Chapter 997 - 441: The Flavor of Mortal Life

For Li An, in fact, Tan Qingxue is also one of the women entangled most deeply with him in this life.

In fact, when he was living a peaceful life of cultivation in Qingyang market, he may have had a hint of longing, and later when Tan Qingxue became the Demon Queen and was extremely attentive to him, he probably felt a trace of gratitude...

But his heart ultimately couldn't walk together with Tan Qingxue.

At the root, why exactly?

Li An also did not know why he always kept his distance and guarded against Tan Qingxue.

"Who are you..."

The elderly woman with white hair finally sensed someone approaching; she looked up at Li An, but the old eyes were a bit vague at once, the originally hollow eyes gradually gathered a bit of clarity.

"Li Lang."

She recognized Li An, yet showed no surprise nor shock, stood up, trembling, and said: "Li Lang, you finally returned, how was today, did the business go well? Was the Spirit Talisman income alright?"

"Come over quickly, I made a Second Grade defensive armor for you, wear this, you'll no longer have to fear Foundation Establishment Stage demon cultivators."

She held up the robe in her hand, revealing a smile.

Li An couldn't help but be stunned.

For a moment, he couldn't quite grasp Tan Qingxue's state; she recognized Li An but was treating him as if he were the Li An from over four thousand years ago in Qingyang market, who married her and ran a small Spirit Talisman shop?

Or perhaps, aside from those memories, she had forgotten everything else? Forgotten she had become the Demon Race's Demon Queen, forgotten she entered the Dao Sect, and even forgotten all the disputes of the Thirty-Three Heavens.

Completely immersed in her own world!

The beauty of yesteryear, now a senile old woman, brought Li An an inexplicable sense of desolation.

If one can't prove longevity, one inevitably withers.

Perhaps his heart was unwilling to be cruel, Li An stepped forward and said: "I'm back."

Tan Qingxue's face blossomed into a smile, a child's joy and happiness, she suddenly rushed toward Li An, and as she approached, her aged face turned young, her white hair surprisingly turned black, all wrinkles vanished, and her bent figure instantly became graceful, in the moment she jumped into Li An's embrace, she had completely become the talented Talisman Dao girl from the Profound Yang Sect years ago.

"I've waited for you for so long, I've waited so long for you..."

Tan Qingxue began to cry softly, "Li Lang, you won't leave me, will you? You won't leave me?"

"I know you hate me, hate me for leaving you in your most dangerous time, I truly regret it, deeply regret it... I'm willing to spend a lifetime to make up for it."

She spoke softly, and a knot in Li An's heart suddenly unraveled at this moment.

He never understood why he couldn't ever feel any fondness for Tan Qingxue, but now he finally understood, perhaps it's just because back in Qingyang market when facing danger, Tan Qingxue chose to leave.

Instead of facing it with him.

His initial interactions with Gu Hong and Shangguan Xiaoxiao were out of utility, but ultimately, they proactively sacrificed for Li An, even disregarding life or death.

The sense of security they gave to Li An was something Tan Qingxue never did, so in the deepest part of Li An's heart, he would never regard her as a person worth trusting, or as intimate.

"I forgive you."

Li An sighed deeply, finally understanding, in this chaotic world, the pursuit of longevity is not just for eternal prosperity and wealth, but also to combat inner anxiety and unease.

Because of weakness, there is fear; because of fear, there is anxiety; because of anxiety, there is indifference; because of indifference, there is strength.

Seeing beauty's face grow old, only then realizing in this life I am me.

Li An felt an unprecedented understanding of himself.

Upon hearing this, Tan Qingxue in his embrace laughed, laughed with infinite joy and relief, her face suddenly aged again.

In the instant she saw Li An, her last vitality was ignited, burning out in an instant, now at the verge of aging and death.

"Li Lang, I seem to have had a dream..."

Tan Qingxue murmured, tears on her aged face: "I dreamed I left you, married someone else, and had a strange daughter..."

"I dreamed I grew old, nearly died..."

She murmured: "When am I really dreaming..."

Then, Tan Qingxue's body slipped from Li An's arms.

She died.

At death, her face was neither happy nor painful, just carried some questions unresolved in this life.

Li An sighed lightly, then took her body away.

"Supreme, where are you going?"

Outside the formation, Li Nianxue asked.

Regarding her mother's death, she had no reaction; having reached the Taiyi Golden Immortal cultivation level, she long understood she wasn't really Tan Qingxue's biological daughter, keeping Tan Qingxue, in some sense, perhaps really just because of Li An.

"Find a suitable place, bury her."

Li An said: "I'm going down the mountain, it won't take long, I'll return... by the way, is the teleportation array still operable?"

"Reporting to Supreme, the teleportation arrays connecting to Spirit Realm locations have all been rebuilt."

Li Nianxue accompanied Li An down the peak, arriving at the teleportation array, the formation activated, Li An stepped in, light flickered, his figure vanished accordingly.