Chapter 212 - Mutual Feelings
Chapter 212.1: Mutual Feelings
“What kind of attitude is this?” Xu Sanshi was angry, but he didn’t pursue the matter. It was only when Bei Bei disappeared that he muttered to himself, “On account of Tang Ya, I won’t hold it against you.”
“Hmph, when she returns, I will deal with you. Let’s eat. I’m going turn my anger into appetite.”
He Caitou chortled, “Be careful of gaining weight. You’ll be unable to stand properly on the water lily.”
Xu Sanshi snapped, “Gain weight? Worry about yourself first. Don’t forget that I have experience! In addition, my martial soul is a water-type! Hehe!”
He Caitou stood up and walked beside Xu Sanshi, grabbing hold of his shoulders. He said softly, “Brother, you’re more experienced than me even though you’ve lost every fight that you’ve been in! Teach me a few tricks, please!”
Xu Sanshi turned gloomy. “What do you mean, I lose every fight? I, I have reasons for that! If not for what happened, hmph, I would have won Nannan’s heart over…”
Huo Yuhao turned over and chortled, “Third senior, what happened then? We’re very curious as to how you offended fourth senior!”
“I won’t tell you!” Xu Sanshi was very determined not to say. “Nannan told me not to ever see her again if I dare to divulge what happened. Don’t get me in trouble!”
“Let’s go and eat.”
The three of them ate their meal together in the canteen. To He Caitou and Huo Yuhao, this Sea God’s Fate was very new and interesting. However, they weren’t really nervous. After all, they were experienced. After their experiences in the Elite Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Soul Dueling Tournament, their ability to deal with psychological pressure had grown tremendously. In addition, they also had the training from the Ultimate Soldier Plan. Although they weren’t completely immune, they wouldn’t become anxious easily.
——
The sky slowly turned dark. Perhaps it was because of the Sea God’s Fate, but Sea God’s Island revealed an enchanting aura.
On the island, Shrek Academy’s inner courtyard students wore their red uniforms as they started to gather in the place where the Sea God’s Fate was going to commence.
As the Soul Tool Department had only developed recently, the inner courtyard students were mainly from the Martial Soul Department. They demonstrated their abilities and quickly gathered by the lakeside.
They were all male students; there weren’t any women there at all. As the pitch-black mist above the lake spread, it was difficult to see anything clearly.
At this point, a huge boat came toward the island from the distance. The boat was all lit up, and the inner courtyard students could see that it was the largest ferry on Sea God’s Lake. Right now, it was filled with people.
Huo Yuhao had great eyesight, and could see who was the ferry carried clearly. He saw six or seven elders from the Sea God’s Pavilion. Yan Shaozhe, Cai Mei’er, Xian Lin’er, Qian Duoduo, Fan Yu, and other few people who he wasn’t familiar with, but seemed like teachers he had once known, were also there.
Those who had previously participated in the Sea God’s Fate knew what was going on. Those who were experiencing this for the first time were filled with expectation.
Their daily lives, learning, and cultivation in the academy were very dry and boring. Holding such an activity meant that the young men were being given an opportunity to show off, and potentially earn themselves a date.
The ferry stopped in the middle of the lake. At this point, a ray of light shot out from the lake, which then separated into seventeen individual rays.
“Wow…” The male students were all in awe.
The seventeen rays of light were dim gold, and on top each of them was a young lady in a white dress. All seventeen white dresses were the same. They also wore the same bamboo hats on their heads, and their faces were covered by identical white veils.
They looked like fairies under the illumination of the golden light. Their appearance was dazzling.
They were all quietly lined up in a row, facing the shore. The male students were all very eager by now.
At this point, two stronger rays of light also appeared, and two figures surfaced.
On the left was Bei Bei, who was wearing a long white robe. On the right was the Shrek Academy inner courtyard’s eldest senior sister, Zhang Lexuan, who was decked out in a light yellow dress.
After not seeing her for two years, Huo Yuhao discovered that she hadn’t changed at all. Time hadn’t seemed to leave a mark on her body, she was still as sweet and beautiful as before, with a light smile on her face.
Bei Bei’s voice resonated. “Sea God’s Fate above Sea God’s Lake! One day to pick your love! Welcome all to the lakeside of Sea God’s Lake on this beautiful night! The annual Sea God’s Fate will be starting soon! As the emcee of today’s prestigious event, I’ll like to wish all inner courtyard students good luck in finding your partner on behalf of myself and eldest senior sister. At the same time, I’d like to welcome the elders from the Sea God’s Pavilion and the teachers who are observing today’s event! On behalf of the students, I’d like to sincerely thank all of you. Without your patience in nurturing and helping us, we wouldn’t have achieved what we have today!” After he finished speaking, he placed his right hand on his chest and turned to the ferry before bowing in an expression of gratitude.
Elder Xuan smiled and nodded at Bei Bei, signaling to him that he could continue.
It was a simple opening speech, but it generated rapturous applause. The male students were also cheering loudly. Those who already had a partner in mind were even more eager.
“All you young men, please make your preparations. There will be thirty-nine beams of light appearing from the lake later. Those who are closest to our Sea God’s Fairies will be first to participate in the first segment, while the students at the back might not be able to obtain suitable rankings in the first segment. That’s why it’s important to be alert. No matter what method you use, you must find a spot on the water lilies illuminated by the beams of light. However, you must not land in the water. Those who do will be disqualified.”
His explanation was very clear. Most of the young men were already raring to go.
Huo Yuhao seemed to sense something. As he turned, he saw Dai Huabin throwing a look at him. Dai Huabin’s gaze was cold and fierce. Huo Yuhao smiled; he wasn’t bothered.
“Everyone be prepared. Three, two, one.” On the other side, Bei Bei was already counting down.
“Begin!”
Thirty-nine beams of light shot out from the lake. These thirty-nine beams of light formed three neat rows, each row five meters away from the next. They were spread out proportionately on the lake surface a hundred meters away from the female students, and around two hundred meters away from the shore.
As Bei Bei shouted, everyone on the shore started to act.
Those who had an obvious advantage were the soul masters with flying-type martial souls. Fortunately, only four out of the thirty-nine male students unleashed their martial souls. They flew into the air and rushed swiftly towards the center of the lake.
Their soul rings shone brightly, and were very clear above the lake under the night sky.
Huo Yuhao lifted his head to watch, and was in awe. They were indeed seniors from the inner courtyard. Out of the four, two of them were seven-ringed Soul Sages, and had two yellow, two purple and three black soul rings – the best combination of soul rings that could normally be achieved. The other two had six rings, and their six rings were also the optimal combination of colors. As the four of them charged forward, they turned into four streaks of light.
The rest of the students also showed off their moves. The shore started to shine brightly with soul rings. It was like a huge batch of fireworks had been released!
Huo Yuhao, He Caitou, and Xu Sanshi were naturally unwilling to lag behind. Huo Yuhao and He Caitou acted at the same time. The two of them lifted off the ground, and their soul thrusters were activated. The strong thrusting force propelled them forward fast enough to surpass their seniors, even though they had lower cultivations.
The explosive speed of their soul thrusters was great, but they couldn’t last long. Otherwise, their soul power would be greatly depleted, and the soul thrusters wouldn’t be able to take it, either. It was possible to travel two hundred meters in the air, but not on the ground. On the one hand, the depletion was too great. On the other hand, there wasn’t sufficient space, and it was difficult to control their movements at that speed.
So Huo Yuhao and He Caitou used their flying-type soul tools as they activated their soul thrusters, lighting them up. Although their martial souls couldn’t fly, there wasn’t much difference from using their flying-type soul tools instead. They zipped straight towards the center of the lake.
However, they were using external forces to help them fly, and needed some time to pour in their soul power and control their soul tools. Although they were very quick, they didn’t end up in advantageous spots compared to the other inner courtyard students, who had unleashed all sorts of moves.
As Huo Yuhao and He Caitou were closing in on the thirty-nine streaks of light, someone had already landed on a water lily in the first row.
The water lilies were very obvious on the lake surface. The lilies looked fresh and invigorating under the illumination of the strong lights below them. They were azure-green, like jade floating on the water’s surface. They appeared very enchanting floating in the background of the surrounding white lights.
Chapter 212.2: Mutual Feelings
Xu Sanshi used a different method than all of them. He wasn’t anxious at all, and moved leisurely at the back. He unleashed his six soul rings—two yellow, two purple and two black. He glanced in front of him. Seeing that the students in front of him were about to arrive, he suddenly leapt up and unleashed his Shield of the Xuanming Turtle. As the shield struck the water’s surface, it skipped over the water. This repeated three times, and it traveled seventy to eighty meters forward. At this point, he was still at the back, while the four students who could fly had already landed on water lilies. Huo Yuhao and He Caitou also found spots in the first row.
A delighted smile appeared on Xu Sanshi’s face. His fourth soul ring lit up, and the student who had landed in the first spot on the first row turned stiff. In the next instant, their positions were switched. Xu Sanshi lifted his body and landed lightly on the first water lily. The student who was displaced ended up in last place, behind everyone.
Xu Sanshi was generous enough to choose a senior who had a martial soul that allowed him to fly. Although he was unfortunate to have been displaced, he didn’t actually fall into the water. As he burst forward again, he could only tragically find a spot in the third row.
“Xu Sanshi, you idiot!” This seven-ringed Soul Sage was around thirty years old. Currently, he looked very dismal. Not only was his position snatched, but he couldn’t even find a spot in the second row. While he was depressed, he couldn’t do anything to Xu Sanshi. According to the rules of the Sea God’s Fate, one’s position couldn’t be changed once they landed on a water lily.
Xu Sanshi turned around and greeted the seven-ringed Soul Sage, “Senior, apologies for the offense. Who asked you to take up such a fantastic spot? Don’t worry, I only have eyes for one person. Everyone knows who she is. No one can snatch her from me! Otherwise, I will really get angry.”
All the inner courtyard students started to burst out in laughter after seeing his clown-like expression.
While Xu Sanshi was considered a junior of the inner courtyard, he had risen extremely fast along with Bei Bei. He was also a very friendly person; almost everyone knew who he was, and how he’d been rejected by Jiang Nannan again and again. The Soul Sage who was feeling down started to laugh. “You wait and see. Even if Nannan chooses you, I’m going to challenge you for her.”
“Surely not?”
“Are you serious? Eldest senior sister, someone’s threatening me. Furthermore, he should be your biggest fan if I don’t remember incorrectly! Are you going to discipline him?” Xu Sanshi wore an exaggerated expression as he exclaimed towards Zhang Lexuan.
Zhang Lexuan laughed and said, “Sanshi, stop fooling around.” As she spoke, everyone on the lake could hear her clearly. But her voice wasn’t piercing; she just sounded like she was talking to everyone.
When the male students heard her, they started to stand straight. It was as if they were afraid of leaving a bad impression in her mind.
In the inner courtyard, Zhang Lexuan had absolute authority among the students. Not only was she strong, but her personality was also very nice. She was never stingy in helping the other students. She was gentle, virtuous and was the goddess in many of the students’ hearts! As she opened her mouth, even Xu Sanshi stopped speaking, and wore an obsequious smile on his face.
Zhang Lexuan was amused as she said, “Although Sanshi played tricks, he’s only doing this for his happiness. Furthermore, all of you have the right to do anything you want. It’s just that you’re not as cunning as him. This is only the first segment. We’ll need all of you to cooperate. Don’t end up not even seeing the ladies’ faces. If that happens, you’re going to suffer at the back. Bei Bei, let’s begin.”
“Okay.” Bei Bei acknowledged her words and said, “Sea God’s Fate above Sea God’s Lake. It’s time for the annual Sea God’s Fate. I believe everyone has been waiting for a long time. There are five segments to this blind date. Everyone please be prepared. Let me reiterate again—if you drop into the water, you will be disqualified.”
Zhang Lexuan added, “We’ll judge the prettiest Sea God’s Fairy and the luckiest male student. However, you need to lift the veils of the fairies first.”
Huo Yuhao stepped onto the water lily. The load-bearing capacity of the water lily was rather impressive. As long as he gathered his soul power, he should be able to stand steadily on the water lily given his cultivation. However, the prerequisite was that he didn’t move unnecessarily or wildly.
He wasn’t listening to Zhang Lexuan and Bei Bei seriously at this point. He only activated his Spiritual Detection to count the number of people.
“Thirty-seven, thirty-eight, thirty-nine. Thirty-nine! But where’s Wang Dong? Don’t tell me he’s not included in the thirty-nine of us? Why isn’t he here? This is a great opportunity. With his looks, he could surely find a nice lady if he wanted to. What a pity.”
He had been looking for Wang Dong when he had arrived just now, and Bei Bei told him that Wang Dong would definitely make it. However, apparently things hadn’t gone according to plan. The thirty-nine spots were all occupied. Even if Wang Dong arrived, he no longer had a spot!
“Alright, let’s begin the first segment—Mutual Feelings. From the left side of the first row, every male student is given a chance to demonstrate his full abilities. However, don’t be too showy. Otherwise, I can only close one eye if the female students choose to attack you.” Zhang Lexuan smiled as she spoke.
Xu Sanshi was already rubbing his palms. He was in the first spot, and thus he would naturally be the first to perform in this segment.
“Sanshi, are you ready?” Bei Bei queried.
Xu Sanshi signaled that he was ready, and Bei Bei said, “Without further ado, let’s begin. Xu Sanshi, all the best. Let’s begin!”
Xu Sanshi didn’t burst across the water using his shield this time. Instead, he leapt up high before he flung his shield out, and it landed on the water’s surface.
Xu Sanshi landed on the shield. Then he clapped his palms, and the shield started to glide over the water like a small boat. It left behind two lines of water, starting to close the distance towards the female students.
“Nice!” There were already cheers coming from the male students. There was a reason why Xu Sanshi moved forward with this method. By using the shield to bear his weight, he could conserve his soul power. Furthermore, he could advance forward more steadily. If he used his shield to strike the water’s surface before rebounding just like before, he would only have one chance to show himself when he reached the female students even though he could continue to advance.
Xu Sanshi had put in some effort to get first place! Since he was first in this segment, he wouldn’t give up this opportunity to show off.
“Nannan, I’m coming!” As he shouted, the shield increased its speed, until he was bursting towards the female students rapidly.
When he was around ten meters away, he used his palms to control the shield and made it stop. He used the Controlling Crane Capturing Dragon immaculately.
He wasn’t anxious at all, and observed each of the ladies seriously from left to right.
As he looked, he mumbled, “That isn’t her—she’s too fat. That isn’t her either—too thin. Hmm, this one has a good figure! However, she’s slightly larger than Nannan. No, no.”
A sharp voice suddenly resonated from among the female students, “Xu Sanshi, if you wanted to be thrown into the water, just say so.”
“Oops! I was wrong.” Xu Sanshi shut his mouth immediately. In this short period of time, he had already locked onto his target. The shield moved once again, propelling his body towards the female student third from the right.
That female student moved slightly. Xu Sanshi was getting close to her—he was now less than ten meters from her.
He pointed his toes on his shield before he jumped straight towards the water lily that the she was standing on.
She evidently couldn’t take it anymore. She pointed her toes toward the center of the water lily, which could bear the greatest load, and propelled her entire body upwards. She lifted her right leg up high, so high that her toes were above her head. Her legs formed a straight line, and her white dress was lifted up.
“Ooh, oooh!” The other male students started to whistle. However, they were disappointed when they realized that she was wearing long pants underneath her dress.
She slammed her leg down towards Xu Sanshi.
While the rules stated that a female student couldn’t directly attack in the first segment, they did allow a female student to counterattack if a male student came too close to their water lily. That was why most male students would choose to attack from a distance in this segment. If the female students were confident in their looks, they wouldn’t resist too much. Who wouldn’t want to reveal their beauty?
It was very rare for someone to be attacked directly like Xu Sanshi was.
Xu Sanshi did something unexpected as the leg came crashing down towards him. He didn’t block or dodge the attack.
He allowed her leg to slash down onto his shoulder.
Xu Sanshi squatted down in mid-air, neutralizing some of the impact of the attack. His toes were already pressing down on her water lily. The water lily was tilted towards one side and the lake water was about to submerge it. However, Xu Sanshi started to surge with a layer of black light, which seemed to support him all on its own. The water lily suddenly stabilized. When he clasped his hands together, he had already grabbed onto the ankle that had struck his shoulder.
Chapter 212.3: Mutual Feelings
That female student hadn’t expected Xu Sanshi to receive her attack without dodging. While she hadn’t use any soul skills, she had still exhibited her great strength. When she slashed down onto Xu Sanshi’s shoulder, a deep groan was heard. Xu Sanshi tolerated the pain.
Xu Sanshi lifted her leg and said affectionately, “Nannan, I love you. I won’t retaliate even if you scold or hit me.”
“Get lost!” The female student roared furiously and retracted her right leg. Xu Sanshi was originally holding her leg tightly, but he let go at this moment. As she fell backward, her center of gravity changed.
However, she was pretty impressive. Her other leg seemed to be stuck to the water lily. As she stretched backward, her hands pressed against the water lily before she flipped over.
It was water below the lily, and Xu Sanshi was also standing on top of it. This wasn’t considered a tough move on land, but one had to possess immaculate control in order to perform this move on water.
While she managed to flip over, her bamboo hat fell. Xu Sanshi’s figure flashed before he jumped up from the water lily. He avoided the scissor kick that the female student unleashed towards him, and his right hand reached for her veil and pulled at it. In the end, he got both the hat and the veil.
Xu Sanshi was already standing on the shield by this time. He smiled as he looked at the lady. “I only have eyes for you. Nannan, I love you.” As he spoke, his shield had already carved a path and guided him back to his original position.
Yes, it was Jiang Nannan standing on the lily third from the right.
Her purplish hair rested on her shoulder and her face had turned slightly red from anger. After two years, Jiang Nannan had developed much better than ever. Her ravishing looks were accentuated by the dim golden light around her. Her slender figure was almost perfect, and her eyes were filled with fury as she glared at Xu Sanshi.
Xu Sanshi was extremely familiar with her. While there was some gap between their cultivations, that gap wasn’t too large.
This was the Sea God’s Fate. After Jiang Nannan sensed Xu Sanshi approaching her, she was anxious and nervous.
After that, Xu Sanshi predicted almost all her moves on the water lily. That was how he’d managed to gain that upper hand over her. Jiang Nannan still didn’t know that Xu Sanshi wasn’t just familiar with her movements. He had even cheated.
After not seeing him for two and a half years, Jiang Nannan had forgotten how she had a sixth junior with very strong Spiritual Detection! With Huo Yuhao’s current spiritual power, a hundred meters was nothing. With his help and judgment, it wasn’t difficult at all for Xu Sanshi to remove Jiang Nannan’s veil and hat.
“Nice one, Sanshi.”
All the male students cheered seeing that Xu Sanshi had managed to take off Jiang Nannan’s veil and hat. Some of the weaker students almost fell off of their water lilies because they were too excited and couldn’t control themselves.
Xu Sanshi turned around and clasped his fist and palm towards everyone. He said delightedly, “I was just lucky. Seniors, juniors, I wish all of you good luck! There are many of us in this segment. We must try to take off the ladies’ hats and veils.” As he spoke, he placed the hat that he had taken off from Jiang Nannan in front of him and took in a deep breath. He was reveling in joy. Fortunately, it was dark, and Jiang Nannan was some distance away from him, so she couldn’t see his delighted expression. Otherwise, she might really erupt in anger.
The first segment was a demonstration of one’s capabilities. Xu Sanshi hadn’t seemed to use any soul skills just now, but he still managed to succeed. He also put on a steady performance. The elders and teachers on the ferry nodded their heads in approval. Even Elder Xuan was smiling happily.
Xu Sanshi clasped his fist and palm together and looked evidently pleased. He had the right to be pleased too. All the female students were wearing the same dress, hat and veil. They looked practically the same to everyone. But Xu Sanshi was able to identify Jiang Nannan among all the seventeen female students on this pitch-black night. He wasn’t just familiar with her.
After seeing Xu Sanshi’s high-profile performance, Zhang Lexuan revealed a grin on her face. She looked at Bei Bei, who was smiling and looking at Xu Sanshi. It was evident that he was already used to his style.
“Ye Liu, it’s your turn now.” Zhang Lexuan said.
There were many participants in the Sea God’s Fate, and there were even four more segments. Although all of them were talented soul masters, and their cultivations weren’t weak, it wasn’t easy trying to balance themselves on the water lilies. They had to seize their time well.
Ye Liu was around twenty-seven or twenty-eight years old. After hearing Zhang Lexuan calling his name, he immediately nodded to acknowledge her before lifting his body into the air.
A pair of beautiful, white wings were unleashed behind his back. His figure was very proportionate. When his wings flapped, he flew towards the seventeen female students elegantly.
Jiang Nannan had regained her calm by now. She didn’t look at Xu Sanshi, but turned her attention to Huo Yuhao. She shot him an angry look. It was evident that she had now discovered his role in this. How was Xu Sanshi able to take off her hat and veil so easily on his own?
Huo Yuhao only smiled back.
A hundred meters was a very short distance to fly. Ye Liu drifted in the air and was about to reach the ladies. His wings started to flap in the direction of the water’s surface and his seven soul rings shone brightly.
Suddenly, strong winds started to rage above the Sea God’s Lake. As his wings flapped, the winds gave rise to a huge wave that approached the female students.
Ye Liu revealed a delighted smile on his face. If the ladies were hit by his wave, they were all bound to be drenched. Not only would it be easy to identify them then, but it would also be a feast for his eyes!
However, at this point, someone in the center shouted, “Ye Liu, you’re shameless!” Then she lifted her right hand, she struck outward with her palm. Seven soul rings also rose from her feet, and a surging wave of fire was unleashed. This fire instantly turned into a sea of fire, resisting the water that came their way. The wave was resisted just like that.
Mist started to rise; the surging wave had been vaporized instantly.
Huo Yuhao heard a senior muttering softly, “Impressive. This is the Golden Crow Primordial Fire. I didn’t expect Wu Ming to be involved in this blind date too!”
Although Huo Yuhao didn’t know what the Golden Crow Primordial Fire was, he could sense the intense heat from the golden-red flames. It was even comparable to Ma Xiaotao’s phoenix flames.
Next to the student that had unleashed the Golden Crow Primordial Fire, another female student shouted furiously, “What a pervert. Eldest senior sister, I’m making a move.”
A streak of golden light shot into the sky like a dragon that was lashing forward. Ye Liu was already shocked when he saw the Golden Crow Primordial Fire. His martial soul was a Swan, and he was an auxiliary-type soul master. According to the rules, the ladies couldn’t directly attack him. That was why he had been so daring. However, he was shocked now that he was attacked by two of them.
His wings flapped, and he was about to retreat. However, the golden light started to extend upwards and formed golden rings that tried to pull him down.
“Sister Ruoruo, I was wrong! Please be merciful!” Ye Liu screamed pathetically and gave up resistance. This pair of female students curbed his abilities, and he had no recourse against them.
Huo Yuhao activated his Spirit Eyes, and realized that the golden light that shot into the sky was actually a golden rope. It was his first time seeing such a martial soul. However, he could tell that it was from a control-type soul master.
This female student had eight soul rings—two yellow, two purple and four black. No wonder Ye Liu had begged for mercy. However, she had no intention of showing him any. As the golden rope tightened, he was wrapped up like a dumpling. She pulled with her right hand, and Ye Liu was dragged down from the air, crashing into the water.
The golden light retracted and disappeared with the soul rings. Besides these two female students who had unleashed their powers, another female student pressed her hands down, and the surging lake water calmed. Only a dim blue light subtly flashed past.
Ye Liu was already freed when he dropped into the water. He popped up from the water’s surface and shouted towards Zhang Lexuan with a depressed look on his face, “Eldest senior sister, I thought they couldn’t retaliate in the first segment!”
Zhang Lexuan snorted and replied, “What was your purpose in making that wave? Didn’t Ruoruo mention it just now? Your intention was a perverted one, which means that you’ve flouted the rules. Swim back to shore by yourself. You’re disqualified.”
Ye Liu was indignant, but he couldn’t say anything more in front of Zhang Lexuan. He could only swim back to shore.
Huo Yuhao twisted his head to look at He Caitou, who was also looking back at him. The two of them swallowed their saliva at the same time.
This blind date is a little intense! Are these ladies really here for a blind date?
He Caitou said softly, “Didn’t eldest senior brother mention that the first segment was very safe? Why don’t I feel that way?”
Huo Yuhao laughed bitterly. “I don’t think so either. The senior over there is so fierce, and she even has eight rings. Second senior, I’m a little scared!”
He Caitou laughed softly, “Scared my foot! Maybe some ladies are into you.”
Huo Yuhao turned to the senior on the other side who was around twenty-seven or twenty-eight years old and asked, “Senior, who were those two seniors just now? You seem to know them.”