New concept of the mysterious way to ascend to immortality

Chapter 100 Bubble World: The End of the Dharma Wonderland

Three days passed in a flash. Yuan Zhu, who was well prepared, carried a travel bag, pulled a chair and sat in the attic of the [Haunted House], reading the newspaper in his hand, quietly waiting for the captain's call.

I finished reading a full eleven newspapers before the familiar dizziness finally set in. After regaining control of my body and maintaining my balance, I arrived at the Happy House.

"Yo!"

Meng Xiyue, also carrying a pink backpack, stood across from him and waved enthusiastically. Even the "Shu Shu" lying on his shoulder had his hair dyed pink and had a fucking side-cut bangs? This is totally insane!
"Azhu, nice to see you again! You've become much stronger."

Yuan Zhu rolled his eyes at her and continued to look. He spotted Zhou Chu, who had long hair and had changed his uniform into a casual style, and nodded slightly at him. Then there was Huo Tuo Luo, a taciturn, portly, and muscular figure with a chilling aura. He hid in a corner, resting with his eyes closed, not participating in any interaction.

Besides that, Mai Lili did not show up. Apparently, this girl had given up on this temporary mission.

As for Lu Rang, Yuan Zhu met him offline and recovered five goblins that were seriously injured by the pipe wrench.

The young swordsman, now reeling from repeated setbacks in the sewers, has come to realize his own shortcomings. He wisely forgoes the idea of a daring escape to the Bubble World, and instead remains in the sewers, honing his swordsmanship and willpower through battle against the goblins. A wise choice.

The captain clapped his hands and said, "Now that everyone is ready, let me arrange your tasks. This jar contains special insect eggs unique to the [Mao Mao King]. One of your tasks this time is to find artisans who can raise and cultivate these insect eggs, and to secure as many breeding contracts as possible to produce raw materials for the Mao Mao King. In addition, this bottle contains several plant seeds, some of which serve as food for the insect eggs, and some as fuel. You can try to cultivate them, or find indigenous people with relevant talents to cooperate with."

"Also, we're gathering as much intelligence as possible about the 'Bubble World,' including the settlements of the indigenous peoples and mapping the Bubble World. We're investigating the types and distribution of resources in this world, the layout of local forces, the content and strength limits of the Transcendental System... We're trying to contact the local good and lawful forces to see if they're interested in cooperation. We're also investigating whether there's a potential customer base for 'luxury children's clothing' in the Bubble World. Any other questions?"

"Yes, Captain!" Meng Xiyue raised her hand high and spoke, "Are you sure there are people capable of raising insects in this 'bubble world'? Are there many such people? How can we find them?"

The captain confirmed, "There are many such people. According to the intelligence I purchased from other teams, the 'bubble world' you've entered this time is dominated by two types of transcendental systems: the Fude Earth Immortals of Kunlun, and another indigenous system centered around the concept of insects."

Mengxi was astonished. "Kunlun Earth Immortal? Is that dangerous? From what I know, a true Kunlun Earth Immortal can control and manipulate the earth veins, water veins, and atmospheric ecology within a thousand miles. It's not an exaggeration to say they are resident immortals."

"You can rest assured about this. According to intelligence, a great war once broke out in this world. The Earth Immortal has long since perished, and the blessed land has similarly collapsed. The current Bubble World, rebuilt upon the ruins of the Earth Immortal Blessed Land, has greatly diminished in strength, and the remnants of the immortals can no longer suppress the power of the natives. Therefore, the abundance of [Insect Element] talent has attracted the attention of the [Furry King]. In fact, if the conditions are right, the [Furry King] will even focus on managing this world and cultivating a group of followers. The gatekeeping work is now left to you."

Mengxi thought for a moment and added, "That sounds easy. If you're talking about a lot of talented insect breeders, then wouldn't it be easy for us to complete the task? It doesn't seem that difficult at all."

Captain: "This mission is too difficult, and I'm worried about you newcomers acting freely. But don't let your guard down. The natural environment of this 'bubble world' is terrible, a wasteland apocalypse after a major global upheaval. The destruction of the once-dominant Kunlun Blessed Land has severely damaged the entire world, causing it to decline. The aftermath of the catastrophe of the Earth Immortal's fall will continue to cause unrest, so be careful to avoid it. With any luck, perhaps you can inherit some of the Earth Immortal's legacy?"

"Oh?" Meng Xiyue asked, "If I have an adventure, will Happy Home take a cut?"

The captain shook his head. "No, whatever you gain is yours. But don't forget to expand the market for [Maomao King]. Once you achieve success, you will enjoy long-term dividends in the future. The group has high expectations for this 'Bubble World', and you are all potential future regional managers."

After all the promises, none of the four employees showed any fighting spirit, and all of them were immune to the captain's rhetoric.

The captain wasn't angry. He checked his watch and said, "You'll have 10 minutes to exchange equipment and supplies, then you'll be transported. If you encounter a life-or-death crisis during the mission, you can consume the mark on the back of your hand to return and transport. That's it, dismissed."

After he finished speaking, Yuan Zhu raised his hands and found a strange and complex circular rune on the back of his right hand. It should represent [Maomao King], or maybe it was a brand name?

"Meeh eh eh..."

Just as he was examining the back of his hand, he heard a sheep bleating behind him, and a force pushed its hind legs forward. He looked back and saw a little goat with black spots on a white background and green stripes on its horns, constantly nudging him, as if to say hello.

"Meeh eh eh..."

The man looked up and met Yuan Zhu's gaze, his narrow pupils looking strange. A few conspicuous green vines were intertwined in the wool around his neck. They twisted like living things, weaving in and out of the wool!

Snap?! 'Crazy eggplant seedlings' actually grew out of this guy's flesh?!

Yuan Zhu quickly took a step back to avoid the goat's tongue licking attack, pointed at the green plant on the goat's neck and asked, "What's going on?"

Number 3 then emerged and explained, "Master Yuan, this is a benign mutation that occurred when I recently fed it tomato seedlings. It feeds on 'blood tomato' vines daily, and its body is gradually being strengthened and transformed. These vines, controlled by it, are gradually growing from the hair on its chin and neck."

"Mee!" The crazy eggplant sheep also bleated loudly to express its approval.

Zhou Chu also came to his side, staring at the little goat closely, then took out a few test papers, cut off a strand of wool with his sword finger, wrapped it in paper and then lit it, and judged the degree of pollution of the little goat based on the state of the smoke.

Number 3 quickly protected his sheep behind him and explained, "Miss Zhou Chu, the housekeeper said this sheep is very healthy and not contaminated by the crazy blood. I feed it healthy blood nightshade vine leaves, not crazy nightshade vines."

After the test, the investigator stopped paying attention to the goat and asked, "Is it going on a mission too?"

Number Three looked confused. Yes, does the little goat need to go on a mission?
Meng Xiyue came up and urged, "Take it with you. If you run into a crisis and run out of food, you can always kill it and eat its meat."

"Baa, baa, baa!" The little goat seemed to understand her malicious intentions. He raised his head and threw out a green vine from his goatee, trying to whip her.

"I'll dodge!" But Mengxi dodged it nimbly.

Yuan Zhu ignored the chase between the man and the sheep, took out a tin can from his backpack, and handed it to No. 3: "Here's the gift I promised you, keep it quickly."

No. 3 didn't care about the goat anymore and quickly hugged the large alchemical element tank. This thing is usually a fuel bottle rationed for cars, similar to a full tank of gasoline on Earth, but it is lighter and burns longer.

The captain suddenly rushed out, patted Yuan Zhu on the shoulder, and warned: "Don't bring this kind of stuff to No. 3 anymore. The purity is too low, there are many impurities, and it is highly contaminated. It is not a product of the same system as her. Every time she drinks it, I have to spend a lot of money to clean her core."

Yuan Zhu: "Huh?"

"Don't just stand there. These are [insect eggs] and [seeds]. Keep them safe and don't lose them."

The captain thrust two high-end-looking cylindrical metal cans into Yuan Zhu's hands. Not only were they incredibly heavy, but the caps also had a complex mechanical structure, giving them a very high-tech, steampunk-esque feel.

Then, he gave similar jars to Zhou Chu, Mengxi, and Huotuo Luo.

Yuan Zhu fiddled with it for a long time but couldn't find where the switch was?

"Captain, how do I open this?"

"Uniforms, or your rats." Click!
Yuan Zhu, with a look of wonder on his face, successfully used his uniform to open the metal bottle cap. He discovered that inside the bottle, thin metal plates were neatly stored, and on both sides of each plate were neatly arranged crystal clear insect eggs.

"Is this the caterpillar of the [Furry King]?"

The captain warned, "Be careful not to expose the eggs to the air for extended periods. The inside of the bottle protects them from long-term dormancy and interference from external contamination. If they are opened and removed, they need to be carefully cared for by professionals, nurturing and raising them bit by bit. Otherwise, they will lose their vitality and be corroded by external contamination, becoming dead eggs. Or they may become contaminated and deformed, losing their effectiveness."

"Oh oh oh!" Yuan Zhu hurriedly inserted the metal pieces back into the bottle. These little things were related to his performance, so he should try his best to take care of them.

"Hey!"

Meng Xiyue then ran back to him, nudged Yuan Zhu with her elbow, and whispered, "How's your [Holy Light] strengthening? Did you strengthen your [Holy Seal]? What did you choose? Do you want to cooperate on this mission? Follow me, listen to my commands, be my little brother, and I'll give you a share of the benefits after the mission is accomplished."

"How much is the share?"

Mengxi thought for a moment and said, "Let's just split it 30/70! You split 30/70, I split 70/70, but don't go too far."

Yuan Zhu shook his head: "Not interested."

"Tsk, you've only been strengthened for a few days, and you're already so arrogant?"

Zhou Chu, who had finished exchanging his money at the stone pillar, also came over and, once again transforming into an expert anti-fraud expert, reminded them, "Be careful in the bubble world. Don't put yourself in danger for the sake of the illusory earthly immortal heritage. If you get separated, remember to use this to contact your companions."

She pointed to the rat detector following behind her.

"I understand, I understand. You are so annoying. You actually followed me to our school. I'm not a bad person. Do you know how my best friends and classmates looked at me after you left? They thought I had committed some big crime outside of school." Meng Xiyue complained to the female investigator.

Zhou Chu stared at the latter with a death gaze and replied seriously, "You are very dangerous!" Then he turned to Yuan Zhu and said, "Practice the Holy Light well. Be careful of her temptation."

Yuan Zhu, who received the investigator's approval, nodded repeatedly: "Yes, yes, yes!"

Great! Practicing the [Holy Light] is far more reliable and trustworthy than practicing the [Headthieves]! And now, he's earned the recognition of being a fraud-busting expert.

...

10 minutes later, the captain had filled the energy column that passed through the [foam layer] and motioned the four people to stand in the center of the hall.

As for the little goat who acted very brave and wanted to join the adventure team, the iron-boned No. 3 held him tightly by the neck and almost suffocated him.

"Captain, won't the little goat join us?" Meng Xiyue was still harboring evil intentions.

The captain waved goodbye, "I doubt you can keep it, or even want to eat it. Better not take the risk. Good luck!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the transmission started. Xiao La Tiao tried hard to record the spatial fluctuations of passing through the [Nightmare Bubble Layer], but the results were minimal.

The process was so fast, and after escaping into the [Foam Layer], he lost all sense of time. When Yuan Zhu regained consciousness, La Tiao was stunned: "Only 0 seconds had passed? Did the [Immortal Scripture] malfunction?"

Yuan Zhu shook his dizzy head and retorted, "How is that possible? I think the transmission lasted for more than half a minute."

"I think so, but the Soul Firewall shows only 0 seconds have passed. Ugh! Such turbid air, such a foul smell. What the hell have we been teleported to?"

Yuan Zhu opened his eyes and observed the environment. He was now in a dim, claustrophobic space. There was compacted soil under his feet, and on both sides were mud walls covered with moss and fluorescent mushrooms. There was also a closed space above his head. One could vaguely see a grid structure of interwoven roots, supporting a large amount of soil to form a tunnel structure.

"underground?"

Judging from the surroundings, I could tell I was in an underground tunnel. This passage was quite spacious, about three or four meters wide and over two meters high. It was even wider than Running's sewers. The fluorescent fungi, mosses, and roots in the muddy ceiling above all lingered with a thick, varying scent of pollution.

If the wild forests of the [Little West Red Realm] were still normal natural vegetation, and the pollution was limited to the green-blooded filthy bone monsters and the Yellow Springs Corpse Ghosts... then there would be no "clean" natural crops in this current underground space.

Everything he observed that showed signs of life had residues of varying concentrations of pollution, especially the roots above his head, which looked like the twigs of some giant creature. Although the pollution intensity was not high, it was vaguely connected together, forming a macroscopic and huge super-pollution, which gave him an instinctive sense of oppression and made him dare not move.

Looking up at those inconspicuous roots, Yuan Zhu muttered to himself, "Is this the root spirit vein of an Earth Immortal? Or is it a dead root spirit vein?"

In Happy Home, he received a temporary cram session with Mengxi and Zhou Chu, and gained a basic understanding of the Kunlun Earth Immortals. Kunlun Earth Immortals and Huangtian Earth Immortals are two different types of "land immortals" with completely different core rules, but they are closely related.

Among them, [Kunlun.Earth Immortal] will cultivate a [natal spiritual root (woody spiritual plant)] to cultivate his life after reaching a certain stage of cultivation.

Afterwards, the Earth Immortal would choose a Feng Shui location with abundant earth vein energy and plant their spiritual roots. The roots would then spread and grow along the "earth veins, water veins, and spirit veins," gradually merging and binding with the land.

The earthly immortal monks start by incarnating as the most basic land god, performing the function of ensuring good weather and good harvests; step by step they grow into natural gods who use their [natal spiritual roots] as tools to parasitize and control a piece of land.

Manipulating celestial phenomena, modifying the ecosystem, transforming the geographical structure... becoming the 'will of the planet (Gaia)' within a local area, to some extent it is quite similar to the [Huang Tiandi Xian], but the core is completely different.

Yuan Zhu learned from the captain that the Kunlun Earth Immortal in this world had long been dead, and even his [natal spiritual roots] had perished. The core of the [spiritual plants] on the surface of the land was completely destroyed, leaving only roots that spread for thousands of miles and still contained huge spiritual energy (pollution) reserves.

If another thousand or hundred years pass, these spreading "spiritual roots" might, under geological action, evolve into veins of spiritual stones, as depicted in cultivation novels, allowing this bubble world to once again foster the "Kunlun system" of immortal cultivation.

At this moment, these 'root tips' that appeared in the soil above the head should be the very last capillary roots of the fallen [Kunlun Spiritual Root]. Only traces of undetectable pollution remain, but they make people feel depressed and uncomfortable.

Especially in the closed underground space, a large amount of death roots emit "Kunlun spiritual energy (pollution)" and mix into the air, causing the pollution level of the closed underground world to increase dramatically.

He almost couldn't help but cast a layer of holy light over himself to filter the air. Imagine this is just an ordinary underground area in a bubble world, and the pollution concentration has soared to this level.

Xiao La's comment: "It's still the problem of the closed underground space. If we were on the surface, the air pollution wouldn't be this high. Sniff~, Boss, I'll use your breath to detect the 'spiritual pollution' in the air. The spiritual pollution in Kunlun is just so-so, not as aggressive as the Disease Garden. The bad news is that this 'pollution' emitted by the roots cannot be identified and utilized by the [Great Wilderness Immortal Scripture]. Therefore, the [Kunlun Immortal Method] is definitely not an authentic Taoist sect, but a demonic heresy disguised as 'immortal'!"

Yuan Zhu was too lazy to complain. The crow laughed at the pig, and said, "Your [Great Wilderness Immortal Scripture] is also a fake in a 'fairy' guise!"

(End of this chapter)