In the starry sky, as Emperor Long Teng departed and the discussions among the spectating Cultivators gradually subsided...
The atmosphere between the two Empresses slowly shifted toward a subtle calm.
Empress Ling Shuang gazed at Gu Han in silence, complex emotions churning within her ice-blue eyes.
There was the unwillingness of defeat, the shock and acknowledgment of Gu Han's strength, and... a lingering trace of doubt.
Her gaze eventually and involuntarily fell upon Gu Han's left wrist once more.
That bangle... She had fought with Qing Xuan for tens of thousands of years and knew her temperament and even some of her Magic Treasures like the back of her hand.
Qing Xuan almost never let this "concentric bangle" leave her person, yet it had now appeared on Gu Han's hand.
Combined with the strength Gu Han had just displayed—which even Emperor Long Teng had highly praised—
A most direct inference took root in her heart, almost uncontrollably.
"Gu Han."
Empress Ling Shuang suddenly spoke, her voice carrying less hostility than before and more of a straightforward inquiry.
She stared intently into Gu Han's eyes, as if trying to confirm something.
"Have you... fought with Qing Xuan?"
Gu Han was slightly taken aback by her words.
She hadn't expected Empress Ling Shuang to ask this so suddenly, and with such a certain tone, as if she had already made up her mind.
Seeing Gu Han's reaction, Empress Ling Shuang's suspicion became a few degrees more certain.
She immediately followed up, her tone carrying a near-obsessive seriousness:
"Then tell me, who is stronger between her and this Empress?"
The question was direct, even somewhat childishly competitive.
But coming from Empress Ling Shuang, coupled with her serious expression at that moment, it seemed incredibly natural.
It was as if this comparison had been weighing on her mind for a long time.
And Gu Han, as a third party who had likely "fought" both sides, was undoubtedly the most qualified judge.
Gu Han looked at Empress Ling Shuang's eyes, which were filled with seriousness and a refusal to lose, feeling a bit helpless yet also finding it somewhat amusing.
This Empress of the Northern Region was truly... quite cute in some aspects.
She gently shook her head and met Empress Ling Shuang's gaze with an honest look, telling the truth:
"Fellow Daoist Ling Shuang, I'm afraid I must disappoint you."
"I have never fought with Empress Qingxuan, so I cannot accurately measure the difference in strength between the two of you."
"Never fought?"
Empress Ling Shuang knitted her elegant brows, the doubt in her eyes deepening.
She looked at Gu Han's wrist, her tone clearly bewildered:
"As far as this Empress knows, Qing Xuan almost never lets this bangle leave her person. Unless you gained her recognition, she would never gift this item."
"And to gain the recognition of someone like her... this Empress can think of no reason other than strength."
"Especially at our Realm."
Hearing her words, Gu Han looked down at the concentric bangle on her wrist, her fingertips unconsciously stroking the warm surface of the bangle.
She naturally understood Empress Ling Shuang's subtext—
At the Immortal Ascension Realm, the primary reason for gifting personal tokens was strength.
"This bangle was indeed gifted by Empress Qingxuan."
Gu Han did not hide it, explaining with a calm tone.
But remembering the ambiguous transmission and teasing when Qing Xuan gave her the bangle, the tips of her ears still warmed almost imperceptibly.
Fortunately, the starry sky was dark, so this slight change was not noticeable.
"However, the gifting of the bangle stemmed from... a tea tasting. It wasn't a trophy from a battle or a token of recognition for strength."
She chose her words carefully, summarizing that meeting in the palace as "tea tasting."
"Tea tasting?"
Empress Ling Shuang was clearly surprised by this answer, her brows furrowing even tighter.
With her understanding of Qing Xuan, that woman was proud, arrogant, and deep-thinking; she was absolutely not someone who would give away a personal item just for "tea tasting."
Unless... Her gaze lingered for a moment on Gu Han's calm and exquisite face, then quickly swept over the unique aura surrounding her.
A thought suddenly flashed through her mind that even she found somewhat absurd, yet it explained everything best.
Could that woman Qing Xuan have taken a fancy to this Yaochi Empress?
Once this thought arose, Empress Ling Shuang first felt it was ridiculous.
That woman Qing Xuan had lived for tens of thousands of years; what kind of brilliant and stunning figures had she not seen?
But on second thought, it didn't seem entirely impossible.
At their level, they had long transcended mundane etiquette and even gender; everything was based on their own heart's desire.
Thinking of this, a strange light flashed in Empress Ling Shuang's pupils.
Her gaze fell upon Gu Han once again, carrying an unprecedented level of scrutiny.
Silver hair like snow, a face of peerless elegance, and an aura that was cold yet possessed an indescribable purity and depth.
Her strength was even more unfathomable; even using the "Soul Burning Art" had failed to force her to use her full power.
Even that fellow Long Teng said he might not necessarily be able to defeat her.
Such a person was indeed worth befriending and keeping in mind.
She and Qing Xuan had fought for so many years, always ending in a stalemate where neither could suppress the other.
If she were to... in this regard, wouldn't she be able to get one over on Qing Xuan and make that hypocritical, pretentious woman unhappy?
Gu Han felt a bit uncomfortable under Empress Ling Shuang's gaze.
That gaze no longer held scrutiny or Battle Intent, but instead carried a kind of... almost direct appraisal and calculation?
"Fellow Daoist Ling Shuang?"
Gu Han frowned slightly, speaking up to remind her.
Empress Ling Shuang snapped back to reality, and a smile suddenly blossomed on her exquisite face—a rarity for her.
The smile was faint, but it softened her entire freezing aura, giving her a different kind of breathtaking beauty.
"Gu Han."
She spoke again, her voice much less cold and stiff than before, carrying an... indescribable meaning.
"Qing Xuan could 'taste tea' and discuss the Dao with you, having a pleasant conversation. I..."
She paused, a flash of craftiness and dominance appearing in her ice-blue eyes:
"...also wish to 'discuss the Dao' with Fellow Daoist Gu."
"I wonder if Fellow Daoist Gu is willing to give me this opportunity?"
These words were... quite subtle.
It sounded like mutual respect between the strong, wanting to have an in-depth exchange and sparring.
Yet it also seemed to imply another layer of meaning, carrying a hint of overbearingness that brooked no refusal.
And a trace of... something only Gu Han could vaguely sense: an intent to provoke Qing Xuan.
Warning bells rang softly in Gu Han's heart.
This Empress Ling Shuang had just looked ready for a life-and-death struggle, and now she suddenly wanted to "discuss the Dao"?
And this look, this tone... Gu Han suddenly remembered Qing Xuan's words in the concentric jade slip:
"That woman has a proud nature, a foul temper, and loves picking fights at the drop of a hat..."
Looking at it now, it was more than just loving to fight.
This temperament was truly something that made her completely unpredictable.
"If Fellow Daoist Ling Shuang wishes to discuss the Dao, you are naturally welcome."
"It is just that This Gu has other important matters right now. As for discussing the Dao, it would not be too late to do so another day."
She calmly pulled the topic back on track, while simultaneously sending a tactful signal of "you can leave now."
Upon hearing this, Empress Ling Shuang did not take the offered exit; instead, the interest in her eyes grew even stronger.
------------------------
I've posted 70+ 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!"