New concept of the mysterious way to ascend to immortality

Chapter 135 The Crown Prince Oversees the State, Moon Worship Ceremony

Within the [Law Domain], Yuan Zhu and Xiao Latiao discussed and listed out the research tasks, which were then compiled into a [Work Memo].

Then, by fully installing the 'Data-Driven Soul Program' on the [Shadow Domain - Internal Dream LAN], he sent it to the little girl with a single click. Only then did he gently clap his hands in front of his chest, satisfied.

...

"Ding-dong! You have a new task, please accept it."

Meanwhile, the little girl had just received her own [Holy Cough Firefly] and was excitedly studying how to use it with her younger brother.

Using her own Qi threads, she successfully bound herself to the Holy Light Firefly and urged the firefly to create Holy Cough Particles to accelerate her breathing technique practice.

Before the process even began, I received a new 'work notification'.

The younger brother perked up, straightened his back, and reminded his sister, who was engrossed in her 'pet fireflies,' "Sister, the teacher sent another message. Hurry up and accept it."

Ever since they latched onto Yuan Zhu's coattails, the siblings have been living a life of happiness they never dared to dream of before. Following Yuan Zhu, they eat nine meals a day!

No more worrying about going hungry or risking your life to search for food in forbidden zones. You have an inexhaustible supply of pure spiritual energy for cultivation, safe shelter, elixirs for practice, advanced techniques, guidance from powerful figures, and the [Holy Cough Blessing] to purify your body of impurities…

All she needed to do was manage orphans in the same situation as herself and lead them in the simplest 'insect breeding'. She also had the knowledge and learning she craved, diligently absorbing knowledge in her 'dreams' and applying it upon waking to complete one experiment after another that greatly interested her.

This fulfilling and happy life felt like a dream. She didn't want to wake up; she was just too happy and joyful.

As for the claim that "the evil Yuan Zhu exploited and enslaved child laborers? He oppressed children? Making them work more than 14 hours a day!" if the older sister heard this, she would definitely arrange for her younger brother to beat the rumor-monger to death!
There was absolutely no exploitation! No oppression! No pain whatsoever. She loved these blissful days so much, it was like being in a dark paradise (the realm of shadows), and she wished she could stay in this blissful state forever.

At this moment, she received a new 'task prompt', and felt only the satisfaction of being needed. Then, full of energy, she clicked on the instructions.

Immediately afterwards, the girl was struck dumb, standing there stunned.

The [Holy Light Four Heavenly Kings Comprehensive Plan], a list crammed full of experimental categories, suddenly exploded before her eyes. Before she could finish reading it with difficulty, the list began to refresh rapidly, with one [All Categories - Shadow Spirit Insect] plan after another starting to appear.

She could recognize each of the newly learned characters. But when they were put together, she could only understand them through the synchronized thinking of the [Data-Driven Soul Program].

Until she saw the end of the [Task List]: Yuan Zhu had appointed her as [Crown Prince Regent]!
Effective immediately, I will serve as the acting head of the [Bioscience Research and Development Department], the first-generation deputy village chief of [Pastoral Village], the executor of the [Cockroach Village Completion Plan], and concurrently the head of the Root Department.

She is fully responsible for all experimental projects within the village, and all resources within the [Law Domain] are unconditionally directed towards her. At the same time, she is granted special permission by the imperial authority to form an exclusive, secret Holy Light Force to monitor Commander Zuo and Shopkeeper Lu.

This was also because Yuan Zhu was new to the area and lacked capable and trustworthy people at his disposal. He had no choice but to choose the best among the worst, so he immediately thought of the clever and bright-eyed girl who seemed to have great potential.

...

At that moment, the older sister was stunned, bewildered, and confused. After a full 50 seconds of lapse in concentration, she slowly came to her senses, pointed to herself with a trembling finger, looked up at her 1.7-meter-tall younger brother, and said in disbelief:

"Me? Completed all the tasks?"

She was a 12-year-old girl from the Upper City District, less than 1.2 meters tall, who was only just beginning to develop at the age of 12. How could she have to shoulder so many 'experimental tasks'? She was also responsible for completing the [Cockroach Matrix] and secretly monitoring and fighting against a seasoned Earth-rank veteran and a half-step Heaven-rank big shot?

At this moment, although she had never read "Journey to the West," the little girl already felt a deep empathy for Benbo Ba, who was tasked by the Nine-Headed Serpent with eliminating Tang Sanzang and his disciples in the Jade Pool.

"Sister, what's wrong with you?"

Seeing his sister's manic behavior—crying and laughing intermittently, her facial expressions changing wildly, her emotions fluctuating wildly—the younger brother was a little scared, fearing that something might have happened to his sister, so he asked her with concern.

The little girl took a deep breath and quickly calmed herself down. In her heart, she silently accepted this extreme challenge, which was no less than the 'annihilation of the pilgrimage team'.

Then, the older sister, who was a devoted mother to her younger brother, looked at her younger brother, whom she cared about most, loved most, and on whom she had placed high hopes, and whom she had raised single-handedly.

The thought of her younger brother's exceptional talent for cultivation made her eyes light up, and she instantly became possessed by the Nine-Headed Insect: "Brother..." You won't escape either!
Now that Benbo Ba is here, how far away can Babo Ben be? It's decided then, why don't you join us too!
Five minutes later, after listening to his older sister recount a massive list of tasks and a series of impressive-sounding titles, the younger brother's face showed the same shock, bewilderment, and confusion. He remained stunned for a full 30 seconds before finally snapping out of it, trembling as he pointed a finger at himself, saying incredulously:
"Me? Complete these tasks?"

...

Seeing that the siblings, under immense pressure, not only did not suffer a mental breakdown or give up in despair, but instead burst forth with unprecedented enthusiasm for learning, they accelerated time and went overclocked their minds in the [Cockroach Village], studying day and night in a self-destructive manner, greedily absorbing all kinds of 'insect cultivation knowledge', just like two graduates who were burning everything to pass the civil service exam.

Yuan Zhu smiled with satisfaction.

Children aged 8-12 have enormous potential, incredible plasticity, and outstanding resilience. It's the golden age for brain development and the best time to shape a scientific worldview. It's the perfect age for them to venture out and explore the world.

"They are my hidden dragon and phoenix chicks! Trusted confidants must be cultivated from childhood."

Spicy Strips: "Congratulations, Your Majesty! Congratulations on the birth of your perfect pair!"

After shifting the pressure and responsibility to the two siblings, Yuan Zhu felt an unprecedented sense of relief and continued to devote himself to the Holy Light Cultivation, continuing to [forge seals].

...

A day later, a message requesting an audience interrupted his secluded cultivation.

"Boss, Lu Yan, the camp's chief steward, has come to see you. He says he has something important to report. Should we see him?"

Yuan Zhu stopped cultivating and first used the [Shadow Dream Hole] to sense the changes within the [Shadow Domain]. He was satisfied with the speed at which the camp was being built and did not find any obvious problems.

He then said, "Let's meet then." He then opened the entrance to the [Inner World] and let Lu Yan, who looked curious, in.

When Shopkeeper Lu first arrived in the [World in the Shadows], he felt as if he had been cut off from the underground world, the root network, and the omnipresent spiritual energy in the air. He entered another unfamiliar 'space' and could no longer perceive anything familiar, only a faint 'shadow power' remained.

He was unclear about the situation, and his wariness and 'loyalty' towards Yuan Zhu grew even stronger.

This mysterious 'extraterrestrial visitor' not only created a movable 'dream hole' and a 'shadow domain' without relying on magic arrays, but also created a mysterious 'dream world', and now it has created a 'shadow world' right under its nose.

Not long ago, they launched a direct attack on [Cicada City], not only looting the warehouses in the central district but also committing a shocking robbery in the lower district, calmly retreating from the siege of three Heavenly Rank experts. Their strength is unfathomable, and their wealth is comparable to that of a nation.

He still doesn't know how many pills this new boss stole from [Cicada City], or how many loyal followers he can secretly cultivate with this resource. He's craving some!

Shopkeeper Lu's mind raced: he had to demonstrate sufficient loyalty and value, then ruthlessly exploit him to make him generate gold coins for him!
"What brings you to me? If you have something to say, report it; otherwise, leave and do not disturb my cultivation."

After absorbing a large amount of the ashes of the Shadow Insects, his [Sanctuary. Holy Seal] gradually reached its full potential, almost filling the 7th level, while simultaneously developing a second skill. This new ability seems to be influenced by [Holy Cough], and there appears to be some connection between the two?

This aroused his curiosity and anticipation, so he seized every opportunity to cultivate and forge seals, having no time to waste.

Shopkeeper Lu dared not delay and quickly replied, "My lord! Starting tomorrow, the surface world will enter a very special [Full Moon Period]. All insect-type life forms (spirit insects, demon insects), including Qi Refining cultivators who have fused with Dao Seeds... will experience the urge to 'worship the moon' during the [Full Moon Period]. Each insect city will organize people to go to the surface during this time to receive moonlight and perform moon worship ceremonies."

"A moon-worship ceremony?"

He recalled hearing about it from the siblings when he first arrived. Apparently, during the last full moon, a 'black storm' swept across the surface world, causing the ritual to fail.

If he hadn't appeared out of nowhere and disrupted the siblings' fates, then the younger brother would have participated in this 'Surface Ceremony'.

Yuan Zhu: "Explain in detail, what is the purpose of this 'moon worship'?"

Lu Yan: "The Moon Worship Ceremony itself can greatly enhance the spiritual essence contained in the 'Spirit Insect,' which is a necessary step to accelerate its transformation into maturity. In addition, if a Qi Refiner can bathe in moonlight, he can also greatly enhance his own 'spiritual essence' and promote his realm advancement. Furthermore, the underground world also has a legend that the 'moon' contains the ultimate secret of 'Ascension to Immortality.'"

Yuan Zhu has now figured out that the so-called [Insect-type Spiritual Essence] is the essence of insect-type pollution, similar to the Holy Light system, where soul ash is used to forge an imprint, and then the [Holy Seal] is used to absorb the ash and melt it into a soul crystal.

Insect-type spiritual essence typically exists within cultivators and spirit insects. The spiritual essence within a cultivator's body is the essence composed of 'essence, qi, and spirit,' refined into threads by the Dao seed. As these spiritual essences accumulate, they form spiritual consciousness (Earth Rank), eventually transforming into primordial spirit (Heaven Rank).

Indigenous people obtain 'spiritual essence' in two ways: 1. They can obtain it by refining and consuming elixirs, which is the safest method. 2. They can consume food containing pollutants, refine it with true qi, extract trace amounts of spiritual essence, and integrate it into their soul.

The most common method is to raise spirit insects and bind them to the master through Qi threads. The process of raising insects is equivalent to an alternative form of alchemy, using 'Qi threads' to obtain information and spiritual essence from the insects and improve one's own Qi threads.

Every day, Sister Kid consumes 1/3 of her True Qi to remove pollution from her body and suppress demonic mutations; she also consumes 1/3 of her True Qi to nourish the [Dao Seed] and stimulate the development and growth of her meridian tissues; and finally, she wastes the last 1/3 of her True Qi on spirit insects to feed them and make them produce valuable 'materials' for the ultimate harvest.

Consuming so much true qi serves two purposes: it accelerates the growth and development of the spirit insects, cleanses and eliminates their contamination, and also nourishes and enhances the 'spiritual essence' within them.

Approximately every 12 mature spirit insects provide enough spiritual energy to condense a perfect 'Qi thread' and allow a meridian to develop fully.

In other words, a low-level cultivator in Insect City only needs to raise 12 batches (12 insects per batch) of spirit insects to complete the initial accumulation, achieve perfection in the Human Rank, Meridian Rank, and Qi Thread Rank, and break through to the Earth Rank.

Normally, it takes a year for a batch of spirit insects to grow from hatching to maturity. After 12 years of arduous cultivation, one can reach the Earth Rank. However, if one frequently dives to the surface during this period to perform the [Moon Worship Ritual], one can accelerate both oneself and the spirit insects, shortening the growth time.

If one were to continuously engage in reckless acts on the surface every month, a batch of spirit insects could mature in just six months. This would shorten the 12 years of arduous cultivation to 6 years, or even 5 years, allowing for a breakthrough.

Therefore, during the "Full Moon Period," each major insect city will arrange for a large number of lower-level creatures to go to the surface with a large number of "spirit insects" to die. As long as the ritual is successfully completed, the growth and development of the spirit insects can be greatly accelerated, a large amount of "spiritual essence" can be harvested, and insect resources can be produced for alchemy.

...

Yuan Zhu: "Does the Moon contain the ultimate secret of Ascension? Isn't Ascension the same as the Dream Hole?"

Lu Yan: "My lord, you may not know this, but in the underworld, there are two different kinds of [Ascension to Immortality]."

In Lu Yan's explanation, the first type is naturally the [Dream Hole]. A Heavenly Rank Supreme expert breaks through the void and enters the [Nightmare Layer], seeking a way out to other 'bubble worlds', which can be considered ascension without any problem.

Furthermore, each insect city has several 'Dream Hole Powerhouses' whose primordial spirits leave their bodies and enter nightmares to explore other worlds. This is already a recognized 'method of ascension,' and in different eras, cultivators have claimed to have 'successfully ascended,' but no one has ever returned from the upper realm to take others with them.

Therefore, some people believe that ascension through the [Dream Hole] is a dead end with no return. Thus, a second kind of desire for 'ascension to immortality' arose.

This second type of ascension naturally refers to the outer space corresponding to the moon.

Now, with some experience, Yuan Zhu has figured out that, with the planet Duling as the boundary: the Nightmare Foam Layer is an infinite void collapsing into the inner universe; while the Sea of ​​Consciousness, represented by the moon, is the outer universe after spiritual ascension.

The outer universe can be simply understood as 'outer space'.

Of course, the [Moon. Consciousness Sea] has nothing to do with space; it is just that in terms of spatial structure, it is an external world similar to the planet Duling.

The second type of ascension to immortality, which is presumably achieved through a "moon worship ceremony," involves receiving moonlight and connecting one's "primordial spirit" with the "sea of ​​consciousness" nurtured by the moon to receive some kind of guidance.

Finally, they break through the 'external barrier' of this shattered bubble world, enter the 'bubble layer', and then seek a way to escape to the 'astral plane'.

After all, the Tomato Clan of the Little Red Realm is a group of infected people who escaped from the Astral Rift (outer universe) into the Foam Layer (inner universe).

Therefore, the local legend may not be mere conjecture, but rather has a slim chance of success. However, the difficulty is no less than that of the first type of shattering.

(End of this chapter)