343: Entrusted with important equipment

"What do you all think?" Yun Miao Yun Miao's voice rang out faintly.

"He's a good seedling," Master Xuan Heng Xuan Heng spoke first, his tone carrying a hint of protectiveness. "Solid technique, flexible mind, and most importantly... he can survive. To be able to lead out over two thousand people from such a desperate situation, this capability is even rarer than pure talent in the Dao of Formations."

"His thoughts run too deep," the Peak Master of the Prison Peak evaluated coldly. "In the questioning just now, he avoided the important points and focused on the trivial, making his words airtight. For a youth in his twenties to have such shrewdness, I know not if it is a blessing or a curse."

"A bit of shrewdness is good," the figure with the boundless vitality laughed. "As long as he has no ulterior motives toward the Sect, then he is a fine blade."

"His eyes are very clean," the Sword Cultivator, who had been silent, suddenly interjected. "Though he hides his sharpness, there is a ruthlessness in his bones. I like it."

"In that case..."

Yun Miao Yun Miao swept his sleeve, and the starry sky above shifted, masking all traces of their presence. "Then we shall proceed according to plan."

The Peak Master of the Prison Peak suddenly spoke, his voice three shades deeper than before: "Sect Head, half an hour ago, the Cloud Inspection Bureau used the 'Heaven-Peering Mirror' to reflect the Leylines of the Northern Border. They saw a strand of murky life-line beneath the ruins of Iron Wall Pass that has not yet snapped, lurking like a venomous snake in the Nine Depths. The mirror showed a vision: 'Rock Heart' has not perished; its vitality is hidden, and the calamity... is not yet over."

He paused, the aura beneath his black robes becoming increasingly cold and solemn: "The Chief of the Cloud Inspection Bureau personally performed a divination. The hexagram was 'Earth-Fire Mingyi, Heaven's Light Reappears.' The interpretation says: This beast has discarded its physical form and escaped its spirit into the profound depths of the Leylines. It is neither dead nor alive, seemingly destroyed but actually existing. When it reappears, I fear it will not be a disaster limited to a single pass or narrow."

Inside Starfall Pavilion, the starlight came to a standstill.

Yun Miao Yun Miao remained silent for a moment. The speed at which the starry sky above shifted increased slightly, as if he were calculating the heavenly secrets. After a long while, he slowly raised his hand; a Talisman condensed from starlight appeared in the void and then quietly shattered.

Yun Miao's gaze swept across the crowd, finally landing on the charred depression symbolizing Iron Wall Pass. "The Cloud Inspection Bureau shall continue to monitor all Leyline nodes in the Northern Border with the 'Heaven-Peering Mirror,' especially the hidden veins connected to the other seventy-eight border defense Formations. Since this beast has gained sentience, next time, it may not necessarily only target Iron Wall Pass."

The Peak Master of the Prison Peak nodded slightly. "Understood. The Cloud Inspection Bureau has activated the 'Heaven-Patrol Web.' The thirty thousand miles of Leylines in the Northern Border are all under surveillance."

"Good."

Yun Miao Yun Miao took one last look at the phantom of the ruins beneath his feet, as if looking through it to the deeper, darker depths underground... A moment later, Master Xuan Heng Xuan Heng summoned Su Ming back into Starfall Pavilion.

Su Ming stood in the center of the Great Hall. The map of the Northern Border's mountains and rivers beneath his feet rose and fell slightly with the fluctuations of spiritual power. Five grand auras loomed above, like five insurmountable mountains.

Yun Miao Yun Miao's voice broke the deathly silence within the pavilion.

"Su Ming."

Yun Miao raised his hand and tapped lightly with his finger. The border guarding true seal on Su Ming's chest, which had long since faded, seemed to receive a summons. Through his robes, it emitted a ring of faint blue, cold light.

"Now that you have accepted this seal, do you know its true weight?"

Su Ming lowered his head, looking at the halo of light on his chest, and did not answer immediately.

In his Sea of Consciousness, Lin Yu's voice became uncharacteristically serious: "Disciple, don't be in a hurry to state your position. There's a trap in this old man's words. This isn't just a medal of honor; it's a hot potato that could explode at any time."

Su Ming took a deep breath, cupped his hands, and said, "This Disciple knows its weight, as it was entrusted to me by Elder Mo's life; I know its value, as the safety of the Northern Border depends on it."

"No, you do not know."

To the side, Immortal Master Xuan Heng, who had been silent, suddenly waved his wide sleeves.

Whoosh.

The star map in the air of the Great Hall suddenly changed. The originally general map of the Northern Border zoomed in and enlarged instantly, eventually turning into a panoramic defense line map several yards long.

In the map, seventy-nine brilliant spots of light were scattered like stars, arranged along the winding border line. Countless fine lines of spiritual power connected them, forming a giant web that covered heaven and earth. And all the lines of this giant web eventually converged toward a single point—Su Ming's chest.

"This seal does not belong to Iron Wall Pass alone."

Xuan Heng pointed at the giant web, his tone heavy and slow. "It is the 'Mapping of the Source Principles' for all border defense Formations in the Northern Border. These seventy-nine major passes and three hundred and sixty minor narrows—their underlying Formation logic, the keys to spiritual power reflux, and even the backdoors for self-destruct sequences—all use this seal as the master copy."

"If this seal falls into the hands of the Yao Race and their Great Yao analyze the principles within..."

Xuan Heng tapped heavily in the void. "Within three days, the weaknesses of the Formations at all seventy-nine passes of the Northern Border will be completely exposed. The Human Race's defense line will be like paper, easily torn apart at their will."

Su Ming's pupils contracted slightly.

He felt his throat go dry. Elder Mo had given it to him in a hurry, only saying it was the core of the Iron Wall Pass Formation. He hadn't expected the old gentleman to shove the keys to the entire Northern Border into his hands.

"This isn't a key; this is clearly a death warrant hanging around my neck," Su Ming thought to himself.

"To entrust such a great treasure to a minor Qi Refining cultivator—is this not a joke?"

The blurred figure shrouded in vitality on the right side raised a question. The voice wasn't loud, but it carried an unquestionable worry. "Even if this seal 'possesses a spirit and chooses its master,' his cultivation is too low. If high-level Yao cultivators target him, or if those with ill intentions covet it, how can his safety be guaranteed?"

This doubt was reasonable.

A child carrying a gold brick through a busy market is, in itself, a kind of original sin.

Su Ming did not defend himself; he only lowered his head even further, putting on a submissive appearance of obeying whatever was decided. He knew that at this time, any explanation would be hollow; he could only wait for the big shots to play their game.

"Senior Brother, you are mistaken."

Xuan Heng spoke again, and this time, he was looking at Su Ming.

"The Formation core chooses its master not based on the level of cultivation, but on the 'Compatibility of the Dao Heart.'"

Xuan Heng raised his hand, and the structural diagram of the 'Spirit-Responding Spider Web' that Su Ming had set up at Iron Wall Pass appeared in the void.

"The 'Spider Web' created by this lad discards the rigid thinking of traditional Formations where 'one hub controls the entire domain,' and instead adopts a 'multi-point parallel, decentralized' approach. This concept is spiritually attuned to the core principles of the border defense Formations: 'scattered like stars, echoing from afar, and providing support from all directions when one side is in trouble.'"

Xuan Heng paused, a hint of admiration showing in his eyes. "Junior Brother Mo chose him not out of desperation, but because this lad's Formation thinking is alive. This prototype of a 'distributed Formation network' is exactly the best vessel to wield the True Seal."

"Vessel..."

Su Ming keenly caught this word.

"It seems they want to cultivate you as a human Formation server," Lin Yu tsked in the Sea of Consciousness. "But this is also good. As long as you are useful, they will spend heavily to protect you. This is even safer than being a mere 'Genius.'"

Fellow Daoists, it is like seeing your faces in your words. Last night, I repeatedly scrutinized the detailed outline of the final chapter of Iron Wall Pass and always felt that several key foreshadowings were not tied up, which made me feel uneasy. Therefore, I have made significant adjustments and rewrites to the contents of Chapters 351 and 352. I have focused on perfecting: The logic of the high-level questioning—making the inquiry more consistent with their identities and the situation; Tying up key foreshadowings—the true state of the Insect King 'Rock Heart,' the Sect's subsequent layouts, etc.; The levels of emotional progression—making Su Ming's response and growth more solid. These adjustments are only to give this bloody beacon fire of Iron Wall Pass a more complete and heavier conclusion. Thank you all for accompanying me this far. For the new chapter of Formation Peak, I will be even more diligent.

Kowtowing, serving tea.

—Respectfully, the author who stayed up late to revise the manuscript.

If you are reading this after 6:00 AM, then do not pay attention to the content of this chapter.