Chapter 342: Further Investment, Sea God Island
Ye LingLing remained in place, absorbing the information transmitted into her mind, while Poseidon's ethereal figure turned toward Han Li.
"Young friend, are you satisfied?" Poseidon's lips curled into a knowing smile.
"It's alright. Junior Han Li thanks Senior Sea God." Han Li raised an eyebrow and cupped his hands again.
How could he not see through it? Poseidon had simply used this as an opportunity to resolve the situation smoothly. So that was it this guy was just as cunning. His earlier demeanor had indeed been uncharacteristic.
"That's good. The girl's divine trial won't be difficult it's mostly procedural. And as for the Golden Thirteen Halberds I promised her, of course, I won't go back on my word."
Poseidon laughed heartily, satisfied now that his objective was accomplished.
"Senior Sea God, do you have any subordinates?" Han Li glanced at Ye LingLing before asking again.
"Oh?" Poseidon's brow twitched he suddenly had a bad feeling.
Han Li's face showed an expression of pure goodwill.
"My master, an Ultimate Douluo, just over level 100 Ice and Light attributes."
"My grandfather, dragon type martial soul, Poison and Water…"
"Stop."
Poseidon raised his left hand, actively cutting off Han Li's description.
"I have no subordinates. The divine officials are assigned by the Divine Realm, and my seniority isn't high enough. Instead of asking me, you'd be better off seeking the God of Emotions and the God of Darkness."
His refusal was swift and direct, containing half truths and half lies.
The truth was, everything he said was correct. The lie? He could help, but he simply didn't see the need to.
Since Han Li was already under immense scrutiny and had been granted multiple divine trial spots, managing to secure one from here was already a significant win. After all, he was following official procedures even Shura couldn't find fault with him for that.
But since those high ranking figures hadn't given out all their spots, Poseidon certainly wasn't going to get himself involved.
With Ye LingLing in the picture, he was already in an unbeatable position. Any extra effort wouldn't yield much benefit, and if he got caught up in something he didn't fully understand, he might end up in unnecessary trouble completely not worth it.
Besides, hadn't he already offered a suggestion? He was planning to retire anyway why would he worry about all this? Not to mention, his seniority was indeed shallow, and accumulating favors from this particular circle wasn't exactly a guaranteed win.
"Thank you, Senior Sea God, for the advice."
Even though Han Li didn't get what he wanted from Poseidon, he still politely saluted him again.
Trying to take advantage and getting caught? That was just how it worked. If someone helped, it was a favor; if they didn't, it was justifiable. There was no need to dwell on it besides, he had received a good suggestion.
Approaching Rong Nianbing, huh? Han Li nodded to himself. He had only been testing the waters anyway if it worked, great; if not, no loss.
"Oh, by the way, once the young girl pulls out the trident, she may be able to provide you with some assistance. There's no need to worry about the High Priest."
Poseidon's fingertips flickered with an obvious surge of divine faith power an immediate response to the earlier commotion.
This was his way of subtly offering a benefit.
At his level, divine faith power wasn't that useful anymore. It was mostly used to restore and nurture divine artifacts, but it was primarily needed in the Divine Realm.
And him? He only had a single trident, which he had to leave behind as an inheritance artifact anyway.
Well… let's just say he wasn't particularly invested.
To put it bluntly first, his time as a god hadn't been long enough to accumulate substantial power. Second, unlike the top tier deities, who could take their artifacts with them after stepping down, he wouldn't be allowed to do that. If he even tried, Shura would probably cut him down on the spot.
Since Ye LingLing was inheriting an established divine position, she didn't need divine faith power for now. So why not extend a favor by passing it to Han Li instead? As for nurturing artifacts after becoming a god? That was their internal problem it had nothing to do with a retiring Sea God like him.
Wisdom lay in knowing when to act, and Poseidon clearly understood this principle. He had pushed as much as he could while keeping things within reason. His approach was bold but calculated.
This Sea God was truly an interesting character shrewd and intelligent. No wonder he had managed to overtake most other gods despite being a latecomer.
Han Li nodded slightly but didn't respond. Some things didn't need to be said outright.
Still, the fact that they were both adept at extracting resources from the Divine Realm? Now that, they both understood without words.
What a schemer! ×2
They exchanged a glance and smiled, each recognizing the other as a kindred spirit.
Without waiting for Ye LingLing to fully regain her senses, Poseidon's ethereal figure gave Han Li a final nod before slowly fading away.
Though he had already handed out a favor, he still needed to return to the Divine Realm to verify a few things. He couldn't easily reach a God King, but he could still visit some first tier gods especially Rong Nianbing.
At that time, his stance would influence the difficulty of Ye LingLing's upcoming divine trials. Meanwhile, in the Divine Realm, the real Poseidon had already prepared a gift and was en route to the God of Emotions' residence.
Beside Han Li, Qian Daoliu silently witnessed the shady deal between him and Poseidon, his emotions mixed. If he had harbored any doubts before, Poseidon's direct appearance had shattered his illusions about gods.
He had been to Sea God Island before and had personally seen Bo Saixi's martial soul it was undoubtedly related to Poseidon. Han Li had been right. Gods were merely stronger beings, nothing more.
Noticing Qian Daoliu's shifting expressions, Han Li chuckled. Using Poseidon's actions to break his unrealistic fantasies about deities wasn't such a bad thing.
After a short wait, Ye LingLing finally opened her eyes. Compared to before, there was a slight change in her an almost imperceptible trace of divine law emanated from her, weak but noticeable. Paired with the faint golden Sea God Trident mark on her forehead, it gave her a unique charm.
"Han Li, I've completed the first trial of my divine assessment. The second one requires me to go to Sea God Island."
Her smile was sweet. The techniques and principles of the Golden Thirteen Halberds, promised by Poseidon, had already been transmitted into her mind. They would gradually unlock as she progressed through her divine trials. At last, she had gained formidable combat abilities.
"Mm."
Han Li looked down at Ye LingLing, who was more than half a head shorter than him, and gently patted her head. Even now, she was still offering him her divine faith power.
The thought of her, with her Nine Heart Begonia floating beside her while wielding a massive halberd in one hand, made Han Li find the scene quite amusing.
A battle crazed girl swinging a giant weapon, a healer charging into combat, healing allies while slashing at enemies just the mental image was hilariously vivid.
Ye LingLing squinted her eyes and didn't mind her hair being ruffled. In fact, she even tilted her head slightly to make it easier for Han Li.
"Alright, since your divine trial has begun, it's time for us to head to Sea God Island."
Han Li handed the Heart of the Sea God back to Ye LingLing it would be the core of her future weapon and a symbol of her status.
He had already noticed the phenomenon on Sea God Island earlier; there was no hiding it from him. It was time for them to make their way there.
Loyal Sea God Island right now, it was awaiting the return of its future Sea God, Ye LingLing. That was the real priority.
"Oh…"
Ye LingLing nodded obediently, though her eyes held a trace of reluctance. This meant she would soon have to part ways with Han Li.
"I'll probably stay on Sea God Island for a few days."
Sensing her emotions, Han Li reassured her.
"Besides, until you truly gain combat strength, I'll be there to help you."
The moment he said that, a bright smile returned to Ye LingLing's face. Compared to her other sisters, being a healing type soul master didn't seem so bad after all.
Nearby, a complicated look flashed through Qian Daoliu's eyes, and he nodded.
Sea God Island… It had been a long time since he last visited. Seeing old acquaintances wouldn't be bad.
After packing up their things, summoning an attendant to check them out of their lodging, and finding a secluded spot, Han Li opened a spatial gate leading toward Sea God Island.
Technically, it was just a transit point. Setting up a basic spatial anchor was easy for Han Li, and his divine power recovered quickly. However, his total divine power capacity remained a major limitation for now.
But soon, that problem would likely be resolved.
Over the vast ocean, on an unnamed island, the three of them appeared near the shoreline.
Jumping from an extreme cold region to the warm ocean climate in an instant, even Qian Daoliu found it slightly uncomfortable.
Though Han Li shielded Ye LingLing, she still quickly summoned her martial soul and activated her domain, enveloping the group to help them adjust.
Han Li, on the other hand, frowned in irritation. The sea breeze carried a salty, fishy scent that he found unpleasant he much preferred the smell of forests.
Inside his body, his divine core was rapidly drawing in energy, restoring his divine power.
"The next stop should be the outskirts of Sea God Island."
Han Li gauged the distance, stopping Ye LingLing's attempt to extend her domain around him. Their energy levels were now on entirely different planes her trying to support him might drain her soul power in an instant.
Besides, he wasn't actually uncomfortable he just disliked the environment. In contrast, his strength here was actually receiving a boost.
Being naturally attuned to both ice and fire, he could freely convert his divine power. After his dual cultivation, once he fully mastered the laws of water, the ocean had essentially become another one of his home turfs.
The abundance of water elements in this region was even accelerating his recovery.
After briefly adjusting to their surroundings, once all three were ready, Han Li reached out again, slicing through space to lead them onward toward Sea God Island.
Unlike other locations, Sea God Island had no surrounding barrier islands. Instead, it was set apart from the rest, as if deliberately positioned to highlight its special status.
Stepping out from the spatial gate, the three used their wings to stabilize themselves mid air. From a distance, they looked toward Sea God Island.
With a diameter of four hundred miles, it was indeed a massive landmass in their eyes.
But the most striking feature was undoubtedly the towering Sea God Mountain at its center that was their final destination.
(End of chapter)
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