A Lesson for Xiao

The rage was apparent with each of Xiao's blows.

With Xiao's straight punch, Xiao let out a battlecry that would have shook the earth and heavens, only for Zhen to easily absorb the momentum of Xiao's punch, twisting Xiao's arm beyond her back.

As Xiao's emotions were in turmoil, so too was her inner world. The usual calm iciness was now a full blown blizzard storm, enough to extinguish any life had she manifest it to the outside.

The powerful cultivator that Zhen is, she can sense how vexed Xiao was whenever Zhen would effortlessly block the incoming attacks.

Xiao tried to break free from her master's grip, only to find herself being tripped, falling face first into the icy floor.

"Be calm. Speak to me if there is something wrong, you can trust me."

Was this her master's idea of calming her down, making her trip into the icy floor? The urge to curse her master was rising.

Xiao calmed herself before answering, "Trust you? I'm not even sure if I can do that, master.

The tone of her student was laced with bitterness. There is definitely something Xiao wasn't telling her. If Zhen's intuition was correct, it had something to do with Qiuyue.

Zhen let go of her hold on Xiao, her student immediately putting distance between them. If she knew beforehand that Xiao's was this perturbed she wouldn't have teased her by tripping her.

"Qiuyue said something to you, did she not?" Witnessing Xiao's brow knit further, it looked like Zhen hit the nail on the head. "You should know better than to trust the person who orchestrated my demise."

"The tell it to me straight, master! That you're not just helping me with my cultivation so you could take over my body!"

Now it was Zhen's turn to feel slighted. Indeed, that was Zhen's original plan. But after Zhen got close to Xiao, she couldn't find it in her heart to murder her disciple.

After every they went though, Xiao would suspect her? Zhen was hurt.

Suddenly, the white haired woman's lips twisted into an ominous smirk, following it up by a wave of murderous killing intent.

The killing intent washed over Xiao like a tsunami smashing a tree, making Xiao instantly fall on her behind from the fear.

"If that is what you think of me, Xiao, so be it." Zhen 's tone was cold enough to frostbite. With steady but menacing steps, she approached Xiao.

What the hell, is her master really planning on killing her? Xiao needed to cut her meditation and leave her inner realm this instant.

Xiao willed for her meditation to stop, but what should have been an instant awakening in the real world, is now met with Zhen forming an ice sword in her right hand.

"Do not forget, Xiao. This is OUR inner world now. We cannot leave as long as the two of us are not in accordance."

This murderous glare, this ruthlessness. Xiao trembled as she was reminded of Qiuyue, no, Zhen's ice appeared to be even harsher than Qiuyue's. An ice that will shatter Xiao's own.

Still, Xiao stood up despite her dread, she will not die like a worm on the ground.

"Since you have no goal of your own, I think it would be the best for us both if I took over your body here and now."

Even if Zhen didn't explain, Xiao guessed the implication of being killed in her own inner plane. Two souls inhabiting one body, only one would emerge into the real world if the other was killed.

"I had my own goals before you came along, sorry if it isn't as grand as taking on an entire realm of freakishly strong cultivators!" Trembling, Xiao shouted as she took her stance. Coasting through the ranks of the Tranquil Waterfall until she becomes one of their elder might not be as adventurous as Zhen's task, but it was one where she can live a long life, long enough that one day she might even become its sect master.

Not once had she landed a hit in her master when she was playfully training her, how could she land one now when Zhen intends to snuff out her life?

"There is no need for me to remind you of your fate if you had not me, allow me to show it to you instead." Zhen stopped right in front of the scared shitless Xiao, raising her jian sword up high. "Farewell, Xiao."

Ah, so this is how Xiao's journey abruptly ends, in the hands of her master she was willing to follow up to the ends of heaven and earth.

Awaiting her execution, Xiao closed her eyes. Instead of the agony of being split in half, Xiao's eyes were shook open by her master's palm slapping her cheek.

"Let this be a lesson for you not to take anything said to you at face value. How guillible of you, did you not realize that Qiuyue said that to put a wedge between us? It was my plan from the start but after seeing you cling on to life like that when we first met, after witnessing how much of a lax and immature brat you are, I had a change of heart."

"Master, I..." Xiao was at loss for words. Her cheek still stung, but not couldn't compare to the stinging sensation in her chest. She had just doubted her master that elevated her cultivation to unparalleled heights, her soul companion that was always by her side through whatever. "... I'm sorry, Master."

Zhen turned her back, even now she can't bear to see the hurt expression on Xiao's face. She might waver in disciplining her disciple.

An immature brat. Xiao remembered how Qiuyue, told her the same thing, that only Qiuyue was worthy enough to lay with her, that Zhen won't even consider Xiao.

To Zhen's surprise, she suddenly felt Xiao's sorrowful embrace, regret and anxiety wrapping around Zhen's waist. Being Xiao's master, Zhen should not allow her student to embrace her this way, bordering on the romantic. But since this hug might mend the rift between them, Zhen let it slide.

Zhen sighed. Although it was mere a lesson, Zhen admittedly scared Xiao half to death. Zhen could only hope that Xiao learned to put her trust in her master more.

"It is fine. As long as you do not bottle up grave matters like this again, then I shall forgive you."

"That's the thing, master, there's still another one."

"Speak, Xiao."

"What you and Qiuyue had..." Xiao tightened her embrace, as if to plead for her master's approval. "...I want it."

Curse that Qiuyue, she would disclose even to Xiao how they broke the taboo as disciple and master? Thanks to her, Zhen was now in this predicament!

"We are Master and Student, Xiao. Besides, Qiuyue only slept with me because she wanted to see if she can follow me at Dual Cultivation's peak, the climb was to arduous for Qiuyue so we stopped eventually."

"Enough with your reasons, master. I want to prove Qiuyue wrong, and most importantly, I want to make love to you. Take me to this peak of Dual cultivation so I can prove to Qiuyue that I am the better disciple."

Aside from the mishap Xiao has shown today, Xiao didn't need to prove anything. Xiao automatically wins as the better disciple by virtue of not getting Zhen killed.

Also, Xiao had aptitude in Dual Cultivation, Quiyue did not.

Looks like Zhen won't need to wait until she formed a physical body to awaken Xiao's potential.

"So be it. Do not let go, Xiao."

"What do you mean, master?"

"You'll know in a second."

The ground shook. A massive amount of powerful ice qi confluxed into the ground. Soon, the head of a gargantuan ice dragon emerged from beneath where they are stepping on.

With its long and majestic body flying into the sky, you would think that the ice dragon was a true divine beast, but it was merely an ice construct brought about by Zhen's near god-like cultivation.

Xiao questioned with amazement, "You own a divine beast, master!?"

"There is no need since I am as, if not, more powerful than one..."

Blessed by the heavens to become the embodiment of their qi element, Divine Beasts are in a different league compared to Spirit Beasts, for Divine Beasts are born as Transcendent Immortals. Although it is possible for a Spirit Beast to make this transition, there are only a few recorded in history thag was able to make the transition. A famous example was the nine tailed fox, Da Ji.

"...this is merely the result of my power. If you have seen my disciple's phoenix, this is similar to that."

The high winds blow past Zhen and Xiao as the dragon soared through the clouds. Xiao let go of her embrace and decided to go near the dragon's snout, peeking at their height. It's a good thing that Xiao already mastered the art of flying with her sword, or else the dizzying view below might have startled her.

Xiao turned around to ask, "By the way master, why are we flying right now in a dragon?"

A coy smirk formed in Zhen's lips.

To repay Xiao from the surprise embrace earlier, Zhen's arm hooked Xiao's waist, pulling Xiao close enough that Zhen could hear the loud beating of Xiao's heart.

"My sweet Xiao, I can not possibly let your first time Dual Cultivating with me be as mundane as doing it in the ground floor, can I?"