Douluo Continent: I ushered in this era

The male student was startled and before he could make a further move, he was suddenly and swiftly kicked away by Chu Ci.

"Ahhh!" The male trainee struggled in mid-air to maintain his balance, lest he fall directly into the Sea God Lake and be eliminated.

Besides the male student who had just arrived, two more male students came to challenge Chu Ci's position, but after being kicked away by Chu Ci, the students realized that he was a tough opponent and dared not provoke him anymore.

All of them were disciples of the inner court, and their strength was extremely powerful. In a short time, they all displayed their unique abilities and secured a place for themselves.

Only after all the trainees had settled down could the total number of participants in the Sea God's Fate Blind Date Event be determined. There were fifty-one male trainees, a relatively large number for a blind date event among eligible, unmarried individuals in the inner academy. There were also thirty-one female trainees. Instantly, the lotus leaves beneath their feet on Sea God Lake were illuminated by lights, reflecting their figures. Surrounded by the shimmering waters of Sea God Lake, and with beams of light beneath their feet, their appearance was accompanied by a dazzling display of lights beneath the water's surface. At this moment, the surface of Sea God Lake became their most dazzling stage.

Chu Ci looked up and gazed at the two rows of female students opposite him. Although the female students were all wearing long skirts, straw hats, and veils, their unique auras could not escape Chu Ci's perception.

Almost instantly, Chu Ci found Gu Yue, Ye Xinglan, Yuanen Yehui, and several other girls he knew well.

"Hmm?" A hint of surprise flashed across Chu Ci's eyes as he noticed an unexpected girl, Na'er.

What is she doing here? Ever since Chu Ci learned Gu Yue's true identity, the bet Gu Yue made with Na'er in the original story has been null and void. So, what is she doing at this Sea God's Fate Blind Date Event?

Lan Muzi smiled slightly and said loudly again, "According to the tradition of the Sea God's Fate, the first round is called 'Mutual Appreciation.' The name sounds nice, but it's quite difficult. Thirty-one female students will line up one hundred meters away from you. Each of them will wear a bamboo hat with a veil hanging from it, so their faces cannot be seen. Simply put, this competition requires you male students to work together. You fifty-one can take turns attacking the female students one by one, using your own methods. You can attack one or multiple female students. The goal is to lift the bamboo hats off their heads. How can you choose a girlfriend if you can't even see their faces? Right?"

Chapter 273 Mutual Appreciation, Chu Ci Draws Water

Lan Muzi's voice continued, "This first round is also a time for you all to showcase your abilities. Undoubtedly, whoever can lift the most hats will demonstrate their strength. Female students cannot help each other in this round, nor can they attack male students; they can only passively defend and try their best to keep their hats from falling off. If a female student falls into the water during this round of attacks, she will be eliminated. However, generally speaking, male students will be more measured in their attacks in this first round. After all, if all the girls fall into the water, how will everyone find partners?"

The students from the outer academy on the shore held their breath; the matchmaking event had finally begun. It wasn't just about mutual attraction; sufficient ability was also required. Those who ultimately ended up together would first and foremost prove their strength.

As soon as Lan Muzi finished speaking, the lotus leaves under the female students' feet began to flutter on their own, turning the female voices who were originally standing in two rows into one row.

Lan Muzi looked at the boys in the front row and smiled, "Alright, now it's your turn to show your masculine charm. I'll call you out according to your numbers. Before you make your move, you can choose to remove your mask or not. Then you can make your move towards the girls. On the other hand, you should note that the girls couldn't remove their hats themselves in the previous rounds, so if you can't find a way to knock off their hats, it will be difficult to determine who they are."

Lan Muzi called out, "Boy number one, you can choose to reveal your face or not."

Just like in the original story, the male contestant chose to reveal his identity, and then caused a stir during his attack, only to be knocked into the Sea God Lake by a female student with a seventh ring, resulting in his elimination.

The second male student is Yue Zhengyu. Yue Zhengyu used the cuteness of the little angel who inherited the soul to arouse the maternal love in the female students' hearts, causing eight female students to lift their hats one after another, including Xu Xiaoyan.

Soon, one by one, the boys began to show off their skills, attempting to lift the masks off the girls opposite them. But without a doubt, even after more than ten boys had participated, none of them could compare to Yue Zhengyu in lifting the masks off eight girls.

"Boy number twelve, are you going to reveal your identity?" Lan Muzi looked at Chu Ci on the left side of the first row.

"Unmask," Chu Ci removed his mask, revealing his stunning beauty, which drew sparks of admiration from the female students present.

Tang Yinmeng exclaimed in surprise, then covered her mouth and chuckled softly, "It's Chu Ci! This little guy has really become even more handsome! If he were ten years younger, I might have kept my light on for him at our year's matchmaking event."

“Indeed, even Wu Changkong back then probably wasn’t as popular as Chu Ci.” Lan Muzi nodded in deep agreement.

"Is this child Chu Ci?" Long Yeyue asked Yun Ming beside her. She had always been in seclusion in the Sea God Pavilion and had never actually met Chu Ci.

Yun Ming nodded, "That's right!"

"I can't see through this kid!" Long Yeyue's eyes were full of doubt. She was a top expert in this world, but she couldn't even see through a junior, which really puzzled him.

“Sister, ever since Chu Ci broke through to level 70, a fog has appeared before my eyes whenever I try to observe him, making it impossible for me to see clearly,” Yun Ming said helplessly.

"Really? This kid from the Temple of War is no ordinary person!" Long Yeyue narrowed her eyes and said meaningfully.

Chu Ci lightly touched the lotus leaf with his toes and gently floated down to the middle of the lake. The surging lake surface was as flat as he walked on it. He stood straight on the lake surface.

"Hello, senior and junior sisters, my name is Chu Ci. Today, I am here to unveil my identity. Please forgive me." Chu Ci had a gentle smile on her face, which was as refreshing as a spring breeze.

The mention of the name "Chu Ci" sparked a flurry of discussion and curiosity among the female students, as the name was a mysterious legend within the inner courtyard.

Chu Ci gently flipped his wrist, and his powerful soul force surged within him, causing a water droplet the size of a basketball to rise from the lake.

"Everyone, pay attention!" Chu Ci smiled slightly and flicked his right finger. The large water droplet instantly split into countless round and translucent small water droplets, which shot towards the female students opposite him.

The female students in the inner courtyard all tried to defend themselves against the flying water droplets, but their expressions changed drastically the moment they made contact, because these seemingly fragile little water droplets carried a force as heavy as a thousand pounds.

"Ah! Ah! Ah!" Three exclamations rang out as the defenses of three female students were directly pierced by the small water droplets, which flew past and lifted the veils on their heads.

Ding Xiaoling, the strongest female student among the inner courtyard students at this matchmaking event, made her move. She made a clapping motion in the air with her right hand, and a huge pulling force appeared out of thin air, attracting countless small water droplets to her.

Ding Xiaoling activated her martial soul again, and seven soul rings appeared on her body. With a full-force attack, she shattered all the countless small water droplets, preventing several female students from having their veils lifted.

Chu Ci remained calm and composed, raising his right hand in a sword-finger gesture. The shattered water droplets instantly reformed, then coalesced back together, transforming into a lifelike water phoenix.

A clear and melodious phoenix cry rang out, and the water phoenix flapped its wings, carrying a surge of pale blue waves that gathered with immense soul power, sweeping over the female student's head like a blue trail.

Ding Xiaoling crossed her arms in front of her to block the impact of the waves, but was thrown far backward by the lotus flowers beneath her feet, and was almost overturned into the lake.

"Whoosh!" As the dark sky, starlight sword shadows, and colorful soul skills shattered, the veils of six more female students were lifted.

Originally, Water Phoenix could have lifted the veils of almost all the remaining female students, but considering that there were still more than thirty male students behind them, she couldn't let them have nothing to do! So she quietly held back her power and only randomly selected a few lucky ones.

The water phoenix circled twice in the sky before suddenly splitting into two smaller water dragons, which swooped down with a clear objective toward the two slender figures in the back row.

The two slender figures, one summoning a silver dragon spear to pierce the water dragon, and the other gathering a massive amount of ice element around her to freeze the water dragon into an ice dragon.

Chu Ci smiled calmly, his sword finger flicked lightly, and the two water dragons suddenly exerted their power, breaking through the defenses of the two female students in one go, blowing off their two straw hats, revealing the faces of Gu Yue and Na'er hidden underneath.

Two water dragons intertwined and shot straight into the sky, but just as they reached mid-air, they exploded with a "boom" into countless small water droplets that fell into the Sea God Lake.

Then, an amazing scene appeared.

Where tiny water droplets fall on the lake's surface, lotus flowers formed from the lake water begin to bloom.

Water lilies bloom quietly on the lake, and the water flows gently over them, making the lotuses, which are made of lake water, appear delicate and beautiful.

Chapter 274 Water Lily in Bloom, Love at First Sight

Countless graceful water lilies bloom on Poseidon Lake, adding a touch of beauty to the already picturesque lake.

Chu Ci smiled slightly, placed her right hand on her chest, bowed slightly, and said, "This beautiful scenery is dedicated to all the senior and junior students."

When Chu Ci returned to the lotus leaf, Lan Muzi's gentle voice rang out again.

"What a beautiful scene of lotuses emerging from the water! No wonder you're Chu Ci's junior brother; you've given us a big surprise right from the start."

"And these water lilies show no signs of dissipating at all," Tang Yinmeng said with delight.

"Indeed, Junior Brother Chu Ci created such a beautiful scene at this Sea God's Fate Blind Date Event. I hope Junior Brother Chu Ci can find his true love at this Sea God's Fate Blind Date Event," Lan Muzi said.

"Next, please welcome male number thirteen..." Lan Muzi continued to direct the matchmaking event in an orderly manner.

On the ship, Long Yeyue frowned slightly and said in a low voice, "This move is not simple. It is not the manipulation of water elements, but simply the manipulation of soul power."

"Yes, Chu Ci has reached a level of consummate skill in using soul power, precisely and evenly integrating it into the water droplets to perform exquisite control." Yun Ming said.

“Indeed, it’s no exaggeration to say that many Title Douluos can’t do this. It takes years of hard work and dedication to achieve this. Chu Ci has done it at such a young age. Where did that old man Chen Xinjie find such a prodigy?” Long Yeyue said in a deep voice.

The Sea God's Fate Blind Date Event continued, and Xie Xie and Tang Wulin made their appearances one after another, each using their unique abilities to unveil the veils of several female students.

"I hereby declare the first segment, 'Mutual Appreciation,' concluded. Through this segment, I believe all of you junior students have gained some initial understanding of each other," Lan Muzi said with a slight smile.

"What we are about to begin is the second part of the Sea God's Fate Blind Date Event: Love at First Sight!"

"The next step is the second step." Tang Yinmeng said loudly: "After the first step of acquaintance, it is time for the girls to express who they like. Therefore, our second step is called, first meeting Love it. The rules are very simple. Each female student will be given a switch to control the soul light under her body. They will turn on the light for each male student. As long as the female student leaves the light, they can continue. Stay here to participate in the next session, but if unfortunately there is no female student to leave a light for you, then, unfortunately, you will have to leave this event."

Love at first sight? I think "If You Are the One" would be more appropriate, Chu Ci thought to herself after hearing the name of the second segment.

"Please, all you sea goddess fairies, consider this carefully. You have one minute. Please make sure you've thought it through! And I want to emphasize that if you don't leave your light on for any of the fifty male participants, it means you will be forfeiting this matchmaking event and withdrawing from Sea God Lake." Lan Muzi solemnly reminded them, so that the girls participating in the Sea God Lake matchmaking event for the first time wouldn't miss the opportunity.

First up is Yue Zhengyu, because the first male contestant has already been eliminated.

All the soul-guided lights under the feet of the boys and girls on both sides went out. The next moment, the soul-guided lights under Le Zhengyu's feet lit up.

"Girls, please turn on your lights for boy number two," Lan Muzi said.

Beams of light flashed rapidly, and in the blink of an eye, more than half of the girls chose to turn on their lights for Le Zhengyu.

Soon, it was the female students' turn to light up the Chu Ci (a type of classical Chinese poetry).

"Girls, please turn on your lights for boy number twelve," Lan Muzi said.

As soon as the words were spoken, a cluster of soul-guided lights instantly lit up among the female students; a careful count revealed that there were thirty lights.

Lan Muzi's surprised voice rang out, "Thirty-one female students in total, and twenty-nine lights were turned on! To achieve such a result, it seems that Junior Brother Chu Ci is very popular among the female students! The following rounds are bound to be extremely intense!"

"With his formidable strength and outstanding appearance, it's no surprise that Junior Brother Chu Ci has achieved such results," Tang Yinmeng said.

In terms of appearance, Chu Ci's looks stand out from the crowd, coupled with her aloof and independent temperament, which is extremely attractive to people and arouses their curiosity.

In terms of strength, setting aside the legend of Chu Ci, his ability to easily defeat the strongest Ding Xiaoling with his water control technique just now is enough to demonstrate his strength.

Most boys would be considered excellent if they had even one of these two qualities, but Chu Ci possesses both, and both are extremely outstanding, making him a truly high-quality male Soul Master.

Chu Ci glanced at her and noticed that the only female student whose light wasn't on was Dai Yun'er, which was quite normal.

After the boys had each experienced a round of mutual respect, they moved on to the third round.

Lan Muzi said, "After the initial mutual appreciation and love at first sight, what we are about to begin is a very important part of the Sea God's Fate Blind Date Event. After this part, everything will become clear, and all of you junior students will understand each other's wishes better. Therefore, the part we are about to begin is called 'Love at Second Sight'!"

"This time, ladies, please pay attention! You can't just choose randomly like in the second round. Once you choose, you must be responsible for your choice. Each boy has one minute to introduce himself. After your introduction, come to me and give me the number of your favorite sea fairy. After all the boys have finished their introductions, the girls will begin their selections. This selection represents your final choice, and each girl can only choose once, and there's no going back. After the selections, we'll begin the fourth round."

The third stage is quite important. After this stage, the situation of the matchmaking event becomes quite clear. It's pretty obvious who will successfully find a partner and who will remain single.

A bamboo tube appeared in Lan Muzi's hand. He said to Tang Yinmeng beside him, "Yinmeng, you draw a lot. Let's see who the first boy to confess and show himself will be."

While Lan Muzi was speaking, Tang Yinmeng had already drawn a bamboo stick from the divination tube.

"The first person to introduce himself is number twelve. Please welcome male number twelve."

"Hmm?" Chu Ci looked up in surprise upon hearing this.

He originally wanted to hear what others had to say and learn from their experiences. He really didn't know much about how to confess his feelings.

But the lotus leaves beneath Chu Ci's feet were already supporting him as he slowly moved forward, bringing him to the very front.

Chu Ci looked at Gu Yue and found her with her arms crossed, watching him with great interest.

Chapter 275 Confessing to Gu Yue, a Fateful Encounter Across Three Lifetimes

Chu Ci took a deep breath, looked at Gu Yue with a firm gaze, and said in a deep voice, "Gu Yue, it's been nine years, more than three thousand days and nights. We've been through so much together. In this process, we met, got to know each other, and fell in love, but we've never confirmed our relationship. Today, at the Sea God's Fate Blind Date Event, at this special and formal moment, I want to say this to you, Gu Yue."

"I love you! Gu Yue!"

These words caused an uproar. Lan Muzi exclaimed in surprise, "Wow, I didn't expect Junior Brother Chu Ci to already have such a clear goal. Then I wish Junior Brother Chu Ci all the best in winning the heart of his beauty."

Gu Yue's eyes flickered, a blush rose on her face, and she lowered her head without saying a word.

The third segment, "Love at First Sight," continues. Xu Lizhi expresses his feelings for Ye Xinglan just like in the original novel. Xie Xie, however, doesn't have the same relationship with Yuan En Yehui as in the original story, so he only has a vague feeling for her. In short, his feelings are not firm and can be changed depending on the situation.

As for Tang Wulin, he was in an even worse situation. Without any goals, he could only give a simple self-introduction.