Dao

"First-Layer of Heavens, Yihme. We are in the ditrict of Kwan."

Heavens you say? I am in Heavens? Rou Lang do not know how to react. But a smile emerged on those lips. So it's true. She really was transported to heavens. But how? The camp she was found was the runway and the portal connected to the mortal realm in order to cast tribulations. So when the tribulations descended, the portal naturaly opened. But somehow, Levi found a way for her to enter the portal before it closes. That's how genius and crafty her Master is! Yet it was still seemingly impossible to pull of such stunt, especially they were facing purple tribulations back then. Rou Lang was not sure how her Master do it. But it was indeed amazing. She finally got into the Heavens as she wished.

If anyone noticed, they would be so shocked. It was because she was a mortal, and a cultivator of a very low level! At least one must reach immortality before they can overcome the boundary that shackles possibility and can ascend as a powerful cultivator. But in here, they were no mere than ants. Instead, a mortal like her who has not even mastered the way of cultivation has sneakily made her way inside! Won't this be cheating?

However, her life would be more worse than on mortal realm. It is because she was not yet baptized by necessary experience to be claimed a cultivator. If one things is said to be better here, that is there is heaven energy to be used in cultivation.

After eating, she decided to try learning how real cultivation really is done. Unlike inner cultivation which focuses on circulating inner qi through her system, outer cultivation is all about gathering heaven and earth energy to revolve around her meridians and dantian to form a core. The core will be based on the element frequently absorbed. For instance, if one absorbs fire qi, he or she will form fire core. If water qi, then water core. Each core is of varying color depending on the nature. In the mortal realm, there are only four elements to be cultivated. Those were water, fire, wind, and nature energy. However, here, other superior forms of elements can be cultivated as well, such as ice, lava, light and dark energy. Rarer cultivators used blood to refine themselves into the dreading blood cultivators. While others cultivate the dangerous qi of death. But she? Aside from her valiant amount of death qi in her heart, she got nothing. Thus, she must cultivate faster. Only by this lone process can she acquire strength to prevent the doomsday on her world. Afraid of going out, she decided to cultivate inside the house, while Kyogai hastily left in excuse of work. She was happy that Kyogai has been kind to her. Else something bad might have happened to her.

She sat in a lotus position and placed her hands on near her lower dantian, just at the navel side. She closed her eyes and concentrated. It was not long before she could feel new kind of refreshing energy bathing every inch of her body. So it was true. The Heavens are really rich of heaven energy. Although the amount is not that concentrated, it was still sufficient and very helpful to a beggar like her.

With her consciousness, she tries to guide those energies to her meridians. However, not a speck of them will enter. She strengthened her consciousness and opened her pores as wide as possible and breathed hard. Yet not one of those energies obliged to enter her system for her to start cultivation. But instead of getting annoyed, Rou Lang was determined to find a solution. She was about to ask her Master Levi but she was embarassed after the incident. Furthermore, her Master should be busy with something so she decided not to disturb him.

"Aha!" She nearly forgot about her second master -Lei Jian. Lei Jian is a heavenly blade who came here from the heavens. Of course, he would know cultivation. So she entered her heart once more.

Master Levi is sitting in the middle of his realm, with a katana stabbed by his side. He seems to be meditating. Rou Lang walked farther until she reached the dark realm of Master Lei Jian. Till now, there was no reaction from him so she decided to find out what he is doing.

"Masted Lei Jian! Master Lei Jian!"

Her voice echoed across the wide cosmos. Stars were decorating all sides and one look it was definitely wider than Levi's.

"Master Lei Jian!" She called out again.

A distant voice answered. "Rou Lang?"

Lei Jian appeared in front of her. She noticed something different about him. He was dressed in a more elaborate clothes and some make up on his face. Unlike Levi, he was strikingly hotter and handsomer though she don't want to admit that. Unexpectedly, there was also a smile on his face unlike his usual poker face. It's just like he was doing something exciting. What could make this spirit smile if he was alone in this vast plain? Then she remembered about her twin -Fate. The soul of Fate is wandering inside his plain. They must be doing something naughty behind her.

"Master, what are you doing this past few days?"

"Huh? I was cultivating of course."

"Really? Cultivating alone seems suspicious. Are you sure you're not doing that with someone?"

He blushed. "What are you talking about? Oh, why are you here? You need something?"

"I want to learn how to cultivate heaven energy."

"Heaven energy? Why? Have you got a source of heaven energy? Cultivating it is easy."

"No. I am in heaven myself."

"What?! You are in the Heavens?"

Rou Lang exited. She tried to focus on cultivation whilst listening to Master Lei Jian.

"As I've said. In order for a mortal to cultivate, you would need both heaven and earth energy. I can see that no earth energy is present in here. Thus, it's almost impossible for you to cultivate. But that doesn't mean you can't actually cultivate. After all, you are special. If you could find a way to draw in earth energy, you could then cultivate."

"Where should I find earth energy?"

"That I don't know."

"Tsk!"

She took silence as a part of her meditation. It would help to clear her mind and think properly. Earth energy. In the mortal world, there were plants, animals, humans, and vast seas. They must be the source of earth energy. Pretty much, but others are also considered energy, such as ghosts, spectres, love, anger, heat, light, and sound.

Eh, forget. Might as well go out to explore the heavens. There are said to be nine layes of heaven. Each layer is vastly superior as one ascends. She was in the first layer called Yihme. And cultivator here are more common than on the mortal world. All of them are immortal too! And their cultivation basis is vastly superior to any mortal. As a wandering mortal, she must set a path for herself, whether to follow one of them or create her own.

"Rou Lang, do you know which path should you take? Do you know which dao you are going to follow?"

"No, I'm not so sure about that. Can you tell me more about the dao?"

"Dao is the way all cultivators must take. Without a dao, one is like a mindless beast. Such rogue cultivators without a proper way are easily curropted by evil powers." He continued to explain.

The way of martial dao, was first developed billion years ago. But it was not a natural state of being. After all, the true way of Daoism cannot be obtained through fighting. In order to be a pure cultivator, one must be in harmony with nature, living in peace and simplicity. A follower of this fighting dao must not seek victory or the suffering of his enemies, but to try defending one self if possible without bloodshed. The true way of fighting is not causing injury to the opponent. It is not defeating them or bullying them with greater power. Fighting do not seek destruction but of finding balance and peace among both system. Just like chaos, it cannot resolve anything unless both Yin and Yang compliments, the light and the heavy, the weak and strong, the night and the day.

Martial dao is the yang side of fighting dao, frequently chosen by almost all cultivators. It was about being stronger than the opponent, being in the light/right side, being in the dry side/ not accepting inferiority. The yang must be aggresive but not cruel. A martial artist must be always active, always accepting challenges, and have unfathomable will. It uses more brawn thus one needs good physical condition or they must be ready to temper it again and again. In a war, martial artists take the lead and charge boldly. Not even death can waver their indomitable spirit to fight.

Another related dao is the ruinous dao. It is all about destroying anything that stands on the way. Whether they were enemies or innocent. The way of ruining is always associated with killing. By practicing such dao, one will develop inner demons, and evil intentions will occasionaly leak out of their body. They kill not just for money or other desires but mostly for power and superiority. Once successfully molded a devil core, it is said that the devil cultivators of the ancient times will revive through the heart. The cultivator then will be given power to steal other's cultivation by slaying. The more they kill, the stronger they become. Thus their blades are called Deathblades. Their evil will are deeply embedded on these blades such that anyone who touch them will be possessed.

On contrary of destroying, another is the dao of creation. Opposite the ruinous dao, cultivators who follow this path have the eternal desire of creating. Whether weapons, arrays, pills, techniques, martial art skills, attribute attacks, and even forbidden techniques. They are highly respected for their ingenuity in crafting. Because of them that the world is progressing.