The entire containment process was actually very dangerous.
What if his two cellmates had found an opportunity? What if the device had been slow to activate? What if the Blood Crystal Worms had suddenly rushed out? If any of those scenarios had occurred, Xiang Yi could have died right there.
But Xiang Yi felt it was well worth it.
He picked up the container and the generator and continued deeper into the mine shaft, intending to find a place to temporarily stash the container.
From his experience working in the prison these past few days, he knew that if a handheld device like a Mining Gun was damaged in the mine shaft, the prison wouldn't send anyone down to look for it.
So no matter what he did to the Mining Gun, all he had to do was toss it into the depths of the mine shaft afterward, and that would be the end of it. It was extremely convenient.
After stashing the modified Mining Gun and the metal container, Xiang Yi was about to leave the mine shaft.
But before leaving, he suddenly glanced back at the Blood Crystal Worms, which were re-congregating on the corpses.
'Come to think of it, the Blood Crystal Worms I've run into today haven't seemed very active...'
'Could it be...'
Xiang Yi stopped in his tracks and suddenly made a bold decision.
He used a sharp protrusion on the Mining Gun to cut a gash in his own arm, letting the fresh blood drip down.
The Blood Crystal Worms—which form themselves from their own segmented limbs and had been slowly wriggling across the ground and walls—suddenly let out piercing shrieks as if they'd been stimulated. Their activity level instantly shot up a notch.
If the Mind Pulse Generator hadn't still been active, the worms would have definitely lunged at him.
"So that's how it is."
'Now I know why the Blood Crystal Worms were so active last time I was down in the mines. It's because of my blood—the blood of a Spiritual Ability User.'
'He Dong must have discovered this too. That's why he provided me with so much medical care and kept drawing my blood.'
'I just don't know if He Dong can figure out that I'm a Spiritual Ability User, or if he just thinks my blood is special.'
'Hmm... Time to go...'
A few minutes later.
Xiang Yi returned from the depths of the mine shaft to the area where the other prisoners were working.
But he was alone, and there was a conspicuous, bleeding gash on his arm.
The other prisoners seemed to realize something, and a few began to quietly shuffle toward the mine shaft exit.
But as Xiang Yi's gaze swept over them, the few who had started to move instantly froze in place.
These prisoners, each one a hardened criminal on the outside, now averted their gazes, not daring to meet Xiang Yi's eyes, as if they were looking at a ferocious beast.
"The wiring down there is fixed, but I suggest you don't go down for now."
"Any objections?"
Silence. Only the sound of shattered rock from a few active Mining Laser Guns striking the walls echoed through the mine shaft.
"Good."
Xiang Yi walked out of the mine shaft step by step, arrived at the decontamination chamber, and slapped the door twice.
The prison guard saw Xiang Yi at the door and immediately let him through. But Xiang Yi didn't leave right away. Instead, he knocked on the window of the guard's small booth and said, "I found a Blood Crystal Cluster."
"..."
Over ten minutes later.
The prisoners in the mine shaft had been evacuated.
He Dong arrived at the entrance to the mine shaft with several men, pushing the same large metal box Xiang Yi had seen before.
While directing his subordinates to check their equipment, he asked Xiang Yi, "That was fast?"
"It's not about being fast. I'm the one who reported the Blood Crystal Cluster."
He Dong's hands froze.
"You?"
"Yes. I came here to fix the equipment and happened to run into the Blood Crystal Cluster."
"Happened to?"
"Yes, happened to."
He Dong leaned in close to Xiang Yi, his face darkening as he whispered, "Explain. Clearly."
He didn't believe for a second that Xiang Yi had just "happened" to run into a Blood Crystal Cluster. He was certain Xiang Yi had deliberately killed the two men down there.
He didn't care about the dead men. Last time, out of the three Blood Crystal Clusters, they had only managed to snatch one back from the jaws of the Blood Crystal Worms. They were still short on materials.
He just wanted to understand Xiang Yi's reason for doing it.
Xiang Yi sounded slightly aggrieved. He pointed to the freshly treated wound on his arm and said, "I had nothing better to do, so I took the initiative to come fix the equipment in the mine shaft. I just happened to run into some old cellmates, and they weren't very friendly..."
He Dong didn't speak, his expression just grew darker.
Seeing this, Xiang Yi added, "And don't the prison rules say you can get a reduced sentence for this...?"
When he heard that, a flicker of something passed through He Dong's eyes, as if he were considering something.
He suddenly waved his hand dismissively and said, "That's not how the rules work. You can't just take all the credit for yourself."
"I'll let it slide this time. Don't do anything unnecessary. I put you in your current position, and I can send you right back. Understand?"
Xiang Yi replied obediently, "Understood."
"You're in charge of that generator now. Come down with me."
"Got it."
Xiang Yi followed He Dong into the mine shaft, once again arriving near the two corpses in the deepest part of the tunnel.
This time, the group was fully prepared. Even though the Blood Crystal Worms were as active as before, they still successfully contained the Blood Crystal Cluster.
Not only did Xiang Yi observe the entire containment process of the Blood Crystal Cluster, but while "helping" midway through, he "accidentally" bumped into the metal box and scraped off a little bit of metal dust.
Half an hour later, the group returned safely outside the mine shaft.
Upon his return, Xiang Yi was sent back to his room. The access control was locked remotely, putting him in solitary confinement.
Xiang Yi didn't mind. He had already considered the possible consequences when he acted. As long as it didn't affect his ultimate goal, it didn't matter.
This was actually a good opportunity to recover. Modifying the two Mining Guns in the mine shaft had consumed a fair amount of his Spiritual Power.
Xiang Yi flopped directly onto his bed, closed his eyes, and slept until evening.
「During this time.」
He Dong stood for a long time in the room next to Xiang Yi's. He hadn't gone to study the newly contained Blood Crystal Cluster; instead, he was observing Xiang Yi through the one-way glass.
For the past two days, he had been personally conducting all experiments related to Xiang Yi.
Because of this, he had developed a deep curiosity about Xiang Yi.
He was curious why Xiang Yi had such special blood.
He knew that Spiritual Ability Users existed in this world, and he knew that Xiang Yi's blood shared traits with theirs—high cell density and strong activity.
But he also knew that the blood of a normal Spiritual Ability User would definitely have detectable Spiritual Fluctuations.
Xiang Yi's blood had none, so he was most likely not a Spiritual Ability User.
To ensure the accuracy of his tests, he had even prepared a bottle of blood-regenerating medicine for Xiang Yi, specifically so he could draw more blood samples for subsequent research.
And so far, all experimental results proved that Xiang Yi was indeed not a Spiritual Ability User.
'Then why on earth does he have blood like this?'
Just as He Dong was pondering this, the door to the observation room was suddenly pushed open.
"Director He, the warden is looking for you."
He Dong nodded slightly and followed the person to the warden's office.
As soon as he entered the office, He Dong had a good idea of why the warden had summoned him.
"Didn't we agree on five days? There are still two days left."
The warden spread his hands. "Can't be helped. Chairman Liu is pressing the issue again. He's insistent on seeing Xiang Yi dead."
He Dong's expression immediately became troubled.
A few days ago, he might have agreed without a second thought. But after the last few days of research, he was truly reluctant to give up on Xiang Yi. He couldn't part with Xiang Yi's blood.
This time, the warden hadn't come to negotiate with He Dong, but to relay an order. "Chairman Liu has made it clear. He'll be sending someone to inspect later. You figure out what to do."
He Dong left the warden's office, his mind racing.
'Going against the company's Chairman Liu would be taking things too far, and arguing with the warden is pointless. I can only follow the orders from above.'
'There's no other way. I'll wait until tomorrow.'
'Tomorrow, a day early, I'll mix sleeping drugs into Xiang Yi's food or use some other, more effective method. I'll use this final opportunity to conduct some destructive experiments.'
'Perhaps I can determine the nature of Xiang Yi's blood's peculiarities through samples of his spinal fluid and cardiac muscle tissue...'