Douluo Dalu: Lucky Star

Han Li truly hadn't expected that, at this critical moment, Asura would suddenly intervene. What about the promised Divine Realm Committee? Where's God of Destruction? What about the other God Kings? This is absurd. He had been cautious about everything before, but now, after demonstrating his self-created divine position, everything fell apart. Does this even make sense?

Among the known Five God Kings, only Asura is single—in every sense of the word. The other two pairs of God Kings, are you too busy falling in love to do your actual jobs?

Honestly, as someone who has read the original work thoroughly and has a fair share of fan creations, Han Li could already guess what Asura intended to do. It's nothing more than using the Dearhgod Domains carried by the three to transfer his divine position.

Strictly speaking, Han Li didn't completely oppose this approach. If sharing divine authority weakened Asura's position and powers in the Divine Realm while boosting the strength of his companions, it wouldn't be a bad trade-off. For the women involved, this would elevate their potential to a significant degree. Ascending to the first-level God tier wasn't hard, but becoming a God-King was another matter. Even for Han Li, it would be challenging to ensure they could keep up with his pace in the future. Dual cultivation has its limits. Even Gu Yue, with her vast potential, struggles to bear more than two supreme laws simultaneously—and that's with a solid foundation.

That said, Asura's situation is rather pitiful. Among the Five God Kings, he's the only one affected by the aura of divine power. The other God Kings might struggle to have offspring, but his condition genuinely impacts his mental state. If Angel God hadn't fallen, perhaps she would've been a suitable partner for him. But for Asura to intervene now, of all times, completely disrupts Han Li's original plans, turning him into an unstable factor—a quality Han Li despises.

He had carefully examined the three women and confirmed that nothing unusual was affecting them. The Deathgod Domains had not been tampered with either. After all, these domains were not the originals; they had been baptized by laws once already. Without forcibly invading, Asura could only exert slight influences through law manipulation. The accelerated divine trials and anomalies in the three seem more like Asura giving Han Li a heads-up—a warning to prepare himself. It's just that the manner of this warning startled him.

"What I choose to do, what does it matter to you?"

Perhaps in Asura's eyes, offering hints was already an acknowledgment of Han Li's potential as a possible successor. Hasn't he acted yet? Is it because the three can't yet bear Asura's Divine Power? Unlike Xiao Wu in the original story, the three women are proper humans with divine potential. More importantly, Han Li's growth had unfolded right under Asura's watchful eyes—so he naturally knew Han Li's temperament well.

"You'd better be like this," Han Li murmured as he handed the grilled food to his master.

"What? Who are you threatening this time, kid?"

Receiving the food and catching his mutter, Guang Ling teased him with interest.

"Master, it's a god," Han Li replied with a smile. He didn't specify which one, did he? Guang Ling froze mid-bite, then mumbled vaguely with food in her mouth, "A god, huh? Count me in when the time comes. Soon, your master will be one too."

"Sure, Master, I'll be waiting for your good news."

Han Li didn't reject his master's sentiment. Of course, if it truly came to that, he wouldn't let the old man risk his life. As someone unlikely to die himself, there was no need for meaningless sacrifices.

After sending messages to the others to let them know there was nothing to worry about and that they should focus on digesting their gains, Han Li spent a long time chatting with his master. Before leaving, he left several jade crystals infused with divine faith for him and then departed.

...

After personally watching the three women embark on their eighth trial, Han Li finally felt relieved and returned to his restorative space. When he appeared in front of Gu Yue again, he found her holding a life-sized jade figurine, sneaking glances at a screen. The communication device Han Li had given her had high levels of access and permissions. Though she couldn't speak in the group chats, she could observe them without issue.

"What's going on?"

Gu Yue asked as soon as Han Li stood still.

"Nothing much, just Asura's little tricks. Consider it a gift. Based on my guess, he probably wants to pass his divine position to me by splitting his authority."

Faced with this future main combatant, Han Li didn't hide the truth. After all, her situation was similar to the Golden Dragon King's, so it wasn't hard for her to understand.

"He can't hold on anymore?"

Gu Yue was stunned for a moment, then said thoughtfully. Among God Kings, it wasn't a secret that Asura was vulnerable to the erosion of divine power. Perhaps the gods' distancing from him also had something to do with this? Now that she thought about it, he is a lone commander! If one considers it, excluding the Dragon God, Asura himself might be the greatest instability in the Divine Realm. In that sense, God of Destruction's extra attention to him seems rather reasonable.

"Probably not to that extent, but he likely does want to break free."

Han Li's gaze flickered. Ultimately, his perspective wasn't yet high enough to grasp all the possibilities.

"If you were born 10,000 years earlier, you might have witnessed a real show. What a pity."

Gu Yue smirked as if an amusing thought had crossed her mind.

"Ten thousand years late, I might never have become a god," Han Li chuckled in response. Being active in this era was like playing in easy mode for him. If he had been born ten thousand years later, his cheat likely wouldn't hold up against the God Kings' millennia-long plans. Only Brother System could save him then. He knew his limits well. He was an average person by nature. Right now, he was just a pig riding the wind, benefiting from the tide of opportunity.

"There's no need to belittle yourself. That God of Asura has been pretty lucky," Gu Yue said, defending Han Li and sighing at the same time.

"You don't seem to harbor much hostility toward Asura?"

Han Li looked at her curiously. After all, she had once been split apart by his sword.

"He's just an enforcer. I hold equal disdain for all the gods of the Divine Realm. Compared to the others, he's not as detestable. Those gods—they're just a bunch of stagnant fools," Gu Yue responded indifferently. Anyone listening might think she was the Dragon God incarnate.

Han Li didn't comment much. He agreed to some extent but felt it was better to defeat those fools standing above them before making such declarations. Actions spoke louder than words. Still, Gu Yue's attitude confirmed that Han Li's initial strategy of targeting the Divine Realm's rigidity was correct. The gods were indeed inflexible; they pursued power but only within the bounds of stability, unwilling to take any risks. Perhaps only when driven into a corner would they finally act. Could Asura's little move this time be unknown to the others? Maybe it was tacitly allowed? A new Asura God emerging could potentially stabilize the Divine Realm for a long time.

In their original calculations, had they banked on Han Li yielding to pressure and handing over control of the plane? A new Asura God would mean further potential for the Divine Realm, pleasing everyone involved. The only one suffering losses would be Han Li, the fledgling god. And then they'd probably offer him some consolation prize, like the position of an enforcer god... Han Li speculated silently, and the more he thought about it, the more reasonable it seemed. A gift of divine authority? Protection to integrate into their ranks? It all sounded quite reasonable.

But alas, Han Li was born with a rebellious spirit.

"A true man stands beneath the heavens. How could he live forever beneath others?"

He wanted to turn the tables and devour them instead. A bright, radiant smile spread across Han Li's face.

"If that's the case, you'd better accept Asura's divine position at the very last moment," Gu Yue suggested. She didn't know what he was thinking, but her instincts told her it was nothing good. Every time he smiled like that, it looked thoroughly mischievous.

"Mm."

Han Li nodded. In truth, once he had pieced together Asura's intentions, he had already made that decision. It was part of his plans, and Tang Chen was an integral piece.

"I can't wait to see what kind of reaction the Divine Realm will have when you rise to power," Gu Yue said, her tone dripping with schadenfreude.

"Those fools, always chasing immediate benefits. They'll regret ever letting you loose."

Han Li glanced at her sideways. Gu Yue was particularly aggressive today.

"Still, this was inevitable. Even if it wasn't you, someone else would have taken this step someday," Gu Yue added, her tone suddenly turning pensive.

"Oh? Why do you say that?"

Han Li was intrigued. Her words likely reflected the perspective of the Dragon God—a formidable figure.

"In Lord Dragon God's words, the original Five God Kings were inherently flawed. They may be powerful, but they will never be the most powerful. Their essence and the laws they control determine their limits to a certain extent. Their divine positions are also a constraint. Otherwise, why do you think, after countless years, they still rely on their original authorities? Their only solution to growth is expanding and upgrading the Divine Realm itself."

"For them, mastering additional laws—except the supreme ones—yields minimal gains in power. The God King's pinnacle is their ceiling. As long as they occupy their positions, other supreme laws will reject them. And clearly, they lack the talent to break through."

"Asura's decision to abandon his divine position and leave the Divine Realm might not be a bad choice. With some luck, he might reach the Dragon God's heights. Though still slim, it's better than remaining stagnant like the other gods."

"As for the gods who imitate them, they're not even worth mentioning."

"Of course, this is just Lord Dragon God's opinion. Believe it or not, it's up to you."

Although she said this indifferently, there was a hint of pride in her expression. Considering her earlier remarks about the Dragon God's cultivation path, it was evident that this also reflected her own beliefs.