The moment Su Ming stepped through that starry gate, the sensation beneath his feet changed from solid stone steps to something like a weightless fluid. Looking down, it wasn't a floor, but a map of the Northern Border's mountains, rivers, and topography stretching as far as the eye could see.

It wasn't a static drawing, but a living one.

Miniature mountain ranges undulated like dragon spines, pale blue rivers surged "underfoot," and extremely tiny points of light moved between the mountains and rivers—the flow of the Northern Border's remaining spiritual veins. Su Ming could even recognize the charred, sunken depression directly below at a glance—that was the Iron Wall Pass, just reduced to ruins.

Above his head, phantom stars slowly orbited along profound, mysterious trajectories. Every twinkle of starlight seemed to carry a kind of heavy breathing sound, pressing down on one's soul and making it tremble.

This solemnity wasn't the majesty of a temple hall, but the cold indifference and vastness of a deity looking down upon the mortal world.

"Lower your head, don't look around."

Lin Yu's voice sounded in the Consciousness Sea, carrying a rare gravity. "That green sword shadow on the left, take one more look and your divine sense will be cut blind. That black-robed figure on the right, the murderous aura on him is heavier than if you rolled around in a pile of corpses three times. These old monsters, not a single one is easy to deal with."

Su Ming obeyed, lowering his gaze, crossing his hands before him, and performing an extremely standard junior's salute. His posture was humble to the point of being in the dust, yet his spine remained ramrod straight.

In his perception, five auras as immense as mountain ranges were distributed across the starry sky, firmly locking onto him.

The aura in the center was pure, vast, and mighty, like the firmament covering the heavens—it was Sect Leader Yun Miao. On the left, starlight flowed and formation lines intertwined—it was Formation Peak Master Xuanheng. On the right, a black robe exuded stern killing intent, as if a sea of blood churned—it was Enforcement Peak Master Xing Yu.

"Disciple Su Ming, pays his respects to the Sect Leader, to all Peak Masters."

His voice echoed within the vast Starfall Pavilion, without the slightest reverberation, as if swallowed by this endless starry sky.

No one told him to rise.

The oppressive weight of those five divine senses, substantial as they were, did not lessen in the slightest because of his salute. Su Ming felt as if he had been thrown into the deep sea, the pressure from all sides squeezing every single bone. The "Border Defense True Seal" that had just fused with his chest seemed to sense its host's peril, spontaneously emitting an extremely faint, dark blue halo that protected his heart meridian.

"Su Ming."

After a long while, a voice came from within the central mass of clear light. The voice wasn't loud, yet it seemed to sound from all directions simultaneously, directly entering the soul.

"The tragedy of Iron Wall Pass, the blood of its defenders is not yet cold, Elder Mo Li sacrificed himself for the Dao. Today, you are summoned here for three purposes: first, to clarify the beginning and end of the battle, to assess merits and faults; second, to discuss the ownership and subsequent handling of the 'Border Defense Formation Hub True Seal'; third, to determine your future path."

Sect Leader Yun Miao's tone betrayed neither joy nor anger, just like the stars orbiting overhead. "You must answer truthfully, without falsehoods."

"Disciple understands," Su Ming replied softly.

"In that case, let us first discuss the cause."

The black-robed figure on the right shifted slightly, and the surrounding starlight instantly dimmed by a few degrees. Enforcement Peak Master Xing Yu's voice was cold and hard as iron, carrying a kind of oppressive pressure unique to interrogating prisoners:

"Before the insect calamity erupted, you frequently entered and exited the Mysterious Ice Platform, repeatedly clashing with Earth Patrol Division Steward Wu Miao. According to outer sect records, you repeatedly questioned the abnormal movements underground, yet were strongly suppressed by Wu Miao. In this matter, are you suspected of concealing information and not reporting it? Or did you already detect signs, but chose silence out of fear of punishment?"

This was a deadly trap.

If he answered "yes," that meant he was aware but did not report—a serious crime. If he answered "no," then all his previous warning actions became unreasonable trouble-making. More importantly, this question hid a knife—shifting the blame onto the already fallen Earth Patrol Division Steward Wu Miao.

Su Ming felt two gazes, sharp as blades, fixed firmly on the back of his head.

"This is a workplace pitfall, my disciple," Lin Yu analyzed rapidly in the Consciousness Sea. "He's testing whether you're the kind of person who would drag out a dead man for a posthumous flogging to shift blame. Wu Miao was foolish, but he was also a martyr. If you step on him, these old fellows here won't say it out loud, but in their hearts, they'll think you cold and heartless."

Su Ming understood clearly in his heart.

He slowly straightened his upper body, took out a fragment of a broken jade slip from his robes, and presented it with both hands.

"This disciple went to the Mysterious Ice Platform to cultivate the 'Star Attraction Lines' using the Astral Killing Energy. This matter is evidenced by the Spiritual Hub Hall borrowing records and the Mysterious Ice Platform duty logs. It was absolutely not neglecting public duty for private affairs."

Su Ming's voice was steady, neither hurried nor impatient. "As for Steward Wu... this disciple had no personal grudge with him, nor was there any actual obstruction of investigation."

"Oh?" Enforcement Peak Master Xing Yu snorted coldly. "Then why were the Earth Patrol Division's exploration records completely normal, while you were privately setting up warning arrays?"

"After the event, this disciple learned of a past incident from a surviving veteran of the Earth Patrol Division."

Su Ming slightly lowered his gaze, his tone carrying a touch of perfectly measured melancholy. "A hundred years ago, Steward Wu's personal disciple, a genius with an Earth Spiritual Root, was ordered to venture ten thousand zhang deep underground to investigate the Insect Nest. He perished within, his bones lost. Since then, Steward Wu developed a mental block regarding deep underground exploration, extremely resistant to aggressive exploration methods, fearing more disciples would make meaningless sacrifices."

Pausing here, Su Ming lifted his head, his gaze clear:

"Steward Wu's obstruction stemmed from a heart wishing to protect his comrades. Though it was a misjudgment, it was not born of selfishness. At the time, this disciple's cultivation was lowly. Though I had conjectures, I lacked concrete evidence and dared not speak recklessly to shake army morale. I could only make what preparations I could within the scope of my abilities."

As these words fell, the atmosphere within the pavilion underwent a subtle change.

The originally aggressive, stern killing aura dissipated considerably. The Xuanheng Zhenren on the left gave a slight nod. Even that figure brimming with vibrant life force, who had remained silent, let out an extremely soft sigh.

Su Ming hadn't shifted blame. Instead, he had found a "caring for juniors" reason for Wu Miao. This both explained Wu Miao's dereliction as a "mental block" rather than "negligence of duty," and established his own "consideration for the greater good" persona.

"Beautifully answered," Lin Yu praised. "Leaving dignity for the dead is leaving a path for the living."

"Even if Wu Miao had a mental block, when you detected the data anomalies, aside from reporting to Elder Mo Li, did you take any other substantive actions?"

This time, it was Xuanheng who spoke. As the Formation Peak Master, he was more concerned with the technical response.

The jade slip fragment in Su Ming's hands automatically floated up, suspending itself before the five figures.

"This disciple immediately recorded the anomalous data onto this and attempted to simulate an underground vibration model using the 'Minor Heavenly Cycle Water Rhythm Formation.' But..." Su Ming gave a bitter smile. "This disciple's words carried little weight. Moreover, after Elder Mo looked at the data at the time, he only replied, 'This matter is not something you or I can intervene in. Focus on your own duties.'"

Xuanheng's divine sense swept over the jade slip. Seeing those admittedly immature yet logically clear deduction models within, a flash of appreciation appeared in his eyes, which then turned sharp again:

"When the insect calamity erupted, the mountain-protecting grand formation collapsed, and spiritual energy became chaotic like tides. You were merely at the Qi Refining stage. How were you able to light the 'Beacon Fire' at the first moment in such an environment, and even maintain the operation of the 'Spiderweb'?"