Chapter 377 - Endless Blue Lotus Flame: God-grade Treasure
After he finished observing and analyzing the broken mirror, which turned out to be an awesome treasure but at the same time slightly complex to use due to Bai Zemin's own limits, he carefully put it on the nightstand next to the bed.
Although he knew that destroying the treasures that appeared from the treasure orbs was not a simple task, Bai Zemin could not help but want to be careful. What if the mirror was broken even more than it already was? Wouldn't he be taking a great loss? Better safe than sorry.
Eventually, Bai Zemin's eyes focused on the last treasure orb that still lay on his bed if one ignored the number of red orbs piled to the side as if they had been discarded.
"What a beautiful green color." He rubbed his hands together excitedly before finally picking up the orb that represented an Epic grade treasure.
Although Bai Zemin had killed three Second Order existences, his luck was not as good this time and he only obtained a single green-colored treasure orb. However, he was also not dissatisfied with the result because, to be honest, Bai Zemin knew perfectly well that the battle had been much easier than he initially estimated.
The goblin army and the goblin leaders had basically come to say goodbye to Bai Zemin and as a farewell gift they gave him a large spoil of war; that was how things really seemed.
With a firm grip, the green orb in his right hand was soon filled with cracks and a brief moment later the sound of something similar to a glass cup breaking after falling to the floor rang out in the silent room.
Flash!
Green light flashed for a few seconds, forcing him to close his eyes for a brief moment. When he opened his closed eyelids again, Bai Zemin was very surprised to notice that the flash of green light slowly changed to a blue flash.
But the most surprising thing was that the temperature inside the room rose abruptly and without warning!
Unconsciously and with his mind on constant alert, Bai Zemin quickly jumped back as he gazed at the ball of green light that gradually became more and more navy blue. Even without him holding it, the ball of light floated more than a meter above the floor with no problem at all!
About five seconds later, the green light had completely disappeared and the ball of light was nowhere to be seen anymore.
"This... What's this all about?!" Bai Zemin couldn't help but raise his voice as he stared wide-eyed at the object or whatever it was floating a short distance away from him.
In fact, Bai Zemin knew perfectly well what this "object" that floated suspended above the floor as if gravity had no effect on it was. However, even he could not believe it.
The reason behind his disbelief stemmed from the fact that this was by far the strangest treasure Bai Zemin obtained from a treasure orb; even many several times stranger than Infinite Reduction!
The "object" was navy blue in color and its color deepened more and more as one moved away from the edges to look toward the core. It was about the size of a palm at this point, looked small, and swayed gently as it floated there.
The crackling sound filled the room and the ambient temperature rose to what seemed to be the temperature of the worst summers experienced in China. In fact, Bai Zemin believed for some strange reason that this temperature could rise even higher than this.
"Fire? A flame?" Bai Zemin wondered dumbfounded as he curiously watched the dancing flame a short distance away.
Although he knew inwardly that nothing bad would happen, his wariness toward the world in general and distrust toward the unknown made Bai Zemin only dare to take one step at a time, very carefully approaching the blue-colored flame.
When the distance between him and the flame closed to only two or three steps, a green message flashed across Bai Zemin's retina.
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[Endless Blue Lotus Flame wishes to establish a Soul Pact with you and become your subordinate. Do you wish to accept?"]
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Bai Zemin's expression froze when he received the message from the Soul Record expressing the intention of the small flame in front of him.
After he finished comprehending what was happening, his expression changed and slowly became somewhat weird as he looked at the flame that was still dancing carefree through the world.
This was, without a doubt, the strangest message Bai Zemin had ever received in his life if one left out the first day of the apocalypse when the Soul Record arrived on Earth.
Even though it felt a little strange in his heart, he didn't even hesitate so when he came out of his initial astonishment he said as if he was giving a verbal command to Siri or Alexa, "Accept."
Of course, the Soul Record didn't respond as those two artificial intelligences would. Instead, what happened left Bai Zemin dumbfounded for the second time in less than a minute.
Swoosh!
The palm-sized blue flame suddenly shot out at full speed and due to the surprise as well as his naturally lowered guard after receiving the message from the Soul Record Bai Zemin couldn't even react. Before he knew it, the flame had struck his chest.
Bai Zemin's face turned slightly pale at the thought that he had just received a fatal injury and a thousand thoughts flashed through his head in just an instant. Even if his Health stat was high, if his chest was pierced and his heart destroyed then even if God himself descended to this world he could not save him....
However, he soon realized that he felt no pain, and as he looked down, he did not notice any bloody holes. Just when his mind was blank and with no answers, another message from the Soul Record flashed in his retina.
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[In the past. It was one of the 5 most powerful flames born under the forces of the universe and carefully bred by a talented warrior to become a terrifying combat weapon. After the fall of its previous master in combat, the Endless Blue Lotus Flame refused to submit to another master and despite the numerous efforts of countless beings to subdue or destroy it, none succeeded because, as its name suggests, the Endless Blue Lotus Flame is a limitless flame that never goes out as long as it still has Soul Power to consume. However, over the last thousand years, the Soul Power reserved by the Endless Blue Lotus Flame was almost entirely consumed, causing it to fall from a God-grade natural treasure to its current pitiful state, an Epic-grade natural treasure.
After hesitating for a long time, the barely conscious little will of the Endless Blue Lotus Flame submitted to the Soul Record and until now has been waiting for a new holder.]
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"HOLY MOTHER OF GOD!"
Bai Zemin shouted so loudly that he was sure his voice had been heard even to the outside of his mansion.
However, how could he care about that now!!!!
At first and while reading the extremely long message from the Soul Record, Bai Zemin's expression was quite calm and not too surprised; this was so even though he read that the flame he had just formed a strange pact with under the name of Soul Pact was one of the 5 most powerful flames in the universe (at least in the past).
However, as he read more and more, the surprise in his heart grew to the breaking point; this breaking point was when he learned that the little palm-sized flame that had just given him the scare of his life had once been a God-grade treasure!
God Grade!
"HOLY MOTHER OF GOD!"
At such a thought, Bai Zemin cried out again as he sat down on the bed heavily.
Although he had no idea how difficult it was to obtain a God Grade treasure, there definitely shouldn't be many in the universe. According to what Lilith had once told him while she was being lazy, God grade treasures possessed the strength to challenge the most powerful beings in the universe.
However, as he thought about it, Bai Zemin's excitement cooled down considerably and his face became slightly serious as he muttered, "Wait a moment.... If a God Grade Treasure possesses power capable of challenging the mightiest in the universe, then how did the Endless Blue Lotus Flame master fall...?"
After thinking about it for a long time, the only plausible answer Bai Zemin found to this terrifying question was that probably the previous master of the Endless Blue Lotus Flame had fallen prey at the hands of another being just as powerful or slightly above and possessing a God grade treasure as well. He did not want to think beyond that because he inadvertently felt that only despair would wait ahead.
Pushing the terrifying thought deep into his head, Bai Zemin finally came to the conclusion that the treasures coming from the orbs falling from the body of slain enemies were once in the past forged artifacts and even entities nurtured by another living being.
Bai Zemin estimated that probably the Soul Record used the Soul Power that failed to be absorbed by the winner to move a treasure worthy of victory depending on the difference in strength and sealed it inside a treasure orb. Then, when the treasure orb was crushed by the winner, the item sealed there would come out.
Now that Lilith was not there with him, his natural intelligence began to flow rapidly and his thoughts became much more fluid. After all, not having someone to depend on or rely on to know everything, Bai Zemin could only handle everything by himself.
"Alright, let's see what's going on with this." Bai Zemin took a deep breath before closing his eyes and focusing on the depths of his body.
More precisely, on his soul.
Bai Zemin's soul had no form, it was like a strange reddish-colored gas or smoke that was simply there inside his body. However, as he became stronger, he could feel how little by little that gas became denser and denser. He wondered if it would ever become liquid or even solid in the higher Orders.
But right in the middle of all that scarlet cloud of gas, Bai Zemin perceived a faint deep blue light flickering steadily.
This faint deep blue light was the small flame with which Bai Zemin had just formed a Soul Pact. He knew it since after forming that strange pact he could feel the small flame inside him and if he was calmer before he would have even realized that the small flame did not have the slightest evil intention towards him so he would not have been panicked.
Bai Zemin stretched both hands forward and said in a low voice, "Endless Blue Lotus Flame, come out."
At first, Bai Zemin wondered what was happening. Soon, however, he noticed how both his hands lit up with a faint blue flash.
Slowly, a small flame of fire emerged from inside his hands and a few moments later Bai Zemin found himself watching the small flame the size of a baby's palm gently swaying as it was floating an inch or two above his hands.
His face lit up at the blue glow of the small flame. What was most surprising was that in stark contrast to the previous temperature spike this time the temperature of the room did not change at all.
As he stared at the small flame and marveled at its beautiful color, suddenly Bai Zemin's heart fluttered. For an instant he felt as if someone was watching him or trying to tell him something but the next moment that feeling simply disappeared, making him wonder if he was going crazy.
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