Chapter 116: Affection Soars — Zhang Lexuan's Help…
Thanks to the buoyancy of the hot spring, Ye Chen could easily hold Zhang Lexuan by the waist and hips—it didn't even feel heavy.
"Mmm… do we really have to do it this way?"
Zhang Lexuan bit her lip. It was clear he was doing this on purpose—how was she supposed to focus like this?
"Ahem. Sister, don't get distracted. I'm starting."
Ye Chen cleared his throat, pretending to act serious despite the mischievous glint in his eyes.
Hearing that, Zhang Lexuan forced her thoughts away and concentrated on synchronizing with Ye Chen's soul power rhythm.
Soon, her body relaxed, her breathing steadied, and all strange thoughts melted away with the rising steam.
When she was ready, Ye Chen activated the Resonance ability.
To stay discreet, he kept the multiplier capped at tenfold speed—raising it further might attract attention from the powerhouse elders on Sea God Island.
Even so, their combined cultivation stirred the environment dramatically.
Within several hundred meters, the entire area's soul energy churned into a vortex, all of it funneling directly into their bodies.
Zhang Lexuan, a high-level Contra, knew tenfold acceleration was unheard of. In the outer courtyard, such power would have shaken the air for miles around.
But here, at the heart of Sea God Island, the disturbance barely covered a few hundred meters and didn't draw anyone's notice.
Sea God Island was vast, sparsely populated, and Zhang Lexuan's courtyard sat deep within its grounds. For a kilometer around, no one lived.
"Good… that's good," Ye Chen thought, relieved.
He was worried their activity might draw unwanted company.
If they were caught like this, well… explaining would be awkward.
Still, he knew tenfold wasn't even his limit—but it was enough for now. This was Sea God Island, after all. Better not tempt fate.
"This… this really is ten times faster—it's incredible…"
Zhang Lexuan's eyes widened in awe as she felt her soul power surge like lightning through her meridians.
For once, cultivation wasn't dry and exhausting—it felt exhilarating, blissful, as if every bottleneck was melting away under Ye Chen's guidance.
It was almost too pleasant; she could have trained for ten days straight.
She glanced at Ye Chen, remembering his warning about the toll it took on him. As wonderful as it was, she didn't want to overburden him.
Just borrowing a little of his power every day would already be enough.
He had told her she was the only one who knew about the secret technique.
Though part of her suspected… perhaps Ma Xiaotao might also share it.
But even if he had lied, she didn't mind.
Women were easy to sway with words like these, and Ye Chen knew exactly what to say.
Her heart felt warm and light.
She unconsciously tightened her embrace around him, quietly thinking—perhaps Heaven compensated her by giving her such a little brother…
A soft hum pulsed through the hot spring.
An hour later.
Zhang Lexuan's soul power swelled suddenly, erupting like a flood.
Her cultivation soared from level 82 straight to level 83!
"I… I broke through…"
She opened her eyes, dazed and disbelieving.
She had been stuck at the peak of level 82 for weeks, facing a tough bottleneck that should've taken a month to surpass.
But with Ye Chen's Resonance enhancing her flow, her soul power tore through it effortlessly, flooding into the next stage.
"Congratulations, Sister! One step closer to Titled Douluo~"
Ye Chen smiled brightly, genuinely happy for her.
"Xiao Chen, thank you. It's all thanks to your technique!"
Zhang Lexuan couldn't contain her joy. She wrapped her arms around him and pressed a kiss to his cheek, her eyes sparkling as if she'd just discovered a priceless treasure.
"Hehe~ With how good Sister is to me, of course I'll help you cultivate," Ye Chen chuckled sheepishly, scratching his head.
But inwardly, he was thrilled.
After sharing a hot spring session like this, their bond had clearly deepened—and her affection for him had risen dramatically.
"Hmph, you'd better remember that and treat me well, got it?"
Zhang Lexuan playfully pinched his cheek, eyes full of warmth.
"Hehe, about that, Sister… could you help me with one more thing~?"
Ye Chen's grin turned mischievous.
Zhang Lexuan almost said yes instinctively—but then she froze, cheeks flushing as she looked down in realization.
Under the water, even though everything was hazy, the feeling was unmistakable.
"You little troublemaker…" she murmured, half exasperated, half flustered.
She couldn't exactly be angry. They were literally pressed together, and Ye Chen was young, full of energy—it was bound to happen.
Still, it was awkward… and when he said "help," she had no idea what to do.
"Well… if not, forget it," Ye Chen sighed theatrically, loosening his arms as if disappointed.
"Ugh, fine… just this once. And you'd better not expect this again! I've never done anything like this before—if it goes wrong, don't blame me!"
Zhang Lexuan sighed in defeat. She knew he had played her perfectly—but as his "big sister," she couldn't bring herself to refuse.
After all, spoiling her younger brother was only natural.
She wasn't resisting out of disgust—just out of worry.
If she gave in too easily, wouldn't this brat just keep pushing further next time?
"Mm~ thank you, Sister~" Ye Chen said sincerely, smiling like an obedient child.
Zhang Lexuan could only sigh under her breath. This boy was incorrigible.
...
Half an hour later.
The two rose from the hot spring.
"Let's get you cleaned up before you catch a chill," Zhang Lexuan said with a soft smile.
She pulled out a fluffy white towel and carefully dried him off, patting his hair gently like a mother caring for her child.
Soul Masters didn't really get sick, but to her, Ye Chen was still her little brother—young, impulsive, and someone she always had to worry about.
After wrapping him in a towel, she took another one for herself, covering her figure gracefully.
The mineral-rich water tended to leave residue on the skin, so a rinse was necessary to keep from leaving salty crystals behind.
"Mm~ feels amazing," Ye Chen sighed contentedly.
He had assumed it would take far more effort to earn this kind of closeness from her, but this single hot spring encounter had skyrocketed their bond.
Their intimacy had reached a whole new level—and so had his influence.
(END CHAPTER)
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