Blue Lotus and Yellow Lotus, The Fifth TestIn his mental world, Dai Yao slowly opened his eyes.
Not far ahead, a blue lotus swayed gently, just like any other lotus flower that can be seen by the pond, ordinary and unremarkable.
It is Dai Yao's greatest secret and trump card—the Chaos Green Lotus.
Beside the Chaos Green Lotus, a black figure was leisurely reclining on a deck chair, rhythmically patting his thighs. Sensing the strangeness around him, the evil 'Dai Yao' turned his head, raised an eyebrow upon seeing the newcomer, and chuckled:
"Oh, a rare guest has arrived."
Dai Yao calmly glanced at the evil 'Dai Yao', then shifted his gaze to the Chaos Green Lotus. When he clearly saw the two lotus flowers surrounding the Chaos Green Lotus, his pupils suddenly contracted.
To the left and right of the Chaos Green Lotus, there is a lotus flower, one blue and one yellow.
The ground around the blue lotus was covered with a layer of solid ice, and an astonishing chill emanated from above the lotus. The yellow lotus, unlike the blue lotus, did not exhibit any unusual phenomena; rather, it appeared rather ordinary. However, when looking at the yellow lotus, one's heart raced, as if sensing a unique allure that made one involuntarily feel a fondness for it.
"This is unbelievable! I actually feel a liking for a lotus flower!"
Dai Yao cursed inwardly.
The evil 'Dai Yao' stood up from the recliner, waved his hand, and the recliner beneath him vanished instantly. He laughed:
"I know the purpose of your trip, isn't it just for these lotus flowers? If you don't return to the mainland, these two lotus flowers will be useless. Now that you know the type of lotus flower, have you found a suitable person to give them to?"
Dai Yao looked at the evil 'Dai Yao', but instead of answering, he asked:
"There are two lotus flowers here, don't you want to take one?"
"Ha ha!"
The evil 'Dai Yao' laughed a few times, then said:
"This item is precious, but it's useless to me. I won't allow a woman of equal status to appear by my side; the only people I have are maids and slaves. Giving this to them would be a waste. You can keep it for yourself; I have no interest in it."
Dai Yao was quite surprised by the magnanimity of the evil person; such an evil personality showed no signs of evil at all.
If he were truly evil, he should have used these two lotuses to gain greater benefits, yet this guy showed no such intention whatsoever. Dai Yao, who had never lowered his guard against evil from beginning to end, couldn't help but fall into confusion.
Seeing Dai Yao remain silent, the evil version of 'Dai Yao' instantly understood Dai Yao's thoughts and laughed:
"Don't worry, my friend. Although I am evil, you will never become my enemy. I am not like those villains in some clichéd stories who patiently gain your trust in the early stages, only to stab you in the back and reveal their true colors at the end."
"In this world, only I understand everything about you, and only you know everything about me. The experiences of our past lives, the secrets of the Chaotic Green Lotus, the inner thoughts beneath your expressionless face..."
"We are of one mind."
"Alright, that's all I have to say. Go see those two lotus flowers yourself. After you're done, don't forget to visit our old friend down there. That rabbit really wants to see you."
After saying that, the evil 'Dai Yao' snapped his fingers and then vanished into thin air.
Watching the black figure disappear, Dai Yao fell silent. Evil was right; in this world, only the other knew everything about him. But could his words be trusted? Dai Yao remained skeptical.
As he slowly approached the blue lotus, even though there was still a long distance to go, Dai Yao already felt an extreme chill. With his physical strength, ordinary cold air had no effect on him, but this blue lotus could affect him, which showed how terrifying it was.
"Could this be the ultimate ice? No, I've felt the ultimate ice on Shui Bing'er. Even if her Ice Phoenix Martial Soul doesn't reach the ultimate ice, it's not far off. Even if it is the ultimate ice, it can't make me feel this cold."
"This might be a power on a higher level than the ultimate ice."
"Forget it, I'm too lazy to dwell on these things. Whether it's the ultimate ice or not, we'll know once it's absorbed and tested."
"But to whom should I give it? There are two people who are suitable for this blue lotus, Shui Bing'er and Xue Wu, but there is only one lotus. If I give it to only one person, even the best of sisters may develop a rift. If this matter causes us to lose our sisterhood, then I will have really lost the big picture for the small gain."
"After giving the Blue Lotus to one person, I must try my best to compensate the other person."
"So I still have to take them to the far north..."
Dai Yao's gaze was deep and unfathomable.
The purpose of going to the far north is simple: to have the Ice Jade Emperor Scorpion sacrifice itself for those who did not obtain the Blue Lotus.
Huo Yuhao of Douluo Continent II: The Peerless Tang Sect obtained his true second martial soul only after receiving the sacrifice of the Ice Jade Emperor Scorpion.
In the original novel, Huo Yuhao gained the trust of the Ice Jade Emperor Scorpion only through Tianmeng's help. In this life, however, he has already embarked on the path to godhood, with a success rate of 98%. Barring any unforeseen circumstances, he will undoubtedly become a god. At that time, Dai Yao will use this to entice the Ice Jade Emperor Scorpion, and he is not worried that she will not agree to his conditions.
Having figured all this out, Dai Yao turned his gaze and fixed it on the yellow lotus.
Although it was just a lotus flower, its alluring charm was so captivating that even the self-controlled Dai Yao found it hard to resist.
"This Coptis chinensis should be related to charm. If taken, even an ordinary woman could be turned into a femme fatale who brings ruin to the country."
"This item is very suitable for Yanyan, but Yanyan has already consumed a green lotus. If she were to consume a yellow lotus as well, it would be somewhat unfair to the others. So, let's give this lotus to Hu Liena. She is also very suited to the temperament of this lotus."
Dai Yao couldn't imagine how alluring and captivating Hu Liena would become if she consumed this Coptis chinensis.
Shaking his head, he banished the idyllic thoughts from his mind. After choosing masters for the two lotus flowers, Dai Yao looked down. According to Evil himself, after so long, Xiao Wu wanted to see him.
Below the floating island where the Chaos Lotus is located, a blue circular line outlines an area that stretches as far as the eye can see. Within this area, a purple arc of lightning cleaves it in two.
It was the power of lightning transformed from the Thunder Prison Vine.
In the two separated areas, the black Dark Demon Tiger and the white Holy Tiger, separated by the power of lightning, stared at each other, their fierce glints radiating. If it weren't for the Thunder Prison Vine blocking their way, the two would already be locked in a fierce battle, fighting to the death.
"Those two guys..."
Dai Yao sighed helplessly.
The Dark Demon Evil God Tiger and the Sacred White Tiger are natural enemies, and even Dai Yao cannot change their nature. This is also one of the reasons why Dai Yao is uneasy about Evil Himself; both of their divine-level martial souls want to devour each other, so how could Evil Himself not harbor hostility towards him?
Turn your gaze away and look at the pink figure standing at the outer edge of the two areas.
Her scorpion braid reached the ground, her face was delicate, and she had a tall, slender figure. Her long legs, especially those encased in white stockings, drew all attention. Her jade-like feet wore crystal high heels, the heels two or three inches high, further accentuating her exquisite figure.
However, there was no smile on her beautiful face, and a trace of sorrow always lingered between her brows.
Seeing this, Dai Yao couldn't help but smile slightly. Indeed, even though he had closed off the channels through which his spiritual world could observe the outside world, the evil one would not allow Xiao Wu to live a peaceful life and would surely tell her about his experiences on Seagod Island.
Knowing his rapidly increasing strength, Xiao Wu must be feeling uneasy...
With a flash, he appeared in front of Xiao Wu. Looking at Xiao Wu, who was startled by his sudden appearance, Dai Yao asked calmly:
"What do you want from me?"
Xiao Wu was startled when she saw Dai Yao suddenly appear. After a moment, she calmed down and looked at Dai Yao with a complex emotion instead of the initial hostility.
Xiao Wu sized Dai Yao up and down. Compared to his former sharp and aggressive demeanor, Dai Yao was now much more composed. However, she could sense the terrifying energy contained within his seemingly ordinary body. Even she, before she took human form, couldn't stop him now.
"Congratulations, you've taken another step forward in your skills."
Xiao Wu asked in a complicated way.
Dai Yao raised an eyebrow and said calmly, "Sorry, I still prefer your unruly self from back then. Please try to recover. If there's nothing else, I'll be going now."
"etc!"
Xiao Wu called out hurriedly.
At first, when she was forced to sacrifice herself to Dai Yao, Xiao Wu looked down on him and was not very respectful in her words. However, as time went by and she realized Dai Yao's power, she became increasingly silent. In particular, the appearance of the evil 'Dai Yao' made her live in constant fear and anxiety, as if she were living in a nightmare.
Now, her edges have been smoothed out, and she has a somewhat resigned feeling towards her fate.
Everything about her was under Dai Yao's control; she couldn't even commit suicide. The fact that she could still remain innocent was already a testament to Dai Yao's mercy. Moreover, as Dai Yao grew stronger, the chances of Tang San avenging her became increasingly slim.
More importantly, everything on Seagod Island seemed to conceal a huge secret. The Seagod mentioned by the Soul Masters of Seagod Island sent chills down her spine.
If Dai Yao becomes the Sea God, wouldn't she be controlled by Dai Yao for all eternity?
Meeting Dai Yao's cold gaze, Xiao Wu shuddered and said haltingly:
"Dai...Yao, when you said you would resurrect me, was that true?"
Upon hearing this, Dai Yao immediately understood Xiao Wu's idea: she simply wanted to take the opportunity to escape his control.
He will definitely revive Xiao Wu.
Reviving Xiao Wu would remove his earlier, lower-age spirit rings, a benefit that Tang San in the original novel has already demonstrated to the fullest extent.
However, unlike in the original story where Xiao Wu underwent the Sea God's trial to perfectly integrate her soul and body, thus greatly reducing the difficulty of the resurrection, his resurrection of Xiao Wu doesn't guarantee the quality of the process. To put it bluntly, Xiao Wu is merely a tool for him.
Now that Xiao Wu has no room to resist, it's only out of his mercy that she can maintain her dignity in front of him. Therefore, he's too lazy to tease her in this matter anymore.
"You've been inside my body for so long, and you know my character. Except for you and Tang San, I've never broken any promises I've made. As for reviving you, I have no reason to lie to you now; you will be revived in the future."
Dai Yao said calmly.
Upon hearing this, Xiao Wu stared blankly at Dai Yao. She found it hard to believe that these were Dai Yao's words. The ferocious and terrifying impression of Dai Yao from back then gradually softened.
"Thanks."
Xiao Wu said in a complicated way.
Dai Yao nodded, and with a flash, he disappeared from the spiritual world.
In the realm of the mind, a faint sigh echoed like ripples...
······
Several days later, the group returned to Poseidon Island.
Having experienced the battle between the two races, everyone gained something. After a brief period of reflection, the group began the fifth trial.
Xiao Bai wanted to help, but although Dai Yao was powerful enough not to need her assistance, his wives were significantly weaker. They might even be defeated by the guardians of the Holy Pillars.
To her dismay, Dai Yao's wives firmly refused her help, stating that they did not want to take shortcuts.
Although Xiaobai was simple-minded, this excuse was rather clumsy. She understood the women's hostility towards her; she had thought that fighting together would resolve their grudges, but they showed her no respect whatsoever. But who could she blame? If she hadn't attacked Dai Yao, would things have turned out this way?
Dai Yao watched Xiao Bai's dejected departure with indifference. He could forgive Xiao Bai, but he would not force his wives to change their opinions.
Next, everyone immediately began the fifth test.
The content of the fifth test differs significantly from that in the original work.
First, because everyone's assessments are top-level assessments, the content has become much more difficult.
Because Feng Wutong's assessment is the top-tier Seven Trials, she needs to defeat two Title Douluos within thirty-six hours; while everyone else, except Ning Rongrong, needs to defeat three Title Douluos within thirty-six hours. Ning Rongrong, on the other hand, needs to assist everyone in completing the assessment.
Secondly, depending on their respective strengths, the guardians they need to challenge will also differ.
Perhaps because she hadn't obtained her eighth spirit ring, Feng Wutong's opponents were Sea Spear Douluo and Seahorse Douluo. Feng Wutong volunteered to fight first.
Despite the difference of two spirit rings, with Ning Rongrong's assistance, Feng Wutong fought a fierce battle and managed to defeat Sea Spear Douluo. She then rushed to the Seahorse Sacred Pillar without stopping, defeating Seahorse Douluo, who was slightly weaker than Sea Spear Douluo.
Feng Wutong's opponent is not the Title Douluo who was defeated by Dai Yao and whose strength was somewhat damaged in the original work. Not only is his strength complete, but he has also recuperated and is ready to fight.
Being able to defeat them is enough to demonstrate Feng Wutong's strength. Even when facing Seahorse Douluo, Feng Wutong refused Ning Rongrong's assistance.
This was also Dai Yao's suggestion.
In the original story, Tang San and his friends were worried that they wouldn't be able to pass the level, so Tang San fought the monsters first, and then the other Shrek Seven Devils went up. Although they passed the level, the rewards they received were much worse.
Therefore, based on their abilities, Dai Yao adopted an honest approach to try and complete the assessment.
As expected, Feng Wutong's rewards were not only not halved, but were even increased.
After assessing their opponents' strength, Zhu Zhuqing and Dugu Yan decided that they did not need Ning Rongrong's assistance to face the assessment. Having obtained their eighth spirit ring, their strength was significantly different from Feng Wutong's, so even though they were alone, their strength was by no means weaker than Feng Wutong's with Ning Rongrong's help.
Zhu Zhuqing and Dugu Yan, one after the other, both finally completed their missions with great difficulty.
However, because the two women had the same opponent, after defeating them, they had to wait for the opponent to recover their soul power, which made Dugu Yan a little impatient.
But Ning Rongrong was the most frustrated. She completed the task without putting in much effort, and the feeling of having no way to use her strength made her extremely uncomfortable.
Although Dai Yao hasn't started the challenge yet, does Dai Yao need her assistance?
"Alright, Rongrong, don't be angry. The fact that they don't need your help just proves that Zhuqing and Yanyan are very strong, doesn't it?"
Dai Yao pinched Ning Rongrong's cheek and comforted her with a smile.
"Of course I understand that! But I'm also an examiner. I completed the task without contributing anything, so I feel like, as you said, like I'm living off someone else. I didn't help Sister Zhuqing and Sister Yan, but I did..."
Ning Rongrong pouted, unwillingly saying...
Upon hearing the words "living off a woman," Zhu Zhuqing smiled, rolled her eyes at Dai Yao, and said:
"Rongrong, we're all family, what's there to blame? Blame Dai Yao! Who told him to make us so strong?"
"Hey, how did this get me involved again? Is it my fault that you guys became stronger?"
Dai Yao stared wide-eyed, unable to believe that Zhu Zhuqing could utter such cold words.
After their playful tussle, Ning Rongrong, her face flushed, nestled against Dai Yao's chest, her eyes glazed, and asked:
"Brother Yao, if you're going to challenge all the Holy Pillar Guardians, which one should you start with?"
Dai Yao embraced a soft woman on each side and laughed:
"Let's start with Sea Dragon Douluo..." (End of Chapter)