As for Dong Xuan’er, clad in pure white, her crimson lips moved slightly, but she ultimately said nothing. Her expression was complex—a mix of agitation, joy, estrangement, and resentment.
“Miss Han, your arrival brings me nothing but delight. There’s no need to speak of trouble, nor must you address me as ‘senior.’ Just call me Brother Han. It seems you’ve already reached the peak of mid-Core Formation. Advancing to the late stage must be just around the corner,” Han Li said with a smile.
The woman in the yellow robe blushed faintly at his words but soon nodded with visible happiness.
“I came here to thank Brother Han for sparing my life twice in the past. Had I fallen into the hands of other cultivators, I doubt I would have survived either time,” Han Yunzhi said softly, her voice filled with gratitude.
“So, you remember the events of the Bloody Trial and later incidents in Yue Kingdom—that they were my doing,” Han Li remarked, momentarily surprised before chuckling lightly.
“I recently met Senior Sister Liu Yu, who recounted everything to me. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have dared to seek you out,” Han Yunzhi replied, a faint smile playing on her lips.
Strangely enough, while Han Li had always regarded her as a younger sister, Han Yunzhi seemed to share a similar sentiment. After just a few words, she forgot his current status and began chatting and laughing with him as if they were old friends.
Their conversation soon turned to reminiscing about the Tai Nan Gathering and the Bloodly Trial, both sighing at how much had changed in the past two or three hundred years. Back then, a mere Foundation Establishment cultivator had seemed like an unattainable figure to them.
“Ah, this is Sister Dong, whom I met during the ceremony. I heard she was once your fellow disciple and has something to discuss with you,” Han Yunzhi suddenly remembered, turning to Dong Xuan’er with a smile before addressing Han Li.
“Indeed, Fairy Dong and I once trained together under the Yellow Maple Valley. However, it seems her cultivation hasn’t progressed much since our last brief encounter,” Han Li replied coolly, glancing at Dong Xuan’er.
“And whose fault is that?” Dong Xuan’er snapped, her face alternating between red and pale before she gritted her teeth in anger.
Han Li was momentarily stunned.
Han Yunzhi blinked in confusion.
“Fairy Dong, what do you mean by that? How could your stagnation possibly be my doing?” Han Li’s expression darkened as he regained his composure.
“You became my inner demon! That’s why I’ve been stuck at mid-Core Formation for so many years, unable to break through!” Dong Xuan’er retorted, momentarily forgetting the vast gap in their status as she vented her frustration.
“Inner demon?” Han Li murmured, his face flickering with surprise.
“At Yan Family Fort, I was captured by Tian Buque and taken to the Joyous Union Sect, where I learned my true origins. I am the direct descendant of the Old Devil Yun Lu. Before I was even born, he implanted a secret technique called the ‘Dreamweaver Art’ in me. It makes cultivating charm-based techniques effortless, but the greatest hurdle—or the easiest—is overcoming the inner demon. For some, it’s as simple as eating or drinking. For others, it’s an insurmountable barrier, halting progress forever—or even reversing cultivation!” Dong Xuan’er explained bitterly.
“Even so, why would I become your inner demon? Our interactions were minimal,” Han Li asked after a long pause, his expression odd.
“How should I know? Ever since I formed my core, you’ve plagued my cultivation as my inner demon. With external help, I barely advanced to early-Core Formation, but mid-stage was my limit. Only by overcoming this demon can I progress further. Old Devil Yun Lu said it’s likely because you resisted my charm techniques back then and left too deep an impression when I suffered backlash under Tian Buque’s control,” Dong Xuan’er said, her face twisted with resentment.
Han Li fell silent.
Han Yunzhi was equally dumbfounded.
“I heard you sent people to find me after forming your core. Had you succeeded, what would you have done to this ‘inner demon’ of yours?” Han Li asked calmly after a long pause.
“There are only three ways to deal with an inner demon: overcome it through willpower, eliminate the person representing it, or… resolve it. At the time, I intended the second method,” Dong Xuan’er admitted haltingly, her cheeks flushing crimson by the end.
The sudden bloom of color made her strikingly beautiful.
Han Li’s eyes narrowed at her mention of “elimination,” but his expression shifted to surprise as she finished, then discomfort as realization dawned.
“I see your purpose here now. You want me to use a soul-transference technique to help you overcome your inner demon,” Han Li said slowly after a moment of silence.
“Yes. During the invasion of the Mulan people, I hesitated when I saw you had already reached the Nascent Soul stage, missing my chance,” Dong Xuan’er admitted frankly, her demeanor calm again.
“And you’re so certain I’d agree?” Han Li chuckled.
“You’re now the foremost cultivator of the South Sky. I don’t know if you’d help a mere Core Formation cultivator like me. But if I ever hope to reach the Nascent Soul stage in this lifetime, this is my only path,” Dong Xuan’er said, her eyes tinged with melancholy.
“Though our past wasn’t entirely pleasant, we were once fellow disciples. Since your inner demon stems from me, helping you overcome it is trivial for me now. I’ll assist you once,” Han Li said evenly.
“Truly?” Dong Xuan’er brightened instantly.
“Assisting you now costs me nothing. Why would I lie? But once this is done, we’ll have no further ties. You’ll be on your own henceforth,” Han Li said, a strange glint in his eyes.
“Your aid alone is more than I dared hope for. I wouldn’t presume anything further,” Dong Xuan’er replied stiffly, her face pale.
“Good. Rest here for three days. I’ll return then to resolve your inner demon,” Han Li said calmly.
Dong Xuan’er nodded coldly and said no more.
Han Li chatted a while longer with Han Yunzhi, inviting her to stay and explore the Falling Cloud Sect before taking his leave.
Five days later, Dong Xuan’er and Han Yunzhi departed the sect, returning to the Spirit Beast Sect and Joyous Union Sect, respectively.
With Han Li’s help, Dong Xuan’er had overcome her inner demon, clearing the path to late-Core Formation. Han Yunzhi left not only with treasures and pills from Han Li but also a letter for the Spirit Beast Sect’s grand elder.
When Han Li descended before his cave abode as a streak of azure light, a graceful woman in white palace robes stood waiting with a smile.
“Has Yunzhi already left? You could have let her stay longer,” she said gently as he landed.
“A few days together were enough to resolve matters concerning her,” Han Li replied with a smile.
“By the way, I’ve just received news about another of your ‘red threads.’ That woman, Zi Ling, successfully formed her Nascent Soul years ago and has since left for the Great Jin Empire. It seems you won’t meet her again anytime soon,” Nangong Wan said with a teasing smile.
“With Zi Ling’s talent, forming a Nascent Soul was inevitable. Whether she’s in the South Sky matters little. If fate wills it, we’ll meet again. In a few days, once the materials I need arrive, I’ll begin closed-door cultivation—first to reach peak late-Nascent Soul, then master the Great Development Art, and finally merge the Five Extreme Cold Flames with the Five Ghosts of Shared Heart,” Han Li said leisurely, smiling at his beloved wife.
“Good. I intend to attempt late-Nascent Soul as well. May we both succeed upon emerging,” Nangong Wan replied with a radiant smile.
“Let’s hope so. But these next few nights, you’ll have to keep me company,” Han Li said mischievously, his gaze lingering on her curves.
“Since when have you become so glib?” she retorted, blushing but her eyes sparkling with amusement.
“Glib? In all my life, no one’s ever called Han Li ‘glib.’ I suppose you’re the only one who’ll ever hear such words from me!” Han Li threw his head back and laughed, his voice echoing across the peaks.
In a cave on a subsidiary peak, a girl of fourteen or fifteen, reading a jade slip, paused at the sound of his laughter.
A sweet, knowing smile curved her lips.
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