As soon as the white-robed woman saw Han Li enter, she placed the silver sword she had been gently caressing back into its wooden case, then raised her delicate head slightly and gazed at Han Li with serene composure.
A face that had haunted his dreams countless times now appeared before Han Li's eyes.
The slightly pointed chin, the delicate nose, the clear and captivating eyes — all of it was so familiar to Han Li, so stirring to his heart. An indescribable warmth welled up from within him.
As though he had already spent hundreds or even thousands of years with this woman!
Whatever mental states or secret formulas he had been practicing — at this moment, Han Li cast them all completely aside, allowing this passion, something he had never experienced before, to flood his entire chest in an instant.
When Nangong Wan saw Han Li staring at her so brazenly, she was first taken aback. Then a flicker of contemplation passed through her large, beautiful eyes, and her elegant brows furrowed ever so slightly.
"Yu'er, you may leave. I need to speak with this person alone." Nangong Wan raised her chin slightly and addressed the yellow-robed girl who had led Han Li in, her voice calm and composed.
"Yes, Grandmaster!" The yellow-robed girl was momentarily stunned, but quickly lowered her head in compliance.
She quietly withdrew from the hall and vanished from sight.
Han Li waited until the woman had fully disappeared from the doorway, then looked around and swept the surroundings with his divine sense. There truly were no other cultivators nearby.
Only then did he fix his gaze on Nangong Wan. Without a word, he formed a hand seal, and a series of cracking sounds suddenly erupted from within his body. His frame abruptly grew several inches taller, and a greenish light flickered across his face.
Han Li revealed his true appearance.
"It really is you! Han Li!" A complicated expression flickered across Nangong Wan's beautiful face, though she did not appear overly surprised. She merely let out a soft, wistful sigh.
"You... you knew I would come!" Having restored his original face, Han Li had no idea how to address this woman. Stammering and fumbling, he managed to blurt out this rather unremarkable line.
The moment the words left his mouth, Han Li immediately regretted them and couldn't help but scratch the back of his head in annoyance.
"Oh, you! Just call me Wan'er." Seeing Han Li looking so adorably dense, Nangong Wan's stunning face blossomed into a radiant smile.
Her bright eyes shimmered with life, and her captivating radiance was overwhelming.
"Wan'er!" Han Li's heart soared with joy, and he called out softly, unable to contain himself.
The unease that had been gnawing at him finally settled.
This woman truly did have feelings for him — otherwise, she would never have shown him such an expression.
For a moment, Han Li gazed intently at her exquisite features, spellbound.
"What's so interesting about staring at me? Am I really more pleasant to look at than that new concubine of yours?" Nangong Wan's cheeks flushed slightly, and she tilted her head away, speaking in a nonchalant tone.
"Concubine? You know about that too?" Hearing the displeasure in her words, Han Li finally snapped back to his senses and spoke in surprise.
"Hmph! The new Elder of the Falling Cloud Sect, a Nascent Soul cultivator who broke through in just over two hundred years — how could I possibly not know?" Nangong Wan lowered her head slightly, gazing at the smooth stone floor. She gave a soft hmph, a hint of willful capriciousness creeping into her expression.