Facing these high-ranking cultivators of her own race, Ling Feixian dared not be negligent. Moreover, there was nothing to hide, so she candidly explained Han Li’s origins.
Overnight, all the nearby human cultivators learned that Han Li was indeed a Grand Ascension cultivator from the Spirit Realm. They were overjoyed and quickly changed their minds, eager to board the giant ark to personally meet him.
However, as soon as these human cultivators approached within a mile of the ark, an invisible barrier forcefully blocked them. Unwilling to force their way in, they had no choice but to retreat.
At dawn the next day, several dazzling rainbows streaked across the distant sky with a sharp whistling sound.
Inside the ark, Han Li, who had been meditating, suddenly stirred. With a single hand seal, he withdrew the invisible barrier and strode out of the cabin toward the bow.
The rainbows arrived above the ark in an instant, their light dissipating to reveal several human cultivators—men and women alike.
They hovered in the air about a hundred zhang away from the ark, except for one ethereal white-robed maiden who descended gracefully from the group, floating toward Han Li with an otherworldly aura.
Han Li’s gaze sharpened, locking onto the face of the white-robed woman. In that moment, nothing else in the world existed for him.
In a few blinks, the maiden stood before him, her luminous eyes shimmering as she parted her lips and spoke softly, “Husband, you’ve finally found me. I never doubted this day would come, but the wait was unbearably long, and the longing was almost too much to bear.”
“Wan’er!”
Han Li uttered these two words and said nothing more. Instead, he reached out, gently tracing his fingers along her silk-smooth cheek as if caressing a priceless treasure. Words were unnecessary.
The white-robed maiden was none other than Nangong Wan, Han Li’s long-sought cultivation partner, also revered among the humans of the Minor Spirit Realm as the “Moon Fairy.”
The distant human cultivators erupted in murmurs at this scene.
Nangong Wan, now the “Strongest Human Cultivator” and possessing unparalleled grace, had long been the dream goddess of countless young male cultivators. Seeing her so intimately close to an outsider left many stunned, their hearts a mix of shock and envy.
Only the few high-ranking human cultivators who had accompanied her showed no surprise, though their expressions varied as they watched.
In the next moment, the white-robed maiden moved, effortlessly melting into Han Li’s embrace.
—
Half a day later, in an elegantly decorated chamber aboard the ark, Nangong Wan nestled against Han Li on a pristine jade-like stone bed, her cheeks faintly flushed as she recounted her experiences over the years.
After Han Li had entered the spatial tunnel, Nangong Wan had also encountered a bottleneck in her cultivation, unable to progress further. Left with no choice, she followed in his footsteps and entered a spatial node, hoping to reach the Spirit Realm.
At this point, she sighed softly.
“What? Did you also encounter a spatial storm?” Han Li asked gently, breathing in her delicate fragrance.
“No, I didn’t face a spatial storm. Instead, I stumbled upon two mighty beings battling within the node. The chaos of their clash disrupted the spatial forces, hurling me into the Minor Spirit Realm,” Nangong Wan replied, her expression briefly flickering with a strange emotion before she bit her lip.
“A battle? Who would dare fight inside a spatial node? Grand Ascension beings?” Han Li asked, startled.
“No. It was the True Spirit Luo Huo and another ancient True Spirit, the Hundred-Headed Worm—both of whom you’ve encountered before. By the time I saw them, they were already mortally wounded. Their final strikes shattered the node, and I, along with their corpses, fell into the Minor Spirit Realm. By sheer luck, I survived with minor injuries and stumbled upon an incredible opportunity.”
“Luo Huo? So it was him! This ‘opportunity’—you mean their corpses?” Han Li was astonished but quickly grew thoughtful.
“Exactly. Both Luo Huo and the Hundred-Headed Worm were among the highest-ranked True Spirits. The sheer amount of primal essence within their cores is unimaginably valuable to any cultivator. Thanks to this, I managed to reach my current level in less than two thousand years, despite the Minor Spirit Realm’s inferior spiritual energy. But you, husband—despite being in the Spirit Realm, you’ve already ascended to Grand Ascension in the same time. That’s even more unbelievable. The higher I climbed, the more I realized how insurmountable the Grand Ascension bottleneck is. Even with the True Spirit cores, I still lack confidence in breaking through.” She turned to gaze at Han Li, her astonishment plain.
“I only succeeded after meticulous preparations. When I emerged from the spatial node as a Deity Transformation cultivator, I was far from unscathed—severely injured, even losing my cultivation for a time…”
Han Li recounted his own journey, though he glossed over certain sensitive details.
Even so, when Nangong Wan heard about his encounters with Yuan Yao in the Netherworld River and later with Purple Spirit in the Demon Realm, a faint, ambiguous smile played on her lips.
“So, your two beloved companions also had their own fortunes. Tell me, husband—when you ascend to the Immortal Realm one day, will they stubbornly follow you there too?”
“Wan’er, you jest. Meeting them again was pure coincidence. As for ascending to the Immortal Realm, that’s a challenge beyond my current grasp. By the way, why did you teach the Reincarnation Maiden Technique to Guo’er? And her mother’s sudden leap in cultivation—was that your doing as well?” Han Li chuckled wryly, steering the topic to Zhu Guo’er.
Nangong Wan knew all about Purple Spirit and Yuan Yao, and her teasing tone made it clear she wasn’t truly jealous.
“Guo’er was a disciple I found after establishing myself here. Her aptitude was perfect for the Reincarnation Maiden Technique, but I couldn’t openly take her in due to the True Spirit cores. So, I secretly passed the technique through her mother. She didn’t disappoint, mastering it swiftly—though I never expected her to end up in the Demon Realm. As for her mother, I later took her on as a nominal disciple. Though unsuitable for the Maiden Technique, her talent was exceptional. With my impending attempt at Grand Ascension in a few centuries, I needed a trusted guardian, so I used the True Spirit core to rapidly elevate her to the Void Refinement stage. Had nothing gone awry, I’d have pushed her to early Body Integration before stopping.”
“I see. But now that I’m here, you needn’t worry. With me as your guardian, no one will disturb your tribulation. And back in the Spirit Realm, I have methods to boost your chances of surviving the Grand Ascension tribulation.” Han Li exhaled softly, his voice tender.
“What? You have such heaven-defying means?” Nangong Wan sat up abruptly, astonished.
“Did you think your husband was just an ordinary Grand Ascension cultivator? I’m not boasting, but even against an ancient True Spirit, the outcome wouldn’t be certain.” Han Li smirked.
“Such confidence! If I didn’t know you never exaggerate, I’d struggle to believe it. Wait—you mentioned returning to the Spirit Realm. Does that mean the inter-realm passage still exists? Has its location been exposed to other races?” Nangong Wan’s shock was evident as she pressed urgently.
“The passage I used to enter won’t collapse anytime soon. I’ve also concealed it with formations—ordinary array masters won’t detect it. Why? Is there something else?” Han Li, sharp as ever, caught the implication in her words.
“Over the years here, I’ve formed bonds with fellow cultivators who’ve also hit bottlenecks. Returning to the Spirit Realm is their only hope for further progress. There are also talented juniors among the humans here. If possible, I’d like you to bring them along.”
“Taking them back isn’t an issue. But they’re the backbone of the Minor Spirit Realm’s human forces. Without them, how will the rest withstand oppression from other races? The passage isn’t stable enough to evacuate the entire population.” Han Li frowned.
“I know. But faced with this chance, none will willingly stay behind.” Nangong Wan sighed.
“Then have them send representatives in three days. I’ll handle it.” Han Li stroked his chin, smiling faintly.
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