Douluo Dalu: Lucky Star

In one of the residences on Sea God Island, Han Li opened his eyes.

Three days had passed since the Sea God left. Three days earlier, Han Li had held a long conversation with the Sea God in the temple. One had to admit, the Sea God was quite intriguing and generous as well. After confirming Han Li's needs, he redirected the faith of the sea soul beasts from himself to Han Li, leaving no hidden traps. As for the faith of the Sea Soul Masters, neither Han Li nor the Sea God interfered.

After all, Ye Lingling was destined to become the next Sea God, and Han Li didn't need a small amount of faith from humans. Besides, Han Li's identity wasn't easy to explain. Among soul beasts, his status mattered less, especially since most sea soul beasts lacked intelligence. As for the intelligent ones, Han Li only needed the majority, which was more than enough.

This sufficed. With it, Han Li had completed his public collection of faith across all explored regions on Douluo Star. Following this, he sensed a mysterious change within himself, though he couldn't pinpoint exactly what it was. All he knew was that it felt beneficial. For one, his comprehension of the power of laws had grown significantly easier—a development that excited him.

If before he had felt a natural affinity with various laws, now this closeness was even more pronounced. To put it in perspective, it was as though he had previously watched the laws from a short distance, but now he could peel back a layer and directly trace them. Of course, this tracing would still take time, but the difficulty had essentially disappeared. It felt as though the various laws were like concubines in a royal harem, each one waiting eagerly for him, their emperor, to bestow his favor.

The only exception was the law he named the Law of Fate, which remained aloof, continuing to grow steadily and unaffected by external forces. While it had progressed considerably, it still felt distant—almost as if it existed on a different, unreachable spectrum.

As for the mysterious Sun Moon Continent, after observing it through the power of fate, Han Li decided to temporarily set aside any plans to visit. The future he foresaw suggested that whether he went or not wouldn't change anything, so there was no need to waste energy.

He pushed open the door and stepped outside, immediately noticing Bo Saixi standing by his room entrance. Or rather, Xixi, as she was now called. Her surname was uncertain, but this was her original name. Ye Lingling had sent her over. Without the protection of any divine artifact, Ye Lingling, who had absorbed much of Han Li's "life experience," was wary of her.

In Ye Lingling's words, being a weak healing-type Soul Master, she felt uncomfortable with a former High Priestess possessing Soul Sage-level strength nearby.

Bo Saixi's expression was still vacant, but her eyes no longer seemed as dead as before. After three days, she had regained some semblance of self, though she still resembled a soulless puppet. Now Han Li's servant, responsible for menial tasks, Bo Saixi had not received any orders, so she simply followed him around, like an accessory.

Gone were her conspicuous red High Priestess robes; she now wore simple blue clothing. Fortunately, the area where Han Li and his companions lived was secluded, so her presence didn't attract attention. Her situation had been quietly managed through discussions between Qian Daoliu and Ye Lingling. It wasn't unusual for the High Priestess to remain unseen, so the people of Sea God Island were still unaware of what had happened. Currently, the talk on the island was about Ye Lingling being chosen by the Sea God as his successor.

Ye Lingling's second and third trials were scheduled for today, and she had already set off under Qian Daoliu's protection. Han Li was preparing to join her.

Without a word, Han Li left the courtyard, leisurely heading toward the Sea God Temple at the mountain's peak, with Bo Saixi silently following behind him.

"Xiao Li."

As soon as they stepped into the Sea God Temple, Ye Lingling, seated at the main throne, noticed them. She immediately stood up and hurried toward him.

The Seven Sacred Pillars and the Demon Soul Great White Shark Xiao Bai were also present, standing respectfully in the temple and not daring to lift their heads. The impression Han Li had left on them during the previous battle was etched deeply in their minds. Even now, the sight of him made them tremble slightly. And with the Sea God's warning fresh in their minds, they obeyed their instincts. Moreover, the future Sea God was aligned with him.

"Are you ready?"

Han Li asked, taking her hand as he walked toward the main seat at the top of the temple. He pulled her onto his lap as they sat down together.

Qian Daoliu, seated below, couldn't help but twitch an eyebrow. The scene felt surreal to him: in the main seat of the Sea God Temple, the Holy Son of the Spirit Hall was playfully seated with the future Sea God, who also belonged to the Spirit Hall. In just a few days, he had witnessed what it truly meant for a cuckoo bird to occupy another's nest.

Then, Han Li's gaze shifted to Bo Saixi, who had quietly moved to the side. His expression was complicated. Han Li had once jokingly asked if Qian Daoliu wanted Bo Saixi as a servant, but he had declined. After all, they had been friends, and he couldn't bring himself to treat her that way, nor did he interfere with Han Li's decision. He knew that if he asked, Han Li would let Bo Saixi go, but he chose not to.

In Han Li's view, Bo Saixi was at most only suited to being a servant. She simply wasn't worthy of someone like Qian Daoliu—at least, not in Han Li's opinion.

"Are you ready?"

Han Li asked again after a brief exchange with Ye Lingling.

"Mm, I've been ready for a while," Ye Lingling replied, her face showing no trace of nervousness. Her divine trials had already been planned during Han Li's conversation with the Sea God, and they posed little difficulty. All she had to do was follow the steps.

"Then let's begin."

The two of them rose and made their way toward the inner sanctum of the Sea God Temple.

"You all, come along too," Han Li said, and only then did the people of Sea God Island dare to follow. Previously, they hadn't been allowed to glimpse the Sea God's divine artifact so easily.

After a short walk, they arrived at the base of a high platform. At the center of the platform stood a pole-like object. Though the rest of the temple was well-lit, this area appeared dim, as if the pole were absorbing light.

Is it originally a water-light attribute? Han Li wondered, though his steps didn't falter as he and Ye Lingling ascended the platform.

Below, Bo Saixi's numb expression briefly flickered, her mouth opening slightly as if she wanted to stop him. But in the end, she remained silent. She was no longer the High Priestess.

Han Li noticed her reaction but paid it no mind. He turned to Ye Lingling.

"Lingling, does your trial require you to pull it out first, or fuse with the Sea God's Heart first?"

He knew the two trials would be conducted simultaneously but hadn't asked for details.

"Fuse first."

Ye Lingling took the Sea God's Heart from her necklace and examined the pole, searching for where to place it.

"No need to search. It goes in the trident head," Han Li said, shaking his head. The trial setup seemed hasty—after all, Lingling was still a delicate girl.

With that, he stepped forward, reached out, and grabbed the pole.

With a scraping sound as the weapon dragged against the stone slab below, Han Li effortlessly lifted the Sea God's Trident, even twirling it midair to produce a whistling sound as it cut through the air.

"Not bad," he commented, sliding his right hand down the shaft and bringing the trident head to Ye Lingling.

"Here, just press it in, and then it'll be yours."

With the Sea God's approval, the process could be simplified, allowing Ye Lingling's divine trials to proceed smoothly.

Ah, Sea God, you're letting her have it easy, Han Li thought, not minding, as it was still within the rules.

Ye Lingling nodded and inserted the Sea God's Heart into the diamond-shaped slot in the trident head, her eyes widening in surprise. Luckily, the real trident looked much grander than she'd imagined—it wasn't like the fish spear Han Li had teased her about earlier.

As soon as the two items connected, the trident emitted a brilliant blue light that illuminated the entire temple. Everyone bathed in it felt an overwhelming sense of comfort as if all negative energies in their bodies and minds were purified.

When the light faded, the Sea God's Trident had settled into Ye Lingling's hands. Although it still appeared completely black, faint blue and gold lines occasionally flickered across its surface, clearly marking it as no ordinary weapon.

Seeing Ye Lingling holding the trident, Han Li couldn't help but smile. The proportions were a bit off—surely it could adjust in size to fit her, right? Otherwise, it would look quite awkward.

Hearing his laughter, Ye Lingling snapped out of her reverie. She had just received a voice in her mind that she had completed the second trial and was now checking her rewards.

Sensing what he was amused by, Ye Lingling shot him a glare before focusing on adjusting the trident's size and height for ease of use.

After a few adjustments, she finally looked up, satisfied. Imitating Han Li's earlier movements, she twirled the trident in the air. Though less practiced than him, her moves Sea God's Golden Thirteen Halberds that had already been unlocked.

"Alright, since you've just acquired the divine weapon, I'll join you for a bit of practice," Han Li said, patting her head and preparing to leave the platform. But Ye Lingling's voice stopped him.

"Wait, I've only completed the second trial. I still need to finish the third."

"Hm? The third trial isn't complete yet?"

Han Li turned around, puzzled, only to see Ye Lingling skillfully reinsert the trident into its previous slot before pulling it out again.

Only then did Ye Lingling smile and pull him toward the exit.

"Now it's done. The trial said I had to pull it out myself for it to count."

Oh, so that's how it was. Han Li nodded in understanding, unfazed.

The two of them quickly made their way toward the square outside, leaving behind the others, whose worldview had just been utterly shattered.