Edited by RED

“Why are you together?” asked Lin Feng, frowning and looking at the three people. Jeston, Fa Duo, and Dao Ling were all together…

Jeston glanced at Dao Ling and Elder Fa Duo. They both nodded. Jeston nodded and smiled, “Lin Feng, I joined Tian Dao Yuan.”

“You really joined Tian Dao Yuan? I hadn't thought Dao Ling would be from Tian Dao Yuan,” Lin Feng said skeptically. He glanced at Fa Duo. “Elder, you…?” He didn't know what to ask.

Elder Fa Duo smiled indifferently and said, “I am also a member of Tian Dao Yuan; I am one of the seven Dhammapalas.”

“You…” Lin Feng was astonished. The old man was also from Tian Dao Yuan? A Dhammapala on top of that?

“Why are you in the Fa Lan Empire, then? And did you change your name?” asked Lin Feng skeptically.

“I am a member of the Fa family. When I became an adult, I joined Tian Dao Yuan, so the Fa Lan Empire is my home, and Tian Dao Yuan is my group. There is nothing contradictory,” said Fa Duo smiling patiently.

Lin Feng was startled, but he still nodded understanding. Indeed, there was nothing contradictory. It was like being a member of the Lin Clan and being a disciple of Tiantai; there was nothing wrong with it.

“Tian Dao Yuan wants to collaborate with me?” asked Lin Feng, looking at Dao Ling. He was the only one who hadn't said anything, which meant he was the leader of the group this time.

Dao Ling looked at Lin Feng and lowered his head, then took out a cyan talisman from his pocket. It had been carved at a low temperature. Lin Feng immediately sensed that the temperature in the garden was falling.

“What's this?” asked Lin Feng skeptically.

“Master, this is your talisman,” said Fa Duo and Dao Ling in unison, solemn and congratulating him.

Lin Feng was astonished; what was going on? Why did they call him Master? Was it because he controlled the Fa Lan Empire?

“What's going on?” asked Lin Feng skeptically, staring blankly at the three people.

Jeston looked at Lin Feng in admiration. He knew everything.

“Lin Feng, come here,” said Jeston, pulling Lin Feng aside. Jeston looked at Lin Feng seriously. Lin Feng was even more confused and stared back at him.

“Jeston, what's going on? Tell me everything,” Lin Feng said gravely.

Jeston glanced at Dao Ling and Fa Duo and then smiled, “You are the Master of Tian Dao Yuan. They've been looking for a new leader for two hundred thousand years, and they chose you. They consider you their new Master and they hope you can make Tian Dao Yuan rise. They hope you'll make Tian Dao Yuan splendid and glorious again.

“I know you must be shocked, but it is all true. Even when I arrived here, you were already considered the future Master of Tian Dao Yuan. Ancestor Kong, Dao Ling, and Fa Duo are three of the seven Great Dhammapalas of Tian Dao Yuan. Supreme G.o.d Zi Dian, your teacher, is also one of the Dhammapalas of Tian Dao Yuan.

“Apart from those four people, the other Dhammapalas are Can Tian, Supreme G.o.d Tian Yuan, and Que De. Of course, Fa Duo has another name: Gu Ren!

“They are all your servants, and they are really happy and feel honored to serve you. The talisman Dao Ling took out is a symbol of your position as the Master of Tian Dao Yuan. I don't know why they chose you, especially since I came from Earth like you, but if you want to understand, I guess you have to ask them yourself.” explained Jeston.

Lin Feng was astonished, and his heart was pounding. He was now the Master of Tian Dao Yuan? Lin Feng wasn't happy at all. It was a restriction, not a way being freer. Had the members of Tian Dao Yuan been watching him the whole time since he had arrived in this continent?

How scary! He had never noticed anyone was watching him. He remembered Mister Time in the Continent of the Nine Clouds after the catastrophe, but had the rest of his life been planned as well?

Lin Feng walked back to Dao Ling and Fa Duo. He was angry and unhappy.

“So Tian Dao Yuan has been spying on me the whole time. So you know everything about me? Everything I say or do?” Lin Feng said icily.

Dao Ling and Fa Duo raised their heads and glanced at each other. They both shook their heads. Dao Ling said, “We haven't been spying on you. Since the moment you arrived in the world of cultivation, you've been our new Master, that's all.

“We've been paying attention to you since you arrived in the Continent of the G.o.ds and broke through to the G.o.dly Emperor layer. Ancestor Kong has also helped you. It started then. You pa.s.sed all tests and we all agreed that you were definitely the right choice to become our new Master,” explained Dao Ling.

Lin Feng wasn't so angry after he heard that. “Another question: you brought me to the world of cultivation… why?” asked Lin Feng. Why had they brought him from Earth? What was their goal?

Jeston stared at Dao Ling as well. He also wanted to know why they had brought him from Earth to the world of cultivation.

Dao Ling blushed. He didn't know what to say. He just glanced at Fa Duo. Fa Duo looked back at Dao Ling angrily; why did he have to reply? But he had no choice, someone had to give the two men an answer.

“Master, we brought you and Jeston from Earth to the continent of cultivation because you have something special: your birthdates. Ancestor Kong has been working for millions of years for the glory of Tian Dao Yuan and he found you both, and he knew one of you would make Tian Dao Yuan become splendid and glorious again someday,” explained Fa Duo briefly. If he told the whole story, it would take ages.

Lin Feng and Jeston were surprised. Their birthdays?

“When is your birthday?” Lin Feng asked Jeston.

“On Earth? December thirty-first.”

“What about yours?” asked Jeston.

“January first.”

“But many, many people were born on the same days as us; what makes us so special?” asked Jeston, staring at Dao Ling and Fa Duo.

Dao Ling said slowly, “Because you are the only ones who were born on these dates and died. When you died, we had to hurry and bring your souls to this world.”

“It was fate,” Dao Ling sighed.

Lin Feng looked at Jeston. They both understood. Among people who were born on the same day as them, they were the only ones who had died, so Ancestor Kong and Mister Time had done their best to bring their souls from Earth to the world of cultivation.

“So, you are like our Lord in Heaven, you can also bring souls to you,” Lin Feng said, smiling in amus.e.m.e.nt.

Dao Ling and Fa Duo didn't know who “our Lord in Heaven” was, and just looked at Lin Feng blankly. Then Dao Ling held out his hand with the talisman again.

Lin Feng looked at the talisman for a while and shook his head, “Keep it for now. I need time to think.

“You never asked me for my opinion. You've always considered me your Master, but I've never accepted. I am a free man. You made me come to this world, but I am still me, and I am still the only one who can decide what I want to do. n.o.body can decide for me,” Lin Feng declared.

Dao Ling knew Lin Feng was going to react like that, so he put the talisman away. “Anyway, we told you everything honestly. You can come to Lang Xie City whenever you want if you want to see us,” said Dao Ling, then he glanced at Fa Duo.

Fa Duo nodded and the two of them got ready to leave. Lin Feng didn't stop them.

Jeston didn't leave, and didn't plan to anytime soon. He wanted to spend some time in San City, enjoy himself, drink, and eat good food.