A Record of a Mortal's Journey to Immortality: Immortal Realm

"... After I learned that you had been captured by Feng Qingshui, I immediately traveled to the Dragon Abyss Immortal Region, where I battled him and Chen Ruyan. Thankfully, the heavens were on my side, and you were returned safely to me," Han Li recounted, marking a conclusion to his story.

"I've imagined to myself countless times what you would experience following your ascension, but the reality is far more extraordinary than anything I could've ever envisioned. The average person would've died countless times in your shoes, only you would be able to emerge in triumph from all of those perilous situations," Nangong Wan said with a hint of admiration in her voice.

"It's only thanks to a ridiculous amount of luck that I was able to make it to this point alive and well," Han Li replied with a faint smile.

"And you also had the help of many powerful and beautiful women, didn't you? I've heard from Gan Jiuzhen that Weeping Soul and Jin Tong have already transformed into a pair of stunning beauties, and that's not even to mention Violet Spirit," Nangong Wan said with an amused smile.

A wry smile appeared on Han Li's face as he said, "Please don't make jokes at my expense. You know Weeping Soul, she's been with me ever since she was a little monkey back in the mortal realm. Speaking of Jin Tong, I never imagined that she would have such an extraordinary origin story. As for Violet Spirit..."

A slightly awkward look had appeared on his face at the mention of Violet Spirit, but before he had a chance to explain, Nangong Wan pinched his lips between her fingers to cut him off.

"I'm not going to get jealous over something like this. All of these things are pre-ordained by fate, just like our meeting," Nangong Wan said in a gentle voice.

Han Li nodded in response, then changed the subject as he said, "That's enough about me. How was life in the Spirit Realm for you before you ascended?"

"My time in the Spirit Realm was far less eventful than your time in the Immortal Realm. Following your ascension, I remained in the Azure Origin Palace to cultivate, and thanks to the resources that you left me and some opportunities that I encountered, I was able to reach the Grand Ascension Stage.

“After that, it took me several thousand more years to reach the pinnacle of the Grand Ascension Stage, at which point I attempted to transcend my heavenly tribulation so that I could be reunited with you in the True Immortal Realm," Nangong Wan recounted.

"How did your heavenly tribulation go?" Han Li asked.

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"I thought I had prepared sufficiently to transcend my tribulation, but as things turned out, I was clearly too ambitious. In the end, I was overwhelmed, and in my final moments, I yelled to the heavens, hoping that you would be able to hear me," Nangong Wan replied with a wry smile.

Even though Han Li knew that Nangong Wan had clearly gone on to survive the ordeal, he still couldn't help but reach out to stroke her cheek in concern.

"I thought I was dead, but I woke up in a dark world, and by then, my magic power had already been converted into immortal spiritual power. On top of that, I was surrounded by True Immortals that were all far more powerful than Ma Liang had been," Nangong Wan continued. [1]

"A dark world? Was it the underworld?" Han Li asked.

"That's right. The Reincarnation Palace Master saved me, but he sealed away my memories, and my consciousness fell into a deep slumber, only reawakening recently," Nangong Wan replied.

"You must've suffered a lot of hardship over the years without me by your side," Han Li sighed as he latched onto her hand. "Why did you leave the Reincarnation Palace in the end?"

"The Reincarnation Palace Master was very respectful to me, and he didn't restrict my freedom, either, but my intuition told me that it was best for me to stay away from him. On top of that, I really wanted to see you, so I escaped in secret, but it seems like all I've done is cause you trouble," Nangong Wan replied as she lowered her head in a guilty display.

"Not at all," Han Li said with a smile. "I didn't want to leave you at the Reincarnation Palace, but I had no choice at the time. If you hadn't escaped from the underworld, who knows when our reunion would've come?"

A bright smile appeared on Nangong Wan's face upon hearing this, and he latched onto Han Li's hand with both of her own.

"Speaking of which, how is the human race doing in the Spirit Realm? And how is everyone in the Azure Origin Palace?" Han Li asked.

"The human race is doing very well, thanks to the foundation that you left behind, and everyone in the Azure Origin Palace had been progressing very smoothly in their cultivation while I was there. At the time of my tribulation transcendence, Qi Lingzi and Hai Yuetian had both reached the pinnacle of the Body Integration Stage, while Bai Guo'er had reached the Grand Ascension Stage. [2] Fellow Daoist Ice Phoenix and Sister Silvermoon reached the Grand Ascension Stage even earlier than I did, [3] but they wanted to prepare more extensively for their tribulation transcendences," Nangong Wan replied.

Han Li was overcome by a wave of nostalgia upon hearing all of these familiar names, and he was very happy to hear that all of them were doing well.

However, at the same time, he couldn't help but be struck by a sense of sorrow, not knowing if he would be able to see them ever again.

The path of cultivation was one that was inherently fraught with loneliness, and he should already count himself very fortunate that fate had brought Nangong Wan back to his side.

"By the way, how is Yuan Yao doing right now?" Han Li asked. [4]

A hint of dejection appeared in Nangong Wan's eyes at this question.

"Did something happen to her?" Han Li asked as a sense of foreboding welled up in his heart.

"Sister Yuan Yao was also able to reach the Grand Ascension Stage. She received Senior Qing Yuanzi's inheritance, allowing her to progress rapidly in her cultivation, and she attempted her tribulation transcendence even earlier than I did, but unfortunately, she was unable to make it," Nangong Wan replied as she lowered her gaze in a display of sorrow.

Han Li was completely blindsided by this news, and a sense of grief welled up in his heart.

"Don't be saddened by her passing. Sister Yuan Yao and I chatted for an entire night before her tribulation transcendence, and she told me that she had lived a spectacular life, and that she had no regrets regardless of whether she succeeded in her tribulation transcendence or not," Nangong Wan said.

"I'm fine, Wan'er, don't worry about me. It's just that I was a little caught off guard by this news," Han Li reassured with a slightly forced smile.

"I heard from the Reincarnation Palace Master that the Six Paths Reincarnation Plate governs the reincarnation of all living beings. Perhaps we can use it to find Sister Yuan Yao's current incarnation if the opportunity arises," Nangong Wan suggested.

"Yuan Yao perished to the might of the Heavenly Dao, so it's unclear whether her soul even survived, and even if we find her current incarnation, it'll no longer be her. Are we supposed to forcibly awaken the memories of her past life like the Reincarnation Palace Master did to you? If we were to do that, we would essentially be killing the Yuan Yao of this lifetime," Han Li said with a shake of his head, and Nangong Wan fell silent upon hearing this.

"If we manage to return to the Spirit Realm someday, you can take me to visit her grave," Han Li sighed.

As a peak-Great Encompassment cultivator, he had become very sensitive to the disparities between realms, and he knew that if he were to enter the Spirit Realm, it would most likely completely collapse in the face of his power.

Nangong Wan nodded in response, then suddenly gave Han Li an indignant look as she changed the subject and complained, "I can't believe you stumbled upon a treasure as extraordinary as the Heaven Controlling Vial so early in your cultivation journey! No wonder you progressed so rapidly in your cultivation in the mortal realm and the Spirit Realm. How could you have kept such a big secret from me for so long?"

"If that secret had been leaked, then I would've had countless people coming after me, so I couldn't tell anyone. If it makes you feel any better, you are the first person that I've revealed the full extent of the Heaven Controlling Vial's power to," Han Li said with a faint smile.

"It's fine, I don't blame you for your decision. Given the Heaven Controlling Vial's extraordinary powers, it's only right that you kept it a secret from everyone. Now that the Heavenly Court is aware that it's in your possession, won't they send people after you for it?" Nangong Wan asked in a concerned manner.

"That's not a concern. The Heavenly Court currently has its hands full dealing with the Reincarnation Palace, and with my current powers, I'm fairly confident in my ability to fend for myself. Outside of three people, I should be able to keep the Heaven Controlling Vial safe from everyone else in the entire True Immortal Realm," Han Li replied.

"I have full faith in you, but I'm afraid that I won't be of much help to you, given my current cultivation base," Nangong Wan sighed.

An intrigued look then appeared on her face as she mused, "It's incredible to think that there exists a treasure capable of space-time transmigration."

"I can take you on a trip if you're interested," Han Li offered as he pulled out his Heaven Controlling Vial.

"Don't do that. Each time you use that ability, it temporarily costs you the power of all of your Time Dao Runes, and that would leave you in a far too vulnerable state," Nangong Wan immediately refused with a shake of her head.

A faint smile appeared on Han Li's face upon hearing this. Now that he had reached the peak-Great Encompassment Stage, he was able to draw upon the power of the Heaven Controlling Vial to support the Heaven Controlling Vial's space-time transmigration ability, so the cost of using the ability was nowhere near as steep as before.

Having said that, he was very touched that Nangong Wan was so considerate of his safety.

"Alright, we'll leave it for another time then," Han Li said.

"What are your plans from here?" Nangong Wan asked.

"Truth be told, I was so focused on saving you that I haven't even considered my future plans. However, it's probably best to leave this place, given that my battle against Feng Qingshui and Chen Ruyan has most likely already caught the attention of certain unsavory individuals," Han Li replied, and Nangong Wan naturally raised no objections to this.

1. Ma Liang was essentially the final boss of the first instalment of RMJI, a True Immortal that had been sent down to the Spirit Realm for a mission. For more information on him, refer to https://a-record-of-a-mortal-is-journey-to-immortality.fandom.com/wiki/Ma_Liang ☜

2. Qi Lingzi, Hai Yuetian, and Bai Guo'er are all disciples of Han Li's from the Spirit Realm. ☜

3. Ice Phoenix and Silvermoon are both spouses of Han Li's from the Spirit Realm. ☜

4. Yuan Yao was a close friend of Han Li's from the Spirit Realm. They were referred to as soulmates, but there was no romantic development between them. ☜