"What should we do next? Please instruct us."
"You will need a set of outfits. These outfits will allow you to instantly shed your clothes at a critical moment."
"That… might be difficult. Didn't you say we only have an hour?"
Zhou Hong chuckled, "Leave it to me. Simple stuff."
In Zhou Hong's sub-world, what was difficult? Even if he had to recreate such clothes, it would only be a matter of a thought, with automatic fabric cutting and completion.
Indeed, about a minute later, a thousand sets of clothes resembling ancient attire suddenly appeared from thin air above their heads.
"Put these on," Zhou Hong commanded.
"Understood."
Soon, all one thousand beauties were dressed.
"Now, touch the side pocket of your clothes. Do you feel a rope? Pull that rope with all your might."
Following Zhou Hong's instructions, the thousand beauties pulled the ropes in their pockets, and instantly, their clothes…!
"Wow, Senior Zhou Hong, how did you create such outfits in such a short time? But why do they look so old-fashioned? Like something people wore in ancient times," Lin Na asked with curiosity.
"This is because people in the outside world dress similarly. When you go out, you mustn't attract attention, so you must appear ordinary. Only at the moment the Fire Lotus matures can you pull the rope and instantly capture everyone's attention. If you do it too early, it will be meaningless."
"Understood."
"Then, let's go outside now. You'll need to prepare yourselves once we're out."
With that, Zhou Hong willed himself to the Tai Gu Academy.
Zhou Hong found a deserted spot and released the thousand beauties from his sub-world.
At this moment, all thousand beauties were wearing ancient-looking clothes and hats, making them indistinguishable from others if not examined closely.
Everyone's attention was focused on the Fire Lotus, so no one would pay attention to them.
"Wow, Senior Zhou Hong, is this the outside world?" Upon emerging, the thousand beauties inhaled the external air and exclaimed in wonder.
"The air here feels so fresh. Although, the air in the sub-world isn't bad either; it's much better than the Earth of old," another beauty said with a smile.
"Everyone, please remain silent for now. Remember, do not mention the sub-world or the outside world, lest you draw attention. These people know nothing of my secrets," Zhou Hong quickly cautioned.
"Understood."
"Then follow me."
Led by Zhou Hong, the thousand beauties arrived at the Fire Lotus Lake, which was still teeming with people.
Zhou Hong observed the area and quickly found the best spot – diagonally opposite the protruding shore mentioned by Lu Qianqian earlier. There were fewer people there at the moment.
If the thousand beauties were to suddenly start a provocative dance here, it would undoubtedly capture the attention of the thousands of students in the Lingji stage.
"Everyone, stand here for now. I will instantly notify you in your minds shortly. Once you receive the notification, immediately pull the ropes. Simultaneously, the sound system I brought will blast, and then you shall dance your hearts out."
"Alright."
After these arrangements, Zhou Hong finally completed the preliminary preparations.
Only less than fifteen minutes remained.
Of course, Zhou Hong had another preparation: after attracting their attention, he would rush out ahead of them and use smoke bombs for a second interference.
Ordinary smoke bombs wouldn't suffice.
Therefore, Zhou Hong had already tested this in his sub-world. He combined smoke bombs with formations, which resulted in an extremely dense smoke. While it wouldn't significantly impede cultivators in the Lingji stage for long, a momentary obstruction was enough for Zhou Hong.
Time ticked by.
The atmosphere at the scene grew increasingly tense. Su Dan Novel Network.
Soon, the two-hour mark was approaching. The Fire Lotus in the center of the lake emitted even more intense sparks, and within these sparks, the bud, colored like flames, was slowly unfurling.
Just then, the flames from the Fire Lotus suddenly ceased. This signified that the Fire Lotus had completely bloomed and matured.
"It's mature, charge!" someone shouted from the crowd.
On the nearest shore, the tens of thousands of senior students in the Lingji stage, who had been on standby, surged forward in a frenzy the moment they saw the flames stop.
However, just as they rushed out, on the shore diagonally in front of them, a loud "boom" erupted from a sound system, followed by a group of beauties appearing, revealing themselves and beginning a passionate dance.
"Holy crap!"
"Holy crap."
In that instant, those who had merely glanced casually let out exclamations of disbelief.
The tens of thousands of students in the Lingji stage involuntarily averted their gaze, their eyes immediately glued to the scene.
If it were an ordinary spectacle, they would have quickly snapped back to attention without delay. But this was different. They were stunned, questioning if they were dreaming as a group of people performed such a dazzling dance. Moreover, these individuals had peculiar skin tones, their thoughts seemingly held captive.
Consequently, they all froze. It wasn't that they wanted to, but their minds were involuntarily held, unable to break free.
At this moment, Zhou Hong had already rushed out from another shore. Knowing that the thousand beauties could only delay them for a fleeting moment, he instantly threw several smoke formations across the lake's surface, directly in their path.
Indeed, the tens of thousands of Lingji stage students, who had just recovered from their stunned disbelief, found their advance halted by a massive cloud of thick smoke just a few thousand meters out.
They were incensed, as no one had ever resorted to such tactics before; it had always been a race of speed.
Meanwhile, Zhou Hong, moving at his fastest, was the first to reach the center of the lake.
"Haha, all the Fire Lotuses are mine!" Zhou Hong laughed inwardly, confident because those rushing from other shores were not in the Lingji stage. Although they hadn't been directly interfered with by Zhou Hong, their speed was no match for him. Even the closest ones were still three to four kilometers away. While this distance could be covered in an instant, so much could be done in that instant.
Indeed, in the next 0.01 seconds, Zhou Hong had already grasped all thirty Fire Lotuses.
According to the rules, whatever was held in one's hand belonged to them, and no one was allowed to snatch it. Zhou Hong had firmly claimed all the Fire Lotuses for himself.
At this moment, the senior students who had been slightly delayed by Zhou Hong's interference arrived. However, it was already too late, missing out by a mere tenth of a second.