Several minutes later, Bai Zemin gathered the group that consisted of only five people including himself and three mutant beasts.

After confirming that everyone remembered their mission, he said in a serious voice, “Although I’m not 100% sure if this enemy is who I think it is, the odds of that being the case are definitely higher than 80%. If this forest really turns out to be under the domain of the Mana Eater Tree then it would be good for all of you to assume that the strength of that thing will be not too far from that of the 9-Headed Immortal Dragon that appeared in the United States a month and a half ago.”

Shangguan Bing Xue nodded, and looking at the three people in front of her added in a firm voice, “Even if the destructive force of the Mana Eater Tree can’t compare to that of the 9-Headed Immortal Dragon it is still more than we can deal with unless we team up, but since we will have to split up a bit it will be kinda impossible. A mutant creature that is surely at the highest level of the Fourth Order is something that only Bai Zemin can deal with at present.”

Although the Mana Eater Tree would definitely not have the destructive ability of the 9-Headed Immortal Dragon since it was a plant-like creature and not a beast meant for annihilation it was still still an intelligent living creature that had managed to become one of the most powerful beings on Earth in ancient times. Furthermore, Bai Zemin had realized that this new enemy had very particular and strange magical skills of which he had never heard or seen before and confronting it would definitely be problematic.

After making sure everyone knew what they had to do, Bai Zemin looked Feng Tian Wu in the eyes. 

“Are you ready?” he asked in a serious voice. “Your task this time is probably the riskiest of all… I’m sorry for that.”

Feng Tian Wu’s eyes were firmer than ever in her life. She looked into his eyes as she said slowly and softly but decisively enough for everyone to understand how she felt.

“The fact that you entrust me with such an important task is proof of how much you trust in me and in my ability, so I will make sure to do what you told me to the letter.” Feng Tian Wu did not say that the most dangerous task still fell on his shoulders, but expressed her only concern in all this: “However…. Are you sure you want to do something like this? If this thing is really that Mana Eater Tree you speak of I’m afraid that just like its name says it will eat the mana of our skills.”

Although they didn’t know what kind of skills this particular enemy had except for some guesswork, its name alone revealed enough information for a soul evolver to think several times before wanting to attack using mana.

thiŞ​ 🇨​🇴​🇳​🇹​🇪​🇳​🇹​ 🇸​🇹​🇴​🇱​🇪​🇳​ 🇫​🇷​🇴​🇲​ ⓝⓞⓥⓔⓛⓑⓘⓝ

However, Bai Zemin had learned firsthand that even if a skill was extremely powerful it would still have its fair limits. His two Manipulation-type skills allowed him to connect to two universal laws directly, but that did not mean he could rule over those laws just by having full access to them.

After hearing what Bai Zemin said regarding the skills, Feng Tian Wu finally stopped hesitating and nodded. In any case, she would do what he wanted her to do and trust him the same way he trusted her even though she had betrayed him in the past.

“Very well.” Bai Zemin took a deep breath and nodded towards the others before slowly closing his eyes. A few seconds later, he whispered into one of the deepest corners of his soul: ‘Little Fire, I know you can’t talk but now that you evolved to the Fourth Order you can understand me better, can’t you?’

After evolving into a Fourth Order divine flame, the Endless Blue Lotus Flame that had degraded and fallen to become a small Third Order flame after expending its power for millions of years to exist after losing its first and only master until the appearance of Bai Zemin had regained its consciousness again. Even if it was only a spark of consciousness it was still more than enough.

When Bai Zemin felt the small deep blue flame with slight black tints near the core glow slightly and move gently in response to his question, he smiled slightly and began to explain his plan.

Time passed slowly as everyone waited for Bai Zemin to finish. 

Shangguan Bing Xue, Shangguan Xinyue, Xia Ya, and Feng Tian Wu stood to the side silently watching and guarding the area. They were still in unknown territory, and if a single Shadow Lich appeared and successfully ambushed them, it could become their undoing.

The Shadow Liches’ magical power was so high that among all of them only Bai Zemin would be able to come out with scratches after being hit; everyone else would definitely end up with half a foot in the grave if they were not careful.

Invisible to everyone, Lilith and Fire Sorrow voiced their concerns to each other.

“… Do you think he will succeed?” Fire Sorrow couldn’t help but feel that this was all crazy.

“We are talking about my Zemin after all.” Although Lilith was anxious in her heart as she knew that the life of her most and only loved one would soon be in danger, her confidence never wavered and her trust in Bai Zemin was more than evident by the gleam in her eyes when she said, “If it’s him he should be able to do it. Absolutely.”

Even though Fire Sorrow trusted Bai Zemin and knew how abnormal he was, she still couldn’t help but feel that Lilith was being overly optimistic about the whole situation.

“You may not know this but the skill Mana Devouring is extremely rare, even rarer than the skills type Manipulation.” Fire Sorrow frowned hard and a flash of trepidation shone in her purple eyes as she recalled past events, “Remember that the universe moves and grows because of the mana that the Soul Record manages. All existence is composed of Soul Power and Mana, even a crystal vase has mana in its deepest records, allowing it to withstand the different laws of the universe and exist.”

How did the apocalypse and evolution begin in all worlds? Lilith of course knew. She would never forget that day when she received the message from the Soul Record when it came to her world.

However, she still stood firm in her heart: “Even if this thing has the skill Mana Devouring it will fal anyway. It can only blame its bad luck, that’s all.”

Fire Sorrow shook her head but said nothing. She looked at Bai Zemin who still had his eyes closed and couldn’t help but feel that he was being extremely fearless this time.

Although the Mana Eater Tree could not launch attacks that were each terrifying enough to compare to nuclear bombs, Fire Sorrow would still prefer to face the 9-Headed Immortal Dragon if she was given a choice between the two. This was because the Mana Devouring skill was the only skill within her knowledge that could literally obliterate and erase the existence of a living being as if it had never existed; a power that only the Soul Record had.

Furthermore… 

‘Even before facing his enemy he wants to do something this crazy?’ Fire Sorrow forced a smile and shook her head as she thought to herself, ‘This brat is out of his mind.’

It wasn’t that what Bai Zemin was about to try was something impossible; it was just that no one had ever tried it before in the history of the universe!

This was because no one would be willing to give up on a great power to entrust it to someone else. Not even to their parents for not mentioning a friend; a friend who in the past, regardless of their motives, had broken their trust!

When Fire Sorrow saw the small, dark blue flame slowly emerging from Bai Zemin’s chest, she sighed inaudibly before looking at Feng Tian Wu with extremely complicated eyes.

‘Little missy, I hope you appreciate this great second chance that the universe gave you… Or else you will be like this me, living an eternity of sorrow.’

Feng Tian Wu looked at the small blazing flame scourge in front of her when a message flashed across her retinas.

[The Endless Blue Lotus Flame, one of the divine flames of the universe, requests to form a blood-based Soul Contract with you. Do you want to accept?]

Any living being would be jumping for joy at such a message and they would unhesitatingly accept it immediately. Even if it was only a blood-based contract, the words “one of the divine flames of the universe” were more than enough to tempt gods and demons alike. However, Feng Tian Wu was different.

She looked into Bai Zemin’s eyes waiting for his confirmation first. She wanted to make sure that he was sure about this. 

Feng Tian Wu’s eyes sparkled when she saw his head nod with a faint smile on his face. She slowly closed her beautiful eyes, and while promising not to disappoint the person in front of her for a second time she whispered in her heart: ‘Accept.’

Two minutes later, Bai Zemin watched as the large crimson feathered bird soared into the air with Feng Tian Wu on its back, and with a mighty flap of the beast, both mount and rider turned into a blood-red flash that disappeared into the horizon in a matter of seconds.

“Are you sure about this?” 

“Mm?”

Bai Zemin looked to his side and met Shangguan Bing Xue’s slightly frowning face.

She looked in the direction where Feng Tian Wu had disappeared and said slowly, “She already tricked you once before, what makes you think she won’t do it again? In this world, power is everything. The winner is the king and the loser is the thief. You just broke your contract with one of the most powerful flames in the history of the universe and gave it to her… Even though it’s supposed to be temporary, what if she runs and doesn’t come back?”

“About that…” Bai Zemin looked up to the sky and said carefree, “It’s okay. This Feng Tian Wu is no longer the same Feng Tian Wu from the past.”

Putting aside the fact whether or not Feng Tian Wu could leave this place and return to China using her mount’s speed to take her family with her, Bai Zemin was completely sure that she would never stab his back again.

“Besides…” He pointed out with a serious face, “This is something only she can do.”

Only Feng Tian Wu whose Unique class was ‘Daughter of Agni’ had the ability to withstand the power of the Endless Blue Lotus Flame without having her soul incinerated and turned into smoke. Only she was worthy enough for a divine flame to be willing to form a contract despite being of such a low Order; even if it was only blood-based and not as deep as the one the Endless Blue Lotus Flame formed with Bai Zemin.

After thinking for a moment about the situation they were in and the plan put forward by Bai Zemin, Shangguan Bing Xue relaxed her worries and nodded with her blue eyes fixed in the distance: “You are right… I’m afraid whether I like to admit it or not there’s not much I can do in this regard.”

“About that… you are wrong.” Bai Zemin put his right hand on her shoulder, making her stare at him in puzzlement. He smiled and his eyes sparkled as he said free of worry, “I’ll trust you with my back later, old comrade.”

Shangguan Bing Xue was slightly taken aback for a moment before a beautiful smile appeared on her always ice-cold charming face.

“Ah. Leave it to me.”

There was no one better than the two of them when it came to coordination on the battlefield. Even if the enemy was more powerful, they were still destined to fall when they met the two of them.

One attacking and the other defending, as if they were a match made by heaven.

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