Based on our story's development, here is the next chapter following Ayush/Huo Yuhao's strategic preparations for the Freshman Examination at Shrek Academy.
Chapter 8: The First Test and the First Secret
The Freshman Examination at Shrek Academy was not just a test of power; it was a public spectacle, a ritual where the strong were lauded and the weak were filtered out. For Ayush, playing the role of Huo Yuhao, it was the first major stage where his carefully constructed persona would be stress-tested under the gaze of teachers, peers, and the ever-present, subtle pressure of distant divine observation.
His team, as the Black Book had forecast, consisted of himself, Wang Dong, and Xiao Xiao. On paper, they were the ultimate control team—two spiritual system controllers and an auxiliary—lacking any frontline assault power. The prevailing opinion among the other freshmen was pity or dismissal. Ayush encouraged this perception, wearing a look of determined worry during the team briefings.
Internally, the Black Book's analysis was cold and precise.
> Team Composition Analysis: Optimal for covert narrative.
> Wang Dong (Combat Power: High. Threat Assessment: Pivotal. Trust Level: Developing).
> Xiao Xiao (Combat Power: Medium. Threat Assessment: Low. Trust Level: Neutral).
> Recommended Strategy: Utilize Wang Dong as primary overt damage vector. Utilize Spiritual Detection for tactical coordination and credit. Limit personal power exposure to Tier-1 Public Skills only.
Their first match was against a team of three powerful Beast Spirit users, all from prominent noble families. They were brash, confident, and looked at Ayush's team with open contempt.
"Begin!" shouted the presiding teacher.
The three opponents roared, their bodies swelling with spirit power as they charged. The audience anticipated a quick end.
"Now!" Ayush said, his voice calm.
His Spirit Eyes glowed with a soft golden light. Spiritual Detection swept over the arena. In Wang Dong's and Xiao Xiao's minds, a perfect, three-dimensional map appeared. They could see the charging opponents, but more importantly, they could see the subtle shifts in their balance, the gathering of spirit power in their limbs, the slight openings in their coordinated charge.
"Left flank, now!" Wang Dong commanded, his gorgeous Light of the Butterfly wings unfurling. Guided by the flawless data, he moved not to meet the charge head-on, but to slice diagonally across it, his first spirit ring flashing. A blade of condensed light intercepted the lead attacker precisely at his moment of weakest footing, knocking him off-balance.
Simultaneously, Xiao Xiao, her twin giant cauldrons materializing, did not try to block. Instead, she used one cauldron to perform a precise, glancing strike against the second attacker's shoulder—a strike that, thanks to Ayush's detection, hit the exact point to disrupt the spirit power flow in his arm. The attacker stumbled, his charge broken.
The third attacker, now isolated, found Wang Dong already in his face.
The match ended in less than a minute. Their victory was clean, efficient, and looked like a masterpiece of flawless teamwork between Wang Dong's brilliant offense and Xiao Xiao's clever disruptions. The role of Ayush's Spiritual Detection, while known to be useful, was seen as a supportive enhancer—the "eyes" for the team's "fists." No one suspected the detection's range or detail was far beyond a normal Spirit Elder's capability, honed by nightly exercises under Electrolux's tutelage.
As they walked off the stage to surprised murmurs, Wang Dong clapped Ayush on the shoulder, a genuine grin on his face. "Not bad, roomie. Your detection is sharper than I thought."
Xiao Xiao nodded shyly. "It felt like I could see everything."
Ayush smiled back, the picture of modest satisfaction. "We all did our part."
Inside, the Black Book logged the result. > First Examination Match: Victory. Power Exposure: Within acceptable parameters. Social cohesion with team members: +12%.
The matches continued. They won their second, and their third. Ayush's strategy never wavered. He was the conductor of an orchestra he pretended not to fully control. He used Spiritual Interference sparingly, just enough to make an opponent's spirit skill fizzle at a critical moment, attributing it to "luck" or "a flaw in their control." He never attacked directly. His role was cemented: the invaluable, weak, but clever support.
One evening, after a grueling practice session, Wang Dong confronted him in their dorm room.
"Your spirit power," Wang Dong said, his handsome face serious. "It feels... strange sometimes. When you use detection at its peak, there's a... coldness to it. Not like ice, but something older. And your endurance is better than a Level 15 Spirit Master with innate level 1 spirit power should have."
Ayush's heart rate didn't change. He had anticipated this. Wang Dong, with his supreme spirit and sensitivity, was the most likely to notice anomalies.
He met Wang Dong's gaze, letting a flicker of vulnerability show. "The spirit beast I fused with... the Heavenly Dream Iceworm. It's left more than just a spirit ring. It's changed my spiritual power's quality. Elder Brother Tianmeng says it's a slow fusion. Sometimes its power leaks through." It was a half-truth, built around a massive lie. The "coldness" was the subliminal influence of the Ten-Thousand Year Frozen Marrow in his vault.
Wang Dong studied him for a long moment, then nodded, seemingly accepting the explanation. "Just be careful. Unstable power can backfire."
The concern, Ayush noted, seemed genuine. Another data point for the Black Book.
That night, in the depths of his spiritual sea, he held council.
The Heavenly Dream Iceworm was excited, chattering about their victories. Electrolux, in his majestic robes, stood silently, a pillar of ancient wisdom.
"Your deception holds," Electrolux finally spoke, his voice echoing in the quiet space. "But the girl, Wang Dong, is perceptive. The 'script' you fear demands a deep bond with her. This bond will be a double-edged sword—a source of strength and a potential vector for the control you resist."
"I know," Ayush replied, looking at the gray mist that was his teacher. "The bond must be managed. It must become real enough to be believable, but I can never fully lower my guard."
"The Black Book has foreseen this," Electrolux stated. "Use the bond. Learn from it. Understand the mechanisms of the fate you are trying to break from within. True rebellion requires perfect understanding of the cage."
A new message flashed from the Multiversal Chat Group. It was from Ancient_One_Theorist.
Ancient_One_Theorist: Observing your social integration data. Fascinating. The 'Wang Dong' entity exhibits high-grade narrative resonance with your node. Your current strategy of 'managed bonding' is statistically optimal. A suggestion: within the upcoming team battles, engineer a scenario where you 'sacrifice' your safety for this entity's success. This action pattern heavily reinforces desired bond-parameters within typical narrative structures and will increase your cover stability.
Ayush considered it. A calculated sacrifice. Not a real risk, but a performance that would deepen Wang Dong's trust and align perfectly with the expectations of anyone watching, mortal or divine. It was a cold, logical move to strengthen his emotional armor.
He closed the interfaces. The next round of the examination was the semi-finals. Their opponents were strong, a team led by a fierce, fire-attribute Spirit Master.
He would follow the suggestion. He would let an attack through his "defenses" to protect Wang Dong's flank. He would take a "heavy hit" and be "saved" by Wang Dong's brilliant counterattack. The narrative would be perfect: the weak support proving his loyalty, the strong core rising to protect his teammate.
It was all a calculation. A move on a board only he could fully see.
As he lay in bed, he could almost feel the phantom leash around his neck, the one Tang San thought he held. Ayush smiled in the dark.
Pull the leash, he thought. I'll follow. Right until I'm close enough to cut the hand that holds it.
The Freshman Examination was just the prologue. The real test was yet to come.
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The next chapter could detail the semi-final match, Ayush's calculated "sacrifice," the deepening of his complex bond with Wang Dong, and the team's final challenge in the examination, where a true anomaly—perhaps a hidden enemy or an unexpected power from Xiao Xiao—might force Ayush to momentarily step beyond his careful limits. Would you like to continue?