372: Chapter 382 Time to get down to business!

Inside the Immortal Cave, the light from the glowstone clearly illuminated the fine beads of sweat on Su Ming's pale face.

Luo Feng was still rummaging through Medicinal Pills, the clinking of bottles and jars producing crisp sounds. Second Senior Brother Qin Yi's palm rested against Su Ming's back, near his heart, his pure and gentle spiritual power slowly sorting out the tangled Qi flow within Su Ming's body.

Su Ming leaned against the somewhat uncomfortable stone couch, his breathing slightly rapid. Yet, his gaze passed over his two busy Senior Brothers and landed on the autonomously operating defensive Array Patterns on the cave's vaulted ceiling.

It was a 'net' he had personally carved, now quietly flowing with a deep blue halo, protecting this small, confined space.

Only here, wrapped within these layers of Formations, did that ever-present feeling of suffocation hanging over his head loosen its grip, just a tiny crack.

"Junior Martial Brother! You... What happened to you?!"

Luo Feng turned around and was met with Su Ming's bloodless face, startling him so much he nearly dropped a bottle of "rejuvenation pill" in his hand. His eyes widened as he took several strides to the stone couch, put down the red-lacquered food box he was carrying, and reached for Su Ming's wrist. "What on earth did those people from Criminal Law Peak do to you? This isn't a questioning of the heart; it's flaying you alive!"

A slender yet powerful hand reached out from the side, pressing down on Luo Feng's agitated shoulder.

Second Senior Brother Qin Yi's gaze was sharp, sweeping over Su Ming's entire body before finally pausing for a fleeting moment on Su Ming's left hand, which was unconsciously and slightly curled, protectively held near his chest. That moment was brief, so brief it seemed like a casual glance.

"Calm down."

Second Senior Brother Qin Yi's voice was steady, carrying a reassuring power. He looked at Su Ming, his tone concerned but not overly probing: "Junior Brother Su, don't mind him. We were guarding the exit of Huanbo Sea's Cloud Bridge the whole time and didn't see you come out. How did you return?"

Su Ming's eyelashes fluttered slightly, revealing a perfectly measured hint of confusion and weakness. He opened his mouth, his voice hoarse as if he had swallowed gravel:

"I... I'm not too clear either. In my dazed state, I seemed to be led by that Enforcement Senior Brother from Criminal Law Peak. I just felt the world spin... When I regained consciousness, I was already standing on the platform at the peak of Star Gazing Cliff. I didn't pass through the Cloud Bridge."

Second Senior Brother Qin Yi's eyes flickered slightly before he nodded in understanding. He raised his hand and cast a soundproofing barrier, completely isolating the sounds inside and outside the Immortal Cave.

"Just as I thought."

Second Senior Brother Qin Yi withdrew his hand and said slowly, "Earlier, I attached a 'Listening Pattern' to a rock sparrow and detected slight, abnormal spatial fluctuations on the outskirts of Huanbo Sea, but I couldn't find the source. It seems the Sect Head or Peak Master Cui used a short-range 'Fixed-Point Teleportation Talisman' that connects directly to the Forbidden Grounds of each peak to send you straight back here."

He paused, looked into Su Ming's eyes, and added meaningfully, "This method is extremely costly and is typically only used for extremely urgent matters, or... to avoid prying eyes."

"Avoid prying eyes?" Luo Feng was stunned for a moment, then his eyebrows shot up. He lowered his voice, speaking indignantly, "Who are they guarding against? Even us? We're all fellow disciples!"

"They're not guarding against us, but against human nature."

Second Senior Brother Qin Yi analyzed coolly, his tone as calm as dissecting a Yao Beast. "First, Junior Brother Su was in extremely poor condition at the time, unsuitable to be seen, lest those with ill intentions spy on his true state. Second, having just undergone a rigorous questioning of the heart, his Divine Soul is unstable and most vulnerable to being tricked into revealing information or having his mind disturbed. Third..."

He looked at Su Ming, his gaze deepening with meaning: "I'm afraid something happened during the questioning that shouldn't be known by outsiders. The Sect Head's action is both protection and isolation."

A moment of silence fell within the Immortal Cave.

Su Ming lowered his eyelids and didn't respond, only gently rubbing the ring on his left index finger with his fingers.

Though usually carefree, Luo Feng wasn't a fool. Hearing this, he caught on. He opened his mouth as if to ask something, but ultimately swallowed his words. Instead, he dug out several more bottles of Medicinal Pills from his robes with even more force and stuffed them all into Su Ming's arms.

"Take them! This one nourishes the spirit, this one supplements Qi, this one dispels evil influences..." Luo Feng muttered under his breath, "Especially this dispelling one. The Yin Qi in Huanbo Sea is heavy, and your constitution is weak to begin with. You really need to drive out the cold properly."

Second Senior Brother Qin Yi was more concise: "Rest quietly for three days. Don't use spiritual power. The food box contains some 'Green Wood Porridge' I prepared. It has remarkable effects for warming and nourishing the Meridians."

Su Ming took the pile of pill bottles, still warm from body heat, feeling a slight warmth in his eyes.

"Thank you, Second Senior Brother, Third Senior Brother," he said softly. He didn't elaborate on the details of his injuries, only brushing it off with, "My Divine Soul is somewhat depleted; I'll recover with meditation."

Luo Feng indignantly brought up the tyranny of Criminal Law Peak a few more times, but was stopped by a look from Second Senior Brother Qin Yi.

Second Senior Brother Qin Yi looked at Su Ming and simply said, "Since it's already past, look forward. Foundation Establishment is imminent. Preserving yourself is paramount."

Appropriate boundaries, no probing for details.

Seeing Su Ming was indeed utterly exhausted, the two gave a few more reminders about the activation key points of the cave's Formations, left behind the medicine and spiritual food, then bid farewell and departed.

The stone door rumbled shut once more.

The Immortal Cave returned to silence.

Su Ming maintained his reclining posture until he confirmed the auras of the two had completely disappeared from the vicinity of Star Gazing Cliff. Only then did he slowly let out a long, pent-up breath.

"That's the way."

In his mind, Lin Yu's voice sounded lazily, "That's how smart people act. If they had pressed for details, you'd have had to keep up the act. How tiresome."

Su Ming gave a bitter smile, poured out a spirit-nourishing pill from the bottles Luo Feng gave him, and swallowed it.

As the medicinal power dissolved, the needle-like stinging pain in his Sea of Consciousness eased somewhat.

"Master, this time... it was truly too dangerous. Fortunately, the Sect Head protected us," Su Ming said in a low voice.

"Fortune favors the bold. There will be no more worries from now on," Lin Yu chuckled. "Next, it's time to get down to some real business."

Su Ming nodded, forced his body upright with effort, and retrieved two items from the depths of his Storage Pouch.

One was his True Disciple identity token.

The other was a dull-colored, severely worn iron token at the edges—the merit token.

It was the proof he had obtained through countless brushes with death at Iron Wall Pass.

Su Ming extended his Divine Sense into the merit token.

A clear number surfaced in his mind: sixty-eight thousand three hundred points.

Seeing this number, Su Ming's previously tense mouth finally relaxed.

Exchanging for the "earth vein spiritual milk" that could repair his dao foundation required fifty thousand points of military merit.

Su Ming gently stroked the cold patterns on the iron token with his fingers and murmured softly, "It wasn't all for nothing after all."