Chapter 454: Facing Bo Saixi
Seagod Temple.
After watching Dai Yao's battle against Sea Dragon Douluo, Bo Saixi was convinced that none of the Seven Sacred Pillar Guardians could match him. She withdrew her gaze, turning to the Seagod Temple where she had spent nearly her entire life. With a heavy sigh, she reflected on how this position of High Priestess had granted her unparalleled power, yet had also bound her existence, from youthful innocence to old age. She knew her duty—sacrificing her life for Dai Yao's path to godhood.
But was she truly willing?
Again and again, she questioned herself. Her grip tightened on her staff, a faint darkness flickering in her otherwise beautiful eyes as she clenched her lips.
"I want to live!" she thought. "The Seven Sacred Pillar Guardians are no match for Dai Yao, and now that Seagod has decided to alter the Sixth Trial so that I am his opponent, this may be my only chance. If I don't seize this moment to remove Dai Yao, my fate is sealed."
For a moment, a cold, steely resolve crossed her gaze. But a shudder ran through her, snapping her back to herself. She was Seagod's servant; how could she contemplate harming his chosen successor? The consequences of the last time she defied this sacred duty were still fresh in her mind.
A low sigh echoed throughout the Seagod Temple, filled with indescribable sorrow.
Divine Realm
Seagod, Poseidon, stood on the edge of his celestial hall, watching the endless cloud sea. He frowned, aware of Bo Saixi's inner turmoil.
"Even knowing that I'm aware, Evil God-King continues to meddle with Bo Saixi. That reckless, audacious spirit—everyone says he acts entirely on impulse and wields power without restraint," Poseidon mused. "He knows Bo Saixi is under my protection, yet he won't hold back. If I confront him directly, it would force a complete break, and he might go as far as directly seizing Dai Yao, which would complicate things further."
After a pause, he continued, "For now, the best approach is to stay steady and let things unfold naturally. Dai Yao… I leave everything in your hands."
Poseidon understood that the Evil God-King was known for doing as he pleased, regardless of convention or others' judgments. If Poseidon exposed his intentions now, the Evil God-King would likely act even more recklessly.
"With the way things are going, I almost regret assigning Bo Saixi as Dai Yao's Sixth Trial examiner. But Dai Yao's performance in the Fifth Trial was too exceptional—I had no choice."
Poseidon's gaze softened slightly as he looked through the thick clouds, observing Bo Saixi in the distant Seagod Temple below. After a long silence, he sighed, "Bo Saixi…"
He had always watched her closely, her years of devotion etched in his memory. But if she risked the sacred task of passing on his legacy, he would not hesitate to punish her severely. Everything she possessed, he had granted, and he could just as easily take it all away.
Seahorse City Residence
As the women relaxed in their temporary Seahorse City residence, Dugu Yan glanced curiously at Dai Yao, tilting her head. "Our Sixth Trial requires us to withstand the combined attacks of the Seven Sacred Pillar Guardians for the duration of an incense stick. Dai Yao, what's your Sixth Trial?"
Everyone turned to look at Dai Yao. Besides Bai Chenxiang, who had completed her own trial, the other women all had the same Sixth Trial: enduring the combined force of the Seven Sacred Pillar Guardians for one incense stick's time. Notably, Dai Yao was excluded from this trial, and everyone was curious about what his task might be.
Dai Yao paused, momentarily taken aback. In the original trials, the task wasn't to face the Seven Guardians together, but he quickly understood why it had changed.
In the original story, the Shrek Seven had completed the Fifth Trial using strategy, rotating between opponents without winning their approval. This had led to a harsher Sixth Trial. But Yan and the others had fought each Guardian head-on, earning full approval, so their Sixth Trial had not been adjusted.
However, when Dai Yao read the details of his Sixth Trial, his expression grew strange. "Yan, my Sixth Trial is different from yours. I am to withstand attacks from Seagod Douluo, Bo Saixi, for the duration of an incense stick."
His words struck the group like lightning.
With a furrowed brow, Ning Rongrong asked anxiously, "Brother Yao, are you confident?"
Seeing his amused expression as he looked at her, Ning Rongrong quickly explained, "Brother Yao, I don't doubt you! It's just that your opponent this time is incredibly strong. Seagod Douluo isn't well-known outside the island, but she is indeed one of the strongest soul masters on the continent. Here at sea, she's second to none."
"You're powerful—you even defeated Sea Dragon Douluo, a Super Douluo. But you're still so young… If you were just a little older, we wouldn't be this worried," she added.
Dai Yao gently stroked her head, hoping to ease her fears. Instead of answering, he turned to the other women with a smile, asking, "Do you all feel the same?"
Dugu Yan and Zhu Zhuqing exchanged a glance and nodded. Dugu Yan responded earnestly, "Yes. Everyone knows that advancing past the ninety-fifth level brings massive qualitative leaps, making a ninety-ninth level Douluo vastly stronger than a newly ascended Titled Douluo. We've never witnessed Bo Saixi's strength firsthand, so we can only imagine how powerful she truly is."
"Even if you beat Sea Dragon Douluo today, that doesn't guarantee anything against Bo Saixi. He admitted he couldn't withstand even a casual blow from her when she used only half her power," Dugu Yan continued, her tone solemn. "And since Bo Saixi showed hostility toward you during the Second Trial, she's unlikely to go easy on you now."
"Without any constraints on her strength, I wouldn't be optimistic about this trial."
The women nodded, agreeing with Dugu Yan's analysis and growing more worried for Dai Yao.
Dai Yao nodded appreciatively at Dugu Yan's careful assessment.
"Given it's a trial, there must be a way to succeed. In the original story, Tang San survived by exploiting Bo Saixi's protective instincts. However, unlike him, I'll be facing her alone. Yet my power alone isn't weaker than the combined force of the original Shrek Seven," he thought.
Out loud, he explained, "Yan is right. Bo Saixi does have restrictions for the trial. She can't draw on the power of the sea or the temple, nor use her domain, or her seventh, eighth, and ninth soul skills."
Hearing this, Dugu Yan's eyes brightened. "If those limitations are in place, it does sound more feasible."
However, Zhu Zhuqing's cool expression remained unchanged, her face tinged with concern. "Brother Yao, even with her power restricted, Seagod Douluo is not to be underestimated. You're our husband; even a one-in-a-million chance of failure isn't worth the risk—especially with an opponent as strong as Bo Saixi."
"I just hate that I can't be there to bear it with you," Zhu Zhuqing murmured softly. "Brother Yao, you have to complete the trial."
The lighthearted expression faded from Dai Yao's face as he saw Zhu Zhuqing's earnest, worried gaze. His attitude shifted, now more serious. Yes, he wasn't alone anymore. Any risk he took had people concerned for him—those he needed to protect and be careful for, no matter how confident he was.
"Don't worry, Zhuqing, Yan, Rongrong, Wu Tong, Xiangxiang," he said seriously. "Seagod Douluo is indeed powerful, but remember, even if my Holy White Tiger and Dark Devilgod Tiger spirits can't hold until the end, I still have my final trump card."
Three Days Later
In front of Seagod Hall, Bo Saixi stood in the center with the seven Sacred Pillar Douluo by her side, exchanging looks as they observed Dai Yao and his group arriving at the foot of Seagod Mountain.
Bo Saixi, noticing them, asked calmly, "Your sixth trial has a one-year time limit, so there's no rush. Are you sure you want to proceed with the trial now?"
Zhu Zhuqing looked over at Dai Yao, then at the rest of the prepared women before answering, "Senior, we're ready. Our strength isn't likely to improve much within a year, so we choose to face the trial now. Once we complete ours, Dai Yao will then face his."
Seeing their determination, Bo Saixi nodded and signaled to the Sacred Pillar Douluo. They exchanged looks of resolve. These young women's strength was undeniable—they could still remember how they were defeated. This time, facing all seven of them together, they couldn't afford to lose.
"It's not as simple as one plus one with the seven of us. We won't hold back—be cautious!" Sea Maiden Douluo warned with a playful smile.
The four women answered in unison, "Please, give us your best!"
"Unleash your spirits!" Sea Dragon Douluo shouted, and seven powerful presences rose to the sky, each radiating the aura of a Titled Douluo with nine spirit rings. United, their force created a pressure almost equal to Bo Saixi herself.
"Take care of Rongrong, Wu Tong!" Dugu Yan instructed seriously, keeping Ning Rongrong safely behind her. Phoenix's cry, Azure Dragon's roar, and the icy aura of the Netherworld gathered with the radiance of the Ten Treasures Glazed Pagoda. Though only four, the quality of their spirits balanced the gap in spirit power between them and the Titled Douluo.
Gradually, rings of spirit energy rose around each of the four women, shocking everyone as they noticed that Zhu Zhuqing and Dugu Yan's eighth spirit rings had transformed into red, one-hundred-thousand-year spirit rings.
"Miss Zhu Zhuqing, Miss Dugu Yan, weren't your eighth rings originally ten-thousand-year rings? How have they become one-hundred-thousand-year rings now?" Sea Horse Douluo asked, puzzled.
Dugu Yan explained, "Senior, they were indeed ten-thousand-year rings before. But as part of the rewards from completing our Fifth Trial, each of our spirit rings gained another thousand years in power, which pushed them past the one-hundred-thousand-year mark."
The seven Sacred Pillar Douluo exchanged startled looks, realizing that the Top-Tier Eighth Trial could increase spirit ring years by a thousand for each completed trial. With that power boost, their chances of winning within the time limit were reduced even further.
With a slight gesture from Bo Saixi, the protective restrictions around Seagod Island opened, signaling the beginning of the battle. Sea Ghost and Sea Spear Douluo charged in, aiming left and right at the group's formation, while Sea Dragon and Sea Horse Douluo advanced from the front, concentrating pressure on them. Their true target was Ning Rongrong—eliminating her would secure victory.
As the battle erupted, Bo Saixi stepped beside Dai Yao, observing the fight with him. Leaning on her staff, she said, "The fight seems one-sided, Dai Yao. Yet you're not worried at all. Do you have such faith in them?"
Dai Yao glanced at Bo Saixi, unclear about her intentions. "I do. One-on-one fights would make me nervous, but in a group battle like this, I'm not concerned in the least."
At that moment, the battle's tides shifted. A wave of purple mist burst from Dugu Yan, an icy frost coated the entire Sea within the Sea, slowing down the Titled Douluo's movements, and Wu Tong activated her seventh ring, unleashing her true spirit form. Beams of light descended upon her, enhancing her aura immensely.
With four of the Titled Douluo advancing forward, they'd unwittingly exposed weak points in their own formation. Zhu Zhuqing and her companions weren't just defending—they were launching a counterattack.
Seeing this, Bo Saixi's eyes narrowed slightly, surprised by their boldness. "These juniors certainly have courage…" she muttered.
Then, her gaze fixed on Dai Yao, her voice calm yet chilling, "Dai Yao, you know what this Sixth Trial means to me. If I have the chance, I will kill you in this test."