"If I told you that my goal is to control the entire galaxy, what would you think?"
At such a question, Shangguan Bing Xue was momentarily taken aback and for a split second came to think that perhaps her new friend was having some kind of mental problem that was not letting him reason things out clearly.
However, that thought soon disappeared after remembering that the world in which they were currently living, despite being physically the same, could also be considered a completely new world.
If it were in the past, something like dominating the entire Milky Way was something that could only happen in science fiction movies where mankind's technology had evolved enormously after thousands of years of studies and projects as well as countless more years of exploration. After all, 21st-century mankind didn't even know the entire Solar System, let alone the entire galaxy.
But with things as they were, Shangguan Bing Xue realized that such a thought was actually not as far-fetched as before.
With humans evolving and acquiring supernatural powers, with the support of mana, and with the possibility of acquiring new plans to build objects whose technology was centuries and even millennia ahead of current human technology, colonization of other planets was no longer an impossibility.
It was just that she had never thought that far ahead and the only thing she was aiming for was to survive until the next day.
However, Bai Zemin looked at her and did not wait for her to respond before continuing, "And if I told you that my real goal is to conquer the universe? Could you accept such a thing?"
Shangguan Bing Xue's eyes widened and she said in a state of shock, "You're joking aren't you?"
She admitted that Bai Zemin was powerful. He was a terrifying monster, brave, and whose speed of growth even made her have no choice but to bow in respect. However, she really hoped that he hadn't been driven mad by the power he had been gaining recently.... Because she really didn't want to lose a valuable friend.
If it were in the past, Shangguan Bing Xue would without hesitation leave Bai Zemin's faction at the slightest sign of him showing himself going crazy or losing his sanity. But now that he and she had grown close enough to give each other permission to call each other by their first names and even to the point where she trusted him with her eyes closed, Shangguan Bing Xue knew that she could not leave him so casually; she would very probably do everything in her power to bring him back to reality.
Of course she would react in this way.... Bai Zemin sighed in his heart.
If he were in her place, his response would probably be the same.... No, his response would probably be even more exaggerated and worse than Shangguan Bing Xue's.
However, Bai Zemin's expression was extremely serious as he looked at her and for every second that passed, Shangguan Bing Xue's heart sank more and more.
"Since the world changed, millions of people died."
Bai Zemin began to speak out of nowhere. His usually calm and indifferent eyes even in the face of death revealed real emotions for the first time in weeks, shocking Shangguan Bing Xue deeply.
"How many elders died in this month and a half? How many couples were separated? How many children lost their parents? How many innocent babies lost their lives so far? How many families were destroyed in the initial adaptation process and how many more will be destroyed from now on?" he asked in a low voice.
Rather than being a question directed at Shangguan Bing Xue, it seemed more like a question thrown into the air hoping to find an answer somewhere.
Knowing that no one would be able to answer such questions, he looked at Shangguan Bing Xue with a slight tinge of sadness that made her heart clench slightly and continued, "It has been more than 47 days since the world turned into hell but I still don't know whether my family is alive or not. Although I can currently cover over 700 kilometers in one hour, my Stamina is not enough to sustain this speed for more than a dozen minutes and even if I could withstand the continuous burnout for a full hour I would still be another 1100 kilometers short of Yangfang Town in Changping District."
Bai Zemin pointed to the sky with his free hand and the grip on the hilt of his greatsword tightened as he said with a touch of self-mockery, "I can't even claim to be the most powerful being in that forest, let alone dare I say that I am the most powerful being in all the forests of this district or the district in general.... To cross beyond Baiquan Subdistrict and reach Changping District we will have to annihilate over 20,000,000 zombies and who knows how many wild beasts or mutated plants will add to the equation. Even if I want to run out right now to look for them, I know that if I try to do so I will eventually end up dying due to exhaustion in the midst of desperate battle. Which is why I can only hold on.... Because I am weak."
Shangguan Bing Xue bit her lower lip tenderly as she listened to his words. She had exactly the same thoughts as Bai Zemin. What more did she not want than to run to where her mother was as quickly as possible to, if she was still alive, ensure her safety and well-being? However, she was weak... So, she needed the help of a large army to accomplish such a thing.
Unless she or Bai Zemin possessed infinite Stamina or were monstrous enough to be able to fight off millions of enemies or the ability to somehow evade them, they could only go one step at a time.
Because they were weak.
From the point of view of the other survivors and soul evolvers, Bai Zemin and Shangguan Bing Xue were the representation of gods in person. Only they knew that in reality, neither of them had the ability to find their loved ones even though their hearts were squirming with anxiety during the nights, let alone being the in-person representation of gods.
"Even if sometime in the future we manage to defeat the wild beasts and mutant plants or find some way to suppress them so that they stop attacking mankind.... Even if we become strong enough to regain the peace of our lives.... Who can guarantee us that this will be the first and last time something that shakes our lives and the lives of those we love will happen?" Bai Zemin looked at Shangguan Bing Xue with an extremely serious expression and a tinge of hatred flickered in his eyes for a moment.
Shangguan Bing Xue's expression also changed slightly when she heard this.
Indeed.
Did they have any certainty that this would end after they managed to regain the peace of Earth? No, they did not.
Even if their loved ones survived, with mankind's life expectancy extended to several centuries and even millennia through constant evolution in elevated stages, many things could come to pass in that time.
"Now do you understand why my highest goal is absolute domination? Not of China, not of Earth, not of this galaxy either; but of the entire universe!" Bai Zemin declared with conviction, "I will not allow anyone or anything to ever set foot on my head again, let alone allow any entity to have the power to decide who lives or who dies.... That will be me!"
Since this unknown entity called Soul Record gave him the ability to become seemingly unstoppably stronger as long as he absorbed the Soul Power of other living beings, then Bai Zemin was going to do anything to get to the absolute peak.... Even if it led him down a desolate and blood-splattered path.
"So what if they call me a tyrant? So what if they call me a dictator?" Bai Zemin sneered, "As long as my loved ones and I stay well, the rest of the universe can go to hell!"
This was the first time Bai Zemin expressed his true feelings to another person. He had not even said this to Lilith yet. However, after everything that happened tonight, Bai Zemin understood the reason why a supreme existence like Lilith had been telling him since day 1 of this new era that he was an even greater genius than her.
Therefore, he felt that even though he was weak, at least he had the qualifications to not be ashamed to aim big.
He would help Lilith achieve her goal and then, together with her and those close to him, he would rule supreme!
The God of the Bible whose real name Bai Zemin did not know, Lucifer, Dragon Monarch, Vampire King, Eternal Phoenix, Wolf Emperor, Zombie Ancestor, Star Devourer; these were all the leaders of Higher Factions known by Lilith to date. Ultimate beings who stood at the apex of the apex and whom even Lilith did not dare to face.... However, Bai Zemin vowed to himself to overcome them all either by hook or by crook!
Seeing that Shangguan Bing Xue was no longer looking at him as if she were looking at a madman, Bai Zemin realized that she finally understood that rather than madness, the reason behind this great goal was actually very simple.
It was not about power blindness. Nor was it about greed or arrogance. It was something far simpler than this.
Shangguan Bing Xue realized that Bai Zemin was scared.
Although he looked ever so steady and his steps never faltered even when his life was on the line, he was actually terribly scared; scared like a small child.
However, that fear did not come from fearing death. Bai Zemin's fear was a much more noble fear; he feared that his loved ones whose life or death was still unknown would have to go through hardship again sometime in the future.
In the midst of the darkness, she looked at him silently; as if she wanted to engrave every detail of his face in her memory forever.
After several seconds, her lips curved into what shaped the most beautiful smile she ever had probably in her entire life.
"Bai Zemin, I must say that every second that passes and every word that comes out of your mouth amazes me more and more. More than your strength and more than your speed of evolution, your feelings are as pure as the whitest snow." Shangguan Bing Xue looked at him from the tips of his toes to the tips of his hair before saying in a voice that seemed to come from deep in her heart, "I said earlier that you were a good man, but I must retract that.... The word good does not do honor to an excellent man like you."
Bai Zemin looked at her. He understood.... He understood that this praise from her was different from the previous one.
"I must say that the woman who ever manages to slip into your heart and win your care and affection will undoubtedly be the luckiest of all." She nodded with a faint smile. Then, she extended her perfect hand forward and offered, "Even though I am weak, let me help you achieve your goal. For the sake of our families, for the sake of our loved ones. Over all life, we will dominate."
He looked at her hand that even in the midst of the darkness seemed to shine with purity and understood that taking her hand at this moment would have a meaning far, far deeper than any other promise he had ever made.
Bai Zemin still did not know if in the future Lilith would remain by his side once he helped her achieve her wish. He hoped with all his heart that she would.
However, what Shangguan Bing Xue was offering was to be battle peers for as long as one of them needed to finally become the total supreme existence: A paragonless being.
A goal of such magnitude could take hundreds, thousands, even tens of thousands of years.... Therefore, this could be considered another....
"Another long-term contract." Bai Zemin chuckled as he recalled that meeting where he had told everyone that he had a long-term agreement with a woman. <-----(A/N: CH 139)
Then, without hesitation, he took Shangguan Bing Xue's hand and gently shook it to state his agreement.
She smiled even more brightly and her blue eyes curved into a half-moon shape.
High in the sky, two beautiful ruby-colored eyes sparkled like gems amidst the night and seemed to pierce through space to see what was happening a kilometer deep underground.
A smile countless times more beautiful than Shangguan Bing Xue's smile appeared on Lilith's face as she observed and listened to the interaction between the two Lower Existences that were just at the first stage of evolution of the vast universe.
"Red, white, black." She muttered in a low voice and then faded away. Her voice still echoed in the midst of space, "I wonder what kind of beautiful painting will be born with these three colors as the main focus... Will this canvas be large enough or will a larger one be needed? Hehe~ I can't wait for."
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Thanks a lot to all those who use their Golden Tickets to vote for BW <3
A/N:
End of volume 2!
I hope you liked the new cover and have enjoyed the story so far. Much more Blood Warlock and many awesome things ahead!