Chapter 517: Original Stone, Transformation

Meng Chuan carefully observed the Primeval Stone.

This small stone, no matter what detection methods were used, revealed no runes. Meng Chuan's Primeval Spirit power, after reaching the seventh level, allowed him to use his microscopic technique, making even tiny particles appear larger than suns and stars. Yet, under his current gaze, even when magnified billions of times with the microscopic technique, the Primeval Stone's surface remained utterly unchanged. It felt the same as when viewed normally in his palm—perfectly smooth!

Its surface had no creases or runes. It was incredibly solid, to an unimaginable degree. Even a Seventh-Tribulation realm mighty figure could play with a hundred-million-mile-wide sun or star like a glass bead, but an all-out strike would not harm the stone in the slightest. It even possessed an "eternal" characteristic; time had no wear on it whatsoever.

"My Dantian Blackhole yearns to swallow it," Meng Chuan thought, holding the Primeval Stone and attempting to absorb its power. However, neither his Blackhole True Essence nor his Primeval Spirit power could absorb any energy from it.

Should he let his Dantian Blackhole directly consume it? While his physical body could instantly re-form even if pulverized, and Meng Chuan wasn't worried about danger, the Primeval Stone was, after all, incredibly precious. Furthermore, the Dantian Blackhole was the core of his Blackhole realm cultivation, and Meng Chuan feared undesirable changes.

Using every available method, Meng Chuan observed this Primeval Stone for a full seven days.

"Eternal characteristic," Meng Chuan murmured softly. "I've tried it. Whether under time acceleration or normal time, whether under attack or flying at near light speed... this Primeval Stone remains constant, utterly unchanged."

Wind creates ripples on water. Objects flying at extremely high speeds also undergo subtle changes, such as slight temperature increases from friction or minor alterations in material structure due to the pressure of hyper-velocity. Time itself is even more mysterious; powerful Tribulation realm secret treasures will change, albeit slowly, and even decay or be damaged in the face of time. All things in existence are subject to change; this is a universal rule.

But the Primeval Stone was unchanging. It was eternal.

"Is this the eternal characteristic? Unchanging eternity?" Meng Chuan gazed at the luster on the Primeval Stone's surface. The light reflecting from the stone was unique. Because no other object's surface was as perfectly smooth as the Primeval Stone, the light it reflected captivated Meng Chuan. After seven days of observation, he found himself drawn to this unique luster.

"That's enough. Besides swallowing it, I have no other way," Meng Chuan decided, no longer hesitating. A dark Blackhole Domain appeared in his palm. The dark Blackhole in his palm directly swallowed the Primeval Stone.

It had been seven days. For these seven days, his Dantian Blackhole had yearned constantly, a primal life instinct urging it to consume. But Meng Chuan had forcibly suppressed it for seven days. Now, he finally released the suppression and allowed it to be absorbed into his body according to instinct. A cultivator's life instincts are often the most correct choice.

*Whoosh.*

It was instantly absorbed into his Dantian. His Dantian was a dark blackhole. As a precaution, objects like the Spatial Golden Pagoda, Blood Blade Disk, and Fiend Jail were temporarily removed from his Dantian space and placed beside him.

*Whoosh.* The tiny Primeval Stone flew into his Dantian space, into the dark blackhole, without a sound.

However, changes began.

"Hmm?"

Meng Chuan vaguely felt an invisible force emanating from his Dantian, permeating every part of his physical body. Every basic particle in his body was undergoing a mysterious transformation. And his Dantian Blackhole began to actively absorb external energy.

"Absorbing energy?" Meng Chuan was startled.

Just as when breaking through from the Boundless realm to the Blackhole realm, or from the early to the mid-stage of the Blackhole realm, one would actively absorb external energy. Now, his Dantian was actively absorbing, and it had become incredibly hungry.

"I have plenty of Outer Realm Origin Crystals. Let's see how much you can absorb," Meng Chuan said, waving his hand to take out a block of Outer Realm Origin Crystals. He possessed over three thousand blocks, enough for the massive energy requirements of a normal Six-Tribulation realm mighty figure when they first emerge, so he remained completely calm.

*Sizzle, sizzle, sizzle—*

Meng Chuan's Blackhole Domain expanded, enveloping the block of Outer Realm Origin Crystals in his hand. The Origin Crystal slowly turned into powder at a visible speed, its surging power continuously absorbed into his body. In just over ten seconds, one block of Outer Realm Origin Crystals was completely absorbed.

"This is an Outer Realm Origin Crystal! For a normal breakthrough to Emperor, absorbing ten blocks of Outer Realm Origin Crystals would be enough," Meng Chuan exclaimed in shock, quickly taking out another block of Outer Realm Origin Crystals from the Spatial Golden Pagoda beside him.

His previous Blackhole realm had seemed underdeveloped. Now, after absorbing the Primeval Stone, it began to undergo a qualitative change, and the energy it consumed was astonishing. After continuously absorbing eighteen and a half blocks of Outer Realm Origin Crystals, the Dantian Blackhole finally stopped actively absorbing external energy.

During the absorption process, Meng Chuan's physical body had also been constantly changing. A mysterious power transformed every particle, completely changing his body, which now also came to a complete halt.

"The Primeval Stone in my Dantian hasn't been completely consumed; a small portion remains," Meng Chuan thought. With a flick of his mind, the Primeval Stone, now significantly smaller, flew out from the deepest part of his Dantian Blackhole and quickly reached his palm. His Dantian Blackhole was no longer hungry.

Only a finger-sized piece of the Primeval Stone remained. It was still perfectly smooth and sleek. It had shrunk by eighty percent compared to before! Otherwise, there were no other changes.

"Aside from Ancestor Cang Yuan's 'Myriad Star Refinement Method,' the Godfiend cultivation system can also absorb the Primeval Stone if it reaches the Blackhole realm," Meng Chuan remarked with some awe. The Primeval Stone, with its eternal characteristic, was incredibly difficult to break down, yet his Godfiend system's Blackhole realm was able to directly absorb so much of it as if it were mere nourishment.

"The Starry Sky lineage needs more Starry Sky Crystals when cultivating to the Sacred realm and the Mythical realm. My Blackhole realm also needs Primeval Stones to grow."

"It seems I prepared a bit too much; the eighty percent just now would have been enough."

"If my lineage reaches the Emperor realm, I wonder if it will still require Primeval Stones?" Meng Chuan pondered.

The Starry Sky lineage required fewer Starry Sky Crystals for the Sacred realm, but an astonishing amount for the Mythical realm. If the proportion remained similar, how many Primeval Stones would he need to become an Emperor? At this moment, Meng Chuan felt that even the treasures left behind by Mighty Figure Pang Ming might not be enough for his expenses.

"If it weren't for this treasure exchange, I wouldn't have known the Primeval Stone's use to me," Meng Chuan sighed. As a pioneer of a new system, this was the reality; everything had to be explored by himself.

"Blackhole True Essence," Meng Chuan thought, and true essence crackling with lightning appeared on his fingertip. "The purity of my True Essence hasn't changed."

Meng Chuan frowned slightly. He clearly felt that both his Dantian Blackhole and his physical body had undergone special changes after absorbing the mysterious power. Yet, his Blackhole True Essence was as it had always been.

*Ohm.*

With a thought, his Blackhole Domain spread out. The ten miles around Meng Chuan, who was sitting cross-legged, plunged into darkness.

"My Blackhole Domain is so much stronger," Meng Chuan could feel that his domain had undergone a qualitative change, with its oppressive and repulsive forces rapidly increasing.

Meng Chuan experimented for three hours. He found that after absorbing eighty percent of the Primeval Stone and numerous Outer Realm Origin Crystals, he had indeed changed significantly.

His Blackhole True Essence was the only thing that hadn't changed in purity, though the *volume* of his true essence had increased by about tenfold. Meanwhile, the power of his Blackhole Domain had sharply risen, approximately three times its previous strength. The most terrifying improvement was to Meng Chuan's physical body: it was now incredibly robust, like a treasure weapon. His speed was not significantly affected, but his strength had surged by dozens of times. Meng Chuan estimated that he could match a late-stage Emperor with pure brute force alone.

"This means my long-range attacks haven't improved at all, but my close combat has become very strong," Meng Chuan exclaimed in surprise. "My physical body is comparable to a treasure weapon!"

*Puff! Puff! Puff! Puff! Puff! Puff!*

Numerous Blood Blades, executing the "Endless Blade" technique of the Grotto-Heaven realm mid-stage, even actively accelerating, fiercely struck Meng Chuan's own body. He did not use his Blackhole Domain, nor did he use his protective Peacock Garment to block. The Blood Blades, transforming into streaks of light, assailed him.

Sparks flew off Meng Chuan's skin, but he remained completely unharmed. This level of durability reminded Meng Chuan of the Primeval Stone itself.

"The Dantian Blackhole puts a huge burden on the physical body," Meng Chuan mused. "When I first broke through, every particle space in my body transformed into a 'micro-blackhole.' My physical body greatly strengthened, allowing me to successfully break through and withstand the Dantian Blackhole."

"And this time, the Primeval Stone has made my body undergo another transformation. My Blackhole has also become much stronger, and my true essence is ten times more abundant."

Meng Chuan had a subtle feeling. A powerful physical body was the foundation of the Blackhole realm. Only with a sufficiently solid foundation could one advance further.