Chapter 617 - 569: Shi Ming Borrows the Origin

"A wise choice."

"Colorful Insect, it seems you’ve come to understand that interests are a more important bargaining chip than power. There are no eternal enemies, only eternal interests. Although the racial conflict between us is insurmountable, that doesn’t prevent us from cooperating on certain matters."

How could Shi Ming not see through the Colorful Insect’s little schemes?

But under the circumstances, he had to play along. After all, he couldn’t provide the other value it wanted, so he could only offer some of that intangible ’emotional value’ for now.

’Besides, it doesn’t cost anything, right?’

The Colorful Insect spoke again.

"Hmph, human. If you truly want to cooperate, you should show sufficient sincerity, not seal me inside this tower and use me time and time again. But I suppose where you stand depends on where you sit. I can’t be bothered with your position. This is the last chance for cooperation."

"So, tell me. What kind of cooperation do you have in mind?"

...

"My request for our cooperation is simple."

"I need to borrow something you have no use for right now... the true origin of your Bicolored Celestial Calamity."

???

’Borrow my origin?’

’How did he dare to even suggest such a thing?’

For a moment, the Colorful Insect thought it had misheard.

Then, it felt as if it had suffered the greatest insult imaginable... The blood beneath its colorful head began to boil—a sign of extreme rage. If it were free right now, it might have immediately unleashed its ultimate attack and fought this unfathomably deep human to the death.

’This is an outright provocation!’

The origin of an alien species was similar to the origin of a Star Sea creature—it was the wellspring of its power.

’If I lent it out, he could indeed call upon it at any time, but that would mean my own power would vanish. Besides, once something like this is given away, it’d be like feeding a meat bun to a dog—gone for good!’

Shi Ming had naturally anticipated the Colorful Insect’s reaction.

He continued:

"Relax."

"To me, the origins of you alien species are nothing but corruption. What normal human would actively seek out your corruption? I simply want to immersively experience the power of an alien species, to feel the difference between a creature born in this Sea of Chaos and one born in the Star Sea, and perhaps find some inspiration for a breakthrough."

"I swear on my Nirvana Origin: the time I borrow your Bicolored Origin will not exceed one year. The moment I return it will be the moment you regain your freedom."

"You can trust my credibility. This isn’t a case of Liu Bei borrowing Jing Province."

The Colorful Insect didn’t know what "Liu Bei borrowing Jing Province" meant, but it could sense Shi Ming’s new oath. The man swore oaths as easily as he drank water. Was he truly sincere, or was he hiding another scheme or some hidden leverage?

’One year?’

To the Colorful Insect, one year was but a fleeting moment. The call of the surrounding Sea of Chaos made every part of its body tremble with anticipation, eager to return to this wonderful region and experience the homeland it had never reached.

"Human, since the moment you suppressed me, you should have been able to use my skill, [Bicolored Celestial Calamity], right? Why go to this extra trouble? Why take the risk of being corrupted?"

The Colorful Insect still had its doubts.

’The human is too cunning.’

’I have to be on guard.’

"Heh, a conjugated power can never be truly experienced immersively. You should be able to sense that I already stand at the apex of all Star Sea life. I’ve even slain several of the once high-and-mighty New Gods. Although I relied on external power that wasn’t my own in the process, it’s still proof of my strength. It’s lonely at the top. To seek a deeper breakthrough from this height, one must learn from all sources and be open to different paths. The power of alien species is an excellent reference for that."

For some reason, upon hearing this, the Colorful Insect felt a faint sense of smug satisfaction.

’Look at that. Even though he stands at the peak, he still needs to learn from my power. Hmph, the power of us alien species is naturally nobler, more complex, and more useful than his.’

"Aren’t you afraid of being corrupted?"

"Corruption is, in itself, a form of power. My Holy Hall Origin possesses one such power, named [Corruption]. Not only that, but I also have another origin, named [Purification]. Besides, to obtain power, one must bear the corresponding price. This is a price I can afford to pay."

Shi Ming explained patiently.

Ordinarily, he couldn’t be bothered to deal with this alien species, but right now, the Colorful Insect was a crucial part of his plan and had to be handled with care.

In his actual plan, borrowing the Calamity’s power wasn’t about comprehending different types of power, and it certainly wasn’t about learning from all sources. By being in the Sea of Chaos and disguising himself as an alien species, he could advance his plan more effectively, infiltrate the enemy’s ranks, and perhaps even get a chance to ’backstab’ them.

As for the corruption...

The bit of corruption from the Bicolored Celestial Calamity was like an infant compared to an adult when measured against the corruption within Bertutan’s [Void] Origin. He couldn’t yet utilize the ancient malignant power within the [Void]—that was the real, major corruption. But as for the power of the Bicolored Celestial Calamity, he would have no problem controlling it.

His explanation was complete.

The Colorful Insect stopped communicating.

It seemed to have rejected the proposal.

But Shi Ming knew it had no other choice. As long as it still held out hope—the hope of escaping its suppression—there was a chance for cooperation. And [Hope] happened to be an authority of the [Heart of Chaos]. Back when he was in the Star Domain of the First Civilization Cosmic Country, Shi Ming had used the Heart of Chaos to covertly grant this insect the most precious thing hidden at the bottom of Pandora’s box: hope.

...

...

...

Sure enough.

After a stalemate of less than a day, the Colorful Insect’s voice once again echoed within the Hundred-Floor Celestial Tower.

"Human."

"I can agree to your request for cooperation, but I cannot trust you unconditionally. You need to offer collateral to prove your sincerity."

’Collateral?’

’As long as it’s made an opening, there’s a chance.’

"Collateral? What do you want as collateral?"

"Collateral that proves your sincerity. You’ve broken your oaths before, so this time, I need to see your sincerity. Human, you have only one chance to prove it. If I am not satisfied, our cooperation is off, and there will be no second chances."

’The little thing has gotten smarter, has it?’

’Trying to get a hold over me?’

Shi Ming thought for a moment.

"Your proposal is indeed reasonable. I am never stingy about showing my sincerity to a partner. However, what you said about me breaking my oath is untrue. Think about it carefully. If I had truly broken my oath, why wouldn’t I have suffered even the slightest backlash from my Nirvana Origin? Last time, I was simply using the rules normally. This time, however, there is no room for me to exploit any rules."

"To make it up to you, I am willing to show you my utmost sincerity."