless stars in his eyes. He could sense that the pattern on the top of his shell began to squirm enough. The pattern already had a colored design. The black turtle could sense what was happening in the surrounding space.


    Yes, Yang Dao was comprehending things at a very fast pace. Atsuji Kurogame was looking forward to how fast can the boy comprehend the vast knowledge of space laws.


    ...


    Feng Yun was gazing at a file when she sensed something radiating from inside her body. She smiled. As the Dao child comprehended the laws of space and time, the shackles on the body of the familiars loosened.


    The same thing was happening to the two other familiars. As the Dao child stepped forward on his path of the Dao, the restrictions on the people''s bodies will be loosened as time passed. The laws of space and time were the last shackles on their bodies.


    She was smiling because she knew the value of this unshackling. After a few words, the lady went back to her work.


    ...


    Yang Dao kept sitting in the lotus position, without a slight movement, however, his eyelids kept on flickering. The boy had no idea what was happening outside while he was immersed in his meditation. The pattern on the back of the Black turtle was changing continuously. This time the pattern was forming with black and white lines.


    If colors were the impression of things left in time, then the black and white were extreme borders of the space laws. It was just like the book cover, the colors were contained within the extremes of monotone. Yang Dao was reaching a higher realm. Suddenly, the crown on the top of his head appeared.


    The crown only had the jewels of the corresponding elemental source energy condensed into jewels, but now, the laws of the Dao were all emerging from inside his body in the form of wisps, and condensing into a grey gem at the center of the crown.


    Atsuji Kurogame murmured, "The Dao Child is indeed not something we can understand."


    This gem of laws was not supposed to form above his head. At least, in their understanding, it was not. That was why, the murmur. Yang Dao was better than all the dao children they have seen in the past. It was the result of their controlling as they mentioned earlier.


    After an unknown time, Yang Dao opened his eyes. The depth of his eyes was something that was never present there before. He said, "Eldest, time to leave. Liro will not be able to tolerate my presence for long, so we need to set things in order before the time limit expires."


    Atsuji Kurogame replied, "As you wish, Master."


    The next moment the two entities vanished, leaving behind the dao symbol of time and space. The color and the monotonous pattern. (The one on the book cover)


    ...


    They appeared back in the void and in front of them stood an army of the void monsters. The boy sighed and snapped his fingers. A crisp sound echoed in the void and the army vanished from his sight. He did not wait any longer and walked to the dot of light. The void was completely dark, however, they were able to see themselves and make out the way.


    This was the mystery of the void of nothingness. Even the void monsters that formed inside it were very easily identifiable. Suddenly a calm voice rang in Yang Dao''s ears, "So, the Dao child has completed his trials, I presume."


    Yang Dao did not say anything and neither did he stop. Atsuji Kurogame, on the other hand, was not as calm as the young man was. This voice brought back a lot of memories in his mind. The memories were not of this life, but they belonged to the past incarnations of his.


    The voice echoed again, "What do you think you will achieve by restoring the balance, will it not go astray in the future? Will you be coming back to deal with things over and over again?"


    Yang Dao said, "You talk a lot for the ghost of the strongest Dao child of heavens before me."


    His words shocked the old man in the black cloak. He did not expect Yang Dao to see through the voice owner''s identity. Atsuji Kurogame wanted to explain something but Yang Dao just waved his hand and said, "You can talk later elder, the time is running out."


    The time inside the realm of time and space was twice faster than the rest of the sacred realms. This realm was not imbalanced but it was on the verge of collapse because none of the Dao Children ever visited it. The laws of nature were beginning to distort without the presence of someone to perceive them.


    Yang Dao suddenly turned his head to the right and spotted a crowd walking towards him. He could make out the vague figures of humans and said, "So, you all gathered here to preach to me on how to follow your incompetence?"


    The crowd froze and was about to react when a bow appeared in Yang Dao''s hand. The figures in front of him became more realistic and they all spoke in one voice, "You think we have no weapons and skills?"


    Yang Dao shook his head and said, "You all think your half-assed efforts can overpower me?"


    He knocked an arrow on the bow. The arrow was covered with the colors of the elements and the laws of nature. The boy let go of the string and with a whistling sound, the arrow flew to the crowd. The figures had no time to even react when the arrow had already hit the leading ghost in his head and exploded. The explosion of radius began to increase followed by the wails of the ghosts of the past.


    Yang Dao did not intend to spare an extra thought and second of time on them. He did not bother with these people and walked to the light spot. Atsuji Kurogame followed him without a single word. The Dao Child has changed with his comprehension of the laws. He can now see it all if he wishes to.


    The two people crossed the void, Yang Dao was now overpowering to the level, where nothing in the void could stop him until he reaches a higher plane. He did not wait for Atsuji Kurogame to open the void tunnel, and with a wave of his hand, he opened one tunnel for himself.


    He jumped out with Atsuji Kurogame in tow. The three familiars were already present on the Dao island. Atsuji Kurogame had told them about their arrival. Yang Dao slowly landed on the ground and asked, "How long have I been gone?"


    Laohu Bai replied, "Ten months."


    Yang Dao was surprised but he did not say anything much. He cast a gaze on Feng Yun who said, "Everything is under control. The moon city has been completed and RALF main server has been shifted there. The company is now in the process to start a tourism service for the people."


    Yang Dao nodded and said, "Do it as you may. Tell me where is Omega. The rules of this plane are too imposing, the longer I stay the greater the pressure."


    Ryu Jinshi said, "The old glacier location. He did not move. Sushi has done close recon on him, the guy has been using all the data in his mind to turn himself into a being that has no weakness. According to him at least. I did not act because it was not my duty."


    Yang Dao nodded and said, "You did god by not acting. I still needed a purpose to stay here for a bit. Well, let''s go. Deal with this Omega and go back home one time to meet them all. I wonder how will I bid them farewell. My heart goes into disarray thinking about it."


    He was the Dao child yet he had his own emotions. The boy had a lot of hesitation inside his heart but he could not stay back. With a sigh, he flew away to deal with Omega, the four familiar spirits followed him in silence.

 Chapter 440: Omega.

    Yang Dao did not use the space law to teleport directly to the edge of the world and get it on with Omega. If he were to exploit the laws, then the rules of the world will eject him from the place forcefully, banning his entry.


    He flew at a speed that was two times that of the sound. Feng Yun and the rest followed him silently at a ten-meter distance. They were communicating with their spirit conscious.


    Feng Yun asked, "What made you so jittery, Eldest?"


    Atsuji Kurogame replied to her with his gaze fixed at the back of the young man flying in front of him, "We came across the void ghosts."


    Ryu Jinshi was surprised and asked, "What happened then? Did they try to influence him?"


    Atsuji Kurogame said, "Master did not give them any chance. He mocked them back and using the Dao arrow, annihilated them. He said, that the time we had was getting shorter and shorter."


    Laohu Bai did not say anything but she frowned, she asked, "What happened in the realm of time and space?"


    Atsuji Kurogame told them how Yang Dao was corroded by the river of time and how he recovered. He also told them that he did not go through just one lifetime in there but a lot of them. Laohu Bai smiled, "You are not jittery, you are excited."


    Atsuji Kurogame revealed a smile on his old face. Feng Yun asked, "Indeed, I am excited as well. Feels like the time on this world is coming to an end."


    All four of them had a smile on their faces as they nodded. Atsuji Kurogame said, "I only hope, that he will not be too affected when he finds out about our plight later on."


    Feng Yun shook her head and said, "You think a bit too much elder. He is not the same as he was three years ago,"


    The familiars were involved in the chatting when they arrived at the so-called hiding place of the deformity of the world, Omega. Yang Dao said, "You all will not intervene."


    With that said, he began to lower down his altitude in the sky and began to close up to the land. After a few seconds, he came to a stop. Yang Dao was floating a few inches above the ground as his body looked like it was standing. The familiars all stood behind him at a distance of five meters.


    At this moment, in front of Yang Dao, was a figure wrapped in a black cloak. The figure was of a human, or at least the outline was that of a human. The figure spoke, "I am curious, how did you find me?"


    He was not surprised but interested. This place was not monitored by any satellite, also he had a surveillance range of five kilometers, so sensing movements were easy for him. He did not pick up any moment.


    Yang Dao spoke, "Sushi."


    The wind picked up the pace as the sylph spirit made her appearance in front of Omega''s vision. Omega was surprised this time, he asked, "What sort of creature is this?"


    Sushi waved her hand and a strong gust blade pushed Omega back by a few meters. She turned to Yang Dao and bowed as she said, "Master, congratulation on completing your comprehension."


    Yang Dao nodded and said, "You go, stand aside. I will deal with him."


    Sushi nodded and came behind him to stand behind Ryu Jinshi. The boy also let out Amber, Luster, and Shadow. He said, "You wish to prove to the world that humanity is weak and you are their solution, right? I will fight you to death, as a human and nothing more. We will decide this once and for all. What do you say?"


    Omega raised his eyebrow and said, "You will not use the powers of that little creature or those beasts?"


    He found it hard to believe that Yang Dao was not willing to use the powers of the beasts behind him. The boy sighed and said, "I have the power of the elements. You better worry about yourself."


    Omega snorted and charged towards the boy. Yang Dao had no intention of moving and waited for him to come at him. The speed of Omega was so high that he was upon him in an instant. Omega covered a distance of twenty meters in one step.


    His fist made contact with Yang Dao, however, the expected impact did not come. His fist flashed through the young man and the next moment, his body lay on the ground. His senses did not interpret the impact on his face when Yang Dao punched him down.


    The numbing pain in his jaw only came after a few seconds. He raised his head and cast a look at Yang Dao. He wanted to ask something but his mouth was not moving. The Dao sensed his gaze and asked, "You want to know how can I evade your punch and also hit you so fast and hard?"


    The man nodded and the benevolent dao child spoke, "It is because I am one with nature. The wind is my, and I am the wind. The earth is me and I am the earth."


    He waited for Omega to stand up on his feet. He did not wish to kill him but to correct him before he kill him. He wanted him to see the ugly reality. Thus the treatment. Omega stood up and the bruise on his face had already vanished.


    He was not a hyper-human but an ultra-human. His genes were altered to a level where his appearance should have changed. He gazed at Yang Dao and said, "You think everyone can get those powers you have from nature? NO, WE CANNOT."


    Yang Dao shook his head, and said, "The reason not everyone gets these powers is very simple. It is because you people seek to rule over nature instead of becoming one with it. The flaw is not with your body but your mind. The thoughts you have, to always exploit and take from the world without giving it anything back.


    You think that just because you have a better conscious and brain you can do what you want on the planet, right? You think that you can get anything you wish as long as you have money without paying for it. Let me ask you, what was the price of your strength? The pain you suffered, what was the reason for this price you paid?


    You may have gained strength better than the rest. You may have gained a life longer than the rest. However, what have you achieved? How many times have you looked around you to enjoy the sceneries of the world? Your strength was nothing but for naught. You hid all your life inside that lab of yours, never to have any joy or calm in your mind.


    The price you paid for this was? Your humanity. You wanted to make humans equal, and independent of nature, however, you lost your ways. You were nothing more than a failed experiment at the end of the day."


    Omega was hurt by these words. He wanted to come up with a retort but was unable to. Yang Dao was the Dao Child, and he was a mortal who lost his ways in his twisted pursuit. The reason he was still affected by this preaching was that deep inside his core, there was a flickering spark of humanity. The root of his origin was not the void or the pursuit of his life.


    It was humanity. He was born a normal human, as Yang Dao could see through what he has been through, he found a soul that discarded his humanity to save himself. Yes, his family suffered things that normal people would not even be able to imagine.


    ...


    Omega was born as a boy in a peasant family, he was named, Noah. His family were all people who tilled their lands. Noah was a jolly boy in his childhood. However, one day the village was bombed. His country was at war. He was just five at that time.


    Noah''s mother died from a bomb erupting on their house, while he and his father ran away. The boy was helpless and did not even know what was happening. He was seven when he found out. He wanted to be strong, and thus he tired everything he could.


    Martial arts, gyming, education and a lot of sports. However, he discovered that his labor did not bore fruit. At least not how he thought they would. One fine day, he found out that his brain was better than the rest. Thus he dedicated his time to all this research. Gradually becoming what he had become.


    Yang Dao gazed at him and said, "Your pursuit of power should have came to an end when you failed to get elemental prowess. However, you began to experiment on people and even the girl you love was not spared. You should cease you exist."

 Chapter 441: Rectification.

    Yang Dao''s voice was cold and calm. He did not intend to let Omega stay alive from the moment he saw his past through the laws of time. This person had everything and wanted more. This person was so lost in his blind and unnecessary pursuits that he has even forsaken his humanity for this.


    He gave up the ones he loved to seek the ways to go again nature. Such a person must not be allowed to live. His consciousness was corrupted to the point of no return and Yang Dao was not merciful to such people anyway. The crimes and sins that Omega has incurred, were enough to have his soul erased.


    Omega stood in front of the young man with his eyes brimming with complicated emotions. His eyes were not normal. They were not digitalized as well. Somehow, Omega had managed to implant three pupils in his eyes. The marvel may seem a wonder of science, as it was, however, the pain was also the same.


    Normal humans cannot withstand such pain. The limit of the human body will reach its limit and it will break under the load. However, this person had not only done that but also incorporated a lot of animal genes into his own body. Yang Dao said, "Come, fight me, with all that you have."


    As if waiting for his queue, Omega shot forth, Yang Dao only used his palm to swat away his fists as he kept on moving around. Never once did his face change as he faced the assault. The enemy seemed to have been warming up and after a few seconds, the blows consist of not only punches but also kicks and sneaks.


    The young man was not batting his eyelids as the attacks were being launched on him. Omega had increased his speed and his attacks were leaving some small lived after images. Yang Dao faced him with his palm blade and only defended. After five minutes he sighed and said, "Is that all?"


    With that, he pushed his palm forward and Omega sensed a strong air pressure pushing his body back. This was a blow equal to what sushi had cast earlier, but the Dao Child had only unleashed his five percent of strength.


    ...


    Ryu Jinshi was shivering. Sushi asked, "Your Excellency, are you feeling cold?"


    Her sweet tiny voice was enough for the other familiar look at Ryu Jinshi. Laohu Bai said, "He is not cold, Sushi. He is itching for a fight. Master, has reached the level where he can take him on at his peak and he wants to see who will be the winner, although he is aware of the result."


    Ryu Jinshi snorted and said, "XiaoBai, you say it as if you are not longing for a full power duel with him."


    The lady with white hair chuckled and said, "I am aware of the result and thus I do not look forward to a duel but his guidance."


    Feng Yun smiled and did not say anything. Atsuji Kurogame said, "He has not been using his laws and elements. This is all his physical fitness."


    The three people nodded. They turned their attention back at the young man, who was not facing a beast.


    ...


    A few moments ago, Omega was repelled by Yang Dao and the man raised his head. His tri-pupil eyes filled with hatred. He said, "When a human incorporates the best genes in his DNA chain and can invoke them according to his wish. He will become invincible. Let me show you what the true power of science is."


    With that said, his skin began to squirm. His body shivered as it transformed. He grew taller, broader, and suddenly fell forward on the ground. The cloak on his body was missing already, his torso was covered with scales, while his whole body looked like a tiger crouching in wait to attack. Yang Dao looked at him with pity.


    Omega had invoked his genes and was transforming. His transformation was not changing his appearance but also, his skeletal structure. Yang Dao looked at a scaled monster in front of him, shaking his head the young man said, "You wanted to be the pinnacle of human beings, however, what you are now is something that is not even a monster."


    His words were heard by the monster in front of him. However, the gene invocation made his senses dull and his intellect regress. So many foreign genes in the DNA chain, how can they not have any side effects?


    Yang Dao did not show any pity anymore. He decided to finish this guy once and for all. He took out his Dao Armament. The feather sword, and charged at the monster. The monster also did not hesitate and fought with Yang Dao.


    The young man did not unleash the strongest of his moves, he gradually increased his output. If he was to cast his strongest attack, then it would have obliterated the whole region they were standing in. Inside the void, everything becomes nothing. Even the destruction cannot be gauged. Thus when clashing with the monster, Yang Dao had to take all this into account.


    He did not wish to create a ruckus. The monster was three-meter tall and his claws were strong enough to cut through iron as if it was mud. The strength and destruction this monster can cause were not overlooked by Yang Dao.


    In the initial clash, the scales were as strong as the sword in Yang Dao''s hand, however, as the boy kept on increasing the output he found that the difference lie between the quality. Feather was a Dao Armament, it reacted to Yang Dao''s feelings and resolve. It was not a blind weapon.


    The boy understood this and he focused only on slaying the monster in front of him. Omega had grown a barbed tail, he was really like a tiger beast. However, the madness in his eyes was making him inferior to even a beast. He was now just a bloodthirst feral monster.


    Yang Dao had just parried a claw slash at him and the next moment he closed in the distance between the monster and himself. He said, "Dao Slash."


    The sword intent inside his thoughts materialized into a flashing ark of light as he slashed down. Omega could not even react, his claws froze in the void, the monster could not even roar or wail from the pain it was going through at the moment.


    Yang Dao''s slash had sealed it completely. The strike was not made on his physical body only but also, his soul. The last spark of humanity inside him was flickering against the strong winds of the void monster, this strike had brought the flicker an eternal rest. Yang Dao took a step back and the monster split into two parts from the head to pelvic as it fell on the ground.


    Yang Dao snapped his fingers and the body of the most turned into ash. A gust of wind took the ash away from the ground and scattered it to the skies. The dao child raised his gaze to follow the track of the ash, as he mumbled, "Rest in peace. I hope that you find your true purpose in the next life."


    Atsuji Kurogame smiled, and said, "What now, Master?"


    Yang Dao nodded to the four people, he explored the cavern where Omega resided, he found a lot of stuff that was not suitable to appear outside in the world. He did not believe that in th future there will be no one coming here to unearth these secrets.


    So he erased everything and made the cave sink in as well. He stood in front of the four familiars, he said, "The battle with this guy ended very interestingly. The next few things in line are to select four worthy successors. You all will be selecting four souls, teaching them all they should know to watch over the balance of the world.


    They must not have any internal conflicts and should be aware that they will be watching over things but not own them. Society will be watched over by RALF in the shadows, the four successors will be acting if any deformity like New Dawn appeared. Impart them the true knowledge of laws as well. Only when they know the dedication, will they be able to bear this responsibility."


    The four people knelt in front of him and said, "We have such successors selected from the moment, we found you, Master."


    The speaker was Feng Yun. She continued, "These four successors have been trained and observed completely. They are all good seeds."


    She was afraid that Yang Dao might refuse so hurriedly explained. The young man nodded and said, "It is fine, do not worry. If you have it done, then good. So, now the only thing left to do is to say goodbye to this world."


    Atsuji Kurogame nodded and said, "You can delay it, Master."


    Yang Dao shook his head and said, "Delay will only make things harder. The human heart is such a thing, eldest. Let us go."

 Chapter 442: Farewell.

    Yang Dao and the four people flew off on the horizon after dealing with the deformity. The young man was now worried about how to say farewell to his people. He had emotions and compassion in his heart, however, this did not mean he did not want to go away.


    He did not notice where he was flying off to, and subconsciously, he flew to the place where it all began for him. The orphanage in Bell City. It was evening and the sun was setting down. The sky was covered with an orange hue.


    ...


    Sister Tina was waving at a car going away from the entrance door. This car belonged to a family that has just adopted a child from the orphanage. The older children all stood behind her waving at the car with a smile.


    Cao, the eldest of the children asked, "Sister Tina, why do children not have a say in whether they want to go away with those new people or not? They all agree to the sweet coaxing words."


    He was not jealous or against this idea but he thought that children did not have much awareness of things and they happily follow anyone who talks sweetly to them. This thing had always made him curious. Sister Tina smiled and said, "Children follow their instincts. Instincts are better than your intellect sometimes."


    The rest of the children nodded. Suddenly a warm voice asked, "What are you pipsqueak nodding about?"


    The two girls standing near Sister Tina ran to the voice in an instant. Sister Tina said, "Dao, you finally have the time to come back?" as she shook her head.


    In the past ten months, a few new children had started living in. They did not know who this person was, and why were the two big sisters hugging him like koalas.


    Yang Dao replied to the lady, "I am home."


    Cao cheered, "Welcome back, Big brother Dao."


    The children all cheered. Yang Dao held the two girls in his arms and said, "You two, it is not good to cling when you grow up. What will people say?" he teased the two girls.


    The two girls snorted as they snuggled their heads to his chest. Behind him stood the four people. Feng Yun said, "Master, you asked us to find the successors right?"


    Yang Dao nodded in confusion. Feng Yun smiled and said, "The two girls, they have the physique of fire. I choose them as my disciples. They have been learning for ten months."


    The Dao child was surprised, he bent his neck to look at the two girls only to find two pairs of starry eyes gazing back at him as if asking, "Are we awesome?"


    Yang Dao chuckled and said, "You two are indeed awesome."


    The two pairs of eyes turned into inverted crescents. The boy patted their heads and said, "Let''s go in."


    Then only the two girls held his two and let him walk. Yang Dao asked, "How have you two been learning, Sister Yun taught you well?"


    The two girls nodded in unison and gave him an okay signal. He found that the two had become somewhat confident than earlier. He was able to sense that all of the children and people had some sort of elemental source energy radiating from them but he did not know the twins to have been taken under the wing by the phoenix.


    The people came inside and Yang Dao greeted the new children in the orphanage and then began to help some faculty members to cook food. Atsuji Kurogame told the children fairy tales in a room, while Ryu Jinshi taught the teenagers about fitness.


    Feng Yun was testing her disciples in their room while Laohu Bai taught the teenage girls, how to be more graceful. She was always as such in front of outsiders. Mind you, she was a white tigress. The queen of felines, her grace can put anyone to shame if she showed it.


    ...


    Inside the kitchen, Sister Tina watched as a handsome young man cooked food with a big ladle and pot. She asked, "When will you leave?"


    Yang Dao shivered for a second and replied without turning back, "In a few days."


    Sister Tina nodded, "What have you been up to lately?"


    "Rectifying some problems. Making the world a better place." said the boy with a chuckle.


    Sister Tina said in a soft voice, "I am aware of your identity, Dao."


    The hands stirring the porridge in the pot froze as the young man shivered. Sister Tina sighed and continued, "Nina and Tina had told me all about it. Also, since your people are preparing someone to take over, that means you will be going away. Where to, I do not know. All I know is that this place is your home. You can come back here always."


    Yang Dao could not help but let the tears in his eyes fall down as he heard these words. Sister Tina said, "Keep moving the hands the porridge will burn otherwise."


    He gave her a nod as he began to stir it again while tears kept falling down his eyes and mixed with the porridge. The boy was very worried about how to reveal his identity but everything was already set in order.


    After the food was cooked, it was served to everyone in the orphanage. The people praised every bite they ate. Yang Dao was happy in this atmosphere, away from all worries. If it was the past, he would have wished for the time to stop at this moment but he was aware that such a thing was impossible.


    So rather than crying over it, he decided to make the best of it. The people did not sleep the whole night. Yang Dao decided to stay in the orphanage for a few days while the familiars packed up their work. He had not yet visited the Dao Space and needed to check on Dao Yin, this place was his haven and so he stayed.


    ...


    After the four familiars left, Yang Dao sat inside a room with his legs crossed. The young man focused on meditating and gradually his consciousness emerged in a starry scape. He found that he was alone and sat down meditating with patience.


    After an unknown amount of time, he opened his eyes and found a white-haired girl looking at him. He asked, "Took you long."


    Dao Yin had come over. She smiled and came to sit down next to him. She said, "Yeah, was saying my farewell."


    Yang Dao nodded and asked, "Will you meet me in the next place?"


    Dao Yin smiled, "Depends if you can find me."


    The young man smiled. Dao Yin had grown a lot more beautiful in the past couple of years. The two chatted in peace about their anticipation for the next world and the challenges they might face there.


    Suddenly, the girl asked, "What will you do, if you are born in a family that is different from your temperament."


    The boy said, "I would like to explore more and then decide. It is not like I can decide where to be incarnated."


    Dao Yin nodded, she thought for a bit and said, "We will be ascending so, I do not think we can take a proper birth?"


    "We can still cheat," said Yang Dao.


    Dao Yin was surprised and they began to discuss the cheat. After a while, the white-haired lady suddenly pressed her lips against Yang Dao''s. She said, "This is our first kiss and it is also a farewell kiss. I will see you in the next world."


    Yang Dao nodded as he caressed her face with his hands. The girl smiled and nuzzled her head against his palm as she faded slowly. The young man sighed and his consciousness also returned to his body. He woke up and found two anxious teens walking left to right. He asked, "Why are you two so antsy."


    The two were none other than the twins. Yang Dao coaxed them by telling them that he was in a deep state of meditation and then he came to eat something.


    ...


    Time seemed to have grown wings, and a week passed away. Yang Dao wrote a letter to Sister Tina and after handing it to the two twins he left the orphanage in the night. He did not wish to see them upset so he left.


    He met with the four familiars in the dao courtyard mansion. He asked them, "When do we leave."


    However, he got no reply so he asked, "What is it?"


    Atsuji Kurogame said, "Allow me."


    The other three nodded and the old man said, "Master, this is the last time you will meet us in this form until you have ascended to the dao palace. The next world is going to be a task that is a complete test for you set by the great Dao. We cannot aid you."


    Yang Dao was shocked by this but he did not say anything or show any expression. The old man kept on talking for a few more minutes telling him what the actual circumstances were, and why they could not follow him. He had no choice but to show his understanding for the four people to ease up guilt.


    In the end, he said, "I will see you all soon." and then he left the Dao Courtyard Mansion to go to the Dao island. The three girls, Lisa, Kiya, and Mika had made peace with their parents and said their goodbyes as well. However, they were taken by the familiars to meet Yang Dao when he steps in the dao palace.

 Chapter 443: Ascended.

    YanG Dao had left the Dao Courtyard mansion and came to the Dao Island on his own. He stood at the center of the island, letting the wind caress his body. He was enjoying the silence and serenity of the place.


    He did not know what sort of place awaited him. What challenges he might have to face. However, he was sure that this place, he will not be visiting in a long time. He said, "You took tome to get here, Eldest."


    Behind Yang Dao, an old man draped in a black robe appeared. He said, "I apologize Master."


    Yang Dao shook his head and said, "It is fine. So, can you do what I asked you to?"


    Atsuji Kurogame sighed and said, "Master, you will not be able to release all your powers until you have reached the age of eighteen if I cast the seal upon you."


    Yang Dao nodded and said, "I can manipulate the gates of life and death now. I can enter the cycle of reincarnation on my own. But the time seal, that is something only you can do. My comprehension of the time seal is not that good."


    Atsuji Kurogame asked, "Master, please allow me to ask you a question."


    Yang Dao nodded and the old man asked, "Why do you wish to do this?"


    The boy chuckled, "I did not experience the affection of my parents. Sister tina was like a mother to me but the mortal heart inside me still craves for a mother, father, and family. Until I cannot give up on the regrets and emotions, I cannot grow to be the one true Dao Child."


    Atsuji Kurogame smiled slightly and said, "Very well then. I shall place a time seal on your powers. The rest, you can do when you walk through the gates of life and death."


    Yang Dao nodded and said, "Get over with it. Also, please visit Dao Yin after this. She needs help as well."


    Atsuji Kurogame sighed and nodded. He wanted to say, ''Master, that is very tricky'' but he did not say it after all the master was the master.


    He held his two hands together and cast a seal. Then he began to chant something. Soon the powers inside Yang Dao slowly regressed. After a few minutes, Atsuji Kurogame said, "Master, I cannot seal your powers properly. Your elements have regressed to grade three and your laws have been sealed to the basic, except for the laws of life and death. After you step through the cycle of reincarnation they will be sealed as well."


    The young man nodded with a smile and said, "So long, eldest. Tell the rest, I will miss them."


    Atsuji Kurogame knelt and said, "Farewell, Master. Until next time."


    Yang Dao smiled and with a wave of his hand tore open the void in front of him. He did not have much time left as the law comprehension in his mind was being sealed slowly. The place he stood was not the void but the space. The endless stars surrounded him.


    Yang Dao sighed at the beauty and chanted something. After a few minutes, a golden portal opened over his head. The young man was sucked inside the portal. On the other side of the portal, it looked like a river of stars flowing in different directions. Like branches of a tree.


    After falling inside the river of stars, Yang Dao''s body began to change. It was age regression. From a young adult to a teenager and as he traveled in the river of stars, he became a toddler and after a few moments, only his primordial soul was left.


    The primordial soul was no bigger than a mung bean. It became one with the river of stars, unable to be found again. Despite losing his body, Yang Dao still had his memories. It was only at the last moment, the boy decided to keep only the knowledge with him as for the rest of the memories, he only left a few words in his memories, "The truth will unveil when the time is ripe."


    ...


    Something similar was taking place in the mirror world. Dao Yin had done the same thing as Yang Dao after they both discussed the Dao Space. She was surprised when Atsuji Kurogame appeared in front of her. She did not know how he did that but she was aware that the prowess of the familiars was too high for them to understand at the moment.


    This power was not the power of elements but the mysteries of laws. Atsuji Kurogame waved his hand and let the lady''s prowess be sealed. After she vanished from his sight, he sighed and returned to Liro.


    ...


    Feng Yun, Laohu Bai, and Ryu Jinshi stood with, Sushi, Amber, the two leopards, and three girls. They were only waiting for Atsuji Kurogame. In front of them stood five people. They were all their disciples. Ryu Jinshi said, "We may be away but we are never gone. If it is discovered that you all are having infighting or you are the reason for the imbalance in the world. I will activate the seals inside you all."


    This was his trick to scare them all. They did not place any seals inside them but they left spirit marks inside them to monitor their actions and guide them if need be. The five people bowed and nodded with sincere eyes. They were all those who had none to rely on, so the teachings of their masters were everything for them. So, how can they make things go south?


    Feng Yun had willed all her property to Yang Dao back then and the boy intern had made a will before leaving. The will stated that everything that was leftover after the salary distribution will be donated to the needy. Of course, the funds were all left for RALF to channel.


    The void trembled all of a sudden and Atsuji Kurogame appeared. He looked at the people and said, "Master has ascended."


    The people nodded. They imparted the last few words to the people and told them that they can keep in touch with them through the spirit marks, and the void was split over. The people vanished after stepping inside the tunnels.  Laohu Bai had left her elite team as the caretaker of the children until they grew up. Lin was to look after the twins because they knew Yang Dao.


    ...


    The universe was like a stack of paper. and above the realm of mortals, resided a place called the realm of Immortal cultivators.


    This realm was five times bigger than the mortal realm with countless planets inhabited with life. The inhabitants were not only humans but a lot of other people. Yang Dao''s soul did not know after how much time it gained partial consciousness.


    The boy could make out some words and movements around him but he could not tell what they meant. He could not open his eyes, and could not move around much. One thing that he liked was the warmth in this place. He was content with all this.


    He found a lot of knowledge in his mind but whenever he thought about where the knowledge came from the quote ''you will know when the time is right'' rang out in his mind. He did not know for how long he was embraced in the warmth before he suddenly sensed a strong push.


    ...


    The immortal realm had a lot of planets, but there was a special planet that was called the Spirit Evergarden.


    This planet was the holy land of cultivators, ruled by one of the strongest human race families, the Yang family. The Yang family was said to have inherited the ways and the essence of the sun. They lived in a palace, built on the banks of Jade Lake. The palace looked as if something out of a fairy tale.


    The place was surrounded by a lush green garden and many beautiful flowers bloomed in the gardens as a flock of butterflies and birds flew around. There was a wall surrounding the palace, and a few guards could be seen patrolling over.


    Despite the beauty of the place, the atmosphere was laced with strong depression. Inside the palace, all the men were gathered in a huge hall. There were at least fifty males gathered inside. The age ranged from teenagers to an old relic with a beard so long that it was reaching his knees. A middle-aged man could be seen walking to and fro in the center of the hall and he was anxious to the limit.


    The old relic sighed and said, "Calm down, will you? You are making me anxious."


    The middle-aged man said, "Third grandfather..."


    The old man raised his eyebrow making the middle-aged man calm down.


    ...


    In a luxurious big bedroom, a lady had just finished, what seemed to be the biggest ordeal of her life. She looked around the rest of the ladies in the room and asked, "What happened, is my child okay?"


    An aged lady stepped forward, in her arms lay a baby, wrapped in silky emerald cloth. She smiled and said, "Lady, you have been blessed by a beautiful baby boy."


    The beautiful lady on the bed smiled, she had sweat all over her but the moment she heard this, her exhaustion from the labor seemed to have vanished. The room door was pushed open and an anxious middle-aged man rushed inside as he asked, "How are they? Why did I not hear any cries?"


    The wet nurse said, "Lord Yang, the young master is safe and so is the lady. Your child is blessed with a strong spirit and intelligence."


    That was when the man looked over at his wife who was looking at the baby in her hands. When he saw the baby''s face, he smiled. The baby was looking around with great curiosity and would smile every time he looked at his mother. The lady said, "Shan, is he smiling at me?"


    Yang Shan was the name of the middle-aged man. He replied, "That is what it looks like, Ling."


    An old voice sounded, "Brat move aside, let me look at my grandson." an old lady walked over and stood near Ling. She smiled at the baby boy''s eyes and the child returned her gaze with his shining black eyes. The old lady said, "This little one has eyes as deep as the Dao. Let us name him, Yang Dao."


    So, the second life of Yang Dao began.

 Chapter 444: Naughty Boy.

    Yang Dao was held in his mother''s warm embrace. After he was named the family was filled with joy. After a week of his birth, the family organized a banquet. All the people of the family had been called back. All of their ally families came over from their domains and blessed the child. They did not find anything out of the ordinary when they cast a gaze at the child.


    The banquet continued for three days straight before the guests all left after probing. Only a few people in life would be true to you. Since they all worshiped strength They were all the same. Yang Dao was too young to understand all this and enjoyed his time in the cradle laughing and smiling at his relatives coaxing and playing with him.


    ...


    A month passed and as Yang Dao grew the people in the family developed a good opinion for him. He rarely cried. His complexion had become like that of jade. His eyes were black as obsidian and his smile seemed to have lit up the place. At this moment, Yang Dao was sitting on a mat looking around the room with his doe eyes.


    His mother sat in front of the dressing table, combing her hair. She seemed to be lost in thought. The child blinked around and got on his four limbs and slowly crawled out of the room. The boy had yet to look at the world outside the room. Curiosity was something every human had. The boy crawled his way outside the room for the first time.


    The floor was made of shiny stone and the child smiled as he saw his reflection on the floor. He crawled in the big corridor. Coincidently he was not found by any servant in the household. Thus began the exploration trip.


    Yue Ling (His mother) suddenly frowned, her baby boy has not made any sound in quite a while. The lady turned around and saw that the baby boy was missing. She was a cultivator and she did not lose her calm this soon. She looked around the room but did not find the boy. She became slightly anxious.


    She scanned the surroundings with her spirit sense and did not find anyone around. Now, fear and anxiety began to seep into her heart. She stood up and walked out of her room with a quick step. She did not find any servants around in the first corridor, the palace was a secure place and it restricted the spirit sense of the people a lot.


    Yue Ling turned a corner and she found a maid walking over. She said, "Aya, call everyone, search for your young master. He is not inside his room."


    The maid froze in her steps, she did not know how to react to this command. Young Master was only a month old, how could he be missing. She only woke up from her daze when Yue Ling said, "Aya, do I need to repeat myself?"


    Yue Ling was a poised and calm lady. Everyone like her as she rarely raised her voice and was polite and caring. However, when she lost her cool. Even the elders in the family would not mess with her.


    Aya woke up and bowed, "Yes, Mistress." and then she rushed out to inform and call the others servants. The words spread and even the relatives heard about Yang Dao being missing. They all panicked and rushed out through the palace to look for the boy.


    ...


    The whole house was checked and suddenly a maid rushed over with a panicked expression, "We found the young master. He is sitting in the serenity garden."


    The serenity garden was the place the elders of the family would sit down and relax. Her words attracted the attention of everyone, Yue Ling directly rushed to the gardens. The maid rushed after her and said, "Mistress, young master. He is sitting in front of the chess table."


    Her words made Yue Ling widen her eyes and the next moment she vanished from her spot. Following her, all of the family members vanished from their place. They all rushed before it was too late.


    The chess table was not an ordinary chess table. This game was left behind by the ancestor of the family. In the past, a lot of people tried to solve it but the intent in the game was so strong that while some lost their sanity, some even died. Yang Dao was a child how could he get near the table. Was it not looking for death.


    ...


    In the serenity garden, the ground was covered with soft lush grass. A huge tree stood in the center of the garden, and below it was a chair and table set. Yang Dao was sitting near the table. He was smiling as he found a palm-sized bird flying around him. His laughter added to the serenity of the place.


    A maid stood at a distance and kept calling him gently, "Young Master, come back."


    Yang Dao was oblivious to her voice, he was immersed in his game with the bird. This bird had appeared when he had just come outside the house. It was a cerulean bird, with crown-like fur on its head. The bird was playing with Yang Dao and eventually led him to this place. It seemed to have taken a liking for the boy.


    Suddenly, the bird landed on the chair, the boy crawled over ignoring the calls of the crying maid. He held onto the leg of the pinewood chair and stood up from the ground wobbling. The maid froze when she saw this scene.


    The boy jumped to catch the bird, and the latter jumped back up chirping continuously. Yang Dao fell to the ground as he landed on the ground but he again stood up and this time he jumped to hold on to the seat and protruded himself up on the chair. The bird flew around and sat down at the edge of the table.


    At this moment, Yue Ling appeared at the edge of the shade of the big tree. The distance between her and the chess table was twenty meters only. She called out, "Dao, baby, come back to mommy. Look here, mommy has your favorite toy."


    Her voice was so soft that even the bird looked at her. The reason why Yue Ling could not go ahead was the strong intent push radiating from the chess table. Suddenly, Yang Dao jumped towards the bird, in Yue Ling''s eyes the world lost its color.


    An old man appeared near the table however, his hands were still one meter away from the child. The exertion of strength was completely visible on his face. His eyes were filled with helplessness. The boy caught hold of the bird in his little hands and hung from the edge of the table with his elbows.


    He struggled to get up and the table trembled. Yue Ling had tears in her eyes and the servants knelt on the ground. However, the scene they were all afraid of did not happen. The old man near the table sensed the pressure on him vanish and he caught the hold of the hanging boy. The bird struggled and flew away from the boy''s hand.


    The boy frowned but the old man caught the bird with one hand and glared at it. The bird calmed down from his gaze. The old man said in a soft voice, "Dao, do not hurt her." as he gave the bird to the frowning boy.


    Yang Dao smiled happily as he took the bird in his small hands. Yue Ling woke up from her daze and rushed over to the boy. The old man handed the child to her and gazed at the chessboard. His pupil dilated into pinpoints.


    Yue Ling only held her smiling baby in her hands and said, "Dao, do not scare mommy like this again. What would I do if something happened to you, my love?"


    Yang Dao heard her voice and shifted his gaze from the bird in his hands. He smiled and raised his hand to wipe her tears. His action made the weeping mother smile. Then he raised the bird in his other hand and made a  kuuu sound, trying to imitate the bird''s voice.


    Yue Ling said, "Yes, my child it is a bird."


    The old man suddenly started laughing loudly, surprising the people. When he looked around at them and found them surprised, he froze and coughed. He said, "Yue Ling, you have blessed our family with a gem. A heavenly child."


    Yue Ling did not understand the context of his words. The old man said, "This little rabbit has solved the ancestor''s chess game."


    Everyone was shocked by this but when they found that the pressure from the table has vanished. They all realized that what the family leader said, was true. An old voice sounded, "What heavenly boy? Old man, I told you in the past to cast a seal here. If something was to happen to my Darling grandson, I will ask you and your ancestors for an explanation."


    Yang Dao''s grandma walked over with a cane in her hand. She was grumpy to everyone except her grandson. Well, he was the heavenly child, after all. She smiled at the baby held by Yue Ling and said, "You naughty little rabbit. Did you miss grandma?"


    The boy smiled at her and made all the baby sounds to her as if he understood it all.

 Chapter 445: Growth Spurt.

    The adventure of the little boy came to an end and he would be now watched over by a dedicated maid. The maid looked like a middle-aged woman, however, she was really old and was Yue Ling''s protector, who had followed her back from her maternal home.


    This lady was called Yue Yun. She was a widow and due to an injury was unable to conceive so she had taken up the job to watch over Yue Ling when she was just four or five years old and had followed her after her marriage.


    She had a respectable status in the Yang House as well. Yue Ling had gotten busy with the matters of domain governance and had very little time to see the boy. So, she asked her personal protector to look after the child. Yue Yun liked spending time with Yang Dao as well, the child was smart and never made a fuss.


    Yang Dao would wander around in the big palace every day but only with Yue Yun following him. She will stop him from venturing into areas that were off-limit. Yang Dao also did not go off too much, and after looking around he would go on to wander a bit more. What Yue Yun did not know was that the boy was learning from everything he saw outside.


    The boy was growing at a surprising rate. He would spend a few hours of his day with the old ladies of the house listening to stories. His ears will filter all the gossip they would talk about. He would also visit the old men in the house to get some wisdom off of them. The old people also liked his presence.


    They would pamper him a lot and gradually the boy grew up to be the darling of the family. Yue Ling would make sure to come back home every night and play with him. Yang Dao was still a baby, who had not started cultivating and would sleep from all the activity. The routine continued till the boy was three months old.


    Yang Dao stood up as he was crawling on the floor using the wall as a support. After taking a couple of steps the boy let go of the wall and walked freely. His pace was slow, but everyone who saw him walking was surprised. They did not know what to say. However, when they recalled that the child was a blessed soul.


    The Yang House was filled with bliss and joy when they found that the boy was so ahead of his age. This was not an oddity but a blessing that only peerless people had. Time seemed to have grown wings. Six months have passed since the boy has born.


    ...


    The boy was sitting on the mat as he made a block pyramid. Yue Ling and Yang Shan were talking in the background as they watched the boy play.


    Yang Shan said, "Today, The elder of The Wang family came over and seemed to want to fix his daughter with our son. What do you think?"


    Yue Ling shook her head, "Dao is still very young. Do not bind him in such relationships."


    Yang Shan nodded, "I thought so too. So I told them no."


    Suddenly they heard a sweet voice in the room, "Mum, see, Dao, make."


    The couple froze. Yue Ling looked at her husband''s visage when she sensed a tap on her leg. The couple was sitting on a couch inside the room. Yang Dao stood at her feet and said, "Mum, Dao, make."


    As he pointed at the neat block pyramid. The pyramid was ten-level high, not something an average six-month-old can do. The shock was actually from his speech. Yue Ling picked him up from the ground and asked, "Sweety, what did you call me?"


    Yang Dao blinked and said, "Mum."


    Yue Ling smiled brightly and kissed him on his cheek, as she said, "Call me once more."


    The boy blinked and reflected her smile as he said, "Mum."


    Yang Shan took him from his wife''s hands and dotingly asked, "Dao, tell me who am I?"


    The boy tilted his head and said, "Baba."


    Yang Shan would call himself baba in front of Yang Dao and thus the boy picked up this address. The man started to laugh hard and loudly. He did not expect his son to call him baba so soon. Yue Ling took her song back and glared at Yang Shan. She said, "You are scaring my son. Be quieter."


    Then she focused on her sweetheart and asked him to call him mum again. The news that the young master can speak was akin to the fire in a drought-struck forest. The people all gathered and asked the boy to call them names.


    Yang Dao also did not let them down and called them all by what they asked him. His grandmother was so happy that she asked the people to distribute free food in the domain and gave a bonus to all the workers in their family. Yang Dao was showered with countless blessings.


    ...


    When the boy was just one year old when he learned how to read and write. He was not old enough to go to school, without causing a storm. So the family elders decided to create a library for Yang Dao inside the palace. The old people all used the library to relax. There were a total of thirty members in the family. They all lived together and Yang Dao was the youngest son of the youngest son.


    The Yang Family did have lots of branches spread all over the universe. Yang Dao would spend his time reading and writing inside the library. Only to eat and sleep will he come out. The boy had been smarter than anyone could think he was gathering information about the situation of this world.


    In his mind, he had left a lot of mental notes and decided to follow them all. These notes would come to him randomly and the boy would act accordingly. He collected information about world history and also geography.


    Turned out that the stronger the family the stronger their domain. Yang Family was a major family in this area of the universe and they owned a whole planet while having shares in a lot more planets. However, he did not know what owning a planet meant and simply collected information and knowledge.


    When he was one and a half years old, the family all gathered in the dining room and they were eating together. Today was the birthday of his grandmother. The whole family was called back. Yang Dao had a chair between his grandmother and mother. He would not speak much but eat the food with a smile on his face.


    Suddenly, a young man in his early twenties spoke up, "Grandpa, why do we have to pay the Wang family for those mining rights? That land belongs to us."


    The grandpa in his mouth was an old man. This guy was Yang Dao''s grandpa''s big brother. The man said, "Even if we are a dragon in our domain, we should not rattle the ground snake."


    The old man would often use idioms to talk. The young man was confused when a small soft voice echoed, "Big brother Jun, Elder Grandpa means that even if the land belongs to us, the domain belongs to the Wangs. We should not offend them."


    Everyone was surprised pleasantly as they heard this reply. The boy asked Yang Dao in a soft voice, "Dao, they bully us. You know they are horrible people, last night they beat up two of my men. You tell me what do I do?"


    The people on the table all looked at the little boy eating food from his grandmother''s hand with a smile. This boy was someone who gave them a lot of surprises.


    Yang Dao looked at the man and said, "Do you have proof?"


    The man shook his head, and then Yang Dao said, "You cannot do anything. Wang family is the strongest in that region so you can only tolerate it."


    The man said, "Dao, how can I just let it go. The people hurt are my brothers."


    Yang Dao shook his head and said, "I did not say let it go. If we cannot say that they are wrong cause we have no proof then the same goes for them no? If that person does call his parents then you call your parents."


    His words shocked the people. They did not expect him to say something like this. Yue Ling smiled and Yang Shan said, "He isn''t wrong."


    Yang Dao''s grandmother, Yu Mulan, clicked her tongue and said, "Fools, my darling is smarter than all of you combined, and you Yang Gong, grow a pair and kick those Wang losers back to their home."


    Yue Lan said, "Mom, Dao will learn bad words from you."


    Yu Mulan frowned and said, "Okay, Okay, I will try not to say bad things in front of my rabbit. But you tell these dimwits to not make such idiotic mistakes."


    Yang Dao nodded and said, "Grandma, you are a smart girl."


    The whole scene erupted into laughter and the banquet continued.

 Chapter 446: Spirit Cultivation.

    The family banquet of Yu Mulan came to an end and the people returned to their usual life. Yang Dao sorted out the knowledge in his mind, both new and old. The boy had concluded that the knowledge in his mind has no use here, except for providing him a better understanding of natural elements.  The tech and the rules of other subjects did not apply here, except basic mathematics.


    The boy would spend his time in the library learning about spirits and rules. Overall, the bigger the fist the better the rule. This was the principle of this world. It was accepted by everyone. The poor will endure the sufferings to grow. The strong will strive to grow stronger.


    The books did not shed light on the dark side of the world. Yang Dao had asked the family elders to be allowed to read the other books but they did not allow the boy to read because he was too young to see the dark side of human nature and strength exploitation. They did not wish for the gem of their house to be stained by all the trash in society.


    Yang Dao did not keep on insisting, he was aware that he will get to read them once he begins cultivating. So he diverted his attention to learning more about the diverse flora and fauna in this world. Time passed away soon and the boy was now three years old. Today he was going to visit his grandmother to ask her something.


    So, the boy held Yue Yun''s soft hand as the lady carefully took him to the place where Yu Mulan lived. Yang Dao held her hand just out of habit and not that he needed support. The boy was greeted by every servant he encountered on the way with a respected gaze and smile.


    Yang Dao also smiled at them as he returned their greeting. What surprised everyone was how the child would greet them all with their names. Yue Yun led him to the place where Yu Mulan resided and said, "Dao, I will stay outside. You go meet Madam."


    The boy gazed at her and nodded with a smile. He let go of her hand and with his palm thumped the door and said, "Grandma, are you there?"


    As if waiting for his voice, the door opened and a genial-looking old lady appeared. Her tongue may be sharp, but Yu Mulan was a kind lady. She scooped up her darling grandson in her arms and asked, "How come you found time to visit me? Did the books in the library run out?"


    Yang Dao was surprised and asked, "How did you know?" his sweet voice shocked the old lady. She asked, "You mean to say that the books in the library ran out?"


    The baby boy nodded, he said, "Mundane knowledge all finished. They do not let me venture in the cultivation library for practitioners." then he snuggled his face in her neck.


    Yu Mulan asked, "Why do you wish to go to the practitioner section. You are too young, my child." she patted his back gently while trying to coax him.


    The boy said, "I will not be alone, Protector grandpa can watch if I tried to use the knowledge to practice. I am not a fool you know grandma. Also, there is granny Yun. Do you think I will be able to do such a thing?"


    Yu Mulan raised her eyebrow. The boy was speaking in such an aggrieved tone. She loved her grandson a lot. He was the apple of her eyes and she had given Dao everything he asked for, although the boy did not have any non-sensical demands things were fine. After pondering for a few minutes, she said, "Okay, you can enter the practitioner area, however, if you are one step closer to the skill sections, then I will never talk to you. You can only read basic knowledge and Yue Yun."


    Yue Yun materialized from the shadows and with a bow, she asked, "Is something the matter mistress."


    Yu Mulan said, "Find that stubborn old man and tell him to make arrangements, Dao is to be allowed in the practitioner section." her tone was commanding.


    Yue Yan nodded and vanished. Yang Dao kept hugging his grandmother and said in a serious voice, "I will not let you down. I promise, Grandma."


    Yu Mulan nodded as she said, "I know my love. Come let us go to the library. I will help you if you did not understand anything."


    The lady then carried the boy to the family library.


    ...


    Yue Yun told the patriarch of the family about how Yang Dao used Yu Mulan to counter his decision of prohibiting him in the spiritual practice section. He developed a twitch at the corner of his eyelids. He mumbled, "Shan, your kid, sure is a little fox."


    Yang Shan sat alongside him and stifled a chuckle and said, "First uncle, he took after you, the old fox of Yang House."


    This was the nickname of Yang Lang, the old fox. He was a clever administrator and everyone was wary of him. He was the oldest of the three Yang old men and was the current patriarch. Their main family was not a massive force like the other families and thus they had a good bond. The reason why a family with just five subsidiary planets in their domain was not looked down on by the others was because of the strength they all had.


    The Yang Family implied quality over quantity and thus the present result. Yu Mulan was the person in charge of the spies of the family and was akin to a minister in the family. Her ideas and speculations had saved the family a lot of times and thus her words were treated equally to the patriarch.


    Yang Lang nodded to Yue Yun and let her go.


    ...


    Yang Dao sat at a table, reading a book called, The Spirit. This book defined the spirit in its basic form and how it had different uses and what were the different attributes it had. The book also described the basic method to gather spirit around a person.


    The boy tilted his head after he turned over the last page and closed the book. Yu Mulan looked at him with a smile and asked, "Something you do not understand?"


    Yang Dao asked, "I understand everything inside this book, but why does it not mention the origins of the spirit energy? How was it discovered?"


    Yu Mulan was shocked by this pair of questions, she cast a gaze on Yue Yun, who had already told her to be wary of some questions that she could not answer. She sighed at the terrifying observation and curiosity of this boy and said, "I have no answers to these questions. We never thought about such things."


    "Why?" asked the boy simply.


    Yu Mulan was stunned by another question and counter asked, "Did you ever think why we eat food in the manner we do now?"


    Yang Dao shook his head, the lady nodded as she caressed his jade face, "Similarly, this knowledge was something passed down to us by the hands of our elders and we accepted it without thinking much. Maybe when our baby Dao is strong enough, he can find out the answers to these questions and tell us all."


    The boy thought for a bit and his eyes sparkled. He nodded to the lady with confidence. He asked, "Grandma, it said in the book that people can gather the spirit energy to nurture their bodies even if they do not practice. Can I try that?"


    The purposes of the spiritual energy defined in the book stated clearly that exposure to a high concentration natural spirit energy can nurture the body of any being and provide them a better foundation. Yu Mulan saw no harm in this and nodded to Yang Dao so that the boy can try.


    They left the library and came to the serenity garden. In the entire palace, the library and the serenity garden were the two places where Young Master Dao can be found other than his parent''s room. He sat below the great tree and closed his eyes, his legs were crossed and his palms were placed above his knees facing the sky.


    Yang Dao began to slowly inhale and exhale. He was not in a hurry to do anything and just wanted to calm his mind. Gradually he fell into a state of meditation, where his breathing was the only thing left. He could not sense anything else and he did not want to sense anything else. His meditative state was apparent to the two old ladies beside him and they were mildly surprised. After all, the boy had shocked them on daily basis.


    Slowly minutes became hours and just when Yue Yun wanted to wake him up, a faint wisp became visible in his breath. The two ladies stood thunderstruck outside while Yang Dao sensed a warm current washing his body, making it more comfortable as time passed. A three-year-old Yang Dao managed to sense and gather spirit energy.

 Chapter 447: Genius.

    Yang Dao gathering the spirit energy shocked the two ladies and they had no idea what words to explain the storm inside their hearts at the moment. They watched as the boy just breathed the spirit energy in and exhaled out.


    He did not circulate the spirit energy inside his body as he was too young for that at the moment. He had promised Yu Mulan about it and thus he took care of not breaking his promise. The breathing technique was enough to cleanse his body over time and make him have a solid foundation.


    The reason it was prohibited for children to cultivate before they were five years of age was because of the underdeveloped body. Despite being born to immortal practitioners the child was a human after all. They all have great potential locked inside their bodies but they were fragile at a young age.


    Yang Dao may be a blessed child to have started walking when he was one month old, and talking when he was three months. His body was still that of a human being. His brain and soul were the reason that he could scratch the surface of the power inside him. The body was strong but underdeveloped only when it develops properly will it be able to take the load of the power channeling through it.


    Like how you need to dig deep before you lay down the foundation of a building. Yang Dao was now in a process of digging deep.


    After a couple of hours, the boy woke up from his meditation with a smile spread on his jade face. Yu Mulan asked the boy, "How do you feel Dao?"


    The boy replied, "Fresh. Like the wind."


    He waved his hand and the wind picked up the pace. Yu Mulan and Yue Yun can tell that the one who made the wind move was not nature. Yue Yun asked, "Dao, did you make the wind move?"


    The boy nodded with his black eyes turned into crescents and said, "Yes, when I was meditating I sensed a strong connection with the wind and had an urge to make it move. I do not know how, but it moved when I moved my hand."


    Yu Mulan asked him slowly trying to cover up her excitement, "Dao, what else do you feel?"


    Yang Dao thought a bit and said, "I feel such a feeling with every element." as he said he looked down at the ground and raised his hand, casting a pillar as tall as him, protruding from the ground like it was always there only.


    Yue Yun gulped as she and Yu Mulan exchanged a glance and then looked at the little boy in front of him. The latter asked, "Dao, can you do the same with water and fire?"


    Yang Dao thought about it and said, "I do not know, I can try." as he continued to play with the earth pillar. He found it very amusing how the eath followed his thoughts.


    The two ladies exchanged a glance and nodded. Yu Mulan said, "Rabbit, come we go to see your grandpas in the gathering hall."


    Yang Dao simply nodded and skipped over to her side. He said, "Grandma, why are we going to meet them in the hall? I am not allowed there. Baba said, only when I cultivate can I go there."


    Yang family had a rule that only cultivators were allowed to get inside the gathering hall. Yang Dao was two years old when he wanted to explore the hall but they told him not to come inside. Yu Mulan smiled and said, "It is okay. I am with you."


    Yang Dao smiled, he was very happy to explore one of the taboo places for him. In the palace, there were a few areas where he was not allowed to go on to explore. The boy had to wait to either be old enough or be strong enough to peek in these spots. Holding the hands of two ladies, Yang Dao walked with a smile, skipping over in joy.


    The people reached the gathering hall and Yu Mulan said, "Dao, you stay here, come inside when I call you, okay?"


    Yang Dao nodded with a smile, his expression made Yu Mulan peck his cheek before she got inside the hall. The gate of the hall was ten feet high, a wooden monolith carved with exquisite patterns. The boy seemed to be entranced by them. His intellect has grown to a higher level to perceive that this pattern carried something mysterious about itself.


    As he was lost in watching the patterns by tilting his head as he follow the lines, he sensed a gentle tug on his hand. He woke up from the trance and saw Yue Yun smiling at him as she said, "They called you inside, Dao."


    The boy nodded Yue Yun pushed open the door of the gathering hall. Yang Dao walked inside with his eyes began to wander. Four big pillars supported the roof, at the back of the hall on an ancient styled chair sat Yang Lang, on his right sat his brothers, with the youngest, on the extreme right. On his right sat the younger generation people.


    The floor of the hall looked like a chessboard, black and white tiles spread over the place. Yu Mulan invited his attention, "Dao, can you do what you did with the wind and the earth outside?"


    Yang Dao did not say anything much and waved his hand absent-mindedly while his gaze wandered the patterns and chandeliers. The room had a regulated temperature but it had no wind blowing, however, all of a sudden, the wind picked up the pace.


    Yang Dao did not notice the shock on the faces of the few people, but he waved his hand again and cast an earthen spear. Yang Lang asked, "Dao, can you do it with water and fire?"


    The boy scratched his head and said, "I have not yet tried."


    The old man smiled and said, "How about we arrange a bucket of water and a touch for you to try?"


    Yang Dao looked around at the people and when he saw them all smiling at him, he nodded slowly. He wanted to ask, "Can you all not do it?" but he held it back.


    His knowledge of elements had never left him and the contact with spirit energy made the first seals on his body vanish, enabling him to manipulate elements on par with an elemental contractor.


    In a few seconds, two servants brought a bucket of water and a torch. They placed the two things in front of the boy and backed away. Yang Dao gazed at the water and then at the fire torch. He gestured his hand and a fire plume broke away from the torch. The plume then slowly turned into a bird as it flew around the room.


    The boy waved his hand at the water bucket as well and a blob of water flew out from the bucket. The changes were not noticed by Yang Dao but the elders inside the room were dead surprised. After a few seconds, the bird and the blob disintegrated. Yang Dao yawned and said, "Granny Yun, I want to sleep."


    With that said, his small body became wobbly. Yue Yun quickly picked him up in her arms. She looked at Yu Mulan who said, "Go, take him to sleep. It could be that the elemental manipulations put a strain on him. After all his body does not have any spiritual energy."


    Yue Yun bowed slightly and walked out of the hall. The atmosphere turned excited. While Yang Shan was congratulated to be the father of the genius the elders also put out a gag order on the news. They did not wish to make opportunists use this chance. The Yang Family was small but they had enemies nonetheless. Thus Yang Dao was to be treated normally.


    ...


    In a grand palace, unknown where it was located, sat four people. They wore exquisite robes and jewelry. At the moment their eyes were closed and a faint smile lingered on their faces. The woman in red said, "He got through the first seal very fast."


    An old man in black and white robes said, "Indeed. When has the Dao child been someone to follow the norms?"


    The other two nodded. These people were none other than Feng Yun and the band of familiar spirits. They had come back to the place of their origins, the Dao Palace. Ryu Jinshi said, "Dao Yin also is following the same pace."


    Laohu Bai said, "I wonder if the two will be able to get through this text, or will they end up crossings words?"


    Atsuji Kurogame said, "Let us see, the rise of the geniuses."


    Suddenly a girl walked over and said, "Sister Yun, can we not change the dresses? This is really not easy to walk in and then you said we have to learn to fight as well."


    The girl pouted. Feng Yun chuckled and said, "You all watch over the geniuses, I need to deal with their wardrobe crisis."

 Chapter 448: Outing.

    Time has passed like a fleeting gust of wind. Yang Dao has grown up to be an attractive boy. He was now ten years old. He was a head taller than his peer and had long hair. Yu Mulan did not let him cut his hair and said, that he looks very handsome.


    He surrendered to the grandma. Yang Dao has grown into a boy loved by his family. However, Yue Ling had always been strict with him. She did not want her son to be like those frivolous young masters of the family. So, his virtues and discipline were all instilled in him ever since he was able to speak and that investment had begun to show.


    The people around him will all have smiles on their faces. Today he was going to visit the place that was under the command of his mother. He wore a blue hanfu gown and his hair was tied in a top knot while leaving a portion loose. The boy walked through the corridor and came to his parent''s room.


    Yue Yun was still his protector but she will not follow him everywhere inside the palace. Yang Dao knocked on the door and said, "Mum."


    Yue Ling replied in her soft voice, "Come in, how many times I have told you not to knock. This is your room as well."


    Yang Dao walked inside and said, "That was when I was a child. Now I have my own room."


    Yue Ling shook her head, it was her wish that her child became sophisticated and now that he did that, she wanted him to not be so constricted. The boy watched as her eyes flashed with some remorse. After all, Yang Dao was way ahead of his peer, that was why her teachings made him grow up sooner as well.


    The boy watched his mother get upset and walked over to her side. Yue Ling was sitting in front of her dressing table, combing her hair slowly. He hugged her from behind and placed his chin over her shoulder and said, "Do not be sad. I will try not to be so constrained with you from now."


    Yue Ling chuckled and said, "Sometimes I think if you are the baby or I am."


    Yang Dao chuckled and did not say anything. The lady got ready, she took a check of her son''s attire, fixed a few strands of loose hair, and then they walked out. Yang Dao was half her height but his charm was twice that of hers. They walked outside the palace holding hands. On the way the servants greeted them.


    Yang Dao asked, "Mum, how do we go that far? Did they not say that planetary travel is not easy and time-consuming?"


    Yue Ling said, "Did you forget that there are teleportation channels?"


    The boy tilted his head and said, "I have read about them but I do not know if they can make such a long-distance transmission."


    Yue Ling smiled and said, "Teleportation channels are split into different categories. The one we will be using is called the greater teleportation channel. The details of that sort of channel are kept secret from the public. Come."


    Yang Dao walked behind her and asked, "Why do they keep it a secret?"


    Yue Ling shook her head and said, "All in good time, Dao."


    The boy pouted and said, "You all always say that."


    Yue Yun stood waiting in front of a big stone archway. There were a lot of guards surrounding the place. The old lady bowed slightly to the two people. She said, "Young Miss, we can go."


    Yue Ling nodded and said to a guy at the side, "Start the teleportation."


    The man nodded and took out a stone from a pouch tied to his waist and placed it inside the groove on the stone arch. Yue Yang came to stand beside Yang Dao and placed her hand on his shoulder. She said, "Ready, Dao?"


    The boy nodded and said, "Yes. I am excited."


    His exaggerated nod was enough to tell them that he was seriously excited. In the past ten years, he had not gone out of the palace. The boy did not even wander around the home planet of his family. This outing was a gift he asked from everyone on his tenth birthday a few days ago. he did not take the treasure and just asked for them to take him out.


    He said, "I feel like a caged bird inside the palace. "


    The family felt guilty when he said this. In the end, Yang Lang allowed him to take a trip. He also said that Yang Dao can freely move around on the home planet. That made the boy happy.


    After the man at the side pushed the stone inside the slot the archway lit up with a dim glow. A curtain of light raised up blocking the view on the other side. Yue Ling and Yue Yang held one hand of the boy each and then they walked through the curtain of light.


    ...


    Yang Dao felt his body being squeezed to the limit and then he sensed himself flying through a long patch of space. The next moment he opened his eyes to see a similar structure as he saw back at home. Yue Yun held the wobbly Yang Dao from his shoulders and said, "This is a standard dizziness people feel when they teleport."


    The boy nodded and said, "I know. So, where are we going?"


    Yue Ling said, "This place is a vocational spot. The region here is under my command. Today, Wang Family is holding a birthday banquet for the Mistress of the family. They have called over a lot of guests, all rich and powerful, so I had to check the arrangements. Cannot have the family business stained by some mistakes no?"


    Yang Dao nodded and said, "I will follow you. I want to see what sort of creature are the rich and powerful."


    Yue Ling chuckled and said, "You picked up that line from your grandma."


    Yang Dao stuck out his tongue and the trio moved. This place managed by Yue Ling was called Paradise Scape. This place was taken to a city, spread for ninety square miles. You can find hotels, casinos, resorts and a lot of many things. They had a lot of places unique in their own manner. Yang Dao curiously looked around and he found the place to be filled with crowds of energetic people.


    Yue Yun pointed out some good joints and hangout places in the region. She also told them their key characteristics. The boy was curious as a cat and kept nodding and nodding slowly. As he was lost in the city they reached a big building. This building was like a high tower, the highest building in the whole region.


    The Sky Gazing Tower. This place was the office of Yue Ling. She managed this region from here. The entire city was built around this tower in circles. In front of this tower was the square that allowed everyone to teleport to the various spots in the region in case of a dispute. The tower looked like a spear.


    The trio came to the top floor of the tower using a levitation platform at the base of the building. Twenty percent of the tower''s body was occupied by this levitating platform. A slender shaft with a spearhead at the end. This was the standard design of the tower.


    Yang Dao was very excited. Yue Ling told him that they will leave to attend the banquet after she finishes a few important things. The boy made a quick circle around the circular top floor. The windows were all floor to ceiling, providing him with a complete view of the region.


    Yue Yun walked behind him and smile when she heard his exclamation on spotting an interesting-looking building and answered all the questions he would ask while pointing at someplace. She did not know but despite his poised behavior the boy will come to act his age when he encounters something new.


    Yue Ling finished her work in half an hour and the trio decided to visit the Wang Family Mistress and give them face. Yue Ling gestured to the boy with her hand and he shook his head. Yang Dao said, "Aunt Mailin gave me a spirit sword on my birthday. I can now fly on my own."


    Yue Ling was aware of his gift, she said, "Are you sure you can handle it?" with a concerned gaze. Yang Dao raised his chin and said, "I have been practicing in secret with Cousin Tingting."


    Yang Ting Ting was his cousin and she was naughty so the two people would use flying swords in secret and practice. Yue Ling sighed and looked at the old lady beside her who nodded with a smile on her face. She allowed the boy to use his sword. Yang Dao jumped up in cheer and took out his flying sword from a space ring on his finger.


    The sword was three feet long and slender. It had an azure tint to itself. The boy channeled his spirit energy inside the sword and flew off with the two people.

 Chapter 449: Banquet.

    Yang Dao flew on the flying sword with his back straight his long hair fluttered as the wind passed through his body. The boy moved at a steady pace, the ladies reduced their speed as well. The boy was not yet so strong to fly super fast.


    Yang Dao was interested in exploring the place below but he recalled that the banquet seemed to be very interesting and thus he flew straight to that place. Yue Ling told him the purpose of this banquet but she did not tell him how things worked in such gatherings.


    This was something she left for the boy to do on his own. Soon they came to a big garden, In the center of the garden was a big pavilion and it was surrounded by smaller pavilions. A lot of people could be seen wearing hanfu and other dresses sitting down there. Some youngsters were also moving around.


    Three people landed in the garden, a few meters away from the pavilions. Their arrival gathered a lot of attention. An old man, who seemed to be the host stood up from his chair and said, "Lady Yue, welcome. Wang Family is honored to have you."


    Yue Ling walked forward and bowed down slightly as she said, "Coming uninvited, I apologize to Master Wang. However, since it was Mistress Wang''s hundredth birthday, I thought I should make a visit and greet you all."


    She faced an older lady and politely said, "I wish you a happy birthday, Madam Wang."


    The lady smiled and said, "I have not seen you in a long time, Yue Ling. Come sit beside me for a few minutes."


    Yue Ling nodded and said, "Let me introduce someone to you, Madam Wang. This is Yang Dao, my son."


    The boy took a step forward. First, he bowed to the old man and said, "I have seen the elder." Then he followed his mother''s teachings and greeted the old lady, "I forgot to bring any gifts, elder. Happy birthday to you."


    Madam Wang smiled and said, "Come here, young man, let grandma Wang see you properly."


    Yang Dao stepped forward and came to stand next to Mistress Wang. The old lady caressed his face and he let her do it. The lady then said, "Such a handsome young man. May you make your parents proud, my child."


    Yue Ling smiled at the side. She came and sat down with the mistress and the two chatted about a lot of womanly topics that Yang Dao was not interested in. His gaze was looking for anything exciting. Soon he spotted a group of teenagers exchanging their weapons. He asked Yue Yun in a low voice, "Grandma, what is happening there?"


    Yue Yun followed his gaze and replied, "That is an exchange. If you have something that the others might like, they will pay you a fair price and buy it off. Or you can exchange it with something of similar value. Would you like to go?"


    Yang Dao shook his head and said, "No, I am fine. The food is good."


    He turned his head back and began to eat the cake placed in front of him. Suddenly, a huge flying beast landed on the side of the garden. It was a huge red bird. The feather looked like flames. Yang Dao was very fascinated with this bird. He did not notice that the expression of his mother changed when she saw the person riding the beast.


    Yue Yun mumbled in a cold voice, "Xia Kun."


    Her voice woke up Yang Dao. The boy raised his gaze to look at the man landing beside the bird. The man wore a black hanfu, a red waist band, and a red thread to tie up his hair. The boy looked back at the bird and found a collar tied around its neck.


    Yang Dao mumbled, "Slave collar. Granny Yue, who is this guy?"


    Yue Yun nodded and said, "Xia Kun, a member of Xia family from the same generation as your mother. He is the most notorious member of the honorable Xia family. His deeds are abhorred by everyone and he was expelled from his family when he tried to molest your mother back at a tournament gathering."


    Yang Dao raised his brows, his gaze fell on a boy Xia Kun was being followed by. This guy had no expression on his face, his clothes were lavish and in the same code as Xia Kun. The two people walked over silently.


    Xia Kun said, "Yue Ling, I heard that you had a son. I came here to see how strong he is?"


    Yue Ling did not reply to him and said, "Aunt Yun, call over the guards, stray dogs are not good." She turned to Madam Wang and said, "Madam, I apologize for this."


    Madam Wang chuckled and said, "Who does not know that Sir Xia has always been like this. Do not mind him."


    Xia Kun chuckled and said, "Indeed I have always been like this. Now, either you let your pup fight my boy or I kill a few people here before you or anyone can stop me."


    Yue Ling was about to say something when she heard a voice, "Mum, can I be serious?"


    Yang Dao was pissed off by the tone this guy just used to talk to his mother. If he was the pup and would that not make his mother a bitch. He really wanted to kill this guy.


    Yue Ling said, "Go on." with a smile.


    Yue Yun said, "Xia Kun if you made a move in the fight, I will erase you after ten thousand cuts."


    Xia Kun was notorious but he was insignificant. It was just that he was good at provoking people and would often create a ruckus. He was scared of the old people here because they will all have some sort of trump card to deal with people like him. Hearing the warning, he nodded and said to the boy beside him, "Go."


    The boy nodded and walked over to meet Yang Dao. The people all gathered around to form a circle. They were curious about the boy of the Yang Family. Yang Dao was oblivious of this attention. He said, "Just because you came over and want to fight, I should fight you? Do you think you are the emperor of the heavens?"


    His words shocked the people. They did not expect him to say something like this. Yue Ling was surprised by this action of his. Xia Kun was stunned for a second and asked, "Then why do you fight?"


    Yang Dao said, "Two conditions, your son lose, you will apologize to my mother and release that bird from slavery. Then you can get away from here."


    Xia Kun chuckled and asked, "What if you lost?"


    Yang Dao said, "I will be your slave."


    Before Yue Ling could refuse or interject, Xia Kun said, "Deal." and started laughing. Yang Dao gave his mother a nod and assured her that he will not lose.


    He said looking at the boy, "Come."


    With that said, he took out his sword from the space ring. This sword was Feather. His dao armament. He had the knowledge about this sword and took it out a few years ago when he was training in secret. Upon being asked, he told everyone that he found this sword inside the storeroom.


    Yang family did have a weapon storage room and they placed the old weapons there so they were not surprised. They checked that the sword was in good condition and since the boy liked it that much they let him handle it.


    Yang Dao and the boy in black stood against each other. The former asked, "What is your name?"


    Xia Kun replied, "He is called Xia Jian. His tongue was ripped off by a beast while training. Since then he has become mute."


    Yang Dao nodded and did not feel any pity for the person in front of him. He was well aware that this was not yet the time to show compassion to the opponent. The two children stood ten meters away from each other and Yue Yun said, "Begin."


    The rules of the duel were to beat the other into submission. The two kids shot at each other and their blades clashed.


    CLANG!!


    The attack was sharp but their gaze was sharper. Yang Dao did not use his spirit cultivation yet, it was only his physical strength. The impact of the charge made everyone surprised. They did not expect this young child to be so strong for his age. Xia Jian was not weak but he was still an inch away from Yang Dao in terms of strength.


    Yang Dao did not have the habit of letting his opponent regain their standing. He charged at the imbalanced boy. Xia Jian was not an easy nut to deal with. He turned around on his toes and tried to get behind Yang Dao, however, the protagonist was not easy to deal with as well. He stopped his charge mid-way and turned around to parry the incoming sword slash. As he used parried the attack, the boy rushed forward and hit the ribs of the opponent with the hilt of the sword.


    The banquet became spicy with this battle.

 Chapter 450: Beat Down.

    The people were entranced by the attack Yang Dao performed on Xia Jian. It was said that a swordsman will always attack with his sword only. Xia Kun commented, "I see that Young Master Yang seems to be very lethal."


    Yue Ling did not reply, her eyes were all focused on her son. This was the first time he was fighting with someone outside the family and practice. She watched him attack and move against his opponent so calmly and confidently that it made her feel proud. Yue Yun was the same but she did not have the luxury to enjoy the performance.


    She was wary of Xia Kun, who was watching the fight from the side. However, she was worrying in vain. The big shots present did not lower their guard as well. None of the people liked Xia Kun too much. They would intervene as soon as he acted.


    Yang Dao, however, fought without any restraint. He had yet to expose his spirit cultivation. Xia Jian was using his physical strength as well but when he was pushed back, he decided to use his spirit cultivation base as well.


    The cultivation in this world was divided into nine levels. The first level was called body formation. The second was Spirit gathering, followed by spirit formation, golden core, Nascent soul, Ascended mortal, immortal, and ascended mortal.


    Xia Jian was somewhere in the middle of the body formation which was already best among the people of his age. However, his strength was still useless in front of Yang Dao. Xia Jian was pushed back again and again. He suffered constant beatings under Yang Dao''s hand but he never gave up and kept on pushing against him.


    Yang Dao sighed and after delivering a kick to the guy, he said, "Time to end this."


    The next moment, he revealed his spiritual cultivation. The surrounding people gasped. Yang Dao still acted in moderation. He did not let out all of his cultivation. He only circulated the spirit energy inside his body that was equal to the peak of body formation. However, he was just ten years old, the people were surprised at this development.


    To them, Yang Dao was akin to a monster on who they could not help but want to dissect and conduct tests. A ten-year-old peak body formation. This was a face slap to those who were already proud of the same level but were elder to Yang Dao in age. No one in the crowd could now take off their eyes from the two children in front of them.


    Yang Dao did not care about the shock in the eyes of the crowd, he exerted some strength and appeared beside Xia Jian. The latter did not even have the time to react before a cold blade was placed against his nape. Yue Yun did not announce the result when Xia Kun said, "This is our loss."


    Yang Dao could sense a shiver escape, Xia Jian, he turned around to look at Xia Kun and said, "I wonder if mister Xia has some time for a dialog in private."


    This proposal was made unexpectedly to the crowd. Xia Kun was surprised and intrigued by what this boy might want to say. He was a peak golden core cultivator yet this child in front of him was unbothered about this fact. Xia Kun nodded. Despite the cautious glare from his mother Yang Dao just smiled and walked over to the side with Xia Kun.


    They were standing out of the earshot of the people, however, it was still close enough for Yue Ling and Yue Yun to act if Yang Dao was to face an attack from Xia Kun. The elder man asked, "Tell me Young Master Yang, why did you call me over? What can you possibly say to me?"


    Yang Dao smiled and asked, "Mr. Xia, why do you act the way you do? I can sense that your talent is no less than my mother''s. however, your cultivation level seems to be lagging behind. I do not think you have any physical burdens on your body?"


    Xia Kun was surprised, but at the same time, he was amused. He did not expect this boy to say such a thing. How can a ten-year-old make speculations by what his level of talent was and whether he had injuries on his body or not? He asked, "Young Master Yang, what is your point? I do not have all day for you."


    Yang Dao sighed and said, "Those you pursue emotions are strong, but only till they can control their emotions and not let the emotions control them. You might be aware of this already, but the blind pursuit of emotions makes one akin to a feral beast. I can sense that you do not wish to be greeted with a hateful gaze."


    His words made Xia Kun''s facial expression turn solemn. Yang Dao spoke with a smile, "You want the people to respect you and look up to you. Is that not the reason why you started to act in a manner that you will stand out and gradually you became what you are at the moment. You lost control of your emotions. When you told me how a beast made Xia Jian unable to speak, your eyes flashed with pain.


    You were remorseful of your actions. You simply want your child to redeem you, to be the sword (Jian means sword in mandarin) that will cut off the stained shroud on your being. Am I correct?"


    He took a pause and gazed at the surprised man in front of him. After watching Xia Kun struggle with himself he said, "Sir Xia, you can change yourself and you need to do what your heart wishes to, however, what your heart might wish or not depends on you. A sword also needs to be sheathed and cared for. If you only treat it as a tool. Then someday this tool may cut you as well."


    Xia Kun was shocked and swept off his feet at the moment. He did not think that he will be preached to, by a ten-year-old child. However, he understood that every word Yang Dao said was true. He may have put up a facade of being adamant and unbothered by what he did but he regretted his deeds more than anyone.


    Yang Dao found the man lost in his thoughts and silently walked back to his mother. Yue Ling could not help but grab a hold of his ear and twist it. But the guy bypassed her quickly before she could do it. He came to Xia Jian, who stood with his head down, and said with a smile, "Why are you looking down? You fought the best that you could. You can be even better if you understood what sword meant. A sword is confident and righteous. It can cut through the heavens and hell. At the same time, it can protect the weak and bestow life upon those who suffer.


    Well, you are my peer. This is the first time I have met and made friends with someone outside my family. I will give you a gift."


    His words shocked the people. They did not understand what he meant by the words, ''Made a friend.''


    Yue Ling and Yue Yun smiled at this. They shook their head, they were aware of his longing for friends. He was loved by everyone in the family but was constrained inside the house and would hardly be his true self. The image of a child with a higher mental intellect overpowered the child inside him.


    Yang Dao took out a vial from inside his space ring and extended his hand to the boy, he said, "if you also want to be a friend. Take it. I promise you will not regret it." he leaned forward and whispered to the boy who was still in shock.


    ''Your father will not be harsh anymore.'' jolting the boy from his stupor. He instinctively opened his mouth and wanted to say something when he recalled that he could not speak, his moth cavity had no tongue. However, before he could close his mouth, Yang Dao cracked the vial and poured the content inside his mouth.


    Xia Jian placed a palm to cover his face. The surrounding people were astounded and they cast each other a look while whispering. Yang Dao said, "That was a peerless heaven-level medicine, that my great grandpa gave me for dire times. You can thank me later."


    He waved his hand and came back to his mother''s side. The lady placed a hand on his shoulder while her gaze scanned him for injuries. At this moment, Xia Kun also came over and his eyes were riddled with struggle. He saw his son holding his mouth and his body shivering controllably. He walked over and stretched out his hand by instinct when Xia Jian suddenly took a step back and said, "No."


    This single sound made the scene descend in silence yet broke down the calm in the heart of the people to a punch.

 Chapter 451: Hit.

    Xia Jian opened his eyes wide as he heard a familiarly strange voice, his lips quivered uncontrollably as he looked at the man gazing at him with a shocked gaze. The two people were shocked to the core of their hearts. Xia Kun had been struggling within himself, he did not know what it was but the words of the ten-year-old, made his lifelong attitude shaky.


    He has been pretending to be malicious for such a long time now that it has become second nature to him. Sometimes in the fit of rage or while going through a strong negative emotion, he committed deeds that he regretted deeply. One of these deeds were cutting of the tongue of his son, Xia Jian.


    Xia Jian was six years old when his father, Xia Kun started to train him. One year passed and the boy''s growth did not meet his expectations, so what he did was to put him through an even tougher regime. Xia Jian was after all a child. He complained and threw a tantrum over the harsh treatment.


    His question was, "Why can you be not like other parents? Why do you treat me as such? What wrong have I committed?"


    Xia Kun did not expect his son to use this tone with him and this flared up his temper, resulting in him using his bare hands to harm the boy. The moment he was finished, he realized what he has done, despite his emotional imbalance, the child in his hands was his own blood and flesh. He recalled how he liked to play with his son, but gradually he lost his sanity, forgetting the emotions inside his heart.


    Xia Jain''s voice took down the last shred of doubts and hesitation in his mind. The man did not say anything to his son but rushed in front of Yang Dao. Yue Ling and the rest thought that he was about to attack, but the man did something that surprised them even more than him attacking or Yang Dao''s actions they witnessed today.


    Xia Kun, the notorious, fell to his knees and banged his head nine times in front of Yang Dao as he said, "Thank you, Young Master Yang. Thank you for waking me up. All this life, I have always wanted the people to look at me and that desire made me lose it all. today your words have woken me up. I do not know what transpired when I was in doubt but I can tell that only you are capable of doing this miracle.


    Lady Yue, I apologize for my actions in the past. Please forgive me. I am ashamed of my deeds. I apologize to each and everyone person present here. Forgive me."


    As he spoke he started to cry. This was shockening. Yang Dao shook his head and said, "Raise your head, Sir Xia. Do not beg for anything, earn it. Earn the forgiveness you seek by your actions. Your talks have always been there and you should know what that did."


    Xia Kun raised his head covered in dirt and said, "You are correct, Young Master Yang. I shall earn it all back. Thank you for your guidance. Thank you."


    He finished speaking and took out a key from his space ring. He snapped the key from the middle and the people heard a loud click. They located the source and found that the collar on the big birds neck broke open. Xia Kun fulfilled his both conditions. He gazed at Yang Dao with some expectation. He wanted to ask for the permission to leave, but the boy was smiling at the big bird.


    Yue Yun said, "Leave now." in her cold voice.


    She did not want to give this guy an easy pardon. She could not forgive him at all. Xia Kun was aware that the grievance between the two was not so easy to be dissolved. He nodded and walked back to his son. He did not approach Xia Jian with his hands and said, "In future, get stronger, be a friend that he can look at in times of need. That is how you will be able to pay back the debt of today."


    Xia Jian woke up from these words and nodded. Xia Kun took out a talisman paper from his space ring and used it. The next moment the two people vanished from the place. The Wang family people decided to rush up to Yue Ling and get even more familiar with him. The rest of the people also did the same.


    Yang Dao did not pay attention to them and he came to the side of the big bird. A few elders of the family watched his movements. The bird gave him a wary gaze and let out a loud tweet to scare him off.


    However, the dao child only smiled and said, "You are hurt, are you not? Here eat this and recover well. This place belongs to my mother, I will tell her to let the people leave you in peace and give you food on time. You can leave when you are fine."


    With that said he took out a spirit fruit and placed it on the ground. The people were shocked. The mistress of the Wang family said, "Ling, your son surely is a spend thrift."


    Yue Ling shook her head and said, "You judged wrong Madam. He is a money grubber, only takes out his treasures to help those in need."


    Mistress Wang was surprised and said, "Ling, what do you think, if we put my grand daughter with your son?"


    Yue Ling was surprised about this all of a sudden proposal. She replied, "Madam, Wang Meilin is a good girl and will grow into a talented and big beauty. However, my mother-in-law had put down the word when Dao was born. He will be allowed to choose whom he would want to marry. We cannot decide this for him."


    Madam Wang smiled and said, "Well, Mulan did the same when Shan was born. He did find himself a gem later. So, she is correct. Well, let the time take it''s course."


    Yue Ling nodded and then she entertained a few people in the garden. They all wanted to talk to her about Yang Dao. The boy did shock them with his performance. As a mother, Yue Ling was brimming with pride as the people complimented her son. She was more than happy to talk to these people.


    Yue Yun on theother hand just shook her head and sighed at the scene. The young lady of her household was really gullible when it came to her son and family. She looked at the reason behind this facade and found him to be talking to the big bird.


    A few children were trying to approach Yang Dao but they were scared by the big beast. The scene of a four feet high boy talking to a big ten feet bird with tweeting sounds. Yang Dao suddenly heard the footsteps behind him and saw a girl wearing emerald green hanfu. He smiled and said, "Hello."


    The girl had doe eyes and her hair were tied to a similar style like him. She replied with her small mouth, "Hello."


    Her voice was really soft. Yang Dao turned his head back to the bird and made a few more tweeting sounds. The girl asked, "What is your name?"


    Yang Dao replied, "Oh forgive my manners, I am Yang Dao. What about you?"


    The girl smiled and replied, "Lin Xue."


    Yang Dao nodded and said, "Nice to meet you."


    Lin Xue nodded and said, "What will you do with this bird? Take it back home?"


    Yang Dao shook his head, "No, no, it is hurt, that slave collar harms the creatures in a long run. So I had her freed, she will recover here and then fly off in the big sky."


    Lin Xue asked, "How do you know it is a she?" she was curious and surprised.


    They were ten year old but their brains were noursihed with spirit energy, making them all smart and intelligent.


    Yang Dao replied, "She told me."


    Lin Xue wanted to ask him a lot more but Yue Yun appeared, "Dao, time to go home."


    Yang Dao waved his hand the children and then said something to the bird in a tweeting sound. He said, "Granny Yun, can we make it so the Jing (the bird) can be taken care of here?"


    Yue Yun nodded with a smile on her face. Then Yang Dao nodded back to the bird and walked off with Yue Yun. Lin Xue suddenly caught up to him and asked, "Young Master Dao, can we meet in future?"


    Yang Dao replied with a smile, "Yes, why not. You all can come to visit me at my domain. Also, call me Dao. We are the same age."


    Yue Yun was a smart lady and she understood that her young master wanted to make friends with all these people so she gave them a token that will allow them to visit the Yang family home planet. This was a standard mode of transportation in this world filled with cultivators.


    Lin Xue smiled as she gazed at the token and said, "You can call me, Xue. We are the same age."


    Yang Dao smiled and nodded. Then he rushed to his mother side who was smiling widely at him. He said, "We race to the sky gazing tower."


    He took out his spirit sword and while saying good bye to everyone, he jumped over and flew off. Yue Ling said, "That is not fair."


    Only to hear an  Uuuu

 Chapter 452: Daring.

    Yue Ling shook her head and she and Yue Yun followed the boy in the sky. The trio went back home smiling and laughing. At the Yang Family domain, the atmosphere looked unlike what they had left. The trio came out of the teleportation channel and Yue Ling frowned. She said, "Dao, go back to your room."


    Yang Dao looked at her in confusion but after that, he left with a nod. Yue Yun looked at Yue Ling and said, "Young Miss, do not be too stern."


    Yue Ling nodded and said, "You go, watch over him."


    Yue Yun bowed and left the place to follow Yang Dao who was skipping to his room. He was aware that his protector was following him so he asked, "Granny Yun, who is visiting us? This strong spirit fluctuation seems like a nascent soul practitioner."


    Yue Yun was not surprised, it has been five years since the boy began to cultivate and from the first day only he was able to discern the fluctuations in the spirit energy. She replied, "It is someone from your mother''s family."


    Yang Dao paused in his tracks and asked, "Do the two families have strong tension between them?"


    Yue Yun sighed and nodded, "Yes."


    Yang Dao said, "I was told that the two families are on good terms. Did they not send a gift on all my birthdays? Also, what is the cause of this tension."


    Yue Yun said, "How about we talk about it inside your room?"


    The boy nodded and walked inside the palace, through the corridors he made his way back to the room. On the way, he noticed something in the eyes of the servants, they gazed at him with some complications. The boy had not minded if the emotion was negative but he did mind the complications. In his view, complications were a bigger problem than negativity. The long things stay complicated the easier it becomes to tip the scale. To regain the balance it will need a lot of effort and time.


    Thus he innately disliked this complicated vibe in life. He frowned as he walked back inside his room. He did not like this situation. Yue Yun could sense his emotions and closed the door of the room.


    The room was very big and very luxurious. It was filled with fine wooden furniture, a crystal chandelier hung down the ceiling. A king-size bed, opposite to it lied a sofa set. The boy sat down on a chair and Yue Yun sat down across from him. He asked, "Granny Yue. Tell me now."


    Yue Yun looked at him and said with some hesitation, "Your maternal family is the Yue family. They are located ten light-years away from here. Do you remember the distribution of the family status?"


    Yang Dao nodded and said, "Families who can manage and oversee more than three planets are called medium grade families, the lower ones have more than one planet. The higher-grade families have more than five planets."


    Yue Yun nodded and said, "Above these grades lie another level. This level is not mentioned in the normal books you have read. These families are called Overlords, controlling over more than ten planets. Yue family owns fifteen planets to the date they have established. They are an existence that a lot of people can not even think about.


    Young Miss was the only child of the master of the family, and she met your father on an expedition. Yang Shan killed a few people to save her from the onslaught. The two became friends and gradually fell in love. Master and Mistress agreed to their union but they gave a condition."


    Yue Yun passed and Yang Dao raised his eyebrow, he asked, "What was the condition?"


    The old lady replied in a low voice, "To hand over the child born to them, to take over their family in the stead of young mistress. This child must be their firstborn. It was a dao heart oath. If they did not fulfill it, then their cultivation base will relapse to nothing."


    Yang Dao opened his eyes wide in shock. He did not expect such a thing to have happened. He asked, "My parents probably thought of trying to convince the Yue family to do otherwise, no?"


    Yue Yun shook her head and said, "The reason was that Young Miss could not conceive a child. Later on, Master Yang Shan found a natural herb when he found that your mother was always stiff around children. She wanted her kids. The master explored all the places that he could and finally, he found the rejuvenation lotus.


    The lotus was fought over by a lot of people but in the end, Master managed to get it after almost dying in the process. The mistress then had you after her body was cured. We did not expect the Yue family to come over this quickly. They wanted to take you away when you were born, but the mistress fought hard and managed to take your custody over for sixteen years. However, we did not expect them to come over so quickly."


    Yang Dao sat down on the chair with his eyes closed as he heard all this. His mind was very worked up at the moment. Suddenly just when he was concluding, he heard a loud voice, "You Dare!!!"


    This voice belonged to his mother. Yang Dao stood up from his chair and said, "Granny Yue, we are going to the meeting place now."


    Yue Yun was surprised by the shout, she wanted to go out but she did not want to let Yang Dao watch his maternal family fighting over him. She was hesitating when she heard a calm voice, "The more you hide or run away from the problem the bigger it becomes and the more it pursues."


    Yue Yun was still hesitant when Yang Dao erupted with an aura that scared the hell out of her as he asked her coldly, "Will you not take me over?"


    This scene happened once in the past and Yang Dao almost destroyed the practice ground for his level. The reason was him being treated like a treasure by the instructors. He disliked that and somehow erupted with his aura. It has been three years since then. The family had learned to treat him harshly when in training, and gently when at home.


    The boy had learned to tap into the aura condensation and spirit fluctuations. Yue Yun nodded instinctively and said, "Come with me."


    She was a peak golden stage practitioner but this boy in front of her was no ordinary human. She decided to follow his command and the two people left the room. They arrived at the guest hall and could sense a strong pressure radiating from inside the hall.


    Yang Dao did not bother and walked inside the hall. It was as if his body was not bothered by all this pressure. He spotted his grandparents and his family members inside the gathering hall. They all had a bitter look on their faces. The boy scanned the room. He found a guy with an arrogant expression standing in front of his mother, with his gaze pointed at his father.


    Yang Dao spotted a stain of blood at the corner of his father. He raised his eyebrow and walked over. His steady footsteps made a small sound but all the people had already perceived his presence. A few elders of his family wanted to say something but they were all given a gaze by the third ancestor of the family.


    Yue Ling wanted to say something when she heard, "Calm down, Mum."


    The lady fell quiet and by the time she gained her senses, Yang Dao stood between her and the man. She watched her child approach the man in a nascent realm calmly. Her heart was beating so fast as if it will erupt any moment.


    The boy stood a meter away from the man and asked, "Did you attack my father?"


    His calm voice surprised the people in the hall. They did not expect the boy to notice this. The man was also shocked at this, but he raised his chin and replied, "Yes, so wh.."


    He had not completed his words when he felt a suppression unlike never before. The source of this suppression was Yang Dao. He lowered his head to look at the boy in front of him gazing at him with an indifferent gaze. This moment, he could swear, that he doubted if he was even alive.


    The next moment, he sensed every suppression vanish and suddenly the world began to spin around him as he descended into darkness. The people were all shocked to the point that their eyes almost dropped to the floor.


    Yang Dao had cast a wind blade to cut off the head of the man in front of him. Then he looked at a spot in the void and said, "You should not move your pawns recklessly in my home. Do you understand that, Madam Yue?"


    His words sent out another wave of a surprise to half the people in the hall. While the other half had sensed someone watching over in secret. Suddenly a peal of laughter broke in the hall, accompanied by claps and a feminine voice said, "My grandson is indeed a daring genius."

 Chapter 453: Determination.

    The peal of laughter made everyone aware that a practitioner of a higher realm was also present there. The ancestor of the Yang Family was an ascended mortal but he did not act. He was reeling in from the shock of Yang Dao killing a person from the other side in front of his backer.


    The laughter slowed down and a lady appeared in front of everyone. She wore a dark green robe and had grey hair. She did not have many wrinkles but her eyes were reflecting with vicissitude. She gave a very gentle vibe to the people but the calm smile on her face was the epitome of ruthlessness.


    The lady said, "How did you find me?"


    Yang Dao replied, "You have been masking your spirit fluctuations but still it leaves a lot of distortion in the spirit field."


    The lady was shocked as if struck by a lightning bolt. She wanted to ask some more questions when Yang Dao beat her to it as he asked, "You came here to take me away, right? Your house surely needs to be cleaned up by someone else. You are pretty much useless."


    The lady raised her eyebrow and her aura climbed, however, Yang Dao said, "You think I am scared of you? You did not even have the courtesy to respect the dignity of your daughter in a place, where your actions will be tantamount to how people treat her. I am glad my mum is not like you."


    Yue Ling could sense the temperature of the place falling slowly, she placed a hand on the boy''s head, indicating him to stop but Yang Dao did not care and said, "When granny Yue said that my maternal grandmother was here, not going to lie, I was excited about a bit. Then she told me about the facade. Disappointing, I must say."


    Yang Dao softened his tone and said, "What is the use of strength and prestige if you cannot love someone who is a part of you? If my mother dies fighting that guy just now would you have not cared? If my father had not taken over the crucial blow, would you have been able to stop the blow from harming my mum?"


    Madam Yue was stunned she had no idea why but the words Yang Dao used just now were making her heartache. It was true that she had not shown care and affection to her daughter but it did not mean she did not care about her. Yue Ling was the apple of her eye. She had been angry with her daughter for marrying such a small-statured family.


    It was the family''s way of punishing Yue Ling. That was why they agreed on taking custody of the child after birth. Another reason behind this was that Yue Ling''s father was a strong man and had a lot of enemies inside the family itself. So, these enemies could use the child and Yue Ling as a chip to make things take a drastic turn in the clan.


    This punishment was well thought out to guard Yang Dao against the sneak attacks. However, the two elders of the Yue family did not show any softness to Yue Ling and this had made things sour for them. Today Yang Dao''s words had made her realize the fact in all seriousness.


    Yue Ling closed her eyes and calmed down her raging emotions. The old lady had been floating in the void, landed on the ground slowly, she said to Yang Dao after crouching down in front of him, "Do you think, I have abandoned the child I nourished with blood, sweat, and tears?"


    Her soft voice tone made Yue Ling shiver. She instinctively retreated a step but Yang Dao held her hand and said, "I do not think anything. I do not know you, but what I said was something my mum has been feeling. Love is the only emotion that needs to be expressed to be reaffirmed."


    Madam Yue sighed and said, "Child, you say all that to me, after you kill that man? How did you do it?"


    Yang Dao shrugged his shoulders and said, "That guy was not your aid, he was someone from another faction or person. Your attendant is quite polite, no?" he suddenly turned his head to the side where a lady, that nobody noticed had appeared. She walked forward to Yang Dao and bowed ninety degrees to greet him.


    The boy did not say anything but nodded to her. Madam Yue smiled and said, "Ling, your son is better than you at this age."


    Yue Ling was stunned with a smile on her mother''s face. The lady walked over to hug her daughter. It has been twenty years since she had seen her daughter. She said, "I am sorry, my child. The situation did not allow us to hold a great wedding for you. The clan is not as harmonious as this one."


    Madam Yue turned her head to Yang Shan and said, "I apologize to you as well, Shan. We had no option but to play mean in front of the clan. This person just now was the retainer of Ling''s cousin. Yue Jiren. He is vying for the throne with my husband."


    Yang Shan shook his head with a smile. He saw how his wife stuck herself to the lady and all the grievances in his heart were washed away. He loved Yue Ling a lot, and to the point where everything she liked, he liked. She disliked, he disliked.


    Madam Yue parted with her daughter and greeted the rest of the people with a smile on her face. She turned her gaze to the boy who was walking around her aid in circles. She asked, "What are you doing, child?"


    Yang Dao replied, "Your aid has the fluctuations of a spirit beast, but why can she look like a human being?"


    Madam Yue was surprised and said, "Yes, she is a spirit beast. Her level of cultivation is a nascent soul in the human realm, but she can compete with an ascended mortal with ease. Beasts, when they form their golden cores, they get the physique of a human. They can transform back to their initial form as well."


    Yang Dao nodded and said, "So, you came here to take me back to your place. I could only think of one reason. The things back home are not very peaceful."


    Madam Yue was surprised once more. She could not figure out what the guy will talk about the next moment. She regained her composure and nodded. She said, "Your deduction is on the point."


    Yang Dao nodded and thought for a moment and turned to the throne where his great grandfather said and he asked, "Big Gramps, I go? Will come back soon."


    The old man sighed and said, "You are a restless one, are you not, rabbit. Go ask your grandfather and grandmother. If they agree then you can go with them."


    Yue Ling wanted to say something when Yang Dao said, "Greenhouse trees cannot survive storms. Life is a storm itself no? Also, you told me that only strong prevail. Let me be strong."


    Yang Shan placed a hand over the shoulder of his wife and stepped read. He just said, "Take care of yourself. Aunty Yun will be with you. You are not to allow carefreely."


    Yang Dao sighed pouted, "Can you not let Granny Yun rest? She is older than you."


    Yu Mulan walked inside the hall and said, "Rabbit, being naughty again? Remember what happened the last time Yun was not by your side? If not for your luck, that Lightning panther would have killed you. Thank god Yun found you at a right time."


    Yang Dao raised his arms akimbo and with a pout, he said, "You all bully me, Grandma. This is not fair. It was Yang Ting Ting, she said..."


    A soft voice sounded, "What did I say?"


    Yang Dao coughed and said, "You said I should not pull its tail. However, the fluff looked like a piece of cloud."


    The people all shook heads. Yu Mulan said to Madam Yue, "Jenny, I will live my baby in your care, but if he loses as much as a hair on his arm. Then the Yang Family is taking down at least half of your family. Do not think, just because we like to be peaceful, we do not have strength."


    Madam Yue nodded and said, "Mulan, I will not let anything happen to him. He is my grandson as well."


    The people agreed and soon Yang Dao began to pack his stuff. He was not aware of when he will be able to come back home, but he had a flare of determination in his eyes. He wanted to be strong. So strong that the people close to him will not suffer.


    ...


    In the heavenly palace, Feng Yun was drinking tea with the other three people. Atsuji Kurogame smiled and said, "Master has developed a rather interesting life this time."


    Laohu Bai nodded and said, "The time for his seals to loosen is coming close. I look forward to his performance then."

 Chapter 454: Overlord Yue.

    Yang Dao stood in front of a huge ship that was made up of unknown material. He was looking at it with sparkling eyes. Yue Yun held his hand as they stood. They had already said farewell to the rest of the Yang Family, and not only Yue Ling and Yang Shan were standing behind him to see him off.


    Madam Yue asked him earlier, about how he managed to kill off the practitioner in the nascent soul realm. The boy replied that the other person underestimated him to the point where he did not even put up his guard. No matter how strong you are, if you do not respect your opponent, you will die within seconds.


    Madam Yue nodded to him but she said, "You might have beheaded him, but it is not simple to kill a nascent soul practitioner." She took out a jade from her space ring.


    Inside this jade was an apparition of the man that Yang Dao had beheaded. The lady told him that this apparition was the nascent soul of the person. He could have possessed someone else''s body to come back to life.


    Yang Dao was surprised but he nodded to her while expressing his gratitude. Madam Yue also told him how to kill the nascent soul cultivators properly.


    ...


    Madam Yue asked Yue Yun, "Why do you hold onto him?"


    The lady sighed and said, "If I let go of him, the ship will be taken apart cog by cog."


    Madam Yue chuckled as she understood that her grandson was a naughty one. Yue Ling said, "He is just curious about new things Aunt Yun. My son is not a bad boy."


    She came forward and squatted down in front of Yang Dao. She embraced him so gently yet the warmth was incomparable. The boy who had been looking at the ship blinked and stuck to his mother hard, using his hands to hold on to her. Buring his head in her shoulder, as if trying to merge back with her.


    The boy sensed his body covered with a warmth, unlike anything. His eyes were brimming with tears. Yang Dao was the Dao child yet his memories were sealed, he was experiencing everything from a new perspective. So, at this moment he was a normal child who was trying to cling to his mother.


    Yue Ling said to him, "Stay strong there, do not let others tell you anything negative. Come back home when you have finished things over there. Okay?"


    Yang Dao only hummed as he hugged his mother. Yang Shan said from behind, "Men do not cry, but more importantly they do not let others cry. Help those in need. Be nice to those who are lower than you too. Respect your elders, but do you put those who look down at you on a pedestal. Never flinch from a challenge. Be yourself."


    The boy nodded to the man as he hugged his mother. Yue Ling broke away from the hug and kissed his forehead as she looked him in the eyes and said, "Go get them, son."


    Yang Dao chuckled and said, "Yes, you take care of yourself, tell me if Baba bullies you. I will have Grandma deal with him."


    Yang Shan just chuckled as he watched his son make a pun on him. Madam Yue came over to take a hold of Yang Dao''s hand. The two people walked up to the entrance of the ship, a lowered ramp it was. Yang Dao turned his head back and waved at the people. Yue Ling blew him a kiss as she tried to hold back her tears.


    The boy did the same and then he boarded the ship. He stood at a porthole window and gazed outside. Suddenly, the ship shook, and gradually it rose from the ground. The ship was the biggest vehicle he has ever seen. (For your reference, pick Helli-carrier).


    Yang Dao watched the scenery change, his parents became smaller in his view and gradually they were not even visible to him. He took a deep breath to calm down and sensed a pat on his shoulder. Yue Yun said, "Want to see the control room?"


    Yang Dao nodded with a smile on his face. Madam Yue and Yue Yun could see that the shine in his eyes had dimmed a bit. Still, he put up a smile which showcased that his intellect was higher than the people his age. The two ladies led the boy through the corridors on the ship. After a few minutes, they came to the place where Yang Dao spotted Madam Yue''s aid standing at a high raised platform with her hands behind the back.


    She said, "Use the articulation array to travel at light speed as soon as we leave the range of this domain."


    A young man from a seat below replied, "Yes, Steward Jill."


    Yang Dao looked below the high platform and found ten people sitting in front of various tables covered with engravings and spirit stones. He mumbled, "Spirit gem."


    Madam Yue nodded and said, "Correct, my boy. It is a spirit gem."


    A spirit stone is a condensed form of spirit energy, while a spirit gem is the highest grade of spirit stone found in the entire plane. Yang Dao asked, "They are the power source of this thing?"


    Steward Jill nodded and said, "Young Master, would you like to see them from up close?"


    The boy raised his head and said, "No, I will get more curious, that is bad. We will do it when we reach back at your place. The arrays they are manipulating are delicate."


    Yang Dao said, "Grandma, can I go to my accommodations? I would like to cultivate." his tone was serious.


    Madam Yue nodded and said, "Come, I will take you."


    Yue Yun followed them to a room inside the ship. It was a luxurious room but Yang Dao did not pay any attention to it and sat down on a mat in the center of the room. The two ladies exchanged a glance and they left the room.


    Yue Yun closed the door behind her. Madam Yue asked, "This is normal, right?" her tone was filled with concern.


    Yue Yun said, "It is normal. He is a child after all. He has been treated like the treasure of the house, so he will need some time to adjust."


    Madam Yue nodded and said, "He is a nice kid. Smart and talented."


    Yue Yun nodded and said, "You can go and rest, I will be on the guard."


    ...


    Yang Dao did not know what was happening outside the room and he sat with his eyes closed. The spirit energy inside his body began to circulate throughout. His mind was occupied with the sadness of leaving his house, so he decided to meditate. He had no other thoughts in his mind but to meditate.


    To meditate he let his thoughts lose. They would wander everywhere and eventually the chaos will become his peace. The boy sat down in meditation and lost his sense of time. With the spirit energy inside his body, he did not feel hungry, or tired.


    Yue Yun stood outside his door guarding him. It was not like guarding him against danger but preventing him from encountering the troubles included in the cultivation. The spirit energy that was said to be the ally of the cultivators can also be the enemy and destroy the body of a cultivator.


    Yang Dao was too young to have come to the spirit gathering realm. Madam Yue had come outside his room door and asked, "Yun, is he still at it?"


    Yue Yun nodded and said, "It has been fifteen days. So it is fine. He has sometimes stayed inside for a month."


    Madam Yue nodded with a smile. She said, "We are going to be there in a bit. If he could see the sight, he might have liked it."


    Yue Yun nodded and replied, "Let me check upon him."


    She had just turned around when she sensed a wave of spirit energy coming from inside the room. She smiled and said, "He broke through again."


    Yang Dao had reached the top of the spirit formation realm and his strength had increased far beyond his peer. Madam Yue opened the door and found the boy''s body to be dimly glowing. She was surprised and Yue Yun said, "Holy Spirit body, that is his boon."


    Yang Dao had a special physique, the spirit energy he condensed would be golden. Gold was the highest grade of spirit energy the cultivators could condense. This was a rare thing to happen. After the glow vanished Yang Dao opened his eyes with a faint smile on his lips.


    Madam Yue said to him, "Dao, welcome to the outer southern peripheral of the spirit Plane, the domain of Yue. Also known as, Overlord Yue."


    She pointed at the window and outside it lied a solar system. The sun was ten times that of his own home planet. (Take earth''s sun as reference)...

 Chapter 455: Calculative.

    Yang Dao looked outside from the porthole and he found an entire solar system lying in front of him. He could not see all the planets but he could see the big bright sun. He gazed at the sea of stars as if looking for something.


    Madam Yue asked, "What are you looking for, child?"


    The boy replied, "I wanted to ask, where is the Overlord Yue, you spoke about?"


    Madam Yue chuckled and said, "The blue sun is an overlord class star. Yue family is the sovereign of the solar system. Thus the whole solar system is called Overlord Yue."


    Yang Dao nodded and said, "Okay."


    He lost his interest in the place after knowing that it was a man-made title. He gazed at the big star in front of him with calm and peace in his mind. The boy asked while gazing outside, "How long will it take to reach the home domain."


    Madam Yue said, "A few minutes."


    Yang Dao nodded and did not say anything. He was pondering over something. Yue Yun gestured to Madam Yun to leave him be and move ahead. The lady nodded and took out a communication jade to tell her steward that the shop can move forward.


    Soon the ship moved through the void and after an hour, Yang Dao saw them navigate to a planet surrounded by asteroid rings. The planet was green and blue from the distance and before he could look at more detail, a lot of clouds surrounded them.


    After a second, the clouds also vanished from the sight. Yang Dao spotted a few birds in the sky but they did not approach the ship. Suddenly, the ship slowed down and it came to dock with a station. Yang Dao could not see much of the dock''s detail so he walked out of his cabin.


    He found Yue Yun and wanted to get out as soon as the ship docked, but Madam Yue came to him and said, "Out there, a lot of people will be waiting for you. These people will want to have a peek at you, even probe you, do not be afraid and act confidently, I have your back."


    Yang Dao nodded to her as he walked ahead with Yue Yun. As soon as he came out of the ship. He found a lot of people gazing at him. They were all murmuring about his appearance. A few of the murmurs were picked up by Yang Dao.


    The people were curious as they spoke up in a low voice, "You think this baby has got the talent that the young lady had?"


    Stranger 2, "Yes, I also wonder what level is he at the moment."


    The strangers kept on talking and Yang Dao walked away with the lady. He did not care about all these people. They were passing characters to him. However, some people did not take it well for him to ignore them.


    Yang Dao sensed a strong killing intent aimed at his back. He heard a cold voice, "Why do you, a rat from an unknown place have the guts to overlook us. Do you know that this place is the domain of the Yue family?"


    Yang Dao still did not react and kept walking, the person thought that he was afraid of him and wanted to getaway. He continued, "The parents could not even keep back their son. So, weak they are, no wonder they gave birth to a rat. So eager to hide in a hole."


    The people gasped at this. Who would try to taunt the son of Yue Ling, the grandson of the master of the Yue Family? They looked at the source of the noise and found it to be a man wearing a black and white Hanfu.


    This black and white hanfu was the uniform of the stewards of the Yue family, they were all entities in the nascent soul realm. The people could not dare to offend them and they stepped back. The crowd knew that it was wrong to do such things but they could not meddle between the people. They could only listen to what was going on and bow their heads.


    Strength was supreme, it was not the strength of an individual only but the strength of the people behind that individual. Yang Dao stopped after hearing the last word. He did not wish to take this on him. He turned his gaze at the person standing a few meters away from him. This person had a sharp face, looked like a viper.


    Yang Dao asked, "Steward Jill, would you mind telling me who this person is?"


    He could sense that Madam Yue and Steward Jill had disembarked behind them and were catching up. Madam Yue had her gaze trained to the man. Her eyes brimming with anger. The man also spotted her and bowed in greeting as he said, "I apologize for my rudeness, my master had told me to test the courage of Young Master Yang."


    This made the corner of Madam Yue''s lip twitch. Yang Dao asked Jill again, "Did you hear what I asked you?"


    Jill bowed her head and said, "This person is a steward in the family."


    This was his identity. Yang Dao asked, "The master in his mouth. Who is it?"


    Jill replied, "The second young master of the family, Yue Jiren. This person is your mother''s first cousin."


    Yang Dao was smart enough to connect the dots and said, "Hmmm, I see. My uncle has reared a rather unsightly pet."


    With that remark, he walked over to the other person''s side. He circled him one time and said, "A venomous snake, sly, cunning, hiding in the shadows, aiming at the backs of the people. You are just like a poisonous insect found at my domain."


    Yang Dao''s words caused the people to open their eyes wide. They did not expect him to be so good at using his tongue sword. The steward was angry but he kept a smile on his face. He asked, "Is young master not aware that I will attack you? I can harm you critically before your protectors can react."


    The boy said, "You can but you will not." with that said, the boy walked back to Yue Yun, exposing his small back to the man. This was a challenge.


    He said, "I am courageous enough to open my back to you. If you have guts, come at me. Even insects attack their prey when they are given a chance. I swear none of my protectors will act. You can try attacking me."


    The voice in the steward''s ears was like a hook that gave him ideas. He shook his head and after bowing to Madam Yue turned around to walk when he heard a ''click'' and a ''sigh''. The impulse inside his heart. It flared up and without saying anything he attacked the boy with the tip of his fingers aimed at the back of Yang Dao''s heart.


    The boy sensed his movement, as soon as he had clicked his tongue he had sensed the pause in the steps taken by the man. Earlier during his cultivation not only his body spiritually leveled up but his elemental sense had also improved. The movements of the man were predicted by him based upon his instincts.


    The feeling of being stared at had always been there when Yue Yun protected him, however, when beasts attacked him, they will always attack his vitals. Yang Dao had already started circulating his spirit energy and moved to the side with the help of his quickstep art.


    Quickstep art was a set of mysterious footsteps, that made the body move lightly and quickly. It was also called, Light Body techniques by people. Yang Dao had a technique that was called, holy beast step. He did not know how this technique came from but it was all inside his memories ever since he was a child.


    ...


    Atsuji Kurogame stood overlooking verdant greens in the dao palace, and a smile emerged on his old face, he mumbled, "Hope you use the gift to the best of its capabilities, Master."


    The skills inside Yang Dao''s mind were something he had sneaked inside without telling him. These skills were all made by the four spirit familiars. They all agreed to the impartation before Yang Dao left.


    ...


    Yang Dao had jumped to the side when he sensed a strong pain coming from his shoulders. The attack had landed on his left shoulder. The attacking steward was shocked, he did not expect Yang Dao to escape his blow. He could not figure out what happened, when he regained his senses and found a boy holding his arm, with a smug smile on his lips. The man understood that he has been pitted.


    The person wanted to attack again when he sensed a strong grip around his neck. A cold voice sounded, "Siqian, you attacked the master. You are sentenced to death."


    Jill was about to twist his neck when Yang Dao said, "Wait."

 Chapter 456: Threat.

    Yang Dao asked Jill to wait. This surprised the crowd. The boy said, "His blow was poisonous, we need him to stay alive till it is cured."


    His body was losing strength to even stand up as he spoke. Yue Yun appeared beside him and she held him in her embrace. She gazed at Madam Yue and said, "He is burning up."


    The poison had started to infiltrate his body as soon as it had come in contact with his body. Yue Yun pressed a few acupoints on Yang Dao''s body. She sealed the blood circulation in the injured part of his body to prevent the poison to spread. Jill asked the man in her grip, "Where is the antidote?"


    The man shivered and replied, "This poison was just produced, the antidote is yet to be procured."


    Jill raised her eyebrow and tightened her grip around the neck of the steward, making the face of the guy turn blue. Madam Yue said, "Let us take him back. The apothecary will be able to solve it."


    Yue Yun carried the dizzy boy in her arms and followed Madam Yue, who led the way. While Jill held onto the neck of the assaulted. She hated these sneaky people. She dragged the man on the ground after sealing his cultivation and the process was as painful as a normal human can imagine.


    The crowd let out a sigh, someone said, "To think that the fight for the family rule has grown to the point where Yue Jiren would ask his subordinates to attack a child as soon as he comes over. Shameful."


    A lot of people nodded in agreement. A few people, among the crowd, shook their heads as they did not agree and accused Yang Dao of enraging the steward. The people countered by saying that these people were cowards, would they have stood silent hearing their parents getting insulted.


    The crowd dispersed but the majority happened to be siding with Yang Dao. The boy had played a gamble here, which he won with some cost to pay. If the boy was so calculative then the other side was not resting under the sun. Yue Jiren had sent out a few more pawns to monitor the situation.


    Two people from the crowd broke away and came to follow each other slowly. The one ahead said, "Did you see the way he neutralized Snake?"


    The other person nodded and said, "That kid is not simple. His reactions and words were all carefully selected. He was deliberately sending us a threat vibe."


    The man in the front nodded, he said, "What do you think will be his next move?"


    The latter person shrugged, "He made a move, now it is our turn."


    The two people then made their way to a luxurious tavern. This was their base of operation.


    ...


    Meanwhile, Jenny(Madam Yue) had brought the few people to the main mansion of the family. The people did not pay attention to the guards and the lower level staff paying salutes to them. The mansion was like a victorian castle, surrounded by a green garden and high stone walls.


    Jenny said in a sonorous voice, "Get me the apothecary, NOW."


    Her temper was feared by everyone, the maid standing outside the room suddenly picked up a jade talisman and crushed it. This communication jade was a method to call upon the apothecary. As soon as the jade was crushed, an old man appeared out of nowhere.


    The man had closed eyes and his beard was reaching the floor. He bowed his head and said, "I have seen the mistress. Is there anything I am needed for?"


    Jenny said, "My grandson is infected by poison, heal him."


    Her tone left was commanding, everyone became aware that the situation was not simple. The old man nodded and walked over to Yue Yun. He raised his hand and cast a thin layer of spirit thread from his fingers. The thread wrapped around Yang Dao''s wrist. The old man took a few seconds and said, "The poison is made from Willow Widow Spider and ruby-crowned viper''s poison. We will be needing the galls of these creatures or amputating the hand before the poison spreads to the rest of the body. I apologize these are the only treatments available unless we have some holy detoxification herb."


    Jenny nodded and said, "Yue Yun, take him to the infirmary, Jill you are to guard him, do not move away for even a second."


    With that said, Jenny walked away from the spot and the rest of the people began to complete the tasks assigned to them. Yang Dao was lying on a bed with his eyes closed, his body was shivering and his complexion was pale. Yue Yun sat beside him, putting up cloth on his head dripped with cold water.


    Jill stood at the side and sighed, "Madam Yun, what was he thinking when he did that? Why did he hold back?"


    Yue Yun smiled and said, "He hates being looked down upon. He always does things for a reason. Do not worry, things will fall into place."


    ...


    In the Yue Family mansion, there was a big hall. This hall was filled with a lot of chairs, donned by the people. They were all talking at the moment. The tension in the room was the indication that they were talking over a serious topic.


    Suddenly, the heavy doors of the meeting hall were slammed open. A loud bang sounded and the people became all turned their heads towards the entrance. They only saw a streaking flash and Yue Jiren let out a wail.


    When the people regained focus again, they saw Jenny holding Yue Jiren from his neck like a slaughtered chicken. Someone shouted, "Misteress Jenny, what are you doing?"


    Jenny did not bother and said, "Yue Jiren, you are not the master of the family, yet. Do not think that you will let your dogs run feral in our lands and we will just let that happen. Also, you scheming snake, stop wailing like an insect being stepped over."


    With that said she flung the guy away like a bag of scum he was. She looked at the highest chair, and said, "A steward under Yue Jiren''s command attacked our grandson with poison hand stab. You need to make a call."


    The man on the highest chair was her husband. He had always been laid back. That was also the reason that Yue Jiren was forcing him to this level. This man was called, Yue Lei Wang. The reason behind his laid-back attitude was the absence of his treasure, his daughter, Yue Ling. The man had turned faces with his daughter to keep the family together.


    Suddenly, today he sensed the same affection inside his wife that she had once showered on their daughter. His dim eyes became sharp. He asked in a deep voice, "What happened?"


    Jenny recounted every single detail of what had taken place. Yue Jiren had already stood up and did not react to his face. This man had subtle features as if a delicately handmade piece of carving. However, his eyes were that of a beast, radiating an ice-cold gaze. He did not interpret and kept on listening, his confidence came from the laid-back attitude of his uncle, Yue Lei Wang.


    Even when he heard all this, the man did not waver or show any signs of acting upon it. Yue Jiren said, "The steward shall be killed according to the family laws. The medicine must be sought out as to not hurt my nephew''s future."


    Yue Lei Wang said, "The steward, who was involved in the attack will be dealt with the family law. As for the medicine procurement. Open the family treasury. Get them to detox the child as soon as possible."


    With that said, he stood up from his chair, and unlike in the past, his back was not dropped nor was his shoulder slacked. He stood in front of the people like a spear. His dominant aura seemed to have woken up from a big sleep. The people inside the hall were all surprised, while some had a big smile on their face, some had silent admiration in their eyes. On the other side, some existed to hate him as he undermined their interests.


    Yue Jiren was also surprised, but he said, "This is not feasible, after all the child is not our family."


    A few people nodded, but Yue Lei Wang countered as he said, "As the leader of the family, your relationship with me is that of a nephew. Are you my family?"


    Yue Jiren nodded and the old man nodded and continued, "Your relationship with Yang Dao is that of a nephew as well. Why is he not family?"


    Yue Jiren had understood what was going on as soon as the old man mentioned the relationships. He wanted to cut his tongue off. The thing was that he had lost his calm when Jenny attacked him in front of so many people. His realm was one minor level lower than her, and Yue Lei Wang was one major realm ahead of him.


    He could only clench his fists as he heard the hidden threat in the voice of his uncle. He could be abandoned by them. This threat originated from Yang Dao, this made him put the child higher on his kill list.

 Chapter 457: Recovered.

    Yang Dao did not know for how long has he been unconscious. Over the past few days, he would be able to sense what was happening around him, but he could not interact with the people. His body was immobile.


    Since he could not move at all, he decided not to try and let it recover. When the people outside provided him medicine his body was washed over with a comfortable wave of heat. When he opened his eyes, he found himself staring at a white ceiling. He did not move but sensed the people around him.


    He could distinguish, Yue Yun from her breath. The other person was Steward Jill. She was standing outside the place so, he figured out that she is there to protect him. His body has been sweating for quite a few hours now and Yue Yun had cleaned it over and over to clean the poison off of him.


    Yang Dao titled his head to the side and found that Yue Yun was sleeping while her head rested at the right corner of his bed. He felt warm in his heart. Then he slowly got up to sit. His left hand was injured in the attack earlier, so Yue Yun had sealed the acupoints, they seemed to be unlocked now so that the medicine could take effect.


    The boy tried to move the hand and sensed some light pain inside. He nodded and quietly got off the bed. However, as soon as his feet touched the floor, he heard a soft voice, "Dao, where are you sneaking off to?"


    Yue Yun was not asleep, and even if she was, she could sense the movements of the people around her. She was that vigilant when she was taking care of this child. The boy turned around with a smile and said, "Change of clothes is needed, also, this place is not very colorful. Can we go to a better decoration? I need to heal, this gloominess is bad for my health."


    The lady smiled at him and said, "Okay, come."


    She stood up and the boy walked over to her side and held her hand. Ever since he was a child, if he was not up to some of his pranks, he would hold onto Yue Yun''s hand when moving. The two people walked outside the infirmary and the first person to greet them was Steward Jill.


    Steward Jill had silver-blonde hair, slender physique. She had a strong aura about herself. When she saw Yang Dao holding Yue Yun''s hand she walked over and bowed her head to him. She said, "Congratulation on your recovery, Young Master."


    Yang Dao smiled and replied, "Thank you for your wish and hard work, Sister Jill."


    Jill was surprised by his address but when she wanted to refute she saw a sunny smile hanging on his face, however, his eyes were determined to say that if she dared to correct him, he will give her a command that she could not complete. Thus she only replied, "Thank you,"


    The boy was then taken to his dwellings. It was a big room, with luxurious colorful, decorations. The furniture was also very elegant and extravagant. Yang Dao looked up at the ceiling and found a ball hanging from it. He asked, "Granny Yue, is that a moon pearl?"


    Yue Yun nodded and said, "Yes."


    Moon pearl was a stone that glowed with white light, enough to illuminate the room as big as this one.  The room also had three big windows to allow wind and light to come in. Yang Dao sat down on a sofa and asked, "So, what now?"


    Steward Jill said, "Master is meeting with some elders of the family, he asked you to be present in the dining hall for the lunch today."


    Yang Dao nodded and stood up from the sofa, and said, "I need to bath properly. Mum told me to be on my best behavior."


    Yue Yun said, "The bathroom is over there." as she pointed at a door.


    Yang Dao nodded and walked inside the bathroom. In a corner there was a toilet section, a few steps ahead, was a big hot spring. The boy took off his clothes and got inside the pool. He sighed as the warm water touched his body. After a few seconds of relaxation, he rubbed his skin to wash off the accumulated dirt.


    He mumbled, "This bath is not a simple one. To think it can have a progressive impact on one''s cultivation."


    He circulated the spirit energy inside his body as he was bathing. The spirit energy passed through his injured arm healing and cleaning it slowly. His wounds had healed completely, but the soreness in his arm will take a couple of days more to go away. He washed his body and then proceeded to his hair.


    It took him half an hour to clean himself to the standards set by his mother. Then he dried himself with a towel while using the water manipulation, he left his hair slightly damp. He walked out with the towel draped around his waist.


    Yue Yun has taken out an appropriate set of clothes for him. It was a white hanfu, clean and crisp. Yang Dao had his hair loose on his head, after he dressed in the hanfu, Yue Yun helped him with his hair, tied them up in a top knot, leaving a layer to cascade down his back.


    She said, "Dao, it is time."


    Yang Dao gazed at himself in the mirror and nodded. The two people walked out of the room and found Steward Jill standing in front of them. The boy asked, "Sister Jill, do you not have to go to my grandmother''s side?"


    Jill replied to him, "She asked me to escort you to the dining hall."


    Yang Dao asked, "Is it that dangerous for me in this place?"


    Jill smiled but did not answer, she led the two people through the winding corridors of the mansion. Yue Yun had spent half her life in this place and was introducing Yang Dao to various aspects of the castle. After a few minutes, they reached the dining hall. As soon as the trio entered, the soft murmurs came to a stop.

 Chapter 458: Food War.

    Yang Dao stopped for a moment before he took a step inside the dining hall. He could see that every pair of eyes present inside the dining hall was staring at him. He could sense, at least, thirty such pairs. He smiled and then set his foot inside the dining hall.


    The seeming gentle aura around him turned to a dominating presence as if a switch flipped inside him. Steward Jill was half a step behind him and she seemed to have seen Yang Dao growing taller all of a sudden. She had no idea what happened to him. Yue Yun clear her throat gently and only then did she wake up from the illusion.


    She could have sworn that one moment ago, she had seen a two-meter tall guy with a wide back walking in front of him. Yang Dao walked inside, the dining hall and made his way directly to the chair where Jenny sat, looking at him with a proud smile on her face.


    The dining hall had a lot of small tables placed inside but in the center laid a big table. That was meant to belong to the master of the family. This table was different than the rest, it could accommodate eight people and be made of black and white jade. Unlike the wooden ones around.


    The wooden tables also had different carvings. The higher the authority in the family the better and detailed the carving on the table. Yang Dao noticed all this and walked up to the center of the dining hall. On the way, he sensed someone gazing at his back with a strong sense of hatred. However, he did not react and kept moving forward.


    Only when he reached the table and stood beside Jenny did he turn his gaze to the source of the hateful gaze. It was just a mere second, he caught sight of the person and began to scene the whole room. Yue Lei Wang said, "This is my grandson, Yang Dao. He will be staying here from now on. Does anyone has any objection?"


    None of the family spoke, and Yue Lei Wang continued, "I now announce him as my official successor. Do you have any objection?"


    Someone stood up and said, "Master of the family, with all due respect, your grandson is not born in our family. How can he be the successor? His linage is different than us."


    A few people nodded at this, and more and more people came forward to make objections over this decision. Yang Dao, meanwhile, sat down on the chair next to Jenny and began to help himself with the food as if all this was not happening because of him. The people saw his actions, they did not expect him to be so nonchalant to all this.


    A person from the opposition group spoke, "Look at his mannerism. We are here discussing such a serious method and he has to eat food."


    Yue Lei Wang wanted to say something when Jenny spoke up, "Dao, they are talking about you. Would you like to answer them?"


    Yang Dao gulped in the noodles in his mouth and said, "Yes, why not?"


    He stood up from his seat and said, "As far as I know, the Yue family is not a bunch of inbreds so the blood purity is diluted for everyone. Unless I am wrong. This is a fact. As for mannerism, in my family, it is said that a human works hard for food. Yet, here you are sitting inside the dining hall and talking about something like this. Disrespecting your hard work and food."


    His words made the people surprised and they could not refute it all. The boy said, "I will be my grandfather''s successor, and not the leader of your clan to inherit it. So you people better calm down."


    With that said he sat down at his table and began to eat. An old man spoke up, "Hmmm, kid do you think, you can walk in our house and talk so rudely with us and we will do nothing about it?"


    The boy replied, "Oh, how can I not know? The whole planet must have come to know, how your steward attacked me and missed. I was taught by my mother, treat others the way you want them to treat you. Do you understand that, sir?"


    He put emphasis on two words, missed, and sir. He was not rude earlier, but he did not intend to hold back this time. He wanted to finish his meal but these people were like flies. Buzzing in his ears every other moment.


    Yue Jiren suddenly chuckled as he said, "What my nephew said, is correct. We need to relax and eat. All this is meaningless. The seat of the patriarch is not something that is passed down to the next generation on a whim. But you need capabilities to and prove them in the trials. Am I correct, Uncle?"


    Uncle in his mouth was Yue Lei Wang. The latter nodded and the scene descended into silence and the people began to eat. Yue Jiren was sitting on a table one level below the master table. After drinking some wine he asked, "Why do you wear such bland clothes, Nephew Yang Dao. Shall I buy you some colorful ones?"


    Yang Dao was eating a dessert, when he had to pay attention to the other things instead of food he would get annoyed. The boy sighed and said, "Why do you wear black clothes, Uncle Jiren?"


    Yue Jiren replied, "Because I like it."


    Yang Dao answered, "Same for me, also, I like to eat my food in peace. How about you?"


    He asked in a dumb tone. As if a child asking someone a question in ignorance. His age was ten years and not so small for a cultivator child but Yue Jiren was not an impatient man. He smiled and said, "Indeed, eating food in peace is a good thing. Everyone likes it. I am done eating, I will see you around, nephew."


    "Be careful on your way, Uncle." said the boy.  The dining today was akin to fighting a war or minds. What Yang Dao did not notice was a sneer sitting on the corner of Yue Jiren''s lips as he turned around and the hatred flashing inside his eyes.

 Chapter 459: Underestimation.

    The meal passed in silence after Yue Jiren left the dining hall. The supporters had lost their cause, so they all became silent and consumed the food with their minds occupied with thoughts on how to act later and make things difficult for Yang Dao. They were sure persistent about things.


    Yang Dao followed Jenny and Yue Lei Wang after they finished eating the meal. Yue Yun and Steward Jill were excused since Jenny stated they needed privacy. The boy did not say much and silently followed the two people through the corridors. He was not bothered by any sort of luxury he saw on the way, he would instinctively not to the servants bowing to them in greeting.


    This behavior of his was not a false front but it was something that came from within himself, it was an innate quality. They reached the area where Yue Lei Wang and Jenny lived. This place was built on the highest level of the palace. This allowed complete privacy and the highest security to the patriarch of the family.


    The level where the patriarch lived was sort of a small world in a sense. It was equipped with a hot spring bath, a separate infirmary, a dining hall, a personal library, etc, etc.


    Yang Dao gazed at the decoration and asked, "Grandma, what do you want to talk about?"


    Jenny shook her head, "It is not me who wants to talk to you, child."


    The boy nodded and waited patiently. Since it was someone he had met for the first time, he will not take the initiative. He did not like people imposing their values and thoughts on him. Yue Lei Wang did just that. He called him over to the dining room and made the announcements. He did not bother to ask for his opinion.


    Yang Dao was not going to act like a good child for him. He sat down on the couch with indifference on his face. Jenny shook her head at this, she was afraid of this from the moment her husband told her what he wanted to do.


    Yue Lei Wang asked, "Do you not like being named as my successor?"


    Yang Dao replied, "Does it matter? What I like or dislike?"


    Yue Lei Wang did not expect this little boy to have such a temper. He raised his brow and commented, "Did your parents not teach you, how to be respectful towards your elders?"


    Yang Dao tilted his head and met the gaze of the old man as he said, "My parents taught me well enough to save your face in front of the crowd. If I had to take a step back there, the so-called respect you seek would have been a puff of smoke.


    Now my turn, did your age not tell you, how to take someone''s opinion into account when you make decisions about them? Or have you been a bit too depressed to know that you just made those people shift their attention to me? You may have a group of people supporting behind you but that is all. They do not have to support me and even if they do, I am not a fool to leave my back unguarded in presence of some unknown people."


    His reply made Yue Lei Wang''s face twist. He did not expect the boy to analyze all this in a meal''s time. The old man was struck in a daze. He turned his head towards his wife only to find her smiling at her grandson. He sighed and said, "This is all Ling all over again."


    Jenny smiled and said, "You spoiled her defiantly. So this is your karma. However, my grandson is much more obedient than she was back in the days."


    Yang Dao did not comment as he sat with his feet crossed over each other while the same way he crossed his hands. He leaned back on the couch and with his eyes closed and said, "What is the next big event of the clan?"


    Yue Lei Wang replied, "It is not a clan event but more like a collective event of the surrounding five solar systems."


    Yang Dao nodded, indicating him to go on. Yue Lei Wang had a twitch on the corner of his lips as he answered, "The event is organized by an educational institute. It is a school where people learn cultivation, Sovereign Sect. The sect master is an expert of the ascended mortal realm. It is said that he can step into the next realm anytime possible."


    He watched Yang Dao patiently listening to it all, and continued, "Young people from age ten to sixteen will be going over to a special location to take the test and the qualified ones will get admitted."


    Yang Dao asked in one simple word, "Rules?"


    Yue Lei Wang said, "Children below twelve years of age, must have a cultivation level of tier five body formation or above, while those above must be peak body formation. Sixteen years old ones must be at the first-tier spirit gathering realm."


    Yang Dao nodded, "Put forward my name, Yue Jiren looks like he has children. Are they going to participate?"


    Jenny said, "You are too young for them, Dao. They have already joined the academy. Yue Jiren has two children, one boy, one girl. They are both twins but opposite in nature. The girl is an innocent soul while the boy is a sneaky viper. They are fifteen years old and are at the sixth-tier of spirit gathering realm."


    Yang Dao nodded and said, "They are strong but still so-so. When will the event take place."


    Jenny replied, "One week."


    Yang Dao nodded, he stood up from his couch and said, "I will be ready. Umm, grandma, can you assign me a sparring partner. Also, I would like it that someone who does not hold back."


    Jenny nodded with a smile, Yue Yun had already told her about his temperament and she understood it completely. She said, "Jill can help you in that regard. Okay?"


    Yang Dao nodded and after telling the people that he will be now going to cultivate he left the room. Jill had arranged for a maid of hers to take him to his dwellings. After the boy left, Yue Lei Wang asked, "This brat is cocky. Calling Yue Jing and Yue Ming weak."


    Jenny smiled and said, "He is not cocky but he is truthful. He is at the peak of the spirit gathering realm. My grandson is not cocky, he is a millennium Genius. Understood, old man."


    Yue Lie Wang was shocked. He did not expect to face a thorough defeat in this discussion. He actually wanted to ask his grandson to not get cocky after the status proclamation but turned out he was underestimating the boy.

 Chapter 460: Sparring.

    Yang Dao walked out of the room after discussing with his grandparents and came to his room. Steward Jill will be coming over later so she was told. The boy thanked the maid for guiding him through the unfamiliar corridors as he entered his room.


    He closed the door as he got inside and the next moment he sat down on the mat in the center of the room and began to cultivate. After a few minutes, he had entered a deep state of meditation and at this moment he found some information hidden inside his head.


    This was not the first time he had found something like this hidden in his mind, so he was not surprised, he maintained his calm and explored the information inside his mind. Like the past, as he read the information, it blended with him as if it was a part of him.


    Yang Dao was dwelling over the information in his mind, unaware of the things happening outside.


    ...


    Yue Jiren sat inside a dim-lit room, with his gaze lingering outside the window. He said, "Inform Yue Ming, he must be ready to welcome his cousin."


    A voice echoed inside the room, "Yes, Lord."


    The person did not show the outline of his body from the start to the end. Yue Jiren mumbled, "Ling, your son is just like you, however, I will not go easy on him, but I might spare his life, for the sake of blood ties."


    An eery smile surfaced on his face. The temperature inside the room dropped a lot. No one could tell what was going on in his mind. Yue Jiren was not anything like his handsome appearance. If someone got a hold of the things that he was capable of doing for his gains, they will be shocked. They will peg him to be a member of a high-level clan.


    The people in the clan were already aware that he will do something ever since he had left the dining hall. However, they did not know what he would do.


    ...


    Jenny looked at her husband''s visage and asked, "What do you think Yue Jiren will do?"


    Yue Lei Wang was not clueless and naive as he projected. He was very ruthless, but he has been keeping one eye close and one open as he saw all the things going around in the clan. He replied to the lady, "Do not worry, no harm will come to the boy. Even if I do not lend him a hand, he will not suffer. The boy is strong and has a good head over his head."


    Jenny nodded and said, "I will send him the dragon charm."


    Yue Lei Wang cast her a gaze and nodded. Dragon charm was a protective pendant that Jenny wore on her person all the time. It was a gift the old man had given him.


    ...


    Ryu Jinshi sighed and said, "These unworthy descendants, getting slain for their arrogance and becoming artifacts."


    He did not like when the humans would slay dragons, but this was all for the balance of the world. Dragons were extremely strong and sometimes, well mostly, they were arrogant to the point where Ryu Jinshi himself wanted to slay some of his descendants.


    Suddenly, he heard a voice from behind, "Master Ryu, Madam Yun asked for your presence in the ministry."


    The man stood up from his chair and said, "Okay."


    ...


    Yang Dao sat on the floor with his mind dwelling on a sword art inside his mind. The aura around him was transitioning from sharp to gentle, from swift to slow. This was him cultivating the way of the sword. The sword inside his head was something that synchronized with him almost instantly. The harmony he felt when using his spirit energy to practice this sword was like nothing he had sensed ever before.


    Yang Dao was awoken from his meditation when he heard a knocking sound outside. He said, "Come in."


    He could sense that his pairing partner has arrived. The door was pushed open and Steward Jill walked inside. She bowed and said, "Young Master, when would you like to start training?"


    The boy smiled and said, "Can we do it now?"


    Jill smiled and nodded and asked, "Would you like to go to the private cultivation room?"


    Yang Dao shook his head and said, "That will be needed later. Today, I would like to get a feel of it." mischievous grin on his face


    Jill understood his meaning and nodded. Yang Dao wanted to go and have about with the young ones in the place. The lady said, "Young Master, please follow me. I will take you to the training ground of the clan."


    Yang Dao sprang up from the floor and quickly followed her. The two people walked for ten minutes, and finally, the boy found himself in front of the public training field. This place was barren and devoid of human life. He asked, "What is this?"


    Jill said, "The youngsters in the clan all have their private cultivation rooms. They do not come out here."


    Yang Dao sighed and said, "Very well then, come let us begin."


    The two walked to the center of the field. Yang Dao said, "Sister Jill, I am at the top of the spirit gathering realm, but you do not have to hold back. Beat me down, and do it seriously."


    Jill was surprised by this request of his but she also respected him for this. not a lot of people had the courage to ask someone who was three major realms ahead of them to not hold back. She nodded and said, "Come."


    The next moment, Yang Dao charged at her with a fast speed, he did not reveal his complete strength at the first chance. He charged with just the speed of a first-tier spirit gathering realm. His fists were aimed at the vital points of Jill, but it was all blocked by the lady. She said, "Young Master, you have a sharp instinct, but your blows become too obvious. Try to mix feints and act more decisively."

 Chapter 461: Deep Thoughts.

    The people in the Yue clan began to slowly gather as they watched Yang Dao sparring with Jill. Steward Jill was the second strongest steward in the family, after the person who followed beside the patriarch. She was at the peak of the nascent soul realm. He might be known to everyone and the people were all respectful towards her.


    They watched as she taught the guy without holding back her strength in the slightest. It would have been fine if she attacked Yang Dao, but the utter despair for even the onlookers was, no matter how strongly the boy attacked, she did not budge even a speck. She only used a finger of her hand to block his attacks.


    In the past, a few children in the family had approached her for guidance, and she did help them all but she did not display her full strength, but she would not be this cruel. Yang Dao stopped after a few minutes and asked, "You can use your aura and spiritual pressure on me. That will help me temper myself better."


    Jill asked, "I will not use my aura over you, because you are already immune to it. The spiritual pressure will increase slowly over a uniform interval of ten minutes, do inform me when you find it unbearable."


    Yang Dao nodded and from his space ring he took out his sword. He took a deep breath and struck forward at the lady. Jill did not take the weapon in his hand lightly and took out a sword of her own. The two swords clashed together and Jill commented, "You have a good sword."


    Yang Dao just smiled as he began to perform his basic sword attacks, like a stab, parry, and slash. The stance was firm and fluid. The spar continued for thirty minutes before Yang Dao called for a break. He was exhausted. Although his body was getting used to the spiritual pressure from Jill, it was still draining for him.


    The moment he decided to stop it was like he was stuck inside a gravitational pull ten times stronger than normal. His attacks were losing the strength behind them, even breathing was becoming a task for him. After the sparring stopped the boy said, "I will take a rest and then we will continue again."


    Jill nodded as she watched the boy sit down on the ground and cultivate. Yang Dao was comprehending the things that he had learned in the spar and at the same time, he was replenishing his spirit energy reserves. The people, both old and young, in the clan, watched the exchange. Some came to the field in open while some watched it through the shadows.


    While the young people were confused over why Yang Dao was practicing like this the old people had keen eyesight to see through his potential and purpose. The boy was killing two birds with one stone. First, he was rallying the supporters behind Yue Lei Wang by showing them his potential, assuring them that they sided with the right side.


    Second, those who sided with Yue Jiren were being warned. If they messed up with him, then they must kill him. If they failed to deal with him. Then the counter will leave them in despair. It was very clear as this ten-year-old boy was going at it against a nascent soul realm person for half an hour, none of his peers would even imagine this.


    If the people accept you are a threat to them, based on the degree of fear, they will either deal with you, ignore you, or be scared to even think about you with bad motivation in their minds. Yang Dao wanted the third effect and this was for his safety. He did not intend to get into the thick of family politics with these old coots. He wanted a buffer period for himself.


    He wanted to get a stronger protection shield than Yue Lei Wang alone. In one of the books he had read back at his home, he had found that a safe shelter always has more than four walls. That was why he wanted to find a few more walls.


    After he sparred with Jill for another round they returned to his room. This time, Yang Dao followed half a step behind Jill, like a student would follow his teacher. Jill suddenly realized this when she noticed the staff looking at her. She was surprised and asked, "Young Master, why are you following behind me. This is not appropriate."


    Yang Dao snapped out of his thoughts and said, "You do not have to worry about that sister Jill. At this moment, you are the person who taught me something very important and crucial. I am your student. So, me following behind you is only fine. Those who think that just because you are employed in this house, makes it inappropriate for you to be respected, are wrong.


    Mum used to say those who do not realize the importance of the people who work with them, are idiots and ungrateful. I am neither of those words. So, this is appropriate."


    Jill was surprised but she said, "But, Young Master..."


    Yang Dao cut her off, "No buts, if they ask you or punish you, then you tell me. Humph, I would like to see."


    Then he walked inside his room and sat down in cultivation, leaving Jill standing at the door. She did not realize when had they arrived in front of the room while she was guiding him. She bowed slightly to the meditating boy as she mumbled, "You are truly different, Young master."


    Then she gently closed the door and stood outside to guard his room. Yang Dao spent the next few days, meditating and practicing with Jill and Yue Yun. A few of the children who belonged to the allied faction came over to train with him. Yang Dao made good progress with his connections and cultivations respectively.


    On the seventh day, Jill knocked on the door of his room and came inside. She saw a young boy wearing a white hanfu and said, "Young Master, we are ready. Lady Yue Yun is waiting for us at the port."


    The day for the exam was here and Yang Dao was to depart with Jill and Yue Yun beside him. Other than that, he had two male guardians assigned for his safety as well. The boy nodded and said with a smile, "Let''s go Sister Jill."

 Chapter 462: Test Begins.

    Yang Dao left the room with Jill and came to the place where the Yue Clan had a port built for the ships. The ships were varying in different sizes. He asked Yue Yun as he reached her, "Which one belongs to us?"


    Yue Yun smiled and pointed at a sleek white and silver painted ship. The ship looked like a bird with its pointy head and wide wings. The lady went on to introduce the ship to him, "This one is called, Swift. It is the smallest ship in the docking area. It is classified among smaller flying vessels. However, the defense is equal to that of the large vehicles, thank the extensive formations engraved over this vessel. The speed is equal to the medium size flying vessels.


    It can fit up to ten people and needs two people to control the flight control. In emergency time, it can be handled by only one person only as well."


    Yang Dao nodded and said, "Let''s go."


    He had already met Jill and Yue Lei Wang the night before and said his farewell. He did not wish to disrupt the serenity in his mind at the moment he was leaving. It would be a lie to say that he was not anxious about the test at all. However, he had to put up the facade of calmness so that his enemy do not get a chance to strike at the chinks in his armor.


    Yang Dao had never considered himself to be a really invincible guy however, he was not the one who would go down without putting up a fight. The three people boarded the ship. Jill introduced him to a pair of brothers that were responsible for his safety on the trip.


    Inside the cockpit, he found two men, one big and bulky, while the other had a very scholarly aura about him. Jill pointed at the burly man and said, "Young Master, this person is called Yue Kong. He is at the middle stage of the nascent soul realm. The one next to him is his younger brother Yue Shun."


    Yang Dao nodded to the two people and thanked them for accompanying him on the journey. The two men smiled and the ship flew off after the three were seated. The boy did not ask them repeatedly about when he will be reaching the test destination. he simply closed his eyes and began to cultivate.


    The ship flew at the speed of light but the people inside were not affected by this, and Yang Dao kept on meditating to calm down the state of his mind. When nothing worked for him, he took out a picture of his family from his space ring and began to look at it without blinking his eyes.


    His mother has always been very calm and patient about things so how can he panic, that was the thought inside his mind. This thought worked as reverse hypnotism on him and made him calm down. That said, the boy calmed down. After an hour or so, Yue Yun said, "Dao, we are here."


    Yang Dao slowly opened his eyes and nodded, as he stood up. He stretched his body and let out a lot of crackling sounds from his bones and joints. He said with a smile on his face, "Let5 us go,"


    Jill and the rest nodded. Yang Dao took out the sword inside his space ring and tied it around his back with the sheath and red silk bend. Yue Yun asked, "Are you trying to look domineering, Dao?"


    The boy said, "What do you mean by trying, Granny Yun. Your grandson, I, am domineering."


    The lady smiled at his small stature walking ahead. Jill asked, "What is going on with him?"  in a voice that only the guardians can pick up.


    Yue Yun said, "He gets like this when he is nervous. Do not mind him. He does not recognize his own strength, that is all."


    Jill nodded and the people disembarked the flying vessel. Yang Dao found a lot of people gathering and moving in one direction. They proceeded to the square where all the people were gathered. A guardian wearing a coarse linen hanfu walked over and said, "This time the sovereign sect is selecting disciples, the test will commence in a few bits, the guardians are asked to come this way. The safety of your wards is guaranteed. Please come."


    Yue Yun wanted to say something but she sensed Yang Dao looking at her with a calm gaze and nodded. The lady took his hint and walked away. Expressing doubts in front of the people of the sovereign sect will be embarrassing them. This place was the safest place in this section of the immortal plane.


    Yang Dao split up from the people and came to stand among a lot of children of varying ages. he could see an old man floating in the void with his eyes closed. The pressure radiated from the old man was stronger than what his grandmother Jenny had radiated back at his place. He mumbled, "Interesting, such a strong person is here to take a test of new disciples."


    ...


    The old man was also monitoring the crowd through his spiritual sense and he could sense that someone was looking at him. The old man was hidden and not actually visible to any of the children standing in the square they did not have any idea. However, when the old man sensed a gaze lingering over himself, he directly ''looked'' back at the holder of the gaze, and he was shocked to see that it was a kid. He smiled and said, "The test is going to be very interesting this time."


    ...


    In the center of the square on a podium stood a young man, the person had a very strong aura radiating from himself. The people had been looking at him with an awed gaze. Yang Dao did not understand what was so special about this person. Suddenly, the young man said, "The time for the exam has arrived. Any late arrivals are now destined to return empty-handed."


    Yang Dao mumbled, "So they had a time limit on arrival as well."


    A person standing next to him said, "Yes, do you think they will entertain us ''lowly beings'' for a time that exceeds their convenience?"


    Yang Dao nodded and said, "You do have a point. So, what is the big deal with the awe this elder brother is being showered upon?"


    The person next to him replied, "He is an outer disciple of the sect. Now you know what is with the awe?"


    Yang Dao nodded and they heard the man on the podium speak, "Hello, junior brothers and sisters, My name is Feng Tao. I am an outer courtyard disciple of the sovereign sect. Now I will invite you all to come up to the stage and verify your bone age and cultivation realm. If anyone here is using some underhanded means, to hide your correct age, be warned, you will pay a drastic price. I advise you to retreat now."

 Chapter 463: Shocking.

    Feng Tao stood at the podium, he took out a boulder from his space ring and placed it on the podium. He then motioned the first person to climb the podium to place his hands over the boulder and channel his spirit energy inside the boulder.


    The person nodded and placed his hand on the boulder. He channeled the spirit energy inside th boulder. The big boulder trembled a bit as it shone with dim golden light, a few runes formed in the void. Feng Tao gazed at the runes and with a nod, he said, "Bone age 14, the peak of body formation realm. Please stand on the right side of the podium for the further procession."


    The youngster in front of him bowed and skipped down the podium with an exciting smile on his face. After all, he had passed the first round. Following him, a lot of youngsters climbed up the stage and verified their bone age.


    After ten minutes, a girl with long hair got on the top of the podium and placed her hands on the boulder, the tremor in the boulder was stronger than the rest and made Feng Tao open his eyes slightly more. Then he smiled and announced, "Bone age 15, middle spirit gathering realm. Congratulations."


    The girl nodded with a faint smile. Yang Dao had been watching all this from the back of the crowd and found this girl strangely pleasing to his eyes. He mumbled, "Grace of the goddess, yet with a heart of a mortal."


    The older boy standing next to him spoke, "Well said. Indeed that his how she has always been."


    Yang Dao was surprised, "Oh, brother Shun, do you know that girl?"


    In the previous chat, Yang Dao and Shun Lang had exchanged their names. (Not mentioned in the chapter but it is common courtesy.) The latter smiled and said, "She is the princess of our domain. That girl is called Athena Olympus. Hailing from the Overlord Olympus family. I am just a small fry among small fries back at the domain. My mother is a staff in their mansion so I had a chance to be scouted and came here."


    Yang Dao raised his eyebrow and said, "You are going off-topic."


    Shun Lang chuckled and said, "You kid, what is going on in that head of yours? You need to work a lot before you can get even close to her. You know skills and talent aside, you will need a lot of background too. Also, she is a genius prodigy in alchemy. Understood?"


    Yang Dao nodded but he was not discouraged. He said, "I understand."


    The two people talked, well basically Shun Lang talked and the Dao Child listened to it all. The entirety of the conversation was inclined towards the information of the surrounding overlord families.


    The domains of the families were divided but they were not interfering. Every sovereign family was solely responsible for the domains. It was not that there were no cultivators, but the sovereign families were better than them. The domain overseer or rulers were better at a lot of levels. The markets were owned by them, the martial prowess was better, and they owned more farming and civilian assets.


    The surrounding overlords were Olympus, Fray, Dusk, Yue, and Grande. These five overlord systems surrounded the Sovereign sect system. The sect itself had a five-planet system, equal to the Yang Family, but the strength difference was enough to put an overlord to shame.


    Yang Dao heard all this and absorbed it like a sponge. He did not realize that he was slowly moving forward with the crowd. His mind was lost in the estimation of the strength and resources the five overlords had. Suddenly he sensed someone patting his shoulder.


    His fist clenched as he reacted to this sudden touch. He found a girl looking at him with a smile. She said, "Little Brother, it is your turn to ascend the podium."


    Yang Dao losses his fist and realized that he was just a bit too lost in his thoughts. He bowed to her slightly with thanks and climbed up the podium. He cupped his fist to Feng Tao and said, "I apologize for daydreaming and delay."


    Feng Tao smiled and said, "It is okay, little brother, put your hand on the boulder and circulate your spirit energy inside it."


    Yang Dao nodded and placed his hand on the boulder. Then with a deep breath, he circulated his spirit energy slowly infusing it inside the boulder. The circulation of spirit energy became faster and the quality of the energy was better as the realm climbed.


    The boulder trembled and it was loud enough to attract the attention of everyone in the square. Till now, the strongest candidate was Athena Olympus, Trent Grande, Diana Fray, Daniel Dusk. They all had the cultivation level of the early medium spirit gathering realm to the peak of the spirit gathering realm.


    The realm of cultivation did not make a difference among the five of them the terrifying thing was...


    Feng Tao gawked at the runes as he spoke, "Bone age 10 years old, the peak of spirit gathering realm. You monster child."


    Yang Dao furrowed his brows and said, "Who are you calling a monster? Did you not learn manners at your home?"


    Feng Tao realized that his words had not sat well with this young prodigy in front of him. He hurriedly said, "Brother, I apologize. But it was not an insult. It was a compliment."


    Yang Dao squinted his eyes and said, "I have read a lot of books on manners and etiquettes, senior brother. Calling someone a monster is rude. I will complain to the elders when I see them."


    With that said he walked off the podium and came to stand among the qualified candidates. What Yang Dao did not notice was that he had caused a lot of shock and awe among the people. Whether they were the candidates or the sect officials managing the crowd. They were all calling him a monster inside their hearts.


    There were a few people who did not meet the requirements. They were not given a second chance. However, those cases can be counted on the fingertips. After another hour, the verification came to an end and Feng Tao said, "Those who had cleared the verification, please over the way you see on your right. This will be your second test."


    With that, the excited, shocked people walked to the pathway on the right with a grumpy kid among the crowd.

 Chapter 464: Combat Exam.

    Feng Tao did not follow along with the people. His task was to verify the various details of the people. After that was done, he went back to his usual routine. The elder who was hovering in the void followed the children.


    The reason behind his presence was simply just to invigilate. This old man that could have sent fright to the core of the people, was nothing more than a high definition closed-circuit camera watching over the candidates. It was not sure, when, one of these spoilt brats would secretly take out a boosting pill and eat it to get through the exam.


    ...


    Yang Dao was still following Shun Lang, who was looking at him with a surprised gaze. He could not hold it in and ask, "Brother Shun, do you think, I am a monster?"


    His eyes were filled with indignance. Shun looked at his expression and could not help but chuckle. He shook his head and said, "How can I think like that? I was just wondering, how come your name is not known among the overlord families. They all meet once a year. So, I thought you would be well known."


    Yang Dao shook his head and said, "I have told you already, I came from Yue system. The patriarch is my maternal Grandfather. So, it is obvious, that you or none of the others know about me."


    Shun Lang nodded and then froze as he asked with a stammer, "You mean to say that you are the son of Princess Yue Ling?"


    Yang Dao replied, "If you mean the daughter of Yue Lei Wang, then yes."


    Shun Lang gulped and said, "Your father is Yang Shan? Do you even know how popular they are?"


    Yang Dao shrugged his shoulders and asked, "I do not understand. What do you want to say, speak properly."


    Shun Lang took a deep breath and said, "Your father, married your mother after he waged a war on the rest of her admirers in the five systems. It is a story. When your father pursued your mother, she told him that her partner must be the strongest youth in the surrounding five systems. However, he successfully managed to save her from a crisis, and then they fell in love.


    However, Lord Yue did not allow them to get married right away. He simply put forward two conditions. One was for your father and the other for your mother. The two people agreed and then began your father''s charge. He issued a challenge for all the males who wanted to pursue your mother.


    It is said that the challenge lasted for a month and Yang Shan stood on his two feet after defeating and even killing some of the stubborn idiots. The people of the five systems acknowledged him and then he married your mother. Your mother had the cultivation equal to the ascended mortal but her injury made it relapse by a realm and it will be difficult for her to get over it. Later on, your father fought for a heavenly herb in the secret realms.


    The grande family took a chance and attacked him, making his cultivation fall to the nascent realm as well."


    Yang Dao did not know all this. He asked, "What is the proof that what you said, is true?"


    Shun Lang said, "You can ask anyone from your entourage. They will tell you. I can swear on my dao heart to make you believe. They must have hidden it so that you are not burdened or something. You know how adults think."


    With that Shun Lang fell silent. Yang Dao was lost in thoughts and did not bother to talk to him further. He wished that the exam came to an end and then he will go to Yue Yun to ask her if whatever he heard was the truth. If so, then the Grande family became his enemy for hurting his father.


    As he was thinking the crowd came to a stop. In front of the crowd stood a lady in emerald green hanfu. She said, "Please form queues according to the ascending order of your cultivation realms. The lowest on my left-hand side and the highest on my right-hand side. Also, it would be appreciated if you all can stand up in order of ascending heights as well. The smallest in the front and the tallest at the back."


    The lady had a cold voice that made people shudder. They all reacted quickly but still, it took them thirty seconds to arrange themselves properly. Yang Dao noticed the impatience inside the green-robed lady''s eyes.


    She looked at the queues and her gaze stopped at the five at the strongest for a second longer and then she said, "The next round of the assessment is combat. Behind me is the combat test formation. You all will be stepping inside one by one. Inside the formation, you will be facing wooden puppets. The longer you can last the better. Do you have any questions?"


    Yang Dao waited for someone to ask but since no one took a step forward, he asked, "Senior sister, who many puppets we need to get through to pass this round?"


    The lady said, "Ten."


    Yang Dao nodded and the people all thanked him in their hearts. They had forgotten to ask such an important question. The girl sighed and said, "Ten puppets are the requirement for those in the body formation realm. The spirit gathering realm will have to deal with twelve, the middle of the spirit gathering will have to deal with sixteen and twenty for the peak spirit gathering realm. Now we will start with those at the back. Come over."


    There were very few ten years old inside the crowd. This senior sister was putting up a cold front and asked the tallest to come forward from the first queue and then the man stepped inside the formation array.


    Yang Dao raised his head to look at the screen that was formed out of nowhere. It displayed the images inside the array. The formation area had wooden puppets move forward and charge at the people without holding back anything. Yang Dao nodded at the scene. He mumbled, "The strength of all the puppets starts with the same realm, and then it grows fractionally. This is a good exam."


    He heard a soft voice from behind her, "They puppets over tenth will not be like this. So, be careful."


    He turned back and found Athena Olympus advice him. The boy nodded and thanked her for her good intentions and then he went back to watching the combat taking place inside the formation. he was not worried about his protection. He had enough skills to face these puppets.


    Athena smiled faintly when she heard his reply and fell quiet.

 Chapter 465: Feisty & Funny Monster.

    Yang Dao did not hear the girl speaking again and neither did he have the intention to talk to her just yet. The assessment in front of him was occupying his concentration. However, if only we could have things according to what we need.


    An arrogant voice sounded from the back of the queue, "Where did you, country bumpkin, come from?"


    The voice was not lowered, this sentence was spoken with the deliberate intention to insult Yang Dao. The boy, however, did not pay attention to the voice and kept watching forward. This ignorance made the speaker grit his teeth. He said, "Did you not hear me asking you something? Answer me."


    Yang Dao said, "However, he is talking to can you answer him? The noise is disturbing the exam atmosphere. Such crude behavior."


    He shook his head as he spoke. The people almost wished to laugh out loud but when they saw, the symbol on the clothes of the person who instigated all this, they all strangled their laughter before they could see the world.


    Athena Olympus took a deep breath and said, "He is talking to you."


    Yang Dao turned around with a shocked face. He asked, "For real?"


    The girl nodded with a dazzling smile on her face. Yang Dao leaned to his side and looked at the tallest in their queue of five. He asked, "Do I know you?"


    The person, who was talking was Trent Grande. He spoke through his clenched teeth and said, "You do not know me?"


    Yang Dao shrugged his shoulders and said, "Ummm, why should I know you? You are not my relative."


    His frankness surprised the people. Trent Grande raised his finger and pointed at Yang Dao as he said, "You, my relative. In your dreams, humph."


    Yang Dao shrugged again and said, "Indeed, I never had a crude person like you as my relatives, and if I do, I might not recognize them. Also, I would rather dream of that elder sister over there teaching me attack skills than you being my relative."


    He turned around as he mumbled, "I do not know, what gives them a superior feeling, so old, yet so childish." his words were spoken in a very low tone, yet they echoed in the whole place because his earlier comeback had made the scene descend in silence.


    Yang Dao did not care about all this and kept focusing on the exam. The girl watching over the exam was surprised when this kid said, he would like her to teach attack skills in his dream. She would have reaped away the tongue if it was someone else. However, this boy''s words did not carry any sign of lewdness or malice.


    She could tell that otherwise, her life as a cultivator would be a waste. The old man floating in the void could not help but chuckle in secret. He mumbled, "This child is a feisty one."


    Trent Grande, however, was not satisfied with this treatment. He forced himself to calm down as he had already become a laughing stock for the people. He asked, "May I ask, what is your name?"


    Yang Dao turned around and pointed at himself with a gaze of askance. Trent Grande nodded with a serene expression. The boy replied, "Yang Dao. Who are you?"


    "Trent Grande," said the other party.


    The people had never heard of a genius with the family name Yang. Only Shun Lang was aware of his real identity. After this exchange, Trent fell into the thought of who this boy could be. Yang Dao focused on the exam in front of him and slowly it was not a turn for their queue.


    A lot of people had failed the combat exam, and they all stood at the side with emotions like remorse, shame, relief, and unsatisfaction on their faces. The girl in the emerald green robe pointed her glaring eyes at Trent Grande, who shivered for a moment before entering the formation.


    The test began, Trent took out his sword as he faced the first opponent. The wooden puppet was at the peak of the early spirit gathering realm, just a bit weaker than Trent. Trent was a tall muscular boy. He was using a broad sword and with one slash he cut down the wooden puppet.


    While the rest of the people were awed, the four strongest did not even bat an eyelash. Yang Dao even sighed at this. His reaction made Diana Fray ask, "Why do you sigh?"


    Diana Fray was twelve years old and at the peak of the early spirit gathering realm. She was the closest in age to Yang Dao. Earlier, she had not spoken at all because she had a shy nature. Fray and Olympus families were close and this little one was standing close to Athena with her back towards Yang Dao.


    The boy replied without turning back, "Using such a heavy weapon costs energy. The strength applied to cut through the wooden puppet is even more. Overall, this guy is wasting his energy. If this was a real scenario, how many people do you think he can take on? And will they allow him to have a momentary break needed before he can cut down another one of them? Just so you know, these puppets have not yet used weapons, but humans are not like them."


    His words were true, the three people behind him exchanged a glace, as they realized that this young boy was anything but simple. The old man in the void was pleasantly surprised by this. Various people had various thoughts. Trent faced sixteen puppets and came out with a smirk on his sweaty face.


    Followed by him, Daniel Dusk got inside the formation. He followed Yang Dao''s words and using his peak of the middle level of the Spirit Gathering realm, dealt with things while conserving his energy. The weapon of choice was a spear.


    Yang Dao nodded at a lot of moves as he let out minor comments on how the spear was commanded really well. Athena gazed at him with a smile and thought, ''This guy can even find out the good points of Daniel''s spear technique and asks us not to call him a monster. Funny.''