Linglong Sect.
Countless Cultivators converged from all directions.
Some arrived via Sword Riding, some soared atop clouds and mist, while others commanded massive, terrifying flying Demon Beasts.
They all gathered for a single purpose: to witness the Linglong Sect’s “Longevity Fairy” ascend to the position of Elder.
The Longevity Fairy had joined the Sect a mere seventy years ago. Relying purely on her monstrous Cultivation talent, she had shattered bottlenecks to reach the Nascent Soul realm in less than a century.
Such terrifying progression speed was absolutely unheard of throughout the entire Daqian Dynasty.
Yet, what the masses obsessed over even more than her talent was her unshakable Dao heart.
She never engaged in petty disputes, coldly rejected all Dao Companions, and treated Sect authority like passing dust.
Whenever anyone dared to ask the motivation behind her agonizing, singular focus, she only ever gave a single word in reply.
“Longevity!”
……
“Niansheng, the ceremony is about to begin.”
A soft voice pulled Li Niansheng from her trance at the edge of the mountain peak.
Hearing the call, Li Niansheng let out a quiet breath and turned around. The newcomer was her master and guide, Shui Linglong.
Looking at the woman, Li Niansheng murmured, “Master, I don’t want to be an Elder. I just want to cultivate in peace.”
Shui Linglong’s eyes softened. “You still can’t let him go, can you?”
“I only stepped onto the path of Cultivation for him. If not for him, all of this would be meaningless.”
“But he is a mortal. Seventy years have passed; if he is even alive, he is a withered old man.”
“It is highly likely his bones are already rotting in the earth. You two exist in entirely different worlds now. Do you understand?”
Li Niansheng offered a faint, serene smile.
“Master, you don’t understand.”
“Whatever Brother Changsheng says, he will do. He told me the road to longevity is long and winding, and if I ever look back, he will be standing right behind me.”
“If he said it, he will make it reality.”
Faced with such blind, stubborn faith, Shui Linglong could only sigh.
Ever since arriving at the Linglong Sect, Li Niansheng’s brilliance had dazzled the world, but her obsession with that mortal man only deepened.
The Sect Leader was well aware of this mental bottleneck. To sever this worldly attachment, the Sect had secretly dispatched elites to Li Niansheng’s hometown to retrieve Chen Changsheng.
Spoon-feeding a mortal enough resources to extend his life by a few decades was a microscopic price to pay to secure a Nascent Soul prodigy’s Dao heart. It would have been the most cost-effective transaction in history.
Unfortunately, when the operatives arrived, the coffin shop had long been abandoned.
Locating a single, powerless mortal in the boundless sea of humanity was virtually impossible.
Seeing Shui Linglong fall into a heavy silence, the corners of Li Niansheng’s lips curled upward.
“Don’t worry, Master. I will accept the Elder position.”
“Only by becoming a Linglong Sect Elder can I secure the high-tier resources and techniques I need.”
“I refuse to stop walking this path, because I know Brother Changsheng hasn’t stopped either.”
With that, she turned and practically skipped toward the grand Sect pavilions in the distance.
Watching the girl’s rare, genuine display of joy, Shui Linglong’s frown deepened.
Over the last seventy years, the only time Li Niansheng ever smiled was when she spoke his name.
But how long could this fragile, soap-bubble delusion last?
True longevity was a myth chased by the greatest Cultivators in history to no avail; a mortal achieving it was a statistical impossibility.
If the day ever came when Li Niansheng’s fantasy shattered, her Dao heart would instantly implode.
Thinking of the inevitable tragedy, Shui Linglong could only sigh at the heavens.
It was an impossible knot to untie.
……
Sect Training Ground.
“The Shangqing Temple presents two Glazed Pills!”
“The Heavenly Buddha Temple presents an authentic Buddhist scripture…”
One priceless congratulatory gift after another was paraded forward.
Yet, faced with treasures that would cause bloodbaths among ordinary Cultivators, Li Niansheng sat frozen on the Elder’s throne, not even sparing them a glance.
Having just presented his Sect’s official gift, Yixiu stood in the crowd, nervously scratching his bald head.
He had absolutely no idea how to smoothly hand over Chen Changsheng’s bizarre wooden toy.
Worse, he knew Chen Changsheng was a ruthless pragmatist. If he botched this delivery, the man would absolutely deny him the lifespan extension.
Seeing the next Sect preparing to step forward, Yixiu gritted his teeth and stepped out of line.
“Elder Changsheng, this junior has an additional, personal congratulatory gift to offer.”
Yixiu’s voice acted like a silencing spell, instantly muting the grand assembly. All eyes locked onto the young monk.
The Heavenly Buddha Temple’s tribute was already given. Offering a secondary, personal gift in this highly formal setting carried extremely obvious, romantic implications.
Hearing Yixiu’s words, Li Niansheng tilted her head a fraction, her voice devoid of emotion. “You have my thanks.” Get faster updates on g.com.
The crowd expected this icy dismissal, practically vibrating with the thrill of incoming gossip.
The most spiritually gifted monk of the Heavenly Buddha Temple had broken his vows of detachment, and for the infamously unapproachable Longevity Fairy, no less!
This scandal would feed the teahouses for at least twenty years.
Gulp!
Swallowing hard, Yixiu wilted under the crushing pressure, respectfully presenting the wooden carving from his robes with both hands.
He was definitely getting confined to the temple for a decade by his master after pulling this stunt.
The moment Yixiu revealed his “treasure,” countless high-level divine senses swept across the courtyard to analyze it.
When they realized it was just a mundane block of carved wood, half the crowd nearly burst into laughter.
Young, foolish romantics always tried these flashy, “sentimental” gestures.
Over the past seventy years, the Longevity Fairy had received mountains of these “heartfelt” tokens.
Without exception, every single one had been instantly reduced to ashes by her spiritual fire.
Just as the crowd expected this to end exactly as it always did, the perpetually frozen fairy abruptly shot to her feet.
Whoosh!
Erupting with the terrifying pressure of the Nascent Soul realm, Li Niansheng bypassed the spatial distance, materializing directly in front of Yixiu.
Staring at the carving in his hands, her entire body began to tremble.
She snatched the wooden tiger, her fingers tracing the familiar, meticulous grooves left by the carving knife, instantly feeling Chen Changsheng’s presence.
That distinct, strangely adorable animal caricature… in the entire world, only Brother Changsheng carved like that.
Brother Changsheng hadn’t broken his promise; he had been with her all along.
Gripping the toy tightly against her chest, Li Niansheng unleashed a smile so radiant it seemed to drain the color from the surrounding world.
“I love it. Once this ceremony concludes, come to my quarters.”
“Remember. Come exactly alone.”
All the Guests: ???
Wait, what was happening?
The untouchable Longevity Fairy just propositioned a lowly Foundation Establishment monk?!
The Linglong Sect Leader: (͡°͜ʖ͡°)✧
Praise the Sect Ancestors, Niansheng had finally awakened to her worldly desires!
Sure, the monk’s seniority, strength, and age were all a little lacking.
But those were minor technicalities. Once the old fossils at the Heavenly Buddha Temple retired, Yixiu’s status would naturally skyrocket.
The power gap was a bit tricky, though… did the Linglong Sect even have any top-tier dual cultivation manuals in the vault?