Chapter 24: Tianmeng Ice Silkworm (Part 1)
The next day, before the sky was fully bright, Furina sprang out of bed like a carp, full of vitality.
She sneakily pulled Neuvillette into a corner of the grand hall and lowered her voice: "Neuvillette, I'm taking little Yuhao to the Star Dou Great Forest for some'social practice' today, and while we're at it, we'll get him a suitable spirit ring! I'll leave the affairs of the church to you. If Lord Lei Bao asks, just say we went for some 'wild Spirit Beast ecological research'. Keep it low-key, understand?"
Neuvillette maintained his usual calm expression, as still as an ancient well. His azure eyes swept over her faintly, and he nodded slightly: "Understood. Stay safe, and do not enter the mixed or core zones."
He was already accustomed to Furina's impetuous nature. Besides, with the three members of the Salon Solitaire accompanying them, the risks were controllable as long as they didn't seek death by venturing too deep and stayed in the peripheral areas.
After arranging for the "Logistics Minister," Furina ran excitedly to the kitchen.
Huo Yuhao was already waiting there, dressed in a neat, short outfit. His little face was taut, but his eyes sparkled with irrepressible excitement and anticipation.
"Let's go! Destination, Star Dou Great Forest!" Furina waved her small hand, looking quite like someone leading a field trip.
To avoid attracting attention, there were only her and Huo Yuhao, plus Mademoiselle Crabaletta, Surintendante Chevalmarin, and Gentilhomme Usher, who appeared quietly like shadows.
The group slipped silently out of the back door of Fontaine City and headed towards the Star Dou Great Forest.
This was Huo Yuhao's first long journey and his first time entering a habitat for Spirit Beasts, so everything seemed fresh to him. However, he remembered Furina's instructions, stayed close to her side, and scanned his surroundings vigilantly, like a young beast that had left its nest for the first time but remained highly alert.
Furina appeared much more relaxed, acting as a temporary tour guide for Huo Yuhao as they walked: "The Star Dou Great Forest is vast and boundless, and the variety of Spirit Beasts inside is terrifying, from ten-year-old little guys to hundred-thousand-year-level overlords. We'll just wander around the outermost perimeter this time. Finding you a suitable hundred-year spirit ring will bring this to Perfection. Don't get too curious and try to go deeper, or you won't even know how you disappeared..."
She spoke with a straight face, but inside, she was frantically knocking on a wooden fish, silently reciting: 'Brother Tianmeng! Senior Electrolux! Your destined child of destiny has been delivered to your doorstep, hurry up and come out to sign for it!'
After traveling for half a day, as they neared the edge of the forest, the air became noticeably humid, and the trees grew taller and denser.
Just as Furina was wondering if they should slow down to carefully search for traces of Spirit Beast activity, a "rustle" came from the bushes nearby, and a gray shadow, fast as a gale, lunged fiercely at Huo Yuhao on the flank of the team!
It was a gaunt, snarling Wind Baboon. Judging by its aura, it had at most ten years of cultivation.
In normal times, a Spirit Master with even a little experience could easily deal with such a level of Spirit Beast.
However, this was Huo Yuhao's first time facing a Spirit Beast attack in his life. Although he was startled, he didn't retreat a single step. The momentary panic on his face was quickly replaced by calmness, and he subconsciously gripped the White Tiger Dagger in his hand, his spirit power slightly condensing as he prepared to counterattack—this was a manifestation of his outstanding adaptability as a Spirit-type Spirit Master.
However, it was clearly not his or Furina's turn to take action.
Surintendante Chevalmarin, who had been floating on the side as if she were just a decoration, merely flicked her tail casually. A large, iridescent bubble went "pop" and covered the clawing Wind Baboon, wrapping it up tightly.
The Wind Baboon thrashed and squeaked inside the bubble, but it couldn't break free no matter what, and it could only float slowly off the ground with the bubble, a scene that appeared quite comical.
Mademoiselle Crabaletta's crab claws "clicked" in annoyance, seemingly thinking this opponent was too pathetic.
Gentilhomme Usher elegantly adjusted a non-existent bowtie with his tentacles, his posture reserved, as if to say, "Does such small fry deserve to be dealt with by this Lord?"
Furina watched the ten-year-old Wind Baboon struggling in vain inside the bubble, her mouth twitching slightly.
This plot... classic newbie monster giving experience, right? But in the original plot, Huo Yuhao at least exchanged a few moves with this baboon and got a bit of a scare before Tianmeng Ice Silkworm appeared. Now, it was just instantly controlled by her "top-tier bodyguards"?
She complained frantically in her heart: 'Brother Tianmeng! Your designated host is being forced to fight in self-defense, aren't you going to come out and save the day? This script isn't right, hey! If you don't come soon, this Wind Baboon is going to be released as a balloon by Surintendante Chevalmarin!'
As if in response to her inner call (or perhaps the inertia of the original work was too strong to be questioned), a sudden change occurred!
Without any warning, the entire world (or everything within their field of vision) instantly darkened! It was as if an invisible, huge curtain had suddenly blocked out the light.
An indescribable, vast, and terrifying mental force pressure, like the Nine Heavens Milky Way pouring down, completely enveloped the area! The air seemed to freeze, the trees stood still, and the sound of the wind stopped abruptly.
The Wind Baboon in the bubble didn't even make a sound before its eyes rolled back and it fainted completely. The bubble "popped" and shattered, and it fell softly to the ground, motionless.
Huo Yuhao bore the brunt of it. He felt a "buzz" in his mind, as if he had been struck hard by an invisible giant hammer. His vision went black, and the spirit power circulating in his body instantly stagnated.
The trembling from the depths of his Soul made his whole body cold, but he bit his lower lip hard, forcing himself not to collapse. Apart from shock, his eyes were filled with more defiance and vigilance. His experiences over the years had long taught him to keep a clear head under immense pressure.
Even Furina felt a strong sense of suffocation. Her heartbeat accelerated uncontrollably, and the spirit ring light beneath her feet flickered uncontrollably.
Mademoiselle Crabaletta, Surintendante Chevalmarin, and Gentilhomme Usher immediately entered a state of maximum alert, and powerful water element fluctuations surged violently around them, resisting this invisible pressure.
"Wha... what is this..." Huo Yuhao squeezed a few words out through his teeth, his face pale, but his spine remained straight.
Just then, a voice that sounded lazy, yet carried a peculiar magnetism (if one listened carefully, could one detect a hint of imperceptible weakness?), resounded directly in the depths of Furina and Huo Yuhao's minds without any obstruction, the tone full of irrepressible excitement and relief:
"Oh my goodness! I've finally waited for you, brother! A human with the Spirit attribute! And the flavor is so pure... What a talent! It almost got messed up by that ignorant little monkey!"
As the voice sounded, ten huge golden rings lit up in layers, one after another, the light soft yet carrying an incomparably noble aura.
Immediately after, a huge, plump, and round giant silkworm, white as jade and emitting a faint golden light, slowly crawled out from beneath the ground. Its huge, clear eyes focused intently on Huo Yuhao, who was struggling to remain standing.
"Little kid, don't be afraid! Brother is called Tianmeng Ice Silkworm! I'm here to give you a great fortune! Relax, yes, don't resist Brother's mental force..."
Seeing this classic scene from her memory, the heavy stone hanging in Furina's heart finally landed, and she was almost moved to tears: 'It's here, it's here! The legendary million-year Spirit Beast (even if the combat power is a bit inflated)! The protagonist's standard Golden Finger grandpa (even if it's a chatty baby silkworm)! It was worth getting up early for this trip!'
She quickly restrained the corners of her mouth that were almost uncontrollable, tried to put on an appearance of shock and forced composure, and interjected, her tone carrying just the right amount of caution and probing: "Hey! That... big worm over there! Where are you from? What do you want to do to Yuhao?"
Tianmeng Ice Silkworm's attention was mostly focused on Huo Yuhao, the "true child of destiny," and upon hearing this, it replied casually, with a bit of pride: "Don't interrupt, little girl. Brother is the unprecedented, one-and-only million-year Spirit Beast—Tianmeng Ice Silkworm! I've taken a fancy to this kid's excellent aptitude and want to become his intelligent spirit ring to help him become a god in the future!"
"Million-year? Are you bragging?" Furina deliberately curled her lips in disbelief, "When has there ever been a million-year cultivation Spirit Beast in the Star Dou Great Forest? Where did you pop out from?"
"Brother came all the way from the Extreme North Land! Million-year cultivation, genuine and authentic!" Tianmeng Ice Silkworm seemed a bit anxious to prove itself, "It's just... cough, cough, Brother's cultivation was mainly accumulated by sleeping and eating. As for actual combat... maybe not so good at it..."
It was quite honest, and in order to gain trust, it revealed some of its own background. "For these years, I've been wanting to find a Spirit-type Spirit Master. I actually found a Titled Douluo level one before, but unfortunately, Brother's power was too strong, and that person couldn't hold on and exploded to death. This time, I've learned a painful lesson and will apply multiple Seals to myself. In this way, with your current physique, it should be enough to bear it."
Huo Yuhao listened intently to the conversation between this person and the worm (?), his brain working at high speed. This opportunity sounded too astonishing, even a bit like a fantasy, but the incomprehensible phenomena and the majestic mental force pressure before his eyes could not be fake.
He subconsciously looked at Furina, his eyes filled with consultation and a trace of uncertainty. Furina nodded slightly at him, signaling him to make his own judgment, but what she conveyed in her eyes was clear encouragement—seize this opportunity!
Huo Yuhao took a deep breath, and the hesitation in his eyes was quickly replaced by determination. His desire for power and his persistence in changing his destiny outweighed all doubts.
He looked up and stared firmly at Tianmeng Ice Silkworm: "What do I need to do?" His voice was not loud, but unusually steady.
Tianmeng Ice Silkworm was overjoyed: "Good! Relax your spirit, do not have any thoughts of resistance!"
The following process was almost the same as the original work in Furina's memory: the vast golden light poured into Huo Yuhao's body like a tide. His body went limp, and he fainted, then was tightly wrapped by a huge light cocoon emitting golden-white light.
Furina signaled Mademoiselle Crabaletta and the others to strengthen the perimeter guard, while she found a clean place to sit and waited patiently.
I don't know how much time passed, but the light cocoon dissipated, and Huo Yuhao woke up slowly.
As soon as he opened his eyes, he excitedly shared his huge gains with Furina: he possessed a "million-year intelligent spirit ring" (outwardly disguised as a ten-year white spirit ring), his Spirit Eyes Martial Soul was greatly strengthened, and he obtained four powerful Soul Skills at once!
Furina was happy for him, while secretly thinking: 'First step done! Next, it should be that Necromancer from another world, Senior Electrolux, right?'
Sure enough, as if to confirm her guess, just as Huo Yuhao was excitedly planning to try out his newly acquired Soul Shock Soul Skill, and was focusing his mind to release it at a big tree in front of him—
The strange change happened again!
A tiny, inconspicuous gray air current, as if it had life, silently tore through space and appeared out of thin air! Its speed exceeded the limit of visual capture, like teleportation, giving no one time to react, and it went straight into the center of Huo Yuhao's forehead!
"Ugh!" Huo Yuhao only felt a cold, dead, Soul-freezing aura instantly invade his mind, let out a muffled groan, his body swayed, and he lost consciousness again, falling softly.
Furina was prepared for this, and quickly supported him to prevent him from having close contact with the ground, silently chanting in her heart:'Senior Electrolux has arrived! The protagonist's three-piece external cheat set is now fully installed!'
She could clearly sense that there were three forces of different natures slowly blending in Huo Yuhao's body: the mental force that belonged to Huo Yuhao himself, which was still immature but full of potential; the vast, gentle, ocean-like Origin power of Tianmeng Ice Silkworm; and the last gray energy, which, although weak, was of extremely high quality and full of death and destruction.
"Well, it seems we have to camp here today." Furina instructed the three members of the Salon Solitaire, "When this kid wakes up, his sea of spirit will truly be lively."
She could already foresee the wonderful expression on Huo Yuhao's face when he faced a chatty million-year baby silkworm and a mysterious ghost-type old man.