Tang Hao left in the morning, but Han Li only found out at noon.
The delayed transmission of information was a recurring problem in the Douluo Continent, which made Han Li even more eager to develop long-distance communication.
It wasn't until Ye Lingling returned at noon and briefly recounted the events at the academy that Han Li recalled the contingency plan left behind by the Blue Silver King.
Everyone joked about it casually before moving on.
There was no helping it — Tang San was indeed too weak right now. Once Ye Lingling became familiar with the modified cultivation methods, if it were a fight in the Soul Arena rather than a life-and-death battle, she might be able to knock him down with a single punch. Let alone the others.
As for Tang Hao, everyone knew about him because he had charged the city gates like a madman, causing a citywide lockdown. The lunch delivery from the merchants was delayed, and it was from the delivery person's story that Han Li confirmed Tang Hao's identity.
So, he's only now figuring out things about Ah Yin? What a contradictory man. He neglected his newborn son for the sake of his wife, and now he's abandoning his powerless wife for the sake of his son.
Add to that the situation with the Clear Sky Sect. As a father, husband, son, and disciple of the sect, he hadn't managed any of these roles well.
Han Li shook his head. It was too late now. The soul bone had already completely transformed into his form during the previous ceremony, and the closest Tang Hao had been to Ah Yin was that morning.
This time, though, the guy seemed to have gotten smarter. He didn't immediately storm the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan to find someone, which left Han Li feeling a bit disappointed.
It didn't matter, though. Given Tang Hao's personality, he would certainly remember the Ning Que incident. It was only a matter of time before he acted.
Come to think of it, had it been half a day since he last felt watched?
With such a big commotion on Tang Hao's side, following the principle of watching one is the same as watching several, Han Li scanned through the important figures in the enemy camp. But, to his surprise, he suddenly realized that the gaze from the Divine Realm seemed to have disappeared.
Had they also been silenced by Grandmaster matter?
Such a thought rose in Han Li's mind. Though pleased, he still forced himself to remain calm.
He couldn't be sure yet. He would wait a few more days. Suppressing his excitement, Han Li forced himself to stay composed.
He would rather do nothing than make a mistake.
Even if his judgment was wrong, it would just be a battle of wits with the air. Since no one knew, it would be as if it never happened.
He decided to wait seven days. If there was no movement after that, it would mean the Divine Realm had temporarily given up watching him. This would undoubtedly be good news and also indicate that the Divine Realm still held a relatively friendly attitude towards him, at least for the time being.
To the astonishment of the women, Han Li, who had always been averse to shopping, unexpectedly suggested going out.
For two whole days, Han Li practically accompanied them as they shopped all over Heaven Dou City, and only then did they finally call it quits, satisfied.
Yet, Han Li showed no signs of fatigue. He remained cheerful, the reason being that during this time, he hadn't felt any gazes upon him, nor had anyone else.
Nonetheless, Han Li patiently waited another five days before finally confirming his judgment. Although he didn't know why, the Divine Realm had indeed stopped paying attention to him.
Han Li became even more cheerful.
To the Divine Realm, it had only been ten days of observation, but to Han Li, it had been ten years. A full ten years. Did they know how he had survived those years?
Especially in recent years, he had felt like he was living in the Truman Show, constantly trying to ignore the issue. Finally, he had endured it.
"Even though I could still become a god by doing nothing, I want to make some effort."
Lying on his bed, Han Li stared at the ceiling and muttered to himself.
Living on the Douluo Continent for over ten years had changed his personality to some extent. If, at first, he had only wanted to coast his way into becoming a god, now, he wanted more.
After all, he already saw Douluo Star as his territory. What if someone from the Divine Realm came and claimed it as rightfully theirs? Given Douluo Star's future development, the style of those gods in the Divine Realm, and their desire to expand, this wasn't impossible. It was highly probable.
"I hate fighting. Wouldn't it be nice if everyone just got along peacefully?"
Han Li sighed, then got up from his bed. He needed to take action.
Or rather, even without these recent events, he would still need to make a move. Now, it was just more convenient since he no longer had to block the surveillance.
"I should head to the Star Luo Empire first. Speaking of which, I've never been there, despite all this time, and I should go in person for this matter. Without a formal agreement, I can't feel at ease."
Han Li tidied up his clothes and headed toward the training grounds.
This time, he didn't plan to travel with a group. Traveling by carriage was too slow, and not everyone enjoyed going on trips. He would ask for their opinions.
As expected, when he mentioned his plan to go to the Star Luo Empire, Shui Bing'er was the first to express her desire to go. She intended to visit home. Although she had already sent a letter back, now that she had some free time, she wanted to make the trip herself.
Dugu Yan seemed tempted but, after thinking it over, shook her head. She had promised Ye Lingling she would be her protector and accompany her to train at the Great Soul Arena.
Of course, Han Li suspected she just wanted to crush some weaker opponents and enjoy the show. Among the women, she was the one who enjoyed fighting the most.
Xiu'er, on the other hand, said she would go wherever Han Li went but was stopped by Dugu Yan, who insisted she stay and keep her company. Otherwise, she would be bored once everyone else left. Dugu Yan also shot a glance at Zhu Zhuqing, who stood by, hesitating.
"Well then, I'll decide. Zhuqing, since you're from the Star Luo Empire, you're familiar with the area. I'll rely on you to guide us this time. Also, during the journey, with my help, we can deepen your understanding of your martial soul."
Han Li naturally noticed her expression but chose not to ask about it, making the decision directly instead.
Zhu Zhuqing, though somewhat stubborn by nature, saw that Han Li had already made up his mind and nodded lightly in agreement.
With the decision made, Han Li didn't waste any time and headed straight to the merchant association to gather some supplies.
Then he needed to meet with Qian Renxue to inform her that he would be leaving for a while, so she could keep an eye on things. Although Han Li didn't expect any problems, having an extra layer of security was always a good idea.
An hour later, Han Li left the Crown Prince's mansion.
During their conversation, of course, there was no shortage of Qian Renxue's envy, jealousy, and frustration at his freedom of movement.
Returning home, he greeted the others and then called for Zhu Zhuqing, who had already packed her things. The two of them left Heaven Dou City, heading towards the Star Luo Empire.
Han Li wasn't unfamiliar with information about the Star Luo Empire; it had been part of the general Continental History course during his younger years.
But it wasn't until he set foot in the empire that he realized the records in the books had understated the situation.
If the Heaven Dou Empire was like a collection of duchies jointly governing and allowing free movement, making travel feel like tourism...
Then the Star Luo Empire, which was scarcely mentioned in the original story, was more like a country under military rule, where the flow of people was strictly controlled. However, life within the cities wasn't much different from that in Heaven Dou.
After passing through checkpoint after checkpoint, even with merchant-prepared identity documents, Han Li began to feel exhausted.
He decided that for the rest of the journey, he wouldn't follow the normal procedures anymore.
Turning to look at Zhu Zhuqing beside him, he asked curiously, "With this level of scrutiny, how did you manage to sneak to Heaven Dou?"
Zhu Zhuqing was silent for a while before answering softly, "No one cared. Neither my sister nor my father minded my departure. Plus, I had the Zhu family token. After passing through a few cities, I entered the Souol Beast Forest."
Poor girl, she had it rough. Just hearing it made him feel a bit sad.
"We'll head to Gengxin City first. Once the business is done, I'll go with you to Star Luo City to visit your aunt."
Han Li keenly noticed that Zhu Zhuqing didn't mention her mother when she answered. According to his intel, the matriarch of the Zhu family was still alive, though she didn't seem to have much influence.
"Thank you," Zhu Zhuqing whispered, biting her lip.
"This isn't something you need to thank me for. However, speeding up is something we need to do."
Pulling Zhu Zhuqing off the main road, and noticing her slightly dazed expression, Han Li glanced at the darkening sky. He summoned the dark elements, unfurled his wings, and picked her up, melding into the night.
"Why are you spacing out? Activate your Martial Soul. Yes, stay alert. Also, bring out your little wings — watch carefully how I'm using the dark elements. It'll help you a lot in forming your future domain."
The two of them sped forward through the night, Han Li's voice ringing out faintly. Whether he was purely teaching her how to cultivate her domain or had another reason, only he knew.
In any case, once they left the main road, their travel speed increased dramatically.
What would have been a long journey was shortened to seven days, thanks to their speed — and that was only because Gengxin City was located deep within the Star Luo Empire's inland regions.
On the seventh evening, the iron-gray city walls of Gengxin City finally came into view.
"Alright, let's change our appearance before entering the city."
In a forest not far from the city gates, Han Li glanced over at Zhu Zhuqing.
Along the way, they passed through several cities. Interestingly, in cities controlled by the Dai and Zhu families, there were wanted posters of Zhu Zhuqing.
Although the search wasn't overly aggressive, some people were still paying attention.
Gengxin City was somewhat special. Though it was a city of blacksmiths, it wasn't under military control, which was interesting. But to be safe, Han Li decided it would be better for Zhu Zhuqing to change her appearance. Even if they planned to stir up trouble, it would have to wait until after he had finished his business.