The Urban Dao Child

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.