Forgotten Photo Studio

Chapter 137 There is a way

Behind the door was an even more oppressive space, like an abandoned altar or a prison.

In the center of the room, a mass of darkness floated, constantly twisting, expanding, and contracting.

It has no fixed form; sometimes it resembles rolling dark clouds, sometimes it extends countless painful limb outlines, and sometimes it transforms into a gigantic maw that devours light.

At its core, a cold white light, like an evil eye, pulsed rhythmically.

Countless fine, pale light-formed runes of tormented faces flowed, wailed, and shattered on the dark surface.

The terrifying pressure from the peak of E+ level weighed on their souls like a tangible burden!

"This is... the core anomaly?" Chen Zhiwei felt his soul trembling. The Soul-Suppressing Bell in his hand spontaneously emitted a rapid, faint light, and the bell trembled slightly, as if warning its master and resisting the all-pervasive dark pressure.

Xu Yan's pupils contracted, and he pushed the camera viewfinder to its limit.

In his unique vision, the dark mass before him was no longer just a distorted shape, but a complex structure woven from countless fine, pale, painful runes resembling struggling human faces. These runes constantly circulated, howled, and shattered, endlessly repeating the cycle.

The cold white light at its core resembled an evil heart that constantly pumped out pain and despair.

He noticed that when Chen Zhiwei's breathing became slightly rapid due to fear, or when he himself was disturbed by recalling the horrific scenes from the past, the movement of that dark mass would increase slightly, and even a barely perceptible, yearning psychic tentacle would reach out to them, but it would withdraw in confusion when it touched the "dead silence" barrier created by the Jade Cicada.

“Something’s not right…” Xu Yan murmured, his brain rapidly processing the information. “Zhiwei, have you noticed? It seems to be ‘ignoring’ us, but it reacts to our emotional fluctuations. Your Soul-Suppressing Bell is on passive defense; the brighter the light, the more ‘interested’ it seems to be.”

Chen Zhiwei immediately composed herself, trying to calm her turbulent emotions, while carefully observing: "Senior brother, look at those pale lines on its surface, don't they look like countless painful, distorted faces? Also, although it is powerful, its form is extremely unstable, as if it might tear itself apart at any moment, and it is only the white dot in the middle that maintains some kind of balance..."

A glint flashed in Xu Yan's eyes; Chen Zhiwei's observations coincided with his own!

"I understand!" Xu Yan instantly connected the clues. "This thing doesn't 'see' things with its eyes or spiritual pressure! It senses painful emotions and active life energy! The Jade Cicada shielded us from our life force, causing it to lose its main target, but it can still vaguely detect our inner fear and pain, just like a shark smelling blood!"

He pointed to the white light pulsating from the dark core and the extremely unstable structure on its surface: "Its power comes from pain, and its existence depends on the resonance between the core and these painful runes. The structure is very fragile and contradictory, like a chaotic sphere forcibly fused together and filled with high pressure inside."

"So, it's afraid of calm, afraid of 'indifference'?" Chen Zhiwei reacted very quickly.

“Not only that,” Xu Yan’s thoughts became clearer, and a bold plan took shape in his mind. “The most dangerous thing for such an unstable structure is not external attacks, but internal…imbalance. If we can inject something into its core that it cannot ‘digest’, and that is even completely opposite to its chaotic nature…” “it can make it disintegrate from the inside!” Chen Zhiwei immediately chimed in, understanding Xu Yan’s intention.

“That’s right!” Xu Yan looked at Chen Zhiwei, his eyes sharp and calm. “Zhiwei, calm your mind, activate the Heart-Cleansing Mantra at full power, and imagine yourself as a heartless stone. Leave the rest to me.”

Chen Zhiwei immediately did as she was told, and began to chant the calming mantra in a low voice. The soul-soothing bell also emitted a gentle aura that soothed her mind and helped her stabilize her mind.

Xu Yan also forcibly suppressed all the negative emotions caused by memories and pressure, and his brain worked like a high-speed computer.

Jade Cicada provided cover as he analyzed and dealt with its weaknesses—its structure relied on core resonance.

The darkness seemed restless due to the loss of a clear source of "food," its movement speed increasing as it drifted erratically throughout the room, but it did not immediately launch an attack.

“There’s an opportunity…” Xu Yan’s eyes sharpened, and a plan instantly took shape. He whispered to Chen Zhiwei, “It needs emotions and life energy as ‘coordinates.’ If we remain absolutely ‘silent,’ it will be like it’s blind. Next, I will summon a blank wandering soul.”

"Summoning?" Chen Zhiwei was taken aback at first, then a look of doubt appeared in her eyes. "Senior brother, when did you learn to summon ghosts? I remember you used to be the least skilled at these things..."

Xu Yan's heart skipped a beat, but he remained calm on the surface and quickly explained, "I've been studying the notes left by my master recently and have gained some insights. Now is not the time to talk about this." He glossed over the topic and immediately steered it back to the main point, "Don't worry, I'm not summoning a combat-type vengeful ghost."

"Wouldn't that actually provide it with nutrients?" Chen Zhiwei asked worriedly.

He continued to explain in detail to dispel Chen Zhiwei's doubts and worries: "My master's notes recorded a kind of lowest-level 'blank wandering soul.' They have almost no intelligence. They are the residue that has been washed clean at the edge of reincarnation, and even their obsessions have almost disappeared. They do not contain painful emotions, but only the most instinctive avoidance reaction. This is what I am going to summon. I will never provide it with any nourishment."

Looking at his resolute expression, Chen Zhiwei, though still wondering when he had learned the summoning spell, knew the situation was critical. She chose to trust Xu Yan's judgment, nodded, and refocused her attention on the immediate crisis.

He continued to explain his plan: "I will use this 'blank wandering soul' as a vessel, and let it envelop a trace of 'order' psionic energy that is weak but of extremely high quality—using a trace of pure yang energy from Master's compass. Then, I will guide it to drift toward that core white light."

"This dark structure is extremely unstable, held together solely by the resonance between its core and pain. A 'foundation of order' devoid of pain, which it cannot 'digest,' is thrown into its most vulnerable core, like a drop of ice water being poured into a red-hot pan of oil..."

"It will instantly disrupt its internal balance of power, triggering violent structural conflicts and energy backlash!" Chen Zhiwei immediately understood this ingenious calculation.

“That’s right! It will be torn apart from the inside by its own chaotic power! As long as we hide under the protection of the Jade Cicada and stay away from the center of the explosion!” Xu Yan’s eyes flashed with a calm and sharp light.

(End of this chapter)