Empress Ling Shuang fell silent.
Gu Han's words were very blunt, even somewhat hurtful.
She had given her all, yet in the other's eyes, it was merely "unnecessary."
Yet, she could not refute it.
Because it was the truth.
In yesterday's battle, Gu Han had been at ease from beginning to end, and the bell she had summoned at the end made her feel a gap that was almost despair-inducing.
"Fellow Daoist is right."
Empress Ling Shuang suddenly smiled.
The smile was faint, yet it softened her entire face, possessing a stunning quality like snow beginning to thaw.
"It is this Empress who was obsessed."
She looked up at Gu Han, a flicker of complexity crossing her eyes:
"In terms of cultivation and state of mind, this Empress admits inferiority to Fellow Daoist."
These words were spoken candidly, even carrying a hint of frustration, yet they also made Gu Han feel a bit more favorably toward this Empress of the Northern Region.
At the very least, she could afford to lose and was willing to admit it.
"Fellow Daoist is too modest."
Gu Han shook her head slightly.
Empress Ling Shuang naturally sensed the trace of goodwill in her tone, and a flicker of joy flashed in her eyes.
"Seeing the uniqueness of the Cultivation Technique Fellow Daoist practices yesterday, which seems capable of dissolving all Laws into nothingness, this Empress... is quite curious."
These words were spoken frankly, but they also exposed her true intention—she wanted to take this opportunity to probe Gu Han's background.
Gu Han naturally knew this, but she did not mind.
She tapped her fingertip in the air, and a wisp of gray Chaos Qi quietly emerged:
"What I Cultivate is the 'Dao of Chaos,' the Origin of all things, where all Laws return to their source."
"Compared to Fellow Daoist's 'Dao of Ice,' one is the beginning and the other is the extreme; there is no inherent distinction of superiority or inferiority."
As she spoke, that wisp of Chaos Qi slowly swirled, actually manifesting the scene of ice crystals forming and snowflakes falling in the Void Realm.
Although it was only an illusion, it contained a trace of the true essence of the Law of Ice.
Chaos manifesting all Laws... could it actually derive the true essence of the Law of Ice?
This "Dao of Chaos" was even more terrifying than she had imagined!
"Fellow Daoist's Dao is truly profound."
Empress Ling Shuang suppressed the shock in her heart, and as she raised her hand, a crystal-clear ice crystal formed in her palm:
"However, the Dao of Ice is extremely cold and pure; it freezes all things and also possesses eternity."
The ice crystal in her palm suddenly bloomed with radiance, and a pure chill permeated the air, causing the temperature in the main hall to drop slightly.
Two dao rhymes silently collided and merged in the air.
Chaos Qi manifested ice and cold, while the Law of Ice demonstrated its extreme.
There was no killing intent, no confrontation, only the pure manifestation of the Dao and mutual verification.
A flicker of surprise flashed in Gu Han's eyes.
Empress Ling Shuang's comprehension of the Law of Ice had indeed reached the Transcendent realm.
If not for the fact that she cultivated the "Chaos Scripture," she might truly have been overwhelmed by her.
"Fellow Daoist's Law of Ice has reached its extreme."
Gu Han praised sincerely, the Chaos Qi at her fingertips swirling as she began to imitate that true essence of 'eternity,'
"However..."
Her tone shifted slightly, and the Chaos Qi suddenly dispersed, turning into thousands of fine threads that silently seeped into the ice crystal:
"Beneath eternity, there is also change."
"Crack—"
A barely perceptible soft sound.
Fine cracks appeared on the surface of the ice crystal in Empress Ling Shuang's palm!
"This..."
For the first time, an expression of disbelief appeared in Empress Ling Shuang's eyes.
Her ice crystal contained the Concept of "eternity" and, in theory, could last forever.
Yet Gu Han's Chaos Qi was able to disintegrate "eternity" from within without destroying the structure of the ice crystal!
This was no longer a simple confrontation of Laws, but a suppression at the level of understanding the "Dao"!
"Chaos... encompasses all things and also manifests all things."
Gu Han withdrew the Chaos Qi, her voice calm:
"Fellow Daoist's eternity of ice is indeed exquisite. But if there are no variables within eternity, it is ultimately dead silence."
She paused and looked at Empress Ling Shuang:
"Ice can freeze all things, but it can also turn into spring water to nourish all things."
"Has Fellow Daoist ever considered the other side of the Dao of Ice?"
Empress Ling Shuang was stunned.
The... other side of ice?
She had cultivated for tens of thousands of years, always practicing the extreme of ice—the coldest and most absolute.
Freezing, sealing, destruction—this was her entire understanding of "ice."
Turn into spring water? Nourish all things?
This was simply... unheard of.
"Why can ice not be vitality?"
Gu Han tapped her fingertip lightly, and a wisp of Chaos Qi manifested again.
This time, it was not ice crystals or snowflakes, but a crystal-clear water droplet.
Within the water droplet, tiny life could be vaguely seen gestating and growing.
"Under extreme cold, all things lie dormant; when spring returns to the earth and ice turns into water, it becomes the source of life."
Gu Han's voice was soft, yet it exploded in Empress Ling Shuang's heart like a thunderclap.
She stared fixedly at that water droplet, the light in her ice-blue eyes flickering violently.
Her understanding of tens of thousands of years was quietly pried open at this moment.
Ice... can be vitality?
She instinctively raised her hand, cold Qi swirling in her palm, attempting to imitate the aura of life within that water droplet.
However, her cold Qi was too pure, too biting; as soon as it condensed, it completely froze and extinguished that faint trace of vitality.
Empress Ling Shuang frowned tightly, a flicker of irritation flashing in her eyes.
Gu Han took in her reaction, understanding clearly in her heart.
This Empress of the Northern Region had a pure Dao Heart, but she was also stubborn.
Making her accept such a subversive Concept as "ice can be vitality" was by no means easy.
"Fellow Daoist need not rush."
Gu Han dispersed the Chaos Qi and picked up the spiritual tea to the side, taking a light sip:
"The path of the Dao is inherently ever-changing. It is just that This Gu's understanding differs from Fellow Daoist's."
Empress Ling Shuang was silent for a long time before slowly exhaling:
"I have been taught."
She looked up at Gu Han, her eyes complex:
"Fellow Daoist's understanding of the Dao indeed far exceeds this Empress's."
After a pause, she suddenly stood up and walked over to Gu Han.
The distance between them was no more than three feet.
Gu Han lifted her eyes slightly, meeting her gaze.
Their eyes met.
Empress Ling Shuang suddenly reached out, her fingertips gently brushing across the wrist Gu Han had placed on the cloud table.
The movement was awkward, even carrying a hint of imperceptible stiffness.
But the chill transmitted from her fingertips truly touched Gu Han's skin.
"This bracelet..."
Empress Ling Shuang's gaze fell upon the "Profound Heart Bracelet" on Gu Han's wrist, her voice low:
"Suits you very well."
Her fingertips lingered on the bracelet for a moment before slowly withdrawing.
The touch was cold, yet unexpectedly... gentle.
Gu Han's body stiffened imperceptibly.
Empress Ling Shuang's action was too sudden and too ambiguous.
"What does Fellow Daoist mean by this?"
Gu Han's voice remained calm, but if one listened closely, a trace of vigilance could be detected.
Empress Ling Shuang seemed not to have noticed her vigilance; she just stared fixedly at her, the light in her eyes flickering:
"Qing Xuan gave you the bracelet because you gained her recognition."
"Today, this Empress discussed the Dao with you and also gained something."
She paused, as if weighing her words, and finally said something that nearly made Gu Han lose her composure:
"This Empress also wants to give you a gift, but I haven't thought of what to give you yet..."
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