362: Chapter 362 Seeing Xu Ruyu's complete lack of reservation, Xiao Nianyin was so shocked she couldn't speak (Part 2)

"Sect Leader Xiao, that Xu Ruyu is no ordinary person.

If you treat him well with sincerity, he will surely repay you tenfold. But if you harbor malicious intent toward him..."

Lady Qingli did not finish her sentence back then, but her meaning was already very clear.

At the time, Xiao Nianyin scoffed.

What kind of waves could a mere Mortal possibly stir up?

But now...

She recalled Xu Ruyu's attitude toward Qingli.

Gentle, considerate, trusting, and without reservation.

In front of Qingli, Xu Ruyu was not the "Master" who ordered her around, but a man she could rely on.

He would pour tea for Qingli, add clothing for her, and let her rest against him when she was tired.

That kind of intimacy, that kind of tacit understanding, that kind of defenseless trust, could not be faked.

And what about Qingli?

She was the only person who had treated Xu Ruyu well, wholeheartedly, from beginning to end.

From the time Xu Ruyu was still healing at the Black Water Pool, Qingli had taken meticulous care of him.

Later, when they arrived at the Taihu Clan, Qingli had thought of everything for him, guided his path, paved the way for him, and blocked countless overt and covert attacks for him.

She never asked for anything in return.

She was simply treating him well, purely.

And now...

Xiao Nianyin suddenly remembered one thing—Qingli's Cultivation.

Back when they were at the Black Water Pool, Qingli's Cultivation was at the Late Nascent Soul Stage.

Later, when they reached the Taihu Clan, although she hadn't paid much attention, she vaguely felt that Qingli's aura was becoming stronger and increasingly unfathomable.

Tonight, in the crowd, she had specially observed Qingli.

Then, she discovered with shock—

Qingli's aura had actually already surpassed her own former self!

Although her Cultivation was sealed and she couldn't perceive it accurately, that faint pressure, that feeling that made her heart palpitate, definitely surpassed the Saint Realm!

Qingli had already achieved a Breakthrough!

From a Late Nascent Soul Stage, in just a few short months, she had achieved a Breakthrough to beyond the Saint Realm!

How was this done?

Xiao Nianyin's heart twitched violently.

She thought of the relationship between Qingli and Xu Ruyu.

She thought of the sounds that came from the Tingquan Residence on those nights. She thought of how Qingli looked, glowing and flushed, every time she left the Tingquan Residence.

Could it be...

Could it be that Xu Ruyu's Physique could not only stabilize her Origin but also help with Cultivation?

Could it be that Dual Cultivation with Xu Ruyu could cause one's Cultivation to advance by leaps and bounds?

Xiao Nianyin's heartbeat suddenly quickened.

If this was true...

She suddenly remembered those nights back at Ningyin Hall.

At that time, she had been forced to engage in Dual Cultivation with Xu Ruyu in order to heal her injuries.

After each time, she did indeed feel that the vitality within her body had recovered a little, but her Cultivation remained sealed, without any change.

But thinking about it now, perhaps it wasn't that Dual Cultivation was useless, but rather... rather that her mindset at the time was wrong!

She had just treated Xu Ruyu as a tool, a Cauldron for healing. In her heart, there was not a shred of affection, only utilization and calculation.

But Qingli was different.

She treated Xu Ruyu with sincerity, regarding him as her own man, her own Dao Companion. That emotion from the bottom of her heart might be the key to truly unlocking the efficacy of Dual Cultivation!

Xiao Nianyin's hands began to tremble slightly.

If... if back then she hadn't treated Xu Ruyu as a Cauldron, but instead treated him well with sincerity, and regarded him as a man she could rely on...

If back then she had listened to Qingli's advice...

If back then she could have also been like Qingli, treating him without reservation...

Then, what would it be like now?

Would she still be that "Bed-warming maid" with her Cultivation sealed, living under someone else's roof?

Or would she also be able to, like Qingli, achieve a Breakthrough beyond the Saint Realm and reach a higher level?

Xiao Nianyin did not know.

She sat by the window, gazing at the moonlight outside, her heart in turmoil.

The moonlight remained cold and clear, and the night remained tranquil. But in her heart, monstrous waves were surging.

Once, she was the high and mighty Saint Realm Sect Master, and Xu Ruyu was a Mortal like an ant in her eyes.

Now, Xu Ruyu was the pillar of the Hehuan Sect, while she had become a dispensable maid by his side.

Once, she thought she controlled everything and could manipulate his fate at will.

Now, she finally understood that the one who truly controlled everything was the man she had never truly understood.

He taught the Cultivation Technique he had painstakingly created to all the Disciples without reservation.

He regarded those who treated him with sincerity as treasures and treated them with his whole heart.

He used his own way to change the Hehuan Sect bit by bit, changing the people around him.

And what about her?

She had just watched coldly from the sidelines, even mocking his "stupidity" in her heart.

But now, she could no longer laugh.

She suddenly understood that Xu Ruyu was not "stupid." He possessed a truly selfless Dao and a truly innocent heart.

What he taught the Disciples was not just a Cultivation Technique, but a belief—as long as you are willing to learn, I am willing to teach.

As long as you are willing to work hard, I am willing to help you. The Hehuan Sect is not one person's Hehuan Sect; it is everyone's Hehuan Sect.

How could such a Sect Master not make the Disciples devoted to him?

How could such a man not make a woman like Qingli fall for him wholeheartedly?

Xiao Nianyin slowly stood up, walked to the side of the bed, and looked at the sleeping Xu Ruyu.

Moonlight spilled through the lattice window, shining on his face. That young face, currently bearing a trace of fatigue, still revealed an indescribable tenacity and confidence.

His breathing was steady, and the corners of his mouth were slightly upturned, as if he were having a good dream.

Xiao Nianyin looked at him quietly, the emotions in her eyes extremely complex.

There was regret, envy, unwillingness, and also a trace of... something she herself was unwilling to admit... longing.

If... if she hadn't made the wrong choice back then...

If she could also have been like Qingli...

Then, would it be her lying by his side right now?

Then, would it also be her being treated with sincerity by him right now?

Then, would she also have achieved a Breakthrough beyond the Saint Realm and reached a higher level?

Xiao Nianyin did not know.

She only knew that her heart was a tangled mess right now.

She slowly stretched out her hand, wanting to touch his face, but at the very moment she was about to make contact, she abruptly pulled it back.

What right did she have?

She was just a "Bed-warming maid." A "Bed-warming maid" who had once wanted to use him as a Cauldron, but now could only look up to him.

She had no right.

Xiao Nianyin withdrew her hand, turned around, and walked back to the window.

The night breeze blew in through the lattice window, carrying a trace of chill. She hugged her arms tightly, gazing at the bright, clear moon outside the window, remaining silent for a long time.

Behind her, Xu Ruyu's breathing remained steady.

He did not know that in the dead of night, a woman was in turmoil because of him.

He did not know that a once high and mighty Saint Realm Sect Master was regretting her past choices because of him.

He did not know that a woman he treated as a "Bed-warming maid" was experiencing such monstrous waves in her heart at this moment.

The night remained silent.

The moonlight remained cold and clear.

And Xiao Nianyin's heart could no longer be calm.

She just stood by the window like that, gazing outside, until the east began to pale with the dawn.

A new day was about to begin.

And she still did not know how to face it.