Douluo Dalu: Lucky Star

Credits: Chris

Han Li isn't some great villain who enjoys tormenting others. Even when dealing with Tang San, his actions were more about indulging a dark sense of humor, striking a mental blow before the latter's death. While he does loathe Yu Xiaogang, he never intended to take action against him directly.

Interestingly enough, the plan in question was something Yu Xiaogang himself proposed when he sought them out. Yes, you heard right—it was Yu Xiaogang's request. He's undoubtedly a failure, but he's a well-read failure. Not only had he learned about the existence of divine trials from the hidden archives of Spirit Hall long ago, but he had also overheard Bibi Dong's delirious mutterings.

Yu Xiaogang understood all too well that with his abilities, it was highly unlikely he could take revenge personally. He wanted to use his death to provoke Bibi Dong, but he wasn't sure if, when the time came, he'd have the courage to follow through. So, he entrusted a task to the two of them.

That task? If he was involved at the time, they were to kill him using Bibi Dong's power. If even that wasn't feasible, he requested that Qian Renxue dismember him and throw the remains before Bibi Dong.

In his past life, Han Li never believed in the so-called dark hearts of scholars. After all, he had been a graduate of a second-tier college, someone who could reluctantly be considered educated. He refused to accept such a characterization. Yet even he was somewhat shocked when he heard Yu Xiaogang's suggestion. It reminded him of an online meme about nurturing a final boss.

In this life, Han Li hadn't attended any academy; he had been privately tutored and thus couldn't even count as a scholar. Finally, he could openly declare, "Scholars truly have the dirtiest minds," especially when Yu Xiaogang had always been a petty individual.

If Qian Renxue had truly followed through, Han Li could hardly imagine the scene that would have unfolded—especially since she hadn't fully made up her mind at that point. Witnessing Yu Yuanzhen's death in front of him left a profound impact on Yu Xiaogang, driving him to abandon all scruples for revenge.

However, given that Qian Renxue was essentially a stronger version of him, Han Li didn't need her to act. That said, he couldn't tolerate others manipulating his people, which is why he drove the Death Spider Emperor's leg into Yu Xiaogang's body.

Since you're so eager for this, let me grant your wish—upgrading the drama of your script while I'm at it. No problem, right?

In the end, Han Li was merely waiting for Qian Renxue to unleash her ultimate move. Now, her combined dual attacks—intentionally amplified by his son to spread their impact—were more than enough to reflect the divine power expected of gods in people's eyes. That sufficed.

The emergence of faith works similarly to admiration. There must be a certain distance between the believer and the believer for it to reach its full effect. The diminishing faith in Ye Lingling was proof of this shift as their relationship changed.

Not everything needs to be seen and understood fully to be most effective. Leaving room for imagination allows others to fill in the blanks themselves.

To Han Li, this farcical drama spanning over two decades was nearing its conclusion—it was time for the big payoff. And of course, the melodramatic revenge arc was also due for its climax.

The fight was merely the process; the outcome was the real satisfaction.

Qian Renxue had been suppressing Bibi Dong throughout the battle. Now, harnessing the power of the sun, she was finally reaching her moment of triumph.

"Don't be ridiculous. I won't fall here."

Under immense pressure, feeling her divine power dissipating—even with its protection—Bibi Dong's hair began to curl slightly under the scorching flames of the sun. Yet, at this moment, she made a declaration befitting the protagonist of a hot-blooded anime, despite always having been portrayed as a villain.

Faced with Yu Xiaogang's life-threatening condition, the desperate Empress exploded with power. No, it wasn't an explosive transformation but more of a desperate gamble.

She instinctively ignited all of her divine power, entering the do-or-die state that hadn't been used since the Dragon God's war. Han Li only knew about it thanks to Gu Yue's memories.

Gripping the Rakshasa Scythe tightly in her right hand, she gave it a fierce twist. The scythe's dark runes detached and began spreading across her body. As they flowed, her figure ignited with purple flames—signaling a full-blown eruption of her divine power.

In Qian Renxue's astonished gaze, Bibi Dong raised her left hand, holding the Barrier high. The purple barrier of Rakshasa's divine power deflected the sun sphere, sending it soaring into the sky where it exploded, tearing a black rift into space.

Immediately after, Bibi Dong conjured a purple energy orb, its surface echoing with ghostly wails. She hurled it toward Qian Renxue. Before it reached its optimal attack range, the orb detonated prematurely, dispersing into streams of energy aimed at her opponent.

This was Rakshasa's Inferno, a new divine skill Bibi Dong gained after her ascension. It wasn't particularly offensive but instead targeted the opponent's emotions and dark thoughts—typical of her abilities, which leaned heavily toward mental attacks.

Rakshasa's Inferno was essentially a preparatory skill, creating a small world of Rakshasa power designed to trap its target and set up subsequent attacks. However, Bibi Dong didn't have time to follow up—she only needed to delay Qian Renxue for a moment.

As soon as she unleashed the skill, Bibi Dong spun and swung the Rakshasa Scythe in Han Li's direction.

Unlike her previous melee attacks against Qian Renxue, this was neither close-range nor a simple energy strike. It was a long-range application of her divine weapon's power.

And if she could kill Han Li in the process, so much the better.

At the moment she swung the scythe, the eight blade-like wings on her back detached, merging with the Rakshasa Scythe. The nine blades combined, their runes reappearing. With a flick of her wrist, the scythe shot out like a spinning black-purple shuriken, flying toward Han Li in a bizarre trajectory under her control.

One thing worth mentioning is that Han Li refused to touch Yu Xiaogang directly. Even when using divine power to suppress the toxins in his body, he kept his distance, connecting only through thin threads of divine energy.

So, when Han Li saw Bibi Dong hurling the Rakshasa Scythe in his direction, he had already anticipated her move.

"You're playing sword control? Alright, I accept your challenge."

The problem was that Han Li didn't have a sword. He wasn't willing to use his martial soul either—it was too precious. Fortunately, he reacted quickly. Well, someone had to make a sacrifice, and that someone turned out to be Yu Xiaogang.

In Bibi Dong's wide-eyed disbelief, Han Li stomped his foot on the ground, sending Yu Xiaogang flying into the air. Then, with a swift kick, he launched Yu Xiaogang upward. Of course, he kept the divine energy thread connecting the two intact.

"You control your scythe, I'll control Xiaogang. Seems fair, right?"

With Han Li's chaotic maneuvers, Yu Xiaogang was flung directly into the path of the rapidly approaching Rakshasa Scythe.

Bibi Dong spat out another mouthful of blood. True, she could control the scythe remotely, but Han Li's antics were utterly shameless—he used Yu Xiaogang as a shield. Even in a fantastical world like Douluo Dalu, the law of conservation of energy still applies.

What made things worse was that Bibi Dong wasn't a fully-fledged god. Her control over the Rakshasa Scythe relied primarily on divine power rather than divine consciousness. Abrupt stops, sharp turns—managing such maneuvers with a weapon in mid-flight wasn't as easy as it looked. Adding to the difficulty, she was burning through her divine energy to break free from Qian Renxue, leaving her divine power circulation unstable and incredibly fast-paced.

It was like slamming the brakes on a car speeding at 120 mph on the highway—completely jarring. If her target were an enemy or even Han Li, she might have managed. Unfortunately, the scythe's blade was heading straight for Yu Xiaogang—a fragile Soul Elder on a battlefield full of gods. In this context, Yu Xiaogang was as delicate as a clay tile. A mere graze would leave him severely injured, and a direct hit would mean instant death.

Yu Xiaogang was her one and only white moonlight, someone she dared not harm. Naturally, this forced her to handle the situation with extreme care. The consequence? A backlash from her divine power, further exacerbated her already critical condition.

The Rakshasa Scythe came to a screeching halt in mid-air. Under Bibi Dong's strained control, it changed direction, slicing toward the divine energy thread connecting Han Li to Yu Xiaogang. Her priority was still to rescue him. Though the scythe was still a distance from Han Li, her immediate goal was to sever the connection and retrieve Yu Xiaogang.

She had it all planned out. But the plan required Han Li's cooperation.

Would Han Li cooperate? Of course not.

As soon as he kicked Yu Xiaogang, Han Li readied his bow—a divine weapon he'd recently renamed "Fate" (a name he hadn't officially announced yet). Casually pulling the bowstring, he began rapid-firing arrows. The arrows weren't particularly powerful, just strong enough to counter the Rakshasa Scythe's advance.

The whistling sound of arrows breaking through the air echoed as they all aimed directly at Yu Xiaogang. This completely disrupted Bibi Dong's plan to use the scythe to carry him away and retreat quickly. Forced to abandon that idea, she had no choice but to use the scythe to block Han Li's arrows while sprinting toward Yu Xiaogang.

She wanted to escape, but Han Li wouldn't let her. Instead, he forced her to stay on the battlefield and fight on his terms.

Having achieved his goal, Han Li voluntarily severed the divine energy thread connecting him to Yu Xiaogang, leaving him where he landed. Naturally, he also made sure that Bibi Dong couldn't retrieve him using her spider silk or divine threads. Each of Han Li's arrows landed precisely, interrupting her every rescue attempt and destroying her long-range methods, forcing her to approach Yu Xiaogang with her physical body.

Han Li was relishing the long-lost thrill of battle. He thrived on dictating the flow of combat, forcing his opponent to fight the way he wanted. After all, this was his favorite battle rhythm—one that played to his strengths as an archer.

Close combat? That was just a hobby. Archery was his true calling!