Girl Dancing on Sea God Lake

Leaving Sea God Pavilion, he walked alone under the giant golden trees radiating a soft glow.

Sunlight filtered through the gaps in the light golden leaves, scattering seeds onto the ground, where clusters of white flowers swayed gently in the breeze on the lush green lawn.

The young man could vaguely recall that it was during a "pledge" meeting that he had walked out alone, standing under a large apple tree, wondering if an apple would fall and hit him on the head, leading to an epiphany. Suddenly, a girl burst into his world and asked:

"An apple that big falling would smash you silly. If you get smashed silly, come find me. I study the brain! (＞＜)☆"

Chen Fu remembered it was the hottest afternoon of summer, precisely two fifty-one PM. The sky was incredibly clear, with a few small, adorable cotton clouds drifting by. On the branches of the lush apple tree, a pair of plump, snow-white birds were huddled together to escape the heat. He even remembered one bird annoyedly shifting away, only for the other to stubbornly squeeze in beside it.

He remembered the girl's appearance...

"Chen Fu, what are you spacing out about?"

Like a leaping flame, the vibrant girl, brimming with youthful energy, waved her hand vigorously in front of Chen Fu's eyes.

He reached out and caught the girl's flailing hand. Within [Azure Blue]'s established protocols, there was no warning for [Crimson Phoenix]. Chen Fu looked at Ma Xiaotao with a hint of inexplicable confusion in his eyes.

With her interruption, Chen Fu's memories overlapped, and he couldn't recall Jiang Nan's appearance.

Oh well, it's good to remember the beautiful things, and temporarily forget the unpleasant ones. After all, that person mentioned daily that her approaching him was for brain material.

Recalling his thoughts, Chen Fu finally focused on Ma Xiaotao. In her clear, orange-red eyes, he saw his own reflection.

"It's nothing, just remembering some past events."

Rustle rustle...

A gentle breeze stirred the dense leaves of the giant tree, and dappled, iridescent light broke through the layers of foliage to drape a light golden veil over the girl. Her soft red hair, blown by the wind, scattered like dandelion seeds across the sky.

"Walk with me around Sea God Lake."

Chen Fu raised his hand to smooth the girl's wind-tousled hair, his index finger brushing her rosy cheek to tuck a stray strand behind her ear.

He saw the girl's ears begin to turn red at a visible speed and couldn't help but smile as he gently pinched her pretty cheek.

Evil Fire Phoenix? No, this girl would be the most sacred Holy Phoenix. She was before, she is now, and she will be in the future.

Let the deeds of that historically renowned ancestor of the Ma family remain hers alone.

"Okay!"

The girl excitedly tugged at Chen Fu's hand, her Phoenix Wings unfolding behind her, ready to take Chen Fu for a spin.

[Element Suppression]

The azure blue Data Divine Ring flashed, dispelling the fire wings behind Ma Xiaotao.

"We're not in a hurry, we can just walk there slowly."

The composite entity of Technology Throne and Data Divine Ring, [Azure Blue], was having an increasingly obvious impact on reality.

"Fine!"

Annoyed by the sudden scarcity of fire elements in the air and her forcibly dispelled Phoenix Wings, Ma Xiaotao stomped her foot on Chen Fu's shoe, leaving an imprint, and then pulled him towards the lake.

The smooth, mirror-like lake surface remained undisturbed by the girl's feet.

Seemingly discovering something fun, the girl let go of Chen Fu's hand and moved across the floor-like surface of the lake at random speeds. As her speed increased, she finally stirred up ripples on the lake.

Like a pebble dropped into a mirror lake, creating layer upon layer of ripples.

Chen Fu quietly followed her across the lake, feeling the surge in [Azure Blue]'s computations, and a long-lost sense of peace settled within him.

How long has it been? Perhaps eighteen years, after all, he was only eighteen in this life.

Under the clear sunlight, the girl spread her wings as if dancing between fire and water. A hazy mist enveloped her like a thin veil, and the soft sunlight adorned her dress with colorful iridescence.

Graceful as a startled swan, elegant as a gliding dragon?

Perhaps, maybe, probably, possibly.

"Do I look good?"

"...Where did you learn to dance?"

It took him three seconds to rummage through [Azure Blue]'s database, but Chen Fu couldn't find any words that suited his feelings.

"I asked if I look good!"

The girl seemed somewhat indignant at the man's evasive answer.

He smiled inexplicably, This is the Ma Xiaotao I know.

"You look beautiful."

Chen Fu gave her a highly affirmative answer.

She shot Chen Fu a glare. She, Ma Xiaotao, wasn't someone who could be easily discouraged!

Watching another girl stride forward with a huff, a smile involuntarily bloomed in Chen Fu's ink-black eyes.

This competitive, cultivation-obsessed girl seemed to have "fallen." She was starting to "waste time" understanding and learning everything about beauty.

"Azure Blue, is she beautiful?"

[Based on the current database definitions of beauty, she is a very beautiful girl.]

"I see..."

Chen Fu quietly followed behind Ma Xiaotao, understanding dawning in his heart.

Whether someone is beautiful or not isn't important; what matters is their significance in your life.

"Yuhao, run faster! Let's go check out the big project over at Sea God Lake!"

"That place is off-limits now! We'll get expelled if we're caught!"

The boy behind him wanted to stop, but he couldn't pull back from Wang Dong, who was running ahead.

"Don't worry, we just have to not cross the warning line. You're all just repeating what you hear without understanding anything."

Wang Dong shared the intel he'd gotten with Huo Yuhao, having made quite the sacrifice for it!

Shrek Academy's major construction project was known worldwide, let alone to its students. However, many students were intimidated by the threat of expulsion and preferred to take detours rather than go near the lake, especially the new students who had just arrived this year.

"I asked Ning Tian about it. As long as we don't cross the warning line, you can look all you want."

Ning Tian had enrolled at the same time as them, but Ning Tian was a Soul Tool teacher, while they were students.

As for Lin Pavilion, sorry, the teachers were only part-time; everything was about training and development.

Huo Yuhao was skeptical about the intel Wang Dong had obtained by sacrificing his dignity, but he felt that Ning Tian's word on this matter should be reliable.

"We can go take a look. This city gives me a very oppressive feeling, and all the fluctuations are pointing forward."

A voice quietly sounded in his mind. Huo Yuhao's expression remained unchanged, but he was inwardly shocked.

Previously, his brother Tian Meng had urged him to leave the moment he entered the city outskirts, telling him not to go into the city ahead. But where else could he have gone then? He could only follow Sister Xiao Ya to Shrek Academy.

Ever since entering the academy, Tian Meng had also maintained a low profile, communicating with him sporadically and concisely.

Finally, under his persistent, curious questioning, Tian Meng spent a day intermittently speaking a complete sentence to him:

"The entire city is shrouded by a monstrous net, and the source of this net is nurturing a cold, incomprehensible, indescribable demon that is consuming vital energy and essence!"

"Also, try to use the Battle Soul Instrument less!"

Huo Yuhao possessed a first-generation Battle Soul Instrument, a gift from Tang Ya, which perfectly matched his Spirit Eye Martial Soul and Soul Skills.

The Soul Skill's effect shared the load of the Battle Soul Instrument's Soul Core. Many calculations could be replaced by his mental Soul Skills, and the Soul Core only needed to retrieve answers from the "basic knowledge base" based on the results provided by the Soul Skill, greatly increasing its efficiency.

The same Battle Soul Instrument could unleash at least five times more effect in Huo Yuhao's hands.

It was practically tailor-made for him. And now he was being told to not use it?

Therefore, Tian Meng only instructed Huo Yuhao to use it as little as possible, planning to make further decisions after understanding the attitude of the Soul Core's owner.

Thanks to [Book Friend 1242] [Dou You Hen Gao Hen Gao] for the monthly votes, and thanks to my good brothers for the recommendation tickets (σ′▽‵)′▽‵)σ

This is a strange thing, but I can't find this book under the light novel category in the new book section (within fourteen days of signing) on the app... There are books published before and after mine, but I can't even find it myself, which is very odd.