Douluo Dalu: Lucky Star

As Di Tian sized up Han Li, Han Li was also scrutinizing this so-called Beast God—the leader of the top ten most feared beasts on the continent.

Di Tian had emerged a bit too quickly, quicker than Han Li expected. Perhaps it was due to the loss of the Sky Dream Iceworm, which had deprived him of the pleasure of absorbing soul beasts' energy. Coupled with the recent frenzy of human cultivation, maybe this had made him more irritable.

Han Li silently speculated but kept his thoughts to himself. Di Tian's two guards, Da Ming and Er Ming hadn't even joined the front lines, and it didn't seem like Di Tian intended to stand up for them. After all, he had only made one attempt at attacking before shifting his focus to Qian Daoliu—a telling gesture.

Could it simply be a matter of saving face? Unlikely.

However, what Han Li didn't realize was that Di Tian's heart skipped a beat when he noticed Han Li's soul rings. Even though Han Li habitually concealed the glow of his seventh and eighth soul rings, a faint golden hue had caught Di Tian's eye. Combined with the six blood-red rings, Di Tian—experienced as he was—immediately thought of the God Trials. At that moment, he felt as though he was in a difficult position.

Other beasts might not understand, but he did. Though called the Beast God, Di Tian prided himself as a divine beast, a member of the Black Dragon Clan. He was a divine beast in essence—he just hadn't had the chance to ascend to godhood.

He realized, with some regret, that he'd been careless. His focus had been on Qian Daoliu from the start, causing him to overlook Han Li, even though it was Han Li who had made the first move. Although he had emerged from the lake, he'd been separated by a layer of space and had instinctively locked onto the strongest presence outside.

Di Tian knew the Spirit Hall well, an organization preserving the legacy of the God of Angels, which he had observed while exploring Douluo Star. But he wasn't truly afraid, knowing the God of Angels no longer existed. What remained was merely a place of inheritance. To put it plainly, even if he killed Qian Daoliu, the Divine Realm wouldn't know—or care.

Not that he was planning to; he found the matter beneath him. Yet, he hadn't expected the Spirit Hall to come knocking on his door today. Recently, the Myriad Demon King had returned with troubling news that had fueled his anger. After all, the Spirit Hall had created this new cultivation method, and with his Lord set to awaken in a year, he had intended to wait, report the situation, and let his Lord decide the course of action.

In the short term, human cultivation wouldn't threaten the soul beasts. Confident in his strength, he thought that once his Lord was awake, he could do whatever he pleased. But he hadn't expected the Spirit Hall to show up in force—and worse, they'd stolen two hundred-thousand-year-old soul beasts from right under his nose. Even though he didn't consider those beasts his own, how could he tolerate such an affront?

Di Tian couldn't. So he emerged, intending to issue a warning. What he thought, though, was: in one year, I'll deal with all of you.

But then, he had the misfortune of running into Han Li. Now, although he was intimidating the crowd, he didn't dare make a move so easily. Why? Han Li had stopped concealing his aura, and Di Tian could smell the faint scent of divine power.

Due to past sacrifices, Han Li had washed away all traces of divine power, and even at the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, he used faith energy as a filter. This meant Di Tian could sense the presence of divine power, but he couldn't identify Han Li's exact origin.

Should he kill him? Or should he hold back?

Di Tian's thoughts raced. The Spirit Hall members were strong, but not unbeatable. In an all-out fight, Di Tian was confident he could take them all down, but it would likely come at a great cost—he might even be the last one standing. And that gave him pause. After all, he'd built this team with considerable effort.

Most crucially, if he killed Han Li, would the god behind him retaliate? He wasn't certain, but he didn't dare to risk it. If his Lord's existence was discovered, the grand goal of reviving the soul beast clan and restoring their dominance could be jeopardized—a risk he couldn't accept.

As Di Tian silently pondered, his expression shifting unpredictably, Han Li was growing increasingly uncomfortable.

Come on, man, say something! This is getting awkward. Haven't you noticed that even the fierce beasts behind you look confused?

"Ahem."

A light cough broke the silence, snapping Di Tian out of his deep thoughts. Only then did he realize he hadn't answered Han Li's question yet.

"There's nothing to discuss with you…"

Instinctively, Di Tian began to refuse, but halfway through his sentence, he stopped. His pupils contracted slightly as he looked at Han Li, uncertain. It dawned on him that Han Li had addressed him by name from the start, while Qian Daoliu, the person he had focused on, seemed more like a bodyguard. This kid was the one with real authority. This wasn't just a random encounter—they were here for him specifically.

"Hmph. Fine, let's hear what you have to say."

Di Tian reluctantly changed his tone. He didn't care about saving face; after all, soul beasts were… well, straightforward by nature.

"Just like that? Is that appropriate?"

Han Li, seeing that Di Tian had finally responded, sighed in relief and cast a glance at the fierce beasts behind him.

Di Tian frowned. He hated riddles, but given the situation, he would have to put up with it.

"Fall back," he ordered, directing his words at everyone except himself and Han Li. It was also a test: if Han Li objected, then there was no point in talking further.

"Alright. Master, Martial Uncles, Grand Uncle, could you all step back and wait for me over there?"

Han Li casually turned to address the other members of the Worship Hall. He appeared completely unguarded—though, of course, he wasn't. His sixth spirit ability, Evil God's Protection, was ready to activate at any moment, and he had also prepared to shift into elemental form if needed.

It wasn't a matter of trust that kept Han Li from wanting others to hear his conversation with Di Tian; it was that the worships would soon undergo their God Trials, and he didn't want any hint of the Divine Realm's presence to slip out accidentally.

"Understood."

The elders of the Worship Hall looked to Qian Daoliu, and seeing him nod, they began to retreat slowly. However, they kept a close watch on the fierce beasts doing the same on the other side. Both sides were on high alert, but no one extended their spiritual senses toward Han Li and Di Tian. Everyone knew the rules.

Once both sides had retreated a safe distance, Han Li turned his gaze back to Di Tian, who was looking at him intently.

"I am the Lord of this plane. How is the Silver Dragon King doing?"

Han Li smiled as he spoke, but his words exploded like thunder in Di Tian's ears, leaving his mind reeling. If Han Li had only mentioned the Silver Dragon King, Di Tian would have crushed his head without hesitation. But that first part—a chill spread through Di Tian's heart.

Di Tian knew very well what a "Lord of the Plane" was. But how could such a being exist on Douluo Star? This was a world directly overseen by the Divine Realm. For many reasons, it was impossible for a plane consciousness to form here, let alone for a Lord of the Plane to emerge.

This human was lying to him—that was Di Tian's first thought. But then he sensed the faint presence of tribulation lightning rules locking onto him from the void. His mind instantly cleared; this couldn't be fake—it was real!

Suddenly, he felt a dry throat.

Han Li was quite pleased with Di Tian's reaction. In truth, he was only putting on a show. He couldn't trigger tribulation lightning, but he could certainly let Di Tian sense the aura.

"What happened? How did you become the Lord of this plane? And what are you planning to do?"

Di Tian's expression darkened. Regaining control of the Douluo Plane and turning it into a sanctuary for the Soul Beast clan was crucial to his and his Lord's plans. But now, before they had even made their move, a human had appeared out of nowhere and told him he was the Lord of the Plane. And the worst part? The guy carried the scent of divine power. What in the world was going on?

"I know you're in a hurry, but don't be."

Yes, that's the reaction I was expecting, Han Li thought, trying to calm him down.

"The first thing I can assure you is that, as the Lord of the Plane, I have no hostility toward you."

Han Li finished speaking, and Di Tian snorted coldly.

"You took two hundred-thousand-year-old soul beasts right in front of me, the Mysterious Heaven Technique originated from the Spirit Hall, and now you tell me you have no hostility toward us?"

His voice carried a hint of murderous intent, though it was clear he was trying to suppress it.

"There you go, getting all worked up again," Han Li said, obviously displeased at being interrupted. No wonder you soul beasts either get tricked into falling in love or end up sacrificing yourselves. Some of you even end up babysitting. With tempers like this, how do you expect to accomplish anything major?

Di Tian took a deep breath. He wanted to use his Dragon God Claw to tear this guy apart—the way Han Li spoke was infuriating. But for the sake of his Lord and the soul beast race, he forced himself to calm down.

"Fine. I'll listen."

Di Tian adjusted his mood and held his silence. He needed more information.

"First, let's establish one fact: I was born as the Lord of the Plane."

Han Li's voice echoed slowly.