New concept of the mysterious way to ascend to immortality

Chapter 66 [Nightmare World. Huangliang Township] (Subscribe)
"Boss, please give me a bottle of pure purple drink and a bottle of lightly sugared green tea, thank you."

Despite complaining about the high price, Yuan Zhu still bought the pricey bottle of "Huangliang Huixiang" at Xiao La Tiao's insistence. He then casually paid the 3.01 yuan bill, took the two bottles of drinks, and left without looking back.

"What kind of drink is this? The name is weird too. Tell me, why should I buy it?"

Yuan Zhu put the most expensive bottle into his pocket, cracked the green tea with his teeth, and drank it in big gulps. The sweet yet bitter taste of the tea gave him a boost of energy, and his groggy head felt much better.

After tasting the tea, the elf said disdainfully, "This isn't tasty at all. It's astringent. The bottle of [Huangliang Echo] you just bought has a [foam layer] scent in it. It's very weak, very faint!"

"What, [foam layer]? Are you sure?" Yuan Zhu was a little surprised and looked at the bottle of dreamy drink again.

Xiao La Tiao: "Yes, I'm sure. It's because you just returned from the [Foam Layer] that I realized the similarities between the two. However, the aura sealed in this bottle of drink is not the 'Little Western Red World', but another unfamiliar foam world. That's why I find it very interesting and urge you to buy a bottle."

Yuan Zhu: "Then what's the point? They're being sold openly in stores. Either there's a conspiracy going on, or they're just like [Maomao Wang], not afraid of being investigated at all, or they've already cleaned up their act."

He felt that the gods and demons in the Bubble World had nothing to hide. The captain had said that if the Mao Mao King opened a shop in the real world, he would pay taxes legally and would not be afraid of a security investigation.

Besides, aren't those monks, deacons, and Qigong practitioners all operating openly in the real world, even being cooked into meals? It's just a bottle of drink, what's the big deal?

Xiao La Tiao: "I don't know what it's used for, I just thought it was interesting, so I asked you to buy a bottle. However, I have an idea. Remember when you were taken to the Security Bureau, the guy who yelled that he was a time traveler?"

"Yeah, I remember. I overheard Lao Wang talking to his colleagues. They said it was a scam set up by a useless evil god called 'Pink Waterweed.' They had their followers peddle spiked hallucinogenic drinks on earth, causing mental pollution. Then, through dreams, they brainwashed people, implanting the idea that I was a time traveler, and tricked them into raising money for a sacrificial ceremony, in exchange for transferring money to them remotely. Hmm? Are you saying this drink is similar to the illegally spiked 'Pink Waterweed' drink?"

While he was eating and resting at the inn in Ye Foguo, he had a brief chat with Zhou Chu and Meng Xiyue, and indirectly got out a lot of information about the extraordinary world.

Neither girl held back. Since they had entered the [Space of the Gods], their future lives would clearly be different from ordinary lives, so there was no need to hide anything. So Zhou Chu focused on explaining to them the common pollution and corruption scams in the world today.

The most common one is the trap of various delicious little mushrooms.

What is the status of mushrooms on the planet Duling? Frankly, they're twice as popular as mushrooms in Yunnan. Across the world, mushrooms are a passion, with mushrooms even ranking third among the twelve deities, a testament to their status.

Everywhere in the world, people eat mushrooms. And the sheer variety and flavors of cultivated mushrooms are practically endless. In a city like Running, where humidity is year-round, the abundance is overwhelming. Everything is readily available. And they're as cheap as Simian frogs.

Some of these are not only extremely delicious, but also hallucinogenic. While not addictive, the wonderful feeling of euphoria is unforgettable. This explains the high incidence of food poisoning in Yunnan. In Running, aphrodisiac spore smoke and longevity mushroom drinks are particularly popular.

Mushrooms aren't just abundant with spirits. Bubble worlds are even more numerous. With the Third God of Destiny now the Mushroom God, it's only natural that they're rampant. The mushrooms growing within the bubble layer naturally possess extraordinary (pollution) properties, carrying the characteristics (information) of the bubble world. They're considered polluting materials and are also defined as "magic potions" by traditional medicine. They're now even added to beverages for long-term preservation.

Even mushrooms in different foam layers have different properties and medicinal effects, and there are special [Mushroom Pharmacopoeia] and [Fungus Potions Codex].

The hallucinogenic scam of [Pink Water Grass] is to add the mushrooms in its own [bubble world] into private drinks as medicinal materials, making the drinkers addicted to it, communicating with spirits in dreams, entering its [bubble world], and undergoing mental distortion and brainwashing.

Now, under Xiao Latiao's reminder, Yuan Zhu looked at the bottle of [Huangliang Echo] in his hand with caution. Is it really the same routine?

Xiao La Tiao: "Yes, that's what I thought. Of course, this drink is definitely not that strong. After all, it is sold legally, so it must be safe and there will be no hidden dangers. But this drink dares to call itself [Huangliang], so it must be related to dreams. Remember that the full name of [Foam Layer] is [Nightmare Foam Layer]?"

Yuan Zhu nodded: "I know."

The reason why it is called the [Nightmare Bubble Layer] is because this chaotic and distorted layer really has a complex connection with [Dreams].

If ordinary people on the planet Duling are accidentally exposed to some pollution flowing out of the [foam layer] during the day, there is a chance that they will receive the call of the [nightmare layer] when they sleep at night, and their spirits will connect with the demon hidden in the foam world, and they will experience a wonderful dreamlike journey.

In the old days when the Security Bureau had not yet become powerful, Du Ling had a large number of secret societies that distributed mushrooms produced in different "bubble worlds" and taught in "dreams" remotely.

Demons from different worlds personally appear, connecting with learners in dreams, offering one-on-one high-quality teaching, imparting extraordinary knowledge, and guiding them on the path to transcendence, making them grow stronger with sparks and lightning, and ascend to heaven in a hundred days.

That’s right, it’s either one hundred days to build the foundation or one hundred days to ascend to heaven!

Guaranteed instruction, ascension to the Spirit Realm in three months. Fight in groups, seize resources, and seize territory. It was a golden age for those with special abilities!
Therefore, various types of nightmare mushrooms have been the focus of security crackdowns. The "fizzy aroma" of this drink comes from the same source.

"If it's safe, what's the point of buying it?" Yuan Zhu proactively turned the [Immortal Scripture] warning to maximum, pressed the drink against his face, but still failed to trigger the alarm. He didn't even smell the 'foam layer'.

"Aren't you interested in the [Nightmare Bubble Layer]? What we need most right now is to try various things and collect all the extraordinary information about the Du Ling. Since we have already been to the 'Bubble World' once, let's do it before going to bed and try to connect to the 'Nightmare World' again in our dreams." Xiao Latiao said excitedly.

She was like a newborn baby, curious about everything on Duling Star. Well, after she reminded her, Yuan Zhu also became very interested and could not wait.

"It won't be dangerous, will it?"

Xiao La Tiao assured him solemnly, "This is sold in a store, from a legal channel, and must have passed safety verification. It's not dangerous."

"Yeah, it's all been approved by security, so how could I possibly log into the Nightmare World through a dream? Are you stupid?"

He also realized that if this was truly a legitimate product, then the 'tainted smell' in the drink, no, the 'extraordinary flavor ingredients' in the drink, would definitely not allow him to connect to the [Nightmare Layer].

In ancient times, eating mushrooms was considered a cost-effective, dangerous form of spiritual practice. Spend a small fortune and buy a bunch of unfamiliar, yet dangerous, contaminated mushrooms. Risking your life by eating them recklessly, you might even be transported to a random nightmare world.

If you are lucky, a "master" will appear in your dreams and impart some knowledge, whether it is supplemented or not. After you wake up, you will quickly become stronger and change your fate.

If you are unlucky, you will be brainwashed and bewitched that night, or you will be distorted and corrupted at the speed of light, or you will die in your dream and your body will be taken over by someone else.

Nowadays, connecting to the Nightmare Layer is far more difficult than in the past. At the same time, mushroom regulations have been significantly tightened, and the concentration of mushrooms available through legal channels has been significantly reduced.

All of this is due to the [Spiritual Layer], a garbage dump and quarantine zone, and the ubiquitous constraints of the [Pale Law]. As time progresses, incidents of nightmare pollution decrease. Ordinary people are finding more hope in their lives.

In the old days, he was oppressed and filled with anger. He ate mushrooms recklessly, became stronger, and ascended to heaven, which was a great pleasure. Now he's being bullied, and in his rage, he can only be angry for a while. Then he drank a bottle of [Huangliang Echo] and had a good sleep. Xiao Latiao encouraged him, "Others can't do it, but you can! You are not ordinary. Your pollution index is abnormally low, like a blank sheet of paper. As long as you drink this bottle of drink, you can keenly detect the 'smell of pollution'. At the same time, your soul is assisted by the [Immortal Scripture], which can tune in and actively receive external pollution signals. The possibility of logging into the 'Nightmare World' is extremely high! I saw the [Nightmare School] in the redemption list. Like the [Knowledge School], it is a required university course. It's not that difficult, not even a professional course. Any university student can do it, so can you!"

"Okay, let's go back and try." Yuan Zhu picked up the [Yellow Millet] and quickened his pace. The journey was smooth, and he didn't encounter any more 'space docking'. When he got home, it was almost 11 o'clock.

At this time, his younger brother had already fallen asleep. He also returned to his bedroom, wrapped his fingernails with shadows, easily flicked off the bottle cap, and drank it in big gulps.

Not to mention, the taste is far better than that bottle of green tea, well worth the 200 times price difference.

The elf praised: "Tsk! This tastes amazing, more than 200 times stronger than green tea! Boss, do you feel it?"

Yuan Zhu savored it carefully, then closed his eyes to sense the changes in himself, and replied, "There is a certain feeling, as if a pair of hands penetrated my scalp and bones, gently massaging my brain and soul, which is relaxing. It feels quite comfortable. In addition, there is a feeling that my consciousness is telling me that I am very sleepy and it is time to go to bed. But in fact, I am not sleepy at all. On the contrary, I am very awake. This 'calling' or 'hint' is like an option. If I refuse, I will continue to enjoy this soul-level massage; if I choose to sleep..."

"You will fall asleep?" Xiao Latiao continued.

"It's not just about falling asleep, it's even more comfortable than a soul massage. It's deep sleep and deep relaxation." Yuan Zhu conveyed the inspiration the drink brought him with a strange look on his face.

This [Echo of the Yellow Millet] is worthy of being worth two hundred bottles of green tea, surprisingly even sealing such a message within the drink. Anyone who drinks most of it, with a high enough level of perception and keenness, will be able to capture this message and make a choice. Even those who are dull and sleepy will experience a deep relaxation.

Elf: "Then try to sleep quickly, and let's start our dream adventure again!"

Yuan Zhu didn't believe he could face any danger. Compared to his human body, his soul was truly fully armed. Not only had he installed the [Regular Version of the Immortal Scripture], but he had also loaded the [Boss Template] and, behind it, the [Great Wasteland Old Deng]. With layers of protection, it was incredibly solid!
With a bit of curiosity and anticipation, he decisively pulled the quilt over him and closed his eyes.

Within 30 seconds, his consciousness began to recede, and his breathing became steady. A faint alarm clock melody (the alarm, adjusted by Sheshe) played in his head, which he manually turned off. Then, he felt his consciousness being pulled and moved by an invisible force.

With a whoosh, his consciousness was projected out at the speed of light. Before he could react, he suddenly fell lightly into a prosperous ancient oriental world.

Yuan Zhu opened his eyes and found himself falling from the sky like a meteor, leaving a dreamy rainbow light band behind him, and falling towards the bustling city on the ground.

Below is a vast city that never sleeps, full of lights, wine, women and people. It has an ancient oriental architectural style, without any "modern" elements such as neon lights, steel cars, concrete buildings, etc.

Yet, simple wooden lofts also rose from the ground, dozens of stories high, like alternative skyscrapers. Lanterns hung around the perimeter of each loft, tower, and other structure, emitting red, yellow, and purple light. The brightness was so intense that it rivaled the neon lights of the modern world, but even more captivating.

"My dear, come here quickly!"

"Young Master, come here, sister! I will sing a song for you."

One after another, beautiful young ladies dressed in cool feathered robes and colorful clothes lazily lay on the attic windows, fanning themselves idly with small round fans. Suddenly, they saw a streak of light falling from the sky towards them, and immediately stood up happily, waving at the sky.

Then, they all threw out the ribbons in their hands. White, red, pink... ribbon scarves swayed lightly and flew towards the sky, running towards the falling Yuan Zhu.

He was clearly falling so fast that it seemed as if he would hit the ground in the blink of an eye, falling to his death. However, as his eyes swept across the fairy-like buildings, he saw the young ladies with different expressions, some surprised, some happy, and some not bothered to pay attention...

His time suddenly slowed down, like bullet time, allowing him to leisurely and clearly scan each face. Although they were a long distance away, each face was as clear as if it had been zoomed in by the mouse wheel, visible clearly.

And when his attention shifted to another area, the falling rainbow light would also change direction according to his sight and move towards the direction selected by his gaze.

"What on earth is going on here? There are so many enthusiastic and beautiful young ladies, each one so good-looking, it's impossible to choose!"

Finally, his sight collided with the nearest one, and the falling rainbow light was caught by the red ribbon, pulling him over.

Two thousand years later.

Yuan Zhu suddenly woke up from his dream, opened his eyes, and looked out the window. Although he couldn't see the sun, the strong sunlight still penetrated the clouds and illuminated the sky.

"What time is it? I feel refreshed and had a great sleep!"

"Damn it, liars, garbage! Damn nightmare world, this is a blatant scam! The alcohol consumption last night can actually be recorded in our soul account? [Sea of Consciousness Trading System], do we have to go to the moon to pay the bill?! They are obviously illusions, how dare they charge for drinks? It's obviously just an illusion, shouldn't it be over as soon as you wake up?!" The elf said angrily. The most important thing is that all the consumption last night was experienced by the boss himself, and she, as a follower, didn't get any of it at all.

Last night's dream experiences were purely spiritual enjoyments for the soul. She could only share Yuan Zhu's physical senses. So, last night, she didn't even have a body, just watching the boss and the woman called "Xin Niang" chat all night, drinking and touching hands.

Singing, dancing, playing the piano, playing chess...nothing risqué at all, and time flies by so fast. It's a scam, a total dream scam! Investigators have warned: Beware of mushroom drink scams! Beware of nightmare honey traps!

How can her looks compare to mine? I can do it too! Why waste my money? Damn [Huangliang Dreamland], it's full of emotional value suppliers trying to steal my business. My database is still not rich enough!
"Boss, I can also learn singing and dancing, as long as you input the relevant data for me!"

Still unable to distinguish between dreams and reality, Yuan Zhu retorted, "The wine is really delicious, the conversation is super nice, the people are beautiful, the voices are sweet, the music is beautiful, and the dancing is beautiful... If you want to enter the data, then I have to go there more often."

"Money, money, money! Do you know what 'Jade Dust Essence' is? I owe you 30 coins. Also, how can we get to the moon? Can you build a rocket?" asked the elf.

Yuan Zhu, gradually sobering up, slapped his forehead and said, "Oh, I forgot to ask. Don't panic. The fees in Huangliang Township are definitely not exorbitant, otherwise this 'nightmare world' would have been officially banned long ago. The ladies at [Dream Chaser] are all legal and compliant, and they're all doing legitimate business. There's no exaggeration about the scams. And they accept credit, which shows they have enough confidence in consumers. I just need to go there again tonight and find out how to reach the moon. Wouldn't you have gathered new information? Last night's trip to 'Huangliang Township' was definitely worthwhile. We really landed in the nightmare world, and those fine wines really help purify the soul. I'm even more energetic! I got enough sleep, too, and I feel great!"

"I'm afraid you'll become obsessed with beauty and fall into the trap of consumerism."

Yuan Zhu waved her hands. "How is that possible? You're much prettier than them. I'm not that stupid. I was just playing coy with Xin Niang to gather information about [Huangliang Township]. And from what they said, there are also many consumers in the real world, and even quite a few ordinary people, who spend money in [Huangliang Township]. The problem of outstanding accounts should be easy to solve. I have a lot of money, so how can I be worse than an ordinary person?"

After saying that, Yuan Zhu took out a golden finger from under the pillow.

"I'll exchange it today, then go for a walk around Yuyuan. If there's no better option, I'll strengthen [Holy Light]. Next time I go to Huangliang Township, I'll just eat a free meal!"

(End of this chapter)