Douluo Dalu: Lucky Star

Ye Lingling's progress in mastering the Sea God's Golden Thirteen Halberds was less than ideal.

This was the conclusion Han Li reached after a brief sparring session. Although the Sea God had implanted all the principles in her mind and even passed down the divine weapon, the Sea God's Golden Thirteen Halberds still required the coordination of specific laws to truly master. Ye Lingling had only just begun her divine trials, and although she had skipped the first three trials and received a foundational understanding of the laws, she hadn't fully digested this knowledge yet. Even with Han Li intentionally guiding her, she still found it challenging to execute the moves right away.

Given the vast difference in their strength, it was already an achievement that she wasn't disarmed by Han Li when he was barehanded. Alongside the main moves, there was also a basic set of halberd techniques to learn. Overall, Ye Lingling was satisfied with her progress as she embarked on this journey of transformation.

Han Li was also pleased. The sight of the slender Ye Lingling wielding the long halberd, with her Nine-Heart Begonia emitting a pink glow beside her, was striking. He even considered dyeing the Sea God Trident pink; after all, wasn't the contrast of something fierce and pink rather charming?

After their sparring session, Han Li asked about the upcoming stages of Ye Lingling's divine trials. They weren't much different from what he expected. The trials included passing through the intensified Sea God's Light, breaking through ring barriers, facing the Shark-Whale battle, challenging the Seven Sacred Pillar Guardians, and finally undergoing the Seven Emotions Trial to reshape the Sea God's Heart.

The body refinement trial was omitted, as was Bo Saixi's test. One trial, the task of slaying the Deep Sea Demon Whale King, had been specifically requested by Han Li, as he planned to handle it anyway. Taking Ye Lingling along was merely a bonus. Ordinarily, the Sea God would not have permitted such a dangerous trial for her.

The other trials were relatively easy for Ye Lingling. Under Han Li's guidance, she had already developed a solid foundation in physical strength, mental resilience, and combat skills. The remaining time allotted for the trials was primarily intended for her to inherit and practice the halberd techniques. It also gave the Sea God a reason to reward her, facilitating the law inheritance and advancing her trial progress.

By the time Ye Lingling mastered the initial halberd techniques, the trials would be relatively straightforward for her. What's more, she had seven titled Douluos to accompany her during her training—a level of support far beyond what Tang San and his companions received in the original story.

With the High Priest gone, Ye Lingling now effectively ruled Sea God Island, wielding both the authority of the High Priest and the title of successor. She was both examiner and candidate, with the ability to adjust the trial sequence and complete certain tasks ahead of schedule, save for the final Seven Emotions Trial to reshape the Sea God's Heart. This setup was as comfortable as it could get.

Even Qian Renxue hadn't received such preferential treatment despite Qian Daoliu's unwavering support. Her divine trials had been far more challenging than Ye Lingling's.

As for the original inhabitants of Sea God Island, they remained silent, their faith in the Sea God slightly shaken. But it was clear that neither Han Li, Ye Lingling, nor the Sea God were particularly concerned. After all, the beliefs of a few people, even if sincere, could hardly sway true power.

Ye Lingling shrank the Sea God Trident, hanging it on her right bracelet as an ornament, then looked at Han Li. She knew her trials were on track now and that Han Li would soon be leaving. With the divine weapon protecting her, Sea God Island posed no threat; the rest was just following the steps.

Though reluctant, she asked, "When are you leaving?"

Ignoring those around them, Han Li took her hand and led her toward the edge of the plaza. The others, sensing the moment, tactfully refrained from following.

"In a day or two. After we deal with the Evil Demon Orca King and the Deep Sea Demon Whale King. I'll still need your help then."

Han Li smiled, playing with her soft, delicate hand. Among all the women, he'd had the least physical contact with Ye Lingling, yet the faith energy he received from her was the strongest, continuously nourishing him. This pleased him greatly.

Ye Lingling's face flushed, but she didn't pull her hand away, instead leaning against him.

"Those two are the left leg bone and torso bone you mentioned you still need?"

It wasn't hard to guess. Han Li had already completed soul bones for the other women, yet he was missing two.

"Yes, once I have them, I'll need some time to go back and train."

Han Li didn't hold anything back. Ye Lingling's progress was remarkable—she was advancing faster than anyone else, even surpassing those who had started earlier. As for Han Li, while his mastery of various laws was progressing swiftly, the Fate Law, which he intended to fuse into his godhood as his divine foundation, remained stalled at 70%. This unique law, one he alone possessed, couldn't be actively trained. Still, his intuition told him that the key to mastering it fully lay in Wuhun City.

The reason was clear; he didn't even have to guess—it almost certainly involved Bibi Dong. This formidable Pope, who could be seen as a protagonist in her own right, would serve as the final stepping stone for Han Li's ascension. Tang Chen, hiding in Slaughter City in a puppet state, might play a role as well, though his importance paled compared to Bibi Dong's. Nonetheless, Han Li was determined to confront him. After all, he had already dismantled the Clear Sky Sect, and leaving Tang Chen, their revered ancestor, alive would be unthinkable. Even if Tang Chen posed no direct threat, his existence couldn't be allowed. "Eliminate the roots when cutting weeds"

Noticing Han Li's expression harden, Ye Lingling looked up at him intently, even though she didn't know what was on his mind.

"I'll complete the inheritance as quickly as possible," she said.

"Mm."

Han Li smiled, patting her head before gazing out toward the distant horizon.

Over the past three days, he and Ye Lingling had checked in on the progress of their companions. Compared to Qian Renxue's Angelic Inheritance, which had pushed her to her limits, the others' trials seemed almost effortless. Although Qian Renxue had begun her trials first, with the full support of her grandfather, the High Priest, her journey was by far the most grueling. In the end, it was almost ironic—what everyone jokingly called the "watered-down" Angelic Trials had become the hardest.

Divine trials, at their core, were about connections and favoritism. In the end, only the inheritance of laws held any real significance. The rest was secondary, not worth debating over merit.

Rong Nianbing had moved quickly—or rather, his connections were strong. Just yesterday, Han Li received word from Dugu Bo. Initially, Dugu Bo and Guangling, having been overlooked for inheritances, were traveling together. Then, without warning, the ground beneath them opened up, and Guangling, an Ultimate Douluo, was engulfed in a burst of light and vanished. Dugu Bo was left stunned. Investigating further, he discovered Guangling had entered a hidden inheritance ground, just like the divine sites they'd encountered before, but centered on a different element. This turn of events left Dugu Bo grinding his teeth in frustration.

Upon confirming with Han Li, it turned out that the Light God had intervened, which left Dugu Bo the only one in their circle still without a divine inheritance. Han Li couldn't help but chuckle—how unfortunate. But when he returned, he'd take Grandpa Dugu under his wing. With Han Li's current understanding of the rules, guiding Dugu Bo would be manageable. Qian Daoliu had already begun reaching out.

In time, Dugu Bo could choose his path. Even if he couldn't receive divine realm enhancements or soul bones, the manifestation of energy and law would be as effective as any divine inheritance. It would just be slower. If the divine realm wouldn't offer him a path, Han Li would create one himself.

It was amusing, though—both of his women with grandfathers had elders who now had to train independently. One's granddaughter was close to inheriting a divine position, while the other had mutated her martial sp into a dragon. The Dragon God position wouldn't be too absurd, would it?

Besides, Han Li had his training to focus on. He had already mastered the Ice and Fire laws, and Space and Darkness were near completion, aided by the faith power granted by the sea soul beasts. In recent days, he'd been consolidating these insights, transforming them into a stronger foundation. By the time he departed, he would likely have fully mastered them.

Han Li's expression flickered slightly. To be honest, though he had resisted the thought earlier, he might have to seek out Gu Yue upon his return. The laws she held were too tempting, and with his limited time, using her presence to accelerate his mastery made sense. And, in the process, her alignment with the rules would help her better comprehend the power of creation. He hadn't intended to draw closer to her, yet circumstances kept pushing him forward.

Before the final confrontation, before condensing his godhood and ascending, the more laws he mastered, the stronger he'd be. Not only Creation, but the complementary Destruction Law would become his next target.

And time was running out. He and Gu Yue had become each other's accelerators, and there was no way he could let this opportunity go to waste.

Oh well, he'd deal with that once he finished here.

Han Li sighed and looked down at Ye Lingling, still in his arms.

"Tell Xiao Bai to prepare. We'll set out tomorrow and complete both trial tasks, so you'll have more time to cultivate."

Ye Lingling responded softly but didn't move right away.

Han Li smiled, savoring the sea breeze, and stayed with her until the sun dipped below the horizon.