Chapter 148: Re-entering Yellow Millet Town
After leaving the Underground World and bidding farewell to the Shadow Dream Hole, Yuan Zhu lost his temporary Storage Space.
Upon his return, aside from the backpack he carried with him that could only bring back a limited amount of goods, he only had the Universe Within The Belly to smuggle some large-volume private goods.
Since this was a super digestion space, ordinary objects thrown into the Universe Within The Belly would only be digested and absorbed by the Tiger Demon. The only thing that could resist refinement was the Shadow System’s Ghost Companion Plugin.
At this time, what the Snake Tail spat out were all the supernatural pollution tissues he had collected overtime in the Bubble World by recycling fallen Shadow Magic Worms and secondarily decomposing them: Unyielding Proud Bone (Insect Gold Carapace) ×12, Mutated Tissue (Meridian Mutation Tissue) ×16.
Seeing the huge insect shells collected by Yuan Zhu, Little Spicy Stick asked curiously: “What do you plan to do with these Exoskeleton shells? Their structure is too sturdy for the Ghost Companion to wear. Other Magic Worms have their own shells and cannot use them. We also lack Heaven Rank Armor Casting methods and have no Qi Refiners.”
Tiger Demon: “Store them first, I’ll see if I can find interested collectors? Or sell them to the Space of Gods, or find a way to grind them down and refine Bug Gold. In any case, they definitely have value. As for the Mutated Tissue, I plan to try it on the Goblins to see if I can replicate the Meridian System. Then the Shadow Breathing Technique I’ve collected can come into play!”
Afterward, the Tiger Demon summoned the Eggplant Head Ghosts and had them transport these precious Shadow materials to the basement for proper storage.
After completing all this, the Tiger Demon felt deeply exhausted.
Before returning to the Happy Home, it had stayed on the dangerous Surface for a full two days without rest. Now it finally couldn’t hold on, so it decided not to go home first and rest directly.
Opening its mouth in a big yawn, the Tiger Demon said to the tail: “I feel too exhausted, I’ll sleep first. Leave the remaining small issues to you.”
The Snake Tail patted its chest in assurance: “Leave it to me, absolutely reliable! When you were in Secluded Cultivation in the Shadow Dream Hole, wasn’t it me managing the Animal Husbandry Village?”
“I’m counting on you… Zzz.”
The Tiger Demon sprawled on the Second Floor’s wooden floor, drooping its pitch-black fluffy big head, pillowing it on its thick arm bend, falling asleep at lightspeed, with low rumbling snores emanating from its throat.
On the surface of the wooden floor beneath it, black vascular paths quickly emerged, windingly connecting to the Tiger Demon’s shadow, continuously supplying Shadow Spiritual Energy to this Shadow Demonic Creature, starting a new round of cultivation growth.
After the main body fell asleep, its Skeleton Snake Tail entered an excited state, the white skeletal body twisting upright, plunging headfirst into the shadow, and crawling out as a slender shadow snake body that seemed able to extend infinitely.
The Shadow Snake began patrolling inside the Haunted House, followed by four Eggplant Head Ghosts, constantly pointing and issuing commands. Then it dispersed the Magic Worms into different rooms; next, it modified and optimized the Artificial Stupidity Program of the four Eggplant Head Ghosts through the Soul Program, and issued new instructions.
Soon, the four agile Eggplant Ghosts repeatedly entered and exited the Disease Garden, continuously cutting and harvesting Disease Fruits and crops.
They did not actively consume them, but transported them as Feed into different rooms to feed the Shadow Magic Worms, gradually improving their strength and Pollution Degree, and monitoring, collecting, and summarizing the Magic Worms’ pollution data changes through the Data Soul Program.
Once Disease Pollution broke through a certain dangerous threshold, it promptly stopped the feeding work and used the Shadow Eggplant Root Tendrils spread throughout the Haunted House to supplement the Magic Worms with Shadow Pollution.
Without the pervasive pollution environment of the Disease Garden, the stability of these Magic Worms skyrocketed, and their strength began to slowly improve, giving the Snake Tail a sense of “holding great power and controlling everything” pleasure.
…
When the Tiger Demon woke up again, released the Boss Template and returned to human form, Yuan Zhu felt a long-lost mental fullness.
“What time is it now?”
Little Spicy Stick: “During your sleep, I secretly sent an Eggplant Head Ghost to invade the neighbor’s house and checked their calendar. Combined with the alarm clock you left in the Attic, it can be determined that this Bubble Mission lasting about 10 days in the foam only took 31 hours in Running, about a day and a half. And you slept another 10 hours, now it’s already 1 AM.”
Yuan Zhu glanced out the window, indeed pitch black. Faint moonlight couldn’t penetrate the thick dark clouds, tinting the sky with slight brightness.
“Compared to the time spent in the Little Xihong Realm last time, can you calculate the time flow rate of the Nightmare Bubble Layer?”
In the mental world, Little Spicy Stick shook its head: “Completely impossible. Based on the data I’ve collected so far, the time flow rates between Du Ling Present World, Happy Home, and Bubble World are completely irregular and messy, so don’t even think about it. We can only confirm that Mao Mao King uses Happy Home as a regulator to keep the Bubble World’s time flow rate constant and much faster than reality.”
Little Spicy Stick added: “Of course, there’s another possibility. That is, the Du Ling Star’s status is far higher than the small worlds in the Bubble Layer, so real-world time is more stable, naturally slower than the Bubble Layer’s time flow rate. Just like in your hometown myth stories, one day in heaven is one year on earth.”
“Makes sense!” Yuan Zhu nodded thoughtfully, then said excitedly, “It’s 1 AM now, looks like I can’t go home. So let’s hurry and cultivate Holy Light to reach the Three Phases standard as soon as possible.”
Soon, he rushed into the Disease Garden and began going berserk.
With the fully developed Sanctuary Holy Seal, he frantically released various self-created ultimate techniques, one Holy Light Cube after another appearing in the garden space, sealing and uprooting grass and soil, hovering in mid-air.
Then piercing white light burst from inside, radiating and refining at his current highest Holy Light intensity. It burned out large amounts of Ash, which was absorbed into the soul through the Holy Seal, smelted into Soul Crystals, and stored massive amounts of memory, personality, Three Views, and other information within, solidifying and preserving them.
As the Soul Crystal gradually formed, he discovered that the Holy Light produced by burning his life could be split off in small amounts and stored in the Soul Crystal for preservation, without dissipating.
The characteristics of the Holy Light Battery were initially showing.
Not only that, even though he was inside the garden isolated from the Real World, he could still, through the gradually condensing irregular Soul Crystal, establish a soul-level connection with some omnipresent grand Pollution Root (Holy Light) in the external world.
This perception was immediately captured and recorded by the Great Desolation Immortal Scripture Client.
He hurriedly called out to Little Spicy Stick: “Is this the source of Holy Light? The signal is so strong, it feels omnipresent between heaven and earth.”
In Yuan Zhu’s perception, this Holy Light Source was like a network covering heaven and earth, perceivable in both the outer and inner layers of the world.
Unfortunately, his Soul Crystal was not strong enough yet, only able to capture fuzzy energy signals through the soul. It still couldn’t penetrate the spatial isolation of the Garden to directly connect to this network.
Little Spicy Stick replied: “It should be. Holy Light is the currently known super-large Pollution Root, one of the top tier. And Soul Crystal is the mark of a Cultivator fully entering the hall. You establishing a connection with the Holy Light Source is only natural. I’ve recorded this Root fluctuation. After comparison, our more powerful Shadow System has no such fluctuation at all. Indeed garbage!”
“I wonder what level my current Holy Light cultivation has reached?”
Little Spicy Stick immediately reported the data: “Soul Crystal condensation progress 26.25%.”
Yuan Zhu: “How did you arrive at that conclusion?”
“Your current Soul Crystal can already store Holy Light without loss or dissipation. One Soul Crystal’s full capacity is linked to Holy Seal quality (8 marks). Your current Soul Crystal can store 2.1 marks, progress 26.25%. 1 mark of Holy Light refers to the consumption of externally releasing Holy Light at standard intensity for one mark time (5 minutes). If your Soul Crystal is fully complete, it can externally release standard Holy Light for 40 minutes.”
With numerical reference, Yuan Zhu had the illusion of motivation that as long as he grinded a bit more, the finish line was right in front of him. He immediately worked even harder, wildly unleashing Holy Light, attacking the flowers and grass in the garden to his heart’s content.
He even subjected those heart-like pulsating fruits, those with eyes and mouths continuously coughing black smoke, to mental enlightenment irradiation with the Holy Light Breathing Technique, trying to teach these Disease Fruits the breathing method.
Thus, those fruits with biological characteristics passively switched breathing rhythms one after another. Lacking support from Breathing System and Meridian System, they exploded in chain reactions, spewing large amounts of Holy Cough Particles and triggering chain Holy Light Pollution.
The effect was surprisingly stronger than directly releasing ordinary Holy Light for destruction, so he went even more overboard.
……
At 7 AM, Master Yuan, who had been busy all night, felt his body hollowed out, dragging his exhausted and weak body (severely depleted vitality) back home, then saw his Younger Brother making breakfast in the Kitchen.
“Big Brother? You’re back!”
Hearing the Room Door open, Little Brother Yuan was first startled, then joyfully came forward. Seeing his big brother looking almost drained, he immediately asked with concern: “Big Brother, what happened to you? Why are you so weak, are you injured? You were out for a full four days with no news, what exactly were you doing?”
Yuan Zhu pulled out a Chair and sat down, perceiving that the Soul Crystal in his soul had completed about half, his heart filled with joy and satisfaction. Though his body was fatigued and depleted, his spirit was exceptionally vigorous, his eyes bursting with sharp light.
“Don’t worry, I know my body best. I was just too hardworking these past few days and didn’t rest well. I had a temporary mission these days and went on a business trip.”
Little Brother Yuan asked: “Is it that part-time job at the Clothing Company you mentioned last time? How is it even more tiring than full-time?”
Yuan Zhu: “It’s all because the Boss appreciates and values me, so I naturally have to repay with sincerity. Of course, the main thing is the salary is high, too high to refuse. You don’t need to worry about me, I’m not engaged in any illegal business. This business trip was mainly to inspect raw material origins for luxury children’s wear for the company and sign a raw material contract order with local silkworm farmers.”
“In the future, there will be many similar business trips. But after work ends, I have more and longer rest time, very relaxed. Now giving you a heads up, you need to get used to it later. By the way, is your living expenses enough?”
Yuan Su nodded: “More than enough, can’t even spend it all. Your work schedule is irregular now, should I still prepare breakfast and dinner for you?”
“No need for dinner, I’m not sure if I can come home on time. If I come home to sleep at night, prepare breakfast for me. By the way, your brother is now a high-salary worker, not short on living expenses. Put your energy into studying from now on, don’t worry about buying groceries and cooking. If really necessary, I’ll pay a nearby Restaurant, you can just eat there every day. Put the remaining energy into academics.”
The Younger Brother retorted: “My grades aren’t bad, I have plenty of time to cook, no need to waste that money.”
“No no no! Time is the most precious. If you’re really confident in your academics, study twice as much. I’ll find time to contact your School and arrange for you to skip grades, how about that?”
Yuan Su looked puzzled: “Why skip grades?”
“To save tuition, graduate early, so I can send you to University sooner. On this business trip, I had a University colleague. That was really…”
After witnessing Meng Xiyue’s operations, he felt that attending University on Du Ling Star was very promising. His own Little Brother had no cheats, but going to University would do justice to the original body.
…
After breakfast ended and seeing off his Younger Brother to school, Yuan Zhu went out again, bought a bottle of Yellow Millet Echo from a nearby Shop and brought it home, deciding to strike while the iron is hot for a daytime dream.
Ever since having the experience of constructing Cockroach Dreamland in the Shadow Domain, although his Boss Template did not record mastery of Nightmare Power, his affinity for Nightmare Power greatly increased, and he summarized a set of operational experience.
Now, he only needed to drink 1/3 of the Yellow Millet Echo to mobilize the residual faint Yellow Millet Town aura in the Drink, helping him quickly enter the dream while locking the Dreamland position, directly escaping into it.
Unlike the previous descent, this time when falling into the Dreamland, his Dream Spirit Body emitted brilliant Holy Light, the spirit body presenting a crystal-like texture, causing small-scale anomalies in Yellow Millet Town. This should be the initially condensed Soul Crystal at work.
At the same time, he also perceived that above Yellow Millet Town, there was a energy network specifically constructed for the Holy Light System, clearer than what he sensed in the Disease Garden, almost one step away from connecting (Soul Crystal not yet complete).
This Holy Light Energy Network was just like when he created Cockroach Village in the Underground World, specially laying out Shadow Power energy channels.
Treating Dreamland as a building, the Holy Light Energy Network was like the pre-installed water, electricity, and gas systems during construction. However, Yellow Millet Town not only pre-installed Holy Light, he could vaguely distinguish the more familiar Kunlun Spiritual Energy, and by the same logic infer that it was also compatible with Buddhism, Law… and other different Systems.
After landing on a Building, Yuan Zhu looked up at the moon. Indeed the familiar flavor, here was as closely connected to the Sea of Consciousness as before.
Previously his strength was too weak to notice. Now descending again, he discovered that Yellow Millet Town was indeed much more advanced, complex, and complete than his Cockroach Village… while maintaining close connections with the inner and outer layers of the world.
