182: Chapter 182 Why is this man so good to me?

"If Caiyue hadn't helped me refine the dragon yang origin that day, I don't know how long it would have taken for my Cultivation Technique to break through."

Hearing this, Xiao Caiyue's cheeks flushed even redder as she recalled the scene in the water just now.

She gently punched Ye Changge's chest and chided him,

"Husband, you're saying those things again..."

Ye Changge let out a low laugh, tightening his hold on her slightly.

To the side, Ling Xiaotang watched their intimate display with a flicker of envy in her eyes, though she quickly masked it.

She said softly,

"Senior, did you become very powerful after this Breakthrough?"

Ye Changge looked at her and nodded with a smile,

"Indeed, I've made some progress."

Was it just 'some' progress?

With the Kunpeng Refining Art breaking through to the sixth layer, his Physical Body's strength had nearly doubled.

Having refined the Origins of both the Dragon Yang Body and the Moon Blossom Physique, his Foundation had become increasingly profound.

Compared to ten days ago, his current strength had improved by more than just a notch.

If he encountered those Bandit Cultivators again, he wouldn't even need to use the Yin-Yang One Qi Grand Capture.

With just the strength of his Physical Body alone, he could tear them to pieces.

Of course, he didn't say any of this out loud.

However, the confidence radiating from his casual smile made both women's hearts flutter.

Xiao Caiyue leaned into his embrace, feeling the warmth from his chest, her heart filled with peace and satisfaction.

This man was the husband she had chosen.

He was the one who reached out to help when she was in despair, the one who treated her with tenderness during her pain,

and the one who displayed a sharp, formidable edge during cultivation that left them in awe.

And right now, he was holding her so gently, laughing and chatting with her.

Xiao Caiyue suddenly felt that the best decision she had ever made in her life was agreeing to talk to him at the auction that day.

Ye Changge looked down at her gentle, affectionate eyes, and his heart warmed as well.

He placed a soft kiss on her forehead and said warmly,

"Caiyue, you've worked hard these past few days."

Xiao Caiyue shook her head, her voice soft,

"As long as I can be with husband, this wife does not find it hard."

Ye Changge smiled slightly and looked toward Ling Xiaotang,

"Xiao Tang has worked hard too. You've been a big help these days."

Upon hearing this, a bright smile bloomed on Ling Xiaotang's face, and she shook her head vigorously,

"Not hard at all, not hard at all!"

Looking at the innocent and romantic young girl, Ye Changge felt a sense of nostalgia.

The pure and kind little girl from the Secret Realm years ago had now grown into a graceful young woman.

Hearing his words, Xiao Caiyue's expression turned slightly serious.

She closed her eyes and extended her Divine Sense into her own body, observing everything meticulously.

Within her Dantian, the 'Dragon Pearl' that was once as fierce as the sun had now retracted most of its light. Its surface shimmered with a gentle golden luster, no longer as violent and rampant as before.

The surrounding Meridians were no longer scorched and distorted; they had regained their normal color and elasticity, with faint traces of vitality flowing through them.

However... she could still feel that deep within the Dragon Pearl, a continuous stream of Yang Qi Origin remained latent, merely suppressed for the time being.

If she were to resume her cultivation and draw Spiritual Qi into her body, these Origins would be activated again and slowly grow.

Xiao Caiyue opened her eyes, a hint of complexity flashing through them. She looked at Ye Changge, her voice lacking confidence,

"Husband, my Dragon Yang Body... has mostly stabilized. It hasn't acted up or scorched my Meridians lately. But..."

She paused, bit her lower lip, and lowered her voice even further,

"But if I start to Cultivate again, the Dragon Yang Body will still grow along with my cultivation level. I just checked carefully; the Origin is only suppressed, not truly eradicated..."

By the end, her voice was almost as faint as a mosquito's buzz, her eyes filled with guilt and unease.

She knew better than anyone how much energy and Origin Ye Changge had expended for the sake of her Physique during this time.

Every time the Yin Yang Guiding Art was performed, he had to use his own Origin as a guide to peel away the excess Yang Qi in her body bit by bit.

Although he could refine and absorb that Yang Qi once it entered his body, the danger and consumption involved in the process were very real.

Then there were those Spring Radiance Talismans refined specifically for her, each costing thousands of Spirit Stones.

He hadn't even blinked while refining dozens of them to set up the Ten Thousand Woods Spring Radiance Formation to stabilize her condition.

Not to mention how he had set aside his own cultivation during these days to accompany her day and night, regulating her body and clearing her Meridians...

And what did he get in return?

A Grand Array that hadn't even begun to be laid out, and a "Dao Companion" who had yet to be completely cured.

An indescribable bitterness welled up in Xiao Caiyue's heart.

Growing up in the Immortal City, she was accustomed to the exchange of interests and the coldness of human relationships.

Her father had died early, and she had depended on her sister for survival, only gaining a foothold in the Immortal City through her extraordinary talent in Formations.

Over the years, she had seen too many two-faced people and too many so-called "allies" who joined for profit and turned against each other for the same.

She had originally thought that signing the Spiritual Contract with Ye Changge

was nothing more than a transaction where each took what they needed. She provided Formation skills, and he provided a cure—fair and reasonable, with neither owing the other.

But after spending time together these days, she found that things were not as she had imagined.

This had already far exceeded the scope of a "transaction."

Xiao Caiyue was not an ungrateful person. It was precisely because she knew this that she felt increasingly uneasy.

She didn't understand why Ye Changge was being so good to her.

Was it because of her Formation expertise? But was a quasi-third-grade Grand Array worth him putting in so much effort, even to the point of damaging his own Origin?

Was it because of her looks? But he had many wives and concubines,

and she didn't feel she was much more outstanding than them.

Or was it because... he... toward her...

Xiao Caiyue didn't dare think further. She was afraid of overthinking, only for it to be one-sided in the end;

and she was afraid of underthinking, failing to live up to his sincere heart.

She lowered her eyes, her eyelashes trembling slightly, her fingers unconsciously twisting her sleeve, her heart a chaotic mix of emotions.

Ye Changge naturally didn't know about the twists and turns in her mind. When he heard that the Dragon Yang Body would still grow with cultivation, a thought suddenly popped into his head.

If that was the case, didn't it mean he could continuously plunder the dragon yang origin from Xiao Caiyue's body to strengthen his own Yin Yang Origin in the future?

This Dragon Yang Body was a top-tier spiritual Physique ranked among the best in the Cultivation World. He had personally experienced the purity of its Origin and the power of its strength.

Just a sliver of that Origin entering his body had allowed his Kunpeng Refining Art to break through its Bottleneck. If he could plunder it continuously...

Ye Changge's eyes lit up slightly, and the thought grew wildly in his mind like weeds.

However, he soon suppressed the thought.

Such a thought was far too utilitarian. Xiao Caiyue was now his Dao Companion, not his "Spirit Medicine."

He saved her because he couldn't bear to see her perish, because he appreciated her talent and Heart-Nature, and because through their time together, he did feel some genuine affection for her.