However, just as Ye Hao finished speaking, Xue Zhaolong, Zhuorong Town, and Lu Yunsong seemed to hear someone calling them from out of nowhere...

Ye Hao turned around and, seeing the three of them frowning and standing in place, asked in confusion, "What's wrong with you all?"

Xue Zhaolong was the first to snap out of it and told Ye Hao about the voice he heard, "Boss! I think I heard a voice summoning me."

At this point, Zhuorong Town looked at Xue Zhaolong in confusion and asked, "You heard it too? I heard it as well, and the voice doesn't seem quite real, yet it's as if it sounds in our minds."

Just as Zhuorong Town finished speaking, Lu Yunsong also asked in confusion, "Did you really hear it? Why do I feel like there's a voice calling me too?"

Upon hearing this, Ye Hao's gaze sharpened, signaling Zheng Guang to stay alert, and he used his hands to prevent the three of them from approaching.

Tao Feng and Flying Fish merely looked on in confusion; they didn't hear anything.

Ye Hao secretly wondered if there might be a Soul Body trying to invade their minds.

"Long, Zhen, Song, you must keep your minds clear at all times, entertain no thoughts. If you sense anything unknown entering your mind, remember to shout for me," Ye Hao said while retreating.

Seeing Ye Hao's serious expression, Zheng Guang also stepped forward to help block the three of them.

Because among those present, only Xue Zhaolong, Zhuorong Town, and Lu Yunsong heard the voice, while the others did not.

"Got it, boss." The three of them, Lu Yunsong, responded to Ye Hao's words by circulating their Inner Breath to keep their minds clear.

Yet the clearer their minds became, the more distinct the voice, as if someone stood right in front of them speaking. This sensation was so mysterious that it nearly made them think someone was indeed speaking to them.

Ye Hao guided them back a hundred meters, and only then did the voice in their minds begin to fade.

In the passage a hundred meters away, the three suddenly found the voice had disappeared, leaving them with a sense of loss after its disappearance.

They were bewildered by this, for though they were initially quite afraid of the voice, its absence left them feeling dejected instead.

Seeing the loss written all over their faces, Ye Hao turned around and asked, "What happened?"

Xue Zhaolong shook his head listlessly and said, "Boss, I feel like that voice is somehow connected to us. Otherwise, why would only the three of us hear it, and not anyone else? Moreover, I feel more comfortable the closer I get to that voice. Yet once it disappears, it feels as though something belonging to me has been lost."

Upon hearing this, Zhuorong Town nodded in agreement, "I have the same feeling. At this position, I can't hear anything calling me anymore, but it feels connected to me."

"I feel so lost," Lu Yunsong shook his head, baffled as to why hearing those voices was so exciting, yet leaving them caused such a sense of dejection.

Hearing this, Ye Hao furrowed his brow and asked Zheng Guang, "Elder Zheng, have you ever heard of anything like this?"

Zheng Guang shook his head immediately, "Never heard of it, and such phenomena might not even be real. It could be an illusion, or perhaps it's caused by the weather or wind from the earth's core, making them think they're being summoned."

"But that doesn't make sense either! According to what you said, why would they feel dejected? Why would they feel excited once they approach that kind of voice?" Ye Hao asked, furrowing his brow.

"Boss, could it be that some demons and spirits are at work?" Flying Fish's body trembled slightly; even though he was a National Martial Arts eighth dan, he still felt rather scared of these unknown things.

"Boss, perhaps what Flying Fish said might be right. After all, the underground palace has existed for so many years, perhaps some things dispersed over time and eventually became another form or electromagnetic wave," Tao Feng suggested, aligning with modern scientific explanations.

"That possibility cannot be ruled out, but I feel... these voices shouldn't be demons or spirits, because they can both excite and sadden them. This phenomenon can be explained by two possibilities," Ye Hao said, frowning.

"Which two, boss?" Xue Zhaolong asked nervously, his only thought now was to find the voice's owner.

"The first possibility: this is an illusion, or rather an emotional body. Simply put, it's the emotions of someone from the past due to parting before death or great joy, leaving behind an emotional imprint that over time turns into a soul-like existence. It absorbs too many other elements and, thus, can make people happy or joyful..." Ye Hao explained, a possibility he learned from the eighth-generation system, although there was some basis for it.

If Ye Hao had not met Nangong Tianhou before, he would never have believed in such a possibility.

But after encountering Nangong Tianhou and Abbot Jing Nian, he realized that there truly exists something called a Soul Body.

"What's the second?" Zhuorong Town and Lu Yunsong asked simultaneously.

"The second possibility might be the existence of a real Soul Body, perhaps intending to possess someone or maybe to pass on some heritage, but that's hard to say," Ye Hao replied.

"Boss, really? You believe in souls?" Tao Feng asked Ye Hao helplessly.

"It's not blind belief; I've seen a real Soul Body," Ye Hao responded.

Flying Fish and Tao Feng remained skeptical, but Xue Zhaolong, Zhuorong Town, and Lu Yunsong silently nodded, considering that what Ye Hao said might be true since they had witnessed the existence of Abbot Jing Nian's Soul Body.

"I'm still not convinced," Tao Feng shrugged with a smile.

"Heh, you'll find out eventually," Ye Hao said without further explanation as there was no point in arguing with those who refused to believe.

"Boss, if this Soul Body intends to possess us, could you lend us a hand?" Xue Zhaolong asked.

Hearing this, Ye Hao furrowed his brow, looking at Xue Zhaolong and then at Zhuorong Town, before finally asking, "Are you planning to take a gamble?"

"Yes, boss, if this Soul Body is passing on some heritage, perhaps we could soar the heavens. If it's attempting to possess us, then we hope you could help us out," Xue Zhaolong replied.

He didn't want to live a mundane life. Although they had lived frivolous lives, upon seeing talents emerging from prestigious families, they resolved not to drag the family's prestige down. While even if they did, Ye Hao wouldn't blame them, they didn't want to be ornamental vases; they wished to be comrades who could fight alongside Ye Hao till the end.

"Boss, we think the same," Zhuorong Town and Lu Yunsong said in unison. (To be continued. If you like this work, you're welcome to vote for it on Qidian (qidian.com). Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users please read at m.qidian.com.)

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