"Disciple, we absolutely cannot get involved in this matter," Lin Yu warned. "This thing involves high-level curse techniques of the Demon Tribe. If you, a mere Qi Refining stage cultivator, could actually see through it, you'd immediately be labeled a spy. Play dumb. You must play dumb."

Su Ming calmly withdrew his gaze.

He slowly raised his right hand, a mass of dark blue water mist coalescing in his palm.

The water mist did not directly touch the bone. Instead, it drifted like a thin veil, slowly enveloping the three-foot space around the bone.

"Sizzle—"

The moment the water mist drew near, it was as if cold water had been splashed into boiling oil, churning violently.

The piece of white bone seemed to sense the approach of foreign spiritual energy, and the frequency of its vibrations suddenly increased.

"Ah—!"

A Foundation Establishment stage Formation Master standing behind Su Ming suddenly clutched his ears, let out a scream, two streams of black blood flowing from his nostrils as he swayed unsteadily.

"Fall back!" Elder Mo's expression drastically changed. With a sweep of his large sleeve, a barrier of spiritual energy shielded the group.

Su Ming also took the opportunity to stumble back several steps, dispersing the water mist in his hand. A look of shaken terror appeared on his face, cold sweat beading on his forehead.

"How was it?" Elder Mo asked urgently.

Su Ming gasped for breath heavily, his eyes filled with "confusion" and "apprehension."

"Elder Mo, this disciple... this disciple is incompetent."

Su Ming's voice trembled slightly, his words rapid. "The moment my water spiritual energy got close, I felt an extremely chaotic suction force. The feeling... it was like facing a bottomless whirlpool. All the spiritual energy fluctuations were being swallowed, impossible to probe to the bottom."

He paused, then used a more common analogy fitting his status: "This thing is like a leather pouch filled with air, full of chaotic, swirling currents inside. The Vessel Hall's fire refinement earlier was like heating up this pouch, causing the air inside to expand, ready to explode at any moment. If we apply external pressure again, I'm afraid it will shatter directly."

Su Ming did not mention "Curse Bone," much less a Demon Tribe priest.

He only described the phenomenon and gave a conclusion of "cannot use brute force."

Hearing this, Elder Mo's brows furrowed even tighter.

"Whirlpool... suction..." Elder Mo muttered to himself, his gaze towards the white bone growing increasingly grave. "If even water spiritual energy cannot penetrate and pacify it, then the internal structure of this thing is probably already completely disordered."

"What do we do then?" The plump steward panicked. "This thing keeps screaming, the vibrations are getting stronger. If this continues, the sealing formation won't hold!"

Just as everyone was at a loss, a cold, sharp voice suddenly came from mid-air.

"A bunch of useless fools."

The voice wasn't loud, yet it instantly drowned out the bone's piercing shriek.

Everyone looked up.

They saw a streak of escape light pierce through the air, instantly landing in the center of the ruins.

The newcomer wore brocade robes, his expression indifferent. It was none other than the Formation Hub steward of Iron Wall Pass, Wu Miao.

Wu Miao didn't even glance at the people around him. His gaze fell directly on the trembling white bone.

"A mere Demon Tribe 'Ghost Wailing Stake,' and it has you all in such a panic, even requiring my personal attention?"

Wu Miao snorted coldly and waved his large sleeve.

A jade box, crystal clear throughout and emanating a shocking chill, materialized out of thin air.

The moment the jade box opened, a bone-chilling coldness that seemed capable of freezing souls swept across the area. Su Ming felt his entire body tense up, even the circulation of spiritual energy within him slowing down noticeably.

"Is this... a Spirit-Sealing Box made from a thousand-year Water Jade Heart?" In the Consciousness Sea, Lin Yu whistled. "Tsk tsk, the rich sure are rich. This equipment is luxurious enough."

Wu Miao formed a hand seal with his right hand and pointed towards the piece of white bone from a distance.

"Seal!"

With his low shout, a thick, mercury-like silver liquid surged from the Water Jade Box, instantly enveloping the white bone.

The bone, which had been madly vibrating, under the wrapping of this silver liquid, became like an insect trapped in amber. Its struggling movements instantly froze solid.

Those invisible "Wraith Corridors" were forcibly frozen by this extreme cold force. All sound abruptly ceased.

The entire storage area instantly returned to a deathly silence.

Wu Miao flipped his palm. The liquid enveloping the bone rapidly flowed back into the jade box. With a *click*, the lid closed.

A golden talisman automatically appeared, adhering to the lid. As spiritual light flowed across it, it completely isolated all aura.

"Done."

Wu Miao held the jade box in one hand, turned around, and swept his cold gaze over the people present, finally pausing briefly on Su Ming.

"Can't even handle such a minor matter, forcing me to personally intervene."

Wu Miao looked at Elder Mo. Although his tone was somewhat more polite, it still carried a hint of a reprimand. "Elder Mo, the Formation Hub cannot be left unattended. The screening work in this logistics camp needs to be expedited. If something like this gets mixed in again and the higher-ups hold us accountable, we will face punishment together."

Elder Mo's face stiffened slightly, but he still cupped his hands respectfully. "Steward Wu speaks the truth."

Wu Miao said nothing more. Transforming into a streak of escape light, he shot into the sky with the jade box, disappearing in the direction of the Formation Hub Tower in the blink of an eye.

Only after the Golden Core stage pressure completely dissipated did everyone present collectively let out a sigh of relief.

The two Vessel Hall stewards even plopped down onto the ground, looking as if they'd been fished out of water.

"That was close..." The plump steward wiped his sweat. "Fortunately Steward Wu arrived in time, otherwise this disaster would have been huge."

Elder Mo looked in the direction Wu Miao had left, fell silent for a moment, then turned to look at Su Ming.

"Su Ming, just now you said that thing was like an air-filled leather pouch, that it couldn't be pressed hard?" Elder Mo asked.

Su Ming hurriedly bowed. "It was just this disciple's foolish opinion, spoken carelessly."

"No, you were right." 𝒻𝘳ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝒷𝘯ℴ𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝑐ℴ𝑚

Elder Mo shook his head, a flash of appreciation in his eyes. "Although Steward Wu's method just now seemed like forceful sealing, the Water Jade Box he used contained 'Heavy Water of the Supreme Yin.' That is the ultimate substance for overcoming hardness with softness. It wasn't brute force suppression, but freezing. Although your cultivation is insufficient, your discernment is far better than those fire-playing brutes in the Vessel Hall."

Hearing this, the two Vessel Hall stewards nearby flushed and paled alternately, not daring to refute.

"Alright, everyone disperse."

Elder Mo waved his hand, looking weary. "Take those injured to recuperate. Su Ming, come with me."