New concept of the mysterious way to ascend to immortality

Chapter 307 The Dilemma of an Extraordinary Pet Owner!
I patiently waited for the siblings to quickly finish the remaining half-bucket of fried chicken. With their excellent teeth, they didn't leave a single bone behind; a few simple chews and it was easily crushed into powder, with nothing wasted.

Seeing the two of them obediently and politely wipe their mouths and hands with tissues, and then show a satisfied expression, Yuan Zhu said, "Now show me your results."

The petite and charming little girl immediately jumped off the chair and took the lead, saying, "This way!"

The tall and strong Yuan Tiao then obediently got up and followed behind his sister, protecting her.

The first room we visited was on the first floor.

As Yuan Zhu gradually emptied the haunted house, many of the items that had consumed 'shadow power' disappeared. Now, the shadow vines inside the room are receiving more nourishment from 'shadow spiritual energy'. With excess nutrients, they are growing vigorously, with numerous lush black leaves hanging naturally along the walls and ceiling, and even bearing fruit again.

The little girl pointed to the 'Shadow Tomatoes', which were a size larger than her thumb joint, and said, "These are inedible. They taste bitter and sour and are highly toxic (polluted). However, they can be refined and absorbed by the [Anti-Law]. I think they can be chosen as the main ingredient to develop a basic cultivation supplement for [Shadow Species]."

Since being recruited by Yuan Zhu and having her fate changed, becoming the administrator of the [Pastoral Village], Yuan Tang no longer struggles for a living or diligently raises spirit insects for offerings; instead, she devotes a great deal of energy to [Corpse Seeds, Herbalism, and Alchemy], hoping to master a skill.

Although she still knows nothing about true alchemy (her cauldron is not yet complete), she is quite good at insect-based pharmacology, underground herbalism, and the cultivation and processing of spiritual herbs, and has a solid foundation.

She can indeed use prepared medicinal materials, prepare the medicine according to the prescription, and make minor adjustments based on the patient's condition. In addition to the basic decoction, she can also grind the medicinal materials into powder, mix them, and use "true qi" to refine and enhance the medicinal properties, making low-pollution pills.

This method is far inferior to alchemy, but it is not a mortal's skill either, gradually venturing into the shallow waters of 'supernatural potion science'. Just like Nie Yin, with a mortal body, created 'supernatural runes/tattoos' through 'engraving' techniques.

To improve her learning efficiency, the little girl grasped the essence of "Shennong tasting hundreds of herbs." She frequently tested the waters herself, eating raw, highly poisonous medicinal herbs to personally experience the medicinal properties and toxicity of different "herbs," thus deepening her understanding.

Fortunately, her meridians were all open, and she had reached the peak of the Human Rank. She possessed abundant True Qi protecting her body, and never lacked cultivation pills or detoxification pills. As long as she wouldn't die from eating them, she could eat as much as she wanted, rapidly increasing her pharmacological reserves.

Since ascending to the 'upper realm (the present world)', she has become even more curious about everything around her. She is like a country bumpkin who has come to the big city and thinks everything is good and wants to try it, without worrying about her life or death at all.

Firstly, she's genuinely carefree. Growing up in poverty and eating garbage, she didn't see anything wrong with it. During her studies in the 'Pastoral Village,' she experienced near-death experiences multiple times. Her mind almost got used to it, and her body developed considerable resistance to pollution.

Secondly, just like mortals arriving in the heavenly realm for the first time, they always feel that the celestial realm is too high for them to reach. Any blade of grass, a leaf, or an ant by the roadside is a celestial herb or spirit beast, which can prolong life and cure all diseases.

The siblings also had this "superior world filter," believing that the upper world was full of superior people and rare treasures. The air was fresh, the water was clean, and there was no miasma pollution... So Yuan Tan dared to speak up and put anything in his mouth, even daring to eat the obviously "polluted" [Shadow Tomato].

In the end, she actually managed to taste a hint of the 'elixir' amidst her 'hee-hee-hee~'. This substance was considered a form of contaminated food for the [Shadow System], and after consuming large quantities, it could even corrupt the brains of twisted goblins, causing them to mutate into [Brain Eggplant CPUs].

Now, with nothing to do and stuck in the haunted house, Yuan Tang has set his sights on the only easily obtainable fruit, the Shadow Eggplant Fruit, intending to stir up some trouble and prove his worth.

Yuan Zhu encouraged him, "The idea is good, but don't rush. Once you get to the Frog Factory and meet the teacher (senior sister) I arranged for you, learn as much 'medical knowledge' as possible from her. Alchemy and medicine making require a large number of different medicinal materials to be combined in different proportions. This is not the Insect City, so there aren't many insect medicines that you are familiar with. You still need to master the local medicinal materials again before you start researching."

Yuan Tang only had the Shadow Eggplant Fruit in his hands, but no other suitable auxiliary materials, so developing a 'potion' was just wishful thinking.

Soon, the three of them saw rows of neatly arranged [Eggplant Embryo Sacs] in the bedroom and living room on the first floor. Now they were no longer hanging upside down from the ceiling or embedded in the walls; they looked much neater, and their erosion and transformation efficiency was much higher.

Upon reaching the second floor, there were no more [eggplant spirits] to be seen. Each bedroom was reasonably arranged and not crowded.

Either a pair of healthy goblins who have undergone the original "Ultraman" transformation, and another pair of "Sword Fairy Goblins" in reserve, sharing a bedroom; or five half-orc brothers, sharing the largest bedroom.

Furthermore, the adjacent bedroom is the shared room of six [Holy Knight Elite Reserves]. Pushing open the next door, the room felt slightly cramped. The empty room contained ten 'hammocks' woven from jacaranda vines.

The girl explained that the house is inhabited by 10 "Shadow Earth Spirits" who were transformed from "old, weak, sick, and disabled spirits".

Except for the last batch, who have long lived in the [Garden of Disease]. While breathing in and out the 'disease pollution' that exacerbates their lesions, they also counteract the [Holy Flask] within their bodies to maintain a rational balance, further intensifying the 'Holy Seal Material' bred by the [Distorted Eyeballs].

The other 'test subjects' all lived on the second floor, where the living space was significantly more spacious.

The two genuine 'Extreme Strength Warriors' are the food supplies that Nie Yin prepared for the [Uniform]; the two 'Sword Immortals' are the tasks assigned by Yuan Zhu.

Needless to say, the five orc hybrids are now being tested and perfected by Yuan Zhu's Holy Light Breathing Technique.

As for the last 10 newly trained 'Shadow. Ox-Horse Workers', they are considered as a batch of contestants and actors for the [Goblin Performance (Contest)].

Yuan Zhu counted on his fingers. Not counting his three chosen leaders (Frog-Slaying Girl, Kid Sister, and Little Brother), and not counting his younger brother who regularly sent him money every week, he now had 25 mouths to feed!
Before this, although he had over 100 'Shadow Eggplant Spirits', 100 'Shadow Demon Insects', and 4 Eggplant Head Ghosts to train, he had never spent a single penny!

Because all he needs to do is exploit the daily fixed amount of "shadow spiritual energy" produced by the "haunted house" and freeload off the polluted crops in the "disease garden" to maintain and satisfy their (the ghosts') survival needs.

The cougars don't need proper food; they can survive and even grow simply by replenishing their [Shadow Aura and Pollution Power (fuel)]. As for [Eggplant Spirits], they are living beings and need to eat. However, 'Eggplant Parasitism' grants them some plant-like characteristics, putting them into a dormant state, where 'Shadow Eggplant' is sufficient to maintain their minimum life force. ...

But now, everything is different!
The training of the [Power Path] aims to forge demonic muscles, requiring an energy intake far exceeding that of ordinary people every day. Just push yourself to the limit, as long as you don't die!
This was the first time Yuan Zhu experienced what it meant to 'support employees'.

Hybrid orcs are already far larger than normal humans, with an enormous appetite—three times that of a normal adult. After becoming a [Ultimate Warrior], their appetite more than triples; one orc can consume the equivalent of ten adults. Five orcs can produce enough food for 50 people every day!
Then there are the two young, healthy, and energetic guys, who are so small in stature, but beat them up like dogs. As a result, they eat four times the amount of an average adult! That's enough for eight people.

Although Yuan Zhu had many complaints about this, he also understood that the more a goblin could eat, the more it proved the quality and success of Nie Yin's [surgical modification]. Its appetite also represented the aptitude and potential of this 'gemonic warrior'. Being able to eat was a blessing.

As for the worst one, the [Shadow Eggplant Spirit. Ox-Horse Worker], his daily food allowance was originally 0, relying entirely on the 'Parasitic Shadow Eggplant' in his body for energy. However, since training with the orcs, the 'Parasitic Eggplant' in his body has been squeezed, cut off, and rejected by the [Shadow Muscles].

After overcoming his vegetative state, he returned to being a glutton, his appetite increasing to three times the adult amount, enough for 30 people.

The last two 'Sword Immortal Trainees' don't eat much and haven't yet undergone the [Sword Cultivation] transformation. They are currently in the learning and training phase. Together, their food intake is three times that of an adult.

The last six [Holy Knight Elite Reserves], having completed the [Flame Flask Elite Pillar Power] transformation, are burning their own life force in small increments every day and undergoing extensive physical training under Yuan Tiao's tutelage. Their appetites are also enormous, each one eating three times more than the 'Shadow Ox-Horse Worker'.

The ten "Forging Materials" raised in the "Disease Garden" are ultimately there to maximize the concentration of "Transcendent Disease Pollution." Therefore, they are not fed, allowed to consume "Disease Pollution" in the garden to accelerate their mutation; the "Holy Flask" is used to slow down their cultivation, subjecting them to repeated torment to improve the quality of the pollution.

So, every day when Yuan Zhu opens his eyes, he has to deal with the food supply problem for 109 adults!
Moreover, all these gluttonous creatures, who can both eat and excrete, haven't generated a single penny of profit for him, yet he keeps pouring money into this bottomless pit.

Even so, it's not the most terrifying place.

Since these good-for-nothings are being trained to become 'superhumans,' simply providing them with enough 'food' is far from sufficient!

Take the most affordable and stable source of energy, for example: simply eating enough carbohydrates can only maintain physical strength.

If you want to build muscle mass and enhance and unlock the potential of 'magical muscles', then in addition to the necessary protein and vitamins... you also need to ingest the most crucial 'extraordinary pollution'—the [Frog-type Pollution Tempering Fluid], which has been purified by a professional organization!
[Strength Training], the body tempering fluid must never be stopped. In the initial introductory stage, 'diluted body tempering fluid' is injected to stimulate muscle mutation; then, after entering the introductory stage, the dosage of 'body tempering fluid' is increased, and 'frog-type pollution' beyond the muscle's tolerance limit is used to push muscle fibers to new limits, unlocking even greater potential.

After that, he continuously cultivated, injected himself, ingested nutrients, and honed his physical body to unlock its potential... until the final limit was reached: [100% muscle demonization]. At the peak of the half-step Great Perfection, to advance further, he needed to [synthesize muscle fibers], that is, [1st transformation], also known as [2 (2 to the power of 1)].

During this period, the consumption of basic body-tempering fluid was enormous. Yuan Zhu had five orcs, two earth spirit warriors, and ten dark goblin oxen and horses under his command... The shortage of the medicine was so great that he could only accelerate the [Frog Factory] to get on the right track and rely on Nie Yin to manually extract 'body-tempering fluid raw materials' to save on cultivation costs!

Now you know why no one trains 'Goblin Warriors' and tries to hold animal shows or goblin battles, right? Even if they had the inspiration and creativity, they couldn't afford to waste so much money.

With so much [Body Tempering Fluid], why waste it on goblins? Why not train some desperate, impoverished people and quickly build an "extraordinary entrepreneurial gang" to rob gold shops and banks in other cities?!
Even so, the [Power Path] is still the most cost-effective. Although breaking through the 'Muscle Limit' requires wasting a certain amount of [Body Tempering Fluid], and the amount consumed increases as the realm deepens.

However! No matter how much a frog-type strongman's muscles are strengthened, even if he stops taking medication, even if he stops exercising to maintain his physical strength, even if his muscles atrophy, he becomes covered in fat, and he is no longer in his peak condition.

However, the degree of 'muscle fiber degeneration' will not change; it will be permanently recorded by the body. For example, if the muscle degeneration reaches 80%, even if you degenerate into a fat, weak person, the muscle fibers will still remain at 80%, and the resistance to pollution will not disappear.

Even if they simply pick themselves up, eat and drink like crazy, and train like mad, they can quickly return to 80% of their peak. As for cultivating 'super goblins' from other systems, the amount of training materials and polluting resources required will inevitably far exceed those of the cheapest 'frog' type!
Yuan Zhu couldn't even afford to support the Frog-type Goblin, so he rushed to the Rain Courtyard to buy frog seedlings, intending to exploit himself and Nie Yin to illegally refine the Body Tempering Fluid on his own.

As for the consumption of [Holy Knight Essence], Yuan Zhu still provides [Holy Beakers], saving a significant amount of resources under the Holy Light system. Additionally, a [Garden of Disease] serves as fuel. The Shadow Bullmastiffs replenish their extraordinary energy consumption through the 'Shadow Aura' produced by the [Haunted House].

Regardless of the 'experimental group,' he tried his best to keep the cultivation costs to a minimum. Even so, according to Snake's calculations, his daily additional expenses had soared to 170 yuan.

It may not seem like much, but to put it another way, feeding these useless old men for a month easily costs over 5000 yuan! And they don't generate any income or return.

The worst part is that, like the two siblings, they are unregistered! They have no legal status! They can't be seen in the light of day! They can't go out to work and earn money for themselves. If the [Security Bureau] finds out, it's not just a simple fine; their goblin oxen and horses will be confiscated, and they'll face charges of 'illegally raising (possessing) contaminated species'...

If you are caught illegally possessing orcs, then you will face the serious charge of "illegally imprisoning and enslaving intelligent life"!

"It's so difficult, so incredibly difficult!"

At this moment, he felt even more strongly that his creation, the "Eggplant Essence," must be the greatest invention of this century! No food or drink required, zero cost, and 007 output!

Unfortunately, if a goblin possesses the cheapness and cost-effectiveness of the [Eggplant Goblin], it will miss out on the hard work, strength, efficiency, and durability of the [Worker Goblin].

However, if you have the 'muscle modification' of the [Power Goblin], you will face the dilemma of crazy feed consumption and frequent medication.

(End of this chapter)