Thunderbolts struck their bodies, sending waves of paralysis and pain that nearly caused Wang Dong and Xiao Xiao to faint. Although their clothes remained intact, their bodies beneath bore obvious wounds.
Still, they gritted their teeth and endured, supporting and encouraging each other. The past estrangement between them had completely vanished.
So what if the person they had a crush on had become their "sister"? As long as they chose to forget, there was no obstacle they couldn't overcome!
At last, the two of them managed to climb out of the red zone hand in hand.
After escaping the red zone, a mysterious power swiftly healed all their injuries.
Having overcome the first trial, the two girls were filled with renewed confidence and prepared to continue pressing forward.
Next awaited them—the orange zone.
However, the moment they entered the orange zone, Xiao Xiao was only slightly disoriented, her spirit a bit dazed.
But Wang Dong reacted as if she were having a seizure. Her eyes lost focus, she screamed for her father and mother, and then fell into a frenzy. She let go of the pillar and plummeted down.
Xiao Xiao hurriedly grabbed Wang Dong with the chain, trying to call out and awaken her.
But it was useless.
Eventually, as Xiao Xiao's strength gave out, she too lost her grip, and the two of them fell from the pillar together.
Everyone watching felt their hearts tighten at the sight.
Thankfully, although the fall was severe, the mysterious power once again healed them.
After a moment, Wang Dong regained consciousness. She apologized to Xiao Xiao and, determined anew, began the climb again with her.
However, it was obvious that Wang Dong's mental state was off. Her expression was strained.
Once more, they struggled through the red zone and arrived at the orange zone.
This time, Wang Dong had mentally prepared herself, but the moment she entered, she was still affected.
Even though she pushed herself to climb for a while, she ultimately couldn't succeed—instead, she was even more deeply traumatized.
And so, the result was the same: the two fell again, only to be healed once more by the mysterious force.
But for them, this cycle of forced healing was itself a crueler form of torture.
They weren't afraid of dying in the trial. What crushed them was being unable to die—and unable to escape. Despair seeped into their hearts.
The intense mental stress drove Wang Dong into a coma.
Xiao Xiao cradled Wang Dong in her arms, kneeling helplessly on the ground, crying uncontrollably.
Having barely escaped death once, then experiencing heartbreak and torture right after, Xiao Xiao's emotions finally collapsed.
Though the screen couldn't transmit sound, everyone watching could still feel her helplessness and despair.
Everyone outside the screen fell silent.
They wanted to help—but were powerless to do so.
"There's no external threat in the orange zone. That means the attacks are targeting the heart—or perhaps the soul?" said Hua Yao, analyzing carefully. "It seems Wang Dong—junior sister—has a massive vulnerability deep within."
Meanwhile, Huo Yuhao, always the moral compass, couldn't just stand by. He looked up from within his bubble and roared,
"What are you doing?! How can you treat them like this?! Tell me—how do I save them?!"
The others were even more distressed at seeing Huo Yuhao so furious. Everyone was angry and sorrowful—but also knew that before divine power, they were utterly powerless.
Then, unexpectedly, Huo Yuhao received a response. Only he could hear the voice:
"Those who betray love shall fall into the hell of sin. Only by climbing the Seven Heaven Pillars can one cleanse their sins."
This was both explanation and guidance.
The implication: If Huo Yuhao wanted to save them, he would have to betray his love—abandon all his current lovers—to enter the same space as Wang Dong and Xiao Xiao and rescue them.
"Are you mocking me? If I betray my lovers, we could all be in mortal danger!" Huo Yuhao shouted in rage.
The voice responded:
"As one favored by divine grace, you will not face death. However, if you choose to abandon love, all your memories with your lovers will be erased."
"Why are you so intent on making me abandon love? What is your purpose?" Huo Yuhao asked warily.
"I am the embodiment of the trial's rules. All actions are simply responses to those blessed by the gods. There is no deceit or manipulation."
All emotional ties—cleanly severed.
Naturally, Huo Yuhao's face showed disbelief, and he quickly fell into a deep internal struggle.
It seemed that whether it was Ma Xiaotao and the other girls, or Wang Dong and Xiao Xiao, Huo Yuhao was unwilling to give up on any of them. Faced with a choice between love and life, he hesitated.
"Love and life are equally important to me. But I don't want to see anyone else die in front of me again… Can I speak with my lovers first?" Huo Yuhao asked, looking up.
The voice quickly answered: "Yes."
The bubbles merged, and Huo Yuhao and the girls were placed into a larger shared space. The girls looked puzzled as Huo Yuhao explained what he had just been told.
As expected, their expressions all changed—anger, disbelief, and inner conflict.
Finally, it was Xian Lin'er who spoke first:
"Wang Dong and Xiao Xiao need our help. Besides, we've already gained enough blessings—we can't just watch them die here."
"But… do we really have to give up our memories with Yuhao?" Ma Xiaotao asked, unable to believe it.
Xian Lin'er's expression was heavy, but she nodded.
"I'm afraid so."
"How could it come to this?" Wei Na covered her mouth in shock.
"But—" Ma Xiaotao wanted to protest further.
"Do you want to watch Wang Dong and Xiao Xiao die here? If they die, can you truly live without regret?" Xian Lin'er asked her.
Ma Xiaotao fell silent.
"I believe in Yuhao!" said Ling Luocheng, firmly. "Even if we lose our shared memories, I believe Yuhao will still win us over again and create new memories!"
With Ling Luocheng's declaration, the girls' expressions began to change—from hesitation and struggle, to growing resolve.
Xian Lin'er sighed,
"Life's road is full of sacrifices and forgetfulness. But what matters isn't the past—it's how we move toward a better future."
"Besides, we're already Yuhao's women. That's a fact that no memory deletion can erase."
"Yuhao, go save them. But when you return—make sure to pursue me again, okay~" said Weina playfully, finally letting go of her doubts.
"Us too! We sisters want Captain Yuhao to pursue us all over again!" Bai Shanshan added with a smile.
"Yuhao, come find me again," Ma Xiaotao said, voice trembling.
"I'll wait for you," said Ling Luocheng.
Even Zhang Lexuan gave Huo Yuhao a nod.
"Do what you believe is right."
Tears streamed down Huo Yuhao's face. He clenched his fists, then opened his hands to reveal a ring made from Ultimate Ice. Meticulously engraved on it, using his precise soul power, were the names of every one of them.
"Don't worry. As long as I have this ring, I will find you all again! This ring, formed from my Ultimate Ice, will never melt as long as I live!"
Huo Yuhao carefully stored the ring away. Then, facing the girls, he let himself fall backward—out of the bubble.
As he fell, the girls' bubble began to rise.
As the distance between them grew, the memories they had of each other began to disappear—deleted by an unknown power.
A single tear slid from the corner of Huo Yuhao's eye—then shattered and vanished.
Inside the bubble, the girls also drifted away from the lakebed.
The little variant Frost Centipede's memories had been formatted.
"Ababababa…"
Sensing the utter and complete idiocy in the creature's consciousness, Huo Yuhao—outside the Valley of Passion and Emotion—spat fiercely on the ground.
"Damn it, I knew Tang Old Deng was up to no good! Erasing memories of his lover? This isn't just memory erasure—it's a full account reset!"
"Luckily, your big bro Yuhao is a step ahead. I had a stand-in take the fall for me. But since Tang Old Deng made the first move, don't blame me for striking back."
"He probably thinks I've already fallen into his trap, which means he's about to start his dog-training plan. Time for me to move to the next phase. And since he insisted on having Wang Dong deliver me, it'd be rude not to return the favor with a little surprise."
Although countless thoughts raced through Huo Yuhao's mind—three devious schemes per second—he never lost focus on monitoring the state of the small variant Frost Centipede, as well as developments within the Valley of Passion and Emotion.
Everyone else at the bottom of the lake was equally baffled. Just moments ago, Huo Yuhao had been speaking with the girls, looking heartbreakingly sorrowful. Then he had jumped out of the bubble, and the others had left.
The next time they saw him, he had landed in the same place as Wang Dong and Xiao Xiao—appearing on the screen.
"Great! Yuhao's made it through! Wang Dong and Xiao Xiao are saved!" Wu Ming cried out with joy.
But Cai Meier, Hua Yao, and the others recalled the sorrowful mood from Yuhao's earlier conversation with the girls, and a sense of unease took root.
"Yuhao must've paid a price to get through," Cai Meier suspected.
Meanwhile, in a new space, the small variant Frost Centipede opened its eyes. New memories were surfacing in its mind.
But before it could fully process them, Huo Yuhao's consciousness descended directly into its mind and seized control once again.
"Who are you?!" the Frost Centipede demanded in shock.
"I'm Huo Yuhao~" Yuhao replied with a grin.
"Bullshit, I'm Huo Yuhao!" the centipede roared in fury within the sea of consciousness.
Smack!
Huo Yuhao slapped the little thing hard across the face.
The Frost Centipede's confusion stemmed from its memory being wiped and replaced with newly implanted memories.
Among these were false impressions of Huo Yuhao's identity and a slew of vague and inconsistent memories—clearly fabricated, full of gaps and oddities. Yet it was exactly this haziness that made them seem plausible to the Frost Centipede.
For anything that didn't quite add up, the centipede would instinctively fill in the blanks itself.
After all, fuzzy memories of daily life often feel the most real.
Think about it—how many people can even remember exactly how many bowls of rice they had for lunch?
While talking to the Frost Centipede, Yuhao skimmed through its newly implanted memories and quickly identified three key anomalies:
A flood of vivid, deep memories involving Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong—some even implying the beginnings of romantic feelings between them.
A subconscious suggestion to erase useless "Ultimate Ice" constructs—clearly aimed at the ice ring Huo Yuhao had made, which stored everyone's names.
A newly implanted concept of love—that one should be loyal to a single partner for life, willing to sacrifice everything for their lover, and despising unfaithful, philandering types.
"Using memory manipulation to control someone… Quite the move, God King Tang," Yuhao couldn't help but admire.
"But it's clear you never saw the Frost Centipede's original memories—hence all these gimmicks. Lucky for me. Otherwise, I might've been exposed."
Letting the God King tamper with the Frost Centipede's mind was definitely a gamble on Yuhao's part—but clearly, he had won.
If the God King had somehow managed to read the creature's memories from across the God Realm, then Huo Yuhao… would admit defeat.
In that case, his main body would've turned and fled on the spot. With [Destiny] concealing him, Yuhao refused to believe Tang God King could track him down.
All he needed was a short window to slip past Tang God King's surveillance, and Yuhao had at least nine methods to shed his skin and start anew.
Not only did Yuhao have many friends—he had just as many escape plans.
Now, Huo Yuhao had successfully "fallen" into Tang God King's trap.
It was a necessary sacrifice for the larger goal of confronting him later. After all, to lure a dog, you've got to toss it a bone. That's the only way to keep it from running around biting people indiscriminately, right?
The spiritual exchange in the sea of consciousness took only moments. Yuhao sealed the Frost Centipede's consciousness into the deepest part of its mind—saving it for a later cleansing.
All this happened in the blink of an eye.
As if just recovering from the spatial shift, Huo Yuhao took his first step, rushing over to Wang Dong and Xiao Xiao.
"Are you two okay?" he asked with concern.
"Captain Yuhao?! Why are you here? I'm fine—check on Wang Dong first!" Xiao Xiao exclaimed, surprised and delighted.
"I don't know how I got here either, but that doesn't matter. Let me take a look at her. Now that I'm here, you don't have to worry anymore—or push yourselves too hard."
Yuhao smiled warmly, soothing her.
Xiao Xiao frowned slightly. "Wait… Are you saying you know how to get out of here?"
"Nope. I'm saying—now that I'm here, you don't have to pretend to be strong anymore. Because your wall has arrived!"
Xiao Xiao fell silent.
She stared at him, unsure why Huo Yuhao had suddenly become… so cheesy.
Yuhao checked Wang Dong's condition and found that, aside from being unconscious, she was perfectly fine.
Then he raised his hand and smack-smack!—gave her two firm slaps.
Wang Dong stirred from the pain and slowly opened her eyes, dazed. "What… Huo Yuhao?"
The moment she opened her eyes, she saw him.
"You're awake. The surgery was a success—you're a girl now," Yuhao said with a smile.
"WHAT?!" Wang Dong was horrified and instinctively reached for her lower body.
Fortunately, she stopped in time—her hand hovering just above her waistband. Then, glaring furiously at Yuhao, she shouted, "I am a girl! I already came out to you—you dare joke about this?!"
She had been pretending to be a boy for so long, she nearly forgot herself.
Beside them, Xiao Xiao's expression grew complicated. She found herself wishing Wang Dong really had been a guy…
"Ow, why does my face hurt so much?"
"You fell and hit it."
"And what are you doing here?"
"Not too sure. But I'm here to help, so stop pushing yourselves."
"Who's pushing themselves?!"
"I mean, your wall is here~"
"Ugh! You're so greasy! Go away!"
Before long, Huo Yuhao had Wang Dong and Xiao Xiao back in fighting form, ready to climb the pillar again by his side.
This time, the three of them would ascend together.
Wang Dong and Xiao Xiao were still bound by chains. Huo Yuhao moved independently, taking the lead.
The trio began their ascent, with Yuhao clearing the way at the front.
They quickly passed through the red zone.
The thunder in the red zone was severely damaging to Wang Dong and Xiao Xiao—but to Yuhao, it was almost laughable.
In fact, he noticed something strange: the lightning wasn't just damaging—it also tempered the body.
Soon, the trio reached the orange zone once more.
Upon entering the orange zone, Huo Yuhao finally understood why Wang Dong and Xiao Xiao had reacted so differently—and why Wang Dong had suffered so much.
It turned out the trial of the orange zone was designed to evoke one's deepest negative emotions, overwhelming the heart with sorrow and tormenting the soul.
Simply put, it was made to stab straight into one's emotional core.
Xiao Xiao had been born into nobility, enjoyed a harmonious family life, awakened twin martial souls, and upon entering Shrek Academy, had been surrounded by outstanding beauties and handsome young men like Wang Dong and Huo Yuhao.
Therefore, apart from Wang Dong cross-dressing as a man—which was a big shock to her—Xiao Xiao didn't harbor many negative emotions or vulnerabilities in her heart.
And clearly, the orange zone's trial didn't touch on romantic feelings.
So she was unaffected.
Wang Dong, on the other hand, wasn't lacking in any regard—but she had one unavoidable pain.
That was the fact that she had no memory of her parents.
The search for her parents had become an obsession buried deep in her heart—a heart demon she could not escape.
Huo Yuhao was able to deduce all this because the body he was using—that of the mutated Ice Jade Centipede —had also been affected.
Even though the Ice Jade Centipede 's consciousness had been sealed in the spiritual sea, the orange zone's peculiar power still managed to invade it.
Godly trials just didn't play by the rules.
In the Centipede 's fabricated memories, a tragic childhood emerged: a child named "Yuhao" growing up in a small village, relying on his mother to survive.
That's right—exactly the same identity Huo Yuhao had used at Shrek Academy.
"It seems the God King Tang must've accessed the intelligence I leaked at Shrek Academy—or perhaps all of it. He prepared these fake memories in advance," Huo Yuhao thought.
"I don't know if he really believes them, or if there's some other reason. But it doesn't matter. Once the memories are altered and under his control, origin and background become irrelevant."
Watching the memories being stirred up in the Centipede from within his spiritual sea, Huo Yuhao chuckled—then shoved those memories back where they came from.
So what if the Centipede was affected?
What did that have to do with Huo Yuhao?
Actually, his own consciousness had been affected too, but before any memories of his original self could surface, Huo Yuhao crushed them with raw spiritual force.
"Trivial distractions—how dare they try to shake my Dao heart?"
But in the real world, what others saw was quite different.
Inside the orange pillar zone—
Wang Dong once again fell into a mental collapse. Xiao Xiao clung to her hand, trying her best to pull her back.
Huo Yuhao had closed his eyes too. His face contorted in pain, drenched in sweat—but his hands still gripped the pillar with instinctual tenacity. Compared to Wang Dong, he seemed slightly better off.
Xiao Xiao grew frantic. She hadn't expected Huo Yuhao to fall under as well.
Just as despair crept into her heart, Huo Yuhao suddenly let out a furious roar, opened his eyes wide, and snapped out of it.
"Captain Yuhao, you're awake? That's great! Please help Wang Dong!" Xiao Xiao cried in urgency.
Gasping heavily, Huo Yuhao looked like someone who had just escaped death. Yet he still managed a reassuring smile.
"Xiao Xiao, don't worry. I fully understand this trial now—leave it to me."
Xiao Xiao believed in him completely.
She watched as Huo Yuhao slid down from above to Wang Dong's side. One hand still gripping the pillar, the other wrapped Wang Dong in an embrace.
Their foreheads touched.
Huo Yuhao's spirit seeped into Wang Dong's spiritual sea.
"Wang Dong, I'm here to help you!"
Though soul power was sealed, spiritual power was not. And with Huo Yuhao's long-established spiritual mastery, no one found it suspicious that he was using it.
Though he couldn't do much within Wang Dong's mind—after all, the God King Tang's divine will still lingered there—he could still act.
Wang Dong had fallen into a dreamscape conjured by her own spirit. She yearned for her parents—but had never seen them, had no memory of them.
Though Da Ming and Er Ming had comforted her, her heart couldn't help but imagine the worst: perhaps they had died… perhaps she had been abandoned.
In the illusion, she sat curled up in darkness, hugging her knees and sobbing softly.
"Daddy… Mommy… Dong'er misses you…"
Then—suddenly—a voice whispered in her ear:
"Your mommy and daddy don't want you anymore~"
Wang Dong instantly cried even harder, rage flaring up amidst her grief.
"No! My parents would never abandon me! Who are you?! Get out here!"
That anger, born of sadness, made her summon her Clear Sky Hammer. Eyes glowing red, breathing heavy, she stood up and looked around, ready to strike.
But—there was no one.
Then suddenly, a warm light shone upon her.
From the light came a deep, magnetic voice:
"Dong'er, weren't you looking for your daddy? Why don't you come see who I am?"
Wang Dong's eyes lit up with hope. She stepped forward into the light.
"Could it be… Daddy? Daddy, have you come for Dong'er?"
From within the light, a tall, majestic figure approached.
As she neared, she finally saw the face clearly—
"Huo Yuhao?!" she exclaimed in shock.
Huo Yuhao beamed at her with a fatherly smile.
"Your Daddy Hao is here~"
What? Just missing a dad?
No problem—Brother Hao will be your daddy!
Back on the pillar—
Wang Dong jolted awake, breaking free from the illusion.
Not because she had overcome her inner sorrow—
But because her rage had blown her sorrow away.
For someone who'd given up resistance out of grief, only fury could awaken them.
As soon as she opened her eyes, the first thing she saw was Huo Yuhao's face right in front of hers.
Enraged, she reflexively swung her fist.
"Taking advantage of me?! Die!"
"Aaagh!"
Huo Yuhao was punched square in the face, giving him a panda eye.
But Wang Dong had indeed woken up.
Xiao Xiao couldn't understand what had happened—but admired Yuhao's ability to pull Wang Dong back with just a small effort.
Amazing. Absolutely amazing.
Wang Dong grabbed the pillar again, snapping out of the dreamlike trance. After being filled in on the situation, her face flushed bright red. Embarrassed, she turned her head away and muttered:
"Th-thank you…"
Huo Yuhao:
See? I acted like her dad, and she's still thanking me!
That said, Wang Dong did feel something odd in her heart. From Huo Yuhao, she'd felt a strange warmth—something she could depend on.
She didn't know what that feeling was.
But it made her feel… very off.
With more climbing to do, Wang Dong didn't dwell on it further. After all, she owed Huo Yuhao now.
Taking the lead again, Huo Yuhao continued upward, deep in thought about the trials so far.
"First trial: lightning strikes.
Second trial: a tragic childhood…
Why does this all feel so familiar?"
Before long, the three had left the orange zone and entered the yellow pillar zone.
Huo Yuhao once again took the lead.
Instantly, he felt a heavy, malicious aura descend upon him.
Vengeful spirits began to appear, circling the pillar. Some were human. Some were soul beasts. All lunged toward him.
"I died so miserably…"
"Human…"
"Stay here with us forever!"
Within the yellow pillar's zone, the trial they now faced involved confronting the malice left behind by deceased humans and soul beasts.
That's right—this was a trial.
Huo Yuhao had already determined that these differently colored pillars were both dangers and opportunities.
The red zone's lightning inflicted damage but also significantly strengthened the body.
The orange zone's trial of breaking inner demons tempered the mind.
Now, in the yellow zone, the endless swarm of vengeful spirits hinted at a test related to the soul.
But passing this trial wouldn't be easy.
Facing spirits filled with boundless malice could easily result in mental trauma if they slipped up even slightly.
"Stay behind me, and don't fall behind!" Huo Yuhao quickly shouted to Wang Dong and Xiao Xiao, as his body lit up with a pure light-based power.
Against Huo Yuhao's radiance, the vengeful spirits had only one fate: to be dissolved by the light.
Even those not outright destroyed would be scorched and gravely weakened.
As the saying goes—nothing resists its perfect counter.
Under the protection of his radiant power, the three of them continued climbing upward. The malicious spirits could only whirl helplessly outside the reach of the light. Occasionally, a few dove in like moths to a flame, only to be utterly annihilated.
Huo Yuhao: I'll take care of the danger—just pretend this trial doesn't exist.
Wang Dong and Xiao Xiao, however, stared at Huo Yuhao in stunned disbelief.
"Wait—Huo Yuhao, I thought we weren't allowed to use soul power here? How are you doing this?" Wang Dong shouted.
If she could use her soul power, she could handle these vengeful spirits too.
"Oh, this is my Golden Spiritual—cough, I mean, my Radiant Will!" Huo Yuhao answered casually.
"What's that?" Wang Dong was astonished.
"Remember my move 'Sovereign's Descent'? It involved a bit of willpower manipulation. After further development, I've succeeded in fusing both ice and light elements into my will, allowing me to manipulate light-element power directly through will alone," Huo Yuhao explained. "So even if I can't use soul power here, I can still just barely control elemental forces. But the range is limited, so don't stray too far."
Wang Dong and Xiao Xiao looked utterly dumbfounded.
Xiao Xiao: "Captain Yuhao is amazing!"
Wang Dong: "Can a soul master even do that? Huo Yuhao, be honest—are you pulling my leg? Is there even light-element energy in this place?"
"Haha, of course there isn't—so I'm using the light-element energy stored in my soul bone," Huo Yuhao replied with a laugh.
"Ah, that explains it." Wang Dong suddenly understood.
Since the frost variant centipede they'd absorbed didn't have a light-element soul bone, Huo Yuhao was drawing from the light-element power within his own bloodline—an exhaustible resource.
Fortunately, it was enough for now.
This place only blocked soul power. But your cultivation methods? What power could stop those?
The three continued their climb.
But as they climbed, a drop of liquid fell onto Wang Dong's face—and no, it wasn't Huo Yuhao peeing from above.
Wang Dong wiped her face and found that it was blood—bright red and fresh.
Startled, she looked up, only to find that Huo Yuhao's left arm was covered in cracks, like it might shatter at any moment. Blood flowed down his arm from those cracks, staining half of his body red.
She then realized she had overlooked the long bloodstain that had appeared on the yellow pillar.
"Huo Yuhao, your left arm… Wait, wasn't that the one fused with the light-element soul bone? Don't tell me—drawing on the soul bone's power damages your arm?!" Wang Dong gasped in realization, overwhelmed by guilt and anguish.
Xiao Xiao, hearing this, looked up as well, her eyes instantly turning red.
"Stop! If you keep going, you'll cripple your arm!" Wang Dong shouted in panic.
"Captain Yuhao, please stop…" Xiao Xiao pleaded, her voice trembling.
"It's fine. We're almost out of this zone—it'll be over soon," came Huo Yuhao's calm voice from above, trying to reassure them.
"Besides, the fact that I'm even alive is already a miracle. Just an arm? No big deal."
Wang Dong and Xiao Xiao were speechless. Tears welled up in their eyes as they bit their lips hard enough to bleed.
But there was nothing they could do—only follow Huo Yuhao and climb as fast as possible.
The faster they got out of the yellow zone, the sooner Huo Yuhao could stop injuring his arm.
Leave a little something behind, sprinkle in a tearjerker moment—how else would Wang Dong and Xiao Xiao remember this more deeply?
And once this perfectly timed emotional bond is cleansed… making a move on Wang Dong or Xiao Xiao afterward will come with a solid excuse.
Soon, they exited the yellow zone. Only then did Huo Yuhao stop releasing his light energy—but his left arm didn't recover with any magical healing.
"What?!" Xiao Xiao exclaimed. "This isn't like the previous times!"
"It's probably because this injury wasn't a punishment from the pillar itself," Huo Yuhao reasoned.
Wang Dong and Xiao Xiao both looked at him with heartache.
"Huo Yuhao, let me lead the way next!" Wang Dong offered, eyes filled with concern.
"No need. I can still go on. Plus, I'm stronger than you and have more tricks up my sleeve," Huo Yuhao said bluntly.
Once again, Wang Dong felt ashamed of her own powerlessness—guilt flooding her.
Huo Yuhao, however, was already focused on the upcoming green pillar trial.
But even after climbing a long while within the green zone, no new trial appeared.
Just as the three began to relax a little, two shadowy figures suddenly swooped down from above, attacking Huo Yuhao, Wang Dong, and Xiao Xiao.
"Who goes there?!" Huo Yuhao shouted, swinging his fist upward.
Bang! Bang!
He exchanged punches with both figures before they hooked their climbing gear to the pillar above, glaring down at the trio.
Wang Dong and Xiao Xiao both gasped.
"It's them?!"
"Beibei and Tang Ya?!"
Indeed, the ones who had attacked them were none other than the Holy Spirit Cult's Blue Silver Saintess Tang Ya, and the Evil Dragon Saint Son Beibei.
Their eyes were blood-red. Dressed like evil soul masters, they glared down at the trio, murderously intent.
"Didn't Beibei already turn over a new leaf? Why is he here, attacking us?" Xiao Xiao asked, shocked and confused.
Wang Dong was furious. "Damn it! Don't tell me the Holy Spirit Cult has followed us all the way here?"
But Huo Yuhao stood firm, eyes resolute. "Don't be fooled—they're illusions! Beibei would never betray us again. I believe in him!"
"Illusions?"
Wang Dong and Xiao Xiao both exclaimed. They scrutinized the two figures but could see no flaws.
Still, they trusted Huo Yuhao and forced themselves to believe that the attackers were illusions.
Beibei and Tang Ya swooped down again.
Both drew soul tool daggers and aimed directly at Huo Yuhao's vital points.
But Huo Yuhao didn't flinch—his gaze unwavering.
Beibei's dagger stabbed straight into Huo Yuhao's eye… and passed through without causing any damage. It was an illusion.
Tang Ya then lunged at Wang Dong and Xiao Xiao—but her attack also passed through them harmlessly.
"They were illusions!"
Now, Wang Dong and Xiao Xiao stood fearless.
Beibei and Tang Ya's images slowly faded away.
Next came the terrifying appearance of Zhong Liwu, riding atop the Bone Dragon King, his Super Douluo pressure almost tangible.
Yet this time, the three remained utterly fearless.
They simply kept climbing, ignoring whatever threats appeared next.
In Huo Yuhao's eyes, a light began to glimmer.
"Lightning, tragic childhood memories, vengeful soul beasts, enemy illusions… I get it now."
"So this is the Seven Emotions Trial from the Sea God's Nine Tests!"
"Wait… does that mean next is the Trial of Love, Trial of Desire, and Trial of Joy? Don't tell me they're going to make us broadcast it live to the outside world?!"
Red, orange, yellow, green—next came blue-green.
As soon as they entered the domain of the cyan-colored pillar, Huo Yuhao and his two companions instantly fell into an illusion.
Their consciousness appeared in the midst of a city festival. The streets bustled with throngs of people, each wearing a different mask—some singing and dancing, some enjoying life—a lively celebration filled the air.
Night had already fallen, but the festival was as bright as day, lit by soul lamps that illuminated most of the area.
Most importantly, the three were now separated, each dressed in different clothes and masks that couldn't be removed or replaced.
"This... is an illusion?"
Looking at his hand, Huo Yuhao now held a finely crafted key that hadn't been there before.
Even without investigating further, he understood.
"So that's it. I'm supposed to find Wang Dong and Xiao Xiao hidden within this sea of people... Though maybe Xiao Xiao is just an extra."
"So this is the Mask of Love trial, huh~"
Tang God King searched for the Asura Sword Scabbard. Huo Yuhao? He was looking for the God King's daughter.
No problem~
"Then let me show you... what real love looks like!"
"What's that saying again? In the world of love, nothing is impossible!"
The corners of Huo Yuhao's mouth curled up—but then he quickly restrained his expression, suspecting that Tang God King might be watching the illusion.
"Wang Dong, Xiao Xiao—your Brother Hao is coming for you~ …Why does this feel like one of those emperor games where you play blindfolded tag with court ladies?"
Muttering to himself, Huo Yuhao didn't hesitate.
He didn't recklessly use his spiritual power, instead relying on his physical prowess to weave rapidly through the crowd, looking for signs of Wang Dong and Xiao Xiao.
Gotta admit, Tang God King knew how to play. Many of the illusory people looked very similar to Wang Dong and Xiao Xiao. They even carried keys similar to the one in Huo Yuhao's hand.
In this illusion, Huo Yuhao's physical capabilities had been perfectly replicated.
To be precise, so long as Huo Yuhao believed something was reasonable, he could use almost any ability in the illusion—so long as it didn't break the rules.
Huo Yuhao wasn't new to illusions either. Far from it. If he couldn't see through this, he might as well throw away all his cultivation.
Even without his real body present, his will alone could activate certain special powers.
For example, his sensitivity to elemental forces and his insights into divine techniques.
Some divine abilities could even be cast remotely.
Golden particles flickered in Huo Yuhao's eyes, giving him greater autonomy in the illusion.
"Found her!"
Soon, he spotted Xiao Xiao.
The fake people in the illusion became translucent in his view. Only Wang Dong and Xiao Xiao's figures remained clearly visible.
Huo Yuhao charged forward through the crowd, reaching out to grab the arm of a stumbling girl.
"Ah!" the girl yelped in surprise.
"Xiao Xiao, it's me!" Huo Yuhao said gently.
Startled, Xiao Xiao looked up at him but still couldn't believe it. "Captain Yuhao? Is it really you?"
"It is!" he replied with a smile.
"Then... how can you prove it?" Xiao Xiao asked cautiously.
She had already seen several people who looked like Huo Yuhao and had misidentified them. Now she didn't dare trust her senses. She was deeply suspicious of everything in this illusion.
Huo Yuhao smiled and said,
"I once thought illusions were nothing but confusion, lies, and endless deception. But I discovered a singularity—something real. That singularity... is the bond between us."
"No matter what disguise you wear, no matter how you're hidden, I'll always be the first to find you—and I'll always run to you when you need me."
Xiao Xiao stared blankly into the icy-blue eyes behind his mask. She saw the snowflake-shaped imprint at the base of his eyes. In that moment, time seemed to slow infinitely, and she forgot everything—except the thumping of her own heart.
This was... the feeling of falling for someone!
But Xiao Xiao wasn't a naive girl. She knew exactly what was happening to her.
Just recently, she'd been heartbroken—and now she was already falling for another man? What was wrong with her?
"Am I a terrible woman? Falling for one person after another? But… the feeling Captain Yuhao gives me… is different. Even Wang Dong never made me feel like this."
"But Captain Yuhao already has so many girlfriends. Could I really have a place in his heart too?"
As Xiao Xiao wrestled with her thoughts, Huo Yuhao took her hand and led her through the crowd, sprinting ahead.
"Come on, let's go find Wang Dong!" he said without turning back.
Xiao Xiao: "…"
Couldn't we not go find Wang Dong? Maybe just stroll around the festival? It's pretty fun here...
Wang Dong: Excuse me?!
…
Wang Dong was also in the city—but not on the streets. She was alone in a dark room at the top of the tallest building, looking down at the festive lights with a sense of despair.
She had realized: she couldn't leave this room.
Since entering the illusion, Wang Dong had been dressed in a princess gown, with a mask she couldn't remove. A key had also appeared in her hand.
She suspected the key was the way out, but no matter how she tried, she couldn't leave the room—nor could she call for help.
There was no light in the room. Not even a single object that could glow.
The joy outside and the gloom within were like two different worlds.
"Huo Yuhao, Xiao Xiao, where are you? I hope you're not trapped too and can find a way out." Wang Dong was genuinely worried for them.
If all three of them were stuck, then they might as well just give up and wait to die.
Just as Wang Dong was growing anxious—
A loud sound echoed from outside the door. Before she could react—BOOM!—the door was violently smashed open.
Huo Yuhao entered with Xiao Xiao in tow. Both wore beaming smiles.
"We're not late, are we? Princess Dong'er, your knights have arrived!"
"Huo Yuhao! Xiao Xiao!" Wang Dong cried out in joy, rushing over and throwing her arms around both of them.
"W-Wang Dong... I didn't expect you'd be hidden here. But it was Captain Yuhao who figured it out." Xiao Xiao spoke softly—though her tone felt a little... off.
Was it... was it also the bond that let him find Wang Dong so precisely?
Yes, it had to be!
Back then, Captain Yuhao didn't even know Wang Dong was a girl. There were no romantic complications between them—only a pure bond.
After all, Captain Yuhao already had a girlfriend. No way he had... unusual preferences!
Huo Yuhao, however, gave Wang Dong a strange look.
Why was she hugging both of them? What was she trying to say?
Was this... really going to turn into a one-husband-two-wives kind of thing?
…
Using the two keys from Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong, the trio opened the hidden gate in the city and exited the illusion.
When they reappeared, they were standing at the edge of the cyan pillar.
Ahead of them… was the blue pillar!