Yellow Lotus, Nine-Tailed Celestial Fox"I'm sorry, Nana."
Feeling the girl's trembling body in his arms, Dai Yao froze for a moment, then reached out and hugged Hu Liena's waist, saying apologetically.
A myriad of emotions welled up inside him, leaving him speechless. Only now did he understand why Hu Liena had initially feigned indifference. After three years of separation and the torment of longing, even the gentlest and most considerate Hu Liena couldn't help but have her moments of temper.
Hearing Dai Yao's words of comfort, Hu Liena couldn't hold back her emotions any longer, and tears soaked Dai Yao's clothes.
For the past three years, she has been appointed by Bibi Dong as the commander-in-chief of the three armies. In order to control the army, she had to put away her gentle appearance, shut down her emotions, become cold and ruthless, and become decisive in killing, pretending to be a rational commander.
A tidal wave of pressure surged towards her from all directions, making it hard for her to breathe. She longed to confide in Dai Yao, but Dai Yao had already disappeared. Yan and Xie Yue, while understanding her situation, could offer her no comfort. Whenever the pressure and exhaustion of the night were deep and quiet, she could only bear it alone.
But she couldn't be as cold as she appeared. Upon seeing Dai Yao, the emotions that had been building up inside her for three years immediately erupted.
The pretense that had been maintained for three years in front of a million-strong army crumbled in an instant before Dai Yao.
After a long while, Hu Liena's emotions gradually calmed down.
"Dai Yao, I miss you so much..."
Hu Liena murmured.
Upon hearing this, Dai Yao's heart trembled slightly, and his hand, which had been roaming over Hu Liena's delicate body, froze. On Poseidon Island, he had embraced Hu Liena on both sides, but his longing for her was far less than Hu Liena's longing for him.
He sighed inwardly, feeling a pang of self-reproach and pity for Hu Liena. This was so unfair to her, but he had no intention of letting go.
"I miss you as well."
Dai Yao leaned close to Hu Liena's ear and whispered.
The hot breath brushed against her ear, and Hu Liena's heart skipped a beat. A blush rose on her cheeks. Realizing her loss of composure, she quickly turned away, trying to wipe away the tears on her cheeks, and said:
"I'm sorry, I lost my composure. I had already made preparations for the matter in Hanhai City. I had no intention of dealing with the Qinglian Sect and the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect at all. But you are too strong. Many people within the sect are not at ease with you. I can't just suppress such voices directly. I can only follow their advice and send two Title Douluos to keep an eye on you."
Hu Liena walked to the wooden table, took down the paper she had just prepared, showed it to Dai Yao, and said softly:
"This is the peaceful coexistence treaty I have drafted. Take a look and see if there are any problems. Then we can issue a joint statement, and the relationship between Hanhai City and the Empire will not be so tense."
Dai Yao didn't look at the paper. Instead, his gaze was fixed intently on Hu Liena. He reached out and grabbed Hu Liena's hand, which was trying to escape, forcing her to face him. He gently wiped away the remaining tears from the corners of her eyes and said softly:
"Thank you, Nana. I'm sorry I haven't been by your side for the past three years."
Hu Liena's heart trembled, and her delicate body involuntarily fell into Dai Yao's arms, as if she had returned to a safe harbor. She closed her eyes and said:
"No, it's not your fault. I am His Holiness the Pope's disciple, and as the Holy Maiden of the Spirit Hall, I have an obligation to shoulder my responsibilities. I cannot shirk them."
After a long while, she raised her head, met Dai Yao's gaze, and asked softly:
"And what about you? What have you been through in these past three years?"
Suddenly, her hands, which were on Dai Yao's back, felt a hard touch, and she asked in confusion:
"Huh, what's this?"
Dai Yao smiled, took the Trident of Poseidon from behind his back, unwrapped the cloth covering the halberd to reveal its gleaming golden blade, and explained with a smile:
"This is my experience over the past three years, and this is the weapon of the Sea God—the Trident of the Sea God. I once told you that I went to Sea God Island, and only after I got there did I discover that it was actually the place where the Sea God inherited his legacy. And I was fortunate enough to gain the Sea God's approval and embark on the path to godhood."
"As the assessment continued, my soul power level increased rapidly, from level 70 to level 87."
Upon hearing this, Hu Liena's red lips parted slightly, stunned by what Dai Yao had said.
The weapon of the sea god? The path to godhood? Level 87?
A barrage of information bombarded her, leaving her mind blank. After carefully sensing the soul power fluctuations on the Trident of the Sea God, she had no choice but to believe the truth of Dai Yao's words. Although her soul power level was not high, only at the Soul Saint level, as the Holy Maiden of the Spirit Hall, her knowledge was far broader than that of many Soul Douluos, or even Title Douluos.
Looking at the man she had longed for for three whole years, she suddenly felt a little unfamiliar.
"Nana, what's wrong?"
Dai Yao noticed the confused look on Hu Liena's face and asked in confusion.
"Are you still the Dai Yao I know?"
Hu Liena looked somewhat bewildered.
Dai Yao smiled slightly, tapped Hu Liena's delicate hand, and said:
"Silly girl, what are you thinking! Who else could it be but me?"
Hu Liena pursed her lips, staring blankly at Dai Yao. After a long while, she said in a somewhat dejected voice:
"But suddenly I feel you're so distant. Three years have passed, and you've changed so much. Not only has your soul power level increased so much, but you've also embarked on the path to becoming a god. In the future, after you become a god, I can only accompany you for a very short time, and in the end, I can only turn into a handful of dust..."
Upon hearing this, Dai Yao finally understood what Hu Liena was worried about, and immediately chuckled, putting his arm around Hu Liena's slender waist, and said with a smile:
"Silly girl, we can be together after we become gods. It is said that after becoming a god, one is qualified to bring one's partner into the legendary divine realm."
Hu Liena's eyes lit up immediately, but then dimmed again, and she lowered her head, saying:
"Although I don't know the rules of the divine realm, there must be some limitations to breaking the rules like this. For example, the number of partners is limited. You have four wives, and even with your qualifications, you might not be able to bring them all into the divine realm, let alone me?"
"I'm just one of your lovers, how can I compare to them?"
Hearing Hu Liena's humble words, Dai Yao couldn't help but feel heartache. It was time to give her that yellow lotus flower in his spiritual world.
"That's not the case. In my heart, you are no different from them. It's just that due to some objective conditions, I can't marry you yet. Don't worry, you will definitely be able to ascend to the realm of gods, and you won't even need my help."
"What?"
Hu Liena raised her head and looked at Dai Yao with some surprise.
Did Dai Yao mean that she also had the possibility of becoming a god? The moment she thought of this, she felt that she was overestimating herself.
She was well aware of her own strength and talent. Although she was among the top in her age group, she was still far from being a true genius.
Not to mention Dai Yao, she couldn't even compare to Tang San, Dai Yao's defeated opponent. If it weren't for her age advantage, the gap between her and Dai Yao and the others would be even more exaggerated. She believed that she would definitely become a Title Douluo in the future, but becoming a god was nothing short of a pipe dream.
Dai Yao did not explain directly, but instead asked:
"Nana, you should know about the changes that have happened to Zhu Qing, Wu Tong, and Dugu Yan, right?"
Hu Liena frowned slightly, pondered for a moment, and said softly:
"I have indeed heard that before you joined the Temple, we conducted a very detailed investigation of you and the people around you. Among them, some people noticed the changes in Zhu Qing and Wutong Martial Souls."
"Zhu Qing's martial soul used to be the Netherworld Cat, but later it became known as the Netherworld Overlord; Wu Tong's martial soul was the Blazing Firebird when she was at the Star Luo Royal Academy, but after she went to the Heaven Dou Empire, it became the Vermilion Bird martial soul."
"Both of these are top-tier martial souls. The teacher once speculated that even the Clear Sky Hammer martial soul might not be as good as these two in terms of martial soul quality."
"Therefore, many people were tempted to investigate the secrets behind it. After all, if we possessed the ability to evolve martial spirits, the power of our temple would reach an unprecedented peak, and we might even be able to easily defeat the two great empires."
"But in the end, all of these people's suggestions were suppressed by the teacher."
"Dai Yao, what do these things have to do with me?"
Dai Yao's heart skipped a beat. He hadn't expected such a secret from back then. Bibi Dong had actually protected him in secret. If he remembered correctly, he and Bibi Dong had adventured together during the Rakshasa God Trial...
Upon hearing Hu Liena's question, Dai Yao immediately snapped out of his daze, stretched out his hand, and a yellow lotus flower appeared in his palm, hovering and swirling around him.
The lotus has twelve petals, and its leaves gently unfurl, exuding a captivating fragrance.
Upon seeing it, it seems to evoke the purest desires deep within one's heart; even with eyes closed, this feeling of fascination lingers.
"This is?"
Hu Liena's gaze was fixed on the lotus flower in Dai Yao's palm, an uncontrollable, almost greedy desire rising within her. She could sense that if she obtained this lotus flower, she would experience earth-shattering changes. If she hadn't retained some rationality, she would have already tried to snatch it.
Dai Yao explained with a smile:
"This is one of my secrets: every time I break through a new realm, a new lotus flower is born in my spiritual world."
"Each lotus flower possesses a magical power that rivals the creation of heaven and earth. After consuming lotus flowers, Zhu Qing and Wu Tong's martial souls evolved. Their talents and potential are vastly different from before. It can even be said that they all possess the potential to become gods."
"When they break through to the Title Douluo level, a god might come directly to them."
"And this yellow lotus is what I prepared for you. After consuming it, not only will your martial soul evolve, but your physical attributes will also be greatly improved, as if your marrow has been cleansed. When you break through to the Title Douluo level, perhaps even a god will come to you directly."
Hu Liena had no doubt about the truth of Dai Yao's words. She could feel her martial soul's longing for this lotus flower, a longing that came from her bloodline.
Seeing this, Dai Yao handed the lotus to Hu Liena and said with a smile:
"Absorb it quickly, it will take about half an hour. I will protect you."
Taking the yellow lotus, Hu Liena felt as if her own martial spirit was urging her to absorb this rare treasure as quickly as possible. She took a deep breath, trying her best to calm her mind. Then she turned to look at Dai Yao, deeply moved. Dai Yao telling her this secret was tantamount to proving her place in his heart.
Hu Liena smiled and said:
"Thank you."
Dai Yao waved his hand: "What kind of relationship do we have? Why are you thanking me? Hurry up and take the Coptis chinensis."
Hu Liena nodded, but she didn't rush to absorb it. Instead, she instructed the guards at the front of the camp and made a brief arrangement for the camp affairs before returning to the command tent to begin absorbing the Coptis chinensis.
The moment Huanglian entered her mouth, it immediately transformed into a warm current that flowed throughout her body. Warm yellow soul power fluctuations appeared around Hu Liena as if they were tangible, and then enveloped her like a large cocoon.
"When Rongrong absorbed the Golden Lotus, she looked just like this. The time it takes for Nana to absorb the Yellow Lotus should be about the same. Now we only need to wait half an hour."
Looking at the familiar 'cocoon', Dai Yao sighed:
"Hu Liena was a bewitching beauty to begin with; every smile and frown could arouse a man's desire. After absorbing the Yellow Lotus, her alluring appearance would be irresistible to most..."
Half an hour later.
With a crisp cracking sound, Dai Yao opened his eyes.
The large yellow cocoon shattered piece by piece, and the high-temperature moisture inside immediately turned into white mist upon contact with the air. Within the white mist, a shapely figure could be seen faintly.
The moment his gaze fell upon that beautiful figure, Dai Yao felt a surge of heat rise within him, and his mouth became dry.
"Dai Yao, am I pretty?"
A seductive voice, sweet and alluring, rang out from the white mist. Immediately afterwards, a bewitching figure, swaying her breathtaking curves, slowly emerged from the clouds. Her naked, jade-like body seemed to be a masterpiece of nature.
Hu Liena leaned gently against Dai Yao, her jade-like hand stroking Dai Yao's somewhat stiff chin. Her red lips parted slightly, and she exhaled a breath of hot air. Her pair of clear, bright eyes were filled with an irresistible allure.
Dai Yao roughly wrapped his arm around Hu Liena's waist, placing one hand on her high, firm breasts, and panted as he said:
"Nana, you're playing with fire!"
Upon hearing Dai Yao's barely suppressed voice, Hu Liena let out a string of silvery laughter, and then immediately released her martial soul's talent.
With the activation of his martial soul talent, the alluring body that Dai Yao had once been captivated by lost its magic, no longer driving him to the brink of madness. Even without unleashing her talent, Hu Liena showed a noticeable change compared to when she hadn't absorbed the Yellow Lotus.
The dullness of pores and skin imperfections have all disappeared without a trace.
If Hu Liena's previous beautiful body was a masterpiece of heaven, then her current body is God's most perfect and greatest creation.
"Dai Yao, if you want me, just take me right here..."
Noticing Dai Yao's burning gaze, Hu Liena gently stroked Dai Yao's face and said softly.
Having obtained such a rare and precious substance as 'Huanglian', she didn't know how to repay Dai Yao, so she could only offer herself to him.
Dai Yao thought about it and still refused the suggestion. His sexual encounters were always quite long, and if he took Hu Liena here, although the army of the Spirit Empire wouldn't be in any immediate danger, it would undoubtedly be a blow to Hu Liena's prestige.
Hu Liena clearly understood the price to pay. She was willing to consider her own needs, so how could he let her down?
"Fine, Nana, you can compromise for me, but I can't ignore your situation. I'll take you for real after I marry you properly."
Dai Yao kissed Hu Liena's alluring lips deeply.
After a long while, their lips parted, and a thin, glistening thread fell. A captivating blush appeared on Hu Liena's face. Dai Yao reached out and took out a robe from his soul tool, draping it over Hu Liena's body to cover her alluring figure.
"By the way, Nana, has there been any change in your martial soul?"
Dai Yao inquired.
Hu Liena smiled charmingly, and spirit rings slowly rose from the soles of her feet. The seventh black spirit ring shone with a black light, and nine pink fox tails suddenly shot out from inside her clothes behind Hu Liena.
"My current martial spirit is the Nine-Tailed Celestial Fox."
A captivating blush flickered in Hu Liena's beautiful eyes, her voice sweet and gentle. (End of Chapter)