Chapter 214: Earth, Escaping Spacetime

The Void Great Tomb.

"Are you strong enough?"

The Princess Su, clad in a black dress, studied Lin Qing and said: "Go now and breach the Yu Xingyuan's tenth layer. Simply passing is enough—this is also one of the requirements for training the Tombkeeper's Secret Art: you must have seen the scenery of the Yu Xingyuan's eleventh layer to possibly master it."

"The scenery of the Yu Xingyuan's eleventh layer?" Lin Qing nodded slightly and said: "I'll breach it now."

As long as you pass the tenth layer, you naturally enter the eleventh.

Even if you can't pass, you've at least seen it.

"In a Level-Two civilization, a Star Divine Officer who can breach the Yu Xingyuan's tenth layer is already considered an unparalleled genius."

Princess Su regarded Lin Qing with faint satisfaction. "For a planetary civilization like Earth to produce a genius like you is truly a miracle."

"Luck."

Lin Qing said no more; ninety-nine percent of his consciousness had already entered the Star Transmission Tower's Yu Xingyuan trial.

The number of consciousnesses separated in this virtual world determined the strength he could manifest.

…

The first nine layers of the Yu Xingyuan posed no difficulty for him now.

He didn't need to activate the World God, nor merge with his Black Flame avatar, to pass them effortlessly.

Once he merged with his Black Flame avatar and activated the World God, his strength would become true Yu Xingyuan tenth-layer power—not forced, but normal tenth-layer level.

"Pity, there wasn't enough time to study the eighth-tier World God's divine body; I couldn't solidify it. Otherwise, I might have reached peak tenth-layer strength."

Within the vast, desolate world of the Yu Xingyuan's tenth layer, all visible land was endless dark earth, marked by terrifying flame rivers, glacial rivers, and deathly miasma, alongside unimaginable spatial pressure and gravity.

Merely this environment would likely kill most Star Divine Officers, making movement difficult.

"Celestial Pillar Bone! Ten Thousand Spirits' Flesh! Mother River Blood! World Skin!"

As boundless light surged skyward, Lin Qing activated the World God within this immense Yu Xingyuan world.

His World God had not yet solidified; it still required time to absorb energy and take form.

Soon, hundreds of Star Demons were drawn by the massive disturbance.

The Star Demons in the tenth layer were still in their growth phase—Star-Eating Demons—but the six leading ones were clearly far stronger than the rest.

"Die!"

The colossal World God swung its palm-blade; its terrifying power surged like an unstoppable flood, sweeping across and violently warping space—until faint black cracks began to appear!

Where it passed, the power obliterated dozens of approaching Star-Eating Demons like a tidal wave.

"Spatial fissures?"

Lin Qing noticed this too. "Legend says that reaching the power of the Yu Xingyuan's tenth layer brings one close to weaker Void Beings. Void Beings surpass in spatial mastery; only sufficient might can tear space."

Under this power, Lin Qing swiftly crushed the hundreds of Star-Eating Demons of all elements.

It wasn't a complete sweep, but it was still effortless.

Only the six leading Star-Eating Demons were slightly troublesome—he needed a few extra moves to kill them.

Yet even with only ten seconds of Black Flame burning, this level of combat was more than enough.

After spending six or seven seconds eliminating all the Star-Eating Demons, Lin Qing found the vortex passage leading to the Yu Xingyuan's eleventh layer.

Upon entering the eleventh layer, Lin Qing was stunned—this eleventh-layer Yu Xingyuan world bore no resemblance to the hostile environment he'd imagined.

Instead, it was a vast starry expanse, distant stars like candles in the deep void, illuminating the dark emptiness.

"Normal void?"

Lin Qing sensed this starry realm resembled ordinary cosmic space; he could even accelerate near light-speed and forcibly compress the space ahead, creating a curvature-pod effect to exceed light-speed.

Star Divine Officers could rarely accelerate beyond near-light-speed, but for Void Beings, faster-than-light flight was as simple as breathing.

In this silent, dark void, Lin Qing carefully observed his surroundings and faintly felt an odd mental pressure.

The Yu Xingyuan's will?

Though this was a simulated Yu Xingyuan, Lin Qing suddenly understood.

Suddenly—

An invisible ripple spread instantly; where it passed, space froze as if encased in ice, utterly still and solidified.

Lin Qing was like an insect trapped in amber—completely motionless.

At that moment, space far away parted like a drawn curtain, revealing a Star Demon towering tens of thousands of meters high, its body covered in blue scales.

Its eyes, filled with endless destruction, regarded Lin Qing with cold indifference.

"Boom!!"

The space where Lin Qing stood shattered violently, utterly pulverizing him.

…

The summit of the Star Transmission Tower.

"Master, I just received new information from the Yu Xingyuan trial."

Chen Guang said, slightly startled: "The Star Demons in the eleventh layer are Void Demons of the Yu Xingyuan Clan just entering their transformation phase."

"Void Demons?" Lin Qing nodded slightly. "They're still just in transformation phase? Not even at peak?"

No wonder it's one of the universe's only two Level-Four civilizations.

Such terrifying power—most Void Beings couldn't withstand it—and yet they're only just entering transformation phase?

I wonder what level counts as peak…

"Terrifying."

Lin Qing shook his head slightly and asked: "What's my current Yu Xingyuan ranking?"

Chen Guang shook his head: "Not in the top thousand of this cosmic domain. No ranking yet."

"Cosmic domain?" Lin Qing asked.

The division units of the cosmic region appear to be territories carved out by the Void Gods.

Chen said: "Our cosmic domain likely encompasses hundreds of millions of light-years, with hundreds of millions of Level One civilizations, and perhaps tens of thousands of 1.9-level civilizations like the Nine-Star Civilization."

"The observable universe is far larger than this…" Lin Qing sighed.

He now understood why he couldn't make it onto the Yu Xingyuan rankings.

Even if the Yu Xingyuan list counted only beings within this cosmic domain and excluded the Level Two civilizations of the higher-dimensional 'Void Star Sea,' he still couldn't break into the top thousand.

One cosmic domain is so vast, filled with countless Void beings, and far stronger ones number beyond reckoning.

"I'll see after I pass the Star God Trials…"

Lin Qing didn't waste time; he immediately exited the Star Transmission Tower.

"Prince Su, I've succeeded."

In the reality of the Vacuum Mausoleum, Lin Qing looked at Prince Su standing across from him and spoke at once.

Prince Su studied him briefly, then nodded slightly. "Hmm, the Star Transmission Tower linked to the Second Cosmic Network has changed—indeed, it has."

She immediately said: "Then only the Tombkeeper's Secret Art remains—if you master it, you'll become a Tombkeeper."

As she spoke, she extended her hand, and a strange gold-purple crystal appeared in her palm.

"Accept the inheritance."

Prince Su tapped her fingertip against the strange gold-purple crystal, and a hazy light surged forth, merging into Lin Qing's mind.

A flood of information arrived; Lin Qing immediately closed his eyes and began receiving the inheritance of the Tombkeeper's Secret Art.

"So that's how it is…"

At this moment, Lin Qing finally understood the purpose of the Tombkeeper's Secret Art.

A secret art for carving a soul imprint into the Vacuum Mausoleum.

As long as he could etch the soul imprint into the Vacuum Mausoleum, he would become part of it—wherever he was, he could draw upon the Vacuum Mausoleum's power at any time to traverse space and time and return.

He could also access the tombs of previous civilizations and fulfill the final wishes of their masters—that is the Tombkeeper's duty. Most importantly…

He could use the Vacuum Mausoleum's transcendent spacetime power to make Earth leap out of spacetime!

Beneath the concealment of spacetime, even if Earth became a secret realm, it would still be hidden.

"This secret art…"

Lin Qing carefully pondered the key points of the Tombkeeper's Secret Art.

This secret art requires carving the soul imprint into the Vacuum Mausoleum, a spacetime-independent structure—hence the need to have witnessed the scenery of Yu Xingyuan Level Eleven.

The world of Yu Xingyuan Level Eleven is also a structure detached from cosmic space.

Thus, this Tombkeeper's Secret Art greatly values spatial talent, as well as insight and luck.

A Level Nine spatial talent awakened by 38,000 kilograms of Starlight Source Stone is the minimum requirement to master this art.

Lin Qing naturally far surpassed this threshold.

"This secret art seems… not difficult?" Lin Qing mused.

No error! One strike! One input! One content! One look!

"The entry is indeed not difficult, but the Vacuum Mausoleum is an independent spacetime, perpetually detached from cosmic space, so it requires constant adjustment."

Prince Su shook her head. "That tests your adaptability—insight and luck are crucial. If your luck is poor and your insight insufficient, you might spend thousands or even tens of thousands of years and still fail."

"Can I not use the cultivation chamber now?" Lin Qing asked.

"No," Prince Su said. "You entered with a temporary pass—you can only remain temporarily within the Vacuum Mausoleum."

"Alright."

Lin Qing didn't care; he immediately sat cross-legged on the spot.

At the same time, a flash of light erupted from his third eye, and two figures flew out—Blood Cauldron King and the Black Flame Avatar.

"Black Flame Avatar, ignite!"

"Blood Cauldron King Avatar will study this Tombkeeper's Secret Art; I and the Black Flame Avatar will first repay our debt to the World God."

Lin Qing immediately maintained the Black Flame Avatar's ultra-high insight state and began focusing on repaying the debt.

At this moment, all six of his advance slots were occupied—even if he had entered the Tombkeeper's Secret Art, he still needed an open slot to advance.

Fortunately, five of those advances were pure techniques, crystallizing various power essences into divine arts.

And repaying debts from pure insight techniques is simple.

You simply need to walk through them from start to finish.

Add to that the ultra-high insight state provided by the Black Flame Avatar…

One day?

Not even an hour!

…

…

The majestic bronze demonic mountain stood silently within this space.

Beneath the daylight, the Nine-Star Emperor, draped in a dark red robe, ascended the bronze steps with swift, steady strides.

He had reached the twenty-seven-thousandth step and received a 2.2-level civilization's reception mark.

"It's getting harder and harder…"

The Nine-Star Emperor's expression darkened. "I wonder if I can even reach the thirty-thousandth step…"

"Damn it…"

"If not for that damned Earthling, I could have slowly honed my will and tried another relic—the Silver Labyrinth…"

"And Alreya is gone—I don't know how long I'll have to wait in my homeland…"

The Nine-Star Emperor's eyes brimmed with murderous intent. "When the Level Two civilization arrives and takes over this planet, I'll lose everything."

He has faced competition since birth, and his sense of peril is strong.

Although he has lived only a few hundred thousand years, he knows that while Void creatures are immortal, the longer they live, the more likely they are to become targets of the Yu Xingyuan Demon Clan—he does not know why.

Though the Ancestor has lived nearly ten million years without being targeted by the Yu Xingyuan Demon Clan, it is uncertain what would happen if he lived longer.

Therefore, he must possess sufficient strength.

"These Earthlings… when the Level Two Civilization arrives to claim all the treasures, I will capture every last one and keep them as livestock. Could life nurtured by the Level 2.9 Civilization's relic fragments have something special?"

The Nine-Star Emperor ascended the bronze staircase as quickly as he could, pondering the future.

As for that bomb of Five-Phase Void Energy?

Before a Level Two Civilization, it means nothing—it poses no threat.

Suddenly—

A message from the Nine-Star Ancestor arrived via the Second Cosmic Network.

The Nine-Star Emperor frowned but accepted it.

On the Second Cosmic Network, the Nine-Star Ancestor gazed at him through the communication screen and said coolly, "You must leave Earth. The Level Two Civilization has learned of this. A high-ranking figure is about to descend to take possession."

"Give me a little more time—I'll be gone before the Level Two Civilization arrives," the Nine-Star Emperor said at once.

The Nine-Star Ancestor frowned slightly, then said coldly, "You manage it yourself."

"I understand," the Nine-Star Emperor nodded.

……

……

【【Eighth-Energy Divine Technique: Pillar Bone】 has been completed】

As the information appeared before him, Lin Qing could not help but smile slightly.

"Indeed, quickly."

At this moment, Lin Qing felt a light ease in his heart, "But… the Gravekeeper's Secret Art's introductory stage is even simpler."

His power level was Tenth Energy, and his spatial talent far exceeded the baseline standard of 38,000 kilograms.

Added to that, the Blood Cauldron King's avatar already had some understanding of the Void—though he had not yet recognized any Void Form, merely reaching the introductory stage of this Secret Art was very simple.

And for Lin Qing, reaching the introductory stage was enough.

"Order."

Lin Qing activated his will: "Advance, Gravekeeper's Secret Art!"

At that moment, as vast memories surfaced, his soul and energy surged.

Unconsciously, a fragment of his soul split off, becoming a soul mark that quietly merged into the depths of the Void Tomb's independent spacetime.

"Boom—"

Instantly, the entire Void Tomb seemed to emit a faint rumbling.

Su Dianxia blinked in surprise, then turned sharply to Lin Qing: "You succeeded? Already so fast?"

"Luck."

Lin Qing smiled and said, "Am I a Gravekeeper now?"

"Of course," Su Dianxia nodded. "Try it—you can now use the Void Tomb's spacetime power to conceal the entire several-hundred-light-year region where Earth lies. This effectively removes Earth from spacetime. You can also use the Void Tomb to scout or teleport anywhere within that several-hundred-light-year range."

She paused, then added, "Of course… you must pay a price—you must work for the Void Tomb. I allow you to advance part of your salary."

"Advance?" Lin Qing asked. "How much?"

"Let's use points," Su Dianxia said. "I'll advance you ten thousand points. For each year you conceal Earth, pay one point."

Lin Qing smiled.

Ten thousand years?

The crisis facing Earth… was resolved.

(End of Chapter)