Chapter 626 578: Evolution! Eye of the Divine

The Colorful Insect's understanding of Shi Ming's strength was only superficial, but even so, it could sense his power transforming. It was no exaggeration to say he seemed to have reached an entirely new realm, one that inspired a deep, instinctual fear even in an undying, immortal cataclysm.

Why was there such a change?

Trapped at the bottom of the tower, the Colorful Insect could sense the change in Shi Ming's power but couldn't discern the true cause.

...

And with the complete fusion of the "String," Shi Ming was indeed undergoing a metamorphosis.

At that moment, his Right Arm Red Pattern turned a deep blood-red. The vibrant patterns covering his body seemed to lose their color all at once, fading rapidly.

Whether it was the Eye of Destiny, the Arm of Judgment, or the Brain of Equilibrium, all of them now overlapped with a hazy eye that gazed down upon time itself. The gaze of that eye shifted from empty and indifferent to clear and tranquil, finally merging with Shi Ming's own. His expression and aura became perfectly identical to it.

This signified that Shi Ming had completely mastered its power.

The power of a god.

[Congratulations!]

[You have perfectly fused with the numbered Nirvana Origin #18, "String," and have mastered the power to evolve the Eye of Destiny once more.]

[Task Complete: Ascension Ladder.]

[Under the coordination of "String," the Eye of Destiny has evolved into its final form: the Eye of the Divine.]

[...]

[Eye of the Divine]

[The Eye of the Divine that sees through falsehood, the clear pupil that cleanses corruption, the high-dimensional eye that gazes upon all ages.]

[...]

As the notifications flashed before him, Shi Ming felt as if a single glance could span ten thousand years. Fragments from different points in time flashed one by one before his eyes. He realized that, compared to his previous Eye of Destiny, these new eyes had ascended to a much higher echelon of existence. The ancient pendant that had once exploded in his hand was now completely under his control, having become a part of his own power.

Past, present, and even future—all could be perceived.

The Eye of the Divine not only granted him an echelon of existence higher than the Ancient Evils but also provided him with authorities from a god. Unlike the Heart of Chaos, the Eye of the Divine possessed three authorities, one more than the Heart of Chaos.

These three authorities were:

Evolution, Destiny, and Power.

These, in turn, could be subdivided into multiple dimensions. For example, the authority of [Evolution] had subordinate minor authorities like [Devolution] and [Purification]. By using them flexibly, he could develop many different applications. The more proficient he became, the more powerful he would be.

Another change that followed was a surge in Shi Ming's five stats after he finished fusing with "String." However, it seemed he had hit a bottleneck this time. Apart from his Spiritual Power, all his other stats were stuck at 9999.

[Attack Power: 9999 points]

[Defense Power: 9999 points]

[Stamina: 9999 points]

[Vitality: 9999 points]

[Spiritual Power: 37,610,191 points]

'Have I reached the cap?'

'Probably not. After all, my Spiritual Power is already over thirty-seven million. While 9999 is high, it's minuscule in comparison, so there's still plenty of room to grow. The most likely reason the stats won't increase is that 10,000 points is a bottleneck. As long as I break through it, I can ascend to another level, enter a completely new range, and start improving again.'

As for what level that might be?

The answer was self-evident.

...

...

...

「A few minutes earlier.」

The roots of the Flower of Evil Thought had already taken advantage of an opening to merge with the colorful patterns on Shi Ming's body. It didn't invade immediately, instead lying dormant, like transparent air—completely imperceptible and seemingly harmless.

But both Shi Ming and the Colorful Insect understood this was a ploy to set up a more concealed attack later.

The Colorful Insect had intended to mount a defense of its origin.

But then it sensed Shi Ming's transformation.

Thanks to Shi Ming's repeated tempering, the Colorful Insect's adaptability had a much higher threshold now. It quickly got over its surprise and simply accepted the reality of the situation. It no longer dwelled on whether Shi Ming becoming stronger was a good or bad thing for it—that was meaningless. From its current perspective, at least the problem of the evil thought's invasion could be perfectly resolved.

'Hopefully, they'll tear each other apart and both end up crippled,' the Colorful Insect thought.

But Shi Ming had no intention of giving the Flower of Evil Thought a chance for mutual destruction. Before mastering the Eye of the Divine, his strategy had been to lie low and conceal his true strength, waiting for the right moment to strike.

Now that he had the Eye of the Divine, his strategy was bound to change drastically.

His priority now was to eliminate his opponent with swift, overwhelming force—to pull out the weed by its roots and leave no future trouble. The power of an Ancient Evil appearing inside his body could only mean one thing: it was here to be nourishment!

Nourishment should know its place!

He composed himself and slowly opened his eyes.

Reflected in them was the image of the Flower of Evil Thought.

...

The moment the Flower of Evil Thought met Shi Ming's gaze, it was struck by a sudden sense of destiny. It was as if the timeline had rewound 120,000 years. Like the true Evil Thought Heaven, it was gazing into an abyss, about to fall into the chasm of its own demise.

'No, impossible.'

'This is an illusion.'

'He only absorbed one origin, just a single origin. No living being could undergo such a transformation from that alone. I've been through too much recently; it's not surprising that I'm experiencing this kind of illusion.'

It stretched its roots, and a black fluid almost seemed to ooze from its two flower buds. Its malice was blatant; corruption was its concerto and its backdrop.

"My friend, you've absorbed the power of the String Beast. You've grown stronger."

"Yes, my friend. I couldn't have done it without your help."

Shi Ming looked at the Flower of Evil Thought with great affection.

Now that his Eye of Destiny had evolved, the "power" of the xenogeneic before him could be utilized, just like nourishment. The same was true for the powers tied to the Origin of [Void]. Faced with such a meal, how could he not feel affectionate?

The Flower of Evil Thought sensed that something was amiss.

It had never experienced this kind of emotion before.

"My friend, why are your eyes so clear and empty? They don't contain any of the power of our xenogeneic kind."

"All the better to make room for you, my friend."

"Why is your heart beating so furiously?"

"Because I'm thinking of our wonderful future together, my friend."

"Why is your right arm so hot? Its aura makes me feel a little... uncomfortable."

"All the better to grab you, refine you, and absorb you with, my... FRIEND!"

The ruse was over; the dagger was revealed.

Shi Ming broke into a wolfish grin. He struck first, his Eye of the Divine locking onto the Flower of Evil Thought as he activated the authorities of [Destiny] and [Evolution].

In his eyes, devoid of all evil and distracting thoughts, ripples that could cleanse evil itself began to spread.

From his throat, a prophecy of destiny resounded:

[I decree:]

[Wherever I descend, all evil thoughts shall be purified. This is the evolution of natural selection, and it is the destiny that all evil thoughts must face. This moment is the beginning, and the end will not be far behind.]

This was a basic application of the authorities of Evolution and Destiny:

Incantation.