Huo Yuhao's gaze gradually turned cold. "It seems there's no way to reason with her?" He gently helped the sleeping Ju Zi to a chair, carefully draped his coat over her shoulders, his movements incredibly gentle.
"Heh..." Huo Yuhao straightened up, a dangerous smile playing on his lips. "You guys are really arrogant. With such weak strength, you dare to speak to me so arrogantly? You're a bunch of ignorant fools."
Wang Shaojie laughed in fury, his dark muscles bulging. "You little bastard, what did you say? Try saying it again!"
"Whoever answers me, I'll call them out," Huo Yuhao suddenly stepped forward, causing the temperature in the entire laboratory to plummet. "But now, it's very clear, I'm talking about you bunch of bastards."
Ke Ke was trembling with anger, "You're asking for it!"
"You lot aren't even good enough to pla my food."
Huo Yuhao's voice was soft, yet it felt like an ice blade slicing across the backs of the three. Ke Ke was about to retort when she suddenly felt her breath catch in her throat—the air in the entire laboratory seemed to freeze.
Ke Ke forced herself to stand straight, her pink lips trembling slightly. "Pah! Do you think this is still Shrek's territory?"
Her small hands gripped the hem of her clothes tightly. "This is the Sun Moon Empire Royal Soul Engineer Academy! You can't act like this here!" All three activated their Soul Ring simultaneously, but just as the light burst forth—
"Boom!"
A monstrous killing intent erupted from Huo Yuhao like a tsunami. A cold glint flashed in his eyes, and a tangible crimson killing aura suddenly burst forth, instantly enveloping the entire laboratory. The Soul Power in the air seemed to freeze, and all colors faded at this moment, leaving only a suffocating dark red hue.
Wang Shaojie's pupils contracted sharply. He saw a giant dragon coiled in Huo Yuhao's eyes, ready to devour anyone it could. The terrifying pressure made even this Four-Ring Soul Ancestor feel his legs go weak. Zi Mu's golden hair was lifted by the invisible shockwave, and for the first time, fear appeared on his usually composed face. Ke Ke collapsed to the ground, her face as white as paper.
Surprisingly, this terrifying killing intent seemed to consciously avoid the still-sleeping Ju Zi, creating a safe vacuum around her.
" Ke Ke... is that you back?"
Ju Zi's languid voice suddenly broke the silence. She rubbed her eyes and sat up from the sofa, her loose collar slipping down to reveal half of her snow-white shoulder. When she saw what was in front of her, her sleepiness vanished instantly. "What... are you doing?"
Huo Yuhao's murderous aura vanished instantly. The moment he turned around, the strange phenomena in his eyes disappeared completely, and he returned to being the gentle and refined young man. "Good morning, Senior Sister Ju Zi." His tone was so relaxed that it was as if nothing had happened.
The trio lay sprawled on the ground, soaking wet, as if they had just been pulled from the water. Wang Shaojie's lips were still trembling, and he looked at Huo Yuhao as if he had seen a ghost.
Ju Zi blinked in confusion. "Why are you all sitting on the floor?" She suddenly noticed the cracks in the wall. "Was the lab attacked?"
Huo Yuhao smiled and handed over the coat, "It's probably been in disrepair for years." He glanced at the three stunned people, implying something. "After all... the things here aren't very sturdy."
Ke Ke's face was still pale with fear. Like a startled rabbit, she darted to Ju Zi's side and tightly gripped her sleeve. "Sister Ju Zi..." her voice was very low, "That monster... really didn't do anything to you?" As she spoke, she didn't forget to glance warily at Huo Yuhao out of the corner of her eye.
Wang Shaojie and Zi Mu also struggled to their feet. Although they tried to remain calm, their slightly trembling legs betrayed their true condition. The two of them kept a safe distance from Huo Yuhao, but pricked up their ears, waiting for Ju Zi's answer.
Huo Yuhao leaned against the lab table, his fingers tapping absently on the metal surface. Sunlight streamed through the window, casting a soft golden glow on him, making him appear completely different from the murderous figure he had just been.
Ju Zi twisted the hem of her clothes, her cheeks gradually flushing crimson. "Yesterday..." her voice was almost inaudible, "After I finished eating, I went to the lab and saw that he was having problems with his cultivation..."
As she recalled, Ju Zi unconsciously touched her shoulder, where the warmth of his embrace still seemed to linger. "He was completely drunk, and I wanted to check if he was sick, but..." Her ears turned bright red, "... he suddenly... hugged me."
Ke Ke's eyes widened, her mouth agape enough to fit an egg. "And then?!"
"Then..." Ju Zi buried her face in her palms, "I couldn't break free... so I slept like that all night..." Her voice grew softer and softer until it was almost a whisper.
An eerie silence fell over the laboratory. Wang Shaojie and Zi Mu's expressions were a fascinating mix, ranging from shock to confusion to embarrassment, finally settling on a subtle sense of guilt.
Huo Yuhao straightened up and walked solemnly to Ju Zi. His figure appeared exceptionally tall in the morning light, his eyes clear and bright beneath his black, tousled hair. " Ju Zi," he said, his voice gentle and sincere, "I sincerely apologize for my rudeness last night."
He bowed deeply, saying, "I had a mishap during my cultivation, which caused me to lose my senses. I'm truly sorry for the trouble I've caused you." As he stood up, his voice was sincere and gentle, "I had absolutely no intention of being disrespectful. I'm really very sorry for the trouble I've caused you."
Ju Zi waved her hands in a panic. "N-nothing! I know you didn't mean it..." She stole a glance at Huo Yuhao's serious profile, and her heart skipped a beat.
Ke Ke looked at this and then that, and suddenly put her hands on her hips and said, "Even so, it won't work! Who knows if she's faking being drunk..." Before she could finish speaking, Wang Shaojie covered her mouth.
Zi Mu coughed lightly, elegantly straightening his disheveled collar. "It seems... we misunderstood." His gaze towards Huo Yuhao still held apprehension, but now held a hint of complexity. "However, your murderous aura just now..."
Huo Yuhao smiled slightly, a smile that was as warm as a spring breeze, "A self-protective instinct." He glanced meaningfully at the three of them, "After all, being surrounded by three senior students, anyone would be nervous, right?"
The laboratory door was gently pushed open, and Xuan Ziwen walked in carrying a thick stack of Soul Tool blueprints. He adjusted his gold-rimmed glasses, and his gaze swept over everyone before finally settling on Huo Yuhao.
"Looks like I missed a good show?" Xuan Ziwen said with a half-smile, casually placing the blueprints on the table.
Huo Yuhao turned around, his face already showing its usual gentleness. "It was just a small misunderstanding, it's all cleared up now." His voice was light, but when his gaze swept over Ke Ke and the other two, a sharp glint flashed in his eyes, "Right, you three seniors?"
Wang Shaojie's Adam's apple bobbed, and he nodded frantically, "Yes, yes, it's all a misunderstanding!" He forced an exaggerated smile across his dark face, "This new junior is a really nice guy, we hit it off immediately!"
Ke Ke hid behind Ju Zi and nodded like a chick pecking at rice. "The new classmate is super friendly!" Her voice was sickeningly sweet, completely different from her previous sharp tone.
Zi Mu elegantly adjusted his collar, forcing himself to remain calm, and said, "We are... exchanging ideas about the cultural differences between the two houses." His forehead, beneath his blond hair, was still damp with cold sweat.
Xuan Ziwen raised an eyebrow, his gaze lingering for a moment on the cracks in the wall and the scattered Soul Tool parts. A slight smile played on his lips. "I didn't expect you guys to get along so quickly." He walked over to Huo Yuhao and patted him on the shoulder. "Looks like Yuhao, you're pretty good at integrating into new groups."
Huo Yuhao smiled knowingly. "Thanks to the senior students for taking care of me." He turned to look at Ju Zi, his eyes softening. "Especially Senior Ju Zi, she helped me a lot."
Upon hearing this, Ju Zi's ears turned red, and she lowered her head to fidget with the hem of her clothes. Ke Ke stared wide-eyed at Ju Zi and then at Huo Yuhao, her little face filled with disbelief.
P. S.: Brothers, please leave lots of comments, otherwise I'll really think nobody reads the book...