Chapter 2: The Genius's Gambit
The protective wards in the private Spirit Pagoda office felt less like a sanctuary and more like a cage, barely containing the fear and awe radiating from Huo Zhen and Mei Hua. Deacon Lin had been dismissed, his sworn secrecy bought with the immense pressure of a Title Douluo's threat. The atmosphere was thick with the silent implication of a secret too dangerous to hold.
Huo Zhen, the elder, remained standing, his back rigid. His formidable power was palpable, but beneath it, his spirit trembled.
"A Divine Bloodline," he whispered again, the phrase heavy with cosmic implication. He looked at Huo Wujiu (霍無咎), who was still radiating a faint, residual red-gold light. "Wujiu, you must understand, this is not merely Level 10. This is a level of power that will make the empires and Shrek Academy look at you and see a weapon to be controlled. This is the truth of the Primordial Phoenix Divine Flame."
Mei Hua rushed forward, embracing her son, her own Spirit Sage power flowing instinctively to try and soothe the unseen divine energy in him. "We have to hide him, Zhen. Lock him away, train him ourselves until he is a Title Douluo. It's the only way."
Wujiu calmly returned his mother's hug, enjoying the sensation of genuine, protective love.
He knew his parents' fears were rational within their limited understanding. Now was the time to assert his superior knowledge and strategic foresight.
He gently pulled back, his golden eyes filled with preternatural certainty. "Locking me away, Mother, would be the most predictable and dangerous move," he stated, his small voice echoing with clear, intelligent authority. "It would signal my existence but deny me the necessary real-world experience. When I eventually emerge, the world will have already planned my capture."
He then addressed his father, his tone becoming subtly cheeky but devastatingly logical. "Father, you are a powerful Title Douluo, yet you are reacting with fear. That fear is what will sell my plan. You must use that fear to justify my sudden, illogical departure."
Huo Zhen frowned, his worry momentarily displaced by confusion. "Departure? Where would you go? Shrek is inevitable."
"No, Shrek is avoidable," Wujiu countered, walking to the antique map of the continent hanging on the wall. "My spirit is a Divine Flame, a power of Refinement and Creation, not simple elemental destruction. The standard curriculum, even at Heaven Dou's elite schools, would merely teach me to burn things. That is a waste."
He tapped the coastal region, his finger landing directly on East Sea City. "I need to go where no one in the power structure will look: East Sea City. I need to chase a niche, non-combat specialization to temper my flame. I need to become a Blacksmith."
Huo Zhen stared, utterly dumbfounded. "A blacksmith? The son of a Title Douluo? That is... madness! That wastes your Innate Level 10 power!"
"Exactly!" Wujiu exclaimed, turning, his red hair seeming to glow. "It is such an arrogant, illogical waste that no one will investigate it! The report will state that the Title Douluo's genius son, in his youthful arrogance, believes the key to controlling his unique fire lies in arcane metalworking, and demands access to the specialized local sea-metal resources in East Sea City."
Wujiu pressed his argument, emphasizing the strategic necessity. "It hides me in plain sight, keeps me away from the attention of the Central Pagoda and Shrek, and puts me in the exact place I need to be to cultivate secretly and efficiently. The best defense is a cover story so absurd, yet so perfectly aligned with a child's arrogance, that no one questions it."
Huo Zhen slowly sat down, processing the layers of calculated deception. He saw the cold, brilliant logic—the only way to hide a God-Tier spirit was to make its use seem utterly inconsequential. "A genius blacksmith... Fine. The paperwork will be filed immediately. I will use my influence to fabricate a complete story of your obsession with arcane forging. You will leave by tomorrow morning."
With the strategic decision made, Wujiu retreated to his private, warded chamber for his final, critical step before leaving the capital. Alone, he summoned the Omni-Source System. The digital interface shimmered: [Objective Complete: Destiny Alignment – The Silver Dragon's Proximity], Reward Claimable: Bloodline Purity Fragment (Tier 1) and Phoenix God Cultivation Manual (Part 1).
He claimed the rewards.
The Bloodline Purity Fragment integrated first, a wave of painful, restructuring heat that flawlessly purified his spirit channels, stabilizing the raw Primordial Phoenix Divine Flame and raising his Bloodline Purity to 1.0%.
Next, the Phoenix God Cultivation Manual (Part 1) flooded his mind. It detailed the core technique: using the Divine Flame as an internal filter for ambient energy, absorbing only the most refined essence.
Wujiu immediately sat down, realizing he could not waste a second. He was Rank 11, the peak of the Spirit Scholar stage.
He began cultivating with the System-provided technique. His spirit sea became a forge, the Phoenix Flame relentlessly burning away impurities in the spirit energy he absorbed. The speed was unbelievable. The quality of the power he accumulated was exponentially superior to anything achieved through standard methods.
He pushed hard, channeling the enormous reserve of his Innate Level 10 power against the barrier to the next rank. He focused on the steady, rhythmic purification required by the manual, using the demanding heat as a constant test of his will. The barrier to Rank 12, which should have taken weeks to dissolve, crumbled under the onslaught of his refined power in a matter of hours.
The final surge of energy caused a deep, internal resonance. [Host Spirit Power Reached Rank 12. Current Rank: Spirit Scholar (12)].
Wujiu opened his eyes, feeling the smooth, controlled flow of his power. He had broken through, achieving Rank 12 within a day of his awakening. He was strong, he was hidden, and he was ready.
The following morning, Wujiu stood on the private departure dock. Instead of a common conveyance, a sleek, black Spirit Airship, reserved exclusively for high-ranking Pagoda Elders, waited. This transport maintained his cover while providing the necessary speed and isolation for the journey to the coast.
He gave his final farewells and boarded the vessel. As the airship lifted, pulling him away from the bustling capital, Wujiu settled into his seat. His golden eyes gleamed with triumphant anticipation. He spent the entire journey maintaining his Rank 12 power, using the airship's constant engine vibration to further temper and purify his flame.
The airship eventually began its descent, pulling into the coastal terminal of East Sea City. The environment was visibly different from the capital—less hurried, less polished. The air that flowed into the cabin was cool and salty.
A local, low-ranking Spirit Elder, Elder Fang, met him, visibly nervous about handling the paperwork designating Wujiu as a 'genius protege' of a Title Douluo. "Young Master Huo, your lodging and tuition at the East Sea Academy have been arranged. We have informed the Headmaster of your unique fire spirit and your need for isolated forging resources."
Wujiu smoothly maintained his role, giving a curt, dismissive nod that reinforced his arrogant front. "Good. Ensure the workshop is secure and stocked with high-grade sea metals. I require absolute solitude for my specialized techniques."
His internal satisfaction was immense. The lie holds. They believe the arrogant genius is chasing iron, not destiny.
Wujiu was escorted to a small, private apartment near the academy—a perfect location for his secret cultivation. The East Sea Academy itself was large but functional, lacking the intimidating grandeur of Shrek or the Pagoda's main institutions.
It was exactly the low-profile environment he had engineered for himself. He knew he had approximately a year before Tang Wulin arrived, and shortly after, the glorious and tragic figure of Gu Yue (Gu Yuena) would enroll.
Wujiu stepped onto the quiet street, a small, knowing smile playing on his lips. The scent of the sea, the feel of the bustling yet manageable city, and the surging power of Rank 12 within him—everything was in place.
He had changed the beginning of the script. Now, he would wait for his beautiful target to arrive.
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