New concept of the mysterious way to ascend to immortality

Chapter 136 Heading to the Surface
After listening to Lu Yan's introduction to the Moon Worship Ceremony, Yuan Zhu also became somewhat interested in it.

Firstly, since arriving in this world, he has been wandering in the underground world and has never ventured to the surface to explore. Therefore, he is somewhat curious about the surface world and wants to see it.

Secondly, he was not only interested in the "Moon Worship", but his own "Primitive Mao's Worm" also had a need to be exposed to moonlight, so he had to send people to the dangerous surface.

That's why Lu Yan started plotting against her own lord.

The most suitable candidate would naturally be the highly capable Commander Zuo. He possesses extensive experience in long-distance travel and moon worship on the surface. He should lead a group of cannon fodder to the surface to worship the moon, helping the 'caterpillars' accelerate their metamorphosis and enter the silk-spinning stage.

Now that Commander Zuo is trapped in Chan City and under investigation, trying his best to clear his name, the most suitable candidate is naturally himself.

Unfortunately, he was afraid of death, lacked experience in long journeys, and had neither courage nor confidence.

So he pretended that he was busy with his own tasks and had to work hard to build the [Pastoral Village], and that he had to go to the front line to supervise the laying of the 'Insect Control Array' and couldn't get away. That's why he had no choice but to turn his attention to Yuan Zhu.

This boss seems reckless, brainless, and reckless, daring to directly attack [Cicada City]? And even escape unscathed. Since you're so brave, leading a team to the surface to bask in the moonlight should be a piece of cake, right?

After all, going to worship the moon was a crucial step in the other party's raising of the caterpillars. Yuan Zhu valued the 'caterpillars' above all else; even if the camp exploded or the Dream Hole collapsed, he would do everything in his power to ensure the 'caterpillars' grew smoothly.

...

"Our lord possesses extraordinary strength. If we can lead a team to escort you through the successful completion of the 'Moon Worship' and your return, both the strength of our camp members and the spirit insects we brought to the surface will experience a leap forward, significantly enhancing our foundation."

According to them, to become powerful in the underworld: the rich rely on elixirs to refine spiritual essence; nobles rely on unique bloodline inheritance, giving them an innate advantage; and the core seeds of the Technician Alliance not only possess great potential but also have secret cultivation manuals.

As for the poor? Aside from trying their luck with extraordinary talent, the mediocre can only go to the surface of the earth to worship the moon... exchanging risk for rapid improvement.

To descend from the underground safe zone to the surface, one must enter contaminated and forbidden areas. Upon reaching the dangerous surface, one will encounter various demonic attacks and be hunted by the Undead Knights. Finally, successfully surviving for six hours and receiving sufficient moonlight will result in a slight boost.

By repeating this process, sending kills once a month, one's strength can increase rapidly. This is the cheapest and lowest-barrier 'path to becoming a strongman'.

Of course, it cannot be ruled out that some people are born with extraordinary talent, have an endless supply of elixirs and advanced cultivation techniques, inherit bloodlines from both their father and mother, are exceptionally hardworking and ambitious, have powerful protectors by their side, and go to the Earth's surface every month to bask in the moonlight.

Well, there's no comparison. Even the most inspiring underdog story can't compare to this kind of cheat code. He deserves to be invincible underground.

"If Your Majesty wishes to develop [Pastoral Village] well, you will need many talented people. Why not select a group of promising individuals from among those orphans and send them to the surface of the earth to receive the moon's blessing?"

Yuan Zhu acknowledged the other party's statement and asked, "Will it start tomorrow?"

Lu Yan nodded: "Yes, although the actual full moon only lasts for one day, the effective full moon period for moon worship can last for more than three days. The environment on the surface world is harsh, and black storms occur frequently, each time they block out the sun. If you want to worship the moon, you can only wait for the right opportunity. Receiving moonlight during the full moon period is considered a success. If you can continue the ritual for several days, the effect will undoubtedly be better."

Yuan Zhu: "Alright. How many people will be sent to the surface to worship the moon every full moon in [Cicada City]? And how many spirit insects will they bring?"

"Residents of the lower city are led by experienced and capable leaders who carry ample supplies. Each team typically consists of around 10 people and is extremely safe. These teams are few in number and require a fee to join. In the middle city, people spontaneously form groups, mostly those who have reached a bottleneck in their abilities but possess some self-defense capabilities. They hire a guide to venture to the surface and try their luck. In the upper city, teams are usually formed by a 30-person lottery, with each team consisting of 30 people carrying a large number of spirit insects to the surface, resulting in the highest casualty rate. As for the spirit insects, naturally, the more the better."

"Arrange a guide for me. I'll select 20 people later. You prepare the necessary supplies. We'll set off tomorrow."

From the underground safe zone, crossing the root network to enter the surface, the straight-line distance is no more than 20km. With a map and a guide, regardless of the dangers along the way, it would take at least ten hours to reach the surface... more tiring than climbing Mount Everest. And this is for superhumans blessed with true qi; for ordinary people, they would have died of exhaustion long ago.

...

Lu Yan went to gather people to make preparations, while Yuan Zhu opened the [Shadow Dream Hole] server and retrieved the caterpillar's breeding data.

The results showed that both *Primula moustache* and *Yuanthella shadingensis* developed well and evolved into two distinct species:
The [Primitive Mao's Worms] successfully hatched after being nourished by True Qi. From a young age, they grew up feeding on native spiritual insects, enjoying the nourishment of 'True Qi' to cleanse their bodies of pollution and accelerate their development...

Therefore, this batch of 'caterpillars' exhibits a high degree of dependence on the True Qi system and has a tendency to assimilate and transform into spiritual insects.

Within a week, they rapidly expanded from the size of black ink dots made by a ballpoint pen tip to an average length of 3-4 cm. This incredible growth rate is the result of the indigenous people's dedication of 'true qi' to nurture and nourish them.

This is equivalent to a human cultivator gently and slowly injecting a whole day's worth of Qi-refining essence into the bodies of a dozen or so 'larvae'. Such an excessive amount of nutrients forces them to grow at a rate ten times faster.

The modern-day *Morpheus* is exceptionally beautiful, exhibiting a translucent sapphire-like texture and a shape highly similar to a silkworm. Its translucent, gem-like body reveals no internal organs, making it resemble a exquisitely beautiful crystal sculpture.

After consuming large quantities of the 'Kunlun System Plant Food' from the underground world, a filamentous network structure resembling leaf veins appeared inside their bodies, flowing with a crystalline light, making them even more beautiful.

The only flaw or problem is that they suddenly stop developing after growing to 3-4cm. It's as if they're frozen in this state, and no matter how much rarer food they're fed or how much true qi is transmitted through qi threads, they remain unmoved.

Shopkeeper Lu guessed that these 'alien insects' had begun to localize; however, due to their non-native species status, they were stuck in a critical period of transformation, and traditional Qi silk stimulation was no longer effective; they needed to use the [Moon Worship Ritual] to overcome this crucial step in order to spin silk and obtain the 'textile raw materials' that Yuan Zhu wanted.

Setting aside the 'gem silkworm' that resembled an art piece, he then looked at the 'Shadow Yuan Clan Worm' that the siblings had carefully tended to, which had been thoroughly permeated and eroded by the shadow pollution.

It wasn't the 'black crystal silkworm' I was expecting, but a 'spicy caterpillar' with extremely low aesthetic appeal, completely black and irritating to the eye, covered from head to tail with sharp thorns and poisonous hairs.

Yuan Zhu used the [Shadow Domain] to capture a 'Yuan Clan Insect' from the breeding room. After sensing the ancestral source of [Shadow Contamination], this thing excitedly moved towards him.

When the Yuan's worm got closer, he realized that this ugly thing no longer completely belonged to the category of 'living creatures'.

Even the most corrupted and bizarre demonic insects and mutated giant worms of the underworld are still standard insects, living beings. But the 'Shadow Worms' retain only half of their biological characteristics; the other side is gradually becoming shadowy. Their connection with the 'roots of the Immortal Tree' is weakening, and 'insect-type contamination' remains within them, while other parts are beginning to be replaced by shadow contamination. If they continue to be cultivated, they may very well burrow into the [Shadow Dimension], relying on the inner world created by the [Shadow Domain] to survive, break free of the roots, and evolve into new species.

This reminded him of the Shadow Eggplants that were growing rampantly in the [Little Red Realm], and those wild, semi-finished, pre-made monsters.

At this moment, Yuan Zhu cannot directly control this shadow worm, because it is not a cougar, and the two have not yet established a direct connection.

But through the bond of shadow pollution, they felt a strong sense of intimacy with each other. Or rather, as the superior source of pollution, he possessed a natural power to suppress his followers, even in human form.

He touched the ugly caterpillar with his fingernail, and it excitedly stood up halfway, twisting and turning happily, trying to climb onto his finger.

Snapped!
A faint holy light appeared, and with a flick of the finger, the severely wounded dark worm trembled all over its poisonous hairs, letting out a sharp scream through the resonance of its sharp, poisonous hairs.

Then, from around the spikes on its back, a large number of filamentous 'shadow threads' shot out, skillfully weaving together to form a black cocoon around its body, with a viscous, asphalt-like texture. It gave him a sense of déjà vu, like seeing the 'symbiote Venom'.

"This is……"

Little Spicy Strip quickly replied, "It's the threads sprayed out by the [Shadow Uniform]!"

Unfortunately, the 'thread-like asphalt' sprayed by the spittle did not remain in the air for long. After about ten seconds, the threads naturally decomposed and dissipated, leaving no trace of physical matter.

Meanwhile, the shadow worm, severely weakened and half-dead, lay there motionless. Only the poisonous hairs on its spikes trembled slightly, sensing the direction of the 'source of pollution,' yearning for a bite of something hot.

Yuan Zhu did not disappoint the 'Yuan Clan Caterpillar'. A 'shadow thread' separated from his uniform and connected to the worm, injecting a trace of pollution. The worm quickly became lively again and continued to crawl towards him.

"Pretty cute, huh?"

Little Spicy Stick nodded against her will and gave a perfunctory "Mmm-hmm!"

Even seasoned sycophants are so reluctant to agree, which shows just how ugly this 'dark spittle' is.
"The [Primitive Mao's Worm] eats local food, receives True Qi to transform its tendons and marrow, and has begun to localize, becoming a citizen of the Bubble World. It needs to [Worship the Moon] to spin silk and form a cocoon to continue growing; while the [Yuan's Worm] grew up being polluted by the shadows, is half-shadowed, and has become a citizen of the [Boss Template]. It has no connection with the locals and has even begun to spin silk?"

Yuan Zhu was pleasantly surprised by the growth progress of the 'Dark Stingray' and continued to flip through the 'breeding record', wondering, "Strange, why is there no record of 'Shadow Silk Spinning'?"

Spicy Strip quickly read through the siblings' "Feeding Log" and replied: "The hairy beetle has not shown any signs of spinning silk yet. It only eats and does not spin silk, but it does poop a kind of 'crystal sand' of unknown purpose. We'll collect it and ask [Hairy King] in the future if this stuff is valuable. Does [Hairy King] collect poop?"

"As for the [Yuan's Insect], although it can spray 'poisonous hair threads' through its stinger at a young age, it cannot be collected. Sister Xiaohai once tried it. The 'shadow threads' sprayed by the Yuan's Insect will slowly degrade naturally after leaving its body and eventually return to the shadows, making them impossible to collect. They are disposable products. They will catch fire in a short time after contact with air and lose their insect silk properties."

According to Xiaolatiao's analysis, although the former [Mao's worm] was affected by local pollution, it is still the worm of [Mao Mao Wang], containing the other party's pollution rules.

However, the latter, after being eroded by the [Data-Driven Shadow Pollution], has lost its connection and been taken over by the [Boss Template]. Its core rules have been completely covered and distorted by the 'shadow,' losing its original attributes. Therefore, even if it spits silk, it is not what the [Furry King] needs; a qualitative change has occurred.

"If the King of Mao Mao won't buy them, then it's pointless for me to raise more if I can't sell them."

Looking at the ugly Yuan family's foreign larvae, Yuan Zhu felt a bit disgusted, wondering whether he should continue to cultivate them? Perhaps the 'Shadow Cockroach Mickey Chicken Matrix' would be more promising?
Spicy Strips, however, said, "I suggest continuing to cultivate it. It won't cost much anyway, and Xiao Tang and her brother are the ones raising it. As for the reasons, I have two points: First, it's a direct descendant of [Mao Mao Wang], a testament to and crystallization of our [Boss Template]'s superiority over [Mao Mao Wang]. It might be useless at this stage, but if we continue to cultivate it and further steal and replicate [Mao Mao Wang]'s children's clothing technology, we might be able to create a unique shadow uniform belonging to [Tiger Demon]?"

"Secondly, the Dao Seeds in this world originate from insect eggs, and are 'exclusive insect eggs' of Heavenly Rank cultivators after their metamorphosis. So, can the 'Mao' insects we control develop in the direction of Dao Seeds or pseudo-Dao Seeds? If we continue to infuse them with Shadow Contamination, they will grow even stronger, and perhaps we can refine them into 'Insect-type. Changgui Wet Components'?"

...

Setting aside the two different types of caterpillars for the time being, Yuan Zhu seized the time to forge the seal and left the pass at the agreed time.

This time, he didn't take out the [Shadow Dream Hole] a second time and carry it with him.

Not only because the [Shadow Dream Hole] and the Law Domain have deeply merged, becoming the foundation of the [Inner World] and [Dreamland], from which they can no longer be separated; but also because the [Boss Template] has been greatly updated and improved, giving him the confidence to fight against the dangers on the surface with his own strength and lead his team to a safe retreat.

Soon, 20 camp members of varying ages, both excited and somewhat reserved, appeared in the central square of the camp, carrying packages full of spirit insects, waiting for Yuan Zhu's instructions.

The inspirational platitudes had already been given in the dream world. Every team member was full of passion, but facing the hellish terrain, they still felt a little apprehensive.

So Yuan Zhu summoned 20 newly bred 'Shadow Demon Insects' to provide full protection and stabilize morale with a powerful force.

Seeing the demonic insects whose size equaled their strength, the employees were even more excited. This was going to be a sure thing!

Afterwards, Yuan Zhu summoned a batch of free-roaming demonic insects from the camp. He then provided these insects to the employees who did not yet have their own 'battle pets,' and they were immediately bound to the pets.

Then, he took out a large number of bottled pills from the [Shadow Dream Hole] and distributed them without saying a word!

Giving out money, pills, equipment, mounts/battle pets on the spot... nothing is more inspiring than this.

Yuan Zhu: "Let's go!"

At a command, everyone mounted three-wheeled, three-wheeled demonic insects, covering their bodies with 'Shadow True Qi' and minimizing their presence. Then, guided by the guide, they entered a tunnel where 'polluted miasma' gradually thickened, heading towards the surface.

(End of this chapter)