I work as a security guard at a cemetery, and I overhear the dead chatting about getting rich quick.

Chapter 113 Master Lai Emerges from Seclusion

Thousands of miles away from the capital, there was also movement at Guilingyuan on Zhuyin Island.

The white mist that had shrouded the mouth of the abyss year-round suddenly parted to the sides.

Lai Changqing slowly walked out of the fog.

He didn't leave immediately, but stood on the edge of the cliff and closed his eyes.

The sea breeze sweeps across the abyss.

Among the crevices in the rocks, the springs, and the vegetation, the previously invisible spiritual energy became clear in his perception. It flowed along the rock walls, sank into the deep pools, and then rose again with the mist, like a net covering the entire valley.

He could even detect the faint spiritual energy within a beetle crawling through a crack in the rock.

Lai Changqing opened his eyes.

Before he went into seclusion, he could only sense the strength of spiritual energy.

Now, he can see their flow clearly and can make the spiritual energy introduced into his body circulate stably, no longer affecting his internal organs and soul with the slightest fluctuation as in the past.

Although Xuan Gui was just a fragment, its function was greater than he had expected.

He broke through a hurdle that would normally take him several months to overcome, ahead of schedule, in the Guiling Abyss.

The two men guarding the mouth of the abyss lowered their heads.

"Master Lai".

Lai Changqing ignored him and looked past the mountains and forests toward the east side of the island.

Before going into seclusion, when he faced the president, he felt as if he were looking into an abyss.

Now that his strength has greatly improved, he originally thought that even if he was still not as good as the chairman, he could at least see some of his true abilities.

"Where is the president?"

"East Cliff".

Lai Changqing walked away.

The scenery along the way was different from what he had seen before.

Within the ancient trees in the forest, spiritual energy was slowly circulating. On the hillside, the flesh and blood of a gray deer also carried a spiritual light, but a deformed protrusion had grown on its forehead.

Not far away, by the stream, lay a fish that had recently died.

The fish had no external injuries, but its internal organs were already rotting, and the remaining spiritual energy within its body was chaotic and almost out of control.

They also live on the island.

It was also surrounded by spiritual energy.

Some things grow stronger, while others die silently.

Lai Changqing glanced at it and continued eastward.

Sea fog churned outside the cliff.

The president sat under an old pine tree, with a stone table in front of him.

There was a teapot and two cups on the table.

The president was still wearing that dark long gown, and looked to be only in his forties or fifties, with a few strands of white hair at his temples.

Lai Changqing stopped ten steps away.

He was observing the spiritual energy surrounding the president.

The longer he looked, the more solemn his expression became.

The spiritual energy of the entire Guixu Island has a clear flow direction.

It enters the vegetation, sinks into the rock layers, and gathers in springs and valleys.

Only within three feet of the president remained completely still.

It's not that it lacks spiritual energy.

Instead, all spiritual energy entering that area was completely suppressed.

There was no leak, no conflict, not even a ripple.

Lai Changqing tried to bring his perception closer.

The moment I touched the edge of the stone table, my senses seemed to sink into an endless abyss, instantly losing all direction.

He immediately withdrew his senses.

Before going into seclusion, he couldn't see through the chairman.

Even now, with his strength further enhanced, he still cannot see through it.

The only difference is that I didn't know how big the gap was before.

Now, he finally saw that distance, but he still couldn't see the end.

The president picked up his teacup.

"You've emerged from quarantine?"

Lai Changqing walked to the stone table and bowed slightly.

"Yes."

"Sit down, Xiao Lai."

Lai Changqing sat down opposite him.

This title will only be used by adults.

The president poured him a cup of tea.

"After looking for so long, what have you figured out?"

Lai Changqing remained silent for a moment.

"I can see it more clearly than before."

"And I understand you even less now."

The president smiled.

"You couldn't understand it before because you were too weak."

"The fact that you don't understand it now at least means you know what you can't see."

Lai Changqing held his teacup without refuting.

He had thought that the distance between himself and the president had been shortened.

Only now do I realize that he has finally gained the right to judge that the distance was far beyond his imagination.

The president glanced at him.

"Good progress."

"The effects of Guilingyuan are even better than expected."

The president picked up his teacup.

"If we could find a few more spiritual artifacts, the concentration of spiritual energy in Guiling Abyss could be even higher, but there's no need to rush."

Lai Changqing asked, "At the bottom of the abyss, I saw a large amount of spiritual energy gushing out from the cracks in the ground."

"Is the source of spiritual energy the earth's ley lines?"

The president shook his head.

"You can only prove that it passes through the ley lines."

"It cannot be proven that it originated from the earth's veins."

"So where did it come from?"

"have no idea."

The president answered calmly.

Lai Changqing was slightly taken aback.

The president gazed at the sea beyond the cliff.

"The tradition of the Zhuyin Society has continued for more than two thousand years."

"Throughout history, some people have believed that spiritual energy comes from the sun and moon, some believe that it is hidden underground, and some believe that it has never disappeared, but has simply been dormant in certain eras."

"There are many speculations, but none of them have actually been confirmed."

Lai Changqing said, "Even you can't judge?"

"Seeing the river flowing out of the valley doesn't mean you know where the first drop fell."

The president put down his teacup.

"Spiritual energy is the same."

"We don't know what it is, we only know that it changes the things we come into contact with."

Lai Changqing thought of the gray deer and dead fish by the roadside.

"This change is not stable."

"It has never been stable."

The president said, "Some people have awakened superpowers as a result, while others have experienced increased strength and slower aging."

"Some people suffer from organ failure and mental breakdown, and cannot even survive a single night."

"The same applies to animals and plants."

"They may mutate, or they may die."

Lai Changqing asked, "Is the difference in resilience?"

"Tolerance is only one aspect."

"Physical constitution, spirit, method of contact, and even the state of the spirit energy when it enters the body can all affect the outcome."

The president looked at him.

"So don't treat spiritual energy as a gift."

"It's not poisonous either."

"It's only responsible for change."

"As for whether the change will make you stronger or lead to a quicker death, it depends on what you are dealing with and also on fate."

Lai Changqing thought of the Xuan Gui of Qingshan.

"Where's the magical artifact?"

"Is it also related to spiritual energy?"

"Some were changed by spiritual energy, while others came from an earlier era."

The president reached out and tapped the table lightly with his fingertip.

The surrounding spiritual energy immediately converged on the stone table.

A moment later, a thin layer of white mist rose from the edge of the table.

"Based on their most important characteristics, the discovered magical artifacts can be roughly divided into three categories."

"These three categories are not completely separate; some magical artifacts may possess multiple characteristics at the same time."

Lai Changqing listened quietly.

"The first type is Spirit Gathering."

"To gather, store, guide, or stabilize spiritual energy."

"The Xuan Gui you brought back from Qingshan belongs to this category."

The president continued:

"The second type possesses special abilities."

"Distorts space, influences emotions, conceals scents, and creates illusions."

"Abilities vary, but there are relatively fixed patterns."

"This is the type that is currently the most collected and used among the seven sources."

Lai Changqing asked, "What is the third category?"

"A spirit artifact imbued with a spirit."

The president said, "These kinds of magical artifacts not only possess abilities, but have also developed independent consciousness."

"They make choices, they trade, and they cheat."

"Some are willing to acknowledge a master, while others will deliberately release a portion of their power to lure the holder into gradually fulfilling their conditions."

Lai Changqing asked, "Is the weapon spirit necessarily stronger?"

"uncertain."

"But it will definitely be more difficult to control."

The guild leader said calmly, "Power-type magical artifacts are tools."

"But the spirit of the tool may not be willing to be a tool."

"A knife without thought will only hurt people according to the rules."

"A knife with its own thoughts will decide for itself who to cut."

The sea breeze swept across the stone table.

Lai Changqing remained silent for a moment, then asked about the Seventh Division.

"They have recently acquired a lot of magical artifacts and are also constantly training people with superpowers."

"And then there are those new weapons specifically designed to target anomalies."

"In the long run, the threat will only grow."

"nature."

The president did not underestimate it.

"Seven places have people, resources, and support from top-level authorities."

"However, they got the order wrong."

The president picked up a pine needle that had fallen onto the table.

The pine needles hung between his fingers, not touching his skin.

"First, develop the supernatural abilities in the Seventh Division, and then use magical artifacts and weapons to make up for the deficiencies."

"They base their power on their already awakened abilities and external equipment."

"But magical artifacts can be taken away, weapons can be exhausted, and supernatural abilities are easily limited by their own pathway."

He let go.

The pine needles did not fall; instead, they hung silently in mid-air.

"True spiritual practice should begin with strengthening oneself."

"Draw spiritual energy into the body and refine it for one's own use."

"Re-cultivate magic, physical body, and spirit."

"Magic allows people to actively use spiritual energy, instead of just sticking to one ability."

"The physical body determines how much force it can withstand."

"The soul is used to resist pollution, illusions, and the erosion of artifact spirits."

Lai Changqing said, "Those with superpowers can also cultivate."

"certainly."

The president nodded.

"They already have pathways opened by spiritual energy within their bodies, and some people even enter the path faster."

"But superpowers are just spiritual energy that opens a door for people."

"The technique teaches people how to open doors themselves."

"Seven people are guarding the door that has already been opened, but they don't know how much further there is to go."

Lai Changqing looked at Gui Lingyuan.

The core of the Candlelight Society, which has been passed down for over two thousand years, has never been any particular magical artifact.

Instead, it's the method of drawing spiritual energy into the body and refining spiritual energy into oneself.

During the long period of spiritual depletion in the past, there was no spiritual energy to draw upon in the world.

Even the most complete training method is like a pot without rice.

Throughout history, practitioners have spent decades cultivating their skills, often only managing to strengthen their bodies and slow down aging, but rarely being able to truly unleash their magical abilities.

Until the spiritual energy is restored.

Those things that have almost been eliminated by the times are the ones that show their true value.

Lai Changqing asked, "Does the Seventh Division still lack a method for guiding spiritual energy?"

"no."

The president said, "However, they have already begun to study breathing, meditation, and Reiki stimulation, and have made some progress."

"But touching the door doesn't mean you know how to get in."

"What if they capture a core member of the organization?"

The president smiled but did not answer.

Lai Changqing did not press the matter further.

Ordinary members have no access to the core teachings.

What the few core members learned was only the basic parts after they were broken down.

Without the correct order and methods of protection, even if one obtains the incantation from seven different sources, one would not dare to let anyone try it easily.

Spirit summoning is not all beneficial.

If the physical body cannot withstand it, the spiritual energy will destroy the internal organs first.

If one's spirit is unstable, one may suffer a mental breakdown before truly mastering the art.

The president picked up his teacup.

"Not everyone can walk this path."

"The denser the spiritual energy, the more cultivators there will be."

"Many will die in front of the door."

Lai Changqing finished his tea before asking:

"How's it going outside while I'm in seclusion?"

"The capital city is accelerating the training of new talent."

The president spoke in a flat tone.

"The gravedigger has already entered seven places."