It was late at night, and the two of them gazed into each other's eyes.
They had known each other for ten years, and for the past five, ever since arriving at the Immortal Palace, they had asked about good and bad fortune every day.
A little at a time, their bond had deepened over the years.
That was enough for Li Ji'an to see through Ning Sujin's character and temperament.
Time had already given him the answer.
It was no exaggeration to say that, from initially seeking only to use her ability to avoid misfortune and seek good fortune, Ning Sujin had become the person closest to him in this world, and the one he trusted most.
Her preference for confiding in Li Ji'an alone had also made him stand out among the reserve Immortal Seeds of his generation.
Not to mention that her looks and figure both far surpassed what Li Ji'an found attractive after living four lifetimes.
Taking everything into account, even Li Ji'an, who had lived four lifetimes and had a mental age of over a hundred, admired her greatly.
If he didn't have the ability to rejuvenate, and if he weren't pursuing the goal of becoming an Eternal Immortal, Ning Sujin would undoubtedly have been his first choice.
But at that moment, Li Ji'an understood that Ning Sujin had no confidence in the fate awaiting her. She was even despairing.
And so, the purest and most innocent feelings buried deep in her heart had been stirred awake.
All she wanted was to have no regrets, even if all she had left was the memory of it.
Li Ji'an understood and agreed. He was willing to help her fulfill that wish.
When it came to something that had little effect on his goal of becoming an Eternal Immortal, he was easygoing.
As long as he acted with enough caution, he was destined to live for a very, very long time. He would meet many people and experience many things. If he couldn't be more carefree over the course of those long years, life would surely grow exhausting. Such longevity might not be a blessing at all, but a torment.
Only by letting go of one thought could one find ease in all things.
"Let's go!" Li Ji'an took Ning Sujin's slender hand and pushed open the door.
Ning Sujin didn't ask where they were going. A smile she could hardly hide curled at the corners of her mouth.
A moment later, when she saw the towering pagoda stretching into the clouds before them, the smile on Ning Sujin's lips deepened.
This was the Immortal Offering Tower at the peak of the Immortal Palace—the place she had once told Li Ji'an she wanted to climb.
"How's our fortune?"
"Hmph! Couldn't you be bold for once?" The warmth Ning Sujin had just felt dwindled in an instant.
Truthfully, Li Ji'an didn't need to ask. She was always paying attention to the mysterious stirrings of fate. How could she really let him fall into danger?
Li Ji'an smiled freely and shifted his feet, channeling his full strength.
Then, to Ning Sujin's astonishment, Li Ji'an wrapped an arm around her waist and sprang into the air.
He rose straight up to a height of three zhang before pushing off again.
He repeated the maneuver, and in fewer than ten attempts, Ning Sujin was standing atop the Immortal Offering Tower, just as she had hoped!
"You actually..." She was utterly stunned.
The Immortal Offering Tower stood nearly a hundred meters high. With her family's Floating Duckweed Steps, there was no way she could reach the top. It was a footwork technique for dodging and maneuvering over a small area, not a lightness skill.
And with Li Ji'an's strength, having only just entered the Marrow Cleansing Realm, even an ordinary lightness skill might not have been enough to get him up here so easily.
"That must be at least a first-rate lightness skill, and you've already mastered it, haven't you?"
Li Ji'an smiled modestly. "You're too kind."
"When did you start practicing lightness skills?"
"Three years ago," Li Ji'an answered honestly.
"Had you already given up back then?"
Li Ji'an gave an ambiguous smile.
"Hmph, you even kept it from me. No wonder your inner cultivation has progressed so slowly these past few years! You deserve a beating." Before she had even finished speaking, Ning Sujin's figure began to drift and weave.
She had practiced Floating Duckweed Steps from a young age, mostly using Ning Yutan as a sparring partner.
Five years ago, Ning Yutan had ascended to the Immortal Realm with an immortal master, leaving Ning Sujin with no one to practice against. Now, though, she was in the mood to test Li Ji'an's mettle.
Li Ji'an smiled freely, his figure drifting just as nimbly. "Then you'll have to try harder."
In an instant, two figures tangled together atop the Immortal Palace.
"You even learned Floating Duckweed Steps? You've actually surpassed the master!" As soon as they clashed, Ning Sujin was even more astonished.
The footwork that had always let her toy with Ning Yutan as if she were in the palm of her hand couldn't give her the slightest advantage against Li Ji'an. He even kept her in check at every turn.
Especially since Li Ji'an not only had exquisite footwork, but also unleashed a steady stream of punches and palm strikes. Clearly, he had mastered more than just one martial art.
She had only practiced footwork when she was young. All these years, she had focused on becoming an Immortal Seed, and she hadn't practiced it in five years. It had long since grown rusty.
After only a few exchanges, Ning Sujin was drenched in sweat and forced to concede. Her gaze toward Li Ji'an burned even brighter.
"That little rascal's full of tricks. A grand battle atop the Immortal Palace..." On the top floor of the Scripture Pavilion, Old Shi watched the two atop the tower and chuckled as he scolded them.
Especially when he saw them go from fighting to standing side by side, then sitting together to admire the moon, and finally leaning against each other, he couldn't help but cry out that it was painful to watch.
The same reaction played out in several other parts of the Immortal Palace.
But not a single person went up to stop them.
After all, one of them was a princess, and no explicit order forbade such behavior.
The only thing they regretted was that the show they'd expected never happened.
For the next few days, Li Ji'an stayed by Ning Sujin's side.
They strolled through the lantern festival, savored fine wine, and sampled delicious food... He was determined to leave her with no regrets.
Until the tenth day, when rosy dawn streamed through the window lattice and fell across the ornate bed.
It dusted the scattered green gauze dress, the blue-green bellyband, the white stockings... strewn across the floor with a layer of gold.
Ning Sujin's blush had yet to fade. She struggled to sit up, her body nearly falling apart, and glanced at the brave man still fast asleep. Memories of the previous night's madness made her cheeks flush all over again.
She dressed as quietly as she could, then couldn't help leaning down to kiss him tenderly once more.
"My dear Li, no matter what fortune today brings... I have no regrets with you. I... Mm, mm..."
She hadn't finished speaking when a large hand somehow wrapped around her waist and pulled her back into bed, her body still aching with a tearing pain.
Li Ji'an, who had woken long ago and had been resting with his eyes closed, rolled on top of her.
The battle was about to begin.
It was Li Ji'an's first time in this world. He marveled that youth was wonderful, all the while savoring every moment and reveling in it.
The desire for food and sex was human nature!
If something brought pleasure to body and soul, he should go with the flow instead of fighting against the heavens.
His life was destined to be long. Without anything to break up the monotony, it would be far too dull, and his motivation would wane.
Having things to pursue and things to love was what could fill his endless life with hope and drive.
Otherwise, what was the point of living so long?...
"Today's the day everything changes?" After their passion had subsided, Li Ji'an gently stroked the snow-white body nestled in his arms.
"Today."
"Still can't sense whether it's good or bad?"
Ning Sujin turned over and lay on top of Li Ji'an, smiling brightly. "It can only be a great blessing!"
"An imperial decree! Princess Wenjin, come with me at once to meet His Majesty. Do not delay." Just then, a eunuch's shrill voice shattered the two of them' peaceful afterglow.
"The emperor?" Li Ji'an frowned slightly.
"No! The immortal master!"
"Could the immortal master really have come for me?"
At this point, Ning Sujin didn't hesitate any longer. A definite answer was far better than the unknown, with nothing she could do about it.
As soon as Ning Sujin and her party departed, Li Ji'an followed close behind.
Before you continue