From an encounter at the Mo residence to reunions spanning the Human, Spirit, and Immortal Realms, many women have left their mark on Han Li's path of cultivation. Some ultimately remain by his side, some become no more than confidantes, and others go on to lead separate lives after a missed opportunity. Understanding these stories requires first distinguishing just how far each relationship actually developed.
Following roughly the order in which they meet in the original novels, this article covers 21 female characters who have romantic ties to Han Li or are frequently discussed alongside them, explaining when they met, the nature of their relationships, their main experiences, and their eventual outcomes. It focuses on the main story of A Record of a Mortal’s Journey to Immortality, supplemented by subsequent developments in the Immortal Realm Arc,Contains spoilers for the endings of both novels。
First, grasp the most important relationships:Nangong Wan is his wife, formally joined to him as a Dao companion; Zi Ling and Han Li are explicitly in love, and later live together as husband and wife; Yuan Yao and Yin Yue are very important female confidantes.Other characters are involved in first love, one-sided admiration, unrealized marriage arrangements, nominal concubinage, and other relationships of varying depth.
Image note: Official animation posters or wallpapers are used for 15 characters, while Bing Feng and Dai’er use images from the licensed mobile game; Mo Fengwu, Cao Mengrong, Bai Suyuan, and Mo Yuzhu use AI-imagined images, clearly labeled beneath each image. The animation and mobile game are adaptations; the settings and story details on their posters do not supersede this article’s account based on the novel. Official images retain their original marks, and copyright belongs to the respective rights holders.
I. From youth to the Qi Refining stage: the Mo Estate and Yellow Maple Valley periods
01 · Mo Fengwu
Time and place of first meeting:During Han Li’s youthful Qi Refining period, after leaving the Seven Mysteries Sect, in The Mo Residence in Jiayuan City Becoming acquainted
Nature of the relationship:The first woman Han Li clearly developed romantic feelings for; they did not end up together
Major experiences and outcomes:The original novel explicitly states that Mo Fengwu was the first person for whom Han Li developed romantic feelings. When they later reunited at the Qin residence in Yuejing, she had already married and been widowed. Han Li still had feelings for her and even thought that, if she had spiritual roots, he would take her back to Yellow Maple Valley and become her Dao companion. Ultimately, they did not end up together. Before leaving Yuejing, Han Li saw her calmly reciting scriptures and did not disturb her again.
02 · Mo Caihuan
Time and place of first meeting:Also during his youthful Qi Refining period, The Mo Residence in Jiayuan City；later reunited at Yanling Fort
Nature of the relationship:Closeness, attachment, and an unfulfilled bond; no romantic relationship was established
Major experiences and outcomes:After the Mo household fell into ruin, she and her mother ended up at Yanling Fort, where Han Li looked after them. She hoped to cultivate toward immortality like Han Li, but had no spiritual roots; Han Li felt considerable sympathy for her circumstances and arranged some assistance with her daily life. The two never established a definite relationship as Dao companions. In the Human Realm storyline, when Han Li later went looking for the mother and daughter again, he could no longer find any news of them.
03 · Chen Qiaoqian
Time and place of first meeting:During Han Li's Qi Refinement stage,During the Yellow Maple Valley period, around the Taiyue Mountains；after reaching Foundation Establishment, they had further substantial contact in Yuejing
Nature of the relationship:Her affection is clear; Han Li is moved but does not accept it
Major experiences and outcomes:Han Li once saved her. When they later met again, she repeatedly tried to gauge his feelings. When they parted at White Chrysanthemum Mountain, she brought up her impending marriage and waited for his response, but Han Li chose to offer his blessings, and their chance passed. That marriage was later canceled, and she never married afterward. Years later, Chen Qiaotian told Han Li that she had failed to reach Core Formation and had died of a “strange illness”; the original novel does not explicitly identify lovesickness as the cause of death.
04 · Nangong Wan
Time and place of first meeting:During Han Li's Qi Refinement stage,The Blood-Colored Forbidden Land；she was a cultivator of the Masked Moon Sect at the time
Nature of the relationship:Official Dao companion and wife; the main romantic storyline running throughout the book
Major experiences and outcomes:While fighting the Ink Flood Dragon together in the Blood Forbidden Land, the two unexpectedly became intimate, and gradually came to acknowledge their feelings for each other afterward. After forming his Nascent Soul, Han Li went to the Masked Moon Sect to find her and prevented her from being forced to marry Wei Lichen; he also traveled far and wide to lift the Soul-Sealing Curse placed on her. Later, the two formally held a dual-cultivation ceremony at the Drifting Cloud Sect. Their reunion in the Small Spirit Heaven of the Spirit Realm and their later reunion in the Immortal Realm continued this relationship; at the end of the Immortal Realm Arc, they retired into seclusion together.
The Mo sisters are the easiest to mix up at this stage: in the original novel, Mo Fengwu is the first person for whom Han Li clearly develops romantic feelings.Mo Caihuan's storyline focuses more on closeness, tender concern, and the separation of their lives caused by her lack of spiritual roots.
II. From Foundation Establishment to Core Formation: The Heavenly South and Scattered Star Seas period
05 · Dong Xuan’er
Time and place of first meeting:When Han Li was in the early Foundation Establishment stage, Yellow Maple Valley, Li Huayuan’s cave abode Related Plot Events
Nature of the relationship:A marriage match was once arranged; later, there were complications involving an inner demon
Major experiences and outcomes:Hong Fu once intended to match her with Han Li, but the two did not initially get along. Later, Dong Xuan'er joined the Harmonious Union Sect and practiced its techniques. Because of the unusual impression Han Li had left on her in earlier years, he became her inner demon. When she met him again, she asked for help, and Han Li helped her resolve it. The original novel explains her inner demon in terms of both cultivation techniques and psychology; this alone cannot be taken as proof that the two were once in love.
06 · Yuan Yao
Time and place of first meeting:During Han Li's Foundation Establishment stage, shortly after he first entered the Scattered Star Seas, at Tiandu Street on Kuixing Island Met her and Yan Li
Nature of the relationship:A deeply cherished female confidante; they never formally became Dao companions
Major experiences and outcomes:The two later faced dangers together during the events at Heavenvoid Hall and elsewhere. Han Li also helped her rescue Yan Li, and their relationship gradually deepened. After reuniting in the Spirit Realm, they continued to look out for each other, and Nangong Wan explicitly regarded her as Han Li's close female confidante. The Immortal Realm Arc once stated that she perished during the lightning tribulation of ascension, but near the ending, Han Li went back in time and saved her, enabling her to ascend successfully. Her ultimate fate is therefore to be saved.
07 · Zi Ling
Time and place of first meeting:When Han Li was in the early Core Formation stage,The Wondrous Sound Sect’s recruitment of cultivators to assist in battle in the Scattered Star Seas; they subsequently continued their dealings in Heavenly Star City
Nature of the relationship:Explicitly in love, with an actual partnership, and ultimately remain together
Major experiences and outcomes:Their initial connection develops through matters involving the Wondrous Sound Sect, Heavenly Lightning Bamboo, and other affairs, followed by repeated collaborations and separations. After the events at Mount Motuo in Great Jin, Han Li rescues Zi Ling. They live together for several months and become physically intimate. Knowing that Han Li already has a wife, Zi Ling is unwilling to remain as a concubine, so they part again. After reuniting in the Immortal Realm, they run a medical clinic and live as husband and wife for more than a hundred years; in the ending, she also appears in the valley where Han Li and Nangong Wan live in seclusion.
08 · Wen Siyue
Time and place of first meeting:During Han Li’s Core Formation stage, at At sea in the Scattered Star Seas They met when he rescued Wen Qiang and his daughter
Nature of the relationship:Asked to become his concubine, primarily to seek protection
Major experiences and outcomes:Later, at a secret market run by the Miao Yin Sect in the Outer Star Sea, she asked Han Li to take her as his concubine, hoping this would free her from the constraints of her circumstances. Although Han Li was somewhat tempted, he ultimately did not accept her as a long-term companion. She later married a cultivator surnamed Tian and gave birth to Tian Qin'er; when Han Li met her again, their interaction mainly involved helping an old acquaintance.
09 · Mei Ning
Time and place of first meeting:When Han Li was in the late Core Formation stage, the two of them fell together into The Land of Yin Nether within the ghost mist
Nature of the relationship:She had feelings for him and was willing to entrust herself to him, but Han Li did not accept
Major experiences and outcomes:The two struggled to survive together, and Mei Ning used her special constitution to help Han Li recover some of his magical power. After they escaped, Zi Ling tried to bring her and Han Li together, and Mei Ning also expressed her willingness to give herself to him. Han Li nevertheless declined, citing his cultivation and other reasons, and only offered help such as medicinal pills; the two did not become Dao companions, and their subsequent lives were not fully accounted for.
At this stage,Yuan Yao and Zi Ling are both important romantic figures who continue to influence the later plot; Wen Siyue and Mei Ning, meanwhile, are characters who expressed a wish to entrust themselves or someone else to him, or proposed marriage, but ultimately did not form a marital bond with him. Their respective motivations and the depth of their relationships need to be understood individually.
III. From Returning to Tiannan to the Spirit Realm: Lasting Companionship and Regrets
Yinyue's placement in the sequence is somewhat unusual: the jade ruyi housing her soul was obtained as early as Heavenvoid Hall, but Han Li only formally communicated with “Yinyue” and established their master-servant relationship and companionship after returning to Tiannan. The ordering here follows the stage when their personal interactions actually began.
10 · Mu Peiling
Time and place of first meeting:After returning to Tiannan in the late Core Formation stage, Han Li concealed his cultivation level and entered Drifting Cloud Sect herb garden met at the time
Nature of the relationship:A concubine in name; she later developed clear romantic feelings
Major experiences and outcomes:To avoid the marriage arranged by her family, she assumed the identity of Han Li’s concubine, which Han Li later acknowledged. Han Li also once planned to practice dual cultivation with her, but ultimately did not carry it out. She later hoped to truly become his partner, but Han Li did not accept. Afterward, under pressure from her dwindling lifespan, she attempted to reach the Nascent Soul stage. Flaws in her state of mind caused her magical power to backlash, resulting in her death. Han Li once visited her grave to pay his respects.
11 · Silvermoon
Time and place of first meeting:During Han Li's late Core Formation stage, upon returning to Tiannan Later formally communicated with Silvermoon, the artifact spirit
Nature of the relationship:A close female confidante who has accompanied him for years and shares a deep emotional bond with him
Major experiences and outcomes:She accompanied Han Li for a long time, knew many of his secrets, and went through numerous dangers alongside him. After regaining her identity and returning to the Spirit Realm, she reunited with Han Li, and her emotional attachment even affected her practice of the Emotion-Forgetting Art. Ao Xiao once proposed that she marry Han Li, but Han Li did not agree, choosing instead to help her resolve the problem with her cultivation art. At the end of the main story, she remained in the Spirit Realm, and no ceremony was held to unite her and Han Li as Dao companions.
12 · Cao Mengrong
Time and place of first meeting:Han Li, at the middle Nascent Soul stage, stranded after suffering severe injuries Great Jin, met after being rescued by a Cao family vessel
Nature of the relationship:She admires Han Li; his role is primarily to repay her kindness, care for her, and offer guidance
Major experiences and outcomes:Cao Mengrong helps rescue the injured Han Li and subsequently receives guidance from him. As they spend time together, the original novel conveys her romantic feelings for Han Li through her behavior and other people's observations. Han Li treats her warmly and is willing to look after her, but he does not reciprocate her feelings. They later part ways, and the original novel does not describe her ultimate fate in detail.
13 · Ice Phoenix
Time and place of first meeting:During Han Li's late Nascent Soul stage, The Northern Night Lesser Pinnacle Palace incident where they met; they later entered the Spirit Realm together
Nature of the relationship:From hostility to trust and closeness, with subtle romantic undertones
Major experiences and outcomes:The two had hostile encounters early on, but later crossed clandestinely into the Spirit Realm together. After Han Li rescued her from danger again, she stayed by his side to recover and cultivate, at times presenting herself to others as his concubine or maidservant. Regarding the Heavenly Phoenix primal yin, the original text explicitly states that it can be transferred through a secret technique, without requiring dual cultivation between a man and a woman. Their relationship is therefore best classified as close companionship with understated romantic feelings; a formal marital status was never established.
14 · Dai'er
Time and place of first meeting:When Han Li first entered the Spirit Realm, at The beast tide at Anyuan City Protected her during the related events; she was still a little girl at the time
Nature of the relationship:As an adult, she felt attachment and romantic affection for him; Han Li regarded her as a younger sister
Major experiences and outcomes:She always remembered being protected by Han Li as a child and remained deeply concerned about him after growing up. Han Li consistently regarded her more as a younger sister or a junior. When Han Li ascended, she understood his feelings and chose to watch from afar without approaching him or pestering him. The original novel makes the boundaries of this relationship fairly clear.
Two points here especially need to be distinguished:
- Mu Peiling genuinely held the nominal status of “concubine,” but the two ultimately did not carry out their original plan for dual cultivation.Her cause of death cannot simply be reduced to “dying because she loved Han Li”; the original text explicitly attributes it to a flaw in her state of mind and a backlash of magical power during her attempt to reach the Nascent Soul stage.
- The names Yinyue, Xueling, and Linglong involve the splitting and merging of primordial spirits within the same character's storyline.When organizing the characters in Han Li's romantic life, these names should be explained within the same relationship, rather than mechanically counted as several separate lovers.
IV. Supplement from the Immortal Realm Arc: Bai Suyuan
15 · Bai Suyuan
Time and place of first meeting:The Northern Cold Immortal Region in the Immortal Realm Arc,Bai family, Candle Dragon Sect Related events; Han Li uses the identity “Li Feiyu”
Nature of the relationship:There are subtle hints of one-sided affection, but they did not become Dao companions
Major experiences and outcomes:Han Li helped her and the Bai family, and also became involved in her experiences after she joined the sect. She took a particular interest in news of Han Li, becoming flustered and blushing when Yun Ni teased her, which suggests a young woman's affection. Later, her willingness to become a maidservant to save her elders was another episode in which she sought help; Han Li helped her, but did not take her as his partner on that basis.
Bai Suyuan’s role should be kept within “The text hints at affection” this level. The strength of the evidence for her relationship is clearly different from that for the firmly established partnerships with Nangong Wan and Zi Ling.
V. Characters Often Included in “Lists of Romantic Interests” Who Require Separate Explanation
The following women are close to Han Li or involved in marriage arrangements with him, but the relationships established in the original novel are not all romantic.
16 · Han Yunzhi
Actual relationship with Han Li:An old acquaintance met during the Tainan Gathering, with whom he shared some close interactions early on
How to view this when tracing the romantic storylines:When they reunite later, the original novel explicitly portrays their feelings as close to those of siblings. She can be included among his old female acquaintances with whom he shares a special bond, but the claim that she “always loved Han Li deeply and spent her life waiting for him” lacks support.
17 · Ling Yuling
Actual relationship with Han Li:An important friend from the Scattered Star Seas, with whom marriage to Han Li was once proposed
How to view this when tracing the romantic storylines:The Heavenly Star Sages proposed that the two practice dual cultivation, but Han Li refused, citing reasons including already having a cultivation partner. This was first and foremost a proposed marriage arrangement; this event alone does not establish that Ling Yuling had confessed her love to Han Li.
18 · Mo Yuzhu
Actual relationship with Han Li:An old acquaintance from the Mo household, Mo Juren’s eldest daughter
How to view this when tracing the romantic storylines:She later married the son of the Five Colors Sect's leader and had a daughter, Yingning. She and Han Li never established a romantic or marital relationship, so she should not be treated as his former wife or former lover.
19 · The Woman Surnamed Song
Actual relationship with Han Li:A fellow member of the Drifting Cloud Sect, often appearing alongside Mu Peiling and Liu Yu.
How to view this when tracing the romantic storylines:The woman surnamed Song, Mu Peiling, and Liu Yu frequently receive Han Li’s care, but their statuses differ, so they cannot all be described as his concubines.
20 · Liu Yu
Actual relationship with Han Li:Han Li's disciple; the original novel gives a specific account of how the disciple came under his tutelage.
How to view this when tracing the romantic storylines:Her explicitly established relationship with Han Li is that of disciple and master. Appearing alongside Mu Peiling is no reason to list her as Han Li's concubine or lover.
21 · Yan Li
Actual relationship with Han Li:Yuan Yao's senior martial sister and friend, and someone Han Li once helped
How to view this when tracing the romantic storylines:She mainly appears in events involving Yuan Yao and does not develop a distinct, clearly established romantic storyline with Han Li.
If calculated according to Relationships explicitly established in the original novel as a way to remember them, the key distinctions are: Nangong Wan's status as his formal cultivation partner, Zi Ling's actual relationship as his partner, Yuan Yao and Silvermoon's deep bonds with him as female confidantes, and the other women's differing experiences of unrequited love, regret, and marriage proposals that never came to fruition. When discussing their endings, remember in particular: Yuan Yao is rescued at the end of the Immortal Realm Arc; Zi Ling ultimately stays with Han Li; Mo Fengwu had married long before and was widowed; Chen Qiaoqian remained unmarried after her planned marriage was canceled.These details directly change how several romantic storylines are understood.
More in this series：Timeline of Han Li’s Treasure Acquisitions · Timeline of Han Li’s Acquisition of Cultivation Methods and Secret Techniques · An Illustrated Guide to Han Li’s Spirit Pets and Spirit-Bonded Companions
