[DD]: 67

Han Li casually squeezed the light orb in his hand; it felt pretty good.

"So, I will become the ruler of this dimension? But if that's the case, won't my future power be limited by you or by the Douluo Continent?"

Han Li thoughtfully rubbed the light orb in his hand.

"No, Father. You and I are special cases. Because of your influence, the future evolution of Douluo Star will take a unique path, rather than ascending to a purely energy-based plane without a physical form. It won't need to rely on subordinate planes for positioning as the current Divine Realm does."

"Douluo Star will be your divine kingdom, a divine kingdom with a physical form. Although the causal relationship is reversed—it was Douluo Star that appeared first, and then you—but because your existence affected my birth, once I fully control the plane, it will be equivalent to you having directly created it."

"In terms of divine rank, you are at the level of a Creator God. Your power won't be limited until it reaches the level the universe can bear for a Creator God. Instead, the elevation of the plane depends on you."

"Even in the worst-case scenario, you can steadily reach the pinnacle of the God-King level."

The small light orb grew more and more excited because as long as his father continued to advance, its authority would be equivalent to the combined power of the five God-Kings of the Divine Realm.

"What about the Divine Realm? Will they just watch as the Douluo plane escapes their control?"

Han Li suddenly thought of a serious problem. His path to ascension seemed to be digging at the roots of the Divine Realm.

"You don't need to worry about that for now. The subordinate planes that the Divine Realm relies on aren't limited to just the Douluo plane. The Divine Realm itself even somewhat nourishes its subordinate planes. Hmm, it's just unclear why they haven't taken more action regarding the Douluo plane."

"But one thing is clear: the Divine Realm currently doesn't lack energy. Instead, they need a powerful subordinate plane for positioning and linkage. Since the evolution of the Douluo plane doesn't conflict with the Divine Realm and is taking a different evolutionary path, they will strive to help you become a god."

The small light orb flickered as it floated to Han Li's shoulder.

"Yes, they will strive to help me before I become a god."

Han Li sighed deeply with a meaningful tone.

He sat down cross-legged, stopped asking questions, and let the small light orb revolve around him.

It's easy to talk about becoming a god, and even becoming one isn't the problem. But what about after becoming a god? Although if the Douluo plane could ascend, it would be a great thing for the Divine Realm as well.

But can the Divine Realm of Douluo accept a subordinate plane, which is much weaker than themselves, being on an equal footing with them? Moreover, this plane could fully sustain itself in the future and would no longer supply any talent to the Divine Realm. Instead, the Divine Realm would need to rely on its existence to maintain stability.

How long can the Divine Realm tolerate such a situation where their fate is in the hands of others? Invite, behead, or turn them into a subordinate—these are the only outcomes Han Li can foresee.

Can he accept that?

Having to look at others' faces before becoming a god, and still having to do so after becoming a god—what's the point of becoming a god then? So, the greatest support before becoming a god could become his greatest enemy afterward. What about Asura? Or the Sea God who is eager to slip away? What will their attitudes be? It seems he needs to think carefully about how to deal with this.

Perhaps, I should first accept the divine position over there? Wait until my power is sufficient, then rebel? Or maybe, surround them instead?

Han Li continuously tapped his knee with his hand, then grabbed the small light orb to ask a few questions before letting it go again.

After thinking for a long time, Han Li finally stood up again.

"Can you seal off the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well and temporarily obscure the Divine Realm's prying gaze? You should be able to do that, right?"

Han Li looked at the small light orb in front of him, asking seriously.

"Yes, Father. Do you need it done now?"

The small light orb floated quietly in mid-air, knowing that it was time for it to act.

"Then first seal off the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well. As for blocking the Divine Realm's gaze, activate that when I need it. Continue to pretend to be dormant."

Han Li thought for a moment before speaking slowly.

"Alright, Father, no problem. When the time comes, you just need to call me in your heart."

"I will spend most of my time in a dormant state afterward. This way, I can better integrate with my instincts and combat the rules, but as long as you call, I will respond immediately."

The small light orb's glow brightened significantly, seemingly to prove its reliability.

"Okay, I understand. You may leave now. I'll summon you if I need anything."

Han Li initially intended to send it away directly, but as he waved his hand halfway, he thought of something and stopped, speaking again:

"By the way, how's the Divine Realm's attention on me lately?"

"It's much weaker, but from time to time, there are still glances directed at you. However, most of the time, it's multiple divine senses, not a single one."

"Alright, that's it for today."

Han Li nodded affirmatively, indicating that it could leave.

"Your will is my command. Goodbye, great Father. Always awaiting your call."

After flickering again, the small light orb disappeared from Han Li's mental space.

Then, Han Li's consciousness also dissipated, returning to the real world.

"Phew..."

Opening his eyes, Han Li exhaled deeply.

The reappearance of the plane's consciousness brought new changes to his once peaceful life.

The good news was that becoming a god should be as simple as eating and drinking.

The bad news was that after becoming a god, the situation could become unstable, possibly facing the most severe circumstances ever.

However, fortunately, there is still time to develop.

The subsequent communication with the obedient child wasn't completely fruitless; there are still solutions.

At worst, he still has the last resort, which is to actively join them.

Han Li chuckled bitterly. He was just a Soul Elder, so why did he have to start thinking about these issues now?

Other transmigrators would still be playing house with Tang San at this time, so why did the script change so drastically for him?

After a moment of silence, Han Li stood up.

Forget it, let's not think about this for now. That's the ultimate goal, and there are already fallback plans in place.

For now, the most important thing is to continue improving his strength. He wouldn't place his hopes on the uncertain thoughts of others.

Building his team also needs to be put on the agenda. Fighting alone isn't his style; he prefers group battles. Even if they can't help him in the end, at least they won't become his weakness.

Considering the worst-case scenario, even if he chooses to join them, he needs to bring a group along. This way, he can have more influence.

He took a few steps, opened the door, and looked up at the sky.

Has the attention on me decreased recently? Are they discussing how to deal with me?

One day in the Divine Realm equals a year on the continent. I hope you all take your time discussing this.

Asura, it's time for you to exert your strength. Don't disappoint me.

It wasn't until the afternoon that Guang Ling returned to the courtyard with Dugu Yan and Xiu'er.

"Xiao Li, Xiao Li."

Still in his dreams, Han Li heard his master's voice. Before he could respond, the door was pushed open.

"Um, Master, Sister Yan, Sister Xiu'er, has it ended over there?"

Han Li shook his head to wake himself up a bit.

"Hmm? Didn't you say you were about to break through? Did something happen?"

This wasn't the first time Guang Ling had seen him in this state, so he reacted immediately.

The two girls beside him also put away their smiles and looked at him with some concern.

"It's nothing, Master, I just got a bit tired suddenly. You know, there's been a lot going on lately. After taking over the position of Holy Son, I relaxed a bit, thinking I was about to break through, but it turned out to be a false alarm. However, although I didn't break through, my soul power did increase a bit."

Han Li walked to the side, wet a towel, and wiped his face, instantly dispelling all his sleepiness.

Seeing him smile again and look energetic, the three of them breathed a sigh of relief.

"If there's anything, tell me. I'll help you solve it."

Guang Ling walked to his side and looked at him seriously.

Seeing his master's serious expression, Han Li felt a surge of warmth in his heart and replied with a smile, "Don't worry, Master, it's nothing. I probably won't leave Wuhun City for a while. If anything does come up, I couldn't hide it from you."

"Good, as long as there's nothing wrong. Just remember, don't keep things bottled up."

Guang Ling patted his shoulder and didn't continue the topic.

"Alright, go change your clothes. You're still wearing that outfit. Do you want me to call you 'Holy Son'?"

Guang Ling pointed to his ceremonial robe, which had become wrinkled from sleep, and his crooked platinum crown, shifting the topic.

Han Li laughed and nodded, heading towards his room to change.

With the buffer of sleep, the care from the others, and his master's teasing, Han Li's mood returned to his usual state.

Han Li changed his clothes and was then dragged to the dining room.

According to them, the banquet was no fun at all, and they didn't even get to eat properly. Han Li had to compensate them by cooking himself, which was deemed the best remedy.

Amidst the playful banter, they had lunch again.

As for the matter of the Holy Son, it passed by lightly for Han Li without causing any significant waves.

Of course, he did visit the Hall of Worship and the Pope's Palace again afterward to present his request for soul bones.

His request was for five soul bones of decent quality, each over fifty thousand years old, with attributes of ice, fire, strength, or spirit. That was his demand.

He made the request, but what he'd receive was uncertain.

On the continent, however, the establishment of a new Holy Son by the Martial Soul Hall caused quite a stir.

Simultaneously, Spirit Hall branches across the continent announced the same news.

The Martial Soul Hall had a new Holy Son, named Han Li, with an emblem of a bow on his token.

Various forces on the continent sprang into action, and their intelligence systems began to operate at high speed. They couldn't afford to be careless.

After all, the last time Martial Soul Hall announced something similar was decades ago, and the Holy Maiden from back then was now the current Pope.

Who was this mysterious Holy Son, Han Li? There were no high-ranking members in Martial Soul Hall with the surname Han. Was he another commoner genius like Bibi Dong?

Soon, they received a concise intelligence report.

Han Li, an orphan taken in by Spirit Hall, hailed from the Heaven Dou Empire, Phanos Province, Nouding City.

He possessed innate full spirit power with a mutated martial soul called the Ice and Fire Dragon God Bow.

He was also a nominal noble of the Heaven Dou Empire, without any fiefdom. Other information was blank.

A large number of spies and soul masters seeking fame flocked to Nouding City, which allowed City Lord Xiao, who had been notified by Spirit Hall in advance, to make a considerable profit. After all, Nouding City was now his fiefdom, and he controlled the prices.

Moreover, after learning that he was Han Li's uncle, and with the backing of the Spirit Hall, none of the scammed soul masters dared to trouble him. They could only curse him in their hearts and leave the city in disgrace.

Additionally, for some unknown reason, the Heaven Dou Empire took the initiative to promote Han Li, claiming that he symbolized the friendship between the Heaven Dou Empire and the Martial Soul Hall.

Surprisingly, this tactic was quite effective, fooling a group of less intelligent low-level soul masters into joining the army.

When Han Li later heard this news, he was both amused and exasperated.

However, considering that Qian Renxue was involved, Han Li didn't pursue the matter further, trusting that she wouldn't be indifferent to it.

After all, the Martial Soul Hall was her family's business; Han Li was merely a spokesperson and not a well-known one at that.

As expected, not long after, Guang Ling brought him the latest developments.

The Heaven Dou Empire took the initiative to seek out Salas and offered an apology. The military personnel were also replaced, and Xue Qinghe took this opportunity to place his people in the army.

The ever-changing political landscape of the continent did not affect Han Li's life. He continued to live in seclusion, focusing on his rigorous yet luxurious cultivation.

News about the Holy Son of the Martial Soul Hall gradually faded as Han Li remained out of the public eye.

Occasionally, when people mentioned the Martial Soul Hall, they would inadvertently bring up Han Li, the Holy Son, wondering what kind of person he was.

Thus, time flowed by, and four years quietly passed.

One morning, a luxurious carriage, no longer a rarity on the continent, merged into the crowd and left Wuhun City.

"Sister Yan, aren't you going to the front to keep your Grandpa company? You know it must be boring for him to drive alone."

A black-clad teenager sat up from a lounge chair, looking at a red-haired girl lying on the bed, engrossed in a book.

"No way, if you want to go, then go. He said he would come in six months, and I even prepared a room for him. But what happened?"

"If it weren't for our travels around the continent, he would still choose to stay in Heaven Dou City, completely ignoring me, his granddaughter."

The girl closed her book in frustration and looked angrily towards the driver's seat at the front of the carriage.

"Hey, calm down. At least Grandfather visits you every six months, even if he doesn't stay long."

The teenager got up, pulled her off the bed, helped her tidy her clothes, and pointed to the front.

"Go on, be good. It's been a while since you last saw him. Keep your Grandpa company."

"Alright, I'll do as you say."

The girl pouted, looking reluctant, but her steps were quick.

"Sister Yan listens to you, and she obviously wants to go."

A blue-haired girl, who had been observing the whole scene, chuckled and spoke to the black-clad teenager after the red-haired girl entered the driver's seat.

"Maybe this is what Xiao Li calls being 'tsundere.'"

Another girl with brown hair and a pair of round ears on her head chimed in with a smile.

"If she hears what you're saying, she'll probably tickle you again."

The black-clad teenager lay back on the lounge chair, letting it rock him gently.

"By the way, where's our first stop? Can you tell us now?"

The blue-haired girl ignored his teasing and asked.

"Haven't decided yet. Let's just go with the flow; destiny will guide our way."

The black-clad teenager replied with the kind of cryptic answer that the girls had gradually gotten used to over the past few years.