New concept of the mysterious way to ascend to immortality

Chapter 141 Return
When I opened my eyes again, the shattered starry sky and moon above had vanished, replaced once more by a rust-red apocalyptic scene. Behind massive spatial rifts, different scenes of catastrophe could be glimpsed. Did they correspond to different 'apocalyptic worlds'?
At this moment, the remaining moonlight on the surface of the huge 'dead wood remains' had completely disappeared, returning it to its ordinary, lifeless state.

His men who had followed him to the surface hid back in the pre-dug tunnels, silently digesting the previous night's spoils.

After a brief review, Yuan Zhu found that all the [Mao's Insects] transported to the surface had completed the moon worship ceremony, and a large number of spirit insects had also completed their metamorphosis and accumulated the necessary resources.

Based on the assumption that the full moon period lasts for three days, last night's moonlight was the most abundant. If the weather remains clear tonight, without a black storm or a continuous night of iron-corroding rain, then we can still catch the tail end of the storm.

Therefore, he didn't plan to return early and decided to wait another night. He wanted these people to fully absorb the moonlight and accumulate their strength. To this end, he also specially took out a batch of 'insect-type pills' that he had robbed and distributed them to help them cultivate.

After completing all this, Yuan Zhu did not linger in the cave. Instead, he climbed back to the top of the dead tree, battling the harsh pollution environment while gazing into the distance at the realm.

Compared to yesterday, the [Holy Seal] he painstakingly forged brought quite a surprise.

Even before he had completed the condensation of the Soul Crystal, he could still use the constant amplification of the Sanctuary to transform the holy light within his body into a passive 'force field barrier' of limited strength, maintaining it on his body surface and spontaneously resisting all external pollution and erosion.

This situation is actually a benefit of the [Holy Light System].

...

[Holy Light] itself possesses extremely strong rejection properties. Once an ability user completes the [Imprint], their Holy Light quality (intensity) will reach the first-tier standard.

At this point, regardless of the [Holy Seal]'s attributes or abilities, it can enjoy low-level 'standby' life consumption and passively activate the 'Bathing in Holy Light' background program for an extended period.

As long as the 'pollution concentration' of the external environment does not exceed a certain threshold, the holy light that one is bathed in can maintain one's health for a long time, ensuring that the 'deviation degree (excluding holy light pollution)' will no longer increase, prolonging life, and making one more sensitive to external pollution/malice.

Can you instantly determine if an area is contaminated? Are there any monsters lurking among the people? Then, decisively strike to subdue them (harvest the ashes), maintain order in the world, and promote the [Path of Holy Light]!
Before the [Law System] grew in power, the [Sanctuary] had long played the role of upholding justice in the western world of the continent and on the eastern coast of the New World.

It relies on this highly cost-effective 'passive effect'.

Of course. Life still needs to be sacrificed. Holy Light remains a one-time consumable.

However! The attrition rate has been reduced by the [Holy Seal], making it extremely cost-effective. It focuses on 'health maintenance + early warning', and any cultivator with a 1st seal can afford it.

Yuan Zhu's [Shelter] is inherently a 'space-based defensive shell (fortress)', which automatically upgrades his 'passive benefits'. With just a small amount of life force, he can gain a 'passive energy field' that can withstand the complex pollution on the surface of the earth next year.

"Although the Holy Light system has a major bug that can kill you, its overall performance is still very strong."

At this moment, Yuan Zhu, merely sitting atop the withered tree, was as solid as a rock, unafraid of the miasma and iron poison in the air. Even as the Holy Light Field was resisting external pollution, it continuously absorbed trace amounts of 'ash', transporting them into the [Holy Seal] to be refined into nutrients, feeding the soul to condense the [Soul Crystal].

The personal assistant spoke up: "Boss, I've calculated it using the [Soul Program Permission] you've granted. The [Soul Crystal] doesn't require much material; it only needs the ashes of 12 'Demonized Giant Insects' to condense smoothly. There are no difficulties or hurdles along the way. The only thing to pay attention to is the soul information entered into the [Soul Crystal]."

"Oh? Tell me more."

Spicy Strips: "【Soul Crystal】is a transcendent seed of the Holy Light system. Once condensed, it can reach the level of 【Seed】. Compared with the 【Seed】 of other systems, Soul Crystal is particularly solid, and is a solidified crystal of the soul. In addition to 'storing the power of Holy Light' and the 'storage function' unique to 【Sanctuary】, it is also a container or hard drive for soul information."

"During the process of condensing the [Soul Crystal], it will record your understanding and knowledge of the Holy Light, record all the application data of the [Holy Cough, Breathing Technique], record and preserve your worldview, thought patterns, important knowledge reserves, and even memories... like a 'soul backup'. Once the [Soul Crystal] is condensed, it is indestructible and difficult to destroy. Even if you suffer illusion attacks or memory tampering in the future... this [Soul Crystal] will still be unshakable, becoming a kind of anchor point to readjust your thinking."

"Therefore, cultivators of the 'Holy Light System' possess exceptionally strong souls and incredibly resilient mental will, but they are also stubborn and inflexible. This is closely related to the data stored in the [Soul Crystal]. People's thoughts may change, but the [Soul Crystal] remains fixed in your initial state, constantly correcting and influencing your thoughts."

"Under the influence of the [Soul Crystal], your values ​​and way of thinking will be fixed, making it difficult for you to accept disruptive knowledge in the future. As a result, you will gradually become a conservative and exceptionally stubborn person. Even if you have a profound epiphany one day and decide to reforge the Soul Crystal and modify your soul data, the [Soul Crystal] will still resist stubbornly because your 'fixed soul' is unsure of your current state of mind, whether it has been interfered with or controlled by the outside world, whether this action is from your heart, or whether it has been hijacked and is actively tampering with the underlying fixed logic?"

Spicy Strips concluded: "Therefore, the soul data entry for the first [Soul Crystal] is extremely important, as it will have a long-term impact on your future life trajectory. This—is [Destiny]! You are shaping your own future destiny with your own hands."

Yuan Zhu sighed, "This [Holy Light System] is truly bizarre! From the very beginning, my Holy Light has been influenced and corrupted by the [Immortal Scripture], freeing me from all sorts of hidden pitfalls. For others, from the moment they begin to imprint the [Holy Mark], they will be influenced by different schools of 'Higher Archangels and Angel Kings'. Then comes the hidden information within the [Holy Seal], which will eventually be packaged together with their values, cognition, and self-awareness and engraved into the [Soul Crystal]. Wouldn't they then become absolute devotees of some 'Angel King' and find it difficult to extricate themselves?"

Spicy Strips: "Congratulations, Boss, on returning to the source, breaking through illusions and returning to truth. You've transcended the Three Realms and returned to your innate state! Oh, and I have another piece of good news. For traditional Holy Light cultivators, the Soul Crystal will become their source of transcendence, their absolute foundation, and the cornerstone of their soul, making it of paramount importance. But you are different. The Holy Light System is merely the core of the Great Wilderness Immortal Scripture. Human Client. Above it are the Boss Templates and the most deeply hidden Great Wilderness Old Deng."

"Therefore, modifying the [Soul Crystal] and resetting the soul information in the future will not be difficult for you. However, it is still a super soul backup recognized by the [Immortal Scripture], and it deserves your attention. With it, you can resist most mental pollution, thought distortion, and soul impact... enhance your will and soul resilience, and improve your mental defense strength."

"Furthermore, according to the intelligence I've gathered, high-level cultivators of the Holy Light system generally possess the ability to 'resurrect.' Whether with the help of teammates or through their own strength, they can rise from the dead more easily than those of other systems. This may be closely related to the [Soul Crystal]! I believe this thing is highly similar to the Lich's [Life Box]."

"However, the capacity of your first [Soul Crystal] is destined to be limited. Please inscribe some important core data. For example: I am your most loyal, most reliable, and most trustworthy soul steward. I will live and die with you, depend on you for survival, and know all your secrets. When you are in a state of soul incompleteness, will turmoil, or memory loss, please be sure to contact me immediately and trust me unconditionally! I am your most loyal and most important soulmate."

Yuan Zhu nodded vigorously: "Very good! Thank you for reminding me, I will definitely record this in reverse and deep into the [Soul Crystal]!"

"No! — Lao Da!"

……

After mastering the forging process, the [Holy Seal. Sanctuary] became a highly efficient furnace for absorbing and refining ashes, greatly increasing his cultivation speed.

Thus, Yuan Zhu immersed himself in a focused state of hunting wild, demonized giant insects and refining them. He was also fortunate; he didn't encounter any storms or poisonous rain during the day, nor did he run into the knightly orders ravaging the surface.

As night fell again, his team held another moon-worshiping ceremony, quickly depleting their ritual resources. Meanwhile, he continued patrolling the perimeter, switching between his [Tiger Demon] and [Holy Light] powers, either driving away or refining the demonic insects attracted by the moonlight to aid his cultivation.

The full moon period officially ended after the stars disappeared again. As the guide said, the sky next night would be replaced by the 'apocalyptic scenes' behind other cracks, entering a long period of thunderstorms and storms... until the brief full moon period next month.

At this point, Yuan Zhu faced two choices: continue escorting the team back to the underworld, continue the endless 'territory building', or return to [Happy Home] with the 'Crystal Cocoons' he had already collected to submit his mission?
After some thought, he chose the latter.

His territory is now largely established, and he has plundered a large amount of resources, enough to support its initial development. He also completed the planning for the territory's construction early on and distributed the tasks accordingly.

Sister Xiaohai, Shopkeeper Lu, and Commander Zuo all assigned numerous tasks. The most crucial element, the [Mao's Worm], successfully completed its cocooning and metamorphosis. He took half with him this time, leaving the rest to continue breeding and hatching; all that's needed is time. Furthermore, and most importantly, his path to Holy Light has entered a new phase. The [Holy Seal] has been forged, and the [Soul Crystal] is just around the corner. And now, he already possesses the qualifications to activate the [Triple Power] and concurrently serve as the [Anti-Law].

Then... who would stay here and try to manage their territory?
He didn't trust either Lu Yan or Zuo Fan. The girl was only a reluctant choice made out of desperation.

Even if she truly lives up to expectations and rises to prominence, able to contend with two seasoned veterans with the wisdom of a 12-year-old and the physique of an 8-year-old, that little girl will still be untrustworthy.

So we should hurry back to the basics and get the [Anti-Law] up and running. Then we can use our entire [Shadow Law Domain] to lend money; that's the right way to run a business.

Having made his decision, he transformed into a tiger demon and subjected his subordinates' 'bound (shadow) demonic insects' to another round of contamination and strengthening. He also provided them with plenty of pills. Combined with the 'minor improvement' he had gained from the past two nights of cultivation, returning to [Pastoral Village] should be no problem.

He then added, "I have a map here that records the dangers and forbidden zones you will encounter on your way to the surface. Be careful to avoid them on your return journey. If you find yourself in a deadly situation, you can release a 'Shadow Demon Insect' and activate the 'hidden backup plan' I left inside them."

"Remember, before detonating the demonic insects, be sure to find a sufficiently safe shelter and wear a 'filter mask' beforehand. Those who have chosen the [Holy Cough Breathing Technique] can ignore the air pollution after the explosion; while those who practice the [Shadow Breathing Technique] should never easily remove their masks."

After giving him some pointers, Yuan Zhu handed a [Shadow Memory Strip] to the guide. He instructed the guide to return to camp and give the item to either Lu Yan or the Little Girl, then insert it into the [Shadow Dream Hole].

This memory stick contains Yuan Zhu's plans for the camp's future, his expectations for everyone, the allocation of permissions for the remaining Insect Pillar Hubs, the key to unlock the inner world's elixir vault, the potential future 'captain', and the daily commercial sacrifices and worship of the 'Fur King'.

After giving his final instructions, Yuan Zhu waved goodbye to his subordinates. Watching them return the way they came and disappear into the vast Gobi Desert, he didn't rush back to [Happy Home], but instead activated [Shelter] and began wandering the surface world.

He had little interest in this desolate and barren world, and had no intention of traveling. He just wanted to try his luck and see if he could witness the 'Apocalyptic Calamity: Undead Knights' who brought about the end of the world.

He personally experienced the Kunlun system's 'root network, miasma/spiritual energy, immortal tree remains, human-immortal zombies...' and he even managed to incorporate and refine the insect system's 'Dao seed, true qi, cultivation techniques' and demonic insects.

Now, only one last source of contamination remains, one that the resurrected 'Calamity Knight' will never see. He's about to return to [Happy Home]. Having a way out makes him so arrogant; he even wants to confront the 'strongest calamity' that has terrified the underground insect city for centuries—just how powerful is it?

Once the Sanctuary was completed, the potential of the Holy Seal was fully unleashed.

Different types of [Holy Seals] have different functions, and his [Sanctuary] can extend in three directions:
When used as a simple 'ability', it can project a 'holy light field' to enhance spatial properties; or it can construct a closed barrier cube.

If used as a 'weapon', his 'sanctuary' can be directly materialized to construct a small fortress (temple) to protect others, or it can be shrunk and attached to himself, or even used as a weapon to 'smash people'.

Finally, the [Shelter] can be used as a 'building', transforming into a temple/totem/signal transmitter that covers teammates and civilians in a small area, providing abilities such as Holy Light Blessing, enhancement, and healing.

Therefore, he wanted to experience what it was like to be part of the 'Knights of the Scourge' who were wearing the [Sanctuary] and charging head-on into battle against the legion.

After wandering aimlessly in the wilderness for two days, he successfully discovered a knightly order dressed in tattered black iron armor and riding 'metal-sanctified (insect-like) motorcycles', wandering around without a destination.

The team was not large, consisting of only 30 or so severely weathered mummified knights, whose shriveled internal organs and bones were exposed inside their broken knight armor.

Even when the two sides were far apart, the patrol team, responsible for hunting prey, sensed the presence of the 'living one'; before Yuan Zhu could detect it in advance, they rode their 'insect motorcycles,' which were also inanimate objects, and surrounded him as prey.

On the other side, Yuan Zhu, belatedly realizing he was being targeted, did not back down. Instead, he pulled out a ram's horn hammer from his back waist, rode a demonized giant insect, cast the [Sanctuary] spell on himself, and charged straight at the enemy.

……

20 minute later.

Looking disheveled, with a wound on his face, several scars on his body, and two broken ribs, Yuan Zhu appeared in the lobby of [Happy Home], panting heavily.

His expression showed both resentment at being ganged up on and excitement at having succeeded.

"Hey! Young Master Yuan, why are you in such a sorry state?"

A familiar voice came from behind him. Meng Xiyue was sitting in a chair with her legs crossed, holding a drink in her hand, and looking at him with a smile.

Mechanical Maid #3 then jumped out, looking at him with concern: "Young Master Yuan, would you like me to provide medical and cleaning services?"

"No need, these are just minor injuries, nothing serious."

Yuan Zhu stubbornly replied, then controlled the [Holy Mark] to squeeze out the nearly depleted holy light within his body, smearing one hand on his face to feel his wounds healing rapidly. He then pressed it on his ribs and the wounds on his body, trying to heal all his injuries before the holy light ran out.

At this moment, he also saw the lineup in the hall clearly: the investigator, Meng Xiyue, number 3, and the captain were all there, but the black butcher was nowhere to be seen. Had he been killed in action?

He looked at the captain and asked curiously, "Why are you all here? Did everyone choose to return at the same time?"

The captain shook his head: "No, that's not it. I slightly adjusted your return time so that you could all return to [Happy Home] at the same time."

"What about Huotu Gong? Is he dead?"

Meng Xiyue quickly answered, "That big, fat, dark-skinned guy looked even worse than you. I asked him about his experiences, but he refused to talk and just returned to his spirit form."

"Oh!" Yuan Zhu nodded, then looked at his two teammates: "How's your mission going?"

Meng Xiyue patted the package next to her, which was bulging with spheres: "A great experience."

Zhou Chu frowned, dissatisfied with his performance: "Not bad."

(End of this chapter)