Bai Xue entered the cave where Wang Ling resides and gently sat down on the floor. It had been a long time since she had a human body so it was kind of awkward trying to find the optimal position for relaxation.

She found the floor to be hard so she summoned her three tails to act as a cushion for her behind. Bai Xue was steady as she brought out a little snack of Beast Core from her storage ring. She began to munch on the beast core and slowly raised her strength.

Being a Celestial, she needs even more qi to improve her strength and eating beast cores is something she needed.

Being an Early-Celestial King Stage expert, Bai Xue can take on an early Celestial Emperor Stage expert. She can jump a level and that is something only a few beings can do.

"Our enemies are Clans, Ling and I do not have any limitations if we fight a drawn-out battle against enemies of the same level or expert a single level above us. In a way, we have limitless qi, our Qi Pillars, Energy Palace, and Spirit Ocean is unlike when we are on the foundational phase. It can store more qi as its capacity increases. But, if we are to face an entire Clan where Celestials number at dozens, then even with our qi capacity, both of us will be drained. Also, having an Immortal as an enemy is something I want to avoid, alas, it is impossible."

Bai Xue was worried. She knows that Wang Ling was a true expert that had survived thousands of battles, but against Clans that has Immortals, she doubts Wang Ling will have enough experience in dealing with Immortals.

Bai Xue had seen Immortals fight before and seeing them fight is something not a Celestial can fight. Immortals draw the power of qi to the extremes, if in the lower worlds, a Saint is an entry to become a true expert, in the upper realm it is a must to become an Immortal before becoming a true ruler.

When she was a Celestial God, Bai Xue met an Immortal and that Immortal to this day had scarred her enough that she still has lingering fear over that being. An Immortal's Spirit is something out of this world. But as Bai Xue feels pressured, when she stares at Wang Ling's face and feel the qi around him, her worry disappears and she becomes reassured.

It is a mysterious feeling, but being with him for a long time is enough to make Bai Xue feel empowered as she stands beside him. Bai Xue slowly crawls nearer Wang Ling and she lifted her dainty looking hands and slowly raises it and only stopping a couple of inches away from his face. She whispered, "Maybe now?"

She was just about to touch his face but pulled her hand away just before she could truly feel his skin. She looked at herself and shook her head and then went to the side to meditate.

She closed and her eyes and then went deep into her psyche. She was meditating in earnest but as she delved deeper into her own little world, images of the past began to emerge. Image of her tricking those who trusted her in order to survive and then killing them like it was nothing flashed inside her head.

That time when she experienced being betrayed, memories of the past emerged and the pain that emerged from it showed the scar that is within her mind.

Bai Xue had always faced the trouble of trusting anyone other than herself. She had fought the adversaries of the past on her own and when she relied on someone she was once betrayed and suffered from it.

[I never truly expected to last on Ling's side this long. I had thought we would have separated ways in a year or so, but who would have thought I would stick around? Had it started when I gave him my blood? No… it should be when he stood there by my side and faced the Frost Dragon just to ensure both of us survive. That must have been it.]

Bai Xue showed a bitter smile. She had not expected to meet a human such as Wang Ling. That time when he stood in front of her when the enraged Frost Dragon tried to devour her had been the mark when she truly became his partner.

That time when she gave him his blood was the time when she truly trusted him. She once abandoned him to save herself when she thought he would die when they were in that Mini World belonging to the Devil.

She saved herself and had Wang Ling face the tribulation alone. If Wang Ling had truly died then, what would have she felt? Nothing, she presumed.

[I am scum, I never did anything for him and yet I carry such thoughts? What kind of beasts I am? An Empress? A God? What is that when I can't even prove to myself that I will not leave the side of my partner when it really counts? If he was to face danger than may spell doom for the both of us, will I run away once more? If we meet an Immortal, will I leave him? This blood of mine, if I am one day unable to face something that may result in me killing him to save myself, will I kill him?]

Bai Xue's thoughts wandered and her body shuddered. An image of a dying Wang Ling flashed in her mind and as it did she saw her own image collecting his blood for her own use. Bai Xue's heart began to race and she immediately heads out as the fear of hurting her partner emerged in her heart. She went out and head deeper into the Depths of the Red Lands, as she did, she faced a Celestial King that did not know what was happening and as Bai Xue spotted this Celestial King she did not hesitate to kill it in a single blow.

She began to kill and as she did, Bai Xue began to shed tears as she felt ashamed of her own thoughts

=====

Three months after Bai Xue's breakthrough, Wang Ling's body began to throb. As it did, the two swords that had his previous natal weapon's shards emerged from his storage ring. Then his current natal weapons emerged from within his storage ring.

He surrounded himself with four swords and as he did, Wang Ling whispered, "One sword, one mind, one blade one soul, one edge one move, one move one death. I am the sword and the sword is me, I kill with the sword and conquer heaven and hell with the sword. I shall march towards Heaven with a single word, and then travel to Hell with that same sword. I am that sword!"

Wang Ling resolutely spoke and his Saint Soul that had been quiet emerged from deep within his body. The Golden Body of the Saint Soul emerged and as it did, it formed cracks and with a boom, it exploded to many pieces.

Wang Ling had gained enlightenment and at that moment, dark clouds began to gather above his cave. He was nearing Celestial Phase.