Inside the guest quarters of the West Courtyard, Empress Qingxuan withdrew her gaze from the Jade Lake.
Setting down her teacup, a meaningful smile played across her stunning face.
"This little one is quite extraordinary."
She murmured to herself, a trace of inquiry flashing in her eyes.
"Sister Gu's secrets are truly growing more and more numerous..."
By the Jade Lake, Empress Ling Shuang also looked grave.
She had noticed Ah Yao even earlier than Qingxuan had.
She had previously felt that the little girl's Physique was somewhat special, but she hadn't expected it to be to such an extent!
"This kind of Breakthrough... is unheard of."
Light flickered within Empress Ling Shuang's ice-blue eyes.
"Her dao foundation is perfectly natural, as if it were meant to be that way from the start, rather than being formed through Acquired Cultivation..."
"And that affinity she has when absorbing Spiritual Qi..."
A single guess that could explain everything surfaced in her heart.
Could it be... that this girl is the Reincarnation of some Ascension to Immortality expert?
Or perhaps a person of destiny like Emperor Long Teng?
And Gu Han specifically took her in as a Disciple and taught her with such care... Empress Ling Shuang looked toward the Main Hall, the complexity in her eyes deepening.
That night, the moonlight was like water.
The Jade Pool Immortal Palace was serene; the commotion from the awakening of the Myriad Phenomena Pagoda's spirit and Ah Yao's startling Breakthrough during the day had already settled.
Only the Enlightenment Tea Tree on the island in the center of the lake flowed with a hazy dao rhyme under the moonlight, with the occasional spirit fish leaping from the water, creating ripples.
In the Main Hall, Gu Han lay upon the Cloud Bed with a complex expression.
Just then—
*Tap.*
A very faint sound.
They were here.
She knew someone would definitely come.
Empress Qingxuan stood at the hall entrance, not wearing her usual lazy smile.
She simply gazed quietly at Gu Han on the Cloud Bed, her eyes filled with an unprecedented seriousness.
"The commotion that little girl caused during the day... does my little sister have anything to tell her big sister?"
Gu Han looked up at her.
Qingxuan's gaze was too serious now, lacking its usual playful disguise, which instead caused Gu Han's heart to tighten slightly.
She sat up, her moon-white dress sliding across the Cloud Bed.
"Ah Yao has a special Physique, and her way of Cultivating is different from ordinary people. That is all."
"That is all?"
Qingxuan repeated softly, her fingertips unconsciously brushing over the Profound Heart Bracelet on her wrist.
She could feel the calmness of Gu Han's state of mind.
"The birth of that pagoda's spirit, the dao rhyme nourishing the entire palace, and your eldest Disciple taking advantage of the momentum to break through three realms in a single day..."
"Sister, even in the tens of thousands of years I have ruled the East Region, I have rarely seen such a phenomenon."
She paused, lowering her voice slightly:
"Now that you are in the limelight, the fellows from the other regions have likely all noticed you."
Gu Han's eyes narrowed slightly upon hearing her words.
"Let them notice then."
Gu Han's tone was flat.
"Why should I, Gu Han, explain my actions to others?"
Hearing this, Qingxuan suddenly let out a soft laugh.
The laughter held a hint of helplessness, a touch of indulgence, and an indefinable trace of doting.
"Yes, yes, of course my sister doesn't need to explain herself to anyone."
She walked over to the Cloud Bed and sat down, her fingertips lightly brushing a strand of silver hair from Gu Han's cheek.
"It's just that I worry... a tall tree attracts the wind."
Her touch was light and fleeting, yet it caused the string in Gu Han's heart to quietly tighten.
This woman's attitude tonight was far too unusual—
Less flirting, fewer jokes, and more seriousness.
"Qingxuan,"
Gu Han looked up and met her gaze directly.
"What exactly are you trying to say?"
Empress Qingxuan stared back at her for a moment before sighing softly.
"I wanted to ask you, sister,"
Her voice was gentle.
"When do you plan to keep The Mid-State Pact?"
Gu Han frowned slightly.
This matter had already been mentioned that day; coming specifically to ask in the middle of the night clearly held a deeper meaning.
Once the affairs within the palace are properly arranged, I will naturally go."
"Do you know something?"
Empress Qingxuan did not answer immediately.
She looked out at the moonlight beyond the hall, her profile appearing exceptionally soft in the hazy light and shadow.
"That fellow Long Teng... appears gentle and easygoing, but in reality, his thoughts run the deepest."
"It's true that he invited the Ascension to Immortalitys of the Five Regions to explore the mysteries of the immortal path together, but there are likely other calculations involved."
She turned back to look at Gu Han, a hint of complexity flashing in her eyes.
"There are some things you might not know, sister. Holy Master Yaoguang, one of the three Ascension to Immortalitys of the Middle Region, is Long Teng's Dao Companion."
"And Holy Master Yaoguang is also the longest-living among the ten Ascension to Immortalitys; she has at most six thousand years of Lifespan left..."
Gu Han's pupils contracted upon hearing this.
"Long Teng's invitation to the Five Regions' Ascension to Immortalitys is ostensibly to explore the immortal path together, but in truth, he wants to gather everyone's power to extend Yaoguang's life or seek an opportunity for a Breakthrough."
Empress Qingxuan's voice was very soft, yet every word was clear.
"This matter involves too much. If it succeeds, perhaps a sliver of the immortal path's secrets can truly be glimpsed; if it fails..."
She didn't finish, but Gu Han already understood the danger.
If something went wrong when Ascension to Immortality experts joined forces, the terror of the backlash would be enough to severely injure or even kill everyone present.
"That's why I hurried to the South Region to warn you, sister..."
Empress Qingxuan reached out and gently took Gu Han's slightly cool fingertips.
"A man like Long Teng would do anything for Holy Master Yaoguang."
Gu Han was silent for a moment before suddenly asking:
"Why are you telling me this?"
Empress Qingxuan was stunned for a moment by Gu Han's question, then she smiled.
The smile held a bit of helplessness, a bit of sincerity, and a trace of... tenderness that Gu Han could not understand.
"Why?"
She tilted her head, her black hair sliding over her shoulder.
"Perhaps because I don't want to see my sister in danger. Or perhaps because..."
She paused, her voice becoming so soft it was almost inaudible:
"I feel that..."
Just then—
*Tap.*
Another soft sound came from the direction of the hall entrance.
Gu Han and Empress Qingxuan turned their heads simultaneously.
Empress Ling Shuang stood at the entrance, dressed in ice-blue palace robes, her entire body radiating a chilling aura.
Her gaze swept over the two sitting side-by-side on the Cloud Bed, lingering for a moment on Qingxuan's purple nightgown.
"Qingxuan, you certainly are diligent."
Ling Shuang's voice was colder than usual, almost enough to freeze the air.
"To be so fond of visiting Fellow Daoist Gu in the middle of the night..."
"I have truly witnessed the etiquette of the East Region's Empress today."
Qingxuan slowly stood up, her face once again wearing that lazy smile, though a hint of displeasure from being interrupted was now visible in the depths of her eyes.
"Hasn't Younger Sister Ling Shuang come as well? What, you're allowed to come, but I'm not?"
Empress Ling Shuang gave a cold snort and stepped into the hall.
"I have come because I have official business to discuss with Fellow Daoist Gu."
"Unlike certain people who only know how to act without propriety all day long."
"Without propriety?"
Qingxuan raised an eyebrow, her smile deepening, yet there was no warmth in her eyes.
"What a thing to say... Sister Gu and I get along well; what's wrong with being a little close?"
"On the other hand, Younger Sister Ling Shuang, you keep such a cold face all day; I'm afraid you've even forgotten how to smile."
"You—!"
Seeing the two about to clash again, Gu Han rubbed her temples in frustration.
"You two."
She stood up and walked between them.
"If you have business, speak plainly. If not, please leave."
She spoke bluntly, even with a hint of impatience.
Hearing Gu Han speak like this, both of them actually fell silent for a moment.
Empress Ling Shuang spoke first; her voice was still cold, but it lacked some of its confrontational edge.
"I came to ask Fellow Daoist Gu about that little girl who broke through during the day."
Her gaze turned to Gu Han, a trace of inquiry flashing in her ice-blue eyes.
"That girl's way of breaking through... I have never seen anything like it."
"Her dao foundation is perfectly natural, as if it were not formed through Acquired Cultivation, but was Innate and meant to be that way."
Gu Han's heart stirred slightly.
Ling Shuang's insight was indeed sharp; she had actually seen through Ah Yao's uniqueness.
"Everyone has secrets,"
Gu Han looked up at her.
"Just as I do not ask where Fellow Daoist Ling Shuang's frost heaven sword came from, or what mysteries lie within Fellow Daoist Qingxuan's Profound Heart Bracelet."
"This Gu has not pressed for answers, so I ask you both not to delve further into Ah Yao's affairs."
These words were neither humble nor arrogant, yet they carried a tone that brooked no argument.
Empress Qingxuan and Empress Ling Shuang were both intelligent people and naturally understood the warning.
Ah Yao was her Disciple; it was not for outsiders to pry into her roots.
Ling Shuang was silent for a moment before suddenly speaking again:
"That girl... is she the Reincarnation of some Ascension to Immortality?"
This question was direct and struck at the heart of the matter.
Empress Qingxuan also set aside her playful expression and looked at Gu Han.
Gu Han met Ling Shuang's gaze and slowly shook her head.
"No."
She wasn't lying.
Ah Yao was indeed not the Reincarnation of some great Ascension to Immortality.
She was a remnant soul of an Immortal, born from a body reshaped by Gu Han using nine heavens breathing soil.
Her origins were far greater than any Ascension to Immortality.
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