The Way of The Dao

"S-sorry..."

Soon after, Ning Xiaoyi whispered with her blushing face, moving away from Ling Tian and then casting somewhat frightened and worried glances towards the group of women, especially Ling Tian's wives. She could not help but think that those beautiful women might misunderstand her and even make them feel disgust and annoyance by her action towards Ling Tian. Xi Fei also did the same, but she showed a serious expression that would not be easily intimidated, with a raised brow, but the slight blush on her cheeks betrayed what she wanted to express in her gaze.

"Huh?"

Ling Tian blinked slightly in surprise before letting out a smile and shaking his head reassuringly.

"We have a lot to talk about..." Ling Tian looked at them with a affectionate smile. Although he clearly remembered the past and the kind of relationship he once had with them, he still wanted to continue to preserve those bonds of friendship. But his gaze soon shifted to a stunned Nalan Ziqing who was slowly coming to terms with what she was hearing and said, "Although I don't know you, I understand your love and concerns for your Masters and I know you are a good girl, so I apologize sincerely. I truly wish the best for your Masters, so you don't have to worry." Ling Tian smiled and nodded his head slightly.

"On the contrary! Please accept my apologies! My Masters already explained to me everything that happened and what you have done for them. Qing'er is to blame for being so immature and jumping to conclusions before hearing the whole truth!"

But Nalan Ziqing shook her head and bowed to Ling Tian. After hearing everything from her two female Masters who had cared for her since she was little, as well as realizing what was going on, where they were and everything Ling Tian did as well as this last exchange of words, Nalan Ziqing knew that she had behaved like an immature young woman jumping to conclusions and looking for someone to blame quickly without waiting to hear everything that really happened. This man in front of her really was a worthy man who fought and searched for her Masters, and although he lost hope he still left a place of rest and respect for both women, showing the importance in his heart.

Besides, even though this man seemed to have his meridians crippled and had no cultivation base, Nalan Ziqing understood that there would always be dragons hidden where she least imagined. She saw how Ling Tian easily defeated and subdued Xuanyuan Haoyun who had a high cultivation base. Although Ling Tian had a body refining base apparently, it shouldn't be enough to defeat opponents who cultivated primarily Dao.

Ling Tian smiled with relief. Seeing this young woman of the same generation and age apparently as Xuanyuan Ling being a disciple of Ning Xiaoyi and Xi Fei worried him a little. After all, he did not want to be on bad terms with the disciple of his two important female friends.

"Brother Tian, Qing'er is really a good girl, so you shouldn't think badly of her. She was just worried about us!" Ning Xiaoyi quickly rushed to explain, not wanting Ling Tian to have a bad impression of Nalan Ziqing.

"She's really kind and calm." Xi Fei commented as well, letting out a faint smile at her sight of Nalan Ziqing.

Nalan Ziqing slowly grew accustomed to seeing her two cold and indifferent female Masters to the world showing all sorts of happy and joyful emotions to Ling Tian.

"She is your disciple from what I understand?" Ling Tian asked curiously.

"My full name is Nalan Ziqing, Master."

Before Ning Xiaoyi could answer Ling Tian's question, Nalan Ziqing stepped forward and replied respectfully, clenching her fists together in greeting and respect.

"M-Master?"

Ning Xiaoyi whispered, blushing once again as Xi Fei's heart began to beat faster.

Ling Tian was slightly surprised and smiled, shaking his head before saying, "Ziqing, you can call me Ling Tian. But you can't refer to me that way, I am only a companion and friend of your Masters. I don't have that kind of relationship with them."

Ning Xiaoyi and Xi Fei felt bitterness and sadness in their hearts. After all, Ning Xiaoyi had created a misunderstanding with Ling Tian, making him believe that they didn't see it that way and miss their chance.

"You are so young, you are not even 20 years old yet but you already have a great cultivation base. You sure have a great talent for cultivation."

Sensing the strange atmosphere and looking at the somewhat different faces of Ning Xiaoyi and Xi Fei, Ling Tian couldn't help but change the subject and ask Nalan Ziqing. This young woman in the prime of her youth like Xuanyuan Ling had a cultivation base in the Body Condensation realm, as well as having a slight refinement in her Dao body, something he discovered when they fought in that dimension. But this level of refinement was barely up to the Foundation Establishment level. Combining these two paths would require time and effort, and seeing that Nalan Ziqing were very young she should undoubtedly have a lot of talent for it.

"Qing'er has a great talent for cultivation, she understands things very quickly and has an incredible cultivation speed." Xi Fei nodded soon after, shedding her dejection upon hearing Ling Tian's question.

"...Nalan? Isn't that the same surname as your Master?" Ling Tian suddenly frowned slightly as he remembered and related Nalan Ziqing's surname to Ning Xiaoyi and Xi Fei's Master.

"She is our Master's granddaughter." Xi Fei nodded at once.

"But your Master was from this world if I remember correctly. I even searched for her when I tried to look for clues of you two, but I found no news of her, so I assumed she had died due to her having reached the limit of her life expectancy as you once told me." Ling Tian looked at Nalan Ziqing in surprise, trying to connect the clues. So how did they find Nalan Ziqing in the cultivation world of the Heavenly Sun Continent?

"Our Master originally was from the Heavenly Sun Continent World, but because she faced powerful enemies, she arrived in this world after going through several teleportation formations and getting lost in the void, being the only one to survive upon arriving in this world. But because she was injured her wounds worsened over time. When she adopted us she didn't have long to live."

Ning Xiaoyi explained with a sad complexion, remembering her Master. She and Xi Fei were adopted and cared for by their beloved Master, receiving care, love and teaching at all times. And already when they grew up and were old enough to go out into the world, the two of them found out about their Master's real situation and about everything that had happened to her, and even her current state, but still their Master took care of them and wished them well. The last time they saw her she could no longer stand up from the bed, with her last request for the two of them to leave and not to worry about her anymore.

Ling Tian looked at Ning Xiaoyi and then Xi Fei, remembering that after a long time when trust was mutual and they knew almost everything about each other, the two of them had told him about their Master and a bit of her history, as well as her likely current state, unfortunately with a few more days before she died.

"But our Master's enemies somehow found out that she had offspring, so not finding her they decided to search for her offspring, finding Nalan Ziqing's family when she was only about 6 years old." This time, Xi Fei was the one who explained what happened in a few words, not surprising Ling Tian to hear this kind of explanation.

There were all kinds of enemies, from those who only focus on you and don't care about your important people as they felt it wouldn't be worth it, to enemies who would seek to harm you with everything they could find, with your friends, lovers, family and more.

"Nalan Ziqing's parents did not have much of a fighting spirit for cultivation, going so far as to simply cultivate up to the Foundation Establishment realm. They subsequently found a nice place in a mortal city and lived there for several years, hiding from our Master's enemies." Ning Xiaoyi smiled bitterly and stroked Nalan Ziqing's head before adding, "But unfortunately, Master's enemies somehow found out about them and found her parents, killing them mercilessly and without caring that Master had already died." Ning Xiaoyi's eyes turned cold at the mention of those people.

"Sis Xiaoyi and I happened to pass by that place while we were still looking for news of you and found out what happened. But unfortunately they had already killed Qing'er's parents before we arrived, so we were able to save only her." Xi Fei's icy gaze could freeze space, showing her anger and rage as well. Nalan Ziqing likewise clenched her fists full of fury and rage, wanting to personally handle her parents' killers herself.

What fault did her parents have for something their ancestors did?

They were just living a normal, ordinary life, as mere mortals!

Although Nalan Ziqing did not know her grandmother, she did not blame her grandmother because of her two female Masters, knowing that she took care of both women and if it were not for her having done that she would not survive being rescued by Ning Xiaoyi and Xi Fei.

After Ning Xiaoyi and Xi Fei learned a little about Nalan Ziqing's background and investigated her origin a little, they discovered that her mother was their Master's daughter that she had longed and missed so much, praying to the heavens for her well being!

Without a second's hesitation, both Xi Fei and Ning Xiaoyi took Nalan Ziqing into their care; it was the least they could do in gratitude to their female Master. In time, Nalan Ziqing became their only disciple, teaching her everything they knew until she became the amazing young woman she is today.