Douluo, my clone Groudon

Chapter 409 Sea God's Fate Blind Date Event

When Gula and his group returned to Shrek Academy, they were immediately surrounded by a sea of ​​pink posters and a bustling atmosphere as soon as they entered the school gates—the promotion for the Sea God's Fate Blind Date Event was in full swing.

Gula looked at the slogans like "Holding hands for a lifetime" and "Destined by the Sea God" and couldn't help but scratch his head.

Of course, he hadn't forgotten his girlfriend, Xiao Xiao. He was comfortable exchanging sweet nothings in private, but to make a heartfelt confession in front of everyone...

Just thinking about it made him feel uncomfortable all over, so embarrassed that he would rather fight a Limit Douluo one-on-one.

"Moun, who came up with this matchmaking event... really... understands girls' minds quite well." Gula could only think this to herself, with a hint of helplessness.

He searched the inner courtyard but couldn't find Xiao Xiao anywhere.

Well, it seems his girlfriend is the type who prefers a romantic atmosphere. She's probably already on that meticulously decorated Poseidon Lake, waiting for him to "ride on a colorful cloud" to confess his love.

Gula sighed, glancing at Huo Yuhao, who was also somewhat bewildered and seemed to be searching for Wang Dong, and felt even more speechless.

He helped Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong'er resolve the biggest hidden danger—the fate of the Three-Eyed Golden Lion—but he didn't know where the two would ultimately end up.

“Forget it,” he shook his head. “Let’s just treat it as watching the show. Besides… to avoid those old guys from the Sea God Pavilion asking me where I learned about Long Xiaoyao and Ye Xishui’s secrets, I need to show some ‘special’ strength at the right time to divert their attention elsewhere.”

Huo Yuhao followed Bei Bei to the Tang Sect's residence, while Gula wandered around the academy alone. He felt that the academy hadn't changed much in the past two years, except for some new faces.

As night falls, the usually tranquil and dark Poseidon Lake is now brightly lit.

Specially crafted soul-guided lotus lanterns float on the lake, their soft light reflecting on the water in a dreamlike way.

A row of more than twenty girls dressed in white dresses and wearing veiled hats stood gracefully on the lotus platform in the middle of the lake, waiting for their favorite boys to choose them and confess their love.

Gula's gaze swept across the room and easily found Xiao Xiao—there was no way around it, Xiao Xiao had a typical youthful and sweet appearance and a petite figure, making her stand out among the group of girls.

His gaze unconsciously drifted to another figure, Wang Dong'er, who had reverted to her female attire. Out of curiosity, he even considered using his mental power to penetrate the thin veil to see just how beautiful the legendary Goddess of Light was, and whether she could compare to Gu Yuena in his memory. However, he ultimately suppressed his curiosity.

"Never mind, it's good to leave some hope."

Soon, hosts Bei Bei and Zhang Lexuan took the stage and, after a warm and enthusiastic opening speech, announced the official start of the Poseidon's Fate Blind Date Event.

Zhang Lexuan's gentle voice echoed across the lake: "The first segment, Mutual Appreciation. Boys, please use your abilities to step onto the water lilies, approach the girl you like, and remove her straw hat. Girls, you can only defend yourselves, not attack the boys."

The first to step onto the stage was an inner court Soul Saint senior, but as soon as he stood on the central lotus, Xu Sanshi used a sneaky "Mysterious Netherworld Replacement" to move him to the edge, and then he appeared triumphantly in front of Jiang Nannan.

His flirtatious and frivolous behavior immediately aroused the "public outrage" of the girls, who all stepped in to stop him.

In the end, it was Huo Yuhao who secretly used his mental detection sharing to help him cheat, allowing him to barely remove Jiang Nannan's hat, making Jiang Nannan both ashamed and angry.

Next was He Caitou, who honestly said he was just trying his luck. Using his ingenious soul tool, he feinted and remotely removed the hats from the three girls.

Then it was Huo Yuhao's turn. He released the adorable Snow Maiden spirit, and as the ice and snow sprites danced, they easily removed five bamboo hats, eliciting gasps of amazement.

Finally, it was Gula's turn. He rode the water lily, slowly gliding towards Xiao Xiao's location, and stopped in front of her.

Unlike the others who would act directly, he deliberately adopted a gentlemanly demeanor, extending his hand and speaking in a deliberately affected, slightly joking tone:

"Beautiful lady, may I have the honor of removing your straw hat?"

Xiao Xiao had gone to great lengths to protect the bamboo hat and was initially annoyed that Gula had arrived so late. Upon hearing this, she burst out laughing. She knew that Gula was just being silly to amuse her; he wasn't usually this frivolous.

She played along, replying in a coquettish tone, "Hmph, seeing how sincere you are, I'll take pity on you and give you a chance, okay?"

"I am deeply grateful, my beautiful Miss Xiao Xiao." Gula smiled and gently removed Xiao Xiao's straw hat, revealing her pretty face with a blush and a radiant smile.

He even winked deliberately, as if to say, "See, I've said all sorts of cheesy things to please you."

Seeing this scene from the shore, Beibei couldn't help but mutter, "This...can couples participate in the Sea God's Fate Conference? I feel like those two are just here to show off their love?"

A burst of good-natured laughter and envious cheers immediately erupted around them.

Zhang Lexuan suppressed a laugh and coughed lightly: "Please return to your seat, Gula. We are about to begin the second round—Love at First Sight. In this round, the girls will leave their lights on for the boys they like."

Gula nodded at Xiao Xiao, turned around gracefully, and floated back to the shore.

The "keep your lights on" segment begins. Xu Sanshi, having offended almost all the girls by being too flamboyant and arrogant in the previous segment, received no lights left for him.

In the original storyline, Xiao Xiao might have helped him keep the light on to ensure he entered the third round out of friendship, but at this moment she was completely immersed in the sweetness of Gula's return and had long forgotten about Xu Sanshi.

"Do not--!!!"

Xu Sanshi knelt on the water lily and let out a miserable wail. His carefully prepared 174th confession had ended in failure!
But rules are rules. The water lily he was on slowly sank into the water, taking with it his endless grief and theatrics.

Unfortunately, Jiang Nannan knew Xu Sanshi too well and didn't give him a single pitying look throughout the entire process.

Beibei shook his head and held his forehead on the stage, silently mourning for his good friend: "You went too far with your high profile, didn't you?"

When it was Gula's turn, three lights suddenly lit up on the lake in front of him.

Besides Xiao Xiao, there was also Ning Tian and a senior student whom Gula didn't know.

Gula was somewhat surprised, but she maintained her composure, nodding slightly in the direction of the three girls without saying anything, demonstrating a great sense of propriety.

Zhang Lexuan stepped forward again: "Next is the third segment, Love at First Sight. Boys, please introduce yourselves in turn. You have one minute to demonstrate the ability or soul skill that you think will attract the girl you like the most. The order of appearance will be drawn again to ensure fairness."

The first to take the stage was Chu Qingtian, a six-ring Soul Emperor with the Martial Soul Lightning Leopard. He uttered the bold statement, "Whoever is willing to fall in love with me, I will be bound to them."

The second one drawn was Gura. He touched his nose, slowly floated to the center of the lake, and said in a "sincere" tone:
"Senior host, I don't think I need to do any introductions, right? My only crush is Xiao Xiao, and I only want to spend the rest of my life with her. Can I skip the introductions?"

Zhang Lexuan suppressed a laugh and shook her head, saying, "No, junior Gula. Rules are rules. Unless you can convince all the students and teachers present to make an exception for you, you have to follow the procedure."

She knew this guy's background well enough not to be fooled by him.

Huo Yuhao and Xiao Xiao also sensed something was wrong. Based on their understanding of Gula, this guy actually liked to show off in front of others, so why would he ask to skip it?
Unless... it's a case of building up to a climax!

Sure enough, the next moment, Gula sighed as if "helplessly," and then said:

"Alright. Gula, eighteen years old. Martial Soul... dual extremes, Holy Sun Angel. Soul Power level... seven rings... Soul Saint."

He paused, as if he were talking about something very ordinary.

But then, a dazzling spirit ring suddenly rose up beneath his feet!

Black, black, black, black, red, red, red!

Four profound ten-thousand-year soul rings, and three hundred-thousand-year soul rings radiating terrifying pressure!
The light of the seven spirit rings intertwined and shone brightly, their terrifying red color almost reflecting off half of the Sea God Lake, instantly stunning everyone on and under the lake.

"what?!"

Huo Yuhao nearly fell off the water lily, his eyes wide with disbelief. "How come Brother Gu's spirit ring configuration has changed again?! Does he also have a simulated spirit skill?!"

He felt completely bewildered by Gula's endless stream of trump cards. On the Sea God Pavilion, Yan Shaozhe, Xian Lin'er, Qian Duoduo, and other big shots who had been watching below also suddenly stood up, their faces full of disbelief.

Their first reaction was to simulate a soul skill, but they immediately rejected it—in a situation like the Sea God's Fate, there was absolutely no way that Gula would use a fake soul ring to deceive people.

Yan Shaozhe was overjoyed. Looking at the amazing soul ring configuration and the Soul Saint cultivation of an eighteen-year-old, the resentment he had felt earlier because Gula had revealed his background instantly vanished, leaving only immense excitement and pride.

However, Gula's next words instantly froze the smile on his face.

As if just remembering, Gula slowly added, "Oh, by the way, I'm also... an eighth-level Soul Master."

"Pfft—Hahaha! An eighth-level Soul Master! An eighteen-year-old eighth-level Soul Master! Oh my god! I can't take it anymore! Someone stop me! I'm so happy I could die!"

Qian Duoduo, the vice dean of the Soul Guidance Department, burst into deafening laughter, so excited that he danced with joy, wishing he could rush down and snatch Gula back to the Soul Guidance Department immediately.

Yan Shaozhe's face turned pale and then red, and he coughed to appear calm: "Ahem, he's just an eighth-level Soul Master... Gula is exceptionally talented, and he can achieve that with just a little distraction. Ultimately, his unparalleled talent in Martial Soul is more important to the academy."

He made no mention of Gula threatening Long Xiaoyao with the "Evil Buster," trying to shift the focus back to the Martial Soul.

But Xian Lin'er was there at the time, and she immediately exposed him: "Yan Shaozhe, don't give me that. Gula's talent as a Soul Master is second to none."

"Especially his self-created 'Evil Buster' series of bombs, which fully utilizes the advantages of extreme attribute soul power, can even block the Limit Douluo Long Xiaoyao of the dark attribute for a moment. Such talent is a true treasure in the soul guidance system."

"What? The nemesis of evil? Blocking Long Xiaoyao?" Xuanzi, who was drinking alone under the moon in the stands, perked up immediately upon hearing this. "Quick! Tell me in detail what happened!"

A group of bigwigs from the Sea God Pavilion immediately began to discuss whether Gula's martial soul talent or soul tool talent was more important, as well as the thrilling interception battle, almost forgetting that a matchmaking event was still taking place below.

Meanwhile, on Poseidon Lake, a mixture of uproar and deathly silence had already emerged.

Everyone was speechless, stunned by Gula's completely unreasonable spirit ring configuration and spirit master level.

Standing on the lotus flower, Xiao Xiao was completely terrified.

She did indeed harbor some girlish thoughts, wanting to take advantage of the Sea God's Fate to have Gula formally and romantically confess his feelings to her, making up for the "regret" that she had taken the initiative back then.

But... Kogura's "surprise" was way too much!
Feeling the countless gazes around her, a mixture of shock, envy, jealousy, and disbelief, Xiao Xiao felt like she was sitting on pins and needles, her cheeks burning. She wished she could jump into the lake immediately and drag Gula away from this "place of trouble."

She bit her lip lightly, looking at the figure in the middle of the lake who seemed to radiate an aura and attract everyone's attention. She felt a mix of pride and embarrassment, which ultimately turned into a soft, coquettish mutter:
"Hmph! It's still that Gura as expected... He's probably just showing off again..."

But in any case, the overwhelming sweetness and pride surging up from the depths of her heart was real and almost overwhelmed her.

Looking at her boyfriend, who was radiant and attracting everyone's attention in the middle of the lake, and feeling the burning gazes of the girls around her, almost like moths to a flame, she instantly realized—she couldn't stay any longer!

She cast aside all pretense of modesty and procedure. She made the decision almost instinctively.

With a light tap of her feet, Xiao Xiao's petite figure leaped gracefully off the lotus platform. The exquisite flying soul tools given to her by Gula instantly unfolded behind her, carrying her like a nimble swift, tracing a beautiful arc, and flying straight towards Gula in the center of the lake.

Under countless astonished gazes, Xiao Xiao landed precisely on the water lily where Gula was, grabbed his hand, and said urgently and with no room for doubt, "Let's go!"

After saying that, without giving Gula and the others any time to react, he grabbed the still somewhat dazed Gula, activated the flying soul tool, and the two of them flew quickly towards the outer edge of the Sea God Lake as if escaping some flood or ferocious beast, and quickly disappeared into the boundary between the night and the lights.

Beibei, who was on the stage, was stunned and almost dropped the microphone into the lake.

He never expected that Xiao Xiao, who usually seemed well-behaved, reserved, and even a little shy, would have such a "wild" and decisive side.

A hint of envy flashed in his eyes, but it was quickly replaced by a deep sadness—he thought of Tang Ya, whose whereabouts were now unknown.

Zhang Lexuan, who was standing nearby, keenly noticed Bei Bei's emotional change. Her own body stiffened almost imperceptibly for a moment, and a complex and indescribable heartache and sadness flashed in her eyes.

But she quickly regained her composure and continued hosting the conference in her still gentle yet powerful voice, drawing everyone's attention back to the scene:

"It seems our junior, Xiao Xiao, has made her firmest choice. Let's wish them well. Okay, let's continue..."

……

Pulled away from the inner courtyard by Xiao Xiao and landing on the streets of Shrek City's outer city, Gula seemed to have just come back to his senses. Looking at Xiao Xiao, whose cheeks were flushed and who was slightly out of breath, he couldn't help but chuckle:

"Why leave so early? I wanted to see what kind of silly look that kid would have when Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong'er met."

Upon hearing this, Xiao Xiao abruptly stopped in her tracks.

Yes! One of the biggest highlights of The Fate of the Sea God is Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong'er recognizing each other. How could she, a seasoned gossip enthusiast, miss it?

She suddenly realized what was happening and looked up at Gula in surprise: "You... how did you know Wang Dong was a woman disguised as a man?!"

Gula nodded, as if it were a matter of course: "Of course, I knew that the first day I saw him. The Goddess of Light Butterfly is a martial soul that only women can awaken. You can learn this common knowledge by reading more books."

"Which of those old guys in the academy's upper echelons isn't shrewd? They've known it all along, but out of respect for the Haotian Sect, and because they're all looking forward to seeing the show, no one's exposed them."

—Just like him.

Xiao Xiao's eyes lit up immediately, and the "sense of crisis" she had just felt was instantly suppressed by her powerful gossip spirit.

She tugged at Gula's sleeve and suggested, "Then...then shall we sneak back and take a look? If we're discreet, no one will notice!"

“Good idea.” Gula readily agreed.

So the two exchanged a smile, and then quietly returned the way they came. With their superb agility and Gula's spiritual power to conceal themselves, they sneaked back to a secluded corner near the Sea God Lake without anyone noticing, just in time for the most exciting part.

They witnessed Huo Yuhao's disheartened decision to give up and leave after failing to recognize Wang Dong'er; they witnessed Wang Dong'er taking the initiative to leap forward and block his way; and they witnessed the breathtaking scene of Wang Dong'er slowly removing her bamboo hat.

In an instant, it was as if all the lights had converged on this spot.

Her long, light blue hair cascaded down like a waterfall, her azure eyes shone brighter than the stars, and her perfect features combined to create a stunningly beautiful face that was both pure and noble.

The entire Poseidon Lake seemed to fall silent for a moment, then erupted in countless gasps and suppressed exclamations. Many boys stared wide-eyed.

Gula also took a closer look. With his highly immune system, he stroked his chin and made a silent assessment: "Hmm... she is indeed very beautiful, worthy of being the daughter of the God King... but I feel like Na'er is still more pleasing to the eye?"

Perhaps it was preconceived notions, or perhaps it was a subtle psychological reaction that arose after learning her identity, but he always felt that Wang Dong'er's beauty seemed to lack something.

Xiao Xiao glanced nervously at Gula, and seeing that his eyes were clear, filled only with pure appreciation and not a trace of infatuation, she nodded in satisfaction, happily hugged his arm, and gently rested her head on his shoulder, enjoying the secret sweetness and romantic atmosphere.

As night deepened, the Sea God's Fate Tournament slowly came to a close amidst the hustle and bustle and a mix of emotions.

Gula and Xiao Xiao quietly left the academy with the flow of people.

Walking along the dimly lit streets of Shrek City, Gula looked at Xiao Xiao, who was still excited beside him, and suddenly leaned close to her ear, whispering encouragingly, "It's still early... why don't we skip going back to the dorm tonight?"

Xiao Xiao's face flushed bright red instantly, and her heart pounded.

She naturally understood what Gula meant. Struggling with inner turmoil and curiosity, she finally gave a barely audible "hmm," which was her tacit agreement. Her initial resistance easily dissipated under the influence of immense curiosity and emotion.

The night was gentle and intoxicating, and the moonlight shyly hid behind the thin veil of clouds, swaying quietly, as if it too felt joy and shyness for the lovers.

(End of this chapter)