Qingyang City, inside the Liu Family's inner courtyard.
Yun Yun, Liu Ruyan, Supreme Emperor and the others were talking in a quiet room.
Suddenly, the space in front of them twisted without warning, then tore open a slit.
Under the shocked stares of everyone present, Gu Luoli stepped out, holding a spirit boat in her hand.
The spatial rift quietly closed behind her.
"Third Junior Sister?!"
Liu Ruyan was the first to cry out in alarm.
Supreme Emperor's mind reeled; he sprang to his feet, staring at Gu Luoli in disbelief.
He glanced again at the Void Realm she had just walked out of—now empty.
Tearing space?
A pinpoint teleportation?
At minimum, that required a Mahayana Stage Master with an extremely deep grasp of the Law of Space!
And she had sent a person straight through?
What level of expert could possibly do that?
And judging from Liu Ruyan's address, this young woman was actually her Third Junior Sister?
A mere Disciple, able to shuttle through space thanks to her Master?
Then what about her Master himself… Supreme Emperor dared not think further.
He felt his understanding of Yaochi Immortal Palace violently overturned once more, awe rising to its Peak.
"Luoli pays respects to Vice Palace Master, Second Senior Sister."
Gu Luoli nodded slightly to the group, then looked at Yun Yun and offered the silver-white flying boat with both hands.
"Vice Palace Master, Master ordered me to deliver this cloud sea spirit boat. She said it can ferry the new Disciples back to the palace."
Yun Yun took the boat; a sweep of her Divine Sense brought comprehension, and she approved of Gu Han's arrangement.
"Thank you for your trouble," she said warmly.
"Vice Palace Master is too polite."
Gu Luoli replied, then turned to Liu Ruyan and to Xiao Ya, who was eyeing her curiously, and smiled.
Liu Ruyan hastily introduced them.
When Xiao Ya learned that this woman with the unusual eyes was actually the Palace Master's third Disciple, her heart shook.
"Xiao Ya greets Senior Sister Gu."
"No need for ceremony, Junior Sister."
Gu Luoli quickly stepped forward to raise her up.
At close range, Xiao Ya couldn't help staring at Gu Luoli's double pupils.
Those eyes held faint golden flows, as if hiding endless secrets, unlike anyone she had ever met.
It instantly ignited her researcher's curiosity.
"Senior Sister Gu,"
Xiao Ya couldn't help asking, eyes sparkling,
"Just now… did you actually step straight through space? That black crack?"
"What did it feel like when you came through?"
"Any sense of weightlessness? Did the space-time warp affect your senses? Discomfort in your body? And…"
Her questions tumbled out rapid-fire.
Driven by intense curiosity and an almost instinctive need to analyze, she was clearly lost in "phenomenon dissection."
Gu Luoli was stunned by the barrage.
She had grown up in Qingyun Holy Land among traditional Cultivators; even after later upheavals, no one had ever asked such things.
She blinked, meeting the pure, blazing thirst for knowledge in this Junior Sister's eyes, not knowing where to begin.
Um… Master sent me,"
Gu Luoli said carefully, trying to recall.
"It felt… like walking through a door; the light around twisted a bit, no discomfort."
"As for the rest… I don't really understand."
She admitted frankly; as a Foundation Establishment Stage Cultivator, how could she grasp the mysteries of spatial Law?
Clearly dissatisfied, Xiao Ya was about to press for details.
Ahem!"
An embarrassed cough cut her off.
Supreme Emperor's old face reddened; his granddaughter's "old ailment" had struck again.
Asking such odd questions at a formal moment was hardly proper.
He gave Yun Yun and Gu Luoli an apologetic look.
Only then did Xiao Ya realize she had let excitement override the occasion.
Blushing, she quickly stepped back, stood properly, and murmured,
"Sorry, Senior Sister Gu, Senior Yun, I… I was just too curious."
Seeing her like that, even Yun Yun's cool face showed a faint, almost invisible smile.
After these days, she had come to know the Ninth Princess's "special" traits.
That drive to get to the bottom of everything, though sometimes exasperating, also revealed a pure, inquisitive mind.
"No matter," Yun Yun said gently.
"Curiosity isn't bad, but the path of Cultivation is long; many mysteries can only be grasped when your Realm is high enough."
"Once you enter the palace, you'll have chances to explore."
Xiao Ya nodded vigorously, new light reigniting in her eyes.
Yun Yun said no more, turned to Liu Ruyan, and spoke solemnly,
"Ruyan, give gold and silver to the families of Disciples from Mortal backgrounds so they can bid their kin farewell."
"In two days, all Disciples assemble in the square to board the boat for the palace."}
"Yes, Vice Palace Master."
Liu Ruyan nodded in acknowledgment.
For the next two days, Qingyang City was steeped in a swirl of emotions.
For the hundred-plus boys and girls chosen, and for their families, it was a heaven-sent chance to vault over the Dragon Gate.
Yet it also meant a parting that might last years—or even a lifetime.
The Liu Family stepped forward, giving every Disciple from a common or impoverished home enough gold and silver to live in comfort for a long time.
The sudden wealth dulled the ache of farewell a little, yet made it clearer than ever that, once the children left, they would truly enter another world.
Scenes of farewell played out across the city.
On the east side stood Wang Teng's grandfather.
The stubborn old man who always claimed his grandson had "the makings of a Great Emperor" now had reddened eyes as he patted the boy's shoulder.
"Stinker, study hard in the Immortal Palace! Don't disgrace your old man!"
"What Great Emperor... ahem—if you can't be an emperor, at least be a mighty immortal!"
"Don't worry about home; this silver's enough for me to live easy the rest of my days. Remember to send word when you can!"
Wang Teng bit his lip, nodded firmly, and burned his grandfather's face into his heart.
At the Zhao estate, the mood was different.
Zhao Linger, the Family's shining pearl, was leaving, filling the Zhaos with both pride and reluctance.
Her father repeated every caution; her mother held her hand, weeping silently; brothers and sisters crowded around her with envy and blessings.
"Linger, the Family may one day need your help—yet remember, your own cultivation is what matters most."
The Zhao patriarch spoke earnestly.
Feeling the invisible burden and her Family's hopes, Zhao Linger's gaze grew steadier.
More farewells unfolded in a hundred households.
Some mothers stitched new clothes overnight, sewing every thought and worry into every seam.
Some fathers smoked in silence, hiding tangled feelings behind curling smoke, finally saying only, "Obey your Masters in cultivation."
Little brothers and sisters hugged departing legs, crying their hearts out, unable to grasp why the ones who loved them most had to leave.
A girl named Little Grass—an orphan with no home, tested at seven-star Peak and rumored to carry an inborn sword bone—had no one to bid goodbye.
She collected her money in silence.
Alone, she walked into a tailor's shop and, with unaccustomed extravagance, picked two new outfits and several pairs of soft cloth shoes.
Back in her temporary room she hugged the new clothes, running her fingers over the smooth fabric, eyes dry.
Only a longing for the unknown road ahead and a trace of loneliness showed.
To her, Yaochi Immortal Palace might be the home she had always craved.
Another focus was the eight-year-old Wang Zhaojun, tested at nine-star potential.
Her parents were ordinary Mortals; learning their daughter had immortal aptitude, they felt wild joy and dread.
Now, in a guesthouse arranged by the Liu Family, the mother smoothed her daughter's clothes again and again, murmuring,
"Zhaojun, be good in the palace, eat well, don't catch cold..."
"Your father and I are only Mortals, we can't help you..."
The father stood at the door, looking at his daughter's quiet, delicate face, words stuck in his chest, ending in a long sigh.
Wang Zhaojun's five-year-old brother hugged her waist, his small face flushed from crying.
"Sister, don't go! Don't leave!"
She knelt, gently wiped his tears, her voice childish yet firm beyond her years.
"Be good, little brother. I'm going to learn skills."
"When I've learned enough, I'll come back to see you, all right? You must obey Mother and Father."
The little boy nodded through sobs, clutching her even tighter.
Wang Zhaojun looked at her parents and said earnestly,
"Father, Mother, take care of yourselves. I will Cultivate with all I have, so you can both live long lives."
The simple promise made the ordinary couple burst into tears.
Similar scenes—some sad, some hopeful, some full of advice—played out in every corner of Qingyang City.
For many of these common-born boys and girls, leaving for the immortal sect was like fledglings leaving the nest, flying toward a vast and unknown sky.
For their families, this brief farewell might be the last time they would ever stand so close.
The paths of immortals and Mortals diverge; a single meditation of a Cultivator can span a Mortal's entire life.
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