Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations
Xixia City.
The colors of the sunset became deeper and more vibrant.
The red and purple created by the scattered rays of the setting sun appeared real yet illusionary.
These beautiful colors gradually transitioned into the soft yellow glow of dusk. The two figures on the street were bathed under this disappearing yellow glow. This scene was like something out of an ancient and emotional painting.
An Lin gazed at the jade-clothed female before him. Her lithe and graceful figure, her stunning and refined beauty, her bright and clear eyes, her delicate and ruby-like lips… It was all so perfect and beautiful…
However, the proud aura which once oozed from her body had already vanished. In order to save his life, the female before him had become a mortal human. She didn’t have the right to be proud anymore. She… had already become a mortal human who could no longer cultivate.
Although An Lin had deduced the truth behind all this using his Divine Simulation Technique, his mind still became blank when he saw Xu Xiaolan’s lonely figure. He felt like his heart was being torn apart.
He tried to speak, yet he discovered that there appeared to be something stuck in his throat.
Xu Xiaolan stared dazedly at the male in front of her. The white hair of the male was reflected in her clear eyes. Even though she had lost her powers, and even though she had become a mortal human, there was still one thing that hadn’t changed—her feelings for him.
She couldn’t help but ask, “An Lin, what happened to your hair? Are you alright?”
An Lin shook his head as he gazed at Xu Xiaolan affectionately. “After you left me, I couldn’t think of anything else,” he said in a shaky voice. “My only thought was to chase after you, to find you. I was so scared at that time; I was scared that you would disappear from my life just like that. I used my Divine Simulation Technique to track you down. However, you ran too quickly. I was scared that I would run out of time and lose your trail, so I could only activate my Divine Simulation Technique over and over again…
“I traversed over countless mountains. I pursued you all the way from the Holy Glacial Lands to the Kingdom of the Nine States. I passed the True Dragon Lightning Pond, and I passed the Myriad Star Heavenly Lake. I passed the Thousand-Year Chong Mountain, and I passed the Demonic Flower Field… I passed all the places that you passed, and I witnessed all the stunning sceneries that you witnessed.
“In the end, however, I found that I couldn’t use the Divine Simulation Technique anymore… Whenever I tried to use it, my heart would spasm and I would spit blood. There were times that I almost passed out… I was so flustered and scared at that time. I frenziedly followed your trail, and I scoured through every city that you passed. I never envisioned what it would be like if I lost you. I wouldn’t allow that to happen!
“What would happen if you encountered problems and there was no one to help you? What would happen if you were lonely and there was no one to accompany you? What would happen if some ill-meaning fool tried to take advantage of you? I only wanted to come to your side quicker. I couldn’t wait for a single second longer!
“Thankfully, the heavens are kind, and we’ve met each other so soon…”
Even though An Lin’s billowing white hair made him appear like an enigmatic being, the rims of his eyes had already become a deep shade of red. He looked like a stubborn child.
“Xu Xiaolan, I can’t live without you. In my mind, you’re my eternal Dao partner!”
Standing on the street that was lit by the soft yellow glow of dusk, that frail, jade-clothed female was already sobbing uncontrollably.
A gentle breeze blew over.
Xu Xiaolan’s soft and slender body was pulled into a tight embrace.
“Xiaolan, I like you,” An Lin said softly. “I’ve liked you ever since a long, long time ago… So, please accept me. Become my Dao partner!”
Xu Xiaolan’s slender body shuddered lightly. “I can’t,” she said as she shook her head and sobbed. “I’m a mere mortal right now. You and I are living in two different worlds… I’ll age really quickly, and my face will be full of wrinkles. My body will also gradually become weaker. Eventually, I’ll disintegrate into dirt before your eyes. I… I don’t deserve you…”
An Lin breathed in the fragrant scent of the female in his arms. There was only warmth and gentleness in his eyes. “You’re so silly. Saying that immortals and mortals exist in two different worlds is absolute bullsh*t. Anyhow, if we compare whose hair has become white first, then I’ve already won!”
Xu Xiaolan shuddered upon hearing this. She buried her head into An Lin’s shoulder. “You shouldn’t have come…” Her voice was full of guilt and reproach. “You shouldn’t have sacrificed so much to chase after me! I already decided to forget about you and start a new life… I’m nothing right now, and I don’t know anything either. Why did you chase after me? It’s not worth it.”
“Stop saying things like ‘don’t deserve’ and ‘not worth it’, okay? If it wasn’t for you, I’d have already been dead. I’ve seen countless females in my time—Chang’e, Su Qianyun… Although they’re more beautiful than you…”
At this moment, An Lin suddenly felt the grip on his back tighten. He immediately added quickly, “I’d definitely save you first if you guys all fell into a lake at the same time! Because in my mind, they’re even lesser than a single strand of your hair! Moreover, your disposition is numerous times better than theirs! M-hm, it’s a disposition that’s unique to An Lin’s Dao partner.”
Xu Xiaolan sniffed with her soft and delicate nose. “You’re still joking around even in such circumstances…” she whispered.
“I’m fine with talking about something more serious. When are we getting married?”
Xu Xiaolan: “…”
She gently pushed An Lin away and wiped the tears from her face. Her eyes were still glistening with tears, and she appeared particularly moving. Under the fading glow of dusk, her frail figure appeared especially in need of love and affection.
“So what if you’re a mortal human? I’ll live with you, and I’ll age with you. I’ll take you wherever you want to go, and we can taste all the delicacies of this world…” An Lin was a bit scared and flustered. He was trying his best to keep her by his side.
“Anyhow, it’s not like there’s absolutely no hope of healing your Dao foundations. There’s still hope…”
Xu Xiaolan shook her head sadly. “It’s impossible. I’ve never heard of anyone being able to heal a crumbled Dao foundation. Even the withering of one’s spirit root or drying up of one’s sea of vital energy isn’t as serious as the crumbling of one’s Dao foundations.”
“Nothing in this world is impossible. Do you not trust me?” An Lin gazed at Xu Xiaolan intensely. His expression was extremely determined. “When we were being attacked by the five snow maidens of the Return to Void Stage, did you think that we would survive? When you left me, did you think that I would be able to find you?”
Xu Xiaolan looked up at An Lin. Her lips moved, yet she couldn’t think of any retort.
“So, clearly… I’m a male who can perform miracles!”
Xu Xiaolan was a bit speechless. She realized that An Lin really could perform miracles. He was an unpredictable male. What if… there really was a way to let her soar back into the skies? She wouldn’t allow such a chance to slip through her fingers.
Seeing the change in Xu Xiaolan’s expression, a thin thread of hope appeared in An Lin’s uneasy mind.
“Speaking of which… there’s something that we still haven’t resolved yet,” An Lin suddenly said.
A look of confusion and curiosity spread across Xu Xiaolan’s face.
An Lin gazed at the beautiful female before him and asked seriously, “Xu Xiaolan, are you willing to become my Dao partner? I want to walk the path of cultivation with you.”
As they gazed at each other’s faces, the two of them once again fell silent. The last inkling of dusk, the drifting mist and haze, the cobblestone street of the ancient city, the occasional cries of eagles… All of these things were unable to hide the loud thumps of their hearts.
Xu Xiaolan cracked a smile. Her beauty in this instant caused the colorful sky to appear dull and drab in contrast. Her smile represented all the beauty of this world.
An Lin stared at the female before him stupidly. He felt that he would never forget this smile. Not after ten years, not after one hundred years, not after tens of thousands of years…
The jade-clothed female shuffled closer to the male. She stood on tippy-toes and raised her flawless face. Then, she closed her eyes and planted a loving kiss.
As their soft lips met, the two of them embraced again.
In this instant, this scene became eternal.
