Chapter 392: Zhao Zhao Huiyin

The second day at the Sacred Profound Star Academy was unusually lively and buzzing.

Because the delegation from the Blue Abyss Sacred Academy had officially arrived.

The academy put on a corresponding welcome, and even some of the top forces within the Great Xia City came out one after another to show their support, while countless students also came to watch out of curiosity. After all, such a large-scale visit from another Sacred Academy was quite rare.

The buzzing clamor of voices spread throughout the entire academy.

However, Li Luo did not go join in the excitement. He had already read through all the information and intelligence on the Blue Abyss Sacred Academy's delegation, so there was no need to waste time going to see them in person, and he wouldn't be able to tell anything anyway. At this moment, he was on an inner lake deep within the lake island opposite his dormitory building.

Li Luo stood upon the lake's surface. At this moment, his eyes were slightly closed, and pale-blue water-aspect power surged out from within his body, constantly rippling across the surface of his skin. This water-aspect power condensed and flowed in a peculiar rhythm, as if it were about to form a layer of water armor over his body.

Before Li Luo, Mentor Xi Chan stood with her hands clasped behind her back. The breeze on the lake surface caused her thin gauze to flutter gently, and her faint voice rang out: "You possess dual aspects, and you wield that Goldline White-eyed grade Falcon Bow. Your attack power is extremely outstanding among those of the same level. However, you yourself have a slight flaw, and that is insufficient defense. That is why I have chosen this General-tier art, the 'Heavy Water Gauze Garment,' for you."

"The key point of this art is to compress your own water-aspect power to form heavy water, then circulate it according to a specific pattern, as if forming an imperceptible layer of water gauze clothing over the surface of your body. This art protects the body, able to weaken fatal sneak attacks for you, providing a measure of safety."

As Mentor Xi Chan spoke, the color of the water-aspect power on the surface of Li Luo's body grew increasingly deep, and a thin veil of water covered his frame.

Mentor Xi Chan took a look, then suddenly extended a slender jade finger and directly poked at the position of Li Luo's right chest. That finger of hers did not carry any phase force, but with just this light poke, the water gauze that Li Luo had condensed with all his might shattered like foam.

"Here, the heavy water circulation is insufficient. Pull one hair and the whole body moves. Start over," she said flatly.

Li Luo did not get discouraged, nor did he say anything, but instead continued to attempt the condensation.

After a while, Mentor Xi Chan extended a finger and poked again: "The compression of the heavy water is insufficient. The result is that this water gauze garment of yours is utterly useless, nothing but a waste of phase force."

After that, Mentor Xi Chan kept making her moves, poke poke poke.

"The heavy water needs three layers. You've covered your whole body, sure, but the layering isn't enough. It has the form but no substance. Continue."

"The heavy water is too thick. Are you trying to become a slow-moving target?"

Continue poking poke poke.

Time passed unknowingly like this. By the time Li Luo, utterly exhausted, came back to his senses, the setting sun at the horizon had already slanted down, its dark-red afterglow spilling out, even casting a faint reddish sheen across the lake's surface.

"Mentor, my phase force is all used up," Li Luo said with a bitter face.

Mentor Xi Chan seemed to smile slightly, and said: "Although there are still quite a few flaws, being able to cultivate the 'Heavy Water Gauze Garment' to this stage in just a few short days — your phase arts talent is indeed very outstanding. The ticket competition begins the day after tomorrow. Come here again tomorrow to continue cultivating."

"If this art is mastered, it will greatly complement your own strength."

Li Luo nodded and said: "Thank you, Mentor, for your guidance."

Mentor Xi Chan waved her hand and smiled lightly: "As your mentor, this is simply my duty. If you can win in the ticket competition, it will reflect well on me as well."

Then she said no more, turned, and stepped across the water as she left. With a slight sway of her slender figure, she vanished from the lake's surface as if by teleportation.

Li Luo also swept over to the shore, tidied up a little, then lifted his somewhat weary steps and left the lake island, heading along the stone bridge toward his dormitory building.

After a day had passed, the buzzing and lively atmosphere within the academy had clearly died down. However, in the conversations of students passing by now and then, the topic at the center was clearly still the Blue Abyss Sacred Academy's delegation.

Li Luo paid no heed to this, but immersed himself in his own comprehension of the 'Heavy Water Gauze Garment.'

After walking like this for a while, a figure suddenly came toward him from ahead, and then unexpectedly collided into Li Luo.

The sudden collision made Li Luo freeze for a moment. By reflex, he reached out to steady that figure. Where his palm touched, the body was soft and delicate, a faint fragrance wafted over, accompanied at the same time by a soft, coquettish gasp, instantly making it hard to keep one's thoughts from wandering.

Li Luo felt a little awkward — it turned out to be a girl.

Moreover, with this reach of his, he had nearly gathered the girl into his embrace. The latter, also caught off guard, had grabbed the front of his chest.

Li Luo did not dare to move rashly, and could only chuckle awkwardly: "Classmate, are you alright?"

At this moment, the girl in his arms also raised her head with blushing cheeks, suddenly revealing a face that was equally suited to pouting or smiling, as lovely as peach blossoms.

Gazing at this face, Li Luo couldn't help but freeze for a moment. It wasn't because the other's looks were stunning — after all, spending all year facing Jiang Qing'e's level of beauty, he flattered himself that he still had considerable resistance when it came to a woman's appearance. The reason he was startled was because he had seen this face yesterday...

The representative of the Three Star Court of the Blue Abyss Sacred Academy, Zhao Zhao Huiyin.

He hadn't expected that the two of them would collide here in this manner.

Then he noticed that the passing crowd around them had all stopped, and curious, envious gazes kept being cast their way.

From those whispered murmurs, it was clear quite a few people had recognized Zhao Zhao Huiyin. After all, within the Blue Abyss Sacred Academy's delegation, she was the most eye-catching one — and it had nothing to do with strength, purely because she was very pretty.

Some of the male students of the Sacred Profound Star Academy all revealed looks of envy. This Li Luo really did have a lot of luck with the ladies — just walking along and he could have an encounter with such a pretty girl?

Under those gazes, Zhao Zhao Huiyin's pretty face flushed completely red. She stood up and said somewhat apologetically: "I'm sorry, I was looking at the scenery here and didn't notice you."

Li Luo took the opportunity to withdraw the arm that had been around her, and nodded amiably.

"Senior Sister Zhao is quite a refined person," Li Luo said with a smile.

"You know me?" Zhao Zhao Huiyin said in surprise.

"I've read Senior Sister Zhao's file. Such a pretty girl is indeed hard to forget once seen. And I suppose Senior Sister Zhao might also know who I am?" Li Luo nodded. It wasn't that he was boasting — as the representative of the One Star Court, the Blue Abyss Sacred Academy's side would certainly have prepared some intelligence on him. After all, the ticket competition was only a contest between two academies, and gathering intelligence would be relatively easier.

Zhao Zhao Huiyin looked at him carefully, her surprise growing: "You're Li Luo of the One Star Court of the Sacred Profound Star Academy?"

Li Luo smiled and nodded. Then he felt the two of them were standing a bit too close. At such a close distance, he could even smell the faint fragrance coming from her, so he planned to step back.

However, just as he was about to retreat, Zhao Zhao Huiyin grabbed his arm, her pearly teeth biting her red lips as she said: "I twisted my ankle. I'm sorry, let me catch my breath for a moment, may I?"

There were some faint stirrings around them, and some male students looked at Li Luo with gazes full of jealousy.

This luck with the ladies was a bit too outrageous.

Why wasn't it them who had bumped into this Zhao Zhao Huiyin?

Li Luo stared at Zhao Zhao Huiyin for two seconds, but faintly sensed something was off. This feeling of something being off didn't last long, and then he noticed the atmosphere around them beginning to grow somewhat stagnant. So he raised his head and, following the crowd's strange gazes, looked toward the other end of the stone bridge.

And then he saw Jiang Qing'e standing there.