"Actually, that's not entirely true," Wang Jian said, recalling the sensation from yesterday's rescue. "Although the Yang Soul's method of attack could indeed be categorized as a Spell, I believe it's more like the judgment of a living entity. For example, some kind of unknown Yang Soul might be attached to those artifacts."

This thought seemed far more reasonable, so Wang Jian voiced it. "That thing felt alive to me, not as simple as a Spell."

Hearing this was a bit unsettling for Zhang Haiyuan. It reminded him of that space again, and he couldn't help but ask, "Doctor Wang, are you referring to that dark thing?"

"Exactly, that's the one," Wang Jian said.

Zhang Cheng had also heard from Zhang Haiyuan about that space, so he naturally guessed that Wang Jian's vision from yesterday was related to it as well. But these things were a bit beyond their comprehension, and they didn't quite know how to respond.

Wang Jian was aware of this, so he explained, "Actually, I saved Zhang Haiyuan last night by having my Yang Soul leave my body. 'Yang Soul' is a Taoist term; strictly speaking, it's a person's soul. That thing specifically targets the soul, which is why there are no visible external injuries. Without such means, it's basically impossible to save someone."

Zhang Haiyuan felt a wave of residual fear. "Just thinking about that black mass gives me the chills."

"Then those artifacts..." A sudden worry for the experts managing them crossed Zhang Cheng's mind. "I should call and check on them."

Wang Jian nodded, watching Zhang Cheng leave before asking Zhang Haiyuan, "What dynasty are those artifacts from?"

"The experts have only taken a cursory look and haven't determined the exact dynasty yet. However, they can confirm the artifacts are from before the Ming Dynasty, possibly even from the pre-Qin period. This is because it's a tomb of the Han people, and the style of the implements is characteristic of the Qin Dynasty," Zhang Haiyuan said. "But what's strange is that the artifacts contain no information about the tomb's owner. Even the tomb door we found had no markings whatsoever, which is highly unusual. It's as if the owner didn't want outsiders to know who they were. That's why we can't pin down a specific period for now."

This was indeed strange. Normally, people want to leave their name behind in the world after death, and they place great importance on their tombs. They always leave some kind of mark. Otherwise, it would become an unmarked grave. This tomb was by no means small, so for the burial chamber to lack any name was completely illogical.

Xu Changqing suddenly interjected, "Perhaps the tomb's owner simply had a different way of leaving their name."

"Exactly," Wang Jian said. "It may be some sort of code that only their kind can recognize."

In his heart, he suspected they were most likely Yang Soul Cultivators from the pre-Qin period. Only people from that era could possess such a powerful Yang Soul Realm, enabling the protective enchantments on the artifacts to remain harmful after so many years. He couldn't even begin to imagine just how formidable those people must have been. He was even more curious; if such a powerful group existed, how could they simply disappear in the torrent of history? If they hadn't vanished, then where had they gone? Countless new questions filled Wang Jian's mind.

"If that's the case..." Zhang Haiyuan agreed that it made sense. He moved to the side, pulled out his phone, and requested the data and photos for that batch of artifacts from his team. "Doctor Wang, here are the files on the artifacts and the tomb. Take a look. Maybe you can make out some of the markings."

Talk about getting a pillow just when you're getting sleepy. It seemed his explanations hadn't been in vain.

Wang Jian asked with feigned casualness, his hand already reaching out, "Would this be breaking the rules?"

Zhang Haiyuan smiled. "Not at all. After these artifacts are identified, they will be put in a museum and become public, so it's not a secret."

"Then I won't stand on ceremony."

Wang Jian immediately started looking through the files. The batch of artifacts consisted mainly of vessels, bronze tripods, and the like. Each artifact had its own set of photos, with clear shots of the item as a whole, as well as close-ups of its specific parts and decorative patterns.

Unfortunately, the pictures mostly showed ordinary vessels with nothing particularly special about them.

Wang Jian said, "It seems I can't figure out the identity of this tomb's owner either."

Zhang Haiyuan wasn't surprised. "Even the experts can't determine their origin, so it's no surprise that you can't either. But this is the first time a tomb of this type has appeared in the country. The last time we found something this strange was Sanxingdui. One expert theorized that this type of burial is part of a series representing a specific group. While not as significant as Sanxingdui, which represents an entire civilization, figuring out who these people were could help complete another piece of the puzzle of our Huaxia Civilization."

Hearing this, an idea sparked in Wang Jian's mind. He thought of the tomb in the mountains. He was certain he couldn't open it by himself; it would require professionals.

With this in mind, Wang Jian finally spoke up. "Actually... a few days ago, deep in these mountains, I also discovered a large, nameless tomb. Its entrance was just a single Stone Gate."

Zhang Haiyuan was stunned. "How did you find it?"

Wang Jian chuckled. "My Yang Soul can leave my body and roam for vast distances at night. I just happened to stumble upon it while taking a stroll through the deep mountains." He didn't mention the strange summoning incident.

"Do you have the specific location?" Zhang Haiyuan hadn't expected such an unexpected windfall. "Those experts would be thrilled to hear about this."

"Of course, I have the location," Wang Jian said slowly, "but this tomb isn't as simple as you think."

"When my Yang Soul leaves my body, I'm more or less like a ghost; passing through walls is a basic ability. But I couldn't enter that tomb. All I saw was a Stone Gate, so I have no idea what's inside. It's highly likely to be even more dangerous than the one the Tomb Robbers found. The traps on the artifacts you encountered were nearly depleted, but the one I found is still perfectly intact. The fact that it could stop me proves just how extraordinary it is."

Zhang Haiyuan processed this. He had to agree. Having experienced Wang Jian's mysterious abilities firsthand, he understood the implications of something being able to resist that kind of power.

"Does that mean if the experts go in, they won't come out alive?"

Zhang Haiyuan looked at Wang Jian and asked tentatively, "And you wouldn't be able to save them?"

"Uh..." Wang Jian considered for a moment. "I can't even get past a dead person's Stone Gate. What makes you think I could save anyone inside?"

Zhang Haiyuan gave a bitter smile. Wang Jian had a point.

Seeing that the time was right, Wang Jian continued, "Here's my proposal: if you're serious about an archaeological survey, let me go in first. With my abilities, I can at least protect myself. Otherwise, if your people go in, they might not even be able to spot the dangers."

"I can't make that decision myself; I'll have to report it up the chain." Zhang Haiyuan made a move to report it on his phone, then asked casually, "By the way, how big is the tomb?"

Wang Jian recalled for a moment before replying, "An area covering at least half the mountain is inaccessible to me."

"What the hell?"