Du Weilun once again blocked the Golden Path.
In a single day, he had endured the same Spirit Fusion Skill twice.
"Any objections?"
Du Weilun looked at Huo Yutong and the other two, who had already released their spirit attachments.
"None."
Huo Yutong shook her head.
Du Weilun then turned to An Zhen, a flash of pleasant surprise in his eyes, and announced loudly, "I declare the champions of this year's freshman assessment to be An Zhen, Ning Tian, and Wu Feng's team!"
"With this, the freshman assessment has concluded successfully. The academy has witnessed your growth and progress. Tomorrow morning, an assembly will be held to award the top three teams and assign classes."
"Wah—"
The audience erupted in cheers.
Though An Zhen's victory had been expected, no one had anticipated it would happen like this.
Two consecutive Spirit Fusion Skills—both from their opponents!
The Radiant Holy Dragon, the Heaven and Earth Net, and that Golden Path…
Just where did these monsters come from?!
"An Zhen!"
An angry pink-and-blue-haired boy stormed up to An Zhen, glaring at him with a fierce yet adorable expression.
You villain!
Using her abilities against her!
The finals had ended quickly.
The Heaven and Earth Net.
The first spirit skill of the Nine Phoenix Zither: Deceleration.
Both were control-type spirit skills. The only attack-oriented one was the Golden Path, but even that had been blocked by Du Weilun.
And that was precisely why Wang Dong felt so aggrieved. None of the tactics they had discussed beforehand, nor her own true strength, had been showcased before the battle ended.
"You told me to go all out."
An Zhen shrugged innocently.
"Hmph!"
Unable to refute, Wang Dong could only stomp her foot in frustration.
Tonight, I'm going to stomp you to death!
"An Zhen gege, congratulations." Huo Yutong showed no signs of disappointment. In the girl's heart, An Zhen gege was always meant to be first.
"An Zhen."
Ning Tian and Wu Feng quickly approached. The golden-haired young mistress's sapphire eyes sparkled with joy as she gazed at An Zhen. Another huge surprise—the Heaven and Earth Net's control prowess was undeniable, but the fact that An Zhen could even replicate the Golden Path, which could nullify a Soul Douluo's defensive spirit power, was astounding.
With the freshman assessment over, the students who had successfully remained in the academy enjoyed a rare moment of leisure, a reward for their three months of hard work. Those who had been eliminated could only leave, heading to other advanced academies. Though they couldn't compare to the geniuses who stayed, anyone who met Shrek Academy's admission criteria was already an elite.
An Zhen's group happily went out for a celebratory meal, courtesy of Ning Tian's choice of an upscale restaurant. As the young mistress of the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Clan, she understood the importance of connections all too well. Xiao Xiao, with her twin spirits, Wang Dong with her Radiant Butterfly Goddess, and even Huo Yutong—who hadn't yet reached the second ring—were all worth befriending. Even setting aside her relationship with An Zhen, Ning Tian recognized Huo Yutong's immense value after experiencing the mental detection sharing and Spirit Fusion Skill An Zhen had replicated.
"Wow, this meal must cost thousands of gold soul coins!" Xiao Xiao was stunned by the dishes made from thousand-year spirit beast ingredients.
Wang Dong shot a wary glance at Ning Tian. She's this rich? The girl couldn't help but worry whether An Zhen would be able to resist the temptations of a wealthy young mistress. She had her doubts about her boyfriend's willpower.
Though the young mistress of the Clear Sky Sect could easily afford it, spending nearly ten thousand gold soul coins on a single meal was undeniably extravagant.
Ning Tian smiled gracefully.
The Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Clan's wealth rivaled nations—literally.
But excessive riches required the power to protect them, a lesson every generation of the clan's leaders understood. From sponsoring individual spirit masters to funding free spirit awakenings for children (and recruiting talented commoners in the process), to supporting large-scale imperial operations without seeking recognition or repayment—even making substantial annual donations to Shrek Academy.
The world wasn't just about brute force; it was about human connections.
Ning Tian was certain that once her father learned of An Zhen's recent feats, he would significantly increase the resources at her disposal—perhaps even high-quality spirit bones. Helping someone in need was far more valuable than offering favors when they were already successful. Besides, An Zhen was practically family now.
After dinner, the group left satisfied.
Back at the dorm.
"Once classes are assigned, the workload from the Soul Tool Department will increase, right?"
Perhaps due to the butterfly effect or the already altered course of fate, Huo Yutong hadn't officially joined the Soul Tool Department after the freshman assessment like Huo Yuhao had in the original timeline. Instead, she had been recruited by Zhou Yi much earlier. After classes, dinner, and half an hour of milk tea sales, she would head straight there. These past three months, Huo Yutong had been stretched impossibly thin—but thanks to the virtual world, she managed to balance both spirit and soul tool studies flawlessly.
"Mhm."
An Zhen took out a card.
"There's twenty thousand gold soul coins in here. No more street stalls—this way, Yutong will have more time to study."
They had already kissed.
Though it didn't align with his original plan of waiting until Huo Yutong gained her second spirit and grew more confident before defining their relationship, what was done was done. But maybe this was for the better—now he had a legitimate reason to care for her openly.
"!"
Wang Dong tensed. "Did that Ning Tian give this to you?!"
"No."
The one from Ning Tian was stored in the bracelet on his wrist.
Pressing the card into Huo Yutong's hand, An Zhen explained, "This is part of the compensation Senior Sister gave me earlier."
"No, An Zhen gege, I can't accept this." Huo Yutong refused.
Reaching out, An Zhen pulled her into his arms and captured her soft lips.
"Mmph!"
Her bright eyes widened instantly as her arms instinctively wrapped around him. Then, a sudden realization struck—Wang Dong is right here! But the sudden assault left her mind blank, and she completely forgot about her best friend's presence, lost in the intimacy.
"..."
Hands on her hips, Wang Dong watched the two kiss.
Hey! Why are you doing this in front of me again?!
"Hmph!"
Kicking off her shoes, Wang Dong—her slender legs clad in white socks—sat cross-legged on the bed, staring at them intently.
A long moment later…
Though they hadn't officially defined their relationship, Huo Yutong reluctantly accepted the card under An Zhen's firm insistence.
Under Wang Dong's furious, teeth-gritting gaze, An Zhen left the girls' dorm.
"An Zhen gege…"
The young girl stared blankly at the card in her hand.
She knew Wang Dong and An Zhen gege only accompanied her to sell milk tea at night to support her—they didn't need to do this at all. If she accepted, they wouldn't have to waste their time anymore.
I'll work hard. Only then can I stand by An Zhen gege's side—maybe even spoil him myself one day.
...
Virtual World.
"An Zhen!"
Clad in a white-and-blue sundress, her dreamy pink-blue hair fluttering, the beautiful little butterfly charged forward, her fair legs sending An Zhen crashing to the ground.
"You're done for!"
Her jade-like feet pressed directly against his face.
Though An Zhen had designed the virtual world's outfits, seeing Wang Dong's attire in person was a different experience—the pure white fabric paired with the Radiant Butterfly Goddess's beauty was truly something.
"Even calling me jiejie won't save you now."
(End of Chapter)