Chapter 41: Searching for Her in a Crowd

In the blink of an eye, three years had gone by.

Ever since he had released Bai Ou and the others, everything had proceeded just as Su Chen had said it would. None of the clans came to give him any trouble.

Was it a temporary tolerance, or had they completely given up? Su Chen didn’t know, nor did he care.

During the past three years, he had focused all of his energy on cultivation and research.

His research on Kaihuang’s Heaven had reached a final juncture.

He was trying to use Brooke’s Formula to resolve the final issue with Origin Energy stability. After three years of calculation and research, he had finally reached the last step.

Today, Su Chen had finally finished up his last calculation and determined the last step. He carefully placed this final Origin Energy Talisman into the Origin Talisman Energy Formation.

The Origin Talisman Energy Formation flashed brightly, and it began to exhibit complicated changes.

The flashing lights arced across the sky, shining more and more brightly. Finally, they flowed together high up into the sky, creating an eye-catching spectacle.

“Success!” Su Chen excitedly raised his fist in victory.

The Origin Talisman Energy Formation’s calculations indicated that Su Chen’s solution was a possible answer.

This meant that in theory, he had already finished supplementing Kaihuang’s Heaven.

Shi Kaihuang’s dream of creating a method to enter the Blood Boiling Realm without a bloodline had been completed by his hands.

Su Chen felt an uncontrollable excitement rising up within him.

After nearly four years of bitter research, performing calculations day after day and restarting countless times, he had finally achieved success only by relying on a heart that never wanted to give up.

Su Chen was so excited that he felt like crying.

He lay atop the wooden boards within the hall, gazing at the brilliant and radiant stream of Origin Energy above his head. He had never experienced a calmness like this in his entire life.

“So pretty,” he murmured to himself.

His heart was filled with satisfaction and content.

He knew that from this day onwards, he was someone who had created history for mankind.

Kaihuang’s Heaven was fated to be an important milestone in the advance of human cultivation. It raised the universally achievable cultivation layer for humankind to the Blood Boiling Realm. In other words, any Origin Qi Scholar who continued to cultivate with dedication could reach the Blood Boiling Realm through their own effort. They would no longer be restricted to the Qi Drawing Realm forever.

Even Origin Qi Scholars with mixed bloodlines could receive benefits from it.

A higher foundation implied that humans would be able to receive higher-tier bloodlines.

After all, only with more strength would humans have the ability to obtain higher-tier bloodlines, and only with more strength could they support these powerful bloodlines. Their ability to absorb and apply bloodline powers would also increase.

Both had increased simultaneously.

Thus, the appearance of Kaihuang’s Heaven had increased the bottom line for all Origin Qi Scholars by a significant amount.

For instance, if the human race’s combat ability was ranked at 17, then Kaihuang’s Heaven had changed that 1 to a 2. It was incredibly important!

Su Chen felt excited beyond belief just by thinking about it.

He laid on the ground for an entire hour before he was finally able to reign his excitement in.

As he was calming down, he heard some people shouting outside.

It was Wang Doushan and Jin Ling’er.

Wang Doushan wore a light yellow satin gown with koi fish embroidered on it. A jade pendant in the shape of a chimera hung from his belt, and a pair of Eight Treasures Molten Gold Boots were on his feet. His hair was neatly fastened like a crowned crane1. His face was extremely round, and a rosy pallor shone through his pale skin. Because he was fat, his eye sockets looked like they were about to be swallowed by his flesh. Jin Ling’er wore a short rose-colored skirt and a red gown with golden carps embroidered onto the long, flowing sleeves. A golden cord was wrapped around her waist, tied up in a rose-like shape. Her feet were covered by a pair of rosy gilded flats, revealing her long, snow-white legs. Her hair was braided into two ponytails, her large eyes gleamed, and her delicate nose was slightly tilted in the air. She was very cute, just like her name.

Su Chen opened the door. When he saw their attire, he asked with a smile, “What wind has blown you two to my place?”

Jin Ling’er’s eyes glittered as she said, “Today is the end-of-year gathering! Did you forget the date again?”

“The Night of Flowing Blood?” Su Chen blurted out in surprise.

There is an unwritten custom amongst the students of the Hidden Dragon Institute. At the end of every year, students of the same year would gather together.

After working hard all year, everyone wished for an opportunity to relax. The end-of-year gathering was started out of this desire.

Thus, this time every year became the happiest time for many male students. Many female students would lower their guard during this time and spend the night with the male students that they liked.

Many pure, innocent maidens would transform from young girls to young women, which was why the event had also become known as the “Night of Flowing Blood”.

This was the only school event that Su Chen would attend.

Su Chen wasn’t interested in taking anyone’s virginity. It was only at these kinds of gatherings where he could find Gu Qingluo again.

Even Su Chen couldn’t explain why he wanted to see Gu Qingluo.

Perhaps it was because he hadn’t gotten over her, or because he was anxious.

Every Night of Flowing Blood, Su Chen would sit in a corner and silently watch Gu Qingluo.

He worried that Gu Qingluo would leave with some other student.

Every time he watched Gu Qingluo leave alone, he felt satisfaction in his heart.

This had already become an obsession deep within his heart.

This year was Su Chen’s fourth year at the Hidden Dragon Institute. The Night of Flowing Blood had already become a tradition. After tonight, they would officially be fifth year students at the Hidden Dragon Institute.

Upon hearing Su Chen call it the “Night of Flowing Blood,” Jin Ling’er’s face reddened. She glared at Su Chen. “All you think about is dirty things.”

Su Chen wanted to cry, but no tears came out. I was just casually calling it the Night of Flowing Blood. How did it become “all I think about is dirty things”?

He knew that there was no good way to explain himself, so all he could say was, “I’ll go and get Cloud Leopard.”

“Hurry, we don’t have much time left. The meeting is about to start!” Wang Doushan prompted him.

“Remember to change your clothes!” Jin Ling’er urged.

Normally, Su Chen wore the plain robes the Institute had given him because it made researching more convenient. This time, he had donned a long navy satin robe bound by a cord made of interwoven lapis and gold, tied up in a lucky tassel2. He wore a pair of golden shoes with bamboo shoots embroidered on them, and his hair was neatly pinned up in a bun. A few strands of hair hung loose near his cheeks3. His skin was clean and soft, and he exuded the airs of a graceful prince.

Jin Ling’er couldn’t help but blush as she stared at him.

Cloud Leopard, on the other hand, wore the coarse grey cloth robe that he always wore. He wore a pair of simple shoes woven from grass, and his entire right arm was revealed. In order to prevent his messy hair from blocking his vision, he had bound his hair up with a strip of cloth. Su Chen originally planned on lending his own clothes to Cloud Leopard, but Cloud Leopard replied, “I don’t have any plans to meet up with any women, so I don’t care about how I look.”

Su Chen had nothing to retort while he gazed at Cloud Leopard’s dark skin and stalwart expression.

The four of them left the tower together and headed for the meeting grounds.

Upon arriving, they found that the meeting grounds were already lit up by lanterns.

Many crystal lanterns were hung high in the air, forming all kinds of patterns.

A dance floor had been set up in the middle of the meeting grounds. It was a common area for people to mingle and dance.

People were everywhere around the dance floor.

The male students were all dressed up like arrogant roosters. They were all doing their best to display their own qualities or muscles. The females were all dressed raunchily, and each one was extremely beautiful. Whether they had any intentions of indulging themselves for one night or not, at least tonight in this place, none of them were willing to lose to anyone.

I can turn you down, but that doesn’t mean I won’t try my best to attract you!

The male students were like sharks that smelled blood, locking onto their targets by following the scent. They weaved through the crowds of people, looking for their own prey. They probed with their words and attempted to seduce the girls with their actions, using every means at their disposal.

Wang Doushan opened his eyes wide, looking every which way in search of an appropriate target. Jin Ling’er couldn’t help but let out disdainful grumbles whenever she saw this.

Su Chen’s gaze was also sweeping the crowd.

However, he was not hunting for a target. He was just looking for someone.

His gaze flitted across the crowd, ignoring the garishly colorful lights and the rouge makeup, finally falling onto a dark corner where the light could not reach.

A young maiden stood there, leaning against the wall. She was wearing a scholarly dress spun by silk from mulberry silkworms, which was covered by a snow-white shawl with red plums embroidered on it. A long sash was tied at her waist in a bow tie, and she wore a pair of light cloud boots on her feet. Her hair was elaborately pinned up4 by a pearl ornamental hairpin. The rest of her hair flowed like a waterfall down her back. Her skin was soft and silky, and her eyebrows were as sleek as willow leaves. Her eyes were limpid and clear, searching for something within the crowd.

In the same moment that he glanced at her, her gaze also fell on him.

In the crowd of thousands of people, their gazes met.

Time slowed to a stop.