The moment the purple-robed woman caught sight of Han Li’s true face, her beautiful eyes stared blankly at him, as if she had been utterly captivated and fallen into a trance.
At the same time, the layer of black mist shrouding her body gradually dissipated, revealing a face of breathtaking, celestial beauty.
Her jade-like complexion was slightly pale, but her incomparably lovely features belonged unmistakably to «Zi Ling,» the woman who had been Han Li’s confidante back in the mortal realm.
Her aura, however, was completely different—she had evidently switched to cultivating pure demonic arts and now possessed the astonishing cultivation of late Stage Void Refinement.
The familiar back Han Li had glimpsed upon first arriving in Blue Cascade City was indeed Zi Ling!
It was precisely because her aura had changed so drastically that Han Li had initially failed to recognize her.
Although after her fleeting encounter with Han Li years ago, she had immediately departed without a word, leaving no trace of her whereabouts—even during the time Han Li was secretly crossing over to the Spirit Realm through the spatial node—she had never appeared again.
Yet, without a doubt, among all the female cultivators Han Li had known, aside from Nangong Wan, Zi Ling was the one he worried about most.
To unexpectedly encounter her here in the Demon Realm naturally filled Han Li with a mixture of overwhelming joy and profound emotion.
«I never imagined that after coming to the Holy Realm, I would actually have the chance to see you again in this lifetime, Brother Han,» Zi Ling finally spoke, her soft voice carrying a hint of a heartache that made Han Li’s own heart clench slightly with a dull pain.
«Since ascending, I kept my ears open for news of you, but there was never a single trace. I never could have guessed you would end up in the Demon Realm. No wonder I couldn’t find you!» Han Li finally recovered from the initial shock of seeing Zi Ling, his expression returning to normal as he gave a wry smile.
As he spoke, however, his gaze swept over the hemp-robed young woman and «Aunt Zhu» standing nearby, a trace of coldness flickering deep within his eyes.
The demon woman’s expression darkened, and she stepped forward, immediately positioning herself in front of Lan Ying.
The hemp-robed young woman was exceptionally perceptive; seeing Han Li’s look, she instantly understood the reason. She waved her hand dismissively at the older woman and said with a light laugh: «Fellow Daoist Han, so you are the heartless man Sister Zi Ling has always been pining for! So this is your true face. I don’t see anything particularly dashing or handsome about it, though, to make Sister Zi Ling miss you so deeply. But if I hadn’t cast a divination a few days ago, Sister Zi Ling wouldn’t have visited you today, and the two of you wouldn’t have had this chance to reunite. What’s this? You’ve only just gotten back together, haven’t even had a chance for sweet nothings, and you’re already thinking of silencing me, your little benefactor?»
«You silly girl, what nonsense are you talking about? ‘Sweet nothings’ indeed! Your last divination was nothing but a lucky fluke from a blind cat stumbling upon a dead mouse—it hardly counts. Brother Han, don’t worry about the matter of cultivators from the mortal realm. Ying’er is my closest confidante and would never breathe a word of this to anyone. Moreover, the Guang Yuan Hall isn’t a local power of the Demon Realm, but a branch of a colossal influence spanning multiple realms. A proxy hall master like her exists in over a dozen different realms—even the mortal realm has their operations. Otherwise, how could the Guang Yuan Hall have remained standing for so many years under the very noses of so many Demon Saints?» Zi Ling first gave the hemp-robed girl a light admonishing glare, then turned her head to explain a few things to Han Li.
«A force spanning multiple realms! But I never heard of the Guang Yuan Hall in the mortal realm,» Han Li exclaimed, drawing in a sharp breath despite his vast experience, a look of disbelief on his face.
«Brother Han is certainly wary—even Sister Zi Ling’s words aren’t enough for you. Although our Hall is called the ‘Guang Yuan Hall’ in this realm, it naturally goes by different names in other worlds. Otherwise, how easy would it be for some mighty being capable of traversing multiple realms to notice the connection?» The hemp-robed young woman glanced at Han Li, a half-smile playing on her lips.
«I see. I was indeed too hasty.» Though Han Li wasn’t entirely convinced, most of his suspicion had dissipated. He cupped his fists toward the young woman and said apologetically.
The young woman’s gaze flickered, and she was about to say more when Zi Ling, with a gentle, flowing glance, spoke up first: «Ying’er, don’t blame Brother Han for being cautious. After all, he didn’t know beforehand about our sisterly bond. It’s only natural to be careful.»
«I never thought I’d see the day Sister Zi Ling would prioritize romance over friendship. She’s only just reunited with her old flame, and she’s already speaking up for someone else!» The young woman blinked, a glint of mischief flashing in her eyes, and shook her head with an exaggerated air.
Her demeanor and actions were completely different from the cool, detached composure Han Li had first perceived.
«What utter drivel! Who is prioritizing romance over friendship?» Zi Ling’s cheeks flushed crimson at these words, and she shot the young girl a fierce glare.
This time, however, Lan Ying simply smiled and dropped the subject. Her expression turning serious, she said: «You two haven’t seen each other in years and surely have much to talk about. Aunt Zhu and I won’t stand in the way here. We’ll go up to the fifth floor to rest. Once you’re done chatting, you can come down. Oh, right—Sister Zi Ling is also very familiar with the restrictions of the Guang Yuan Hall. Feel free to activate them before your detailed conversation. Here is the restriction token for this floor!»
With that, the young woman stood up, gave a flick of her sleeve, and a ball of white light shot forth—a demonic artifact in the form of a token.
«Ying’er, then I must thank you.» Zi Ling was naturally delighted and reached out to catch the token in her hand.
«Then I’ll leave you two to your talk. I’ll take my leave now.» The young woman gave a slight bow and then led the older woman toward the staircase leading upstairs.
Not long after, the pair arrived in another room with an antique, classical arrangement. The young woman sat down in a chair at the center, her expression thoughtful and contemplative.
The older woman moved to stand quietly at her side.