Douluo Dalu: Lucky Star

Credits: RrJ

During the battle earlier, Han Li hadn't had time to think things through. Now that he reflected on it, Gu Yue's true form as the Silver Dragon King felt like a fusion of Eastern and Western dragon aesthetics. It was indeed beautiful, yet somehow it gave him the same stitched-together feeling as his divine armor. If they ever truly faced off against the Divine Realm, it was hard to deny—they looked like the perfect template for villains.

"What are you thinking about?"

After spending so much time with Han Li, she had developed an uncanny ability to sense his impolite thoughts. Gu Yue, having just finished healing her injuries caused by Han Li's Evil God Hook, shot him a sharp look. Green waves of Creation Energy still flickered faintly across her body as she restored her vitality.

"Nothing much. I was just thinking that your true form is quite stunning. By the way, does your human form count as a transformation?"

Han Li had already retracted his armor back into his body to nourish it further. He glanced at Gu Yue with genuine curiosity.

Surprised by his question, Gu Yue paused for a moment. She wasn't sure why he was asking but answered anyway.

"Unlike Di Tian and the others, both my human form and dragon form are innate. You could say both are my true forms, but the dragon form better unleashes my full strength."

"Oh, I see," Han Li murmured, nodding thoughtfully. That made sense. She was, after all, a being born from the Dragon God's split essence, essentially the crystallization of a hidden Creation God's divinity. While she inherited the Dragon God's bloodline, her nature was more akin to an exception, somewhat like the Asura God and his peers. The difference was that one arose from the pure energy of the cosmos, while the other emerged from the Dragon God's physical body and benevolent will.

"I get the gist of your situation now," Han Li said.

"If you can take advantage of condensing a divine seat to ascend to the God King realm, your divine body will give you an edge in one-on-one combat against the other God Kings—but only to a certain extent. If they wield their artifacts, you may not stand a chance."

Gu Yue watched him fall into another thoughtful silence and decided to interject.

"I just thought I'd remind you."

Han Li's rapid growth was impressive, and while she felt a bit more confident in him now, she still hoped he could delay revealing himself for as long as possible.

"Hmm."

Han Li nodded, not disputing her logic. What she said was reasonable—but, of course, he wasn't going to reveal all his plans. He had been preparing for far more than just this. Who said breakthroughs couldn't be chained together?

Gu Yue frowned slightly but chose not to press further. She could tell Han Li was hiding plenty and wasn't even trying to cover it up. Still, as the one holding the initiative in their alliance, he had the upper hand, especially now that his strength was catching up to hers. She could only hope his hidden cards were as formidable as she suspected. At this point, her emotions started to churn.

Hadn't she already made up her mind long ago?

Why was she letting his rapid improvement affect her so much?

"Do you have anything else to do aside from these tests of yours?" she asked suddenly, feeling a rare sense of irritation and hoping to end the conversation.

"Of course."

Han Li looked at the annoyed Gu Yue, assuming she was still upset over their earlier fight. He didn't pay it much mind.

"What is it?"

Gu Yue was surprised that her attempt to dismiss him prompted a follow-up. Then again, she thought, it probably wasn't anything important.

Who waits this long to mention something critical?

She gestured toward the portal leading to the recuperation space.

"If it's not urgent, you can go find Di Tian. Didn't I already give you my token?"

As she spoke, she hesitated slightly, recalling the reverse-scale necklace she had impulsively handed to Han Li after their soul fusion. It wasn't exactly a significant item, but the memory annoyed her further.

Why had she done that in the heat of the moment?

Han Li blinked, interrupted by her abrupt suggestion.

Di Tian?

What was she even talking about?

He hadn't explained the matter yet, and she was refusing?

Besides, Di Tian? A male dragon?

Han Li wasn't comfortable with that idea at all. And even if he was, Di Tian hadn't advanced far enough to master the laws—he wasn't even close to the lowest tier of a god. He hadn't even reached the threshold yet.

"That won't work. Otherwise, why would I come to you?"

Han Li said decisively.

"Now, let me finish."

He interrupted the unusually irritable dragoness and continued, "This will benefit you, too. After my recent breakthrough, my affinity for various laws has grown stronger. So, let's dual cultivate again. I need access to all the laws you've mastered, and this will also help you comprehend Creation Energy more quickly."

Han Li extended the invitation for dual cultivation with a completely straight face. Last time, he had been somewhat reluctant, but for the sake of increasing his strength, he convinced himself that a little personal sacrifice wasn't a big deal. After all, they had already done it once.

What difference would it make if it happened again?

That's how he rationalized it. It had nothing to do with him warming up to Gu Yue. None at all. He was certain.

"Huh?"

This time, it was Gu Yue's turn to be stunned. She clearly remembered that after their last session, despite the benefits Han Li gained, there had been a faint sense of rejection from him. He had left quickly afterward, which was why she had abandoned the idea of suggesting it again.

And now?

Suddenly, he was taking the initiative?

The boundaries she had painstakingly rebuilt in her heart were barely settled, and now he was telling her they weren't needed anymore?

Just move on like nothing happened?

"You heard me right," Han Li reiterated, meeting her gaze directly. "Let's continue where we left off. It should benefit both of us, don't you think? Don't you want to master the Creation Energy faster? If you manage to progress further, it could greatly improve the situation for the Soul Beast clan as well."

Gu Yue stared at him for a long moment, unable to discern any particular emotion in his expression. Then, without a word, she turned and walked toward the newly constructed Lake of Life she had created.

No rejection meant agreement, right?

Han Li wasn't foolish enough to press the matter further. He simply followed her.

Without exchanging another word, they stopped at the lakeside. The two chairs Han Li had left there from the last time still stood quietly in place.

"For now, let's take turns focusing on understanding Creation Energy," Han Li suggested as he looked at Gu Yue. To him, it didn't matter who started first. It was all part of his growth, so there was no need to be particular. Since he had been the one to propose it, he decided to let her go first. After all, whatever she learned would ultimately be reflected in him. Eventually, she would fully share her insights with him—it was only a matter of time. By prioritizing her mastery of Creation Energy, he would also be in a better position to move on to the corresponding opposing force, the Destruction Energy, after he completed his understanding of basic elemental laws.

The more she comprehended, the better it would be for him. Although Han Li hadn't yet dabbled in Destruction Energy, he could already borrow from his obedient son to begin the basics. Starting wouldn't take too long, but progress would inevitably slow down later. He wasn't entirely confident that he could fully master it before the great war broke out. However, if Gu Yue were to assist, it could drastically shift the timeline in his favor. This was his plan after elevating his mastery of the Law of Fate to 70%. Dual cultivation wasn't just about sharing power—it was a shortcut to rapid progress.

During their next session, Han Li intended to actively leverage the planar consciousness he controlled to demonstrate the rules of Creation Energy to her, accelerating her comprehension. Once her progress was reflected to him through their soul fusion, he could apply the Law of Fate to tap into Destruction Energy and achieve parity in understanding. This was a cultivation method unique to Han Li—or rather, a strategy provided to him by the Law of Fate itself. It was a shortcut, one that relied on Gu Yue's early start in cultivating Creation Energy, a journey she had begun thousands of years ahead of schedule thanks to him. Such an opportunity was something Han Li would grasp tightly. That was why he had brought up dual cultivation so decisively.

Of course, if Gu Yue refused, he could always fall back on persuasion, using the classic "You wouldn't want to..." argument. Fortunately, it seemed unnecessary for now.

Han Li glanced at Gu Yue, who had already seated herself silently in one of the chairs. Taking a deep breath, he reached out and held her hand. There was nothing to explain—best to just get started. Her hand felt a bit cold—this was Han Li's first impression. But almost immediately, Gu Yue's small hand tightened in response, and her divine power and soul energy, just as before, surged into his body and intertwined with his.

A silver and pale red energy shield formed around them, enclosing the pair. This time was different from the last. Han Li's soul power, though still slightly inferior to Gu Yue's, was now almost on par. This allowed him to delve deeper into her memories. However, unlike the last time, he didn't seal any of his memories. Instead, the Law of Fate took on that role, acting as a barrier to protect his most guarded secrets. Gu Yue could only access his surface-level memories; those from his past life and those tied to the planar consciousness remained off-limits. Even so, Han Li could sense her satisfaction through their soul connection. This was far better than last time when all he could perceive were her immediate emotions and thoughts.

Han Li calmed his thoughts and took the lead. He enveloped her soul and began guiding the threads of Creation Energy rules visible to him. This time was entirely different. Han Li recalled an experiment he had conducted earlier. Under Gu Yue's astonished gaze, he materialized a Blue Silver Grass plant out of thin air.