Within the Lingxu Grotto-Heaven, time flowed quietly.
The Disciples were training in this vast Secret Realm, where harvests and crises coexisted.
Liu Ruyan and Gu Luoli went deep into the core area, the two cooperating tacitly.
Liu Ruyan used the profound mysteries of the Reincarnation Dao Scripture to resolve the siege of several Golden Core Stage Yao Beasts.
Gu Luoli relied on her heavy pupils to obtain an Earth Rank sword technique in a ruin.
In the outer area, six teams advanced steadily.
The team led by Ye Ling'er explored three hundred miles to the south before encountering a group of Foundation Establishment Stage 'Iron-Back Yao Wolves'.
During the fierce battle, she used Taiyin spiritual energy combined with the Ghost Moon Twin Blades to kill seven Yao Wolves single-handedly, ensuring the safety of her fellow Disciples.
This battle gave her a deeper understanding of the Supreme Yin Manual, and her cultivation level faintly touched the threshold of the Golden Core Stage.
Ah Yao was initially a bit afraid during the battles, but as wave after wave of combat continued, she gradually learned to control the Lotus Platform to attack; although still a bit immature, it was already starting to take shape.
Li Zhiwei spent seven days comprehending the sword under a waterfall in the northeast, and her cultivation successfully broke through to late-stage Foundation Establishment.
Murong Xue led several fellow Disciples in an ancient forest in the northwest, trapping and killing an Early Golden Core stage 'Shadow Leopard', and her cultivation showed signs of nearing Core Formation.
Xiao Ya, relying on the mysteries of the Thousand-Mechanism Disk, led her team to bypass one natural illusion array after another.
Eventually, in a valley filled with Spiritual Qi, they discovered a small patch of 'Dew-Condensing Flowers' used for refining Foundation Establishment pills.
Zhao Ling'er and Wang Zhaojun cooperated tacitly, one attacking and one defending, and managed to pick over a dozen rare 'Water Cloud Ganoderma' in the eastern swamp.
Wang Teng led his team to the edge of a mineral vein in the west, collecting quite a bit of high-quality 'Red Copper Ore'.
Days passed by.
Watching the Disciples enter the Lingxu Grotto-Heaven, Gu Han felt full of relief at everyone's progress and gains.
She did not intend to remain idle; she prepared to take advantage of this time to fully refine the Donghuang Bell.
Although this quasi-immortal artifact was powerful, the refining progress was only one-quarter complete, and she was still far from fully controlling it.
The Mid-State Pact was imminent, and the inside information revealed by Qingxuan made her vigilant.
Strength was the Foundation for dealing with everything.
"System, activate Cultivation mode, block external interference."
[ Ding! Cultivation mode has been activated! ]
[ Gentle Reminder: This deep refining is expected to take 20 days, during which the Host will be in a semi-closed state. Do you confirm? ]
"Confirm."
As Gu Han's words fell, an invisible ripple spread through the main hall.
The entire hall seemed to be wrapped in a transparent film, completely isolated from the outside world.
She took a deep breath, formed seals with her hands, and the Donghuang Bell in front of her began to rotate slowly.
"Hum —"
The archaic bell sound reverberated in the hall, and on the dark gold bell body, the patterns of the sun, moon, stars, and earth, fire, water, and wind lit up one by one.
A vast and boundless dao rhyme permeated, blending with the aura around Gu Han.
The refining officially began.
Meanwhile, in the West Courtyard guest house.
Empress Qingxuan leaned against the window, fiddling with a warm jade pendant with her fingertips, her gaze drifting toward the main hall.
She could feel that the main hall was sealed by an invisible force.
"Is Sister Gu going into seclusion?"
Qingxuan whispered to herself, a flash of realization in her eyes.
Gu Han's choice was within her expectations.
With the Disciples entering the Secret Realm for training and no major events in the Immortal Palace needing handling, it was the perfect time for seclusion.
"That's fine."
The corners of Qingxuan's lips curled up, revealing a meaningful smile.
"Luoshui."
"Master."
Luoshui's figure appeared silently at the door.
"Send a message back to the Eastern Domain, let the Grand Elder temporarily take over all affairs."
Qingxuan's voice remained languid, yet carried an unquestionable decisiveness.
"This Empress intends to stay in the Southern Domain for a while longer..."
Luoshui was shocked, but remained calm on the surface:
"Yes, Disciple will go handle it now."
After Luoshui left, Qingxuan walked slowly out of the guest house, walking along the corridor toward the Yaochi direction.
Since Gu Han was in seclusion, she naturally would not disturb her.
But this did not mean she had nothing to do.
This place, Jade Pool Immortal Palace, was extraordinary everywhere.
Having been here for so many days, now that Gu Han was in seclusion, she naturally wanted to understand it thoroughly.
East Courtyard, another guest house.
Empress Ling Shuang also noticed the anomaly in the main hall.
She stood in the courtyard, her ice-blue eyes looking toward the main hall, her expression complex.
She had gone into seclusion...
This meant that for a long time, she would not be able to see Gu Han.
An inexplicable irritability grew in her heart. Yesterday, those words from Lan Ling still echoed in her ears,
"Treat with sincerity, plan slowly"...
But she didn't even have the chance to "plan" for the time being.
"Your Majesty."
Lan Ling's voice sounded from behind.
Empress Ling Shuang withdrew her gaze, her voice cold:
"What is it?"
"News from the Northern Domain, there has been unusual movement in the Nether Sea recently, suspected to be an ancient ruin about to appear."
"Several Elders are asking for instructions, should we send people to investigate?"
Empress Ling Shuang fell silent for a moment upon hearing this.
In the past, she would have gone to investigate personally.
But now...
She looked back at the main hall.
"Let the Third Elder take a team."
Empress Ling Shuang made a decision,
"If necessary, this Empress will return at any time."
"Yes."
Lan Ling agreed, hesitated for a moment, then spoke,
"Your Majesty, do you really intend to stay in the Southern Domain for a long time?"
Empress Ling Shuang's gaze turned slightly cold:
"What do you want to say?"
Lan Ling knelt on one knee:
"This subordinate dares not. It's just that the Northern Domain cannot be without a Master for a day. If Your Majesty is away for too long, I fear there may be changes."
"This Empress knows what she is doing."
Ling Shuang's voice was very cold,
"Those guys cannot stir up any trouble."
Even so, she understood Lan Ling's worries in her heart.
Having ruled the Northern Domain for over twenty thousand years, her prestige was already deeply rooted in people's hearts.
But everything was because she was there; if she left for too long, some people would always develop other thoughts.
After all, she was not the only one who had reached Ascension to Immortality in the Northern Domain.
Thinking of this, a cold light flashed in Empress Ling Shuang's eyes.
"Pass down the order,"
Empress Ling Shuang said slowly,
"All sects in the Northern Domain, everything remains as usual. Whoever dares to have any unusual movements, kill without mercy."
"Understood!"
Days passed by.
Within Jade Pool Immortal Palace, it looked calm on the surface, but there were undercurrents.
Empress Qingxuan walked around the Immortal Palace, seemingly touring casually, but actually observing every detail attentively.
She had been to Danxia Peak, watched the smooth and fluid techniques of Yun Miaoyi when refining Alchemy, and secretly marveled at her attainments in the Dao of Alchemy.
She had been to Xueyue Peak, felt the pure and sharp Sword Intent of Li Hanyi from afar while practicing sword, and secretly evaluated the true strength of this Grand Elder in her heart.
She even used "discuss the Dao" as an excuse to interact with Yun Yun, the Vice Palace Master, quietly probing into the past of Jade Pool Immortal Palace.
The more she learned, the more surprised she became.
This Immortal Palace, established for only over a year, had a Foundation far deeper than she had imagined.
The Disciples had terrifyingly solid Foundations, the Elders all had extraordinary cultivation, and even the lowest had reached the Peak of Fusion.
Not to mention that mysterious Myriad Phenomena Pagoda, the Innate Spiritual Root Enlightenment Tea Tree, and the Donghuang Bell in Gu Han's hand that made even her feel palpitations...
"Sister Gu, which realm are you actually from?"
Qingxuan stood by Yaochi, looking at the Enlightenment Tea Tree emitting dao rhyme on the lake island, whispering to herself.
She had traveled through the Xuanhuang Continent and had some understanding of that world full of experts.
At first, she thought Gu Han might be some Great Empress from the Xuanhuang Continent, but after interacting for a long time, she realized it didn't seem to be the case.
However, no matter how she investigated, she would never be able to guess Gu Han's true origin.
Meanwhile, Empress Ling Shuang was not idle either.
She did not walk around like Qingxuan, but chose a more direct way — Cultivation.
She set up a barrier in the East Courtyard guest house, meditating all day, with cold Qi permeating around her, shrouding the entire small courtyard in a layer of thin ice.
But if one observed carefully, one could find that she was not practicing a Cultivation Technique, but an extremely ancient, almost lost spell.
This spell could not be used in actual combat, but it could help one calm the mind and clarify nature, gaining insight into one's true heart.
Empress Ling Shuang was trying to understand her own heart.
She had lived for tens of thousands of years, and this was the first time she had developed feelings for someone, and the other person was also a woman.
In the gaps of Cultivation, a trace of confusion would always flash in Empress Ling Shuang's eyes.
She remembered the calm eyes of Gu Han when she sacrificed the Donghuang Bell during the battle outside the sky that day.
She remembered Gu Han's guidance on her "Dao of Ice" when they discussed the Dao.
She remembered the embarrassed yet forced-calm appearance of Gu Han when she was cornered by her in the main hall...
Every scene was crystal clear.
"Does this Empress... really like her?"
"But..."
Empress Ling Shuang's thoughts drifted uncontrollably back to the extremely distant past.
That was deep in the Northern Domain ice fields, a small tribe long buried in the dust of time.
She was the daughter of the Clan Chief, born close to ice and snow, and regarded as an auspicious omen by the tribe.
Her father was a majestic man, and her mother was a gentle and beautiful woman.
In her memory, her father's eyes when looking at her mother were always gentle and fiery, and when her mother responded, a happy blush would always appear on her face.
That was her initial understanding of "love".
A powerful and brave man, and a gentle and beautiful woman, belonging to each other.
Later, the tribe was destroyed in an attack by a hostile tribe, and her parents died protecting her.
Since then, she drifted on the snowfields, experienced nine deaths and one life, and stepped into the immortal path by Destiny.
In the long years of practice, she had seen countless sceneries, met many people, and quite a few had pursued her.
But she was single-minded toward the Dao, chasing extreme cold and power, putting all her thoughts into Cultivation.
For tens of thousands of years, her world had only consisted of Cultivation, warfare, and the endless struggle with that woman, Qingxuan.
Because in her cognition, the option of "Dao Companion" had never been included in her life plan.
Until she met Gu Han.
But... if she really liked her...
Between two women...
They were both women, both ruled a domain, and both were existences standing at the Peak of this world.
Putting aside status and strength, just speaking of this heart...
Perhaps it really was possible.
After all, the Canglan Continent was not without precedents of same-sex Dao Companions.
It was just that the number was small, and most were low-key, not known to the world.
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