Master, Ascension Isn't Dating!

[Stage Two: Gazing at the Heavenly Light, Complete]

[Beautiful, strong, tragic immortal lord who wins himself over × wooden-headed, fiercely devoted reader]

I, Jiang Jianxue, was so furious at the angst-filled novel Frost Moon Without Mercy in my past life that I literally died on the spot.

In the story, the immortal venerable Yu Qingshang, who was like a bright moon hanging alone in the sky, was forced into marriage and abused in body and soul by a bunch of deranged tops, until he became their plaything.

I slammed my keyboard in rage. “The author must be sick! Why can't you just let the moon hang peacefully in the sky?”

When I opened my eyes again, I had transmigrated into the book.

No missions, no rewards, just a reader's reckless courage and a heart full of indignation.

Fine. If nobody else will do anything, I will! Anyone who dares hate the moon is dead!

On my first trip back in time, I landed at the end of the story as a nobody with meager spiritual power.

I used every trick I had to push him out of a hopeless situation with one palm strike.

When he turned around, all he saw was my back disappearing into a sky full of demonic flames.

(History would later record: Yu Qingshang, immortal venerable of Shu Yu Peak, survived the impossible and rekindled his Dao heart. For the next thousand years, he often stood alone at the Fallen Abyss, as if searching for someone.)

On my second trip back in time, I landed in the middle of the story and became the beast of a senior brother who preyed on his own disciples.

He looked at me with eyes three times colder than a demonic cultivator's.

I didn't care. I secretly gave the original novel's scumbag top a very physical send-off, while smiling at him like the perfect big brother. “Junior Brother, the weather is fine today. It's a good day to cultivate and a bad day to fall in love.”

He looked at the blood I hadn't wiped clean behind me, the sword in his hand singing like it was weeping.

In the end, he killed me on the immortal sect's judgment platform.

As the sword pierced my heart, I silently mouthed to him, “Now it's clean.”

(According to unofficial histories, after Yu Qingshang slew the demon that day, his Dao heart fell into chaos. His sword qi soared into the heavens for three months without pause, and he nearly went mad.)

On my third return, I went back to the very beginning of the story, with my spiritual power badly depleted.

But this time, I assumed the most spotless identity I could, endured countless hardships, and “happened” to meet him just after he emerged from seclusion. At last, I succeeded in becoming his disciple.

Perfect. This time, I had the ideal identity.

I vowed to be his most considerate, most upright disciple, the one who most wanted him to ascend to immortality.

I'd shield him from disaster, refine pills for him, and stomp every toad lusting after him into the dirt before they could get near.

Every day, I filled his ears with righteous principles. “Master, men slow down your sword hand. Keep men out of your heart, and immortality will come naturally!”

He always listened in silence, occasionally glancing at me with a gaze so deep it seemed to see right through me.

Until the pivotal night in the original story when he was supposed to be humiliated.

I fought to the bitter end with my half-ruined body, clearing every obstacle in his way until I was on the verge of vanishing myself.

He broke through the formation and swept me up in his arms, his white robes stained with dust. Spiritual power surged into my depleted meridians like a towering tide, forceful and unrelenting.

I coughed up blood in a panic. “Master, you mustn't! This will ruin your Dao foundation and keep you from ascending!”

His fingertip brushed the space between my brows, where the soul mark from my three returns, now on the verge of disappearing, was hidden.

“On your first return, you died for me.”

“On your second, you went mad for me.”

“Jiang Jianxue,” he said, his voice hoarse. “This time you made up a whole story about filial devotion to fool me, only to disappear without a word again, didn't you?”

“You keep saying I should keep men out of my heart.” His palm pressed against my lower back. “What about you?”

“After returning three times, who is the one in your heart?”

(This time, he doesn't want to trust anything written in the records. He only wants to hold on to the liar right in front of him.)

Three returns, three deaths.

Each time, I came closer to you. Each time, I loved you more.

But the little liar who keeps talking about filial devotion still refuses to admit it.

[Reading Guide]

One-on-one | Happy ending | Aloof, broken immortal lord × snarky, fiercely devoted reader.

In another sense, they could also be a gorgeous cat and a loyal dog. Wave the cat-and-dog flag high!

Written in third person, mixing classical style with comedy.

[Bonus Scene]

Jiang Jianxue (reviewing his failures): That makes no sense! I was so devoted, it moved heaven and earth! When did he figure it out?

Fute Yuan (sipping tea, gazing into the distance): Probably the first time you said, “Keep men out of your heart.” He wasn't thinking about ascending at all. He was thinking about how to make sure your heart was full of him.

Yu Qingshang (emerging from the shadows, giving him a faint glance): Not bad. You're learning.

Theme: If love means possession and destruction, then what I believe in is giving you the freedom to shine, pure and bright.