Dual Cultivation

"Listen here, Xiao Rong, you must wear clothes when you are outside. I do not mind you walking around naked if we are at home or when there’s nobody around, but your appearance right now is not dignified at all and is extremely shameless and indecent," said Su Yang as he held a pair of plain white robes in front of Xiao Rong, nearing shoving it into her arms. "I will have you know that I am a man of dignity and elegance, and you, being my beast, I will not tolerate such shameful appearances, as it will ruin my image, too!"

Xiao Rong looked at the clothes in front of her with a reluctant expression, clearly still unwilling to wear clothes.

"If you don’t wear clothes, you won’t be able to walk around outside and will have to stay in this desolate place by yourself..."

Xiao Rong’s eyes narrowed upon hearing those words that came from Qiuyue’s mouth, her gaze filled with coldness, almost as though she was looking at her lifelong rival.

Qiuyue was slightly frightened by her powerful sharp gaze, but because Su Yang was beside her, she stared back at Xiao Rong with provoking eyes, as if she was daring Xiao Rong to do something to her.

Su Yang noticed the two’s obvious disdain for each other and shook his head inwardly. It was as though their contempt for each other was natural, almost like they were fated to hate each other.

"Qiuyue, while you may not know this, Ghost Cats actually feel nothing but disdain towards other females, especially humans, meaning it’s very likely that Xiao Rong is the same as a Phantom Cat, so it’s not weird for her to dislike you." Su Yang revealed the truth to her, dumbfounding her.

"But didn’t you say your friend that has tamed many Ghost Cats is also a female? How did she do it?"

Su Yang scratched his head, and with a puzzled expression, he spoke, "Actually, I have no idea. I have always found that weird and no matter how much I asked her, she wouldn’t tell me her secret to taming the Ghost Cats."

Qiuyue looked at Xiao Rong and sneered, "As long she doesn’t bother me, I couldn’t care less if she likes me or not!"

Su Yang smiled bitterly and said, "I won’t force you to like her, but not only will we be traveling together starting today but we also need her help if we want to return to the four Divine Heavens."

"Huh? What can a stupid cat like her do?"

Xiao Rong frowned after Qiuyue addressed her as a stupid cat. Indeed, unlike Su Yang, she didn’t like this human one bit. In fact, she finds her presence extremely unpleasant. But because Su Yang seems to care about her, she will have to treat her like an annoying fly and learn to ignore her.

"There’s not even a single clue in this place that could help us return to the Divine Realms, and in the worst case that there is actually no way for us to return home, we will have to our own strength to return..."

"You don’t mean..." Qiuyue looked at him with a bewildered look, almost as if she couldn’t believe what she was hearing.

Su Yang nodded and continued, "We will have to rely on Xiao Rong’s Cultivation base and hope that it will be enough."

"That’s an absurd idea!" Qiuyue quickly exclaimed. "That way is extremely dangerous and there is a chance that we might get lost inside! Even worse, there is a possibility that we could be obliterated into nothingness by the unstable and tyrannical power of that power!"

"I know that is a stupid and forced idea, but if that is the only way, I will have to try it even if it could cost me my own life."

"..."

Qiuyue turned silent, and after a few moments, she opened her mouth and spoke in a slow and reserved voice, "Do we really have to return? If I am with you, then I don’t mind staying in this world forever... The Divine Heavens, there is nothing there for me besides pain and hatred, anyways..."

Qiuyue looked at Su Yang in the eyes, her gaze serious and unwavering, even containing a slight desire to plead.

Su Yang closed his eyes, and after a long moment of pure silence, he finally said, "There are just too many events that had occurred since my ’death’ that I cannot ignore. Your mother’s passing, the Asura God Clan... There may be even more that’s happening and I am just unaware. I may not look like it but, even now, my heart is filled with uneasiness and unspoken sorrow."

"My mother..." Qiuyue’s gaze trembled upon being reminded of her mother’s death.

"What’s more, I am the cause of all this... If I don’t return and at least try to fix them, then I won’t be able to sleep ever again, much less live a happy life here knowing that I had run away from my own problems like some coward."

"Qiuyue, there are many things more important to a man than his own life, and for me, your mother was one of them, but alas, I didn’t get the chance to risk anything before she disappeared, and I will not let this happen to the others!"

"Father..." Qiuyue felt like crying after hearing his little speech. She understood his feelings very well since his life is more important than anything else in this world to her and she would risk her life for his safety, but this only makes it harder for her to allow him to put himself in such danger just to return to the four Divine Heavens.

"Well, it is only a thought for now. Even in the worst cases, I will have that as a last resort."

Qiuyue nodded, "Hopefully, such thoughts won’t become reality..."

Meanwhile, Xiao Rong had been ignoring their little conversation that sounded like rambling in her ears since she couldn’t understand much of it and has been trying to figure out how to put on the clothes Su Yang provided her.

"Xiao Rong, you’re wearing that inside-out and upside down." Su Yang smiled upon seeing her silly appearance. "How did you even manage to get it to look like this?"

Su Yang approached her and helped her with the robes, feeling like a father teaching his daughter how to dress properly for the first time.