pearl...
You've heard the advice and it's sound.
Yes, even for those of us who are not, per se, sadists, we dominants are drawn to subs who will walk the edges for us. We tend to push because it pleases us so much when you give...
But to push into areas that are genuinely "distressing" (as you put it...) is not about enjoying your submission... it's about enjoying your discomfort... and while one is powerfully pleasent, the other strikes me as cruel.
Only you can decide what your master's intent is, but I would be loathe to advise you to accede to his demands. Your hard limits should be respected. By both of you.