The next morning, before the morning mist had completely dissipated, Huo Yuhao and his two companions were already standing outside the academy gate. Ke Ke stood to the side with her arms crossed, occasionally stealing glances at Huo Yuhao, her eyes filled with both fear and a hint of resentment.
She did want to have some opinions, but she didn't dare to express them. After all, no one dared to provoke this incredibly powerful demon king easily. Yesterday's demonstration of Huo Yuhao's strength had made her fully understand his true power.
Ju Zi packed her things, she turned to Huo Yuhao and smiled sweetly, " Teacher Xuan said that we'll be following his instructions on this trip."
She winked playfully, "We're going to the Jingyang Mountain Range to test our Soul Tool. You're so strong, and you're a boy, so you have to protect us."
Huo Yuhao smiled slightly, "Yes, Captain." He deliberately gave an exaggerated bow, which made Ju Zi burst out laughing.
Ke Ke watched in stunned silence—was this really the same person as yesterday's Slaughter God?
"We're going to the Jingyang Mountain Range to test the Linked Soul Tool." Ju Zi unfolded the map in her hand, her slender fingertip pointing to a mountain range marker. "You're strong, and you're a boy..." she winked playfully, "You have to protect us well, okay?"
Huo Yuhao nodded solemnly. "Don't worry." Those two simple words inexplicably reassured Ju Zi.
The three of them took out their Flying Soul Tool and prepared to set off. Ju Zi asked with concern, "Is your Flying Soul Tool okay? Do you need any help?"
Huo Yuhao shook his head. In fact, in Huo Yuhao's eyes, there are many ways to fly. He can use the Cloud-Climbing Technique to ride the clouds and mist, or he can use his Golden Dragon King Martial Soul to spread his dragon wings. Or, the Wind Fire Wheels are not ready yet. After thinking it over, he still felt that he should not attract too much attention, so he casually took out a Flying Soul Tool from his Soul Tool bracelet.
This Flying Soul Tool was custom-made for Qiu'er, not because he wouldn't make one for himself, but because he felt he really wouldn't need it.
The Flying Soul Tool is nearing completion and is seven-colored.
As for why it's seven-colored, Huo Yuhao himself had some selfish reasons; he wanted to give his girl the best, and that was his selfishness.
"What a beautiful Soul Tool!" Ju Zi couldn't help but exclaim, her fingertips gently tracing the dazzling seven-colored light. "Did you make this yourself?"
Huo Yuhao's gaze softened slightly. "Mm."
Although it was beautiful, Ju Zi and her companion didn't ask many questions, only offering a few compliments. After all, Flying Soul Tool can be designed in many different ways, and boys often have some inexplicable inspiration when they pursue something beautiful, cool, and capable of flying.
The Jingyang Mountain Range Jingyang Mountain Range located in the north-central part of the Sun Moon Continent, and it does take some time to get there.
The three figures slowly descended into an open area in the forest. Sunlight filtered through the leaves, casting dappled shadows on the ground.
Ju Zi landed lightly, as did the other two. Huo Yuhao's seven-colored Flying Soul Tool emitted a pleasant metallic hum when it retracted, which was high-tech, and it even had a specific noise reduction mode.
"Let's take a break first." Ju Zi glanced at the sky and tucked her loose long hair behind her ear. "At this speed, we should reach Jingyang Mountain Range before evening." As she spoke, she took out a checkered picnic blanket from her Storage Soul Tool and skillfully spread it on the grass.
Huo Yuhao watched with great interest as she magically produced various ingredients from her storage device: fresh seasonal fruits and vegetables, carefully prepared meats, various seasonings neatly arranged, and even a complete set of kitchen utensils and tableware.
This doesn't look like an outdoor experiment; it's like they brought the entire kitchen with them.
"What, are you stunned?" Ju Zi noticed Huo Yuhao's gaze and proudly raised her chin. "Today, I'll show you my skills!"
She deftly set up the barbecue grill, and with a flick of her finger, a ball of red flame leaped from her specially made Soul Tool. "This is my exclusive secret recipe; no one else can learn it, and I guarantee it'll be delicious!"
Ke Ke had already sat down impatiently, muttering to herself, "Even Chef Mingdu is ashamed of his Ju Zi barbecue skills. We can't always have this opportunity to eat it, so let's cherish this chance to savor its deliciousness."
Huo Yuhao smiled slightly, his face beaming with joy. How to put it? Opportunities to go camping are truly rare, especially with someone you like. "Then I'm going to have a real feast!"
Huo Yuhao watched her busy figure with great interest, a strange feeling rising in his heart. In his previous life, he was always the one preparing meals for everyone, but now that the roles were reversed, he was experiencing a sense of novelty.
He sat quietly to the side, his gaze unconsciously following Ju Zi's nimble hands.
"Do you need any help?" he asked softly.
Ju Zi was focused on marinating the meat when she heard this. She looked up, sunlight dancing on her eyelashes. "Just wait to eat!" she said playfully, winking. "But... it would be even better if you could help peel some fruit."
As he spoke, he tossed over a few bright red apples.
Huo Yuhao caught it steadily, and with a light twist of his fingertips, a small knife formed from his Soul Power appeared out of thin air (or should he use Blade of Life to peel the apple??). The apple spun in his hand, and the peel fell like ribbons, all in one smooth motion.
"Wow!" Ke Ke exclaimed, her eyes widening. "Your technique..."
"I used to do this all the time." Huo Yuhao smiled slightly, cut the peeled apple, and gently pushed it in front of the two girls.
The grill wafted an enticing aroma from Ju Zi's grill. She skillfully flipped the meat skewers, the grease dripping onto the charcoal and sizzling.
"Here, have a taste~" Ju Zi handed the first skewer of grilled meat to Huo Yuhao. The golden pieces of meat were sprinkled with special spices and were still steaming hot.
Huo Yuhao took a bite, his pupils dilating instantly. The meat was crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, with distinct layers of spice flavor.
"How was it?" Ju Zi looked at him expectantly.
Huo Yuhao swallowed slowly, then suddenly smiled, "Indeed, it's really delicious. It seems the chefs of Mingdu City will never know that the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy has a master chef like you hidden inside."
Huo Yuhao slowly swallowed the last piece of roasted meat, gently wiping the grease from the corner of his mouth with his fingertips. He looked up at the two girls, a smile playing on his lips.
"Speaking of which..." he casually picked up a twig and traced a few smooth lines in the soil, "I'm quite the chef, you know. From now on, I'll be cooking."
"Huh? You?" Ke Ke almost choked on her juice, her eyes widening as she looked Huo Yuhao up and down. "A battle maniac like you can cook?" She nudged Ju Zi with her elbow, winking mischievously. " Ju Zi Sister, do you believe that?"
Ju Zi rested her chin on her hand, a playful glint in her orange eyes. "Oh?" she deliberately drawled, "Then may I ask this 'chef,' what's his specialty?"
Huo Yuhao's hand holding the branch suddenly paused, leaving a deep mark on the ground. He looked up, his confidence making Ju Zi's heart skip a beat. "I know a little bit of everything, and it's no exaggeration to say that I'm currently the number one chef in the world."
His voice was calm and unhurried. "Even the Food God would either flee in terror or suffer a utter defeat before me."
Ke Ke exaggeratedly covered her mouth. "Wow!" She turned to Ju Zi and winked, "Did you hear that? Number one in the world! Even the Food God can't compare~" Her tone was full of veiled sarcasm.
Ju Zi's ears subtly flushed red. She understood perfectly what Ke Ke was implying—the criteria for choosing a partner of the "world's best chef." To hide her fluster, she deliberately put on a stern face. "Hmph, anyone can brag, right?" But her fingers unconsciously twirled the ends of her hair. "I've never heard of you in the Sun Moon Empire."
"It's normal that you haven't heard of me. After all, I'm well-known in the Sun Moon Empire, while I'm quite famous in Shrek. Everyone knows that my Huo Yuhao fish and grilled meat are the best in the world. If I dare to claim second place, no one dares to claim first."
The twig twirled gracefully between Huo Yuhao's fingers as he chuckled, "Next time, I'll show you." His gaze casually swept over the Ju Zi's reddened earlobes, "I guarantee it'll be a taste you've never had before."
"Then I'm really looking forward to it~" Ke Ke nudged Ju Zi with her elbow with a mischievous grin, "Right, Ju Zi- sister? The world's number one chef is cooking himself!"
" Ke Ke!" Ju Zi snapped, her cheeks flushed red like the apple in her hand. She tried to remain calm as she stood up to clear the table, but the dishes clattered loudly. "If you can't make it taste the way I want, it can't be called the best in the world..."
The voice grew softer and softer until it almost became a soliloquy.
Huo Yuhao looked at the girl's flustered state, a hint of tenderness flashing in his eyes.
He casually took the plate from Ju Zi's hand, their fingertips brushing against each other. "It's settled then." His voice was soft, but it made Ju Zi's heart skip a beat. "Next time, I'll be in charge of everyone's meals."
ps: Thanks to 2022081120210904, Peng Hu, and x Mengdie for the monthly tickets for your help. Thank you for your support.