For some reason, the world before him reminded Ye Zichen of the Modern Realm.
Of course, it didn’t remind him of the Modern Realm’s metropolises. Cities were just one tall building after another, with streets filled with cars and car horns. They were nothing like the scene of tranquility before him.
This was more like the countryside, a place city dwellers might come to relax, a place they could leave the vibrant clamor behind and enjoy the peace and tranquility only nature could provide.
Ye Zichen was stunned. He was stunned that someone had created this world.
Did that mean the Modern Realm he’d once lived in was someone’s creation too?
A half-step transcendent could create such a flourishing place. Could it be that the planet he’d once lived on was the work of a full transcendent?
In that case, what about the Milky Way…?
Ye Zichen had the indistinct sensation of a brand-new door opening before him.
However, his cultivation was still low. His understanding naturally wasn’t as clear or precise as a transcendent’s. As such, although he felt as if he’d seen a whole new world, his impression was indistinct.
Lan Tu smiled warmly, not the least bit surprised by Ye Zichen’s reaction.
Everyone who came to visit the Gu Family passed through this place, and all of them sensed that this place was unusual. When they learned that the family head and his father had created this place, no one could fully hide their emotions.
The way Lan Tu saw it, Ye Zichen actually did a relatively good job controlling himself. In the past, many people had been left too stunned to even speak.
This place was the Gu Family’s first means of instilling awe in visitors. Then, they’d bring guests into the interior to see their family’s true strength, embedding terror deep into their consciousnesses, from which it would never disappear.
Judging by the time, they’d already lingered here long enough. Lan Tu thus patted Ye Zichen on the shoulder, took a few steps back and, remaining a respectful distance, smiled at him. “Alliance Head Ye, we’d best not linger here. The family head is waiting for us inside.”
As he spoke, a gentle breeze blew between the trees, rustling their leaves. The wind carried the fragrance of grass and flowers. Combined with the song of the birds and the fish frolicking in the stream, and it really did seem like a secluded paradise.
Ye Zichen took one last reluctant look around, as if trying to carve everything he saw here into his memory. Lan Tu made no further attempts to disturb him. After a while, Ye Zichen let out a deep breath. “I’ll have to ask you to lead the way, Bodyguard Lan Tu.”
“No need, no need! This is my home! I’ll lead the way instead!” It seemed Gu Luolin had been here many times before, and the way back was familiar.
He watched as she dashed up to a contorted, ancient tree with a wide trunk. Her fair white fingers tapped its surface.
Whoosh!
A soft sound reverberated through his eyes. In this tranquil space, it sounded far more piercing than it otherwise would have.
But soon, Ye Zichen found his attention drawn to the space behind the tree…
The space shattered like a dropped mirror, and the cracks spread nonstop until the mirror shattered completely.
Within the “mirror” they could see a city. It looked as if it were shrouded in mists, or as if it were a mirage.
“Let’s go!” Guo Luolin bounded through the shattered space. Bodyguard Lan had long since grown accustomed to her behavior, and it no longer startled him.
He wasn’t in a hurry to rush after her, either. This was the Gu Family, and as the only daughter of their main line of succession, he didn’t think anyone would be so foolish and blind to act against her. He was even less worried that something might happen to her in Gu Family territory.
This was the self confidence of the Gu Family, common to both its main family and its attendants.
Just the name “the Guo Family” was enough to terrify even demons.
“Alliance Head Ye, we should head out too.” Lan Tu gestured towards the broken space. Ye Zichen nodded, then strode through the mirror.
Once he stepped through it, he realized that the earthly paradise he’d been in really was a separate dimension. It was perfectly connected to the space containing the city; all he had to do was turn and look through the mirror, and he’d see the same lush greenery they’d just left behind.
“You’re so slow!” Gu Luolin scrunched up her little mouth and complained. She was now astride a magic cloud.
“Can you just leave that?” Ye Zichen gestured to the mirror.
Lan Tu laughed in response. “The space here heals on its own. Before long, it’ll seal back up, good as new.”
“That’s possible?”
Indeed, it was just as Lan Tu said. Even as Lan Tu explained, Ye Zichen sensed that the mirror was showing signs of knitting back together.
Creating a self-contained world like this was already the mark of an expert. To, within the created space, create Laws capable of sustaining life, and space that could heal itself…
“But of course, Alliance Head Ye, if you think about it, the space of the Upper Three Realms heals itself too following a fracture, doesn’t it? The dimension our leaders created is far smaller than the Upper Three Realms, but that aside, there’s no real difference,” Lan Tu explained with a laugh, but his eyes glowed with indescribable pride.
This was the power of the Gu Family’s leaders.
They could create dimensions, imbue them with the Laws, make the space capable of self-repair. To an outsider, this was a miracle!
But, difficult as it was, they’d done it!
“Your family heads’ powers are truly all-encompassing,” said Ye Zichen. He inwardly sighed with admiration. What he’d seen so far was already absolutely enough to call a miracle.
Never mind the imperial lords he was on good terms with; not even imperial sovereigns like Zhou Wu and Kui Lin could have achieved something like this.
Transcendents really were transcendents.
The Gu Family’s leaders were only half-step transcendents, but that was enough to look down on all of creation.
“Alliance Head Ye, let’s hurry inside. If we get there late, the family head will chastise me.” Lan Tu smiled warmly, and his tone wasn’t demanding; it almost seemed like a plea.
This Lan Tu sure knew how to comport himself. His cultivation was higher than Ye Zichen’s, and even after showing Ye Zichen the Gu Family’s full power, his attitude hadn’t changed at all. He still had a firm grip on their relative positions.
Ye Zichen nodded his agreement, then resumed walking towards the city. Only then did he realize something: no wonder the city looked so indistinct earlier! It looks close to that earthly paradise, but it isn’t!
It was actually a few dozen miles away.
In the time it took to brew a cup of tea, they finally reached the city gates.
An enormous sign hung over the entryway, the strokes vibrant and forceful and the characters lacquered with gold: The Gu Family.
The characters seemed intermingled with the dao, and he could vaguely sense the power of the dao flowing around them. Just looking at the characters, Ye Zichen felt a deep spiritual pressure wash over him, as if trying to force him to submit.
