Chapter 65 75.76. Are you willing to have your soul power taken in her place?
"This trial has two rounds: the first round is to be asked about love, the second round is to test love itself!"
"In the first round, the Eternal Questioning Abyss will question you about your feelings. Only those who answer sincerely and from the heart can pass the first gate of questioning. Those who truly have someone they love will be eligible to receive the trial's reward; those who deceive with lies will suffer the punishment of a great ordeal."
"In the second round, the space will let the one you love decide whether to grant the reward of this space."
Then the space imprinted the rules into the three of their minds like a brand.
"You now have ample time to think. You decide when to start the trial. When all three of you shout to the space: 'Begin the trial,' the trial will begin."
Finally, the ethereal voice fell silent. The three faces cleared and they could hear one another's voices again.
"Sincerely loved, honestly answered — so the trial is testing our love?" Frand murmured, instinctively glancing at Liu Erlong.
Unfortunately, the goddess's gaze did not fall on him, but on Yu Xiaogang.
"If Xiao Gang can get that Golden Dragon Fruit, it could definitely help him solve his martial soul's mutation. Xiao Gang loves me; once it reaches the second round I can decide to bestow the Golden Dragon Fruit to Yu Xiaogang — he'll surely be grateful to me," Liu Erlong said.
Yu Xiaogang didn't pay attention to Frand and Liu Erlong; instead he furrowed his brow and pondered the trial rules.
Only one who truly loves and answers sincerely can pass and obtain the reward.
Who do I truly love? He began to introspect and found he couldn't answer quickly.
There are two women in his life with established relationships: one is Bibi Dong, the other is Liu Erlong.
But does he truly love either of them? It didn't seem so. He got close to Bibi Dong to use her talent for his own benefit; he got close to Liu Erlong to use her in his revenge against Yu Luomian.
Was he lusting after their bodies? Yes — both Bibi Dong and Liu Erlong were attractive female soul masters; of course he was tempted. He wouldn't have feigned ignorance about Liu Erlong being his cousin and still proposed marriage if he weren't attracted.
But is that love? Even after wracking his brain under his crew-cut, he couldn't tell whether his feelings for these two women were love.
If he doesn't love either Bibi Dong or Liu Erlong, then who does he love?
Thinking of this rule made Yu Xiaogang break out in a cold sweat. He could answer the Eternal Questioning Abyss sincerely, but sincerity alone was useless — he needed to have a truly beloved to win the reward. That alone could break his chance with the Golden Dragon Fruit.
Must I again watch the Golden Dragon Fruit slip from my grasp? Yu Xiaogang thought in pain, then his eyes hardened. No — absolutely not. I won't allow it. I'm destined to stand at the top of the continent and look down on all souls; I refuse to be a waste. I must love — by any means necessary, Bibi Dong or Liu Erlong must love one of us truly, and I must be one of those loved.
Yu Xiaogang quickly settled on Liu Erlong. Although he believed Bibi Dong still had lingering feelings for him, he had hurt her not long ago; it was wiser to choose Liu Erlong, who still loved him fervently.
Yu Xiaogang closed his eyes and began to suggest to himself: I love Liu Erlong, I love Liu Erlong, I love Liu Erlong...
After a long while he opened his eyes, looked at Liu Erlong full of feigned affection, eyes resolute, and said to the trial space, "Begin the trial."
On the other side, Frand and Liu Erlong heard Yu Xiaogang's answer and, as if receiving a signal, shouted to the trial space: "Begin the trial."
"The trial officially begins," the ethereal voice said again.
Frand, Liu Erlong, and Yu Xiaogang were once more shrouded in mist — they could not see or hear one another.
First it was Frand's turn. The yin-yang fish at his feet lit up with a jade-green pillar of light, enveloping Frand and making him the most conspicuous presence in the trial space.
"First question: Do you have a lover?" the trial space's voice entered Frand's mind.
Do I have a lover? Frand glanced sadly toward Liu Erlong, then shook his head and said, "No."
"Second question: Do you have someone you love? If so, who is it?"
Frand said with deep feeling, "Yes — Liu Erlong."
The mist around Liu Erlong dissipated and she appeared in Frand's sight. A pillar of fiery red light shone beneath her feet; Frand and Liu Erlong could now see and hear one another.
"Having heard his answer, do you love him?" the voice asked Liu Erlong.
Liu Erlong looked at Frand apologetically, then shook her head and replied to the voice, "No."
Liu Erlong's answer made Frand's expression even dimmer.
The voice then asked Frand: "For the one you love, are you willing to make any sacrifice?"
"Willing!" Frand replied.
"Then the trial space will cut off one of the arms of the one you love. You can avoid this, but the cost is that you must replace them and bear the loss yourself. Will you do it?" the trial space asked.
As soon as the words fell, divine power manifested as a sharp blade and hovered over Liu Erlong's right arm.
"What!" Liu Erlong and Frand were both shocked.
Liu Erlong flew into a rage and shouted at the space, "Who are you to force us to choose? Brother Frand, don't listen to it — if you want to cut, cut my arm!"
Seeing Liu Erlong, Frand's heart warmed. He shouted to the trial space, "I'm willing."
The next moment, the blade that had hovered over Liu Erlong's arm turned toward Frand and slashed — severing his right arm.
"Ahhhhh!" Frand clutched the wound and collapsed to his knees, screaming.
"Brother Frand!" Liu Erlong angrily shouted at the trial space, "Coward hiding behind the curtain, get out here! Hiding at the back to scheme — what kind of skill is that? If you dare, come at me! If I were afraid, I wouldn't be Liu Erlong."
The next moment, a thick thunder-serpent like a python fell from the void and struck Liu Erlong, electrocuting her until her body was blackened and smelling of roasted meat.
"Erlong." Even Frand, barely able to protect himself, still worried about Liu Erlong at this moment.
"Sorry, Brother Frand!" Liu Erlong looked at Frand with guilt. She knew Brother Frand's feelings for her, but she couldn't erase the image of that crew-cut boy from her heart.
"Offend the trial space and you suffer one lightning strike. Accumulate three punishments and you will be erased!" the trial space's cold and merciless voice sounded in their ears.
Of the three, only Yu Xiaogang did not understand what had just happened.
The mist once again separated Liu Erlong and Frand.
Before Liu Erlong could continue worrying about Frand, the light enveloping her restored her scorched exterior, but the internal damage from the lightning remained.
"First question: Do you have a lover?" the voice asked.
Without hesitation Liu Erlong said, "Yes — Yu Xiaogang."
No sooner had she spoken than the mist on the other side cleared and Frand saw that lean, crew-cut figure standing on another platform.
"Xiao Gang." Liu Erlong looked at Yu Xiaogang with affection.
Yu Xiaogang had also heard Bibi Dong's earlier answers; he likewise fixed his glazed, self-hypnotized look of love on Liu Erlong. "Erlong!"
"Second question: Does he love you?" the voice asked — this time it addressed Liu Erlong herself.
Liu Erlong trusted Yu Xiaogang and glanced at him. She believed she loved him deeply, and therefore that he loved her. She said, "Yes!"
"Then, for the one you love, are you willing to make any sacrifice?" the voice asked.
Recalling Frand's ordeal, Liu Erlong panicked and quickly said, "Willing — just don't hurt Xiao Gang."
However, in the next moment, the trial space forcibly drew the martial soul Luo Sanpao from Yu Xiaogang's body. Luo Sanpao's form floated there ringed by two yellowish soul rings.
The sudden change made Yu Xiaogang instinctively try to command Luo Sanpao, but to his horror he found the link severed — he could no longer issue commands.
"Then the trial space will strip twenty levels of soul power from the one you love. You can avoid this, but the cost is you must replace them and have twenty levels of your own soul power taken. Will you do it?" the space asked.
"No — don't strip my soul power. That's a level I earned with two hundred times the effort of others. Erlong, save me." The punishment directly stabbed Yu Xiaogang's pain point; he couldn't hold back.
He was only Level 29 — if he lost twenty levels of soul power he would no longer even count as a Soul Master. Others could regain levels with talent and practice, but he had only 0.5 innate soul power; his golden cultivation age was nearly over. He had already been anguished at possibly never breaking Level 30 — if he couldn't even keep Level 29 he might as well die.
But whether he could keep those twenty levels depended on Liu Erlong. He looked desperately at her, urging her to decide quickly.
Liu Erlong looked at Yu Xiaogang deeply and told the trial space: "If you can do it, take my soul power. Let my soul-power level drop — I can cultivate it back up — but do not take Xiao Gang's. That level was earned through his hard work."
The next moment Luo Sanpao returned to Yu Xiaogang's body. The martial soul's return gave Yu Xiaogang a small sigh of relief. Then he looked at Liu Erlong and saw a sight that nearly made his eyes drop out.
Liu Erlong's Fire Dragon martial soul was wrenched from her body. The red dragon's form was ringed by five soul rings.
The final black soul ring began to crack, and the fracture spread quickly until it shattered like glass.
Liu Erlong's breath instantly dropped ten levels; a weak expression crossed her face. But it did not stop there: the fourth soul ring also began to break, and with it her soul-power level fell another ten levels.
Liu Erlong plunged from a Level 51 Soul King to a Level 31 Soul Venerable, and only then did the red dragon return to her body.
"Erlong." Yu Xiaogang looked at Liu Erlong in panic. He hadn't expected the trial space to truly be able to strip someone's soul power — even throw away soul rings.
But Liu Erlong took Yu Xiaogang's worried look as caring. She forced a smile at him: "Xiao Gang, I'm fine — it's only a loss of twenty levels. It's nothing."
No sooner had she spoken than mist separated them again.
Seeing Liu Erlong's pitiful state, Yu Xiaogang grew fearful, sweating profusely and full of worry. What if he was next? If the trial stripped his soul power like that, what would he do? Should he quit?
Yu Xiaogang lifted his head and gazed longingly at the Golden Dragon Fruit suspended above the abyss, resolve hardening in his heart: No, I cannot give up. This is my chance for my martial soul to evolve into the Golden Saint Dragon. I must seize it at any cost.
The next moment, a sallow yellow light began to emanate from beneath Yu Xiaogang's feet, enclosing him — a color as foul as Luo Sanpao's flatulence — and the questioning of his heart began.
"First question: Do you have a lover?" the trial space asked.
Yu Xiaogang closed his eyes and continued to hypnotize himself: I love Liu Erlong, I love Liu Erlong...
"Yes. It's Liu Erlong," he said, opening his eyes firmly.
The mist cleared and Yu Xiaogang and Liu Erlong met again; Liu Erlong was moved as she looked at him.
"Second question: Do you love her?" the voice asked Yu Xiaogang.
"Love!" Yu Xiaogang said, deceiving himself.
"Then, for the one you love, are you willing to make any sacrifice?" the voice asked.
Here it came. Yu Xiaogang's heart clenched, but thinking of the final reward — the Golden Dragon Fruit — he gritted his teeth and answered, "Willing."
Liu Erlong's gaze on Yu Xiaogang almost melted into strings.
The next moment, Liu Erlong felt her martial soul forcibly drawn from her again. She lost control of her soul weapon a second time.
The fire dragon was restrained on the platform, surrounded by yellow, yellow, and purple soul rings — motionless, like brittle crackers ready to break.
"Then, the trial space will strip the 29-level soul power from the one you love. You can avoid this, but the cost is you must take it instead and have 29 levels of your own soul power removed. Will you do it?" the space asked.
Hearing that, Yu Xiaogang nearly spat blood. Me… I'm only Level 29.
I already hypnotized myself into truly loving Liu Erlong — wasn't that enough? To prove my love you still have to strip all my soul power before you relent?
Yu Xiaogang fell into a dilemma. If there were no reward, he would not hesitate to refuse. But the reward can only be granted when one has a true beloved. To prove he truly loved she must sacrifice him: he would have to give up his Level 29 soul power. Even if he evolved into the Golden Saint Dragon, without soul power could he remain a Soul Master? He looked at Liu Erlong helplessly, with a flicker of hope.
He hoped Liu Erlong would act boldly and shoulder the punishment before he had to choose. That way he wouldn't face this impossible choice, and at the same time the trial would see he truly loved her, allowing him to obtain the Golden Dragon Fruit.
(END CHAPTER)
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