Bei Bei smiled as he said, âAlright, itâs over. Sixteen lights remain. Good start, Yuhao!â
Huo Yuhao only noticed the lamp that had been extinguished. He suddenly realized that the other sixteen girls, including Han Ruoruo and Wu Ming, had actually kept their lamps on for him, which was something he had never expected would happen.
It was clear that during the Love at First Sight segment, both the Snow Lady and his own exemplary performance had given the girls a good impression, and only Wu Feng had extinguished her lamp vengefully.
âNext, we have He Caitou. Get ready, Sea Godâs Fairies.â Bei Bei continued with the segment, seeing that Huo Yuhao had passed.
Huo Yuhao could feel his second senior brother immediately getting nervous not far from him. He Caitouâs eyes were wide open, he glanced towards Xiao Xiao from time to time, and his large fists were clenched tight. Beads of sweat even trickled down from his temples.
This was only the second segment, but this segment was enough to prove whether Xiao Xiao had a good feeling about him.
âBegin.â
Along with Bei Beiâs exclamation, Huo Yuhao felt as if his eyes had gone dark as many lamps were immediately extinguished.
He Caitouâs situation was completely the opposite from Huo Yuhao. The aiming he did with the Class 7 stationary soul cannon took many points from him, while his tall and robust frame along with his dark skin didnât really fit the girlsâ idea of beauty.
âDonât extinguish everything, please!â He Caitou howled softly under his breath.
Fortunately, two lamps remained after most of the lamps were extinguished.
One lamp belonged to the enchanting Jiang Nannan, who flashed a faint smile in He Caitouâs direction with a tinge of encouragement in her eyes. However, whether He Caitou could see it from so far away was another story altogether.
He Caitou felt his entire body turn soft and weak, and his shirt was completely drenched with sweat. This moment was like a desperate life or death fight to him.
The other lamp that remained besides Jiang Nannanâs lamp belonged to Xiao Xiao. Xiao Xiaoâs head was lowered at this moment, and she didnât look up at He Caitou, but even at this distance, Huo Yuhao could see that there were two dashes of red across her pretty face.
âNannan has such a strong sense of loyalty!â He Caitou couldnât but exclaim in admiration.
Huo Yuhao chortled and said, âWhy didnât you praise Xiao Xiao, second senior brother?â
He Caitou wiped the sweat from his forehead and said, âIâm nervous, Yuhao. What should I do?â
Huo Yuhao forced a laugh and said, âIâm nervous too⦠I would rather fight an epic battle instead. Truth be told, this event is really making our hearts beat faster. Iâm a little better, as I donât really have a target, and youâre feeling more anxious and nervous because you do. Relax, second senior brother, I can tell that Xiao Xiaoâs face is blushing, and that means sheâs probably embarrassed. Thatâs still a good thing in the end, and at least she has kept her lamp on for you. That means you still stand a chance.â
âYes.â He Caitou nodded his head vigorously. It was clear that Xiao Xiao keeping her lamp on for him had greatly boosted his self-confidence.
The event continued, and the girls were exceptionally cruel and savage. Huo Yuhao and the Snow Lady managed to obtain sixteen lamps, but the people who came after him didnât even get a third of the lamps, even though their situations werenât as bad as He Caitouâs. Very quickly, it was Xu Sanshiâs turn.
Xu Sanshi was the last in the first row, and the two rows behind him were almost entirely comprised of guys that hadnât achieved anything at all in the first round.
He Caitou was nervous on his first appearance at the Sea Godâs Fate, but Xu Sanshi was equally as nervous. He stared passionately in Jiang Nannanâs direction, and it didnât matter to him if all other sixteen lamps were extinguished as long as Jiang Nannan kept her lamp on for him.
âXu Sanshi, Love at First Sight. Begin.â
âDing, ding, dingâ¦â Perhaps the girls knew that this guyâs only target was Jiang Nannan, or perhaps it was because he had played dirty in the first segment, but the speed at which the lamps were extinguished was even faster than He Caitou.
The lamps quickly disappeared until two remained â one was Xiao Xiao, and the other was Jiang Nannan.
Just when Xu Sanshi heaved a sigh of relief and a smile appeared on his face, Jiang Nannan decisively pressed the button in her hands with a swoosh, and the pale golden lamp underneath her was immediately extinguished. The only lamp that remained belonged to Xiao Xiao.
The smile on Xu Sanshiâs face froze, and his face turned ghastly pale. He even shuddered a little.
âYouâre so cruel, Nannan!â Xu Sanshi shouted agonizingly, but he stabilized himself in the end.
On the other side, He Caitou asked Huo Yuhao nervously, âYuhao, Yuhao! Why did Xiao Xiao leave her lamp on for third senior brother? Whatâs this about?â
Huo Yuhao was rendered speechless momentarily, then said, âSecond senior brother, youâre confused because youâre too concerned and you think too much. Why do you think fourth senior sister left her lamp on for you before this? Naturally, itâs because we are one family, and we should support each other. Itâs the same for Xiao Xiao. Do you think she can bear to watch everyone extinguish their lamps for second senior brother?â
He Caitou was relieved, but he still muttered under his breath, âSanshi is a little more handsome than I am, thisâ¦â
Huo Yuhao turned back around and decided not to bother with this guy who spouted nonsense anymore.
Xu Sanshi barely passed this round, but the guys at the back werenât nearly as lucky. There were too many guys and too few girls, after all â there were more than twice as many guys, and this situation meant that there were bound to be many guys who would be made to forfeit at this stage.
The lamps continued to be extinguished, and when Love at First Sight finally came to an end, there were only twenty-four male students who remained. The second round alone wiped out a third of the male students.
What made Huo Yuhao a little surprised was that many lamps were extinguished for Dai Huabin, but Wu Feng ultimately kept her lamp on for him so that he could remain for the next round. When he saw this, Huo Yuhao couldnât help but wonder if they were in cahoots from the beginning.
Xie Huanyueâs situation was a lot worse. When he left the scene, he was still shouting, âFatties have no rights! Fatties have no rights after all!â Not a single lamp was kept on for him.
The second round had come to an end. The twenty-four male students were rearranged once more, this time into a single row, as there were not that many left, and they faced the seventeen girls in the distance directly.
Zhang Lexuan was the one who spoke this time.
âIâm sure everyone has obtained a little understanding of each other after the past two rounds. We shall now proceed into the third segment â Love at Second Sight. This time, the girls have to pay attention â you wonât be able to choose as casually as you did in the second round. Once you make your choice, you will have to be responsible for it. Every guy will have one minute to introduce themselves, and you guys will come to me once youâve finished your introduction to tell me the number of the Sea Godâs Fairy that you like. Once all the introductions are complete, the girls will go through another selection round, but this selection will represent your final choice. Every girl can only choose once, and you canât regret your choice. Once this selection is over, we will begin the fourth segment.â
âAll guys, pay attention. Youâre allowed to display the ability that you think is the most powerful while youâre introducing yourself, and you can also introduce your own cultivation levels and whatnot, as long as you feel that your introduction will be enough to attract the girl you like. I will switch up the order this time, and it will be decided by drawing lots so that we can be fair.â
Bei Bei stepped onto a water lily leaf and gradually floated towards the male students. He was holding some numbered sticks in his hands, and he carried out the lot drawing from left to right.
The girls on the other side werenât idling around either. Each of them now had a number on their chest, while they also switched positions.
The girl that Huo Yuhao was watching who still had the bamboo hat on her head had the number âtwoâ.
The lot drawing of quickly ended. Huo Yuhaoâs luck was average; he was number eleven, and his position was towards the middle.
The first few and the last few in the third segment were at a disadvantage. The first few to go out wouldnât have experience, while it was easy for the girls to become fatigued and tired towards the end.
Chu Qingtian, the six-ringed agility-type Soul Emperor that had been standing beside Huo Yuhao during the first round, was the first to go.
Zhang Lexuan announced, âAlright, the third segment, Love at Second Sight, shall begin. Do put on a good show, boys. This is your best chance to attract the Sea Godâs Fairiesâ attention â donât let this opportunity slip from your grasp.â
âThe student with the first numbered stick, step out. Remember, your performance will take place along the lakeâs surface between the guys and the girls. The rules are the same, and you will be considered forfeit if you drop into the water.â
âThank you, eldest senior sister.â Chu Qingtian acknowledged, and he wasted no time at all as he soared into the sky. Lightning circled around his body, and he arrived on the waterâs surface in a flash.
âGreetings, Sea Godâs Fairies. My name is Chu Qingtian.â He announced his name when he was still in the air. Two yellow, two purple, and two black soul rings sparkled at the same time.
He rotated once in the sky, and his third soul ring lit up. Countless streaks of lightning flickered, and his body immediately disappeared while only sounds remained in midair.
âIâm twenty-seven years old, and my martial soul is the Berserk Lightning Panther. Iâm an agility-type Soul Emperor, and my soul power stands at Rank 67. I am confident to say that Iâm one of the fastest amongst the inner courtyardâs students. Even though Iâm not exceptionally outstanding, I have a sincere heart. I have already made my decision before my participation in the Sea Godâs Fate today, and if any Sea Godâs Fairy is willing to take me in, I will lay down my heart and follow you for eternity.â
The lightning bolts crackling through the sky suddenly congregated as he spoke, and came together to form an enormous heart-shaped lightning bolt.
His body flickered, and he leapt out from the heart-shaped lightning bolt. He blew softly, and the heart-shaped lightning bolt flew towards the girls in the distance before it eventually dissipated in the air. He twisted in the sky and came before Zhang Lexuan with another flash of lightning, swiftly writing down the number of the girl that he liked on a piece of paper in her hands. Afterwards, he jumped back into the air and returned to his water lily leaf.
Chu Qingtian had displayed his speed and control throughout the entire process. His movements were like the rolling clouds and flowing water, and there werenât any kinks, drags or drops at all. Exactly one minute had passed when he returned to his water lily leaf.