Warning Wang Shaojie

For the following week, Xiao Hongchen's life followed a strictly regulated routine.

Every morning, he went to the academy with his younger sister. After parting ways, he headed straight to Mingde Hall to study knowledge of Level 5 and higher Soul Tools under Xuan Ziwen, while also crafting Soul Tools with his own hands.

He would stay for several hours at a time, even eating lunch in the laboratory. If he were lucky, he could leave around three in the afternoon; if the tasks were heavy, he would have to work until dusk.

Upon returning home at night, he trained his Three-Legged Golden Toad's ability to manipulate metal, occasionally heading to the gravity chamber set up in the backyard to temper his body. Afterward, he would either go straight to sleep or meditate for a while, day after day.

How is this any different from the life I lived before transmigrating? Still just as miserable... Xiao Hongchen grumbled inwardly. If this didn't actually increase my strength, I would have quit long ago.

The next morning, the routine was broken.

Xiao Hongchen arrived at Mingde Hall as usual, only to find the door to Xuan Ziwen's laboratory tightly shut, with a Soul Tool screen hanging on it displaying the word "Absent."

"Not here?" Xiao Hongchen frowned slightly.

Xuan Ziwen was even more of a workaholic than he was, spending at least twelve hours a day in the lab. How could he be later than him today? He had just wanted to ask a question regarding the stability of humanoid Soul Tools, but he had come for nothing.

He would just have to research it himself. Xiao Hongchen spent another three hours in the lab, and after finishing lunch, he still didn't see Xuan Ziwen arrive. Recalling Xuan Ziwen's previous words, Xiao Hongchen decided to head to the ground-level laboratory to find him, treating it as a post-meal stroll to help with digestion.

Xiao Hongchen took the elevator back to the ground floor and walked straight toward that laboratory.

Before pushing the door open, he heard the sound of noisy laughter and chatter coming from inside.

As the door swung open, the several people in the lab turned their heads in unison.

Standing beside the experimental table were four students wearing the uniforms of the Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineering Academy.

In the front was a tall, sturdy youth over two meters tall with dark skin, short brown hair, and sharp, spirited eyes; his bulging muscles stretched his uniform to its limit.

Behind him was a petite girl who looked to be about 1.6 meters tall, with a fierce look in her eyes.

The other girl had long brown hair and appeared to be about sixteen or seventeen. Her large, sleepy-looking brown eyes were hidden behind glasses. Her skin was truly flawless, so soft and delicate that not a single pore was visible, as if one could squeeze water out of it with a pinch. Wearing the same uniform, it perfectly accentuated her graceful figure.

There was also a male student with a slender build, long golden hair draped over his shoulders, a high bridge of his nose, and deep, intelligent blue eyes. His handsome appearance was a perfect match for Ju Zi, who stood behind him.

The group was gathered around an experimental table, on which lay several semi-finished Soul Tool cores.

Xiao Hongchen glanced around the room but did not find any sign of Xuan Ziwen. What a waste of a trip. Xiao Hongchen had no intention of interacting with these people, so he turned to leave.

"Yo, isn't this our genius, Xiao Hongchen?" Wang Shaojie spoke first, his tone carrying undisguised bitterness. "What's the matter? You were in a coma at home for over a week, and now that you're back, you've got amnesia? You don't even know where your own laboratory is?"

Xiao Hongchen's footsteps paused slightly. He turned around, his heterochromatic eyes sweeping calmly over Wang Shaojie and the others behind him.

Wang Shaojie, Ju Zi, Ke Ke, Zi Mu... the four people who had conflicts with Huo Yuhao in the original story, and also students of Xuan Ziwen.

He felt no ripples in his heart; in fact, he found it rather boring.

A bunch of guys who couldn't even stabilize a Level 5 core, and they dared to be snide here?

Xiao Hongchen's voice was flat, carrying a trace of condescending indifference: "I came to find Teacher Xuan. May I ask where he is?"

Wang Shaojie sneered, glanced at the Level 4 Soul Tool badge on Xiao Hongchen's chest, and took a step forward with his sturdy frame, his muscles bulging beneath his uniform. "Teacher Xuan has an emergency test today and won't be back. If I recall correctly, you're still a Level 4 Soul Engineer who hasn't even chosen a mentor yet."

The petite girl, Ke Ke, glared at Xiao Hongchen with fierce eyes, saying nothing.

The blonde male student, Zi Mu, curled the corners of his lips slightly, his eyes filled with the intent to watch a show.

Ju Zi frowned slightly, seemingly wanting to speak, but was stopped by a look from Wang Shaojie.

A Level 4 Soul Engineer?

With the support of his Twin Martial Souls and the Brain Martial Soul, his current mental power and metal manipulation ability had long since far surpassed that of an ordinary Level 5 Soul Engineer. For these people to still bring up the Level 4 badge was simply laughable. It seemed he needed to take his Level 5 Soul Engineering assessment sooner.

He sighed softly, his voice remaining flat but carrying an unquestionable indifference:

"Although I haven't officially started yet, you are also considered Teacher Xuan's students. So, is that how you speak to your senior?"

Xiao Hongchen's heterochromatic eyes narrowed slightly, his tone calm yet every word sharp as a blade:

"To take a step back, when you meet a member of Mingde Hall, you should address them as 'Senior,' do you understand?"

Everyone in the laboratory froze at the same time.

"Mingde Hall?" Ju Zi's action of rubbing her eyes stopped in mid-air, and clear surprise appeared in her sleepy gaze. "You entered Mingde Hall?" She was currently only a Level 4 Soul Engineer and had only been able to enter Teacher Xuan's laboratory because of the recommendation of Crown Prince Xu Tianran; she was still a long way from entering Mingde Hall.

The petite girl's voice carried a trace of disbelief: "Impossible. Mingde Hall only accepts outstanding Soul Engineers of Level 5 or higher. Even we haven't gotten in after multiple assessments, and you, a Level 4..."

The blonde male student's blue eyes narrowed slightly, and a trace of gravity flashed across his handsome face.

Wang Shaojie forced a laugh, attempting to save face. "Xiao Hongchen, stop bragging here! What kind of place is Mingde Hall? Just because you're a Level 4 Soul Engineer who just woke up, you think you can get in? If you used connections, just admit it; don't show it off and make people laugh!"

Xiao Hongchen looked at the group before him, feeling only a sense of dullness in his heart, because it was all just too cliché.

I'll give them a little knock, just to kill the chicken to warn the monkey, so that in the future, idiots who don't know the immensity of heaven and earth won't keep running up to provoke me.

He quietly released his Three-Legged Golden Toad Martial Soul. Behind him, more than twenty Level 5 Soul cannons and eighty Level 4 Soul cannons instantly appeared, their cold muzzles aimed in unison at Wang Shaojie. The Level 5 Soul cannons were the very ones he had improved over the past week.

Wang Shaojie had never seen such a formation, and his face turned deathly pale in an instant. He released his Martial Soul almost reflexively, and five soul rings—two yellow, two purple, and one black—rose up. As a member of the royal family, he at least had the optimal soul ring configuration.

Nearly fifty Soul cannons of various styles suddenly appeared on his body, though only a few were Level 5. Only after confirming that he could activate his Soul Tool shield at any time did Wang Shaojie manage to steady his mind, swallowing hard while pretending to be calm.

Xiao Hongchen's gaze was calm, but his voice carried a faint chill:

"Wang Shaojie, weren't you very arrogant just now? Keep going."

Xiao Hongchen raised his hand and waved it gently. The muzzles of all the Soul cannons behind him lit up with a blinding golden light simultaneously, and a terrifying wave of soul power spread out like a tidal wave in an instant.

Wang Shaojie's face turned completely ashen. He clearly felt the threat of death—his Soul Tool shield would absolutely not be able to block this wave of saturation fire. Cold sweat instantly covered his forehead, and his voice began to tremble:

"Xiao... Senior Brother Xiao! You, you mustn't be impulsive! That was just a small joke from your junior brother!"

"Oh?"

A faint arc curled at the corners of Xiao Hongchen's mouth, yet there was not a hint of warmth in his eyes.

"To save your own life, you've even resorted to calling me 'Senior Brother'?"

He paused, his voice suddenly turning light and airy, yet carrying a bone-chilling coldness.

"Pity, the thing I hate most is this kind of self-righteous joking."

Wang Shaojie's legs went weak, and he nearly collapsed to his knees, his voice thick with a sob.

"Senior Brother Xiao! I was wrong! I truly know I was wrong! I beg you... please give me one more chance!"

Watching Wang Shaojie's pathetic state, a flicker of satisfaction crossed Xiao Hongchen's heart. He slowly retracted a portion of his soul power, though the muzzles remained aimed at his opponent, the threat not entirely removed.

"Remember how this feels today."

His voice was calm, yet carried an unquestionable pressure.

"If I ever hear you putting on those royal airs in front of me again, it won't be as simple as just scaring you."

Having said that, he gave a light wave of his hand, and all the soul cannons dimmed simultaneously, vanishing back into the phantom image of his Three-Legged Golden Toad martial soul.

As if granted a reprieve, Wang Shaojie collapsed onto the floor, gasping for air. He dared not look up at Xiao Hongchen again, his forehead covered in cold sweat and grime, looking utterly wretched.

On the viewing platform not far away, three figures were silently observing the scene.

The laziness in Ju Zi's eyes faded, replaced by a look of gravity. She pondered, This guy, Xiao Hongchen, has been hiding his strength all along. I must find an opportunity to report this to His Highness the Crown Prince. As for me, I might as well try to befriend him first; he might prove useful in facilitating a closer relationship between the Crown Prince and the Hall Master of Mingde Hall.

Standing beside her, Ke Ke crossed her arms, her brows slightly furrowed. "That display just now... he must have used at least a hundred soul cannons, right? To be able to control so many at thirteen years old, just how much of a freak is this guy?"

Zi Mu gently pushed up the glasses on the bridge of his nose, a complex light flashing in his eyes as he spoke in a low voice.

"It's not just the quantity. His precision in metal manipulation and his distribution of soul power have reached a terrifying level. Wang Shaojie's fifty soul cannons looked like mere toys in front of him. It seems... we must re-evaluate him."

The three exchanged glances, each seeing the same wariness and gravity in the others' eyes.

Xiao Hongchen paid no further mind to the group behind him, turning and walking straight out of the laboratory.