New concept of the mysterious way to ascend to immortality

Chapter 91 [Shadow Experiment Group] Acceptance

When Yuan Zhu woke up, he was lying in Running's home. But he knew that last night's dream was not false. He now had intelligence information on 31 Running natives, and he had initially recruited them to his command, able to anonymously mobilize them to complete some simple tasks.

He could now use [Energy Loan] like Kakarot, asking everyone to lend him their energy to help him build his first pot of gold, and then never return it. Kakarot never paid it back, so why should I pay it back when I borrowed it based on my own ability?

He got out of bed. Although the sky was gloomy, it wasn't raining anymore, which was good. He washed up quickly and headed straight to the haunted house complex, intending to check on his little green-skinned children and see how they were doing.

After coming here twice in a row, Yuan Zhu had already figured out the structure of the community. This time, he did not go through the main gate, but easily climbed over the wall to enter without leaving any trace.

After entering the haunted house again, he found that the four nightshades did not slack off, but rigidly executed the [Soul Program] written by Xiao La Tiao, and diligently fed the second and third control groups.

After a whole day of preparation, the [Shadow Control Group] who stayed in the haunted house were almost marinated.

Goblins were not particularly strong creatures to begin with, and their resistance to pollution was even weaker, causing them to be eroded and distorted at a much faster rate. In just one day, they were decimated, reduced to half-dead, polluted aberrations.

Yuan Zhu first observed the first group of the [Shadow System]. They were imbued with the purest [Shadow Aura] by the Tiger Demon, and now they have developed very well and are still lively and energetic.

Their bodies had shrunk slightly and become thinner than yesterday. Their skin was covered in pitch-black lines, and a black mist occasionally emanated from their bodies. From time to time, they would briefly retreat into the shadows of the ground, but only for a few seconds before being ejected again.

Although they appear weak, it can be seen that they are gradually being assimilated by the "shadow pollution".

However, his flaws are obvious. His brain seems to have been burned out, his IQ completely reduced to zero, and his behavior is mad and crazy. Because he was repeatedly beaten by the Eggplant-Headed Ghost, he is now mentally retarded and looks terrified and autistic, having exhausted all his potential.

If the Tiger Demon infused 10 units of Shadow Aura, then the two goblins only absorbed less than 2.5, reaching their limit and transforming into mentally retarded little pieces of trash.

From the perspective of Traditional Chinese Medicine, this is due to a weak body and congenital deficiency. Even if you force-feed nutrients, it cannot be absorbed, and any more is wasted.

Of course, this is also related to the fact that he lacks shadow-based cultivation techniques and can only cram by brute force.

Take Holy Light for example. He first imprinted the [Stigmata], then obtained the [Stigmata]. Every time he released Holy Light, he burned his life to temper his will and improve the quality of the Holy Light.

While it may seem like it consumes lifespan, its potential is constantly being tapped and expanded, and its holy light grows stronger. This is what cultivation is all about: becoming stronger with each passing day.

Meanwhile, the other flesh batteries (rat and frog) also burned their lives to release holy light. Yet, they failed to grasp the secrets of holy light and strengthen their foundation. Instead, they burned everything at once, releasing light and heat in an instant, only to be reduced to ash and gain nothing.

The same holy light, the same self-ignition, one can condense soul crystals and enhance the dimension of life; the other will only leave some sacred protein powder after burning out, and cannot even burn out relics.

The same goes for instilling [Shadow Aura] into the goblins. If there is a training manual for [Shadow Pollution], then these two little idiots might become even stronger!
"Why……!"

With a sigh, Yuan Zhu wrote down the interim goal of [Developing Shadow-based Immortal Cultivation Techniques] in his small notebook. His [Tiger Demon] was mastered in one fell swoop, naturally standing at the level of a quasi-god-demon, and he didn't understand cultivation at all.

On the contrary, [Holy Light] is moving forward steadily and has gained a lot of experience. New inspirations are written into the Holy Light every day, and it is becoming more and more in line with one's own wishes.

He felt that the power of "Holy Light" was more like a highly malleable "Zanpakuto" that could customize its attributes.

Perhaps, I could open another [Holy Light Control Group], contaminate them with Holy Light, brand them with Holy Marks, and create a group of [Holy Cough Hobgoblins]? I'm afraid if word gets out, I'll be labeled a heretic and traitor by the [Holy Temple], right?
...

After passing the unsatisfactory Group 1, Yuan Zhu looked at the pair of goblins in Group 2. They were bound hand and foot by two eggplant-headed ghosts, confined to a corner, and fed shadow eggplant fruits day and night to transform their life state.

The goblins in Group 2 did not seem to have changed much in appearance. They did not become thinner nor stronger. Their skin color was darker (dark green), and their eyes were completely black with no distinction between the whites and pupils.

Their distortion was far less severe than that of Group 1, and they displayed no abilities similar to Shadow Escape, nor did they emanate any black shadow power from their bodies. The biggest change was that they knelt in a corner, mumbling to themselves, constantly chanting, "Gee, gee, gee..."

"Is this stupid? Or useless?"

They'd clearly consumed a large amount of Shadow Eggplant, and their transformation was no less potent than that of Group 1. But the performance of Group 2 left him deeply disappointed. So, had the Shadow Eggplant contamination failed?
Xiao Latiao then reminded him, "No, there are traces of 'high-energy pollution reaction' in their bodies. Hmm... it's concentrated in their heads. Their brains or spirits have become alienated!"

"Head?" Yuan Zhu's human form had limited perception, so he switched to Tiger Demon form and observed from a shadow perspective. Sure enough, he discovered that the two goblins' brains had been distorted, condensing a rich shadow power. He was surprised: "Could they be magic goblins?!"

The tiger demon tried to use its [Ghostly Power] to control the two surviving goblins, but they remained unmoved. It then used its shadow power to stimulate and experiment, but the two groups of goblins still failed to display any talents like 'mental power, shadow casting, shadow manipulation...'

Their brains have indeed mutated, but it seems to be a lonely mutation?

Unable to suppress his curiosity, the tiger demon manipulated the shadows to capture one, deciding to open its skull and observe. He saw that the goblin's head was empty, with only a severely shrunk "grooved body" the shape of a tomato fruit.

It has the grooves and convolutions of a brain, the shape of a tomato, and is covered in black blood vessels.

"???"

Uh...if I have to find an adjective, a shadow-degenerated version of the Brain-Brain Fruit?

The tiger demon was puzzled. Had he eaten too many shadow tomatoes, causing deep contamination? Had his brain distorted and shrunk, turning him into a "tomato brain"? But what was the meaning of such evolution? Or was it just a random, random contamination-induced distortion that happened to both of their brains?

Xiao La Tiao: "Is 2 groups considered a failure?"

The Tiger Demon pondered, "If we can discover a use for this [Tomato Brain], then the rescue will be a success. If not, then Group 2 is truly ruined."

He walked around the two incomprehensible goblins and looked at the last three groups. The outcome was undoubtedly even more disappointing.

After the eggplant seedlings were transplanted into their skulls, the two goblins in Group 3 were constantly drained of nutrients, becoming increasingly weak and shrunken. Even though the two minions replenished their food and water every half hour, they were unable to subdue the "shadow eggplant seedlings" within their bodies, merging with them and evolving into the unique "eggplant-headed goblins."

Instead, they completely transformed into fleshy flowerpots, becoming petri dishes for eggplant seedlings, using their flesh and blood essence to nourish two thriving, animated shadow eggplant seedlings. Furthermore, the shadow eggplant's roots deeply integrated with the goblin's flesh, taking root in every inch of its blood vessels, forming a perfect parasitic relationship.

In other words, these two eggplant seedlings have no IQ, otherwise they could easily transform into "Gundam pilots," maneuvering two living flower pots around the room, fertilizing and watering themselves...

"So, this set of experiments can be considered a failure?" Xiao Latiao couldn't help but feel discouraged.

Tiger Demon: "I don't think so. Although the fusion evolution of the goblin and shadow eggplant failed, from another perspective, we have successfully nurtured two shadow plants. The shadow eggplant was originally part of the 'eggplant-headed ghost', but now they have completely separated from the ghost, parasitized the goblin and survived, becoming independent magical plants. Isn't this also an achievement?"

Three control groups:
Group 1 fully demonstrated the goblins' lack of foundation and talent. Even when fed high-purity shadow aura, they struggled to transform and could only evolve into defective products.

After consuming a large amount of Shadow Eggplant Fruit, Group 2 failed to inherit and display the plant-based talents of the 'Eggplant Head Ghost'. Instead, their brains underwent unexplained mutations and shrank into the shape of tomato fruits. It is suspected that they have special uses, but they still need to be discovered.

The three groups fully demonstrated that the Shadow Eggplant could not become a bloodline or a seed for a Loose Immortal. Instead, it used the goblins as parasites, gradually manifesting the characteristics of the unity of "plant, flesh, and shadow." Perhaps it is worth continuing to cultivate?
Snake Tail then summarized the experimental data and asked, "Boss, what should we do with them next?"

Tiger Demon: "The useless goblins in Group 1 have reached their limit and are no longer worth cultivating. Use [Stomachic Universe] to recover them and see if they can be refined into minions. Group 2... Keep one sample fed with Shadow Eggplant and closely observe any changes in its brain. Also, swallow the other one and refine it into a minion. I want the specific data on its 'tomato brain'."

"Three groups? Keep raising them. Have the minions suppress the growth of the shadow eggplants, protect the goblins, and feed them plenty of food. These shadow plants are considered my own 'special plants', and I'm eager to see what abilities they develop as they continue to grow."

Although the shadow eggplant seedlings originated from the 'Star Realm Crazy Eggplant Bloodline', they have now been covered and polluted by a large amount of [Shadow Power] and have long become shadow-contaminated spiritual plants.

Even if he returns to the [Little Western Red World], he can sow these "shadow eggplant seedlings" into the [Shadow Dimension], let them grow and multiply, and transform the environment of the shadow world.

By then, [Xiaoxihongjie] will divide the world among "Star Eggplant, Crazy Eggplant, Buddha Eggplant, Ghost Eggplant, and Shadow Eggplant," creating a diverse LGBT Tomato Universe!
As he finished speaking, the skeleton snake tail behind the tiger demon acted on its own, swallowing a group of two goblins in one gulp, and then swallowed two groups of opened test subjects, refining them in the [Universe in the Belly].

"The ghost mission has been generated, the refining progress is 0.01%, and it is expected to be completed within 20 hours."

The Tiger Demon thought to himself that he was indeed a weakling. It was so disappointing that he could refine it so easily.

(End of this chapter)