209: Chapter 209 He must have known she was pregnant!

"With these military merits, I can exchange for a 'Thousand-Form Gu' for you. At that time, your 'Hundred-Change Gu Physique' will reach Major Achievement, and you will have a chance to strike for Core Formation!"

"Xiao Tang, you are exceptionally gifted. As long as you Cultivate well and achieve Core Formation in the future, you will have a great future ahead of you!"

"But you now..." Nangong Zili's voice was trembling.

"You actually want to give all of this up for a man?"

Listening to her Revered Master's words, the tears in Ling Xiaotang's eyes finally rolled down.

But she did not waver.

She knelt on the ground, her voice choked with sobs but firm:

"Revered Master, Xiao Tang knows you are doing this for my own good. But..."

She raised her tearful eyes and looked at Nangong Zili:

"But Xiao Tang's life was saved by Senior Ye. If it weren't for him, Xiao Tang would have died in that Secret Realm long ago."

"Over these years, Xiao Tang has always wanted to repay him, but there was never an opportunity."

"Now that I have finally met Senior Ye again, Xiao Tang... Xiao Tang doesn't want to leave."

She paused, her voice lowering a few more notches.

Hearing this, a hint of anger appeared in Nangong Zili's phoenix eyes.

Looking at Ling Xiaotang kneeling on the ground with tears streaming down her face, she felt both angry and pained.

The Disciple she had painstakingly nurtured was on the verge of Major Achievement, on the verge of being able to strike for Core Formation—

And now she wanted to give it all up for a man?

"You—"

Nangong Zili took a deep breath, suppressing the anger in her heart. She shifted her gaze toward Ye Changge, who was sitting cross-legged with his eyes closed beside the Grand Array.

That man.

That man who took advantage of her while she was weak.

If she hadn't been delirious at the time, how could she, a dignified Core Formation True Person, have ever... with a Foundation Establishment Cultivator...

The more Nangong Zili thought about it, the angrier she became, and killing intent gradually rose in her phoenix eyes.

She stared fixedly at Ye Changge, the spiritual power within her body quietly circulating—

As long as she wished, even if her cultivation hadn't recovered yet, she was confident she could kill him in a single strike!

However—

The moment her killing intent rose, her heart suddenly gave a sharp tug.

That feeling... was like something invisible had given her heart a vicious twist.

It wasn't pain, yet it was even more unbearable than pain.

Nangong Zili's brow furrowed tightly as she subconsciously pressed her hand to her chest.

The feeling came quickly and left just as fast.

But when she looked at Ye Changge again, the killing intent in her heart had vanished without a trace.

As if it had never existed.

"..."

Nangong Zili fell silent for a moment, a look of gravity flashing through her phoenix eyes.

Something was wrong.

This was definitely not right.

She was a Core Formation True Person with a Heart-Nature as solid as a rock. How could her killing intent toward a Foundation Establishment Cultivator dissipate just like that?

There... must be a problem.

She thought of the inexplicable throbbing in her body when she was with Ye Changge before, and the indescribable feeling in her heart every time she saw this man—

Nangong Zili bit her lip, suppressing the doubt and unease in her heart.

Now was not the time to look into this.

She lowered her head, took Ling Xiaotang's hand, and spoke in a low, firm voice:

"Let's go!"

—

Beside the Grand Array, Ye Changge slowly opened his eyes.

Although he had been meditating to regulate his breath just now, his Divine Sense had been monitoring the surroundings.

He had naturally sensed that brief fluctuation of killing intent from Nangong Zili.

However... that killing intent came quickly and left just as fast.

Ye Changge stood up and looked at the two of them.

Nangong Zili was holding Ling Xiaotang's hand, looking ready to leave.

Hmm? They're leaving?

Ye Changge's heart stirred slightly.

He glanced at Nangong Zili's face; although still pale, it was much better than before.

Her cultivation... should have recovered somewhat.

Sigh, it seems trying to bind a Core Formation True Person with the Thousand Silk Love-Binding Gu is still a bit of a stretch.

Ye Changge sighed inwardly.

Although this Gu was mysterious, the opponent was a Core Formation Stage existence after all, with a firm will and deep cultivation. Completely influencing her mind would likely not be that easy.

Still... being able to prevent her from harboring killing intent toward him was already quite good.

Ye Changge shook his head and walked toward the two of them.

—

Seeing Ye Changge approach, Nangong Zili's beautiful face turned cold once again.

She subconsciously shielded Ling Xiaotang behind her, her phoenix eyes full of vigilance and aloofness.

"What do you want?"

Her voice was as cold as ice shards, without a hint of warmth.

Ye Changge didn't answer immediately. Instead, he looked at the two of them, his gaze lingering on Nangong Zili's face for a moment before turning to Ling Xiaotang, whose eyes were slightly red behind her.

After a moment, he spoke slowly in a calm tone:

"Zili, Xiao Tang, are you leaving?"

Nangong Zili let out a cold snort, her phoenix eyes narrowing slightly:

"What if we are? Do you dare try to stop this seat?"

Although she had signed a Heart Demon Contract with Ye Changge, the content was only to not harm or betray each other; it didn't say she couldn't leave.

If he really didn't know what was good for him and tried to stop her—

Nangong Zili sneered inwardly.

Though her cultivation had only recovered by thirty percent, if she truly fought for her life and paid a price, she could still manage to kill a Foundation Establishment Cultivator.

Hearing this, the corner of Ye Changge's mouth twitched slightly.

This woman's temper was still as fierce as ever.

He sighed softly and didn't take the bait, instead continuing to ask:

"Zili, how much of your cultivation has recovered?"

Nangong Zili's brow furrowed, not understanding why he was asking this.

But she still snorted and spoke irritably:

"Thirty percent. What of it? Even if this Palace has only recovered thirty percent, it's not something you can oppose!"

Ye Changge ignored her provocation.

She was carrying his child after all; it was normal for her to have a bit of a temper.

He nodded inwardly.

Thirty percent... while not much, as long as she didn't engage in combat and only focused on traveling and escaping, there should still be a chance.

As long as they didn't encounter pursuers at the Late Stage of Core Formation, with Nangong Zili's methods, taking Ling Xiaotang back to the Yu Kingdom shouldn't be much of a problem.

Looking at the ice-cold woman before him, Ye Changge sighed softly in his heart.

Although he wanted to help her treat her injuries a bit more so she could recover more cultivation before leaving.

But given the current situation... he really couldn't bring the two of them back home.

After all, Nangong Zili and Ling Xiaotang were now demonic cultivators wanted by the Qingshui Sword Sect.

He had the Ye Family of Longmai Mountain behind him, with a whole family of wives, concubines, and children.

If he brought them back and was somehow found out...

Ye Changge shook his head.

He couldn't afford the gamble.

Moreover, he had stayed here long enough.

Nearly two months had passed since he left Longmai Mountain.

The return journey itself was already a three to four-month trip; he couldn't afford to keep wasting time here.

There were so many things waiting for him to handle at home, and Lu Shiqing was about to give birth...

Ye Changge pondered for a moment and made up his mind.

He reached into his Storage Pouch and took something out.

It was a bead the size of a longan fruit, pure white like jade, with a faint flowing light on its surface, emitting a soft glow.