Chapter 645: The Star River Shen Family Destroyed Ten Thousand Years Ago? Who Is Lying?!

Elder Woodheart's voice carried a rare trace of reminiscence.

"The formation arrays of your human race emphasize precision, layering, and calculation. The cultivation of our spirit races emphasizes resonance, harmony, and unity between heaven and humanity. In that era, these two completely different philosophies clashed, producing an incomparably dazzling spark."

Lin Yu heard all of this from within the ring.

But Lin Yu desperately suppressed his soul power fluctuations, not even letting out a single punctuation mark of an outburst. He knew that before this ten-thousand-year-old ancient tree, the slightest abnormal leakage of soul power could invite deadly disaster.

Su Ming likewise forcibly pressed the turmoil in his heart to the deepest depths. He stood expressionless in place, playing the role of a quiet listener.

"But..." Elder Woodheart's tone suddenly shifted.

"Yesterday, when you were repairing that spiritual spring, this old one sensed not only the spiritual energy of the human race upon you, but also another aura that could never be mistaken."

The emerald-green orb of light ceased its pulsation.

"I sensed a trace of Star River qi upon you."

"Boom!"

The words "Star River," spoken by a ten-thousand-year-old mighty being of the spirit races, struck Su Ming's heart like a heavy hammer.

His breathing stopped completely in that instant. His left hand, concealed within his wide sleeve, clenched into a fist so tightly that his nails nearly dug into his flesh.

Star River qi!

The Star River Shen family!

Grand Elder Hao Yuan of the Cloud Hidden Sect had personally issued a gag order for the sake of this ring, for the sake of this so-called "Shen family inheritance," even weaving a perfect protective umbrella of the "Survivor of the Shen Family" identity for him.

But he never imagined that in the depths of this spirit realm, cut off from the human race for untold ages, from the mouth of this ten-thousand-year-old luminous banyan, he would hear that name once more!

"The Star River Shen family..." Elder Woodheart's voice seemed to traverse the long river of time, carrying a deep sense of regret. "In those days, they were the most important bridge of exchange between the human and spirit races."

"The formation masters of the Shen family were true geniuses. They created a unique method that could simultaneously command the spiritual energy of your human race and the laws of life of our spirit races. They were like envoys roaming the edges of both realms, traveling back and forth through that dangerous void passage, facilitating countless collaborations."

Elder Woodheart's voice gradually grew heavier, as if touching upon a scar he was unwilling to revisit.

"But that was already too long ago. So long ago that even many of the stones on this land have weathered into dust."

The emerald-green orb of light emitted a mournful hum.

"The Star River Shen family was completely annihilated at the very beginning of the ancient war of the four races. It has been over ten thousand years since then."

Elder Woodheart's final words struck like a thunderbolt from clear skies, sending towering waves crashing through Su Ming's Consciousness Sea!

Ten thousand years?!

Su Ming's pupils contracted to their absolute limit in that instant.

No! The timeline doesn't add up!

At the Starfall Pavilion of the Cloud Hidden Sect, Grand Elder Hao Yuan had personally confirmed that the Star River Venerable was his sworn friend. Hao Yuan was a living Nascent Soul mighty being. Even counting his lifespan at its absolute maximum, it was only a few thousand years! How could the Shen family have been destroyed over ten thousand years ago?!

If Elder Woodheart was telling the truth, then was Hao Yuan lying?

If Hao Yuan was telling the truth, then was this ten-thousand-year-old banyan lying?

Or perhaps... the historical records of the human race had been forcibly severed and tampered with by some terrifying means?!

The Xuantian ring on Su Ming's finger grew scorching hot.

Lin Yu's Soul Body trembled violently in the depths of the ring. His modern-person's logical analysis abilities were completely overloaded in that moment.

"Ten thousand years... Hao Yuan told me it was a thousand years ago! Who is lying?!" Lin Yu wondered inwardly, but his mouth seemed sealed shut. He couldn't dare emit even the faintest wisp of spiritual sense. He could only be like a cat with its tail stepped on, desperately biting his own claws in the darkness, playing dead to the very end.

Su Ming forced his brain to calm down in that instant.

This was not the time to investigate historical truth. This was a life-or-death interrogation moment.

"That Star River qi on you..." Elder Woodheart's pressure descended once more, his gaze like a tangible force piercing through Su Ming's body. "Where did it come from?"

Su Ming was silent for a moment.

There was no fear on his face, only a complex expression that was perfectly appropriate, carrying a trace of bewilderment and gravity.

"Senior." Su Ming slowly raised his head, facing that emerald-green orb of light, his voice low and hoarse. "This junior's inheritance has a complicated origin. I once stumbled upon a fragmentary inheritance of the path of formations in an ancient ruin. That inheritance was indeed the Shen family's inheritance."

He paused, and a hint of perfectly measured self-deprecating confusion crept into his tone.

"But many of the memories within it have long been eroded and fragmented by the passage of time. As for whether it has any connection to the Star River Shen family you speak of... this junior cannot say for certain regarding the specific details."

It was a cunning answer.

He hadn't lied, because his formation arts truly did come from Lin Yu (a remnant soul with equally fragmented memories), and he truly didn't know the specific details of the Shen family.

Vagueness was not the same as lying. And before a mighty being who had lived for ten thousand years, as long as one wasn't lying, it wouldn't trigger that kind of direct, heart-piercing killing intent.

Within the hall, a long silence descended once more.

The emerald-green orb of light floating above the platform began to flicker at an extremely slow frequency. It was Elder Woodheart digesting Su Ming's answer.

Su Ming could sense an invisible force lingering at the edge of his Consciousness Sea for several breaths, before finally retreating slowly.

Elder Woodheart did not press further.

Perhaps it was because his intuition for seeing through hearts told him that this young man truly didn't know more details. Perhaps it was because those ten thousand years were simply too distant, and pursuing a fragmented inheritance had lost its meaning.

Or perhaps it was because he was simply too old.

A tree that had lived for ten thousand years had long since seen through the entanglements of karma in this world, learning to grasp only the most practical thread of hope amid endless waiting.

The orb of light's glow returned to stability.

Elder Woodheart's voice also shifted from that reminiscent world-weariness back to the formal authority of a ruler.

"Enough. Whether you are an inheritor of anyone's legacy, whatever brought you to this land, what you did beside the spiritual spring yesterday proved that you possess formation arts surpassing those of the spirit races."

"The Greenwood Court now needs such formation arts."