After hearing the conversation between Mistress Liu Hua and Sha Xin, Shi Chuankong approached the latter, then cupped his fist in a salute as he asked, "Can I speak to you about something, City Lord Sha?"

"Go ahead, Fellow Daoist Shi," Sha Xin prompted.

"Can we speak in private?" Shi Chuankong asked.

A sharp gleam flashed through Sha Xin's eyes as she scrutinized Shi Chuankong, while the latter looked back at her with a composed smile.

The sharp gleam in Sha Xin's eyes faded as she nodded in response, and the two of them distanced themselves slightly from Mistress Liu Hua and Gu Qianxun before engaging in a conversation through voice transmission.

......

In the underground space.

Han Li carried Violet Spirit over to a patch of flat ground before setting her down.

After that, he fed her a recovery pill before sitting down to watch over her.

Close to an hour flew by in a flash.

Right at this moment, Violet Spirit's brows furrowed slightly, and a faint moan escaped her lips as she opened her eyes.

"How are you feeling?" Han Li asked with an excited look in his eyes.

As Violet Spirit turned to him, her eyes were no longer looking dazed at all, and it was clear that she had recovered all of her mental faculties.

Her entire body stiffened as she stared blankly at Han Li, and she reached out to gently stroke his face as she asked in a disbelieving voice, "Is it really you?"

"It's me. I'm sorry I wasn't by your side all these years," Han Li replied in a gentle tone as he latched onto her delicate hand.

The two of them stared at each other in silence, and it seemed that both of them were basking in the joy of reunion.

Looking at Violet Spirit's breathtaking features, memories of their past flashed through Han Li's mind one after another, from their first encounter in the Scattered Star Sea, to the time they spent in the Heavenvoid Hall, the Umbra Realm, and Devilfall Valley. After that came their journey through the Great Jin, leading up to their separation following Han Li's ascension...

All of these memories were still fresh in Han Li's mind, as if they had only taken place yesterday, but as he looked back over them, it was as if they were memories from a past life.

Violet Spirit seemed to have also begun reminiscing about the past as she gazed upon Han Li, and after a long silence, she said, "I didn't know how long it was going to take for me to find you after I ascended. I certainly wasn't expecting to see you so soon and under circumstances like these."

"I just so happened to arrive in the Devil Realm under a series of coincidental circumstances. Otherwise, who knows how long it would've taken for us to reunite?" Han Li replied with a smile.

"By the way, I recall that I was taken to Puppet City by City Lord Sha after arriving in the Scalptia Spatial Domain, so why am I here now? And what is this place?" Violet Spirit asked.

"We're in the Great Ruins deep within the Scalptia Spatial Domain right now. After you went ot Puppet City, Sha Xin placed a seal on your soul, and that's why you can't remember anything up to this point..."

With that, Han Li gave Violet Spirit a rundown of everything that had happened since their initial meeting in the Scalptia Spatial Domain, and after hearing what Han Li had to say, Violet Spirit smiled as she said, "I see. It's a good thing that City Lord Sha didn't harbor any bad intentions toward me. Otherwise, perhaps our reunion would've never happened."

"Neither of us know Sha Xin very well, so it's still important to be careful around her," Han Li warned.

"I know, I'll make sure to be on my guard," Violet Spirit replied in an obedient manner.

"By the way, what happened after I ascended? How were you able to ascend so soon? Given your aptitude, I would've expected you to take longer to ascend," Han Li said in a perplexed manner.

"You just want to ask about Big Sister Nangong, right? If so, then just ask. Why ask in such a roundabout fashion?" Violet Spirit scoffed with a roll of her eyes, and a sheepish look appeared on Han Li's face upon having his intentions seen through.

"Rest assured, I paid a visit to the Spirit Realm prior to transcending my ascension tribulation. Everything was going well in the Azure Origin Palace, and Big Sister Nangong's cultivation was also progressing quite smoothly. At the time, she was already at the Grand Ascension Stage and preparing for her own ascension tribulation.

“As for how I was able to ascend so soon, it's a long story, but long story short, I stumbled upon some fortunate circumstances that allowed me to ascend ahead of Big Sister Nangong and the others," Violet Spirit said.

Han Li's expression remained unchanged upon hearing this, but internally, he was feeling quite relieved.

"You were using an orthodox human cultivation art, so you should've ascended to the Immortal Realm, right? How did you end up in the Devil Realm?" Violet Spirit asked.

"I did indeed ascend to the Northern Glacial Immortal Region in the True Immortal Realm, and it was a long sequence of events that led me to the Devil Realm," Han Li replied.

"I haven't been in the Devil Realm for very long, but even I'm aware that the Devil Realm and the Immortal Realm are sworn enemies of one another, so why is it that you seem to be on very good terms with a prince of the Night Sun Empire?" Violet Spirit asked.

"That's a long story..."

In response to Violet Spirit's question, Han Li gave her a brief rundown of the events that transpired since his ascension, keeping only the matters regarding the Heaven Controlling Vial secret from her.

Violet Spirit's expression changed over and over again as she listened to Han Li's story, and she couldn't help but be stunned by his tumultuous experiences.

In particular, she was very touched to hear how Han Li was willing to venture into the Scalptia Spatial Domain to search for her, and even long after Han Li was finished with his story, she was still staring off blankly into space, processing what she had just heard.

"I knew you were always destined for great things, but it's still nothing short of astonishing for me to hear that you've already reached the High Zenith Stage. You must've endured countless hardships to reach your current heights," Violet Spirit sighed.

"I did encounter some perils along the way, but it's all in the past now. Besides, if it wasn't for these perils and hardships, I wouldn't have been able to progress so quickly, so I suppose they were ultimately all blessings for me," Han Li replied with a nonchalant smile.

"That's a good way of looking at things," Violet Spirit said with a smile of her own. "What are your plans from here onward?"

"I promised Fellow Daoist Xie to keep a lookout for him while he recuperates. Once he's made a full recovery, I'll leave the Scalptia Spatial Domain, then find a way to return to the True Immortal Realm," Han Li replied.

"He has a way to allow us to leave the Scalptia Spatial Domain?" Violet Spirit asked with a surprised expression.

"Rest assured, Fellow Daoist Violet Spirit. Once I've made a full recovery, I'll be able to draw upon the essential power of the Scalptia Spatial Domain to teleport you two lovebirds out of here," Daoist Xie interjected in an amused voice, and a deep blush instantly appeared on Violet Spirit's face upon hearing this.

"Come with me to the True Immortal Realm, Violet Spirit. As long as you have enough Devilish Origin Stones, you'll be able to cultivate in the True Immortal Realm just the same," Han Li proposed in an earnest manner, and Violet Spirit fell silent upon hearing this.

Han Li was very familiar with her personality, and he made no effort to rush her.

After a brief silence, Violet Spirit suddenly said, "Brother Han, there's a question that I've been wanting to ask you for a very long time."

"Go ahead," Han Li prompted.

"Which one is more important to you, me or Big Sister Nangong?" Violet Spirit asked as she looked straight into his eyes.

Han Li was rendered speechless upon hearing this, and only after a long silence did he reply with a forced smile, "Why would you ask that? Both you and Wan'er are extremely important to me."

Violet Spirit continued to look at Han Li in silence, while Han Li felt more and more sheepish by the second.

A hint of disappointment flashed through her eyes upon hearing his answer, but it quickly faded away, and she sighed, "It's always the more the better for you men, isn't it?"

Han Li heaved an internal sigh and offered no response.

"I don't have a habit of relying on anyone, and I don't plan to change that anytime soon, so I'm going to continue cultivating on my own for now. From what you've told me, you have some very formidable enemies, so you would only be weighed down by me. Hence, it's better for me to remain in the Devil Realm," Violet Spirit decided after a long silence.

"You haven't changed at all," Han Li sighed with a wry smile. "What are your future plans?"

"My cultivation aptitude is far inferior to yours, but it seems like I have some talent in the art of puppet manipulation, so I plan to continue following City Lord Sha as her disciple. Once Fellow Daoist Xie makes a full recovery, I'll probably leave this place to cultivate in the Devil Realm," Violet Spirit replied.

"In that case, I won't try to dissuade you, but do accept these things. They'll be very helpful for your future cultivation," Han Li said as he pulled out a few jade slips, making copies of the cultivation art on the first statue of the Heavenly Baleful Purgatory Arts, as well as two devilish cultivation arts that were suitable for Violet Spirit.