Corpse Recovery Diver-Chapter 1259 - 230: The True Cage

As the cloud wall opened, darkness poured down as if a dam had burst.

At this moment, everyone passively endured this impact; this darkness caused no tangible harm but seemed capable of isolating you from this world.

Your shouts, your calls, could not attract the attention of those nearby, and even you yourself began to feel a vague disconnect from your existence—a state of unprecedented loneliness and exile.

Li Zhiyuan was striving for self-restraint, attempting to reconcile his consciousness and body.

In Taoist terms, it was like forcing his Primordial Spirit, which had been displaced, to return.

Bear in mind, this is before actually entering; just the leakage from the edge of the darkness has this intense effect. When truly inside, it's feared your entire perception will be completely suppressed and buried under this terrifying oppression.

This is the true cage.

No bars, no cell, yet you are trapped infinitely.

Li Zhiyuan finally shook off this influence and regained clarity.

His will was inherently firmer than most, and now as a Heart Demon, if he couldn't clear his existence, how could he counterattack and suppress the Body?

The young man turned towards his companions by his side; they were mostly in a state of numbness.

As for Tan Wenbin, his expression seemed more lively; unsurprisingly, he should be the next to adapt and wake up after himself.

Because after each overdraft, others faced physical restoration issues, while Tan Wenbin was self-awareness restoration. Even though his two child spirits held no malice, the pressure he endured made every use of the Ghost Control Skill akin to being "borrowed for reincarnation."

Repeatedly hovering in the void of self-recognition "Who am I," instead ironically trained him to have a stronger self-awareness.

This kind of training is not easily replicated by others, for few ghosts can resist the temptation of "living again," even if they manage once, not twice repeatedly.

The two child spirits were sitting on his shoulders, one on each side, clinging to Tan Wenbin's neck, trying arduously to invoke him.

Eventually, Tan Wenbin surfaced as if a drowning man, gasping for air and woke up.

He first looked towards Brother Xiao Yuan and seeing Brother Xiao Yuan watching him, greeted proactively:

"Brother Xiao Yuan... Brother Xiao Yuan..."

The voice sounded like speaking underwater, a "glug-glug-glug" resonating in the ears.

In fact, he said quite a lot after calling out but was unsure of what he'd said, feeling quite anxious.

Li Zhiyuan nodded at Tan Wenbin.

In Tan Wenbin's eyes, the gesture seemed to blur into afterimages.

In such an environment, finding oneself is already no easy feat; don't even think of changing the environment.

Li Zhiyuan looked at the others.

Tan Wenbin began trying to invoke Run Sheng and Yin Meng beside him.

No matter how he shouted, Run Sheng and Yin Meng just stood there side by side, stiff and awkward like taking a photo for the first time, wholly constrained, unmoving under the photographer's prompts and clueless how to move.

Lin Shuyou's eyelids slightly puffed, trying hard yet subtly, then they deflated.

Li Zhiyuan noticed this detail, aware the child had done its utmost.

Previously, the young man was never satisfied with the child's work attitude, dragging it down for threats and reprimands several times, but since coming here, the young man hadn't expressed any dissatisfaction with the child.

Considering from an empathetic standpoint, truthfully, the child's performance this time had no faults.

For now, it seemed that Run Sheng, Yin Meng, and Lin Shuyou couldn't wake up by themselves.

Li Zhiyuan dared not unleash his Red Line because everyone's self-awareness was currently suppressed, requiring unconditional acceptance for connection. Attempting now was doomed to fail and encounter severe backlash.

Looking again at the monkey, it stood there like a translucent statue.

The cloud wall was opened by it, thus it stiffened the earliest. As things stood, it remained bewildered, showing no sign of awakening.

Thus, this place isn't suited as a trap because upon opening it, the impact on you exceeds that on your set prey, rendering the trap futile.

However, shortly thereafter, a light appeared in the darkness inside the cloud wall.

When ignited, the darkness receded significantly, the pressure enveloping everyone lightened consequently.

Tan Wenbin felt a sense of relief, opened his mouth, and began singing: "Sister, you sit at the prow~ Brother walks ashore..."

He had been strenuously expressing, finally being able to "hear clearly" what he sang.

The stiff and numb expressions on Run Sheng, Yin Meng, and Lin Shuyou finally shifted.

Instinctively, Run Sheng grabbed the Yellow River Shovel but saw no enemies around, knowing the monkey was a phantom, the shovel unable to hit it.

Upon waking, Lin Shuyou initially knelt on the ground, the emotional reaction from the child affecting him once more, but soon stood back up.

With Brother Xiao Yuan's reminder on the bridge, Ah You was attempting to delineate boundaries with the child, beneficial for both.

"Squeak-squeak-squeak-squeak!"

The monkey closest to the lamp was last to wake.

Turning back, it looked at everyone behind and laughed, "See how formidable it is here; we haven't really entered yet."

These words seemed spoken to rescue its dignity intentionally.