Panshi Fortress, Underground Seventh Floor, Top-Secret Research Institute — Codename: Gui Xu.
The air was as cold as frozen liquid nitrogen, and the stark white shadowless lights from the dome illuminated the entire space like an operating table, revealing every minute detail.
A massive transparent isolation chamber stood in the center of the research institute, emitting a faint blue energy shield.
Inside the chamber, the ink-black reverse scale pendant floated silently, its dark golden aura flowing like a living thing along the edges of the dragon scales, emanating a cold pressure that made one's Soul tremble.
Outside the isolation chamber, Old Wu, as if possessed, hunched over, almost pressing his entire face against the thick, specialized glass.
His pupils, behind his gold-rimmed glasses, were bloodshot from extreme excitement and greed, reflecting the jade pendant with its flowing dark golden aura inside the isolation chamber.
His withered fingers unconsciously traced lines on the cold glass, as if he could touch the ancient power through this barrier.
"Perfect... too perfect..."
He murmured to himself, his voice trembling slightly with excitement.
"The Dragon Soul's origin... pure, untainted Dragon Soul origin... and this structure... this energy flow method... it's simply the Creator's masterpiece..."
He abruptly turned his head, looking at the chaotic waveform diagram on the adjacent holographic screen, which refreshed like a waterfall but could never analyze the core data, a flicker of mad obsession in his eyes.
"Conventional methods... can't even touch its core! We must... we must use a more direct method! Use... living beings! Use the strongest mental ability users as 'probes'! To touch it! To feel it! To... activate it!"
This thought, like a venomous snake, instantly seized Old Wu's entire mind!
He suddenly straightened up, a sickly flush appearing on his wrinkled face from excitement. He clenched his fists tightly, his fingernails digging deep into his palms.
Ling Chen! That boy! The boy with beast-taming abilities, whose mental strength was unusually resilient, able to resist your mental induction even when unconscious!
He is the most perfect 'probe'! His mental core... must hide some secret! If his mind could touch the jade pendant... if the energy fluctuations and Soul reactions of that moment could be recorded... if a trace of the Dragon Soul's origin could be captured...
The immense temptation, like the devil's whisper, instantly overwhelmed all reason and fear!
As for the risks? As for Ling Chen's possible death? As for military regulations? In the face of a temptation that could overturn human cognition, and even potentially control the power of gods, these were insignificant!
"Someone!" Old Wu suddenly turned, his voice sharp with excitement as he hissed into the communicator.
"Transfer 'Experiment Subject Seven'! Immediately! Secretly transfer him to the 'Gui Xu' core laboratory! Prepare the Soul Co-resonance Instrument! Highest clearance! Clear all records! Execute immediately!"
Special Care Ward.
Ling Chen still leaned "weakly" on the hospital bed, his face pale, his breathing faint. Beneath the bandages on his left arm was a "slowly healing" bone fracture.
His chest was wrapped in gauze, and each breath brought a "painful" slight frown. On the monitor screen, all vital signs were stable but maintained at the low range characteristic of severely injured patients.
Chen Xue had just left; the "warmth" and "soothing" effect of the silver light from her palm left a faint trace of her scent in the ward.
The ward door slid open silently.
Two burly men, dressed in white research institute uniforms, expressionless, their eyes hollow like puppets, walked in.
They exuded the smell of disinfectant and... a hint of nerve depressants.
"Student Ling Chen," one of them spoke, "Old Wu needs to perform a 'deep rehabilitation check' on you. Please cooperate with our transfer."
Ling Chen "blankly" raised his head, his eyes unfocused and with a hint of unease: "Ch-check...? Wh-where?"
"New area of the research institute. For your recovery."
The other stepped forward and, without explanation, unfastened the restraint buckles on his bed. His movements seemed gentle but carried an irresistible force.
They pushed the hospital bed and turned to walk out the door. The entire process was swift and decisive, without a single superfluous word, as if executing a pre-programmed procedure.
Ling Chen did not resist, nor did he ask too many questions.
He "obediently" lay on the hospital bed, letting them push him out of the ward. As they turned, his peripheral vision swept over an inconspicuous vent in the corner of the ward, and an extremely faint, almost illusory, dark purple electric arc flashed and disappeared.
The Soul Jade Physique's cold will, like an invisible spiderweb, had already covered everything around him.
Old Wu's orders, the research institute's movements, the drug-controlled neural reactions within these two "puppet" soldiers... everything was within his perception.
The fish... finally couldn't resist taking the bait.
The hospital bed was pushed into a dedicated, unmarked metal corridor.
The corridor was dimly lit, with only the floor-level induction lights illuminating a faint blue band as they moved.
The air was even colder, with a bone-chilling coldness. The corridor walls were smooth, mirror-like alloy, without any windows or vents, only emergency lights every ten meters overhead, emitting a stark white glow.
No surveillance. No guards. Even the sound of air movement was barely audible. Absolute silence and oppression.
This was the top-secret passage to the "Gui Xu" core laboratory. Old Wu, to avoid all possible surveillance and prying eyes, used his highest clearance to clear this passage.
He thought this was a flawless secret operation, but he didn't know... this had precisely paved a perfect... path home for Ling Chen.
The hospital bed stopped in front of a heavy, handle-less, keyhole-less alloy door at the end of the corridor. On the door panel, there was only an inconspicuous, faintly glowing blue iris scanner.
One of the puppet soldiers stepped forward and aimed his eye at the scanner.
Buzz—!
The heavy alloy door silently slid open to both sides, revealing... an even deeper space behind it.
The "Gui Xu" core laboratory.
It was even more desolate here than the research institute outside.
Aside from the massive isolation chamber in the center, emitting a faint blue shield light, there were only a few strangely shaped instruments arrayed around it.
The air was filled with a stronger ozone smell and... an indescribable, chilling pressure, as if from the depths of the Soul! The source... was the reverse scale pendant in the isolation chamber!
Old Wu stood in front of the isolation chamber, his back to the door.
He heard the door open and abruptly turned around. When he saw Ling Chen being pushed in, his bloodshot eyes instantly burst forth with an uncontrollable, greedy light, like a hungry wolf seeing flesh!
"Quick! Push him in! Place him next to the co-resonance instrument!"
Old Wu's voice was sharp with excitement. He pointed to an instrument next to the isolation chamber, shaped like a giant metal spider, with several probes emitting faint blue electric arcs extending from its top.
The puppet soldiers expressionlessly pushed Ling Chen's hospital bed next to the Soul Co-resonance Instrument.
The instrument's cold metal casing radiated chill, and the probes on its top, like a venomous snake's tongue, slowly adjusted their angle, aiming at Ling Chen's head.
Ling Chen looked at the grotesque instrument with "terror," his body trembling slightly, his voice hoarse with fear: "Old... Old Wu... What... what is this? I... I'm scared..."
"Don't be afraid, child!"
Old Wu quickly walked to the bedside, forcing out an extremely "kind" smile, but the madness and greed in his eyes overflowed as if substantial.
"This is the latest treatment instrument! It can help you repair your damaged mental core! Make you recover faster! Soon... it will be fine soon! It won't hurt a bit!"
"Activate the co-resonance instrument! Energy output set to... five percent! Mental link frequency... lock onto the subject's brainwaves!" Old Wu rapidly ordered the instrument control panel, his voice carrying an unquestionable command.
Buzz—!!!
The Soul Co-resonance Instrument emitted a low hum!
The several faint blue probes on top instantly lit up with dazzling light! Like venomous snakes, they slowly descended, aiming at Ling Chen's temples and glabella!
A cold, viscous mental energy fluctuation, as if capable of freezing the Soul, instantly enveloped Ling Chen like an invisible shackle!
"No... don't..." Ling Chen let out a "desperate" groan, his body struggling violently! But Old Wu held him down firmly! The puppet soldiers also stepped forward, using specialized restraints to firmly fix his hands and feet to the hospital bed!
"Hold him down! Establish mental link!" Old Wu's eyes gleamed with madness!
He stared intently at the data stream flickering on the instrument screen! As long as the link was established!
He could then, through the co-resonance instrument, forcibly "guide" Ling Chen's mental consciousness towards the reverse scale pendant! Making Ling Chen the "probe" to touch the jade pendant! And he... would record this historic moment! Perhaps even... have a chance to steal a trace of the Dragon Soul's origin!
Buzz—!!!
The probes were less than an inch from Ling Chen's skin! The faint blue electric arcs crackled, about to pierce him!