Spiritual power, as a form of soul force, is stored in the Spirit Power Origin Sea within the brain. If one's own Spirit Power Origin Sea is strong enough, forcibly invading someone else's Spirit Power Origin Sea to absorb their spiritual power or forcibly stripping it away is indeed feasible. However, this method inflicts irreversible and destructive harm on the invaded individual. In their world, forcibly intruding and absorbing or stripping away someone else's spiritual power is one of the most heinous spiritual crimes.
If we were to liken the act of forcibly merging one's spiritual power with another's to rape, then forcibly invading and absorbing or stripping away their spiritual power would be akin to burglary followed by murder... During the segment where everyone perished together, the male protagonists had just "upgraded" their abilities, which means they had only recently awakened to their spiritual powers. Their Spirit Power Origin Seas were still fragile and unstable, with defensive capabilities comparable to that of infants. Forcibly intruding into the minds of infants and stripping away their spiritual power, and doing so to six of them at once... It's equivalent to a death sentence repeated ten thousand times. So, who is the person awakened to spiritual power and assisting the protagonist from behind the scenes?
Ye Zhizhou opened three different sets of plot data and began studying them meticulously.
Someone who can assist the protagonist and earn his trust must be someone very familiar to him. Considering that the protagonist had been linked to the supernatural organization from a young age, the person behind him should have known him since childhood.
Someone who had stayed by the protagonist's side since childhood... Chang Yao? He was momentarily taken aback by the name that popped into his mind but quickly dismissed it. The scan results from Tongtian couldn't be wrong; Chang Yao was currently in a state where his spiritual power hadn't awakened yet, so it couldn't be him. Then who else, someone who had been with the protagonist from a young age and could earn his trust? All three sets of data stopped at a specific plot point—after the protagonist became a vegetable, his mother took the medical fees from the Qin family and ran away.
Running away with the money and never appearing again, even when the protagonist later became successful in opening a shop in City B and gained worldwide fame... even when the news of his death and involvement with the supernatural organization became widely known. He hurriedly flipped through the data again, his brows furrowing further.
The protagonist's mother was named Jiang Susu, an orphan with an ordinary appearance and an ordinary life. The only unusual aspect was that at the age of twenty, she had a relationship with the intoxicated Qin father, resulting in the birth of the protagonist. After giving birth, she didn't cause any trouble for the Qin family; she just sent a message through someone, saying she had given birth to their grandson and wanted money to raise the child. Since Jiang Susu seemed relatively peaceful, the Qin family gave her the money without further issues. Ten years later, Jiang Susu suddenly moved and became neighbors with Chang Yao's family, who had just moved to City B. She claimed she moved to provide a better education for her child...
For the first twenty years, she was an independent and loving mother, but when the protagonist encountered his mishap, she turned into an unfeeling and money-grabbing stereotype. He couldn't believe he hadn't noticed this blatant issue when initially reviewing the plot data. Moreover, the segment where Jiang Susu had a relationship with the Qin father seemed too coincidental, as if she knew he was going to get drunk and intentionally waited on the wrong floor like a trap... Could it be that the precognition ability didn't belong to the protagonist but to Jiang Susu? No, the protagonist had stated during his call with the supernatural organization that his precognition and soul vision were infallible... Could it be that both Jiang Susu and the protagonist possessed precognitive abilities? Could these abilities be inherited?
If everything Jiang Susu did was premeditated, and if there was a chance of inheriting supernatural abilities, then her actions with the intoxicated Qin father appeared suspicious. If the protagonist's precognition ability was inherited from Jiang Susu, could his other ability, soul vision, have been inherited from the Qin father? Thinking about Qin Shuhou's fate... perhaps he also inherited the soul vision ability but remained unaware of it, and the protagonist, to ensure that no one else with the same abilities existed in the world, decided to destroy the Qin family...
If Jiang Susu was indeed the person behind the protagonist who had awakened to spiritual power, then this woman's strength was truly formidable—spiritual power combined with supernatural abilities... Wait, what if precognition wasn't a supernatural ability but a bias towards spiritual power awakening? In that case, could the protagonist also...
He suddenly covered his face and slumped in his chair, hitting his own head. He had scanned the male protagonists so many times and even checked the state of the protagonist's soul, but he had forgotten to scan the protagonist's physical condition! Whenever the protagonist used his supernatural abilities, the system would give a reminder, and he had simply assumed that the protagonist possessed supernatural powers... Could it be that supernatural abilities and spiritual power could coexist?
"What are you doing?" His hand was grabbed, and then he felt a tight embrace as he was held in familiar arms.
Ye Zhizhou came back to his senses and glanced at his lover's dark face. He looked like a dead fish as he turned his gaze toward the window, speaking lifelessly, "I'm trying to save my stupid brain... How could I have overlooked something so important..."
Gu Yi frowned and touched his forehead. "Are you running a fever?"
Ye Zhizhou pulled down his hand, feeling like crying. The once "golden thigh" had turned into a caregiver, oh, how he missed the days when he could just lie around like a useless person...
According to the plot, the protagonist had only "just" discovered his supernatural abilities at this point, so he hadn't immediately gone to the gemstone gambling event in Y Province. Instead, he had spent some time searching for valuable stones in small stores outside.
Ye Zhizhou tracked down the protagonist's location based on a hidden software installed on the protagonist's phone and quietly activated the system scanning function.
[Scan complete. Healthy body, no hidden illnesses. Abnormal energy fluctuations detected in the brain, showing initial signs of spiritual power awakening. Suitable elixirs: Corrosion Elixir, Premium Soul Fragmentation Elixir, Premium Thousand Poisons Elixir, Premium Body and Soul Separation Elixir, Premium...]
They've all shown signs of initial awakening... Ye Zhizhou sighed deeply while holding a glass bead in his pocket. "Tongtian, those names of elixirs... are you trying to get me kicked out by the heavens?"
The glass bead rolled in his hand, and the screen reappeared with, [Please remain calm, Host, and focus on the task.]
"..." Who's the one not staying calm here?
Turning off the screen again, he tugged at Gu Yi next to him and whispered in a low voice, "When we go in, I'll point to the stone you should buy. Remember, it's you buying it, not me. Got it?"
Gu Yi withdrew his gaze from examining Qin Bai and Chang Yao, nodding.
The two of them entered the store, and Ye Zhizhou acted perfectly like a naive cousin, chattering away. Gu Yi, on the other hand, maintained a tense expression, selecting stones with his head down and completely ignoring the protagonist's suspicious glances.
"It went up! It really went up!" Suddenly, the master stonecutter at the store's entrance shouted, attracting the attention of many passersby.
Chang Yao was delighted. "Xiao Bai, you're really lucky; it actually went up!"
Qin Bai withdrew his gaze from observing Gu Yi and dispelled his doubts, looking genuinely content. "As they say, when you've survived a big ordeal, good fortune follows. Perhaps the heavens saw me suffer so much in that car accident and decided to compensate me a little here."
"In that case, young man, you've invested well!" The stonecutter poured some water onto the cut surface and pointed at it, saying, "Look at this water quality; young man, your initial investment could multiply several times."
Gemstone gambling was akin to gambling, and the feeling of winning was truly mesmerizing. At least, Chang Yao was captivated by it.
"Xiao Bai, how did you choose this stone just now? Haha, now you won't have to worry about the subsequent medical and tuition fees."
Chang Yao, like a child, was thrilled, and he took out a receipt from his pocket, crumpled it up, and tossed it into the trash. "Xiao Bai, you don't need to take a leave of absence; we can graduate together!"
Qin Bai hurriedly smiled and grabbed him. "Alright, alright, everyone's watching us. Let's keep a low profile."
Chang Yao blushed with embarrassment at his words, smiled at the people around, and then eagerly approached the stone-cutting machine, excitedly asking the stonecutter.
Ye Zhizhou withdrew his gaze from his scrutiny, casually pointing at another stone, lost in thought. Chang Yao... why does he seem a bit foolish now? According to the original plot data, this guy was a top student, and he followed the stable and melancholic path in his love life. How come now... is it because he didn't get the stimulation of going abroad and the protagonist's disappearance, and then the car accident and the subsequent scholarship experience... Come to think of it, Chang Yao's entire growth seemed to be because of the protagonist. No wonder his feelings for the protagonist changed, and a person can change their life experiences and personality for someone... combined with the protagonist's guidance...
"Still buying?"
Gu Yi's question interrupted his thoughts. Ye Zhizhou scanned the several stones he had selected earlier, nodded, and said yes. These were the stones the protagonist could currently afford, and they contained good-quality jadeite. Buy, buy, buy, they must buy, and they must cut out a piece even better than the one the protagonist was going to carve right on the spot!
So, the second stone-cutting machine at the store entrance was switched on.
The protagonist's stone had already entered the fine grinding stage, which was quite tedious and boring. When the onlookers noticed some activity on this side, they gathered around.
Guided by Ye Zhizhou, Gu Yi personally stepped forward to draw lines on the stone. The master stonecutter then swiftly cut along the lines, removed the fragments, poured some water, and exclaimed, "It's gone up! It's gone up on this side too!"
The crowd began to gather, including Chang Yao. Qin Bai, on the other hand, focused his attention on Gu Yi for a while, recalling his identity as a jewelry merchant. He dispelled his doubts once again. Clairvoyance wouldn't make a mistake, and Gu Yi definitely didn't have any abilities like X-ray vision. This time, the rise in cutting should be due to luck. After all, he was a jewelry expert, so it was normal for him to be good at gemstone gambling.
After more than twenty minutes, both pieces of jadeite were miraculously revealed at the same time.
"Not bad, not bad. Young man, although your stone has some flaws, you can still sell it for tens of thousands."
"Hey, ice-type, the color is so transparent. If you find a skilled craftsman to make it into a pendant or a ring face, it could sell for over a hundred or even two hundred thousand. Congratulations to the customer!"
The voices of the two stonecutters rang out simultaneously, and there was a strange silence in the surroundings for a moment. Clearly, both stones had gone up, which was a cause for celebration, but the onlookers felt a bit awkward and subtle.
Chang Yao nervously scratched his head. "Um, they are really lucky. Haha."
Qin Bai furrowed his brow. To avoid appearing too extraordinary, he deliberately chose a stone with some flaws, intending to create an image of being lucky first and then gradually reveal his "talent" for gemstone gambling, establishing his reputation. But now... he glanced at the other stones that Gu Yi had bought, feeling puzzled and annoyed. This guy had an excellent eye for stones and happened to buy the ones he wanted. The atmosphere around him was strange, so he quickly sold the stones and, not in a very good mood, dragged Chang Yao to other stores. The stones that could be picked out in this store were already gone; they needed to move on to the next one.
Ye Zhizhou, who had been monitoring the protagonist's movements, tugged at Gu Yi's sleeve, rented a small trolley to collect the other stones he had purchased, found an inconspicuous spot to store them in his space, returned the trolley, and leisurely walked towards the second store where the protagonist was heading.
This time, Qin Bai had just started selecting stones for a short while when Ye Zhizhou intentionally chose two stones without jadeite in front of him. Then, he put on a silly and innocent expression, calling out "cousin" to pick a stone. As a result, "cousin" casually selected a good stone with jadeite.
Qin Bai furrowed his brow again, considering for a moment before deciding not to pretend anymore. He turned around and chose a stone that he had initially seen through.
Chang Yao was a little worried. "Xiao Bai, luck is unpredictable. We just made enough money selling the stones for you to finish university. Shouldn't we stop gambling? What if we lose..."
"It won't happen." Qin Bai, distracted by Gu Yi and Ye Zhizhou on the other side, had a somewhat perfunctory attitude. "It will go up; trust me."
Chang Yao wanted to persuade him further, but Qin Bai didn't want to listen anymore. He directly took the stone and went to the store entrance to have it cut.
A few minutes later, news of the rise in cutting came again. Ye Zhizhou smiled slightly upon hearing this and called Gu Yi over to sweep away all the stones that the protagonist's funds could buy, then left with the stones.
For the second time, he returned the trolley, kept an eye on the protagonist's movements, and entered the third store along with him. He activated the system's interference function, then deliberately spoke loudly, saying, "I shouldn't have bought the second batch of stones. Cousin, how could they cut so poorly? I've lost tens of thousands."
"No worries, cousin has money," Gu Yi played the role of a rich man, patting his head in a "gentle" manner. "You can lose as much as you want."
Ye Zhizhou's scalp tingled, and he didn't dare to call him cousin anymore. He obediently chose a stone.
Qin Bai, upon seeing them come in, felt quite unlucky and was afraid that they would once again sweep away all the stones. He quickly used his X-ray vision to find a suitable stone, called the shopkeeper, and was ready to pay. Chang Yao tried to stop him, with a disapproving look on his face. "Xiao Bai, gambling is still gambling. You're getting addicted."
"I have control, don't worry. I won't lose. Look, this one has gone up too." Qin Bai shook off his hand and paid the bill, adopting an even more perfunctory attitude.
Chang Yao looked at his hand that had been shaken off, then at Qin Bai's seemingly calm but actually fanatical eyes, and furrowed his brow deeply.
Ye Zhizhou also casually picked a stone without jadeite and bought it, then stood side by side with the protagonist to cut the stones.
"Ah, it's gone bad..." The stonecutter put down his tools, shaking his head regretfully.
Qin Bai, unable to believe it, reached out to move some of the broken stones, feeling excited. "How is it possible? There were clearly stones inside. I saw... How could the stone I bought collapse?"
The stonecutter, having seen many customers like the protagonist who became emotionally charged after their stones collapsed, just shook his head and moved on to the next customer's stone, focusing on cutting it. A new customer approached, and the protagonist was squeezed out of the circle. Chang Yao hurriedly comforted him, saying, "If it's collapsed, it's collapsed. Let's just pretend it didn't go up in the first place. Let's go back; your mood swings like this aren't suitable for recovery."
"It's impossible." Qin Bai was still immersed in the shock of losing his ability. His eye color quickly darkened, and he was about to run to the fourth store. "It must have been a mistake. It's okay; let's go cut another one."
"Xiao Bai, don't go."
"It's just a mistake, Chang Yao. Don't you trust me? Don't worry; it'll go up." He was eager to confirm whether his ability had really failed. This was his last card, and if it failed... No! It couldn't happen!
Ye Zhizhou held a small stone and passed by Gu Yi, wearing a pained expression. "It collapsed again, Cousin. You work hard for your money. Let's not cut anymore. Besides, gemstone gambling isn't a good idea. It feels just like gambling, and once you're trapped, it's hard to get out."
Gu Yi "indulgently" patted his shoulder. "Then don't buy anymore. Just watch me buy. You can buy when we go to the gemstone gambling club later. There are more stones inside, and the quality is better. They're less likely to collapse."
"Alright... I'll give it another try. Sigh, I've spent all the hundreds of thousands of pocket money you gave me in an instant."
As the two walked away, Chang Yao had mixed feelings. He grabbed Qin Bai and urged him with increasing earnestness. "Look, even rich kids from wealthy families know that gambling is bad and shouldn't become an obsession. Xiao Bai, you're going through a difficult time right now. Medical expenses, living expenses, and the tuition for the next few years, plus Auntie is missing... Just calm down. Let's not gamble, okay?"
Qin Bai finally regained a bit of rationality. Although he was still anxious, he realized he needed to consider Chang Yao's feelings. He nodded, pretending to listen to advice, and said, "Alright, I'm sorry. I acted impulsively today."
"It's okay." Chang Yao breathed a sigh of relief and hurriedly pulled him away from the street where they were selling stones, trying to appear cheerful as he changed the subject. "Shall we go somewhere else? Are you hungry? Let's go eat?"
Several hours later, the protagonist appeared alone on the street where raw stones were sold, starting a crazy spree of gemstone gambling. However, after initially winning every bet, his ability once again failed, and he began losing continuously. Chang Yao rushed over, shocked and disappointed to see Qin Bai, who was already carrying him on his back, returning to gamble. He tried to pull him away. Qin Bai, who had just lost again and was increasingly emotionally unstable, couldn't listen to Chang Yao's advice. They even started arguing, and it was only after the store owner came out to pacify them that they calmed down.
As night fell, everyone went their separate ways.
The next day, the protagonist went to the gemstone gambling club with Chang Yao.
Coincidentally, Ye Zhizhou ran into Chang Yao, who was in a state of anxiety, at the entrance of the venue. He stopped and asked in confusion, "Hey, isn't this the young man who gambled stones with us at the same store yesterday? What are you doing here? Where's your companion?"
Chang Yao's eyes lit up when he saw him, and he remembered the conversation he overheard yesterday between the rich guys. He eagerly rushed over and said, "My companion is inside the club, but I can't get in. Are you... are you going into the club? Can you take me with you?"
"Your companion didn't bring you in? The entry invitation for this club starts at 500,000. Obviously, you can bring an additional companion. Your friend must have a card, right?" Ye Zhizhou feigned surprise and then generously said, "Coincidentally, my cousin and I both have cards. Come with us; I'll take you in."
Chang Yao looked shocked. "Five... five hundred thousand? Isn't this an invitation card provided by the hotel?"
"How is that possible? You saw it yourself yesterday. The transactions involved in gemstone gambling are significant, and the items traded are valuable. How could entry qualifications be given away so easily? They all require payment." Ye Zhizhou explained considerately and then became even more puzzled. "Wait a minute, didn't I hear you mention yesterday that your friend was going through some financial difficulties recently? With entry invitations starting at 500,000, how did he manage to get a card? Did someone bring him in? If he was brought in by someone, then indeed, you can't go in together because one card can only admit one person."
"No, it's his own card... As for where he got the money for the card..." Chang Yao's face shifted from shock to sadness and dejection. Then, he forced a bitter smile and said, "That's something I'd like to know... What is Xiao Bai really up to..."