Douluo Dalu: Lucky Star

The next morning, as Han Li stepped outside, he noticed that the person guarding his door had changed. The maid Xixi had been replaced by the Demon Soul Great White Shark, Xiaobai. Upon seeing Han Li, Xiaobai instinctively shrank back a bit. The battle a few days earlier had left her deeply shaken, and she still felt a hint of instinctual fear.

Her imagination and sense of dread were overactive; she did not want to be grabbed, smashed against the sea, or used as a shield. After all, she was far sturdier and more valuable than the former High Priest Bo Saixi.

"So early?"

Han Li asked casually, making his way to the center of the courtyard and enjoying the special fish porridge Xiaobai had brought.

"Lady Ye Lingling is already training by crossing the Sea God's Light. She instructed me to take you directly to the seaside afterward," Xiaobai replied respectfully. To her, Han Li was a true demon king, a figure the soul beasts revered more than humans, as they respected strength above all.

"What about my Grand uncle?"

Han Li asked, savoring the tender fish slices.

"The High Priest... Xixi went to call her," Xiaobai replied, quickly correcting herself. It had only been a short time since the roles had shifted, and she was still adjusting to everyone's new titles.

"Oh?"

Han Li's eyes brightened. Lingling truly understood him.

What he didn't realize was that Ye Lingling's main motivation was to keep him away from Bo Saixi. Bo Saixi was indeed very attractive, whereas Xiaobai, though loyal, was still a soul beast.

Using his mental powers, Han Li discreetly probed the room next door, but he detected no interactions between them. Qian Daoliu was even more restrained than Bo Saixi.

As for Bo Saixi, though her condition had improved, it was still lacking. Han Li felt little interest in her now. She was a tragic figure who had already been forsaken. If not for the Sea God's interference, she might not have even survived this long.

Not seeing the scene he hoped for, Han Li was a bit disappointed and quickened his pace, finishing his breakfast.

Afterward, he went next door to fetch his Grand uncle, who was feeling out of sorts. Led by Xiaobai, they made their way to the seaside. When they arrived, Ye Lingling was already waiting for them, her aura slightly unstable—evidence that she had just completed her training.

"No need to push yourself so hard. You're progressing faster than anyone," Han Li said. Ever since starting their divine trials, they had all been working harder than ever.

"I still have halberd techniques to master, so I need to push myself. With my martial soul and the Sea God's Light, it's not that strenuous," Ye Lingling replied, uncharacteristically resisting Han Li's advice. She wanted to improve her combat skills, her biggest weakness, to avoid holding anyone back.

Seeing her determination, Han Li gave up on persuading her. She did, after all, have excellent conditions to advance.

"Alright, suit yourself," he said with a slight sigh, then turned to Xiaobai. "Lead the way."

Although they could have flown, riding a shark was a rare opportunity. Since they were here, why not make the most of it?

"Understood!"

Xiaobai replied eagerly, clearly excited. She was thrilled to aid the future Sea God and take down her kind's natural enemy. Despite her shaken faith in the former Sea God due to his actions, she didn't mind acting as a mount, especially for someone as gentle as Ye Lingling.

With a graceful dive, Xiaobai returned to her original form, her massive body rising to the surface and ready for the group to board. Without hesitation, Han Li and the others stepped onto her wide back. With a flick of her powerful tail, Xiaobai parted the water, swiftly swimming toward the outskirts of Sea God Island.

Riding a shark was indeed a unique experience. Xiaobai moved with both speed and smoothness. Standing on her back, watching the waves rise around them and feeling the sea breeze, was truly refreshing.

"By the way, Xiaobai, Lingling has told you, right? This time, we're only targeting the leader of the Evil Demon Orcas," Han Li said, testing the resilience of her back.

"Yes, Lord Han Li, Lady Ye Lingling has already informed me," Xiaobai replied excitedly from the water.

Eliminating the Evil Demon Orca King would be enough. Once the king was dealt with, Xiaobai could drive the rest of the Evil Demon Orcas from the sea herself, securing a long-awaited victory for the Demon Soul Great White Sharks.

"After this mission, I'll remove Xiaobai's punishment," Ye Lingling added. Sea God Island's regular combat strength relied on both the Seven Sacred Pillars and Xiaobai, and with her trials ahead, Lingling didn't mind extending this grace. The Sea God's punishment always allowed for this, or the method to lift it wouldn't have been left to Ye Lingling.

"Thank you, my lady!"

Xiaobai's voice was cheerful, her tail swaying with renewed energy.

Han Li and the others exchanged smiles without further comment. This arrangement had already been agreed upon. Once Ye Lingling completed her challenge of the Seven Sacred Pillars, their punishments would also be lifted.

Without the burden of her clan holding her back, Xiaobai's speed increased, and she soon carried them into the territory where the Evil Demon Orcas were active.

Unlike before, Xiaobai was unusually bold this time, releasing her aura and provoking all the nearby creatures using the soul beast clan's method of communication. Her curses were impressively fierce.

She had wanted to do this for a long time but hadn't dared to before. Overall, her clan was weaker than the Evil Demon Orcas. But now, she had nothing to fear.

With the Sea God's successor and a powerhouse no weaker than the former High Priest at her side—not to mention a demon king who could overpower the High Priest—if she didn't flaunt her strength now, it would feel like all her previous suffering had been in vain.

Previously, even under the protection of Sea God Island, the High Priest had strictly forbidden the Seven Sacred Pillars from intervening, so the Demon Soul Great White Sharks had only secured a safe haven. Outside Sea God Island's protection, they were still at a disadvantage.

Xiaobai couldn't understand why the High Priest refused to help her clan; weren't they the mounts of the Sea God? But she didn't dare ask, enduring silently for the sake of a place to rest and recover.

Now, although Lady Ye Lingling and the demon king had come for the divine trial and intended only to kill the Evil Demon Orca King, his death would still give her clan an advantage as natural enemies. It was already more than she'd dared hope for.

Han Li, standing on her back, paused as he sensed an unexpected strand of pure faith from the Demon Soul Great White Shark. Was this just a "better than nothing" offering? Had Poseidon pushed them too far? He found it amusing.

"Lingling, are you ready?"

Han Li asked, turning to Ye Lingling, who looked a bit confused.

"Huh?"

She looked at him in surprise, pointing to herself. Wasn't she just here to assist?

"You'll be the one to do it," Han Li said.

"Me?"

Ye Lingling still seemed puzzled.

"Yes, you. I'll use the Evil God's Protection on you for half an hour so you can practice your halberd techniques. How about it?"

With his recent strength increase, Han Li could now extend this ability, previously self-directed, to others. Although there were stronger protection methods available, the Evil God's Protection was more than adequate for this battle.

"Alright," Ye Lingling nodded eagerly. She wasn't very confident, especially since she and Zhu Zhuqing had been the weakest in their practice duels, but with the Evil God's Protection, she felt up to the challenge. She saw it as preparation for her future trials.

Their conversation wasn't concealed, so Xiaobai heard everything. She swam even faster, heading straight for the enemy's lair. It wouldn't be surprising if Lady Ye Lingling or the demon king accidentally killed a few Evil Demon Orcas along the way, right? And Xiaobai was curious about the Evil God's Protection.

Thanks to Xiaobai's speed, they reached the Evil Demon Orcas' territory before the entire group could react. Soon, they came face-to-face with the orca king himself.

The Evil Demon Orca King, unlike Xiaobai, was pitch-black and massive, exuding immense power and ferocity. Its murderous aura was much thicker than Xiaobai's.

The moment it saw Han Li, the Orca King attempted to flee, having received the Sea God's earlier message urging sea soul beasts to shift their faith. The Orca King himself didn't worship the Sea God, but some of his clan did. Most sea soul beasts only had the freedom to choose their faith after reaching ten thousand years of cultivation; until then, they followed instinctual loyalties imprinted in their minds. In this regard, the Sea God's hold was more thorough than even the Angel God's.

However, when the Evil Demon Orca King saw the Sea God's mark on Ye Lingling's forehead, it halted and dispersed its clan. As one of the ocean's rulers, it wasn't completely ignorant.

Half an hour later, it was dead.

Its massive black corpse floated on the sea's surface. Xiaobai was tempted to take a share but dared not approach.

The Orca King, slightly stronger than Xiaobai, had died without dignity. Protected by the Evil God's Protection, Ye Lingling had hammered at it for half an hour without breaking through its defenses. During the battle, Han Li had given her pointers, helping her merge the techniques he'd taught her with the halberd moves to form a cohesive system. For the Orca King, reduced to a mere training tool, it was a humiliating end.

When the gray aura around Ye Lingling finally dissipated, the Orca King prepared to self-destruct, hoping to take them down with him. But before he could, the demon king shot a two-colored arrow through his head, killing him silently.

It was a grim fate. Xiaobai didn't dare move, terrified that the demon king might aim an arrow at her next.

"What a waste of such a good soul ring," Han Li commented, retrieving a piece of whale glue and extracting a left leg bone with a hint of regret. His intended target for the soul ring lay elsewhere, and with Shui Bing'er undergoing her divine trial, no one else could handle it, so it had to go unused.

Casually freezing the soul beast's corpse as a safeguard, Han Li stomped lightly on Xiaobai's back and said, "The corpse is yours, Xiaobai. You can return to drag it home after we're done."

"Now, let's head out to find the Deep Sea Demon Whale King."

PS: Btw, Xiaobai is Bai Xiuxiu's mother. The Soul Land 4 Main heroine.