362: Nine parts truth, one part falsehood!

Su Ming suddenly turned his head, his gaze falling on a corner of the wall.

There, a black spider the size of a fingernail was weaving a web in the crevice between two rocks.

One side was a bottomless shadow, while the other was a bright spot where the light of the fluorite fell.

The spider tested it several times and finally did not choose to retreat into the depths of the shadows, but instead wove its web at the junction of light and shadow. That was the path flying insects were most likely to pass through and also the most conspicuous position. But it did not stay in the center of the web; instead, it hid in the shadow of a withered leaf at the edge of the web, with only a single, extremely thin strand of spider silk connected to its leg.

The light was in the open, while the killing intent was in the dark.

The web was for people to see, but also for catching prey.

"I understand."

Su Ming withdrew his gaze, and his originally tense shoulders slowly relaxed. He reached out, grabbed the xuantian ring, and solemnly and slowly slipped it back onto his left index finger.

A cold sensation instantly transmitted; it was the weight he was most familiar with.

"Since I have to act, the props must be realistic."

Su Ming took out a bottle of prepared spiritual liquid from his Storage Pouch—it was "Spirit Cleansing Water" used for cleaning rust off Magical Artifacts, but he did not use it directly. Instead, he circulated the Ruoshui Art to atomize the spiritual liquid, gently enveloping the ring.

He did not wipe away the dullness on the ring; instead, he added another layer of disguise over that layer of dullness.

He artificially adjusted the trace of profound fluctuations that the ring originally revealed occasionally, making them more chaotic and weaker, like a candle in the wind that could go out at any moment.

"Master, cooperate with me. Restrain your aura to the extreme, leaving only a trace of 'Death Qi'."

"Heh, I'm familiar with this job." Lin Yu's voice instantly became faint and indistinct. The luster on the ring completely dimmed, making it look like a piece of scrap metal that could be found anywhere in the mortal world. Only at a specific angle would it reflect a heart-palpitating glint of eerie light.

After finishing all this, Su Ming closed the lid of the lead box and quickly carved seven "Spirit-Sealing Runes" on the edge of the lid.

He stood up and walked to the deepest part of the Immortal Cave, where there was a natural leyline node, which was also the core formation eye of the "Lesser Heavenly Cycle Water Rhyme Formation" he had set up.

Su Ming's hands formed hand Seals, and a crack opened in the ground just wide enough for a person's arm to reach in. Below, the flowing spiritual light of the leylines was faintly visible.

He submerged the lead box into it and buried Second Senior Brother Qin Yi's transmission talismans, which bore the clear aura of Beast Peak, along with several pieces of Materials stripped from discarded Magical Artifacts that were tainted with mixed auras.

"Use chaos to cover the extraordinary."

Su Ming whispered to himself, then closed the crack in the ground. He placed a seemingly random ornamental rock on top and carved an extremely hidden "Self-Destruct Restriction" at the bottom of the rock.

If someone forcibly broke this node, the Restriction would instantly detonate the mixed Materials below, flushing the lead box into the deeper leyline turbulence.

Having finished all this, Su Ming sat back down on the prayer mat.

Peace was restored within the Immortal Cave.

He looked down at the ring on his finger; it now appeared completely devoid of spirituality, like a cheap ornament.

"Master."

Su Ming closed his eyes and began to adjust his breathing.

His heart rate gradually slowed, and the flow of Qi within his body became slow and viscous, like the water of a pool in deep winter that had not yet frozen over.

"Hmm?" Lin Yu's voice had become somewhat ethereal, clearly making the final preparations for self-sealing.

"This journey is like wading into a deep abyss," Su Ming thought to himself.

"Scared?"

"A little," Su Ming said honestly. "After all, it's the Criminal Law Peak, a place that devours people without even spitting out the bones."

Lin Yu's voice took on a rare trace of solemnity, no longer the usual playful teasing. "Disciple, remember the last move of the Mind-Cultivation Technique I will teach you."

Su Ming listened intently.

"When you enter the formation, nine parts truth, one part lie."

Lin Yu's speaking speed was very slow, each word sounding as if it were striking Su Ming's Divine Soul. "In the parts that are true, you must be emotional. Think of your parents' deaths, think of your despair on the road to exile, and think of your desire to survive. These emotions are all real; they are the most touching and can best cover up lies."

"As for that one part that is a lie..."

"It must be seamless."

"When they ask you about the source of your power, don't panic, don't hide it. Show a kind of fear of 'possessing a jade that brings trouble' and the joy of 'accidentally obtaining a treasure.' These emotions can perfectly explain your previous behavior of hiding your abilities."

Su Ming nodded slowly, carving these words into the bottom of his heart.

"Emotion in truth, seamlessness in lies..."

He murmured and repeated, his originally restless heart completely calming down.

He was like an actor about to take the stage, doing his final makeup in the wings. However, his play had no rehearsal; once he messed up, the price would be his life.

Lin Yu's voice completely disappeared.

The last trace of fluctuation on the ring also vanished with it.

At this moment, Su Ming had truly become a man alone.

Outside the Immortal Cave, the mountain wind wailed.

The sound of the wind passed through the jagged rocks of Star Gazing Cliff, letting out a sharp howl, as if some giant beast lurking in the darkness was sharpening its claws and teeth, waiting for its prey to step out of the cave.

There were still three hours until the Third quarter of the Hour of the Rabbit.

Su Ming did not move again.

He was like that spider in the corner, restraining all his aura, quietly crouching at the junction of light and dark, waiting for the moment of dawn.