Chapter 566 - Barbarian King's Anti-Magic Domain And Sirius' Annihilation Of The Falling Sky
"So? What did you think about my new records? Awesome right?" Bai Zemin asked with a smile similar to that of a small child who had received many gifts for Christmas.
Having solved his identity problem with the opportune help of Lilith, Bai Zemin finally stopped worrying about things like the source of the strength he received; whether it came from him or from a past life, whatever it was, it was now his strength and he would gladly use it to achieve his goals.
Even though he didn't know very much about himself, even though he didn't know if he really had a past life or not.... Bai Zemin knew that he was him. His movements, his thoughts, his goals; everything belonged to him and only to him.
Lilith looked at him with an extremely serious expression on her face and for an instant, Bai Zemin even wondered if the kiss they shared before had been nothing more than an illusion on his part. However, he soon dismissed that thought as he felt the warmth and lingering softness on his lips as he was sure that if he licked the surface he would be able to taste her taste lightly.
'This naughty little succubus really knows how to differentiate between relationships and work.' Thought Bai Zemin secretly chuckling.
"Bai Zemin, I need you to listen to me properly."
Not only was her expression serious but even the tone of voice bordered on the tone a mother would use to advise her son when things became difficult or when he was about to step into an important but new stage of his life. Therefore, Bai Zemin also stopped joking when she even called him by his name and nodded to show her that his attention was completely focused on her.
"As you may well know, when an existence is on the boundary between two Orders, the Soul Record sends us a quest which we need to fulfill in order to continue moving forward." Lilith began to explain as she looked at him without blinking. After a pause, she asked, "Do you know why it is like this?"
"No." Bai Zemin shook his head without hesitation.
How could he know? All he could think of was that the Soul Record tested all existences to see if they were worthy of continuing to advance or not.
Lilith looked thoughtful for a moment but suddenly her face became somewhat complicated as she looked at Bai Zemin and said without knowing whether to laugh or cry, "Do you remember what happens when the main characters of cultivation novels reach the highest peak of the Cultivation Realm they are in?"
Novels? Bai Zemin's eyes flashed and he quickly replied:
"Of course, I remember. When the characters of a cultivation novel reach the highest stage of the Cultivation Realm they usually stagnate for months and even years in order to break through the barrier that-"
Bai Zemin suddenly stopped as he finally realized something he had always been overlooking.
Seeing the expression on his face, Lilith smiled slightly and continued, "That's right. That barrier that stops the cultivators of the novels is something similar to what you feel. Try to push your Soul Power higher, you should have a lot of Soul Power stored up to be able to push."
Even though it wasn't necessary to do so since he had done it many times during the past days and knew perfectly well what would happen, Bai Zemin obeyed Lilith and tried to push his Soul Power to absorb what was right there but for some reason, it didn't join the rest of his strength. However, it was no surprise when his Soul Power bounced back with a rumble that shook his soul as it hit something he had no way of seeing.
Lilith naturally felt the fluctuation of Soul Power so she understood that he had just done what she had asked him to do. Then, she nodded and continued with her explanation:
"The reason why the Soul Record gives us a breakthrough quest every time we reach the maximum level of the Order we are in is because we need to accumulate certain records that without them it will be impossible for our soul to gather the strength needed to break through the barrier blocking the next level. Only by obtaining such records and accumulating Soul Power throughout the process will our souls have the necessary impetus to push us beyond both spiritually and physically."
Bai Zemin felt as if a new world had opened up before him once Lilith finished explaining these matters. There was no need to ask the reason why she was only explaining this to him now since he had only just reached the limit of the First Order not too long ago, however, he felt it was strange that she would bring up this topic just now.
Undoubtedly. The next instant, she again put a serious expression on her face and pointed out, "When we are in the process of evolution between the peak of one Order and the beginning of the Order that follows it, our souls usually do not absorb any more records except for meat or precious foods that we have never tasted before and that exceed our Soul Power range. However, tens of years, centuries, and even millennia can pass without an existence that is on the verge of breakthrough becoming even a little bit stronger."
Lilith paused and narrowed her eyes as she slowly said, "But.... You, on the other hand, continue to absorb records as if nothing. Even though your Soul Power isn't growing and its purity isn't increasing, the amount of records being added to your soul is definitely abnormal. Most abnormal of all, the Soul Record seems to favor you."
"Favor me?" Bai Zemin was surprised a lot when he heard this. He looked at Lilith with wide eyes and recalled, "Aren't you making a mistake, Lilith? If the Soul Record really favored me then why is it giving me these quests-"
But then, Bai Zemin paused as he realized that he could now reach that answer by himself.
"You seem to understand now." Lilith nodded. "The Soul Record does not impose difficult quests on you, the Soul Record simply decodes the records your soul needs to evolve and shows them to you in translated messages in a way that you and all of us can understand. Try to imagine what would happen if it were not for the fact that the Soul Record shows us these messages? How long would it take an existence to acquire the necessary records if it doesn't even know what it needs to complete?"
"The path you walk, from the moment you became a Blood Berserker, is destined to be steep." She pointed out earnestly. "The stronger and bigger the path you wish to build the firmer the materials you use must be or else sooner or later it will collapse completely just like a stone road trampled for several years."
"I... I understand." Bai Zemin nodded slowly as he looked at his hands and recalled everything that had happened to him so far.
Even though the evolution requirements he was up against were getting crazier and crazier, it was true that the rewards he got every time he succeeded were juicy enough to drive anyone mad. His Blood Berserker job, for example; once Bai Zemin succeeded, those First Order beasts that always gave him headaches were no longer a challenge at all even if they came in groups.
He suddenly raised his head and asked something he noticed recently, "Lilith, do you remember when we first met?"
Lilith looked at him confused but still nodded. She would never forget that day even if she was beaten to death as it was at that very moment when time that for her had been frozen finally began to move once again.
If not for Bai Zemin, Lilith would be no different from a wandering spirit trying to find something that she might never find and all her goals would be left unfulfilled. Moreover, she herself would be like a killing and repeating machine, with no purpose of her own to aspire to. Therefore, while it was true that Bai Zemin owed much to her, she also owed a lot to him.
Having no idea of Lilith's thoughts and feelings, Bai Zemin asked again:
"Do you remember what you told me back then? If I'm not mistaken, back then you said something about my stats, especially Magic and Mana, being particularly high."
"Actually, at the time I put it that way so you wouldn't get too many airs but honestly your Magic and Mana were too high. That's probably why your other stats were also above average; because of the effect the mana had on your body." Lilith pointed towards Bai Zemin's chest and slowly said, "At the time I didn't show it but I was really surprised that you were still alive and your body didn't explode into a million of pieces."
Bai Zemin's body trembled in fear and his face turned pale for an instant. After all, what Lilith said was not crazy at all considering that his soul at that moment should be too powerful for a human physical body to withstand.
He coughed to clear his throat and nodded as he said, "Yeah, well. Leaving aside the last part.... My soul was always stronger than normal, stronger than it should be. So, I was wondering if maybe my soul could be that of some powerful being from the past."
"..."
"..."
Lilith's eyes and Bai Zemin's gaze met for a long time before she sighed.
"... Why did you think of that all of a sudden?"
"Mm... You see, I wasn't so sure before but lately, I've started to doubt all this a lot." Bai Zemin frowned slightly and as he turned his face to look towards the wall in front of him he said casually, "The Endless Lotus Blue Flame was once a flame whose strength had the power to threaten gods and demons alike. When its previous master was defeated and killed, this treasure refused to form a Soul Pact with any other existence and had it not reached some sort of agreement with the Soul Record it would have disappeared long ago. However, out of nowhere, this little flame showed up before me when I broke an Epic grade orb and asked to form a Soul Pact with me."
Without altering his voice or pace, he continued, "On the other hand, there is also the more recent fact. According to the records I obtained, the Sixth Order skill Magic Break was not simply learned but also unlocked. But, isn't it implied that to unlock something that something must already be there to begin with?.... With Magic Break, in the future, I could learn the Anti-Magic Domain that was once the signature mark of the Barbarian King."
Finally, Bai Zemin brought a hand to his chest, and seeing his movement, Lilith sighed in her heart and slowly closed her eyes.
"Last but not least, there's also this."
Swoosh!
The air inside the room stagnated for a second before the curtains shook violently followed by a bright flash of gold-colored light which illuminated Lilith's face.
She slowly opened her eyes, meeting Bai Zemin's slow but easy movement in which with his right hand he pulled out an object enveloped by a bright flash of light from inside his body.
"Finally, there is this spear. Annihilation of the Falling Sky, that is its name." Bai Zemin tightened his grip on the Soul Armament and the golden light surrounding it burst out, turning into particles of light that floated in the room for several seconds.
With her face and outline illuminated by the golden light particles, Lilith looked like an even more beautiful goddess than she already was. Her expression was calm and the inside of her eyes as serene as an ancient lake as she gazed at the exquisite spear in the hands of the young man at her side.
"You really had it in you after all."
* * * * * * *
Really thank you very much to all those who send gifts to the novel and support with valuable Golden Tickets. I hope we can all keep it up <3