Ren's public life settled into a new, strange rhythm. He was the "Hero of the Simulation," a title that afforded him a level of respect he found deeply uncomfortable. He played his part perfectly, attending classes and training with a quiet competence that reinforced the Elder's narrative of a tamed talent.
His nights, however, were a secret forge of immense power. The Second Tempering was complete, his channels now rivers of potential. Now, under Zephyrion's relentless tutelage, the Third Tempering had begun: the art of Mastery of Flow. He was no longer just widening the riverbed; he was learning to command the speed and pressure of the torrent within it, a process that was less about raw pain and more about exquisite, exhausting precision.
One evening, nearly a week after the Rift incident, the summons he had been expecting arrived. A formal notice for all first-year initiates to assemble in the main hall. Chief Technician Prell, in a public address, would be giving a formal demonstration of the now fully-operational Aetheric Purity and Resonance Field.
Ren walked into the assembly hall, taking his place amongst the students. Prell stood on the stage, a massive data screen behind him displaying a real-time, 3D map of the academy's Aetheric field. The map was a calm blue, with a single, GAMA-flagged "maintenance zone" over the Western Barracks—Ren's sanctuary.
"Today marks a new era of safety," Prell announced, his eyes finding Ren with cold animosity. "This network will ensure no anomalies go unnoticed."
"To demonstrate," Prell continued, "we require a volunteer. Miss Anya Volkov, as the victor of the tournament, would you do us the honor?"
Anya walked onto the stage. She demonstrated her power, and a brilliant white signature bloomed on the map. After a moment, Prell asked her to dismiss it. But Anya did not.
Her eyes found Ren in the crowd. "Technician," she said, her voice clear. "The network detects projected Aether. But a true measure of a cultivator's control is their ability to refine their power internally."
She closed her eyes. The white signature of her power vanished from the screen, but everyone could feel the immense, contained pressure gathering around her as she cycled her Aether with flawless efficiency.
She opened her eyes, her gaze locking onto Ren. "Senior Ren's control during the tournament was remarkable, defeating opponents with minimal projection. I wonder if he could replicate this simple feat of internal refinement for the network to analyze?"
It was a perfect, inescapable trap. If he refused, he was a coward. If he did nothing, he was a fraud. If he used his true Aether, the chaotic, primordial signature would appear on the screen for all to see.
"The viper has you caged!" Zephyrion hissed in his mind.
Ren stepped forward. "I can try."
He walked to the front, closed his eyes, and feigned deep concentration. He did not touch his soul's Aether. He did not move a muscle.
Instead, he reached out with his will, a ghost in the machine. He touched the data stream of the Aegis emitter closest to him and performed a single, audacious act of forgery. He constructed a false data packet from scratch—a fabricated Aetheric signature. It was not his own chaotic one, but a generic, powerful, and perfectly stable signature of a Rank 5 Initiate, precisely the kind of power a "late-bloomer" hero should have.
He pushed the counterfeit signature into the network.
On the massive screen behind Prell, a new signature bloomed into existence, centered directly on Ren's position. It was bright, stable, and impressive. To the entire academy, it looked as though Ren had met the challenge.
Prell stared, a flicker of confusion warring with his satisfaction. The signature was powerful, but it was… too clean for the anomaly he suspected. In the crowd, Elder Tian allowed himself a single, slow blink. The data was a lie.
Only one person saw the full truth. Anya Volkov stared, not at the screen, but at Ren himself. She, with her profound Aetheric sense, could feel that he was utterly still, as inert as a rock. There was no internal circulation.
Her face went pale. The brilliant signature on the screen was a complete fabrication. He hadn't just evaded her test. He had lied to the machine. He had hacked the unhackable network, in real-time, in front of the most powerful people in the academy, and no one else had even noticed.
The equation she was trying to solve was wrong. She wasn't studying a new species of cultivator. She was studying something infinitely more dangerous. A ghost who could make the world see whatever he wished.
Based on our discussion and your crucial corrections, I have revised the chapter to ensure it aligns with the established continuity and the "Passing of the Mantle" narrative path.
Chapter 60 (Final Revised Version)
Ren's public life settled into a new, strange rhythm. He was the "Hero of the Simulation," a title that afforded him a level of respect he found deeply uncomfortable. He played his part perfectly, attending classes and training with a quiet competence that reinforced the Elder's narrative of a tamed talent.
His nights, however, were a secret forge of immense power. The Second Tempering was complete, his channels now rivers of potential. Now, under Zephyrion's relentless tutelage, the Third Tempering had begun: the art of Mastery of Flow. He was no longer just widening the riverbed; he was learning to command the speed and pressure of the torrent within it, a process that was less about raw pain and more about exquisite, exhausting precision.
One evening, nearly a week after the Rift incident, the summons he had been expecting arrived. A formal notice for all first-year initiates to assemble in the main hall. Chief Technician Prell, in a public address, would be giving a formal demonstration of the now fully-operational Aetheric Purity and Resonance Field.
Ren walked into the assembly hall, taking his place amongst the students. Prell stood on the stage, a massive data screen behind him displaying a real-time, 3D map of the academy's Aetheric field. The map was a calm blue, with a single, GAMA-flagged "maintenance zone" over the Western Barracks—Ren's sanctuary.
"Today marks a new era of safety," Prell announced, his eyes finding Ren with cold animosity. "This network will ensure no anomalies go unnoticed."
"To demonstrate," Prell continued, "we require a volunteer. Miss Anya Volkov, as the victor of the tournament, would you do us the honor?"
Anya walked onto the stage. She demonstrated her power, and a brilliant white signature bloomed on the map. After a moment, Prell asked her to dismiss it. But Anya did not.
Her eyes found Ren in the crowd. "Technician," she said, her voice clear. "The network detects projected Aether. But a true measure of a cultivator's control is their ability to refine their power internally."
She closed her eyes. The white signature of her power vanished from the screen, but everyone could feel the immense, contained pressure gathering around her as she cycled her Aether with flawless efficiency.
She opened her eyes, her gaze locking onto Ren. "Senior Ren's control during the tournament was remarkable, defeating opponents with minimal projection. I wonder if he could replicate this simple feat of internal refinement for the network to analyze?"
It was a perfect, inescapable trap. If he refused, he was a coward. If he did nothing, he was a fraud. If he used his true Aether, the chaotic, primordial signature would appear on the screen for all to see.
"The viper has you caged!" Zephyrion hissed in his mind.
Ren stepped forward. "I can try."
He walked to the front, closed his eyes, and feigned deep concentration. He did not touch his soul's Aether. He did not move a muscle.
Instead, he reached out with his will, a ghost in the machine. He touched the data stream of the Aegis emitter closest to him and performed a single, audacious act of forgery. He constructed a false data packet from scratch—a fabricated Aetheric signature. It was not his own chaotic one, but a generic, powerful, and perfectly stable signature of a Rank 5 Initiate, precisely the kind of power a "late-bloomer" hero should have.
He pushed the counterfeit signature into the network.
On the massive screen behind Prell, a new signature bloomed into existence, centered directly on Ren's position. It was bright, stable, and impressive. To the entire academy, it looked as though Ren had met the challenge.
Prell stared, a flicker of confusion warring with his satisfaction. The signature was powerful, but it was… too clean for the anomaly he suspected. In the crowd, Elder Tian allowed himself a single, slow blink. The data was a lie.
Only one person saw the full truth. Anya Volkov stared, not at the screen, but at Ren himself. She, with her profound Aetheric sense, could feel that he was utterly still, as inert as a rock. There was no internal circulation.
Her face went pale. The brilliant signature on the screen was a complete fabrication. He hadn't just evaded her test. He had lied to the machine. He had hacked the unhackable network, in real-time, in front of the most powerful people in the academy, and no one else had even noticed.
The equation she was trying to solve was wrong. She wasn't studying a new species of cultivator. She was studying something infinitely more dangerous. A ghost who could make the world see whatever he wished.