I alone have my own laws; I start by fabricating myths and legends of mountains and seas.

Chen Yang quickly used his group owner privileges to change everyone's nicknames. Su Fan felt that Chen Yang had been completely fooled, and it was fortunate that the environment was stable now, otherwise this guy would have been swindled out of everything.

Ya Zi (Chen Yang): "How about it! Doesn't it feel like the style just clicked? We're the Mountain and Sea Team walking through modern society!"

Bookworm (Jiang He): "Chen Yang, please stop this meaningless self-suggestion. Forcing a uniform nickname is childish and disrupts normal communication. I reiterate that maintaining the independence of a rational observer is crucial. Do not impose your personal fantasies on group discussions."

Bai Ze (Su Fan): "Weren't you Bai Ze's most loyal servant before? How come you've become so vengeful now? My most loyal servant, where are you?"

Ya Zi (Chen Yang): "Hehe, times have changed! Before, I looked up to the great god Bai Ze, but now I've personally received Ya Zi's 'Battle Spirit,' and it feels even more exhilarating! Bai Ze's underlings are dead; now I am Ya Zi!"

Medicine Beast (Li Bowen): "Xiao Chen! You brat, how could you change things without permission! Hurry up and change it back for Xiao Jiang! @Yazi"

Ya Zi (Chen Yang): "Ah? No way... Grandpa Li, I was just thinking about forming a united front... Sister Jiang, look how well this name suits you, bookworm, eating words to understand reason, how cool is that..."

Bookworm (Jiang He): "Chen Yang, this has nothing to do with being cool or not. 'Bookworm' is an insect, an image of something that destroys books. The unknown phenomena we face require clear and objective thinking, not negative nicknames."

Bixi (Wang Jianguo): "Xiao Chen was a bit reckless, but Xiao Jiang, the connection between us is quite strange. What we call each other doesn't matter. The key is that we all understand who we're referring to and what it means. Xiao Chen meant well, wanting to make us all feel more like a group."

Bai Ze (Su Fan): "The *Xiyang Zazu* records that a bookworm that eats the character '神仙' (shénxiān, meaning immortal) three times can transform into '脉望' (màowàng, meaning pulse and vision), form a star bridge, and connect to the Xuanjing (玄境, a realm of profound mystery). It's not a negative connotation."

Medicine Beast (Li Bowen): "Xiao Su Yin's record is quite unique. He ate three immortal words and transformed into a pulse... Haven't we been poring over 'heavenly books' outside of reality these days? This name, upon closer examination, actually carries a hint of striving forward to reach a state of perfection."

Bookworm (Jiang He): "You guys are colluding to carry out semantic hijacking."

Ya Zi (Chen Yang): "No, no, no! Sister Jiang! It's a redefinition! It's giving it a positive connotation!"

Silverfish (Jiang He): "..."

Silverfish (Jiang He): "Alright. This is only a temporary internal operation codename. I have the right to request the cessation of its use whenever I deem it necessary."

Ya Zi (Chen Yang): "Completely agree!"

After a few more casual words, the conversation ended. Once the chat group quieted down, Su Fan put down his phone and rubbed his temples. Outside the window, the night was deep, and the city lights cast blurry patches of light on the glass.

This can be considered as bringing the group together into a small group. If Su Fan would have wanted to cool things down before, he has now changed his mind.

The loneliness caused by the "loss of presence" side effect of the "Windfall Compass" is not the most terrifying thing. What is terrifying is the process of being ignored itself.

This prospect sent a chill down his spine. And the "Mythical Beast Squad" became the only possible source of warmth to combat this chill.

Therefore, Su Fan decided to use the [Shared Dream Pillow] once every ten days.

Lifespan can be used as "fuel" to forge wondrous objects with specific rules and side effects.

Previous attempts to create a marvel that would extend lifespan failed, but is it possible to create a marvel that can replace lifespan in the process of creation?

This thought invigorated Su Fan. Since "lifespan" is the only "fuel" recognized by the ability, and directly acquiring or conserving lifespan is extremely difficult, is there an "intermediate substance"—one that is itself transformed from some kind of energy, yet can be accepted by the ability as an equivalent substitute for "fuel"?

The theory holds true, so let's begin to try it out.

Su Fan washed the gourd, sat cross-legged, and held it in his hands. The cool touch made the texture of the gourd's surface rub against his palms.

He focused his mind and conceived of its characteristics:

"Absorb energy and refine, purify, and condense it into corresponding 'crystals.' Crystals can replace any energy source, including lifespan."

Perceived cost.

A clear cost message enters consciousness: "Five years of lifespan."

This made Su Fan overjoyed. Sure enough, it worked. Directly increasing lifespan with strange objects was unreliable, but using other energy sources to replace the lifespan consumption when creating strange objects was a viable approach.

Therefore, from now on, when creating wondrous objects, one will no longer have to sacrifice their own lifespan.

Five years of lifespan is certainly a lot, but compared to the powerful abilities of this wondrous object, it's simply too good to be true.

Su Fan stared at the gourd.

Three seconds later, the ghostly blue text appeared:

[Strange Object: The Seven Emotions Gourd]

Rank: Dust Level

Characteristics: Energy conversion

Cost: Five years of lifespan

rule:

1. [Absorption] The Seven Emotions Gourd can absorb the emotions (joy, anger, sorrow, fear, love, hate, desire, etc.) emitted by living beings.

2. [Transformation] The absorbed emotional energy is refined within the gourd, and based on the intensity and purity of the emotion, it condenses into a corresponding 'emotional crystal' (emotional crystals are a universal energy source that can replace any energy and enhance mental strength).

3. [Storage] The Seven Emotions Gourd can store items, and the storage space increases with the user's spiritual power.

cost:

1. [Severed Emotions] Reduced perception of emotions such as joy, anger, sorrow, happiness, love, hate, and fear.

2. Users of the "Absolute Love" ability will lose the ability to love and their feelings of love will become dulled.

Su Fan was overjoyed; his plan had succeeded. This wondrous object was simply wonderful. Moreover, it seemed that the emotional crystals could enhance mental strength, and might even solve the mental fatigue that came with the [Shared Dream Pillow].

As for the price of the Seven Emotions Gourd, Su Fan, who was free from emotions and love, didn't care at all.

Su Fan wasn't the kind of person with particularly strong or abundant emotions, so he didn't find it too hard to accept the decline in his emotional perception and the loss of his ability to love.

It's absurd to say that he could be emotionally sensitive and loving without using the Seven Emotions Gourd.

Furthermore, the storage ability of the Seven Emotions Gourd can be used to carry the modified artifacts with you, preventing them from being lost.

The next morning, Su Fan awoke from a restless sleep. The Seven Emotions Gourd hung quietly by his bedside; after a night's rest, the excitement of yesterday's successful forging and initial testing had subsided.

He plans to conduct an "urban emotional walk" today, testing the passive absorption ability of the "Seven Emotions Gourd" in everyday life scenarios and observing the abundance of emotional energy in different environments.

The first stop was the subway during the morning rush hour. The carriages were packed with sleepy-eyed or hurried commuters.

Su Fan quietly focused his mind and activated the absorption function of the Seven Emotions Gourd, setting it to widely receive all emotional fluctuations within a ten-meter radius that reached the threshold.

However, the feedback was extremely weak. Most passengers seemed to be wrapped in a thick shell of "emotional numbness"—the fatigue from a long, repetitive life, the helpless endurance of crowded spaces, and the brief moments of blankness while staring at their phone screens. Occasionally, there were sporadic sparks of emotion: some people felt a flicker of annoyance because of poor cell phone signal, while others smiled slightly when they saw an interesting video.

However, the intensity was too low and the duration was too short. The Seven Emotions Gourd only captured some negligible emotional dust, not even enough to form the smallest crystal.

The bus ride wasted more than ten minutes of Su Fan's time, but the emotional impact he gained was pitifully small.

Su Fan couldn't help but feel that office workers were truly a numb bunch, with thin and indifferent emotions, which was really pathetic.

Next, he went to the shopping street, the park, and the cafes. The situation was much the same. People's emotions seemed to be filtered and diluted by daily trivialities and social masks.

Happiness is restrained, anger is suppressed, and sadness is hidden. Occasionally, one might see couples or children expressing their emotions more openly, and this is when the advantage of Su Fan's reduced presence becomes apparent.

After most of the day had passed, the "harvest" inside the Seven Emotions Gourd was meager, consisting only of a few tiny, mixed-color glass beads, each the size of a crystal of emotions.

However, it was far from reaching the point of solidifying into standard crystals. Su Fan's mood gradually shifted from anticipation to helplessness.

If the daily emotional output rate is so low, his plan to quickly accumulate "emotional fuel" by relying on the "Seven Emotions Gourd" will be greatly thwarted.

As the saying goes, there is always a way out. As long as you want to go, the road is right under your feet. Su Fan quickly came up with a solution.

Intense emotional fluctuations are nothing more than extreme joy and sorrow, highs and lows. Su Fan's first thought was casinos, but he didn't know any casinos in the area, and legal, open casinos in China were too far away.

So Su Fan found a substitute at the casino. Without further hesitation, Su Fan changed direction and headed towards the nearest large general hospital in his memory.

The moment Su Fan stepped into the hospital, he felt a significant difference in the feedback from the Seven Emotions Gourd. The air seemed to become "thick" and "heavy," with an invisible pressure formed by countless intense emotions mingling and permeating the air.

Even though he hadn't actively activated the gourd to absorb the energy, the omnipresent emotional fluctuations were still detected by his slightly dulled senses due to the Seven Emotions Gourd.

Like an ordinary visitor, he walked slowly through the hospital lobby, registration area, emergency room, and inpatient corridors, while activating the absorption function of the Seven Emotions Gourd. He limited the range to within ten meters of himself, absorbing only naturally dissipated emotional fluctuations that reached a certain intensity, specifically targeting those who were clearly in a state of extreme grief or vulnerability.

Outside the intensive care unit, relatives with no other choice but to pray to God; inside the operating room, the boundless fear of death; the helplessness and pity felt by the doctors.

Who says hospitals are bad? Hospitals are great! Su Fan felt that he was finally getting to eat human blood buns.