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**Chapter 6: Shrek's Gates and Hidden Edges**
Shrek City sprawled like a fortress swallowed by forest—walls scarred from millennia of beast tides, gates flanked by twin colossi statues radiating pressure even unawakened. Huo Yuhao walked between Bei Bei and Tang Ya, cloak's aura veil muting his presence to innocuous Rank 11 orphan.[1]
Crowds choked the outer plaza: hopefuls clutching test crystals, merchants hawking stamina pills, scouts from academies sniffing talent. Tang Ya navigated with easy confidence, quota scroll flashing gold at guards. "Tang Sect recommendation. Junior Huo Yuhao."
Guard grunted approval. "Freshman test tomorrow. No weapons inside."
Huo Yuhao nodded meek, White Tiger Dagger concealed via Simulation—mental weave bending light around hilt. *Passed.*
Inside, Shrek Academy proper loomed: central lake mirror-still, pavilions floating mid-air on soul arrays, air thick with ambient power. Outer Court buzzed—students drilling formations, elders lecturing soul circuits.[1]
Bei Bei clapped his shoulder. "Dorms that way. Test: crystal probe for innate rank, then combat gauntlet. Innate 3+ passes usually. Your... mental edge should shine."
Tang Ya winked. "Crush it! Tang Sect celebration after!"
They split. Huo Yuhao found assigned bunk: sparse room, four beds, three snoring teens already. He claimed corner window—optimal sightlines—and sank into meditation. Spirit power cycled smooth, Life Gold accelerating flow 12x baseline. Rank 12 by dawn.[1]
Night deepened. Tianmeng bubbled. *"Shrek! Big leagues! Ready to flex?"*
*Observe first.* Mental scan swept dorms, mapping patrols (irregular, 17min cycles), powerhouses (Rank 60+ elders, three peaks hidden), undercurrents (Tang San fate-line faint gold thread weaving toward central tower).
Electrolux stirred. *"Sovereign's Will: grasp one law-thread. Try ambient soul particles."*
Huo Yuhao extended. Reality texture yielded—particles danced to his pull, density spiking 20% in 5m bubble. *Amplifier secured. Scale later.*
Dawn horn blared. Test field: 500 freshmen, ringed by proctors. Head examiner: stern woman, Rank 67 Assault, hawk eyes. "Crystal first. Fail innate <3: out. Pass: gauntlet vs 100yr mandrake swarm. Survive 5min."
Lines formed. Crystals hummed—whites (innate 1), yellows (2-4), rare purples (5+). Huo Yuhao's turn: crystal flared soft gold. *"Innate... 4?"* Proctor blinked. Murmurs rippled.
*Veiled. True power: 11 active.* He stepped to gauntlet ring.
Swarm unleashed: 200 mandrakes, vines whipping, roots burrowing. Freshmen ahead flailed—some crushed, others dragged screaming. Healers on standby.
Huo Yuhao breathed even. Mental Detection bloomed: 360° grid, vines trajectories plotted 3s ahead. Spiritual Blades flashed—ten invisible edges, severing roots mid-lunge. Simulation cloaked movements; mandrakes struck air.
Crowd gasped. Proctor leaned forward. *"Control? No visible spirit?"*
Swarm adapted—coordinated burrow assault. Huo Yuhao vaulted, Imprint Cloak wings unfurling invisible. Aerial dive: Spiritual Control pierced alpha mandrake brain. Puppet turned, roots lashing kin. Chaos cascade.
4:58. Proctor called time. Mandrakes slumped, cores harvested by drones.
"Pass," she declared. "Mental variant. Report Outer Court 7." Eyes narrowed appraising. *Flagged.*
| Test Metrics | Performance | Proctor Note |
|--------------|-------------|--------------|
| **Innate** | Veiled 4 (true 11) | Anomalous stability |
| **Combat** | Zero casualties | Spiritual domain suspected |
| **Adaptation** | 7s to swarm sync | Instructor potential? |
Dorm mates gawked post-test. "Dude, you *danced* through that! What's your spirit?"
"Spirit Eye," Huo Yuhao said simple. "Mental type."
Awe. Alliances formed instant—meals shared, tips traded. *Network node 1: secured.*
Evening: Tang Ya dragged him to feast. "Sect junior! Shrek ace!" Bei Bei poured wine (diluted). "Quota earned. Profound Heaven Skill awaits."
Huo Yuhao sipped measured. *Tang Sect entry: plot vector. But resources real.* "Grateful. Teach me."
Profound Heaven circulation initiated—soul power vortex, meridians tempered. Life Gold synergy: absorption 15x norms. *Rank 13 by week-end.*
Night two. Black Book pulsed—second gift unsealed: **Frozen Marrow Shard** (10kyr purity). Offered: *Meridian frost-temper? Beast ward?*
Choice: self-reinforce. Cold bloomed internal—bones creaked stronger, soul power crystalline edge. *Physical baseline: doubled.*
Tianmeng whooped. *"Icy! Matches my vibe!"*
Electrolux: *"Layer defenses. God Realm watches closer."*
Probe confirmed: golden thread thickened, questing from central tower. Tang San's distant eye.
*Counter: scatter signals.* Simulation wove false trails—mental echoes mimicking average freshmen. Thread wavered, confused.
Dawn three: advanced class invite. Elder lectured soul tool theory. Huo Yuhao absorbed voracious—Sun Moon tech edge noted. *Strategic pivot potential.*
Classmate whisper: "Heard new kid solo'd gauntlet. Mental freak."
Word spread. Scouting offers trickled. *Visibility calibrated.*
Black Book tallied:
- **Allies**: Tang Sect (Bei/Tang Ya), Dorm Trio
- **Resources**: Shrek library access, Tang arts
- **Threats**: Tang San ping (low), Shrek scrutiny (med)
- **Vault**: Life Gold (5/6), Marrow integrated
Forest edge called. Tianmeng itched. *"Ring hunt? Deeper beasts!"*
Soon. *Build board first.*
Shrek's web tightened gentle—but Huo Yuhao wove faster. Marshal's war: not strike first, but own the ground.[1]
Citations:
[1] huo-yuhao-2-1.txt