Had the erosion stopped during brain death?
Li He's words immediately set Fu Qian's mind racing.
He had no doubt that Lady Jining was capable of doing that.
The trap from earlier had made it clear that she was highly skilled in mental manipulation.
"What do you think that means?"
Seeing Fu Qian deep in thought, Li He seemed to be testing him.
"From what we've seen, hearing the cries doesn't depend on our ears. They affect us directly on a mental level."
Fu Qian didn't shy away from answering, nor did he worry about showing his hand.
"Considering what happened to Lady Jining, it seems quite likely that the erosion is transmitted through the cries."
"Well said."
Li He chuckled.
"That was my first thought, too. It might seem pointless—we couldn't possibly find a way out in a mindless state—but it quickly gave us the idea for a second experiment."
Oh?
Fu Qian waited eagerly to hear more.
"Besides inducing a mental state of suspended animation, I have another ability: I can briefly separate my will from my body and move about in a spiritual form."
This time, it was Jining who spoke.
"Given our earlier theory about the cries, as soon as I woke up, I immediately tried moving around in my spiritual form. Something strange happened—as I got farther from my body, the cries grew quieter."
"So the cries are actually following each of us, rather than spreading indiscriminately throughout the entire building? The latter was just an illusion?"
Fu Qian understood at once.
"Exactly. The erosion slowed down at the same time, but that's no longer important."
Li He sighed.
"Unlike you, I don't have many extraordinary abilities. But because of my rank and my training in the sword, my senses are sharper."
"After Jining told