Chapter 81

But those lightning flashes were not just aimed at her alone; they scattered in all directions. Some of them flew toward the Golden Crow Saintess Wu Meng, who was nearest to her.

Wu Meng instinctively raised her hand, and a layer of gold-red fire spread outward, forming a barrier around her.

But just then, a larger bolt of lightning suddenly trembled; the electric light suddenly solidified and actually pierced the defensive layer laid down by the Golden Crow True Fire, and a hand reached out from the lightning, lifting Wu Meng's bamboo hat from her head.

Wu Meng was surrounded by Golden Crow True Fire; as soon as the bamboo hat was lifted, it instantly turned to ash in the flames, revealing her pretty face.

Although Chu Qingtian had previously introduced her to Huo Yuhao, this Golden Crow Saintess was already over thirty, but from a distance she looked about twenty-five or twenty-six. Though not as stunningly beautiful as Jiang Nannan, she was exceptionally lovely and certainly deserved the title 'beauty'.

Wu Meng obviously hadn't expected the other side to attack her; just as she was about to strike back, Chu Qingtian let out a long whistle, turning into lightning again. This time he transformed into only a flash of electric light, almost just a glimmer, and he returned to a point a hundred meters away, landing steadily on a lotus leaf.

"Senior Sister Wu, I concede."

Wu Meng raised her hand to touch her pretty face; surprisingly, she didn't flare up, but instead her face flushed red—though the golden light rising from beneath the lotus around her body made it hard for the male disciples to see clearly.

Han Ruoruo laughed softly and said something to Wu Meng, but Wu Meng lowered her head, not knowing what she was thinking.

"Well done!" The male disciples erupted in cheers. The Golden Crow Saintess's bamboo hat had actually been snatched off! Chu Qingtian instantly became a hotshot. Considering his cultivation is only six rings, he first moved against Han Ruoruo and then successfully snatched Wu Meng's bamboo hat—this boldness and speed are absolutely praiseworthy.

Zhang Le Xuan also gave him an approving glance and lightly laughed, "Wu Meng, don't forget your promise to everyone."

Wu Meng's pretty face flushed, and she coquettishly replied, "I know!"

The smile on Chu Qingtian's face, which had been full of pride, suddenly faded as he whispered to Huo Yuhao beside him, "Brother, I feel something's not right."

Huo Yuhao praised, "What's wrong? Senior, your speed is incredible. Was what you just merged into lightning a soul skill?"

Chu Qingtian didn't hide it, nodding and saying, "My martial soul is the Lightning Mad Leopard. Normally, Soul Masters with lightning ability use it for attack, but I don't—I use my electricity to increase speed, allowing me to embody lightning and instantly boost my speed to the extreme. That's why everyone gave me the nickname 'Lightning Demon Leopard.' In terms of strength, we certainly can't compare to them, but when it comes to speed, there really aren't many in the inner court faster than me."

There are no weaklings in the inner court! Huo Yuhao once again deeply felt this truth.

"Brother, you also need to give it your all!" Chu Qingtian said to Huo Yuhao with deep meaning.

Huo Yuhao stared for a moment, then said, "Me? Add what oil?"

Chu Qingtian looked speechless and said, "You must have just entered the inner court not long ago, right?"

Huo Yuhao nodded and said, "I was specially admitted into the inner court."

Chu Qingtian said, "Just look at your age and you'll know. Don't be nervous—it's your turn now!"

"Uh..." Huo Yuhao then realized that the first segment had already come around to him. Sure enough, he turned his head to look at Bei Bei, who was giving him an encouraging gesture.

"Huo Yuhao, don't be nervous. Give it your all." Senior Sister Zhang Le Xuan smiled and encouraged him, then turned to the female disciples and said, "This is the youngest among our male disciples today, sisters, please go easy on him!"

A chorus of bell-like laughter rang out over the water; even Wu Meng, whose bamboo hat had already been lifted, laughed, "Little guy, how old are you to come to this matchmaking event? Come on, you can also lift Ruoruo Sister's bamboo hat. Ruoruo Sister loves little boys."

"Meng'er, do you want to die?" Han Ruoruo exclaimed, embarrassed and coquettish, instantly provoking another round of laughter from the female disciples.

Huo Yuhao's face was indeed somewhat embarrassed at this point—neither going nor staying felt right, leaving him at a loss. After all, he had never experienced such a scene before.

Bei Bei said, "Huo Yuhao, give it your all. Go."

"Mm." Huo Yuhao agreed and stepped out of the lotus leaf.

Unlike all the previous inner court male disciples who had made a move, most of them rushed straight at the opposite side, but Huo Yuhao didn't; his movements seemed a bit slow. He stepped forward, actually setting foot on the water surface, his whole body hovering above it without sinking. Then he walked step by step toward the female disciples across from him.

The disciples on both sides, who had been laughing and preparing to watch the show, fell silent at this moment, staring in astonishment at this young junior.

Huo Yuhao's movements weren't fast, but he was very steady. As he moved across the water, he maintained a steady rhythm, as if walking on solid ground. Not even a ripple appeared on the water surface, as though he were inherently part of the water.

Huo Yuhao certainly couldn't stand directly on the water surface—that requires at least seven-ring cultivation and the ability to fly, which only Soul Masters can do. He certainly isn't seven-ring.

When walking on the water, as his foot landed, a layer of ice naturally condensed, becoming a foothold. With his skillful control of soul power, having such a foothold made walking easy and effortless, and it didn't consume much soul power either. This is the Ultimate Ice!

Although Huo Yuhao walked slowly, a hundred-meter distance is indeed not long. He kept walking until he was about fifteen meters from the female disciples before stopping.

Getting closer, the female disciples naturally saw his appearance clearly.

They could see that Huo Yuhao was indeed young, yet he appeared very composed—even more so than most of the male disciples who had gone before him. His gaze was clear; though not particularly handsome, he faintly bore an air of dignity.

This guy Huo Yuhao, I don't know what method he used, but with his miraculous eyes he successively displayed various special techniques, successfully lifting five bamboo hats. Those five hats belonged to Ling Luochen, Ma Xiaotao, Han Ruoruo, Wu Feng, and Ning Tian.

Originally Han Ruoruo hadn't intended to let Huo Yuhao lift her hat, but at the moment Huo Yuhao lifted it, Ma Xiaotao beside her reflexively grabbed Han Ruoruo's and pulled it off, nearly causing Han Ruoruo to rush out and fight Ma Xiaotao.

After Huo Yuhao's return sixty, everyone also won everyone's cheers, after all up to now Huo Yuhao is the one who has lifted the most bamboo hats. Chu Qingtian directly gave Huo Yuhao a thumbs-up, smiling with praise: "Brother, high, really high! Without bloodshed, just so easily lifting five bamboo hats—I think if you're willing, lifting all the bamboo hats isn't a problem either! So strong. Moreover, you didn't just lift their bamboo hats, you even left them a good impression. No wonder you could enter the inner court at such a young age, impressive!"

Huo Yuhao smiled faintly and said to Chu Qingtian, "Brother Chu, you overpraise me; I merely took advantage of a loophole."

"Caitou, it's your turn next. We need to speed up for the first segment!" Bei Bei called out to Caitou.

Caitou did something nobody expected—he knelt on one knee facing the seventeen female disciples.

At this moment, his eyes shone with unusual light, yet he was one of the few present whose attention was not on the Snow Maiden.

He thanked Huo Yuhao from the bottom of his heart! The reason is simple: Huo Yuhao lifted Xiao Xiao's bamboo hat, and after two and a half years, he got to see Xiao Xiao again.

As the saying goes, love makes the beloved appear divine; Xiao Xiao was already pretty, and the changes over the past two-plus years made Caitou's eyes stare straight. At this moment his heart rate was at least double normal, and from nervousness his face flushed red. Because his skin is dark, you can't see it, otherwise he could absolutely go tempt a bull.

"Caitou, what are you doing? This segment isn't for confessions!" Bei Bei, seeing him kneel on one knee, couldn't help reminding him again.

"I didn't confess! Isn't the point to lift their bamboo hats?" Caitou said, raising his right hand. Everyone saw a flash of dark light, and a huge soul tool cannon appeared on his shoulder.

This soul tool cannon is entirely dark black; on its dark metal surface, faint silver metallic powder glimmers. As soon as it appeared, it immediately emitted a terrifying aura. Even without facing it head-on, the surrounding male disciples clearly felt a chill run through their bodies.

A soul tool that inherently possesses a strong aura and gives people a sense of threat indicates that its grade has reached a certain level; in soul tool master terminology, this is called a soul tool endowed with life. The entry threshold for such a living soul tool is seventh rank. Thus, the soul tool cannon that Caitou is currently shouldering on his shoulder is at least seventh rank or higher.

This giant cannon is up to two meters long, its caliber nearly a foot, and shouldered it fits his sturdy build perfectly.

As soon as his giant cannon appeared, it immediately brought about a strange sight on Sea God Lake. The seventeen female disciples opposite all had their soul rings flash instantly.

For a moment, yellow, purple, and black soul rings illuminated a large expanse of water.

Faced with this overwhelmingly domineering seventh-rank soul tool cannon, under the pull of qi mechanism, the immense threat prompted the inner court female disciples to simultaneously unleash their respective martial souls.

Huo Yuhao had been observing the opposite side, and at the very moment these female disciples released their martial souls, he made an astonishing discovery. The soul ring configuration on the second female disciple from the left was exceptionally special and very familiar.

One yellow, two purple, three black. That is, her fourth soul ring is already of ten-thousand-year level. This, this isn't the same soul ring combination as Wang Dong's, is it?

"Don't move, all raise your hands. This is a seventh-rank fixed-installation soul tool cannon loaded with seventh-rank high-explosive incendiary shells; its power can cover a one-kilometer range. Once fired, I can at least guarantee that it will evaporate more than a third of Sea God Lake's water. The lotus leaves under your feet definitely won't be spared. Everyone, take off your bamboo hats."

Caitou's words were indeed spoken with great momentum, but as soon as he said them, everyone present instantly turned to stone, including the distant teachers.

Xuan Lao's mouth corners twitched violently, and Fan Yu abruptly stood up, shouting angrily toward Caitou's direction: "You idiot. This is a matchmaking event—do you think it's a battlefield? Put away that fixed-installation soul tool cannon."

Chu Qingtian looked at Caitou past Huo Yuhao, his mouth wide open: "Brother, you're not here for matchmaking—you must be here to wreck the place, right?"

Caitou stared blankly: "Isn't this allowed?"

Huo Yuhao said in a low voice: "It seems not working. Second senior brother, this is a matchmaking meeting, cough cough, how did you bring out such a powerful soul tool?"

Bei Bei's facial muscles were also twitching; he never expected He Cai Tou to cause such a mix‑up. Don't move……

This isn't a matchmaking meeting; it's about wrecking the place……

Huo Yuhao tried hard not to laugh, hurriedly urged He Cai Tou, and this second senior brother finally put away the soul tool cannon. He looked clueless, muttering to himself: "Wasn't it said that the first stage allows free attack? Use the attack to snatch the bamboo hat! I haven't even attacked; I just threatened them a bit."

"He Cai Tou! Although a matchmaking meeting can show one's strength, as a soul tool master you shouldn't go overboard! Aren't you afraid of hurting the girls opposite?" Zhang Le Xuan was also speechless at this moment, yet wanted to laugh. Seeing He Cai Tou's silly appearance, she realized this guy really wasn't deliberately causing trouble.

"Oh, is that so! Then I don't need to use a stationary soul tool weapon. But, eldest senior sister, what should I do now?"

Zhang Le Xuan finally couldn't help laughing: "How would I know what you soul tool masters should do? Get close, don't fall in the water, attack without hurting the girls, snatch the bamboo hat—understood?"

He Cai Tou nodded and murmured: "Exactly, the eldest senior sister explained it clearly. The eldest senior brother's explanation was unclear, and he even said you could attack freely."

Bei Bei only felt his vision go dark, turned away directly, giving the look of "I don't know this guy."

On the other side, Xu Sanshi was already laughing so hard he couldn't straighten his waist, silently thinking, Bei Bei, Bei Bei, you too have this day……

"He Cai Tou, start now. Hurry up." Zhang Le Xuan reminded him again. This first stage has already taken a quarter of an hour, and only a third of it has been completed. If we continue, won't this matchmaking event run until late at night? "Oh." He Cai Tou responded, finally putting away his mocking mode; he tapped the tip of his foot on a lotus leaf, only to hear a "splash"—the center of the lotus sank into the water, nearly being stepped on and broken by his foot. And He Cai Tou himself had only jumped less than two meters. His actions were indeed somewhat clumsy.

But just then, Huo Yuhao clearly felt a change in the aura of his second senior brother.

Only he knew best that his second senior brother was definitely not foolish, but truly a case of great wisdom appearing as foolishness. His earlier performance must have been intentional; he just didn't know what the purpose was.

(End of chapter)