The night in Courtyard D-7 was as still as a stagnant pond.

After seeing off those two “little ancestors,” Qingfeng and Mingyue, Su Ming wasn’t in a hurry to return to the meditation room to cultivate. Instead, he sat alone by the stone table in the courtyard, his fingers tapping idly on the tabletop.

Moonlight flowed like water, spilling over his somewhat gaunt face, casting flickering shadows.

“Master, don’t you think someone in our courtyard is even more ‘low-key’ than I am?” Su Ming suddenly spoke, his voice very low, almost scattered by the night breeze.

Inside the ring, Lin Yu lazily rolled over, his Soul Body tracing a relaxed arc within the space of the Xuantian ring. “Are you talking about that silent gourd, Li Kai, who only knows how to haul scrap material all day and doesn’t even let out a peep?”

“Yes.” Su Ming’s gaze swept towards the tightly closed door of the South Room. “When Junior Brother Qingfeng came today, I noticed that window was cracked open. Just for a moment, but I sensed… fear.”

“Fear?” Lin Yu became interested. “That kid is afraid of Qingfeng? That shouldn’t be. Qingfeng may be a bit arrogant, but he’s just an immature kid. Unless…”

“Unless he has something on him that makes him terrified.” Su Ming picked up the thread, a glint of sharpness flashing deep in his eyes. “Also, the spiritual energy fluctuations in his room have been a bit off lately. Even though he’s using a very sophisticated technique to conceal his aura, to the perception of my Like Water Art, it’s like hiding a restless fish beneath a calm water surface.”

Before his words faded.

Creak—

The door of the South Room opened.

A figure walked out silently.

No footsteps, not even the sound of breathing, which was deliberately suppressed to the absolute minimum.

It was Li Kai.

The menial disciple who usually kept his head down, whose presence was lower than the moss in the corner, now stood with his back straight.

He quickly walked to the stone table and, without any preamble, directly pulled out an object wrapped in layers of black cloth from his robes, slapping it heavily in front of Su Ming.

“Junior Brother Su.”

Li Kai’s voice was hoarse, like two pieces of coarse sandpaper rubbing together, clearly unused to speaking full sentences for a long time. “Help me.”

Su Ming didn’t touch the bundle, just looked up at Li Kai.

By the moonlight, he saw his roommate’s eyes clearly for the first time. They were eyes filled with red veins, brimming with anxiety, despair, yet holding a trace of desperate madness.

“Senior Brother Li, what is the meaning of this?” Su Ming’s tone was flat, even pausing to pour himself a cup of tea.

“I know you’re hiding your true abilities.” Li Kai stared fixedly at Su Ming, speaking rapidly. “I also know that behind the so-called ‘standardized procedures’ of the Repair Hall is your terrifyingly formidable ability to analyze formation structures. You can turn scrap into treasure, you can make those menials who only know how to copy others repair third-grade formation plates… you… are no ordinary person.”

Su Ming’s hand holding the teacup paused slightly, then he smiled. “Senior Brother Li, you jest. I’m just someone who can do accounts…”

“Stop pretending!”

Li Kai growled, his voice carrying a tremor. “I’m out of time! I have no other choice! In the entire Outer Sect, even the entire Cloud Hidden Sect, aside from those lofty elders, only you… only someone like you who doesn’t play by the rules could possibly unravel this!”

As he spoke, he tore away the black cloth.

Hum—

An ancient, weathered, yet somehow violent fluctuation instantly rippled through the small courtyard.

Su Ming’s pupils contracted sharply.

It was a damaged formation plate.

Unlike the common jade or Mystic Iron formation plates used in the sect, this object was entirely a strange dark gold color, its surface covered with raised dark red patterns like blood vessels. Just a single glance made Su Ming feel a chilling sense of dread shooting straight to the top of his head.

In the center of the formation plate was a distinct charred black hole, as if instantly melted through by some terrifying high heat. The broken rune lines were exposed like shattered blood vessels, looking ferocious.

“This is…” Su Ming set down his teacup, his expression turning grave.

“This is a heirloom of my Li family.” Li Kai gritted his teeth, as if squeezing out every word from between them. “Half a month ago, I tried to activate it. The result… you can see. The core circuit burned out. I suffered a backlash.”

He abruptly rolled up his sleeve.

Su Ming’s gaze sharpened.

On Li Kai’s right arm, there were clearly crawling, strange bluish-black patterns. They moved slowly beneath the skin like some living creature, emitting a nauseating aura of decay.

“Is this… ‘Formation Murderous Aura Backlash’?!” Lin Yu exclaimed from inside the ring. “Good grief, this kid has a death wish? Daring to forcibly activate such an ancient formation overflowing with murderous aura? If the spiritual energy sealed inside this formation plate fully exploded, it’d be enough to give a Golden Core cultivator a nasty shock!”

Li Kai stared at Su Ming, his eyes full of pleading. “This murderous aura is devouring my vitality. At most three days, and I’ll be finished. Junior Brother Su, this formation plate contains an ancient secret formation—’Minor Void Spirit Attraction Formation.’ As long as you can help me repair the core and expel the murderous aura, this secret formation… I’ll hand it over to you!”

“Minor Void Spirit Attraction Formation?”

Before Su Ming could react, the Lin Yu in his mind seemed like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, instantly exploding.

“Agree! Quick! Su Ming! You must agree!”

Lin Yu’s voice was so excited it almost changed pitch. “Forget the secret formation for now, but this formation plate… this material is ‘Stellar Core Meteorite Iron’! And these etching patterns, this is the technique of ‘Void Imprinting’! This is the work of a grandmaster of ancient formations! The formations the Cloud Hidden Sect uses now are like children’s toys compared to this! Get it, and I, your teacher, can deduce the lost true meaning of formations from it!”

Su Ming’s heart jumped, but his expression remained unchanged.

He looked at Li Kai, his fingers lightly tapping the tabletop, remaining silent for a long while.

This silence was pure torture for Li Kai.

Just as the light in Li Kai’s eyes was about to fade, Su Ming finally spoke.

“Three days.”

Su Ming held up three fingers, his tone as calm as if discussing the most ordinary transaction. “I need three days. Also, write down everything you know about this formation plate—its origins, clues, even legends—and give it to me. Not a single word can be missing.”

Li Kai swayed, almost collapsing to the ground. It was the weakness after his tightly wound nerves suddenly relaxed.

“Okay… okay!” Trembling, he pulled out a jade slip he had prepared long ago from his robes and placed it on the table. “It’s all here… Junior Brother Su, I’m counting on you.”

Finished, as if he had used up all his strength, he staggered back to his room.

Su Ming watched his retreating back, then looked at the ominous dark gold formation plate on the table, slowly letting out a deep breath.

“Master, this time… have we taken on a hot potato?”

“Hot potato?” Lin Yu chuckled, his tone carrying a hint of fervor. “This is called seeking opportunity amidst danger. Disciple, get ready. We’re about to pull off a big one.”

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep