Douluo Dalu: Lucky Star

Half an hour later, a spatial gate opened in the courtyard, and Han Li and Qian Daoliu stepped out.

"Grand Uncle, stop laughing already. The method you thought of—me getting hurt—isn't exactly appropriate, is it?"

Han Li cast a resentful look at the chuckling Qian Daoliu beside him and voiced his dissatisfaction. Of course, Han Li had no intention of letting Qian Daoliu make a sacrificial offering. He had already figured out a workaround long before. However, the old man refused to let him explain things directly to Qian Renxue. His reasoning? He had undergone a similar trial himself, and there was no way Han Li could understand the Angel Trials better than he did.

A moment of deep sorrow followed by great joy; this extreme shift in emotion would give Qian Renxue an advantage in the ninth trial. Having experienced such a scenario once, she would be mentally prepared and find it easier to overcome. So, Han Li played along in a staged act. And then, he got bitten.

The burst of power from Qian Renxue in that instant was genuine and full-force. Han Li didn't dare defend himself and even had to dispel the divine power shielding his body to cooperate. Otherwise, he risked a laughable outcome—a toothless Qian Renxue spitting blood all over the place. The result? His hand still bore the deep teeth marks. At full force, she even triggered some laws of nature. Afterward, when Qian Daoliu emerged completely unscathed and Han Li was left to maintain the sacrificial ceremony while enduring her bite, Qian Renxue didn't release him immediately; instead, she bit down even harder. She entered the illusion of the ninth trial with a smile, but Han Li was left in pain.

"Xiao Xue'er bit you. Once she completes the trial, ask her for compensation," Qian Daoliu said with a wide grin. His granddaughter had successfully entered the ninth trial, significantly improving her chances of success. On top of that, he was still alive—an undeniable win in his book. In his joy, Qian Daoliu seemed to let go of the upright demeanor he had maintained for most of his life.

Hearing this response, Han Li gave him an incredulous look. Is this Qian Daoliu? Could he have been replaced? Such shameless words sounded more like something his master would say. How could this righteous-looking man have picked up such bad habits?

"Everything's fine now, right? I'm off to drink with Dugu Bo," Qian Daoliu announced before walking off, leaving Han Li in the courtyard. His steps were light, almost like a man walking to his wedding.

"Damn it."

Han Li raised a middle finger at the retreating figure, muttering a single word in frustration. He wasn't particularly angry, though. He also wanted to improve Qian Renxue's chances of passing the divine trial. However, being tricked by the old man was an annoyance he hadn't anticipated.

Just wait. Once your granddaughter succeeds, I'll make sure to settle this score with interest, Han Li vowed silently in his heart.

After all, he had spared Qian Renxue the embarrassment of having her ninth trial broadcast live across the continent. Charging her interest at 100% wouldn't be excessive.

Biting people, huh? Just wait, angelic girl; you'll get what's coming.

With that thought, Han Li tore open a spatial rift and disappeared from the courtyard.

...

At the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, in the restoration space before the Lake of Life, "What happened to your hand?"

Gu Yue frowned as she noticed Han Li's right hand, which still carried traces of divine angelic power. She asked without much expression.

"Got bitten," Han Li replied nonchalantly, his attention still focused on the divine power invading his body. He hadn't expelled it immediately, wanting to analyze the differences between this power and the so-called power of judgment. This comparison was valuable for his ongoing research into the laws of power. Through his son, he could manipulate laws to form attacks, but that was only surface-level utility. The fragmented, incomplete law power within Qian Renxue was more suited for study. As for practicing it himself, he didn't have the time—he'd deal with that after the current crisis.

"Was it Qian Renxue who did this?"

Gu Yue continued to ask.

"Mm. I went out to help her with the ninth trial," Han Li replied absentmindedly, still engrossed in observing how the divine power eroded his wound.

"You seem quite pleased about it."

The voice sounded again beside him, and Han Li finally realized something was off.

"Pleased? What's there to be pleased about? I'm analyzing the divine power to see how it differs from judgment power," he said, looking up and speaking in a matter-of-fact tone. He had noticed that the longer Gu Yue spent with him, the more human-like she became. Compared to their first meeting, her emotions were now far richer. In short, she was becoming more human.

"Give me your hand."

Gu Yue glanced at him, walked up, and spoke in an even tone devoid of any emotional fluctuation. Han Li blinked.

Who do you think you're ordering around? Have you forgotten who's in charge here? Despite his thoughts, he extended his right hand. Without a word, Gu Yue grabbed his hand. A green light enveloped it as she ruthlessly expelled the divine power lingering within. The teeth marks on his palm quickly faded away.

"You were injured. That affects your cultivation. Divine power is incompatible with our godly power."

After ensuring the wound had completely healed, she let go of his hand and walked to a corner. Sitting down, she resumed her cultivation to recover her still-weakened soul power. Han Li looked at his now flawless palm, then at Gu Yue, who had already entered a meditative state. In his heart, he silently cursed.

I just hope there's no fighting when they meet. Qian Renxue's temper isn't that great. What a mess.

His five official girlfriends were still undergoing their divine trials.

"If everything goes smoothly, she'll become a true Angel God when she emerges," Han Li murmured to himself. During his extended stay in the Angel Temple, he hadn't been idle. Using the connection between the angel statue and the Divine Realm, he redirected the faith energy still stored in the Angel God's Divine Hall back into Qian Renxue as she underwent her trials. If she passed the trial, she would immediately ascend as a fully powered Angel God. Combined with the soul core Han Li had condensed for her, which would evolve into a god core, she would achieve her peak state. At that point, she could easily crush Bibi Dong, who hadn't yet ascended to the Divine Realm.

Of course, his actions hadn't gone unnoticed. As Han Li completed the transfer, he saw Asura appear in the Angel God's Divine Hall through the connection channel. For a moment, he thought Asura would sever the link, but the god merely glanced at him and disappeared without doing anything further. That glance, however, felt strange, leaving Han Li puzzled. Still, it reassured him that Asura bore him no immediate hostility, allowing him to relax somewhat.

"Whatever. I'll take it one step at a time. Nothing is ever absolute," Han Li thought. After contemplating for a while, he gave up on guessing the god's intentions. Right now, increasing his strength was the most important thing. Once he succeeded, the presence or absence of Asura wouldn't matter.

"Gu Yue, I need you to assist me in my cultivation."

Despite having spent time outside, Han Li's recovery rate, enhanced by his god core and its integration with the Douluo Star, remained unparalleled. He looked at Gu Yue, who had mostly recovered and extended an invitation for dual cultivation. Gu Yue glanced at him indifferently, unfazed by his strange words. She was already used to his eccentricities. Without much reaction, she cleared the residual aura from his time outside before merging their souls for cultivation.

It won't be long before she fully masters the power of creation.

...

After Qian Renxue began her ninth trial, an unexpected series of events unfolded. Han Li had estimated that Xiu'er, Dugu Yan, and Shui Bing'er would need more time to complete their seventh trials. However, all three contacted him almost simultaneously to report their success. Surprised, Han Li barely had time to ask what had happened before he received similar updates from Zhu Zhuqing, Ye Lingling, and even his masters Guang Ling and Azure Luan. Among those undergoing trials, only Golden Crocodile, who was on the eighth trial, hadn't reached out.

Feeling something was amiss, Han Li quickly informed Gu Yue before heading to check on the others.

"You're saying the illusion trial used to test you collapsed, and then it was just… over?"

Han Li asked, staring at Dugu Yan and Shui Bing'er.

"Yes, exactly. We were originally in separate illusions, but when they collapsed, we found ourselves together. We also received the law imprints you mentioned," Shui Bing'er replied, her expression complicated.

"I asked Xiu'er, and she said the same thing," she added.

"So, the three of you were part of the same batch," Han Li muttered, his frown easing somewhat as he seemed to piece things together. "You two wait here. I'll check on the others and let you know what I find."

Not wanting to jump to conclusions, Han Li played it safe. After leaving instructions, he disappeared through a spatial gate.

Half an hour later, he arrived at Guang Ling's location."

Something wrong?"

Guang Ling asked, pulling Han Li to sit beside him. His aura was still glowing faintly, indicating his seventh trial had just concluded.

"You could say that, but it's not too serious. I think I understand now," Han Li replied, grabbing some food as he spoke. From what he observed, the participants seemed divided into batches: Xiu'er, Dugu Yan, and Shui Bing'er, who had been to the Slaughter City, formed one batch. Zhu Zhuqing and Ye Lingling formed another. Guang Ling, Azure Luan, and another Elder composed a third. Only Golden Crocodile, who had progressed the fastest, remained unaffected.

The first two batches retained their law insights and rewards. However, the last batch had their rewards stripped, leaving only the law imprints. The disparity was obvious. Interestingly, Han Li noticed something peculiar while inspecting those who had been to the Slaughter City—their Deathgod Domains activated on their own, almost as if greeting him.

This has to be Asura's doing, right? Han Li thought, resisting the urge to curse aloud.