Chapter 637: I, Your Inferior, Am a Human Cultivator

"Creak—"

The wooden door was pushed open slowly.

Two spirit race elders with formidable auras strode into the guest room, one after the other.

Leading the way was a female spirit race elder who had transformed from vines. Her figure was slender, even carrying a strange, unnerving pliancy, as if her entire body had no bones at all. Her name was Qingluo.

The moment Qingluo entered, a blade-sharp light shot from her glassy pupils, sweeping back and forth over Su Ming as if trying to pierce through his every last secret.

Following behind Qingluo was a burly male spirit race elder, his physique towering like a small mountain. His skin was covered in a layer of grayish-green, hardened stone patterns and patchy moss. His name was Panshi.

Unlike Qingluo's aggressive sharpness, Panshi's countenance was steady and composed. After stepping into the room, he simply walked silently to the seat across from Su Ming, pulled out a wooden chair, sat down with heavy, sweeping motions, and said not a single word.

Su Ming had risen to his feet the instant the two entered.

He was neither driven back by Qingluo's piercing stare nor crushed by Panshi's heavy presence. He simply stood there calmly, waiting for them to make their move.

Qingluo spoke first. Her voice was hoarse and icy, like two withered vines grinding harshly against each other. "Don't try to fob us off with the same nonsense you fed that fool Ye Qing. Elder Woodheart's true body can sense every flow of life force within these premises. That revolting coat of yours can't fool our eyes."

She suddenly pressed forward a step, her terrifying pressure crashing down on Su Ming like a tidal wave.

"Speak! Just what in the world are you?!"

Su Ming met Qingluo's gaze and answered slowly, one word at a time.

"Both esteemed seniors have keen eyes. This one is not of the spirit race."

"This one, your inferior, is a human cultivator."

"Human?" Qingluo let out a cold laugh. "How could a human possibly end up here?"

"Every word this junior has spoken is the truth," Su Ming replied with neither arrogance nor timidity. "This junior was originally a human wandering cultivator devoted to the study of ancient formations. While exploring a ruined relic of the human realm, I carelessly triggered a shattered World Gate hidden deep within. When I awoke, I found myself already in this Gloomlight Forest."

Su Ming inclined his body slightly and continued, "Upon first arriving in this honored land, I discovered that the laws of heaven and earth here are utterly different from those of the human realm, filled with hostility. Driven by the instinct to survive, this junior could only exert what little skill I possess, using formation techniques to forcibly bind the surrounding laws of life and weave this layer of camouflage upon my skin. This act was merely borrowing appearances for self-preservation, and I would never dare harbor the slightest intention of stealing your race's origin."

"Flowery tongue." Qingluo snorted coldly, yet the killing intent in her eyes did not deepen.

Because Su Ming's explanation was, logically speaking, watertight. A human cultivator skilled in formations, stumbling through a World Gate by accident, disguising himself with formations to escape being hunted by spirit realm creatures. Though it sounded outlandish, in the world of cultivation, it was hardly impossible. Most importantly, a spy of the Dark Current Sect would never be a human.

Panshi, who had remained silent all along, finally spoke.

His voice was as deep and low as muffled thunder from the depths of the earth, rattling Su Ming's eardrums faintly.

"Your cultivation."

Just two words, yet carrying an order that brooked no refusal.

Su Ming inwardly breathed a quiet sigh of relief. This was exactly what he had been waiting for.

Without the slightest hesitation, he openly released his suppression over his own aura.

"Hum—"

A fluctuation of spiritual energy belonging to a human Golden Core cultivator at the early stage radiated outward from his Dantian.

To the perception of the two spirit race elders at the mid Soul Nurturing stage, this fluctuation was unmistakably clear. Early Golden Core, in the spirit race's classification of realms, corresponded precisely to the early Soul Nurturing stage.

Deep within this spirit realm, where dangers lurked at every turn and even an ordinary spirit beast possessed Soul Nurturing-level strength, such cultivation could only be described in two words.

Weak.

Sensing this "feeble" aura fluctuation, Qingluo's blade-sharp gaze finally softened by a fraction. The vines behind her also ceased their restless stirring. An alien race at the early Soul Nurturing stage, here in the heart of Greenwood Court, could stir up no waves at all.

Even Panshi's rock-hard, cold expression revealed a rare trace of relaxation. He nodded slightly, as though he felt a condescending sense of relief at the "weakness" Su Ming had displayed.

"Since you claim to be a formation cultivator, then how exactly did you lay down this life essence coat?" Qingluo still hadn't fully lowered her guard, her eyes boring into Su Ming. "Human spiritual energy and our race's laws of life are naturally repellant to one another. Forcibly fusing them would only cause your body to explode."

Su Ming spread open both hands.

"What this junior cultivates is a water-attributed method. The Like Water Art. Water benefits all things without contending, embracing all within its tolerance."

Su Ming's fingertips moved slightly, withdrawing the life essence camouflage over a small area of his palm, revealing a mass of pure, utterly non-aggressive, deep-blue water spiritual energy.

"This junior did not draw the laws of life into my body for conversion. Instead, I used water spiritual energy as a framework to construct a miniature Spirit Gathering Array on the surface of my skin. Those laws of life are merely attracted over, adhering to the water spiritual energy framework and circulating upon it. It's just like weaving vines into a garment to wear. This junior did not go about gnawing on those vines."

From the perspective of formation technique, Su Ming's explanation was completely sound and airtight.

Qingluo stared at the mass of deep-blue water spiritual energy for a while, but in the end, she could only snort coldly and stop pressing the matter.

Panshi rose from his chair. His imposing, massive frame brought Su Ming an overwhelming sense of pressure.

"Human. Since you've confessed your identity openly and have caused no real harm to our race, know this: Greenwood Court is not a place of indiscriminate slaughter." Panshi's voice was like boulders colliding. "But neither do we keep idle mouths to feed. Nor will we shelter a good-for-nothing of unknown origins."

He looked down at Su Ming, a cold light flickering in his eyes.

"You claim to be a formation cultivator well-versed in arrays. Very well, I'll give you a chance to prove your worth."

Panshi turned and pointed toward the door.

"Recently, a natural formation called the Spirit Spring Array on the outskirts of Greenwood Court has developed an anomaly. The flow of life essence in the spirit spring has become severely blocked, the spring water has changed color, and the six light trees serving as formation cores nearby have already begun to wither. Our race's formation masters have attempted repairs multiple times but have been unable to fix the clogged circuit."

Panshi turned his head back, his eyes locked dead onto Su Ming's. "If you truly are a formation master, go and fix it. Fix it, and Greenwood Court may grant you temporary shelter and allow you to remain here. If you cannot fix it—"

Su Ming did not retreat in the slightest. Meeting Panshi's gaze, he offered a slight smile.

"This junior accepts this trial."

But he did not set off immediately. Instead, he shifted the conversation.

"However, this junior has two conditions."

"Since this is a trial, then I must be able to bring out the full strength of a formation cultivator. Even the cleverest housewife cannot cook a meal without rice." Su Ming said calmly. "First, during the repair process, I will need a certain degree of freedom of movement. My hands must not be bound. Second, I require permission to freely use any available materials in the vicinity of the Spirit Spring Array."

Panshi pondered briefly, then nodded. "Agreed. These requests are reasonable."

"Absolutely not!" Qingluo immediately objected. "He's a human after all. Who knows if he'll take the opportunity to sabotage the formation's foundation stones? Someone must supervise him the entire time, never leaving his side!"

Hearing this, Su Ming was not angered in the least. Instead, a gratified smile spread across his face.

"The esteemed senior speaks with great wisdom. This junior never had any intention of doing anything untoward. Having someone watching over me not only proves my innocence but also makes things safer." Su Ming agreed with gracious compliance.

Qingluo was momentarily choked by his open, forthright attitude. She snorted coldly, flicked her sleeve, and strode toward the door.

"Ye Qing!"

A moment later, the young, lively spirit race youth Ye Qing was summoned to the doorway.

Upon learning that he had been assigned as the "liaison and supervisor" for this alien formation cultivator, Ye Qing was absolutely delighted. He was filled with curiosity about this human who could disguise himself using such strange methods.

"Let's go, Su Ming. I'll take you to check out the Spirit Spring Array. Don't screw this up, you hear? That spring is the core well supplying life essence to several outposts on the outskirts." Ye Qing called out enthusiastically, leading Su Ming toward the stairs.

Su Ming followed behind Ye Qing, his peripheral vision sweeping covertly toward the rear. He knew that Qingluo and Panshi's divine sense would most certainly be locked firmly onto him in the shadows.

"The show begins now." Lin Yu spoke unhurriedly from within the Consciousness Sea. "Disciple, let these provincial plant spirits who've never seen the world witness what true mastery of the formation path really looks like."