Returning to the Mysterious Era

The bone-chilling cold surged for only a few seconds before the familiar bitterness filled his mouth. His brain turned cold seemingly out of nowhere, making his eyes tingle and swell.

In the top right corner, the indicator showed that 0.5 units of lingering attachment energy had been gained.

[Lingering Attachment: 3.0 → 3.5]

Before Cassius's third time-travel attempt, he had 5.4 units of lingering attachment energy. The bronze ring had consumed 2.4 units.

He opened his hand, and the green jade glowed faintly. Although the jade only contained half a unit of lingering attachment energy, Cassius didn't mind. It was a slow and cumulative process to gain lingering attachment energy.

He calmed himself, checked again, and realized this was just an antique with lingering attachment and not a legendary antique with a time-travel node. With that, Cassius returned the Jade of Misfortune to Yun.

Cassius only needed the lingering attachment energy within the jade. He wasn't particularly interested in its ability to sense misfortune because the Shadow Demons' influence had subtly mutated his own senses, making him highly sensitive to detecting abnormalities. Cassius knew the Jade of Misfortune was important to Yun, so he chose not to take it from him.

He had several other reasons for wanting to show goodwill toward Yun. Cassius was particularly intrigued by Yun's identity as a treasure hunter. A true adventurer among adventurers, Yun spent years searching for lost ruins and mysterious treasures around the world. Needless to say, inseparable from such ruins and treasures were antiques. The antiques treasure hunters acquired were typically of better quality and more likely to be of genuine origin, so there was a greater likelihood they possessed lingering attachment energy.

As a point of clarification, Yun's profession as a treasure hunter wasn't the same as a tomb raider, though there were overlaps. At its core, it was a high-risk, high-reward pursuit with the ultimate goal of acquiring valuable treasures. In the Hongli Federation, and even in most countries around the world, legal restrictions on the matter had blurry lines. The relevant laws were vague and lacked systematic guidelines. So, strictly speaking, what the treasure hunters were doing wasn't illegal. They could obtain treasures from all over the world without legal repercussions.

It was a niche and obscure profession. After hearing about Yun's previous adventures, Cassius could tell that he was undoubtedly one of the top treasure hunters in the field.

The two of them had no conflicts of interest. On the contrary, there was a chance for a deeper cooperation and Cassius already had some ideas. There was no need to rush; these relationships would deepen organically over time.

In the basement, besides Cassius, the other four were intently studying the Red Eye-level Shadow Demon. Yun, in particular, appeared quite professional with his small brown toolkit, magnifying glass, and various metal instruments. He knelt on the ground, methodically examining the demon.

The other three neo-humans gradually became cognizant of the aura emanating from the Shadow Demon, making them feel both a strange sense of pressure and attraction toward it. It was faint but undeniable, like a rope tied around their hearts.

"Cassius, I'm just about done with my research," Yun said, standing up and packing his tools away. He looked at Cassius. "How about we head upstairs to talk?"

"Sure," Cassius agreed. He understood that Yun wanted to chat privately.

They left the basement, climbing the stairs to the second-floor hall. Cassius casually flicked on the nearby light and gestured to the soft sofas. "Please, have a seat."

The area, formed by two or three sofas and a coffee table, was generally used for casual conversations between the host and guests or friends.

Yun shook his head. "No need, let's go to the balcony." He wore a somewhat unreadable expression.

"Alright." Cassius raised an eyebrow and walked with him to the crescent-shaped white balcony. There was a reclining chair for sunbathing off to the side, and three potted plants hanging off the railing.

"Cassius, the malevolent spirit you encountered this time might be something extraordinary," Yun said thoughtfully, his gaze serious. "Treasure hunters have a categorization that comes from the ancient Soma myths of the Blue Star Empire. According to the Soma myths, the essence of life originates from the Threefold Gate—"

"Threefold Gate?" Cassius listened intently.

"Yes, you're a formidable warrior, so you've surely heard of the Threefold Gate. The body, the Qi, and the soul—these are the essential elements that make up a person. Humans cannot live without any one of these.

"The body is easy enough to understand. As for Qi, that is something that sustains human life. You can think of it as energy, though they're not quite the same thing. In some places, people refer to Qi as blood flow or ripple. Everyone has Qi, but it's a matter of how strong it is. The stronger one's life force, the stronger their Qi," Yun continued, his gaze swimming in memories as he reminisced. "There are even some humans whose Qi is strong enough to shift from passive to active control, allowing them to consciously direct its flow or even release it explosively."

Hearing this, Cassius blinked. What Yun was describing seemed to have a connection with the Covert Martial Arts Practitioners in the realm of combat artists. To advance from a pugilist to a combat artist, one needed to grasp the Qi within their body and release it externally. That would allow them to develop a distinctive personal aura.

He continued to listen.

"I've already explained the first two gates. The final and most crucial one is the soul, or what some call the spirit or mind. The soul is invisible and intangible, yet it's the most critical factor in governing a person's actions—and also the most mysterious. To be honest, I once had an out-of-body experience. The sensation was utterly terrifying. At that moment, I felt like I had lost all meaning in life. Like I was a blind man dropped into a deep, dark sea, thrashing around with no hope of finding the bottom. That was until I opened my eyes and saw a reality I had never seen before…"

For a fleeting moment, Yun's eyes glazed over, but they quickly cleared. "Sorry, I got a bit off track. The Threefold Gate doesn't just apply to humans, it also applies to malevolent spirits. In short, they're incomplete beings.

"They're always missing one, either the body, Qi, or soul! They are fundamentally fragmented beings. I do not understand how these malevolent spirits can exist in such a state, but they persist in this deformed condition. What's more, they crave the part they're missing."

"You mean…" Cassius felt as if a revelation had struck him.

"Exactly! It explains why malevolent spirits are so hostile toward humans. Unlike humans, their deepest desire is to restore the missing gate within themselves. And how do they do that? By taking it from humans!" Yun had just laid bare the underlying logic of dark creatures.

"It all fits…" Cassius muttered to himself, a rare flicker of shock crossing his usually composed face.

Yun was right. Dark creatures were extremely twisted, deformed beings, and their incomplete state was due to the absence of one of the key elements that made up a complete life form! Most dark creatures were irrational, bloodthirsty, and inherently hostile toward humans whom they viewed as prey.

Since humans possessed all elements of the Threefold Gate, dark creatures, regardless of which gate they were missing, would make any and all attempts to obtain it by preying on humans. For most of them, though, it was like chasing an impossible dream.

Moreover, the different forms and abilities of dark creatures were closely tied to the Threefold Gate. Which gate was missing? How much of it was missing? Were there perhaps multiple gates absent? The complex variations in those deficiencies were what led to the bizarre and varied forms of dark creatures like the Blood Race, Shadow Demons, Dead Blood, Charm Demons, Black Pixies… And then there were the creatures Cassius had encountered during his extra tasks for Black Rain Manor: Gray Bones, Core Beasts, Laughing Nightmares, and more.

Yun watched Cassius get lost in thought and said, "It seems you're already making connections. Let me clarify it more. We can classify malevolent spirits into three broad categories—those missing their body, those missing Qi, and those missing their soul. This is very general as the actual situations are obviously much more complicated. Malevolent spirits missing their bodies are the most bloodthirsty of all. They often greedily consume human flesh and blood. Those missing Qi prefer to absorb the pure energy that sustains human life, and some even inhabit human bodies. The last category, and the most mysterious and rare, are those missing their soul." Yun paused slightly.

"This is the most difficult and terrifying malevolent spirit to deal with. Its abilities are incredibly bizarre, and even knowing a little about them is enough to strike fear in the heart. What they desire the most is to replace the soul of their chosen target…"

"Shadow Demons," Cassius chimed in.

"Exactly. From what I’ve observed so far, the tall brown-haired man in the basement isn't the Shadow Demon's true form. He's just a human whose body has been replaced. The reason he exhibits the physical traits of a malevolent spirit is because of the influence of its dark powers.

"You mentioned earlier that there are still such malevolent spirits wandering around Baichuan City. They might target you; possessing bodies and using them for physical combat is just a superficial threat. The real danger lies in their abilities! They might be able to pull you into the laws of the malevolent spirit's world without you even realizing it."

"That's incredibly frightening… Cassius, I know you're very strong, but these malevolent spirits are like nothing you've seen before, and unpredictable. You have to remain vigilant. I'm telling you this as a friend, and I hope you take it to heart," Yun said, looking down from the balcony.

"Of course," Cassius said, though an odd expression briefly flitted across his face.

Yun wasn't wrong. Shadow Demons were indeed extremely dangerous, with their eerie and unpredictable abilities. If a normal person were possessed, they would be as good as dead. Just like those poor, unfortunate members of the Shadowless Clan, who had banded together in a desperate attempt to save themselves.

Even that was nothing more than a brief delay. Many others who were possessed never even had the chance to join the Shadowless Clan as they died during the initial manifestation of the Shadow Demon. The survival rate was one in a thousand.

Cassius, however, wasn't among those unfortunate souls. The Shadow Demons had their strange and unpredictable abilities, but he possessed an even more mysterious power—his time-travel ability.

Cassius had proven twice now that the Shadow Demon couldn't harm him. As long as he continued to make progress in the time-travel era, there would always be risks, but it was a process he could control. Cassius’s fate was in his own hands.

If he failed to complete the mission tied to the original owner’s lingering attachment, that was his own fault. That set him apart from other possessed individuals fighting for their lives.

Additionally, a person could only host one Shadow Demon at a time. Since Cassius's body was already "occupied," leaving no room for another possession, it forced the other Shadow Demon to resort to physical attacks, bringing the situation back to a simple fight. When it came to battle, Cassius feared no one.

The cold moonlight bathed the balcony as a gentle evening breeze blew. Cassius's shadow stretched long across the courtyard below. Half an hour later, at the entrance of the house, Yun and Cassius bid farewell. They had discussed topics of mutual interest and Cassius had clearly expressed his enthusiasm for the profession of treasure hunting and the various antiques associated with it.

"There's a shop called Old Man's Antique Shop at 125 Yellow Rock Street. My uncle owns the place. I usually spend a couple of months there during the summer. If you need anything, you can find me there."

"Understood." Cassius nodded.

"Then, I'll get going," Yun said as he turned and began walking back the way he came.

As Yun reached the end of the dimly lit alley, the distant sound of an iron gate closing echoed. He remained expressionless as he continued walking. After walking about halfway down a street, Yun slipped into a side alley on the right, which was devoid of streetlights. It was exceptionally dark and no one was outside at that late hour.

Yun's expression grew serious as he reached into his jacket. After a bit of digging, he pulled out a stone from an inner pocket of his adventurer's outfit. The stone was flat and gray, resembling a hornet's nest. Its surface was covered in small, densely packed uneven holes.

"The Night Bugs are stirring… They're excited…" Yun muttered to himself.

Mumbling under his breath, Yun then pulled out a bone whistle from his coat. It looked as though it came from a treasure chest. The whistle was yellowing with age, covered in cracks, and looked ancient and badly damaged. Strangely, it resembled a whistle made from a human finger bone.

In the faint moonlight, Yun leaned against the wall and blew the whistle. A hoarse, hollow sound slowly echoed out. It wasn't sharp like a regular whistle, but rather low and quiet.

If one didn't listen carefully, they wouldn't notice it. However, as the whistle blew, the grayish stone in Yun's palm began to tremble like an agitated beehive. The vibrations continued for a few seconds before stopping.

"Hiss… hiss…"

There were skittering sounds coming from the stone's surface. One by one, transparent insects, much smaller than ants, crawled out of the holes. A twisted mist accompanied them, with each insect releasing a wisp of mysterious vapor.

"They've turned from white to completely transparent. There's something on Cassius that's attracting them and making them extremely excited." Yun's eyes gleamed. He had brought Cassius to the second floor not only to share information but to confirm something.

"How dangerous, but thankfully, the Night Bugs didn't fully emerge from their nest. Otherwise, aside from me, those other four…" Yun shook his head and blew the whistle again, recalling the highly dangerous little insects. He then began walking toward the Old Man's Antique Shop.