Volume 1, Chapter 17 – Ninth Heaven of Tribulation Transcendence

Immediately afterward, a strange spatial fluctuation quietly rippled through the quiet chamber before her.

It was not grand or earth-shaking. Instead, it was like gentle ripples on water, carrying a supreme rhythm of rules.

With Gu Han’s Immortal Ascension cultivation and her keen perception of space, she could clearly “see” it.

The void before her eyes was silently torn open by an invisible mighty force, revealing a narrow fissure.

Beyond the fissure lay a hazy chaos, as if it were connected to some unknown dimension or space-time.

A blurred figure was being drawn by an unseen power, slowly emerging from that chaos and moving toward the real world.

The process was extremely brief.

In the span of a single instant, the spatial ripples calmed, and a figure was already standing solidly before Gu Han.

The newcomer wore white robes whiter than snow, unstained by even a speck of dust.

Her figure was tall and straight. Even when standing motionless, she was like a peerless divine weapon about to leave its sheath, carrying an aloof, cold, and sharply intimidating aura.

Her face was extremely beautiful, but not soft or seductive. Rather, it was as if carved from ice and snow, with an ever-present indifference and distance between her brows.

Her eyes were clear and bright, the corners of them slightly raised. As her gaze shifted, it seemed as if thousands upon thousands of strands of sword intent were hidden within.

Her long black hair was only partly gathered up with a simple white jade hairpin, while the rest fell like a waterfall to her waist.

The most eye-catching thing was the sheathed longsword she held in her arms.

The scabbard was simple and ancient, without any decorative patterns, yet it naturally carried a solemn and heavy flow of Dao resonance, faintly echoing the cold aura around her.

Gu Han’s gaze landed on her face, and a trace of surprise also flashed through her eyes.

This appearance, this aura…

She actually bore an astonishing resemblance to Li Hanyi, the Snow Moon Sword Immortal from an anime in Gu Han’s memories of her previous life.

Especially that aloof, transcendent, frost-cold bearing. It was almost exactly the same.

Only, the woman before her was real, not illusory, and her cultivation was unmistakably at the ninth heaven of Tribulation Transcendence.

Such cultivation, even on the Canglan Continent, definitely belonged to the ranks of top existences who could shake the winds and clouds of a region with a single stomp of the foot.

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At this moment, this white-robed female sword cultivator seemed to have just been awakened from some kind of deep slumber or special state.

Her long eyelashes trembled slightly, and those eyes filled with sword intent slowly opened.

At first, there was still a little confusion in them. But almost the instant she saw her surroundings clearly and sensed Gu Han’s presence, that confusion vanished, replaced by extreme vigilance and scrutiny.

A vast, majestic, incomparably sharp sword intent soared into the sky from her body.

The air inside the quiet chamber seemed to freeze instantly. The temperature plunged, and invisible sword qi filled every inch of space, letting out a faint hum.

She gripped the sword in her hand tightly. Her gaze was like lightning as it locked onto Gu Han on the cloud bed, whose aura was unfathomable.

“Who are you? And where is this?”

Her voice was cold and pleasant to the ear, like ice and jade striking together, yet it carried an unquestionable interrogation and wariness.

Facing this terrifying and piercing sword intent, Gu Han’s expression did not change in the slightest.

She merely raised her eyes calmly and met that vigilant gaze.

An invisible pressure, even vaster, even more ethereal, as if standing level with heaven and earth, spread silently.

There was no sword qi confronting sword qi, nor any deliberately activated spiritual power.

It was simply the natural suppression brought by an absolute gap in life level and cultivation realm.

Under this silent pressure, the white-robed female sword cultivator’s sky-piercing sword intent rapidly melted away and withdrew.

Her heart shook violently.

The pressure this silver-haired woman before her brought to her was actually so terrifying.

“I am Gu Han.”

Gu Han spoke. Her voice was still calm, yet it carried an unquestionable dignity as it echoed clearly through the great hall.

“This place is Yaochi Immortal Palace.”

“Since you have come here, it is fate. From this day on, you shall be the Grand Elder of Yaochi Immortal Palace.”

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“Yaochi Immortal Palace… Grand Elder?”

The white-robed female sword cultivator frowned slightly. Clearly, she was confused by this unfamiliar sect and this sudden appointment.

But somewhere in the unseen, she could sense that between herself and this unfathomable Palace Master before her, there existed a faint yet solid connection.

This connection was not a compulsory slave contract. It was more like a subordinate relationship acknowledged by the rules.

She remained silent for a moment, seeming to digest this tremendous information while also weighing her options.

In the end, she withdrew all the sword intent and aura she had released. Yet that icy distance that kept strangers away still remained.

Holding her sword, she nodded slightly, and her cold voice sounded again.

“My name is… Li Hanyi.”

When Gu Han heard this, a trace of a smile flashed through her eyes.

As expected.

“Li Hanyi… a good name.”

She nodded slightly, indicating her approval.

“Elder Hanyi, the Immortal Palace has only just been established, and a hundred affairs await action.

“Since you are the Grand Elder, in the future, you will need to put more effort into matters such as teaching the sect disciples and handling external affairs.”

“Where duty lies, I will naturally do my utmost.”

Her answer was concise and decisive. Even in front of Gu Han, whose cultivation was far higher than her own, she did not show humility or fear.

She still maintained the aloofness and principles of a peerless sword cultivator.

This temperament and bearing made Gu Han even more satisfied.

A ninth-layer Tribulation Transcendence cultivator who only knew how to obey timidly was far less useful than a sword cultivator who preserved her true heart and had clear principles.

“Very good.”

Gu Han raised her hand and sent out a stream of spiritual light, which entered Li Hanyi’s brow.

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“These are the rules and precepts of the Immortal Palace, as well as the basic information of this continent. Understand them first.”

Li Hanyi closed her eyes and quietly received this information. Not much emotion could be seen on her snow-and-ice-like face.

Only her faintly trembling long lashes betrayed the unrest within her heart.

A moment later, she opened her eyes again. Most of the vigilance in them had faded, replaced by an even deeper confusion.

“Yaochi Immortal Palace… Canglan Continent… the Five Domains…”

She repeated in a low voice, her brows slightly furrowed.

“I… seem to have no impression of any of these.”

She raised her hand, looked at her own clearly defined fingers, then looked toward the longsword that seemed to be connected to her bloodline.

“I only remember… that my name is Li Hanyi.”

“I remember this sword. I remember some sword Dao insights. Other than that…”

She shook her head. Within her cold voice, there was a trace of confusion and emptiness so faint it was nearly undetectable.

Gu Han looked at this Sword Immortal before her, whose temperament was solitary and peerless, yet who revealed a faint vulnerability because of her missing memories, and understood in her heart.

The people summoned by the system did not seem to completely carry the memories of their original worlds.

They were more like a kind of “new birth” or “projection” in a certain sense.

She rose from the cloud bed and slowly walked up to Li Hanyi.

The two were similar in height. Gu Han’s silver hair formed a sharp contrast with Li Hanyi’s ink-black hair.

“There is no need to worry.”

Gu Han’s voice softened a little. It held less of the Palace Master’s authority and more of an intent to comfort.

“Since you have come here, Yaochi Immortal Palace is your place of belonging. Everyone here is your fellow sect member.”

She reached out, not in the capacity of the Palace Master, but with a calm kindness, and gently took Li Hanyi’s cool wrist.

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“Come. Sit down and talk.”

Li Hanyi’s body stiffened almost imperceptibly.

Her nature was cold and aloof, and she was not accustomed to being close to others. Even such a simple touch was rare for her.

But the warmth from Gu Han’s hand strangely soothed the instinctive urge she had to pull her hand back.

Following Gu Han’s pull, she sat down on a meditation cushion conjured from spiritual power nearby. The longsword in her arms remained held securely.

Gu Han also sat back down on the cloud bed, her posture becoming a little more casual as she continued.

“The pursuit of cultivation and the Dao is long, and the years stretch far. The past is like drifting clouds and smoke. Only the future is worth looking forward to.”

“Hanyi, you only need to remember that from now on, you are the Grand Elder of Yaochi Immortal Palace, and family acknowledged by me, Gu Han.”

“Family…”

Li Hanyi repeated the word softly, her fingertips unconsciously brushing across the cold scabbard.

To her, this word was unfamiliar and distant. Yet strangely, it did not make her feel repelled.

The kindness and acceptance conveyed through Gu Han’s words and attitude were like a trickling stream, moistening the slightly cold and lonely field of her heart caused by the blankness of her memories.

She raised her eyes and looked toward Gu Han.

Within those clear eyes like cold stars, there seemed to be signs of ice and snow melting.

She nodded gently. Although she still did not say anything more, the distance around her that kept strangers away had clearly faded quite a bit.

“Let’s go.”

Seeing this, Gu Han smiled slightly and rose once more.

“I’ll take you to meet the other two members currently in the Immortal Palace. They can also be considered your… junior disciples.”

Li Hanyi hesitated briefly, then stood up with her sword in her arms and silently followed behind Gu Han.

One in front and one behind, the two of them passed through the grand yet empty plaza before the main hall and walked toward the lakeside of the Jade Pool.