Stunned Ye Qingxue

Looking at her in this state, the last bit of annoyance in Gu Changyuan's heart over her unauthorized burning of her life force vanished into thin air, leaving only boundless heartache and sorrow.

He did not speak, merely reaching out with his warm and powerful palm to gently grasp Ye Qingxue's trembling, icy hand that was suspended in mid-air.

The real, warm touch instantly spread throughout Ye Qingxue's entire body.

Her hand trembled violently, and her fingertips subconsciously curled inwards, only to be wrapped even more gently by that palm.

Seeing that she was still somewhat dazed, her eyes hollow as if she had not yet recovered from the massive shock, Gu Changyuan no longer hesitated.

With a slight pull of his arm, he gently drew this disciple, who was half a head shorter than him and appeared exceptionally frail and vulnerable at this moment, into his embrace.

Ye Qingxue did not resist, nor did she make any unnecessary movements.

She allowed herself to be enveloped by that familiar and reassuring aura, resting her forehead gently against Gu Changyuan's solid chest.

Her hands, which initially propped against him slightly in apparent bewilderment, soon fell limp as if drained of all strength, lightly grasping a corner of Gu Changyuan's robes.

She seemed to want to say something, to pour out the thousand years of searching and waiting, to recount the despair and absolute resolve from just moments ago, to ask where her Master had been for this past millennium and whether he was well...

Countless words clogged her throat, yet she could not utter a single syllable.

Only the slight trembling of her body betrayed the turbulent emotions within her that threatened to drown her.

Suddenly, a warm, broad palm, carrying a familiar strength and temperature, gently landed on the top of her head.

Just like countless times a thousand years ago, it stroked her hair gently and rhythmically, bringing comfort and encouragement.

Immediately after, a voice richer and gentler than in her memory sounded above her head, clearly entering her ears:

"Xue'er, you have done very well. You have worked hard all these years. I have returned. From now on, even if the sky falls, your Master will hold it up."

The voice was very soft, yet it instantly opened the floodgates in Ye Qingxue's heart that had locked away her emotions for a thousand years.

"Ding—"

Ye Qingxue felt as if something had snapped in her mind, like a taut string that had been supporting her all this time.

At this moment, she could finally relax in peace.

All her strength, all her endurance, all her aloofness, all her responsibilities... crumbled instantly before the words "I have returned."

Scalding tears burst from her eyes without warning.

At first, they just fell silently, her shoulders twitching slightly.

But soon, the emotions suppressed for far too long could no longer be controlled.

She buried her face deeper into Gu Changyuan's chest, her hands tightly gripping his lapels. She let out a whimper, which then turned into uncontrollable, loud sobbing.

She cried until her whole body shook, becoming incoherent.

It was as if she wanted to vent all the pressure of the past millennium, all the hesitation of her fruitless searches, all the exhaustion of putting up a strong front, and all the fear of facing a desperate situation and death just moments ago...

To pour it all out.

Just like in the past, even when she was injured, wronged, or still young.

She would never shed a single tear in front of her junior brothers and sisters, always maintaining the steady demeanor expected of an eldest senior sister.

She would secretly hide in the bamboo forest on the back mountain, or curl up in an unnoticed corner, burying her face in her knees to cry softly and suppressively.

And every time, her Master would always coincidentally pass by, or accidentally discover her.

He wouldn't say too many comforting words; he would just sit beside her, gently pull her by the shoulders, and let her lean against his not-so-broad yet exceptionally secure embrace.

Gu Changyuan did not speak, quietly feeling his disciple's trembling and catharsis in his arms. His right hand continued to gently stroke her hair, stroke by stroke.

While comforting Ye Qingxue, his gaze shifted to Yue Lingxi and Luo Qingchen behind him.

The two women had red-rimmed eyes, tears continuously sliding down. Their faces were full of shock and joy, looking exactly like Bai Ling'er when she first saw him.

Gu Changyuan could clearly feel the longing in the depths of their eyes. If Ye Qingxue wasn't tightly hugging him and taking up all the space right now, they probably would have thrown themselves at him just like Bai Ling'er did.

If only my arms were longer... an inappropriate thought suddenly popped into Gu Changyuan's mind. That way, I could pull all three of them into my arms and pat their heads at the same time...

Immediately after, he seemed to envision a bizarre scene where his arms suddenly stretched out dozens of feet like vines, wrapping around all three disciples.

He was instantly shocked by his own imagination, his mouth twitching. He quickly shook his head to drive the strange image away.

A streak of light descended, and Bai Ling'er, carrying Gu Xing'er, also arrived.

Seeing Ye Qingxue sobbing loudly in their Master's arms, she was taken aback at first. Soon, mist quickly gathered in her eyes, and an indescribable sense of nostalgia and emotion surged in her heart.

Ever since their Master disappeared, she had never seen her eldest senior sister like this again.

If one were to ask why she had seen Ye Qingxue cry before, it was because Little Bai Ling'er had been peeking from the sidelines back then.

Bai Ling'er suppressed the surging emotions in her heart, walked quickly to Yue Lingxi and Luo Qingchen, and asked softly:

"Lingxi, Qingchen, are you alright? How are your injuries?"

Yue Lingxi raised her hand to wipe the tears from the corners of her eyes. Her voice still carried a lingering sob as she shook her head:

"Third Senior Sister, I'm fine. My divine soul just suffered a slight backlash from the formation, it's nothing serious."

Luo Qingchen also wiped away her tears, the exhaustion between her brows dissipating significantly as she revealed a faint smile:

"Senior Sister Bai, I am fine as well."

Today, although the Heaven and Human Holy Land, Heavenly Demon Pavilion, and Heavenly Fiend Sect were located in the Human, Demon, and Fiend realms respectively, they were deeply bound together because of their common Master, Gu Changyuan.

The thirty founding disciples under Gu Changyuan's name had communicated frequently and fought side by side over the millennium, becoming as familiar as blood siblings.

When addressing each other collectively, they did not differentiate by sect. They uniformly ranked themselves as senior and junior brothers and sisters according to the chronological order in which Gu Changyuan had accepted them as disciples.

Ye Qingxue did not allow herself to cry for too long.

A thousand years of tempering had long taught her to quickly control her emotions.

After her pent-up emotions were vented, reason quickly returned.

She sniffled softly, stopped her tears, and slowly rose from Gu Changyuan's embrace.

Even though her eyes and nose were still red, and the tear stains on her face had not yet dried.

She stepped aside, looking at Yue Lingxi and Luo Qingchen, signaling them with her eyes.

Gu Changyuan understood her intention. Maintaining his open-armed posture, he looked over with a gentle gaze and called out softly:

"Lingxi, Qingchen."

Hearing this familiar and heart-fluttering call, Luo Qingchen took a small step back, clearly wanting to let Yue Lingxi go first.

Yue Lingxi did not decline. She stepped forward quickly, almost throwing herself into Gu Changyuan's open embrace, tightly wrapping her arms around her Master's waist and burying her face in his shoulder.

Unlike Ye Qingxue, who needed to vent, she was seeking more of a confirmation and a sense of security.

She quickly composed herself and let go. Taking a step back, she looked up at Gu Changyuan with a teary yet incredibly radiant and relieved smile, then turned and made way for Luo Qingchen.

Seeing this, Luo Qingchen hesitated no longer.

She stepped forward and gave Gu Changyuan a brief, trusting embrace.

Soon after, she also let go and stepped aside, her face bearing a look of profound relief and joy.

Since their Master had truly returned, the days ahead would be long. There would be plenty of time for master and disciple to spend together; there was no need to rush this single moment.

Just then, four Half-Immortal auras rapidly approached their location, seemingly drawn by the energy fluctuations here.

Upon their arrival, Ye Qingxue and the rest of the group recognized their identities. They were the four Half-Immortal City Lords of the Outer Domain's Outer City, all of whom were formidable cultivators above the seventh stage of the Half-Immortal realm.