New concept of the mysterious way to ascend to immortality

Chapter 212 Ultimate Goblin, Emptying the [Inner World]

After carefully inspecting his "haunted house," Yuan Zhu felt extremely satisfied, experiencing a sense of accomplishment similar to playing a management game.

From the time he took over the place, it took about a month to successfully put the "haunted house" on a path of automated and sustainable development. He can now enjoy stable output without having to put in any more effort.

Moreover, this is not the final form; there is enormous potential to be tapped. Once he acquires new territory (land) and successfully builds a factory, these dormant 'Shadow Eggplant Spirits' will be fully awakened, bursting forth with endless 'labor enthusiasm' and creating even greater labor value!
"I'm really looking forward to this day. I wish I could turn the hands of my clock and make time fast forward."

Leaving the last bedroom where the 'eggplant spirits' were stored, I watched as the eggplant-headed demons, under the snake's command, methodically transported the hundred and twenty goblins, categorized by gender, age, and degree of disability, to different 'rooms' for storage, hibernation, and breeding...

He had an expectation of replanting after the autumn harvest and waiting for a new harvest next year.

Snake: "It's a pity that this haunted house isn't our private property, and we're limited by the environment, so we can't really do what we want. Otherwise, I'd like to have some bold ideas to try on these 'eggplant spirits' right now."

Yuan Zhu understood her meaning. The "haunted house" was essentially a cover, concealing the "garden of disease" behind it. Yuan Zhu was only temporarily occupying the place, secretly absorbing and refining the "disease contamination," so naturally she couldn't openly cause trouble and attract the attention of the victims.

Furthermore, both his "shadow contamination" and the local "disease contamination" are dangerous targets for the "Security Bureau" to eliminate. Even without threats from victims, he still cannot act recklessly in the villa area, otherwise he will be immediately targeted for annihilation.

"That's why I specifically chose to locate the [breeding farm] in the East District. It's far from the city center, even more dangerous at night, with no security whatsoever, relying entirely on its own strength, and the supervision is much laxer. Just a little further on, and you'll be directly in the [Misty Mountains] area, a complete lawless zone."

The 'manor' where Yuan Zhu first arrived was also located in the suburbs, in a flat area near the foothills.

Because it was far from the city center and completely unprotected by the "laws," the manor lord could offer sacrifices however he pleased, as long as nothing went wrong, it wouldn't attract any attention from the outside world. Therefore, the "Old Wishing Society" survived for nearly two years without any flaws.

If it weren't for the sacrificial malfunction caused by the [Immortal Scripture], the [Wishing Ceremony] could have continued, creating a [Wolf King] and allowing the story to proceed on the normal timeline.

Yuan Zhu's choice of this location was based on this consideration:
Firstly, [Yuyuan] is located in the eastern district of Running City, making it closer and more convenient for both delivery and pickup.

Secondly, as one of the many cities on the west coast, 'Running' lies east of the deeper, more mysterious and dangerous core area of ​​the [Misty Mountains]. There are also more resources and opportunities there.

Yuan Zhu plans to establish the Shadow Domain in the 'Spirit of Manifestation' and take up the post of 'Mountain Lord', so naturally he must choose a deep mountain forest, which is in line with the tiger demon's nature.

【Misty Mountains】This super mountain range, running north-south and almost traversing both ends of the New World, is not only incredibly long but also ridiculously wide.

Once the Tiger Demon is exposed or fails in Running City, Yuan Zhu's best option will naturally be to flee eastward and hide deep in the Mist, thus returning to the sea like a dragon and the mountains like a tiger.

Yuan Zhu: "Once we have territory, you can really unleash your potential. Even if what you want to do is too dangerous and not allowed in the suburbs, we can still go into the mountains. I'm also very interested in the Misty Mountains, which can impart knowledge to the common people for free. I wonder if building the Shadow Demon Realm in the mountains will cause any strange changes? By the way, what's your bold idea?"

Snake perked up: "I know, boss, you want to use the [Eggplant Spirits] like the plantation's mud fodder, and you even specially loaded them with the [Shadow Eggplant. Plant Life Support System]. They don't need to eat; they rely entirely on the 'polluted energy' supplied by the Shadow Eggplant seedlings to stimulate and maintain their physical mutations, giving them the ability to work 24 hours a day without rest. But have you thought about this question?"

Yuan Zhu asked curiously, "What's the problem?"

"Of course, it's the 'goblin's' own tolerance and vitality. The [Shadow Eggplant] only brings 'pollution,' not any real nutrients or vitality. The goblin's mutation is essentially a demonization and flesh mutation after being eroded by 'Shadow Poisoning,' and then exchanging it for the original pure flesh potential. It's a kind of rapid overdraft. How long can this seemingly 'benign' change last?"

Yuan Zhu pondered the snake's problem and realized that all systems, including [Holy Light], rapidly expanded their strength and became stronger by leaps and bounds through 'contamination'.

However, the orthodox practitioners he represents are in a state of 'benign pollution'. They keep the progress and direction of the pollution within a controllable range. In their daily lives, they still eat and rest normally, maintaining a good state. 'Pollution energy' is merely an accelerator for becoming stronger; once there is a risk of getting out of control, they will suspend their practice and readjust.

But the goblin in the haunted house is different. He also uses a quick and easy approach to force all kinds of prey to be saturated with pollutants, forcing them to transform at the speed of light to their limit, and then swallowing them whole (the inner universe) and refining them in an instant (the ghost).

They never cared about their lives.

Because what I've always wanted is a [Changgui]. Even Changgui needs to absorb (feed) 'Shadow Pollution' regularly and in fixed quantities to maintain their condition and prevent them from degenerating and weakening. To become stronger, either the Tiger Demon needs to provide more refined 'Transcendent Pollution Crystals (organs)', or they need to accumulate slowly and complete their transformation over time.

Now, if he wants to treat the 'living goblins' as 'unlimited work machines', he must consider the goblins' lifespan, wear and tear, and durability... instead of simply injecting 'shadow pollution', which may seem to bring a short-term burst of growth, but in reality, it will drain them dry and quickly render them unusable.

After figuring out the logic, Yuan Zhu retorted: "That's not right. I introduced the Shadow Eggplant Parasite in order to extend their shelf life, so that they could transform into 'vegetative people (goblins)' and rely on the Shadow Eggplant for nutrients."

Snake: "Hmm, the theory is correct. But [Shadow Eggplant] is not a plant of nature, but a shadow life form. This thing can only corrupt goblins, transforming them into 'Chang Ghosts,' and cannot provide any nutrients from nature. Living goblins + Shadow Eggplant is essentially overdrawing life and accelerating death. If you want to enslave [Chang Ghosts] as free labor, there are two major problems!"

"Question 1: We've conducted multiple experiments, and not a single corrupted goblin has ever successfully withstood the [Changgui Refining] and become a Changgui. Their fate after being refined is only to become corrupted crystals such as [Brain Eggplants, Memory Sticks, Ray Eyeballs...]. Question 2: The [Tiger Demon's] control and enslavement of Changgui is not unlimited. Your enslavement of [Shadow Demon Insects] in the Earthly World has reached the upper limit of the number of 'Changgui' you can control. To open a factory, you need countless employees; you can't rely solely on [Changgui] to support it."

Yuan Zhu: "Very well, then tell me your solution!"

Snake conjured a feather fan and confidently told Yuan Zhu, "The method is simple: keep the [Eggplant Spirit] alive until it dies. Then, start with the [Shadow Eggplants], letting them provide deep 'shadow contamination' for pickling, and also supply them with an extra portion of 'nutrients/vitality' from nature, keeping the goblin alive and working for us in a half-dead 'plant zombie' state! Just like the 'Voodoo Mud Corpses' created by Southern plantation owners during the American Civil War!"

"To reawaken the natural life force within [Shadow Eggplant] that is not 'polluted by shadows'?"

【Shadow Eggplant】, as a 'Shadow Realm Plant' cultivated by the Tiger Demon, is not a cougar and cannot be 100% controlled. It is more like a companion spirit plant cultivated by the Tiger Demon, with maximum affinity and subject to its command. However, if other 'Shadow-type' ability users or monsters appear and forcibly take away a few 【Shadow Eggplants】, or even refine them, then the other party can also reproduce and control them.

If the non-shadow life form of the [Shadow Eggplant] is further awakened, the Tiger Demon's control over them will weaken further. They might even transform from shadow life into polluted plants in nature...

Yuan Zhu: "What are you planning to do? How can you prevent [Shadow Eggplant] from getting out of control?"

Snake: "Naturally, it's the [Starlight Attraction Ritual] we've obtained this time. Even though the sky above Running is covered by clouds and mist, and we can't see the sun or stars, we can still attract 'starlight' through this ritual. This [starlight] itself is a kind of pollution that can be absorbed by the 'plant race' as food to supplement their nutrition. It can also be used by the loose immortals who have implanted [alien Dao seeds] as a substitute for 'spiritual energy' for cultivation."

"Then, we can also feed this [Starlight] as extra 'life force' to [Shadow Eggplant], allowing it to transform into life nutrients to nourish each goblin and maintain their physical bodies. There are two reasons for this: First, it aligns with the principle of photosynthesis in plants, which are naturally able to absorb 'light' as sustenance and convert it into life force. Second, [Shadow Eggplant]'s predecessor was the [Buddha Eggplant Clan], originating from the alien eggplant-headed race, who were born with the ability to absorb starlight. [Buddha Eggplant] has demonstrated this before."

"Therefore, I strongly suspect that as long as we forcibly expose our Shadow Eggplant seedlings to the Starlight Guidance Ritual and conduct countless mindless 'starlight screenings' to eliminate the failures that do not absorb starlight, we can eventually select new Shadow Eggplant varieties that can absorb starlight. Ultimately, we can cultivate the legendary 'Working Eggplant Spirit' that is 'primarily affected by shadow pollution and secondarily by starlight pollution'! It has a longer lifespan, higher durability, and is more wear-resistant... It even saves food for the 'Living Goblin'!"

If the goblins are alive and working 24/7, they definitely need to eat. Feed costs become a long-term expense. However, if they are guided by starlight, the goblins won't need to eat; they can simply bask in the starlight to operate at full power, making it more energy-efficient, environmentally friendly, and a green economy.

Yuan Zhu praised: "Your idea is great. Once the new factory is established, we'll give you a batch of [eggplant extract] to experiment with as much as you like."

Feeling increasingly overwhelmed by her lack of energy, Yuan Zhu decisively approved the idea of ​​starting a business with spicy strips.

Not only Snake, but he also plans to cultivate more talent to share his heavy workload. [Anti-Law] is already on his agenda; let's schedule it for tomorrow!

With the [Anti-Law], we have the means to recruit (contract) elite cadres. Otherwise, relying solely on mindless and idiotic [Chang Gui] would be completely incapable of solving problems.

...

"Let's go to the attic!"

After inspecting the haunted house and confirming that the new batch of goblins had been properly sorted and dealt with, Yuan Zhu went to the attic alone, but did not rush to enter the Garden of Diseases.

Now that he has begun his '2-Seal Cultivation', he is no longer the madman who would rush into the [Garden of Disease] at the slightest provocation, randomly unleashing holy light fields and burning everything in sight to replenish his 'Contaminated Embers'.

This time, Yuan Zhu was unusually calm and restrained when facing the 'Garden of Disease'. This was because his second seal was extremely pure at this moment, only absorbing the 'extraterrestrial space embers' produced by the [Little Pumpkin].

He will not accept any 'disease-related contamination' to taint the purity of the [Holy Seal]. Therefore, he has given up the idea of ​​strolling in the garden, fearing that he might impulsively raise his hand to 'purify (incinerate)' the disease contamination, only to be contaminated by the 'disease embers' generated simultaneously.

Snake: "What do we do now? Like before, first refine the [Little Pumpkin] to forge 2 seals, then activate the [Tiger Demon] to recover health after our life force is depleted, and then repeat the arduous training?"

Yuan Zhu shook his head: "No rush, let's take stock of what we've gained over this period. Tiger Demon's [Inner Universe] should be cleared out by now."

Starting from the underground world, [The Universe Within] has successively devoured many underground specialties (pollution), dividing them into multiple 'Changgui Refining Tasks', gradually eroding them away.

Now, half a month has passed in the blink of an eye, and these stubborn 'polluted monsters' have all reached their limit in the refinement process. It's time to reap the rewards.

Yuan Zhu mentally invoked the [Boss Template], then let out a low roar and activated his Tiger Demon form. Simultaneously, he continuously compressed his body to ensure the Tiger Demon's massive size wouldn't break the limited height of the attic.

Immediately, the white skeletal snake tail excitedly darted into the shadows of the floor and disappeared. The next second, a huge black snake head with blood-red eyes slowly emerged from the shadows of the ceiling and drooped down.

The snake demon, head down, opened its blood-red maw to the ground, making a 'vomiting' sound, and continuously spewed out one item after another with an extremely strong 'polluted aura'.

With a heavy thud as it landed, the first thing to appear was a completed [Human Pillar] or [Insect Pillar 1].

This was the 'Shadow Demon Insect' that Yuan Zhu forced down after returning to Running, despite feeling full. It was then refined a second time in his stomach into the [Insect Pillar Suppressing Stone], which was used to construct and set up the 'Shadow Magic Domain'.

Then came the metallic echo of a heavy object striking the ground. Tiger Demon looked up and saw a piece of [Pitch Black Armor 2] with an overall complete structure, but with some details missing and damaged.

Then, the Shadow Serpent Demon spat out a large mass of 'giant fleshy cancerous tissue' that was pitch black and mixed with a large amount of purplish-red meridian structures. It emitted a strong aura of shadow pollution and abnormally vigorous life activity.

Then there was an ancient corpse, its surface rotten and covered with lingering 'shadow pollution,' but its interior was decaying yet solid, resisting the corrosive influence of the shadow pollution.

Finally, there was a strange "Shadow Root Cluster"—a large clump of branch-like roots that huddled together and kept extending branches, whipping and exploring in all directions.

After the snake demon spat out all five 'shadow-type pollutants' in succession, the tiger demon felt completely relieved. The invisible pressure that had been weighing on him completely dissipated, and his 'Inner Universe' was now at an unprecedented 0% occupancy rate.

"That feels so good!"

(End of this chapter)