He came here to cultivate but there was something he wanted to talk about with Rex, so if Rex wasn't cultivating he could talk right now or if he is, then he too can cultivate here while waiting for him.
When he arrived at the location, he first saw Rex meditating while covered in a layer of black ice, he was surprised thinking that it was the so-called strange phenomenon that occurs once someone reaches Return To Nature state in a special cultivation technique.
He stared at Rex for a while then suddenly, Jiang Shuang noticed the red-black couch was lying a little far away from him and the black fox was lazily lying on it. Jiang Shuang looked at the fox and the fox too looked at him for a while then she uninterestedly closed her eyes, rested her chin on her paws, and went to sleep again.
Who was Zakiya? She was a divine being who was treated no less than a divine beast in a race heresy, her status in her clan was high and on top of it all, she was known as a powerhouse who never got defeated in a one on one battle with an opponent being in same cultivation stage as her.
After all these things combined her pride was sky high, if it was not for her poisoned state and the fact that she was thinking that she was talking to a dying man back then, she wouldn't even have talked to Rex. Later her interest grew in him and because she hasn't found his heart as dark as most people she has met, she didn't act too prideful or wasn't that reserved when talking to him.
But when it comes to other people, she wasn't even interested in exchanging a single word with them. By not doing anything like freezing Jiang Shuang in his place and not breaking his bones for staring at her was already her giving some face to Rex.
But as they say, some people hit their leg with an ax but some people kick the ax with their leg. Right now Jiang Shuang was the latter one.
He walked near her, then carefully observed her body.
"Hmm… A fox or a wolf? Brother Rex is really hard to understand, I wonder from where does he brings such strange spirit pets," Jiang Shuang muttered to himself. His voice was low but for Zakiya, it was loud and clear.
The words 'a fox or a wolf?' and 'spirit pets' was echoing in her head, she opened her eyes and stared at him, trying to hold back her urge to slap his face into meat paste.
Rex was in a deep meditative state and after the barrier from earlier isolated him he couldn't see what was happening outside, if he could, then he would have asked Rose to construct the recipe of a good essence stick for Jiang Shuang's funeral.
She took a deep breath and closed her eyes again thinking - How can a powerhouse like me get angry over the words of a mere cultivator at Heaven Venerable stage, I should just ignore him.
Jiang Shuang raised his eyebrows, he found the actions of the fox quite amusing, he could see that she also have some wisdom like the Thunder Eagle, Rex had brought before.
'It reminds me of the night wolf my sister used to raise, he also had black fluffy ears… how nostalgic, I should go and see her when I have time,' Jiang Shuang thought.
"Haha… Xiao Hei, why are you getting so angry, come here let me pat your head," Jiang Shuang said with a king and generous smile as he reached out his hand to pat her head.
'Little black?' Zakiya gave him a deep look then shook her head.
A few seconds later…
Outside the main door of spirit tower….
The door opened and a big black ice sphere rolled out of the tower, then the gate closed automatically like before.
The sphere was made of transparent black ice, it was hollow from inside and the most eye-catching thing was that it had a Jiangmon enclosed in it.
Inside the sphere, Jiang Shuang was continuously kicking and punching the sphere walls to break out of it but the thin weak-looking ice wall was stronger than the Volcanic Iron used to make spirit weapons.
Earlier when he was just about to pat the fox on the head, the fox disappeared from its original place then a black ice sphere appeared out of nowhere and imprisoned him. He shouted at Rex, asking for help but he soon realized that his voice didn't pass through the thin ice walls, then he got an idea and used Qi transmission message, it worked and the message was transmitted outside the sphere but before it could reach Rex, it was blocked by an invisible barrier.
Right now, Jiang Shuang felt like crying. He wasn't harmed in any way but his cherished freedom was taken away.
Suddenly, a light flashed in his eyes, he didn't give up.
Isn't it just an ice sphere? Even if I can't break it there are many people stronger than me here, they can surely break it… he thought.
He then walke- rolled the ice sphere and headed towards Lucia's room to get her help.
1st floor of Spirit Tower…..
It was already afternoon, Rex had already reached the Blood King stage which was similar to the Spirit King stage in the morning.
After reaching the peak of the Blood King stage he skipped the Dao Comprehension stage just like what he did in Soul Cultivation.
Dao Comprehension stage is for comprehending Dao and Rex has already comprehended his Dao when he entered the stage in Qi cultivation so there was a need to do it again.
As his cultivation base rose, the effects of the pill started weakening and his cultivation speed significantly decreased.
Right now, Rex was in the Humanly Blood stage which was similar to the Human Venerable stage. The pill's effect didn't completely disappear so Rex was still absorbing them.
Like before Zakiya was lying on her couch. Suddenly her ears twitched, she opened her eyes and looked at the main door.
'Not again,' She thought.
The door opens and a figure walked in, this time the figure wasn't of a human. He had pearl white skin, a big body frame with five long head and innocent round eyes making him look adorable.
Little Aru moved in while shaking his body, his tail was swaying left and right, he moved his heads in back and forth motion like he remembered a melody and was dancing on its rhythm.
While walking he often moved in circles as he opened his mouth and gave off low cries with a satisfied expression like he was singing a song with his melodious voice.
Zakiya was at loss for words when she saw his self-created dance.
'Both the father and son have a few screws loose,' She thought.
She had seen everything that happened when Little Aru was born and knew how he had Rex's bloodline too but those things didn't shock her much so she never asked. Although his case was a little special in her knowledge there are indeed many ways to give birth to a kid of two parents' bloodlines without mating.
Zakiya also knew about many powerhouses who were cultivation maniacs and never had time to find a suitable Dao companion and have children, so they would use some other means to raise a descended on their lineage and not let their bloodline perish.
When Little Aru was still dancing he felt the presence of Rex and ran to him.
After arriving at the location, he opened his pure round eyes wide and opened dropped his jaw on the floor as he stared at frozen Rex.
Little Aru panicked, thinking that Rex was frozen alive.
He quickly looked around trying to find a way to help Rex, only then his eyes landed on Zakiya which was lying on her couch in her fix form.
Little Aru's eyes were filled with resolve, he took a deep breath and dashed towards Zakiya.
Zakiya raised her eyebrow.
"Hehe… You want to play? I was getting bored too let's play then," Zakiya said in a humane voice as she stepped down the couch and moved towards Little Aru.
Little Aru was unfazed by her talking in human language and her words, he kept dashing towards her.
Zakiya had a good image of Little Aru, not because he was talented, intelligent, or was a variant but because he was a pure-hearted child without any arrogance in nature.
"Give it your all ki… Huh?" Zakiya was expecting him to meet head-on but just when they got close, he ran past her without baiting an eye to her.
Before Zakiya could process her thoughts and guess what does he intend to do, she saw something that made her eyes wide open and her heart skip a beat.
Little Aru bit the black-red couch all over with his sharp teeth, he lifted it in the air, then threw it at Rex.
..Thhuddd…
The couch flew through the air then crashed into an invisible barrier around Rex and fell on the floor.
Little Aru gritted his teeth in disappointment, he had many attacks at his deposal but Little Aru didn't use them.
Little Aru was a genius… mother always told him that. Mother also told him that he was too strong so he shouldn't carelessly use his attacks on anyone… even Rex or he might harm them. That's why smart little Aru decided to test the water using his physical strength first.
On the side, Zakiya was looking at her couch that was lying on the floor with wide eyes.
It now had several bite marks all over it, it's soft cushion surface was ripped apart when Little Aru threw it at Rex.
When Zakiya looked at the couch, the memories from the time when she ordered it from Skylord Corporation because of stylish red-black combination color and feature starting from Temperature Regulation array to Auto Cleaning Formations, that made it extra comfortable, surfaced in her mind. The poor couch was with her in her toughest time, even when she was poisoned and now it was lifeless- comfortlessly lying on the cold floor.
Although it also had self-restoration features so it will get restored in time but it was the first time it was not standing on its legs.
Zakiya was in a daze, it took her quite a while to snap out of it. She then stared at Little Aru.
Littel Aru noticed her gaze and looked back at her, his eyes shined, he suddenly realized that he forgot to do something Rex told him to do when meeting new people.
"Aoo Ao," He raised his left claw and waved at her. He seemed like he wanted to say 'Hye'.
Zakiya's face was dark.
A few seconds later…
Outside the main door of spirit tower….
The door opened and another black ice sphere was thrown out of the tower.
Litlle Aru blinked his eyes then quickly rolled the sphere to tackle the main door which was now closed.
He just realized that the impolite fox used some kind of trick and imprisoned him in the ball, he didn't mind being in the ball but that fox also threw him outside, which was unacceptable.
When the door didn't open, he took a deep breath, and wisps of green flame appeared around his mouth.
Little Aru opened his mouth in an 'O' shape and nodded as he understood, he had the pure heart of a child and still wasn't familiar with the word 'Hypocrisy' and 'Betrayal'.
He then turned around and started to happily roll the ball as he wiggled his tail and raced through the corridor.
'That brat is using my punishment as a game? My prison ice lock as a toy?' Zakiya didn't know what to say anymore, she felt that after a few years a calamity bigger than Rex might appear under the heavens.
A few hours after Little Aru left, Rex finally finished absorbing all the medicinal effects of the pill.
Zakiya sensed it, with a thought, the black ice covering his body got covered in cracks then soon fell on the floor in its black powdered form.
Rex stood up and stretched his body, a faint crackling sound of his bones entered his ears when he did.