Against Heaven's Will

Jiao didn't even hear her Junior Sister as her body moved on its own, rushing past her out of the training room. 

'Is it really him…? Did he finally come…?' Jiao wondered, her face displaying a spectacle of emotions. 

Jiao never forgot about the man that changed her life, being the sole reason for her improvement. She wanted to prove to him she could change, improve to the limits of the sky and show she can stand by his side. 

Normally she would think it was a coincidence, someone of the same name, but so much time has passed. The man that just didn't wish to leave her memory, was bound to Ascend to the Heaven Realm by now. Who else but him could create such achievements?

"Sister Jiao! Put on some clothes! There are guests watching with us!" Senior Sister called out after her, striking some clarity into Jiao's mind. 

She didn't stop running, acting as if she wasn't tired at all, and finally used the coldness she has been limiting this whole time. 

Swoosh!

Water Qi shot out from her palm creating an ice block that launched forward in the corridor. 

Bang!

It exploded right after, bursting into thousands of snowflakes. Jiao didn't hesitate and jumped straight into the small storm. 

"Whoa!" Senior Sisters exclaimed from behind. It was a rare sight to see snow in the land filled with a desert. 

Thud!

Jiao landed on the other side, this time walking in two icy boots, covering her ankles and calves. Her naked thighs now covered ice-blue skirt and her chest hid behind icy armor, shining with Water Qi hue. 

In just a blink she turned into an Ice Goddess that descended to earth from a heavenly portal. Even her wet hair got a makeover, gaining a light blue touch to it. 

"If only I could get ready this fast… Damn," Dandan cursed as she joined the rest but Jiao left them behind, rushing to the relaxation area of the house. 

They were in the White Lotus Sect, one of the rare oasis in the Earth Land where the lack of water wasn't an issue. It was one of the reasons Jiao could survive there for so long. 

Thanks to Dandan who was one of the Senior Disciples, she got to live in a spacious mansion with many cultivation necessities but they still needed to share it with a few other sisters. 

When Jiao rushed to the relaxation area, she spotted tens of people, all watching the transmission on a floating screen. The face she yearned to see for so long wasn't there, replaced by some stats and the view of the crowds on the stands. 

"Sister Jiao! You are fast. I sent Little Bear to bring you guys to chill with us, but didn't think you would—" 

Her arrival alarmed a few sisters but Jiao cut them off, asking desperately, "Did Xuefeng fight already?!" 

Senior Sisters' eyes widened at her enthusiasm but they quickly smiled, pointing at the screen. 

"Hehe, it seems Little Bear told you about him. You are lucky, his third battle is about to start. Grab a seat and let's watch together." 

Jiao only managed to collapse on the sofa, her legs giving up from the sprint when the crowd began calling his name.

"Xuefeng! Xuefeng! Xuefeng!"

Her body unconsciously leaned forward as if to see the screen closer. She kept getting hotter for some reason. Even the coldness of her outfit couldn't counter the burning feelings of desire inside her. 

"Xuefen…" Jiao muttered out loud, her voice breaking at the end. 

He was there, standing tall and confident on the stage. 

It was him. 

The very same Xuefeng she dreamed about every day and gave her the strength to push forward without stop. 

"Sister Jiao, you look like you have fallen, haha," the Senior Sisters teased while laughing. "Is he that handsome?"

Jiao couldn't pull her gaze anyway from the screen but still replied, "He is the most handsome and the best man I ever met…" 

The Senior Sisters paused. 

"Wait, you met him? You two know each other?" 

That question alarmed many sisters who were secretly giggling as Xuefeng's face came up on the screen. 

"Yeah… I met him in the Earth Realm before I Ascended to Heaven Realm," Jiao replied as the commentator announced the match. 

"Ladies and gentlemen! It's time for our last battle of the day! It's not just some battle… It's the battle of our favorite, the one and only… Liu Xuefeng!!!" 

The crowd cried out like mad lions, jumping and screaming as if he was some kind of God of War. Jiao's heart skipped a beat as her mind lost its footing once again. 

How…?

Did he already become famous…?

How long ago did he come here…?' 

She hoped to surpass him, get some advantage by entering Heaven Realm sooner yet he was already competing, beating Heaven Realm's experts as if it was nothing…

Jiao wanted to punch him, punch his arm really good for always being so perfect but when she looked at his smile and his hand waving at her, she knew she wouldn't even lift her arm.

"And his opponent? Bai Lin! One of the ten masters of the heavy Mallet!" 

When the Commentator's voice resounded once again, the cheers were far less, but he still received a standing ovation. A bull of a man, his muscles pulsing as he swung his mallet above his head while screaming his lungs out to pump himself up. 

Xuefeng still had a smirk on his face, not even bothered to pull out his weapon. 

'Why I am not even surprised…? Did your greatness already sank so deeply into my mind that I consider it obvious?' Jiao asked herself, finally realizing something. 

She is never going to surpass him or even catch up to him. Definitely not by living peacefully in the Sect while training safely in the four walls. Xuefeng reached where he was by risking his life every day yet she once again found herself a safe place. 

Would she even achieve anything here…?

"Sister Jiao, tell us!" Dandan's voice woke her up. "Were you two friends or lovers? Looking at your expression, I'm betting on the latter." 

"I was his—" 

Jiao paused, her brain unable to choose between the given answers. Were they even friends at this point? Did she deserve to even have such honor? 

Jiao was neither of those but had one goal she wouldn't give up on.

"I want to be his wife."