Chapter 78: Crushing Decisively, Happiness Exorcism
Holy Light dims, shadows surge and roil like tidal waves. 【Tiger Demon】 reappears inside the bedroom, its burly pitch-black body squeezing and bursting half the room, ferocious tiger claws crushing the floor, leaving spiderweb cracks.
Behind it, the skeleton snake tail writhes arrogantly in the air like a living thing, even more flamboyant and ostentatious than the main body. That ghastly white snake head suddenly rears up high, two blood-red eyeballs bursting with blood light, swiftly scanning the surroundings, trailing scarlet afterimages, as if trying to pierce the mysteries of space. Unfortunately, it gains nothing.
Feeling the power constantly surging within its body, the Tiger Demon attempts to establish a deeper connection with this haunted house through the omnipresent shadows in the room, in order to crack the rules of the space maze.
Good news: Although the haunted house interior is sealed and self-contained, arbitrarily manipulating and altering space to piece together a space maze and launch space severance, its internal independent spaces still exhibit ‘shadow phenomena,’ where shadows always accompany spatial distortions.
Bad news: Du Ling’s present world 【shadow layer】 is far from as crude and easy to crack as the bubble world. Even the Tiger Demon is powerless to infiltrate it, able only to utilize the most basic and superficial rules. In this haunted house, its control over shadows is weakened by another degree.
Therefore, the Tiger Demon cannot use the indoor shadows to observe, understand, and monitor ‘spatial structure changes’ within the haunted house, thereby finding the culprit.
But!
If only using 【shadow pollution】 to push through (pollute) room by room, continuously marking… as long as it’s willing to put in the hard effort, marking all rooms will indirectly allow control over the haunted house’s internal spatial change rules.
It could even thoroughly pollute and control this haunted house, becoming the new master.
This is open stratagem, overpowering everything with strength, no matter how the hidden evil spirit struggles, it will ultimately be unable to escape the palm. At most, it just wastes some extra time and energy.
With a plan in mind, the Tiger Demon’s thoughts stir slightly, turning the snake tail to plunge one end into the ground shadow.
“Hiss hiss hiss…!”
The next second, a semi-transparent pitch-black gigantic snake head comparable to the Tiger Demon’s main body probes out a section from the ground. A pair of blood-red eyeballs scan left and right, nodding to the main body. The snake maw abruptly opens 180°, spewing outward.
Clusters of writhing fetal membranes entwined with turbid black mist fall, five gigantic egg-shaped black shadows smashing onto the floor, pulsing and contracting like hearts. The giant eggs’ surfaces are covered in spiderweb-like dark red blood veins, outlining curled body silhouettes inside.
After completing all this, the shadow snake gradually sinks into the ground.
“Crack!”
The Tiger Demon’s sharp claws dig into the ground, fingertips bursting with five streams of razor-sharp gale winds. The egg membranes rupture accordingly. Viscous black mud splatters onto the walls, climbing and crawling like living things. Five hunched bodies slump onto the floor, fully wrapped in slime, limbs spasming and twitching violently, as if struggling hard to rise.
After waiting so long, its 【Ghost Companion Divine Ability】 has finally refined 5 small fry thugs! This time, perfect to release them for testing. Ghost Companion Tiger Demon vs haunted house evil spirit.
But what kind of demon extermination is this? More like demons fighting, adding evil upon evil.
“Egg egg egg…”
The nearest ghost companion absorbs stray ‘shadow pollution’ from the Tiger Demon, gathers enough stamina, then suddenly stands up from the pitch-black mud.
Above its neck is not a human head, but a gigantic pitch-black tomato fruit. The tomato head abruptly swells, and on the front where a face should be, over a dozen eyeballs of various sizes suddenly burst out from cracks. Pupils tremble and swivel wildly, looking both horrifying and somewhat brain-dead idiotic.
At a position slightly below the tomato head, a large mouth full of sharp fangs and teeth constantly opens and closes, spewing black smoke, while emitting urgent “egg egg egg…” sounds.
The five mad tomato ghost companions successively climb up, each with the same hunched and shriveled form. Aside from a pitch-black gigantic tomato head, their bodies lean toward human shape, diminutive like dwarves, with slender limbs, sharp nails, entirely pitch-black, flesh in a gelatinous state, surrounded by a layer of shadow black mist, poised to shadow escape and vanish at any moment.
At this moment, they excitedly and idiotically repeat monosyllables, making urgent weird cries, using tone and speed to express happy emotions.
“Egg egg egg…”, “Buddha buddha buddha…”
At the same time, the 【Boss Template】 also transmits information:
Refining 【Ghost Companions】 involves drawing out the prey’s soul thread by thread, using Yellow Springs death qi and shadow power to refine it into a 【dataized soul archive】. Then mixing the remnant body’s flesh, bones, and shadow power to refine into active black gelatinous mud. Finally, extracting a portion of ‘pollution characteristic’ from the prey’s body.
Ultimately fusing the three into one body to produce a true ghost companion:
With a physical body for combat and cannon fodder; shadow nature to merge into shadows for movement; ghostly creature characteristics to disperse into black smoke; and finally, inheriting the shadow version bloodline talent (pollution characteristic) from life.
For example, this batch of ‘mad tomato ghost companions’ inherits the mad tomato’s head and plant characteristics.
Even if enemies kill or destroy the ghost companions, the Tiger Demon can resummon souls, recovering the stray ‘dataized pollution soul characteristics’ remaining from the 【ghost companions】.
If numbers are sufficient, reinfuse shadow gelatin to revive them for battle anew. If scarce, directly record into the 【Boss Template】’s database, using as 【evolutionary power (data)】 to infuse the next ghost companion for data evolution.
“Hm…?”
Watching ghost companions crawling one by one before him, devoutly kneeling to the 【Tiger Demon】, shouting ‘egg egg egg…’ ‘buddha buddha buddha…’, reenacting the netherworld scene of 《Act as a Tiger’s Henchman》—these mad tomato ghost companions.
Yuan Zhu’s mind inexplicably pops with a thought: “Digital abominations?”
Little Spicy Stick evaluates: “Exactly! The 【Ghost Companion】 divine ability is likewise a method from the 【Great Desolation Immortal Scripture】 to parse otherworld laws. Ghost companions refined by the Tiger Demon each possess ‘dataized pollution soul characteristics,’ constantly feeding back data. To some extent, they’re truly like ‘digital beasts.’ As long as they endure data corruption and conflict fusion, they can evolve into unknown aberrant forms in myriad ways. Each chaotic unknown collision is also an attempt to collect experimental data and parse world mysteries. Their deaths hold great scientific significance! As sacred and great as the mice offering themselves to Holy Light.”
Yuan Zhu: “I am indeed heaven’s chosen, all my deeds are justice! No resentful souls in my hands, only merit. Ah! I feel the Holy Light is about to sublimate.”
Next, the Tiger Demon orders one ‘eggplant ghost companion’ to the room center, shadow power surging underfoot, continuously infusing into its body, and commands: “Talent show!”
“Egg egg egg…”
This ghost companion receives shadow pollution irrigation, throws its head back in excited mad howling, the next second, its originally slender limbs suddenly stretch over three times longer, sharp hook claws digging into the floor, then a slit cracks open on its back, drilling out root tendrils of black plants, stabbing straight into the floor.
Immediately, those shadow root tendrils split into myriad vein-like networks, spreading and expanding along floor cracks throughout the room. This is the most primal pollution erosion method, using black vines to mark every corner of this room until the entire space maze is imprinted with shadows.
As the shadow root tendrils absorb pollution from the ‘shadows,’ forming a cycle, the room’s floor, walls, and ceiling crawl full of black vascular networks, spewing black mist breath.
Only then does the eggplant ghost companion struggle to rise, tearing off root tendrils connecting its spine to the floor, hopping and jumping before the Tiger Demon, excitedly shouting: “Buddha buddha buddha! Egg egg egg!”
The Tiger Demon nods in satisfaction. This ghost companion looks pretty low-class, not very combat-capable. Unexpectedly skilled, actually inheriting ‘mad tomato”s planting talent, fully shadow-pollutionized into ‘shadow vascular tomato seedlings’ even he doesn’t understand.
The skeleton snake tail shakes its head and wags its brain, suddenly speaking up with a suggestion: “Boss, three o’clock direction, spatial reaction, chop it!”
【Universe Within The Belly】 stacks 【Claw】 again, the Tiger Demon swings backhand, a space slash tearing open a maze interlayer, exposing an upside-down room on the other side.
“Charge!”
With the order, three ghost companions turn into black shadow fluids, scrambling to drill into the opposite room. Then they successively outbreak, spurting shadow vines from their bodies, inserting into the floor, rapidly parasitizing and expanding, spreading shadow pollution, even sprouting five-fingered shadow leaves, beginning to arch and climb upward on the walls.
Eggplant head ghost companions clear the path ahead, the Tiger Demon roars, smashing through the spatial barrier, 【spatial claws】 tearing spatial interlayers, wantonly destroying in the maze, synchronously releasing Yellow Springs shadow wind (summon wind), forcing and devouring that intangible malicious gaze. Swallowing the spreading evil spirit one mouthful after another.
The eggplant head ghost companions cheer ‘Buddha buddha buddha—!’, opening mouths to fiercely spray shadow root tendrils, abruptly wrapping roof beams to yank hard, or spraying root tendrils from arms and soles, drilling into walls for major destruction (pollution erosion)…
Wherever they pass, they leave dense shadow pollution, pitch-black eggplant seedlings sprouting and growing, sprouting miniature five-clawed leaves, clawing wood chips from the ground to feed the shadow root tendrils. Then “Urp!” spitting them out again, crying: “Hungry hungry hungry…”
The snake tail suddenly urgently warns: “Intense spatial fluctuation appearing again, careful, evil spirit counterattacking!”
Bang bang bang!
This time, the prepared Tiger Demon continuously swings 【spatial heavy claws】 to counter and cut, relying on its honed ever-sharper spatial perception to precisely sever one spatial distortion node after another.
The nearly formed 【space severance】 is preemptively broken by it, and from the intangible distance suddenly comes sounds of clockwork snapping and gears collapsing.
Yuan Zhu doesn’t understand what this exactly signifies, but the intangible ‘space severance’ pressure instantly dissipates like smoke. Clearing the gloom in his heart.
“Spatial fluctuations rapidly weakening, but ceiling above now connects to unknown space!” Little Spicy Stick warns again, then dives headfirst into the shadows, transforming into a shadow giant python soaring straight up, batting away constantly falling debris.
Crack crack crack! Crack crack crack!
Disease dolls suddenly rain from above, wielding dinner knives in hand, moth-to-flame swarming to surround and kill the Tiger Demon, choosing final death.
“Egg—!”
The five eggplant ghost companions act first, without any orders from the Tiger Demon, automatically dividing tasks and cooperating, charging out in five directions to guard their master.
The pitch-black tomato heads suddenly crack open gashes, five vine root tendrils bursting from the ghost companions’ mouths and skulls, tip root tendrils gathering into five bundles transforming into sharp five-fingered hook claws, stabbing toward the incoming puppet dolls’ heads!
The opposite puppet dolls weirdly arch spines and lean back, dodging the root claw headshots, reverse-gripping dinner knives. Wooden joints “click,” reverse-folding, erupting monstrous strength to sever the black vines, spurting viscous shadow black blood.
“Egg! Egg! Egg!” The eggplant ghost companion cries out in pain.
The puppet doll’s limbs and waist reverse-fold again, scuttling low like spiders. Blade scrapes floor, sparking a trail, one leap pouncing, attempting to leap over the eggplant ghost companion to kill the Tiger Demon.
The snake tail stirs restlessly, but is held back by the Tiger Demon: “Hold, watch this group of small fry’s performance.”
“Egg—!”
As the doll leaps into the air, the eggplant ghost companion suddenly spreads arms wide, exposing its guard. A huge gash cracks in its chest, spraying a thick sturdy shadow hose like intertwined intestines or tangled vines, diffusing in air into tentacles attempting to bind the doll.
“Cough—cough—!”
The instant the vine soft intestines are about to strike, the puppet doll’s chest cavity suddenly bulges, throat erupting muffled thunderous coughs, spraying a sheet of black spore-like poison mist.
Clumps of pus blood mixed with black spores splatter onto the vines. The pitch-black fleshy vines visibly sprout mycelium, breeding diseased tissue, causing the eggplant head ghost companion to crack its mouth wide in violent twitching rolls, pain-crying: “Egg egg egg—!”
But the earlier organ vine blast also interrupts the puppet doll’s attack, forcing it to land and readjust direction for another charge.
Before the doll can flip and leap again, the ghost companion has melted into a blob of black slime merging into the ground, relying on unique ‘gelatinous shadow mud’ medium to remelt and reshape. Then it coughs violently, coughing out the ‘pollution-infected’ parts inside, temporarily shaping new intestines.
Viscous shadow floods surge again from cracks, branching into ‘vine meat intestines’ for backstabbing, instantly wrapping the puppet’s limbs, suspending and pulling in different directions.
Black shadow root tendrils rapidly spread wildly along the puppet’s grain, in a blink entwining the wooden joints dead, giving no chance to struggle.
“Bang!”
Another doll crashes from the ceiling, dinner knife stabbing straight into the ghost companion’s headtop, spurting massive black filthy blood, splashing it all over, beginning reverse infection erosion on this doll.
The eggplant head suddenly explodes, shooting out eyeballs that proliferate mid-flight into an ‘eggplant seedling.’ ‘Squelch!’ wrapping the doll’s head like a facehugger, sprouting more root tendrils attempting to drill into the skull for parasitism.
Stab!
The desperate doll reverse-stabs a knife into its own head, nailing the eyeball and heavily wounding itself.
On the other side, that eggplant ghost companion has pounced, using sharp claws to tear open the suspended puppet’s abdomen, flipping off its skullcap, exposing the foul-smelling brain and organ culture medium crawling with fungal masses inside.
This is another pollution source no less than ‘shadow mad tomato.’ No, its evil degree even rivals the authentic ‘filthy bone filthy blood.’ Only the amount is too small, merely driving the doll, thus easily suppressed by the eggplant head ghost companion.
“Buddha buddha buddha!!!”
The eggplant ghost companion grins ferociously, tearing open the doll’s chest cavity, mouth spewing a pile of vine root tendrils drilling into the diseased organs and brain, beginning to madly absorb the unknown pollution source.
The Tiger Demon-refined 【ghost companions】 are growth-capable. Besides the master personally feeding pure ‘shadow power,’ they can also hunt pollution sources everywhere, recklessly devouring, then dying on the spot.
This suicidal behavior’s essence is to help the 【Boss Template (Great Desolation Immortal Scripture)】 collect as much data as possible, randomly colliding experiments and recording results.
After the disease pollution is rapidly sucked dry by the eggplant ghost companion, the dark tomato head suddenly uncontrollably dry-coughs, coughing worse and worse, spraying large swaths of pitch-black disease blood not satisfying, then coughing out throbbing livers and lungs, followed by Q-bouncy vine intestines…
Seeing the eggplant ghost companion growing weaker, about to be disease-infected to death before absorbing the pollution. The Tiger Demon slaps a claw, a ‘shadow tentacle’ surging from the ground straight into its back, continuously infusing new ‘shadow pollution’ for energy and life.
Soon, the eggplant ghost companion about to cough through the firmament stubbornly climbs up again, swaying to the doll corpse’s side, bending waist…
“Crack,” the puppet arm severs at the shoulder, broken and grabbed by the eggplant ghost companion, ruthlessly stabbing into its own body. The puppet severed arm pierces ribs, drilling inside. At the wound, massive black vine root tendrils spread, corroding the wood into shadowy black.
Vascular root tendrils spread along, wrapping the entire arm, then climbing onto the kitchen knife, growing black ‘mold clumps’ to enchant the blade.
That arm originally belonging to the doll is now controlled by the eggplant ghost companion, gripping the bacterium-enchanted dinner knife, slashing toward other kin (dolls)!
“Buddha buddha buddha—!”
“Egg egg egg—!”
Seeing this scene, Little Spicy Stick exclaims in surprise: “This is…”
Tiger Demon: “This is Buddha Corpse Ghost’s ‘limb-seizing impulse.’ These eggplant head ghost companions not only inherit mad tomato’s plant attributes, but also the warrior monk’s hobby of collecting 【Dharma Palms】. Seizing arms from disease dolls, transplanting onto themselves. Though not very useful, it’s a Buddhist cultivation tradition.”
“Buddha buddha buddha—!” The ghost companion with an extra arm shouts happily, pouncing to help little partners, together dismembering, brain-robbing, arm-snatching.
When the blade pierces the last puppet’s skull, wood chips mixed with diseased brain pulp splatter to the ceiling.
The five ghost companions gape mouths drooling black drool, variously lying prone on doll skulls, spraying vine tongues to slurp away. Simultaneously snatching and fighting over severed puppet arms, inserting under ribs.
Countless root tendrils drill from wounds, wrapping and suturing until that puppet arm fully becomes part of its body.
Only then contentedly returning before the Tiger Demon, devoutly kneeling one by one, pairs of puppet palms pressing together, chittering at the Tiger Demon: “Egg egg egg—!” “Buddha buddha buddha—!”
Seeing this group of little wastes are quite capable, the Tiger Demon nods in satisfaction, issuing new orders: “Continue for me—demolish!”
Immediately the Tiger Demon personally leads, now demolishing roof beams, now slashing load-bearing walls, roaring to shatter the chandelier, using spatial claws to leave irreparable wounds one after another in the maze.
The intangible evil spirit’s counterattacks in the haunted house grow ever weaker, no longer able to use 【space severance】 killer moves, even those deliberately nurtured ‘dolls’ vanishing.
Instead, the ghost companions following the Tiger Demon’s butt, everywhere planting disease eggplant seedlings to pollute space. Each growing seven or eight new arms, wielding rusty knives, happily hopping about.
Shadow winds whistling, ghost companions cackling, disease shadow eggplant seedlings swaying, walls roofs floors crawling with vascular patterns… Looking at the haunted house’s style growing ever more dismal and eerie, the Tiger Demon feels deep satisfaction and comfort: “This is the fucking joy of demon extermination!”
Little Spicy Stick: “Well done! We’ve thoroughly purified this evil haunted house! Making it clean and sanitary, full of vitality and fun.”
