Furthermore, it would take time to completely eliminate a numbered Nirvana Powerhouse who possessed a great secret and was stronger than a Tower King.
Shi Ming’s Bright Eyes of the Void only had a little over 30 minutes left.
In thirty minutes, Descent of the Titan would trigger a backlash. His mortality would surge as his divinity vanished, and all the desires he’d suppressed would come flooding back. At that point, her [Desire] would become his greatest weakness.
’At that point...’
’The tables will likely turn.’
This entire negotiation was simply to convince Bai Yimo that he was in complete control of the situation. He wanted her to believe he could advance or retreat as he pleased, that he had multiple options while she had none.
A strategic gambit must exploit an information gap.
Bai Yimo was silent for a long time.
"Ten seconds left."
The destructive, hostile aura of the Nine-Headed Sanctuary—originating from the Great Black Heaven Dragon—coexisted with his state of lucid emptiness, creating a bizarrely oppressive atmosphere. It made Shi Ming’s voice rumble like thunder muffled by clouds.
"Tell me your choice."
Bai Yimo gritted her teeth.
"The value of this secret far exceeds ten Nirvana Origins! Brat, remember your promise! Otherwise, even if I have to destroy my Origin, I will make you pay an unimaginable price!"
"Listen carefully,"
"To acquire the Origins left behind by other powerhouses, you must follow these five steps."
"Step one: Analyze the essence of the Origin."
"Step two: Use another skill of the same level that can split or break down a Nirvana Origin. You must use it to meticulously break down the target Origin—like dissecting a man’s heart—ensuring not a single trace of damage is inflicted upon it during the process."
"Step three: Break down the Nirvana Origin into several Holy Hall Origins."
"Step four: Absorb these Holy Hall Origins sequentially. Holy Hall Origins aren’t mutually exclusive."
"Step five, and this is the most crucial one: After you’ve absorbed them all, you must find a way to slowly fuse them back together. This is likely to be very difficult and will require a great deal of time and coordination, but it is the most important step!"
"Only when this final step is complete, when the Holy Halls within your body re-fuse to become a Nirvana, will the resulting Nirvana skill become as if you had comprehended it yourself. It will achieve 100% compatibility with you and will no longer be exclusive."
"Is that clear?"
After Bai Yimo finished explaining, she glanced at Shi Ming.
But she found his expression was calm, showing neither surprise nor pleasure.
"Hmph! Country bumpkin!"
"This method was an inspiration I had after obtaining [Lust], based on its customizable properties. After that initial spark, I spent three thousand years researching it. During that time, I conducted countless experiments and studies, consuming the Origins of thirteen of my Nirvana-level suitors and 482 of my Holy Hall-level suitors to achieve this final result."
"The other two Nirvana Origins I’ve integrated were both acquired this way."
"In this infinite universe, I can’t guarantee there are none like me, but there are definitely no more than a handful."
"You tell me, how many Nirvana Origins is this secret worth?"
By the end,
Bai Yimo seemed quite proud.
And justifiably so.
Her pride was well-earned.
The entire method seemed simple, but in reality, step two, ’breaking down,’ and step five, ’re-fusing,’ both had an incredibly high barrier to entry. Even a genius like Bai Yimo, the so-called ’demon of desire,’ had to rely on her numbered skill, [Desire], and immerse herself in research for countless years before seeing any results.
"I didn’t take you for a researcher,"
Shi Ming said mockingly.
Her research findings reminded him of [Zero].
’On Earth, if you fuse all eight types of Holy Hall Origins, you can get the numbered Nirvana skill [Zero]. But if you work backward, does that mean that a long, long time ago, the Eight Holy Halls on Earth were themselves split from [Zero]?’
’It’s highly likely.’
’Based on my understanding of Nirvana Origins and my own experience, the overall direction of Bai Yimo’s research is sound. It’s more or less correct. But this demon of desire had misrepresented her own skill, [Desire], as [Lust]. Who knows what other traps she’s laid in her explanation.’
"Your research findings are indeed impressive."
"But the value of this secret isn’t enough to trade for your life, to say nothing of getting you out of this prison. That’s a separate price, and one you can’t afford."
"If you want to live, you need to pay more."
Shi Ming said with a straight face, continuing to press his advantage.
Bai Yimo’s expression turned thunderous when she heard this.
"Not valuable enough?"
"Brat! Do you have any idea what you’re saying? This information isn’t valuable enough? Just leave this godforsaken place, find any Cosmic Country, and announce that you possess this secret—or even just casually reveal that you have multiple Nirvana skills. I guarantee you, the Sovereign of any Cosmic Country would invite you to the Royal Hall for tea that very instant! Even those reclusive old monsters would treat you like their dearest treasure and handle you with the utmost care!"
"And you dare say it isn’t valuable enough?"
"Or are you just trying to go back on your word?"
"I don’t know if you understand fate, but its gifts always come with a hidden price. If you’re unwilling to pay it to me, you will inevitably have to pay it elsewhere. And when that time comes, the price won’t be up to either of us!"
Shi Ming remained indifferent.
"You know,"
"Skills that can break down an Origin are extremely rare. Only yours—your [Lust]...—can do it. Your information is of no help to me; in fact, it would put me in grave danger. But since things have come to this, if you are willing to pay an additional Nirvana Origin—[Lust], for example—I will honor my promise and let you go."
"These are the terms fate has presented. They are already quite generous."
Bai Yimo refused without hesitation.
"Impossible."
’This brat is truly insatiable!’
Shi Ming looked down at her.
"You possess multiple Nirvana Origins. Parting with one as a bargaining chip to save your life is an excellent deal. You hold a monumental secret and are highly accomplished in your research. As long as you can escape this prison, your future will be limitless."
"You are indeed an extraordinary person."
"Instead of being greedy, you should preserve the means to make a comeback."
"Don’t be in a hurry to refuse me. You have ten minutes to consider."
"We’re not short on time. You can take your time considering it."
The gambit continued.
Meanwhile, for Shi Ming, midnight had passed.
’This meant that the number of uses for my Eye of Destiny had refreshed. I can now use it to verify the information this ’demon of desire’ has revealed.’
The Eye of Destiny did not disappoint. Text materialized within the eye, providing a detailed analysis of Bai Yimo’s condition.
The core logic of her method was correct and mostly true.
However, she had hidden many crucial details.
’This demon of desire...’
’...is as cunning as they come, still holding things back!’
——————
PS: Wishing everyone a happy 2026 New Year’s Day! In the new year, may all your wishes come true, may you break through new boundaries, and grasp limitless possibilities!