Chapter 155: Ice Flowers
As he gazed at the tall and slender figure, Du Qianjue smiled gently and took a light step forward. Ripples spread through the air as if he were walking on solid ground, his steps steady as though the air itself buoyed him up.
"What kind of technique is that?" a male student gasped in amazement, watching Du Qianjue's graceful movements with a tingling scalp.
"I have no idea!" another student beside him responded, equally baffled. Although reaching the Soul Saint level meant one could fly, this level of flying seemed almost otherworldly.
All the male students below the Soul Saint level turned their eyes to their peers who had reached that level, all sharing the same thought—could you do something like this?
Those at the Soul Saint level blushed with embarrassment and nearly cursed out loud. This was beyond even their capabilities!
Ignoring the stunned onlookers behind him, Du Qianjue, with a faint smile, raised his hands and waved them gently in the air. The elemental soul core within him rotated slowly, the colorful core tinged with icy blue as his control over ice elements reached its peak.
The vast water elements of the Sea God Lake stirred under Du Qianjue's command, wisps of blue light rising from the lake's surface and gathering around him. Surrounded by countless streams of blue light, Du Qianjue appeared as if he were standing amidst the stars, ethereal and dreamlike.
"How beautiful!" exclaimed a Sea Goddess, hands clasped at her chest in awe.
Her fellow Sea Goddesses nodded in agreement, their eyes sparkling with admiration as they watched Du Qianjue walk just inches above the water's surface.
Only Ma Xiaotao scoffed lightly, muttering, "All flash and no substance."
Du Qianjue's performance continued. The water elements he gathered swirled around his hands, converging at his chest where the icy blue light grew more intense. The elements seemed to come alive under his guidance, weaving slowly into form.
One by one, petals began to appear, followed by more, until countless icy blue petals formed ninety-nine exquisite ice flowers. Beneath the stunning crystal blooms were similarly icy stems and thorns, all made of ice.
Pleased with his creation, Du Qianjue nodded in satisfaction, conjuring a thin bouquet holder to arrange the ninety-nine ice flowers. Having completed this, he had reached Xue Linglong.
"Beautiful goddess, may I exchange these flowers in my hand for your hat?" he asked softly, his eyes brimming with affection as he held the bouquet of ninety-nine ice flowers.
Xue Linglong's eyes moistened at the sight of the stunning ice flowers, and she nodded vigorously, biting her lip. "Yes, but I want you to remove it yourself," she said with a playful smile, her voice crisp and joyous.
"Here, this bouquet is yours alone," Du Qianjue offered the flowers to Xue Linglong.
She reached out with both hands to accept the bouquet, her silken sleeves sliding down to reveal her flawless wrists as she cradled the flowers to her chest, a charming smile visible even behind her veil.
Beside her, Zhang Lexuan's heart skipped a beat, feelings of envy and bitterness surfacing for the first time. 'Zhang Lexuan, what right do you have to envy her...' she thought, closing her eyes to hold back tears that threatened to fall.
Other Sea Goddesses looked on enviously at Xue Linglong holding the bouquet of ice flowers. Though the flowers, crafted from ice elements, weren't rare, they were incredibly romantic.
And Du Qianjue's craftsmanship was surprisingly exquisite, each flower shimmering with a faint glow, gently swaying.
"I want one too!" another Sea Goddess whispered wistfully.
"Not giving," Du Qianjue turned and flashed a broad grin, revealing his teeth, which only made her pout behind her veil.
Du Qianjue reached out and lightly touched the edge of Xue Linglong's hat. All eyes turned to see the face under the veil he had chosen. Just as everyone expected him to lift her veil, Du Qianjue let go and chuckled. "Want to see? I'm not lifting it!" He laughed boisterously, winking at the male students.
The male students, who were eager to see her face, suddenly felt their blood pressure surge. "Damn it, this guy is unbelievable!" one of them cursed loudly.
They had heard Xue Linglong's voice, and that crisp, pleasant sound had piqued their curiosity since they had never heard it in the Inner Court. They were curious about who she really was. But Du Qianjue just refused to reveal it!
Xue Linglong couldn't help but laugh at Du Qianjue's antics. The other Sea Goddesses also watched, amused by his playful behavior.
"But it's not right to lift none of them," Du Qianjue mused, stroking his chin, then turned his gaze to the Sea Goddess next to Xue Linglong.
"Big sister, may I borrow your hat for a moment?" he asked.
"Huh?" Zhang Lexuan, lost in her thoughts, was startled and didn't grasp what Du Qianjue meant before he had already taken her hat, revealing her stunningly beautiful face.
"Thanks, big sister," Du Qianjue grinned, pocketing the hat and running back to his spot.
Xue Linglong shook her head, resigned, and looked down to admire the gift Du Qianjue had given her.
Zhang Lexuan stood alone, her expression bewildered by the wind's disarray.
Everyone was stunned, staring at Zhang Lexuan, the strongest master sister of the Inner Court, whose hat had just been unexpectedly removed.
"Lexuan, you just let him take your hat?" Wu Ming couldn't help but ask from beside her.
Zhang Lexuan's face flushed with embarrassment and irritation as she glared at Du Qianjue, who had already returned to his spot. Du Qianjue just grinned and waved at her from the lotus leaf.
"Brother, awesome!" Chen Zifeng gave Du Qianjue a thumbs-up.
Impressive, so impressive! He had even managed to take Zhang Lexuan's hat.
"Keep it low-key, low-key. It's your turn next, good luck!" Du Qianjue patted Chen Zifeng's shoulder.
Chen Zifeng rolled his eyes, speechless.
Gong Yangmo's voice timely rose again...
End of Chapter