Douluo Dalu: Lucky Star

Heaven Dou City, Within a Courtyard

As Han Li appeared in the courtyard, Qian Daoliu stepped out of the house, his expression heavy as he gazed toward the direction of Wuhun City.

"Has she succeeded?"

Qian Daoliu turned to Han Li. In truth, his ability to sense something unusual was largely due to the angelic idol enshrined in Wuhun City.

"You could say she has, but also that she hasn't," Han Li replied, his expression far less solemn, even tinged with a faint smile.

"Once the war begins, she'll be able to truly take the final step. For now, we can only say that the trial is complete; she still needs to carry out the last step of gathering the evil aura."

Han Li's tone carried a trace of lament. If Bibi Dong were on his side, he might as well have written the word "tragic" on her back. The Rakshasa God was certainly ruthless—it wouldn't be an exaggeration to call this divine trial the harshest and most humiliating one imaginable. It thoroughly exploited Bibi Dong's subjective willpower. That said, setting aside the rewards, perhaps this was the true difficulty of a divine trial. Even inheritance requires the inheritor to prove themselves worthy. Compared to his watered-down trial, which was so lenient it felt almost embarrassing, this was on another level. Of course, accepting it gladly was another matter altogether.

"But, Xiao Xue hasn't come out of seclusion yet."

Qian Daoliu clutched the angelic figurine on his chest with concern. Ever since they left the Angelic Shrine, it had been sealed, and he couldn't enter now.

"No need to worry; even if she's a bit late, it won't matter. Once she finishes, she'll be a complete Angel God."

Han Li gave him a reassuring glance. The Angelic Shrine had no owner, so he could easily observe what was happening inside. Qian Renxue was at the final stretch, and she would undoubtedly make it in time for the grand performance.

"What do you plan to do? Should we recall the others first?"

At the moment, the only force Qian Daoliu could command was the Angel Legion, entirely loyal to the Qian family. While the legion belonged to Spirit Hall, it operated independently and was stationed just outside Heaven Dou City, waiting for orders.

"No need. I've already sent word to them, letting them continue their divine trials in peace."

Han Li shook his head. Spirit Hall's high-end combat power was overflowing. Even if they mobilized the entire Worship Hall, the forces of the Pope's faction alone could easily handle the unification war. But neither he nor Bibi Dong had a mere unification in mind. Bibi Dong's goal was the evil aura generated by the negative emotions of war, as well as the eventual reckoning with the Qian family after becoming a god. As for him, he sought the surge of faith that would arise when he stepped forward to "restore order" at the climax of the war. While he didn't lack the power of faith at the moment, maintaining this façade was necessary both externally and for the God Realm.

As for Bibi Dong's original plan to sacrifice Spirit Hall personnel in the process, it had become unlikely after Qian Renxue successfully seized the throne and the Clear Sky Sect was wiped out. For Bibi Dong, however, this wasn't a significant issue. As long as she became a god first, the members of the Worship Hall were nothing more than ants to her. What she sought was the satisfaction of vengeance, not necessarily the destruction of Spirit Hall. When the time came, all it would take was a single word from her, and Spirit Hall, which had borne the Qian family's name for millennia, would have to be renamed. Wouldn't that, too, be a form of revenge?

"Replace the person currently impersonating Xiao Xue. Bring the pendant yourself. When Bibi Dong officially declares war, it'll be time for you to make your entrance as well."

Han Li smiled at Qian Daoliu. This was something they had discussed long ago, so mentioning it now wasn't abrupt. The story of a grandfather and granddaughter both disguising themselves as "Xue Qinghe" was sure to become a legend. After all, wasn't the Angel Legion hidden outside Heaven Dou City for this very purpose? Once Bibi Dong launched her plan and officially announced the existence of the "Spirit Empire," the Emperor of the Heaven Dou Empire, "Xue Qinghe," could reveal his role as a collaborator. It was common knowledge that angelic martial soul had wings, and so did swan spirits, both possessing light attributes. So, wasn't it entirely reasonable to claim that the Snow family of the Heaven Dou Empire had always been a branch of the Qian family in Spirit Hall? "Xue Qinghe" could publicly display his six-winged Angelic Martial Soul—it would make perfect sense.

The Heaven Dou Empire had always been part of Spirit Hall, hadn't it? Coupled with the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan siding with them and fabricating a fictional history, everything would fall into place. Let's not forget that the Heaven Dou imperial family now consisted only of Princess Xue Ke, who was close to "Xue Qinghe." Even if Xue Ye, Xue Xing, and Xue Beng were alive, they'd be utterly confused and powerless to resist.

At that point, Han Li, as Spirit Hall's Holy Son, could ally himself with "Xue Qinghe" openly. With his current reputation, stabilizing the populace would be no issue. The common people despised war. Truthfully, as long as the legalities were sound, they wouldn't care who ruled them. If the upper echelons were replaced by Spirit Hall, life might even improve for them.

As for the nobles who hadn't fully aligned with Xue Qinghe or harbored rebellious intentions after learning the truth, Han Li planned to "escort" them to the Star Luo Empire, allowing them to join the Star Luo nobility and fight against Bibi Dong. Those who survived the war would be unstable factors anyway, so why not let them serve as fuel for the fire? When news of Bibi Dong's godhood spread across the continent, and Qian Renxue also revealed herself as a god, it would be time to "restore order" within Spirit Hall itself.

Han Li, as the Holy Son of Spirit Hall and the legitimate heir of the Qian family, along with Qian Renxue—the current ruler of the Heaven Dou Empire—stepping forward to stop Bibi Dong, the Pope who brought war to the continent, would be the perfect culmination. After all, this is a "god." They had previously used their own "efforts" and endured in silence to protect the Heaven Dou Empire from falling into chaos. Now, having reached the divine realm, they immediately stepped forward to stop the evil deeds of Pope Bibi Dong. Who wouldn't call that "greatness"?

Sounds flawless, right? As for the Star Luo Empire, Han Li's Seven Mysterious Merchant Guild would evacuate civilians at the onset of the war, helping them preserve their lives. He's just so compassionate. Once the entire continent witnesses the power of the gods, war will no longer be necessary, and unification will happen naturally. Honestly, when designing this "script," Han Li himself felt a little embarrassed. He wasn't particularly concerned about his reputation, but, truthfully, this was the only way to better harvest the power of faith. It was also the only approach that would seem reasonable to both Bibi Dong and the God Realm. He had no choice but to adopt this strategy. The best he could do was ensure that most civilians weren't drawn into the war.

With the Seven Mysterious Merchant Guild of the material realm working alongside the world's consciousness, they would provide maximum protection to the people. This was the greatest kindness he could offer. In his heart, he still valued himself the most. Thankfully, Bibi Dong wouldn't bother with these fledgling cultivators, giving him plenty of room to maneuver. As for the official forces of the Star Luo Empire? Well, all he could say was, "Sorry."

After hearing his words, Qian Daoliu nodded, turned around, and left. The Heaven Dou Empire was now Xiao Xue's domain, and he would ensure its safety. Han Li, on the other hand, remained in the courtyard—it wasn't yet time for him to make his appearance. Moments earlier, Han Li had captured a familiar gaze cast from the God Realm, one that hadn't appeared in a long time.

...

God Realm Central Hub

A rare gathering of the God Realm Committee members took place. "Asura, what's happened this time?"

The God of Destruction, upon entering, directly questioned Asura, the initiator of this meeting. Asura glanced at him, waiting until the Gods of Evil and Kindness had also taken their seats before speaking slowly.

"The boy we've been observing on Douluo Star is about to ascend to godhood."

"Hmm?"

This time, not only the God of Destruction but also the God of Evil showed interest, their gazes turning to the glowing screen above the central hub.

"The amount of faith energy surrounding him is absurd. How much time has passed?"

The God of Evil exclaimed in surprise.

"What's going on?"

Even the God of Destruction couldn't help but turn to Asura. The observation schedule wasn't even supposed to be his turn yet—how had this boy suddenly reached godhood? This wasn't the kind of faith energy a self-created divine position could amass in such a short time. From the screen, the faith energy he had gathered was already sufficient to condense a first-level divine position without issue.

"One of his wives inherited the Sea God's legacy and transferred all the faith energy from the lower realm to him. Additionally, he publicized a cultivation method that allows everyone on Douluo Star to cultivate," Asura answered calmly, explaining what he had learned. In truth, when he first heard the news, he was a bit surprised, but it wasn't necessarily bad news for him.

"I see."

The other four God Kings nodded. This situation was indeed extraordinary, but not impossible. This young man had essentially drained the faith energy of an entire planet, enabling him to rise rapidly.

"But so far, hasn't he only mastered the laws of ice and fire? He still has plenty of time. We could even give him a hint," the God of Evil stated, staring at the screen, almost tempted. In just over a year in the lower realm, this young man had gathered enough faith energy to condense a first-level divine position with ease. Considering Han Li's displayed abilities, he seemed like a capable individual. The God of Evil somewhat regretted withdrawing from the competition for him in front of the other gods earlier.

"Not only that," Asura continued, "in the lower realm, the Rakshasa's inheritor is about to trigger a massive war. Based on what I've observed, by the end of it, the amount of faith energy he'll accumulate might even reach the threshold for condensing a God King-level divine position."

"After all, when it comes to condensing divine positions, the difference between the two levels isn't that significant. The key factor is still the mastery of the laws."

A faint smile tugged at the corners of Asura's mouth. When the others turned their gazes to him, he continued, "The reason I've gathered you all here today isn't solely because of this."

The Gods of Evil and Kindness exchanged a glance, a certain suspicion rising in their hearts as they recalled Asura's recent unusually active movements.