His eyes sparkled with joy, and a handsome smile curved upward at the corners of Chen Chen's lips. The Soul Stone was the most mysterious, enigmatic, and difficult to find of all the Infinity Stones.
If Gamora hadn't stumbled upon its hiding place by chance in the movies, Thanos might never have discovered it in his lifetime.
Moreover, simply knowing the Soul Stone was hidden on Vormir wasn't enough.
Take Chen Chen, for example. Although he had known from the movies that the Soul Stone was hidden on Vormir, finding a single stone on an entire planet would be incredibly difficult in reality.
After all, Vormir was no small planet. Combined with the stone's natural suppression of mental and soul-based abilities, even if Chen Chen used his Divine Sense to scan across dimensions, the efficiency would likely be extremely low. Who knows how many years it might take to pinpoint the exact hiding spot of the Soul Stone?
"This is truly an unexpected boon. I wasn't even keen on participating in this selection process, but I never imagined I'd find the exact location of the Soul Stone here." In that instant, Chen Chen frantically searched his mind for all the information he had about the Soul Stone.
The Soul Stone possessed the ability to steal, manipulate, or alter souls. Moreover, it could command not only living souls but also the undead.
Furthermore, after mastering its power, the user could fundamentally change the nature of a person or entire race—turning Angels into Demons, Demons into Angels, and permanently enslaving the souls of defeated enemies.
Yet the stone was also incredibly dangerous. It possessed a semblance of independent consciousness and a ravenous soul. Ironically, the stone was actually a gateway to a small, idyllic universe.
As revealed in *Avengers: Infinity War*, the Soul Stone was the most hidden of the six Infinity Stones. Guided by Gamora, who had found the map, Thanos—under Red Skull's supervision and with Red Skull as witness—exchanged his beloved Gamora for the Soul Stone.
"To obtain the Soul Stone, one must sacrifice the soul of a loved one as a tribute." Recalling the conditions for acquiring the Soul Stone, Chen Chen's expression darkened.
Exchanging one soul for another was a condition that would undoubtedly strip a person of their emotions.
Such an act—killing one's most beloved to gain power—could only be performed by either a savior with an extremely lofty ideal or a madman consumed by his own desires. Chen Chen had no desire to become such a person.
"It seems I can't take this Soul Stone yet. It would be best to lure some deranged individuals here in the future. Those madmen obsessed with power would likely kill their wives and children, or I could follow the plot's progression. After Thanos kills Gamora, I can seize the opportunity to take the stone."
Arms crossed, Chen Chen considered many plans. All were feasible, though they would require time and effort.
Moreover, having now located the exact hiding spot of the stone, the subsequent steps would proceed much more smoothly.
"Boom!"
A deep blue spatial energy surged from Chen Chen's body. Beings like the Infinity Stones were actually cosmic laws. If one were to mount them on equipment like Thanos did with the Infinity Gauntlet, they would lose control over these cosmic laws once the equipment was removed from the body.
However, Chen Chen faced no such predicament. He had previously refined the Space Stone and Time Stone into his own body, allowing these cosmic laws to deeply merge with the essence of his soul. This way, even if his soul were to separate from his body, he could still wield the stones' powers.
As the azure light flowed across his soul body, it coalesced in Chen Chen's hand.
"Hah!" With a soft shout, Chen Chen fired it at the black vortex not far away. The moment the spatial energy touched the vortex's surface, it rapidly transformed into a peculiar symbol, adhering to the black mass.
This was a spatial marker. Should any anomalies occur here in the future, Chen Chen would be immediately notified. Moreover, if he wished to return, a mere thought would suffice to traverse the countless stars separating galaxies and arrive at this location.
"Let's set aside the matter of the Soul Stone for now." He turned to observe the figures floating above the lake. Among the sorcerers, Voodoo and the Mysterious Man had already stabilized, using their own methods to observe Vormir, just like Chen Chen. The other two, Genos and Kazusa, still struggled.
"It seems this level of soul pressure is still too much for them," Chen Chen thought, shaking his head. "I should help them."
With that, his slender hands moved through the air, his Divine Sense flowing more effortlessly in his soul body state.
*Whoosh!* A massive soul wave erupted from Chen Chen, instantly spreading outward. Under this mobilization, his formidable Divine Sense coiled entirely within his palms.
*Boom!* He flicked his hand toward Kazusa and Genos, and the potent Divine Sense instantly enveloped them like a protective shield, isolating them from all external influences.
Moments later, under the protection of Chen Chen's Divine Sense, the violently shaking bodies of Kazusa and Genos gradually stabilized. Slowly, they regained consciousness.
Kazusa's delicate, half-closed eyes slowly opened. Still recovering from the side effects of Astral Projection, she looked around the desolate environment of Vormir with a bewildered expression, murmuring to herself, "What is this place?"
This was a common problem with Astral Projection, especially during long-distance cosmic journeys. If one's mental strength wasn't strong enough, it could easily lead to mental confusion and memory disorientation.
"Vormir," Chen Chen said, his steps light as he instantly crossed the mid-air distance to stand beside Kazusa. "Hoggus, the God of Order, sent us here. Don't you remember? We're currently in Astral Projection, which should be related to the 'Will Trial' Hoggus mentioned."
Before Kazusa's delicate face, he lightly waved his hand. Tiny motes of light scattered from between his fingers and seeped into her head.
Soon, Kazusa's memories and consciousness returned, and she began repeating Hoggus's words.
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