At night, the dormitory lights spilled softly.
Huo Yuhao looked at Wang Dong, who was about to enter his usual meditation state, and suddenly called out to him: "Wang Dong."
Wang Dong stopped, turned around, and asked with slight confusion: "Hmm? What's wrong, Huo Yuhao? The New Student Assessment is tomorrow afternoon, and you, the famous cultivation fanatic, aren't seizing the time to meditate? That's rare."
He rested his chin on one hand, his eyes filled with a hint of curiosity.
Huo Yuhao scratched his head, feeling a bit embarrassed: "I... I wouldn't call myself a cultivation fanatic. Besides, haven't you been cultivating exceptionally diligently lately too?"
Wang Dong curled his lip, his tone carrying a hint of defiance: "Is that the same thing? You're progressing so fast, and Xiao Xiao is about to have a Breakthrough to the third ring too. I don't want to be left behind by you guys, so I have no choice but to join in the grind."
He paused, bringing the topic back: "Alright, stop sidetracking. Tell me quickly, what is it exactly?"
Huo Yuhao took a deep breath, deciding to be direct: "It's like this... I want to... give you a hug."
"What?!" Wang Dong's eyes widened suddenly, as if he had heard something unbelievable. His body instinctively leaned back, and his fair cheeks quickly flushed with a thin layer of red: "You... say that again?!"
Huo Yuhao repeated earnestly: "I just want to give you a hug. I feel like... the aura around you seems to have a special sense of affinity with mine, so I want to try it out. By having close contact, I can confirm if it's just my imagination."
He made up a reason on the spot. Although he hadn't clearly perceived any special aura, these words unexpectedly struck a chord with Wang Dong.
Because the first time he accepted Huo Yuhao's Spiritual Detection, Wang Dong had clearly felt that sense of affinity and compatibility stemming from the depths of his Soul. He had always thought that as long as he deliberately restrained himself and didn't let this unique aura leak out, Huo Yuhao wouldn't notice. He never expected that Huo Yuhao would be able to point it out in one go.
"Could it be... that his mental force is too strong?" Wang Dong was secretly shocked.
Huo Yuhao was a Spirit Master with a Body Martial Soul of the mental type and had also practiced a Cultivation Technique that could enhance mental force, so it was normal for his perception to be sharper than his own. But to be able to detect the aura he had deliberately hidden, this level of achievement in mental force was truly not simple.
It seems he would have to strengthen his own mental force cultivation in the future. Perhaps he should ask Senior Sister Tang Ya about the cultivation method for the Purple Demon Eye. Anyway, he was already a Tang Sect Disciple, so asking for the Cultivation Technique wouldn't be overstepping, but thinking about how the Tang Sect had now become an affiliated School of the Axis Cult, he always felt a bit subtle about it.
"Perhaps when the Tang Sect revives and becomes strong in the future, I can..." Wang Dong's thoughts drifted uncontrollably, but he immediately forced them to stop.
"What am I thinking! The Axis Cult has a debt of gratitude to the Tang Sect for rebuilding it, and becoming an affiliated School was voluntary for both sides. Moreover, the Axis Cult has given the Tang Sect great autonomy. Even Teacher Tang Ya hasn't said anything, so why am I worrying about this? Winners are kings, losers are bandits; that's just how the world works." He secretly warned himself.
Seeing Wang Dong's expression shift and his silence, Huo Yuhao thought he was resisting, so he quickly added: "If it's inconvenient, then forget it. I'm fine with that."
He remembered that Wang Dong had a germaphobia; last time he accidentally caught a glimpse of him changing clothes, it had led to quite a scolding. For a more intimate contact like a hug, it was normal to be rejected.
Wang Dong coughed twice to cover up his inner turmoil and feigned calmness: "Ahem... Of course you can. Actually... to tell you the truth, when I first accepted your Spiritual Detection, I felt that your aura was very... close. The reason my aura doesn't usually show is because it's restricted by another force. Only when our bodies are close... which is what you call a hug, can you truly sense the essence of my aura."
Huo Yuhao was slightly surprised, but on the surface, he showed a "just as I thought" smile: "So it really is like that. It's about what I thought."
He muttered to himself: It really was guessed right? I was just making up an excuse. It seems Sister Furina really had foresight, or rather... is this some kind of foresight brought by the Water God's divine force? No, that should be more like the ability of the God of Fate or the God of Time, right?
"Then... shall we try?" Huo Yuhao said, naturally opening his arms and walking towards Wang Dong.
Wang Dong, however, appeared a bit flustered. Watching Huo Yuhao get closer and closer, he lacked the other person's casual naturalness. His body instinctively tensed up, and his whole person fell into a stiff, almost defensive state, his pretty face flushing even redder.
Huo Yuhao didn't overthink it, just taking it as a simple hug between friends. He reached out naturally and wrapped his arms around Wang Dong. However, when the two bodies truly pressed together, Huo Yuhao's feelings changed quietly.
This was the first time he had such intimate contact with Wang Dong. The slender back he had caught a glimpse of before involuntarily appeared in his mind. He had originally thought that everyone was a Spirit Master who worked hard to Cultivate, especially boys, who should be like him—sturdy and full of a sense of strength.
But when he actually hugged Wang Dong, the tactile sensation was completely different. Although Wang Dong's body was resilient, it was unusually soft, carrying a wonderful quality that was almost boneless. Even more special was that a light yet undeniable fragrance lingered at the tip of his nose.
The two were similar in height, and when Huo Yuhao hugged him, his face happened to rest against the side of his neck. When his chin brushed against that smooth, delicate skin, a strange and palpitating feeling made his heart tremble slightly.
Huo Yuhao wanted to marvel at how special this feeling was, but vaguely felt something was wrong somewhere. At his current age and experience, his understanding of certain emotions was still hazy, and he didn't ponder it deeply, just simply feeling that hugging Wang Dong was much more comfortable than he had imagined, and even... a bit reluctant to let go.
"H-how does it feel?" Wang Dong asked, almost mumbling. He didn't hug Huo Yuhao back, just letting the other person hold him.
His feelings were vastly different from Huo Yuhao's: Huo Yuhao's body was solid and warm, emitting a rich, youthful, masculine aura, mixed with a faint trace of sweat—not unpleasant, but rather having a peculiar sense of reality. This unprecedented intimate experience made Wang Dong's cheeks burn fiercely.
"It's pretty good, very... comfortable." Huo Yuhao almost subconsciously followed his inner feelings and spoke the truth.
Wang Dong was stunned at first, then became ashamed and angry, scolding in a low voice: "Idiot! Did I ask if you were comfortable? I told you to sense my Martial Soul aura! Isn't that why you said you wanted to hug? Idiot!"
"Uh... sorry, I forgot, I'm sorry." Huo Yuhao immediately felt a surge of embarrassment and quickly collected his thoughts, but his arms involuntarily tightened a little more, "I'll hug for a while longer and feel it carefully."
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