"Don't do this..."

Li Ming begged him as she tried to control the tears that were constantly running down her cheeks.

She could feel everything inside her falling apart as the realization hit her. No matter how much she wanted, Zhang Yong had left her no option for saving him.

He not only lost his spiritual energy entirely but he also separated his spirit form.

Li Ming hurriedly wiped away her tears as she called out her energy. Even though she herself was exhausted because of all the suffering and pain her soul and body were going through, she had to try to save her mate. She could not just sit and watch him leaving her forever.

But before her hands could move, Zhang Yong stopped her.

"Why? Why are you doing this to me? At least let me try!" Li Ming could not control her tears that once again started running down her eyes.

The Shadow Lord placed one of his hands on her cheek as his fingers softly rubbed against her skin.

"The result will be the same no matter how hard you will try. I know my body and it is ready to succumb." He told her as his own eyes became hazy because of the unshed tears.

"Zhang....please don't do this. Please! I'm begging you. Let me try. This curse was for me. It won't resist my pull." She begged him as she felt the bond between them weakening with every passing second. He really did not have much time left.

Zhang Yong immediately shook his head in denial. He knew very well that as soon as she would try to pull out the curse, the dark evil thing would try its best to destroy her and he won't let that happen, not at any cost.

"Please don't hate me for breaking my promise. I was supposed to accompany you and the others for eternity but I need to leave now. I'm sorry for not fulfilling my promise. I'm really sorry, Ming'er." He finally could no longer hold back his tears.

He could feel her breaking down as their bond shattered little by little. He knew that he was leaving her in pain but he also knew that his brothers would be there for her.

It was safer for her to lose a bondmate than a soulmate.

Her cries tore his heart into pieces as he tried his very best to hang on for a few more minutes.

"Ming'er..."

His voice came out tired, exhausted, and full of sadness. His body had turned too cold and his breathing was slowing down as his end neared.

Li Ming grasped his hand tightly as she placed warm kisses all over his cold hand before she turned her entire attention towards his face.

"Will you stop crying if I promise to return?" He asked softly as he looked at her broken appearance. He could not bear seeing her in such a helpless state. He could not bear to see her suffering like that.

"Though I broke my previous promise, I swear I'll not do the same again. I promise to return by your side. Will you wait for me? Don't pass my position to someone else in the meantime. Okay?"

Li Ming could not reply as she just shook her head. She took in a deep breath before she cupped his cheeks with both of her hands as she replied.

"There's no one else in this world who can ever take your place in my life or heart. No one! I trust you with all my heart but I don't want you to leave me alone. Maybe I'm being selfish but I don't care. You can't do this to me...."

She choked on her words as tears kept pouring out of her eyes. Her grief was too much for her to handle. The last time she felt this much sadness breaking her was in her previous life, when she lost her father.

However, it felt like this time something inside her was dying too.

"I don't think that I can hang on for much longer. I'm just happy that you are not eager to pass my position in your life to someone else..."

Zhang Yong tried to chuckle but ended up coughing and Li Ming immediately passed a little bit of her spiritual energy in his body to provide him comfort.

"Are you....."

She was about to ask him if he was feeling okay. However, she trailed off when she realized how stupid her question was.

"I'm taking your silence as a yes, Ming'er. I'm pretending as if you have agreed to wait for my return. And I hope when I return, this world will be far much better than how it is right now. I hope you will be happily married and I will love it if there will be a few little toddlers running around you...."

There was a smile on his lips, one that could also be seen in his eyes as if he was picturing his words and seeing a glimpse of the future.

It took everything inside Li Ming to stop herself from breaking down completely. She placed another warm kiss on his hand that she once again holding in her warm ones before she moved to place another warm kiss on his forehead.

He had closed his eyes as he enjoyed the last touch of his mate's warmth.

"Ming'er, can you do me a favor? I want to recall all our memories together. I wanna leave with those happy memories..." His voice was low, but she heard him very clearly.

She moved to sit against the headboard before she pulled his head in her lap and started stroking his hair.

Her eyes were also closed as she pulled out those memories and started sharing them with him.

From the day they first met to all those days when they were together, when they fight to solve problems together, and when they had fun together. He was always there for her, no matter what.

And as the memories came ho an end, she felt the link between them finally breaking as her mate left her alone with the promise to return one day.