Douluo Dalu: Lucky Star

Credits: daxterdaxter

Poseidon ran away!

Initially, his plan was simple: after passing on his divine position to Ye Lingling, he intended to maintain a friendly relationship with her. He figured he'd stick around for a bit to see if anyone was up for teaming up for an adventure.

If he could run into Asura, all the better. After all, once you relinquish your divine position, your strength takes a hit. Staying in the God Realm to restore his power wasn't an appealing option.

Among the gods he was familiar with, Rong Nianbing was the strongest. But that guy had no plans of leaving for now, and even if he did, he'd be bringing his whole family along. As an outsider, Poseidon wouldn't have a place in that group.

As a first-level god, venturing alone into the universe for extended periods was still risky. If he could find a reliable partner, why wouldn't he?

At first, Poseidon was a bit disappointed since Asura made no moves. He even considered staying in the God Realm to fully restore his strength before leaving.

But before he could completely withdraw his attention, something incredible happened — Asura also gave up his divine position.

At that moment, Poseidon's mood skyrocketed. His initial investment had paid off, and not just a little — it paid off big time. One of the masters of the God Realm had relinquished his position. Poseidon's position was already being handed over, but now he had also secured two major favors.

He had some knowledge about Han Li's situation. A guy with the favor of over a dozen deities was bound to do something extraordinary. With so many gods naturally inclined to support Han Li, it was clear that Poseidon had aligned himself with the right person. If he ever needed to return to the God Realm, he would have allies.

But just as he was considering how to get closer to Asura, Han Li hit him with another surprise.

Han Li turned on the Five God Kings — and not just casually, but with full force. EHe did it after collecting his rewards.

Then, to Poseidon's horror, the connection with Douluo Star was cut off.

After trying several times to reestablish contact, he realized it was hopeless. Not long after, he saw all five God Kings mobilize at once.

This was big.

So, without a second thought, he packed up his belongings and fled.

Why stick around? His divine position had already been handed over. What reason was there to stay?

He didn't go far, though. He planned to return once the dust settled. He had deliberately left some items in his temple as an excuse to come back.

After a few brief encounters with Han Li, Poseidon realized they were cut from the same cloth. He knew Han Li wouldn't do something so reckless without being fully prepared.

So he decided to wait and watch. No matter which side won, Poseidon wouldn't lose.

If Han Li won, Poseidon could cash in on his early investment and secure some benefits.

If the God Realm won, Poseidon would just say he was acting in good faith. After all, Asura had also relinquished his position. If they wanted to hold someone accountable, they'd have to hold Asura accountable too. How could they blame him?

As for choosing a side? Poseidon didn't even consider it.

Blind loyalty was foolish, in his view. Poseidon only stood with the winning side.

As for potential rewards, being a first-level god was already the highest rank for most deities. Reaching the level of a God King or beyond wasn't something achievable through mere effort or favors. Neither side would offer him rewards worth risking his life.

Strictly speaking, Poseidon had only been a god for a few decades. He had no deep sense of belonging to the God Realm and certainly wouldn't risk his life for it.

—

Han Li didn't know about Poseidon's actions.

Even if he did, he wouldn't care.

Poseidon was not a god to rely on. In a favorable situation, you didn't need him, and in a dire one, he'd flee faster than anyone. Even with a signed contract, Han Li wouldn't trust him.

Right now, Han Li is busy.

Unlike Gu Yue, who was regaining her status as a God King, Han Li was undergoing a legitimate divine ascension. And not just a small one — it was a massive leap. Without the support of the planar will, just inheriting Asura's divine position alone would have put enormous pressure on him.

Unlike other rules, ASura's inheritance rules weren't something Han Li had deeply studied. And, unlike the others, he hadn't undergone a standard godly trial to inherit the position.

Asura himself didn't intend to grant him full power right away. While Han Li's divine soul could bear it, the experience was anything but pleasant.

But Han Li wasn't entirely unprepared. His greatest trump card was the Law of Fate.

He had no intention of following the path of dual divine positions — that garbage idea of having two divine positions at once. Divine power had no inherent attributes. The powers you could wield were entirely determined by the laws you used to control it.

He had long suspected that the mental instability of Tang San from Douluo Dalu 2 was partly caused by the dual divine positions. A single person being affected by the personalities of both the Sea God and Asura God while constantly switching powers? That sounded like a recipe for split-personality disorder. No wonder Tang San became increasingly unhinged.

None of the other God Kings were like that. Each had their primary supreme law and additional supporting laws, but none of them exhibited that level of craziness.

So, from the very beginning, Han Li had mapped out his path. His primary rule for condensing his divine position would be the Law of Fate. All other rules would serve as auxiliary support.

The reason he had made it this far was entirely due to the power of fate. Abandoning it for something else would be outright stupid.

The fusion of Destruction and Creation forces posed no problem, as they stemmed from his insights. There was no conflict. But blending the laws of Asura and Rakshasa was more difficult.

Not impossible — just difficult.

Otherwise, why would he have chosen to become a god in the City of Slaughter of all places? He wasn't doing it on a whim. After all, wasn't there already a predecessor who had demonstrated that this was possible? The conflicts between Asura and Rakshasa were none of his concern. All that mattered was that it worked for him.

Time ticked by. The dual blades, which Han Li had renamed Yin-Yang Blades, gradually absorbed all the powers of Asura and Rakshasa. He let out a long breath of relief.

Since the weapons were linked to his divine soul, he could feel that the two blades were stuffed. They had eaten too much, but at least they could still digest it.

That was all he needed.

Now, it was time for him to take the final step.

"Help me stabilize this place. Don't let it collapse."

Han Li turned his head to look at the three women. With three deities present, maintaining stability would be no problem.

"Alright, but, Xiao Li, hold on for a second."

Xiu'er responded to him, then flew toward him.

After becoming a god, the bear girl, who was once only able to stay on the ground, could now soar freely through the sky.

"Uh, okay."

Han Li was momentarily stunned but moved toward her of his own accord. He had no idea what Sister Xiu'er wanted to do, but he didn't mind sparing a little time for her.

"It'll just take a moment."

Under his puzzled gaze, Xiu'er smiled. A pen appeared in her hand. Her left hand held his head steady, while her right hand, holding the pen, tapped it on his forehead.

"Done."

In less than three seconds, she had finished everything. She floated back a few steps, admiring her work as she gazed at Han Li with satisfaction.

"Heh."

Han Li let out a soft laugh. With his level of strength, he didn't need a mirror to see it.

On his forehead, Sister Xiu'er had marked a small red dot, just like ten years ago when he had awakened his martial soul. It was her blessing.

Back then, when she placed that dot on him, he awakened an unprecedented combined martial soul. Today, he was preparing to ascend to godhood.

Last time, it had been just the two of them hiding in his room. This time, it was under the watchful gaze of every living being on the continent.

"Don't worry, Sister Xiu'er. With your blessing, I will succeed."

On the vast light screen in the sky, Han Li with the small red dot on his forehead appeared as elegant and otherworldly as a jade immortal. His face was calm, and he openly displayed the affection he had received.

"Mm."

A gentle response from Xui'er echoed from outside the light screen.

At the center of the screen, the armored Han Li shot straight into the sky.

The faint red glow of divine power became softer and more subdued as he rose higher. A golden pillar of light, flickering with starlight, erupted from him, piercing through the clouds.

When the pillar of light reached a certain height, it seemed to collide with something. It exploded outward in all directions.

No matter where you were on the continent, as long as you looked up, you could see golden threads of light cascading from the sky, like the convergence of countless stars, scattering starlight upon the world below.

High in the sky, a silver-white dragon coiled and twisted. But at this moment, it became nothing more than a supporting role.

"Law of Fate, manifest!"

Han Li's figure suddenly vanished from the center of the light screen, leaving only the dancing golden threads of light.

"Power of Destruction, Power of Creation, manifest!"

Another voice resounded. Two spheres of light, one radiating a destructive aura and the other exuding a sense of creation, appeared out of thin air. They twisted around each other and then shot toward the golden web.

"Power of Asura, Power of Rakshasa, manifest!"

On the ground below, the twin blades Han Li had embedded into the ground began to hum. They carried with them the aura of the Slaughter City as they soared into the light screen.

As the two blades approached the giant golden web, they gradually drew closer to each other. Finally, just before the gray mist on their surface was completely exhausted, they merged into a massive bow. The bow let out a joyful hum as golden threads wrapped around it, and it vanished.

"Seven Elements, heed my call!"

"Evil God's Pearl, fuse!"

Two more voices echoed in quick succession.

In midair, a rainbow-colored river suddenly surged into existence. Above it, a small, unassuming gray pearl floated quietly. Both of them appeared before the giant golden web.

At this moment, Han Li's figure re-emerged from within the golden web. Behind him, four interlocking circular rings of light floated, exuding an indescribable sense of divinity.

"Fate as the foundation, faith as the fire, all laws as fuel."

"Today, I, Han Li, ascend to godhood!"

"Divine position, condense!"

With Han Li's final command, the entire light screen became filled with nothing but golden flames.

One second.

Two seconds.

Three seconds.

Everyone watching this scene felt their breathing grow heavier. For some reason, they felt as though their hearts were beating in rhythm with the flames.

Suddenly, all the golden flames surged toward the center. A figure appeared.

He wore a faint smile as he stepped out of the fire, his face calm and serene.

"I did it."

His voice echoed in everyone's ears.

At the same time, the tenth proclamation of the day echoed through the heavens and the earth.

"Destiny is with you."