Zhu An, the junior disciple of the Immortal Sect's Hidden Peak, lacked talent and ranked near the bottom in cultivation. To make matters worse, he was competitive and jealous, so no one at Hidden Peak could stand him.
The complete opposite of him was their senior disciple, Li Zong, who was exceptionally gifted and second only to Immortal Venerable Chaoyin in cultivation throughout Hidden Peak. He was a righteous gentleman, respected by all.
Their master held Li Zong in high regard, and the other disciples admired him deeply. Only Zhu An opposed him at every turn, making no effort to hide his dislike.
Because only Zhu An knew that Li Zong was nothing like the pure and noble man he seemed to be. Every night, when Li Zong came to claim his pleasure, all that upright decorum vanished, leaving only a gentle voice calling to him again and again: "An'an."
When the demonic cultivators launched a massive assault on Hidden Peak, Li Zong went to meet them. After driving back thousands of them, he fell into the Demon Emperor's trap and was captured.
Despite being gravely injured, their master personally led the disciples to rescue him. Even after suffering a crushing defeat, they refused to retreat.
Only the secret art practiced by Zhu An could suppress the Demon Emperor.
His fellow disciples took turns trying to persuade him. At last, even the master he secretly admired spoke up, solemnly saying, "Hidden Peak cannot be without Li Zong."
Zhu An smiled sadly and did as they wished.
That day, Zhu An used his blood as a catalyst and his body as an offering to activate the formation, perishing alongside the Demon Emperor.
The heart-rending cries of Li Zong behind him faded into the wind.
When Zhu An awoke again, all the spiritual energy in his body was gone. He had become an ordinary person, unable to cultivate immortality.
He had planned to avoid further conflict and live out the rest of his life in peace.
But then he learned that after he died, his usually elegant and gentle master had vomited blood, the Third Senior Brother who had mocked and bullied him had shed tears, and the Sword Venerable, who had always looked down on him, had pointed his sword at the demonic path.
As for Li Zong, he had charged into the formation like a madman. After losing most of his cultivation, he had directly discarded his spiritual bones and begun practicing forbidden arts, hoping to reverse the natural laws of the Dao and bring Zhu An back from the dead.
After coming back to life, Zhu An had planned to keep his distance, but Li Zong found him anyway.
Li Zong held him tightly, struggling to contain his emotions, his voice choked with tears. "An'an, it was my fault. I only ask that you don't leave me alone again."
Reading Guide
1. One-on-one romance, both characters are inexperienced, and there is a melodramatic reconciliation arc.
2. Beloved-by-all senior disciple gong x disliked-by-all junior disciple shou.
3. The shou admires their master early on, but the gong only ever loves the shou.
Theme: Cherish the people around you. Don't wait until they're gone to regret it.
