Chapter 337: A Promise Worth More Than Eternity
A Promise Worth More Than Eternity
Was she really...
...that important to him?
The thought made her heartbeat quicken.
Her beautiful face slowly flushed pink.
She raised her eyes and looked at Leon.
His purple eyes remained calm.
There was no trace of regret.
No calculation.
No expectation of repayment.
Only warmth.
Her chest tightened.
Never in all her years had anyone treated her this way.
She had entered the Martial Emperor Tomb seeking fortune.
Yet instead...
She had met a man willing to place the world itself into her hands.
A treasure capable of changing one’s destiny...
He offered it to her as naturally as breathing.
How could she deny the sincerity behind those actions?
Her fingers unconsciously clutched the corner of her sleeve.
"Oh..."
She gently poked her soft lips with a fair finger, completely at a loss for words.
She was touched.
She was surprised.
And somewhere deep inside...
She was happier than she dared admit.
Yet when her gaze fell upon the Eternal Genesis Pill again, the powerful vitality flowing from it reminded her exactly how priceless it truly was.
Her expression gradually became firm.
Leon had already given her countless precious treasures before.
How could she continue accepting everything from him?
Yes...
She wanted this Eternal Genesis Pill.
It would be an unimaginable blessing for her future cultivation.
But wanting something...
...and accepting it...
...were two different things.
She wasn’t a selfish woman.
She didn’t want Leon to be the only one constantly giving while she merely accepted everything with open hands.
What kind of relationship would that become?
Love...
...should never belong to only one person.
It had to be cherished by both.
Only then could it endure.
Taking a slow breath, Anna forced herself to calm the storm raging inside her heart.
She turned her head away with deliberate pride, though the faint blush lingering on her cheeks betrayed her emotions.
"I don’t want it."
"Hiss..."
A collective gasp swept through the crowd.
Someone nearly stumbled where he stood.
"She actually refused..."
"That’s an Eternal Genesis Pill!"
"If you don’t want it, I’ll gladly take it!"
Several cultivators stared longingly at the lotus with burning eyes before quickly lowering their heads, not daring to offend Leon.
Another elder covered his face with both hands.
"What is this young couple doing to us?"
"I’ve cultivated for hundreds of years, yet today my heart has risen and fallen more than during my heavenly tribulation."
The others could only nod helplessly.
They were merely spectators.
Yet somehow...
Watching these two push a priceless treasure back and forth made them more anxious than fighting for it themselves.
Leon quietly watched Anna.
The moment she refused, he noticed the fleeting tenderness hidden beneath her stubborn expression.
He saw it clearly.
She wasn’t rejecting him.
She was thinking about him.
She was worried that he would sacrifice too much for her.
A smile almost escaped his lips.
His repeated sincerity had finally reached her heart.
There was no longer any doubt.
She had completely fallen.
His heart felt unexpectedly light.
Stepping forward, Leon looked directly into Anna’s eyes.
His voice was gentle yet unwavering.
"Dear Anna..."
"I’ve said it before."
"You are my world."
"I want to give the best things in the world to you."
He slowly raised the glowing Eternal Genesis Pill once more.
"This Eternal Genesis Pill is indeed priceless."
A warm smile appeared on his face.
"But in my heart..."
"...it’s not even one ten-thousandth of your value."
Anna trembled the instant those words reached her ears.
Ah...
Damn it...
Not again...
Her heartbeat stumbled, then raced wildly. It felt as though a gentle current had passed through her entire body, leaving every muscle weak and every breath unsteady. The icy walls she had spent years building around her heart cracked once more beneath his sincerity.
No sword technique.
No overwhelming cultivation.
No priceless treasure.
None of them had shaken her as much as those simple, honest words.
Her crimson-pink eyes quivered as she slowly lifted them toward Leon.
His shoulder-length black hair drifted gently in the breeze. His midnight robes, embroidered with thin amethyst patterns, fluttered softly beneath the fading glow of battle. His purple eyes contained no trace of calculation or pride.
Only warmth.
Only sincerity.
For a brief moment, the battlefield disappeared from Anna’s world.
The corpses.
The shattered earth.
The lingering sword intent.
The countless spectators.
Everything faded into silence.
Only Leon remained.
Really...?
Do I truly hold such a place in your heart?
Her thoughts became a tangled mess. She lowered her gaze to the radiant Eternal Genesis Pill resting in Leon’s palm.
That answer...
Perhaps it was already right in front of her.
No amount of pretending could deny it.
Leon’s smile softened, the fierce sword intent that had terrified countless experts now replaced by a warmth that existed only for her.
He looked into Anna’s trembling crimson-pink eyes and spoke quietly, each word carrying the sincerity of his heart.
"I once asked the stars what the most beautiful thing beneath the heavens was."
He let out a faint laugh.
"They never answered... because the answer was already standing in front of me."
Anna’s breathing caught.
Leon continued, his voice calm and unhurried.
"They say the moon lights up the night, but to me... you’re the one who gives meaning to every dawn and every dusk. You’re the quiet peace after every battle and the reason every road I’ve walked no longer feels lonely."
His purple eyes never left hers.
"Meeting you wasn’t fate rewarding me. It was the greatest blessing this life has ever given me."
He slowly lifted the glowing Eternal Genesis Pill between them.
"This treasure may let someone live longer..."
His smile became even gentler.
"But without you beside me, even eternity would feel empty."
He took one slow step closer.
"Since the day we met, every choice I’ve made... every step I’ve taken... has been because I wanted to stand a little closer to you."