New concept of the mysterious way to ascend to immortality

Chapter 214 [The Three-Phase Ritual]

After taking inventory of the five 'contaminants', Tiger Demon first selected the [Insect Pillar] and placed it directly in the corner of the attic.

Its plan is to refine all the 'Shadow Demon Insects' into 'Insect Pillar Suppression Stones' and then venture deep into the 'Misty Mountains' to attempt to replicate the final 'Ultimate Secret Technique' of the 'Boss Template' and bring it back to life.

As for that time in the 'underworld' (the 【Shadow Dream Hole】 version), looking back now, it just doesn't feel right.

That [Demon Realm] was completed under his influence, manipulated by the [World Will] of the Bubble World, and was a joint venture between the two parties. It was both the Tiger Demon establishing his dojo and the Bubble World seeking a new path to self-salvation.

The final product, [Law Domain], is still questionable in terms of how much of it truly belongs to the user.

After carefully storing the [Insect Pillar], Tiger Demon regarded the [Shadow Armor] as his most valuable 'collectible' and placed it beside him, intending to directly store it in his [Soul Space] after switching back to human form.

The second most valuable item was naturally the [mutated contaminated tissue] transformed from the 'Earth-Rank Qi Refiner'. It was such a large lump, enough to be divided into many pieces. Yuan Zhu planned to use 'them' for some [frog-type] biological experiments.

...

Now that his horizons have broadened, he has realized that simply tapping into the potential of the [Chang Gui] is not a very promising approach.

'Acting as an accomplice to a tyrant' is indeed an excellent ability, but it is ranked second only to 'Shadow Manipulation' in the 'Boss Template', which is enough to show that its value and potential are not high.

In the orthodox Tiger Demon Spiritual Root talent database, "Changgui" refers to the 'Changgui ghost', a spirit created by combining the souls of the unjustly killed with the Tiger Demon's own demonic power after the Tiger Demon has devoured and digested them. Driven by the Tiger Demon, they become its servants, working for it.

These types of 'evil spirits' are usually not very strong.

The main raw materials are humans who have strayed into the deep mountains and forests and been eaten by mountain spirits. After death, they possess strong obsessions, and their souls retain some wisdom, which is why they are transformed into ghosts with a small amount of 'spirituality'.

The courier ghost itself is not strong; it merely acts as the mountain lord's henchman, offering advice and taking care of daily needs. It can break away from the tiger demon to a certain extent and enter human villages or roads to lure more food into the mountains for its master to eat and drink, or clean caves and cook for its master.

Now, Yuan Zhu has excessively exploited and developed this 'supernatural power,' pushing it relentlessly down the path of 'combat.' He wants to forge an extremely powerful 'summoning monster,' comparable to or even surpassing the state of the 'deceased before death.'

After reading the log feedback from the [Immortal Scripture], Spicy Strips clearly pointed out Yuan Zhu's unrealistic delusions about the [Chang Gui]: "Are you planning to cultivate a group of [Chang Gui] even stronger than [Tiger], and simply turn around and eat the Tiger Demon? This is simply wishful thinking, and it also brings a huge burden."

Being an accomplice to a tiger means that the accomplice's potential will never threaten the tiger's. When it comes to a life-or-death battle, it will always be the tiger demon who is at the forefront, wreaking havoc, while the accomplice ghosts are only fit to hide in the back and cheer for the 'Tiger Demon King'.

The scene of the Tiger Demon commanding its minions to wreak havoc will only ever happen in low-level matches where you're crushing your opponents, smurfing in kindergarten, or when the BOSS is showing off its power in front of a weak protagonist.

Now, with the combination of the [Changgui] and the Snake Demon's ultimate technique [Universe Within the Belly], the strength of the [Changgui] divine power has been elevated several levels. It is possible to refine a stronger 'Changgui' beyond its level, or even if the refining fails, 'Transcendent Contamination Crystals' can still be extracted.

All of this was not due to the [Changgui], but rather to the ultimate supernatural power of the [Universe Within the Belly], a furnace-level alchemy technique.

Yuan Zhu, increasingly aware of the limitations of the [Chang Gui], decided to adjust his work focus and break free from the [Boss Template] trap. He would use the 'Shadow Pollution' extracted from [Chang Gui + Inner Universe] as Tiger Demon's personal [brand] to cultivate more independent individuals (natural persons), infiltrate more polluted areas, invade other tracks, and engage in head-on, vicious competition with other 'pollutants'.

For example, investing in the development of the Shadow Knights, or cultivating the Ultimate Strength Warriors... even the Sword Immortals, Loose Immortals, and Corpse-Dissolving Immortals... these professions can all be infiltrated.

This is the only way to strengthen [Shadow Contamination]. It also involves leveraging the value of the [Great Wilderness Immortal Scripture] to gather intelligence and data, research and explore unknown power systems, and then modify and utilize these powers.

...

After swallowing the 'Insect-type Aberration Contaminated Tissue', the Tiger Demon looked at the last clump of 'Demonized Roots' that could barely be categorized into the 'Shadow-type' collection.

Even if this item is refined, it will still be extremely dangerous.

Yuan Zhu then switched back to human form, raised his hand and created [Sanctuary Manifestation], sealing it inside the 'Sanctuary Space' and subjecting it to brutal holy light purification, continuously burning away the life force within the 'Demonized Roots'.

Because it was a 'product' produced by their own family, Yuan Zhu retained the complete memories of the [Tiger Demon] and was fully aware of the attribute data of the 'Demonized Roots'.

Therefore, he acted ruthlessly, with precision and efficiency. He unleashed holy light to destroy without restraint, precisely targeting the 'lifeline' without obliterating or damaging its core, yet severely injuring its vitality and forcing it into a weak dormant state.

Finally, he raised his hand and cast a 'Holy Light Barrier' to forcibly seal it away, then said, "Guards, move it to the kitchen on the first floor and suppress and guard it."

The reason for not keeping it in the attic is that if the 'Demonic Roots' were to get out of control and escape one day, it might even enter the 'Garden of Disease' through the mirror, which would be quite a sight.

Whether this clump of 'roots' is eroded and twisted by 'disease pollution', or it devours diseased plants to replenish the pollution and cause uncontrolled mutations, it will become a major threat.

But burning it directly seems a bit wasteful. It's better to weaken it significantly, suppress it, and deal with it later.

As soon as he finished speaking, eerie screams and laughter, "Eggplant eggplant eggplant!" echoed from inside the attic.

Four eggplant-headed ghosts, their bodies covered in arms of various 'puppets, humans, goblins...', happily crawled out from the wall. Ignoring the burns caused to their shadow tentacles by the 'holy light barrier,' they painfully dragged away the 'magical roots' that had shrunk to 1/10 of their original size.

Even the most intellectually challenged monsters, equipped with external "brain-eggs (CPUs)," now realize that 'Holy Light Yuan Tianzun' is their own 'Tiger Demon King,' and thus carry out orders with utmost recklessness.

This shows how good the [Changgui] is: genuine loyalty and controllability.

Unfortunately, the [Changgui] is always relegated to the role of a menial servant, unable to rebel against its master. To create subordinates who are both capable and intelligent, one can only cultivate 'outsiders' with rebellious intentions.

After storing the Shadow Armor into his increasingly insufficient 'Soul Space', Yuan Zhu looked down at the ancient 'Kunlun Immortal Zombie' on the ground.

This thing is quite sturdy, and its internal pollution is ancient and stubborn. After being demonized and reversed, it far exceeds the refining limit of [Inner Universe + Ghost], so he finally gave up his plan to collect it and decided to sell it!
Next time I go back to [Happy Home], I'll bring it along and see if the captain will accept it. If [Mao Mao Wang] doesn't want it either, I'll list it on the [Gods' Space] secondhand trading website and see if it finds a suitable owner.

...

After dealing with all the 'pollutants', Yuan Zhu transformed back into his [Tiger Demon Form] and summoned the dormant 'Shadow Demon Insect'.

rustling...

Before long, one after another, huge 'magical insects', as imposing as large trash cans or small tricycles, climbed up the attic, or hung upside down on the roof or clung to the walls, waiting for their owner's commands.

Only the upper body of the [Snake Demon] suddenly sprang out, opened its bloody maw, and swallowed them one by one with the [Universe Within the Belly] supernatural power, assigning them new [Human Pillar] refining tasks. These [Chang Ghosts], who should have occupied the [Chang Ghost] quota, all lost contact and, during the refining process, re-established a new connection with the ultimate mystery [Shadow Domain].

In other words, the Tiger Demon can only carry a limited number of cougars, but if it is further refined into an Insect Pillar, it becomes a kind of 'demonic artifact' that no longer occupies the limit and can be accumulated indefinitely.

The number of [Human Pillars] determines the size and strength of the [Law Domain], which can be accumulated indefinitely to expand the territory of the Tiger Demon Realm. Furthermore, after a [Law Domain] is established, it can attach to, raise, and gather more [Chang Gui] (spirits/attack spirits), no longer occupying its own empty slots.

So the Tiger Demon swallowed 10 in one go, still leaving 30% of the space (【Inner Universe】) empty, waiting for 【Eggplant Spirit】.

After doing all this, it was already 11:30 p.m.

At this hour, the younger brother was already asleep, so there was no need to go home, nor was it a good time to go to the [Cat House] to meet a pretty lady. So Yuan Zhu reverted to her human form, had the Eggplant Ghost bring over a well-preserved recliner, and, holding a [small pumpkin], began to continue her cultivation.

After both seals chose the [Shelter], Yuan Zhu discovered that the two [Holy Seals] were like dual-core processors, or even more like dual gas stoves, capable of simultaneously operating two pressure cookers (Shelter) – one virtual and one real.

They can also be stacked to speed up the refining process. So he chose to use a 'physical shelter' over a 'virtual shelter' to refine a single [Little Pumpkin].

The [Little Pumpkin] is not a living creature, and its extraordinary characteristics are extremely stable, so there is no backlash, making it easier to refine than monsters or sources of pollution. However, its internal space is self-contained and has extremely strong 'spatial resistance,' which increases the difficulty.

Yuan Zhu continuously extracted the holy light from the [Soul Crystal] and injected it with his own life force to fuel and catalyze the [Holy Light], refining a [Little Pumpkin] with great force. His life force declined sharply, and he quickly fell into a weakened state.

At this moment, he switched to the [Tiger Demon Form], lay cross-legged on the ground, and drew endless [Shadow Spiritual Energy] from the haunted house territory to heal his human form while continuing to accelerate the refining of the [Insect Pillar].

Once his human form was fully healed, he reverted to his holy monk profession, casually grabbing a few marinated 'Shadow Monsters. Eggplant Spirits' and igniting and purifying them with holy light, extracting the holy light to recharge his soul crystals.

All the 'soul embers' generated during this period were removed and stored in the [Soul Space], ensuring that not a single one escaped and mixed into the 2 seals, thus polluting the [Sanctuary].

After charging was complete, he collected the eggplant spirit's 'holy ashes' and then began the next round of refining.

Compared to before [Forging Seal + Soul Crystal], Yuan Zhu's 'Holy Light' is now stronger, and the refining efficiency is higher. At dawn, taking advantage of his home field (Tiger Demon's infinite health regeneration, Eggplant Spirit's infinite mana replenishment/Holy Light), and with the two seals refining together, he successfully refined the two small pumpkins.

Within the two seals, a completely new power, distinct from the [Holy Cough] and [Holy Breath], was clearly felt, slowly developing within the seals. While it was still some distance from fully hatching, the embryo of this new ability had already clearly taken shape.

Furthermore, just as the user can instantly understand the content and usage of the eye technique the moment the Mangekyou Sharingan awakens, Yuan Zhu now clearly understands that the new ability of the Second Seal is definitely closely related to 'space'!
Indeed, any system that wants to become stronger must not only deeply understand the essence of 'polluting energy', but also devour and plunder other pollutants as nutrients for its own advancement.

A 'polluted system' without a background can only inefficiently plunder and devour other pollutants, like the Tiger Demon's [Chang Gui Refining]. But the Holy Light system is different. It uses [Holy Light] to fiercely repel and destroy all pollution, purifying it completely while plundering a trace of the 'polluted embers' purified by the Holy Light. Within the [Holy Seal], it is transformed into 100% 'new Holy Light abilities'.

But its essence remains the plundering and digestion of other 'polluted energies'. Moreover, it requires plundering a large amount of the same pollution in order to extract its essence and discard its dross, thus giving birth to pure-blooded 'holy light-based abilities'.

For example, the [Holy Cough] absorbed the essence of 'disease contamination (cough virus)' to become absolutely sacred. Similarly, the [Holy Breath] was created by constantly refining and absorbing demonic giant insects in the underworld.

Now, he specializes in the space-based [Little Pumpkin], and his new ability will inevitably be locked within the [spatial range], which will definitely take the strength of the [Shelter] to a new level.

……

It's 8 a.m., so Ah Miao shouldn't be back yet.

Should Yuan Zhu go to [Rain Academy] to catch up with his senior, continue his arduous training in the Holy Seal, or perhaps return to [Happy Home] for a stroll and call Lü Rang out...?

After hesitating for a while, he suddenly thought of the [Tripartite Power]. He realized that the conditions were ripe; his human form had successfully reached the [Species] level, qualifying him to concurrently serve as the second [Transcendent System].

So he slapped his forehead and decided, "Let's do it!"

He immediately retrieved the information about the Triad Power Ritual from his Soul Space and began to study it.

【Three Phases】is unlike any other 'extraordinary pollution system' on the market. It has no entry barriers, no levels, and no restrictions.

Anyone can learn if they want to, and instantly reach the state of perfect enlightenment (combining the three aspects).

Compared to the various 'contamination systems' of the Spirit Planet, the [Three-Phase Power] is more like an omnipresent cosmic rule; it will respond as long as you call upon it. If you are unaware of it or do not observe it, you will pass it by and never have any interaction with it.

However, its similarity to the 'contamination system' lies in its strong side effects. Anyone who becomes tainted by the [Tripartite Power] is destined to give birth to an [Instigator]. In this respect, it is very similar to the 'Ultimate Source of Contamination', but in a very detached way.

After quickly reviewing the contents of the [Three Phases Ritual], Yuan Zhu was certain that this thing was practically without any taboos. As long as you summon the [Three Phases] in the most basic way, no matter where you are—the Spirit Realm, the Spirit World, the Foam Realm… the [Three Phases] will descend and grant you the qualification for 'part-time work'.

The materials needed for the ceremony, when converted to real-world currency, would cost no more than 1 yuan. It sounds expensive, but for unlocking the [Second System], it's practically free, and the materials aren't rare either, making them easy to collect.

This feeling is too eerie. It's as if it was deliberately arranged to be so cheap so that everyone could master the Triadic Power.

Snake: "I think these materials are more like the cost of registering for [Triple Force]. [Triple Force] may be free in itself, but each 'individual' needs to pay some 'phone bills and internet fees' and have it register a qualification for them in order to call and connect to the other party."

Yuan Zhu agreed: "I feel the same way. This thing is like a blessing from the 'universe.' But this world is too filthy and evil, and its 'goodwill' also contains malice."

Snake: "Registering gives you the [Inner Demon] item, right?"

Taking out the 'ritual materials' that had been prepared in advance from the 'Soul Space', Yuan Zhu quickly arranged and set them up in the attic of the 'Haunted House' according to the instructions.

Fifteen minutes later, without using any supernatural power (shadow/holy light), he successfully completed the ritual setup using only his hands and feet. It was simpler than cooking a home-cooked meal.

Because it was so easy, he even became suspicious and spent another 20 minutes checking it again. The result was that neither he, the snake, nor the rigid "Immortal Scripture" indicated there were any problems.

Yuan Zhu: "Shall we begin?"

Snake: "Let's get started, I can't wait!"

(End of this chapter)