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

Chapter 1305: Another Me

"Given how you're currently progressing in your cultivation, attaining full mastery of the Spirit Refinement Technique should not be an issue. Here are the final two levels of the cultivation art.

“Once you've attained full mastery, you'll no longer have to be concerned about being driven to insanity by spiritual sense backlash, but on the flip side, you'll be robbing all of your future incarnations of their cultivation aptitude, so the decision is up to you," the Reincarnation Palace Master said, and he swept a sleeve through the air as he spoke to send a streak of light flying toward Han Li.

Han Li caught the streak of light to discover that it was a white jade slip, which contained the final two levels of the Spirit Refinement Technique.

"There really is only one path that I can take, and that's to keep cultivating the Spirit Refinement Technique. If I were just a mortal, perhaps I would be able to enter the cycle of reincarnation once I meet my demise. However, as a cultivator, if I am to perish someday, there may not even be an opportunity for me to enter the cycle of reincarnation," Han Li sighed.

"That's a very pragmatic way of looking at things," the Reincarnation Palace Master said, then fell into a hesitant silence as he looked at Han Li with his hands clasped behind his back.

Han Li was the one to break the silence as he said, "There's been a question that's been on my mind for a very long time. Would you be able to enlighten me, Senior?"

"Go ahead," the Reincarnation Palace Master prompted.

"Back when I was with Fellow Daoist Wyrm 3 in the Nine Origins Temple, I encountered a woman who looked extremely similar to an acquaintance of mine. May I ask where that fellow daoist is right now, and would I be able to see her?" Han Li asked.

"What you want to know is whether that woman is Nangong Wan, right?" the Reincarnation Palace Master asked.

"That's right," Han Li confirmed, and in the wake of the question raised by the Reincarnation Palace Master, he was already certain that the woman was indeed Nangong Wan.

"The person that you're referring to is here as we speak, but she's not Nangong Wan. To put it more accurately, she's not your Nangong Wan," the Reincarnation Palace Master said.

Han Li's brows furrowed slightly upon hearing this, and a hint of animosity had already begun to surface in his eyes.

It seemed that the Reincarnation Palace Master didn't harbor any ill intent toward him, and he had even given him the final two levels of the Spirit Refinement Technique free of charge, but this was a matter that concerned Nangong Wan, so he was not going to back down.

Over the course of his cultivation journey, he had made countless sacrifices and let many people down, but there were certain compromises that he absolutely refused to make.

Otherwise, he would no longer be himself, and no matter how lofty his cultivation base became, it would hardly matter.

"If she's here, then why not allow me to see her? As for whether she's by dao partner or not, I'll be able to tell that myself," Han Li said.

As soon as his voice trailed off, a figure suddenly emerged from behind the stone plaque at the back of the palace.

Han Li was instantly entranced by the sight of the familiar figure. Her fair skin, her delicate nose, her clear and alluring eyes... All of those things had appeared in his dreams countless times, and he felt his own heart melt a little as the figure in the blue palatial dress came into view.

However, for some reason, Nangong Wan's aura had swelled drastically since their previous meeting, and on top of it, it seemed to have been a little unstable. What was even stranger to Han Li was the look on her face as she gazed upon him.

There was confusion, guilt, and regret, but she didn't display any of the joy that Han Li was experiencing at their reunion.

"What did you do to her?" Han Li asked as he turned to the Reincarnation Palace Master with a cold expression.

"Don't be angry, Fellow Daoist Han. The palace master merely helped Mother recover her memories from her previous life," Wyrm 3 said as she took a step toward him.

"Mother? Who's your mother?" Han Li asked with a perplexed expression, then strode directly toward Nangong Wan.

The Reincarnation Palace Master made no effort to stop him, while Wyrm 3 reflexively reached out, but ultimately followed the Reincarnation Palace Master's lead.

Right as Han Li was about to grab onto Nangong Wan's hand, the latter suddenly took a step back as she gave him a stern glare.

Han Li was instantly rooted to the spot, and he cast an incredulous gaze toward her as he asked, "Why, Wan'er?"

A reminiscent look surfaced in Nangong Wan's eyes upon hearing Han Li's pet name for her, and a dazed expression appeared on her face as she stared at Han Li with the memories of a previous life flashing through her eyes.

"Mother..."

Right at this moment, Wyrm 3 suddenly called out to her, snapping her out of her daze.

Wyrm 3 then stroked a hand over her own face to reveal a black mask, and for the first time, she revealed her true appearance in its most authentic and undisguised form.

Tears instantly began to stream down Nangong Wan's face as she hurried over to Wyrm 3 and exclaimed in elation, "Jiuzhen!"

She could sense the bloodline connection between the two of them.

Wyrm 3 nodded vigorously as tears began to flow down her cheeks as well, while Han Li looked as if he had been dealt a heavy blow.

He turned to the Reincarnation Palace Master, barely able to contain his own rage as he asked, "What did you do to her?"

"Nothing, I merely returned her lost memories and cultivation base to her," the Reincarnation Palace Master replied in an indifferent manner.

Wyrm 3 had never seen Han Li display such raw and violent emotions before, and she hurriedly interjected, "The palace master used the Six Paths Reincarnation Plate to help her recover her memories from her past life. She was my mother, Gan Rushuang."

"That has nothing to do with me! All I know is that she is my dao partner and my wife, Nangong Wan!" Han Li roared in a furious voice, and at the same time, his time spirit domain erupted out of his body with such tremendous might that both Wyrm 3 and Nangong Wan were forced back an involuntary step.

However, the Reincarnation Palace Master remained completely unmoved, and with a casual sweep of his sleeve, Han Li's time law powers were instantly stifled, while his time spirit domain vanished into thin air.

All of a sudden, Nangong Wan shuddered violently as the memories of two lifetimes began clashing in her mind, and her face instantly became twisted with agony as she collapsed to the ground with her hands clawing at her own head.

Han Li immediately turned to rush to her side, but the Reincarnation Palace Master was faster, appearing behind her in the blink of an eye before gently caressing a hand over the top of her head.

The pained look on Nangong Wan's face gradually faded away, and she fell into a deep sleep.

"It looks like recovering her past memories and cultivation base at once is too much for her to bear. She'll need some time to complete the acclimation process," the Reincarnation Palace Master said

"Her previous life is all in the past, so what gives you the right to force those memories upon her?" Han Li asked as he clenched his fists in a white-knuckled grip.

"Because she is also my wife and my only dao partner," the Reincarnation Palace Master countered in a cold voice.

A stunned look appeared on both Han Li and Wyrm 3's faces.

"Jiuzhen, you've always wanted to know who your father is, right?" the Reincarnation Palace Master asked as he turned to Wyrm 3 with a benevolent expression, then removed the conical bamboo hat that he perpetually wore to reveal his true appearance.

In the instant that his true appearance was revealed, both Han Li and Wyrm 3 were completely rooted to the spot in shock.

Wyrm 3 had always guessed that the Reincarnation Palace Master would have the appearance of an elderly man, yet to her utter astonishment, his face was completely identical to Han Li's!

"Who are you?" Han Li asked in an alarmed voice as he released his time spirit domain once again.

He had witnessed countless bizarre and inexplicable things over the course of his cultivation journey, but never had he been rendered so astonished and incredulous by anything.

His dao partner had suddenly become someone else's dao partner, and that person was completely identical in appearance to himself.

He could sense that the Reincarnation Palace Master hadn't manipulated his own appearance in any way to mirror his, so it was no wonder that he had always felt so familiar to him.

If it weren't for the fact that the Reincarnation Palace Master possessed completely different law powers to his, Han Li would've been convinced that he was looking at an avatar of himself.

"I am me, and you are you. I am Han Li, and you are also Han Li," the Reincarnation Palace Master sighed.

"What is happening?" Wyrm 3 asked with a dazed expression, and she felt as if all of the strength had been drained from her body as she held the unconscious Nangong Wan in her arms.

"I am also Han Li, but a version that went back in time and abandoned the laws of time to cultivate the laws of reincarnation instead," the Reincarnation Palace Master revealed, but his explanation only served to further confound Wyrm 3.

"If you're Han Li, then who am I?" Han Li asked.

His mind had been reduced to an irrational mess, making it impossible for him to assess this situation with any degree of calmness or objectivity. He was unable to make sense of what he was seeing, but at the same time, he could feel a strange connection to the Reincarnation Palace Master, one that told him that the Reincarnation Palace Master was indeed another version of himself, rather than an avatar or a severed corpse soul.

Even though they had mastered completely different law powers, there was no mistaking this undeniable connection.