Chapter 228: The Eye of the Universe's Darkest Darkness

The Great Tomb of the Vacuum.

"Is this your clansman?"

The Hostess, clad in a long black dress, sized up Qi Lingxiao, nodded slightly, and said, "Your authority indeed meets the Gravekeeper standard. What about your combat power?"

Lin Qing stood nearby and spoke, "He is considered among the top in combat power within the ten layers of the Yu Xingyuan."

Over these few hundred years, Qi Lingxiao had obtained the complete inheritance of the Combined Divine Arts in the Firmament Archipelago; furthermore, with the aid of the two treasures, Divine Office Specialization and Divine Office Guidance, he had been extremely lucky in recent years, inadvertently fusing the Combined Divine Arts.

At that time, Qi Lingxiao's combat power had already crossed the threshold of the tenth layer of the Yu Xingyuan; moreover, after Lin Qing returned this time, he gifted Qi Lingxiao a high-grade fish, raising his genetic optimization index to five or six hundred times the universal standard, making him ten times stronger than before.

Naturally, he is now considered to possess top-tier strength within the tenth layer of the Yu Xingyuan.

"Not bad."

The Hostess nodded slightly again, looked at Qi Lingxiao, and said, "You obtained the Divine Office Specialization and Divine Office Guidance in the Silver Labyrinth?"

"Yes." Qi Lingxiao nodded.

"You cultivated the Original Form Secret Art of Upper Air Island 017 in the Firmament Archipelago, didn't you?" The Hostess sized up Qi Lingxiao and asked, "It seems you haven't mastered it yet; how long have you been practicing?"

"Over two hundred years." Qi Lingxiao told the truth.

"Over two hundred years?"

Upon hearing this, the Hostess shook her head slightly and said, "This secret art emphasizes comprehension and talent, not so much luck; it seems your talent and comprehension are average, ranking only upper-middle in a Level Two Civilization, and compared to Lin Qing, the gap is even greater."

Lin Qing remained very calm nearby.

What the Hostess said was not wrong; after all, being an Entropy Reverser was his talent, originally his special trait, just like Qi Lingxiao's luck seemed like cheating.

"However..."

The Hostess spoke softly again, "You are indeed a person favored by the universe, and not just slightly favored; to continuously obtain the Divine Office Specialization and Divine Office Guidance in the Silver Labyrinth?"

"Are these two treasures very precious?" Qi Lingxiao asked in confusion.

"Of course they are precious; the Divine Office Specialization is most suitable for cultivating young geniuses who do not follow the Cosmic God path, which is why it was prepared in the Star Secret Library."

The Hostess said casually, "The Divine Office Guidance is even more precious; generally, only my Primordial Realm Void-level subjects are qualified to choose such treasures; you obtained it in the Silver Labyrinth purely by luck; the universe's favor towards you can be imagined."

Qi Lingxiao was somewhat confused and could only say, "My luck is indeed very good."

"Enough." The Hostess tapped her fingertip, and a stream of light flew into Qi Lingxiao's forehead, "This is the Gravekeeper Secret Art; only if you master it will you be qualified to become a Gravekeeper."

Sensing the Gravekeeper Secret Art inheritance in his mind, Qi Lingxiao was immediately dazed, "Isn't this secret art far too complicated?"

He couldn't help but look at Lin Qing, "Lin Qing, how long did you cultivate it back then?"

"Not long." Lin Qing fudged, "Perhaps I am naturally more suited to this secret art."

The Hostess glanced at Lin Qing and said nothing.

Qi Lingxiao helplessly shook his head, "I feel the possibility of me becoming a Void Lifeform first is actually greater."

"That is even better."

Lin Qing pointed to a silver-white cube-shaped building not far away and said, "That is the Universe Wonder Museum; Museum Director Qi, you can go visit; it should help you comprehend the Void."

"Oh?" Qi Lingxiao immediately nodded, not wasting any time, and walked over quickly.

After Qi Lingxiao disappeared into the museum, the Hostess looked thoughtfully at the place where Qi Lingxiao had vanished.

"Your Highness, what is wrong?" Lin Qing looked at the Hostess.

"Nothing." The Hostess spoke softly, "I just feel that your clansman's luck is a bit too excessive; even if Earth is formed from the core of the Primordial Realm, it is ultimately just a planetary civilization; how could such an astonishingly lucky child of the universe be born?"

Lin Qing didn't quite understand, "Luck also depends on civilization level?"

"This is the universe's will's favor; higher-level civilizations naturally produce it more easily."

The Hostess said slowly, "The so-called luck is that the future line aligns more smoothly with order; the so-called extreme order is also the future line completely unifying, where everything is within plan and theory, with no accidents, moving along an anchored direction."

Lin Qing's heart trembled.

He suddenly remembered the words that appeared every time the Entropy Reverser activated—

【All phenomena tend towards chaos, only order is eternal】

【When you hold order in your hand, the future is clearly visible; you can reverse cause and effect, pluck the fruit, and draw upon the future】

Moreover, every time the Entropy Reverser was summoned, the word 'Order' had to be silently recited!

Life is also an entropy-reversing existence, and life and order are also neighboring factions.

At this moment, Lin Qing vaguely felt he had grasped something, yet still felt a fog ahead.

"No need to overthink; if you can reach the height of a Level Three Civilization, you will understand this point."

The Hostess glanced at Lin Qing and said, "Your clansman is indeed excellent; do not let other civilizations set their sights on him; many civilizations long to obtain such a person favored by the universe, thereby allowing their entire civilization to receive the universe's favor; once they discover his luck is so good, you will be in trouble."

Lin Qing nodded.

He is now a Star God, naturally understanding that a Star God can forcibly replace fate by borrowing the Divine Throne.

Once a person favored by the universe is discovered, a Star God can completely replace them, transferring this universe's favor onto themselves.

However, this method of replacing fate carries a heavy price; every use causes damage to the Divine Throne; the more astonishing the transferred universe favor, the more severe the damage to the Divine Throne, but it can fully recover within at most a hundred thousand to a million years.

"After you open the Void Secret Realm, let him integrate his soul imprint; it will be of great benefit to your secret realm."

The Hostess reminded, "The stronger his strength, the more universe favor he receives; you should cultivate him more."

"I see..."

Lin Qing nodded, "Once I am ready, I will go to the Void Sea; at that time, I will hide my identity, enter through the Level Two Civilization channel of the Void Sea, and first join the Universe Star Patrol Alliance."

He shook his head, "Just during this time, let Qi Lingxiao cultivate well; I will go to the Void Sea to scout the situation first."

The Hostess looked at him and said, "With the Star God's concealment ability and the Reincarnation Secret Art you learned, your disguise and transformation are flawless; indeed, you can deceive the Void Ruler, but the premise is you must not enter a 2.9-level civilization; the Master of the Secret Realm in a 2.9-level civilization will inevitably see through you."

Lin Qing nodded slowly.

The Reincarnation Secret Art is a secret art inheritance in the Firmament Archipelago comparable to the Fusion Art, and is also extremely heaven-defying.

This life-type disguise secret art can completely change one's life form, soul aura, and so on; it cannot even be called a disguise anymore, but rather like reincarnation.

Therefore, logically, no matter what strength level, it should be impossible to see through.

Lin Qing didn't quite understand why the master of a 2.9-level realm could see through it.

But since Prince Su had said so, he naturally had no choice but to believe.

"Good, I never intended to go to a 2.9-level civilization anyway."

Lin Qing nodded slightly. "The reception mark I obtained from Bronze Demon Mountain for the 2.7-level civilization is the Bai Ta world—it seems most suited to me. I might as well pay a visit to the Bai Ta world and see if there are any suitable candidates for the tomb legacy."

"Go," Prince Su said casually. "The reception mark chosen for you by Bronze Demon Mountain must be the Level-Two civilization that offers the greatest aid in your transformation into a Void Being."

"Oh?" Lin Qing pondered.

…That same day, Lin Qing also tried the Void Being transformation method driven by a divine office.

And the Void Phase required for his transformation felt strangely familiar.

"The Cosmic Dark Eye?"

Lin Qing immediately recalled a cosmic wonder he had seen in the Cosmic Wonders Museum.

It was a celestial phenomenon similar to a black hole, drawing in infinite matter and energy, collapsing and condensing into an infinitesimal point, yet periodically erupting boundless energy—wherever it passed, everything turned to utter darkness, as if the God of Destruction had opened his eye, and what he saw became absolute darkness.

The Void Phase he needed for his transformation closely resembled one of the Void Phases contained within the Cosmic Dark Eye.

"A Void Phase that causes all things to collapse?"

Lin Qing frowned slightly, feeling troubled.

The Cosmic Dark Eye, as one of the most terrifying wonders in the universe, contained an extremely complex and numerous array of Void Phases; without the information life in the museum explaining it to him, he couldn't even distinguish them.

For a cosmic wonder like this, no matter how much he observed or contemplated, it would offer him very limited help.

!

"I can only go to a Level-Two civilization…"

Lin Qing took a deep breath. "The Bai Ta civilization world offers the greatest aid for my transformation into a Void Being. Could it be that the natural wonder born within that realm helps me?"

As far as he knew, after every Void Realm was opened, it naturally gave rise to various wonders or sacred sites.

This was the miracle wrought by the Infinite Starlight Origin Stones.

"Hmm… I'll set out after the Black Flame avatar returns."

Lin Qing didn't waste time. While logged into the Second Cosmic Net, he used the Tombkeeper's permissions to directly enter the upper levels of the Azure Archipelago and learned the methods for crafting basic divine artifacts.

Attack-type, defense-type, domain-type, flight-type…

Although the crafting methods were extremely complex and difficult, requiring vast experience and material consumption to gradually perfect, for him, as long as he kept advancing on credit, it was fine.

But to repay his debts, he would actually need to craft these divine artifacts.

Not long after, Lin Qing's theoretical knowledge and practical experience in crafting divine artifacts were fully perfected—he could begin crafting them as soon as he had sufficient Starlight Origin Stones and rare materials born from the boundless primordial energy of the Void Sea.

Two months later, the Black Flame avatar passed the Divine Office trial of the Star-Eating Demon and returned to Earth.

On Mars, that same day.

"Boom!"

Inside the Temporal Prison, the colossal hand of the World God, shrouded in endless darkness and annihilation, slammed down toward the Nine-Star Ancestor below.

Trapped within the confined Temporal Prison, the Nine-Star Ancestor had nowhere to flee—he could only brace himself against the power of this palm strike.

"As expected…"

In the instant of contact, the Nine-Star Ancestor confirmed the terrifying power of this palm—it surpassed him entirely, a force nearing the threshold of the Twelfth Layer of the Yu Xingyuan!

His eyes held resentment, then a trace of bitterness.

"…I'll sign the contract."

The Nine-Star Ancestor suddenly transmitted his voice: "I agree to your contract terms—I'll sign."

"Oh?" Lin Qing paused. "So you're willing to become my slave?"

"... Yes." The Nine-Star Ancestor slowly lowered his head.

He knew the contract Lin Qing had presented was no different from a slave contract—once signed, he could not lie to Lin Qing and would be forced to obey nearly all his commands.

But at least he would live.

Moreover, the binding power of this Level-Four contract meant nothing to a Level-Four Cosmic Citizen.

If one day he became a Void Sovereign and obtained a Void-Class Divine Office, he would become a Level-Four Cosmic Citizen!

Even if the hope was vanishingly slim, there was still a sliver of hope.

Besides, following an unparalleled genius with a Level-Three civilization legacy, he might, through feigned obedience, gain some benefits and increase his chances of breakthrough.

More importantly…

As a Level-One Civilization Void Being who had created his own divine technique, he had experienced great fortune in the Void Sea—but he dared not reveal even a hint of it, and still had not discovered the true treasure within that ruin.

—This was also the key reason he had unhesitatingly offered Earth's location upon discovering its uniqueness.

In short… as long as he lived, there was hope.

"If that's the case…"

The World God hesitated slightly, then unleashed another crushing strike—space surged like tidal waves, and the immense power descended once more!

"You!"

The Nine-Star Ancestor's face changed—he was willing to become a slave, yet still refused to spare him?

The sky-obscuring hand kept pressing down, its overwhelming force relentless, cracking the Nine-Star Ancestor's body under unbearable pressure.

"Mr. Lin Qing! I've agreed to sign the contract! I'll even give you my Nine-Star Civilization's treasures! What are you doing?!" The Nine-Star Ancestor struggled desperately, frantically transmitting his voice.

"Is that so?"

Lin Qing sneered. "A few hundred years ago, you might have been useful to me—but now your strength is inferior to mine. What use is a waste like you?"

He let out a cold laugh, and another beam of light shot from his third eye, forming the Blood Cauldron King avatar.

"Boom!"

A massive crimson cauldron phantom, wrapped in potent energy, slammed down upon the Nine-Star Ancestor.

Though the Blood Cauldron King's avatar was not as strong as the Nine-Star Progenitor, after completing the Holy Script, it possessed the combat power of the Yu Xingyuan's eleventh layer!

At the same time, the Blood Cauldron King held a strange metal plaque, pouring life force into it continuously, instantly transforming it into pure, life-stripping scarlet light that shot straight toward the Nine-Star Progenitor.

In terms of strength, the Nine-Star Progenitor's self-created divine technique was indeed powerful, but their life levels were comparable, and their gene indices differed little!

At this moment, the Blood Cauldron King acted as if he had no regard for his life, using nearly all his lifespan to strip the Nine-Star Progenitor of life!

"This... what is this?"

The Nine-Star Progenitor only felt his life force begin to plummet rapidly; terrified, he immediately began converting spatial energy into life force.

Void creatures indeed possess infinite life, but this is because their life force can be replenished, not because their lifespan is infinitely long; even if their lifespan was nearly exhausted, it would only take a few breaths to fully restore it.

But at this time, his power was mainly used to fight Lin Qing, already severely depleted; now, as he diverted part of his power to replenish his life, he instantly fell into an absolute predicament!

"No! Spare me! I am willing to be your slave! I..."

In despair, the Nine-Star Progenitor tried to resist desperately, but under the World God's massive palm of annihilation, with the space-time cage sealing him in, he was utterly powerless to struggle.

In an instant, the World God's massive hand shook with a thunderous boom; space surged like a tide, trembling incessantly, and the Nine-Star Progenitor turned to nothingness.

"Whoosh!"

At the same moment the Nine-Star Progenitor died, the void within his body collapsed and shattered, and a vast amount of items poured out like a waterfall.

Among them was a small stone tower that looked gray and misty, very inconspicuous.

(End of this chapter)