Live Stream Treasure Appraisal: Your elf isn't thriving!

Chapter 668 "Sealing", "Suppressing", "One Hundred and Eighty"! The wedge stone deep in Yunqi Mountain, a soul aggregate?

Ye Yinchuan's gaze was fixed on the image.

All six bells stopped hopping as they rang. Their bodies faced the same direction—the deepest part of Yunqi Mountain.

It's not out of curiosity.

It's not alertness.

It is fear.

Ye Yinchuan had seen many ways Pokémon expressed fear. Some would swat their teeth to hide their panic, while others would hide in their trainer's arms for protection.

But the fear they feel when the bells ring is different.

Their bodies were trembling, but their steps did not retreat. Their mouths reopened, but they could not make a sound, not even ultrasonic waves.

They were so frightened they fell silent.

Chimecho stopped singing. Its body, which had just regained a little vitality, tensed up again, and its suspended posture became stiff. In its weak eyes was something that Ye Yinchuan had never seen in any Pokémon before.

despair.

It is not despair over one's own situation.

Rather, it was a deep-seated despair directed towards that direction, towards something deep within those mountains.

Ye Yinchuan closed his eyes.

However, the discerning eye is fully capable of diffusion.

The magical power that can travel through the screen via the network cable is like a probe, following the direction the bell rings in, passing through layers of rock, and extending into the heart of Yunqi Mountain.

At first there was nothing.

Mountain breeze. Insect chirping. The faint sound of a stream flowing through the cracks in the rocks.

Then he ran into it.

That's not a complete fluctuation.

Instead, they were countless fragments.

Hundreds and thousands of fragmented, distorted mental frequencies, like shattered mirrors, each reflecting different images: some crying, some cursing, some begging for mercy, and some emitting meaningless, maniacal laughter.

All the fragments point to the same source.

All the fragments flowed into the same river.

Ye Yinchuan opened his eyes.

His pupils contracted for a moment.

"Xiao Su."

"Hmm?" Xiao Su was holding Feng Lingling with heartache when she was startled by his suddenly lowered tone.

"Take the wind chimes and bells and go back into the main hall. Close the door. Don't come out."

"What?"

"No matter what sounds you hear, no matter what happens outside, don't go out. At least that will keep the wind chimes and bells safe."

Ye Yinchuan's tone left no room for negotiation.

Xiao Su looked at his suddenly grim face, subconsciously nodded, picked up Feng Lingling, and walked into the hall. The six bells seemed to sense something and eagerly followed her, hopping across the threshold.

Ye Yinchuan turned to the camera.

"Friends, that's all for this afternoon's live stream."

The live chat exploded instantly.

【Huh? It's over just like that?】

[No! The reaction when the bell rang was definitely wrong! What happened?]

[Don't go, streamer! I haven't had enough yet!]

Ye Yinchuan didn't explain much, he only said one sentence.

"I'll be working overtime tonight. I need to confirm a few things first."

He turned off the live stream.

The screen went black.

But the online discussion has only just begun to ignite.

Three hours later.

It was exactly 8 p.m.

Ye Yinchuan's live stream room lit up again.

The number of online viewers exceeded 80 million in the very first second of the broadcast. The three-hour hiatus did not cause the audience to leave; instead, it acted like a slingshot stretched to its limit, accumulating full potential energy.

"I left in a hurry this afternoon and didn't have time to explain much to everyone."

Ye Yinchuan appears in the frame. The background is no longer the Fairy Paradise, but the gate of Tingfeng Temple. Under the cover of night, the ancient temple's eaves are outlined with silver edges by the moonlight.

He has arrived.

The advantages of being a top trainer in the league were fully demonstrated at this moment.

Special train service with direct access, Pokémon riding and flying vehicle assistance, featuring a unique teleportation ability.

"The anchor is here! The anchor is really here!" Xiao Su peeked out from behind the palace gate and shouted gratefully.

Ye Yinchuan nodded to her, his gaze sweeping over the wind chimes in his arms. The wind chimes were in slightly better condition than in the afternoon, but still weak. The six bells huddled together on a prayer mat in the hall, their eyes fixed on the direction of the mountain, motionless.

"How is Wind Chime Ling doing?"

"I fed it some tree sap, and it's eating a little now. But it keeps shivering—"

Ye Yinchuan walked over and sent out a Pokémon like Miss Skirt to heal it. A warm aura flowed over its body, and the healing speed of its wounds visibly increased.

Feng Lingling raised her head and looked at him with her weak eyes.

Then, its gaze shifted to the depths of the mountain.

Ye Yinchuan understood that look in his eyes.

"I know," he said softly. "I'll go check."

He stood up and faced the camera.

"Friends, the live stream was interrupted this afternoon because I detected an unusual fluctuation deep in Yunqi Mountain through the aura of heaven."

His voice was steady, each word distinct and clear.

"The nature of that fluctuation is very peculiar. It's not the aura of a single Pokémon, but a mixture of numerous intentions. There are many of them, and their frequencies are very varied. My initial estimate is—at least a hundred."

The chat was silent for a moment.

Then it exploded.

[Hundreds? What does that mean? Hundreds of Pokémon gathered together?]

[No, the streamer said "intention," not Pokémon. Intention—soul?]

[Holy crap, could there really be something dirty inside?!]

[The horror movie has started? I'm watching the live stream alone at home, and suddenly I'm starting to regret it ———]

Ye Yinchuan did not respond to these speculations. He fixed the camera to the stand in front of his chest and patted the Snorlax next to him.

"Let's go, Kirby."

"Click."

Snorlax stood up from the cushion. Its perpetually squinted eyes glanced in the direction of the mountain, and it let out a low snort.

It's not laziness.

It is a state of vigilance.

There are very few things in this world that can make Snorlax go into a state of alert.

Ye Yinchuan carried it and stepped into the ancient path of Yunqi Mountain in the night.

The moonlight was fragmented by the tree canopy, falling sparsely at our feet.

The initial stretch of the road was relatively normal. The chirping of insects rose and fell, and occasionally a nocturnal Pokémon would dart through the bushes, leaving a rustling sound.

But the deeper you go, the more everything changes.

The chirping of insects disappeared.

It didn't gradually decrease; rather, it was like someone flipped a switch, and after a certain step, it suddenly disappeared.

Quiet.

An unnatural silence.

"Almost no one has ever been here."

Holding a wind chime, with the sound of bells jingling all around her, Xiao Su followed behind the anchor.

Ye Yinchuan's flashlight beam swept across the tree trunks on both sides. The leaves had changed from emerald green to dark brown, their surfaces curled and edges charred, as if they had been scorched by an invisible fire. Looking down, the moss had all turned grayish-white, dried and hardened on the rock surface, crumbling into powder at the slightest touch of a toe.

The air has changed.

It's hard to describe the smell. It's not like rot, not like sulfur, it's more like a "feeling".

It felt heavy, sticky, and oppressive, clinging to the skin and making you not want to leave.

Snorlax slowed its pace. Its massive body cast a shadow in the moonlight, and light flickered through the slits of its squinting eyes.

Ye Yinchuan stopped in his tracks.

His flashlight shone on the stone wall to his right.

There are words on the stone wall.

It is not a modern script. It is an extremely ancient rune, almost completely weathered away. The engravings are deep, but time has smoothed the edges, leaving only a blurred outline.

Ye Yinchuan reached out, his fingertips slowly tracing the lines of the runes.

"seal up."

He read out the first word he could recognize.

Move your finger to the next spot.

"town."

Next place.

The two characters are squeezed together, with their strokes overlapping each other.

"One hundred and eighty."

His fingers stopped.

In the live stream behind him, the pace of the comments slowed down.

【What does "封————镇————百八" mean?】

[Is "108" an ancient way of saying 108? "Sealing off 108"—what exactly is "sealing off 108"?]

Are there any experts in ancient culture who can offer some interpretation?

[I found it! In ancient Buddhist culture, "108" represents 108 kinds of afflictions, or some say 108 kinds of karmic obstacles—is this related to sealing techniques?]

Ye Yinchuan did not respond.

He simply pointed the camera at the mottled runes on the stone wall and let the audience see for themselves.

Then keep walking.

The runes became increasingly dense.

The carvings on both sides of the stone wall, which started as a few scattered words, have become entire chapters. Although most of them are no longer legible, the overwhelming density of the carvings conveys the message that whoever carved these runes used every means at their disposal.

They are sealing away something extremely terrifying.

At the end of the ancient road, a bright and open view suddenly appeared.

Ye Yinchuan walked out of the dense forest.

Moonlight poured down, illuminating a naturally formed depression. It was surrounded by massive, jagged rocks, resembling fangs growing from the earth. The depression was about thirty meters in diameter, its surface unnaturally flat, covered with a layer of grayish-white gravel.

There is no grass.

There is no moss.

There was no trace of life.

And in the very center of the depression was a stone.

Half a person's height. It features cuneiform script patterns resembling human faces, originating from the same source as those on the stone walls, but more refined and intricate. (Leaf)

Yinchuan's gaze lingered on the runes for two seconds before shifting to the crucial point.

crack.

A spiral crack rose from the bottom of the wedge-shaped stone, extending all the way to the top. The crack was not wide, but it was very deep, as if someone had slowly screwed it in with an awl.

And from that crack, purplish-green gaseous substance was seeping out in strands.

Unlike smoke, these gaseous substances did not drift away with the wind. They had their own will. They swirled, coiled, and gathered, condensing above the wedge-shaped rock into a constantly writhing, translucent mass.

Ye Yinchuan stopped at the edge of the depression.

He could see the inside of the gaseous substance clearly.

They have a face.

More than one.

Twisted features appeared and disappeared in the gas—this face was crying, that face was laughing, and the mouth of another face was torn to the ear. All the faces were screaming silently, struggling to squeeze to the outermost layer.

The mass looked like a hundred or so drowning people crammed into the same puddle, climbing on and trampling each other.

The live stream clearly captured this scene.

Tens of thousands of comments flooded the screen within three seconds, but over 90% of them were the same word: "Holy crap!"

Ye Yinchuan took a step forward.

The moment I stepped into the depression.

Unexpected changes occurred suddenly.

The gaseous substance hovering above the wedge-shaped rock suddenly surged as if it had been detonated by something!

The air mass, which was originally only the size of a basketball, expanded to a diameter of five meters in a fraction of a second!

A purplish-green "mist" swept across the entire depression!

Immediately following was a mental shockwave.

With the wedge stone as the center, it rolled out in all directions like a tsunami!

Ye Yinchuan's mind went blank.

It's not pain.

It's worse than pain.

One hundred and eight voices poured in at the same time.

There was a child crying—a high-pitched, hysterical wail.

There was an old man's cursing—a hoarse, indistinct curse.

There was a woman's intermittent pleas, a desperate plea after she had cried herself to exhaustion.

There was a man's maniacal laughter—a hoarse, irrational frenzy.

There were whispers. There were roars. There were babbling. There were screams.

One hundred and eight channels broadcast simultaneously.

One hundred and eight emotions erupted simultaneously.

They were all crammed into Ye Yinchuan's mind.

His body suddenly leaned back half a step.

"Click!!"

Snorlax grunted. Its perpetually squinty eyes finally opened a crack. Its massive body blocked Ye Yinchuan's path, but its defenses against mental attacks were limited.

The team of Diancie, Deoxys, and the Soul-Hook Eyes, pre-arranged by Ye Yinchuan, formed an all-encompassing mental defense.

Even so, the live stream feed was still shaking violently.

Harsh noises emanated from the audio channel. Frequency bands that should have been filtered out by the equipment actually penetrated the barrier of the live streaming system and entered the audience's ears in a distorted and discreet manner.

The barrage of comments instantly switched from celebration to panic.

I have tinnitus!! What's wrong?!

[My head is spinning—something's wrong, I've turned off the sound but I'm still dizzy!]

What is this? A psychological attack? It can affect people even through a screen?!

[Attention everyone! If you feel unwell, leave the live stream immediately! This is not a joke!]

Ye Yinchuan clenched his back teeth.

Under the cover of Deoxys, Diancie, and Sableye, the impact was quickly contained.

The discerning eye of the treasure maker was activated decisively.

The information panel took shape on his retina.

Pokémon: Rockruff

[Attribute: Ghost/Dark]

Composition: 108 aggregates of souls

[Status: Seal in the process of collapse/Resentment out of control/Intense internal soul conflict]

Ye Yinchuan's gaze lingered on the last line.

That was an additional message marked as "abnormal".

[Analysis of Soul Composition—Benevolent Souls: Approximately 23%. Neutral Souls: Approximately 41%. Malicious Souls: Approximately 36%.]

[Warning: A malevolent spirit is devouring the remaining souls, attempting to seize dominance.]

Ye Yinchuan's expression changed.

It's not fear.

It's not anger.

Rather, it is an extremely complex and somewhat somber understanding.

"really."

He whispered two words.

Not all souls are evil.

Someone in the live chat noticed the movement of his lips.

[What did the host say? I didn't see it clearly! Zoom in for a replay!]

He said, "Not all souls are evil"? What does that mean? There are many souls here, some good and some bad?

Ye Yinchuan steadied himself and retreated to the leeward side of a boulder at the edge of Fengdi.

Snorlax moved over, its broad body blocking his way, its squinty eyes fixed on the direction of the keystone, a sign of its wariness of danger.

Ye Yinchuan took a breath and faced the camera.

"Everyone, please calm down and listen to me."

His voice was slightly hoarse, but his words were clear.

"This Pokémon is called Rockruff. It's a Ghost/Dark type."

The comments section quieted down.

"It is not an ordinary Pokémon. It is a special life form formed by the forced aggregation of one hundred and eight souls."

He pointed to the wedge.

"This stone is called the Wedge Stone. The runes on it are a sealing technique carved by a traveler with special abilities in ancient times. The Flower Rock Monster has been sealed inside for who knows how many years."

His fingers moved to the spiral crack.

"But look at this crack."

Under the moonlight, the crack was clearly visible. A purplish-green gaseous substance continued to seep out.

"This crack was not caused by natural aging. This kind of spiral stress fracture can only occur when continuous external vibration is applied."

He paused for a second.

"I checked the data. Although there haven't been any major earthquakes in recent decades, small-scale tremors have occurred from time to time. It's estimated that geological changes have damaged the seal. The Flower Rock Monster's resentment has begun to leak out from the cracks."

His tone became more somber.

"And this leak of resentment is the root cause of the strange changes that have occurred throughout Yunqi Mountain over the past month."

He connected them one by one.

"Granella is a Ghost/Dark type. The resentful energy it emits has a natural suppressive effect on Psychic-type Pokémon."

"Wind Chime is a psychic, and it's rumored that it can dispel evil spirits. However, it seems that the devil is always one step ahead. Wind Chime may have been attracted by resentment and wanted to protect the creatures near Wind Blowing Temple, but it was backfired by the ever-increasing resentment of the Flower Rock Monster."

"A wind chime could easily break free of a nylon rope. But under the long-term influence of the Flower Rock Monster's resentment, its superpowers were continuously suppressed and depleted. It grew weaker and weaker until it didn't even have the strength to break free of a rope. In fact, the nylon rope might have gotten tangled in the wind chime, possibly because the Flower Rock Monster's evil spirit had left its body and was causing trouble behind the scenes."

The comments section fell silent at that moment.

Three seconds later.

Therefore—the wind chime didn't become weak because it was bound by the rope. Rather, its strength was first weakened by resentment, which is why it couldn't break free!

[The order is reversed! The root cause lies with the Flower Rock Monster!]

What about the ringing bell? The ultrasonic distress signal from the ringing bell is also because—

Ye Yinchuan took over the topic.

"The bells sensed their mother's pain and fear. But they were too weak; their superpowers were more fragile, more thoroughly suppressed by resentment. All they could do was scream."

"But the resentment of the Flower Rock Monsters is also interfering with their vocalization system. Their normal cries are suppressed, and only ultra-high frequency ultrasound can break through the interference."

"Therefore, they can only make sounds that humans cannot hear."

"A whole month."

"A group of children, trapped in an invisible cage, cry for help in a voiceless way."

"Humans only felt a headache and mistook them for monsters."

[Tsk tsk, what kind of flower rock monster is this? If it completely breaks through the seal, what will become of it?]

[Damn—the world desperately needs talents like this anchor! Without him, disaster would be everywhere!]

Ye Yinchuan looked at the comments but didn't add anything further.

He turned to look at the wedge stone.

The purplish-green gaseous substance continued to seep out. The distorted faces churned within the mist, occasionally emitting silent roars.

But the cracks are still widening.

Ye Yinchuan could hear a faint, continuous "creaking" sound coming from inside a wedge-shaped stone.

That was the sound of the seal breaking down further.

A benevolent soul at twenty-three.

A neutral soul at forty-one.

Thirty-six evil souls.

Kind souls plus neutral souls far outnumber evil souls.

But they are being eaten.

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