Chapter 99: [shadow Series Suit Combination] And Effects
Time reached past 7 o’clock, and Running’s sky was already pitch black. Yuan Zhu lay in Tiger Demon Stance inside the completely dark Haunted House without any light at all, inexplicably feeling some stimulation and thrill.
This feeling was just like being immersed in it, traversing into a gloomy horror supernatural movie. And he himself was precisely that biggest Boss!
No way around it, who told him he possessed ‘Dark Vision + Shadow Vision Realm’, not only able to see things clearly in the darkness, but also able to observe and perceive this world through the omnipresent Shadow.
In addition, the entire Haunted House was covered with Shadow Root Tendrils released by Ghost Companions, thoroughly refining the Villa. Now that it had fallen into its (Tiger Demon’s) grasp, he truly felt no fear at all, only full Home Ground sense of security.
“Got nothing to do, let’s Loot Box Opening play!”
Ascetic Cultivation where breathing makes you Get Stronger was too boring. The Tiger Demon who had slept all afternoon was now full of energy. With nothing to do, it decided to Loot Box Opening ‘Goblin Ghost Companion’ to pass the time.
Skeleton Snake Tail swam over along the tiger’s back, nodding excitedly: “Good, good!”
Then it burrowed into the shadow, and a huge snake head emerged from the center of the Floor, opening its mouth to spit out two egg-sized lumps that constantly wriggled, like black slime Polluted Substance.
Snake Tail doubtfully exclaimed: “Eh? What is this thing? Why is it so small? Where’s my Goblin Ghost Companion?”
In its mind, Ghost Companion should be an egg-shaped demonic fetus wrapped in a layer of amniotic membrane, far different from this lump of slime-like mud.
Tiger Demon used the Ghost Companion innate ability to slightly perceive and figured out the origin of these two lumps of black mud: “They are the two goblins from the three Experimental Subjects in Shadow Group that were purely polluted by Shadow Power. They couldn’t withstand Ghost Companion Refinement, turning into two lumps of highly active ‘Polluted Black’.”
Little Spicy Stick curiously asked: “Then do they count as a success?”
Tiger Demon tried to manipulate these two lumps of black mud through Ghost Companion, and got an unexpected feedback—they actually slowly moved according to its will.
Then, it conducted a few more rounds of tests and couldn’t help but express in surprise: “Half successful. My idea was correct; the pollution cultivation of the two goblins in the first group was right. The only flaw is that the goblins themselves lacked strength, or their absorption rate of Shadow Pollution was too low, so they couldn’t endure Ghost Companion Refinement. But this experiment didn’t fail either; we gained this.”
It pointed at the black mud.
Under Tiger Demon’s control, the black mud smoothly moved to the palm, then rapidly contracted and shaped into a hexagonal prism with a regular hexagonal cross-section. Fine and long, it quickly crystallized and solidified into pure transparent black crystal.
Snake Tail’s eyes lit up red, quickly approaching and exclaiming in admiration: “Wow! So pretty, shiny like cut black crystal. Boss, what treasure is this? Can I wear it around my neck?”
“Shadow Goblin’s Dataized Soul + Extraordinary Pollution Trait. Because they were too weak, they couldn’t survive Ghost Companion Refinement and died halfway on the glorious path of evolution, leaving behind this precious relic. In your words, if a complete Ghost Companion is seen as a Mobile Phone, then this thing is the valuable Soul Memory Stick, plus a bit of Shadow Pollution Trait.”
Little Spicy Stick’s eyes lit up: “So, it can also be used as your ‘soul substitute’ for Boss to Incineration, gaining advanced Soul Ash?”
Tiger Demon nodded, then shook its head: “That would be too wasteful. This thing… I have a strong premonition that it can be inserted into the head of Ghost Companion, expanding their memory, improving Intelligence and Spirituality!”
Ghost Companion’s biggest problem is stupidity! Insufficient Spirituality and Intelligence.
Why couldn’t Shadow Goblin be refined into Ghost Companion? Same reason: too low potential, limited Spirituality, couldn’t endure this tribulation.
So what is this Dataized Soul Memory Stick? It’s the essence left behind under Ghost Companion heavenly tribulation, it’s Shadow Goblin’s Soul Essence, it’s the Soul Memory Stick for Defy Fate and Enlightenment of intelligence!
“Such a treasure, how can it be burned to feed Holy Seal? Too wasteful. This thing can be hot-swapped repeatedly, used to Defy Fate for Ghost Companion—that’s the proper path!”
“Eh? Then I gotta try it.”
Snake Tail immediately snatched a Shadow System Soul Memory Stick from Tiger Demon’s palm, and manipulated the surrounding shadows to wrap and engulf the crystal pillar like water, swallowing it in one gulp.
After studying it for a moment, Snake Tail said in surprise: “Boss, it’s real! It can serve as a storage device for Data Soul Program, and can be inserted into Ghost Companion’s brain to run the built-in program—so magical!”
Tiger Demon instead spoke in a pretentious tone as if it had expected it: “Very reasonable. It was originally a stillborn Ghost Companion, a solid Dataized Soul with Shadow Pollution attributes—using it for brain expansion is only natural. It’s decided—you awaken!”
Saying that, Tiger Demon took the remaining ‘Crystal Pillar’ in its palm and inserted it into the head of the nearest Eggplant Head Ghost Companion.
The head was pierced by the hexagonal crystal pillar, spraying out a large amount of Tomato Juice brain pulp. This Ghost Companion jolted, touched its damaged occiput, turned around, and continued staring at its own King (Tiger Demon) with a dazed silly gaze, not understanding what happened.
“Budda… Budda? `(° )` Eggplant Eggplant?!”
Tiger Demon fell into contemplation: “Hmm… `(° )`?”
For an innately weak-minded Eggplant Ghost, even soul expansion provided no substantial help. Because no matter how fast the brain turns, weak-minded is still weak-minded—no improvement visible.
To make it change, perhaps need to pre-write corresponding auxiliary programs into the Soul Memory Stick and forcibly load Artificial Intelligence to get feedback.
Eh…? How is it becoming more and more like Great Desolation Immortal Scripture secretly installing Immortal Scripture Client on natives?
Yuan Zhu immediately thought of the Immortal Scripture Client on himself, and the built-in Game Sprite.
Now, he also had the ability to mass-produce Goblin-brand memory sticks. By having Little Spicy Stick replace Great Desolation Immortal Scripture to write even dumber Artificial Stupidity Program, it could be loaded into other Ghost Companion souls.
Tiger Demon + Ghost Companion + Little Spicy Stick unexpectedly evolved into a low-end version of Great Desolation Immortal Scripture routine—interesting.
“Congratulations King, felicitations King. Successfully found the method to Enlightenment intelligence for Ghost Companion! Not only can ‘memory stick’ Enlightenment intelligence, but also recycle them timely. Then through massive Ghost Companion users’ real-time feedback, constantly Update and optimize Ghost Companion intelligence algorithm, to harvest stronger Artificial Intelligence, achieving overall leap for Ghost Companions.”
In the case where Ghost Companion’s base attributes are garbage and Intelligence is lacking. Yuan Zhu could continuously feedback and optimize Artificial Stupidity Program through massive Shadow Memory Sticks.
At that time, no need to train Ghost Companion—just mass-produce ‘memory sticks’ and uniformly install the latest algorithm. Garbage Ghost Companions could collectively ascend in place, developing performance to the strongest.
Once Ghost Companion dies in battle, immediately recycle these Soul Memory Sticks and reinsert into new Ghost Companion cannon fodder brains. Even the shattered Dataized Soul of Ghost Companion itself could be recycled to make massive new memory sticks, installed into more new Ghost Companions.
Endless descendants forever.
Little Spicy Stick exclaimed in admiration: “This is truly an efficient soldier training method, much stronger than the original Tiger Demon.”
Original Mountain Lord’s Ghost Companion Intelligence is innately determined, grows with years of tempering, and dissipates upon death. In contrast, Shadow Tiger Demon enjoys the benefits brought by Dataized Soul.
Pulling out the ‘crystal memory stick’ from Eggplant Head Ghost’s brain, Tiger Demon was satisfied with this group’s experimental results and said to the tail: “Continue!”
Snake Tail opened its mouth again, spitting out a baby fist-sized, very elastic Spherical Object. Landing on the Wooden Floor, it even bounced several times, jumping farther and farther.
Soon, it was picked up by an Eggplant Head Ghost, held in its palm, bouncing along to Tiger Demon, excitedly offering it while shouting incoherently: “Eggplant! Eggplant! Eggplant!!”
Tiger Demon looked and sure enough, it was a black Brain Eggplant. The root of the Tomato brain even sprouted two leaves with black capillary vessel patterns.
This was a severely atrophied miniature brain, tightly pieced together from left and right hemispheres, presenting a standard Tomato shape (round), with deep gully sulci on the surface covered in black vessel patterns. Baby fist-sized, like a bouncy ball.
Smack! Smack! Smack!
Tiger Demon forcefully smashed this ‘Dark Brain Eggplant’ to the ground, and it immediately bounced high hitting the ceiling, then plummeted rapidly, rebounding again… After three times, it was caught mid-air by the flying Skeleton Snake and saved.
“What is this again? Ghost Companion failed again? What use does it have?”
Little Spicy Stick tried gently biting it with its mouth, feeling this ‘eggplant-shaped brain’ very elastic—flattened then immediately bounced back, not easily damaged.
Tiger Demon used Ghost Companion Divine Ability to read the function and attributes of this ‘Brain’, and explained: “Ghost Companion Refinement failed again, still due to goblin’s insufficient potential, couldn’t endure, only leaving behind this brain deeply polluted and eroded by Shadow Eggplant. This thing…”
The more it pondered and perceived the Brain Eggplant’s function, Tiger Demon’s tone became increasingly strange: “…It can be understood as—an external CPU?”
If Soul Memory Stick is for soul expansion and improving Intelligence; then this Brain Eggplant is giving you a new brain, a processor, letting you have thinking ability.
Little Spicy Stick: “What? CPU?!” Then, she looked at the crystal pendant hanging around her neck: “Memory stick!” Immediately, Snake Tail’s gaze swept to the two wilted ‘Shadow Eggplant Flowerpot (3rd group goblins)’ lying motionless in the corner, subconsciously saying: “Data cable?”
Tiger Demon also felt amazed at this moment. The ‘three groups of Shadow Goblins’ it created were completely random messing around, with no expectations, just pure curiosity about what Ghost Companion could derive.
As a result, all three groups of Shadow System Experimental Subjects failed—no Ghost Companion refined. But! The experiment didn’t seem to fail; somehow, it refined Soul Memory Stick, Shadow CPU, and two Shadow Eggplant Seedlings.
Little Spicy Stick: “Boss, do you think this is a coincidence?”
“Who knows.” Tiger Demon was also pondering—everything too coincidental. “Perhaps, this is a hidden mode pre-input into Ghost Companion Divine Ability. Even without ‘Tomato brain’, it would refine other ‘CPUs’ through Ghost Companion Divine Ability?”
Snake Tail nodded in agreement: “Yes yes yes, it should be so! How to use this Brain Eggplant?”
Tiger Demon: “Have you seen Gourd Brothers from my Memory?”
Little Spicy Stick: “Yeah, just watched it, pretty fun, but I prefer Twelve Zodiacs!”
“You have heavy tastes. This Brain Eggplant’s usage is like the gourds on Gourd Brothers’ heads—just insert into the crown, and the two Shadow leaves can spread ‘vessel Root Tendrils’ to parasitize the brain for computational power expansion. Holy crap! Is this the manifestation of my subconscious Rogue Immortal?”
Yuan Zhu suddenly realized at this moment that this Brain Eggplant might not be some built-in program of Ghost Companion Divine Ability, but completely deliberately refined by Ghost Companion Divine Ability according to his subconscious—a ‘Polluted Goods’.
He thought during the day, so Universe Within The Belly conducted specific screening and Refinement according to his subconscious needs.
This brain-shaped Tomato with distinct gullies was completely manifested according to the Three Flowers Gathering at the Crown he imagined. Three Flowers, in Du Ling’s style, naturally bear Fruit.
This Brain Eggplant is the Fruit of God Flower, installed on the head to refresh the mind, greatly enhancing brain computational power. Paired with Soul Memory Stick, it’s even more powerful!
“With this ‘External Brain Pod’, no need for Ghost Companion to install Soul Memory Stick—even non-Shadow System demonic creatures can be converted into puppets in my hands! Wait, I get it. This two-piece set is because I was troubled by lack of Ghost Companions and reliable manpower, so subconscious (Mutated Spiritual Root) spontaneously refined the Product!”
Little Spicy Stick also had Enlightenment, holding up the Brain Eggplant: “First use this to parasitize Head, cultivate ‘Tomato Seven Brothers’, then insert Soul Memory Stick to input program, to drive Polluted Monsters beyond Ghost Companion to serve us? So, even if goblins can’t be refined into Ghost Companion, we can still gain more cannon fodder and tool people? Then what about these two Shadow Eggplants?”
Tiger Demon’s eyes lit up: “Shadow Eggplant is a restraining method for powerful demonic creatures! It can perfectly parasitize in Flesh, forming symbiosis mode, actually controlling the host’s every move—even if resisting, it can quickly Exploit Flesh and Vitality, making it weakened.”
Little Spicy Stick took over: “Shadow Eggplant has no Brain, no thoughts, only instinctively parasitizes Flesh to extract Nutrient. Now it feeds back to nourish Brain Eggplant, gaining computational power and seizing thoughts. Finally insert Memory Stick to Update program, install virtual soul… forming linkage mode! Three-piece set unleashed, taming any unfamiliar Polluted Monster, slowly Shadow Pollution transform it, then swallowed by Universe Within The Belly to refine into Ghost Companion… one-stop service!”
Tiger Demon: “Brilliant!”
“Eggplant eggplant eggplant!” “Budda budda budda!”
The four Eggplant Head Ghosts also waved their puppet arms excitedly cheering nearby. Unfortunately, this Shadow Three-Piece Set is more suitable for taming non-Ghost Companion Polluted Monsters with triple strikes; for Ghost Companions, the significance is lesser.
“Get lost, all of you.”
Two ordinary garbage opened in a row, yet unexpectedly triggered ‘set combination effect’ with Shadow Eggplant. This thrill from blind box opening made Little Spicy Stick unable to stop, quite the gambler urging: “Boss, continue Loot Box Opening! Quick, continue!”
Now, Universe Within The Belly still had four Disease System Goblin blind boxes left. Tiger Demon was also eager to try, so had Snake Tail spit four in a row, silently hoping the four Ghost Companions from Disease System could also trigger mysterious set effects.
The result of the four Disease System blind boxes left him speechless.
Respectively: a Throat crawling with black Flesh tissue, constantly coughing and spraying black smoke. A bulging Throat Sac filled with bone arrow clusters. A constantly beating Black Heart faintly emitting red light. And an Eyeball brewing high-energy reaction, connected to a segment of optic nerve.
No Ghost Companion refined, instead opening 4 Extraordinary Organs with both ‘Shadow’ and ‘Disease’ dual pollution.
They are similar to Brain Eggplant, but without functions like ‘soul expansion, CPU computational power, biological hard drive…’, purely inheriting the ‘characteristic Disease attacks’ of the four Disease Goblins.
According to Ghost Companion’s feedback, just transplant these Polluted Organs into Ghost Companion’s body to hardware upgrade them, gaining brand new Bloodline Supernatural Ability.
Thus Tiger Demon gave the order, and the four Eggplant Head Ghosts each picked up a ‘Shadow Mutation Organ’ and stuffed it into themselves.
The Eggplant Head Ghosts who swallowed Throat and Throat Sac both painfully clutched their necks; one coughed loudly, spraying waves of Shadow blood mist with strong Corrosion, corroding the Floor into numerous honeycomb pits. The other coughed violently, spraying sharp Skeleton arrows one after another, nailing into Wall and Roof.
Looking at the other two Eggplant Head Ghosts, one had dramatically accelerated heartbeat, its hunched small body began inflating—not only did arms grow Muscle, but the wooden puppet arms on the back also wrapped in Shadow vines, thickening greatly, like a short muscular guy.
The last Eggplant Head Ghost had all sizes of eyeballs on its head mutate, starting to emit ‘Shadow Ray’ outward; the hit coughing Ghost Companion’s arm instantly withered and aged.
“Eggplant eggplant eggplant!” “Budda budda budda!”
The four Ghost Companions were extremely excited; their levels gained a small improvement, with higher and stronger pollution quality. At the same time, higher Resistance to Disease Garden’s Disease Plants, more adapted.
Little Spicy Stick: “I observed their data; backend shows Ghost Companions positively changed after absorbing Disease Organs, somewhat like Boss you gaining Holy Mark. Ghost Companions seem to have met the prerequisite for Disease System Cultivation Path? Found a stable path for growth and Improvement?”
Tiger Demon was puzzled: “You mean my Shadow System Ghost Companion stepped onto the neighboring Disease System’s Cultivation Path?”
Little Spicy Stick equally incredulous: “No! It’s Ghost Companion finding a method on Disease System’s Cultivation Path to steal ‘Disease Pollution’, convert and improve Shadow System. If we can get Disease System’s Cultivation methods, perhaps through these Ghost Companions going undercover, plagiarize a pirated Shadow Cultivation System?”
Tiger Demon frowned: “You mean replicate Disease System one-to-one into ‘Shadow Disease version’? Then I’d be begging for food?”
Game Sprite advised: “Founding patriarch, not embarrassing. Plagiarism first, Innovation later. Only after pirating out Shadow System, qualified for minor Innovation. Your use of Universe Within The Belly isn’t plagiarism of Sanctuary?”
Tiger Demon quibbled: “That’s different? Sanctuary is mine; I just transplanted spatial comprehension from Holy Light to Shadow—still my comprehension.”
Little Spicy Stick perfunctorily: “Ah yes yes yes!”
Tiger Demon looked again at the four Ghost Companions tirelessly using ‘Disease Supernatural Ability’. Haunted House Space limited, couldn’t fully unleash, so simply brought them into Disease Garden to let them freely devour Disease Plants, releasing Shadow System Disease Supernatural Ability.
After some observation, it passed on ‘cough poison mist, cough bone arrows, fever heart’, only interested in Shadow Ray Eyeball.
“Wonder if this ‘Eyeball Ghost Companion’ can mass-produce Shadow System Ray Eyeball like feeding Shadow Eggplant produced Brain Eggplant before?”
Little Spicy Stick: “You really like this ‘Ray Eyeball’?”
Tiger Demon shook head: “No, I don’t like it. But my Holy Light does.”
Having tasted the sweetness of Holy Cough, Yuan Zhu expected to harvest more Disease Ray Eyeball and Shadow Ray Eyeball, then Incineration into Ash, smelt into Holy Seal to evolve similar ‘ray’ innate ability.
Just ask if Holy Light + ray has potential?!
This is the true Holy Light System Cultivation Ultimate Skill! Targeted Cultivation and inducement of Holy Light and Holy Seal for benign Mutation, evolving powerful Skills!
At this moment, his scientific research soul burned fiercely again, only regretting no 100 goblins for crazy experiments. Another 20 Lame Deer or Badger would do too.
Understanding Boss’s idea, Little Spicy Stick also got excited: “Holy crap, it can be like this? Allow me to shout from the heart: ‘Boss, awesome!’ You are the true Holy Path genius! If heaven didn’t birth you Yuan Heavenly Venerable, Holy Church eternal like long night.”
“Budda budda budda!” “Budda budda budda!” The four strengthened Ghost Companions also read the atmosphere, kneeling nearby to worship Tiger Demon.
For a moment, Disease Garden filled with balala rainbow-colored Energy, greatly pleasing Tiger Demon who lay in Disease flower cluster, fiercely drawing Shadow Layer’s Spiritual Energy.
This mission, at least can assemble two sets of Shadow Set, control two Otherworld Summoned Creatures for my use. So looking forward to it, looking forward to it!
The four nearby Ghost Companions took root, surrounding Tiger Demon, filtering ‘Disease Pollution’ in the Air for their King, and continuously injecting into ‘mutated Organs’.
Whenever Disease Pollution was about to overwhelm Shadow Origin, Tiger Demon would deliver a wave of Shadow Spiritual Energy to stabilize Ghost Companion’s attributes.
These four wastes also grew quite a bit—bring them all to Bubble World to open up territory for this King!
