By the end of the five days, exhaustion claimed them both. They collapsed in a tangle of limbs, bodies slick with sweat and the evidence of their passionate cultivation i.e. yin and yang qi, sweat, cum, and squirt. Luna's cultivation had tripled realms—Early Mahayana now, power thrumming in her veins like never before. Nova felt the weight of the 78th stage Qi Refining, his body denser, his laws more profound.
But something else had changed. Something neither of them had expected.
In the quiet aftermath, as dawn light crept through the windows painting everything in soft gold and rose, Luna traced a finger down Nova's chest. Her touch was soft, tender in a way it had never been before.
"You're not just a cultivation partner anymore," she whispered, her voice holding no pretense. Only raw, vulnerable truth.
Nova pulled her closer, their bodies pressing together naturally, comfortably. "And what am I?"
Luna looked up at him, and Nova saw something in her violet eyes that made his breath catch. Not possession. Not calculation. But genuine emotion, warm and deep.
"Mine," she said simply. Then, softer: "If you'll have me."
Nova smiled, brushing a strand of black hair from her face. "I think that was decided the moment we started this."
They lay together in comfortable silence for a long moment. Five days of constant cultivation had done more than just advance their realms. It had stripped away pretenses, broken down walls, created an intimacy that went far beyond physical.
Luna had fallen in love. The realization both terrified and exhilarated her.
She, who had sworn off men for over a thousand years. She, who had viewed all males as beneath her notice. She, the cold and untouchable Sect Leader of the Black Tide Sect.
Had fallen completely, utterly, irrevocably in love with a man who'd been her servant for three centuries.
And the most shocking part? She'd become... submissive to him.
Not in cultivation or status—she was still Early Mahayana, one of the strongest on the continent. But in their relationship, in the way she responded to him, in how her body and soul seemed to recognize him as... more.
It was the constitution. Nova's Infinite Constitution, though he didn't fully understand it himself yet, exerted a subtle influence. Not mind control or manipulation—nothing so crude. But a natural charm, an attractiveness that went beyond physical appearance. And with each session of dual cultivation, with each time his essence mixed with hers, the effect deepened.
Luna had no idea. She only knew that when she looked at Nova now, she felt complete in a way she never had before.
"Nova," Luna said suddenly, sitting up to look at him properly. "I need you to stop calling me Sect Leader."
Nova raised an eyebrow. "What should I call you then?"
"Luna." She held his gaze. "Just Luna. When we're alone, I'm not your Sect Leader. I'm just... yours."
The vulnerability in her voice, the way her fierce independence had softened into this tender openness, made Nova's chest tighten.
"Luna," he said, testing the name. It felt right. "I like that."
She smiled—a genuine, unguarded smile that transformed her face from austere beauty to something warm and radiant. Then she leaned down and kissed him, soft and lingering.
When they parted, Luna settled back against his chest, her fingers tracing idle patterns on his skin.
"We need to discuss practical matters," she said, though she made no move to leave the comfort of his arms. "You can't remain listed as a servant. People will notice your cultivation advancement."
"Personal Disciple?" Nova suggested, remembering their earlier conversation.
"Yes. It's the perfect cover story." Luna paused, then added with a small smile, "Though nobody will actually know who you are. You've changed so completely—physically, your aura, everything. No one will connect the young, impossibly handsome masked cultivator to the old servant who worked in my palace. Your identity will be completely mysterious."
Nova considered this. "So I'm essentially a new person to the sect."
"Exactly. Which means..." Luna shifted to look at him directly. "You don't need separate quarters. You should live here. In the Lotus Palace. With me."
Nova's heart skipped a beat. "Are you sure? Won't that raise questions?"
"Personal Disciples often live near their masters for intensive training," Luna said. "And I don't need servants anymore—I can clean the palace myself with a thought, a servant was never needed in the first place. There's no reason you can't stay."
She traced his jawline with one finger. "Besides, I want you close. I want to spend time with you. Actually get to know you, beyond cultivation sessions. Is that..." She hesitated, a rare show of uncertainty. "Is that something you'd want?"
Nova caught her hand, bringing it to his lips. "I'd like nothing more."
Luna's smile could have lit the entire sect. She kissed him again, deeper this time, and for a moment they lost themselves in each other.
When they finally broke apart, Luna rested her forehead against his.
"There's another matter," she said quietly. "Seraphine."
Nova tensed slightly. "What about her?"
"I've noticed the way she looks at you. Even before your transformation—when you were older, just a handsome sixty-year-old man—she had feelings for you. She pushed them down because you were dying, but now..." Luna took a breath. "Now those feelings are coming back."
"Luna, I—"
"I'm not asking you to ignore her," Luna interrupted. "I'm possessive, yes. But I'm not cruel. Seraphine is like a daughter to me. If she truly cares for you, if you develop feelings for her... I won't stand in the way."
Nova stared at her in surprise. "You'd be okay with that?"
Luna laughed softly, though there was a hint of embarrassment in it. "I have to be realistic. Five days of cultivation and you're still ready to go again. I'm exhausted, but you..." She gestured at his clearly energetic state. "Your stamina is impossible. I can't keep up with you alone, and I'd rather share you with someone I trust than have you seek satisfaction elsewhere."
She poked his chest lightly. "Besides, this your body that makes you so irresistible to me probably affects her too. It would be unfair to deny her a chance at happiness."
Nova pulled her close, touched by her honesty. "You're remarkable, you know that?"
"I'm in love," Luna corrected. "Which apparently makes me say and do ridiculous things." But she was smiling as she said it.
They lay together for a while longer, comfortable in the silence, occasionally stealing kisses or murmured words.
Finally, Nova spoke. "There's something I need to tell you. About how I advanced so quickly."
Luna looked at him curiously. "Your physique?"
"Partially." Nova took a breath. He couldn't tell her about the Infinite Constitution—that secret was too dangerous. But he could share some truths. "I encountered an assassin a few nights ago. Supervisor Rowan Valen."
Luna's expression sharpened. "Rowan? What happened?"
"He had help—an 'elder in a ring' scenario. A former Mahayana cultivator named Aldric Mournshadow who'd failed his Immortal Ascension breakthrough."
Nova explained the assassination attempt, the soul extractions, the treasure he'd obtained. He pulled Aldric's spatial ring from his storage and showed her the map to the hidden cultivation abode.
"Two hundred thousand years of accumulated resources," Nova said. "The memories showed it's ten days journey from here—a pocket dimension anchored to the western mountains."
Luna examined the jade slip with the coordinates, her expression thoughtful. "This is significant. An ancient Mahayana cultivator's legacy..." She looked up at him. "I'm attending the Continental Auction in three weeks to sell your Soul-Sword technique. The route passes near these coordinates. I will raid the abode on my way back."
Nova smiled. "I was hoping you'd say that. I trust you more than anyone to handle it."
"You trust me with a fortune in ancient resources?" Luna raised an eyebrow, but she was smiling.
"I trust you with everything," Nova said simply.
Luna's expression softened. She leaned in and kissed him thoroughly. "I'll raid it clean," she promised. "Every resource, every treasure, every secret. It'll all be ours."
"Ours," Nova repeated, liking the sound of that.