After being chosen by the Ice Queen

After a brief period of detachment, Gu Yan found himself in a pure white, square room.

"You're awake? That was quick."

Gu Yan looked up and saw Lei Kun sitting with his legs crossed, holding an unlit cigarette, looking him up and down.

"Brother Kun."

Gu Yan stood up and found that he was wearing a clean gray training uniform. His personal belongings were not with him, but the feeling of the imprint space was still there.

"Don't be nervous, it's standard procedure." Lei Kun waved his hand. "When returning from an event world, especially if you're carrying unstable energy or potentially contaminated items, you have to come to the purification room first for a quick scan and basic disinfection to prevent you from bringing any random stuff into the base or reality."

He pointed to several devices emitting blue light in the corner of the room.

"It doesn't seem like there's anything seriously wrong, just that there's a bit of an unpleasant odor coming from his body."

Indeed, the slightly restless chill within his body caused by devouring Orochi had been calmed down and became more subdued.

"Is the mission complete?"

"Yes, I obtained an identity within the Chiba Group." Gu Yan briefly reported the situation, including his cooperation with Chiba Rin, the assassination of the Smiling Buddha, and the triggered side quest of the Kusanagi Sword. He omitted the specific details of the Candlelight Breath devouring the Orochi Remnant, only saying that he had obtained an unstable and broken inheritance by chance, which needed to be dealt with.

"Chiba Rin... I've heard of her, she's a ruthless character. Be careful not to be used as a pawn when cooperating with her, and also watch out for being stabbed in the back. However, she's not bad for initial entry and training. The Ame-no-Murakumo Sword... tsk tsk, it involves mythological concepts. This mission is of a high level, you can't touch the core for now, just follow along and accumulate contributions and intelligence."

He stood up, walked to the terminal by the wall, and operated it for a few moments: "Your basic rewards (Source Points, Physical Enhancement) have been settled and merged. Your swordsmanship breakthrough was earned by yourself, not bad."

Regarding that impurity in your body, according to custom, a newcomer's first inheritance is initiated by a mentor. However…”

Before he could finish speaking, the pure white walls of the purification room suddenly rippled like water, and a tall figure entered without warning. Wearing a beige trench coat and with calm eyes, it was Lin Xue.

Lei Kun wasn't surprised; he simply raised an eyebrow and dropped his casual demeanor: "Miss Lin."

Lin Xue nodded slightly to Lei Kun: "Thank you for your hard work. Gu Yan's situation is a bit special, so I will handle his authority."

Lei Kun nodded tactfully, "Understood. I'll go submit the preliminary report on the incident first."

As he left, he patted Gu Yan on the shoulder and whispered, "Kid, listen to Miss Lin."

Only Gu Yan and Lin Xue remained in the room.

"How does it feel?"

Gu Yan recounted in detail his experiences in the Japanese world, especially the process of Zhuyin's Breath actively devouring the remnant of Orochi, as well as the sense of satisfaction and unease he felt.

Lin Xue listened quietly, and only spoke slowly after he finished speaking: "Your perception is very keen. Zhuyin is the ancestor of time and darkness, with an extremely high status. At birth, its instincts drive it to seek out and devour yin, darkness, poison, and disordered forces of the same or secondary origin to complete itself. The afterimage of the Yamata no Orochi fits this condition perfectly."

She took two steps forward, getting closer to Gu Yan: "But devouring is not the same as digesting. Especially this kind of broken inheritance with strong mythological imprints and resentment. You feel it is quiet now because the Breath of Candlelight has temporarily suppressed and enveloped it, absorbing the surface energy and some fragments of rules, strengthening your physique, and transforming it into derivative abilities like Yin Erosion. But the core resentment imprint and mythological concept have only been temporarily frozen, not disappeared."

Gu Yan's heart tightened: "Then how can I completely digest or purify it?"

"There are three methods," Lin Xue said, holding up three fingers. "First, improve your control and understanding of the Candlelight Breath, allowing it to naturally refine impurities with a higher degree of completion. This requires learning and practice. Second, actively seek out the complete lineage or source information related to the Eight-Headed Serpent, understand its essence, and perhaps find an opportunity to resolve its obsession. Third, complete enough council tasks, accumulate contribution points, and exchange them for the opportunity to use the Jianmu Origin for cleansing."

She lowered her hand and looked at Gu Yan: "The first one is the foundation. I can teach you some basic Mind Source Meditation and Authority Guidance techniques right now. The second one may be related to the Kusanagi Sword side quest you triggered, so you can do it in parallel. The third one is something you can consider in the long term."

"The flow of time..." Gu Yan thought of the unfinished matter in Japan.

"The flow of time varies greatly between different fruit worlds, but it can be adjusted to some extent through stable channels and the base as a transit point," Lin Xue said. "I can help you coordinate the time you spend in the base and the real world this time, ensuring that only two to three days have passed when you return to world Yi-Si-7743 next time. That's enough for you to handle some urgent matters without missing too much."

Gu Yan breathed a sigh of relief; this had relieved his worries.

"You performed well in this incident, especially achieving the auspicious result in the first incident, which solidified your authority." Lin Xue's tone seemed to soften slightly. "However, the path of a Realm Walker is long and dangerous. The growth of power must be synchronized with the tempering of the mind. You will stay here for the next few days. I will guide you through preliminary meditation and control exercises. Lei Kun will also arrange some basic physical coordination and practical combat training for you to fully digest the physical enhancement and swordsmanship breakthrough you have gained this time."

Gu Yan replied. With Lin Xue's personal guidance, he gained much more confidence.

"In addition," Lin Xue seemed to have thought of something, "your sister Su Yue's living expenses and academic arrangements have been taken care of through the college's scholarship program. She recently participated in an academic summer camp and is very happy."

"Go ahead, head to the rest area first. Lei Kun will arrange a temporary room and training schedule for you. It starts tomorrow." After Lin Xue finished speaking, her figure began to blur and disappeared silently.