The beautiful woman who appeared before Han Li was none other than Mei Ning, who had come to Tian Nan together with him. Her looks had grown even more captivating compared to a few years ago.
"The junior owes her current realm entirely to Senior's gift of pills back then." After a fleeting look of melancholy crossed Mei Ning's face, a respectful expression took its place.
Now that Han Li had reached the Nascent Soul stage, his status was far more formidable than it had been back then.
"Sister Mei! Is Fellow Daoist Zi Ling inside as well?" The woman surnamed Song stepped out from behind Han Li at this point, calling out with great warmth.
This surprised Han Li somewhat, and he gave the woman a measured look.
"Senior Song! Sister Zi Ling is cultivating inside right now, but she'll be wrapping up her session soon. Please, both of you, come sit in my quarters first." Mei Ning didn't dare to be lax and spoke with an apologetic expression.
Han Li paid it no mind. His spiritual sense had already swept through the area, and he could sense someone sitting cross-legged in another stone cottage, spiritual energy surging around them as they circulated their power. They were indeed in the final stages of a cultivation session.
With Mei Ning graciously ushering them in, Han Li and the woman surnamed Song entered the stone room and took their seats.
Then Mei Ning obediently brewed them each a cup of spirit tea.
"Miss Mei, where have you and Miss Zi Ling been cultivating all these years? Did you not join any sect?" Han Li took a sip of the spirit tea and asked in a calm tone.
"Sister Zi Ling and I discussed it beforehand. We decided to first observe the major sects here in Tian Nan and wait until our cultivation bases are more solid before considering joining any. So for the past few years, we've been traveling around and looking things over. After all, the situation in Tian Nan seems even more chaotic than where we came from." Mei Ning stood with her hands clasped at Han Li's side, replying in a quiet, lowered voice.
Seeing that Mei Ning made no effort to conceal from the woman surnamed Song that she was an outsider cultivator, Han Li was briefly taken aback before realizing that his martial niece Song likely already knew something about the Chaotic Star Sea.
It seemed the two really did have a close friendship.
But seeing Mei Ning so gentle and unassuming, Han Li rubbed his nose and felt it wouldn't be right to press her any further. Instead, he turned his head, glanced at the woman surnamed Song who was standing on his other side, and asked with a smile: "Surely Zi Ling didn't ask you to bring me all the way here just so I could catch up with an old friend? Otherwise, why would martial niece Song need to deliver the message all secretive and hesitant, looking like she'd been deliberating for ages?"
"Uncle-Master, I..." The woman surnamed Song's cheeks flushed slightly at his words, and she began to stammer.
Mei Ning's face also showed a hint of embarrassment. She was about to say something when a woman's gentle laughter suddenly drifted in from outside the cottage.
"Brother Han, why must you give these two a hard time? In truth, it was mostly Zi Ling's own idea to invite you here."
The words had barely faded when a white-clad woman who looked like a heavenly fairy appeared at the doorway.
Her radiance was mesmerizing, her eyes shimmering with charm, and every gesture she made was enough to captivate the soul.
"Actually, I really ought to call you 'Senior' now, Brother Han, but I still feel 'Brother Han' suits us better. After all, I might not even be older than you. You don't mind, do you?" Zi Ling stepped elegantly into the room, a soft smile playing at her lips.
Having shared so many experiences with Han Li — the Void Heaven Palace, the Land of Yin and Darkness, and more — and having spent time together on the Boundless Sea, she no longer felt like a stranger to him. She now even considered herself something of a kindred spirit.
Hearing this, Han Li studied her for a moment.
Even with his current mental fortitude as a Nascent Soul cultivator, seeing Zi Ling in her true face still made his heart sway, drawing him in against his will. This was probably what the old texts meant by "a beauty that could topple kingdoms."
In terms of pure beauty alone, even the irreplaceable Nangong Wan in his heart fell slightly short of this woman.
Of course, Nangong Wan's cool, ethereal grace and this woman's seductive allure were two entirely different types of charm — each without peer in its own way.
"It doesn't matter what you call me. But Zi Ling, if you walk out of this valley showing your true face, I'm afraid you'll cause an immediate sensation across Tian Nan. Do be careful not to catch the eye of some old monster who might try to snatch you away." Meeting an old acquaintance from the Chaotic Star Sea, Han Li seized the rare chance to tease her.
Zi Ling smiled brightly without taking any offense, shot Han Li a playful glare, and then turned to the woman surnamed Song: "Thank you so much for your help this time, Sister Song. Mei Ning and I really couldn't enter Tianyi City on our own."
"It's nothing at all! I'm involved in this matter myself, so lending a hand is only natural." The woman spoke with a look of mild surprise on her face.
Though she already knew Zi Ling and Han Li were old acquaintances, seeing the two interact with such ease and familiarity far exceeded her expectations. Still, it gave her considerably more confidence in the purpose of this trip.