"Why did he suddenly bring this up? Does he have some thoughts about the Immortal Chu Dynasty's ruler's birthday celebration?"
After returning to her courtyard, Ling Yuxian's heart gradually calmed down.
She didn't believe Gu Changge was the type to act without purpose.
However, she couldn't quite figure out his intentions. The way he spoke to her earlier seemed like he was testing her.
"Forget it. Although he's mysterious and unpredictable, based on his actions, he doesn't seem to be an enemy of our Imperial Immortal Palace."
Shaking her head, she continued to sit cross-legged and cultivate, seizing every moment to strengthen her power.
The affairs of the outside world had nothing to do with her.
Right now, she only had one thought: to grow stronger, stronger, and stronger. She couldn't drag her sister down.
However, when Ling Yuxian closed her eyes and sat in meditation, focusing her mind, she found that her heart couldn't calm down...
She silently recited the Heart-Cleansing Mantra, which had always worked in the past, but now it seemed to have lost its effect.
Suddenly, Ling Yuxian opened her beautiful eyes, looking slightly dazed, and murmured:
"Why does his figure keep appearing in my mind?"
"Could it really be as my sister said, that I have feelings for him?"
As soon as this thought appeared in her mind, she quickly shook her head to deny it, feeling it was too terrifying.
How could she have feelings for such a terrifying guy?
At most, she was just a little curious about him, and perhaps felt a bit guilty because of the previous misunderstandings.
"Damn it, he said those things just to mess with my mind."
Ling Yuxian felt a surge of anger and closed her eyes again, forcing herself not to recall the time they spent together in the Sunny Ancient Domain.
Deep within the Imperial Immortal Palace, on a mist-shrouded cliff, Ling Yuling stood facing the wind, her sleeves fluttering.
Her originally gentle and beautiful face now carried a hint of majesty, making her seem awe-inspiring.
In her jade-like hand, a crystal-clear mirror appeared, reflecting the distant figure of Ling Yuxian.
"Yuxian's heart is indeed in turmoil. Things are developing in a direction I don't want to see."
Seeing the scene in the mirror, Ling Yuling seemed to hear Ling Yuxian's murmurs, her gaze turning somewhat helpless.
With a wave of her hand, the mirror disappeared.
She gazed into the vast sea of clouds in the distance. From her vantage point, she could see layers upon layers of spacetime and universes, like bubbles of varying sizes stacked together, sometimes expanding, sometimes collapsing.
There, the rules and order of the universe surged like tides, and even the Great Dao seemed twisted into countless fragments.
This was the depths of the Imperial Immortal Palace, a region connected to the outer Spacetime Sea. Of course, only beings of her level could see the true nature of this place—a boundless expanse of spacetime, with endless chaotic currents and unimaginable disorder.
However, once a cultivator broke through to the Dao Realm, they gained the qualification to travel through these spacetimes.
Ling Yuling stood here, seemingly waiting for something, her gaze calm and unchanging.
"Still no response? It seems that few of my contemporaries remain, let alone those who once fought side by side with me."
She gazed at the entire Spacetime Sea, as if trying to see through something, and let out an almost imperceptible sigh, filled with regret.
From the era when she was schemed against by the Eternal Life Spirit to the present era, countless epochs had passed—too many to count.
Even the Prime-Origin Civilization had undergone earth-shaking changes. Countless sects and forces had risen and fallen, born and destroyed, like the ebb and flow of tides, repeating endlessly.
For mortals, ten years could witness the changing of seasons, a hundred years could prove the cycle of life and death, a thousand years could lament the rise and fall of dynasties, and ten thousand years could reveal the shifting of stars.
But for cultivators, the passage of time was no different.
The era she had lived in was so far removed from the present that it was impossible to measure. Her contemporaries had likely long since perished and vanished into the river of time.
Ling Yuling had only held onto a sliver of hope, wanting to receive a response from the Spacetime Sea.
Now, it was clear that her hopes and expectations had come to nothing.
In the vast Spacetime Sea, the rules surged, and the Great Dao was shattered. Even if there were still some of her contemporaries alive, they were likely no longer in the Prime-Origin Civilization.
However, just as Ling Yuling, feeling a hint of disappointment, was about to turn and leave—
A wave of golden light, dazzling and radiant, suddenly surged from the Spacetime Sea, like a small, blazing sun slowly rising, illuminating the chaotic spacetime.
"Nan Zun!"
Ling Yuling noticed this and was slightly stunned. When she saw the strand of aura contained within the golden wave, her entire being became filled with joy.
Her figure flickered, disappearing from the depths of the Imperial Immortal Palace and reappearing in the Spacetime Sea.
The golden wave carried her forward, as if an invisible force was guiding her, breaking through the chaotic spacetime toward a certain destination.
For her, the appearance of this golden wave was an unexpected surprise.
"I never thought that after countless years, I could sense Nan Zun's aura again. I wonder how she's doing now. Back then, during that great battle, she was severely injured, her origin almost completely shattered..."
"But her aura still exists in the world, and she was able to sense my call. She must have recovered, and after such a long epoch, her strength has likely reached new heights, perhaps even approaching the End of the Path realm."
Ling Yuling's face couldn't hide her smile. The joy of reuniting with an old comrade was indescribable.
Even though she usually kept her emotions in check, she couldn't help but show a genuine smile.
Soon, the golden wave, like a sharp sword, broke through layer after layer of spacetime barriers, carrying her deep into the heart of the Spacetime Sea.
Compared to the vast, turbulent, and chaotic exterior, this place was much calmer, like the eye of a storm, isolating everything.
Ling Yuling stood on the golden wave, gazing at this place in amazement. It felt like she was standing on a floating island in the middle of a vast sea.
And this sea was the Spacetime Sea, with bubble-like universes colliding and overlapping around her, filled with the aura of great worlds.
Without the guidance of the golden wave, even with her strength, it would have been difficult to reach this place.
"I never thought that in the depths of the chaotic Spacetime Sea, there would be such an isolated place. It's like stumbling upon a hidden paradise."
Ling Yuling, her mood now calm, looked around with a smile on her face.
With a wave of her wide sleeve, she left the golden wave beneath her feet and flew toward the island ahead.
However, as she approached, Ling Yuling realized that this so-called island wasn't an island at all, but a massive, ancient piece of floating wood. It was incredibly vast, and she had no idea what kind of divine tree it was.
The entire piece of wood emitted a faint, rust-like yellow light, with some turbid energy dispersing from it. It floated in this space, forming the land here.
She could see cities, mountains, villages, and other scenes on it, resembling a small, self-contained kingdom.
The entire land was surrounded by a faint light barrier, seemingly to isolate the chaotic aura of the Spacetime Sea and prevent any strange creatures from entering.
In this chaotic Spacetime Sea, all kinds of dangers and strange things could be encountered. Along the way, she had seen countless remains of ancient ferocious beasts.
Some of the corpses hadn't decayed, with only parts remaining, but they still exuded a terrifying aura that made one's heart tremble.
So, Ling Yuling wasn't surprised by this light barrier.
She continued to observe her surroundings, and the more she looked, the more curious she became.
However, she didn't act rudely. Instead of barging in immediately, she stood quietly in the Spacetime Sea, waiting for the native inhabitants of this land to come to her.
She guessed that her old comrade, the Nan Zun, must be living in seclusion in this place.
This place, untouched by the outside world, was indeed ideal for secluded cultivation. There were no schemes or deceptions from the cultivation world, nor any life-and-death struggles between sects for resources.
To be honest, she was a little envious of such a life. Compared to her being trapped in that dark, sunless space for countless years, her old comrade Nan Zun seemed to be living quite freely.
When she met her, she would definitely tease her about this.
Thinking this, Ling Yuling's smile grew even wider.
Soon, Ling Yuling noticed several streaks of light flying toward her from the land.
They were several beings dressed in ancient attire, some human, some from other races, all appearing quite old.
They seemed cautious, not immediately leaving the area protected by the light barrier, but instead observing from within.
"What's going on?"
"This seems different from what I expected. Has something happened here?"
Ling Yuling's smile gradually faded, and she frowned, noticing that they seemed very cautious and nervous. The wariness in their eyes was impossible to hide.
The few of them were also carrying several ancient artifacts that even made her feel a slight sense of alarm.
If these artifacts were activated, their power would be immense, enough to severely injure a Dao Realm expert.
Although she had been summoned here by the golden wave, the native inhabitants of this land didn't seem to welcome her.
Why was that?