"Yu Hao!" Wang Dong, flustered at the sight of Huo Yuhao's condition, rushed to his side, his face filled with anxiety as he quickly tried to check on him.
Above them, Shi Yu hovered in the air, watching this scene with surprise. He hadn't expected that letting Wang Dong bear the brunt of this mental attack would lead to such an outcome. Wang Dong's spiritual sea had been damaged, Huo Yuhao had suffered backlash as a result, and yet Shi Yu himself remained perfectly fine. This was practically killing three birds with one stone—an advantage beyond his expectations.
It must be the power Tang San left inside Wang Dong's spiritual sea taking effect, Shi Yu thought, recalling the peculiarities surrounding Wang Dong.
The audience's expressions grew strange. Was this what it meant to suffer from one's own medicine?
The students of the First Class were visibly frustrated; the situation was now completely against them. By contrast, the students of the Fifth Class, who had been gloomy ever since Dai Huabin and Zhu Lu's elimination, suddenly revived. Their faces lit up, and they began shouting Shi Yu's name, cheering loudly.
Up on the platform, Yan Shaozhe and the other teachers exchanged bewildered glances. They didn't quite understand what had just happened. This was not Tang San's true power, after all, but merely the backlash of a trace of his residual strength.
Inside Huo Yuhao's consciousness, the Tianmeng Iceworm had struggled to resolve the mental attack. Panting heavily, he still felt lingering fear—it had been dangerously close. The level of power had been so overwhelming that it made even him tremble. Clearly, it had come from an existence he could not afford to provoke.
As the attack was finally neutralized, Huo Yuhao's pain eased, but exhaustion washed over him. His eyelids grew heavy, and he fainted on the spot.
"Yu Hao! Yu Hao!" Wang Dong cried out desperately, shaking Huo Yuhao's body, terrified that he might not wake up.
Referee Du Weilun could no longer remain impartial. He rushed forward to check on Huo Yuhao's condition. Only after confirming that Yuhao had merely fainted, and was not fatally injured, did Du Weilun exhale in relief. If a death had occurred here, as the referee he would have been held responsible. Fortunately, for now, the situation was still within control.
Carrying Huo Yuhao in his arms, Du Weilun turned to Wang Dong and asked, "Do you still wish to continue the match?"
But Wang Dong's condition was dire as well. The mental attack had damaged his own spiritual force, leaving him weak and pale, completely unfit to fight further.
He did not answer immediately. Instead, he glared fiercely at Shi Yu, who was calmly descending back to the stage.
Shi Yu shrugged carelessly. "Don't look at me like that. It wasn't me who attacked you—it was Huo Yuhao himself."
"You may have won this round," Wang Dong said stubbornly, his tone full of unwillingness, "but we'll definitely take it back next time."
Shi Yu smirked. "You've already lost now. Don't count on winning the next time either."
"Hmph, we'll see." Wang Dong snorted coldly. At last, he surrendered. Though his will urged him to continue, his strength had long since abandoned him. He was truly powerless.
With both of the First Class fighters down, Du Weilun made the final announcement:
"The champions of the freshman assessment are—Freshman Fifth Class, Dai Huabin's team!"
Cheers erupted from the Fifth Class. Excitement surged through their hearts, sweeping away all traces of gloom. The honor of the freshman championship belonged to them now.
On the other hand, the students of the First Class lowered their heads in shame. Their morale was crushed, and all they wanted was to leave as quickly as possible. Remaining here only deepened their embarrassment.
Shi Yu lingered on the stage for a while before stepping down, where he was immediately greeted by Dai Huabin, Zhu Lu, their homeroom teacher, and their other classmates, all of whom were smiling broadly.
"Your performance just now was so cool!" Jiang Nannan was the first to rush over, her beautiful face lit up with a brilliant smile as she praised Shi Yu.
"Of course," Shi Yu replied with a playful grin, clearly in a good mood.
"This time, we owe it all to you," Dai Huabin admitted with a tinge of shame. "If not for you, we might have lost."
He was bitterly dissatisfied with himself. He had underestimated his opponents and acted carelessly, making mistakes in such a crucial battle. It was unforgivable.
Shi Yu waved it off lightly. "We're a team. No need for all that." He had no interest in lecturing Dai Huabin further.
Their homeroom teacher beamed. "Congratulations. You've brought great honor to our Freshman Fifth Class!" This triumph was more than just glory for the students—it was also a mark of merit that could aid the teacher's own future promotions.
After a brief rest, the champion team was called to the podium of honor, basking in the cheers and admiration of their fellow students.
From the runner-up team, only Xiao Xiao appeared; she had suffered the least damage. Both Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong were receiving treatment in the infirmary. Mental injuries were never minor, and without proper care, they could easily leave permanent scars.
Rewards for the runner-up and third place were distributed openly, but the champion's prize was announced to be given out later. This puzzled Dai Huabin and Zhu Lu, but Shi Yu understood. Spirit Bones are too valuable and too tempting. They cannot be distributed in public.
"Let's go celebrate with a feast tonight—my treat!" Dai Huabin declared. "We won the championship because of you, so don't be polite."
"Since you insist, I won't be polite," Shi Yu chuckled, accepting gladly. After all, it was only fair—he had been the one to turn the tide.
That evening, the group gathered at the best restaurant in the city, enjoying a grand meal together. Jiang Nannan, too, was present, her laughter and presence adding brightness to the table.
While they celebrated, however, in the infirmary Yan Shaozhe stood beside Huo Yuhao, his brows furrowed.
"Yuhao, during today's competition your mental strength surged several times beyond what should be possible. Can you explain why?"
"I… I don't know either," Huo Yuhao answered, feigning confusion. He had prepared an excuse beforehand. "When I felt that the opponent's attack might make me lose the match, I grew anxious—unwilling to accept defeat. At that moment, this sudden power erupted. It seemed to come from my Spirit… from my Spiritual Eye. Perhaps it had been hidden inside all along."
Yan Shaozhe studied him closely, still doubtful. He asked Yuhao to release his Spirit. The Spiritual Eye manifested, and after repeated examinations, Shaozhe realized something—Huo Yuhao's Spirit was far from ordinary.
Could this be the power of a Body Spirit undergoing a secondary awakening?
The Spiritual Eye was indeed a Body Spirit, and though Shaozhe knew little about them, he was aware of one important fact: Body Spirits often possessed the potential for secondary awakening. Only after this awakening would a Body Spirit display its true might. The process represented a qualitative transformation—powers would increase greatly, and entirely new abilities could even emerge.
After prolonged discussion with the other teachers, Yan Shaozhe finally reached a tentative conclusion.
Huo Yuhao's Spirit seemed to be in the process of a secondary awakening—but it was incomplete. The eruption of power during the battle had likely been the result of this awakening being triggered, though not yet fully realized.