Chapter 520 - 487: "That Shi Ming, Has He Finished Learning the Stele Inscriptions Yet?
She began her research.
She obtained a second form.
She killed numerous Nirvana Powerhouses from the Twelfth Cosmic Country, attracting the attention of the Law Enforcers.
She was exiled to the deepest part of the Cave of the Stars.
With "help" from the Angler, she escaped. With Shi Ming’s help, she saved a thousand years, returning from the depths of the Cave of the Stars to the grand stage of the Star Sea.
She continued to scheme and perform, determined to have her revenge...
Bai Yimo. On the surface, she was an actress who reveled in the "social scene," but behind the scenes, she was a researcher. She was also ambitious, aspiring to be a true master and conqueror... From beginning to end, her persona had never changed.
Three points of light also appeared within the Ten Thousand Flowers Jade.
They were "entries" that could be inserted into one’s destiny.
They could bring about unknown changes.
The Ten Thousand Flowers Jade spiraled as it fell, landing steadily in Shi Ming’s palm. It looked like a simple coin toss. But in that single instant, Shi Ming understood the three points of light.
They were all multicolored, and their names alone were extraordinary.
They were:
[Life and Death Bond]
[The Abyss Is Filled]
[Long Star Returns to the Abyss]
These three multicolored points of light, the entries, consisted of only names with no extra explanation. They shimmered with a brilliant luster, exceptionally eye-catching.
Shi Ming clenched his hand around the Ten Thousand Flowers Jade.
"Aren’t 200,000 Cosmic Crystals enough? What other praise do you want? Do you need me to send a little gift from destiny your way?"
Despite his words, Shi Ming had no intention of causing trouble. He wasn’t going to insert an entry for her and introduce unnecessary complications into the destiny of Bai Yimo, who was not currently an enemy.
’He’s not some director of destiny.’
Unless absolutely necessary, he wouldn’t dare interfere in another’s fate. Besides, the entries from the Ten Thousand Flowers Jade were cryptic. Who knew what kind of uncontrollable results they might lead to? Take the most easily interpreted one, [Life and Death Bond]. Was it possible that after inserting this entry, Bai Yimo would have a complete change of heart, find a suitable partner, and fall into a love that transcended life and death?
’It’s not impossible.’
’The chances are too small.’
Although the Ten Thousand Flowers Jade was a supreme treasure, it was unlikely to have such a profound impact.
Unless these things were fated to happen anyway, and the Ten Thousand Flowers Jade merely fine-tuned their timing. But destiny was abstruse; such things were hard to explain, let alone control.
"A gift from destiny? I’ll pass! I’m about to enter the peak of my career. A boss who doesn’t bother their subordinates unless necessary and delegates as much as possible—that’s the best reward you can give an employee."
"As you wish. Here’s to our successful venture."
Shi Ming agreed and put away the Ten Thousand Flowers Jade.
Next, he too would leave the Thirty-Seventh Cosmic Country and head for the mysterious Tomb Star System. He wouldn’t focus his attention on this nation where he had no worthy opponents. Of course, Treasure Star and the Cave of the Stars were excellent places. The former was a well-connected haven for fencing goods, allowing him to convert useless resources into universal Cosmic Crystals. The latter was his personal safe house; once he phased inside, not even a pseudo-god could follow!
’The Thirty-Seventh Cosmic Country... I really like it here.’
After bidding farewell to Bai Yimo, the *Dayun* sped into an uninhabited Star Domain.
Starlight reflected in his eyes as Shi Ming activated [Zhe Yue Morning Star]. He retrieved the indescribable coordinates from the depths of his Sea of Spirit—a remnant from a god’s will—and in an instant, brought the *Dayun* into the Dark Cosmos.
The view before him was grotesque and bizarre.
The pressure from all sides grew heavier.
A few seconds felt like an eternity. Just as the oppressive silence became suffocating, a fissure tore open in the Dark Cosmos. Familiar starlight seeped through, only to be devoured by the oppressive atmosphere.
This was a brand-new Star Domain.
’The Tomb Star Realm?’
...
"Come take a look, come see! Dried meat, aired out for half a month, three Shell Stones for a big piece! Hey, you little brat, go play over there!"
"Sharp Stone Blades, twenty Shell Stones!"
"Brother, looking to buy a bow and arrows?"
"One bow comes with twelve arrows, already smeared with the juice of paralysis fruit."
Shi Ming, now in different attire, wore an animal hide, straw sandals, and white paint on his cheeks as he walked through this tribal-like market.
’???’
’Isn’t this the Tomb Star Realm?’
The area around the coordinates was desolate, yet there wasn’t the slightest trace of deathly energy.
The closest object was an enormous, ordinary-looking life-bearing planet. The creatures on it were still living a lifestyle similar to that of ancient tribes.
According to the common methods of classifying civilizations in the Star Sea, this wouldn’t even qualify as a native civilization.
"Eye of Destiny, acquire intelligence."
BEEP BEEP.
[Gathering intelligence...]
[A new sprout that grew after life withered. But it is also extremely dangerous, constantly at risk of being snuffed out.]
[...]
The intelligence was very simple.
Occasionally, the Eye of Destiny would provide intelligence that required some guesswork, but it never gave worthless information. Conversely, this kind of cryptic message, like the one when he investigated the Active Wormhole on Mount Everest, was essentially another form of warning.
Shi Ming’s guess was that this was the periphery of the Tomb Star Realm.
Due to the fall of the First Civilization Cosmic Country, a new civilization had been born on the outskirts. But this civilization was still in its "sprout" stage, watched and monitored by some pseudo-gods, and very likely to be snuffed out.
This also fit well with the extension of his previous intelligence and the implications of this new information.
Neither the [Divine Rune] nor the [Silent Crystal] showed the slightest anomaly or reaction. This was especially true for the [Silent Crystal]. According to its effect, when Shi Ming was near the concealed First Civilization Cosmic Country, he could use the crystal’s connection to the Tomb Star System to enter a silent state, bypass the pseudo-gods’ joint seal, and return to his homeland.
But right now, it wasn’t reacting at all.
’Perhaps I need to gather more information.’
...
...
...
In a mysterious corner of the Star Sea, desolate and remote, it seemed to be detached from all other starry skies, as if on a different layer, yet the stars here were incredibly real.
Suddenly, the stars flickered.
Two hazy figures materialized in this space. One was mysterious and blurry; only her silhouette was visible, with no discernible details. The other wore a skirt of starlight, looking playful and unrestrained, a trace of drowsiness on her face from being pulled into this space.
"There’s been a change in the Tomb Star Realm."
The mysterious, hazy woman’s voice was as desolate as the star-filled sky.
"Huh? How could that be?" the woman in the Star Skirt asked in astonishment.
"This information comes from [The Silent], who has been watching the Tomb Star Realm. He sensed something stirring and awakening in the depths of that dead-silent realm. This might trigger a change in the twelve inherited Origin Steles. We need to act."
"But it’s only been a little over a year. No matter how talented that little guy is, he’s only a Legend-rank being. It’s impossible for him to have learned the Civilization Prologue in just a year. He’s nowhere near meeting our requirements."
The woman in the Star Skirt analyzed the reality of the situation.
The mysterious, hazy woman was silent for a moment.
Then she spoke:
"In that case, you go and watch over that space. Act as the situation demands. Also, [The Void] once left some things on that planet that can’t see the light of day. You must be careful to avoid them. Don’t let him cast his gaze your way."
The woman in the Star Skirt agreed.
"Don’t worry. That old bastard [The Void] is spread too thin right now. He definitely won’t notice a thing."
The hazy woman still seemed worried.
So she added another warning:
"You must be extremely careful with this. If [The Void] learns we are taking advantage of his schemes, he will surely become highly vigilant, and many things will not hold up under his scrutiny."
The woman in the Star Skirt nodded.
Then she dissolved into starlight and vanished from the space. Afterward, the other, already hazy woman also dispersed and disappeared. The stars in this patch of sky fell silent once more.
...
’It’s been over a year.’
’I wonder how much that little guy has grown, and how many steles he’s deciphered. Heh, that fight he had with me back then... he was so strong and forceful!’
’...’