When Houtu first encountered Chaos, she mentioned that when she joined the Destiny Tao Palace, the mysterious and unfathomable Palace Master told her that only after ascending to the status of a Heavenly Venerate could she return to the Tao Palace.
Regarding Lei Yan Heavenly Venerate bringing Houtu back to Fu Heng, Han Yi was even more convinced that Lei Yan Heavenly Venerate was the Protector assigned by the Palace Master of the Destiny Tao Palace to stay by Houtu's side.
Han Yi did not comment on Houtu's experiences; her journey is what a normal cultivator of the Chaotic Dao Realm would encounter, cultivating peacefully for thousands or even tens of thousands of years with occasional setbacks, but not life-threatening ones. This is the norm.
As for Han Yi's own 'arduous' experiences, even if placed within the whole of the Taoist Spirit Chaos World, they would be uniquely his own.