Dual Cultivation

In the room

Snow Empress watched as Xu Xiao produced a book out of thin air and handed it to her.

"What is this?"

As she took the book, Xu Xiao's hand lightly brushed across her slender fingers, though she did not know whether he had done it deliberately.

After shooting Xu Xiao a glare, Snow Empress was drawn to the book's title.

Frost Art

Xu Xiao had naturally found this cultivation method in the Tower of Myriad Laws. The entry requirement alone was that only soul masters possessing the Extreme Ice attribute could cultivate it.

Not to mention that this technique could smoothly break through to the God-tier realm, or even beyond God Kings!

As everyone knew, one could become a god either by creating a divine position through faith or by inheriting the divine position of a deity from the God Realm.

However, both methods had their drawbacks. After inheriting a divine position, one could not break through beyond the limits of that position.

Moreover, one had to obey the rules of the God Realm. Divine positions absorbed the faith of lower realms for deities to cultivate with, but the path of faith was ultimately a minor path.

Once a divine position was damaged, one's strength could plummet.

After listening to Xu Xiao's explanation, Snow Empress was somewhat amazed that such a cultivation method existed in this world.

"I only need to touch it to my forehead?"

Though she still had doubts in her heart, Snow Empress's jade-white hand did not stop moving.

The Frost Flower Art instantly transformed into a beam of light upon touching Snow Empress's forehead and entered her Sea of Spirit.

Upon learning that the later stages of the technique truly contained a path beyond God Kings, Snow Empress became somewhat excited.

She knew that Xu Xiao had many secrets, but she had not expected him to be willing to share them with her, even giving her a method that could break through to the God-tier realm without creating a divine position.

"Why are you treating me so well?"

Brushing aside the white strands of hair covering her eyes, her deep ice-blue pupils, like dazzling cold stars in the night sky, stared intently into Xu Xiao's eyes.

After they held each other's gaze for ten seconds,

Xu Xiao felt that his usual tactics for dealing with younger girls might not work on a mature beauty like Snow Empress.

Xu Xiao looked at her seriously. "Do you believe in love at first sight?"

"You... fell for me the first time you saw me..."

Snow Empress had not expected the human before her to have such nerve. She was a soul beast!

Was he not picky at all?

Although she had heard in the Far North Land that some human nobles liked to buy humanoid female fox beasts for amusement,

she had not seen the lecherous look or the aura of someone who had long indulged in fox beasts in Xu Xiao's eyes.

Though Snow Empress knew from some of Xu Xiao's earlier actions that he had feelings for her, she had not expected this fellow to confess to her so quickly.

Xu Xiao truly liked Snow Empress's sacred, pure eyes, like fresh snow, but he did not want to force her.

"I do not like being the lesser one." Seeing Xu Xiao's ears redden slightly, Snow Empress felt that this usually domineering man had a cute side as well.

"So, you agreed!" Xu Xiao immediately understood.

"Mhm. You saved my life, and you also gave me such an important cultivation method."

Although Snow Empress appeared rational, Xu Xiao could still hear her heartbeat quicken.

"But..."

Xu Xiao's heart tightened at once.

"But what?"

Snow Empress did not tease Xu Xiao further. "But we have only met twice. I am not that kind of casual woman."

Xu Xiao had seen her countless times in manga before, but of course, he could not say that.

"For now, we can use Dual Cultivation to get to know each other better."

"Alright."

Seeing that she had not taken his words the wrong way, Xu Xiao felt that this was quite good.

He was engaging in proper Dual Cultivation with her too. He definitely was not like Tian Meng, who knelt every day to proclaim his love for Ice Empress.

Xu Xiao began circulating the Yang God Art within his body, guiding Snow Empress in her cultivation.

Before long, with Xu Xiao's help, Snow Empress successfully completed the beginner stage.

"Why can two inherently conflicting powers accelerate my cultivation?"

There was a coolness between Snow Empress's brows. After beginning the Frost Art, the icy beauty gained an additional air of inviolability belonging to the Snow Goddess.

"The cultivation method I practice complements yours. You need not worry about the technique. Since you have just begun cultivating, you will break through quickly."

The warmth in Xu Xiao's hand faded away, and for some reason, Snow Empress felt an empty sense of loss in her heart.

"Too much is as bad as too little. Let us stop here for today. I will come again tomorrow."

Snow Empress also wanted to wipe the fragrant sweat from her collarbone, but having only recently taken human form, she seemed not to have prepared the things normal human women used.

Xu Xiao handed her one of his handkerchiefs.

"It has not been used. Take it, Snow Empress."

After taking Xu Xiao's handkerchief, a faint flush appeared on Snow Empress's cold face.

After that, the two of them carried out Dual Cultivation in perfect harmony every day. Xu Xiao also took the opportunity to have some physical contact with Snow Empress.

She went from being nervous at first to being completely accustomed to it now. Of course, it might also have been because Snow Empress cultivated the technique and could not bring herself to dislike Xu Xiao, who cultivated its compatible counterpart.

On the second day, Snow Empress condensed an ice crystal.

On the fifth day, she condensed another two in succession...

This cultivation speed continued for an entire month.

A great amount of frost-white airflow surged rapidly toward the two figures on the bed. Xu Xiao promptly used the Yang God Art to destroy the impurities within the streams, allowing Snow Empress to absorb the purified airflow.

Finally, through her tireless efforts, the ninth ice crystal took shape. From then on, her cultivation speed before reaching the Title Douluo realm would become even faster, while the quality of her Soul Power reached a terrifying level.

After Xu Xiao had taken out Snow Empress's cultivation method, he changed the name of his own cultivation method to Yang Shen Jue, all so that Snow Empress would think they were truly compatible.

But in truth, after Snow Empress changed to a new cultivation method, Dual Cultivation with Xu Xiao was not as effective as before.

Snow Empress had discovered this half a month ago, but by then their relationship had progressed greatly, so she naturally did not blame him too harshly.

She merely gently patted Xu Xiao with her hand. "You are not allowed to deceive Sister Xue like this again!"

After switching to the Frost Art, Snow Empress's Soul Power had also risen by one level over the past month, reaching Rank 63.

Combined with her perfected Intent of Extreme Cold, even Xu Xiao was no match for her. His Sun Fist Intent was still some distance from major mastery.

"I will ascend the throne in a few days. Sister Xue, become my empress." Xu Xiao held Snow Empress's cool little hand.

"You bad fellow, you tricked me into coming here, only to tell me that you have so many younger sisters." Snow Empress leaned close to Xu Xiao's ear, her cold breath making him shiver to the core.

"No matter how many there are, you are still the eldest among them." Xu Xiao silently circulated his cultivation method to dispel the disruptive chill.

"Then promise me that if you find any more younger sisters, you must tell your elder sister first." As if to make Xu Xiao understand that she was serious, Snow Empress pinched his cheek hard with her slender fingers.

"Hiss... That hurts. I promise, alright? Just do not pinch my cheek like this during the coronation ceremony." Xu Xiao said with a wry smile.

"That will depend on your performance then, little brother Xiao." Snow Empress hooked Xu Xiao's chin with her slender finger and spoke like a queen.

Shrek, Sea God Pavilion

A month ago, just after Bai Qi left, Mu En gathered the pavilion elders for a new Sea God Pavilion meeting. This time, however, there was one more person.

Seeing Zu Chongzhi sitting in the seat that had once belonged to Xuan Zi,

Yan Shaozhe was so furious that he nearly jumped up.