Chapter 352: I Choose Yu Xiaogang
After Bibi Dong entered the first trial, she found herself in a pitch-black space. The void was empty, but her vision could still pierce through the darkness. However, her power seemed completely sealed. She couldn't use even a sliver of it. She couldn't move at all.
"I wonder what the first trial will be?"
Bibi Dong recalled Poseidon's words: only those who are truly selfless, wise, and willing to sacrifice could pass the trials. She had pretended well for years—this wouldn't be a problem. Once she inherited the Sea God's position, she could flip the script. Sacrifice herself to save the continent, promote peace, treat the people kindly—it was all part of the plan.
Then, light flared. A wave of blazing fire erupted in front of her. The flames were violent and searingly hot, more real and explosive than anything she had felt. Her body felt like it was melting. After just a few breaths, sweat dripped from her skin.
A stern, mechanical voice rang out: "I roamed the seas of the Douluo World for over a thousand years and finally attained the Sea God's position. I experienced countless trials—life, death, sacrifice. The first trial is choice and sacrifice."
As the voice ended, two platforms appeared within the fire. Three figures appeared on them. When Bibi Dong saw who they were, her pupils shrank. Even her soul trembled.
On the left platform stood a middle-aged man, slender, wearing a black-and-white scholar's robe. His face was stiff, his haircut simple, and he held a book of theoretical knowledge. He looked utterly plain—Yu Xiaogang.
On the right platform stood two stunningly beautiful women. One had skin whiter than snow, sharp phoenix-like eyes, and wore a golden court dress stitched with fine threads. Her long golden hair fell loosely down her back—Qian Renxue.
Beside her stood a curvaceous girl of about twenty, equally gorgeous, with short orange hair and fox-ear-shaped hairpins, exuding irresistible allure—Hu Liena.
"Xiaogang… Nana… Xiao Xue…"
Bibi Dong murmured. These three were the most important people in her two lifetimes. And the face of Qian Renxue… was her true daughter, not that cursed imposter.
"You have five minutes to choose. You can only save one platform. The other will be engulfed by the flames. If you make no choice, all three will burn. The Sea God's trial will fail."
What!!?
Bibi Dong felt like her heart was about to explode. As the countdown timer appeared in bright orange between the platforms, ticking down each second, panic set in.
The three figures now moved and spoke.
"Dong'er!"
"Mama!"
"Teacher!"
Yu Xiaogang cried out frantically: "Dong'er! Save me! I love you! It's burning! Please save me!"
"Teacher!"
"Mother!"
Hu Liena and Qian Renxue didn't scream, but looked at her with watery eyes, silently pleading.
"Xiaogang… Nana… Xiao Xue…"
Bibi Dong's voice trembled. Her eyes matched theirs—pleading, desperate. She couldn't move, but her heart, her very soul, was shaking. How could she choose?
"One minute remaining."
The mechanical voice returned. The countdown turned red, shining brighter than the flames, ticking louder with each passing second.
The fire surged higher. The heat became unbearable.
"AHHHH!"
Yu Xiaogang screamed, bouncing on the platform like an ant on a hot skillet. His body had no visible burns, but the agony was real and raw.
"Dong'er! Save me! I'm going to die!"
On the other platform, Hu Liena and Qian Renxue trembled, their bodies wracked with pain. They endured in silence.
Tears streamed down Bibi Dong's face—like beads falling off a broken string. She had endured beatings and humiliation her entire life, but now she was weeping freely.
"Teacher… Mother… make your choice. We will support you no matter what."
"Dong'er! Save me! I love you!"
The countdown resumed.
"Ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two…"
"I—I choose… Xiaogang."
The countdown stopped.
The flames below Yu Xiaogang vanished.
The fire under Hu Liena and Qian Renxue surged higher. When they heard Bibi Dong's answer, their eyes went blank. Their souls shattered.
Their dresses, hair, and skin ignited. Screams of agony echoed as their bodies became blazing infernos—screams that tore the heart.
"Nana! Xiao Xue!"
Bibi Dong regained mobility. Weeping hysterically, she rushed to save them, but an invisible wall blocked her path.
"No!!"
She screamed their names, tears soaking her face. She listened to their screams for three whole minutes, watching them burn to ashes.
"Nana… Xiao Xue… I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm not worthy to be your teacher… or your mother!"
She collapsed, sobbing like a madwoman.
But soon, as if drugged with a tranquilizer, her tears stopped. Her emotions froze. She could no longer cry.
The mechanical voice echoed again.
"First trial complete. Second trial will begin in five minutes."
Bibi Dong raised her head toward the blackened platform, silent for nearly four minutes.
"Nana… Xiao Xue… Xiaogang is already dead in this world. I couldn't let him die again. I'm not the Bibi Dong from that world. Nana, you're still alive here. Xiao Xue… I'll use that bastard as your substitute. After all this is over, I'll make it up to you both—a thousand times over."
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