The delicate body in her arms no longer trembled.

That furious cold power, enough to tear a Core Formation cultivator and erase mountains and cave dwellings, melted under Lin Xi’s soothing like winter snow brushed by a spring breeze.

No longer a rampaging beast, it tucked away all its claws and fangs, turned into the purest ice attribute essence, then slowly returned to Luo Bingning’s dantian.

Throughout the cave dwelling, the bone-piercing chill that could freeze the soul retreated at a speed visible to the naked eye.

The air no longer brimmed with a destructive storm of icy needles but with the freshness and serenity of a clearing sky after rain.

The ice walls that had been laced with hideous cracks from the rampage were now mending under a strange restorative force, the fissures slowly knitting until they shone even more crystal clear than before.

Luo Bingning felt as if she had just woken from a long and terrible nightmare.

In that dream, she was swallowed by endless darkness and violent power, watching as the light she cherished most was about to be destroyed by her own hand.

Now, a pair of warm arms and a firm embrace hauled her back from that abyss of despair.

She slowly, hesitantly lifted her head away from the crook of the neck that made her feel so safe.

Ice-blue eyes, dazed and unbelieving after surviving calamity, stared unblinkingly at Lin Xi.

She saw lingering fright upon Lin Xi’s elegant face yet more than that, concern laid bare.

‘Why?’

Waves surged through Luo Bingning’s heart.

Her own Ice Phoenix bloodline, the Nine Heavens Cold Soul Art she had cultivated for centuries—once out of control, she knew better than anyone how terrifying it was.

It was a power destructive and exclusive from the very source.

Forget calming it, any foreign spiritual power would be instantly assimilated, frozen, even set off a worse catastrophe.

But Xi’er…

She did nothing.

She only held her.

That warm, gentle aura did not even possess aggression yet seemed to be the nemesis of all violent forces under heaven.

Just like that it tamed the unbridled steed in her body that could trample mountains into a meek little lamb.

The sensation overturned everything Luo Bingning had known for centuries about power and laws.

“Xi’er, you…”

Her voice was still hoarse. She wanted to ask yet did not know where to begin.

Seeing the inquiry and shock in Luo Bingning’s eyes, Lin Xi’s heart thumped.

‘Oh no, that cheat was too obvious. She noticed! No, the persona can’t collapse. I’m just a weak, pitiful, helpless little Core Formation cultivator.’

In a flash Lin Xi reacted.

She blinked those clear eyes, letting the right amount of confusion and lingering fear show on her face.

“Bingning-jie, are… are you alright?”

Her voice was soft with a faint tremor like she had been badly frightened.

“I don’t know what happened. It was so cold, so scary… I just wanted to hold you tight so you wouldn’t feel awful.”

As she spoke, she patted her own chest like a good girl still shaken.

Looking at her, Luo Bingning’s doubts were instantly replaced by overflowing heartache and guilt.

‘Yes, Xi’er was only mid-Core Formation.’

Her power rampage had been a natural disaster to Xi’er.

Instead of fleeing, Xi’er had rushed in at the most dangerous moment and hugged her without a thought.

It had been instinct, a need to protect and comfort.

Perhaps that strange calming force had been a miracle born of Xi’er’s utterly pure concern.

At that thought, Luo Bingning’s last thread of suspicion dissipated like smoke.

She looked at Lin Xi, her gaze growing softer and hotter.

“I’m fine now, Xi’er, don’t be afraid.”

She lifted a hand, fingertips gently brushing Lin Xi’s cheek as if to wipe away nonexistent cold sweat.

Bathed in that ultimate peace and quiet, Luo Bingning suddenly sensed that the bottleneck she had been unable to breach had become visible—thin as a cicada’s wing.

A complete heart state is far more important than raw accumulation of power.

The loss of control and the rescue had shattered and remade her Dao heart.

Fear, paranoia, impatience—these negatives were washed clean by Lin Xi’s aura, leaving only unprecedented calm and clarity.

Luo Bingning did not force a charge.

Under Lin Xi’s gaze she simply closed her eyes.

Within her dantian, the phoenix phantom formed by Ice Phoenix power let out a clear cry.

A power pure to the extreme was no longer a raging flood but a gentle stream, gliding naturally over that barrier.

There was no earth-shaking noise.

Everything happened like water flowing downhill.

Hum—

A deeper, more condensed, more lively aura slowly spread from Luo Bingning.

The cold spiritual energy in the cave dwelling seemed summoned by an emperor. It cheered as it gathered to her, forming ice-blue ribbons of power that danced around her.

In Lin Xi’s mind, the system prompts arrived on cue.

[Ding! Congratulations, host. Luo Bingning’s heartstate has reached completion, her strength restored to late Core Formation!]

[Nurturing task Deep Nurturing: Melting the Ice Mountain progress increased!]

[System reward: Profound-rank high-grade pill formula—Ice Soul Focusing Pill!]

‘Another formula!’

The little person in Lin Xi’s heart stood akimbo and cackled.

Truly, high risk brings high reward!

Just then, Luo Bingning snapped her eyes open after completing the breakthrough.

Her aura was fully stabilized at late Core Formation, her ice-blue eyes brighter than ever as if holding a true starry sky of snow and ice.

But she did not examine her surging power.

Nor did she consolidate her new realm.

The first thing she did was step forward again.

Then, using all her strength, she hugged Lin Xi tight.

This embrace was stronger and more possessive than any before.

Lin Xi even felt her bones creak.

Luo Bingning buried her head deep in the crook of Lin Xi’s neck, nose brushing delicate skin as she greedily drew in that unique aura that soothed her body and soul.

It was not dependence.

Lin Xi felt it clearly.

It was a declaration.

An absolute claim upon a peerless treasure.

Like a dragon guarding its inverse scale, permitting no covetous gaze and not allowing it to leave her sight for even a moment.

This feeling had already far surpassed repayment and reliance, heading somewhere that made Lin Xi’s inner alarm tingle.

‘Wait, this script is wrong!’

Lin Xi’s iron straight-man soul roared.

‘Weren’t we raising a cute kitten? Why does this feel a bit yandere? Isn’t that possessiveness a little over the top? She won’t actually lock me up and cuddle me every day, will she?’

A faint sense of danger rose in Lin Xi’s heart.

It was quickly washed away by the new glittering formula on her system panel.

[Ice Soul Focusing Pill: Profound-rank high-grade pill. Helps ice-element cultivators stabilize the mind when breaking through major realms, greatly reduces the risk of inner demons invading, increases breakthrough success rate by thirty percent.]

Priceless!

Lin Xi’s inner struggle was resolved in an instant.

‘Ahem, strong possessiveness… means deep feelings. This is the sign of successful nurturing. Small matter, I can handle it.’

She suppressed the oddness in her heart and patted Luo Bingning’s back, half helpless, half indulgent.

“Alright, alright. You just broke through. Stabilize your realm first.”

Luo Bingning only hugged tighter and whispered in her ear, stubborn and barely audible.

“From now on, you are not allowed to leave me.”

Lin Xi: “…”

‘Fine. She is my Empress to raise. What else can I do? Even on my knees I will pamper her to the end.’

She began to seriously consider the Affinity ability of the Supreme Queen Body.

It was not merely a passive aura but more like an active skill, a king’s pacification that could calm all negative emotions and power rampages.

It had soothed Luo Bingning today.

What about later?

If she really gathered more than one Empress…

What if they quarreled and got jealous?

Could it be…

A bold, outrageous idea surfaced.

Left arm and right arm both embraced, then she would unfurl the Affinity domain so everyone calmed down, sat in a row and ate fruit together?

Just picturing it gave Lin Xi’s straight-man soul a billion tiny shocks and brought a slow blush to her cheeks.

But… it did seem feasible.

Perhaps this constitution’s ultimate use was not for battle but for maintaining the harem—cough, the team’s harmony and stability.

Lin Xi’s thoughts drifted far into the future.