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Join the ServerShen Shengqing could not help but feel a leap of joy at these words, his heart softening into an absolute puddle because of them.
He lifted Mu An’s chin, staring at the earnestness in the youth’s eyes, feeling as though he had received immense encouragement.
His hand slowly cupped the back of Mu An’s head, and he gently yet impatiently kissed those warm lips.
The surface of the water swayed slightly, sending ripples outward.
Their sweet, warm breaths intertwined, parting briefly only to eagerly tangle together again.
It was only after a long while that Mu An, gasping for breath, pushed Shen Shengqing away.
He sensed that something was amiss with the other man, deeply afraid that if they continued kissing, things would quickly spiral out of control.
Shen Shengqing’s eyes were slightly red, his fingers tightly clutching Mu An’s hand, unwilling to part from him for even a fraction of a second.
He pulled Mu An a few inches closer, cradling him in his arms and resting his chin gently on the youth’s shoulder, “An’an, I am yours for the rest of my life. No one can ever take me away from you.”
A gentle warmth filled Mu An’s heart.
After holding him for a moment, Shen Shengqing suddenly stood up and walked flusteredly out from behind the screen.
An’an’s physical condition could not tolerate any intense exertion; if he stayed any longer, he feared he would be unable to restrain himself.
Looking at the flustered silhouette of his master walking toward the outer room, Mu An could not contain his laughter.
But very soon, Shen Shengqing returned.
He had fed himself a desire-suppressing pill and instantly rushed back to keep watch by Mu An’s side.
He did not want to leave Mu An’s side for even a single moment.
***
The Valley Master eventually informed Shen Shengqing of the state of Mu An’s body.
That day, for the first time in a very long while, Shen Shengqing did not stay by Mu An’s side; instead, he carried his sword and went on another slaughter rampage among the demon clan.
It was worth mentioning that over these past six hundred years, almost all the great generals of the demon clan had been slain; those who survived dared not initiate any trouble, and even the Demon Lord had been forced into deep slumber.
Shen Shengqing personally executed a demon elder, and by the time he returned, he was drenched in blood and could barely walk straight.
The people of the Qingyun Sect were long accustomed to seeing him like this.
For the past six hundred years, Shen Shengqing had acted as though he had a death wish; every time he attacked the demon clan, he went with the mindset of fighting to the death, often returning covered in wounds.
The most severe instance was during his attack on the Demon Lord years ago; after that battle, Shen Shengqing had barely survived.
No one knew that Shen Shengqing was seeking revenge not only against the demon clan, but also against himself.
If it weren’t for him, how could An’an have ended up in this state?
If he had been bolder back then, directly clarifying his relationship with Mu An and giving him a complete sense of security, perhaps none of this would have happened.
Yet he had chosen the most foolish strategy of letting love grow over time, assuming that by keeping Mu An near him, Mu An would eventually develop genuine feelings for him.
Returning to the courtyard, Shen Shengqing simply used a cleansing spell on himself before pushing open the door as if nothing had happened.
Inside the room, Mu An stared at Shen Shengqing, whose expression was completely normal, feeling both angry and heartbroken.
With the system around, how could he not know what had transpired?
“Shen Shengqing, do you want to be with me forever?”
Mu An looked at Shen Shengqing earnestly.
Shen Shengqing froze for a second, and detecting the tears in Mu An’s eyes, a wave of panic hit him.
He instantly stepped forward to grab Mu An’s hand, “An’an, I am sorry. I failed to accompany you today, but I will never do so again.”
Although Shen Shengqing had always appeared to be the more dominant one in their relationship, in reality, he showed only humility before Mu An.
Mu An looked at him calmly, “I know that my lifespan might not allow me to accompany you until…”
“No!”
Shen Shengqing interrupted him abruptly, his eyes both obsessive and tender, “I belong to An’an for the rest of my life. We will share life and death; we will never part.”
Mu An felt a bitter ache in his heart.
Reaching out, he gently stroked the man’s long hair, “I heard that after ascension, once one truly becomes an immortal, they gain the power to bring the dead back to life and regrow flesh on bones.”
“Shengqing, I want to be with you for more than just a hundred years,” Mu An spoke softly, tears suddenly spilling from the corners of his eyes.
“An’an…”
The tenderness in Shen Shengqing’s eyes was so profound it seemed almost capable of melting.
He firmly grasped Mu An’s hand, leaning in to press a gentle kiss onto the youth’s forehead.
“An’an, with me here, I will not let you leave me.”
There was an unstoppable ambition in Shen Shengqing’s eyes; he would absolutely not let An’an down.
Mu An rested his head against the man’s shoulder, his heart aching with bitterness.
Only he knew that after he died this time, he would never return.
***
Mu An’s words provided immense motivation to Shen Shengqing, and he began to cultivate like a madman.
But even while cultivating, he insisted on remaining locked together with Mu An, deeply afraid that Mu An would vanish in the blink of an eye.
While Shen Shengqing cultivated, Mu An would sit nearby eating fruit and reading storybooks, waiting until Shen Shengqing finished to chatter with him about the interesting plots he had read.
Worried that Mu An might get bored, Shen Shengqing frequently took Mu An to travel and sightsee around various regions during his breaks from cultivation.
However, since Mu An was unable to cultivate, his body began to gradually age under the influence of natural laws.
Looking at his gradually sagging skin, Mu An could not help but feel anxious.
Yet when he noticed one day that Shen Shengqing’s physical appearance had also aged, a wave of warmth filled his heart.
Looking at the corners of Mu An’s eyes, Shen Shengqing comforted him softly, “An’an, no matter when, I will always be with you.”
Shen Shengqing had deliberately utilized his spiritual energy to let his own appearance age alongside Mu An bit by bit.
Mu An was touched in his heart, yet still rejected him ruthlessly, “I still want to look at handsome men.”
Shen Shengqing smiled helplessly and retracted his spiritual energy, reverting his appearance back to his former look.
Mu An also took a youth-preserving pill, restoring his face to its youthful prime so he could accompany Shen Shengqing across mountains and rivers.
Until the very end of their lifespans, the two returned to the cabin where Mu An had initially imprisoned Shen Shengqing.
This time, the frail one had become Mu An, who lay weakly in Shen Shengqing’s arms.
Shen Shengqing’s tears fell gently onto his cheek. Mu An’s eyelashes trembled slightly as he reached out to softly hold his hand.
Still unable to let go of his worry, he reminded him, “You must not follow me in death; I want you to ascend to the upper realm and resurrect me.”
“When that time comes, we will stay together for another lifetime,” Mu An spoke of an unbelievable future, his heart filled with profound sorrow.
Perhaps by the time Shen Shengqing ascended, that obsession deep within his heart might have faded away.
In the long years of cultivation, a hundred years were nothing more than a snap of the fingers. He only wished that Shen Shengqing could achieve fulfillment.
Shen Shengqing could no longer make any sound, his throat choked with sobs as he simply nodded over and over.
Until the hand in his palm completely lost all its strength.
Once again, Mu An stopped breathing in his arms.
With trembling hands, he used the Soul-Gathering Lantern to gather souls, yet his tears blurred his vision entirely.
Mu An’s physical body had completely lost all signs of life, and Shen Shengqing sealed him away in the ice bed once more.
He slept beside him day and night, just like the six hundred years after Mu An’s first death.
He went into closed-door cultivation within the cave dwelling, never stepping foot into the mortal world again until his ascension; after all, places he had already visited with An’an held no more joy without An’an by his side.
When he ascended to the upper realm, enduring myriad hardships and searching for every possible method, he was shocked to find that he could not resurrect An’an.
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