Douluo Dalu: Lucky Star

Credits:Bowzer

Sensing his movement, Gu Yue exited her meditative state and curiously asked, "What's going on?"

"Nothing much," Han Li replied with a casual smile.

"Just a love drama between two humans that's been dragging on for 20 or 30 years. Interested?"

"Not at all," Gu Yue shook her head. She had thought it was something related to Han Li. To be precise, when it came to humans, she was only interested in Han Li. As for others, they were of little consequence to her. Learning about such trivial matters seemed far less appealing than continuing her cultivation, watching the power of creation steadily progress. That alone filled her with boundless motivation.

Han Li chuckled, unconcerned by her reaction. He had predicted her answer. He had asked on purpose. After such a long time of their souls merging, he could easily guess her thought patterns. Simply put, she was straightforward—and easy to mislead. Regardless, this matter concerned Qian Renxue. While he could mock it internally, he wasn't the type to share it with others. Besides, given Gu Yue's limited understanding of humans due to her isolation after awakening, she likely wouldn't comprehend it. From Han Li's perspective, it was merely a farce.

Bibi Dong's progress in the Rakshasa God trials was ahead of the original timeline. Although she appeared to be more emotionally stable during recent appearances, Han Li's keen perspective revealed a different story. Her soul's transformation stood in stark contrast to the other women undergoing their god trials. The negativity clinging to Bibi Dong's soul was excessively intense. While this was characteristic of the Rakshasa God's trials, her condition was far from normal. In Han Li's eyes, Bibi Dong was only slightly better off than the already-lost Tang Chen. She teetered on the edge of control, with every trial pushing her closer to collapse. To be precise, she was rushing things. The lingering negative effects of her last trial hadn't been fully resolved before she hastily advanced to the next. The Rakshasa God's trials, as evil god trials, inherently required careful pacing and recovery. Coupled with the god's stinginess in offering feedback, the pressure on Bibi Dong had skyrocketed.

To some extent, her obsession with destroying the Tang family legacy and everything connected to it was her anchor to sanity. If she endured, she might become even more extreme. And Yu Xiaogang? Perhaps he, too, was part of her obsession. In Han Li's mind, she resembled Skydream from the original timeline—a being who, under extreme pressure, created an idealized fantasy to cling to. Over time, she convinced herself of its truth. But Bibi Dong's situation was even worse. Her obsession was directly tied to the Rakshasa God's trials. Did she truly love Yu Xiaogang that much?

Probably not. If she did, given her displayed tendencies, she could have done far more. The fact that she hadn't done so indicated subconscious avoidance, though the Rakshasa trials' malice likely played a role.

Ah, the pure and unattainable first love, Han Li mused. The tragedy of unfulfilled longing. Despite his sharp tongue, Han Li understood the reality. At this point, Yu Xiaogang's real self could never compare to the glorified image Bibi Dong had polished in her memory. That was the person she truly desired. Han Li was curious to see just how far she would go for this obsession. Qian Renxue needed Bibi Dong to shatter her last illusion, and Han Li had his own goal: the Rakshasa God's fragmented divinity.

What ill intent could he possibly harbor?

After all, he hadn't destroyed the legacy grounds. In theory, the Divine Realm could still exploit a loophole to create another Rakshasa God.

What's that?

You say the inheritance sites of the Asura God and Rakshasa God were both in the Slaughter City?

Well, that wasn't his fault—it wasn't like he put them there. From another perspective, the loss was negligible. If the Divine Realm was smart, trading the Rakshasa inheritance for a self-made god like Han Li would be a profitable deal. As for the Asura God, Han Li still couldn't figure him out. In theory, there were five eligible candidates in his group, yet Asura remained completely silent. It seemed he wasn't even planning to show up. Tang Chen, meanwhile, was still parasitized by the Blood Red Nine-Headed Bat King. Han Li had no intention of sparing him; not even Asura could save him. Based on the Asura God's previous conduct, Han Li knew he was aware of this. Yet he did nothing. That would have to be dealt with later.

Shaking his head, Han Li pushed these thoughts aside and glanced toward Gu Yue.

"Focus on recovering. I'm stepping out for a bit—I'll be back soon."

Gu Yue nodded, unconcerned. Han Li's figure vanished from the restorative space. He planned to visit the Martial Soul Research Institute and the Qian family duo. While he could tolerate Bibi Dong stirring up trouble to some extent, he wouldn't allow his research to be leaked. Even Yu Xiaogang, destined to die, couldn't be allowed access to Han Li's work. He had entrusted much of his research to the Martial Soul Research Institute. Once everything was over, Han Li could disseminate his findings himself. By then, the rules would have shifted. Many techniques would no longer be viable, and even if they spread, few could replicate his success. But making it public and letting information leak were two entirely different concepts. Han Li disliked killing, but he didn't mind doing it if necessary.

...

When Han Li returned to the courtyard in Heaven Dou City, he didn't find the grandfather-granddaughter pair there. After waiting for a while, he finally saw them emerging from the Angel Temple.

"I've completed the sixth trial," Qian Renxue said proactively upon seeing him.

Han Li could tell that her actual strength had already reached the level of a Super Douluo. Her divine power was beginning to transform, and the faint fluctuations of law-based power emanating from her indicated she had just completed a challenge and hadn't fully stabilized yet.

"One incense stick's worth of time?"

Han Li vaguely remembered her mentioning the trial details before.

"Yes," Qian Renxue nodded. Her completion had been relatively smooth—battling a real person was far easier than breaking through a seal of divine power. The combat techniques Han Li had taught her before were more effective in battle than soul skills.

"That's impressive. However, I've heard that our esteemed Pope isn't far from completing her eighth trial. Or rather, the next time she appears, she'll likely have finished it," Han Li commented. He hadn't directly intruded into the Rakshasa illusion, but based on the degree of Bibi Dong's divine power transformation and her progress with laws, it was easy to deduce."

I'll be faster than her," Qian Renxue declared firmly, almost before Han Li finished speaking. She no longer craved Bibi Dong's love, but she still refused to lose to her.

"Good," Han Li replied, simultaneously communicating privately with Qian Daoliu. He mentioned Yu Xiaogang, leaving it to Qian Daoliu to decide whether to share the information with his granddaughter.

"Go ahead. In any case, Xiaoxue will have to confront this issue directly in her upcoming trials," Qian Daoliu said, glancing at Han Li instead of continuing their mental exchange. He then turned his gaze toward Qian Renxue.

"What are you hiding, Grandpa? Fine, so there's something you're keeping from me," Qian Renxue quickly noticed their earlier telepathic exchange and gave Han Li a dissatisfied glare. Unbothered by her reaction, Han Li revealed that Yu Xiaogang was heading toward Wuhun City again, observing Qian Renxue's response.

Technically, Yu Xiaogang hadn't yet left the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan's territory and was still near Heaven Dou City. If she wanted, Qian Renxue could head straight there and kill him on the spot. Qian Daoliu had already handed all the Spirit Hall's forces over to Han Li and Qian Renxue, intentionally ignoring Bibi Dong. Part of this was due to Qian Renxue's unresolved feelings. She already knew about Bibi Dong and Yu Xiaogang's history, but her personality made her dismiss Yu Xiaogang entirely. She found it absurd and not worth her time or attention.

Now, hearing it directly from Han Li and learning about the events before the Soul Master Competition, she began to realize the bigger picture. For the first time, she understood why Han Li had brought Liu Erlong along back then. Unfortunately, Yu Xiaogang's avoidance had rendered their efforts ineffective.

"What's she after?"

Qian Renxue frowned, voicing a difficult question.

"Maybe... it's love," Han Li replied in a deliberately strange tone, offering no further explanation.

Even if Qian Renxue could understand, would that resolve Bibi Dong's inner struggles? Would it make her let go of her obsessions?

Not a chance. Unless Qian Renxue died in front of her, nothing would change—and Han Li wasn't about to let that happen. He was fiercely protective.

Over the years, he'd considered trying to engage with Bibi Dong, but she never gave him the chance. Apart from mandatory public appearances, no one would believe that the Pope and Holy Son had no personal interactions. Han Li wasn't the type to force himself into someone's life, especially when he had no interest in Bibi Dong beyond her physical appearance. Yes, Han Li appreciated beauty, but he wasn't a lust-driven fool. Eliminating her was merely a matter of choosing the method.

Now, it was time for Qian Renxue to make her decision.

"So, what's your decision, my little Angel?"

Han Li smiled at Qian Renxue, knowing her choice would shape the next steps and corresponding adjustments to their plans.

"Is there a way for me to observe them remotely without direct interaction?"

After taking a deep breath, Qian Renxue turned to Han Li. She knew he had the capability.

"As you wish," Han Li said with a smile, nodding. That was one of the reasons he had come. After all, the Angel God trials were the easiest to obstruct. By making this request, Qian Renxue had indirectly made her choice. This little angel was no longer naive or overconfident—she'd already been deeply influenced by him.

"Very well, then. Let's wait for her to emerge," said Qian Renxue, her gaze sharp, as she prepared for the seventh trial she had yet to begin.