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**Chapter 7: Forest Calculus**
Star Dou Forest's outer edge hummed with life—ambient soul particles thick as fog, century beasts prowling shadows. Huo Yuhao moved silent under Imprint Cloak, Tang Ya and Bei Bei trailing casual. "Ring hunt!" Tang Ya chirped. "Your mental type needs careful pick."[1]
*They think novice. Let them.* Huo Yuhao's scan swept 8km: migration patterns (southwest boar surge), ambush clusters (3 mantraps, 2 venom vines), Tianmeng ping faint ahead—lakeside seal weakening.
Bei Bei scanned manual. "Stick close. Ten-year Wind Baboon cluster nearby. Safe first ring."
*Wind Baboon: canon bait. Tianmeng trigger.* Huo Yuhao nodded meek. "Lead on, senior brother."
Path wound streamside. Fish leaped—reflex skewer, three caught mid-air. Tang Ya laughed. "Grill master! Lunch after?"
Sun peaked. Mental ping spiked: *Tianmeng active. 2.1km.*
Rustle. Wind Baboon pack burst—seven, claws whistling. Bei Bei Haotian Hammer bloomed, shockwave scattering four. Tang Ya Bluesilver vines lashed.
Huo Yuhao hung back deliberate—then alpha lunged his flank. Dagger flashed: Spiritual Blade extension, cauterized sever. *Efficiency: 1.2s kill.*
Pack routed. Tang Ya whooped. "Perfect sync!"
Soil heaved. Tianmeng erupted—million-year bulk wobbling, golden eyes manic. "Mental attribute! Mine! Uh... you're glowing weird."[1]
*Sealed treasures stirring.* Huo Yuhao gripped dagger. "Identify."
Tianmeng leered. "Tianmeng Iceworm! Million-year soul ring offering! Accept power, hehe!"
Mental surge slammed—Book shadow deflected 80%, remainder tested Sea barriers. Huo Yuhao countered: probe returned triple, pinning worm mid-wriggle.
*"Wait—what?!"* Tianmeng flailed. *"This resistance... divine wards?!"*
Vision whited. Fusion yanked Huo Yuhao inward.
Sea of Consciousness: blue ocean under golden-blue suns. Tianmeng tumbled center, seals cracking. Gray mist descended—Electrolux coalesced. *"Optimization time."*
Life Gold flared. Tianmeng's million years compressed: **300k first ring** (yellow veil), **700k reserves** (7 seals). Husk morphed—**Imprint Cloak** v2: flight+shield+dive, stealth 95%.
Four skills locked:
| Skill | Type | Utility |
|-------|------|---------|
| Mental Detection Sharing | Support | 360° radar, ally link (5 targets) |
| Imitation | Utility | Full mimicry (self/environment) |
| Spiritual Shock | Attack | AoE stun, soul shatter (low-mid) |
| Spiritual Control | Control | Puppet 1 target (Rank <40) |
*Loadout: versatile. No waste.*[1]
Huo Yuhao surfaced calm. Tang Ya shook him. "Yuhao! Ring?!"
"Absorbed," he said soft. "Rank 12 now. Mental... Tianmeng Iceworm."
Bei Bei whistled. "Hundred-year camouflage? Smart. Shrek proctors buy it."
Tang Ya hugged. "Monster talent! Tang Sect pride!"
*Allies locked. Proceed.*
Deeper forest. Huo Yuhao's scan plotted: Iceworm lake ahead, but detoured subtle. "Stronger options east. Adapt first ring skills."
Bei Bei approved. "Strategic. Lead."
Three days blurred: mandrake cores harvested (tool forging), vine essences refined (potion base), boar tusks bartered Shrek City (funds: 50 gold). Huo Yuhao's directives masked as "hunches"—dorm trio integrated as scouts, Tang Ya/Bei Bei as vanguards.
Black Book unsealed third: **Ice Lotus Essence**. Choice: cloak infusion. Result: **Frostveil Cloak**—cold domain (10m chill, slow 30%), regen amp +25%.[1]
Rank 15. Skills fused seamless.
Night camp. Tianmeng bubbled. *"Boss! Deeper—Snow Emperor territory! Million-year ice queen!"*
Electrolux: *"Patience. Sovereign's Will: weave plane threads. Tang San probes intensify."*
Golden fate-line thickened—Shrek tower origin. *Countermeasure: false flag.*
Simulation wove decoy: phantom "average talent" echoes scattering east/west. Line split, confused.
Dawn four: Shrek summons. Dean Yan Shaozhe: "Mental anomaly. Demonstrate."
Arena: vs Rank 25 agility freshman. Huo Yuhao cloaked, Detection mapped, Control hijacked foe's leap—self-KO. Crowd silent.
Yan: *"Domain potential. Inner Court observe."*
| Shrek Assessment | Score | Note |
|------------------|-------|------|
| **Talent** | A+ | Veiled power ceiling |
| **Control** | S | Zero waste, prediction godlike |
| **Threat** | ?? | Hidden depths |
Tang Ya ecstatic. "Inner Court fast-track!"
Bei Bei wary. "Eyes on us now."
Huo Yuhao smiled boyish. *Expected. Leverage.*
Black Book tallied:
**Assets** ↑: Shrek favor (med), Funds (150g), Cloak v3
**Threads** Acquired: Yan network hook
**Radar** Ping: Tang San (high—diverted)
Forest called deeper. Snow Empress stirred in ice veins. Nine Elements technique itched—first treasure burn imminent.[1]
*Phase 2: Accelerate.*[1]
Citations:
[1] huo-yuhao-2-1.txt