57. Dao

"It seems everyone else has woken up, well almost everyone else," the voice interrupted Hiro. And almost as if a fog cleared away, the surroundings became brighter and Hiro realized there were several others around him on this vast land of ice. "Welcome everyone, allow me to introduce myself. I am Xi, son of Hong, creator and master of this small world, you may call me Hong Xi. I don't know what it is called in your era but I properly welcome you all to my inheritance cave."

Hiro blinked at the words he just heard. However to his surprise the people around him were excited.

"An inheritance cave!"

"I guessed right, this place is a legacy."

While Hiro heard some shout excitedly, he saw several others bow or bend to their knees.

"Greetings senior!"

"This junior greets senior."

"I humbly greet senior."

"Greetings senior."

"Greetings senior."

"I greet senior."

"Good, good. Though I care little about manners, you six have earned my favor," Hong Xi's voice sounded. And at his voice, everyone else got on their knees. Everyone except Hiro.

"I can swear I heard Shin and Mia's voice," Hiro mutters while looking around.

"Greetings senior," everyone chorused.

"What are you doing? Get down and greet," the spirit flame urged.

"Hold on, I'm looking for Shin and Mia," Hiro said.

"Idiot!"

"Huh? That's Hiro's voice," Hiro heard Mia's voice and turns to the direction it came from. "Hiro? What are you doing?"

Hiro saw Mia kneeling on one knee. She was just a few feet away from him. Beside her was Shin, who was frowning at him.

"I knew I heard correctly, is Tanji here?"

She got up and rushed to his side. "Get down and pay senior Xi some respects," she scolded.

"How do I pay respect to someone who refuses to show us his or her face. I have no problem paying respect, but I need to know who I'm respecting."

"Idiot!" Shin yelled. "Senior I plea that you forgive him this disrespect."

"Why am I an idiot?"

"Senior please forgive my friend!" Mia bowed and said.

"You both don't have to plead, I like his boldness though it is possible that he may die because of it," Hong Xi's voice sounded.

"Thank you senior," Mia and Shin said.

"By the way, little girl, you aren't meant to be here."

"Huh?"

"I must have picked you by mistake. Well, either that or it is fate, what do you think?"

"I believe it is fate, senior is too great for mistake, hehe."

"What a glib tongue for a little one. Tell me, can you make tea?"

"Yes senior, my elder brother can testify I make one of the best tea in the city, hehe."

"This old master has slept for a very long time and hasn't had anything in that time, so let me be the judge of that. Come sit and chat with this old master."

At Hong Xi's words, a hand tore the sky and reached out for Mia. It gently grabbed her and was about taking her away when…

"Forgive me for my impudence, but is it alright she stays with me? She's one of the four people I recently got to know and one of the two people I can trust among everyone here, I am not comfortable with her being taken away."

Hiro had said after grabbing onto Mia's hand. "After all I don't know you and can't trust you when I haven't seen your face."

"Hiro it's alright," Mia says.

"Rest assured little one, she will be safe. After all even if I wanted to hurt her, you can't do anything."

Immediately, a great pressure descended on Hiro forcing him to his knees. The sword in his other hand fell and his grip slightly loosened.

"Grr, ah, ack," Hiro grimaced. He felt his body and bones crush under the pressure. And for the first time, he so dearly wish for death. This was worse than anything he had felt since waking up. However, even with that…

"You would die if you don't let go little child."

"Senior please! Hiro let go!" Mia yelled. She tried to break free but Hiro's hand did not bulge.

"Senior, you can easily take his hand off," Shin said.

"I want him to humble himself and let go."

~Ack~

At Hong Xi's words, Hiro coughed and choked on his blood. He felt a pair of eyes frown at him and it caused the pressure on him to increase. However Hiro did not let go. His hand released flames and wrapped around both his hand and Mia's.

"Hiro," Mia calls.

"What will you gain from dying?" the spirit flame asked. "I thought you said no threat was too emotionally important to eliminate?"

"We can't die here, Hiro, let go," Hiro heard his voice ring in his head.

His surroundings changed and so did the people around him. Mia was gone and a girl he had seen a few times before had taken her place. She looked older than the last times and she was holding onto his hand so tight, he felt his bone crush slightly. There were a few people, who seemed to be maid and servants around watching them. And someone was behind him, pulling at him.

"Wuzu Mi, let go this instance," the person behind him ordered.

"Forgive me uncle, I can not. If you are going to punish him, you have to punish me too."

"Are you out of your mind? Do you think I wouldn't hit you?"

"If hitting me makes you forgive Hao Ren, I would take as many hit as possible."

"Stop being stubborn and let go, now!"

"Mi'er…"

"I'm not letting go! It's not Hao Ren's fault that he is weak or that he was cursed not to grow. He works hard just like the rest of us, even harder. He had desperately been searching for a remedy to his stunted growth, so it's not his fault, if anything, it's your fault for passing weak genes!"

"What did you say!?"

~Pow~

"Ah!"

"Mi'er! Dad! Stop!" Hiro heard himself yell. The person behind him had landed Mi'er a deafening slap. A slap that caused her eyes and left chin to bleed. Hiro felt his head ache, somehow he had been affected by the slap.

"Repeat it!" the person behind him roared.

"It's… your fault… for passing him… weak…"

~Pow~

"Ahhh!"

"You useless girl…"

"Am I not right? Unlike your younger brother, the second stage king realm is the limit you can reach. Even Hao Ren's mom will surpass you soon."

"You!"

"Enough elder brother, she is but a child," a disembodied voice sounded.

"A child you say? She's over two centuries old, how is she a child?"

"Even one over ten centuries old is but a child to us."

"Tch, the both of you get lost."

Hiro felt the person behind release him. His surroundings changed and returned back to normal. He was back to holding Mia and standing on top the vast land of ice.

"This isn't the same thing," Hiro said to himself and released Mia's hand. "Sorry senior, I'm sorry."

"Hmph, courage without wisdom and strength is pointless. Remember that."

Hong Xi's voice sounded and the hand holding Mia retracted back into the sky. Hiro takes in deep breaths. The pressure was gone but he could still feel it. That feeling of being at deaths door.

"This junior understands," Hiro bows. "Thank you for sparing my life."

"Let us proceed. Fifty of you, well forty-eight now. Two others have been disqualified already. You forty-eight have been chosen and given the chance to become my disciples and receive my inheritance."

"Ahem," Hong Xi clears his throat and continues. "My inheritance contains my lifelong understanding and achievements on the dao of time and on the dao of space. And, the key to this small world."

"Dao of time?"

"And space?"

A few muttered as Hong Xi continued. "Do not be excited yet, the dao of time and the dao of space are extremely difficult to understand and cultivate. Only one in a hundred million are capable of grasping the dao of space and one in a billion for the law of time. This mean, it is possible that none of you here will grasp it."

"This!"

"Seriously!"

"Senior is an extremely rare genius then. A one in a trillion, no a hundred trillion. You have an understanding of both dao."

While others muttered, a boy spoke up with a smile. "Ahem, senior is incredible."

Hiro walks up to Shin. As quiet as possible he whispers into Shin's ear. "What's a dao?"

"Huh?" Startled, Shin jerks slightly and turns to him. "Oh, don't scare me like that."

He was lost in thoughts and Hiro's voice had abruptly brought him back to reality, scaring him as it did.

"A dao is a path one takes while cultivating or pursuing the peak of martial arts."

"Oh, what's your dao then?"

"I haven't decided yet."

"Why?"

"For now we are building our foundation, and that's more important than picking a path."

"I see, but taking a path now wouldn't affect our foundation, right?"

"Nah."

"Okay, then what path do you think I..."

"Are you two with us?" Hong Xi's voice sounded.

Hiro and Shin turned to the sky, there two silver plate had appeared. On it were words they could not comprehend.

"Sorry senior," Shin muttered.

"These are the basic concept. To your right is the dao of time and to your left is the dao of space. You all will sit quietly and try your best to comprehend one of it. If you can, try to comprehend both. I will watch you all and from time to time, pick out one or two of you. Whoever is picked will be sent out of here. Do you all understand?"

"Yes senior," they chorused.

"You may begin."