Douluo Dalu: Lucky Star

"Almost there. When the time comes, Grandpa just leaves directly."

Above the Star Dou Forest, several figures ignored the numerous soul beasts below as they flew swiftly toward the core area, crossing the mixed zone of soul beasts. Leading the group was Han Li, who turned around to remind Dugu Bo.

"Mm," Dugu Bo nodded solemnly, keeping his response brief. Behind them, the other figures accelerated slightly.

At the center lake, a gentle breeze blew across, causing faint ripples on the green-colored surface. By the lakeside, a massive soul beast—pitch-black and resembling a cross between an ape and a gorilla—rolled over in boredom. Its lantern-sized eyes, glowing with a yellow crystal-like light, turned toward the lake's center.

"Da Ming, what do you think has happened to Sister Xiao Wu? She hasn't come back for a long time."

"Er Ming, are you itching to go out and fight again?"

After a few seconds of silence, the lake water surged, and a colossal bull's head, over four meters in diameter, emerged from the lake. Its eyes, gleaming with an eerie green light, stared at the Titan Giant Ape on the shore. With a splash, the creature revealed its body—a giant black-green serpent.

"Heh, it's just too boring. The three brothers of the Thousand Ant Clan haven't come to provoke us in a while. But honestly, I do miss Sister Xiao Wu."

The Titan Giant Ape, known as Er Ming, sat up halfway, looking somewhat ingratiatingly at the Azure Bull Python, Da Ming, in the lake.

"Don't go looking for trouble deliberately. As for Sister Xiao Wu, she should be back soon. Judging by the time, it's close to the meeting she arranged last time."

Da Ming's massive head swayed slightly as he looked at Er Ming with a half-warning glance. Unlike Er Ming, Da Ming wasn't as fond of fighting. "When the time comes, keep your movements minimal. Last time, I didn't even get to see Sister Xiao Wu because of you."

"Got it."

The Titan Giant Ape scratched its head, about to respond, when it noticed Da Ming suddenly tensing—a reaction reserved only for powerful foes.

"Moo...! Er Ming, look up, prepare for battle!"

The Titan Giant Ape immediately pressed its arms to the ground, preparing to leap, but before it could act, a human voice echoed:

"Lucky. Floating right on the surface saves me some trouble. I'll be sending the two of you to meet your Sister Xiao Wu shortly."

Above the lake, the Azure Bull Python began to gather soul power, but before it could launch an attack, a layer of ice appeared on its head, drastically slowing its thoughts and interrupting its actions. Similarly, Er Ming's arms sank as he froze mid-motion, unable to move from his half-seated position.

The attacker was, of course, Han Li. The group had been concealing their presence, flying high, but now that they had reached their destination, stealth was no longer necessary. Da Ming spotted Han Li as he revealed himself, but it was too late.

This confrontation differed from Han Li's encounter with Tang Xiao and Tang Hao in Wuhun City, where he aimed to intimidate rather than fight seriously. Here, his goal was to deal with Da Ming and Er Ming as swiftly as possible. If he had wanted to kill them outright, Han Li wouldn't have hesitated to let Qian Daoliu handle it or simply bombard them from afar. Given their tendency for self-destruction, finishing things quickly was ideal.

At this moment, Han Li showed them the respect they deserved, activating three powerful soul bones located in his head.

Two small, evolved dragon horns emerged on his head, and his right eye flickered with a faint red glow, wisps of mist drifting from the corner of his eye to the back of his head. His entire head shone with a soft white light.

Using his Corrosive Haze, Han Li marked the two beasts for maximum impact in the upcoming attack. His Skydream Head Soul Bone, combined with his dragon horns, amplified his spiritual power nearly fivefold. With his formidable spiritual power, enhanced by the soul bones, his ice-elemental spiritual attacks left the two beasts in a mental stasis.

Simultaneously, the Corrosive Haze's vulnerability marker allowed the ice element to penetrate their bodies, freezing both their thoughts and movements. Even with the incredibly strong bodies of hundred-thousand-year soul beasts, they were defenseless against Han Li's attack, especially as his ice element was of the utmost purity and bolstered by elemental mastery.

Not one to leave loose ends, Han Li followed up with his Ice-Fire Dragon God Bow, which appeared in his hand instantly. Four pure white arrows, each bearing the shadow of an Ice Dragon King, shot toward the slightly open mouths of both beasts.

Compared to the two beasts' massive bodies, the arrows seemed tiny. Yet the faint red glow of Corrosive Haze and the immense spiritual power infused in them were working as intended. Guided by Han Li, the arrows shot into the beasts' bodies, two aimed at their brains and two at their hearts—Han Li's chosen targets.

"Seal!"

A deep voice escaped his lips, and icy crystals materialized around Da Ming and Er Ming's heads and hearts. They froze in place, still holding their original poses. Not entirely, though—the Azure Bull Python's body had already begun sliding back into the lake.

It was well-known throughout the Douluo Continent that, aside from soul beasts and soul masters specializing in spiritual power, most soul beasts and soul masters relied on natural growth, lacking in spiritual prowess. Especially these two, who relied on their physical strength. Han Li's spiritual power, enhanced by the influence of faith energy, had already transformed, and now, with the full boost activated, his fivefold spiritual attack would have caused their heads to explode if he hadn't held back.

Two more faint red beams shot from Han Li's position, striking both soul beasts and drawing their massive bodies toward him.

The Fifth Spirit Ability: Rebound and Levitation Arrows.

As the two beasts neared the ground, Han Li's Ice-Fire Dragon God Bow vanished, and he extended his hands. A gentle flow of soul power caught them, slowly lowering them to the ground. His Controlling Crane, Capturing Dragon was quite effective. The ground trembled slightly as Han Li's hands made contact, his soul power enveloping both beasts. Two massive blocks of ice had replaced their original forms.

Behind him, the Evil God Hook extended, forcibly compressing the space around the two beasts and tossing them into a space bag—one of Han Li's spoils of war, obtained from Tang Xiao. It could hold living creatures, though it wasn't quite large enough for these two, so he had to compress them. As long as they remained alive, it would suffice for now, making them easier for Dugu Bo to transport.

The Worship Hall members standing behind Han Li were momentarily speechless as they watched his deft handling. They couldn't help but wonder if this wasn't his first time doing something like this. Judging by his movements, he seemed like a repeat offender.

They were also shocked by Han Li's terrifying combat strength, which continually shattered their expectations. These were two hundred-thousand-year-old soul beasts, not just ordinary ones—they were incredibly powerful. Yet, in the blink of an eye, they had been subdued. If Han Li had chosen them as his targets instead, wouldn't their fates have been the same, or even simpler?

...

The next moment, they heard Han Li's voice again.

"Grandpa, time to go."

Han Li tossed the bag to Dugu Bo, winking at him. Dugu Bo caught it without hesitation and, with a flap of his wings, sped off along the path they had come.

"Humans, you court death!"

"Grand Uncle!"

Two voices rang out almost simultaneously, the first filled with boundless rage. As the sound echoed, a figure in a black robe appeared. Judging by the commotion caused by his arrival, it was clear he was furious. He had torn open a rift in space from within the lake, emerging through it despite the water flooding in.

Not only that but as he appeared, a terrifying wave of black energy shot toward Dugu Bo in midair. Predictably, it was blocked by a golden figure. Without even turning his head, Dugu Bo accelerated slightly as he sensed the energy fluctuations behind him.

Ahead, Han Li's Evil God Hook glowed faintly, sealing the surrounding space. Behind him, several Worship Hall members of the Spirit Hall tensed up, ready to strike at any moment.

After his attack was intercepted, Di Tian looked grim as five figures rose from the lake behind him, their expressions dark as they took in the impressive human lineup before them.

"Spirit Hall, are you seeking death?"

Di Tian ignored Han Li, who stood at the forefront on the ground. His gaze remained fixed on Qian Daoliu, who had intercepted his attack midair. His words were cold, thick with killing intent.

In midair, Qian Daoliu furrowed his brow but did not respond, shifting his gaze to Han Li on the ground.

"Beast God Di Tian, I think we should talk."

In the tense atmosphere, a calm voice rang out from the front, prompting Di Tian to shift his gaze from the sky to the black-clad youth closest to him. Only then did he notice the eight unusual soul rings surrounding the youth's concealed martial soul.