[...]
[Bai Yimo, the genius of the Desire Demon Race who controls desire, angered the "Proxy," lost all her supreme treasures, and was exiled to this prison. But a fangless Beautiful Serpent is just as venomous, so do not underestimate her!]
[She is a true genius. Relying on some unknown method, she has mastered three Nirvana skills.]
[Numbered Nirvana Skill: Desire]
[Nirvana Skill: See Fog]
[Nirvana Skill: Three Lives]
[...]
[As you said, she is a "research scientist." After luring and killing many "simps" to obtain their skill origins, Bai Yimo coincidentally discovered the secret and method to "turn trash into treasure" by repurposing surplus Nirvana Origins. This was thanks to her customizable Numbered Nirvana Skill, "Desire," and her countless admirers.]
[Unwilling to risk mutual destruction, Bai Yimo has shared this secret with you.]
[But she is still holding something back.]
[The Eye of Destiny can extrapolate. It has already seen through her secrets and research results and, standing on the shoulders of this "research scientist," has deduced a "plus" version of the fusion method.]
[Applause!!!]
[1. You can only successfully break down a Nirvana Origin by dissecting it with masterful precision, which requires a 100% understanding of the Origin and intimate familiarity with the principles contained within the skill. Otherwise, the slightest mistake will completely destroy the Origin. Even if the breakdown is completed, it cannot be re-fused, making it a waste of time.]
[2. When fusing Nirvana Origins, a "catalyst" with a harmonizing effect is required. This catalyst can be a peculiar artifact with similar underlying logic or an Origin that itself possesses a harmonizing property.]
[3. A powerful physical body is the cornerstone for possessing multiple Nirvana Origins.]
[4. If you lack a physical body powerful enough to support multiple Nirvana Origins at once, you can use this Desire Demon’s method: split the body in two to store the excess Nirvana Origins separately.]
...
The intelligence from the Eye of Destiny was about seventy percent similar to what Bai Yimo had revealed, but it had fixed the bugs and upgraded it to a "plus" version!
This was the "opportunity for evolution" it had hinted at before he entered the Star Cave.
’Just gaining this knowledge has already made this trip worthwhile.’
But no one ever complains about gaining too much. It might be difficult to kill this eons-old Desire Demon in fifty minutes, but there was still plenty to extort from her.
Pluck a feather from a passing goose.
Every beast leaves something behind.
’If she wants to live, she’ll have to hand over at least one Nirvana Origin!’
"Ten minutes are up."
"Tell me your choice."
"Will you hand over a Nirvana Origin to save your life, or will you choose to be my enemy and engage in a pointless, life-or-death struggle?"
Shi Ming’s voice was cold and indifferent, as if he didn’t care about Bai Yimo in the slightest.
A resentful look twisted Bai Yimo’s beautiful eyes. She finally steeled her resolve. A gray mist seeped out from her perfect body, and extending her right hand, she pulled a mass of brown substance from within it.
"Remember your promise."
"This is a reserve Origin I was using to research a third gender."
"It comes from a member of the Six-Armed Race, who are renowned throughout the universe. The appearance of that person was actually quite similar to your current form, only with two fewer heads. Who knows, you might be a good match for it."
"Kid, this is my final concession."
"If you decide to push your luck or go back on your word, I guarantee you will get nothing. Even if you manage to kill me, with my mastery and understanding of Nirvana Origins, it would be a simple matter to make them all self-destruct before I die."
’The Six-Armed Race?’
’Aren’t they from the Tower King’s lineage?’
’Researching a third gender?’
’This Bai Yimo is really one of a kind. Avatars of two genders aren’t enough for her? It’s a shame she wasn’t reborn in the Beautiful Country at a certain point in time. Otherwise, she might have drawn from real-life examples for more inspiration.’
"Not bad."
"A wise person knows when to yield."
After inspecting it, Shi Ming put the Origin away.
Bai Yimo wasn’t truly helpless, a fish on the chopping block. As the wielder of a Numbered Nirvana Skill, she would undoubtedly opt for mutual destruction if pushed too far. Besides, this Star Cave, named "Food, Lust, Wealth, and Pride," was exceptionally barren, with no other treasures worth excavating. The echo of the Descent of the Titan would arrive in just over ten minutes, and Shi Ming needed to leave this small world before then.
"This has been a pleasant collaboration."
"I’m sure a prison like this can’t hold someone of your strength for long. Perhaps we’ll meet again in the Endless Star Sea. When that day comes, we can exchange research notes again."
"And with that, farewell."
Shi Ming smiled, gave a small wave, and turned to leave.
A glint flickered in Bai Yimo’s eyes, as if she was thinking of trying something, but she ultimately restrained herself. She could only watch as Shi Ming departed from this world, his figure vanishing above the abyss.
"Hmph. Kid."
"Next time we meet, you’ll be just another one of my conquests!"
"Conquering a man like you is what truly excites me."
Once Bai Yimo saw that Shi Ming had vanished completely, the pent-up rage in her heart erupted. "Chaotic Hell" once again echoed at the bottom of the abyss known as the Insatiable Gully. The ancestral land of the Desire Demon Race suffered another devastating blow. The corpses of her kin, not yet fully torn asunder, were now pulverized into a fine paste, mixing with the soil to become one with the gully itself.
’But now that I’ve missed this chance... who knows how many years it will be until another outsider arrives.’
Bai Yimo stood barefoot at the bottom of the abyss.
Her heart was devoid of desire, feeling neither sorrow nor joy.
The Origins within the cold, minced corpses of the Desire Demons separated from the soil, transforming into warm energy that fused with the genius, replenishing the power she had lost in the battle.
...
...
...
The echo from the Bright Eyes of the Void arrived.
Even Shi Ming, having reached the Nirvana rank, still felt overwhelmed when facing the "echo."
All the "desire" he had ignored, suppressed, and been immune to over the past fifty minutes came flooding back in these final ten. It was like an irresistible, all-pervasive siren song of depravity, turning Shi Ming’s skin crimson as sweat poured from him like rain.
COUGH. COUGH.
Fortunately, the echo only lasted for ten minutes.
"So that’s the extent of Bai Yimo’s power."
His eyes clear once more, Shi Ming toyed with the Nirvana Origin of the Six-Armed Race that he had extorted from Bai Yimo.
’This Star Cave had no aura of any supreme treasures, but the secret I obtained is worth far more. It truly is an opportunity for evolution. In the coming days, I can try using Zhu to dissect this Nirvana Origin from the Six-Armed Race, overcome its exclusivity, and acquire a new skill.’
’Time is limited.’
’But opportunities are limitless.’
’I’ll explore one more Star Cave. After this last one, I’ll return to a normal Star Domain. This is the very heart of the Cave of the Stars; rather than blindly searching around here, it’s better to make a short jump to a new region.’
After restoring himself to peak condition, Shi Ming used his Spiritual Power to secure the entire vessel, the Dayun. Supported by the rank of the Eye of the Divine, he endured the backlash once more and forced a short-distance jump. This time, the jump lasted a mere 0.3 seconds.
The jump didn’t cover a great distance.
It was roughly equivalent to a month of normal travel, which happened to align with the distribution pattern of the Star Caves.