Bai Hao had no intention of drawing any more unwanted attention to himself. Thinking only of making a quick escape, he brushed past Li Yao – who was still standing frozen in shock – and moved toward Yun Meng's position by the door.
"Run!"
Without a second thought, he reached out and grabbed her slender wrist. The touch was cool and soft against his skin, sending a jolt through his chest that he quickly forced down. Like two leaves being swept away by a rushing river, they pushed through the crowd of students pouring out of the classroom and headed for the stairs.
But he'd severely underestimated just how crowded the hallways would be at the end of the school day. The narrow stairwell was instantly packed with a surging sea of people – shoves and pushes coming from every direction, so intense that it felt suffocating, like being stuck in peak-hour traffic. They'd barely made it down a few steps when the current of bodies swept them along, moving them without any control of their own.
Hmm!
A muffled gasp escaped Yun Meng's lips as they were pressed together by the crowd. The world around them seemed to fall silent in that instant, leaving only the gentle touch between them and her calming, floral scent to ground him. Bai Hao's mind went blank for a moment – his chest was pressed firmly against her soft, slender body, and through the thin fabric of their school uniforms, he could clearly hear her heart pounding wildly, like war drums beating against her ribs.
"Oh no!"
A chill ran down Bai Hao's spine as he tried to straighten up, desperate to escape this awkward situation. But the wall of staring eyes around them left no room to move – instead, the press of bodies only pushed them closer together, burying him deeper in her intoxicating scent.
Yun Meng had gone completely still. A bright blush spread across her beautiful face, creeping up to her ears and temples like burning clouds in the sunset. She could feel the boy's slightly lean but strong back against her front, along with the unfamiliar yet powerful aura of the opposite sex. His hand was still wrapped tightly around her wrist, his warmth searing through her skin, but her own body felt cold and stiff from embarrassment and the sudden intimacy.
Finally, during a brief lull in the crowd's movement, Bai Hao pushed past his own discomfort and used his physical strength to pull Yun Meng – who was now almost walking chest-to-back with him – through the throng and toward the sparsely populated grove of trees at the edge of the playground. Only when they'd vanished into the deeper parts of the woods, nearly hidden from sight, did Bai Hao stop abruptly, bending over with his hands on his knees as he panted heavily. Tiny beads of sweat had formed on his forehead.
Yun Meng, however, showed only a faint flush on her pretty face from the exercise. Her breathing remained steady and deep, and she even had enough composure to shoot him a sharp, critical look. As a second-tier national athlete, combined with the physical enhancement from her extraordinary talent awakening the day before, this short sprint was nothing to her.
"Cough…"
Bai Hao steadied his breathing and looked up to meet Yun Meng's eyes – which were filled with a mix of embarrassment, irritation, and dissatisfaction.
"Couldn't you have picked a less crowded time to call me out like that?" he asked, trying to keep his voice even. "Do you have any idea how much attention that drew?"
Yun Meng's beautiful eyes widened instantly, her cheeks puffing out in anger like an angry cat with its fur standing on end. "How dare you blame me for this?! If it weren't for you –!"
She hissed in frustration, then suddenly rolled up her left sleeve, unwrapping the thin band that had been covering her wrist to reveal her porcelain-white skin beneath. There, etched clearly into her flesh, was a deep black sacred mark! It wasn't static – instead, it pulsed gently, gleaming with an immeasurable light like a slow breath, or a tiny, greedy black hole so deep it seemed capable of drawing in one's very soul. What was even stranger was that Yun Meng wasn't channeling any power at all.
"Look for yourself! This is all your fault! What's happening to this thing?!"
Yun Meng sneered, staring at the rune that was glowing uncontrollably and abnormally. She looked both deeply wronged and worried. What was going on here?
Bai Hao's attention was immediately drawn to the dark mark on her wrist, almost forgetting the beautiful face in front of him. His gaze became focused and sharp as he watched the dark light flow through it, as if the sacred rune held a greater allure than anything else in the world.
"How should I know? Didn't all this start because you wanted to make a contract with me?" he shot back, though his eyes never left the mark.
Yun Meng let out a bitter laugh, speaking honestly for once – it was clear she was extremely unhappy with the situation. After staring at it for a long time without finding any answers, Bai Hao had no choice but to set the question aside for the moment. He remembered something far more important and looked up, his eyes filled with curiosity and hope.
"By the way – what kind of ability do you have?"
A Saint-level Spirit Master talent! That had to be far more reliable than his own completely unknown Envoy abilities. Just thinking about it made him excited.
Yun Meng rolled her eyes in annoyance, her cold voice laced with sarcasm. "You don't even know what your own power is, and yet you're asking about mine first?"
"Fair enough…" Bai Hao choked on his words, touching his nose awkwardly. He knew this was his weak point.
"Well… my ability is kind of a long story…"
"Cut to the chase!" Yun Meng interrupted firmly, not wanting to hear any more rambling.
Seeing her patience wearing thin, Bai Hao swallowed hard, his mind racing. "Actually… my Spirit Envoy ability is… physical enhancement."
It was the most conventional explanation he could think of – one that was least likely to reveal any abnormalities. After all, low-level physical enhancement abilities looked completely ordinary, with no obvious changes to the user's appearance. It would give him plenty of "interpretive space" and room to maneuver if questions came up later.
"Huh?"
Yun Meng's response was quiet, her voice noticeably softer and the light in her eyes dimming significantly. She'd thought Bai Hao might have some extraordinary hidden talent, but she'd never imagined he was just a regular Profound-rank. The huge gap between her expectations and reality made it hard for her to hide her disappointment.
Seeing her crestfallen expression, Bai Hao quickly changed the subject. "So what about you? What can you do?"
Yun Meng didn't answer right away. Instead, she slowly extended her slender fingers toward the open space in front of them, palm facing upward. Her expression became intensely focused, and strange runes seemed to flow through the depths of her pupils.
Hum…
The air around them vibrated with an almost imperceptible hum, then ripples spread outward in all directions. Countless patterns of light appeared out of nowhere – thin, precise, and fluid, glowing with a cool dark blue light like circuit diagrams drawn by the most advanced computer systems. Yet they were filled with a life-like vitality, quickly merging, expanding, and connecting to one another in mid-air…
Bai Hao held his breath as a connection from the depths of their soul contract suddenly pulsed into his heart. He could even clearly "feel" the process of the patterns weaving together, and a powerful thought appeared in his mind for no apparent reason: I could use this power more smoothly than she can herself. It was as if the ability was an extension of his own limbs…
He forced down the urge to reach out and test it, instead watching the lights and shadows carefully. In less than thirty seconds, the patterns had formed the outline of a sharp, ancient longsword. Immediately after, countless tiny psionic particles swarmed toward the center of that outline.
Shing!
A clear, melodic metallic sound echoed through the entire grove. As the light faded, a steel sword – radiating a formidable aura with a terrifyingly sharp point – floated between them! The blade was heavy and solid, yet its edge was so sharp it seemed capable of slicing through air itself.
Yun Meng's breathing was slightly ragged now, and tiny beads of sweat dotted her smooth forehead – a clear sign that manifesting this sword had consumed a significant amount of her spiritual and mental energy.
"Extraordinary density and toughness!"
Bai Hao's gaze was like a scanner's, and the internal structure of the steel sword seemed to be analyzed automatically in his eyes. He could "see" that its strength far exceeded ordinary steel! Without thinking, he reached out and took the cool sword hilt in his hand. The weight, texture, and energy contained within it all flowed into his palm without missing a single detail.
He took a deep breath and casually swung the sword toward a nearby tree branch – about as thick as half his arm.
Whoosh!
The blade cut through the air as easily as slicing through the softest tofu, meeting no resistance at all. The broken surface was as smooth as a mirror!
"This… it can cut through metal like it's mud!" Bai Hao stared at the steel sword in his hand in shock, then compared it to the clean, sharp branch lying on the ground. "Its strength and sharpness are even more terrifying than industrial machine-forged fine steel weapons!"
He swung the sword a few more times, clearly showing his excitement. The steel blade whistled through the air with a frightening sound.
"Is your ability… 'Weapon Forging' or 'Metal Alchemy'?" he guessed.
Yun Meng was silent for several seconds, watching Bai Hao's focused expression before finally letting out a soft sigh. Well, the cost of terminating the contract was far too high. First contract partners were always different – at least in the short term, they'd need to understand and even rely on each other. For now, it was best to avoid unnecessary complications.
She spoke softly, "No. My ability is – Projection."
"Projection?"
Bai Hao paused, repeating the word several times to himself. Suddenly, his spiritual sea churned violently, as if a massive wave had been unleashed, and then every piece of information about Yun Meng's ability appeared in his mind without hesitation. Most importantly, it seemed he could use her projection ability freely, with himself as the medium.
The core of Projection was to construct every single detail of the target object in one's mind – its structure, materials, functions, and operational logic – then use spiritual energy to "project" it from nothingness into reality! The more complex, large, and powerful the material, and the stronger the energy or rules contained within the object, the more spiritual energy was required – increasing exponentially with each level of complexity.
Given that Yun Meng hadn't truly begun cultivating yet and her spiritual power was still immature, manifesting a steel sword with such extraordinary strength was already the result of countless simulations and practice sessions she'd done throughout the night after her restless sleep. It would only have been possible because her family already owned a decorative longsword – without prior reference, there would have been nothing to project at all.
"Not bad at all!" Bai Hao praised without hesitation. "Way better than mine."
Yun Meng felt helpless – wasn't that obvious? A Saint-level Spirit Master's ability was naturally stronger than a Profound-level Spirit Envoy's! Did that even need to be said?
Crackle!
Suddenly, as if triggered by Yun Meng's projection ability, Bai Hao's vision went dark, and everything in front of him became chaotic. His consciousness felt as if it were being pulled by some huge, cold creature! In his confusion, the scene before his eyes collapsed and distorted into nothingness.
Chaos!
Endless thick fog swirled and roared, filling his entire field of vision. At the center of that terrifying sea of chaos, a colossal beast – towering into the sky, impossibly large – slowly emerged! It was made of pure chaos, filled with a suffocating sense of destruction. It opened its maw, which looked like a bottomless chasm, as if it wanted to swallow the entire world, along with the sun, moon, and stars! It stood ten thousand feet tall, capable of devouring heaven and earth itself.
"Bai Hao? Bai Hao! What's wrong with you?!"
Yun Meng's panicked voice came from what felt like miles away, cutting through the roaring chaos that threatened to drown him. Bai Hao felt himself being swept away by endless darkness, falling rapidly into the abyss! His consciousness struggled desperately in the blackness.
Hmm?
The sensation… it was so warm and soft… Wasn't the ground supposed to be cold? That familiar, intoxicating scent still hung in the air…
He suddenly opened his eyes, and the first thing he saw was Yun Meng's stunning face – normally so beautiful, but now filled with deep worry and panic. A few strands of soft, dark hair had fallen loose, carrying their delicate fragrance as they brushed against his forehead and cheeks, sending a slight shiver through him.
This posture… this position? Was he resting his head on her lap? The surface supporting his head was a pair of warm, soft, and pliant thighs belonging to the young girl!
Bai Hao's heart swelled with emotion. He'd never imagined that Yun Meng – someone he'd only just met – would do something so intimate for him.
"Bai Hao? You… you're awake?"
When Yun Meng saw him open his eyes, a flash of relief crossed her face, but that was quickly replaced by another emotion. Because she could clearly see the overwhelming, almost uncontrollable emotion in Bai Hao's eyes!
BOOM!
Embarrassment flooded through her instantly, turning her entire face bright red – even redder than when they'd been pressed together on the stairs! She seemed shocked by her own actions, or perhaps offended by his "wicked" gaze. In a moment of panic, she suddenly pushed Bai Hao's head off her lap –
Thud!
The back of his head hit the ground hard with a dull crash.
"Uh… hiss…"
Caught off guard, Bai Hao winced in pain, reaching up to rub the back of his head. Yun Meng jumped to her feet immediately, her pretty face so red it looked like it might bleed. She pointed at Bai Hao, who was still lying on the ground, her voice trembling with anger and embarrassment.
"You… you bastard! You faked passing out just to trick everyone! You pervert! Go die alone!"
After saying that, she didn't dare look at Bai Hao – who was now grinning up at her – another second. She turned and fled the woods like a frightened deer, leaving Bai Hao behind with a throbbing, confused head.