Chapter 7: The Basket of Sunny Fruits—Fearless in the Face of Adversity!

Determined to integrate into the new world, the Tiger Demon stretched his limbs and then leapt up, attempting to shut down the Boss Template and return to human form.

The entire process was remarkably effortless and straightforward—he only needed to confirm it in his mind, then he could control his consciousness to deactivate a certain deep region of his soul.

That area was where the Distorted Spirit Root resided, already fused with his soul.

In Yuan Zhu’s perception, the Distorted Spirit Root was like the human brainstem, extending into a dense network of autonomic spirit root tendrils, permeating every inch of his soul, inseparable.

As he closed the Boss Template, these sprawling, expanding soul tendrils curled and retracted, carrying the shadow power suffused throughout his body and soul, which also permeated the space around him, withdrawing like a receding tide back into the digitalized space opened by the Boss Template.

Simultaneously, the Tiger Demon’s massive form slowly shrank; his black fur disintegrated into specks of dark smoke, drifting back into the shadows beneath his feet, flowing into his body, disappearing into the digital soul space.

At last, with the reluctant sigh of the skeletal snake’s tail, the fur scattered, claws regressed, and his posture shifted from that of a crouching feline to that of an upright primate.

With a sharp “click!” the Boss Template locked the little black room behind him, deeply hidden and inaccessible.

Yuan Zhu once again became a clean and upright human.

“The Great Wilderness Immortal Scripture: Supreme VIP Deluxe Edition, at your service once more! Ultimate cultivation, live your second life, fulfill your ascension dream!”

The little spirit’s voice echoed again in his mind, this time appearing as a vibrant, youthful girl full of energy within Yuan Zhu’s spirit.

At first sight, Yuan Zhu found himself irresistibly drawn to her. Her beauty, figure, and image were crafted precisely to suit his personal preferences.

In truth, the Great Wilderness Immortal Scripture inherently scanned the user’s memories and, according to their tastes, created a unique soulmate in their subconscious. Through the “game sprite”’s inherent charm and mind-reading-like soul compatibility, it subtly influenced, guided, and controlled the user, leading them to complete assigned tasks unknowingly, making them believe all choices were their own.

Compared to the initial mechanical rigidity, this little spirit now clearly carried the joy of familiarity, excitedly exclaiming, “Aha! I’m out again! The little black room can’t keep me locked up. Immortal Scripture Old Deng, I won’t let the sky cover my eyes again; the earth won’t bury my heart. I will step by step ascend to the highest heights, standing atop the heavens!”

Yuan Zhu, somewhat accustomed to the sprite’s intermittent outbursts, ignored her grand declarations and asked directly, “How does this Supreme VIP Deluxe Edition compare to my Boss Template?”

The little spirit huffed arrogantly, “Obviously, it’s worlds apart. To translate: it’s just an ordinary, garbage blank client. I made up the name myself for luck—sounds nice, doesn’t it? Bold, right? A plain client with no hidden spirit roots, no skills, no initial resources—a pure blank slate. It only offers the most basic soul protection, health monitoring, and learning assistance.”

“You need to personally integrate into the new world, explore independently, gather resources and intelligence, contact and learn the local special power systems, then synthesize ordinary spirit roots yourself using the templates provided by the Immortal Scripture. But now, the whole world has changed; the cosmic laws are all unknown. This ‘blank client’ obviously doesn’t suit the environment, and the Great Wilderness Immortal Scripture is lying dormant. Just treat this blank client as a protective suit that helps your human body resist contamination from the outside environment.”

Having experienced the Boss Template, Yuan Zhu naturally had no resistance to a mere ordinary client. After tasting delicacies, the plain version of the Great Wilderness Immortal Scripture was like a value instant noodle with an extra egg—barely satisfying.

“Ugh...!”

Standing firmly again, Yuan Zhu noticed his binocular vision had reverted to monocular, finally regaining a familiar sense of security. This was the feeling of being human—so intimate.

He glanced around the blood-splattered, gloomy hall and felt an inexplicable chill but couldn’t pinpoint what was different.

Could it be that there were too many dead, too much lingering resentment, all cursing him? But he was the king of beasts who enslaved ghosts—weren’t they just seeking their own demise? Or was it that the multiple evil gods’ pollution hadn’t dissipated? His human form lacked the Tiger Demon’s strong pollution resistance, hence the eerie chill?

“None of that! Feeling cold isn’t strange. Look down—mind your image, big brother Basket of Sunshine. Friendly reminder: your clothes are dead.”

Huh?

Shock!

Yuan Zhu looked down and was startled: oh my goodness! Truly, oh my goodness!

He hurriedly clasped his hands to shield his essentials, embarrassed, fortunately alone in the hall. He looked around, seeking something to cover himself.

The Tiger Demon’s transformation was formidable but involved drastic size changes—from a 187cm human to a colossal 4-meter-long (excluding tail) giant tiger. His blood-stained clothes had long since been torn apart and lost amid the chaos.

Soon, Yuan Zhu found a relatively intact and clean cloak in the blood pool, quickly donned it, and relaxed before continuing to inspect the murder scene, searching for useful items or key evidence to prove his innocence.

Even with the little spirit providing psychological counseling, he still had to face the world’s police and legal institutions.

He couldn’t just run away with the Boss Template, abandoning his home and career under the wanted fugitive label, bearing all the blame for these cultists.

But proving his innocence...

Looking at the empty hall, with severed fingers, flesh chunks, and internal organ fragments peeling off the walls, ceiling, tables, and chairs...

He truly didn’t believe he could be acquitted. The scene was overwhelmingly incriminating, and he was the sole survivor—he had no way to explain himself.

“Maybe I should give up proving myself and just run,” Yuan Zhu mused inwardly, addressing the game sprite.

The little spirit opposed, “If you run, it’s like a guilty thief fleeing. They won’t care if you’re innocent—they’ll convict you outright. If you don’t run, you can still struggle and fight back. At worst, if you fail to prove your innocence, we can still break out of prison.”

“Break out?”

The little spirit nodded. “Do you think the Boss Template is nothing? You’ve killed dozens of monsters from the evil god’s descent. A mere prison holding mortals can’t stop you. Don’t have a weak mindset, be confident. You’ve got cheats—we’re strong! Besides, if you do end up in prison, it’s full of talented people with skills and smooth talkers. You can better access this world’s secrets, learn hidden information, and acquire useful knowledge.”

“Ordinary people only touch the surface of society. But the big shots in prison can delve deeper, even knowing secrets about the supernatural system. This intelligence is crucial for the Immortal Scripture to adapt locally and help you grow stronger. Also, I don’t recommend you reveal the Boss Template rashly. It’s your trump card for self-protection. Once exposed, you’re likely to be branded an ‘evil god cultist.’”

Yuan Zhu nodded in understanding. The Tiger Demon’s demonic aura, or mana (blue bar), was directly extracted from Pollution Energy: Shadow Power—undeniably a product of evil rites. Though he tamed the shadow power through the Distorted Spirit Root for coexistence, to the locals he was undoubtedly a demonic player everyone wanted to hunt down.

So he had the means to protect himself and the confidence to face any adverse situation but would not expose himself recklessly. Instead, he chose to hide, endure, and watch the tides, even if it meant some suffering.

Still, clearing his name was necessary. So Yuan Zhu suppressed his discomfort and continued lingering at the blood-splattered crime scene, searching for valuable items.

“Hey, there’s a wallet soaking in blood—pick it up.”

“Over there! Behind the overturned cabinet, a finger with a gold ring. Trust me, pure gold!”

“And there, half an ear with a pretty pearl earring—too bad it’s only half, can’t make a pair.”

“A genuine leather lady’s handbag!” “Is this a coin pouch? There are some coins inside.” “A necklace!” “This box of cigarettes is contaminated with slime—trash. But this brass lighter has an antique feel; maybe a collectible?” “Here’s a pair of leather shoes—better clean your feet and change into them. Walking barefoot on the floor risks catching a cold.”