Chapter 243: [shadow Garden]?
After hearing Candle’s introduction, Meng Xi frowned deeply, falling into profound confusion: “That sounds great, but where is the profit point for this ‘Flask’? How do I benefit from it and make money?”
Yuan Zhu said with a face full of disdain: “You’re too vulgar, only thinking about making money.”
Meng Xi was unhappy: “You tricked me out of so many Little Pumpkins, and there’s no return at all, yet you blame me for being vulgar? According to you, without your involvement, it’s just an ordinary Holy Light enchanted container. So, can the Inferior Holy Light it contains be supplied infinitely?”
“Of course not! Even a senior Holy Cultivator has limited Holy Light reserves. If burned too fiercely, even life is at stake, let alone a mere Flask?”
Meng Xi gave a big thumbs down: “Then it’s even more garbage. What’s the use of deceiving consumers?”
Yuan Zhu: “No! It still has value and advantages. First, the Holy Light Attribute it contains is permanent! Not like ordinary Holy Light Blessing, a one-time use item that completely dissipates once exhausted. As long as you recharge the Flask with energy, the material structure of the bottle wall can slowly, automatically, and inefficiently convert new Holy Light. This is an indirect ‘infinite Holy Light, infinite Holy Water’, very valuable for the laboratory!”
Meng Xi retorted: “But it’s just extremely inferior garbage Holy Light and inferior Holy Water, too weak. Only by combining with your Sealing Technique can the ‘power’ be greatly increased; buying it alone isn’t worth much.”
A sudden flash of inspiration hit Yuan Zhu’s mind, and he had an enlightenment: “But ordinary people don’t care! This is simply a perfect Water Purifier. Pour risky sewage into the bottle, let it sit overnight, then slowly pour it out. The pollution is digested and absorbed, converted into Holy Light. Once the trace Holy Light Pollution in the water dissipates, it becomes supreme health-preserving pure Holy Water that extends life!”
In a world like Du Ling where Polluted Aura is everywhere and even breathing the air slowly increases Deviation, the Holy Grail’s sterilization, disinfection, demon-exorcising, and pollution-removing abilities can indeed slow down ordinary people’s pollution progress, indirectly extending life, not exaggerated at all!
“Hiss!” Meng Xiyue sucked in a cold breath, thought seriously, and realized it could really be sold as a high-end thermos? Damn, this has commercial value!
Then, she shook her head vigorously! She sneered self-mockingly: “Hehe, if it were that easy, the Holy Church’s health-preserving instruments would have sold like crazy long ago!”
It’s not just Yuan Zhu this 2-seal small fry who can burn glass. Other Holy Church Monks can also develop similar works. In fact, the field of alchemy instruments has long been divided up by various forces and major brands.
For newcomers to stand out, small-scale tinkering is fine. But once they make a name, they either get absorbed or directly killed. Or kill off old brands and rise by stepping on them. This involves the Commercial Deity and Industrial God Kingdom system, that’s another supernatural track!
She glanced at Yuan Zhu’s level, a 2-seal small fry with no backing, still wanting to act arrogantly? Courting death!
Seeing Meng Xi dismissive, Candle, still unfamiliar with Du Ling’s business environment (Commercial God War), continued to dig into the commercial potential of his own Holy Cup: “Its hidden Space Attribute is also a selling point. In theory, supernatural beings proficient in Spatial Ability besides me can use it to seal and contain pollutants; secondly, the broad Holy Cultivator groups can also tap into the Flask’s hidden potential through their own Holy Light.”
His Flask falling into the hands of a supernatural being proficient in Spatial Ability can naturally serve as a Ritual Implement embryo, be magically modified and upgraded, forged into space-type refinement Magic Treasures like Jade Purifying Bottle or Purple Gold Gourd.
As the founder of the Holy Cup, Yuan Zhu himself lacks this ability and can only use it for Sealing Technique. But if he persists in finding related ‘space-type Pollution Sources’ and continues burning Soul Embers to feed the Sanctuary, he might achieve the dream of Jade Purifying Holy Bottle / Purple Gold Glazed Gourd.
Meng Xiyue: “Fine, not garbage, but very underwhelming. You need Pumpkin Ash to burn glass, very low cost-performance. If I had a Little Pumpkin, I absolutely wouldn’t let you burn it into ash to refine a Little Holy Cup. The Holy Cup is far inferior to the Pumpkin.”
Yuan Zhu was unconvinced: “I’ll find substitutes for Pumpkin Ash, and it has other value!”
Meng Xi: “What else? Continue your performance.”
“In the refining and shaping process, I can freely shape the ‘glass’ into various forms. Closed Flasks, open Grail, conical flasks, narrow-neck flasks, multi-neck flasks, distillation flasks… etc.”
Meng Xi: “But you said their built-in Holy Light Attribute will continuously pollute alchemy materials, making it superfluous.”
“No! From another angle, in specific scenarios, they can instead play a role in ‘decomposing and purifying Pollution’ in the alchemy field.”
Meng Xi: “Have you verified it?”
“No! I just got this ability a day ago, just figuring out the basics, planning to play with it properly in the Bubble World.”
Sanctuary 2 nurturing this ability is also related to his constant daydreaming about ‘veterinary medicine synthesis’. Obsessed with recreating Earth pharmaceuticals, the Holy Seal developed the Holy Grail to aid his dream.
The Holy Cup can accelerate stripping ‘supernatural concepts’ from local chemical substances, and in specific non-magical environments, assist classical chemistry synthesis. Even the Holy Light Holy Cup itself can replace the Alcohol Lamp to help ‘Holy Light Pollution chemical reactions’, labeling the final ‘veterinary medicine product’ with exclusive Holy Light, restoring stability to its properties.
Not only that, the Holy Grail’s ‘seal’ combined with Holy Light Refinement can accelerate stripping and removing impurities from sealed objects (pollutants), retaining only weakened and pure ‘pollution essence’, then feeding it to Universe Within The Belly, directly jumping to the Ghost Companion Refinement channel.
This is equivalent to the Tiger Demon sealing prey into the Holy Flask before eating. Like Gold Horn King using the gourd to weaken Sun Wukong, unable to turn it into blood but continuously weakening its resistance, making it pre-prepared meal, repeatedly purifying.
Finally, the Tiger Demon swallows it in one gulp, naturally digesting and absorbing quickly. It speeds up refinement speed, reduces difficulty, greatly improving efficiency. (Holy Light and Shadow linked up)
All this is the Holy Seal’s spontaneous choice under the influence of his subconscious (Holy Light).
Yuan Zhu: “This Holy Light is really damn Zanpakuto + Sharingan, subconscious takes the lead.”
Snake Snake: “Got it! It’s Boss’s desire for ‘Holy Light Breathing Technique, chemical drug synthesis’, and improving Ghost Companion Refinement efficiency, overriding the desire for hand-crafted Storage Equipment, so the Sanctuary birthed the current ‘Holy Cup ability’! And gifted Demon Seal Wave to highlight the Little Pumpkin’s Space Attribute.”
…
Meng Xiyue wanted to say more, but the Captain on the other side called everyone: “Time’s up, prepare to set off!”
Zhou Chu at this time gripped the chain tied to Little Goat’s neck, met eyes with Yuan Zhu and others, then nodded.
On this side, Meng Xiyue quickly shouldered the super-large Backpack. She closed her eyes to select a suitable ‘optional mission’ for herself, then moved to Yuan Zhu’s side, not sure what she was thinking?
At this time, Yuan Zhu also reviewed the missions released by the Captain, then with a disdainful face, selected none. This trip for him is pure leisure vacation! By the way screen the Anti-Law Client list, sign a batch of talent, supplement human resources.
Happy Home has now formally taken root in the Eclosion World named by the Captain, and subdued Cicada City to establish cooperation.
Therefore, the squad doesn’t lack intelligence on the Eclosion World, nor basic supplies.
So this time’s optional missions are mostly proactive exploration to discover more underground Insect Cities, establish friendly cooperation, sales pitch Luxury Children’s Wear, or hire local Insect Cultivators to farm Silkworm Seeds…
Besides that, there are many missions to explore the Surface World, under the Calamity Knights’ siege and destruction, develop, transform, protect more ‘giant Immortal Realm Tree withered wood remains’.
Those few Surface Coordinates also seem related to the giant withered wood remains that triggered the Moon Worship Ceremony.
After Yuan Zhu compiled his collected intelligence and analyzed it via Immortal Scripture, he found part of the Mao Mao King’s mysterious veil gradually unveiled.
The other party values the Eclosion World not only because the underground world’s supernatural system highly matches Silkworm Rearing and Silk Reeling; it’s also related to the periodic Moon Worship Ceremony triggered in the Surface World.
This point can be seen from Mai Lili’s Rainbow Feathered Robe changes. And the exclusive mission the Captain gave Meng Xiyue is also related to the ‘Moon’ in the Surface World.
“Teleportation activated!”
Sudden pulling force erupted, Yuan Zhu’s body tilted, with no sense of time passing.
When he shook off the dizziness and stuffiness in his head, he found himself back inside the familiar Shadow Domain.
At this moment, he was sprawled diagonally on the ground, body buried under massive supplies, pressed under a small hill. Around him came rustling sounds of bugs crawling, eating food, leaves rustling.
Though his body was pinned, his senses told him he was now lying in an immensely vast and silent huge space. Precisely because of the vast dead silence, these rustling background sounds were especially abrupt and clear.
Besides the five senses feedback, Yuan Zhu had another layer of ‘feeling’, the absolute control sensation over his own Shadow Domain.
The instant Yuan Zhu appeared in the Shadow Domain, he resonated with the Shadow Dream Hole, reclaimed all permissions, ascending to become the Domain’s Ruler and Controller.
Thus, everything in the three-layer Domain was clearly fed back in his mind, gaining a high-dimensional third-party perspective, seeing through all mysteries.
So he was absolutely certain he appeared in the second layer of the Shadow Domain.
Detached from the Real World, the Shadow Space opened by the Shadow Dream Hole. The deeper third layer Dream World now bound numerous residents’ ‘dreams’ in Animal Husbandry Village, like invisible parasitic tubes drawing energy from people’s Dream, weaving an embryo of Dreamland.
Meng Xiyue at this moment fell into the first layer of Shadow Domain, Animal Husbandry Village, surrounded by a squad of militia patrolling with Demonic Giant Insects, but no conflict occurred.
Yuan Zhu issued a divine decree from afar. This militia squad immediately dropped alert, respectfully escorting her to the Shadow Grand Hall in the village center.
…
Opening his eyes again, Yuan Zhu gained understanding of the current Shadow Domain.
The second layer he was in is a closed Shadow Dimension, only a few with management rights can enter and exit.
The current ‘Shadow Space’ scale is the size of a stadium that can host World Cup matches. And per Mountain Lord’s Domain feedback, the second layer space has been developed to the limit, unable to grow further.
In theory, the Shadow Domain should continuously expand scale with added Worm Pillar Town Stones, thereby continuously growing the inner world dimensions.
But beyond expectation, after he left, the Shadow Dream Hole followed his pre-set program, continuously devouring Shadow Magic Worms to refine Worm Pillars.
Now, the number of Worm Pillars in Animal Husbandry Village’s surface world has long broken through the heaven-defying 720, approaching 900!
While the inner world’s scale locked completely after Town Stone Worm Pillars reached 360. Thereafter, no matter how the surface world Domain scale expanded, it had no effect.
No! After Worm Pillars broke 360, the surface Domain’s ‘Magic Array strength’ improved somewhat, but scale didn’t expand. After breaking 400, even the Domain’s strength stayed constant.
Per Shadow Domain feedback, it’s all the Shadow Dream Hole’s problem. The three-layer Domain structure constructed by 360 Worm Pillars is already the limit a mere Shadow Dream Hole can bear.
Thus, with Worm Pillars continuing to increase, far exceeding the Shadow Dream Hole’s load limit, no more nutrition can be squeezed out.
As for the Shadow Domain not relying on Shadow Dream Hole, sustaining itself purely on ‘Domain’ prowess by devouring heaven and earth to absorb Shadow Layer energy, expanding its own scale.
Result is it simply can’t; the underground world’s harsh environment, and non-existent Shadow Dimension, make the Shadow Domain’s autonomous expansion extremely difficult.
…
Besides the Domain’s structural changes, developed to the extreme.
Yuan Zhu also received more ‘intelligence’, like above the Shadow World appeared a small Reverse Life Tree, roots inverted into the ‘inner world’ ceiling, countless Root Tendrils infiltrating the ‘surface world’, replacing the Shadow Domain’s root array.
The Reverse Life Tree’s trunk and lush dark purple leaves hung inverted in the Shadow World’s sky, delivering ‘pure Spiritual Energy’ to the inner world.
Yes, there’s not much ‘Shadow Spiritual Energy’ in the Shadow Space; instead, it’s replaced by the Reverse Life Tree’s ‘photosynthesis’, feeding numerous Mao Shi Worms.
Hmm, this Reverse Life Tree seems modified by the Captain, a purplish-black mulberry tree. The inverted plant body crawled with large and small Mao Shi Worms, breathing Spiritual Energy, gnawing mulberry leaves, growing vigorously.
Those rustling sounds are countless Mao Shi Worms crawling on the ceiling, gnawing leaves, dropping silkworm sand (poop).
Besides the inverted ‘Reverse Life Tree’, the inner world’s surface was also covered with densely packed processed corpses. From the Ruler’s perspective, looking out, the vast stadium ground was neatly filled row by row with countless corpses.
These corpses’ facial crevices, nails, finger gaps, arm skin, even clothes seams stubbornly sprouted strange plants, mushrooms, Spirit Plants, winter people summer grass…
Corpse Seeds!
These dead cultivators’ bodies, at contact points with the ground, grew countless mycelia connecting to the earth, further linking to the ‘energy cycle network’ constructed by Shadow Dream Hole and Reverse Life Tree, constantly absorbing Spiritual Energy to nourish corpses, supplementing nutrition.
As Domain master, Yuan Zhu instantly understood: this uses a method to refine Immortal Zombies, using ‘Immortal Zombie Tendrils + mycelia’ to continuously temper and process corpses, supplement nutrition and Spiritual Essence, then use better culture medium to grow different Spirit Grasses and Spirit Plants.
Even these corpses dead but not stiff can breathe the pure Spiritual Energy emitted by the overhead ‘Reverse Life Tree’. And silkworm sand dropped by Mao Shi Worms is captured and absorbed by mycelia split from corpses as fertilizer.
“Damn, it formed its own mini-ecosystem cycle?!”
The current ‘Shadow World’ gave him a feeling of mistakenly entering the Disease Garden? Similarly unmanaged, fully automatic farming. Silkworm rearing above, zombie refining and grass planting below.
