Chapter 618 - 570: Colorful Insect: We Even Have to Thank Him

Shi Ming took out a Nirvana Origin.

"You should be familiar with this Origin."

"This is the numbered Nirvana Origin, [Life], from the new god Huang Ji. It’s number 11 of the numbered Nirvana Origins. Across endless time, the Star Sea has birthed only 39 types of them. They are linked to the very truth of the cosmos. The value of any one of these numbered Origins far, far exceeds the [Bicolored Celestial Calamity] you possess."

"This is the best proof of my sincerity."

"As a gesture of apology and sincerity, I am willing to offer this as collateral to borrow the Origin of your [Bicolored Celestial Calamity]. But I hope you understand this is also my bottom line. If you’re still not satisfied, then our deal is off."

Life?

The Colorful Insect looked at the undeniably authentic numbered Origin.

It truly was the numbered Nirvana skill Origin, [Life].

’Even an aberrant species knows how precious this thing is. Its value far surpasses the Origin of the Bicolored Celestial Calamity. Using this as collateral is more than enough to prove his sincerity. It seems my strategy of only giving this cunning human one chance was correct. If not for that, how could I have forced him to go all-in right from the start and pull out this numbered Nirvana Origin?’

But from Shi Ming’s perspective—

’Huang Ji’s [Life] was unusable for him anyway.’

’This numbered Nirvana skill was currently useless to him. It could only serve as a part of his reserves, an idle item sitting in his warehouse. For now, there’s no difference between it sitting in his warehouse or with the Colorful Insect. This aberrant species also lacks the spare energy and capacity to digest and utilize it, a fact that will be written into the contract.’

’After all, [Life] is just collateral, not a gift. It has to be returned.’

...

...

...

A short time later, a contract was transmitted via Spiritual Power to the Colorful Insect suppressed beneath the Hundred-Floor Celestial Tower. It was an oath sworn upon the Spiritual Power and Nirvana Origins of both parties. If either side went back on their word, they would suffer a severe backlash. Not only would they be gravely injured and have their cultivation realm drop by one level, but they would also lose the recognition of their Nirvana Origin, never able to wield its power again.

[Contract Established.]

[Shi Ming swears upon the Origin of "Silence," and the Colorful Insect swears upon the Origin of "Bicolored Celestial Calamity." Both parties have reached a contract for an "Origin Lease." The contract shall specify the following terms.]

[1. The Colorful Insect shall lend the Origin of the "Bicolored Celestial Calamity" to Shi Ming, permitting him to use it freely for a period of one year.]

[2. Shi Ming shall mortgage the Origin of "Life" to the Colorful Insect.]

[3. Within one year, Shi Ming must return the Origin of the "Bicolored Celestial Calamity" and release the Colorful Insect from the Hundred-Floor Celestial Tower, granting it freedom. If the contract is violated, the violator will suffer a backlash from their Origin. Even if they survive the backlash, they will never again be able to draw any power from their Origin.]

[Party A: Shi Ming]

[Party B: Colorful Insect]

...

"Very good. A win-win is the only goal of cooperation. I can already see the day you regain your freedom. Like a flowing hourglass, the countdown has begun."

"Hmph."

The Colorful Insect was indignant.

’Freedom? That was mine to begin with. If you hadn’t interfered, the ancestral land of the Star Spirit Race would be my territory. I would have grown stronger day by day amidst countless colorful bubbles, and one day, I would have relied on my own power to leave that ancestral land and spread wantonly across the starry sky...’

"No, no, no, you can’t put it like that."

While performing the handover, cautiously and meticulously accepting the aberrant’s power, Shi Ming explained the concept of a blessing in disguise to the Colorful Insect.

"If I hadn’t gone to the Banded Dream Realm, you, on your own, could have toiled in that Secret Realm for thousands or even tens of thousands of years and never found a way out. It’s just a tiny Secret Realm within the Star Sea. You were trapped in there like a frog at the bottom of a well. But now, in less than two years, you’ve crossed the Star Sea and arrived at the edge of the Sea of Chaos..."

"From that perspective, I am your benefactor."

"This is a blessing in disguise."

"If you ever figure that out one day, you might even be grateful to me, right? Of course, I don’t expect that day to ever come, because you already have such a deep-seated prejudice against me."

The Colorful Insect didn’t want to engage in any more pointless verbal sparring with Shi Ming. It truly couldn’t refute his sophistry. Now that the contract was established—short, concise, and with no discernible loopholes from any angle—its seemingly endless imprisonment finally had a turning point.

The other party was simply too cunning.

’Once I get my freedom, I’m going to get far, far away from this human and never have anything to do with him again.’

Moreover, it could feel a call from within this Sea of Chaos, a mysterious opportunity for evolution. In the parlance of cosmic species, this was an invitation from fate. It didn’t know what was summoning it, but it was certain to be its destiny—an unprecedented opportunity.

Thinking this way, the Colorful Insect felt that the future was full of hope.

It carefully wrapped the [Life] Origin within its body. The powers of the Star Sea and its own power did not belong to the same system. If an aberrant species wanted to utilize the power of [Life], it would need to spend a massive amount of mental effort, energy, and time to analyze it. But whether it was mental effort or energy, the current Colorful Insect lacked the means. It had been squeezed too dry and still had to deal with the suppression from the Hundred-Floor Celestial Tower. All it could do was hold onto this collateral tightly.

And outside the Sea of Spirit, a strange, multicolored Origin coalesced in Shi Ming’s right hand.

The Origin of the Bicolored Celestial Calamity.

The prize was his.

It was formed from the fusion of many colors.

Despite the multitude of colors, they were not harmonious at all. It looked like the chaotic, swirling colors of gasoline spilled on water, or the shifting iridescence of a soap bubble in the sun. Its power was completely incompatible with Shi Ming’s own, but fortunately, it was only a Calamity-level power. Within Shi Ming’s body were several powers whose ranks surpassed it, which could easily suppress its corruption.

[Aberrant Origin: Bicolored Celestial Calamity]

[Tier: Calamity]

[Power has regressed, currently stable between Disaster and Calamity. Usable. After fusion, you can obtain the power of the aberrant species. By using the power of fate as a disguise, you can conceal your own characteristics and operate under the identity of the aberrant species "Bicolored Celestial Calamity."]

Shi Ming drew upon the power of his Right Arm Red Pattern and slowly began to fuse with it.

Having such a disharmonious power invade his body was certainly unpleasant, but as the saying goes, ’you can’t get the tiger cub without entering the tiger’s den.’ ’If I don’t disguise myself as an aberrant species, how can I possibly find [Xian], who is suspected of being a thrall to the aberrant’s power, here in the Sea of Chaos?’

’It’s all a necessary investment.’

...

...

...

Soon, colorful patterns began to sprout on Shi Ming’s skin—orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, violet. Combined with the blood-red pattern on his right arm, he looked just like a humanoid Colorful Insect.

He snapped his fingers.

A massive wave of spiritual corruption spread from his fingertips, making the surrounding chaos burst with color.