Xiao Tian felt the tremor in Han Yue's voice. He moved closer, gently stroking her face.
"No. It has its own unique beauty. A special kind of allure. I like it very much."
Han Yue's heart settled when she heard his words. She could feel the sincerity in his voice—there was no lie there.
She wrapped her arms around him and offered her lips. They kissed deeply, passionately, and Xiao Tian's hands were far from idle. He trailed kisses from her lips to her cheek, to her earlobe…
"Husband… please be gentle."
As those words left her lips, Xiao Tian began.
—
That night, Han Yue's life transformed.
—
After a long while, the storm slowly subsided.
Han Yue lay nestled in Xiao Tian's arms, a happy smile lingering on her lips as she fell into deep sleep. Xiao Tian gazed at her—a sleeping beauty at peace. He pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead. A card appeared in his hand and dissolved into a stream of light, flowing directly into Han Yue's body. He watched as the card's energy was steadily and gently absorbed. Then he held her close and let sleep take him too.
—
Early morning. Refreshed and awake, Han Yue opened her eyes. For a split second, panic flickered through her—then she looked up and saw Xiao Tian's handsome face. A heavy breath of relief escaped her.
She had thought last night was all a dream. But it was real. She had truly become his woman.
She sat up slowly, lifted the covers, and saw the crimson plum blossom on the sheet. Happiness bloomed across her face.
Xiao Tian stirred beside her and opened his eyes. He smiled. "Yue'er, why don't you sleep a little longer? Rest will help you recover."
"It's fine. I feel like I've already recovered."
Han Yue knew he was concerned about her. She gave him a radiant smile and leaned against him.
"Then how about we train a bit more?"
Xiao Tian's hand glided over her skin, smooth as silk.
"No. We'll end up getting up very late, and they'll tease me to death."
She imagined the others' expressions and refused on the spot.
"Alright then. Why don't you check your body? See if anything's different."
Xiao Tian wanted a morning session, but he didn't push. There would be plenty of time for that later.
"My body? What's wrong with it?"
Han Yue looked at him, puzzled, then turned her awareness inward.
"What… what is this?"
She discovered a mass of ice-like energy resting in her Qi Sea. And her body—it had undergone a massive transformation. She was far more sensitive to ice-attribute Heaven and Earth energy now. Even her control over Ice Dou Qi flowed incomparably smoother than before. Compared to the past, it was night and day.
Xiao Tian briefly explained the concept of special physiques to her. On the Dou Qi Continent, the study and documentation of physiques were extremely rare. There were barely any records at all.
"You mean… I now have a miraculous physique? Like Sister Yun and the others?"
Han Yue had overheard them discussing physiques during their cultivation chats. She'd asked, and Yun Yun had given her a rough explanation. No wonder they'd told her she didn't need to be envious—she'd understand later.
She'd never imagined she would awaken one herself after truly becoming Xiao Tian's woman. She didn't have it last night. But waking up now, she did. Which meant the reason could only be…
Her gaze slowly drifted downward.
Xiao Tian playfully pinched her cheek. "It's not because of that. Think of it as a reward from the heavens—because you became my woman."
He had to shut this line of thinking down immediately. If word got out, how would he ever show his face outside? What if some female Dou Sheng heard about it and came knocking? Worse—what if men started wanting to try too? Plenty of people would do anything for power. Far worse than this. He remembered a certain novel he'd read—some ancestor had even used his own descendants as cultivation cauldrons. No. Absolutely not.
"Then what kind of physique is mine?" Han Yue kept sensing the changes in her body, curiosity sparkling in her eyes.
Xiao Tian carefully examined her condition and found it was remarkably similar to Ya Fei's.
"Yours should be the same as Fei'er's. A Frozen Spirit Body."
Han Yue's face lit up with joy. "The same as Sister Fei'er? That's wonderful."
"Then you should cultivate this technique. It's highly compatible with the physique. It's the same main method Fei'er practices."
Xiao Tian touched her forehead. A massive stream of information poured directly into Han Yue's Sea of Consciousness: the Profound Ice Strength—the cultivation method the system had rewarded him long ago.
Han Yue pored over the method in her mind. It was the most powerful technique she had ever seen, and its upper limit was unimaginably high.
"Thank you… thank you so much, husband."
She threw herself into his embrace, trembling with emotion. Tears began to slide down her cheeks. A good cultivation method could transform a person's entire future—let alone one that was practically unheard of. Most people who possessed something like this would never share it, not even with their closest kin or their own wives.
"Alright. If you keep crying, you'll turn into a little calico cat."
Xiao Tian tilted her face up and gently wiped the tears from her eyes.
"You're the little calico cat."
Han Yue burst into a smile through her tears, pounding his chest in shy retaliation.
"I'm agreeing to what you asked before."
Her hand found his muscles, and her words came out barely above a whisper.
Xiao Tian caught her meaning immediately—her hand, her words, the shy curve of her lip.
"But this time… you have to take the lead."
He narrowed his eyes, smiling at her.
Han Yue's face flushed crimson. Thankfully, she had absorbed enough experience last night. She didn't refuse. She just nodded.
—
The sun climbed high.
Xiao Tian emerged from the palace, leading a fully dressed Han Yue whose steps were still slightly unsteady. The moment she saw the teasing glances from the women gathered outside, she was so mortified she could only bury her face behind Xiao Tian's back.
"Honestly. So rough. No gentleness at all. Look how worn out he's left Yue'er."
Yun Yun reached out and pinched Xiao Tian's arm, glaring at him. She assumed he'd been at it with Han Yue from last night straight through till now—hence her state.
"Sister Yun, you've misunderstood Junior Xiao Tian."
Han Yue hurried to Yun Yun's side and whispered a few words in her ear. Only then did Yun Yun and the others decide to let Xiao Tian off the hook.