On the Sea God Lake, the first segment concluded as all the Sea God Fairies revealed their true appearances.
"Excellent! Our male participants have performed remarkably well by unveiling all the Sea God Fairies' veils. This significantly reduces uncertainties for the upcoming segments," Lan Muzi said cheerfully. "Without further delay, let's immediately commence the second segment of our Sea God's Fate Blind Date Event—Love at First Sight!"
"Now we proceed to the second segment," Tang Yinmeng took over from Lan Muzi, announcing clearly. "After the initial acquaintance in the first segment where male participants showcased themselves, it's now time for our Sea God Fairies to express their preferences. Hence, this segment is aptly named Love at First Sight."
"The rules are simple. Each Sea God Fairy will receive a switch controlling the Lotus Leaf Lamp beneath their feet—the core element of this segment. The fairies will decide whether to light their lamps for the male participants. Only those who receive illuminated lamps may remain for subsequent segments. However, if any male participant fails to receive even a single lit lamp, unfortunately, his Sea God's Fate journey ends here."
Though this segment sounded straightforward and brief, it held critical importance for the male participants—being entirely based on first impressions. Without prior acquaintances or favorable relationships among the Sea God Fairies, and lacking outstanding personal appeal, one could only rely on prayers to advance.
As the segment began, all Lotus Leaf Lamps beneath both male and female participants extinguished. Then, among the males, contestant No. 2—Le Zhengyu's lamp relit.
"Sea God Fairies, please deliberate carefully," Lan Muzi reminded. "Choosing not to light your lamp for any male participant means voluntarily withdrawing from subsequent segments. You now have one minute to decide whether to illuminate your lamp for male No. 2."
The moment he finished speaking, clusters of lights instantly brightened across the lake. Astonishingly, fifteen out of thirty-three Sea God Fairies lit their lamps for Le Zhengyu—nearly half the female participants held positive first impressions of him.
This came as no surprise given Le Zhengyu's exceptional looks, dignified demeanor, and the prestigious status symbolized by his Angel Spirit. A satisfied smile appeared on his face, though he couldn't help feeling a tinge of regret—the one person he particularly cared about hadn't lit her lamp for him.
"Junior Brother Le has set an impressive precedent!" Lan Muzi laughed. "Fifteen lamps—that's nearly half! Splendid! May the brothers following not feel pressured. Now, male contestant No. 3, please step forward."
As the event progressed, eliminations swiftly occurred. Departing males displayed varied emotions—indignation, resignation, or sorrow—yet all complied, leaving the Sea God Lake cooperatively.
"Damn it! This world truly judges by appearances!" one eliminated male lamented dramatically.
Number seven Xu Yu Cheng, number eight Luo Guixing, and number eleven Xie Xie all had girls light their lamps for them. These three were among the most handsome male students with excellent talents, naturally attracting attention from some female students.
When it came to number twelve Xu Lizhi, the situation turned less favorable.
Xu Lizhi wasn't unattractive in appearance, but his excessive weight made many Sea God Fairies hesitant. However, he was well-liked among his peers.
After half a minute of awkward silence, one of his teammates couldn't bear to see him eliminated like this and lit a lamp for him, allowing him to stay.
Ye Xinglan let out a sigh of relief when she saw Zheng Yiran light a lamp for Xu Lizhi and didn't press her own switch. If no one had lit a lamp for him, she would have done so herself. After all, he was the chubby kid who had followed her around since childhood, calling her "Sister Xinglan." She couldn't bear to see him eliminated so harshly—even if he had grown into a big chubby man now.
Xu Lizhi exhaled in relief when he saw Zheng Yiran light a lamp for him and gave her a grateful look. He understood she had done it out of camaraderie, preserving his last shred of dignity.
At the same time, he felt a pang of loneliness—his Sister Xinglan hadn't lit a lamp for him. Of course, he thought bitterly, recalling the tender look in Ye Xinglan's eyes when Jing Shaoyu lifted her veil earlier. He had never seen her gaze so gentle before.
Perhaps this was the choice Sister Xinglan should make. I should be happy for her.
But… it really hurts! Xu Lizhi clenched his fists so tightly his nails dug into his palms.
No one paid attention to Xu Lizhi's reaction, though, as the event continued.
One by one, the male students stepped forward, each meeting different fates—some were eliminated, while others received multiple lamps, though none surpassed Le Zhengyu's fifteen.
"Sea God Fairies, please light your lamps for male contestant number thirty-six."
At Lan Muzi's words, Jing Shaoyu stepped forward, and the lotus leaf lamp beneath his feet lit up in response.
As if prearranged, the moment Lan Muzi finished speaking, all thirty-three lotus leaf lamps across the lake lit up simultaneously, drawing gasps and cheers from the audience.
Both the male participants and Lan Muzi, the host, were stunned. They had expected Jing Shaoyu to be popular, but not this popular—every single Sea God Fairy had lit a lamp for him, an unprecedented sight in the history of Sea God's Fate.
The Elders on the Tower Ship watched with varied expressions.
Just as Lan Muzi was about to speak, the lights changed again. At the end of the one-minute countdown, twenty-five lamps suddenly went out, leaving only eight still lit.
This abrupt shift sparked another wave of murmurs.
Jing Shaoyu had been surprised when all thirty-three Sea God Fairies lit lamps for him, but seeing what followed, he could only smile wryly. There was no doubt—Gu Yue and the others were behind this.
It wasn't that Gu Yue would demand these senior sisters to keep their lights on for him—rather, she would absolutely prevent them from doing so.
Lan Muzi was momentarily stunned, but Tang Yinmeng beside him seemed to have anticipated this. She chuckled and said, "Oh my, it seems our junior brother Jing is truly popular. But our Sea God Fairies—why can't you stay true to your hearts? Lighting up and then turning off—that's really lame, you know.
But well, it's within the rules, so the sixteenth male contestant ultimately received eight lights. Not bad."
The Sea God Fairies who had turned off their lights couldn't help rolling their eyes at Tang Yinmeng's words. They wanted to stay true to their hearts, but they simply weren't strong enough to defy the situation. After all, the other side was the entire Shrek Seven Monsters. What about them? It was questionable whether they could even assemble a full team.
Eight lights—Gu Yue, Na'er, Xu Xiaoyan, Wu Siduo, Ye Xinglan, Mo Hentian, and Dai Yun'er. In truth, Dai Yun'er hadn't been part of Gu Yue and the others' original plan, but since she was here now, she naturally became an unexpected variable. Still, none of the girls paid her much mind.
"Oh heavens, I feel like tonight is going to be explosive!"
"Is it happening? The civil war among the Shrek Seven Monsters!"
"Let's be real—this seems to be the first time the Dragon Spear Goddess has ever lit up her lamp. The other seven Sea God Fairies are also lighting up for the first time, and all for the same person. It's hard not to suspect that these eight came specifically for Senior Jing Shaoyu!"
"That thirty-first guy dares to stand alongside the Seven Monsters? Kick him out, kick him out! We want to see the Seven Monsters' civil war!"
"…"
Even the slowest audience members could sense what was coming tonight. One by one, they grew excited with anticipation. After all, no one ever complained about drama—especially when it involved a group of women fighting over a man. It was the perfect spectacle to stir everyone's gossip-loving hearts.
Soon, it was Tang Wulin's turn to take the stage. As the male contestant with looks second only to Jing Shaoyu, he ultimately received seventeen lights, breaking Le Zhengyu's record. Among these seventeen, aside from Zheng Yiran, the other sixteen were all from senior sisters of the Inner Academy.
Tang Wulin's "puppy-like" demeanor was quite appealing to mature older sisters. These seniors didn't dare compete with Gu Yue and the other six for Jing Shaoyu, but they had plenty of courage to challenge Zheng Yiran for Tang Wulin.
And so, Zheng Yiran was unwittingly thrown under the bus.
Finally, when the last contestant—Long Yue, the fifty-second male from the Star Luo Continent—made his entrance, the Sea God Fairies across from him remained eerily calm.
Lan Muzi sighed helplessly, but as the host, he still dutifully reminded them, "Please light up for the fifty-second male contestant."
Yet, the girls remained unmoved. Though Long Yue wasn't unattractive—and was in fact incredibly powerful, with extraordinary talent, having become a Soul Saint by the age of twenty-three—he simply wasn't the type to win female favor. Especially since he was an outsider.
Lan Muzi gave Long Yue a meaningful glance. The latter stood quietly, his towering frame exuding an unshakable presence, showing no impatience despite the cold reception. This raised Lan Muzi's opinion of him even further.
"I need to remind everyone once again, if no one lights a lamp for this guest, he will be eliminated and unable to continue participating in this year's blind date event," Lan Muzi spoke once more, his tone carrying an obvious note of caution. "Please consider carefully, Sea God Fairies. Your choices will determine whether he stays or leaves."
These words seemed to fail to move the Sea God Fairies, as still no girls from the Inner Academy lit a lamp for Long Yue.
However, Dai Yuner, also an outsider, lit a lamp for Long Yue—her second time doing so.
Long Yue's previously furrowed brows relaxed, and a faint smile appeared at the corners of his mouth. He straightened his back slightly and looked across at Dai Yuner, who happened to meet his gaze at that moment.
The two exchanged a smile. Dai Yuner hadn't lit the lamp out of affection, and Long Yue was well aware of this, but he didn't mind. He only knew he wasn't alone.
"Male contestant number fifty-two has ultimately received one lamp. Though not many, it's enough for him to continue to the next segment," Tang Yinmeng said, her tone noticeably lighter. While she didn't like Long Yue, having him eliminated so early would make Shrek Academy appear unwelcoming, which wouldn't reflect well.
After this segment, forty-one male contestants remained on the field, meaning eleven had been eliminated—a fairly high probability.
"Good, the second segment, 'Love at First Sight,' has concluded successfully," Lan Muzi announced. "We'll now proceed immediately to the third segment!"
"After the initial 'Mutual Admiration' and 'Love at First Sight,' we're about to begin the most crucial segment of the Sea God's Fate Blind Date Event. After this segment, the situation will become much clearer, and all our juniors will understand each other's feelings!" Tang Yinmeng said with a smile.
"So, the next segment is called 'Second Glance, True Love'!
This time, all Sea God Fairies must pay attention. Unlike the second segment, you cannot choose multiple options or make casual selections. Each Sea God Fairy can only choose one male contestant, and once chosen, you must take responsibility for your decision!
Each male contestant will have one minute to give a more detailed self-introduction. After finishing, they must come to me and report the number of the Sea God Fairy they fancy.
Once all male contestants have completed their introductions, the Sea God Fairies can begin making their choices. This selection will be your final decision for this Sea God's Fate event. Each girl will have only one chance, with no turning back.
After all Sea God Fairies have made their choices, we can proceed to the fourth segment."
Tang Yinmeng paused briefly after speaking, allowing everyone time to digest and understand the rules. Then, Lan Muzi continued, "All male contestants, please note: during your self-introductions, you may simultaneously display your cultivation level, Martial Soul, or any abilities you consider your strengths—anything you believe will attract the girl you fancy.
For this segment, we will disrupt the order of numbers and determine the sequence of appearances through a draw to ensure fairness."
When Tang Yinmeng and Lan Muzi finished speaking, the atmosphere at the scene visibly tensed up. The audience on the shore cheered even more excitedly, as everyone knew that the first two segments were merely tests, while the third segment was the moment of substantial interaction.
For the male participants, this was the best opportunity—and also the last. For the female participants, it was a segment that required utmost caution, as their choices here could very well influence the rest of their lives.
This was always the segment with the highest elimination rate, for both men and women alike.
A bamboo cylinder appeared in Lan Muzi's hand. He turned to Tang Yinmeng beside him and said, "Yinmeng, you draw the lots. Let's see who the first young man to confess and showcase himself will be."
"Gentlemen, pay attention—your time is limited. Do the most important things within that limited time. This is a piece of advice from someone who's been through this before. Sometimes, a heartfelt confession may not necessarily be more effective than an all-or-nothing, do-or-die approach!"
While Lan Muzi was speaking, Tang Yinmeng had already drawn the first lot.
"The first participant is… Number Thirty-Two," Tang Yinmeng announced. "Let's welcome Number Thirty-Two!"
The lotus leaves parted, and the one beneath Number Thirty-Two's feet slowly carried him forward, bringing him to the forefront of all the male participants, directly facing the thirty-three Sea God Fairies. Number Thirty-Two was a young man in his late twenties—one of the senior disciples who had been chatting with Jing Shaoyu and Lan Muzi earlier.
He and a senior female disciple from the Inner Academy had already been in a relationship before Sea God's Fate. His participation this time was merely to fulfill their shared wish—to have their love blessed by their teachers and peers.
This wasn't unusual or excessive, as every session of Sea God's Fate had similar cases. For Inner Academy students, a marriage without experiencing Sea God's Fate at least once would be incomplete.
After concluding his self-introduction, Number Thirty-Two told Lan Muzi his lover's number. Then, Tang Yinmeng drew the next participant.
"The second participant is… Number Eleven. Let's welcome Number Eleven!" Tang Yinmeng called out.
Number Eleven was Xie Xie. When his name was called, he was completely stunned, standing frozen on his lotus leaf in utter bewilderment. If not for Xu Lizhi pulling him back in time, he might have tumbled into the lake.
As he moved to the front, his face flushed visibly red.
"Junior, don't be so nervous," Lan Muzi said with a chuckle, immediately seeing through his thoughts. "How are you going to impress the one you love if you're this flustered?"