Severed Ties and The Unveiled Chessboard

Yuanen Yehui's voice held a firm resolve as she addressed her grandfather and uncle. "Grandfather, Uncle, I won't judge or comment on how you felt about me in the past," she began. "But, I declare that from this moment on, the ties we once had are severed. You both will not be able to influence the decisions I make regarding myself, and my only connection to the Titan Giant Ape family is through my father." Despite her outward composure, Nero could feel her hand trembling in his grasp, a sign of the emotions she was suppressing.

Even Zhou Hongbuo and Leng Yaozhu were shocked and astounded by Yuanen Yehui's resolve, as severing familial ties was no ordinary decision to make. Yuanen Yehui's uncle and grandfather couldn't say anything, for after realizing their mistakes, they had no right to interfere with her choices.

However, the moment was interrupted by a woman's voice from behind them. "You wretch! Since you are no longer a part of us, I will make sure that an abomination like you doesn't live anymore." Everyone turned around and saw that the owner of the voice was a middle-aged woman standing at the entrance of the hall. Nero felt Yuanen Yehui visibly shake as soon as she saw the woman. She was accompanied by several soul emperors and kings, adding an intimidating presence to her words. The woman was Yuanen Yehui's aunt who just arrived in the hall after getting informed about Yuanen Yehui's arrival.

Before she and the soul masters behind her could take a step forward, hundreds of mirage blades materialized and surrounded them. Nero's icy-cold voice resonated through the hall, causing a shiver to run down the spines of Yuanen Yehui's aunt and the soul masters accompanying her. "I am already restraining my rage as it is," Nero warned, "Don't make any foolish choices, as the consequences are not something you would want to see."

Despite being a soul sage, Yuanen Yehui's aunt didn't make a sound as currently Nero's aura was like an abyss ready to devour them. Nero turned to Yuanen Zhentian and spoke calmly, "I don't think we have anything else to discuss. Yehui has made her choice. If the Titan Giant Ape family still desires to abolish or eradicate her, then you are welcome to try. But I will say the same thing as I said to that woman over there: there will be consequences to the actions you choose to take."

Leng Yaozhu and Zhou Hongbuo also summoned their soul rings, a clear sign that they stood in support of Nero's words and actions. Feeling Yuanen Yehui's grip tightening, Nero understood that it was time to depart. He used Yamato to create a portal and, with Yuanen Yehui, Zhou Hongbuo, and Leng Yaozhu, entered it, leaving the hall in pin-drop silence. " Sigh! " Yuanen Zhentian sighed and dismissed everyone.

-----

After sending Zhou Hongbuo and Leng Yaozhu to the Spirit Pagoda headquarters, Nero created another portal that led straight to his and Yehui's dorm room. As soon as they emerged from the portal, Yuanen Yehui hugged Nero tightly. Nero responded by gently rubbing her hair, understanding that she needed his comforting presence in silence after the emotional ordeal in the hall.

A few minutes later, Nero felt Yuanen Yehui's breath become slow and regular, indicating that she had fallen asleep in his arms. Nero gently lifted her in a princess-style carry and carefully placed her on the bed. He tucked her in with a blanket before settling down on a nearby chair.

" Aria, Did you investigate everyone? "Nero's eyes took on a serious expression as he directed his question to Aria, who had assumed her mechanical form. Aria's response affirmed Nero's suspicions. "Yes," she confirmed, "your hunch was spot on. There are indeed individuals within this academy who have been regularly investigating Yuanen Yehui, or, to be more precise, the Demon Seed within her." Nero's pupil shifted into demon pupils and though his aura threatened to surge forth, he restrained it, mindful not to disturb Yuanen Yehui's peaceful slumber.

After witnessing the memory involving the statue and the hooded man, Nero couldn't help but be troubled by a lingering question. He wondered how these unknown individuals could monitor Yuanen Yehui's well-being with such precision, especially considering that she never left Shrek Academy. Nero had a suspicion that there might be an insider within Shrek Academy who was providing information about Yuanen Yehui. To confirm his doubts, Nero requested Aria to discreetly monitor everyone within the outer courtyard of the academy, and his suspicions were validated when it became apparent that there were indeed individuals in the outer courtyard who were keeping a close eye on Yuanen Yehui.

" Are you gonna catch them? " Nero shook his head in response to Aria's question and offered a clear explanation, "There's no point in attempting to catch them at this stage. We have no knowledge of whether there are still individuals connected to them within Shrek City. Moreover, we know nothing about the organization that is targeting Yehui. I'm certain they aren't Evil Soul Masters, as neither the hooded man nor these individuals exude a bloody aura." Nero rose from his chair and gazed out of the window as he continued, "We can't afford to startle the snake, especially when we're in the dark. Our only option right now is to find a way to control the situation and protect Yehui."

Unbeknownst to everyone, Douluo Star was gradually turning into a chessboard. On one side stood Nero and Ren, while on the other side loomed something unknown. The residents of Douluo Star, including the very world itself, were unwittingly becoming pawns in this unfolding game.

----

Three weeks passed slowly, during which Nero managed to solve the dormitory issue. He achieved this by making Aria modify the interior space of his and Yehui's dorm room, turning it into a simple yet luxurious living space. The modified room now included a kitchen, a bathroom, and all other essential amenities. Everything was neatly arranged in pairs, except for the bed, which was now a comfortable double bed instead of two singles. A separate space had also been created on the ceiling for Aria to work in.

They also informed Elder Cai about Yehui's new martial soul and her decision to stay in her real form. The most surprised were none other than Yehui's own classmates, as their class captain had suddenly transformed into a stunning beauty. Some of them were so captivated by Yehui's beauty that they mustered the courage to ask her out. However, before Yehui could even respond, Nero intervened and dragged those individuals into a hand-to-hand coaching session. From that point onward, no one dared to offend Nero, as not even multiple Soul Ancestors could compel him to become the least bit serious.

Throughout these weeks, a battle for the vice-representative position occurred between Tang Wulin's group and Wu Siduo's group, mirroring the events of the original timeline. Additionally, one week ago, the cross-class competition had also commenced.

As Nero designed his Battle-Armor on his tablet with his head resting on Yuanen Yehui's lap and Yuanen Yehui sat on the bed reading something on her tablet, she asked, "Are you going to participate in the upcoming cross-class competition on behalf of your class?" Nero looked up and replied, "No, Elder Cai informed me that because of my inhuman combat ability, I will be facing the winning team alone."

"Then, will you show mercy on me?" Yuanen Yehui asked, playfully inserting her face between the tablet and Nero. Nero put the tablet aside and said, "Would you like me to show mercy to you and your team?" In response, Yuanen Yehui pouted and replied, "Hmph, if you show mercy, then you will lose."

Nero raised an eyebrow and replied, "Oh, are you that confident?" Yuanen Yehui crossed her arms confidently and said, "Of course." Nero couldn't resist smirking, and Yuanen Yehui immediately had a bad feeling about it. In the next moment, Nero hugged her tightly and started tickling her. Yuanen Yehui couldn't contain her laughter. She begged, "Hahahahaha, Nero, stop!" But Nero continued and teased, "Why? Where's your confidence now?" Yuanen Yehui, realizing that Nero was not gonna stop, decided to turn the tables and started tickling him back. Their laughter echoed through the room, and even Aria, who was in her separate space, couldn't help but shake her head, knowing that this playful banter was a common occurrence between the two of them.

After tickling each other for a few more minutes, they both stopped and lay on the bed, wrapped in each other's arms. Yuanen Yehui, curious about Nero's ongoing work, asked him as she scrolled through his tablet, "Our prototype Divine outfit is already complete, so what are you designing now?" Nero replied, "A new mode that Aria decided to add." Yuanen Yehui raised her head in confusion and asked, "New mode?"

Nero took the tablet from Yuanen Yehui's hand and opened a file to explain further, "You know how the normal battle armor covers hands, shoulders, etc., right?" Yuanen Yehui nodded, encouraging Nero to continue. "Well, the new mode, which Aria calls Overdrive, would cover our entire body and form a full-body armor. Overdrive would maximize our firepower and provide a greater rate of enhancement than the normal mode."

Yuanen Yehui placed her fingers on her chin and asked, "There should be some catch, right?" Nero nodded and further explained, "Yes, it will consume our spirit energy, physical power, and mental power at a very fast rate. But, this should not be a problem for us since I can recover my condition while I fight, and you draw power from the earth itself." Yuanen Yehui nodded in understanding and commented, "It sounds a bit similar to your Devil Trigger." Nero clarified, "Aria got inspiration from Devil Trigger, and I also needed something like this because I can't use Devil Trigger everywhere. Firstly, it's my trump card, and secondly, the Devil Trigger's amplification is getting stronger with me. So, when fighting a Soul Sage or someone around that rank, using Devil Trigger might be too overwhelming."

" Nero show me mine, Please! " Nero chuckled as Yuanen Yehui begged him with the enthusiasm of a cat angling for fish. He playfully flicked her head and replied, "It's a surprise; just wait for it." As he got up to prepare a snack for himself, Yuanen Yehui jumped onto his back, wrapping her arms around his neck while he supported her legs. With a grin, Nero teased, "Oh, does Miss Yehui want to make snacks today?" In response, Yuanen Yehui retorted, "Of course not. I just think that a certain someone wouldn't divide the portions equally." Nero couldn't help but laugh at her playful remark as he made his way to the kitchen.

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