Chapter 547: The Mysterious Stone Spirit: How It Became a Domain Divine Stone

Jiang Chen's voice was low and magnetic, like clear spring striking stone, making the Stone Spirit so excited it almost jumped.

"Great! Great! You can actually speak!" the Stone Spirit shouted excitedly, as if years of suppressed loneliness were released at that moment.

"These years I have lived in utter misery; I almost forgot the taste of talking to others," the Stone Spirit sighed, its eyes flashing with anticipation and joy.

"Those guys outside keep coming in batches, but each one is too weak to even reach here. As the Instance's manager, I want to help them, yet I'm powerless," the Stone Spirit continued, lamenting its frustration.

"Now, finally someone from your era has managed to come here; that's wonderful!" the Stone Spirit's voice was full of satisfaction and pride.

Jiang Chen keenly caught the key in the Stone Spirit's words, "You said 'our era'? Do you mean people from other eras have been here?" he asked curiously.

The Stone Spirit nodded slightly, a trace of complex emotion flashing in its eyes, "Yes, our era has already turned to dust of history."

Jiang Chen asked with curiosity, "Why was your era destroyed?"

The Stone Spirit immediately shook its head, its expression turning tense, "Can't say, really can't say."

Jiang Chen sensed a deep fear in its gaze. A power that could annihilate an era must be extremely terrifying.

"Why can't you say?" Jiang Chen persisted, continuing to press.

The Stone Spirit shook its head firmly, "Can't say, dare not say, and must not say. Moreover, you have no right to listen to that history."

Jiang Chen and the Stone Spirit stared at each other for a moment, reading determination and seriousness in each other's eyes. He understood that further questioning would lead nowhere.

So he swiftly changed the subject, "Could you tell me your story? I want to know the origin of this Instance."

The Stone Spirit seemed attracted by the topic and began to speak at length. Though it tried to avoid the disaster of that era, Jiang Chen still caught some key information from its words.

"This Instance was created in our era to select outstanding talent. Through a series of trials we hoped to find those truly with potential and strength, and reward them accordingly," the Stone Spirit explained.

"Then, those who clear the Ninth Stage—are they considered qualified?" Jiang Chen asked curiously.

The Stone Spirit shook its head, "No, they only barely pass. Only those who clear the Tenth Stage and obtain the complete Talent Divine Stone are truly the geniuses we require."

Jiang Chen felt a stir; the Instance's trials were far stricter than he imagined. Those who reach the end in their era must have been exceptional.

From the Stone Spirit's narration, Jiang Chen also heard several keywords: disaster, descent, annihilation. These seemed tied to that era's ruin, yet the Stone Spirit never mentioned details.

Jiang Chen knew this history was a huge wound for the Stone Spirit, a past it refused to speak of. He ceased further queries, quietly listening to its story, trying to glean useful information.

As for beings like Jiang Chen, they are undoubtedly the treasure of this era, the pillars supporting the whole age.

The Stone Spirit sighed lightly and said low, "People of your era, compared with ours, indeed appear somewhat weak. I wonder if you can withstand the cataclysm when disaster strikes again."

Jiang Chen furrowed his brow and asked, "What counts as being strong?"

The Stone Spirit pondered briefly, then said slowly, "Using our era as a benchmark, you need at least Divine-level Strongmen like clouds, a Super God seated over a region, and Half-step Super Gods as the backbone."

Jiang Chen fell silent; in this era not even a true Super God has been born, and his own goal is merely to reach the Super God realm. Hearing the Stone Spirit, he realized how naive his previous thoughts had been.

The Stone Spirit waved a hand, as if to dispel Jiang Chen's gloom, "Don't overthink; the road is forged step by step. Your current strength still cannot touch the true secrets."

Jiang Chen inhaled deeply and asked gravely, "Then, the Enchanting Blue Flower—does it represent the final trial?"

The Stone Spirit laughed heartily, pointing at the flower burning with blue Flame, "Didn't you notice? Everything here is out of your reach except this Enchanting Blue Flower."

"That Flame is called Enchanting Blue Flame, and it has a strong bewitching effect on souls. Even if you're cautious, you may fall victim without realizing."

Jiang Chen felt a chill and asked, "If I fail to awaken in time, what will happen?"

The Stone Spirit's smile grew brighter, "Then it gets interesting; your soul will be burned by the Enchanting Blue Flame. Of course I won't let you die, but a wounded soul makes your cultivation path extremely arduous. Becoming a Divine-level Strongman may be barely affected, yet advancing further to the Super God realm becomes almost impossible."

A cold shiver rose in Jiang Chen's heart; he hadn't expected to nearly fall into an irredeemable abyss. This final trial was indeed no trivial matter.

He steadied himself and continued, "If I pass this final trial, what reward should I receive?"

The Stone Spirit's eyes widened as if hearing something unbelievable, "What did you say? Reward? You've passed the trial; shouldn't you be grateful?"

Jiang Chen gave a slight smile, bargaining as usual, "That may be so, but where there's a trial, there should be a corresponding reward."

The Stone Spirit stroked its chin, seeming to contemplate, "You have a point. However, I cannot give you a Skill Divine Stone; that item is too precious. As for other things, your current strength is far insufficient; even if I gave them, you couldn't wield them."

"As for the lowly Talent Divine Stone, giving it to you would insult my status."

Jiang Chen decided inwardly, "Since the Talent Divine Stone is the only reward option, I'll accept it."

After some thought, the Stone Spirit finally nodded, extended a hand, and gently plucked a petal from the Enchanting Blue Flower. The petal still burned with a bewitching Enchanting Blue Flame, as if bearing endless magic.

The Stone Spirit handed the petal to Jiang Chen, saying earnestly, "This petal can raise the upper limit of your soul's strength, greatly benefiting your future cultivation path."

Jiang Chen took the petal; though a hint of hesitation lingered, thinking of the power he craved, he chose to trust the Stone Spirit.

"Didn't you say this Flame would burn my soul?" Jiang Chen asked.

The Stone Spirit smiled and explained, "That is the power of the whole Enchanting Blue Flower, while this is merely a single petal. You may feel some pain, but as long as you can endure, the benefits will be immense. Do you wish to become the strongest Super God?"

Jiang Chen answered firmly, "Yes, I do."

After receiving Jiang Chen's affirmation, the Stone Spirit directly flung the petal toward Jiang Chen.

Boom— a blue Flame instantly ignited on Jiang Chen, illuminating the entire Garden with mysterious blue light. Jiang Chen seemed devoured by the flame, his body engulfed by raging blue fire.

Intense pain surged like a tide; Jiang Chen had never endured such severe torment. He clenched his teeth, bearing the agony deep within his soul.

"Is this the pain of the soul?" Jiang Chen shouted in his mind, "Why does my whole body feel like it's burning?"

The Stone Spirit watched Jiang Chen's suffering and couldn't help laughing, teasing, "Does it hurt? Good, it should. How could a soul burning not be painful? Yet you must believe that only through pain can you become stronger."

"Isn't it strange that, though it's the soul that burns, your whole body is on fire?" the Stone Spirit continued, "Did you never look back after entering the Garden? Look back now, and you'll understand."

Jiang Chen strained to keep his consciousness clear, recalling the scene after entering the Garden. He suddenly realized he had indeed been captivated by the Garden's beauty and never looked back. He struggled to turn his head, only to see a sea of fire behind him, the blue flames spreading wildly as if to devour the whole world.

At that moment, Jiang Chen finally grasped the Stone Spirit's meaning. He understood that only by enduring true pain and trials can one become stronger and ascend to higher realms.

Now Jiang Chen looked back and was surprised to find another version of himself sitting quietly in the pavilion.

The Jiang Chen in the pavilion now had vacant eyes, as if lost in deep contemplation. His legion of Undead Legion also fell into the same stunned state, seemingly frozen by some force.

Jiang Chen then realized that only his soul had entered this Garden, while his physical body remained in the pavilion.

The Stone Spirit, grinning mischievously, said, "See, you understand now. This Garden is called the 'Soul Domain'; only souls can enter."

"So that's why you feel your whole body as if burned by fire. But it's okay; it's only temporary pain and will pass soon."

Jiang Chen felt his mind cracking, unable to restrain his anger at the Stone Spirit. "This is not a little pain; it's excruciating! The searing agony in my soul is almost unbearable; even fainting seems a luxury."

Yet, under the continuous scorching of the Enchanting Blue Flame, Jiang Chen gradually sensed a strange transformation. His soul seemed tempered by the fire, becoming tougher and more solid.

The Stone Spirit saw this and kept smiling, "See, I wasn't wrong, was I? Your soul is gradually strengthening. This is the process of pain intertwined with joy."

At that moment, the flesh body in the pavilion suddenly emitted a dense black aura, an aura full of murderous intent that surged straight toward the heavens. Immediately after, the Divine Stone flew out of Jiang Chen's body, transformed into a streak of light, and entered the Garden.

The Stone Spirit saw this and exclaimed, "Domain Godstone! How is this possible?"