[DD]: 263

Ye Lingling was still standing in place, receiving the information being transmitted into her mind, while Poseidon's apparition turned to Han Li.

"Little friend, are you satisfied?"

Poseidon's lips carried a meaningful smile.

"Not bad. I, Han Li, thank Senior Sea God."

Han Li raised his eyebrows and cupped his hands in thanks. He could see it now—Poseidon was also using this opportunity to make a graceful exit and finalize the matter. This guy is quite the schemer, he thought. His earlier performance was indeed a bit underwhelming.

"That's good. The young lady's god divine trial won't be too difficult, just a formality. And of course, I won't go back on my word about the Golden Thirteen Halberds."

Poseidon's laugh was hearty—the satisfaction of someone whose plan had succeeded.

"Senior Sea God, do you have any subordinates?"

Han Li glanced at Ye Lingling, then asked again.

"Oh?"

Poseidon's brow twitched. He had a bad feeling about this.

Han Li's face showed an expression of innocent goodwill.

"My master is an Ultimate Douluo, just barely over a hundred years old, with ice and light attributes."

"My grandfather has a dragon-type martial soul, with poison and water attributes…"

"Stop."

Poseidon raised his left hand, cutting Han Li off mid-sentence.

"I don't have any subordinates. My priests were assigned by the Divine Realm, and I lack the seniority. Instead of seeking help from me, you might want to try the God of Emotions or the God of Darkness."

He rejected the idea without hesitation, speaking half-truths and half-lies. The truth was that everything he said was accurate; the lie was that he could help but chose not to. Since Han Li was already under the attention of the Divine Realm with some positions allocated, snagging even one was already quite fortunate. Poseidon was following the proper procedures, and even Asura wouldn't be able to fault him for it.

But since the big shots hadn't allocated any further positions, he wasn't going to get involved in this mess. With Ye Lingling in the picture, he was already in an unbeatable position. Any extra effort would yield limited benefits and could even drag him into unknown complications, which was unnecessary.

Besides, hadn't he already offered advice? He was a god ready to step down—why should he bother with so much? Moreover, his lack of seniority meant that even if he owed a favor, it was unclear whether it would pay off.

"Thank you, Senior Sea God, for the advice."

Even though he didn't get the benefits he was hoping for, Han Li still politely expressed his thanks. He had been caught trying to squeeze out more benefits. If someone helps, it's a favor; if they don't, it's their right. Besides, Poseidon had still offered advice. Should he start with Rong Nianbing? Han Li nodded. He was just giving it a try. If it worked, great; if not, it wasn't a big deal.

"By the way, once the young lady pulls out the Trident, it might provide you some assistance. You needn't worry about the High Priest."

A trace of faith energy appeared at Poseidon's fingertips, direct feedback from the earlier events. This was Poseidon's subtle way of offering a benefit. At his level, faith energy was of limited use—it was mostly for restoring and nurturing divine artifacts, more relevant to the Divine Realm's needs. Poseidon only had one Trident, and it was meant to be passed on as a divine weapon.

To put it bluntly, Poseidon hadn't been a god for very long, and he wasn't like those top-tier gods who could take their divine weapons with them when they stepped down. If he tried, Asura might just cut him down on the spot.

In any case, Ye Lingling was following the path of an inherited god position and didn't need faith energy for the time being. So, why not do Han Li a favor and give him the faith energy instead? After all, nurturing post-ascension divine artifacts was a matter for their side and had nothing to do with an old Sea God who was stepping down.

Cunning is a form of wisdom, and Poseidon planned to use it to the fullest. He had pushed the limits of what he could do without overstepping. Though he wasn't overextending, his gesture was still generous.

This Sea God was a clever person—he had brains and skill. No wonder he had managed to overtake most gods despite being a latecomer.

Han Li nodded slightly but didn't respond. Some things couldn't be discussed openly, but they both understood the unspoken agreement. They were clearly both well-versed in the art of squeezing benefits from the Divine Realm.

What a trickster! ×2

The two shared a smile, both thinking the same thing: Looks like we're kindred spirits.

Without waiting for Ye Lingling to fully awaken, Poseidon's figure nodded at Han Li and slowly faded away. Though he had offered a benefit, he still needed to return to the Divine Realm to verify a few things. The God Kings were out of his reach, but he would visit a few other Tier 1 gods, especially Rong Nianbing. Their attitudes would, to some extent, determine the difficulty of Ye Lingling's upcoming divine trials.

Meanwhile, the real Poseidon in the Divine Realm was already on his way to the God of Emotions' residence, gifts in hand.

Besides Han Li, Qian Daoliu had witnessed the subtle exchange between the two and felt deeply conflicted. If he had harbored any doubts before, Poseidon's appearance had shattered his idealized view of the gods. He had visited Sea God Island before and personally witnessed Bo Saixi's martial soul. There was no doubt it was the Sea God's. Han Li was right—gods were just stronger beings, nothing more.

Seeing the changing expressions on Qian Daoliu's face, Han Li smiled. Having Poseidon shatter his illusions wasn't necessarily a bad thing.

After waiting a bit longer, Ye Lingling finally opened her eyes. Compared to before, she had undergone subtle changes—a faint trace of law energy emanated from her, though it was very weak. Combined with the pale golden Sea God Trident mark on her forehead, it gave her a unique aura.

"Xiao Li, I've already completed the first stage of my divine trial. The second phase requires me to go to Sea God Island."

Her smile was sweet. The principles and techniques of the Golden Thirteen Halberds, as promised by Poseidon, had already been fully transmitted into her mind. They would be gradually unlocked with each stage of the divine trial. At last, she had real combat power.

"Mm."

Han Li looked at the girl, who was a full head shorter than him, and gently patted her head. Even now, she continued to offer him faith energy.

The image of Ye Lingling in the future, wielding a massive halberd with the Nine-Hearted Begonia floating beside her, amused him. A combat healer, charging forward while healing and fighting at the same time—"Please don't die!" The mental picture was too vivid.

Ye Lingling squinted her eyes, not minding that her hair was being messed up. She even tilted her head slightly to make it easier for Han Li to pat her head.

"Alright, since your divine trial has already started, it's time for us to head to Sea God Island."

Han Li handed the Sea God's Heart back to Ye Lingling. This would be her future core weapon and an important symbol of her identity.

The strange phenomenon on Sea God Island hadn't escaped his notice. Now, it was time for them to go there. Sea God Island's loyal inhabitants were waiting for their future Sea God, Ye Lingling, to return. That was the main event.

"Oh."

Ye Lingling nodded obediently, though there was a hint of reluctance in her eyes because it meant she would soon be separated from Han Li.

"I'll probably have to stay on Sea God Island for a few days."

Han Li sensed her emotions and reassured her.

"Besides, until you've gained sufficient combat power, I'll be there to help you."

Hearing his words, Ye Lingling's face brightened with a smile again. Compared to the other sisters, being a healing-type soul master didn't seem so bad after all.

Off to the side, Qian Daoliu's eyes flickered with a complex expression, but he nodded. Sea God Island, huh? It's been a long time since I've been there. It wouldn't be bad to see some old faces again.

After quickly packing their things and calling for the attendants to check out, the three of them found a secluded spot. Han Li opened a portal leading to Sea God Island. To be precise, it was a transfer station. For Han Li, simple spatial positioning was easy, and his divine power recovered quickly. However, at the moment, the total amount of his divine power was still a significant issue. But soon, that problem would likely be resolved as well.

...

Over an unnamed island in the ocean, Han Li and the others appeared at the island's edge. They had traveled from a freezing region to a warm ocean, and even Qian Daoliu seemed a bit uncomfortable with the sudden change.

Though Han Li shielded Ye Lingling, she quickly summoned her martial soul and activated her domain, enveloping the three of them to help them adjust. Han Li frowned in discomfort—the sea breeze carried a fishy smell that he disliked. He much preferred the scent of forests.

His divine core swiftly absorbed energy, replenishing his divine power. "Next time, we should be at the outskirts of Sea God Island."

Han Li calculated the distance and then stopped Ye Lingling from using her domain to cover him. Their energy levels had shifted, and she might accidentally drain all her soul power.

Besides, it wasn't that he disliked the environment—it was just the smell. In reality, his strength received a slight boost here. Having mastered the laws of water after dual cultivation, the sea was now one of his domains as well. The abundance of water elements in the area was even speeding up his recovery.

After a quick recovery, the three of them adjusted to the environment, and Han Li once again sliced open the space, leading them onward toward Sea God Island.

Sea God Island had no surrounding islands to guard it. On the contrary, it was quite isolated from other islands, as if intentionally set apart to highlight its special status.

Emerging from the spatial portal, the three of them stabilized themselves in midair, using their wings as they looked toward Sea God Island in the distance. The island, with a diameter of 400 li (approximately 200 kilometers), was indeed a massive presence in their sight. But the most prominent feature was the towering Sea God Mountain on the island. That was their ultimate destination.