Chapter 452: The Blue and Yellow Lotus, The Fifth Trial
In his spiritual realm, Dai Yao slowly opened his eyes.
Not far ahead, a simple green lotus swayed gently, resembling an ordinary water lotus by a pond. It was nothing other than Dai Yao's greatest secret and trump card—the Chaos Green Lotus.
Beside it lounged a dark shadow, casually reclining on a chair, tapping his thigh rhythmically. Sensing the shift in energy around them, the "Evil Dai Yao" tilted his head, eyebrows raised with a smirk as he greeted, "Oh, a rare guest."
Dai Yao gave him a calm look and turned his gaze back toward the Chaos Green Lotus. As his eyes adjusted to his surroundings, he saw two additional lotuses next to it—a blue lotus and a yellow lotus. His pupils contracted sharply at the sight.
One lotus radiated an icy aura, encasing the ground beneath it in frost; cold waves seemed to emanate from it, chilling the air. The yellow lotus, in contrast, looked far more ordinary, exuding no unusual energy. Yet as Dai Yao's gaze lingered on it, his heartbeat quickened, inexplicably drawn to its subtle allure.
"Is it really possible... to feel captivated by a flower?" he muttered to himself.
The Evil Dai Yao rose from his chair, which disappeared as he waved his hand, and chuckled. "I already know why you're here. You want to know what these new lotuses are. But, until we're back on the mainland, they'll be of no use to anyone. Now that you know what they are, any thoughts on who should receive them?"
Dai Yao kept his gaze steady, ignoring the question. "With two lotuses here, haven't you thought of taking one for yourself?"
The Evil Dai Yao laughed heartily. "Precious as they may be, they're worthless to me. I wouldn't allow a woman equal to me by my side. At best, they'd be my servants, nothing more. Why waste such a prize? Keep them yourself; I'm not interested."
Dai Yao couldn't help but raise an eyebrow, surprised by his other self's restraint. A truly evil personality would likely have demanded a trade for such valuable items, trying to extract something in return. Dai Yao, always guarded against the Evil Dai Yao, now found himself unexpectedly disarmed.
The Evil Dai Yao noticed his reaction and laughed knowingly. "Relax, friend. Sure, I'm the 'evil' one, but I'll never be your enemy. I'm not some cheap plot twist, biding my time to betray you when the story reaches its climax." He paused, letting his words sink in. "In this world, only I know everything about you, and only you understand me. We are of one mind."
"Now, that's enough talk. Go and inspect those lotuses. And don't forget to visit that old acquaintance of ours afterward—there's a certain 'rabbit' eager to see you." He snapped his fingers and vanished.
Dai Yao watched the shadow fade, pensive. His other self wasn't wrong; they did share a unique bond. But he still couldn't bring himself to trust the Evil Dai Yao completely.
Putting aside his doubts, he stepped toward the blue lotus. Even from a distance, he could feel a biting chill that only grew stronger as he drew nearer. With his formidable physique, normal cold wouldn't affect him, yet this lotus's aura left his skin tingling with frost.
"Could this be an ultimate ice element? No… I've felt something close to this on Shui Bing'er. Her Ice Phoenix martial spirit nearly reaches that level. But this… this chill surpasses even that," he thought, intrigued. "Maybe it's a higher form of ice altogether. I'll have to test it once someone takes it in."
Two candidates came to mind immediately: Shui Bing'er and Xue Wu. But there was only one blue lotus. Giving it to one could create discord between them—hardly ideal if it soured their friendship.
"To avoid that, I'll need a worthy replacement for the other. I guess a trip to the Extreme North is in order."
The purpose was clear: to find the Ice Jade Emperor Scorpion and secure a sacrifice. In Absolute Tang Sect, Huo Yuhao's second spirit manifested thanks to this very scorpion's sacrifice. Dai Yao reasoned that he could strike a similar deal, as Huo Yuhao's near-ascension to godhood in this timeline would appeal to the scorpion's wish to serve a future god.
Decision made, Dai Yao turned his attention to the yellow lotus. For such a seemingly ordinary lotus, it was remarkably beguiling. Even Dai Yao, with his practiced restraint, felt his mind drifting toward it.
"This yellow lotus likely enhances charm. With it, even an ordinary woman would be transformed into a beauty capable of bringing nations to ruin."
He considered Dugu Yan for a moment. She would certainly benefit from it, yet she already possessed one of his lotuses. Giving her another wouldn't be fair to the others. "So, this should go to Hu Liena," he decided. The thought of how much her allure would amplify with the lotus's power made him pause, picturing her new, captivating aura.
Shaking off the distracting thought, he looked down below, remembering his other self's comment. Apparently, Xiao Wu had been waiting to see him.
Directly beneath the floating island of the Chaos Green Lotus, an endless circular area stretched into the horizon, divided by a crackling arc of purple lightning, the manifestation of the Thunder Prison Vine's power.
Within each half stood the Dark Devilgod Tiger and Holy White Tiger, locked in a silent stare-off through the lightning barrier. Their hostile glares bristled with murderous intent; if not for the vine's barrier, they would have torn into each other.
Dai Yao sighed, exasperated. The two were natural enemies, even with him as their master. This rivalry was one reason he couldn't fully trust his Evil Dai Yao, as each godly martial spirit wished to destroy the other. There was no guarantee that his other self wouldn't betray him someday.
Shifting his gaze away from them, he spotted a pink figure standing at the edge of the enclosure.
She wore her signature scorpion braids, and her features were delicate, with a tall, elegant frame. Her white stockings accentuated long, shapely legs, leading down to crystal heels that added several inches to her height. Her graceful form was striking, but her expression was burdened, her brow furrowed with worry.
Dai Yao chuckled; no doubt, Evil Dai Yao had been feeding her every detail of his trials. After learning about his growing strength, Xiao Wu's anxieties must have multiplied tenfold.
He flashed beside her, his sudden appearance causing her to jolt. He watched her coolly and asked, "What do you need?"
She took a deep breath, regaining her composure as her eyes settled on him. The former enmity in her gaze had softened, replaced by something far more complex.
Her eyes traced over him, noting the subtle shifts in his demeanor. Once fierce and unrestrained, Dai Yao had grown more measured, yet his calm facade hinted at immense, controlled power. She knew that even her former self, before she had transformed, wouldn't have been able to stand against him now.
"Congratulations on your growth," she murmured, her voice layered with ambivalence.
Dai Yao raised an eyebrow and said coolly, "Sorry, I still prefer that rebellious side of you from before. Do me a favor and bring it back, will you? If there's nothing else, I'll be on my way."
"Wait!" Xiao Wu called out urgently.
Initially, when forced to sacrifice herself to Dai Yao, Xiao Wu had looked down on him and had been far from respectful. Yet as time passed and she witnessed Dai Yao's strength, she grew quieter, particularly after Evil Dai Yao's appearance. It had left her perpetually fearful, as if she were living in a nightmare.
Now, her rebellious edge had worn away, replaced by an almost resigned demeanor. Dai Yao held her fate entirely in his hands; she couldn't even choose to end her life. That she remained untouched was, in her view, due to his uncharacteristic mercy. And with Dai Yao growing stronger, the possibility of Tang San avenging her seemed even slimmer.
What haunted her more, though, was a gnawing fear about Seagod Island, as if some great secret were lurking beneath its surface. The very mention of the Seagod by the island's soul masters filled her with dread.
If Dai Yao became the Seagod, wouldn't she be bound to his control forever?
Trembling slightly as she met Dai Yao's cold gaze, she stammered, "D-Dai Yao, when you said… you would bring me back to life… did you mean it?"
Dai Yao immediately understood her intentions—an attempt to find some way to escape his control.
Of course, he intended to revive her.
Bringing Xiao Wu back would allow him to shed some of his older, less powerful spirit rings, an advantage Tang San had exploited well in the original story. However, unlike Tang San, Dai Yao had no intention of reducing the difficulty of her revival by putting her through the Seagod trials to perfectly sync her soul with her body. To him, Xiao Wu was merely a tool.
For now, Xiao Wu was completely helpless against him. The fact that she could still maintain some dignity was solely due to his restraint. So, rather than toy with her further, he gave her a straightforward response.
"You've been with me long enough to know my character. Aside from you and Tang San, I have never broken a promise. As for bringing you back to life, I have no reason to lie—I'll do it."
Xiao Wu stared at him, stunned. She could hardly believe that this gentle statement came from Dai Yao, whose ruthless image had softened ever so slightly in her mind.
"Th-thank you," she murmured, conflicted.
Dai Yao gave a brief nod, and in the blink of an eye, he was gone from the spiritual realm.
In the silence of his absence, a faint sigh echoed softly, lingering like ripples across still waters…
A few days later, everyone had returned to Seagod Island.
The battle between the two clans had yielded plentiful rewards for each of them, and after a short period of reflection, they all began the Fifth Trial.
Although Xiao Bai had offered to help, saying that while Dai Yao might not need assistance, his wives might face a tougher challenge, each of them declined her offer, stating they wanted to face the challenge on their own terms.
Xiao Bai was no fool, and she knew their excuse was flimsy. It was clear they harbored deep resentment toward her. She had thought that fighting alongside them might ease the tension, but they gave her no chance. Yet, who could she blame? It was her own foolish decision to go against Dai Yao that had created this rift.
Dai Yao observed Xiao Bai's dejected departure indifferently. Though he could forgive her himself, he would not impose that view on his wives.
With that settled, everyone set their sights on the Fifth Trial.
The content of the Fifth Trial was significantly different from the original story.
Because everyone's trials were of the highest level, the challenges were correspondingly tougher. Since Feng Wutong's assessment was the Seven-Stage Test, she needed to defeat two Titled Douluo within thirty-six hours. As for the others, except for Ning Rongrong, they each had to defeat three Titled Douluo within the same time frame. Ning Rongrong's role was to assist them all in their tasks.
Each of them was assigned different opponents based on their unique strengths.
Perhaps because she hadn't yet acquired her eighth spirit ring, Feng Wutong's opponents were Sea Lance Douluo and Sea Horse Douluo. She volunteered to go first.
Though two spirit rings separated them in power, with Ning Rongrong's support, Feng Wutong fought a long, grueling battle and finally defeated Sea Lance Douluo. Immediately after, she raced over to the Sea Horse Holy Pillar, defeating the slightly weaker Sea Horse Douluo without pause.
Unlike in the original story, these were not Titled Douluo weakened by prior battles but fully restored and ready for action. Feng Wutong's victory demonstrated her skill and power. In fact, she had even declined Ning Rongrong's support for the second fight.
This was Dai Yao's recommendation. In the original story, Tang San had fought each opponent first, making it easier for the Shrek Seven Devils to follow, but they had received fewer rewards as a result. Dai Yao advised his wives to face their challenges without shortcuts.
As expected, Feng Wutong's rewards were not only preserved but slightly enhanced.
After gauging the strength of their opponents, Zhu Zhuqing and Dugu Yan each decided not to rely on Ning Rongrong's support for their trials. With the eighth spirit ring, they each possessed abilities on par with Feng Wutong's supported strength. One by one, Zhu Zhuqing and Dugu Yan completed their own challenges, albeit with difficulty.
Since both of them had to face overlapping opponents, Dugu Yan had to wait her turn, which wore down her patience somewhat.
Ning Rongrong, however, felt the most frustration. She hadn't contributed much to this trial, yet her task was complete. This feeling of having strength but nowhere to use it gnawed at her.
And while Dai Yao hadn't even begun his own challenges yet, he certainly didn't need her support.
"Come now, Rongrong, don't be upset. The fact that Zhuqing and Yan didn't need your support shows how powerful they've become, right?" Dai Yao chuckled, giving her cheek a playful pinch to lift her spirits.
"I know that," Ning Rongrong pouted, "but I'm still a challenger! If I don't help, it feels like I'm just sitting around while everyone else works hard. I feel like… like I'm just coasting." She looked away, a little embarrassed.
Amused, Zhu Zhuqing gave Dai Yao a playful glare. "Rongrong, we're all family here. There's no need to feel guilty. If you're frustrated, take it out on Dai Yao—he's the one who made us so strong!"
Dai Yao widened his eyes in mock disbelief. "Wait, how is this my fault? Since when is making you stronger a problem?"
Their laughter and banter echoed through the room. In the end, with flushed cheeks, Ning Rongrong leaned into Dai Yao's chest, her gaze soft and filled with affection as she asked, "So, Yao-ge, since you're taking on all the Holy Pillar Guardians, who will you challenge first?"
With a smile, Dai Yao wrapped his arms around her and Zhu Zhuqing, holding each close. "Let's start with Sea Dragon Douluo…"