"As we discussed, I'll go in first."

Wang Jian had already arranged with Zhang Haiyuan that he would enter first to maximize their safety. Liang Bo was aware of this plan. However, Liang Bo's students and the other archaeological personnel were not, so when Wang Jian finished speaking, Xiao Cao and the others looked at him with strange expressions.

"Doctor Wang," Xiao Cao said, "it's best to leave professional matters to the professionals."

The others chimed in, "Let Xiao Cao go first. If there are any mechanisms inside, he can detect them in advance."

"That's right! Doctor Wang, you've already led us this far. How could we let you scout ahead for us? This place isn't like the mountain path. If something were to happen to you, we couldn't bear the responsibility."

"Exactly."

A surprising number of them agreed. Even Liang Bo hadn't expected this and looked at Wang Jian and Zhang Haiyuan apologetically.

But Wang Jian didn't believe for a second that Liang Bo was unaware of his students' intentions. Neither did Zhang Haiyuan.

The expressions on both men soured. The only reason they wanted Wang Jian to enter first was for the safety of these so-called experts. Now, they were being overruled by the very people they were trying to protect.

Wang Jian glanced at the group, took a step back, and yielded the entrance to the cave. "Don't say I didn't warn you. This place is different from anywhere you've been before. There might be indescribable poisons and curses, and when the time comes, I might not be able to save you."

His initial advice had stemmed from his responsibility as a doctor. With this final warning, Wang Jian felt he had done everything he possibly could. If this group still refused to listen, then whatever happened next wasn't on him.

Zhang Haiyuan also spoke up for him. "Doctor Wang is not being an alarmist. I advise you to listen to him." His tone was much more direct and harsh.

But this only made Xiao Cao and the others more dismissive. "You can rest assured. We aren't amateurs."

Their words carried a hint of disdain for Tomb Robbers.

Zhang Haiyuan scoffed inwardly. He was beginning to understand what these experts were really like. The group of Tomb Robbers he had been investigating were anything but unskilled. Otherwise, they wouldn't have had the means to open another tomb, much less find channels to smuggle the artifacts abroad. Those people had real, hard-earned skills. In contrast, these experts before him... their theoretical knowledge might be vast, but their practical abilities were far inferior. One side had experience forged among corpses, while the other had knowledge learned from textbooks. It was obvious who was superior.

Realizing this, Zhang Haiyuan decided it was pointless to argue further. He glanced at Wang Jian, saw the same sentiment reflected in his eyes, and the two of them tacitly fell silent and stepped aside.

Seeing this, Xiao Cao and his companions flashed victorious smiles. Only Liang Bo looked unhappy, as he had specifically told them not to act on their own authority. He hadn't agreed to this, but he was in no position to object now. All he could say was, "Be careful when you go in."

As their teacher, he couldn't let his students enter alone. Emotionally and logically, as their elder, it was his duty to shield them from trouble. So, while he had no intention of wading into these muddy waters, he now had no choice. With that, he led the way inside.

Wang Jian and Zhang Haiyuan stood a few meters away, admiring the stalactites as they watched the group of "Archaeological Experts" file into the cave.

"Do you think they'll run into trouble?" Zhang Haiyuan asked in a low voice. "These students just seem to be here to pad their resumes. I don't know what the higher-ups were thinking, sending a group like this. Didn't the state of those Tomb Robbers raise any alarms for them?"

"That's not how they see it," Wang Jian said. "In any case, we've warned them. If something happens, it's not our responsibility. And let me tell you, this situation is different from last time. I feel that whatever is inside here is still perfectly intact, completely unlike the trace amounts stuck to the relics we found before."

"And," Wang Jian chuckled, "the higher-ups probably don't believe your report. After all, it sounds like superstitious nonsense. To be fair, if you hadn't seen it with your own eyes, I doubt you would have believed it either."

Zhang Haiyuan paused, reflecting. He had to admit Wang Jian was right. If he hadn't personally witnessed Wang Jian's Yang Soul leave his body, he would never have believed such power existed in the world.

So you really couldn't blame these experts...

Zhang Haiyuan sighed. "So what do we do? Just watch them walk to their deaths?"

He muttered to himself, "If they were Tomb Robbers, that would be one thing, but they're just students. I can't just stand by and watch them go to their deaths."

Hearing this, Wang Jian rolled his eyes. "I know what you're getting at. You want me to keep an eye on them."

Zhang Haiyuan gave a knowing chuckle. He knew Wang Jian was a man who listened to reason.

"Do you know why I left Beijing in the first place?" Wang Jian asked, annoyed.

Zhang Haiyuan deliberately teased him. "Wasn't it because you offended someone and couldn't make it there anymore?"

Wang Jian was speechless but could see the playful glint in Zhang Haiyuan's eyes. "I just can't stand you bureaucrats who aren't pragmatic."

Zhang Haiyuan just shrugged, his nonchalant, 'it's-none-of-my-business' attitude truly punchable.

"I'll give it a try," Wang Jian relented. He didn't yet possess the ability to day-walk, so letting his soul leave his body was risky. He could only test the waters for now. If it weren't for the unique nature of these ruins, he wouldn't have even considered it.

"Watch my body for me."

After speaking, he leaned against a stalactite and his body instantly went limp. Zhang Haiyuan reacted swiftly, catching him. To the startled onlookers, he could only explain that Doctor Wang was exhausted.

Meanwhile, after his Yang Soul left his body, Wang Jian braced himself for being scorched by the ambient Yang energy. To his surprise, there was none inside the cave. It was as if it were its own self-contained world.

My curiosity about what lies within these ruins is growing stronger. I initially assumed it was just a burial chamber and didn't give it much thought. But now, it seems this place was specifically designed for a Yang Soul. It's not only shielded from the external cycle of Yin and Yang but also blocks other Yang Souls from entering. It's a true paradise, a blessed land for Cultivation. 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝙚𝔀𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝒐𝒎

Wang Jian watched Zhang Haiyuan get his physical body settled, then his soul drifted into the narrow passage. Halfway through, he distinctly felt the same force that had blocked him before, making it nearly impossible for his Yang Soul to proceed.

Just as he was about to retreat, the summoning sensation from within the ruins intensified. A suction force suddenly erupted from the invisible barrier, and before he could react, he was pulled through and found himself inside the ruins.

The moment he entered, his Yang Soul felt the exhilarating freedom of a fish returning to water. This sensation further confirmed his theory about the place—it was indeed perfectly suited for a Yang Soul.

I can't let that group damage this place. If its unique properties are destroyed, it would be a tremendous loss.