The next day, Astral Sage College buzzed with a lively mood.
It was the day that the Blue Abyss Sage College contingent would arrive.
The school had arranged an appropriate welcome, and even the VIPs from Xia City had made an appearance. Of course, the students had also all turned out - to see other sage colleges was a rare chance.
Loud chatter filled the school.
Li Luo stayed away from the chatter. He had already studied the information from Blue Abyss Sage College, so there was no need to go see the real thing. Not like he could glean anything new anyway. He spent his time in the middle of a lake, just opposite his tower.
Li Luo stood on the middle of the lake, eyes half-closed in concentration as his light blue water resonant power started to flow forth. It rippled down from head to toe in a pulsating rhythm, forming a sort of water armor.
In front of him, Chi Chan stood with arms crossed. She spoke softly, letting the wind and water carry her voice over to him. "With your dual resonances and the gilded white-eye Lambent Hawkeye, your offensive abilities are considered outstanding among those of your caliber. But you lack defensive abilities. I recommend you choose this tiger-general resonance art: Heavy Water Toga."
"It concentrates your water resonant power into heavy water, then cycles it around your body as a water armor that is not easily detected. It can give you a measure of safety against surprise attacks that could otherwise be deadly."
As she guided him, the water began to condense into a thin, dark armor that flowed across his skin.
Chi Chan too a hard look at his attempt, then poked at his chest with one finger. She had not put much resonant power into the poke, but it was enough to pop the water toga like a bubble.
"Your heavy water lacks sufficient speed," she said strictly, as the water crashed down back into the lake. "Use your whole body. Again."
Li Luo did not lose heart, but silently began his next attempt.
"If your heavy water is not sufficiently concentrated, then it's just a flashy waste of resonant power."
She continued to poke away at his armor again and again.
"Heavy water needs to be three-ply. You have them, but you're not layering them well together. Shapeless, yet with form. Unseeable. Continue."
"Your heavy water's too thick. Are you trying to make elephant skin?"
Time ticked on, and Li Luo grew steadily more exhausted as the sun began to set over the lake. The red glow lit up both of them like an alarm.
"Mentor, I've no more resonant power," Li Luo groaned.
She laughed. "Your technique's still full of holes, but to be able to get Heavy Water Toga to this state in a few days speaks of your talent in resonance arts. The ticket match starts the day after... we will continue tomorrow."
"If you can finish it in time, it will supplement your fighting abilities greatly."
Li Luo nodded. "Thank you for the guidance."
"As your mentor, it's just my duty," she said unconcernedly. "If you can win at the ticket match, I'll get some of the credit too."
She walked off across the water, vanishing quickly into the distance. Li Luo followed, putting heavy foot after heavy foot one in front of the other until he had plodded his way back to the stone bridge that would take him back to his tower.
Finally, the excitement around school had died down in the evening, although he could still hear discussions here and there about the Blue Abyss Sage College students.
Li Luo ignored it all, lost in thought about the Heavy Water Toga art.
He was not paying attention when someone coming from the opposite direction collided with him, pressing up against his body.
Li Luo's instinctive reaction was to stick out his hand to support the person, but his palm connected with soft, fragrant flesh, eliciting an almost sexy moan.
Woops. It was a girl.
She tumbled past his hand into his arms, and clutched at his chest for balance as well. Li Luo was afraid to move any further, putting on a friendly smile instead. "Friend, are you alright?"
The girl in his arms looked up at him and smiled. She was beautiful.
Li Luo felt a jolt of electricity run through him. Hanging around the likes of Jiang Qing'e gave him a strong immunity to beauties, but he had just seen this face yesterday...
Blue Abyss Sage College's Three Star Hall representative, Zhao Huiyin.
To think that this would be their first encounter.
Around them, people were slowing or stopping, curious and envious.
Many recognized Zhao Huiyin. After all, she was the most easily recognized out of the Blue Abyss Sage College group. It had nothing to do with her ability, and everything to do with the fact that she was a total babe. The Astral Sage College male students were looking enviously at Li Luo. Damn this guy and his luck with girls!
Zhao Huiyin blushed, and quickly stood up. "Sorry, I was looking at the scenery and didn't see you."
Li Luo quickly retracted his hand and gave her a friendly nod.
"Senior Zhao is gracious."
"You know me?" Zhao Huiyin said in surprise.
"I've read your information, and someone as beautiful as yourself is hard to forget. I'm sure that senior Zhao recognizes me as well?" As the One Star Hall representative, he was sure that Blue Abyss Sage College would have done their research on him.
Zhao Huiyin looked closely at him. "You're... Li Luo from Astral Sage College's One Star Hall?"
He nodded, then realized that they were standing a little too close. He could smell the fragrance coming off her body. He took a step back.
Zhao Huiyin took a step forward, clutching onto his arm. "I twisted my leg. Sorry, can I lean on you?"
More jealous hissing from all around them.
This luck with the ladies was going too far.
Why couldn't they be the ones who had bumped into Zhao Huiyin instead? Li Luo stared at her for a moment, feeling something was off. Soon enough he realized that the temperature around him was falling rapidly, and it had nothing to do with the setting sun. He looked up.
And saw Jiang Qing'e standing in front of him.