Chapter 598 - Farewell, Six-Path Flower (Part 1)

Six-Path Flower had been quietly watching Lu Ran try to coax the Torch Dragon, never expecting that it would be the one to take an arrow to the knee in the end.

It admitted that getting swept up in the moment and believing Lu Ran’s nonsense, and even getting contracted to a level 4 beastmaster like him despite being a level 100 quasi-Legendary itself, was pretty outrageous. However, for the Torch Dragon to point it out like that was just rude.

You’re making me look like an idiot here!

Six-Path Flower clenched its small fists slightly and broke free from the Torch Dragon’s seal.

It declared, “I’ve never regretted signing a contract with Lu Ran. He is the most outstanding and promising human I’ve ever met. He might not be as strong as you right now, but in just a few years, he’ll stand at the pinnacle of the universe.”

To save face, Six-Path Flower went against its conscience and lavished praise. Besides it, Lu Ran was deeply moved.

So Six-Path Flower loves me this much...

The Torch Dragon murmured. “Is that so... However, I will not be going with you. I thank you for the information. From now on, I will use my own methods to change the future of this spacetime. Even if it means death, I will have no regrets.

“Running away is not my style. Moreover, I advise you not to recklessly toy with time through time-travelling either. Doing so will only bring calamity upon yourselves.”

The Torch Dragon shook its head. As it spoke, Lu Ran was set down, and a beam of red light shone from the Torch Dragon’s eyes onto him. The curse left by the Evil God on Lu Ran dissolved under this light.

Lu Ran, who had been transformed into a 7 or 8-year-old boy, finally returned to his original form, a handsome young man in his early twenties. With the curse lifted, Lu Ran stretched his body, unsure whether to consider the Torch Dragon reasonable or not.

“I understand,” Lu Ran said regretfully.

Since the Torch Dragon was unwilling to follow, Lu Ran couldn’t force it. He understood that the Torch Dragon wanted to initiate change from this moment onward. Now that it knew the future, it would seek the best countermeasures rather than simply abandon this spacetime and follow Lu Ran into the future.

—A praiseworthy King of Exotic Beasts. Unfortunately, this isn’t some past spacetime but a false world destined to be unsalvageable and unending. No matter how hard you try, it’s all futile.

Six-Path Flower also grasped the Torch Dragon’s intent. Though it admired the Torch Dragon’s commendable mindset, some things were simply unchangeable.

Within the ascension realm, they couldn’t reveal details about Limitless City, so Lu Ran and the others couldn’t fully explain.

Upon seeing the Torch Dragon’s resolve was firm, Lu Ran simply changed tactics. “I respect your choice, Lord Torch Dragon. However, since you cannot personally accompany me to the future, could you lend me a portion of your power? In exchange, we will help you uncover the reason behind the shattering of Blue Planet’s core in this timeline.”

The Torch Dragon looked at Lu Ran. “How do you intend to borrow my power?”

Lu Ran glanced at the Torch Dragon statue outside. “I wonder if you could gift me that statue.”

Six-Path Flower, standing nearby, immediately understood Lu Ran’s intention. Having followed Lu Ran for so long, it knew him all too well.

Since persuading the current Torch Dragon was impossible, it was better to take a step back. By taking the Torch Dragon’s statue, once they returned, #18 could use it to summon the Torch Dragon’s heroic spirit.

With that, using the resurrection authority as bait would likely be more effective than trying to negotiate directly with the living Torch Dragon now. Moreover, directly resurrecting the Primary-Divine Torch Dragon posed a risk. If it went back on its word after revival, Lu Ran would have resurrected an uncontrollably powerful being.

However, if they first harnessed the Torch Dragon’s power as a heroic spirit, built rapport with it, and waited until Six-Path Flower itself broke through to the Primary-Divine level before resurrecting it, they would then have equal footing for negotiation. Therefore, the immediate priority wasn’t to persuade the Torch Dragon but to obtain the stellar core.

Clearly, Lu Ran didn’t plan to waste too much time persuading the Torch Dragon either because securing the statue would be considered a success.

“Very well.” The Torch Dragon nodded as it saw no reason to refuse. “In exchange, you must clearly tell me everything you know about the future,” the Torch Dragon negotiated.

“Deal!”

Soon, Lu Ran and the Torch Dragon reached an agreement. The Torch Dragon would lend a portion of its power to aid the future spacetime. In return, Lu Ran would share all he knew to help the Torch Dragon save the present spacetime.

Lu Ran sighed. “The future... is completely hopeless.”

The black mist had devoured nearly all civilizations in the universe. Only a small star sector containing Blue Planet World and Stellar Moon World remained as pure land.

Even the strongest cosmic-level beings, those beyond the Primary-Divine level, could only choose to flee in the face of this disaster.

“A black mist that devours civilizations...” Even as a Primary-Divine being, the Torch Dragon felt its own insignificance.

After all, according to Lu Ran’s description, the Genesis Dragon was many times more powerful than a Primary Divine being.

However, learning of the disaster’s severity did not change the Torch Dragon’s mind. Against the black mist, the Torch Dragon currently had no solutions. Thus, it could only fall back on a secondary plan, which was taking Lu Ran to find Blue Planet’s core first to resolve Blue Planet’s future hidden danger.

“Lord Torch Dragon, you mentioned earlier that the Jianmu is a special teleportation array that seems to connect to outer space, right?”

“Yes,” The Torch Dragon said as it took Lu Ran and the others to the ruins where the Jianmu was located.

“When I first saw the Jianmu, I was puzzled about why it had withered. Now, however, I think I understand. Perhaps the star system it connected to has already been devoured by the black mist you mentioned, causing it to wither as well.”

Before long, they arrived at the Jianmu’s ruin space. As they entered this desolate miniature world, Lu Ran felt a sense of wistfulness. The withered Jianmu, its former grandeur long gone, was now just a desolate, crumbling ruin. Parts of its roots were exposed. It was devoid of life, like an orphan abandoned by time. It was helpless and alone.

“Are you certain Blue Planet’s core is here?” The Torch Dragon looked at the scene of utter defeat, unable to connect it with Blue Planet’s core.

Lu Ran extended his hand, and through energy formation, a shovel appeared. “No, but it’s worth a look. I suggest we follow the Jianmu’s roots and dig through these ruins. A divine tree like the Jianmu couldn’t have grown so miraculously without absorbing sufficient nutrients. Its roots might be connected to something special. Perhaps even the stellar core!”

The Torch Dragon fell into deep thought again, feeling that digging it up wasn’t quite right. However, Lu Ran had already started. Remembering that the stellar core concerned Blue Planet’s future fate, the Torch Dragon could only join the excavation team.

The digging process was extremely lengthy. The Jianmu’s roots seemed incredibly deep, and the ground they passed through was exceptionally hard. Eventually, even Six-Path Flower couldn’t dig the ground anymore. If not for the Torch Dragon’s help, Lu Ran and his team alone would have expended unimaginable effort.

After digging roughly a few million meters, they finally made a discovery. As Lu Ran had predicted, the Jianmu’s roots were indeed coiled around something.

“Just as I thought.”

It was a gem in the shape of an irregular sphere, resembling a miniature version of Blue Planet and radiating a beautiful glow.

[Name: Stellar Core]

[Introduction: Divine-grade resource. The heart of a planet, key to a planet developing consciousness. When the stellar core is destroyed, the planet will gradually decline and perish.]

The stellar core floated mid-air. Lu Ran looked at the Torch Dragon, who was surprised to learn that a planet truly had its own core.

After observing the stellar core for a moment, the Torch Dragon said, “I can sense its connection to Blue Planet. If one side is pierced, the corresponding area on Blue Planet should also suffer a calamity. Its destruction would indeed likely accelerate Blue Planet’s demise. However, just looking at the stellar core now, I cannot discern why it will shatter in the future.”

The Torch Dragon activated its Torch Dragon Eyes, carefully observing the stellar core, trying to pierce its future, but the future remained pitch black.

Ultimately, it could only place its hope in Lu Ran, the person from the future.

“Do you have any other ways?”

“Yes.” Lu Ran looked at Six-Path Flower beside him.

Six-Path Flower then released its kin, a fluffy, doll-like little white tiger with red pupils. It was the Bai Ze.

The Torch Dragon immediately recognized the creature’s species. “Bai Ze.”

As the Bai Ze was being held in Six-Path Flower’s arms, its eyes shimmered with a mysterious light, and its limbs started twitching.

“Since you recognize the Bai Ze, you should know that the Bai Ze possesses a species talent called Bai Ze’s Eyes, which can identify the uses of all natural things, peer into the essence of everything, and find the weaknesses of all things.

“Furthermore, my partner, the Six-Path Reincarnation Flower, has mastered the unique attribute, the Reincarnation attribute, wielding Fate’s Gaze formed from the intertwining of reincarnation power and fate power.

“Its Fate’s Gaze can see the origin, ultimate fate, and turning points of some things. Six-Path Flower has contracted with Bai Ze. Although their levels are still at the Legendary level, combining their ocular powers should allow them to see the reason for the stellar core’s shattering more clearly.”

“Is that so...” the Torch Dragon nodded slightly.

Its own Torch Dragon Eyes, though also time-based, focused on manipulating time. It could make the day by opening its eyes and the night by closing them. While it could easily perform tasks like foreseeing the future or tracing causality, these were not its specialties.

In comparison, the fusion of Bai Ze’s Eyes and Fate’s Gaze was indeed more suitable for examining the stellar core than its Torch Dragon Eyes.

Lu Ran observed the stellar core. “We need time, at least a month. During this process, I hope you can help me with another matter, Lord Torch Dragon.”

“What is it?”

Lu Ran took out an Epic-grade resource. It was the Nine-Colored Meteorite Fragment.

“This is a fragment of the giant meteorite that caused Blue Planet’s spiritual energy to revive after its declining era. I’m curious about that meteorite. Since it could make Blue Planet recover despite its shattered stellar core, it might have a connection to Blue Planet. I’d like to ask you to help research the origin of this meteorite.”

𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝚠𝕖𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝕖𝚕.𝚌𝗼𝗺

The Torch Dragon nodded. “Then let’s proceed. I hope everything goes smoothly.”

“It will.” Lu Ran took a deep breath.