But Ma Ran didn’t do that.

Compared to Shang, Ma Ran trusted 98725, whom he had subdued while in its larval state.

Part of the spiritual power Shang used to create the dream was also unobtrusively absorbed and assimilated by Ma Ran.

The growth in spiritual power also drove the long-stagnant Youwen prowess to new heights.

In no time, Ma Ran mastered a new minor technique that a seasoned Youwen Grandmaster should know—the Triggered Illusion Bomb.

The specific function of this ability, in short, is to embed a Youwen Crystal within the spiritual power of any living being, set a trigger condition, and when the condition is met, the Youwen Crystal will detonate directly.

Having shattered the dream space and absorbed part of Shang’s spiritual power as resources for Youwen research, Ma Ran was more composed than ever before.

Originally, he planned to stay with Shang for an additional month, setting up multiple fail-safes to prevent it from wreaking havoc on Earth, and then choose to return.

Now…

Things have become much simpler.

Maran couldn’t possibly believe someone else’s promises easily.

Simultaneously with shattering the dream, he buried a “Triggered Youwen Crystal” deep in Shang’s consciousness.

Someday, if Shang gets the notion to destroy Earth Civilization, this thought will trigger the detonation of the Youwen Crystal.

The methods of a Youwen Grandmaster are exquisite and enigmatic, with extremely high concealment.

The Triggered Youwen Crystal will siphon one ten-thousandth of Shang’s spiritual power, sustaining its own existence.

Power is such a thing, especially Extraordinary Abilities, that often simplifies complex matters.

The stronger you are, the more composed you become.

In the blink of an eye, Ma Ran returned to the battlefield, which was shrouded in smoke, fire, and the reek of blood.

His gaze was fixed on Shang.

He wasn’t afraid of Shang openly confronting him, only concerned that it would refuse to engage and flee directly.

Fortunately, the situation that even Ma Ran found tricky did not occur.

The black orb-like Shang, due to the dream’s collapse, was suffering immense pain.

However, its will was firm; seemingly accustomed to storms and waves, it quickly normalized.

Shang said in a ghostly tone, “Mr. Ma Ran, you are the strongest I’ve seen in eight hundred years of controlling the Eternal Civilization.”

“Incredible, truly incredible!”

“Your methods have gone beyond my scope of understanding and have earned my respect.”

“Moreover, you could have killed me outright in the dream, yet you chose not to.”

At this point, Shang’s tone turned complex: “To express my gratitude, I’ll share an intelligence with you.”

“Since the moment I thoroughly gained control of the Eternal Civilization over eight hundred years ago, I’ve poured enormous resources and effort into the ‘Revenge Insurance’.”

“The primary target is to seek revenge on the civilization that manipulated the Destruction Black Line, which wiped out the Dream Race!”

“Simultaneously…”

“If I am killed.”

“Any life form that kills me, their group will face retribution.”

“Roughly…it gets updated every two hundred years.”

“We were about to update to the fifth generation, but unfortunately, my fourth host has already died at your hands, and the update plan for the ‘Revenge Insurance’ has been temporarily postponed.”

“That is…”

“A ‘large-scale insurance’ capable of obliterating a stellar system.”

After hearing these words and correlating the other’s mental fluctuations, Ma Ran quickly made the judgment—Shang has a strong “self-destruction complex.”

Shang isn’t afraid of death.

Although it consistently acted calm, rational, composed, and mature…

In Ma Ran’s view, it longs for destruction and death, looking forward to the end of everything.

As someone who has fallen into the quagmire of despair, Ma Ran understands Shang’s mindset all too well.

If placed among Earthlings, this type of being likely has suffered severe mental trauma or…

Has a painful past.

Shang’s self-narrative also revealed some information, corroborating Ma Ran’s thoughts.

98725 and Shang come from a race named “Dream.”

But the Dream Race has been destroyed.

Shang wants revenge but lacks the ability and even doesn’t know who the enemy is or where they are.

Considering that even if revenge succeeds, the dead compatriots cannot come back to life…

The current Shang is just a poor wretch entangled in despair, clutching a lifeline called “revenge.”

Its entire life’s value is embodied in the word “revenge.”

Once it loses its target, becoming a walking corpse, is Shang’s best outcome.

Immediate self-destruction isn’t out of the question either.

However…

Manipulating the Destruction Black Line?

Ma Ran felt this description sounded somewhat familiar…

“If you mastered the technological means to destroy the entire cosmos, you, of all people, would use it without hesitation, wouldn’t you?”

“You overestimate me. I don’t have that kind of courage or capability…”

Shang was very courteous, but Ma Ran could see that it still had no sincerity in negotiations.

Accurately speaking, it just actively got involved in one dangerous incident after another, going with the flow, taking things as they come.

Not dead, then become stronger, gaining more knowledge, capabilities, technological accumulation.

Dead, then all becomes void.

Under such circumstances, Ma Ran decided to play his second intelligence card.

Youwen·Spiritual Simulation!

This is a derivative minor technique that Ma Ran developed after entering the Youwen Grandmaster Realm, combining the [Enchantment] ability feedback from playing a role.

“Eh?”

For the first time, there was a barely noticeable positive emotional fluctuation in Shang’s voice: “Your brainwaves…”

“I sense the presence of my kind!”

“Very faint!”

At this point, Shang had a somewhat reassuring tone: “But very pure!”

“That clan member, though still very immature, has talent and potential far exceeding mine!”

Suddenly, Shang’s attitude toward Ma Ran changed dramatically, becoming much more amiable than before: “I feel no failsafes left in your spiritual domain.”

“So, you are not a parasitized host like ‘Four’…”

“But rather…”

“A Dream Race Symbiont!”

Parasitism merely treats the host as a tool, drains its evolutionary potential and value, then discards it, regardless of its life or death.

Symbiosis is mutually beneficial, complementing each other’s deficiencies, starting from scratch, evolving together.

This relationship is stronger than most blood ties!

The identity of “fellow symbiont” resulted in a dramatic change in Shang’s attitude toward Ma Ran.

It was like an elder looking at a child’s pet cat—initially resistant but genuinely fond after a bit of interaction.

The pampered attitude was clearly evident.

“98725, huh? Truly a name reflective of Dream Race characteristics…”

“Having an excellent symbiont like you is truly that guy’s luck.”

Shang engaged Ma Ran in many topics.

Which allowed Ma Ran to obtain much intelligence too.

For instance, Shang and 98725’s race, named Dream, practiced an elite policy. From birth to extinction, their numbers never exceeded one hundred thousand.

Shang even let Ma Ran witness the destruction of the Dream Race firsthand.

“Pitch-black, distorted bizarre lines,” were evidently works from the upper echelons of the You Civilization.

Youwen Apprentice, Youwen Scholar, Formal Youwen Master, Advanced Youwen Master, Youwen Expert, Youwen Master, Youwen Grandmaster.

The Youwen Extraordinary System was divided into seven levels.

After experiencing a round of the Dream Race’s apocalypse dream that Shang wove, Ma Ran quickly made the judgment—When the You Civilization annihilated the Dream Race, they only dispatched a large number of Formal Youwen Masters and Advanced Youwen Masters. The one stationed and oversaw the process without taking action was only at the Youwen Expert level.

There wasn’t even a single master-level figure involved.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep