Jiang Rouqian admitted that she had indeed been very panicked at the time. After all, anyone who found themselves locked in a cultivation tank, facing a group of researchers who looked exactly like the mad scientists from novels and comics, would definitely panic.
But surprisingly, she wasn’t placed on any operating table for dissection, nor was she transformed into something strange.
However, those researchers seemed to have added some peculiar agent to the cultivation tank. While this also didn’t seem like a good thing, Jiang Rouqian instinctively felt this agent was something beneficial, like sweet rain after a long drought.
She floated within the cultivation tank, absorbing the agent. During this time, she felt like she had overeaten—drowsy, warm, and unwilling to move.
And just then, Jiang Rouqian faintly heard the researchers’ voices:
“Among this batch of spirits, a few have decent constitution and can withstand Sun-Burning Agent No. 392.”
“Perhaps it’s because these spirits possess traits different from others that allow them to endure an agent that is far too intense for them.”
“By the way, how should we handle the other batch of failures?”
“Hand them over to the demons. We’re not short on material anyway. Our Grand Duke is also getting a bit impatient to see the results.”
Hearing this, Jiang Rouqian’s heart was filled with confusion and dread, unable to grasp what these people were planning.
But at that moment, she felt her consciousness gradually fading, and darkness once again swept over her mind.
When she awoke again, she was in a pure white room.
There was a glass window on the wall, and behind it were several researchers in white lab coats.
Seeing Jiang Rouqian wake up, one of the researchers in a white coat spoke into a microphone:
“Next, a monster beast will appear before you. Don’t worry, it lacks sentience, so it doesn’t violate any Monster Beast Protection Laws.”
Clearly, this was said as a joke. Hearing this, the other researchers in white coats laughed, clearly unconcerned about any Monster Beast Protection Laws.
After a pause, the researcher’s voice continued from the broadcast, reaching Jiang Rouqian’s still-dazed ears:
“Your goal now is to defeat this monster beast. Only then can you survive.”
After saying this, the researcher paused, seemingly remembering something, and added:
“Oh, and don’t expect you can coexist peacefully. Let me remind you, this monster beast feeds on soulbodies, and we’ve starved it for several weeks.”
As he spoke, Jiang Rouqian saw a wall not far away slowly open, and from it emerged a massive, rough-skinned monster. It had six horns on its head, and its elephant-like head was covered in sharp fangs and teeth—as bizarre as could be.
Although she had just woken up, Jiang Rouqian used her bewildered consciousness to roughly understand the researchers’ words.
Then, she was overwhelmed by shock and fear. She was just a minor ghost who hadn’t even reached the Soul-Condensation Stage. Asking her to defeat such a monster beast was essentially serving herself up on a platter!
“Hey! What are you thinking! I can’t beat this monster beast, take it away quickly!”
Jiang Rouqian looked at the researchers and shouted, wanting them to reconsider.
But no matter how much she pleaded, the researchers remained unmoved, even finding time to chat idly.
Although she hadn’t held much hope, seeing this still filled her with disappointment.
And just then, the Spirit-Eating Monster Beast suddenly moved. Seeing the “delicacy” before it, it let out an elephant-like roar, then took heavy steps, charging toward Jiang Rouqian.
Seeing this, Jiang Rouqian frantically dodged to the side. But no matter how she moved or evaded, the monster beast seemed drawn by a magnet, constantly charging toward her.
Finally, Jiang Rouqian was backed against a wall. She tried to phase through it, but found her innate ability seemed to have failed, impossible to activate.
Not only that, but even abilities like floating and illusion—the innate talents of ghosts—seemed completely lost to her. No matter how she tried, she couldn’t use them.
Just as Jiang Rouqian was panicking, the Spirit-Eating Monster Beast had already closed in, opening its bloody maw, its fangs aimed directly at her.
In her panic, Jiang Rouqian closed her eyes and instinctively pushed out with both palms, as if trying to shove the massive beast away.
The moment her palms made contact with the monster beast, a deafening roar erupted, followed by the sound of collapse.
The expected bite never came.
Jiang Rouqian dumbly opened her eyes to find the monster beast had vanished. In its place was a huge gap in the wall not far away, dust billowing, with bricks and stones occasionally falling from it.
Jiang Rouqian looked toward the gap and saw the monster beast lying on the ground, its head crushed, red and white fluids spilled everywhere, making her nauseous.
Then, as if realizing something, Jiang Rouqian looked at her own hands and found them stained with some of the same red and white filth.
“This… did I do this?!”
Before she could think further, Jiang Rouqian heard the researchers’ delighted voices:
“Excellent, the effect is even stronger than we anticipated.”
“Next, please return to the cultivation tank to receive the following…”
She reacted, but she couldn’t hear the rest of the words.
Because before her, an opening had appeared—a chance to escape.
So, ignoring the researchers’ dissuasion and the security guards’ attempts to stop her, Jiang Rouqian relied on the suddenly erupted immense strength and fled the research facility.
But this power seemed to have limits. Jiang Rouqian hadn’t gotten far before she felt the strength vanish, and she became an ordinary person once again.
And as misfortune would have it, pursuers arrived just in time, chasing after Jiang Rouqian.
Thus, the scene Ling Xiaoyou and the others had witnessed earlier unfolded.
After hearing Jiang Rouqian’s account, Ling Xiaoyou frowned deeply.
So, these researchers were part of an organization. And from the dialogue, it seemed they weren’t subordinates of the Demon Grand Duke, but rather more like cooperative partners.
Could it be that the Demon Grand Duke was responsible for providing spirits, and these researchers were responsible for the experiments?
And what kind of organization did these researchers belong to?
Moreover, there were many strange points in Jiang Rouqian’s story.
For example, what exactly was that “Sun-Burning Agent”?
Why did Jiang Rouqian suddenly lose her Yin Soul Talent abilities?
How would those failures be handled?
And why did she suddenly become so powerful—was it because of the agent?
But then why did that power vanish so suddenly?
Also, didn’t this research facility have sufficient security?
They actually let Jiang Rouqian escape.
Normally, no matter how strong Jiang Rouqian became, she should have been suppressed by demons.
There were too many questions, and Ling Xiaoyou couldn’t come up with answers right away.