Cultivating Immortality, Starting from Childhood Sweethearts

"Elope?"

Hearing Qin Qingwan utter those words, Xu Ming froze for a moment.

Sure, having a cute girl ask to "elope" with him was quite flattering, but—you're only six years old!

"Yes!" Qin Qingwan nodded earnestly, her face filled with determination.

Xu Ming smiled and rubbed her little head. "But Qingwan, do you even know what elope means?"

"I do!" Qin Qingwan nodded again with confidence. "Eloping is when two people who like each other go somewhere far, far away, to a place where no one can find them. Brother Ming, I've saved up a lot of money—enough for us to go somewhere very, very far, where no one will ever find us."

Her bright eyes stared at Xu Ming with hopeful anticipation. "Qingwan likes Brother Ming. Don't you like me, too?"

Xu Ming gently pinched her slightly chubby cheeks, smiling. "Of course I like Qingwan. But why did you suddenly think about eloping with me?"

Hearing his question, Qin Qingwan lowered her little head, pouting. "Because Master said she'll take me back to Tianxuan Sect tomorrow. Qingwan doesn't want to leave Brother Ming so soon…"

"Tomorrow?" Xu Ming was taken aback. This news felt sudden. "I thought you wouldn't leave until you turned nine?"

Qin Qingwan kept her head down, her lips trembling.

"Master said that soon a great opportunity will appear that will greatly help my cultivation, so she wants to take me back early. She also said she has matters to handle at the sect.

Because of my Innate Sacred Physique, many people already know about me. Master said that if she's not here, no one will be able to protect me.

But Qingwan doesn't want to leave Mother, and I don't want to leave Brother Ming either…"

Xu Ming chuckled softly. "But Qingwan, if we elope, wouldn't you still be leaving your mother behind?"

Qin Qingwan lifted her head and blinked. "Mother won't elope with us, but Brother Ming would. If I leave with Master, neither Mother nor Brother Ming will be by my side. But if I elope with Brother Ming, at least I'll still have you."

"…"

Xu Ming was momentarily stunned.

Well, when she put it like that… it almost sounded logical.

"Qingwan… I'm sorry, but I can't elope with you." Xu Ming looked at the little girl in front of him, his expression serious.

"Why?" Tears had already started to gather in Qin Qingwan's eyes, as though they would fall at any moment. "Does Brother Ming not like me?"

"Quite the opposite." Xu Ming shook his head gently. "It's because I like Qingwan too much that I can't elope with you."

Qin Qingwan tilted her head, her teary eyes brimming with confusion. "Brother Ming, I don't understand."

Xu Ming reached out and gently wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes. "Because I can't let Qingwan be held back. If even your master says this opportunity is important for your future, it must mean it will play a crucial role in your path of cultivation."

Qin Qingwan clutched Xu Ming's hand tightly. "But to me, Brother Ming is more important than that opportunity."

"Thank you, Qingwan. Hearing that makes me very happy." Xu Ming smiled gently. "But Qingwan, I'm more afraid of seeing you get hurt."

Xu Ming looked into her clear, peach blossom eyes. "Your master said you possess an incredible Innate Sacred Physique, and many people will want to seize you for themselves. There will be bad people who plot against you. If that happens, I will always stand in front of you to protect you.

But what worries me is… even if I give it everything I have, I might not be strong enough to defeat those bad people.

I want Qingwan to grow up safe and healthy."

Qin Qingwan lowered her head again, her lips tightly pressed together.

"Qingwan, you have extraordinary talent…"

"And Qingwan, you're still so young, very, very young. As you grow up, your views on many things will change.

In the future, Qingwan will definitely become a very powerful cultivator, and you'll grow more and more beautiful. Brother Ming believes that you'll make it onto the Qingyun Rankings, just like Xue Nuo. Then one day, you'll reach the Tianxia(World) Rankings, and even the Hongyan(Beauty) Rankings.

In everyone's eyes, you'll become a goddess, someone high above, unattainable to all."

"But Brother Ming…" Qin Qingwan looked up at him, her tearful eyes misty, "Qingwan doesn't want to change. I don't want to grow up, and I don't want to be everyone's goddess. I just want to be Brother Ming's Qingwan."

Hearing the girl's pure and sincere words, Xu Ming's heart softened instantly.

"You little fool." Xu Ming curled his finger and gently flicked Qingwan's delicate, upturned nose. "No matter how Qingwan changes in the future, you'll always be Brother Ming's Qingwan. But by then, Qingwan won't even look at me anymore and will have forgotten all about me."

"No, I won't! I won't!" Qin Qingwan shook her head like a rattle drum. "Qingwan will never forget Brother Ming."

Xu Ming smiled. "Really?"

Qin Qingwan nodded quickly, like a pecking chick. "Really!"

"I don't believe you," Xu Ming teased. "Unless Qingwan proves it to me."

Qin Qingwan frowned in confusion. "But Brother Ming, how do I prove it?"

Xu Ming pretended to think for a moment. "How about this?"

He walked over to the Tianxuan Goose's nest, plucked a feather from the sleeping bird, then broke it in half. He handed one half to Qin Qingwan and kept the other half for himself.

"When you leave with the National Preceptor to Tianxuan Sect, the next time we meet, you must bring this half of the feather with you. Whoever loses theirs will have forgotten about the other. How does that sound?"

"Qingwan won't forget Brother Ming!" Qin Qingwan, feeling doubted, pouted slightly but carefully tucked the feather away, keeping it close to her.

However, her momentary pout soon faded, replaced by the sadness of impending separation. "Brother Ming, when will we meet again?"

Xu Ming thought for a moment. "I read in a book once that in Tianxuan Sect, there's a flower called the Blood Toras. When the Blood Toras blooms for the fifth time, we will definitely meet again."

"Really?" Qin Qingwan's eyes shone brightly.

"Really." Xu Ming nodded. The Blood Toras flower blooms once every two years—five blooms would mean ten years. That would be enough time.

"Then let's make a pinky promise." Qin Qingwan extended her fair, delicate little finger.

"Pinky promise." Xu Ming reached out his hand, and their little fingers hooked together.

Qin Qingwan gently shook Xu Ming's finger. "Pinky promise, sealed forever, no changes for a hundred years."

Xu Ming smiled and repeated, "Pinky promise, sealed forever, no changes for a hundred years."

"Brother Ming~" Qin Qingwan suddenly called out softly, as if something had just come to mind.

"Hmm?"

"How long is a hundred years?"

"A hundred years? It's a very, very long time."

"Then Brother Ming…"

"Hmm?"

"Can a hundred years… last long enough for us to grow old together?"