Chapter 146: Disease Vs Magic Worm
“You’re still far from Ascension! However, being able to sense the ‘Sinking Sensation’ in human stance within a [Haunted House] that already has one layer of Isolation is indeed something to take seriously. After my detection of your ‘Data Soul Program’, Boss, I’ve roughly found the crux of the issue.”
Little Spicy Stick actively mobilized the [Great Desolation Immortal Scripture. Client] to repeatedly scan Yuan Zhu, finally obtaining an answer.
Yuan Zhu asked curiously: “What is the reason?”
“It’s the [Tiger Demon] Overload! To be precise, the [Ghost Companion Divine Ability] is severely overloaded, plus the [Universe Within The Belly] swallowed several ‘big guys’, ultimately causing the ‘quality’ of the [Tiger Demon] to exceed a certain Threshold. Even with the [Boss Template] contracting into the depths of your soul, it still suffered Rejection from Du Ling Star, giving you the illusion of sinking into shadows.”
“Overload, huh?” Hearing Little Spicy Stick’s response, Yuan Zhu felt a sudden realization. “That makes sense!”
The next second, he activated the [Tiger Demon] form, and that pulling sensation and Sinking Sensation originating from Du Ling Star immediately intensified.
The Tiger Demon, with an even more massively inflated body, as soon as it appeared, squeezed the ‘Floor Mirror’ to the corner of the Attic. Its huge body curled up cautiously and tried hard to restrain and compress its size.
At the same time, looking down, its four limbs were indeed stepping on the solid Floor, pressing the Wooden Floor to creak. This was the pressure brought by the Tiger Demon’s enormous self-weight.
At the same time, he could feel the entire [Tiger Demon] sinking into the shadows, just like placing a heavy barbell plate on a trampoline. The originally level surface began to sag downward, but not enough to sink below the surface.
“Squeak squeak squeak!” “Buddha buddha buddha!” “Buzz buzz buzz!” “Eggplant eggplant eggplant!”…
The shadows around the [Tiger Demon] began to spread, and soon four familiar Eggplant Head Ghosts emerged first, returning to the familiar [Shadow Haunted House]. They immediately connected to the Shadow Eggplant Root Tendrils infiltrating the Wall, Roof, and Floor, retook control of the entire [Haunted House], and established an energy pathway in the [Shadow Layer].
Then, one after another huge ‘Shadow Magic Worm (Ghost Companion)’ crawled out from the shadows. The smaller ones were the size of residential area Trash Cans, the larger ones comparable to Three-wheeled Carts. The mere Attic couldn’t accommodate this group of immortals.
So one Eggplant Head Ghost decisively jumped out, opened the Stair Door, and used ‘Shadow Vines’ emerging from the Floor to point out a path, guiding the Magic Worms to rumble toward the Second Floor.
In an instant, the Ghost House at the Villa entrance, sealed with a ‘No Entry, Enter at Your Own Risk’ Seal, once again emitted eerie rumbling sounds and hissing cries, continuously… making nearby residents shudder, and greatly lowering their evaluation of Fire Fang’s Demon Extermination.
As one [Shadow Magic Worm] after another separated from the Tiger Demon’s shadow, the ‘Sinking, pulling’ sensation he felt rapidly weakened, so he said to the tail: “Sure enough! You guessed right.”
After forcing all 20 Shadow Magic Worms of various breeds out of its body, the Tiger Demon felt much more relaxed. That originally clearly perceived ‘Sinking Sensation’ had now disappeared, but it was still in an ‘overweight state’, with very close connection to the [Shadow Layer].
He had only temporarily released all [Ghost Companions]—4 Eggplant Head + 20 Magic Worms—but the [Universe Within The Belly] hadn’t freed up space; it was still stuffed full.
Tiger Demon: “The Sinking Sensation is gone, but I’m sure the connection between [Tiger Demon] and [Shadow Layer] is even tighter. The ‘Shadow Spiritual Energy’ drawn every moment has at least doubled by 5 times! One word: [Strong]. I have a premonition that if the [Boss Template]’s intensity can go further, I might be able to ‘Shatter the Void!'”
The Skeleton Snake Head’s eye sockets flashed with bloody light: “Shatter the Void? Like the [Shatter the Void] of the Underground World?”
“Are you dreaming? Du Ling-type [Ascension] points to the [Spirit Layer]. Gods and Demons’ [Second Ascension] can Escape into the [Nightmare Bubble Layer]. And my ‘Shatter the Void’ has only one direction: the [Shadow Layer] underfoot!”
The Tiger Demon patted a layer of shadow on the Floor, its tone and mentality somewhat collapsing.
…
Who knows whether the [Great Desolation Immortal Scripture] initially choosing to Hijack the [Shadow Demon God] was a genius move? Or a brain-dead decision?
He finally realized that [Shadow Pollution], compared to other mature [Major Pollution Sources], is a total noob. Perhaps because it was weak, low intensity, and insufficient potential, it was easily Hijacked and Refined by the [Immortal Scripture], losing some Demon God traits.
This made the [Tiger Demon] wield the ‘Power of Pollution’ with ease, never encountering bottlenecks, with cultivation speed flying up.
But made by shadows, defeated by shadows too.
This thing has low intensity; no one of the same level can be beaten. His [Ghost Companion Divine Ability] has great difficulty Refining other Polluted Monsters, but his own Ghost Companions are easily reverse-polluted. ([Shadow Magic Worm] after full Refinement still retains 40+% other pollution. [Unyielding Pride])
Now, even the Tiger Demon’s Ascension career path is unique.
Other Pollution Systems, regardless of strength or size, after ‘Pollution Degree’ breaks through a certain level, the [Ascension Impulse] all points to the [Spirit Layer]. That’s the grand stage for all (pollution) powerhouses in the Real World.
Including this [Disease Garden], Yuan Zhu guesses it’s a ‘small Fragment’ peeled off from the [Spirit Layer], hidden in the Present World. As for the [Shadow Layer]… no need to mention it. Its ‘low status’ he now understands clearly.
[Shadow Dimension] has various sizes of worlds and layers. If worlds or Space/Dimensions are seen as large and small commodities.
Then the [Shadow Layer]’s status is like the protective film, sticker film, plastic-sealed packaging of products. No commodity lacks outer packaging. Even an Apple needs a mesh bag. At least it provides sound insulation, dust isolation, water repulsion…
The genius bootlicker girl hurriedly flattered: “King, don’t be discouraged! After [Tiger Demon] Ascends to [Shadow Layer], it’s not like you can’t continue Ascending to [Spirit Layer]. Since Demon Gods have ‘Second Ascension’, why can’t you have ‘1.5th Ascension + 2.5th Ascension’? Your [Shadow Shattering] is surpassing and leading other Practitioners’ ‘half-step Shatter the Void Great Perfection’!”
“Moreover, other polluters find it hard to Shatter the Spirit Layer, but you Shatter the Shadow Layer easily! With the qualifications of a powerhouse, first enter kindergarten (Shadow Dimension) to dominate, cultivate invincible heart, accumulate enough Resources, then Shatter and Ascend to Spirit Layer again. Ahead of other Competitors before the starting line!”
The Tiger Demon’s dejected heart was swept clean, instantly confident again, chest out, arrogantly flicking its skeletal tail.
Praising: “Well said! [Shadow Shattering] isn’t me being too trash? It’s me being too strong, innately having 0.5 more layers of Ascension potential than others!”
“Right! You’re absolutely not a lame tiger, but a 1.5 times big long-legged Tiger King!”
…
After brief Joy, the Tiger Demon rallied its spirit and ordered a pair of [Shadow Magic Worms] to follow it into the Disease Garden.
It wanted to see how the new version Ghost Companions performed facing a brand new ‘Pollution Source (Disease)’ after leaving the [Bubble World]?
Eggplant Head Ghost’s raw material is Garbage, so Ghost Companion is Garbage, can’t beat ‘Disease Pollution’, instead gets polluted; but it has high hopes for the ‘Magic Worms’ that grew up in triple pollution.
As a result, when the two Magic Worms drilled into the [Disease Garden], they were immediately stunned! Is this the prosperous Otherworld metropolis? So luxurious!
Okay. ‘Ghost Companion Magic Worms’ of course don’t have that Intelligence.
However, even after being Refined into brainless Ghost Companions, having cut karmic ties with their previous life’s ‘Demonic Giant Insect’. Their shriveled brains still retained faint cognition of the ‘World’, stuck in the extremely barren impression of the [Underground World], with Desire for ‘Food’ long engraved deep in the Bloodline.
Now, these two ‘Shadow Magic Worms’ saw the vibrant Disease Garden overflowing with Vitality (Disease Vitality) upon entry. Even as Ghost Companions, they crashed momentarily, then burst with intense appetite and Desire.
They signaled the Tiger Demon: ‘Desire to eat, want to devour the entire world.’
What paradise is this? Even the Soil turned into fat, black-oily Flesh Tumors. Those mutated flowers and Plants full of vigorous Vitality, so appetizing! Everywhere is Food, no ‘Iron Poison, Immortal Zombie Tendrils, Miasma’ at all, too clean!
‘Ghost Companion Magic Worms” Intelligence is only slightly higher than normal Insects. Their Bloodline info has no Warning info outside ‘Spiritual Root, metal, Insect System’, considering the [Disease Garden] all clean Food.
Thus, they erupted with excited insect cries, and upon receiving Tiger Demon’s order, pounced recklessly, feasting heartily.
…
Soon, a large amount of Disease Plants were swept into by the [Shadow Magic Worms] storm, swallowed, Digested, bodies began to inflate, ushering in a new round of growth.
Similarly, Disease Pollution drove straight in, infiltrating the half-Shadowified ‘Mutated Tissue’, Pollution Degree began to surge. Just like the ‘Shadow Goblin’ was quickly polluted back then, still within expectations.
Soon, the Tiger Demon discovered that the Magic Worms, originally at the ‘Ghost Companion’ limit, had their Strength level usher in a new fierce Improvement, breaking through the limit. But the price was the original residual [Insect System True Qi Pollution] proportion plummeting at the same speed.
The original ‘pre-Meridians Dao Seed Tissue’ constructed, Refined by [Ghost Companion Divine Ability] into [Mutated Tissue (Ghost Companion Wetware)], after swallowing, Digesting, Absorbing Disease Plants, proliferated and mutated (Diseaseified) rapidly.
The balance inside the [Ghost Companion Magic Worms] was broken again, adding new [Disease Pollution] component. At the same time, the original [Spiritual Energy] jointly composed of [Kunlun System, Knight System, Insect System] rapidly dissipated. The [Disease Garden] lacks ‘Polluting Energy (Miasma)’, Iron Poison, Spiritual Root Tendrils get no Compensation, all replaced by [Disease].
The original [Knight System]’s biological alloy shell (Bug Gold) also, during Magic Worm volume expansion, was Diluted, reduced, hardness lowered, but gained brand new [Disease System] mutated shell…
The principle is simple: ‘Magic Worms’ detached from [Underground World]’s Pollution environment. Losing [Kunlun System Root Tendrils, Knight Iron Poison] supplements, impacted by new [Disease Pollution], Ghost Companion’s ‘Pollution Composition’ began collapsing the Insectoid Race, specifically manifesting as: black sturdy shell, Bones intact, but black Shadow Flesh Tissue began dissolving. The ‘Magic Worms’ that should die bit by bit, Reborn in the Mutation brought by ‘Disease Pollution’.
Fortunately, their core changed to [Shadow], and [Insect System biological Tissue] Refined by Shadow Pollution. So [Tiger Demon] intervened in time, under continuous supply of ‘Shadow Pollution’, smoothly survived, and the ‘Shadow Mutated Tissue’ mutated, form more grotesque and inflated.
Magic Worm shell grew large and small ‘chitinous Flesh Tumors’, cracking open slits from which small eyeballs drilled out, dripping and spinning wildly; while Insect shell’s pores coughed, spraying ‘pathogens’ Pollution outward.
But it didn’t last long; this group of newborn [Shadow Disease Magic Worms] soon hit another limit again, unable to grow further.
Detached from original living environment, then converted to Ghost Companions, lost the infinite expansion potential like normal [Demonic Giant Insect], now locked.
Tiger Demon waited a moment more, confirmed the two Magic Worms relied purely on ‘gorgeous feasting’, Digesting and Absorbing Disease Garden’s flowers, grass, oily Flesh Tumor Soil, skyrocketing to ‘limit’. Then re-controlled them, exited the Garden, returned to Haunted House for secondary detection.
…
Before this ‘Bubble World Mission’, excluding [Boss Template]. Yuan Zhu was just a Newcomer initially contacting the Supernatural System, just cultivated [Holy Light], with shallow understanding and Cognition of this world, feeling mysteries everywhere.
But after this Mission, he gained insight, accumulated confidence.
Still facing this Haunted House and the ‘Disease Garden’ behind it, he was no longer as nervous as before, worrying about mysterious power behind the Garden coming to settle accounts. Especially after witnessing ‘Root Network, Underground Insect City’, personally creating a [Small Camp], he felt like a ‘Township-level Enterprise’ who had seen the world, weathered storms, confident and capable to face the [Disease Garden].
If previous him treated [Disease Garden] like suddenly picking up a fortune, paranoid and afraid to fence it, fearing the owner coming, unclear about the Garden’s upper and lower limits; now, he could calmly guess and analyze the Garden’s Strength and Pollution attributes reasonably.
Not considering [Disease Pollution]’s Development potential, the Garden’s own Strength far exceeds his nascent [Shadow Domain], but far inferior to any random [Insect City]. And he personally killed in and out of [Insect City], so a mere [Garden], he no longer feared. Confident to control it in hand, won’t lose control.
As for Magic Worms, [Shadow System Pollution] is indeed trash. His [Ghost Companion Divine Ability] truly Refined only the unranked ‘Eggplant Head Monk’, successfully into possessing ‘Buddha Tomato’ traits [Eggplant Head Ghost] (100% Shadow System Ghost Companion).
While ranked [Demonic Giant Insect] couldn’t be thoroughly Refined, Shadow Magic Worm’s ‘Insect System, metal’ residuals heavy. Now swallowing ‘Disease’ to replace ‘Root Tendril Pollution’, causing secondary Development. While getting Stronger, the familiar [Disease Pollution] rapidly eroded and Suppressed all Pollutions including [Shadow].
If letting the two [Shadow Magic Worms] stay in the Garden, feasting freely. Next meeting, they’d be two super ‘Shadow attribute. Disease Magic Worms’ reverse-Refined by the [Garden]!
To prevent Private Property loss, he must bring the [Disease Magic Worms] back to Haunted House, then slowly research.
…
Leaving the Attic, arriving at the spacious Second Floor, looking at a group of brainless Shadow Magic Worms wandering randomly, Yuan Zhu had a headache.
They are ‘Ghost Companions’ unable to reproduce smoothly, growth upper limit ‘temporarily’ locked, also can’t Shadowify like Eggplant Head Ghosts, smoothly integrate into [Tiger Demon] body. Packaging via [Universe Within The Belly] too heavy, oppressing self to produce [Sinking (Ascension) Impulse], affecting life quality.
But if just idling them, ignoring, he felt unhappy. How to make these ‘Magic Worms’ create value? Instead of a bunch of decorations.
Little Spicy Stick: “Send into Sewer, contribute talent to society, hunt and capture Goblins for us? Purify Running City’s underground environment.”
Yuan Zhu shook his head: “They are [Ghost Companions], can’t act freely, must stay in [Tiger Demon]’s WiFi range. Or temporarily store in the ‘Haunted House (weakened enclosed Shadow Barrier)’ Refined by ‘Shadow Eggplant Root Tendrils’.”
