Chapter 238: Energy Crisis, Scientific Refinement
“It’s dawn again?!”
Another all-night sleepless cultivation session. When Yuan Zhu ended the half-asleep, half-awake 【Tiger Demon. Dream Demon Supplement】 secret technique, he was startled awake by the sound of rain hitting the glass outside the window.
Looking up, hazy light shone in from outside. Switching to human stance, he carefully perceived for a moment. Last night, he had successfully pushed the progress of the ‘new ability’ nurtured by 【2 Seals】 to 4/5.
He had a premonition that he only needed to persist in refining 5-6 more 【Little Pumpkins】 to fully uncover the true face of this 【new Holy Light Skill】. It was definitely related to 【Space Attribute】!
He just wasn’t sure exactly how it would manifest. He looked forward to the day he could handcraft 【Space Equipment】.
By then, his net worth would skyrocket, and he could achieve financial freedom just by ‘selling equipment’.
Snake Snake retorted: “I actually don’t hope Boss can awaken 【Space Creation】, because the investment and return are way too mismatched! Just over 30 of the cheapest 【Little Pumpkins】, with raw material costs over 1000 points in the 【Exchange List】, to refine the ability to create 【Space Equipment】? How is that possible! If it really works, it’ll probably have terrifying side effects, like temporarily granting space expansion to a sealed container, but only lasting half an hour or something.”
Yuan Zhu: “You usually speak so nicely, why are you being such a buzzkill today?”
“Because I won’t deceive you, Boss! Based on my summary, this Du Ling’s supernatural powers always come with huge risks and flaws. How could we get such a huge bargain?”
Yuan Zhu: “I estimate one more all-nighter and we’ll have the answer. I hope your broom mouth doesn’t jinx it.”
“Ptoo ptoo ptoo! Child’s words are carefree, blown away by the wind. My Boss will surely have his wishes come true, smooth sailing, everything going his way! Grand opening, early birth of a noble son…”
After checking the 【Seal Casting】 progress, he scanned the 【Worm Pillars】 progress in his 【Universe Within The Belly】.
Because of refining 12 at once, the total mission progress was only 2/3 complete. If he had split them into independent missions back then, he should have been able to refine 5 to 6 by now.
Overall, bundling multiple groups for refining together still had higher cost-performance.
…
After ending cultivation, Yuan Zhu saw it was another day of continuous drizzly rain, so he didn’t rush to summon Nie Yin to accompany him through the muddy water. Instead, he chose to inspect the 【Haunted House】 and take stock of his personal property.
Every time he did this, he felt a satisfying sense of achievement from his assets slowly accumulating and gradually exploding in value.
If there was any regret? Probably that this property had too eerie a style, couldn’t see the light of day, and could only be secretly enjoyed.
He started patrolling from the attic of the 【Haunted House】. This spot was the highest, serving as the villa’s ‘hub + central control’. Four Eggplant Head Ghosts guarded here daily, monitoring and protecting the mirror for entering and exiting the 【Disease Garden】.
After over a month’s honing, the 【Dataized Soul Intelligence (Stupidity) Program】 that Yuan Zhu had built for the Eggplant Head Ghosts based on 【Brain Eggplant CPU + Soul Memory Stick】 had been polished to greater maturity.
Though they still lagged in ‘independent thinking’, their ‘execution and action power’ had skyrocketed.
Yuan Zhu had externally attached one 【Brain Eggplant CPU】 to each of their heads; Snake Snake handled writing programs via the 【Immortal Scripture】, then transmitting, downloading, and uploading data through 【Memory Sticks】, constantly practicing and optimizing.
At first, the Eggplant Ghosts’ behavior patterns were influenced by Tiger Companion instincts and pollution erosion twisting their souls, manifesting as mad, irrational, and incomprehensible.
But after being beaten by Yuan Zhu many times, through repeated behavior corrections + small data training, the four 【Brain Eggplants】 would exchange databases precisely at midnight every night.
Whenever Yuan Zhu returned to the 【Haunted House】, Snake Snake would unleash the 【Immortal Scripture】’s potential in soul data domains, helping them upgrade and optimize.
Now, the four Eggplant Head Ghosts had skyrocketing spirituality, greatly increased intelligence, and were increasingly human-like!
Specifically: They had slowly learned to follow rules, handling matters methodically. They created numerous simple ‘behavior templates’ in the 【Brain Eggplants】, with behavior styles that were very human-like. They could even understand language and establish corresponding behavior logic.
Thus, the current Eggplant Head Ghosts were fully capable of fulfilling the duties of 【Vicious Overseers】, daily whipping the awakened Eggplant Goblins with Shadow Eggplant tentacles, driving them through the mirror into the 【Disease Garden】 to harvest pollution crops in designated ‘safe zones’, then transporting them into the 【Haunted House】 for the Shadow Eggplant root tendrils pervading the rooms to devour and digest, obtaining nutrients and energy sustenance.
This endless stream of ‘disease fuel’ supported the entire internal energy cycle of the 【Haunted House】.
Yuan Zhu descended continuously along the stairs, seeing all walls, ceilings, and floors crawling with dense 【Shadow Plant Root Tendril Energy Pipelines】, like activated blood vessels bulging, pulsing, and transporting black viscous ‘shadow blood’, powering the entire villa.
After continuous cleaning, the original cracks, mycelium, crushed stone on the floorboards… had all been cleared away. Instead, stalks of ‘Shadow Eggplant plants’ sprouted perfectly from walls and roofs, branching, scattering leaves, blooming flowers, yet not overgrowing, giving a eerie sense of beauty, and even improving air freshness.
“Not bad, still underworldly, but much more pleasing to the eye. No more dirty, messy, poor feeling; living comfort has greatly improved…”
The underworld villa was beautiful, but seeing those translucent wriggling fetal membranes curled into balls (【Dormant Eggplant Goblins】), growing from the floor, embedded in walls, hanging from the roof, making full use of the limited bedroom space, made Yuan Zhu’s eye twitch.
He felt gratified for having so many ‘007 half-plant cattle and horses’, yet uncomfortable with this underworld biological battery matrix.
Too oppressive, too evil! The Holy Church folks couldn’t stand this sight.
Snake Snake: “The 【Haunted House】’s shadow root network persistently devours ‘disease crops’ every day, increasing the power drawn from the 【Shadow Layer】 spiritual energy; while converting ‘pollution nutrients’ to sustain the entire building’s 【Eggplant Goblins, Magic Worms】, deepening their erosion.”
After patrolling a full circle, Yuan Zhu stood in the grand dining room with its cleaned table and chairs rearranged neatly, exquisite tableware placed on the desktop, and sighed at the 【Haunted House】: “It’s reached the limit!”
…
Compared to the 【Disease Garden】 that didn’t belong to him, this 【Haunted House】 was his (【Tiger Demon】’s) true private property, half a 【Shadow Territory】.
The first time Yuan Zhu came to clear the evil spirits, he used 【Tiger Demon】 to leak 【Shadow Pollution】, eroding and refining the haunted house that already had a built-in ‘sealed barrier system’.
Ultimately, after eliminating the evil spirits, he replaced them, inheriting the villa’s small sealed independent barrier.
Afterward, he planted the semi-spiritual plant 【Shadow Eggplant】, which depended on the 【Tiger Demon】 for existence, throughout the villa. This further hijacked, replaced, and reinforced the original ‘barrier foundation’, thoroughly 【Shadow Pollution】-izing the entire building.
Thus, under the growth blessing of ‘shadow plants’, the 【Haunted House】 elevated its internal pollution concentration by a level. From then on, the indoor space’s pollution concentration was directly proportional to the 【Shadow Eggplant colony】’s development and growth.
Later, he peeled off and left four 【Eggplant Head Ghost Companions】, turning them into earthbound spirits, injecting souls into the rigid, unintelligent ‘plant barrier’ to become four administrators.
The addition of the Eggplant Head Ghosts brought the 【Haunted House】’s originally rigid and stiff ‘shadow spiritual energy circulation’ to life, operating at higher efficiency, and capable of executing simple daily tasks. (Snake Snake wrote the 【Artificial Stupidity Program】)
Now, the Eggplant Head Ghosts controlled the ‘Goblin laborers’, continuously stealing pollution crops from the 【Disease Garden】 to feed the 【Haunted House】. They cleverly stayed at the limit where the 【Haunted House】 could perfectly digest without being reverse-infected and eroded by 【Disease Pollution】.
This external drive allowed the 【Haunted House】 to continuously acquire ‘high-quality pollution nutrients’ while accelerating active extraction of more and higher-concentration ‘shadow spiritual energy’ from the 【Shadow Layer】. No longer relying on the 【Haunted House】’s shadow barrier to passively absorb constant low-concentration ‘shadow spiritual energy’.
With this extra ‘strong drive’, Yuan Zhu could turn the 【Haunted House】 into a fully automated factory, processing batches of live Goblins. Kneading them into half-plant person state 【007 Working Eggplant Goblins】, then into dormancy, maintaining long-term activity.
The entire process was flawless!
Yuan Zhu didn’t need to waste any energy; with just Snake Snake’s daily program optimizations, he gained a steady stream of ‘working Eggplant Goblins, Shadow Eggplant fruits’, various ‘quasi-Ghost Companion refinement raw materials’… assets automatically accumulating daily.
But at this moment, he discovered the 【Haunted House】’s value-added expansion period had ended; its utilization rate had reached the limit!
Based on the Tiger Demon’s control of the 【Haunted House】 and Snake Snake’s data calculations via the 【Immortal Scripture】, this 【Shadow Haunted House】 could no longer support more ‘Goblins, Magic Worms, Orcs’ and maintain current functions by consuming more ‘disease crops’.
Once the intake of ‘disease food’ broke the balance, the 【Haunted House】’s shadow purity would also be broken.
From previously refining disease pollution, it would turn into being reverse-polluted and eroded by the 【Disease Garden】, gradually disease-ifying the entire 【Haunted House】.
Comparing the volumes of 【Haunted House】 and 【Disease Garden】 was like a container versus a freighter.
If the 【Haunted House】 were reverse-captured by the 【Disease Garden】, it would face an ‘influx of disease system pollution’ invading the human world. Yuan Zhu could only harvest a wave temporarily, then flee with his bucket.
If curbing ‘feeding’ and the influx of ‘new (live) Goblins’ broke the balance, the currently stored 【Eggplant Goblins (136)】 would fall into power (energy) shortage, accelerating death, halting transformation, or failing to awaken from dormancy, leading to attempts at destruction and escape.
The 【Haunted House】’s internal functions were at extreme utilization. Once disrupted internally by out-of-control Eggplant Goblins, consumption would surge again, triggering chain reactions.
If curbing feeding and halting Goblin intake to maintain status quo, it would also face new power shortages for 【Tiger Demon, Anti-Law】 cultivation.
The 【Tiger Demon】 also treated the 【Haunted House】 as a super charging station; upon returning home, endless ‘shadow spiritual energy’ aided cultivation!
Now, as the 【Tiger Demon】’s strength grew ever stronger, demand for shadow spiritual energy began surging (【Universe Within The Belly】 refinement missions); while in human stance beyond Tiger Demon, the 【Anti-Law. Shadow Capital Pool】 became a new bottomless pit.
It could truly infinitely accept 【Shadow Pollution】 to strengthen the 【Anti-Law. Shadow】 law intensity.
…
Yuan Zhu: “My 【Haunted House】 has also reached the limit? Is it that I’m too strong, or is this villa too weak?”
After discovering his asset growth bottlenecked, Yuan Zhu felt inner torment. Not earning was losing, a billion in blood loss!
Snake Snake: “Two solutions! Either, start actively colonizing and developing the 【Disease Garden】. Start by pouring in 【Shadow Pollution】 and fight it! Pollute the entire 【Garden】, ultimately turning it into 【Tiger Demon’s RBQ Garden】.”
“But the difficulty is enormous. After all, our current total ‘shadow pollution’ isn’t enough to whale-swallow and backlash the entire 【Disease Garden】; head-on clash would just get us crushed! The only way is to attempt 【Shadow Domain】. Root first without being counter-killed, then carve out one city today, two tomorrow… ultimately using 【Decompression. Server】 to turn this into our stronghold.”
Yuan Zhu decisively shook his head: Pass!
This plan had been proposed long ago and rejected. Because the 【Disease Garden】 didn’t belong to him at all, and was clearly a timed bomb planted in Running City by some unknown force.
Occupying the 【Garden】 would be actively courting death. That’s why he secretly stole and privately occupied the 【Haunted House】 as a transit station, pilfering as much as possible before the original owner returned to check.
Snake Snake: “Second solution: Accelerate 【Worm Pillar】 refinement speed. Then leave Running City, find an auspicious land in the 【Misty Mountains】, set up a 【Shadow Domain】, strengthen connection to the 【Shadow Layer】, and boost spiritual energy extraction power.”
“Just like creating a sect gate, building a mountain protection array, then constructing a top-tier spirit gathering array to madly draw ‘shadow spiritual energy’, expand territory as much as possible, raise the sect gate’s spiritual energy concentration high, naturally sustaining more low-level minions. Once the 【Great Desolation Immortal Scripture】 decompresses, it’ll form a qualitative change, creating our private base!”
“But 【Worm Pillar】 refinement efficiency still depends on the power-starved 【Haunted House】. Relying on your personal efforts alone, Boss, who’d know when it’d happen.”
Yuan Zhu pondered seriously: “So the current problem is still stuck at the 【Haunted House】’s energy tension and power at limit? Hmm… To solve this… Sure enough, slaughter a batch of 【Goblins】 as sacrifice to heaven!”
He glanced at his 【Universe Within The Belly】 at 70% occupancy, immediately issuing new orders to the Eggplant Head Ghosts to select 60 Goblins that had been heavily feeding on 【Shadow Eggplants】 for multiple days.
Based on previous rounds of 【Ghost Companion Refinement Experiment】 data reports, the Ghost Companion pollution plugin: 【Brain Eggplant CPU】 refinement formula involved Goblins heavily consuming 【Shadow Tomato Fruit】, stimulating brain pollution mutation, undergoing failed ‘Ghost Companion Refinement’, ultimately birthing ‘miniature tomato-shaped external brains’. (Shaped like devil fruits, brain fold patterns, tomato shape, black.)
With multiple experiment data support, this time Yuan Zhu discarded cumbersome useless parts, having the Eggplant Head Ghosts ‘decapitate and extract brains’. The 【Universe Within The Belly】 space that originally refined one Goblin now batch-refined dozens of pollution-mutated brains at once, directly yielding 【Brain Eggplant CPUs】, with efficiency exploding!
“This is the productivity boost from scientific R&D!”
In the Immortal Path Universe, ancient primitive Tiger Demons could only rely on experience, devouring Goblins one by one for luck-based Ghost Companion or plugin refinement; scientific version 【Immortal Scripture】 Tiger Demon, through experiments and data feedback, precisely excavates ‘core formulas’ for efficient mass production of 【Brain Eggplant CPUs】.
Next, Yuan Zhu said: “Don’t waste the remaining torsos and heads. Use torsos as inevitable-failure Ghost Companion raw materials, attempt to refine into 【Extraordinary Shadow Pollution】 as nourishment for 【Ghost Companion】 growth; uniformly process heads and send to Meng Xi to see if they can be made into 【Skull Servers】?”
Snake Snake retorted: “Brains all dug out, no souls left, and the lowest Goblin heads at that— this stuff worthy of becoming ‘Skull Servers’?”
Yuan Zhu: “Just try it. If it fails, send to the 【Underground World】 for the little girl to practice, make into 【Corpse Seed】 spirit grass pots for planting spirit medicine.”
Snake Snake nodded in agreement: “That works. The higher the pollution concentration of the corpse remains, the higher quality spirit medicine they breed. These shadow pure heads are suited for growing underworld-attribute herbs in the 【Shadow Domain】!”
“One Goblin, three uses! Back then, catching Goblins left us clueless, only able to group them for random ‘Ghost Companion Refinement’, to now high-efficiency, mass pre-fab Goblins, unified refinement, precise classification… Science is truly the primary productive force.”
Accompanied by batches of sleeping Goblins suffering the Eggplant Head Ghosts’ vicious hands, then swallowed into the 【Snake Demon】’s belly, starting new missions.
Yuan Zhu felt like his undertaking was on track. The painstakingly crafted 【Eggplant Goblins】 didn’t die, but accompanied him in a more durable form (CPU), accompanying their kin.
Later Goblins each had a black Brain Eggplant on their heads like the calabash brothers, relying on 【Artificial Intelligence. Cattle and Horses Program】, instantly becoming skilled workers. This was the predecessors protecting them with themselves.
“The 【Haunted House】 is still too small. Really looking forward to the day the 007 cattle and horses Eggplant Goblin production line expands in the 【Shadow Domain】!”
