Sea God Lake.
The "Love at First Sight" stage had concluded.
Huo Yuhao still stood peerless among them—every one of the twenty-one lotus lanterns remained lit for him.
Xu Sanshi and He Caitou also passed without incident.
Yet the Sea God Fated Blind Date Festival was, in the end, a gathering with more men than women.
Among the dozens of boys present, more than ten received not a single lantern's favor.
They could only withdraw in disappointment, drawing waves of regretful sighs from the shore.
On the pleasure boat,
Yan Shaozhe's smile deepened.
He suddenly began to understand why Elder Mu so enjoyed reclining beneath the dormitory building.
Immersed in such vibrant, blazing youth, even his time-worn heart seemed to grow a little livelier.
"Next—'Love at Second Sight.'"
"Each boy will have one minute to introduce himself."
"Afterward, you must come before me and state the number of the girl you favor."
"Once all the boys have finished their introductions, the girls will make their final choice."
"This selection shall determine your fate. Each person may choose only one. Once chosen, it cannot be changed."
"The order of appearance will be determined by drawing lots."
At those final words,
Huo Yuhao secretly let out a breath.
Reliving this once more,
he found himself not more composed—but rather unexpectedly hesitant.
It was not stage fright.
It was…
uncertainty about how to choose.
Zhang Lexuan and Ma Xiaotao's words still echoed in his ears.
For two such proud senior sisters to speak so openly—
even someone as dense as he might be
could not fail to understand their feelings.
Moreover, he could clearly sense three gazes drifting toward him now and then—gentle, yet burning.
Yan Shaozhe swept his sleeve. At once, mist rose from the lake, condensing into crystal-clear water spheres that hovered in midair.
The boys each used their Spirit Power to burst a sphere; the number within revealed their order.
A faint golden glow shimmered in Huo Yuhao's eyes.
The number was already clear to him.
Truth be told, in terms of spiritual power, Yan Shaozhe was far inferior to him. He chose a number in the middle. Appearing too early would draw too much scrutiny, and appearing last would be equally unavoidable.
The first to step forward was a senior from the inner court. He advanced a step and gave an elegant bow, a smile spreading across his reasonably handsome face. "Greetings, fair maidens."
"My name is Chu Qingtian."
As his words fell, six Spirit Rings—two yellow, two purple, two black—lit up simultaneously beneath his feet.
His figure suddenly spun into the air. The third Spirit Ring flared brightly, like silver serpents dancing wildly.
"Twenty-seven years old. Martial Soul: Berserk Lightning Leopard. Spirit Power level 67."
Chu Qingtian declared confidently:
"In terms of speed within the Inner Court, I can take some pride."
"I may not be a peerless genius, but I possess a sincere heart, willing to guard a fair lady and quietly await the bright moon together."
Clearly experienced in such occasions, he spoke with ease and carried himself with poise.
As he spoke, the arcs of electricity coursing around him intertwined at his will, forming a heart-shaped thunderbolt in midair.
Such bearing
not only set an example for the boys who followed, but also drew thunderous cheers from the students watching at the shore.
After finishing his introduction,
he bowed once more and leapt before Yan Shaozhe, briskly writing the number of his chosen girl upon the paper in the latter's hand.
Time gradually passed.
One by one, the boys stepped forward—some nervous and hesitant, others open and composed—each revealing his own demeanor.
One even activated his Spirit Power and performed an impromptu "acrobatics show," causing the girls to cover their mouths in laughter and the shore to erupt in amused cheers.
By now,
it was eight in the evening.
Night had fully descended.
A gentle breeze stirred, faint cicada cries lingered in the air. Soul-tool lamps encircled Sea God Lake, and the students' laughter drifted through light and shadow, weaving a night both tender and alive.
"Next—"
Yan Shaozhe's voice carried to every corner.
"Huo Yuhao."
The moment that name was spoken, the laughter and chatter quieted by several degrees.
In its place came burning gazes and a tide of hushed whispers.
"It's finally Huo Yuhao's turn!"
"Who will he choose? Senior Sister Zhang or Senior Sister Xiao Tao?"
"Sigh, to gain the favor of either one would be a blessing cultivated over several lifetimes. Huo Yuhao is truly fortunate!"
"If you could defeat a Titled Douluo at thirteen, you'd have pretty senior sisters liking you too!"
Beneath the willow trees,
the hunched figure who had been reclining in a lounge chair had vanished at some unknown moment.
When he reappeared, he was already upon the pleasure boat.
"Pavilion Master!" Yan Shaozhe and the academy's powerhouses immediately rose to their feet.
Mu En smiled and waved his hand.
"I merely came up to see which girl Yuhao's heart belongs to. Just pretend I'm not here."
Though he said so,
Yan Shaozhe and the others could not help but carry themselves with greater reverence, inwardly sighing with emotion.
The weight Huo Yuhao held in Elder Mu's heart—as his final disciple—was likely far heavier than anyone imagined.
...
The water lily beneath Huo Yuhao's feet slowly drifted forward, finally stopping at a distance neither too near nor too far from the twenty-one girls.
He drew in a quiet breath
and lifted his gaze toward where Zhang Lexuan and Ma Xiaotao stood.
The instant their eyes met,
his heartbeat subtly skipped.
Separated by dozens of meters of clear rippling water—
Zhang Lexuan's cheeks warmed slightly.
Such unfamiliar fluttering was a first for her; the lake of her heart rippled without cause, stirring a trace of fluster.
Ma Xiaotao, famed for her bold and fiery demeanor, found herself subconsciously lowering her head to stare at her toes.
Then—
realizing that this gesture betrayed timidity, she quickly raised her face again.
She met Huo Yuhao's gaze without the slightest evasion, her eyes bright as blazing stars.
"My name is Huo Yuhao. I am thirteen…"
The youth's clear voice spread through the night. At first, it carried a faint tension, but soon steadied.
"I possess twin Martial Souls—one the Life God Eye, the other the Titan Snow Demon King. Level 65 Control and Assault–type Battle Spirit Emperor."
As his words fell,
a resplendent divine mark shimmered upon his brow. A brilliant golden vertical eye snapped open, and his original eyes transformed into flowing molten gold.
Immediately after,
the space behind him rippled. A colossal ape phantom slowly manifested—arms hanging past its knees, body covered entirely in frost.
Above Sea God Lake,
fine snow began to drift down.
From the center beneath Huo Yuhao's feet, an azure layer of ice rapidly spread, freezing the shimmering waves into a crystal-clear mirror like glazed glass.
He had no intention of hiding himself.
Since tonight concerned matters of the heart between men and women, then he would meet it with sincerity.
Otherwise—
how would he be any different
from the sort of person he himself disdained?
"My life's ambition lies in cultivation, but the path of the Great Dao is long. I also hope to walk hand-in-hand with a beloved..."
Amid the swirling snow,
the tall figure in blue stood both hazy and distinct—like one born of ice and snow, like one accompanied by the long wind.
At this moment,
Sea God Lake fell utterly silent.
Every gaze converged upon him.
Shock, admiration, reverence… countless emotions surged soundlessly.
The twenty-one young women standing upon their lotuses, each beautiful in her own way, all revealed a flicker of brilliance in their eyes.
In this fantastical world, strength reigned supreme.
This youth—only thirteen years old—had already reached level 65 in Spirit Power, possessed two supreme Martial Souls, and could defeat a Titled Douluo across realms.
Such talent—who would not call him a peerless prodigy?
And in addition—
his features were handsome, his bearing upright as pine and bamboo in the wind.
Indeed—
it was enough to make one's heart race.
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