Douluo Dalu: Lucky Star

Heaven Dou City, Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect Headquarters.

Han Li's figure emerged in mid-air, with only slight ripples in the space around him. As he had expected, outside of the regions where he had reinforced the rules, the space of the outside world was much easier for him to control. If manipulating space was this straightforward, then wielding powers related to ice and fire would be even greater.

In the stunned eyes of the other three members of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan, Han Li released Ning Fengzhi from his wristband. Ning Fengzhi nodded at them, and Han Li's figure once again vanished into the spatial ripples.

"It's only been half a day, but it seems like he's grown even stronger," Gu Rong muttered, dazed, staring at the now calm sky and struggling to make sense of it all.

"Not that you could beat him before, anyway. I'd love to have a match with him," Chen Xin replied, first glancing at his old friend before his tone shifted, his eyes lighting up with intense fighting spirit.

"Soon, it might not even be about fighting him. Beating Dugu Bo might be more realistic," Gu Rong said, ignoring his friend's teasing and thinking instead of the once-dismissed Dugu Bo. According to the old swordsman, that man had already reached level 96 during the Soul Master Tournament.

The fighting spirit in Chen Xin's eyes faded, and his expression froze. It didn't seem impossible, after all.

Just then, Ning Fengzhi's excited voice called out, "Rongrong, Uncle Sword, Uncle Bone, let me show you my martial soul…!"

...

On the other side, Han Li didn't head directly to the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well; instead, he returned home. After all, he had initially said he'd be gone for only half a day, but now it seemed he'd be away for a day or two.

Conveniently, he could wait for the Blue Silver King to reach the hundred-thousand-year mark, so it wasn't a waste of time. And in the process, he packed up some food. Yes, although his body was transforming into a divine one, he still needed to eat. He wouldn't starve if he didn't, but the discomfort would be unbearable.

After confirming that there were no significant changes among those undertaking the divine trials, Han Li returned to the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well. This time, he appeared directly inside Gu Yue's recovery space.

In his absence, Gu Yue had reorganized the layout of the space. The faith power and immortal spirit energy Han Li had introduced were now sealed in a specific area, outwardly resembling the Lake of Life at the core of the Star Dou Forest, though the energy within it had changed.

How much do you like lakes? Han Li thought, amused. He considered asking but decided against it; it was her space, her freedom, and it looked quite pleasant, so he let it go.

"You're here," Gu Yue said, still adjusting her surroundings. She didn't turn around, sensing his arrival without needing to look.

"Yeah, I'm here."

Han Li stood by, watching her work without offering help, quietly waiting for her to finish.

After about three minutes, Gu Yue stopped, and by then, the surrounding landscape was nearly identical to the Star Dou Forest. It seemed the Lake of Life from back then had been her creation.

During this time, Han Li didn't remain idle; he observed the power of the rules she invoked as she worked, quietly gaining insight.

"You left in such a hurry earlier, so I didn't have a chance to tell you. This is one way of teaching. It's relatively slow, but since you're the lord of the plane, you can see the rules, so it's faster for you than for others," Gu Yue explained, turning to face him.

"Fighting and sparring work similarly. They let you feel the fluctuations of the rules throughout the process, serving as an entry point for your comprehension."

Han Li understood the message in her words. He raised an eyebrow and asked, "From what you're saying, are there other methods?"

"Of course," Gu Yue nodded.

"This is just one method."

"And the other methods? Tell me about them," Han Li grew interested. He had always been self-taught, and while the plane's consciousness had helped him lift the fog and directly confront the rules, there had never been a systematic teaching method.

"There's also devouring. The rule fragments of the Ice and Fire Dragon King should be contained in the soul bones you absorbed," she said, glancing at his arms. Han Li nodded.

"There's also inheritance. The divine trials of the Divine Realm use this method. Though it's called inheritance, in some respects, it's also a form of transformation. It's similar to the previous method, but with the god guiding the inheritor through the trials, helping them gradually attune to the rules."

Seeing Han Li's expression darken, Gu Yue quickly added, "Don't worry; there won't be any negative effects. The gods act only as a bridge and can't interfere with anything."

Han Li's expression relaxed slightly, and then he heard what she said next.

"However, because the god serves as an intermediary, their understanding of the rules influences the inheritor's comprehension and mastery."

"The inheritor will quickly reach the level of the original god, but due to this influence, breaking through further requires filling in gaps. Without a certain level of talent and understanding, this is very difficult. That's why inheritors rarely surpass the original god. Those who create their god position, however, often go further."

"Since you're the lord of the entire plane, with rules laid bare to you, it won't be too difficult for you to help others refine and adjust later."

Gu Yue explained all this from an objective standpoint, with a hint of reassurance.

"So, what about natural-born gods? Or embodiments of the rules?"

Han Li asked suddenly.

"These two are different," Gu Yue shook her head, clarifying.

"A natural-born god is simply someone who, from birth, has a high affinity with a rule—much like you. The rules are no mystery to them, and they can invoke them to attack or perform other actions. Their later cultivation and rule mastery are relatively easy, but their strength depends on their level of mastery."

"As for embodiments of the rules, like the God of Asura…"

Gu Yue paused slightly before continuing, "They are born with complete mastery of a rule. They're incredibly powerful from birth, though their strengths manifest in different ways. They can also cultivate other rules in addition to the one they were born with."

"However, unlike rules mastered later, the original rule they embody brings great benefits but also subjects them to severe rule erosion. Their personalities are the best evidence of this."

A sudden thought flashed through Han Li's mind. He vaguely remembered that in one version of the Douluo world, Destruction had warned Asura about resisting the influence of killing intent and cautioned him not to be consumed by it.

So… was the God of Asura looking for a scapegoat to replace him? Had he personally sought out a successor for that purpose?

Contemplating this possibility, Han Li pursed his lips. Had he unintentionally helped Tang San?

However, he quickly shook his head. Whether this possibility existed or not, he could never allow the other to become Asura God. It was a matter of principle. Even if someone standing behind him could potentially stab him in the back, Han Li would eliminate them preemptively—let alone someone like Tang San.

"Okay, I understand. Thanks for clearing that up," Han Li said, cupping his hands in gratitude. This round of basic knowledge was quite useful to him.

"No need. Even if I hadn't told you, you would've figured it out soon enough. Now, let me tell you about the last method."

"There's more?"

Han Li perked up, ready to listen.

"I call this method 'imprinting.' It's commonly used in bloodline inheritance or between close family members."

As Gu Yue spoke, she seemed slightly uneasy but hid it well.

"Explain."

At this point, Han Li realized they had both been standing the entire time. Since he couldn't manipulate the small amount of earth-rule power he'd recently grasped in front of the master of space, he instead pulled out two sofas, placing one in front of Gu Yue. Forming chairs using rule power might look cool, but, honestly, sofas were more comfortable.

Gu Yue didn't mind; she sat down and continued, "Imprinting involves merging divine senses and spiritual power, imprinting the rules one party has already comprehended onto the other's divine sense. The specifics depend on the strength and endurance of the weaker party, and once done, it can't be repeated for a while."

"Even if the imprint is successful, it's not permanent. The imprinted rules will gradually guide the recipient closer to those rules, much like a divine trial but more direct. Over time, the imprint will fade. How much the recipient improves depends on how well they absorb and comprehend the rules during that period."

"Huh?"

Han Li froze, his juice cup halfway to his mouth.

Wait a minute. This method sounded eerily similar to the martial soul fusion technique he'd developed, though his version didn't involve rules. But it wasn't so different either.

Divine senses, connected souls, rule imprinting—wasn't this essentially dual cultivation?

No wonder she said this method was typically used in bloodline inheritance or between family members. It wouldn't make sense to do this with outsiders.

But… was she implying she was open to it?

Han Li glanced at Gu Yue.

"This is the fastest method. It benefits both of us. I hope to borrow your perspective during the process to reach out to other rules," Gu Yue said, her expression unusually serious.

"The enemies we'll face in the future may far exceed your current understanding. They are opponents I had to handle with caution even at my peak."

"Of course, you may not have to face them, but I can't avoid them. Everything I do is for the soul beast race."

Her last sentence was spoken with the utmost solemnity.

At your peak? You couldn't beat them at your peak either, you know. Do you think I don't know anything? Han Li inwardly complained though he understood her reasoning.

Devouring the Golden Dragon King and becoming the Dragon God again wasn't an option. So, was Gu Yue hoping to tap into other rules to achieve a breakthrough? But… how long would that take?

Perhaps Han Li's appearance had given her hope.

So, am I a cultivation accelerator now?

Still, Gu Yue's proposal was tempting. Born with mastery over the seven elements and the strength of a peak-level first-class god, if things worked as she described, Han Li would benefit immensely.

But still… wasn't this just dual cultivation?