Volume 1, Chapter 32 – Liu Ruyan’s Memories

Yaochi Immortal Palace, the plaza before the main hall.

Space rippled faintly, and two figures appeared out of thin air.

Gu Luoli’s vision blurred. One moment, she had still been inside the private room of a teahouse in Linyuan City; the next, she found herself in an unfamiliar place.

She stumbled a step, hurriedly steadied herself, and looked around in bewilderment.

Before her was a vast plaza paved with white jade. In the distance, pavilions and towers stood in elegant arrangement, half hidden within spiritual mist.

Most eye-catching of all was the immense lake ahead.

Its waters were so clear that the bottom could be seen. Delicate pavilions stood on a small island at the center, while the entire lake was shrouded in a faint golden glow, creating a scene of breathtaking beauty.

The surrounding spiritual qi was so dense that it had nearly taken physical form. Every breath brought Gu Luoli a wave of comfort.

“Is… is this Yaochi Immortal Palace?”

She murmured to herself, her eyes filled with shock.

Even Qingyun Sacred Land fell far short in comparison.

“That is correct.”

Gu Han’s voice drew her out of her amazement.

“This is Yaochi Immortal Palace, and it will also be your home from now on.”

Before she had even finished speaking,

“Master-Mommy!”

A clear, soft voice came from outside the hall.

A tiny figure came running over on short little legs, her footsteps going patter-patter-patter.

It was little A-Yao.

Today, she wore a pale pink dress, and her jet-black hair had been styled into two small buns, making her look even more adorable.

A-Yao ran up to Gu Han and instinctively moved to throw herself into her arms, but stopped when she noticed Gu Luoli.

Tilting her little head, she studied the unfamiliar young woman with curiosity in her large eyes.

“Master-Mommy, who is this pretty big sister?”

Gu Luoli was startled by the words “Master-Mommy” and instinctively looked at Gu Han.

The unfathomable Palace Master wore an expression of complete affection when facing the little girl.

“A-Yao, this is Gu Luoli. From now on, she will be your Third Junior Sister.”

Gu Han stroked A-Yao’s head and spoke gently.

“Third Junior Sister?”

A-Yao blinked, walked over to Gu Luoli, raised her small face, and gave her a sweet smile.

“Hello, Third Junior Sister! I’m A-Yao, your Eldest Senior Sister!”

Gu Luoli looked at the innocent and cheerful little girl before her, complicated emotions rising within her.

Eldest Senior Sister?

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This child, who looked only four or five years old, was actually her Eldest Senior Sister?

But on second thought, anyone accepted by the Palace Master as her first disciple could not possibly be ordinary.

She quickly composed herself and bowed respectfully.

“Luoli greets Eldest Senior Sister.”

“Junior Sister, there’s no need to be so polite!”

A-Yao waved her little hand, displaying quite an air of an “Eldest Senior Sister.”

She carefully examined Gu Luoli’s pale complexion, concern appearing on her small face.

“Junior Sister, your face is so pale. Are you sick?”

“But don’t be scared. Master-Mommy is amazing! She’ll definitely cure you!”

The words were innocent, but they warmed Gu Luoli’s heart.

“Thank you for your concern, Eldest Senior Sister.”

“Master, you’re back!”

At that moment, Liu Ruyan also walked over.

She had clearly just finished cultivating, and her aura was somewhat more solid than before.

When her gaze fell on Gu Luoli, a trace of surprise flashed through her eyes before turning into a gentle smile.

“You must be our new Junior Sister. My name is Liu Ruyan, and I am your Second Senior Sister.”

Gu Luoli hurriedly bowed.

“Luoli greets Second Senior Sister.”

She could sense that although this Second Senior Sister’s cultivation did not appear particularly high, there was something unusual about her aura. She was by no means ordinary.

Liu Ruyan smiled and helped her straighten up.

“Junior Sister, there’s no need for such formality. Now that you’re here, we’re family.”

Feeling the concern of her two senior sisters, Gu Luoli’s eyes reddened slightly.

“Thank you, Second Senior Sister.”

Gu Han looked at the three of them getting along harmoniously and nodded in satisfaction.

“Ruyan, take Luoli to her residence first.”

“Yes, Master.”

Liu Ruyan accepted the instruction, took Gu Luoli by the hand, and said gently,

“Junior Sister, come with me.”

Then she turned to A-Yao.

“Eldest Senior Sister, would you like to come too?”

“Yes!”

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A-Yao immediately nodded and trotted after them.

Watching her three disciples leave together, a trace of gratification flashed through Gu Han’s eyes.

Her figure flickered and vanished from the spot as she returned to the main hall.

Meanwhile, elsewhere,

Liu Ruyan held Gu Luoli’s hand as they slowly walked along a path paved with white jade.

A-Yao skipped along beside them, occasionally pointing out the exotic flowers and unusual plants lining the path and introducing them to Gu Luoli.

Her childish chatter made the atmosphere among the three of them considerably more relaxed.

Within Liu Ruyan’s heart, however, raging waves had already risen.

Gu Luoli…

She remembered that name!

Not from this life, nor from her previous life, but from her even earlier first life!

In her memories of that life, approximately three hundred years later, an astonishingly brilliant woman named Gu Luoli would suddenly rise to prominence.

It was said that she had been born with double pupils and cultivated both alchemy and swordsmanship. She reached Mahayana within a century and Tribulation Transcendence within two centuries.

With her double pupils, she cut through every obstacle and carved out an invincible path, her radiance eclipsing every other heavenly genius.

Even more intriguing was her mysterious background and unknown lineage. All anyone knew was that she came from a hidden sect.

Countless forces had attempted to investigate her sect at the time, but every effort ended in failure.

Rumor had it that the sect had very few disciples, but every one of them was an earth-shaking figure.

Its sect master was even more mysterious and unfathomable. According to legend, she had already left the Canglan Continent and traveled to the legendary Immortal Realm.

At that time, Liu Ruyan had been nothing more than a minor cultivator struggling to survive at the bottom of the cultivation world.

She had once been fortunate enough to see the Double-Pupiled Immortal Maiden from afar.

The Gu Luoli of that time had been like the bright moon of the Nine Heavens, lofty and unreachable, admired by all.

The difference between them had been as vast as the clouds and the mud.

Yet the Gu Luoli before her now had dim double pupils and a shattered Dao foundation. She showed none of the splendor of the future Double-Pupiled Immortal Maiden.

“So… it was her…”

Realization dawned within Liu Ruyan, followed by an indescribable shock.

In her first life, she had only known that Gu Luoli had joined a mysterious sect. She had never learned its name.

So it had actually been Yaochi Immortal Palace!

Through an unexpected twist of fate in this life, Liu Ruyan had entered the sect before her and had even become her senior sister!

This wondrous turn of destiny sent Liu Ruyan’s emotions surging, and the way she looked at Gu Luoli became even more complicated.

There was reverence for the legendary figure from her first life, sympathy for her fellow junior sister, and the emotion of someone who possessed foreknowledge.

“Second Senior Sister?”

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Gu Luoli’s voice drew Liu Ruyan out of her thoughts.

Only then did Liu Ruyan realize that she had unknowingly stopped walking and was staring absently into Gu Luoli’s eyes.

“I remembered something just now and became distracted.”

Liu Ruyan smiled apologetically, composed herself, and continued walking.

“Junior Sister,”

Liu Ruyan began after considering her words, trying to keep her tone casual,

“your eyes are very special.”

Gu Luoli’s body stiffened slightly. She instinctively lowered her head, and her voice became somewhat strained.

“They are double pupils.”

“But because of my cultivation technique and injuries, they’re no longer of much use.”

A note of dejection colored her words.

When she had been at Qingyun Sacred Land, these double pupils had once been her pride and the foundation of her status as Holy Maiden.

But after her Dao foundation was damaged, her double pupils had also fallen dormant. Instead, they had become an excuse for others to mock her.

Liu Ruyan keenly sensed her emotions and sighed inwardly.

“Junior Sister, that is not true.”

Liu Ruyan stopped and looked at Gu Luoli earnestly, her voice gentle yet firm.

“Double pupils are a blessing bestowed by heaven, a rarity unseen throughout the ages.”

“Once your injuries are healed and your double pupils truly awaken, the entire continent will tremble because of you.”

Gu Luoli was slightly stunned. In the words of this Second Senior Sister, she sensed an extraordinary degree of trust.

Ever since her Dao foundation had been damaged and the sacred land had abandoned her, it had been far too long since she had felt such kindness and expectation.

Sensing the emotions stirring in her heart, Liu Ruyan continued leading her forward by the hand.

“Third Junior Sister, you must understand that those born with double pupils can naturally perceive the essence of all things.”

“When refining pills, you can distinguish the subtlest differences in medicinal properties. When practicing the sword, you can glimpse the origin of sword intent. Your cultivation speed will also be a hundred times that of ordinary people.”

“Once your talent truly blossoms, your brilliance will illuminate everything, and no one will be able to rival you.”

Her words were like a gentle spring rain, quietly nourishing Gu Luoli’s parched heart.

Gu Luoli’s eyes reddened as she listened, and her voice became slightly choked.

“But the elders of Qingyun Sacred Land all said… that my double pupils are already crippled, and that I will never again have any hope of pursuing the Great Dao…”

“Qingyun Sacred Land?”

Liu Ruyan gently shook her head, a trace of disdain in her voice.

“They are merely frogs at the bottom of a well, blind despite having eyes.”

“Junior Sister, remember this: from the moment you stepped into Yaochi Immortal Palace, you ceased to be the person you once were.”

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“Here, with Master present, nothing is impossible.”

She paused, then added meaningfully,

“Believe me. It will not be long before everyone who once mocked you can do nothing but look up at your back.”

Liu Ruyan spoke with absolute certainty.

Because in her first life, she had seen the Gu Luoli who stood above the clouds!

Although A-Yao did not quite understand everything from the side, she also waved her little fist and said with a smile,

“Second Junior Sister is right! Master-Mommy is amazing!”

“She’ll definitely cure you, and then we can cultivate together!”

They were the innocent words of a child, yet they carried the purest trust.

Gu Luoli looked at her earnest Second Senior Sister and her determined Eldest Senior Sister, who was waving a tiny fist.

The string in her heart that had been stretched taut for far too long finally loosened, quietly transforming into a heart full of warmth.

“We’re here.”

Liu Ruyan pushed open the gate to a courtyard and led Gu Luoli inside.

The courtyard was not large, but it had been arranged with considerable elegance.

“Thank you for going to so much trouble, Second Senior Sister.”

Gu Luoli thanked her sincerely.

“We’re family. There’s no need to be polite.”

Liu Ruyan smiled, waved her hand, and left with A-Yao.

After leaving Clear Sound Pavilion, Liu Ruyan looked back at the quiet courtyard, her eyes flickering.

If she could forge a bond as fellow disciples with Gu Luoli before the latter rose to greatness, it would undoubtedly bring immeasurable benefits to her own future.

She lowered her head and looked at the Eldest Senior Sister beside her, who was kicking pebbles and humming a song.

Yet no matter how thoroughly she searched her memories, she could find no rumors concerning this “Eldest Senior Sister.”

Presumably, in that first life, Eldest Senior Sister had already followed Master to the Immortal Realm by then, which was why Liu Ruyan had never heard of her.

This Immortal Palace was quietly gathering the brightest stars of that era.

And she, Liu Ruyan, had been fortunate enough in this life to become one of them, personally participating in and witnessing the beginning of these legends.

The source of it all, the creator of these legends, was that unfathomable Master.

Liu Ruyan looked toward the main hall. Amid the swirling clouds and mist, she seemed able to see that peerlessly elegant figure.

“Master… just how far into the future have you seen?”

“And on this chessboard, what kind of road to the heavens have you laid out for us?”

She knew that she might never be able to fathom the depths of her Master.

But she was absolutely certain that in this life, her choice could never be wrong.