Boom … As the alloy wall slowly opened up, the lock on the wall slowly faded away, and a ten-meter wide hole appeared in front of everyone's eyes.
Just then, countless signals lit up in the space around them.
Upon closer inspection, they realized that they were actually talismans carved into the alloy wall.
"Heaven's Gate Demon Subduing Formation."
Chang Shun explained, "It's one of the most powerful formations in Cathay. No matter how strong the Yin energy is, it will never be able to affect the people trapped within the formation.
It lasts for ten minutes. "
"The entire SRC is situated within the Heaven's Gate Demon Subduing Formation. Do you think a single alloy wall is enough to block out 30 million Yin energy?
The only reason you've been affected by the Yin energy is because the formation is constantly operating.
And this is the eye of the formation. "
As soon as he finished speaking, a gust of pitch-black wind rushed out of the hole!
The final alloy wall was also removed, revealing a patch of golden color!
"Yin energy transformed into wind …" Su Feng glanced around in shock. Their camouflage clothes and Chang Shun's white lab coat fluttered wildly behind them, almost as though they were standing in the eye of a hurricane.
"Yin energy materializes … Is this the power of a thirty-million Yin ghost king?" Qin Ye gasped and stared at the hole.
However, there was nothing beneath the golden glow.
The golden glow wasn't light. Rather, it was material.
It was almost as though the hole had been inlaid with a layer of diamond film.
"Is this … a ghost king?" Lin Han exclaimed with disbelief. How could a thirty-million Yin entity be covered in a patch of gold?
Whoosh … The nethergale gradually subsided, and the surrounding temperature plummeted rapidly.
Chang Shun continued gravely, "I've mentioned that this is a part of it.
No one knew what it really looked like.
Nobody dares to dig through the rock next to it.
As soon as a thirty-million Yin entity awakens … the consequences will be unimaginable! "
"The world behind it is blocked off by layers of Yin energy, and no instruments can penetrate it.
It's been decades, and we've already had three batches of researchers, but none of them have made any progress. It hasn't moved a single inch either.
The Special Investigations Department has once sent death row inmates to conduct experiments on it. As soon as they touch the golden glow, all of them immediately turn into dried corpses, and all three lamps go out in an instant … Hang on … this is … "
Just as he spoke, the golden light suddenly moved.
Dead silence.
There was a sudden dead silence.
According to Chang Shun, the Exalted Father, which hadn't moved in decades, had just … moved!
Everyone, including Qin Ye, couldn't help but think that their eyes were playing tricks on them.
But … in the very next second, there was a loud rumbling sound from behind the stone wall, and a golden streak of light streaked across the surface of the wall like flowing water. Finally … it brought down a meter-long strand of hair.
Still, no one spoke. Everyone's eyes widened, and they instinctively took a defensive stance.
While Chang Shun's face instantly flushed red, both hands trembling!
It moved … it moved!
The strongest collective of Yin energy in history … has actually moved!
Whoosh … The six of them held their breaths as the snow-white hair gently fluttered to the ground. Then, the alloy floor suddenly emitted an earth-shattering sound!
It was as if a dragon's bone had fallen to the ground!
A hair-thin, bottomless crack suddenly appeared on the floor!
No … in fact, the entire SRC branch was trembling violently!
At this moment, all the guards above were stunned.
Rumble … The old nursing home began to shake as though there was an earthquake. Large pieces of the walls fell off, and cracks began to spread all over the place.
And then … with a loud bang, the entire five-storey nursing home collapsed in an instant!
Down below, this tremor had completely roused Chang Shun. He abruptly came to his senses and charged out like a madman, "Quick!!
Mobilize all the cultivators in the City of Salvation immediately!!
Professor Chen, Professor Ji, Professor Zhao and my research team are to bring the instruments to the Exalted Father's room immediately!!
Even if we have to dig three feet into the ground, we must find that strand of hair! "
"Captain Lu!!" He yelled at the top of his lungs. His eyes were bloodshot.
A soldier wearing a camouflage uniform with a stripe and three stars on his badge immediately stepped forward, "Please give your orders."
"Seal off the scene!!
No one is to enter or leave!
All violators will be killed on the spot!
Notify Deputy Chief Prosecutor Zhou and have him come over immediately!
It's urgent! "
They completely ignored Qin Ye and the rest of the team.
The entire research institute immediately sprang into action. A series of instruments mounted on telescopic arms were immediately aimed at the Exalted Father's cave. Indicator lights lit up one after another, and countless numbers of data appeared on the screens.
Very soon, a man in a white lab coat led the five men to five empty rooms, and then left in a hurry without saying a word.
The doors to the rooms were shut tightly, and nothing could be seen. All that could be heard were the incessant footsteps outside.
Qin Ye's eyes flickered brightly. After a long time, he finally muttered, "Scale."
He had spoken affirmatively.
Earlier, when the Exalted Father's body had moved, they had all clearly seen the traces of a scale passing through the cave.
And the thing that was blocking the entrance to the cave was none other than one of the Exalted Father's scales!
Arthis didn't float out of the cave, and she spoke with a posture that suggested she was deep in thought. She placed her hands on her knees and crossed them beneath her nose, covering her mouth.
There were surveillance cameras everywhere in the room.
"Scale."
Arthis' voice was incomparably grave, "This is definitely something from Hell … Thirty million Yin means that it's already at the level of a Yama-King!
What the hell is it?
I'm familiar with this colour, but I just can't place it! "
"What did you do earlier?" She suddenly paused and asked Qin Ye in a deep voice, "My intuition tells me that its strange movements have something to do with you.
Even I can feel the Yin energy boiling around this thing.
But I didn't do anything. It can only be you. "
Qin Ye grew taciturn.
He had indeed moved earlier.
On a whim, he wanted to test whether his proof of identity as an Emissary of Hell would have any effect on this thing. But as soon as his hand touched its chest, the Exalted Father moved.
In fact, he could even hear a sound.
Roar … It was a howl of anguish. It wasn't a simple cry. He was certain that it was a howl of anguish.
It was as though the Exalted Father's consciousness had been connected to his for a split second, and he could clearly sense its pain.
It wasn't a seal.
It wasn't a deep slumber.
Rather … it was a grievous injury!
The Exalted Father wasn't moving because it was absorbing Yin energy to recover from its injuries. It knew exactly what the humans had done!
"The Torch Dragon?"
"No!"
Arthis responded affirmatively, "The Torch Dragon has also left. Granny Meng should've told you that I personally witnessed it being carried away by Lord Ksitigarbha.
It does have the same kind of spiritual energy, but it's definitely not the Torch Dragon! "
Qin Ye nodded and furrowed his brows.
He no longer thought about what it was. Instead, he wondered … why did the Torch Dragon transmit its consciousness to him?
It was not unintentional. For such a creature to be so severely injured that it could not move, there was only one possibility. It had struggled desperately to stay when Ksitigarbha became a Buddha.
For dozens of years, he had remained motionless like a stone statue. It was easy to imagine how great of a price the other party had to pay to move.
Under such circumstances, how could he casually send a wisp of consciousness to him?
Twenty minutes later, he shook his head dejectedly.
He couldn't figure it out.
"But Hell was truly powerful back then …"
"Each of the Yama-Kings of the Ten Palaces possesses an energy level of thirty million Yin. Including the Torch Dragon and the Exalted Father, that's a total of twelve Yama-Kings … Not to mention, there are close to a hundred Abyssal Prefects, a thousand Infernal Judges, and countless Emissaries of Hell … Can I really rebuild something like this?"
He murmured.
Arthis heard his words, and she gently nudged him in his pocket, "Don't be disheartened. Hell's strength has been built over thousands of years. You're not even at the beginning.
Shouldn't you be thinking about how to get started? "
Qin Ye was taken aback, and then he smiled bitterly.
If they were to stick to their original plan, they would have to enter the inner sanctum of the SRC, break through the stone walls, and arrive at the immobile Ghost King's side.
He would build Hell right on top of it.
It was an almost impossible task!
Putting aside the fact that the other party might be severely injured and on the brink of death, there was a high chance that he was still conscious.
Moreover, given the level of security the SRC had placed on the Exalted Father, how could he possibly enter?
"Let's change locations."
He sighed and murmured, "That's not feasible at all … The City of Salvation is vast. There are deep mountains, and the fifth largest freshwater lake in Cathay, the Pagoda Lake. Where else can't we do it?"
Arthis responded placidly, "Do you think that I asked you to build Hell right under the Academy of Cultivators just for the sake of safety?
Did I ask you to come down and take a look at what's inside just to earn merit points? "
Or perhaps to kill me along the way … Qin Ye blinked vacantly. But before he could say anything, Arthis continued, "That's only one aspect of it. Furthermore, you have to first understand what Hell is."
"Firstly, you have to understand that it's an infinitely large space that is comparable to the entirety of Cathay.
It doesn't exist in the mortal realm, but it will definitely have a main entrance to it.
This is the point where Yin and Yang meet.
Without it, Yin spirits would never be able to enter. "
Qin Ye furrowed his brows, "Hell is long gone now. Wasn't the Three Gorges Dam in the mortal realm flooded?
Didn't the Yin spirits still enter during the three major ghost festivals? "
This was the first time he had seen it.
"Who said it's gone?
Ruins are ruins, but the Fengdu Necropolis is still around!
That said, its influence will only last for another fifty years at most before it disappears completely. "
"As for the projection in the mortal realm … Hahaha, kid, if you have the time, you can go to the depths of the Three Gorges Dam and take a look at what used to be Fengdu Necropolis.
Every night, tens of thousands of Yin spirits would drift over from all over the country, and thousands of spots of netherflames would hover around the city.
It's only been flooded, but it's still there. "
"The Insignia University is merely the entrance to the netherworld, and a place for Yin spirits to enter."
"Secondly, where does Hell's Yin energy come from?" She drew a deep breath, "The Yellow Springs!"
"As soon as the shards of King Yanluo's Seal are reassembled, the Yellow Springs will come from the west. This is why I've said that the day the shards of King Yanluo's Seal are reassembled is also the day Hell is reestablished.
That said, it doesn't mean that Hell can't be established without the Yellow Springs. "
Qin Ye coughed lightly, "That's not what you said the last time …"
Arthis unleashed her domineering aura and barked, "That's the last time!
Can your brain still remember everything I've told you all at once?
Have you ever considered the feelings of the readers when there's too much information?
Listen up, you useless scum who doesn't know a thing about Hell! "
I'll endure it!
"I've told you before that Hell is a machine, and the Yellow Springs is its source of energy.
I'll change it up a little. Yin energy is its source of energy.
The Yellow Springs is nothing more than a perpetual carrier of Yin energy.
But now … "
Realization dawned on Qin Ye, and he interjected, "You used your glib tongue to persuade me to take a look at what's going on down there, and even encouraged me to take on this mission. But in truth, you're doing this in order to use its Yin energy to sustain the operations of Hell?"
"That's the truth … but I can't help but feel that there's something wrong with your description …" Arthis rolled her eyes at Qin Ye, "That's right. Thirty million Yin energy is strong, very strong. But compared to what Hell used to be, it's nothing more than a drop in the bucket.
Protecting the nation is akin to sending charcoal in snowy weather to someone like you who's starting from scratch!
By relying on the Exalted Father's Yin energy, coupled with the constant exchange of Yin spirit stones from the mortal realm, you really might be able to reestablish the map of Hell once more! "
"Don't belittle yourself. Why did Granny Meng approach you?
I've already mentioned that you're the one with the highest chance of accomplishing this magnificent mission!
No one else has better qualifications than you! "