The Person Behind the Door

The air on both sides of the pile of stones was so taut it looked like it was about to burst.

Lu Yuan pressed his left hand against the cold stone wall, his heart pounding so hard it made his eardrums ring. Lin Xiao silently moved to his side and behind him, his amber pupils contracting, his tongue licking his canine teeth with lightning speed. Shi Jian raised his thick right arm, blocking his way diagonally in front of him.

A few breaths of deathly silence followed.

Lu Yuan took a breath, his Soul Power carrying his voice through the crack in the rock. "My friend on the other side means no harm. We just stumbled upon this place and are temporarily seeking refuge."

Only the deep, resonant pulse of the ruins remained in the passageway.

A moment later, the aged voice echoed through the pile of stones, carrying a buzzing resonance. "A coincidence?" A hint of urgency lingered beneath the cautious tone. "Being able to sense the fluctuations of the ' Source Seed ' is no coincidence."

He paused, then his voice suddenly became sharp.

"Who among you... is the ' Key '?"

Key!

Lu Yuan's heart clenched. The hastily written words in the ancient manuscript were suddenly illuminated by a bolt of lightning. He suppressed his surging thoughts and did not answer, but instead asked, "Your knowledge of 'the Gate' and ' the Source Seed ' is so profound, you must have come here before. What are you seeking?"

There was a moment of silence on the other end.

The old man lowered his voice, his tone complex. "Some things shouldn't be touched lightly. Especially... before the price is known."

It's like a warning, and also like a sigh.

Lu Yuan frowned. The price? What price?

The dialogue stalled. Both sides were testing each other's limits.

Shi Jian leaned closer and whispered, "Not many people. The fluctuations in Soul Power... apart from that old man who's unpredictable, the others aren't too strong." His face twitched. "But it feels... very strange."

"What's wrong with it?" Lin Xiao asked in a low voice.

"I can't quite put my finger on it. The Soul Power fluctuations are somewhat scattered, yet they also seem to be connected."

Lu Yuan's eyes flickered slightly. If the other party had come into contact with the "Source Seed," it wouldn't be surprising if their Soul Power was abnormal.

what to do?

Breaking through the pile of rocks is too risky. Retreating would mean giving up the initiative.

We can only try to maneuver around it.

Just as he was about to speak again, a noise came from the other side of the pile of stones. An aged voice, tinged with impatience and suspicion, said, "Young man, stop beating around the bush. You have the fluctuations of the ' Source Seed ' in your possession; you can't hide it from this old man. This thing is dangerous; it's not something you can touch. Hand it over, and you might save your life."

The true intentions have been revealed.

Lin Xiao let out a very soft hissing sound from his nose, his shoulders shrugged slightly. Lu Yuan pressed down on his arm.

"The items are with us," Lu Yuan's voice deepened, "But how we handle them is our business. If you truly wish to cooperate, perhaps you could first explain what the 'door' is and what the ' Key ' refers to?"

"Hmph," the old man sneered, "Ignorant fool. Some secrets are better left unknown, the longer you live."

"Then there's nothing to discuss. Let's go our separate ways."

That's partly true and partly false. A stalemate is pointless, but it also takes courage to show weakness and retreat.

The other side fell silent again.

Only the deep pulse within the ruins beats on and off.

Just when Lu Yuan thought the other party would continue to apply pressure or try to break through the pile of stones--

A sudden change has occurred!

The ground beneath my feet trembled violently! The entire spiral staircase shook, and dust and gravel rained down from above. A muffled rumble echoed from the ground, like a giant beast turning over.

"What's going on?!" Shi Jian roared, and his Rock Shield Martial Soul instantly appeared.

Shen Moxin clung to the stone wall, her face pale. "Deep within the ruins... the energy fluctuations are extremely chaotic!"

Lu Yuan activated his Soul Power perception to its fullest extent. A chaotic, violent, yet exceptionally strong surge of Soul Power was rushing towards him from below the ruins—directly from the energy chamber! Wherever the surge passed, the dark golden ancient rune array on the wall glowed faintly, flickering and emitting a "buzzing" sound.

From across the pile of stones, exclamations and hurried footsteps rang out.

The aged voice came again, all its cold probing gone, replaced by urgent panic. "No! It's an energy Tide triggered by the ' Source Seed ' resonance! Damn it... why now of all times!"

He speaks extremely fast, leaving no room for argument.

"Listen! Whoever you are, this is not the time for suspicion! If this Tide is left unchecked, the entire structure of the ruins could be shaken, and we could all be buried alive!"

Lu Yuan's heart tightened. Buried alive?

"What do you want?" he shouted at the crevice in the rock.

"I know how to temporarily calm it down!" the old man said urgently, "But we need to start near the source of the energy overflow and apply reverse Soul Power interference! From your side, you're closer to the energy room, so you can act faster!"

He took a breath, his voice anxious.

"Young man, trust me this once! If this drags on any longer, no one will escape! Tell me, do you have anyone over there who can perform precise Soul Power manipulation? Not necessarily very strong, but steady and accurate!"

Lu Yuan's mind raced.

The energy Tide threat is likely real. The vibrations and chaotic fluctuations are undeniable. The other side's current urgency doesn't seem feigned.

Cooperation? Or dealing with an unknown force with whom tensions have just escalated?

He glanced back at the people around him. Shen Moxin planning but weak in actual combat control; Lin Xiao excelled in explosive power rather than precision; and Shi Jian was needless to say. Mo Chen was skilled in mechanisms, but his control of Soul Power lacked "stability" and "accuracy"...

A silent figure took half a step forward amidst the swaying light and shadow.

Su Yan raised her head, her bright black eyes looking at Lu Yuan. Without saying anything more, she nodded slightly.

Lu Yuan took a deep breath, suppressing all his doubts and calculations.

He turned to the pile of stones, spoke in a deep voice, each word clear and distinct.

"How can we cooperate? Tell me."