638: Chapter 638 These blind tree spirits don't even realize they've been drained dry!

Passing through the intricate tunnels of tree trunks, Su Ming, led by Ye Qing, arrived at a basin on the outskirts of Qingmu Court.

Before they even got close, a nauseating, putrid stench assailed their noses.

Su Ming frowned slightly and fixed his gaze forward.

In the center of the basin was a natural spring pool surrounded by six sturdy light trees. This was the "Spirit Spring Formation" that Elder Panshi had mentioned.

However, the spring water, which should have been radiating rich vitality and a verdant glow, now appeared as an uncomfortable, murky, dark yellow. A layer of gray film, heavy with Death Qi, even floated on the surface.

The situation for the six light trees surrounding the spring was even worse. Their originally crystal-clear leaves were falling off in large patches, and the glowing Array Patterns that should have been bright on their rough trunks were now so dim they were almost invisible. The entire natural Formation looked like a terminally ill, dying old man, struggling in his final moments.

Several Spirit Race Formation Masters clad in cyan robes were gathered by the spring, discussing something anxiously. They held various wooden detection Magical Artifacts, attempting to clear the vital energy circuits clogged on the surface of the spring, but clearly with little success.

Seeing Ye Qing leading a stranger over, those Spirit Race Formation Masters immediately cast hostile and disdainful glances.

"Ye Qing, why did you bring this Human Race member here? This is a restricted area!" an Elder Spirit Race Formation Master frowned and scolded.

"Elder Panshi asked him to come and repair the Formation," Ye Qing replied loudly, then turned his head and winked at Su Ming. "It's up to you."

Su Ming ignored the sarcasm and mockery of those Formation Masters.

He walked straight to the edge of the spring and crouched down.

"Move aside," Su Ming said indifferently to a Spirit Race Formation Master blocking his way. His voice was not loud, but it carried an unquestionable authority.

The Formation Master was stunned for a moment, and actually, subconsciously, took half a step back.

Su Ming did not use any flashy Magical Artifacts. He simply slowly extended his right hand and pressed his palm against the damp soil at the edge of the spring.

"Micro-Observation, activate!"

Su Ming closed his eyes, and the Array Patterns deep within his pupils spun wildly.

At the same time, he channeled his Ruoshui Spiritual Power through the crevices in the soil, seeping deep underground.

Water permeates everything.

This was the Innate advantage that a Water-type Formation Cultivator had over other types when investigating a Formation.

"Of course it can't be repaired by just looking at the clogged vital energy circuits on the surface. Because the root of the problem is not here at all," Su Ming sneered in his heart.

The Ruoshui Spiritual Power traveled downwards.

Ten zhang. No abnormalities.

Twenty zhang. The flow of vital energy began to become sluggish.

Thirty zhang!

Su Ming's Ruoshui Spiritual Power finally touched the extremely deep area that the Spirit Race Formation Masters were completely unable to detect.

The next moment.

Su Ming suddenly opened his eyes, his pupils contracting to the limit!

At the core base of the Spirit Spring Formation thirty zhang underground, it was not at all a case of natural Formation aging or clogging!

In the vision of Micro-Observation, Su Ming clearly saw dark purple fungal hyphae, resembling some disgusting parasite, tightly blocking the spring eye of the Spirit Spring. Although the spring water could still seep out, most of the Yuan power was being absorbed by the dark purple fungal hyphae!

These dark purple fungal hyphae were frantically extracting the Spirit Spring's Yuan power, then continuously transporting it outside of the Qingmu Court along the shadows of the earth veins!

"This fluctuation frequency..."

"It's the Dark Current Sect!"

Lin Yu's voice rang out in Su Ming's Sea of Consciousness, filled with shock at the obtuseness of these Spirit Race members: "These blind tree spirits! The roots of the Dark Current Sect have already pierced into their main artery to suck their blood, and they are still trying to cure the blockage on the surface?!"

Su Ming did not respond.

He took a deep breath. The deep blue Array Patterns in his eyes did not dissipate; instead, he controlled his Ruoshui Spiritual Power to a limit state of being barely perceptible, and began to gradually expand the scope of his investigation through the crevices in the soil.

One stick of incense passed.

Two sticks of incense passed.

For a full half-hour, Su Ming crouched by the spring, motionless, like a stone statue. Only the cold sweat occasionally dripping down his chin proved that he was conducting a Micro-Observation that was extremely taxing on his mind.

Ying landed obediently on his shoulder, its golden pupils scanning the surroundings vigilantly, occasionally rubbing its soft feathers against Su Ming's sweat-soaked cheek, emitting a very low "chirp-chirp" sound from its throat.

Ye Qing, standing to the side, finally couldn't hold back. He lowered his voice, his tone filled with a mix of anxiety and confusion: "Su Ming, what exactly are you looking at? The clogged vital energy circuits are less than three feet below the water surface. You've had your hand in the mud for ages; is a Formation going to grow out from deep in the mud?"

Su Ming slowly withdrew his hand, the deep blue light at his fingertips quietly extinguishing.

He exhaled a long breath of stale air, his face looking slightly pale, but his eyes were exceptionally bright and deep. He did not answer Ye Qing directly, but instead turned to snap off a dry twig from a light tree and began to draw on the flat, wet mud.

"Swish, swish, swish..."

As the twig moved, an extremely complex map of the underground veins appeared on the mud.

"This is the complete picture of the area within thirty zhang underground of the Spirit Spring." Su Ming pointed to a circle in the center, then drew a thick line extending from the northeast. When this thick line approached the circle, it precisely split into six extremely thin branches, coiling around the six nodes of the circle like poisonous snakes.

"And this is the real reason for the Spirit Spring's depletion." Su Ming's twig tapped heavily on those six nodes.