After confirming that Qian Daoliu had fallen into a mysterious state due to the divine fluctuations caused by Qian Renxue's ascension to godhood, the two had no choice but to leave the Angel Temple.
"How are things going?"
As soon as they returned to the courtyard, Qian Renxue took the initiative to ask.
Her divine sense swept through Heaven Dou City, and although it remained relatively stable, the atmosphere was different from usual. She could sense that the flow of people had increased by nearly 30% compared to normal, which was not a typical situation.
"Just as we expected — the Spirit Empire has been established."
Han Li casually replied while admiring the noticeable improvement in Qian Renxue's aura.
"Has she also ascended to godhood?"
Qian Renxue frowned slightly and asked directly.
"No, you're still the first. However, she's only a step away. Once the war officially breaks out, she'll take in the demonic energy and ascend."
Han Li waved his hand, signaling her to sit down so they could talk. Her presence had grown significantly stronger than before.
"You didn't stop her?"
Qian Renxue sat down to the side, looking at Han Li with some curiosity. The implication was clear — how could you just watch her grow stronger?
"Why would I stop her? You know I lack the power of faith. Besides, wouldn't it be better to let her weaken the Star Luo Empire in advance?"
"When the time comes, you and I will step in together. We'll not only harvest faith but also gain a good reputation. It'll be easy to unify everything. Why not do it this way?"
Han Li didn't hide anything when faced with Qian Renxue's question. After all, he still needed her power of faith as a backup energy source.
Qian Renxue glanced at him but said nothing. His approach contradicted the grand principles he had preached to her before. But considering his pragmatic nature, it wasn't surprising.
Han Li had never been one to ignore the well-being of the common people. As he put it himself, "When successful, help the world." The premise, however, was that it did not conflict with his goals.
Having lived as "Xue Qinghe," the Heaven Dou Crown Prince, for over a decade, Qian Renxue could understand this logic. It wasn't contradictory at all. If she were honest, Han Li's actions in this regard were more effective than her own. His business associations had genuinely helped the common folk, whereas before she became the Emperor of Heaven Dou, all she could offer was her attitude.
"Not everyone can remain unharmed, but I'm doing what I can."
Han Li suddenly spoke, his tone tinged with irritation. It was unclear whether he was telling Qian Renxue this or reminding himself.
"Mm, as long as you can convince yourself. Angels pursue justice but are not stubborn about it. Grandpa probably didn't say anything, did he?"
Qian Renxue stared at him for a while, then calmly nodded.
In the Angel Trials, she had seen plenty of similar choices, and making such decisions had become second nature. Compared to her, Han Li was the one untested by storms and hardships.
"Ah..."
Seeing Qian Renxue's reaction, Han Li suddenly felt a little uncomfortable. He laughed at himself. Perhaps he was being too sentimental. Hadn't he already made his choice? Why was he now adding unnecessary moral hurdles for himself? He had never claimed to be a paragon of virtue.
With everything drawing closer to its climax, Han Li kept a calm exterior. Yet, deep down, a slight sense of unease still dragged him into a mental spiral.
Wait, something's not right!
Han Li's eyes widened with sudden realization. He bit his tongue sharply, using the pain to pull himself back to reality. He wasn't someone who would obediently engage in self-reflection.
He glanced at Qian Renxue, only to see her lips slightly curled into a smirk.
"You set me up? No, it's the effect of your godhood, isn't it?"
Han Li only remained surprised for a moment before drawing his conclusion.
"Mm, it wasn't intentional. Even if I suppress the divine power fluctuations, the godhood and divine core will still unconsciously influence the rules and affect the surroundings. It's not constant, but since you were watching my ascension so closely, it was inevitable that you'd be affected."
"I thought you might reflect on something else, but it turns out this was all it took."
Qian Renxue looked somewhat disappointed. Han Li's reaction was quicker than she'd expected. She had planned to use this as a chance to give him a little blow, but he saw through it with ease.
Of course, even if Han Li hadn't realized it himself, she would have reminded him. A joke was one thing, but truly affecting him was crossing the line.
Besides, she also wanted Han Li to see the real changes that came with becoming a god. After all, they would soon be dealing with Bibi Dong, and having no defense was unacceptable.
The Angel legacy's knowledge included information on this kind of mental manipulation, and her sister was even more adept at it than the Angel God.
Han Li opened his mouth as if he wanted to say something, but the words didn't come out. He stopped himself from cursing aloud.
When dealing with his people, he rarely used the power of dimensional awareness. It seemed that until he fully condensed his divine seat, he'd have to be more cautious.
So this is the power of being officially certified, huh? Cosmic recognition, with built-in amplifications? In that case, it's all the more reason to seize Asura's divine seat for himself.
Han Li's mind began to scheme.
"Sorry, I apologize."
Qian Renxue, seeing that he remained silent, thought he was angry. She decisively admitted her mistake. She hadn't done it on purpose, nor had she actively released her power.
"It's fine. Thanks."
Han Li waved his hand. He wasn't the type to blame others for his misstep. Besides, it had served as a useful reminder. No celebrating before the final victory.
His recent rapid growth in strength had indeed made him a bit complacent. For instance, stealing faith energy for Qian Renxue in the Angel Sanctuary and being caught red-handed by Asura were a prime example. This was a problem, and it needed fixing!
However, once he became more cautious, Qian Renxue could no longer influence him. Han Li manifested a screen of light and began tutoring her on what she had missed during her divine trials.
Now that she had emerged from her seclusion, it was time for her to take action. Grandfather Qian Daoliu was deeply immersed in comprehending the laws and likely wouldn't wake up anytime soon.
As Han Li explained, Qian Renxue was left stunned when she learned that under his arrangements, the Xue family had effectively become a branch of the Qian family.
Still, she didn't complain. This resolution was quite ideal, as evidenced by the relatively stable situation in the Heaven Dou Empire.
"When it's time to act, remember to coordinate with me. I will restore your divine light, and... well, you can become a god once again."
Han Li couldn't help but smile as he discussed the plan with Qian Renxue.
"As for your true identity, whether to reveal it or how to handle it, that's up to you."
He pointed toward the direction of the royal palace, where the only legitimate royal bloodline currently resided.
"Revealing your female identity doesn't matter much. As for Xue Ke… forget it. Let's just stick to the current plan. You only need to revert to using your real name, Qian Renxue."
A complex expression flickered in Qian Renxue's eyes. Ultimately, she made her decision to continue hiding her true identity.
Although her real identity wasn't a secret among the senior members of Spirit Hall, there was no need to document it.
Moreover, the two of them would inevitably stand in opposition eventually. Given this, it was better to leave behind the identity Han Li had arranged for her, merely replacing it with her true name.
This way, she could still gain a good little sister like Xue Ke, couldn't she?
"When Grand Uncle awakens, you can discuss it with him,"
As long as they could get Qian Daoliu's approval, he had no reason to object.
Qian Renxue, already a god, didn't need much embellishment. Considering how much the old man doted on his granddaughter and the tangled family dynamics, it was highly unlikely he would oppose it—especially since her name would be reverted.
The two continued chatting for a while, covering all the essential matters. Since they hadn't seen each other for several months, they also had a table of food and wine brought in, casually discussing other topics.
"By the way, is it due to changes in the divine realm's rules? After becoming a god, I received a message stating I could only stay in the mortal world for one year. This is completely inconsistent with the legends left by our ancestors and Sea God."
The displeasure on Qian Renxue's face was evident. The difference was a hundredfold, after all.
"One year?"
Han Li paused mid-bite and put down his chopsticks.
You've got to be kidding. In the original storyline, Ma Hongjun could stay in the mortal world until Bai Chenxiang grew old and passed away before heading to the divine realm. Normally, the limit should be around a hundred years, at most.
One year? This was a trick by the divine realm! Was it because his actions had been too conspicuous? Were they trying to pressure those connected to him to ascend to the divine realm first, using them to control him?
Was this Asura's doing again? Although he had no concrete evidence, Han Li immediately pegged Asura as the culprit. Who else would have done something like this?
Coupled with the recent accelerated progress of the divine trials for several others, Han Li couldn't help but overthink the situation.
The fact that they hadn't acted against him directly suggested that his true identity hadn't been exposed yet. But did this mean the divine realm was preparing to act against him?
Judging by the current progress, everyone connected to him might complete their divine trials within a year. No, six months might be enough. So, this was their way of forcing his hand.
They were preparing to take him down. Han Li took a deep breath.
"No, the rules shouldn't have changed. It's targeted at me. You're just caught in the crossfire."
At the moment, there was no divine realm's surveillance or interference from planar consciousness, so Han Li spoke without much restraint.
"Targeting you? Why?"
Qian Renxue paused her eating and looked at Han Li seriously.
Meeting her gaze, Han Li decided to come clean. He explained everything in detail, sparing no detail, as he no longer felt the need to caution or sugarcoat anything, given his current strength.
"Huh?"
Even as a god, Qian Renxue couldn't hide her astonishment after hearing Han Li's account.
"So, you're saying the planet I've lived on for over twenty years belongs to you, and the divine realm wants to take it away?"
Qian Renxue processed her thoughts and made a concise summary.
"Well… that's not entirely accurate, but it's not wrong either."
Han Li wanted to explain more about the divine realm's structure and other knowledge, but he didn't know where to start. Strictly speaking, what she said wasn't incorrect.
If one wanted to argue, he had claimed a planet under someone else's jurisdiction upon birth and refused to be subordinate to others. Still, her words perfectly suited his stance.