Chapter 435 - 420: The Nirvana-rank Pecking Order (2)
Numbered Nirvana.
The seven minor realms before this depend on one’s "foundation," but Numbered Nirvana is a matter of luck—something you’re born with.
Azure Star was only a mid-tier civilization, so its descriptions of Numbered Nirvana were vague, mentioned only in passing phrases. However, Shi Ming knew that due to the "exclusivity" of Nirvana skills, each Nirvana Powerhouse could possess a maximum of two—one self-generated and one inherited. Nirvana skills naturally varied in strength. The fewer syllables in their name, the stronger they were, and a single-ID skill was the one-in-ten-thousand "Numbered Nirvana Skill."
A few months ago, throughout the Vast Star Sea and its countless Cosmic Countries, only 38 Nirvana Powerhouses possessed a "Numbered Nirvana" skill. They were the luckiest of the lucky, born with a head start.
A Numbered Nirvana didn’t need to be fought over or seized. Without using any trump cards, one could easily defeat three to five powerhouses of the same level with the skill alone. Of course, some Numbered Nirvana skills might not excel in offensive attributes, but they would have their own areas of expertise.
Including Shi Ming, there were now only 39 Numbered Nirvana skills in the Star Sea.
And within the Star Sea, there were 109 widely recognized Cosmic Countries.
The Azure Star where Shi Ming currently was belonged to the Thirty-Seventh Cosmic Country.
Among the Cosmic Countries, the First, Second, and Third Civilization Cosmic Countries were once vassal states to the legendary "Gods." Now, the First Civilization Cosmic Country’s whereabouts were unknown (according to records), the Second and Third Civilization Cosmic Countries had turned from allies to enemies, and the remaining Cosmic Countries were independent, forming various alliances and rivalries.
’The First Cosmic Country’s whereabouts are unknown... It seems this part of history has been erased.’
’And as for the Tomb Star Realm, there isn’t a shred of information about it.’
Perhaps the clearance level of a mid-tier civilization was too low, or perhaps it was deliberately hidden.
But in any case, the goal of this trip was mostly accomplished. He had gathered the general information he needed. Any details he couldn’t find now could be filled in later using the Eye of Destiny.
For the remaining time,
he could relax a little.
’Hmm, I’ve seen the other potions on Azure Star, but I haven’t really encountered the Awakening Potion yet. It’s said to be a technological product jointly developed by the Saints of Azure Star and powerhouses from a more advanced civilization... I wonder if that’s true.’
’If it’s a simplified version of the Beast Blood bathing ritual and has no side effects, I could buy some in bulk. When I return to Earth, it could significantly boost the strength of Earthlings.’
Awakening Potions were sold in a dedicated store.
The store’s style was completely out of place with the others, as if it belonged to another dimension.
Shi Ming took out over 10,000 Cyan Blue Coins and bought three vials of the potion.
The Infinite Brain didn’t detect any upgrade prompts.
In an area where no one was watching, he didn’t use a syringe. He just uncapped the vial, dabbed some of the potion onto his thumb and forefinger, and rubbed them together.
It was like the most ordinary dihydrogen monoxide.
’Hmm?’
’No effect at all?’
Although Shi Ming had already advanced to Nirvana, his Right Arm Red Pattern was still extremely sensitive to Beast Blood. It would react to anything, whether from a Holy Hall Tier or an ordinary A-rank or B-rank individual. But it showed no reaction at all to this potion.
It neither rejected nor absorbed it.
’Interesting.’
’It clearly contains no energy, yet it can cause people to awaken skills. The [technological sophistication] of this potion is quite high!’
Shi Ming’s interest was piqued.
"Eye of Destiny, acquire information."
[BEEP BEEP...]
[Illusory Potion - A-Rank]
[A low-end Awakening Potion developed by the Phantom Star Company of the Sixth Cosmic Country. It has the appearance of an Awakening Potion but not the substance. Nevertheless, it is a bestseller throughout the Endless Star Sea, distributed through various sales channels. After injection, the user can borrow the power of the A-rank skill "Deep Space Blood Rain," making it seem as if they have truly Awakened. The body is also activated and enhanced by this false power.]
[Skill Validity Period: 60 years.]
[...]
[The potion’s power comes from the Numbered Nirvana skill "Illusion."]
[The owner of the Numbered Nirvana skill "Illusion" can replicate their own skills into a base formula that can be mass-produced. Using "exclusive technology" as a cover, this formula is then turned into Awakening Potions and sold across the countless civilized Star Domains of the Star Sea, generating immense profits.]
[This might be the easiest way for a living being to obtain power... It seems to require only money, and can even be customized. But everything has a price. For power obtained so conveniently, what is the hidden cost? The "reputation-builder" line of Illusory Potions only needs to establish a good name, so there’s no need to insert a backdoor. However, certain targeted potions may hide unknown ambitions and conspiracies.]
[Warning! If the owner of "Illusion" perishes, the physical attribute growth from the potion will not disappear, but the skill will immediately become invalid and unusable.]
[Shh~ This is a secret.]
[Sometimes, technology is just another manifestation of power. A precise mechanical creation might also be the external manifestation of a certain skill.]
[...]
Shi Ming read the prompts from the Eye of Destiny and couldn’t help but feel a wave of emotion.
What a genius!
You could say it was a scam, but it wasn’t, really.
The 60-year validity period was enough to cover the lifespan of most non-long-lived races, and the physical attribute growth after injection was also real.
But if you called it real, it was still a demonstrably fake skill. The power one wielded wasn’t their own, and if the skill’s original owner died, it would become completely useless. Furthermore, the potion seemed to be divided into a "reputation-builder" line and a "nefarious" line. Some of the special potions apparently had backdoors hidden inside them, meant to achieve some unknown conspiracy.
The number of powerhouses in the Star Sea was distributed like a Pyramid. The largest population base consisted of the lowest-level Awakened, and they had the most widespread demand for potions. By selling Illusory Potions, small profits accumulated into a fortune. The daily income must be an astronomical figure!
If nothing else, the owner of "Illusion" was undoubtedly one of the foremost tycoons in the Star Sea.
This couldn’t help but make Shi Ming wonder.
If his own [Moth] were to enter the commercial sector, how far could it go?
A moment later, he had his answer.
[Illusion] relied on the low-cost mass replication of low-end skills, giving low-level Awakened a simple and direct boost. Low cost, high demand, wide channels, high traffic... that’s how it easily became a bestseller and a path to riches. His own [Moth], on the other hand, brought an indomitable, tyrannical invasive force.
Having understood the potion’s true nature, Shi Ming naturally wouldn’t waste any more money on it.
He tried using [Moth] to analyze the potion’s essence and found that it was indeed just ordinary water mixed with an extremely low concentration of some base formula, plus some miscellaneous, misleading elements. In essence, it was a manifestation of power, one that quickly dissipated under [Moth]’s intrusion.
’The S-rank skills on the Endless Ocean were already bizarre and varied enough.’
’So it’s no surprise that the 39 Numbered Nirvana skills are even more outlandish.’
Shi Ming knew very little about these 39 Nirvana skills. At present, he only knew that his own [Moth] was the newly born Number 39 and that [Illusion] was another. Beyond that, the Number 18 Nirvana skill was also his target. Only by overcoming "exclusivity" and obtaining it could he evolve the Eye of Destiny into the Eye of the Divine.
Additionally, [Zero], formed from the fusion of the eight Holy Hall Powers, also seemed to be a Numbered Nirvana skill.
He just didn’t know: Was [Zero] a new Nirvana skill, or had an older, established Nirvana skill split into the Eight Holy Halls?
But either way, it had been reborn from refusion within his own body, a true Nirvana rebirth. It was a Nirvana skill he had fused himself, so it wouldn’t have an exclusivity conflict with [Moth]. It fell within the permitted "1+1" range. To acquire any subsequent skills, however, he would need to overcome that "exclusivity."
Shi Ming spent a peculiar day on Azure Star.
The lifeforms here, having been properly "trained," were quite friendly.
No oblivious local thugs came looking for trouble.
Even the Saints who maintained order never sensed that a true Numbered Nirvana Powerhouse was right here, receiving his primer on the Star Sea.
Meanwhile, in the Unfastened Boat Star Realm, the lofty Tower King had already vanished into the Star Sea. The ultimate treasure, the Ten Thousand Vault Radiance, transformed into a gentle, omnipresent glow, "nourishing" every Awakened who came hunting for riches. But if anyone were to actually find a treasure, it would instantly become their death warrant.