Chapter 622 - 574: Flower of Evil Thoughts

If it were any other time, given its nature, it would have surely confronted its opponent head-on. It would have tried to corrupt them, gradually turning them into a vassal, just as it had with Bertutan long, long ago. But now, it had lain dormant for over one hundred thousand years and was at a critical juncture in its evolution. It only needed a few more decades to completely devour the legacy of Evil Thought Heaven, drastically raising its power and status. With a few hundred more years of fusion, continually recalling the forces of evil thought wandering the void, it would become a new Xenogen King—what they called an Ancient Abomination!

As for the Star Sea that gave birth to it?

’What was that?’

’It’s the hand that feeds you that matters.’

Two identities lay before it. One was a Nirvana Origin, born to be fused with by others—a tool with no dignity. The other was a supreme Ancient Abomination, a new Xenogen King. The choice was obvious.

It continued to gaze down at the 20-centimeter black plant below, greedily refining and absorbing the power within it.

Suddenly, it sensed a fluctuation in this dimension. A tiny, almost invisible borer drilled out from the spot where its two foolish subordinates had been standing. Then, from the borer’s body, the powers of destiny and time began to ripple. A moment later, a variegated creature nearly two meters tall materialized on the spot.

Skill: Time Leap.

"Hello there, great King String," the figure greeted politely.

...

...

...

???

The moment Shi Ming’s voice rang out, the String Beast’s energy-formed fur stood straight on end.

It bristled!

’It had hidden this dimension deep away. No living being could enter without its permission, so how did this person get in? This intruder was most likely a "Star Beast" born from that Star Sea, but why could it use the powers of Calamity and Nirvana, just like me?’

’How did he do it?’

’Could it be... he also inherited the power of an Ancient Abomination?’

The String Beast had no time to ponder further. It once again unleashed its numbered Nirvana Skill, [String]. This powerful ability from the Star Sea could decompose a target back to its most basic essence by vibrating the cosmic strings. It was the very foundation of the String Beast’s power and survival.

Unfortunately, Shi Ming was one step ahead and had already cast [Zero].

This time, the attribute being nullified was [Spacetime].

[Zero] could nullify abilities of eight different attributes. If the String Beast had used a power from the Xenogen, [Zero] might not have been very effective. However, [String] itself was a skill from the Star Sea, linked to its fundamental principles. Its effect was triggered by vibrating cosmic strings. When the power of space was absent from the surroundings, the means to vibrate cosmic strings was drastically weakened—at least, not nearly enough to threaten the current Shi Ming.

"Rude."

"I even said hello, and you just attack me right off the bat? Are children who lack a Star Sea education all this ill-tempered?"

While speaking, Shi Ming had already activated his Eye of Destiny as he cast [Zero]. New information flickered before his eyes. But to his surprise, the information wasn’t about the sentient Nirvana Origin, the String Beast. Instead, it was about the bizarre plant it was shielding with its lower abdomen—

[Analyzing intelligence. Report generated.]

[Flower of Evil Thought]

[The root of Evil Thought Heaven, one of the Four Great Ancient Abominations, left behind in the Sea of Chaos. Its status is comparable to an Ancient Abomination itself, and it possesses a portion of Evil Thought Heaven’s omnipotence. The String Beast once used it to corrupt Bertutan while it was still a Pillar Stone, planting the seed of betrayal against the divine.]

[After Evil Thought Heaven fell, this portion of its root power took on the duty of gathering the scattered filth and evil thoughts. However, its gathering range is limited. Only by borrowing the power of Xenogen and other living beings can it leave the Sea of Chaos and encroach upon the Star Sea.]

[Skills:]

[Sanctuary of Myriad Filth]

[Root of All Evil]

[Notes:]

[1. The Flower of Evil Thought’s status is too high to be suppressed or utilized at present, unless you fuse with ’String’ to evolve the Eye of Destiny into the complete Eye of the Divine.]

[2. The filth and evil thoughts of the Flower of Evil Thought can be purified, but this place is its source. Its three million roots grant it a ceaseless supply of power. Purification can be maintained for a maximum of 30 days.]

[3. The String Beast has been deeply corrupted.]

[4. The String Beast is the chosen agent of the Flower of Evil Thought, cultivated for one hundred fifty thousand years. It possesses a ’bloodline’ from the Star Sea and ’corruption’ from the Sea of Chaos. Once it successfully fuses with the Flower of Evil Thought and becomes the symbol of filth and evil thought, its ability as the Number 18 Nirvana Skill will allow it to surpass the former Ancient Abomination, ’Evil Thought Heaven,’ in the art of corruption.]

[...]

Shi Ming blinked, and the text in his eyes vanished. Before him, the bristling String Beast, stunned that its skill had been so drastically weakened, was about to draw upon its Xenogen power.

"Heh."

"You had such a fine origin, why choose to become a fiend?"

Three numbered Nirvana Skills activated at once.

Purification Sanctuary sealed off the corruption within the cave-like space. Tens of thousands of borers erupted from Shi Ming’s eyes, swarming the bristling String Beast from all directions. [Zero] nullified time and space, while [Stillness], like a veteran assassin, lay hidden within one of the borers, waiting for the killing blow.

No matter how strong the 18th-ranked Origin was, it couldn’t possibly fight three-on-one when it had already lost the initiative. With three numbered Nirvana Skills unleashed simultaneously, Shi Ming began suppressing the sentient Origin from the very moment he appeared.

Hmph!

’If I can’t deal with an Ancient Abomination, you think I can’t deal with *you*?’

’A puny Origin...’

’Submission is your only option!’

Having fallen behind once, the String Beast kept falling further behind, struggling bitterly under the influence of the three Nirvana Skills. At that moment, the Flower of Evil Thought, which had been isolated from it, stirred. A tightly closed bud began to bloom!

Skill!

Root of All Evil!

The roots lying dormant beneath the cavern surged upward. They were merely one-thousandth of the Flower of Evil Thought’s total roots, yet each one carried an immeasurable accumulation of evil thoughts from ages past. Like octopus tentacles, they lashed out at Shi Ming.

"Hm?"

"I’ve killed a creature like you before, but it wasn’t nearly as disgusting!"

"Extremely Evil Sanctuary!!!"

Evil tentacles, whose numbers had already swelled to the hundreds of thousands, unfurled from behind Shi Ming and exploded outward within the String Beast’s cavern. They too carried a flagrant malevolence, but the two powers were fundamentally different. Aided by the power of [Zero], the evil tentacles met the [Root of All Evil] head-on, creating a momentary stalemate.

But Shi Ming knew the equilibrium was only temporary.

The Extremely Evil Sanctuary was only at the Holy Hall-rank.

The purification wouldn’t last long, and [Zero]’s duration was a mere 1024 seconds. [Borer] needed time to find a weakness in the String Beast, and Shi Ming still had to reserve some strength to deal with the Flower of Evil Thought’s other tricks.

’I have to finish off the String Beast as quickly as possible!’