I had given master clothes to wear and all the healing pills I had.
She held the vial in her small hands looking at them intently.
She really didn't seem well and seemed intent on simply keeping them.
"They're healing pills master."
"Oh I know child." She replied smiling.
Letting her sit on one of the many large over-turned columns that the room contained i then turned to face the beast before approaching it.
It's large eyes trailed on me.
Master had informed me of the reason why the beast stayed by her.
It was an existence that superseded many of the dangerous earth tier beasts that roamed about.
This one was very close to achieving sentience and it's human form.
It had instinctively stayed close to master to absorb the residual energy that came from her because of the stone she had been bound to. This was probably the most effective way for it to reach heaven tier.
However it gained its strength through master's suffering. This was an unforgivable act. One which demanded that I reprimand the beast harshly.
However master had other ideas.
She instead hoped to gift it to me both as an opportunity and a challenge.
In a way this beast had been nurtured by master and possessed many of her attributes. While it's strength was far from being comparable to hers in cultivation strength, it's was far superior to many and even rivaled third tier strength dragons.
Did master really intend for this to be an opportunity? This creature was immensely strong so how could I even think of subduing it?
"Child don't you trust your master?" She called in a light hearted manner. "I'm well aware of your strengths and weaknesses."
She waved her hand causing the red stone to glow an immense red, illuminating the room thoroughly. The glow had a suppressive force on both hou and ki.
With it the way it was I couldn't even use my ki if I wanted. This force felt immensely familiar to me but I simply couldn't place why.
"Next I'll teach you the most basic of techniques, but although it is effortlessly simple. It's undoubtably one of the most important techniques for beginner cultivators of the piercing heaven realm such as yourself."
I sighed partly relived, since master was ok and even teaching me again. Was this not something to be blissfully happy about?
Why did i have such an ominous feeling about this whole situation?
I didn't want to say it but, wasn't this too easy?
"Now," master stated, "your inner space has no doubt formed its boundless ocean. So your task now is simple, rotate it."
I knew it.
"Master," I tried while laughing shyly, "your disciple has already tried this, it's not very simple at all."
She laughed heartily in response. "Well of course, through ordinary means it's no doubt very difficult."
She waved at the large snake which then proceeded towards me.
"Your master's means however, are far from being ordinary."
The large snake lounged at me closing its maw seconds after I had rolled to safety!
I reached for my blade only to find that it was missing.
"Don't bother!" Master called "You've built a reliance on weapons, but I've taught you no such thing."
The large snake attacked again missing narrowly.
"Master!" I called out again before leaping to safety and roll-sliding behind a fallen pillar.
"Focus child! Cultivators are peak existences, don't pull their name through the mud!" She responds coldly before "use your true divine sense to probe your boundless ocean, all the answers you need lie within."
But if I do that won't my body be left defenseless?
"But master!"
"-No buts!" She stated quickly cutting me off before I could explain, almost as if seeing what I was thinking.
I quickly stood and ran behind another pillar just moments before the last one was crushed to bits by the massive jaws of death.
Ok.
Master has never put me in danger before so…
I dove headfirst into the ocean of ki.
The quick change from the red room to the endless horizon over a turbulent ocean and dark rumbling skies was nauseating at first but soon I felt what master had meant and why she told me to do this.
Submerging my true divine sense into the boundless ocean made me aware of two things. The first was that this ki wasn't simply stored in me, it was a part of me and being apart of me here and there were all concepts of my mind.
Rotation, in this sense had no form, the correct concept was simply a pathway.
The platform that contained my star-core was one of a hundred. All of which would light up at different stages of my cultivation's growth.
But for further progress in my cultivation, rotation or channeling my boundless ocean through the 100 platforms were needed.
Then with each lit star my cultivation would experience a new change and I would reap the benefits.
This was the missing link I felt.
These platforms were the manifestation of my meridians and through channeling. I could tap into my boundless ocean as well as further my understanding of ki.
I slowly connected all the paths making the current of the boundless ocean flow to each of the platforms until they had all formed a giant path always leading back to the first platform and star I had ignited.
This brought out a force in my body that I'd never felt before. A new strength.
All the ki I had stored in my inner space, condensed ki of the boundless ocean and hou which had formed the storm clouds!
I could feel it all and even better yet.
I could use it.
I had never felt hou like this before.
It's rich presence was like air, refined from the purest of hou strands.
It's weight was immensely heavy and it's depth profound.
I slowly opened my eyes.
Huh?
The beast had slithered around me Intent on constricting my movements with its massively coiled body.
This, would have been worrisome.
'Would' being key.
I smiled slowly as slowly pulled out my inner ki effortlessly expanding my now perfect ki-shroud and freeing myself from the snake's massive trap.
I understood everything so well now.
I laughed a little.
Master's gift.
Through my connection with master I could sense that the beast really didn't belong here.
Each of its scales has naturally formed runes with powerful effects that would only grow with it.
Much like the manifestations of my meridians this was something else, it wasn't a living body but a manifestation of ki from some powerful being's boundless ocean. It was only a newborn but masters intension was clear.
Master wanted me to nurture it.
I'd no doubt reap many benefits from it in the future.
The only thing left to do was, absorb!
Using the ki-shroud I lifted myself above the now shrieking serpent as it tried to free itself in vain from the restriction placed on it by my internal hou.
I slowly reached forth with my ki and seized its martial heart connecting it with my own internal space.
The shrieking gradually stopped as the beast was pacified, turning to ki and flowing towards my first open meridian.
Then slowly I lowered myself by master extinguishing the shroud as I did.
The room was almost empty now since the massive creature had been absorbed by me.
I could feel the creature diving deep to the depths of my boundless ocean.
"Good!" Master praised me while patting my head as I knelt before her, "You didn't disappoint."
"Thank you master!"
"Now prepare yourself, this room has a teleporting rune."
In a flash and whoosh we had been moved to a location far away.
We stood over a raised platform with giant runes carved into its stone rim.
The bright blue skies and sun that illuminated the leveled mountain peak, beautifully painting a picturesque scene of the other nearby peaks. It also shone warmly on the exposed skin of my lower abdomen the part of my clothing which had been ruined in my fight with Zosia and her sisters.
Master stood in a refined manner, her small form and large clothes not affecting her image in the slightest. Within minutes we were surrounded by third and forth realm strength dragons. All of which were pointing sharp spears at master and me.
They were strong and even though I could protect myself, protecting master also was a challenge that would no doubt get me taken down.
"Stand down!" Stated an elderly man who moved towards us with the help of a wooded staff. While caressing his long white beard.
He was a strength dragon. No doubt a powerful one too.
The soldiers did as they were told.
Lowering their arms and stepping away from us in unison.
The old man seemed to have seen better days.
"This aura." The man mumbled, a singular horn had made its way from under matted gray hair, the other seemingly cut low. Beady eyes examining us.
"To what do we owe this pleasure?" The old man starts, "former void monarch!?"
The man looked directly at master as he said this.
Could it be?
Master is one of the monarchs?
That can't be true could it?