Douluo Dalu: Lucky Star

"Don't ask me; I don't know either. By the time I became aware, the plane's consciousness had already awakened."

Han Li preemptively cut off Di Tian's attempt to question him.

"And during my communication with the plane's consciousness, I confirmed one thing: my fate is intertwined with it. If I prosper, so does the Douluo Plane, potentially evolving into another Divine Realm. If I fall, the Douluo Plane will perish, with no hope of recovery. Its energy will gradually dissipate, leaving it a barren, energyless plane."

Han Li spoke softly.

"Heh, that's impossible. You can't fool me. Even if you are the Lord of the Plane, if you die, the plane will, at most, go dormant for a while."

Di Tian sneered, dismissing the notion. He wasn't some naive dragon; he'd heard of plane lords before, even if he hadn't seen one himself.

"Is that so? If you're so certain, then why didn't you even know about the awakening of the plane's consciousness? Or do you think it's normal for a plane consciousness to be born and select a master—especially after the rules were altered by the Divine Realm?"

Han Li's retort left Di Tian momentarily speechless. It truly wasn't something that should have occurred, especially given recent events.

Di Tian fell silent. After a moment, he looked at Han Li again.

"So, what are you trying to say? You came here at great risk, even bringing up my Lord. I doubt you're just here to say hello."

"I do have a purpose for seeking you out."

Seeing that they were finally approaching the main topic, Han Li got straight to the point.

"How about a win-win agreement?"

"A win-win? How?"

Di Tian frowned, sensing something amiss. He had traveled across the continent and encountered many humans. Those who spoke of mutual benefit rarely had good intentions.

"It's quite simple. You don't even have to do much. I'll even help accelerate the Silver Dragon King's recovery. But when I face the DivineRealm, I want you to stand by my side and fight with me."

Han Li laid out his proposal, his tone sincere.

"That's impossible. You have no chance of winning."

Di Tian rejected the idea outright. It was absurd! His Lord had been forced into hiding, and now this young upstart—who hadn't even become a god yet—was claiming he'd challenge the Divine Realm? This was laughable, even more so than the antics of that Sky Dream Iceworm.

"Why is it impossible?"

A faint trace of the broken godhood of the Ice and Fire Dragon King, which Han Li had refined, flickered briefly, but Di Tian didn't miss it.

"Is that...?"

Di Tian's eyes widened. In his youth, he had been cradled by the two lords.

"Yes, it's exactly what you think. With this, plus the ample power of faith, and if we include that creature in the ocean as support, along with the plane's consciousness, why do you think it's impossible?"

"And to be frank, when do you expect to become a God King?"

Finally, Han Li delivered a sharp remark, causing Di Tian's face to flush with anger.

"Join me, and I'll prioritize your energy needs. The power of faith can also heal the Silver Dragon King's soul injuries and even help her recover swiftly. On my side, at least a few new gods will rise—no fewer than five first-level gods."

"And as for you all, under my protection after my ascension, you'll successfully transcend your tribulations and further enhance your strength. Is there a better option for you?"

Han Li's words were audacious, but they stirred something deep within Di Tian.

"So, what's the price?"

Though eager to rush to his Lord's resting place to share the news, Di Tian forced himself to stay calm. He knew such tempting terms wouldn't come without strings attached. He also had no intention of revealing his Lord's hidden dimension, even to Han Li, the Lord of the Plane. Though powerful, Han Li still couldn't pinpoint the space his Lord had created.

"The price, huh..."

Han Li smiled slightly before answering, "The price is that, before I become a god, the soul beasts must worship me. I don't care how you accomplish it—I trust you can make it happen."

Di Tian's expression darkened. This wasn't something he could decide. The soul beasts' faith in the Dragon God wasn't his to offer, and even if they could, it would be a mere fragment, scarcely worth mentioning.

After all, the Silver Dragon King wasn't the true Dragon God, and they dared not openly spread her faith. If they could, her injuries wouldn't have taken so long to heal. Faith, after all, could heal anything.

"Can't make the decision? No problem; you can think it over. After I leave, you can consult her."

Han Li nodded toward the Lake of Life, his smile unwavering. Di Tian looked at him, feeling as though nothing was truly hidden from this man.

"You don't have a choice, do you?"

Han Li's voice rang out again.

"From the moment the Sky Dream Iceworm escaped, your exposure was inevitable."

As he spoke, Han Li pointed to the seventh soul ring above his head.

Back at the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, Han Li had realized that the Sky Dream Iceworm must have told the Blue Silver Emperor something. Now, it seemed only fair to let Di Tian take the blame—Han Li wasn't one to hold grudges, after all.

That useless iceworm... Di Tian clenched his fists, silently taking note. He hadn't expected this to be how they'd been exposed, and worse yet, they'd run into Han Li. Now he understood why the Divine Realm had taken notice when the Sky Dream escaped. The Evil God Hook behind Han Li—it all made sense now.

"It's precisely because of its existence that I noticed you, which brings us to today's conversation. Faith-based ascension—why did you choose this path? Given your situation, the Divine Realm wouldn't have withheld any inheritance from you. So, why oppose the Divine Realm?"

Di Tian finally asked the question that had been bothering him the most. The conditions Han Li offered were extremely generous, but it didn't seem like the logical choice for someone in his position. If Han Li wanted to ascend to godhood, it should have been easy for him. Di Tian clenched his fists again, feeling the sting of something he could never attain.

"Oh, did I not mention it? I thought I'd made it clear from the beginning." Han Li sighed, looking at Di Tian with a peculiar expression. You've been missing the point this whole time.

"I've said it before—after I ascend to godhood, the Douluo Plane will evolve into a new Divine Realm, different from the current one, and I will control its rules."

He paused, letting the words sink in.

"As for the existing Divine Realm... do I even need to explain? You know exactly what goes on there. What do you think they'll do when a situation like this arises?"

"Hand over authority and join them, or face destruction," Di Tian answered after only a brief moment. Given the soul beasts' history with the God Realm, this wasn't a difficult question—especially considering his deep-seated resentment toward them.

It might not have been entirely true, but from Di Tian's perspective, it made perfect sense. Han Li silently agreed and looked at him.

"Exactly."

"So, I'm unwilling. I am the Lord of the Plane. Why should I let a world full of potential be neglected and left dependent on others? And who knows what will happen to me after I hand over my authority? After all, I'm just a new god."

Han Li subtly guided Di Tian's thoughts toward a more extreme line of reasoning. It wasn't exactly a lie, was it?

Di Tian pondered for a moment, then nodded. When he looked at Han Li again, there was a hint of sympathy in his eyes—a mutual understanding born from shared adversity against the Divine Realm.

Han Li didn't quite understand the look, but he didn't mind. His goal had been achieved: he'd built a foundation of trust. That was all that mattered.

"So, we're on the same side. I'm simply planning," Han Li said to Di Tian, unconsciously changing "you" to "we."

"I don't know why the Divine Realm targets soul beasts, and I don't care. It has nothing to do with me. But as the Lord of the Plane, I must take responsibility. Whether human or soul beasts, they are all my people."

Han Li spoke from his perspective.

Though Di Tian felt a bit uncomfortable—as if he had become this human's subordinate—he couldn't deny that Han Li wasn't wrong.

"The identity of the Lord of the Plane is the foundation of my existence. My ascension is for the betterment of the plane. I don't know how other Lords of the Plane handle things, but I know that if I abandon the plane, I will die."

Han Li wasn't entirely sure about that, but at this moment, he asserted it with absolute certainty.

"That's why I introduced the Mysterious Heaven Technique. I want the entire plane to thrive."

Seeing Di Tian's face darken a bit, Han Li added, "Of course, it's also for gathering faith and deceiving the Divine Realm. Only after becoming a god can I fully change the rules. But even if I don't, I've already started altering things, though it's a slow process."

A book appeared in Han Li's hand, which he floated over to Di Tian with his spirit power.

"Before my ascension, this technique will be promoted by the Spirit Hall across the entire continent. It doesn't require absorbing soul rings. Or rather, it allows one to bypass the need to hunt soul beasts and instead condense ten-year soul rings on their own, which can then be gradually strengthened."

"In this way, the fundamental conflict between human soul masters and soul beasts can be easily resolved."

Di Tian felt the weight of the book in his hands. Unconsciously licking his lips, he began to flip through its contents.

"I've already had someone test it, and they successfully condensed a soul ring. Of course, it's not yet perfect, but the rest is just a matter of time to refine—don't you think?"

Han Li didn't interrupt him. He had indeed tested it. Otherwise, how would he have earned the god-bestowed soul rings? Moreover, transitioning to this cultivation technique wouldn't just improve soul power; the process of upgrading soul rings would also refine the plane's rules. In other words, the transformed Douluo Continent would be far stronger than it is now.

The most crucial point was that this technique wasn't limited to human cultivation!