Chapter 177: Vacuum Great Tomb

The night is long.

Thirty thousand meters above the Pacific Ocean, two streaks of light silently swept across the night sky at several hundred times the speed of sound.

"Where is Site One?"

High in the sky, while maintaining high-speed flight, Lin Qing used his telepathy to ask Chu Hongjun.

"The entrance to Site One changes constantly, but it is actually not hard to find."

Chu Hongjun explained casually, "As long as one is a Starborn, sensing the energy flow of the Liuda Sect across the globe, it is easy to discover... although these energy flows are chaotic, they all eventually pass through a single point, and the coordinates of that point are the entrance to Site One."

He paused, "Of course, Primordial Beings can sense it too, but it is more troublesome to find."

Lin Qing understood.

"However, are you ready?"

Chu Hongjun looked at him, "One-star and below, two-star, and three-star Universal Citizens can each enter that ruin only once."

"It should be fine." Lin Qing nodded.

Chu Hongjun said no more, simply leading him to fly along the energy flow.

Not long after.

"We're here, right below."

After the two flew to a deserted sea area, Chu Hongjun led Lin Qing straight into the deep sea.

After diving over a thousand meters, Lin Qing also sensed the convergence point of various energies.

"This is it."

Chu Hongjun said, "Any native of Earth possessing a hundred-year soul can enter the sub-space connecting Earth and the Vacuum Great Tomb."

He looked at Lin Qing, handed him a black wristwatch, and said, "Take it."

"What is this?"

Lin Qing took the black wristwatch with a puzzled expression.

"Sub-space storage device," Chu Hongjun said. "Didn't you want to borrow Star Source Stones? The sub-space inside this item has a volume of 240 cubic meters, enough to hold them."

"So big?" Lin Qing's eyes lit up.

His original sub-space storage device had a volume of only twelve cubic meters; even if the density of Star Source Stones is fifteen times that of water, theoretically it could hold at most 180 tons of Star Source Stones.

The sub-space storage device Chu Hongjun gave him was much larger.

"Then I'm going."

After accepting it, Lin Qing said no more, moved through the seawater, and stopped exactly at the energy convergence point.

Although a hundred-year soul is enough to enter Site One, he was not entirely sure if he himself was the so-called hundred-year soul.

Chu Hongjun watched quietly from the side.

A few seconds later.

"Boom!"

Lin Qing suddenly felt the surrounding energy surge violently by countless times; the space he occupied collapsed instantly, and he felt the world spinning before his eyes.

In an instant, when he regained consciousness, he had appeared in a dim space.

Floating before his eyes was a silver-white mirror about three meters high, like a surface of water; all around were darkness barriers swallowing everything, just like the interior of a sub-space storage device, where one could only see the space barriers within a range of several hundred meters.

However, the space barriers of sub-space storage devices are generally unstable and cannot allow souls to enter them.

But this place is extremely stable; it is said that even Qi Lingxiao could not shake the space barriers here by a hair's breadth.

"Is this the true entrance to the Vacuum Great Tomb?"

Lin Qing examined the silver-white mirror and, without hesitation, walked forward immediately.

His image was instantly reflected on the silver-white mirror surface.

The next moment, ripples like water waves began to rise on the mirror surface, and lines of Universal Script appeared simultaneously.

【Authority Awakened... Life Class Tenth Level...】

【Authority Value... 864,755 thousand kilograms of Star Source Stones...】

【Gravekeeper Standard Met... Entry to Vacuum Great Tomb Permitted...】

The next moment, all the lines of text vanished.

And the perfectly smooth silver-white mirror surface turned into a series of whirlpools, from which emanated an ancient and strange aura; merely sensing this aura made him tremble instinctively.

"Is that it?"

Lin Qing was immediately puzzled in his heart: "Gravekeeper?"

According to the intelligence provided by Chu Hongjun and others, when they appeared before this mirror, the mirror surface would spit out a portion of a Star Source Stone; although it could not be taken away, it allowed them to try to learn the name of the Authority and the required quantity of Star Source Stones.

The mirror surface would only display Authorities worth 38,000 thousand kilograms of Star Source Stones as eligible to enter the Vacuum Great Tomb.

But it did not display this "Gravekeeper" matter.

"Vacuum Great Tomb... Gravekeeper..."

Lin Qing nodded silently to himself. "Indeed, judging from the attitude of that Guardian on the Sky Island, what the Previous Civilization needed did not seem to be successors... It seems they just wanted to find a Gravekeeper?"

He thought no more; after confirming his Order Rank had not dropped, he stepped into the whirlpool of the mirror.

Accompanied by the swirling transformation of space, in the blink of an eye, Lin Qing had appeared on an extremely vast silver-white platform.

Strange-shaped buildings stood upon the platform, while in all directions lay an endless darkness.

Within this endless darkness, numerous massive silver-white Jin Zita floated, all emitting a faint glow; although each silver-white Jin Zita was quite far apart, a single glance revealed a number so terrifying it was hard to count.

"Welcome."

Suddenly, a woman's voice carrying a smile sounded behind Lin Qing.

Someone?

Lin Qing's heart gave a start, and he abruptly turned his head to look.

He saw a black-haired woman in a golden long dress standing not far away, smiling at him.

This woman looked very young; her tall figure was no different from an Earthling's. Though her looks were not beautiful, she possessed a unique noble temperament.

"You are..." Lin Qing looked at her and couldn't help asking, "There are living people in this ruin?"

"Living people?"

The black-haired woman smiled and said, "To be precise, I am an intelligent life form of the Great Void Tomb, only capable of changing bodies... Little one, you may call me 'Princess Su'."

Princess Su? Lin Qing's heart stirred. Princess?

"Your name is Lin Qing?"

The black-haired woman, who called herself Princess Su, looked Lin Qing over with a smile and said, "I didn't expect a life planet condensed from a fragment of the Primordial Realm to also give birth to a naturally awakened one with a tenth-level authority? That's quite lucky... I thought I'd have to wait many more years."

"Fragment of the Primordial Realm?" Lin Qing couldn't help asking, "Princess Su is saying Earth was formed from a fragment of the Primordial Realm?"

"Of course."

Princess Su said casually, "Even as a mere fragment of the Primordial Realm, it can naturally evolve the initial humans easiest to cultivate, and then sublimate itself into a perfect planet."

Lin Qing understood.

So this was the reason Earth had autonomously sublimated into a perfect planet.

"When I just entered, I saw I met the standards of a Tomb Keeper."

Lin Qing asked in confusion, "What exactly is a Tomb Keeper..."

"Literal meaning." Princess Su said casually, "You've seen it too; this space in absolute vacuum is called the Great Void Tomb, and these pyramids around are tombs."

"Tombs?" Lin Qing nodded slightly.

This did not exceed his expectations; he had guessed these silver-white pyramids might be tombs.

"These tombs have existed for far, far too long."

Princess Su sighed, "Even within the Great Void Tomb where mass and energy form a self-sustaining cycle, it is still not perfect; there is still nearly negligible loss, which becomes more and more obvious over vast ages."

She looked at Lin Qing. "To prepare for rain while the sun shines, plus some tomb owners have the intention of leaving inheritances, so a Tomb Keeper is needed here."

Lin Qing understood.

He couldn't help asking again, "Does selecting just one Tomb Keeper require high-level authority?"

"Of course."

Princess Su glanced at him and said, "Geniuses born on a planet are destined not to be very strong, so the first Tomb Keeper must possess the potential for high-level authority to ensure more geniuses emerge later."

"Then why is the requirement exactly 38,000 kilograms of Star Origin Stone for awakening authority?" Lin Qing asked.

"There is a special secret technique a Tomb Keeper must master, which uses Star Origin Stones for cultivation; 38,000 kilograms is the minimum standard."

Princess Su glanced at him and said, "Of course, your current strength is too weak. Although your authority meets the conditions, you are still insufficient to serve as the Tomb Keeper of this Great Void Tomb."

Lin Qing finally understood.

He asked curiously, "If I become a Tomb Keeper, must I guard here forever?"

"Not at all."

Princess Su said, "I am the one truly responsible for guarding. You can go wherever you like, as long as you select successors for those tombs that left inheritances."

Lin Qing pondered for a moment and said, "What benefits does a Tomb Keeper have?"

"Of course there are." Princess Su smiled, "And they are great benefits."

She pointed to the strange buildings behind her and said, "Many legacies are preserved here. Once you become a Tomb Keeper, I will allow you to choose one."

"Are there any benefits now?" Lin Qing asked.

"There is actually one."

Princess Su handed Lin Qing a black metal plaque engraved with strange patterns and said, "This is a temporary pass for the Great Void Tomb. It can be used once; no matter where you are, you can use this pass to directly traverse space and return here."

Lin Qing pondered for a moment and said, "My authority is a clone. As long as the clone doesn't die, I can resurrect, so I don't need this temporary pass... Can I exchange it for something else?"

"No."

Princess Su said bluntly, "You haven't even become a Tomb Keeper yet. It's already good there are benefits. Being a Tomb Keeper isn't a job where you get benefits before doing any work."

"Alright." Lin Qing said, not minding, and put away the temporary pass.

Though he said that, he knew in his heart the temporary pass was actually useful.

In case enemies completely block Earth, making it impossible to enter the Great Void Tomb via connection points, this temporary pass could come into play. "By the way."

Lin Qing suddenly said, "Didn't you say... as long as the potential of the authority meets the standard, you can provide enough Star Origin Stones for awakening?"

Princess Su sized him up and said, "I can lend them to you, but haven't you already awakened?"

"Can I borrow them if I've already awakened?" Lin Qing asked.

"It is possible." Princess Su said, "But I can only lend you enough Star Origin Stones to awaken, and you must repay within ten thousand years, otherwise there will be interest."

"I'll borrow." Lin Qing nodded immediately.

With his authority, he could borrow up to 864,755 kilograms of Star Origin Stones, which is over eight hundred tons! So many Star Origin Stones would be enough to awaken the authorities of Earth's three strong ones, Zhao Jiayi, and the Black Flame clone.

Of course...

He could also use them to directly repay the debt of the advanced authority.

But the pre-advanced slots, four slots and five slots don't differ much; it's better to use them somewhere more useful.

"How long do you want to store the Star Origin Stones?" Princess Su asked.

"Store for how long?" Lin Qing asked in confusion.

"Don't you know? Star Origin Stones can exist for at most a thousand years." Princess Su glanced at him. "The longer the Star Origin Stones can be stored, the higher the interest after ten thousand years."

"I know they can only be stored for a thousand years."

Lin Qing said, "What I mean is, this Great Void Tomb has existed for who knows how many years. Even if Star Origin Stones were stored, they would have long exceeded a thousand years, right? Even slowing time flow would have to be slowed by who knows how many times to..."

"The time in the Origin Stone Treasury is static, specifically for storing Star Origin Stones." Princess Su said directly.

"Stillness?" Lin Qing was stunned.

"Of course," Host Xing said matter-of-factly, "Otherwise, what other method could preserve the Starfall Source Stones?"

Only then did Lin Qing understand.

"So, as long as the Starfall Source Stones are preserved under time deceleration, more can be accumulated over a thousand years..." Lin Qing said thoughtfully.

The Starfall Source Stones used for awakening abilities must be of the same origin, meaning they must come from the Starfall Source Stones condensed by the same person.

For instance, if his ability awakening requires 864,755 kilograms of Starfall Source Stones, a thousand years is exactly enough time to condense 864,755 kilograms of Starfall Source Stones.

This also means...

He can at most awaken someone whose ability potential does not exceed 864,755 kilograms.

In fact, merely checking one person's ability potential requires 21 grams of Starfall Source Stones, and it is also very difficult to find someone whose ability potential is exactly and incredibly close.

This leads to the fact that ability awakeners are destined to be worse with each generation, and one day the lineage will completely end.

But if time can be influenced, Starfall Source Stones can be preserved for longer, accumulating more Starfall Source Stones, allowing people with higher ability potential to awaken.

This also means the lineage will not end.

"Have you decided?"

Host Xing said, "The longest we can preserve is nearly a thousand years' worth of Starfall Source Stones. These are placed into the Time-Stasis Treasury the instant they are created, yielding the highest interest. If not repaid after over ten thousand years, an additional 10% of the principal is charged as interest every thousand years."

"Then I'll choose this one," Lin Qing said. "There's no interest if it's repaid within ten thousand years, right?"

"Yes, none," Host Xing said.

"That's good," Lin Qing nodded.

In fact, even if there were interest, he would still choose to borrow.

"Here."

Host Xing waved his hand, and a massive cubic Starfall Source Stone, nearly four meters on each side, appeared out of thin air on the ground before Lin Qing, huge as a small building.

Lin Qing swept his telekinetic power over it, tried to lift it, and confirmed it was indeed 864,755 kilograms of Starfall Source Stones.

Over eight hundred tons of Starfall Source Stones!

This black crystal shimmering with starlight, even just 21 grams of it, was incredibly rare in a Type I civilization, or perhaps did not exist at all.

And such a massive Starfall Source Stone, over eight hundred tons of Starfall Source Stones, if placed in a Type I civilization, would be enough to drive the entire Type I civilization that knew of its existence completely mad! "Truly terrifying..."

Lin Qing sighed, then immediately waved his hand and stored this massive Starfall Source Stone away.

Besides the portion used for awakening, the rest can also be used to assist cultivation. For accumulating energy, Starfall Source Stones can reach up to a hundredfold efficiency, and their role in life transformation and inscribing Sacred Characters is immense.

From the first condensation of Starfall Source Stones in March 2122 until now, he himself has condensed Starfall Source Stones three times, totaling over 2,500 kilograms.

But these two thousand-plus kilograms of Starfall Source Stones are still not enough to awaken the ability of the Black Flame Clone.

Moreover, as his strength increases, he will need even more Starfall Source Stones to ensure energy accumulation maintains the hundredfold efficiency.

These several hundred tons of Starfall Source Stones have come at just the right time.

"Remember."

Host Xing looked at Lin Qing and said, "Repay it within ten thousand years."

Lin Qing nodded.

"You may go," Host Xing said.

"Wait, there's one more thing."

Lin Qing flipped his hand, and a silver-blue circular card immediately appeared in his palm.

Host Xing raised an eyebrow slightly and said, "Primordial Realm Primal-Level Identity Trial? The Starry Secret Library's intelligence actually gave you this? Do you have other strengths besides abilities?"

"I have mastered two Divine Arts," Lin Qing said.

"Two Divine Arts?"

Host Xing sized Lin Qing up, asked no further questions, and immediately pointed to the silver-white building nearby that resembled a silkworm cocoon, saying, "That place was once used to test the people of the Primordial Realm, reserved specifically for tomb guardians who are sufficiently outstanding. Take the trial card and try it. If you pass, from now on you will be an official Primal-Level citizen of the Primordial Realm."

"Good," Lin Qing nodded, wasted no time, and walked straight over.

As he approached the strange, cocoon-like building, the structure immediately emitted a ripple of fluctuation that swept over him.

Afterwards, the silver-white, cocoon-shaped building slowly revealed a passage entrance like a black hole.

Lin Qing walked in.

As everything before his eyes quietly shifted, Lin Qing found himself appearing on a dark red plain. The gravity was terrifyingly high, the temperature even more so, and the ground beneath his feet seemed to be a substance of incredibly dense matter, utterly unbreakable.

The environment alone here was extremely terrifying; ordinary primal creatures arriving here would likely die on the spot.

Moreover, in the distance, a dark, deep hurricane could be seen moving toward this location at extreme speed. The formation of such a high-speed hurricane in this environment already exceeds the scientific understanding of Earth civilization.

"Test subject: survive within the Shattered Star Wind and shatter the Origin Vortex Stone that causes the Shattered Star Wind to pass the trial."

A cold voice echoed throughout this space.

Lin Qing took a deep breath and did not hesitate—

"Spinning Star!"

At this moment, accompanied by streams of light swirling around Lin Qing, colliding and connecting with each other following a strange pattern, a miniature star spinning wildly immediately formed.

Regardless, protecting himself first is the priority.

The next moment, that dark, deep, terrifying hurricane struck, instantly enveloping him. At the same time, countless fragments flying and swirling within the hurricane continuously attacked the Spinning Star Divine Art.

However, the countless fragments were all repelled by the Spinning Star Divine Art, unable to shake him in the slightest.

"Bracing against it is very easy."

Lin Qing felt a slight relief in his heart and immediately began shrinking the range of the Spinning Star Divine Art, gradually reducing it from a seven-meter diameter to only a five-meter diameter.

After the control range became smaller, maintaining the Divine Art became much easier.

"In this case, I should be able to maintain the Spinning Star Divine Art while also casting the Heaven Pillar Bone..."

Lin Qing took a deep breath and immediately used his domain to sense this terrifying hurricane enveloping him, or rather, this was not wind at all, but a terrifying vortex of energy flow.

"The Vortex Stone that triggers hurricanes?" Under Lin Qing's careful perception, he quickly located the bizarre stone's spinning silhouette above the hurricane's center.

Shatter it, and the trial ends.

Within the Star-Spinning Divine Art, Lin Qing slowly drew a deep breath. Immense power began to surge wildly within his body, and in the blink of an eye, he became a pseudo-god body nearly five meters tall.

On the face of that featureless pseudo-god body, there was neither sorrow nor joy; he appeared like a deity.

"And then..."

In the next instant, within that vast and dark hurricane vortex, an incomparably dazzling dark-gold light erupted. That massive light shot straight into the sky, directly tearing through the gloomy hurricane and piercing the heavens like a dark-gold pillar supporting the sky and earth! At the center of the hurricane's energy flow, the peculiar stone that had been spinning continuously was now utterly shattered.

The immense hurricane slowly dissipated.

"It's done..."

Feeling the dissipating hurricane, Lin Qing couldn't help but sigh inwardly, "In terms of attack power, the Heaven-Supporting Bone is indeed far, far superior to Star-Spinning... It shattered it in a single strike..."

If just the Heaven-Supporting Bone is this powerful, what about the complete "World God"?

"World God?"

After Lin Qing passed the trial and emerged, Hostess Su sized him up and asked a question.

"Yes." Lin Qing nodded. "I have only mastered the Heaven-Supporting Bone."

"That's not bad either."

Hostess Su said softly, "To master two powerful Divine Arts at your young age shows your comprehension is extremely high. No wonder the Starry Secret Library was willing to grant you the opportunity for a Primordial-level Identity Trial."

Lin Qing said nothing, asking only, "I heard the Vacuum Great Tomb has a cultivation room where time is accelerated?"

"It does." Hostess Su sized him up again. "Are you short on time?"

"Very short." Lin Qing nodded and said, "After I go out, I plan to attempt the Divine Son Trial."

"The Divine Son Trial?" Hostess Su smiled. "With your current strength, you will inevitably fail."

"I understand."

Lin Qing said, "I plan to wait until I have fully mastered the 'World God' before going. That should be enough, right?"

"That would work, but it's hard to say." Hostess Su shook her head. "The 'World God' Divine Art aims to combine the Four Great Divine Arts into one; the difficulty is extremely high. You don't know how long it will take you to master it."

She paused. "Moreover, the true power of the World God Body depends entirely on you. It is not just a test of comprehension, but also of your understanding of life characteristics, structure, and other aspects."

Lin Qing couldn't help but fall into thought.

After pondering for a moment, he asked again, "Then what is the time flow rate of the cultivation room compared to the outside world?"

(End of this chapter)