Chapter 984: Looking Back, It Feels Like a Lifetime Away

Shi Chuankong, who was standing nearby, heard the conversation between Lady Liuhua and Sha Xin, and after a moment's deliberation, walked over.

“City Lord Sha, I have something I wish to discuss with you. Would you be willing to grant me an audience?” Shi Chuankong said, cupping his hands slightly.

“Fellow Daoist Shi, whatever it is, just say it,” Sha Xin glanced at Shi Chuankong and said indifferently.

“Could we speak privately?” Shi Chuankong added.

Sha Xin's brows twitched slightly, and a sharp glint flashed in his eyes.

Shi Chuankong merely smiled, calmly meeting Sha Xin's scrutinizing gaze.

The sharpness in Sha Xin's eyes receded. He nodded, rose, and walked aside with Shi Chuankong, communicating via voice transmission.

…

Inside the underground space.

Han Li carried Zi Ling to a flat area and set her down on the ground.

Then he took out a healing pill and fed it to Zi Ling. Afterward, he sat quietly beside her, gazing at her sleeping face.

Time passed little by little, and before long, half an hour had gone by.

Zi Ling's delicate brows furrowed slightly. With a soft moan, she opened her eyes.

“You're awake?” Han Li leaned in to look at her, a flicker of excitement in his eyes.

Zi Ling's bright, intelligent eyes looked back at him, no longer clouded with confusion; clearly, she had fully regained her senses.

The next moment, her body stiffened, and she stared blankly at Han Li.

“Is it really you?” She reached out to gently touch Han Li's cheek, murmuring as if in a daze.

“It's me. You've suffered all these years.” Han Li took Zi Ling's soft hand and said softly.

Neither spoke again; they simply gazed at each other, as if immersed in the joy of reuniting after many years across different realms.

Han Li looked at Zi Ling's incomparably beautiful face, and all the memories of the past flashed through his mind.

From their chance encounter in the Chaotic Star Sea, to their shared trials in the Void Heaven Hall and the Netherworld, to their adventures in the Demonfall Valley, where they forged an unbreakable bond, leading to their travels together in Great Jin, and then their reunion in the Demon Realm…

These scenes, as if they happened yesterday, flashed through his heart, deeply engraved.

Now, in the blink of an eye, ten thousand years had passed. Looking back, her beauty remained unchanged, but all else was different—a lifetime away.

Zi Ling's limpid eyes reflected the subtle changes in Han Li's expression, as if she too was lost in memories of the past.

“I thought that after I ascended, it would be a long time before I could see you, since this place is so vast… I never expected to meet you so soon, and under such circumstances,” Zi Ling said after a long while, her expression calm.

“It's all a coincidence. I came to the Demon Domain for a certain matter; otherwise, who knows how long it would have been before we met,” Han Li said, snapping out of his own reverie with a smile.

Both were strong-willed individuals, and despite the long separation, they quickly regained control of their surging emotions.

“By the way, I remember entering the Jilin Void Realm and then being brought to Puppet City by City Lord Sha. How did I end up here? And where is this place?” Zi Ling looked around, a puzzled expression on her face.

“This is the Great Ruins, deep within the Jilin Void Realm. After you entered Puppet City, Sha Xin must have used some method to seal your soul, so you don't remember what happened during that time…” Han Li recounted everything that had happened since their meeting, as well as what he had learned about Zi Ling from the people of Puppet City.

“So that's it. I never thought City Lord Sha would seal my memories. Still, it's good that she meant me no harm; otherwise, we wouldn't have been able to meet safely today,” Zi Ling murmured, then smiled.

“As the saying goes, 'One should not have the heart to harm others, but must have the heart to guard against them.' We don't know Sha Xin's character well, so we must be cautious,” Han Li said.

“Mm, I know. I was a bit careless before,” Zi Ling replied obediently.

“By the way, how were things in the lower realm after I ascended? How did you ascend so quickly? Given your aptitude, I didn't expect you to ascend this soon,” Han Li said, as if something else occurred to him.

“You want to ask about Sister Nangong, don't you? Just ask directly; why beat around the bush?” Zi Ling shot Han Li a glance.

Han Li had indeed meant that, and being called out on it, he felt a bit embarrassed.

“Don't worry. Before I underwent my tribulation, I went to the Spirit Realm to check. With the foundation you left behind, the Green Element Palace is doing fine. Sister Nangong's cultivation is progressing smoothly; she has already reached the Mahayana stage and is currently accumulating resources and making preparations to weather the ascension tribulation… As for me, I had some fortuitous encounters—a long story—so I overcame the tribulation a bit earlier than Sister Nangong and the others,” Zi Ling said calmly.

Hearing this, Han Li's expression remained unchanged, but inwardly he breathed a sigh of relief.

“You practice orthodox human cultivation methods, so your ascension destination should be the Immortal Realm. How did you end up in the Demon Domain?” Zi Ling then asked.

“When I ascended, I did indeed arrive in the Northern Cold Immortal Domain of the True Immortal Realm. But then many things happened, and I came to the Demon Domain,” Han Li nodded and said.

“I haven't been in the Demon Domain long, but I know that the Demon Domain and the Immortal Realm are mortal enemies. I'm curious—how did you end up traveling with a prince of the Yeyang Dynasty, and on good terms at that?” Zi Ling blinked and asked.

“That's a long story. After I ascended to the Northern Cold Immortal Domain, I encountered a powerful enemy, was severely injured, and lost my memory. I ended up in the Linghuan Realm, barely managed to rebuild my cultivation, and returned to the True Immortal Realm… Then I went to the Black River Water Palace to find you, only to learn that you had been taken into the Jilin Void Realm. So I entered it as well. Heaven helps those who help themselves—I finally found you,” Han Li recounted. He spoke generally about his experiences over the years, omitting only matters like the Celestial Bottle that were inconvenient to discuss.

As Zi Ling listened to Han Li's tumultuous and extraordinary experiences, her expression shifted repeatedly. Even with her resolute and steadfast nature, her heart rose and fell with his narration.

Especially when she heard that Han Li had risked great danger to enter the Jilin Void Realm to find her, she was deeply moved.

After a long while, Han Li finished speaking. Zi Ling stared blankly into the void before her, lost in thought.

“Although I knew early on that you were a person of great divine abilities and fortune, far beyond what I could imagine, I still never expected you to have gone through so much. And your cultivation has advanced by leaps and bounds to the Taiyi stage. You must have endured countless hardships along the way,” Zi Ling sighed softly.

“I did encounter some dangers, but since they're all in the past, they don't matter. Besides, if not for so many obstacles, my cultivation wouldn't have advanced so quickly. That's what they mean by 'misfortune is where fortune depends,'” Han Li said with a nonchalant smile.

“You're quite optimistic. But what are your plans next?” Zi Ling smiled, not dwelling on the matter, and changed the subject.

“I promised Fellow Daoist Crab that I would protect him here until he fully recovers. After that, I'll leave the Jilin Void Realm and find a way back to the True Immortal Realm,” Han Li said after a moment's thought.

“Fellow Daoist Crab has a way to leave the Jilin Void Realm?” Zi Ling's pretty face stiffened in surprise.

“Haha, rest assured, Fellow Daoist Zi Ling. Once I fully recover, I can harness the origin power of the Jilin Void Realm to teleport people outside, allowing you two lovebirds to escape this dangerous place together,” Crab Daoist's voice suddenly rang out without warning, followed by a hearty laugh.

Hearing this, Zi Ling's face flushed crimson.

“Zi Ling, you've just ascended to the Demon Domain and your cultivation is still weak. Come with me to the True Immortal Realm. As long as there's enough demon essence stones, you can cultivate there just as well,” Han Li said, looking at Zi Ling with a resolute tone, as if he had made a decision.

Zi Ling fell silent at these words, not speaking for a while.

Knowing her temperament, Han Li naturally did not urge her, simply waiting quietly.

“Brother Han, there's a question I've kept in my heart for a long time, and I've always wanted to ask you,” Zi Ling suddenly spoke after a moment of silence.

“Go ahead,” Han Li was taken aback but nodded.

“In your heart, between Sister Nangong and me, who do you care for more?” Zi Ling looked directly into Han Li's eyes, her gaze bright.

“Why do you say that, Zi Ling? You and Wan'er are both the people I care about most,” Han Li was stunned by the question, and after a long pause, he managed a forced smile.

Zi Ling looked at Han Li, gradually making him feel unable to meet her gaze.

Though his face showed nothing, she still caught a flicker of desolation in his eyes, but it quickly returned to calm.

“You men are indeed insatiable; it has nothing to do with cultivation level,” Zi Ling murmured, then fell silent again.

Han Li continued to look at Zi Ling, letting out a soft sigh inwardly.

“I've never had the thought of relying on others, and I never will. I'll cultivate on my own, just like you, and carve out my own path. Besides, although your cultivation is strong, your enemies are not weak either. Following you would only be a burden. It's better for me to stay in the Demon Domain; the environment here suits me better,” Zi Ling said after a long silence.

“You haven't changed at all, just like before. So what are your plans for the future?” Han Li gave a wry smile upon hearing this.

“My talent is ordinary, nowhere near yours. But I find the path of puppetry quite suitable, so I plan to continue following City Lord Sha and delve deeper into the art of puppetry. Once Fellow Daoist Crab is fully revived, I should leave this place and cultivate in the Demon Domain,” Zi Ling said after a moment's deliberation.

“Since you've already made up your mind, I won't force you. But please accept these things; they will greatly aid your future cultivation,” Han Li said, taking out several jade slips. He copied the cultivation method for the first statue of the Heavenly Fiend Prison Suppression Art and two demonic cultivation techniques suitable for Zi Ling onto the jade slips and handed them to her.