Chapter 1335: Through Thick and Thin

In an unknown space.

The Reincarnation Palace was standing atop a cliff, and there was an ordinary-looking copper mirror hovering before him.

There was an image displayed on the surface of the mirror, and it depicted none other than Han Li and Nangong Wan.

There were also seven or eight figures standing not far behind him, and they were led by none other than the Heavenmend Sect cultivator, Yuan Chunfeng.

Right at this moment, Yuan Chunfeng approached the Reincarnation Palace Master with a puzzled expression as he said, "I already predicted through my divination that Nangong Wan would sneak out of the underworld to be captured by the Heavenly Court, so why did you not make an effort to prevent it from happening?"

"Nangong Wan's personality is just like Rushuang's, and now that she has also of Rushuang's memories, she's only become even more wilful and stubborn. With her mind already made up, there's no way we could've kept her unless it was by force," the Reincarnation Palace Master replied.

"Even then, we could've easily intervened before she was captured," Yuan Chunfeng said.

"I did this to show Han Li that the Heavenly Court is willing to stoop to anything to get what they want. This time, she was captured because of her ties with me, but in the future, her safety could very likely come under threat due to her ties with him," the Reincarnation Palace Master explained.

"A confrontation between him and Gu Huojin is inevitable at some point, and given the way Gu Huojin likes to do things, he won't spare anyone close to Han Li," Yuan Chunfeng agreed.

"Additionally, I also did this to trick the Heavenly Court. They've searched for me for countless millennia for no avail, and in the wake of Nangong Wan's capture, it seems like I finally panicked and made an irrational decision to come out of hiding," the Reincarnation Palace Master revealed.

"Even so, that was a little too risky, was it not? If Nangong Wan really had been sent to the Heavenly Court, then things would've been a lot more troublesome," Yuan Chunfeng said.

"Feng Qingshui isn't all that bright, but the one above him is very smart. Even your Heavenmend Sect knew the importance of hedging your bets, there's no way she would've done something that would've made her a sworn enemy of our Reincarnation Palace, so she would've never allowed Feng Qingshui to send Nangong Wan to the Heavenly Court," the Reincarnation Palace Master replied.

"But what if a mishap had occurred during Nangong Wan's capture?" Yuan Chunfeng asked.

"You already saw the outcome of her capture through your divination, so if some mishap had taken place, wouldn't you have been the one to blame?" the Reincarnation Palace Master asked.

Yuan Chunfeng instantly stiffened upon hearing this, and he felt a chill run down his own spine.

The Reincarnation Palace Master allowed the tension to build in the air for a while, then suddenly smiled as he broke the silence and continued, "Besides, I was constantly watching from the shadows, so no harm could've befallen her."

"Of course," Yuan Chunfeng replied with a nod.

The Reincarnation Palace Master turned his gaze back to the scene in the mirror.

"Will this really be enough to convince Han Li to side with us and oppose the Heavenly Court together?" Yuan Chunfeng asked as his gaze also fell upon Han Li.

"I know him better than anyone else in this world. There are certain things that he absolutely won't make any concessions on, and Nangong Wan is one of them. Now that he's reached the peak-Great Encompassment Stage, he's definitely not going to let this matter slide..."

Right at this moment, his voice abruptly cut off as Han Li suddenly turned to look directly at him through the mirror.

In the next instant, the copper mirror abruptly exploded, startling everyone present.

"What happened?" Yuan Chunfeng exclaimed.

"Don't worry, he simply noticed that he was being spied on. In fact, even the reincarnation mark that I planted on Nangong Wan has been removed," the Reincarnation Palace Master replied with a faint smile.

"In that case, won't he be able to guess that you allowed all of this to happen and develop a grudge against you?" Yuan Chunfeng asked.

"Perhaps, but it's not like that's going to change the final outcome," the Reincarnation Palace Master replied with an unconcerned smile.

......

Somewhere in the Dragon Abyss Immortal Region was an ancient forest, within which Han Li and Nangong Wan were standing together at the foot of a huge parasol tree.

"What's wrong?" Nangong Wan asked.

The two of them had agreed to travel to the Azure Abyss Continent so that they could use the teleportation array there to travel to the Middle Earth Immortal Region, but for some reason, Han Li had suddenly descended into this forest along the way.

As opposed to answering her question, Han Li carefully inspected his surroundings for a moment, following which his gaze settled upon a gray rock nearby.

A moth was resting on the rock, and upon catching sight of it, Han Li harrumphed coldly, "First, it was a blade of grass, then a fish, then a sparrow, and now a moth. Are you not tired of spying on us?"

In the next instant, a streak of translucent light shot out of his eye, and the moth instantly exploded into a puff of dust.

A surprised and perplexed look appeared on Nangong Wan's face as she asked, "Why do I sense reincarnation law power fluctuations from that moth?"

"You should ask the Reincarnation Palace Master that," Han Li harrumphed coldly, then carefully inspected Nangong Wan's body for a moment before reaching out for the back of her neck.

Nangong Wan leaned into his hand, and a burst of faint, golden light flashed over his palm.

Nangong Wan felt a slight, burning pain, but only for a fleeting moment before it subsided.

"Did he plant a mark on me?" she asked as her brows furrowed slightly.

"Just like that moth from before, these were most likely all measures taken by the Reincarnation Palace Master to protect you. I presume that if Feng Qingshui had tried to harm you in any way, he would've been able to instantly teleport to your side and intervene. However, such measures are no longer necessary now that I'm with you," Han Li replied with a smile.

A surge of warmth welled up in Nangong Wan's heart upon hearing this, and she replied with an affectionate smile, "What's in the past can all be left behind. What's important now is that we're together."

"Unfortunately, some people refuse to leave us in peace," Han Li sighed.

"Then let's leave this place. Let's go back to the Spirit Realm, or the mortal realm, or anywhere else," Nangong Wan said as she latched onto Han Li's hand.

"It's no use. Over the years, I always thought that I had been living according to my own wishes, that I was the master of my fate, that no matter how difficult things became, at least I had my free will. However, I've since then come to realize that the influence of fate is truly ever-present," Han Li said with a wry smile.

"I don't believe in fate. If it does exist, then I have to thank it for reuniting us," Nangong Wan replied.

"That's certainly something to be thankful for," Han Li mused with a warm smile, one that was returned by Nangong Wan.

"Now that I'm at the peak-Great Encompassment Stage, I'm becoming more and more able to sense the conflicting Great Daos of myself and Gu Huojin. I'm beginning to be able to see the river of time, and he's like the deity that rules over the river, while I'm like a sneaky thief trying to dig out a channel to redirect the river elsewhere," Han Li said.

"If you can sense him, then surely he's also aware of you," Nangong Wan said in a concerned manner.

"That's definitely true. It appears that there are countless paths that can be taken in one's cultivation, but ultimately, all of those paths narrow to a single one. If you're lucky, there will be no one else at the end of the path, but if you're unlucky, then a showdown will be inevitable," Han Li mused.

Nangong Wan could see that his mind was already made up, so she didn't try to sway him any further.

"I won't be able to help you much, but I'll remain by your side through thick and thin," Nangong Wan declared with a resolute look in her eyes.

"No. My trip to the Heavenly Court is bound to be one that's fraught with peril, I can't let you take the risk with me," Han Li immediately refused with a firm shake of his head.

"In Gan Rushuang's memories, she stood against Gu Huojin with the Reincarnation Palace Master, and even though she ultimately met her demise, she had no regrets. This time, I'm also going to stand by your side. If we lose, then I'll be there with you to the bitter end, and if we win, then I want to see your triumph with my own eyes!" Nangong Wan insisted in a determined manner.

Looking into Nangong Wan's determined eyes, Han Li didn't have the heart to turn her down again.

In the end, he sighed as he acquiesced, "After this close call, I feel like I won't be able to leave you anywhere without being constantly worried."

"Perhaps the most dangerous place is the safest place. Only when I'm by your side can you avoid distractions and focus on the task at hand," Nangong Wan said with a smile.

"If you insist on coming with me, then once we enter the Middle Earth Immortal Region, you have to stay in the Flower Branch domain at all times unless it's absolutely necessary for you to come out," Han Li said in a serious manner.

"Alright, I can do that," Nangong Wan replied with a firm nod.

Han Li's expression eased slightly upon hearing this, and he laid his hands on Nangong Wan's shoulders as he carefully inspected her gorgeous features with eyes that were brimming with affection.

𝐟𝕣𝕖𝐞𝐰𝕖𝚋𝐧𝗼𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝗰𝐨𝐦

"What are you looking at?" Nangong Wan asked in a low voice as she averted her gaze with a faint blush on her face.