Volume 1, Chapter 147 – My Younger Sister with a Human Cauldron Physique

Meanwhile, in the main hall of the Immortal Palace.

Gu Han was considering how best to send Empress Lingshuang on her way.

“Master!”

Just then, Liu Ruyan’s voice came from outside the hall, drawing Gu Han out of her tangled thoughts.

She composed herself and looked toward the doors.

“Come in.”

The doors opened soundlessly, and Liu Ruyan entered hand in hand with her younger sister, Liu Ruxue.

“This disciple has brought her younger sister, Liu Ruxue, to pay her respects to Master.”

The two came to a stop in the hall and bowed in unison.

Liu Ruyan was solemn and respectful, while Liu Ruxue looked somewhat nervous, her young face faintly flushed.

Her large eyes stole glances at the legendary “Yaochi Empress” seated on the cloud couch.

So this was her sister’s Master?

She really did have silver hair, just like the legends said. And she was so beautiful!

Her aura was so calm and gentle, too. Just looking at her made Liu Ruxue feel safe.

Gu Han’s gaze settled on Liu Ruxue, and a flicker of surprise crossed her eyes.

The girl appeared to be twelve or thirteen years old. Her features strongly resembled Liu Ruyan’s, though they still held more childish innocence and liveliness.

What caught Gu Han’s attention even more was the extraordinarily pure Yin-cold aura faintly circulating around Liu Ruxue.

This physique… seemed rather unusual.

“System, scan her.”

Gu Han gave the command inwardly.

[Ding! Scanning target: Liu Ruxue.]

[Age: Twelve.]

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[Cultivation: Fifth layer of Qi Refinement.]

[Spiritual Roots: Dual Water-Wood Spiritual Roots.]

[Special Physique: Extreme Yin Body (cultivation vessel physique).]

[Talent Rating: Peak Seven-Star.]

[Cultivation Technique: Imperial-rank high-grade Verdant Wood Art (conflicts with physique; twice the effort for half the result).]

[Current Condition: Her physique conflicts with her cultivation technique, leaving her foundation unstable and her spiritual power sluggish. If this continues, her Dao foundation will be damaged.]

Gu Han’s gaze lingered on Liu Ruxue for a moment.

A trace of complex emotion flickered through her habitually tranquil eyes, so faint it was almost imperceptible.

Extreme Yin Body, cultivation vessel physique, seven-star talent…

The terms swiftly fell into place in her mind, and in an instant, she understood a great many things.

No wonder Liu Ruyan almost never mentioned this younger sister.

No wonder Gu Han had not seen Liu Ruxue at the spiritual aptitude testing in Qingyang City a year ago.

In an ordinary cultivation clan or minor sect, such a physique might be considered a rare commodity, something to be held back for the highest bidder in exchange for enormous benefits.

But to parents who truly loved their children, it was a crushing burden, perhaps even a calamity.

Possessing a cultivation vessel physique meant that, from birth, she was seen by others as the ultimate cultivation tonic.

Without powerful protection, the moment her physique was exposed, she would invite disaster simply by possessing something so coveted, and endless trouble would inevitably follow.

Moreover, the Verdant Wood Art Liu Ruxue cultivated conflicted with her physique. Forcing herself to cultivate it would damage her very foundation.

No wonder she had reached the fifth layer of Qi Refinement, yet her aura was so unstable.

The girl must have suffered a great deal over the years.

Sensing her Master’s gaze lingering on her younger sister, Liu Ruyan tensed, and her grip on Liu Ruxue’s hand unconsciously tightened.

Feeling her sister’s tension, Liu Ruxue held her breath, her young face growing even paler.

“Come here.”

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Gu Han’s voice broke the silence. It remained clear and melodious, but now held a faint warmth almost too subtle to detect.

At a loss, Liu Ruxue looked at her sister. Liu Ruyan gently nudged her forward and said softly,

“Go on. Master wants to examine you.”

Only then did Liu Ruxue summon her courage. She took small steps toward the cloud couch and raised her head to look at Gu Han.

Now that she was closer, she could sense the Empress’s cool, aloof, yet boundless aura even more clearly.

It was as if she stood not before a person, but beneath an infinite expanse of stars.

Gu Han reached out and gently touched a fingertip to Liu Ruxue’s forehead.

A wisp of pure, gentle spiritual power imbued with supreme Dao Resonance flowed from her fingertip and silently entered Liu Ruxue’s body.

It moved slowly through her meridians, examining every detail.

Liu Ruxue felt a warm current enter through her forehead and instantly spread through every limb and bone.

The sensation was so soothing that she could not help murmuring softly before closing her eyes.

Gu Han, however, frowned slightly as she continued her examination.

The situation was worse than she had anticipated.

The girl’s Extreme Yin Body was remarkably pure, but that very purity made its conflict with the Verdant Wood Art even more severe.

Had the Liu family not possessed some resources and used medicines to maintain a precarious balance, the girl’s body would likely have developed serious problems long ago.

Even so, if she continued cultivating this way, her cultivation would most likely be completely ruined within three years, and even her lifespan might be affected.

Gu Han withdrew her finger and turned her gaze to Liu Ruyan’s worried face.

“Ruyan, do you know about your sister’s physique?”

At those words, Liu Ruyan trembled slightly. Then she slowly nodded, bitterness threading through her voice.

“Master, this disciple… knows.”

How could she not?

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In her first life, she had known nothing about it. Then one day, while she and her sister were out together, Liu Ruxue had been abducted by a mysterious figure.

After that, Liu Ruyan never saw her sister again. Only later did she learn about Liu Ruxue’s physique from their father.

But the Liu family had been only a minor clan at the time. They searched for years without finding a single clue, and in the end, the matter had gone unresolved.

In her second life, her sister had cultivated a technique that conflicted with her physique, ultimately leaving her a complete cripple.

Liu Ruyan had done everything in her power to find a way to save her, even going so far as to fall to the demonic path, but all her efforts had ultimately proved futile.

In this third life, the first thing Liu Ruyan had done after being reborn was beg her father to forbid Liu Ruxue from cultivating and let her live as an ordinary mortal instead.

But Liu Ruxue was strong-willed by nature. How could she willingly accept being an “ordinary person”?

She secretly cultivated the Liu family’s Verdant Wood Art, and by the time Liu Ruyan discovered it, there was no undoing what had been done.

Liu Ruyan had lost count of how many times she had argued with their father over it, but there had been nothing she could do.

They had consulted numerous alchemists and physicians, only to receive much the same conclusion from them all:

Either Liu Ruxue had to abolish her cultivation completely, nourish her body with spiritual herbs, and live as a long-lived mortal.

Or they had to find a cultivation technique suited to her physique, one that could fully awaken the Extreme Yin Body and bring it under her control. Only then could the conflict be resolved and the harm potentially turned to her advantage.

But finding such a cultivation technique was easier said than done.

The Liu family was merely a minor clan in Qingyang City. How could they possibly obtain one?

It was only after Liu Ruyan entered Yaochi Immortal Palace and witnessed her Master’s unfathomable power and the Immortal Palace’s vast resources that hope had rekindled in her heart.

During this visit home, she had seen the yearning and dependence in her sister’s eyes, her longing to cultivate, to grow strong, and to become like Liu Ruyan.

In the end, her heart had softened, and she decided to bring her sister here to try her luck.

Even if Liu Ruxue could not enter the Immortal Palace, perhaps Master might offer her some guidance or grant her a suitable cultivation technique…

“Master, Xue’er… can she still be saved?”

An almost imperceptible tremor ran through Liu Ruyan’s voice, carrying the guilt and hope she had suppressed for two lifetimes.

Seeing the deeply buried pain and hope in Liu Ruyan’s eyes, Gu Han sighed inwardly.

The girl was probably remembering the regrets of her previous lives again.

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“The Extreme Yin Body is an exceptionally rare innate physique.”

Gu Han spoke slowly, her voice calm and imbued with a soothing power.

“Its nature is the purest Yin and the most extreme cold. If cultivated properly, her future achievements will be limitless.”

“However, ordinary cultivation techniques are completely incompatible with her physique. Forcing herself to cultivate them is no different from drinking poison to quench her thirst.”

She looked at Liu Ruxue, whose eyes were tightly shut and whose eyelashes trembled faintly.

“The Verdant Wood Art this girl cultivates may be a gentle and orthodox cultivation technique, but to her, it is poison.”

Liu Ruyan’s face turned pale. Although she had expected as much, hearing her Master confirm it still sent a pang through her heart.

Liu Ruxue opened her eyes as well, her young face filled with panic and disappointment.

Even her sister’s Master said so…

Was she truly destined to become a cripple?

“However…”

Gu Han’s tone shifted as her gaze swept over the two sisters.

“Since you have brought her to Yaochi Immortal Palace, our meeting is itself a matter of fate.”

She raised a finger. A glimmer of light flashed, and the space beside the main hall suddenly rippled like water.

It was in the direction of Yaochi Immortal Palace’s Scripture Repository.

Her divine sense extended like invisible tendrils, instantly piercing layer after layer of space and sweeping across a vast ocean of cultivation manuals and ancient texts.

At last, in a secluded corner on the third floor of the Scripture Repository, she “saw” a blue jade slip.

At Gu Han’s thought, the jade slip drifted out through the spatial passage and landed lightly in her palm.

It was icy to the touch, its chill restrained within. Four elegant characters were engraved across its surface in ancient seal script: Lunar Profound Canon.