Chapter 16: A New Hope.

“I…”
Xie Qiyang opened her mouth, but no words came out.

Facing Li Tianxing’s scorching gaze, a fierce impulse erupted within her: No way! If you’re gonna take me, just do it—stop with the excuses! Who wants to practice this nonsense? I’d rather bash my head in!

She’d already mentally composed a string of eloquent, flowery curses in her head, ready to hurl them at his face.

But the last thread of rationality held firm.

He was too close.

As a seasoned “driver” with top-tier theoretical knowledge, she knew exactly what provoking him would lead to.
Force himself on her? She had no means to resist.
Their current position didn’t even need much adjustment for him to act.

She bit her lip hard. A true hero bends and stretches! I’ll endure! As long as I’ve got life, there’s hope!

Li Tianxing watched the shifting expressions on the girl in his arms, not pressing for an answer, as if certain of her final choice.

He released one arm, picking up the Yin-Yang Harmony Law book.
His rough fingers flipped the pages, rustling softly, stopping at the first page.

The page depicted two entwined figures in a pose that seemed simple but carried a profound rhythm, though most of it was text.

She could read the words but couldn’t grasp their meaning—reminiscent of the math from her past life.

“Frost,” Li Tianxing said, his hand wandering restlessly to her waist, “today, we’ll start with these basic movements.”
He tapped the page’s diagram, his gaze burning into her.

“Don’t underestimate these basics. The way of yin and yang begins with the smallest steps.
If we follow the book’s movements step by step, mastering them to perfection and achieving unity of mind, the results will be even better if we complete it within three years.”

“We’re short on time, heavy on tasks.”

His serious tone, paired with the book’s scandalous images, made the bizarre scene almost comical to her.

Suddenly, something clicked, and she blurted, “Wait, what? Three years?”

A chill shot from her soles to her scalp.
Forgetting her “endure” mantra, she wriggled out a bit of space from his hold.

Rustle—

The pages flipped wildly under her trembling fingers!
She couldn’t understand the arcane text, but the vivid, increasingly complex, increasingly explicit, and increasingly… indecent illustrations flashed before her like a horrifying slideshow.
No page numbers, but the book was thick—thousands of pages, at least.

“???!!!”

Dizziness overwhelmed her.

Three years to master it?
Master what?!
By the time she “perfected” all these moves, her body wouldn’t just be a puff pastry—it’d be far from pure.
She’d probably have great-grandkids calling her “great-great-grandma”!

But… did she have the power to refuse?

Agree? Disagree?
It wasn’t a choice.
Agree, she’d be taken.
Disagree, she’d be taken—maybe worse, maybe with her cultivation crippled, leaving no chance to escape.

The only difference?
The former might be slightly more… comfortable?

Her mind fixated on her chastity, overlooking the critical detail Li Tianxing mentioned—that dual cultivation would forge a soul bond, which would later lead to her failed rebellion and a thorough taking.
But that was a story for another time.

Li Tianxing took in her horrified expression, leaning closer.
His warm lips nearly brushed her cool, delicate earlobe as he whispered, “Oh, forgot to mention, Frost.
Want to restore your cultivation and unseal your Lunar Saint Body?
The key lies in this Yin-Yang Harmony Law.”

Black lines sprouted on her forehead, a resigned “as expected” sinking in.

This jerk, always like this!

He had absolute power and could force her submission with brute strength.

But no.

He wanted to see her squirm in torment, teeter between fear and temptation, and willingly abandon her boundaries step by step.

This perverse man didn’t just want possession—he wanted her to convince herself, to choose the “beneficial” path with humiliated “willingness.”

To watch her principles and dignity crumble under her own compromises!

“Smart Frost,” Li Tianxing saw through her thoughts, his voice tinged with approval.
“You’ve already guessed, haven’t you?”

“You don’t want to be a powerless cripple forever, do you?”

“You’re not content to live like a caged canary, are you?”

“Take the first step, Frost.
The rest will follow naturally.
What you resist now might become your greatest pleasure in the future.”

“Enough talk.
I’m giving you five minutes.”
He raised a finger, his voice calm but carrying the weight of final judgment.
“Five minutes to tell me your choice.”

He paused.
“Think carefully… and call me ‘husband’.”

Xie Qiyang froze, her mind blank.
Thinking more was just self-soothing at this point.
Time slipped by in silence, and five minutes passed in a flash.

Li Tianxing removed his shirt, his body radiating searing heat.
Beneath his god-forged skin, faint crimson-gold patterns flowed and flickered like natural runes.

His bare torso seemed a vessel of solar divine might.

“This is the Solar Saint Body unleashed.
I trust you’ll make the right choice.”

Her silver lashes trembled, her lips curving faintly.
“Looks like I have no other choice…”

“No other choice, huh? Husband…”
She took a deep breath, her voice quivering.
Her slender fingers tugged, and the black robe slipped off, revealing her deceptively delicate yet curvaceous body.

“? Why are you stripping?”

The air froze.
Li Tianxing’s strange golden eyes widened in disbelief, his tone filled with utter confusion.

“Huh?”