Love at first sight lasted only a few minutes before the curtain fell.
Seventeen boys were eliminated in this round, a major selection that left only twenty-seven of them.
On the surface, it looked like there were more girls than boys, but everyone knew: at least a dozen girls were casting such intense looks at Su Wen, it nearly made physical strings between them...
Cai Meier addressed the crowd:
"After the last two rounds, I believe everyone has gotten to know each other a bit. Next is the third stage: Love at Second Sight."
"Ladies, this round is important. The choices you make will be the final decisions in this event. Each boy will have one minute for self-introduction. After that, come to me and give the number of the Sea God's Fairy whom you like. When all the boys have finished, the girls will make their selections."
"Your choice represents your final decision—you can only pick once, and you can't back out. After the picks, the last stage will begin..."
"Gentlemen, this is your last chance to show yourself—reveal your cultivation, martial soul, talent, whatever you wish. This round, we'll randomize the order via drawing lots for fairness."
Yan Shaozhe smiled and drifted toward the male students with a bunch of bamboo sticks for lots, going left to right.
His smile was extra bright when he passed by Su Wen.
"Be careful with your choice for your... favorite girl!"
"No need to worry about me," Su Wen replied through gritted teeth.
So it's getting more intense...
But when he drew the longest stick, his mouth twitched. First one up, huh? He shot a glance at Yan Shaozhe—he had a strong suspicion of foul play. Damn, using your public position for revenge!
Across from the boys, the girls busied themselves, each wearing a numbered badge and readjusting their seats.
Senior Sister was No. 1, Han Ruoruo was No. 2...
Was this based on strength? Third was Jiang Nannan, so maybe it was random after all.
Su Wen took a deep breath.
Steady—must remain steady.
But he had to pick his "favorite" first, so who should it be? He really liked Sister Tao—grapes big and delicious, but more importantly, when he was weak and helpless in the Star Dou Great Forest, she had helped awaken his martial soul and brought him to the academy. You could call her his "benefactor", so over the years, aside from romantic feelings, there was more of a familial bond between them.
They were truly childhood sweethearts.
Even before Ning Tian.
Wang Dong'er, who slept in the same bed with him, was his closest roommate, friend, lover. Though they started out teaming up against Tang San, over time, he developed deep feelings for this stubborn yet beautiful girl.
Gu Yuena invested in him early on, trusting him completely, even going all in with herself...
Not to mention, not long ago he nearly got squeezed dry by her.
This was a tough pick!
"Contestant with No. 1 stick, please step forward and stand upon the lake between both parties," Yan Shaozhe smiled at Su Wen.
Su Wen's eye twitched—still, it was just an introduction.
His expression calmed, and, without using wings, he seemed to ride the wind itself, his clothes billowing as he stood quietly atop the lake, sparking a wave of surprise.
"Su Wen, sixteen years old. Level 75 Summoner-type Soul Master, Level 9 Soul Engineer, Saint Craftsman. Martial Soul: Poke Ball. I can command soul beasts in battle."
"Most of you have seen me before—either in the monitoring team's training camp, or some days ago at the front lines defending the academy. So I'll skip the lengthy intro."
"As for showcasing strength... whom should I choose?"
"Let's pick Xuan Ji then."
With a calm expression, Su Wen shot a look at Yan Shaozhe, floating midair.
A moment later—
"ROAR!!!"
Night was still deep, stars scattered and silver moonlight glowing. But this moment, within Seagod Lake, a titanic, apocalyptic beast loomed, gazing down on everyone, giant golden pupils full of disdain, yet quietly standing behind Su Wen.
Its waist broke the water's surface, legs planted on the lakebed—and just the visible part stood nearly a hundred meters tall.
Countless inner court disciples were left stunned, staring upwards.
Among the girls, some eyes sparkled with intense light.
In a place where everyone's a genius, strength normally isn't much of a bonus—small gaps don't matter. But if your power is leagues higher, how can that not be impressive?
"Se-senior, is that the legendary Behemoth beast?" a petite girl bravely asked.
"Golden Behemoth," Su Wen smiled faintly.
"Golden..." The girl gasped, covering her mouth.
Legend said the Golden Behemoth, and even rarer Violet Crystal Behemoth, were awe-inspiring—except they only existed in tales. To see one in person was as rare as meeting a Dragon King-level creature.
After all, it was said even a regular Behemoth could trade blows with a True Dragon.
Yan Shaozhe, meanwhile, broke into a cold sweat—they'd just been thrashed by this beast a few days ago, losing face completely. Now Su Wen had brought Xuan Ji out right under his nose.
Intentions were clear...
If he caused trouble, Su Wen might go ahead and use the beast to pummel him again.
"Sixteen years old, a Saint Craftsman, Level 9 Soul Engineer, so many jaw-dropping achievements—any one of these would be a lifetime goal for most…"
"Level 75 Soul Saint, damn—this is the first time I know Little Pavilion Lord's true soul power! But still, compared to his real fighting strength, these seem unimpressive."
"Seventy-five, beat up Director Yan, fighting across two or three ranks. That Poke Ball martial soul is insane. When can I get one? Next life, I guess, haha…"
"Such a little brat, deserves a beating!"
"Level 9 Soul Engineer? Wasn't Pavilion Lord at Sun Moon Empire for just half a year before ranking up? Maybe Sun Moon's standards are tough, but the scary part isn't reaching 9 at sixteen—it's that it only took half a year! Freakish talent…"
This was Su Wen's first open reveal of his combat and artisan ranks.
Naturally, the hall erupted.
This Seagod Fate matchmaking event was turning into a one-man show.
Of course, that was the point—a feast arranged just to compete for Su Wen.
"Wow... he's grown so terrifying?"
Xu Sanshi looked up at the gigantic beast. There was no more jealousy—only admiration.
When you're close in ability to someone, you're more likely to feel competitive...
But if the gap becomes unbridgeable, even seeing their back is hard, and all that's left is respect.
…