Chapter 67: Morning Exercise.

Xie Qiyang pouted, her expression screaming “same old trick.” “It’s the usual spiel. The Nether Ancient Heavenly Venerate’s secret realm only allows those at or below the Innate Realm.”

She was mildly surprised but, on reflection, it made sense.

Li Tianxing, hearing this, gave a knowing nod. “Obviously. If they let those thousand-year-old, greedy monsters who’d strip the earth bare waltz in…”

His tone dripped with disdain for the “old fogeys.” “Hmph, it’d be chaos. They’d pry open the Heavenly Venerate’s coffin, loot every last screw, and probably bag her ashes too.”

“Think about it—someone so grand in life, moving stars and sinking continents with a thought, near-omnipotent. Would they want their grave turned into a flea market, swarmed by shameless old scavengers?”

He paused, shifting to a slightly less uncomfortable position—though being pinned wasn’t exactly cozy—and continued with a worldly air. “But sealing it tighter than a turtle’s shell, keeping even a fly out, wouldn’t work either.”

“Time’s ruthless, erases everything. The tighter the seal, the more it tempts those ban-breaking maniacs. If some peerless powerhouse cracked it open one day, the loss would be total—nothing left!”

“So,” he concluded, a sly, fox-like grin curling his lips, “the best move is to let small fry like us in, dangle some bait.”

“The core treasures? Juniors like us can’t touch them. And those old monsters eyeing the real prizes? Heh, they’ll watch each other, trip each other up, keep each other in check. No one sneaks in for the big haul—a delicate balance.”

Xie Qiyang listened to his smug analysis, her mind buzzing. What’s he yammering about?

Her pink, heart-filled eyes blinked, and she leaned down, nose nearly touching his, her breath warm and teasing. “Tch, my little husband knows quite a bit, huh? Digging up graves—er, exploring realms—in your past life?”

Her tone was playful, fingers tracing circles on his chest. “But… talking about old geezers is so boring.”

Her lips curved into a dangerous, seductive arc, pink hearts blazing in her eyes. “New day’s here. Shouldn’t we… do something more ‘constructive’ for our morning?”

Li Tianxing: “…”

“No! No, my lady!” His face paled at “morning activities,” head shaking like a rattle. “Business first! We’ve got to pick those body-tempering ‘Yang-Quenching Spirit Fruits’ outside town! If we’re late, the quick hands will strip them clean—we’d lose big! Now’s the time for priorities!”

He flailed, trying to slip out from under her.

Run?

Her pink-heart eyes flashed, lips curling into a “saw that coming” smirk.

Her long, graceful legs, like a nimble python, locked around his waist, pinning him in place.

“Blabbering what?” She leaned closer, her flawless, devilishly alluring face inches away, warm breath tickling his ear. Her voice was soft, sultry, but commanding. “Now. Immediately. This instant.”

Her cool fingertip tapped his forehead.

“Much better.” She admired her “handiwork,” her finger trailing ambiguously along his jaw, lingering on his shapely lips, rubbing gently as if savoring a delicacy.

“And then…” Her lips parted, breath warm, voice dripping with devilish temptation and dominance. “Be good. Call me ‘Husband.’”

She paused, her pink-heart eyes glinting with danger and anticipation. “Or… heh, this ‘Husband’ has all day to wait on this bed for you to ‘recover’ your stamina. I’m in no rush.”

Li Tianxing stared at her deadly serious “queen” demeanor, his heart sinking.

Help! His inner self pounded the floor. Where’s my sweet, feisty, coaxable little wife?! Swapped out by some cursed demon queen?!

…

(Omitted here: several unmentionable details of Li Tianxing’s forced “stamina recovery” and eventual surrender during the “morning activities”…)

Creak.

The door finally opened.

Out stepped Xie Qiyang, radiant and refreshed, as if she’d absorbed the world’s essence. A satisfied, lazy smile played on her lips, her aura of sacred depravity even more harmonious, her every move dripping with charm.

Trailing half a step behind was Li Tianxing…

Looking every bit the bullied bride.

Head bowed, his stunning face still flushed, his eyes darted with a mix of shame and aggrieved indignation.

His once-fitted outfit was now wrinkled, his gait… slightly stiff, subtly awkward.

He exuded “weak, pitiful, helpless,” as if freshly ravaged.

“Tch, this cheat… is absurdly OP! Like I’ve got a game mod!” Xie Qiyang bragged to the System in her mind, pulling up the interface to check her “Depravity Points” from last night and this morning’s “hard work.”

The early haul was massive, though efficiency dipped later. Still, she’d amassed enough to rocket from early to late Innate Realm.

Feeling the surging power within, her smile widened. Reverse the roles? No, this was might makes right. Making Li Tianxing her docile “little wife” was now effortless.

“Wif—” Li Tianxing, head down, started his usual “wife” to reclaim some husbandly dignity…

Smack!

A fragrant, soft hand pressed his lips with a thumb, firmly yet domineeringly silencing the “-fe.”

Xie Qiyang turned slowly, her pink-heart eyes gleaming with playful control, like a queen appraising her new “trophy.”

Tilting her head, her lips curved into a wicked, seductive arc. Her voice, soft but clear, purred in his ear like a devil’s whisper: “Heh heh heh… my little wife~” She dragged out “little wife,” dripping with mockery. “Seems… you can’t beat me anymore, huh?”

Her fingertip lingered on his lips, then lifted to tilt his perfect jaw, forcing him to meet her invasive, pink-heart gaze.

“So I think…” Her smile grew dazzling, a commanding proclamation. “From today, you’ll call me…

“Husband?”

She leaned closer, lips nearly brushing his, her breath warm with irresistible allure and a hint of threat:

“Do you… agree? Hmm?”