The white-robed woman, upon seeing Han Li enter, placed the silver sword she had been gently caressing back into its wooden case, then slightly lifted her delicate chin, revealing a face that had haunted her dreams and thoughts countless times before. The slightly pointed jaw, the refined nose, and the clear, enchanting eyes—everything so familiar, so touching to Han Li, evoking an indescribable warmth that surged naturally within him. It felt as though they had shared countless lifetimes together. At that moment, whatever心境 and whatever techniques Han Li had been carrying in his mind were completely set aside, as this passion he had never before experienced flooded his chest. Nan Gong Wan, seeing Han Li gazing at her so openly and unabashedly, was first taken aback, then a thoughtful glint passed through her deep, beautiful eyes, and her elegant brows subtly furrowed. "Yu'er, go ahead. I would like to speak privately with this guest," Nan Gong Wan said calmly to the yellow-robed female cultivator who had led Han Li in, lifting her chin slightly. "Yes, Master Elder!" The yellow-robed maiden stared in surprise at first, then bowed gracefully and agreed. She quietly stepped out of the hall and disappeared. Han Li waited until she was completely out of sight at the entrance before glancing around. With a mental sweep of his awareness, he confirmed that there were no other cultivators nearby. Only then did he turn his gaze to Nan Gong Wan and, without a word, pressed his palms together in a series of gestures. Suddenly, a sharp, cracking sound like bones breaking erupted from within him. His figure then abruptly grew several inches taller, and a shimmering blue light danced across his face. Han Li revealed his true form. "It really is you! Han Li!" Nan Gong Wan's expression flickered with a touch of complexity, though she did not appear overly surprised—only sighed softly. "You... you knew I would come!" Upon regaining his original appearance, Han Li found himself at a loss for words, unsure of how to address her. After a moment of hesitation, he stammered out this rather dull remark. As soon as he finished speaking, he regretted it immediately, frowning and rubbing the back of his head with growing annoyance. "You! Just call me Wan'er!" Seeing Han Li's呆head and呆body, Nan Gong Wan'er brightened up, her face glowing with a gentle, warm smile. Her eyes sparkled, her presence radiant and captivating. "Wan'er!" Han Li's heart leaped with joy, and he softly called out the name. Originally still a bit nervous, he now felt completely at ease. Clearly, she had feelings for him—otherwise, she wouldn't have shown such warmth and grace. In that moment, Han Li found himself utterly enchanted, gazing deeply into her stunning beauty. "What's there to be impressed by? Do I really look better than your newly appointed concubine?" Nan Gong Wan'er blushed slightly, then tilted her head slightly and said calmly. "Concubine? You know that too?" Hearing her tone of slight displeasure, Han Li finally regained his composure, surprised to hear this. "Hmph! The newly appointed senior disciple of Luoyun Sect, a Yuan-Infant cultivator who achieved that rank over two hundred years ago—I surely know her well." Nangong Wan slightly lowered her head, gazing at the smooth green stone floor, and emitted a soft huff, revealing a touch of her usual stubbornness. "Was it the Tang cultivator I met a few days ago?" Han Li thought for a moment, then said with a look of growing clarity. "You're not bad at all! Indeed, it was that Tang junior disciple who sent me a special transmission scroll. When I received it, I was genuinely astonished—how could it be that after vanishing for so many years, you had also attained the Yuan Ying stage? I immediately arranged for the latest records of Luoyun Sect to be retrieved. I never used to pay much attention to such updates. Though it was a bit late, I've now finally learned the general picture of your life—from your sudden appearance as a senior disciple of Luoyun Sect, up until your departure during the trading fair. As for your concubine, she's still in Qiantian City and hasn't left yet!" Nangong Wan brushed a strand of her dark hair from her forehead, glanced at Han Li with a half-smiling, half-arched expression, her demeanor suddenly becoming exquisitely graceful and full of charm. "At the time, I had clearly instructed her to return with another senior elder. It seems something must have delayed her! Though, this attendant... well, that's rather unexpected." Han Li rubbed his nose, slightly embarrassed, as he tried to explain. "No need to say more," Nan Gong Wan interrupted him immediately, her expression dimmed and suddenly soft and fragile. "I'm not at all resentful toward you for taking on this attendant. After all, didn't I myself also have to marry someone?" "Then what exactly is going on? Are you truly planning to marry that person?" Han Li's face tightened, his tone growing serious, as he asked slowly. "Before answering that, Wan would like to ask you one thing. What exactly brought you here? Are you here to prevent my marriage to that person, or merely to see me off and then leave?" Nan Gong Wan said, her lips slightly pressed, her eyes sparkling with intent. "Of course—I'm taking you with me. I intend to make you my wife, Han Li! Whether someone else tries to intercept our love or not, they'll have to first ask for my consent." Huan Li, hearing this, replied without hesitation, his words filled with an unyielding determination. "You're dreaming! When did I ever agree to marry you? Nan Gong Wan blushed deeply upon hearing this, lightly spat out a breath, her demeanor especially alluring. Huan Li chuckled softly, saying nothing. Though he was still a novice when it came to matters of the heart, he knew well that at this moment, it was best to keep things simple and avoid over-explaining. A little while later, as the blush gradually faded from Nan Gong Wan's face, she straightened her expression and said, "Do you know? During the Blood-Color Trial in the Sacred Realm, the very first thought that came to me after you gave me that... was to cut you into countless pieces and then crush your bones to dust using the Zhu Que Ring—so as to avenge myself. After all, the purity of my body, which I had preserved for over a hundred years, was ruined by you. How could I not be utterly furious?" "So, I truly came close to dying back then!" Han Li rubbed his nose, a mixture of amused and slightly exasperated on his face. "Of course. If it hadn't been for my sudden, unexpected softness—my heart just giving in and letting you go—how do you think I, a Jin Dan cultivator, would have allowed you to take my advantage so easily?" As he spoke, Nan Gong Wan still carried a faint blush on her face, yet her tone was sharp with mild annoyance. Han Li merely smiled and said nothing. With a little of her lingering resentment now eased, Nan Gong Wan continued softly: "After we parted ways, when I returned to Dao Zong, I found that no matter how hard I tried—whether practicing my cultivation techniques or meditating in seclusion—your presence always seemed to follow me. And the more vivid and frequent it became. It wasn't until then that I realized you had become an obstacle in my life—a true hindrance. Without taking action to remove you, I feared my cultivation would never advance further." "There are only two ways to eliminate this obstacle: either I marry you, and become your wife, so that as one body, we are united, and then the obstacle will vanish entirely." The second method is for you to vanish completely from this world, so that you no longer exist at all. In that case, the obstacles and hindrances will gradually fade away. I married you because the disparity in your cultivation level and status was too great—something utterly impossible for you at that time. After enduring prolonged suffering, I finally made the decision to eliminate you. However, before I could take action, the Six Sects of the Magic Path launched a sudden invasion. I happened to encounter you again at the camp of the Seven Sects, and by then, you had already reached the Foundation Stage of cultivation. This new development caused my firm resolve to waver once more. After all, if you continue to advance, it would not be impossible for us to become married. "Indeed, you had already planned to kill me then. When I first saw you, masked and unknown, I was overjoyed. But your cold demeanor dampened my enthusiasm completely, and I was left feeling discouraged for several days." Han Li's face expressed a moment of surprise, quickly followed by a soft, murmured sigh of regret. Nangong Wan smiled gently, without interrupting, and added: "After that, due to the betrayal of the Lingshou Mountain, the seven sects suffered a major defeat. All sects had prepared to evacuate their core disciples out of the Yue State. As the youngest Jiadian cultivator, I was originally among those scheduled to be evacuated first. However, during my communications with a close friend from Huangfeng Valley, I gradually learned of Master Lingfu's evacuation plan—specifically, that you might be in danger. At that moment, I felt as though I were possessed. I could only think of one thing: to suddenly return and rescue you. When I finally reached you, it was already too late. The battle had ended, and most of the disciples serving as bait had been killed. Only a small group of cultivators managed to break through. I had no idea whether you were alive or not. In the end, I returned to my sect to assist the remaining disciples in fighting the Magian forces. There, I was severely wounded by a Jiadian cultivator. On my way out, I was pursued and defeated by several younger disciples." As for what happened afterward, I'm sure you already know. There is no one named Nan Gong Ping in the world—merely me, disguised and transformed. It's not that I don't wish to meet you face to face in my true form; rather, as a Ji Dan cultivator, I simply couldn't bring myself to openly tell you that I had come especially to save you and intended to marry you. Moreover, having drawn upon most of your cultivation essence at the time, I felt even more hesitant to reveal my true appearance. Yet I did propose that you come with me back to Yan Yue Sect. If you simply followed me, I would reveal my true form, assist you in forming your Golden Dan, and then marry you. But instead—whether you were truly greedy for wealth or simply held too strong a sense of male pride—you insisted on nothing more than a certain number of Ling Shi. This left me momentarily at a loss. As Nan Gong Wan spoke these words, a gentle smile flickered in her bright eyes, and she fixed her gaze firmly on Han Li. Yet Han Li couldn't help but feel a sense of warmth and satisfaction in the subtle grace of her gaze. Han Li naturally didn't know that, if he had truly agreed to return to Yan Yue Sect with this woman that day, Nangong Wan might have married him as promised—yet more likely, she would have been disappointed because he had casually agreed to practice dual cultivation with another woman, thus resolving her heart-magic and ultimately ending their connection. At that point, this woman, who would have grown cold toward Han Li, would very likely have casually assigned him to any one of her female disciples.