Chapter 548 - 504: How Could It Be You?
In the death-qi-suffused Abyss of the End, seven non-living constructs stepped inside. They once again employed their various abilities, each using different methods to shield themselves as best they could from the omnipresent and ever-thickening aura of death.
"Everyone."
"Limited by their materials, these non-living constructs can last for another five days at most."
"After five days, they will most likely dissipate under the corrosion of the death qi. We must speed up and at least investigate the current status of the newborn Cosmic Country’s will before the constructs are destroyed, to avoid this trip being for nothing."
Uncle Tian reminded them.
These non-living constructs were his masterpiece.
No one understood the limits of these contraptions better than him. They were made from locally sourced materials—nothing more than ordinary tribal creatures. Their ability to last this long was already thanks to Huang Ji’s power of [Life]. Furthermore, the death qi in the Abyss of the End was far more terrifying than Uncle Tian had imagined, making five days a conservative estimate.
"I can provide the power of [Concealment] to augment them. That should extend their duration by 20%."
Amonev added.
"An extension of 20% means one more day, but we also need to consider the intensifying corrosion of the death qi, the deteriorating environment, and other unforeseen circumstances."
"Candela, can you use [Time] to influence the timeline?"
The Time Giant shook his head.
"Manipulating the timeline on a large scale requires my true body. This current vessel is incapable of such a complex operation. However, I can reveal clearer tributaries of destiny, which should also help everyone be more efficient."
"Good."
"Confirming the status of the newborn Cosmic Country’s will is our primary objective for this trip. All our methods are merely means to achieve this goal."
The power of [Space] was unleashed once more. Bertutan and the group passed over pools of liquefied death qi, accelerating toward the depths of the Abyss of the End. Their current condition was grim. Black spots, like the livor mortis on a corpse, had already appeared on Ron, the weakest among them. It made him look like a dead body, stripped of all the nobility and prestige of a Sovereign.
...
...
...
[The cycle of life and death turns, ever flowing. Your understanding of life and death has triggered a resonance with the will of the newborn Cosmic Country. Progress increased by 26%.]
[Destruction shatters eternity, and eternity binds destruction. But whether destruction or eternity, both are but a microcosm within the kingdom of all living beings. Your understanding of destruction and eternity has triggered a resonance with the will of the newborn Cosmic Country. Progress increased to 51%.]
[Fate holds infinite possibilities. In the River of Destiny, with its sprawling tributaries, a probability of 1 never truly exists. But whether 1 is equal to 0.999..., or if a sprinting Achilles can ever catch a tortoise, remains a controversial paradox.]
[Your understanding of fate has triggered a resonance with the will of the newborn Cosmic Country. Progress increased to 63%.]
[...]
[Your understanding of corruption and purification has triggered...]
The process of resonating with the newborn Cosmic Country’s will to mold it into his own shape was like a male pursuing a female he had marked. The distinct difference, however, was that this process had a precise progress bar. Using his Eye of Destiny, Shi Ming could sense the exact progress of the resonance—whether it was fast or slow, and how much more was needed to reach the goal. Everything was perfectly clear.
’Progress is normal.’
’All that’s left is the final resonance with space-time.’
’But...’
Shi Ming’s Spiritual Power already sensed seven non-living constructs approaching. They were the six pseudo-gods and one Pillar Stone his Eye of Destiny had warned him about. Based on the intelligence he had, Shi Ming could tell that his opponents were not in good shape. However, a confrontation now could still lead to unexpected developments, causing his resonance process to fail at the final hurdle.
DONG—
DONG—
The will of the newborn Cosmic Country pulsed again, letting out a faint heartbeat. The sound wasn’t loud, but it sent the surrounding death qi into a frenzy. As a result, the distant party of pseudo-gods was slowed, and they began to move more cautiously.
This effectively bought him some time.
’Perhaps they’re like me, near a critical threshold, and can’t afford any accidents either.’
He had reached the critical threshold for completing the resonance.
They had reached the critical threshold for being completely corroded by the death qi.
...
...
...
Huang Ji, who had her eyes closed, suddenly opened them.
Her eyes, yellowed by the death qi, were filled with utter disbelief. Her maternal radiance was still present, but she looked exhausted.
"I’ve sensed the newborn will’s exact location! It’s 381,990 meters straight ahead! It’s very healthy, its heartbeat strong and powerful."
"Hm? Very good. We still have enough power."
"But... it’s not in a newly gestated state. It’s already on the verge of awakening! Our judgment was severely flawed!"
"What?"
"Not only that, I sense a being with a powerful life aura guarding it. I can’t determine how this being is maintaining its state of life within the Abyss of the End, but, Mr. Bertutan, we must be faster! This is an anomaly far beyond our expectations, and it could very well cause the situation to spiral out of our control."
"I understand."
Bertutan’s expression grew even more solemn.
The death spots caused by the corrosive death qi were densely packed on his withered skin, making his figure seem even more stooped. The other six were in a similar state. Even on the Time Giant, a member of a special race, most of the gold and silver patterns on his body had been replaced by black, resulting in a bizarre black-gold and black-silver hue.
This meant their bodies were on the verge of breaking down.
[Space]!
All the space Bertutan could perceive solidified. The team of seven flashed to the far end of this solidified space, completing a short-range jump while simultaneously avoiding a large, encroaching mass of solidified black fog.
This wise old man could no longer afford to rest. Repeatedly overdrawing his power would cause a backlash to his true body, but he couldn’t worry about that now.
...
...
...
Finally, the seven of them arrived in the depths of the death-qi-filled Abyss of the End.
But the scene their Spiritual Power revealed within the black fog made them freeze. They began to question their very existence! Even these pseudo-gods, who had spent hundreds of thousands of years in the Star Sea and witnessed endless ages and the rise and fall of civilizations, now wore expressions that, though different, could all be categorized as sheer astonishment.
They saw a young man sitting suspended in mid-air next to the swimming ball of light—presumably the newborn will. Eight different powers pulsed within his body, matching the frequency of the ball of light almost perfectly. It was like an energy resonance, or a meeting of minds.
’What’s going on?’
’We’ve been poached!’
Unlike the others, Ali, who was wearing the Star Skirt, almost thought her eyes were playing tricks on her.
’Shi Ming?!’
’The S-rank Awakened, Shi Ming?!’
’The Shi Ming from the Endless Ocean?!’
’The Shi Ming I wanted to take as my disciple?!’
...
’She felt like this world was nothing but a chaotic, amateur-hour production...’