Douluo Dalu: Lucky Star

He was late; that much was certain. But arriving late was better than not coming at all. After a brief hesitation, the Sea God sent a sliver of divine thought, merging it with Bo Saixi's Martial Soul True Body.

"Wait, young friend," he said.

A faint golden light radiated from Bo Saixi's Martial Soul True Body, quickly repairing its damaged parts. The Sea God's voice emerged from within. In that instant, her Martial Soul True Body broke free of her control, taking on independent consciousness now guided by the Sea God's divine thought.

A divine descent!

Once Han Li recognized what was happening, the Seven Sacred Pillars, positioned opposite him, were briefly stunned. They quickly withdrew their Martial Soul True Bodies, landed on the sea, and knelt with heads deeply bowed. They'd heard the Sea God address Han Li as "young friend," and the meaning of this title made their bodies tremble.

As for Bo Saixi, who was still restrained by ocean currents, the glimmer of joy in her eyes quickly faded. Her pupils dilated rapidly, and the light in them disappeared.

"Senior, my trip to Sea God Island has indeed been... enlightening," Han Li remarked.

Now that the Sea God himself had appeared, Han Li naturally extended respect. He withdrew his attacks and paused. However, halting the assault didn't mean the matter was resolved. Although his words were polite, there was a coldness to them absent in previous exchanges.

Sigh, Poseidon thought within the Sea God Temple. He'd foreseen a situation like this. Though the information he'd received from Rong Nianbing was limited, he had already deduced a few things. He'd been prepared to increase his investment and perhaps be more lenient in the divine trials, but now his High Priest had created a significant incident.

Fortunately, while Han Li's tone was unfriendly, it hadn't reached the worst point, which suggested there was still room for negotiation.

The Sea God's phantom glanced down at Bo Saixi, who lay gravely injured, assessing her condition. He'd already decided on his next course of action. He attempted to shake free of Han Li's control but found he couldn't move. Increasing his effort, he still couldn't break loose.

Hmm? Poseidon paused. Although this was merely a sliver of his divine thought, and thus limited in power, he was still being held by a hand formed from ocean currents. In the realm of water law manipulation, he was genuinely being bested by a young man who hadn't even ascended to godhood. And this was within his domain, where his power should have been absolute.

Poseidon realized that if he transferred more power, he could undoubtedly break Han Li's restraint by invoking his domain's rules. But doing so might provoke the young man.

Moreover, this struggle only reinforced why both Rong Nianbing and the Five Great God Kings had shown such respect to Han Li.

He turned his gaze to Han Li. Fortunately, none of his subordinates dared to look in this direction, and their limited understanding of the laws kept them oblivious to the details.

Noticing the Sea God's struggle, Han Li released the restraint, meeting Poseidon's gaze. This outcome was intentional, a testament to Han Li's recent advancements. His control over the laws of water wasn't necessarily superior to the Sea God's. Poseidon, as a First-Class God, wielded supreme power over a specific domain in the Douluo realm, with mastery over the laws. There should be no disparity in their control over them.

However, Han Li was unique. With each law he mastered, other gods incurred penalties when dealing with him; under equal conditions, he naturally had the advantage. (Referencing the "Ring of Rules" )

Since Poseidon had descended with only a sliver of his divine thought, Han Li's control remained unbreakable unless his divine power was depleted.

Now that he'd achieved his goal, Han Li was content to let things be. He'd already made his point. If he'd wanted to, he could have defeated Bo Saixi long ago—her status as a divine representative was no longer a threat to him.

The massive hand of ocean currents dispersed. The Sea God's phantom continued to hover mid-air while Bo Saixi collapsed onto the sea's surface. Fortunately, though her Martial Soul True Body had been occupied by the Sea God, it hadn't severed its connection to her entirely. As Poseidon repaired the Sea God's phantom, she too received some benefit.

Though she appeared disheveled, her injuries had mostly healed. After landing, she chose to kneel, even more reverently than the Seven Sacred Pillars.

Seeing the Sea God's demeanor upon his arrival, she realized her fate was sealed. Moreover, the way the Sea God had manipulated his divine power earlier hinted at something she couldn't ignore—an invisible reprimand from her role as High Priest over the past century.

"This is not the place to talk. Young friend, why don't we return to Sea God Island and discuss matters in the temple?"

Poseidon suggested to Han Li, his tone noticeably softer.

"Very well," Han Li replied. He glanced at the thoroughly kneeling Bo Saixi, let out a derisive laugh, and then transformed into a streak of green light, heading toward Sea God Island. The Sea God's phantom looked at the kneeling crowd of Sea God Island inhabitants, sighed softly, and said with a hint of dissatisfaction, "Alright, follow me."

With a wave of his sleeve, a faint golden light enveloped everyone present, transforming them into a stream of light as they followed Han Li. At the same time, the Sea God removed the defensive barrier surrounding Sea God Island, easing the previously tense atmosphere on the island.

Soon, two streaks of light appeared in the sky, landing at the summit of Sea God Mountain. From above, Sea Dragon Douluo's voice rang out: "The Deep Sea Demon Whale King has been repelled by the Sea God. You can all rest easy now."

The crowd on Sea God Island erupted in cheers, and life quickly returned to its peaceful rhythm.

But at the summit of Sea God Mountain, within the Sea God Temple, the atmosphere was entirely different—heavy and tense.

Han Li and two others had already been invited inside. Surprisingly, three seats had appeared in the previously empty temple, where they now sat.

The inhabitants of Sea God Island, including Bo Saixi and the transformed Demon Soul Great White Shark, Xiao Bai, knelt uneasily before the Sea God's phantom seated at the main position. Poseidon's expression was grim, while Han Li watched the scene with a playful look, as though it had nothing to do with him.

"Do you understand your mistakes?"

The anger in the Sea God's voice reverberated, crashing down on the already fragile spirits of the Sea God Island inhabitants.

"Yes, Lord Sea God," they responded, foreheads pressed against the temple floor, unable to stop trembling.

Aside from Bo Saixi, the others were seeing the Sea God for the first time. This was the deity they worshiped, yet they had never expected to encounter him in such circumstances.

"Bo Saixi, as High Priest, is this the level of faith you've shown?" Poseidon's voice held a deep disappointment. Were it not for the need to provide Han Li with an explanation, he might have punished his High Priest then and there.

All his efforts and investment had been undermined by this foolish woman. Han Li had already disclosed everything to Rong Nianbing, and based on Rong Nianbing's attitude, he might even have increased his support for Han Li. The God of Darkness and the God of Light were a pair, and the God of Darkness's inheritance had already been passed on. Given Rong Nianbing's close relationship with the Elemental God, Han Li's master would likely soon inherit a divine position as well.

Originally, Poseidon could have used this opportunity to gain favor, but now he truly wanted to kill Bo Saixi. How could someone so shrewd have such a foolish subordinate? Hadn't the trident mark on Ye Lingling been obvious enough? Or was his divine manifestation somehow unclear? He had provided such clear hints—how had she dared to act so recklessly?

Bo Saixi, who had been High Priest for a century and was close to becoming a divine official, seemed utterly incapable of understanding the situation.

"Bo Saixi admits her mistake and awaits Lord Sea God's punishment."

Her voice was numb, the chill of the temple floor unable to match the coldness within her heart.

"Young friend Han Li, how about you decide her punishment?"

Poseidon ignored Bo Saixi and instead turned to Han Li, who sat to the side.

"There's no need. You may handle it as you see fit. Earlier, I acted impulsively in front of the Sea God Temple. I hope you won't hold it against me," Han Li replied with a slight smile, unwilling to take the bait. It was better to sit back and let things unfold. If he intervened now, wouldn't that play into Bo Saixi's hands?

He wasn't one for grudges; his style was to settle things immediately whenever he had the power to do so. Watching the Sea God dismantle Bo Saixi's faith himself was far more satisfying than intervening directly.

Poseidon glanced at Han Li, quickly discerning his intent. However, he showed no reaction. Faith no longer concerned him, especially now that his plans had been thwarted.

Turning a cold gaze to those kneeling below, he declared, "In the presence of my successor, you aided the wicked. For this, you will endure the punishment of the sea's waves ravaging your hearts for half a day every day for the next hundred years. Do you accept this?"

The Seven Sacred Pillars and Xiao Bai shivered. This was one of Sea God Island's harshest punishments, and enduring it for a century was daunting. Yet, they bowed respectfully and answered, "Yes."

Poseidon then turned to Bo Saixi.

"As for you, you are stripped of your position as High Priest and your god-given Martial Soul."

As Poseidon's words rang out, Bo Saixi spat a mouthful of blood and collapsed. Her connection to the Sea God's phantom had been forcibly severed. Her aura plummeted, reverting to where it had been when she was eighteen before she'd undertaken the Sacred Pillar trials.

And that was just the beginning…