New concept of the mysterious way to ascend to immortality

Chapter 167 Infusion of Active Knowledge, The Great Method of Longevity and Body Refinement
Three hours had passed without them realizing it when the sound of brakes suddenly rang out. The bus, which had been traveling at a steady speed, came to a sudden stop, creating a noticeable braking inertia that jolted the dazed passengers awake.

Just then, the driver's voice rang out from inside the vehicle: "We have arrived at the first rest stop. Passengers who need to use the restroom can get off to replenish their food or motion sickness medication. We will depart in 15 minutes."

When the bus stopped for the first time, Yuan Zhu, who had been sitting for a long time, felt uncomfortable and decided to get off the bus to move around.

After getting up, he found that about a quarter of the passengers in the vehicle were in poor condition. Ten of them had chosen to tie themselves up, their faces pale and lips white.

"Tsk, these are 10 people who are obviously rare talents. They have a very high affinity with certain 'polluting energies' and are the kind of people worth cultivating. Boss, do you think this kind of bus might also have a hidden mission of screening talent?"

"I don't know."

Yuan Zhu didn't linger, but instead disembarked with some of the passengers and headed to a safe location. Upon exiting the vehicle, they didn't see the mist-shrouded mountains; instead, they entered a huge 'cave space'.

This is a long, narrow cavern that has been transformed into a pedestrian shopping street. A two-way road runs through the middle, flanked by retro-style buildings. Every shop is brightly lit, and streetlights illuminate both sides of the street. Long-distance buses and trucks are parked not far away.

At this time, a large number of passengers with pale faces were already queuing in the shopping street to use the restroom, buy food and drinks, or purchase motion sickness medication with a 'sedative' effect from some pharmacies.

Yuan Zhu strolled around curiously and found this finitely long commercial street in the cave to be quite unusual. The entire space was pitch black, illuminated only by artificial lights, and there wasn't a trace of mist. Every ten meters along the roadside, there were bonfires lit, radiating a warm power to dispel any discomfort.

"It feels a bit familiar, what's going on?" Yuan Zhu looked around, trying to find the source of that familiarity.

The little spicy strip shared its senses and compared for a long time before belatedly realizing, "It's the darkness beyond the light and campfire illumination. This dark area in the hollow of the mountain has a faint 'aura of the underworld,' which is the mutated [underworld energy], hence the familiar feeling."

Upon hearing this, Yuan Zhu looked again at the shopkeepers and owners who were trading with the passengers in the shops. They were all dressed in black, with expressionless faces and stiff features, looking lifeless and indeed somewhat like dead people.

After wandering around the safe spot for more than 10 minutes without buying any medicine or food, he followed the passengers back to his bus to prepare for departure.

As the vehicle started and slowly drove out of the other end of the tunnel, it entered the foggy area again.

This time, the external psychological influence was even more severe. Many passengers near the windows fell into a state of hallucination, occasionally letting out a strange cry, or crying out in despair.

In severe cases, they started pulling on their seatbelts and shouting, "It's not safe in the car! All the silent passengers have been replaced by 'creepy things'! Everyone, run away!"

Some people were banging their heads against the glass, crying out, "Let her in! Let her in! Don't separate us! Let me out! I want to be with her forever!"

Some people chose to fall ill, while others persevered. Many passengers who got off the train early to buy and take their medication endured the pressure from their seatmates, silently enduring the discomfort and remaining undisturbed by external influences.

Fortunately, the farce didn't last long. The steady, muscular female flight attendant stood up, inspected the carriages step by step, and wielded a peeled willow branch softened by the medicine to beat the passengers who were having an episode of mental pollution, forcibly inserting them into a silencing device to maintain the stability of the journey.

Yuan Zhu, who was pressed against the window, was also constantly harassed by the outside world. Even though he repeatedly used [Holy Light] to scare away, dispel, and deeply harm the 'mist' outside.

But because the vehicle was constantly moving through the 'Misty Mountains,' passing through one different mist after another, the mental harassment was always persistent, coming one wave after another.

Moreover, as the vehicle entered the second stage, the intensity of the mental pollution increased even further. The external interference he heard was no longer the painful and desperate wails and screams, curses and shouts, beautiful and mesmerizing songs, or the cries and pleas for help from relatives and friends...

When the bus started up again and drove through the dull fog for another half hour, he finally heard something 'interesting'.

The 'voice' emanating from the mist suddenly became intelligent, its logic becoming clear and organized. The voice ceased interacting and no longer sought to influence his will; instead, it began reciting a jumble of incoherent information.

At first glance, it sounded like some disjointed scripture. Then the content shifted, and it began to impart some incomplete sacrificial knowledge. Because it was so incomplete, these 'sacrificial rituals' were completely unusable, incoherent, yet somehow somehow valuable? It was quite unsettling.

Soon, the voice began to recount other knowledge. The content was no longer about sacrifice, but involved some kind of 'supernatural ritual'. It was still fragmented information, but easy to understand, and he quickly realized that it was a 'ritual' that even mortals could use.

Yuan Zhu's eyes lit up immediately. This was 'extraordinary knowledge' that he had never encountered before, and that was free, cost-free, and without any consequences! Even though he knew there were hidden traps in it, he just couldn't stop listening and became more and more engrossed.

As a result, the more he was in this state, the more actively he listened to and absorbed the knowledge coming from the "mist." The faster the sound he heard in his mind and the faster the knowledge injected into his mind by the mental pollution became.

As a result, in a short time, a fragmented piece of knowledge was injected into his brain, and then the 'voice' immediately changed its content, teaching new junk knowledge.

The more unfamiliar knowledge he acquires, the more fragmented and disconnected it becomes. It gives him the feeling that in this fog, thousands of souls have died and been torn into countless pieces.

Each segment contains a fraction of knowledge, one-thousandth of it. He is now being randomly fed fragment after fragment, like searching for a needle in a haystack.

While it may seem like one has broadened their horizons, their mental "memory" is actually filled with a massive amount of junk data, resulting in not only a lack of valuable knowledge but also gradual contamination and distortion. Simultaneously, they become addicted to the pleasure of having their "desire for knowledge" endlessly satisfied.

The Soul Firewall kept issuing alarms. Yuan Zhu's Soul Crystal flashed, clearing away the newly acquired 'knowledge' like cleaning up junk files, and he felt refreshed and invigorated.

"This feeling... is a bit like watching short videos, the more you watch, the more addicted you become. Every piece of knowledge seems to make some sense? I can understand and learn directly just by listening to the voice. Unfortunately, it's all a false 'mental illusion'."

Spicy Strips replied with a strange expression, "Boss, it seems we didn't fall for it?"

Yuan Zhu: "What do you mean?"

"Those toxic, mentally polluting junk messages seem to actually contain some kind of systematic, extraordinary knowledge? It's just that 99.9% of it is incomprehensible, and it exists in an extremely malicious way, with the aim of invading, attacking, and polluting your mental world. But if you actively immerse yourself in and embrace it, and accumulate enough junk, a few fragments can complement each other and you can gain useful knowledge."

Yuan Zhu asked curiously, "You completed it?"

"No. But while you were deleting these junk caches, I organized and translated the 'information' you heard and recorded it in the [Immortal Scripture]. Then, from more than two hundred pieces of incoherent information, I selected three pieces of 'ritual knowledge' that complemented each other."

"??? What 'ritual knowledge'? Send it to me so I can take a look."

Upon hearing this, Spicy Strip immediately complied, transmitting the three segments of soul data she had selected as having similarities to Yuan Zhu. His previously lost memories (actively deleted) quickly resurfaced, rapidly returning him to a state of comprehension and understanding. However, this time, the 'sudden enlightenment' was supported by the [Data-Driven Soul Program] technology; it was no longer an external [fog]. Therefore, Yuan Zhu was no longer affected by mental pollution, and instead, he could more intuitively and rationally revisit and understand these 'fragments of knowledge'.

This is a summoning ritual that can be used by ordinary people. Its purpose is unclear and the ritual content is severely incomplete. All that is known is that the 'offering' can be replaced by a simplified 'special soap'?

In addition, two other fragments of extraordinary knowledge revolve around this 'soap'. One of them explains how to make 'soap' with extraordinary properties from fresh, strong living organisms.

Another memory describes the function, uses, and principles of the "special soap." It explains how it became a universal offering for the extraordinary, simplifying and replacing various rituals, and reducing the difficulty of dangerous rituals.

"【soap】?"

After sorting through this memory, Yuan Zhu realized that the knowledge about the "soap" was more valuable than the incomplete and unknown ritual.

He has mastered half of the method for making the [? ? soap]. Once completed, this product can replace several rare or expensive 'ritual materials', adapting to various 'rituals' using a universal 'supernatural ingredient'. The side effect is that it weakens the effect of the 'ritual'.

This is a genuine 'extraordinary recipe,' inexpensive and affordable, specifically designed for ordinary people without any 'extraordinary heritage,' with zero barriers to entry. Simply gather the 'ritual + offerings + other items' to cast a certain extraordinary spell.

But the next second, this recipe for the [?] soap seemed to come alive, writhing and darting about in his mind, trying to penetrate his consciousness and merge with his spirit.
Yuan Zhu remained calm under pressure, subtly mobilizing the power of the [Soul Crystal] to forcefully suppress the formula. It was as easy as a cat pinning down a crawling woodlice with its paw.

The moment the [recipe] was suppressed, he seemed to understand something new. If he chose to consume the [recipe], his mental strength would increase, and his soul would experience a slight growth.

If you continuously listen to the "Voice of the Mist," sifting through and refining interconnected "fragments" from a sea of ​​junk information, you can condense them into more "wisdom worms," ​​which you can then consume spiritually to strengthen your soul, acquire more extraordinary knowledge, and create positive feedback.

This is the Great Method of Immortality and Body Refinement!
"This stuff is really poisonous!"

Yuan Zhu did not rashly consume or absorb the [Formula Soap]. Instead, he sealed and suppressed it with a soul crystal and stored it in his soul space. Then, he attempted to analyze the essence of this thing using the [Immortal Scripture].

"Snake, does this [recipe] belong to the 'soul program' or is it the 'voice of the mist' from the outside world?"

He was certain that he had successfully used the [Soul Crystal] to clear away the 'mental pollution' instilled by the Voice of Mist. Little Spicy Strip had merely shared his soul perception, re-recording the knowledge imparted by the 'Mist' in the [Soul Program], completing the translation of the non-soul pollution.

Now, he is not using the [Mist], but rather extracting 'clean knowledge' from his own soul program and recombining it to obtain the [Recipe (Active Knowledge)]. However, it still possesses the effect of 'bewitching oneself to consume it, nourishing and strengthening the soul,' which arouses suspicion.

Spicy Strips compared it again, somewhat uncertainly saying, "The ingredients of this [recipe] come from a digitized soul program, which seems clean and safe. However, its core essence, the knowledge it contains, and its operating method still belong to the [Mist]. The intervention of the soul program only allows the [Immortal Scripture] to share and analyze the polluted knowledge transmitted by the [Mist], better extracting knowledge fragments and greatly reducing the risk of being contaminated by junk information. But if you choose to 'take and absorb' it, you will still be distorted by the [Mist]. It is not recommended to take it! This stuff is highly poisonous."

According to Xiaolatiao, if mortals become addicted to "The Voice of the Mist," 99.99% of their souls will be filled with garbage, then become distorted, polluted, and deformed. (Cache explodes, soul filled with garbage, ruined.)
Only a very small number of mortals with compatible pollution attributes, or extraordinary individuals with powerful souls, can extract valuable knowledge at the cost of having part of their soul cache filled with pollution.

If ingested, the soul will be slightly strengthened and enhanced, and the user will gain 'extraordinary knowledge'. The price is that the 'soul memory' will remain permanently corrupted and distorted.

The emergence of the [Soul Firewall] allows for the replication of junk information and the deletion of contaminated cache. The [Great Wilderness Immortal Scripture (Spicy Strips)] filters out systematic knowledge, enabling users to 'consume' it and become stronger without incurring the cost of contamination.

However, the 'soul distortion' caused by taking it is irreversible, and who knows what kind of hidden dangers it might bring?
Yuan Zhu: "This is definitely a huge hidden danger! This [Mist. Active Knowledge Recipe] came too easily, practically without any cost. Even if it's incomplete, as long as you consume it, you can strengthen your soul and directly master the recipe's contents. Even if half of it is missing, you can quickly find other materials to replace it and rapidly complete the new recipe by relying on your understanding and control of the [recipe]. This efficiency is too high."

Little Spicy Strip: "It's not without its costs. While you can get started instantly, perfectly grasp the concepts, and even strengthen your soul, isn't absorbing junk information before filtering out and refining true knowledge also a price to pay?"

Yuan Zhu retorted: "What kind of price is there for becoming more and more addictive and pleasurable the more you watch short videos?"

The mental pollution brought about by the massive amount of garbage and confusing information can essentially fill a person's thoughts and spirit, directly causing the soul to explode, distort, and mutate.

But this process is painless; on the contrary, it's addictive, like quickly watching a year's worth of trashy short videos, cramming your brain with them, slowly turning into garbage, yet incredibly joyful.

Ultimately, if no valuable 'knowledge' can be sifted out, it will self-destruct and even merge into the fog, becoming a new 'junk information fragment'.

Those few who manage to survive this round will have the opportunity to sift out valuable knowledge from the garbage filling their minds, then consume it to enhance their soul strength, gain extraordinary power (the power of knowledge), and maintain their rationality to absorb more new garbage, initiating a new round of sifting in their minds and creating even more knowledge.

The more junk a passenger absorbs without going insane or dying, the richer their resource pool becomes. The more "knowledge" they can extract before death or madness.

The more complete and abundant this knowledge, the stronger the upgrade and expansion effects after consumption, and the longer one can persist. Then, it absorbs more junk materials, forming a positive cycle.

Yuan Zhu was somewhat surprised by the secrets hidden in the Misty Mountains: "This [Mist] is really poisonous. Could it be a variant of the [Knowledge School]? How come its manifestation is completely different from Meng Xiyue's [Skull Servo]?"

He then looked back at the passengers in the car. Most of them were only mildly uncomfortable and had not been affected by the "Mist." The few who were "contaminated by the Mist" were merely trapped in realistic illusions of terror or despair; none of them had "heard the voice of knowledge" like he had.

and many more!

Yuan Zhu called out to Spicy Strips: "Did the driver say before setting off that if anyone hears an unfamiliar voice during the journey, imparting certain knowledge, and the memory becomes exceptionally vivid and clear, please don't take chances. You need to contact the station immediately after getting off the bus to handle the situation, or go to the hospital for treatment on your own? Such situations of hearing the 'voice of knowledge' do exist, but they are very rare."

Little Spicy Strip: "The problem is that what you're hearing isn't just one segment, but one segment after another. The quantity is a bit exaggerated."

"Listening to a piece of knowledge is the limit of a mortal's mental state. But I, with the condensation of a Soul Crystal and the combination of a Soul Firewall and a Mutant Spiritual Root, possess higher inspiration, higher resistance, and greater capacity... I should be able to hear more contaminated information."

Spicy Strips hesitated, "I think this [Mist] is a huge trap, attracting cultivators with insufficient self-control, causing them to fall into it. Boss, do you still want to listen?"

"Of course I want it! Why wouldn't I listen to knowledge that's free? But it has to be in moderation, based on the strength of the human soul. Once it reaches its limit, I'll delete it using a [Soul Crystal]. You'll record the whole process into the [Soul Program], filter it, extract things like [Recipe. Soap], and then I'll seal it into the [Soul Space]. Don't miss this wave of free extraordinary knowledge! I'll consult Mengxi later, and if all else fails, I can sell it to the [Gods Space]."

Spicy Strip: "That makes sense! Boss, let's get started. I don't think this journey will last too long..."

(End of this chapter)