Evan Chu seemed to understand now—the remedial class students basically had no Starstones to use there, and even ordinary class students only got three low-grade Starstones per month. If they went, they'd use them all up at once.
Even though one day inside was as tempting as a whole week outside, who would actually want to go? Only the elite class students could afford it.
With his own pile of Starstones, staying inside for half a month would be no problem at all. Having made up his mind, Evan said, "Old man, I want to use that Stellar Cultivation Chamber. Where is it?"
"Kid, I knew you'd ask! The Stellar Cultivation Chamber is in the room behind me. Here, this is the key—don't lose it." Dean Xavier handed Evan a golden key engraved with 'Heaven No. 1.'
Evan took the key without any more questions and headed straight for the room behind Dean Xavier.
Watching Evan's departing figure, Dean Xavier muttered to himself, "Heaven No. 1 Stellar Cultivation Chamber... more than enough for you to enjoy yourself in there. Let's see if you can handle it."
After entering the room, Evan didn't see anything like a Stellar Cultivation Chamber at first. He searched for a while before finally discovering a hidden door.
He gently pushed it open, and the hidden door slowly revealed a passage—a corridor sloping downward into the earth.
Without hesitation, Evan stepped into the passage and started down the stairs, one step at a time.
After walking for about ten minutes, he stopped—there were now several stone doors in front of him.
Each stone door had words inscribed on it. Evan glanced at one: 'Stellar Cultivation Chamber No. 50.' Beneath the writing was a small hole, clearly meant for a key.
Evan knew he was getting close to his destination. He looked at another stone door: 'Stellar Cultivation Chamber No. 49.'
He quickened his pace, and the deeper he went, the more amazed he became—the stone doors grew larger, and the distance between each door stretched farther and farther.
After nearly half an hour, he finally reached the stone door marked 'Stellar Cultivation Chamber No. 1.' "Damn! Who the hell built this place? It's massive, and it's all underground—this is insane!"
Even though it was an underground tunnel, every so often a glassy orb, about the size of an egg, was embedded in the stone wall, illuminating everything clearly.
Occasionally, sounds echoed from some of the chambers—Evan knew those were students cultivating inside the Stellar Cultivation Chambers.
Examining the No. 1 stone door carefully, he saw that besides the keyhole, there were more words carved into it—faded and worn, obviously etched a long time ago.
Evan spent a while trying to read them before finally realizing they were instructions for entering the Stellar Cultivation Chamber.
The inscription explained that after entering, you must place three Starstones in the designated slots to cultivate inside for one day.
Once time is up, an alarm will sound. If you don't put in more Starstones, you must leave within five minutes, or the chamber will instantly turn into a Gravity Chamber.
The consequences were deadly—the longer you stayed, the greater the pressure. In the end, your bones would shatter, your meridians would snap, and you'd lose your life.
Evan couldn't help but wonder: why did Old Man Xu give him the key to Stellar Cultivation Chamber No. 1? Was it because its effects were stronger—and its dangers higher?
"Whatever, I'll just go in and see for myself. I've got plenty of Starstones—let's find out what it's like inside."
He then took the key Dean Xavier had given him, inserted it into the keyhole, and twisted it. The stone door slowly opened upward.
After pulling out the key, Evan stepped into the Stellar Cultivation Chamber. As soon as he entered, the stone door fell shut behind him.
Turning around, he saw another keyhole on the inside—clearly for unlocking the door when leaving. Evan began surveying the chamber.
The chamber was dimly lit, and he could see no more than five meters ahead. Evan walked slowly, realizing the place was huge—about the size of his clan's martial training ground.
"This is supposed to be a chamber? It's more like an underground plaza! Even if a hundred people were here, it wouldn't feel crowded."
Suddenly, Evan stopped—something altar-like ahead caught his eye.
"What's this thing for?" He looked closely—the altar was taller than a person, its surface smooth as a mirror, and five steps led up from the base.
Evan walked up the steps. On top of the altar were three grooves, each holding an egg-sized object, arranged in an equilateral triangle.
In the very center of the three grooves was a stand, bearing a pitch-black bead. Curious, Evan reached out and touched the bead.
Suddenly, a surge of electricity shot through him, making his arm go numb. "Damn! It actually attacks people!"
"Hehe, Linfeng, you'd better hurry and put the Starstones into those three grooves. If you wait too long, you might not get out—and you could even die here." Luna's voice rang out.
Evan was startled. "How do you know that?"
"Didn't you read what was written on the altar? Honestly, I can't believe you!"
Evan didn't say another word. He took three Starstones from the storage belt Dean Xavier had given him, ready to place them into the grooves.
It was his first time seeing Starstones up close, and he was thrilled. Egg-sized, glowing with a faint blue light—they were almost impossible to put down.
"Stop dawdling! If the time runs out, you're done for!"
Evan had wanted to read the altar's inscription more closely, but Luna's tone made it clear this was dangerous. He hurriedly placed the three Starstones into the grooves on the altar.
He stepped back down and quietly watched the altar for any changes.
After about a minute, pale-blue light shot from all three Starstone grooves on the altar, converging on the bead atop the stand.
The pitch-black bead suddenly lit up, then fired a beam of light straight toward the chamber ceiling. The glare was as dazzling as sunlight at noon—Evan couldn't look directly at it.
Within a few breaths, the ceiling underwent another incredible change—countless points of light appeared, like stars in the night sky.
Most amazing of all, seven points shone brightest, arranged just like the Big Dipper, with gentle rays streaming down to the ground.
Evan was stunned—the beams were pure Stellar Force, and they could be directly absorbed. The speed was far beyond anything he'd ever experienced under the night sky.
He suddenly understood: the Stellar Cultivation Chamber was designed for absorbing Stellar Force, projecting the power inside Starstones in a special way.
Three Starstones could only sustain this state for one day. Every minute was precious, so Evan rushed into the area beneath the Big Dipper pattern to catch the falling rays.
Stellar Force instantly enveloped Evan, and he began frantically absorbing it...
(Author's Note: It's Monday—dear readers, please vote for my book! Haven't made the rankings yet, so I'm begging you!)