Credits: Ben
"You're in a good mood, aren't you?"
After finishing another round of cultivation, Gu Yue looked at Han Li, who had a faint smile lingering on his lips and asked curiously.
"Indeed, everything is progressing splendidly," Han Li replied casually as he glanced at the jade token in his hand, sending off another message. He was staying in touch with various individuals scattered across the continent, and their divine trials were progressing rapidly. Even his master, who was the last to begin, had just embarked on the sixth trial today. As for Qian Renxue, she had already wielded the Angelic Holy Sword and completed her battle against the forces of darkness, successfully passing her seventh trial. After a short rest, she planned to charge straight into the eighth trial. At this rate, someone might ascend to godhood even faster than the revered Pope herself within six months.
Meanwhile, thanks to Yu Xiaogang's improved cultivation route, the continent was starting to erupt with hidden crises. Although they couldn't yet be traced back to him directly, it was only a matter of time. Han Li decided to let things play out further. When the controversy fully ignited, no one would be able to suppress the ensuing chaos.
With yet another substantial influx of faith energy to his name, how could he not be pleased?
Moreover, the enhancement effect—thanks to his and his obedient son's combined efforts—had increased its efficacy by another 1%, reaching an impressive 95%.
A milestone worth celebrating.
"Based on the current pace, how long do you think it'll take for you to fully master the power of creation?"
Han Li asked, putting away the jade token and turning toward Gu Yue.
"At the fastest, three months. At the slowest, half a year," Gu Yue answered with a faint smile, a rare expression of satisfaction on her face. This was something she had never dared to imagine before. What had started as an impulsive decision to attempt cultivating creation power had unexpectedly yielded such astounding results. To completely master a fundamental law of the universe usually took even the most talented deities decades. Creation power, as one of the highest laws, would demand even more. Yet here she was, on the verge of mastering it in under a year. Thinking of this, her gaze toward Han Li softened considerably.
"Half a year? That works perfectly," Han Li noted, clearly aware of her softened gaze but giving no reaction to it. He knew her progress wasn't normal. It wasn't just because of his help as a cheat code; the power of creation had always been latent in her divine core. What she called cultivation was just awakening and channeling it.
The others' rapid progress in their divine trials was a true testament to how much they benefited from his influence—a smooth, hurdle-free path to divinity—who wouldn't envy that?
"When the time comes, ascend alongside me," Han Li suggested, offering the safest approach. When he forged his divine position, Gu Yue could take the opportunity to merge the power of creation into her original divine core and ascend to God-King. For her, it wouldn't be difficult. During his ascension, Douluo Star would enter its safest state. Han Li planned to sever the Divine Realm's constraints and temporarily free the star from its control. Since his life was linked to Douluo Star, even if Gu Yue's identity was exposed, the Divine Realm wouldn't dare act rashly. She was no less dangerous than the Golden Dragon King. Once they both ascended, the Divine Realm would no longer have the upper hand.
The only uncertainty lay in dealing with Bibi Dong's divine core afterward.
Currently, under his control, it posed a tricky question: could the Divine Realm suppress the Rakshasa God's influence?
Without Tang San blazing a trail, Han Li was effectively the first to break into uncharted territory. This was the greatest variable in his plans. If necessary, he could abandon the Rakshasa core. It wasn't essential, but avoiding exposure before fully ascending remained the top priority. Of course, he didn't want to give up any opportunity to strengthen his foundation. After all, even a Level One god's core was a valuable asset. Thinking of this, Han Li couldn't help but chuckle. His path to godhood relied on cobbling together fragments—truly a patchwork deity.
"Well, no matter. If the final result is strong, who cares about the process," Han Li mused with a laugh.
"Mm-hmm!"
Gu Yue nodded quickly, like a chick pecking at grain. Her biggest concern had always been the disruption caused by ascending to God-King. Such a monumental event couldn't escape the Divine Realm's notice. Now, with Han Li's promise and protection, she felt much more at ease. Since her awakening, Gu Yue hadn't realized how much blind trust she had placed in Han Li. Perhaps this, too, was just another unique quirk of the Douluo universe.
"I'm looking forward to seeing what you'll do," Han Li said with a mischievous smile, tinged with a hint of anticipation. Gu Yue shook her head, ignoring him. She had grown used to his unpredictable behavior. Knowing he was likely distracted by yet another thought, she closed her eyes and resumed meditating. For her, six months was already her limit. She hoped to finish even faster. Spending every day in close connection with Han Li's soul, she could vaguely sense his suppressed impatience and unease beneath his calm demeanor. She was not one of those decorative human women who needed Han Li's help to ascend to godhood. At some point, she had developed a subtle sense of comparison, though even she hadn't noticed it herself.
...
"Supreme Pontiff, these are the feedback reports from various regions," Yue Guan said nervously as he placed a stack of documents from the local branches of the Spirit Hall in front of Bibi Dong. Ghost Douluo had been sent out by Bibi Dong to investigate the situation firsthand. Left alone with the Pope, Yue Guan felt an intense sense of unease. The dangerous aura surrounding her had grown heavier, making his body instinctively tremble in fear. Bibi Dong's expression was cold and stern as she skimmed through the documents and then tossed them aside.
"Are we certain this is caused by the newly released improved cultivation route?"
"It appears so," Yue Guan replied honestly, recalling the experimental data from the Martial Soul Hall Research Institute.
"Following your orders, they tested the new route on death row inmates. Of the ten individuals subjected to forced cultivation, only three survived. Among them, two were left completely crippled."
"The sole survivor, a Spirit Sage, managed to endure, but his meridians were severely damaged. He will be permanently stuck at his current level, and even his combat capabilities have been significantly compromised."
Reflecting on the data, Yue Guan thought bitterly to himself: Yu Xiaogang is finished. He had always looked down on that useless man. After this incident, his disdain only deepened. Unlike the plagiarism scandal of two decades ago, this time Yu Xiaogang had caused actual harm to many people. Even if some individuals had survived, Yue Guan could easily imagine Yu Xiaogang's grim future. Of course, he dared not voice any of this before Bibi Dong. As someone who had been privy to the earlier scandal, he knew all too well how dangerous she had become. One wrong word could lead to his immediate demise.
Looking back, he regretted not accepting the offer from the Holy Son earlier. The elders from the Worship Hall had gone into hiding, and in retrospect, their position seemed far safer than his current precarious situation.
"Are there any uprisings?"
Bibi Dong's expression darkened further. She had thoroughly tested the improved cultivation route before its release. Even when she practiced it herself, there were no issues. So why had it turned into such a disaster now?
"There were incidents, but before we could intervene, supporters of the Mysterious Heaven Skill method suppressed them on their own. Out of caution, we had announced when distributing the manuals that it wasn't an official Spirit Hall release, and any consequences were not our responsibility."
Yue Guan carefully observed Bibi Dong's expression as he spoke, doing his best to present the situation in the most favorable light. Bibi Dong remained silent.
"Caution," she thought bitterly. The so-called "caution" was the work of factions loyal to the Worship Hall, who had no faith in the improved version and instead took it upon themselves to uphold Han Li's reputation. Now, this had conveniently allowed the Spirit Hall to wash its hands of the matter, placing all the blame squarely on Yu Xiaogang.
Damn Holy Son, she cursed inwardly.
If you were going to release a method, why tamper with it?
Bibi Dong was the only high-ranking member of the Spirit Hall who hadn't practiced the original Mysterious Heaven Skill method. As an Ultimate Douluo, her meditation techniques were already powerful enough. She saw no need to swear allegiance to Han Li just to learn his method. Han Li, had he known her thoughts, would likely have scolded her mercilessly.
She had modified the cultivation method he released without permission, and now that issues had arisen, she wanted to shift the blame onto him?
He wouldn't let her off easily.
"Send orders to all Spirit Hall branches to suppress any rumors. I don't want to see any chaos. Also, seal off this information immediately," Bibi Dong instructed after a long pause.
"Yes, Supreme Pontiff. But even so, I fear it won't hold for long," Yue Guan replied cautiously. He understood the underlying meaning of her command: the information about Yu Xiaogang should be concealed. However, Yu Xiaogang had been riding high on public attention lately, making it impossible to completely suppress news about him.
"Do your best," Bibi Dong said after a moment of silence.
"Understood, Supreme Pontiff," Yue Guan replied, though he doubted it would be effective.
You can't hide the truth forever.
This incident would likely cause many of the Spirit Hall's original supporters to defect to the Worship Hall's faction, even with the elders in hiding. Internally, Bibi Dong's actions were already hard for many to understand. Using the Spirit Hall's resources to promote an outsider while undermining her own Holy Son's achievements had caused widespread dissatisfaction. Now, with this latest disaster, criticism of her leadership would only intensify. Externally, Bibi Dong still commanded respect as the Pope. But internally, if a conflict arose, Yue Guan saw no chance of victory. Perhaps it was time for him to start looking for an exit strategy.
With that thought, his mood soured.
The disciple he had painstakingly accepted alongside Ghost Douluo—Xie Yue—was none other than Hu Liena's older brother. Still, there was one silver lining: the Holy Son seemed to have no particular grudge against Xie Yue and even showed some appreciation for him. That was, perhaps, the only piece of good news.
Sighing, Yue Guan quickened his pace. Regardless of his doubts, he still had to carry out the Pope's orders.