Chapter 152: Wait for Me
"How did he get there?" an Inner Court student almost fell from the sky in shock. The others were also staring, dumbfounded, at Du Qianjue, who stood on the lotus leaf with his arms crossed, smiling contently. The Sea Goddesses in the distance, except for the ever-calm Xue Linglong, looked at Du Qianjue with puzzled faces, not understanding how he had instantly appeared on the lotus leaf. Even Zhang Lexuan, under her hat and veil, had her eyes wide open and her mouth slightly agape.
Although the other students were shocked, now was not the time to dwell on this mystery. Du Qianjue hadn't taken the first position but instead chose the third, which secretly pleased them while they were still shocked by his methods. They hurried even faster towards their positions.
The teachers on the boat were also uneasy. "Is that... the power of space?" Cai Meier stood up in shock, staring at the calm and collected Du Qianjue. "Yes, the power of space," Yan Shaozhe nodded, his eyes filled with excitement, "He didn't use his martial soul or any soul skills, just his own control of space. Even I can't do that!"
"This is impossible..." Cai Meier murmured in disbelief. "Not entirely impossible. If he has already condensed a soul core, he might be able to do this," Xian Lin'er analyzed calmly. Qian Duoduo looked at Xian Lin'er speechlessly. "How could someone at the Soul Saint level condense a soul core? I think it's more likely he used a soul bone skill, which is why he didn't need to release his martial soul," Qian Duoduo shared his view.
While the senior staff on the boat debated, the Inner Court students had all secured their spots. The first to reach the foremost lotus leaf was a student with a flying-type martial soul, already at the Soul Saint level and nearly thirty years old. His talent was considerable, with a good chance of becoming a Titled Douluo in the future.
The second spot was also taken by a student with a flying-type martial soul. In this situation, the advantage of a flying-type was too significant, though his rank was not at the Soul Saint level but had an attribute that aided his speed. Clearly, he was a nimble attack-type Soul Emperor.
Du Qianjue was surprised to see who came in fourth: Chen Zifeng had surpassed a large group of students to secure the spot right behind him. "Not bad, Senior Chen, I didn't expect you to be so fast!" Du Qianjue gave a thumbs up in praise. Chen Zifeng twitched the corner of his mouth, his face filled with mock irritation, "You flatter me, Junior. You're the faster one, I can't compare." "Ah, Senior, you are too modest. I didn't fly here, after all. If we're talking speed, I'm definitely not faster than you," Du Qianjue replied 'unhappily.' "Same here!" Chen Zifeng responded with a forced smile.
The two looked at each other and burst out laughing. Chen Zifeng's martial soul was the Soul Chasing Sword. Although it wasn't a flying-type, his soul skills included a Soul Chasing Advance, which allowed him to lock onto the fastest flying-type Soul Saint and essentially hitch a ride. Chen Zifeng was indeed a talent.
By this time, some of the seniors who planned to compete for Du Qianjue in the matchmaking phase had regained their composure, their expressions grave as they watched him. This guy was no ordinary opponent. The same thought occurred to them: 'Don't act rashly, let others test the waters first. I'll play it safe and steady!'
That was the consensus among those Inner Court seniors. Han Ruoruo glanced at Gong Yangmo, whose jaw almost dropped into the lake, curiosity shining in her eyes. "How did he come to Shrek? How could he participate in the Sea God Connection Matchmaking Festival?!" Gong Yangmo muttered incredulously. "Xiao Mo, who is this 'he' you're talking about?" Han Ruoruo asked softly. "Sister Ruoruo, it's the guy in the third position in the first row, who teleported here," Gong Yangmo pointed out Du Qianjue with a bitter smile.
Due to Mu En and Yan Shaozhe's scheme, Zhang Lexuan hadn't told her close friend Han Ruoruo about Du Qianjue, so Han Ruoruo didn't know he would be participating in the Sea God Connection Matchmaking Festival. "Could he be the reason Lexuan is participating in this festival?" Han Ruoruo wondered to herself. Normally, she and Zhang Lexuan would co-host the festival, which they had done for several years. But this year, Zhang Lexuan suddenly told her she would participate personally, pushing Gong Yangmo, the new host from the Inner Court, into her place and left her on her own.
The only difference this year was the addition of Du Qianjue. "Tonight might be quite the show…" Han Ruoruo looked towards the eighteen beams of pale golden light, one of which held a tall and slender Sea Goddess, her lips curling into an enigmatic smile. Hehehe… my dear sister~ "Huh?" Gong Yangmo looked puzzled, tilting his head, somewhat confused by Han Ruoruo's comment. "Sister Ruoruo, what kind of show?" "Just wait and see, let's continue hosting," Han Ruoruo glanced at Gong Yangmo and slightly lifted her chin, indicating the situation with the male students.
While they were briefly distracted, all forty-two male students had taken their positions. This phase didn't pose much risk, so it was unlikely anyone would be eliminated here; it was merely a matter of securing a more or less advantageous position.
Seeing everyone settled, Gong Yangmo finally snapped back to reality and announced loudly, "Another year's Sea God Connection Matchmaking Festival is underway, a moment everyone has surely been looking forward to. The festival consists of five phases, and we are about to start the first one: Mutual Appreciation."
"Please be ready, and I'll remind you again, if anyone falls into the water, regardless of gender, they will be eliminated." Han Ruoruo took over, "Matchmaking surely requires seeing each other's true faces. How can one sincerely engage in matchmaking without seeing the other person?" "So later, you should try to remove as many veils as possible, allowing us to see more of our Sea Goddesses' true faces." "And tonight, we will also choose the most beautiful Sea Goddess and the luckiest male student," Gong Yangmo added with a smile.
After listening to their introduction, Du Qianjue looked towards the eighteen beams of light across from him, focusing on one in the center where a tall, slender figure stood. The eyes beneath the veil shifted slightly, meeting Du Qianjue's gaze. "Wait for me~," Du Qianjue mouthed. The pretty face under the veil blushed slightly.
End of Chapter