Empress Qing Xuan... In her mind, those eyes instantly flashed—eyes containing the starry river and majesty, yet at a certain moment, carrying mischief and charm.
The sensation of warm fragrance and soft jade in her arms flashed by, the warmth of their foreheads touching, and that brief but clear soft coolness on her lips... and finally, that smiling gaze from the other party as she left.
Gu Han's earlobes uncontrollably began to heat up again.
She subconsciously raised her hand, her fingertips lightly brushing past her ear, using the motion of tidying her hair to hide that moment of unnaturalness.
"She..."
Gu Han's voice remained calm, but if one listened closely, it seemed half a beat slower than usual.
"Is a... very interesting person."
She weighed her words carefully, giving an evaluation that seemed simple yet contained too much information.
Very interesting?
Ye Linger chewed on these four words. The inexplicable emotion in her heart, far from dissipating, became even clearer.
To make Master use 'very interesting' as a description... what kind of 'interesting' must that be?
Hearing their conversation, A Yao also turned her head, her large eyes full of curiosity.
"Master Mommy, did that very pretty sister invite you to her house just to drink tea?"
"Did she prepare anything yummy for A Yao too?"
The child's innocent words caused Gu Han's tense heartstrings to relax inexplicably.
She chuckled and rubbed A Yao's head.
"Yes, we drank tea."
"But she didn't prepare anything yummy for A Yao. If there's a chance next time, I'll have her make up for it."
"Yay, yay!"
A Yao clapped happily, her attention immediately diverted.
Ye Linger looked at the fleeting, genuine smile on her Master's profile.
The slight bitterness in her heart seemed to be diluted a little.
Regardless, Master was back, bringing them home.
That was enough.
As for that Empress Qing Xuan... Ye Linger lowered her eyelids, her ice-blue eyelashes casting a faint shadow over her eyes.
Future matters could wait for the future.
The most important thing for her now was to Cultivate hard and soon become someone who could truly stand by Master's side and share her burdens.
Instead of being a burden who needed Master's constant protection and even caused trouble because of it.
The passage returned to silence.
Gu Han collected her thoughts and focused on controlling the spatial travel.
Only occasionally, her thoughts would uncontrollably drift back to that serene Imperial Palace, back to that warm jade table where the tea fragrance curled.
Back to those eyes so close at hand, filled with myriad charms.
And... the other's slightly trembling, warm-breathed eyelashes when their foreheads were pressed together.
"System."
Gu Han called out in her heart.
[Ding! Host, I'm here! So, how did it feel to be forcibly kissed by the Empress? Is your heart racing, like a deer thumping in your chest?]
Gu Han: "...Shut up."
[Oh, Host is shy! Don't worry, this System won't say a word! But you have to work hard, Host! This System has high hopes for you two!]
Gu Han automatically ignored the System's teasing and said solemnly:
"Do you have information on the Xuanhuang Continent?"
Hearing Gu Han's question, the System fell silent for a moment, seemingly retrieving or organizing information.
[Host, the Xuanhuang Continent is precisely one of the ten worlds of the 'Ancient Starfall Domain'! Moreover, it is the most ancient 'Central Grand World' among the ten!]
"Central Grand World?"
Gu Han caught the key point.
"Does that mean the Great Emperor experts there are even more powerful than the Ascension Realm of this world?"
[Ding! Host's understanding is slightly off.]
The System's electronic voice carried a rare hint of seriousness:
[It's not that 'Great Emperors are more powerful than the Ascension Realm,' but rather that between the two—they are 'incomparable.']
"Incomparable?"
Gu Han frowned slightly.
[Yes, Host. It's like...]
The System paused, seemingly looking for the most appropriate metaphor:
[The cultivation System of the Canglan Continent starts from Qi Refining, condenses the Golden Core, transforms into the Nascent Soul, refines the Primordial Spirit, crosses ninety-nine Heavenly Tribulations, and finally reaches the Ascension Realm.]
[It focuses more on the absorption of Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi, the comprehension and Fusion of Great Dao Laws; it pursues 'Unity of Heaven and Man' and 'Coexistence with the Dao.']
[Whereas the cultivation path of the Xuanhuang Continent is more like excavating one's own 'Endless Treasure Trove.']
[They do not Cultivate Golden Cores or Nascent Souls. Instead, they start by tempering blood and Qi, opening meridians, clearing apertures, condensing true blood, igniting divine fire, and finally opening up 'Divine Treasury Secret Realms' within the body.]
[The opening of every Secret Realm is accompanied by a partial transformation of the Physique, granting all sorts of incredible Divine Abilities.]
[The 'Great Emperor Realm' is when both the Physical Body and Divine Soul reach the extreme of that world, the internal Secret Realms are fully evolved, and one's lifespan reaches fifty thousand years.]
Gu Han listened intently, and understanding gradually dawned in her heart.
The fundamental difference between the two Systems lay in the 'direction'.
One seeks outward, merging into Heaven and Earth.
One excavates inward, exploring the self.
[So, if one must compare...]
The System's voice carried a strange sense of lament:
[In the Ascension Realm, one can mobilize the great power of Heaven and Earth with a wave of the hand, accompanied by Laws; a single thought can affect thousands of miles, specializing in large-scale changes to the environment.]
[As for the Great Emperor Realm, perhaps their every move doesn't produce such vast celestial phenomena, but their Physical Body is immortal, their blood and Qi are like an ocean, and every punch and kick contains the power to shatter stars, not to mention possessing various powerful Divine Abilities.]
[Which of the two is stronger or weaker cannot be determined unless they truly fight to the death. One can only say they each have their strengths, both being supreme existences who have reached the end of their respective paths.]
So that's how it is... Gu Han was shocked.
Mainly cultivating blood and Qi, opening physical Secret Realms... this was somewhat similar to certain novel settings she knew from her past life.
And the 'Great Emperor' realm corresponded to the Ascension Realm of this world.
"In that case, for Empress Qing Xuan to be able to return safely from such a world back then, her Luck was indeed astounding."
Gu Han sighed softly in her heart.
[Indeed. Cultivators of the Xuanhuang Continent have varying attitudes toward 'outsiders.']
[However, for the Host, this is an opportunity.]
"An opportunity?"
Gu Han raised an eyebrow.
[Host, don't forget that your three Disciples—Liu Ruyan, Gu Luoli, and Ye Linger—with their 'Reincarnation Dao Body,' 'Innate Double Pupils,' and 'Taiyin Divine Body,' are all more suited for the System of the Xuanhuang Continent!]
[If the Host can go to the Xuanhuang Continent in the future, this System can help you collect the top-tier resources and Cultivation Techniques from there, which will also provide unexpected help to the Host's own cultivation.]
Gu Han's heart stirred.
The System was right.
She possessed the Immaculate Immortal Body, and although she was cultivating the Chaos Scripture, the Great Dao has ten thousand paths that all lead to the same destination.
If she could witness the Great Emperor experts and the cultivation System of that world, perhaps it really could make her own Dao path more stable and further-reaching.
And her three Disciples—the Reincarnation Dao Body, Innate Double Pupils, and Taiyin Divine Body—were all destined to become Empresses in the future.
"It seems I'll have to make a trip to the Xuanhuang Continent eventually."
Gu Han whispered to herself, a glint of anticipation flashing in her eyes.
In the future, when the time is ripe... "Master Mommy, are we almost there?"
A Yao's voice pulled her thoughts back.
Gu Han rubbed her head, looked toward the front, and smiled faintly.
"Yes, almost there."
------------------------
I've posted 40+ chapters in advance on Patreon.
Webnovel updates will still be daily, as usual.
It might not seem tempting right now but who knows what the future holds?
[email protected]/DaoistRoeoNQ
"And If you're enjoying it, drop a Power Stone for me!"