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

The next morning, Lin Ye was summoned to the underground research area again.

It's the same observation room as yesterday.

The protective spirit stone was placed in the center of the experimental table, with two additional silver-gray storage boxes beside it. The members of the psionic research group and the storage group were all present, and four testing devices were running.

As the staff attached the sensor patch to Lin Ye's chest, he couldn't help but ask:

"Are you testing the spirit stone tablets again today?"

"Let's do another test."

Zhou Heng stood beside the monitoring station, looking down to check the data.

"It only succeeded once yesterday, which doesn't prove it's a long-term fit for you. Let's do five rounds today, and continue in the following days."

"I thought that succeeding once meant I had completed the game."

You're dreaming.

Lin Ye looked at the other two sealed boxes.

"Are those two also part of today's projects?"

"We will continue only if there are no abnormalities in the protective spirit stone."

"It sounds like a level-based challenge."

The research team members lowered their heads to adjust the equipment, and the corners of their mouths twitched slightly.

Zhou Heng didn't respond to him, but gestured for Lin Ye to get ready.

The spirit-gathering device is activated.

The concentration of spiritual energy today is much lower than the first time I summoned it. Lin Ye closed his eyes and began to adjust his breathing.

Inhale for four seconds, hold for two seconds, and exhale for six seconds.

After the twelfth round, he entered a state of focused concentration when using his spiritual hearing.

The surrounding spiritual energy slowly drew closer.

As soon as a slight warmth appeared between his chest and abdomen, Zhou Heng turned off the device.

That's enough.

Lin Ye opened his eyes and placed his right hand on the spirit guide board.

With yesterday's experience, this time it went much more smoothly.

He didn't try to force the spiritual energy outwards; he simply kept his spiritual hearing activated, allowing the protective stone to draw in the portion of spiritual energy closest to his right hand.

The bluish-gray stone slab gleamed slightly.

The light white patterns on the surface gradually emerged, and a thin film of light spread out along the stone slab.

Zhou Heng looked at the screen.

"Speed ​​is normal."

Ten seconds later, the robotic arm removed the guide plate.

The light film on the stone slab then went out.

Lin Ye's free spiritual energy decreased by about 20%, and he did not experience any discomfort.

He rested for five minutes, then summoned a small amount of spirit again to begin the second round.

After that, each round requires a re-examination of heart rate, mental state, and spiritual energy concentration in the body to ensure that no abnormalities remain from the previous round before continuing.

More than an hour later, all five rounds of testing were completed.

The consumption rate of the Spirit Protection Stones remained constant.

It's a bit slow, but it's obedient.

Lin Ye moved his wrist.

"This suits me quite well."

That's how it seems at the moment.

Zhou Heng handed over the five sets of data to the researchers.

"But it consumes too slowly. Once too much spiritual energy accumulates in your body, it can't process it all in time."

"So you still need to find me a high-powered one?"

"Yes, try the second one first."

The robotic arm returns the protective spirit stone to the storage box.

The three latches closed in sequence, and the box next to it was pushed to the center of the experimental table.

The box lid is opened.

Inside was a dull, old lens.

There was no frame, and two cracks along the edge. The front was covered with a layer of indelible dust, making it almost impossible to see a person's reflection.

Lin Ye stared at it for a while.

"This thing doesn't look like a proper mirror."

"Illuminating lens".

Zhou Heng explained, "It's a low-risk, high-energy-value spiritual artifact. After inputting a small amount of spiritual energy, it can temporarily reveal any remaining traces of Yin energy in the vicinity."

"The sealing team sometimes uses it to check the movement path of abnormal objects."

"Somewhat like my spiritual hearing?"

"That's true. Their abilities overlap to some extent, so it's a good opportunity to test them."

No other magical artifacts were placed directly in the laboratory.

For this test, the sealing team left three traces of low-intensity Yin energy in the room beforehand. The sources of these traces have been confirmed and they will not cause harm.

Lin Ye rested for twenty minutes.

Only after the spiritual energy and mental state in the body have recovered to a safe range will the second test begin.

He began to draw in a small amount of spirit again, placing his hands on the spirit guide board.

A few seconds later, a ripple spread across the dark mirror surface.

Three grayish-white marks slowly appeared on the wall that was originally empty.

One stopped at the door.

A line extends along the corner of the wall.

The last one runs across the entire observation room and disappears next to the protective glass.

"Can you see it?" Zhou Heng asked.

"able."

As soon as Lin Ye answered, a muffled sound came into view.

At first, it was just whispers coming from afar.

As the ripples on the mirror became more and more pronounced, the sounds also became clearer.

"Don't look back..."

"The lights are off."

"It was still following behind."

The three sounds originated from different unusual events and were drawn out by the lens along with the traces of yin energy left by the sealing team.

The content is incomplete and the parts are unrelated.

But Lin Ye's hearing was amplified by the lens, and the three residual sounds overlapped repeatedly, mixed with hurried footsteps and scratching sounds on the door panel.

He frowned.

"It's a bit noisy."

Zhou Heng immediately looked at the mental fluctuation curve.

"Can you tell them apart?"

"Yes, but it can't be suppressed."

Lin Ye tried to lower the volume of two of the sounds.

As soon as it was pressed down a little, the mirror amplified the corresponding traces of yin energy, and the sounds immediately resurfaced.

It felt like someone was constantly turning the volume down next to me.

One of the sharp scratching sounds grew closer.

Lin Ye's temples throbbed twice.

"stop."

Zhou Heng directly severed the connection.

The water ripples on the lens disappeared quickly, and the traces of yin energy on the wall also faded away.

Finally, all was quiet.

Lin Ye rubbed his temples.

"This clashes with me."

"Its ability will actively manifest abnormal remnants, and will also allow you to receive more of the corresponding remnants."

Zhou Heng looked at the data.

"It can be used, but it will increase the burden on the hearing system, so its practical value is not great."

Lin Ye nodded.

"To put it another way, it means harmful and useless."

"almost."

The researchers wrote in their notes, "Adaptation is not recommended."

Lin Ye was asked to rest for half an hour.

Once the slight headache had completely subsided, the third sealed box was placed on the experimental table.

This box is noticeably longer.

After opening the box, a black iron nail was found inside.

It is about half the length of a hand, and the nail is covered with fine spiral patterns. The end is not an ordinary nail head, but a flat hexagonal metal plate.

There was also a special grip next to it.

Lin Ye glanced at the reinforced sandbags hanging in front of him.

Two layers of protective panels stand behind the sandbags.

"This doesn't look like an assistive device."

"The Spirit-Shock Nail is also a low-risk offensive spiritual weapon."

Zhou Heng said, "After inputting spiritual energy, a short-range shockwave can be released along the direction of the nail tip. The effective range is no more than five meters, and it is usually used to repel targets that have already gotten close."

"What about its destructive power?"

"It depends on the target. If it's an ordinary person, they'll definitely die. But if it's someone with superpowers, it's not so certain."

Lin Ye looked at the sandbag, then at him.

"That sounds impressive."

"So don't manually channel your spiritual energy later."

Zhou Heng specifically reminded him, "Only establish contact, allowing the Spirit-Shocking Nail to slowly pull. Once you feel the extraction speed increase, immediately release your grip."

The robotic arm inserts the shock spike into the handle.

The spirit guide interface is located on the inside of the handle and only comes into contact with the palm when the grip is tightened.

Lin Ye picked it up and weighed it in his hand.

The nails weren't actually heavy, but when you held them in your hand, you felt a slight downward pull, as if there was a force inside that hadn't been released yet.

He reintroduced a small wisp of spiritual energy.

Only after confirming that his physical condition was normal did he raise the Spirit-Shocking Nail and aim it at the sandbag in front of him.

"Begin," Zhou Heng said.

Lin Ye opened the spiritual hearing channel.

There was no specific sound inside the Spirit-Shocking Nail, only a recurring metallic echo.

The next moment, the warmth in my right arm began to move towards my palm.

It's much faster than the Spirit Protection Stone.

The first ring of patterns on the nail lit up.

Just as Lin Ye was about to relax his grip, he suddenly felt a distinct pulling sensation in his palm.

The second ring of patterns then lit up.

The spiritual energy that was originally scattered in his chest and abdomen was also pulled along his right arm.

"Let go!"

Zhou Heng immediately spoke up.

Lin Ye had already spread his fingers.

Before the contact between the Kezhenling Nail and the palm broke, the third ring of patterns still lit up.

boom!

The air jolted suddenly.

The reinforcing sandbags in front suddenly swung up, and the fixing chains instantly taut.

The sandbag exploded with a hole in the front, and the filling inside sprayed all over the ground.

The remaining shockwave struck the first protective layer.

The center of the steel plate dented backward, causing the entire support structure to sway twice.

Lin Ye's grip on the handle suddenly jerked.

His right arm instantly lost sensation.

The handle slipped from his hand and slammed onto the lab table.

The robotic arm immediately picked up the shock nail and sent it into the isolation tank.

An alarm sounded in the observation room.

Lin Ye leaned back in his chair, his right hand hanging limply at his side.

He glanced down at it.

"Is my arm still there?"

Zhou Heng strode into the observation area.

"It's still there."

"Why can't I feel anything at all?"

"Move a finger."

Lin Ye stared at his right hand.

Two seconds later, the five fingers barely bent.

"active."

Zhou Heng examined his wrists, elbows, and shoulders.

"Does it hurt?"

"numb."

Are you feeling dizzy?

"A little."

"What about the chest area?"

Lin Ye closed his eyes and sensed it.

"It's much emptier now."

On the monitoring screen, the amount of free spiritual energy that had just been introduced into Lin Ye's body had decreased by 70%.

From the moment the traction is established by the Zhenling Nail to the moment the connection is broken, the entire process takes less than a second.

The spirit-protecting stone fragments are consumed slowly.

The Spirit-Shocking Nail, after opening the passage, directly swept away the nearby free spiritual energy.

Zhou Heng looked up at the researchers.

"Notify the medical team to halt all further testing today."

The test results came back quickly.

Lin Ye's right arm was only temporarily paralyzed; his bones and blood vessels were not damaged. After suddenly losing a large amount of free spiritual energy, he experienced mild dizziness and weakness, which he recovered after resting for a while.

The Spirit-Shocking Nail itself did not go out of control.

The real problem is that its extraction speed from the forest far exceeds the previous test data of the sealing group.

Lin Ye sat on the observation bed, with an ice pack tucked under his right arm.

Several researchers discussed the data they had just seen through the glass.

A dozen minutes later, Zhou Heng walked in.

"The conclusion is in."

"Restricted training can continue."

Zhou Heng handed him the test data.

"When the Spirit-Shock Nail is used for standard output, it will only draw a small amount of spiritual energy that the user actively sends in."

"Your circulation is incomplete, and the free spiritual energy in your body is too scattered. Once the pathway is opened, the Spirit-Shocking Nail will pull out any spiritual energy that can be drawn in from the vicinity."

To put it simply...

"You turned it off too slowly, it sucked it in too quickly."

Lin Ye nodded.

"I understand that."

Zhou Heng continued, "We will reduce the amount of spirit energy we draw later, and install flow limiting and forced cut-off devices on the handle. Until it is confirmed to be safe, training can only be conducted in the research area."

Lin Ye looked at the broken sandbag.

"How much more powerful was that attack than normal?"

"Nearly three times the minimum standard."

His eyes lit up slightly.

"Am I gifted with extraordinary talent?"

"It's considered a loss of control."

The light went out again.

What would happen if you occasionally praised me?

"We'll talk about it when you learn to control yourself."

Zhou Heng wrote down the conclusion on the test form.

The protective spirit stone is initially compatible.

It is not recommended to use this type of lens.

The Spirit Nail has limited compatibility and is only for training purposes.

Lin Ye stared at the last line for a while.

"At least it didn't say 'no contact allowed'."

"You always have a very optimistic perspective on things."

"Everyone should always leave themselves something to look forward to."

Sensation in the right arm has mostly returned.

Lin Ye stood up from the observation bed, but his legs felt weak as soon as he took a step.

Zhou Heng reached out and helped him up.

"The spiritual energy is decreasing too quickly; my body hasn't adapted yet."

"It feels similar to low blood sugar."

The door to the observation room opened at that moment.

Cheng Fang walked in from outside and glanced at the broken sandbag.

"He did it?"

Zhou Heng nodded.

"The Spirit-Shock Nail was removed too quickly, causing temporary numbness in the right arm, but it's not a serious problem."

Cheng Fang then looked at Lin Ye.

"Your hand can still move?"

Lin Ye raised his right arm and clenched his fist.

"He's almost recovered."

"Afternoon firearms training is canceled."

Lin Ye was stunned for a moment.

Coming from Cheng Fang's mouth, those words sounded somewhat unreal.

"real?"

"Rest your right hand first."

Cheng Fang paused for a moment.

"In the afternoon, we will practice the left-handed gun-holding posture, without live ammunition shooting."

Lin Ye's smile froze for half a second.

"I knew it wouldn't be that simple."

Cheng Fang turned and walked out.

"Let's eat first."

"Rest for two hours before going to the training ground."

Lin Ye followed, and when he reached the door, he looked back at the Spirit-Shocking Nails in the isolation trough.

Finding an outlet for spiritual energy is only the first step.

He has no control over how large the export channels are, how long they are open, or when they will be closed.

But that moment also made him see for the first time that spiritual energy, besides strengthening the body, could also be used for protection and power.

It could even become an invisible bullet.