Although unsure if it was true, the threat successfully made him obey Shen Qi's instructions to try sensing the treasured artifact.
The room was deathly silent. The small Shen Qi sat by the counter, tilting his head and propping his cheek with one hand, staring expressionlessly at Lu Zhi, who was cross-legged on the bed with his eyes closed. Was this sensing or cultivation?
As he watched, his thoughts drifted to Lu Zhi's appearance. His hair, half-dry and messily draped over his forehead and eyebrows, made his already small face appear even daintier and more refined. He had delicate features, and his refined countenance, as he grew older, would slowly mature. One could already see the stunning beauty he would possess as he transformed from youth to a mature and steady man. It would attract not just females, but males too, wouldn't it…
Upon this thought, Shen Qi's gaze darkened.
Suddenly, in the sealed room, Lu Zhi's clothes were gently stirred by a gust of wind. It was like a drop of water falling into a still lake, creating ripples. An increasingly strong wind erupted from Lu Zhi, gradually centering on him and sweeping up all the items in the room with a clattering sound.
Fortunately, the room's soundproofing was excellent.
Shen Qi's gaze fell upon the glowing ring on Lu Zhi's hand. A visible tender green sprout grew wildly like a tree in spring, its branches intertwining and weaving into vines. As if possessing its own consciousness, it gently protected Lu Zhi within a cage woven from vines. Interspersed within the tender green branches were strands of golden light, shimmering and dazzling.
Shen Qi hadn't expected Lu Zhi to succeed on his first try. Not only had he succeeded, but he had also manifested the treasured artifact. He wondered what type of artifact it was; he had never seen a tree-shaped one before.
"Wow!!!" Lu Zhi exclaimed in amazement at the sight before him as he opened his eyes. The branches and vines, as if alive, gently brushed his cheek, then seemed to shyly retract.
Lu Zhi's eyes sparkled. He inexplicably grew fond of these branches and vines. He extended his index finger to gently touch them. The branches and vines recoiled like sensitive plants, but they couldn't resist twining around Lu Zhi's finger, wriggling like a spoiled child. Golden light flowed from within the branches, making them exquisitely beautiful.
"Tsk." Shen Qi had flown to his side at some point. As Lu Zhi turned his head, he saw Shen Qi's small hand flick towards the branches entwined around his finger. It seemed effortless, but when it landed on the vines, it was like a heavy blow, causing the branches to detach from Lu Zhi's finger like a deflated balloon.
"What are you doing!" Lu Zhi cried out in shock. The next second, he saw the branches 'angrily' lash out at Shen Qi with such force as if facing a mortal enemy.
"Wait!" Lu Zhi grabbed the branches, clearly sensing their grievance and anger. He quickly soothed them, "There, there, don't be angry. He was wrong. I'll make him apologize."
The branches then turned and 'looked' at Lu Zhi, nodding aggrievedly.
Lu Zhi was greatly surprised, not expecting a response. Thinking that this treasured artifact would now be his lifelong companion, and sensing its childlike personality, he felt a paternal softness. He immediately looked up and glared at Shen Qi, "Why did you hit it?"
Shen Qi remained silent, his small face displeasured as he glared at the branches weaving around Lu Zhi's finger. He said, "Treasured artifacts can also possess their masters." Shen Qi's eyelids were half-lidded, and his gaze as he looked down at the branches was filled with scrutiny and cold indifference. "I am teaching you to establish authority."
Lu Zhi shivered. Even though it wasn't his true self present, and it was merely a palm-sized figure, the coldness in those eyes made him feel as if he was seeing 'Its' condescension and inviolable nobility when Its gaze fell.
Lu Zhi's throat tensed, and he swallowed. "I, I can feel it, it, it's very well-behaved."
The branches also seemed a little intimidated by Shen Qi's sudden powerful aura, nodding vigorously in submission.
Shen Qi, with a cold little face, flew to Lu Zhi's side. "From today onwards, this jadeite ring is your bonded treasured artifact. You must give it a name."
Lu Zhi, not understanding why Shen Qi was angry, instinctively obeyed. He pointed his palm at the branches and said, "From now on, you shall be called Man Luo."
Ding~
A crisp bell sound accompanied a gentle breeze. Brilliant golden characters erupted from the jadeite ring. With two crisp cracks, the smoothly curved jadeite ring transformed into an intricately carved vine shape. A golden thread of light flowed within the center, adding a touch of divine charm the moment it was named, making it noble and luxurious.
"Shen Qi, look." Lu Zhi couldn't help but raise his hand towards the ceiling light, his five fingers and the jadeite ring illuminated. The jadeite ring made his fair and slender fingers appear exceptionally beautiful.
However, Shen Qi found the ring inexplicably displeasing. He asked, "Why did you name it Man Luo?"
Lu Zhi happily stroked Man Luo, which had returned to its ring form, and said, "Ah, because I thought, since she's so shy, she must be a girl."
Shen Qi glanced sideways at Lu Zhi's smiling, eye-catching profile, feeling displeased.
Knock, knock, knock.
"Lu Zhi, are you done?" Lan Yushan's voice sounded from outside the door.
Lu Zhi thought Lan Yushan might have heard the commotion in the room and came to check. Even with good soundproofing, at such close proximity, it was bound to be heard by Lan Yushan.
Lu Zhi immediately walked over to open the door, but Shen Qi flew in front of him to stop him, ordering, "Get dressed."
Lu Zhi really wanted to say that he was being too meddlesome, but for some reason, when he met those silver-gray eyes, he instinctively obeyed.
He quickly fumbled for clothes and put them on, not bothering about Shen Qi watching him, as in his understanding, they were all men, and what he had, Shen Qi also had.
Shen Qi's gaze drifted over his lean waist, his eyes fluctuating with an uncertain light, as if contemplating something.
Lu Zhi opened the door and gave a shy smile. "There was something just now that delayed me. Let's go to Brother Luo's place first."
Seeing the room in Lu Zhi's room looking like it had gone through a typhoon, Lan Yushan didn't ask further and they went together to knock on Luo Shiyu's door.
Inside Lu Zhi's room, the little Shen Qi expressionlessly opened the window. A zombie clinging to the window was immobilized on the wall by a force.
Shen Qi's silver-gray eyes flashed with red light. The zombie let out a pained growl and instantly disappeared into black smoke without a trace.
Shen Qi looked up towards the floors where no light could penetrate. A vast expanse of black mist was pouring out from one of the floors like a breached dam.
…
Inside Luo Shiyu's room.
"So that's how it is." Lan Yushan slapped his thigh. "No wonder the security guards here were so indifferent to us freshmen. It turns out the previous batch caused trouble."
Lu Zhi hadn't expected this either. The freshmen from the previous batch had also entered the Cage Nest, but due to their arrogance and self-conceit, when they were in grave danger, they pushed Liu Chuang's good brothers to be human shields, causing many deaths.
Since then, Liu Chuang and the other security guards harbored dislike and disgust towards the freshmen of the school, yet they were forced to cooperate with them.
"No wonder they didn't call us for the patrol duty that should have been assigned to us. They probably feared we'd be like the previous batch of freshmen," Lu Zhi didn't react much. Moreover, this situation was indeed caused by the freshmen from the previous batch.
"Then what should we do now? Just lie around for seven days?" Although Lan Yushan was timid and fearful, doing nothing for seven days rendered their entry into the Cage Nest meaningless.
Luo Shiyu pondered, "Let's observe for two days first, then we'll make a plan."
Lu Zhi also felt it was best to remain still for now. "Then I'll first..."
Boom—
A sudden explosion came from the rooftop. The three of them quickly ran to the window and looked up. It was the rooftop of their building.
Suddenly, a black dot plummeted rapidly from the rooftop. Yang Yueying's terrified and desperate scream pierced the night: "Liu Chuang—"
Lu Zhi's pupils contracted. By the time he reacted, he had already called out two words.
"Man Luo."