Facing PoseidonPoseidon Temple.
After watching the battle between Dai Yao and Sea Dragon Douluo, Poseidon knew that none of the seven Holy Pillar Douluos were a match for Dai Yao.
She withdrew her gaze, looking at the temple of the sea god where she had spent almost her entire life, and sighed softly after a long while. The position of high priestess gave her unparalleled power, but it also imprisoned her for life. From her teenage years to her old age, she felt the coldness of being at the top all too well.
He sacrificed his life for Dai Yao's path to godhood.
Are you willing to accept this?
She kept questioning herself.
Just then, a glint of dark light flashed in her beautiful eyes. She bit her lip tightly, and her delicate hand holding the scepter unconsciously clenched.
"I want to live! The seven guardians of the holy pillars are no match for Dai Yao. Fortunately, the Sea God has decided to change the content of the sixth trial, making me Dai Yao's opponent. This is my only chance in this life. If I cannot take this opportunity to eliminate Dai Yao, I will die."
A cold glint flashed in Poseidon's beautiful eyes.
Thinking of this, Poseidon shuddered, and her beautiful eyes cleared somewhat. She was the Sea God's servant; how could she plot against the Sea God's successor? Hadn't the lesson from last time been enough?
A myriad of sorrows are locked away in my heart.
A deep sigh echoed in the Temple of Poseidon.
The realm of gods.
Poseidon, the sea god, was fully aware of Poseidon's changes. He came outside the palace, gazing at the boundless sea of clouds, and frowned, saying:
"The evil god-king knew I knew about this, yet he still secretly interfered with Poseidon. What a reckless fellow! Knowing that Poseidon was one of my people, he still acted without restraint. His character is indeed as the gods described: willful and unscrupulous."
"But if I expose this, it will undoubtedly break ties with him. He won't care about anything then and might just forcibly take Dai Yao away, which would be troublesome."
"The best approach now is to remain unchanged and wait for all changes. Dai Yao, everything depends on you."
Poseidon thought helplessly.
The evil god-king's actions were dishonorable, and even if brought before the gods, he wouldn't be in the right. However, the reason he was called the evil god-king wasn't just because of his immense power, but more so because of his capricious behavior.
He doesn't care what others think when he does what he wants. If Poseidon exposes this, the evil god-king will only become more unscrupulous.
"Sigh, now we're all tied up. I should have known better than to send Poseidon to be the examiner for Dai Yao's sixth test. But speaking of which, Dai Yao's strength is just too outrageous. A Soul Douluo completely suppressed so many Title Douluos. He must have had some kind of fortuitous encounter."
Poseidon thought with some regret. If Dai Yao hadn't performed so exceptionally well in the fifth test, he wouldn't have appointed Poseidon as the examiner for the sixth test.
Turning his gaze through the thick clouds, he looked at Poseidon at the Sea God Temple in the lower realm. After a long while, he sighed softly:
"Poseidon..."
He had witnessed Poseidon's dedication over the years, but if Poseidon were to cause the successor's mission to be lost in the flames, he would not let Poseidon off easily. Everything Poseidon had was given to him by him, and naturally, he could take it back!
······
"Dai Yao, our sixth test requires us to withstand the attacks of seven Saint Pillar Douluos for the duration of an incense stick burning. What is your sixth test?"
In the temporary residence of Haima City, the women chatted for a while, then Dugu Yan tilted her head and asked with a smile.
Everyone looked over curiously. Apart from Bai Chenxiang, who had already completed the test, the content of their sixth test was for the four women to work together and endure for the time it takes for an incense stick to burn while being tested by seven Saint Pillar Douluos. However, Dai Yao was the only one missing from this test.
They were very curious about what Dai Yao's assessment would be.
Upon hearing this, Dai Yao was taken aback. The test in the original story was not the test by the Seven Sacred Pillar Douluo, but he immediately understood.
In the original novel, the Shrek Seven Devils failed to gain the approval of all seven Sacred Pillar Douluos because they used a trick in the fifth trial, taking turns to wear down their opponents. Therefore, the difficulty of the sixth trial was deliberately increased. However, Dugu Yan and the others genuinely defeated the examiners, so the content of the trial was not changed.
However, when Dai Yao came to his senses and carefully read the information from the sixth test in his mind, his expression became strange:
"Yanyan, my sixth test is different from yours. I need to endure the attack of Poseidon, the Sea God Douluo, for the time it takes for an incense stick to burn."
As soon as he finished speaking, everyone was struck dumb.
Ning Rongrong frowned and asked with concern:
"Brother Yao, are you confident?"
Seeing Dai Yao's 'you actually doubt me' look at her, Ning Rongrong hurriedly explained:
"Brother Yao, I'm not doubting you, it's just that your opponent this time is too strong. Although the Sea God Douluo is not well-known on the continent, she is indeed one of the strongest Soul Masters on the continent, especially on the sea, where she is undoubtedly the strongest."
"You are very powerful, even the Sea Dragon Douluo, a Super Douluo, is no match for you, but you are too young."
"If you were a little older, we wouldn't be as worried as we are now."
Dai Yao gently stroked Ning Rongrong's head, trying to soothe her fear, but he didn't answer. Instead, he looked at Zhu Zhuqing, Dugu Yan, and the other women, and asked with a smile:
"Is that what you think too?"
Dugu Yan and Zhu Zhuqing exchanged a glance and nodded. Dugu Yan then analyzed the situation with a serious and cautious expression:
"Yes. As we all know, after level 95, each level up represents a qualitative leap. Added together, the difference between a level 99 Peerless Douluo and a level 90 Title Douluo is like an insurmountable chasm. As the strongest person on the continent, we can't find any battles to refer to when we see the Sea God Douluo. We can only try to imagine her strength."
"Dai Yao, although you defeated Sea Dragon Douluo today, this battle cannot be used as a reference."
"However, according to Sea Dragon Douluo, even he couldn't withstand a casual attack from Sea God Douluo, and that was only Sea God Douluo using half of his soul power. Nobody knows what kind of trump cards Sea God Douluo has."
"Moreover, during the second trial, Poseidon Douluo showed hostility towards you. Although I don't know why, given the opportunity to face you alone in the sixth trial, she will definitely not show any mercy."
"If the Sea God Douluo has no restrictions, Dai Yao, I don't have high hopes for your performance in this assessment."
Upon hearing Dugu Yan's analysis, the women all nodded in agreement, becoming even more worried about Dai Yao's situation.
Upon hearing this, Dai Yao nodded approvingly.
Since it's an assessment, there must be hope of completing it. Even in the original story, Tang San used the strategy of attacking the enemy's defenses to ultimately gain a chance of survival.
However, in the original story, there were seven Shrek Academy members, while Dai Yao was alone. But is Dai Yao's strength alone weaker than the seven Shrek Academy members combined? The answer is no, so there is a possibility that he can pass the test, and the possibility is not small.
More importantly, the content of each assessment is designed based on the strength demonstrated by the assessor, but Dai Yao's true strength is far from being revealed.
"Yan Yan is right. During the assessment, the Sea God Douluo's strength is significantly limited. He cannot utilize the power of the sea and the temple, he cannot use his domain, and he cannot use his seventh, eighth, or ninth soul skills."
Dai Yao explained.
Upon hearing this, Dugu Yan seemed to be deep in thought, and said:
"In that case, there is a chance to pass the assessment."
But the worry on Zhu Zhuqing's usually cold face did not diminish in the slightest:
"Brother Yao, although the Sea God Douluo's strength has been somewhat restricted, he should not be underestimated. You are our husband, and even if there is only a one in ten thousand chance of failure, I don't want you to take the risk. Especially not against a powerful Soul Master like the Sea God Douluo."
"I only regret that I can't be there for you to share this burden."
"Brother Yao, you must complete the assessment."
The relaxed expression on Dai Yao's face slowly disappeared, and he nodded solemnly.
Originally, he didn't take Poseidon seriously because he had the Chaos Green Lotus as a trump card, but after seeing Zhu Zhuqing's worried eyes, he slowly became serious.
Yes, he's not alone now. With any risky endeavor, there's always a group of people worried about him, whether for his own sake or for theirs. Even with absolute certainty, one must be extremely cautious.
"Don't worry, Zhuqing, Yanyan, Rongrong, Wutong, Xiangxiang."
"The Sea God Douluo is indeed very strong, but don't forget that even the Sacred White Tiger Martial Soul and the Dark Demon Evil God Tiger Martial Soul couldn't last until the end of the assessment. I still have that last trump card."
Dai Yao said solemnly.
······
Three days later.
In front of Poseidon Temple.
Poseidon stood in the center, flanked by the seven Saint Pillar Douluos. They exchanged strange glances with Dai Yao and the others who were standing at the foot of Sea God Mountain.
Poseidon looked at the figure before the palace with some surprise and asked calmly:
"Esteemed examinees, your sixth test has a time limit of one year. There's no need to rush. Are you sure you want to take the test now?"
Zhu Zhuqing and Dai Yao exchanged a glance, then looked at the women who were already ready, and turned back to say:
"Senior, we are ready. Our strength won't improve much within a year, so we choose to take the test now. After we complete our test, Dai Yao will take the test."
Seeing that Dai Yao and the others had made their decision, Poseidon stopped trying to dissuade them and turned around to nod to Hailong Douluo and the others.
After receiving permission, the seven Saint Pillar Douluos exchanged glances, their expressions grave. They knew all too well the strength of the women beside Dai Yao; they vividly remembered how they had been defeated by them before. This time, the seven of them were fighting together, and they absolutely could not afford to lose!
Seven Title Douluos lost to four who weren't even Title Douluos, and two of them were even juniors of Soul Saints. It's too shameful!
"Four examiners, there are seven of us together. Our strength is not as simple as one plus one equals two. We won't hold back at all, so you'd better be careful!"
The Sea Maiden Douluo smiled charmingly and reminded him in a lighthearted tone.
The four women said in unison:
"Please enlighten me, senior!"
"Activate your Martial Soul!"
With a roar from Sea Dragon Douluo, seven terrifying waves surged into the sky, each possessing nine spirit rings. The combined pressure of these seven Title Douluos was comparable to that of Poseidon.
"Wutong, protect Rongrong, let's awaken our martial spirits too."
Dugu Yan stared intently at her opponents not far away, shielding Ning Rongrong behind her. The Vermilion Bird cried out, the Azure Dragon appeared, and ice began to rise beneath the feet of the Netherworld Sovereign; the Ten Treasures Glazed Glass shimmered with precious light. Although there were only four of them, their aura was in no way inferior to that of the seven Title Douluos.
The superior quality of their martial souls was enough to offset their disadvantage in soul power level.
Then, rings of spirit rings slowly rose from beneath their feet. To everyone's astonishment, Zhu Zhuqing and Dugu Yan's eighth spirit rings had transformed into 100,000-year spirit rings!
"Miss Zhu Zhuqing, Miss Dugu Yan, wasn't your eighth spirit ring supposed to be a ten-thousand-year spirit ring? Why has it now become a one-hundred-thousand-year spirit ring?!"
Seahorse Douluo asked in surprise.
During the fifth trial, several Saint Pillar Douluos fought against the two women and witnessed their eighth spirit rings. Therefore, they were puzzled as to why their eighth spirit ring had become a 100,000-year spirit ring.
"Senior, we did have ten-thousand-year spirit rings before, but after completing the fifth trial and receiving the reward, the age of our spirit rings increased by one thousand years, thus breaking through one hundred thousand years."
Dugu Yan explained.
The seven Saint Pillar Douluos exchanged bewildered glances, all of them shocked. The top-tier Eight Trials increase the age of one's spirit ring by one thousand years with each completed trial. This means that Zhu Zhuqing and Dugu Yan's eighth spirit rings were already very close to one hundred thousand years old, which is why their spirit ring age broke through to one hundred thousand years after completing a few trials.
The two 100,000-year spirit rings narrowed the gap between them once again. It wouldn't be an easy task for the seven Saint Pillar Douluos to defeat the four women within the time it takes for an incense stick to burn.
With a gentle wave of her hand, Poseidon Island's restrictions were lifted, and the battle instantly commenced.
Sea Ghost Douluo and Sea Spear Douluo transformed into two sharp swords, attacking Zhu Zhuqing and the others' formation from the left and right respectively. Meanwhile, Sea Dragon Douluo and Seahorse Douluo attacked from the front, putting pressure on Zhu Zhuqing and the others.
Their real target is Ning Rongrong!
They were all renowned Title Douluos with rich combat experience, and they knew that in team battles, they had to take down support-type Soul Masters first, not to mention top-tier support-type Soul Masters like Ning Rongrong.
Furthermore, since the opposing team lacks a control-type Soul Master, if Ning Rongrong can be eliminated, then Zhu Zhuqing and the others' defeat in this assessment is inevitable!
Just as the battle began, Poseidon landed beside Dai Yao to watch the fight. Observing the situation on the field, Poseidon leaned on her scepter and said calmly:
"The battle has been one-sided from the very beginning, Dai Yao, yet you're not worried at all. Do you have that much confidence in them?"
Dai Yao glanced at Poseidon out of the corner of his eye, unsure of her purpose, and replied:
"Of course I'm not worried. I'm actually quite worried in one-on-one situations, but I'm not worried at all in team battles."
While they were talking, the situation on the field suddenly changed.
A cloud of purple mist shot out from Dugu Yan's body; the ice covering the entire Sea of the Sea instantly slowed down the speed of several Title Douluo; in the sky, Feng Wutong's seventh soul ring lit up, and she directly used her Martial Soul True Body. Several long rainbows descended from the sky and landed on Feng Wutong, and Feng Wutong's aura rapidly increased.
The four titled Douluo—Sea Dragon, Sea Horse, Sea Spear, and Sea Ghost—launched their attack, exposing the weakness in their rear.
Zhu Zhuqing and her team not only had to withstand the pressure for the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, but they also had to fight back!
The changes in the arena caused Poseidon's pupils to constrict slightly, and he exclaimed in surprise:
"You younger generation are really bold..."
Immediately, she turned her gaze, her beautiful eyes fixed on Dai Yao, and quietly said:
"Dai Yao, do you know what the sixth test means to me? If I have the chance, I will kill you during this test..." (End of Chapter)