Chapter 624 576: Shi Ming: My Collaborations, 100% Positive Reviews

The Flower of Evil Thought understood perfectly. If this man from the Star Sea was defeated and forced to flee, the String Beast's cunning would ensure he could never find this place again.

In other words, the next few seconds were its last chance.

Time was running out!

Should it choose the String Beast, which it had been fused with for over a hundred thousand years, only to remain confined to this one corner of the universe?

Or should it choose this young man from the Star Sea, who had only been alive for a little over twenty years, yet had already fused the powers of Nirvana and a Celestial Calamity and could wield them at will—a man who, at a glance, clearly had a much brighter future?

There was no time left...

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The String Beast's assault grew fiercer. The power of the String was returning, and it was furious. 'This damned human, daring to sow dissent and incite betrayal right under my nose!'

"Time Leap!"

Steeling his resolve, Shi Ming began to cast the Nirvana skill, "Time," with grand, sweeping motions. He had announced it just as one might in an anime—by roaring the technique's name right before unleashing it.

Time began to fluctuate.

The Flower of Evil Thought's final opportunity was about to vanish...

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The Colorful Insect couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.

'Thank goodness the Flower of Evil Thought wasn't bewitched by him.'

But in the next second, it sensed one of the Flower of Evil Thought's blooming buds fold shut. Its countless arrogant, domineering roots all retreated into the soil, coiling up to resemble a harmless plant.

The skill "Root of All Evil" was canceled.

???

The Extremely Evil Sanctuary instantly regained the upper hand, beginning to push back against the String Beast. But Shi Ming, a top-tier actor, continued to feign exhaustion, and his "Time Leap" skill did not stop.

The Colorful Insect heard a murmur that it found impossible to believe. The sound was an inheritance from its aberrant bloodline, bringing with it a powerful sense of déjà vu and familiarity.

"Human."

"I accept your offer to cooperate."

This ancient murmur was different from the languages of the two aberrations before it, yet its message was precisely transmitted deep into the mind of every creature that heard it, as if infused directly into their consciousness.

Hearing this, a smile spread across Shi Ming's lips.

"Excellent."

"A wise person knows how to recognize and seize an opportunity. In that regard, you are far more intelligent than a certain insect, and much better at grasping a chance to go all-in. You'll be a fine partner. I trust our collaboration will be both smooth and pleasant."

"Over the past hundred thousand years, you have lost far too much of your power. You generously fused all of it into the body of this String Beast."

"Now,"

"take back the power that belongs to us."

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The String Beast was dumbfounded.

The String Beast was enraged!

More than the sudden reversal on the battlefield, this betrayal was something it could not tolerate!

'What a novel turn of events!'

The power of evil thought, which had been fused with it for over a hundred thousand years, couldn't withstand a few words of provocation. Just like that, it had birthed an evil thought called betrayal. The malice once directed only at other creatures was now aimed at itself!

'This is what it means to be an aberration!'

'Aberrations, the very source of all evil!'

But Shi Ming understood perfectly that his words were merely a catalyst. The true root of the matter was that the Flower of Evil Thought saw his potential. It saw that he was only in his twenties, and it saw that he already possessed the power of an aberration, making him a kindred spirit. Under the pressure of a ticking clock, it didn't want to watch this golden opportunity slip away.

'As for betrayal?'

'What a joke!'

'Aberrations were the very embodiment of evil thoughts. The power of the Flower of Evil Thought itself was a symbol of pollution and malice. With the fall of Evil Thought Heaven, it had inherited these concepts to a certain degree. It had a fundamental mission: to fuse the world's evil thoughts and bring about the rebirth of the Ancient Abomination!'

'Choosing a better master was an inevitable decision.'

The aberrant power within the String Beast began to turn on it. Even though it was a sentient Nirvana Origin, it could not withstand threats from both within and without. The spatial reset had failed, and the power of the String was beginning to return. The String Beast was preparing to vibrate the cosmic strings, to revert to its most fundamental state—a state where it would be untargetable and could escape. But it discovered that at some unknown point, a parasitic attack had already bored a hole in its neck.

"You're so used to being the Hunter."

"Today, you get to be the prey."

Covered in multicolored patterns, Shi Ming revealed a cruel smile. The power of the Bicolored Celestial Calamity erupted, mingling with the power of the Ten Thousand Forms Sanctuary, making him look, through and through, like a true aberration.

The parasitic attack bored open a channel.

The Ten Thousand Forms Sanctuary simultaneously invaded the String Beast's very origin.

The secret art, "Nameless," was unleashed!

The Gold and Silver Era, carrying the power of the past and future and stacking it tenfold, formed Shi Ming's final killing blow. He would completely usurp the String Beast's intellect. If usurpation failed, he would use "Nameless" to utterly erase its consciousness, returning the skill—Nirvana #18—to its original, pure state.

The Flower of Evil Thought understood that the battle was decided.

It felt no great emotional turmoil. On the contrary, it found the situation stimulating. This was the instinctual reaction of an aberration; evil thoughts and malicious intent formed the basis of their logic.

"He has the makings of a king."

This was the Flower of Evil Thought's assessment.

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An ethereal, perfectly round Nirvana Origin hovered in Shi Ming's hand. Its core was still laced with a trace of aberrant power. Shi Ming could have purged it completely, but he deliberately left it there.

The Eye of Destiny had already reminded him that this small amount of corruption was well within his ability to control.

Keeping it would help him earn the Flower of Evil Thought's trust.

As for the String Beast, because the Ten Thousand Forms Sanctuary had failed to usurp it, Shi Ming had no choice but to use "Nameless" to erase its intellect and consciousness. This returned the mass of Nirvana Origin to its true, initial state. Now that it had lost its sentience, he wouldn't have to worry about the Nirvana Origin escaping again after he absorbed it.

"Flower of Evil Thought, your past efforts were not wasted. They have merely been transplanted to new soil, where they can bear even greater fruit."

The Flower of Evil Thought swayed its branches.

Once again, it emitted that directly comprehensible, mind-infused murmur:

"It is yours now. I eagerly await the day you bring me into the Star Sea. So long as you gather the evil thoughts from across the Endless Star Sea and allow the scattered power of Evil Thought Heaven to return, you can become a true Ancient Abomination. When that time comes, find the legacies and powers of the other three Ancient Abominations. Devour them, and you will become the true Aberration King, a being comparable to the so-called gods."

"I am looking forward to it as well," Shi Ming chimed in.

Too bad they weren't looking forward to the same thing.

'Once I fuse with this Nirvana skill #18, the Eye of the Divine's final mission, "Ascension Ladder," will be complete. At that point, with the full power and status of a complete Eye of the Divine, dealing with this Flower of Evil Thought—a being with a status only *approximating* an Ancient Abomination and possessing a mere one-fifth to one-third of the complete Evil Thought Heaven's power—will be child's play, won't it?'

The String fused into Shi Ming's body.

Within the cavern carved out by the String Beast, the betrayer and the Hunter shared in a feast, each looking forward to a bright future.