Chapter 81: Ascension? Spirit Realm? [holy Light Demon-refining Heavenly Venerable]!
Having made a decision in his heart, Yuan Zhu immediately cast aside distracting thoughts and re-examined this [Disease Garden] from the perspective of a flesh-eater, seeing where he should start biting.
As a result of this observation, he immediately gained new insights.
The sense of space that the Disease Garden gave him was completely different from the maze of the Haunted House before. This place was like a real world? The underlying laws were completely different from Reality. On the contrary, that Haunted House completely relied on the Real World to exist.
So, that [Haunted House] actually served as a ‘false disguise + buffer zone + space bridge’?
The purpose was to allow people to smoothly enter this Different Space from Du Ling and plant large-scale ‘Diseased Crops’ with strong pollution attributes to secretly advance some conspiracy plan?
Detective Yuan Zhu pushed up his non-existent glasses, as if seeing through everything. This was the rhythm of being silenced, so he definitely couldn’t let the other side succeed!
Little Spicy Stick suddenly spoke: “Boss, don’t you think this place resembles somewhere? The constraint and suppression of Supernatural Powers in this space has greatly weakened, your Holy Light consumption is less, but the power is greater. This is not because you got stronger, but because the external environment’s suppression of Holy Light has weakened.”
Yuan Zhu looked around at the illogical blood-colored sky and the pulsating flesh ground. Everything was vastly different from Du Ling’s Present World. A flash of insight crossed his mind, and he had an enlightenment: “[Spirit Layer]!”
First, rule out a wrong answer: [Nightmare Bubble Layer].
Although the Bubble Layer was also completely illogical, it was far away from Du Ling World. This Different Space was firmly connected to Du Ling’s Present World through the [Haunted House]. So, it was more like Du Ling’s ‘recycling station + Firewall’, a place for Ascension to contain and bear Supernatural disasters — [Spirit Layer].
“Great minds think alike, that’s exactly what I think.”
Yuan Zhu: “But shouldn’t the Spirit Layer be another abstract version of the Inner World rampant with Demons and Monsters? How is it so small, visible to the edge at a glance. Not even as good as a Bubble World.”
In his imagination, the [Spirit Layer] was a 1:1 replica of Du Ling’s Present World, deeply polluted, with various Demons and Monsters rampant in a fantastical mirror disaster spacetime. After all, they were all gathering places for Du Ling’s Ascensionists, so the art style had to be immortal hero at least.
This Disease Garden looked about the size of a large City Park. At most a few hundred acres. As a Farm, it was more than sufficient. But as an [Inner World], it was pathetically small.
Little Spicy Stick guessed: “Could it be public resources used privately? Someone forcibly occupied a piece of [Spirit Layer], then tore it off, packaged and sealed it, transformed it into an exclusive Grotto-Heaven Blessed Land for agricultural planting?”
“Eh? Like [Yellow Heaven]?”
He suddenly thought of the Blessed Earth Immortals of the [Yellow Heaven System]. Didn’t they first become Landlords, gradually erode the land of the Real World, then cut off a piece of land to create their own exclusive [Grotto-Heaven Blessed Land]?
Obviously, starting from the [Spirit Layer] with higher ‘Heaven and Earth Spiritual Energy (pollution concentration)’ made it easier to achieve the goal.
“Forget it, overthinking is useless. Better to consider how to utilize the resources here to get stronger bit by bit!”
Clearing his mind of distracting thoughts, Yuan Zhu continued to observe this ‘Grotto-Heaven Blessed Land’. He advanced, strolling through the garden, examining everywhere.
From time to time, he bent down to uproot from the ground plants wrapped in petals covering eyeballs to prevent being burned by Holy Light. He raised his hand to open a miniature Holy Light Force Field cage, confining the mutated plants inside, then Holy Light exploded into flames, beginning Refinement.
The elegant demeanor of an Alchemy master refining medicine bare-handed.
The confined mutated plants were scorched by the Light Barrier, instantly erupting, viciously slapping and cutting at the Light Barrier with branches and leaves, attempting to root and penetrate the light wall, but the cage rippled with octagonal waves, bouncing it back.
Seeing the weak attacks ineffective, it began spewing black spores to corrode the light wall, but instead was vaporized by the blazing Holy Light. The Holy Light burned fiercer, concentrating inside the cage, bursting with infinite high temperature, yet not leaking a bit outward.
The mutated plants painfully curled and shrank into a ball, unable to resist Holy Light Purification, emitting soul-level screams, eyeballs bursting into pulp, wisps of black smoke rising. Little by little melting and vaporizing, ultimately leaving a small handful of gray crystal sand in the cage, dead thoroughly.
Listening to the desperate soul-level screams of the filthy plants gradually weakening and disappearing, he revealed a joyful and satisfied smile.
This feeling of personally purifying evil pollution into ash was like a perfectionist wiping a filth-covered Window crystal clear, that was heartfelt comfort and joy, and the satisfaction of a sacred sense of mission fulfilled.
“Perfect!”
Retracting the Holy Light cage, a small amount of Soul Ash merged into the [Holy Mark], and the remaining crystal sand was bottled.
The feeling from refining the mutated plants was very similar to purifying the Wooden Doll’s brain, both the same kind of ‘Disease Pollution Source’.
“Cough cough…”
When he gradually smelted these Soul Ashes into the illusory [Holy Seal]. The Holy Seal read a little residual information from the ashes. As a result, his throat inexplicably itched, feeling uncomfortable without coughing a couple times.
Have I been infected by Disease?
After this thought arose in his mind, he immediately notified Little Spicy Stick to fully increase the [Soul Firewall] power. After repeated confirmation by the [Immortal Scripture], he had not suffered ‘Disease Pollution’, everything was a normal phenomenon.
Perhaps this cough was related to the ‘pollution attribute’ represented by the ashes?
From entering the [Haunted House], no matter which Evil Spirits, Puppet Dolls burned, or mutated plants in the garden, all originated from the same Disease Pollution, so the Soul Ashes’ information was highly consistent.
He remembered the Holy Light Manual recording that when the [Holy Seal] ingests a large amount of the same kind of ashes, it would trigger the Holy Light System’s Holy Seal evolution function. Many Holy Light Cultivators lack Inheritance, having only a [Holy Seal], how should they grow? They hunt and refine Demonic Creatures one by one, naturally comprehending various Skills in slaughter and combat, creating their own sect without needing Inheritance.
Now, he seemed to somewhat understand.
The [Holy Seal] could elevate quality or undergo Mutation by smelting ashes. The higher the ash quality, the more obvious the effect. So, his [Sanctuary] also triggered evolution conditions? This cough was the omen?
Little Spicy Stick: “How is it? Are these Disease Plants useful?”
“Yes! And I have a premonition, if I can largely purify the same kind of pollution, absorb enough ashes. It can indeed help the [Holy Seal] evolve. After incinerating that Evil Spirit, my [Holy Seal] has faintly been nurturing something, just not obvious enough yet. This garden might help me complete my Cultivation!” Yuan Zhu’s eyes grew brighter as he spoke. From today, call me [Holy Light Demon-Refining Heavenly Venerable]!
“Then what are you standing there for? Hurry and keep burning. Charge! Charge! Charge!”
Yuan Zhu shook his head: “Not quite. My Physical Body’s Holy Light consumption is quite high, already drained empty.”
His current Physical Body’s health, counting from hunting the Evil Spirit, had been excessively exploited and overdrawn. First continuous critical hits hammering the Evil Spirit, after entering the Attic, fully opening [Sanctuary] to isolate Disease Pollution throughout. After entering this garden, [Sanctuary] hadn’t rested at all.
If it were other Holy Light Cultivators, they would have long exhausted Vitality, fallen into a weakened state, eroded by the omnipresent pollution in the Air, completely becoming new flesh culture dishes, parasitized and exploited by the local Diseased Plants.
[Shadow Tiger Demon], activate.
Yuan Zhu seamlessly switched to Tiger Demon Stance again, relying on thick Shadow Pollution to resist Disease Erosion.
“Huff…”
Tiger Demon’s Nose and Mouth sprayed thick Yellow Springs Shadow Wind Death Qi, corroding the surrounding Flesh Flowers and plants completely, one by one withering and decaying, drooping on the land losing color.
“As expected, the World has changed. The external suppression of Shadow Power has weakened greatly, Tiger Demon’s Strength more than tripled!”
The Shadow Tiger Demon perceived its own Strength changes, attempting to connect with the Shadow Layer in the ‘garden’. The difficulty was much lower than in the Haunted House, he could even draw continuous ‘Shadow Spiritual Energy’ from the garden’s shadows. Unfortunately, still unable to Escape into the garden’s ‘Shadow Dimension’.
The laws here were much stricter than the Bubble World.
Soon, he released 5 Eggplant Head Ghosts from the shadows, acting as his eyes and ears, quickly darting through the nearby Disease flower clusters, observing the garden’s Layout structure.
The Game Sprite compiled and analyzed the continuously transmitted information from the Ghost Companions, reaching a conclusion:
It could be seen that this garden was neglected in maintenance, allowing various Diseased Plants to grow wildly, almost turning into a small Disease Forest, but the ‘garden owner’s’ purpose could still be discerned.
The other side was deliberately cultivating these mutated plants, letting them evolve freely, nurturing highly polluting ‘Disease Fruit’. For example, that heart fruit split with a mouth, coughing violently.
Although Yuan Zhu strongly rejected these disgusting Disease Plants. But undeniably, these fruits were like the [Blood Bodhi] nurtured in Little Xihong Realm for the garden, Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures and Pollution Spirit Medicine under another Pollution System.
This garden was mass-producing ‘Disease type’ Resources.
The tumor-like cloud clusters in the sky continuously seeped polluting pus blood 24 hours to nourish these Diseased Plants, providing Nutrients, letting them fully mutate and alienate.
Yuan Zhu’s first reaction at this time was that he had intruded into some cultivation sect’s exclusive Grotto-Heaven for nurturing Spirit Medicine, full of Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures that made him want to vomit just looking at them.
Due to operating system (Holy Light) incompatibility (Disease Pollution), unable to enjoy or comprehend the profound mysteries within (Pollution). Could only use the least efficient method of Purification and Incineration, extracting a small amount of ashes for meager consolation.
“Returning empty-handed from a treasure mountain is not my way. Must find a method to squeeze dry the value here!”
While Yuan Zhu was racking his brains on how to maximize Profit, Little Spicy Stick had new discoveries.
“Boss, I have a new discovery! This garden seems ownerless, with no Demonic Creatures guarding it. In my view, either the other side is deliberately low-key, not wanting to expose too much information, so anonymous, letting the garden operate autonomously. Or this garden is very low-grade, a casual idle move, not taken seriously.”
Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures must have Demonic Creatures guarding. But her Boss with [Sanctuary] on like a humanoid Holy Light bulb had been shining and destroying crops in the garden for a good while, yet no Demonic Creatures came to attack, sufficient to show no defensive forces in the Different Space.
Yuan Zhu: “Is there a possibility that the mountain-guarding Demonic Creatures has already been beaten to death by me?”
“Those two security guards at the door? Boss is badass V5! My Boss is invincible under heaven!”
Yuan Zhu: “Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures belong to the virtuous! Since this is an ownerless treasure land, it should belong to me. It is heaven’s decree!”
“Egg egg egg!”, “Buddha buddha buddha!”
Catching sight from the corner of his eye of the Eggplant Head Ghosts hopping lively beside him, occasionally making prostration gestures, the Tiger Demon’s heart stirred. The [Holy Light System] could incinerate pollution, absorb ashes to get stronger. Then my foundational [Shadow System], why not absorb ‘Disease Pollution’ for my own use?
He himself despised the mutated plants as too disgusting, unwilling to touch, let alone devour and refine into Ghost Companions. But this group of little fools didn’t mind at all!
