151: We need to install a doorbell.

Su Ming instinctively mobilized all the Spiritual Qi within his body and fiercely slapped the core of the Formation on the ground!

"Clap!"

With a crisp sound, the newly formed Formation immediately disintegrated.

The invisible barrier that had isolated everything vanished instantly.

The noisy sounds from the outside world surged back into his ears like a tide.

Su Ming stumbled, nearly falling to the ground.

He forced himself to stand steady, took a deep breath, quickly walked to the door, and pulled it open.

Outside the door, Qingfeng was raising his small fist, preparing to knock for the fourth time.

Mingyue stood behind him, holding a packet of pastries wrapped in oiled paper.

"Why were you so slow?" Qingfeng grumbled discontentedly.

He stepped into the doorway, looking around suspiciously.

He didn't even look at Su Ming; his small nose twitched as he inhaled deeply. His clear eyes instantly sharpened, no longer showing a child's curiosity but a Cultivator's scrutiny, and he abruptly swept his gaze toward the two pieces of Low-Grade Spirit Stone in the center of the room, which had not yet been put away and whose Spiritual Qi was already dim.

"You were just using a Formation?" Qingfeng's voice was assertive. He pointed at the two Spirit Stones. "Wait! This Formation feels strange... It's not a common Dust-Warding Formation or Sound-Insulation Formation! The Spiritual Qi fluctuation is so subtle it's almost nonexistent, yet it... is self-contained. Where did you learn this?"

Su Ming's heart felt as if an invisible hand had clenched it, and the cold sweat on his back nearly soaked through his clothes.

He hadn't expected Qingfeng's Spiritual Perception to be this sharp—not only detecting the Formation but also sensing its unique characteristics!

I'm finished!

Just as this thought arose, Lin Yu said, "Calm down! Don't panic! He's just probing; he's not sure exactly what it is! Quick, give him a 'reasonable' explanation, half-truth, half-lie!"

In a flash, the color drained from Su Ming's face, the paleness caused by the Backlash now serving as the perfect cover.

His eyes appropriately revealed a hint of panic at having his secret discovered, alongside his efforts to maintain composure. His lips moved slightly, as if he found it hard to speak. Finally, as if having made up his mind, he took a deep breath and bowed toward Qingfeng.

"Senior Brother Qingfeng is truly discerning... Disciple, this Disciple dares not conceal anything." His voice trembled slightly. "This Disciple did not intend to pry into the profound Dao of Formations. It's just... while organizing the Accounting Room's accounts, I saw a Formation Flag whose pattern resembled a basic Formation Rune I was learning. Just now, while drawing the basic Rune, I wanted to imitate it and see the difference between this Rune and the pattern on the Formation Flag. I carelessly injected Spiritual Qi into the Spirit Stone, and unexpectedly, it actually triggered a slight anomaly, disturbing Senior Brother. I beg Senior Brother's forgiveness!"

His words were seventy percent true and thirty percent false. The true part was that he indeed dealt with accounts all day. The false part was that he packaged Lin Yu's peerless Legacy as a self-taught, unconventional method 'realized' from boring ledgers. He cleverly transformed the act of 'privately studying Formations'—which might involve Sect taboos—into an 'academic exploration for the sake of better work.'

Qingfeng was stunned. He had anticipated many possibilities, even suspecting Su Ming had acquired some secret Legacy, but he never expected such a... 'Accounting Room-specific' reason.

He looked at the two ordinary Low-Grade Spirit Stones on the ground, then at Su Ming's face, pale from the 'Spiritual Qi Backlash' and 'shame,' and listened to the explanation, which sounded reasonable, even a little 'bookish.' He furrowed his brows tightly, seemingly judging the truthfulness of the statement.

Mingyue, standing nearby, blinked her large eyes. Seeing Su Ming "pale and weak" yet still trying hard to explain, she lightly tugged on Qingfeng's sleeve. "Senior Brother, Su Ming only did this to better handle the tasks assigned by the Sect..."

Tugged by Mingyue, Qingfeng stared at Su Ming for a few more breaths, but ultimately found no further suspicious points on him.

He curled his lip, and the sharp Aura retracted. He reverted to his proud and petulant Junior Martial Uncle persona, huffing, "Hmph, you've gone silly from Calculation! Is the Dao of Formations something you can just blindly mess with? I'll let it slide this time, but if you mess around again, be careful, or the Spiritual Qi Backlash will destroy your already wasted Foundation!"

The crisis was temporarily averted.

The huge stone in Su Ming's heart slowly settled. He quickly bowed again: "Thank you for Senior Brother's instruction, this Disciple will remember it."

"Thank you for Senior Sister's concern."

As he spoke, he subtly shifted his body, diverting the conversation.

"Please come in quickly, both of you. Today, would you like to hear 'The Eight Princes' Succession War' or 'Blood Staining the Golden Imperial Hall'?"

This unexpected 'Inspection' was like an alarm bell, ringing loudly in the hearts of Su Ming and Lin Yu.

Formations are not omnipotent.

To those high-level Cultivators with keen Spiritual Perception, any trace of abnormal Spiritual Qi fluctuation could expose oneself... After seeing Qingfeng and Mingyue off, Su Ming immediately closed the door.

"Master, this..."

"Our Way of Hiding still has flaws," Lin Yu's voice was unprecedentedly solemn.

"I forgot that this brat's Master has an extremely high Seniority, and he must possess a Protective Magic Treasure. His Spiritual Perception far surpasses those of the same stage. If you hadn't retreated quickly just now, you might have been seen through."

A trace of lingering fear permeated Lin Yu's Soul Consciousness.

"It seems having just a 'Safe House' isn't enough. We also need a 'doorbell'."

"A doorbell?"

"An Early Warning Network," Lin Yu explained. "We must know in advance before anyone even gets close."

Su Ming immediately understood Lin Yu's meaning.

Over the next two days, he did not attempt to Stack Formations again.

Instead, he devoted all his energy to the Construction of the Early Warning Network.

He took the three Runes, 'Sense,' 'Repel,' and 'Flow,' as the core.

He disassembled and simplified them, carving them into Miniature Runes the size of a grain of rice.

Then, he cautiously placed these imperceptible Warning Nodes under the window sills, in the door seams, and at the base of the walls surrounding the East Wing Room.

Every node was like an invisible eye.

They silently brought the entire East Wing Room under Surveillance Range.

When the last Warning Node was silently activated by Su Ming.

The entire East Wing Room instantly felt different in his perception.

His Divine Sense seemed to connect with those minuscule Rune nodes.

Ten Zhang outside the door, an ant crawled past.

Five Zhang outside the window, a leaf fell.

On the roof, a sparrow preened its feathers.

Everything was clearly presented in his mind.

The entire East Wing Room seemed to have become an Independent Space possessing a Domain.

He was the Master of this Domain.

Success!

"Master!"

Su Ming called out excitedly in his heart.

"Mm." Lin Yu's voice also carried a hint of satisfaction. "From today onward, the Divine Thought communication between us, Master and Disciple, will have no more concerns."

Su Ming finally possessed an absolutely private Cultivation environment.