She took a step forward, standing in the center of the two's clashing auras. An invisible barrier formed around her, quietly separating and dissolving the terrifying pressure from both sides.
"This is the Jade Pool Immortal Palace,"
Gu Han's gaze calmly swept over Qing Xuan and Ling Shuang,
"You are both distinguished guests who have come from afar. Why not enter the hall for some tea and sit down for a proper chat?"
Her voice was not loud, yet it carried a strange sense of reassurance and an unquestionable authority.
Empress Qingxuan's eyes flickered slightly as she took a deep look at Gu Han, a lazy smile blossoming on her face once more:
"Sister says it well. It was this Empress who was impolite."
She was the first to withdraw her aura.
Seeing this, Empress Ling Shuang gave a cold snort and also slowly retracted her chill.
The suffocating pressure on the square gradually dissipated.
The Disciples finally breathed a sigh of relief, their backs already drenched in cold sweat.
"After you, both of you."
Gu Han stepped aside to lead the way.
Empress Qingxuan nodded with a smile and took the first step forward.
Empress Ling Shuang followed with an equally cold face.
The three walked side by side into the Main Hall.
The hall doors slowly closed behind the three Empresses, cutting off all sound from within.
On the white jade square, after a brief deathly silence, a tide-like surge of hushed discussions broke out.
"My god... that atmosphere just now was even more terrifying than encountering a beast tide in a Secret Realm!"
A Middle Stage Foundation Establishment Disciple patted his chest with lingering fear, his face still somewhat pale.
"The two Empresses... they met just like that? I thought they were going to start fighting immediately!"
Another Disciple had both lingering fear and a hint of regret for not seeing a spectacle in his eyes.
"Fighting? Look at where you are! The Palace Master is still here!"
An older Senior Brother scolded in a low voice, yet his eyes were full of pride,
"Did you see that? The Palace Master only said two sentences, and both Empresses restrained themselves! This is the prestige of our Palace Master!"
"Well said! Whether it's the Eastern Region or the Northern Region, once they arrive at our Jade Pool Immortal Palace, even a Dragon must coil up, and a tiger must crouch!"
"But... why do you think these two Her Majesty the Empresses both came to our Immortal Palace?"
"Yeah! Yeah! And they both seem... uh, not to get along?"
A more observant Disciple raised a question.
"Isn't it simple? Our Palace Master is now the Yaochi Empress, and she's so... beautiful!"
A female Disciple's cheeks turned slightly red as she whispered,
"Isn't it normal for powerful people to visit each other and discuss the Dao?"
"Visit and discuss the Dao? I think the way that Eastern Region Empress looked at our Palace Master... was definitely more than just discussing the Dao."
Another female Disciple lowered her voice, her eyes sparkling with the light of gossip,
"And that bracelet on her hand, did you see it? It looks like a pair with the one on the Palace Master's wrist!"
"Shh! Be quiet! Is this something we should be discussing?"
Someone immediately stopped her, but their eyes couldn't help but drift toward the closed hall doors, curiosity growing like weeds in their hearts.
In the crowd, Ye Ling'er seemed oblivious to these discussions.
She stood in place like an ice sculpture, her eyes fixed on the closed hall doors as if she wanted to pierce through them.
Empress Qingxuan... that gaze... the way Empress Qingxuan looked at Master just now, that flowing light in her eyes, the smile at the corner of her lips, and that intimate 'Sister Gu'... plus that bracelet on Master's wrist that was identical to hers!
That was definitely not the friendship between ordinary Fellow Daoists!
And Master... Master actually didn't refute it, even called her 'Fellow Daoist' and invited her in for tea!
Empress Ling Shuang's proximity had made her heart panic and fill with anger.
Empress Qingxuan's appearance and that blatant ambiguity made her feel an even deeper sense of crisis.
One was forceful and direct, the other lazy and clingy, but their goal was the same—her Master!
"On what basis?"
"What right do they have?"
They possessed supreme power, ruled over entire regions, lived for tens of thousands of years, and had seen countless sights and people.
Why did they have to come and provoke her Master now?
Master was hers!
The person who pulled her out of the abyss of despair, gave her a new life, gave her warmth, and gave her everything!
The person she carefully hid in the depths of her heart, revered as a god, where even a single thought of desecration felt like a sin!
But now, one after another, they were all circling around Master, looking at Master with those disgusting eyes, wanting to get close to Master... No!
Absolutely not!
An unprecedentedly intense emotion, mixed with panic and a resolute courage, collided violently in her chest.
Her ice-blue hair moved without wind, and the Supreme Yin spiritual energy around her fluctuated faintly.
"Fourth Junior Sister?"
Gu Luoli's cold voice sounded beside her, carrying a hint of imperceptible worry.
She keenly sensed the violently fluctuating spiritual energy on Ye Ling'er, as well as the surging, almost obsessive light in those eyes.
Ye Ling'er suddenly snapped back to her senses, meeting Gu Luoli's heavy pupils that seemed capable of seeing through one's heart.
She took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing her churning blood and spiritual energy.
"Third Senior Sister, I'm fine."
Ye Ling'er's voice was somewhat raspy. She looked away, no longer looking at the hall doors,
"It's just a bit stifling. I want to go back and Cultivate."
After saying that, she didn't wait for Gu Luoli's response and turned to leave, her pace hurried, even carrying a hint of panic.
Gu Luoli watched her rapidly receding back, a golden light flickering slightly within her heavy pupils as her brow furrowed tightly.
Fourth Junior Sister's state... isn't quite right.
Is it because of those two Empresses?
Or is it because of... Master?
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