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

The next morning, on the ninth basement level.

Lin Ye stood in front of that heavy protective door once again.

Unlike last time, this time the door is open.

Behind the door was a downward-sloping alloy passageway. Cold white lights were embedded in the walls on both sides, and the ground was covered with spiritual field sensing panels. With each step, a circle of pale blue light would illuminate the ground.

All five members of Group Two changed into gray-white trial uniforms.

This round also includes five members from other field teams and reserves. Ten people per round is the maximum that medical equipment and the mandatory evacuation system can cover simultaneously.

Tang Zhi looked down at the IV catheter on the back of her hand.

"Alright, the first step in cultivation is to register."

The medical staff who were applying the monitoring film to her didn't even look up.

"The second step is to talk less."

"Afraid of getting a side stitch?"

"I'm afraid it will affect the EEG data."

Tang Zhi obediently shut her mouth.

Zhou Heng stood at the front of the line, holding the initial test reports of ten people in his hand.

"Final confirmation."

"If you drank alcohol last night, took stimulants, ate this morning, or are currently experiencing persistent tinnitus, chest tightness, or emotional instability, please exit now."

No one spoke.

Zhou Heng looked at Lin Ye.

"The residual sounds you usually hear are not auditory hallucinations."

Lin Ye nodded.

"Thank you for clearing my name."

"I'm just worried that you might confuse normal abnormalities with abnormal abnormalities."

Zhou Heng turned around.

"Go in."

The group walked down the passage for several dozen meters, and suddenly the space in front of them opened up.

The alloy wall project ends here.

What appeared before them was a naturally formed underground cave.

The black rock face is covered with lighting equipment, monitoring lines, and probes for spiritual energy. The ancient rock strata and modern instruments are pieced together, like someone putting a monitoring device on a monster that has been sleeping for many years.

In the center of the cave stands a well.

It really is just a well.

The black well curb is carved from a single piece of rock, nearly three meters in diameter, with cracks all over its surface and deep grooves that look like they were worn out by a well rope.

However, the archives show that no villages, buildings, or any trace of long-term human habitation have ever been found here.

There is no water in the well.

It's impossible to see the bottom.

Thick, milky-white mist continuously billowed from the well, passing over the well curb and slowly spreading along the ground.

The mist left no dampness on the skin, only a very faint cool and tingling sensation.

As soon as Lin Ye entered the cave, the sounds around him increased.

The instrument is in operation.

The current in the circuit.

The medical staff were talking in hushed tones.

There was also a continuous, low humming sound from underground.

It's neither like flowing water nor like the wind.

It's more like a huge cavity, slowly breathing.

Six silver-gray platforms stand around the wellhead.

Each platform is covered with a semi-transparent isolation shield.

Inside were a extinguished bronze lamp, a white jade disc with a chipped corner, a string of blackened bronze bells, and a cracked pottery jar.

The remaining two items were covered by a white veil, and only their blurry outlines could be seen.

Tang Zhi asked, "Are they all spirit-gathering artifacts?"

"Yes."

Zhou Heng stopped two meters away from the well curb.

"The spiritual energy overflowing from the Spirit Well is unstable, and these six spiritual artifacts are responsible for diverting and buffering it."

"What would happen if we lost one piece?" Qin Zhao asked.

"It's probably nothing."

Zhou Heng said, "It could also cause the spiritual energy concentration of a certain training position to increase tenfold instantly."

Tang Zhi looked at the six bases.

"Are you sure everything has been checked?"

"Once at 4 a.m., and once before entering the venue."

"Equipment cannot guarantee absolute safety, so it is even more important to follow instructions."

Ten people were taken to individual training positions outside the wellhead.

Each seat is spaced nearly three meters apart, with a transparent partition rising in between. The seats are fixed to the ground, restraint straps are hidden under the armrests, and there are mechanical arms overhead for forced evacuation.

Outside the isolation wall, the medical team, research team, and mental health intervention personnel are all in place.

The heart rate, brainwave, body temperature, and spiritual energy fluctuations of ten people appeared simultaneously on the monitoring screen.

Zhou Heng's voice came through the earphones.

"Guiding the spirit involves four steps."

"The first step is to set a fixed interest rate."

"Inhale for four seconds, hold for two seconds, exhale for six seconds, repeat twelve times."

"Breathing is simply to stabilize the body. Reiki is not air; do not inhale forcefully or hold your breath."

"The second step is spiritual connection."

"Close your eyes and don't actively imagine light, fog, or flowing water."

"Some people will feel cold, some will feel hot, and some will not react at all."

"It's normal to feel differently; don't imitate it."

Staff started up the six base platforms.

A faint light shone from the wick of the bronze lamp.

Fine lines appeared on the surface of the white jade disc.

The blackened copper bell did not shake, but it emitted a very soft, crisp sound.

The white mist gushing from the wellhead was dispersed and slowly entered the training area along six silver lines.

"The third step is to open the door."

"When lightly touching one's own superpower, the intensity must not exceed five percent of the normal level."

"The purpose is simply to make the existing spiritual energy pathways within the body visible, not to release abilities."

Zhou Heng called out the names one by one.

"Cheng Fang, mild skin enhancement."

"Tang Zhi, maintain only one connecting thread."

"Qin Zhao, Mars cannot be higher than a fingernail."

"Xu Mian, move your shadow ten centimeters."

"Lin Ye, enter a focused state when distinguishing residual sounds, without actively expanding the range or searching for the sound."

"The final step is to lead without pursuing."

Zhou Heng's tone became a bit harsher.

"Once you feel spiritual energy touching your body, you are only allowed to accept it naturally."

"You are not allowed to actively pull or tug, and you are not allowed to continue absorbing just because it feels comfortable."

"In the first round, we will only observe the results after a wisp of spiritual energy enters."

"Anyone who dares to increase the dosage without authorization will bear the consequences."

The transparent partition is fully raised.

"start."

Lin Ye closed his eyes.

Inhale.

pause.

Exhale.

In the first few rounds, only the gradually becoming more synchronized breathing could be heard in the cave.

The white mist flowed slowly along the ground.

In the sixth round, Cheng Fang was the first to react.

His hands and the sides of his neck were slightly red, and his muscles slowly tensed with each breath. A warm sensation entered his arms, flowed down his shoulders to his chest.

The monitoring curve subsequently rose.

"Cheng Fang, the introduction was successful."

Zhou Heng immediately gave the order:

"Stop opening the door."

Cheng Fang exited Iron Bone state.

The heat lingered in my body for about ten seconds before slowly dissipating.

"Cannot be saved".

Zhou Heng recorded: "The pathway is stable, with no obvious rejection."

Cheng Fang stretched his shoulders.

The soreness from training was temporarily relieved, but quickly returned to normal.

Not far away, a power-type ability user also successfully summoned a spirit.

His cheeks were flushed, his forehead was covered in a fine sheen of sweat, and his breathing was noticeably lighter.

"The old injury in my lower back doesn't hurt anymore."

He couldn't help but say, "I feel like we could draw a little more."

"stop."

Zhou Heng immediately stopped him.

The man hesitated for a moment, then withdrew his power.

The spiritual energy lingered in his body for nearly a minute before gradually dissipating.

There was still no response from Xu Mian.

She strictly completed the twelve rounds of fixed interest, and the shadow moved forward ten centimeters as required, but the monitoring curve did not show any significant change.

A few minutes later, she asked in a low voice:

"Did I do something wrong?"

"no."

Zhou Heng looked at the data.

"Both physical and functional pathways are normal."

"No reaction is still a reaction; don't force it."

Xu Mian could only stop.

Another young man next to him also opened his eyes.

"Aside from my legs being numb, I couldn't feel anything else."

The staff member glanced at the screen.

"The data remains unchanged."

"Is it because this location lacks spiritual energy?"

"The concentration error at ten locations does not exceed three percent."

The young man fell silent.

Same well, same method.

Some people felt feverish all over, while others only gained a pair of numb legs.

Tang Zhi's initial reaction was also very smooth.

A cool sensation entered from the fingertips of my right hand, and my wrist, which had been aching and burning for a long time, felt temporarily relieved.

She had just breathed a sigh of relief when the chill suddenly changed direction, rushing all over her old wound.

Tang Zhi's body suddenly stiffened.

The next second, excruciating pain exploded from deep within the wrist bone, like countless fine needles piercing the damaged nerves simultaneously.

The thread at her fingertip suddenly split and lashed against the barrier.

Snapped!

A white mark was left on the transparent panel.

"stop!"

The robotic arm swiftly descended, gripping Tang Zhi's shoulders and back, and dragged her directly out of the fog-covered area.

Medical staff immediately entered.

Tang Zhi's face turned pale, and her forehead was covered in cold sweat.

The test results came back quickly.

No new structural damage has occurred from the old injury, but the neural and extrasensory pathways have been stimulated and have become overloaded in a short period of time.

"Observe for at least 24 hours."

Zhou Heng said, "We can't try again today."

Tang Zhi lay on the portable bed, gritting her teeth as she said:

"It was quite comfortable when I first came in."

"They turn on you faster than anyone else."

"Aura has no emotions."

Zhou Heng said, "The old wound is a weak point in the pathway; it has simply been completely drained through."

Before being pushed out, Tang Zhi didn't forget to look at Lin Ye.

Don't be greedy.

Lin Ye nodded.

Qin Zhao's situation is also not going well.

The moment a tiny ember lit up his fingertip, the white mist surrounding his body suddenly contracted.

Before a wisp of spiritual energy had even truly entered, the embers seemed to have encountered fuel, and a layer of flames shot up along the forearm.

Body temperature rises rapidly.

"Stop opening the door."

Qin Zhao immediately withdrew his ability.

The flames went out, and the spiritual energy that had just gathered was completely consumed.

Zhou Heng looked at the data.

"Your body is not showing any obvious rejection."

"The embers will preemptively devour any approaching spiritual energy."

Qin Zhao asked, "How do we solve this?"

"Redesign the door opening mechanism."

"At least we can't use embers."

Qin Zhao nodded and did not continue trying.

For the first twenty minutes, everything was still within the research team's expectations.

The alarm was triggered at test position number four.

The fourth position belongs to Shao Yuan, a perception-type ability user in the first reserve group.

His ability to summon spirits was even faster than Cheng Fang's.

"I sensed it."

Shao Yuan closed his eyes, his voice filled with excitement.

"It's very clear, like something is going in from my forehead."

"Stop traction," Zhou Heng said immediately.

Shao Yuan did not do as instructed.

The monitoring curve is still rising.

His sensory abilities made every slight change in spiritual energy exceptionally clear, giving him the illusion that he could still control it.

"I'm still okay."

"Shao Yuan, stop immediately!"

The white mist suddenly gathered towards position four.

Shao Yuan's body jolted violently, and the color drained from his face.

The next second, he bent over and spat a mouthful of blood onto the ground.

Bleeding occurred simultaneously from the nasal cavity and the corners of the eyes.

My heart rate spiked instantly.

"Cut off the power forward position!"

The corresponding silver line immediately went out.

However, the spiritual energy that had already entered the body did not dissipate immediately.

The air around Shao Yuan distorted slightly, the metal fasteners vibrated on their own, and the out-of-control perception began to spread outward.

The robotic arm forcibly dragged him away from the training position.

Shao Yuan had lost consciousness and was rushed to the medical area.

The blood on the ground has not yet been cleaned up.

The cave fell completely silent.

Zhou Heng looked at the remaining people.

"Ruptured pulmonary capillaries, arrhythmia, and mental overload."

"They are no longer in immediate danger."

"This is the result of recklessly pursuing spiritual energy."

The power-type ability user, who had just felt he had stopped too early, lowered his head and stopped talking.

Lin Ye closed his eyes again.

He had completed twelve rounds of meditation and entered a state of focused concentration when distinguishing residual sounds, but he still did not experience any physical reaction.

The sounds around me became clearer and clearer.

The copper bell made a very faint clanging sound.

The crackling sound of the flame still lingers in the bronze lamp.

The white jade disc looked as if it had been repeatedly rubbed with rough cloth.

These are all residual sounds left behind by the original spirit artifacts, and have nothing to do with attracting spirits.

Lin Ye even began to doubt whether there was any way to "open the door" through the Spirit Listening.

Zhou Heng's voice came through the earphones.

"Lin Ye, don't follow the sound."

"Maintain breathing."

Lin Ye refocused his attention.

The twelve-round fixed-rate period has ended.

He continued to breathe at the same rhythm, only sensing the changes around him.

A moment later, a cool sensation suddenly touched my forehead.

It's very light.

Like an extremely thin ice thread, it sinks into the body through some unseen crevice, slowly descending along the chest.

His heartbeat paused briefly as it passed near his heart.

A yellow warning immediately appeared on the monitoring screen.

"There was a brief pause in heart rate, but it has recovered."

"The spiritual energy curve is rising."

Zhou Heng approached the screen.

"Lin Ye, stop opening the door."

Lin Ye immediately snapped out of his focused state.

The chill did not dissipate immediately.

It continued to sink a little further, eventually stopping at some indistinct spot between its chest and abdomen.

There was no pain.

There was no rejection.

The fatigue accumulated from continuous training was actually somewhat mitigated.

Breathing became lighter.

My mind has cleared up considerably.

It's not a complete transformation.

It felt more like finally getting a good night's sleep after staying up for several nights in a row.

"Don't try to control it."

Zhou Heng reminded him, "Keep your posture."

Lin Ye did not move.

The image of Tang Zhi being carried out was still vivid in my mind, and the blood on the ground had not yet been wiped clean.

A minute passed.

The spiritual energy that Cheng Fang had introduced had already dissipated.

The spiritual energy within that power-type ability user had also been reduced to zero.

The coolness between Lin Ye's chest and abdomen remained there.

The monitoring curve remained at an extremely low level, without continuing to rise or showing a significant decline.

Zhou Heng stared at the screen.

"Introduction successful."

"There is no rejection reaction at the moment."

One researcher asked, "Has a cycle formed?"

"no."

Zhou Heng shook his head.

"Just stopping here."

After the spiritual energy stabilized, Lin Ye's hearing underwent a very subtle change.

It's not about expanding the scope.

Instead, the originally mixed sounds were separated into clearer layers.

On the outermost layer are people breathing and instruments operating.

Further inside, the echoes of six spirit-gathering artifacts could be heard.

Deeper still, there was a voice never heard before.

It's very far.

It also seems to be right below the well curb.

It has been worn down by time, leaving only a few broken words.

"Io Mitsuru..."

Lin Ye's brows twitched slightly.

"Door……"

"open……"

The sound vanished in a flash.

He immediately opened his eyes and looked at the six magical artifacts around the well.

The bronze lamp remained unchanged.

The white jade disc lay quietly on the base.

The old copper bells didn't shake either.

The sound may have come from one of them.

It could also have come from underground.

Lin Ye did not continue the pursuit.

"Teacher Zhou."

Zhou Heng immediately looked at him.

"What did you hear?"

"A lingering echo."

Lin Ye answered truthfully: "The source is uncertain. It may have come from a spirit-gathering artifact, or it may be in a well."

Data from all six platforms were retrieved simultaneously.

Everything is normal.

The concentration of the overflow from Lingjing also did not change.

"What about the content?"

"Well full."

Lin Ye paused for a moment.

"Open the door."

The researchers behind the isolation wall stopped what they were doing at the same time.

Zhou Heng did not rush to conclusions.

"The complete sentence?"

"No, there are only a few fragments left."

Lin Ye thought for a moment.

"It's impossible to tell if it's a male or female voice, or even if it's a human voice."

Zhou Heng finished recording the data.

"Stop listening."

"Do not try to find the source yourself; a separate follow-up examination will be conducted after the trial period."

The trial training for the remaining personnel ended quickly.

Of the ten people in the first round, some were successfully introduced but could not be retained, some had no reaction, some had their spiritual energy consumed prematurely by their supernatural abilities, and some were in danger due to old injuries and excessive spiritual attraction.

The results proved that this path was indeed feasible.

This also proves that one wrong step can really kill someone.

At 10:20, Lin Ye was left alone in the Spirit Well area for observation because the spiritual energy in his body had not dissipated for a long time.

Heart rate is normal.

The organ data are normal.

There were no abnormalities in the mental waveform.

Zhou Heng stood in front of the monitoring screen.

"How do you feel now?"

"I feel a little better."

"Fever, chills, chest tightness?"

"no."

"Where's that sound from just now?"

"Disappeared."

Zhou Heng nodded.

"Stop actively using Spirit Hearing today."

"You are not allowed to summon spirits again before the spiritual energy in your body dissipates."

"If you feel any discomfort, press the emergency button immediately."

Lin Ye got up and walked towards the alloy passage.

The protective door behind me is slowly closing.

Just then, a muffled thud came from down the well.

thump.

Lin Ye stopped walking.

Zhou Heng immediately looked at him.

"You heard it again?"

Lin Ye turned around.

All six spirit-gathering devices were silent, and the monitoring data remained unchanged.

"Not speaking."

"It sounded like something tapped on the well wall."

Zhou Heng signaled to the staff to re-examine the data of the spirit field.

The result was still normal.

next second.

thump.

A second sound came from down the well.

It's clearer than before.

The cool sensation that had been quietly present in Lin Ye's chest and abdomen trembled slightly.