Chapter 312: The Upcoming Challenge
When Han Li returned to Heaven Dou City, he found that the entire group from the Worship Hall had already gathered in his temporary residence including the newly crowned Empress, Qian Renxue.
"Everyone's here. What's the discussion about? Also, Empress of Heaven Dou, are you so free these days?"
Han Li's voice suddenly rang out from above, appearing out of nowhere.
Among the crowd, only Qian Daoliu subtly raised his head, having sensed Han Li's presence before he revealed himself.
Even the other Limit Douluos, like Guang Ling and Golden Crocodile, only noticed Han Li after he had already appeared.
This was enough to prove that even among Limit Douluos, there were levels of difference.
Master, oh, Master… Han Li chuckled inwardly, you really need to get yourself a godly inheritance soon. Otherwise, you're going to fall behind the meta and end up living off your disciple.
The god positions offered by the Divine Realm were completely rigged most were nothing but filler, with only a few truly worth taking. Han Li suspected that the gods were just pretending to be generous, throwing out scraps that most people wouldn't even qualify for.
Guang Ling scratched his head awkwardly. He could sense his disciple's mocking gaze, so he immediately glared back fiercely to assert dominance.
"Don't even mention it. If I had known, I might as well have let Xue Ye live a little longer."
Qian Renxue sounded frustrated, her tone clearly irritated.
"Oh? Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect has already gone quiet. Who's still giving you trouble?"
Han Li raised an eyebrow, genuinely surprised.
Qian Renxue opened her mouth, then turned away, seemingly unwilling to answer.
"Don't ask. Heaven Dou officials are pressuring Her Majesty to marry, claiming that the empire cannot be without an heir."
Guang Ling grinned as he spoke, even winking at Han Li in amusement.
"…Huh?"
Han Li was momentarily stunned, then immediately burst into laughter.
To be honest, he hadn't expected Qian Renxue's dilemma to be something like this, but thinking about it made perfect sense.
"If you keep laughing, I'll announce that I'm marrying LingLing and making her Empress."
Qian Renxue, now completely flustered, stood up in anger, expressing her dissatisfaction with Han Li's reaction.
"I don't mind. As long as LingLing agrees, I'm totally fine with it."
Han Li calmly stroked his chin, pretending to seriously consider the idea.
"…You "
Qian Renxue's jaw dropped, completely speechless.
"Alright, enough messing around. Just delay it for now."
Qian Daoliu stepped in, cutting off Han Li's teasing, then shifted the topic to the upcoming divine trials.
Han Li casually grabbed a chair and sat down, listening with genuine interest.
Without Qian Renxue needing to explain, he already knew why everyone had gathered.
It was clear they were sharing their experiences and knowledge about the god trials even though each trial was different, any information was better than going in blind.
As Han Li had guessed, the God of Emotion's trial focused on one's emotional state, morality, and perception of good and evil just with different areas of emphasis.
Qian Daoliu also revealed the previously unknown selection criteria for the Angel God's trial the first requirement being that one must possess the Seraphim Martial Soul.
Hearing this confirmed Han Li's earlier suspicions the reason no one had heard about it was because House Qian monopolized the entire selection process.
For outsiders, qualifying for the trial was impossible, let alone passing it.
Well… unless someone like Bo Saixi forcibly altered their Martial Soul but the Angel God hadn't shown any response in ages.
Seizing the moment, Han Li also briefly summarized his vague memories of the Sea God and Asura God trials though he made sure to add a disclaimer:
"This is just for reference. Keep in mind, these were cases where 'special privileges' were involved, so they may not be entirely reliable."
Even with that caution, the gathered crowd listened intently, full of anticipation.
"Alright, that's the general idea. We'll adjust depending on the actual situation."
As he finished speaking, Han Li pulled out several pendants from his spatial wristband and distributed them among the elders.
"Here, Master, Uncles, take these. They'll let you contact me remotely."
The elders, including Golden Crocodile Douluo, accepted them solemnly.
Even Qian Daoliu stared at the pendant for a long time, trying to decipher its workings but ultimately gave up, only growing more curious about Han Li's capabilities.
"When do we leave?"
After storing the pendant, Qian Daoliu looked at Han Li, clearly eager to depart.
They had already stayed in Heaven Dou City for quite some time. Although Qian Daoliu enjoyed spending time with his granddaughter, he hadn't forgotten their main objective and, more importantly, he was very interested in the so called "Di Tian."
"We leave tomorrow. With our speed, it'll take at most two to three days."
Han Li glanced at the girls to confirm, then responded firmly.
"Good. Everyone, make your final preparations."
Qian Daoliu's gaze swept across the Worship Hall members, his tone turning serious.
"Understood, Elder Brother."
The group exchanged glances, nodded, and promptly left to make arrangements.
"Elder Dugu, you'll be responsible for escorting the Sky Azure Bull Python and Titan Giant Ape to the outskirts and monitoring for potential soul beast uprisings. Also, make sure to protect Sister Yan and the others."
Han Li turned to Dugu Bo, knowing that even though he had advanced to Rank 96 and his Martial Soul had evolved, he still wasn't suited for frontline combat.
Despite Sky Piercing Douluo and Subduing Demon Douluo both being Rank 96, the two brothers had perfected their Martial Soul Fusion Technique, making them significantly stronger than an average Super Douluo.
Aside from them, the lowest ranked elder, Fierce Lion Douluo, was already Rank 97.
In comparison, Dugu Bo was better suited for a supporting role.
"Understood."
Dugu Bo nodded without hesitation, fully aware of his role.
Han Li had already spoken to Dugu Bo in advance if things escalated into a serious conflict, he, as the one carrying the Snow Swan Kiss, would serve as the final line of defense.
"Should we bring Snake Spear and Piercing Blood Uncles along too? More people is always better… Actually, I could come as well."
Beside him, Qian Renxue spoke, but under the gaze of the others, her voice grew softer and softer, until she finally fell completely silent.
"No need. Regular Title Douluos won't be useful this time, and chances are, there won't even be a fight. As for you, just focus on progressing through your god trials."
Han Li shook his head, his soul power suddenly bursting forth, and above his head, a gold tinged, faintly crimson soul ring appeared.
"You've reached Rank 90 already? And… that soul ring?"
Guang Ling, visibly excited, patted Han Li on the shoulder but was instantly stung by a strong counterforce, making his hand ache.
"Yeah, 800,000 years. It's like a divine bestowal soul ring, but self created no soul bone."
The Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well was no longer a secret. Even though Han Li hadn't revealed the true identity of the Ice and Fire Dragon King, the group still had a general understanding of it.
"Hiss "
Even though they had some mental preparation, Han Li's words still sent shockwaves through them.
Qian Renxue, in particular, felt a growing sense of powerlessness.
She had already cleared her first trial and reached Spirit Douluo faster than Han Li. With her spirit core, soul bones, and the previous immortal herbs enhancing her, her eighth soul ring had barely reached 100,000 years something that even made Qian Daoliu extremely satisfied.
But now… 800,000 years?
That was an entirely different level.
Fortunately, she was getting used to this by now. Remembering what her grandfather had told her about how difficult and time consuming self created god positions were, she managed to hold herself together.
"I will definitely become a god before you."
Qian Renxue reaffirmed her resolve.
"Mm, good luck."
Han Li smiled encouragingly. If she truly surpassed him, that would actually be a good thing for him.
Qian Renxue stared at him for a long moment. Only when she confirmed that he wasn't mocking her did she finally nod in satisfaction but deep inside, she decided to push her progress even faster.
As for handling the empire? She'd just dump it all on those annoying ministers.
Qian Daoliu, standing nearby, smiled knowingly this was exactly the outcome he had hoped for.
Thanks to Han Li's help, the entrance to the Angelic Sacred Hall was no longer fixed at the Angel Statue. Now, both he and Qian Renxue could carry miniature angel statues to enter through prayer and borrow divine power.
This was also why he agreed to let Qian Renxue stay in Heaven Dou Empire while she completed her god trials and why he himself was willing to leave Spirit Hall.
Thinking about it, he subconsciously touched the small pendant on his chest with this, he was truly invincible in the sky.
"Alright, Xue'er, you should head back now."
Seeing that it was getting late, Qian Daoliu urged.
"Fine. I won't be coming to see you off tomorrow just be careful."
She nodded, then turned her gaze toward Han Li, her expression serious.
"If things become impossible, just run. Five years no, three years will be enough. I promise, I'll help you take back the upper hand."
Han Li was momentarily stunned, then he smiled faintly.
She really was confident.
"Alright, no problem."
Qian Renxue gave a final nod, then turned to say goodbye to the others before vanishing into a streak of light, disappearing from the courtyard.
"Let's all get some rest as well."
Han Li's voice echoed in the courtyard, and everyone dispersed to their own rooms.
Two Days Later – A Town Near Star Dou Forest
In an inn on the outskirts of Star Dou Forest, a dozen figures had arrived unnoticed.
"Masters, let's rest here for today. We'll head in tomorrow."
Han Li glanced at the not so energetic elders and made a direct decision.
For those whose Martial Souls lacked flight capabilities, long distance flying was not a pleasant experience. Running, on the other hand, would be too disruptive so they had to endure it.
The elders all nodded, then immediately headed to their rooms to recover.
"Han Li, you seem a little tense."
Guang Ling, however, did not leave. Instead, he casually draped an arm around Han Li's shoulder and walked him outside.
"Yeah, a little."
Han Li didn't bother lying to his teacher. He simply sighed and walked with him toward the bustling night market.
"Don't stress too much. If it really doesn't work out, just retreat. A Title Douluo at 15? Even in my dreams, I never thought I'd see that."
Guang Ling, having paid for some street food, shoved a skewer of roasted meat into Han Li's hand.
"There's nothing a good meal can't fix. And if there is, then two meals should do the trick. I remember you were the one who taught me that."
For the rest of the evening, Guang Ling didn't bring up cultivation or battle. He simply accompanied Han Li through the entire street, tasting every local snack along the way.
As they finished, Guang Ling patted Han Li on the shoulder with a meaningful look.
"Get some proper sleep. If it really doesn't work out, we'll just run. Honestly, Xue'er's idea isn't too bad."
Then, without waiting for a reply, he walked into his room.
Standing there, watching his teacher's door close, Han Li returned to his own room.
He sat by the window, gazing toward the dark, looming expanse of Star Dou Forest under the night sky.
The Myriad Demon King had been in seclusion for so long yet still hadn't emerged.
What was Di Tian thinking?
Tomorrow…
He would finally know the answer.
Han Li sat for a long time, his figure eventually fading into the darkness as the lights in his room dimmed.
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