Hi this is chapter 72. Chapter 73 is also on it's way and expect to be able to release it this evening. But in before hand, the dao I'm talking about in this chapter is the complete dao. It's not some dao of Water, or dao of Fire. It's not true or normal dao. It's dao in it's essence. As most of you know dao is a chinese word with quite a few meanings. It can mean way, or direction. Truth, destiny, path. It has no real definition. Everyone has to find his own and life with it. The definition in this and the next chapter is my own that I believe to be correct. I do not assume that it's the perfect or the only true. In fact i believe that there is no wrong definition of this word. But this is what I view the dao to be. I would also hear your thoughts on this matter so write what you think about it.

Chapter 72 Zes's dao

On the next day Zes visited Jeane again as he had promised her. They both once again met on the hill under the cheery tree and chatted for a prolonged space of time. But none of them ever mentioned what happened the day before again. To both of them it had been a very touching event and both could not bring themselves to talk about it.

But even without this theme they had more then enough thing to talk about. Jeane described her life in the sect and the things she had experienced in it, while Zes a seemingly endless stock of funny stories he could tell her. They both spent many hours talking underneath the beautiful cheery tree and it soon became a regular matter for them.

In fact Zes was visiting at least three times a week and Jeane was always anticipating his next visit. Without her noticing it Jeane had long since grown to like Zes. At first it had only been the kind of sympathy you would have to a person that was good to talk with and that was a funny person to spent time with. Then it gradually became a feeling of friendship and familiarity. But in the end this pure feelings of friendship turned into romantic feelings.

Now every time she met Zes her heart would beat loudly and there was a strange feeling in her chest.

But even though she noticed the feeling, until now she had not realized them as romantic feelings. The only thing she knew was that to her Zes was something special.

Zes also slowly grew to like Jeane and even though it weren't yet feelings of love he had to Jeane, he already considered her as someone important to him and if something would happen to her he would certainly take measures.

Other then the regular chatting under the cheery tree the two of them also often went out into the inner sect and wandered in the commercial streets visiting the countless shops ran by disciples. On this occasions Zes often bought Jeane some jewellery such as brooches or necklaces.

Of course this this was quickly noticed by the other disciples and soon they were unofficially called the most shining couple of the sect. In the streets there were even rumors of a hot nightlife and the amount of gossip in the taverns and restaurants was unbelievable. In fact the two of them were the most discussed matter in the sect. Even the outer disciples that were usually less involved in gossip of the sect were all chatting about this couple.

As for the couple in name? They did not even noticed the attention they got. Zes was only concerned with cultivation, while Jeane was spending most of her time in the patriarchs mansion. It was only natural that they did not heard about the gossip that was told in the streets.

They did not heard it, but there were two people that heard it and were very excited about it. One of them was naturally the patriarch. To him it was already set that Jeane would spent her life with Zes in one or another way. So why should he be happy to hear that she herself was slowly falling for Zes and Zes also seemed to like her?

In fact as he heard the rumor he immediately went into the inner sect. Entered a tavern and ordered a barrel of wine. Then he spent the whole night drinking it and singing dubious songs of beautiful woman embraced in his arms. This also turned into a lot of gossip after wards.

As for the other person happy about the recent development, it was Maaran. He was naturally very happy that Zes, his best friend whom he regarded as his own brother finally started to mix with womanly pleasures. After all Zes hadn't touched a single woman for three years and Maaran had already started to assume that he got impotent.

So after Maaran heard the gossip he immediately went to Zes to confirm what was going on.

As he entered the garden threw the gate of black stone he instantly found Zes sitting next to the pont. Tick streams of divine soul energy were constantly flowing towards him.

Zes expression was completely calm as he sat there with closed eyes. There was no motion in his features only relaxing. Suddenly he opened his eyes. A bright smile appeared at his face as he saw Maaran standing at the entrance of the garden.

"Long time not seen."

"Well many things to do."

"You mean many girls to take from behind."

"Haha, seems you got your smile back"

"Together with my humor."

They two of them started to chat relaxed. Both of them were very familiar with each other and there was no restrain between them. In fact there was most likely no one they could speak to unrestrained to other then them.

They chatted a few hours until the sun was setting. Then Maaran finally asked the question he came for.

"Seems you got yourself a girl hm?"

"You mean Jeane?"

"Who else? Do you know there is gossip about the two of you in the taverns."

"Already predicted it. How bad is it? Do I have to give some beatings?"

Zes hiding anything from Maaran. In the first place there was nothing to hide. After all what was the problem if he liked some girl it wasn't that he was bound by something.

Maaran lewdly smiled.

"Only a bit of information about your nightlife. Is it true that you have already tried out 79 positions with her?"

Zes could only wryly smile.

"As if, I haven't even done it with her."

"Your lying. There is no way you would have done her until now."

"It's the truth. Want to give her some time."

"Oh suddenly became a gentleman, hm?

"Oh shut up."

Both started to laugh.

"Either way I'm happy for you. To speak truth I already thought you were impotent."

"Want a beating?"

Maaran immediately backed away. He still remembered the night in the casino and the countless men that were sent flying by Zes this night.

"I would rather pass."

They chatted on until midnight. Then Maaran had to get back into the core sect and Zes stayed behind alone.

Standing at the entrance of the entrance to the garden he was lost in thoughts.

"I have changed, haven't I?"

He lowly muttered. Then he rapidly shook his hand.

"No sense to think about it. I should rather focus on important things."

He forced himself to clear his head and went to the small pavilion sitting down on one side. Then he closed his eyes and once again cleansed his mind from any unnecessary thoughts. His breath calmed down and his heart beat became slower.

" Cultivation has two foundations. One is the energy you absorb. No matter if it's qi or divine soul energy or some energy form I don't know yet. The other foundation are the daos. No matter if it's cultivation techniques, attack techniques or formations. They all have daos as base. The daos are the thing that is giving shape while the energy we absorb is the material.

It's similar to clay. The energy is the clay while our hands are the daos that form it. We can use different hand movements (daos) to form different types of clay (energies). In the end we get the result, the technique we desired.

Formations are the same. I can use different daos to archive different effects. In the end everything is decided by the daos I use in the formation.

But what are daos?

Are them mere natural laws? Mere tools to form energies the way you want to?

But if it is like this, how come my dao of emperor exists? An emperor is not a natural law, it's something we humans invented. How is it possible to copy this concept we humans invented onto daos if they are mere natural laws?"

Zes pondered about this problem. Until now he had always regarded daos as mere natural laws. The rules that were directing the world. But know he found something that was contradicting his original definition of the daos and it was his own dao!

Pondering he was searing in his mind looking for other things that could help him to remake his understanding towards the daos. How could he know that Jeane had already been thought them by her mother? After all at that moment he was completely submersed in his own pain and sorrow unable to react to anything around him.

He had never heard the words Jeane's mother said. But even if he heard them, it would not necessary help him. Every being cable of thinking had it's own definition of the daos. They were all different but never wrong. There were some that were deeper and more complex then others, but they were still as correct as the simplest definition made by a small child.

For example. If a child is taught the word dao and then asked what the dao is, they will most likely answer:

The dao is the dao.

And they will be not wrong.

At the same time if an old man is asked what the dao is he could answer this way.

"The dao is a way that we follow from the moment we are born."

And he will be also right. Both of their answers are right, only one is more complex while the other one is completely simple.

Thinking about this Zes entered a profound state of mind. His entire being was focused onto the single question in his mind. What was the dao?

Countless answers popped up in Zes mind only to be disregarded in the next moment. The pure amount of possibilities was endless! There were simple answer composed out of single sentence and there were complex answer that would take entire books to write down but all of them were thrown away by Zes. They were not wrong, but to Zes they were not the answer he searched for.

Innumerable ideas flashed in Zes's mind. If anyone was cable of looking inside of it in this moment they would be overwhelmed by the sheer amount of them.

But finally Zes found what he searched. Before his inner eye the dao he was searching for finally appeared. Without him controlling it, his mouth suddenly started to move words being formed and sliding into the darkness that surrounded Zes.

"Dao is being."