Chapter 51: The Value of Trust and the Lightning Trial
Listening to Tianmeng's words, Xiao Qiang fell silent, his thoughts drifting toward memories that weren't entirely pleasant.
With his powerful spiritual strength in the Lingyuan Realm, Xiao Qiang could rely on his perfect memory to recall the contents of books he had read before. As he mentally flipped through the chapters under the Dilongmen section, one scene came to mind—Tianmeng once praising Huo Yuhao.
Back then, Tianmeng had told Bingdi that it was thanks to Huo Yuhao's luck that they had discovered the Wanzai Xuanbing Cave. Bingdi hadn't refuted his words at the time and even echoed something very similar to what he was saying now about Xiao Qiang.
But in the end, Tianmeng had backstabbed Huo Yuhao.
"What's wrong, Xiao Qiang?" Tianmeng asked from within the sea of spirit, sensing that Xiao Qiang had paused in thought.
"It's nothing. I was just thinking…" Xiao Qiang replied. "With this level of luck, the path to becoming a god might actually be easier than I expected. Maybe I should start collecting information on Sea God Tang San, see if there's anything worth learning. Oh—and Brother Tianmeng, when I get around to it, you should take a look too."
"Sure thing."
Tianmeng responded casually and disappeared to find Bingdi. A moment later, Bingdi used her tail to swat Tianmeng away as usual, leaving Xiao Qiang speechless.
"Brother Tianmeng…" he muttered, holding his forehead.
He made a mental note to later show Tianmeng the real Douluo Dalu. After all, the way he had betrayed Huo Yuhao wasn't something that could be used as a reliable reference point.
In theory, if Tianmeng could turn against Huo Yuhao, he might also betray him someday. But Xiao Qiang had read the entire story—he understood the plot in full. He knew that Huo Yuhao himself was 99% responsible for what happened with Tianmeng.
Tianmeng had made his goal clear from the start: he wanted to create a god to achieve eternal life. Unfortunately, spirit beasts like Tianmeng, the Ice Emperor, and the Snow Emperor were neither Shrek Academy nor members of the Tang Sect.
And for anyone who wasn't Shrek or Tang Sect, no matter how much they invested, there would be no return.
So when something happened to Wang Dong'er, and Huo Yuhao—on whom they had bet everything—chose to give up on life, Tianmeng, the Ice Emperor, and the Snow Emperor could only watch in silent frustration.
Wang Dong'er's condition wasn't even that urgent, yet Huo Yuhao insisted on trading his own life to save hers.
After Wang Dong'er died, Huo Yuhao was prepared to follow her to the grave. Tianmeng didn't entertain the idea, telling the Ice Emperor and Snow Emperor to switch their investment to Wang Qiu'er instead. Honestly, even Huo Yuhao probably didn't believe what he was doing anymore.
Tianmeng's power had been freely given to Huo Yuhao, as were the Ice and Snow Emperors' spirits. But Huo Yuhao seemed to treat them like tools—disposable and replaceable. Time and again, he pursued self-destruction, leaving Tianmeng and the others unable to object. After all, he was their master.
Reflecting on it, Xiao Qiang realized that if he had been in Tianmeng's position, he might have chosen to betray Huo Yuhao too.
Because, in the end, Tang San—while not necessarily trustworthy—wasn't as unreliable as Huo Yuhao.
Tianmeng had only been with Huo Yuhao for a little over ten years. During that time, because they weren't affiliated with Tang Sect or Shrek, Huo Yuhao would meet them once every three to five years at best. He never cared for their lives or well-being. In truth, they were the core of his power. Without them, he would have ended up like Alex—powerless and forgotten.
So, Tianmeng's betrayal couldn't be held against him completely. After all, it was Huo Yuhao who gave up on humanity first.
Instead of trying to solve the problems around him, he chose death repeatedly. Even when Bingdi once tried to find her own way out, Tianmeng scolded her—for thinking rationally.
Xiao Qiang understood now. The only way to avoid betrayal wasn't to stay vigilant every day like guarding against a thief, but to give Tianmeng real confidence—confidence that he could become a god.
If that trust could be built, then analyzing the Douluo Continent for Tianmeng's benefit would be worthwhile.
Of course, using the original version of events would suffice. There was no need to purposely blacken the story—it was already dark enough.
Anyone with common sense would know which side to choose: a firm, reliable promise or empty words from someone who couldn't even protect his best friend.
While mulling over these thoughts, Xiao Qiang had already followed the Snow Emperor into the Wanzai Xuanbing Cave.
With the Snow Emperor's ice garments to protect him, Xiao Qiang didn't struggle nearly as much as Huo Yuhao had in the original timeline. Though his soul power was far inferior to Huo Yuhao's at the time, the resistance he encountered was significantly reduced.
"The people from Shrek are really unreliable…" Xiao Qiang muttered to himself as he recalled the issues Huo Yuhao had faced when he first came here. The cold back then had nearly cost him his life.
Huo Yuhao had to fight for every step, every opportunity—especially the chance to obtain the Ten Thousand Years Mysterious Ice Marrow. No one had helped him. Shrek truly lived up to its name: Shit Lake.
Following silently behind the Snow Emperor, Xiao Qiang eventually arrived at a crystal-clear cave. Inside were more than a dozen crisscrossing icicles of varying size—none other than his target, the Ten Thousand Years Mysterious Ice Marrow.
The Snow Emperor raised her hand and gently stroked one of the icicles. Even after ruling the Far North for hundreds of thousands of years, her eyes sparkled with joy at the sight of so many Ten Thousand Years Mysterious Ice Marrows.
"Snow Emperor, let's pack these up and move them. This isn't the place for a breakthrough," Xiao Qiang said calmly.
The Snow Emperor nodded. If thunder were to strike during the breakthrough, she would be fine thanks to the Ice Marrow's protection. But Xiao Qiang would be reduced to ashes from the residual shock.
Thanks to the convenience of a storage soul guide, moving the items wasn't difficult. The two soon arrived at a desolate region suitable for tribulation.
After absorbing seven icicles of Ten Thousand Years Mysterious Ice Marrow, the Snow Emperor successfully condensed her second soul core. Thunder began to roll ominously in the sky.
But there was no fear in her eyes—only determination and the desire to overcome the trial.
"Wait a moment, Snow Emperor," Xiao Qiang suddenly asked. "Does this lightning stop after it strikes, or must it strike you specifically?"
"Does it matter?" she replied. "No soul beast has ever avoided this lightning."
"If it only needs to strike something, and not necessarily you, I might actually have a way to deal with it," Xiao Qiang said.
The Snow Emperor looked at him skeptically as Xiao Qiang pulled a small, unassuming metal sphere from his soul guide.
"What is this? A human soul guide?"
"No. Just something that can block lightning."
"That's it?" she frowned, clearly unconvinced by its lack of soul power.
"Relax," Xiao Qiang said confidently. "As long as this lightning doesn't have to strike you, this will ensure you survive the heavenly tribulation safely."
"…What is it?"
"A Faraday cage," Xiao Qiang replied with a smirk.
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Pump up the power stone if you guys want mass release