Chapter 211.1: The Blind Date at the Sea G.o.d"s Fate

Huo Yuhao had never expected the activity that Bei Bei was talking about to be a blind date, thus his heart unwittingly began to beat faster. Will that w.a.n.g Qiu"er be attending this blind date too?

He was experienced in terms of battle, but he was like a blank piece of paper when it came to relations.h.i.+ps. He actually became exactly what that Xu Sans.h.i.+ had described earlier, as he descended into silence and began to blush.

Xu Sans.h.i.+ walked up next to Huo Yuhao and wrapped his arm around Huo Yuhao"s shoulder. "Don"t worry, Yuhao, it"s easy to get girls! I"ll teach you three moves: Be courageous, be meticulous,, and be thick-skinned. We"re all adults at this point, and the academy has given us permission. If you see someone that you like, just go ahead and chase her. Remember that we aren"t inferior to anyone, and good luck!"

"Yes," Huo Yuhao nodded, but the G.o.ddess of Light"s image echoed in his mind. The first person that popped into his mind when he thought about girls was the woman of his dreams, and occasionally the feeling of awe he"d felt when he saw w.a.n.g Qiu"er"s elegance and gracefulness.

"When will w.a.n.g Dong be back, eldest senior brother?" Huo Yuhao asked Bei Bei. It"d be nice if w.a.n.g Dong was around. w.a.n.g Qiu"er should be his twin sister, thus he should be able to give me some pointers.

Bei Bei exchanged a look with Xu Sans.h.i.+ and then said, "He should be back in time to partic.i.p.ate in the event, as it"ll be hosted tomorrow night. Eldest senior sister and I will be hosting the hosts of the Sea G.o.d"s Fate, thus we"ll explain the rules to you tomorrow during the day. This event belongs to the inner courtyard"s students, and is a good chance for everyone to interact with one another. The teachers will make guest appearances and watch from the side, but they will not interfere. You don"t have to worry, little junior brother, because we have prepared for bashful people like you and Caitou, and I guarantee that you will be eased into the event when the time comes. Furthermore, you have to remember that being together with the person you like isn"t that easy, as there are far fewer girls in the inner courtyard than guys! There will be a contest of abilities when the time comes, so you have to be mentally prepared for that!"

We still have to fight during the blind date? Huo Yuhao exchanged a look with He Caitou. There was a tinge of eagerness in all his anxiety, but he also felt a little distressed and awkward.

"Eldest senior brother, can I choose not partic.i.p.ate in this event?" Huo Yuhao asked feebly.

Bei Bei replied firmly, "No way! You"re part of the Sea G.o.d"s Pavilion, and you"re part of Shrek"s Seven Monsters! You will ruin our reputation if you don"t partic.i.p.ate! Furthermore, you won"t have this fantastic opportunity whenever you want it. Even though it"s hosted every year, if you don"t make a move on the girl you like, then perhaps she"ll become someone else"s girl the following year. You can"t let this opportunity go, as it may never come back to you."

Huo Yuhao watched Bei Bei"s sincere and honest expression, but Huo Yuhao felt as if there were b.u.t.terflies in his stomach. He started to hope for w.a.n.g Dong"s return in his mind again. w.a.n.g Dong was much more experienced than he was with things like this.

—

They departed Shrek City, and it didn"t take long before they returned to Shrek Academy.

Sea G.o.d"s Island hadn"t changed much. Even before he stepped on the island, Huo Yuhao could feel that there were quite a few people in boats hustling about on the lake.

Bei Bei told him that they were making preparations for tomorrow"s Sea G.o.d"s Fate.

"Let"s grab a bite to eat. I"m famished." Xu Sans.h.i.+ patted his stomach and strode towards the canteen the moment he stepped on the island.

Huo Yuhao was astonished when they arrived at the canteen.

The Sea G.o.d"s Pavilion"s canteen was bustling. He could see about thirty students eating when he surveyed the place, and the food seemed a lot more sumptuous than before. What made him even more surprised was that there were two barrels of red wine by the side, which students could drink if they wanted to.

"What"s this, eldest senior brother? The academy allows alcohol now?" Huo Yuhao asked in shock.

Bei Bei answered, "The Sea G.o.d"s Fate will be hosted tomorrow, and tonight is called Singles Night. Have you realized that the people eating are all guys, and there isn"t a single girl? Everybody has been frustrated and nervous during their day-to-day cultivation, and most of the students in the inner courtyard are already adults. Having a little wine is nothing, and this is expressly permitted by the academy so that everyone can relax a little. It isn"t allowed on typical days. Come, let"s have a drink!"

This was the first time Huo Yuhao had ever tasted wine. He savored the delicious food prepared by the academy"s top-tier chefs and sipped on dark red wine the color of a rose. He gazed into the night above the Sea G.o.d"s Lake in the distance, and he suddenly felt a little surreal.

The wine tasted a little sour when it entered his mouth, and it smelled like ripe apricots. He didn"t feel much when he had the first mouthful, but the crisp fragrance of the wooden barrel and the wine"s various aromas came back as an aftertaste, and Huo Yuhao instantly felt his face starting to heat up. He had never been tipsy before in his entire life, and he felt as if his entire body had been submerged in the savory wine.

"Huo Yuhao?" A deep and slightly unfamiliar voice rang out from behind him.

Huo Yuhao turned around and stared at the person who had called out his name. His eyes were relaxed and a little dazed before this, but they instantly became as sharp as could be.

This person was a tall young man, slightly taller than Huo Yuhao, with broad shoulders and a wide back. His short golden hair was especially neat and clean, but his face seemed a little gloomy and overcast, and he was staring at Huo Yuhao with cold eyes. He was also holding a cup of wine in his hand, and his pupils sparkled with a chilly light.

"Dai Huabin," Huo Yuhao called out the other person"s name calmly.

They hadn"t seen each other for more than two years, but the hatred in Huo Yuhao"s heart had never disappeared, not even for a single moment. He had gotten better at hiding this hatred at the bottom of his heart. At least, now wasn"t the time to take his revenge.

Dai Huabin walked up beside Huo Yuhao and looked towards the vast mist-covered Sea G.o.d"s Lake. He sipped his wine and his eyes narrowed as he asked, "When did you return?"

Huo Yuhao drank his wine in similar fas.h.i.+on and replied, "I came back a few days ago."

Dai Huabin asked, "Are you partic.i.p.ating in tomorrow"s Sea G.o.d"s Fate?"

Huo Yuhao answered, "Yes."

Dai Huabin said, "I didn"t want to partic.i.p.ate at first, as Zhu Lu hasn"t entered the inner courtyard yet. However, since you"re going to partic.i.p.ate, I"ll partic.i.p.ate as well. Shall we make a bet?"

"Nope." Huo Yuhao"s answer was clean and decisive.

"You"re afraid?" Dai Huabin raised an eyebrow, and the glow in his eyes became stronger than before.

Huo Yuhao turned towards him, and his eyes were still as limpid as before. "No."

"Then why don"t you want to bet with me?" Dai Huabin"s tone was overbearing and menacing.

Huo Yuhao smiled and replied, "Because you"re not worthy." He was smiling, but the chill in his eyes was filled with provocation.

Dai Huabin was silent, and his cheeks tensed up. The cup of wine in his hands remained unnaturally stable, however.

Huo Yuhao thought he was going to attack, but Dai Huabin regained his composure and muttered coldly, "We"ll see if I"m worthy enough at the Sea G.o.d"s Fate tomorrow." With that, he turned around and strode away.

Huo Yuhao was a little surprised as he watched Dai Huabin walk away. His words were meant to infuriate Dai Huabin. The hatred and vengeance between the two of them was irreconcilable, but this was Shrek Academy, after all, and Huo Yuhao couldn"t just murder him here even if he had the ability to do so. Therefore, he had to trick Dai Huabin into making a mistake, and when Dai Huabin did something outrageous when he was angry… well, the outcome would be hard to say.

However, Dai Huabin displayed his calm and composed side, and he wasn"t as impulsive as he was back then. He actually restrained himself even when Huo Yuhao tried to provoke him. He turned and left just like that, something that would have been unimaginable for Huo Yuhao if they were in the past.

He"s grown up too!, Huo Yuhao thought to himself. He stared at Dai Huabin, and couldn"t help but think about Dai Yueheng, who he had fought along side by side before. Dai Yueheng had already left the academy, and he was probably fighting on the battlefield with the White Tiger Duke. In terms of blood relations, they were both Huo Yuhao"s older brothers.

Brothers, what a strange thing to call them. Huo Yuhao laughed at himself.

Xu Sans.h.i.+ came beside Huo Yuhao, and he drained the wine in his cup as he asked, "What did that Dai Huabin fellow want with you?"

Huo Yuhao explained, "He says we shall meet at the Sea G.o.d"s Fate tomorrow."

Xu Sans.h.i.+ said, "Seems like he wants to stir up trouble for you! Huo Yuhao, you can"t be complacent. Dai Huabin has improved rapidly over the past two years."

"Eh?" Huo Yuhao glanced at Xu Sans.h.i.+, surprised. He knew that his third senior brother had always thought highly of himself, so he didn"t expect Xu Sans.h.i.+ to give such a high evaluation of Dai Huabin.

Xu Sans.h.i.+ said, "Your batch has many prodigies and talents, indeed. You, w.a.n.g Dong, and even Xiao Xiao have entered the inner courtyard, and several students jumped levels to enter the inner courtyard as well."

"Several? Who else besides Dai Huabin?" Huo Yuhao asked curiously.

Xu Sans.h.i.+ replied, "There are three others. The Seven Treasures Glazed PaG.o.da"s auxiliary-type soul master Ning Tian, the Red Dragon a.s.sault-type soul master Wu Feng, and the Rubberdon defense-type soul master Xie Huanyue. Yea, isn"t that him over there?"

Huo Yuhao followed Xu Sans.h.i.+"s eyes, and saw Xie Huanyue.

Xie Huanyue was much taller compared to a few years ago, but his body seemed to have grown even pudgier, while his looks were quite different as well. After all, everyone had gone through p.u.b.erty. Dai Huabin walked up next to him and said something to him, and Xie Huanyue"s eyes coincidentally turned towards Huo Yuhao.

Their eyes met, and Huo Yuhao raised the wine gla.s.s in his hands as a gesture. He didn"t have any vengeance or hatred with Xie Huanyue, after all.

Xie Huanyue responded with a nod.

Xu Sans.h.i.+ said, "Did you expect the few of them to be able to join the inner courtyard?"

Huo Yuhao asked, "They must have broken through Rank 50?"

Xu Sans.h.i.+ nodded and replied, "They can be described as extraordinary prodigies even within Shrek Academy, just like you and w.a.n.g Dong. Even though they don"t have twin martial souls, their martial souls are exceptionally powerful. This is especially so for Dai Huabin, and his performance in the past few years has been rather dazzling and stunning."

"His soul power should"ve exceeded Rank 50 by now. You have to realize that he"s been studying in the outer courtyard this whole time, and that he doesn"t have the advantage of twin martial souls like w.a.n.g Dong does. At his current rate of progression, he"ll definitely breach Rank 60 within the next two years. Among Shrek"s Seven Monsters, even Nannan and Xiao Xiao might not be as fast as him."

Huo Yuhao smiled and said, "I"m slower too."

Xu Sans.h.i.+ quickly snapped back, "You"re a freak, how could you be the same as the others? You shouldn"t talk about yourself like that. Even though I don"t think that Dai Huabin is stronger than you, his potential and talent are possibly superior to senior Dai Yueheng"s. You should watch out in case he tries to stir up trouble with you tomorrow, as it"s related to a major turning point in your life."

Huo Yuhao laughed and said, "Third senior brother, you sound like you"re trying to say that I"ll definitely find the person that I like tomorrow.”

Xu Sans.h.i.+ laughed along with him and said, "You"ll find her as long as you"re not a stupid fool."

Even though Huo Yuhao was feeling a little distressed again, he could still clearly feel Xu Sans.h.i.+"s concern.

"Come, let"s have a few more drinks. It"s rare for the academy to give us wine, and pretty good wine at that. This brew is probably at least ten years old, and has been oxidized beforehand. These two barrels are quite expensive! Look at Bei Bei, that useless fella."

Bei Bei was currently chatting with He Caitou on the other side. They were both sitting right next to a barrel of wine as if they were guarding it, and Bei Bei was downing wine very quickly—he"d finish his gla.s.s in two or three mouthfuls before refilling it and continuing. He Caitou was quite large, but even he wasn"t drinking as fast as Bei Bei.

Xu Sans.h.i.+"s frowned slightly and said, "Bei Bei has been quite depressed these past two years."

Huo Yuhao nodded his head slightly; of course he knew what Xu Sans.h.i.+ was trying to say.

Xu Sans.h.i.+ heaved a sigh and said, "It"s so difficult to find a single person in this wide, vast world of ours. Even though we all know that something has probably happened to Xiao Ya, he refuses to believe it. I"ve already seen him drinking by himself late into the night several times. He looks tough on the surface, but his heart is actually extremely fragile; Xiao Ya is just too important to him."

Huo Yuhao gradually clenched his fists. He lowered his voice and said, "Teacher Xiao Ya will be alright."

Xu Sans.h.i.+ nodded and said, "We"ll all pray for her."

They walked up to Bei Bei and He Caitou after they"d finished speaking. Bei Bei"s eyes were already covered with layer of haziness, and he smiled when he saw Huo Yuhao. He patted Huo Yuhao lightly on the shoulder and then finished the cup of wine he was holding with a single gulp. "Yuhao, you have to remember my words: Treasure the people around you.

"You will only truly feel the impact of their loss in your bones when you"ve actually lost them. I won"t drink anymore; I don"t want you to see my fragile side. I"m leaving!" He waved to the three of them once he"d finished and then turned to walk away, staggering from side to side as he did so.

Huo Yuhao wanted to chase after him, but Xu Sans.h.i.+ held him back and said, "Don"t. Nothing that we say to him will be as good as letting him have some alone time. All that we can say has been said; he doesn"t want to get drunk and collapse before us, which means that he"s trying to protect his last ounce of dignity."

Xu Sans.h.i.+ had known Bei Bei longer than everyone else present, thus he was undoubtedly the one that understood him best.

Huo Yuhao turned back around; he truly didn"t wish to see his eldest senior brother like this. As the circles around his eyes began to turn red, he thought, Is this love? If the girl that I like were to suddenly leave my side one day, would I become like him?

Bei Bei"s loneliness affected everyone"s mood in the end, and the Singles Night ended like that. Huo Yuhao didn"t stay with his senior brothers, as his dorm on Sea G.o.d"s Island had been a.s.signed to someone else. As such, he could only stay in the Sea G.o.d"s Pavilion for now.

He sauntered towards the Sea G.o.d"s Pavilion. However, when he saw the towering Golden Tree, tears began to involuntarily trickle down his cheeks. He wasn"t just feeling sad for Bei Bei—coming back here made him think about Elder Mu, who"d pa.s.sed away.

He knelt on the ground in the direction of the Sea G.o.d"s Pavilion, and kowtowed towards the tall ancient tree three times in a row.

"I"m home, teacher. I miss you so much." Huo Yuhao didn"t even manage to finish his sentence before beginning to sob uncontrollably.

This place was his real home; only here could he feel completely relaxed. Two and a half years had gone by, and he"d finally been able to see the Sea G.o.d"s Island once more. He was finally able to see the Sea G.o.d"s Pavilion and Golden Tree again.

Huo Yuhao cried for a good fifteen minutes, as if he was releasing all the pent-up emotions that he"d acc.u.mulated over the past two and a half years.

Elder Mu was gone, Electrolux"s divine sense had dissipated into nothingness, Teacher Xiao Ya was missing, and Ma Xiaotao had vanished. These were all people he was extremely close to.

He had been extraordinarily tough on himself back in the Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineering Academy. He"d rarely slept properly; most nights had been spent drawing blueprints or cultivating.

More than two years had gone by since he left. Huo Yuhao had grown up, and was now much more mature. But no matter what, he was still only seventeen years old. Most people at his age were still in their adolescence, and their mentalities were still immature such that they still had to rely on their parents. And yet, Huo Yuhao had been carrying so much more on his shoulders all by himself.

Elder Xuan quietly stood a ways away from Huo Yuhao, raising the wine bottle in his hands from time to time to take a sip. However, he didn"t step forward to console Huo Yuhao, as an emotional catharsis such as this wasn"t exactly a bad thing for him. Instead, this was a chance for Huo Yuhao to finally release his pent-up emotions.

Elder Mu, Elder Mu… you took in two exceptional disciples during your final years!

Elder Xuan"s eyes were full of gratification.

In the Sea G.o.d"s Pavilion not far from him, a pair of clear yet icy-blue eyes were staring at Huo Yuhao, who was still bawling on the ground. This person wanted to dash out and comfort Huo Yuhao, but the two people beside this person held them back.

"Do you want to waste all of your past efforts?"

"Control yourself. Crying isn"t a bad thing for him. Men shed tears too, but they don"t come easily. I think that there"s too much pressure on his shoulders."

"But, he"s in so much pain, and his cries are so sorrowful. I…"

"Stop looking. Your tears are coming out too. Everything will be alright tomorrow. Look, Elder Xuan is here. He"ll be fine. He"s a powerful Soul King after all, will crying really do him any harm?"

Huo Yuhao cried until even he felt a bit dizzy and disoriented. He didn"t know when he returned to the Sea G.o.d"s Pavilion, and couldn"t remember how he"d entered his room. He simply collapsed onto his bed and fell asleep the moment that he entered the room.

Pale golden rays cascaded in through the walls of Huo Yuhao"s room. They became specks of golden light that descended onto his body; it was as if they were warmly and gently caressing and comforting him.

Huo Yuhao was still in dreamland, but he began to feel warm. His tightly knit eyebrows gradually relaxed, and he began to sleep even more soundly.

When he woke up from his deep sleep, his entire body felt languid and relaxed, and he felt an unspeakable amount of comfort and contentment. His fatigue had completely disappeared, which was in stark contrast to his lethargic sleep back at the Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineering Academy.

"I"m home." He lay back down on the bed and closed his eyes. The corner of his mouth curled into a faint smile—the feeling of being home was just too good.

He hugged his blanket that was filled with the smell of sunlight and turned on his side, seeming to feel even more comfortable. Sunlight was already flooding into the room, but he didn"t want to get up at all.

He continued to doze. By the time he woke up, he felt a wave of freshness and coolness. There was just one thing that didn"t feel comfortable—his stomach.

Why am I so hungry?

He quickly sat up on the bed, and then rubbed his sleepy eyes and dragged himself to the window to check the sky outside. Just this one look gave him a shock. The sun is leaning towards the west! Midday has already pa.s.sed?! Did I really sleep that long?

The first thought that came to mind was that he hadn"t even cultivated his Purple Demon Eyes. However, it didn"t seem like there was much to do today anyway.

I"ve finally returned home. I should just rest for a day.

He was in exceptional spirits after a good night"s sleep, and left the room after changing his clothes.

The Sea G.o.d"s Pavilion never lacked food; Huo Yuhao quickly found some fruit and other light refreshments before he proceeded towards the Sea G.o.d"s Island"s dormitory area. He wanted to find his senior brothers and find out what today"s arrangement were.

Right—there"s that Sea G.o.d"s Fate thing tonight! Huo Yuhao slapped himself on the forehead. He"d slept so long that his mind had become a little blurry and had nearly forgotten about it.

I"m sure eldest senior brother will tell me the rules now.

When he arrived at Bei Bei"s dorm room, both Xu Sans.h.i.+ and He Caitou were already there.

The inner courtyard"s living conditions were a lot better than the students in the outer courtyard; several two-story buildings had been erected unevenly on the Sea G.o.d"s Island, each of which could host two students. Bei Bei and Xu Sans.h.i.+ naturally took one of these buildings, while He Caitou"s situation was similar to Huo Yuhao"s in that he had nowhere to go. However, he couldn"t sleep in the Sea G.o.d"s Pavilion, thus he"d decided to sleep at Bei Bei and Xu Sans.h.i.+"s place. The place was s.p.a.cious anyway—housing an extra person wasn"t a problem.

"Eldest senior brother, second senior brother, third senior brother." Huo Yuhao greeted his senior brothers respectively.

"You didn"t just wake up, did you, little junior brother?" Bei Bei asked with a smile on his face. He seemed to have recovered from last night. The dejection and moodiness from the previous day was completely gone.

Huo Yuhao was a little embarra.s.sed as he replied, "Yeah, I just woke up. I haven"t had such a comfortable sleep in a long time. Maybe it"s because I"m home, but I felt much more relaxed in my sleep."

He Caitou nodded his head as if he related deeply to this comment and said, "I had that feeling as well—last night"s sleep was great. Sleeping is so much more comfortable than meditation!"

Xu Sans.h.i.+ rolled his eyes and said, "You had a great comfortable sleep, but the two of us sure suffered. Your snoring was so loud that we thought the ceiling was going to collapse."

Bei Bei heaved a faint sigh and said, "I have to thank Caitou after all. At least I temporarily forgot about Xiao Ya amidst his thunderous snoring."

"I… are you two even human? Was it that bad?" He Caitou angrily exclaimed.

"Yes!" Bei Bei and Xu Sans.h.i.+ nodded in unison. It was clear that the two of them had truly suffered a lot last night…

Huo Yuhao tried to hold back his laughter from the side. The days he spent with his senior brothers were always greatly pleasing and gratifying.

Xu Sans.h.i.+ said, "Caitou, considering how loud you snore, should you pay the doctor a visit? Even if Xiao Xiao does walk away with you during the Sea G.o.d"s Fate, you"ll both have quite a hard time. Who in their right mind could stand having a sleepless night every day?"

He Caitou lowered his voice and said, "I can meditate; I won"t snore if I don"t sleep. Are you telling me that you actually sleep every single night?"

"Eh, that makes sense." They were soul masters, thus they didn"t spend that many days sleeping. Generally, most of their nights were spent meditating.

Huo Yuhao attempted to help his second senior brother and asked, "What are the rules for today"s Sea G.o.d"s Fate, eldest senior brother? How many people will be partic.i.p.ating?"

Bei Bei answered, "You"ve asked the right person. n.o.body but me and eldest senior sister know the exact number of partic.i.p.ants tonight—not even the teachers are aware. We benefit from being the insiders. As such, I"ll explain the key events to you guys in order to ensure that none of you run into any problems before the confessions."

Xu Sans.h.i.+, He Caitou, and Huo Yuhao all began to listen intently to Bei Bei"s explanation. In the end, this event would be a major turning point in their lives.

Xu Sans.h.i.+ and He Caitou both had a target in mind, while Huo Yuhao seemed to desire the girl of his dreams. However, the three of them had something in common: They didn"t have absolute confidence.

There was no need to mention Xu Sans.h.i.+ and Jiang Nannan, as they"d always been a resentful couple. Even though Jiang Nannan showed some concern to Xu Sans.h.i.+ from time to time, she was generally cold towards him, while her speech was typically serious and direct.

He Caitou"s relations.h.i.+p with Xiao Xiao was comparatively better, as they"d been relatively well-acquainted since the beginning. However, Xiao Xiao had still been young back then. He Caitou was exceptionally diffident about these things, thus he"d never proposed any sort of official relations.h.i.+p between them. He Caitou and Huo Yuhao had then left the academy for two years, thus he was afraid that Xiao Xiao had forgotten all about him—how could he have even a thread of confidence?

As for Huo Yuhao, he hadn"t known a thing about romance when he left Shrek Academy on the exchange program. He hadn"t had a chance to think much about it, as he was still mired in grief from his teacher"s pa.s.sing.

However, the number of girls that he interacted with began to increase proportionately with his age, thus he began to gain an inkling about love and romance, especially during his interaction with Ju Zi. The G.o.ddess of Light that had been conjured by the Raiment of Light had simply been too beautiful, and this feeling of "love at first sight" had taken root deep inside his heart. However, the G.o.ddess of Light herself was virtual—she wasn"t real. If not for that glimpse of beauty and enchantment on the day he"d returned, Huo Yuhao probably wouldn"t have had any fantasies about the Sea G.o.d"s Fate at all. However, since he had, things were different now: "w.a.n.g Qiu"er"—the name of w.a.n.g Dong"s twin sister that he"d mentioned—was starting to ferment in his mind. An unknown eagerness had appeared in his heart towards tonight"s Sea G.o.d"s Fate.

Bei Bei continued, "The Sea G.o.d"s Fate is one of the most important internal activities within Shrek Academy. Shrek Academy is known as the number-one academy in the Continent, and we aren"t called that for nothing. As I"m sure you"re all aware, the inner courtyard"s disciples are all extraordinarily elite soul masters; their abilities are formidable, so it"s natural that they have high relations.h.i.+p standards. As such, it isn"t that easy for them to find a suitable partner in the outside world. This is the reason for the Sea G.o.d"s Fated Blind Date. We"re trying to give the inner courtyard"s disciples, who typically devote their concentration and focus to cultivation, a chance to mingle with and get to know each other."

"Get to the point." Xu Sans.h.i.+ said a little impatiently.

Bei Bei smiled and said, "Don"t be impatient, you have to let me explain properly. Neither He Caitou nor our little junior brother have partic.i.p.ated in this event before. Even though this is a blind date, we are an academy after all, and the number one academy on the Continent at that. This even isn"t as simple as a blind date—the Sea G.o.d"s Fated Blind Date is also a platform to test the abilities of the inner courtyard"s disciples. Obtaining approval from the girl of your dreams isn"t that simple; everyone will have to pa.s.s through multiple trials before they"ll gain the chance to confess. If they can"t even pa.s.s this hurdle, then they won"t even get a chance to confess. Of course, luck is also involved; if you"re lucky enough, you might be able to enter the final part. When both parties are happy with each other, then you might just be able to walk away with said girl of your dreams."

"Since it"s still considered an a.s.sessment, that means that it goes both ways—the men and women will both be a.s.sessed. The only difference is that there have always been fewer girls who partic.i.p.ate in the Sea G.o.d"s Fated Blind Date, thus the a.s.sessment will naturally be more difficult for the guys.

"The event is separated into five segments. There are a total of fifty-six single inner courtyard disciples partic.i.p.ating in the event including the three of you. That number also includes Dai Huabin, Xie Huanyue, Wu Feng, and Ning Tian, who entered the inner courtyard not too long ago.

"Eldest senior sister and I will be the hosts for this event. The first segment will be the Entry Phase. This event is known as "The Sea G.o.d"s Fate on the Sea G.o.d"s Lake", which literally means that this event will be hosted atop the Sea G.o.d"s Late. The lake will be decorated with lights, but there won"t be a stage or anything of the like. When the time comes, the only things that you guys will have to stand on will be water lilies."

"Water lilies?" He Caitou"s face instantly darkened. Water lilies were aquatic plants enormous leaves more than one meter in diameter. The leaves edges then curved upwards, thus they could hold some weight on the water"s surface. However, water lilies could only hold the weight of a six or seven year-old kid without capsizing; grown adults were a bit too dense and heavy for water lilies.

He Caitou"s frame was at an extreme disadvantage under these circ.u.mstances and rules. He weighed more than a hundred and twenty kilograms, and his muscles were compact and knotted together. As he was a food-type soul master, even though his soul power had reached the level of Soul Emperor, controlling and manipulating his weight wasn"t his forte.

Huo Yuhao asked, "Will people from the Soul Tool Department be allowed to use their soul tools during the Sea G.o.d"s Fate?"

Bei Bei nodded and said, "Naturally, so neither you nor He Caitou should worry too much. Even if you have to make one now, I"m sure it won"t be difficult to create something to aid the two of you in floating atop the water."

He Caitou"s expression lightened somewhat as he nodded his head.

Bei Bei then spoke in a serious tone, "There"s one thing that you have be careful about, Caitou. No matter what sort of shape the soul tool you create ends up having, you have to make sure that it"s agile and nimble. This will be vital."

"All male and female students will be provided with a leaf from a water lily as tools to float on during the Sea G.o.d"s Fated Blind Date; everything else will be up to them. Anybody that falls into the water during any segment will be immediately forfeit, and will no longer be allowed to partic.i.p.ate in the activity."

He Caitou asked, "Eldest senior brother, can we attack each other?"

Bei Bei answered, "In some segments. You"ll understand if you just keep listening.

"Of the fifty-six students from the inner courtyard partic.i.p.ating in Sea G.o.d"s Fate, thirty-nine are male, while seventeen are female. The first segment is called "Mutual Feelings". While the name sounds nice, it"s actually quite difficult. The seventeen female students will be standing in a row one hundred meters away from the guys, and will all be wearing bamboo hats with veils covering their faces so that you"re not able to see their appearances. Simply put, this round requires teamwork from the male students—all thirty-nine of you will be able to attempt to use your own respective powers to launch attacks at the girls. You can attack one, or you can attack multiple. The goal is simply to lift the veils covering their faces. How can you choose a girlfriend if you can"t even see what they look like, eh?

"This round is also meant as a way for everyone to display their skills and abilities. There"s no doubt that the more bamboo hats a guy can remove, the stronger he is. The girls aren"t allowed to help each other during this segment, nor can they retaliate against the guys. They can only pa.s.sively defend and do their best to stop the bamboo hat from being removed from their heads. If a girl drops into the water during this round, she will also be forfeit. However, the guys generally know what they should and shouldn"t do during the first round—if all the girls fell into the water, who would there be to matchmake with?"

Xu Sans.h.i.+ sighed from the side and said, "There"s so many guys yet so few girls! Who could bear to chase even a single girl into the water? Anyone that does that will incur everyone"s wrath."

Huo Yuhao noticed that Bei Bei"s words seemed to contain another meaning. "Eldest senior brother, that also means the guys will have to cross a hundred meters across the lake"s surface in order to attack, right? We"ll also have to cross the same distance after we attack, right?"

Bei Bei nodded and said, "Yes, you"re right. The difference in martial souls and how advantageous and disadvantageous they are in this segment will be obvious. All thirty-nine of you will draw lots to decide the order in which you"ll attack, and are allowed to give up the first round when your turn has come. In the end, not all martial souls are able to attack through the air, and not all martial souls can launch an attack and manage to return to their original spot safely. However, male students that choose to give up will be pushed to the back in the second round. The more bamboo hats that you can lift in the first round, the earlier that you"ll start in the second round. Following this, the earlier that you start the second round, the more girls that there will be, and the more choices you"ll have.

"Let me explain the second round…"

Bei Bei continued to explain the Sea G.o.d"s Fated Blind Date"s rules and the various details to the three of them. As he was one of the hosts, he was extremely clear regarding the entire event and its itinerary. This explanation took up their entire afternoon.

The sun dipped over the western horizon when Bei Bei finally stood up and said, "The three of you should grab something to eat. I"ll go and find eldest senior sister to confirm the itinerary. Remember, don"t be late. Everyone already knows where to go. Good luck, everyone! Especially Caitou and little junior brother."

Xu Sans.h.i.+ retorted unhappily, "Why aren"t you wis.h.i.+ng me good luck?"

Bei Bei said, "Does it matter if I do? Is this the first time that you"ve partic.i.p.ated in Sea G.o.d"s Fate? Don"t get your hopes up. It doesn"t matter because you"re shameless anyway; if you can continue with your incessant entangling, maybe one day, Nannan will be so upset with your entanglement that she accepts you."

Xu Sans.h.i.+ jumped up angrily and said, "What? Don"t get my hopes up? I"ll definitely succeed this time!"

Bei Bei didn"t even look at him as he waved towards Caitou and Huo Yuhao. "I"m leaving."